scholarly journals The fate of tropical forest fragments

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (11) ◽  
pp. eaax8574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew C. Hansen ◽  
Lei Wang ◽  
Xiao-Peng Song ◽  
Alexandra Tyukavina ◽  
Svetlana Turubanova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Fragment Size ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Primary Forest ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Forest Fragment

Tropical forest fragmentation results in habitat and biodiversity loss and increased carbon emissions. Here, we link an increased likelihood of tropical forest loss to decreasing fragment size, particularly in primary forests. The relationship holds for protected areas, albeit with half the rate of loss compared with all fragments. The fact that disturbance increases as primary forest fragment size decreases reflects higher land use pressures and improved access for resource extraction and/or conversion in smaller fragments. Large remaining forest fragments are found in the Amazon and Congo Basins and Insular Southeast Asia, with the majority of large extent/low loss fragments located in the Amazon. Tropical areas without large fragments, including Central America, West Africa, and mainland Southeast Asia, have higher loss within and outside of protected areas. Results illustrate the need for rigorous land use planning, management, and enforcement in maintaining large tropical forest fragments and restoring regions of advanced fragmentation.

scholarly journals Small mammal glucocorticoid concentrations vary with forest fragment size, trap type, and mammal taxa in the Interior Atlantic Forest

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah A. Boyle ◽  
Noé U. de la Sancha ◽  
Pastor Pérez ◽  
David Kabelik
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Physiological Stress ◽  
Fragment Size ◽  
Hair Shaft ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Forest Fragment ◽  
Trapping Methods ◽  
Free Ranging

AbstractSpecies that live in degraded habitats often show signs of physiological stress. Glucocorticoid hormones (e.g., corticosterone and cortisol) are often assessed as a proxy of the extent of physiological stress an animal has experienced. Our goal was to quantify glucocorticoids in free-ranging small mammals in fragments of Interior Atlantic Forest. We extracted glucocorticoids from fur samples of 106 small mammals (rodent genera Akodon and Oligoryzomys, and marsupial genera Gracilinanus and Marmosa) from six forest fragments (2–1200 ha) in the Reserva Natural Tapytá, Caazapá Department, Paraguay. To our knowledge, this is the first publication of corticosterone and cortisol levels for three of the four sampled genera (Akodon, Oligoryzomys, and Marmosa) in this forest system. We discovered three notable results. First, as predicted, glucocorticoid levels were higher in individuals living withing small forest fragments. Second, animals captured live using restraint trapping methods (Sherman traps) had higher glucocorticoid levels than those animals captured using kill traps (Victor traps), suggesting that hair glucocorticoid measures can reflect acute stress levels in addition to long-term glucocorticoid incorporation. These acute levels are likely due to urinary steroids diffusing into the hair shaft. This finding raises a concern about the use of certain trapping techniques in association with fur hormone analysis. Finally, as expected, we also detected genus-specific differences in glucocorticoid levels, as well as cortisol/corticosterone ratios.

scholarly journals Overlooked biodiversity loss in Amazonian smallholder agriculture

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob B. Socolar ◽  
Elvis H. Valderrama Sandoval ◽  
David S. Wilcove
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Beta Diversity ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Habitat Specialization ◽  
Primary Forest ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Smallholder Agriculture ◽  
Case Scenario ◽  
Habitat Features ◽  
Bird Richness

ABSTRACTDiversified smallholder agriculture is the main human land-use affecting the western Amazon, home to the world’s richest terrestrial biota, but the scant available data to date have suggested that the biodiversity impacts of this land-use are small. Here, we present comprehensive surveys of birds and trees in primary forest and smallholder agricultural mosaics in northern Peru. These surveys reveal substantial biodiversity losses that have been overlooked by other studies. Avian biodiversity losses arise primarily from biotic homogenization across infrequently surveyed forest habitats (a loss of beta-diversity). Furthermore, tree species richness declines much more steeply than bird richness. Statistical modeling of local habitat features that allow forest-associated species to persist in the smallholder mosaic strongly suggests that our results represent a best-case scenario for Amazonian agricultural biodiversity. We conclude that previous assessments of the biodiversity value of Amazonian smallholder agriculture have been overly optimistic because they are restricted to upland habitat, thereby missing losses in beta diversity; do not evaluate trees; and/or rely on generalizations from less speciose areas of the Neotropics, where habitat specialization amongst species is less prevalent. Smallholder agriculture will likely expand in western Amazonia due to infrastructure development, and it must be seen as a serious threat to the region’s biodiversity.

scholarly journals Area-based conservation planning in Japan: protected area network effectiveness to the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takayuki Shiono ◽  
Yasuhiro Kubota ◽  
Buntarou Kusumoto
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Extinction Risk ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Area Network ◽  
Global Biodiversity

To reframe the imperfect review processes of nation-scale actions on area-based conservation through protected area (PA) networks, we first created novel infrastructure to visualize nation-level biodiversity information in Japan. We then assessed the performance of the existing PA network relative to land exploitation pressure and evaluated conservation effectiveness of PA expansion for the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. The Zonation algorithm was used to spatially prioritize conservation areas to minimize biodiversity loss and the extinction risk for 8,500 Japanese vascular plant and vertebrate species under constraints of the existing PA network and land use. The spatial pattern of the identified priority areas, which were considered candidate areas for expansion of the current PA network, was influenced by land-use types according to the mask layers of non-PAs, and low-, middle-, and high-ranked PAs. The current PA network reduced the aggregate extinction risk of multiple species by 36.6%. Indeed, the percentage of built-up areas in the existing PAs was in general smaller than that in the areas surrounding PAs. Notably, high-ranked PAs fully restrained built-up pressure (0.037% per 10 years), whereas low-ranked PAs in the national park and wild-life protection areas did not (1.845% per 10 years). Conservation effects were predicted to substantially improve by expansion of high-ranked (legally strict) PAs into remote non-PAs without population/socio-economic activities, or expansion of medium-ranked PAs into agriculture forestry satoyama and urban areas. A 30% land conservation target was predicted to decrease extinction risk by 74.1% when PA expansion was implemented across remote areas, satoyama, and urban areas; moreover, PA connectivity almost doubled compared with the existing PA network. In contrast, a conventional scenario showed that placing national parks in state-owned and non-populated areas would reduce extinction risk by only 4.0%. The conservation prioritization analyses demonstrated an effectiveness of using a comprehensive conservation approach that reconciles land-sparing protection and land-sharing conservation in other effective area-based conservation measures (OECM) in satoyama and urban green spaces. Our results revealed that complementary inclusion of various PAs interventions related to their governance and land-use planning plays a critical role in effectively preventing biodiversity loss and makes it more feasible to achieve ambitious conservation targets.

scholarly journals ORDENAMENTO TERRITORIAL E GESTÃO EM UNIDADES DE CONSERVAÇÃO DE AMBIENTES COSTEIROS (TERRITORIAL PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT IN PROTECTED AREAS OF COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS)

2019 ◽  
pp. 200-219
Author(s):  
Eduina Bezerra França
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Coastal Environments ◽  
Conservation Unit ◽  
Conservation Units ◽  
Effective Governance ◽  
Territorial Planning ◽  
Governance Model ◽  
Governance Analysis

RESUMO:No Brasil, a gestão de unidades de conservação ainda é pouco discutida no sentido de governança, e ao mesmo tempo direciona olhares para aplicação de metodologias e políticas de ordenamento territorial que venham a mitigar os conflitos e efetivar práticas mais participativas. O objetivo do artigo é compreender as implicações do ordenamento territorial e da gestão de UC em ambientes costeiros, tendo como referência empírica a APA de Piaçabuçu, Litoral Sul de Alagoas. A metodologia utilizou basicamente os seguintes instrumentos: levantamento bibliográfico e documental, visita de campo e entrevista com gestores. Para análise e interpretação dos resultados optou-se pelo decálogo proposto pelo geógrafo espanhol Barragán Muñoz (2014) que permite valorar os ambientes geográficos e sistematizar um modelo de governança eficaz na costa. Em suma, a dinâmica territorial da APA de Piaçabuçu passa por problemas que dificultam o trabalho da gestão e necessita de parcerias que atentem para a governança e inclua as esferas antenadas com a organização do território.Palavras-chave: Ordenamento Territorial; Unidade de Conservação; Litoral. ABSTRACT:In Brazil, the management of conservation units is still little discussed in the sense of governance and, at the same time, it directs approaches to the application of territorial planning methodologies and policies that will mitigate conflicts and effect more participatory practices. The objective of this article is to understand the implications of land use planning in the APA of Piaçabuçu, Litoral Sul de Alagoas. The methodology used basically the following instruments: bibliographical and documentary survey, field visit and interview with managers. For governance analysis in UC, the decalogue proposed by the Spanish geographer Barragán Muñoz (2014) was used to assess geographic environments and systematize an effective governance model on the coast. In short, the territorial dynamics of the APA in Piaçabuçu are affected by problems that hamper the work of management and require partnerships that jeopardize governance and include the spheres with the organization of the territory.Keywords: Territorial Planning; Conservation Unit; Coast.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of protected areas in conserving tropical forest birds

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Cazalis ◽  
Karine Princé ◽  
Jean-Baptiste Mihoub ◽  
Joseph Kelly ◽  
Stuart H.M. Butchart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Forest Birds ◽  
Bird Diversity ◽  
Bird Species Richness ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Global Biodiversity ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

AbstractProtected areas are the cornerstones of global biodiversity conservation efforts1,2, but to fulfil this role they must be effective at conserving the ecosystems and species that occur within their boundaries. This is particularly imperative in tropical forest hotspots, regions that concentrate a major fraction of the world’s biodiversity while also being under intense human pressure3–5. But these areas strongly lack adequate monitoring datasets enabling to contrast biodiversity in protected areas with comparable unprotected sites6,7. Here we take advantage of the world’s largest citizen science biodiversity dataset – eBird8 – to quantify the extent to which protected areas in eight tropical forest biodiversity hotspots are effective at retaining bird diversity, and to understand the underlying mechanisms. We found generally positive effects of protection on the diversity of bird species that are forest-dependent, endemic to the hotspots, or threatened or Near Threatened, but not on overall bird species richness. Furthermore, we show that in most of the hotspots examined this is driven by protected areas preventing both forest loss and degradation. Our results support calls for increasing the extent and strengthening the management efforts within protected areas to reduce global biodiversity loss9–11.

scholarly journals Effects of Forest Fragment Size and Successional Stage on Mixed-Species Bird Flocks in Southeastern Brazil

The Condor ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 102 (3) ◽  
pp. 585-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos Maldonado-Coelho ◽  
Miguel  Marini
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Size Structure ◽  
Fragment Size ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Size Analysis ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Forest Fragment ◽  
Mixed Species ◽  
Successional Stage ◽  
Mixed Species Flocks

Abstract We analyzed patterns of species richness, size, structure, and composition of mixed-species flocks in relation to forest fragment size and forest successional stage during dry and rainy seasons, at the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. Three forest fragments (1.7, 50, and 200 ha) were used for fragment size analysis, and two fragments (200 and 300 ha) were used for successional stage analysis. Fragment size and season affected flock richness, size, stability, and composition. In the 1.7-ha fragment, flock species richness, size, and stability were significantly different only during the rainy season. Fragment successional stage also influenced flock richness and size, although season did not. Flock composition also had changes related to fragment successional stage. Fragment geometry seems to be an important factor influencing flock structure and composition.

Toward a New Protection Paradigm

Last Stand ◽  
1997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carel P. van Schaik ◽  
Randall A. Kramer
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Rain Forest ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Conservation Strategy ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Full Diversity ◽  
External Forces

During the past century, the standard measure for safeguarding the maintenance of biodiversity has been the establishment of protected areas in which consumptive uses by humans are minimized. Over the years, the design of protected areas has evolved from the creation of small refuges for particular species to the protection of entire ecosystems that are large enough to maintain most if not all their component species and that are mutually interconnected wherever possible. While many other, equally important, measures are now being contemplated and implemented (e.g., comprehensive land-use planning, sustainable development), protected areas remain the cornerstone of all conservation strategies aimed at limiting the inevitable reduction of this planet’s biodiversity (e.g., World Conservation Strategy, Caring for the Earth, Global Biodiversity Strategy). Existing protected rain forest areas suffer from an array of problems that reduce their effectiveness in a broad conservation strategy. They cover a scant 5 percent of tropical rain forest habitats (WCMC, 1992)— arguably not enough to forestall species extinction, especially since the proportions of areas protected vary appreciably from region to region. Protected areas are often not sited appropriately, and they are often too small to maintain the full diversity of their communities. They will in future be affected by external forces (Neumann and Machlis, 1989), such as changes in local climates caused by extensive deforestation, pollution, or fires emanating from outside; introduced exotic species; and global climate change, which in parts of the tropics will likely manifest itself as an increase in the frequency of long droughts. Fortunately, these existing and anticipated threats are being addressed in some countries and regions by measures such as integrated land-use planning, redesigning parks, and establishing corridors, although ecologists are concerned that not enough is being done (see chapter 3). These shortcomings of protected area networks are significant and need to be redressed, but human activities currently pose far more serious threats to protected areas.

Predation on exposed and leaf-rolling artificial caterpillars in tropical forests of Papua New Guinea

2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 331-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katerina Tvardikova ◽  
Vojtech Novotny
Keyword(s):  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Rain Forest ◽  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Primary Forest ◽  
Secondary Forests ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Leaf Rolling ◽  
Forest Fragment ◽  
Tropical Rain Forests ◽  
Rain Forests

Abstract:Although predation is generally seen as one of the key factors determining the abundance and composition of insect herbivore communities in tropical rain forests, quantitative estimates of predation pressure in rain-forest habitats remain rare. We compared incidence of attacks of different natural enemies on semi-concealed and exposed caterpillars (Lepidoptera) in lowland and montane tropical rain forests, using plasticine models of caterpillars. We recorded attacks on caterpillars in four habitats: primary forest, secondary forest and forest fragment in lowlands (200 m asl), and montane primary forest (1700 m asl). We used 300 exposed and 300 semi-concealed caterpillars daily, and conducted the experiment for 6 d in every habitat. Daily incidence of attacks was higher on exposed caterpillars (4.95%) than on semi-concealed (leaf-rolling) caterpillars (2.99%). Attack pressure of natural enemies differed also among habitats. In the lowlands, continuous primary and secondary forests had similar daily incidence of attacks (2.39% and 2.36%) which was however lower than that found in a primary forest fragment (4.62%). This difference was caused by higher incidence of attacks by birds, ants and wasps in the forest fragment. The most important predators were birds in montane rain forests (61.9% of identified attacks), but insect predators, mostly ants, in the lowlands (58.3% of identified attacks). These results suggest that rapid decrease in the abundance of ants with altitude may be compensated by increased importance of birds as predators in montane forests. Further, it suggests that small rain-forest fragments may suffer from disproportionately high pressure from natural enemies, with potentially serious consequences for survival of their herbivorous communities.

scholarly journals An Appropriate Guideline for Participatory GIS: A Result from the Experience of Joint Management of Protected Area Project in Thailand

2015 ◽  
pp. 17-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phonpat Hemwan
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Information Acquisition ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Local Area ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Participatory Gis ◽  
Joint Management ◽  
Conservation Projects

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of the Participatory Geographic Information System (PGIS) process as implemented through the Joint Management of Protected Areas (JoMPA) project. This article analyzes the process of local land use planning using PGIS through demarcation of special use zones. This was demonstrated to be a crucial process in the implemen-tation of conservation projects. Implementation of PGIS involves several operational steps, broughttogether in this study using the method of action research. It is based on collaborative partici-pation by stakeholders in the local area, leading all stakeholders to effective co-management of resources. The means of PGIS is also discussed here as a set of key tools, comprising geo-information acquisition and analysis tools. They are used mainly as participatory and interactive tools for communication and decision-making in collaborative planning or public meetings. The results of this implementation indicated that villagers could clearly understand the boundaries of land use areas, and the community regulations to facilitate practical co-management of land use by all local stakeholders. In addition, this study evaluates intensities of participation in 3 dimensions: facilitation, mediation and empowerment. This integrated approach including participatory local land use planning with PGIS is useful to identify problems in protected areas and also to develop strategies and solutions in partnership with local communities and external stake-holders, that together lead to a co-management approach for protected areas.

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