scholarly journals Using ecosystem risk assessment science in ecosystem restoration: a guide to applying the Red List of Ecosystems to ecosystem restoration

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos Valderrábano ◽  
Cara Nelson ◽  
Emily Nicholson ◽  
Andrés Etter ◽  
Josie Carwardine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Ecosystem Restoration ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Red List ◽  
Management Interventions ◽  
Ecosystem Risk ◽  
Global Initiatives ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Ecosystem Collapse

Recent global initiatives in ecosystem restoration offer an unprecedented opportunity to improve biodiversity conservation and human health and well-being. Ecosystems form a core component of biodiversity. They provide humans with multiple benefits – a stable climate and breathable air; water, food and materials; and protection from disaster and disease. Ecosystem restoration, as defined by the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, includes a range of management interventions that aim to reduce impacts on and assist in the recovery of ecosystems that have been damaged, degraded or destroyed. This Guide promotes the application of the science of ecosystem risk assessment, which involves measuring the risk of ecosystem collapse, in ecosystem restoration. It explores how the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems and ecosystem restoration can be jointly deployed to reduce risk of ecosystem collapse.

scholarly journals Using multiple lines of evidence to assess the risk of ecosystem collapse

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1863) ◽  
pp. 20170660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucie M. Bland ◽  
Tracey J. Regan ◽  
Minh Ngoc Dinh ◽  
Renata Ferrari ◽  
David A. Keith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Ecosystem Model ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Red List ◽  
Ecosystem Dynamics ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Data Types ◽  
Ecosystem Models ◽  
Ecosystem Risk ◽  
Lines Of Evidence

Effective ecosystem risk assessment relies on a conceptual understanding of ecosystem dynamics and the synthesis of multiple lines of evidence. Risk assessment protocols and ecosystem models integrate limited observational data with threat scenarios, making them valuable tools for monitoring ecosystem status and diagnosing key mechanisms of decline to be addressed by management. We applied the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems criteria to quantify the risk of collapse of the Meso-American Reef, a unique ecosystem containing the second longest barrier reef in the world. We collated a wide array of empirical data (field and remotely sensed), and used a stochastic ecosystem model to backcast past ecosystem dynamics, as well as forecast future ecosystem dynamics under 11 scenarios of threat. The ecosystem is at high risk from mass bleaching in the coming decades, with compounding effects of ocean acidification, hurricanes, pollution and fishing. The overall status of the ecosystem is Critically Endangered (plausibly Vulnerable to Critically Endangered), with notable differences among Red List criteria and data types in detecting the most severe symptoms of risk. Our case study provides a template for assessing risks to coral reefs and for further application of ecosystem models in risk assessment.

Three new species of Freziera (Pentaphylacaceae, Freziereae) from Bolivia and Peru

Phytotaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 349 (2) ◽  
pp. 101 ◽  
Author(s):  
DANIEL SANTAMARÍA-AGUILAR ◽  
ALFREDO F. FUENTES ◽  
LAURA P. LAGOMARSINO
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
New Species ◽  
New Taxa ◽  
Extinction Risk ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Red List ◽  
Iucn Red List Categories ◽  
Red List Categories ◽  
Extinction Risk Assessment ◽  
Three New Species

We describe and illustrate three new species of Freziera collected from the “ceja de monte yungueña” cloud forests in Bolivia and Peru. Freziera apolobambensis and F. erickitae, both endemic to Bolivia, have small leaves and pink-magenta flowers, whereas F. magnibracteolata, found in Peru and Bolivia, is characterized by its adaxially pubescent leaves with whitish beige trichomes and inflorescences with large bracts and bracteoles. An extinction risk assessment based on the IUCN Red List categories and criteria indicates that F. apolobambensis should be considered Critically Endangered (CR), whereas F. erickitae and F. magnibracteolata should be considered Endangered (EN). The distribution, phenology, and habitat of the new taxa are provided, and affinities with their presumed closest relatives are discussed. 

Shortfalls in extinction risk assessments for plants

2020 ◽  
Vol 68 (6) ◽  
pp. 466
Author(s):  
Matthew Alfonzetti ◽  
Malin C. Rivers ◽  
Tony D. Auld ◽  
Tom Le Breton ◽  
Tim Cooney ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Extinction Risk ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Red List ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Risk Assessments ◽  
Endemic Plants ◽  
Endemic Plant ◽  
Extinction Risk Assessment ◽  
Epbc Act

Research on species recovery, reintroduction, and conservation disproportionally focusses on birds and mammals. Typically, less attention is given to hyper-diverse but ecologically important groups such as plants and invertebrates. In this study, we focussed on a continent with one of the world’s highest proportions of endemic plant species (Australia) comparing the number of extinction risk assessments relative to birds and mammals. Specifically, we generated a checklist of Australian endemic vascular plants and used three resources which differ in styles and scope to collate information on how many have an extinction risk assessment – the ThreatSearch database, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, and Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, (EPBC Act). Between 76 and 93% of endemic Australian plants examined lack an extinction risk assessment based on data from our three sources. We also compared the proportions of endemic plants assessed relative to birds and mammals. Of all endemic plant taxa examined, only 6.8% have been assessed under the EPBC Act, compared with 9.4% of birds and 28.9% of mammals. Similarly, only 8.8% of endemic plants have been assessed for the IUCN Red List, compared with 29.1% of birds and 61.1% of mammals, whereas all birds and mammals have been examined in National Action Plans. This represents a significant underestimation of the actual proportion of Australian endemic plants that are likely to satisfy extinction-risk criteria for listing as threatened. This shortfall in risk assessments for plants is a matter of international significance for conservation given Australia’s high rate of plant endemism. A change in policy and approach to assessing extinction risk is needed to ensure adequate assessment effort across different taxonomic groups.

Association Between Sleep and Productivity Loss Among 598 676 Employees From Multiple Industries

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 1091-1094 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan B. Gingerich ◽  
Erin L. D. Seaverson ◽  
David R. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Productivity Loss ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Employee Health ◽  
Employee Productivity ◽  
Sleep Habits ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Health And Well Being

Purpose: To examine the relationship between sleep habits and employee productivity. Design: Cross-sectional health risk assessment analysis. Setting: Employer-sponsored health and well-being programs. Participants: A total of 598 676 employed adults from multiple industries. Measures: Self-reported average hours of sleep, fatigue, absence days, and presenteeism. Analysis: Bivariate analyses to assess the relationships between self-reported hours of sleep and self-reported fatigue and mean and median absence and presenteeism. Results: The relationship between sleep hours and both measures of productivity was U-shaped, with the least productivity loss among employees who reported 8 hours of sleep. More daytime fatigue correlated with more absence and presenteeism. Median absence and presenteeism was consistently lower than mean absence and presenteeism, respectively, for the various hours of sleep and levels of fatigue. Conclusion: Organizations looking to expand the value of their investment in employee health and well-being should consider addressing the employee sleep habits that may be negatively impacting productivity.

Diet Quality, a Term Subject to Change over Time

2012 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 144-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibrahim Elmadfa ◽  
Alexa L. Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Diet Quality ◽  
Functional Foods ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Industrialized Countries ◽  
Quality Factors ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Quality Diet ◽  
Important Quality ◽  
Health And Well Being

A high-quality diet is one of the foundations of health and well-being. For a long time in human history, diet was chiefly a source of energy and macronutrients meant to still hunger and give the strength for work and activities that were in general much harder than nowadays. Only few persons could afford to emphasize enjoyment. In the assessment of quality, organoleptic properties were major criteria to detect spoilage and oxidative deterioration of food. Today, food hygiene is a quality aspect that is often taken for granted by consumers, despite its lack being at the origin of most food-borne diseases. The discovery of micronutrients entailed fundamental changes of the concept of diet quality. However, non-essential food components with additional health functions were still barely known or not considered important until recently. With the high burden of obesity and its associated diseases on the rise, affluent, industrialized countries have developed an increased interest in these substances, which has led to the development of functional foods to optimize special body functions, reduce disease risk, or even contribute to therapeutic approaches. Indeed, nowadays, high contents of energy, fat, and sugar are factors associated with a lower quality of food, and products with reduced amounts of these components are valued by many consumers. At the same time, enjoyment and convenience are important quality factors, presenting food manufacturers with the dilemma of reconciling low fat content and applicability with good taste and appealing appearance. Functional foods offer an approach to address this challenge. Deeper insights into nutrient-gene interactions may enable personalized nutrition adapted to the special needs of individuals. However, so far, a varied healthy diet remains the best basis for health and well-being.

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