scholarly journals Threat Ranking to Improve Conservation Planning: An Example from the Gediz Delta, Turkey

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1381
Author(s):  
Dilara Arslan ◽  
Kerim Çiçek ◽  
Ömer Döndüren ◽  
Lisa Ernoul
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Planning ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Commercial Development ◽  
Conservation Actions ◽  
Complete Survey ◽  
Multi Method Approach ◽  
Sustainable Conservation ◽  
Systematic Identification ◽  
Grassland Habitats

Mediterranean wetlands are among the most threatened natural areas. The needs and demands of an increasing human population are modifying land use and converting natural habitats into artificial areas. In order to combat these trends, effective conservation planning needs to provide clear, systematic identification of threats to find sustainable conservation strategies. In this case study, we evaluated current threats in the Gediz Delta (Turkey) using a multi-method approach. First, we did a comprehensive literature review and stakeholder interviews to identify existing threats. We then did a complete survey of the Delta through intensive fieldwork. The threats were coded and ranked using the conservation standards. We used the threat ranking and field survey to map the most vulnerable areas of the Delta. The most commonly observed threats in the field were pollution and agriculture and aquaculture activities. According to the threat ranking, the most important threats are climate change and residential and commercial development. The habitats that are most at risk are agricultural grassland habitats. The results indicate a need to extend conservation actions in the inner part of the Delta. In addition, the multi-method threat ranking approach could serve as a model to improve conservation planning in other sites worldwide.

scholarly journals Diurnal activity patterns of walia ibex (Capra walie) in Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 83
Author(s):  
Dessalegn Ejigu ◽  
Afework Bekele ◽  
Larkin Powell
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Planning ◽  
National Park ◽  
Sampling Method ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Diurnal Activity ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Dry Seasons ◽  
Time Spent Feeding

Walia ibex (Capra walie) is an endangered and endemic species restricted to Simien Mountains National Park (SMNP), Ethiopia. Data on activity patterns of walia ibex were collected during October 2009 to November 2011, and the main objective of the research was to determine diurnal activity patterns of walia ibex in Simien Mountains National Park in order to design sound conservation strategies for the species. Scan sampling method was used for data collection on diurnal activity patterns of walia ibex. Diurnal activity patterns in walia ibex were bimodal, in which they were active before and after noon. They rest in shade on rocks and cliffs during the mid-day to protect themselves from hot sun and predators. Activity patterns of walia ibex during the day showed statistically significant differences (F7,18228= 82.09, df=7, p<0.01). Feeding showed significant differences compared to moving, standing, resting, socializing, and other activities (p<0.05). Diurnal activity records in the walia ibex population during the wet and the dry seasons showed that time spent feeding was the highest and vigilance was the lowest. Knowledge of the pattern of this behavior can especially be useful to design conservation planning as successful reproduction in the population may be threatened by anthropogenic disturbances. Thus, information about the diurnal activity patterns of walia ibex is essential for conservation planning of the endemic and endangered walia ibex in its natural habitats.

scholarly journals Ex Situ Conservation of Biodiversity with Particular Emphasis to Ethiopia

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Kasso ◽  
Mundanthra Balakrishnan
Keyword(s):  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Botanical Garden ◽  
Political Support ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Power Sources ◽  
Personnel Costs ◽  
Conservation Actions

Biodiversity encompasses variety and variability of all forms of life on earth that play a great role in human existence. Its conservation embraces maintenance, sustainable utilization, and restoration, of the lost and degraded biodiversity through two basic and complementary strategies called in situ and ex situ. Ex situ conservation is the technique of conservation of all levels of biological diversity outside their natural habitats through different techniques like zoo, captive breeding, aquarium, botanical garden, and gene bank. It plays key roles in communicating the issues, raising awareness, and gaining widespread public and political support for conservation actions and for breeding endangered species in captivity for reintroduction. Limitations of ex situ conservation include maintenance of organisms in artificial habitats, deterioration of genetic diversity, inbreeding depression, adaptations to captivity, and accumulation of deleterious alleles. It has many constraints in terms of personnel, costs, and reliance on electric power sources. Ethiopia is considered to be one of the richest centers of genetic resources in the world. Currently, a number of stakeholders/actors are actively working on biodiversity conservation through ex situ conservation strategies by establishing gene banks, botanical garden, and zoo.

Prioritizing strain insulators for raptor conservation

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
FRANCISCO GUIL ◽  
M. ÁNGELES SORIA ◽  
VÍCTOR ORTEGA ◽  
RUBÉN GARCÍA-SÁNCHEZ ◽  
SILVIA VILLAVERDE-MORCILLO
Keyword(s):  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Risk Index ◽  
Influential Factors ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Central Spain ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Conservation Actions ◽  
Complete Survey ◽  
Raptor Conservation ◽  
Management And Conservation

Summary Avian species often take advantage of human-made structures, such as perching on power poles, although this can lead to negative effects for both birds and infrastructure. It has been demonstrated that anchor-type pylons, with strain insulators, are amongst the most dangerous of these structures. Our goal was to develop a methodological approach to evaluate the ways in which raptors perch on the six most commonly used strain insulator configurations in Spain, and to build a risk index that can be used to prioritise them. To study the ways raptors perch, we worked with six wildlife rescue centres in central Spain for almost a year assessing these six strain insulator configurations in 83 perch trials with 176 raptors in ample flying pens. We analysed 475 complete survey days, with an approximate number of 258,960 analysed pictures, including 6,766 perchings on strain insulators. We assessed the influential factors for these 6,766 perchings and developed a novel approach to prioritise strain insulator configurations that can be used anywhere. Our results suggest that longer insulator strains (i.e. PECA-1000 and Caon-C3670) are the safest, according to our prioritization criteria, although these results require further assessment in the field. Managers and conservationists should take into account these results to improve management and conservation actions.

scholarly journals Upper tidal flats are disproportionately important for the conservation of migratory shorebirds

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1928) ◽  
pp. 20200278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tong Mu ◽  
David S. Wilcove
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Planning ◽  
Tidal Flats ◽  
Coastal Development ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Migratory Shorebirds ◽  
Stopover Sites ◽  
Ecological Understanding ◽  
Effective Conservation ◽  
Foraging Time

Migratory animals play vital ecological roles in ecosystems worldwide, yet many species are threatened by human activities. Understanding the detailed patterns of habitat use throughout the migration cycle is critical to developing effective conservation strategies for these species. Migratory shorebirds undertake some of the longest known migrations, but they are also declining precipitously worldwide. To better understand the dynamics of shorebird declines along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, we quantified the spatiotemporal foraging distribution of 17 migratory shorebirds at two critical stopover sites. We found that shorebirds exhibit substantial interspecific and site-specific differences in their foraging distributions. Notwithstanding these differences, however, the upper tidal flats appear to be especially important to most shorebirds by providing more than 70% of the birds' cumulative foraging time, twofold greater than their proportional area. Because the upper tidal flats are also more prone to coastal development, our findings may help to explain why shorebird populations along the flyway have declined much faster than the overall rate of tidal flat loss. Our work highlights the importance of protecting upper tidal flats to conserve migratory shorebirds and demonstrates the value of a detailed ecological understanding of habitat usage by migratory animals for conservation planning.

scholarly journals The Relative Importance of Agricultural and Wetland Habitats to Waterbirds in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta of California

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
W. David Shuford ◽  
Matthew Reiter ◽  
Kristin Sesser ◽  
Catherine Hickey ◽  
Gregory Golet
Keyword(s):  
Central Valley ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Habitat Associations ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
San Joaquin River ◽  
Conservation Actions ◽  
Surrounding Landscape ◽  
Abundance And Distribution

Biodiversity loss from agricultural intensification underscores the urgent need for science-based conservation strategies to enhance the value of agro-ecosystems for birds and other wildlife. California’s Central Valley, which has lost over 90% of its historical wetlands and currently is dominated by agriculture, still supports waterbird populations of continental importance. A better understanding of how waterbirds use available habitat is particularly needed in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, an ecosystem under threat. From 2013 to 2015, we studied waterbird habitat associations in the Delta during fall migration and winter by conducting diurnal counts at random locations in key waterbird habitats throughout the Delta. Waterbird use of cover types (agricultural crops and managed wetlands) varied substantially among waterbird groups, by season, and among geographic sub-regions of the Delta. Overall, wetlands were particularly important to waterbirds in fall. In winter, wetlands and flooded rice and corn were important to many waterbird groups, and non-flooded corn and irrigated pasture to geese and cranes. The factors that influenced waterbird abundance and distribution also varied substantially among groups and differed at various geographic scales. In both seasons, most groups had a positive association at the field level with flooded ground and open water, and a negative association with vegetation. Given the great uncertainty in the future extent and pace of habitat loss and degradation in the Delta, prioritizing the conservation actions needed to maintain robust waterbird populations in this region is urgent. For the Delta to retain its importance to waterbirds, a mosaic of wetlands and wildlife-friendly crops that accounts for the value of the surrounding landscape must be maintained. This includes restoring additional wetlands and maintaining corn, rice, alfalfa, and irrigated pasture, and ensuring that a substantial portion of corn and rice is flooded in winter.

scholarly journals Natural history of the critically endangered salamander Pseudoeurycea robertsi

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Armando Sunny ◽  
Carmen Caballero-Viñas ◽  
Luis Duarte-deJesus ◽  
Fabiola Ramírez-Corona ◽  
Javier Manjarrez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endangered Species ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Ecological Niche Modeling ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Morphometric Study ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Plethodontid Salamander ◽  
Nevado De Toluca ◽  
Salamander Species

Mexico is one of the most diverse countries that is losing a large amount of forest due to land use change, these data put Mexico in fourth place for global deforestation rate, therefore, Mexico occupies the first place in number of endangered species in the world with 665 endangered species. It is important to study amphibians because they are among the most threatened vertebrates on Earth and their populations are rapidly declining worldwide due primarily to the loss and degradation of their natural habitats. Pseudoeurycea robertsi is a micro-endemic and critically endangered Plethodontid salamander from the Nevado de Toluca Volcano and to date almost nothing is known about its natural history therefore, we survey fourteen sites of the Nevado de Toluca Volcano a mountain that is part of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, Mexico. We carry out the most exhaustive sampling scheme of this species throughout the Nevado de Toluca Volcano to know the number of individuals and the microhabitat features associated with the presence of P. robertsi. Likewise, we carry out a morphometric study and coloration measurements of P. robertsi individuals and we determine the potential distribution of P. robertsi and the other 3 species of pletodontids present in the NTV using ecological niche modeling and to determine the most important habitat features associated with the presence of salamander species, as well as to know the niche overlap among salamander species. This information will help raise conservation strategies for this micro-endemic and critically endangered salamander.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Conservation Costs and Benefits of Developing Conservation Strategies

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (8) ◽  
pp. 493-499
Author(s):  
Olanipekun N. O
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Financial Investment ◽  
Critical Elements ◽  
Wildlife Species ◽  
Conservation Costs

Due to environmental degradation, depletion and overexploitation of natural resources caused by human activities resulted in development of strategies for conservation of species, habitats and resource. Hence, this paper thus examines the advantages of financial investment and critical elements associated with creating strategies for the conservation of various species. Interdependent to one another are fish, wildlife species, natural habitats as well as natural resources. It rightly observed that the most efficient environmental benefits will be gained through understanding of economic aspects of the costs side of biodiversity which will lead to novel and creative ways. The paper, therefore, concludes that it is better to recognize and incorporate costs at the outset of the planning process, rather than belatedly incur the higher costs of a less efficient plan.

scholarly journals Characterizing the spatio-temporal threats, conservation hotspots and conservation gaps for the most extinction-prone bird family (Aves: Rallidae)

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 210262
Author(s):  
Lucile Lévêque ◽  
Jessie C. Buettel ◽  
Scott Carver ◽  
Barry W. Brook
Keyword(s):  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Conservation Priorities ◽  
Commercial Development ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Island Endemic ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Invasive Predators ◽  
Conservation Actions ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Spatio Temporal

With thousands of vertebrate species now threatened with extinction, there is an urgent need to understand and mitigate the causes of wildlife collapse. Rails (Aves: Rallidae), being the most extinction-prone bird family globally, and with one-third of extant rail species now threatened or near threatened, are an emphatic case in point. Here, we undertook a global synthesis of the temporal and spatial threat patterns for Rallidae and determined conservation priorities and gaps. We found two key pathways in the threat pattern for rails. One follows the same trajectory as extinct rails, where island endemic and flightless rails are most threatened, mainly due to invasive predators. The second, created by the diversification of anthropogenic activities, involves continental rails, threatened mainly by agriculture, natural system modifications, and residential and commercial development. Indonesia, the USA, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Cuba were the priority countries identified by our framework incorporating species' uniqueness and the level of endangerment, but also among the countries that lack conservation actions the most. Future efforts should predominantly target improvements in ecosystem protection and management, as well as ongoing research and monitoring. Forecasting the impacts of climate change on island endemic rails will be particularly valuable to protect rails.

scholarly journals Potential habitat suitability of Iraqi amphibians under climate change

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emad Kaky
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Conservation Planning ◽  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Potential Habitat ◽  
Conservation Actions ◽  
Rcp 8.5 ◽  
Threaten Species

Abstract. Kaky E. 2020. Potential habitat suitability of Iraqi amphibians under climate change. Biodiversitas 21: 731-742. Biodiversity management and conservation planning are two techniques for reducing the rate of biodiversity loss, especially under the effect of climate change. Here 289 records of five species of amphibians from Iraq and seven environmental variables were used with MaxEnt to predict potential habitat suitability for each species under current and future conditions, using the 5th IPCC assessment  (RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5 for the year 2050). The models suggest that annual precipitation and the mean temperature of the wettest quarter are the main factors that shape the distributions of these species. The estimated current habitat suitability was closely similar to that for 2050 under both scenarios, with a high niche overlap between them for all species. Among species, there were low niche overlaps between the frogs Bufo viridis, Hyla savignyi and Rana ridibunda, and also between the salamanders Neurergus crocatus and Neurergus microspilotus. Future sampling should focus on areas not currently covered by records to reduce bias. The results are a vital first step in long-term conservation planning for these species. Via sharing these results with decision-makers and stakeholders a crucial conservation actions need to increase Iraqi Protected Areas to avoid losing biodiversity in Iraq especially the unique populations and threaten species.

scholarly journals GIS-Based Assessment of Habitat Networks for Conservation Planning in Kas-Kekova Protected Area (Turkey)

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 91
Author(s):  
Dilek Tezel ◽  
Saban Inam ◽  
Sultan Kocaman
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Spatial Analysis ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Biodiversity Data ◽  
Expert Opinions ◽  
Habitat Networks ◽  
The Government ◽  
Sustainable Conservation

The determination of protected area (PA) boundaries and the level of restrictions is very important for sustainable conservation, and such decisions must involve biodiversity data and assessment. In a PA, the consensus of the government and the locals is crucial to ensure protection–use balance. The PA restrictions constrain legal human activities, and the boundary determination and the restrictions should be based on various scientific analyses to achieve consensus. In this study, a GIS-based approach is proposed to utilize the biodiversity data for efficient conservation and land use planning in Kas-Kekova PA, which is among the most important PAs in Turkey. Spatial analysis methods, i.e., kernel density estimation, natural breaks classification and integrated density index, were performed for the assessment of the habitat networks using georeferenced biodiversity datasets, and the results were evaluated with respect to the actual land use data and the land ownership pattern. The developed spatial analysis approach is efficient to produce the conservation base maps required for regional land use planning, for defining sustainable conservation strategies, and to provide a widely accepted base for land use planning and biodiversity monitoring in the PA; although careful investigations and expert opinions are still required for data deficient areas.

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