Casting the Net Widely for Change in Animal Welfare: The Plight of Birds in Zoos, Ex Situ Conservation, and Conservation Fieldwork

This paper discusses paradoxes in our relationship to and treatment of birds in captive and conservation contexts. The paper identifies modern and new challenges that arise from declining bird numbers worldwide. Such challenges have partly changed zoos into providers of insurance populations specifically for species at risk of extinction. They have also accelerated fieldwork projects, but by using advanced technological tools and in increasing numbers, contradictorily, they may cause serious harm to the very birds studied for conservation purposes. In practice, very few avian species have any notable protection or guarantee of good treatment. The paper first deals with shortcomings of identifying problematic avian behavior in captive birds. It then brings together specific cases of field studies and captive breeding for conservation in which major welfare deficits are identified. Indeed, the paper argues that avian welfare is now an urgent task. This is not just because of declining bird numbers but because of investment in new technologies in field studies that may have introduced additional stressors and put at risk bird survival. While the paper documents a substantial number of peer-reviewed papers criticizing practices counter to modern welfare standards, they have by and large not led to changes in some practices. Some solutions are suggested that could be readily implemented and, to my knowledge, have never been considered under a welfare model before.

Biodiversity reporting practices of the South African national parks

Purpose This paper aims to explore the biodiversity reporting by a state-owned entity responsible for conserving and protecting biodiversity assets in South Africa, the South African National Parks (SANParks) (SOC) Limited. Design/methodology/approach This study uses content analysis to explore and investigate the disclosure themes in the SANParks reports for the period 2013–2017. The frequency of substantive disclosures is also evaluated over a five-year period. The data are presented graphically in frequency charts and supported by descriptive statistics and univariate correlations for non-normal data. This provides insights into the amount of information being disclosed and the interconnections among biodiversity reporting themes. Findings SANParks has increased its reporting on biodiversity over time. Disclosures are interconnected and deal with a range of issues, including species at risk of extinction, operational considerations, risk management practices and how SANParks evaluates its environmental performance. The information is detailed and included in different parts of the organisation’s annual reports suggesting a genuine commitment to protecting biodiversity. There are areas for improvement but SANParks frames biodiversity as a central part of its strategy, operations and assurance processes something which would not occur if the disclosures were only about managing impressions. Originality/value The study is among the first to explore biodiversity disclosure themes in a state-owned entity in Africa, responsible for the conservation. While the study deals with a specific case entity, the findings are broadly applicable for other organisations keen on constructing a biodiversity account.

Avoiding extinction under nonlinear environmental change: models of evolutionary rescue with plasticity

Rapid environmental changes are putting numerous species at risk of extinction. For migration-limited species, persistence depends on either phenotypic plasticity or evolutionary adaptation (evolutionary rescue). Current theory on evolutionary rescue typically assumes linear environmental change. Yet accelerating environmental change may pose a bigger threat. Here, we present a model of a species encountering an environment with accelerating or decelerating change, to which it can adapt through evolution or phenotypic plasticity (within-generational or transgenerational). We show that unless either form of plasticity is sufficiently strong or adaptive genetic variation is sufficiently plentiful, accelerating or decelerating environmental change increases extinction risk compared to linear environmental change for the same mean rate of environmental change.

Mapping nationally and globally at-risk species to identify hotspots for (and gaps in) conservation

Protecting habitat of species-at-risk is critical to their recovery, but can be contentious. For example, protecting species that are locally imperilled but globally common (e.g. species that only occur in a jurisdiction at the edge of their geographic range) is often thought to distract from protecting globally-imperilled species. However, such perceived trade-offs are based on the assumption that threatened groups have little spatial overlap, which is rarely quantified. Here, we compile range maps of terrestrial species-at-risk in Canada to assess the geographic overlap of nationally and globally at-risk species with each other, among taxonomic groups, and with protected areas. While many nationally-at-risk taxa only occurred in Canada at their northern range edge (median=4% of range in Canada), nationally-at-risk species were not significantly more peripheral in Canada than globally-at-risk species. Further, 56% of hotspots of nationally-at-risk taxa were also hotspots of globally-at-risk taxa in Canada, undercutting the perceived trade-off in their protection. Hotspots of nationally-at-risk taxa also strongly overlapped with hotspots of individual taxonomic groups, though less so for mammals. While strong spatial overlap across threat levels and taxa should facilitate efficient habitat protection, <7% of the area in Canada's at-risk hotspots is protected, and more than 70% of nationally and globally-at-risk species in Canada have <10% of their Canadian range protected. Our results counter the perception that protecting nationally vs. globally at-risk species are at odds, and identify critical areas to target as Canada strives to increase its protected areas and promote species-at-risk recovery.

Wild birds as reservoirs of multidrug-resistant enterobacteria in Mulungu, Brazil

Caatinga is a biome unique to Brazil that is degraded by anthropogenic actions, which lead to the loss of biodiversity putting many species at risk of extinction. The Ceará State is located in the Caatinga and has a rich avifauna comprised of 433 species including 13 species that are threatened with extinction, which are found in the Baturité Massif. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and diversity of enterobacteria in wild birds and to determine their susceptibility to antimicrobials. Cloacal swab samples were collected from 50 individuals of 28 different species, including the Ceara Gnatheter ( Conopophaga cearae ) and Red-necked Tanager ( Tangara cyanocephala cearensis ), which are classified as vulnerable (VU) by the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment. A total of 55 isolates belonging to 14 different species of Enterobacteriaceae were identified. Among these, Pantoea agglomerans and Escherichia coli were the most prevalent species with isolation rates of 36% and 26%, respectively. The highest rate of antimicrobial resistance found was to ampicillin (41.8%), followed by nalidixic Acid (36.3%) and amoxicillin associated with clavulanic acid (32.7%). The drugs with the best efficacy were tobramycin (96.4%), ciprofloxacin (92.6%) and tetracycline (90.9%). Multidrug resistance was observed in 23.5% of the analyzed strains. This research provides important information about the composition of the cloacal microbiota of wild birds in Mulungu, Brazil, as well as their health status. In addition, these results demonstrate that they harbor multidrug-resistant strains of Enterobacteriaceae.

Applications of Chitin in Medical, Environmental and Agricultural Industries

Chitin is a universal biopolymer that is found in microbes, plants, fungi, the exoskeleton of insects, various species of algae, and bottom-feeding crustaceans. This (1–4)-linked N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosamine polysaccharide can be readily processed with simple chemical procedures without putting a species at risk. Chitin has garnered interest as an alternative substance that can be used in the medical, environmental, and agricultural sectors. Indeed, chitin′s unique nature of biocompatibility, being environmentally safe, and having innate water-solubility allows the polymer to be used in a wide range of applications. In this review, we discuss the possible applications of chitin in the medical, environmental, and agricultural sectors through an extensive search of the latest literature. Moreover, the following review summarizes and explores the new and current studies surrounding the practical uses of chitin to solve issues that are commonly induced by various chemicals which are invasive to the surrounding environment and species co-existing in that area.

Prioritizing Street Tree Planting Locations to Increase Benefits for All Citizens: Experience From Joliette, Canada

As the climate continues to warm and the world becomes more urbanized, our reliance on trees and the benefits they provide is rapidly increasing. Many cities worldwide are planting trees to offset rising temperatures, trap pollutants, and enhance environmental and human health and well-being. To maximize the benefits of planting trees and avoid further increasing social inequities, a city needs to prioritize where to establish trees by first identifying those areas of greatest need. This work aims to demonstrate a spatially explicit approach for cities to determine these priority locations to achieve the greatest returns on specific benefits. Criteria for prioritization were developed in tandem with the City of Joliette, Canada, and based on nine indicators: surface temperature, tree density, vegetation cover, resilience, tree size and age, presence of species at risk, land use type, socioeconomic deprivation, and potential for active transportation. The City’s preferences were taken into account when assigning different weights to each indicator. The resulting tree planting priority maps can be used to target street tree plantings to locations where trees are needed most. This approach can be readily applied to other cities as these criteria can be adjusted to accommodate specific tree canopy goals and planning constraints. As cities are looking to expand tree canopy, we hope this work will assist in sustaining and growing their urban forest, enabling it to be more resilient and to keep providing multiple and sustained benefits where they are needed the most.

Restoration of Citropsis articulata, a Species at Risk from Medicinal Overharvesting in a Ugandan Rainforest Reserve

Citropsis articulata, the African cherry orange, is considered to be threatened in Ugandan forests as a result of its purported aphrodisiac properties. This study, part of an ongoing effort to address restoration needs of Mabira Central Forest Reserve in Uganda, demonstrates the feasibility of restoring depleted C. articulata populations using seedlings transplanted from nursery-grown seeds. Phenology of 20 Mabira forest plants was monitored with the aim of collecting seeds. One hundred and fifty-six ripe fruits were collected, and 233 of the extracted seeds were planted in pots in a nursery during January–March 2019. During November-December 2019, seedlings were planted near the sites from which fruits were collected. Seed germination success rate was 89%, and fifteen months after transplanting, in situ survival was 100%. These results suggest that depleted C. articulata populations may be restored in situ using nursery-grown seeds.

Fifteen years of Canada’s Species at Risk Act: Evaluating research progress for aquatic species in the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River basin

More than 15 years have passed since Canada’s Species at Risk Act was enacted. To evaluate scientific progress in support of the Act, we identified research accomplishments up to 2017 for imperilled aquatic species in the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River basin based on recovery documents and an expert survey, spanning 1182 activities across 68 research topics for 45 fish and mussel species. Greatest progress was observed for population ecology (38% of activities with major progress) and habitat science (28%), with comparably less progress on threats (mechanisms and impacts; 19%) and recovery (threat mitigation and reintroduction; 21%). As a result of lagging progress, threat and reintroduction topics were prioritized for a Canadian Freshwater Species at Risk Research Network (SARNET; 2017–2020), which focused on addressing key knowledge gaps with novel applications. This special issue outlines the SARNET projects, which span novel field, laboratory, and analytical activities. Continued research investment into novel and existing approaches is necessary to advance scientific achievements for fishes and mussels in support of the Species at Risk Act in Canada.

Global patterns of raptor distribution and protected areas optimal selection to reduce the extinction crises

Globally, human-caused environmental impacts, such as habitat loss, have seriously impacted raptor species, with some 50% of species having decreasing populations. We analyzed global patterns of distribution of all 557 raptor species, focusing on richness, endemism, geographic range, conservation status, and population trends. Highest species diversity, endemism, species at risk, or restricted species were concentrated in different regions. Patterns of species distribution greatly differed between nocturnal and diurnal species. To test the efficiency of the global protected areas in conserving raptors, we simulated and compared global reserve systems created with strategies aiming at: 1) constraining the existing system into the final solution; and 2) minimizing the socioeconomic cost of reserve selection. We analyzed three targets of species distribution to be protected (10, 20, 30%). The first strategy was more efficient in meeting targets and less efficient in cost and compactness of reserves. Focusing on actions in the existing protected areas is fundamental to consolidate conservation, and politically and economically more viable than creating new reserves. However, creating new reserves is essential to protect more populations throughout the species’ geographic range. Our findings provide a fundamental understanding of reserves to maintain raptor diversity and reduce the global population and species extinction crisis.