Inter-row Vegetation Increases Abundances of Ground- and Canopy-dwelling Arthropods in Mediterranean Vineyards

The decline of arthropod populations observed in many parts of the world is a major component of the sixth mass extinction with intensive agriculture being one of its main drivers. Biodiversity-friendly farming practices are taking centre stage in the recovery process. In vineyards, vegetation cover is commonly used for production purposes, to reduce soil compaction by machinery use and soil erosion. Here we examined the effects of vegetation cover and soil management on the abundance of ground- (spiders, beetles, Hemiptera and harvestmen) and canopy-dwelling (wild bees, green lacewings, beetles and Hemiptera) arthropods in three categories of vineyards: (i) vineyards with no vegetation, (ii) partially vegetated (every second inter-row is vegetated) and (iii) all inter-rows are vegetated. We recorded a general positive effect of a decrease in soil perturbation intensity and corresponding higher vegetation cover on arthropod abundance. Plant species richness was the most important vegetation parameter, with a positive effect on spiders, harvestmen, hemipterans and beetles (ground and canopy) abundances. Using a path analysis, we also highlighted the central role of inter-row vegetation management in trophic and non-trophic relationships between vegetation and arthropods, and between arthropod groups. Our results demonstrate the benefits of a softer soil management preserving a diverse vegetation cover for the conservation of arthropods in Mediterranean vineyards.

Thinking about the Biodiversity Loss in This Changing World

Extinction of species has been a recurrent phenomenon in the history of our planet, but it was generally outweighed in the course of quite a long geological time by the appearance of new species, except, especially, for the five geologically short times when the so-called “Big Five” mass extinctions occurred. Could the current decline in biodiversity be considered as a signal of an ongoing, human-driven sixth mass extinction? This note briefly examines some issues related to: (i) The hypothesized current extinction rate and the magnitude of contemporary global biodiversity loss; (ii) the challenges of comparing them to the background extinction rate and the magnitude of the past Big Five mass extinction events; (iii) briefly considering the effects of the main anthropogenic stressors on ecosystems, including the risk of the emergence of pandemic diseases. A comparison between the Pleistocene fauna dynamics with the present defaunation process and the cascading effects of recent anthropogenic actions on ecosystem structure and functioning suggests that habitat degradation, ecosystem fragmentation, and alien species introduction are important stressors increasing the negative impact on biodiversity exerted by anthropogenic-driven climate changes and their connected effects. In addition, anthropogenic ecological stressors such as urbanization, landscapes, and wildlife trade, creating new opportunities for virus transmission by augmenting human contact with wild species, are among the main factors triggering pandemic diseases.

Using the IUCN Red List to map threats to terrestrial vertebrates at global scale

The Anthropocene is characterized by unparalleled human impact on other species, potentially ushering in the sixth mass extinction. Yet mitigation efforts remain hampered by limited information on the spatial patterns and intensity of the threats driving global biodiversity loss. Here we use expert-derived information from the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List on threats to 23,271 species, representing all terrestrial amphibians, birds and mammals, to generate global maps of the six major threats to these groups: agriculture, hunting and trapping, logging, pollution, invasive species, and climate change. Our results show that agriculture and logging are pervasive in the tropics and that hunting and trapping is the most geographically widespread threat to mammals and birds. Additionally, current representations of human pressure underestimate the overall pressure on biodiversity, due to the exclusion of threats such as hunting and climate change. Alarmingly, this is particularly the case in areas of the highest biodiversity importance.

Combining taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity reveals new global priority areas for tetrapod conservation

We are in the midst of a sixth mass extinction but little is known about the global patterns of biodiversity when accounting for taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional information. Here, we present the first integrated analysis of global variation in taxonomic, functional diversity and phylogenetic diversity of more than 17,000 tetrapod species (terrestrial mammals, amphibians, reptiles and birds). We used a new metric (z-Diversity) able to synthetize taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic information across different sets of species to provide a comprehensive estimation of biodiversity. Our analyses reveal that hotspots of tetrapod diversity are clustered in specific regions of the world such as central Africa and the Indian peninsula, and that climate stability and energy availability have an overarching importance in explaining tetrapod spatial patterns. Future research might take advantage of these methods to perform an informed prioritization of protected areas.

Ecological and economic assessment of ecosystem services on the example of pollinating insects

The planet is experiencing an era of the sixth mass extinction of biota. Of particular concern is the impoverishment of insect populations, which account for about two-thirds of all biota species on the planet and are important for maintaining ecosystem stability and providing ecosystem services. Plant pollination is one of the most important ecosystem services on which human food security and the functioning of natural ecosystems depend. The economic value of pollination of entomophytic plants by honey bees for global crop production is estimated at $ 518 billion per year. In Ukraine, research on the ecological and economic assessment of ecosystem services is not conducted enough, which determines the relevance of our work. It is established that the total cost of the ecosystem pollination service of only four studied entomophilous crops in Ukraine (sunflower, rapeseed, buckwheat and open ground cucumber) is UAH 149.11 billion, which convincingly demonstrates the economic relevance of preserving the biodiversity of pollinating insects.

Economics of the Biodiversity Convention

Biological diversity refers to the variety of life on Earth, in all its forms and interactions. Biological diversity, or biodiversity for short, is being lost at an unprecedented rate. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species estimates that 25% of mammals, 41% of amphibians, 33% of reef building corals, and 13% of birds are threatened with extinction. These biodiversity benefits are being lost due to conversion of natural habitat, overharvesting, pollution, invasive species, and climate change. The loss of biodiversity is important because it provides many critical resources, services, and ecosystem functions, such as foods, medicines, clean air, and storm protection. Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse pose a major risk to human societies and economic welfare. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was established in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Rio “Earth Summit”) and enacted in 1993. The international treaty aims to conserve biodiversity and ensure the sustainable use of the components of biodiversity and the equitable sharing of the benefits derived from the use of genetic resources. The CBD has near universal global participation with 196 parties signatory to the treaty. The non-legally binding commitments established in 2010 by the CBD are known as the Aichi Targets. They include the goal of conserving at least 17% of terrestrial and inland water habitats and 10% of coastal and marine areas by 2020. Biodiversity continues to decline at an unprecedented rate and the world faces “biological annihilation” and a sixth mass extinction event. There are several underlying causes of the continuing loss of biodiversity that need to be addressed. First, the CBD Aichi Targets are not ambitious enough and should be extended to protect as much as 50% of the terrestrial realm for biodiversity. Second, it is difficult to place an economic value on the range of direct, indirect, and nonuse values of biodiversity. The failure to take into account the full economic value of biodiversity in prices, projects, and policy decisions means that biodiversity is often misused and overused. Third, biodiversity is a global public good and displays nonrival and nonexcludable characteristics. Because of this, it is difficult to raise sufficient funds for conservation and to channel these funds to cover local conservation costs. In particular, much of the world’s biodiversity is located in (mainly tropical) developing countries, and they do not have the incentive or the funds to spend the money to “save” enough biodiversity on behalf of the rest of the world. The funding for global biodiversity conservation is $4–$10 billion annually, whereas around $100 billion a year is needed to protect the Earth’s broad range of animal and plant species. This funding gap undermines CBD’s conservation efforts. Governments and international organizations have been unable to raise the investments needed to reverse the decline in biological populations and habitats on land and in oceans. There is an important role for private-sector involvement in the CBD to endorse efforts for more sustainable use of biodiversity and to contribute funds to finance conservation and habitat protection efforts.

Racing Rhetoric: A Burkean Analysis of Ecodocumentary Rhetoric

Ecodocumentary films such as The Cove, An Inconvenient Truth, and Sharkwater have demonstrated the power to influence audience behavior, establish public discourses, and inspire social change. This MRP explores promotional videos for a new ecodocumentary, Racing Extinction (Psihoyos, 2015), which explores the possibility of a sixth mass extinction of species, and what humans may be able to do to stop it. As such, this MRP attempts to discover more about the persuasive process, audience engagement, and how ecodocumentaries can work to enact social change. Using the Burkean concepts of dramatism, guilt-purification-redemption, and identification, this research analyzes the rhetoric of three promotional videos by assessing their dramatistic elements, how audiences may identify with the narratives therein and, to make a statement about their motives. The three videos have been selected to both exemplify the language of the filmmakers, and represent their two distinct objectives: to sell tickets, and to create social change. This research provides an examination of the persuasive tools used by the Racing Extinction filmmakers, and an overview of the levels of audience engagement online. For Burkean scholars, this research begins to fill key gaps in analyzed content. Through analyzing the promotional content for Racing Extinction, I seek to improve the scholarly understanding of the persuasive processes associated with ecodocumentary rhetoric.

Racing Rhetoric: A Burkean Analysis of Ecodocumentary Rhetoric

Ecodocumentary films such as The Cove, An Inconvenient Truth, and Sharkwater have demonstrated the power to influence audience behavior, establish public discourses, and inspire social change. This MRP explores promotional videos for a new ecodocumentary, Racing Extinction (Psihoyos, 2015), which explores the possibility of a sixth mass extinction of species, and what humans may be able to do to stop it. As such, this MRP attempts to discover more about the persuasive process, audience engagement, and how ecodocumentaries can work to enact social change. Using the Burkean concepts of dramatism, guilt-purification-redemption, and identification, this research analyzes the rhetoric of three promotional videos by assessing their dramatistic elements, how audiences may identify with the narratives therein and, to make a statement about their motives. The three videos have been selected to both exemplify the language of the filmmakers, and represent their two distinct objectives: to sell tickets, and to create social change. This research provides an examination of the persuasive tools used by the Racing Extinction filmmakers, and an overview of the levels of audience engagement online. For Burkean scholars, this research begins to fill key gaps in analyzed content. Through analyzing the promotional content for Racing Extinction, I seek to improve the scholarly understanding of the persuasive processes associated with ecodocumentary rhetoric.