The latest academic papers on conservation. If you have a paper that you would like to share, please get in contact with us. Click on the title to follow the link to each article. Please note that some of these articles are behind a paywall.
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- An assessment of the representation of ecosystems in global protected areas using new maps of World Climate Regions and World Ecosystems
- Source: Global Ecology and Conservation
- Author(s): Roger Sayre et al.
- We describe a new set of maps of globally consistent climate regions and ecosystems at a much finer spatial resolution (250 m) than existing ecological regionalizations. We then describe a global gap analysis of the representation of these ecosystems in global protected areas.
- Extinction filters mediate the global effects of habitat fragmentation on animals
- Source: Science
- Author(s): Matthew G. Betts et al.
- Habitat loss is the primary driver of biodiversity decline worldwide, but the effects of fragmentation (the spatial arrangement of remaining habitat) are debated. We tested the hypothesis that forest fragmentation sensitivity—affected by avoidance of habitat edges—should be driven by historical exposure to, and therefore species’ evolutionary responses to disturbance.
- How anthropomorphism is changing the social context of modern wildlife conservation
- Source: Biological Conservation
- Author(s): Michael J. Manfredo, Esmeralda G. Urquiza-Haas, Andrew W. Don Carlos, Jeremy T. Bruskotter, Alia M. Dietsch
- This study proposes that anthropomorphism is a key factor in stimulating both wildlife value shift and changing attitudes toward wildlife management in modernized countries.
- Biodiversity means business: Reframing global biodiversity goals for the private sector
- Source: Conservation Letters
- Author(s): Thomas Smith et al.
- The Convention on Biological Diversity strategic goals direct the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity from global to local scales. Yet business’ role in meeting the strategic goals and being accountable for their impacts and dependencies on biodiversity are still not fully and…
- Choosing prevention or cure when mitigating biodiversity loss: Trade‐offs under ‘no net loss’ policies
- Source: Journal of Applied Ecology
- Author(s): Joseph W. Bull, Eleanor-Jane Milner-Gulland
- Biodiversity cannot always be conserved. Economic development activities can result in biodiversity losses, but also increase human well‐being, so trade‐offs must sometimes be made between conservation and development…
- Warnings of an “insect apocalypse” are premature
- Source: Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
- Author(s): Timothy D Schowalter, Michael R Willig, Stephen J Presley, Manoj Pandey
- However, reports that insects as a group are declining (the so‐called “insect apocalypse”) are premature. For example, if Luquillo’s arthropod populations and food web had indeed collapsed to such a degree, then several critical ecosystem services on which the island’s human inhabitants depend would have been threatened…
- A Horizon Scan of Emerging Global Biological Conservation Issues for 2020
- Source: Trends in Ecology & Evolution
- Author(s): William J. Sutherland et al.
- In this horizon scan, we highlight 15 emerging issues of potential relevance to global conservation in 2020. Seven relate to potentially extensive changes in vegetation or ecological systems. These changes are either relatively new, for example, conversion of kelp forests to simpler macroalgal systems,…
- Conserving transboundary wildlife migrations: recent insights from the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
- Source: Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
- Author(s): Arthur D Middleton et al.
- Animal migrations are ecologically, culturally, and economically important. Ungulate populations in many parts of Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas migrate long distances to access seasonally available resources, traversing vast landscapes in large numbers. Yet some migrations are declining, raising…
- Some forests crucial for climate change mitigation, biodiversity
- Source: Ecological Applications
- Author(s): Polly C. Buotte, Beverly E. Law, William J. Ripple, Logan T. Berner
- Researchers have identified forests in the western United States that should be preserved for their potential to mitigate climate change through carbon sequestration, as well as to enhance biodiversity.
- Tiny woodlands are more important than previously thought
- Source: Journal of Applied Ecology
- Author(s): Alicia Valdés et al.
- Small woodlands in farmland have more benefits for humans per area, compared to large forests according to a new study. The small woodlands, sometimes even smaller than a football field, can easily go unnoticed in agricultural landscapes. Yet, these small forest remnants can store more carbon in the…
- Transformative change can save humans and nature
- Source: Science
- Author(s): Sandra Díaz et al.
- Human impacts on life on Earth are unprecedented, requiring transformative action to address root economic, social and technological causes.
- Harnessing nature’s defences against tsunamis
- Source: Trends in Ecology & Evolution
- Author(s): Thomas Cherico Wanger et al.
- As sea levels rise and adverse weather events become more common, vulnerable coastal communities are at increasing risk of devastation from storm surges and tsunamis. The death toll from tsunamis was 260,000 during the past century. A research team has now compared the effects of human-made and ecosystem…
- Migratory birds shrinking as climate warms, new analysis of four-decade record shows
- Source: Ecology Letters
- Author(s): Brian C. Weeks et al.
- North American migratory birds have been getting smaller over the past four decades, and their wings have gotten a bit longer. Both changes appear to be responses to a warming climate.
- Distribution and connectivity of protected areas in the Americas facilitates transboundary conservation
- Source: Ecological Applications
- Author(s): Daniel Thornton, Lyn Branch, Dennis Murray
- The clustering of protected habitats in the Americas near international borders makes many iconic, wide-ranging animals physically dependent on good relations between neighboring countries and wildlife-friendly borders.
- Global levels of biodiversity could be lower than we think, new study warns
- Source: Nature Communications
- Author(s): Martin Jung, Pedram Rowhani, Jörn P. W. Scharlemann
- Biodiversity across the globe could be in a worse state than previously thought, as assessments fail to account for long-lasting impact of land change, a new study has warned.
- Timing of migration shifts en masse
- Source: Nature Climate Change
- Author(s): Robert H. Diehl
- Climate change has led to changes in migration patterns for many bird species. A novel application of the US system of weather radars reveals for the first time that climate change advances the timing of bird migration…
- Moving from biodiversity offsets to a target‐based approach for ecological compensation
- Source: Conservation Letters
- Author(s): Jeremy S. Simmonds et al.
- Loss of habitats or ecosystems arising from development projects (e.g., infrastructure, resource extraction, urban expansion) are frequently addressed through biodiversity offsetting. As currently implemented, offsetting typically requires an outcome of “no net loss” of biodiversity, but only…
- Conservation opportunities on uncontested lands
- Source: Nature Sustainability
- Author(s): Zunyi Xie et al.
- Competition for land resources is intense, with growing demand for food and resources to support humanity. Despite this, global agricultural area has significantly declined over the past wo decades…
- Seismic surveys reduce cetacean sightings across a large marine ecosystem
- Source: Scientific Reports
- Author(s): A. S. Kavanagh, M. Nykänen, W. Hunt, N. Richardson & M. J. Jessopp
- Noise pollution is increasing globally, and as oceans are excellent conductors of sound, this is a major concern for marine species reliant on sound for key life functions.
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