A study of biodiversity governance analyzes the factors that determine the effectiveness of transnational advocacy networks and the importance of justice claims to conservation.
In the late 2000s, ...ordinary citizens in Jamaica and Mexico demanded that government put a stop to lucrative but environmentally harmful economic development activities—bauxite mining in Jamaica and large-scale tourism and overfishing on the eastern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. In each case, the catalyst for the campaign was information gathered and disseminated by transnational advocacy networks (TANs) of researchers, academics, and activists. Both campaigns were successful despite opposition from industry supporters. Meanwhile, simultaneous campaigns to manage land in another part of the Yucatán and to conserve migratory birds in Egypt had far less success. In this book, Kemi Fuentes-George uses these four cases to analyze factors that determine the success or failure of efforts by TANs to persuade policymakers and private sector actors in developing countries to change environmental behavior.
Fuentes-George argues that in order to influence the design and implementation of policy, TANs must generate a scientific consensus, create social relationships with local actors, and advocate for biodiversity in a way that promotes local environmental justice. Environmentally just policies would allow local populations access to their lands provided they use natural resources sustainably. Justice claims are also more likely to generate needed support among local groups for conservation projects.
In their conservation efforts, Jamaica, Mexico, and Egypt were attempting to meet their obligations under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and other regional agreements. Fuentes-George's innovative analysis shows the importance of local environmental justice for the implementation of international environmental treaties.
Political scientists have long been concerned about the tension between institutional fragmentation and policy coordination in the United States bureaucracy. The literature is rife with examples of ...agencies competing with each other or asserting their independence, while cooperation is relatively rare. This is of particular importance in policy areas such as biodiversity, where species, habitats and ecosystems cross various agency jurisdictions.;"Bureaucratic Landscapes" explores the reasons for the success and failure of interagency cooperation, focusing on several case studies of efforts to preseve biodiversity in California. The book examines why public officials tried to cooperate and the obstacles they faced, providing indirect evidence of policy impacts as well. Among other topics, it examines the role of courts in prompting agency action, the role of scientific knowledge in organizational learning, and the emergence of new institutions to resolve collective-action problems. Notable findings include the crucial role of environmental lawsuits in prompting agency action and the surprisingly active role of the Bureau of Land Management in resource preservation.
What Works in Conservation Sutherland, William J; Dicks, Lynn V; Petrovan, Silviu O ...
2021, Letnik:
6
eBook
This book provides an assessment of the effectiveness of 2526 conservation interventions based on summarized scientific evidence. The 2021 edition containssubstantial new material on bat ...conservation, terrestrial mammal conservation and marine and freshwater mammals, thus completing the evidence for all mammal species categories. Other chapters cover practical global conservation of primates, amphibians, bats, birds, forests, peatlands, subtidal benthic invertebrates, shrublands and heathlands, as well as the conservation of European farmland biodiversity and some aspects of enhancing natural pest control, enhancing soil fertility, management of captive animals and control of freshwater invasive species. It contains key results from the summarized evidence for each conservation intervention and an assessment of the effectiveness of each by international expert panels. The accompanying website www.conservationevidence.com describes each of the studies individually, and provides full references.
Abstract Introduction: The frequent use of pesticides is currently considered a cause of environmental pollution due to the high rate of entry of these substances into agroecosystems. This ...constitutes a risk for the species that inhabit these ecosystems, in particular anurans whose characteristics make them prone to exposure to and interaction with environmental pollutants. Objective: To report the occurrence of abnormalities in larvae of the common toad Rhinella arenarum inhabiting ponds surrounded by agroecosystems. Methods: In two consecutive springs (2015 and 2016), reproductive events of common toads were monitored in temporary pond systems in agricultural and non-agricultural areas, located near the city of La Plata (Buenos Aires, Argentina). The physicochemical parameters of the ponds were measured, and the stage of each reproductive event was recorded, such as the numbers of adult toads, amplexus and clutches. In the laboratory, the larvae were measured and photographed, their stage of development was recorded, and their morphology was examined under a stereomicroscope. Representative samples (normal and abnormal) from each pond studied were processed for histopathological analysis. Results: In the field studies carried out on a population of R. arenarum collected in an agroecosystem, a lower number of reproductive adults and clutches were observed in relation to the population of a non-agricultural pond. A total of 1 910 larvae were collected: 529 and 1 381 larvae from ponds located in non-agricultural and agricultural areas, respectively. Larvae from the agroecosystem showed two types of abnormalities: severe tail flexure and abdominal bloating. In addition, five degrees of severity could be determined in relation to abdominal bloating. Conclusions: This work reports the high frequency and severity of abnormalities observed in the early stages of R. arenarum larvae living within an agroecosystem, providing evidence of the negative impact that agricultural activities cause on aquatic ecosystems surrounded by farming areas.
Abstract Introduction: Defined seasonality in savanna species can stimulate physiological responses that maximize photosynthetic metabolism and productivity. However, those physiological responses ...are also linked to the phenological status of the whole plant, including leaf phenophases. Objective: To study how physiological traits influence phenophase timing among congeneric and co-occurring savanna species. Methods: We evaluated the leaf phenology and physiological traits of populations of Byrsonima intermedia, B. coccolobifolia, and B. verbascifolia. Physiological measurements were performed at the onset of the dry and rainy seasons and again late in the season. Results: B. intermedia and B. coccolobifolia were classified as brevideciduous and B. verbascifolia as evergreen. The maximum quantum yield for B. intermedia and B. coccolobifolia were lowest during the dry season. At the onset of the dry period, the highest chloroplastidic pigment levels were observed, which decreased as the season advanced, total chlorophyll/carotenoid ratios were lowest, and carotenoid contents were highest. We detected low starch content values at the start of the rainy season, coinciding with the resumption of plant growth. Two months into this season, the leaves were at their peak structural and functional maturity, with high water-soluble polysaccharide values and photosynthetic rates, and were storing large amounts of starch. Conclusions: Physiological and leaf phenological strategies of the Byrsonima species were related to drought resistance and acclimatization to the seasonality of savanna water resources. The oscillations of the parameters quantified during the year indicated a strong relationship with water seasonality and with the phenological status of the leaves.
Abstract Introduction: Seed dispersal and seed predation have important impacts on plant diversity and community structure. Rodents participate in both of these types of interactions. Objectives: To ...evaluate the removal of the seeds of Crescentia alata, Randia capitata, and Zea mays by the squirrel Notocitellus adocetus to determine how it affects these plant species, by dispersing or preying on their seeds. Methods: We studied 14 individuals for C. alata, 24 for R. capitata, and for Z. mays 35 individuals. We observed foraging and used camera traps to determine the part of the fruit (seed and/or pulp) consumed by the squirrels and the amount of fruit or seed consumed. We also placed fine sand traps (FST) to measure the percentage of seed removal. We quantified the fruits produced by the plant species studied and the percentage of damage caused by N. adocetus throughout the plots. Results: Notocitellus adocetus feeds on the seeds and pulp of C. alata and Z. mays. The species with the highest removal rate and the highest percentage of damage was C. alata. Zea mays was the plant species that had the highest percentage of removal from FST, the largest number of fruits, and the lowest percentage of damage. On FST, R. capitata had the lowest seed remotion. Conclusions: Notocitellus adocetus is considered a seed predator; however, due to its behavior and the characteristics of the fruits of C. alata and R. capitata, this rodent could make the seeds available to secondary seed dispersers.
Abstract Introduction: Migration is a natural phenomenon that includes annual movements of many bird species in response to seasonal cycles. With approximately one third of all living bird species, ...South America has an important avifauna, and many migrants land in Brazil at stopping points and wintering sites. Objective: To identify associations between migrant birds and coastal vegetation, and environmental influence of on migration. Methods: At 10 points along the coast of Piauí State, Brazil, we made visual censuses and mist net captures, between April 2009 and February 2016. Results: We identified 82 migrant bird species (13 orders; 28 families) that represented 41 intracontinental migrating species, 26 northern visiting species, 14 nomad species and one vagrant species. The richness peaks were at the beginning and end of both dry and rainy seasons, matching insolation and atmospheric pressure. There were spatial pattern differences among vegetation complexes. Chrysolampis mosquitus is an indicator of caatinga vegetation, Numenius phaeopus of wetland, Charadrius collaris of non-flooding fields, Rostrhamus sociabilis of forest-grassland transition, and Columbina picui of orchards. Despite differences in number and species composition within vegetation types, the temporal pattern in species richness was similar among flooded fields, non-flooded fields, and transition grassland categories. Conclusions: Migrant birds occupy specific environments during their permanence along the coast of Piauí State, with richness matching insolation and atmospheric pressure.
Abstract Introduction: Until today, the fishing effort by foreign fleets in the Costa Rican Pacific has not been analyzed. Objective: To determine the spatial distribution of the fishing effort of ...those fleets, variables that shape that distribution, and if they interact with management figures and highly fragile ecosystems. Methods: Using fishing effort data from 2012 to 2020, obtained from Global Fishing Watch, an Index of Fishing Effort (IEP) was calculated to apply geospatial and multivariate statistics, as well as multiple regression models. A grid with 55 905 cells of 0.10 degrees was used to apply Hot Spot Analysis, and another grid with 24 176 cell-year-month analysis units of 0.25 degrees was used to apply a Linear Regression Model. Results: The data reveals the fishing activity of international fleets associated with four types of fishing gear, and a wide coverage of a high IEP by two fleets throughout the nine years analyzed. The IEP is primarily associated with location and varies by month and year. There is also relative evidence that its influenced by the concentration of oxygen and nitrates. Conclusions: International fleets come into direct conflict with officially defined zones for national fleets and disrespect protected oceanic areas and a declared non-fishing zone to protect marine resources in the Costa Rican Pacific. Their activities in the Dome may affect a national yellowfin tuna fishery.
Abstract Introduction: Tropical forests provide important ecosystem services, including disease control. However, few studies have focused on how deforestation affects species more suitable to be ...zoonotic vectors. Objective: To evaluate how deforestation affects the abundance and species richness of rodents and their associated ectoparasites in a tropical ecosystem. Methods: We captured rodents in 6 landscape units, 1 km² each, with 0.7; 5; 40; 46; 78 and 95 % tree cover, in Marques de Comillas, Chiapas, Southern Mexico. In each unit we set 90 Sherman traps that were active 24 hours for 7 days during two sampling seasons (October 2019, and September 2020). We manually extracted ectoparasites from all captured rodents. Results: We captured 70 rodents of five species: Sigmodon toltecus, Heteromys desmarestianus, Ototylomys phyllotis, Peromyscus mexicanus, and Oryzomys couesi. Rodent abundance increased with forest loss (R²= 0.706, P= 0.022). The greatest richness of rodent species occurred in sites with intermediate forest cover (40 and 78 %). The most abundant species were: S. toltecus (N= 45) followed by O. couesi (N= 9), these species dominated in sites with less forest cover. We recorded a total of 23 ectoparasite species, three of them known to be zoonotic vectors: Amblyomma sp., Ornithonyssus bacoti, and Androlaelaps fahrenholzi. Conclusions: The ongoing loss of forests promotes the proliferation of zoonotic disease vectors in this tropical ecosystem, which can potentially increase the frequency of affectation among the local population.
