Global Wildlife Conservation

Advances in fine-scale movement modeling of soaring birds can aid efforts to understand and resolve the impacts of anthropogenic activities on such birds. Soaring birds often rely on underlying terrain and low-altitude updrafts to govern their flights

Abstract To achieve the goals of the 2030 Global Biodiversity Framework, the European Biodiversity Strategy, and the EU Green Deal, biodiversity monitoring is critical. Monitoring efforts in Europe, however, suffer from gaps and biases in taxonomy, spatial coverage, and temporal resolution, resulting in fragmented and disconnected data. To assess user and policy needs in biodiversity monitoring, we employed a four‐step user‐centered stakeholder engagement process with over 300 stakeholders including a public stakeholder workshop, online survey, interviews, and a meeting with experts from 18 EU member states, the European Commission, and the European Environment Agency. The stakeholders identified policy needs, current challenges, and potential solutions. Based on the policy and stakeholder assessment, we recommend establishing a European Biodiversity Observation Coordinating Centre to optimize existing observation efforts, harmonize data, and enhance our ability to predict and respond to key challenges related to biodiversity loss in Europe.

The African golden cat, Caracal aurata, ranges from west through central to east Africa and is categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Coenraad J. Temminck (1778–1858) described Felis aurata (African golden cat) and other new felid species in the fourth of seven monographs collected in the first volume of his Monographies de mammalogie, which was dated 1827 on the title-page. For nearly two centuries, Temminck’s description of Felis aurata has therefore been cited as published in 1827. However, this is in error because the different monographs were published as they were completed and later compiled into volumes. The actual date of issue for the fourth monograph was 1825, so that the correct current citation for the African golden cat should be Caracal aurata (Temminck, 1825). This revised citation date is also applicable to the Iberian lynx , Lynx pardinus (Temminck, 1825), which is categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Abstract Emergent infectious disease caused by the fungal pathogens Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) represents one of the major causes of biodiversity loss in amphibians. While Bd has affected amphibians worldwide, Bsal remains restricted to Asia and Europe, but also could be a major threat for salamanders in the Western hemisphere, including the 320 bolitoglossine species described. Here, we predict the suitable areas for Bsal in the Neotropics and assess its potential impact on bolitoglossine diversity. For this, we determined the geographic patterns of taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity for bolitoglossines and modeled the potential distribution of Bsal in the Neotropics. We identified which species and regions could be at risk from an eventual introduction of Bsal in the region, quantified the degree of overlap between regions of high diversity and the suitable conditions for the pathogen, and considered species IUCN Red List status, and geographic range size. We found that regions of high taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity are concentrated in the Trans‐Mexican Volcanic Belt, Sierra Madre Oriental, the southern portion of Sierra Madre del Sur and the mountains of Oaxaca in México, as well as the Chiapan‐Guatemalan highlands, and the Cordilleras of Costa Rica and Panama. Alarmingly, the regions of high diversity for bolitoglossines and over 75% of the ranges of the more threatened species could be affected by Bsal. Given the unknown vulnerability of these species, we strongly recommend measures to avoid the introduction of Bsal in the continent.Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.

More than 25% of species assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are threatened with extinction. Understanding how environmental and biological processes have shaped genomic diversity may inform management practices. Using 68 extant avian species, we parsed the effects of habitat availability and life-history traits on genomic diversity over time to provide a baseline for conservation efforts. We used published whole-genome sequence data to estimate overall genomic diversity as indicated by historical long-term effective population sizes (Ne) and current genomic variability (H), then used environmental niche modelling to estimate Pleistocene habitat dynamics for each species. We found that Ne and H were positively correlated with habitat availability and related to key life-history traits (body mass and diet), suggesting the latter contribute to the overall genomic variation. We found that H decreased with increasing species extinction risk, suggesting that H may serve as a leading indicator of demographic trends related to formal IUCN conservation status in birds. Our analyses illustrate that genome-wide summary statistics estimated from sequence data reflect meaningful ecological attributes relevant to species conservation.

Abstract Environmental changes since the Pleistocene and commercial whaling in the last few centuries have drastically reduced many whale populations, including gray whales in the North Pacific. Herein we use complete mitogenome sequences from 74 individuals to evaluate gray whale phylogeography and historical demography, then use environmental niche modeling to assess how habitat availability has changed through time for Pacific gray whales. We identify a large degree of haplotype sharing between gray whales sampled in Russian and Mexican waters, coupled with very limited matrilineal population structure. Confirming previous studies, our environmental niche models showed a decrease in available habitat during the Last Glacial Maximum, but we find no genetic signals of recent population declines in mitochondrial genomes despite both sustained habitat loss and a commercial whaling bottleneck. Our results illustrate the complex dynamics of baleen whale biogeography since the Holocene as well as the difficulty in detecting recent demographic bottlenecks from mitochondrial DNA sequences.

The human-driven loss of biodiversity has numerous ecological, social, and economic impacts at the local and global levels, threatening important ecological functions and jeopardizing human well-being. In this perspective, we present an overview of how tropical defaunation—defined as the disappearance of fauna as a result of anthropogenic drivers such as hunting and habitat alteration in tropical forest ecosystems—is interlinked with four selected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We discuss tropical defaunation related to nutrition and zero hunger (SDG 2), good health and well-being (SDG 3), climate action (SDG 13), and life on land (SDG 15). We propose a range of options on how to study defaunation in future research and how to address the ongoing tropical defaunation crisis, including but not limited to recent insights from policy, conservation management, and development practice.

Freshwater biodiversity is declining dramatically, and the current biodiversity crisis requires defining bold goals and mobilizing substantial resources to meet the challenges. While the reasons are varied, both research and conservation of freshwater biodiversity lag far behind efforts in the terrestrial and marine realms. We identify fifteen pressing global needs to support informed global freshwater biodiversity stewardship. The proposed agenda aims to advance freshwater biodiversity research globally as a critical step in improving coordinated action towards its sustainable management and conservation.