Institute for Biodiversity

This paper presents an updated analysis of South Africans’ trust in scientists, situated within the South African context and based on a secondary analysis of the Trust in Science and Science-Related Populism (TISP) data set. We find that South Africans have moderately high trust in scientists (ranked 23rd) and perceive scientists as having moderately benevolent intentions and moderate integrity. South Africans’ trust in scientists is mainly based on trust in the scientific method. We also present evidence on how trust is shaped by factors such as gender, age, education, religion, income, and ideology. While most South Africans trust scientists, many are concerned about the unequal distribution of the benefits of science. Furthermore, there is a strong public demand for scientists to communicate their work more effectively, engage in dialogue with society, and advocate for the value of science in policymaking. Overall, our results provide a nuanced picture of trust in scientists in South Africa, with implications for future research, communication practices, and policymaking.

Lake Des Oiseaux is an Algerian aquatic ecosystem of worldwide importance that faces serious eutrophication issues. Ecological restoration offers a promising approach for the prevention and management of harmful algae blooms. Allelopathic submerged macrophytes are known to exert strong inhibitory effects. In this study, water restoration potential of Elodea nuttallii on cyanobacteria was investigated including effect on cyanobacteria cells density, cyanobacterial composition, water transparency, chlorophyll-a concentration, and competition for nutrients (NH4 +, NO2 −, NO3 −, PO4 3−, total nitrogen and total phosphorus). The allelochemicals were identified and quantified using HPLC‒DAD. E. nuttallii had a strong inhibitory effect on cyanobacterial growth (P < 0.001) and chlorophyll-a synthesis (P < 0.001). E. nuttallii inhibited 95.23% of cyanobacteria growth after 7 days of exposure and 99.99% after 30 days. Compared to the control experiment, E. nuttallii improved water transparency after day 7 (P < 0.001) and maintained very high water transparency until the end of the experiment. Nine allelochemicals, eight of which are polyphenols were identified among E. nuttallii metabolites. The dominant components are: (−)-epicatechin, naringenin and apigenin. E. nuttallii competes well with cyanobacteria for nutrients, especially nitrogen, and absorbs NO2 − and NO3 − when ammonium is low in the medium. Additionally, E. nuttallii reduces the phosphorus content to low concentrations in the medium. These findings suggest a combined effect of competition for nutrients and allelopathy.

Both primary and metastatic brain tumors rely on signals from the surrounding environment for their survival and progression. In particular, the most common and lethal brain cancer, glioblastoma (GBM), derived from glial cells (astrocytes or microglia), has been shown to integrate into synaptic networks and to receive paracrine signals from neighbouring tumor microenvironment (TME) cells. There is increasing evidence that metastatic disease in the brain exhibits similar behavior. The TME both maintains malignant cells and is maintained by them, a process that relies on cancer stem cells (CSCs). These stem cells and their signaling mechanisms, including in the case of GBM, “GSCs,” provide possible novel targets for immunotherapy. In this review, we will discuss the integration of primary and malignant brain tumors into normal synaptic networks, the role of tumor stem cells and the TME in this integration, and the potential for immunotherapeutic targeting of these processes.

The germline-restricted chromosome (GRC) of passerines is a remarkable tissue-specific chromosome that accumulated paralogs of genes from the regular "A chromosomes" over millions of years, often amplified into dozens of gene copies. In addition to its repetitive content, typically uniparental inheritance, and lack of recombination, the GRC resembles non-recombining sex chromosomes and some B chromosomes, for all of which assembly and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) calling are difficult. Here, we first show that much of the Australian zebra finch macro-GRC can be assembled using accurate long reads. We then describe a paralog-aware Snakemake pipeline, ParaVar, to map short reads from the GRC to retrieve GRC regions suitable for haplotype-based analysis. ParaVar reliably calls hundreds of SNPs across the GRC, thereby providing an estimate of nucleotide diversity on the highly repetitive zebra finch macro-GRC. Our results show significantly lower nucleotide diversity (20- to 50-fold lower) on the GRC compared to the mitogenome and autosomes, and a strong phylogenetic discordance between the GRC and the mitochondrial genome. Beyond the contribution of background selection, our results suggest that a single GRC haplotype recently spread through the populations while jumping across matrilines via occasional paternal inheritance. We anticipate that our paralog-aware pipeline will be useful for SNP calling and population genetics analyses of repetitive GRCs, sex chromosomes, and B chromosomes.

Soil biodiversity is increasingly recognized as an important part of the One Health framework. It is known to be pivotal not only for sustaining agricultural productivity, but also as a biological barrier limiting the establishment and persistence of livestock-associated pathogens. While direct transmission pathways between animals and humans are well documented, the role of soil microbial communities in regulating pathogen survival outside hosts remains poorly understood.We investigate how abiotic soil properties and native microbial biodiversity interact to constrain the environmental persistence of emerging zoonotic pathogens. Enterococci were used as a model for fecal-derived, opportunistic pathogens in agricultural systems. Combining field observations with controlled microcosm experiments, we studied soils from a free-range and a conventional pig farm representing contrasting management practices and soil textures. Enterococcal abundance was quantified using genus-specific qPCR, while bacterial community composition was assessed via 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to characterize the ecological context of potential pathogen establishment.Enterococcal DNA was detected across multiple management zones in freshly collected soils, with highest abundances in areas of recent pig activity. However, few viable cells were found across the samples. In sterile soil microcosms, Enterococcus lactis and E. sulfureus proliferated strongly in both sandy and silty soils, demonstrating that abiotic conditions alone do not prevent enterococcal growth. These results indicate that biotic interactions, rather than physicochemical constraints, are likely the dominant factor limiting enterococcal persistence in natural soils.Ongoing experiments manipulate native microbial diversity gradients to disentangle mechanisms of biotic suppression, while integrated DNA/RNA analyses will distinguish active growth from residual necromass. By linking microbial community composition to pathogen exclusion, our work highlights soil biodiversity as a key ecosystem function contributing to “pathogen-resistant” soils. The experimental framework established here is broadly transferable to other soil-borne or fecal-associated pathogens, supporting risk assessment and sustainable soil management in agricultural landscapes.

With 61 cubic meters of blue water available per capita per year, Jordan is among the world’s most water-scarce countries. This scarcity results from the rapidly rising demand, driven by population growth and the expansion of irrigated agriculture, to which responses have been supply-side measures, such as installing water infrastructure to capture, produce, and purify water, limiting demand through reduced provision of water through supply intermittence, installing water flow restrictors, and closing down water extraction wells, as well as changes in the water governance system, which has experienced increasing centralization. Here, we map the development of water institutions and ever-increasing infrastructure in Jordan, which have mediated water user demand and water availability over the past 78 years. It shows that, despite the massive growth of water extraction, storage, treatment, and transfer infrastructure, total water availability has been stagnating at around 1200 million cubic meters per year since 2010, while demand continues to grow. We systematically review Jordan’s water-related laws and policy documents and lay out the legal mechanisms and policies for allocating surface-, ground- and unconventional water to municipal, agricultural and industrial water users, which shows discrepancies between current laws and policies regarding the priority of use, and extant water allocation. Water user perspectives derived from a small sample of interviews illustrates water service deficits and adaptive efforts to deal with supply intermittence and water quality issues on the receiving end of water allocation. Looking into the future, we discuss a reallocation scenario for the year 2050 that limits water extraction to renewable rates, restricts agricultural water use to reused domestic and industrial water and prioritizes domestic water demand. We propose legal changes necessary to accommodate this change, thereby closing a gap in the operationalization of water management that requires not only hydrological and engineering perspectives, but also the socio-institutional conditions to balance supply and demand.

Each year, billions of birds traverse across continents, encountering an increasingly dense network of wind turbines, power lines, and other energy infrastructure. These structures can directly cause mortality through collisions and electrocutions, and indirectly act as barriers to movement. Yet these risks arise in a highly dynamic environment that traditional, habitat-based conservation approaches struggle to address. Effective impact mitigation therefore requires approaches that recognize the airspace as a dynamic habitat and account for the constantly shifting movements of migratory species.A key challenge lies in identifying when and where migrants are most at risk. Networks of radars have become the cornerstone of a scalable solution, providing continuous, multi-scale measurements of bird movements. Building on these networks, we present a scalable method to map nocturnal bird migration patterns at large spatial scales, with which wind energy stakeholders can anticipate high-risk migration times and zones and integrate them early in the siting and permitting process. In doing so, they can adhere to the mitigation hierarchy by proactively avoiding negative impacts on wildlife and enjoy a stream-lined and thus, faster, environmental assessment process.When avoiding negative impacts through spatial planning is not possible, temporary shutdowns remain an effective mitigation measure, capable of protecting a large proportion of migrants with relatively small, well-timed actions. However, implementing curtailment for large-scale nocturnal bird migration requires coordination and preparation at the level of energy grids. We present how the Netherlands uses bird migration forecasts trained on radar data that trigger an operational decision process roughly 48 hours in advance. With this decision window, grid and wind farm operators can prepare for temporary shutdowns on nights of peak bird migration and thus, safeguard passage for millions of nocturnal migrants.Although focused primarily on broad-front bird migration, these approaches are likely to benefit all migrants moving in these periods, including bats, highlighting the potential for cross-taxonomic synergies. Our approach demonstrates that dynamic aeroconservation can resolve conflicts between renewable-energy expansion and the protection of aerial biodiversity, a critical step toward a nature-inclusive energy transition.

The ASEAN region hosts some of the world’s richest biodiversity and vital ecosystems—tropical forests, peatlands, mangroves, and wetlands—that play a critical role in carbon sequestration, climate regulation, and food security. Ensuring their long-term sustainability requires integrated strategies that connect biodiversity conservation with climate resilience. This calls for robust policy frameworks, science-based decision-making, and community-driven action supported by regional cooperation and inclusive spatial planning to safeguard ecosystems while addressing the growing impacts of climate change.The 2025 ASEAN Biodiversity Science Forum (BSF), held in Jakarta, Indonesia, served as a key platform for advancing these objectives under the theme “Strengthening Biodiversity to Mitigate Climate Change in ASEAN.” Organized by the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), the World Resources Institute (WRI) Indonesia, and the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), with support from the ASEAN–UK Green Transition Fund, the Forum convened scientists, policymakers, and community leaders from across Southeast Asia. Discussions highlighted the essential role of biodiversity in climate mitigation, adaptation, and sustainable development.ASEAN’s ecosystems, particularly peatlands, mangroves, and wetlands, were emphasized as critical carbon sinks that sustain livelihoods, food systems, and disaster resilience. Case studies from Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, and the Philippines demonstrated how combining advanced tools such as LiDAR, eDNA, and AI-driven bioacoustics with Indigenous ecological knowledge can yield more inclusive, sustainable, and effective restoration outcomes.The Forum produced five key recommendations for regional action: (1) protect and restore high-carbon ecosystems; (2) strengthen cross-sectoral and transboundary governance under the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF); (3) mobilize sustainable finance through biodiversity and carbon markets; (4) enhance biodiversity monitoring through digital and community-based technologies; and (5) empower Indigenous Peoples, women, and local communities as key partners in biodiversity and climate governance.By bridging scientific evidence, traditional knowledge, and policy innovation, ASEAN can position biodiversity at the core of its climate resilience strategy. A biodiversity-centered approach offers transformative potential to achieve both regional sustainability and global GBF targets, advancing a climate-resilient and nature-positive ASEAN by 2050.Keywords: ASEAN, biodiversity, climate change mitigation, wetlands, peatlands, Indigenous knowledge, nature-based solutions, Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

We are currently witnessing a mass extinction crisis due to increasingly overwhelming human impacts on the biosphere. Extinctions from the last few hundred years have been well-known for some taxonomic groups, but represent only the tip of the iceberg. While there is accumulating evidence that the number of historic human-induced extinctions is far higher than documented in the ‘gold standard’ for assessing extinction risks - the IUCN Red List - the extent and characteristics of poorly documented or ‘dark extinctions’ remain insufficiently known. Such dark extinctions, which are preceded by undocumented local declines and extinctions, have profound implications for assessing long-term trajectories of biodiversity change of local assemblages.Dark extinctions and undocumented local species declines span a gradient from events that left no direct trace, to documented losses supported by substantial evidence (e.g., subfossil remains, ancient DNA, historic descriptions, specimens in herbaria or museums, observation records) waiting to be formally accepted as actual local decline or extinction by rigorous scientific standards. Here, we synthesize the state of knowledge on the discrepancy between documented and dark extinctions, and assess the implications of undocumented local species losses on biodiversity assessments. We identify six essential dimensions for Red List assessments, and we provide an assessment of their coverage in the IUCN Red List. To this end we review the evidence on how extinction drivers have changed in importance over time, and how well they are actually covered by Red List assessments. We identify ten sources of gaps and biases in documenting extinctions and local species losses and evaluate the role of temporal lags in these processes. We discuss the implications of these findings for studying species richness and the temporal dynamics of local assemblages, and more broadly, for assessing the true scale of the unfolding extinction crisis and assess the implications for conservation policy. Finally, we identify key steps to better account for undocumented species declines from local to global scales.

As of 2021, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Member States (AMS) have made significant strides toward Aichi Biodiversity Target 11, collectively protecting 15.57% of terrestrial areas and 4% of coastal and marine areas. This study presents the findings of the third edition of the ASEAN Biodiversity Outlook by the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) to evaluate the region’s progress in both quantitative coverage and qualitative elements such as ecological representation, connectivity, and management effectiveness.The analysis reveals that while terrestrial coverage approached the 17% global target, marine protection lags significantly behind the 10% goal. Furthermore, protection of areas of importance for biodiversity is incomplete; while 37% of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) are protected, 44% are only partially protected, and only 11% of critical Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) sites are fully covered. Qualitative assessments indicate a critical data deficit, with Protected Area Management Effectiveness (PAME) assessments completed for only a mere 4.34% of the marine network. Currently, estimates of OECM coverage are unavailable at the regional level, despite the potential of Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas (ICCAs) to contribute significantly to connectivity and coverage targets. Furthermore, connectivity analysis reveals that even where coverage targets are met, design deficiencies result in low ecological connectivity.To address these gaps and to achieve the KM-GBF Target 3, the study recommends accelerating the ASEAN Heritage Parks Programme, legally recognising Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs), and aligning national targets with regional goals to ensure sustainable, equitable, and effective conservation outcomes. There is a need to expand protected area networks and identify OECMs that will encompass ecoregions in the terrestrial, marine, and inland waters, including the areas of particular importance for biodiversity with a wider representation of trigger species from different taxonomic groups. Enhancing cooperation with IPLCs in the creation, control, and management of areas outside of protected area boundaries will also greatly enhance the capacity and capability of the AMS to meet succeeding conservation targets in the post-2020 scenario.Keywords: ASEAN Biodiversity, OECMs, Key Biodiversity Areas, IPLCs