The Andean walnut (Juglans neotropica Diels), locally known as tocte, is a keystone tree species of major socio-ecological importance in South American mountain ecosystems, facing severe anthropogenic pressure associated with genetic erosion, habitat fragmentation, and unregulated selective logging. This article presents a case study applying a qualitative phenomenological approach to examine the power relations and institutional failures shaping the sustainable management of its value chain in Imbabura Province, Ecuador. Drawing on 21 in-depth semi-structured interviews with key actors (including woodcarvers, sawyers, traders, and environmental authorities) conducted between March and September 2025 until theoretical saturation was achieved, and supported by thematic analysis in ATLAS.ti, we identified five thematic categories revealing the tension between cultural valuation and market pressure. The findings confirm the existence of a value paradox, whereby high timber demand paradoxically accelerates resource depletion rather than incentivizing conservation, as premature harvesting of young trees undermines the viability of non-timber forest products such as nuts and accelerates the loss of local genetic resources. We conclude that the long-term conservation of the species requires a transition toward polycentric stewardship, community forestry enterprises, and integrated landscape management in which the standing tree is formally recognized as carrying greater ecological and economic value than harvested timber.

A rare and threatened pleurocarpous amblystegiaceaen dendrothelmatic moss, Anacamptodon splachnoides, was the subject of in vitro establishment and propagation. Tests on growth and rapid propagation were applied with the aim of preparing plant material for outdoor ex situ conservation and reintroduction into nature. This integrative conservation approach provides novel methodologies applicable to conservation programmes and management strategies, while also providing fundamental insights into the species’ biology. It further enables research on the species without harming its native populations, allowing for the exploration of questions raised during this investigation, such as spore biology and sex expression. A. splachnoides acts as both a shelter and signal species for a special microhabitat type, which also supports other rare organisms, and prolonged drought seems to affect reproduction, spore dispersal, and germinability more strongly than gametophore survival.

The interaction between humans and birds plays an important role in shaping the sustainability of tropical rainforest ecosystems, particularly through bird vocalizations that function as bioacoustic indicators of ecological conditions while simultaneously embedding socio-cultural meanings within local communities. This study aims to (1) classify types and categories of bird sounds as perceived by rural communities, and (2) assess the role of bird vocalizations as cultural symbols supporting community-based conservation practices. The study was conducted across six islands and eight villages in North Maluku, Eastern Indonesia, using a qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews and community workshops. A total of 435 respondents, all of whom were farmers residing along forest margins, participated in the study. The results documented 51 bird species belonging to 26 families, whose vocalizations were interpreted and classified by local communities into three acoustic categories: 21 species with loud calls (41.18%), 12 species with melodious calls (23.53%), and 18 species with sad calls (35.29%). Melodious vocalizations were commonly associated with values of beauty, calmness, and social harmony, whereas loud calls were predominantly interpreted as warnings, signals of alertness, or indicators of environmental change. These findings demonstrate that bird sounds serve not merely as ecological cues, but as culturally embedded symbols that guide daily activities, moral values, and conservation ethics within rural communities. By documenting the cultural significance of bird vocalizations across a clearly defined geographic context, this study provides an empirical basis for culturally informed conservation strategies aimed at protecting bird species subject to high levels of cultural use and ecological pressure.

The eastern Baltic region is rich in hemiboreal forests, which are both commercially important and provide habitats for rare and/or endangered forest-dwelling species, which are sensitive to accelerating climatic changes. Under the intensifying climatic disturbances that are stressing forests worldwide, sanitary logging is a widely used harvesting technique for the mitigation of commercial losses. The effects of salvage logging on the biodiversity of forests remain ambiguous due to the larger scale and higher intensity of timber harvesting, which can alter the recovery of stands and succession of their vegetation. Furthermore, EU legislation is increasingly emphasizing conservation/restoration and mandating its implementation. The recovery of ecosystems, and hence the biodiversity of disturbed managed forests, can take several decades to centuries, depending on the site conditions. Long-term (~60 years, four remeasurements) changes in the composition and structure of vegetation, as an indicator of overall health and nutrient cycling, were studied in conventionally managed hemiboreal forests. Potential forest transformation (paludification) risks associated with large-scale logging were assessed in mixed coniferous stands in the Baltics, Latvia. Following logging, the stands were conventionally managed, including artificial regeneration. According to ground cover vegetation, 50 years was the period for the disturbance effects to start subsiding, as a dynamic equilibrium was reached and the canopies of regenerating trees were closing. A gradual decrease in moisture levels in the middle parts of salvage-logged areas, and later at their edges, indicated that the stands have escaped paludification, likely as the climate has been warming. Distance from the edge of the salvage-logged areas had a secondary effect on ground cover vegetation recovery after storms, alleviating concerns about the explicit negative impact of the scale of harvesting. Thus, in managed seminatural forest landscapes with a historically small to moderate scale of anthropogenic disturbance, salvage logging at a scale locally deemed as large had a transient effect in the Baltics. This indicates successful regeneration of the forest ecosystem over a timeframe shorter than the conventional rotation period, suggesting overall conservation efficiency of conventionally managed forests. Accordingly, salvage logging can be sustainable in terms of biodiversity and forest continuity in the long run under traditional management, as environmental changes accelerate.

Forests are important biodiversity reservoirs and require sustainable management to prevent deforestation and forest degradation. Forest landscape restoration (FLR) has been proposed as a sustainable initiative aimed at restoring ecosystem functions and improving the well-being of surrounding populations. In 2005, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) initiated a project to protect 200 ha of savanna in Manzonzi landscape, Democratic Republic of Congo, on the outskirts of the Luki Biosphere Reserve. The biodiversity changes related to this ecological restoration project remain unpublished. To address this knowledge gap, floristic inventories of the protected Manzonzi landscape were carried out over a 12-year period and we assessed how changes in the floral composition of this landscape evolved and affected the provision of ecosystem services (ES). We found that protection of the savanna by banning recurring bush fires and fencing off the area promoted the richness and abundance of forest species, such as Xylopia aethiopica (Dunal) A. Rich, Albizia adianthifolia (Schumach.) W. Wight. These forest taxa replaced grassland species, such as Hymenocardia acida Tul. and Maprounea africana Müll. Arg., and served to benefit the local population, who use these forest taxa as food, fuelwood, and medicines. This study revealed that protected savanna improved woody biomass, plant diversity (richness/abundance), and carbon storage, significantly boosting essential ES for communities; yet these positive trends reversed when active monitoring ceased. Protecting savannas improves the environment and benefits communities, but stopping protection efforts can undo these gains, emphasizing the need for ongoing conservation.

The dugong (Dugong dugon) is the sole extant species of the genus Dugong within the order Sirenia, and the only strictly herbivorous marine mammal. As one of the oldest marine mammals, it plays a vital role in maintaining marine biodiversity. Inhabiting the shallow waters of the Indian Ocean and western Pacific, its populations and their seagrass habitats continue to decline due to compounded pressures from human activities and climate change. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) currently classifies the species as vulnerable to endangered. Dugongs were once widely distributed along China’s southern coast, but sightings have become extremely rare since 2000. Population recovery remains challenging, necessitating urgent actions to enhance protection and restoration of critical habitats—particularly seagrass beds—alongside foundational scientific research. This paper examines the conservation status and threats to China’s dugong population and their habitats, analyzes conservation challenges, and proposes protection strategies (including strengthening protection and management of dugongs and their habitats; exploring population recovery methods; enhancing habitat monitoring; improving population monitoring techniques; and raising public awareness). These protection strategies aim to advance dugong conservation.

Andean high-altitude ecosystems are critical to sustaining biodiversity, agriculture, and the livelihoods of indigenous populations. However, accelerating glacier retreat, irregular precipitation, and intensive water use have exacerbated ecosystem degradation and water insecurity. This study conducts a scoping review (PRISMA-ScR) of peer-reviewed and grey literature (2000–2025) to examine how water footprint (WF) management through its blue, green, and gray components can be operationalized within an Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) and Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) to ensure equitable access and ecological sustainability in the Andes. Quantitative synthesis from 72 sources shows that agricultural withdrawals account for over 78% of total blue-water use, while glacier-fed runoff has declined by 32% over the past two decades. Empirical evidence from Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia demonstrates that integrating indigenous irrigation systems with modern efficiency technologies reduces consumptive water use by up to 25% and enhances wetland biodiversity indices by 15–20%. These findings support the development of an Integrated Water-Biodiversity-Rights Framework (IWBRF) that links WF indicators (WFAM and ISO 14046) with ecosystem integrity and social equity metrics. The study advances theory by clarifying how WF indicators inform rather than replace IWRM and HRBA decision processes, offering a practical model for achieving water justice, biodiversity protection, and climate resilience in fragile Andean ecosystems.

Saprotrophic and lignocellulolytic fungi from tropical areas especially represent a promising yet relatively underexplored frontier for both taxonomy and applied research. This makes ex situ conservation through culture collections of paramount importance. Here, 10 lignocellulolytic strains isolated from the State of São Paulo (Brazil) and deposited in the Brazilian Culture Collection (now CCIBt) were identified through the ITS region. In order to prevent accidental losses, these strains have been shared with the collection of the University of Milano—Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), as well as the MicUNIPV Fungal Research Culture Collection—University of Pavia (Italy). Most of the fungal species in the examined set exhibit a neotropical distribution, while 3 out of 10 are nowadays recognized as subcosmopolitan despite their prevalence in the neotropical area. One holotropical, one cosmopolitan and one holarctic species are also present. Based on the literature, 8 out of the 10 characterized species are known to produce psilocybin (e.g., Psilocybe cubensis and Candolleomyces candolleanus) and/or enzymes with potential applications in environmental and medical biotechnology (e.g., Lentinus crinitus). All 10 strains were described for their micro- and macro-characteristics; their growth rate was evaluated and culture pictures provided. Taxonomic and nomenclatural controversies concerning Candolleomyces candolleanus, Cubamyces lactineus and Pycnoporus sanguineus are discussed.

Environmental and ancient DNA are mostly present in degraded forms in nature. Plant forensics is necessary for plants like Taxus (Taxaceae), which is a medicinal, as well as poisonous, endangered plant. We designed a study to develop high-efficiency PCR mini-barcoding primers for the identification of Taxus. We collected environmental materials, fresh and old Taxus specimens from natural habitats, herbaria, and ex situ propagation sites. Taxon-specific mini-barcoding primers were prepared through primer3. All the primers were amplified onto Taxus specimens and environmental samples having Taxus DNA, while no amplification on fresh and herbarium specimens other than Taxus was noted. DNA sequencing of amplified regions of matK, ITS, and rbcL yielded lengths of 117, 175, and 200 bp. Blast taxonomy showed 100% identification power at the genus level, while 75–93% at the species level, and identified a total of 30 taxa within the genus Taxus, comprising 16 species, 5 varieties, 2 hybrids, and 7 variants. ITS was the most specific for genus identification, followed by matK and rbcL. Environmental, trade, socio-economic, and toxicological crimes were also identified. Our high-efficiency PCR mini-barcoding method can be useful in the prevention of Taxus illegal trade and habitat degradation to mitigate climate change in the Himalayan region of Pakistan.

Globally, both natural and human-induced activities are accelerating biodiversity loss and land degradation, posing a significant threat to food security. Implementing sustainable biodiversity management in the agriculture sector provides a solution by enabling long-term food production, along with preserving environmental health. In this context, biodiversity finance emerges as a valuable tool to strengthen the agricultural sector and achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In the Indian context, Madhya Pradesh stands out for its agricultural relevance but faces challenges between productivity and conservation, posing significant challenges and a threat to the state’s long-term sustainability. This study applies to the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) framework to assess government investments in sustainable agriculture and agricultural biodiversity conservation from 2016 to 2022. Of the INR 21,197.55 crore (~USD 2.46 billion) allocated, approximately INR 4202.03 crore (19.8%) (~USD 0.49 billion) directly supported biodiversity-related agricultural initiatives. While sustainability-focused schemes saw a sharp rise in investment from 26.4% to 87.55%, allocations for conservation awareness declined. No financing gap was identified for achieving targets under the Madhya Pradesh Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (2018–2030). The study proposes a BIOFIN aligned investment strategy emphasizing landscape-level management, payment for ecosystem services, and institutional coordination to ensure long-term agricultural sustainability.