Abstract Understanding the factors that influence human behavior is crucial for effective wildlife conservation strategies. This study examines the impact of conservation stewards and cameras on beachgoers' adherence to conservation guidelines designed to protect beach‐nesting birds. Specifically, it investigates whether these interventions encourage visitors to maintain a 25‐ft distance from nesting areas and walk around birds feeding along the waterline. Using a mixed‐methods approach, we conducted systematic behavioral observations ( n = 267) and semi‐structured interviews ( n = 20) to assess the effectiveness of these interventions. Logistic regression analyses revealed that steward interaction significantly increased adherence to the 25‐ft (7.6 m) conservation guideline, whereas mere steward presence had no effect. Camera presence, contrary to expectations, negatively influenced guideline adherence, likely due to curiosity. Neither intervention significantly affected behaviors requiring situational awareness, such as walking around feeding birds or general vigilance. Interview findings indicated that visitors' motivations and prior conservation awareness played a crucial role in shaping their behaviors. Visitors' interactions with signs and the presence of other people were also predictive of greater adherence. These results suggest that while active engagement from stewards can enhance engagement in conservation behaviors, the presence of cameras alone may be ineffective or even counterproductive. Conservation strategies that prioritize direct educational engagement are likely to cultivate a deeper psychological commitment and internalized pro‐conservation norms, which drive lasting behavioral change.

Abstract The reappearance of wolves in Europe has necessitated the implementation of livestock protection measures, causing different conflicts among and for stakeholder groups. This study, conducted between 2022 and 2025 in South Tyrol (IT), aimed to identify the main obstacles to implementing livestock protection measures through a participatory process involving eight stakeholder groups and to develop commonly accepted interventions. This process combined conflict mapping through stakeholder and socio‐economic context analysis, followed by a workshop and working group meetings to prioritize and refine interventions. Key findings revealed that socio‐economic challenges such as lacking viability of summer pasture grazing and a shortage of personnel are as critical as technical constraints related to livestock protection implementation. Thirteen interventions were enacted, focusing on the formalization of shepherding through training and regulations, stakeholder collaboration, awareness campaigns, and contractual nature conservation as an additional income source. Despite initial skepticism and institutional challenges, the participatory approach allowed consideration of different perspectives, promoted joint problem‐solving, social learning, and strengthened the legitimacy of the intervention decisions. The findings highlight the need for sustained political commitment and adaptive policies to ensure the long‐term viability of summer pasture farming and livestock protection implementation. Lessons learned are provided to inform replication in other regions.

Abstract Invasive species pose a major threat to biodiversity worldwide, and the invasive frog Polypedates megacephalus has become a significant concern for native amphibian populations in Taiwan. This 16‐year community science study, based on longitudinal data from the Taiwan Amphibians Database (2007–2023), assessed population trends among frogs. Our analysis revealed that relative habitat specialists experienced a greater proportion of population declines compared to relative habitat generalists, likely due to their narrower ecological niches and increased vulnerability to environmental changes. Furthermore, Polypedates braueri and Hyla chinensis showed greater declines than other native species, possibly due to ecological overlap with P. megacephalus , including niche similarity, predation, or pathogen transmission. At the community level, sites where P . megacephalus was present showed significantly higher proportions of declining native frog species in the univariate analysis, but this relationship was not significant after including environmental covariates, indicating a context‐dependent association rather than a direct causal effect. These findings underscore the importance of continued monitoring and management of P . megacephalus , particularly in low‐altitude and northern regions where the species is most prevalent.

Abstract Marine conservation and spatial planning are seeing increasing interest by stakeholders at the local, regional and international levels to balance biodiversity protection, sustaining fisheries and accommodating new uses of the marine environment. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are one of the most common conservation tools being implemented worldwide to reach conservation targets. However, their implementation does not usually take the heterogeneous distribution of bentho‐demersal communities into account. This has led to uneven conservation of existing communities, resulting in the misinterpretation of current protection coverage levels. Here, we mapped the distribution of the bentho‐demersal community of the Balearic Sea, in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea, using a joint species distribution model of 129 species of fish, crustaceans and cephalopods. We identified three distinct bioregions, and found that only 3.13% of the Shelf, 2.96% of the Upper slope and 0.89% of the Middle slope bioregions are covered by the 1089 km 2 of demersal no‐take MPAs included in our analyses. Bentho‐demersal communities were distributed mostly as a factor of bathymetry, but were also clearly delimited by bottom temperature, and had lower species‐rich communities in deeper bioregions. Furthermore, we found a negative effect of bottom trawl fishing on species richness in more heavily fished locations. Our results allow for the evaluation of an already implemented MPA network in the Balearic Sea, and suggest that more coverage is needed to fulfill current conservation set at the European and international levels. In order to achieve meaningful biodiversity conservation and help future marine conservation efforts, increases in MPA coverage will need to be supported by studies such as this one to ensure even representation of all marine bioregions and their communities.

Abstract Biodiversity conservation is undergoing a process of datafication, driven by calls for evidence‐based conservation and rapid technological advances. These developments promise to enhance conservation efforts, but they also raise ethical questions. While most existing research on conservation data justice focuses on large data sets and novel technologies, this paper explores data justice in community‐led conservation. We build on a conservation data justice framework, which distinguishes five dimensions of conservation data (composition, access, use, control, and consequences), by adding a sixth dimension: data collection. We apply this framework to two community‐led programs in Indonesian Borneo, supported by the Non‐Governmental Organization (NGO) Planet Indonesia. Through semi‐structured interviews with NGO staff and local community members, we examine how data justice is perceived and assessed in conservation practice. Respondents raised a variety of justice concerns. Overall, they viewed data composition and consequences positively, but raised critical concerns about access, use, and control. These findings help illustrate the variety of opportunities and challenges for data to enhance social justice in conservation and reveal the need for practical strategies to address the priorities and tradeoffs identified by ground‐level actors.

Abstract Anthropogenic drivers of global change threaten bee diversity and the pollination services they provide. Despite the importance of bees, their conservation is complicated by limited and often heavily biased occurrence data. A recent state‐wide survey of insect pollinators across New York, United States generated a large spatial dataset of bee species occurrence records from community scientists, historical collections, and recent surveys. To predict the distributions of most of the state's bee species, we combined the state survey records with occurrence data from across the contiguous United States before applying an ensemble modeling approach consisting of balanced random forest and small bivariate generalized linear models. We predicted the spatial distribution of bee species richness using a stacked species distribution model with climate, land cover, and soil covariates. To inform bee diversity conservation, we predicted spatial variation for each species and groups of species sharing similar life history traits. We also estimated the statewide distribution of range‐size rarity, ecological uniqueness, and climate exposure. We found that the richness of modeled species is high across the state, with the greatest richness in regions with low soil clay content and intermediate forest cover. The fine spatial scale and extent of our gridded data layers match the scale of conservation action in the state, providing an opportunity to incorporate wild bee diversity into broader statewide conservation planning. Conserving bee pollinators is not straightforward, and decisions should be based on broader conservation priorities that incorporate bee biodiversity indicators into decision‐making. Here, we present a roadmap for the inclusion of these vital pollinators in conservation decisions by leveraging the best available data and methods robust to small sample sizes to provide spatially explicit data products representing the distribution of bee diversity.

Abstract The Amazonian manatee ( Trichechus inunguis) , a vulnerable species native to the Amazon River Basin, is threatened by habitat loss, illegal hunting, and pollution. Rehabilitation centers rescue, rear, and release manatees negatively impacted by human activities. Factors characterizing the survival of rescued manatees at these rehabilitation centers remain unclear. We analyzed data from 54 rescued manatees at a rehabilitation center in the Peruvian Amazon, assessing factors hypothesized to be predictors of the probability of survival during the rehabilitation process. We found that initial weight at intake and the rate of weight gain while at the center were significantly associated with a higher probability of survival. Intestinal obstruction, often linked to inappropriate diets prior to rescue, was the leading cause of death while in rehabilitation (13 of 54 individuals; 24%). Early intervention to transport orphaned calves to rescue centers and equipping local authorities with resources for short‐term care until transportation is possible could improve rescue outcomes.

Abstract Agricultural conservation practices are often used to protect stream health while continuing food production. However, recovery of stream health is often not as rapid or extensive as planned. The efficacy of practices may be improved by promoting their continued use by landowners (i.e., persistence) after cost‐share contracts with government agencies end. Persistence rates and their drivers are typically unknown. Therefore, we mail‐surveyed 889 landowners to understand persistence in grazing practices in southwest Virginia. Survey responses were analyzed quantitatively using logistic regression and qualitatively via coding. We found that persistence rates for vegetative practices, cattle‐exclusion fencing, off‐stream watering structures, and pasture management were 74%, 84%, 94%, and 94%, respectively. Both the quantitative and qualitative analyses indicated that landowner cognitions (i.e., attitudes toward practices, environment, and agencies), environmental motivations, and practice durability influence persistence. Our results highlight that persistence could be encouraged by: (1) providing targeted messaging that demonstrates persistence benefits and aligns with landowners' motivations, (2) ensuring that responsibility to maintain practices is transferred during land‐tenure changes, and (3) allocating more agency funding to practice maintenance.

Abstract Managing climate‐change refugia is a commonly recommended strategy for conserving biodiversity. However, few efforts have moved beyond the modeling phase of refugia science to management. Here, we present two case studies that move beyond modeling to testing models and management. In the first case study, we model refugia for two plant species (three‐toothed cinquefoil [ Sibbaldia tridentata ] and black crowberry [ Empetrum nigrum ]) in Acadia National Park, Maine, United States, and use greenhouse experiments, common‐garden experiments, and participatory science to evaluate the output of those models. Our results suggest that three‐toothed cinquefoil growth and survival are reduced under increased temperatures as models predict. However, other variables (e.g., soil moisture and salinity) might also be important to modeling and managing refugia for both species. National Park Service staff and partners have been directing restoration for both species to refugia, but are also exploring other adaptation strategies. In the second case study, we demonstrate that existing prioritization processes for habitat restoration in national parks of the northeastern United States rarely incorporate refugia for two indicator species: Jefferson salamander ( Ambystoma jeffersonianum ) and grasshopper sparrow ( Ammodramus savannarum ). Our work demonstrates that moving beyond modeling can improve models and lead to new management insights.

Abstract Central European peatlands are important biodiversity hotspots and potential climate‐change refugia, preserving post‐glacial relict species and offering insights into long‐term ecological functioning. Despite pressures from climate change and land‐use disturbances, some relict populations persist even in degraded sites, with genetic studies revealing both their diversity and growing vulnerability to isolation. This paper highlights the importance of understanding the mechanisms underpinning the climate‐change refugia potential of a peatland, particularly the role of microclimatic conditions. Integrating paleoecological, ecological, and biogeographical perspectives is key to safeguarding peatlands' role in biodiversity conservation and climate regulation.