ABSTRACTSustainable conversion of uneconomic rubber monocultures is essential for restoring degraded tropical rainforests and achieving the goals of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030). Here, we discuss existing ecological restoration approaches that may be applicable to converting rubber monocultures in protected and marginal areas with high conservation value but less economic potential. Before selecting restoration interventions, practitioners should conduct comprehensive assessments of landscape context, land‐use history, forest regeneration status, and resource availability. Natural forest regeneration is typically a low‐cost restoration option for rubber monocultures that have encroached into protected areas, where nearby natural forest fragments can provide seed sources. In other marginal areas, assisted natural regeneration and active planting can promote more rapid recovery. The restoration strategies outlined here can support the restoration of 1,900,000 ha of rubber monocultures in marginal zones and other economically unsustainable monoculture plantation crops, thereby making a significant contribution to global restoration targets by 2030.

ABSTRACT To ensure the survival of threatened species, identifying biodiversity hotspots is essential for determining where and how conservation should be prioritized. Sri Lanka along with Western Ghats of India is a global biodiversity hotspot, with reptiles among its most threatened taxa. Agamid lizards in Sri Lanka are both threatened and evolutionarily distinct, with 19 of 22 species endemic to the island. We assessed the distribution of 14 threatened agamid lizard species using Species Distribution Modeling (SDM). The generated distribution maps were used to identify highly diverse target areas for agamid conservation, both within and outside protected areas. We assigned conservation priority ranks for species using different criteria such as IUCN status, the number of occurrence records, and the size of the estimated range. Our results indicated that agamid hotspots are primarily concentrated in the wet zone of Sri Lanka; specifically, Sinharaja Forest Reserve, the Peak Wilderness Sanctuary, and the Knuckles Mountain Range emerged as high priority conservation targets. Although all species targeted in our SDM had some portion of their range within protected areas, over 40% of high‐priority agamid habitats remain unprotected. We advocate for the expanded use of SDM for hotspot identification and conservation planning, particularly for threatened and endangered species with poorly documented population status and geographic distribution.

Abstract Prey populations significantly influence the distribution of top predators. The sika deer (Cervus nippon), a key prey species for the Amur tiger in Northeast China, plays a critical role in the recovery and dispersal of Amur tiger populations. Reintroduction is a pivotal strategy for restoring prey populations, but it presents challenges, especially in terms of adaptation to the natural environment during the natural training process before animals are released. In this study, we sampled six adult and six sub‐adult sika deer and employed high‐throughput sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene to investigate changes in gut microbial diversity, composition, and function during natural training. The results showed that adult sika deer had higher gut microbiota diversity compared to sub‐adults. However, as natural training progressed, the gut microbial diversity in sub‐adults approached that of adults. Additionally, beneficial, fiber‐digesting bacteria associated with adaptation to the natural environment tended to increase during nature training in both adult and sub‐adult sika deer, while pathogenic bacteria tended to decrease. We also compared the metabolic function of the gut microbiota in adult and sub‐adult sika deer, which showed that the carbohydrate metabolic function of both adults and sub‐adults decreased significantly with natural training, declining more rapidly in sub‐adults. Conversely, the lipid metabolic function in sub‐adults increased significantly with natural training. Overall, a period of nature training is necessary before reintroducing animals to their natural habitats, and sub‐adult sika deer, in particular, exhibit greater adaptability to environmental changes as reflected by their gut microbiota dynamics. These findings offer valuable insights for the reintroduction of sika deer and other ungulates. We recommend incorporating natural training in reintroduction programs and prioritizing sub‐adult animals for reintroduction.

Abstract Pollinators provide important pollination services for crops around the world. In China, numerous studies have been conducted on pollinators within agroecosystems, yet a comprehensive review of such research remains to be completed. This study discusses the existing knowledge of pollinator diversity in Chinese agroecosystems, examines the provision of pollination services, and identifies key achievements and limitations. We propose a series of conservation and management actions to promote pollinator health and ecosystem services in these agroecosystems: (1) long‐term monitoring of pollinator populations, (2) designing agricultural landscapes that are conducive to pollinators, and (3) implementing microscale habitat modifications to improve conditions for pollinators.

Abstract Cultural ecosystem services (CES) play a pivotal role in local natural conservation and management; however, they frequently remain overlooked by policymakers due to challenges in their definition and quantification. These services are particularly relevant to Asia's indigenous populations. Shangyong and Mengla, two tropical forest reserves in the Xishuangbanna region of Yunnan province, China, were selected for an in‐depth study of CES in this area. Through village interviews and questionnaire surveys, the varieties of CES and their significance were identified and catalogued. Subsequently, the distributions of different CES types were mapped and modelled based on environmental drivers and hotspots. A conservation priority indicator was then formulated to identify the most critical CES necessitating conservation, as these are susceptible to human disturbances in the absence of protected nature reserves. Our findings indicated that the most commonly recognised CES included wildlife, leisure and recreational, folk and custom, and sense of place and identity. Benefits derived from leisure and recreational, and wildlife CES were predominantly safeguarded by nature reserves. In contrast, folk and custom CES and spiritual and religious CES were less reliant on these reserves due to intrinsic community‐based protection. Consequently, while the two tropical forest reserves in Xishuangbanna offer a range of CES, there is a need for differentiated management strategies to foster local support for conservation management decision‐making. The inherent conservation initiatives for spiritual and religious CES and folk and custom CES should be leveraged by incorporating or co‐managing these sacred sites within our protected area system. Conversely, CES with a higher conservation priority index, such as leisure and recreational CES and wildlife CES, require government‐led conservation to safeguard the cultural well‐being of local communities. In conclusion, incorporating CES into nature reserve management strategies is crucial across various conservation contexts.

Abstract As part of the Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (K‐M GBF), signatory nations of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) aim to protect at least 30% of the planet by 2030 (Target 3). This bold ambition has been widely celebrated and its implementation seen as pivotal for the overall success of K‐M GBF. However, given that many CBD signatory nations prioritised quantity (e.g., area) over quality (e.g., important areas for biodiversity) when attempting to meet their 2010 CBD Aichi protected area commitments, it is critical that nations focus on protecting those terrestrial, inland waters and marine areas that have the best chance of halting and reversing biodiversity loss and thus contribute to Goal A of the K‐M GBF. Here we provide a review on the type of areas that nations need to prioritise when implementing Target 3 that relates to area ‘quality’: areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, are effectively conserved and managed through ecologically representative, well‐connected and equitably governed systems. We show that data is available for 12 distinct biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service elements that can be mapped and, if conserved, will (with appropriate management) help meet the broad intention of Target 3. We highlight examples of the planning methods available that can be utilized so these areas can be targeted for protection. We discuss issues related to trade‐offs regarding how to prioritise amongst them as well as to operationalise some of the vaguer concepts like ‘representation’ and ‘ecosystem functions and services’ so that they achieve the best outcomes for biodiversity.

Abstract Biodiversity is declining at a record rate. Unfortunately, attitudes favoring nonadvocacy remain prevalent in conservation science. Despite our detailed knowledge of biodiversity losses, we, the conservation science community as a whole, are failing to reverse species declines, transforming us into mere accountants of extinction. Conservation scientists frequently miss the opportunity to utilize scientific knowledge for helping reverse species’ declines by not comprehensively or effectively engaging policymakers with conservation‐related recommendations. The lack of translation of conservation science into policies therefore represents a detrimental blind spot of conservation biologists. Perhaps older generations had an excuse to practice conservation science without advocating for specific conservation policies, but the urgency of ongoing drastic biodiversity losses make unengaged approaches unacceptable for modern conservation biologists and tantamount to an implicit acceptance of anthropogenic mass extinction.

Abstract Tropical Southeast Asia is a hotspot for global biodiversity, and also a hotspot for rapidly expanding urbanisation. There is a need to identify, protect, restore and connect remaining green spaces in the urban matrix before this opportunity is lost to urban development. The objective of this study is to characterise ecological connectivity for mammals and identify important patches and linkages for connecting urban green spaces for Greater Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia. We first map land cover across the region using a linear mixture model with preprocessed multidate cloud‐free mosaics derived from Sentinel 2 remote sensing data in Google Earth Engine. We then model connectivity using the land cover maps, expert‐based parameterisation of Euclidian distance and graph‐based connectivity models for a range of dispersal guilds representing small and medium terrestrial and arboreal mammals. Our analysis showed large differences in the effects of fragmentation within Greater KL on the different dispersal groups, with some groups perceiving the landscape as disconnected. However, our analysis identified a network of green patches and pathways which potentially could support connectivity in the urban landscape. Our results demonstrate the potential for Southeast Asian megacities to support biodiversity in the urban context, and the potential for a different kind of urban development, which supports biodiversity in its urban fabric.

Abstract December 2022 finally saw the historic agreement of the Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM‐GBF), a landmark framework that sets to halt and reverse global biodiversity loss by remedying the multifaceted drivers behind biodiversity declines around the planet. The KM‐GBF follows on from the Aichi targets, which aimed to prevent further biodiversity loss through a concerted effort between 2010 and 2020, but which were not successfully achieved. The KM‐GBF builds on the drivers of biodiversity losses rather than their outcomes and sets a suite of targeted and measurable actions to reconcile losses. Developing the framework faced considerable challenges, especially in the face of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, and issues were often resolved at the very last moment. Consequently, compromises had to be made, useful elements were left out, or removed from the KM‐GBF to achieve consensus, and some will need to be reflected in other ways, or incorporated into indicators. The final agreed KM‐GBF includes 4 goals and 23 targets in addition to a package of annexes including a monitoring framework to set targets and benchmark progress. Particularly challenging issues included the flagship target of ‘30 × 30’ of protecting 30% of land, freshwater, coastal, and high‐sea in a representative way by 2030, which will require both new mechanisms and funding streams to enact effectively. Digital sequence information and funding mechanisms also presented major hurdles in the agreement of the KM‐GBF. Ultimately, the success of the new GBF depends on implementation and mainstreaming. New targets can only be achieved through the inclusion of all sectors, clear communication, and effective funding mechanisms to guide change and provide the means to implement it. Furthermore, while common but differentiated responsibility is crucial to implementation, impacts of inaction are disproportionate in developing economies, and more resources and support are needed to enable them to develop sustainably and meet targets. This highlights the urgent need for action if we are to achieve the new targets and secure a future for all life on earth.

We show (i) the potential importance of non-English-language literature for understanding butterfly migration globally, (ii) studies are mostly concentrated in North America and Europe with very few from the tropics, (iii) most studies are focused on three species: the Monarch (Danaus plexippus), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) and Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta). There remain hundreds of species for which the full seasonal pattern of movement, flight destination, wintering or breeding grounds remain unknown.