Peer-reviewed publications

Circadian rhythms are a mechanism by which species adapt to environmental variability and fundamental to understanding species behavior. However, we lack data and a standardized framework to accurately assess and compare temporal activity for species during rapid ecological change. Through a global network representing 38 countries, we leveraged 8.9 million mammalian observations to create a library of 14,587 standardized diel activity estimates for 445 species. We found that less than half the species’ estimates were in agreement with diel classifications from the reference literature and that species commonly used more than one diel classification. Species diel activity was highly plastic when exposed to anthropogenic change. Furthermore, body size and distributional extent were strongly associated with whether a species is diurnal or nocturnal. Our findings provide essential knowledge of species behavior in an era of rapid global change and suggest the need for a new, quantitative framework that defines diel activity logically and consistently while capturing species plasticity.

Marine protected and conserved areas (MPCAs) are promoted as an ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) approach to increase community and ecosystem resilience to climate change. However, traditional approaches to MPCA design typically do not consider climate risk or habitat condition under a climate threat. We used the Great Sea Reef (GSR) in Fiji as a case study to develop a land–sea prioritization framework that links modeled sediment runoff from rainfall during extreme cyclone events to the probability of coral reefs being in good condition. We incorporated this information in an MPCA prioritization scenario intending to achieve 90% certainty of good-condition coral cover under cyclone risk while minimizing cost to fishers and meeting ecosystem conservation targets. We explored the trade-offs between sites selected for protection, the relative opportunity cost to fishers, and the representation of conservation feature targets between the MPCA scenario that included cyclone risk and a baseline scenario that did not. The cyclone risk scenario's best solution required larger areas of protection (5% more GSR area) than the baseline scenario and additional protection in areas with moderate to high probability of good-condition coral cover. Some areas prioritized for protection in the cyclone risk scenario had relatively high turbidity. Large sections around Vanua Levu were consistently selected for protection across both prioritization scenarios due to high concentrations of all ecosystem conservation features, particularly sea turtle feeding grounds. Overall, the cyclone risk MPCA design had a higher fisher opportunity cost but protected a larger amount of ecosystem conservation features and buffered against habitat condition uncertainty. We explored the potential outcomes of expanding on threat-avoidance and cost-effective conservation prioritization by including habitat responses to threats in the prioritization process. Our findings can inform MPCA design during EbA planning in regions at risk from climate change.

Globally, forest landscape restoration (FLR) is gaining ground, alongside other forms of restoration under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. In most cases, projects and initiatives fail to consider human dimensions that influence the processes and outcomes of the restoration effort. These dimensions refer to how and why humans value natural resources; how humans want resources to be managed; and how humans affect or are affected by natural resource management decisions. Using the model of the forest transition curve that shows the trajectory from loss of forests to restored forests, we discuss how FLR intersects in different ways with this transition curve. We conclude that: 1) definitions and their implications are a fundamental challenge for FLR; 2) there is an intrinsic interdependence between people and forests that varies across spatial and temporal scales and that is mediated by institutions; 3) power differentials among stakeholders create imbalances in restoration; 4) conflicts around restoration result from differing interests, power and values. Equitable and durable restoration requires a much greater inclusion of human dimensions along all steps of the process.

Evaluating how emergent technologies can complement traditional methods fordetecting wildlife is particularly valuable when population management is based on detection based metrics for rare or cryptic species of conservation need. The black-footed ferret (ferret; Mustela nigripes) is an Endangered species whose rarity and behavior (e.g. semi-fossorial and nocturnal) challenge our ability to monitor individuals and assess the status of populations. Here, we evaluated how applying the emergent technologies associated with thermal-infrared cameras can be used to detect ferrets in a reintroduced population on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, Blaine County, Montana, USA. We conducted nighttime surveys for ferrets using thermal-infrared cameras mounted to a tower and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). We recorded 7 ferret observations using a stationary tower at a rate of 0.43 observations per survey hour. At least 5 individual ferrets were observed using this method for a rate of 0.31 individuals observed per survey hour.Similarly, we recorded 8 ferret observations using UAVs for an observation rate of 0.41 observations per survey hour. At least 6 individual ferrets were observed using this method for a rate of 0.31 individuals observed per survey hour. Our findings suggest that the use of thermal-infrared cameras could benefit conservation and management efforts for the ferret or other similar species, providing a tool for detecting these elusive species that creates less disturbance to the landscapeand alleviates potential navigation challenges associated with ground-based survey methods. The use of thermal-infrared cameras deployed as described here could therefore serve to complement traditional survey techniques for this Endangered species.

The risk that locally successful nature conservation may be shifting problems elsewhere can no longer be ignored

Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) presents a growing challenge to conservation and development worldwide. WWF and experts on human-wildlife coexistence strategies have responded to this challenge by developing a holistic, globally applicable, approach to HWC management that can be tailored to specific local, regional or national contexts. Its framework addresses the complexity of essential HWC management and long-term coexistence strategies and is implemented in a structured, yet contextualised, step-by-step sequence by a team of facilitators and multiple stakeholders. The C2C: Conflict to Coexistence Approach centres on four principles, four outcomes, and six HWC management elements that are to be implemented in an integrated way. It is currently undergoing testing in diverse pilot sites across three continents and demonstrating positive initial results. Here, we share the framework and methodology of the approach and initial results and experiences from these pilot sites.

Inequity is ubiquitous in the ocean, and social equity receives insufficient attention in ocean governance and management efforts. Thus, we assert that proponents of sustainability must center social equity in future ocean governance, to address past social and environmental injustices, to align with international law and conservation policy, and to realize objectives of sustainability. This obligation applies across all marine policy realms, including marine conservation, fisheries management, climate adaptation and the ocean economy, in all socio-political contexts and at different geographical scales. Indeed, many governmental, non-governmental, and philanthropic organizations are striving to advance social equity across their ocean sustainability focused agendas, policies, programs, initiatives, and portfolios. To date, however, there has been limited attention to how to meaningfully assess status and monitor progress on social equity in ocean governance (aka “ocean equity”) across different marine policy realms. Here, we contribute to ongoing efforts to advance ocean equity through providing guidance on five steps to develop bespoke, fit to purpose and contextually appropriate assessment and monitoring frameworks and approaches to measure status of and track changes in ocean equity. These steps include: 1) Clearly articulating the overarching purpose and aim; 2) Convening a participatory group and process to co-design the assessment framework; 3) Identifying important objectives, aspects and attributes of social equity to assess; 4) Selecting and developing indicators, methods, and measures; and 5) Collecting, analyzing and evaluating data. Then, we discuss four subsequent steps to take into account to ensure that assessments lead to adaptations or transformations to improve ocean equity. These steps include: 1) Communicating results to reach key audiences, to enable learning and inform decision-making; 2) Deliberating on actions and selecting interventions to improve ocean equity; 3) Ensuring actions to improve ocean equity are implemented; and, 4) Committing to continual cycles of monitoring, evaluation, learning and adapting at regular intervals. Following these steps could contribute to a change in how oceans are governed. The diligent pursuit of ocean equity will help to ensure that the course towards a sustainable ocean is more representative, inclusive and just.

Nature’s contributions to people (NCP) are increasingly incorporated in modern conservation policy and management frameworks; however, the contributions of wildlife remain underrepresented in the NCP science that informs policy and practice. In this Perspective, we explore wildlife’s role in NCP. We use existing evidence to map wildlife contributions onto the conceptual framework of NCP and find that wildlife directly supports 12 of 18 NCP categories. We identify NCP provided or supported by wildlife as wildlife’s contributions to people (WCP). Knowledge gaps regarding WCP are prevalent, and failure to identify or account for WCP in policy and management could prevent both NCP and biodiversity targets from being achieved. To improve understanding of WCP and its integration into conservation decision-making, advances in monitoring and modelling wildlife are required and taxonomic, geographic and cultural biases in existing research should be addressed. These advances are necessary to connect biodiversity policies aimed at protecting wildlife species with NCP policies intended to ensure the long-term delivery of benefits to people, and to achieve widespread sustainable relationships with nature.

In response to global declines in biodiversity, many global conservation prioritization schemes were developed to guide effective protected area establishment. Protected area coverage has grown dramatically since the introduction of several high-profile biodiversity prioritization schemes, but the impact of such schemes on protected area establishment has not been evaluated. We used matching methods and a Before-After Control-Impact causal analysis to evaluate the impact of two key prioritization schemes—Biodiversity Hotspots and Last of the Wild—representing examples of the reactive and proactive ends of the prioritization spectrum. We found that Last of the Wild had a positive impact on the rate of protection in its identified priority areas, but Biodiversity Hotspots did not. Because Biodiversity Hotspots are in or near human-dominated landscapes, this scheme may have been unable to overcome biases towards protecting areas with little human pressure. In contrast, Last of the Wild aligned with the tendency to protect areas far from high human use and thus with lower implementation costs, and so received greater uptake. Stronger links between large-scale prioritizations and more locally driven implementation of area-based conservation, as well as other forms of conservation action, are needed to overcome practical constraints and effectively protect biodiversity on an increasingly human-dominated planet.

Understanding factors that determine a species' geographical range is crucial for predicting climate-induced range shifts. Two milkweed species, Asclepias syriaca and Asclepias speciosa, have overlapping ranges along a moisture gradient in North America and are primary food sources for endangered monarch caterpillars. With decreasing moisture, long-lived species often exhibit slower growth and greater drought tolerance, while many annual species exhibit faster growth strategies. Using this fast-slow framework, we assessed whether traits of these two sister species differ along a fast-slow growth continuum and could explain their distributions. We measured leaf and root functional traits in common gardens and greenhouse experiments. In key measures indicative of drought tolerance (e.g., growth, transpiration, and water potentials), the species were nearly identical. Contrary to expectations, A. speciosa did not exhibit greater drought tolerance, raising the question of how it survives in the more arid west. A reciprocal transplant study showed selection against A. syriaca in the western garden and that A. speciosa was better able to avoid seedling mortality. Focusing on seedling establishment, we found that A. speciosa exhibited faster deep-root development and a narrow leaf phenotype associated with slower wilting and delayed drought-induced mortality. Rather than differences on the fast-slow growth spectrum, our results indicate that A. speciosa avoids drought through faster deep-root growth and a slower wilting phenotype. Our study suggests that A. syriaca's range is limited by its drought tolerance, while A. speciosa employs a number of drought avoidance strategies to survive in more arid environments.