A general framework to quantify and compare ecological impacts under temporal dynamics

Volery, Lara; Fernandez, Margarida Vaz; Wegmann, Daniel; Bacher, Sven

doi:10.1111/ele.14288

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 60 publications

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“…They may provide different types of conservation benefits but their impact on different taxa occurring in abandoned military areas remains unclear. Therefore, knowledge of ecological impacts of respective management types on the temporal biodiversity dynamics (sensu Volery et al, 2023) is urgently needed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biodiversity changes in abandoned military training areas: relationships to different management approaches in multiple taxa

Reif,

Chajma,

Dvořáková

et al. 2023

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Introduction: Abandoned military training areas are biodiversity strongholds, and this is particularly true for open-habitat and threatened species in Central Europe. Such species benefited from a specific disturbance regime created by military activities that maintained small-grained environmental heterogeneity. However, the disturbance regime no longer occurs after abandonment and the biodiversity is at risk due to forest and shrub encroachment if the areas are left unmanaged. To combat these adverse changes, several management options are used. As these options are not always applied for conservation purposes and substantially differ in their implementation, it is essential to assess their impacts on biodiversity.Methods: We performed repeated standardized surveys (first in 2009–2010, second in 2020–2022) of vascular plants, grasshoppers, butterflies and birds in 42 abandoned military training areas in Czechia, a Central European country. We calculated changes of species richness and abundance between periods for each taxon and related these changes to six different management types (woody plant cutting, mowing for conservation, mowing for agriculture, grazing for conservation, grazing for agriculture, vehicle movement) performed in these areas between periods.Results: Vascular plants and grasshoppers showed generally positive changes, whereas the reverse was true for butterflies, and birds experienced mixed changes. Although beta-diversity increased between periods in plants, grasshoppers and butterflies, this increase was driven by extirpation of common species. Management impacts greatly different between respective types and between taxa. Woody plant cutting showed solely positive impacts (on plants and grasshoppers), while the impacts of both types of grazing were mixed (positive on plants and birds, negative on butterflies, mixed on grasshoppers). Mowing for agriculture supported plants and birds but had negative effects on grasshoppers. Mowing for conservation and vehicle movement were linked solely to negative biodiversity changes (former in plants, latter in butterflies).Discussion: Some components of biodiversity, i.e. plants and grasshoppers, indicate that abandoned military training areas still serve as their strongholds and the management most likely contributes to this favourable state. In contrast, the pattern found for butterflies is worrying since the management performed up to now apparently does not meet their requirements, likely because they are based on smaller-scale habitat mosaic than currently occurs in the areas. Our results may serve as a guide for future prioritization of environmental management, and we urge for development of more nuanced approaches to save the butterflies.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biodiversity changes in abandoned military training areas: relationships to different management approaches in multiple taxa

Reif,

Chajma,

Dvořáková

et al. 2023

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Rhodolith Beds in Brazil—A Natural Heritage in Need of Conservation

Schubert,

Magris,

Berchez

et al. 2024

Diversity and Distributions

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AimBrazil harbours the largest known extent of rhodolith beds (RBs) in the world, a habitat whose ecological and economic importance have been widely overlooked. This creates a dire situation that is likely to worsen with the rapidly expanding human activities, considering that less than 5% of Brazil's ocean area is fully protected. We assessed the importance of Brazilian RBs for supporting biodiversity, at a country‐wide level, and identified multi‐criteria hotspots that, in face of lack of protection and presence of anthropogenic threats, could safeguard conservation seascapes across Southwestern Atlantic waters.LocationSouthwestern Atlantic Ocean.MethodsWe performed a systematic review of studies on Brazilian RBs to retrieve information regarding their spatial distribution and associated biodiversity. Multi‐criteria hotspots were identified based on the areas where high species diversity co‐occurs with a high presence of endemic, threatened and commercially important species. Furthermore, we assessed how well RBs are covered by marine protected areas (MPAs), as well as their spatial overlap with multiple threats.ResultsExisting records for Brazilian RBs indicate > 1000 different species, mostly fish and algae, including significant numbers of endemic, threatened and commercially important species. Most of the RBs are either unprotected or only partially protected, including the majority of the biodiversity hotspots identified by our analysis. Among the main potential threats to RBs, bottom trawling ranks highest, while the expansion of seabed mining and oil and gas activities may sharply increase the risk of cumulative impacts on RBs in the near future.Main ConclusionsOur large‐scale quantitative assessment confirms the significant role of RBs as biodiversity hotspots. This information could be leveraged to help meet the twin goals of RB conservation, through the establishment of highly‐protected MPAs in hotspot areas, and their sustainable use through an ecosystem‐based approach that accounts for vulnerabilities of RBs to multiple threats.

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A general framework to quantify and compare ecological impacts under temporal dynamics

Cited by 2 publications

References 60 publications

Biodiversity changes in abandoned military training areas: relationships to different management approaches in multiple taxa

Biodiversity changes in abandoned military training areas: relationships to different management approaches in multiple taxa

Rhodolith Beds in Brazil—A Natural Heritage in Need of Conservation

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