Identifying gaps in protected areas to expand integrated riverine ecosystem conservation

Major, James; Perry, Denielle M.; Aslan, Clare E.; McManamay, Ryan A.

doi:10.1111/csp2.470

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Such gap analysis approaches have been applied to a range of species and varying ecosystems to guide conservation efforts, e.g. seahorses ( 14 ), cacti ( 15 ), and rivers ( 16 ). Species or ecosystem representation and human pressures within existing protected areas provide another lens for conservation assessments ( 17 – 19 ).…”

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confidence: 99%

Socio-ecological gap analysis to forecast species range contractions for conservation

Harris

Murphy

Green

et al. 2023

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Conservation requires both a needs assessment and prioritization scheme for planning and implementation. Range maps are critical for understanding and conserving biodiversity, but current range maps often omit content, negating important metrics of variation in populations and places. Here, we integrate a myriad of conditions that are spatially explicit across distributions of carnivores to identify gaps in capacity necessary for their conservation. Expanding on traditional gap analyses that focus almost exclusively on quantifying discordance in protected area coverage across a species’ range, our work aggregates threat layers (e.g., drought, human pressures) with resources layers (e.g., protected areas, cultural diversity) to identify gaps in available conservation capacity (ACC) across ranges for 91 African carnivores. Our model indicated that all species have some portion of their range at risk of contraction, with an average of 15 percentage range loss. We found that the ACC differed based on body size and taxonomy. Results deviated from current perceptions of extinction risks for species with an International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) threat status of Least Concern and yielded insights for species categorized as Data Deficient. Our socio-ecological gap analysis presents a geospatial approach to inform decision-making and resource allocation in conservation. Ultimately, our work advances forecasting dynamics of species’ ranges that are increasingly vital in an era of great socio-ecological change to mitigate human–wildlife conflict and promote inclusive carnivore conservation across geographies.

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confidence: 99%

Socio-ecological gap analysis to forecast species range contractions for conservation

Harris

Murphy

Green

et al. 2023

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…DEM of Sikkim into seven zones at each 1000 m elevation as major habitat transitions are observed at 1000 m intervals in the study region [45]. We overlaid the DEM with the presence map (binary file) and calculated the area of suitable habitats under each elevation category to understand important zones for implementing habitat conservation.…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

“…A study on freshwater fish diversity from the Western Ghats mountains of India highlighted that terrestrial protected areas are often not sufficient to protect riverine habitats and we need additional efforts in conservation to protect these ecosystems [40]. Gap analyses by integrating predicted species ranges and levels of protection or disturbances are important to expand riverine ecosystem conservation [45]. Hence, a quality assessment of riverine ecosystems including the potential habitats of riverine birds outside the PA network in the Eastern Himalaya is critical.…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological niche modelling of two water-dependant birds informs the conservation needs of riverine ecosystems outside protected area network in the Eastern Himalaya, India

Tamang,

Jins,

Dewan

et al. 2023

PLoS ONE

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Common species often play vital roles in ecosystem functions and processes. Globally, conservation strategies are mostly focused on threatened species and rarely explored the potential of using common species as indicators of critical ecosystems. The Himalayan mountains have unique riverine ecosystems harbouring high diversity of specialist river birds. Ecological niche modelling provides effective tools to predict suitable habitats of a species and identify habitats for conservation. We used two common water-dependent bird species, Blue Whistling Thrush and White-capped Water Redstart as indicators of riverine ecosystems within the Sikkim Himalayan region and predicted their suitable habitats using an ensemble modelling approach. We selected six predictor variables for the final model including three bioclimatic and three topographic variables. For both species, bioclimatic variables such as mean annual temperature and precipitation were the most important factors compared to topographic variables. At least 70 percent of the most suitable habitats are distributed below 2000 m elevation alongside major drainages. Also, most of their potential habitats are distributed outside the protected area networks in the region. This habitat suitability pattern may be applied to other sympatric species in the region. Since major water bodies in Sikkim are largely affected by developmental activities and climate change, these riverine birds might face threats of losing suitable habitats. We recommend a dynamic approach to evaluate the habitat quality of riverine birds, especially outside protected area networks in the region to plan conservation strategies. This approach will ensure habitat conservation of many water-dependent birds and other taxa associated with the riverine ecosystems of the Eastern Himalaya.

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“…For instance, Fossil Creek, the flagship river for dam removal, restoration, and subsequent WSR designation, is a major tributary to the Wild and Scenic Verde downstream of Horseshoe reservoir. Thus, dam removal here could enhance WSR conservation priorities by increasing connectivity for the endangered narrow‐headed garter snake (Major et al 2021). Moreover, when considering the next 50 years of conservation within the NWSRS, dams elsewhere in a HUC8 subbasin could be analyzed through the ORV/ES lens to identify potential long‐term conservation objectives at the watershed scale.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prioritizing dams for removal to advance restoration and conservation efforts in the western United States

Guetz

Joyal

Dickson

et al. 2021

Restoration Ecology

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Dams are socio‐ecological structures fundamentally serving human population growth and economic development. Yet, dams have significantly reduced landscape connectivity, altered hydrologic and geomorphic dynamics, and are a leading cause of freshwater biodiversity decline. As dams age and are no longer used for their original intended purpose, they increasingly threaten both humans and ecosystems. Consequently, dam removal is an increasingly accepted strategy to restore river systems across the United States; since the 1970s, more than 1,400 dams have been removed. As the removal trend continues, important decisions must be made regarding which dams are still ecologically and economically viable and which are optimal for removal to facilitate restoration and subsequent protection. Therefore, it is critical to prioritize dams for removal where rivers, freshwater resources, and ecosystem services will benefit most. To that end, this study uses geospatial analysis and a multi‐criteria decision framework to evaluate dams suitable for removal in the western United States in watersheds with existing conservation priorities, and to examine watershed dynamics in which they are situated. Results reveal 24 top‐ranked dams no longer performing essential ecological and social functions as optimal sites for removal to restore waterways. Of these top‐ranked dams, four are already in the planning process for removal, indicating the model is performing as intended. These results are critical for managers and policymakers to understand where dam removals could enhance overall riverine connectivity and where river restoration could result in subsequent protection of newly free‐flowing river segments in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

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Identifying gaps in protected areas to expand integrated riverine ecosystem conservation

Cited by 7 publications

References 37 publications

Socio-ecological gap analysis to forecast species range contractions for conservation

Socio-ecological gap analysis to forecast species range contractions for conservation

Ecological niche modelling of two water-dependant birds informs the conservation needs of riverine ecosystems outside protected area network in the Eastern Himalaya, India

Prioritizing dams for removal to advance restoration and conservation efforts in the western United States

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