New Research on Biodiversity and Nature
A round-up of recent work published in scientific journals
Burnt-out mammals. Invasive megafish. Tiger research. Pollinators with backbones. Conservation is working. And much more…
The fate of mammals after mega-fires in Brazil’s Pantanal: Huge fires burned 43 percent of Brazil’s Pantanal wetland region in 2020, killing many wild animals. This study assessed changes in the distribution of eight mammal species using data collected by camera traps before and since the fires. Habitat use by six of the eight species declined since the fires. This was particularly clear in the case of the giant anteater. Only the jaguar increased its use of the study area. The researchers attribute this to animals moving into the burnt area. Read the full paper in Global Change Biology.
See also this new study on the impact of recent fires in Australia on hundreds of vertebrate species
Trends and gaps in research on Bengal tigers: This is a review of nearly 500 academic papers published on Bengal tigers between 2010 and 2022. A couple of findings caught my eye… The authors found only a limited amount of transboundary research, and that relatively little tiger research is conducted in the forests beyond protected areas. They also call for more research on poaching, and social, cultural and economist issues relating to tigers. Read the full paper in Biodiversity and Conservation.
The downside of introducing big fish to lakes and rivers: Freshwater megafish include chunky species such as sturgeons, carps and catfishes. Thanks to their size and economic value they been often introduced into areas beyond their native range. This paper reviewed those introductions and their environment impacts. It shows that 62 of the 134 freshwater megafish species have been introduced elsewhere. Of those, 69 percent have established self-sustaining populations. The common problems these fish cause relate to them eating other animals or vegetation, or competing with native species. Most (58 percent) of the megafish whose impacts have been adequately assessed have been shown to cause populations of native species to decline or disappear. Read the full paper in Global Change Biology.
Diversity and extinction risk of vertebrate pollinators in India: Most research on pollinators focuses on insect. This paper looks instead at birds and mammals that pollinate plants. Its authors say it is the most comprehensive study to look at the diversity and extinction risk of these animals in India. The authors note that will only mammal pollinators are classified as threatened, there are several hotspots of populations declines among pollinating birds. They call for greater protection of both groups of pollinators. Read the full paper in Biodiversity and Conservation.
Strong evidence that conservation works: The largest study of its kind has provided strong evidence that protected areas, invasive species control, habitat restoration and other activities slow or reverse the loss of biodiversity. Researchers reviewed 185 studies from around the world that looked at the effectiveness of such actions and compared them to outcomes where no conservation action took place. They found a net-positive effect in two thirds of cases. The authors of the study say their findings show the importance of scaling up conservation actions and ensuring that sufficient funding is available for this. Read the full paper in Science or read a commentary by Joseph Bull and Jake Bicknell, two of the authors.
See also, new papers on:
Measuring marine protected area effectiveness in the Philippines
Women and urban wildmeat trafficking in the Republic of Congo
The diverse emotional states that videos of wolves elicit explain attitude to these animals
Challenges to forest and landscape restoration in Bangladesh
Physical activity in nature in England prevents nearly 13,000 cases on non-communicable disease and saves £100 million in treatment costs (see also the press release).
How and where 28 years of EU funding has affecting carnivore conservation
Habitat change or climate change? Why are deer causing problems for caribou? (see also the press release)
In case you missed it…
Earlier this week, I published Nature Beat #26— full of news, resources, jobs, great stories, and more.
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