New Research on Biodiversity and Nature

A round-up of recent work published in scientific journals

Illegal wildlife trade in Bali. Seagrass restoration. Conservation funding in South America. Polar biodiversity. Species moving out of Brazil’s protected areas. Nature’s best protectors. Invasive species — where next? Why plants work harder at weekends.

Endangered species products for sale to tourists in Bali: The authors of this study investigated legally protected species that are offered for sale in 66 shops targeting tourists in Bali, Indonesia. During December 2022–June 2023, they found items from more than 500 individuals of 20 species covered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES). These included primate skulls, carved ivory and decorated shells. Read the full paper in Environmental Conservation.

Seven bottlenecks to seed-based seagrass restoration: Seagrass restoration is an increasingly important tool for conserving biodiversity while boosting carbon storage — a nature-based solution to climate change. But better methods are needed to ensure success at the required scale. This paper presents seven bottlenecks to achieving reliable seed-based seagrass restoration, and suggests ways to fill related knowledge gaps. Read the full paper in Global Ecology and Conservation.

Where in South America does international conservation funding go? This study looked at international funding in major deforestation regions of South America between 1987 and 2013. Funding mainly went to remote areas with high species richness and carbon storage, but often overlooked areas with high threat levels, especially until 2008. After 2008, more funding went to areas with high carbon storage, but not areas with high species richness. The authors did not find evidence that Indigenous Peoples and local communities were an important factor explaining funding allocation. Read the full paper in Biological Conservation.

Scientists urge mapping of polar biodiversity: Life in the polar regions is poorly understood but known to be highly threatened by global warming. In this paper, scientists call for a major effort to map all polar biodiversity in order to understand, conserve and sustainably use it. Read the press release or the full paper in Nature Communications.

Brazil needs to expand its protected areas as climate change makes species move: Researchers found that the Brazil’s network of protected areas will need to expand to maintain protection for species whose distribution is changing in response to global warming and climate change. They say protected areas in the Amazon are most impacted, with indigenous lands particularly at risk. Read the full paper in Conservation Biology.

Who is best at protecting nature? This paper reviewed studies comparing the effectiveness of protected areas managed by states and areas managed by Indigenous peoples and/or local communities. It found that community-based areas or areas co-managed by states and communities produce positive outcomes for people and nature, despite power struggles between rural groups and states. The paper comes with several caveats and warns that findings are highly context specific. Read the full paper in the Annual Review of Environment and Resources.

Where next for invasive species of birds, mammals, and plants? Researchers have predicted the regions to which more than 800 naturalised species are most imminently likely to spread. They highlight potential spread of birds in North America, mammals in Eastern Europe and plants in North America, Eastern Europe, and Australia. Read the press release or the full paper in PLOS Biology.

Less air pollution means plants take up more carbon. This study showed that when particulate air pollution in Europe falls each weekend, as people drive less and industrial activity lessens, plants can capture more carbon from the atmosphere. The full paper is in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  

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