Are we getting better at knowing what actually works in conservation? Insights from fifty years of conservation evidence

Biodiversity is declining fast, and with limited funding and resources in conservation, it matters that these resources go towards actions that genuinely make a difference. So how do we know which actions deliver results, and which don’t? The answer depends on the quality of evidence behind them – which is largely contingent on the study design used. New research from Staples et al (2026) in … Continue reading Are we getting better at knowing what actually works in conservation? Insights from fifty years of conservation evidence

稳定的鸟类总数可能掩盖正在变化的保护需求

当保护管理者统计鸟类数量时,总数稳定看起来可能是一个好消息。但在多个物种共同利用的区域,总数量可能会掩盖重要变化。一些物种可能正在下降,而另一些物种正在增加,因此总体数量看起来差不多,但不同物种的保护需求已经发生了变化。 我们利用中国江苏沿海(黄海南部)六个重要迁徙停歇地连续九年的春季鸻鹬类计数数据来研究这一问题。该区域是东亚—澳大利西亚迁飞区上一个关键的能量补给区域。每年春季,大量鸻鹬类会在这里停歇、觅食,然后继续向北迁徙。 乍看之下,这个系统似乎是稳定的。六个地点的鸟类总数没有明显变化,整体分布中心和平均迁徙时间也看起来较为稳定。但当我们进一步观察单个物种时,却发现了另一种模式。数量下降的物种倾向于更加集中到北部,并且在春季更早通过;数量增加的物种则倾向于向南部扩展,并且更晚通过。 这意味着,稳定的总数可能具有误导性。它可能掩盖了这样一个事实:下降物种正在越来越依赖少数几个高质量地点。在江苏海岸,这些北部地点拥有丰富的食物资源,可能已经成为受压物种特别重要的核心区域。 我们的研究表明,长期鸟类计数不仅可以用来判断数量是增加还是下降,还可以帮助识别哪些物种正在受到更强限制、哪些地点正在成为瓶颈,以及哪些时间段最需要保护。因此,保护规划不应只依赖鸟类总数,还应考虑不同物种在空间和时间上的变化,从而在正确的地点、正确的时间采取保护行动。 This is a Plain Language Summary discussing a recently-published article in Journal of Applied Ecology. Find the full article here. Continue reading 稳定的鸟类总数可能掩盖正在变化的保护需求

Stable bird totals can hide changing conservation needs

When conservation managers count birds, a stable total can look like good news. But in places used by many species, the total number can hide important changes. Some species may be declining while others are increasing, so the overall number stays similar even though the needs of individual species are changing. We studied this problem using nine years of spring shorebird counts from six important … Continue reading Stable bird totals can hide changing conservation needs

Leaving trees behind during forest harvesting protects soil fungi and helps forests retain stored carbon

Boreal forest soils are home to diverse fungal communities that break down dead material from plants and fungi. Two key groups drive this process: ectomycorrhizal fungi, which partner with tree roots and receive carbon from trees in exchange for nutrients, and saprotrophic fungi, which break down dead material to acquire both carbon and nutrients. When forests are harvested, ectomycorrhizal fungal communities are disrupted by the … Continue reading Leaving trees behind during forest harvesting protects soil fungi and helps forests retain stored carbon

Konektivitas habitat menentukan hasil keanekaragaman hayati di hutan yang dikelola masyarakat

Kami menemukan bahwa hutan yang dikelola oleh masyarakat lokal dapat mendukung kehidupan satwa liar seperti halnya kawasan hutan lindung di sekitarnya, terutama ketika hutan-hutan tersebut tetap terhubung dengan baik di seluruh bentang alam. Temuan ini memiliki implikasi penting tentang bagaimana perhutanan sosial dapat dimasukkan ke dalam strategi konservasi di masa mendatang. Di seluruh dunia, para pemerintah semakin banyak memberikan hak kepada masyarakat lokal untuk mengelola … Continue reading Konektivitas habitat menentukan hasil keanekaragaman hayati di hutan yang dikelola masyarakat

Habitat connectivity shapes biodiversity outcomes in community forests

We found that community-managed forests can support wildlife just as well as nearby protection forests, especially when forests remain well connected across the landscape. This has important implications for how community forestry is included in future conservation strategies. Across the world, governments are increasingly giving local communities the rights to manage forests. Indonesia is rapidly expanding its community forestry programme, and aims to place 12.7 … Continue reading Habitat connectivity shapes biodiversity outcomes in community forests

混合造林透過微生物和土壤有機碳的多樣性增強了土壤功能。

植樹造林常被視為恢復退化土地和改善土壤健康的策略,但並非所有造林模式都能產生相同的生態效益。土壤不僅為植物提供必需養分,還支持微生物活動、促進有機質分層並維持養分循環。 為了探討不同造林模式如何共同影響這些土壤功能,本研究比較了中國熱帶地區的裸地、純桉樹林、混合林和老齡天然林,評估了造林活動對土壤功能的影響。研究發現,造林顯著增強了土壤功能,且混合林的表現優於純林。進一步分析表明,土壤有機分子的多樣性是連接微生物碳特徵與土壤多功能的關鍵紐帶。 植樹造林——尤其是混合造林——增加了土壤有機碳分子的種類,從而促進了有機質分解、養分釋放及微生物功能的發揮。這些結果表明,熱帶地區的生態修復不應只關注植樹數量,更應重視樹種的選擇與群落組成。 在造林實踐中優先採用混合模式並專注於恢復土壤有機碳分子的多樣性,將有助於更有效地提升森林土壤健康與生態系統功能。 This is a Plain Language Summary discussing a recently published article in Journal of Applied Ecology. Find the full article here. Continue reading 混合造林透過微生物和土壤有機碳的多樣性增強了土壤功能。

Pixelated pathologies: Camera trapping as a tool for monitoring wildlife health

In a world of emerging diseases that threaten both wildlife conservation and public health, finding innovative ways to monitor animal populations has never been more necessary. Traditional methods often involve capturing or handling animals, which is stressful, costly, and logistically challenging. But what if we could detect diseases without disturbing an animal? A promising solution for this challenge is the use of camera traps. This … Continue reading Pixelated pathologies: Camera trapping as a tool for monitoring wildlife health

Hohe Pflanzenartenvielfalt durch Einsatz hochwertiger Renaturierungsmethoden fördert Grünland-Schmetterlinge

Um den Rückgang der Artenvielfalt von Flora und Fauna umzukehren, müssen artenreiche Grünland-Ökosysteme dringend wiederhergestellt werden. Die Identifizierung erfolgreicher Strategien zur Renaturierung ist daher von großer Bedeutung, insbesondere im Hinblick auf die Umsetzung der EU-Renaturierungsverordnung auf nationaler Ebene. Tagfalter und Widderchen als sensitive Indikatoren ermöglichen dabei eine ganzheitliche Betrachtung des Renaturierungserfolgs, welche den Landschaftskontext berücksichtigen. Unsere Studie wollte herausfinden, unter welchen Bedingungen sich artenreiche Tagfalter- … Continue reading Hohe Pflanzenartenvielfalt durch Einsatz hochwertiger Renaturierungsmethoden fördert Grünland-Schmetterlinge

Recovery of grassland butterflies requires high plant diversity by implementing high-quality restoration methods

To reverse the decline in plant and animal biodiversity, it is urgent to restore species-rich grasslands. Identifying successful restoration strategies is therefore highly relevant, especially with regard to the national implementation of the EU nature restoration regulation. In this context, butterflies can be used as sensitive indicators that allow for a holistic assessment of restoration success and take the landscape context into account. Our study … Continue reading Recovery of grassland butterflies requires high plant diversity by implementing high-quality restoration methods