Bimodal pore distribution on soils under conservation management system for coffee crop

This study aims at detailing bimodal pore distribution by means of water retention curve in an oxidic-gibbsitic Latosol and in a kaolinitic cambisol Latossol under conservation management system of coffee crop. Samples were collected at depths of 20; 40; 80; 120 and 160 cm on coffee trees rows and between rows under oxidic-gibbsitic Latosol (LVd) and kaolinitic cambisol Latossol (LVAd). Water retention curve was determined at matrix potentials (Ψm) -1; -2; -4; -6; -10 kPa obtained from the suction unit; the Ψm of -33; -100; -500; -1,500 kPa were obtained by the Richards extractor, and WP4-T psychrometer was used to determine Ψm -1,500 to -300,000 kPa. The water retention data were adjusted to the double van Genuchten model by nonlinear model procedures of the R 2.12.1 software. Was estimated the model parameter and inflection point slope. The system promoted changes in soil structure and water retention for the conditions evaluated, and both showed bimodal pores distribution, which were stronger in LVd. There was a strong influence of mineralogy gibbsitic in the water retention more negative than Ψm -1500 kPa, reflected in the values of the residual water content.

The precipitous decline of the ortolan bunting Emberiza hortulana: time to build on scientific evidence to inform conservation management

In recent decades there has been a marked decline in most ortolan bunting Emberiza hortulana populations in temperate Europe, with many regional populations now extinct or on the brink of extinction. In contrast, Mediterranean and, as far as we know, eastern European popula-tions seem to have remained relatively stable. The causes of decline remain unclear but include: habitat loss and degradation, and related reduction in prey availability; climate change on the breeding grounds; altered population dynamics; illegal captures during migration; and environmental change in wintering areas. We review the current knowledge of the biology of the ortolan bunting and discuss the proposed causes of decline in relation to the different population trends in temperate and Mediterranean Europe. We suggest new avenues of research to identify the factors limiting ortolan bunting populations. The main evidence-based conservation measure that is likely to enhance habitat quality is the creation of patches of bare ground to produce sparsely vegetated foraging grounds in invertebrate-rich grassy habitats close to breeding areas.

Grazing management of calcareous grasslands and its implications for the conservation of beetle communities

Calcareous grasslands are an important habitat for floral and faunal communities in the UK and Europe. Declines due to changes in management, scrub invasion and agricultural improvement have left much of the remnants of this habitat in a degraded and fragmented state. Grazing, by cattle or sheep, is one of the main management practices used to maintain and improve the floral and faunal quality of calcareous grassland. The long-term impacts of different grazing regimes, however, are poorly understood, particularly in terms of the invertebrate communities. This study contrasted the impacts of recently introduced and long-term sheep or cattle grazing on beetle communities present on one of the largest areas of calcareous grassland in Europe, the Salisbury Plain military training Area, UK. No effects of grazing management on beetle abundance, species. richness or evenness were found, but plant diversity and overall percentage cover of grasses did influence beetle diversity. Proportions of the total number of individuals and overall species richness within beetle guilds (predatory, phytophagous, flower/seed feeders, root feeders and foliage feeders) were strongly influenced by both the duration and type of grazing animal. At the species level, beetle community structure showed significant differences between ungrazed, long-term cattle and long-term sheep grazing treatments. Changes in plant community structure were found to influence beetle community structure. The significance of these results is discussed in terms of the long-term impacts of grazing on beetle community structure, and the benefits of different grazing regimes for the conservation management of calcareous grasslands. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparative Genetic Diversity of Wild and Captive Populations of the Bare-Faced Curassow (Crax fasciolata) Based on Cross-Species Microsatellite Markers: Implications for Conservation and Management

The bare-faced curassow (Crax fasciolata) is a large Neotropical bird that suffers anthropogenic pressure across much of its range. A captive population is maintained for conservation management, although there has been no genetic screening of stocks. Based on the six microsatellite markers developed for Crax globulosa, the genetic variability of C. fasciolata and possible differences between a wild and a captive population were investigated. Only three loci were polymorphic, with a total of 27 alleles. More than half of these alleles were private to the wild (n = 8) or captive (n = 7) populations. Significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were restricted to the captive population. Despite the number of private alleles, genetic drift has probably promoted differentiation between populations. Our results indicate that wild C. fasciolata populations are genetically impoverished and structured, but species-specific microsatellite markers will be necessary for a more reliable assessment of the species` genetic diversity.

Landscape and farm scale management to enhance biodiversity conservation in the cocoa producing region of southern Bahia, Brazil

In southern Bahia, Brazil, large land areas are used for the production of cocoa (Theobroma cacao), which is predominantly grown under the shade of native trees in an agroforestry system locally known as cabruca. As a dominant forest-like landscape element of the cocoa region, the cabrucas play an important role in the conservation of the region`s biodiversity. The purpose of this review is to provide the scientific basis for an action plan to reconcile cocoa production and biodiversity conservation in southern Bahia. The available research collectively highlights the diversity of responses of different species and biological groups to both the habitat quality of the cabrucas themselves and to the general characteristics of the landscape, such as the relative extent and spatial configuration of different vegetation types within the landscape mosaic. We identify factors that influence directly or indirectly the occurrence of native species in the cabrucas and the wider landscape of the cocoa region and develop recommendations for their conservation management. We show that the current scientific knowledge already provides a good basis for a biodiversity friendly management of the cocoa region of southern Bahia, although more work is needed to refine some management recommendations, especially on shade canopy composition and density, and verify their economic viability. The implementation of our recommendations should be accompanied by appropriate biological and socioeconomic monitoring and the findings should inform a broad program of adaptive management of the cabrucas and the wider cocoa landscape.

Beyond Prejudice : conservation in the City : a case study from Switzerland

Conservation in the city is challenging because of a continued view that the urban realm is antithetical to nature. This was clearly the case when the first Swiss National Park was established at the beginning of the 20th century. New Swiss legislation brought new approaches to the establishment of natural parks, in particular by including human activities as a logical component in their development. In 2010, a Federal think tank discussed opportunities for launching a new kind of park: the Urban Natural Park. This paper reports an analysis of this discussion, together with the study of the literature dealing with conservation in the city and natural parks. It shows that a clear antagonism between city and nature still remains present, reflected in an implicit hierarchy hidden in the designation of natural parks: wild nature is nominated as the best nature; if not wild, the best nature is identified as rural; if neither wild nor rural, nature is thought not to be the concern of natural park policy. The Swiss Biodiversity Strategy implemented in 2012 is a recent recognition of the importance of urban nature for biodiversity conservation. This recognition, however, condemns urban nature to a special status, situated outside the usual framework of conservation management. I conclude by arguing that anti-urban bias must be addressed because it inhibits effective conservation strategy, prevents the identification of existing environmental qualities of cities and, eventually, has negative impacts on biological conservation outside the city because it fosters urban spreading.

A new spin on a compositionalist predictive modelling framework for conservation planning: a tropical case study in Ecuador

Knowledge about spatial biodiversity patterns is a basic criterion for reserve network design. Although herbarium collections hold large quantities of information, the data are often scattered and cannot supply complete spatial coverage. Alternatively, herbarium data can be used to fit species distribution models and their predictions can be used to provide complete spatial coverage and derive species richness maps. Here, we build on previous effort to propose an improved compositionalist framework for using species distribution models to better inform conservation management. We illustrate the approach with models fitted with six different methods and combined using an ensemble approach for 408 plant species in a tropical and megadiverse country (Ecuador). As a complementary view to the traditional richness hotspots methodology, consisting of a simple stacking of species distribution maps, the compositionalist modelling approach used here combines separate predictions for different pools of species to identify areas of alternative suitability for conservation. Our results show that the compositionalist approach better captures the established protected areas than the traditional richness hotspots strategies and allows the identification of areas in Ecuador that would optimally complement the current protection network. Further studies should aim at refining the approach with more groups and additional species information.

Community associations of chalk grassland leafhoppers (Auchenorrhyncha): conclusions for habitat conservation

Due to their confinement to specific hostplants or restricted habitat types, Auchenorrhyncha have the potential to make suitable biological indicators to measure the quality of chalk grassland under different management practices for nature conservation. The Auchenorrhyncha data from a study designed to identify the factors influencing the invertebrate diversity of chalk grasslands in southern England was used to evaluate the potential use of this group of insects as biological indicators. Between 1998 and 2002 altogether 81 chalk grassland sites were sampled. Vegetation structure and composition were recorded, and Auchenorrhyncha were sampled at each site on three occasions in each of two seasons using a ‘Vortis’ suction sampler. Auchenorrhyncha assemblages were then linked to the different grassland plant communities occurring on chalk soils according to the British National Vegetation Classification (NVC). Altogether 96 Auchenorrhyncha species were recorded during the study. Using data on the frequency and dominance of species, as is commonly done for plant communities, it was possible to identify the preferential and differential species of distinct Auchenorrhyncha assemblages. Significant differences between the Auchenorrhyncha assemblages associated with the various chalk grassland plant communities of the NVC were observed down to a level of sub-communities. We conclude that data on Auchenorrhyncha assemblages can provide valuable information for the setting of conservation management priorities, where data on floristic composition alone may not be sufficient, providing additional information on aspects of vegetation structure and condition.

Conservation ecology of bees: populations, species and communities

Recent concerns regarding the decline of plant and pollinator species, and the impact on ecosystem functioning, has focused attention on the local and global threats to bee diversity. As evidence for bee declines is now accumulating from over broad taxonomic and geographic scales, we review the role of ecology in bee conservation at the levels of species, populations and communities. Bee populations and communities are typified by considerable spatiotemporal variation; whereby autecological traits, population size and growth rate, and plant-pollinator network architecture all play a role in their vulnerability to extinction. As contemporary insect conservation management is broadly based on species- and habitat-targeted approaches, ecological data will be central to integrating management strategies into a broader, landscape scale of dynamic, interconnected habitats capable of delivering bee conservation in the context of global environmental change.

'Nature Conservation': a new dimension in Open Access publishing bridging science and application

This Editorial presents the focus, scope and policies of the inaugural issue of Nature Conservation, a new open access, peer-reviewed journal bridging natural sciences, social sciences and hands-on applications in conservation management. The journal covers all aspects of nature conservation and aims particularly at facilitating better interaction between scientists and practitioners. The journal will impose no restrictions on manuscript size or the use of colour. We will use an XML-based editorial workflow and several cutting-edge innovations in publishing and information dissemination. These include semantic mark-up of, and enhancements to published text, data, and extensive cross-linking within the journal and to external sources. We believe the journal will make an important contribution to better linking science and practice, offers rapid, peer-reviewed and flexible publication for authors and unrestricted access to content.

The effectiveness of protected areas in the conservation of species with changing geographical ranges

A cornerstone of conservation is the designation and management of protected areas (PAs): locations often under conservation management containing species of conservation concern, where some development and other detrimental influences are prevented or mitigated. However, the value of PAs for conserving biodiversity in the long term has been questioned given that species are changing their distributions in response to climatic change. There is a concern that PAs may become climatically unsuitable for those species that they were designated to protect, and may not be located appropriately to receive newly-colonizing species for which the climate is improving. In the present study, we analyze fine-scale distribution data from detailed resurveys of seven butterfly and 11 bird species in Great Britain aiming to examine any effect of PA designation in preventing extinctions and promoting colonizations. We found a positive effect of PA designation on species' persistence at trailing-edge warm range margins, although with a decreased magnitude at higher latitudes and altitudes. In addition, colonizations by range expanding species were more likely to occur on PAs even after altitude and latitude were taken into account. PAs will therefore remain an important strategy for conservation. The potential for PA management to mitigate the effects of climatic change for retracting species deserves further investigation.

Succession and management of tropical dry forests in the Americas: Review and new perspectives

Understanding tropical forest succession is critical for the development of tropical forest conservation strategies worldwide, given that tropical secondary forests can be considered the forests of the future. Tropical dry forests (TDF) are among the most threatened tropical ecosystems, there are more secondary forests and forest restoration efforts that require a better understanding of successional processes. The main goal of this synthesis for this special issue on the ecology and management of tropical dry forests in the Americas is to present a summarized review of the current knowledge of the ecology and management implications associated to TDF succession. We explore specific issues associated to tropical dry forest succession with emphasis on the use of chronosequences, plant diversity and composition, plant phenology and remote sensing, pollination, and animal-plant interactions; all under the integrating umbrella of ecosystem succession. We also emphasize the need to conduct socio-ecological research to understand changes in land-use history and its effects on succession and forest regeneration of TDF. We close this paper with some thoughts and ideas associated with the strong need for an integrating dimension not considered until today: the role of cyberinfrastructure and eco-informatics as a tool to support sound conservation, management and understanding of TDF in the Americas. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.