Global Ecology and Conservation

Winter supplementary feeding is widely adopted to support wild ungulates during forage scarcity, yet its ecological effectiveness for endangered mountain ungulates experiencing extreme weather-related mortality remains poorly understood. In the winter of 2023-2024, a mass mortality event of long-tailed gorals (Naemorhedus caudatus) in South Korea prompted the installation of emergency feeding stations in core habitats. We used camera traps to quantify feeding activity and assess how environmental and demographic factors shaped visitation. Long-tailed gorals fed primarily around midnight, deviating from their typical diurnal and crepuscular patterns. Feeding frequency increased when dried mulberry (Morus alba) leaves was available, snow covered the ground, and fawns were present. Conversely, visitation declined with warmer temperatures and rainfall. Agonistic interactions peaked during periods of feed depletion, indicating heightened competition over limited resources. Although several individuals occasionally gathered, most stations consistently supported only one or two individuals, reflecting limited reach at the population level. This study provides the first systematic assessment of endangered Long-tailed gorals behavioral and temporal responses to winter supplementary feeding, offering critical baseline data to evaluate and optimize conservation interventions for mountain ungulates.

Habitat loss and fragmentation have caused global biodiversity loss. It is important to understand the impact of past land use on biodiversity, not only in the present, but also to inform appropriate land-use strategies. Most studies on extinction debt, the concept that past land use drives present organism distribution, focus on species richness. However, when focusing on individual species, species richness is based on presence-absence data and does not reflect abundance. Therefore, extinction debt may not be clearly evident in presence-absence data. However, few studies have compared the effects of past land use on organism distribution using both abundance and presence-absence data. In this study, we compared the effects of past land use on the abundance and presence-absence of the ezo salamander Hynobius retardatus. We surveyed the aquatic areas of Ezo salamander egg sacs along a survey route in northern Japan. We measured the percentages of past and present forest areas, the physical environment, water quality, and waterbody type. The number of egg sacs was significantly associated with the percentage of past forest area, physical environment, water quality, and waterbody type. The presence or absence of egg sacs was significantly associated with the physical environment and water quality. Our results suggest that the effects of past land use on organism distribution are more evident in abundance data than in presence-absence data. Researchers and land managers may need to consider the time lag before extinction based on abundance data to assess extinction risk accurately.

Natural habitat loss due to land use change is a major driver of global biodiversity loss. Human-created seminatural environments can function as artificial habitats for many species, partially offsetting these negative impacts. However, it remains unclear how species respond to the short- and long-term changes in both natural and artificial habitats, particularly for long-distance migratory species at stopover sites. We investigated how the globally endangered habitat specialist species, Spoon-billed Sandpipers Calidris pygmaea, responded to 70 years of changes in natural wetlands, sandy beaches, and artificial wetlands across stopover habitats in the Japanese Archipelago. We compiled historical observation records of the species from multiple sources and quantified the extent of these three habitat types from 1950 to 2020. Spoon-billed Sandpiper abundance consistently declined from the 1970s to the 2010s, with a particularly sharp decrease between the 1980s and the 1990s. While more than 50% of natural wetlands and sandy beaches have also been lost since 1950, we found that sandpiper abundance was lower at sites experiencing greater cumulative natural habitat loss. By contrast, changes in artificial wetland extent were not significantly associated with abundance, despite their temporal expansion peaking in the 1970s and subsequently declining. Our findings demonstrate that historical loss of natural stopover habitats have had lasting negative effects on local sandpiper populations, and the temporary expansion of artificial wetlands failed to compensate for these effects. This underscores the critical importance of preserving the networks of natural stopover habitats to sustain migration success, particularly for habitat specialists.

O_LIStudying the reproduction process, which is a key determinant of individual and population fitness in endangered species, is challenging but urgently needed. The crested ibis (Nipponia nippon), a flagship endangered species recovering from an extreme population bottleneck, provides a valuable opportunity to examine how life-history strategies shape reproductive success and inform future conservation practices. C_LIO_LIWe monitored 176 breeding pairs of crested ibis over three consecutive breeding seasons and investigated the effects of three key life-history traits, namely breeding timing, clutch size, and nesting strategy (solitary versus colonial), on reproductive success (hatching and fledging success). C_LIO_LIOur analysis found that both hatching and fledging success declined significantly as breeding initiated later, and a positive association between clutch size and reproductive success in this species. These patterns were robust and repeatable across three years. Unlike other closely related species in this family, sibling competition is generally non-lethal, leading to large clutch sizes fledged in this endangered species. We consider this pattern to be a main reason underlying the rapid population recovery observed in the crested ibis. On the other hand, nesting strategy (colonial vs. solitary breeding) had no detectable effect on reproductive success. This pattern indicates the crested ibis can adopt different breeding strategies across habitats, highlighting its capacity to flexibly adjust breeding behavior in response to local environmental conditions. C_LIO_LIOur results provide an integrative assessment of how key life-history traits shape reproductive outcomes in a wild population of the crested ibis, serving as a foundation for evaluating its current status of population recovery and refining future conservation strategies for endangered avian species sharing similar life-history characteristics. C_LI

Despite the successful population recovery of the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) across much of Eurasia, its subspecies, the Sino-Mongolian beaver (C. f. birulai), remains critically endangered, with an estimated population of approximately 1,500 individuals confined to a small number of isolated and fragmented refugia along the China-Mongolia border. Effective conservation of this highly threatened subspecies requires a holistic perspective that integrates constraints on population dynamics, habitat associations, and future climatic vulnerability. Here, we combined systematic annual field surveys conducted between 2003 and 2023 with historical survey records from 1975 to 1989 in northern Xinjiang, China, to synthesize long-term spatiotemporal population dynamics, evaluate habitat preferences based on nine local environmental variables, and assess future climatic vulnerability using ensemble species distribution models (SDMs) under projected climate change scenarios. We detected a significant and phased population recovery, with beaver colony numbers increasing from 27 (approximately 100 individuals) in 1975 to 227 (681-908 individuals) in 2023. This recovery closely corresponded with major conservation milestones, including the establishment and upgrading of nature reserves, strengthened legislative protection, and enhanced multi-stakeholder collaboration. Habitat analyses further indicated that the Sino-Mongolian beaver preferentially occupied areas characterized by minimal anthropogenic disturbance and stable hydro-geomorphic conditions. Critically, SDM projections revealed that only 14% of the current study area presently exhibits high climatic suitability, and these highly suitable habitats are expected to disappear entirely by the 2050s. Together, our findings provide a comprehensive overview of the historical population recovery and conservation trajectory of the Sino-Mongolian beaver in China, and offer robust scientific support for developing adaptive management strategies in the face of ongoing climate change and increasing human pressures.

The Socotra Cormorant (Phalacrocorax nigrogularis) is a threatened seabird endemic to the coastal areas of the Arabian Gulf and the Arabian Sea, two regions separated by the Strait of Hormuz. Conserving threatened species requires clear delineation of population boundaries and the evaluation of genetic diversity. However, information on population structure and genetic variation, necessary for such an assessment, is lacking for the Socotra Cormorants. In this study, we assessed population structure and genetic diversity of Socotra Cormorants using two contrasting genetic markers: (1) maternally inherited mtDNA cytochrome oxidase 1 (COI) and (2) a nuclear non-coding region, {beta}-fibrinogen intron 7 (FIB7). A total of 279 individuals were sampled from four colonies in the Arabian Gulf and one colony on Hasikiyah Island in the Arabian Sea. Findings based on COI-variation suggest that the Arabian Gulf colonies represent one large population with extensive gene flow between Gulf colonies--except for the most distant pair of colonies--but isolated from Hasikiyah in the Arabian Sea. COI-variation indicated significant differentiation between the colonies inside the Gulf and the Hasikiyah colony. This is consistent with the reported distribution patterns, and may reflect phylogeographic processes of the region. The Gulf population showed substantially lower COI-diversity, with significantly lower nucleotide and haplotype diversity compared to Hasikiyah. In contrast, FIB7 results indicated extensive connectivity among colonies, with no detectable population structure or significant differences between the Gulf population and Hasikiyah. This study presents the first characterization of population structure and genetic diversity of Socotra Cormorants. The low genetic diversity coupled with relative isolation of the Gulf Socotra Cormorants raises conservation concerns regarding their long-term viability by potentially reducing fitness and eroding their evolutionary capacity to adapt to environmental change. LAY SUMMARYO_LIThe Socotra Cormorant is a threatened seabird found in the Arabian Gulf and Arabian Sea, but little was previously known about its population structure and genetic diversity. C_LIO_LIWe analyzed 279 birds from five nesting colonies (4 in the Gulf and 1 in the Arabian Sea), using two genetic markers to assess population connectivity and variation. C_LIO_LIWe found that the Socotra cormorants inside the Gulf appear to form a large, genetically isolated population with relatively low genetic diversity. C_LIO_LIThis is the first study that evaluates population structure and genetic diversity of this endangered seabird. C_LIO_LIThis is important information for the conservation of the Gulf Socotra cormorants because low genetic diversity, coupled with relative isolation, is associated with reduced fitness, and suggests that they may have a lower chance to adapt to environmental changes. C_LI

Ungulate movements in arid environments are largely driven by rain events, food resources and surface water availability. In hyper arid areas such as the Namib desert these are patchily distributed, fluctuating and overall sparse. As a result, animals living in these environments need to be highly mobile to exploit the ephemeral and spatiotemporally variable resources. In the past few decades, there has been growing recognition of the importance of wildlife habitat connectivity, and the detrimental effects of linear infrastructure on wildlife and their movements. Barriers, such as roads and fences, block or filter wildlife movements, with severe and sometimes lethal effects on wildlife especially in dry periods or resource-poor environments. In the Greater Sossusvlei Namib Landscape we assessed whether fences impacted ungulate home ranges and movements, and identified particular sections of fences or roads which were most restrictive to ungulate movements. To achieve this, the movements of 12 springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis), 13 gemsbok (Oryx gazella) and 15 Hartmanns mountain zebra (Equus zebra hartmannae) were tracked telemetrically. In general, ungulate home range sizes were smaller in the vicinity of physical barriers. Roads and fences were found to impact ungulate movements considerably in some areas: these included the C14 and C19 main roads that run from the coast to Maltahohe and from Solitaire to Maltahohe respectively, several district roads, parts of the Namib-Naukluft National Park fence, as well as farm fences. While Hartmanns mountain zebra were able to cross some fences, springbok and gemsbok were not as successful, their movements sometimes being completely restricted within farms or along fences until they found a fence gap to cross. The findings highlight which barriers are key to consider for modification to allow for wildlife movement.

In cryptic or difficult-to-detect bird species, the monitoring schemes based on generalist detection methods may introduce bias into abundance estimates and population indices. This the case of the Coturnix coturnix (Common quail), a migratory Palearctic galliform, in which the use of passive detection methods within breeding birds monitoring schemes may not be efficient owing to its complex socio-sexual system and migratory behavior. For the first time, C.coturnix detectability was simultaneously compared using standard passive, generalist multispecies survey methods from the Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme (PECBMS) and a species-specific active survey employing female call playback. Surveys were conducted at 1,077 listening points within 107 transects over four breeding seasons (2022-2025) in open farmland landscapes dominated by cereal crops in Extremadura, south-western Spain. Detection counts differed substantially between methods: active surveys increased expected counts by 72% (95% CI: 59-85%) compared to passive surveys. The increase in C.coturnix detections elicited by playback showed a non-linear, density-dependent pattern, being highest at low passive abundances per listening point (maximum at 3-4 individuals) and stabilizing at intermediate abundances. This indicates that call playback is particularly effective at detecting individuals that would otherwise remain undetected. Our findings suggest that passive, multispecies surveys may underestimate C.coturnix abundance, especially in low-density populations. Integrating species-specific active methods into monitoring programs can improve detectability, generate more reliable population indices, and support evidence-based conservation and management strategies for this elusive species. LAY SUMMARYO_LIBird monitoring schemes guide conservation decisions across Europe, but generalist schemes based on passive methods may miss species that are hard to detect such as C.coturnix Common quail, a migratory farmland bird that hides in dense crops. In practice, only males spontaneously calling can be detected, hence passive methods could lead to underestimates of its abundance and even false absences in low-density areas. C_LIO_LIWe compared standard passive surveys with surveys that added a recorded female call (playback) to stimulate male responses. Across 1,077 listening points monitored over four breeding seasons in southwestern Spain, playback increased the number of birds detected by 72% compared with passive methods alone. C_LIO_LIThe improvement was strongest where C.coturnix numbers were low, showing that many individuals remain undetected without playback. Incorporating simple, species-specific methods into monitoring programs can produce more reliable population estimates and strengthen conservation and management decisions for this elusive species. C_LI

West African savannahs provide habitats to diverse species assemblages, yet remain understudied compared to their East and Southern African counterparts. The Niokolo-Koba National Park in southeastern Senegal constitutes one of the largest remaining protected areas in West Africa and supports a mosaic of savannah and forest habitats with a diverse assemblage of medium- and large-sized mammals. Here, we analysed camera-trap data originally collected to monitor predator presence in the northwestern sector of the National Park. We deployed 37 cameras across 37 km{superscript 2} from February 2022 to March 2023, resulting in 13,161 camera-trap-days. We assessed alpha diversity indices and spatiotemporal activity patterns of large and medium-sized mammals across habitat types. Evenness values - the degree to which species abundances are distributed uniformly within a community - were higher in the savannah than in forest habitats, although overall species richness was comparable. In contrast, animal sighting rates were higher in forests than in savannahs. Estimated diel activity mostly corresponded with established species-specific behavioural patterns. Our analyses revealed differential use of certain habitat types across the day, likely driven by spatially segregated sleeping sites and foraging locations. Our results provide a reference for future studies and monitoring efforts and highlight the value of the forest-savannah mosaic for the local species assemblage within the larger ecosystem of Niokolo-Koba National Park.

The rising demand for outdoor recreation worldwide may be undermining the conservation objectives of protected areas (PAs). We leveraged a natural experiment, in which two adjacent PAs were closed to the public for different durations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using detections from 39 camera traps in Joffre Lakes and Garibaldi Parks, Canada, from 2020-2022, we examined how recreation influenced mammal habitat use and diversity. Bayesian regression showed weak evidence that, when recreation was higher, detections declined for black bear, mule deer, and marten, while detections of bobcat and hoary marmot shifted closer to trails. Accumulation curves revealed that species richness and diversity were higher in the closed vs. open PA in 2020 (mean differences of -5.04 for richness and -0.33 for Shannon diversity). However, diversity did not decline consistently despite increases in recreation in 2021 and 2022. Notably, several rare species were only detected in the lower-recreation PA, suggesting they may be filtered out of the higher-recreation PA. This emphasizes the need for long-term monitoring to detect delayed and cumulative effects of recreation on mammal communities. Given growing global pressures on biodiversity, we urge PA managers to prioritize adaptive management to assess and balance outdoor recreation with conservation goals.

Vessel-whale collisions are a growing global concern and remain challenging to quantify. Therefore, the use of proxies, such as Close Encounters (CEs) that comprise Surprise Encounters (SEs) and Near-Miss Events (NMEs), has been proposed and widely employed to assess collision risk. To better understand this risk in the Eastern North Atlantic, where maritime traffic is intensive, this study aimed to redefine and quantify CEs, and to assess detectability-related variables that may affect CE identification. CEs were assessed using a cetacean occurrence dataset collected between 2012 and 2024 on board cargo ships and oceanographic vessels. CEs thresholds were redefined based on Time to Potential Collision (TPC), rather than distance alone (as described in literature), to allow a more dynamic, risk-based, and speed-sensitive approach. In total, 1226 sightings of whales (baleen, sperm, and beaked whales) were recorded, of which 37.4% were classified as SEs and 2.0% as NMEs. The sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus, was the species most frequently involved in CEs (13.9% of all CEs), followed by the Cuviers beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris (11.8%). A Generalized Additive Model was used to assess the influence of detectability-related variables (i.e., meteorological conditions, whale taxa, vessel characteristics, and Marine Mammals Observers (MMOs) experience) on TPC. Significantly lower TPC values were observed with beaked whales, cargo ships, poor visibility conditions, and less experienced MMOs. The results of this study provide an CEs assessment in this region and contribute to the ongoing efforts to standardize CE quantification, by using TPC as a metric. This work also highlights the importance of decreased speeds and the presence of experienced MMOs on board to increase detection probability and TPC, thereby potentially minimizing collision risk.

The north coast of mainland Portugal supports a strong dolphin presence and extensive fishing activity, increasing the likelihood of interactions, such as bycatch. This study provides an initial assessment of potential conflict areas, using automatic identification system (AIS) data from Global Fishing Watch. To this end, sighting data from the ATLANTIDA project (2021-2024) on the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) were used to describe spatiotemporal patterns of occurrence and encounter rates, and to predict their association with fishing effort to identify and map areas of potential overlap. A generalised additive model (GAM) was then applied, integrating environmental, spatial, temporal, and fisheries-related variables to identify the main predictors of species occurrence. Common dolphins were frequently observed during the summer, with an average encounter rate of 3.662 sightings/km. This high encounter rate may be associated with factors such as sea surface temperature, diet, and purse seine fishing activity. The maps showed a spatial overlap between fishing grounds and areas of common dolphin occurrence. Fishing effort was nearly identical between locations with sightings (2.00 h/km{superscript 2}) and those without (1.62 h/km{superscript 2}), suggesting that dolphins are not actively avoiding fishing areas but may instead frequent them due to shared habitat preferences. The best-fitted GAM indicated that encounters were related to year, latitude, fishing effort, depth, sea surface temperature, and season. There was an increase in occurrence over the years and a decrease with increasing fishing effort and sea surface temperature, possibly linked to changes in prey availability, although broad confidence intervals warrant cautious interpretation. Despite some limitations encountered in this study, we believe our findings provide valuable insights into the relationship between dolphin occurrence, environmental conditions, and fishing activities in the area, establishing an important baseline for future conservation and fisheries management efforts.

Abstract summaryThis report presents a preliminary bryoflora for Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM) in southern Utah. The inventory included over 1000 collections made across 40 localities (i.e. macrohabitat types) spanning two ecologically important gradients in bryophyte habitat: shade and moisture availability. At present, the growing checklist contains 117 taxa of liverworts and mosses including 27 families, 65 genera, 116 species, 9 varieties, and 1 subspecies. Noteworthy records include 49 putative taxa new for the state of Utah, and 2 undescribed species in the genera Grimmia and Schistidium. We propose 4 of these species be considered for addition to the recently revised bryoflora of North America. As expected for arid and semiarid environments, the bryophytes of GSENM are predominantly acrocarpous mosses (75%) followed by pleurocarpous mosses (16%), thalloid liverworts (7%), and leafy liverworts (2%). The most diverse families included xeric-soil acrocarpous mosses in the Pottiaceae (35%) and xeric-rock acrocarpous mosses in the Grimmiaceae (15%). Both xeric and mesic species were recovered in the Bryaceae (10% of species) while the pleurocarpous Amblystegiaceae included mesic and hydric species (7%). Most species in the bryoflora have broad global or disjunct distributions, but notably, the known distribution of 17 species appears limited in the United States, or globally, and warrant monitoring in GSENM. Using floristic habitat sampling across 19 macrohabitat types (combinations of 6 topography and 7 vegetation classes), mean site richness was 17.2 {+/-} 9 (SD) and ranged from 4 to 34 species. Six diversity hotspots supported [≥]30 species and were canyons with perennial or ephemeral streams dominated by mixed conifer, hardwood-riparian, riparian, or pinyon-juniper vegetation. High richness is likely supported by greater habitat diversity including xeric, mesic, and hydric conditions on variable substrates (e.g. rock, soil, biocrust, downed wood, seeps, and riparian aquatic/semi-aquatic habitat). Consequently, managing and monitoring diversity under future climate change and land-use alterations will necessitate a habitat-stratified approach that utilizes repeated floristic habitat sampling to document changes in site-level richness and to predict other candidate diversity hotspots on the basis of microhabitat-level diversity, which could be assessed by trained non-bryologists. Collection data are available to the public as georeferenced and photographed observations of half of the bryophyte collections on our iNaturalist.com project, Bryophytes of Grand Staircase Escalante, available for scientific, educational, or outreach activities. Observations are accessible to visitors (via the smartphone app) who wish to know what species have been found along popular trails in GSENM. Landscape-level richness may not reach that of the neighboring Grand Canyon National Park (>155 species), which supports a unique high-elevation bryophyte community sheltered in the mixed conifer and spruce-fir forests of the North Rims Kaibab Plateau. Future collecting by experts will inevitably uncover more species in this ecologically diverse monument important to conserving dryland bryophyte diversity and ecosystem function. This study will serve as a baseline for future research and long-term monitoring related to climate change impacts on dryland bryophytes including biocrust species. O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=158 HEIGHT=200 SRC="FIGDIR/small/708354v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (106K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@c50925org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1db65c3org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@f60909org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@cb5244_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG Cover photos (by T. A. Clark): View of sandstone canyon wall along the Escalante River Trail taken during a July collection trip in 2015 (top) during which riparian bryophytes were collected by authro, T. A. Clark, (shown in photo) at a sandstone seep (bottom). Bureau of Land Managements National Landscape Conservation System Grant Cooperative Agreement #L14AC00275 issued to P.I. Lloyd R. Stark, UNLV O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=151 SRC="FIGDIR/small/708354v1_ufig2.gif" ALT="Figure 2"> View larger version (88K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@86109eorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1ad0efborg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@b2c239org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1ed4a4a_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG Copyright 2020 by the authorsAll content contained herein is the property of the authors and all images the property of Theresa A. Clark and should not be used without permission except for education, in which case inclusion of the author/photographers name in citation or superimposed over any image(s) is requested.

IntroductionHuman land-use intensification and the resulting habitat loss are primary drivers of insect pollinator declines. Habitat restoration offers a promising approach to counteract these declines, yet landscape-level evaluations of bee responses to restoration and management remain limited. We conducted a two-year, landscape-scale study in Wisconsin, USA, to assess how different intensities of tallgrass prairie restoration and management affect bumble bees (Bombus spp.). ObjectivesThis study aimed to determine whether (1) bumble bee abundance and diversity increase with assisted restoration, and (2) outcomes differ between low-(seeded only) and moderate-intensity (seeded and managed with prescribed fire) interventions. MethodsUsing catch-and-release surveys, we measured bumble bee abundance and diversity at 32 sites representing a gradient in restoration intervention: no intervention (unassisted recovery), low intervention, and moderate intervention. ResultsBumble bee abundance and diversity were higher at assisted restoration sites (low and moderate intervention) than at unassisted sites. Although both tended to be greater at moderate than low intervention intensities, these differences were not statistically significant. Bumble bee community composition also differed across intervention intensity, driven by shifts in dominant species (e.g., B. impatiens and B. griseocollis). Rarer taxa, including endangered and vulnerable species, occurred only at assisted restoration sites, with the largest populations at moderate intervention sites. Across all sites, bumble bee responses were strongly and positively associated with floral abundance, but not with semi-natural habitat in the surrounding landscape. ConclusionOur findings demonstrate that assisted grassland restoration can effectively increase bumble bee abundance and diversity, supporting its value as a conservation practice for pollinators. Implications for Practice: (1) Grassland restorations targeting plant communities can successfully support nontarget pollinators across a range of management intensities and landscape contexts. Adding seeds of pollinator-preferred plants could improve restorations with low floral abundance and diversity. (2) Management of existing restorations is important to maintain abundant floral resources and diverse pollinator communities. Because sites varied widely in prescribed fire use, our findings likely represent a conservative estimate of its benefits, and higher intervention intensity (e.g., repeated seeding, regular fire, mechanical or chemical shrub and invasive plants control) may further enhance outcomes for bumble bees.

Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is increasingly applied in biodiversity research, yet its reliability as a proxy for biodiversity remains insufficiently evaluated. In particular, the spatiotemporal autocorrelation inherent in acoustic indices of PAM is rarely quantified, despite its importance for the standardized application of acoustic monitoring. We conducted an integrated study to investigate these issues using a complete grid-based monitoring system covering the entire region (100 grids of 1 km x 1 km) in southern subtropical climatic zones. Acoustic data from 58 valid sites were combined with camera-trapping and vegetation surveys to evaluate six commonly used acoustic indices in PAM. We found that these indices were more strongly associated with relative abundance and community diversity metrics of bird and mammal than with species richness. Spatially, autocorrelation ranges of some acoustic indices extended to approximately 4 km (i.e., the Bioacoustic Index (BIO) and Normalized difference soundscape index (NDSI)). Temporally, all indices exhibited significant autocorrelation over 2-5 days, exceeding the typical short-term turnover of bird and mammal activity (1-2 days). Our results indicate that acoustic indices are not direct proxies for species richness but provide complementary information on soundscape dynamics. By explicitly quantifying spatiotemporal autocorrelation, this study offers practical guidance for sampling design and statistical analysis in passive acoustic monitoring, supporting more reliable and efficient biodiversity assessment.

Red Knots (Calidris canutus rufa) rely on Atlantic horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) eggs in the Delaware Bay to refuel during northward migration. Intensive harvest of horseshoe crabs in the 1990s contributed to declines in Red Knot numbers. In 2013, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission adopted an Adaptive Resource Management (ARM) framework to balance sustainable horseshoe crab harvest with ecosystem integrity and Red Knot recovery, requiring annual stopover population estimates. We estimated the 2025 passage population of Red Knots at Delaware Bay using a Bayesian analysis of a Jolly-Seber mark-resight model which accounts for population turnover and imperfect detection. We also evaluated change in migration timing between 2011 and 2025 with model-derived estimates of arrival at the Delaware Bay each year. The 2025 passage population was 54,043 individuals (95% credible interval: 47,926-61,928), an increase of approximately 17% over 2024 and only the second year since 2011 to exceed 50,000 individuals. Despite the increase, overlapping credible intervals across years indicate a stable stopover population. Migration timing has remained consistent, with 50% of the population typically arriving by 18 May and no evidence of advancement since 2011. These findings provide meaningful input for the ARM framework, supporting sustainable harvest of horseshoe crabs while maintaining adequate foraging opportunities for Red Knots and other shorebirds. Parts of the Introduction, Methods, and Appendices were originally published in Lyons (2024) and are summarized herein.

Quantitative information on the seasonal dynamics of heterobranch sea slug assemblages remains limited in warm-temperate coastal regions, despite their ecological importance as benthic consumers and indicators of environmental change. Here, we conducted a standardized, multi-seasonal SCUBA-based survey of sea slug assemblages at two rocky reef sites (Tatsunokuchi and Nomozaki-Akase) along the northwestern coast of Kyushu, Japan, from February 2024 to November 2025. Across the study period, a total of 81 species comprising 892 individuals were recorded. Species richness and total abundance exhibited pronounced seasonal variation at both sites, with higher values in winter-spring and marked declines during summer. Assemblage composition shifted seasonally from relatively even communities in winter-spring to dominance by a few taxa in summer, a pattern reflected by concurrent changes in diversity indices. Water temperature displayed clear seasonal cycles and was negatively correlated with both species richness and total abundance, indicating a close association between thermal conditions and seasonal changes in sea slug assemblages. While causal mechanisms were not explicitly tested, these consistent patterns highlight the importance of temporal environmental variability in structuring heterobranch communities in this region. This study provides one of the few quantitative, multi-seasonal baselines of heterobranch sea slug assemblages in warm-temperate coastal Japan, offering a reference framework for future ecological monitoring and assessments of environmental change.

Understanding behavioral differences between non-native and closely related endangered species could be important to aid conservation management. In volume 169 of Zoology, Bels et al. (2025) reported on their comparison of display-action-patterns (DAP) between native Iguana delicatissima and non-native iguanas present on islands of the Guadeloupe Archipelago in the Caribbean Lesser Antilles. Here, we address conceptual and methodological concerns about their work and reanalyze their data given our proposed corrections, primarily a literature-informed adjustment of their "species" category. We additionally utilize online videos from South American mainland I. iguana populations, from where the non-native iguanas in the Guadeloupe Archipelago originate, to better understand the different DAPs between native and non-native iguanas in the Guadeloupe Archipelago. Significant differences in DAP characteristics among "species" categories (native I. delicatissima, non-native iguanas, and hybrids) show that Bels et al. (2025) oversimplified their data analyses by merging all non-native populations into one group. This result indicates the presence of behavioral variation among subpopulations within widely hybridizing iguanid populations, which has been poorly studied. Additionally, videos from mainland populations across two major mitochondrial clades of Iguana iguana show that non-native iguanas on Guadeloupe retained DAP characteristics of those populations from which they originate. We discuss these findings in light of the proposed hypotheses put forward by Bels et al. (2025), of which two can be excluded. Overall, our reanalysis shows that studies focusing on characteristics within settings of complex hybridization in diverse species should acknowledge this complexity.

BackgroundHuman-Wildlife Conflict is emerging as one of the most critical conservation and socio-economic challenges in the Ecuadorian Andes, where both rural livelihoods and native fauna are under increasing pressure. Small-scale livestock producers in the region depend almost entirely on a limited number of cattle, meaning that the loss of even a single animal can lead to severe economic hardship. In response, antagonistic actions against wildlife are frequent, further threatening vulnerable species. At the same time, the recent proliferation of feral dogs adds a new dimension to conflict, posing risks to both livestock and native fauna. Despite the growing severity of this conflict, little is known of its drivers, spatial patterns, and socio-ecological consequences. This study seeks to fill that gap by generating insights to inform targeted conservation strategies for community-based mitigation of conflict with spectacled bears and feral dogs. MethodsTo assess the drivers and dynamics of HWC in southern Ecuador, we conducted structured interviews with livestock owners, quantifying the frequency and intensity of conflicts across multiple species and evaluating whether farm composition and management practices predict conflict patterns. ResultsOur results reveal that large carnivores cause significantly higher economic losses than smaller predators; furthermore, feral dogs have emerged as the primary source of financial damage over the past five years. Farms with a greater proportion of forest edge were associated with a higher probability of severe conflict, particularly with large carnivores. ConclusionsThese findings underscore the urgent need for proactive strategies to promote coexistence. Identifying predictive variables of conflict risk is crucial for vulnerability assessments and the design of effective mitigation policies. Controlling feral dog populations is likely to be a critical step in safeguarding both rural human livelihoods and native biodiversity in the Andean landscape.

Attributes of fire regimes are known to drive habitat suitability for many species in fire-prone environments. Comparatively little is known about how abiotic conditions (e.g. rainfall events, cumulative rainfall, drought) at the time of fire may affect long-term (>2-years) post-fire occurrence. We sought to a) establish whether the post-fire development of heathland habitat for the endangered mallee emu-wren is influenced by rainfall within 12-months before or after the most-recent fire, b) identify the preferred fire-age of heathland vegetation for the mallee emu-wren, and c) map those habitats most likely to support the species across a large reserve ([~]271,000 ha), Ngarkat Conservation Park, from which it has been extirpated. Using historical presence records, collected prior to the extirpation of mallee emu-wrens from the study area, we implemented a random-forest modelling approach to predict relative likelihood of occurrence (considered a proxy for probability of suitable habitat). Rainfall in the 12-months before and after fire had a positive effect on relative likelihood of mallee emu-wren occurrence. The development of high-quality mallee emu-wren habitat required at least 420 mm of rainfall in the 12-months prior to the most recent fire. Only 35% of Ngarkat received rainfall above this threshold prior to the most recent fire. Rainfall in the 12-months after fire positively influenced relative likelihood of mallee emu-wren occurrence, though the effect was less pronounced than pre-fire rainfall. Relative likelihood of mallee emu-wren occurrence peaked 15 years after fire, with an [~]10-year peak time window of relative occurrence (10-20-years). This study highlights that abiotic conditions at the time of fire, particularly rainfall in the 12-months preceding fire, have long-lasting impacts on relative probability of occurrence for this fire-sensitive species. Targeting fire management in ways that maximise post-fire occurrence of the mallee emu-wren - particularly by burning senesced habitat following periods of elevated rainfall - has potential to enhance conservation outcomes. Given the substantial and long-term impact of rainfall around the time of a fire identified in this study, short-term climatic conditions deserve greater attention in a range of ecosystems where managers aim to use fire to manipulate habitat for the benefit of fire-sensitive species.