Species Extinction

An ultra-high-resolution analysis of major and trace element contents from the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary interval in the Caravaca section, southeast Spain, reveals a quick recovery of depositional conditions after the impact event. Enrichment/depletion profiles of redox sensitive elements indicate significant geochemical anomalies just within the boundary ejecta layer, supporting an instantaneous recovery -some 10 2 years-of pre-impact conditions in terms of oxygenation. Geochemical redox proxies point to oxygen levels comparable to those at the end of the Cretaceous shortly after impact, which is further evidenced by the contemporary macrobenthic colonization of opportunistic tracemakers. Recovery of the oxygen conditions was therefore several orders shorter than traditional proposals (10 4 -10 5 years), suggesting a probable rapid recovery of deep-sea ecosystems at bottom and in intermediate waters.

Fossil seed distributions of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) from dated sediment cores in tributaries of the upper Chesapeake Bay show prehistoric changes in species composition and abundance and reflect the response of SAV species to human disturbance since European settlement. The interval of time spanned by the cores includes several centuries prior to, and three centuries following, European settlement. Species diversity is greatest in the low-salinity northern and upper tributaries, while areas of higher salinity and extensive salt marshes are characterized by low diversity or absence of SAV. Mapped distributions of seed abundances show the migration from upstream to downstream in some tributaries of the brackish species Potamogeton perfoliatus, Zannichellia palustris, and Ruppia maritima following deforestation. The largest increase in SAV, represented by the highest abundance of fossilized seeds, occurred during the 1700s after Europeans first cleared the land for farms, and the largest and most widespread decline took place in the 1960s and 1970s after most of the watershed had been at one time or another cleared and heavily fertilized for agriculture. Distributions of SAV are highly variable both temporally and spatially, reflecting the dynamic nature of estuarine habitats. Despite high environmental variability, local and regional extinctions occurred only in the most recent decades, indicating a threshold response to land use changes and nutrient loading which had begun at least two centuries earlier and intensified in the mid-to late 19th century.

Towards the improvement of environmental sustainability and the conservation of biodiversity, organisations are increasingly aware of the importance of reporting their impacts on biodiversity and the conservation plans undertaken. Biodiversity accounting and reporting are relevant for developing organisational practices oriented towards environmental sustainability, promoting cleaner management policies with less impact on the environment. Biodiversity accounting research has attracted scholars in business management and accounting, and as a result, the literature in the field has grown in recent years. This study analyses the intellectual structure of the biodiversity accounting and management discipline through a systematic literature review, along with bibliometric techniques based on a co-word analysis of the main keywords included in 63 publications. The results reveal five thematic clusters: one motor cluster (sustainability), two transversal clusters (biodiversity reporting, corporate biodiversity management) and two isolated clusters (environmental protection, emancipatory accounting). In addition, the content of the selected papers is analysed and promising research paths are found, such as the need for more robust quantitative analyses or the development of new forms of emancipatory accounting. The study discusses the main insights from the analysis, proposes future research directions and provides practical implications for biodiversity protection and environmental sustainability.

This paper contributes to biodiversity and species extinction literature by examining the relationship between corporate accountability in terms of species protection and factors affecting such accountability from forward-thinking companies. We use triangulation of theories, namely deep ecology, legitimacy, and we introduce a new perspective to the stakeholder theory that considers species as a ‘stakeholder’. Using Poisson pseudo-maximum likelihood (PPML) regression, we examine a sample of 200 Fortune Global companies over 3 years. Our results indicate significant positive relations between ecologically conscious companies that are accountable for the protection of biodiversity and species extinction and external assurance, environmental performance, partnerships with socially responsible organizations and awards for sustainable activities. Our empirical results appear to be robust in controlling for possible endogeneities. Our findings contribute to the discussion on the concern of...

The correspondence between Judge Si Mohamed Benfettacha and his sons illustrates a depiction of a conventional family within Algerian society during the colonial period. Considering these connections, this study illuminates a clear interpretation of the resonances of Messaad as a vital component of Djelfa and Ouled Nail area at the close of the 19th century. Through the examination of the letters, it also aims to ascertain their meanings and endeavors to explore the historical context, encompassing the sequence of events, the style of the written communication, and the key individuals with their various perspectives. In this way, the reader gains a clearer insight into the opportunities and challenges encountered by the population during that transformative era in Algeria's history.

Human population growth has been identified as the primary cause of ecologically destructive phenomena. The evidence clearly shows that global human population growth proceeds as a function of the increasing food supply. Understanding and appreciating this reality is posited as a first step in successfully addressing human population growth.

Moapa dace (Moapa coriacea) is a critically endangered thermophilic minnow native to the Muddy River ecosystem in southeastern Nevada, USA. Restricted to temperatures between 26.0 and 32.0uC, these fish are constrained to the upper two km of the Muddy River and several small tributaries fed by warm springs. Habitat alterations, nonnative species invasion, and water withdrawals during the 20th century resulted in a drastic decline in the dace population and in 1979 the Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) was created to protect them. The goal of our study was to determine the potential effects of reduced surface flows that might result from groundwater pumping or water diversions on Moapa dace habitat inside the Refuge. We accomplished our goal in several steps. First, we conducted snorkel surveys to determine the locations of Moapa dace on three warm-spring tributaries of the Muddy River. Second, we conducted hydraulic simulations over a range of flows with a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model. Third, we developed a set of Moapa dace habitat models with logistic regression and a geographic information system. Fourth, we estimated Moapa dace habitat over a range of flows (plus or minus 30% of base flow). Our spatially explicit habitat models achieved classification accuracies between 85% and 91%, depending on the snorkel survey and creek. Water depth was the most significant covariate in our models, followed by substrate, Froude number, velocity, and water temperature. Hydraulic simulations showed 2-11% gains in dace habitat when flows were increased by 30%, and 8-32% losses when flows were reduced by 30%. To ensure the health and survival of Moapa dace and the Muddy River ecosystem, groundwater and surface-water withdrawals and diversions need to be carefully monitored, while fully implementing a proactive conservation strategy.

Species are entangled within communities by their interactions in such a manner that their local extinction may unchain coextinction cascades and impact community dynamics and stability. Despite increasing attention, simulation models to estimate the robustness of interaction networks largely neglect the important role of interaction rewiring, that is, the ability of species to switch partners. Here we propose a new method to incorporate the potential of species to replace lost partners into a widely used coextinction model to estimate network robustness. In this model, species are allowed to rewire their interactions after initial loss of partners according to probabilities derived from well‐known mechanisms that determine mutualistic interactions, for example, trait matching, phenological overlap and abundances. To illustrate the use of this method, we analyzed a well‐sampled dataset of mutualistic plant–hummingbird interactions. We found that (a) in general, rewiring increases th...

Different lemur species have clear geographical distribution. Others can be found in each province in Madagascar. Therefore, I propose that lemurs should be used to teach in school at different levels. In primary school: Students should learn about the different species of lemurs including subfossils occurring in each province and different habitat types (rainforest, dry forest, spiny desert, marsh) and their conservation. In secondary school: Students should learn about behavior, diet, locomotion, and social organization of the different lemurs. In high school: Students should learn about the phylogeny of lemurs and also the other non-human primates in Asia, Africa, and South America. The initiation of the concept of Anthropology should start at that level. At the university: The different aspects of primates in general and lemurs in particular listed above should be learned more deeply in the different departments within the University. A Conservation Biology Department should be created. And more importantly, students and faculty should be encouraged to write and publish scientific papers furthermore collaboration between departments must be promoted.

Invasive alien species are a major threat to native insular species. Eradicating invasive mammals from islands is a feasible and proven approach to prevent biodiversity loss. We developed a conceptual framework to identify globally important islands for invasive mammal eradications to prevent imminent extinctions of highly threatened species using biogeographic and technical factors, plus a novel approach to consider socio-political feasibility. We applied this framework using a comprehensive dataset describing the distribution of 1,184 highly threatened native vertebrate species (i.e. those listed as Critically Endangered or Endangered on the IUCN Red List) and 184 non-native mammals on 1,279 islands worldwide. Based on extinction risk, irreplaceability, severity of impact from invasive species, and technical feasibility of eradication, we identified and ranked 292 of the most important islands where eradicating invasive mammals would benefit highly threatened vertebrates. When socio-political feasibility was considered, we identified 169 of these islands where eradication planning or operation could be initiated by 2020 or 2030 and would improve the survival prospects of 9.4% of the Earth's most highly threatened terrestrial insular vertebrates (111 of 1,184 species). Of these, 107 islands were in 34 countries and territories and could have eradication projects initiated by 2020. Concentrating efforts to eradicate invasive mammals on these 107 islands would benefit 151 populations of 80 highly threatened vertebrates and make a major contribution towards achieving global conservation targets adopted by the world's nations. providing a secondary location of publicly available data.

Act have the same meaning in this Plan as they do in the Act: see Acts Interpretation Act 1901, s. 46 (1) (a). For example, the Act contains definitions of Authority, Marine Park and vessel.] 2.2 The origin of geographical coordinates used in this Plan is the Australian Geodetic Datum 1966 (AGD66). 2.3 The Preface, introductory notes, background notes and other notes do not form part of this Plan, and are provided for information only.

Vietnamese Journal of Primatology (2007) 1, 75-83 75 Diet of the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus avunculus) in the Khau Ca area, Ha Giang Province, Northeastern Vietnam Le Khac Quyet1, Nguyen Anh Duc2, Vu Anh Tai2, Barth W. Wright3 and Herbert H. Covert4 1 ...

The speciesÁarea relationship is one of the strongest empirical generalizations in geographical ecology, yet controversy persists about some important questions concerning its causality and application. Here, using more accurate measures of island surface size for five different island systems, we show that increasing the accuracy of the estimation of area has negligible impact on the fit and form of the speciesÁarea relationship, even though our analyses included some of the most topographically diverse island groups in the world. In addition, we show that the inclusion of general measurements of environmental heterogeneity (in the form of the so-called choros model), can substantially improve the descriptive power of models of island species number. We suggest that quantification of other variables, apart from area, that are also critical for the establishment of biodiversity and at the same time have high explanatory power (such as island age, distance, productivity, energy, and environmental heterogeneity), is necessary if we are to build up a more predictive science of species richness variation across island systems.

A collection of regurgitated pellets and food remains was found below an occupied roost of the Madagascar Long-eared Owl Asio madagascariensis in southeastern Madagascar. The owls are taking a wide variety of prey including insects, frogs (Boophis), geckos (Uroplatus), birds (Eurystomus, Hypsipetes), bats (large Hipposideros), rodents {Eliurus spp., Rattus), and lemurs {Microcebus). This is the first quantitative information on the food habits of this owl species.

Disease threats to endangered species are most commonly caused by exotic microparasites accidentally introduced into naïve populations by humans. The case of raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis) and the Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister) is an exception to this general rule and, as such, may be useful in the identification of other macroparasite disease threats in the future. B. procyonis is an intestinal nematode of raccoons (Procyon lotor) that is highly pathogenic in intermediate hosts. It is hypothesized to have caused or contributed to the extirpation of the Allegheny woodrat from the northern parts of its range. I tested this hypothesis by reintroducing Allegheny woodrats into four historically occupied sites with varying natural levels of environmental contamination with B. procyonis eggs. Populations were monitored via radiotelemetry and trapping for 22 months. Woodrat populations in less contaminated release sites survived significantly longer than populations in highly contaminated sites, and there was a strong negative correlation between the number of raccoon latrines and woodrat population persistence. This case demonstrates several points relevant to the conservation of small populations: trophically transmitted parasites (in which prey species serve as intermediate hosts to the parasites of their predators) can be significant sources of mortality in intermediate host populations; native parasites should not be ignored as potential disease threats; and parasites of human-adapted wild animals are likely to threaten rare and endangered species. This case also illustrates a previously unrecognized route through which host density can be decoupled from disease dynamics and provides evidence of apparent competition in nature.

The data underlying the results presented in the study are publicly available from tib.islandconservation.org. These include data on islands, threatened species and invasive species, and are searchable within a map and tabular format. Requests for information regarding data can be sent to science@islandconservation.org. As cited in our manuscript, these data have also been described in the recent publication Spatz et al. (2017), including tables of all islands and threatened species,

Over the last few decades changes in land use have caused a drastic decline in the area of extensively used calcareous grasslands in central Europe. The persistence of many vulnerable plant species now depends on relict populations. We use phytosociological records from nutrient-poor calcareous grasslands in the Swiss Jura mountains to study local extinctions of plants from 1950-1985. We tested whether the risk of local extinction is higher in small populations, higher for plants with a short life cycle than for those with a longer life cycle, higher for specialist plant species, and higher for species with a high sensitivity to nutrient availability. We considered the possibility that species could have been missing in the new records without actually having gone extinct, if new and old phytosociological records were not taken at the same position (pseudo-turnover). We found pseudo-turnover between records taken at defined misplacement distances at two sites independent of life form and habitat specificity of a species and mainly confined to species of lowest abundance. We studied records from 26 remnants in which land use was constant from 1950-1985 and for which new and old records existed from similar positions. In 1950, 1181 local populations of 185 species were recorded in these sites, yet in the new records 462 (39%) populations were no longer present. Whereas the frequency of habitat specialists per site decreased (p Ͻ 0.05), the frequency of generalists increased (p Ͻ 0.01), leaving the total number of species per site unchanged. Local extinction was more likely for small populations (p Ͻ 0.01), for species with a short life cycle (p Ͻ 0.05), and for species with high habitat specificity (p Ͻ 0.05). Local extinctions did not depend on species sensitivity to nutrient availability. When recordings of species with an abundance of 0.1% were omitted because of potential pseudo-turnover, the results remained unchanged. Fragmentation and isolation of nutrient-poor calcareous grassland in the Swiss Jura mountains has progressed to such a degree that many plants of these habitats are going locally extinct, even in intact remnants.

Introducing a new hobby for other people may inspire them to join with you. Reading, as one of mutual hobby, is considered as the very easy hobby to do. But, many people are not interested in this hobby. Why? Boring is the reason of why. However, this feel actually can deal with the book and time of you reading. Yeah, one that we will refer to break the boredom in reading is choosing beyond the boundaries as the reading material.

Fish stocking in inland fisheries involves a prey–predator interaction model so that the number of fish stocked affects optimal and sustainable yields. It is very important to make mathematical modeling to optimize inland fisheries management which is part of the blue economy. Currently, studies that focus on predator–prey mathematical modeling in inland fisheries, especially those related to insurance are lacking. The bibliometric database was taken from Google Scholar, Dimensions, Science Direct, and Scopus in the 2012–2022 research years. After further processing, it is displayed on the PRISMA diagram and visualized on VOSviewer to display the update of this research topic. As blue economy sustainability, the management of fisheries sector needs to be reviewed deeply. In this study, the assumptions of the predator–prey mathematical model are made to obtain the equilibrium point, maximum sustainable yield (MSY), and catch per unit effort (CPUE) values. These results can be used to...

Ash forests in North America and Eurasia are rapidly being lost to two invasive alien species: Emerald Ash Borer and Chalara Ash Dieback Fungus. We assert here that better regulatory policy and science-based intervention can help slowing losses. To this end, we recommend an international consortium for coordinating science-based intervention.

Stock enhancement is a management tool which alleviates problems that endanger natural resources. Endangered aquatic resources are broad issues that involve not only individual species but also the habitat and environment where they live and interact. Although measures are being undertaken to help specific cases, the universal problem of threatened aquatic species cannot be solved until humans protect their natural environments (Kurpis 2002). Species may become endangered due to overexploitation, habitat alteration and destruction, and overpopulation by alien species and other factors. Natural changes normally occur at a slow rate giving most organisms ample time to evolve and adapt to changes. However, drastic changes due to natural disasters, e.g., earthquakes or tsunamis, may halt adaptation and cause most individuals to die, or even lead to species extinction.

Biotic homogenization is the increased similarity of biotas over time caused by the replacement of native species with nonindigenous species, usually as a result of introductions by humans. Homogenization is the outcome of three interacting processes: introductions of nonnative species, extirpation of native species, and habitat alterations that facilitate these two processes. A central aspect of the homogenization process is the ability of species to overcome natural biogeographic barriers either through intentional transport by humans or through colonization routes created by human activities. Habitat homogenization through reservoir construction contributes to biotic homogenization as local riverine faunas are replaced with cosmopolitan lentic species. The homogenization process has generally increased biodiversity in most freshwater faunas, as the establishment of new species has outpaced the extinction of native species. There are important exceptions, however, where the establishment of nonindigenous species has had devastating impacts on endemic species. The homogenization process appears likely to continue, although it could be slowed through reductions in the rate of invasions and extirpations and by rehabilitating aquatic habitats so as to favor native species.

The data underlying the results presented in the study are publicly available from tib.islandconservation.org. These include data on islands, threatened species and invasive species, and are searchable within a map and tabular format. Requests for information regarding data can be sent to science@islandconservation.org. As cited in our manuscript, these data have also been described in the recent publication Spatz et al. (2017), including tables of all islands and threatened species,

Reference ecosystems used in tropical forest restoration lack the temporal dimension required to characterise a mature or intact vegetation community. Here we provide a practical 'palaeo-reference ecosystem' for the eastern Andean forests of Ecuador to complement the standard 'reference ecosystem' approach. Pollen assemblages from sedimentary archives recovered from Ecuadorian montane forests are binned into distinct time periods and characterised as 1) Ancient (pre-human arrival), 2) Pre-European (Indigenous cultivation), 3) Successional (European arrival/Indigenous depopulation), 4) Mature (diminished human population), 5) Deforested (recolonisation), and 6) Modern (industrial agriculture). A multivariate statistical approach is then used to identify the most recent period in which vegetation can be characterised as mature. Detrended correspondence analysis indicates that the pollen spectra from CE 1718-1819 (time bin 4-Mature (diminished human population)) is most similar to that of a pre-human arrival mature or intact state. The pollen spectra of this period are characterised by Melastomataceae, Fabaceae, Solanaceae and Weinmannia. The vegetation of the 1700s, therefore, provides the most recent phase of substantial mature vegetation that has undergone over a century of recovery, representing a practical palaeo-reference ecosystem. We propose incorporating palynological analyses of short cores spanning the last 500 years with botanical inventory data to achieve more realistic and long-term restoration goals.

Non-equilibrium dynamics in the form of oscillations or chaos is often found to be a natural phenomenon in complex ecological systems. In this paper, we first analyze a tri-trophic food chain, which is an extension of the Rosenzweig-MacArthur di-trophic food chain. We then explore the impact of harvesting individual trophic levels to answer the following questions : a) when a non-equilibrium dynamics persists, b) whether it can locally be stabilized to a steady state, c) when the system switches from a stable steady state to a non-equilibrium dynamics and d) whether the Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) always exists when the top predator is harvested. It is shown that searching for a general theory to unify the harvesting induced stability must take into account the number of trophic levels and the degree of species enrichment, the outcomes that cannot be obtained from the earlier reports on prey-predator models. We also identify the situation where harvesting induces instability switching: the non-equilibrium state enters into a stable steady-state and then, upon more intensive harvesting, the steady-state again loses its stability. One of the new and important results is also that the MSY may not exist for harvesting the top predator. In general, our results contribute to biological conservation theory, fishery and ecosystem biodiversity management.

Cet article apporte des informations complémentaires sur l'habitat et l'abondance actuelle de 55 espèces, notamment celles qui composent le peuplement des milieux ouverts, herbacés et buissonnants. Les données de base obtenues sur les oiseaux et leur habitat grâce à 150 points d'écoute (méthode des E.F.P., É chantillonnage Fréquentiel Progressif) ont été traitées par analyse multivariée (AFC-VI, Analyse Factorielle des Correspondances par rapport à des Vari ables Instrumentales). Les résultats permettent de définir 6 groupes d'espèces représentatifs des différentes formations végétales échantillonnées et de caractériser leur habitat dans le gradient végétal étudié, allant des pelouses nues aux landes et à la forêt de pins. Un inventaire de l'avifaune nicheuse est dressé pour les trois formations végétales dominantes du Causse Méjean : les pelouses (16 espèces), les landes (32 espèces) et les forêts de pins (3 1 espèces). La valeur patrimoniale de ces trois milieux est analysée aux regards des critères retenus par Rocamora et Yeatrnan-Berthelot (1999). Il en ressort que les pelouses, avec 14 espèces patrimoniales et les landes avec 18 espèces sont des milieux beaucoup plus riches que la forêt de pins (une seule espèce). Une comparaison de la composition actuelle et passée de l'avifaune nicheuse du Causse est conduite grâce aux publications antérieures et à des données inédites. Des phénomènes d'extinction pour 3 espèces (la Perdrix grise Perdix perdix, l'Outarde canepetière Te trax tetrax, la Pie-grièche à tête rousse Lanius senator), mais aussi d'expansion et de colonisation pour 6 autres espèces parmi lesquelles la Chouette de Tengmalrn Aegolius funereus, le Pic noir Dryocopus martius, la Tourterelle turque Streptopelia decaocto et l' É tourneau sansonnet Stumus vulgaris, sont mis en évidence et commentés. Enfin, l'avenir de l'avifaune nicheuse du Causse est discuté en relation d'une part avec les importantes plantations en Pin noir Pinus nigra de la première moitié du xxe siècle et d'autre part avec l'évolution actuelle des pratiques pastorales. Celles-ci conduisent globalement à une régression des pelouses steppiques auparavant maintenues par une pression de pâturage importante. C'est ainsi que plus de 5 600 ha de pelouses ont disparu entre 1948 et 1989 de la moitié est du Causse Méjean (Causse nu) au profit des landes et des forêts.

Madagascar today is 65% grassland. Its grassy biomes were widely interpreted as 'anthropogenic' before Bond et al. [1] challenged that view, claiming that grasses colonized Madagascar during the Miocene. Through an analysis of grass clade endemism and specialization, Vorontsova et al. [2] have marshalled compelling support for this argument. Still, many questions about Madagascar's grasslands remain, and they are critical to debates regarding why so many forest-dwelling animals disappeared after human arrival. We know that forests declined and grasslands expanded, but we do not know precisely when, why or to what extent. Did significant pre-contact expansion occur [3]? Did post-contact aridification trigger this transformation [4]? Did forests disappear as people shifted their subsistence strategy from ephemeral foraging to dedicated agro-pastoralism [5]? Did early human colonizers severely reduce Madagascar's natural grazer community through hunting, radically changing the fire ecology and ultimately destroying forests [6,7]? Normally, grasslands are maintained by natural fire and by grazers, usually large-bodied herbivores. But Madagascar's modern grazers (e.g. cattle and goats) were recently introduced. If pre-contact grasslands were extensive, we would expect to see a significant palaeo-grazer guild. The prime candidates are pygmy hippopotamuses and giant tortoises-animals that, along with giant lemurs and elephant birds, comprised Madagascar's now-extinct megafauna. According to Vorontsova et al. [2], previously published stable carbon isotope (d 13 C) data suggest that (i) Madagascar's hippopotamuses consumed a 'high proportion of C 4 plants' (i.e. grasses) [8] and (ii) its giant tortoises had diverse diets [9]. We were motivated to write this comment for three reasons. First, Crowley et al. [8] never claimed that Madagascar's hippopotamuses ate a 'high proportion of C 4 plants'. We did note that subfossil hippos, tenrecs, carnivorans and the endemic rodent Hypogeomys australis had higher d 13 C values than subfossil primates (except Hadropithecus [10]), but we never defended a high proportion of C 4 plants in the diets of any of these animals. Second, Vorontsova et al. [2] omitted important published isotope data on hippos and tortoises from Madagascar [8,11,12]. Third, we believe that the literature would benefit from greater discussion of these data. C 4 grasses (including those measured in Madagascar [11]) typically have d 13 C values between 211 and 214‰, while C 3 plants have much lower values, averaging between 226.5 and 231.5‰ for different Madagascan forests [13]. Assuming an offset of þ5‰ between herbivore bone collagen and plant diet (reviewed in [14]), pure C 4 consumers should have d 13 C values more than 29‰, those with pure C 3 diets should have d 13 C values less than 221.5‰, and those that consumed a relatively even mixture of C 3 and C 4 plants should have values of 214 to 218‰. Thus, herbivores with values between 218 and 221.5‰ likely consumed more C 3 than C 4 plants. Carbon isotope values for herbivores should approximate the relative abundance of C 4 grasses in a particular habitat provided that those herbivores are adapted to eating grasses and other C 4 plants, and that grazers are not selective in the grasses they consume. Clearly, d 13 C values for some vertebrates, such as ratites (which tend to select small fruits) and lemurs (which tend to browse on C 3 fruit

As species become rare and approach extinction, purported sightings can be controversial, especially when scarce management resources are at stake. We consider the probability that each individual sighting of a series is valid. Obtaining these probabilities requires a strict framework to ensure that they are as accurately representative as possible. We used a process, which has proven to provide accurate estimates from a group of experts, to obtain probabilities for the validation of 32 sightings of the Barbary lion. We consider the scenario where experts are simply asked whether a sighting was valid, as well as asking them to score the sighting based on distinguishablity, observer competence, and verifiability. We find that asking experts to provide scores for these three aspects resulted in each sighting being considered more individually, meaning that this new questioning method provides very different estimated probabilities that a sighting is valid, which greatly affects the ou...

Purpose: The stride of Sustainability has led to a new form of reporting called Sustainability Reporting. This form of reporting is being widely accepted and has recently surged amongst Indian corporates and researchers. This paper tries studying the evolution of Sustainability Reporting and its development In Indian context. It also attempts to identify the gaps in the available literature, for further research in this area. Design/Methodology: Using the literature published between 2011 and 2020 review is conducted in various aspects of Sustainability Reporting in India. Findings: As Sustainability Reporting became popular in India only two decades back, there are several gaps in the study in this area, leading to abundant dimensions for future research. The role of Policy makers, Regulators and Academicians in development of best practices in reporting also is highlighted. Practical implication: This study shall give a historical perspective of Sustainability Reporting in India a...

A new fossil site in a previously unexplored part of western Madagascar (the Beanka Protected Area) has yielded remains of many recently extinct vertebrates, including giant lemurs (Babakotia radofilai, Palaeopropithecus kelyus, Pachylemur sp., and Archaeolemur edwardsi), carnivores (Cryptoprocta spelea), the aardvark-like Plesiorycteropus sp., and giant ground cuckoos (Coua). Many of these represent considerable range extensions. Extant species that were extirpated from the region (e.g., Prolemur simus) are also present. Calibrated radiocarbon ages for 10 bones from extinct primates span the last three millennia. The largely undisturbed taphonomy of bone deposits supports the interpretation that many specimens fell in from a rock ledge above the entrance. Some primates and other mammals may have been prey items of avian predators, but human predation is also evident. Strontium isotope ratios (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) suggest that fossils were local to the area. Pottery sherds and bones of extinct and extant vertebrates with cut and chop marks indicate human activity in previous centuries. Scarcity of charcoal and human artifacts suggests only occasional visitation to the site by humans. The fossil assemblage from this site is unusual in that, while it contains many sloth lemurs, it lacks ratites, hippopotami, and crocodiles typical of nearly all other Holocene subfossil sites on Madagascar.

Conserving biodiversity often requires deciding which sites to prioritise for protection. Predicting the impact of habitat loss is a major challenge, however, since impacts can be distant from the perturbation in both space and time. Here we study the long-term impacts of habitat loss in a mechanistic metacommunity model. We find that site area is a poor predictor of long-term, regional-scale extinctions following localised perturbation. Knowledge of the compositional distinctness (average between-site Bray-Curtis dissimilarity) of the removed community can markedly improve the prediction of impacts on regional assemblages, even when biotic responses play out at substantial spatial or temporal distance from the initial perturbation. Fitting the model to two empirical datasets, we show that this conclusions holds in the empirically relevant parameter range. Our results robustly demonstrate that site area alone is not sufficient to gauge conservation priorities; analysis of compositional distinctness permits improved prioritisation at low cost.

The timing of the human settlement of Madagascar, one of the last large landmasses to be settled by people, remains a key topic of debate in archaeology. Despite decades of research, recent estimates for initial settlement are increasingly divergent and span ca. 9000 years: the widest colonization window for any island within the reliable range of radiocarbon (14 C) dating. 14 C dating of archaeological sites and remains of butchered animals provide important evidence of when the island was first settled, but the reliability of these dates requires critical evaluation. Applying principles of chronometric hygiene, we present the first systematic review of Madagascar's 14 C chronology to clarify the island's settlement. Our findings support human presence by at least 2000 cal BP and suggest that an Early Holocene arrival is possible. The nature of such an early presence on the island, however, remains elusive due to a lack of contextual information.

A new fossil site in a previously unexplored part of western Madagascar (the Beanka Protected Area) has yielded remains of many recently extinct vertebrates, including giant lemurs (Babakotia radofilai,Palaeopropithecus kelyus,Pachylemursp., andArchaeolemur edwardsi), carnivores (Cryptoprocta spelea), the aardvark-likePlesiorycteropussp., and giant ground cuckoos (Coua). Many of these represent considerable range extensions. Extant species that were extirpated from the region (e.g.,Prolemur simus) are also present. Calibrated radiocarbon ages for 10 bones from extinct primates span the last three millennia. The largely undisturbed taphonomy of bone deposits supports the interpretation that many specimens fell in from a rock ledge above the entrance. Some primates and other mammals may have been prey items of avian predators, but human predation is also evident. Strontium isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) suggest that fossils were local to the area. Pottery sherds and bones of extinct and e...

The government of Pakistan has launched a massive afforestation campaign to revive the depleting state of forests of the province for this purpose an ambitious project was initiated knows as the "Billion Tree Afforestation Project" or BTAP. The project aims at planning, designing, commencing and implementing "Green Growth Initiative" in the Forestry Sector

The data underlying the results presented in the study are publicly available from tib.islandconservation.org. These include data on islands, threatened species and invasive species, and are searchable within a map and tabular format. Requests for information regarding data can be sent to science@islandconservation.org. As cited in our manuscript, these data have also been described in the recent publication Spatz et al. (2017), including tables of all islands and threatened species,

Vast expanses of Neotropical rainforest have been converted to cattle pasture and crops, leaving small forest fragments scattered among farms and pastures (e.g., Montagnini and Jordan 2005). In these fragmented landscapes, persistence of many species depends on their ability to recolonize or move through habitat patches or take advantage of secondary vegetation (Gustafson and Gardner 1996, Damschen et al. 2008, Chazdon 2014). Maintaining landscape connectivity with corridors or stepping stones is an important option for conservation in the face of habitat loss (Heller and Zavaleta 2009). These networks of connected patches potentially counterbalance effects of fragmentation by broadening species distributions and rescuing genetically isolated populations (Alagador et al. 2012, McConkey et al. 2012). Landscape connectivity restored with strategic plantings may also increase the success of conservation efforts (Chazdon 2014, Tambosi et al. 2014), but little empirical work tests the idea. Most Neotropical rainforest trees and shrubs are dispersed by animals (Jordano 1995). Large-seeded trees are especially vulnerable to fragmentation because they are dispersed by large animals that are less common and are more susceptible to hunting (Markl et al. 2012). In Central American forests, toucans (Ramphastos sulfuratus and R. swainsonii) range widely while foraging for large-seeded fruits, with frequent seed-dispersal distances of 150-250 m or more (e.g., Kays et al. 2011). However, few large-seeded trees are dispersed by animals into active pastures (Martínez-Garza et al. 2009, Saavedra et al. 2015). An open question is whether toucans or other large birds can effectively and predictably disperse large seeds into experimental plantings in agricultural landscapes.

The causes of disappearance of the Neanderthals, the only human population living in Europe before the arrival of Homo sapiens, have been debated for decades by the scientific community. Different hypotheses have been advanced to explain this demise, such as cognitive, adaptive and cultural inferiority of Neanderthals. Here, we investigate the disappearance of Neanderthals by examining the extent of demographic changes needed over a period of 10,000 years (yrs) to lead to their extinction. In regard to such fossil populations, we inferred demographic parameters from present day and past hunter-gatherer populations, and from bio-anthropological rules. We used demographic modeling and simulations to identify the set of plausible demographic parameters of the Neanderthal population compatible with the observed dynamics, and to explore the circumstances under which they might have led to the disappearance of Neanderthals. A slight (<4%) but continuous decrease in the fertility rate of younger Neanderthal women could have had a significant impact on these dynamics, and could have precipitated their demise. Our results open the way to non-catastrophic events as plausible explanations for Neanderthal extinction.

Estimations of species extinction dates are rarely definitive, yet declarations of extinction or extirpation are important as they define when conservation efforts may cease. Erroneous declarations of extinctions not only destabilize conservation efforts but also corrode local community support. Mismatches in perceptions by the scientific and local communities risk undermining sensitive, but important partnerships. We examine observations relating to the decline and extinction of Barbary lions in North Africa. Whilst the extinction predates the era of the scientific conservation movement, the decline is relatively well documented in historical records. Recently unearthed accounts suggest Barbary lions survived later than previously assumed. We use probabilistic methods to estimate a more recent extinction date for the subspecies. The evidence presented for a much later persistence of lions in North Africa, including generations when sightings were nil, suggests caution when considering felid populations as extinct in the wild. The case raises the possibility that captive animals descended from the Moroccan royal collection are closer contemporaries to wild Barbary lions. Furthermore, our results highlight the vulnerability of very small lion populations and the significance of continued conservation of remnant lion populations in Central and West Africa.

Fossil seed distributions of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) from dated sediment cores in tributaries of the upper Chesapeake Bay show prehistoric changes in species composition and abundance and reflect the response of SAV species to human disturbance since European settlement. The interval of time spanned by the cores includes several centuries prior to, and three centuries following, European settlement. Species diversity is greatest in the low-salinity northern and upper tributaries, while areas of higher salinity and extensive salt marshes are characterized by low diversity or absence of SAV. Mapped distributions of seed abundances show the migration from upstream to downstream in some tributaries of the brackish species Potamogeton perfoliatus, Zannichellia palustris, and Ruppia maritima following deforestation. The largest increase in SAV, represented by the highest abundance of fossilized seeds, occurred during the 1700s after Europeans first cleared the land for farms, and the largest and most widespread decline took place in the 1960s and 1970s after most of the watershed had been at one time or another cleared and heavily fertilized for agriculture. Distributions of SAV are highly variable both temporally and spatially, reflecting the dynamic nature of estuarine habitats. Despite high environmental variability, local and regional extinctions occurred only in the most recent decades, indicating a threshold response to land use changes and nutrient loading which had begun at least two centuries earlier and intensified in the mid-to late 19th century.

1. Freshwater fishes have the distinction of being both a highly imperilled taxonomic group as well as one that has produced many invasive species with widespread ecological impacts. Faced with the difficult task of identifying those species with the greatest need for management action, ecologists have turned to using predictive suites of ecological and life-history traits to provide reasonable estimates of fish invasion and extinction risk. Whether traits associated with invasiveness are the inverse of those associated with imperillment, known as the 'two-sides-of-the-same-coin' hypothesis, remains unclear. 2. A global trait analysis (including maximum total body size, longevity, size at maturation, age at maturation, fecundity and egg size) for 6293 freshwater fishes was conducted to examine the trait correlates of species proneness to invasion or extinction. A meta-analytical procedure was deployed using univariate and multivariate trait analyses that accounted for the effects of shared phylogeny. 3. Mean trait differences (measured as Hedges' d effect size) were found between invasive and threatened species when compared with native species, thus supporting the two-sides-ofthe-same-coin hypothesis for freshwater fish. Invasive species were characterized by larger body size, greater longevity, delayed maturation and higher fecundity than threatened species. Furthermore, invasive species were found to display greater trait variability compared with threatened species, suggesting that different traits may be selected at different stages of the invasion process (from pathway entrainment to establishment) whereas more specific trait combinations may predispose species to higher extinction risk. 4. The present study demonstrated a strong trait basis to global-scale invasion risk and extinction vulnerability for freshwater fishes. Given that both time and resources are too limited for detailed species-by-species assessments, the results suggest that trait correlates provide a reasonable estimate of invasion and extinction risk that can inform more targeted and proactive conservation strategies.

Assessing population trends and their underlying factors is critical to propose efficient conservation actions. This assessment can be particularly challenging when dealing with highly mobile, shy and nocturnal animals such as flying-foxes. Here we investigated the dynamics of hunted populations of Pteropus ornatus and P. tonganus in the Northern Province of New Caledonia. First, an ethno-ecological survey involving 219 local experts identified 494 flyingfox roosts. Current status was assessed for 379 of them, among which 125 were no longer occupied, representing a loss of 33% over ca. 40 years. Second, species-specific counts conducted at 35 roosts, and a sample of animals killed by hunters, revealed that the endemic species, P. ornatus, was dominant (68.5%). Between 2010 and 2016, 30 roosts were counted annually during the pre-parturition period. Roosts size averaged 1,425 ± 2,151 individuals (N = 180 counts) and showed high among-year variations (roost-specific CV = 37-162%). If we recorded significant inter-annual variation, we did not detect a significant decline over the 7-yr period, although one roost went possibly extinct. Population size of the two species combined was estimated at 338,000−859,000 individuals distributed over ca. 400 roosts in the Northern Province. Flying-foxes are popular game species and constitute traditional food for all communities of New Caledonia. Annual bags derived from a food survey allowed us to estimate harvesting rates at 5-14%. Such a level of harvesting for species with a 'slow' demography, the occurrence of poaching and illegal trade, suggest the current species use might not be sustainable and further investigations are critically needed.