tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/conservation-72/articlesConservation – The Conversation2024-03-22T10:49:08Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2259032024-03-22T10:49:08Z2024-03-22T10:49:08ZAustralia must lead the world on nature restoration through ambitious interpretation of international law<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583313/original/file-20240321-16-pgufis.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=24%2C0%2C5396%2C3616&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/restoration-sign-wetlands-alviso-marsh-don-622076825">Sundry Photography, Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australia has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to halt and reverse biodiversity loss through ambitious law and policy reform.</p>
<p>The federal government is currently rewriting our <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/epbc/epbc-act-reform">national environmental laws</a> and updating the overarching <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/biodiversity/conservation/strategy">Strategy for Nature</a>. The updated strategy will include, among other things, goals for the restoration of degraded areas. </p>
<p>Part of the impetus for this reform is the <a href="https://www.cbd.int/doc/decisions/cop-15/cop-15-dec-04-en.pdf">Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework</a>. This 2022 United Nations treaty was signed by almost 200 countries committing to address the biodiversity crisis. It includes a pledge to achieve 30% of degraded land, water, coastal and marine ecosystems “under effective restoration” by 2030. </p>
<p>But as we argue in our <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-024-02389-6">new correspondence</a> in Nature Ecology and Evolution, this restoration target is wide open to interpretation at the domestic level. Some responses could be very ambitious, while others would barely shift us from the status quo. Australia has an opportunity to lead here. We can show the world how to restore land and water for the benefit of all. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">The United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) ended in Montreal, Canada, on December 19, 2022 with a landmark agreement to guide global action on nature through to 2030.</span></figcaption>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/5-things-we-need-to-see-in-australias-new-nature-laws-217271">5 things we need to see in Australia's new nature laws</a>
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<h2>Interpreting the 30% restoration target</h2>
<p>The global framework contains 23 targets, to be “initiated immediately and completed by 2030”. </p>
<p>The restoration target obliges countries to: </p>
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<p>Ensure that by 2030 at least 30% of areas of degraded terrestrial, inland water, and marine and coastal ecosystems are under effective restoration, in order to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, ecological integrity and connectivity. </p>
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<p>At first glance, this 30% restoration target sounds like a huge and important step towards reversing biodiversity loss. But the devil is in the detail, and almost every word of this target is open to interpretation. </p>
<p>For example, the term “degraded” can be interpreted in various ways. A country may interpret it to include only areas that have seen a drastic decline in biodiversity, such as those that have been totally cleared. </p>
<p>But if a country interprets it more broadly as areas that have experienced any decline in biodiversity, this translates to a much larger area for restoration.</p>
<p>The wording also refers to 30% of areas of “degraded terrestrial, inland water, and marine and coastal ecosystems”. Crucially, it does not say effort must be spread evenly across these different ecosystems. This may lead countries to focus on areas where restoration is easier or cheaper. Given the <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/csp2.13050">complexities involved in marine and coastal restoration</a>, there is a risk countries may focus their efforts on land while continuing to neglect freshwater, marine or coastal ecosystems.</p>
<p>The phrase “under effective restoration” also has a range of possible meanings. Does “effective” simply mean in a better state than it was before restoration began? Or does it mean bringing the ecosystem back to an approximation of its natural state – prior to interference from development or other harm? </p>
<p>How the term “effective” restoration is defined at a national scale will drastically influence reports of “success” and make it difficult to compare results between countries. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">The United Nations is honouring the planet’s most ambitious, successful, and inspiring examples of large-scale ecosystem restoration.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>Scaling up</h2>
<p>Australia has signed the framework and is currently considering how to implement it domestically. If Australia does decide to interpret the restoration target broadly and commit to restoring larger areas of land and water through more ambitious standards, there will be other issues to contend with. </p>
<p>For example, one study identified a lack of funding and complex legal requirements as <a href="https://www.nespmarinecoastal.edu.au/project/1-6/">barriers to upscaling restoration</a> in marine and coastal areas. In particular, having to apply for numerous government permits for restoration can <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/csp2.13050">slow progress</a> and lead people to scale back their plans.</p>
<p>To meet the 30% target, the government will need to reconsider how to fund restoration and streamline legal processes. Remember, much of the heavy lifting is currently done by <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-new-major-players-in-conservation-ngos-thrive-while-national-parks-struggle-199880">non-government organisations</a> such as The Nature Conservancy, Australian Wildlife Conservancy, Bush Heritage Australia and Trust for Nature.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-new-major-players-in-conservation-ngos-thrive-while-national-parks-struggle-199880">The new major players in conservation? NGOs thrive while national parks struggle</a>
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<h2>Leading by example</h2>
<p>Ultimately, we argue countries should have discretion over how and where to implement restoration based on their individual circumstances. But we also think the global framework could be supplemented by standardised terminology and metrics to allow genuine comparison of countries’ progress towards the global targets. </p>
<p>Closer to home, our analysis has some important lessons for Australia as the federal government contemplates the fate of our national environmental laws and biodiversity strategy. Australia’s <a href="https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/">most recent State of the Environment Report</a> painted a bleak picture of biodiversity decline, highlighting an urgent need to upscale restoration of our land and water.</p>
<p>Australia has an opportunity to take a leading role in this area and reverse our legacy of biodiversity loss. Interpreting the 30% restoration target broadly and ambitiously would set us on a path towards achieving meaningful outcomes for biodiversity and make Australia a world leader in restoration. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/weve-committed-to-protect-30-of-australias-land-by-2030-heres-how-we-could-actually-do-it-217795">We've committed to protect 30% of Australia's land by 2030. Here's how we could actually do it</a>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Justine Bell-James receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the National Environmental Science Program. She is a Director of the National Environmental Law Association.</span></em></p>Australia committed to restore 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030 when we signed the global biodiversity framework. But what does that really mean? It’s open to interpretation. So let’s be ambitious.Justine Bell-James, Associate Professor, TC Beirne School of Law, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2252772024-03-19T19:42:37Z2024-03-19T19:42:37ZEven far from the ocean, Australia’s drylands are riddled with salty groundwater. What can land managers do?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580832/original/file-20240310-25-gs1bb2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=11%2C11%2C7464%2C4023&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Nik Callow</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In the 1890s, railway engineers noticed river water used by steam locomotives <a href="https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/managing-dryland-salinity/history-salinity-western-australia-%E2%80%93-salty-bunch-dates">started to become salty</a> when surrounding land was cleared for agriculture.</p>
<p>Over the next decades, the problem worsened. In 1917, a Royal Commission in Western Australia <a href="http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/intranet/libpages.nsf/WebFiles/RC+1917/$FILE/0002006.pdf">dismissed the threat</a> from salt and instead promoted more clearing of land. </p>
<p>Ignoring the problem didn’t solve it. Salt water began rising from below in many new agricultural regions. Crops could not use this salty water. In March 1924 – a century ago this month – the railway engineer W.E. Wood published the <a href="https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/46488592#page/73/mode/1up">first scientific paper</a> on the causes of salinity in Australia. </p>
<p>Wood concluded land clearing was causing groundwater levels to rise, bringing salt stored underground to the surface. He correctly proposed the salt in this region had come from the oceans, after evaporated seawater with residual salt <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/sr/sr9760319">fell as rain</a>. </p>
<p>In 2002, our last comprehensive national estimate put <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4615.0#:%7E:text=Farms%20primarily%20involved%20with%20the,land%20showing%20signs%20of%20salinity.">salinity-affected land at around 1.75 to 2 million hectares</a> – about 7.5 times the size of the Australian Capital Territory.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582704/original/file-20240319-22-tabhig.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="salt crust on ground western australia" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582704/original/file-20240319-22-tabhig.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582704/original/file-20240319-22-tabhig.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=331&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582704/original/file-20240319-22-tabhig.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=331&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582704/original/file-20240319-22-tabhig.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=331&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582704/original/file-20240319-22-tabhig.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582704/original/file-20240319-22-tabhig.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582704/original/file-20240319-22-tabhig.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Salt crusts can form once shallow ponds evaporate.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/wide-open-plain-view-dry-salt-391820593">Taras Vyshnya/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>What is dryland salinity?</h2>
<p>Salt is a natural part of our oceans. Some parts of the land have plenty of salt and are naturally saline. Salt lakes are part of <a href="https://www.nma.gov.au/exhibitions/songlines">traditional songlines</a>. Globally, we also find salted earth where former inland seas have deposited salt and where irrigation has concentrated salt in the soil.</p>
<p>But other areas have become salty due to land clearing. This is dryland salinity. When deep-rooted trees and shrubs are present, they use most of the rainfall. Very little is left over to leak down into the groundwater. </p>
<p>When trees and shrubs are cut down to make way for farmland, more rain permeates the earth. This mixes with naturally salty groundwater and rises to the surface where it can damage plants and infrastructure.</p>
<p>Plants such as samphire are salt-tolerant and can live in salt lakes. Saltbush can absorb salty water and get rid of the salt by expelling it onto the outside of its leaves. But most plants can’t do this. Absorbing salt water will damage or kill them. </p>
<p>The cruel irony of dryland salinity is that plants can die in dry landscapes from there being too much water.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582701/original/file-20240319-24-hr02pz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="eroded landscape and dead trees" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582701/original/file-20240319-24-hr02pz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582701/original/file-20240319-24-hr02pz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=389&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582701/original/file-20240319-24-hr02pz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=389&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582701/original/file-20240319-24-hr02pz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=389&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582701/original/file-20240319-24-hr02pz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=489&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582701/original/file-20240319-24-hr02pz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=489&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582701/original/file-20240319-24-hr02pz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=489&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">After dryland salinity killed these trees, serious erosion can begin. This image is of a mesa landscape west of Charters Towers in northern Queensland.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CSIRO_ScienceImage_4090_Dryland_salinity_has_induced_serious_hillslope_gully_and_sheet_erosion_at_base_of_Mesa_landscape_just_west_of_Charters_Towers_Northern_QLD.jpg">CSIRO/Wikimedia</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<h2>The long search for solutions</h2>
<p>In Australia, dryland salinity is worst in southwest Western Australia, as well as the <a href="https://www.mdba.gov.au/climate-and-river-health/water-quality/salinity">southern and western reaches</a> of the Murray-Darling Basin. </p>
<p>We didn’t begin trying to fix the problem in earnest until the 1950s, when state-based <a href="https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/soil-and-land-conservation-council">Soil and Land Conservation</a> services started tackling salinity in Australia. </p>
<p>The 1990s saw the first nationally coordinated efforts through the <a href="https://www.agriculture.gov.au/agriculture-land/farm-food-drought/natural-resources/salinity">National Dryland Salinity Program</a>. This drew together farmers, community groups, <a href="https://nrmregionsaustralia.com.au/what-is-nrm/nrm_regional_model/">natural resource management organisations</a>, universities and government agencies such as CSIRO. <a href="https://data.wa.gov.au/land-monitor">Satellites</a> gave us a better understanding of the true extent of the problem, <a href="https://abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/4615.0Main%20Features12002?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=4615.0&issue=2002&num=&view=">estimated to affect</a> around 20,000 farms.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, we no longer have a coordinated national approach. Government investments have shifted to focus on equally complex challenges such as improving water quality in <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/parks-heritage/great-barrier-reef/protecting/our-investments">Great Barrier Reef catchments</a> and trying to save <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/biodiversity/threatened">threatened species</a> from extinctions. </p>
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Read more:
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<h2>Saltbush, not ponds</h2>
<p>So what works against dryland salinity? Researchers have found some <a href="https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/soil-salinity/managing-dryland-salinity-south-west-western-australia">practical and economic solutions</a>.</p>
<p>Revegetating the landscape can work, but requires trees, shrubs and plantations to cover <a href="https://www.wa.gov.au/government/publications/stream-salinity-status-and-trends-south-west-wa">two-thirds of a cleared catchment</a> to manage a problem affecting a much smaller area. This is very expensive, and doesn’t work well with existing farms or for regional communities.</p>
<p>The most widely adopted methods of dealing with salt are based on adaptation, such as planting species <a href="https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/soil-salinity/saltbushes-dryland-salinity-management-western-australia">such as river and old man saltbush</a> on saline land and areas around it. Livestock can eat the leaves, and saltbush species are excellent at living in salty soils. </p>
<p>Other developing options include pumping up brackish groundwater and turning it into high-quality water through <a href="https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/water-management/groundwater-desalination-farms-western-australia">micro-desalination</a>. </p>
<p>Engineering solutions such as pumping out salty water and <a href="https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/water-management/deep-drainage-groundwater-drains-salinity-management-western-australia">deep drainage</a> run into problems with salt disposal, cost and challenges with clay soils, which do not drain well. </p>
<p>Subsurface drains in sandier soils near the surface can reduce waterlogging and salinity, and also increase crop productivity. </p>
<p>In areas prone to dryland salinity, reducing pooling of water reduces the salinity of water <a href="https://hess.copernicus.org/articles/24/717/2020/">flowing into ecosystems downstream</a>. This means landscape rehydration strategies such as natural sequence farming, which deliberately slow and pond water, can <a href="https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/lr_consultrpts/11/">actually make salinity worse</a> in older, weathered landscapes.</p>
<h2>Less rain but still salinity</h2>
<p>The scale of the salinity challenge is further demonstrated by the impact of climate change.</p>
<p>Since 1970, annual rainfall has <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/climate/change/trendmaps.cgi?map=rain&area=aus&season=0112&period=1970">fallen across Australia</a> by about 10–15%, particularly in Victoria and southwest Western Australia. This change in climate has <a href="https://www.watercorporation.com.au/Our-water">impacted drinking water supplies</a> in WA, forcing an increasing reliance on desalination.</p>
<p>You might expect groundwater levels to also potentially drop. But for many areas such as south-western WA and the <a href="https://www.waterquality.gov.au/issues/salinity">Murray Darling Basin</a>, groundwater levels are actually still rising even as rainfall declines, due to the ongoing impact of historic land clearing.</p>
<p>A key lesson we have learned from the long fight against dryland salinity is it’s very hard to create profitable farms which mimic the original natural systems. </p>
<h2>The fight against salinity continues</h2>
<p>Salinity still <a href="https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/soil-salinity/dryland-salinity-western-australia-0">affects millions of hectares</a> of agricultural land across Australia, driven by the processes described 100 years ago. An award for excellence in salinity research named after railway engineer W.E. Wood was awarded five times in the early 2000s, and will return in 2024 to mark the <a href="https://www.uwaceep.org/wood-award">centenary of his paper</a>.</p>
<p>We’ve learned a lot about dryland salinity in a century, but the search continues for viable methods of combating or adapting to the salt below.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-south-west-a-hotspot-for-wildlife-and-plants-that-deserves-world-heritage-status-54885">Australia's south west: a hotspot for wildlife and plants that deserves World Heritage status</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225277/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nik Callow has received salinity-related funding as an employee of The University of Western Australia and previously when working for the WA Government Department of Food and Agriculture. He is a director of the Centre for Water and Spatial Science at UWA that receives private, industry and public funding to undertake research on salinity and water resources.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Pannell received salinity-related funding from the Grains Research and Development Corporation, the CRC for Plant-Based Management of Dryland Salinity, the Future Farm Industries CRC, the Australian Research Council, and the University of Western Australia. He was a member of a Ministerial Taskforce on salinity in 2001, the Salinity Investment Framework committee for the Western Australian Government, and various other salinity-related committees. He was the fifth winner of the W.E. Wood Award for Salinity Research. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ed Barrett-Lennard is Senior Principal Soil Scientist in the Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Professorial Fellow at Murdoch University. He has previously received research funding through the CRC for Plant-Based Management of Dryland Salinity and the Future Farm Industries CRC. He currently receives funding for salinity research through the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. He was fourth winner of the W.E. Wood Award for salinity research.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Richard George works for the West Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. He was second winner of the W.E. Wood Award for salinity research</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>I previously worked for CSIRO 1988-2014 and in 1999 was the first recipient of the W.E.Wood Award for Salinity Research.</span></em></p>We’ve known about dryland salinity for a century. But while we’ve made progress, the problem hasn’t yet been solved.Nik Callow, Associate Professor - Geography, The University of Western AustraliaDavid Pannell, Professor and Director, Centre for Environmental Economics and Policy, The University of Western AustraliaEd Barrett-Lennard, Professorial fellow, Murdoch UniversityRichard George, Adjunct professor, Murdoch UniversityTom Hatton, Adjunct professor, The University of Western AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2249942024-03-19T19:16:59Z2024-03-19T19:16:59ZRestoring reefs killed by climate change may simply put corals ‘back out to die’ – here’s how we can improve their chances<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582810/original/file-20240319-18-tghi99.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4980%2C3317&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Coral bleaching in a shallow lagoon of French Polynesia.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/coral-bleaching-pocillopora-bleached-due-el-419544157">Damsea/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Coral reefs, like sprawling cities of the sea, support an estimated <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982214016236">25%</a> of all plants and animals in the ocean. Worldwide, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gcb.16391">1 billion people</a> depend on these ecosystems for food, income and coastal protection. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, coral reefs are dogged with endless sources of stress, from climate change and pollution to overfishing and unsustainable coastal development. The outlook for corals and the reefs they build is not good: without drastic action on greenhouse gas emissions scientists predict that conditions in tropical coastal waters will become <a href="https://journals.plos.org/climate/article?id=10.1371/journal.pclm.0000004">inhospitable to corals by the year 2100</a>. If we want coral reefs in our future, we need to be proactive.</p>
<p>Scientists, conservationists and local communities are working to recover unhealthy reefs. There are many options for doing this: encouraging <a href="https://theconversation.com/coral-sex-how-reproducing-species-in-the-lab-could-be-key-to-restoring-reefs-in-the-wild-143776">coral sex in the lab</a> to produce enormous batches of coral larvae that can be released into the wild, for example, or selectively breeding and genetically engineering specimens to create stress-resistant “<a href="https://theconversation.com/heat-tolerant-corals-can-create-nurseries-that-are-resistant-to-bleaching-116675">super corals</a>”. </p>
<p>Although coral restoration has become a <a href="https://www.icriforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Hein-Staub-2021-Mapping-the-Global-Funding-Landscape-for-Coral-Reef-Restoration-ICRI-WEB.pdf">multi-million dollar business</a>, many restoration projects fail to transform the ecosystem’s long-term <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fee.2471">prospects</a>, wasting time and resources and raising questions about the ethics of <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/after-mass-coral-die-off-florida-scientists-rethink-plan-to-save-ailing-reefs?utm_source=sfmc&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=alert&amp;utm_campaign=SCIeToc&amp;et_rid=34982278&amp;et_cid=5094116">simply putting corals “back out to die”</a>, as Ian Enochs, a US marine biologist who heads the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s reef monitoring programme in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea recently described it. </p>
<p>In our <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3002542">new paper</a>, we propose a new way of thinking about coral restoration: making environmental conditions, such as temperature and nutrient levels, the determining factor for whether reef restoration should go ahead. This might seem obvious, but our survey of academic research on coral restoration from 1984 to 2022 suggested these questions have been neglected. </p>
<h2>Reefs of tomorrow</h2>
<p>Coral restoration so far has been highly reactive. Efforts have focused on recovering reefs in areas where they have previously been, despite those reefs having recently died. When the cause of a dead reef is distinct and known, such as a one-off pollution event, this might be an appropriate response (so long as the cause of death has been removed). </p>
<p>But degraded coral reefs are more often the result of stress that is not easy to deal with, such as marine heatwaves caused by climate change or vast coastal developments. It’s no surprise that efforts to restore reefs in areas plagued by these problems often fail – the original issue is still present. </p>
<p>We think there are two ways to give coral reef restoration projects the best possible chance of success. First, when restoring corals to a reef that has died, do so with an in-depth knowledge of the area’s environmental conditions – both as they exist today and as they are expected to in future. This information can indicate which coral species are most sensible to use, how they should be grown, when to plant them in the wild and how to attach them to the seabed.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581767/original/file-20240313-24-ymzpak.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Rows of metal poles with corals growing on them." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581767/original/file-20240313-24-ymzpak.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581767/original/file-20240313-24-ymzpak.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581767/original/file-20240313-24-ymzpak.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581767/original/file-20240313-24-ymzpak.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581767/original/file-20240313-24-ymzpak.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581767/original/file-20240313-24-ymzpak.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581767/original/file-20240313-24-ymzpak.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A nursery of young smooth cauliflower coral (<em>Stylophora pistillata</em>) that are almost ready to be transplanted in the northern Red Sea.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">H. Nativ/Morris Kahn Marine Research Station</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Option two is to nurture new coral reefs in areas where they have not been historically present, but where environmental conditions in coming years and decades may be favourable. We might find these areas at the edges of where coral reefs are currently found. Other areas may emerge as the resolution of environmental monitoring improves.</p>
<h2>Go with the flow</h2>
<p>Innovation in coral restoration is evidently needed; a host of ethical, political, economic and ecological questions need addressing. It’s time to ensure these decisions are grounded in a robust bedrock of environmental knowledge – to break the restoration cycle of failure we are locked into.</p>
<p>We must recognise that, although a coral reef used to be in a particular place, it might now (or in the near future) be more effective to “restore” that reef elsewhere. Coral restoration could become more goal-oriented and forward-looking. </p>
<p>There are technical limitations to measuring environmental conditions and predicting what they will be like in future. Nevertheless, this fresh outlook allows us to work with environmental change rather than fight against it. If successful, it could help coral reef ecosystems endure for future generations to enjoy.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Heidi Burdett receives funding from the Vetenskapsrådet (Swedish Research Council) and Formas (Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gavin Foster receives funding from European Research Council (Advanced Grant #884650 Microns2Reefs). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tessa M Page receives funding from the European Research Council (Advanced 332 Grant #884650 Microns2Reefs).</span></em></p>For decades, conservationists have tried to repopulate dead reefs with corals reared elsewhere.Heidi Burdett, Associate Professor of Marine Science and Sustainability, Umeå UniversityGavin Foster, Professor of Isotope Geochemistry, University of SouthamptonTessa M Page, Research fellow, University of SouthamptonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2195982024-03-14T19:25:08Z2024-03-14T19:25:08ZMeet the kowari: a pint-sized predator on the fast track to extinction<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581179/original/file-20240312-24-tb4sa3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ariana Ananda</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australia is home to <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/book/7010/">more than 350 species</a> of native mammals, <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1417301112">87% of which are found nowhere else on Earth</a>. But with 39 of these species <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicthreatenedlist.pl">already extinct</a> and a further <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicthreatenedlist.pl">110 listed as threatened</a>, there’s every chance many will vanish before you even knew they existed. So here’s one we think you simply must know (and save), before it’s too late. </p>
<p>The charismatic <a href="https://teamkowari.com.au/kowari/">kowari</a> is a small carnivorous marsupial. It was once common inland but is now found only in the remote deserts of southwest Queensland and northeastern South Australia, in less than 20% of its former range. </p>
<p>This pint-sized predator fits in the palm of your hand. Its bright eyes, bushy tail and big personality make it the perfect poster child for the Australian outback. But with just 1,200 kowari left in the wild, the federal government upgraded its conservation status in November from <a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=329">vulnerable to endangered</a>. </p>
<p>Reversing the decline of the kowari is within our grasp. But we need public support and political will to achieve this. It requires limiting grazing of cattle and sheep, while keeping feral cat numbers under control. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WVAmYlHoqs4?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Introducing the kowari (Arid Recovery)</span></figcaption>
</figure>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/threatened-species-recover-in-fenced-safe-havens-but-their-safety-is-only-temporary-200548">Threatened species recover in fenced safe havens. But their safety is only temporary</a>
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<h2>Meet the kowari</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://teamkowari.com.au/kowari/">kowari</a> (<em>Dasyuroides byrnei</em>) is a skilled hunter that stalks mice, tarantulas, moths, scorpions and even birds. Alert and efficient, they attack their prey voraciously.</p>
<p>Formerly known as the brushy-tailed marsupial rat, or Byrne’s crest-tailed marsupial rat, the kowari is more closely related to Tasmanian Devil and quolls. </p>
<p>The Wangkangurru Yarluyandi People use the name kowari, while the Dieri and Ngameni peoples use the similar-sounding name kariri.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581171/original/file-20240312-18-mlrrfx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Closeup of the gibber plain showing areas of flat interlocking red pebbles" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581171/original/file-20240312-18-mlrrfx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581171/original/file-20240312-18-mlrrfx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581171/original/file-20240312-18-mlrrfx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581171/original/file-20240312-18-mlrrfx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581171/original/file-20240312-18-mlrrfx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581171/original/file-20240312-18-mlrrfx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581171/original/file-20240312-18-mlrrfx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The red stony gibber plains could be mistaken for the surface of Mars.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Katherine Moseby</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Kowaris live in stony deserts. They mainly inhabit remote treeless “gibber” plains. These areas of flat, interlocking red pebbles form vast pavements that could be mistaken for the surface of Mars. </p>
<p>In the outback, where temperatures can exceed 50°C, kowaris beat the heat by sheltering in burrows dug into sand mounds. At night they emerge to race across the plains, their head and distinctive brushy tail held high, pausing regularly to scan for predators and prey. </p>
<p>During chilly winter days, kowaris slow their metabolism to conserve energy. They go into a state of <a href="https://theconversation.com/torpor-a-neat-survival-trick-once-thought-rare-in-australian-animals-is-actually-widespread-146409">torpor</a>, which is a daily version of hibernation. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/torpor-a-neat-survival-trick-once-thought-rare-in-australian-animals-is-actually-widespread-146409">Torpor: a neat survival trick once thought rare in Australian animals is actually widespread</a>
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<p>At the two main South Australian sites, the number of animals captured in trapping surveys declined by <a href="https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jzo.12605">85% between 2000 and 2015</a>. At this rate, the species could disappear from the area within two decades.</p>
<p>The entire population is estimated to number as few as 1,200 individuals scattered over just 350 square kilometres. That’s a combined area of less than 20km x 20km. </p>
<p>Based on this evidence, the conservation status of kowaris was upgraded from <a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=329">vulnerable to endangered</a> in November last year.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581170/original/file-20240312-18-r54i0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A kowari standing in the desert facing the camera with its long bushy tail stretched out to the right" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581170/original/file-20240312-18-r54i0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581170/original/file-20240312-18-r54i0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581170/original/file-20240312-18-r54i0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581170/original/file-20240312-18-r54i0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581170/original/file-20240312-18-r54i0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581170/original/file-20240312-18-r54i0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581170/original/file-20240312-18-r54i0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Kowari are now restricted to refuge populations in northeast South Australia and southwest Queensland.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Andrea Tschirner</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Shrinking populations in the stony desert</h2>
<p>Kowaris have been declining for a while but are suddenly on the fast track to extinction. How can that be, when they live in one of the most vast and remote parts of Australia? </p>
<p>Threats include land degradation from pastoralism, and predation from introduced feral cats and foxes. </p>
<p>But it’s complicated. Threats can combine, having a synergistic effect (greater than the sum of their parts). And then there are climate influences. </p>
<p>Heavy rain in the desert triggers a cascade of events that culminates in an <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-10/feral-cats-tear-through-last-wild-bilby-population/5803252">explosion of feral cat numbers</a>. </p>
<p>When conditions dry out again, the cats switch to eating larger or more difficult prey such as bilbies and kowaris, often causing local extinctions. In southwest Queensland, feral cats most likely wiped out one population of kowaris and decimated another. </p>
<p>Huge efforts to control cat plagues have saved the kowari and bilby populations in <a href="https://bioone.org/journals/australian-journal-of-zoology/volume-70/issue-2/ZO22027/Does-reducing-grazing-pressure-or-predation-conserve-kowaris-A-case/10.1071/ZO22027.full">Astrebla Downs National Park</a> from local extinction so far, but other areas have succumbed.</p>
<p>In SA, all the remaining kowari populations are on <a href="https://www.nespthreatenedspecies.edu.au/publications-and-tools/the-kowari-saving-a-central-australian-micro-predator">pastoral stations used for grazing cattle</a>. </p>
<p>Cattle can trample kowari burrows. They can also compact the sand mounds, making it difficult for kowaris to build burrows in the first place. And they eat the plants on the mounds, reducing the availability of both food and shelter. This makes kowaris easy prey. </p>
<p>Over the past few decades, pastoralism has intensified. <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/research/completed/pastoral-leases#:%7E:text=Pastoral%20leases%20exist%20on%20around,to%20facilitate%20and%20support%20pastoralism.">Nearly half of Australia (44%)</a> is covered in pastoral leases where many threatened species occur. </p>
<p>Domestic stock usually graze close to watering points such as bores and troughs. More and more watering points are being established, to make more of the pastoral lease accessible to stock. So the area protected from grazing is shrinking as cattle encroach further into kowari territory. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581168/original/file-20240312-16-mabhg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A sand mound surrounded by the stony desert gibber plain" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581168/original/file-20240312-16-mabhg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581168/original/file-20240312-16-mabhg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581168/original/file-20240312-16-mabhg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581168/original/file-20240312-16-mabhg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581168/original/file-20240312-16-mabhg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=592&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581168/original/file-20240312-16-mabhg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=592&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581168/original/file-20240312-16-mabhg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=592&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Kowari burrow in sand mounds that can be trampled and compacted by cattle.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Katherine Moseby</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How can we save the kowari?</h2>
<p>We have the knowledge and tools required to save this species from extinction. We just need decisive leadership and sufficient funding to put these plans into action. </p>
<p>State governments should provide more resources for desert parks so rangers can monitor feral cat numbers and respond rapidly to plagues. We can make use of new technology such as remote camera traps checked via satellite. These measures would also protect the last remaining stronghold of the bilby in Queensland, another nationally threatened mammal. </p>
<p>The pastoral industry and governments must work together to review watering-point placement and reduce grazing pressure in known kowari habitat. </p>
<p>By closing some pastoral watering points and ensuring a portion of each lease (possibly 20%) is away from waters, we can reduce the harm of stock and provide refuges for threatened species. Pastoral companies could show leadership and implement these actions themselves rather than waiting for governments to act.</p>
<p>In the meantime, reintroductions into safe havens is one stopgap measure helping to prevent imminent kowari extinction. In 2022, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=search&v=409398861174893&external_log_id=2222a528-17bb-4f25-b0d5-d45d296c0c73&q=ecological%20horizons">12 kowaris were successfully reintroduced</a> to the 123 square km <a href="https://aridrecovery.org.au/kowari/">fenced Arid Recovery Reserve</a> in northern SA. The population has <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AridRecovery/videos/1165149370645281">expanded since release</a>. Removing cats, foxes and domestic stock from the reserve has given kowaris a chance to reclaim a small portion of their former range. </p>
<p>But safe havens are small and we need to act on a larger scale. If we don’t, the kowari may become yet another Australian species lost before you’ve even seen it.</p>
<p><em>Thanks to Genevieve Hayes, former ecologist at Arid Recovery, for coordinating the reintroduction of the kowari at Arid Recovery and commenting on the draft of this article.</em></p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/so-you-want-to-cat-proof-a-bettong-how-living-with-predators-could-help-native-species-survive-170450">So you want to cat-proof a bettong: how living with predators could help native species survive</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219598/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katherine Moseby is co-founder and chief scientist at Arid Recovery. She receives contract work from Arid Recovery to assist with conservation and restoration works. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katherine Tuft is Chief Executive at Arid Recovery which has received grant funding from the federal government and other sources to support research and conservation for the kowari.</span></em></p>Blink and you’ll miss it. The kowari is a charismatic marsupial carnivore that needs our help.Katherine Moseby, Associate Professor, UNSW SydneyKatherine Tuft, Visiting Research Fellow, University of AdelaideLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2140102024-03-08T14:01:57Z2024-03-08T14:01:57ZHow we’re breathing new life into French forests through green corridors<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573401/original/file-20240205-15-peliih.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=24%2C40%2C5439%2C3587&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A pine plantation and hedgerow as seen from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Alexandre Changenet, 2023</span>, <span class="license">Fourni par l'auteur</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In the summer of 2008, during a family holiday road trip, we passed by the Aquitaine region in southwestern France. As we drove through a sprawling woodland, a mesmerizing sight unfolded before my eyes: a meticulously ordered army of trees, standing tall and proud. It could have been an army regiment classified by age.</p>
<p>This uniformity – in stark contrast to the wild and varied Mediterranean forests I was accustomed to – left me utterly captivated. Beneath the leafy canopy, the undergrowth seemed sparse, with only the occasional glimpse of heather and its discreet flowers, repeating like an infinite copy-paste.</p>
<p>I immediately thought that if I were a wild animal, this forest might not be the most stimulating place to call home. There was little biomass to sustain life, and while the simplified food chain offered few competitors, there were no companions, either. The woods felt monotonous.</p>
<h2>A European plan to revive thousands of acres</h2>
<p>Fast forward to last April, I returned to the same location, this time accompanied by more than 100 experts from <a href="https://forest-restoration.eu/">SUPERB</a>, an ambitious 20 million euro project funded by the Horizon programme to restore thousands of hectares of forest landscape across Europe.</p>
<p>The initiative, which relies on 12 forests including the Aquitaine site, will go some way in making good on the EU’s Nature Restoration bill, which commits the bloc to restoring at least 30% of degraded habitats by 2030, 60% by 2040 and 90% by 2050. It will also provide policy-makers with critical insights into the continent’s wildlife, life support systems and carbon sequestration capacity.</p>
<p>Spanning <a href="https://nouvelle-aquitaine.cnpf.fr/sites/socle/files/cnpf-old/30_foret_landes_gascogne_1.pdf">1 million hectares of planted forests</a>, the Aquitaine site plays an important part in the local economy, with 90% of its plantations private. Historically, the landowners here had thrived on long-term thinking and patience. Trees took their time to grow, but the rewards were bountiful. In the harvest, the first trees to be cleared are typically used for the manufacture of pulp and paper. Small trees are for pallets and packaging, while bigger trees are exploited for structural wood, beams or panelling parquet.</p>
<p>For generations, locals had employed top-notch forest management techniques, yielding high returns. But the forest and its wood-based economy are now under threat. During my week there, I realised that what had once appeared orderly and disciplined had by then struck me as odd and unbalanced. With time, relentless production had depleted the soil and flora. The climate was also growing more arid by the day. Landowners complained of increasingly frequent natural calamities – wildfires, pest outbreaks, and destructive windstorms.</p>
<p>I was there with colleagues to check on the restoration progress and learn from local scientists’ restoration experience. In our conversations, one word echoed repeatedly: <em>resilience</em> – the ability to rebound after disturbances, regardless of their origin. Another word for it when it comes to forest management is <em>biodiversity</em>, the dry term we scientists use for thriving wildlife. Since December 2021, SUPERB has been on a mission to bring it back to the woods of Aquitaine.</p>
<h2>Life through green corridors</h2>
<p>To revive dull, homogeneous nature, one typically has to mess it up, or at least according to our human eyes. At several levels: that of the landscape, by ensuring that forests, pastures and agricultural land rotate and balance one another out; at the species level, so that a multitude of trees, shrubs, and herbs can provide shelter for wildlife; and at the population level, where even large numbers of trees of the same species can react differently to environmental challenges, thereby maximising their survival chances.</p>
<p>However, this poses economic and logistical challenges. Unevenly aged trees and different tree species can hardly be harvested simultaneously, and large machinery face access difficulties. This is where SUPERB’s hedgerows come in. Working across 20 000 hectares, our team has spent the past months planting 10 km-long hedgerows to connect pockets of existing broad-leaf species, such as oaks. The idea is to form a physical barrier to increase resilience to pests and diseases and potentially other threats that may increase with a warming planet such as winds, storms, wildfires and drought.</p>
<h2>Swaying resistant landlords</h2>
<p>While many landowners are already committed to planting mixed hedgerows around their pine plantations, others are more prudent, and will need strong evidence to adopt this practice that costs money and breaks with tradition.</p>
<p>Scientists from French partners, including INRAE and the European Institute of Planted Forests, did their best to reassure them. Throughout the week, they had three drones scan the landscape from above, revealing the contrast between homogeneous pine forests and diverse hedgerows. On the ground, our team encountered traps for insects, pitfall traps for snakes, microhabitats for lizards, tree caves for bats, and audio recording and camera traps for other organisms. Even the soil’s diversity was examined through DNA analysis of its hidden microorganisms.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580226/original/file-20240306-28-u8jo2s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580226/original/file-20240306-28-u8jo2s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580226/original/file-20240306-28-u8jo2s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=348&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580226/original/file-20240306-28-u8jo2s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=348&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580226/original/file-20240306-28-u8jo2s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=348&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580226/original/file-20240306-28-u8jo2s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=437&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580226/original/file-20240306-28-u8jo2s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=437&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580226/original/file-20240306-28-u8jo2s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=437&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Upper panel: A natural forest. Middle panel: a forest intensively managed for wood production (far from its natural state). Bottom panel: A forest managed with ‘closer to nature’ methods.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://doi.org/10.36333/fs12">Larsen et al., 2022/European Forest Institute</a>, <span class="license">Fourni par l'auteur</span></span>
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<p>In the pursuit of understanding ecosystem and bolstering resilience, much remains to be uncovered. While we await a complete understanding, the <a href="https://efi.int/publications-bank/closer-nature-forest-management">“closer to nature” management approach</a>, which seeks to “prioritize ecological integrity, biodiversity and sustainable practices over intensive human interventions” is gaining traction, emulating what nature does best. Yet translating this knowledge into actionable management plans for the forest managers is the other area that SUPERB is working on.</p>
<p>As the coordinator of the SUPERB project, I had the privilege of visiting all its demonstration sites, from woods in Castille in Leon to the alpine landscapes of the Vindelälven-Juhttatahkka biosphere in Sweden, down to the mountainous region of Vysočina and North Moravia in Czech Republic. Each forest brought its own set of challenges such as bark-beetle attacks, fragmented trees, wildfires, and abandoned lands. It became evident that customized approaches were necessary to address restoration, even when facing similar problems.</p>
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<p><em>This article is the result of The Conversation’s collaboration with <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/research-and-innovation/en/horizon-magazine">Horizon</a>, the EU research and innovation magazine. In June, the author published <a href="https://projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/horizon-magazine/europe-seeks-flourishing-forests-through-restoration">an article</a> with the magazine.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214010/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Madga Bou Dagher a reçu des financements de Horizon Europe 2020 for SUPERB project. </span></em></p>The SUPERB project, part of the EU’s Horizon programme, aims to restore thousands of hectares of forest landscape across Europe.Madga Bou Dagher, Professor in Forest genetics, European Forest InstituteLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2242422024-03-04T01:46:59Z2024-03-04T01:46:59ZYabby traps and discarded fishing tackle can kill platypuses - it’s time to clean up our act<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579434/original/file-20240303-16-g8s75y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=33%2C4%2C3161%2C2122&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/platypus-wild-australia-1422117959">Mari_May, Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.agriculture.gov.au/agriculture-land/fisheries/recreational">Recreational fishing</a> is a popular pastime in Australia’s inland rivers and streams. Unfortunately in the process, many people are unwittingly killing platypuses. </p>
<p>The animals can become trapped in nets commonly used to catch yabbies such as “<a href="https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/can-enclosed-yabby-traps-harm-animals-and-are-they-legal-to-use/">Opera House traps</a>” (so-called because their shape resembles the sails of the Sydney Opera House). The enclosed structure stops platypuses swimming back to the surface to breathe, causing them to drown in minutes.</p>
<p>Enclosed traps are banned in most states, but they are <a href="https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/can-enclosed-yabby-traps-harm-animals-and-are-they-legal-to-use/">still being used</a>. They are sold online and can be shippped across Australia. During our field research, we frequently encounter these traps and clumps of discarded fishing line. We have also conducted research on the bodies of platypuses killed by these hazards.</p>
<p>It’s time for a national ban on these inhumane traps. And recreational fishing waste should be kept out of our waterways. We must save our platypuses, before it’s too late. </p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hIQqQcAUiYo?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Platypuses being released back into the Hawkesbury-Nepean River catchment, New South Wales.</span></figcaption>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/even-platypuses-arent-safe-from-bushfires-a-new-dna-study-tracks-their-disappearance-212651">Even platypuses aren't safe from bushfires – a new DNA study tracks their disappearance</a>
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<h2>A natural wonder</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://australian.museum/learn/animals/mammals/platypus/">platypus</a> is one of Australia’s most loved and iconic species. These semi-aquatic, air breathing monotremes (egg-laying mammals) can be naturally found in waterways of the east coast, Tasmania and Kangaroo Island. </p>
<p>But there are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989419302276">growing concerns for the species’ survival</a>. Platypuses are becoming scarce and in some areas, completely disappearing from waterways.</p>
<p>The animals spend most of their time foraging in freshwater creeks and rivers. They have very poor eyesight underwater and use special sensors in their duck-shaped bill to locate prey. A trap full of live yabbies can attract platypuses, but this tempting feast may be their last meal.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-platypus-can-glow-green-and-hunt-prey-with-electricity-but-it-cant-climb-dams-to-find-a-mate-193707">A platypus can glow green and hunt prey with electricity – but it can't climb dams to find a mate</a>
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<h2>Closing in on enclosed traps</h2>
<p>Closed-top traps are baited then submerged in a river or stream for hours or a day, before being hauled out. </p>
<p>The traps funnel creatures into an enclosed space where they can’t escape. They are designed to catch freshwater crayfish (known as yabbies or marron). But they also inadvertently trap aquatic animals such as platypuses, freshwater turtles and the native water rat, rakali. </p>
<p>But there are wildlife-friendly alternatives. For example, some nets are <a href="https://www.bcf.com.au/p/wilson-yabby-mesh-drop-pot-1in/M156393.html?cgid=species-yabbies#start=3">open</a> at the top while others have a hinged lid that can be pushed open by a larger animal, such as a platypus, as it tries to escape. </p>
<p>Opera House style, closed-top yabby traps are now <a href="https://www.ifs.tas.gov.au/the-rules/allowed-angling-methods#:%7E:text=You%20cannot%20possess%20or%20use,including%20platypus%20and%20water%20rats.">banned in Tasmania</a>, <a href="https://vfa.vic.gov.au/recreational-fishing/fisheries-management/changes-ahead-for-yabby-fishing-gear">Victoria</a>, the <a href="https://www.cmtedd.act.gov.au/open_government/inform/act_government_media_releases/gentleman/2019/cruel-nets-banned-in-all-act-waters">Australian Capital Territory</a>, <a href="https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/about-us/media-centre/releases/2021/reminder-new-yabby-net-rules-are-now-in-place">New South Wales</a> and <a href="https://pir.sa.gov.au/alerts_news_events/news/fishing_and_aquaculture/opera_house_yabby_nets_banned">South Australia</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.qld.gov.au/recreation/activities/boating-fishing/rec-fishing/rules/equipment">Queensland allows use</a> west of the Dividing Range, where platypuses are not thought to exist, or on private property. Restrictions around the <a href="https://wildlife.org.au/our-work/advocacy-campaigns/ban-opera-house-nets/">size of trap entrance holes</a> were introduced in 2015.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578787/original/file-20240228-28-3xjoe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="An abandoned opera house trap on the banks of a creek in the southern highlands of NSW" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578787/original/file-20240228-28-3xjoe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578787/original/file-20240228-28-3xjoe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578787/original/file-20240228-28-3xjoe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578787/original/file-20240228-28-3xjoe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578787/original/file-20240228-28-3xjoe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578787/original/file-20240228-28-3xjoe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578787/original/file-20240228-28-3xjoe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An abandoned opera house trap in known platypus territory, a creek in the Southern Highlands, NSW.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Katherine Warwick</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A litany of platypus deaths</h2>
<p>The Australian Platypus Conservancy found <a href="https://biostor.org/reference/236537">41% of reported platypus deaths</a> from 1980 to 2009 were caused by drowning in enclosed nets. </p>
<p>Meanwhile platypuses have continued to drown in closed-top traps. In 2022, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-25/platypus-yabby-trap-deaths/101095130">four reportedly died</a> in one trap at Dorrigo on the mid-north coast of New South Wales. In 2021, a platypus <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-05/hunt-for-those-responsible-for-platypus-death/100114874">died in Queensland’s Broken River</a> and in 2018, one trap <a href="https://wyndham.starweekly.com.au/news/platypuses-found-dead-in-illegal-net-in-werribee-river/">drowned seven</a> in Victoria’s Werribee River.</p>
<p>Aside from deaths by closed-top traps, many platypuses become entangled in abandoned fishing line as they search for food along the bottom of waterways. </p>
<p>The animal’s tapered shape, duck-shaped bill and short webbed feet make it hard to free themselves. They are prone to getting wrapped in rings or loops of plastic, rubber or metal rubbish. </p>
<p>In 2021 a Victorian study of <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/am/am21004">54 cases of platypus entanglement</a> found litter commonly encircled the neck (68%). Almost one in five were wrapped “from in front of a shoulder to behind the opposite foreleg” (22%). Others had plastic around their torso or jaw.</p>
<p>That study also found platypuses in greater Melbourne were up to eight times more likely to become tangled in litter than those in regional Victoria. That’s because urban areas tend to be more polluted. </p>
<p>Fishing line can cut through skin and muscle, causing a slow painful death. Entangled platypuses can also drown after they become caught on underwater debris.</p>
<p>We study how heavy metals and other emerging contaminants accumulate in platypuses. Together with the community, local and state governments and wildlife organisations such as Taronga Zoo, we collect dead platypuses to examine their organs and body tissues. </p>
<p>On a trip this month to regional NSW for water quality testing and sampling, we found multiple instances of tangled fishing line and an abandoned submerged Opera House trap. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578096/original/file-20240226-18-fe89vv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578096/original/file-20240226-18-fe89vv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578096/original/file-20240226-18-fe89vv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578096/original/file-20240226-18-fe89vv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578096/original/file-20240226-18-fe89vv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578096/original/file-20240226-18-fe89vv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578096/original/file-20240226-18-fe89vv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578096/original/file-20240226-18-fe89vv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">A dead platypus entangled in fishing line, found in the Southern Highlands of NSW.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Katherine Warwick</span></span>
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<h2>Swapping traps and binning trash</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578431/original/file-20240227-30-gmllrf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="One of the TAngler bins for used fishing line on the banks of the Hawkesbury-Nepean River, which looks like a PVC pipe periscope strapped to a post" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578431/original/file-20240227-30-gmllrf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578431/original/file-20240227-30-gmllrf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578431/original/file-20240227-30-gmllrf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578431/original/file-20240227-30-gmllrf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578431/original/file-20240227-30-gmllrf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578431/original/file-20240227-30-gmllrf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578431/original/file-20240227-30-gmllrf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">TAngler bins are available for the safe disposal of used fishing line on the banks of the the Hawkesbury-Nepean River, NSW.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Michelle Ryan</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Between December 2018 and February 2019, when the Victorian Fisheries Authority invited people to swap their old closed top nets for a free “wildlife friendly” net, <a href="https://vfa.vic.gov.au/recreational-fishing/fisheries-management/changes-ahead-for-yabby-fishing-gear">20,000 traps were exchanged</a>. </p>
<p>OzFish and Ocean Earth Foundation are currently running a <a href="https://ozfish.org.au/projects/yabby-trap-round-up/">Yabby Trap Round Up</a> in NSW and SA. The Opera House traps are recycled and turned into useful fishing products. </p>
<p>Recreational fishers should also round up their used fishing line and hooks. The “<a href="https://www.oceanwatch.org.au/tangler-bins/">TAngler bin</a>” initiative encourages safe disposal. Since 2006, more than 350 TAngler bins have been installed at fishing hotspots in Victoria, NSW and Queensland, collecting more than ten tonnes of discarded fishing line. </p>
<p>A study in known platypus habitat on the Hawkesbury-Nepean River in Greater Sydney found <a href="https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/newscentre/news_centre/story_archive/2019/western_researchers_tackle_fishing_line_waste_in_the_hawkesbury">more than 2.5km of fishing line was disposed of correctly</a> in the bins in just three years.</p>
<h2>Save our platypuses</h2>
<p>Closed-top nets should be banned nationwide. This would ensure recreational fishers can no longer buy these traps and then use them in banned areas, as is happening now. </p>
<p>Net exchange programs should continue, in conjunction with a national awareness campaign, so the closed-top traps already sold are all handed in. </p>
<p>And both fishers and the wider community can take action by collecting discarded fishing line and nets. </p>
<p>Platypuses need all the help they can get. With our support, these beloved iconic animals can live on in Australian waterways. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/our-native-animals-are-easy-prey-after-a-fire-could-artificial-refuges-save-them-223357">Our native animals are easy prey after a fire. Could artificial refuges save them?</a>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katherine Warwick has received funding from industry, community groups, not-for-profit organisations, Commonwealth, New South Wales and local Government. She has previously worked for Blue Mountains City Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ian Wright has received funding from industry, Commonwealth, NSW and local Government. He has previously worked for Sydney Water. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michelle Ryan receives funding from industry, community groups, not for profit organisations as well as Commonwealth, NSW and local Government.
</span></em></p>Platypuses are drowning in Australian waterways, tangled in fishing line and trapped in closed nets meant for freshwater crayfish or yabbies. But we can fix this.Katherine Warwick, PhD Candidate, Western Sydney UniversityIan A. Wright, Associate Professor in Environmental Science, Western Sydney UniversityMichelle Ryan, Senior lecturer, Western Sydney UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2234462024-03-03T23:36:20Z2024-03-03T23:36:20ZWhy move species to islands? Saving wildlife as the world changes means taking calculated risks<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577775/original/file-20240225-16-eqqb33.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=2%2C10%2C1400%2C799&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_barred_bandicoot#/media/File:Perameles_gunnii_-_Gould.jpg">John Gould/Wikimedia</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The eastern barred bandicoot was once found in abundance across the basalt plains of western Victoria. But habitat destruction and predation by introduced red foxes drove the species to the brink of extinction on the mainland.</p>
<p>Establishing populations in fenced reserves was critical in providing insurance against extinction. To further increase bandicoot numbers to provide long-term security against extinction, we needed more fox-free land.</p>
<p>A bold plan was hatched: move the species to where the predators weren’t. Introduce them to Victoria’s <a href="https://www.penguins.org.au/about/media/latest-news/taking-action-to-find-and-remove-phillip-island-fox-threat/#:%7E:text=%E2%80%9CA%20combined%20effort%20between%20the,25%20years%20of%20dedicated%20effort.">fox-free</a> Phillip and French islands.</p>
<p>Six years later, the bandicoot made conservation history, as the first species in Australia <a href="https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/wildlife/2022/02/eastern-barred-bandicoot-how-the-little-diggers-rebounded/">to be reclassified</a> from <em>extinct in the wild</em> to <em>endangered</em>. </p>
<p>Why don’t we translocate all endangered species to islands? The technique can be effective, but can come with unwanted consequences. </p>
<h2>The surprising benefits of translocation</h2>
<p>Eastern barred bandicoots are ecosystem engineers. As they dig for their dinner of worms, beetles, bulbs, fungi and other foods, their industrious work <a href="https://theconversation.com/one-little-bandicoot-can-dig-up-an-elephants-worth-of-soil-a-year-and-our-ecosystem-loves-it-132266">improves soil quality</a>, and in turn, the health of vegetation. </p>
<p>So when we translocate threatened species, we can get a double win – a rapid increase in their populations and restoration of lost ecosystem functions.</p>
<p>Australia’s landscapes look very different than they did before European colonisation around <a href="https://theconversation.com/existential-threat-to-our-survival-see-the-19-australian-ecosystems-already-collapsing-154077">230 years ago</a>. </p>
<p>Industrialised farming, introduced predators and habitat destruction and fragmentation are driving <a href="https://theconversation.com/scientists-re-counted-australias-extinct-species-and-the-result-is-devastating-127611">biodiversity decline and extinctions</a>. As species die out, ecosystems lose the vital functions wildlife perform. Without them, ecosystems might not operate as well or even collapse – a little like a poorly serviced car engine. </p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/losing-australias-diggers-is-hurting-our-ecosystems-18590">Losing Australia's diggers is hurting our ecosystems</a>
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<p>We feel the loss most acutely when we lose <a href="https://theconversation.com/beavers-and-oysters-are-helping-restore-lost-ecosystems-with-their-engineering-skills-podcast-198573">keystone species</a> on which many other species depend, such as oysters and bees. Restoring these functions can improve biodiversity and the sustainability of food production. For instance, encouraging owls to return to farmland <a href="https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2023.1182137">can cut</a> the use of <a href="https://theconversation.com/mouse-plague-bromadiolone-will-obliterate-mice-but-itll-poison-eagles-snakes-and-owls-too-160995">damaging rodent poisons</a>, as owls eat thousands of mice and rats yearly. </p>
<p>Before colonisation, industrious digging mammals and their soil excavations were <a href="https://theconversation.com/mourn-our-lost-mammals-while-helping-the-survivors-battle-back-36126">extremely widespread</a>. Regrettably, introduced foxes and cats have made short work of many of Australia’s diggers. Six of 29 digging species are <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mam.12014">now extinct</a>, including the lesser bilby, pig-footed bandicoot and desert rat-kangaroo. Many others are endangered. </p>
<h2>Could translocation save more species?</h2>
<p>Conservationists have successfully translocated species such as the <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-endangered-species-western-swamp-tortoise-11630">western swamp tortoise</a>, the <a href="https://www.australianwildlife.org/wildlife/shark-bay-mouse/">Shark Bay mouse</a>, and <a href="https://denr.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/255082/quolltranslocation_final.pdf">northern quolls</a>.</p>
<p>New environments don’t necessarily need to be <a href="https://theconversation.com/cats-wreak-havoc-on-native-wildlife-but-weve-found-one-adorable-species-outsmarting-them-132265">predator-free</a>. The eastern barred bandicoot is thriving on Phillip and French Island, in the presence of feral and domestic cats. The key is there are no foxes. </p>
<p>Many islands are now being thought of as conservation arks, able to provide <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/wr/wr17172">safe havens</a> for several threatened species at once. Dirk Hartog Island, Western Australia’s largest, is <a href="https://www.sharkbay.org/restoration/dirk-hartog-island-return-1616/#:%7E:text=These%20include%20the%20Shark%20Bay,boodie%20and%20the%20western%20grasswren.">now home</a> to reintroduced western quolls, dibblers, mulgaras and other small mammals, as well as two translocated hare-wallaby species. </p>
<h2>Why is translocation not more common?</h2>
<p>The technique can work very well – but it can also backfire. </p>
<p>In the 1920s, conservationists undertook the first translocation in Australia by moving koalas to Phillip and French Island – the same Victorian islands now a refuge for bandicoots. While this protected koalas <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-once-killed-600-000-koalas-in-a-year-now-theyre-australias-teddy-bears-what-changed-219609">from hunting pressure</a>, koala populations exploded, and the tree-dwelling marsupials ate themselves <a href="https://theconversation.com/victorian-koalas-are-eating-themselves-out-of-house-and-home-38585">out of house and home</a> in some areas. </p>
<p>In 2012, conservationists began introducing Tasmanian devils to Maria Island, just off Tasmania’s east coast. They wanted to conserve a healthy population free from the <a href="https://theconversation.com/tasmanian-devils-look-set-to-conquer-their-own-pandemic-151842">contagious facial tumour</a> which has devastated their populations. On Maria Island, the devils became <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-22/tasmanian-devils-decimate-wildlife-on-maria-island/100234550">too successful</a>, wiping out the island’s penguin and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006320720306935">shearwater</a> populations. </p>
<p>You can see translocations aren’t a silver bullet. We have to carefully consider the pros and cons of any such conservation intervention. Ecosystems <a href="https://theconversation.com/species-dont-live-in-isolation-what-changing-threats-to-4-marsupials-tell-us-about-the-future-200990">are complex</a>. It’s <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-020-01298-8">not easy to predict</a> what will happen to an ecosystem if we introduce a species new to the area. </p>
<p>The decision to translocate a species is a value judgement – it prioritises one species over the broader ecosystem. Opponents of translocation <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320711001728?via%3Dihub">question whether</a> we are doing the right thing in valuing efforts to conserve a single species over the innate value of the existing ecosystem. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/so-you-want-to-cat-proof-a-bettong-how-living-with-predators-could-help-native-species-survive-170450">So you want to cat-proof a bettong: how living with predators could help native species survive</a>
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<h2>What’s the best approach in future?</h2>
<p>Translocation is not the end goal. Islands cannot support the vast array of threatened species in Australia. </p>
<p>The end goal is to establish and expand threatened species populations on the mainland in fenced reserves before eventually reintroducing them to the wild where they will encounter introduced predators. </p>
<p>Research is being done to explore how we can make this work, such as: </p>
<p>1) <strong>Predator-savvy wildlife:</strong> some native species may be <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1365-2664.13406">able to adapt</a> to living alongside introduced predators – with some help. For example, conservationists have exposed semi-captive bilbies to small numbers of feral cats with the aim of increasing their wariness and ultimately boosting their chances of survival. Results have been encouraging. </p>
<p>2) <strong>Building ecosystem resilience:</strong> we know more intact native ecosystems can reduce the chance of <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1442-9993.2009.01941.x">damage from invasive species </a>. That means re-establishing native ecosystems could boost their resilience.</p>
<p>Moving a species from its home is a bold and risky decision. It’s critical local communities and <a href="https://theconversation.com/ancient-knowledge-is-lost-when-a-species-disappears-its-time-to-let-indigenous-people-care-for-their-country-their-way-172760">First Nations groups</a> are consulted and able to guide discussions and any eventual actions. </p>
<p>For their part, governments, land managers and conservationists must think more broadly about how we might best conserve species and ecosystems in a rapidly changing world. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/threatened-species-recover-in-fenced-safe-havens-but-their-safety-is-only-temporary-200548">Threatened species recover in fenced safe havens. But their safety is only temporary</a>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anthony Rendall receives funding from the Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action. Anthony is a member of the Australian Mammal Society. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amy Coetsee works for Zoos Victoria, a not-for-profit zoo-based conservation organisation.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Aviya Naccarella is a member of the Ecological Society of Australia, Australian Mammal Society and Royal Zoological Society of NSW.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Euan Ritchie receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action. Euan is a Councillor within the Biodiversity Council, and a member of the Ecological Society of Australia and the Australian Mammal Society.</span></em></p>Translocation may have been the key to survival for the eastern barred bandicoot but it might not be the golden ticket for every species.Anthony Rendall, Lecturer in Conservation Biology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin UniversityAmy Coetsee, Threatened Species Biologist, The University of MelbourneAviya Naccarella, PhD Candidate, Deakin UniversityEuan Ritchie, Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2244342024-02-27T16:31:33Z2024-02-27T16:31:33ZRSPB at 120: the forgotten South American pioneer who helped change Victorian attitudes to birds<p>Bird conservation has a long and rich history in Britain. This is driven, in part, by the popular – and very British – pastime of bird-feeding, which can be traced back to <a href="https://www.pilgrimageandcathedrals.ac.uk/blog/st-cuthbert%E2%80%99s-ducks-1446120484">St Cuthbert in 7th-century Northumberland</a>. The Lindisfarne monk also introduced one of the first bird protection laws.</p>
<p>This British love affair with birds resulted in the founding of the <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/about-us">Society for the Protection of Birds</a> in 1889, which this year celebrates 120 years in existence as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (royal assent was conferred in 1904). The RSPB is now at the vanguard of British conservation in protecting wild places for birds. With 1.2 million members, many volunteers spend thousands of hours working to protect birds and wildlife – but how did it all begin? </p>
<p>Conor Jameson’s recent <a href="https://pelagicpublishing.com/products/finding-w-h-hudson">book</a>, Finding WH Hudson: The Writer Who Came to Britain to Save the Birds, attempts to answer this question by providing a view of Victorian attitudes towards birds through the eyes of an unknown South American naturalist and ornithologist, <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/naturalist-ernest-hemingway-others-love-wilderness-180962775/">William Henry Hudson</a>.</p>
<p>After working for the RSPB for 25 years, Jameson sought to uncover the secrets of this mysterious hero of British bird conservation – “the man above the fireplace”, whose gaze was ever-present thanks to his portrait hanging in the main meeting room at the RSPB headquarters.</p>
<h2>The man from Argentina</h2>
<p>Born in Argentina to US settlers in 1841, Hudson made England his home after arriving in May 1874 at the age of 32. It did not take long for him to gain prominence as an ornithologist of considerable repute. In 1888-1889 he co-authored a major two-volume <a href="https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/20448">book about Argentine birds</a> with Philip Sclater, founder of The Ibis, the journal of the British Ornithologists’ Union. </p>
<p>His writing was strongly influenced by Reverend Gilbert White, who, a century earlier, had produced one of the <a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Natural_History_and_Antiquities_of_Selborne">first and greatest works of natural history</a>, The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne, describing in passionate detail his observations of nature in his parish.</p>
<p>Hudson’s powers of natural-history observation, and indeed his candour in his writing, were evidently influenced by White whose grave he visited on more than one occasion to pay his respects.</p>
<p>Coming from South America, even common bird species in England were new to Hudson. As a result, he keenly observed them as his considerable naturalist’s skills came to the fore. </p>
<p>Once in England he quickly threw his support behind the “campaigning women of Manchester and London” represented by founder of the Society for the Protection of Birds (SPB) <a href="https://community.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/b/natureshomemagazine/posts/five-women-who-founded-the-rspb">Emily Williamson</a>, and co-founders of the Fur, Fin and Feather Folk, <a href="https://community.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/b/natureshomemagazine/posts/five-women-who-founded-the-rspb">Eliza Phillips and Etta Lemon</a>. The two societies joined forces in the early 1890s as the SPB with the “R” prefix added in 1904.</p>
<p>It is clear that Hudson did not seek the limelight, preferring instead to campaign strenuously “behind the scenes”. One example includes writing a letter to The Times newspaper in 1898 to suggest that Queen Charlotte’s cottage and its gardens at Kew be gifted to the nation. It came to pass in the same year. </p>
<h2>Changing attitudes to birds</h2>
<p>So, how did an unknown Argentinian rise to change entrenched social attitudes towards birds in Britain? Hudson moved in circles of influence in London, containing luminaries such as the future Nobel Prize for literature winner, <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1932/galsworthy/biographical/">John Galsworthy</a>, author of The Forsyte Saga, who shared his abhorrence of the poor treatment of birds by upper-class fashionistas and collectors.</p>
<p>Hudson came to England at a time when the Victorian fashion for feathered hats was at its peak, though it came at a dreadful cost for birds. For example, one London fashion dealer placed a single order in 1892 for 6,000 bird-of-paradise, 40,000 hummingbird and 360,000 East Indian bird feathers. It pained Hudson that feathers were being used so cavalierly as dress accessories for high-society ladies.</p>
<p>He regularly wrote articulate and passionate letters to national newspapers about the persecution of birds, including long-line fishing for albatrosses and catching gulls using baited hooks. He even wrote about the incompatibility of golfers and birds, deeming it an “absurd game” that endangered flying creatures and their habitat.</p>
<p>Given his mounting influence on bird conservation, it seems strange that Hudson is not better known. While he was a prolific writer whose books attracted critical acclaim, he was no grand orator. As Jameson implies, his aversion to public speaking bordered on the pathological. The book is full of examples of invitations that he rarely took up, and it seems that he preferred to write rather than travel. His opinion was sought by fellow writers to whom he gave rather blunt feedback. Today, these traits may well have led to him being called a loner.</p>
<p>I smiled when reading about Hudson’s love of rooks (which belong to the crow family, known as <em>corvids</em>), mentioned several times in the book. I wonder whether subconsciously Hudson saw himself reflected in this often misunderstood yet intriguing species.</p>
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<p>The book is rich in biographical details about Hudson that have been lovingly and comprehensively researched by the author. The narrative flows smoothly, is eminently readable and provides great insight into a man who was clearly enchanted by the natural world – which is probably why he went to great lengths to protect it.</p>
<p>Frustratingly, however, there is little or no detail about Hudson’s formative years in his homeland. This is perhaps because Hudson destroyed many letters he received and encouraged recipients of his letters to do the same. That said, a timeline of events and achievements that shaped Hudson’s impressive career would have added to the book’s navigability.</p>
<p>But the author has done bird lovers a great service in shining a light on this little-known yet fascinating avian conservation pioneer. Though he never sought it, Hudson deserves this posthumous limelight.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224434/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>S. James Reynolds does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A group of determined women founded the RSPB, but they had great support behind the scenes by a little-known Argentinean naturalist.S. James Reynolds, Assistant Professor in Ornithology and Animal Conservation, University of BirminghamLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2210852024-02-22T20:50:27Z2024-02-22T20:50:27ZHow advanced genetic testing can be used to combat the illegal timber trade<p>According to <a href="https://www.interpol.int/Crimes/Environmental-crime/Forestry-crime">Interpol</a>, the organization dedicated to facilitating international police co-operation, between 15 per cent and 30 per cent of the world’s traded timber comes from illegal sources. This is an estimated annual value of US$51-152 billion dollars. </p>
<p>Illegal logging has serious consequences for the environment, the climate and the local livelihoods of the people who depend upon the affected forests. In turn, local governments are faced with losses in revenue, rising corruption and decreasing timber prices. These make it even more difficult for the legal forestry sector to remain competitive. </p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/illegal-logging-in-africa-is-a-threat-to-security-202291">Illegal logging in Africa is a threat to security</a>
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<p>Even in Canada, customers are unwittingly supporting this theft by buying timber with false declarations. In the face of such issues, Canadian researchers are currently developing a <a href="https://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/9.891853/publication.html">traceability system</a> employing genomic identification technologies to help tackle the trade in illegal timber. </p>
<h2>Stemming the flow</h2>
<p>To help address poaching, the United States expanded the pre-existing <a href="https://www.fws.gov/law/lacey-act">Lacey Act in 2008</a>. Originally designed to control the illegal trade of <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/lacey-acts-effectiveness">wildlife</a>, it was adapted to help tackle the trade in illegally harvested wood. The 2008 amendments to the Lacey Act decreased the importation of illegally harvested wood into the U.S. by approximately 32 to 44 per cent. </p>
<p>In Canada, similar regulations have been put in place to avoid the exploitation of species at risk including the <a href="https://www.laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/W-8.5/index.html">Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act</a>. But how do we know if the declarations of a wood product are accurate or correctly reported? </p>
<p>In general, identification methods can be categorized into three groups: anatomical, analytical or molecular biological techniques — each with its <a href="https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.21518.79689">own set of advantages and limitations</a>. </p>
<p>Identification methods which use the aid of <a href="https://doi.org/10.46830/wrirpt.21.00067">microscope technology</a> look for distinct characteristics of the wood anatomy including tissues and cells. It is also the group of methods most commonly used.</p>
<p>However, this method requires trained specialists, the appropriate equipment and can typically only provide meaningful conclusions at the <a href="https://www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/genus">genus level</a>. In addition, wood anatomy cannot tell us where a piece of wood comes from. </p>
<h2>Looking to genetics</h2>
<p>This is where genomics come into play. To determine the species identity and the geographic origin of a logged tree, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/35016000">researchers take advantage of evolution</a>. </p>
<p>A few key factors make genetic identification possible. </p>
<p>Firstly, there are clear genetic differences between distinct <em><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2771874/#:%7E:text=We%20define%20a%20genetic%20species,from%20the%20Biological%20Species%20Concept.">species</a></em>. Secondly, the closer the relationship between individuals — in this case trees — the more genetically similar they are, while the more removed the individuals are the less genetic information is shared.</p>
<p>Therefore, it is possible to assign an individual to a “local population” based on its genetic fingerprint, sharing parts of its genetic makeup with that population and, consequently, <a href="https://pubs.cif-ifc.org/doi/abs/10.5558/tfc2018-010">also the specific region where it originates from</a>. This method is called population genetics. </p>
<p>The power of population genetics lies in its ability to identify groups of individuals that share a certain amount of genetic information that can be used to assign individuals to a species or a geographic region. The same methods can be used for humans to find unknown relatives or trace back the ethnic origin of your ancestors. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/weakening-australias-illegal-logging-laws-would-undermine-the-global-push-to-halt-forest-loss-172770">Weakening Australia's illegal logging laws would undermine the global push to halt forest loss</a>
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<p>To reliably assign individuals, a variety of genetic markers is needed, varying between species and local populations. </p>
<p>In Canada, the first successful use of genetic material to conduct forensic testing on trees was pioneered by geneticist Eleanor White who succeeded in <a href="https://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/pubwarehouse/pdfs/5177.pdf">tracing a wood log directly to the specific stump of an 800-year-old cedar tree in Western Canada</a> left behind after its illegal felling.</p>
<p>White’s success demonstrates the power of genomic identification in regulating the timber trade.</p>
<h2>Developing new systems</h2>
<p>Genomic sequencing in combination with genetic data analyses gained public traction during the COVID-19 pandemic, as these were used to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18314-x">identify an outbreak of a new virus variant and trace its origin</a>.</p>
<p>Current research in wood forensics is using similar tools to assign an individual to a source population with high accuracy. Since genetic analyses can be costly, genetic databases of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10297">previously studied species</a> are compiled and used as test data to determine the best and most reliable analytical method.</p>
<p>The aim is to create a simple traceability system for timber products that border officials can implement quickly and easily. This should help stop the sale of illegally harvested timber and hold those responsible to account. </p>
<p>The long-term goal is to make it more difficult to sell illegally harvested timber in Canada and thus contribute to the protection of valuable forests. In addition, traceability can certify areas in Canada which are sustainably managed, making it easier for consumers to support sustainable forest management practices.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221085/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Melanie Zacharias receives funding from Génome Québec. </span></em></p>Effective use of genomic identification could revolutionize the control of the illegal timber trade.Melanie Zacharias, Postdoctoral researcher in forest genetics, Université LavalLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2239192024-02-21T19:01:08Z2024-02-21T19:01:08ZTracking tropical turtles deep down to the seabed reveals their feeding habits<p>Hawksbill turtles are <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T8005A12881238.en">critically endangered</a>, they are found in every ocean and are the most tropical of sea turtles. Adult hawksbills have long been considered to have a close association with shallow (less than 15 metres depth) seas where coral reefs thrive.</p>
<p>But <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adl2838">new research</a> my colleagues and I conducted reveals for the first time that hawksbill turtles feed at reef sites much deeper than previously thought. </p>
<p>Young hawksbills drift in currents during their pelagic (open water) phase of their development before they move to benthic (sea bed) habitats. Hawksbills are usually seen foraging in coral reefs where their diet is predominantly <a href="https://doi.org/10.3354/meps245249">sponges</a>. They also feed on a variety of algae, corallimorphs (coral-like anemones), tunicates and <a href="https://www.ajol.info/index.php/wiojms/article/view/66534">more</a>. </p>
<p>To study their feeding habits in more detail, my team at Swansea University used high-accuracy global positioning system (GPS) satellite tags to track 22 adult female hawksbills from their nesting site on Diego Garcia in the Chagos archipelago in the Indian Ocean to their foraging grounds. </p>
<p>Three of the tags included a pressure transducer that was programmed to record depth every five minutes and relay the measurement to the satellite system every time the turtle surfaced. This gave us information about the whereabouts of the turtles and how deep they were diving to feed as they swam.</p>
<p>We predicted that hawksbills tracked in our study would probably migrate to shallow coral reefs around the seven atolls of the Chagos archipelago. Many studies have shown the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/srep18289">pristine nature of these reefs</a> and we have previously observed hawksbills frequently foraging in reef habitats there. </p>
<p>But, surprisingly, all turtles migrated to deep, remote banks and submerged reefs in the archipelago, remaining at these deep sites for more than 6,000 combined days of tracking. By looking at nautical charts for the turtle locations, we could see that the foraging habitat was located at more than 30 metres depth. </p>
<p>More than 183,000 depth measurements relayed from the tags on three turtles showed that average depths were between 35 metres and 40 metres. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adl2838">Most dives reached depths between 30 metres and 60 metres</a>. That’s much deeper than we expected.</p>
<h2>Crucial for conservation</h2>
<p>The coral reefs located at depths of between 30 metres and 150 metres below the waves are known as mesophotic (or low light) ecosystems. Now, knowing that these habitats are so crucial for critically endangered sea turtles suggests that the marine life deep down on the seabed is much richer – with more nutritious food for turtles to eat – than previously thought. </p>
<p>We’d expect to find an abundance of colourful sponges and other invertebrate prey items such as soft corals that make up a big portion of the hawksbills’ diet. Our finding adds to the growing evidence that submerged banks at these mesophotic depths might be home to a diverse community of life, including <a href="https://www.ajol.info/index.php/wiojms/article/view/209266">sponges</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.03.018">seagrass</a> that are key foods for green turtles that also breed and forage in the western Indian Ocean. </p>
<p>Mesophotic ecosystems cover a vast area so they should be a significant part of conservation considerations. We estimated that submerged banks (at depths of 30 to 60 metres) in the western Indian Ocean extend across over 55,000 km² - around three times the size of a small country such as Wales.</p>
<p>Scientific understanding of mesophotic ecosystems is very poor, partly because they are difficult to explore. They are usually remote and far from land, plus the depths are often beyond the limit of routine scientific scuba diving. </p>
<p>There’s huge scope for more fascinating research to investigate the ecology of these misunderstood marine habitats. Recent studies have suggested <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0177374">rich biodiversity</a> and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-03568-1">abundant fish</a>, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00338-010-0593-6">corals and sponges</a> live at depths over 30 metres. </p>
<h2>Reef refuges</h2>
<p>With the pressures of climate change and warming seas, mesophotic reefs could be a refuge for corals and sponges that normally live in shallow coral reefs. For example, coral cover in Caribbean mesophotic reefs (30 to 40 metres depth) remained constant during hurricanes, bleaching and disease events in 2017 to 2019 when coral cover declined in shallow- and mid-water depths. That demonstrates the importance of these mesophotic reefs as a <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00338-021-02087-w">reproductive refuge for corals</a>.</p>
<p>Our study findings highlight that submerged banks and mesophotic depths are important foraging grounds for critically endangered marine animals such as turtles and may support a rich array of marine life. While the mesophotic reefs used by foraging hawksbills in our study lie within one of the world’s largest marine protected areas, with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-020-03776-w">protection from industrial fishing</a>, there are ongoing negotiations for future conservation management of this region. </p>
<p>These submerged banks in the Chagos archipelago, and probably others around the world, should be key areas for conservation focus. The resilience of marine ecosystems, and all that lives within them, may rely on the health of these deeper, uncharted habitats, especially in the face of climate change.</p>
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<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicole Esteban receives funding from the Bertarelli Foundation as part of the Bertarelli Programme in Marine Science (grant numbers BPMS-2017-4 and 820633).</span></em></p>Deeper ocean habitats (30-150 metres) are a key feeding ground for critically endangered hawksbill turtles.Nicole Esteban, Associate Professor of Marine Biology, Swansea UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2224752024-02-20T14:31:08Z2024-02-20T14:31:08ZDefying expectations, disabled Japanese macaques survive by adjusting their behaviours and receiving support<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576169/original/file-20240216-30-6btxw6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5184%2C3453&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A disabled young female macaque named Monmo at the Awajishima Monkey Center in Japan.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Sarah E. Turner)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Nina is a Japanese macaque, one of the red-faced monkeys famous for sitting in hot springs in Japan. Nina lives wild in the forest, but most days, along with her group, she visits the <a href="https://monkey-center.jp/english.php">Awajishima Monkey Center</a> to eat the food people provide for the monkeys. </p>
<p>Nina was born without hands, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-008-0083-4">an unusually common occurrence in this group of macaques</a>. While no one knows for sure why these malformations of the limbs and digits occur, many researchers have suggested a potential link to pesticides or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/%20s10329-014-0405-7">other environmental contaminants</a>. </p>
<p>Nina survived because of a combination of factors: her ability to modify her behaviours to compensate for her physical impairments; the extra care provided by her mother when she was little; and living in a group of monkeys who treat her much <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.01.002">the same way they do non-disabled group members</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576171/original/file-20240216-18-i4irp6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="an infant and older macaque in the middle of the road" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576171/original/file-20240216-18-i4irp6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576171/original/file-20240216-18-i4irp6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=657&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576171/original/file-20240216-18-i4irp6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=657&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576171/original/file-20240216-18-i4irp6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=657&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576171/original/file-20240216-18-i4irp6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=826&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576171/original/file-20240216-18-i4irp6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=826&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576171/original/file-20240216-18-i4irp6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=826&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Nina, a juvenile disabled female Japanese macaque at the Awajishima Monkey Center, sitting with an older Juvenile.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Brogan M. Stewart)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Over the years, we have spent many hours observing Nina and other disabled and non-disabled monkeys, as they live their lives — moving through the forest, socializing with others in their group and finding novel ways of adjusting their behaviours to compensate for physical impairments. </p>
<p>Disability is a <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/resources/factsheet-on-persons-with-disabilities.html">normal part of human experience</a>, with at least <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/disability-and-health">16 per cent of people experiencing some form of disability</a>. However, while conducting research at Awajishima, we have noticed that many people expect that disabled animals would be unlikely to survive. However, Nina and other disabled macaques in her group can survive and reproduce, and are far from being alone among primates of the world. </p>
<h2>Primates and disability</h2>
<p>In a recently published review of the literature on non-human primates and disability in the <em>American Journal of Primatology</em>, we found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.23579">physical impairment is more common among wild and free-ranging primates than most people might think</a>. </p>
<p>We found 114 published papers on primates with disability, not including all the casual observations and field notes that were not published in the scientific literature. These papers included 37 species of non-human primates — monkeys, apes and lemurs — from 70 different study sites (38 of those with wild and free-ranging primates).</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576172/original/file-20240216-16-wcme8i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="a group of monkeys in the middle of a path, three of them are grooming each other" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576172/original/file-20240216-16-wcme8i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576172/original/file-20240216-16-wcme8i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576172/original/file-20240216-16-wcme8i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576172/original/file-20240216-16-wcme8i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576172/original/file-20240216-16-wcme8i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576172/original/file-20240216-16-wcme8i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576172/original/file-20240216-16-wcme8i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Disabled and non-disabled monkeys hanging out and socially grooming at the Awajshima Monkey Center in Japan.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Sarah E. Turner)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>About 45 per cent of these disabilities, like Nina’s, were present from birth, while approximately 24 per cent came from injury, with similar frequency caused by a condition or illness. </p>
<p>Behavioural flexibility or plasticity (the ability to modify activities and actions in response to specific circumstances), the innovation of novel behaviours and extra maternal care stood out in the published research papers.</p>
<p>Seventy papers reported on ways that primates used behavioural flexibility and innovations to compensate for physical impairments, or provided examples of mothers who were able to support the needs of their physically impaired offspring. There were also some instances of other relatives and group members also providing support. </p>
<p>Overall, there was little evidence of social selection against disabled primates. There were also many examples of undifferentiated treatment for disabled individuals, and a few examples of disability-associated care behaviours.</p>
<h2>Human causes of primate disability</h2>
<p>Having studied disabled monkeys, we were not surprised to learn about the behavioural plasticity we found in this review. What was more surprising to us was just how many of these disabilities were linked to anthropogenic activities. </p>
<p>There are many ways that human activities can lead directly and indirectly to long-term disability in our closest animal relatives. Sixty per cent of the published examples of primate disability we surveyed were linked to human causes. </p>
<p>These included: injuries from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2028.2002.00356.x">hunting snares among chimpanzees and gorillas</a>; injuries sustained on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-014-9779-z">roads or from electrical wires in South African baboons</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1896/044.014.0206">South American howler monkeys</a>; and the effects of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1985.0020">diseases transmitted between human and non-human primates</a>.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576599/original/file-20240219-21-gxzmo5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="a monkey with a malformed hand in the foreground, other monkeys in the background" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576599/original/file-20240219-21-gxzmo5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576599/original/file-20240219-21-gxzmo5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=713&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576599/original/file-20240219-21-gxzmo5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=713&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576599/original/file-20240219-21-gxzmo5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=713&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576599/original/file-20240219-21-gxzmo5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=896&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576599/original/file-20240219-21-gxzmo5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=896&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576599/original/file-20240219-21-gxzmo5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=896&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A disabled infant macaque with her mother in the background at the Awajishima Monkey Center in Japan.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Sarah E. Turner)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Human pressure, increasing threats</h2>
<p>At a time when the majority of non-human primates are experiencing declining populations and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abn2927">are threatened with extinction</a>, this link between human activities and physical impairments in primates is a poignant reminder of how humans are impacting other life on Earth. </p>
<p>Wherever non-human primates are found in the world — throughout the tropics and as far north as Japan — they face compounding threats from human pressures. As humans increasingly convert forests and wild lands to agricultural and urban spaces, habitat loss is pushing many <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1600946">primate species towards extinction</a>. </p>
<p>These pressures are exacerbated by resource extraction (often to meet market demand from the Global North), hunting, the exotic pet trade and disease. The threat of major impacts from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-020-02776-5">climate change is also looming on the horizon</a>. Even the most behaviourally flexible, smart, care-giving and innovative of individuals and species may not be able to navigate the scope and variety of these changes and pressures.</p>
<p>Physically impaired and disabled primates often find ways to behaviourally compensate for their impairments, survive and reproduce. </p>
<p>Nina and her friends show us an important side of non-human primate behaviour, giving us a model to examine the capacity for behavioural flexibility in nonhuman primates. Our research also underscores the critical role that humans have in shaping the futures of our closest animal relatives.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222475/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah E. Turner receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada - Leadership in Environmental and Digital innovation for Sustainability (LEADS-CREATE), Fonds de recherche du Québec ‐ Nature et technologies, MITACS Globalink Research Awards, the Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science, and Concordia University.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Brogan M. Stewart receives funding from NSERC - Alexander Graham Bell and CREATE in the Leadership in Environmental and Digital innovation for Sustainability (LEADS), FRQNT, Concordia University, Kyoto University, Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science, and MITACS Globalink.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jack Creeggan receives funding from MITACS Globalink, Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science, Concordia University, and NSERC-CREATE in Leadership in Environmental and Digital innovation for Sustainability (LEADS).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Megan M. Joyce receives funding from MITACS Globalink, Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science, Concordia University, and NSERC-CREATE in Leadership in Environmental and Digital innovation for Sustainability (LEADS).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mikaela Gerwing receives funding from Miriam Aaron Roland Graduate Fellowship, Concordia University, and NSERC - CGS M and CREATE in Leadership in Environmental and Digital innovation for Sustainability (LEADS).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stephanie Eccles receives funding from FRQSC and NSERC‐CREATE in Leadership in Environmental and Digital innovation for Sustainability (LEADS).</span></em></p>A community of macaques in Japan has a high rate of disabled individuals who survive with behavioural flexibility and maternal care. Globally, primate disabilities are often related to human causes.Sarah E. Turner, Associate Professor, Geography, Planning and Environment, Concordia UniversityBrogan M. Stewart, PhD Student in Environmental Science, Concordia UniversityJack Creeggan, Master's Student in Geography, Planning, and Environment, Concordia UniversityMegan M. Joyce, PhD Student in the Department of Geography, Planning and Environment, Concordia UniversityMikaela Gerwing, Wildlife Conservation Biologist and PhD Student, Concordia UniversityStephanie Eccles, PhD Candidate, Department of Geography, Planning, and Environment, Concordia UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2189772024-02-15T22:07:25Z2024-02-15T22:07:25Z8 ways that stopping overfishing will promote biodiversity and help address climate change<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576010/original/file-20240215-18-gqysb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3804%2C2545&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Schools of jackfish pictured in the ocean off Losin, Thailand. Overfishing is a contributing factor in global climate change.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Amid the escalating threats of a warming world, and with the latest annual United Nations global climate conference (COP28) behind us, there is one critical message that’s often left out of the climate change discourse. Halting overfishing is itself effective climate action.</p>
<p>This argument is the logical conclusion of a plethora of studies that unequivocally assert that stopping overfishing isn’t just a necessity, it’s a win-win for ocean vitality, climate robustness and the livelihoods reliant on sustainable fisheries.</p>
<p>The intricate relationship between climate change and ocean ecosystems was the subject of recent collaborative research — led by researchers at the University of British Columbia — that highlighted the crucial links between overfishing and climate change. </p>
<h2>Finding the connections</h2>
<p>Our collaborative team of international researchers applied a host of methodologies ranging from literature reviews to quantitative and quality analysis. The findings of <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1250449">this research</a> illuminate eight key multifaceted impacts.</p>
<p>1 — Ending overfishing <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.00523">isn’t merely an ecological imperative but a vital climate action</a>. Doing so would bolster marine life resilience in the face of climate shifts and reduce associate carbon emissions.</p>
<p>2 — Large subsidized fishing boat fleets can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abm1680">actually be a burden on small-scale fisheries, leaving them disproportionately vulnerable to shocks</a>. In turn, overfishing not only depletes resources but also escalates carbon emissions, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.768784">intensifying climate impacts on these fisheries and their communities, particularly women</a>.</p>
<p>Additionally, the <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.802762">vulnerability of shellfish fisheries to climate stressors further underscores the importance of adaptive strategies</a> tailored to local conditions. </p>
<p>3 — Success stories, like the recovery of European hake stocks, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.788339">reveal a direct tie between stock recuperation and reduced emissions intensity from fisheries</a>. <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-stay-hopeful-in-a-world-seemingly-beyond-saving-210415">We must champion and also learn from these successes</a>.</p>
<p>4 — Ecosystem-based fisheries management reverses the “order of priorities so that management starts with ecosystem considerations rather than the maximum exploitation of several target species.” </p>
<p>Ecosystem-based fisheries management has considerable potential to enhance sustainable catches while fostering carbon sequestration. This is perhaps <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.879998">best exemplified by the successful implimentation of ecosystem-based fisheries management in the western Baltic Sea</a>.</p>
<p>5 — <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.770805">Heavy metal pollution in the ocean — such as mercury or lead waste — intensifies the negative impacts of warming and overfishing</a>. This pollution reinforces the need for developing multifaceted regulations based around ecosystem and ocean sustainability solutions. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/flipping-indigenous-regional-development-in-newfoundland-upside-down-lessons-from-australia-218298">Flipping Indigenous regional development in Newfoundland upside-down: lessons from Australia</a>
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<p>6 — Overfishing <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.597385">exacerbates climate and biodiversity threats</a>. Climate change contributes to less defined and predictable seasons <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-climate-change-induced-stress-is-altering-fish-hormones-with-huge-repercussions-for-reproduction-213140">and is causing reproductive challenges</a> and the <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-further-reducing-fish-stocks-with-worrisome-implications-for-global-food-supplies-217428">propagation of diseases in fish populations</a> — among other issues.</p>
<p>Adding to these problems, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2007.07.001">overfishing itself is altering ecological dynamics, modifying habitats and opening new pathways for invasive species</a>. These compounding crises further exacerbate the impacts of overfishing on marine ecosystems while at the same time making fish populations more vulnerable to climate change.</p>
<p>The above factors all combine to reduce the catch potential in any given ecosystem. In turn, fishers are forced to venture farther and deeper in the ocean to fish — increasing carbon emissions, personal risk factors to fishers and <a href="https://www.greenmatters.com/p/what-is-bycatch">bycatch</a> concerns. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A dead shark is seen tangled in a fishing net." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576013/original/file-20240215-24-d1h82g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576013/original/file-20240215-24-d1h82g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576013/original/file-20240215-24-d1h82g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576013/original/file-20240215-24-d1h82g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576013/original/file-20240215-24-d1h82g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576013/original/file-20240215-24-d1h82g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576013/original/file-20240215-24-d1h82g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Reduced fish catches can lead to fishers going farther, and deeper, out to sea to find fish — with a host of associated consequences.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>7 — International fisheries management must play a central role in promoting biodiversity and retaining the ocean’s carbon sequestration potential. While 87 nations have signed the UN’s <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.764609">Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty</a> (also known as the High Seas Treaty), only one has ratified it. This treaty must be fully ratified and its effective implementation should be contingent upon the creation of marine protected areas that cover at least 30 per cent of the high seas.</p>
<p>8 — The ocean has huge carbon sequestration potential. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.800972">Shifting from the generally accepted maximum of sustainable yield management to maximizing carbon sequestration in fisheries management could further advance climate goals</a>.</p>
<p>Future regulations should allocate a percentage of the annual fish quota to maintain the carbon sequestration function of marine animals. Simply put, beyond just being food, fish stocks serve vital carbon sequestration and biodiversity services that directly benefit humanity. Future regulations should reflect this reality.</p>
<h2>A simple goal</h2>
<p>This joint collaborative research underscores the urgency of this issue. Ending overfishing isn’t just an ecological imperative but a linchpin for climate action. Furthermore, fisheries aren’t mere victims in these dynamics, but have real agency to play a pivotal role in either exacerbating or mitigating climate change.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-future-of-fishing-and-fish-and-the-health-of-the-ocean-hinges-on-economics-and-the-idea-of-infinity-fish-182749">The future of fishing and fish — and the health of the ocean — hinges on economics and the idea of 'infinity fish'</a>
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<p>An ideal governance framework would focus on managing ecosystems with considerations for their diverse benefits, based on the best evidence available. Regulation of fisheries, while controversial, is essential to not overly exploit such a valuable public resource.</p>
<p>As we gear up to the next COP, we would do well to remember these conclusions. Without nurturing ocean life, addressing climate change becomes an uphill battle. Sustainable fisheries management is not just an ecological necessity. It is also the cornerstone of a resilient, sustainable future.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218977/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rashid Sumaila receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the non-governmental organization Our Fish.</span></em></p>Recent research shows how reducing overfishing is both an ecological imperative and a critical means to addressing climate change.Rashid Sumaila, Director & Professor, Fisheries Economics Research Unit, University of British ColumbiaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2234842024-02-15T14:54:18Z2024-02-15T14:54:18ZMigratory animals face mass extinction – but as a conservationist I’m optimistic<p>The world is facing three planetary crises: biodiversity loss, climate change and environmental pollution. Recognised threats to biodiversity include <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/536143a">habitat loss and overexploitation</a> but new analyses suggest that migratory species are faring particularly badly.</p>
<p>The global extinction risk is increasing for all migratory species. Importantly, however, there is cause for optimism. </p>
<p>I’m writing this in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for the 14th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species. This UN biodiversity treaty came into being in 1983 to support the conservation and sustainable use of migratory species. </p>
<p>I’m here with representatives of many of the world’s governments, United Nations agencies and various environmental organisations. The aim of the meeting is to review implementation of the convention, consider including additional species under the treaty and address emerging issues of concern for migratory species. </p>
<p>This is a flagship event. It is the first time that member countries have met in person since the COVID pandemic and the first such meeting ever to be held in Central Asia. </p>
<h2>Status update</h2>
<p>A landmark <a href="https://www.cms.int/sites/default/files/document/cms_cop14_doc.21.1_state-of-migratory-species_e.pdf">report</a> titled the State of the World’s Migratory Species has been launched at the meeting, the first ever report of its kind. The results are alarming. </p>
<p>They indicate that three in four species included under the convention are affected by habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation and seven in ten listed species are threatened by direct use and trade to varying degrees. Worse still, they suggest that the extinction risk is increasing for all migratory species, including those not included under the convention. </p>
<p>Some species are of particular concern. Populations of fish included under the convention have declined on average by 90% since 1970. Many species under the convention that need or would significantly benefit from international cooperation, are identified as high priorities for further conservation action based on their conservation status and biological vulnerability. </p>
<p>These include 90 species of bird (including the whooping crane), 18 terrestrial mammals (such as the African hunting dog) and 12 aquatic mammals (such as the Amazon river dolphin). In some cases, this is despite these animals having been listed under the convention for decades. </p>
<p>This report is important because it details the range of threats that migrating species face. Animals migrate for various reasons including to find food, to reproduce, and ultimately to survive. Importantly, they do not respect national borders. </p>
<p>They may also face different threats along migration routes. Understanding the scope and severity of these threats where they occur is therefore essential to informing conservation action, especially in the context of the triple planetary crises. </p>
<h2>Effective action</h2>
<p>More broadly the report is important because it enables an assessment of how conservation efforts to conserve migratory species listed under the convention are working or if they are not. The results also call into question the effectiveness of the convention itself. </p>
<p>The effectiveness of multilateral environmental agreements can be measured in various ways but arguably the most critical measure of effectiveness is whether such agreements are solving the problem for which they were designed.</p>
<p>There are various reasons why such agreements are not always as effective as they could be. These include a lack of political will, a lack of resources to identify and implement context-specific measures at relevant scales and a lack of resources for law enforcement. </p>
<p>Success stories do shine through, though. Native to central Asia, the saiga antelope was included in the convention in 2006. This has proven key to catalysing concerted conservation action for the saiga. </p>
<p>In 2006, all range countries for this species, including Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, also signed a memorandum of understanding vowing to restore saiga populations by improving monitoring, reducing poaching and illegal trade and creating alternative livelihood options for local communities.</p>
<p>Saiga range countries are well on their way to achieving this objective. In the last 15 years, new knowledge of the saiga antelope’s ecology, migration and trade has been generated and effective anti-poaching measures have been implemented. </p>
<p>As a result, the saiga was moved from critically endangered to near threatened on the <a href="https://www.iucn.org/press-release/202312/freshwater-fish-highlight-escalating-climate-impacts-species-iucn-red-list">International Union for Conservation of Nature</a> red list of threatened species in 2023. This has been possible because of political will in range countries but also because of collaboration between government agencies, conservation practitioners, environmental organisations and academics. </p>
<p>Here in Samarkand, this collaborative effort is clear to see. For the saiga, collaborators have focused on several aspects of the species’ conservation. These include evaluating management approaches, sustainable use of the species, stockpile management, building the saiga conservation network and identifying key research needs along international supply chains.</p>
<h2>Catalysing cross-border conservation</h2>
<p>While headlines are bleak, I feel optimistic. This landmark meeting has been positive and I’ve noticed a renewed sense of commitment to improve the conservation of migratory species. There is a clear sense that the governments gathered here know what they need to do. It is now about getting on and doing it. </p>
<p>This reflects the fact that the scientific community does know how to conserve species. Conservation measures should be context-specific, applied at relevant scales, and socially legitimate among local communities and Indigenous peoples if they are to be <a href="https://www.ipbes.net/sustainable-use-assessment">successful</a>. </p>
<p>Renewed commitment to conservation solutions identified in this report could build political will to act together. If member countries can rise to the challenge, then there is hope for the world’s migratory species.</p>
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<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dan Challender receives funding from the UKRI Global Challenges Research Fund (UKRI GCRF) through the Trade, Development, and the Environment Hub and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, and has previously received funding from the National Geographic Society. He is CITES Focal Point for the IUCN SSC Pangolin Specialist Group and is a member of the IUCN CEESP/SSC Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group.</span></em></p>Nature knows no borders. While decline of threatened migratory animals is alarming, there are reasons to be optimistic about international conservation efforts.Dan Challender, Research Fellow, Conservation Science and Policy, University of OxfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2193632024-02-13T18:30:40Z2024-02-13T18:30:40Z‘Fortress’ conservation policies threaten the food security of rural populations<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575435/original/file-20240213-28-bvlney.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5725%2C3819&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Pine trees reflected in smooth water of the lake. Waterlogged valley in the snowy Rocky Mountains.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Barriers created by “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/08039410.2005.9666319">fortress conservation</a>” — as in the near-total sectioning off of land for conservation without human interference — are threatening important dietary diversity for the up to 1.5 billion people around the world <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-023-00776-z">who rely on wild foods</a>, from bushmeat to wild vegetables and fruit. </p>
<p>Conservation, especially when modelled on notions of “pristine nature” — environments untouched by human influence — can create obstacles by limiting access to important food sources. We must shift from strict fortress conservation to more integrated, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.104822">sustainable use of rural landscapes</a> if we are to achieve both biodiversity conservation and dietary outcomes. </p>
<p>Policymakers must take this into account and design policies that better inform global, regional and national commitments to food security and nutrition — especially in the context an ever-changing and unpredictable climate. </p>
<p>These policies must recognize people’s rights of access to these landscapes to ensure dietary diversity in rural settings. Policies for <a href="https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/hlpe/hlpe_documents/HLPE_Reports/HLPE-Report-11_EN.pdf">sustainable forestry</a> are also a key component of sustainable food systems.</p>
<h2>Settling down</h2>
<p>Human societies were nomadic for the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2019.102488">majority of our history</a>. In turn, traditional diets were mostly comprised of wild foods, both plants and animals, that were harvested from the surrounding environment. </p>
<p>However, over time, communities became increasingly sedentary and relied more and more on foods that were cultivated, rather than those collected from the wild. </p>
<p>This process dramatically accelerated in the last century with the <a href="https://www.treehugger.com/green-revolution-history-technologies-and-impact-5189596">Green Revolution</a> beginning in the 1940s, characterized by the increased dominance of monoculture agriculture. This shift is the greatest driver of forest and other habitat loss globally, resulting in the <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC64895">substantial simplification of our diets</a>. </p>
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<img alt="A tractor sprays pesticides on a soybean field." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575072/original/file-20240212-26-7iq9ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575072/original/file-20240212-26-7iq9ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575072/original/file-20240212-26-7iq9ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575072/original/file-20240212-26-7iq9ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575072/original/file-20240212-26-7iq9ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575072/original/file-20240212-26-7iq9ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575072/original/file-20240212-26-7iq9ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">A tractor sprays pesticides on a soybean field. Monoculture farming can produce high yields, but at the cost of extreme fragility to external climatic and environmental shocks.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>However, we have since learned that biodiverse wild and naturalized species are integral in rural food consumption, contributing to diverse diets, better nutrition and overall health and well-being, often for the poorest members of society. In other words, diversity in diets is linked with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00091-2">better nutrition and improved overall health</a>.</p>
<p>Up to 1.5 billion people globally <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2020.00029">depend on wild foods for nutrition and dietary diversity, particularly in the tropics</a>. Building policies that protect people’s rights to access these landscapes is of paramount importance to ensure such dietary diversity in many rural settings.</p>
<p>We must devote attention to people living in rural areas around the planet, where their <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605322000916">access to wild foods</a> — including those found in forests — has become limited. That’s cutting off important sources of healthy food and nutrition.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-culturally-appropriate-diets-can-be-a-pathway-to-food-security-in-the-canadian-arctic-209575">How culturally appropriate diets can be a pathway to food security in the Canadian Arctic</a>
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<p>Global initiatives to set aside land for biodiversity conservation can compromise such access and thus significantly reduce dietary diversity. </p>
<p>Current commitments, such as the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02048-2">30 x 30 initiative</a>, in the name of conservation can result in the annexation of land and curtail the rights and access to diverse food sources by local people, despite <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-018-0100-6">evidence that locally-led conservation can play an integral role in improving both ecological and human welfare</a>.</p>
<h2>Local stewards</h2>
<p>It is increasingly recognized that those who benefit from access — mostly Indigenous Peoples and local communities — are the best stewards of that land. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-food/about-right-food-and-human-rights">Food</a> is a fundamental human right, recognized by many international treaties and nation states. However, land annexation in the name of conservation, and loss of access to the natural resources they contain, continues unabated. </p>
<p>The major issue is that the notion of “pristine nature” does not exist in most landscapes, both tropical and temperate. Indeed, most environments are more a <a href="https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-12322-260206">manifestation of human use and management than the product of natural forces alone</a>. The recognition of how humans have shaped and promoted biodiversity-rich landscapes is often missed in the implmentation of conservation. </p>
<p>It’s time for action on the evidence that forests and tree-based landscapes <a href="https://www.iufro.org/fileadmin/material/publications/iufro-series/ws33/ws33.pdf">can (and must be) a small but integral part of the solution to the global problem of food security and nutrition</a>. In essence, forests and trees should play a role in global food security strategies.</p>
<p>The role of wild foods in contributing to the United Nations’ <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/55601EBA11ED5027EF2901A3AE017744/9781108486996c2_48-71.pdf/sdg_2_zero_hunger_challenging_the_hegemony_of_monoculture_agriculture_for_forests_and_people.pdf">Sustainable Development Goal 2, Zero Hunger, has also been underscored</a> and there is considerable <a href="https://www.fao.org/interactive/sdg2-roadmap/en/">emerging evidence</a> on just how sustainable tree-based wild food systems could contribute to the overall 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development. </p>
<p>Yet little real progress has been made in recognizing this at a functional or policy level, acknowledging the fundamental contribution of wild foods to dietary diversity. </p>
<p>The discourse of achieving global food security, with a focus on monoculture crops and industrial agriculture with all its environmental and nutritional deficiencies, remains dominant. This is resulting in continuing habitat loss, primarily within forests and other tree-based systems. </p>
<h2>The way forward</h2>
<p>The recent <a href="https://www.cop28.com/en/food-and-agriculture">Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Action</a> at the COP28 climate summit goes some way to recognize the importance of “smallholders, family farmers, fisherfolk and other producers and food workers.” However, there is no mention of the role of wild foods in rural nutrition, nor the role that forests and trees play in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2017.01.012">supporting agriculture</a> through ecosystem service provision. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/flipping-indigenous-regional-development-in-newfoundland-upside-down-lessons-from-australia-218298">Flipping Indigenous regional development in Newfoundland upside-down: lessons from Australia</a>
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<p>This must change to allow sustainable use initiatives to play a critical role in complementing and supporting diverse and nutritious diets for the rural poor — without compromising biodiversity goals or climate change mitigation strategies.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219363/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Terry Sunderland does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Integrating local and Indigenous knowledge into conservation can help to support diverse diets without compromising biodiversity goals.Terry Sunderland, Professor in the Faculty of Forestry, University of British ColumbiaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2229862024-02-12T19:10:59Z2024-02-12T19:10:59ZThe world’s spectacular animal migrations are dwindling. Fishing, fences and development are fast-tracking extinctions<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574878/original/file-20240212-16-a4jpiw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C401%2C4459%2C2567&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/bartailed-godwits-flight-1288802884">Alec Taylor/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In 1875, trillions of Rocky Mountain locusts gathered and began migrating across the western United States in search of food. The enormous swarm covered an area larger than California. Three decades later, these grasshoppers were extinct.</p>
<p>This fate is all too common for migratory species. Their journeys can make them especially vulnerable to hunting or fishing. They may move between countries, meaning protecting the species in one jurisdiction isn’t enough. And it’s hard for us to even know if they’re in trouble. </p>
<p>Today, we get a global glimpse of how migratory species are faring, in the <a href="https://www.cms.int/en/publication/state-worlds-migratory-species">first-ever stocktake</a> produced by the United Nations Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species. The report shows falling populations in close to half (44%) the 1,189 species tracked by the convention. The problem is much worse underwater – 90% of migratory fish species are threatened with extinction.</p>
<p>Their decline is not inevitable. After all, the migratory humpback whale was headed for rapid extinction – until we stopped whaling. </p>
<h2>Why are migratory species at higher risk?</h2>
<p>Every year, birds weighing about 300 grams leave Siberia and fly non-stop to Australia. Some bar-tailed godwits <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/27/bar-tailed-godwit-sets-world-record-with-13560km-continuous-flight-from-alaska-to-southern-australia">fly 13,000 km</a> without stopping – one of the longest known continuous migrations. </p>
<p>Their journeys are critical for their life cycles – to find food, mates or a better climate. To undertake these journeys, animals must be in good condition with plenty of fat stores, and they must have safe flyways, swimways and pathways. </p>
<p>On land, roads and fences carve up migratory routes for animals like wildebeest. At sea, fishing trawlers chase migrating schools of fish and often accidentally collect sea turtles, albatrosses and whales. On seashores, development or land reclamation take away vital resting points for migrating shorebirds. </p>
<p>What the report shows us is that migration between countries is getting harder and harder. While a few species are benefiting greatly from farming and artificial wetlands, many more are being severely harmed. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574874/original/file-20240212-20-5wyi5j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="wildebeest" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574874/original/file-20240212-20-5wyi5j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574874/original/file-20240212-20-5wyi5j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=336&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574874/original/file-20240212-20-5wyi5j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=336&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574874/original/file-20240212-20-5wyi5j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=336&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574874/original/file-20240212-20-5wyi5j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574874/original/file-20240212-20-5wyi5j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574874/original/file-20240212-20-5wyi5j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Even the largest migrations can be stopped by fences or other barriers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/wildebeest-on-savannah-africa-1612993756">Mcknub/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>Overexploitation is the top risk</h2>
<p>Human exploitation of migratory species – taken as food, bycatch or exterminated as “pest” species – is the main reason why these species are in decline. </p>
<p>Animals often migrate in large groups, making them an appealing target for hunting or fishing. This is why we no longer have species such as the passenger pigeon, once numbering in their billions but hunted to extinction in 100 years. </p>
<p>Marine species are often out of sight, out of mind. But this report is a huge red flag for ocean ecosystems. Oceanic shark and ray populations have fallen 71% since 1970, which coincides with an 18 fold increase in fishing pressure. Bycatch in commercial fisheries is a huge problem for sharks, turtles, mammals and birds, but it can be massively reduced with existing technology, if deployed across all fleets </p>
<p>Overexploitation can be stopped. In 1981, <a href="http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dfat/treaties/1981/6.html">Australia and Japan agreed</a> to stop hunting Latham’s Snipe, a migratory shorebird that travels between the two countries. It’s the same story for humpback whales, which have returned in large numbers – and created a new industry, whale-watching. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574865/original/file-20240212-22-rd6a4j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="dead manta ray fishing" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574865/original/file-20240212-22-rd6a4j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574865/original/file-20240212-22-rd6a4j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574865/original/file-20240212-22-rd6a4j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574865/original/file-20240212-22-rd6a4j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574865/original/file-20240212-22-rd6a4j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574865/original/file-20240212-22-rd6a4j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574865/original/file-20240212-22-rd6a4j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Populations of sharks and rays have plummeted since 1970 – and fishing pressure is to blame.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/on-seashore-laid-out-manta-rays-157715903">Orin/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>On fences and stepping stones</h2>
<p>Direct killing of migratory animals isn’t the only threat. Clearing forests and grassland for farming destroys habitat. Light pollution can mess with navigation, climate change plays havoc with the timing of migration, and underwater noise pollution can confuse marine migrants. Even simple actions like building fences, roads and dams can disrupt migrations over land and through rivers. </p>
<p>Many migratory species need stepping stones: resting sites linking up their whole migratory route. If just one site is lost – or if animals are intensely hunted there – the whole chain can collapse. </p>
<p>Once identified, key areas have to be protected, which is where we often get stuck. But there are glimmers of hope. Last year conservation of these areas in the ocean got a boost when the world’s nations agreed to <a href="https://www.un.org/bbnj/">better protect</a> the high seas beyond national jurisdictions, which fills a planet-sized gap in biodiversity governance. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-now-have-a-treaty-governing-the-high-seas-can-it-protect-the-wild-west-of-the-oceans-201184">We now have a treaty governing the high seas. Can it protect the Wild West of the oceans?</a>
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<h2>What the report didn’t cover</h2>
<p>This is a groundbreaking report, but it has limitations. First, it only covers species listed under the UN convention, a tiny fraction of all migratory species. Listing unlocks stronger protections and urgently needs to be rolled out to more species.</p>
<p>For instance, around 60 migratory fish species are covered – but more than 1,700 others are not. Of these unprotected species, almost 25% are threatened, near threatened or there’s not enough data to know. </p>
<p>That’s to say nothing of insects. To date, only one insect is listed on the convention, the famous Monarch butterfly which migrates from the United States to Mexico. But <a href="https://radarentomology.com.au/">millions of tonnes of insects</a> migrate through the airspace each year, and we have largely no idea what they are, where they’re going or how they’re faring. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574881/original/file-20240212-28-ubdzxt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="monarch butterfly" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574881/original/file-20240212-28-ubdzxt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574881/original/file-20240212-28-ubdzxt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574881/original/file-20240212-28-ubdzxt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574881/original/file-20240212-28-ubdzxt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574881/original/file-20240212-28-ubdzxt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574881/original/file-20240212-28-ubdzxt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574881/original/file-20240212-28-ubdzxt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Monarch butterflies get the press – but many more insect species migrate.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/monarch-butterflies-danaus-plexippus-flying-on-2232245525">Gudkov Andrey/Shutterstock</a></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Can we save these species?</h2>
<p>We now know much more about why migratory species are in decline. But we’re still not acting to protect them adequately. </p>
<p>More than 90% of the world’s migratory birds aren’t adequately protected by national parks and other protected areas. Only 8% of the world’s protected land is joined up, preventing migrating animals from moving safely across their routes. Because of this, animals have to make daring sorties across unprotected land or sea to complete their journeys. </p>
<p>So what can be done? Agreements between countries can create more action, but in practice, each country needs to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12345">actually do</a> what it has already promised. </p>
<p>Policymakers can turn to a bevy of new tools, including <a href="https://www.birdlife.org/projects/ibas-mapping-most-important-places/">Important Bird & Biodiversity Areas</a> and the <a href="https://mico.eco/">Migratory Connectivity in the Ocean</a> system, to provide easy access to knowledge on how migratory species use and move through the world.</p>
<p>Animal migrations have collapsed on our watch. We need to do all we can to stem the losses and begin recovery if we want future generations to be able to experience nature in all its glory.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/from-australia-to-africa-fences-are-stopping-earths-great-animal-migrations-114586">From Australia to Africa, fences are stopping Earth's great animal migrations</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222986/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Richard Fuller receives funding for migratory species research from the Australian Research Council and the National Environmental Science Program. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Daniel Dunn receives funding from the Australian Research Council for a Discovery Project focused on understanding migratory connectivity in the ocean, and leads the development of the Migratory Connectivity in the Ocean (MiCO; mico.eco) system, which has been previously supported by the German International Climate Initiative (IKI) and UNEP-WCMC, the authors of the UN report.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lily Bentley works on the Migratory Connectivity in the Ocean (MiCO; mico.eco) system, which has been previously supported by the German International Climate Initiative (IKI) and UNEP-WCMC, the authors of the UN report.</span></em></p>Wildebeest herds churning dust. Sturgeon seeking spawning grounds. Shorebirds flying from Siberia. These iconic animal migrations could soon be a memory.Richard Fuller, Professor in Biodiversity and Conservation, The University of QueenslandDaniel Dunn, A/Prof of Marine Conservation Science & Director of the Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science (CBCS), The University of QueenslandLily Bentley, Postdoctoral research fellow, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2227582024-02-12T04:05:14Z2024-02-12T04:05:14ZFirst Peoples’ land overlaps with 130 imperilled bird species – and their knowledge may be vital to saving them<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574854/original/file-20240212-29-rjgkix.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=18%2C0%2C6020%2C4019&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australia’s First Peoples have a strong and continuing connection to the land. Their determination to maintain this connection provides important opportunities for conservation. </p>
<p>Our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/01584197.2023.2290008">new research</a> explored this opportunity by examining where Australia’s imperilled birds overlap with the Country of First Peoples. We defined such land as anything considered part of the Aboriginal or Indigenous estate. The includes but is not confined to <a href="https://www.niaa.gov.au/indigenous-affairs/environment/indigenous-protected-areas-ipas">Indigenous Protected Areas</a>, native title land and areas controlled by Indigenous land councils.</p>
<p>More than 200 Australian bird species are <a href="https://theconversation.com/more-than-200-australian-birds-are-now-threatened-with-extinction-and-climate-change-is-the-biggest-danger-172751">threatened with extinction</a>. Our analysis found 64% of these, or about 130 species, occur on lands and waters to which First Peoples’ groups have a legal determination. </p>
<p>We hope our research may lead to greater collaboration between First Peoples and conservationists. We also hope it elevates First Peoples’ voices to inform how we understand and care for our precious birds.</p>
<h2>‘Threatened species’ is a Western concept</h2>
<p>In the decades since Australia’s <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2004A04485">threatened species legislation</a> was passed in 1992, First Peoples have become <a href="https://www.nespthreatenedspecies.edu.au/news-and-media/latest-news/indigenous-people-critical-for-threatened-species">key partners</a> in conservation.</p>
<p>Australia’s First Peoples <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-peoples">make up just 3.2%</a> of the population. Yet Indigenous Protected Areas – land, sea, and river Country managed by Traditional Owners and Custodians, and Indigenous ranger groups – comprise <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/land/publications/australia-indigenous-protected-area-program">87 million hectares</a>, or more than 50% of Australia’s conservation reserve system.</p>
<p>For millennia, birds have been <a href="https://aiatsis.gov.au/publication/35018">integral</a> to the cultural practice and livelihoods of Australia’s First Peoples. They play a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/emr.12542">major role</a> in many songlines, are sung and danced in ceremony, act as totems and are managed as key food resources. Many First Peoples are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S000632071200314X?via%3Dihub">keenly aware</a> of declines in once-common bird species.</p>
<p>The concept of “threatened species” is founded in Western science and is not necessarily a term First Peoples use. And a bird species considered threatened may not be culturally significant to First Peoples.</p>
<p>However, many First Peoples have chosen to <a href="https://www.nespthreatenedspecies.edu.au/media/44vjrs2b/6-2-quantifying-current-potential-contributions-of-aust-indigenous-peoples-to-threatened-species-management.pdf">engage actively</a> in the conservation of imperilled species and there are opportunities to expand this. Exactly where those opportunities lie was the subject of our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/01584197.2023.2290008">new research</a>.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-stench-of-tokenism-how-environmental-reforms-ignore-first-nations-knowledge-198393">'A stench of tokenism': how environmental reforms ignore First Nations knowledge</a>
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<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="small bird on branch" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574864/original/file-20240212-26-ylqszg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574864/original/file-20240212-26-ylqszg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574864/original/file-20240212-26-ylqszg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574864/original/file-20240212-26-ylqszg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574864/original/file-20240212-26-ylqszg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574864/original/file-20240212-26-ylqszg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574864/original/file-20240212-26-ylqszg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The chestnut-rumped heathwren, one of about 130 threatened birds found on Country connected to First Peoples.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<h2>What we found</h2>
<p>Many non-Indigenous people think of Australia as one country. But for First Peoples, the continent comprises <a href="https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/map-indigenous-australia">many countries</a>, each of which is home to distinct groups, each with their own culture, customs, language and laws.</p>
<p>Under Australian law, First Peoples lack legal title to much of their ancestral lands. Regardless, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/education/in-my-blood-it-runs-connections-to-country/13810318">connections to Country</a> – and <a href="https://theconversation.com/allowing-duck-hunting-to-continue-in-victoria-is-shameful-and-part-of-a-disturbing-trend-222156">species that live there</a> – remain. </p>
<p>Our study identified 463 First Peoples’ Country on which about 130 threatened birds occur. Mapping of First Peoples’ Country is incomplete, and boundaries between groups are often blurred or disputed, so the actual number is likely to be higher still.</p>
<p>More than 20 species are found on the Country of four First Peoples groups - the Ngarrindjeri People of south-east South Australia, the Nywaigi of the Wet Tropics of north Queensland, and the Wiradjuri and Yuin of New South Wales.</p>
<p>Some 14 species have highly restricted ranges. For example, the entire population of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/dec/02/six-australian-birds-you-may-never-have-heard-of-and-may-not-be-heard-from-again">Australia’s rarest bird</a>, the mukarrthippi grasswren, lives on Ngiyampaa Country in central NSW. Mukarrthippi is a name created by the Ngiyampaa Elders. </p>
<p>Similarly, the forested hills north of Adelaide are both Nukunu Country and home to the chestnut-rumped heathwren. The Wurundjeri are the Traditional Owners of Yellingbo Nature Conservation Area, home of the last helmeted honeyeaters. And the entire range of three threatened species is on the Country of Tiwi Islander First Peoples.</p>
<p>Some 15 threatened bird species occur on Country of more than 50 First Peoples groups. Some of these, such as southern boobook owls and southern whitefaces, are declining rapidly across their vast ranges. Others, such as the <a href="https://environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/species/pubs/929-conservation-advice-09072020.pdf">grey falcon</a>, are exceedingly scarce.</p>
<h2>How First Peoples can become more involved</h2>
<p>We don’t expect our research to guide First Nations people in identifying their priorities. But it may help First Peoples know which threatened bird species occur on their Country. They may then choose to seek support to protect these species.</p>
<p>For example, First Peoples may seek expansion of <a href="https://www.niaa.gov.au/indigenous-affairs/environment/indigenous-protected-areas-ipas">Indigenous Protected Areas</a> where the species occur. These areas comprise land, sea, and river Country managed by First Nations groups.</p>
<p>Or the threatened species could become a focus of management by <a href="https://www.niaa.gov.au/indigenous-affairs/environment/indigenous-rangers-program">Indigenous rangers</a>, a form of employment for First Peoples that has proliferated in recent decades. </p>
<p>The monitoring of imperilled birds is another activity where First Peoples already contribute strongly but could be more involved. Some First Peoples may have been monitoring species themselves and be willing to share their knowledge of population trends and cycles. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/humpback-whales-hold-lore-for-traditional-custodians-but-laws-dont-protect-species-for-their-cultural-significance-213073">Humpback whales hold lore for Traditional Custodians. But laws don't protect species for their cultural significance</a>
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<h2>Compensation for centuries of damage</h2>
<p>Numerous opportunities exist for First Peoples to engage in threatened bird conservation should they choose to. But one big barrier to this is a perennial lack of funding.</p>
<p>For example, Indigenous Protected Areas make up almost half of Australia’s conservation areas, yet <a href="https://theconversation.com/indigenous-rangers-dont-receive-the-funding-they-deserve-heres-why-115916">receive just a fraction</a> of funding for the federal conservation estate.</p>
<p>This is unjust. Our research also found all threats to Australia’s imperilled birds were a consequence of colonisation. They include habitat destruction, changed fire regimes, invasive species and climate change.</p>
<p>This suggests governments have a moral, and potentially legal, responsibility for supporting the conservation work of First Peoples. Such support should be viewed not as charity or welfare, but through the <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0047117818782595">lens</a> of restorative and <a href="https://digitalcommons.law.uw.edu/wjelp/vol8/iss2/4/">intergenerational justice</a>.</p>
<p>Australia’s First Peoples were begrudgingly granted land rights after two centuries of having their ownership denied. They also have a right to compensation for the damage done.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/indigenous-rangers-dont-receive-the-funding-they-deserve-heres-why-115916">Indigenous rangers don’t receive the funding they deserve – here's why</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222758/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amanda Lilleyman is affiliated with BirdLife Australia. She works for and consults to Aboriginal ranger groups and Charles Darwin University. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jack Pascoe is affiliated with Back to Country and is Co-Chief Councilor of the Biodiversity Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stephen Garnett works for Charles Darwin University. He receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He is affiliated with BirdLife Australia. </span></em></p>Australia’s First Peoples have a strong and continuing connection to the land. Their determination to maintain this connection provides important opportunities for conservation. Our new research explored…Amanda Lilleyman, Adjunct associate, Charles Darwin UniversityJack Pascoe, Research fellow, The University of MelbourneStephen Garnett, Professor of Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods, Charles Darwin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2200252024-02-08T16:54:26Z2024-02-08T16:54:26ZAI in the developing world: how ‘tiny machine learning’ can have a big impact<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574354/original/file-20240208-22-lty35i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C8%2C2000%2C1353&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A team in Argentina is using sensors based on TinyML technology to study _Chelonoidis chilensis_ tortoises. Little is known about its biology and the species is in a vulnerable state. The small sensors, in black on the shell, are small enough to allow the animal to move freely. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) applications has traditionally been dominated by the use of resource-intensive servers centralised in industrialised nations. However, recent years have witnessed the emergence of small, energy-efficient devices for AI applications, a concept known as <a href="https://www.datacamp.com/blog/what-is-tinyml-tiny-machine-learning">tiny machine learning</a> (TinyML).</p>
<p>We’re most familiar with consumer-facing applications such as <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1711.07128">Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant</a>, but the limited cost and small size of such devices allow them to be deployed in the field. For example, the technology has been used to <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3582515.3609514">detect mosquito wingbeats and so help prevent the spread of malaria</a>. It’s also been part of the <a href="https://www.smartparks.org/opencollar-io/">development of low-power animal collars to support conservation efforts</a>.</p>
<h2>Small size, big impact</h2>
<p>Distinguished by their small size and low cost, TinyML devices operate within constraints reminiscent of the dawn of the personal-computer era – memory is measured in kilobytes and hardware can be had for as little as US$1. This is possible because TinyML doesn’t require a laptop computer or even a mobile phone. Instead, it can instead run on simple microcontrollers that power standard electronic components worldwide. In fact, given that there are already <a href="https://venturebeat.com/ai/why-tinyml-is-a-giant-opportunity/">250 billion microcontrollers deployed globally</a>, devices that support TinyML are already available at scale.</p>
<p>A number of development packages for TinyML applications are available. Two popular options are <a href="https://store-usa.arduino.cc/products/arduino-tiny-machine-learning-kit">Arduino</a> and <a href="https://www.seeedstudio.com/XIAO-ESP32S3-Sense-p-5639.html">Seeed Studio</a>, both of which come with additional sensors for audio, vision, and motion-based applications.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573124/original/file-20240202-23-rgy9pf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C48%2C4031%2C2764&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573124/original/file-20240202-23-rgy9pf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C48%2C4031%2C2764&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573124/original/file-20240202-23-rgy9pf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573124/original/file-20240202-23-rgy9pf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573124/original/file-20240202-23-rgy9pf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573124/original/file-20240202-23-rgy9pf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573124/original/file-20240202-23-rgy9pf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573124/original/file-20240202-23-rgy9pf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">TinyML workshop at Universiti Kebangsaan, Malaysia, 2023. Participants working on the ‘smile’ or ‘serious’ face-detection application.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Marco Zennaro</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How does it work?</h2>
<p>Like classical machine learning, TinyML involves data collection – often from Internet of Things (IoT) devices – and cloud-based training. Let’s consider an outdoor object-detection application – for example, counting the number of cars on a street to see how heavy the traffic there is. In the classical ML process, images have to be gathered using a webcam and sent to a cloud server where the training takes place. Once the trained model provides an acceptable level of accuracy, the system is ready to detect cars from a new video feed. The ML model runs on the cloud, so an Internet connection is necessary.</p>
<p>In the TinyML system, however, the model is deployed on the device itself and is ready to detect objects with no need for connectivity. The first part of the process (gathering data and training the model on the cloud) follows the classical ML model but the inference phase (detecting objects) runs on the device itself. This is how TinyML diverges from traditional server-based architectures: it deploys pre-trained compact models optimised for limited resources onto embedded devices, enabling real-time, low-power data analysis and decision-making, all independent of cloud connectivity.</p>
<p>TinyML offers several advantages over traditional centralised server-based models:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Affordability: the technology’s low cost makes these devices accessible to a wide range of users including educational institutions and students in the developing world.</p></li>
<li><p>Sustainability: the modest energy consumption produces a <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3608473">low carbon footprint</a>, reducing impact on the environment.</p></li>
<li><p>Flexibility and scalability: it enables the development of applications that address the needs of local communities rather than global agendas.</p></li>
<li><p>Internet independent: Because everything is embedded, TinyML devices can operate without online connectivity. This is particularly beneficial for the third of the world that still does not have Internet access.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>TinyML applications already power <a href="https://cms.tinyml.org/wp-content/uploads/summit2021/tinyMLSummit2021d3_tinyTalks_Gandhi.pdf">personalised sensors for athletics and provide localisation where GPS isn’t available</a>. They’re also employed by startups such as <a href="https://usefulsensors.com/">Useful Sensors</a>, which offers privacy-conserving conversational agents, QR code scanners, and person-detection hardware. Only through the use of TinyML could these smart devices run on the low-cost, low-power microcontrollers.</p>
<h2>Developing in the Global South</h2>
<p>To help the use of TinyML grow in regions where a centralised machine-learning model would face significant challenges, we built <a href="https://tinymledu.org/4d">TinyML4D</a>, a network of academic institutions in developing countries. It already includes more than 40 countries spanning the Global South from Columbia to Ethiopia to Malaysia.</p>
<p>With support from UNESCO’s International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) and from Harvard University’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science, the network was launched in 2021. Its aim is to develop a community of educators, researchers and practitioners focused on both improving access to TinyML education, and developing innovative solutions to address the unique challenges faced by developing countries.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573122/original/file-20240202-19-rq3yjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573122/original/file-20240202-19-rq3yjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573122/original/file-20240202-19-rq3yjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=216&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573122/original/file-20240202-19-rq3yjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=216&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573122/original/file-20240202-19-rq3yjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=216&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573122/original/file-20240202-19-rq3yjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=271&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573122/original/file-20240202-19-rq3yjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=271&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573122/original/file-20240202-19-rq3yjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=271&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Map of the TinyML Academic Network. More than 50 universities are part of the network as of February 2024.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Marcelo Rovai</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>To make all this possible, we needed to develop ways to share educational resources globally. Initial efforts included distributing TinyML hardware kits to selected universities with budgetary challenges. We also organised global and regional (Africa, Latin America, and Asia) workshops and training sessions. Using a mixture of in-person, online and hybrid methods, we’ve reached more 1,000 participants in over than 50 countries. The combination of no-cost or low-cost hardware resources, combined with open-source course materials and workshops has enabled TinyML to be taught by many of our network members in their home countries.</p>
<p>Beyond our workshops and training activities, we have launched a series of regional collaborations, outreach activities and virtual “show and tell” events to share best practices and augment our network’s impact among practitioners. Throughout, there has been a strong focus on addressing the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs).</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573125/original/file-20240202-27-wcu4vh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573125/original/file-20240202-27-wcu4vh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573125/original/file-20240202-27-wcu4vh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=797&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573125/original/file-20240202-27-wcu4vh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=797&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573125/original/file-20240202-27-wcu4vh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=797&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573125/original/file-20240202-27-wcu4vh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1001&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573125/original/file-20240202-27-wcu4vh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1001&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573125/original/file-20240202-27-wcu4vh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1001&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Workshop at Kobe Institute of Computing, Japan, in 2023. Participants are working on ‘keyword spotting’ applications, developing their personal Alexa/Google Home on a $10 device. The system can be trained to recognise local dialects.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Marco Zennaro</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These collaborations have led to multiple peer-reviewed papers on TinyML applications. In addition to the solution to <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3524458.3547258">detect mosquito species</a>, which could lead to more efficient malaria-control campaigns, others include the <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3586991">responsible use of intelligent sensors</a> and low-cost solutions to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkZEFzBfiJI">monitoring atrial fibrillation and sinus rhythm</a>. They’re also used by Cornell University’s <a href="https://www.elephantlisteningproject.org/about-elp/">“Elephant Listening Project”</a> as well <a href="https://arxiv.org/pdf/2105.11493.pdf">monitoring water quality in aquaculture to help make it more sustainable</a>, a project supported by EU’s <a href="https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-2020_en">Horizon 2020</a> programme.</p>
<h2>Looking forward</h2>
<p>TinyML represents a transformative approach to artificial intelligence and is especially pertinent to developing countries. It offers a sustainable path toward democratising AI technology, fostering local innovation, and addressing regional challenges.</p>
<p>The growth of TinyML devices and applications is not without potential challenges and risks, however. The number of applications and devices is expected to rise from the millions shipped today to <a href="https://www.abiresearch.com/press/tinyml-device-shipments-grow-25-billion-2030-15-million-2020/">2.5 billion devices in 2030</a>, and that could lead to increased electronic waste due to the low-cost nature of devices. There’s also the risk of embedded biases in critical ML models – because they operate standalone, there’s no option for updates. Finally, there are privacy concerns due to the discrete integration of devices in the environment. As the field evolves, it will be crucial to navigate these issues responsibly, and so help ensure that TinyML remains a tool for positive change and sustainable development.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>UNESCO’s duty remains to reaffirm the humanist missions of education, science and culture. Mobilise education to transform lives; Reconcile with the living; Promote inclusion and mutual understanding; Foster science and technology at the service of humanity are UNESCO’s key strategic objectives.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220025/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Les auteurs ne travaillent pas, ne conseillent pas, ne possèdent pas de parts, ne reçoivent pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'ont déclaré aucune autre affiliation que leur organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>Traditionally dominated by the use of centralised, resource-intensive servers, machine learning is being democratised with the growth of “TinyML”, distinguished by its small size and low cost.Marco Zennaro, Coordinator, Science, Technology and Innovation Unit, Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP)Brian Plancher, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Barnard CollegeMatthew Stewart, Postdoctoral Researcher, Harvard UniversityVijay Janapa Reddi, John L. Loeb Associate Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2214662024-02-07T21:17:33Z2024-02-07T21:17:33ZEndangered by the 49th Parallel: How political boundaries inhibit effective conservation<p>Canada is wasting scarce resources conserving species that are not endangered elsewhere.</p>
<p>Some Canadian scientists advocate for conservation efforts to focus on species unique to this country, while others argue for a more global focus. However, most ignore the fact that the U.S. – Canada border creates endangered species.</p>
<p>Scientists preserve their objectivity by excluding politics from their research. The truth is, however, that conservation science can’t help being geopolitical. We must consider the global context when designing Canadian endangered species, and biodiversity, protections.</p>
<h2>Time for a chat about Chats</h2>
<p>Take the <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow-breasted_Chat/id">Yellow-breasted Chat</a>, a <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Canada_Warbler/overview">charismatic warbler</a> <a href="https://wildlife-species.canada.ca/bird-status/oiseau-bird-eng.aspx?sY=2019&sL=e&sB=YBCH&sM=p1">listed as Endangered under the (Canadian) federal Species at Risk Act (SARA)</a>. The Canadian fragment of the Southern Mountain subspecies survives in a handful of sites in B.C. along the Okanagan and Similkameen rivers. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/virtual_sara/files/plans/rs_yellow-breasted_chat_auricollis_southern_mountain_pop_e_final.pdf">2014 federal Action Plan estimated</a> the entire B.C. population to be 170 <a href="https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/breeding-pair">breeding pairs</a>. According to the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22722057/138772425">International Union for Conservation (IUCN) Red List</a>, though, the global population is around 17 million across North America. </p>
<p>As a result the Chat’s status is “least concern”, the lowest in the IUCN ranking.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574129/original/file-20240207-26-6mn8al.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A bird sings on a branch." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574129/original/file-20240207-26-6mn8al.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574129/original/file-20240207-26-6mn8al.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574129/original/file-20240207-26-6mn8al.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574129/original/file-20240207-26-6mn8al.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574129/original/file-20240207-26-6mn8al.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574129/original/file-20240207-26-6mn8al.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574129/original/file-20240207-26-6mn8al.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Yellow-breasted Chat is found throughout the U.S. and Canada, with the majority populations found in the U.S.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The federal Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/species-risk-public-registry/cosewic-assessments-status-reports/yellow-breasted-chat-2011.html">says</a> the Southern Mountain subspecies “occurs at the northern edge of its range in Canada” as a peripheral to the huge American core population. </p>
<p>In other words, the Yellow-breasted Chat is listed as endangered in Canada because, in 1846, the British accepted that the <a href="https://canadiangeographic.ca/articles/the-49th-parallel-our-defining-line/">border with the U.S. should lie at the 49th parallel</a>. </p>
<h2>Endangered, or not?</h2>
<p>The question then is, should conservation efforts be dedicated to tiny Canadian populations of otherwise healthy species? </p>
<p><a href="https://soscp.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Yellow-breasted-Chat.pdf">Elder Richard Armstrong’s traditional story</a> illuminates why the Chat, which his people call xʷaʔɬqʷiləm’ (whaa-th-quil lem), matters to the transboundary Nsyilxcən speaking Peoples. This story is an example of the cultural values that always <a href="https://doi.org/10.7208/9780226358338-006">shape</a> conservation laws, both in Canada and around the world, and which provide good reasons for legal protection even of treasured peripheral populations. The First Nation’s special care for the Chat, in turn, makes it more likely that COSEWIC’s listing will help. </p>
<p>Not in every case, though. In <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/h13010038">our recent study</a> on the conservation status of transboundary mammal species in Canada and the U.S., Cardiff University doctoral student Sarah Raymond, Sarah Perkins from the School of Biosciences at Cardiff University, and I, found just six species — including the polar bear, wood bison and two species of right whale — were listed by both COSEWIC and U.S. authorities. </p>
<p>Of 20 transboundary species listed in just one country, 17 were listed only in Canada. Fourteen of those were, like the chat, ‘Least Concern’ globally, while just one bat species, Myotis lucifugus, was universally assessed as endangered. </p>
<p>Other research supports our findings. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12430">recent study found</a> that 22 per cent of those species that straddled the U.S.-Canada border were only protected on one side – almost always in Canada. The authors, though, take it for granted that peripheral populations deserve to have high conservation status. </p>
<p>Another <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2018.03.001">study scored</a> 729 COSEWIC-listed species, subspecies and <a href="https://biologydictionary.net/population/">populations</a> to assess the global context of these conservation measures. The study questions the fact that:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“In many cases, … subspecies units (e.g. twelve kinds of caribou) and peripheral populations of globally secure species are being given high priority, while endemic and globally endangered species are neglected.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Sometimes isolated populations, like the <a href="https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/esr.do?id=17481">fishers</a> of the Columbia region, are valued because they are genetically distinctive, but these should be rare exceptions. Instead, Canada has so many peripheral populations marooned on the wrong side of the border that Fred Bunnell, a UBC forest ecologist, named the phenomenon <a href="https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/plants-animals-and-ecosystems/species-ecosystems-at-risk/species-at-risk-documents/cf_primer.pdf">“jurisdictional rarity.”</a> Bunnell argued that:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Efforts to conserve species that are locally rare but globally common often ignore the ecologically marginal nature of habitat and population. They engage in a fight with nature.” </p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Overcoming jurisdictional rarity</h2>
<p>I live in one of the skinny fragments of shrub steppe that snake up from the Columbia plateau in the U.S. through Osoyoos to Kamloops — an area which seems purpose-built for jurisdictional rarity. </p>
<p>Take the burrowing owl, a ground-nesting raptor with a vexed facial expression. </p>
<p>The bird, <a href="https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/plants-animals-and-ecosystems/species-ecosystems-at-risk/brochures/burrowing_owl.pdf">while protected in B.C. since 2004</a>, is mostly absent from the province. Meanwhile, the IUCN’s <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22689353/93227732">range map</a> for the burrowing owl (Least Concern), stretches from Alberta to Argentina. </p>
<p>B.C. has <a href="https://www.burrowingowlbc.org/">spent considerable resources reintroducing</a> the owl within the province. Ecologists might defend its role as a grasslands predator, and British Columbians might, given the choice, like to have the charming bird species thrive in the province. However, this choice, which is arguably ‘a fight with nature’, is never presented as a political one. </p>
<p>Public information about endangered species dodges jurisdictional rarity, leaving decisions to scientists and bureaucrats. </p>
<h2>Reframing the conversation</h2>
<p>Ontario’s Endangered Species Act (OESA) was <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/cag.12483">lauded by conservationists</a> because, unlike SARA, it gave scientists the power to impose automatic listing with no political interference. </p>
<p>Doug Ford’s government defanged OESA with its <a href="https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-42/session-1/bill-108">More Homes, More Choice Act in 2019</a>, though it did include a sensible requirement that the Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO) consider jurisdictional rarity.</p>
<p>Scientists opposed to Ford’s pandering to property developers <a href="https://doi.org/10.1139/facets-2020-0064">want the legislation restored to its former glory</a>, meaning COSSARO would list species “based on their status solely in Ontario, as was formerly done.” But why? </p>
<p>Over-listing shouldn’t be a partisan issue. Scientists may feel protective towards Canadian populations they know and love, but citizens won’t want limited resources wasted on conservation of un-endangered species. Scientific and political processes <a href="https://sierraclub.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/Species-at-risk-Recovery-Report-Brief_0.pdf">gummed up</a> with peripheral species make it less likely that critically imperilled species will be saved. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/environmental-laws-in-canada-fall-short-of-addressing-the-ongoing-biodiversity-crisis-162983">Environmental laws in Canada fall short of addressing the ongoing biodiversity crisis</a>
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<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1139/facets-2018-0042">Some biologists claim</a> that effective conservation needs tough laws that put scientists alone in charge of listing and protection (on public land, at least). I would argue, though, that legitimacy, not coercive power, is the most precious commodity in conservation. </p>
<p>Social science research <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2016.11.014">shows that most Canadians, regardless of background, want species protected</a>, yet their support — vital in a vast nation like Canada — is fragile. It <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/26269957">depends on a belief</a> that listing processes are democratically legitimate, and that listed species deserve protection. </p>
<p>Where good reasons exist to protect peripheral species, those arguments should be public and open to debate. </p>
<p>My field — environmental humanities — is generally better at asking awkward questions than proposing solutions. In this case, though, I have a simple recommendation: new conservation laws, such as B.C. is <a href="https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/biodiversity-habitat-management/draft_biodiversity_and_ecosystem_health_framework.pdf">considering</a>, should require that peripheral species be identified transparently, using agreed definitions, as ‘endangered in B.C.’, or ‘threatened in Canada’. If it does, I would vote for conservation of Okanagan chats regardless.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221466/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Greg Garrard's research is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, grant no. 435-2020-1220. Sarah Raymond's research visit to UBC Okanagan was funded by UKRI-MITACS Globalink. </span></em></p>Canada is wasting resources, and legitimacy, conserving species that are not endangered elsewhere. Transparent cross-border considerations should inform all new conservation laws.Greg Garrard, Professor of Environmental Humanities, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, University of British ColumbiaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2213522024-02-05T13:34:48Z2024-02-05T13:34:48ZHow bats ‘leapfrog’ their way home at night – new research<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572171/original/file-20240130-27-o1vlrb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C10%2C3413%2C2539&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The greater horseshoe bat is one of the UK's 18 bat species. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/flying-bat-hunting-forest-greater-horseshoe-1494098204">Rudmer Zwerver/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A silent ballet takes place above our heads at night as Britain’s bat populations leave their roosts to forage for food. Although their initial movement away from roosts is fairly well understood, until recently little was known about how they returned home. </p>
<p>But our <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11538-023-01233-5">new research</a> shows how bats may use a “leap-frogging” motion to make their way home, something which could help conservationists in future.</p>
<p>As they flit through the darkness, bats play a crucial role in the health of our ecosystems. From keeping insect populations in check to dispersing seeds and pollinating plants, they provide a multitude of benefits. </p>
<p>In the UK alone, the 18 bat species devour agricultural pests such as cockchafers with impressive efficiency. So, it is imperative that we not only understand and appreciate bats, but also actively support and safeguard their populations for the wellbeing of our planet.</p>
<p>But bat populations are vulnerable to pollution, climate change and loss of roosting locations. Habitat fragmentation and light pollution can also interrupt how bats feed. This is particularly important during the maternity season <strong>in early summer</strong>, when bats gather together to have and raise their young.</p>
<p>An integral aspect of effective bat conservation lies in unravelling the mysteries of how bats move. This not only helps us understand how bats navigate and use their environment, but also helps in identifying and protecting their roosts. </p>
<h2>Radio-tracking</h2>
<p>Conventional methods for pinpointing bat roosts primarily hinge on radio-tracking surveys. This arduous process involves capturing bats, attaching small radio transmitters to them before releasing them and following the signals throughout the night. </p>
<p>Our team conducted a radio-tracking survey in Devon which monitored 12 greater horseshoe bats over 24 nights. The trajectories of seven of those bats over 14 nights were extracted from the data for analysis, ensuring that in each case, a bat’s beginning and ending roost were the same.</p>
<p>Using this data, we measured the population’s average distance from the roost. We found two distinctive patterns in the data we analysed: an initial spread of bats within the first one to two hours after sunset and a gradual return to the roost afterwards.</p>
<p>The initial spread reflects the expected random dispersal of bats leaving their roosts to forage after sunset. The return to the roost, occurring two to eight hours after sunset, is more complicated. </p>
<p>This prompted us to explore two potential mechanisms influencing the bats’ return. First, a “pull mechanism”, where the roost attracts the bats home, and second, a mechanism pushing the bats who range furthest away back to the roost.</p>
<p>We modelled the pushing mechanism as a leapfrog process. Imagine this as a cascade effect, where the outermost bats begin their return. Once the “outer” bats have passed or “leapt over” bats that are closer to the roost, the “inner” bats become the furthest out causing them to return too.</p>
<p>This motion unfolds systematically, like a synchronised dance, as each bat from the periphery of the foraging range follows suit in returning to the roost after being “leapfrogged”.</p>
<p>But what causes the bats to return in this manner? One plausible explanation underscores how bats rely on each other for effective navigation, like tiny radar signals. If a bat experiences prolonged silence or predominantly hears calls from one direction, it might decide to move closer to the roost, anticipating the presence of other colony members. </p>
<p>But a bat might return more slowly, prolonging foraging, if it perceives the presence of bats beyond its current location. So, it is the outer bats that would drive the return as they would not be surrounded by calls.</p>
<h2>How does this research help bats?</h2>
<p>The significance of these findings extends beyond just describing the movements of bats. They have laid the foundation for work that promises easier discovery of new bat roosts, potentially reducing the need for labour-intensive bat tracking surveys in the future. </p>
<p>One of the immediate effects of our research includes informing a measurement of the “core sustenance zone” for greater horseshoe bats. This is where most of their foraging occurs, so it’s important in bat ecology, conservation and construction planning.</p>
<p>The leapfrogging mechanism also allows us to ascribe intention to bat movements. Namely, through using surrounding bat calls they can identify where the population is relative to their position, suggesting whether or not they are on the periphery of the group, which is an indicator of their vulnerability. Should they be furthest from the roost they move back towards the bulk of the population and closer to the roost.</p>
<p>While these interpretations hold promise, further rigorous testing is essential. And we need to think about the safety and wellbeing of the bat population.</p>
<p>Our observations are also specific to greater horseshoe bats during the summer months. Different bat species have distinct flight patterns and habitat preferences, with the same species displaying diverse behaviours at different times of the year. </p>
<p>So, while we have taken some crucial first steps, we still have a lot of work to do in unravelling the characteristics of bat motions in general.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221352/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Fiona Mathews receives funding from Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Devon County Council and the Natural Environment Research Council. She is affiliated with the UK Mammal Society, Mammal Conservation Europe, Ecotype Genetics and Ecology Search Services Ltd. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Thomas Woolley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Maths plays a crucial role in new research which finds that bats “leapfrog” their way home at night.Thomas Woolley, Senior Lecturer in Applied Mathematics, Cardiff UniversityFiona Mathews, Professor of Environmental Biology, University of SussexLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2218062024-02-02T17:35:14Z2024-02-02T17:35:14ZHow trophy fishing can have a sustainable future<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572280/original/file-20240130-29-g3zie3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Blue sharks are popular targets of a catch-and-release fishery along the southern coast of England</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/magnificent-blue-shark-elegant-proud-look-2318078271">Vladimir Turkenich/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It was 1984, and a hot tropical sun beat down on the inky blue depths of the Huon Gulf, a large inlet of the Solomon Sea just off the coast of Papua New Guinea. Suddenly, the peace was broken by the scream of a fishing reel as a four-metre-long blue marlin (<em>Makaira mazaraburst</em>) burst from the water. </p>
<p>For the next hour the giant fish surged, leapt and tail walked, as my best friend and fishing companion mostly just held on. Then, suddenly, it was gone. </p>
<p>The trace had frayed. No fishermen likes to lose a fish, but for me, there was also a sense of relief that it had got away. That fish was the most magnificent creature I’d ever seen, and that moment helped inspire my lifelong career in marine biology.</p>
<p>Recreational fishing for the largest species and individual fish in the sea like this is often called trophy fishing. Anglers seek to set new size records, either overall or using particular line strengths. These can be incredible specimens – the <a href="https://www.marlinmag.com/biggest-marlin-ever-caught/">largest marlin ever caught</a> weighed over 700kg, similar to a small car. </p>
<h2>What’s the catch?</h2>
<p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aqc.4051">In a new paper</a>, we analysed 80 years of trophy fishing world records, using data recorded by the International Game Fishing Association (IGFA) to reveal some intriguing trends. Notably, in the 1950s, the average record-holding fish weighed a hefty 168kg, but this figure fell drastically to just 8kg in the 2010s. </p>
<p>The fish are not shrinking, instead anglers are now targeting a broader range of smaller species. However, this might signal a concerning decline in the population of larger fish species.</p>
<p>There has also been a noticeable expansion of trophy fishing worldwide. While the US dominated the scene historically, recent decades have seen an uptick in records from regions like Japan and New Zealand. </p>
<p>This global spread offers potential social and economic benefits to these new areas, but also raises concerns about increased fishing pressure on local fish populations that were previously less targeted.</p>
<p>Perhaps our most significant observation was the sharp decline in new records for fish species listed as threatened with extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Comparing the last decade (2010–2018) to the 2000s, there has been a roughly 66% decrease in records for these at-risk species. </p>
<p>This trend could indicate a growing awareness towards conservation issues in trophy fishing or could reflect the worrying reality of diminished populations of these species. The exact implications of this trend are yet to be fully understood.</p>
<p>Trophy fishing is controversial. Some people will never be fans. The largest fish in the ocean are often <a href="https://academic.oup.com/icesjms/article/71/8/2171/748104">the most productive breeders</a>, so catching and killing them, especially threatened species, doesn’t make sense. However, while world record fish accredited by the IGFA gain the spotlight, they account for a very small number of fish in total. </p>
<p>Much more concerning are the fishing tournaments that offer <a href="https://www.bisbees.com/News/Article/166">highly lucrative prizes</a> for landing the largest and most fish and <a href="https://sharkallies.org/shark-fishing-tournaments">sharks</a> in a given period of time. </p>
<h2>Tackling sustainability</h2>
<p>Trophy fishing, and sport fishing in general, is changing to become more sustainable, and even a force for good. In 2011, the IGFA introduced the <a href="https://igfa.org/announcement/igfa-launches-all-tackle-length-record-release-category/">“all-tackle length” category</a>. This approach records the length of the fish rather than weight, enabling it to be released without needing to kill it. </p>
<p>The Shark Angling Club of Great Britain has been releasing all sharks for decades and the <a href="https://anglingtrust.net/2023/11/22/update-from-british-record-fish-committee/">British Record Fish Committee</a> recently decided to only allow length-based records for large sharks, with fish having to be measured while still in the water. Although releasing fish does not guarantee survival, that can be maximised by using <a href="https://academic.oup.com/conphys/article/11/1/coad100/7503354">the right gear and careful handling</a>. Such approaches should become mandatory for all trophy anglers.</p>
<p>Anglers dedicate extensive time to their passion, developing a wealth of knowledge about the fish they catch. Harnessing this expertise is crucial for better estimating the extent of trophy fishing and increasing knowledge of fish stocks in general. </p>
<p>In the UK, anglers and scientists are working together through initiatives such as <a href="https://anglingtrust.net/sea/sea-angling-science/shark-hub-uk/">Shark Hub UK</a> and <a href="https://anglingtrust.net/sea/sea-angling-science/pollack-project/">Project Pollack</a> to gather catch data, collect samples and tag fish. </p>
<p>This approach not only aids conservation efforts but also aligns with the anglers’ interest in maintaining healthy fish populations for the future. After all, the recreational fisheries are not only a source of livelihood but also contribute to the <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2673-3986/4/3/30">mental and physical wellbeing</a> of those who engage with them.</p>
<p>Nearly 40 years after that experience in Papua New Guinea, I marvelled at huge schools of giant fish off the coast of southern England last summer. These Atlantic bluefin tuna (<em>Thunnus thynnus</em>) have had <a href="https://academic.oup.com/icesjms/article/78/5/1672/6231587?login=false">a remarkable recovery</a> around the coast, most likely due to a combination of improved management and changing environmental conditions. </p>
<p>From this year, the UK government has authorised a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/recreational-fishing-for-atlantic-bluefin-tuna-set-to-start-in-english-waters-next-year#:%7E:text=Each%20UK%20fisheries%20administration%20will,commercial%20fishery%20for%20bluefin%20tuna.">catch and release only recreational fishery</a> for these fish. With continued careful management this should bring exciting angling, social and economic benefits for years to come.</p>
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<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bryce Stewart receives funding from Defra and UK Research and Innovation. He is a member of the Marine Conservation Society and the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and sits on the Marine Stewardship Council Stakeholder Advisory Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>James Boon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Trophy fishing is a big threat to some of the most threatened species of fish, but there are ways to adapt the sport with marine conservation in mind.Bryce Stewart, Senior research fellow, Marine Biological AssociationJames Boon, PhD candidate in Marine Ecology, University of NottinghamLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2218732024-02-01T19:04:17Z2024-02-01T19:04:17ZHorses, camels and deer get a bad rap for razing plants – but our new research shows they’re no worse than native animals<p>Large introduced herbivores such as feral horses and camels are often seen as “<a href="https://theconversation.com/double-trouble-as-feral-horse-numbers-gallop-past-25-000-in-the-australian-alps-128852">invasive</a>” species which damage native plants. </p>
<p>My colleagues and I published <a href="http://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adh2616">new research</a> in Science testing this assumption and found it isn’t true. Instead, both native and introduced species of plant-eating megafauna (weighing over 45 kilos) have similar impacts on plants. </p>
<p>The effects of introduced megafauna on plants can drive negative public sentiment towards the species. It’s time to change how we think of these animals. </p>
<h2>Megafauna over millennia</h2>
<p>For the last 35-55 million years, megafauna have shaped Earth’s terrestrial ecosystems. Present-day plant and animal species in Australia evolved on a continent dominated by earth-trampling beasts. They include hoofed horse-like kangaroos, tree-thrashing marsupial tapirs and <a href="https://theconversation.com/giant-marsupials-once-migrated-across-an-australian-ice-age-landscape-84762">migratory</a> two-tonne diprotodons resembling womabts. </p>
<p>Sadly, much of the world’s megafauna went extinct as humans radiated out from Africa. Australia lost all its land megafauna with an average weight over 45kg.</p>
<p>This drove radical changes in Australian ecosystems. Ancient megafauna were uniquely able to eat large volumes of fibrous low-nutrient plants. With them gone, fires may have intensified and once-widespread rainforests shifted to <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1214261">fire-prone</a> eucalypt forest. </p>
<p>But now, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/from-feral-camels-to-cocaine-hippos-large-animals-are-rewilding-the-world-83301">megafauna have returned</a> – introduced by humans. </p>
<p>Australia, for instance, now has the world’s only wild herd of dromedary camels, extinct in the wild in their native range. Water buffalo wallow in the Top End, though they’re endangered in their native range. And feral horses, also endangered in their native range, roam the Australian Alps. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571738/original/file-20240127-94586-1hcvqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="image of water buffalo, elephant, horses" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571738/original/file-20240127-94586-1hcvqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571738/original/file-20240127-94586-1hcvqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571738/original/file-20240127-94586-1hcvqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571738/original/file-20240127-94586-1hcvqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571738/original/file-20240127-94586-1hcvqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571738/original/file-20240127-94586-1hcvqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571738/original/file-20240127-94586-1hcvqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Would an extraterrestrial ecologist be able to tell which of these megafauna is introduced based on their ecological impacts?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Steven dosRemedios/Flickr, Cowboy Dave/Flickr, Geoff Whalan/Flickr, Pär Söderquist/Author provided, Caroline Jones/Flickr, Daniela Hartmann/Flickr</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
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<h2>How megafauna affects plants</h2>
<p>Our research set out to evaluate the effects of megafauna on plant abundance and plant diversity. To do this, we reviewed all literature available on the impacts of native and introduced megafauna and extracted all available data comparing the effects of megafauna between an excluded area and a control site. </p>
<p>We found no evidence that introduced, “invasive”, or “feral” megafauna have different impacts on native plants than native megafauna. Nor was there evidence that the effects of introduced megafauna in biologically distinct places such as Australia are different from their effects in their native ranges. </p>
<p>Our study adds to a growing <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10750-020-04378-9">body of research</a> that has looked for differences between the impacts of native and introduced species and failed to find them.</p>
<p>Yes, there are outliers. Some introduced species have novel effects very different what they do in their native ranges, such as introduced diseases and insect herbivores such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-invasive-emerald-ash-borer-has-destroyed-millions-of-trees-scientists-aim-to-control-it-with-tiny-parasitic-wasps-158403">emerald ash borer</a>, those with novel defences such as cane toads, or those introduced to islands. But extrapolating to all introduced species may be unjustified. </p>
<h2>Megafauna traits determine their impact</h2>
<p>We found ecological explanations – rather than whether an animal was native or not – explained the effects of both native and introduced megafauna. </p>
<p>In particular, we found the effects of megafauna were determined by their traits. Larger and less-picky species tended to have more positive effects on plant diversity.</p>
<p>This suggests that studying introduced megafauna simply as wildlife rather than as an ecological problem can help us respond to situations where megafauna — native and introduced — come into conflict with conservation goals. </p>
<p>Let’s say there is high abundance of introduced sambar deer eating rare plants in a national park. A typical response is to start shooting. </p>
<p>But if you look at this as an ecological conflict rather than as an introduced species problem, the real issue might be that dingoes are routinely poisoned in the area. </p>
<p>Dingoes, as the top terrestrial predator, create <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169534719300199?via%3Dihub">landscapes of fear</a>, meaning deer and kangaroos can’t eat their way through everything because they have to watch for predators and often flee. The solution may be to <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-should-enlist-dingoes-to-control-invasive-species-24807">stop killing dingoes</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-should-enlist-dingoes-to-control-invasive-species-24807">Australia should enlist dingoes to control invasive species</a>
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<h2>The double standard of ‘harm’</h2>
<p>It can be a shock to see the impact of feral pigs, deer, camels and buffalo. They eat plants, trample vegetation, or root around in the ground.</p>
<p>These animals do the same thing in their native ranges, where it is not generally considered a bad thing, ecologically. Elephants tear down trees to eat or to make a path. That’s bad for the tree, but gives other species a chance to grow.</p>
<p>Australia’s extinct megafauna would have also trampled sensitive plants and eaten huge volumes of vegetation. Large animals suppress some species and benefit others. For example, buffalo can actually increase plant diversity by chowing down on dominant plant species.</p>
<p>The debate over native versus introduced species can create a double standard when assessing the harm they cause. This is a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/474153a">longstanding blind spot</a> in how we think about and study introduced species. </p>
<p>The world could look quite different if we relax cultural beliefs about “belonging” and nativeness.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221873/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Erick Lundgren receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p>Introduced water buffalo and camels trash native plants – don’t they? Our research shows megafauna herbivores have the same impact wherever they are.Erick Lundgren, Adjunct Lecturer, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2223352024-02-01T11:45:51Z2024-02-01T11:45:51ZRogue taxonomists, competing lists and accusations of anarchy: the complicated journey toward a list of all life on Earth – podcast<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572430/original/file-20240131-23-p66p9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=40%2C50%2C3354%2C2494&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">It's not easy to create a list of all life on Earth. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/colorful-aquarium-showing-different-fishes-swimming-80384149">Ingrid Prats via Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In our chaotic, rapidly changing modern world, many of us have come to rely on science to provide a sense of order. So it may be disconcerting to learn that there is no single, definitive list of all life on Earth. And there never has been. </p>
<p>In this episode of <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/the-conversation-weekly-98901">The Conversation Weekly</a> podcast, we take you inside the world of taxonomy, where competing lists, rogue taxonomists and recent accusations of anarchy have revealed the messy struggle to classify the world around us.</p>
<iframe src="https://embed.acast.com/60087127b9687759d637bade/65ba55be335530001619b937" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="190px"></iframe>
<p></p>
<p><iframe id="tc-infographic-561" class="tc-infographic" height="100" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/561/4fbbd099d631750693d02bac632430b71b37cd5f/site/index.html" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>It’s remarkably easy to name a new species. “You don’t need peer review. You can put it in a book, you can put it in a magazine, so long as you have followed the rules for naming it and it follows the right Latin,” explains Stephen Garnett, a professor of conservation at Charles Darwin University in Australia. </p>
<p>That new name is then accepted until somebody comes along and refutes it, or publishes another name, says Garnett. And he thinks this is a big problem, particularly for conservationists who rely on clear species definitions in their work.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Given how difficult it is to keep up with these publications, particularly if they’re somewhere obscure in a book, it means that some people are following some taxonomy, some people are following others. And you get multiple different lists of species depending on whose taxonomy is followed. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>All this is hampering efforts to create one definitive list of life on Earth. A few years ago Garnett put himself at the centre of a taxonomic controversy, when he co-authored a paper in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/546025a">Nature</a> arguing that, “for a discipline aiming to impose order on the natural world, taxonomy (the classification of complex organisms) is remarkably anarchic”. </p>
<p>What ensued was a scientific spat – albeit a good-natured one – about how to go about putting some order to all these competing lists. And how to ensure that rogue taxonomists weren’t allowed to cause chaos. </p>
<p>To find out what happened, listen to the full episode of <a href="https://podfollow.com/the-conversation-weekly/view">The Conversation Weekly</a> podcast. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/3128/Taxonomy_Transcript.docx.pdf?1709723586">transcript of this episode</a> is now available. </p>
<p><em>This episode of The Conversation Weekly also features Signe Dean, science and technology editor for The Conversation in Australia. It was written and produced by Katie Flood, with assistance from Mend Mariwany. Sound design was by Eloise Stevens, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Gemma Ware is the executive producer.</em></p>
<p><em>You can find us on X, formerly known as Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/TC_Audio">@TC_Audio</a>, on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theconversationdotcom/">theconversationdotcom</a> or <a href="mailto:podcast@theconversation.com">via email</a>. You can also subscribe to The Conversation’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/newsletter">free daily email here</a>.</em></p>
<p><em>Listen to The Conversation Weekly via any of the apps listed above, download it directly via our <a href="https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/60087127b9687759d637bade">RSS feed</a> or find out <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-listen-to-the-conversations-podcasts-154131">how else to listen here</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222335/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stephen Garnett receives funding from the Australian Research Council for a project on taxonomic list governance and coordinates the Catalogue of Life Working Group on Taxonomic Lists. </span></em></p>Stephen Garnett takes us inside a scientific spat about how to govern the naming of new species. Listen to The Conversation Weekly podcast.Gemma Ware, Editor and Co-Host, The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The ConversationLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2196092024-01-31T00:41:34Z2024-01-31T00:41:34ZWe once killed 600,000 koalas in a year. Now they’re Australia’s ‘teddy bears’. What changed?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565032/original/file-20231211-89932-1rjncc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=44%2C25%2C4220%2C2813&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Koalas are one of the world’s most beloved animal species. They serve as symbols for everything from <a href="https://theconversation.com/scientists-find-burnt-starving-koalas-weeks-after-the-bushfires-133519">bushfire destruction</a> to Australian tourism to caramel chocolate bars. These tree-dwelling marsupials get far more attention than many other endangered native species. But Australians haven’t always felt this way about our seemingly cuddly teddy-bear lookalikes. Far from it. </p>
<p>Almost a century ago, Queensland announced open season on koalas. Over the next month, well over 600,000 koalas were shot, trapped or poisoned in <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-30/killing-koalas-90-years-since-qld-month-long-open-season/8839720">what has been dubbed</a> “Black August”. </p>
<p>These numbers seem shocking. That figure is about the same as the total number of koalas alive today, using the <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/biodiversity/threatened/species/koalas/national-koala-monitoring-program">most generous estimate</a>. Today, the koala is endangered in New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory. </p>
<p>Why did it happen? Back then, koalas were far more plentiful in Queensland. And there was an established tradition of killing Australian marsupials for their pelts, which could be sold on the lucrative international fur market. At least a million koala pelts were sold in the previous 1919 open season.</p>
<p>As attachment to native wildlife has grown and the koala’s numbers have dwindled, we have come to think very differently about this creature.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571825/original/file-20240129-17-5qnrow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="truck with koala skins on it" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571825/original/file-20240129-17-5qnrow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571825/original/file-20240129-17-5qnrow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=361&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571825/original/file-20240129-17-5qnrow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=361&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571825/original/file-20240129-17-5qnrow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=361&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571825/original/file-20240129-17-5qnrow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571825/original/file-20240129-17-5qnrow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571825/original/file-20240129-17-5qnrow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">This truckload of koala pelts was taken during the 1927 open season in Queensland.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://collections.slq.qld.gov.au/viewer/IE266739">State Library of Queensland</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<h2>A political miscalculation</h2>
<p>Even in 1927, the koala kill was a gamble. Other koala-inhabited states had stopped licensed koala kills, alarmed by <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article244037211">plummeting numbers</a> caused by the fur trade, deforestation, bushfire, and disease. As early as the 1880s, worried locals shipped koalas to French Island near Melbourne as an insurance policy against fire and disease. Today, as historian <a href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/land-mammals/koalas-are-both-endangered-and-so-plentiful-theyre-causing-problems-howd-that-happen">Danielle Clode has written</a>, koalas in South Australia and Victoria are largely descended from these island refugees. </p>
<p>So why did Queensland launch its kill? The economy was not doing well, and the Labor government hoped the open season would tackle high unemployment rates, raise revenue and win votes. Warm, waterproof koala fur was prized in Europe and the United States, where it was put to use in coats, gloves and even sleeping bags. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571828/original/file-20240129-27-f4jyp5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="man hunting koalas" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571828/original/file-20240129-27-f4jyp5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571828/original/file-20240129-27-f4jyp5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=839&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571828/original/file-20240129-27-f4jyp5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=839&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571828/original/file-20240129-27-f4jyp5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=839&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571828/original/file-20240129-27-f4jyp5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1055&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571828/original/file-20240129-27-f4jyp5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1055&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571828/original/file-20240129-27-f4jyp5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1055&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Victorian trapper Cyril Grant Lane hunted koalas for many years.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://viewer.slv.vic.gov.au/?entity=IE1914349&mode=browse">State Library of Victoria</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But the open season came as a shock to many. Scientists knew koala populations were already plummeting at the beginning of the twentieth century. And among the public, affection was growing for the koala. </p>
<p>The backlash was swift – and intense. Brisbane’s Anglican Archbishop Gerald Sharp called for protest, and a remarkable range of organisations responded, from city and shire councils to religious groups, women’s organisations, universities, scientific bodies, returned soldiers and children’s scouts groups. </p>
<p>The Brisbane Courier newspaper ran a “<a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article21862261">Spare the Bear</a>” campaign, publishing hundreds of protests from indignant readers. Angry constituents deluged the acting premier, William Forgan Smith, with letters. Some deplored the cruelty of hunters who left baby koalas attempting to suckle from their dead, skinless mothers. Others focused their anger on the government. One caustic letter writer suggested an “<a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page1644974">open season for Cabinet Ministers</a>” might be more appropriate. </p>
<p>Critics were united in their disgust at the mass killing of such a “lovable, non-destructive and quite unique little native animal” which posed no threat to human interests. Koala trappers had their masculinity questioned – no “true Bushman” would kill a defenceless animal. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-home-among-the-gum-trees-will-the-great-koala-national-park-actually-save-koalas-217276">A home among the gum trees: will the Great Koala National Park actually save koalas?</a>
</strong>
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<hr>
<p>We should be sceptical about one letter writer’s claim that “99% of Queenslanders” opposed the killings. But opposition was powerful and widespread. </p>
<p>The government tried to blame the furious response on out-of-touch city dwellers who did not live in Queensland. In fact, locals dominated the protests. At the time, many rural families kept koalas as <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article76859138">beloved pets</a>, which made the thought of killing them even more outrageous. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571830/original/file-20240129-27-9ackwz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="cover of magazine, man with rifle and koala skin" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571830/original/file-20240129-27-9ackwz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571830/original/file-20240129-27-9ackwz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=802&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571830/original/file-20240129-27-9ackwz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=802&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571830/original/file-20240129-27-9ackwz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=802&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571830/original/file-20240129-27-9ackwz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1008&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571830/original/file-20240129-27-9ackwz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1008&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571830/original/file-20240129-27-9ackwz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1008&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The backlash against the koala cull was fast – and intense.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Garnet Agnew, The Queenslander, September 22nd 1927/State Library of Queensland</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A question of national identity</h2>
<p>When British colonists first came to Australia, many found the native animals freakish and backward. One unimpressed naturalist called koalas “torpid and senseless” and <a href="https://archive.org/details/arcanaormuseumof00perr/page/n109/mode/2up?view=theater">doubted their place</a> in “God’s plan”.</p>
<p>But by the early 1900s, koalas, emus and kangaroos were becoming national symbols. They seemed to represent Australia’s new status as a federated nation, and helped settlers feel connected to the land. There was also a growing awareness that native species needed protection from environmental threats. </p>
<p>Books such as Norman Lindsay’s <em>Magic Pudding</em> (1918) encouraged readers to care for native animals. In 1925, James Barrett published a book begging for the “right use of our flora and fauna” and stressing their endangered state. He titled it <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article245255968">Save Australia</a>. </p>
<p>Perhaps because of their <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-we-love-koalas-so-much-because-they-look-like-baby-humans-153619">baby-like features</a>, koalas were often depicted by authors and illustrators as good-natured and childlike friends. (In reality, they can be quite grumpy and their screams at night startle many campers). This might explain why fewer people protested to protect possums, the furs of which were also sought during open seasons. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-we-love-koalas-so-much-because-they-look-like-baby-humans-153619">Why do we love koalas so much? Because they look like baby humans</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The great U-turn</h2>
<p>The 1927 koala open season would be Australia’s last. After the backlash, the koala was finally afforded lasting protection in Queensland. The acting premier promised to restock areas stripped of native animals. Even so, the government lost the election it had been trying to salvage. </p>
<p>Hundreds of thousands of koalas were killed before the government reversed course. Newspapers reported an estimated 600,000 koalas died due to the “massacre”, but this doesn’t account for koalas whose skins were not sold to dealers or young koalas killed with their parents or who starved without them. The total is likely close to 800,000. </p>
<p>The movement against koala-killing was perhaps the first organised conservationist campaign in Australia. It fostered the creation of wildlife societies, campaigns for national parks and nature studies for school students. </p>
<p>You can see the evidence even today. Sydney man Noel Burnett was so appalled by the killing that he opened his own sanctuary, <a href="https://koalapark-sanctuary.com.au/australias-first-koala-hospital/#:%7E:text=Koala%20Park%20was%20created%20in,the%20large%20export%20fur%20trade.">Koala Park</a>, which is still operating. </p>
<p>And whenever <a href="https://www.thecourier.com.au/story/8499935/">news breaks</a> about koala deaths in blue gum plantations, we respond with outrage. </p>
<h2>New threats, old choices</h2>
<p>Today, koalas are safe from hunters. They’re so well known we use them as <a href="https://theconversation.com/koalas-platypuses-and-pandas-and-the-power-of-soft-diplomacy-42051">cuddly diplomats</a>, similar to China’s <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-09/what-is-china-panda-diplomacy/103185260">panda diplomacy</a>. But they face new threats – increasingly severe bushfires, disease, and habitat destruction. </p>
<p>Even as we have grown to love koalas, we have not yet been able to save them. It is now entirely possible these beloved national symbols could be facing a <a href="https://theconversation.com/stopping-koala-extinction-is-agonisingly-simple-but-heres-why-im-not-optimistic-141696">preventable extinction</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-the-koala-when-its-smart-to-be-slow-187003">Friday essay: the koala – when it's smart to be slow</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219609/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ruby Ekkel does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A century ago, millions of koalas were killed for their fur. The backlash was fierce.Ruby Ekkel, PhD student in Australian History, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2196642024-01-17T15:41:29Z2024-01-17T15:41:29ZMozambique’s cyclone flooding was devastating to animals – we studied how body size affected survival<p>Anyone who watches the news will have seen the devastation that tropical cyclones can cause when they reach land, with very strong winds, high rainfall and flooding. A cyclone like this, <a href="https://theconversation.com/tropical-cyclone-idai-the-storm-that-knew-no-boundaries-113931">Idai</a>, moved over Gorongosa National Park in central Mozambique in March 2019. At that time, it was the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00981-6">deadliest storm in Africa</a>.</p>
<p>Rainfall at Gorongosa averages about <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06722-0#Sec2">850mm per year</a>. When Idai passed over, more than <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06722-0#Sec2">200mm of rain fell</a> in less than 24 hours. Over the following week, the depth of flood waters increased from 2 metres to 5.9 metres and the flood zone increased from 24.1km² to 117.7km². Only by late May did conditions return to normal.</p>
<p>Gorongosa protects 3,674km² of savanna ecosystem. Much of the park’s wildlife was decimated by the <a href="https://www.sahistory.org.za/place/mozambique">Mozambican Civil War</a> (1977-1992). Since then, scientists have <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0212864">studied</a> the recovery of wildlife populations and changes in the park ecosystem.</p>
<p>When it comes to natural hazards, scientists think that traits such as body size, dispersal ability and habitat preference may be important in determining how vulnerable animals are. But it’s seldom possible to test these ideas. The <a href="https://gorongosa.org/princeton-at-gorongosa/">research</a> that was taking place in <a href="https://gorongosa.org/">Gorongosa National Park</a> at the time of Cyclone Idai provided the perfect opportunity to investigate this.</p>
<p>We were part of an international research team which drew on existing data about wildlife in Gorongosa and compared it with data after the cyclone. We <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06722-0#Sec1">found</a> that overall, the effect of Idai was to push animals out of lower-lying, inundated areas and crowd them into higher regions. The shift in distribution, combined with the reduction in flood zone plant productivity, affected what herbivores had available for food. Larger herbivores were better able to move in response to the flooding and to cope with food shortage. Large carnivores had a more easily accessible food supply.</p>
<p>Our results identify general traits that govern animal responses to severe weather, which may help to inform wildlife conservation in a volatile climate.</p>
<p>This effect of animal size on responses to catastrophic storms is similar to that found for island systems affected by <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.281.5377.695">hurricanes in the Bahamas</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-indian-ocean-is-spawning-strong-and-deadly-tropical-cyclones-116559">Why the Indian Ocean is spawning strong and deadly tropical cyclones</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<h2>Measuring the impact of Idai on animals</h2>
<p>We integrated data from multiple research projects for which animal GPS locations were available to capture the responses of animals to the flooding.</p>
<p>The individual movement of 48 GPS-collared animals from seven species was measured. Changes in distribution of animals were measured over three years with 30 camera traps covering an area of 300km². Satellite imagery allowed us to assess changes in forage availability, and dung samples provided a picture of dietary changes. The body condition of animals captured for GPS collaring was assessed. We estimated changes in abundance from aerial survey counts covering years 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020.</p>
<h2>Herbivore responses</h2>
<p>Among the species monitored at the time of the cyclone were small antelopes such as the oribi (17kg) and bushbuck (49kg), and large animals like buffaloes (550kg) and elephants (4,000kg).</p>
<p>The bushbuck that survived did so by perching on patches of high ground, like the tops of termite mounds within the flood zone. Locations from the GPS collars showed that they camped out on these temporary little islands or moved quickly between them, hopping from one island to the next.</p>
<p>Larger antelopes like nyala, kudu and sable were able to move long distances towards higher ground. </p>
<p>In addition to the sheer volume of water entering the Gorongosa system, the timing of the flood was also a disturbance. Because the cyclone occurred in March, foraging areas normally open to grazing were covered with water and unproductive.</p>
<p>Herbivore diet in the months following the cyclone shifted to taller, more woody plants, which are harder to digest and have less protein. Plant species eaten showed less overlap between herbivores than in normal years, a strategy that likely reduced competition. Compared to larger herbivores, smaller herbivores experienced a larger change in diet, a greater expansion in the number of plant species eaten to cope with the loss of preferred plants, and a larger decrease in diet quality.</p>
<p>Because food following Idai was scarce, and competition among crowded herbivores was stronger, there was a reduction in body condition for smaller species like bushbuck and nyala. For the larger, more wide-ranging kudu, body condition showed little change.</p>
<p>Crowding and food quality and availability had an impact on numbers of herbivores in the park.</p>
<p>Regular aerial surveys have shown consistent growth in herbivore numbers since the end of the civil war. The survey following Idai, however, showed the first population decreases for many species in the last 30 years. The strongest decreases (47%-53%) were for the small antelopes, oribi and bushbuck. Numbers of larger herbivores (wildebeest, buffalo and elephant) also decreased, but not as severely (27%).</p>
<h2>Carnivore responses</h2>
<p>The effects of Idai on lions and wild dogs were not nearly as strong as for the herbivores. GPS-collared animals moved away from the expanding flood zone. Diets of lions did not change much, but wild dogs began to eat more waterbuck, especially after the cyclone pushed many waterbuck into areas used by wild dogs.</p>
<p>Lion and wild dog populations both increased in numbers following the cyclone. Prey animals consisting of weaker and more food-stressed herbivores became easier to catch and a more abundant food supply for the large carnivores.</p>
<h2>Size matters</h2>
<p>Among the lessons learned from the disturbance caused by Cyclone Idai are that larger species tend to be more resilient to disturbances through their ability to move longer distances and their greater stores of body resources to survive when forage is unavailable. Smaller species were more strongly affected, but they also have the potential to recover more quickly.</p>
<p>Knowledge of how different wildlife species respond to and recover from climatic disturbances will be increasingly important for the conservation of protected areas like Gorongosa National Park. For instance, knowing the different roles species play in a natural system can help wildlife managers to focus conservation efforts on vulnerable species and habitats according to their likely contributions to system recovery following a disturbance.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219664/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Cyclone Idai in Mozambique was an opportunity to test ideas about traits that help animals survive natural hazards.Jason P. Marshal, Associate Professor of Ecology, University of the WitwatersrandFrancesca Parrini, Associate Professor in Animal Ecology, University of the WitwatersrandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2048132024-01-07T19:03:59Z2024-01-07T19:03:59ZDogs are incredible – if unlikely – allies in conservation<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565576/original/file-20231213-15-j64ksb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=10%2C10%2C6699%2C4436&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source"> UniSC Detection Dogs for Conservation</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Dogs have been working with people for centuries. Think hunting dogs, herding dogs, police dogs or search and rescue dogs. But have you heard of conservation dogs?</p>
<p>Conservation dogs fall mainly into two categories: guardian dogs and sniffer dogs (also called scent, detection or detector dogs).</p>
<p>Guardian dogs protect vulnerable species from predators, while sniffer dogs locate targets of interest using their powerful sense of smell.</p>
<p>In the past 15 years, dogs have begun to play a <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/2041-210X.13560">crucial role in conservation</a> around the world. So let’s take a closer look at them, with a focus on their work in Australia. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/koala-detecting-dogs-sniff-out-flaws-in-australias-threatened-species-protection-121118">Koala-detecting dogs sniff out flaws in Australia's threatened species protection</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The nose that knows</h2>
<p>Guardian dogs were made famous by the 2015 movie <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3401748/">Oddball</a>. The film is based on the true story of <a href="http://www.warrnamboolpenguins.com.au/maremma-dogs#:%7E:text=In%20a%20world%2Dfirst%2C%20Maremma,for%20the%20Middle%20Island%20Project.">Maremma dogs</a>, trained to protect little penguins from foxes on Middle Island near Warrnambool in southwest Victoria. The penguin population had dwindled to fewer than ten before the Maremma dogs got involved. The breed was chosen for its long association with guarding sheep in Europe. </p>
<p>But most conservation dogs are sniffer dogs, because there are so many uses for them. They can be trained to find animals or plants, or “indirect” signs animals have left behind such as poo or feathers. </p>
<p>Dogs can detect <em>anything</em> with an odour – and <em>everything</em> has an odour.
<a href="https://www.ecolsoc.org.au/?hottopic-entry=detection-dogs-provide-a-powerful-method-for-conservation-surveys">Sniffer dogs</a> are trained to detect a target scent and point it out to their human coworker (sometimes referred to as handler or <a href="https://roguedogs.org/iwanttobeabounder">bounder</a>).</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565582/original/file-20231213-26-j686k1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A photo of a sniffer dog during training, dropping to the ground to show where she found the target odour in a jar" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565582/original/file-20231213-26-j686k1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565582/original/file-20231213-26-j686k1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565582/original/file-20231213-26-j686k1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565582/original/file-20231213-26-j686k1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565582/original/file-20231213-26-j686k1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565582/original/file-20231213-26-j686k1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565582/original/file-20231213-26-j686k1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">During training, sniffer dog Billie Jean drops to the ground when she finds her target odour.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Russell Miller, UniSC Detection Dogs for Conservation</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Sniffer dogs have been trained for various missions such as:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>finding rare and endangered species</p></li>
<li><p>detecting invasive animals during eradication or containment such as <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-16/sniffer-dogs-help-fight-battle-against-fire-ants-in-queensland/6623876">fire ants</a> or <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/python-sniffing-dogs-floridas-newest-weapon-fighting-invasive/story?id=74776821">snakes</a> </p></li>
<li><p>locating <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/canberra-saturdaybreakfast/oakley-the-conservation-dog-helping-the-act/102722540">pest plants</a></p></li>
<li><p>supporting wildlife surveys by detecting scats (<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-17/koala-poo-sniffing-dog-recruitment/7176218">poo</a>), urine, <a href="https://blog.csiro.au/sniffing-out-solutions-detection-dogs-are-helping-threatened-species/">vomit</a>, nests, carcasses and even <a href="https://molecularecologyblog.com/2019/08/19/interview-with-the-author-detecting-pathogens-in-koalas-dogs-versus-qpcr/">diseases</a>. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>They have worked in extreme conditions on land (including on <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-11/wonder-dog-protects-island-from-rodents/12338438">sub-Antarctic islands</a>) and <a href="https://whalesanctuaryproject.org/dio-the-dog-goes-sniffing-for-whale-poop/">at sea</a>, and can even detect <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/sniffer-dogs-conservation-sea-turtles-florida">scent located underground</a>. Sniffer dogs have also trained to recognise <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/4496200">individual animals such as tigers</a> by scent.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566063/original/file-20231215-23-tvog7v.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A sniffer dog poses with an open copy of a french book about the incredible nose of the dog by Frank Rosell" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566063/original/file-20231215-23-tvog7v.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566063/original/file-20231215-23-tvog7v.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566063/original/file-20231215-23-tvog7v.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566063/original/file-20231215-23-tvog7v.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566063/original/file-20231215-23-tvog7v.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566063/original/file-20231215-23-tvog7v.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566063/original/file-20231215-23-tvog7v.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sniffer dog Maya poses with a french copy of a book about the incredible nose of the dog by Frank Rosell.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Romane Cristescu, UniSC Detection Dogs for Conservation</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The ultimate scent detection machine</h2>
<p>A dog’s nose is estimated to be <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/S/bo27611471.html">100,000 to 100 million times</a> more sensitive than a human nose (depending on the dog breed). A much larger proportion (seven to 40 times larger) of the dog’s brain is dedicated to decoding scent. </p>
<p>That means dogs can detect very low scent concentrations – the equivalent of <a href="https://www.exploratorium.edu/blogs/spectrum/dogs-smell-time#:%7E:text=With%20up%20to%20300%20million,continuously%2C%20even%20as%20they%20exhale">a teaspoon of sugar in five million litres of water (or two Olympic-sized swimming pools)</a>. They can also differentiate between very similar odours. </p>
<p>Dogs analyse the air from each of their nostrils independently, detecting tiny variations in scent concentration. This gives them a directional sense of smell that can guide them left or right until they’ve honed in on the origin of the scent.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2871809/">Thanks to very sophisticated nostrils</a>, dogs can avoid contaminating an odour with their own breath (exhaling air through the nostrils’ sides). They also can analyse odours continuously regardless of whether they are inhaling or exhaling. </p>
<p>Besides being the ultimate scent detection machine, dogs are great ambassadors for conservation – melting hearts all the way to <a href="https://ew.com/movies/2019/11/28/tom-hanks-twitter-nice-tweets/">Hollywood</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565570/original/file-20231213-27-awguev.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A still from a video on twitter featuring Hollywood actor Tom Hanks reading and responding to tweets including one about the koala detection dog Bear." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565570/original/file-20231213-27-awguev.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565570/original/file-20231213-27-awguev.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=361&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565570/original/file-20231213-27-awguev.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=361&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565570/original/file-20231213-27-awguev.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=361&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565570/original/file-20231213-27-awguev.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565570/original/file-20231213-27-awguev.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565570/original/file-20231213-27-awguev.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">While reading a tweet about our IFAW / UniSC koala detection dog Bear, Hollywood actor Tom Hanks said: ‘This is a Disney movie that must be made’, before suggesting a title: ‘The story of Bear: The Koala Detection Dog’. ‘I like bear!’</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">X/Twitter</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1723910643353587775"}"></div></p>
<h2>Finding the right candidate for the job</h2>
<p>Some organisations rescue their dogs. They look for the toy-obsessed kind – those dogs that never stop playing.</p>
<p>In many cases these dogs were abandoned for that very reason. They require constant entertainment and become difficult to care for in a normal family setting, where people have to leave for work and devote time to activities other than entertaining their dog. </p>
<p>A sniffer dog gets to be with their handlers almost every day of the week. That work consists of long walks with lots of play. </p>
<p>Trainers use toys and play as a reward, so dogs learn to associate this reward with the target scent.</p>
<p>Learning through association – called <a href="https://open.lib.umn.edu/intropsyc/chapter/7-1-learning-by-association-classical-conditioning/">classical or pavlovian conditioning</a> – is very easy for dogs. It’s so easy that the scent-learning part of the job is usually the quickest. Training a dog to feel confident and be safe in the natural environment is more challenging. And if the dog had a troubled background before being rescued, rehabilitation is the most time-consuming and difficult component of the training. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565581/original/file-20231213-25-h9ef4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Rear view of two sniffer dogs sitting with their handler in a grassy hilltop gazing into the distance" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565581/original/file-20231213-25-h9ef4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565581/original/file-20231213-25-h9ef4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=393&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565581/original/file-20231213-25-h9ef4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=393&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565581/original/file-20231213-25-h9ef4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=393&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565581/original/file-20231213-25-h9ef4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=493&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565581/original/file-20231213-25-h9ef4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=493&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565581/original/file-20231213-25-h9ef4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=493&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sniffer dogs with their handler Russell Miller near Gympie region in Queensland, Australia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Katrin Hohwieler, UniSC Detection Dogs for Conservation</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What type of dog can become a sniffer dog?</h2>
<p>The most important aspect of the association learning process is having the right dog – one with obsessive behaviour. And <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/2041-210X.13560">any breed, sex and age of dog</a> can present this personality type.</p>
<p>Some breeds might tend to have higher proportions of obsessed and toy-focused dogs, but all breeds, including crossbreeds, have been successfully deployed as sniffer dogs.</p>
<p>Some breeds do have better sniffers – the bloodhound is the champion of olfactory performance – but depending on the target scent, most dogs’ noses are still extremely efficient and more than capable of the task.</p>
<p>Robust, agile and high-energy breeds are better suited to working outdoors. Medium-sized breeds are usually better able to crawl under and jump over obstacles, while also light enough to be easily carried by their human coworker as needed.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553803/original/file-20231015-23-54t3en.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A wildlife rescuer wearing fire protective gear carries detection dog Bear" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553803/original/file-20231015-23-54t3en.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553803/original/file-20231015-23-54t3en.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553803/original/file-20231015-23-54t3en.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553803/original/file-20231015-23-54t3en.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553803/original/file-20231015-23-54t3en.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553803/original/file-20231015-23-54t3en.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553803/original/file-20231015-23-54t3en.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">International Fund for Animal Welfare IFAW / UniSC koala detection dog ‘Bear’ was deployed during the Black Summer fires (2019-20) to find survivors. Pictured here with the author Romane Cristescu at Two Thumbs Wildlife Trust sanctuaries in Cooma, New South Wales.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Kye McDonald, UniSC Detection Dogs for Conservation</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/scientists-find-burnt-starving-koalas-weeks-after-the-bushfires-133519">Scientists find burnt, starving koalas weeks after the bushfires</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Top jobs for conservation dogs</h2>
<p>Meet dogs working in conservation around the world:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><a href="https://whalesanctuaryproject.org/dio-the-dog-goes-sniffing-for-whale-poop/">detecting orca poo</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.australiandoglover.com/2016/06/detector-dogs-saved-macquarie-island.html?m=0">making</a> and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-11/wonder-dog-protects-island-from-rodents/12338438">keeping</a> World Heritage-listed islands and Antarctica pristine </p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/scientists-find-burnt-starving-koalas-weeks-after-the-bushfires-133519">wildlife search and rescue</a></p></li>
<li><p>working as <a href="https://www.warrnamboolpenguins.com.au/maremma-dogs">guardians</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-16/sniffer-dogs-help-fight-battle-against-fire-ants-in-queensland/6623876">containing fire ants</a></p></li>
<li><p>leading weed eradication on <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2022-01-23/weed-sniffing-dogs-unleashed-n-tasmanian-central-highlands/100773942">land</a> or <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/canberra-saturdaybreakfast/oakley-the-conservation-dog-helping-the-act/102722540">water</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/aec.13220">monitoring wind farms</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/how-a-vomit-sniffing-dog-is-helping-save-endangered-owls-20190124-p50tg6.html">finding vomit</a> (rejected owl pellets, to be precise)</p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-13/sniffer-dogs-could-help-win-the-battle-against-extinction/7163098">supporting environmental assessments</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/meet-moss-the-detection-dog-helping-tassie-devils-find-love-142909">helping Tasmanian devils find mates</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://molecularecologyblog.com/2019/08/19/interview-with-the-author-detecting-pathogens-in-koalas-dogs-versus-qpcr/">detecting diseases</a>.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>These are just a few of the dogs making a difference in our fight to protect biodiversity. But we have barely scratched the surface of their potential!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204813/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Romane H Cristescu works for Detection Dogs for Conservation, at the University of the Sunshine Coast. She is receiving external funding through multiple government-funded, foundation association, not-for-profit group, and research council grants. She is a founding member and current executive of the Australasian Conservation Dogs Network.</span></em></p>Conservation dogs perform vital roles across Australia. Some are guardians protecting wildlife from predators while others put their powerful sense of smell to use as sniffer dogs or detection dogs.Romane H Cristescu, Researcher in Koala, Detection Dogs, Conservation Genetics and Ecology, University of the Sunshine CoastLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.