Summary We contribute to research addressing links between forest restoration and human well-being with an experimental study testing how exposure to a restored forest and birdsong impact mental stress, positive and negative experiences and perceived restorativeness. This study engaged 106 campus participants at North Carolina State University in a 2 × 2 experiment to assess the impacts of soundscapes (i.e., traffic noise versus birdsong) and a restored riparian forest (compared to proximate grey space). Soundscape and location were drivers of all well-being metrics (p < 0.001 for main effects in every case, with effect sizes ranging from η 2 = 0.05 to 0.34). The restored forest with birdsong combination elicited the lowest stress, lowest negative experiences, highest positive experiences and highest perceived restorativeness (p < 0.05). The grey space with traffic noise combination was always the least beneficial (p < 0.05), and mixed treatments yielded intermediate results. These results build evidence that exposure to restored forest reduces stress, increases well-being and assists with perceived restorativeness; they also suggest that birdsong soundscapes have additive beneficial effects. These findings support the value of ecological restoration in urban areas, particularly when landscape restoration is accompanied by restoration of bird communities.
Summary This paper critically engages Büscher and Fletcher’s The Conservation Revolution , an influential manifesto within contemporary critical conservation scholarship. While the book offers a powerful political–economic critique of fortress, neoliberal and neoprotectionist conservation paradigms and advances ‘convivial conservation’ as a transformative alternative, this paper evaluates both its intellectual contributions and limitations. The analysis examines the book’s citational politics, theoretical framing and empirical scope, arguing that its reliance on metropolitan critical theory and limited engagement with place-based case studies constrain its claim to global applicability. Particular attention is given to the book’s terrestrial bias and minimal engagement with marine socioecological systems, which restricts its capacity to address governance challenges in oceanic environments. Drawing on interdisciplinary literature, including Indigenous-led conservation in Papua New Guinea and community-based coexistence strategies in Botswana, the paper demonstrates that many practices aligned with convivial conservation already exist as grounded, relational and locally governed approaches. These cases suggest that conservation transformation often emerges through incremental, situated governance rather than universal political rupture. The paper concludes that while The Conservation Revolution re-politicizes conservation debates, future scholarship must integrate systemic critique with epistemic plurality, marine and terrestrial ecologies and empirically grounded understandings of conservation practice.
Summary Conservation science is constrained by conditional visibility, an epistemic trap whereby recognition depends on alignment with Global North priorities. This phenomenon represents the operational intersection of the Matthew and Matilda effects, compounded by the feminization of poverty in the Global South. By marginalizing Indigenous and local knowledge, this structural filter severs global mandates from grounded ecological realities, leading to maladaptive conservation interventions. To bridge this gap, we propose specific interventions targeting the financial, administrative and evaluative pillars of the discipline. By matching structural reform with internal empowerment, we move beyond rhetoric to ensure effective planetary stewardship.
Summary Waste management is one of the major environmental challenges of the twenty-first century. This Perspective examines how vegetation dynamics at composting facilities and landfills both reflect and influence anthropogenic environmental change. We define our use of the Anthropocene as a human-dominated epoch that is functionally and stratigraphically distinct from the Holocene, and we argue that waste-derived ecosystems constitute model systems for detecting its signals through technogenic substrates and synanthropic succession. Although composting reduces pressure on landfills, incomplete processing of biowaste can disseminate propagules of invasive plant species. Landfills, shaped by disturbance and altered edaphic regimes, support synanthropic plant assemblages dominated by neophytes that act as bioindicators of leachate stress and other pressures. At the same time, spontaneous vegetation provides functional benefits, including slope stabilization, organic matter accumulation and habitat provision during early successional stages. We bring together information on risks and functions, link ecological criteria to permitting, monitoring and post-closure management pathways, and outline practical considerations for integrating plant-based indicators with geochemical screening. These steps enable ecologically sensitive strategies to be implemented that mitigate biodiversity risks while leveraging succession to improve the resilience of waste-derived landscapes.
Summary An ideological divide between commodification and wildlife protection continues to undermine efficient and effective conservation in Southern Africa. This Perspective challenges the ‘either–or’ debate, arguing that it creates a governance impasse that is detrimental to the region. Drawing on the Madikwe elephant crisis and the UK’s trophy ban proposal, this analysis traces the roots of this tension to colonial doctrines and current conflicts in international environmental law. Revenue-driven conservation becomes ecologically precarious when financial incentives misalign with biodiversity goals. Conversely, externally imposed protectionist mandates, often rooted in Western ethical sensibilities, systematically undermine community-based conservation by severing vital funding and disregarding local realities. The resolution lies in championing adaptive, hybrid governance models, as exemplified by Namibia’s communal conservancies. Multilateral frameworks, such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), must shift towards performance-based, differentiated regulation. Further recommendations include robust sustainable-use certification to bridge consumer and range-state interests, as well as strengthened community tenure and benefit-sharing. Ultimately, conservation success hinges on integrating economic viability, ecological integrity and social equity, reconciling global policy with local realities.
Protected areas usually have conservation regulations designed to minimize physical disturbances, yet wildlife within them remains vulnerable to external factors such as noise pollution. We assessed transportation noise in over 2400 protected areas across Norway - Europe's second least populated country - by overlaying protected area maps with publicly available noise zone data modelled down to 50 dB for Lden (day-evening-night) and Lnight. Road traffic was the dominant noise source. As wildlife can be affected at levels below 50 dB and by short bursts of high noise, we also examined road noise modelled down to 40 dB in two national parks and 15 smaller protected areas, and we conducted field measurements at a Ramsar site to capture peak noise events. Road noise at Lden >= 50 dB impacted 176 (7.1%) areas, increasing to 229 (9.2%) areas when multiple sources were considered; 126 (5.1%) areas were exposed to Lnight road noise. Smaller protected areas were more exposed. Including noise down to 40 dB raised the average affected area from 39.6%/18.6% to 56.6%/45.0% for Lden/Lnight. Field data revealed frequent peak noise events exceeding 80 dB, even at night. We recommend ecologically sensitive noise mapping using lower thresholds and consideration of frequencies inaudible to humans to better inform conservation planning.
Persistent funding shortfalls undermine protected areas (PAs) worldwide, yet few studies analyse these patterns across space and time. We examined funding deficits in 300 Brazilian federal PAs from 2014 to 2023 using spatial Durbin error models. Deficits were measured as the gap between evidence-based minimum management costs and actual spending. We analysed how PA age, size, management group, ecological region, population density and per capita GDP predict deficits, decomposing socioeconomic effects into direct and spillover components. In 2023, 72% of the PAs faced deficits totalling 958 million international dollars, despite a 30% investment increase over the decade. Larger PAs had greater shortfalls; older PAs had smaller ones. Amazon PAs averaged 79.2% deficits versus 27.6% in the Atlantic Forest. No significant difference emerged between management types. Higher population density predicted lower deficits, probably reflecting greater political visibility near urban centres. No direct local GDP effect was detected, but spillovers from neighbouring high-income regions suggest regional prosperity influences PA funding through spatial networks. Funding deteriorated in 2020-2021 amid fiscal contractions and policy shifts, then recovered in 2022-2023. These findings reveal deep structural inequities, particularly in the Amazon, highlighting the need for transparent national PA financing systems.
Industrial development is rapidly altering ecosystems, with consequences for species that are culturally and ecologically important. Indigenous researchers with Swan River First Nation (SRFN) co-produced this research with Western scientists to examine how landscape change influences mammals within their traditional territory in the boreal foothills of Alberta (Canada). Community-identified concerns about declining mammal populations guided the study's objectives, spatial focus and hypotheses and informed interpretation of the results. Using remote camera traps, we modelled species-specific responses to natural and anthropogenic landscape features. We applied generalized linear models to evaluate competing hypotheses for species occurrence-disturbance relationships. While some species-disturbance relationships matched community observations and patterns from neighbouring regions, others differed. Notably, and consistent with SRFN observations, moose (Alces alces) occurrence declined with increasing road and seismic line density, probably overriding positive effects of patch features. Integrating Indigenous knowledge with the study design and interpretation clarified potential mechanisms underlying declines and strengthened inference for management. These findings demonstrate the value of braiding Indigenous knowledge with ecological data to support conservation and management in rapidly changing landscapes.
Wetland conservation increasingly requires integrated social science approaches, linking environmental education, participatory governance and behaviour change. To address illegal hunting of migratory and rare bird species in northern Iran's Sorkhrud Wetland, we applied a three-layered intervention model integrating environmental education, social network analysis (SNA) and conservation behaviour change theory. These three layers examined individual cognitive-motivational empowerment, network-level communication and collaboration with collective behavioural outcomes. SNA was conducted before and after the educational intervention to assess shifts in participatory relationships, while principal component analysis evaluated changes in awareness and communication. The intervention between 2022 and 2023 combined semi-structured interviews and participatory workshops with diverse stakeholders (n = 44), including officials, non-governmental organizations, activists, hunters and academics. The results showed increased network density (from 0.22 to 0.55) and reduced centrality (from 0.51 to 0.34), indicating a more inclusive, socially grounded structure. Mediating actors gained influence in raising public awareness of wetland values. This framework demonstrates transferability to other wetlands and natural resources, while the Sorkhrud case provides empirical context. Integrating education-based interventions with network analysis offers internationally relevant insights into participatory conservation strategies. Practically, the framework enhances collaboration and awareness, guiding replication in similar settings.
In spite of contributing to social, economic and cultural well-being, wetlands in the Indian Himalayan Region have seen rapid degradation due to unplanned anthropogenic activities. We analysed spatiotemporal wetland dynamics in Srinagar (1991-2031) using remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems. The future land cover for 2031 was projected using an artificial neural network-multi-layer perceptron and cellular automata model. Change detection in the open water area of Dal Lake and its 2-km peri-lacustrine zone was conducted to identify land-cover transition patterns. Furthermore, wetland landscape pattern changes were quantified using landscape metrics to assess fragmentation and spatial configuration over time. The results reveal that, from 1991 to 2021, wetlands decreased from 16.12 to 7.2 km2, with the open surface water area of Dal Lake and its 2-km peri-lacustrine zone declining from 9.77 to 6.39 km2. The land cover projected for 2031 indicates that the total wetland area may decrease to 5.62 km2. Landscape metrics indicated increasing fragmentation and decreasing contiguity among wetland patches, as revealed by fluctuating shape complexity and aggregation, primarily due to conversions to agricultural land, fallow land and built-up areas.
Tropical forests provide essential ecosystem services (ESs) that sustain local livelihoods, yet rural Amazonian communities - among those most dependent on these services - remain under-represented in empirical valuation studies, limiting the integration of local conservation values into policy design. This study addresses this gap by estimating the willingness to pay (WTP) for ES conservation and the relative economic effort (WTP/income ratio) in two rural communities of the Peruvian Amazon: San Joaqu & iacute;n de Omaguas and Santa Clara de Nanay. Using a dichotomous contingent valuation format, 481 households were surveyed in 2024, and WTP was estimated through logit models following National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) guidelines. The results indicate an average WTP of PEN 3.076 (USD 0.86) per month - equivalent to 0.50% of income - representing a higher relative effort than is typically reported in high-income countries and consistent with the lower bound of values observed in low-income settings. Education, household size and local origin increased WTP, whereas income showed a negative association. These findings align with international evidence showing that education and social-relational values rather than income are the key drivers of WTP in low-income contexts. Despite these efforts, aggregate local contributions would be insufficient to finance conservation actions. Therefore, context-sensitive financial mechanisms - such as community environmental funds, differentiated contribution schemes and external co-financing - are needed to ensure equity and sustainability. This study contributes original empirical evidence from low-income Amazonian communities and highlights the relevance of the WTP/income ratio as a comparative indicator to inform equitable and transparent conservation finance.
This study examines the Advancing Conservation through Empathy for Wildlife (TM) (ACE for Wildlife (TM)) Network, a collaborative professional network that draws on elements of the collective impact model to foster empathy for wildlife and advance conservation goals. Using a mixed-methods case study design, including social network analysis and qualitative interviews, we examine how the Network's structured design and facilitation supported information-sharing and collaboration among participating zoos and aquariums. The results demonstrate that information-sharing served as a critical foundation for collaboration, with participants forming new partnerships and leveraging shared resources. The study highlights the roles of centralized backbone coordination and bridging individuals in supporting network connectivity, shared learning and collaboration. We provide insights into how intentionally designed professional networks can strengthen practice within the zoo and aquarium field and contribute to understanding how collaboration can be supported in other sectors working towards shared environmental or learning goals.
Climate change is a significant challenge for biodiversity conservation in Australia and globally; conservation practitioners, researchers and policymakers need to find new ways to protect species, communities and habitats from the impacts of it. These new approaches - or adaptation interventions - require testing, approvals, permissions, funding and, in many cases, social licence. As such, there is a strong appetite for peer-to-peer sharing of research, new ideas and experiences in adapting biodiversity conservation to climate change, as well as an increasing need to communicate adaptation approaches to decision-makers and communities. We surveyed 80 people working in biodiversity conservation in Australia to elicit the ways in which stories about adaptation are used to support the planning and implementation of adaptation interventions and what information is most useful in these learning examples. We found that individuals working in biodiversity conservation in Australia have diverse roles and areas of focus. Accordingly, there are diverse needs and uses for stories, and there is a large and unmet appetite for accessible, relevant and credible information. Our findings could help guide the development and sharing of learning examples in the rapidly growing field of climate change adaptation for biodiversity conservation that will speed progress towards implementation.
Achieving low-carbon development has become a key goal for countries and regions worldwide. The new industry-finance cooperation (IFC) model emerging in China holds promise as an effective approach to reducing carbon emission intensity (CEI). This paper utilizes data from 260 Chinese cities from between 2011 and 2022 (n = 260, 12 years), employing a difference-in-differences model to examine the impact of IFC on urban CEI. The IFC appears to have helped reduce urban CEI, potentially through promoting green technological innovation, advancing technological finance and talent gathering. Furthermore, the effect of IFC on reducing urban CEI varied depending on resource endowment, regional characteristics and prevailing CEI. Overall, the impact of IFC on CEI has not been significant in resource-dependent cities (highly dependent on the extraction and primary processing of one or two resources, such as coal and oil, for which the industrial structure is extremely narrow); however, for resource-dependent cities undergoing transformation (e.g., declining or regenerating), IFC seems to have had a significant carbon reduction impact. Our findings stand to inform governments, financial institutions and industrial organizations worldwide in their joint efforts to achieve low-carbon emission targets.
The role of climate change as a driver of local extinctions has rarely been tested using primary distribution data, largely due to the scarcity of such data for many species, especially from historical periods. Santolina etrusca (Asteraceae), an Italian endemic shrub listed as Near Threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Global Red List of Threatened Species, is a notable exception, as both historical and current distributional data are available for it. In this study, we documented the distribution changes of this species, highlighting the local extinction of populations located in the northernmost and southernmost edges of its historical range during the twentieth century. Direct anthropogenic impacts on land use are unlikely to have been the primary causes of local extinctions, although the absence of historical data prevents us from ruling out past anthropogenic drivers. By analysing the ecological conditions at sites hosting extinct versus extant populations, we identified significant climatic factors that are potentially responsible for this range contraction. Our findings provide empirical evidence of an association between climate change and local extinctions in a Mediterranean plant, suggesting that greater temperature seasonality, continentality and annual temperature range are linked to range contraction.
Tropical dry forests (TDFs), which comprise 40% of tropical forests and are most widespread in the Neotropics, remain under-researched. TDFs support high biodiversity and are inhabited by many Indigenous communities, making their degradation a critical socio-environmental problem, yet local drivers of deforestation are overlooked. Mexico holds the largest extent of TDFs, yet these ecosystems face high levels of disturbance and limited protection. This study models the impacts of global environmental change on a TDF in southern Mexico, focusing on land-cover dynamics, biodiversity and nature's contributions to people. We applied spatially explicit land-cover modelling under three long-term scenarios (Optimistic, Business as Usual and Pessimistic) based on varying rates of change, climate and socioeconomic conditions. Drivers were dynamically updated to reflect plausible trajectories. By overlaying land cover with species distribution data, we identified farming expansion as the primary threat to 35 endemic vertebrate species, 27 of which face a high risk of extinction. This biodiversity loss compromises ecosystem functioning and weakens the resilience of local communities. We recommend integrating conservation with Indigenous participation in sustainable land-use practices, aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to halt species extinction and conserve ecosystems.
Accurate identification of potentially toxic element (PTE) sources is crucial for effective risk mitigation; however, the complex solubility of trace elements hinders such identification. Here, levels of PTEs in the dust of 105 leaf samples from 21 sites in urban Guiyang (China) were measured and positive matrix factorization was applied to help identify PTE sources. These results were validated through correlating PTE concentrations with the land-use areas surrounding the sample sites. Ni and As in the leaf dust were linked to the cleanest conditions, followed by Cr. Conversely, Zn, Cu, Cd and Pb were associated with higher pollution levels. Three primary sources of PTEs were identified, with traffic-agriculture emissions being the largest contributor at 40.42%. Natural sources followed closely at 39.41%, while industrial processes accounted for the remaining 20.17%. High-pollution areas were clustered around traffic hubs, where frequent vehicle idling and acceleration increased emissions. As traffic emission was a major source of atmospheric pollution, targeted flow optimization is needed to reduce risks of human exposure.
Political instability, socio-economic challenges and ongoing conflict hinder effective conservation and monitoring efforts within Lebanon's nature reserves (NRs) and thus threaten the country's biodiversity. The first nationwide NR mammal survey in 2023-2024 employed camera traps and line transect sampling to assess species presence and evaluate the effects of habitat diversity and human disturbance on mammal richness. We confirmed the presence of 16 terrestrial mammal species, and species richness varied considerably across sites, with the greatest diversity found in large, ecologically heterogeneous NRs such as Shouf Cedar and Horsh Ehden. Although not statistically significant, habitat diversity was the strongest positive predictor of species richness (r = 0.45), followed by NR area (r = 0.40), whereas human disturbance tended to be inversely related to species richness. No significant differences were detected between the two survey methods. Despite logistical and security challenges, this study offers a baseline for future monitoring and conservation strategies and suggests that habitat heterogeneity is important for sustaining mammalian diversity.
