The Amazon biome faces intensifying threats to its biodiversity, including accelerated deforestation, overexploitation of wildlife, fires, agricultural expansion, mining, and infrastructure construction. Understanding how the scientific literature has evaluated faunal contributions to Nature’s Contributions to People (NCP) is important for informing future conservation and research priorities. Through a broad scoping review, we aimed to (1) assess the ecological role and Nature’s Contributions to People (NCP) provided by terrestrial and freshwater faunas in the Pan-Amazon; (2) synthesize the current state of knowledge and critically examine how these potential associations have been explored and documented in the literature; and (3) identify any knowledge gaps and areas requiring further research. We analysed the data qualitatively and using descriptive statistics. Our synthesis of 135 studies reveals a research bias toward the interaction between fauna and provisioning services, such as hunting and fishing, while cultural services and the role of invertebrates remain critically underrepresented. Similarly, the role of faunal declines in ecosystem changes remains understudied in the empirical literature. Geographically, studies cluster in Brazil and Peru, leaving gaps across much of the Amazon. The reviewed studies frequently documented biodiversity declines associated with overexploitation, habitat loss, and climate change. This decline is associated with widespread depletion of faunas, which may disrupt ecosystem functioning and human well-being. Defaunation is linked to changes in ecological relationships that can alter ecosystem processes and, consequently, potentially impact human well-being. We urgently need to recognize the critical role of wildlife and build political will to develop targeted policies and funding mechanisms that address faunistic loss in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems alongside forest cover. Wildlife contributions to people are highly threatened globally We review research into the impacts of the biodiversity crisis on benefits provided by fauna in the Amazon The review found that research is biased toward provisioning benefits and regions, amid alarming biodiversity declines Non-economic values and ecological thresholds of collapse were underrepresented Evidence documented signals fragile ecosystem resilience Amazon wildlife collapse demands urgent action to address drivers of faunistic decline
Inland salt marshes (ISM) form in non-arid regions when mineral soil is infiltrated by salt-saturated groundwater that rises to the surface in natural saltwater springs or seeps. ISMs were historically found across the eastern USA but presently the few remaining intact are critically imperiled natural communities. Due to their highly saline conditions, ISMs support regionally rare halophytic plants, and they are also susceptible to invasion by salt-tolerant invasive plants. This study had two main objectives (1) compare changes to vegetation and sediment between field surveys spanning 40 years in a State of Michigan, USA ISM (Clinton Saltworks), and (2) assess biotic and abiotic environment shifts due to invasion by two aggressive Typha taxa at a second Michigan ISM site (Hubbard Salt Lick). We found that the state-endangered plants, Eleocharis parvula and Schoenoplectus americanus, have been extirpated from the Clinton Saltworks plant community, corresponding with increased dominance by the invasive plant, Phalaris arundinacea and a reduction in salinity. Within the Hubbard Salt Lick site, invasive Typha spp. had homogenized plant community composition and was directly competing with the rare species. However, both protected species were present directly adjacent to the persistent salt seep, despite encroachment by invasive Typha spp. Inland salt marsh floristic composition and vegetative structure is impacted by invasive species encroachment. Our study highlights the importance of management of invasive plants to promote the integrity of ISMs and maintain rare plant populations dependent on this rare community type.
Nocturnal lepidoptera (moth) taxa are frequently used as indicators of the quality and conservation value of habitats or as a surrogate of biodiversity. However, most of the existing studies consider only the macrolepidoptera (moths with a wingspan usually >20 mm) or a subset of representative families. Microlepidoptera, which are more difficult to identify to the species level, are rarely taken into account. We examined whether the macrolepidoptera diversity, as well as that of the two most species-rich macrolepidoptera families, could serve as indicator for the microlepidoptera diversity. We conducted full-season quantitative light trapping to collect macro- and microlepidoptera over six years at two suburban localities near Basel (Switzerland) and identified all moths to species level. We recorded a total of 17,404 individuals belonging to 515 species (macrolepidoptera: 290 species (56.3
Coastal wetlands in Mediterranean-climate regions are biodiversity-rich ecosystems that are increasingly threatened by climate change. Yet, their ecological responses to interacting climate drivers remain poorly understood. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature indexed in Scopus and Web of Science through November 2024. Studies were classified by climate factors, environmental categories, methodological approaches, and geographic scale. Of the 826 records screened, 70 studies explicitly examined climate change impacts on coastal wetlands across Mediterranean-climate regions (MCWs), with most of the retrieved studies conducted within the Mediterranean Basin. Salinity and temperature were the most frequently investigated drivers, followed by sea-level rise and extreme events, while precipitation and drought were less frequently investigated. Research focused primarily on wildlife and vegetation, whereas soils, agriculture, and cultural heritage were less represented. Most studies adopted empirical approaches and were conducted at local or regional scales. Within the reviewed literature, research was unevenly distributed across geographic regions and environmental themes. Across MCWs, climate change acts through interacting drivers rather than isolated stressors, salinization emerging as a central ecological filter linking warming, sea-level rise, altered hydrological regimes, and extreme events. These interactions reshape ecosystem functioning from physiological responses to community composition and ecosystem processes, although responses remain highly species- and context-dependent. Integrated strategies are urgently needed to address these multiple stressors. Identifying vulnerable species and adaptive traits will support effective conservation, while broader comparative research across Mediterranean-climate regions could improve understanding of coastal wetland resilience.
Industrial green transformation has become an important pathway for achieving sustainable development. This study examines whether China’s Green Industrial Park (GIP) policy generates ecological co-benefits for avian biodiversity. Combining panel data from 272 Chinese prefecture-level cities during 2015–2022 with a novel dataset comprising nearly 500,000 citizen science bird observation records, we employ a staggered difference-in-differences framework to identify the causal effects of the GIP implementation on regional avian biodiversity. We find that the GIP establishment significantly increases both avian abundance and species richness, with the effects remaining robust across a series of model specifications and robustness checks. Mechanism analyses reveal that these biodiversity benefits are primarily driven by two pathways: habitat restoration, reflected in increased vegetation coverage and reduced pesticide and chemical fertilizer inputs, and environmental quality improvement, reflected in lower carbon dioxide emissions and PM2.5 concentrations. Further analyses demonstrate substantial heterogeneity in policy effects across species conservation statuses, industrial development backgrounds, regional contexts, and local ecological governance capacities. These findings provide new empirical evidence that industrial green transformation can generate biodiversity co-benefits beyond conventional environmental and economic outcomes. This study highlights the importance of integrating biodiversity objectives into green industrial development strategies and provides insights for advancing SDG 15.
