Biodiversity education is essential for addressing global biodiversity loss, yet its implementation varies widely among teachers. Formal education provides a key opportunity to foster long-term environmental awareness and shape attitudes toward nature, but the implementation and effectiveness of biodiversity education are likely to vary depending on teachers’ individual characteristics, including their knowledge, attitudes, and commitment to environmental issues. This study examines how teachers’ personal experiences and psychological connectedness to nature influence biodiversity education practices. Responses from elementary and junior high school teachers in Japan were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results showed a consistent pattern: childhood nature experiences (CNE) were positively associated with nature relatedness (NR), which in turn was positively associated with the number of biodiversity education practices. Age had no direct effect on practice implementation. Elementary school and science teachers reported more practices than junior high school and non-science teachers. Teachers also identified key challenges, including limited time, insufficient knowledge, and lack of teaching materials. These findings highlight the importance of experiential and psychological factors, alongside institutional constraints, in shaping biodiversity education practices.

The global call for expanding protected areas to conserve biodiversity often conflicts with the livelihoods of the local communities inhabiting these regions. Understanding these communities’ perspectives is crucial for balancing conservation efforts with their well-being. This study surveyed the local communities living near Kubah National Park to explore their perceived benefits and concerns regarding the park’s existence. Using the best-worst scaling approach, we found that the diversity of flora and fauna was ranked as the most beneficial aspect of the park, whereas restriction of resource access was identified as the most significant concern. Additionally, latent class analysis revealed substantial heterogeneity in preferences among the respondents. These findings offer important insights for policymakers aiming to expand protected areas while addressing the needs of adjacent communities.

Participation in activities that occur in natural settings during childhood tends to influence the frequency with which an individual engages in nature-based recreation during adulthood, along with their perceptions of the natural environment in adulthood. This study examined how childhood nature experience (CNE) might affect nature-based recreational behavior among adults residing in urban settings. We conducted a questionnaire survey of 1,004 urban residents in the Singapore city-state and found that urban parks were among the most frequently visited outdoor spaces, whereas more natural green spaces were less frequently visited. We found that CNE had a significant and robust positive effect on nature-based activities (NBA); this effect was followed by the effects of gender and income. Our findings to reveal the most frequently visited outdoor space among Singaporean and the correlation between the frequencies of CNE and sociodemographic have different effect on NBA adulthood. Thus, our findings suggest that CNE is strongly linked to adult NBA and is common among adults, particularly in the Asian region. Our findings may be utilized to inform the design and management of outdoor areas for younger generations, with the aim of encouraging the development of early childhood outdoor exposure.

Background:The Ba Vi National Park is located 60 km west of Hanoi, the capital city, in south Phu Tho Province (formerly Hoa Binh Province), northern Vietnam. Despite its establishment in 1991, there are not many studies on its herpetofauna. The known number of amphibian and reptile species for the National Park prior to this study is a total 66 species. However, due to the scarcity of surveys, more species were expected. New information:Herein, we report new records of 16 amphibians and 12 reptiles from Ba Vi National Park. Our findings increase the total number of herpetofaunal species to 94, including now a total of 26 anurans, one gymnophionan, four chelonians, 18 saurians and 45 ophidians. The estimated species accumulation curve has not reached a plateau yet and thus indicates that species richness in the Park is very likely to increase in the future.

Abstract Biodiversity is central to nature conservation, and education in this field shapes individuals' knowledge and attitudes toward the environment. Despite its importance, biodiversity is often poorly defined and inconsistently addressed in education due to curriculum flexibility and teachers' interpretations. This study examines the attitudes of elementary and junior high school teachers in Tokyo, Japan, toward biodiversity and the factors influencing their educational choices. Results show teachers prioritized “Nature and life” topics among environmental issues. Although the four dimensions of biodiversity education, “Definition”, “Conservation”, “Threats”, and “Benefits”, were evenly covered, institutional definitions and critical concerns, such as species extinction, were underemphasized. Furthermore, teachers' content choices were significantly influenced by their Childhood Nature Experiences and Nature Relatedness. These findings suggest that personal histories and emotional connections to nature shape biodiversity education. To enhance effectiveness, educational strategies should incorporate these personal factors into broader institutional and policy frameworks.

The Javan gibbon (Hylobates moloch), an endangered primate endemic to Java, faces significant population declines due to habitat fragmentation and degradation, particularly in the Petungkriyono Forest, an important forest landscape in Central Java. To understand the ecological and social factors that influence gibbon occurrence, we combined Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) with ecological modelling. We conducted household surveys with semi-structured interviews with 300 respondents from three villages bordering the Petungkriyono forest. We analysed Javan gibbon occurrence data from verified LEKs, institutional records, and GBIF, and used environmental predictors derived from remote sensing. Our result shows that Javan gibbon recognition was high (96%), though the depth of knowledge and reporting of recent sightings varied by gender and education. Respondents widely perceived that the Javan gibbon was rare or declining, with recent sightings most frequently reported in Kayupuring. Ecological models indicated that gibbon occurrence was associated with multiple environmental gradients, including canopy height, vegetation density, elevation, distance to rivers, and distance from settlements, rather than a single dominant predictor. These associations likely reflect broad habitat conditions and potential variation in detectability across the mountain landscape. By integrating LEK with ecological modelling, this study provides a complementary perspective on Javan gibbon occurrence in Petungkriyono while acknowledging the limitations of both datasets. These results provide baseline information on gibbon occurrence and habitat conditions in Petungkriyono, supporting the identification of priorities for future systematic ecological assessments.

The killing of carnivores is a central issue in carnivore conservation. Research has focused primarily on large carnivores that cause severe damage to livelihoods, but people's hostility toward carnivores is not always being correlated to economic damage. This study investigates reasons for killings of the fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus), a small cat found in South and Southeast Asia. A structured questionnaire was used in 244 households to examine the perceived risk of poultry loss and the intention to kill fishing cats. Among respondents, 88% reported that they have never or rarely experienced fishing cat predation on poultry. However, 84% believed that fishing cats attack people. Intention to kill forms through a combination of individual attitude and social norms. High social approval for the killing of fishing cats was found, possibly originating from the misconception that fishing cats are dangerous "tigers." Removing the social stigma is crucial for conservation of fishing cats in the region.

Mammalian species are key in maintaining a healthy ecosystem. The tropical rainforest in Borneo is characterized by its rich biodiversity and rugged interior, which houses various forest types from the lowland dipterocarp forest to the montane and ericaceous forests above 1500 m. Using the data obtained from 81 camera trap stations set up from April 2023 to September 2024, we investigated the diversity of mammalian species across the spatial and temporal dimensions. We detected 35 species of mammals from 6 orders and 15 families, excluding the Muridae and Sciuridae species. We highlight significant differences between mean species richness among tropic guilds across elevational classes. From the results of Bayesian single-season occupancy analysis, the pig-tailed macaque Macaca nemestrina has the highest occupancy rate of 0.79 (95% credible interval [CrI] 0.68, 0.89), followed by the red muntjac Muntiacus muntjak, 0.71 (95% CrI 0.59, 0.83). Temporally, all the individual species' activity patterns followed the previous studies, except for the mousedeer Tragulus spp., which are found to be mostly nocturnal. We also report evidence of differences in elevational distribution among some species within the community. In conclusion, our results offer baseline knowledge on the spatial and temporal distribution pattern of non-volant mammals in a high-altitude protected area.

Durian (Durio zibethinus) is a popular and economically valuable tropical fruit tree native to Southeast Asia. It is empirically known that weather conditions can affect spatio-temporal variations in durian production. However, few studies have investigated the influence of climatic and meteorological factors on durian production and variability. This study examined the spatio-temporal patterns of durian production in Peninsular Malaysia using published statistical data from different geographical scales (peninsular, state, and district). The effects of rainfall on durian production and yield were discussed. District-level durian production data for Peninsular Malaysia for six years (2015–2021, except 2019), published by the Malaysian Ministry of Agriculture and weather data from the World Weather Online were used for the analysis. Durian production and yield did not generally fluctuate across years at the peninsular scale but showed high variability among the years at the district level. There was a significant increase in rainfall in 2017, corresponding with a significantly lower yield. Therefore, these findings suggest that durian temporal productivity and production variability are influenced by extreme rainfall. Extreme rainfall could have reduced durian productivity by inhibiting flower bud induction and flowering, decreasing pollinator activity, and causing direct damage to the fruit and trees. However, the coefficient of variation was lower in districts with higher production, suggesting that artificial factors mitigated part of the variation in productivity because the effects of extreme weather could be mitigated by a well-managed plantation system in large farms.

The support of local stakeholders is crucial for the sustainable tourism management of nature-based destinations (NBDs). Local people near NBDs may have more interaction with wildlife; however, research on local people’s attitudes towards wildlife is surprisingly limited. To explore their liking and willingness to coexist with different wild animals, and the associated influencing factors, we conducted a survey of residents living near Tanjung Piai National Park (TPNP), Johor, Malaysia. Most of the residents had experienced numerous direct encounters with bats and snakes inside TPNP, as well as with wild boar and macaque monkeys outside of the park. The local people showed a high level of liking for animals but a relatively low level of willingness to coexist with them. The results of the statistical models suggest that the liking of animals is significantly influenced by childhood nature experiences and sociodemographic characteristics including sex, education, and the presence of children. Education was an effective factor shaping the preferences of favorable, fairly favorable, and unfavorable animal groups. On the other hand, willingness to coexist with animals was significantly influenced by childhood nature experiences, age, and sex. Age was an effective factor shaping willingness to coexist with favorable, fairly favorable, and unfavorable animal groups; specifically, elderly people showed a low level of willingness to coexist with animals compared to young people. Therefore, we conclude that in addition to providing educational programs for shaping preferences regarding wildlife, careful support and considerable efforts aimed at elderly people are essential to increasing residents’ willingness to coexist with animals to obtain wider support for NBD management.

Nonlethal wildlife tourism has potential to support the sustainable use of protected rainforests; however, activities associated with tourism may negatively affect ecology and wildlife behaviour. Abundance and diel activity pattern of wildlife is crucial to understand how they respond to environmental factors. In the present study, we examined whether human activities impact the spatiotemporal patterns of wild mammal communities in a tourist area of Endau-Rompin (Peta) National Park, Malaysia. Using video camera traps, we assessed the detection rates and diel activity patterns of wild mammals along roads in an area near tourist lodgings and a remote area. During a 250-day camera trapping survey, we identified at least 21 species of medium and large mammal. Although the volume of car and motorcycle traffic was significantly higher in the visitor area than the remote area, there were no significant differences in the detection rates of most mammals between the two areas. The diel activity patterns of four species did not differ between the two areas. However, Tragulus species showed different diel activity patterns in the visitor and remote areas, possibly a response to predators, as large carnivores were not observed in the visitor area. These findings emphasise the importance of considering not only direct human impacts but also indirect impacts through interspecific interactions.

Oceanic islands are a major tourist destination, and the invasion of exotic plants on oceanic islands is a serious problem. To discuss how exotic herbaceous plant invasion is driven by human disturbance on an oceanic island, we assessed the distribution patterns of exotic herbaceous species along a metropolitan road, including parking lots, on the island of Chichijima in the Ogasawara Islands of Japan in the North Pacific Ocean. We observed 16 exotic herbaceous species representing seven families, and all the species have also been recorded in surveys 25 years ago. Species richness (number of species per plot) ranged from 0 to 9 with an average of 2.49. Distance from a parking lot was significantly negatively related to the distribution patterns of seven species and positively related to three species, pointing to parking lots being critical nodes along the dispersal pathways of exotic herbaceous species in Chichijima. Although roads are well known to play an important role as corridors for the invasion and seed dispersal of exotic plants, our results suggest that it would also be important to consider the location of parking lots to understand the distribution of exotic herbaceous species in road networks. We suggest that intensive weed management near parking lots and car wash protocols on Chichijima may be effective in halting exotic species spread.

Introduction: The presence of habitats of wild animals and plants in urban areas improves the quality of life for urban dwellers. An increase in interactions between people and wild animals could lead to an increase in human-wildlife conflicts. A decline in direct experience with nature can lead to disaffection of natural environments, and wildlife, and public indifference towards biodiversity conservation. This study measured affective attitudes towards wildlife (i.e., preferences for and willingness to coexist with 22 animal species) and examined the relationships between these attitudes and childhood experiences with nature. Methods: A face-to-face interview was carried out in rapidly urbanizing Malaysia for both urban and suburban 357 adults (age > 20 years old). The questionnaire survey was conducted in three urban towns and three suburban districts. Results: There was a marked variation in Preference and Coexistence scores among the 22 animal species. The animals with the highest Preference scores were insects (e.g., butterfly, dragonfly, firefly, cicada, beetle, and cricket) and squirrels. This study result showed that Malaysian people liked several insects and squirrels, but disliked mammals generally. Mediation analysis, with controlling sociodemographic factors (gender, age and ethnicity), showed that childhood nature experience was positively associated with a preference for wild animals (standardized path coefficient = 0.18; p < 0.001), and the preference had a strong correlation with willingness to coexistence (standardized path coefficient = 0.61; p < 0.001) with the animals. Childhood nature experience, however, had limited effects on willingness to coexist with the animals via preference, particularly for unfavourable animals. These results suggest that preference and willingness scores, even though they were significantly correlated, were different sides of affective attitudes toward animals. Conclusions: Therefore, to promote biodiversity conservation programs, we need strategies to increase the acceptance of wild animals via relevant environmental education and public communication, as well as opportunities for nature activities for children.

The flowering period of durian is influenced by weather conditions such as prolonged drought and low temperatures. However, the specific criteria and durations of these conditions remain unclear. This study aimed to identify weather conditions that trigger durian flowering by monitoring its phenology and analyzing the relationship between minimum temperature and rainfall using two types of durian— grafting type and seed-grown type. Three flowering events were observed in 2022 and two in 2023. Considering there were no differences in the number or timing of flowering events among the two types, it suggests that genetic background differences do not influence flowering phenology. All flowering events were best explained using the 15-day moving average of rainfall, with the peak of the first flowering occurring approximately 50 days after the 15-day moving average of rainfall fell below 1 mm. These results suggest that drought accumulation over approximately 15 days may trigger the induction of durian flower buds. However, no correlation was determined between the minimum temperature and the first flowering date. These findings indicate that durian flowering is induced by milder drought conditions than those previously proposed. Differences in variety and climate may have led to results different from those reported in earlier studies. Long-term monitoring across multiple sites and varieties is required to discuss these differences further.

Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) possessed by indigenous communities offers a vital source of information regarding the status and threats faced by species. Anaphalis javanica (DC.) Sch.Bip. commonly known as Javanese edelweiss is a culturally significant species in Indonesia's mountainous regions, yet conservation efforts for it remain limited. We utilized TEK to assess the status and threats to the Javanese edelweiss in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, Indonesia. The research aims to assess the distribution, abundance, population trends, and threats faced by Javanese edelweiss using TEK. We interviewed 641 individuals from seven Tengger villages near the park to gather data on the distribution, status, and threats facing the Javanese edelweiss, contributing to conservation efforts. Data were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models and ordinal logistic regression. TEK regarding the Javanese edelweiss was extensive, as 96.3% of respondents recognized the plant. A majority (73.2%) had observed Javanese edelweiss in the wild, yet a significant portion (85%) perceived it as "very rare" or "rare." Furthermore, 50% of respondents reported a decline in its population. Variations in sighting frequency, perceived abundance, and population trends across different locations provide crucial insights for identifying priority areas and shaping community-based conservation strategies for Javanese edelweiss. This research underscores the importance of integrating TEK into conservation planning, emphasizing community involvement for effective and sustainable biodiversity conservation.

An understanding of the local traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of a region is crucial to understand the interactions between indigenous societies and their ecosystems. To understand the TEK of Indonesian indigenous people and its influencing factors, we evaluated the Tengger people’s knowledge and conservation awareness regarding culturally important plants (Javanese edelweiss). We interviewed 641 people from seven Tengger villages located adjacent to Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (BTS), Indonesia. We developed 31 models to examine factors affecting edelweiss knowledge and calculated the Akaike information criterion values to select the best model. Sex, education, and residency duration were significant predictors of edelweiss knowledge. Men, individuals with higher levels of education, and those who had lived in the area for a longer period of time had higher levels of edelweiss knowledge. Our findings confirm that communication within the community and external information sources, such as media and formal education, are involved in knowledge transmission related to edelweiss. Educational activities for local people can be used to disseminate TEK through formal education in schools and informal education programs conducted by the national park managers.

Climatic factors have commonly been attributed as the trigger of general flowering, a unique community-level mass flowering phenomenon involving most dipterocarp species that forms the foundation of Southeast Asian tropical rainforests. This intriguing flowering event is often succeeded by mast fruiting, which provides a temporary yet substantial burst of food resources for animals, particularly frugivores. However, the physiological mechanism that triggers general flowering, particularly in dipterocarp species, is not well understood largely due to its irregular and unpredictable occurrences in the tall and dense forests. To shed light on this mechanism, we employed ecological transcriptomic analyses on an RNA-seq dataset of a general flowering species, Shorea curtisii (Dipterocarpaceae), sequenced from leaves and buds collected at multiple vegetative and flowering phenological stages. We assembled 64,219 unigenes from the transcriptome of which 1,730 and 3,559 were differentially expressed in the leaf and the bud, respectively. Differentially expressed unigene clusters were found to be enriched with homologs of Arabidopsis thaliana genes associated with response to biotic and abiotic stresses, nutrient level, and hormonal treatments. When combined with rainfall data, our transcriptome data reveals that the trees were responding to a brief period of drought prior to the elevated expression of key floral promoters and followed by differential expression of unigenes that indicates physiological changes associated with the transition from vegetative to reproductive stages. Our study is timely for a representative general flowering dipterocarp species that occurs in forests that are under the constant threat of deforestation and climate change as it pinpoints important climate sensitive and flowering-related homologs and offers a glimpse into the cascade of gene expression before and after the onset of floral initiation.