Gut microbiome as a key monitoring indicator for reintroductions of captive animals.

Reintroduction programs seek to restore degraded populations and reverse biodiversity loss. To examine the hypothesis that gut symbionts could be used as an indicator of reintroduction success, we performed intensive metagenomic monitoring over 10 years to characterize the ecological succession and adaptive evolution of the gut symbionts of captive giant pandas reintroduced to the wild. We collected 63 fecal samples from 3 reintroduced individuals and 22 from 9 wild individuals and used 96 publicly available samples from another 3 captive individuals. By microbial composition analysis, we identified 3 community clusters of the gut microbiome (here termed enterotypes) with interenterotype succession that was closely related to the reintroduction process. Each of the 3 enterotypes was identified based on significant variation in the levels of 1 of 3 genera: Clostridium, Pseudomonas, and Escherichia. The enterotype of captive pandas was Escherichia. This enterotype was gradually replaced by the Clostridium enterotype during the wild-training process, which in turn was replaced by the Pseudomonas enterotype that resembled the enterotype of wild pandas, an indicator of conversion to wildness and a successful reintroduction. We also isolated 1 strain of Pseudomonas protegens from the wild enterotype, a previously reported free-living microbe, and found that its within-host evolution contributed to host dietary adaptation in the wild. Monitoring gut microbial structure provides a novel, noninvasive tool that can be used as an indicator of successful reintroduction of a captive individual to the wild.

Microbiomas intestinales como indicadores clave de monitoreo para la reintroducción de animales cautivos Resumen Los programas de reintroducción buscan restaurar las poblaciones degradadas y revertir la pérdida de la biodiversidad. Realizamos un monitoreo metagenómico intensivo durante más de diez años para caracterizar la sucesión ecológica y la evolución adaptativa de los simbiontes intestinales de pandas reintroducidos en la naturaleza y así comprobar la hipótesis de que estos simbiontes pueden usarse como indicadores de una reintroducción exitosa. Recolectamos 63 muestras fecales de tres individuos reintroducidos y 22 de nueve individuos silvestres y usamos 96 muestras disponibles al público de otros tres individuos cautivos. Mediante el análisis de la composición microbiana identificamos tres grupos comunitarios del microbioma intestinal (denominados como enterotipos) con una sucesión entre enterotipos relacionada cercanamente al proceso de reintroducción. Identificamos cada uno de los tres enterotipos con base en la variación significativa en los niveles de uno de los tres géneros: Clostridium, Pseudomonas, y Escherichia. El enterotipo de los pandas cautivos fue Escherichia. A este enterotipo lo reemplazó gradualmente el enterotipo de Clostridium durante el proceso de adaptación a la naturaleza, y a su vez fue reemplazado por el enterotipo de Pseudomonas similar al de los pandas silvestres, un indicador de la conversión a la vida silvestre y de una reintroducción exitosa. También aislamos una cepa de Pseudomonas protegens del enterotipo silvestre, un microbio reportado previamente como de vida libre, y descubrimos que su evolución dentro del hospedero contribuyó a que este se adaptara a la naturaleza de la dieta. El monitoreo de la estructura microbiana intestinal proporciona una herramienta novedosa y no invasiva que puede usarse como indicador del éxito de la reintroducción de un individuo cautivo a la naturaleza.

Michael Soulé (1936-2020) on spirituality, ethics, and conservation biology.

Michael Soulé is best known for his scientific contributions and central role in founding the Society for Conservation Biology and its flagship journal. Less well known are his childhood experiences, his affinity for Zen Buddhism and Arne Naess' deep ecology philosophy, and his contributions as an environmental activist to efforts to protect biodiversity and rewild ecosystems. Also less well known is the extent to which he was an interdisciplinary environmental studies scholar, struggling to understand what promotes and hinders proenvironmental behaviors. In this regard, his life and that of many other conservation scientists provide important clues, but no easy answers. By attempting to integrate the humanities, with its quest for a meaningful and fulfilling human existence, with naturalistic nature spirituality and ecocentric values, as well as the social and natural sciences, Soulé sought to solve the riddle as to why human beings seemed unable to understand, slow, and halt negative anthropogenic environmental change. He thus modeled what interdisciplinary environmental studies is at its best. Those advocating the conservation of biological diversity have much to learn from Michael Soulé, not only from his scientific findings but also from his way of seeing, the questions he asked, and his love of the living world.

Michael Soulé (1936-2020) y Su Visión de la Espiritualidad, la Ética y la Biología de la Conservación Resumen Michael Soulé es más conocido por sus contribuciones científicas y su papel central en la fundación de la Sociedad para la Biología de la Conservación y su publicación estandarte. Pocos conocen sus experiencias durante la niñez, su afinidad por el budismo Zen y la filosofía de ecología profunda de Arne Naess y sus contribuciones como activista ambiental para la protección de la biodiversidad y la refaunación de los ecosistemas. También es poco conocido el nivel que alcanzó como académico en estudios ambientales interdisciplinarios, siempre luchando por entender qué promueve y qué obstaculiza los comportamientos proambientales. Es en este aspecto que su vida y la de muchos otros científicos de la conservación proporcionan indicios importantes, pero no respuestas fáciles. Cuando intentó integrar a las humanidades, siempre en búsqueda de una existencia humana significativa y gratificante, con una espiritualidad naturalista de la naturaleza y los valores ecocéntricos, así como con las ciencias sociales y naturales, Soulé buscaba resolver el acertijo de por qué los humanos parecen incapaces de entender, disminuir y detener el cambio ambiental antropogénico. Fue así como modeló lo que son los estudios ambientales interdisciplinarios en su mejor expresión. Quienes defienden la conservación de la biodiversidad tienen mucho que aprender de Michael Soulé, no sólo a partir de sus descubrimientos científicos sino también de su manera de ver el mundo, las preguntas que hacía y su amor por el mundo viviente.

Positioning human heritage at the center of conservation practice.

Conservation projects subscribing to a community-based paradigm have predominated in the 21st century. We examined the context in which the phrase was coined and traced its growth over time. Community-based conservation first appeared in the literature in the early 1990s; but grew little until after the 5th World Parks Congress in 2003. Thereafter, publications describing community-based conservation approaches increased exponentially. The conference theme was Benefits Beyond Boundaries, and its goal was to provide an economic model based on revenue accrued from conservation fundraising and ecotourism to support ecosystems, wildlife, and people, particularly in the Global South. Such models tended not to incorporate, as a core principle, the heritage of local human communities. Human heritage varies substantially over time and space making generalization of conservation principles across scales challenging. Pitfalls that have grown out of the community-based conservation approaches in the Global South include fortress conservation, conservation militarism, consumptive and nonconsumptive ecotourism, and whiz-bang solutions. We propose 10 tenets in a human heritage-centered conservation framework (e.g., engage in conservation practices using local languages, thoughtfully propose and apply solutions consistent with human heritage, provide clear professional development pathways for individuals from local communities, and promote alternative revenue-generating programs centered in local communities, among others). Progressive philosophies can derive from authentic and ethical integration of local communities in conservation practice.

Los proyectos de conservación que siguen un paradigma basado en la comunidad han predominado en el siglo XXI. Examinamos el contexto en el cual se acuñó la frase y rastreamos su crecimiento con el tiempo. La frase conservación basada en la comunidad apareció por primera vez en la literatura a principios de la década de 1990; casi no creció hasta después del quinto Congreso Mundial de Parques en 2003. Después de esto, las publicaciones que describen estrategias de conservación basadas en la comunidad incrementaron exponencialmente. El tema de dicha conferencia fue Beneficios Más Allá de las Fronteras y su objetivo era proporcionar un modelo económico basado en las ganancias acumuladas por la recaudación de fondos para la conservación y el ecoturismo para apoyar a los ecosistemas, la fauna y a las personas, particularmente en el hemisferio sur. Dichos modelos tuvieron la tendencia de no incorporar, como principio nuclear, el patrimonio de las comunidades humanas locales. El patrimonio humano varía sustancialmente con el tiempo y en el espacio, lo que complica la generalización de los principios de conservación en todas las escalas. Algunos obstáculos que han surgido de las estrategias de conservación basadas en la comunidad en el hemisferio sur son la conservación en fortalezas, el militarismo por la conservación, ecoturismo consumible y no consumible y las soluciones estrepitosas. Proponemos diez principios para un marco de trabajo de conservación centrado en el patrimonio humano (p. ej.: participar en prácticas de conservación con el uso de lenguajes locales, proponer y aplicar cuidadosamente soluciones consistentes con el patrimonio humano, proporcionar vías de desarrollo profesional claras para los individuos de las comunidades locales y promover programas alternativos de generación de ingresos centrados en las comunidades locales, entre otros). Las filosofías progresivas pueden derivar de una integración auténtica y ética de las comunidades locales dentro de la práctica de la conservación.

Mainstreaming the social sciences in conservation.

Despite broad recognition of the value of social sciences and increasingly vocal calls for better engagement with the human element of conservation, the conservation social sciences remain misunderstood and underutilized in practice. The conservation social sciences can provide unique and important contributions to society's understanding of the relationships between humans and nature and to improving conservation practice and outcomes. There are 4 barriers-ideological, institutional, knowledge, and capacity-to meaningful integration of the social sciences into conservation. We provide practical guidance on overcoming these barriers to mainstream the social sciences in conservation science, practice, and policy. Broadly, we recommend fostering knowledge on the scope and contributions of the social sciences to conservation, including social scientists from the inception of interdisciplinary research projects, incorporating social science research and insights during all stages of conservation planning and implementation, building social science capacity at all scales in conservation organizations and agencies, and promoting engagement with the social sciences in and through global conservation policy-influencing organizations. Conservation social scientists, too, need to be willing to engage with natural science knowledge and to communicate insights and recommendations clearly. We urge the conservation community to move beyond superficial engagement with the conservation social sciences. A more inclusive and integrative conservation science-one that includes the natural and social sciences-will enable more ecologically effective and socially just conservation. Better collaboration among social scientists, natural scientists, practitioners, and policy makers will facilitate a renewed and more robust conservation. Mainstreaming the conservation social sciences will facilitate the uptake of the full range of insights and contributions from these fields into conservation policy and practice.

Setting population targets for mammals using body mass as a predictor of population persistence.

Conservation planning and biodiversity assessments need quantitative targets to optimize planning options and assess the adequacy of current species protection. However, targets aiming at persistence require population-specific data, which limit their use in favor of fixed and nonspecific targets, likely leading to unequal distribution of conservation efforts among species. We devised a method to derive equitable population targets; that is, quantitative targets of population size that ensure equal probabilities of persistence across a set of species and that can be easily inferred from species-specific traits. In our method, we used models of population dynamics across a range of life-history traits related to species' body mass to estimate minimum viable population targets. We applied our method to a range of body masses of mammals, from 2 g to 3825 kg. The minimum viable population targets decreased asymptotically with increasing body mass and were on the same order of magnitude as minimum viable population estimates from species- and context-specific studies. Our approach provides a compromise between pragmatic, nonspecific population targets and detailed context-specific estimates of population viability for which only limited data are available. It enables a first estimation of species-specific population targets based on a readily available trait and thus allows setting equitable targets for population persistence in large-scale and multispecies conservation assessments and planning.

Using Twitter to communicate conservation science from a professional conference.

Scientists are increasingly using Twitter as a tool for communicating science. Twitter can promote scholarly discussion, disseminate research rapidly, and extend and diversify the scope of audiences reached. However, scientists also caution that if Twitter does not accurately convey science due to the inherent brevity of this media, misinformation could cascade quickly through social media. Data on whether Twitter effectively communicates conservation science and the types of user groups receiving these tweets are lacking. To address these knowledge gaps, we examined live tweeting as a means of communicating conservation science at the 2013 International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB). We quantified and compared the user groups sending and reading live tweets. We also surveyed presenters to determine their intended audiences, which we compared with the actual audiences reached through live tweeting. We also asked presenters how effectively tweets conveyed their research findings. Twitter reached 14 more professional audience categories relative to those attending and live tweeting at ICCB. However, the groups often reached through live tweeting were not the presenters' intended audiences. Policy makers and government and non-governmental organizations were rarely reached (0%, 4%, and 6% of audience, respectively), despite the intent of the presenters. Plenary talks were tweeted about 6.9 times more than all other oral or poster presentations combined. Over half the presenters believed the tweets about their talks were effective. Ineffective tweets were perceived as vague or missing the presenters' main message. We recommend that presenters who want their science to be communicated accurately and broadly through Twitter should provide Twitter-friendly summaries that incorporate relevant hashtags and usernames. Our results suggest that Twitter can be used to effectively communicate speakers' findings to diverse audiences beyond conference walls.

A review of longnose skates Zearaja chilensis and Dipturus trachyderma (Rajiformes: Rajidae) / Una revisión sobre las rayas de hocico largo Zearaja chilensis y Dipturus trachyderma (Rajiformes: Rajidae) / Urna revisão das raías longnose Zearaja chilensis e Dipturus trachyderma (Rajiformes: Rajidae)

Longnose skates may have a high intrinsic vulnerability among fishes due to their large body size, slow growth rates and relatively low fecundity, and their exploitation as fisheries target-species places their populations under considerable pressure. These skates are found circumglobally in subtropical and temperate coastal waters. Although longnose skates have been recorded for over 150 years in South America, the ability to assess the status of these species is still compromised by critical knowledge gaps. Based on a review of 185 publications, a comparative synthesis of the biology and ecology was conducted on two commercially important elasmobranchs in South American waters, the yellownose skate Zearaja chilensis and the roughskin skate Dipturus trachyderma, in order to examine and compare their taxonomy, distribution, fisheries, feeding habitats, reproduction, growth and longevity. There has been a marked increase in the number of published studies for both species since 2000, and especially after 2005, although some research topics remain poorly understood. Considering the external morphological similarities of longnose skates, especially when juvenile, and the potential niche overlap in both, depth and latitude it is recommended that reproductive seasonality, connectivity and population structure be assessed to ensure their long-term sustainability.

Las rayas de nariz larga tienen una alta vulnerabilidad intrínseca entre los peces, debido a su gran tamaño corporal, bajas tasas de crecimiento y relativamente baja fecundidad; por otra parte, el hecho de ser blanco de explotación pesquera coloca a su población bajo una presión considerable. Las rayas de nariz larga se encuentran alrededor del mundo en aguas costeras subtropicales y templadas. Aunque se han registrado a lo largo de 150 años en Suramérica, los críticos vacíos de información que aún persisten comprometen la capacidad de determinar el estatus de estas especies. Con base en una revisión de 185 publicaciones, se realizó una síntesis comparativa de la biología y ecología de dos de las especies de elasmobranquios comerciales de aguas suramericanas: la raya volantín (Zearaja chilensis) y la raya espinosa (Dipturus trachyderma). Se examinaron y compararon su taxonomía, distribución, hábitos alimenticios, reproducción, crecimiento, longevidad y explotación pesquera. El número de estudios publicados sobre ambas especies se ha incrementado considerablemente desde 2000 y especialmente después de 2005, aunque algunos tópicos de investigación permanecen poco entendidos. Considerando la similitud morfológica externa de las rayas de nariz larga, especialmente en sus estadios juveniles, y que su nicho potencial se superpone tanto en profundidad como en latitud, se recomienda determinar su estacionalidad reproductiva, con el fin de asegurar su sostenibilidad en el largo plazo.

Raias longnose podem ter uma elevada vulnerabilidade intrínseca entre os peixes, devido ao seu grande tamanho de corpo, taxas lentas de crescimento e fecundidade relativamente baixa, e sua exploraclo como especies alvo de pesca coloca suas populacóes sob considerável pressao. Sao encontradas ao redor do mundo em águas costeiras subtropicais e temperadas. Embora raias longnose hajam sido registradas por mais de 150 anos na América do Sul, a capacidade de avaliar o status dessas espécies ainda é comprometida por lacunas críticas de conhecimento. Com base em uma revisao de 185 publicacóes, uma síntese comparativa da biologia e ecologia foi realizada uma síntese comparativa da biología e ecología de duas espécies de elasmobranquios comerciais de águas sul-americanas, a raia nariz-amarelo (Zearaja chilensis) e a raia pele-áspera (Dipturus trachyderma); com vistas a analisar e comparar a sua taxonomía, distribuicao, pescas, habitats de alimentacao, reprodujo, crescimento e longevidade. Houve um aumento acentuado no número de estudos publicados para ambas as espécies desde 2000, e especialmente depois de 2005, embora alguns tópicos de investiga^ão permanecam pouco compreendidos. Considerando as similaridades morfológicas externas das raias longnose, especialmente quando jovens, e a potencial sobreposição de nichos ocupados tanto em relaclo a profundidade quanto a latitude, recomenda-se que a sazonalidade reprodutiva, seja avaliada para assegurar a sua sustentabilidade em longo prazo.

Geographic bias in citation rates of conservation research.

We investigated whether the impact of conservation science is greater for research conducted in countries with more pressing conservation problems. We quantified research impact for 231 countries based on 2 citation metrics (mean cites per paper and h index) and fitted models predicting research impact based on number of threatened bird and mammal species (as a measure of conservation importance of a country) and a range of demographic variables. Citation rates of conservation research increased as a country's conservation need increased and as human population, quality of governance, and wealth increased. Even after accounting for these factors, citation rates among regions and countries within regions varied significantly. The conservation research community needs to consider ways to begin addressing the entrenched disadvantages some countries have when it comes to initiating projects and producing high-quality research.

Evaluating children's conservation biology learning at the zoo.

Millions of children visit zoos every year with parents or schools to encounter wildlife firsthand. Public conservation education is a requirement for membership in professional zoo associations. However, in recent years zoos have been criticized for failing to educate the public on conservation issues and related biological concepts, such as animal adaptation to habitats. I used matched pre- and postvisit mixed methods questionnaires to investigate the educational value of zoo visits for children aged 7-15 years. The questionnaires gathered qualitative data from these individuals, including zoo-related thoughts and an annotated drawing of a habitat. A content analysis of these qualitative data produced the quantitative data reported in this article. I evaluated the relative learning outcomes of educator-guided and unguided zoo visits at London Zoo, both in terms of learning about conservation biology (measured by annotated drawings) and changing attitudes toward wildlife conservation (measured using thought-listing data). Forty-one percent of educator-guided visits and 34% of unguided visits resulted in conservation biology-related learning. Negative changes in children's understanding of animals and their habitats were more prevalent in unguided zoo visits. Overall, my results show the potential educational value of visiting zoos for children. However, they also suggest that zoos' standard unguided interpretive materials are insufficient for achieving the best outcomes for visiting children. These results support a theoretical model of conservation biology learning that frames conservation educators as toolmakers who develop conceptual resources to enhance children's understanding of science.

The effect of highly variable topography on the spatial distribution of Aniba perutilis (Lauraceae) in the Colombian Andes

Topography is a factor that can significantly affect the diversity and the distribution of trees species in tropical forests. Aniba perutilis, a timber species listed as vulnerable to extinction, is widely distributed in Andean forest fragments, especially in those with highly variable topography. Based on field surveys and logistic regression analyses, we studied the population structure and the effect of highly variable topography on the spatial distribution of this tree in three protected forest fragments in the central Andes of Colombia. Individuals of A. perutilis were mainly found on mountain ridges and hills with gentle slopes; no individuals were found in valleys. Using a species distribution model with presence/absence data, we showed that the available habitat for A. perutilis is significantly smaller than the extension of the fragments and much smaller than the extension of the currently protected areas. Our results have important implications for the conservation of A. perutilis and likely for other threatened Andean tree species, which can also have locally restricted distributions due to highly variable local topography.

La topografía es un factor que puede afectar considerablemente la diversidad y la distribución de las especies de árboles tropicales. Aniba perutilis, una especie de árbol maderable vulnerable a la extinción, está ampliamente distribuida en fragmentos de bosques andinos, especialmente en aquellos con topografía altamente variable. A partir de trabajo de campo y análisis de regresión logística, estudiamos la estructura de la población y los efectos de la topografía sobre la distribución espacial de este árbol en tres fragmentos de bosque en la cordillera central de Colombia que actualmente se encuentran protegidos. Los individuos de A. perutilis se encontraron principalmente en los filos de montaña y colinas con gradientes topográficos suaves; no se encontraron individuos en los valles. A partir de un modelo de distribución de especies usando datos de presencia/ausencia, mostramos que el hábitat disponible para A. perutilis es considerablemente más pequeño que la extensión de los fragmentos y mucho más reducido que la extensión actual de las áreas protegidas. Nuestros resultados tienen implicaciones importantes para la conservación de A. perutilis y probablemente otras especies de árboles andinos amenazados, los cuales pueden estar restringidos de forma similar debido a la variabilidad topográfica local.

Vacíos en la literatura sobre filosofía de la educación ambiental:: una revisión de las corrientes de la filosofía / Ambiental gap inn environmental education phiosophy literature:: a review off trends in environmental philosophy

El presente artículo es un producto preliminar del proyecto de investigación "Una propuesta de lineamientos para la formación ambiental en la educación superior colombiana", adelantado con la Universidad Antonio Nariño durante los años 2011 y 2012. Son dos los objetivos que se persiguen: por un lado, demostrar el vacío de la literatura sobre filosofía de la educación ambiental; y por otro lado, mostrar que a pesar de que las reflexiones epistemológicas sobre filosofía ambiental son pobres, la literatura sobre corrientes de la filosofía ambiental es prolífica. De manera que el orden de la exposición recurre, primero, a una revisión de la literatura sobre filosofía de la educación ambiental; segundo, a una revisión de la literatura sobre filosofía ambiental; y tercero, a un análisis de las principales corrientes, a saber, la ecología profunda, la biología de la conservación, el biorregionalismo y el ecofeminismo.

This article is a preliminary product of the research project "A proposal of guidelines for environmental training in Colombian Higher Education" carried out with Universidad Antonio Nariño during the years 2011and 2012. There are two objectives to be achieved: to demonstrate the void of literature on environmental education philosophy and to show that, despite the epistemological reflections on environmental philosophy are poor, the literature on trends in environmental philosophy is prolific. Thus, the order of the presentation is, first, a literature review on environmental education philosophy;, secondly, a literature review on environmental philosophy; and in third place, an analysis of the main trends, namely, deep ecology, conservation biology, bioregionalism and ecofeminism.

Education as a tool for addressing the extinction crisis: Moving students from understanding to action

Human activity is leading to mass species extinctions worldwide. Conservation biology (CB) courses, taught worldwide at universities, typically focus on the proximal causes of extinction without teaching students how to respond to this crisis. The Extinction of Species 360 course has been taught yearly each fall semester to several hundred students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for over two decades. In 2007 the instructor and five teaching assistants combined principles driving extinctions, based on traditional lectures and discussion sections, with action-oriented education targeting individual consumer habits, to a group of 285 students. Students learn the science underpinning conservation efforts, as evidenced by highly significant learning (<.001) gains in a 22 question survey in every measured category, and also make direct and immediate changes in their lifestyle and consumption habits. This course succeeded in each of its three primary goals: a) informed students about the value of and threats to biodiversity, similar to traditional CB courses, b) emphasized our personal role (as consumers) in perpetuating the extinction crisis and c) facilitated activities to reduce our impact and help alleviate the crisis. The results suggested students learned CB concepts and understood biodiversity’s value, increased their awareness of the connection between personal consumption and extinction, and reduced their collective ecological footprints. Furthermore, students complemented their learning and multiplied the potential for consumption reduction, by participating in action-based activities. Such academic courses can provide a rigorous treatment of the direct and indirect causes of extinction while developing a student’s sense of personal empowerment to help slow the extinction crisis. Rev. Biol. Trop. 58 (4): 1115-1126. Epub 2010 December 01.

La actividad humana está produciendo grandes extinciones de especies en todo el mundo. Los cursos de biología de la conservación (BC), impartidos en universidades de todo el mundo, por lo general se enfocan en las causas de la extinción, sin enseñar a los estudiantes cómo responder a esta crisis. Durante más de dos décadas, la Universidad de Wisconsin-Madison ha ofrecido el curso Extinción de las Especies (#360), que se ha dado cada año, durante otoño a varios cientos de estudiantes cada vez. En 2007 el instructor y cinco asistentes de enseñanza combinaron los principios de manejo de la extinción, con base en presentaciones tradicionales y una sección de discusión, con educación con acción-orientada a los hábitos individuales de consumo, a un grupo de 285 estudiantes. Ellos aprendieron que la ciencia sustenta los esfuerzos de conservación, como lo demuestra el aprendizaje altamente significativo (P<.001) en una encuesta de 22 preguntas en todas las categorías medidas, y en cambios directos e inmediatos en su estilo de vida y hábitos de consumo. Este curso tuvo éxito en cada uno de sus tres objetivos principales: a) los estudiantes fueron informados sobre el valor y las amenazas a la biodiversidad, similar a los tradicionales cursos de BC, b) hizo hincapié en nuestro papel personal (como consumidores) en perpetuar la crisis de la extinción y c) facilito actividades para reducir nuestro impacto y ayudar a disminuir la crisis. Los resultados sugieren que los estudiantes aprendieron conceptos de CB y comprendieron el valor de la biodiversidad, aumentaron su preocupación por la conexión entre el consumo personal y la extinción, y redujeron la huella ecológica colectiva. Además, los estudiantes complementaron su aprendizaje y se multiplicó el potencial de reducción del consumo, mediante la participación en actividades basado en acciones concretos. Estos cursos académicos pueden proporcionar un tratamiento riguroso de las causas directas e indirectas de la extinción, al mismo tiempo que desarrollar en el estudiante el sentido de poder personal para ayudar a disminuir la crisis de la extinción.

Waterbirds and human-related threats to their conservation in Laguna Cuyutlán, Colima, México

Laguna Cuyutlán, the only large wetland in a span of 1 150 km along the Pacific coast of México, has been neglected as to its importance for waterbird conservation. At least 25 waterbird species nest there, with some of their colonies being very relevant, and at least 61 waterbird species use the lagoon during their nonbreeding season. This lagoon has been subject to several structural modifications, including levees and artificial channels which connect it to the sea, while water supply from continental sources has diminished, although its role has not been assessed yet. Salt extraction and artisanal fishery, the main economic activities, do not seem to pose a threat to waterbirds. Among potential threats to this acquatic ecosystem, are the raw sewage discharges that exist near urban areas, and pesticides from the surrounding agricultural lands might reach the lagoon. Seemingly, the most serious threat comes from waterway development in connection with a re-gasification plant to be built, and planned future port expansion, which could potentially increase water levels and alter important habitats for nesting and foraging. We recommend that: the area be declared an Important Bird Area; the development of the re-gasification plant and future port includes a levee to prevent alterations in water level in the remaining sections of the lagoon; supply of exogenous chemicals and waste products be prevented and monitored; alleged benefits from water interchange between the lagoon and the sea through artificial channels should be re-evaluated; and the role of fresh water supplies to the lagoon should be paid attention to. Rev. Biol. Trop. 57 (1-2): 1-12. Epub 2009 June 30.

Laguna Cuyutlán, el único humedal grande a lo largo de 1 150 km del Pacífico mexicano, no ha sido considerado un ecosistema natural importante para la conservación de aves acuáticas. Cuando menos 25 especies de aves acuáticas anidan ahí, y al menos 61 especies de aves acuáticas la usan fuera de la temporada reproductiva. Esta laguna ha sufrido varias modificaciones estructurales, y el aporte de agua dulce ha disminuido, sin que se conozcan sus consecuencias. La extracción de sal y la pesca artesanal, las principales actividades económicas, no parecen ser riesgo para las aves acuáticas. Entre los riesgos potenciales, están las aguas negras cerca de zonas urbanas y los plaguicidas de zonas agrícolas colindantes. Aparentemente, el riesgo más serio deriva del desarrollo marítimo asociado con una planta regasificadora a construirse pronto, y del desarrollo portuario futuro, que podrían incrementar los niveles de agua en la laguna y alterar los hábitats de las aves acuáticas. Recomendamos que: el área se declare como AICA; el desarrollo futuro incluya un dique para prevenir alteraciones en el nivel del agua en el resto de la laguna; el aporte de sustancias agroquímicas y aguas negras se monitoree; se reevalúen los supuestos beneficios del intercambio de agua entre la laguna y el mar por medio de canales artificiales; y se investigue científicamente los aportes de agua dulce a la laguna.