Selective inhibitors of the PSEN1-gamma-secretase complex.

Clinical development of γ-secretases, a family of intramembrane cleaving proteases, as therapeutic targets for a variety of disorders including cancer and Alzheimer's disease was aborted because of serious mechanism-based side effects in the phase III trials of unselective inhibitors. Selective inhibition of specific γ-secretase complexes, containing either PSEN1 or PSEN2 as the catalytic subunit and APH1A or APH1B as supporting subunits, does provide a feasible therapeutic window in preclinical models of these disorders. We explore here the pharmacophoric features required for PSEN1 versus PSEN2 selective inhibition. We synthesized a series of brain penetrant 2-azabicyclo[2,2,2]octane sulfonamides and identified a compound with low nanomolar potency and high selectivity (>250-fold) toward the PSEN1-APH1B subcomplex versus PSEN2 subcomplexes. We used modeling and site-directed mutagenesis to identify critical amino acids along the entry part of this inhibitor into the catalytic site of PSEN1. Specific targeting one of the different γ-secretase complexes might provide safer drugs in the future.

Novel functions of the anion exchanger AE4 (SLC4A9).

The kidney plays a crucial role in acid-base homeostasis. In the distal nephron, α-intercalated cells contribute to urinary acid (H+) secretion and ß-intercalated cells accomplish urinary base (HCO3-) secretion. ß-intercalated cells regulate the acid base status through modulation of the apical Cl-/HCO3- exchanger pendrin (SLC26A4) activity. In this review, we summarize and discuss our current knowledge of the physiological role of the renal transporter AE4 (SLC4A9). The AE4, as cation-dependent Cl-/HCO3- exchanger, is exclusively expressed in the basolateral membrane of ß-intercalated cells and is essential for the sensing of metabolic acid-base disturbances in mice, but not for renal sodium reabsorption and plasma volume control. Potential intracellular signaling pathways are discussed that might link basolateral acid-base sensing through the AE4 to apical pendrin activity.

Strong Positive Selection in Aedes aegypti and the Rapid Evolution of Insecticide Resistance.

Aedes aegypti vectors the pathogens that cause dengue, yellow fever, Zika virus, and chikungunya and is a serious threat to public health in tropical regions. Decades of work has illuminated many aspects of Ae. aegypti's biology and global population structure and has identified insecticide resistance genes; however, the size and repetitive nature of the Ae. aegypti genome have limited our ability to detect positive selection in this mosquito. Combining new whole genome sequences from Colombia with publicly available data from Africa and the Americas, we identify multiple strong candidate selective sweeps in Ae. aegypti, many of which overlap genes linked to or implicated in insecticide resistance. We examine the voltage-gated sodium channel gene in three American cohorts and find evidence for successive selective sweeps in Colombia. The most recent sweep encompasses an intermediate-frequency haplotype containing four candidate insecticide resistance mutations that are in near-perfect linkage disequilibrium with one another in the Colombian sample. We hypothesize that this haplotype may continue to rapidly increase in frequency and perhaps spread geographically in the coming years. These results extend our knowledge of how insecticide resistance has evolved in this species and add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that Ae. aegypti has an extensive genomic capacity to rapidly adapt to insecticide-based vector control.

Flexible Anionic Groups-Activated Structure Dissymmetry for Strong Nonlinearity in Ln2 Ae3 MIV 3 S12 Family.

Structural dissymmetry and strong second-harmonic generation (SHG) responses are key conditions for nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals, and targeted combinatorial screening of suitable anionic groups has become extremely effective. Herein, optimal combination of flexible SnSn (n = 5, 6) groups and highly electropositive cations (lanthanides (Ln3+ ) and alkaline earth (Ae2+ : Sr, Ca) metals) affords the successful synthesis of 12 NLO thiostannates including Ln2 Sr3 Sn3 S12 (Pmc21 ) and Ln2 Ca3 Sn3 S12 (P-62m); whereas 17 rigid GeS4 or SiS4 tetrahedra-constructed Ln2 Ae3 Ge3 S12 and Ln2 Ae3 Si3 S12 crystallize in the centrosymmetric (CS) Pnma. This unprecedented CS to noncentrosymmetric (NCS) structural transformation (Pnma to P-62m to Pmc21 ) in the Ln2 Ae3 MIV 3 S12 family indicates that chemical substitution of the tetrahedral GeS4 /SiS4 units with SnSn breaks the original symmetry to form the requisite NCS structures. Remarkably, strong polarization anisotropy and hyperpolarizability of the Sn(4+) S5 unit afford huge performance improvement from the nonphase-matching (NPM) SHG response (1.4 × AgGaS2 and Δn = 0.008) of La2 Ca3 Sn3 S12 to the strong phase-matching (PM) SHG effect (3.0 × AgGaS2 and Δn = 0.086) of La2 Sr3 Sn3 S12 . Therefore, Sn(4+) S5 is proven to be a promising "NLO-active unit." This study verifies that the coupling of flexible SnSn building blocks into structures opens a feasible path for designing targeted NCS crystals with strong nonlinearity and optical anisotropy.

Cobalamins Function as Allosteric Activators of an Angelman Syndrome-Associated UBE3A/E6AP Variant.

Genetic aberrations of the maternal UBE3A allele, which encodes the E3 ubiquitin ligase E6AP, are the cause of Angelman syndrome (AS), an imprinting disorder. In most cases, the maternal UBE3A allele is not expressed. Yet, approximately 10 percent of AS individuals harbor distinct point mutations in the maternal allele resulting in the expression of full-length E6AP variants that frequently display compromised ligase activity. In a high-throughput screen, we identified cyanocobalamin, a vitamin B12-derivative, and several alloxazine derivatives as activators of the AS-linked E6AP-F583S variant. Furthermore, we show by cross-linking coupled to mass spectrometry that cobalamins affect the structural dynamics of E6AP-F583S and apply limited proteolysis coupled to mass spectrometry to obtain information about the regions of E6AP that are involved in, or are affected by binding cobalamins and alloxazine derivatives. Our data suggest that dietary supplementation with vitamin B12 can be beneficial for AS individuals.

Archaeal Kink-Turn Binding Protein Mediates Inhibition of Orthomyxovirus Splicing Biology.

Despite lacking a DNA intermediate, orthomyxoviruses complete their replication cycle in the nucleus and generate multiple transcripts by usurping the host splicing machinery. This biology results in dynamic changes of relative viral transcripts over time and dictates the replicative phase of the infection. Here, we demonstrate that the family of archaeal L7Ae proteins uniquely inhibit the splicing biology of influenza A virus, influenza B virus, and Salmon isavirus, revealing a common strategy utilized by Orthomyxoviridae members to achieve this dynamic. L7Ae-mediated inhibition of virus biology was lost with the generation of a splicing-independent strain of influenza A virus and attempts to select for an escape mutant resulted in variants that conformed to host splicing biology at significant cost to their overall fitness. As L7Ae recognizes conventional kink turns in various RNAs, these data implicate the formation of a similar structure as a shared strategy adopted by this virus family to coordinate their replication cycle. IMPORTANCE Here, we demonstrate that a family of proteins from archaea specifically inhibit this splicing biology of all tested members of the Orthomyxoviridae family. We show that this inhibition extends to influenza A virus, influenza B virus, and isavirus genera, while having no significant impact on the mammalian transcriptome or proteome. Attempts to generate an escape mutant against L7Ae-mediated inhibition resulted in mutations surrounding the viral splice sites and a significant loss of viral fitness. Together, these findings reveal a unique biology shared among diverse members of the Orthomyxoviridae family that may serve as a means to generate future universal therapeutics.

Evolution of Antibody Responses in HIV-1 CRF01_AE Acute Infection: Founder Envelope V1V2 Impacts the Timing and Magnitude of Autologous Neutralizing Antibodies.

Understanding the dynamics of early immune responses to HIV-1 infection, including the evolution of initial neutralizing and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC)-mediating antibodies, will inform HIV vaccine design. In this study, we assess the development of autologous neutralizing antibodies (ANAbs) against founder envelopes (Envs) from 18 participants with HIV-1 CRF01_AE acute infection. The timing of ANAb development directly associated with the magnitude of the longitudinal ANAb response. Participants that developed ANAbs within 6 months of infection had significantly higher ANAb responses at 1 year (50% inhibitory concentration [IC50] geometric mean titer [GMT] = 2,010 versus 184; P = 0.001) and 2 years (GMT = 3,479 versus 340; P = 0.015), compared to participants that developed ANAb responses after 6 months. Participants with later development of ANAb tended to develop an earlier, potent heterologous tier 1 (92TH023) neutralizing antibody (NAb) response (P = 0.049). CRF01_AE founder Env V1V2 loop lengths correlated indirectly with the timing (P = 0.002, r = -0.675) and directly with magnitude (P = 0.005, r = 0.635) of ANAb responses; Envs with longer V1V2 loop lengths elicited earlier and more potent ANAb responses. While ANAb responses did not associate with viral load, the viral load set point correlated directly with neutralization of the heterologous 92TH023 strain (P = 0.007, r = 0.638). In contrast, a striking inverse correlation was observed between viral load set point and peak ADCC against heterologous 92TH023 Env strain (P = 0.0005, r = -0.738). These data indicate that specific antibody functions can be differentially related to viral load set point and may affect HIV-1 pathogenesis. Exploiting Env properties, such as V1V2 length, could facilitate development of subtype-specific vaccines that elicit more effective immune responses and improved protection. IMPORTANCE Development of an effective HIV-1 vaccine will be facilitated by better understanding the dynamics between the founder virus and the early humoral responses. Variations between subtypes may influence the evolution of immune responses and should be considered as we strive to understand these dynamics. In this study, autologous founder envelope neutralization and heterologous functional humoral responses were evaluated after acute infection by HIV-1 CRF01_AE, a subtype that has not been thoroughly characterized. The evolution of these humoral responses was assessed in relation to envelope characteristics, magnitude of elicited immune responses, and viral load. Understanding immune parameters in natural infection will improve our understanding of protective responses and aid in the development of immunogens that elicit protective functional antibodies. Advancing our knowledge of correlates of positive clinical outcomes should lead to the design of more efficacious vaccines.

A phase 2 open-label extension study of prekallikrein inhibition with donidalorsen for hereditary angioedema.

BACKGROUND: Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a potentially fatal disease characterized by unpredictable, recurrent, often disabling swelling attacks. In a randomized phase 2 study, donidalorsen reduced HAE attack frequency and improved patient quality-of-life (ISIS721744-CS2, NCT04030598). We report the 2-year interim analysis of the phase 2 open-label extension (OLE) study (ISIS 721744-CS3, NCT04307381). METHODS: In the OLE, the on-treatment study period consisted of fixed (weeks 1-13, donidalorsen 80 mg subcutaneously every 4 weeks [Q4W]) and flexible (weeks 17-105, donidalorsen 80 mg Q4W, 80 mg every 8 weeks [Q8W], or 100 mg Q4W) dosing periods. The primary outcome was incidence and severity of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs). The secondary outcomes included efficacy, pharmacodynamic, and quality-of-life assessments. RESULTS: Seventeen patients continued in the OLE study. No serious TEAEs or TEAEs leading to treatment discontinuation were reported. Mean monthly HAE attack rate was 96% lower than the study run-in baseline rate (mean, 0.06/month; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.02-0.10; median, 0.04 on-treatment vs. mean, 2.70/month; 95% CI, 1.94-3.46; median, 2.29 at baseline). Mean monthly attack rate for Q8W dosing (n = 8) was 0.29 (range, 0.0-1.7; 95% CI, -0.21 to 0.79; median, 0.00). Mean plasma prekallikrein and D-dimer concentrations decreased, and Angioedema Quality of Life Questionnaire total score improved from baseline to week 105 with donidalorsen. CONCLUSION: The 2-year interim results of this phase 2 OLE study of donidalorsen in patients with HAE demonstrated no new safety signals; donidalorsen was well tolerated. There was durable efficacy with a 96% reduction in HAE attacks.

Investigating the safety profiles of exogenous melatonin and associated adverse events: A pharmacovigilance study using WHO-VigiBase.

Melatonin, a pineal hormone that modulates circadian rhythms, sleep, and neurotransmitters, is widely used to treat sleep disorders. However, there are limited studies on the safety of melatonin. Therefore, we aimed to present the overall patterns of adverse events (AEs) following melatonin administration and identify potential safety signals associated with melatonin. Using VigiBase, a global individual case safety report (ICSRs) database managed by the World Health Organization (WHO), we conducted a retrospective, observational, pharmacovigilance study of melatonin between January 1996 and September 2022. Disproportionality analysis was conducted using two comparator settings: all other drugs and other sleep medications. We used multivariable logistic regression to estimate reporting odds ratios (RORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to compare the frequencies of AEs reporting between melatonin and each comparator setting. Furthermore, we assessed adverse events of special interests (AESIs) that could potentially be associated with melatonin. Signals were identified when the following criteria were met: cases ≥3, x2 ≥ 4, IC025 ≥ 0, and the lower end of the 95% CI of ROR > 2. These signals were then compared with the AE information on the drug labels provided by regulatory bodies. A total of 35 479 AE reports associated with melatonin were identified, with a higher proportion of reports from females (57.1%) and individuals aged 45-64 years (20.8%). We identified 21 AEs that were commonly detected as safety signals in the disproportionality analyses, including tic, educational problems, disturbance in social behavior, body temperature fluctuation, and growth retardation. In AESI analyses, accidents and injuries (adjusted ROR 2.97; 95% CI, 2.80-3.16), fall (2.24; 2.12-2.37), nightmare (4.90; 4.37-5.49), and abnormal dreams (3.68; 3.19-4.25) were detected as a signal of melatonin when compared to all other drugs, whereas those signals were not detected when compared to other sleep medications. In this pharmacovigilance study, exogenous melatonin showed safety profiles comparable to other sleep medications. However, several unexpected potential safety signals were identified, underscoring the need for further investigation at the population level.

Achieving conservation and restoration outcomes through ecologically beneficial aquaculture.

A range of conservation and restoration tools are needed to safeguard the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems. Aquaculture, the culturing of aquatic organisms, often contributes to the numerous stressors that aquatic ecosystems face, yet some aquaculture activities can also deliver ecological benefits. We reviewed the literature on aquaculture activities that may contribute to conservation and restoration outcomes, either by enhancing the persistence or recovery of one or more target species or by moving aquatic ecosystems toward a target state. We identified 12 ecologically beneficial outcomes achievable via aquaculture: species recovery, habitat restoration, habitat rehabilitation, habitat protection, bioremediation, assisted evolution, climate change mitigation, wild harvest replacement, coastal defense, removal of overabundant species, biological control, and ex situ conservation. This list may be expanded as new applications are discovered. Positive intentions do not guarantee positive ecological outcomes, so it is critical that potentially ecologically beneficial aquaculture activities be evaluated via clear and measurable indicators of success to reduce potential abuse by greenwashing. Unanimity on outcomes, indicators, and related terminology will bring the field of aquaculture-environment interactions into line with consensus standards in conservation and restoration ecology. Broad consensus will also aid the development of future certification schemes for ecologically beneficial aquaculture.

Se necesita una gama de herramientas de conservación y restauración para salvaguardar la estructura y función de los ecosistemas acuáticos. La acuacultura (el cultivo de organismos acuáticos) generalmente contribuye a los numerosos estresantes que soportan los ecosistemas acuáticos, aunque algunas actividades de la acuacultura también pueden proporcionar beneficios ecológicos. Revisamos la literatura sobre las actividades de acuacultura que pueden contribuir a los resultados de conservación y restauración, ya sea al incrementar la persistencia o recuperación de una o más especies objetivo o al llevar a los ecosistemas acuáticos hacia un estado objetivo. Identificamos doce resultados con beneficios ecológicos que pueden lograrse con la acuacultura: recuperación de la especie, recuperación del hábitat, restauración del hábitat, rehabilitación del hábitat, protección del hábitat, bioreparación, evolución asistida, mitigación del cambio climático, sustitución de la captura silvestre, defensa costera, eliminación de las especies sobreabundantes, control biológico y conservación ex situ. Esta lista puede expandirse conforme se descubren nuevas aplicaciones. Las intenciones positivas no garantizan resultados ecológicos positivos, así que es importante que se evalúen las actividades de acuacultura con un posible beneficio ecológico por medio de indicadores del éxito claros y medibles para reducir el abuso potencial por ecoblanqueo o greenwashing. La unanimidad en los resultados, indicadores y terminología relacionada armonizará las interacciones entre la acuacultura y el ambiente con los estándares de la conservación y la ecología de la restauración. Un consenso generalizado también ayudará con el desarrollo de futuros esquemas de certificación para la acuacultura con beneficios ecológicos. Obtención de resultados de conservación y restauración a través de la acuacultura con beneficios ecológicos.

Influence of microclimate and forest management on bat species faced with global change.

Climate refugia, areas where climate is expected to remain relatively stable, can offer a near-term safe haven for species sensitive to warming temperatures and drought. Understanding the influence of temperature, moisture, and disturbance on sensitive species is critical during this time of rapid climate change. Coastal habitats can serve as important refugia. Many of these areas consist of working forestlands, and there is a growing recognition that conservation efforts worldwide must consider the habitat value of working lands, in addition to protected areas, to effectively manage large landscapes that support biodiversity. The sensitivity of forest bats to climate and habitat disturbance makes them a useful indicator taxon. We tested how microclimate and forest management influence habitat use for 13 species of insectivorous bats in a large climate refugium in a global biodiversity hotspot. We examined whether bat activity during the summer dry season is greater in forests where coastal fog provides moisture and more stable temperatures across both protected mature stands and those regularly logged. Acoustic monitoring was conducted at a landscape scale with 20 study sites, and generalized linear mixed models were used to examine the influence of habitat variables. Six species were positively associated with warmer nighttime temperature, and 5 species had a negative relationship with humidity or a positive relationship with climatic moisture deficit. Our results suggest that these mammals may have greater climate adaptive capacity than expected, and, for now, that habitat use may be more related to optimal foraging conditions than to avoidance of warming temperatures and drought. We also determined that 12 of the 13 regionally present bat species were regularly detected in commercial timberland stands. Because forest bats are highly mobile, forage over long distances, and frequently change roosts, the stewardship of working forests must be addressed to protect these species.

Influencia del microclima y el manejo forestal sobre especies de murciélagos ante el cambio global Resumen Los refugios climáticos, áreas en donde se espera que el clima permanezca relativamente estable, pueden ofrecer un santuario a corto plazo para las especies sensibles al aumento de temperaturas y la sequía. Es muy importante entender la influencia de la temperatura, la humedad y las perturbaciones sobre las especies sensibles durante estos tiempos de cambio climático repentino. Los hábitats costeros pueden funcionar como refugios importantes. Muchas de estas áreas consisten en bosques funcionales y cada vez hay más reconocimiento de que los esfuerzos mundiales de conservación deben considerar el valor del hábitat de los suelos funcionales, además de las áreas protegidas, para manejar de manera efectiva los extensos paisajes que mantienen a la biodiversidad. La sensibilidad de los murciélagos de los bosques ante las perturbaciones climáticas y de hábitat hace que sean un taxón indicador útil. Analizamos cómo los microclimas y el manejo forestal influyen sobre el uso de hábitat de 13 especies de murciélagos insectívoros en un refugio climático amplio dentro de un punto caliente de biodiversidad mundial. Examinamos si la actividad de los murciélagos durante la temporada seca de verano es mayor en los bosques en donde la niebla costera proporciona humedad y temperaturas más estables tanto en los árboles maduros como aquellos que son talados con regularidad. Realizamos el monitoreo acústico a escala de paisaje en 20 estudios de sitio y usamos modelos lineales mixtos generalizados para examinar la influencia de las variables del hábitat. Seis especies estuvieron asociadas positivamente con la temperatura nocturna más cálida y cinco especies tuvieron una relación negativa con la humedad o una relación positiva con el déficit climático de humedad. Nuestros resultados sugieren que estos mamíferos pueden tener una mayor capacidad de adaptación climática de lo que se pensaba y, por ahora, que el uso de hábitat puede estar más relacionado con las condiciones óptimas de forrajeo que con la evasión de las temperaturas elevadas y la sequía. También determinamos que 12 de las 13 especies con presencia regional fueron detectadas con regularidad en los puntos de tala comercial. Ya que los murciélagos del bosque tienden a moverse mucho, forrajear a lo largo de grandes distancias y con frecuencia cambiar de nido, debemos abordar la administración de los bosques funcionales para proteger a estas especies.

Flexibility trade-offs in conservation offsets.

Conservation offsets promise cost-effective conservation of biodiversity, especially under economic and environmental change, because they represent a more flexible approach to biodiversity conservation, allowing for the economic development of ecologically valuable land provided that this development is offset by restoration of previously developed areas. The level of flexibility is determined by the trading rules. Lax rules allow for more flexibility, which promises cost savings, but will likely lead to unintended loss of biodiversity. I analyzed the trade-off between economic costs and ecological benefits (biodiversity conservation) in biodiversity offsetting with an ecological-economic model that considered the three main types of offset flexibility: spatial, temporal, and ecosystem type. I sought to examine the influence of ecological and economic conditions on offset flexibility trade-offs. Large variation in the conservation costs and small costs of habitat restoration strongly increased trading activity and reduced the ecological benefit. The ecological benefit was most sensitive to spatial flexibility when a short range of ecological interaction was considered. At a large interaction range, spatial flexibility delivered large cost savings without overly reducing the ecological benefit. Risks and time lags associated with habitat restoration favored an offsetting scheme in which credits are awarded with the initiation of restoration projects rather than their successful completion-given appropriate offsetting multipliers were chosen. Altogether, under scarce resources, the level of flexibility in an offsetting scheme should be chosen by carefully balancing ecological benefits and economic costs.

Compromisos de flexibilidad en las compensaciones por conservación Resumen Las compensaciones por conservación prometen conservar la biodiversidad de forma rentable, especialmente de frente al cambio ambiental y económico. Ya que representan una estrategia más flexible para la conservación de la biodiversidad, esto permite el desarrollo económico de suelo con valor ecológico siempre y cuando este desarrollo esté compensado por la restauración de áreas con desarrollo previo. El nivel de flexibilidad está determinado por las reglas de intercambio. Las reglas laxas permiten una mayor flexibilidad, que promete ahorros, pero probablemente derive en la pérdida no intencionada de la biodiversidad. Analicé los compromisos entre los costos económicos y los beneficios ecológicos (conservación de la biodiversidad) en las compensaciones por biodiversidad con un modelo ecológico-económico que consideraba los tres tipos principales de flexibilidad: espacial, temporal y por tipo de ecosistema. Traté de examinar la influencia de las condiciones ecológicas y económicas sobre los compromisos de flexibilidad en las compensaciones. Una gran variación en los costos de conservación y los pequeños costos de la restauración del hábitat incrementaron fuertemente la actividad de intercambio y redujeron el beneficio ecológico. El beneficio ecológico fue más sensible a la flexibilidad espacial cuando consideré un corto alcance de la interacción ecológica. Con un alcance extenso, la flexibilidad espacial ofreció grandes ahorros son reducir por mucho el beneficio ecológico. Los riesgos y retrasos temporales asociados con la restauración del hábitat favorecieron un esquema de compensaciones en el que los créditos se otorgan al inicio del proyecto de restauración en lugar de con la conclusión exitosa del mismo-siempre y cuando se hayan elegido multiplicadores de compensación adecuados. En conjunto, si se tienen pocos recursos, el nivel de flexibilidad en un esquema de compensaciones debería elegirse con un balance cuidadoso entre los beneficios ecológicos y los costos económicos.

Loss of species and functions in a deforested megadiverse tropical forest.

Tropical species richness is threatened by habitat degradation associated with land-use conversion, yet the consequences for functional diversity remain little understood. Progress has been hindered by difficulties in obtaining comprehensive species-level trait information to characterize entire assemblages and insufficient appreciation that increasing land-cover heterogeneity potentially compensates for species loss. We examined the impacts of tropical deforestation associated with land-use heterogeneity on bird species richness, functional redundancy, functional diversity, and associated components (i.e., alpha diversity, species dissimilarity, and interaction strength of the relationship between abundance and functional dissimilarity). We analyzed over 200 georeferenced bird assemblages in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. We characterized the functional role of the species of each assemblage and modeled biodiversity metrics as a function of forest cover and land-cover heterogeneity. Replacement of native Atlantic Forest with a mosaic of land uses (e.g., agriculture, pastures, and urbanization) reduced bird species richness in a nonrandom way. Core forest species, or species considered sensitive to edges, tended to be absent in communities in heterogenous environments. Overall, functional diversity and functional redundancy of bird species were not affected by forest loss. However, birds in highly heterogenous habitats were functionally distinct from birds in forest, suggesting a shift in community composition toward mosaic-exclusive species led by land-cover heterogeneity. Threatened species of the Atlantic Forest did not seem to tolerate degraded and heterogeneous environments; they remained primarily in areas with large forest tracts. Our results shed light on the complex effects of native forest transformation to mosaics of anthropogenic landscapes and emphasize the importance of considering the effects of deforestation and land-use heterogeneity when assessing deforestation effects on Neotropical biodiversity.

Pérdida de especies y funciones en un bosque tropical megadiverso deforestado Resumen La riqueza de especies tropicales está amenazada por la degradación asociada con la conversión del uso de suelo, y aun así entendemos muy poco de las consecuencias que esto tiene para la diversidad funcional. El progreso está obstaculizado por las dificultades para obtener información completa de los rasgos a nivel de especie para caracterizar ensamblajes completos y la apreciación insuficiente de que la heterogeneidad creciente de la cobertura del suelo tiene el potencial para compensar la pérdida de especies. Analizamos el impacto que tiene la deforestación tropical asociada con la heterogeneidad del uso de suelo sobre la riqueza de especies de aves, la redundancia funcional, la diversidad funcional y sus componentes asociados (es decir, diversidad alfa, disimilitud de especies y fuerza de interacción de la relación entre la abundancia y la disimilitud funcional). Analizamos más de 200 ensamblajes georreferenciados de aves en el Bosque Atlántico de Brasil. Caracterizamos el papel funcional de las especies de cada ensamblaje y modelamos las medidas de biodiversidad como función de la cobertura forestal y de la heterogeneidad del uso de suelo. La sustitución del Bosque Atlántico nativo con un mosaico de usos de suelo (p. ej.: agricultura, pastura y urbanización) redujo la riqueza de especies de una manera no aleatoria. Las especies nucleares del bosque, o las especies consideradas como sensibles a los bordes, tendieron a estar ausentes en las comunidades de los ambientes heterogéneas. En general, la diversidad y la redundancia funcionales de las especies de aves no se vieron afectadas por la pérdida del bosque. Sin embargo, las aves en los hábitats con alta heterogeneidad eran funcionalmente distintas a las aves de los bosques, lo que sugiere un cambio en la composición x de la comunidad hacia especies exclusivas de mosaicos llevadas por la heterogeneidad de la cobertura del suelo. Las especies amenazadas del Bosque Atlántico no parecieron tolerar el ambiente degradado y heterogéneo pues permanecieron principalmente en las áreas con grandes extensiones de bosque. Nuestros resultados arrojan luz sobre los efectos complejos de la transformación de los bosques nativos en mosaicos de paisajes antropogénicos y recalcan la importancia de considerar los efectos de la deforestación y la heterogeneidad del uso de suelo cuando se evalúan los efectos de la deforestación sobre la biodiversidad neotropical.

Three major steps toward the conservation of freshwater and riparian biodiversity.

Freshwater ecosystems and their bordering wetlands and riparian zones are vital for human society and biological diversity. Yet, they are among the most degraded ecosystems, where sharp declines in biodiversity are driven by human activities, such as hydropower development, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. Because freshwater ecosystems are characterized by strongly reciprocal linkages with surrounding landscapes, human activities that encroach on or degrade riparian zones ultimately lead to declines in freshwater-riparian ecosystem functioning. We synthesized results of a symposium on freshwater, riparian, and wetland processes and interactions and analyzed some of the major problems associated with improving freshwater and riparian research and management. Three distinct barriers are the lack of involvement of local people in conservation research and management, absence of adequate measurement of biodiversity in freshwater and riparian ecosystems, and separate legislation and policy on riparian and freshwater management. Based on our findings, we argue that freshwater and riparian research and conservation efforts should be integrated more explicitly. Best practices for overcoming the 3 major barriers to improved conservation include more and sustainable use of traditional and other forms of local ecological knowledge, choosing appropriate metrics for ecological research and monitoring of restoration efforts, and mirroring the close links between riparian and freshwater ecosystems in legislation and policy. Integrating these 3 angles in conservation science and practice will provide substantial benefits in addressing the freshwater biodiversity crisis.

Tres grandes pasos hacia la conservación de la biodiversidad ribereña y de agua dulce Resumen Los ecosistemas de agua dulce y los humedales y zonas ribereñas que los bordean son vitales para la sociedad y la biodiversidad. Sin embargo, se encuentran entre los ecosistemas más degradados en donde las declinaciones graves de la biodiversidad son causadas por actividades humanas como el desarrollo hidroeléctrico, la agricultura, la silvicultura y las pesquerías. Puesto que los ecosistemas de agua dulce se caracterizan por tener un vínculo recíproco con los paisajes que los rodean, las actividades humanas que invaden o degradan las zonas ribereñas terminan en la declinación del funcionamiento del ecosistema ribereño de agua dulce. Sintetizamos los resultados de un simposio sobre los procesos e interacciones de agua dulce, ribereños y de humedales y analizamos algunos de los principales problemas asociados con la mejora de la investigación y gestión de agua dulce y ríos. Tres barreras claras son la falta de participación de la población local en la investigación y gestión de la conservación, la ausencia de una medición adecuada de la biodiversidad en los ecosistemas de agua dulce y ribereños, y una legislación y política separadas sobre la gestión ribereña y de agua dulce. Con base en nuestros hallazgos, argumentamos que la investigación y los esfuerzos de conservación de agua dulce y ríos deberían integrarse de manera más explícita. Las mejores prácticas para sobreponerse a las tres grandes barreras incluyen un mayor uso sustentable de los conocimientos tradicionales y otras formas de conocimiento, la selección de medidas apropiadas para la investigación ecológica y el monitoreo de los esfuerzos de restauración y la replicación de los vínculos cercanos entre los ecosistemas ribereños y de agua dulce en la legislación y en las políticas. La integración de estos tres ángulos dentro de las ciencias y prácticas de conservación proporcionará beneficios importantes en la manera de abordar la crisis de la biodiversidad de agua dulce.

Anthropogenic disturbance driving population decline of a dominant tree in East Asia evergreen broadleaved forests over the last 11,000 years.

Current biodiversity loss is generally considered to have been caused by anthropogenic disturbance, but it is unclear when anthropogenic activities began to affect biodiversity loss. One hypothesis suggests it began with the Industrial Revolution, whereas others propose that anthropogenic disturbance has been associated with biodiversity decline since the early Holocene. To test these hypotheses, we examined the unique vegetation of evergreen broadleaved forests (EBLFs) in East Asia, where humans have affected landscapes since the early Holocene. We adopted a genomic approach to infer the demographic history of a dominant tree (Litsea elongata) of EBLFs. We used Holocene temperature and anthropogenic disturbance factors to calculate the correlation between these variables and the historical effective population size of L. elongata with Spearman statistics and integrated the maximum-entropy niche model to determine the impact of climate change and anthropogenic disturbance on fluctuation in its effective population size. We identified 9 well-defined geographic clades for the populations of L. elongata. Based on the estimated historical population sizes of these clades, all the populations contracted, indicating persistent population decline over the last 11,000 years. Demographic history of L. elongata and human population change, change in cropland use, and change in irrigated rice area were significantly negatively correlated, whereas climate change in the Holocene was not correlated with demographic history. Our results support the early human impact hypothesis and provide comprehensive evidence that early anthropogenic disturbance may contribute to the current biodiversity crisis in East Asia.

Examining the structure of plant-lemur interactions in the face of imperfect knowledge.

Biotic interactions, such as plant-animal seed dispersal mutualisms, are essential for ecosystem function. Such interactions are threatened by the possible extinction of the animal partners. Using a data set that includes plant-lemur interactions across Madagascar, we studied the current state of knowledge of these interactions and their structure to determine which plant species are most at risk of losing dispersal services due to the loss of lemurs. We found substantial gaps in understanding of plant-lemur interactions; data were substantially skewed toward a few lemur species and locations. There was also a large gap in knowledge on the interactions of plants and small-bodied or nocturnal lemurs and lemurs outside a few highly studied locations. Of the recorded interactions, a significant portion occurred between lemurs and endemic plants, rather than native or introduced plants. We also found that lemur species tended to primarily consume closely related plant species. Such interaction patterns may indicate the threats to Malagasy endemic plants and highlight how lemur population loss or reductions could affect plant phylogenetic diversity. When examining the impacts of lemur extinction, losing critically endangered species left 164 plant species with no known lemur frugivore partners. Despite phylogenetic patterns in lemur diet, plants for which the only known lemur frugivore is critically endangered were not closely related. These results emphasize the need for further studies to complete our knowledge on these essential interactions and to inform conservation priorities.

Análisis de la estructura de las interacciones entre lémures y plantas de cara al conocimiento incompleto Resumen Las interacciones bióticas, como el mutualismo entre plantas y animales para la dispersión de semillas, son esenciales para que el ecosistema funcione. Dichas interacciones se encuentran amenazadas por la posible extinción del animal que participa en ellas. Usamos un conjunto de datos que incluye las interacciones entre lémures y plantas en Madagascar para estudiar el estado actual del conocimiento de estas interacciones y su estructura. Con lo anterior determinamos cuáles especies botánicas tienen mayor riesgo de perder la dispersión de semillas debido a la extinción de los lémures. Encontramos vacíos sustanciales en el entendimiento de las interacciones entre lémures y plantas; los datos estaban sesgados para unas cuantas especies de lémures y localidades. Hubo un gran vacío de conocimiento para las interacciones entre las plantas y los lémures pequeños o nocturnos y aquellos fuera de unas cuantas localidades estudiadas. De las interacciones registradas, una porción importante ocurrió entre los lémures y plantas endémicas, en lugar de plantas nativas o introducidas. También encontramos que las especies de lémures tienden a consumir especies botánicas con filogenia cercana. Dichos patrones de interacción podrían indicar las amenazas para las plantas endémicas de Madagascar y enfatizar cómo la pérdida o reducción de las poblaciones de lémures podrían afectar la diversidad filogenética de las plantas. Cuando examinamos el impacto de la extinción de los lémures, la pérdida de especies en peligro crítico dejó a 164 especies de plantas sin un lémur frugívoro mutualista. A pesar de los patrones filogenéticos en la dieta de los lémures, las plantas cuyo único lémur frugívoro se encuentra en peligro crítico no tienen una filogenia cercana. Estos resultados resaltan la necesidad de más estudios para completar nuestro conocimiento sobre estas interacciones esenciales y para guiar las prioridades de conservación.

Introducing Elinor for monitoring the governance and management of area-based conservation.

Monitoring the governance and management effectiveness of area-based conservation has long been recognized as an important foundation for achieving national and global biodiversity goals and enabling adaptive management. However, there are still many barriers that prevent conservation actors, including those affected by governance and management systems from implementing conservation activities and programs and from gathering and using data on governance and management to inform decision-making across spatial scales and through time. We explored current and past efforts to assess governance and management effectiveness and barriers actors face in using the resulting data and insights to inform conservation decision-making. To help overcome these barriers, we developed Elinor, a free and open-source monitoring tool that builds on the work of Nobel Prize winner Elinor Ostrom to facilitate the gathering, storing, sharing, analyzing, and use of data on environmental governance and management across spatial scales and for areas under different governance and management types. We consider the process of codesigning and piloting Elinor with conservation scientists and practitioners and the main components of the assessment and online data system. We also consider how Elinor complements existing approaches by addressing governance and management in a single assessment at a high level for different types of area-based conservation, providing flexible options for data collection, and integrating a data system with an assessment that can support data use and sharing across different spatial scales, including global monitoring of the Global Biodiversity Framework. Although challenges will continue, the process of developing Elinor and the tool itself offer tangible solutions to barriers that prevent the systematic collection and use of governance and management data. With broader uptake, Elinor can play a valuable role in enabling more effective, inclusive, and durable area-based conservation.

Introducción de Elinor para el monitoreo de la gobernanza y la gestión de la conservación con base en zonas geográficas Resumen El monitoreo de la efectividad de la gobernanza y de la gestión de la conservación basada en zonas geográficas ha sido reconocido durante mucho tiempo como una base importante para alcanzar las metas nacionales y mundiales de la biodiversidad y permitir un manejo adaptativo. Sin embargo, todavía existen barreras que evitan que los actores de la conservación, incluidos aquellos afectados por los sistemas de gobernanza y gestión, implementen actividades y programas de conservación y recopilen y usen datos de la gobernanza y la gestión para informar las decisiones a lo largo de las escalas espaciales y a través del tiempo. Exploramos los esfuerzos hechos en la actualidad y en el pasado para evaluar la efectividad de la gobernanza y la gestión así como las barreras que los actores enfrentan al usar los datos y el conocimiento resultantes para informar la toma de decisiones de conservación. Para ayudar a derribar estas barreras desarrollamos Elinor, una herramienta de monitoreo gratuita y de software libre que parte del trabajo de la ganadora del Premio Nobel Elinor Ostrom, para facilitar la recopilación, almacenamiento, divulgación, análisis y uso de los datos sobre la gobernanza y la gestión ambiental en las escalas espaciales y para las zonas con diferentes tipos de gobernanza y gestión. Planteamos co­diseñar y pilotear Elinor con los científicos y practicantes de la conservación y usando los componentes principales del sistema de evaluación y de datos en línea. También planteamos cómo Elinor complementa las estrategias existentes al abordar la gobernanza y la gestión en una sola evaluación a un nivel elevado para diferentes tipos de conservación basada en zonas geográficas, lo que proporciona opciones flexibles para la colecta de datos, e integramos un sistema de datos con una evaluación que soporta el uso y divulgación de datos en diferentes escalas espaciales, incluido el Marco Mundial para la Biodiversidad. Aunque los retos seguirán existiendo, el proceso de desarrollo de Elinor y la propia herramienta ofrecen soluciones tangibles a las barreras que previenen la colecta sistemática y el uso de datos de la gobernanza y la gestión. Con una mayor aceptación, Elinor puede tener un papel importante en el momento de hacer posible una conservación basada en zonas geográficas más eficaz, integradora y duradera.

Leakage of biodiversity risks under the European Union Biodiversity Strategy 2030.

The European Union Biodiversity Strategy 2030 (EUBDS) aims to regain biodiversity through enhanced forest conservation and protection, which may lead to increased timber harvest in non-EU countries. We aimed to identify the potential leakage of biodiversity risks as induced by the EUBDS. We created an indicator framework that allows one to quantify vulnerability of forest biodiversity. The framework is based on 26 biodiversity indicators for which indicator values were publicly available. We weighted single indicator values with countrywise modeled data on changed timber production under EUBDS implementation. Nearly 80% of the indicators pointed to higher vulnerability in the affected non-EU countries. Roundwood production was transferred to countries with, on average, lower governance quality (p = 0.0001), political awareness (p = 0.548), forest coverage (p = 0.034), and biomass (p = 0.272) and with less sustainable forest management (p = 0.044 and p = 0.028). These countries had more natural habitats (p = 0.039) and intact forest landscapes (p = 0.0001) but higher risk of species extinction (p = 0.006) and less protected area (p = 0.0001) than the EU countries. Only a few indicators pointed to lower vulnerability and biodiversity risks outside the EU. Safeguards are needed to ensure that implementation of EUBDS does not cause harm to ecosystems elsewhere. The EU regulation on deforestation-free supply chains might have limited effects because the sustainable management of existing and even expanding forests is not well considered. Sustained roundwood production in the EU is needed to avoid placing more pressure on more vulnerable ecosystems elsewhere. Decreasing species and habitat indicator values nevertheless call for global conservation and protection schemes. The EUBDS helped pave the way to the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework. Yet, lower values for the indicators mean governance and biodiversity engagement in non-EU countries suggest that this global framework might not sufficiently prevent leakage of risks to biodiversity. Effective land-use planning is necessary to balance conservation schemes with roundwood production.

Evaluación de la fuga de riesgos para la biodiversidad bajo la Estrategia de la Unión Europea sobre Biodiversidad 2030 Resumen La Estrategia de la Unión Europea sobre Biodiversidad 2030 (EEUSBD) busca recuperar la biodiversidad por medio de mejoras en la conservación y protección forestal, lo que podría derivar en un incremento en la producción maderera en los países que no pertenecen a la UE. Buscamos identificar la posible fuga de riesgos para la biodiversidad inducida por la EEUSBD. Creamos un marco indicador que permita cuantificar la vulnerabilidad de la biodiversidad forestal. El marco se basa en 26 indicadores de biodiversidad cuyos valores están disponibles al público. Ponderamos los valores de los indicadores individuales con datos modelados por países sobre los cambios en la producción maderera tras la aplicación de la EEUSBD. Casi el 80% de los indicadores señalaron un aumento de la vulnerabilidad en los países afectados que no pertenecen a la UE. La extracción forestal se transfirió a países que en promedio tienen menor calidad de gobierno (p = 0.0001), conciencia política (p = 0.548), cobertura forestal (p = 0.034) y biomasa (p = 0.272) y con un manejo forestal menos sustentable (p = 0.044 y p = 0.028). Estos países tienen más hábitats naturales (p = 0.039) y paisajes forestales intactos (p = 0.0001) pero un riesgo más elevado de extinción de especies (p = 0.006) y un área menos protegida (p = 0.0001) que los países de la UE. Sólo unos cuantos indicadores señalaron una reducción en la vulnerabilidad y los riesgos para la biodiversidad fuera de la UE. Se requieren salvaguardas para asegurar que la implementación de la EEUSBD no dañe los ecosistemas en otras partes. La regulación de la UE sobre las cadenas de producción libres de deforestación podría tener efectos limitados pues no se considera correctamente el manejo sustentable del bosque existente o en expansión. También se requiere una extracción forestal sostenida en la UE para evitar una mayor presión sobre otros ecosistemas vulnerables en otras localidades. Sin embargo, la reducción en los valores de los indicadores de especies y hábitat exige esquemas mundiales de conservación y protección. La EEUSBD ayudó a trazar el camino para el Marco Mundial de Biodiversidad de Kunming­Montreal, sin embargo, los valores más bajos de los indicadores de gobernanza y compromiso con la biodiversidad en países no pertenecientes a la UE sugieren que este marco global podría no prevenir efectivamente las fugas de riesgos para la biodiversidad. Es necesario planear eficientemente el uso de suelo para balancear los esquemas de conservación con la extracción forestal.

监测区域保护的治理和管理有效性早已被视为实现国家和全球生物多样性目标和实现适应性管理的重要基础。然而, 保护行动者(包括受治理和管理系统影响的人们)在实施保护活动和计划, 以及收集和利用治理和管理数据为跨时空尺度的决策提供信息的过程中, 仍面临重重阻碍。本文探讨了当前和过去为评估治理和管理有效性所做的努力、行动者在使用产出数据时面临的阻碍, 以及为保护决策提供信息的洞见。为了帮助克服这些阻碍, 我们开发了Elinor这一免费开源监测工具, 该工具以诺贝尔奖获得者Elinor Ostrom的研究成果为基础, 旨在促进不同治理和管理类型区域跨空间尺度的环境治理和管理数据的收集、存储、共享、分析和使用。本文介绍了与保护科学家和实践者共同设计和试用Elinor的过程, 以及其评估和在线数据系统的主要组成部分。我们还考虑了Elinor如何对现有方法进行补充, 包括:在单一评估中高水平地处理不同类型区域保护的治理和管理问题, 为数据收集提供灵活的选择, 以及整合数据系统与评估来支持不同空间尺度的数据使用和共享, 包括对《全球生物多样性框架》的全球监测。虽然挑战持续存在, 但Elinor的开发过程和工具本身为克服系统性收集和使用治理与管理数据中面临的阻碍提供了切实的解决方案。随着Elinor被更广泛地采用, 它将在实现更有效、更包容和更长期的基于区域的保护中发挥宝贵作用。【翻译:胡怡思;审校:聂永刚】.

Progress developing the concept of other effective area-based conservation measures.

In 2010, the introduction of other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) into international policy caused a paradigm shift in area-based conservation, which included consideration of areas outside formal protected areas and places where biodiversity conservation may not be a management objective for the site. Despite the importance of this shift for global conservation, conservation science and policy have been slow to engage with the concept of OECMs. As the world moves toward protecting 30% of the Earth by 2030, it is imperative to develop evidence-based guidance for how to identify effective conservation measures, especially tools to help evaluate and monitor the biodiversity outcomes associated with potential OECMs. To understand the current progress in developing the concept of OECMs, I evaluated the peer-reviewed literature to consolidate and synthesize current knowledge. I conducted a thematic analysis of papers to identify the types of challenges and opportunities being discussed and lessons from studies evaluating the effectiveness of OECMs. Only 105 studies mentioned OECMs, and those that did rarely move beyond superficial mention of OECMs as part of area-based conservation. Around one-half of studies listed potential risks or benefits of OECMs but none provided evidence these issues have materialized. Twenty-three studies attempted to identify potential OECMs, although specific case studies were rare. The 7 studies that evaluated existing OECMs were highly critical of how they had been implemented to date. Studies that evaluated conservation outcomes were extremely rare, and suggested effectiveness must be judged on a case-by-case basis. The current literature not only leaves many gaps in the science required to operationalize the concept of OECMs, but also often raises additional questions that need to be addressed. If these gaps are not filled by robust science, the promised benefits for biodiversity from OECMs may never be realized.

Progreso en el desarrollo del concepto de otras medidas efectivas de conservación basadas en el área Resumen En 2010, la introducción de otras medidas eficaces de conservación basadas en zonas geográficas específicas (OECM) en la política internacional provocó un cambio de paradigma en la conservación basada en el área, que incluyó la consideración de zonas situadas fuera de las áreas protegidas formales y lugares donde la conservación de la biodiversidad puede no ser un objetivo de gestión para el sitio. A pesar de la importancia de este cambio para la conservación mundial, la ciencia y la política de la conservación han tardado en comprometerse con el concepto de OECM. A medida que el mundo avanza hacia la protección del 30% de la Tierra para 2030, es imperativo desarrollar orientaciones basadas en pruebas sobre cómo identificar medidas de conservación eficaces, especialmente herramientas que ayuden a evaluar y supervisar los resultados de biodiversidad asociados a posibles OECM. Para comprender los avances actuales en el desarrollo del concepto de OECM, evalué la bibliografía revisada por pares para consolidar y sintetizar los conocimientos actuales. Realicé un análisis temático de los artículos para identificar los tipos de retos y oportunidades que se debatían y las lecciones extraídas de los estudios que evaluaban la eficacia de las OECM. Sólo 105 estudios mencionaron las OECM, y los que lo hicieron rara vez iban más allá de la mención superficial de las OECM como parte de la conservación basada en el área. Aproximadamente la mitad de los estudios mencionaron los riesgos o beneficios potenciales de las OECM, pero ninguno aportó pruebas de que estos problemas se hubieran materializado. Veintitrés estudios intentaron identificar OECM potenciales, aunque los estudios de casos fueron escasos. Los siete estudios que evaluaron las OECM existentes fueron muy críticos con la forma en que se habían aplicado hasta la fecha. Los estudios que evaluaban los resultados de la conservación eran muy escasos y sugerían que la eficacia debía juzgarse caso por caso. La bibliografía actual no sólo deja muchos vacíos en la ciencia necesaria para hacer operativo el concepto de OECM, sino que a menudo plantea cuestiones adicionales que deben abordarse. Si estos vacíos no se cubren con una ciencia sólida, es posible que los beneficios prometidos de las OECM para la biodiversidad nunca lleguen a materializarse.

Measuring ecosystem services and ecological sensitivity for comprehensive conservation in Giant Panda National Park.

China announced the development of its first 5 national parks in 2021, the primary objective of which is to conserve the natural state and integrity of natural ecosystems. As such, ecosystem services and biodiversity levels are crucial assessment factors for the parks. For Giant Panda National Park (GPNP), we evaluated ecological sensitivity based on water and soil erosion and rocky desertification; ecosystem services based on headwater conservation, soil and water conservation, and biodiversity conservation; and presence of giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and sympatric species (e.g., takin [Budorcas taxicolor], Asiatic black bear [Ursus thibetanus]) habitat suitability derived from niche modeling to identify the ecosystem status and assess ecological problems within the park. From our results, we proposed ecologically critical areas to target to meet the park's goals. The suitable habitat for pandas and sympatric species encompassed 62.98% of the park and occurred mainly in the Minshan Mountains. One quarter of the total area (25.67%) contained areas important for ecosystem services. Ecologically sensitive and extremely sensitive areas covered 88.78% of the park and were distributed mainly in Qionglaishan and Minshan Mountains. This coverage indicated that there was much habitat for pandas and sympatric species but that the ecosystems in GPNP are vulnerable. Therefore, ecologically critical areas encompassed all suitable habitats for all the species examined and areas important and extremely important to ecosystem service provision,ecologically sensitive and extremely sensitive areas, encompassed 15.17% of panda habitat, accounted for 16.37% of the GPNP area, and were distributed mainly in the Minshan Mountains. Our results indicated where conservation efforts should be focused in the park and that by identifying ecologically critical areas managers can provide targeted protection for wildlife habitat and ecosystems and effectively and efficiently protect the composite ecosystem. Additionally, our methods can be used to inform development of new national parks.

Medición de los servicios ambientales y la sensibilidad ecológica para una conservación integral en el Parque Nacional del Panda Gigante Resumen China anunció el crecimiento de sus primeros cinco parques nacionales en 2021, con el objetivo principal de conservar el estado natural y la integridad de los ecosistemas naturales. Para ello, los servicios ambientales y los niveles de biodiversidad son factores cruciales de evaluación para los parques. Para poder identificar el estado del ecosistema y evaluar los problemas ecológicos dentro del Parque Nacional del Panda Gigante (PNPG), analizamos la sensibilidad ecológica con base en la erosión del agua y del suelo y la desertificación rocosa; los servicios ambientales con base en el suministro de conservación del agua, del agua y del suelo y de la biodiversidad; y la idoneidad de hábitat del panda gigante (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) y de especies simpátricas (takín [Budorcas taxicolor], oso negro asiático [Ursus thibetanus]) derivada del modelo de nichos. A partir de nuestros resultados proponemos enfocarnos en áreas ecológicamente críticas para lograr los objetivos del parque. El hábitat idóneo para los pandas y las especies simpátricas englobó el 62.98% del parque y se ubicó principalmente en las montañas Minshan. Un cuarto del área total (25.67%) albergó áreas importantes para los servicios ambientales. Las áreas ecológicamente sensibles y extremadamente sensibles cubrieron el 88.78% del parque y se distribuyeron en las montañas Minshan y Qionglaishan. Esta cobertura indica que hay bastante hábitat para los pandas y las especies simpátricas pero que los ecosistemas en el PNPG son vulnerables. Por lo tanto, las áreas ecológicamente críticas englobaron todos los hábitats para todas las especies analizadas y todas las áreas importantes y extremadamente importantes para el suministro de servicios ambientales. Las áreas ecológicamente sensibles y extremadamente sensibles englobaron el 15.17% del hábitat del panda, representaron el 16.37% del área del PNPG y se localizaron principalmente en las montañas Minshan. Nuestros resultados indican en dónde se deben enfocar los esfuerzos de conservación dentro del parque y que, si identificamos las áreas ecológicamente críticas, los gestores pueden proporcionar una protección focalizada para el hábitat y los ecosistemas y así proteger efectiva y eficientemente el ecosistema compuesto. Además, nuestro método puede usarse para guiar el desarrollo de nuevos parques nacionales.

大熊猫国家公园能实现物种和生态完整性的多重保护 中国在2021年宣布设立首批5个国家公园, 保护自然生态系统的真实性和完整性是其优先目标, 而生态系统服务和生物多样性水平是关键的评估要素。大熊猫国家公园作为首批唯一以单一物种命名的国家公园, 通过评估其生态系统服务、生态敏感性, 同时结合大熊猫及同域分布物种(羚牛、亚洲黑熊)的栖息地适宜性, 以揭示其国家公园内生态系统的状态及其面临的问题, 明确其生态关键区以实现多重保护的目标。我们发现大熊猫国家公园包含了超过62.98%的大熊猫和同域物种的适宜栖息地, 主要分布在岷山山系;其次, 大熊猫国家公园包含了25.67%的生态系统服务重要区域和高达88.78%的生态敏感区域, 主要分布在岷山山系和邛崃山山系。这表明尽管大熊猫国家公园内包含了大熊猫及同域物种所需的大面积适宜栖息地, 但是其生态系统具有较强的脆弱性。若将同时包含大熊猫及同域物种的适宜栖息地、生态系统服务重要和极重要区、生态敏感和极敏感的区域定义为生态关键区, 其面积占比为16.37%, 覆盖了15.17%的大熊猫栖息地, 主要分布在岷山山系。因此, 基于生态关键区制定新的科学的、针对性的保护措施, 不仅可以更好的来保护野生动物栖息地和应对生态系统的威胁, 而且也有效且高效地保护多重生态系统。.