Satellite remote sensing is vital for monitoring anthropogenic changes and for alerting us to escalating environmental threats. With recent technological advances, a variety of satellite-based monitoring systems are available to aid conservation practitioners. Yet, documented knowledge of who uses near-real-time satellite-based monitoring and how these technologies are applied to inform conservation decisions is sparse. Through an online survey and semi-structured interviews, we explored how developers and users leverage conservation early-warning and alert systems (CEASs) for enhanced conservation decisions. Some 167 developers and users of near-real-time fire and forest monitoring systems from 40 countries participated in this study. Globally, respondents used 66 unique CEASs. The most common applications were for education and awareness, fire/disaster management and law enforcement. Respondents primarily used CEASs to enforce land-use policies and deter illegal activities, and they perceived these tools as underutilized for incentivizing policy compliance or conservation. Respondents experienced inequities regarding system access, exposure and ability to act upon alert information. More investments in capacity-building, resources and action plans are needed to better link information to action. Implementing recommendations from this research can help us to increase the accessibility and inclusivity of CEAS applications to unlock their powerful capabilities for achieving conservation goals.

Biodiversity is in rapid decline, but the extent of loss is not well resolved for poorly known groups. We estimate the number of extinctions for Australian non-marine invertebrates since the European colonisation of the continent. Our analyses use a range of approaches, incorporate stated uncertainties and recognise explicit caveats. We use plausible bounds for the number of species, two approaches for estimating extinction rate, and Monte Carlo simulations to select combinations of projected distributions from these variables. We conclude that 9,111 (plausible bounds of 1,465 to 56,828) Australian species have become extinct over this 236-year period. These estimates dwarf the number of formally recognised extinctions of Australian invertebrates (10 species) and of the single invertebrate species listed as extinct under Australian legislation. We predict that 39–148 species will become extinct in 2024. This is inconsistent with a recent pledge by the Australian government to prevent all extinctions. This high rate of loss is largely a consequence of pervasive taxonomic biases in community concern and conservation investment. Those characteristics also make it challenging to reduce that rate of loss, as there is uncertainty about which invertebrate species are at the most risk. We outline conservation responses to reduce the likelihood of further extinctions.

A natural population of Vriesea friburgensis var. paludosa was genetically and demographically characterized. Four selected enzymatic systems were used. In total, 10 allozymic loci were analysed. The proportion of polymorphic loci was 70% and the number of alleles per locus was 2.3· The mean observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.234 and 0.226, respectively. An excess of heterozygotes was revealed by the value of the fixation index (—0.035). These indices showed the presence of high levels of genetic diversity in the population studied. A demographic survey revealed almost six times more vegetative than sexually reproductive plants. Reproductive plants were found only in clusters. The genetic diversity exhibited by this population, associated with vegetative as well as sexual propagation, resulting in clusters or colonies, would allow the employment of a sustainable management strategy for species conservation as well as its exploitation as an ornamental.

The technique of excised embryos was employed to facilitate the propagation of Podophyllum emodi derived from seeds collected at the different elevation zones of Himachal Pradesh, India. Seed germination was low, irrespective of stage of seed development or zone of collection. Germination was improved significantly (89.14%) in the partially mature and mature seeds collected from alpine and temperate zones when excised embryos were cultured on basal B5 medium. Leaf emergence and plant establishment in the field was also significantly higher in the plants raised through this technique, despite hypocotyl dormancy. The technique was successfully employed for the production of plants to be reintroduced in large numbers into their habitat in the Great Himalayan National Park.

The grasslands of Central Anatolia in Türkiye, including the steppes and forest-steppes, are often mischaracterized as degraded ecosystems due to long-standing human activities, particularly agriculture and domestic grazing. However, palaeoecological evidence and recent research suggest that these grasslands are ancient, biodiversity-rich systems that have persisted through various climatic changes and disturbance regimes. This manuscript challenges the conventional view that Central Anatolian grasslands are secondary and degraded, arguing instead that they represent old-growth ecosystems that coexisted with forests as alternative biome states throughout history. We emphasize the need to re-evaluate current land management practices, particularly afforestation efforts, which may undermine the resilience of these ecosystems to climate change. By recognizing the ecological value of these old-growth grasslands and adopting a comprehensive conservation strategy, the conservation and restoration of these vital ecosystems can be improved, ensuring their resilience and biodiversity in the face of future environmental challenges.

Contrary to the common perception of hyperarid drylands as barren and lifeless, these regions are home to some of the planet’s most unique biodiversity and support over 100 million people. Despite their ecological and human significance, hyperarid drylands remain among the least studied biomes in the world. In this article, we explore how improving our understanding of hyperarid ecosystems in the Middle East can yield valuable insights applicable to other hyperarid regions. We examine how ongoing greening initiatives in the Middle East offer a unique opportunity to deepen our knowledge of dryland ecology and advocate for the establishment of a comprehensive research program in the region. This program would focus on ecosystem functionality across spatial and temporal scales, setting the stage for a global monitoring network for hyperarid drylands. Such efforts would inform conservation strategies and climate change mitigation, while also shedding light on the resilience and adaptability of hyperarid ecosystems to environmental change. Ultimately, this monitoring would guide management practices to preserve biodiversity, enhance ecosystem services and promote sustainable development in hyperarid regions worldwide.

Seahorses Hippocampus spp. are commercially and culturally important to many communities. Although seahorses are widely used in traditional medicine, as curios and as aquarium fishes in Southeast Asia, documentation on the current nature and extent of culturally motivated seahorse uses in Malaysia is lacking. To examine how ethnicity and other socio-demographic drivers shape traditional medicinal use and underlying cultural beliefs involving seahorses, we administered a questionnaire-based survey during March 2021–April 2022 to members of the general public and fishers in Malaysia. Approximately one-fifth (21.0%) of respondents reported consuming seahorses (34.4% of these used seahorses for medicinal purposes, 55.2% for other non-medicinal uses and 10.4% for both types). Consumers of seahorses were from all ethnic groups except for Indigenous groups. In the general public group, medicinal use was more common amongst the Chinese respondents, whereas in the fisher group, other uses were more common amongst the Malay respondents. Amongst the threats facing seahorses, which include overfishing, habitat destruction, bycatch and ocean plastic pollution, only bycatch was perceived as a major threat by most of the general public and fisher respondents. The relatively low prevalence of reported seahorse use amongst Malaysians is an encouraging finding from a conservation perspective. However, the high proportion of non-medicinal uses indicates the need to focus on such other uses to ensure the sustainability of seahorse use in Malaysia.

The additionality of forest conservation interventions is frequently questioned. In particular, they are often considered to be located in places where forests are not threatened, which points to the existence of location biases. Revisiting this location bias concept, we conceptually distinguish potential and effective additionality and theoretically consider how the objectives of the implementer affect the siting choice of the forest conservation interventions and their additionality. Our theoretical intuition is that the choices of the implementers are influenced by the quality of institutions. Our results show that (1) the implementer's objective and local institutions may lead the implementer to select a site with low development potential and low forest threat, and (2) the selection of a site with low development potential, which is frequently presented as a location bias, does not necessarily preclude additionality.

To compare the benefits and drawbacks of traditional and automated conservation assessments, we used a field-based study and automated conservation assessments using GeoCAT, red and ConR to assess four species of Buddleja (Scrophulariaceae), a cosmopolitan genus of flowering plants. Buddleja colvilei, Buddleja sessilifolia, Buddleja delavayi and Buddleja yunnanensis are endemic to the Himalayan region. They have not yet been assessed for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species but are facing elevated risks of extinction because of various anthropogenic and environmental pressures. Buddleja sessilifolia and B. delavayi are listed as Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations in Yunnan, China, where they are known to be threatened. Although automated assessments evaluated B. delavayi and B. yunnanensis as Endangered and B. sessilifolia and B. colvilei as Vulnerable, our field studies indicated a different categorization for three of the species: B. delavayi and B. yunnanensis as Critically Endangered and B. sessilifolia as Endangered. Our findings indicate that the accuracy and reliability of assessment methods can differ and that field surveys remain important for conservation assessments. We recommend an integrated approach addressing these limitations, to safeguard the future of other species endemic to the Himalayan region.

In West Africa, vast areas are being deforested; the remnant forest patches provide a wealth of ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation potential, yet they are threatened by human activity. Forest patches <100 ha have not been widely catalogued before; we mapped forest loss of small forest patches outside of protected areas in the Guinean savannah and humid Guineo-Congolian bioclimatic regions of Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Cameroon between 2000 and 2022. Focusing on the dynamics of small patches, without considering the splitting process of larger patches, we quantified changes in their number and area and the rate and trend of forest loss. Small forest patches are widespread, yet their area and number have decreased, while the forest loss rate is increasing. Primary forest patches lost almost half of their area annually – twice as much as secondary forests, and this loss was especially pronounced across small patches (0.5 – 10 ha), suggesting deforestation preferentially occurs in the smallest patches of primary forest. If forest loss continues at the current rate, 14% of the total forest area mapped in this study will have disappeared by 2032, jeopardizing their potential to provide ecosystem services and emphasizing the need for measures to counter their deforestation.

Understanding the relationships between cetaceans and their environment is crucial for conservation. This study examined humpback whales in Bahía de Banderas, Mexico, identifying key calving habitats. From 2018 to 2023, 1066 sightings were recorded, including 242 mother–calf groups, 109 mating groups, and 715 other groups. Spatial analysis revealed a non-random distribution; both the Kruskal–Wallis and Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney tests detected significant differences (P < 0.05) in site preferences. Calving mothers favoured habitats with a mean depth of 59 m and a distance of 2 km from the coast, while mating groups preferred locations at 126 m and 4 km, and other groups chose areas at 149 m and 4 km. All groups were found in relatively flat areas around 2° seafloor slope. A dispersion test indicated a significant relationship between the location of calving mothers and environmental factors. K-means clustering showed 83.6% of calving mothers' sightings at depths less than 40 m and 2 km from the coast. Ensemble species distribution models identified three critical calving areas: one large area (261.8 km2) along the north coast and two smaller areas (9.5 and 5.4 km2) at the southern end of the bay. This study highlights Bahía de Banderas as a vital breeding habitat for humpback whales, providing insights for conservation strategies to protect calving grounds during the breeding season.

The hoary-throated spinetail and Rio Branco antbird are two bird species endemic to the Rio Branco drainage of Brazil and Guyana, currently listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Previous assessments of both species’ global populations focused on the Brazilian state of Roraima but did not include most of its border with Guyana, where significant areas of suitable habitat remain along the Ireng (Maú) and Takutu (Tacutu) Rivers. In July and August 2021, we conducted a survey to determine the extent of each species’ geographic range along the two rivers, and to estimate population sizes. We used playback surveys along 219 km of river to ascertain each species’ distribution and intensively sampled three forest blocks to determine densities. Both species were locally abundant on both sides of the international border. Rio Branco antbird occurred over a greater geographic range than hoary-throated spinetail, particularly along the Takutu River, but was confined to a narrower zone along the river edges. Both species appear to have retreated from habitat along the Ireng River that was occupied in the past, possibly due to habitat degradation from increasingly frequent fires. Nevertheless, our minimum estimates of 1147 antbirds and 851 spinetails in the study area represent, respectively, 7.5% and 17.8 % increases over current estimates of global population sizes, and indicate that the Guyana-Brazil border region may become a critical stronghold for both species if effective conservation measures are implemented. We propose establishment of a Key Biodiversity Area encompassing the core of both species’ distributions along the border; extensive follow-up work including stakeholder engagement to explore possibilities for habitat management and protection; and further field study to increase general ecological knowledge of these two bird species.

The Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius is a charismatic raptor of the grasslands and open savannas of Africa. Evidence of widespread declines across the continent has led to the assessment that the species is at risk of becoming extinct. Southern Africa was identified as a remaining stronghold for the species, but the status of this population requires reassessment. To determine the status of the species in South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini, we analysed data from a citizen science project, the Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP). We implemented novel time-to-detection modelling, as well as summarisation of changes in reporting rates, using standard metrics, to determine the trajectory of the population. To cross-validate our findings, we used data from another citizen science project, the Coordinated Avifaunal Roadcounts (CAR) project. While our results were in agreement with previous studies that have reported significant declines when comparing SABAP1 (1987–1992) and SABAP2 (2007 and onwards), all analysis pathways that examined data within the SABAP2 period only, as well as CAR data from this period, failed to show an alarming declining trend over this more recent time period. We did, however, find some evidence for decreases in Secretarybird abundance in urban grid cells. We used random forest models to predict probability of occurrence, as well as probability of abundance (reporting rates) for the assessed region and provided population estimates based on these analysis pathways. Continued monitoring and conservation efforts are required to guard this population stronghold.

In Singapore, the Critically Endangered Sunda pangolin Manis javanica is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, and road traffic collisions. To mitigate these threats, an understanding of its spatiotemporal distribution is needed, as identified in the National Conservation Strategy and Action Plan for the species. However, Sunda pangolin occurrence data are held in multiple separate databases, are typically collected using non-standardized methods, and often lack accurate location details. To compile a complete georeferenced database of Sunda pangolin records in Singapore, we consolidated occurrence data from heterogeneous databases and mainstream and social media, and converted locality descriptions into geographical coordinates. We demonstrate the use of this database to analyse data on rescued pangolins and those killed on roads, to aid conservation efforts in Singapore, and describe other potential applications. We georeferenced 482 records of pangolin sightings, rescues and roadkill for 1996–2021, finding an increase in all three over the study period. Roadkill and rescues occurred mostly in central and western Singapore, close to forested areas, and were predominantly of subadults and adult males. The data can be used to inform threat mitigation strategies, post-rescue release plans and further research. The database has already been used in practice, contributing to environmental impact assessments and conservation recommendations. Overall, this georeferenced database demonstrates the value of citizen science and collating wildlife data from multiple sources, and the methods used can be applied to other taxa to aid conservation strategies.