Conservation AI—the deliberate application of artificial intelligence technology to achieve conservation goals—has great potential to boost productivity, make existing conservation actions more efficient, and enable entirely new areas of activity. However, it also comes with risks, including AI being used by bad actors; high material demand for energy, land, and water; biases in training datasets;

Humans have caused pervasive wildlife habitat loss by transforming most of the Earth's terrestrial surface, while unexpectedly limited species have consequently gone extinct. The concept of time‐lagged extinction (i.e., an extinction debt) potentially explains this paradox, but the starting time of the process is difficult to estimate. Herein, by projecting extinction risk backward onto human perturbation

Evaluating the effectiveness of freshwater protected areas (FPAs) is crucial for improving their performance, yet evidence remains limited. Using remote sensing and field surveys from 2001 to 2017, we examined FPA coverage, their efficacy in preventing species decline and habitat deterioration, and strategies to enhance FPA effectiveness for the critically endangered Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena

Horseshoe crabs are unique living fossils that have remained almost unaltered through 400 million years of global change. They face rapid worldwide declines under increasing anthropogenic pressure. Using comprehensive geographic and genomic sampling combined with approaches that integrate DNA with environmental and climatic datasets, we assessed the population genetic structure, demographic histories

Typically, Western Science approaches the study of complex systems by examining the component parts outside of their contextual relationships. In contrast, Indigenous people continue to advocate the need for land and seascape approaches that include all aspects of life, particularly the special relationship between Kin (people), Country, and Knowledge. Globally, Indigenous people are lobbying for environmental

Much received wisdom in the conservation literature is that individual connections across community boundaries undercut natural resource management. However, when multiple communities access the same resource, these long‐distance relationships could generate interdependence and trust to motivate engagement in collective action to manage the resource. To test this, we interviewed 1317 people in 28 fishing

Many alien species are safe in their native ranges, but some are threatened. This creates a conundrum for conservation and invasion science. We analyzed the distributions, introduction pathways, threats, and conservation strategies of threatened mammals with alien populations globally. We reassessed their hypothetical IUCN Red List category including the alien part of the range. Among 230 alien mammals

Oyster reefs are often referred to as the temperate functional equivalent of coral reefs. Yet evidence for this analogy was lacking for the European native species Ostrea edulis. Historical data provide a unique opportunity to develop a robust definition for this ecosystem type, confirm that O. edulis are large‐scale biogenic reef builders, and assess its current conservation status. Today, O. edulis

Tropical seagrass ecosystems are globally imperiled due to overfishing and anthropogenic disturbances. Sustaining the services they provide will require managing resilience, particularly with increased volatility from climate change. Portfolio theory is touted as a mechanism to increase resilience in ecosystems because it takes advantage of temporal volatility in local production dynamics to increase

The harvest and sale of wildlife can drive species to extinction when consumers are willing to pay high prices for the last harvested individuals of a very rare species, a phenomenon known as the anthropogenic Allee effect (AAE). Because demand for rarity is an inherent human desire, the AAE has the potential to affect a wide range of exploited species across several geographic regions. Here, we assess

Indigenous lands are increasingly recognized for their critical role in biodiversity conservation. However, concerns persist about the sustainability of hunting practices within these territories. This study investigates the long-term impact of Indigenous hunting practices on wildlife populations in the Cofán territory of Zábalo, Ecuador. We employed line transect surveys to estimate wildlife densities

Incentives are a widely used tool for addressing deforestation and are often implemented as collective contracts. Local institutions are crucial to the solution of collective action problems associated with forest conservation, but we still have little knowledge of how to encourage institutional creation through policy. Since collective contracts do not eliminate freeriding incentives, we argue that

It is widely accepted that populations of terrestrial predators sometimes contain “problem individuals” that repeatedly attack humans, yet this phenomenon has never been demonstrated in sharks. Here, we present photographic and genetic evidence of individuals in populations of tiger Galeocerdo cuvier and oceanic whitetip Carcharhinus longimanus sharks that (1) demonstrated atypical behavior compared

Lead (Pb) poisoning is a significant threat to Aotearoa New Zealand's endangered kea (Nestor notabilis), an avian species important to Māori. Historically, exposure was thought to be from lead-containing building materials; however, recent field observations suggest lead-based ammunition as an additional source. We used stable lead isotopes to investigate the sources of lead to kea. Comparing 207 Pb/206 Pb

Empirical data are essential to assess the outcomes of management decisions in the context of adaptive management. We used flyway-level population indices of a declining game bird to assess population changes after introducing hunting management measures as part of the European Union (EU)-wide Adaptive Harvest Management mechanism (AHMM). In one flyway, a full hunting ban led to the start of population

Environmental practitioners often develop communications and behavior change interventions that conceptualize individuals as consumers or as other limited, standalone personae. This view neglects the role of conservation audiences as social beings with complex social relationships and networks, potentially resulting in lost opportunities to increase the effectiveness of conservation interventions.

Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) are a cornerstone of 21st-century area-based conservation targets. In tropical KBAs, biodiversity is potentially at high risk from climate change, because most species reside within or beneath the canopy, where small increases in temperature can lead to novel climate regimes. We quantify novelty in temperature regimes by modeling hourly temperatures below the forest canopy

Collaborative conservation interventions based on engagement with local communities are increasingly common, especially for large carnivores that negatively impact people's livelihoods and well-being. However, evaluating the effectiveness of large-scale community-based conservation interventions is rarely done, making it problematic to assess or justify their impact. In our study focused on snow leopards

For centuries, humans have intentionally moved species around the world, and such actions have rarely been laudable from conservation perspectives. The notion that introduced populations of cold-adapted species hold conservation value despite their non-native status remains controversial. Many such populations exist as a legacy of humans moving wildlife to novel environments with little true consideration

Promoting resilience is highly relevant to preserving biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. For coral reefs, parrotfish protection emerged as a mainstream action for reversing the degradation experienced by these systems. The rationale is that restoring their populations will increase grazing activity and reinforce control of fast-growing macroalgae, facilitating coral cover recovery. A lack of a

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a cornerstone of marine conservation efforts, with the potential to protect biodiversity and provide socioeconomic benefits. We quantified the effect of MPAs on fishing outcomes, economic activities, and material living standards in 24 coastal villages of Tanzania over two decades. We accessed original data from a study conducted in 2003 that found no effect of MPAs

Linder et al. (2024) recently argued that protecting red colobus deserves priority attention, serving as flagships of African tropical forest conservation strategies. We appreciate and support the authors’ efforts to build a plan to conserve red colobus and their habitats. In this correspondence, we provide a complementary perspective, arguing that conservation attention should be extended to diverse

A focus of sea turtle management has been reducing bycatch in commercial fisheries, but sustainable harvest for consumption is also an important objective in many nations. Identifying how much different fisheries contribute to turtle mortality could help focus limited management resources. We estimated national scale turtle catches for two fisheries in the Solomon Islands: a small-scale reef fishery

To fulfill their conservation potential and provide safeguards for biodiversity, marine protected areas (MPAs) need coordinated research and monitoring for informed management through effective evaluation of ecosystem dynamics. However, coordination is challenging, often due to knowledge gaps caused by inadequate access to data and resources, compounded by insufficient communication between scientists

Wild birds have experienced unprecedented, near-global mass mortalities since 2021, driven by outbreaks of high-pathogenicity avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N1 lineage 2.3.4.4b. Managing this panzootic requires identification of transmission pathways. We investigated potential HPAIV transmission via kleptoparasitism (food theft) by examining the distribution, behaviors, and movements of two globally

Land use is both a major cause of the biodiversity crises and a potential solution to it. Decisions about land use are made in complex social–ecological systems, yet conservation research, policy, and practice often neglect the diverse and dynamic nature of land use. A deeper integration of land system science and conservation science provides major opportunities in this context, through a transfer

In many countries, complex environmental problems such as biodiversity decline are regulated at the national level by a disparate range of laws and nonstatutory policy instruments variously described by terms including plans, strategies, guidelines, statements of intent, and/or incentives. Such instruments are often grouped together by conservation policymakers and scientists under the umbrella term

Invasive species are a major cause of biodiversity loss and are notoriously expensive and challenging to manage. We developed a decision-analytic framework for evaluating invasive species removal strategies, given objectives of maximizing eradication probability and minimizing costs. The framework uses an existing estimation model for spatially referenced removal data—one of the most accessible types

The preservation of genetic variation is fundamental in biodiversity conservation, yet its importance for population viability remains contentious. Mixed-source reintroductions, where individuals are translocated into a single vacant habitat from multiple genetically divergent and often depauperate populations, provide an opportunity to evaluate how genetic variation and hybridization influence individual

Rigorous scientific practice relies on the tenet of transparency. However, despite regular transparency in areas such as data availability and methodological practice, the influence of personal and professional values in research design and dissemination is often not disclosed or discussed in conservation science. Conservation scientists are increasingly driven to work in collaboration with communities

Hydropower expansion is increasingly responsible for connectivity and biodiversity loss in freshwater ecosystems. The Amazon basin, which supports the highest level of freshwater biodiversity globally, faces such unplanned expansion. Here, we demonstrate and quantify the impacts of two major hydroelectric dams on the Madeira River on the trans-Amazonian movements of one apex predatory catfish (Brachyplatystoma

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework lays out an ambitious set of goals and targets aimed at halting and reversing biodiversity loss. The extent of natural ecosystems has been selected as one of a small set of headline indicators against which countries will report progress under this framework. We evaluate the effectiveness with which this indicator is expected to capture the overall

Information about species’ locations can influence what happens to them—from supporting habitat protection to exposing poaching targets. Debate about releasing locations when new species are found highlights the trade-off between the risk of loss and the benefits of funding and public support. No research so far has collected data on how such decisions are made, and no decision tools easily compare

There is limited quantitative evidence of the effects of socio-economic shocks on biological resource use. Focusing on wild meat hunting, a substantial livelihood and food source in tropical regions, we evaluated the impacts of the shock from Nigeria's coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdown on species exploitation around a global biodiversity hotspot. Using a 3-year quantitative dataset collected

Protected areas have been gazetted to protect natural resources and biodiversity, but evaluations of effectiveness rarely include measures of species population change. We compiled annual site-level spending and elephant population data for 102 protected areas conserving either savannah (Loxodonta africana) or forest (Loxodonta cyclotis) elephants, which showed a median annual population decline of

The EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 aims to better protect natural ecosystems with high biodiversity and climate change mitigation potential. To achieve this goal, it is crucial to identify forests worth protecting, such as those characterized by long continuity and old age. Here, we propose a robust approach that combines historical maps from the mid-19th century with remote sensing data to identify

Consumer behavior change is a key priority to address the illegal wildlife trade, but evaluation of these interventions is lacking. We used surveys and randomized controlled trials to assess the effectiveness of three types of messages, which were codesigned with key stakeholders, with 2496 potential consumers and nontarget consumers in China. We found a 23% decrease in intention among potential consumers

To achieve the goals of the 2030 Global Biodiversity Framework, the European Biodiversity Strategy, and the EU Green Deal, biodiversity monitoring is critical. Monitoring efforts in Europe, however, suffer from gaps and biases in taxonomy, spatial coverage, and temporal resolution, resulting in fragmented and disconnected data. To assess user and policy needs in biodiversity monitoring, we employed

Tropical and subtropical trees provide key ecosystem services but are facing global population decline due to logging, habitat degradation, land conversion, and climate change. Vatica guangxiensis used to be a characteristic timber species of China's tropical forests but is now terminally endangered (280 individuals) and fragmented into three relictual populations in southwest China. Generating genome-wide

To ensure the protection of both people and nature, conservation practitioners have a responsibility to integrate human rights considerations into their conservation policies and practices. Here, we (i) develop a human rights-based scoring framework for international conservation organization (NGO) policy commitments and (ii) use this to conduct a gap analysis of policy commitments for nine NGOs, which

Although widely regarded as the go-to for comprehensive wildlife trade data (Eskew et al., 2020; Watters et al., 2022), short comings of the US Fish & Wildlife (USFWS) Law Enforcement Management Information System (LEMIS) have been noted for decades (GAO, 1994; Reaser & Waugh, 2007). Most recently, Weissgold (2024) recommended measures to improve LEMIS quality controls necessary for accurate scientific

The Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) will become the most important multilateral agreement to guide biodiversity conservation actions globally over the coming decades. An ecosystem goal and various targets for maintaining integrity, restoring degraded ecosystems, and achieving representation in conservation areas feature throughout the GBF. Here, we provide an operational framework

Coordinated policies and effective global environmental governance are needed to address the global biodiversity crisis. Human dimensions like geopolitics influence conservation decision-making and outcomes. The importance of considering these complex social factors is heightened in an era of renewed great-power politics, as the intensifying US–China rivalry has direct implications for environmental

International wildlife trade is implicitly complex and esoteric. Oftentimes, the data are doubly so, as crucial contextual information is not readily apparent. Working effectively with these data often requires a robust comprehension of international and domestic trade processes as well as their intersections with national policy administration, conservation, and ecological processes. Weissgold (2024)

Solar photovoltaic (PV) has become the second renewable energy source, giving rise to potential conflicts with biodiversity conservation. However, the information available about the impacts and mitigation measures of solar PV energy is scarce and scattered, and a rigorous and comprehensive review on the topic is lacking. Here, we review the state of knowledge on its impacts and mitigation measures

Unsustainable snaring is causing biodiversity declines across tropical protected areas, resulting in species extinctions and jeopardizing the health of forest ecosystems. Here, we used 11 years of ranger-collected data to assess the impact of intensive snare removal on snaring levels in two protected areas in Viet Nam. Snare removal resulted in significant declines in snare occupancy (36.9, 95% Bayesian

Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) create opportunities for a wide range of area-based conservation strategies. As countries seek to integrate OECMs into conservation planning, it is useful to consider the types of areas that might meet the formal criteria. To support this goal, I analyzed the different types of measures discussed as possible OECMs in the literature, identifying

To achieve the goals of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), agreed by Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, there is an urgent need to address the economic drivers of biodiversity loss. The KMGBF includes a target to encourage businesses and financial institutions to disclose their impacts and dependences on biodiversity. While transparent biodiversity disclosures

Wildlife use is widespread across the world where animals and their derivates are consumed and/or traded (Ingram et al., 2021). When the use is unsustainable, it is a leading cause of biodiversity loss worldwide, with profound consequences for ecosystem services and functions (IPBES, 2022). In December 2022, Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity adopted the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity

Ecological risk assessments (ERAs) are crucial when developing national strategies to manage adverse effects from pesticide exposure to natural populations. Yet, estimating risk with surrogate species in controlled laboratory studies jeopardizes the ERA process because natural populations exhibit intraspecific variation within and across species. Here, we investigate the extent to which the ERA process

The international community set a global conservation target to protect at least 30% of the ocean by 2030 (“30 × 30”) to reverse biodiversity loss, including through marine protected areas (MPAs). However, varied MPAs result in significantly different conservation outcomes, making MPA coverage alone an inadequate metric. We used The MPA Guide framework to assess the the world's largest 100 MPAs by

Environmental losses are increasingly evoking ‘‘ecological grief’’ among environmental and conservation professionals. Ecological grief is a natural but difficult psychological experience, and a risk to well-being. Despite this, there are currently few resources available to support environmental professionals and their organizations to reduce the risks to well-being and cope effectively with ecological

Uncontrolled crossbreeding is a major challenge to the conservation of landrace horses in East Asia. Understanding the factors driving this trend is crucial for effective conservation efforts. Here, we investigate the genomic makeup of 40 Mongolian Naadam racehorses and 21 Asian landrace horse breeds through analyzing whole-genome resequencing and Y chromosome data. Our results show that crossbreeding

Forest loss and overhunting are eroding African tropical biodiversity and threatening local human food security, livelihoods, and health. Emblematic of this ecological crisis is Africa's most endangered group of monkeys, the red colobus (genus Piliocolobus). All 17 species, found in forests from Senegal in the west to the Zanzibar archipelago in the east, are threatened with extinction. Red colobus

While habitat loss is a major threat to species, the effects of habitat fragmentation independent of habitat loss (fragmentation per se) are debated. Metapopulation studies often assert negative fragmentation effects, but they do not measure fragmentation per se. We evaluate the effects of fragmentation per se (patch density) across 20 years of patch occupancy patterns of the Åland Islands Glanville