With growing awareness of global declines in bee populations, bee conservation has received increased attention from governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, researchers, and the public. One popular strategy involves pollinator garden registration programs that certify gardens meeting required habitat provisioning criteria to motivate gardeners to provide high-quality food and nesting resources. While considerable financial and human resources are directed toward these programs and there are now over 1 million pollinator gardens registered globally, limited research has been conducted to verify their effectiveness for bee conservation. We compared bee abundance and richness in pollinator gardens, ornamental gardens, and lawns on an urban-rural gradient in the Greater Chicago Area, Illinois, USA. Our results suggest that pollinator gardens may support bee conservation by providing important floral resources. Pollinator gardens contained a higher flower density, a greater proportion of native flowers, and a greater proportion of flowers that provide nectar resources than ornamental gardens or lawns. Additionally, we observed more bees visiting pollinator gardens than ornamental gardens or lawns, a pattern that was consistent across the full urban-rural gradient. While pollinator gardens contained an increased abundance and richness of all groups of bees considered, the benefit appeared to be most pronounced for honey bees. Based on these results, we suggest that a continued emphasis on pollinator garden registration programs may be an effective strategy for bee conservation but recommend an increased focus on wild bees.

Beavers (Castor spp.), as ecosystem engineers, increase structural complexity and biodiversity in riparian forests through dam-building and tree-felling activities. However, the role of freshly felled trees as terrestrial resources for wildlife remains underexplored. We conducted a camera trap study in the riparian forests of northern Poland, monitoring 32 freshly felled trees across 12 beaver territories, and eight tree species over two consecutive autumn-winter seasons (2021-2023). Camera traps operated continuously, recording animal activity and interactions with logs. Each vertebrate observed was categorized by its position relative to the log and by behavioral type, with direct use defined as any interaction with a felled trunk (e.g., walking, climbing, perching). Of the 50 taxa recorded, 44 (88%) were observed using the logs, with small mammals and mesocarnivores as the most frequent users. Active use-including movement, perching, scent-marking, and foraging-accounted for 68% of all behaviors. The taxonomic composition of birds and mammals differed significantly between utilization and non-utilization records, with variation driven by tree-specific microhabitat features and species-specific behaviors. Martens, mice, red foxes, and several bird taxa (e.g., Northern wrens, great tits) showed strong preferences for the felled trees, while large herbivores and some mustelids avoided them. The broad range of observed behaviors suggests that felled logs serve multiple ecological functions and facilitate species coexistence. Temporal partitioning was strongest between diurnal birds and predominantly nocturnal mammals; red foxes were the most temporally distinct, whereas beavers, mice, and martens showed greater overlap in diel activity. First-detection sequences indicated rapid uptake, with red foxes and mice typically among the earliest taxa recorded at newly felled trees, whereas species such as jays and badgers tended to appear later within each tree's monitoring window. Our findings demonstrate that beaver-felled trees function as ecological hotspots, rapidly increasing resource heterogeneity and connectivity in managed riparian forests. These results highlight the conservation value of beaver-driven structural complexity for supporting biodiversity and ecosystem function. Recognizing and retaining beaver-felled logs and similar deadwood structures should be a priority in forest management and restoration to maintain diverse and multifunctional wildlife communities.

The reintroduction of beavers in Germany and across Europe has revived interest in their function as ecosystem engineers and their associated impacts on landscapes, hydrological regimes, and water quality. Despite mounting evidence of effects on the hydrology and water quality of rivers, beaver distribution and the links to landscape heterogeneity are still poorly understood. In this study, an extensive intercomparison of two topographically contrasting lowland agricultural catchments was conducted-the Sophienfliess (SOFL) and the Demnitzer Mill Creek (DMC), both in Eastern Brandenburg, Germany. The goal of this study was to assess how catchment structure and functioning mediate beaver activity in terms of distribution and dam density, and how this in turn affects water and nutrient fluxes. A survey of beaver dams in terms of dam location, density, and attributes in both catchments revealed significant differences in the evolution of beaver habitat over time, the number of dams present, and their effects on water flow and nutrient cycling. Most notably, in the lower SOFL catchment, dam density has increased steadily over the last decade and was almost 10 times higher compared to the DMC catchment. In contrast, the recent multi-year drought in Eastern Germany, as well as differential catchment functioning, has led to reduced beaver activity in the DMC catchment, despite recent wetland rehabilitation efforts. Furthermore, physical differences in dam structure and size could be linked to landscape settings (i.e., valley gradient), surface-groundwater connectivity, and channel characteristics (straightened vs. meandering). In SOFL, a beaver dam cascade system in the lower catchment propagated significant denitrification, reduction in dissolved organic carbon, and phosphorus concentrations. In contrast, the spatial dynamics of nutrient fluxes in the DMC revealed more localized mobilization processes and strong responses of solutes to hydrological connectivity, which could not be solely linked to beaver activity. Overall, the study showed that catchment structure, hydrological conditions, and stream channel characteristics influence how and where beaver dams are established, and how they in turn influence the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of surface waters.

Coastal built structures often support benthic communities that differ in species diversity and composition from those found in natural reference habitats. However, most research has been conducted over short periods, limiting comprehensive analysis of long-term community trajectories and the potential for temporal convergence with natural habitats. Whether impoverished communities in novel habitats experience large fluctuations or maintain stability over time remains largely unexplored. Community composition and species abundances were studied annually over a 20-year period following the construction of a wave-exposed breakwater and compared with two adjacent natural rocky habitats in northern Chile (20° S) to determine whether the built structure develops a more variable community or converges with natural communities. Our long-term analysis of mid-intertidal community fluctuations using stability metrics, alongside short-term field experiments, revealed persistent differences in community composition between the built structure and natural rocky platforms, with transient convergence in the abundance and identity of key functional groups around 11-13 years post-construction. Due to lower abundances of foundation species, especially the absence of mussels, the built structure exhibited significantly lower species richness, greater community variability, and higher species synchrony than natural rocky platforms. Our findings suggest that communities in novel coastal habitats undergo distinct successional stages during the initial decades, indicating that the efficacy of ecological interventions is time-dependent. Supporting the rehabilitation of built structures through eco-engineering, specifically targeted early during succession or at transient saturation points, provides a strategic framework for urban coastal management. This approach is crucial for mitigating the ecological footprint of escalating coastal urbanization and successfully rehabilitating community functioning.

Spatial variation in demography is an important consideration for the conservation of many wildlife populations. Comparisons across populations can elucidate different selective pressures that give rise to variability in life history strategy, or simply highlight differences and similarities in demographic drivers to inform conservation actions. Many duck populations in the Intermountain West of North America remain largely unstudied despite extensive research and monitoring within their core breeding range across the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of the United States and Canada. Using an integrated population model (IPM)-transient life table response experiment (tLTRE) framework, we evaluated differences in demographic drivers between the core breeding populations of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and gadwall (Mareca strepera) and peripheral populations in north-central Colorado, USA. We identified the demographic pathways through which population growth varied for both species and populations, and compared the specific drivers contributing to differences in realized population growth annually. Population growth rates for both mallards (λCO = 0.99, σCO = 0.22, λPPR = 0.90, σPPR = 0.05) and gadwall (λCO = 0.95, σCO = 0.16, λPPR = 0.95, σPPR = 0.09) averaged <1 from 2018 to 2024 in both populations. Our tLTRE results indicated that contributions to the variance in population growth rates over time were driven primarily by fecundity for mallards in both populations, and by gadwall in Colorado, but that survival of both juvenile and adult birds contributed relatively more in the PPR than in Colorado. Among gadwall, the PPR population exhibited low survival and high fecundity, whereas North Park birds exhibited the opposite. Additionally, survival of hatch-year birds was the primary contributor to variation in PPR population growth rates. These results emphasize the need to consider spatial variation in demographic drivers and suggest potential differences in targeted conservation for dabbling ducks across their distribution.

The upper montane evergreen broad-leaved forest (UMEBLF) provides unique ecological functions but exhibits a highly fragmented spatial distribution. Mapping the suitable habitat of UMEBLF and assessing its conservation status are therefore crucial for regional protection and management of this vegetation. In this study, Yunnan Province, China, was used as a case study and employed 11 topographic and climatic variables, including mountain relative height, to identify an optimal Random Forest model for simulating and mapping the suitable distribution of UMEBLF under current and future climate scenarios. In addition, the montane cloud-fog belt within the monsoon core region was incorporated to evaluate the reliability of the mapping results under current climatic conditions. By comparing the spatial distribution of nature reserves across the province, the current protection status of UMEBLF and its potential future changes were clarified. Results indicate that under current climatic conditions, areas with high habitat suitability for UMEBLF cover approximately 4.2 × 10[4] km[2], primarily distributed across the mid-montane zones of western and central Yunnan. The lower boundary of suitable habitat closely coincides with the elevation of the cloud-fog belt and is primarily located on middle to upper slopes, at approximately two-thirds of the mountain's relative height above the base surface. Under future warming scenarios, the spatial pattern of suitable habitat exhibits relatively stable core areas and highly dynamic marginal zones. Under the SSP5-8.5 scenario, the area of highly suitable habitat is projected to decline to approximately 3.0 × 10[4] km[2] by the 2090s. Currently, 32 nature reserves contain areas with high habitat suitability, with 75% concentrated on the southwestern side of the Cangshan-Ailao Mountain region. In the future, the proportion of highly suitable habitat areas within protected zones is expected to decrease by 15.9%-18.7%, with reductions occurring mainly within experimental zones of nature reserves. This study demonstrates an integrated framework combining geospatial big data and machine learning to map and analyze UMEBLF distribution, providing a scientific basis for mountain forest conservation and management under climate change.

Pathogens can have significant impacts on host movement and behavior with consequences for ongoing transmission. For example, chronic wasting disease (CWD) causes severe nutritional deficiencies and neurologic changes, which may alter white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) movement and subsequent transmission risk. Our objectives were to test for changes in movement and habitat selection in deer affected by CWD, and determine the timing of any changes we observed. We leveraged comprehensive movement and mortality data from a large study of free-ranging deer in southwest Wisconsin, a region with high prevalence of CWD. We used necropsy data to identify end stage CWD cases with movement data leading up to death (n = 44), and sex-, date-, and age-matched test-negative controls. Using GPS collar data, we identified extra-home range excursions and tested for differences in excursion rates, distances, and durations between cases and controls. We evaluated movement characteristics (e.g., movement rates, weekly range sizes) and habitat selection for the two groups, using change point analysis to determine when behavior changes occurred during disease progression. Excursion distances were reduced for CWD cases but were otherwise largely unaffected by infection status. However, CWD cases moved at slower rates and maintained smaller ranges than controls. Habitat selection varied minimally between cases and controls, though CWD cases had an increased preference for proximity to forest edges. While changes in case movement rates and range sizes were detected at or before 6 months prior to death, other movement and habitat selection changes appeared about 2 months prior to death. In addition, CWD cases were frequently in good body condition even within 6 months prior to death, implying that clinically apparent changes occur very late in the disease progression. Our results suggest the occurrence of subclinical and clinical phases of infection, beginning around 6 and 2 months prior to death, respectively. Public communication may therefore benefit from emphasizing that CWD-infected deer are infectious long before they appear sick. Further, because most movement changes occur for very short periods relative to the infectious period of CWD, typical healthy deer movement is likely adequate for representing transmission dynamics for surveillance and management planning.

Woody encroachment is a pervasive threat in grasslands worldwide. Encroachment has proven resilient to many nature-based interventions, including frequent burning and destocking grazers. A potential solution is high-intensity fires-or "extreme" fires-which combine high fuel loads with burning under dry windy conditions. Large-scale tests of high-intensity fire are limited and have had mixed results. We compared two catchments of tallgrass prairie heavily encroached by resprouting shrubs, with similar land-use histories, including long-term grazer destocking. In 2021, one catchment burned under typical low-intensity conditions. The other burned on a dry, windy day, producing a high-intensity fire with approximately 10-m flame lengths. Based on remote-sensed and on-the-ground measurements, low-intensity fire decreased woody encroachment initially, with nearly full recovery of shrub height/cover after 2 years. High-intensity fire caused top-kill across almost the entire catchment, but vigorous resprouting resulted in nearly full height recovery after 3 years and an increase in woody cover. After the high-intensity fire, diversity metrics and forb cover increased, then fell to prefire values 1 year later. Our results suggest that high-intensity fires may help constrain low-severity encroachment. However, reversing encroachment will require a long-term approach and novel combinations of interventions, especially where resprouting shrubs are expanding.

Metacommunity structure is shaped by a complex interplay of environmental conditions, spatial factors, and historical contingencies. To determine the processes that govern community assembly and biodiversity patterns, it is necessary to know the relative importance of these elements. In this study, we examine the ostracod metacommunity of rice fields across the Iberian Peninsula, aiming to assess the influence of spatial constraints, historical contingency (as derived from taphocoenoses remains), and environmental variables on the present metacommunity (biocoenoses) structure. We hypothesized that while all three components would affect the metacommunity, spatial effects would be particularly relevant due to the large geographical scope and associated dispersal limitations. Our results indicate that space was the most relevant factor in structuring the metacommunity, operating at broad and fine scales. Historical contingency also contributed substantially, as indicated by the high concordance between taphocoenoses and biocoenoses, suggesting that past community composition influences present assemblages, possibly through colonization advantages associated with egg banks. Although the pure environmental fraction was comparatively weak and nonsignificant, likely due to the low environmental variability of these homogeneous and artificially controlled aquatic habitats, the substantial shared environmental-spatial fraction could indicate that environmental conditions covaried with broad-scale spatial structure among regions. A notable number of invasive ostracods were identified, suggesting ongoing, albeit infrequent, colonization processes, probably facilitated by waterbirds, land ploughing, movement of agricultural machinery, and farmer activities, which support the establishment of invasive species within each community egg bank. These findings indicate that biodiversity management in seasonal agricultural landscapes, such as rice fields, should extend beyond local environmental conditions, taking into account regional connectivity, the persistence of egg-bank legacies, and human-mediated dispersal pathways that may facilitate the establishment of non-native species.

High-elevation Andean peatlands hold particularly deep, dense carbon deposits even among peatlands and are a major regional carbon stock. These peatlands are often used for open-range cattle grazing, which has the potential to destabilize peat carbon stocks, releasing greenhouse gases (GHG) in the form of CO2 and CH4. There is currently very little information on the impacts of grazing on undrained or partially drained peatlands. We tested the hypotheses that (1) grazing increases GHG emissions (CO2 and CH4) from Andean peatlands in general when measured across a wide range of different vegetation types and water table depths and (2) the magnitude of impact of grazing on CO2 and CH4 emissions varies by dominant vegetation type. We conducted a survey of CH4 and CO2 fluxes at 31 high-elevation peatlands across Ecuador. We then quantified the influence of environmental parameters (water table depth, vegetation type, and grazing pressure) on GHG emissions. We found that heavier grazing intensities were associated with increased CH4 emissions and that the effect of grazing on CH4 emission was largest in areas with high water tables and sedge-dominated vegetation. Grazing in cushion plant-dominated peatlands also increased both gross primary productivity and ecosystem respiration, with the net effect of increasing CO2 release and an overall increase in global warming potential. Overall, our results support the hypothesis that grazing leads to increased GHG emissions from tropical Andean peatlands, with the effect size dependent on vegetation type, degree of drainage, and the intensity of grazing.

Expanding human activities increasingly influence animal movement. Yet, conservation interventions often overlook intraspecific variation in how movement is structured across populations inhabiting distinct ecosystems. For wide-ranging generalists such as African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana), understanding how responses to resource availability and anthropogenic pressure vary across populations is critical for effective conservation planning. Here, we analyze long-term GPS tracking data from 175 African elephants to contrast how movement is structured across mesic (Mara-Serengeti) and xeric (Samburu-Laikipia) savannas in East Africa. We delineate the landscape of elephant movement (a "movescape"), using a network-based approach that integrates movement path, use intensity, and connectivity metrics to describe how animals use discrete locations for different functions. We focused on identifying highly used areas and movement corridors, then used mixed-effects spatial regressions to evaluate how environmental context influenced the occurrence of these areas within and across ecosystems. All analyses in Mara-Serengeti represent a new application of this framework and are compared with previously published results from Samburu-Laikipia. Elephant movement structure differed between ecosystems. In the Mara-Serengeti, movement networks were dense and clustered, with more locations used repeatedly and connected by redundant pathways. Movement in Samburu-Laikipia was more spatially dispersed. Most locations were used by elephants with low intensity, and connectivity was concentrated in fewer corridors. Across both ecosystems, core-use areas comprised a small proportion of the landscape, highlighting locations where conservation efforts could be targeted in unprotected areas. In the Mara-Serengeti, elephants concentrated use in areas with low boma density and away from villages. In Samburu-Laikipia, core areas and corridors were strongly associated with permanent water and consistent vegetation productivity, likely reflecting more ecological constraints on movement. Conservation planning in the Mara-Serengeti could prioritize riparian woodlands and bush thickets on hillsides to protect connectivity between core elephant areas. In Samburu-Laikipia, protecting existing limited corridors that provide access to seasonally productive forage and access to permanent natural water sources could be effective. Our combined delineation of core-use areas and the corridors that link them provides a framework for prioritizing both core habitat patches and the movement pathways that sustain landscape-scale connectivity.