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At least 883 records · Page 49Linked to original sources

USGS2022

Integrating Earth–life systems: A geogenomic approach

For centuries, scientists have recognized and worked to understand how Earth’s mutable landscape and climate shape the distribution and evolution of species. Here, we describe the emerging field of geogenomics, which uses the reciprocal and deep integration of geologic, climatic, and population genomic data to define and test cause–effect relationships between Earth and life at intermediate spatial and temporal scales (i.e., the mesoscale). Technological advances now power the detailed reconstruction of landscape and evolutionary histories, but transdisciplinary collaborations and new quantitative tools are needed to better integrate Earth–life data. Geogenomics can help build a more unified theory and characterize the boundary conditions under which geologic and climatic processes generate new biodiversity, how species’ responses differ, and why.

Trends in Ecology & Evolution↗

USGS2024

Mapping development preferences on the perceived value of ecosystem services and land use conflict and compatibility in Greater Kuala Lumpur

Rapid and unplanned development can diminish the social values for ecosystem services associated with urban landscapes. Tropical Global South cities, such as Greater Kuala Lumpur (GKL), Malaysia, that are highly biodiverse, are particularly vulnerable to the fragmentation and loss of natural ecosystems. This study investigates the social values for ecosystem services in GKL, a rapidly urbanising metropolitan area in Southeast Asia and presents the novel application of the SolVES ( Social Values for Ecosystem Services ) tool to an urban area. A public participatory GIS (PPGIS) survey was conducted to assess residents’ development preferences and perceived distribution of social values. The study revealed two groups of respondents, using cluster analysis, each with unique development preferences - a group favouring both green and grey developments and another favouring green development but strongly opposing grey development. The two groups differed statistically in their sociodemographic characteristics, and also how they mapped different social values. Our spatial analysis of their preferences towards future urban expansion in GKL highlighted locations where there is potential for land-use conflict. For example, the favour-balanced-development group tended to value built areas over green spaces. These findings support the need to consider residents’ preferences and socioecological traits through greater public engagement in urban landscape management.

Greater Kuala Lumpur↗

USGS2024

How long have we been mistaken? Multi-tools shedding light into the systematics of the widespread deep-water genus Madrepora Linnaeus, 1758 (Scleractinia)

Deep-water coral reefs are found worldwide and harbor biodiversity levels that are comparable to their shallow-water counterparts. However, the genetic diversity and population structure of deep-water species remain poorly explored, and historical taxonomical issues still need to be resolved. Here we used microsatellite markers as well as ultraconserved elements (UCE) and exons to shed light on the population structure, genetic diversity, and phylogenetic position of the genus Madrepora , which contains M. oculata , one of the most widespread scleractinian species. Population structure of 107 samples from three Southwestern Atlantic sedimentary basins revealed the occurrence of a cryptic species, herein named M. piresae sp. nov. (authored by Kitahara, Capel and Zilberberg), which can be found in sympatry with M. oculata . Phylogeny reconstructions based on 134 UCEs and exon regions corroborated the population genetic data, with the recovery of two well-supported groups, and reinforced the polyphyly of the family Oculinidae. In order to better accommodate the genus Madrepora , while reducing taxonomical confusion associated with the name Madreporidae, we propose the monogeneric family Bathyporidae fam. nov. (authored by Kitahara, Capel, Zilberberg and Cairns). Our findings advance the knowledge on the widespread deep-water genus Madrepora , resolve a long-standing question regarding the phylogenetic position of the genus , and highlight the need of a worldwide review of the genus.

Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution↗

USGS2012

Holocene dune formation at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Area, Nevada, USA

Small isolated dune fields in the northern Mojave Desert are important centers of biodiversity and archaeological occupation sites. Currently dunes at Ash Meadows, Nevada, are stabilized by vegetation and are experiencing erosion of their upwind margins, indicating a negative sediment budget. New OSL ages from dunes at Ash Meadows indicate continuous eolian accumulation from 1.5 to 0.8 ka, with further accumulation around 0.2 ka. Prior studies (e.g., Mehringer and Warren, 1976) indicate periods of dune accumulation prior to 3.3 ka; 1.9–1 ka; and after 0.9 ka. These periods of eolian accumulation are largely synchronous with those identified elsewhere in the Mojave Desert. The composition of the Ash Meadows dunes indicates their derivation from regional fluvial sources, most likely during periods when axial washes were active as a result of enhanced winter precipitation.

Quaternary Research↗

USGS2012

Lacustrine records of Holocene flood pulse dynamics in the Upper Paraguay River watershed (Pantanal wetlands, Brazil)

The Pantanal is the world's largest tropical wetland and a biodiversity hotspot, yet its response to Quaternary environmental change is unclear. To address this problem, sediment cores from shallow lakes connected to the UpperParaguayRiver (PR) were analyzed and radiocarbon dated to track changes in sedimentary environments. Stratal relations, detrital particle size, multiple biogeochemical indicators, and sponge spicules suggest fluctuating lake-level lowstand conditions between ~ 11,000 and 5300 cal yr BP, punctuated by sporadic and in some cases erosive flood flows. A hiatus has been recorded from ~ 5300 to 2600 cal yr BP, spurred by confinement of the PR within its channel during an episode of profound regional drought. Sustained PR flooding caused a transgression after ~ 2600 cal yr BP, with lake-level highstand conditions appearing during the Little Ice Age. Holocene PR floodpulsedynamics are best explained by variability in effective precipitation, likely driven by insolation and tropical sea-surface temperature gradients. Our results provide novel support for hypotheses on: (1) stratigraphic discontinuity of floodplain sedimentary archives; (2) late Holocene methane flux from Southern Hemisphere wetlands; and (3) pre-colonial indigenous ceramics traditions in western Brazil.

Pantanal Wetlands;Paraguay River↗

USGS2017

A high-elevation, multi-proxy biotic and environmental record of MIS 6-4 from the Ziegler Reservoir fossil site, Snowmass Village, Colorado, USA

In North America, terrestrial records of biodiversity and climate change that span Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 are rare. Where found, they provide insight into how the coupling of the ocean–atmosphere system is manifested in biotic and environmental records and how the biosphere responds to climate change. In 2010–2011, construction at Ziegler Reservoir near Snowmass Village, Colorado (USA) revealed a nearly continuous, lacustrine/wetland sedimentary sequence that preserved evidence of past plant communities between ~ 140 and 55 ka, including all of MIS 5. At an elevation of 2705 m, the Ziegler Reservoir fossil site also contained thousands of well-preserved bones of late Pleistocene megafauna, including mastodons, mammoths, ground sloths, horses, camels, deer, bison, black bear, coyotes, and bighorn sheep. In addition, the site contained more than 26,000 bones from at least 30 species of small animals including salamanders, otters, muskrats, minks, rabbits, beavers, frogs, lizards, snakes, fish, and birds. The combination of macro- and micro-vertebrates, invertebrates, terrestrial and aquatic plant macrofossils, a detailed pollen record, and a robust, directly dated stratigraphic framework shows that high-elevation ecosystems in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado are climatically sensitive and varied dramatically throughout MIS 5.

Colorado↗

USGS2003

Effect of different sampling schemes on the spatial placement of conservation reserves in Utah, USA

We evaluated the effect of three different sampling schemes used to organize spatially explicit biological information had on the spatial placement of conservation reserves in Utah, USA. The three sampling schemes consisted of a hexagon representation developed by the EPA/EMAP program (statistical basis), watershed boundaries (ecological), and the current county boundaries of Utah (socio-political). Four decision criteria were used to estimate effects, including amount of area, length of edge, lowest number of contiguous reserves, and greatest number of terrestrial vertebrate species covered. A fifth evaluation criterion was the effect each sampling scheme had on the ability of the modeled conservation reserves to cover the six major ecoregions found in Utah. Of the three sampling schemes, county boundaries covered the greatest number of species, but also created the longest length of edge and greatest number of reserves. Watersheds maximized species coverage using the least amount of area. Hexagons and watersheds provide the least amount of edge and fewest number of reserves. Although there were differences in area, edge and number of reserves among the sampling schemes, all three schemes covered all the major ecoregions in Utah and their inclusive biodiversity. ?? 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biological Conservation↗

USGS2002

Comparison of riparian plant communities under four land management systems in southwestern Wisconsin

Riparian plant community composition is influenced by moisture, erosion, original native plant communities, and current and past land use. This study compared riparian plant communities under four types of management: woody buffer strip, grassy buffer strip, rotational grazing, and continuous grazing. Study sites were located along spring-fed streams in the unglaciated region of southwestern Wisconsin, USA. At each site, plant community surveys were conducted using a point transect method. Among the treatments, woody buffer strips, rotationally grazed and continuously grazed riparian areas had greater plant species richness than grassy buffer strips, and woody buffer strips had the greatest native plant species richness. Reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) was prevalent in grassy buffer strips (44% of all observations), common in woody buffer strips (15%), and rare in sites that were rotationally or continuously grazed (3 and 5%, respectively). Pasture sites had greater proportions of native grasses and grass relatives and moderate levels of overall native species richness. Considered a water quality best management practice, well-managed rotational grazing may be a reasonable alternative to buffer strips which can contribute to protection and enhancement of native vegetation biodiversity. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment↗

USGS1998

The role of natural history collections in documenting species declines

Efforts to document the decline of extant populations require a historical record of previous occurrences. Natural history museums contain such information for most regions of the world, at least at a coarse spatial scale. Museum collections have been successfully used to analyse declines in a wide range of plants and animals, at spatial scales ranging from single localities to large biotic and political regions. Natural history museum collections, when properly analysed, can be an invaluable tool in documenting changes in biodiversity during the past century.

Trends in Ecology and Evolution↗

USGS2003

Fire and aquatic ecosystems of the western USA: Current knowledge and key questions

Understanding of the effects of wildland fire and fire management on aquatic and riparian ecosystems is an evolving field, with many questions still to be resolved. Limitations of current knowledge, and the certainty that fire management will continue, underscore the need to summarize available information. Integrating fire and fuels management with aquatic ecosystem conservation begins with recognizing that terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems are linked and dynamic, and that fire can play a critical role in maintaining aquatic ecological diversity. To protect aquatic ecosystems we argue that it will be important to: (1) accommodate fire-related and other ecological processes that maintain aquatic habitats and biodiversity, and not simply control fires or fuels; (2) prioritize projects according to risks and opportunities for fire control and the protection of aquatic ecosystems; and (3) develop new consistency in the management and regulatory process. Ultimately, all natural resource management is uncertain; the role of science is to apply experimental design and hypothesis testing to management applications that affect fire and aquatic ecosystems. Policy-makers and the public will benefit from an expanded appreciation of fire ecology that enables them to implement watershed management projects as experiments with hypothesized outcomes, adequate controls, and replication.

Forest Ecology and Management↗

USGS2022

Ecological and socioeconomic factors associated with the human burden of environmentally mediated pathogens: A global analysis

Background Billions of people living in poverty are at risk of environmentally mediated infectious diseases—that is, pathogens with environmental reservoirs that affect disease persistence and control and where environmental control of pathogens can reduce human risk. The complex ecology of these diseases creates a global health problem not easily solved with medical treatment alone. Methods We quantified the current global disease burden caused by environmentally mediated infectious diseases and used a structural equation model to explore environmental and socioeconomic factors associated with the human burden of environmentally mediated pathogens across all countries. Findings We found that around 80% (455 of 560) of WHO-tracked pathogen species known to infect humans are environmentally mediated, causing about 40% (129 488 of 359 341 disability-adjusted life years) of contemporary infectious disease burden (global loss of 130 million years of healthy life annually). The majority of this environmentally mediated disease burden occurs in tropical countries, and the poorest countries carry the highest burdens across all latitudes. We found weak associations between disease burden and biodiversity or agricultural land use at the global scale. In contrast, the proportion of people with rural poor livelihoods in a country was a strong proximate indicator of environmentally mediated infectious disease burden. Political stability and wealth were associated with improved sanitation, better health care, and lower proportions of rural poverty, indirectly resulting in lower burdens of environmentally mediated infections. Rarely, environmentally mediated pathogens can evolve into global pandemics (eg, HIV, COVID-19) affecting even the wealthiest communities. Interpretation The high and uneven burden of environmentally mediated infections highlights the need for innovative social and ecological interventions to complement biomedical advances in the pursuit of global health and sustainability goals. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, Stanford University, and the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

The Lancet Planetary Health↗

USGS2011

Fire in the Mediterranean Basin

The Mediterranean Basin is a meeting point of three continents, Europe, Asia and Africa, and this is responsible for the great diversity of plants, animals and cultures that formed the cradle of Western civilization. It is considered one of the biodiversity hotspots (Myers et al . 2000) because of its high species richness and high proportion of endemisms (Thompson 2005). The total area showing a Mediterranean-type climate (MTC) is about 2.3 million km 2 , with transitions toward temperate forest ecosystems (in the European mountains) and toward arid ecosystems (in North Africa and the Near East). It is not only the largest of the five MTC regions, but also the most geographically complex (with more than 40 000 km of rough coast in different peninsulas and islands) as well as the most socio-economically, culturally and politically varied. Elevations range up to 3756 m in the east (the highest peak in the Taurus mountains, Turkey) and up to 4167 m in the west (the highest peak in the Atlas mountains, Morocco). There are many volcanoes in Italy and the Aegean Islands, with frequent minor eruptions and rare major explosions. The MTC region of the basin corresponds to a narrow rim around the Mediterranean Sea (Fig. 4.1), and includes: (1) in southern Europe, most of the Iberian peninsula (Portugal and Spain), south of France, most of Italy and Greece, the coast of Croatia, Montenegro and Albania; (2) in southwest Asia (the Near East), Cyprus, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, most of Turkey, and the coast of Syria; and (3) in North Africa (the Magreb), the north of Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and small coastal areas of Libya. It also includes all the islands in the Mediterranean Sea. In general terms, summers are hot and dry and winters are mild and relatively wet; winters may be cold in the interior areas with a continental climate influence (e.g. central Spain and central Turkey). The configuration of seas, peninsulas and islands, and the topographic complexity of the area, produce a great regional variety of weather and climate. Rainfall ranges from semi-arid conditions (<300 mm) up to over 2000 mm, and peaks in autumn and spring (in the west) and in autumn and winter (in the east). Because of the air masses' trajectories, the wettest parts of the basin are typically the western parts of the peninsulas (Iberian, Italian and Balkan peninsulas). There are also clear gradients from the colder and wetter northwest (southern France and northern Iberia) to the hotter and more arid south and southeast parts of the basin (North Africa and the Near East). The temperature-moderating effect of the sea is highest in the west (Atlantic coast) and lessens toward the east (water temperatures rise from west to east).

Book chapter↗

USGS2011

Networks - The assessment of marine reserve networks: Guidelines for ecological evaluation

As marine ecosystems are plagued by an ever-increasing suite of threats including climate change, pollution, habitat degradation, and fisheries impacts (Roessig et al ., 2004; Lotze et al ., 2006; Jackson, 2008), there are now no ocean areas that are exempt from anthropogenic impacts (Halpern et al ., 2008). In order to preserve marine biodiversity, ecosystem function, and the goods and services provided by resistant and/or resilient systems, marine reserves have been increasingly recommended as part of an ecosystem-based approach to management (Browman and Stergiou, 2004; Levin et al ., 2009). Marine reserves are defined as “areas of the ocean completely protected from all extractive and destructive activities” (Lubchenco et al ., 2003) and can be experimental controls for evaluating the impact of these activities on marine ecosystems. Growing scientific information has shown consistent increases in species density, biomass, size, and diversity in response to full protection inside reserves of varying sizes and ages located in diverse regions (Claudet et al ., 2008; Lester et al ., 2009; Molloy et al ., 2009). However, most of these data are from individual marine reserves and therefore have inherently limited transferability to networks of marine reserves, which when properly designed can outperform single marine reserves for a variety of ecological, economic, and social management goals (Roberts et al ., 2003; Almany et al ., 2009; Gaines et al ., 2010). The concept of marine reserve networks grew out of a desire to achieve both conservation and fishery management goals by minimizing the potential negative economic, social, and cultural impacts of a single large reserve while still producing similar or even greater ecological and economic returns (Murray et al ., 1999; Gaines et al ., 2010). In addition, reserves networks can provide insurance by protecting areas across a region and spreading the risk that these sites may be impacted by localized catastrophes such as hurricanes or oil spills (Allison et al ., 2003). The World Conservation Union's Marine Programme defines a network as “a collection of individual marine protected areas (MPAs) or reserves operating co-operatively and synergistically, at various spatial scales and with a range of protection levels that are designed to meet objectives that a single reserve cannot achieve” (IUCN–WCPA, 2008). However, general terms such as “co-operatively” and “synergistically” can have myriad meanings. Without a clear definition of a network, it becomes difficult to identify attainable management goals and design a process for evaluating whether the network achieves those goals. Besides, different management goals may in turn result in the need for different types of networks. The use of MPAs with varying protection levels together with no-take zones in multiple-zoning schemes adds another layer of complexity to network design and evaluation; however, partially protected areas are generally used to manage coastal uses and avoid conflicts (rather than for strict ecological purposes) and are therefore a function of the local social, economic, and cultural context. As we are here interested in the ecological effects of networks, for the purposes of this chapter, we focus on marine reserves because these areas are no-take and therefore offer greater ecological benefits than other types of MPAs that allow some forms of extraction (Lester and Halpern, 2008).

Book chapter↗

USGS2015

Management and the conservation of freshwater ecosystems

Riparian areas are the terrestrial environment adjacent to water that both influences and is influenced by the aquatic feature (Gregory et al ., 1991; Naiman et al ., 2010). Riparian areas along streams provide shade, sources of wood and organic matter, contribute to bank stability, filter sediments, take up excess nutrients from groundwater inputs, and other key processes that protect freshwaters (e.g. Naiman et al ., 2010; Richardson & Danehy, 2007; Figure 9.1). Riparian areas also increase biodiversity through habitat complexity and close juxtaposition of aquatic and terrestrial environments (Quinn et al ., 2004; Naiman et al ., 2010). Alterations to riparian areas, despite their small area relative to the landscape, have disproportionate effects on habitats and fish communities (Naiman et al ., 2010; Wipfli & Baxter, 2010). Key habitat losses and alterations are derived from modification of riparian areas by reducing instream habitat complexity (Bilby & Ward, 1989; Fausch & Northcote, 1992; Naiman et al ., 2010), diminishing the productive basis of freshwater food webs (Belsky et al ., 1999; Quinn et al ., 2004), increasing nutrient, contaminant and sediment intrusion (Muscutt et al ., 1993; Daniels & Gilliam, 1996; Nguyen et al ., 1998; Waters, 1999). Riparian and freshwater ecosystems are typically tightly coupled, especially in their natural states, and the linkages that couple them frequently exert strong influence on their associated invertebrate and fish fauna (e.g. Gregory et al ., 1991; Naiman et al ., 2010). Riparian habitats, and the condition of these habitats, further plays a key role in the ecology of these fresh waters, influencing critical processes such as water, nutrient and sediment delivery and dynamics; prey resources for fish and other consumers, and other organic materials exchanged between aquatic and terrestrial habitats (Nakano et al ., 1999; Naiman et al ., 2010); light and water temperature dynamics that in turn affect food web processes and fish metabolism and growth; aquatic physical habitat (wood); and terrestrial consumers that prey upon fishes (Bisson & Bilby, 1998; Naiman et al ., 2010; Wipfli & Baxter, 2010). These processes in turn directly or indirectly influence fishes in freshwater systems (Wang et al ., 2001; Pusey & Arthington, 2003; Allan, 2004; Richardson et al ., 2010a).

Book chapter↗

USGS2019

Improving ecological restoration to curb biotic invasion - A practical guide

Common practices for invasive species control and management include physical, chemical, and biological approaches. The first two approaches have clear limitations and may lead to unintended (negative) consequences, unless carefully planned and implemented. For example, physical removal rarely completely eradicates the targeted invasive species and can cause disturbances that facilitate new invasions by nonnative species from nearby habitats. Chemical treatments can harm native, and especially rare, species through unanticipated side effects. Biological methods may be classified as biocontrol and the ecological approach. Similar to physical and chemical methods, biocontrol also has limitations and sometimes leads to unintended consequences. Therefore, a relatively safer and more practical choice may be the ecological approach, which has two major components: (1) restoration of native species and (2) biomass manipulation of the restored community, such as selective grazing or prescribed burning (to achieve and maintain viable population sizes). Restoration requires well-planned and implemented planting designs that consider alpha-, beta-, and gamma-diversity and the abundance of native and invasive component species at local, landscape, and regional levels. Given the extensive destruction or degradation of natural habitats around the world, restoration could be most effective for enhancing ecosystem resilience and resistance to biotic invasions. At the same time, ecosystems in human-dominated landscapes, especially those newly restored, require close monitoring and careful intervention (e.g., through biomass manipulation), especially when successional trajectories are not moving as intended. Biomass management frequently uses prescribed burning, grazing, harvesting, and thinning to maintain overall ecosystem health and sustainability. Thus, the resulting optimal, balanced, and relatively stable ecological conditions could more effectively limit the spread and establishment of invasive species. Here we review the literature (especially within the last decade) on ecological approaches that involve biodiversity, biomass, and productivity, three key community/ecosystem variables that reciprocally influence one another. We focus on the common and most feasible ecological practices that can aid in resisting new invasions and/or suppressing the dominance of existing invasive species. We contend that, because of the strong influences from neighboring areas (i.e., as exotic species pools), local restoration and management efforts in the future need to consider the regional context and projected climate changes.

Invasive Plant Science and Management↗

USGS2023

Effectiveness of a decade of treatments to reduce invasive buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare)

The invasion of nonnative grasses threatens biodiversity and ecosystem function globally through competition with native plant species and increases to wildfire frequency and intensity. Management actions to reduce buffelgrass [ Pennisetum ciliare (L.) Link], an invasive warm-season perennial bunchgrass, are widely implemented, with chemical and mechanical treatments extending over two decades within Saguaro National Park in the Sonoran Desert of North America. We assessed how the effectiveness of treatments to reduce P. ciliare cover spanning from 2011 to 2020 were influenced by stage of invasion, treatment type and intensity, and environmental conditions. An increase in treatment effectiveness was largely explained by high initial cover of P. ciliare , an indicator of a late invasion stage and associated with high treatment intensity. Treatments had potential to be effective in patches as small as 0.3-m 2 P. ciliare canopy per 400-m −2 area (<0.001% canopy cover) across treatment types and environmental gradients. Chemical treatments had higher or equal effectiveness compared with mechanical treatments, and greater reductions in P. ciliare were associated with shorter average years of treatment interruptions, or gaps, and to a lesser degree, total years of treatment. In many cases, P. ciliare was reduced with as little as 2 yr of treatment, but more than 3 average years of treatment gap could result in reduced treatment effectiveness. There was generally higher treatment effectiveness on shallow slopes, north- and east-facing aspects, and on higher elevations within one district of the park. Our findings highlight that resource-intensive treatments in all but the smallest patches of P. ciliare have largely been effective. Further opportunities for improvement include more frequent surveillance, limiting treatment gaps to ≤3 yr in areas of low P. ciliare cover, and comparison of treated with untreated areas.

Arizona↗

USGS2014

Breeding loggerhead marine turtles Caretta caretta in Dry Tortugas National Park, USA, show high fidelity to diverse habitats near nesting beaches

We used satellite telemetry to identify in-water habitat used by individuals in the smallest North-west Atlantic subpopulation of adult nesting loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta during the breeding season. During 2010, 2011 and 2012 breeding periods, a total of 20 adult females used habitats proximal to nesting beaches with various levels of protection within Dry Tortugas National Park. We then used a rapid, high-resolution, digital imaging system to map habitat adjacent to nesting beaches, revealing the diversity and distribution of available benthic cover. Turtle behaviour showing measurable site-fidelity to these diverse habitats has implications for managing protected areas and human activities within them. Protecting diverse benthic areas adjacent to loggerhead turtle nesting beaches here and elsewhere could provide benefits for overall biodiversity conservation.

Florida↗

USGS2016

Amphibian conservation: clarifications to comments from Andreone

We appreciate the comments from Andreone (2016) regarding our proposed alternative strategy for addressing the amphibian crisis. Andreone recognizes the utility of an Incident Command System approach but doubts the feasibility of implementation at an international level. We stated in our original article, however, that ‘the feasibility of our suggestion is debatable, but our point is that radically different approaches are necessary to effectively manage the largest extinction event in modern history’ (Muths & Fisher, 2015). There are examples of where such top-down strategies are being applied; e.g. for the brown tree snake Boiga irregularis (Stanford & Rodda, 2007), and biosecurity planning for Micronesia and Hawaii (NAVFAC Pacific, 2016). Another example is presented by Andreone. In Madagascar a community-wide conservation plan has been developed complete with prioritization of specific actions (Andreone, 2016). As with any top-down strategy, challenges will surface, especially when making decisions that affect economics. We note this caveat in our article, and Andreone points out such issues in Madagascar, where there are mismatches in priorities between biodiversity conservation and civil needs. Our suggestion is that a new paradigm needs to be considered given the gravity of amphibian decline, and one option may be to take a global approach focusing on specific, major threats. Application of an Incident Command System would not necessitate competition with, or emasculation of, local conservation priorities or actions.

Oryx↗