Extinct in the wild: The precarious state of Earth’s most threatened group of species

Smith, Donal; Abeli, Thomas; Bruns, Emily Beckman; Dalrymple, Sarah E.; Foster, Jeremy A.; Gilbert, Tania; Hogg, Carolyn J.; Lloyd, Natasha; Meyer, Abby; Moehrenschlager, Axel; Murrell, Olivia; Rodrı́guez, Jon Paul; Smith, Paul; Terry, Andrew; Ewen, John G.

doi:10.1126/science.add2889

Cited by 15 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 77 publications

(60 reference statements)

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“…Such validation tests should also employ hindcasting to assess model predictions about species that went extinct, such as the passenger pigeon (Murray et al 2017 ), mammoth (Díez-del-Molino et al 2023 ), and woolly rhinoceros (Lord et al 2020 ). In addition, there are dozens of species classified as extinct in the wild that possess viable captive populations (Smith et al 2023 ), and these can provide important test data to validate AI model predictions. Conversely, there are hundreds of mammals and birds that have been downlisted in the Red List, some of which represent conservation success stories of species that recovered.…”

Section: Training and Testing The Ai Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

AI-informed conservation genomics

van Oosterhout

2023

Heredity

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Section: Training and Testing The Ai Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

AI-informed conservation genomics

van Oosterhout

2023

Heredity

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“…The relentless intensification of human activities has fundamentally altered the distribution of wildlife globally (Gaynor et al., 2018 ). Human activities drive habitat reduction and fragmentation, and even cause species extinction in extreme cases (Ceballos et al., 2015 ; Cooke et al., 2023 ; Smith et al., 2023 ). Therefore, investing in biological conservation is essential to maintain and enhance habitat suitability and connectivity for wildlife.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Facilitating giant panda crossings of national highway in Wolong area of Giant Panda National Park amid human activities

Zhang,

Shi,

Feng

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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As human activities continue to expand, wildlife persistence faces escalating threats from roads. In Wolong area of Giant Panda National Park, the local giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) are divided into two population groups along the National Highway G350 (NHG). Therefore, selecting suitable areas to help those giant pandas communicate across the NHG is necessary. In this research, we evaluated the presence of human activities and simulated their absence to analyze how they affect the giant panda's habitat in Wolong. Subsequently, based on the kernel density estimation (KDE) for giant pandas and the main human distribution locations, we selected suitable areas for the population link between the two road sections on the NHG. We simulated the absence of human activities on the two road sections to compare changes in the habitat suitability index (HSI) and connectivity value (CV) relative to their presence. We aimed to carefully select the area for future giant panda corridor plans and simulate whether eliminating human activities will significantly improve the HSI and CV of the area. Our results show that: (1) Human activities presence has led to subtle changes in the landscape pattern of suitable habitats and a decrease in Wolong by 78.76 km2 compared to their absence. (2) Human activities presence significantly reduced HSI and CV in the 1000 m buffer along the NHG compared to their absence. (3) The HSI and CV of the 1000 m buffer in the simulated absence of human activities for the two road sections were significantly higher than their presence. This research identified the optimal road section for crossing the NHG to link giant panda population groups and habitats in Wolong. These insights are significant for formulating conservation decisions and corridor plans and for promoting wildlife conservation in reserves amid high levels of human activity.

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Trends in Reptile Holdings Across UK Zoos: Identification of the Factors Responsible for Declining Numbers of Venomous Snake

Sparrow,

Gill,

Michaels

et al. 2024

Zoo Biology

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Zoos are under increasing pressure to strategically manage their collections to maximize visitor attendance, financial income, and their contribution to conservation. As a result, the compositions of zoo collections are undergoing significant changes. Many zoos are keeping fewer species and prioritizing keeping large flagship animals that are more attractive to the public. To understand the effects these changes are having on captive reptile numbers, we have analyzed the trends in reptile holdings between 2003 and 2023 at UK zoos. Our findings show that despite an overall increase in reptile numbers in the period analyzed, there has been a dramatic decline in the number of venomous snakes held at UK zoos, and as a result, venomous snakes are being excluded from many of the conservation benefits that zoos provide. To understand the key factors contributing to the decline in venomous snake numbers, 57 staff members across 35 different BIAZA–accredited zoos were surveyed. Results from the survey identified that a perceived increased risk of harm, increasingly stringent health and safety regulations, and increased husbandry requirements were all key contributing factors to why venomous snake numbers at zoos are in decline.

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Extinct in the wild: The precarious state of Earth’s most threatened group of species

Cited by 15 publications

References 77 publications

AI-informed conservation genomics

AI-informed conservation genomics

Facilitating giant panda crossings of national highway in Wolong area of Giant Panda National Park amid human activities

Trends in Reptile Holdings Across UK Zoos: Identification of the Factors Responsible for Declining Numbers of Venomous Snake

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