The tragedy of the science-policy gap – Revised legislation fails to protect an endangered species in a managed boreal landscape

Abstract

Unsustainable use of forest resources poses a serious threat to biodiversity worldwide. This threat is particularly important in boreal biomes, where intensive production-oriented forestry is widely applied.Legislation is one of the key tools for preserving nature from anthropogenic damage. Designation of environmental legislation should be grounded on sound scientific evidence in order to be effective. We assess the impact of guidelines enforcing the Finnish ad-hoc legislation aimed at preserving breeding sites and resting places of the Siberian flying squirrel (Pteromys volans), a protected species in Finland and in the European Union under the Habitats Directive. Its habitat is under pressure from widespread forest clear-cutting practices. We collected data on site occupancy by breeding female Flying squirrels from 81 sites spanning 12 years (2005 -2016) and on relevant habitat variables around the site. Using generalized linear mixed models we quantified the predicted occupancy of breeding female flying squirrels in relation to the cover of breeding habitat around a site. We then compared the resulting habitat requirements of breeding females with the habitat that would be retained according to the initial national legislation guidelines and their proposed first revision. We show that both the initial and the proposed revision of the habitat protection guidelines allow the retention of breeding habitat patches of minimal size, which would yield a very low (less than 5%) predicted occupancy by a breeding flying squirrel female. The current revised guidelines are not science-driven and remain ineffective in safeguarding the species habitat from expanding forestry. These results expose the wide gap between science and policy for the implementation of environmental legislation, in this case the Habitats Directive, to protect species of conservation concern. There is an urgent need to fill the science-policy gap in order to achieve the preservation in of biodiversity in a world under rapid transformation. Highlights:We assess the impact of ad-hoc legislation to protect flying squirrels We compare the species habitat needs with new habitat protection guidelines New habitat protection guidelines are ineffective Revision of guidelines was not based on scientific evidenceThe large science-policy gap hinders forest species conservation

Hair cortisol concentration in Siberian flying squirrels is unrelated to landscape and social factors

“…Male's movement activity increases during the breeding season, when males compete for females, and multi-male paternity can occur within the same litter (Selonen et al 2013). The flying squirrel is globally classified as Least Concern according to the IUCN Species Red List, but within the European Union is listed in the Habitats Directive, which has been enforced through ineffective habitat protection in Finland (Jokinen et al 2014;Santangeli et al 2013b;Wistbacka et al 2018).…”

“…The study area in western Finland (municipalities of Larsmo-Öja and Vaasa, see Fig. 1) is largely comprised of intensively managed boreal forests and is extensively described in Santangeli et al (2013b) and Wistbacka et al (2018). Most forests in the Larsmo-Öja area are privately owned and managed for timber production ending with a final clear-cut when the forest is about 60 to 80 years old.…”

“…Most forests in the Larsmo-Öja area are privately owned and managed for timber production ending with a final clear-cut when the forest is about 60 to 80 years old. As a result, most forests in this area are younger than 80 years (Finnish Forest Research Institute 2014), with scattered patches of older forest that nowadays remain suitable for the flying squirrel to breed (Wistbacka et al 2018). Conversely, the Vaasa area is largely dominated by urban parkland stretching along the coast-line near the city of Vaasa.…”

“…The study system is comprised of 69 study sites (forest patches suitable for breeding, see below; n = 10 in Vaasa and 59 in Larsmo-Öja), each including 1 to 5 nest boxes (depending on the size of the patch) suitable for flying squirrels. These sites are part of a long-term study on the species ecology, conservation, and life history (Santangeli et al 2013b;Selonen et al 2014;Wistbacka et al 2018).…”

“…Our study population inhabits a landscape of fragmented mature forest patches differing in size, shape, and connectedness, and separated by a matrix of commercial monospecific young forest as well as open areas. We classified habitats at and around the study sites into three discrete classes following Wistbacka et al (2018). A suitable habitat class was represented by layered spruce dominated mixed forests which provide food and shelter and are suitable for breeding.…”