Top 100 research questions for biodiversity conservation in Southeast Asia

Abstract

Southeast (SE) Asia holds high regional biodiversity and endemism levels but is also one of the world's most threatened regions. Local, regional and global threats could have severe consequences for the future survival of many species and the provision of ecosystem services. In the face of myriad pressing environmental problems, we carried out a research prioritisation exercise involving 64 experts whose research relates to conservation biology and sustainability in SE Asia. Experts proposed the most pressing research questions which, if answered, would advance the goals of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development in SE Asia. We received a total of 333 questions through three rounds of elicitation, ranked them (by votes) following a workshop and grouped them into themes. The top 100 questions depict SE Asia as a region where strong pressures on biodiversity interact in complex and poorly understood ways. They point to a lack of information about multiple facets of the environment, while exposing the many threats to biodiversity and human wellbeing. The themes that emerged indicate the need to evaluate specific drivers of biodiversity loss (wildlife harvesting, agricultural expansion, climate change, infrastructure development, pollution) and even to identify which species and habitats are most at risk. They also suggest the need to study the effectiveness of practice-based solutions (protected areas, ecological restoration), the human dimension (social interventions, organisational systems and processes and, the impacts of biodiversity loss and conservation interventions on people). Finally, they highlight gaps in fundamental knowledge of ecosystem function. These 100 questions should help prioritise and coordinate research, conservation, education and outreach activities and the distribution of scarce conservation resources in SE Asia.

Southeast Asia as One of World’s Primary Sources of Biotic Recolonization Following Anthropocene Extinctions

“…In terms of overall conservation research, Southeast Asia is clearly below global standards (Di Marco et al, 2017). All is not lost however; awareness of the dire situation the region finds itself in is improving, and a comprehensive list for research priorities (Coleman et al, 2019) has been compiled. In the context of the current study, we would additionally recommend testing the patterns presented here with data from additional taxa and metrics, to cement the assertion made here that Southeast Asia likely represents one of world's primary macrorefugia [as defined by Keppel et al (2012)].…”

Towards more effective integration of tropical forest restoration and conservation

“…The two disciplines have separate origins, heroes, journals, and professional societies, but their paths overlap widely. Forest restoration research was the focus of six of the top 100 most highly ranked research questions based on a research prioritization exercise involving 64 experts in conservation biology and sustainability in SE Asia (Coleman et al., ). Although making choices between protection and restoration implies a direct trade‐off between these two approaches, more often they are mutually enhancing (Possingham, Bode & Klein, ).…”

Characterizing bird‐keeping user‐groups on Java reveals distinct behaviours, profiles and potential for change

“…Bird species are far more widely represented in trade than mammals, and a disproportionate number of avian taxa are threatened by overexploitation (Alves, Lima, & Araújo, 2013;Bush, Baker, & Macdonald, 2014). This is particularly prevalent in Southeast Asia (Coleman et al, 2019;Harris et al, 2017), where intense demand has precipitated an 'Asian Songbird Crisis' (Lee, Chng, & Eaton, 2016;Rentschlar et al, 2018;Sykes, 2017).…”

“…Bird species are far more widely represented in trade than mammals, and a disproportionate number of avian taxa are threatened by overexploitation (Alves, Lima, & Araújo, 2013; Bush, Baker, & Macdonald, 2014). This is particularly prevalent in Southeast Asia (Coleman et al., 2019; Harris et al, 2017), where intense demand has precipitated an ‘Asian Songbird Crisis’ (Lee, Chng, & Eaton, 2016; Rentschlar et al., 2018; Sykes, 2017). Halting the extraction of birds from the wild, or at least reducing it to sustainable levels, is thus a global conservation priority (Bezerra, Araújo, & Alves, 2019; Marshall et al., 2020a; Symes, Edwards, Miettinen, Rheindt, & Carrasco, 2018) alongside addressing the problem of habitat loss, which in Asia threatens more bird species than anywhere except Amazonia (BirdLife International, 2020).…”