To execute environmental education effectively, the success and impacts of educational activities must be assessed. In areas of high biodiversity there is generally a lack of evaluation of the impact of environmental education. In this study we investigate the effect of a one-time classroom activity on student knowledge of local environmental issues, environmental attitudes and aspirations. The project was conducted on the island of Maio, Cabo Verde, a small, highly biodiverse island, as part of a classroom visit programme with the local environmental organization, Maio Biodiversity Foundation. We visited every fourth-grade class (i.e. students with an age range of 9–10 years) on the island (a total of 142 students) and delivered a half-day classroom activity. The results show that this activity did not influence environmental attitudes; however, it did significantly improve student knowledge and awareness of local environmental issues. This study shows that environmental education should not be assumed to improve attitudes and knowledge but requires individual evaluation for each type of activity. For environmental education to reach its full potential, activities should be planned in response to evaluation results.

The plant species Sesbania tomentosa (‘ōhai; Fabaceae) is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, federally listed as endangered in the USA and has been proposed for categorization as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. In 2021, c. 12,000 seeds from 12 seed lots collected during 1990–1992 from across the Hawaiian Islands were discovered in ambient herbarium conditions (55% relative humidity (RH) at 20 °C). International gene bank standards suggest drying seeds in equilibrium with 15% RH and stored at −18 °C. To investigate seed viability, we mechanically scarified then sowed 15 seeds from each accession at daily alternating regimes of 12 h light and 12 h dark at temperatures of 25/15 °C, respectively. Germination was observed after 7 days and ended after 34 days. Mean final germination was 88.9 ± SD 0.1% (range 73–100%). Each seed lot was accessioned into the National Tropical Botanical Garden's Seed Bank and Laboratory. In seeds with a water-impermeable seed coat (i.e. physical dormancy), such as S. tomentosa, seeds can desorb but not absorb water. Therefore, if the seeds were initially dried, although exposed to high RH for up to 32 years, seed equilibrium RH may have remained low, which may in part explain the observed high germinability. This study holds significance for managers who are working to conserve this endangered Hawaiian species and suggests that even suboptimal conditions may still yield highly viable seeds several decades into the future.

The Mediterranean flora is characterized by a high number of narrow endemic plant species that are often restricted to a few small populations. One of these species, Valeriana amazonum, a perennial plant occurring only in the Supramontes region of central eastern Sardinia, is categorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List because of its restricted range, small population size and an inferred decline caused by several threats. During 2007–2022, we monitored all mature individuals of this plant annually and surveyed ecologically suitable sites for the species. We identified two previously unknown populations and also learnt of two successful translocations carried out independently by an unknown local citizen. As our monitoring data indicate there has been no decline in the number of mature individuals over the period of monitoring, the species’ conservation status requires reassessment. We recommend that V. amazonum should be recategorized as Near Threatened as it seems to be poorly known rather than highly threatened. This could also be the case with other narrow Mediterranean endemics, especially those that grow in inaccessible habitats for which long-term studies are needed to assess conservation status.

Jalthal Forest (62.6 km2) is a remnant forest patch of a once continuous, lush and dense area of sal Shorea robusta and mixed deciduous vegetation in eastern lowland Nepal that is now surrounded by a dense human population. The forest is one of the last remnants of suitable habitat for the Critically Endangered yellow-headed tortoise Indotestudo elongata. This study explored the distribution of and conservation threats facing the yellow-headed tortoise in Jalthal Forest through field surveys in 20 community forests and structured interviews with 80 members of 22 community forest user groups and local people during September–November 2021. We surveyed 11.3 km2 of the forest and observed only four individuals of I. elongata, indicating a population density of 0.35/km2. Local people perceived that the species is decreasing mainly because of hunting (42%) and habitat deterioration from incursion of invasive species (30%). Based on the interviews with local people involved in hunting, an annual mean of 6.8 tortoises were killed during 2017–2021. The purposes of hunting were consumption (70%) and ethnomedicinal uses (30%) by the Meche and Sathar communities. Awareness campaigns and networks of communication amongst all stakeholders are required to conserve this species in Jalthal Forest.

The persistence of seed-dispersing animals in degraded habitats could be critical for ensuring the long-term conservation value and restoration of forests. This is particularly important in Southeast Asia, where > 70% of the remaining forest areas are within 1 km of a forest edge, and many are degraded (e.g. logged). We synthesized information on the habitat associations of the binturong Arctictis binturong, a large, semi-arboreal, frugivorous civet and one of the most important seed dispersers in the region, especially for figs (Ficus spp). We adopted a multiscale approach by employing ensemble species distribution modelling from presence-only records, assessing landscape-scale variation in detection rates in published camera-trap studies and using hierarchical occupancy modelling to assess local (i.e. within-landscape) patterns observed from 20 new camera-trap surveys. Contrary to prior reports that binturongs are strongly associated with intact forests, the species was equally present in degraded forests and near forest edges where sufficient forest cover was maintained (> 40% forest cover within a 20-km radius). The species also tolerates moderate incursions of oil palm plantations (< 20% of the area within a 20-km radius covered by oil palm plantations). The relative resilience of binturongs to habitat degradation could be in part because of behavioural adaptations towards increased nocturnal activity. These results support the notion that key seed dispersers can persist and maintain their ecological function in degraded forests.

The Bali myna Leucopsar rothschildi has long suffered heavy trapping, leading to its near extinction in the wild and categorization as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Decades of conservation breeding, release of birds and post-release management at Bali Barat National Park have, until recently, failed to secure a viable wild population. However, over the past decade, population increases, expansion into new areas of the National Park and beyond, and successful breeding in both artificial and natural nest sites have occurred. These recent successes are associated with a change in approach by the National Park authority from concentrating efforts on the last refugium of the species (an area protected from trapping but with potentially suboptimal habitat) and towards the human-dominated landscapes around the main road through the National Park. Bali mynas tended to favour areas with extensive shorter grass cover and open canopies and to shun denser woodland. Anthropogenic landscapes such as farmland and plantations presumably mimic the original savannah habitat of the species, but nestbox provision has probably been crucial in these areas in the absence of natural cavities. A potential further factor in the increases in myna numbers and range has been a scheme involving local people in commercial breeding of the species, thereby reducing its market price, and working with communities to reduce trapping pressure. We encourage continuing operation of this management strategy inside the National Park and its further extension into adjacent tourist areas, which appear to have myna-friendly socio-ecological conditions.

Predation can have cascading, regulatory effects across ecological communities. Knowledge of the diet of predators can therefore provide important information regarding their ecology and conservation, as well as their impacts on prey populations. Using scats collected during 2019–2023 and estimates of prey abundance from aerial surveys, we characterized prey consumption and preferences of the Vulnerable African lion Panthera leo population in Tsavo, Kenya. Biomass models applied to prey frequencies in scats revealed that > 85% of lion diet comprised large ungulates weighing > 150 kg. The Critically Endangered hirola Beatragus hunteri and Endangered Grevy's zebra Equus grevyi (species that were introduced in Tsavo as part of ex situ conservation programmes in the 1960s) were amongst the seven prey species, of 16 detected, that were preferred by lions. Our results potentially indicate a disproportionate impact of lion predation on the small hirola and Grevy's zebra populations. Preferential predation, coupled with high availability of alternative prey, may trap the small populations of hirola and Grevy's zebra within a predator pit. Our findings provide a better understanding of lion diet, optimal foraging and the potential effects predators can have on threatened and rare prey species in an important conservation landscape. Based on our findings, we recommend an observational study of the predation ecology of lions and other predators in this system, to provide information on age- and sex-specific predation rates on hirola and Grevy's zebra for a population viability analysis, to support the management of these two threatened and rare herbivores in Tsavo.

Conservation monitoring is paramount for the gathering of information on species and populations in need of conservation actions. However, monitoring of the mountain bongo Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci, a Critically Endangered antelope endemic to Kenya, has hitherto been limited to surveillance (i.e. focused on persistence of the species in particular areas), thus limiting the information that could be retrieved on the status and trends of these populations. Using a newly developed identification system, we implemented robust design mark–recapture using existing camera-trap records of four wild subpopulations of the bongo. We provide data on sex and age structure and the first estimates of population size in the wild. Males and calves seem to be suffering higher mortality than females, and only two of the four monitored populations include adults of both sexes and calves. The combined size of these two breeding populations is estimated to be 29–50. Our findings confirm the critical situation of the mountain bongo in the wild and highlight the need for conservation actions to reinforce the wild populations for the long-term conservation of this antelope.

The Endangered dhole Cuon alpinus is a medium-sized canid that was historically distributed widely across East, Central, South and Southeast Asia. In Nepal, following heavy persecution during the 1970s and 1980s, the species was locally extirpated across large parts of the country. After decades of near absence, the dhole is reportedly showing signs of recovery in various areas of Nepal. We carried out three surveys using camera traps (resulting in a total of 6,550 camera-trap days), reviewed literature and interviewed herders and conservation practitioners (40 interviews) to determine the historical and current distribution of dholes in the country, and the species’ current status. Our camera traps recorded five images of dholes, and the literature review and interview survey provided further insights into the historical and current presence of dholes in Nepal. The combined findings suggest dholes have recolonized many areas where they had been locally extirpated, such as the Annapurna Conservation Area in central Nepal and the Tinjure–Milke–Jaljale forests in the eastern part of the country. Although these returns are encouraging, challenges remain for dhole recolonization, including conflict with livestock herders, human hunting of wild ungulates affecting the species’ prey base, increasing infrastructure development in forested areas, and diseases.

Species–environment relationships are often studied at large spatial scales, but effective conservation requires an understanding of local-scale environmental drivers and pressures. Widespread degradation and fragmentation of forests have increased the proportion of tropical mammal habitat that is affected by edge effects. Edge effects include greater exposure to anthropogenic disturbance and abiotic changes that synergistically influence how well populations can cope with climate change. We investigated relationships between distance to the forest edge, forest structure, microclimate and terrestrial mammal detections in a selectively logged forest at the boundary of Gunung Leuser National Park in Sumatra, Indonesia. We collected mammal detection data from motion-activated camera traps, microclimate data from automated climate data loggers and forest structure data from vegetation plots. Daily mean and maximum temperatures significantly decreased with distance from the forest edge, whereas tree height and minimum temperature increased. Mammal diversity was lower at the forest edge compared to the interior. Mammals were detected less frequently at the forest edge, although this relationship varied between mammal orders. Mammal detections were best explained by temperature, tree height and tree diameter at breast height. These results demonstrate that abiotic changes in forests brought on by edge effects have negative impacts on mammals, but these effects vary between mammal taxa because of differing sensitivities to human disturbance. Our findings highlight the importance of considering local-scale environmental drivers in determining species–environment relationships to identify key habitat features such as microclimate refuges that should be prioritized in ecosystem management.

Biodiversity monitoring programmes should be designed with sufficient statistical power to detect population change. Here we evaluated the statistical power of monitoring to detect declines in the occupancy of forest birds on Christmas Island, Australia. We fitted zero-inflated binomial models to 3 years of repeat detection data (2011, 2013 and 2015) to estimate single-visit detection probabilities for four species of concern: the Christmas Island imperial pigeon Ducula whartoni, Christmas Island white-eye Zosterops natalis, Christmas Island thrush Turdus poliocephalus erythropleurus and Christmas Island emerald dove Chalcophaps indica natalis. We combined detection probabilities with maps of occupancy to simulate data collected over the next 10 years for alternative monitoring designs and for different declines in occupancy (10–50%). Specifically, we explored how the number of sites (60, 128, 300, 500), the interval between surveys (1–5 years), the number of repeat visits (2–4 visits) and the location of sites influenced power. Power was high (> 80%) for the imperial pigeon, white-eye and thrush for most scenarios, except for when only 60 sites were surveyed or a 10% decline in occupancy was simulated over 10 years. For the emerald dove, which is the rarest of the four species and has a patchy distribution, power was low in almost all scenarios tested. Prioritizing monitoring towards core habitat for this species only slightly improved power to detect declines. Our study demonstrates how data collected during the early stages of monitoring can be analysed in simulation tools to fine-tune future survey design decisions.

Hong Kong is one of the busiest metropolises, and the Eurasian otter Lutra lutra is one of its most threatened species. We collected published data for 1890–2020 to document changes in local otter abundance and distribution over time. The 108 records revealed new distribution data and showed that decline began as early as the 1930s. The local Eurasian otter is strongly associated with coastal and alluvial wetlands, and its last refugium, the Yuen Long floodplain draining the Mai Po Inner Deep Bay Ramsar Site, has always been a critical habitat. Our analysis suggests that hunting is unlikely to be a major cause of the otter's decline. Rather, dependence on lowland wetlands makes it particularly susceptible to habitat loss caused by increasing urbanization. Auxiliary infrastructures and water pollution have also exacerbated wetland degradation to the detriment of otters and their prey. There is a need for greater cooperation amongst government agencies and landowners to guarantee otter survival: priority steps include the establishment of additional and interconnected wetland reserves, better stakeholder engagement and enforcement efficiency to tackle entrenched pollution problems, and flood prevention schemes that preserve or restore functional riverine ecosystems within critical otter habitats. The current otter distribution range has been earmarked for development in a government-led mega urbanization plan; the plight of the local Eurasian otter needs to be widely publicized to garner stakeholders' support and galvanize immediate conservation actions across society.

Agricultural intensification has affected wildlife across Europe, triggering steep declines and regional extinctions of farmland birds. Effective conservation activities are essential for the preservation of biodiversity in an agricultural landscape, but current efforts have not succeeded in halting these declines. Here we investigate a ground-nesting shorebird, the collared pratincole Glareola pratincola, which has shifted its habitat use in Central Europe over the last 20 years from alkaline grasslands to intensively managed agricultural fields. We show that nesting success was different between three agricultural habitat types, with the highest nesting success in fallow lands and the lowest in row crops. Nesting success was also associated with the timing of breeding and breeding density, as nests produced early in the breeding season and those in high-breeding-density areas hatched more successfully than those produced later in the season and at low density. We implemented direct conservation measures including marking nests and negotiating with farmers to avoid cultivating the field between nest markers, controlling nest predators and, most recently, creating suitable nesting sites and foraging areas for pratincoles. As a result of these conservation actions, nest survival increased from 11.2% to 83.5% and the size of the breeding population increased from 13 to 56 pairs during 2012–2021. Thus, we show that agricultural landscapes can continue to provide suitable habitats, and targeted conservation actions have the potential to reverse the declines of farmland species.

The success of translocation as a management tool is based on reversing the factors that led to a population becoming threatened or locally extinct. We assessed whether translocating a jaguar Panthera onca into the surroundings of a protected area in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest with a resident jaguar population was effective. We captured a male jaguar in an urban area where there were no substantiated previous records of jaguars. In the capture area only one predation event had been recorded, when the jaguar killed several chickens a few days before capture. After capture we translocated the jaguar to a forested area 240 km from the capture site, adjacent to the Rio Doce State Park. To investigate whether the potential geographical origin of the individual was any nearby fragment of the Atlantic Forest or nearby fragments of the Cerrado ecoregion, we genotyped it for 12 microsatellite loci and compared the results to a database developed previously. We fitted the jaguar with a GPS/VHF collar from which we recovered 2.5 months of data. Post-release monitoring with camera traps indicated the jaguar established residence within the region of the Park and we recorded no events of predation on livestock. The genetic analysis indicated that the jaguar resembled individuals from the Inner Atlantic Forest, Cerrado and Amazon. Translocation was an important tool for avoiding potentially negative interactions between the jaguar and local people, and may have benefitted the jaguar population at the release site.

The hangul Cervus hanglu hanglu, a Critically Endangered mountain ungulate of Jammu and Kashmir, India, faces the imminent threat of population loss and extinction. Effective management of its largest viable population in Dachigam National Park in the Kashmir Himalaya requires reliable demographic information. Using 14 microsatellite markers we identified 293 individuals (208 females and 85 males) through faecal analysis, and generated data on the genetic status and population size of the hangul in its winter habitat. The mean expected and observed heterozygosities of 0.62 and 0.59 are comparable to those of several red deer Cervus elaphus populations elsewhere. The effective population sizes were 46.3 and 93.7 when the frequencies of rare alleles were considered to be 0.050 and 0.010, respectively. The average mean kinship of the population was 0.34, and there was no evidence of a recent bottleneck event. In genetic mark–recapture analysis the best model included an effect of sex on both detection and recapture probabilities. Detection of males was highest in November, coinciding with the hangul breeding season, whereas detection of females was highest in December. Our estimate of the hangul population using genetic mark–recapture with bootstrapping was 394 individuals. To our knowledge, this is the first study to use genetic data to estimate the population of the hangul. It will guide future studies of this subspecies and also serve as an impetus for identifying founder animals for captive breeding, and for connecting the population in Dachigam National Park with the other small, isolated populations to ensure the long-term survival of this subspecies.

The cheetah Acinonyx jubatus has suffered considerable range contractions in recent decades. Despite the importance of up-to-date information on distribution to guide conservation, such information is lacking for large areas within the species’ remaining potential range. In Tanzania, the largest tract of potential cheetah habitat without such data is the Selous–Nyerere ecosystem. Although the cheetah is considered possibly extant in this landscape, the last confirmed sighting was in the late 1990s. During 2020–2022, we carried out sign-based (spoor) and camera-trap surveys across Selous Game Reserve and Nyerere National Park. We did not record any evidence of cheetah presence, and opportunistic enquiries with tourism operators and protected area management staff did not provide any evidence of current or recent presence. Our findings suggest that current cheetah presence is unlikely, and that Selous–Nyerere should not be treated as potential contemporary cheetah range. We discuss the possibility that Selous–Nyerere may have never hosted a resident cheetah population, and was either occasionally occupied by dispersers from other populations or represented the edge of populations that spanned areas now treated as corridors.