The Çukurova Deltas on the southern coast of Turkey, with their high biodiversity, are one of the most important wetland and RAMSAR sites in the eastern Mediterranean basin. The total native flora comprises 600 plant taxa, including many endemic and threatened taxa. In an examination of this flora, 62 taxa (31 endemic and 31 rare taxa for Turkey) were categorized as having restricted distributions and being under threat of extinction. To assess the conservation status of the threatened flora, the IUCN Red List categories and criteria were applied at both a regional and global scale. The distribution of threatened flora in the study area was analysed in relation to four principle habitats: sand dunes (mobile or fixed) and sandy beaches (with 64.5% of all taxa), salt flats and salt water marshes (16.1%), river banks and fresh water marshes (9.7%), and field margins and roadsides (9.7%). Sand dunes and sandy beaches were identified as the most threatened habitats, being both sensitive to disturbance and heavily affected by humans. This Red Data List is a first step towards the recognition of conservation problems in the Çukurova Deltas and the need for more effective conservation of their flora.

The great bustard is a globally-threatened species needing conservation action across Europe. This paper discusses key issues in the case for reintroducing the bird to Britain. Great bustards became extinct as a breeding species in Britain in 1832 probably as a result of hunting, agricultural change and inclement weather. The factors that caused the loss are no longer thought to operate. Suitable habitat exists in pockets across England and especially on Salisbury Plain where a large area is protected for military training and conservation purposes. The Plain combines short grass areas for lekking, long grassland for feeding and adjacent arable land for nesting. Pilot studies on arthropods in long grassland suggest that their density is sufficient for chick-rearing but the precautionary creation of additional food-rich areas among arable crops is recommended. Genetic studies indicate that Britain's bustards probably belonged to the central European group and that restocking should not use birds from Iberia. Only Russia has sufficient birds to supply a reintroduction project and losses there through nest destruction are high. By rescuing eggs, artificially incubating them and transporting chicks to Britain, the project should have zero detriment to the donor population. Modelling indicates that 40 chicks will need to be brought to Britain for 5–10 years to build a founder population of 100 birds. Although focused on direct action in Britain, the project will promote grassland conservation across Europe and serve as a model for translocating bustards elsewhere.

The Vulnerable Ili pika Ochotona iliensis (Lagomorpha: Ochotonidae) is a poorly known mammal species that inhabits a restricted geographic range in the Tian Shan Mountains, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. It was discovered in 1983, described in 1986, and subsequently investigated over the following decade. As no studies were conducted on this pika during the next 10 years, a comprehensive census was undertaken in the summers of 2002 and 2003, including all sites where it had previously been observed. Evidence of the Ili pika was found at only 6 of 14 sites censused, and was extinct in two of six regions, including the type and paratype localities (Jilimalale Mountain). Ili pika populations appear to have declined in three of six regions, and in only one region did the population appear to be comparable to a decade earlier. Like all rock-dwelling pikas, the Ili pika has a low population density and rate of reproduction. Additionally, populations on its preferred habitat of cliff faces are highly fragmented. Increased temperatures, possibly due to global warming, and increased grazing pressure may have interacted with the normal population dynamics of the Ili pika to contribute to its recent dramatic decline. We recommend that the Ili pika's Red List status be changed from Vulnerable to Endangered.

The widespread geographical distributions of mammalian carnivores such as the Carnivora and the Dasyuridae have often been erroneously equated with abundance. Their low densities and high demands on habitat area can render mammalian carnivores especially vulnerable to habitat fragmentation and destruction. The fossa Cryptoprocta ferox (Viverridae) is a mammalian carnivore threatened by the rapid loss of Madagascar's forests, to which it is endemic. A 3-year mark-recapture study, comprising four censuses, generated an estimate of fossa population density at 0.18 adults km−2, or 0.26 individuals km−2. This was supported by a similar estimate from home range data. The fossa is thought to be unusually common in the study area, yet the estimated density was lower than that predicted for a typical tropical carnivorous mammal of the body mass of a fossa. Ecologists are frequently under pressure to provide estimates of local and global population numbers of their study species; we discuss the numerous factors that limit our ability to do this on the basis of a single population estimate. Nonetheless, our findings are sufficient to suggest that none of Madagascar's 46 protected areas supports a viable population of fossas, indicating a demand for corridors and enlarged reserves to ensure this species' long-term survival. Loss of the top predator can have a knock-on effect on an ecosystem. The findings indicate that, to maintain intact tropical forest ecosystems, it may be essential to consider the requirements of their often little-known mammalian carnivores. These requirements could be far greater than previously assumed.

The Ethiopian bush crow Zavattariornis stresemanni is one of the most remarkable ornithological discoveries of the 20th century. It is restricted to an area of c. 5,000 km2 in southern Ethiopia, and a large part of its range is protected inside Yabello Wildlife Sanctuary. We report on the results of roadside counts carried out in 1989, 1995 and 2003 showing that the population of the species has decreased by 80% during this time. By comparing two Landsat satellite images from 1986 and 2002, we highlight land cover trends within the range of the species. These include a general increase in bush density, probably related to increasing grazing pressure by domestic animals, fire suppression (only in the Sanctuary) and the disappearance of wild herbivores. Land cover trends differed between the Sanctuary and the area outside, where open areas expanded, apparently indicating an increase in agricultural exploitation. Satellite images also showed that, within its range, the bush crow selects areas having relatively open terrain. Our data suggest that the population decrease within the Sanctuary could be due to the encroachment of open savannah by dense bush and that, therefore, the Sanctuary has failed to protect the bush crow. More research is urgently needed to evaluate its conservation status outside the Sanctuary and the impact of human activities on the species.

A census of ungulates was carried out in May 2002 in the Haut Niger National Park, Republic of Guinea. The study site was subdivided into three census blocks in which a total 111 transects (total length = 838.24 km) were censused once by one observer. Densities were estimated using DISTANCE analysis. We observed a total of 10 species of ungulates (nine Bovidae and one Suidae). Maxwell's duiker Cephalophus maxwelli had the highest density (3.69 individuals km−2) followed by the red-flanked duiker Cephalophus rufilatus (2.61 individuals km−2), whereas the buffalo Syncerus caffer had the lowest density (0.34 individuals km−2). Compared to a census in 1997, the abundance of red-flanked and Maxwell's duikers significantly decreased (by c. 50%) whereas that of other species remained stable or increased. This variation may possibly be explained by a change in the hunting pattern in the area, which shifted from large-scale hunting by large groups of hunters from outside the area before the Park's creation, to small-scale poaching by local hunters. The Park includes a diversity of ungulate species and harbours populations of ungulates that are important at both national and regional levels. We recommend therefore that the Park should be considered a key area for the conservation of ungulates in West Africa.

Welfare implications of reintroduction are primarily unknown, although reportedly negative. Few studies have described physiological changes in captive-bred animals post-release and consequently the impact of reintroduction on captive-bred animals is not well understood. Such information is crucial to understanding whether reintroduction constitutes ethical practice. For these reasons two physiological indices associated with animal health, plasma vitamin E concentration (PVEC) or α-Tocopherol, and general condition scores, were monitored in reintroduced captive-bred yellow-footed rock wallabies Petrogale xanthopus celeris and P. x. xanthopus pre- and post-release. PVEC was chosen because deficiencies are common in captive animals compared to their wild counterparts, and have been linked to stress, myopathy, neuronal degeneration, low reproduction, anaemia and death. Changes in physical condition, within this study indicated principally by mass variation, coat condition, and reproductive status, but also parasite load, visible stress, lethargy and diarrhoea, have also not been reported for captive-bred animals reintroduced to the wild. Captive-bred yellow-footed rock wallabies reintroduced to areas of their former range in Queensland and South Australia showed a rapid and sustained increase in PVEC and physical condition, with post-release values significantly higher than pre-release captive levels. Post-release values for both parameters did not significantly differ from that of wild counterparts. Hence I conclude that there was no welfare implications related to the observed parameters in these reintroductions, rather the opposite.

A 24-year set of data from monitoring of a nesting beach at Bald Head Island, North Carolina, USA, was analysed in parallel with limited data from nearby rookeries to investigate trends in loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta nesting numbers. There was no statistical evidence of an increasing or decreasing trend in numbers of clutches laid per year, although a significant decrease in the number of turtles nesting and number of clutches laid per year was found from 1991. Remigrating turtles were larger and had larger annual clutch frequencies than neophyte turtles. Annual levels of nesting at beaches within the Cape Fear area were significantly correlated. The stable trend in number of clutches laid across more than two decades is discussed in relation to other factors affecting marine turtles in North American waters.

Madagascar is a critical priority for international conservation efforts, based on almost unparalleled levels of endemism, species diversity, and human threat. Field research conducted over the past two decades has greatly expanded knowledge of the island's biota, making it difficult for any single research team to maintain up to date estimates of biodiversity and endemism across taxonomic groups. The recent publication of The Natural History of Madagascar, a synthesis by nearly 300 contributors from a wide range of disciplines, provides the means to update these estimates. Here, we summarize biodiversity information presented in the volume by providing revised estimates of species richness, endemism, and state of knowledge of a wide variety of taxonomic groups occurring on the island.

Data were collected on the species richness and abundance of fishes at two sites in the Salonga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo. Thirty species were identified out of a total of 1,180 fish caught. Claria buthupogon and Synodontis nigriventris (respectively 4.7 and 3.5 catches per net-night) were the most abundant species. Twenty-six other fish species were reported from interviews with local people. Conservation concerns are the burning of breeding sites, use of chemicals for fishing, and the newly introduced practice of dynamite fishing. The effects of these practices in the Park have yet to be documented, but it is likely that these fishing techniques are having negative effects on the fish fauna and urgent action is required to curb such activities, at least within the Park.

Logging history and population structure of the dry forest tree species Guaiacum coulteri are described for Oaxaca, Mexico. We propose that the species has been adversely affected by selective logging, with large individuals now being uncommon. We argue that the species is likely to have undergone similar changes elsewhere in its range and, following IUCN guidelines, propose that it is categorized as Endangered. Maintenance of G. coulteri as an understorey shrub may be possible given current land use practices in the area but recovery of populations of large individuals may be more difficult. Suggestions for future research are made.

The diet and habitat associations of bush dogs Speothos venaticus, categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, are virtually unknown in the wild. In eastern Paraguay, bush dogs occur in the Reserva Natural del Bosque Mbaracayú. The Reserve contains one of the largest remaining fragments of the Interior Atlantic Forest in Paraguay as well as cerrado and grassland habitats. We analysed bush dog faeces to determine their diet. Bush dogs in the Reserve mostly ate vertebrates. Although small mammals (marsupials and rodents) were the most numerically dominant foods, agoutis Dasyprocta azarae and pacas Cuniculus paca represented 90.5% of biomass consumed. Cecropia fruit was also present in the diet. This is the first documentation of fruit consumption by bush dogs. Signs of bush dogs were detected in all habitats, with the greatest proportion in high forest.

The European population of Dupont's lark Chersophilus duponti, restricted to Spanish steppe, was estimated to be 13,000 pairs in c. 50 populations in 1988. There is, however, recent evidence that this number was overestimated because of the previous use of line transects for estimating population sizes. In 2002–2004 we surveyed 34 previously known local populations in patches of variable size across half of its Spanish distribution. We found 13 (38%) local populations to be extinct, and a total of only 283–339 territories in 17 of the extant populations, seven of which held <5 territories. This census contrasts dramatically with the estimate of c. 3,000 pairs in the same populations in the 1980s. We estimate that the present Spanish population is c. 1,300 pairs. The discrepancy between this and earlier estimates is partly but not entirely due to previous overestimations. Habitat loss due to ploughing, and possibly habitat degradation and the resulting stochastic extinction of small and isolated populations, have contributed to the species' decline. Urgent research is needed to design and manage an adequate network of steppe patches that will ensure the long-term existence of this species. We recommend that Dupont's lark be categorized on the IUCN Red List as Endangered, both globally and nationally within Spain.

The recently revised IUCN Technical Guidelines on the Management of Ex Situ Populations for Conservation represent an attempt to synthesize current thinking on the strategic application of ex situ conservation for the maximum benefit of both threatened species and habitats. We review this document as a means of assessing major changes in the application of ex situ conservation. We identify a number of major themes. These include the need for the integrated management of wild and captive populations, expansion of ex situ capacity in terms of institutional facilities and breadth of taxonomic experience, an important emphasis to be given to the need for in-country conservation initiatives, and the need to comply with national and international legal structures, most notably the Convention on Biological Diversity.