Biodiversity conservation policy must balance the interests of diverse actors, from global organizations to local communities. Because multiscalar policies often (re)produce international-level biodiversity narratives and discourses (BNDs)—simplified constructions and explanations of environmental cause and effect with ideological representations of actors involved—the priorities of local communities in biodiversity-priority countries (BPCs) can be overshadowed by global priorities. To better understand the influence of international-level BNDs on domestic policy and how it is implemented at local scales, we used critical discourse analysis to examine BNDs in (inter)national-level conservation-related policies and reports, key informant interviews, and participant observation, focusing on Africa and Zambia as a case study. Our results show that the nuance of complex drivers of biodiversity loss is often lost in BNDs, in part due to insufficient attention to large-scale drivers of biodiversity loss. Local decision-makers are tasked with translating complex scientific processes and values of biodiversity across cultures while synchronizing local communities’ needs with international commitments. In practice, local-level policy often reflects international biodiversity commitments, situating causality and responsibility for biodiversity loss within local communities and domestic governments. We recommend that attention to BDNs and the deeper ideologies, assumptions, and power dynamics reproduced through BNDs is critical in our efforts to make biodiversity conservation strategies as equitable as possible.
Tag: biodiversity conservation
A Review of the Scale and Sustainability of the Consumption and Trade of Anuran Species in Africa
Within Africa, collection and trade of anurans is often recorded as single-site case studies, making it difficult to accurately understand the scale of use, its livelihood importance, and impact on species. We conducted a systematic review to: compile literature on anuran uses in Africa; identify the species and ecoregions involved; and identify gaps and opportunities for monitoring anuran utilisation. From an initial pool of 3335 articles, 85 studies on anuran use were reviewed. We augmented this with data from records on levels of anuran trade within CITES from 2012 to 2021, IUCN redlist, UNdata and WILDMEAT databases. We found 131 amphibian (124 anuran) species belonging to 18 families and 42 genera used within Africa. About 31.5% of species are used as food and 2.4% used in traditional medicine. Another 23.4% are used in multiple ways. Larger-bodied species, including Hoplobatrachus occipitalis and Pyxicephalus edulis, are most preferred as food, whereas smaller and colourful ones (mostly in the Mantellidae family) are traded as pets. The use of anurans as food and traditional medicine is concentrated in Guineo-Congolian and Guineo-Sudanian ecoregions, whilst Madagascar and the Indian Ocean dominates the international pet trade. Wild populations of anuran species are collected mainly by local men and sold to intermediaries to supply food and pet markets. African countries import frog legs more than they export possibly, to supply locally based international restaurants. We identified the inability of most international databases to accurately capture the extent of anuran use with literature review identifying 28 additional species missed by these platforms. Also, there are few scientific studies that quantify the impacts of use on anurans in Africa. Synthesis and applications: We recommend that anuran species collection and trade be incorporated into national biodiversity monitoring plans.
Calibration of the species threat abatement and restoration metric’s threat abatement component in a Costa Rican landscape
Achieving global conservation policy goals requires the ability to set and measure progress toward science-based targets for biodiversity. The species threat abatement and restoration (STAR) metric was developed to enable actors to set science-based targets for species. STAR scores quantify the potential contribution of actions to abate threats and restore habitat to reduce species extinction risk in a particular place and can be aggregated and disaggregated among species, threats, and areas of interest. Estimated STAR scores are based on data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List and provide initial information on the species and threats expected to be present in an area. Operationalization of the metric requires verification of the presence of species and the presence and severity of threats in the area to inform calculation of a calibration STAR score. We applied a pilot calibration process for the threat abatement component of STAR (START) in the San Jose northern subcatchments landscape in Costa Rica. We used specialist knowledge and geospatial analyses of habitat loss to determine the species present and the intensity of threats affecting them in the landscape. Calibration yielded a more even distribution of scores among threats than was apparent from estimated START and identified that reducing the threat from livestock farming and ranching had the greatest potential to reduce species extirpation risk. Calibration also showed that there is an opportunity to prevent the extinction of a critically endangered endemic amphibian, but the species’ presence requires confirmation. The pilot demonstrated how specialist knowledge and geospatial analyses can be combined during calibration to produce a calibrated START score capable of informing science-based targets for species conservation. Our calibration process can be applied to other areas.
Spatial analysis of human–wildlife conflict reveals a need for mitigation beyond protected area buffer zones in the Nepal Terai
Increasing human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is a global concern in the tropical lowlands of Nepal (the Terai), where megafauna populations have been increasing. Despite several site-specific studies quantifying HWC losses and modeling risk, landscape-scale distribution of incidents and the environmental factors shaping conflict risk remain poorly understood. We conducted a landscape-level assessment of HWC from 2018 to 2022 across 2803 Terai wards (smallest administrative units), in which we quantified species-specific patterns of human attacks and livestock depredation, mapped incident densities to identify conflict hotspots, and examined key environmental predictors of conflict occurrence and frequency. Of the 584 human attacks in 187 wards, 67% were caused by elephants, wild boars, and rhinos. Of the 4267 livestock depredation incidents in 211 wards, 99% were caused by leopards and tigers. Hotspots of HWC incidents were concentrated around protected areas (PAs), although they did extend into distant settlements. Of 12 pre-defined environmental predictors, proximity to wildlife habitats (PAs, biological corridors, and larger forest patches) consistently predicted both the occurrence and frequency of incidents, indicating that conflict risk is influenced by habitat connectivity. There is a need to extend conflict mitigation beyond buffer zones to high-risk settlements where wildlife frequently interacts with people, including settlements adjacent to transboundary PAs. Expanding spatially targeted mitigation, wildlife-resilient infrastructure, and awareness into these high-risk settlements will promote human–wildlife coexistence across the broader landscape.
A practical guide to understanding community hunting systems in the tropics
Local communities and their partners – including government agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are faced with the complex task of reconciling biodiversity conservation with the needs of people who rely on hunting and fishing as integral components of their livelihoods and food systems. This challenge is compounded by diverse geographical settings, encompassing community-owned lands, protected areas, buffer zones, logging concessions, community forests and customary lands, as well as by poorly regulated legal frameworks. Balancing these competing priorities requires nuanced, context-specific approaches to wildlife management. Community-based sustainable wildlife management (CBSWM) emphasizes the pivotal role of local populations in conservation. This document provides guidance on the key aspects to consider when evaluating the opportunity to support CBSWM systems. It explains what needs to be understood about community hunting and why this information is essential for guiding transformative processes toward sustainable wildlife management, with illustrative examples from the SWM Programme intervention sites.
Operationalizing a Conservation Production Orchard approach to long-term conservation and use of tree species and genetic resources
Key messages
- The Conservation Production Orchard (CPO) approach is proposed to systematically conserve tree species and their genetic resources in an ex situ setting, while explicitly linking conservation to tree use.
- The CPO approach focuses on long-term conservation and use to ensure that tree-planting-based solutions to global challenges are sustainably supported.
- This infobrief describes proposed features of CPO operationalization, covering the definition and design of orchards; their management, use and financing; questions and challenges faced in approach application; and how to choose the tree species to plant in orchards.
- With the support of the Global Crop Diversity Trust (the Crop Trust), the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) is seeking to apply the CPO approach to multiple tree species that supply nutritious foods.
Prunus africana: From extractive trade to a regenerative medicinal tree-powered bioeconomy in Africa
- Prunus africana (African cherry) is a highly valuable medicinal tree species distributed across more than 22 African countries where it provides a wide variety of ecosystem services including biodiversity conservation, watershed protection, carbon sequestration in montane forest ecosystems, as well as many products of socioeconomic interest collected from its bark, roots, wood and leaves.
- The anti-inflammatory and anti-androgenic properties of its bark extract are used in traditional and conventional medicine for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostate cancer and other urinary ailments affecting older men worldwide. Moreover, recent advances in phytochemistry have revealed novel bioactive fractions with potential applications in gastrointestinal oncology, dermatological regeneration, cosmeceuticals and functional food preservatives, thereby broadening opportunities for P. africana-based biopharmaceutical development.
- Europe remains the largest importer of P. africana bark products, while Asia is rapidly expanding its pharmaceutical and herbal integration markets. North America maintains stable demand through supplements and over-the-counter prostate formulations. African markets for P. africana based-medicinal and pharmaceutical products remain very poorly developed.
- To align with the African Union strategy for driving circular nature-based industrialization, some African countries, including South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Uganda and Kenya are promoting medicinal herbal-based bioeconomy frameworks and biopharmaceutical companies. Such developments are expected to catalyse the African perspectives on a P. africana powered bioeconomy.
- The global market for P. africana products is projected to grow from USD 150 million in 2024 to USD 250 million by 2033, driven by rising demand for herbal medicines and aging populations. The projected innovations in its medicinal applications will certainly add to the current growing trend.
- Due to international trade regulations imposed by the inclusion of the species under CITES Appendix II since 1995, Cameroon has contributed to the development of sustainability measures through institutionalization of Non-Detriment Findings (NDFs), supported by scientific evidence on improved bark harvesting techniques and standards, existing harvestable tree potential, and inclusive management plans. Moreover, domestication and integration into agroforestry, restoration and climate agendas, offer an opportunity to move from a compliance-driven model to a genuinely regenerative bioeconomy.
- The trend in global dry bark exports shows distinct phases tied to trade traffic and regulations as well as CITES quota realignments, with Rwanda, Cameroon, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Burundi supporting nearly 90 percent of the global bark export market.
- Despite persistent challenges, including weak governance, inequitable benefit sharing, climate change, habitat degradation, informal trade and limited local processing capacity, P. africana could become a flagship species for Africa’s regenerative circular bioeconomy if backed by equitable governance, restoration efforts, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical development and community-centred sustainable management.
Vegetation Structure and Diversity Under Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration: A Comparison of Silvo-Arable and Silvo-Pastoral Systems in Kenya
Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) is a low-cost, adaptable agroforestry practice that enhances land restoration by promoting systematic integration of naturally regenerating trees within farming systems through tree selection and management. Despite its increasing adoption in sub-Saharan Africa, comparative evidence across land uses remains limited. This study empirically compares tree and woody regeneration density, species richness, and composition between silvo-arable (maize cultivation) and silvo-pastoral (grazing) FMNR systems in semi-arid Kenya. Sixty-three plots were established across these two land uses, within which a total of 1409 trees and 505 woody regeneration individuals were recorded. Tree density was higher in silvo-pastoral FMNR systems (558/ha) than in silvo-arable systems (150/ha), though the difference was not statistically significant. In contrast, woody regeneration density was significantly greater in silvo-arable systems (2450/ha vs. 727/ha). Rarefied species richness of trees was the same in silvo-arable FMNR and silvo-pastoral FMNR systems, while richness of regeneration was either significantly higher than the tree community, like in silvo-arable systems, or significantly lower than the tree community, like in silvo-pastoral systems. Non-metric multidimensional scaling showed that silvo-pastoral FMNR systems exhibited similar species composition between trees and regeneration, whereas silvo-arable FMNR systems displayed greater variability in tree composition across fields, reflecting less variable preferences by farmers. Given that regeneration represents future tree communities, reduced regeneration diversity in silvo-pastoral systems may constrain long-term species richness. These findings suggest that silvo-arable and silvo-pastoral FMNR systems follow distinct restoration pathways, with implications for biodiversity conservation, livelihoods, and the scaling of FMNR as a restoration practice.
Actions and actors driving transformative change for global sustainability
This study examines the actions and societal actors associated with transformative change for global sustainability, drawing on evidence from the IPBES Transformative Change Assessment and a bibliometric analysis of more than four million scholarly publications. The research evaluates how sustainability literature addresses the actions, strategies, and actors considered necessary to tackle the interconnected crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. Results reveal that scholarly attention is concentrated on a limited set of actions and actors, particularly technological change, changing social norms, the scientific community, educational institutions, and business actors, while actions related to economic and governance transformation, as well as the roles of civil society organizations and public-sector actors, receive comparatively little attention. The analysis further shows that interactions between actions and actors are rarely explored systematically, with most actor–action combinations occurring no more frequently than expected by chance. The findings suggest that such imbalances may constrain the development of coordinated, cross-sectoral approaches required for transformative change. The study calls for more inclusive and interdisciplinary research that better reflects diverse knowledge systems, governance approaches, and societal actors, while strengthening understanding of how different actors and actions interact to promote equitable and sustainable futures.
Woody vegetation diversity remains low after extensive forest landscape restoration efforts in a western Rwandan landscape
Ecosystem restoration has emerged as a global priority in tropical regions, where issues like land degradation, biodiversity decline, and climate change are pressing concerns. In Rwanda it is predominantly conducted under the “forest landscape restoration” framework with unclear specifications toward rehabilitation or ecological restoration goals. The extent to which restoration efforts in Rwanda successfully restore the diversity, structure, and function of ecosystems remains largely unknown. This paper examines woody species structure and diversity within different land use types, including homegardens, agriculture mosaics, tree patches, pastures, and Gishwati-Mukura National Park as a reference site. From June to August 2024, data were collected from 159 sites using stratified random sampling and quasi-experimental design to represent the main land use types in the study areas. The findings reveal variations in species richness and composition among the different land use types. We found a notable distinction between native and exotic species proportions, with a dominance of exotic species across most sites: 65% in homegardens, 80% in agricultural mosaics, and 93% in tree patches. Homegardens displayed significantly higher species richness than tree patches, agricultural mosaics, and pastures, but still fell substantially short of the National Park. Our results highlight that while restorative efforts are widespread, the challenge to balance biodiversity conservation with socioeconomic benefits has meant that, to date, restoration practices have favored exotic species, which will have larger implications for trophic interactions and hence wider biodiversity in the region. The study underscores the need to enhance native species richness to promote biodiversity.