The ʻuaʻu, or Hawaiian Petrel Pterodroma sandwichensis, is an endangered seabird endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Genetic, morphometric, and behavioural differences have previously been found between different island populations of the species. Understanding the breeding phenology of different populations of ʻuaʻu is therefore vital for conservation actions targeting the species. To assess breeding phenology of ʻuaʻu on the islands of Kauaʻi and Lānaʻi, two main techniques were used over a 12-year period: direct burrow monitoring and burrow cameras. The breeding phenology of the ʻuaʻu is described based on this data. On Kauaʻi, breeding birds arrive in the middle of April, undergo an exodus of approximately one month, and return to lay in the beginning of June. Incubation continues until early August, followed by chick-rearing, which ends on average two weeks before the chick fledges. Fledging starts in mid-October, peaks in mid-November, and ends in the third week of December. Lānaʻi birds arrive two weeks earlier and fledge one week earlier than on Kauaʻi. On both islands breeding was asynchronous with a 68-day (Kauaʻi) and 48-day (Lānaʻi) gap between first and last fledging birds. Considering phenology data across its entire Hawaiian range, ʻuaʻu first arrive on east Maui, then Lānaʻi, Hawaiʻi Island, and Kauaʻi in that order. These differences in timing presumably reflect and/or reinforce genetic differentiation between subpopulations of the species. The utility of this information is discussed in terms of directing management actions towards key periods of vulnerability to introduced predators, including peak incubation, chick emergence, and chick exercise periods. Description of island-specific phenologies is also critical to inform efforts to rescue fledglings disoriented by artificial light, mitigate powerline collisions, and refine existing monitoring and restoration projects. Future work using acoustic monitoring and data collected at social attraction sites is recommended for assessing the phenology of non-breeders at colonies.

Penguins include 18 species of seabirds distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. Climate change is a growing problem that affects penguins, especially those living in Antarctica, making them some of the most currently endangered species. Loss of habitat, commercial fishing and infectious diseases spread by anthropogenic activities in the Southern Ocean are threats facing penguins. In addition, environmental changes affect the distribution of free-living species that act as intermediate hosts for parasites (e.g. krill, fish) and consequently their transmission dynamics and distribution. The present work aims to provide an update on macro- and microparasites recorded in all penguin species in wildlife. Based on published records from penguins, we provide a list of 157 parasite taxa recorded in all penguin species. The list includes 54 helminths, 45 arthropods, 39 bacteria and 19 protozoa reported in 207 scientific publications. Most papers were focused on the genus Spheniscus. In the analysis, we identify the distribution of parasites among hosts to better predict the disease risk facing their populations worldwide. Some pathogenic effects of the parasites found are discussed.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the main staples in the Peruvian Andes. Phenotypic diversity is extremely high in terms of plant morphology, grain colour, grain size and uses. However, little is known about the genetic component of the Peruvian maize. Genotyping-by-sequencing was used, for the first time, to infer the genetic diversity and population structure of 25 accessions of maize collected from two ecoregions of the departments of the Peruvian highlands, Cajamarca and Huancavelica, to provide a basis for the conservation and breeding of this crop genetic resource. A total of 29,332 single-nucleotide polymorphisms were identified along all 10 chromosomes of maize. STRUCTURE analysis revealed two clusters (open-pollinated cultivars and landraces). Principal coordinate analysis and our dendrogram showed that these accessions of Peruvian maize do not group based on their geographic origin but on their improvement status, however, this is weakly supported. Average genetic diversity was very high (0.35). Analysis of molecular variance showed a reduced variation between populations (2.85%) and indicated that variability within populations is 97.15%. The lowest population divergence was zero for populations of Colcabamba versus Pichos and Daniel Hernandez versus Colcabamba and the highest population divergence (0.041) was observed for population Cajamarca versus Santiago de Tucuma. As expected, FIS values were positive. Additional samples from other Andean and west coast Peruvian localities are needed to provide a better understanding of the genetic components of this important crop aiming to develop a modern breeding programme of maize in Peru.

Through compositional inclusion or exclusion, the photograph can assert and communicate what belongs in a picture, in a landscape, in an ecosystem. It can illuminate what we deem conservation-worthy, or, on a larger scale, which extinctions are attention-worthy. Photographic practice helps to illuminate the active nature of extinction, and our choices as actors and witnesses within that process. Here, researchers from the University of Leeds’ Extinction Studies Doctoral Training Programme present individual reflections on interdisciplinary practice-led research in the Scottish Small Isles. We consider how photography, as a form of praxis, can generate new forms of knowledge surrounding extinction: its meanings, representations, and legacies, particularly through visual representation. We offer seven perspectives on contemporary image-making, from disciplines including philosophy, conservation biology, literature, sociology, geology, cultural anthropology, and palaeontology. Researchers gathered experiential, ethical, even biological meanings from considering what to include or exclude in images: from the micro to the macro, the visible to the invisible, the aesthetic to the ecological. We draw conclusions around meaning-making through the process of photography itself, and the tensions encountered through framing and decision-making in a time of mass ecological decline.

Land-use changes are considered one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss. Agricultural intensification, pastoral abandonment, and changes in forest management have led to the homogenisation of landscapes. In particular, the encroachment of grasslands and the densification of forests that are no longer pastured threaten species that require multiple habitats to nest and forage, such as the European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus. Whereas previous studies have focused on understanding factors influencing the decrease of nightjars at regional or national scales, here, we aimed to assess fine-scaled habitat selection by nightjars within nesting and foraging sites based on high-resolution GPS tracking data. Vegetation structure and composition were quantified in the field. In the nesting habitat, nightjars prefer open forests with a low percentage of trees and where the ground is not covered by more than 40% of grass and crawling bushes (dwarf bushes such as Juniperus species). In contrast, when foraging, nightjars select open grasslands and biodiversity-friendly managed vineyards, both richly structured, i.e. interspersed or surrounded by other land-use types such as hedges or isolated trees. Both the nesting and foraging habitats are currently threatened, either by the abandonment of forest management, which makes stands denser and more homogeneous, or through agricultural intensification, which reduces land-use diversity. Clear habitat-specific management recommendations and political incentives are needed to simultaneously preserve and/or restore these critical habitats, which are important for nightjars that use complementary resources for nesting and foraging.

A left-variable word over an alphabet A is a word over $A \cup \{\star \}$ whose first letter is the distinguished symbol $\star $ standing for a placeholder. The ordered variable word theorem ($\mathsf {OVW}$), also known as Carlson–Simpson’s theorem, is a tree partition theorem, stating that for every finite alphabet A and every finite coloring of the words over A, there exists a word $c_0$ and an infinite sequence of left-variable words $w_1, w_2, \dots $ such that $\{ c_0 \cdot w_1[a_1] \cdot \dots \cdot w_k[a_k] : k \in \mathbb {N}, a_1, \dots , a_k \in A \}$ is monochromatic.

In this article, we prove that $\mathsf {OVW}$ is $\Pi ^0_4$-conservative over $\mathsf {RCA}_0 + \mathsf {B}\Sigma ^0_2$. This implies in particular that $\mathsf {OVW}$ does not imply $\mathsf {ACA}_0$ over $\mathsf {RCA}_0$. This is the first principle for which the only known separation from $\mathsf {ACA}_0$ involves non-standard models.

Changing human behaviours is a key facet of addressing global environmental issues. There are many factors (i.e. determinants) that could influence whether an individual engages in pro-environmental behaviour, and understanding these determinants can improve efforts to protect and restore the natural environment. However, despite published criticism of poor survey design, there is little practical guidance on how to capture these determinants accurately in closed-answer surveys (those with predefined answer options). A recent literature review summarized behavioural determinants of pro-environmental behaviour. We build on this by providing practical insights into how 17 key pro-environmental behavioural determinants can be measured through closed-answer surveys. We reviewed 177 papers published during 2013–2023 that met the criteria for inclusion. These papers captured 624 measurements of the 17 determinants. We found seven types of question formats used, including scales (Likert scales, semantic scales and a pictorial scale), multiple-choice questions (where respondents could select either one or more answer options), binary questions and ranking questions. We then synthesized design considerations both specifically for each format and more broadly across surveys. These considerations included using validated measures, reducing cognitive burden and biases (e.g. social desirability bias, order effects, recall bias), selecting the question format (e.g. different formats of multiple-choice or binary questions) and using best practices for scale questions. The insights collected through this review provide practical advice for developing closed-answer surveys that robustly and usefully measure key determinants of pro-environmental behaviour.

Birds are often used as ecological indicators because they are widely distributed across diverse habitats and display distinct behavioural responses to environmental changes. The Endangered Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum is regarded as a flagship species of Africa’s wetland and grassland habitats, both of which are undergoing substantial transformation to alternative land uses. The delayed reproductive strategies and habitat specialisation of this crane species makes them more vulnerable to extinction, but this risk is further compounded by data paucity. We employed traditional and contemporary survey methods to collect breeding metrics to calculate stage transition probabilities (i.e. egg–hatchling, hatchling–juvenile) and to identify possible macro-environmental factors that either promote or hinder their reproductive output in a key agricultural area in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. We found that Grey Crowned Cranes have a low hatching rate of 38.4% (95% confidence interval 29.3–48.4%) and show that this low hatching rate is exacerbated under high rainfall intensity. Multivariate analyses and multi-model inference revealed that successful nest-sites were generally associated with larger open water-bodies, greater distances from shore, and increased proximity to secondary roads, buildings, and natural grasslands. Although increased agricultural activities might promote greater foraging opportunities, the overall breeding outcomes of this species were poor in this key agricultural region. Our findings stress the urgent need for further fine-scale data collection and monitoring activities to better inform conservation strategies for this species. We also encourage future studies to focus on aspects affecting Grey Crowned Crane breeding in regions where proximity to human activities is inevitable.

Satellite remote sensing is vital for monitoring anthropogenic changes and for alerting us to escalating environmental threats. With recent technological advances, a variety of satellite-based monitoring systems are available to aid conservation practitioners. Yet, documented knowledge of who uses near-real-time satellite-based monitoring and how these technologies are applied to inform conservation decisions is sparse. Through an online survey and semi-structured interviews, we explored how developers and users leverage conservation early-warning and alert systems (CEASs) for enhanced conservation decisions. Some 167 developers and users of near-real-time fire and forest monitoring systems from 40 countries participated in this study. Globally, respondents used 66 unique CEASs. The most common applications were for education and awareness, fire/disaster management and law enforcement. Respondents primarily used CEASs to enforce land-use policies and deter illegal activities, and they perceived these tools as underutilized for incentivizing policy compliance or conservation. Respondents experienced inequities regarding system access, exposure and ability to act upon alert information. More investments in capacity-building, resources and action plans are needed to better link information to action. Implementing recommendations from this research can help us to increase the accessibility and inclusivity of CEAS applications to unlock their powerful capabilities for achieving conservation goals.

Biodiversity is in rapid decline, but the extent of loss is not well resolved for poorly known groups. We estimate the number of extinctions for Australian non-marine invertebrates since the European colonisation of the continent. Our analyses use a range of approaches, incorporate stated uncertainties and recognise explicit caveats. We use plausible bounds for the number of species, two approaches for estimating extinction rate, and Monte Carlo simulations to select combinations of projected distributions from these variables. We conclude that 9,111 (plausible bounds of 1,465 to 56,828) Australian species have become extinct over this 236-year period. These estimates dwarf the number of formally recognised extinctions of Australian invertebrates (10 species) and of the single invertebrate species listed as extinct under Australian legislation. We predict that 39–148 species will become extinct in 2024. This is inconsistent with a recent pledge by the Australian government to prevent all extinctions. This high rate of loss is largely a consequence of pervasive taxonomic biases in community concern and conservation investment. Those characteristics also make it challenging to reduce that rate of loss, as there is uncertainty about which invertebrate species are at the most risk. We outline conservation responses to reduce the likelihood of further extinctions.

A natural population of Vriesea friburgensis var. paludosa was genetically and demographically characterized. Four selected enzymatic systems were used. In total, 10 allozymic loci were analysed. The proportion of polymorphic loci was 70% and the number of alleles per locus was 2.3· The mean observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.234 and 0.226, respectively. An excess of heterozygotes was revealed by the value of the fixation index (—0.035). These indices showed the presence of high levels of genetic diversity in the population studied. A demographic survey revealed almost six times more vegetative than sexually reproductive plants. Reproductive plants were found only in clusters. The genetic diversity exhibited by this population, associated with vegetative as well as sexual propagation, resulting in clusters or colonies, would allow the employment of a sustainable management strategy for species conservation as well as its exploitation as an ornamental.

The technique of excised embryos was employed to facilitate the propagation of Podophyllum emodi derived from seeds collected at the different elevation zones of Himachal Pradesh, India. Seed germination was low, irrespective of stage of seed development or zone of collection. Germination was improved significantly (89.14%) in the partially mature and mature seeds collected from alpine and temperate zones when excised embryos were cultured on basal B5 medium. Leaf emergence and plant establishment in the field was also significantly higher in the plants raised through this technique, despite hypocotyl dormancy. The technique was successfully employed for the production of plants to be reintroduced in large numbers into their habitat in the Great Himalayan National Park.