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7,849 results for “Conservancy”
Building better conservation media for primates and people: A case study of orangutan rescue and rehabilitation YouTube videos
<p>1. Conservation organizations rely on social/internet media platforms to raise awareness and fundraise. Social media is a double-edged sword: it can be a wide-reaching and effective tool for education and fundraising, but can also have counter-productive impacts on public views toward wildlife and understanding of wildlife conservation.</p> <p>2. For example, depicting humans interacting with wildlife in media may increase video popularity, but animals shown in anthropogenic contexts are also viewed as appealing pets. We are interested in understanding whether this is true for social media posts (YouTube videos) by orangutan rescue and rehabilitation organizations, which rely on social media for fundraising and awareness-raising. Our goal is to provide data and recommendations to guide these organizations in building media with positive conservation impact while minimizing potential negative effects.</p> <p>3. Using YouTube analytics and sentiment analysis of comments on 118 videos, we ask how viewer responses to videos vary with 1) the amount of human-orangutan interaction depicted, 2) the ages of the orangutans featured, and 3) the mention of threats to orangutans.</p> <p>4. Videos with longer human-orangutan interaction time were viewed more, but comments on them were significantly more likely to be negative toward Indonesian/Malaysian people. Comments on orangutan rescue/rehabilitation videos were more likely to be categorized as negative for orangutan conservation compared to videos about orangutans generally, and within these, so were comments on videos featuring infant and juvenile orangutans.</p> <p>5. Based on our findings, we recommend that orangutan rescue and rehabilitation organizations feature adult and mixed age groups of orangutans rather than infants and juveniles, minimize the amount of human-orangutan interaction shown, and talk about conservation threats to orangutans in their videos. We also recommend that, as a precaution, other primate rescue and rehabilitation groups also abide by these suggestions.</p>
Conserved ancestral tropical niche but different continental histories explain the latitudinal diversity gradient in brush-footed butterflies
<p><strong>Supplementary Tree 1.nex</strong> Nymphalidae backbone tree inferred with RAxML and time-calibrated using BEAST, with mean posterior node ages and 95% credibility intervals summarized.</p> <p>More information can be found in Chazot <em>et al.</em> (2021). Conserved ancestral tropical niche but different continental histories explain the latitudinal diversity gradient in brush-footed butterflies. <em>Nature Communications.</em></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Supplementary Tree 2</strong>.nex Maximum clade credibility tree of all Nymphalidae included in "Chazot <em>et al.</em> (2021). Conserved ancestral tropical niche but different continental histories explain the latitudinal diversity gradient in brush-footed butterflies. <em>Nature Communications."</em>, with mean posterior node ages and 95% credibility intervals estimated from the posterior distribution of 1000 grafted trees (1000 subclades posterior trees combined with 1000 backbone posterior trees). </p> <p>More information can be found in Chazot <em>et al.</em> (2021). Conserved ancestral tropical niche but different continental histories explain the latitudinal diversity gradient in brush-footed butterflies. <em>Nature Communications.</em></p>
Genetic variability, management, and conservation implications of the critically endangered Brazilian pitviper Bothrops insularis
<p>Information on demographic, genetic, and environmental parameters of wild and captive animal populations has proven to be crucial to conservation programs and strategies. Genetic approaches in conservation programs of Brazilian snakes remain scarce despite their importance for critically endangered species, such as <i>Bothrops insularis</i>, the golden lancehead, which is endemic to Ilha da Queimada Grande, coast of São Paulo State, Brazil. This study aims to (i) characterize the genetic diversity of <i>ex-situ</i> and <i>in-situ</i> populations of <i>B. insularis</i> using heterologous microsatellites; (ii) investigate genetic structure among and within these populations; and (iii) provide data for the conservation program of the species. Twelve informative microsatellites obtained from three species of the <i>B. neuwiedi</i> group were used to access genetic diversity indexes of <i>ex-situ</i> and <i>in-situ</i> populations. Low-to-medium genetic diversity parameters were found. Both populations showed low — albeit significant — values of system of mating inbreeding coefficient, whereas only the <i>in-situ</i> population showed a significant value of pedigree inbreeding coefficient. Significant values of genetic differentiation indexes suggest a small differentiation between the two populations. Discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) recovered five clusters. No geographic relationship was found in the island, suggesting the occurrence of gene flow. Also, our data allowed the establishment of six preferential breeding couples, aiming to minimize inbreeding and elucidate uncertain parental relationships in the captive population. In a conservation perspective, continuous monitoring of both populations is demanded: it involves the incorporation of new individuals from the island into the captive population to avoid inbreeding and to achieve the recommended allelic similarity between the two populations. At last, we recommend that the genetic data support researches as a base to maintain a viable and healthy captive population, highly genetically similar to the <i>in-situ</i> one, which is crucial for considering a reintroduction process into the island.</p>
Temporal stability in species richness but reordering in species abundances within avian assemblages of a Tropical Andes conservation hot spot
<p>As the pace of environmental change increases, there is an urgent need for quantitative data revealing the temporal dynamics of local communities in tropical areas. Here we quantify the stability of avian assemblages in the highly threatened, but poorly studied, Andean biodiversity hot spot. We evaluated the temporal variation in species richness and community composition of local bird assemblages in three habitat types (native forest, introduced forest, native shrub) using a unique, relatively long-term data series from Cajas National Park and Mazán Reserve in the Southern Andes of Ecuador. We sampled birds with mist nets using a standardized protocol over 11 years, from 2006 to 2016. Species richness remained stable over time across habitats, but community composition changed in the native forest. In particular, we observed taxonomic reordering in the native forest, in which the evenness in the distribution of abundances of taxa decreased over time. This finding is consistent with other studies where species richness remained constant over time while community composition changed. Our study highlights the value of long-term studies in the tropical Andes as we show that species composition of birds in a montane forest is changing, consistent with global trends in biodiversity change.</p>
Dataset (n=1671) of the publication "Small-scale private forest owners and the European Natura 2000 conservation network: Perceived ecosystem services, management practices, and nature conservation attitudes"
<p>The excel file contains the replies of small-scale private forest owners in Lower Saxony, Germany, to certain questions of a survey analyzed within the following publication: "Small-scale private forest owners and the European Natura 2000 conservation network: Perceived ecosystem services, management practices, and nature conservation attitudes”.<br> <br> The questions included in this dataset cover their objectives, management activities, attitudes and forest stand structures. Further details can be found in the second sheet of the file called “Code explanation”.<br> <br> More information about the methods of data collection can be found in the before-mentioned publication.</p>
Meta Analysis of Conservation Games Data
<p>This is the first release of Meta Analysis of Conservation Games Dataset. This was created for the analysis in the paper "Payments don't reconcile agriculture and conservation" by Andrew Reid Bell, O. Sarobidy Rakotonarivo, Apurva Bhargava, A. Bradley Duthie, Wei Zhang, Becca Sargent, Spike Lewis, and Adams Kipchumba.</p>
Dataset to: The efficiency of retention measures in continuous-cover forestry for conserving epiphytic cryptogams: A case study on Abies alba
<p>The file contains data used in the paper mentioned aboved.</p> <p>Abbreviations of variables, species etc. please see Table 1 and Appendix S5 in the publication, respectively.</p> <p>The variables dbh and ele (elevation) are already transformed.</p> <p>The sheets "Ordination_Epiphytes_spec" and "Ordination_Epiphytes_env" were also used for detecting significant associations of species to the tree types (HT vs. AT).</p> <p> </p>
Dataset for the paper: Integrated spatial planning for biodiversity conservation and food production
<p>This dataset includes the input and output files associated with the article </p> <p>Fastré, C.<sup> </sup>, van Zeist, W-J., Watson, J.E.M.<span> </span>and Visconti, P. (2021) Integrated spatial planning for biodiversity conservation and food production", One-Earth.</p> <p>Instructions and code to reproduce the results are at https://github.com/pierovisconti/integratedSP</p>
Conserved Forest on Sandy Coastal Plain, Saquarema/RJ - Datasets and Phytosociological analyses
<p>Esses dados brutos foram coletados entre 1993/1994 por Cyl Farney C de Sá & Dorothy S.Dunn de Araujo na parte conservada da floresta de restinga da Reserva Ecológica Estadual de Jacarepiá, Saquarema/RJ. Parcelas 10 x10m foram subdivididas em 4 blocos de 5 x 5 m e foram alocadas obedecendo linhas abertas em trilhas para estudo da área através do método de Ponto Quadrantes. O critério de inclusão foi DAP ≥ 2,5 cm, sendo que as medidas tomada em campo foram coletadas em circunferência (CAP ≥ 8cm). As alturas foram estimadas. As circunferências, inclusive de múltiplos troncos, foram medidas a 1,30m de altura do solo. Material identificado no Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro (Herbário RB). As análises fitossociológicas foram realizadas em Excel. Todos os parâmetros absolutos e relativos estão apresentados. Os dados foram cedidos a Bárbara de Pinho Agapito para uso em sua Dissertação de Mestrado na Escola Nacional de Botânica Tropical (ENBT) para comparação entre áreas (perturbaada x conservada) dessa mesma floresta.</p>
Data from: Optimising the hatching success of artificially incubated eggs for use in a conservation program for the western saw-shelled turtle (Myuchelys bellii)
<p>Artificial incubation of eggs and the release of hatchlings into the wild is a common conservation intervention designed to augment threatened turtle populations. We investigate a range of incubation temperatures to establish an optimal temperature for maximum hatching success of western saw-shelled turtle (<em>Myuchelys</em> <em>bellii</em>) eggs. We report on the influence of incubation temperature on incubation duration and hatching success and describe two experimental incubation methods which, for the same incubation temperature, resulted in 77% and 97% hatching success, respectively. Eggs were incubated at constant temperatures (27°C, 28°C and 29°C) to determine the influence of temperature on incubation period, hatchling morphology and external residual yolk. Incubation duration was negatively correlated with incubation temperature. We report on the morphology of eggs and hatchlings and show that their dimensions are positively correlated with maternal adult size and mass. A constant incubation temperature of 27°C produced the highest hatching success and smallest external residual yolk on hatching and is therefore recommended for incubation of eggs for population reinforcement programs. Our study is the first to optimise artificial incubation procedures for <em>M</em>. <em>bellii</em> and will be a valuable resource for <em>M</em>. <em>bellii</em> and other threatened freshwater turtle conservation initiatives.</p>
Identifying mismatches between conservation area networks and vulnerable populations using spatial randomization
<p>Grassland birds are among the most globally threatened bird groups due to substantial degradation of native grassland habitats. However, the current network of grassland conservation areas may not be adequate for halting population declines and biodiversity loss. Here, we evaluate a network of grassland conservation areas within Wisconsin, U.S.A. that includes both large Focal Landscapes and smaller targeted conservation areas (e.g., Grassland Bird Conservation Areas or GBCAs) established within them. To date, this conservation network has lacked baseline information to assess whether the current placement of these conservation areas aligns with population hotspots of grassland-dependent taxa. To do so, we fitted data from thousands of avian point-count surveys collected by citizen scientists as part of Wisconsin's Breeding Bird Atlas II with multinomial N-mixture models to estimate habitat-abundance relationships, develop spatially-explicit predictions of abundance and establish ecological baselines within priority conservation areas for a suite of obligate grassland songbirds. Next, we developed spatial randomization tests to evaluate the placement of this conservation network relative to randomly placed conservation networks. Overall, less than 20% of species statewide populations were found within the current grassland conservation network. Spatial tests demonstrated high representation of this bird assemblage within the entire conservation network, but with a bias towards birds associated with moderately tall grasses relative to those associated with short or tall grasses. We also found that GBCAs had higher representation at Focal Landscape rather than statewide scales. Here, we demonstrated how combining citizen science data with hierarchical modeling is a powerful tool for estimating ecological baselines and conducting large-scale evaluations of an existing conservation network for multiple grassland birds. Our flexible spatial randomization approach offers the potential to be applied to other protected area networks and serve as a complementary tool for conservation planning efforts globally.</p>
Spatial data for creating a thermal inertia index and incorporating it for conservation applications
<p>This repository contains supporting material for a journal article being submitted to one of the journals published by the American Geophysical Union, titled Earth's Future. The repository contains the following items:</p> <p>1. README file of what is in the repository including methods associated with the geodatabase</p> <p>2. File Geodatabase</p> <p><strong>1. README file</strong></p> <p>The files collected here relate to a study being submitted to the American Geophysical Union's journal, Earth's Future. The title of the paper being submitted is, "The contribution of Microrefugia to landscape thermal inertia for climate-adaptive conservation and adaptation strategies."</p> <p>The study was conducted across 40,250 km<sup>2</sup> of complex mountainous terrain in Northern California. The objective of the study was to consider whether it was possible to identify the relative strength of microrefugia systematically in order to provide conservation and climate-adaptation strategies with information that could help with prioritizing actions. We selected an operational scale of 10 ha (25 acres) as a scale that is suitable for various types of landscape planning exercises, and created a hexagon grid for the region. We calculated the mean value for multiple variables and appended them into the hexagons. For thermal inertia, we calculated the mean elevation per hexagon and then its coolest (highest) point using an environmental lapse rate. We also calculated solar energy loading, calculated the mean solar load per hexagon, and calculated its effect on air temperature. We combined these two temperature metrics to identify how much thermal buffering capacity each hexagon contains, as measured by how much warming it could experience before the mean temperature, as determined from a baseline time period, is no longer found anywhere within the hexagon. We tied the mean annual temperature from 1981–2010 to the mean elevation in each hexagon, as well as a temperature from an earlier period, and from several future periods, based on global circulation models.</p> <p>The study shows how long current (baseline) climate conditions found in each hexagon may persist and shows how the resulting map of landscape thermal inertia can be used when considering natural vegetation types for conservation, identifying which parts of high-priority wildlife corridors have the greatest capacity to retain their current climate conditions, and what the potential for retaining baseline climate conditions is for areas with late-seral forest conditions as represented by forest canopy height.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The methods section below describes the data used in the study to create the data in the geodatabase that is posted here. The Geodatabase itself provides all the data needed to replicate the various results presented in the paper. Further information can be found in Thorne et al. 2020. That report is more extensive than the results in our associated paper, but it contains more information on the calculation of various metrics associated with and was the foundation from which we developed this study. The report is provided here in order to keep all the relevant materials compiled for potential use by others. </p> <p><strong>2. File Geodatabase</strong></p> <p>The geodatabase is provided as a separate file.</p> <p>Name: ThermalInertiaIndex.gdb</p> <p>Contents:</p> <ul> <li>AllHexagons <ul> <li>A feature class containing all 408,948 hexagon grids used in this study</li> <li>Fields within the feature class:</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <div> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td> <p>Id</p> </td> <td> <p>A unique ID for each hexagon</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>Watershed</p> </td> <td> <p>Watershed the hexagon falls within</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>DomWHR</p> </td> <td> <p>Habitat type (WHR) that had the majority coverage within the hexagon</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>WHR_Name</p> </td> <td> <p>Descriptive name of the habitat type</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>WHR_GroupName</p> </td> <td> <p>Major vegetation type</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>CanopyHt_Score</p> </td> <td> <p>Canopy Height Score ranging from 1 (under 1m) to 5 (over 25m)</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>CanopyHt_m</p> </td> <td> <p>Average canopy height within the hexagon (m)</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>Conn_Score</p> </td> <td> <p>Connectivity Score ranging from 1 (low) to 5 (high)</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>dem10m</p> </td> <td> <p>Average elevation within the hexagon (m)</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>dem10m_min</p> </td> <td> <p>Minimum elevation within the hexagon (m)</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>dem10m_max</p> </td> <td> <p>Maximum elevation within the hexagon (m)</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>SRtemp_min</p> </td> <td> <p>The lowest Solar Radiation load within the hexagon (degree C)</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>ElevLR_NegEff2</p> </td> <td> <p>Effect of elevation on air temperature (degree C)</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>Thermal_Inertia</p> </td> <td> <p>Hexagon buffering capacity (degree C)</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>tave_5180</p> </td> <td> <p>Average temperature 1951-1980</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>tave_8110</p> </td> <td> <p>Average temperature 1981-2010</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>tave_1039mi8</p> </td> <td> <p>Average temperature 2010-2039 (MIROC-ESM RCP 8.5)</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>tave_4069mi8</p> </td> <td> <p>Average temperature 2040-2069 (MIROC-ESM RCP 8.5)</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>tave_7099mi8</p> </td> <td> <p>Average temperature 2070-2099 (MIROC-ESM RCP 8.5)</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>tave_1039cn8</p> </td> <td> <p>Average temperature 2010-2039 (CNRM-CM5 RCP 8.5)</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>tave_4069cn8</p> </td> <td> <p>Average temperature 2040-2069 (CNRM-CM5 RCP 8.5)</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>tave_7099cn8</p> </td> <td> <p>Average temperature 2070-2099 (CNRM-CM5 RCP 8.5)</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> <p> </p> <ul> <li>Connectivity_Scores <ul> <li>90m raster containing all 3 connectivity scores</li> <li>Fields within the raster:</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <div> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td> <p>TNC_Conn_Score</p> </td> <td> <p>Connectivity Score from reclassed TNC/Omniscape</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>CEHC_Score</p> </td> <td> <p>Connectivity Score from reclassed California Essential Habitat Connectivity</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>Combined_Score</p> </td> <td> <p>Overall Connectivity Score</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> <p> </p>
Dataset II related to the publication: In silico Evaluation of the Thr58-associated Conserved Water with KRAS Switch-II Pocket Binders
<p>Desmond trajectories of simulations conducted with TIP3P water model related to the publication:</p> <p>Leini R, Pantsar T: In Silico Evaluation of the Thr58-Associated Conserved Water with 2 KRAS Switch-II Pocket Binders. J. Chem. Inf. Model. [accepted] https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jcim.2c01479</p> <ul> <li>Individual .zip files contain the Desmond trajectories and -out.cms -files.</li> </ul> <p>Related datasets: 10.5281/zenodo.7656467 and 10.5281/zenodo.7342311</p>
Dataset III related to the publication: In silico Evaluation of the Thr58-associated Conserved Water with KRAS Switch-II Pocket Binders
<p>Desmond trajectories of simulations conducted with TIP4P water model related to the publication:</p> <p>Leini R, Pantsar T: In Silico Evaluation of the Thr58-Associated Conserved Water with 2 KRAS Switch-II Pocket Binders. J. Chem. Inf. Model. [accepted] https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jcim.2c01479</p> <ul> <li>Individual .zip files contain the Desmond trajectories and -out.cms -files.</li> </ul> <p>Related datasets: 10.5281/zenodo.7656467 and 10.5281/zenodo.7341954</p>
Male diversity matters: Genetic structuring of insular male date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) revealed valuable breeding and conservation resources
Most male date palms available for pollinating different female cultivars have mainly originated from seed propagation resulting in many different local males that represent a source of genetic diversity. Favorable fruit production is related to quality of pollen and its compatibility with a certain female variety. Therefore, the genetic characterization of the male pollen as a superior one for each female cultivar should be the first step to establish an intensive program to produce superior males through different procedures. In this study, the genetic diversity and population structure of 72 male date palm accessions were investigated using 15 microsatellite loci. A total number of 125 alleles was detected with an average of 8.33 alleles per locus. Bayesian model-based clustering analysis indicated the presence of two differentiated endemic male date palm genetic clusters, continental and insular, with the presence of introduced accessions originating from the Middle East. The diversity analysis in the insular region of Tunisia, which had never been performed before, revealed that this germplasm enclosed valuable endemic resources supporting the hypothesis of the presence of wild material. These findings are crucial for identifying interesting genotypes that can be integrated into international coordinated actions of Phoenix dactylifera L. breeding programs as well as for the protection and conservation of valuable resources.
Data: What is conservation paleobiology? Tracking 20 years of development
<p>Survey and literature review data supporting the manuscript:</p> <p>Dillon et a (in review) What is conservation paleobiology? Tracking 20 years of development, <em>Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution</em>.</p>
Landscape-scale dynamics of a threatened species respond to local-scale conservation management
<p><span>Landscape-scale approaches are increasingly advocated for species conservation but ensuring landscape level persistence by enlarging the size of patches or increasing their physical connectivity is often impractical. Here, we test how such barriers can be overcome by management of habitat at the local (site-based) level, using a rare butterfly as an exemplar. We used four surveys of the entire UK distribution of the Lulworth Skipper (<em>Thymelicus</em> <em>acteon</em>) over 40 years to test how local habitat influences population density and colonization / extinction dynamics, and parameterized, validated and applied a metapopulation model to simulate effects of varying local habitat quality on regional persistence. We found the total number of populations in four distribution snapshots between 1978 and 2017 varied between 59–84, and from 1997 to 2017, 34% of local populations showed turnover (colonization or extinction). Population density was closely linked to vegetation characteristics indicative of management, namely height and food plant frequency, both of which changed through time. Simulating effects of habitat quality on metapopulation dynamics 40 years into the future suggests coordinated changes to two key components of quality (vegetation height and food plant frequency) would increase patch occupancy above the range observed in the past 40 years (50–80%). In contrast, deterioration of either component below threshold levels leads to metapopulation retraction to core sub-networks of patches, or eventual extirpation. Our results indicate that changes to habitat quality can overcome constraints imposed by habitat patch area and spatial location on relative rates of colonization and local extinction, demonstrating the sensitivity of regional dynamics to targeted in situ management. Local habitat management therefore plays a key role in landscape-scale conservation. Monitoring of population density, and the monitoring and management of local (site-level) habitat quality, therefore represent effective and important components of conservation strategies in fragmented landscapes.</span></p>
The potential and shortcomings of mitochondrial DNA analysis for cheetah conservation management
<p>There are only about 7,100 adolescent and adult cheetahs (<em>Acinonyx</em> <em>jubatus</em>) remaining in the wild. With the majority occurring outside protected areas, their numbers are rapidly declining. Evidence-based conservation measures are essential for the survival of this species. Genetic data is routinely used to inform conservation strategies, e.g., by establishing conservation units (CU). A commonly used marker in conservation genetics is mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Here, we investigated the cheetah's phylogeography using a large-scale mtDNA data set to refine subspecies distributions and better assign individuals to CUs. Our dataset mostly consisted of historic samples to cover the cheetah's whole range as the species has been extinct in most of its former distribution. While our genetic data largely agree with geography-based subspecies assignments, several geographic regions show conflicting mtDNA signals. Our analyses support previous findings that evolutionary forces such as incomplete lineage sorting or mitochondrial capture likely confound the mitochondrial phylogeography of this species, especially in East and, to some extent, in Northeast Africa. We caution that subspecies assignments solely based on mtDNA should be treated carefully and argue for an additional standardized nuclear single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker set for subspecies identification and monitoring. However, the detection of the <em>A</em>. <em>j</em>. <em>soemmeringii</em> specific haplogroup by a newly designed Amplification-Refractory Mutation System (ARMS) can already provide support for conservation measures.</p>
Data for: Transboundary conservation hotspots in China and potential impacts of the Belt and Road Initiative
<p><span><strong>Aim</strong>: </span><span>Biodiversity hotspots often span international borders, thus conservation efforts must as well. </span><span>China is </span><span>one of</span><span> the most biodiverse </span><span>countries and the length of its international land borders is the longest in the world</span><span>; thus, there is a strong need for transboundary conservation. We identify China's transboundary conservation hotspots and analyze the potential effects of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on them to provide recommendations for conservation actions. </span></p> <p><span><strong>Location</strong>: </span><span>China, Asia</span></p> <p><span><strong>Methods</strong>: </span><span>We compiled a species list of terrestrial vertebrates that span China's borders. Using their distribution, we extracted the top 30% of the area </span><span>with the </span><span>highest richness value weighted by Red List category and considered these transboundary hotspots for conservation priority. Then we analyzed protected area (PA) coverage and connectivity to identify conservation gaps. </span><span>To measure the potential impact of the BRI, we</span><span> counted the species whose distribution range is traversed by the BRI and calculated the aggregation index, proportion of natural land, and night light index along its routes. </span></p> <p><span><strong>Results</strong>: </span><span>We identified 1,964 terrestrial vertebrate species living in the border region. We identified four transboundary hotspots and found insufficient PA coverage and low connectivity in three of them. The</span><span> BRI routes intersected all four hotspots and </span><span>traversed 82.4% (1,619/1,964</span><span>)</span> <span>of the transboundary species</span><span>, half of which (918) are sensitive</span><span> to the potential </span><span>risks brought by the </span><span>BRI</span><span>.</span><span> Night light index increased generally along the BRI. However, the proportion of </span><span>natural land and the aggregation index near the BRI showed different trends in hotspots</span><span>.</span></p> <p><span><strong>Main</strong> <strong>conclusions</strong>:</span> <span>There is an urgent need for conservation action in China's transboundary region. </span><span>The BRI should put biodiversity conservation at the core of its development strategy. Furthermore, we suggest using the planned BRI as a platform for dialogue and consultation, knowledge and data sharing, and joint planning to promote transboundary conservation.</span></p>
Highly conserved thermal performance strategies may limit adaptive potential in corals
<p>Increasing seawater temperatures are expected to have profound consequences for reef-building corals' physiology. Understanding how demography changes in response to chronic exposure to warming will help forecast how coral communities will respond to climate change. Here, we measure growth rates of coral fragments of four common species, while exposing them to temperatures ranging from 19 to 31˚C for one month to calibrate their thermal-performance curves (TPCs). Our results show that, while there are contrasting differences between species, the shape of the TPCs was remarkably consistent among individuals of the same species. The low variation in thermal sensitivity within species may imply a reduced capacity for rapid adaptive responses to future changes in thermal regimes. Additionally, interspecific differences in thermal responses show a negative relationship between maximum growth and thermal optima, contradicting expectations derived from the classic "warmer-is-better" hypothesis. Among species, there was a trade-off between current and future growth, whereby most species perform well under current thermal regimes but are susceptible to future increases in temperature. Increases in water temperature with climate change are likely to reduce growth rates, further hampering future coral reef recovery rates and potentially altering community composition.</p>
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These curated guides explain access requirements, typical timelines, costs, and reuse considerations for widely used research datasets.
Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.