Central Asia possesses some of the least known but most spectacular and intact wild landscapes of any region globally, hosting diverse communities of species adapted to temperate and arid grassland ecosystems. Growing recognition of these values and the threats to them posed by rapid economic development are likely to generate increased support and investment for conservation action. We undertook two studies during 2022–2025 to better understand regional conservation priorities and conservation capacity, during which we conducted 117 meetings and online calls with representatives of government, international development, donor and civil society organizations engaged with conservation in the region. Eighty-three per cent of the 55 participants questioned about conservation priorities considered low levels of technical, managerial and leadership capacity to be a significant constraint on the effectiveness of conservation action. We highlight various options for addressing these gaps in skills and knowledge and urge governments and international institutions supporting conservation in Central Asia to make capacity building a priority for their intervention and investment in the region.

Herbivores and woody plants are dryland ecosystem engineers due to their effects on multiple ecosystem attributes. The abundance and diversity of such engineers may alter ecosystem functions directly, and indirectly, through interactions among themselves and with ecosystem productivity. We report on a study in 451 sites in eastern Australia, finding that herbivores influenced a larger number of ecosystem attributes than woody species and therefore played a larger role as dryland engineers. The abundance or diversity of herbivores generally reduced native species richness, plant cover, water infiltration and soil stability and enhanced the dominance of exotic plants. Woody plants, however, showed fewer effects and with more variable signs (positive for biocrusts but negative for soil nutrients). Most negative effects found for herbivores were linked to livestock, only partly linked to changes in heterogeneity, and were substantially dampened with increases in ecosystem productivity. Ecosystem productivity was a major regulator of dryland engineering effects, reducing both positive and negative effects of both herbivores and woody plants. We contribute a better understanding of the relative importance and context dependency of two major dryland ecosystem engineers, showing that prioritizing livestock management over woody removal and locating rangelands in more productive areas may improve dryland sustainability.

Amphibian helminth diversity remains poorly documented in semiarid environments, despite its relevance for understanding host–parasite interactions and biogeographical patterns. We investigated the helminth community of the hylid frog Scinax x-signatus from a Caatinga remnant in Petrolina (Pernambuco, Brazil) and reviewed the current state of knowledge on helminth infecting South American Scinax species. Twenty-five S. x-signatus (11 adult females, 9 adult males and 5 juveniles) were examined; of these, 13 specimens (52%) harboured at least 1 helminth taxon, with infracommunity richness ranging from 1 to 7 taxa. We identified four nematodes (Oswaldocruzia sp., Oxyascaris caudacutus, Oxysomatium sp., Rhabdias sp.), two digeneans (adults of Catadiscus sp. and metacercariae of Neodiplostomum sp., and cystacanths of an acanthocephalan (Centrorhynchus sp.). Oxyascaris caudacutus was the most prevalent taxon (20%) and exhibited the highest mean intensity (4.0 ± 2.77). Four taxa (Oswaldocruzia sp., O. caudacutus, Oxysomatium sp. and Catadiscus sp.) represent new host records for S. x-signatus. Our literature review identified 45 publications from 1940 to 2026 and showed that helminth have been recorded for only 13 South American Scinax species, comprising 78 taxa in total (46 Nematoda, 20 Trematoda, 8 Acanthocephala and 4 Cestoda). Records are strongly geographically biased, being restricted to five countries (Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Paraguay, and Ecuador), and most taxa remain identified only to genus or higher taxonomic levels. Our results expand knowledge of Caatinga amphibian parasites and reinforce the need for integrative surveys to better estimate helminth diversity across the South American continent.

We surveyed trematode parasites infecting 227 gulls from southern New Zealand, comprising 113 red-billed gulls (Chroicocephalus scopulinus) and 114 black-backed gulls (Larus dominicanus), using morphological and molecular approaches. Fifteen trematode species were recovered, including six species new to science: Mesorchis carsonae n. sp., Acanthoparyphium argillamartelliarum n. sp., Himasthla davisi n. sp., Gymnophalloides hutsonae n. sp., Levinseniella trisepsilon n. sp., and Microphallus lagruei n. sp. Nine species occurred in both gull hosts; the remaining six were recorded from only black-backed gulls. New genetic data were generated for 12 species, including all new species, enabling confirmation of species identities and links to larval stages in intermediate hosts, thereby resolving or advancing knowledge of several life cycles. Several parasites represent new host or geographic records, including the first named species of Diplostomum, Gigantobilharzia, Levinseniella, Gymnophalloides, Microphallus and Mesorchis reported from New Zealand. Parasite burdens were generally low, but species richness was high, underscoring gulls as important definitive hosts supporting substantial hidden biodiversity. This study provides the first comprehensive baseline survey of trematode communities in New Zealand gulls and highlights that parasite diversity remains underestimated even in comparatively well-studied hosts. These findings reinforce the importance of incorporating parasites into biodiversity inventories and conservation frameworks.

Traveller’s palm (Ravenala spp.; Strelitziaceae) is an arborescent herb endemic to Madagascar, known as ravinala and widely utilised by local communities. Although ravinala often dominates formerly forested land in north-eastern Madagascar, little is known about its density, structural properties or importance for wildlife. Using satellite imagery (WorldView-2) combined with terrestrial inventories, we found a median of 4 ravinala ha−1 across the 2,500 ha study area and 116 ravinala ha−1 in ravinala-dominated land (interquartile range = 7 and 88, respectively). We recorded six amphibian and 11 reptile species, with reptiles accounting for most encounters (573 vs 74). Mammals were detected in ravinala only 24 times over 4,195 camera-days. Dwarf lemurs visited ravinala ∼15 times less frequently than co-occurring trees. Four bird species were recorded in ravinala, whereas six species visited neighbouring trees 10 times more frequently. Overall, ravinala was highly abundant in formerly forested land but, except for reptiles, supported comparatively low vertebrate visitation, suggesting limited value as a habitat plant for vertebrate biodiversity. Wildlife diversity in ravinala-dominated land may thus benefit from enrichment with trees.

Wild bees in agricultural landscapes face multiple stressors, including habitat loss and pesticide exposure. As demand for sustainably produced agricultural products increases, it is essential to understand how sustainable practices influence wild bee communities. Bee responses to such practices were assessed across 26 vineyards in Canada over 2 years. Wild bees were sampled alongside vegetation and floral resources to evaluate the effects of cover cropping, mowing frequency, alternate row management, organic farming, and certified sustainable management on bee abundance, diversity, and community composition. Vegetation height between vine rows was the strongest positive predictor of both bee abundance and diversity, while vegetation cover and floral abundance also had positive associations. A higher proportion of flowers from cover crop species was negatively associated with bee abundance, specifically for pan-trap collected bees. Alternate row and organic management had limited effects on bee abundance and diversity, while certified sustainable management showed a slight negative impact on bee diversity, as well as reduced floral richness and vegetation height. Community composition analyses revealed that both the bee communities and flower communities differed between vineyard management types, though the use of cover cropping and alternate row management did not differ between organic, certified sustainable, and conventional sites. These findings suggest that reduced mowing frequency may be an effective strategy for supporting wild bees, while other sustainable practices, such as cover cropping, organic farming, and certified sustainable management, may require enhanced research approaches to detect effects or further refinements to improve their conservation outcomes.

Historical-ecological approaches are increasingly being used to supplement biodiversity research. These approaches include gathering data from previously underutilized sources such as travellers’ accounts of species observations. Around 70 years ago, Sir David Attenborough began the Zoo Quest expeditions, in which he travelled to various tropical and subtropical locations to seek animals, plants and human cultures that in many cases had rarely, if ever, been captured on film before. I reviewed the books associated with these expeditions for observations of animal species, and gathered data from the IUCN Red List on the species’ geographical ranges and their status. I found that Attenborough documented 375 taxa, which included 21 classes, 82 orders, 152 families, 170 genera and 158 distinct species (eight species were recorded more than once across multiple expeditions, so in total 167 taxa were actually identified to species). Almost all species appeared to have been observed within their current geographical ranges, but there were discrepancies with the observed locations of five species. These results further demonstrate the potential value of travellers’ accounts for informing biodiversity baselines and trends, although as with any historical sources there are potential limitations to the data quality. This study nonetheless shows that Attenborough’s works provide novel sources of historical biodiversity data.

Technology has created opportunities to explore non-traditional data sources for investigating patterns in community composition and biodiversity over time. Television shows set in natural environments implicitly contain ecological information. Through an investigative lens, we explored the potential utility of this data source for describing community composition and diversity trends given uncertainties in footage collection. We reviewed 14 seasons of the TV series Survivor (2016–2023) to quantify animal frequency and total appearances, describing the animals observed and calculating common diversity metrics. A total of 40 301 individuals representing 182 taxa were identified, with species accumulation analysis estimating up to 198 identifiable taxa detectable from Survivor footage. The number of animals observed was inherently biased towards more charismatic fauna, while the proportion of screen time was predominately given over to invertebrates. Temporal analyses suggested slight declines in biodiversity and species richness. However, we note several limitations that constrain the use of these data, particularly the unknown amount of sampling effort, as well as the absence of temporal and spatial information necessary for more robust analyses. Although we are currently sceptical of its application in ecological and conservation research, this data source may have greater value if paired with additional contextual information and metadata.

Rangelands are among the most extensive land use systems globally, supporting the livelihoods of billions of people, sustaining pastoral economies, conserving biodiversity and providing critical ecosystem services. Despite their importance, they remain among the least consistently monitored ecosystems. This lack of standardized, high-quality data constrains the ability to assess degradation, evaluate restoration efforts and report progress toward national and global targets. We conducted a review of existing rangeland monitoring frameworks, standards, and remote sensing platforms to understand the methodologies used and indicators measured. Results highlight significant fragmentation and inconsistency in current approaches, underscoring the urgent need for standardized monitoring systems that can capture the complexity and variability of rangeland ecosystems. The Land Degradation Surveillance Framework (LDSF) was developed in response to the need for systematic assessments of soil health, land degradation and vegetation diversity within and across landscapes, including in rangelands. In this article, we present the LDSF as a well-established, scalable approach for monitoring soil and land health, underpinning a globally harmonized rangeland monitoring system. Over the last two decades, the LDSF has been implemented in over 40 countries in the tropics and subtropics and has become an important database of georeferenced indicators of ecosystem health. In this article, we: (i) report findings from a systematic review of existing rangeland monitoring frameworks, standards, and remote sensing platforms; (ii) synthesize the LDSF’s geospatially stratified, hierarchical sampling design and core indicator framework; and (iii) demonstrate how LDSF field data and Earth Observation are combined to generate spatially explicit, statistically robust maps of soil and land health, including in African rangelands.

The new lichenicolous fungus Polycoccum boquerasiae growing on the thallus of corticolous Lecania cyrtella is described and compared with similar species. In addition to the host selection, the species is characterized by comparatively small ascomata, 35–80 μm diam., and narrow ascospores measuring 8–12.5 × 2.5–4.5 μm. A key to all known Polycoccum species is provided.

Urban coastal regions in the Great Lakes Basin are increasingly vulnerable to destructive flooding driven by climate impacts, outdated gray infrastructure systems, and a legacy of urban hydrological alteration and habitat fragmentation. While Nature-based Solutions (NbS) offer a path to adaptation, their implementation is often hindered by governance fragmentation, uneven regional resources, and a lack of integrated planning and design tools. This article discusses a transdisciplinary research through design framework that translates complex hydrological, ecological, and socio-spatial datasets into a suite of multimodal tools that serve as boundary objects for regional NbS planning in Southeast Michigan. The study’s core contribution is a transferable and translational methodology that bridges the gap between technical and institutional protocols, the practices of organizations stewarding existing green stormwater infrastructure projects, and the disparate experiences of flooding across urbanized watersheds. Findings show that the act of designing these tools as translational devices – such as interactive and thematic cartographies, actor-network diagrams, and sets of NbS and multispecies habitat cards – evidences a mode of inquiry that allows diverse actors to move from reactive control paradigms toward a relational framework for addressing regional interdependencies.