Socioecology and Biodiversity Conservation

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Biodiversity Conservation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2023) | Viewed by 14599

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Guest Editor
CIBNOR-CONACYT, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, Planeación Ambiental y Conservación, Avenida Instituto Politécnico Nacional 195, Playa Palo Sta. Rita, La Paz 23090, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Interests: conservation ecology; natural protected areas; ecological restoration
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Due to worldwide co-evolutive reasons, hot spots of biodiversity are coincident with hot spots of cultural, and even linguistic, diversity. Therefore, the only guarantee to preserve global biodiversity must include the results of socio-ecological studies on local communities. These studies must take into account the social, economic and cultural needs and aspirations of the local communities in relation to biodiversity conservation policies. This Special Issue will be focused on describing the interactions among the local inhabitants and the environmental systems in biodiversity conservation all around the world. It aims to help understand how social groups contextualize ecological knowledge, how anthropic activities contribute to modifying the environmental matrix, how cultural and economic aspects influence the use, management and conservation of their ecological environment and how to understand social phenomena in light of ecological knowledge.

Three main contribution types are appropriate for this Special Issue: theoretical, methodological and case studies. Theoretical contributions must discuss the foundations, from the epistemological and historical bases of the conception of the socio-ecological relationship to the description of the evolution of the human–natural systems. Methodological contributions must analyze the tools required for the integration of "human" and "natural" dimensions in the management of the environmental matrix; describe the research with the approach of ecosystem services, long-term socio-ecological research and the local governance of common goods. Case Studies in this Special Issue must report on valuable experiences on the retro-interactions of local inhabitants with their environmental matrix, incorporating, in relation to biodiversity conservation, the social and economic aspects of the local inhabitants with the environmental management and sustainability. As a science in construction, this Special Issue on Socioecology will provide a theoretical basis, as well as methodological tools and key case studies, which will contribute to the advancement of the socio-ecological perspectives for biodiversity conservation.  I really hope this Special Issue will have a dramatic impact on the new generations of researchers and professionals contributing to biodiversity conservation all over the world.

Prof. Dr. Alfredo Ortega-Rubio
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • socio-ecological
  • ecosystem services
  • biodiversity conservation
  • local inhabitants
  • environmental systems

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

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5 pages, 215 KiB  
Editorial
Socioecology and Biodiversity Conservation
by Alfredo Ortega-Rubio, Elizabeth Olmos-Martínez and María Carmen Blázquez
Diversity 2021, 13(9), 442; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/d13090442 - 16 Sep 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2396
Abstract
The discipline of Socioecological Systems (SES) was conceptualized in 1998 with the intention of understanding the effects of human activities on natural ecosystems by analyzing resilience in local resource management systems [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Socioecology and Biodiversity Conservation)

Research

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14 pages, 1075 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Environmental Management and Conservation of Natural Resources in Tourism Enterprises in Ayacucho, Peru: Workers’ Perceptions
by Rosario Pariona-Luque, Alex Pacheco, Faustino Ccama, Rosario Reyes and Fabian Lema
Diversity 2023, 15(6), 764; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/d15060764 - 11 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1713
Abstract
Nowadays, it is important to promote environmental management in organisations so that natural resources are subject to a conservation process that allows them to be maintained over time. In addition, this is a good way to increase the environmental awareness of the different [...] Read more.
Nowadays, it is important to promote environmental management in organisations so that natural resources are subject to a conservation process that allows them to be maintained over time. In addition, this is a good way to increase the environmental awareness of the different actors in society. Therefore, the objective of this study is to evaluate the perceptions of workers concerning the relationship between environmental management and the conservation of natural resources in tourism companies in Ayacucho, located in the Andean region of Peru. The research is of a basic type, with a quantitative approach and a non-experimental, correlational-exploratory design. The survey technique was used and the data-collection instrument was a questionnaire addressed to 600 workers on environmental management, with the dimensions of planning, implementation and operation and verification; and on conservation of natural resources, with the dimensions of biodiversity monitoring and consolidation of the protected area. The results show that 39% of workers disagree with the planning of their company, 47% neither agree nor disagree with the operations of their company and the implementation of its projects and 47% disagree with their company’s methods of assessing the success of its operations. These results show that an environmental management model should be proposed to improve the conservation of natural resources and to contribute to the revaluation of resources and the promotion of biodiversity protection in order to create environmental awareness in society. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Socioecology and Biodiversity Conservation)
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14 pages, 3771 KiB  
Article
Shifts in Community Vegetative Organs and Their Dissimilar Trade-Off Patterns in a Tropical Coastal Secondary Forest, Hainan Island, Southern China
by Muhammad Yaseen, Wenxing Long, Farhan Khalid, Saraj Bahadur and Hamza Armghan Noushahi
Diversity 2022, 14(10), 823; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/d14100823 - 30 Sep 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1600
Abstract
The ecology of functional features highlights the importance of the leaf economic spectrum (LES) in understanding plant trade-offs between conservative and commercial resource use. However, it is still unclear whether changes in the plant attributes of various vegetative organs can be altered and [...] Read more.
The ecology of functional features highlights the importance of the leaf economic spectrum (LES) in understanding plant trade-offs between conservative and commercial resource use. However, it is still unclear whether changes in the plant attributes of various vegetative organs can be altered and whether the plant economic spectrum (PES) is categorized by multiple vegetative organs. We investigated a total of 12 functional features of 174 woody tree species, with leaf and stem attributes, on Hainan Island. We used principal component analysis (PCA) to analyze the changes in attributes and connections to understand how the plant trade-offs differ. We detected that stem organic matter (SOM) and stem organic carbon (SOC) contributed most to the first principal component, followed by leaf organic matter (LOM) and leaf organic carbon (LOC). Using Spearman correlation analysis, we determined that leaf total nitrogen (LTN) and specific leaf area (SLA), LTN and leaf total phosphorus (LTP), and finally stem total nitrogen (STN) and stem total phosphorus (STP) were positively significantly correlated. These significant variations in the traits of nutrients are regulated, while the morphological traits of aboveground vegetative organs are diverse. The coexistence of species and community assembly can increase our knowledge on the tropical coastal secondary forests. Furthermore, our outcomes can help us to better understand the restoration of habitats and green infrastructure design, suggesting that selecting different species across multiple trait axes can help ensure functionality at the maximum level. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Socioecology and Biodiversity Conservation)
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17 pages, 10130 KiB  
Article
Impacts of Climate Change in the El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve (REBIVI): Challenges for Coastal Communities and the Conservation of Biodiversity
by Antonina Ivanova Boncheva and Pablo Hernández-Morales
Diversity 2022, 14(10), 786; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/d14100786 - 21 Sep 2022
Viewed by 1688
Abstract
The impacts of climate change put pressure onto environmental and natural resources, which in turn increases the vulnerability of ecosystems and human communities. This makes social participation essential for biodiversity conservation. This article addresses the community perceptions of the adaptations made to climate [...] Read more.
The impacts of climate change put pressure onto environmental and natural resources, which in turn increases the vulnerability of ecosystems and human communities. This makes social participation essential for biodiversity conservation. This article addresses the community perceptions of the adaptations made to climate change in the El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve (REBIVI), in Baja California Sur (Mexico), one of the largest natural protected areas in Latin America. Workshops with local communities defined the Socio-ecological Assets for Conservation (SEACs) and prioritized the adaptation strategies and actions by multicriteria analysis. The conclusions point out that a combination of ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) and communities-based adaptation (CbA) is the most appropriate pathway to affront the adverse impacts of climate change. Thus, a socioecological approach for land and biodiversity use planning has to be implemented if both human welfare and conservation are to be effectively promoted. The process is necessary and very important, as is the participation of the local residents in the implementation and monitoring of the adaptation actions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Socioecology and Biodiversity Conservation)
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13 pages, 27744 KiB  
Article
Bajacanthon, a New Subgenus for the Mexican Deltochilini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) Fauna
by Gonzalo Halffter, Alejandro Espinosa de los Monteros, Janet Nolasco-Soto, Alfonsina Arriaga-Jiménez and Sara Rivera-Gasperín
Diversity 2022, 14(2), 109; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/d14020109 - 03 Feb 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1647
Abstract
In this study, data are presented for the designation of the new subgenus (Bajacanthon) for Canthon obliquus Horn, 1894 (Deltochilini). The new subgenus Bajacanthon is described based on a multiple evidence approach using morphological and molecular characters. This new subgenus has [...] Read more.
In this study, data are presented for the designation of the new subgenus (Bajacanthon) for Canthon obliquus Horn, 1894 (Deltochilini). The new subgenus Bajacanthon is described based on a multiple evidence approach using morphological and molecular characters. This new subgenus has some unique characters, and is the remnant of an old South American migratory movement into the Mexican Transition Zone. This beetle species has survived in isolation in the south half of the peninsula of Baja California (Mexico). Results based on molecular clock inference showed that the split between the lineages leading to the subgenus Bajacanthon and Boreocanthon took place nearly 16 Mya, whereas the radiation within Bajacanthon was dated to 3.7 Mya. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Socioecology and Biodiversity Conservation)
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14 pages, 2680 KiB  
Article
Involvement of a Fishing Community in the Eradication of the Introduced Cactus Mouse (Peromyscus eremicus cedrosensis) from San Benito Oeste Island, Mexico
by Federico Méndez Sánchez, Alfonso Aguirre-Muñoz, Araceli Samaniego, Yuliana Bedolla Guzmán, Ana Cárdenas Tapia, Evaristo Rojas Mayoral, Mariam Latofski Robles, Patricia Koleff, Aradit Castellanos Vera, Gustavo Arnaud Franco, Luis Felipe Beltrán Morales and Alfredo Ortega-Rubio
Diversity 2021, 13(11), 588; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/d13110588 - 18 Nov 2021
Viewed by 2685
Abstract
San Benito Archipelago is internationally important for the conservation of 13 species of seabirds. San Benito Oeste, the largest and only inhabited island, was declared mammal-free in 2000 after a series of eradications conducted in collaboration between the fishing cooperative Pescadores Nacionales de [...] Read more.
San Benito Archipelago is internationally important for the conservation of 13 species of seabirds. San Benito Oeste, the largest and only inhabited island, was declared mammal-free in 2000 after a series of eradications conducted in collaboration between the fishing cooperative Pescadores Nacionales de Abulón, the Mexican conservation organization, Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas, A.C., and the Mexican Government. The archipelago remained mammal-free until 2006, when an unusual invader, the Cedros island cactus mouse (Peromyscus eremicus cedrosensis), was accidentally introduced to San Benito Oeste island. The same collaboration scheme involving locals, conservationists, and authorities was once again put in motion, delivering tangible results. Research informed the mouse eradication strategy, the local community supported the operation, and the mouse eradication was successfully implemented in December 2013. To date (8 years later), no mammals have been recorded in the archipelago, which suggests community-led island biosecurity is working. In addition, this collaborative restoration work contributed to the creation of the Baja California Pacific Islands Biosphere Reserve, protecting 21 islands, including the San Benito Archipelago, and 97 islets in the Mexican Pacific. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Socioecology and Biodiversity Conservation)
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Other

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7 pages, 940 KiB  
Brief Report
Problems in Threatened Species Conservation: Differences in National Red Lists Assessments with Global Standards
by Andrei Brodsky, Evgeny Abakumov and Iuliia Kirillova
Diversity 2023, 15(3), 337; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/d15030337 - 27 Feb 2023
Viewed by 1264
Abstract
The solution of transnational environmental problems in the field of the protection of threatened species and conservation biology directly depends on the level of international communication, which can significantly decrease due to differences in Red Lists and Red Data Books of different levels. [...] Read more.
The solution of transnational environmental problems in the field of the protection of threatened species and conservation biology directly depends on the level of international communication, which can significantly decrease due to differences in Red Lists and Red Data Books of different levels. In order to identify the similarities and differences in approaches to the assessment of national Red Lists and Books of the Baltic Sea region countries (Russia, Denmark, Germany, Lithuania, Finland, Poland and Sweden) with the IUCN Red List, a comparative analysis was carried out. It was determined that the level of discrepancy between Red Data Lists and Books varies considerably, with differences in the scales of species categories, species lists and categories. Most of the threatened species at the national level are not listed under the IUCN Red List, while species in a more stringent category at the national level prevail (37% and 3% on average, respectively). However, national Red Lists and Red Data Books do not take into account the global trend of the risk of extinction of species. The percentage of species with insufficient information to define a category at the national or global level ranges from 6% to 28%. These discrepancies make it difficult to exchange data on threatened species and create a unified database with information on protected species at different levels and, therefore, reduce the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation activities at regional and international levels. The results also demonstrate that countries have an international responsibility to conserve a species, and the cases identified can provide useful additional information to guide a national conservation strategy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Socioecology and Biodiversity Conservation)
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