1. Crop raiding by great apes is an emerging conservation issue across their range. It is important because it involves highly threatened species that can cause significant economic damage and be killed in retribution. Yet, to date, no quantitative study has sought to test possible solutions for preventing this form of human–wildlife conflict.

2. From February 2007 to August 2009, we monitored crop-raiding patterns across a Sumatran agroforest landscape to determine background levels of human–orangutan conflict. We also intensively monitored a subset of 50 farms to assess changes in farmer attitudes towards orangutan management; differences between farmer reported and independently enumerated monetary loss from crop raiding; and the effectiveness of mitigation techniques in reducing orangutan crop raiding on 35 treatment farms (25 trialling noise deterrents and 10 trialling tree nets) in comparison with 15 control farms over a pre-trial (12 month) and a trial (18 month) phase. Five months after the trials had ended, the ongoing use or uptake of the techniques were assessed.

3. Across the wider landscape, background levels of mean daily orangutan crop-raiding incidents per month (±SE) farms did not significantly differ between the pre-trial (9·1 ± 3·7) and trial (7·1 ± 4·3) phases, whilst on the 35 treatment farms it reduced significantly. Furthermore, crop yield increased (+60·8%) on the netted trial trees, but reduced (−27·4%) on the control farm trees. Despite this, there was no subsequent use of this technique, unlike those farmers (40%) who continued using the less-effective noise deterrents.

4. Farmer participation in the project yielded unexpected and positive attitude changes, from preferring orangutan removal (pre-trial) to in situ management with crop protection measures (post-trial). However, project participation may have increased farmer expectations of receiving compensation because the treatment farmers consistently overestimated their crop losses, unlike the control farmers who did not.

5. Synthesis and applications. Whilst human–orangutan conflicts caused substantial losses to local livelihoods, the identification of an effective mitigation method (nets) neither guaranteed its continued use nor uptake. Developing easy to install nets for valuable tree crops is therefore recommended. Nevertheless, the project intervention efforts did create benign farmer attitudes towards orangutan management, an essential prerequisite for managing large-bodied mammals in conflict with people.

1. Eradication is often the preferred strategy in the management of new weed invasions, but recent research has shown that the circumstances under which eradication can be achieved are highly constrained. Containment is a component of an eradication strategy and also a management objective in its own right. Just as for eradication, containment of a weed invasion should be attempted only if it is considered feasible. However, very little guidance exists for the assessment of containment feasibility for weeds.

2. Numerous factors have been proposed as influencing feasibility of containment, but those that relate to the potential for management of dispersal pathways and timely detection of new foci of infestation appear to be critical. Theory suggests that the rate of spread is largely driven by long-distance dispersal (LDD). However, LDD is generally unpredictable and often occurs for species that do not appear to be adapted for it. Furthermore, many (if not most) LDD events fail to give rise to new infestations.

3. As the probability of colonisation is related to the numbers of propagules immigrating (‘propagule pressure’) at a point in the landscape, dispersal pathways that move relatively large numbers of propagules simultaneously and/or repeatedly should most enhance weed spread. It is these pathways whose potential for management has the greatest bearing upon containment feasibility. A key impediment to containment is undetected spread; this need not occur through LDD and is more likely to occur through dispersal to lesser distances.

4. Synthesis and applications. Feasibility of containment should be viewed in terms of the effort required to reduce weed spread rate, as well as the effectiveness of relevant management actions. Where dispersal vectors are not readily manageable and the probability of detection via structured and/or unstructured surveillance is low, a much greater reliance upon fecundity control will be needed to contain a weed. A combination of empirical and theoretical approaches should be used to develop and refine estimates of containment feasibility. Such estimates will aid decision-making with regard to whether to attempt to reduce weed spread and assist in prioritisation of different weeds for containment.

1. Simple, conservation-relevant, plant community measures are sought by resource managers. In this context, the use of Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA) has increased exponentially over the past 30 years. FQA measures a habitat’s Floristic Quality and conservation value by summarizing the relative anthropogenic disturbance tolerances of its plant species (i.e. their Conservatism). However, despite their widespread use in research, restoration and conservation work, the behaviour of FQA values in communities during succession is not understood.

2. We analysed FQA values in 10 old fields over 50 years of unaltered succession. We determined whether Floristic Quality followed a predictable increasing successional trend, assessing four specific predictions: (i) FQA values will follow an asymptotically increasing, rather than peaked or linearly increasing trajectory; (ii) field initiation treatments (abandoned as hayfield or cropfield) will not lead to long-term differences in FQA values; (iii) trajectories will be consistent regardless of the particular species composition of fields and (iv) trajectories will be robust to common variations in FQA metric formulations (non-native species, varied spatial scale).

3. In all cases, a negative exponential rise to an asymptote best described FQA value trajectories over time. Field abandonment treatments did not affect FQA value trajectories. Furthermore, trends were consistent among fields despite differences in species composition among fields. Overall, the results suggest a predictable, deterministic path for FQA values over the early- to mid-successional timeframes studied.

4. Synthesis and applications. Understanding the temporal behaviour(s) of Floristic Quality is necessary for setting realistic restoration goals, evaluating habitat recovery and adapting management to achieve high conservation value natural areas. By illustrating the temporal consistency of Floristic Quality metrics during succession, this article demonstrates the robustness of FQA for such uses. The FQA value trajectory described here also establishes a background trend model for expected values in recovering habitats, which will allow for the assessment of an individual habitat’s progression relative to the background trend. Such comparisons en masse will highlight the constraints of greatest importance to community-level Floristic Quality restoration. For example, FQA values in this study were ultimately limited by Conservative understorey plant re-establishment from adjacent old-growth forest. As this is not unlike species recovery patterns observed in other habitats, it suggests that restoration practitioners would do well to focus on Conservative species.

1. There is a pressing need to understand how to facilitate species’ range shifts under climate change. However, few empirical studies are available to inform decision-making, particularly at fine spatial and temporal resolutions.

2. We present a case study of a thermally constrained habitat specialist, the silver-spotted skipper butterfly Hesperia comma, at its expanding range margin in south-eastern Britain. Using data from 724 habitat patches over a 9-year interval (2000–2009), we examined local and landscape determinants of colonization, survival and population density. We then predicted probabilities of colonization and survival for habitat patches under the observed 1982 and 2009 distributions to investigate how the factors limiting range expansions change through space and time.

3. Between 2000 and 2009, Hesperia comma continued to expand its range in Britain, but the 67 recorded colonization events were offset by 48 local extinctions. Extinctions were strongly linked to climate, occurring predominantly in cooler regions and on shaded north-facing slopes.

4. Population density and probability of survival were closely related to conditions within a site, whereas probability of colonization was largely determined by functional connectivity. Survival probability was also influenced by connectivity, suggesting that immigration helped to support extinction-prone populations (a ‘rescue effect’).

5. Patch occupancy beyond the range margin was primarily constrained by colonization, but close to the expanding front, population survival became the key limiting factor. This pattern was conserved during range expansion, altering management priorities at individual sites.

6. Synthesis and applications. Previous studies on facilitating range shifts have stressed the need to increase landscape-scale connectivity to remove constraints on colonization, and our data substantiate this advice. However, we show that enhancing population survival can also help to facilitate range expansions, because populations at leading range edges face high extinction risk. Population survival can be improved directly through local management actions, such as enlarging patch size and increasing habitat quality, or indirectly by improving connectivity. Thus, local management can secure vulnerable populations at the range edge and provide larger and more stable migrant sources for future expansion and deserves consideration when facilitating range shifts under climate change.

1. Understanding the nature and characteristics of contact heterogeneities is crucial for predicting the epidemic behaviour of infectious diseases. Nonetheless, few studies include contact heterogeneities when modelling disease outbreaks in wildlife, which differ in their population impact from human diseases.

2. We use empirical estimates of contact heterogeneities and network metrics to simulate outbreaks of devil facial tumour disease (DFTD), an extinction-threatening infectious cancer. We incorporate tuneable algorithms, with a range of transmission rates and latent periods of DFTD, to grow devil population networks capable of reproducing observed aspects of devil ecology, demographic and seasonal-based mixing preferences. The outputs of the network model are compared with a stochastic mean-field model, in which every individual is equally likely to pass or acquire infection through time.

3. Our network model predicts a lower epidemic threshold for DFTD compared with the stochastic mean-field model. While host extinction probabilities are similar in both models, the network model predicts faster devil extinction and higher DFTD extinction probabilities, particularly for intermediate levels of transmissibility.

4. While the time taken to devil extinction increases with the longer estimate of latent period, probabilities of both, disease and devil extinction, are greater with the shorter latent period. Host–pathogen coexistence is strictly subject to the longest plausible estimate of latent period and low transmissibility.

5.Synthesis and applications. In the particular case of DFTD, incorporating observed host network structure has only a modest effect on the outcome of the host pathogen interaction. In general, however, non-random network structure may have major implications for the management of wildlife diseases. Our results suggest that this is particularly likely for pathogens in which the probability of transmission given a contact is intermediate. Our approach provides a template for using empirically obtained data on contact networks to develop models to explore the extent to which network structure influences R₀, the probability of extinction and the mean time until extinction.

1. The suitability of human-modified habitats for native species and the response of species to habitat edges are two important ecological processes that affect species and communities in fragmented landscapes. However, field studies generally analyse these two processes separately. We extended a recently proposed continuous approach to link these two processes, using empirical data from birds of the Atlantic forest in Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil.

2. We tested different models for describing the responses of birds (both forest and open-habitat species) to the interior–exterior gradient within different edge types (ecotones). We used two types of data: the first originated from a large data set collected at regional scale using the point-count method and the second originated from a detailed local telemetry study of three bird species.

3. For both data sets, these models successfully described the responses to edges of the majority of species and assemblages and significantly influenced the calculated habitat suitability in both native and anthropogenic habitats. Edge effects were seen in the majority of species; however, the magnitude of these effects was influenced by the ecotone type. At the assemblage level, more species avoided edges in the ecotone with tree plantations compared with open habitats.

4. The effect of edges on the calculated habitat suitability was either positive or negative, depending on the function that best described the response of the species to edges and whether they avoided edges or penetrated into the less-preferred habitat. In general, forest species penetrated deeper into tree plantations but moved only short distances into open habitats.

5. Synthesis and applications. Our results demonstrate the impact of edge effects on bird species and communities in fragmented landscapes. Furthermore, the differential penetration capacity of the native forest birds into anthropogenic habitats shows the importance of using a continuous approach to calculate habitat suitability; classic calculation (without considering the distance to the preferred habitat) is likely to bias the calculated suitability and permeability of the hostile matrix and affect our estimations of connectivity.

1. Early detection of biological invasions can reduce the costs of control and increase its efficacy. Although much research focuses on the appearance or establishment of new invaders, few studies target the detection of spread from established populations. Managers of natural areas have limited resources; therefore, there is need for efficient methods of quantifying the spread of likely invaders in local and regional areas.

2. We employed homeowner surveys, seedling outplanting, directed seedling searches and randomly located plots to determine whether two introduced species of Oleaceae, Ligustrum lucidum and Olea europaea, demonstrate invasive levels of recruitment in California’s Sacramento Valley. These methods are examples of low-cost approaches to examining the regional spread of non-native woody species with differing habitat requirements.

3. Homeowner surveys indicated abundant recruitment of L. lucidum in irrigated areas, with no evident decline by distance from horticultural source trees. Ligustrum lucidum seedlings established readily when planted immediately adjacent to streams, but were unable to survive summer drought when located further from the water.

4. Recruitment of O. europaea at distances >100 m from source trees was uncommon. Spread of O. europaea is rare relative to the number of reproductive individuals that have been planted in the study area; where it occurs, seedling recruitment appears largely a function of propagule pressure.

5.Synthesis and applications. Low-cost and rapid methods are essential for successful long-term monitoring of spread from populations of introduced, woody plant species. We employed high-efficiency methods of spread detection for two species of Oleaceae with invasive potential and existing populations in the study region. We detected no barriers to spread by L. lucidum in areas with elevated soil moisture and consider the species a likely riparian invader. By comparison, O. europaea shows little tendency to spread. We suggest that managers combine low-input methods and direct surveys towards habitats of conservation concern and routes of likely seed dispersal.

1. Taxonomic sufficiency concerns the use of higher-taxon diversity as a surrogate for species diversity. It represents a fast and cost-effective method to assess community responses to natural and anthropogenic environmental drivers. In spite of the potential applications of using higher taxa as surrogates for species, little research has been carried out to determine the underlying reasons that might make taxonomic surrogacy effective for detecting diversity changes.

2. Here, we determine whether the effectiveness of higher taxa as species surrogates relies mostly on taxonomic relatedness of species (i.e. the relative closeness of species in the Linnaean taxonomic hierarchy) or depends simply on the numerical ratio between species and higher taxa (i.e. the degree of species aggregation). We reviewed the current literature on taxonomic sufficiency to check for any correlation between the effectiveness of higher taxa and the degree of species aggregation across different types of organisms. Tests based on random simulations from diverse marine mollusc assemblages were also carried out to ascertain whether the ability of higher taxa to detect variation in the multivariate structure of assemblages depended on the degree of species aggregation.

3. Mollusc data showed that information loss and the ensuing decrease in statistical power to detect natural or human-driven changes in assemblages at higher taxonomic levels depend on the degree of species aggregation, rather than on the taxonomic resolution employed. Analyses of the literature suggested that such outcomes could be generalizable to a wide range of organisms and environmental settings.

4. Our findings do not support the idea of a direct relationship between taxonomic relatedness and ecological similarity among species. This indicates that taxonomic ranks higher than species may not provide ecologically meaningful information, because higher taxa can behave as random groups of species unlikely to convey consistent responses to natural or human-driven environmental changes.

5. Synthesis and applications. Surrogates of species-level information can be based on the ‘highest practicable aggregation’ of species, irrespective of their taxonomic relatedness. Our findings cast doubt on static taxonomical groupings, legitimizing the use of alternative ways to aggregate species to maximize the use of species surrogacy.

1. Most biodiversity is still unknown, and therefore, priority areas for conservation typically are identified based on the presence of surrogates, or indicator groups. Birds are commonly used as surrogates of biodiversity owing to the wide availability of relevant data and their broad popular appeal. However, some studies have found birds to perform relatively poorly as indicators. We therefore ask how the effectiveness of this approach can be improved by supplementing data on birds with information on other taxa.

2. Here, we explore two strategies using (i) species data for other taxa and (ii) genus- and family-level data for invertebrates (when available). We used three distinct species data sets for sub-Saharan Africa, Denmark and Uganda, which cover different spatial scales, biogeographic regions and taxa (vertebrates, invertebrates and plants).

3. We found that networks of priority areas identified on the basis of birds alone performed well in representing overall species diversity where birds were relatively speciose compared to the other taxa in the data sets. Adding species data for one taxon increased surrogate effectiveness better than adding genus- and family-level data. It became apparent that, while adding species data for other taxa increased overall effectiveness, predicting the best-performing additional taxon was difficult. Finally, we demonstrate that increasing overall effectiveness required supplementary data for several additional taxa.

4.Synthesis and applications. Good surrogates of biodiversity are necessary to help identify conservation areas that will be effective in preventing species extinctions. Birds perform fairly well as surrogates in cases where birds are relatively speciose, but overall effectiveness will be improved by adding additional data from other taxa, in particular from range-restricted species. Conservation solutions with focus on birds as biodiversity surrogate could therefore benefit from also incorporating species data from other taxa.

1. Resilient and functional landscapes are essential for climate change adaptation. Thermodynamic theory has been applied increasingly to ecological studies to understand ecosystem resilience and integrity. Resilient ecosystems have complex structure and greater levels of biomass and functional diversity, which act to enhance the degradation of solar energy. Forests that exhibit these characteristics express thermodynamic efficiency through a greater capacitance effect that promotes cooler surface temperatures under extreme weather conditions.

2. With forest disturbance, complex structures and functional linkages are simplified, reducing the capacity of the system to degrade energy. Such changes can lead to dysfunctional ecosystem states, impaired provision of ecosystem services and a weakened resilience.

3. This study has applied indicators based on thermodynamic theory to a chronosequence of forest ecosystems in the UK, Germany and Ukraine. Surface temperatures were measured to test thermodynamic theories relating to energy degradation and temperature moderation. Grime’s CSR model was applied to plant data to compare functional complexity in vegetation between stands.

4. Old-growth woodlands are shown to attenuate surface temperature more effectively than native species plantations. Consistently lower temperatures were observed in European old-growth forests with high proportions of biomass when compared to managed stands of similar species composition, suggesting a greater efficiency of energy degradation in complex forest ecosystems, particularly at higher temperatures.

5. Analysis of plant species data using Grime’s CSR model indicated that old-growth forests ordinate towards competitive and stress-tolerant communities in contrast to intensively managed forests, which had a greater proportion of generalist and ruderal species. High CSR functional scores were associated with moderated temperature extremes.

6. Synthesis and applications. Our results suggest an important thermodynamic basis for conservation in the context of climate change. Conservation practice and management policy, which is based on preserving ecosystem complexity and function, can aid in mitigating the effects of extreme temperatures, enhancing vital services such as climate regulation, primary production and water retention. Old-growth forests have a significant climate mitigation role alongside other recognised ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration.

1. Many alien weeds pose significant environmental and/or economic threats across the globe, and methods to assess the potential risk of species introductions are key components in the management of plant invasions. Three broad approaches have been adopted in weed risk assessment: quantitative statistical models, semi-quantitative scoring and qualitative expert assessment. Yet, the effectiveness of these different approaches is rarely evaluated. By bringing together perspectives drawn from statistics, complexity theory, bioeconomics and cognitive psychology, this review presents the first interdisciplinary appraisal of whether weed risk assessment is a valuable tool in the management of plant invasions.

2. Problems in obtaining an objective measure of the hazards posed by weeds, challenges of predicting complex hierarchical and nonlinear systems, difficulties in quantifying uncertainty and variability, as well as cognitive biases in expert judgement, all limit the utility of current risk assessment approaches. The accuracy of weed risk assessment protocols is usually insufficient, given inherent low base-rates even when the costs and benefits of decisions are taken into account, and implies that the predictive value of weed risk assessment is questionable.

3. Current practices could be improved to address consistent hazard identification, encompass a hierarchy of spatio-temporal scales, incorporate uncertainty, generate realistic base-rates, and train risk assessors to limit cognitive biases. However, such refinements may still fail to predict weed risks any better than a knowledge of prior invasion history and quality of climate match.

4. Alternative approaches include scenario planning that seeks qualitative inputs regarding hypothetical events to facilitate long-range planning using multiple alternatives each explicit in their treatment of uncertainty. This represents a change from prevention towards adaptive management where the difficulty in prediction is acknowledged and investment targets early detection, mitigation and management.

5. Synthesis and applications. Scenario planning may be particularly suitable for weeds as they can be rapidly surveyed and have sufficiently long lag phases between naturalisation and invasion that early detection is often feasible. If integrated with assessments of ecosystem vulnerability to invasion and interventions to improve ecosystem resilience, it would deliver a robust post-border approach to invasive plant management. This approach would address threats from new introductions as well as ‘sleeper weeds’ already present in a region.

1. Large-bodied species are especially vulnerable to fishing in mixed fisheries. Their effective conservation requires predictions of sensitivity and exposure to fishing mortality, but such predictions are hard to make when the population dynamics of most of these species have not been described.

2. We present a method for assessing sensitivity and conservation management reference points using widely available life-history data. The method allows the sensitivity of all fish species in a community to be assessed in relation to conservation- and yield-based fishery reference points.

3. Knowledge of sensitivity is used to (i) rank species by sensitivity, (ii) conduct a risk assessment to identify species potentially vulnerable to current fishing pressure and (iii) examine potential trade-offs between fishery catches and the conservation status of sensitive species.

4. The method is applied to the Celtic Sea bottom-dwelling fish community. For the species present, conservation threshold fishing mortalities ranged from 0·05 per year for the most sensitive large elasmobranchs to over 1 per year for small teleosts. The assessment predicts that current levels of fishing mortality may place all the elasmobranchs and over a quarter of the teleosts below conservation reference points.

5. Depending on the relative mortality rates affecting commercially targeted species and species of conservation concern, up to 65% of the potential yield-per-recruit of commercially important species may have to be forgone to reduce fishing mortality below conservation limit reference points for the most sensitive species.

6. Synthesis and applications. The method presented provides a clear objective procedure to construct ranked species sensitivity lists that can inform management, monitoring and research. The Celtic Sea case study demonstrated that limiting fishing pressure on key commercial stocks to meet fisheries production targets may be insufficient to guarantee the persistence of more sensitive species. Management actions that effectively decouple the mortality rates on commercial species and ‘conservation’ species are likely to be required to make progress in relation to conservation objectives. The method would support rapid assessment of sensitivity to fishing in many regions around the world as only taxonomic lists and estimates of body size are required.

1. In farmland biodiversity, a potential risk to the larvae of non-target Lepidoptera from genetically modified (GM) Bt-maize expressing insecticidal Cry1 proteins is the ingestion of harmful amounts of pollen deposited on their host plants. A previous mathematical model of exposure quantified this risk for Cry1Ab protein. We extend this model to quantify the risk for sensitive species exposed to pollen containing Cry1F protein from maize event 1507 and to provide recommendations for management to mitigate this risk.

2. A 14-parameter mathematical model integrating small- and large-scale exposure was used to estimate the larval mortality of hypothetical species with a range of sensitivities, and under a range of simulated mitigation measures consisting of non-Bt maize strips of different widths placed around the field edge.

3. The greatest source of variability in estimated mortality was species sensitivity. Before allowance for effects of large-scale exposure, with moderate within-crop host-plant density and with no mitigation, estimated mortality locally was <10% for species of average sensitivity. For the worst-case extreme sensitivity considered, estimated mortality locally was 99·6% with no mitigation, although this estimate was reduced to below 40% with mitigation of 24-m-wide strips of non-Bt maize. For highly sensitive species, a 12-m-wide strip reduced estimated local mortality under 1·5%, when within-crop host-plant density was zero. Allowance for large-scale exposure effects would reduce these estimates of local mortality by a highly variable amount, but typically of the order of 50-fold.

4. Mitigation efficacy depended critically on assumed within-crop host-plant density; if this could be assumed negligible, then the estimated effect of mitigation would reduce local mortality below 1% even for very highly sensitive species.

5. Synthesis and applications. Mitigation measures of risks of Bt-maize to sensitive larvae of non-target lepidopteran species can be effective, but depend on host-plant densities which are in turn affected by weed-management regimes. We discuss the relevance for management of maize events where cry1F is combined (stacked) with a herbicide-tolerance trait. This exemplifies how interactions between biota may occur when different traits are stacked irrespective of interactions between the proteins themselves and highlights the importance of accounting for crop management in the assessment of the ecological impact of GM plants.

1. Wind farms generate little or no pollution. However, one of their main adverse impacts is bird mortality through collisions with turbine rotors.

2. Environmental impact assessment (EIA) studies have been based on observations of birds before the construction of wind farms. We analysed data from 53 EIAs in relation to the actual recorded bird mortalities at 20 fully installed wind farms to determine whether this method is accurate in predicting the risk of new wind farm installations.

3. Bird data from EIAs were compared with bird collisions per turbine and year at functional post-constructed wind farms to identify any relationship between pre- and post-construction studies.

4. Significant differences in birds recorded flying among the 53 proposed wind farms were found by the EIAs. Similar results were obtained when only griffon vultures Gyps fulvus and other raptors were considered. There were significant differences in indexes, including the relative index of breeding birds close to proposed locations, among the 53 proposed wind farm sites.

5. The collision rate of birds with turbines was one of the highest ever recorded for raptors, and the griffon vulture was the most frequently killed species. Bird mortality varied among the 20 constructed wind farms.

6. No relationship between variables predicting risk from EIAs and actual recorded mortality was found. A weak relationship was found between griffon vulture and kestrel Falco sp. mortality and the numbers of these two species crossing the area.

7. Synthesis and applications. There was no clear relationship between predicted risk and the actual recorded bird mortality at wind farms. Risk assessment studies incorrectly assumed a linear relationship between frequency of observed birds and fatalities. Nevertheless, it is known that bird mortality in wind farms is related to physical characteristics around individual wind turbines. However, EIAs are usually conducted at the scale of the entire wind farm. The correlation between predicted mortality and actual mortality must be improved in future risk assessment studies by changing the scale of these studies to focus on the locations of proposed individual wind turbine sites and working on a species specific level.

1. Collaborative adaptive management (CAM) is regularly touted as the best way to handle natural resource management in the face of uncertainty, change and conflict. Successful applications of CAM have, however, been elusive in practice.

2. This article examines the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (AMP) in the United States, and other CAM efforts, to illustrate why and how procedural shortcomings may lead to natural resource management failures and reflect on how they may be overcome.

3. Synthesis and applications. To increase the chance of success, CAM efforts should set clear overarching goals and concrete and measurable objectives, employ tools and incentives to facilitate participation and foster collaboration, implement well-defined joint fact-finding protocols to promote shared learning and manage scientific uncertainty, and commit to monitoring and adapting their management regimes over time. Even in complex and contentious resource management contexts, future CAM efforts that integrate these design elements are likely to lead to more effective natural resource management.

1. Designing practical rules for controlling invasive species is a challenging task for managers, particularly when species are long-lived, have complex life cycles and high dispersal capacities. Previous findings derived from plant matrix population analyses suggest that effective control of long-lived invaders may be achieved by focusing on killing adult plants. However, the cost-effectiveness of managing different life stages has not been evaluated.

2. We illustrate the benefits of integrating matrix population models with decision theory to undertake this evaluation, using empirical data from the largest infestation of mesquite (Leguminosae: Prosopis spp) within Australia. We include in our model the mesquite life cycle, different dispersal rates and control actions that target individuals at different life stages with varying costs, depending on the intensity of control effort. We then use stochastic dynamic programming to derive cost-effective control strategies that minimize the cost of controlling the core infestation locally below a density threshold and the future cost of control arising from infestation of adjacent areas via seed dispersal.

3. Through sensitivity analysis, we show that four robust management rules guide the allocation of resources between mesquite life stages for this infestation: (i) When there is no seed dispersal, no action is required until density of adults exceeds the control threshold and then only control of adults is needed; (ii) when there is seed dispersal, control strategy is dependent on knowledge of the density of adults and large juveniles (LJ) and broad categories of dispersal rates only; (iii) if density of adults is higher than density of LJ, controlling adults is most cost-effective; (iv) alternatively, if density of LJ is equal or higher than density of adults, management efforts should be spread between adults, large and to a lesser extent small juveniles, but never saplings.

4. Synthesis and applications. In this study, we show that simple rules can be found for managing invasive plants with complex life cycles and high dispersal rates when population models are combined with decision theory. In the case of our mesquite population, focussing effort on controlling adults is not always the most cost-effective way to meet our management objective.

1. The Northern Gulf of California is an ecologically important marine area with a high degree of biodiversity, endemism and productivity. Mounting conservation concerns have prompted researchers to propose new management regulations, restricting fishing and protecting sensitive species. Compliance with existing regulations is poor. Rules that are currently in place, if followed, may go a long way towards achieving the ecological goals of management.

2. We conduct a review of existing fisheries regulations in this area. Then, using a spatially explicit marine ecosystem model (Atlantis), we estimate the benefits of compliance with existing fisheries regulations.

3. Under a full compliance scenario, we find large increases in protected species biomass within 25 years and a slowed rate of ecosystem degradation because of fishing. However, full compliance costs the fishing industry about 30% of its annual revenue.

4. We parse out the benefits offered by management instruments (including spatial management protections, seasonal fishery closures, gear restrictions, cessation of illegal fishing and vessel buy-out programmes) and conclude that a suite of measures is needed to address major conservation objectives.

5. Synthesis and applications. This exercise quantifies the benefits of improved fisheries enforcement and provides a benchmark by which the value of future regulatory amendments can be assessed. Where compliance with existing regulations is poor, conservation goals may be better served by strengthening enforcement than by enacting new rules and legislation.

1. Conflict between people and large carnivores is an urgent conservation issue world-wide. Understanding the underlying ecological drivers of livestock depredation by large carnivores is greatly needed.

2. We studied the spatial, foraging and behavioural ecology of African lions Panthera leo in the Botswana Makgadikgadi ecosystem. This ecosystem comprises a protected area, characterized by high seasonal fluctuation in wild prey abundance, and adjacent lands, which are used for livestock grazing and characterized by stable livestock abundance, but also a risk of anthropogenic mortality.

3. Makgadikgadi lions preferentially preyed upon migratory wild herbivores when they were present; however, data from GPS (Global Positioning System) radiocollared lions revealed that the majority of the study lions did not follow the migratory herds but remained resident at one or other border of the park and switched to livestock (abundant and readily available), and to a lesser extent resident wild herbivores (relatively scarce), in periods of migratory wild herbivore scarcity.

4. Resident lions’ use of space differed between periods of wild prey abundance and scarcity. These changes were likely to increase the frequency of encounter with their primary prey in periods of primary prey abundance and with livestock in periods of primary prey scarcity.

5. The risk of conflict with humans was a major driver of lion ecology in the human-dominated landscape surrounding the protected area. Resident lions generally avoided the close vicinity of cattle-posts. When they used such areas, they avoided temporal overlap with periods that humans were most active and travelled at high speed reducing the time spent in these areas.

6. Synthesis and applications. This study suggests that lions balance the benefits of accessing livestock with the costs associated with livestock raiding. Hence, reduction in livestock availability through effective livestock husbandry in periods of wild prey scarcity should lead to reduced conflict.

1. It is well known that roads can have a significant impact, usually negative, on species and ecosystems. However, despite their protected status in many countries, little research has been done into the effects of roads on bats. With a view to making more informed management recommendations, we address the simple question: are bat activity and diversity (as measured with ultrasonic detectors) correlated with distance from a major road?

2. Broadband acoustic surveys were conducted on 20 walked transects perpendicular to the M6, a major road in Cumbria (UK), with bat activity recorded at eight spot checks per transect at different distances from the road. Climatic and habitat variables were also recorded, and the relationships between bat activity and these variables were investigated using generalised estimated equations (GEE) and ordinal logistic regression.

3. Total bat activity, the number of species and the activity of Pipistrellus pipistrellus (the most abundant species) were all positively correlated with distance from the road. Total activity increased more than threefold between 0 and 1600 m from the road. These effects were found to be consistent over 2 years.

4. Synthesis and applications. This study is one of the first to show that roads have a major negative impact on bat foraging activity and diversity and is broadly applicable to insectivorous bat communities worldwide. Mitigation requires that roads are made more permeable to bats through the use of effective crossings, such as underpasses and overpasses, and that habitat is improved within 1 km of major roads. Because the effectiveness of current mitigation measures is unknown, well-designed monitoring of mitigation is essential.

1. Effective management of fish and wildlife populations benefits from an understanding of the effects of stressors on individual physiology. While physiological knowledge can provide a mechanistic understanding of organismal responses, its applied utility is limited because it cannot easily be used by stakeholders.

2. Reflex action mortality predictors (RAMP) is a method that involves checking for the presence or absence of natural animal reflexes to generate a condition (RAMP) score in response to stressors and to predict fate. The method has previously been validated with fishes in artificial laboratory- and field-based holding studies as a responsive measure of fisheries capture stress and a predictor of delayed mortality, but has not been evaluated in the wild.

3. We used radio telemetry to monitor migration success of 50 endangered coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch following incidental capture in an aboriginal beach seine fishery in the lower Fraser River (Canada). RAMP was used to measure the condition of fish at release and to predict migration success following capture. Biopsy of an additional 43 coho profiled physiological condition at time of release.

4. Individuals with greater reflex impairment (higher RAMP scores) at release experienced significantly higher rates of migration failure. RAMP scores were also significantly correlated with fishery handling time. Plasma variables showed that captured coho had experienced physiological stress characteristic of exhaustive exercise and hypoxia, with significantly elevated cortisol and lactate values for fish entangled longer in fishing gear.

5. Synthesis and applications. This is the first validation of RAMP in a wild setting. Based on our findings, fishers could use the method and make adjustments in fishing behaviour in real-time to improve fish condition and reduce the mortality of bycatch, and conservation practitioners could monitor animal condition and identify problems that deserve management attention. RAMP is an easy, rapid and inexpensive approach to predicting mortality and measuring vitality and performed better than traditional physiological tools that cannot easily be used by stakeholders.

1. European agriculture is facing dramatic changes that are likely to have marked impacts on farmland biodiversity. There is an urgent need to develop land management strategies compatible with the conservation of biodiversity.

2. We applied a spatially explicit behaviour-based model to assess how farmland management and the pattern of events across the annual farming calendar influences the foraging decisions of lesser kestrels Falco naumanni in a cereal steppe landscape. Moreover, we simulated the most likely scenarios of future agricultural changes to predict its impacts on lesser kestrel breeding success. Lesser kestrels have been the subject of serious conservation concern and constitute a good model species to judge impacts on farmland species more widely.

3. Our results show that the location of cereal and fallow patches within a 2-km radius of a kestrel colony influences the total food supply delivered to the nestlings, explaining the differences in breeding success between years and colonies. Furthermore, the particular sequence in which patches are harvested by farmers is also predicted to influence offspring survival.

4. Agricultural intensification, simulated by increasing the proportion of cereal fields, is predicted to negatively influence breeding success. However, the field harvesting sequence can play an important role in alleviating the effects of the increased percentage of cereal, as demonstrated by the higher breeding success obtained when harvesting starts from patches farthest from the colonies. The replacement of cereal cultivation by low-intensity grazed fallows would not be detrimental for kestrels.

5. Synthesis and applications. Our results highlight the effectiveness of behaviour-based models to evaluate the interacting effect of spatial and temporal dynamics of agricultural landscapes and predict the response of populations to environmental change. To optimize food availability for lesser kestrels, land managers should implement long rotational schemes with <60% of the area under extensive cereal cultivation in a 2-km radius around colonies. Harvesting should start in the cereal patches farthest from colonies. Ideally, the predominant land use around colonies should be fallows. These outcomes illustrate how behaviour-based models can be applied to identify specific management recommendations that would improve the effectiveness of agri-environmental schemes, the most accepted tool for maintaining farmland landscapes.

1. Wind farms are emerging as a major cause of mortality of large scavenging bird species, which may be catastrophic when they operate in concert with other threats. As a study model, we examine the impact of wind turbines on the population dynamics of a soaring bird species, when acting in conjunction with a sudden decrease in food availability following the European bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) epidemic.

2. In Spain, vultures have been provided with supplementary food at traditional vulture restaurants for centuries. In 2006/2007, these feeding stations were closed as part of disease control measures. At the same time, wind farms were deployed within the vulture foraging range. We used capture–recapture data and direct observation to monitor the impacts of these changes on the vulture population.

3. The number of breeding pairs decreased by c. 24%, adult survival by 30% and fecundity by 35%. However, the population recovered as soon as the perturbations ceased, the vulture restaurants were reopened, and the most problematic wind turbines were closed. Population recovery was faster than predicted by a retrospective stochastic population model.

4. Our analyses indicate that fecundity and survival were influenced predominantly by wind turbines. Food scarcity promoted a shift in foraging behaviour that drove vultures to fly into the path of wind turbines as they sought out new food sources in a landfill site. Elasticity and sensitivity analyses of the population model showed that mortality of adult birds had a much greater effect on population declines than mortality of immature birds, whereas reduction in fecundity had negligible effects.

5. The most likely explanation for the rapid recovery of the vulture population is that the observed decline in breeding pairs was not solely because of increased mortality. The decline probably included dispersal away from the area and a greater incidence of skipped breeding during the perturbation years. Subsequent immigration from large nearby populations was probably a factor in population recovery.

6. Synthesis and applications. Where specific wind turbines are causing substantial mortality, their closure is an effective management response. For vulture populations dependent on supplemental feeding stations, the feeding sites should be relocated away from the most problematic wind turbines, or other anthropogenic sources of mortality, to prevent negative impacts. We recommend the establishment of scattered, low-value food sources to replicate historical conditions and to avoid the problems associated with high concentrations of individuals in one place.

1. Wild bees are one of the most important groups of pollinators in the temperate zone. Therefore, population declines have potentially negative impacts for both crop and wildflower pollination. Although heavy metal pollution is recognized to be a problem affecting large parts of the European Union, we currently lack insights into the effects of heavy metals on wild bees.

2. We investigated whether heavy metal pollution is a potential threat to wild bee communities by comparing (i) species number, (ii) diversity and (iii) abundance as well as (iv) natural mortality of emerging bees along two independent gradients of heavy metal pollution, one at Olkusz (OLK), Poland and the other at Avonmouth (AVO), UK. We used standardized nesting traps to measure species richness and abundance of wild bees, and we recorded the heavy metal concentration in pollen collected by the red mason bee Osmia rufa as a measure of pollution.

3. The concentration of cadmium, lead and zinc in pollen collected by bees ranged from a background level in unpolluted sites [OLK: 1·3, 43·4, 99·8 (mg kg⁻¹); AVO: 0·8, 42·0, 56·0 (mg kg⁻¹), respectively] to a high level on sites in the vicinity of the OLK and AVO smelters [OLK: 6·7, 277·0, 440·1 (mg kg⁻¹); AVO: 9·3, 356·2, 592·4 (mg kg⁻¹), respectively].

4. We found that with increasing heavy metal concentration, there was a steady decrease in the number, diversity and abundance of solitary, wild bees. In the most polluted sites, traps were empty or contained single occupants, whereas in unpolluted sites, the nesting traps collected from 4 to 5 species represented by up to ten individuals. Moreover, the proportion of dead individuals of the solitary bee Megachile ligniseca increased along the heavy metal pollution gradient at OLK from 0·2 in uncontaminated sites to 0·5 in sites with a high concentration of pollution.

5. Synthesis and applications. Our findings highlight the negative relationship between heavy metal pollution and populations of wild bees and suggest that increasing wild bee richness in highly contaminated areas will require special conservation strategies. These may include creating suitable nesting sites and sowing a mixture of flowering plants as well as installing artificial nests with wild bee cocoons in polluted areas. Applying protection plans to wild pollinating bee communities in heavy metal-contaminated areas will contribute to integrated land rehabilitation to minimize the impact of pollution on the environment.

1. Recent declines in honeybee populations have focused attention on the potential for unmanaged insects to replace them as pollinators of food crops. The capacity of unmanaged pollinators to replace services currently provided by honeybees depends on the spatial and temporal variability of these services, but few quantitative assessments currently exist.

2. We investigated spatial variation in pollinator importance by comparing pollinator efficiency and effectiveness in stigmatic pollen loads, stigmatic contact and visitation rate between honeybees and the seven most abundant unmanaged taxa in 2007. We assessed temporal variability in pollinator visitation using floral visits recorded three times a day over four consecutive years (2005–2008) in 43 ‘Pak Choi’Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis mass flowering fields in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. Further, we compared the aggregate effect of the unmanaged pollinator assemblage to the managed honeybee.

3. Pak Choi was visited by many insect species that vary in abundance and effectiveness as pollen transfer agents. There was spatial variation in the four measures of pollinator importance. Pollen deposited on stigmas and flower visits per minute were not significantly different comparing the unmanaged assemblage to honeybees, although stigmatic contact and visitor abundance per number of open flowers were greater in honeybees.

4. Unmanaged taxa were frequent visitors to the crop in all 4 years. The pooled services provided by the unmanaged assemblage did not differ within a day and were equal to or greater than those provided by honeybees in 2 of the 4 years. Pollinator importance changed little irrespective of the spatial and temporal variations among taxa.

5. Synthesis and applications. The results of this study suggest that some unmanaged insect taxa are capable of providing consistent pollination services over a 4-year period in a commercial mass flowering crop. As these taxa already contribute substantially to the pollination of food crops, they offer a safety net in the case of sudden collapse of managed honeybee hives. To optimize pollination services, we recommend pollinator-specific farm management practices that consider the needs of both managed and unmanaged pollinator taxa.

1. Tree plantations play an important role in meeting the growing demand for wood, but there is concern about their high rates of water use. Recent approaches to reforestation in the tropics involve the establishment of multispecies plantations, but few studies have compared water use in mixed vs. monospecific stands.

2. We hypothesized that tree species diversity enhances stand transpiration. Tree water use rates were estimated in monocultures (n = 5), two-species mixtures (n = 3), three-species mixtures (n = 3) and five-species mixtures (n = 4). Sap flux densities were monitored with thermal dissipation probes in 60 trees for 1 year in a 7-year-old native tree plantation in Panama. We also estimated changes in the amount of wood produced per unit water transpired (i.e. water use efficiency, WUE_wood).

3. Annual stand transpiration rates in two-/three-species mixtures (464 ± 271 mm year⁻¹) and five-species mixtures (900 ± 76 mm year⁻¹) were 14% and 56% higher than those of monocultures (398 ± 293 mm year⁻¹), respectively. Trees growing in mixtures had larger diameters, conductive sapwood and basal area than those in monocultures, which partly explained the enhanced stand transpiration in mixtures.

4. The five-species mixtures maintained equally high stand transpiration rates during wet (2·64 ± 0·30 mm day⁻¹) and dry seasons (2·51 ± 0·21 mm day⁻¹), whereas monocultures and two-species mixtures had significantly lower transpiration rates during the dry season, because of the presence of dry season deciduous species.

5. The WUE_wood of the five-species mixtures (2·1 g DM kg⁻¹ H₂O) was about half that of either monocultures, two- or three-species mixtures.

6. The comparably high stand transpiration rates in the five-species plots may arise from enhanced vegetation-atmosphere-energy exchange through higher canopy roughness and/or complementary use of soil water.

7. Synthesis and applications. Stand transpiration increased linearly with tree species richness and basal area in monocultures, two- and three-species mixtures, but the ratio of stand transpiration to basal area was larger for five-species mixtures. In conclusion, species selection and consideration of species richness and composition is crucial in the design of plantations to maximize wood production while conserving water resources.

1. Variable retention harvest is an increasingly popular management alternative to clear-cutting in boreal forest ecosystems. This harvest system retains a portion of the mature trees to maintain structural elements of the forest and preserve biodiversity. Residual trees must, however, survive in the post-harvest environment to realize these benefits. Here, we investigate which tree and stand characteristics are associated with high survival to aid foresters in designing harvesting prescriptions.

2. We conducted an operational-scale experiment broadly representative of western North American boreal forests. Treatments were four overstorey compositions (ranging from deciduous to conifer dominated) and five rates of canopy retention (10%, 20%, 50%, 75% and a 100% control). Factors affecting mortality were analysed for the leading tree species (aspen Populus tremuloides Michx. and white spruce Picea glauca (Moench) Voss 5 and 10 years after harvest.

3. Mortality of residual aspen was highest in 10% and 20% retention treatments with c.30% mortality after 5 years and c. 50% after 10 years. At year 5, most of the dead trees remained upright as snags (87%), but by year 10, c.40% of dead trees had fallen. By contrast, mortality was much lower in the 50% and 75% retention treatments, and similar to that of the unharvested control. Results for white spruce mortality were similar, except the shallow-rooted spruce that was more susceptible to be blown down.

4. Regression tree analysis was used to identify individual tree attributes that predict 5- and 10-year survival. Mortality was higher for trees with a low percentage of live crown and high height/diameter ratio, when trees were very tall or were close to machine corridors. Smaller residual spruce trees from deciduous-dominated stands had the lowest mortality rates.

5. Synthesis and application. Where live trees are critical elements of wildlife habitat, forest managers should maintain ≥50% in retention harvest systems. At lower levels of retention (≤20%), mortality can be reduced if foresters select retention trees that are stout, possess large live crowns and are small to intermediate in size. These factors can be used to help design partial harvest systems for effective biodiversity conservation strategies.

1. During the next century, atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition is projected to more than double, potentially leading to a decline in plant diversity as well as a change in plant community composition and structure.

2. In a decade-long field experiment, simulated atmospheric N deposition has slowed litter decay, resulting in an accumulation of forest floor (i.e. Oi & Oe horizons). We reasoned that a greater forest floor mass under simulated N deposition would impose a physical barrier to sugar maple Acer saccharum seedling establishment, thereby reducing seedling populations of an ecologically and economically important tree species.

3. To test this idea, we first quantified sugar maple seedling abundance in replicate northern hardwood forest stands receiving ambient atmospheric N (7–12 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹) and experimental atmospheric N deposition, simulating future amounts in eastern North America (ambient plus 30 kg NO₃⁻ N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹). Then, we experimentally manipulated forest floor mass under ambient and simulated N deposition treatments. Finally, we transplanted first-year established seedlings into areas receiving ambient and simulated N deposition and quantified their mortality after 1 year.

4. First-year seedling abundance did not differ under ambient and simulated N deposition; however, there were greater abundances of second- and third-to-fifth-year seedlings under ambient N deposition (P < 0·001). In all cases, experimental manipulation to increase forest floor mass, equivalent to that under simulated N deposition, resulted in significantly (P = 0·001) fewer established individuals, regardless of whether the greater forest floor mass occurred under ambient or simulated N deposition. Finally, fewer 1-year-old transplanted seedlings survived when grown under simulated N, albeit that result was not statistically significant.

5. Synthesis and applications. The slowing of decay and the accumulation of forest floor under anthropogenic N deposition can negatively impact seedling survival and potentially alter stand development and structural diversity. As atmospheric N deposition increases globally, it becomes necessary to understand the mechanisms that lead to population changes for ecologically important tree species. The responses we document should be considered in simulations of future of forest’dynamics, as atmospheric N deposition continues to increase, specifically when sugar maple life-history traits are included to simulate regeneration, structural diversity and stand development.

1. Resins are highly valued non-timber forest products (NTFP). One of the most widely traded resins is frankincense, tapped from several Boswellia tree species (Burseraceae). Exploited Boswellia populations often show poor regeneration, but the demographic consequences of these bottlenecks are unknown. Here we report on the first large-scale demographic study of frankincense-producing trees.

2. We studied 12 populations of Boswellia papyrifera in northern Ethiopia, varying in altitude and productivity. Six of these populations had been tapped before and were tapped during the study. Survival, growth and fecundity were determined for 4370 trees and 2228 seedlings, in 22.8 ha over a 2-year period. We also studied a remote population where no grazing and tapping took place. Matrix models were used to project population growth and frankincense production under four restoration scenarios.

3. Population structures of both tapped and untapped populations showed clear gaps. Small seedlings were abundant in all populations, but none developed into persistent saplings. Such saplings were only present in the remote population. Fire and grazing are the likely causes of this regeneration bottleneck.

4. Adult mortality was high (6–7% per year) in both tapped and untapped populations, probably caused by beetle attacks and fire. Unexpectedly, tapped populations presented higher diameter growth rates and fecundity compared to untapped populations. These differences are probably caused by non-random selection of exploited populations by tappers.

5. Under the ‘business as usual’ scenario, population models projected a 90% decline in the size of tapped and untapped populations within 50 years and a 50% decline in frankincense yield within 15 years. Model simulations for restoration scenarios revealed that populations and frankincense production could only be sustained with intensive management leading to full sapling recruitment and a 50–75% reduction in adult mortality.

6.Synthesis and applications. Regeneration bottlenecks and high adult mortality are causing rapid decline in frankincense-producing tree populations in Ethiopia. This decline is unlikely to be a consequence of harvesting and is probably driven by fire, grazing and beetle attacks. Fire prevention and the establishment of non-grazing areas are needed. Our results show that other factors than exploitation may seriously threaten populations yielding NTFP.

1. Hydroperiod, wetland size and land use of watersheds surrounding wetlands have important individual influences on plant communities in wetlands. Our objectives were to determine the effect and relative importance of local and landscape factors on plant species richness, diversity and composition of different functional groups (i.e. total, wetland-dependent, perennial, annual and exotic species) in recently inundated playa wetlands.

2. We surveyed plant communities in 80 wet playas in the Southern High Plains, USA, and measured local factors: water depth, playa volume loss, sediment depth and playa area. We included landscape variables within 3 km: number of playas, edge density, percentage urban area and percentage Conservation Reserve Program area (CRP; conversion from highly erodible cropland to mostly introduced perennial grassland). We also recorded dominant land use as native grassland or cropland.

3. Water depth negatively influenced all plant community metrics (i.e. richness, diversity and cover) while playa volume loss (sediment eroded from watershed filling the basin) had a negative influence on total, wetland-dependent and perennial richness and cover. Playas with more cropland within their watersheds had greater annual and exotic richness and cover, suggesting that agricultural activities within playa watersheds have changed plant composition and facilitated biological invasion.

4. Playa area was less important in predicting plant community metrics in playas. Although not as dominant as local variables, edge density had a positive influence on species richness. Other landscape factors such as number of playas, percentage urban area and percentage CRP area were less important and consistent among different plant community metrics.

5. Synthesis and applications. Our results show that continued unsustainable sedimentation will result in loss of perennial species and promotion of exotic and annual species in playas. Watershed management to limit unsustainable sedimentation has the potential to maintain original playa plant communities dominated by perennial/native species and should also reduce the loss of playa functionality.

1. Drainage of peat-dominated catchments across the world has caused widespread degradation of peat and freshwater ecosystem services. In the UK, an estimated £500 million has been spent over the last decade blocking drains to reverse these changes. The practice raises water-tables to induce rewetting and promote peat aggradation. However, the potential benefits for impacted ecosystems such as streams remain unknown.

2. This study examined stream physicochemistry and benthic macroinvertebrates across peatland catchments with artificial drainage networks, or drains that have recently been blocked, and compared these with intact peatland sites having no history of drainage.

3. Streams in artificially drained catchments were characterised by more benthic fine particulate organic matter (FPOM), higher suspended sediment concentrations and finer bed sediments (D₅₀) than in drain-blocked and intact catchments.

4. Drained sites had higher abundance of Diptera (Simuliidae and Chironomidae) larvae, and lower abundance of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera larvae, than drain-blocked sites. In contrast, streams in drain-blocked catchments had macroinvertebrate communities broadly similar to intact sites in terms of taxon richness, overall species composition and community structure. These changes were associated with lower suspended sediment and benthic FPOM concentrations following drain-blocking.

5. Synthesis and applications. This study has shown changes in the structure of stream benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages linked to increases in benthic particulate organic matter and suspended sediment following peatland drainage. However, these effects seem to be reversible following catchment-scale restoration by drain-blocking. Drain-blocking therefore appears to benefit not only peatland soil, vegetation and hydrological ecosystem services but also stream water quality and biodiversity. The numerous agencies undertaking peatland restoration should consider implementing detailed pre- and post-blocking monitoring of streams to further improve our understanding of the mechanisms through which peatland management affects stream biodiversity and biological recovery dynamics, refine drain-blocking practices, and inform aquatic conservation and management strategies.

1. Clearcutting and wildfire are the two major edge-creating disturbances in boreal forests. While clearcutting retains at least a 30 m buffer, wildfires burn close to streams killing most of the trees and potentially creating a different edge structure. Different edge structures are likely to support different plant assemblages. The riparian buffer and fire edge structures and their effects on plant assemblages are unknown, but they have implications for forest management that aims to harvest trees and conserve biodiversity by emulating natural disturbance.

2. We hypothesized that environmental filters created by post-fire residual structures at the fire edge will support a different plant assemblage than the buffer edge. We further hypothesized that the fire edge with a weaker environmental filter because of post-fire residual structures and proximity to streams will result in lower depth of edge effects (DEEs) and magnitude of edge effects (MEEs) than buffer edges.

3. We determined the structure of canopy trees, understorey cover and the near-ground microclimate by sampling 576 (5 × 10 m) and 1820 (1 × 1 m) quadrats along 96 transects beside 24 streams near Thunder Bay, Canada. We determined DEEs and MEEs by comparing edge variables with reference forests. We used repeated measures/factorial anovas with Tukey’s post hoc tests to determine DEEs and manova for MEEs.

4. The average microclimatic DEEs extended 8 m into the buffer but only 2·5 m from the fire edge. Similarly, the DEEs for plant life-forms extended 20 m from the buffer edge and 5 m from the fire edge. At the fire edge, the structural MEEs were significantly higher, but the microclimatic MEEs were lower than the buffer edge. We found no significant difference in the overall life-form MEEs, but shrubs, shade-tolerant herbs and grasses were increased at the buffer edge and decreased at the fire edge.

5. Synthesis and applications. We discovered that the ecological structure at buffer and fire edges in boreal forests creates different environmental filters supporting different plant assemblages. Lower structural and microclimatic DEEs and MEEs at the fire edge result from (i) edge location, (ii) intact shrub layer and (iii) disturbance-resilient riparian vegetation. We suggest that replacing the conventional sharp edges of the riparian clear-cut buffer with ‘feathered’ edges by selective harvesting of trees will create wider edges mimicking wildfire legacy and will help to emulate natural disturbance for conserving biodiversity.

1. In recent years, river restoration science has been searching for biological indicators of improvement in the physical habitats of streams. To date, research has mainly focused on the use of fish and macroinvertebrates as indicators. Despite their importance in aquatic ecosystems, the response of macrophytes to habitat restoration has been rarely studied.

2. We investigated the macrophyte communities of 40 restored river reaches in the lowland and lower mountainous areas of Germany. Each restored reach was compared to an upstream, unrestored reach using a space-for-time-substitution approach. At each reach, a 100 m stretch was surveyed for submerged and emergent macrophytes, recording the quantity, abundance and growth form of each species. Additionally, microhabitat patterns (substrate, depth, current velocity) and channel parameters (mean and bankfull width, number of channel elements) were recorded.

3. Restored reaches had a significantly higher macrophyte cover, richness, diversity and number of growth forms. Macrophyte diversity and richness were both positively correlated with depth, current and substrate.

4. The analysis of growth forms showed that Lemnids, Helodids, Parvopotamids, Elodids, Peplids and Juncids are all significant indicators of restoration. These species all responded directly to the restoration measures either by highly increasing in abundance or by being present in the restored reaches and absent in the unrestored reaches. While the restored reaches of the lowland rivers were characterized by a high abundance of Peplids and Parvopotamids, the restored reaches of the mountain rivers showed a significantly higher presence and abundance of Lemnids and Helodids.

5. Three macrophyte species (Lemna minor, Persicaria hydropiper, Potamogeton crispus) were regarded as significant indicators of restoration. No species were found to be indicators of unrestored reaches.

6.Synthesis and applications. Macrophyte communities benefit from river restoration by showing increased cover, abundance and diversity. The main drivers of this enhancement are more natural and diverse substrates and an increased floodplain area in the restored reaches, as well as a greater variability of current and depth patterns. Monitoring of macrophytes could thus be an easy and cost-effective means to gauge the success of river restoration measures.

1. Riparian management has been embraced by water and land managers globally to offset the deleterious effects of intensive agricultural land use on aquatic ecosystems. However, the documented responses of stream communities to riparian management have been variable, particularly in highly degraded systems.

2. We used boosted regression trees and structural equation models to assess the effects of riparian condition and stream size on the invertebrate communities of 64 agricultural waterways on the Canterbury Plains, New Zealand. We hypothesized that small streams would be more degraded than larger waterways but would show a greater increase in the abundance of pollution-sensitive aquatic invertebrates in response to riparian management. We also predicted that land-use legacies of poor in-stream habitat would reduce the effectiveness of current riparian management. The two strongest determinants of community structure were primarily in-stream habitat, where sedimentation and low water velocity had negative impacts on stream communities, and stream size, with smaller waterways generally more impacted than large waterways. Not surprisingly, with >150 years of agriculture and patchy riparian management on the plains, current management has not greatly improved in-stream habitat and thus had little effect on the abundance of sensitive aquatic insect (EPT) taxa.

3. Managed streams did, however, have more pollution-sensitive communities in general. This was largely mediated by decreased stream temperature, narrower/deeper channels and greater organic matter resources in streams with riparian planting and restricted stock access. Thus, if water velocity and sedimentation issues can be mitigated, then riparian management should become more effective.

4. Synthesis and applications. Within the context of a degraded agricultural landscape, we identified factors limiting the effectiveness of riparian management for stream invertebrate communities. Riparian management should primarily target and protect small streams and those without degraded in-stream habitat. Intensive management, such as in-stream habitat or channel morphology modification, may be needed to address historical factors (e.g. low velocity and sedimentation), which otherwise may continue to limit community recovery.

1. Estuarine wetlands are important nurseries for fish and decapod crustaceans. Flood mitigation structures (such as levees, culverts and floodgates) that fragment wetland habitat can reduce fish and crustacean passage and subsequently impact biodiversity.

2. Remediating structures to enhance connectivity, tidal flushing and fish and crustacean passage are assumed to be important ways to rehabilitate estuarine wetlands, but they are rarely evaluated with a robust sampling protocol. Furthermore, studies are inconsistently applied across different barrier types, and success is variable. Consequently, those rehabilitating wetlands are left with an incomplete understanding of what trajectories of change (if any) may be expected from barrier remediation.

3. In collaboration with landholders and managers, ‘floodgate remediation’ (structural and operational changes to increase tidal flushing and connectivity) was undertaken in three tidal creeks in two coastal river systems in northern New South Wales, Australia. Changes in fish and crustacean passage were measured for two different techniques (flap gates built into larger gates and the intermittent opening of gates with manual winching) using a BACI design over 2 years. Temporal changes in assemblages and species richness in managed creeks were compared to those in reference creeks (i.e. without floodgates) and control creeks (with closed floodgates).

4. Both types of floodgate remediation enhanced the passage of fish and crustaceans and had significant impacts on assemblages in managed creeks when compared to control and reference creeks. This shift was sustained for the duration of our study in two of the three creeks and was driven primarily by an increase in the number of estuarine–marine-dependent species.

5. Synthesis and applications. Our study demonstrates that floodgate remediation can facilitate fish and crustacean passage and rehabilitate aquatic assemblages in defaunated, tidally restricted wetlands. Given that the vast majority of floodgates throughout south-eastern Australia can be altered to promote connectivity, such remediation may play an important part in guarding against future declines in estuarine connectivity arising from climate change.

1. The timing of seasonal activity (i.e. phenology) may play an important role in plant invasions. In ecosystems characterized by seasonal rainfall, early-active exotic species may pre-empt resources and attain competitive dominance via a seasonal ‘priority advantage’. Exotic annual grasses in California are often active earlier than native species, potentially because they possess greater germination plasticity. While these problematic invaders may usually benefit from having early phenology, their flexible germination cues might be manipulated as a restoration strategy to germinate seeds far in advance of favourable growing conditions, leading to a ‘priority disadvantage’.

2. We manipulated the start of the growing season in an invaded California coastal sage scrub community characterized by a Mediterranean-type climate to (i) identify whether early-season phenology confers a performance advantage and (ii) test whether rainfall timing could be manipulated to favour native species. We compared the performance of seeded native and exotic focal species under ambient rainfall timing (winter rains) vs. with a pre-growing season (late-summer) watering event.

3. Under ambient rainfall timing, exotic annual grasses and forbs germinated earlier and reached higher levels of abundance than native species, consistent with a seasonal priority advantage. Many exotic annual grasses germinated with pre-season watering, but none survived until the onset of natural rains. Observations suggest that early-germinating seedlings suffered mortality via herbivory. The watering pulse thus depleted the exotic seedbank, fewer exotic individuals germinated with winter rains, and exotic species attained lower abundance than under the natural rainfall timing.

4. Native species, whether annual or perennial, did not germinate with the pre-season watering pulse, suggesting they may have more constrained germination cues than the exotic species.

5. Synthesis and applications. Our results suggest that phenology is an important factor influencing invasion success, and that this could be manipulated to favour native species. Manipulation of the start of the growing season, for example through a pre-growing season watering event, could be a successful restoration strategy for native species in some ecosystems.

1. Patterns of landscape heterogeneity are crucial to the maintenance of biodiversity in shrublands and grasslands, yet management practices in these ecosystems typically seek to homogenize landscapes. Furthermore, there is limited understanding of how the interaction of ecological processes, such as fire and grazing, affects patterns of heterogeneity at different spatial scales.

2. We conducted research in Artemisia filifolia (Asteraceae) shrublands located in the southern Great Plains of North America to determine the effect of restoring the fire–grazing interaction on vegetation structure. Data were collected for 3 years in replicated pastures grazed by cattle Bos taurus where the fire–grazing interaction had been restored (fire and grazing = treatment pastures) and in pastures that were grazed but remained unburned (grazing only, no fire = control pastures). The effect of the fire–grazing interaction on heterogeneity (variance) of vegetation structure was assessed at scales from 12·5 m² to 609 ha.

3. Most measurements of vegetation structure within treatment pastures differed from control pastures for 1–3 years after being burned but were thereafter similar to the values found in unburned control pastures.

4. Treatment pastures were characterized by a lower amount of total heterogeneity and a lower amount of heterogeneity through time.

5. Heterogeneity of vegetation structure tended to decrease as the scale of measurement increased in both treatment and control pastures. There was deviation from this trend, however, in the treatment pastures that exhibited much higher heterogeneity at the patch scale (mean patch size = 202 ha) of measurement, the scale at which patch fires were conducted.

6.Synthesis and applications. Vegetation structure in A. filifolia shrublands of our study was readily altered by the fire–grazing interaction but also demonstrated substantial resilience to these effects. The fire–grazing interaction also changed the total amount of heterogeneity characterizing this system, the scale at which heterogeneity in this system was expressed and the amount of heterogeneity expressed through time. Land managers seeking to impose a shifting mosaic of heterogeneity on this vegetation type can do so by restoring the fire–grazing interaction with potential conservation benefits similar to what has been achieved in other ecosystems where historic cycles of disturbance and rest have been restored.

1. Highly disturbed areas such as surface-mined land provide a great challenge for ecological restoration. The goal is to identify appropriate restoration approaches in a continuum between technical reclamation and spontaneous succession. In particular, on slopes endangered by erosion, appropriate methods are needed that quickly establish vegetation cover but also take into account the natural potentials of the site.

2. In the mined area Roßbach (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany), we evaluated the effects of spontaneous succession and assisted site recovery (species introduction through hay transfer and sowing) during a 9-year experiment. We asked how rates and pathways of vegetation development differ between treatments and whether species composition converges over time owing to species exchange.

3. The application of green hay as well as the sowing of regional seed mixtures clearly accelerated vegetation development and led to the rapid establishment of species-rich grasslands. Hay transfer was most successful owing to the high amount of transferable target species. Moreover, both treatments facilitated the establishment of cryptogams and provided effective erosion control. Also, hay transfer and sowing clearly affected the pathway of succession. Calamagrostis epigejos migrated from nearby source populations and became increasingly dominant at sites with spontaneous succession. In contrast, the species-rich grasslands established after hay transfer and sowing were highly resistant to invasion of Calamagrostis and other ruderals.

4. Species exchange between treatments led to increasing similarity in vegetation composition over time. Nine years after implementation of the experiment, we did not find any significant differences between treatments in terms of total vegetation cover, species richness and the number of target species. However, the dominance ratio between target and nontarget species differed significantly. Species introduction through hay transfer and sowing led to a permanently higher abundance of grassland species and a lower coverage of ruderals compared with spontaneously developed sites. Hence, our results highlight the importance of initial floristic composition and the order of species arrivals for long-term vegetation development.

5. Synthesis and applications. Hay transfer and sowing of regional seed mixtures are appropriate restoration tools to achieve rapid revegetation when no potential seed sources of target species are available nearby or there are undesirable species that need to be suppressed. Our results show that introduced grassland species are able to grow under postmining site conditions and can migrate into adjacent spontaneously developing sites. A combination of spontaneous and assisted site recovery can promote the development of species-rich grasslands in postmining landscapes.

1. An important factor limiting the wider application of constructed ecosystems for bioremediation of sites contaminated by toxic chemicals is their relatively low efficiency of contaminant removal. Although there is growing evidence that species-rich ecosystems may out-perform species-poor ecosystems in removing excessive nutrients from water through niche partitioning, it remains unknown whether diverse ecosystems are more efficient in removing toxic chemicals from the environment, and if they are, by what mechanisms diverse ecosystems can lead to enhanced removals.

2. In this study, we exposed aquatic algal microcosm ecosystems of varying species richness to a realistic cadmium (Cd) contamination scenario. We explore the mechanisms of Cd removal by assemblages with differing diversity and consider the potential role of diversity on Cd bioremediation.

3. Our results suggest that Cd removal efficiencies of the algal microcosms increased with species richness. Furthermore, we found that 45% of all polycultures out-performed the monocultures of their most efficient component species in removing Cd from the growth substrates (referred as to ‘over Cd removal’). However, the average Cd removal efficiency of the most diverse (eight-species) polycultures was not higher than that of the most efficient monoculture (i.e. the algal species most tolerant to Cd) in this study. We also showed that the observed over Cd removal could be largely ascribed to the enhanced biomass yields of the polycultures, which were mainly driven by the positive effects of Cd-tolerant species on Cd-sensitive species.

4. Synthesis and applications. This study demonstrates that some algal polycultures containing both Cd-tolerant and Cd-sensitive species may show over Cd removal through facilitation provided by Cd-tolerant species. These polycultures are likely to be assembled and applied to achieve Cd removals higher than those of their most efficient component species in monoculture. Given that species-rich ecosystems tend to be more environmentally stable than ones with fewer species, it would be prudent to employ diverse polycultures rather than risk the loss of individual monocultures.

1.  Increasing sophistication of population viability analysis has broadened our capacity to model population change while accounting for system complexity and uncertainty. However, many emergent properties of population dynamics, such as the coupling of demographic processes with transmission and spread of disease, are still poorly understood.

2.  We combined an individual-based demographic (Vortex) and epidemiological (Outbreak) model using a novel command-centre module (MetaModel Manager) to predict the progression of bovine tuberculosis in introduced swamp buffalo Bubalus bubalis in northern Australia and validated the model with data from a large-scale disease-monitoring and culling programme. We also assessed the capacity to detect disease based on incrementing sentinel (randomly sampled individuals) culling rates.

3.  We showed that even high monitoring effort (1000 culled sentinels) has a low (<10%) probability of detecting the disease, and current sampling is inadequate.

4.  Testing proportional and stepped culling rates revealed that up to 50% of animals must be killed each year to reduce disease prevalence to near-eradication levels.

5.  Sensitivity analysis indicated that prevalence depended mainly on population demography (e.g. female age at primiparity) and the additional mortality induced by disease, with only minor contributions from epidemiological characteristics such as probability of transmission and encounter rate. This is a useful finding because the disease parameters are the least well known.

6.  Synthesis and applications. Our models suggest that details of population demography should be incorporated into epidemiological models to avoid extensive bias in predictions of disease spread and effectiveness of control. Importantly, we demonstrate that low detection probabilities challenge the effectiveness of existing disease-monitoring protocols in northern Australia. The command-centre module we describe linking demographic and epidemiological models provides managers with the tools necessary to make informed decisions regarding disease management.

1. There is increasing evidence from local studies carried out in several parts of the world to suggest that increases in the abundance of deer may be depressing population levels of breeding woodland bird populations that are associated with dense understorey habitats. We examine whether habitat modification by deer is likely to be a factor contributing to recent large-scale population declines of woodland birds in lowland England.

2. Novel analytical methods are applied to extensive national bird and deer monitoring data, to examine whether populations of 11 woodland bird species that are associated with dense understorey habitats in lowland England may have been depressed following increases in the abundance of three widespread and abundant deer species: Reeves’ muntjac Muntiacus reevesi, roe deer Capreolus capreolus and fallow deer Dama dama. An additional four woodland bird species that are not specifically associated with understorey habitats are included as controls.

3. For five of the 11 understorey species considered, there is evidence that increases in deer are associated with large-scale depression of abundance or population declines in lowland England. Of these species, we suggest that the impacts of deer are likely to have been greatest for two species of conservation concern, common nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos and willow tit Poecile montanus.

4. Synthesis and applications. Large-scale analyses of extensive national monitoring data provide evidence for a negative association between three widespread and abundant deer species and several woodland bird populations that are associated with dense understorey habitats. These findings are consistent with those from small-scale experimental studies and indicate that deer-related habitat modification may be affecting some bird species on far larger scales than previously appreciated. Mainly through their effects on understorey vegetation, high deer populations are now likely to be affecting woodland biodiversity over large parts of lowland England and deer management plans, involving integrated exclusion and culling of deer, need to be co-ordinated on large scales. It is suggested that such management plans could most usefully target areas that still support relatively high populations of species that are sensitive to deer. Knowledge about the form of relationships between deer abundance and habitat quality for birds and other biodiversity is an important knowledge gap that needs to be addressed if sound, collaborative deer management plans are to be developed.

1. Some biosecurity systems aimed at reducing the impacts of invasive alien species that employ sentinel trapping systems to detect the presence of unwanted organisms. Once detected, the next challenge is to locate the source population of the invasive species. Tools that can direct search efforts towards the most likely sources of a trapped invasive alien species can improve the chance of rapidly delimiting and eradicating the local population and may help to identify the original introduction pathway. Ground-based detection and delimitation surveys can be very expensive, and methods to focus search efforts to those areas most likely to contain the target organisms can make these efforts more effective and efficient.

2. An individual-based semi-mechanistic model was developed to simulate the spatio-temporal dispersal patterns of an invasive moth. The model combines appetitive and pheromone anemotaxis behaviours in response to wind, temperature and pheromone conditions. The model was trained using data from a series of mark–release–recapture experiments on painted apple moth Teia anartoides.

3. The model was used to create hindcast simulations by reversing the time course of environmental conditions. The ability of the model to encompass the release location was evaluated using individual trap locations as starting points for the hindcast simulations.

4. The hindcast modelling generated a pattern of moth flights that successfully encompassed the origin from 86% of trap locations, representing 95% of the 1464 recaptures observed in the mark–release–recapture experiments.

5. Comparing the guided search area defined using the hindcast model with the area of a simple point-diffusion search strategy revealed an optimized search strategy that combined searching a circle of 1 km radius around the trap followed by the area indicated by hindcast model predictions.

6. Synthesis and applications. Incorporating this novel moth dispersal model into biosecurity sentinel systems will allow incursion managers to direct search effort for the proximal source of the incursion towards those areas most likely to contain a local infestation. Such targeted effort should reduce the costs and time taken to detect the proximal source of an incursion.

1. A first step for the effective management of vulnerable populations is to identify population threats and measure their relative impact on population fluctuations. The relative importance of proximate causes of mortality can be calculated from longitudinal data using capture–mark–recapture models. If marks are lost or cease to function, survival is underestimated.

2. We provide an analytical framework based on conditional probabilities to obtain a robust estimate of the contribution of multiple sources of mortality while accounting for tag loss and imperfect detection.

3. We applied this approach to radiotracking and wing tags-resighting data of red kites Milvus milvus to estimate the impact of illegal poisoning and the mortality by electrocution on power lines in the island of Mallorca (Spain).

4. Illegal poisoning was responsible for 53% of the total mortality and electrocution on power lines for 12%. Results indicated that poisoning-related mortality was higher in immature birds, probably due to their more wide-ranging prospective behaviour.

5. Assuming the two human-related mortalities are additive, the survival probability of kites would increase by 17% (from 0·76 to 0·91) if both threats were removed.

6. Synthesis and applications. We present a new approach to estimate the contribution of different sources of mortality accounting for tag loss, state uncertainty and detection failures in wildlife populations. Our results will allow the demographic consequences of human-related mortality in threatened populations to be refined. The approach is suitable for the study of multiplicative latent processes in a vast range of applied conservation studies such as, for example, wildlife epidemiology.