| 1. |
- Cooke, Steven J., et al.
(author)
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Stewardship and management of freshwater ecosystems : From Leopold's land ethic to a freshwater ethic
- 2021
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In: Aquatic conservation. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1052-7613 .- 1099-0755. ; 31, s. 1499-1511
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- 1. In 1949, Aldo Leopold formalized the concept of the 'land ethic', in what emerged as a foundational and transformational way of thinking about natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, and stewardship in terrestrial systems. Yet, the land ethic has inherent linkages to aquatic ecosystems; Leopold himself conducted research on rivers and lakes, and freshwater ecosystems figured widely in his writing. 2. We reflect on the land ethic and other aspects of Leopold's scholarship to identify key messages that provide insight into the stewardship and management of freshwater ecosystems around the globe. We also frame what we call the 'freshwater ethic' around Leopold's legacy. Although Leopold could not have envisaged the stressors affecting modern aquatic ecosystems, his core principles remain salient. These apply not only to ecosystem protection, but also to the ethics of modern conservation economics, sustainability, and the protection of natural capital, in which lakes, rivers, and wetlands now figure prominently. 3. We identify key 'Aldo-inspired' recommendations for protecting and restoring freshwater ecosystems in the Anthropocene that emanate directly from his writings (e.g. adopt an ecosystem approach, identify win-win-win scenarios, recognize the irreplaceability of wild waters, and strive for freshwater optimism). 4. In an epoch where links between people and nature are becoming more explicit in environmental management, policy, and governance, we suggest that Aldo Leopold's work illustrates how inspirational, seminal thinkers have offered leadership in this domain. We contend that today there is still much that can be learned from Leopold, especially by the next generation of environmental practitioners, to ensure the effective stewardship of our aquatic ecosystems. 5. We submit that the adoption of a freshwater ethic in parallel with Leopold's land ethic will enhance the stewardship of the world's increasingly threatened fresh waters by raising the profile of the plight of fresh waters and identifying enduring actions that, if embraced, will help conserve and restore biodiversity.
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| 2. |
- D Olden, Julian
(author)
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Fish diversity reduction and assemblage structure homogenization in lakes: A case study on unselective fishing in China
- 2022
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In: Water Biology and Security. - : Elsevier BV. - 2772-7351. ; 1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Unselective fishing involves activities that target the entire assemblage rather than specific fish species, size classes, or trophic levels. This common fishing approach has been in practice for decades in inland waters in China but its implications for biodiversity remain unclear. We addressed this issue by studying fish assemblages in freshwater lakes (five fishing lakes, one reference lake, and a total of 51 sampling sites) between pre- and post-fishing time-periods in Eastern China during 2017–2019. The effects of lake, fishing period, and their interactions on fish abundance, biomass, and diversity indices were assessed. Multivariate analysis was conducted to test for differences in fish assemblages among lakes and between fishing periods. After the implementation of fishing activities, significant reductions in fish species richness, abundance, biomass, and all three life-history strategies (opportunistic, equilibrium, and periodic) were observed in fishing lakes, whereas opposite trends were observed in the reference lake. Compositional similarity of fish assemblages among fishing lakes increased over the three-year monitoring period. Our results suggest that unselective fishing reduces fish diversity and homogenizes fish assemblage structure in lakes. These findings have important implications for protecting both biodiversity and fisheries in inland waters in China and are applicable to other countries or regions that rely on fish as a major food source.
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| 3. |
- D Olden, Julian
(author)
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Invasive Species in Streams and Rivers
- 2022
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In: Encyclopedia of Inland Waters. - 9780128191668 ; 2, s. 436-452
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aim: To provide an overview of ecology and management of invasive species in riverine ecosystems. Key findings: ● Aquatic invasive species are a primary threat to streams and rivers across the globe, impacting biodiversity, disrupting key ecological functions, and compromising ecosystem services. ● Invasive species are those that are transported out of their native range, introduced into a novel location, establish self-sustaining populations by surviving and reproducing, spread to new locations, and have negative ecological and/or economic impacts in the recipient ecosystem. ● Species can enter a new region by being imported as or with a commodity associated with the direct human movement of goods, by hitchhiking on human modes of transport, and by dispersing unaided by themselves along infrastructure corridors. ● The likelihood of nonnative species to establish new self-sustaining populations depends on propagule pressure, biological attributes of the species, environmental characteristics of the ecosystem, and biotic interactions with recipient communities. ● The ecological impacts of aquatic invasive species are manifested at different scales from genes to ecosystems. ● Aquatic invasive species have caused enormous economic impacts associated with their management and mitigation of their damages. ● A diversity of management strategies and policy options are available to prevent, contain, control and eradicate aquatic invasive species. Conclusions: The future health of riverine ecosystems will depend on how societies manage current invasive species and whether the arrival of future invasive species can be successfully prevented, or their impacts minimized.
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| 4. |
- D Olden, Julian
(author)
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Preventing and controlling nonnative species invasions to bend the curve of global freshwater biodiversity loss
- 2023
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In: Environmental Reviews. - : Canadian Science Publishing. - 1208-6053 .- 1181-8700. ; 31, s. 310-326
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Emergency Recovery Plan for freshwater biodiversity recognizes that addressing nonnative species is one of six principal actions needed to bend the curve in freshwater biodiversity loss. This is because introduction rates of nonnative species continue to accelerate globally and where these species develop invasive populations, they can have severe impacts on freshwater biodiversity. The most effective management measure to protect freshwater biodiversity is to prevent introductions of nonnative species. Should a nonnative species be introduced, however, then its early detection and the implementation of rapid reaction measures can avoid it establishing and dispersing. If these measures are unsuccessful and the species becomes invasive, then control and containment measures can minimize its further spread and impact. Minimizing further spread and impact includes control methods to reduce invader abundance and containment methods such as screening of invaded sites and strict biosecurity to avoid the invader dispersing to neighbouring basins. Thesemanagement actions have benefitted from developments in invasion risk assessment that can prioritize species according to their invasion risk and, for species already invasive, ensure that management actions are commensurate with assessed risk. The successful management of freshwater nonnative species still requires the overcoming of some implementation challenges, including nonnative species often being a symptom of degraded habitats rather than the main driver of ecological change, and eradication methods often being non-species specific. Given the multiple anthropogenic stressors in freshwaters, nonnative species management must work with other restoration strategies if it is to deliver the Emergency Recovery Plan for freshwater biodiversity.
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| 5. |
- Januchowski-Hartley, Stephanie R., et al.
(author)
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Perceptions of a curriculum vitae clinic for conservation science students
- 2019
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In: Conservation Science and Practice. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2578-4854. ; 1:6, s. 1-7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We led a curriculum vitae (CV) clinic aimed at student participants attending the 28th International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB 2017) in Cartagena, Colombia. The CV Clinic was a pilot program consisting of resources to assist with developing an effective CV and involving preconference and at-conference reviews of student attendees' CVs. Here, we explore our experiences in organizing the CV Clinic as well as nonparticipant and participant perceptions of the clinic. We used an online standardized interview form to gather qualitative data on nonparticipant and participant perceptions of the CV Clinic, and to explore how such a CV Clinic program could best align with student needs. Most respondents who submitted their CV for review ahead of ICCB 2017 (n = 9) found the template and guidance useful. Half of the respondents who did not participate in the CV Clinic perceived the clinic as duplicating services provided by their academic institutions. Both participant and nonparticipant respondents perceived value in such a CV Clinic, but also believed that adjustments could be made to make the CV review part of a broader professional development program lead by Society for Conservation Biology (SCB). Key lessons learned from the CV Clinic include the need to: (a) document and evaluate professional development initiatives within SCB; (b) better understand and account for the diversity of student needs before program creation; and (c) pilot and evaluate appropriateness of different locations, frequency, and duration of professional development programs.
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| 6. |
- Olden, Julian D.
(author)
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Assessing placement bias of the global river gauge network
- 2022
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In: Nature sustainability. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2398-9629. ; 5, s. 586-592
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Hydrologic data collected from river gauges inform critical decisions for allocating water resources, conserving ecosystems and predicting the occurrence of droughts and floods. The current global river gauge network is biased towards large, perennial rivers, and strategic adaptations are needed to capture the full scope of rivers on Earth.Knowing where and when rivers flow is paramount to managing freshwater ecosystems. Yet stream gauging stations are distributed sparsely across rivers globally and may not capture the diversity of fluvial network properties and anthropogenic influences. Here we evaluate the placement bias of a global stream gauge dataset on its representation of socioecological, hydrologic, climatic and physiographic diversity of rivers. We find that gauges are located disproportionally in large, perennial rivers draining more human-occupied watersheds. Gauges are sparsely distributed in protected areas and rivers characterized by non-perennial flow regimes, both of which are critical to freshwater conservation and water security concerns. Disparities between the geography of the global gauging network and the broad diversity of streams and rivers weakens our ability to understand critical hydrologic processes and make informed water-management and policy decisions. Our findings underscore the need to address current gauge placement biases by investing in and prioritizing the installation of new gauging stations, embracing alternative water-monitoring strategies, advancing innovation in hydrologic modelling, and increasing accessibility of local and regional gauging data to support human responses to water challenges, both today and in the future.
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| 7. |
- Olden, Julian D.
(author)
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Dam Construction Impacts Fish Biodiversity in a Subtropical River Network, China
- 2022
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In: Diversity. - : MDPI AG. - 1424-2818. ; 14
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Dams and diversions are a primary threat to freshwater fish biodiversity, including the loss of species and restructuring of communities, often resulting in taxonomic homogenization (increased similarity) over time. Mitigating these impacts requires a strong scientific understanding of both patterns and drivers of fish diversity. Here, we test whether different components of fish biodiversity have changed in response to major dam construction, and whether these patterns are predictable as a function of key environmental factors in the Gan River Basin, China. The results showed that total and native species alpha diversity have declined from the historical period (pre-dam) to the current period (post-dam). A total of 29 native species are lost, while 6 alien species were gained over time. We found evidence for fish faunal homogenization in the Gan River Basin, with a slight (1%) increase in taxonomic similarity among river basins from the historical period to the current period. Additionally, we revealed significant associations between drainage length, drainage area, and average air temperature, and alpha and beta fish diversity. This study provides new insight into the patterns and drivers of fish biodiversity change in the broader Yangtze River Basin and helps inform management efforts seeking to slow, and even reverse, current trajectories of biodiversity change.
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| 8. |
- Olden, Julian D.
(author)
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Words matter: a systematic review of communication in non-native aquatic species literature
- 2022
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In: NeoBiota. - : Pensoft Publishers. - 1619-0033 .- 1314-2488. ; 74, s. 1-28
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- How scientists communicate can influence public viewpoints on invasive species. In the scientific litera-ture, some invasion biologists adopt neutral language, while others use more loaded language, for example by emphasizing the devastating impacts of invasive species and outlining consequences for policy and practice. An evaluation of the use of language in the invasion biology literature does not exist, preventing us from understanding which frames are used and whether there are correlations between message framing in scientific papers and local environmental impacts associated with invasive species. Thus, we conducted a systematic literature review of 278 peer-reviewed articles published from 2008-2018 to understand communication styles adopted by social and natural scientists while reporting on aquatic non-native spe-cies research. Species-centered frames (45%) and human-centered frames (55%) were adopted to nearly equal degrees. Negative valence was dominant in that 81.3% of articles highlighted the negative risks and impacts of invasive species. Additionally, the use of terminology was found to broadly align with the stage of invasion, in that "invasive" was most commonly used except when the research was conducted at early stages of invasion, when "non-native" was most commonly used. Terminology use therefore enables readers of scientific papers to infer the status and severity of ongoing invasions. Given that science communication within the peer-reviewed literature affects public understanding of research outcomes, these findings provide an important point of reflection for researchers.
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