Using MaxEnt Model to Guide Marsh Conservation in the Nenjiang River Basin, Northeast China

Incorporating private and working lands into protected area networks could mitigate the isolation state of protected areas(PAs) and improve the efficiency of conservation.But how to select patches of land for conservation is still a troublesome issue.In this study, the MaxEnt model and irreplaceability index were applied to guide marsh conservation in the Nenjiang River Basin, Northeast China.According to the high accuracy of the MaxEnt model predictions(i.e., the average AUC value = 0.933), the Wuyuer River and Zhalong marshes in the downstream reaches of Wuyuer River are the optimal habitat for the Red-crowned crane and migratory waterfowls.There are 22 marsh patches selected by the patch irreplaceability index for conservation, of which 12 patches had been included in the current network of protected areas.The other 10 patches of marsh(amounting to 1096 km^2) far from human disturbances with high NDVI(up to 0.8) and close distance to water(less than 100 m), which are excluded from the existing network of PAs, should be implemented conservation easement programs to improve the protection efficiency of conservation.Specifically, the marshes at Taha, Tangchi, and Lamadian should be given priority for conservation and restoration to reintroduce migratory waterfowls, as this would lessen the current isolation state of the Zhalong National Nature Reserve.

Establishment of an efficient germ-free animal system to support functional microbiome research

Germ-free animals are indispensable models for human and animal functional microbiome research Germ-free animals are animals that typically have no microorganisms living in or on them. These animals have become irreplaceable research tools for studying the relationships among single bacteria strains, multiple bacteria strains and hosts.

Securing a future for wild Indochinese tigers:Transforming tiger vacuums into tiger source sites

A century ago,tigers(Panthera tigris Linnaeus,1758)were so common in parts of Southeast Asia as to be considered pests,and governments sponsored their killing.Habitat loss and fragmentation,market-driven poaching and loss of prey have since led to the disappearance of Indochinese tigers from most their former range.Despite 15 years of dedicated tiger conservation funding,national estimates of Indochinese tiger subpopulations can at best only be roughly approximated.The future for the subspecies appears grim unless very focused efforts can be applied to stabilize and recover subpopulations.On a regional scale,the 2 proposed subspecies Panthera tigris corbetti and P.tigris jacksoni are effectively managed as separate conservation units.Evaluating where to place conservation efforts should consider the vulnerability(likelihood of extinction)and irreplaceability(likelihood that an area contributes uniquely to regional conservation)of tiger subpopulations.Only 1 site in Thailand supporting<200 individuals(Huai Kha Khaeng-Thung Yai)is considered low vulnerability,and is irreplaceable.Five sites in Lao,Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia are medium vulnerability and irreplaceable.Priorities at these 6 sites are to double tiger numbers within 10 years through protection and monitoring.Seven sites in Lao,Thailand and Myanmar are high vulnerability and irreplaceable,and might be recovered if government commitment to tigers,staff capacity and legal frameworks for tiger protection are established.Tigers are extremely vulnerable or even extinct in Cambodia’s Eastern Plains and the site is irreplaceable for tigers because it represents the only large(>10000 km^(2))block of dry forest habitat available in the region.A reintroduction program is the only option to recover tigers there.