Achievements and challenges of primate conservation in China

The dual impact of climate change and human activities has precipitated a sharp decline in primate biodiversity globally.China is home to the most diverse primate species in the Northern hemisphere,which face severe ecological threats due to the expansion of modern agriculture,extensive exploitation and consumption of natural resources,and excessive land development during its transition from an agricultural to a modern society.In response,China has implemented various ecological conservation measures,including habitat restoration and protection.These efforts have made substantial strides in biodiversity conservation,with certain regions witnessing an increase in primate populations.In the current study,we conducted a systematic review of historical documents and field research data related to Chinese primates,evaluating the endangered status of primate species in China.Despite improvements in the habitats of most primate species and some population growth,many species still face severe threats,including declining and small populations.Species such as the Myanmar snub-nosed monkey(Rhinopithecus strykeri),eastern black crested gibbon(Nomascus nasutus),and Hainan gibbon(N.hainanus)remain particularly vulnerable due to their limited distribution ranges and extremely small populations.Insufficient scientific data,fragmented information,and not enough studies in conservation biology further compound the challenges.Moreover,there is a notable lack of detailed population monitoring data for species such as the Bengal slow loris(Nycticebus bengalensis),pygmy slow loris(N.pygmaeus),Indochinese gray langur(Trachypithecus crepusculus),Shortridge’s langur(T.shortridgei),and capped langur(T.pileatus),which hinders the development of practical and targeted conservation management strategies.Therefore,for national biodiversity conservation,there is an urgent need for specialized primate surveys,enhancing habitat protection and restoration,and increasing focus on cross-border conservation strategies and regional cooperation.There is also a need to establish a comprehensive and systematic research database platform,conduct continuous and in-depth research in primate biology,and actively engage in the scientific assessment of ecotourism.Additionally,strengthening public awareness and education on wildlife conservation remains essential.Such integrated and systematic efforts will provide scientific support for the current and future conservation and management of primate species in China.

Conservation-oriented restoration—a two for one method to restore both threatened species and their habitats

There is an urgent need for a new conservation approach as mere designation of protected areas, the primary approach to conserving biodiversity, revealed its low conservation efficiency and inability to cope with numerous challenges faced by nature in the Anthropocene. The paper discusses the new concept, which proposes that ecological restoration becomes an integral part of conservation planning and implementation, and is done using threatened plant species that are introduced not only into locations where they currently grow or grew in the recent past, but also into suitable locations within their potential distribution range. This new concept is called conservation-oriented restoration to distinguish it from the traditional restoration. Although the number of restoration projects focusing on recreation of once existing natural habitats is instantly growing, the majority of ecological restoration projects, in contrast to conservation-oriented restoration, have predominantly utilitarian goals, e.g.improvement or air quality, erosion control or soil replenishment. Conservation-oriented restoration should not be seen as an alternative either to the latter, or to the conservation dealing with particular threatened species(species-targeted conservation). These three conservation approaches, traditional ecological restoration, species-targeted conservation, and conservation-oriented restoration differ not only in broadly defined goals and attributes of their targets, but also in the types of ecosystems they are applicable to, and complement each other in combating global deterioration of the environment and biodiversity loss.

Conservation and restoration of degraded ecosystems in arid and semi-arid areas of northwest China

In "West Development" of China, one of the most important activities is the Natural Forest Protection Program, designed to swiftly convert the focus of management and utilization of the natural forests from a timber orientation towards forest conservation, sustainable management and environmental protection. The project covered almost all the arid and semi-arid regions in Northwest region. Accompanying this great campaign this paper studied the conservation and restoration model of degraded ecosystems in arid and semi-arid lands in Northwest China. The past practices have resulted in considerably natural forest degradation and loss through land conversion (primarily for agriculture), over-harvesting, inadequate reforestation and lack of protection. The consequences have been the loss of soil and water resources, diminished timber production capacity on a sustainable basis, and environmental losses. This paper applied Aronson’s restoration model and proposed the conservation, restoration, re-allocation and preservation program for the implementation of environmental improvement and natural forest conservation.

Study on Evaluation Method of Ecological Restoration for Soil and Water Conservation in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

On the basis of deeply understanding the domestic existing evaluation method of ecological restoration for soil and water conservation, under the premise of analyzing characteristics of current commonly used evaluation index of ecological restoration, based on the actual situation in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, taking objectivity, independence and operability as the principles, nine evaluation indexes were selected, and a set of comprehensive evaluation method of ecological restoration for water and soil conservation based on AHP was constructed. The hundred mark system corresponded with ecological restoration level, and the weight of each index in evaluation system was calculated according to comparison matrix constructed by frontline workers of soil and water conservation. The method could be used to determine difficult degree of restoration of the disturbed and destroyed ecosystem and the rationality of ecological restoration for soil and water conservation.

A Review on the Post-Earthquake Emergency Conservation Project of Fulong Taoist Temple

The 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan Province caused significant damage to Dujiangyan irrigation system,which is one of the world's cultural heritages.After the earthquake,the Chinese government launched the post-earthquake emergency conservation project for cultural heritages.The Fulong Taoist Temple in Dujiangyan was the first to adopt the conservation project.The earthquake-damaged Fulong Taoist Temple was restored in just 18 months.This article reviews the entire emergency conservation project of Fulong Taoist Temple in Dujiangyan after the earthquake,discusses the restoration principles and technical methods used in this project,and uses the comments of the Asia-Pacific Heritage Protection Award to expound the historical significance of this protection project.

Former Botanical Garden of ORSTOM(Côte d’Ivoire):What Remain after Thirty Years of Abandonment and Forest Restoration

Botanical gardens represent important places for ex situ conservation.One of these botanical gardens has been abandoned in Côte d’Ivoire for 30 years.This is the former botanical garden of ORSTOM.This study was conducted to determine the level of diversity of this former garden in order to assess the opportunity for its rehabilitation.The authors carried out inventories in 18 quadrats of 500 m2 through the vegetation to collect woody species.Dendrometric measurements(height,diameter)were also recorded to assess the structure of the site.A total of 190 species have been identified.They belong to 141 genera and 47 families.This former botanical garden contains important species because of their origin,status or particularity(threatened,endemic,rarity,etc.).A total of 19 threatened species including 2 endangered and west African endemic(Chrysophyllum azaguieanum J.Miège,Placodiscus pseudostipularis)were found at the site.Also,Chrysophyllum azaguieanum is declared extinct from Côte d’Ivoire.Four species are rare in the flora of Côte d’Ivoire:Balanites wilsoniana,Chrysophyllum azaguieanum,Gilletiodendron kisantuense and Loesenera kalantha.The most abundant species is Hopea odorata.Although this introduced species is considered globally vulnerable,it presents a risk of invasion in the forest of Côte d’Ivoire.The diameter and height structures show that all the stages of development are presented indicating a good regeneration on the site.Ultimately,this botanical garden deserves to be rehabilitated and especially urgent management of Hopea odorata is needed to prevent an invasion of this species.

Partially Coverage Restoration: An Esthetically Conservative Treatment for a Complex Cavity Restoration

Dental materials have been continuously developing over a long period of time. Every effort has been made to develop the physical and mechanical properties of the materials to mimic the natural tooth substances. However, that has not yet been achieved, making it necessary to apply conservative dental treatments. Conservative treatments are procedures which minimize the amount of defective tooth structure removed while maximizing the remaining amount of intact tooth structure, and defining the margin of the restoration at the supragingival level. In a substantially destructed tooth, the direct restoration, which is the most conservative restoration, has the limitations on the retention or creation of the proper contour of the restoration. The indirectly partial coverage restoration has recently gained in popularity. This treatment preserves the tooth structure while allowing reconstruction of the destructed structure to enable correct and proper tooth functioning and also provides a satisfactory cosmetic appearance. The purpose of this paper is to review and compare the various conservative techniques of partial coverage restorations and the full coverage treatment with crowns.

A road for a promising future for China＇s primates： The potential for restoration

China is one of the most dynamic countries of the world and it shelters some amazing levels of biodiversity, including some very special primate species. However, primarily as a result of forest loss, most of which occurred in historical times, approximately 70% of China＇s primate species have less than 3 000 individuals. Here I evaluate one road for future conservation/development that could produce very positive gains for China＇s primates; namely forest restoration. I argue that for a large scale restoration project to be possible two conditions must be met; the right societal conditions must exist and the right knowledge must be in hand. This evaluation suggests that the restoration of native forest to support many of China＇s primates holds great potential to advance conservation goals and to promote primate population recovery.

Conserving and restoring the Caicos pine forests: The first decade

The severe and rapid attack on the Caicos pine Pinus caribaea var. bahamensis(Pinaceae) by the nonnative invasive pine tortoise scale, Toumeyella parvicornis, has resulted in the death of most of the trees in the Turks and Caicos Islands(TCI) in just over a decade. Local and international conservation efforts have enabled the necessary multi-disciplinary research, data gathering, and monitoring to develop and implement a restoration strategy for this endemic tree from the Bahaman archipelago. The native plant nursery established on North Caicos and horticultural expertise acquired throughout the years were crucial to the successful rescue of Caicos pine saplings from the wild populations and cultivation of new saplings grown from locally sourced seeds. These saplings have been used to establish six Restoration Trial Plots on Pine Cay and a seed orchard on North Caicos in TCI. Core Conservation Areas(CCAs) for the Caicos pine forests have been identified and mapped. To date, forest within the Pine Cay CCA has been supplemented by planting more than 450 pine trees, which have survived at a high(>80%)rate.

Historic Centers Restoration and Ancient Buildings Energetic Efficiency Improvement

The historical center is a part of the city with specific environmental, architectural and historical values, which emerges from the urban fabric structural continuity. This complex reality requires a comprehensive understanding to determinate the most proper ways to carry out functional transformations and system adaptations, with respect to historical buildings values. Each building must obtain those proper improvements and functional adjustments, also in terms of technology and energetic efficiency. The achievements of a complex interdisciplinary research project on Ceglie Messapica historical center (BR, Italy) are explained. They lead to guidelines for mulation for the historical buildings’ critical conservative restoration.

Changes in Ecosystem Service of Soil Conservation Between 2000 and 2010 and Its Driving Factors in Southwestern China

Human activities significantly alter ecosystems and their services; however, quantifying the impact of human activities on ecosystems has been a great challenge in ecosystem management. We used the Universal Soil Loss Equation and county-level socioeconomic data to assess the changes in the ecosystem service of soil conservation between 2000 and 2010, and to analyze its spatial characteristics and driving factors in the southwestern China. The results showed that cropland in the southwestern China decreased by 3.74%, while urban land, forest, and grassland areas increased by 46.78%, 0.86%, and 1.12%, respectively. The soil conservation increased by 1.88 × 10^(11) kg, with deterioration only in some local areas. The improved and the degraded areas accounted for 6.41% and 2.44% of the total land area, respectively. Implementation of the Sloping Land Conversion Program and urbanization explained 57.80% and 23.90% of the variation in the soil conservation change, respectively, and were found to be the main factors enhancing soil conservation. The 2008 Wenchuan earthquake was one of the factors that led to the degradation of soil conservation. Furthermore, industrial adjustment, by increasing shares of Industry and Service and reducing those of Agriculture, has also promoted soil conservation. Our results quantitatively showed and emphasized the contributions to soil conservation improvement made by implementing ecological restoration programs and promoting urbanization. Consequently, these results provide basic information to improve our understanding of the effects of ecological restoration programs, and help guide future sustainable urban development and regional industrial restructuring.

Aspects of forest restoration and hydrology:linking passive restoration and soil–water recovery in Brazilian Cerrado

Although the scientific knowledge about some associations between physical parameters of the soil is consolidated,studies focused on investigating the dynamics of forest restoration processes and the structure of soils remain incipient.The study area is located in Cerrado and is called as Private Natural Heritage Reserve(RPPN)Águas Perenes Forest(perennial water forest)and was selected as a“High Conservation Value Forest”,provides scope to investigate the soil physical properties recovery on passive restoration sites,with different ages but with the same land use history.So,the aim was to investigate the soil density,moisture,penetration resistance and infiltration rate with long-term from old(FA,46 year-old),medium(FB,11 year-old)and young(FC,8 year-old)passive restoration sites.It was observed differences in soil density,as well as in soil moisture,resistance to penetration and infiltration rate.Mean densities recorded for FA,FB and FC were 1.38,1.48 and 1.53 g cm^(-3),respectively.FA recorded higher mean soil moisture(14.9%)than FB(11.5%)and FC(10.0%),whereas mean soil resistance to penetration was increased from FA(0.87 MPa)to FB(0.91 MPa)and FC(1.10 MPa).The average infiltration rate was almost similar in FA and FB(FA=76.43 mm h^(-1);FB=77.48 mm h^(-1))and approximately 39%higher than FC(55.79 mm h^(-1)).Thus,although soil density and moisture were different in each passive restoration site,11 year-old passive restoration site showed similar resistance to penetration and infiltration rate to the old(46 years)passive restoration site.These features allowed seeing improvements in hydrological maintenance in the soil and revealed that passive restoration in Cerrado is able to improve the physical features on a soil presenting similar texture,climate and management history.

Restoration,Strengthening and Planning in Italian and German Reconstruction after World War Ⅱ:Essay in Three Steps

Post WWⅡ reconstruction took place at a time of fundamental importance for our understanding of the divide,theoretical and technical,between consolidation,reconstruction and restoration.Indeed,this period represents the moment in which the earliest stages of this rift emerged.In this essay,we shall attempt to provide an account of this phenomenon by citing case studies considered important within the Italian and German context:post-WWⅡ reconstruction work in the Veneto region(at key sites such as the Basilica Palladiana in Vicenza,the Palazzo dei Trecento in Treviso and the Church of the Eremitani in Padua),reconstruction of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich,and reconstruction and work for new use of the hospital,Ospedale Maggiore,in Milan,as a seat for the Università Statale.Considering these instances provides us with an opportunity to reconsider the transition,theoretical and technical,between conservation of ruins and reconstruction of memory.

Conservation Grading of Water Ecological Spaces in the Muling River Basin

Along with the urban construction and industrial development, the original continuous riverway of the Muling River has been dammed into river sections of different lengths, which has seriously destroyed ecological environment of the basin. In view of this, it is urgent to protect water ecological environment of the basin. This paper took the national ecological environment conservation instructions as the guidance, combined with the administrative division, planning and actual conditions of the basin, proposed principles and schemes for the grading of water spaces in the basin, as well as the hierarchic control requirements, to provide instructions for the conservation of the river basin.

Observations on forest restoration in Jilin, China

这篇论文在吉林省考察各种各样的林地惯例，中国。Theauthors 强调吉林和需要的富有的自然差异在理解本国的种类的潜力满足涉及森林资源利用和生态的恢复的陆地管理机构的需要上集中研究努力。中国的本国的种类保持大潜力，并且值得更多的研究注意，为满足这些需要。介绍并且异国情调的种类测试应该在运作的介绍以前与本国的种类仅仅在严密科学测试下面并且在比较以后被做进林地以便避免讨厌的生态的后果，包括有相异的 invasives 和害虫介绍的潜在的问题。作者也强调需要维持可行(例如，遗传上多样并且 reproductivelyfit ) 种子为本地森林和生态的恢复活动采购以便保护中国的珍贵自然差异并且维持本国的种类的潜力作为未来工作的本国的种类的自然人口。

基于生态网络的黄河上游(四川段)水源涵养生态安全格局构建

在对黄河上游四川段水源涵养功能及修复潜力评估的基础上,利用形态学空间格局分析法(MSPA)识别黄河上游四川段生态源地,运用最小累积阻力模型识别生态廊道.结果表明:整个研究区水源涵养能力由南至北逐渐降低,水源涵养修复潜力等级高的区域主要分布在研究区域北部;MSPA识别的核心区主要位于若尔盖县和石渠县,占总面积的44.04%,形成由3个等级的生态源地和3个等级的生态廊道组成的黄河上游四川段生态安全格局;整个生态网络均集中于研究区中北部,东西部和南部生态网络分布较少.基于生态网络进行生态安全格局的构建,可为黄河上游四川段水源涵养生态修复布局提供重要依据.

高铁对沿线野生动物空间分布的影响特征及生境适宜性评价——以京广高铁武汉乌龙泉段为例

高铁作为中国重要的交通基础设施,其建设和运营不可避免会对沿线环境造成不同程度的影响。解析高铁对沿线生境的干扰特征,是实现沿线野生动物保护的重要途径。基于京广高铁武汉乌龙泉段乡野样本地的长期红外相机监测结果,分析高铁对沿线野生动物空间分布的影响特征,并筛选出当地陆地野生动物代表物种小麂,提取其分布点数据,利用最大熵(MaxEnt)模型预测小麂生境适宜区分布,分析气候、地形、人类干扰和水源4类环境变量的影响程度。结果表明:1)高铁对狗獾和黄鼬造成空间阻隔效应显著;2)小麂、白鹇、黄鼬、狗獾和貉均对高铁产生回避效应;3)代表物种小麂的适宜生境主要分布于核心区的中部,距离高铁的远近是影响小麂生境适宜性的主要因素,且高铁对小麂生境的最大影响距离约为1500m。根据野生动物生境区因高铁建设而受到干扰的情况,通过增加水源点、营造适宜动物生存的植被空间等措施促进其受损生境修复。研究结果可为高铁沿线受损生境的空间识别和修复提供参考。

浅析美国国家鱼类与野生生物基金会

充分利用社会资本参与生态保护修复、增强生态产品供给和社区韧性、促进蓝色经济发展,是美国政府广泛使用的政策工具之一,这种方式有效缓解了财政资金压力。通过介绍美国国家鱼类与野生生物基金会的组织结构、资金来源、项目管理、伙伴关系等情况,并以国家海岸带韧性基金为例,分析其典型案例和成功经验。

刍议新时期生态保护修复创新路径

科学推进生态保护修复,不仅要汲取国内外成功经验,还需立足国内开展理论创新。依托自然环境、社会环境和数字环境等现实条件,有序推动生态保护修复环境创建;通过主体增权、技术赋能、资源链接、公众参与、动态测评等合理方式,持续开展生态保护修复路径探索,以期为国土空间生态保护修复、自然资源综合管理、社会经济高质量发展提供可靠支持。