1/2/24

THE WORLD AT NIGHT: PRESERVING NATURAL DARKNESS FOR HERITAGE CONSERVATION AND NIGHT SKY APPRECIATION


ABSTRACT

Light pollution is the human-caused alteration of outdoor light levels from those occurring naturally. It threatens ecological and commemorative integrity, interferes with amateur and research astronomy, degrades the appreciation of mythologies and cultural practices related to the night sky, mars wilderness experience and landscape beauty, carries risks to human health and wastes energy. Counterintuitively, excess outdoor lighting reduces safety and security. In response to these many threats, not just to astronomy, the International Dark-Sky Association, the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and Fundación Starlight have operated programmes to certify places that have effective protections against light pollution, impact monitoring, public education and lighting management strategies. There are also several other initiatives outside these three leading programmes that have awarded dark sky status to protected areas. The lessons learnt presented in this report are drawn from case studies of dark sky places certified by the IDA, RASC, Fundación Starlight and other organizations.
 
  • Welch, D. et al. (2024). The world at night: Preserving natural darkness for heritage conservation and night sky appreciation. IUCN WCPA Good Practice Guidelines Series No. 33, Gland, Switzerland: IUCN [PDF]


22/9/23

BAT SURVEYS FOR PROFESSIONAL ECOLOGISTS GOOD PRACTICE GUIDELINES 4TH EDITION

Aim of the guidelines

This publication aims to provide good practice guidelinesin relation to designing and undertaking bat surveys in theUnited Kingdom (UK), analysing the data collected during thosesurveys and writing survey reports. The guidelines relate toprofessional bat surveys carried out to assess how proposedactivities may impact bats. They aim to raise standards andincrease the consistency of this type of work and ultimatelylead to a greater understanding of bats and improvements intheir protection and conservation.

  • Collins, J. (Ed.). 2023. Bat Surveys for Professional Ecologists: Good Practice Guidelines (4th edition). The Bat Conservation Trust, London. ISBN-978-1-7395126-0-6 [PDF]

 

13/9/23

POST-CONSTRUCTION BIRD AND BAT FATALITY MONITORING FOR ONSHORE WIND ENERGY FACILITIES IN EMERGING MARKET COUNTRIES. GOOD PRACTICE HANDBOOK AND DECISION SUPPORT TOOL

 
  • IFC 2023. Post-Construction Bird and Bat Fatality Monitoring for Onshore Wind Energy Facilities in Emerging Market Countries. Good Practice Handbook and Decision Support Tool. International Finance Corporation- European Bank for Reconstruction and Development- KfW Group, 176 pp. [PDF
 

30/8/23

INVENTARIO ESPAÑOL DE LOS CONOCIMIENTOS TRADICIONALES RELATIVOS A LA BIODIVERSIDAD AGRÍCOLA


La Ley 30/2006, de 26 de julio, de Semillas y Plantas de Vivero y de Recursos Fitogenéticos regula, en su Título IV, los recursos fitogenéticos. El Artículo 51 de la citada Ley está dedicado a los mecanismos para proteger y promover los derechos de los agricultores y especifica además que las Administraciones Públicas, en el ámbito de sus competencias, deberán establecer, para promover el uso y conservación de los recursos genéticos en peligro de desaparición, medidas encaminadas a la protección, la conservación y el desarrollo de los conocimientos tradicionales de interés para los recursos fitogenéticos para la alimentación y la agricultura.

En este sentido, establece un mandato para las Administraciones Públicas relacionado con la preservación, el mantenimiento y el fomento de los conocimientos tradicionales y el impulso a la realización del inventario de conocimientos tradicionales relevantes sobre las plantas cultivadas (biodiversidad agrícola).

Desde el Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación se ha promovido la puesta en marcha del Inventario Español de Conocimientos Tradicionales relativos a la Biodiversidad Agrícola, cuyo objetivo principal es divulgar y revalorizar la riqueza de este patrimonio cultural y material asociado a la biodiversidad agrícola en España.

  • VOLUMEN I: Tardío, J. et al. (Ed.). 2018. Inventario Español de los Conocimientos Tradicionales relativos a la Biodiversidad Agrícola. Volumen 1: Introducción, Metodologías y Fichas. Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación. Madrid. 420 pp. [PDF]
  • VOLUMEN II: Tardío, J. et al. (Ed.). 2022. Inventario Español de los Conocimientos Tradicionales relativos a la Biodiversidad Agrícola. Volumen 2: Fichas. Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación. Madrid. 420 pp. [PDF]

28/8/23

PROCEEDINGS OF THE 14 TH WIND-WILDLIFE RESEARCH MEETING

Abstract

The anticipated build-out of renewable energy development over the next 10 to 15 years is staggering, presenting both challenges and barriers in the path toward mitigating climate change through an energy transition that simultaneously facilitates wildlife conservation. Solving this immense challenge will require work across sectors to identify and evaluate solutions. These proceedings document current research pertaining to wind energy-related wildlife impacts from collision and displacement; the cumulative and potential population-level effects from both climate change and wind energy development; and technological advances to avoid, minimize, and offset these impacts. As the window of opportunity to prevent the most catastrophic consequences of climate change narrows, these proceedings reflect discussions among stakeholders -scientists, government wildlife agencies, wind energy developers, and conservation organizations- who are working to understand and develop solutions to mitigate risk to wildlife from wind, on and offshore, as we work to meet renewable energy targets to mitigate climate change.

  • PNWWRM XIV. 2023. Proceedings of the 14 th Wind-Wildlife Research Meeting. November 15-17, 2022. Prepared by the Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute, Washington, DC, K.E. Johnson, ed. 109 pp. [PDF

14/8/23

BIRD SPECIES. HOW THEY ARISE, MODIFY AND VANISH


About this book

The average person can name more bird species than they think, but do we really know what a bird “species” is? This open access book takes up several fascinating aspects of bird life to elucidate this basic concept in biology. From genetic and physiological basics to the phenomena of bird song and bird migration, it analyzes various interactions of birds – with their environment and other birds. Lastly, it shows imminent threats to birds in the Anthropocene, the era of global human impact.

Although it seemed to be easy to define bird species, the advent of modern methods has challenged species definition and led to a multidisciplinary approach to classifying birds. One outstanding new toolbox comes with the more and more reasonably priced acquisition of whole-genome sequences that allow causative analyses of how bird species diversify.

Speciation has reached a final stage when daughter species are reproductively isolated, but this stage is not easily detectable from the phenotype we observe. Culturally transmitted traits such as bird song seem to speed up speciation processes, while another behavioral trait, migration, helps birds to find food resources, and also coincides with higher chances of reaching new, inhabitable areas. In general, distribution is a major key to understanding speciation in birds. Examples of ecological speciation can be found in birds, and the constant interaction of birds with their biotic environment also contributes to evolutionary changes. In the Anthropocene, birds are confronted with rapid changes that are highly threatening for some species. Climate change forces birds to move their ranges, but may also disrupt well-established interactions between climate, vegetation, and food sources.

This book brings together various disciplines involved in observing bird species come into existence, modify, and vanish. It is a rich resource for bird enthusiasts who want to understand various processes at the cutting edge of current research in more detail. At the same time it offers students the opportunity to see primarily unconnected, but booming big-data approaches such as genomics and biogeography meet in a topic of broad interest. Lastly, the book enables conservationists to better understand the uncertainties surrounding “species” as entities of protection. 
 
  • Tietze, D.T. (Ed.) 2018. Bird Species. How They Arise, Modify and VanishSpringer Cham, 266 pp. [PDF]
 

20/6/23

THE RED KITE. BIOLOGY AND CONSERVATION


Esta obra realiza un repaso a la a taxonomía, biología, demografía, amenazas y conservación del milano real (Milvus milvus) a nivel mundial tomando como referencia la población de Castilla y León (España), donde habitan las contingentes reproductores e invernantes más numerosas de toda la península ibérica. Actualmente esta especie se encuentra en peligro de extinción. 

  • Sanz-Zuasti J., Velasco T., Arroyo B., Rico M., Bermejo A. & De la Puente J. 2022. The Red Kite. Biology and Conservation. Fundación del Patrimonio Natural de Castilla y León. Valladolid, España. 387 pp. [PDF]

7/6/23

NATIONAL LIGHT POLLUTION GUIDELINES FOR WILDLIFE

 
About this document  

The guidelines raise awareness of the impacts of artificial light on wildlife. They can help you protect Australia’s threatened wildlife. 

The guidelines include:

  • a framework for how to assess and manage the light pollution impacts on protected wildlife
  • detailed guidance for how to manage artificial light
  • specific advice on how to protect marine turtles, seabirds and migratory shorebirds

In 2023, the guidelines were updated and now also include specific advice on how to protect bats, terrestrial mammals and ecological communities.

  • DCCEEW 2023. National Light Pollution Guidelines for Wildlife. Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Canberra, Australia. [PDF]