Advances in Wildlife Conservation and Habitat Management in the Anthropocene

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land, Biodiversity, and Human Wellbeing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 3871

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Biodiversity Conservation Laboratory, Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, 81132 Mytilene, Greece
Interests: forest ecology; urban forestry; agro-ecosystem conservation; wildlife conservation; conservation physiology; behavioral ecology; non-invasive methods
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Anthropocene, characterized by significant human impacts on Earth's ecosystems, has introduced a complex array of environmental stressors that significantly challenge traditional approaches to wildlife conservation and habitat management in terrestrial environments. This multifaceted interplay encompasses anthropogenic stressors, such as habitat loss and fragmentation driven by deforestation, urbanization, and infrastructure development. These activities disrupt ecological connectivity and degrade critical habitats, leading to declines in species and their populations and causing significant disruptions in ecosystem functions, affecting ecological processes across multiple scales, from individual species to entire landscapes. Alongside these anthropogenic influences, biotic stressors, including competition for resources (both intraspecific and interspecific) and disease outbreaks, further complicate conservation efforts. Alterations in habitats and shifts in climate patterns can intensify these biotic pressures, facilitating the spread of invasive species and diseases that undermine ecosystem stability, threaten native species, and disrupt community dynamics. Beyond the direct consequences of human activities, terrestrial ecosystems face a complex web of abiotic stressors encompassing large-scale, climate-driven phenomena like wildfires, floods, and droughts, alongside more subtle variations in environmental gradients, such as temperature, water availability, salinity, light, and nutrient availability, all of which can disrupt ecological processes and push species beyond their physiological tolerances, presenting a significant challenge in conservation efforts.

In light of these challenges, advances in ecological monitoring, modeling, and management strategies in wildlife conservation and habitat management are essential in developing effective and adaptive strategies to mitigate the impacts of these complex and interacting stressors and to guide conservation planning in the Anthropocene.

In this Special Issue, we aim to explore and highlight innovative approaches and cutting-edge advancements in wildlife conservation and habitat management in the Anthropocene. We invite submissions from researchers, practitioners, and policymakers encompassing all aspects of this critical field, including theoretical frameworks, experimental studies, and practical applications. Contributions can include original research articles, reviews, short communications, and case studies. We particularly encourage submissions that explore the individual and combined effects of anthropogenic, biotic, and abiotic stressors on wildlife and habitats. By bringing together pioneering research and practical insights, this Special Issue seeks to equip conservation practitioners and policymakers with the necessary knowledge and tools to navigate the complex interplay between anthropogenic, biotic, and abiotic stressors in the context of wildlife conservation and habitat management in terrestrial ecosystems. The featured works will report and advance conservation practices, aligning with the broader scope of the journal, which is to disseminate knowledge and promote sustainable land management and biodiversity conservation.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts directly addressing challenges including, but not limited to, the following themes:

  • Innovative Conservation Methods and Technologies: Papers that showcase new tools, technologies, and methodologies for monitoring, managing, and mitigating the impacts of environmental stressors on wildlife and habitats.
  • Habitat Suitability Modeling under Climate Change: Research employing advanced modeling techniques to evaluate how climate change and other stressors impact habitat suitability. This includes developing and refining models to predict shifts in habitat conditions, species distributions, and ecological interactions and using these insights to inform adaptive conservation and management strategies.
  • Anthropogenic Stressors and their Impact: Investigations into how human activities such as habitat deterioration, urbanization, and infrastructure development are affecting terrestrial wild species and their habitats.
  • Biotic and Abiotic Stressors: Comprehensive analyses of how environmental stressors, such as climate change and disease outbreaks, in combination with human-induced changes, influence ecosystem dynamics and inform conservation strategies.
  • Protected Areas and Habitat Management: Examination of the role and effectiveness of management strategies for protected areas in conserving biodiversity and maintaining ecosystem resilience amid various stressors.
  • Conservation of Keystone and Threatened Species: Studies focused on conservation strategies for keystone species and those listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, addressing specific threats and management approaches.
  • Long-Term Monitoring and Evaluation: Papers focusing on the importance of long-term ecological monitoring and evaluation in understanding trends, assessing conservation outcomes, and adapting management strategies.

We look forward to receiving your research articles and reviews.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Biology.

Dr. Yiannis G. Zevgolis
Prof. Dr. Panayiotis G. Dimitrakopoulos
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • innovative technologies
  • advanced monitoring techniques
  • habitat suitability modeling
  • species distribution modeling
  • climate change scenarios
  • anthropogenic, biotic, and abiotic stressors
  • environmental impact assessments
  • invasive species management
  • disease outbreak impacts
  • long-term ecological monitoring
  • protected area effectiveness
  • keystone species conservation
  • threatened species
  • adaptive conservation strategies
  • conservation planning
  • wildlife conservation
  • habitat management

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 3107 KiB  
Article
Invasion Patterns of the Coypu, Myocastor coypus, in Western Central Greece: New Records Reveal Expanding Range, Emerging Hotspots, and Habitat Preferences
by Yiannis G. Zevgolis, Alexandros D. Kouris, Stylianos P. Zannetos, Ioannis Selimas, Themistoklis D. Kontos, Apostolos Christopoulos, Panayiotis G. Dimitrakopoulos and Triantaphyllos Akriotis
Land 2025, 14(2), 365; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14020365 - 10 Feb 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 721
Abstract
The coypu (Myocastor coypus), a semi-aquatic rodent native to South America, has established invasive populations across North America, Asia, and Europe. In Greece, since its initial recording in 1965, the species has been rapidly expanding, forming sizable populations in northern continental [...] Read more.
The coypu (Myocastor coypus), a semi-aquatic rodent native to South America, has established invasive populations across North America, Asia, and Europe. In Greece, since its initial recording in 1965, the species has been rapidly expanding, forming sizable populations in northern continental regions. However, the extent of its invasion and the environmental drivers shaping its distribution and spatial patterns in western–central Greece remain poorly understood. Here, we address this knowledge gap, aiming to identify and map new coypu records, investigate the relationship between coypu presence and habitat characteristics, and analyze its spatial distribution. Between 2020 and 2023, we conducted 50 field surveys across the study area, documenting direct and indirect evidence of coypu presence. We integrated kernel density estimation, Getis-Ord Gi*, and Anselin local Moran’s I to identify spatial distribution patterns and hotspots of the coypu. Additionally, we analyzed environmental factors including land cover type, total productivity, and geomorphological features to determine their influence on habitat selection. Our findings reveal significant spatial clustering of coypus, with 12 identified hotspots primarily located in protected areas, and highlight tree cover density and productivity variability as key predictors of coypu presence. The suitability of western–central Greece for the coypu appears to be driven by extensive wetlands and interconnected hydrological systems, with hotspots concentrated in lowland agricultural landscapes, providing essential data to guide targeted management strategies for mitigating the ecological risks posed by this invasive species. Full article
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26 pages, 10567 KiB  
Article
Integration of In-VEST Habitat Quality Model with Landscape Pattern Indices to Assess Habitat Fragmentation Under the Dynamic Development of Park City: Southwest China Case
by Rong Lin, Chris Zevenbergen, Jiahao Wang, Yixuan Li and Liyuan Qian
Land 2024, 13(12), 2073; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13122073 - 2 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1340
Abstract
With rapid urbanization, the types of land in China’s cities are continuously evolving, irreversibly impacting the habitat patches within urban areas. However, the development of park cities has reversed this trend to some extent, particularly in Chengdu, China. To investigate the influence of [...] Read more.
With rapid urbanization, the types of land in China’s cities are continuously evolving, irreversibly impacting the habitat patches within urban areas. However, the development of park cities has reversed this trend to some extent, particularly in Chengdu, China. To investigate the influence of land use type changes on habitat quality in Chengdu Tianfu New District, the research team selected remote sensing imagery data from the Landsat satellite for three distinct periods: 2014, 2019, and 2024. By employing a comprehensive approach that includes land cover trajectory analysis, land transfer matrices, FRAG-STATS landscape pattern indices, and the habitat quality module within the In-VEST model, this study analyzes the spatial and temporal evolution of land use patterns and the dynamics of habitat quality categories. The findings reveal: (1) the coverage of trees and shrubs in the study area initially declined but later increased, primarily driven by anthropogenic construction activities. Specifically, the land use types in the built-up areas on the northern side of Tianfu New District underwent notable fluctuations, whereas those on the southern side, adjacent to the Longquan Mountain Range, remained relatively stable. (2) From 2014 to 2019, high-quality habitats were predominantly distributed in the southeast of Tianfu New District, characterized by a robust ecological foundation, high landscape integrity, and strong connectivity of ecological land. In contrast, the areas with the poorest habitat quality were situated in the northern built-up areas of Tianfu New District, exhibiting highly fragmented habitat patches, simple edge shapes, and low connectivity. However, between 2019 and 2024, the overall habitat quality within the study area improved, characterized by an increase in the number of high-quality habitats and continuous expansion of habitat areas. The research findings offer valuable insights into future urban planning, ecological restoration, and conservation efforts in Chengdu Tianfu New District, providing critical guidance for the implementation and strategic development of the park city policy. Full article
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