Effects of anthropogenic landscapes on population maintenance of waterbirds
Xiaodan Wang et al., 2021 Conservation Biology. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13808 “Anthropogenic impacts have reduced natural areas but increased the area of anthropogenic landscapes. There is debate about whether anthropogenic landscapes (e.g., farmlands, orchards, and fish ponds) provide alternatives to natural habitat and under what circumstances. We considered whether anthropogenic landscapes can mitigate population declines for waterbirds. We collected data on population trends and biological traits of 1203 populations of 579 species across the planet…nthropogenic landscapes benefited population maintenance of common but not less-common species. Conversely, the use of anthropogenic landscapes was associated with population declines for threatened species. Our findings delineate some limitations to the ability of anthropogenic landscapes to mitigate population declines, suggesting that the maintenance of global waterbird populations depends on protecting remaining natural areas and improving the habitat quality in anthropogenic landscapes.”
NSE: Wetland Compensation
The purpose of compensation is to create a healthy and sufficiently sized wetland
to make up for the loss of habitat and the role the wetland played before being
altered for development. Whenever Nova Scotia Environment grants an approval to
alter a wetland—such as draining, filling, flooding, or excavation—it also requires a
wetland to be restored, created, or enhanced elsewhere to balance any loss during
the alteration process…Determining the type of compensation depends, in part, on the details of eachsituation. It usually involves restoring, enhancing, or creating wetland habitat,but may also be provided in other forms