While lowland avian populations suffered due to contemporary climate change, typical mountain birds saw improved trends, experiencing decreased losses or even slight gains. peer-mediated instruction Generic process-based models, furnished with a strong statistical foundation, are revealed by our findings to substantially enhance our predictions of range dynamics, potentially enabling the uncoupling of the fundamental underlying processes. Subsequent investigations should include a more intertwined approach of experimental and empirical studies in order to achieve more precise comprehension of the mechanisms by which climate impacts population dynamics. This article is included in the special issue 'Detecting and attributing the causes of biodiversity change needs, gaps and solutions'.

Africa is losing significant biodiversity due to rapid shifts in its environment, where natural resources are crucial for socioeconomic advancement and remain a vital foundation for the livelihood of an increasing population. Inadequate biodiversity data and information, along with budgetary restrictions and a shortage of financial and technical resources, hinder the development of strong conservation policies and the effective execution of management approaches. The problem is further intensified by the lack of uniform indicators and databases necessary for evaluating conservation needs and for monitoring biodiversity loss. The review of biodiversity data, including its availability, quality, usability, and database access, highlights its role as a key constraint influencing funding and governance. Developing and implementing efficient policies is strengthened by also investigating the drivers of both ecosystem shifts and biodiversity loss. Though the continent's focus lies on the second point, we argue that both elements are integral to the formulation of comprehensive restoration and management solutions. We consequently reiterate the significance of constructing monitoring programmes designed to explore the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystems in order to guide conservation and restoration efforts with evidence-based decisions in Africa. This article forms a part of the thematic issue dedicated to 'Detecting and attributing the causes of biodiversity change needs, gaps and solutions'.

The causes of biodiversity change are of paramount importance to scientific research and policy initiatives designed to attain biodiversity targets. Reports from around the world highlight modifications in species diversity and high rates of compositional turnover. In numerous instances, shifts in biodiversity are noted, but the specific driving forces responsible for these shifts are seldom definitively determined. The task of detecting and attributing biodiversity change demands a formal framework alongside detailed guidelines. To bolster robust attribution, we propose an inferential framework, consisting of five steps: causal modelling, observation, estimation, detection, and attribution. This workflow illustrates the changes in biodiversity linked to projected impacts of multiple potential drivers, facilitating the dismissal of potential drivers. Following the deployment of robust trend detection and attribution methods, the framework facilitates a formal and reproducible statement regarding the role of drivers. To ensure confidence in assigning trends, data and analysis in every step of the framework must follow best practices, lessening uncertainty at each stage. Examples are provided to clarify and showcase these steps. This framework aims to enhance the relationship between biodiversity science and policy, empowering decisive measures to halt biodiversity loss and mitigate its influence on ecosystems. This article is included in the 'Detecting and attributing the causes of biodiversity change needs, gaps and solutions' themed publication.

Populations respond to novel selective pressures through either substantial alterations in the frequency of a limited number of genes having considerable impact or a gradual accumulation of subtle changes in the frequency of numerous genes with small individual impacts. For numerous life-history traits, polygenic adaptation is expected to be the principal evolutionary mechanism, although identifying these adaptations is generally more difficult than finding changes in high-impact genes. Abundance crashes in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) populations and a phenotypic shift toward earlier maturation in numerous groups were the result of intense fishing pressure during the 20th century. In this analysis, we explore a shared polygenic adaptive response to fishing by leveraging temporal and spatial genomic data replication, akin to techniques used in prior evolve-and-resequence studies. Helicobacter hepaticus Across the Atlantic, there is a covariance in allele frequency changes across Atlantic Cod genomes, a signature of recent polygenic adaptation. DCZ0415 in vivo Simulations support the conclusion that the level of covariance in cod allele frequency change is improbable if solely attributed to neutral processes or background selection. The relentless pressure exerted by human activity on wild populations emphasizes the need to discern and understand adaptive strategies, using comparable methods as those used in the current study to gauge the potential for evolutionary rescue and adaptive capacity. This article contributes to the broader theme of 'Detecting and attributing the causes of biodiversity change needs, gaps and solutions'.

All ecosystem services necessary for life's sustenance are inextricably linked to species diversity. Despite the acknowledged progress in detecting biodiversity and the impressive advancements in the field, the actual numbers and types of species that co-exist and interact, either directly or indirectly, in any ecosystem, are still unknown. Biodiversity accounting is incomplete, marred by systematic biases concerning taxonomy, organism size, habitat preference, mobility, and scarcity. In the ocean, the provision of fish, invertebrates, and algae forms a fundamental ecosystem service. The extracted biomass is contingent upon a multitude of microscopic and macroscopic organisms, the very essence of nature, whose existence is intertwined with management practices. The undertaking of observing all these developments and correlating them with management decisions is a formidable one. Dynamic quantitative models of species interactions are proposed as a means of connecting management policy and its enforcement within complex ecological systems. Managers can qualitatively identify 'interaction-indicator' species, which are substantially influenced by management policies due to the complex propagation of ecological interactions. The intertidal kelp harvesting practices in Chile and adherence to policy by fishers are integral to our approach. Species sets that react to management policies or compliance measures, but are frequently omitted from standard monitoring, are highlighted by our results. To create biodiversity programs that aim to link management interventions with biodiversity transformations, the proposed method is instrumental. The 'Detecting and attributing the causes of biodiversity change needs, gaps and solutions' theme issue incorporates this article.

Assessing planetary biodiversity shifts amidst pervasive human alterations poses a significant challenge. This review explores the changes in biodiversity across scales and taxonomic groups in recent decades, employing four key diversity metrics: species richness, temporal turnover, spatial beta-diversity, and abundance. Local-scale changes across all metrics encompass increases and decreases, typically centered near zero, but with a more pronounced tendency for reductions in beta-diversity (increasing compositional similarity across space, or biotic homogenization) and abundance. Temporal turnover presents an exception to this predictable pattern, evidenced by shifts in species composition across time within most local assemblages. Fewer insights exist regarding alterations in biodiversity at regional levels, yet several investigations propose that increases in richness are more frequently observed than declines. Accurately assessing change at a global level is exceedingly challenging, but the majority of studies indicate that extinction rates are likely outpacing speciation rates, despite both trends being elevated. Acknowledging this diversity is crucial for an accurate depiction of biodiversity's evolving changes, emphasizing the substantial gaps in understanding the extent and trajectory of various biodiversity metrics across diverse scales. Management interventions require the removal of these blind spots, which is critical. This contribution forms part of the broader theme issue on 'Identifying and ascribing the causes of biodiversity change: needs, limitations, and remedies'.

Large-scale, detailed, and timely data on the presence, abundance, and diversity of species is critical in light of the rising threats to biodiversity. Surveys of species belonging to particular taxa can be conducted efficiently using camera traps coupled with computer vision models, achieving high spatio-temporal resolution. Employing the Global Biodiversity Information Facility's public occurrences from many observation types, we compare CT records of terrestrial mammals and birds from the Wildlife Insights platform, launched recently, to determine CTs' ability to address knowledge gaps in biodiversity. In locations employing CT systems, our study found a substantial difference in the average number of days sampled (133 days, in contrast to 57 days without CTs). This greater sampling led to a higher species count, with an average increase of 1% of anticipated mammal species. Species possessing CT data underwent analysis, which revealed that computed tomography scans offered unique documentation on their ranges, specifically covering 93% of mammals and 48% of birds. The underrepresented nations of the southern hemisphere led the way in achieving the greatest improvements in data coverage.