By Emma Sinnett, 16th November 2022
From acoustic surveys informing population estimates of Critically Endangered frog species, to arboreal camera traps giving a glimpse into the forest canopy, the Writing for Conservation special section in the November 2022 issue of Oryx covers a breadth of research topics and approaches. As outlined in the accompanying Editorial by Stuart Paterson & Martin Fisher, the collection of 10 articles in this section are all authored by at least one participant of the Writing for Conservation workshops offered jointly by the Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) and the Oryx editorial team. The cover image is inspired by Avila et al.’s study using acoustic data and sightings to determine the potential distribution of sperm whales in the Colombian Caribbean Sea. The issue also includes a Briefly section with a spotlight on climate, and a host of conservation news articles and book reviews!
Find out more about this issue’s content, including our Editor’s picks, below:
Writing for conservation
- The Colombian Caribbean Sea: a tropical habitat for the Vulnerable sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus? – Avila et al. (see blog post here)
- Snapshot of the Atlantic Forest canopy: surveying arboreal mammals in a biodiversity hotspot – Kaizer et al.
- Primate conservation in the Arc of Deforestation: a case study of Vieira’s titi monkey Plecturocebus vieirai – Costa-Araújo et al. (see blog post here)
- Using population surveys and models to reassess the conservation status of an endemic Amazonian titi monkey in a deforestation hotspot – Silva et al. (see blog post here)
- A before−after assessment of the response of mammals to tourism in a Brazilian national park – Barcelos et al. (see blog post here)
- Rural–urban mobility influences wildmeat access and consumption in the Brazilian Amazon – Carignano Torres, Morsello & Parry
- Effect of free-ranging cattle on mammalian diversity: an Austral Yungas case study – Cuyckens et al.
- A systematic scoping review of tiger conservation research in the Terai Arc Landscape and Himalayas – Yadav et al.
- First population estimates of two Critically Endangered frogs from an isolated forest plateau in Madagascar – Barata et al.
- Natural history collections reveal species richness on a small isolated tropical island: the bats of Siberut – Aninta et al.
Behind the cover
This issue of Oryx showcases the work of 10 teams of conservationists that have two things in common: at least one member of each team is an alumnus of the Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) and has also attended a Writing for Conservation workshop. These workshops are offered jointly by CLP and the Oryx editorial office and take participants through the process of turning their conservation research into a manuscript ready for submission to a peer-reviewed journal. The articles, including on the sperm whale (pictured) in the Colombian Caribbean, are illustrative of the broad range of subjects that have attracted the critical attention of the Programme’s alumni. For further details, see pp. 801–802 and 814-907. (Photograph © Willyam Bradberry/Shutterstock)
Editorial
Writing for conservation – a skill for life – Stuart Paterson & Martin Fisher
‘Although other channels of communication may be more accessible, publication in the peer-reviewed literature remains the pre-eminent way for conservationists to submit the findings of their research and conservation efforts to the scrutiny of their peers. Beyond the satisfaction of crafting a well-structured article, there are other good reasons for publishing in the peer-reviewed literature: publication provides access to the author’s methods, data and interpretation, confers credibility and career enhancement, can be used to help raise additional funds for conservation projects, and may even be a condition of funding. Writing is a skill for life, and a well-written article both supports decisions affecting biodiversity and contributes towards personal and professional development.’
Editor’s picks
- Snapshot of the Atlantic Forest canopy: surveying arboreal mammals in a biodiversity hotspot – Kaizer et al.
- Primate conservation in the Arc of Deforestation: a case study of Vieira’s titi monkey Plecturocebus vieirai – Costa-Araújo et al.
- A before−after assessment of the response of mammals to tourism in a Brazilian national park – Barcelos et al.
- Breeding of Cory’s shearwater Calonectris borealis on Selvagem Grande and beneficial effects of removal of invasive mammals – Zino, Biscoito & Buckle
Images from camera traps in the Peruaçu River Valley. Photos: Biotrópicos. Read Barcelos’ blog here.
Other content
- Fifteen years of delegated protected area management in West and Central Africa: five recommendations to guide maturity – Scholte
- Implications of taxonomic bias for human–carnivore conflict mitigation – Hoffmann & Montgomery
- Breeding of Cory’s shearwater Calonectris borealis on Selvagem Grande and beneficial effects of removal of invasive mammals – Zino, Biscoito & Buckle
- A narrowly endemic species of Begoniaceae: rediscovery, distribution and conservation of Begonia jocelinoi – Paglia et al.
- Home ranges of released West Indian manatees Trichechus manatus in Brazil – dos Santos et al.
- The impacts of human activity on mammals in a community forest near the Dja Biosphere Reserve in Cameroon – Tudge et al.
The Vieira’s titi monkey Plecturocebus vieirai. Photo: Franciely Reis. Read Costa-Araújo’s blog here.
Conservation news
- Scientific writing and publishing workshop for Indonesian early-career primatologists – Oktaviani & Cheyne
- New online training course launched for IUCN Green Status of Species – Grace et al.
- More is not enough: Central Africa and the proposed 30% protected and conserved areas by 2030 – Scholte et al.
- Rediscovery of the Critically Endangered Rhododendron auritum in Tibet – Shu et al.
- In vitro conservation of Paphiopedilum wenshanense at Kunming Botanical Garden, China – Liu, Luo & Sun
- Conserving Cypripedium forrestii, an orchid species endemic to China – Lin & Sun
- Remarkable range expansion of the black woodpecker Dryocopus martius in Spain – Fernández-García
- The impact of avian influenza 2022 on Dalmatian pelicans was the worst ever wildlife disaster in Greece – Alexandrou, Malakou & Catsadorakis
Book reviews
- Silent Earth: Averting the Insect Apocalypse
- Why Conserve Nature? Perspectives on Meanings and Motivations
- Surviving Climate Chaos by Strengthening Communities and Ecosystems
Left: Amazon Rainforest on fire. Right: Prince Bernhard’s titi monkey. Photos: Marcelo Santana. Read Silva’s blog here.
Header photo: A pod of sperm whales beneath the ocean. Photo: Willyam Bradberry/Shutterstock. Read Avilaet al.’s blog here.
