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Attitudes among conservation biologists toward technological innovations and solutions have changed over the years from mistrusting and dismissive to widely accepting. However, the time has come for the conservation community to move from being technology consumers to become innovation leaders and to actively seek to create novel technologies to provide conservation tools and solutions. This challenging but critical mind‐set change requires thinking outside the box to establish and support the necessary bridges between the conservation community, technologists in both the public and the private sectors, and policy makers. The ingredients already exist, but success hinges on an open mind to new types of interactions, and bold but coordinated movements to nurture the organisational ecosystem in which such collaborations can thrive and be funded.

Systematic reviews are an increasingly popular decision-making tool that provides an unbiased summary of evidence to support conservation action. These reviews bridge the gap between researchers and managers by presenting a comprehensive overview of all studies relating to a particular topic and identify specifically where and under which conditions an effect is present. However, several technical challenges can severely hinder the feasibility and applicability of systematic reviews, for example, homonyms (terms that share spelling but differ in meaning). Homonyms add noise to search results and cannot be easily identified or removed. We developed a semiautomated approach that can aid in the classification of homonyms among narratives. We used a combination of automated content analysis and artificial neural networks to quickly and accurately sift through large corpora of academic texts and classify them to distinct topics. As an example, we explored the use of the word reintroduction in academic texts. Reintroduction is used within the conservation context to indicate the release of organisms to their former native habitat; however, a Web of Science search for this word returned thousands of publications in which the term has other meanings and contexts. Using our method, we automatically classified a sample of 3000 of these publications with over 99% accuracy, relative to a manual classification. Our approach can be used easily with other homonyms and can greatly facilitate systematic reviews or similar work in which homonyms hinder the harnessing of large text corpora. Beyond homonyms we see great promise in combining automated content analysis and machine-learning methods to handle and screen big data for relevant information in conservation science. Las revisiones sistemáticas son una herramienta cada vez más popular para la toma de decisiones que proporciona un resumen imparcial de evidencia para apoyar a la acción de la conservación. Estas revisiones llenan el vacío entre los investigadores y los administradores al presentar una visión de conjunto completa de todos los estudios relacionados a un tema particular e identifican específicamente dónde y bajo cuáles condiciones está presente un efecto. Sin embargo, varios desafíos técnicos pueden entorpecer severamente la viabilidad y la relevancia de las revisiones sistemáticas, por ejemplo, los homónimos (términos que comparten ortografía pero difieren en su significado). Los homónimos suman ruido a los resultados de búsqueda y no pueden ser identificados y eliminados fácilmente. Desarrollamos una estrategia semi-automatizada que puede ayudar en la clasificación de homónimos entre las narrativas. Usamos una combinación de análisis automatizados de contenido y redes neurales artificiales para examinar cuidadosa y rápidamente de textos académicos extensos y clasificarlos en temas distintos. Como ejemplo, exploramos el uso de la palabra reintroducción en textos académicos. Reintroducción se usa dentro del contexto de conservación para indicar la liberación de organismos dentro de su habitat nativo anterior; sin embargo, una búsqueda de esta palabra en Web of Science resultó en miles de publicaciones en las que el término tiene otros significados y contextos. Con nuestro método clasificamos automáticamente una muestra de 3000 de estaspublicaciones con más de 99% de exactitud, relativo a un manual de clasificación. Nuestra estrategia puede usarse fácilmente con otros homónimos y pude facilitar enormemente las revisiones sistemáticas o trabajos similares en los que los homónimos dificulten el empleo de cuerpos grandes de texto. Más allá de los homónimos vemos una gran promesa en la combinación de análisis automatizados de contenido y los métodos de aprendizaje automático para manejar y filtrar gran cantidad de datos en búsqueda de información relevante para la ciencia de la conservación. 系统综述是ー个日渐流行的决策工具, 它可以提供公正无偏的证据总结来支持保护行动。这些综述通过 展现关于特定主題的所有研究的综合概述, 以及特异性地分辨影响发生的地点和条件，为研究者和管理者搭建了 桥梁。然而，一些技术上的挑战却会严重影响系统综述的可行性和适用性，例如同形异义词cm写相同但有不同 含义的术语）。同形异义词给搜索结果带来了干扰, 且不能简单地识别和剔除。因此，我们开发了ー个有助于叙 述中的同形异义词分类的半自动化方法。我们综合了自动化内容分析和人工神经网络来快速并准确地筛选学术 文本的大型语料库, 并把它们归类为不同的主題。举例来说我们分析了 “reintroduction” (M引入)这个词在学 术文本中的用法。它在保护相关的内容中表示的是将生物释放到它们的原生生境中, 而用Web of Science捜索 这个词的结果中有上千篇文献将它用作其它含义和内容。利用我们的方法, 我们自动归类了3000篇这样的文献 作为示例，准确率相比于人工分类可达到99% o 我们的方法无疑可以用于其它同形异义词,井能有力地帮助系 统综述或其它类似的大型文本语料库的利用受到同形异义词阻碍的工作。除了同形异义词,我们认为自动化内 容分析和机器学习方法的结合, 在保护科学中相关信息的处理和大数据筛选中大有潜力。

The spatial expansion of human populations has increased the overlap between humans and wildlife, leading to the greater tolerance of many wildlife species to humans. However, our current understanding of the consequences of such tolerance is limited. In particular, we lack information on whether reduced behavioural responses to humans are indicative of reduced responses to other potential threats. We made use of a unique natural system comprising geographically adjacent, but nevertheless separate, populations of the threatened Nubian ibex ( Capra nubiana ) that are exposed to different levels of human disturbance to test the effects of exposure to humans on ibex behavioural responses to other stimuli. We measured flight initiation distance (FID) and alert distance (AD) in males approached by four different stimuli: a human, a human with a dog, a novel object, and a leopard model. Both FID and AD decreased for all stimuli as the human exposure level increased. Ibex in areas that are highly exposed to humans reduced their behavioural responses to humans more strongly compared to other stimuli. These findings suggest that tolerance for humans may be the product of several complementary behavioural mechanisms (such as habituation and non‐random dispersal). Policy implications . Our findings align with the concern that animals highly exposed to human beings may be less capable of surviving in the wild. Our results also emphasize that the interactions between people and wild animals (such as feeding them) determine the behavioural responses of wild animals, shaping patterns of human–wildlife conflict and co‐existence. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Article impact statement: National conservation conferences provide benefits not currently served by meetings at other levels.

Conservation translocations are a wide‐spread tool commonly used to prevent the extinction of species locally and globally. However, conservation translocations are complicated operations which often fail, especially when they involve the release of captive‐bred animals. In order to survive, translocated animals need to adapt to a new environment; the success of this adaptation depends, to a large extent, on the characteristics of the release environment and on early life experiences that can affect the animals' proficiencies. We tested the effects of different early life experiences and differences in the release environment on the survival of captive‐bred translocated Griffon Vultures (Gyps fulvus) in Israel, where they are critically endangered. We used a mark‐resight approach to calculate survival using a large dataset containing 9 years of observations of individually‐marked vultures. We found that the Griffon Vultures' survival was positively affected by their age at release and the time they spent in the wild. We also found that survival was affected by rearing method, release site and release season. Our results emphasize the critical importance of the release protocol to the success of a conservation translocation project. Furthermore, our results show how events occurring during the entire pre‐release period can have important repercussions many years later when the captive animal is released into the wild, but also that experience gained post‐release plays a major role in the animals' survival.

People's recreational activities in nature are essential to promote wildlife conservation. The interplay between humans and the environment is complex, as the presence of humans may impact wildlife both directly and by altering species interactions. Thus, conservation management in protected areas where people frequently interact with wildlife is challenging. We investigated the combined impact of different recreational activities of varying intensity, along with environmental and temporal factors, on the activity of the endangered mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella) and its predator, the golden Jackal (Canis aureus) in Ramat Hanadiv Nature Park—a protected area in northern Israel. We placed 109 camera traps in gazelles' activity centres over 5 years. We analysed the activity patterns of both species and how these patterns were affected by visitor activity. We found that gazelles became more nocturnal in areas with higher visitor activity, which led to greater overlap in their activity periods with golden Jackals. Both species were less active when there were more visitors in the park, but jackals were more attracted to disturbed areas, while gazelles avoided them. Furthermore, we found that gazelles' activity was primarily affected by visitor activity compared to environmental factors, study year or predator activity. Policy implications. We show direct and indirect effects of visitors on a predator–prey system and highlight the importance of understanding these impacts to manage protected areas and support human–wildlife coexistence. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. תקציר לענף התיירות ופעילויות הפנאי בטבע יש חשיבות רבה לרווחת האדם ובריאותו. החיבור והזיקה של בני אדם לטבע חשובים גם לשמירת הטבע, מכיוון שהם יוצרים מעורבות ורצון של הציבור בשמירה על המערכות האקולוגיות השונות. יחד עם זאת, לנוכחות האדם בטבע ייתכנו השלכות שליליות משמעותיות על חיות בר. מצב זה יוצר קונפליקט מורכב במיוחד באזורים מוגנים שמטרתם היא מצד אחד לשמור על בית גידול מתאים לחיות הבר ולשמור עליהן, ומנגד להנגיש את השטח למטיילים ומבקרים שרוצים לטייל ולחוות נוכחות בטבע, אך ניתן להפחית את הקונפליקט באמצעות ניהול ותכנון מושכלים של פעילויות הפנאי באזורים מוגנים. במחקר זה בחנו את ההשפעה של סוגים שונים של פעילות מבקרים בפארק הטבע רמת הנדיב על דפוסי הפעילות של הצבי הישראלי (Gazella gazella) ‐ מין המצוי בסכנת הכחדה עולמית, ושל הטורף הטבעי שלו, התן הזהוב (Canis aureus). לצורך כך, הצבנו 91 מצלמות שביל במרכזי פעילות של צבאים במשך חמש שנים, ניתחנו את דפוסי הפעילות של מינים אלה במרחב ובזמן, ובדקנו כיצד הם הושפעו מהמרחק משבילי הליכה, שבילי אופניים, ומרכז המבקרים, וכן ממספר המבקרים בפארק. בנוסף, בחנו גם את ההשפעה של גורמים סביבתיים כגון צמחייה ואקלים. התוצאות הראו שפעילות הצבאים הושפעה בעיקר מגורמים אנתרופוגניים: הצבאים היו פחות פעילים באופן כללי בקרבת אזורים שמופרעים על ידי מבקרים, כשרוב ההשפעה מיוחסת לשבילי הליכה ומרכז המבקרים. יתרה מכך, בקרבת שבילי אופניים, הצבאים הסיטו את זמן הפעילות שלהם לשעות מאוחרות יותר ביום, אף שתגובה זאת הובילה לחפיפה עתית גבוהה יותר עם פעילות התנים, ובעקבותיה להגברת סיכון הטריפה הפוטנציאלי. המחקר שביצענו מצביע על ההשפעות השליליות שעשויות להיות למבקרים על מינים רגישים כמו הצבי הישראלי, ומאפשר גם להציע דרכים למיזעור של השפעות אלו, לדוגמא על ידי שמירה על אזורים שאינם נגישים למבקרים, וכן הגבלה של שעות הפעילות האנושית בפארק. מחקר זה מדגיש את החשיבות של הבנת ההשפעות של פעילויות פנאי שונות בטבע על המינים המקומיים ועל האינטרקציה בינהם, לשיפור הניהול של אזורים מוגנים לטובת בני האדם וחיות הבר כאחד. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

The trade-off between the need to obtain new knowledge and the need to use that knowledge to improve performance is one of the most basic trade-offs in nature, and optimal performance usually requires some balance between exploratory and exploitative behaviors. Researchers in many disciplines have been searching for the optimal solution to this dilemma. Here we present a novel model in which the exploration strategy itself is dynamic and varies with time in order to optimize a definite goal, such as the acquisition of energy, money, or prestige. Our model produced four very distinct phases: Knowledge establishment, Knowledge accumulation, Knowledge maintenance, and Knowledge exploitation, giving rise to a multidisciplinary framework that applies equally to humans, animals, and organizations. The framework can be used to explain a multitude of phenomena in various disciplines, such as the movement of animals in novel landscapes, the most efficient resource allocation for a start-up company, or the effects of old age on knowledge acquisition in humans.

According to the IUCN/CBD's definition, there are two separate components for an invasive species: it has to be both alien to the region and to threaten biodiversity. [...]if they are indeed threatening would fall under the IUCN/CBD definition, and should be discussed from this perspective. [...]Cassinello ( ) equates the term “threaten” from the above definition with empirical evidence of effects on native flora and fauna, which is but one interpretation of this term.

The role of behavioral ecology in improving wildlife conservation and management has been the subject of much recent debate. We sought to answer 2 foundational questions about the current use of behavioral knowledge in conservation: To what extent is behavioral knowledge used in wildlife conservation and management, and how does the use of animal behavior differ among conservation fields in both frequency and types of use? We searched the literature for intersections between key fields of animal behavior and conservation and created a systematic heat map (i.e., graphical representation of data where values are represented as colors) to visualize relative efforts. Some behaviors, such as dispersal and foraging, were commonly considered (mean [SE] of 1147.38 [353.11] and 439.44 [108.85] papers per cell, respectively). In contrast, other behaviors, such as learning, social, and antipredatory behaviors were rarely considered (mean [SE] of 33.88 [7.62], 44.81 [10.65], and 22.69 [6.37] papers per cell, respectively). In many cases, awareness of the importance of behavior did not translate into applicable management tools. Our results challenge previous suggestions that there is little association between the fields of behavioral ecology and conservation and reveals tremendous variation in the use of different behaviors in conservation. We recommend that researchers focus on examining underutilized intersections of behavior and conservation themes for which preliminary work shows a potential for improving conservation and management, translating behavioral theory into applicable and testable predictions, and creating systematic reviews to summarize the behavioral evidence within the behavior-conservation intersections for which many studies exist. El papel de la ecología conductual en el mejoramiento de la conservación y el manejo de la fauna ha sido sujeto recientemente a muchas discusiones. Buscamos responder dos preguntas fundamentales acerca del uso actual del conocimiento conductual en la conservación: ¿Hasta qué punto se utiliza el conocimiento conductual en la conservación y manejo de la fauna y cómo difiere el uso del comportamiento animal, tanto en frecuencia como en tipos de uso, entre las áreas de conservación? En la literatura buscamos intersecciones entre áreas clave de la conservación y el comportamiento animal y creamos un mapa sistemático de calor (es decir, una representación gráfica de los datos en la que los valores se representan con colores) para visualizar los esfuerzos relativos. Algunos comportamientos, como la dispersión y el forrajeo, se consideraron como comunes (media [SE] de 114.38 [353.11] y 439.44 [108.85] artículos por celda, respectivamente). En contraste, otros comportamientos como el aprendizaje y las conductas sociales y anti-depredadores se consideraron como raras (media [SE] de 33.88 [7.62], 44.81 [10.65] y 22.69 [6.37] artículos por celda, respectivamente). En muchos casos, la detección de la importancia del comportamiento no se tradujo en una herramienta aplicable de manejo. Nuestros resultados presentan un reto a las sugerencias previas de que existe poca asociación entre las áreas de la ecología conductual y la conservación y revelan una variación tremenda en el uso de diferentes comportamientos dentro de la conservación. Recomendamos que los investigadores se enfoquen en examinar intersecciones sub-utilizadas de temas de comportamiento y conservación para los que el trabajo preliminar muestre un potencial para mejorar la conservación y el manejo; traduzcan la teoría conductual a predicciones aplicables y evaluables; y creen revisiones sistemáticas para resumir la evidencia conductual dentro las intersecciones de comportamiento-conservación para las que existen muchos estudios.

Humans profoundly impact landscapes, ecosystems, and animal behavior. In many cases, animals living near humans become tolerant of them and reduce antipredator responses. Yet, we still lack an understanding of the underlying evolutionary dynamics behind these shifts in traits that affect animal survival. Here, we used a phylogenetic meta-analysis to determine how the mean and variability in antipredator responses change as a function of the number of generations spent in contact with humans under 3 different contexts: urbanization, captivity, and domestication. We found that any contact with humans leads to a rapid reduction in mean antipredator responses as expected. Notably, the variance among individuals over time observed a short-term increase followed by a gradual decrease, significant for domesticated animals. This implies that intense human contact immediately releases animals from predation pressure and then imposes strong anthropogenic selection on traits. In addition, our results reveal that the loss of antipredator traits due to urbanization is similar to that of domestication but occurs 3 times more slowly. Furthermore, the rapid disappearance of antipredator traits was associated with 2 main life-history traits: foraging guild and whether the species was solitary or gregarious (i.e., group-living). For domesticated animals, this decrease in antipredator behavior was stronger for herbivores than for omnivores or carnivores and for solitary than for gregarious species. By contrast, the decrease in antipredator traits was stronger for gregarious, urbanized species, although this result is based mostly on birds. Our study offers 2 major insights on evolution in the Anthropocene: (1) changes in traits occur rapidly even under unintentional human \"interventions\" (i.e., urbanization) and (2) there are similarities between the selection pressures exerted by domestication and by urbanization. In all, such changes could affect animal survival in a predator-rich world, but through understanding evolutionary dynamics, we can better predict when and how exposure to humans modify these fitness-related traits.