The conservation strategy of widely distributed endangered species depends on the definition of population units with relative evolutionary independence. However, controversies may appear when the identification of evolutionarily significant units is in conflict with current taxonomic subdivisions. The present study has re-evaluated genetic evidence to characterise conservation units of American manatee (Trichechus manatus) and compare it to the current conservation management strategies adopted for this species. We suggest that conservation priorities should ensure the maintenance of historical population structure and dynamics, even if they are contradictory to traditional taxonomic subdivisions that are not fully supported by evolutionary evidence.

Voracious pesticide consumption is a serious threat to the rich biodiversity of the Brazilian Cerrado, the country’s main frontier for large-scale agriculture and livestock production. This study aimed to assess the exposure of the lowland tapir – a threatened, large herbivorous mammal – to these chemicals in this area. This is the first dataset of synthetic pesticide and metal concentrations in wild lowland tapirs, with some reported values raising concern over potential adverse health effects. Photograph by Emília P. Medici.

The collection of data on species presence is a key step in wildlife monitoring and management. We assessed how the sharing of species presence data among protected areas may influence the reliability of habitat suitability models in various situations. We showed that data-sharing is usually the winning option, notably when sampling effort is limited.

Changes to forest fire regimes under climate change will impact birds, so reliable and efficient methods of assessing and monitoring avian responses are required. This study aimed to optimise survey of bird assemblages using autonomous acoustic recorders, and found that using five 20-min post-dawn samples on each of 2 days was satisfactory for many types of studies. This method provides an effective option for surveying birds in montane dry sclerophyll forests. Photograph by M. Franklin.

This article supported the premise that demographic variables are related to the publics’ cognitions and emotions. However, (1) not all demographics were related to all cognitions, (2) the strength of the relationships were often small, and (3) interaction effects must be considered. By understanding the demographics, natural resource managers can target the most appropriate message for a given stakeholder group. Photograph by Laura Barisonzi.

The northern quoll has contracted to rocky refugia on mainland Australia. However, on island refuges they persist in savanna woodland. Here, we assess diet and stable isotopic niche width to investigate one aspect of habitat quality. Quolls from savanna woodland had good body condition and a wider isotopic niche width than did quolls from rocky escarpment. We suggest that savanna woodlands are important for the persistence of this endangered species. Photograph by Skye Cameron.