Here we provide a review of the type of areas that nations need to prioritise when implementing Target 3 that relates to area ‘quality’: areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, are effectively conserved and managed through ecologically representative, well-connected and equitably governed systems. We show that data is available for 12 distinct biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service elements that can be mapped and, if conserved, will (with appropriate management) help meet the broad intention of Target 3. We highlight examples of the planning methods available that can be utilized so these areas can be targeted for protection. We discuss issues related to trade-offs regarding how to prioritise amongst them as well as to operationalise some of the vaguer concepts like ‘representation’ and ‘ecosystem functions and services’ so that they achieve the best outcomes for biodiversity.

A review of 56 research studies on games used for environmental education revealed that the popularity of games is due to raising awareness, growing investment and better technological access. Successful games are ones that are immersive, have meaningful engagement, involve learning-by-doing, simulate the real world, give choices in decisions and have a host. Increasingly being digitised, online games provide a real-world reality online and enable learners to interact with the natural environment, in turn strengthening their environmental appreciation.

Understanding the structure of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

The objective of this study is to characterise ecological connectivity for mammals and identify important patches and linkages for connecting urban green spaces for Greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Our results demonstrate the potential for Southeast Asian megacities to support biodiversity in the urban context, and the potential for a different kind of urban development, which supports biodiversity in its urban fabric.

We show (i) the potential importance of non-English-language literature for understanding butterfly migration globally, (ii) studies are mostly concentrated in North America and Europe with very few from the tropics, (iii) most studies are focused on three species: the Monarch (Danaus plexippus), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) and Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta). There remain hundreds of species for which the full seasonal pattern of movement, flight destination, wintering or breeding grounds remain unknown.

We apply an integrative perspective to modelling current and future land-use change in Kuantan, Malaysia, a location with highly biodiverse forests, and also a hotspot of land-use change. The region is representative of the types of development challenges faced by countries in Southeast Asia, which are also biodiversity hotspots. Our modelling can assist government bodies, stakeholders and policymakers by providing information for evidenced-based future planning and sustainable development decisions.

This is a study of the spatiotemporal patterns of Human−Elephant conflict in a community area adjacent to Kuiburi National Park, southern Thailand. We examined temporal and spatial patterns of elephant crop raiding by assessing the locations of elephant raids in conjunction with environmental factors along with crop characteristics and crop availability. Raiding incidents primarily happened in pineapple plantations; however, compositional analysis suggested that fruit orchards were the most preferred by elephants. Logistic regression models predicted that crop type/crop stage, distance to forest and mitigation strategy combined had the strongest support in explaining the probability of crop raiding. The most frequently used mitigation measure was guarding by local people, although the relative effectiveness did not show a clear pattern. Other results also indicated that water availability and season were not associated with elephant raiding. Our study also indicates that there is no zone in Kuiburi that is free from elephant raiding which cause the current state of this area to be critical and unsustainable. We recommend improvements in the mitigation measures through better coordination and development of action plans including an examination of the feasibility of growing crops less preferred by elephants.

In May–June 2021 a herd of wild Asian elephants attracted global attention when they walked into the skirts of Kunming, hundreds of km from their original home in Xishuangbanna, Southwest China. This unusual behavior puzzled observers and mobilized an unprecedented response from local authorities. Here, we analyzed the elephants' movements to better understand their behavior and its conservation implications. Our analyses indicate that the Kunming herd movement type corresponds to a form of short-term nomadism (and not a migration, as often described), probably triggered by a severe drought that hit Southwest China in 2019–2020. On their way to Kunming, the elephants made unusual habitat choices, moving unexpectedly close to human influence, probably due to habituation and the attraction to crops for food. Fifteen months after initiating their trip, the elephants showed high body condition scores, indicating good health despite the long period away from their familiar habitats. Based on these results, we recommend conservation strategies based on protected areas, habitat connectivity, and human-elephant conflict mitigation. Our study highlights the ecological and behavioral plasticity of elephants and the importance of integrating movement ecology in conservation planning, especially for wide-ranging animals like elephants.

Subterranean ecosystems host unique biodiversity that is globally threatened by multiple anthropogenic stressors. Ayyalon cave was discovered in 2006 as a result of quarrying activities. It is one of the few known fully sustained subterranean autotrophic sulfur-based food webs, supporting a diverse, specialized endemic fauna. We report on a successful step in the conservation efforts of Ayyalon cave, and discuss important take-home messages that are paramount for the broader conservation science community.