Forest ecosystems are rich in biodiversity and provide valuable ecosystem services, but are declining worldwide. Malus niedzwetzkyana, an Endangered wild relative of domesticated apples, is an important component of the walnut–fruit forests of Central Asia. Its iconic pink blossom and genetic properties give it special cultural and scientific significance, but livestock grazing and firewood collection threaten its survival. The conservation of the species and its native forest ecosystem is critical and urgent. This study provides information on the ecology and population of M. niedzwetzkyana and the threats affecting its habitat, improving our understanding of its distribution and proposing measures to reduce threats. We collected ecological data and assessed population structure and threats at four forest sites in southern Kyrgyzstan. We mapped 149 individuals, creating the largest known dataset for this species. We developed species distribution models for M. niedzwetzkyana to identify climatically suitable regions and potential areas for restoration. Sary-Chelek Biosphere Reserve contained the largest expanse of pristine forest and the most stable M. niedzwetzkyana population, followed by Kara-Alma Forestry Unit. Forests in the Gava Forestry Unit and Dashman Reserve were most extensively damaged by humans and livestock. The wild apple's favoured habitat was south-west facing slopes with a gradient < 30° and a relatively open canopy. Overall, the study population was vulnerable to extinction with limited regeneration potential. We recommend short-term population enhancement through planting projects and increased protection of individuals in pristine sites. Community-based conservation initiatives should be prioritized in extensively damaged sites, and larger-scale reforestation of these forests needs to be considered.

Although there is increasing evidence for a sixth mass extinction, relatively few plants have been officially declared extinct (<150 are categorized as Extinct on the IUCN Red List). The Red List, although the data are neither perfect nor comprehensive, is perhaps the most reliable indicator of extinction and extinction threat. Here, data collated from the Red List, of Extinct plant species and of Critically Endangered plant species with populations in decline, are examined to address three questions: (1) How do background, continental, and island plant extinction rates compare? (2) Are biological and physical island parameters associated with plant extinction? (3) Are any plant traits associated with extinction and if so do these differ between islands and continents? The background rate for plant extinction is estimated to be 0.05–0.13 E/MSY (extinctions per million species-years) and the Red List data are above these background rates and also above a higher extinction rate of 0.15 E/MSY. The data indicate that plant extinctions are dominated by insular species. The Red List extinction data are associated with lower competitive ability and lower climate change velocities, and anthropogenic factors. Analyses using only Critically Endangered species whose populations are in decline (arguably the species most at risk of extinction in the near future) largely mirrors this pattern and suggests that drivers of plant extinction may have an inertia that could last well into the future.

Traditionally the vulnerability of threatened species to extinction has been assessed by studying their environment, genetics and population dynamics. A more comprehensive understanding of the factors promoting or limiting the long-term persistence of threatened species could be achieved by conducting an analysis of their functional responses to changing environments, their ecological interactions, and their role in ecosystem functioning. These less traditional research areas can be unified in a trait-based approach, a recent methodological advance in ecology that is being used to link individual-level functions to species, community and ecosystem processes to provide mechanistic explanations of observed patterns, particularly in changing environments. We illustrate how trait-based information can be translated into well-defined conservation strategies, using the example of Dioon sonorense, an Endangered cycad endemic to north-western Mexico. Scientific information yielded by trait-based research, coupled with existing knowledge derived from well-established traditional approaches, could facilitate the development of more integrative conservation strategies to promote the long-term persistence of individual threatened species. A comprehensive database of functional traits of threatened species would be of value in assisting the implementation of the trait-based approach.

The rare and threatened fern Christensenia aesculifolia of South-east Asia is listed in China as a second-ranked plant for national protection and is also categorized as one of 62 plant species with extremely small populations by the Yunnan provincial government. Field investigations during 2014–2017 failed to relocate one previously known population, and revealed that the single known extant population of C. aesculifolia contains only 10 individual plants. The most urgent conservation requirement for this species is to conserve the threatened habitat of the remnant population. Further field surveys and research are also required for an improved understanding of the species’ status.

Plant biodiversity is threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation and invasion by exotic species, but the effects of these disturbances on individual plant species are rarely quantified. Since the 1950s, brigalow Acacia harpophylla forests in Australia have been extensively cleared and converted to pastures dominated by exotic grasses. Here we assess the habitat requirements, population numbers and threats for four poorly known bush tomato species, Solanum adenophorum, Solanum dissectum, Solanum elachophyllum and Solanum johnsonianum. Herbarium records and surveys demonstrated a strong association of all four species with brigalow habitat, although S. elachophyllum also occurred in other habitat. We derived historical and current population estimates from plant densities at current sites and the area of mapped brigalow habitat. Density estimates are imprecise because the survey data vary greatly, but the assessment indicates the populations of all four species have declined > 93%. Solanum dissectum and S. johnsonianum did not persist in cleared brigalow habitat, whereas S. adenophorum and S. elachophyllum had some capacity to persist in clearings. None of the species occur where the exotic grass cover is > 40%. Between 27% and 57% of the records of the four species are in brigalow remnants with a high edge-to-area ratio or open canopy (< 50% cover), making them highly vulnerable to invasive grasses. We recommend the categorization of S. dissectum and S. johnsonianum as Critically Endangered, S. adenophorum as Vulnerable and S. elachophyllum as Near Threatened.

Examining the human dimensions of conservation science continues to generate attention, with a move towards an interdisciplinary agenda that incorporates both the natural and social sciences, and recognition of the importance of understanding human involvement in biodiversity and ecological matters. However, one line of enquiry has been largely neglected: the job perceptions of front-line conservation area rangers. Examining intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors can shed light on job stress and job satisfaction, recruitment, productivity, and retention and turnover. Furthermore, little is known about potential intergenerational linkages within the ranger profession, which is a significant gap, given the potential role of the family in pre-employment socialization and career choice. Drawing from surveys of 530 rangers working in 39 conservation areas in 11 Asian countries, we found variation amongst intrinsically motivated, extrinsically motivated, and mixed-motivated rangers in terms of a desire to see their children become rangers. Extrinsically motivated rangers were most likely to want their children to enter the profession, and intrinsically motivated rangers expressed significant concern about the inadequacy of the work environment. Implications for both conservation and criminal justice policy and research are discussed.

Rangers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are working to conserve some of the largest remaining blocks of tropical rainforest, along with iconic species that are being targeted by poachers for subsistence or commercial purposes. During 2015–2016 we surveyed 72% of Kahuzi–Biega National Park rangers to assess their level of job satisfaction, why they chose to become rangers, what they liked and disliked about their job, and what affected their motivation to conduct their work. We used a cumulative link model to assess how various factors affected their self-reported level of job satisfaction. The rangers surveyed had been working in the Park for 16 years on average and most chose this occupation to earn a salary, to conserve wildlife or to serve their country. Overall, ranger job satisfaction was low; however, our findings highlight numerous ways in which this could be improved. These include higher salaries, more promotion opportunities, better recognition from the Congolese wildlife authority and other state services, positive performance incentives, better security, improved living conditions in remote patrol posts, and more support from the judicial system. Ranger patrol assignment (i.e. type of patrol and Park sector to patrol), receiving free housing at the Park headquarters, age, and length of service were statistically significant predictors of job satisfaction. It is likely that increasing ranger job satisfaction would result in a higher commitment to protecting wildlife, improved performance, and positive outcomes for wildlife conservation.

The effectiveness of protected area management is a major concern. In Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire, recurrent human pressure challenges the ability of law enforcement authorities to protect wildlife. During 2010–2015 we studied the implementation of law enforcement in the Park to determine (1) the potential for improvement of the protection of large mammals and (2) the minimum patrolling effort needed to obtain increases in their populations. We recorded presence of large mammals and illegal activities in two areas within the Park, the research area (210 km2) and the rest of the Park (5,150 km2), and compiled data about patrolling efforts from the Park authorities. Using a generalized linear mixed model we identified a relationship between increased patrolling effort and the relative abundance of large mammals, especially for monkey groups, pygmy hippopotamuses Choeropsis liberiensis and duikers. At low patrolling efforts duiker encounter rates remained stable, whereas rates of encounter with monkey groups and pygmy hippopotamuses decreased. Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes verus encounter rates were slower to respond and remained stable at higher patrolling effort, but decreased at low patrolling effort. Our findings suggest that a minimum of 1.32 patrol days per km2 over 2 years is required for chimpanzee and monkey populations to increase, whereas a patrolling effort of 0.48 days per km2 over 2 years would lead to an increase in duiker and pygmy hippopotamus populations. We maintain that the patrolling effort required to ensure an increase in wildlife can be estimated relatively precisely from multi-year biomonitoring programmes.

New technologies can aid the success of conservation outcomes. Technology alone will not however guarantee conservation success; this hinges on user adoption. Hence, there is a need to understand users’ adoption decisions and how to account for these to streamline the introduction of new technologies. Wildlife law enforcement rangers constitute a key end-user group for conservation technologies, and although some studies have focused on ranger experiences, and on the impacts of policing technologies on crime rates, few have addressed technology adoption among law enforcement personnel, and none among rangers. To address this gap we conducted a case study focused on a new technology called the Protection Assistant for Wildlife Security (PAWS), which was developed to deter poaching by improving the deployment of wildlife law enforcement ranger foot patrols. We evaluated the impacts of an educational programme on the willingness of Indonesia-based rangers to adopt the tool. Following the programme, rangers reported high levels of willingness to adopt PAWS. Furthermore, the more engaged rangers were in the programme, the more useful and easy to use they perceived PAWS to be, and the stronger their adoption intentions. In contrast, rangers who were more resistant to technology from the outset were less engaged in the programme, highlighting the importance of identifying and addressing sources of resistance. Overall, the findings of this case study stress the significance of accounting for and educating end users in disseminating conservation technologies, reinforcing the importance of accounting for human dimensions of conservation.