Article
Plant Sciences
Moises Guardiola, Llorenc Saez
Summary: This study calculated taxonomic and phylogenetic metrics for the endemic flora of the Balearic Islands and identified spatial patterns and environmental factors that explain the endemism. Hotspots of species and phylogenetic endemism were identified, and gaps in the protected areas were highlighted. This study demonstrates the importance of considering both taxonomic and phylogenetic information in conservation planning.
Article
Biology
Konstantinos Kougioumoutzis, Ioannis P. Kokkoris, Maria Panitsa, Athanasios Kallimanis, Arne Strid, Panayotis Dimopoulos
Summary: This study conducted phylogenetically informed identification of vascular plant diversity hotspots and endemism centres in Greece for the first time, aiming to comply with international biodiversity targets. The results provide valuable insights into conservation prioritization and reveal gaps in current protection schemes. This work contributes to national conservation efforts and highlights the need for a critical re-assessment of conservation strategies to safeguard Greek plant diversity.
Article
Forestry
Yinbo Zhang, Guangyu Wang, Hongfei Zhuang, Lanhui Wang, John L. Innes, Keping Ma
Summary: Southwest China is home to three global biodiversity hotspots, but the congruence among them is low. By integrating endemic, threatened, and rare species hotspots as a proxy for plant diversity, the study identified priority conservation areas accounting for a small percentage of land cover in the region. This integration approach can greatly enhance biodiversity conservation efforts and improve local management efficiency.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jianqiao Zhao, Yue Cao, Le Yu, Xiaoping Liu, Rui Yang, Peng Gong
Summary: Balancing biodiversity conservation and food security is crucial for global sustainable development. However, there is limited understanding of future conflict risk hotspots between biodiversity and food security. This study used land use intensity index, species richness data, and the Global Food Security Index to identify 10 countries and 7 Biodiversity Hotspots that face potential conflicts between biodiversity conservation and food security. Special attention should be given to these hotspots to achieve a balance between the two.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
C. Sudhakar Reddy, Anuja Joseph, Gija Anna Abraham, Minu Merin Sabu
Summary: The study analyzed the distribution of endemic floral and faunal species in India, discovering a large number of new species. The results provide valuable insights for prioritizing management strategies for biodiversity conservation.
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pachuau Lalmalsawma, K. Balasubramani, Meenu Mariya James, Lalfakzuala Pautu, Kumar Arun Prasad, Devojit Kumar Sarma, Praveen Balabaskaran Nina
Summary: India has achieved significant progress in reducing malaria mortality and morbidity, but Mizoram State in North-East India remains a malaria-endemic region with high transmission rates. The analysis of malaria data and geographic information in Mizoram reveals that the districts bordering Bangladesh are the hotspots for malaria transmission. Climate conditions, including temperature, humidity, and rainfall, in the western part of Mizoram are similar to the bordering region in Bangladesh, indicating the potential for malaria transmission. Forest classes also show a significant association with malaria cases.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Nilanka Silva, Deepthi Yakandawala, Kapila Yakandawala
Summary: A new endemic species of Elaeocarpus, E. mahamayensis, has been described and illustrated based on a taxonomic study conducted in the Knuckles Mountain Range of Matale District, Sri Lanka. Although the fruit of E. mahamayensis is similar to several other Elaeocarpus species, its leaf characters distinguish it from the others. This finding increases the number of Elaeocarpus species in Sri Lanka to ten. The conservation status of E. mahamayensis is determined to be Critically Endangered according to the IUCN Red Data category guidelines.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yajing He, Hongzhu Wang, Yongjing Zhao, Yongde Cui
Summary: Identifying biodiversity hotspots and predicting suitable habitats for macrozoobenthos in the Yangtze River Basin could aid in integrated biodiversity conservation, as demonstrated in this study analyzing the compositions and distributions of different groups. The study suggests that macrozoobenthos can serve as a good biodiversity surrogate for conservation efforts in habitats difficult to cover with large aquatic animals.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Carlos A. Guerra, Miguel Berdugo, David J. Eldridge, Nico Eisenhauer, Brajesh K. Singh, Haiying Cui, Sebastian Abades, Fernando D. Alfaro, Adebola R. Bamigboye, Felipe Bastida, Jose L. Blanco-Pastor, Asuncion de los Rios, Jorge Duran, Tine Grebenc, Javier G. Illan, Yu-Rong Liu, Thulani P. Makhalanyane, Steven Mamet, Marco A. Molina-Montenegro, Jose L. Moreno, Arpan Mukherjee, Tina U. Nahberger, Gabriel F. Penaloza-Bojaca, Cesar Plaza, Sergio Pico, Jay Prakash Verma, Ana Rey, Alexandra Rodriguez, Leho Tedersoo, Alberto L. Teixido, Cristian Torres-Diaz, Pankaj Trivedi, Juntao Wang, Ling Wang, Jianyong Wang, Eli Zaady, Xiaobing Zhou, Xin-Quan Zhou, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
Summary: Soils are fundamental for terrestrial ecosystems, but a global assessment of hotspots for soil nature conservation is still lacking, hindering the establishment of conservation priorities. A global field survey identified different ecological dimensions of soils in various regions of the planet, emphasizing the importance of accounting for the multidimensionality of soil for future conservation efforts.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Natascha Wosnick, Renata D. Leite, Eloisa P. Giareta, Ana Rita O. P. Nunes, Jorge L. S. Nunes, Patricia Charvet, Emygdio L. A. Monteiro-Filho
Summary: Several strategies have been adopted to optimize biodiversity conservation, with the use of fauna and flora species as flagships being one effective approach. However, the selection of flagship species must carefully consider both intrinsic and extrinsic factors, and improved measures for their conservation are needed to ensure effectiveness in biodiversity protection.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Vincent Droissart, Simon Verlynde, Brigitte Ramandimbisoa, Lalao Andriamahefarivo, Tariq Stevart
Summary: Madagascar has become a significant hotspot for plant biodiversity, with new species being discovered each year. Orchidaceae, in particular, is a diverse and conservationally important family in Madagascar. Based on a comprehensive herbarium dataset, a checklist of all orchid species in Madagascar is compiled, along with information on sampling effort, species diversity distribution, and ecological and conservation status. The dataset reveals the rich orchid diversity in Madagascar, with the majority of species being endemic. The findings highlight priority areas for future surveys and emphasize the need for conservation efforts.
BIODIVERSITY DATA JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Aron Cadiz-Veliz, Barbara Palma-villalobos, Alejandro E. Villarroel, Melica Munoz-schick
Summary: Adiantum viscosum is a newly discovered fern species that can be found solely in the sclerophyllous forest of Central Chile. It shares similarities with A. gertrudis and A. glanduliferum, but stands out due to the presence of capitate and glandular trichomes throughout the plant, which exude a sticky and aromatic resin.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Peter A. U. Staehr, Karsten Dahl, Helle Buur, Cordula Goeke, Rumakanta Sapkota, Anne Winding, Marina Panova, Matthias Obst, Per Sundberg
Summary: This study investigated the use of eDNA metabarcoding as a supplement to traditional diver-based monitoring of marine boulder reef biodiversity within the photic zone. The results showed that eDNA sampling provided a substantial supplement to traditional monitoring, despite a low detection of macroalgae. This suggests that eDNA methods should be added to conventional monitoring programs in the future.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Murugan Govindakurup Govind, Mathew Dan
Summary: Examination of plants revealed consistent diagnostic characteristics among Myristica beddomei subsp. beddomei and Myristica beddomei subsp. ustulata, proposing their synonymisation. However, Myristica beddomei subsp. spherocarpa showed distinct differences in morphological, anatomical, and chemical attributes from the nominate subspecies, suggesting its elevation to species status as Myristica pushpangadaniana.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Murray S. A. Thompson, Elena Couce, Thomas J. Webb, Miriam Grace, Keith M. Cooper, Michaela Schratzberger
Summary: The conservation of biodiversity hotspots is an effective strategy, but ignoring the complex relationship between biodiversity and environmental conditions may lead to challenges in detecting change and determining appropriate intervention scales. Assessing alpha, beta, and gamma diversity hotspots in marine benthos reveals unique relationships with covariates, with loosely collected species predominating and indicating potential unreliability of hotspots as a conservation tool.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
R. P. Singh, S. Paramanik, B. K. Bhattacharya, Mukunda D. Behera
Editorial Material
Ecology
S. K. Barik, M. D. Behera
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sujit Madhab Ghosh, Mukunda Dev Behera, Somnath Paramanik
Article
Environmental Sciences
Swapna Mahanand, Mukunda Dev Behera, Partha Sarathi Roy, Priyankar Kumar, Saroj Kanta Barik, Prashant Kumar Srivastava
Summary: Using satellite data and ecological indicators, this study evaluated the vegetation greenness pattern across different ecosystems in India, identifying biodiversity hotspots and contrasting greenness trends in semi-arid and Northeast regions. Validation with field-measured plant richness data showed good congruence of DHI components.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pulakesh Das, Sujoy Mudi, Mukunda D. Behera, Saroj K. Barik, Deepak R. Mishra, Parth S. Roy
Summary: The study developed a decision tree-based multi-step threshold method for consistent and long-term mapping of shifting cultivation, with an overall accuracy above 85%. However, a significant decrease in total shifting cultivation area was observed from 1975-1976 to 2017-2018, with a reduction of 75%.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mukunda Dev Behera, Surbhi Barnwal, Somnath Paramanik, Pulakesh Das, Bimal Kumar Bhattyacharya, Buddolla Jagadish, Parth S. Roy, Sujit Madhab Ghosh, Soumit Kumar Behera
Summary: Although numerous studies have focused on species-level classification and mapping using multisource data and machine learning approaches, the use of data with ideal central wavelength and bandwidth placement for mangrove species classification is limited. This study utilized AVIRIS-NG and Sentinel-2 data to estimate the species composition of a mangrove forest, with Sentinel-2 showing maximum accuracy in discriminating dominant species.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Beependra Singh, Chockalingam Jeganathan, Virendra Singh Rathore, Mukunda Dev Behera, Chandra Prakash Singh, Parth Sarathi Roy, Peter M. Atkinson
Summary: This study conducted an analysis of the spatio-temporal pattern of natural vegetation and the impact of rainfall on forest growth in central India using satellite remote sensing data. The research found that most forested areas in Central India have shown a greening trend in recent years, with significant impacts observed in certain years of drought and surplus rainfall.
Article
Geography
S. Paramanik, M. D. Behera, J. Dash
Summary: This study developed allometric equations for estimating LAI in mangrove forests using optical measurements and symbolic regression. Applying structural variables to LAI estimation can enhance our understanding of the spatial and temporal dynamics of mangrove ecosystems.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Rajkumar Singh, Mukunda Dev Behera, Pulakesh Das, Javed Rizvi, Shiv Kumar Dhyani, Chandrashekhar M. Biradar
Summary: Agroforestry plays an important role in traditional land management in India. The study found that over 90% of agricultural land in the study area is suitable for various agroforestry interventions. The spatial data analysis can provide a baseline map and assist agriculture managers in policy-making.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pulakesh Das, Mukunda Dev Behera, Prasad K. Bhaskaran, Parth Sarathi Roy
Summary: Understanding the impact of climate change on forest ecosystems is essential for developing effective mitigation and management strategies. A process-based dynamic vegetation modeling approach was used to project changes in vegetation under future climate conditions. The results showed that forests in wet climates are highly resilient, while forests in dry regions are moderately resilient. However, some forests in seasonally dry tropical areas and the Deccan Peninsula may experience a transition to scrub and grassland. The model simulation also predicted a shift in forest distribution towards higher elevations in the Western Himalayas. Although the resilience of forest cover may increase in the future, disturbances in certain regions could trigger a transition to scrub and grassland. The study highlights the importance of spatially explicit modeling for long-term climate change adaptation and conservation strategies.
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Vikas Dugesar, Koppineedi V. Satish, Manish K. Pandey, Prashant K. Srivastava, George P. Petropoulos, Akash Anand, Mukunda Dev Behera
Summary: Understanding the relationship between vegetation phenology and climatic variables, particularly in response to elevation, temperature, and precipitation, is crucial for understanding ecosystem functional behaviour and its response to climate change. This study investigated the effect of these factors on the start and end of the growing season in major forest types in the Kumaon region of the western Himalaya. The results showed that the timing of the growing season varied with elevation, temperature, and precipitation, with winter warming and low winter precipitation leading to a delay in the end of the growing season.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sujit M. Ghosh, Mukunda D. Behera, Subham Kumar, Pulakesh Das, Ambadipudi J. Prakash, Prasad K. Bhaskaran, Parth S. Roy, Saroj K. Barik, Chockalingam Jeganathan, Prashant K. Srivastava, Soumit K. Behera
Summary: This study presents a novel approach using random forest to estimate forest canopy height in India. The results show that the majority of India's forests have canopy heights between 10-20 meters, indicating mature forest vegetation. This study highlights the importance of using GEDI data to assess canopy height, particularly in data-deficit mountainous regions.
Article
Geography
Somnath Bar, Bikash Ranjan Parida, Arvind Chandra Pandey, B. Uma Shankar, Pankaj Kumar, Santosh K. Panda, Mukunda Dev Behera
Summary: This study aims to model forest fire occurrences and quantify the contribution of explanatory variables using historical fire data and machine learning classifiers. It was found that elevation, mean neighbor elevation, and near-surface temperatures have the highest influence on forest fire occurrences. Future climate projections were used to predict forest fire susceptibility for 2030, 2040, and 2050, which can help plan effective fire management strategies.
Article
Remote Sensing
Somnath Paramanik, Nikhil Raj Deep, Mukunda Dev Behera, Bimal Kumar Bhattacharya, Jadunandan Dash
Summary: Species-level classification plays a crucial role in mangrove conservation, rehabilitation, and understanding of ecosystem functions. This study successfully employed the AVIRIS-NG hyperspectral sensor along with the Random Forest model to classify and map the distribution of three mangrove species and their combinations. The classified map showed high accuracy using the absorption band depth as an independent variable, and the identified wavelengths for species discrimination hold promise for similar mangrove forests.
REMOTE SENSING LETTERS
(2023)
Letter
Multidisciplinary Sciences
V. S. Chitale, M. D. Behera, P. S. Roy