Article
Biology
Jefferson Medina, Wilson Quizhpe, Jorge Deleg, Karina Gonzalez, Zhofre Aguirre, Nikolay Aguirre, Luis Montano, Angel Benitez
Summary: This study evaluated the richness and composition of epiphytic bryophytes in Neotropical montane forests, finding that mixed plantations had higher bryophyte richness but were negatively impacted by a more open canopy compared to secondary forests.
Article
Ecology
K. C. Cushman, Matteo Detto, Milton Garcia, Helene C. Muller-Landau
Summary: This study used drone photogrammetry to measure spatial variation in canopy disturbance rates in a 1500 ha forest in Central Panama. The results showed that soil type, forest age, and topography were the main predictors of disturbance rate variation.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Esmaeel Adrah, Wan Shafrina Wan Mohd Jaafar, Hamdan Omar, Shaurya Bajaj, Rodrigo Vieira Leite, Siti Munirah Mazlan, Carlos Alberto Silva, Maggie Chel Gee Ooi, Mohd Nizam Mohd Said, Khairul Nizam Abdul Maulud, Adrian Cardil, Midhun Mohan
Summary: The study investigates the influential climatic and environmental drivers of canopy height in tropical forests in Malaysia and explores the relationship between canopy height and water availability and elevation. The findings are important for understanding the variation in tree height in tropical forests and support the development of ecosystem modeling, forest management practices, and monitoring forest response to climate change.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ronald C. Estoque, Brian Alan Johnson, Rajarshi Dasgupta, Yan Gao, Toshiya Matsuura, Takeshi Toma, Yasumasa Hirata, Rodel D. Lasco
Summary: This paper discusses the limitations of the current global forest assessment workflow, and proposes enhancements such as sharing spatial data and including tree canopy cover estimates to overcome these issues, in order to achieve more meaningful forest monitoring and reporting.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Svetlana Turubanova, Peter Potapov, Matthew C. Hansen, Xinyuan Li, Alexandra Tyukavina, Amy H. Pickens, Andres Hernandez-Serna, Adrian Pascual Arranz, Juan Guerra-Hernandez, Cornelius Senf, Tuomas Hame, Ruben Valbuena, Lars Eklundh, Olga Brovkina, Barbora Navratilova, Jan Novotny, Nancy Harris, Fred Stolle
Summary: European forests have shown a slight increase in tree canopy extent over the past two decades, with the most significant growth observed in Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, and the British Isles. However, after 2016, there has been a decline in tree canopy extent in Europe. Some regions, particularly Fennoscandia, have experienced a reduction in tree canopy extent between 2001 and 2021. Additionally, the continental extent of tall tree canopy forests has decreased during this period.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Jiaying Zhang, Rafael L. Bras, Marcos Longo, Tamara Heartsill Scalley
Summary: This study examines the impact of frequent major hurricanes on tropical ecosystems using climate projections and increased hurricane recurrence and intensity scenarios. The results indicate that frequent hurricane disturbances would decrease overall aboveground biomass and the dominance of late-successional species, while increasing the dominance of palm species. Warmer climates and increased CO2 levels would have minor effects on the functional-type composition, but would increase aboveground biomass. However, these climate and CO2 fertilization effects would not compensate for the biomass loss caused by more frequent severe-hurricane disturbances.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Adrielle Leal, Maira Benchimol, Deborah Faria, Pavel Dodonov, Eliana Cazetta
Summary: Human activities have caused drastic changes in the landscapes where tropical forests stand, impacting the survival of E. edulis. Forest cover has been identified as the key predictor affecting its demographic structure across different ontogenetic stages, highlighting the importance of maintaining and restoring forest areas to ensure the persistence of this endangered palm species.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Miriam San-Jose, Leland K. Werden, Francis H. Joyce, J. Leighton Reid, Karen D. Holl, Rakan A. Zahawi
Summary: This study assessed the impact of tree cover and configuration on forest-dependent birds and tree seedlings, and found that the abundance and species richness of birds increase significantly in landscapes with more corridors, higher tree cover, and lower fragmentation. However, the influence on seedlings is weaker. The study underscores the importance of considering landscape-level metrics in restoration projects.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yevgeniya Korol, Watit Khokthong, Delphine C. Zemp, Bambang Irawan, Holger Kreft, Dirk Hoelscher
Summary: In tropical landscapes dominated by oil palm monocultures, scattered trees were found to be abundant, mostly small-statured, suggesting that most of the trees are young and do not reach larger dimensions.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Jean-Baptiste Ndamiyehe Ncutirakiza, Sylvie Gourlet-Fleury, Philippe Lejeune, Xavier Bry, Catherine Trottier, Frederic Mortier, Adeline Fayolle, Francois Muhashy Habiyaremye, Leopold Ndjele Mianda-Bungi, Gauthier Ligot
Summary: This study examines the influence of canopy structure on tropical tree growth using data collected through unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and field measurements. The results show that combining UAV and field data can improve the prediction of tree diameter increment. Diameter at breast height and crown area are complementary predictors, and crown-based competition indices significantly enhance prediction models. The calibrated model at one site can accurately predict growth at another site.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Tim Burton, Irja Ida Ratikainen, Sigurd Einum
Summary: This article examines the rate at which reversible phenotypic plasticity (RPP) occurs and its potential impact on how organisms overcome environmental challenges. The study suggests that current theoretical models do not consider the evolutionary potential of RPP rates. If the rate of plasticity itself can evolve, it may alter the organism's perception of environmental predictability and influence the slope of the evolved reaction norm. The optimization of phenotypic plasticity rates, their evolutionary dynamics in different environments, and the costs associated with them warrant further exploration in future research.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Francesco Chianucci, Martin Macek
Summary: Hemispherical photography is a useful tool for estimating canopy attributes, and the hemispheR software package provides an automated and reproducible way of processing fisheye images to retrieve LAI and other attributes. The package supports both circular and fullframe fisheye images with different camera orientations, and can be combined with other R packages for advanced analysis.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Daniel Zuleta, Gabriel Arellano, Sean M. McMahon, Salomon Aguilar, Sarayudh Bunyavejchewin, Nicolas Castano, Chia-Hao Chang-Yang, Alvaro Duque, David Mitre, Musalmah Nasardin, Rolando Perez, I-Fang Sun, Tze Leong Yao, Renato Valencia, Sruthi M. Krishna Moorthy, Hans Verbeeck, Stuart J. Davies
Summary: Accurate estimates of forest biomass stocks and fluxes are crucial for understanding global carbon budgets and forest response to climate change. This study reveals that damage to living trees contributes significantly to aboveground biomass (AGB) loss in tropical forests, accounting for 42% of the total AGB loss. Conventional forest inventories tend to overestimate AGB stocks, underestimate damage-related AGB losses, and overestimate AGB loss via mortality, leading to an underestimation of forest carbon fluxes.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Cristina Barber, Sarah J. Graves, Jefferson S. Hall, Pieter A. Zuidema, Jodi Brandt, Stephanie A. Bohlman, Gregory P. Asner, Mario Bailon, T. Trevor Caughlin
Summary: Predicting forest recovery is crucial for forest restoration efforts, and tree recruitment is the first step in successful recovery. This study utilized remote sensing and cadastral data to generate high-resolution and landscape-level maps of tree recruit abundance, and revealed the relationship between tree seed sources and recruit abundance. Conspecific tree density had a stronger impact on recruit abundance, and individual property ownership was an important predictor.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Luiz Otavio Rodrigues Pinto, Cleber Rodrigo de Souza, Marcela de Castro Nunes Santos Terra, Jose Marcio de Mello, Natalino Calegario, Fausto Weimar Arcebi Junior
Summary: Obtaining high-quality information on vegetation attributes linked to ecosystem services in tropical forests is crucial for conservation planning. Defining the optimum vegetation sample plots size is an important step in obtaining this information.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Guthieri Teixeira Colombo, Raffaello Di Ponzio, Maira Benchimol, Carlos A. Peres, Paulo Estefano D. Bobrowiec
Summary: Mega dams in lowland tropical forests often lead to biodiversity decline and disruption of ecosystem functioning in remnant habitat islands. In this study, the functional diversity and trait filtering of aerial insectivorous bats were investigated in both insular forest patches created by a 30-year-old hydropower reservoir and adjacent mainland forest in the Amazon rainforest. The results showed that mainland sites had higher functional richness and lower functional evenness compared to forest islands.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Catriane Sousa-Santos, Amanda Freitas Cerqueira, Andrea Carla Dalmolin, Alvaro Alves de Almeida, Martielly Santana dos Santos, Roberta Barreto dos Santos, Junior Pastor Perez-Molina, Marcelo Schramm Mielke
Summary: In this study, we evaluated the effects of light intensity and root deformation on the prediction capacity of Genipa americana seedling biomass using allometric models. We found that both factors influenced the relationship between biomass and stem diameter (D) and stem diameter squared multiplied by height (DH). The best allometric equation was obtained using stem diameter as the predictor variable.
Article
Plant Sciences
Marcelo Schramm Mielke, Gabriel Oliveira Santos, Emile Caroline Silva Lopes, Ana Cristina Schilling, Martielly Santana Dos Santos, Junior Pastor Perez-Molina
Summary: Advances in technology and computation have facilitated studies on plant morphology and physiology. In this study, four allometric models from the literature were compared with a new model using Bayesian statistics to estimate individual leaf area of C. arabica genotypes. All models provided highly accurate predictions of leaf area, with the Bayesian regression model performing slightly better than previous models.
ACTA PHYSIOLOGIAE PLANTARUM
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mathias M. Pires, Maira Benchimol, Livia R. Cruz, Carlos A. Peres
Summary: The conversion of natural ecosystems into human-modified landscapes is the main driver of biodiversity loss in terrestrial ecosystems. Even when species persist within habitat remnants, populations may become so small that ecological interactions are functionally lost, disrupting local interaction networks. To uncover the consequences of land use changes toward ecosystem functioning, we need to understand how changes in species richness and abundance in human-modified landscapes rearrange ecological networks.
Review
Ecology
Amanda Freitas Cerqueira, Maira Benchimol, Catriane Sousa-Santos, Inajara Marques Bezerra, Martielly Santana dos Santos, Andrea Carla Dalmolin, Fernanda Amato Gaiotto, Marcelo Schramm Mielke
Summary: This study conducted a systematic review and scientometric analysis of the native palm species in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, revealing that the research focus is primarily concentrated in the south-eastern states. The most studied species were Euterpe edulis and Acrocomia aculeata. The study suggests that future research should prioritize less studied species and regions.
Article
Zoology
Laila Santim Mureb, Larissa Rocha-Santos, Camila Righetto Cassano, Gabriel da Silva Lopes, Beatris Rosa, Flavia Regina Miranda, Carlos Ramon Ruiz Miranda, Gaston Andres Fernandez Gine
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the diet composition and selection of maned sloths in two different ecological contexts, and to test whether diet similarity between individuals and populations is influenced by changes in local floristic composition and individual selection. The researchers monitored 13 individuals in northern Bahia and Rio de Janeiro and assessed tree species diversity and availability in each home range. They found that diet similarity decreased with differences in local floristic composition and higher tree diversity, but was also influenced by individual selection. Overall, the maned sloth showed individual specialization and selectivity, with lower tree diversity reducing individual diet specialization.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
L. Rocha-Santos, D. Faria, E. Mariano-Neto, E. R. Andrade, J. A. Bomfim, D. C. Talora, M. S. Pessoa, E. Cazetta
Summary: Habitat loss is a major driver of biodiversity decline globally, and it is important to assess different dimensions of diversity such as taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity to inform conservation strategies. This study investigated the impact of forest cover loss on adult and juvenile tree assemblages' diversity dimensions. While richness, phylogenetic, and functional diversity were highly correlated for both life-stages, forest cover loss had a sharper decline in species richness for juveniles compared to adults. However, it did not significantly affect phylogenetic and functional diversity overall. The findings highlight the importance of considering species richness and different life-stages in landscape-scale conservation efforts.
PERSPECTIVES IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Yasmin Maria Sampaio dos Reis, Marra Benchimol
Summary: Biodiversity monitoring projects, particularly community-based ones, are crucial for minimizing biodiversity loss and empowering local communities. This literature review identified 52 projects focused on terrestrial game fauna in the tropics, with an average cost of US$0.24 per hectare per project. However, lack of funding and data analysis, as well as limited local participation, hindered the effectiveness and continuity of these projects. Engaging local communities at all stages, establishing long-term funding partnerships, and translating outcomes into management practices can enhance the success of community-based programs.
PERSPECTIVES IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Deborah Faria, Jose Carlos Morante-Filho, Julio Baumgarten, Ricardo S. Bovendorp, Eliana Cazetta, Fernanda A. Gaiotto, Eduardo Mariano-Neto, Marcelo S. Mielke, Michaele S. Pessoa, Larissa Rocha-Santos, Alesandro S. Santos, Leiza A. S. S. Soares, Daniela C. Talora, Emerson M. Vieira, Maira Benchimol
Summary: The pace of deforestation in tropical forests has reached unprecedented levels, requiring effective and easily understandable conservation measures. A large-scale project in the threatened Atlantic Forest has revealed the significant impacts of deforestation on habitat quality, biodiversity, and ecological processes. After a decade of research, evidence shows changes in forest characteristics, reduced biodiversity, and disruptions in ecological processes.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Robson Borges de Lima, Eric Bastos Gorgens, Diego Armando S. da Silva, Cinthia Pereira de Oliveira, Anderson Pedro B. Batista, Rinaldo L. Caraciolo Ferreira, Flavia R. C. Costa, Renato A. Ferreira de Lima, Perseu da Silva Aparicio, Jadson Coelho de Abreu, Jose Antonio Aleixo da Silva, Aretha Franklin Guimaraes, Philip M. Fearnside, Thaiane R. Sousa, Ricardo Perdiz, Niro Higuchi, Erika Berenguer, Angelica F. Resende, Fernando Elias, Carolina Volkmer de Castilho, Marcelo Brilhante de Medeiros, Joao Ramos de Matos Filho, Mauricio Alves Sardinha, Marcio Andre Furtado Freitas, Jose Jussian da Silva, Aldemir Pereira da Cunha, Renan Mendes Santos, Adriane Esquivel Muelbert, Marcelino Carneiro Guedes, Reinaldo Imbrozio, Carla Samara Campelo de Sousa, Wegliane Campelo da Silva Aparicio, Breno Marques da Silva e Silva, Celice Alexandre Silva, Beatriz Schwantes Marimon, Ben Hur Marimon Junior, Paulo S. Morandi, Danielle Storck-Tonon, Ima Celia Guimaraes Vieira, Juliana Schietti, Fernanda Coelho, Danilo R. Alves de Almeida, Wendeson Castro, Samuel P. C. Carvalho, Robson dos Santos A. da Silva, Juliana Silveira, Jose Luis Camargo, Karina Melgaco, Lucas Jose Mazzei de Freitas, Laura Vedovato, Maira Benchimol, Gabriel de Oliveira de Almeida, Ghillean Prance, Alan Bernardes da Silveira, Marcelo Fragomeni Simon, Marcos Leandro Garcia, Marcos Silveira, Marcos Vital, Maryane B. T. Andrade, Natalino Silva, Raimunda Oliveira de Araujo, Larissa Cavalheiro, Rainiellen Carpanedo, Leticia Fernandes, Angelo Gilberto Manzatto, Ricardo T. G. de Andrade, William E. Magnusson, Bill Laurance, Bruce Walker Nelson, Carlos Peres, Douglas C. Daly, Domingos Rodrigues, Ana Paula Zopeletto, Edmar Almeida de Oliveira, Estelle Dugachard, Flavia Rodrigues Barbosa, Flavia Santana, Ieda Leao do Amaral, Leandro V. Ferreira, Leandro S. Charao, Joice Ferreira, Jos Barlow, Lilian Blanc, Luiz Aragao, Plinio Sist, Rafael de Paiva Salomao, Antonio Sergio Lima da Silva, Susan Laurance, Ted R. Feldpausch, Toby Gardner, Wagner Santiago, William Balee, William F. Laurance, Yadvinder Malhi, Oliver L. Phillips
Summary: Over the past three decades, studies on tree diversity in South America have mainly focused on trees with certain stem diameters, while neglecting the largest canopy and emergent trees. In this study, a machine learning approach was used to analyze the importance of environmental factors in predicting tree species diversity in the Brazilian Amazon. Environmental variables related to disturbances were found to influence the diversity of large trees, while variables related to resources were more important for overall tree diversity. The study also identified specific regions with high diversity of large trees and general tree species diversity, highlighting the role of climatic and topographic stability in promoting species diversity.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Marcelo Schramm Mielke, Leticia Almeida Oliveira, Martielly Santana dos Santos, Junior Pastor Perez-Molina, Amanda Freitas Cerqueira, andrea Carla Dalmolin, Catriane Sousa-Santos, Carolina Reis de Brito
Summary: The study evaluated the effects of lethal leaf dehydration on seedlings of nine tropical tree species cohabiting the same forest ecosystem, aiming to select suitable species for forestry plantations in context of extreme weather events induced by climate change. Significant differences were found between species for the average values of relative water content (RWC) at which there is a loss of 10% and 50% of maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm). The findings suggest that measuring PL[Fv/Fm] during leaf dehydration can be a useful method to select tree species for plantations in sites prone to severe droughts.
Article
Forestry
Marcelo Schramm Mielke, Marayana Prado Pinheiro, Andrea Carla Dalmolin, Ana Cristina Schilling, Martielly Santana dos Santos, Amanda Freitas Cerqueira, Maria Cristina Sanches, Catriane Sousa-Santos
Summary: This study investigates the influence of leaf traits and leaf damage on the growth and carbon gain of Cariniana legalis seedlings in different light conditions. The results show that the strategies of net carbon gain and defense/storage are complementary for the shade tolerance of the seedlings.
TREES-STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
(2023)
