Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yinqiu Ji, Christopher C. M. Baker, Viorel D. Popescu, Jiaxin Wang, Chunying Wu, Zhengyang Wang, Yuanheng Li, Lin Wang, Chaolang Hua, Zhongxing Yang, Chunyan Yang, Charles C. Y. Xu, Alex Diana, Qingzhong Wen, Naomi E. Pierce, Douglas W. Yu
Summary: This study estimated the distribution of vertebrates in the Ailaoshan reserve in China using environmental DNA from leeches. The researchers found that species richness is related to elevation and distance to the reserve edge.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Paula Plaza, Juan Serratosa, Joao B. Gusmao, David C. Duffy, Paulina Arce, Guillermo Luna-Jorquera
Summary: The study analyzed changes in seabird assemblages on Rapa Nui and Motu Nui, finding significant transitions on Rapa Nui possibly linked to human colonization, and smaller changes on Motu Nui. Conservation strategies should be tailored to the specific risks faced by each island, focusing on invasive species control for Rapa Nui and biosecurity measures for Motu Nui.
AQUATIC CONSERVATION-MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jean-Marry Exantus, Frank Cezilly
Summary: Although deforestation in Haiti is a major environmental issue, the direct impact on biodiversity is not well documented. Through a study conducted in Parc National La Visite, southeastern Haiti, the researchers assessed the avian assemblage and compared the results to a previous study conducted 15 years ago. They documented the presence of 42 bird species, including endemic and migrant species, and found a decline in the abundance of sensitive bird species, suggesting the impact of ongoing deforestation.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Henry S. Pollock, Judith D. Toms, Corey E. Tarwater, Thomas J. Benson, James R. Karr, Jeffrey D. Brawn
Summary: A 44-year population study of a Neotropical understory bird assemblage in a protected forest reserve in central Panama revealed that among 57 resident species analyzed, only 2 showed an increase in abundance while 40 species exhibited declines, with severe losses in estimated abundance. These declines were independent of ecological factors or phylogenetic affiliation, indicating widespread and alarming trends of tropical bird declines in intact forests. Understanding the underlying ecological mechanisms driving these declines is identified as a pressing conservation priority.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rosa Maria Garcia-Nunez, Julio Cesar Buendia-Espinoza, Selene del Carmen Arrazate-Jimenez, Elisa del Carmen Martinez-Ochoa
Summary: This study analyzed the species composition and diversity in a natural population subject to copal extraction in San Juan Raboso Izucar de Matamoros, Puebla, Mexico. The abundance, frequency, and relative dominance of each species were quantified to calculate the importance value index (IVI), and the Shannon index (H') was used to evaluate diversity. A total of 29 species were identified, with the Fabaceae family being the richest and Opuntia streptacantha being the most ecologically important species. The community showed mild diversity with an average Shannon index (H') of 1.45.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Shakeel Ahmed, Pritpal Singh Soorae, Eissa Al Hammadi, Rashed Al Zaabi, Anitha Saji, Shahid B. Khan, Sabitha Sakkir, Ahmed Ali, Imran Khaliq, Robert E. Gubiani, Salim Javed, Khaldoun Al Omari, Shaikha Al Dhaheri
Summary: Biodiversity is facing enormous pressure from multiple threats, and establishing protected areas is one way to mitigate these threats. A study conducted in the Houbara Protected Area in Abu Dhabi found that temperature has a positive impact on species richness, indicating the importance of protection measures in promoting biodiversity.
SAUDI JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Roberto Cazzolla Gatti, Peter B. Reich, Javier G. P. Gamarra, Tom Crowther, Cang Hui, Albert Morera, Jean-Francois Bastin, Sergio de-Miguel, Gert-Jan Nabuurs, Jens-Christian Svenning, Josep M. Serra-Diaz, Cory Merow, Brian Enquist, Maria Kamenetsky, Junho Lee, Jun Zhu, Jinyun Fang, Douglass F. Jacobs, Bryan Pijanowski, Arindam Banerjee, Robert A. Giaquinto, Giorgio Alberti, Angelica Maria Almeyda Zambrano, Esteban Alvarez-Davila, Alejandro Araujo-Murakami, Valerio Avitabile, Gerardo A. Aymard, Radomir Balazy, Chris Baraloto, Jorcely G. Barroso, Meredith L. Bastian, Philippe Birnbaum, Robert Bitariho, Jan Bogaert, Frans Bongers, Olivier Bouriaud, Pedro H. S. Brancalion, Francis Q. Brearley, Eben North Broadbent, Filippo Bussotti, Wendeson Castro da Silva, Ricardo Gomes Cesar, Goran Cesljar, Victor Chama Moscoso, Han Y. H. Chen, Emil Cienciala, Connie J. Clark, David A. Coomes, Selvadurai Dayanandan, Mathieu Decuyper, Laura E. Dee, Jhon Del Aguila Pasquel, Geraldine Derroire, Marie Noel Kamdem Djuikouo, Tran Van Do, Jiri Dolezal, Ilija D. Dordevic, Julien Engel, Tom M. Fayle, Ted R. Feldpausch, Jonas K. Fridman, David J. Harris, Andreas Hemp, Geerten Hengeveld, Bruno Herault, Martin Herold, Thomas Ibanez, Andrzej M. Jagodzinski, Bogdan Jaroszewicz, Kathryn J. Jeffery, Vivian Kvist Johannsen, Tommaso Jucker, Ahto Kangur, Victor N. Karminov, Kuswata Kartawinata, Deborah K. Kennard, Sebastian Kepfer-Rojas, Gunnar Keppel, Mohammed Latif Khan, Pramod Kumar Khare, Timothy J. Kileen, Hyun Seok Kim, Henn Korjus, Amit Kumar, Ashwani Kumar, Diana Laarmann, Nicolas Labriere, Mait Lang, Simon L. Lewis, Natalia Lukina, Brian S. Maitner, Yadvinder Malhi, Andrew R. Marshall, Olga V. Martynenko, Abel L. Monteagudo Mendoza, Petr V. Ontikov, Edgar Ortiz-Malavasi, Nadir C. Pallqui Camacho, Alain Paquette, Minjee Park, Narayanaswamy Parthasarathy, Pablo Luis Peri, Pascal Petronelli, Sebastian Pfautsch, Oliver L. Phillips, Nicolas Picard, Daniel Piotto, Lourens Poorter, John R. Poulsen, Hans Pretzsch, Hirma Ramirez-Angulo, Zorayda Restrepo Correa, Mirco Rodeghiero, Rocio Del Pilar Rojas Gonzales, Samir G. Rolim, Francesco Rovero, Ervan Rutishauser, Purabi Saikia, Christian Salas-Eljatib, Dmitry Schepaschenko, Michael Scherer-Lorenzen, Vladimir Seben, Marcos Silveira, Ferry Slik, Bonaventure Sonke, Alexandre F. Souza, Krzysztof Jan Sterenczak, Miroslav Svoboda, Hermann Taedoumg, Nadja Tchebakova, John Terborgh, Elena Tikhonova, Armando Torres-Lezama, Fons van der Plas, Rodolfo Vasquez, Helder Viana, Alexander C. Vibrans, Emilio Vilanova, Vincent A. Vos, Hua-Feng Wang, Bertil Westerlund, Lee J. T. White, Susan K. Wiser, Tomasz Zawila-Niedzwiecki, Lise Zemagho, Zhi-Xin Zhu, Irie C. Zo-Bi, Jingjing Liang
Summary: One of the fundamental questions in ecology is how many species exist on Earth. This study estimated the total number of tree species globally, using global crowdsourced data. The findings suggest that there are approximately 73,000 tree species globally, with around 9,000 species yet to be discovered. These results highlight the vulnerability of global forest biodiversity to human-induced changes.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Zahra Veiskarami, Babak Pilehvar, Gholam Hassan Veiskarami
Summary: This study in the Perk forested catchment in the Zagros forests of western Iran explored the relationships among sampling methods, species-area curve scales, and statistical functions in assessing plant diversity. By testing a range of species-area models and using criteria such as AIC and BIC, it was found that the Lomolino and Cumulative Weibull functions were best for extrapolating species richness beyond sampling area, with the Rational function showing superiority according to the Log Error of Extrapolation. The research highlighted the importance of sampling scheme and study scale in determining the shape of statistical functions used in constructing species-area curves, contrary to the prevailing use of power function in broader scales like landscape scale.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Alke Voskamp, Susanne A. Fritz, Valerie Koecke, Matthias F. Biber, Timo Nogueira Brockmeyer, Bastian Bertzky, Matthew Forrest, Allie Goldstein, Scott Henderson, Thomas Hickler, Christian Hof, Thomas Kastner, Stefanie Lang, Peter Manning, Michael B. Mascia, Ian R. McFadden, Aidin Niamir, Monica Noon, Brian O'Donnell, Mark Opel, Georg Schwede, Peyton West, Christof Schenck, Katrin Boehning-Gaese
Summary: Establishing and maintaining protected areas is crucial for achieving biodiversity targets, but limited resources necessitate the selection of the most beneficial areas. We advocate for a flexible and transparent approach to select protected areas based on multiple objectives, using a global decision support tool. This tool allows users to weigh and prioritize different conservation objectives according to their preferences and compare outcomes in real-time. Our study demonstrates that decision makers often face trade-offs among conflicting objectives, but transparent decision support tools can reveal synergies and trade-offs, aiding in resolving land-use conflicts.
Article
Ecology
Kristy Udy, Matthias Fritsch, Katrin M. Meyer, Ingo Grass, Sebastian Hanss, Florian Hartig, Thomas Kneib, Holger Kreft, Collins B. Kukunda, Guy Pe'er, Hannah Reininghaus, Britta Tietjen, Teja Tscharntke, Clara-Sophie van Waveren, Kerstin Wiegand
Summary: This study found that environmental heterogeneity explains species richness better than area for predicting native mammal species richness worldwide and within biogeographical regions, suggesting that niche-related processes are more prevalent at broad scales.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Gabriele Gheza, Luca Di Nuzzo, Paolo Giordani, Alessandro Chiarucci, Renato Benesperi, Elisabetta Bianchi, Giulia Canali, Luana Francesconi, Chiara Vallese, Juri Nascimbene
Summary: This study aims to test the species-area relationship (SAR) on lichens and found that the species richness of lichens is positively correlated with the size of the sampled area. The results suggest that larger protected areas are fundamental for supporting high lichen species richness.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jeremy S. P. Froidevaux, Nia Toshkova, Luc Barbaro, Ana Benitez-Lopez, Christian Kerbiriou, Isabelle Le Viol, Michela Pacifici, Luca Santini, Clare Stawski, Danilo Russo, Jasja Dekker, Antton Alberdi, Francisco Amorim, Leonardo Ancillotto, Kevin Barre, Yves Bas, Lisette Cantu-Salazar, Dina K. N. Dechmann, Tiphaine Devaux, Katrine Eldegard, Sasan Fereidouni, Joanna Furmankiewicz, Daniela Hamidovic, Davina L. Hill, Carlos Ibanez, Jean-Francois Julien, Javier Juste, Peter Kanuch, Carmi Korine, Alexis Laforge, Gaelle Legras, Camille Leroux, Grzegorz Lesinski, Lea Mariton, Julie Marmet, Vanessa A. Mata, Clare M. Mifsud, Victoria Nistreanu, Roberto Novella-Fernandez, Hugo Rebelo, Niamh Roche, Charlotte Roemer, Ireneusz Ruczynski, Rune Soras, Marcel Uhrin, Adriana Vella, Christian C. Voigt, Orly Razgour
Summary: Knowledge of species' functional traits is crucial for understanding biodiversity patterns, predicting global environmental changes, and assessing conservation measures. However, there is currently a lack of comprehensive data on the functional traits and ecological attributes of European bat species.
Article
Ecology
Christopher P. Catano, Emily Grman, Eric Behrens, Lars A. Brudvig
Summary: The study demonstrates that species pool size has scale-dependent effects on grassland diversity, with larger pools causing greater spatial aggregation of species. This aggregation appears to result from fewer individuals arriving per species from larger pools, rather than stronger species sorting across variation in soil moisture.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tatiana Chernenkova, Ivan Kotlov, Nadezhda Belyaeva, Elena Suslova, Natalia Lebedeva
Summary: Protected areas are important for preserving biodiversity, especially in large metropolitan areas. However, the efficiency of the network is hindered by the lack of up-to-date cartographic materials. This study aims to identify forest biodiversity and fragmentation in the Moscow region. The results suggest a general lack of environmental protection measures and recommend increasing the area of protected areas, particularly for less fragmented forest patches.
Article
Forestry
Pawel Lewandowski, Fabian Przepiora, Michal Ciach
Summary: The study showed that small-scale canopy gaps in deciduous forests significantly impact bird richness, diversity, and relative abundance. The presence of large snags in gaps was correlated with the occurrence of certain bird species and overall bird numbers.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Nurul Kamaliah, Sabiha Salim, Sumaiyah Abdullah, Frisco Nobilly, Sapari Mat, Ahmad R. Norhisham, Kamil Azmi Tohiran, Raja Zulkifli, Alex M. Lechner, Badrul Azhar
Summary: The study found that factors such as bed humidity, bed temperature, harvesting week, harvesting month, and replication significantly affected the production of V. volvacea, while bed pH and orientation did not have an impact. Variations in temperature and humidity, especially during incubation, were found to be crucial for mycelial growth and fruiting body development, affecting mushroom production. Further research is needed to explore the potential of cultivating V. volvacea in different tropical agroforestry settings and its ability to contribute to climate change mitigation and circular economy by recycling oil palm wastes.
AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Muhammad Syafiq Yahya, Sharifah Nur Atikah, Izereen Mukri, Ruzana Sanusi, Ahmad Razi Norhisham, Badrul Azhar
Summary: The suitability of different agricultural land-use types for supporting bird biodiversity was investigated in Peninsular Malaysia. The study found that agroforestry orchards have greater bird species richness and abundance compared to oil palm and rubber tree plantations. The findings suggest that incorporating diverse native fruit trees into large-scale monoculture plantations could improve bird conservation and ecosystem services.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Frisco Nobilly, Sharifah Nur Atikah, Muhammad Syafiq Yahya, Shokri Jusoh, Grace S. Cun, Ahmad Razi Norhisham, Kamil Azmi Tohiran, Raja Zulkifli, Badrul Azhar
Summary: Overuse of herbicides destroys understory vegetation, while ecological grazing is believed to be an environmentally friendly alternative. However, little is known about the effects of different grazing practices on oil palm understory vegetation. This study investigated the impact of three weed management practices on vegetation species richness, composition, and structure, and found that rotational grazing had significant effects on plant species and structure.
WEED BIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Muhammad Hazwan, Liza D. Samantha, Sze Ling Tee, Norizah Kamarudin, Ahmad R. Norhisham, Alex M. Lechner, Badrul Azhar
Summary: Forest fragmentation caused by rapid urbanization, logging, and agricultural expansion negatively affects native wildlife populations in the tropics. This study examines the impact of landscape and habitat characteristics on the detection of the lesser mouse-deer species in Peninsular Malaysia. The results show that forest fragmentation, habitat type, and various factors significantly influence the detection of the Tragulus kanchil populations.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Siti Wahdaniyah, Ku Noor Khalidah, Nabilah Hamidah Sabar, Norizah Kamarudin, Ruzana Sanusi, Norhisham Ahmad Razi, Alex M. Lechner, Badrul Azhar
Summary: The rapid conversion of highland forests into agricultural areas has led to deforestation in Peninsular Malaysia. This study investigated the impact of reforestation on wild mammal populations in the region, finding that the planting of native tree species in degraded highland areas could help reverse the decline of mammal communities. The study also identified several habitat variables that influenced mammal detections in the reforested areas.
Article
Entomology
Frisco Nobilly, Sharifah Nur Atikah, Muhammad Syafiq Yahya, Shokri Jusoh, Thomas M. R. Maxwell, Ahmad Razi Norhisham, Kamil Azmi Tohiran, Raja Zulkifli, Badrul Azhar
Summary: The heavy reliance on agrochemicals in conventional oil palm production has resulted in severe environmental impacts and decline in native biodiversity and ecosystem services. Integrating livestock into oil palm plantations provides a chemical-free approach for weed control without negative consequences on the environment. Our experiment showed consistent predation pressures across different weeding systems, indicating that livestock-oil palm integrated plantations can provide similar pest control services as conventional herbicide-sprayed plantations. Site-level habitat variables also influenced predation pressures. These findings suggest that livestock-oil palm integration can sustain natural predation with minimal or no herbicide input.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Muhammad Syafiq Yahya, Sharifah Nur Atikah, Izereen Mukri, Aslinda Oon, Ainil Hawa, Ruzana Sanusi, Ahmad Razi Norhisham, Alex M. M. Lechner, Badrul Azhar
Summary: Expanding industrial modern agriculture in tropical regions leads to irreversible biodiversity loss. However, the establishment of agroforestry orchards as a part of a conservation set-aside programme may aid biodiversity by providing a wider range of ecological niches, supporting more diverse bird fauna within industrial monoculture plantations.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Wan Mamat Wan Zaki, Muhammad Syafiq Yahya, Ahmad R. Norhisham, Ruzana Sanusi, Peter J. van der Meer, Badrul Azhar
Summary: Large-scale deforestation in the tropics has a negative impact on biodiversity. This study measured the diversity of butterfly species in three agricultural landscapes and found that agroforestry orchards supported the highest number of butterfly species. Factors such as tree height, undergrowth coverage, and elevation influenced butterfly diversity. Management practices, such as ground vegetation management and retaining adjacent forest areas, should be considered to enhance butterfly species richness in agricultural landscapes.
Article
Forestry
Bulama Ali, Norzanalia Saadun, Norizah Kamarudin, Mohamad Azani Alias, Nolila Mohd Nawi, Badrul Azhar
Summary: This study used value chain analysis to examine the sustainability of the fuelwood value chain in Yobe, Nigeria, in relation to economic, environmental, and social aspects. The findings revealed that registered licensed actors and non-licensed actors were involved in fuelwood business activities. Profit distribution along the value chain was unequal, with 65% of the total profits going to transporters. Natural forests served as the main source of fuelwood, and there were 18 preferred tree species commonly traded. Women had limited participation in the formal fuelwood value chain, mainly concentrated in the informal sector. The study's findings can inform policymakers on enhancing sustainability in terms of profit sharing, forest resource exploitation, and gender equality.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Nuradilah Denan, Ahmad R. Norhisham, Ruzana Sanusi, Jake Stone, Badrul Azhar
Summary: This study found that mammals are the most effective predators of pest insects in the understory of oil palm plantations, followed by arthropods and birds. Arthropod predation is more frequent at edge locations, in abandoned habitats, and in elevated areas. Mammal predation increases with understory coverage and decreases with increasing elevation. Overall, predation pressure is higher at the edge of plantations and positively correlates with an increase in understory vegetation coverage. Enhancing undergrowth coverage and maximizing edge habitats can boost the effectiveness of natural predators in oil palm plantations.
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Asrulsani Jambari, Tetsuro Hosaka, Miyabi Nakabayashi, Muhammad Syafiq Yahya, Badrul Azhar
Summary: Protected areas are the best strategy for conserving native biodiversity worldwide. Endau Rompin National Park in Malaysia is an undisturbed biodiversity hotspot surrounded by industrial oil palm plantations. This study investigates mammal distribution in the park and finds that tree canopy cover, forest edges, human settlements, and riparian habitats are crucial for native wildlife. Pristine forest habitats like those in the park are critical for wildlife conservation.
JOURNAL FOR NATURE CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jamhuri Jamaluddin, Norizah Kamarudin, Mohd Hasmadi Ismail, Siti Azfanizam Ahmad
Summary: Suitable extraction technique and least cost with reduced environmental impact are the main concerns in timber transportation planning in undulate topography. Two types of extraction machines are combined for timber harvesting in Malaysia, aiming for each machine to extract timber suitable to their ability. A Bees Algorithm (BA) is proposed to find the optimal TTP for timber extraction, forest road, and landing locations with grid cell-sized 10 m x 10 m and assigned fixed and variable costs. The results favor the log fisher as a preferable extraction technique with lower total cost compared to the crawler tractor. The model identifies a suitable timber extraction technique and estimates the extraction costs, while further studies are required for comparing BA with other optimization methods to achieve better results.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)