Editorial Material
Biodiversity Conservation
W. Daniel Kissling, Yifang Shi
Summary: This article criticizes the method of measuring vegetation structure using airborne laser scanning (ALS), stating that the current proposed list of 10 variables is not comprehensive and balanced. The authors urge for a better defined and evaluated list, and caution researchers and stakeholders in adopting the current list.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Nicholas J. J. Russo, Andrew B. B. Davies, Rachel V. V. Blakey, Elsa M. M. Ordway, Thomas B. B. Smith
Summary: Vegetation structure and animal ecology form a feedback mechanism, where each influences the other. By integrating separate lines of research and utilizing remote sensing and animal tracking technologies, we can understand the consequences of these feedback loops for ecosystem functioning. Understanding how animals interact with vegetation structure in feedback loops is crucial for conserving ecosystems facing disruptions from climate and land-use change.
Article
Ecology
Kim Calders, Benjamin Brede, Glenn Newnham, Darius Culvenor, John Armston, Harm Bartholomeus, Anne Griebel, Jodie Hayward, Samuli Junttila, Alvaro Lau, Shaun Levick, Rosalinda Morrone, Niall Origo, Marion Pfeifer, Jan Verbesselt, Martin Herold
Summary: Climate change and human activities are affecting ecosystems and biodiversity. Quantitative measurements of essential biodiversity variables and climate variables are used to monitor and evaluate interventions. Spaceborne measurements lack detailed information on three-dimensional vegetation structure at local scales, but ground-based laser scanning shows potential for systematic monitoring.
REMOTE SENSING IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Marcus Hedblom, Anne-Caroline Prevot, Axelle Gregoire
Summary: Urban greenery is important for human health, resilient and sustainable cities, and biodiversity. However, urban sprawl and densification have reduced access and quality of urban greenery. Urban planners, architects, landscape architects, and urban ecologists have different views on nature in cities. Science fiction movies often ignore nature in their depictions of future cities and do not show innovative ways of including nature in cityscapes. Collaborating with SF artists, urban designers, and urban ecologists can help integrate nature into depictions of future cities.
URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Pablo Acebes, Paula Lillo, Carlos Jaime-Gonzalez
Summary: Global biodiversity faces increasing anthropogenic pressures, with habitat loss and fragmentation being major threats. LiDAR technology plays a crucial role in providing accurate information on the linkages between biodiversity and ecosystem structure, particularly in ecosystem mapping and studying less-researched groups such as BLF. Current research shows that LiDAR traits like canopy height and terrain topography are highly effective, especially in forest ecosystems, while LiDAR has also shown potential in open landscapes and for studying less-known groups like invertebrates.
Article
Forestry
Yadav Uprety, Achyut Tiwari, Sangram Karki, Anil Chaudhary, Ram Kailash Prasad Yadav, Sushma Giri, Srijana Shrestha, Kiran Paudyal, Maheshwar Dhakal
Summary: The forest structure in the Chure region of Nepal, consisting of different plant species distribution, is crucial for understanding the forest ecosystem's history, current status, and future development trajectory. In this study, 14 forest ecosystem types were identified, including seven new ones, highlighting the need for immediate conservation efforts to restore the ecological balance in the Chure landscape.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Emma Salizzoni
Summary: This article discusses the potential anthropic costs and social acceptance challenges of creating new urban ecosystems. Landscape architecture, as a synthesis of ecological, aesthetic, and ethical aspects, seems to be the most appropriate framework for designing new urban ecosystems.
Article
Soil Science
Pamela Niederauer Pompeo, Luis Carlos Iunes Oliveira Filho, Douglas Alexandre, Ana Carolina Lovatel, Pedro Martins da Silva, Jose Paulo Sousa, Osmar Klauberg-Filho, Dilmar Baretta
Summary: Ground-dwelling beetles play a crucial role in ecosystem functioning, but their composition and traits are influenced by habitat fragmentation and land use changes. This study examined the community composition and relationships with environmental variables of ground-dwelling beetles in subtropical fragments of southern Brazil. The results showed that the composition of beetle communities varied among different land use systems, and environmental variables had some influence on the morphospecies composition.
APPLIED SOIL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Feilun Wu, Yuanchi Ha, Andrea Weiss, Meidi Wang, Jeffrey Letourneau, Shangying Wang, Nan Luo, Shuquan Huang, Charlotte T. Lee, Lawrence A. David, Lingchong You
Summary: Spatial partitioning modulates the dynamics of microbial communities, promoting the persistence of populations with negative interactions and suppressing those with positive interactions. An intermediate level of partitioning maximizes the overall diversity of the community.
NATURE CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Damian Chmura, Andrzej M. Jagodzinski, Agnieszka Hutniczak, Artur Dyczko, Gabriela Wozniak
Summary: Human activity is altering the natural environment, particularly in urban-industrial landscapes, where the emergence of novel ecosystems is a significant concern. There is a gap in the current understanding of the functional mechanisms and biodiversity-dependent functioning of these ecosystems, which is crucial for effective environmental management.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shan Zhang, Jindong Zhao, Meng Yao
Summary: Using environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling from 109 water sites in Beijing, China, we detected 126 vertebrate species including fish, birds, mammals, and reptiles. The eDNA approach showed higher detection probabilities for aquatic species compared to terrestrial and arboreal species, and higher detection probabilities for lentic sites compared to lotic sites. The detection probabilities were also correlated with the size of lentic waterbodies. These findings demonstrate the potential of eDNA metabarcoding for efficient monitoring of urban vertebrate biodiversity.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Sebastian Stroud, Julie Peacock, Christopher Hassall
Summary: The use of plants in urban areas and the ecosystem services they provide have gained attention. The focus of research is primarily on terrestrial systems rather than aquatic systems. Most studies are conducted in Europe, Asia, and North America. Trees are the most frequently studied vegetation type, and many studies are short-term.
BASIC AND APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Milos Rusnak, Tomas Goga, Lukas Michaleje, Monika Sulc Michalkova, Zdenek Macka, Laszlo Bertalan, Anna Kidova
Summary: Riparian zones are important ecosystems that are shaped by interactions between river systems and their surrounding environments. This paper provides an overview of studies that have used remote sensing techniques to understand riparian form, function, and change over time. The majority of studies used aerial and satellite imagery, with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) being increasingly used for low-cost monitoring. However, the challenge remains in effectively transferring remote sensing data to managers and stakeholders for decision making and successful management of riparian zones.
Article
Ecology
Andie Nugent, Steven D. Allison
Summary: This synthesis reviews research on the urban soil microbiome and develops a framework to integrate soil microbial communities with urban ecosystem function. The study identifies disturbance, altered resources, and heterogeneity as key drivers through which human activities affect urban soils and their resident microorganisms. Integration across disturbance ecology, urban ecology, and microbial ecology is crucial for managing ecosystem benefits in cities and understanding the consequences for environmental and human health.
Article
Plant Sciences
Yilin Zhao, Stephen Sheppard, Zhenkai Sun, Zezhou Hao, Jiali Jin, Zitong Bai, Qi Bian, Cheng Wang
Summary: Urban foresters are managing the challenge of urban biodiversity loss through long-term monitoring and planning, and are exploring the use of soundscape assessment in urban ecological monitoring. This study aimed to understand the relationship between soundscape and physical environment in highly urbanized areas. The results showed the importance of habitat vegetation structure for acoustic diversity, and suggested that soundscape approaches can track changes in bird songs and ecosystem conditions, providing a way to inform adaptive planning and management strategies for maintaining or enhancing biodiversity.
URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jeremy S. Simmonds, Andres Felipe Suarez-Castro, April E. Reside, James E. M. Watson, James R. Allan, Scott C. Atkinson, Pasquale Borrelli, Nigel Dudley, Stephen Edwards, Richard A. Fuller, Edward T. Game, Simon Linke, Sean L. Maxwell, Panos Panagos, Philippe Puydarrieux, Fabien Quetier, Rebecca K. Runting, Talitha Santini, Laura J. Sonter, Martine Maron
Summary: Global efforts to achieve internationally agreed goals such as reducing carbon emissions and halting biodiversity loss lack integration. To unify these goals, we have derived specific area-based targets for retaining natural and seminatural terrestrial vegetation worldwide. At least 50% of Earth's terrestrial surface needs to be preserved in order to contribute to biodiversity, climate, soil, and freshwater conservation objectives under 4 United Nations' resolutions.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Nicole Shumway, Megan Saunders, Sam Nicol, Richard A. Fuller, Noam Ben-Moshe, Takuya Iwamura, Sun W. Kim, Nicholas J. Murray, James E. M. Watson, Martine Maron
Summary: Biodiversity offsets aim to counterbalance the impacts of development on species and ecosystems. The effectiveness of spatially flexible offsets, located further from the impact area, in achieving no net loss or better ecological outcomes compared to local offsets is uncertain. In the case study of migratory shorebirds, there were insufficient data to draw robust conclusions about the effectiveness and equivalence of distant habitat-based offsets. The potential benefits of spatially flexible offsets need to be evaluated against the increased risks to ensure effective offset placement.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Da-Li Lin, Jerome Chie-Jen Ko, Tatsuya Amano, Cheng-Te Hsu, Richard A. Fuller, Martine Maron, Meng-Wen Fan, Scott Pursner, Tsai-Yu Wu, Shih-Hung Wu, Wan-Jyun Chen, Elisa Bayraktarov, Taej Mundkur, Ruey-Shing Lin, Tzung-Su Ding, Yung-Jaan Lee, Pei-Fen Lee
Summary: This study models the population trajectories of 107 breeding bird species in Taiwan and develops multi-species indicators for forest, farmland, and introduced bird species. The results show that most species did not show significant changes, but some forest and farmland species declined rapidly. Additionally, the introduced species indicator grew more rapidly than native species indicators, posing a risk to native bird communities and ecosystem integrity.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Da-Li Lin, Martine Maron, Tatsuya Amano, An-Yu Chang, Richard A. Fuller
Summary: Agricultural expansion poses a threat to biodiversity, and intensification of farming activities can decrease the diversity and abundance of farmland-associated species. This study developed an integrated approach using empirical data analysis and expert opinion to identify farmland-associated bird species in Taiwan. The results showed that the classifications of 104 species based on both methods were consistent, with 72.1% of the species classified consistently. The study highlights the importance of expert opinion in cases where empirical data are insufficient.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Barbara Schroeter, Claudia Sattler, Jean Paul Metzger, Jonathan R. Rhodes, Marie-Josee Fortin, Camila Hohlenwerger, L. Roman Carrasco, Oerjan Bodin
Summary: Inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration in environmental studies face the challenge of effectively communicating across disciplines to address pressing environmental challenges. This research brief evaluates the use of a boundary work approach in a synthesis group on socio-ecological systems, and discusses how it can integrate the knowledge of natural and social scientists. The results show that strategic selection of members, inclusion of boundary spanners, and prior identification of boundary concepts and objects can enhance collaboration and problem-solving in multidisciplinary teams.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Da-Li Lin, Chih-Yi Tsai, Scott Pursner, Jung Chao, Allen Lyu, Tatsuya Amano, Martine Maron, Ruey-Shing Lin, Kun-Hai Lin, Kung-Kuo Chiang, Yung-Lun Lin, Li-Chung Lu, An-Yu Chang, Wan-Jyun Chen, Richard A. Fuller
Summary: Although some countries along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway have begun reporting population trends and identifying threats to migratory waterbirds, there is still limited systematic waterbird monitoring, hindering our understanding of the overall status of waterbird populations in the flyway. To address this, data from a citizen science project in Taiwan were used to examine recent population trends of 31 migratory waterbird species. The results showed varying trends among regions and identified the impacts of local land use and habitat loss in the Yellow Sea on the decline of migratory waterbirds in Taiwanese wetlands.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Deqiang Ma, Jonathan Rhodes, Martine Maron
Summary: Offsetting the impacts of development-induced marine habitat loss on fishery resources is crucial for ensuring seafood security. However, the potential benefits of marine habitat restoration for fishery resources have not been quantified. In this study, we use a case study of mangrove habitat offsets in Australia to determine the minimum restoration area needed to fully offset fishery losses caused by development projects.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Correction
Ecology
Shawan Chowdhury, Michael D. Jennions, Myron P. Zalucki, Martine Maron, James E. M. Watson, Richard A. Fuller
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Editorial Material
Ecology
Martine Maron, Fabien Quetier, Mariana Sarmiento, Kerry ten Kate, Megan C. Evans, Joseph W. Bull, Julia P. G. Jones, Sophus O. S. E. zu Ermgassen, E. J. Milner-Gulland, Susie Brownlie, Jo Treweek, Amrei von Hase
Summary: In order for the concept of nature positive to be an effective guide for international action on biodiversity conservation, it needs to learn from the lessons of the mitigation hierarchy, or else it runs the risk of being just empty greenwashing.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jonathan R. Rhodes, Yan Liu, Agung Wahyudi, Martine Maron, Md Sayed Iftekhar, Shantala Brisbane
Summary: Biodiversity offsets are a popular policy tool for mitigating the impact of development on biodiversity. However, their success depends on complex interactions among socio-economic, ecological, and policy processes. Habitat surrogates are commonly used in offset policies to determine requirements, but this approach may lead to poor outcomes for species. Agency-led offsets delivered by a public agency are proposed as a potential solution because they can strategically choose offset sites that maximize outcomes for species. The success of this approach depends on patterns of development and offset site availability.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Nisansala Abeysinghe, Christopher J. O'Bryan, Angela M. Guerrero, Jonathan R. Rhodes, Eve McDonald-Madden
Summary: Invasive species pose significant threats to biodiversity and the economy, requiring collaboration among multiple actors for effective management. The structure of collaborative projects and stakeholder support greatly influence the performance and outcomes of invasive species management. Decision-makers should prioritize both designing favorable project structures and fostering collaborations with stakeholders to enhance the benefits of collaboration in invasive species management.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ross Crates, Paul G. G. McDonald, Courtney B. B. Melton, Martine Maron, Dean Ingwersen, Emily Mowat, Max Breckenridge, Liam Murphy, Robert Heinsohn
Summary: Addressing the overabundance of noisy miners is an important step in protecting woodland birds. This study found that removing noisy miners significantly reduced their densities and improved the success rate of endangered species. The cost of managing noisy miners can be as low as AUD $10 per hectare.
CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Deqiang Ma, Jonathan Rhodes, Carissa J. Klein, Martine Maron
Summary: Biodiversity offsetting is a method used to offset the negative impacts of development on biodiversity. However, the redistribution of ecosystem services caused by offsets can affect the distribution of benefits among beneficiaries. This study compared the effects of two offset policy rules on the distribution of fishery economic benefits and losses.
