Article
Forestry
Julia Perez Cabral, Deborah Faria, Jose Carlos Morante-Filho
Summary: Biodiversity-friendly agricultural systems, such as cocoa agroforestry, play a crucial role in maintaining native species and providing habitats for various bird groups. The study found that landscapes with more forest cover and fewer cattle pastures support higher richness and abundance of frugivorous birds in cocoa agroforests, while an increase in cattle pasture negatively impacts all bird groups evaluated. Local vegetation structure, such as canopy closure and number of cocoa trees, also influences the abundance of insectivorous and non-forest bird species in cocoa agroforestry systems.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Fernando Cesar Goncalves Bonfim, Pavel Dodonov, Eliana Cazetta
Summary: This study evaluated the impact of landscape composition and configuration on taxonomic and functional diversity of frugivorous birds in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Results showed that landscape composition was more important than configuration in explaining diversity, highlighting the need to maintain high habitat amount for these birds.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Andrea Larissa Boesing, Thiago Simon Marques, Luiz Antonio Martinelli, Elizabeth Nichols, Paulo Ricardo Siqueira, Christian Beier, Plinio Barbosa de Camargo, Jean Paul Metzger
Summary: Evidence shows that the cross-habitat spillover process plays a role in maintaining biodiversity in managed agricultural landscapes. Bird movement across cattle pasture matrices is limited, with species predominantly near forest edges. Different species have distinct resource use preferences, with forest cover affecting resource use patterns.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Hugo Reis Medeiros, Felipe Martello, Jean Paul Metzger, Karen Amanda Harper, Ximo Mengual, Ciro Abbud Righi, Milton Cezar Ribeiro
Summary: Cross-habitat movements are vital for the survival of beneficial insects in agricultural landscapes. This study examined how landscape structure influences the spillover of beneficial insects between crop and non-crop habitats. The findings suggest that predatory wasps forage in coffee plantations but rely on forest remnants for nesting sites and a consistent supply of resources. Forest conservation and restoration should be incorporated into agro-environmental schemes to enhance the spillover of beneficial insects and ecosystem services in coffee farmlands.
PERSPECTIVES IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Flavia Freire Siqueira, Dulcineia de Carvalho, Jonathan Rhodes, Carla L. Archibald, Vanessa Leite Rezende, Eduardo van den Berg
Summary: The study investigated the role of Small Landscape Elements (SLEs) in landscape connectivity within the highly fragmented Atlantic Forest. It found that in these landscapes, the position of SLEs was more important than their respective areas for enhancing landscape connectivity.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
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
Biodiversity Conservation
Fernanda C. G. Cardoso, Elivane S. Capellesso, Ricardo Miranda de Britez, Gabriel Inague, Marcia C. M. Marques
Summary: This research evaluates a pioneering restoration program in the southern Brazilian Atlantic Forest and examines the interactions between ecological restoration and other conservation strategies. The study finds that the proportion of old-growth forests positively influences species diversity, biomass, and functional diversity in restoration areas. The choice of restoration strategy also affects forest structure and species composition, with reforestation showing more positive outcomes compared to natural regeneration.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Anna Elizabeth de Oliveira-Silva, Augusto Joao Piratelli, Damaris Zurell, Fernando Rodrigues da Silva
Summary: Ecological niche models (ENMs) can estimate species range distribution based on climatic variables, but the inclusion of non-climatic predictors like vegetation cover can provide more realistic scenarios. This study found that adding vegetation data can restrict the distribution ranges of forest-dependent bird species, particularly in regions with limited native vegetation habitats. Additionally, highly forest-dependent bird species are more affected by habitat restrictions in the climate-vegetation models.
PERSPECTIVES IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eugenia Zarza, Alejandra Lopez-Pastrana, Anne Damon, Karina Guillen-Navarro, Luz Veronica Garcia-Fajardo
Summary: This study evaluated the fungal diversity in shade-coffee plantations and found mycorrhizae-forming fungi on the bark of coffee bushes and shade trees, which have the potential to support the establishment and development of epiphytic plants. Traditional coffee cultivation could be part of an integrated strategy for restoration and conservation of epiphytic populations.
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Eugenia Zarza, Alejandra Lopez-Pastrana, Anne Damon, Karina Guillen-Navarro, Luz Veronica Garcia-Fajardo
Summary: High fungal diversity was found in shade-coffee plantations in Soconusco, Chiapas, possibly remnants of the original cloud forest ecosystem. Various mycorrhiza forming fungi guilds occur on the bark of coffee bushes and shade trees, with the potential of supporting epiphyte establishment and development.
PEERJ COMPUTER SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Rebecca L. Rowe, Cahyo Prayogo, Simon Oakley, Kurniatun Hairiah, Meine van Noordwijk, Karuniawan Puji Wicaksono, Syahrul Kurniawan, Alice Fitch, Edi Dwi Cahyono, Didik Suprayogo, Niall P. McNamara
Summary: Forest managers in Indonesia have accepted farmer-managed coffee agroforestry as part of their social forestry program. An experimental research platform has been developed to improve pine-coffee agroforestry systems and enhance profitability and livelihoods in low-income rural communities. Current trials focus on improving coffee yields, and early results from farmer surveys and ecosystem modeling show positive attitudes toward canopy pruning and environmental benefits.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Camila Hohlenwerger, Leandro Reverberi Tambosi, Jean Paul Metzger
Summary: This study investigates the role of different matrices in shaping natural enemy contributions to pest predation. The results show that landscape structure has varying effects on predation rates depending on the natural enemy and matrix type. Predation rates were higher in coffee plantations and were influenced by landscape and local forest cover. Birds had higher predation rates near the forest and in coffee plantations. Regardless of natural enemy identity, predation rates were higher in low-contrasting matrices and increased with forest cover and proximity. These findings highlight the importance of considering matrix type in agricultural management to enhance biological pest control.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Review
Ecology
Maider Iglesias-Carrasco, Bob B. M. Wong, Michael D. Jennions
Summary: Destruction of natural habitats for tree plantations poses a significant threat to wildlife, as it leads to behavioral changes that can impact survival and reproduction, potentially resulting in population decline and species loss. However, our understanding of wildlife's behavioral responses to tree plantations is limited, and we have little knowledge of the associated fitness costs. Understanding wildlife's responses to plantations is crucial for determining which species can persist in these highly modified environments.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Aldis E. Palsdottir, Jennifer A. Gill, Jose A. Alves, Snaebjorn Palsson, Veronica Mendez, Harry Ewing, Tomas G. Gunnarsson
Summary: Planting forests can significantly impact the diversity and abundance of pre-existing wildlife, highlighting the importance of understanding these consequences to avoid unintended effects on habitats and conservation populations. Afforestation in lowland areas of Iceland may affect ground-nesting bird species with international breeding populations, potentially leading to consequences throughout their non-breeding ranges in Europe and Africa. Strategic planning of tree-planting schemes is crucial to mitigate the severe impacts observed on populations of ground-nesting birds in open landscapes, particularly in light of Iceland's commitments to species protection and contribution to global migratory bird flyways.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Michelle Ward, James E. M. Watson, Hugh P. Possingham, Stephen T. Garnett, Martine Maron, Jonathan R. Rhodes, Chris MacColl, Richard Seaton, Nigel Jackett, April E. Reside, Patrick Webster, Jeremy S. Simmonds
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the extirpation of threatened birds in Australia by mapping their past and current potential habitats. The results indicate a significant loss of habitat and range contraction for these species, with some having been extirpated from the majority of their former potential habitat.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Paula Ribeiro Prist, Leandro Reverberi Tambosi, Luis Filipe Mucci, Adriano Pinter, Renato Pereira de Souza, Renata de Lara Muylaert, Jonathan Roger Rhodes, Cesar Henrique Comin, Luciando da Fontoura Costa, Tatiana Lang D'Agostini, Juliana Telles de Deus, Monica Pavao, Marcio Port-Carvalho, Leila Del Castillo Saad, Maria Anice Mureb Sallum, Roberta Maria Fernandes Spinola, Jean Paul Metzger
Summary: Landscape connectivity is crucial for disease spread, with the yellow fever virus mainly dispersing through roads adjacent to forests and along forest edges. The spread speed varies by season, with most dispersals occurring within 1 km per day and within a week after arriving at the source node.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Celine Moreaux, Desiree A. L. Meireles, Jesper Sonne, Ernesto Badano, Alice Classen, Adrian Gonzalez-Chaves, Juliana Hipolito, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Pietro K. Maruyama, Jean Paul Metzger, Stacy M. Philpott, Carsten Rahbek, Fernanda T. Saturni, Tuanjit Sritongchuay, Teja Tscharntke, Shinsuke Uno, Carlos H. Vergara, Blandina F. Viana, Niels Strange, Bo Dalsgaard
Summary: Animal pollinators play a crucial role in enhancing coffee fruit set, increasing it by an average of approximately 18%. Dense forests in close proximity to coffee plantations can positively affect fruit set by providing high-quality habitats for bees, while forest cover and distance to open forest have minimal impact on bee richness and coffee fruit set. Further research is needed to better understand the biodiversity value of dense forest for pollinators and their pollination services.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
P. G. C. Ruggiero, A. Pfaff, P. Pereda, E. Nichols, J. P. Metzger
Summary: The ICMS-E policy in Brazil incentivizes the establishment of PAs by municipalities to receive financial rewards, but the impact decreases as more PAs are created. States use ICMS-E to encourage local implementation of conservation preferences, while municipal governments focus on low-cost actions to increase revenue.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Adrian Gonzalez-Chaves, Luisa G. Carvalheiro, Lucas A. Garibaldi, Jean Paul Metzger
Summary: Enhancing biodiversity-based ecosystem services can lead to win-win opportunities for conservation and agricultural production. Forest cover is a crucial factor affecting coffee yields, and coffee cover is the most relevant management practice associated with coffee yield prediction.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Hugo Reis Medeiros, Felipe Martello, Jean Paul Metzger, Karen Amanda Harper, Ximo Mengual, Ciro Abbud Righi, Milton Cezar Ribeiro
Summary: Cross-habitat movements are vital for the survival of beneficial insects in agricultural landscapes. This study examined how landscape structure influences the spillover of beneficial insects between crop and non-crop habitats. The findings suggest that predatory wasps forage in coffee plantations but rely on forest remnants for nesting sites and a consistent supply of resources. Forest conservation and restoration should be incorporated into agro-environmental schemes to enhance the spillover of beneficial insects and ecosystem services in coffee farmlands.
PERSPECTIVES IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Juliana Siqueira-Gay, Jean Paul Metzger, Luis E. Sanchez, Laura J. Sonter
Summary: This study examines the impacts of five policy scenarios under which combinations of protected areas (PAs) allow mining in the Brazilian Amazon, and emphasizes the importance of long-term planning to safeguard biodiversity. The study finds that opening the entire network of PAs for mining would result in extensive deforestation and road construction. Reducing the number of protected areas can mitigate the impacts of mining expansion but would require longer access roads.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Andrea Larissa Boesing, Felix J. J. A. Bianchi, Andres Rojas, Mariana Polesso, Patricia Kerches-Rogeri, Milton Cesar Ribeiro, Jean Paul Metzger
Summary: This study examines the cross-boundary response and spillover of birds into agricultural fields. The results show that the resistance of birds to crossing edges is influenced by seasonality and forest cover in the surrounding landscape. The spillover patterns of birds in plantations are influenced by the interaction between forest cover and distance from forest edges, particularly for forest-specialist bird species.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Francisco d'Albertas, Patricia Ruggiero, Luis Fernando Guedes Pinto, Gerd Sparovek, Jean Paul Metzger
Summary: Agricultural sustainability standards play an important role in reducing the negative impact of commodity expansion on biodiversity. However, the actual conservation benefits derived from certification are not clear. In a study conducted in southern Brazil, it was found that certification had no significant effects on vegetation regeneration, deforestation rates, and vegetation cover deficit in certified farms.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biology
C. Guilherme Becker, Sasha E. E. Greenspan, Renato A. A. Martins, Mariana L. L. Lyra, Paula Prist, Jean Paul Metzger, Vinicius Sao Sao Pedro, Celio F. B. Haddad, Emily H. H. Le Sage, Douglas C. C. Woodhams, Anna E. E. Savage
Summary: Anthropogenic habitat disturbance is altering disease transmission and immunity patterns in vertebrate species. While previous studies have focused on habitat loss and fragmentation, equally important is the process of habitat split, which can lead to population declines and enhanced disease risk. This study links habitat split to disease risk in amphibians by exploring the forces shaping immunity and conducting a field study on tropical frogs. The study proposes a framework to investigate the mechanisms by which habitat split influences disease risk, highlighting the importance of symbiotic microbial communities, immunogenetic variation, and stress hormone levels. The findings suggest that habitat restoration strategies can enhance the vertebrate immune system and reduce disease through connecting multiple natural habitats.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Adrian David Gonzalez-Chaves, Luisa Gigante Carvalheiro, Pedro Ribero Piffer, Francisco d'Albertas, Tereza Cristina Giannini, Blandina Felipe Viana, Jean Paul Metzger
Summary: Restoring native tropical forests is important for protecting biodiversity and ecosystem functions, but the contribution of early stages of forest regeneration to crop productivity is not well understood. A study in Brazil found that young regenerating forests have a positive association with coffee yield when there is a sufficient amount of preserved forest nearby. These findings highlight the importance of both regenerating and mature forests in supporting pollination and pest control services that affect coffee yields. It emphasizes the need for public policies to promote ecosystem restoration and ensure the long-term permanence of these new forests.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
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
Julia Rodrigues Barreto, Renata Pardini, Jean Paul Metzger, Fernando Augusto Barbosa Silva, Elizabeth S. Nichols
Summary: Decades of research have shown that habitat loss does not always lead to biodiversity loss, as exemplified by the study on dung beetle responses to Atlantic Forest loss. While generalist species increased in abundance and distribution, specialist species did not change in overall abundance but exhibited dissimilar distribution. This suggests that habitat loss can lead to biodiversity gain and differentiation, influenced by regional dynamics and the resilience of forest biota. The study emphasizes the importance of sampling across multiple spatial scales to understand the effects of habitat loss on biodiversity.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Clarice Borges-Matos, Martine Maron, Jean Paul Metzger
Summary: Biodiversity offsets are often questioned in terms of their effectiveness. The review of existing condition metrics used in the offsetting context revealed differences in how ecological attributes from biodiversity, landscape, and ecosystem services were included. It is suggested that condition metrics should include the three dimensions of equivalence in a disaggregated way, and the use of modeling, expert opinion, and GIS could facilitate this.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Julia C. Assis, Camila Hohlenwerger, Jean Paul Metzger, Jonathan R. Rhodes, Gabriela T. Duarte, Rafaela A. da Silva, Andrea Larissa Boesing, Paula R. Prist, Milton Cezar Ribeiro
Summary: Despite progress in understanding the effects of landscape structure on ecosystem services, there are challenges in integrating landscape effects on different components of the service provision chain. This study proposes a theoretical framework to explore how the spatial flow of ecosystem services can vary based on landscape structure, emphasizing the role of supply, demand, and neutral areas, as well as individual characteristics of services. The model links landscape metrics with ratios of supply and demand areas to potential effects on spatial flows of ecosystem services.
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Kaline de Mello, Alice Brites, Clarice Borges-Matos, Paulo Andre Tavares, Jean Paul Metzger, Ricardo Ribeiro Rodrigues, Zenilda Ledo dos Santos, Carlos Alfredo Joly, Gerd Sparovek
Summary: Natural ecosystems worldwide are facing severe threats, and environmental policies are crucial in protecting biodiversity, ecosystem services, and addressing climate change. The New Forest Act in Brazil is a key policy for conserving native vegetation on private lands, which account for 54% of the remaining Brazilian native vegetation. However, conflicts between environmental and agricultural concerns hinder the implementation of the Act, highlighting the need for balanced solutions based on scientific evidence.