Article
Forestry
Nobuhiro Akashi, Noritoshi Nitta, Yasuyuki Ohno
Summary: Research suggests that planted conifer forests provide important habitats for understory plants, with species composition influenced by elevation, thinning history, and overstory types. Different forest types have an impact on the species composition of understory plants, and variable thinning operations can provide diverse habitats for understory plants.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Laura Chevaux, Anders Marell, Christophe Baltzinger, Vincent Boulanger, Serge Cadet, Richard Chevalier, Nicolas Debaive, Yann Dumas, Marion Gosselin, Frederic Gosselin, Agnes Rocquencourt, Yoan Paillet
Summary: Conventional conservation policies in Europe rely on passive restoration of natural forest dynamics and require complementary conservation efforts in managed forests to achieve biodiversity targets. We studied forest reserves and adjacent managed forests in European France and found that stand structure and browsing pressure have direct and opposite effects on herbaceous plant species diversity, while increasing canopy cover has a negative effect. High stand density has a positive effect on bryophyte diversity, and forest management abandonment mainly affects understory plant communities indirectly through changes in vertical stand structure.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Renata Siqueira Melo, Eduardo Roberto Alexandrino, Felipe Rossetti de Paula, Danilo Boscolo, Silvio Frosini de Barros Ferraz
Summary: Promoting the diversity of biological communities in agricultural areas is crucial for biodiversity conservation, especially for bird populations which show rapid responses to landscape changes. This study reveals that the composition and configuration of planted Eucalyptus spp. forests have significant effects on the functional diversity of bird assemblages. Factors such as tree age, land cover, and clone types influence functional divergence, functional evenness, and species richness of bird populations. These findings highlight the importance of good management practices in maintaining bird diversity and suggest that associating Eucalyptus trees with other cover types in the landscape can increase bird functional diversity.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Laurent Larrieu, Benoit Courbaud, Christophe Drenou, Michel Goulard, Rita Buetler, Daniel Kozak, Daniel Kraus, Frank Krumm, Thibault Lachat, Jorg Mueller, Yoan Paillet, Andreas Schuck, Jonas Stillhard, Miroslav Svoboda, Kris Vandekerkhove
Summary: Understanding the factors that influence the occurrence of tree-related microhabitats (TreMs) is crucial for effective forest management and biodiversity conservation. This study quantified the role of tree species, diameter at breast height, status, time since last harvest, and plot context in predicting TreM occurrence. It also identified a subset of key features that should be recorded in the future to improve predictions of TreM occurrence.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ever Tallei, Luis Rivera, Alejandro Schaaf, Constanza Vivanco, Natalia Politi
Summary: Unplanned logging poses a significant threat to forest biodiversity, especially in the Southern Andean Yungas. This study identified specific understory bird species associated with changes in forest structure due to selective logging, and proposed using them as monitoring tools. The research found that certain bird species were linked to unlogged areas with higher tree density, while others were favored by logging activities and visual obstruction in the understory. Threshold abundance levels were also determined for bird guilds in both logged and unlogged forests.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Icaro Menezes Pinto, Carine Emer, Eliana Cazetta, Jose Carlos Morante-Filho
Summary: The study shows that forest cover positively affects the number of interactions in understory bird seed-dispersal networks, with a significant decrease in interaction quantity in highly deforested areas. The lack of significant network structure in these highly modified landscapes is attributed to the pervasive impoverishment of bird and plant communities.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Tamara Rischen, Matilda Kaffenberger, Eva Plath, Jessica Wolff, Klaus Fischer
Summary: Arthropod biodiversity in agricultural landscapes is influenced by compositional and configurational heterogeneity. Boundaries as habitats enhance the taxonomic diversity of carabid beetles and spiders, suggesting their value. Increasing configurational heterogeneity seems important for preserving farmland biodiversity.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Nobuhiro Akashi
Summary: Planted forests managed to supply timber are usually clearcut, but retention forestry approach can be applied to mitigate the negative impacts of clearcutting. Planted forests are disturbed by harvesting and postharvest silvicultural management activities. The retention harvesting and postharvest silvicultural management may lead to changes in understory plant communities.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
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
Hannah K. Levenson, David R. Tarpy
Summary: Planting of augmented pollinator habitat can positively impact bee communities, leading to increases in abundance and diversity. However, the effectiveness of these habitats depends on the quality of the habitat, with areas of higher flower cover and diversity supporting larger, more diverse bee communities. It is important to develop seed mixes that include late season resources and to regularly maintain the habitat to support bee communities.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Shun Li, Tianming Wang, Zhengyang Hou, Yinan Gong, Limin Feng, Jianping Ge
Summary: Forest understory vegetation is crucial for providing food, nutrition, and habitat for wildlife. Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) has the potential to improve the accuracy of predicting understory biomass and monitoring biomass changes under the influence of wildlife.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Samuel F. F. Bartels, S. Ellen Macdonald
Summary: Retention harvesting is advocated as an alternative to intensive timber harvesting for better maintenance and recovery of biodiversity in managed forests. The short-term benefits of retention harvests include increased understory cover and richness, but these effects decline over time. However, higher levels of retention can help maintain understory composition closer to unharvested conditions, although full recovery will be slow.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Max C. N. Castorani, Shannon L. Harrer, Robert J. Miller, Daniel C. Reed
Summary: The study found that habitat quality can mediate the effects of intensified disturbances on kelp forest net primary productivity, with understory macroalgae partially compensating for canopy NPP losses, and this effect magnifying with increasing habitat quality.
Article
Forestry
Jiayin Feng, Zheng Li, Yuanfeng Hao, Jing Wang, Jingyi Ru, Jian Song, Shiqiang Wan
Summary: Litter and understory play important roles in belowground ecosystems of forests, but their effects on soil microbial communities are still unclear. This study found that removing litter had a stronger impact on soil microbial community compared to removing understory, affecting biomass and composition of bacteria and fungi differently. The results suggest that changes in soil moisture and NH4+-N might be responsible for the inhibitory effects of litter removal on bacterial biomass.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Shuting Zhang, Xiong Yang, Debao Li, Sicheng Li, Zhe Chen, Jianping Wu
Summary: Understory plants have a crucial role in regulating forest ecosystems, but the exact impact of their loss on soil properties remains unclear. This study conducted a meta-analysis on understory removal experiments in Chinese forest ecosystems to determine the overall trends in soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and microorganisms. The results showed that removing understory plants led to increased soil temperature and decreased soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, soil water content, pH, and microbial biomass. Fungi responded faster to plant removal than bacteria, and negative effects were more pronounced with longer treatment duration and in broad-leaved forests compared to coniferous forests. The responses of soil water, nutrient content, and microbial community composition to understory removal decreased with decreasing mean annual temperature and precipitation. These findings indicate that understory plants play a crucial role in sustaining soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and microbial activities in forest ecosystems, and therefore, their preservation is important for the health of forest ecosystems.
Article
Entomology
Alberto J. Alaniz, Antonio O. Soares, Pablo M. Vergara, Eduardo Brito de Azevedo, Audrey A. Grez
Summary: Our study examined the impact of climatic conditions in the Azorean Islands on the invasion of Harmonia axyridis, and identified that European populations and the global potential niche of the species are more suitable for these islands compared to populations from the U.S. and native Asian regions. The difference in suitability is mainly attributed to precipitation of the wettest month, isothermality, and the minimum temperature of the coldest month, suggesting that abiotic resistance plays a role in hindering the establishment of invasive insects, depending on the origin of the population.
Review
Entomology
Gabriele Rondoni, Isabel Borges, Jana Collatz, Eric Conti, Alejandro C. Costamagna, Francois Dumont, Edward W. Evans, Audrey A. Grez, Andy G. Howe, Eric Lucas, Julie-Eleonore Maisonhaute, Antonio Onofre Soares, Tania Zaviezo, Matthew J. W. Cock
Summary: This review focuses on the literature behind classical and augmentative biological control using exotic ladybirds, discussing the efficacy of selected species in different introduced areas. Factors contributing to the success of biological control programs, as well as the risk assessment and ecological impact of exotic ladybirds, are summarized. The establishment and pest suppression success of ladybirds depend on intrinsic and extrinsic factors, with the BIOCAT database showing varying levels of control achieved through ladybird introductions.
ENTOMOLOGIA EXPERIMENTALIS ET APPLICATA
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Matias Barcelo, Javier A. Simonetti
Summary: The study evaluated the interaction and potential predation of the invasive species, Rattus rattus, on G. keule. Results showed that the only animal species interacting with the fruit was R. rattus, which ate and carried away the fruit, posing an additional threat to G. keule.
NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Diana A. Vasquez, Audrey A. Grez, Annia Rodriguez-San Pedro
JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY
(2020)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Silvio J. Crespin, Javier A. Simonetti
Summary: Agroecological landscapes have the potential to achieve coexistence between food security and biodiversity conservation. By viewing landscapes as social-ecological systems, manageable components or coexistence parameters can be focused on to explain biodiversity impacts and mitigate conflicts. Customized management strategies from social, economic, and ecological sciences can increase the likelihood of success in transitioning towards a state of coexistence.
CONSERVATION LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Audrey A. Grez, Tania Zaviezo, Fernando Casanoves, Romina Oberti, Patricio Pliscoff
Summary: This study found a positive correlation between native ladybird species and natural cover in the landscape, while aphids were positively associated with agricultural cover. Native ladybirds made a positive contribution to the taxonomic and functional diversity of aphidophagous communities, while exotic species showed a negative correlation. The research highlights the importance of promoting appropriate management practices in agricultural landscapes to protect native ladybird species.
INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Annia Rodriguez-San Pedro, Felipe Avila, Pascal N. Chaperon, Clemente A. Beltran, Juan L. Allendes, Audrey A. Grez
Summary: The study found that vineyard edges have a significant impact on bat activity, with higher activity observed at the edges compared to the interior. Vineyards adjacent to native vegetation showed the highest levels of activity for certain bat species compared to those adjacent to monoculture or urban areas.
ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Ariel A. Arzabe, Patricio Retamal, Javier A. Simonetti
Summary: Human activities, particularly livestock husbandry, have a significant impact on wild carnivores, increasing their stress levels compared to natural areas. However, current data is insufficient to determine if one type of anthropic activity is more stressful than another for wild canids. More research is needed to understand stress levels in free-living canids, especially those in threatened species, in order to inform conservation practices effectively, particularly in livestock areas.
APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Parasitology
Ariel A. Arzabe, Javier A. Simonetti
Summary: There is insufficient research on parasite transmission from livestock to South American canids, and the role of livestock in wild canid parasitism needs to be re-evaluated.
ACTA PARASITOLOGICA
(2022)
Editorial Material
Entomology
Peter M. J. Brown, Tania Zaviezo, Audrey Grez, Tim Adriaens, Gilles San Martin, Helen E. Roy, Antonio O. Soares
ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Rodrigo M. Barahona-Segovia, Audrey A. Grez, Claudio Veloso
Summary: The practice of clear-cutting has negative impacts on ectotherm physiology and behavior. This study evaluates the effects of temperature, habitat type, and season on body temperature and behavior of the ground-beetle Ceroglossus chilensis.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Ariel A. Arzabe, Patricio Retamal, Javier A. Simonetti
Summary: Livestock guarding dogs did not affect parasite richness or prevalence, but did result in higher parasite intensity in chilla foxes. The presence of livestock guarding dogs reduced the proportion of foxes with low parasite burdens, though this difference was not significant at the population level. Further research with larger sample sizes and more locations is needed to fully understand the impact of livestock guarding dogs on wildlife health.
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Antonio O. Soares, Danny Haelewaters, Olga M. C. C. Ameixa, Isabel Borges, Peter M. J. Brown, Pedro Cardoso, Michiel D. de Groot, Edward W. Evans, Audrey A. Grez, Axel Hochkirch, Milada Holecova, Alois Honek, Jan Kulfan, Ana Lillebo, Zdenka Martinkova, J. P. Michaud, Oldrich Nedved, Omkar, Helen E. Roy, Swati Saxena, Apoorva Shandilya, Arnaud Sentis, Jiri Skuhrovec, Sandra Viglasova, Peter Zach, Tania Zaviezo, John E. Losey
Summary: Ladybird populations are compromised by anthropogenic threats, and there is a lack of knowledge on the conservation status and factors driving their population dynamics. Short-term actions such as citizen science programs and education are suggested for conservation and recovery, while long-term actions involve the development of a global monitoring program to fill data gaps.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Violeta Romero, Tania Zaviezo, Roland Sanchez, Audrey A. Grez
Summary: The trophic interactions between coccinellids and aphids in alfalfa fields are influenced by prey availability. Through DNA metabarcoding analysis, it was found that coccinellids have a diverse diet and can consume alternative prey like pollen to sustain their presence in the fields. This study highlights the ability of coccinellids to consume a variety of prey and alternative resources, enabling them to persist in agricultural ecosystems even when aphid populations are low.
Article
Entomology
Audrey A. Grez, Tania Zaviezo, Ignacio Orellana, Luna Pino, Helen E. Roy, Fernando Torres, Claudia Rebolledo
Summary: Citizen science is a valuable tool for detecting and monitoring invasive species. In the case of the Harmonia axyridis invasion in Chile, citizen science initiatives and structured monitoring both contributed to understanding the spatial-temporal dynamics of the invasion. Citizen science databases had more records, with the invasion starting in central Chile and spreading north and south. Citizen science initiatives focused on areas with high human populations, while structured monitoring had a more even distribution across regions. Combining different methods provides a comprehensive understanding of invasion patterns, processes, and consequences.
NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
