Article
Plant Sciences
Valentin Journe, Andrew Hacket-Pain, Iris Oberklammer, Mario B. Pesendorfer, Michal Bogdziewicz
Summary: This paper aims to establish seed production forecasting as a new branch of research and evaluate the predictive capabilities of three models in predicting tree seed production. The study found that effective seed production monitoring methods are crucial for creating forecasting tools. In terms of extreme events, the models are better at predicting crop failures than bumper crops, likely because the factors preventing seed production are better understood than the processes leading to large reproductive events.
Article
Forestry
Xoaquin Moreira, Carla Vazquez-Gonzalez, Luis Abdala-Roberts
Summary: Weather conditions and resource-driven lagged negative autocorrelations are key drivers of population inter-annual variation in reproductive output, with temporal variability in weather cues and the strength of negative autocorrelations both influencing the coefficient of variation in seed output.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Forestry
C. Moriah Boggess, David S. Mason, Heather D. Alexander, Bronson K. Strickland, Marcus A. Lashley
Summary: Mast seeding in oaks can lead to changes in deer behavior, affecting both seed survival and seedling growth. These findings suggest that facultative consumers play an important role in connecting resource pulses to broader community dynamics.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Victoria Nolan, Tom Reader, Francis Gilbert, Nick Atkinson
Summary: By analyzing a large sample of English wood-pastures, this study identified over 100,000 undiscovered ancient trees in these habitats. Factors such as wood-pasture area, proximity to cities, historic features, and soil types were found to be important predictors of ancient tree abundance. Using historical maps and statistical models, accurate predictions were made to guide future surveys and conservation efforts for ancient trees and wood-pastures.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Kimiko Hirayama, Kenta Mizo, Manaka Tatsuno, Mizuki Yoshikawa, Chieri Tachikawa
Summary: The production of acorns in Quercus serrata is influenced by temperature, seed predators, and other factors. The damage caused by Mechoris ursulus is a key factor contributing to the annual variation in acorn production, and its effects are synchronized among individuals and populations. The temperature in June also plays a significant role in the reproductive process of acorns.
ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Forestry
Oludunsin Arodudu, Obste Therasme, Timothy Volk, Robert Malmsheimer, Paul Crovella, Rene Germain, Danielle Kloster, Deepak Kumar
Summary: This study reviewed the features of previous HWP carbon accounting frameworks and provided recommendations for improvements to accurately assess the contributions of harvested wood products to net zero carbon targets. Recommendations include expanding the accounting framework to include other climate change mitigation benefits and providing subnational unit-specific activity data and conversion factors. These improvements will enhance the accuracy of HWP accounting frameworks and capture the potential benefits of HWPs as a carbon sink.
Article
Forestry
Diogo N. Cosenza, Lauri Korhonen, Matti Maltamo, Petteri Packalen, Jacob L. Strunk, Erik Naesset, Terje Gobakken, Paula Soares, Margarida Tome
Summary: In this study, the performances of OLS, kNN, and RF in forest yield modeling were compared, revealing that OLS and RF had similar and higher accuracies compared to kNN. Variable selection did not significantly impact RF performance, while heuristic and exhaustive selection methods had similar effects on OLS. Caution is advised when building kNN models for volume prediction, with a preference for OLS with variable selection or RF with all variables included.
Article
Agronomy
Tatiana A. Shestakova, Sven Mutke, Javier Gordo, J. Julio Camarero, Ester Sin, Jesus Peman, Jordi Voltas
Summary: The study found that timber production and nut production are perfectly compatible in stone pine forests in the Northern Plateau of Spain, as resources are not diverted from growth during mast years. The research highlights the importance of synchronous growth and reproduction patterns, as well as the strong positive correlation between growth and yield with a 3-year lag.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2021)
Review
Forestry
Margarida Tome, Maria Helena Almeida, Susana Barreiro, Manuela R. Branco, Ernesto Deus, Gloria Pinto, Joaquim S. Silva, Paula Soares, Roque Rodriguez-Soalleiro
Summary: Although native to Australia, Eucalyptus species are widely planted in Europe, especially in the Iberian Peninsula, where Eucalyptus globulus is the most common species. Eucalyptus trees play a significant economic role in the pulp and paper industry and for non-industrial landowners. However, their expansion has also brought negative environmental impacts, highlighting the need for appropriate management strategies.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Joana Amaral Paulo, Paulo Neves Firmino, Sonia Pacheco Faias, Margarida Tome
Summary: Annual growth and thickness of cork vary significantly between trees in the same geographical location. Research on how climate variables affect different trees is crucial for cork production management. The study applied quantile regression methodology to investigate the impact of climate on individual tree growth and thickness, providing valuable insights for cork oak management.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
(2021)
Letter
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marc Palahi, Ruben Valbuena, Cornelius Senf, Nezha Acil, Thomas A. M. Pugh, Jonathan Sadler, Rupert Seidl, Peter Potapov, Barry Gardiner, Lauri Hetemaeki, Gherardo Chirici, Saverio Francini, Tomas Hlasny, Bas Jan Willem Lerink, Hakan Olsson, Jose Ramon Gonzalez Olabarria, Davide Ascoli, Antti Asikainen, Jurgen Bauhus, Goran Berndes, Janis Donis, Jonas Fridman, Marc Hanewinkel, Herve Jactel, Marcus Lindner, Marco Marchetti, Robert Marusak, Douglas Sheil, Margarida Tome, Antoni Trasobares, Pieter Johannes Verkerk, Minna Korhonen, Gert-Jan Nabuurs
Article
Forestry
Diogo N. Cosenza, Petteri Packalen, Matti Maltamo, Petri Varvia, Janne Raty, Paula Soares, Margarida Tome, Jacob L. Strunk, Lauri Korhonen
Summary: This study examines the limits of predictor and training plot numbers for accurate prediction without overfitting in various models used in area-based approach. The findings suggest that some models tend to overfit when the number of predictors approaches the number of training plots. However, for most models, using larger datasets results in more accurate predictions.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Forestry
X. Lecomte, J. A. Paulo, M. Tome, S. Veloso, P. N. Firmino, S. P. Faias, M. C. Caldeira
Summary: Shrub encroachment is a global phenomenon affecting tree growth and water status. The study highlights the importance of early forest management for tree growth sustainability in cork oak plantations facing climate change.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Susana Barreiro, Akli Benali, Joao C. P. Rua, Margarida Tome, Jose L. Santos, Jose M. C. Pereira
Summary: The wildfire situation in Alvares parish, Portugal is severe due to large expanses of undermanaged forests and rugged topography. Improving forest management and establishing a fuel break network can significantly enhance forest economic benefits according to research findings.
Article
Forestry
David Candel-Perez, Hector Hernandez-Alonso, Federico Castro, Gabriel Sanguesa-Barreda, Sven Mutke, Miguel Garcia-Hidalgo, Vicente Rozas, Jose Miguel Olano
Summary: This study examines the historical records of pollarding frequency and rotation length in Central Spain, revealing temporal changes and the impact of land property on tree pollarding. The findings show a significant decrease in pollarding frequency since the 1970s, although there has been a recent recovery with lower intensity and lacking synchronic historical patterns.
TREES-STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Joana Amaral Paulo, Paulo Neves Firmino, Margarida Tome
Summary: This study developed a climate-dependent tree model to predict the annual growth of cork and verified the non-linear effects of climate change on cork growth, which varies with cork age and thickness. By evaluating three candidate models and selecting the one with the best prediction performance as the base model, a climate-dependent fixed-effects model was developed and a mixed-effects model was used to account for the nested structure of the data. The models developed in this study can predict the cork thickness of individual trees based on cork age and under different climate change scenarios.
MODELING EARTH SYSTEMS AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
Michal Bogdziewicz, Rafael Calama, Benoit Courbaud, Josep M. Espelta, Andrew Hacket-Pain, Valentin Journe, Georges Kunstler, Michael Steele, Tong Qiu, Magdalena Zywiec, James S. Clark
Summary: The periodic production of large seed crops, known as masting, is common in perennial plants and has various effects on the fitness and food webs. However, quantifying the variability of masting has been debated, with the commonly used coefficient of variation being inadequate for individual-level observations. To address these limitations, this study introduces volatility and periodicity as new metrics, which account for the variance in the frequency domain and provide improved ecological interpretations of masting. The utilization of long-term, individual-plant datasets with these new metrics promises significant advancements in the field.
Article
Forestry
Juliette Archambeau, Simone Bianchi, Joukje Buiteveld, Marta Callejas-Diaz, Stephen Cavers, Henrik Hallingback, Chedly Kastally, Marina de Miguel, Sven Mutke, Leopoldo Sanchez, Richard Whittet, Santiago C. Gonzalez-Martinez, Catherine Bastien
Summary: With the intensification of climate change, the fate of many world forests is becoming a major concern. The goal of the European Union (EU) member states to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 requires the planting of 3 billion additional trees by 2030. To meet this challenge, robust and efficient management and conservation strategies must be implemented, with intense knowledge and tool-sharing among experts, practitioners, and policymakers.
TREE GENETICS & GENOMES
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Paulo Neves Firmino, Margarida Tome, Joana Amaral Paulo
Summary: Competition indices may enhance tree growth models in high-density stands, particularly in new cork oak plantations. However, distance-dependent competition indices have been rarely considered for juvenile cork oak plantations. This study aims to investigate the potential of including distance-dependent competition indices into growth models for Quercus suber, comparing them with distance-independent competition indices. The results showed that adding a distance-dependent competition index slightly improved the growth models, indicating the importance of considering inter-tree competition in tree growth modeling.
Article
Forestry
Catarina Jorge, Margarida Tome, Ricardo Ruiz-Peinado, Lobna Zribi, Joana Amaral Paulo
Summary: Accurate estimation of biomass is crucial for the sustainable management of forest resources, especially in the face of climate change. For Quercus suber, a joint regional model would be more beneficial due to its distribution and the nature of its biomass. However, compatibility issues proved to be a major challenge. By using dummy variables and making compromises in biomass compartments, we successfully developed two joint models to estimate aboveground biomass in Portugal, Spain, and Tunisia. We also developed a separate model for roots. All coefficients were estimated using Seemingly Unrelated Regressions (SUR) and model fitting was ensured. This work demonstrates the possibility of establishing a biologically sound and efficient model for these three countries.
Article
Forestry
Muha Abdullah Al Pavel, Susana Barreiro, Margarida Tome
Summary: Density-dependent mortality occurs when even-aged populations approach crown closure age. This is regulated by the 3/2 power law of self-thinning, which assumes a constant slope for the line relating stand density with the average tree size. A good estimate of the self-thinning line is essential for forest growth models.
Article
Ecology
Florian Lecorvaisier, Dominique Pontier, Benoit Soubeyrand, David Fouchet
Summary: Research has found that the use of vaccines that do not entirely block pathogen transmission may lead to the evolution of more virulent strains. High vaccine coverage favors the emergence and prevalence of avirulent strains, and competition between strains is crucial for the eradication of toxigenic strains when these vaccines are used.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Monica E. Barros, Ana Arriagada, Hugo Arancibia, Sergio Neira
Summary: The stock biomass of carrot prawn in the south-central area of Chile has decreased in the past 12 years, mainly due to fishing mortality. Predation mortality has been less studied and quantified, so it is important to estimate and compare predation and fishing mortality to understand their effects on fishing stocks. A food web model was built to analyze the biomass changes and evaluate the relative contribution of different mortality factors. The results showed that predation mortality was the main component of total mortality for carrot prawns and yellow prawns.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Shubham Krishna, Victoria Peterson, Luisa Listmann, Jana Hinners
Summary: This study incorporated viral dynamics into an ecosystem model to investigate the effects of viruses on ecosystem dynamics under current and future climatic conditions. The results showed that the presence of viruses increased nutrient retention in the upper water column, leading to a reduction in phytoplankton biomass and transfer of biomass to higher trophic levels.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Zahra Dehghan Manshadi, Parastoo Parivar, Ahad Sotoudeh, Ali Morovati Sharifabadi
Summary: This study demonstrates the importance of strategies such as limiting built-up areas, preserving green spaces, and protecting water resources on the urban carrying capacity in arid and semi-arid regions. Implementing a combination of policies aimed at enhancing urban green spaces and regulating water demand is found to be the most effective in terms of health and urban carrying capacity.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Shay S. Keretz, Daelyn A. Woolnough, Todd J. Morris, Edward F. Roseman, David T. Zanatta
Summary: This study surveyed native freshwater mussels in the St. Clair-Detroit River system and found 14 live unionids representing 9 species. However, the model used to predict their presence in the main channels was not successful. The study also revealed characteristic differences between the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Zhengrong Zhang, Xuemei Li, Xinyu Liu, Kaixin Zhao
Summary: This study examines land use change in the Chinese Tianshan mountainous region using system dynamics and patch-generating land use simulation models. The results show an expansion in forest and construction land, a decline in grassland area, and an increase in cultivated land area from 2005 to 2020. By 2040, unused land, grassland, and water are expected to decrease while other land types increase, with construction land showing the most significant increase. The study provides insights for future ecological and environmental management in the region.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Amira Khelifa, Nadjia El Saadi
Summary: This paper develops an agent-based model to study malaria disease transmission, taking into account the interactions between hosts, vectors, and aquatic habitats, as well as their geographical locations. The simulation results highlight the significant role of aquatic habitats in infection transmission and disease persistence, and demonstrate the effectiveness of eliminating these habitats in limiting disease transmission.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Guillaume Peron
Summary: The theory for movement-based coexistence between species often overlooks small-scale, station-keeping movements. However, at this scale, there are many instances where positive correlations exist between species traits that are expected to be negatively correlated based on current theory. Through simulations, the researcher presents a counter-example to demonstrate that functional tradeoffs are not a necessary condition for movement-based coexistence. This study highlights the significance of species-specific space use patterns under the time allocation tradeoff hypothesis.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Sandra Y. Mendiola, Nicole M. Gerardo, David J. Civitello
Summary: Research on the use of insect microbial symbionts as a means of controlling the spread of insect vectors and the pathogens they carry has made significant progress in the last decade. This study focused on the relative importance of simultaneous effects caused by a symbiont called Caballeronia spp. on the ability of squash bugs to transmit phytopathogenic Serratia marcescens. The researchers found that infection with Caballeronia significantly reduced pathogen titers and cleared S. marcescens in bugs, thus reducing the vectoring potential of these pests. The study also showed that maximizing symbiont prevalence in the vector population is crucial for effectively mitigating plant infections.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Shirui Hao, Dongryeol Ryu, Andrew W. Western, Eileen Perry, Heye Bogena, Harrie Jan Hendricks Franssen
Summary: This study investigates the sensitivity of model yield prediction to uncertainties in model parameters and inputs using the Sobol' method. The results show that yield is more sensitive to changes in water availability and nitrogen availability, depending on soil, management, and weather conditions.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Nitika Mundetia, Devesh Sharma, Aditya Sharma
Summary: This study focused on assessing groundwater sustainability using different modeling approaches in a river basin in Rajasthan, India. The results showed a decrease in future groundwater recharge and emphasized the need for better management and conservation practices to achieve sustainable development goals.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Sukdev Biswas, Sk Golam Mortoja, Ritesh Kumar Bera, Sabyasachi Bhattacharya
Summary: Bacteria play a crucial role in regulating the nutrient cycle of ecosystems, and maintaining a thriving bacterial population is essential for the sustainability of these environments. This study introduces the concept of cooperation as a group defense mechanism employed by bacteria and incorporates it into the functional response, offering a more comprehensive understanding of the complex tritrophic food chain dynamics. The results highlight the importance of a balance between strong group defense and moderate cooperation for bacteria sustainability and overall system stability.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
D. Z. M. Le Gouvello, S. Heye, L. R. Harris, J. Temple-Boyer, P. Gaspar, M. G. Hart-Davis, C. Louro, R. Nel
Summary: This study modeled the dispersal pathways and compared potential dispersal corridors of different sea turtle species in the Western Indian Ocean. The results showed that ocean currents play a major role in driving dispersal, with species and years exhibiting differences in dispersal patterns. Active swimming had little influence on dispersal during the first year.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2024)
Review
Ecology
Yingying Duan, Haina Rong, Gexiang Zhang, Sergey Gorbachev, Dunwu Qi, Luis Valencia-Cabrera, Mario J. Perez-Jimenez
Summary: Computing models are an effective way to study population dynamics of endangered species like giant pandas. This paper proposes a unified framework and conducts a comprehensive survey of computing models for giant panda ecosystems. Multi-factor computing models are more suitable for studying giant panda ecosystems.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Samantha Lai, Theophilus Zhi En Teo, Arief Rullyanto, Jeffery Low, Karenne Tun, Peter A. Todd, Siti Maryam Yaakub
Summary: Understanding the exchange of genetic material among populations in the marine environment is crucial for conservation efforts. Agent-based models are increasingly used to predict dispersal pathways, including for seagrasses. This study highlights the importance of considering both sexual propagules and asexual vegetative fragments when evaluating seagrass connectivity.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2024)