Article
Environmental Sciences
Shijuan Chen, Curtis E. Woodcock, Thatheva Saphangthong, Pontus Olofsson
Summary: This study provides an analysis of the spatial-temporal patterns of shifting cultivation and estimates the associated carbon emissions in Laos. It found that shifting cultivation has been expanding and intensifying in the country. The research highlights the importance of understanding these changes for policymakers and land use management.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shijuan Chen, Pontus Olofsson, Thatheva Saphangthong, Curtis E. Woodcock
Summary: This study used Landsat time series on Google Earth Engine to monitor shifting cultivation in Laos from 1991 to 2020. Forest disturbances were mapped as shifting cultivation, new plantation, deforestation, severe drought, and subtle disturbance using time series analysis, object-based image analysis, and post-disturbance land cover classification. Shifting cultivation was found to be the main land use in Laos, accounting for 32.9% +/- 1.9% of the country over the past 30 years. The area of shifting cultivation increased in 2015-2020.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Thomas Abrell, Krishna Naudin, Felix J. J. A. Bianchi, Debora Veiga Aragao, Pablo Tittonell, Marc Corbeels
Summary: This study demonstrates that reducing fallow periods in shifting cultivation systems in the Eastern Amazon region has negative effects on soil fertility and weed pressure, posing a threat to the sustainability and productivity of local farming systems.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Dominic A. A. Martin, Jorge C. C. Llopis, Estelle Raveloaritiana, Oliver T. T. Coomes, O. Ravaka Andriamihaja, Thilde Bech Bruun, Andreas Heinimann, Ole Mertz, O. Sarobidy Rakotonarivo, Julie G. G. Zaehringer
Summary: Shifting cultivation is still important in many tropical landscapes, but transitions away from it are increasing. Our knowledge on the drivers and consequences of these transitions is incomplete, focusing on specific transitions, drivers, consequences, or regions.
Article
Forestry
Agustinus Murdjoko, Francis Q. Brearley, Antoni Ungirwalu, Dony A. Djitmau, Nithanel M. H. Benu
Summary: Papuan lowland forests undergo ecological succession after swidden practices, and secondary forests take a long time to recover to resemble primary forests. The study found that secondary forests have lower plant species richness compared to primary forests. The density of trees and shrubs increases during succession, while that of lianas declines. Furthermore, soil fertility declines in secondary forests over time.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sabina Yasmin Laskar, Gudeta Weldesemayat Sileshi, Karabi Pathak, Nirmal Debnath, Arun Jyoti Nath, Kaynath Yasmin Laskar, Pator Singnar, Ashesh Kumar Das
Summary: Shifting cultivation is an important agricultural form globally, with significant impact on the cultural identity of indigenous communities. The study found significant changes in soil bulk density, aggregate stability, and soil organic carbon content with the transition from undisturbed forest to slash-and-burn cultivation and fallow phases. The research concluded that a minimum of 20 years of fallow period is required to achieve soil organic carbon content and carbon stocks comparable with intact forest land.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Silvia Laine Borges, Maxmiller Cardoso Ferreira, Bruno Machado Teles Walter, Ana Carla dos Santos, Aldicir Osni Scariot, Isabel Belloni Schmidt
Summary: Understanding the recovery process of forest ecosystems in savanna landscapes after shifting cultivation is crucial for sustainable land-use planning. We conducted a study in Brazilian savanna to assess the resilience of swamp gallery forests to shifting cultivation and investigated the role of environmental factors in community recovery. Our findings suggest that the disturbances caused by shifting cultivation do not hinder the recovery of most community attributes and recommend leaving the ecosystems fallow for at least 90 years for complete ecological recovery.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Dileep Kumar Pandey, Shivani Dobhal, Himansu Kumar De, P. Adhiguru, S. Vimla Devi, T. S. Mehra
Summary: This study explored agrobiodiversity in the changing shifting cultivation landscapes in North East India, finding a rich variety of crop species, livestock breeds, and wild plants, as well as potential threats to biodiversity conservation. The results of the study may be useful for landscape management and rural development policies.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2022)
Review
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Edivaldo L. Thomaz
Summary: Fire affects the Earth's biogeochemical cycle and is applied in agroecosystem management. Higher fire severity can lead to improved aggregate stability in soil, but laboratory and field studies show different effects.
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Joli R. Borah, James J. Gilroy, Karl L. Evans, David P. Edwards
Summary: This study investigates the impact of shifting cultivation on bird diversity and carbon sequestration in tropical landscapes, and finds that traditional non-intensive shifting cultivation plays an important role in providing refuges for biodiversity. Effective management of such landscapes is crucial for biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Oliver T. Coomes, Yuanyu Cheng, Yoshito Takasaki, Christian Abizaid
Summary: This paper examines the recent field clearing practices of indigenous and folk peasant households in the Peruvian Amazon, finding low rates of old-growth forest clearing and highlighting factors such as household education level and land size that influence their choice of forest location and type for clearing.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dominique Serrani, Stefania Cocco, Valeria Cardelli, Paride D'Ottavio, Rogerio Borguete Alves Rafael, Domingos Feniasse, Alcidio Vilanculos, Maria Luisa Fernandez-Marcos, Chiara Giosue, Francesca Tittarelli, Giuseppe Corti
Summary: Slash and burn is a widely used land use practice, but its sustainability has been questioned due to soil degradation. This study investigated rural areas in Mozambique to assess soil quality in agricultural and forest soils at different ages of the forest-fallow period.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Demsai Reang, Arun Jyoti Nath, Gudeta Weldesemayat Sileshi, Animekh Hazarika, Ashesh Kumar Das
Summary: This article discusses the traditional pineapple agroforestry systems (PAFS) developed by the Hmar communities in the Sub-Himalayan region of India for land restoration after slash-and-burn agriculture. The study demonstrates that PAFS play a crucial role in improving land quality and conserving endangered and economically important tree species.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Yamini Bhat, Subrata Nandy, Hitendra Padalia, Arun Jyoti Nath, Rocky Pebam
Summary: This systematic review examines the use of remote sensing technology in studying shifting cultivation in India. The majority of studies focus on mapping and monitoring shifting cultivation areas. Geospatial technology has the potential to explore spatio-temporal variations, secondary vegetation growth, and impacts on the environment.
JOURNAL OF THE INDIAN SOCIETY OF REMOTE SENSING
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Dibyendu Chatterjee, Rukuosietuo Kuotsu, Sanjay Kumar Ray, M. K. Patra, A. Thirugnanavel, Rakesh Kumar, T. R. Borah, Pulakabha Chowdhury, Imliakum Pongen, B. S. Satapathy, Bidyut C. Deka
Summary: The study found that integrated farming system based on shifting cultivation reduces soil erosion and outperforms traditional shifting cultivation in terms of productivity and income in the North-Eastern Hills of India. Improved integrated farming system models, such as animal-based IFS and horticulture-based IFS, were more effective in reducing soil erosion and loss of nutrients, as well as providing higher economic returns compared to traditional shifting cultivation.
ARCHIVES OF AGRONOMY AND SOIL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Clara Parejo-Farnes, Ramiro Aguilar, Jose M. Herrera, Abelardo Aparicio, Rafael G. Albaladejo
PERSPECTIVES IN PLANT ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS
(2020)
Article
Plant Sciences
L. M. Carbone, G. Cascone, R. Aguilar
Summary: Increased fire frequency leads to higher production of closed-small flowers, but progeny performance is similar between open and closed flowers under different fire frequency conditions. Fire frequency may drive plants to prioritize self-pollination, limiting resources available to pollinators and potentially impacting the survival of outcrossing species in frequently burned environments.
Article
Ecology
Gisele M. Mendes, Fernando A. O. Silveira, Carolina Oliveira, Wesley Dattilo, Roger Guevara, Betsabe Ruiz-Guerra, Maria Gabriela Boaventura, Sershen, Syd Ramdhani, Shyam S. Phartyal, Servio P. Ribeiro, Victor Diniz Pinto, Heraldo L. Vasconcelos, Richard Tito, Cassio Cardoso Pereira, Barbara Carvalho, Gabriel M. Carvalho, Ek Del-Val, Elise Buisson, Andre J. Arruda, Jean-Baptiste Toth, Fabio de O. Roque, Allan Henrique Souza, Fabio Bolzan, Frederico Neves, Juliana Kuchenbecker, Guilherme Ramos Demetrio, Luziene Seixas, Gustavo Q. Romero, Paula M. de Omena, Jhonathan O. Silva, Lucas Paolucci, Elenir Queiroz, Mark K. J. Ooi, Charlotte H. Mills, Pille Gerhold, Anne Merzin, Jhonny C. Massante, Ramiro Aguilar, Lucas M. Carbone, Ricardo Campos, Inacio Gomes, Gabriela Zorzal, Ricardo Solar, Leticia Ramos, Tathiana Sobrinho, Pedro Sanders, Tatiana Cornelissen
Summary: Herbivory is a crucial factor in plant distribution and performance, yet remains largely undocumented. This study introduced a collaborative network to update and expand data on insect herbivory in tropical and temperate plant species.
Article
Ecology
Fernando Zamudio, M. Genoveva Gatti, Norma I. Hilgert, Leopoldo J. Alvarez, Pablo Mulieri, Ramiro Aguilar, Lorena Ashworth
Summary: The study conducted the first in-depth assessment of the relative dependence on animal pollination of E. edulis in Argentina, finding that the palm species has an ambophilic pollination system with wind pollination predominance and the ability to set seeds without insect pollination. The study also revealed the diverse insect visitors to E. edulis, indicating a generalist pollination system where Hymenoptera and Diptera are the most frequent visitors.
ARTHROPOD-PLANT INTERACTIONS
(2021)
Review
Ecology
Melisa A. Giorgis, Sebastian R. Zeballos, Lucas Carbone, Heike Zimmermann, Henrik von Wehrden, Ramiro Aguilar, Ana E. Ferreras, Paula A. Tecco, Esteban Kowaljow, Fernando Barri, Diego E. Gurvich, Pablo Villagra, Pedro Jaureguiberry
Summary: This systematic review analyzed the effects of fire on biodiversity, abundance, fitness, and soil properties in South America. The results show that fire had varying effects on different organisms and soil properties, with differences observed between early and late post-fire times and across different climate types. The study highlights the complexity of climate-fire-vegetation interactions and provides valuable information for land management in fire-prone ecosystems.
Article
Ecology
Magali Madelon, Natalia Aguirre-Acosta, Maria Cristina Acosta, Lia Montti, Weilong Qi, Ramiro Aguilar
Summary: This study reconstructed the invasion pathways of Glossy privet from China to Argentina using molecular markers, finding higher haplotype diversity in invaded ranges and suggesting multiple introductions. The sharing of haplotypes in invaded ranges points towards a single source of introduction, but the presence of different haplotypes suggests multiple introductions.
ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Ana Laura Chiapero, Ramiro Aguilar, Giovana M. Galfrascoli, Gabriel Bernardello, Mauricio Quesada, Lorena Ashworth
Summary: The study found that the dioecious tree species Lithraea molleoides exhibited limited effects of habitat fragmentation, showing strong resilience in reproductive characteristics, including pollination system and asexual seed production capabilities.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Biology
Agustin Saez, Ramiro Aguilar, Lorena Ashworth, Gabriela Gleiser, Carolina L. Morales, Anna Traveset, Marcelo A. Aizen
Summary: Modern agriculture relies heavily on pollinators, but the availability of honeybees is not able to meet the demand, and wild bees are declining. This can lead to reduced crop yield due to pollination limitation. A meta-analysis of published studies found that pollen supplementation increased crop yield by approximately 34%, indicating significant pollination limitation. Managed honeybees and self-compatibility were associated with lower pollination limitation. The findings suggest that current pollination management practices are inadequate and need to be transformed.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Victoria Marquez, Lucas M. Carbone, Ana L. Chiapero, Lorena Ashworth, Ana A. Calvino, Fernando Zamudio, Ramiro Aguilar
Summary: The arid Chaco in central Argentina presents different gradients of woody vegetation cover due to different land management systems. Silvopastoral systems show a reduction in tree cover and changes in soil properties, while peasant land management has less impact on the environment.
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Fabiola Mendes dos Santos, Michellia Pereira Soares, Gesline Ferreira Guimaraes, Renata Moreira dos Santos, Lorena Ashworth, Ramiro Aguilar, Geraldo Wilson Fernandes
Summary: Knowledge on pollination biology is important for understanding plant reproduction and long-term survival. In this study, we characterized the floral biology and identified the pollinators of a micro-endemic species in Brazil. A wide range of flower visitors, including bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, and wasps, were observed. Euglossine bees and hummingbirds were classified as pollinators. Nectar robbers and thieves were also identified. Further research should investigate nectar secretion patterns and the contribution of different visitors to the species' reproductive success.
BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2023)
Review
Plant Sciences
Miriam del Valle Avila, Fernanda Achimon, Vanessa Daniela Brito, Ramiro Aguilar, Romina Paola Pizzolitto, Maria Paula Zunino, Maria Laura Peschiutta
Summary: This article presents a review and meta-analysis of 14 scientific articles on the insecticidal activity of essential oils against mealybug species. The results show that essential oils extracted from various plant species and families have shown efficacy against mealybugs, with fumigation and indirect contact being the most commonly used methods.
Article
Ecology
Lucas M. Carbone, Ramiro Aguilar
Summary: Increased fire frequency can decrease specific leaf area (SLA) and reproductive success of plants, affecting specialist insects more than generalist insects like herbivores and pollinators. Decreased plant fecundity in high fire frequency areas may impact the density and long-term viability of populations, with some differences observed between plant species in terms of herbivory and reproductive success.
ARTHROPOD-PLANT INTERACTIONS
(2021)
Article
Anthropology
Giancarlo Scardia, Walter A. Neves, Ian Tattersall, Lukas Blumrich
Summary: Recent discoveries of stone tools from Jordan (2.5 Ma) and China (2.1 Ma) show the presence of hominins in Asia at the beginning of the Pleistocene, challenging the conventional timeline. This sheds new light on two disputed subjects in paleoanthropology, specifically the variation among the Dmanisi skulls and the ancestry of Homo floresiensis.
EVOLUTIONARY ANTHROPOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eliane S. Rapchan, Walter A. Neves
ANAIS DA ACADEMIA BRASILEIRA DE CIENCIAS
(2019)
Meeting Abstract
Anthropology
Danilo V. Bernardo, Pedro Da-Gloria, Walter A. Neves
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
(2019)