Article
Forestry
Robert R. R. Parmenter, Mark V. V. Losleben
Summary: Forest management activities often involve reducing fuels, such as slash, through mechanized thinning and prescribed fire. This study examines the effects of thinning and burning on the microclimate and soil conditions beneath and adjacent to logs in a mixed conifer forest. The results show that thinning and burning increase solar radiation and wind speeds, but have minimal impact on air temperature and humidity. Additionally, the treatments increase soil temperature and moisture beneath the logs and in nearby microsites. This has important implications for soil ecosystem processes and wildlife habitat.
Article
Environmental Studies
Eugenia Joaquim-Meque, Jose Lousada, Margarida L. R. Liberato, Teresa F. Fonseca
Summary: In recent decades, there has been growing concern over the threats to Mozambican forests, including commercial exploitation, deforestation, desertification, and the extinction of forest species. This research aims to provide an overview of the current state of Mozambican forests, analyze changes and trends, and assess the sustainability of forest resources. The study identifies various forest types and highlights key threats, including illegal logging, lack of protection measures, and climate change impacts.
Article
Forestry
Kanlayarat Jantawong, Nuttira Kavinchan, Prasit Wangpakapattanawong, Stephen Elliott
Summary: The carbon storage value of forest restoration using the framework species method was assessed in northern Thailand. The study found that restored forests could accumulate a significant amount of carbon and generate profitable returns compared to alternative land uses like maize cultivation. Therefore, the establishment of a forest-carbon trading system can incentivize forest restoration and contribute to environmental conservation.
Article
Forestry
M. Bouwman, D. I. Forrester, J. den Ouden, G. -J. Nabuurs, G. M. J. Mohren
Summary: Mixed-species forests have the potential to mitigate risks associated with climate change, but predicting their growth dynamics is difficult due to varying species interactions under different conditions. Research in the Netherlands showed that the 3-PG(mix) model performed well in analyzing mixing effects of Scots pine and oak mixtures under climate change, with increased competitiveness of Scots pine on resource-limited soils.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jakub Kaspar, Jan Tumajer, Pavel Samonil, Ivana Vasickova
Summary: Climate change affects tree growth performance and fitness differently among coexisting species, leading to changes in tree species compositions in Central European mountain forests. The proportion of Fagus sylvatica has increased in natural forests over the last 70 years, and there are site- and species-specific responses to climate change in the region.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Mairi Souza Oliveira, Bryan Finegan, Fernando Casanoves, Diego Delgado, Norvin Sepulveda, Adriana Aguilar Porras, Maria Alejandra Chamorro, Jean Pierre Morales Aymerich, Marie Ange Ngo Bieng
Summary: The study found that in secondary forests in Nicaragua and Costa Rica, the ecological and total timber potential aboveground biomass (AGB) were significantly higher in wet forests than in dry forests, while currently harvestable timber potential was significantly higher in dry forests than in wet forests. GLMM analysis showed that timber AGB potential increases with higher rainfall, lower climatic seasonality, and better soil fertility.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alexis A. Bernal, Scott L. Stephens, Brandon M. Collins, John J. Battles
Summary: The restoration of fire-prone forests and their resilience to disturbances is important, but it may conflict with climate mitigation goals by reducing biomass stocks. This study analyzed historical inventories in the Sierra Nevada/southern Cascade region to identify drivers of historical forest characteristics and projected future changes under climate scenarios. The predictions showed convergence in forest structure, with frequent fire being the likely explanation. Under projected climate, hotter sites favor low tree densities, low biomass, and high pine dominance. The study suggests that by 2069, the region may not be able to support aboveground biomass exceeding 25% of current average biomass stocks. Carbon policy needs to be adjusted to match the limited future aboveground carbon stocks in this region.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Alessandra De Marco, Pierre Sicard, Zhaozhong Feng, Evgenios Agathokleous, Rocio Alonso, Valda Araminiene, Algirdas Augustatis, Ovidiu Badea, James C. Beasley, Cristina Branquinho, Viktor J. Bruckman, Alessio Collalti, Rakefet David-Schwartz, Marisa Domingos, Enzai Du, Hector Garcia Gomez, Shoji Hashimoto, Yasutomo Hoshika, Tamara Jakovljevic, Steven McNulty, Elina Oksanen, Yusef Omidi Khaniabadi, Anne-Katrin Prescher, Costas J. Saitanis, Hiroyuki Sase, Andreas Schmitz, Gabriele Voigt, Makoto Watanabe, Michael D. Wood, Mikhail Kozlov, Elena Paoletti
Summary: This study reviews the current knowledge on the combined effects of air pollution and climate change on global forest ecosystems and identifies several key research priorities for the future. The recommendations include establishing more monitoring sites, integrating ground and satellite monitoring, considering the sensitivity of dominant forest tree species, and conducting long-term monitoring and experimental studies to better understand the impacts of different abiotic factors on forests.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Karen E. Rice, Rebecca A. Montgomery, Artur Stefanski, Roy L. Rich, Peter B. Reich
Summary: Herbaceous perennials showed species-specific responses to experimental warming and reduced summer rainfall, with some species advancing flowering while others delayed it. Changes in phenology led to differences in temporal overlap between species, potentially resulting in fewer resources for insects or a mismatch between plants and pollinators.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Harrison H. Jones, Elisa Barreto, Oscar Murillo, Scott K. Robinson
Summary: Research in the Andean forests of Colombia has shown that decreasing habitat amount, increasing edge density, and selective logging all lead to a decline in bird species richness, mainly due to the loss of forest-dependent species. While there is some nested species loss, the majority of changes are driven by species turnover.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Michael J. W. Boyle, Tom R. Bishop, Sarah H. Luke, Michiel van Breugel, Theodore A. Evans, Marion Pfeifer, Tom M. Fayle, Stephen R. Hardwick, Rachel Isolde Lane-Shaw, Kalsum M. Yusah, Imogen C. R. Ashford, Oliver S. Ashford, Emma Garnett, Edgar C. Turner, Clare L. Wilkinson, Arthur Y. C. Chung, Robert M. Ewers
Summary: Logging and habitat conversion in tropical forest landscapes create hotter microclimates, affecting the abundance and functional activity of ant genera. The interaction between thermal tolerance and environmental temperature determines changes in ant communities along forest disturbance gradients. These findings highlight the importance of physiological traits in shaping disturbance-induced microclimate effects on invertebrates in tropical landscapes.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cristina Gasperini, Elisa Carrari, Sanne Govaert, Camille Meeussen, Karen De Pauw, Jan Plue, Pieter Sanczuk, Thomas Vanneste, Pieter Vangansbeke, Giovanni Jacopetti, Pieter De Frenne, Federico Selvi
Summary: The research revealed a high proportion of generalist species in both the edge and interior forest seed banks, with variations in seedling density, species diversity, and mortality based on region and elevation. The warming simulation experiments showed thermophilization effects on forest seed banks, while edge conditions shifted seedling composition towards more light-demanding communities.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Zoltan Batori, Laszlo Erdos, Mario Gajdacs, Karoly Barta, Zalan Tobak, Kata Frei, Csaba Tolgyesi
Summary: Microrefugia are small areas that support species persistence during regional and global climate changes, with dolines in karst landscapes potentially providing such areas. The study in the Mecsek Mts area of Hungary showed clear gradients of microclimatic factors within dolines, indicating significant changes after logging, suggesting logging may impact dolines to serve as microrefugia under global warming.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Timothy J. Beechie, Oleksandr Stefankiv, Morgan Bond, Michael Pollock
Summary: The successful restoration of riparian habitats relies on selecting plant species suited to local conditions and utilizing historical data as an alternative when contemporary reference sites are lacking. The study used historical Public Land Survey data to predict the probability of riparian vegetation occurrence in the Columbia River basin, highlighting the importance of climate and geomorphic variables in vegetation distribution.
Article
Agronomy
Barbara Bomfim, Ekena R. Pinage, Fabiano Emmert, Lara M. Kueppers
Summary: Due to climate change, voluntary carbon markets are growing and can be used to improve tropical sustainable forest management, reducing carbon emissions and increasing carbon sinks. By extending harvest cycles and increasing carbon storage, financial returns can be generated.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Esme Ashe-Jepson, Andrew J. Bladon, Greg Herbert, Gwen E. Hitchcock, Richard Knock, Colin B. H. Lucas, Sarah H. Luke, Edgar C. Turner
Summary: Climate change affects butterflies in various ways, and the small blue butterfly is a suitable model species for studying these impacts. Research findings suggest that the emergence date of small blue adults is influenced by the year and local temperature, while oviposition behavior of the larvae remains consistent across different years.
JOURNAL OF INSECT CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Pita K. Amick, Katerina Sam, Gendio Drumo, Pagi S. Toko, Vojtech Novotny
Summary: The study revealed the presence of 43 bat species in the rainforests of Papua New Guinea, with six species extending beyond their known altitudinal ranges, possibly due to insufficient past sampling or genuine range extension. This highlights the importance of baseline data on the altitudinal distribution of vertebrates, including bats, for monitoring their response to climate change and human disturbance.
Article
Ecology
Amelia S. C. Hood, Anak Agung Ketut Aryawan, Andreas D. Advento, Wahyu R. Suberkah, Adham Ashton-Butt, Sudharto Ps, Jean-Pierre Caliman, Mohammad Naim, William A. Foster, Edgar C. Turner
Summary: This study developed a small-scale, whole-ecosystem method for suppressing ants in oil palm plantations. The suppression method significantly reduced ant abundance and had impacts on other taxa. Baiting alone was not sufficient to assess suppression effectiveness and testing a range of taxa for confounding impacts is important.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
David A. Donoso, Yves Basset, Jonathan Z. Shik, Dale L. Forrister, Adriana Uquillas, Yasmin Salazar-Mendez, Stephany Arizala, Pamela Polanco, Saul Beckett, Diego G. Dominguez, Hector Barrios
Summary: Researchers studied the male ant phenology in a seasonally wet lowland rainforest in the Panama Canal and found that the flights of male ants varied widely throughout the year. Temperature and rainfall were important environmental variables that affected the abundance of male ants, and the end of the dry season and the beginning of the rainy season were the main periods for male flights.
Article
Entomology
Martina F. Harianja, Sarah H. Luke, Holly Barclay, Vun K. Chey, David C. Aldridge, William A. Foster, Edgar C. Turner
Summary: Length-biomass equations are used to estimate insect biomass, but their accuracy can vary between taxa and locations. This study developed the best-fit length-biomass models for semi-aquatic bugs in Sabah, Malaysia. Power regressions were found to be the most accurate in predicting biomass, particularly when different body forms were analyzed separately. These equations provide valuable tools for future ecological research on semi-aquatic bugs, especially in Southeast Asia.
ENTOMOLOGIA EXPERIMENTALIS ET APPLICATA
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yves Basset, Petr Blazek, Daniel Souto-Vilaros, Gersey Vargas, Jose Alejandro Ramirez Silva, Hector Barrios, Filonila Perez, Ricardo Bobadilla, Yacksecari Lopez, Richard Ctvrtecka, Petr Sipek, Angel Solis, Simon T. Segar, Greg P. A. Lamarre
Summary: The population dynamics of most tropical insects are unknown, highlighting the need for long-term monitoring programs. Functional groups can effectively summarize time-series for species-rich taxa. This study examines the functional groups of Dynastinae in Panama and Barro Colorado Island, finding that geographical distribution, body length, seasonal aggregation, larval food, and presence in decaying wood are the main factors influencing the delineation of groups.
INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Jeffrey A. Harvey, Kevin Tougeron, Rieta Gols, Robin Heinen, Mariana Abarca, Paul K. Abram, Yves Basset, Matty Berg, Carol Boggs, Jacques Brodeur, Pedro Cardoso, Jetske G. de Boer, Geert R. De Snoo, Charl Deacon, Jane E. Dell, Nicolas Desneux, Michael E. Dillon, Grant A. Duffy, Lee A. Dyer, Jacintha Ellers, Anahi Espindola, James Fordyce, Matthew L. Forister, Caroline Fukushima, Matthew J. G. Gage, Carlos Garcia-Robledo, Claire Gely, Mauro Gobbi, Caspar Hallmann, Thierry Hance, John Harte, Axel Hochkirch, Christian Hof, Ary A. Hoffmann, Joel G. Kingsolver, Greg P. A. Lamarre, William F. Laurance, Blas Lavandero, Simon R. Leather, Philipp Lehmann, Cecile Le Lann, Margarita M. Lopez-Uribe, Chun-Sen Ma, Gang Ma, Joffrey Moiroux, Lucie Monticelli, Chris Nice, Paul J. Ode, Sylvain Pincebourde, William J. Ripple, Melissah Rowe, Michael J. Samways, Arnaud Sentis, Alisha A. Shah, Nigel Stork, John S. Terblanche, Madhav P. Thakur, Matthew B. Thomas, Jason M. Tylianakis, Joan Van Baaren, Martijn Van de Pol, Wim H. Van der Putten, Hans Van Dyck, Wilco C. E. P. Verberk, David L. Wagner, Wolfgang W. Weisser, William C. Wetzel, H. Arthur Woods, Kris A. G. Wyckhuys, Steven L. Chown
Summary: Climate warming is a serious anthropogenic stress on the environment, exacerbating the harmful effects of other threats and potentially threatening species preservation and ecosystem services provided by biodiversity. Insects, as central components of many ecosystems, are highly affected by climate change, with effects on physiology, behavior, distribution, and interactions, as well as extreme events.
ECOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Pagi S. S. Toko, Bonny Koane, Kenneth Molem, Scott E. E. Miller, Vojtech Novotny
Summary: The elevation gradients in tropical rainforests represent global maxima of biodiversity and are important for community studies. We surveyed geometrid moths in Papua New Guinea and found high diversity, with molecular data playing an important role in taxonomy. The richness of species and beta diversity of communities showed interesting patterns along the elevation gradient.
INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Mickal Y. I. Houadria, Giulio Barone, Tom M. Fayle, Thomas Schmitt, Petr Konik, Heike Feldhaar
Summary: Some plant-ant mutualistic relationships involve ants relying solely on plant-provided food, leading to greater efficiency in defending their host. The rejection of prey items and dependency on plant-provided food was observed across multiple plant host species, suggesting a beneficial behavior for the symbiotic relationship.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Editorial Material
Ecology
Juan C. Copete, Alfred Kik, Vojtech Novotny, Rodrigo Camara-Leret
Summary: The role of indigenous and local peoples in cataloging life on Earth is significant but often overlooked, and their knowledge faces increasing threats. Greater participation by them in research can enhance scientific efficiency, sustainable conservation, and the preservation of traditional knowledge, although significant obstacles remain.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Esme Ashe-Jepson, Matthew P. Hayes, Gwen E. Hitchcock, Keira Wingader, Edgar C. Turner, Andrew J. Bladon
Summary: There is limited understanding of insect larval thermoregulation. Researchers found that larvae of Lepidoptera have different buffering abilities compared to adults, and larvae are less effective at buffering themselves against changes in air temperature. Adults primarily use behavioral thermoregulation, while larvae rely on microclimate selection.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kate Howlett, Ho-Yee Lee, Amelia Jaffe, Matthew Lewis, Edgar C. C. Turner
Summary: Wildlife documentaries have become more popular in recent decades, but people's direct contact with nature has decreased. This study examines whether wildlife documentaries accurately represent the natural world and if there are changes in conservation messaging. The researchers analyzed an online film database and found biases towards certain taxa, low representation of plants, and an increasing focus on conservation in recent years.
Article
Ecology
Trevan Flynn, Jiri Tuma, Tom M. Fayle, Hana Vesela, Jan Frouz
Summary: Conversion of primary forest into oil palm plantations is common, but its effects on soil properties and spatial distribution are not well understood. This study found significant differences in soil properties and spatial structure between oil palm plantations and primary forest, while selectively logged forests showed similarities to primary forest in terms of overall mean and variance.
JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biology
Paula Arribas, Carmelo Andujar, Kristine Bohmann, Jeremy R. DeWaard, Evan P. Economo, Vasco Elbrecht, Stefan Geisen, Marta Goberna, Henrik Krehenwinkel, Vojtech Novotny, Lucie Zinger, Thomas J. Creedy, Emmanouil Meramveliotakis, Victor Noguerales, Isaac Overcast, Helene Morlon, Anna Papadopoulou, Alfried P. Vogler, Brent C. Emerson
Summary: Metazoan metabarcoding is an important strategy for biodiversity inventorying, but differences in workflows might compromise data integration. To address this issue, a modular framework for harmonized data generation was proposed, focusing on terrestrial arthropods. Key points for harmonization were identified and guidelines were provided to reduce methodological options and promote best practice.
Article
Biology
Greg P. A. Lamarre, Nicholas A. Pardikes, Simon Segar, Charles N. Hackforth, Michel Laguerre, Benoit Vincent, Yacksecari Lopez, Filonila Perez, Ricardo Bobadilla, Jose Alejandro Ramirez Silva, Yves Basset
Summary: Understanding the causes and consequences of insect declines has become an important goal in ecology. The ForestGEO Arthropod Initiative has monitored multiple insect groups on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama for the past 12 years, providing data for assessing long-term population trends. The study found that tiger moth species that are more abundant in warmer and wetter years are more likely to show population increases, highlighting the significant role of biotic responses to climate in determining long-term population trends.
