Article
Agronomy
Subham Banerjee, Dhritiman Das, Robert John
Summary: Research indicates that fires in the Terai ecoregion are influenced by factors such as fuel load, fuel moisture content, presence of natural or artificial fire breaks, and climatic conditions. Vegetation type, human influence, elevation, and river area extent were found to have significant impacts on the spatial distributions of fires in the study area.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Juliano A. Bogoni, Valeria Boron, Carlos A. Peres, Maria Eduarda M. S. Coelho, Ronaldo G. Morato, Marcelo Oliveira-da-Costa
Summary: The most-at-risk habitats for jaguars in the Brazilian Amazon are facing destruction due to deforestation and agriculture. Socio-environmental variables were analyzed to identify protected areas that require immediate efforts for jaguar conservation, and a shortlist of top-priority areas were determined based on the highest threats and jaguar population sizes.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Grant S. Joseph, Colleen L. Seymour
Summary: The debate over whether the Malagasy central highlands (MCH) are natural grasslands or anthropogenic remains unsettled due to discrepancies between the paper and its sources, particularly regarding the proportion of endemic grassland-limited species. As a result, the findings in the paper are currently unsupported, suggesting that the MCH grasslands are likely anthropogenic.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lynda Donaldson, Jonathan J. Bennie, Robert J. Wilson, Ilya M. D. Maclean
Summary: Research suggests that prioritizing protected area networks is an effective way to conserve multiple species. Prioritizing habitat quality achieves the highest levels of persistence and population size for individual species, while considering habitat connectivity is the most effective strategy to conserve multiple species in the same network.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Frederick W. Rainsford, Luke T. Kelly, Steve W. J. Leonard, Andrew F. Bennett
Summary: The study in the Otway Ranges, south-eastern Australia, found that bird and plant communities in heathy woodlands are influenced by the time since the last fire. Current management strategies may not fully enhance conservation of multiple taxa.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Rachel Palfrey, Johan A. Oldekop, George Holmes
Summary: Private protected areas make significant contributions to biodiversity conservation and connectivity of protected area networks, but they are currently underrecognized and lack sufficient resources.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Simeon Zylinski, Matthew Swan, Holly Sitters
Summary: Altered fire regimes pose a threat to biodiversity, but there is limited understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Previous studies have focused on mammal responses to time since fire and habitat structure separately, without considering their interaction. Fires may also interact with other threats such as habitat loss and fragmentation, but these factors are rarely incorporated into fire studies. Understanding the mechanisms and interactions between fire, habitat structure, and other threats is critical for effective fire management in conservation.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Julia Victoria Grohmann Finger, Denyelle Hennayra Cora, Peter Convey, Francisco Santa Cruz, Maria Virginia Petry, Lucas Kruger
Summary: Antarctic Specially Protected Areas (ASPAs) provide the strongest environmental protection in Antarctica, but they are still impacted by anthropogenic pollution. A study at ASPA No. 133 found significant amounts of debris, highlighting the importance of addressing and preventing pollution to comply with international regulations.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Rob Critchlow, Charles A. Cunningham, Humphrey Q. P. Crick, Nicholas A. Macgregor, Michael D. Morecroft, James W. Pearce-Higgins, Tom H. Oliver, Matthew J. Carroll, Colin M. Beale
Summary: In the past, protected area networks were often developed based on a few indicator species or restricted areas, lacking consideration of global climate change. The application of systematic conservation planning in Great Britain using a wide taxonomic coverage showed that prioritization based on indicator taxa is still useful for conservation planning, despite differences in spatial species richness patterns. Increasing the number of protected areas could have a disproportionate positive effect on species conservation.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Beatriz Rios-Fuster, Montserrat Compa, Carme Alomar, Merce Morato, Diane Ryfer, Margarita Villalonga, Salud Deudero
Summary: The marine environment is impacted by the pollution of microplastics, which tend to accumulate on the seafloor. In this study, sediment samples from different seafloor habitats in the Cabrera Marine-Terrestrial National Park were analyzed to investigate the distribution of microplastics. The results revealed that the abundance and shape of microplastics varied among different seafloor habitats, with sandy habitats showing the highest concentration.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Chaminda P. Aththanayaka, Dishantha P. Siyasinghe, Supun L. Prakash, Christopher P. Bloch, Thilina D. Surasinghe
Summary: Biological invasions are a major driver of global biodiversity loss. This study examines the impact of different habitat types and levels of tourism on the diversity of both invasive and native weeds in Yala National Park, Sri Lanka. The results show that the richness and abundance of invasive and native weeds vary depending on habitat type and extent of tourism. The presence of safari roads also plays a role in moderating these effects.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
Article
Remote Sensing
John R. O'Connell, Alex Glass, Caleb S. Crawford, Michael W. Eichholz
Summary: The study explores the use of small unmanned aerial systems for vegetation classification, comparing different classification methods to help users choose appropriate imagery sources and methodologies, providing feasible vegetation classification protocols.
Article
Biology
Montserrat Compa, Carme Alomar, Maria Francesca Lopez Cortes, Beatriz Rios-Fuster, Merce Morato, Xavier Capo, Valentina Fagiano, Salud Deudero
Summary: Plastic pollution poses a serious threat to marine biodiversity, and a study conducted in the Cabrera Marine-Terrestrial National Park found that species within the park are ingesting anthropogenic particles at high levels, despite their protected status.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Petteri Lehikoinen, Maria Tiusanen, Andrea Santangeli, Ari Rajasarkka, Kim Jaatinen, Jari Valkama, Raimo Virkkala, Aleksi Lehikoinen
Summary: Climate change has widespread impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity globally, with protected areas playing a crucial role in preserving species occurrences. Higher coverage of protected areas in northern and central Finland is associated with lower changes in community temperature index, indicating increased resilience to warming climate. However, the lower coverage in southern Finland may not effectively support community resilience against climate change.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Jasper Dijkstra, Tracy Durrant, Jesus San-Miguel-Ayanz, Sander Veraverbeke
Summary: This study developed random forest models to predict the occurrence and burned area of anthropogenic and lightning fires in Europe, and found that the majority of fires and burned area in Europe are caused by human activities. However, lightning plays a significant role in the remote northern regions of Scandinavia.
Article
Plant Sciences
Dhritiman Das, Subham Banerjee, Robert John
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Subhani Rath, Subham Banerjee, Robert John
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
(2020)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chen Wang, Hui Zhang
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Rajashekhar Niyogi, Mriganka Shekhar Sarkar, Poushali Hazra, Masidur Rahman, Subham Banerjee, Robert John
Summary: Conserving landscape connections among favorable habitats is crucial for maintaining populations in fragmented areas. The study in central India found that multiple-use forests play a key role in maintaining connectivity for antelopes, as well as privately held farmlands and plantations. Mitigation measures, such as underpasses, overpasses, and fences, are needed for perilous patches with higher mortality risk for species.
ISPRS INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEO-INFORMATION
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Subham Banerjee, Dhritiman Das, Robert John
Summary: Research indicates that fires in the Terai ecoregion are influenced by factors such as fuel load, fuel moisture content, presence of natural or artificial fire breaks, and climatic conditions. Vegetation type, human influence, elevation, and river area extent were found to have significant impacts on the spatial distributions of fires in the study area.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Qifang He, Kai Jiang, Weicheng Hou, Yang Zhao, Xinhang Sun, Lu Wang, Yike Zou, Zhenhao Zhu, Hui Zhang
Summary: This study investigated the aboveground and belowground traits of plants in grazed and nongrazed plant communities in a subalpine ecosystem of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Results showed a significant shift in the relationship between species relative abundance in grazed and nongrazed meadows, with belowground traits explaining more variances in species abundance in the nongrazed meadow compared to aboveground traits.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Subham Banerjee, Amit Das, Masidur Rahman, Swapnil Bhowal, Dhritiman Das, Robert John
Summary: The study focused on the infestation by two invasive plant species, Chromolaena odorata and Mikania micrantha, in India's Manas National Park. Field surveys conducted in 2011 and 2019 showed that both species were present in most of the sampled plots, with over 20% newly invaded. However, there was a decrease in the abundance of M. micrantha in 45% of the plots, while C. odorata increased in more than 50% of the plots.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Subham Banerjee, Rajashekhar Niyogi, Mriganka Shekhar Sarkar, Robert John
Summary: Protected areas are crucial for biodiversity conservation. This study assesses the vulnerability of montane forest ecosystems in the eastern Himalayan region of India, specifically classifying protected areas by their relative vulnerabilities. The results show that a quarter of the protected areas have high species richness of imperilled species, 36% are highly affected by climate change, and only 10% are highly influenced by anthropogenic pressures. This analytical framework can be widely applied to identify important sites for biodiversity conservation and future expansion.
TREES FORESTS AND PEOPLE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Dhritiman Das, Subham Banerjee, John Lehmkuhl, Jagdish Krishnaswamy, Robert John
Summary: This study investigated the factors influencing tree-grass abundances in a Terai ecosystem in northeastern India. The results showed that environmental variables such as rainfall, fire, water stress, topography, and soil nutrients, as well as spatial structure, had significant effects on species abundance and tree-grass ratios. The study highlights the importance of spatial-temporal variations in environmental factors in driving species distribution and abundance.
JOURNAL OF PLANT ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Chen Wang, Hui Liu, Liwei Zhu, Hai Ren, Junhua Yan, Zhian Li, Hui Zhang
Summary: The study suggests that reducing the number of traits while maintaining accurate screening results is challenging, especially for tree species. Vine species and herbaceous species still require most of the original traits. Multiple trait types are necessary for an effective screening process, rather than relying on a single group of functional traits.
ECOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS AND EVIDENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wenjun Hong, Jindian Yang, Jinhuan Luo, Kai Jiang, Junze Xu, Hui Zhang
Article
Forestry
Sadadi Ojoatre, Jos Barlow, Suzanne R. Jacobs, Mariana C. Rufino
Summary: This study evaluates the changes in a forest complex in Kenya and finds that within 20 years of disturbance, there is rapid recovery of aboveground biomass and carbon accumulation, and the species diversity remains high in these previously disturbed fragments.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Astor Torano Caicoya, Peter Biber, Miren del Rio, Ricardo Ruiz-Peinado, Catia Arcangeli, Robert Matthews, Hans Pretzsch
Summary: This study analyzed the effects of site and climate on the self-thinning line in Scots pine forests in Europe. The results showed that species tolerance, temperature, and precipitation influenced the slope of the self-thinning line. In terms of the intercept, latitude and radiation had compensating effects. Time did not show significant trends in the self-thinning line. The study highlights the need to adapt management strategies and models based on self-thinning to different latitudes. Climate change has not yet significantly impacted the self-thinning trajectory, but a continuous rise in temperature and high precipitation may accelerate the self-thinning process and result in increased biomass accumulation.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Haonan Zhang, Jianing Xu, Weiqi Meng, Zhonglin Li, Yanyan Ni, Weijie Li, Hao Chen, Xingshuo Zhang, Huanhuan Yuan, Zhi Wang
Summary: Secondary forests play a crucial role in ecosystem dynamics and biodiversity recovery. This study investigated the mechanisms underlying secondary succession in a restored secondary forest and found that deciduous tree species transition from diversity accumulators to repellents as they progress through different life history stages, while evergreen tree species can act as accumulators or remain neutral. The study also revealed the effects of density dependence on the mortality and regeneration of different tree species, and highlighted the importance of early-arriving tree species in facilitating the establishment and diversity of late-arriving counterparts.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Yierxiati Abulaiti, Zijian Huang, Guojiao Xie, Xiaojuan Zou, Qin Luo, Minhuang Wang, Qiong Yang, Ping Hu, Shixiao Yu
Summary: In this study, the resistance to pest infestation of native and exotic mangrove species was compared based on their traits and spectral reflectance. The results showed that exotic species exhibited higher resistance to pest infestation compared to native species.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Thomas Feiss, Vincent Robin, Delphine Aran, Joseph Levillain, Thierry Paul, Jean-Luc Dupouey
Summary: Fagus sylvatica L. is a competitive tree in European temperate deciduous forests, but often sporadic or absent in present-day stands where Quercus spp. are dominant. Through soil charcoal analysis in the Lorraine Plateau in France, the presence of Fagus and Quercus in mature Quercus stands was confirmed. Radiocarbon dating results indicated that historical forest management caused the replacement of Fagus by Quercus, starting from the Bronze Age.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Paula Halbig, Anne-Sophie Stelzer, Peter Baier, Josef Pennerstorfer, Horst Delb, Axel Schopf
Summary: The incidence of oak processionary moth in Central Europe has been increasing, posing severe threats to oak trees, humans, and animals. To address this issue, researchers have developed an online early warning system that provides phenological forecasts and decision support for the protection of oak trees and human health.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Jean-Baptiste Ndamiyehe Ncutirakiza, Sylvie Gourlet-Fleury, Philippe Lejeune, Xavier Bry, Catherine Trottier, Frederic Mortier, Adeline Fayolle, Francois Muhashy Habiyaremye, Leopold Ndjele Mianda-Bungi, Gauthier Ligot
Summary: This study examines the influence of canopy structure on tropical tree growth using data collected through unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and field measurements. The results show that combining UAV and field data can improve the prediction of tree diameter increment. Diameter at breast height and crown area are complementary predictors, and crown-based competition indices significantly enhance prediction models. The calibrated model at one site can accurately predict growth at another site.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Abebe Damtew, Emiru Birhane, Christian Messier, Alain Paquette, Bart Muys
Summary: Restoring degraded dryland requires a diverse mixture of trees and shrubs. Shading and species diversity can improve seedling survival and vitality. Shaded conditions led to higher seedling survival, vitality, and chlorophyll content, while increasing species richness improved seedling vitality in non-shaded conditions.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Francois Hebert, Isabelle Delisle, Marc Tremblay, Pascal Tremblay, Jean- Francois Boucher, Yan Boucher, Daniel Lord
Summary: Regeneration failures in the closed-crown boreal forest, resulting in the creation of open lichen woodlands, can be restored through clear-cutting, scarification, and natural seeding. Clear-cutting combined with scarification promotes seedling establishment, and scarification creates suitable microsites for germination. Seedling growth in lichen woodlands is higher when logging and scarification are combined, but lower compared to feather moss stands. Afforestation through natural seeding following scarification could be a cost-effective option for restoring lichen woodlands.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Bianca Wulansari Kassun, A. Maarit I. Kallio, Erik Tr Omborg, Meley Mekonen Rannestad
Summary: Mapping and analyzing forest ecosystem services in dry and mountain forests can provide valuable knowledge for sustainable forest management strategies.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Michael Premer, Eric Turnblom, Aaron Weiskittel
Summary: Managed forests serve as a natural climate change solution by sequestering carbon and storing it in harvested wood products, while also providing ecosystem services and wildlife habitat. This study focused on the stem sinuosity of juvenile coastal Douglas-fir and found that genetic improvement, silviculture practices, and local growing conditions can impact stem sinuosity. Factors such as tree spacing, vegetation control, and climate variables also affect the severity of stem sinuosity.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Bronwyn Lira Dyson, Rhea Herpel, Peter Karasch, Jorg Mueller, Dominik Thom, Claus Baessler
Summary: The study aimed to assess the effects of different forest management strategies, dead wood types, and microclimates on Fomes fomentarius. The results showed that the occupancy of Fomes fomentarius was lower in control stands, while the percent cover occupied on snags under a closed canopy was higher. Increasing the number of snags and maintaining dense forest canopies could enhance the presence of Fomes fomentarius as well as provide important microhabitats for various arthropods.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Di Liu, Chaofan Zhou, Xiao He, Xiangdong Lei, Huiru Zhang, Xianzhao Liu
Summary: Canopy structure plays a significant role in the distribution and growth of saplings. Traditional canopy metrics are inadequate in irregular stands. The innovative framework of canopy triangular units provides a comprehensive understanding of the canopy's three-dimensional attributes. Through this framework, we can analyze the differences in various triangular unit types and the spatial dispersion of saplings.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Amalia Valeria Ibanez Moro, Fabian Borghetti, Leonardo Galetto, Juan M. Cellini, Sandra J. Bravo
Summary: This study evaluated the size and persistence of soil seed banks (SSB) of six native woody species in dry subtropical forests of the western Argentine Chaco region. The results showed that SSB size was influenced by different sites and sampling years, and forest disturbances had varying effects on SSB.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Stephanie Landry, Marc-Andre Villard, Gaetan Pelletier, Martin-Hugues St-Laurent
Summary: In many regions of the world, excessive browsing by ungulates has reached unsustainable levels, threatening biodiversity and forest regeneration. Moose, as ecological engineers, have severe impacts on forest structure and composition through overbrowsing. The distribution of forage and cover patches affects moose browsing pressure, and this relationship has been explored in conifer-dominated stands but not in hardwood-dominated landscapes.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)