Article
Ecology
Sheryl Hayes Hursh, Javan M. Bauder, Mason Fidino, David Drake
Summary: As human population growth continues in urban areas, cities are incorporating green space to support biodiversity and counterbalance ecological disturbances. This study examines the relationship between land use and mammal presence in a mid-sized Midwestern city and recommends increasing natural green space and establishing native vegetation.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Lauren Delaney, Julian Di Stefano, Holly Sitters
Summary: This study explores how interactions between fire history, landscape context, and matrix availability influence mammal responses in human-modified landscapes, highlighting the importance of considering these factors in fire management for better conservation outcomes.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Danubia Magalhaes Soares, Andre R. Terra Nascimento, Gabriel Sousa Alves, Claudio Henrique Euripedes de Oliveira
Summary: The study found that veredas have much higher SOC contents compared to cerrado s.s. and pastures. The relationship between soil moisture and SOC varies in different ecosystems, with SOC storage in veredas being approximately double that of other ecosystems.
REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Susanne Kortsch, Leonardo Saravia, Alyssa R. R. Cirtwill, Thomas Timberlake, Jane Memmott, Liam Kendall, Tomas Roslin, Giovanni Strona
Summary: The arrangement of plant species and pollinator traits interact to determine pollination success, and the influence of these drivers depends on how pollination is estimated. Visitation rate overestimates pollination service, while other functional metrics reflect the frequency of individual pollinator revisits.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Vinicius Tonetti, Joao Carlos Pena, Marina D. A. Scarpelli, Larissa S. M. Sugai, Fabio M. Barros, Paula R. Anunciacao, Paloma M. Santos, Andre L. B. Tavares, Milton C. Ribeiro
Summary: This study synthesizes the knowledge on landscape heterogeneity (LH) based on a comprehensive systematic literature review. The definitions, terminologies, and measurements of LH were diverse and conflicting. Only a small portion of studies measured the effects of different land-cover types on biotic and abiotic processes (functional LH), while the majority focused on measuring the physical attributes of the landscape without considering the impact of different land-cover types (structural LH). The study identifies knowledge gaps, proposes future perspectives, and provides guidelines for researching LH.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Jingyi Ji, Yunge Zhao, Wantao Zhang, Kangmin Gu, Wen Li
Summary: This study developed a method to quantitatively characterize the distribution pattern of biological soil crusts (biocrusts) and proposed four landscape indices to describe their characteristics. This method lays a foundation for studying the relationship between the distribution pattern of biocrusts and ecological functions and processes.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Geraldo de Brito Freire Jr, Danilo Bandini Ribeiro, Andreia de Carvalho Santos, Thayane Silva, Joao Paulo Dias, Hanna Pamela Rodrigues, Ivone Rezende Diniz
Summary: The research found that nymphalids in gallery forests have higher diversity compared to savannahs. The composition of plant species and butterfly assemblages in gallery forests is more heterogeneous, supporting the habitat heterogeneity hypothesis.
INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Juliana Silveira dos Santos, Carlos M. Silva-Neto, Thiago Castro Silva, Karoline Nascimento Siqueira, Milton Cezar Ribeiro, Rosane Garcia Collevatti
Summary: Biodiversity in agricultural landscapes is influenced by land-use types, natural elements, and farming intensity. The Brazilian Cerrado, a biodiversity hotspot, has experienced increased native vegetation loss rates in recent years, leading to extinction risks for several plant species. Monocultures have been found to reduce plant diversity in the studied landscapes, highlighting the importance of considering local variables and the diversity of vegetation types in restoration efforts for the Cerrado.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cristiano V. M. Araujo, Marta Sendra, Joao Rodolfo S. Pontes, Chiara Trombini, Julian Blasco
Summary: Environmental contamination reduces the quality of ecosystems and causes stress on organisms. Organisms can avoid continuous exposure to contaminants by moving to less disturbed areas. However, sporadic contact with contamination should not be ignored, as it increases stress. This study aimed to assess the stress levels of zebrafish under different contamination scenarios. The results showed that uncontaminated areas played a crucial role in alleviating stress for zebrafish in a chemically heterogeneous landscape.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Lucie Lecoq, Cendrine Mony, Hugo Saiz, Myriam Marsot, Aude Ernoult
Summary: Landscape structure affects functional diversity of plants and selects specific trait syndromes related to plant dispersal, phenology, and competitiveness. These results are important for better understanding the impact of land management and effectively preserving associated ecosystem functioning.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Janaina Agra, Raphael Ligeiro, Jani Heino, Diego R. Macedo, Diego M. P. Castro, Marden S. Linares, Marcos Callisto
Summary: The study found that the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on the relationship between environmental heterogeneity and biodiversity are not consistent, which has important implications for biomonitoring and ecosystem management.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Annalie Dorph, Matthew Swan, Julian Di Stefano, Trent D. Penman
Summary: Understanding the relationships between spatial pattern, spatial scale and biodiversity is crucial for assessing the impacts of environmental change on species richness. Our study found that both composition and configuration of environmental factors play important roles, with the strength and presence of relationships varying across different spatial scales. Patterns in NDVI, time since fire, habitat complexity, and elevation were identified as having the strongest effects on mammal species richness.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Wendy C. Turner, Stephanie Periquet, Claire E. Goelst, Kimberlie B. Vera, Elissa Z. Cameron, Kathleen A. Alexander, Jerrold L. Belant, Claudine C. Cloete, Pierre du Preez, Wayne M. Getz, Robyn S. Hetem, Pauline L. Kamath, Marthin K. Kasaona, Monique Mackenzie, John Mendelsohn, John K. E. Mfune, Jeff R. Muntifering, Ruben Portas, H. Ann Scott, W. Maartin Strauss, Wilferd Versfeld, Bettina Wachter, George Wittemyer, J. Werner Kilian
Summary: Etosha National Park in Namibia is a dryland system with a rich history of wildlife conservation and research. Concerns have been raised about the impact of global change on wildlife conservation in this area. This article provides insight into the challenges facing wildlife conservation in this vulnerable dryland environment and emphasizes the need to integrate research and wildlife management.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Hector Ruiz-Villar, Matteo Luca Bastianelli, Marco Heurich, Stefano Anile, Francisco Diaz-Ruiz, Pablo Ferreras, Malte Go, Mathias Herrmann, Saskia Jerosch, Fernando Jubete, Jose Maria lopez Martin, Pedro Monterroso, Olaf Simon, Sabrina Streif, Manfred Trinzen, Fermin Urra, Jose Vicente Lopez Bao, Francisco Palomares
Summary: Land use intensification affects wildlife movements, especially specialist carnivores. Our study investigates the influence of agricultural practices and landscape configuration on the spatial behavior of wildcats in Europe. We found that wildcat home range size increases with high impact agriculture proportion and forest integrity, but decreases with forest edge density. Forest edge density buffers the detrimental effects of high impact agriculture. To conserve wildcats in Europe, it is important to protect sustainable mosaic-structured landscapes.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Theresa Spatz, Jakob Katzenberger, Nicolas Friess, Christian Gelpke, Eckhard Gottschalk, Martin Hormann, Steffen Koschkar, Thomas Pfeiffer, Stefan Stuebing, Christoph Sudfeldt, Sascha Roesner, Dana G. Schabo, Nina Farwig
Summary: Intrinsic and extrinsic drivers have significant effects on the space use of migratory raptors in their summer and winter habitats. The study demonstrates that the activity range of red kites is smaller in summers than in winters. Female red kites have larger activity ranges in summers and smaller in winters compared to males. Breeding success also influences activity range sizes. Habitat selection differs between seasons, with agricultural landscapes being less used in summers.
JOURNAL OF AVIAN BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Paula Ribeiro Prist, Leandro Reverberi Tambosi, Luis Filipe Mucci, Adriano Pinter, Renato Pereira de Souza, Renata de Lara Muylaert, Jonathan Roger Rhodes, Cesar Henrique Comin, Luciando da Fontoura Costa, Tatiana Lang D'Agostini, Juliana Telles de Deus, Monica Pavao, Marcio Port-Carvalho, Leila Del Castillo Saad, Maria Anice Mureb Sallum, Roberta Maria Fernandes Spinola, Jean Paul Metzger
Summary: Landscape connectivity is crucial for disease spread, with the yellow fever virus mainly dispersing through roads adjacent to forests and along forest edges. The spread speed varies by season, with most dispersals occurring within 1 km per day and within a week after arriving at the source node.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Klecia G. Massi, Rafael B. Chaves, Leandro R. Tambosi
Summary: The study examined the association between legal monitoring indicators and more qualified indicators in the context of forest restoration in Brazil. The results showed that the legal indicators were associated with the more qualified indicators in different restored sites, indicating their effectiveness in monitoring and attesting restoration success. Additionally, the study found that dominance was strongly related to the richness of regenerants, highlighting the importance of monitoring both richness and density of regenerants.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Diana B. Garcia, Rafael O. Xavier, Plinio B. Camargo, Simone A. Vieira, Vania R. Pivello
Summary: The study compared the patterns of carbon and nitrogen stocks in invaded and uninvaded Cerrado sites by African grasses and found that invasion affected belowground biomass and carbon storage in fine roots and soil, but did not significantly differ in overall soil carbon and nitrogen stocks. Even low levels of invasion by Urochloa decumbens changed root distribution, increasing carbon and nitrogen content in the upper soil, potentially promoting ecosystem changes by altering nutrient dynamics. This highlights the impacts of invasive species on belowground environments and the need for further research.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Pedro R. Piffer, Adriane Calaboni, Marcos R. Rosa, Naomi B. Schwartz, Leandro R. Tambosi, Maria Uriarte
Summary: Although deforestation is still widespread in the tropics, there are signs of significant forest recovery in some areas. Understanding the drivers of forest change is critical for the success of reforestation efforts and carbon sequestration targets.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pedro Ribeiro Piffer, Marcos Reis Rosa, Leandro Reverberi Tambosi, Jean Paul Metzger, Maria Uriarte
Summary: Natural forest regeneration is crucial for global ecosystem restoration. This study focuses on the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and reveals that regenerated forests have higher persistence and longevity in areas with steep slopes, close to rivers and existing forests, near permanent agriculture, and in regions with higher economic development and agricultural yield. However, regenerated forests are less likely to persist in areas with higher rural-urban population ratios. The findings emphasize the importance of favorable conditions and policies to promote second-growth forest persistence in tropical regions.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Douglas William Cirino, Leandro Reverberi Tambosi, Thais Mauad, Simone Rodrigues de Freitas, Jean Paul Metzger
Summary: The spatial distribution and type of green areas have different effects on human health. Land sharing configuration is beneficial for preventing cardiovascular diseases, while land sparing and arboreal vegetation are relevant to reduce hospitalizations by lower respiratory diseases. Forests, on the other hand, are associated with increased rates of hospitalization by respiratory allergies causes. Therefore, a balanced distribution of green areas in urban spaces can create healthier environments.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Marina Antongiovanni, Eduardo M. Venticinque, Leandro R. Tambosi, Marcelo Matsumoto, Jean Paul Metzger, Carlos Roberto Fonseca
Summary: Restoration actions in the Brazilian Caatinga focused on landscape resilience, connectivity, and biodiversity conservation value, prioritizing areas for conservation of threatened endemic plant species. By integrating multiple criteria, a framework was developed to maximize restoration effectiveness in the region.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Camila Hohlenwerger, Leandro Reverberi Tambosi, Jean Paul Metzger
Summary: This study investigates the role of different matrices in shaping natural enemy contributions to pest predation. The results show that landscape structure has varying effects on predation rates depending on the natural enemy and matrix type. Predation rates were higher in coffee plantations and were influenced by landscape and local forest cover. Birds had higher predation rates near the forest and in coffee plantations. Regardless of natural enemy identity, predation rates were higher in low-contrasting matrices and increased with forest cover and proximity. These findings highlight the importance of considering matrix type in agricultural management to enhance biological pest control.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Luciane Fontana, Paulo Alves Ferreira, Roseli Frederigi Benassi, Aldrew Alencar Baldovi, Rubens Cesar Lopes Figueira, Leandro Reverberi Tambosi, Adriane Calaboni, Diego Alberto Tavares, Xiaozhong Huang, Simone Frederigi Benassi, Jussara Elias de Souza, Tatiane Araujo de Jesus
Summary: This study examines the sedimentation rates of three drainage basins in Itaipu Reservoir in Brazil using geochronological methods. The results show that two of the basins experienced an increase in sedimentation rates while the other basin showed a decrease. This suggests that precipitation changes affect each basin differently based on their drainage size area and watershed conditions.
JOURNAL OF RADIOANALYTICAL AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Luis G. Oliveira-Dalland, Laura R. V. Alencar, Leandro R. Tambosi, Paola A. Carrasco, Rhett M. Rautsaw, Jesus Sigala-Rodriguez, Gustavo Scrocchi, Marcio Martins
Summary: Despite global efforts to create new protected areas, the continuous decline in biodiversity raises questions about the effectiveness of these areas in conserving viper species in the Neotropical region. Most viper species have less than 25% of their distribution covered by protected areas, leaving them exposed to serious threats.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pedro Ribeiro Piffer, Leandro Reverberi Tambosi, Maria Uriarte
Summary: Water quality degradation from human activities is a global issue that threatens water security. This study examines water quality changes in Sao Paulo, Brazil over 20 years, and their association with land use, urbanization, sewage treatment and a severe drought. The results show that a significant proportion of stream water samples do not meet the legal standards for human consumption. Water quality trends over time vary for different metrics, with dissolved oxygen showing the highest percentage of improvement. Urbanization and agricultural activity deteriorate water quality, while improvements in sewage treatment infrastructure help improve water quality.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Rafael O. Xavier, Ualas Marques Melo, Vania Regina Pivello, Robert H. Marrs, Pedro Garcia Abilleira de Castro, Jorge Luis do Nascimento, Dalva Maria da Silva Matos
Summary: Climate and land-use changes have led to the dominance of native herbaceous plants in degraded tropical forests, causing losses in biodiversity and ecosystem services. A study in southeast Brazil found that intensive mechanical removal of a shade-intolerant fern species decreased its dominance in Atlantic forests, but the benefits to forest recovery were limited due to lack of tree regeneration, impoverished seed banks, and invasive grasses.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Biology
Alessandra R. R. Kortz, Faye Moyes, Vania R. Pivello, Petr Pysek, Maria Dornelas, Piero Visconti, Anne E. E. Magurran
Summary: Alien species are often associated with changes in biodiversity, but their impact on the reshaping of ecological communities is not well understood. In this study, we used the BioTIME database to examine the relationship between alien species and compositional change in vascular plant assemblages. We found that, although rare, the presence of alien species was linked to increased rates of compositional turnover. This suggests that alien species play a role in driving rapid changes in ecological communities.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Paula Ribeiro Prist, Cecilia Siliansky de Andreazzi, Mariana Morais Vidal, Carlos Zambrana-Torrelio, Peter Daszak, Raquel L. Carvalho, Leandro Reverberi Tambosi
Summary: Zoonotic diseases, which account for 75% of emerging infectious diseases worldwide, are mainly caused by human-driven changes in landscapes. While there is a growing understanding of the impact of land use change on disease risk, very few studies have explored the effects of native vegetation restoration on zoonotic disease outbreaks. Our review highlights the need for more research in tropical regions and emphasizes the importance of considering landscape context and spatial arrangement in restoration planning.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Luciano M. Verdade, Rita C. Bianchi, Pedro M. Galetti, Vania R. Pivello, Wesley R. Silva, Alexandre Uezu
Summary: Despite their negative impacts on the environment, human-modified environments play a relevant role in biodiversity conservation. The decision-making process in these environments should be based on good science and good governance, focusing on wildlife management and biological conservation.