Floral assessment and conservation prioritization in Dugo Watershed, Mountain Province, Northern Philippines

Woody species dynamics in Sheka Forest Biosphere Reserve, Southwest Ethiopia

Rural agricultural activity generates cropland, secondary vegetation and straggling primary forest and can modify the soil seed bank (SSB), potentially impacting the restoration of preferred species. The interaction between vegetation and seed banks during the recovery process is dependent on management practices and recovery pathways. This study was carried out in Guilin of southwest China to assess the variation in plant diversity and species composition of both aboveground and soil seed banks across three typical vegetation types with different human interventions: orchard, bamboo shrub and primary forest. The results show that there were significant differences in the species composition and diversity of aboveground vegetation and SSB, as well as in soil properties among three typical vegetation types. The primary forest had the highest aboveground species diversity, while the orchard had the highest species diversity and seed density of SSB. In addition, principal component analysis (PCA) and canonical correspondence analyses (CCAs) showed that the species composition and plant life forms of the three typical vegetation types were significantly influenced by soil properties. Based on these findings, the characteristics of aboveground vegetation and the soil seed bank and their correlations with soil properties are expected to drastically change with human intervention. These results imply that unsustainable land use has greatly impacted soil properties, and consequently, the aboveground vegetation and SSB. Nevertheless, vegetation will recover quickly after farming is abandoned. The successful restoration of fragmented ecosystems requires the addition of seeds and seedlings of target species, especially perennial woody plants from the relevant natural ecosystems, to accelerate succession from bamboo shrub to forest.

Mountain regions represent most fragile and vulnerable ecosystems (UNCED 1992) facing threats due to unpredictable socioeconomic and climate changes as well as unsustainable land use practices. The impact of unsustainable practices on the mountains is manifested in the form of depletion of bio-resources and increased occurrence of extreme events such as floods, forest fire, landslides, etc. Geospatial technology consisting of remote sensing (RS), geographic information system (GIS), and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) has a huge potential in natural resource management including governance and other environmental issues. Moreover studying the geographic phenomenon requires a large amount of data to be collected/created to model the said phenomenon to improve understanding. Citizen science these days is a valuable and important method, in which nonspecialists also called as volunteers work toward a collection of data of scientific importance in a short span of time using the power of people/volunteers. Citizen science has been globally utilized in areas like support toward policy, electronic government, and digital democracy (Shirky 2008). Citizen science approach is very useful especially in disaster management like during recent earthquake disasters in Haiti, 2010 (Zook et al. 2010), and Nepal, 2015 (Dittus et al. 2017), assisting rescue and relief efforts. With the penetration of the Internet at grassroots levels, the advent of Web 2.0 and the availability of smartphones with good quality camera and onboard GPS receivers have supported and encouraged citizen science initiatives worldwide. These technologies enable volunteers to gather valuable dataset with geolocation (geotagged) including photographs, audio, and videos. In today’s scenario, citizens have a valuable and active role as they work like “sensors” (citizens as sensors (Goodchild 2007)) assisting the state/national administrative or official initiatives through gathering and interpreting datasets. Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org) is the classic example of citizen science approach in which a huge number of people work as volunteers by building, correcting, and revising the textual material. Likewise in the geospatial field, the popular example is the OpenStreetMap project (www.openstreetmap.org). Here volunteers work as nonspecialists toward mapping of the entire globe. Furthermore data is made available under open-access model.

The Central Asian countries are particularly affected by the global climate change. The cultural and economic centers in this mostly arid region have to rely solely on the water resources provided by the rapidly melting glaciers in the Pamir, Tien-Shan and Alay mountains. By 2030, the available water resources will be 30 % lower than today while the water demand will increase by 30 %. The unsustainable land and water use leads to a water deficit and a deterioration of the water quality. Documenting the status quo of the water resources needs to be the first steps towards an integrated water resource management. The research presented here provides a detailed overview of the transboundary Zarafshan River, the lifeline for more than six million people. The findings are based on field measurements, existing data from the national hydrometeorological services and an extensive literature analysis and cover the status quo of the meteorological and hydrological characteristics of the Zarafshan as well as the most important water quality parameters (pH, conductivity, nitrate, phosphate, arsenic, chromate, copper, zinc, fluoride, petroleum products, phenols and the aquatic invertebrate fauna). The discharge of the Zarafshan is characterized by a high natural discharge dynamic in the mountainous upper parts of the catchment and by sizeable anthropogenic water extractions in the lower parts of the catchment, where on average 60.6 % of the available water is diverted for irrigation purposes in the Samarkand and Navoi provinces. The water quality is heavily affected by the unsustainable land use and inadequate/missing water purification techniques. The reduced discharge and the return flow of untreated agricultural drainage water lead to a critical pollution of the river in the lower parts of the catchment. Additional sources of pollutants were identified in the Navoi special economic area and the mining industry in the Tajik part of the catchment. The impact of the global climate change and the socio-economic growth on the water availability and the water demand will aggravate the detected problems and might lead to severe local and transboundary upstream–downstream water conflicts within the next decades.

The upstream Limboto Watershed (DAS Limboto) in Gorontalo Province is a critical ecological zone that regulates the hydrological flows and supports the biodiversity and community development. Unsustainable land use practices, including agricultural expansion, deforestation, and inadequate conservation measures, have accelerated environmental degradation. These practices lead to high erosion rates, reduced vegetation cover, decreased infiltration, and declining water quality. This study employs a mixed-methods approach to examine the biogeophysical and governance factors driving the land use change. The proposed approach integrates remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for spatial analysis with socio-economic surveys and institutional assessments. The findings of the study reveal that current land management practices, compounded by weak policy enforcement and limited community participation, exacerbate ecological vulnerability and threaten downstream hydrological stability. The study underscores the need for justice-oriented watershed management that integrates ecological justice principles, community-based conservation, and coordinated governance.

Ecological restorations enhance ecosystem stability by improving ecological resilience in a typical basin of the Yangtze River, China

Unsustainable land uses may result in poor watershed management, increased soil erosion, poorly-planned urban development, increased runoff, and sewage pollution, creating an environmental stress gradient across coastal coral reefs. This study was aimed at: 1) Evaluating water quality within and outside the Canal Luis Peña Natural Reserve (CLPNR), Culebra Island, Puerto Rico; 2) Determining if there was any significant environmental stress gradient associated to land-based non-point source pollution; and 3) Characterizing shallow-water coral reef communities across the gradient. Strong gradient impacts associated to sediment-laden and nutrient-loaded runoff pulses, in combination with non-point raw sewage pulses, and sediment bedload, impacted coastal coral reefs. Water quality showed significant spatio-temporal fluctuations (p<0.0001), largely responding to heavy rainfall and subsequent runoff pulses. Benthic community structure showed significant spatial variation along the environmental stress gradient (p=0.0002). Macroalgae, dead coral surfaces, algal turf, and low coral species richness, species diversity index (H’c), and evenness (J’c) dominated benthic assemblages across reefs frequently impacted by runoff pulses and sediment bedload. The combination of fecal coliform and enterococci concentrations were correlated with variation in benthic community structure (Rho=0.668; p=0.0020). The combined variation in salinity, dissolved oxygen and enterococci concentrations explained 75% of the observed spatial variation in benthic assemblages (R2=0.7461; p=0.0400). Local human stressors affected coral reefs within no-take CLPNR and risk analyses suggest it may offset its ecological benefits. There is a need to design and implement integrated coastal-watershed management strategies to address multiple land use activities, including erosion-control best management practices, watershed reforestation, and sewage pollution control.

Invasive non‐native trees cause structural and functional changes in plant communities, which tend to increase over time since invasion. Native vegetation responses after control operations provide important information for restoration. We evaluated the effects of time since invasion and of pine control on plant community structure and on functional traits in a coastal open ecosystem in southern Brazil. We compared richness, diversity, abundance and cover of woody and non‐woody native plant species, as well as species composition and community‐weighted means (CWM) based on functional traits (dispersal syndrome, fruit type, maximum height and shade tolerance) of plant communities, in four conditions: a non‐invaded area, an area where pines were controlled (managed area), an area of recent invasion and an area invaded longer ago. Woody species abundance, richness and diversity declined over time since invasion. However, while abundance recovered to the point of not differing from the non‐invaded condition in areas where pines were controlled, species diversity and richness were lower in the managed area than in the area that was never invaded. The effects of pine invasion on richness and diversity of non‐woody plants did not increase over time, but plant cover progressively diminished. Woody and non‐woody species composition varied between the four conditions. Species composition similarity was lower between conditions for non‐woody than for woody species. CWM differed between the older invasion and the other conditions, determined especially by native plant height and shade tolerance. Taller plants and more shade tolerant native species were exclusively sampled in the older invasion. Synthesis and application: Pine invasion reduced species abundance, plant cover, richness and diversity, altering the composition of plant community. The escalation of negative temporal effects of pine invasion was observed on the composition of woody and non‐woody species and on functional traits. Although pine control favoured the natural regeneration of non‐woody species, diversity of woody species in the area submitted to pine control was lower than in the non‐invaded condition. Restoration activities are therefore required to increase woody species diversity. These results provide relevant guidance for the restoration of coastal ecosystems following invasive pine control.

Cropping patterns along an altitudinal gradient and their implications to wildlife conservation in Rombo, Tanzania

As economic growth centres, the Southeast Asian cities feature high population pressure, unsustainable land use, environmental degradation, and large ecological footprints. It is difficult to manage environmental health and basic services for urban dwellers, and ensure optimum flow of ecosystem services in the context of rapid, unplanned, and haphazard urbanization. These challenges are particularly multifaceted in the developing countries of Southeast Asian region. This study, based on secondary sources, adopted multidisciplinary lenses, such as geographical information systems, socio‐economic perspective, and sustainability science to examine the population situation, land use change pattern, and drivers of environmental degradation in the Southeast Asian cities as well as the Dhaka megacity, and brought forth a fresh perspective to look into contemporary urban ecosystems, population dynamics, environmental health, and sustainability. It also focused on identifying the commonalities among the cities under study to create a common understanding towards promoting collaborative urban development. This study shows that the urbanization process in the Southeast Asia region is taking place mostly in an unplanned and haphazard manner. With little concern for nature, life‐supporting ecological systems, and the environment, urban spatial growth continues unabated. The data surveyed and discussed in this paper shows that the current style of urbanization in Southeast Asia can best be called unsustainable. The findings also suggest that the general wellbeing and welfare of the current and future generations in Southeast Asian cities as well as in Dhaka is at risk. The paper recommends concerted efforts towards making the urbanization process sustainable, including better urban planning, policymaking, and international and regional cooperation.

Desertification remains a critical global issue driven by climate change, unsustainable land use, and socio-economic pressures. This bibliometric review provides an in-depth analysis of desertification research from 1974 to 2024 using the Scopus database to identify trends, key players, and methodological advances. Publications grew exponentially during this period, from 21 in 1974 to a peak of 186 in 2023, demonstrating growing academic and policy attention. The analysis found that 4178 authors contributed to 2004 peer-reviewed articles, with China emerging as a leading research hub, contributing 386 publications and leading efforts in environmental restoration projects such as the Great Green Wall. Advanced methodologies, including remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS), have facilitated large-scale monitoring, despite challenges such as data inconsistencies and limited resolution. Institutions such as Guizhou Normal University and Lanzhou University have led the global research effort, publishing 316 and 124 publications, respectively. Influential journals, including Land Degradation and Development and the Journal of Arid Environments, have played a key role in shaping the discourse. Historical analysis has highlighted the persistent threat of desertification to human societies, exemplified by the decline of civilizations such as the Sumerian and Khorezmian. Despite significant progress, regional differences in research attention persist, with Central Asia receiving limited attention despite its vulnerability. This review highlights the need for standardized methodologies, interdisciplinary approaches, and enhanced international collaboration. By leveraging advanced technologies and sustainable land management practices, the global community can mitigate the environmental and socio-economic impacts of desertification, promoting the resilience of ecosystems and communities while moving toward land degradation neutrality.

Human activities and natural processes are driving significant land use and land cover (LULC) changes worldwide, with profound implications for ecosystem health and livelihoods. This study assesses the spatio-temporal dynamics of LULC change in the Southern Guinea Savannah agro-ecological zone of Taraba State, Nigeria, a critical food-producing region experiencing rapid environmental transformation. Using multi-temporal Landsat imagery for 1987, 2004, 2014, and 2024, a supervised classification was performed with the Random Forest algorithm in Google Earth Engine. The LULC maps, validated with high overall accuracies (78.65%–86.23%), reveal a stark transition over the 37-year period. The analysis indicates a substantial decline in natural vegetation cover, accompanied by a significant expansion of farmland and settlements. Bare land area also increased markedly, indicating widespread land degradation. The primary conversion pathways were from vegetation to farmland and subsequently to settlements, driven by agricultural expansion, population growth, and unsustainable land use practices. These changes highlight intense pressure on the region’s natural resources, leading to habitat fragmentation and a loss of ecosystem services. The study concludes that urgent, sustainable land management policies are needed to mitigate further degradation and balance agricultural development with environmental conservation in this socio-ecologically vital zone.

Impacts of national governments on the forest cover loss in Paraguayan Chaco between 1999 and 2021

Forest ecosystems in Amedi district face stress from conflict, fires, climate variability, and unsustainable land use. This study uses remote sensing and geospatial techniques to assess forest degradation from 2000 to 2024. Modified Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (MSAVI2), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Land Surface Temperature (LST), and Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI) data are used to measure changes in forest land (FL) and non-forested land (NFL), NDMI, and LST. The results obtained from NDVI data reveal inadequate regeneration rates to counterbalance the total forest loss, while non-forest regions have significantly increased from 5.8% (160.8 km²) to 19.7% (546.6 km²). NDVI-based FL dropped from 90.3% (2505.3 km²) to 73.3% (2032.2 km²), and MSAVI2-based FL declined from 86.3% (2393.3 km²) to 74.3% (2062.3 km²). Conversely, NDVI also indicated an increase in degraded land cover, especially during 2013–2015 and 2020–2024. The LST class (<35°C) declined from 849 km² to 520 km², while the High (45–50°C) and Extreme (>50°C) LST zones exhibited a marked expansion. Mann-Kendall tests revealed significant temporal changes in NDVI, MSAVI2, NDMI, and LST (Z > ±1.96). Sen’s slope quantified trends; Pearson's correlation confirmed strong vegetation/climate stress links (r > 0.7, p < 0.05). The Mann-Kendall trend test confirmed a significant upward LST trend (τ = 0.312, p = 0.034), with a Sen’s slope of 14.662 km² per unit time. Trend detection using the non-parametric Mann-Kendall test validated significant changes across variables without assuming normality. The ARIMA (1,0,0) model forecasts a continued decline through the projection horizon. Forecast intervals widen at a 95% confidence level due to uncertainty in a near-unit root process. The forecast error measured by MAPE is about 5.0%, showing moderate reliability. ARIMA models further revealed robust forecasting capability for environmental indicators, validating model assumptions with stationary residuals and minimal error. For NDVI-derived forest area, a negative trend was identified (Sen’s slope = –22 km²/unit time, p < 0.0001), confirming ongoing deforestation. Pearson correlation analysis showed strong associations between vegetation indices and temperature/moisture variables (r > 0.7, p < 0.05). Although robust, these relationships may be influenced by confounding factors such as climate change, forest degradation, forest fires, armed conflict, and broader land use and land cover changes. Findings emphasize conservation strategies to combat deforestation, warming trends, and safeguard ecosystem resilience. Continued decline through the projection horizon. Forecast intervals widen at a 95% confidence level due to uncertainty in a near-unit root process. The forecast error measured by MAPE is

Ecuador is one of the global hot spots of biodiversity. Nevertheless, it faces high deforestation rates and unsustainable land use resulting in a substantial and growing amount of degraded land, which needs to be rehabilitated for productivity and biodiversity purposes. We present the results of a reforestation experiment within a gradient of three successional phases after abandonment of pastoral use. Six native species were tested against two exotics. Furthermore, we analyzed the regeneration potential from the soil seed bank and monitored the development of the diversity of woody species in the natural succession at the different sites. Our results show that dependence on natural regeneration for forest recovery cannot be an acceptable solution for forest users, due to the low speed of recovery and the insufficient species composition of the regeneration. Planted seedlings of native species are able to cope with the harsh conditions if they are selected according to their adaptation to the environmental characteristics of the respective planting sites.