GENUS CERAMBYX L., 1758 (COLEOPTERA: CERAMBYCIDAE) IN ROSAC0045 CORIDORUL JIULUI (ROMANIA)

Integrative management to sustain biodiversity and ecological continuity in Central European temperate oak (Quercus robur, Q. petraea) forests: An overview

The study highlights significant disparities between Oak and Pine forests in the West-Central Himalayas, showcasing Oak forests higher species richness, tree density, biomass, and net primary productivity, emphasizing the need for informed conservation strategies. Notable differences were observed between Oak and Pine forests. Oak forests displayed higher species richness, with tree densities ranging from 12 to 624 trees/ha, surpassing those of Pine forests (2 to 810 trees/ha). Biomass assessments indicated Oak forests' superiority, boasting an average above-ground biomass of 326.35 t/ha, significantly greater than that of Pine forests (286.53 t/ha). Additionally, Oak forests exhibited higher net primary productivity (NPP), ranging from 10.28 to 23.07 t/ha/yr, contrasting with Pine forests' NPP values of 23.07 t/ha/yr. These findings underscore the critical importance of comprehending ecological dynamics to inform effective forest management and conservation strategies in the West-Central Himalayas.

To limit anthropogenic climate change, enhancing natural carbon sequestration through strategic forest management practices is grave, beyond solely reducing greenhouse gas emissions. China’s forest area, estimated at 220 million hectares in 2022, ranks fifth globally and encompasses a wide range of forest ecosystems, climates and soils, with great potential for carbon sequestration through the implementation of region-specific forest management strategies. However, uncertainties persist in quantifying the effects of environmental factors (e.g., soil properties, regional climate and altitude) on the net carbon accumulation of different forest management strategies. Filling this research gap is grave for optimizing region-specific forest management practices that avoid unintended trade-offs. Here, we synthesize existing research, focusing on reforestation, afforestation and natural forest regrowth in China. Reforestation displayed the highest areaweighted carbon accumulation rate (mean ± standard deviation=4.4 ± 3.84 Mg C ha-1 yr-1), followed by afforestation (2.765 ± 2.44 Mg C ha-1 yr-1) and natural forest regrowth (2.576 ± 2.82 Mg C ha-1 yr-1). Furthermore, the relatively high standard errors in the sequestration potential for all three strategies indicated significant variability in effectiveness due to regional environmental differences. On the basis of our findings, we present region specific recommendations for forest management strategies in China to achieve win-win solutions for climate modification and additional ecosystem services. Keywords: Forest management; Soil organic carbon; Nature-based solutions; Active and passive restoration; Carbon sequestration

Deforestation and forest degradation are associated and progressive processes result in the anthropogenic stress, climate change, and conversion of the forest area into a mosaic of mature forest fragments, pasture, and degraded habitat. The present study addresses forest degradation assessment of landscape using landscape metrics. Geospatial techniques including GIS, remote sensing and fragstat methods are powerful tools in the assessment of forest degradation. The present study is carried out in Shendurney wildlife sanctuary located in the mega biodiversity hot spot of Western ghats, Kerala. A large extent of forest is affected by degradation in this region leading to depletion of forest biodiversity. For conservation of forest biodiversity and implementation of conservation strategies, forest degradation assessment of habitat destruction area is important. Two types of data are used in the study i.e. spatial and non-spatial data. Non-spatial data include both anthropogenic stress and climate data. The study shows that the disturbance index value ranges from 2.5 to 7.5 which has been reclassified into four disturbance zones as low disturbed, medium disturbed, high disturbed and very high disturbed. The analysis would play a key role in the formulation and implementation of forest conservation and management strategies.

A good knowledge of species distributions and their genetic structure is essential for numerous types of research such as population genetics, phylogeography, or conservation genetics. We document the presence of extremely local populations of three butterfly species (Iolana iolas, Satyrus ferula and Melanargia larissa) in the Romanian fauna. Satyrus ferula and M. larissa are reported for the first time in the country, while I. iolas is rediscovered following presumed extinction. Based on mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1—COI sequences), we assessed the genetic structure of these populations and placed them into a broader context through comparisons with other populations from across the range of these species. Each of the three species had a single haplotype in Romania, suggesting low female effective population size possibly under genetic erosion. Two of the populations (S. ferula and M. larissa) are genetically unique, displaying endemic haplotypes in south-western Romania. The Romanian populations of the three species likely remained unnoticed due to their extremely limited extent of occurrence. Their restricted range, close to the northern limits of distribution in the Balkans, their apparent low female effective population size, the presence of endemic haplotypes, and habitat vulnerability (especially for I. iolas) highlight the need for monitoring and conservation measures for the safeguarding of these populations. We discover and study the genetics of previously unknown populations of three butterfly species (Iolana iolas, Satyrus ferula and Melanargia larissa) in Romania, which deserve conservation measures. This study exemplifies how biodiversity exploration and genetic information can contribute to informed decisions regarding the management and protection of threatened populations.

Biodiversity is threatened globally and its decline is being accelerated mainly due to human activities. Halting the current rate of biodiversity loss requires protection and conservation of species at local as well as at global scales. Biological conservation strategies heavily rely upon the availability of good quality and real-time information about species distribution. Information on species distribution can also be utilized to address crucial ecological challenges including estimation of reintroduction success and biotic interactions. Traditionally, species distribution data is mainly collected through invasive monitoring approaches that relied upon capturing the species or observing them closely. While these invasive monitoring approaches are well-established, they may cause harm to rare and endangered species. Also, these monitoring approaches may not be efficient for certain cases, e.g., early detection of biological invasions by pathogenic or predatory species. Hence, there is a dire need for a non-invasive and robust monitoring technique to map species distributions. One potential solution is the establishment of environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques based on molecular species detection from DNA shed by organisms naturally in the environment. This non-invasive and robust monitoring technique is being increasingly applied in biodiversity conservation and applied ecology. In this thesis, I aimed to develop eDNA based TaqMan assays for several species including one locally endangered and reintroduced fish species, Alburnoides bipunctatus. My main goal was to assess the reintroduction success of A. bipunctatus across the Federal German state of Hessen by integrating eDNA and species distribution modeling (SDM) in an iterative format. In addition to Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data, I built SDM models with high-quality presence/absence data retrieved through eDNA to evaluate the improvement in the predictive power of SDM and used SDM predictions for an effective eDNA sampling design. I also utilized eDNA in a multi-species context to understand the dynamics of predator and prey interactions in a protected area. For this, I designed and established eDNA based TaqMan assays for two invasive predatory fish species, Pseudorasbora parva and Lepomis gibbosus. I related the presence of both predator and prey species to test for potential effects of predators on prey species occurrences. My results highlight the potential of eDNA techniques beyond simple species detection for efficient biodiversity assessment and conservation. I successfully developed and validated highly specific and sensitive TaqMan assays for A. bipunctatus, P. parva and L. gibbosus. By using these TaqMan assays, I found that (i) eDNA can be utilized for the assessment of reintroduction success, to provide fast and reliable feedback to conservation management. Moreover, the combination of eDNA and SDM in an iterative approach can be useful to guide future reintroduction actions, (ii) eDNA can serve as an effective technique to explore biotic interactions between predator and prey species. Overall, the results of my study underpin the usefulness of eDNA-based detection methods for biodiversity management and conservation. The great flexibility of eDNA to integrate with other techniques can give a tremendous boost to species monitoring and conservation. For example, I showed that the integration of eDNA and SDM can enhance the predictive accuracy of SDM. This enhancement facilitates the probability of species presence, serving as a tool for exploring the spread of reintroduced species. Moreover, this combined approach holds the potential to discover unrecognised populations of rare species. Furthermore, eDNA can be used for the assessment of biotic interactions, especially the effects of predator-prey interactions, which are considered as a crucial driver for shaping community structure. For future research, I suggest implementing the combined eDNA-SDM approach to estimate the reintroduction success of other naturally extinct species, early detection, and monitoring of invasive or pathogenic species to guide conservation management actions. Also, the application of eDNA techniques can be extended to more complex systems to assess biotic interactions between species for long periods. In addition to these, several other scientific questions such as, exploring ancient community structure, niche separation, delineating pollinator networks, and also biosecurity issues including monitoring water quality and biological vectors of deadly pathogenic species can be addressed. In conclusion, eDNA-based species detection is a robust and cost-effective tool for applied ecology and biodiversity conservation.

Forests have conventionally been seen as a source of products for sustaining resource-poor households. Nonetheless, forest management strategies have often not been designed to meet these pressing needs. The objectives of this research were to examine the contribution of forest products to household income and determine the level of forest dependence among poor households in four sectors selected from the Musanze and Nyabihu districts of Rwanda. A multistage sampling process was used to select 165 households in a questionnaire-based survey. Data analysis was mainly based on a binary probit regression model checked for multicollinearity, hetero- scedasticity and specification bias. Forest products accounted for 31% of annual household income. Household location, number of cattle owned, and household size had a positive and significant effect on dependence on forest resources (p < 0.05). However, gender was significant at the 10% level (p < 0.1). Forests have a plural role for the rural poor and this justifies the implementation of sustainable forest management strategies. There is a need to improve the use of agroforestry innovations to enhance the contribution of forests to rural incomes. This can be achieved through a multisectoral approach involving training of rural farmers in appropriate technologies.

Due to its multifunctional characteristics; soil organic matter has great importance not only for soil fertility by providing many plant nutrients, increasing plant available water and microbial activity, but also for structural improvement of soil by creating stable aggregates. However, the existence of this valuable resource is rapidly decreasing in Turkish soils, as in many other geographical regions of the World, mainly due to land use/land cover changes and high rates of soil erosion. In terms of drought and desertification, which are the most obvious negative effects of climate change, Türkiye is among the high-risk countries. One of the most important threats to soil functions, which are directly related to climate change-related crop production, is the loss of soil organic matter. Soil degradation due to organic matter loss that threaten the food, energy and water security of human beings in today's world, carries the risk of becoming more prominent and destructive on the axis of global-scale climate change and oppressive and unsustainable management practices on natural resources. However, it is clear that with the sustainable management of soil, which is known as the biggest organic carbon stock pool of terrestrial ecosystems, it plays a key role in minimizing the negative effects of climate change. The carbon storage capacity of soil depends on the local climate and existing land cover at the upper scale, but it also affected by solum depth, soil parent material, soil moisture and soil temperature regime, and the most importantly by soil and plant management practices. In other words, the factor that creates variability and has the opportunity to change is the human-induced soil/plant management factor. Increasing organic-C stocks in the soil is directly related to the balancing of land degradation and the effectiveness of the implementation of sustainable land and forest management strategies. In this context; minimizing erosion losses for all land use types and preventing misuse of lands, and especially in agricultural areas where organic carbon loss is manageable, dissemination of ecosystem-oriented - regenerative agriculture and climate-friendly agricultural techniques, application of reduced, minimum or zero tillage systems, adding plant residues and organic inputs into the soil have very important places. This paper describes the effective ways of increasing soil organic carbon stocks in soil with different aspects.

Simulation of succession in a neotropical forest: High selective logging intensities prolong the recovery times of ecosystem functions

Surveys were conducted for the presence of Allegheny woodrats, eastern small-footed bats, and their habitat within Sample Units surrounding potential climbing routes on the White Rocks cliff of Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. White Rocks is a 200-300ft south facing cliff along the Virginia- Kentucky border that contains the typical habitat requirements of both species: rock ledges, outcrops, or a network of fissures and crevices surrounded by forested habitat. The eastern small-footed bat uses this type of habitat primarily during the summer months for roosting while the Allegheny woodrat is present year-round building nests within deep crevices. The eastern small-footed bat is listed as threatened in Kentucky and both are considered Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Virginia. The rock-climbing community has approached the National Park Service with interest in opening the cliff to recreational climbing. The results of this survey will be used to assess impacts to the species and aid in the studies required for the potential development of a formal climbing management plan. Surveys were conducted from August 24 to September 3, 2021, and included searches of the cliff face via rappelling, ground searches of suitable habitat surrounding the rim and base of the climbing routes, and noninvasive woodrat camera trap and bat acoustic surveys. Suitable eastern small-footed bat and Allegheny woodrat habitat was documented along all eleven potential climbing routes, and results of the acoustic and camera trap surveys confirmed the presence of both species. Surveyors did not observe roosting bats during visual encounter surveys, so we cannot confirm they are roosting along the specific climbing routes. It is likely they are using or could use the habitat at some point given their presence at the site. Surveyors did not observe obvious sign of woodrat presence, perhaps due to the complexity of the cliff habitat, but woodrats were captured at 32 of 37 (86%) camera sites. Video of woodrat activity at sites F3-C3, MF-C3, and CC-C1 confirm that these cameras were placed at crevices actively used by woodrats for caching food. Woodrat activity was captured on the first night at nearly half of the camera sites (40%) and within all Sample Units except SU-4. This suggests that the rim and/or base of most climbing routes are at or near core activity centers. Detection data was fitted to occupancy models to estimate probabilities of site occupancy and detection. Consistent with observations of woodrat activity detection probabilities and na?ve estimates of occupancy indicate woodrats are active at both the rim and base throughout the white rocks area. Design constraints, however, make it difficult to make strong inferences about factors affecting occupancy at the site or to predict occupancy at unsampled areas of the White Rocks cliff. Detection probabilities were high in all Sample Units especially after the first night of detection and were positively associated with habitat. However, these variables had little to do with site occupancy rates and are not very informative for predicting the influence of climbing activities on Allegheny woodrats. Research on the effects of rock climbing to roosting bats and Allegheny woodrats is lacking, but it has the potential to negatively impact these species both directly and indirectly. Directly through disturbance or harm to roosting bats or woodrats during climbing activities and indirectly through degradation of the cliff face and loss of suitable habitat. Whether climbing activities negatively affect the population of either species may depend on the amount of suitable habitat in areas where climbing does not occur and the extent of climbing activities. Suitable habitat does not appear to be a limiting factor at the site and the White Rocks cliff area extends beyond the potential climbing areas. These and other factors such as the presence of other species of concern should be considered when evaluating alternatives to continue climbing closures or consider opening the cliff to recreational climbing with protection measures. Measures that may reduce the impact of climbing activities on these species include additional surveys to determine exact roosting or nesting areas, restrictions on the amount and timing of climbing activities, restrictions on actions that degrade or remove vegetation from the rock surface, and education about the presence of these species at the site.

The realms of rare species conservation and metapopulation biology theory are often interrelated, and hence share several basic challenges. Two of the most important are the critical and frequently difficult tasks of distinguishing a priori between habitat and nonhabitat, and then delimiting suitable habitat patches in a study area. We combined classification tree analysis, a subset of classification and regression tree (CART) modeling, with digital data layers of environmental variables in a geographic information system (GIS) to predict suitable habitat and potential new population occurrences for turkeybeard (Xerophyllum asphodeloides), a rare liliaceous understory herb associated with southern Appalachian pine–oak (Pinus–Quercus) forests, in northwestern Virginia. Sample values from eight environmental data layers and population survey data were used in the modeling process to produce a cross-validated classification tree that predicted suitable habitat in the study area. Elevation, slope, forest type, and fire frequency were the four main explanatory variables in the model. Approximately 4% of the study area was classified into five suitable habitat classes, with a misclassification error rate of 4.74%. The final 13-leaf tree correctly classified 74% of the known presence areas and 90% of the known absence areas, and ground-truthing surveys resulted in the discovery of eight new occupied habitat patches. Results of this study are important for conservation and management of X. asphodeloides, as well as for the applicability of the habitat modeling techniques to enhancing the study of metapopulations and disturbance regimes in Appalachian forests. In addition, they confirm the potential and value of CART and GIS-based modeling approaches to species distribution problems. Our model was successful at defining suitable habitat and discovering new populations of a rare species at the landscape scale. Similar application to other rare species could prove very useful for addressing these and other ecological and conservation issues, such as planning transplantation or reintroduction experiments, identifying metapopulation fragmentation thresholds, and formulating conservation strategies.

This study aimed to determine the level of preservation of primeval forest criteria and the extent of anthropogenic transformation in the old-growth oak forest of the Dendropark “Оlexandria”. This age-old oak forest of natural origin covers an area of 31.8 ha with 1413 oaks. Another 8.8 ha of the oak plantations with 462 oaks belong to artificial landscape compositions.For over 200 years of existence since the creation of the Dendropark “Оlexandria”, the oak forest has preserved a number of criteria characteristics of virgin forests. In particular, it kept the complex mosaic-tiered forest structure. The indigenous associations of oak forests of hazel-ash (Quercetа (roboris) coryloso-aegopodiosum) and Tatar maple-stellar (Quercetа (roboris) acerioso (tatarici) stellariosum) remained. The dominant species, Quercus robur, retained the function of a unifier with a share in the first tier of 70–100 %. The floristic core of the main forest-forming species has been preserved too.The oak forest is a habitat for many woody and herbaceous plants of the local flora, including threatened species. The oak forest is characterized by high structural complexity, particularly a diverse epiphytic lichen flora, the presence of rare species, and 15 indicator species of old-growth forests and virgin forests. The oak forest is a habitat for 62 species of birds, mostly inhabitants of forests. A large part of the oak forest contains dead wood of the uniflorus species and its companions in various stages of decomposition.The anthropogenic interference in the oak forest has been long and varied. Since the foundation of the park and subsequently, the oak forest has been subjected to excessive fragmentation and introduction of introductions, creating decorative landscape compositions within the oak forest, mainly in the central part. This caused significant ecotonisation of the oak forest and displacement of Q. robur.Current research has revealed a number of criteria that classify the oak forest as a successor to the primeval forest, which gives the oak forest an exceptional value.

This study aims to analyze the relationship of situational leadership behavior with the organizational culture; the influence of situational leadership behavior and organizational culture on implementation of human resource management strategies; the effect of the implementation of the strategy of human resource management on productivity; the influence of situational leadership behavior, organizational culture and the implementation of human resource management strategies on the productivity of private vocational training institutes. While the type of research are descriptive and verificative using explanatory survey. The data collection is done using questionnaires, documentation and interviews, while the sampling technique used a Likert Summated Rating. The unit of analysis is the field of operation and delivery of training services and fields of administration. Data analysis is using path analysis. The results showed that the situational leadership behaviors significantly correlated with the organizational culture; the situational leadership behavior and organizational culture have a significant effect simultaneously and partially on the implementation of human resource management strategies in private vocational training institutions; the implementation of human resource management strategies have a significant effect on productivity improvement of private vocational training institutions; the situational leadership behavior, organizational culture and the implementation of human resource management strategy that have a significant effect simultaneously and partially to the increased productivity of private vocational training institutions in North Sumatera province.

Biodiversity considerations in conservation system planning include three main criteria: representation, special elements, and focal species. A GIS-based approach utilizing simple models was used to assess existing biophysical data relative to these criteria for conservation system planning in Nova Scotia, Canada, with potential utility in applications elsewhere. Representative samples of natural landscapes were identified on the basis of size (≥10 000 ha) and degree of naturalness (natural cover, uneven-aged forests, low or zero road density). Special elements were selected, including hotspots of diversity and rarity, critical habitat for species at risk, significant wetlands, old and unique forests, and ecosites. Habitat requirements of viable populations of focal species (American moose, American marten, and Northern Goshawk) were identified using species distribution data, habitat suitability, and population viability analyses. Priority core areas for biodiversity conservation system planning were identified on the basis of these three sets of criteria. Key areas of habitat connectivity were delineated by selecting the least-cost paths for focal species between relevant core areas through cost–distance analyses based on habitat suitability, road density, and minimum corridor width. Collectively, these biodiversity considerations indicate that ∼60% of Nova Scotia, including 32% in core areas, should be managed for conservation objectives to maintain genes, species, and ecosystems over time. Although data and modeling limitations require that our analysis of richness and diversity, habitat suitability, population viability, and core area selection be verified, the area calculations and other results are consistent with those in similar studies. Consequently, the system design and other information generated are useful for local and regional biodiversity conservation planning and management, and the methodological approach is of potential use in other regions where the necessary field-based data may be made available.

The oak species Quercus petraea and Q. Robur are dominant canopy tree species of native deciduous forests in Ireland and coastal regions of Western Europe. These forests are typically plant species-rich, and can also have a rich fungal flora. This survey examined macrofungi found in five native oak sites across Ireland over three years. Overall, 94 macrofungal species belonging to 39 genera were discovered with Mycena, Lactarius, Russula and Cortinarius the most species-rich genera. The species accumulation curve did not show signs of levelling off, indicating that more sampling would reveal more new species. Species richness estimation using the Chao2 estimator indicated that up to 135 species may be present across all of our plots, with individual plots receiving estimates from 19 to 61 species per plot. Sampled-based rarefaction analysis showed no significant differences in macrofungal species richness between our plots. The five most common species were Laccaria amethystina, L. laccata, Stereum hirsutum, Armillaria mellea and Cortinarius flexipes. Comparisons of the results with results from oak forests in similar regions found that the communities in Great Britain were most similar to those found in Ireland. There were some key oak forest distinguishing fungal species from the family Boletaceae lacking from Irish oak forests. It is hypothesised that the historic deforestation of Ireland, caused a reduction of suitable habitats for Irish oak associated macrofungi, leading to the unspecific mycota found in the oak forests of this study. The threats to Atlantic oak forests in Ireland are briefly discussed.