Non-native REd-Billed Blue Magpie Urocissa erythrorhyncha Expanded Into Lowland Areas with Moderate Forest Cover, with No Significant Impact on Native Common Bird Occupancy, in Shikoku, Southern Japan

In southern Japan, two dugesiid species of freshwater planarians are known: Dugesia japonica Ichikawa et Kawakatsu, 1964, and Dugesia ryukyuensis Kawakatsu, 1976. D. japonica is a common and polymorphic species widely distributed in the Far East (karyotypes: n=8, 2x=16, 3x=24). D. ryukyuensis is a species recorded only from the Southwest Islands of Japan (Nansei Shoto) (karyotypes: n=7, 2x=14, 3x=21). Recently, small populations of D. ryukyuensis were found in the lowland areas in Kyushu on the East China Sea (the Nishisonogi Peninsula, the Shimabara Peninsula, the Goto Islands, the Satsuma Peninsula, and the Osumi Peninsula). The current geographical distribution of D. japonica and D. ryukyuensis in southern Japan can be explained from geological and faunal viewpoints, as follows: (1) two separate inversions by the ancestor of D. japonica, one in the Miocene and one after early Quaternary; (2) only one expansion of its domain by the ancestor of D. ryukyuensis in the Miocene.

Oceanic islands are among the most endemically biodiverse ecosystems in the world. They have been adversely impacted by human expansion, which affects regional biodiversity by altering the natural habitats of vulnerable, indigenous species. Birds represent a valuable indicator species of environmental change due to their ability to adapt quickly. Investigating the relationship between environmental change, abundance, and behaviors of birds can help us better anticipate potential impacts to island ecosystems. In addition, we can understand the population trends and restricted ranges of native avifauna, identify the regions needing protection, and assess habitat vulnerability linked to anthropogenic activities. In Mo’orea, French Polynesia, we studied nine passerine bird species using automated acoustic recording devices placed in agricultural, forested, and mixed habitats. Based on call counts per unit time and occupancy modeling, we found evidence that three non-native species preferred agricultural areas and low-canopy cover over dense forested areas. Furthermore, native bird detectability and possibly abundance was significantly lower than non-native birds. Using hierarchical cluster analysis to support inferences regarding behavioral differences, we found that native bird calling activity was negatively associated with non-native bird calling activity. Altogether, these results suggest native bird populations are at risk in all of the habitats studied, but forests serve as a potential refuge.

Questions: What is the relative importance of landscape variables compared to habitat quality variables in determining species composition in floodplain forests across different physiographic areas? How do species composition and species traits relate to effects of particular landscape variables? Do lowland and mountain areas differ in effects of landscape variables on species composition? Location: Southern Czech Republic. Methods: A total of 240 vegetation relevés of floodplain forests with measured site conditions were recorded across six physiographic areas. I tested how physiographic area, habitat quality variables and landscape variables such as current land-cover categories, forest continuity, forest size and urbanization influenced plant species composition. I also compared how mountain and lowland areas differ in terms of the relative importance of these variables. To determine how landscape configuration affects the distribution of species traits, relationships of traits and species affinity with landscape variables were tested. Results: Among landscape variables, forest continuity, landscape forest cover and distance to nearest settlement altered the vegetation. These variables also influenced the distributions of species traits, i.e. life forms, life strategies, affinity to forest, dispersal modes, seed characteristics, flooding tolerance and Ellenberg indicator values for nitrogen, light, moisture and soil reaction. Nevertheless, physiographic area and habitat quality variables explained more variation in species composition. Landscape variables were more important in lowland areas. Forest continuity affected species composition only in lowlands. Conclusions: Although habitat quality and physiographic area explained more vegetation variability, landscape configuration was also a key factor influencing species composition and distribution of species traits. However, the results are dependent on forest geographical location, with lowland forests being more influenced by landscape variables compared to mountain forests.

Effects of surrounding landscape composition on the conservation value of native and exotic habitats for native forest birds

The green seaweeds Ulva australis and U. pertusa were described from southern Australia and Japan, respectively. They are conspecific and U. australis, the currently accepted taxon, is native to temperate marine waters in north-eastern Asia, and known to be introduced overseas into Australasia, the Americas and Europe. Although the genetics of U. australis have been investigated elsewhere, along French coasts the origins and history of the introduction of this species need to be clarified. We used mitochondrial, plastid and nuclear markers to differentiate introduced populations of U. australis along the French Atlantic coasts. The plastid tufA gene used as a barcoding marker revealed a well-defined species with a higher haplotype diversity in native vs. introduced areas. The ITS2 region (nuclear) and rbcL (plastid) were used to compare French specimens with the lectotype of U. australis. Putative geographic origins of the genetically determined U. australis were examined using genetic markers with better resolution, the plastid atpI-H combined with the mitochondrial trnA-N. Origin(s) and introduction history of French specimens were inferred from the comparison between their haplotypes and those previously described in native and non-native temperate areas worldwide. Our results indicate that the presence of U. australis along the French Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts is the result of multiple introductions and independent pathways, and suggest that historical oyster transfers from Japan and British Columbia can only partially explain the observed patterns in genetic markers. Alternative hypotheses for the timing and pathways of introductions are proposed in the light of the historic background of maritime transport networks and trade between north-eastern Asia and Europe.

Invaders on the Wing

With the aim at developing a landscape dynamics framework for environmental planning and management and testing the effectiveness of protected areas in achieving the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations sustainability goals, we characterized the historical transformation trajectories of forest area changes from 1936 to 2010 in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital (Italy). Remote sensing‐based products coupled with landscape pattern metrics and fragmentation analysis have been implemented, comparing different historical forest maps. The results show a remarkable forest area gain – from 17.6% to 25.5% – thanks to 68,299 ha of recently established forest. Statistical descriptors showed that the highest relative gain occurred in mountain zones, confirming a wide European forest recovery pattern in marginal areas from past deforestation and overexploitation. Deforestation mainly occurred in the flat and hilly areas where almost 26,000 ha of forests were lost since 1936. In summary, two main forest landscape dynamics were reconstructed: (I) the increase of forest cover fragmentation in the lowland areas; and (II) the rise in the forest area in the interior sectors of the mountain landscape, mainly within protected areas. Restoring the forest ecosystem's bioecological integrity has been highlighted as an urgent action for biodiversity conservation and carbon mitigation. In lowland areas, the study revealed the urgent need to establish new protected areas and rewilding spaces as landscape metrics are relatively below the sustainability targets for healthy forest ecosystems. The proposed framework can be used for testing the effectiveness of environmental planning and management in other forest landscapes to achieve the Agenda 2030 goals.

This research explores the activities of community institutions in achieving sustainable forest management (SFM) and sustained forest cover. Three institutions representing the administrative, economic, and social/traditional institutions were identified. The institutions had 30 forest management activities and satisfied about 66% of SFM Criteria and Indicators. A loss of 122 ha of forest cover was estimated over the last 30 yr, attributed to conversion of forests to built-up areas. Cooperative culture and economic incentives, among others, influenced institutions’ effectiveness and collective behavior toward achieving SFM. Coordinated strategies that can increase wood demand will motivate forest owners toward SFM.

This study investigates the Holocene sedimentary history of a small coastal lowland in Nankoku, Kochi Prefecture, on the coast of southern Japan facing the Nankai Trough. The sedimentary fill of the lowland area consists mainly of marine-brackish clay overlain by beds of freshwater clay and peat. We found four laterally extensive sand sheets, one directly underlying the freshwater deposits and the other three interbedded with them. Radiocarbon dates show that these sand sheets were deposited between 5970 and 2440 cal. BP. Although the sand sheets contained few marine-brackish diatoms, they were concentrated in the seaward part of the study site, suggesting that they were deposited by marine inundations. These sand sheets were formed as a result of tsunamis or unusually large storm surges. The apparent frequency of marine inundations during 5970–2440 cal. BP was much lower than that of megathrust earthquakes along the Nankai Trough recorded during the last 1300 years. Event deposits were absent between 2440 and 960 cal. BP, a gap that we attribute to the development of beach ridges. The new marine inundation records reported here will aid efforts to reconstruct the timing and recurrence intervals of megathrust earthquakes in the western Nankai Trough.

Invited article: The impacts of non‐native species: a review of the British Ornithologists’ Union's Autumn 2008 Scientific Meeting

AimMounting global pressure on bird populations from invasive predators and habitat loss has driven a rapid growth in restoration and conservation action around the world, yet the efficacy of such actions is still not well understood. We investigated the relative and interactive effects of invasive predator control and habitat fragmentation on the abundance of native birds and invasive mammalian predators in native forest fragments.LocationWaikato region, New Zealand.MethodsWe sampled invasive mammalian predator and native bird abundances using camera traps and bird counts at 26 sites in 15 forest fragments across New Zealand's Waikato region. Fragment area, shape complexity and surrounding land cover of exotic and native forest were determined in ArcMap. We further created two composite gradients reflecting predator control intensity and temporal distribution of control based on seven quantitative variables recorded in each of the 5 years preceding data collection. Finally, we estimated the relative influence of these drivers on invasive mammals and functional groups of native birds using model averaging.ResultsBoth the intensity and temporal distribution of invasive predator control significantly affected invasive predator abundance. Landscape and fragment structure were often equally important drivers of invasive predator abundances, but responses varied among invasive mammal species. Both invasive predator control intensity and fragment structure were similarly important drivers of native bird abundance, though bird community responses varied markedly between functional groups.Main conclusionsOur findings suggest that spatial extent of invasive predator control and fragment area constrain invasive predator numbers and enhance bird abundance, especially for small insectivorous species, whilst other aspects of habitat fragmentation are less important for invasive mammals but at least as important for native bird communities. Consequently, both drivers should be given strong consideration when undertaking landscape‐scale conservation and restoration of bird communities in human‐altered landscapes threatened by invasive predators.

The equatorial island of Borneo is a deforestation hotspot. However, the influence of forest loss on the island’s climate remains largely unexplored. Here, we examine how forest loss is related to changes in ground-based records of temperature (1961–2007) and precipitation (1951–2007), and MODIS data for temperature (2002–2016). Analyses were performed for the entire island, lowland areas (<200 m ASL), and nine selected watersheds. We found a strong island-wide relationship between forest loss and increases in daily temperature and reductions in daily precipitation. The relationship between deforestation and changes in local climate was most pronounced for watersheds in southeast Borneo, which have lost 40%–75% of their forests since 1973. These watersheds also had a significantly higher frequency of temperatures above 31 °C. Watersheds in north and northwest Borneo, which have lost 5%–25% of their forest cover, maintained a more stable climate with a similar distribution of mean and extreme warm temperatures between forest and modified forest areas. Watersheds with >15% forest loss had a >15% reduction in rainfall. We conclude that loss of forest in Borneo has increased local daily temperatures and temperature extremes, and reduced daily precipitation.

Satellite image-based mapping of tropical forests is vital to conservation planning. Standard methods for automated image classification, however, limit classification detail in complex tropical landscapes. In this study, we test an approach to Landsat image interpretation on four islands of the Lesser Antilles, including Grenada and St. Kitts, Nevis and St. Eustatius, testing a more detailed classification than earlier work in the latter three islands. Secondly, we estimate the extents of land cover and protected forest by formation for five islands and ask how land cover has changed over the second half of the 20th century. The image interpretation approach combines image mosaics and ancillary geographic data, classifying the resulting set of raster data with decision tree software. Cloud-free image mosaics for one or two seasons were created by applying regression tree normalization to scene dates that could fill cloudy areas in a base scene. Such mosaics are also known as cloud-filled, cloud-minimized or cloud-cleared imagery, mosaics, or composites. The approach accurately distinguished several classes that more standard methods would confuse; the seamless mosaics aided reference data collection; and the multiseason imagery allowed us to separate drought deciduous forests and woodlands from semi-deciduous ones. Cultivated land areas declined 60 to 100 percent from about 1945 to 2000 on several islands. Meanwhile, forest cover has increased 50 to 950%. This trend will likely continue where sugar cane cultivation has dominated. Like the island of Puerto Rico, most higher-elevation forest formations are protected in formal or informal reserves. Also similarly, lowland forests, which are drier forest types on these islands, are not well represented in reserves. Former cultivated lands in lowland areas could provide lands for new reserves of drier forest types. The land-use history of these islands may provide insight for planners in countries currently considering lowland forest clearing for agriculture.

We developed logistic regression models from data on biotic and abiotic variables for 172 sites on Banks Peninsula, New Zealand, to predict the probability of occurrence of two diadromous fish, banded kokopu (Galaxias fasciatus) and koaro (G. brevipinnis). Banded kokopu occurrence was positively associated with small streams and low-intensity land uses (e.g., sheep grazing or forested), whereas intensive land uses (e.g., mixed sheep and cattle farming) and lack of riparian forest cover impacted negatively on occurrence at sampled sites. Also, if forests were positioned predominantly in lowland areas, banded kokopu occurrence declined with increasing distance to stream mouth. Koaro occurrence was positively influenced by catchment forest cover, high stream altitudes, and areas of no farming activity or mixed land uses. Intensive land uses, distance to stream mouth, and presence of banded kokopu negatively influenced koaro occupancy of stream reaches. Banded kokopu and koaro presence was predicted in 86.0% and 83.7% agreement, respectively, with field observations. We used the models to quantify the amount of stream reaches that would be of good, moderate, and poor quality, based on the probability of occurrences of the fish being greater than 0.75, between 0.75 and 0.5, or less than 0.5, respectively. Hindcasting using historical data on vegetation cover undertaken for one catchment, Pigeon Bay, showed they would have occupied most of the waterway before anthropogenic modification. We also modeled potential future scenarios to project potential fish distribution.

The forest is one of the most complex natural ecosystems that is one of the basic living conditions of the healthy human life due to its effects on the environment. According to their functions forests can fill security, economic, social, health, tourism, and education as well as research roles. After the end of World War I the level of forest cover decreased to 11.8% in Hungary. At this time Hungary was Europe’s fourth poorest country in forest and tree. The increasing of forest cover was an important objective in each areas since then. The location and the size of the afforested area ultimately will be appointed by the landowners’ intentions. The state can support the success of the afforestation program by various devices, and promote effectively the enforcement of public interest. The New Hungary Rural Development Programme (2007-2013) envisaged the deployment of 69,000 hectares of new forest, of which 70% were implemented. Under the measure support was granted for the first afforestation of areas withdrawn from agricultural cultivation. Despite the above average extent of forest covers in Heves County (24.5% in 2006), further opportunities were opened to increase the forest area. In afforestation terms the high priority regions includes the poor quality arable lands of feet of Mátra and Bükk mountains and the reclamation areas of Visonta open-cast lignite mine in Heves County. During the research, we worked on secondary databases with a view to examine how regional differences there are in within Heves County in the case of location of forest areas and implemented forest plantations. On the one hand we used the data of Forestry Directorate of the National Food Chain Safety Office, on the other hand we worked up the statistics of Agricultural and Rural Development Agency about afforestation subsidies supported in the framework of New Hungary Rural Development Programme (2007-2013). There are significant differences among the districts of Heves County regarding the extent of forest cover between upland and lowland areas. While Pétervására and Bélapátfalva districts were characterized by 61% and 59% forest cover in 2006, at the same time in Füzesabony, Heves and Hatvan districts the same value was slightly higher than 4%. In the period between 2006 and 2015 the rate of forestation increased in all districts of the County at least by 0.2 percent. The growth rate was more than one percent in Heves megye járásai között az erdősültség mértékét illetően jelentős különbségek figyelhetők meg a hegyvidéki és alföldi területek között. Miközben a Pétervásárai járást és a Bélapátfalvai járást 61, illetve 59%-os erdősültség jellemezte, addig a Füzesabonyi, a Hevesi és a Hatvani járásban ez az érték alig haladta meg a 4%-ot. A megye minden egyes járásában növekedett az erdősültség mértéke a 2006 ás 2015 közötti időszakban legalább 0,2 százalékponttal. 1 százalékpont feletti volt a növekedés a Pétervásárai és a Gyöngyösi járásban. Ezáltal jelentős kiterjedésű, mezőgazdasági művelésre kevéssé alkalmas terület kapott új funkciót.Pétervására and Gyöngyös district. Therefore, a significant expanse of land that is less suitable for agricultural cultivation has given a new function.