Spider assemblages (Arachnida: Araneae) in five common pastures in the Black Forest Biosphere Reserve (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)

Partial cutting does not maintain spider assemblages within the observed range of natural variability in Eastern Canadian black spruce forests

Response of Orthoptera assemblages to environmental change in a low-mountain range differs among grassland types

Floodplain forests are among the most endangered ecosystems worldwide, even though they are hotspots for numerous taxa. The abandonment of traditional management and large‐scale timber extraction, such as clear‐cutting, has led to a decline in floodplain forest biodiversity. Retention forestry has the potential to facilitate the implementation of an ecologically sustainable forest management approach. Despite the increasing popularity of this method, its potential for spider diversity conservation, especially its comparison with the widespread practice of clear‐cutting, is still poorly studied. We studied the short‐term effect of forestry treatments (dispersed retention with 60% retained trees and clear‐cutting) on the diversity of ground‐dwelling spiders in the floodplain forests along the Lower Morava (March) and Dyje (Thaya) rivers in the Czech Republic. Spiders were sampled using pitfall traps during 2021 (pre‐harvest year) and 2022 (post‐harvest year). A total of 10,005 specimens from 167 species were recorded. Both forestry treatments simplified habitat structure compared with pre‐harvest conditions, resulting in lower beta‐diversity within sites. However, dispersed retention had higher alpha‐ and beta‐diversity than clear‐cuts, indicating that retention provided a more complex‐structured habitat. Dispersed retention and clear‐cuts hosted distinct spider assemblages with characteristic indicator species. Species typical of open and significantly disturbed habitats preferred clear‐cuts, while species typical of forests and (semi‐) open habitats, including threatened species, showed a preference for dispersed retention. Our results demonstrated, for the first time, that dispersed retention forestry could serve as an effective management tool for conserving the ground‐dwelling assemblages of spiders in floodplain forests.

Recent declines in invertebrates are linked to anthropogenic global change drivers thus land use planning that considers invertebrate conservation is necessary. Although most animals are invertebrates, conservation initiatives largely ignore these groups in part because of a paucity of studies addressing their diversity patterns. Biosphere Reserves provide an holistic approach to conservation planning. Here we explore the covariates that underlie beetle and spider diversity across the largest Biosphere Reserve in South Africa and use this model to predict compositional turnover across the reserve using Generalized Dissimilarity Modelling (GDM). We then use these patterns to assess the proportion of the ecological environments, scaled using beetle and spider assemblages, that is included in either core or buffer zones. The GDM model explained 53% of the variation in observed compositional turnover. Important local-scale drivers of turnover were leaf litter and organic content of the soil, while broad-scale co-variables were isothermality and mean diurnal range. Buffer zones increased conservation coverage by between 50 and 100%, depending on the planning scenario involved and complimented regional conservation plans. However, local conservation practices rarely reflect that of regional planning exercises, and initiatives should focus on monitoring compliance that considers both landscape and local processes. Conservation efforts should not only focus on core areas in Biosphere Reserves. Managing buffer zones must receive similar if not more attention due to the larger anthropogenic footprint.

Edge effects created by wildfire and clear-cutting on boreal forest ground-dwelling spiders

In a study originally motivated by the observation of effects of an accidental fire, spiders were sampled with pitfall traps during the vegetation periods 2010, 2012 and 2014 in two burned sites and a neighbouring reference site in the Northern Black Forest. Fire was caused by a motorbike accident at April 25, 2010 and affected approximately one ha of wet mountain heathland (locally called "Grinden"), partly dominated by purple moor-grass and partly by dwarf mountain pines. Pitfall traps were of the conventional type with plastic cups of 300 ml and an opening diameter of 67 mm, filled with a capture preservative and emptied every two weeks. Traps were protected against rain by non-transparent metallic roofs and plastic funnels were inserted in the cups to minimize capture of small vertebrates. In 2010, acetic acid was used in a 2.5% solution with a drop of detergent added in five traps per site. In 2012, in each site three traps were filled with acetic acid, three (six in control site) with propylene glycol. In 2014, five traps per site were filled with propylene glycol. Distance between traps was 5–10 m. The dataset includes 2566 (2018 adult) spiders of 102 species in 20 families. The study provided records of several species by then unrecorded or very rare in Baden-Württemberg: Agyneta ressli, Anguliphantes tripartitus, Evansia merens, Gonatium paradoxum, Sintula corniger, Achaeridion conigerum, Sibianor larae, Talavera inopinata and contributed to the inventory of spider species in the national park Black Forest.

Landscape change effects on habitat quality in a forest biosphere reserve: Implications for the conservation of native habitats

The upper Jejuí River is a major tributary of the Paraguay River in eastern Paraguay and is the principal drainage for the Mbaracayú Forest Biosphere Reserve. Despite the international significance of the biosphere reserve and detailed documentation of its terrestrial fauna and flora, the fish fauna in its streams remains relatively unknown, with 48 species previously recorded. We sampled 35 sites within the biosphere reserve over five years (2007–2011) to assess the richness of its ichthyofauna. These surveys yielded a new total of 105 known species for the biosphere reserve, including two newly-recorded orders, Gymnotiformes and Cyprinodontiformes, and 14 newly-recorded families. Fish community composition resembled that of previously-reported fish communities from the Paraguay River drainage, with characiforms and siluriforms comprising the majority of the species (57.1% and 31.4%, respectively). Post hoc analyses showed significantly greater ichthyofaunal diversity at sites within the Mbaracayú Forest Nature Reserve, a core protected forest area within the biosphere reserve, compared to areas outside the nature reserve, suggesting a negative impact from deforestation and land conversion on fish assemblages in these headwater streams. Broad regional deforestation places greater emphasis on important management decisions that will protect current biodiversity.

Forest soils respond dramatically to management changes compared to other soils influenced by different land-use forms. This work aimed to compare the soil conditions in four different zones in a temperate forest in a biosphere reserve in Mexico, using a minimum data set (MDS) based on volcanic soils properties to develop a soil quality index (SQI). For this purpose, two different MDSs were used, one obtained from an expert opinion and the other through a multivariate principal component analysis (PCA). The soil quality assessment was conducted in a biosphere reserve in Mexico, where volcanic soils predominate. Four different areas were studied. Overall, six different types of SQI were calculated for each area, for which linear and nonlinear functions were used and the additive and weighted method. The six SQI showed a significant difference between the four areas of study. The zone with the highest SQI values was the zone with a preserved pine forest, followed by the zone with a pine forest managed by the population, and the zones with a pine forest and grassland in recovery showed the lowest SQI. The linear score indices obtained by the PCA indicated the better ability to differentiate the calculated SQI values, which would provide information to contribute to the stakeholder management and decision making in the protection, conservation and management of the ecosystems present in the biosphere reserve.

Land use/land cover change-induced greenhouse gas emissions in the global biosphere reserve of tropical Afromontane forest

Commonly used pastures have provided great socio-cultural, economic and ecological values across European mountain ranges. Since the last century, under-use is threatening these socio-ecological systems. Preserving common pastures as an integral part of cultural landscapes is the principal objective of the recently established Black Forest Biosphere Reserve in south-western Germany. We use the example of Black Forest common pasture organizations to scrutinize organisational arrangements, challenges and support of common resource sustenance in under-use contexts by drawing on Ostrom’s Design Principles, the Socio-Ecological-Systems Framework and resilience theory. To this end, we use mixed methods for data collection (semi-structured interviews, expert survey, focus group discussion) rooted in qualitative empirical social-ecological science. The suggested tripartite framework offers insights for conceptual and theoretical advancements in under-use contexts. As such, this research shows that design principles for under-use should (1) consider broader social boundaries to include all actors benefiting from the resources, (2) achieve congruence of provision, appropriation and local conditions that focus on sufficient levels of landscape stewardship services involving new beneficiaries for burden sharing, (3) match appropriators’ rights and duties as well as incentives for and motivations of pasture management. Concerning practical aspects, measures to support common pasture organizations’ adaptation need to incorporate multi-level governance and to increase connectivity.

The Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve (YCFBR) in Southwest Ethiopia is critical for the local economy and global environmental sustainability. However, the reserve faces significant challenges due to land use and land cover (LULC) changes driven by anthropogenic disturbances. Standardized data on landscape dynamics and forest ecosystem services, particularly for YCFBR is essential for effective management of the reserve. This research investigated the spatial and temporal LULC dynamics of the YCFBR over a span of 26 years (1996–2022) by analyzing Landsat satellite imagery from 1996, 2010, and 2022, categorizing LULC into six classes. These are dense forest, farmland, grazing land, open forest, settlement, and shrub land. Starting our study from 1996 allows direct comparison between pre-reserve (1996–2010) and after the establishment of the biosphere reserve (2010–2022). The results showed that, before biosphere establishment dense forest land decreased by 6,947.75 ha (−5.02%) (1996–2010), then increased to 6,094.67 ha (4.40%) after biosphere establishment (2010–2022), resulting in a net gain of 29,411.4 ha (21.22%) over the entire study period. Similarly, open forestland experienced a decline of 24,218.46 ha (−17.49%) pre-establishment, followed by an increase to 23,017.29 ha (16.62%) post-establishment, with a negligible net change of 33.7 ha (0.02%). These results underscore the effective afforestation efforts observed since the biosphere’s designation. Significant differences in species richness across the reserve’s zones were also identified, with the core zone exhibiting the highest diversity compared to lower diversity in buffer and transitional zones. Key drivers of afforestation include participatory forest management, and national green development initiatives. Conversely, major deforestation drivers include agricultural expansion, overgrazing, illegal logging, the Yayu fertilizer industry, rock and coal mining activities, and investments lacking Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs). This study emphasizes the positive implications of zonation for forest conservation and the vital role of community involvement in sustainable forest management. Therefore, zonation-based and communities’ livelihood assessments to modify forest management to suit unique needs of each forest zone is essential for promoting sustainable forest management (SFM) practices in the area. Furthermore, it highlights the need for pre-project social assessments, alternative livelihoods, and heightened awareness among local communities and government stakeholders to mitigate deforestation impacts and promote conservation.

Forest fragmentation in a forest Biosphere Reserve: Implications for the sustainability of natural habitats and forest management policy in Ethiopia

Leishmaniasis is a zoonotic disease where parasites of the genus Leishmania are transmitted among hosts by sandfly vectors of the subfamily Phlebotominae. In Paraguay, studies on sandfly biodiversity are limited, even though the disease is present in its tegumentary and visceral forms. This pioneering ecoepidemiological study analyzes the diversity, abundance, and detection of Leishmania spp. DNA in sandflies from primary, secondary, and degraded forest habitats within the Mbaracayú Forest Biosphere Reserve. Over a year of sampling, 954 sandflies were captured, comprising 599 females and 355 males, belonging to 12 species, 10 of which are reported for the first time in Canindeyú. The species with the highest positivity for Leishmania spp. DNA were the Evandromyia cortelezzii complex (20.3%), Pintomyia monticola (18.8%), Brumptomyia brumpti (17.4%), Brumptomyia avellari (15.9%), and Psathyromyia lanei (11.6%). In contrast, Evandromyia evandroi, Micropygomyia quinquefer, Nyssomyia neivai, and Migonemyia migonei displayed rates of 4.3% or lower, while Psathyromyia shannoni complex, Brumptomyia guimaraesi, and Evandromyia termitophila were negative. The identified Leishmania species were L. amazonensis (65.2%) and L. infantum (34.8%). Additionally, dogs and their ectoparasites from an indigenous community were analyzed, detecting L. amazonensis DNA in 18 flea groups (54.5%) and one tick (16.7%). However, all dogs tested negative for the Rk39 test. This study highlights the risk of leishmaniasis transmission in forested and degraded ecosystems, which could have significant public health consequences, calling for deeper analyses to assess associated risks.

Yayo Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve is part of the Afromontane rainforest in south-western Ethiopia, and it is the center of origin for the most popular wild populations of Arabica coffee (Coffee arabica). The forest was designated as UNESCO biosphere reserve to conserve coffee genetic resources and overall biodiversity of the forest. The coffee forest is, however, threatened by different factors. The major objective of the study was to collect data on attitudes and perceptions of the community towards the biosphere reserve in general and threats to it in particular. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews held with 212 (N = 1479) household heads selected randomly from 3 of the 5 gandas (ganda, in the local Afan Oromo language, is the lowest level of administrative body below district) which are considered by UNESCO as the most important transition zone in the biosphere reserve. Data were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively using descriptive statistics. About 51 % of the respondents supported the establishment of the Biosphere Reserve. The respondents recognized the forest values like as home of wild coffee (100 %), source of fuel wood 99.6 %) and construction materials (95.7 %) and because of these values, 57.7 % of them agreed that the community has the responsibility toprotect the forest from threats. All the respondents were aware of the presence of large-scale development projects like Yayo coal mining industry and Yayo fertilizer factory which were legally established around the forest, Gaba Hydropower Dam, road construction and electric transmission line established legally inside the forest, and coffee plantation carried out illegally inside and around the forest (27 %) which have adverse effects on the biodiversity of the area if not properly managed. Ninety-one percent of the respondents mentioned that there were conflicts between the management bodies of the biosphere reserve and the local community over timber logging (100 %), charcoal production (45.1 %), expansion of coffee plantation, and gain of no benefits/incentives form the government (92.5 %). Understanding the main source of conflict is critical to the resolution of conflict. Understanding the perceptions of the local people as they relate to forest value and attitudes towards the reserve is a key to gaining a better understanding the central issue of the conflict between community development and nature reserve management.