ABSTRACT Rinorea cf. bengalensis is a tropical nickel hyperaccumulator plant known to have very high nickel concentrations, with up to 7.9 wt% nickel in its phloem tissue. We investigated the partitioning of major and trace elements in a stand of R . cf. bengalensis in Borneo. We established two 3 × 3 m 2 (18 m 2 ) plots with 1 × 1 m 2 subplots and sampled all plant species (grouped into Rinorea and non‐ Rinorea ) along with six representative soil cores to a depth of 30 cm. The total biomass of the vegetation in the plot was 17.4 kg (mean: 966 g m −2 ), with elemental budgets (g m −2 ) of 1.31 magnesium, 0.30 phosphorus, 0.78 sulfur, 6.25 potassium, 12.5 calcium, 0.11 manganese, 0.86 iron, 0.06 cobalt, 0.21 nickel, and 0.09 zinc. Rinorea cf. bengalensis made up 83% of the total biomass stand, containing > 75% of the respective major and trace elemental budget, reaching 94% and 99% for calcium and nickel, respectively. In the biomass stand of both Rinorea and non‐ Rinorea , stems were a major reservoir for all the elements, except for manganese, iron, and nickel in non‐ Rinorea and iron in Rinorea , which were primarily stored in the roots (> 50%). Hyperaccumulators have a large impact on the cycling of nickel and other elements in their ecosystem.

ABSTRACT Taiwan hinoki ( Chamaecyparis obtusa Sieb. & Zucc. var. formosana (Hayata) Rehder) is one of the dominant coniferous species in subtropical montane cloud forests in Taiwan, with a high affinity for fog immersion. With the changing climate, the species is expected to face new environmental challenges. Field observations indicate that seedlings are mainly establishing on coarse woody debris (CWD) rather than forest soil, and on surfaces covered by bryophytes rather than those without. To test this “safe site” hypothesis together with vulnerability to climate change, we conducted a factorial growth‐chamber experiment. We quantified seedling performance and functional traits under varying substrate types (forest soil vs. CWD), presence/absence of bryophyte carpets, and three increasingly short‐duration drought regimes. Contrary to the prediction of the hypothesis, CWD alone resulted in poor seedling performance due to severe nutrient limitations. However, bryophyte carpets acted as a critical facilitator; the humus layer accumulated beneath bryophytes provided high concentrations of N, P, and K, allowing seedlings on CWD to achieve growth rates comparable to those on forest soil. While drought was confirmed as a significant stress factor, neither CWD nor bryophytes provided strong evidence for the expected hydrological buffering capacity. These findings suggest that the regeneration success observed on CWD in the field is driven by bryophyte nutrient facilitation rather than the wood substrate itself. Consequently, while bryophytes can ameliorate nutrient stress, the seedlings' high susceptibility to drought indicates that increasing dry intervals under future climate scenarios poses a critical threat to early‐stage regeneration.

ABSTRACT Urban afforestation in tropical regions provides key ecosystem services that enhance urban resilience, support biodiversity conservation, and promote human well‐being. This study assessed patterns of species abundance and diversity of street trees based on origin, fruit‐bearing status, and tree size classes in Macapá, Northeastern Brazilian Amazon. Street trees were systematically inventoried along urban blocks across all administrative zones of the city. We recorded 52 species, most of them exotic (75%) and fruit‐bearing (52%), reflecting colonial legacies and local preferences for utilitarian species, especially those used for food production. Notably, none of the native species identified were endemic to the Amazon biome, indicating predominance of widely distributed taxa even among natives used in urban landscaping. Species richness was similar between small (41 species) and medium‐sized trees (41), but declined markedly among large trees (24). This is the first study in the region to apply a systematic field inventory of street trees, revealing a concerning trend: mature, tall species are being replaced by smaller, fast‐growing ones. This shift suggests a reduction or potential loss of important ecosystem services typically associated with large‐canopy trees, such as shade provision, carbon storage, and habitat availability for urban fauna. We also found low average tree density (9.78 ± 2.16 individuals km −1 ; mean ± standard deviation), emphasizing the need for afforestation planning that prioritizes biodiversity, ecological functionality, and climate resilience. Our findings underscore the importance of management strategies that consider species composition, functional traits, and spatial distribution to effectively meet socioenvironmental demands in tropical urban settings.

ABSTRACT Large carnivore population shifts often reflect changes in management policies or environmental dynamics. However, assessing the effects of such factors over the long term is often challenging due to the scarcity of long‐term monitoring data. This paper presents a dataset from long‐term field sign monitoring of brown bears ( Ursus arctos ) conducted from 1976 to 2015 in the Teshio Experimental Forest (TEF), Hokkaido University, northern Hokkaido, Japan. Monitoring was conducted annually between July and August. Survey routes were established along streams and forest roads to ensure comprehensive spatial coverage of the TEF, and observers recorded brown bear field signs, namely, feeding signs, tracks, and scats. The original records, comprising spatial information and descriptions of survey routes and field signs in document‐based formats, were digitized into ESRI shapefile format. The resulting dataset comprises 2421 field sign records (1145 feeding signs, 964 tracks, and 312 scats) collected along 9890 km of survey routes over the monitoring period, involving approximately 3400 person‐days of effort. This dataset spans periods before and after the abolishment of the Spring Bear‐culling Program, which aimed to reduce human–bear conflicts and ended in April 1990. The spatiotemporal information and detailed field sign records, including footprint sizes and scat contents, provide key insights into long‐term trends in population dynamics, habitat selection, and feeding behavior in relation to shifts in wildlife management policy and environmental dynamics. The detailed Metadata for this abstract is available in MetaCat in JaLTER at https://doi.org/10.20783/DIAS.JLE.94 , and the complete dataset is available at https://figshare.com/s/2c0e0f86df5e63fc51a6 .

ABSTRACT Among different forms of biodiversity, endemic species exceptionally experience a higher risk of extinction and therefore merit urgent research attention and conservation priority. In India—one of the world's megabiodiverse countries—the availability of biodiversity data is largely insufficient, thereby hampering the national and global conservation efforts. To bridge these knowledge gaps, here we present a novel biodiversity dataset on endemic trees of India. Leveraging this dataset, we ask: what is the extent of diversity in the endemic tree flora of India, how is it distributed, and what are its key climatic and environmental drivers? The dataset documents 737 endemic tree taxa, including 693 species, 9 subspecies and 35 varieties in India, which represent ~20% of the country's total tree flora. We found that the distribution of the endemic tree flora varied significantly across different regions of this continental‐scale country, with southern and eastern states harboring the highest diversity (64%). Similarly, the regions falling under the wet tropical biome harbor the highest proportion of endemic tree species (~65%). Out of the 13 selected drivers, temperature seasonality showed maximum contribution (~33%) in explaining the variation of endemic tree species distribution across the country, followed by temperature annual range, mean diurnal range, forest cover and elevation width. To date, only 222 species (~30%) have been evaluated for threat status, while the majority (70%) still remain unevaluated. Looking ahead, we highlight the scope of our findings in advancing biodiversity synthesis research in this world's most populous country and in guiding national conservation and restoration efforts with wide implications.

ABSTRACT Trait‐based approaches are increasingly used in ecology to better understand species' functional roles and adaptations. Testate amoebae, a diverse group of microbial eukaryotes driving important ecological functions, are particularly suited for trait‐based analysis due to their considerable morphological variability. However, traditional classifications of testate amoebae rely primarily on morphology, potentially overlooking ecologically relevant information. This study developed a novel system of functional groups for testate amoebae based on 18 functional traits and assessed its ecological significance. We used hierarchical clustering on a trait database encompassing 372 species from the Northern Holarctic realm. Our analysis identified seven distinct functional groups, which reflect adaptive strategies linked to shell size, aperture traits, and feeding modes: large‐bodied predators (Groups 1 and 2), medium‐sized bacterivores (Groups 3–5), patelliform generalists (Group 6), and small, highly adaptable taxa (Group 7). A case study in the Eastern European Plain revealed that organic soils harbored greater functional diversity, with species spanning all groups, while mineral soils were dominated by Group 5 (hemispheric, drought‐tolerant bacterivores). Functional space ordination highlighted habitat‐driven divergence, with organic soil communities characterized by traits optimizing resource exploitation (e.g., straight terminal apertures, idiosome shells) and mineral soils favoring desiccation‐resistant morphologies (central ventral apertures, compact shells). The new functional classification provides a more comprehensive understanding of the testate amoebae's ecological functions and improves our ability to predict their responses to environmental change.

ABSTRACT Water deer ( Hydropotes inermis ) are classified as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List due to their declining population trend, indicating global conservation concern. However, water deer are considered a harmful species in South Korea, where the population is relatively abundant. The population status of water deer varies across their geographical range, but information on their distribution remains limited due to insufficient research and reporting. This study therefore aimed to identify the environmental variables influencing the distribution of water deer and to provide insights into their daily behavior patterns. Camera traps were deployed at 108 points within 22 grid cells (each 5 km × 5 km) located in the central‐eastern part of the Korean Peninsula from March to September 2021. Water deer were detected 92 times across 17 grid cells. A single‐season occupancy model revealed that occupancy decreased with an increase in normalized difference vegetation index ( NDVI ) (: −3.36 ± 0.17), which is presumed to be related to the use of forbs or low woody plants as food resources. Detection was influenced by slope, with higher slopes likely limiting mobility and thereby reducing detection (: −0.60 ± 0.15). The diurnal behavior patterns were confirmed to be crepuscular, with activity primarily around sunrise and sunset. These findings are expected to enhance understanding of this species and may be used for the management of water deer as a problematic species in South Korea, as well as for international conservation efforts.

ABSTRACT Recent advances in whole genome sequencing (WGS) technology, particularly long‐read sequencing, have enabled the development of high‐precision reference genome assemblies for non‐model wild mammals and birds. The decreasing costs of WGS facilitate numerous global genomic initiatives, and genetic analysis based on genomic data is imperative for population genetics and conservation genetics. Genomic analysis provides precise insights into genetic diversity and inbreeding in endangered animals, but requires a high‐quality genome assembly. The absence of such assemblies can lead to a biased understanding of genetic diversity and misdirected conservation strategies. In this study, we developed high‐precision genome assemblies for two endangered Japanese animals, the Okinawa rail and the Japanese golden eagle, using a hybrid approach that combines short‐ and long‐read sequencing. This approach improved assembly contiguity, reduced missing data, and enhanced completeness. We also assessed how assembly quality influences genetic analysis by comparing results from population genetic analyses based on previous and newly established assemblies. The findings of this assessment indicated that genome‐wide heterozygosity and PSMC modeling were less sensitive to assembly quality. However, inbreeding analysis based on runs of homozygosity (ROH) was significantly affected by fragmentation of assembly. Consequently, high‐precision, contiguous assemblies are essential for accurate conservation genetic analyses, particularly for assessing inbreeding. In the absence of a high‐quality assembly, developing new ones is a viable alternative. Our hybrid approach combining Nanopore long‐read sequencing and short‐read sequencing enables the cost‐effective development of high‐quality genome assemblies, making it suitable for non‐model animals.