Acacia Forest Research Articles

Research on data-driven multi-sensory design path based on Chinese gardens under the perspective of AI big data

Abstract In order to promote the development of the Chinese gardening field, this paper proposes a data-driven, multi-sensory design for Chinese gardens. The multisensory design of Chinese gardens, which combines data-driven technology and VR technology, is explored from two perspectives: the visual and auditory senses. It is found that the design easily leads to the loss of the natural beauty of the garden. For this reason, the layout optimization model is constructed using the improved PSO algorithm, and the corresponding analysis method is applied to analyze the effect of the multi-sensory design of the garden. The results show that the model in this paper is better than the other two control models in terms of weighted mean (4.078) and convergence time (0–4 ms). It was also found that the basis for visitors to make experience visual satisfaction evaluations was basically whether the floral landscape was beautiful (39.18%) and whether the field of view was open (23.27%), and the auditory experience design evaluation scores were higher for acacia forests (5.436), red-leafed ridges (4.091), snapdragon forests (3.872), and metasequoia forests (3.657) in the gardens. The research in this paper reveals the focus of multi-sensory design in Chinese gardens, which can provide theoretical references for research in the field of Chinese garden design.

Site and landscape scale drivers of bird and insect diversity in Native and novel forest ecosystems of Central Portugal

The natural forests of southern Europe have been altered over the last decades. One of these changes is the proliferation of invasive woody alien species, resulting in highly altered ecosystems, the so-called “novel ecosystems”. These changes affect biodiversity at both local and landscape scales. Using piecewise structural equation models, we evaluate the effects of local and landscape variables on the diversity of birds and insects across three common forest types in Central Portugal, namely: Native Forests (dominated by Quercus sp.) and two novel forest ecosystems, Acacia Forests and Eucalyptus Forests (forests formed by natural regeneration of Acacia dealbata Link and Eucalyptus globulus Labill). Local variables were the most influential on bird and insect diversity, and Native Forests was the forest type that most favored diversity in both groups. The structure of this forest type may explain this difference, as Native Forests have a greater local complexity compared to novel forest ecosystems, providing foraging and breeding resources and increasing the microhabitats. Contrarily to what was expected, no variable, including structural landscape complexity, has significantly influenced biodiversity at the landscape level. Fire seems to promote Eucalyptus Forest, resulting in negative impacts upon biodiversity in fire-prone areas. Our results show the extended impacts of deep ecosystem alterations on diversity patterns, with relevant insight into management and conservation practices.

Measuring forest health at stand level: A multi-indicator evaluation for use in adaptive management and policy

Assessments of forest ecosystem health for use in adaptive management need an integrative multi-indicator examination at the stand scale. To assess forest health, we exained multiple forest indicators including diversity, age structure, regeneration, and edaphic factors of the dominant and associated tree species in their natural forest habitats. A stratified random cluster sampling strategy was used to gather vegetation samples from the five main forest types in the Zabarwan Mountain Range—Acacia forest (ACFT), Broad leaved forest (BLFT), Oak forest (OKFT), Pinus wallichiana forest (PWFT), and Scrub forest (SRFT). The Pearson method and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) were used to investigate the relationship between tree species and edaphic factors. A total of 22 tree species were found, of which 13 were exotic and 9 were native. The proportion of exotic species was highest in OKFT (85%), followed by BLFT (75%), and the least (50%) SRFT. The BLFT forest type had the highest Shannon diversity while the lowest was the SRFT. ACFT and BLFT forest types have significantly higher Shannon diversity indexes than other forest types. Based on the density-girth class distribution, ACFT & SRFT forest types showed an Inverse-J distribution pattern, indicating a stable population structure. The dominant tree species, such as Populus alba in BLFT, demonstrated comparatively no regeneration, whereas Parrotiopsis jacquemontiana in SRFT, Pinus wallichiana in PWFT, Quercus robur in OKFT, and Robinia pseudoacacia demonstrated adequate regeneration performance. Overall exotic tree species such as Robinia pseudoacacia, Prunus cerasifera, Celtis australis, and Ailanthus altissima showed high/sufficient regeneration performance. The average seedling/tree value for all forest types in the area was 2.14, with the highest value at BLFT (3.61) and the lowest value at SRFT (0.71). In the CCA it showed that SRFT forests were greatly influenced by salinity and organic carbon, whereas ACFT and OKFT forests had comparable habitat preferences and were mutually influenced by electrical conductance and phosphorus availability. Prunus cerasifera was the only species positively associated with available calcium. By combining the data of numerous field-based indicators into a single integrated study, our research will give decision-makers an update on a forest's current and anticipated health.

Increasing fire frequency may trigger eco‐hydrologic divergence

AbstractClimate‐induced fire regimes may change species abundance and species composition in affected forest types, potentially altering pyro‐eco‐hydrologic feedbacks. In some fire‐prone forests across the globe, eco‐hydrologic thresholds (changing points, or tipping points, in ecohydrology when vegetation shifts from one steady vegetation to another) are being exceeded due to changes in relationships between climate, fire and vegetation. Following compound disturbances, forests may fail to maintain ecological resilience. Under multiple burn conditions, Eucalyptus regnans F. Muell. forests in south east Australia are highly vulnerable to ecological tipping points. In Victoria, over 189 000 ha of obligate seeder forests have been burned two or more times within 18 years. These short return‐interval fires allow Acacia dealbata to become the dominant overstorey species. Such a dramatic species replacement may result in a new evapotranspiration (ET) regime, leading to a new hydrologic state. Stand scale dynamic models were combined with field estimated ET in E. regnans and A. dealbata forests aged 10, 35 and 75/80 years. We found that long‐term forest structure, ET and water yield significantly diverge between E. regnans and A. dealbata forests with increasing age. These divergences imply a non‐equilibrium state after A. dealbata replaces E. regnans under high‐frequency fire conditions. In senescing A. dealbata, understorey transpiration contribution of 29.8% to system ET was similar to that of overstorey transpiration (31.2%), indicating the understorey and overstorey contribute equally to total ET at the final stage of Acacia forests. In contrast, in 75‐year‐old E. regnans forests, understorey contribution to the total system evapotranspiration is about 16%. This suggests that, after the Acacia life cycle finishes, the ET regime will transit into a new state that will be dominated by shrubby understorey species. Our findings suggest that this climate‐induced species replacement would decrease long‐term ET, inferring an increase in streamflow.

Acacia canopy structure and carbon stock in Ba Vi, Vietnam

Forest structure is a key component of its management and assessment in every forest ecosystem. In the study, 23 plots were established to obtain data on the acacia forest community based on tree size. Results from the study indicated that the acacia community could be broadly divided into two groups based on tree-size variables. The diameter and height frequency distributions of Group 1 were right-skewed, while those of Group 2 were more complicated. In both groups, there were positive correlations between tree-size variables, nonetheless the relationship between diameter at breast height and total height was best described using the cubic equation. Further, the Weibull and Sinh-Arcsinh (SHASH) best simulated the diameter and height frequency distribution. High-quality trees were found in a large diameter (> 30 cm) and height groups (> 22 m). In contrast, low-quality plants often concentrated on the smallest sizes. Therefore, trees with a diameter of 2–10 cm and a height lower than 8 m should receive attention to tend. Carbon stock in the two groups was 61.48 Mg·ha–1 and 64.21 Mg·ha–1, respectively. Tending solutions and measurements should be carried out regularly to promptly propose silvicultural measures and improve forest quality in future.

Distribution of Carbon Stocks in Peat Bottom Based on Thickness Class in Pelalawan Village (Riau Province, Indonesia)

As is well known, tropical peatlands are deposits of terrestrial organic carbon of global importance. It is estimated that around 15% of carbon is stored in peatlands worldwide. Indonesia contains approximately 50% of the world’s tropical peatlands with frequently cited estimates of about 21 Mha. Pelalawan district area (Riau Province) is dominated by peat soils. The land in Pelalawan is mainly covered by industrial plantations of acacia forests and oil palms. The area is very susceptible to the loss of carbon stocks in peat soils due to the opening of drainage channels. This study aims to calculate the carbon stocks of subsurface peatlands in Pelalawan, especially in the research location. The method used is a grid survey, the distance between the particular points is 500 m, which covers the total area of the research site, i.e. 2,500 ha. The number of observation points is 121, which includes measuring the thickness of the peat layer, calculating bulk density, and C organic content. The paper analysed the distribution of carbon stocks in the peat bottom based on the thickness class. The results showed that carbon stocks in the peat bottom in Pelalawan were 218,753.95 tons/ha consisting of 143,138.40 tons/ha in the peat thickness of >300 cm (very deep peatland), 44,999.10 tons/ha in the peat thickness of 200–300 cm (deep peatland), 21,577.67 tons/ha in the peat thickness of 100–200 cm (medium peatland), 4,780.78 tons/ha in the peat thickness of 50–100 (shallow peatland), and 4,258 tons/ha in the peat thickness of 0–50 (very shallow peatland). The research results of this study cover the information on the availability of carbon storage and carbon conservation.

The Life Cycle of the Xylophagous Beetle, Steraspis speciosa (Coleoptera, Buprestidae), Feeding on Acacia Trees in Saudi Arabia.

The xylophagous beetle, Steraspis speciosa, has infected Acacia forests in Saudi Arabia, causing significant damage and even leading to the death of several trees. In the Ha'il region, in the north of Saudi Arabia, an investigation of 13 study sites shows that the Acacia population is mainly composed of three species: A. gerrardii (90.3%), A. ehrenbergiana (7.5%), and A. raddiana (2.2%) and that 21.7% of this population was infected by S. speciosa. The age of the tree (young, adult, old) and environment habitat (Dam, Wadi, Plateau) effects, and insect life-cycle were studied in the protected Machar National Park. Infection in the park, estimated at 25.4%, mainly affects the oldest trees (20.1%) more than the youngest ones (2.3%), while the driest environments (Plateau, 38.8%) are more vulnerable to infection than humid habitats (Dam, 9.4%). The life cycle of S. speciosa lasts about two years, with four stages to complete metamorphosis: mating and eggs (≈3 months), larvae (≈16 months), pupae (≈3 months), and emergency and adults (≈3 months). The larvae stage with many metamorphic instars was the most harmful for tree and takes the longest. The female beetle lays its eggs on weak stem parts. Steraspis speciosa larvae feed on the stems of Acacia trees, and the instar larvae were gathered under the bark of infected stems, harming most of the phloem and a large portion of the xylem. When combined with a prolonged period of drought, S. speciosa causes the withering of numerous branches and, in extreme cases, kills the entire tree.

Aktivitas Antioksidan, Total Fenolik, dan Total Flavonoid Madu Apis mellifera dari Hutan Akasia (Accacia crassicarpa) Riau, Indonesia dengan Beberapa Perlakuan Pengeringan

Indonesian honey has high water content and often exceeds the limitation of standard quality appointed by national and international regulation. It is caused by the high humidity and the hygroscopic character of honey itself. Riau Province is one of the highest producers of honey, but the water content is high, about 23-27%. Heating can be used to decrease the water content, but it increases the risk of damage to honey’s secondary metabolites and may lose the functional character of honey towards human health. There is limited research that observes the effect of heating on honey’s secondary metabolites. Our research aimed to evaluate the effect of heating on Apis mellifera honey from acacia forest, Province of Riau, Indonesia towards the stability of honey’s secondary metabolites including water content analysis, screening of secondary metabolites, determination of antioxidant activity, measurement of TPC and TFC. The results show that the heating of 50 0C for 5 days and the heating of 1050C for 6 hours can decrease water content of honey without disturbing stability of honey’s secondary metabolites. It is showed by the score of IC50 of honey without heating (21103,74 μg/mL) is higher than the IC50 of honey heated by 500C (16503,83 μg/mL) and heated by 105 0C (777,33 μg/mL). The low value of IC50 indicates the high antioxidant activity, it is inline with TPC and TFC. The TPC and TFC without heating (TPC= 0,67 mgGAE/g; TFC=0,34 mgQE/g) is lower than sample heated by 500C (TPC=1,59 mgGAE/g; TFC=0,46 mgQE/g) and 1050C (TPC=13,94 mgGAE/g; TFC=4,37 mgQE/g).

How do terrestrial wildlife communities respond to small-scale Acacia plantations embedded in harvested tropical forest?

To offset the declining timber supply by shifting towards more sustainable forestry practices, industrial tree plantations are expanding in tropical production forests. The conversion of natural forests to tree plantation is generally associated with loss of biodiversity and shifts towards more generalist and disturbance tolerant communities, but effects of mixed‐landuse landscapes integrating natural and plantation forests remain little understood. Using camera traps, we surveyed the medium‐to‐large bodied terrestrial wildlife community across two mixed‐landuse forest management areas in Sarawak, Malaysia Borneo which include areas dedicated to logging of natural forests and adjacent planted Acacia forests. We analyzed data from a 25‐wildlife species community using a Bayesian community occupancy model to assess species richness and species‐specific occurrence responses to Acacia plantations at a broad scale, and to remote‐sensed local habitat conditions within the different forest landuse types. All species were estimated to occur in both landuse types, but species‐level percent area occupied and predicted average local species richness were slightly higher in the natural forest management areas compared to licensed planted forest management areas. Similarly, occupancy‐based species diversity profiles and defaunation indices for both a full community and only threatened and endemic species suggested the diversity and occurrence were slightly higher in the natural forest management areas. At the local scale, forest quality was the most prominent predictor of species occurrence. These associations with forest quality varied among species but were predominantly positive. Our results highlight the ability of a mixed‐landuse landscape with small‐scale Acacia plantations embedded in natural forests to retain terrestrial wildlife communities while providing an alternate source of timber. Nonetheless, there was a tendency towards reduced biodiversity in planted forests, which would likely be more pronounced in plantations that are larger or embedded in a less natural matrix.

CLEAR-CUTTING OF ACACIA PLANTATION IN A HEADWATER CATCHMENT OF VIETNAM: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT

To assess impacts of clear-cutting at a pure Acacia plantation on soil and water quality, a 7-year-old Acacia forest within the area of 2.5 ha in Hoa Binh province was selected to investigate at 2 stages: before and after clear-cutting. 03 standard plots (500 m2/plot) at 3 positions (downhill, mid-hill and top-hill) for determining forest characteristics, 30 sampling subplots (1 m2/plot) for monitoring forest covers and some soil properties. 15 of 30 subplots were used to measure infiltration; and 4 points along forest flow were chosen to take water sampling for assessing water quality. Main findings include: (1) Forest cover decreased within the removal of tree, reduction of understory vegetation cover, litter and biomass ranged from 10 to 20%; (2) Soil quality decreased by 8.35% dropped of porosity due to the rise of 8.57% in dry bulk density; (3) Soil nutrients: Organic matter, total Phosphorus and Nitrogen amount decreased at the proportion of 20.91%, 62.86% and 27.86% respectively after clear-cutting; (4) Total infiltration rate decreased after harvesting. The positions that had high infiltration rate before clear-cutting tended to infiltrate noticeably less (Downhill: reducing from 397.7 mm to 201.2 mm); (5) Soil erosion increased significantly after cutting and was remarkably higher in comparison with other research results due to the slope of researching area; (6) Most water quality indicators were at acceptable values, however, TSS and COD were 180-time and 5.6-time higher than water standard at B1 category (water for irrigation) according to QCVN 08:2015/BTNMT; (7) Some solutions suggested for sustainable management are (a) replacing production planted forest at researching site by protection forest or natural forest or (b) remaining commercial plantation forest but adjust management methods.

Long‐term restoration altered edaphic properties and soil microbial communities in forests: evidence from four plantations of southern China

Afforestation has been an important approach to mitigate land deterioration and biodiversity reduction. There are increasing interests in understanding the responses of soil microbial communities under long‐term forest restoration, since they play a crucial role in the mediation of ecosystem functions while interacting with plants. Here we examined the effects of four forests (Acacia species [AM], Eucalyptus species [EE], mixed coniferous species [MC], mixed native broadleaf species [NS]) after 35‐year restoration (1986–2015) on soil environmental factors and soil microbial communities. Our results showed that afforestation significantly increased soil organic carbon (SOC) and total N (TN) while decreasing soil pH. Among the four forest types, there were significant differences for TN and TK (total K) but not for pH, sSOC, and TP (total P). Bacterial species richness and phylogenetic diversity in Acacia forest significantly declined more than those of other forests, but those of fungal communities were remarkably higher in the Acacia forest. Both the bacterial and fungal communities' structure of each forest were strongly related to soil TK and TP. Besides, TK and SOC were primary edaphic properties that respectively affected the distribution pattern of bacterial and fungal communities in four forests. Network structures in AM and MC compared with EE and NS were more complex and closely linked, hence more resistant to extrinsic interference. Our results demonstrate that afforestation altered soil properties and microbial communities during long‐term restoration, which may provide insight into ecological restoration practices and biodiversity maintenance.

The Role of Naturally Regenerated Acacia Forests on Birds Population in UMS Campus, Sabah

The Role of Naturally Regenerated Acacia Forests on Birds Population in UMS Campus, Sabah

Soil Properties Under Different Vegetation Types in Chittagong University Campus, Bangladesh

Soil physical and chemical properties at three layers such as top (0-10 cm), middle (10-20 cm) and bottom (20-30 cm) layers under three different vegetation types were studied. Soil samples were collected from Acacia forest, vegetable and fallow lands of Chittagong university campus, Chittagong, Bangladesh. Results showed that sand was the dominant soil particle followed by clay and silt fractions in all soil depths under different vegetation types. Soils of fallow land showed the highest values of bulk density while forest soils had the lowest values at three depths. Acacia forest soil having lowest values of dispersion ratio (DR) is less vulnerable while fallow soil with highest DR values is more vulnerable to soil erosion. The lower pH value at all soil layers in three ecosystems represented that soils under study are acidic in nature. Contents of organic matter, total nitrogen, exchangeable cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, K+ and Na+) and cation exchange capacity (CEC) were observed higher in Acacia forest soils compared to vegetable and fallow soils. Only soils of vegetable land had higher level of available phosphorus in three layers than that of other two land covers. The study also revealed that different soil properties were observed in three different vegetation types might be due to variation in vegetation and agronomic practices.

The effect of tropical peat land-use changes on plant diversity and soil properties

Alterations in land use of a million hectares of peatlands in Central Kalimantan and other regions, without an understanding of the characteristics of tropical peatlands, have led to land degradation. This study aimed to determine the effect of land-use changes on plant diversity and soil characteristics of peatlands in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. The conversion of secondary forests to critically degraded land, acacia forest, agroforestry land, rubber gardens, and palm oil plantations by clear-cutting and fire converted organic materials to available nutrients and increased soil pH at the soil surface. However, the nutrients are easily leached by high rainfall intensity thus resulted in a more degraded land at long-term periods. Land-use change resulted in high humic acid levels, aromatic area, hydrophobic surface area, but low water storage capability. This condition made it easily burn during the dry season and is prone to flooding during the rainy season. The Shannon indexes for all tropical peatland land uses at all levels of plant growth categorized plant diversity and number of individuals as low to moderate due to waterlogging, low pH, low soil fertility, high metal toxicity, and fire. Land with oil-, sap- and litter-producing plants, which resist decomposition, and monoculture plantations tended to contain higher amounts of humic acid, hydrophilic areas, aromatic areas, and bulk density than naturally regenerated forests, although these land uses had lower organic C, available N, and water-holding capacity. Closed cycles of organic matter, carbon, water, nutrient, energy, production, and crops should be maintained for rehabilitation of peatland.

Plant Taxonomic Diversity Better Explains Soil Fungal and Bacterial Diversity than Functional Diversity in Restored Forest Ecosystems.

Plant attributes have direct and indirect effects on soil microbes via plant inputs and plant-mediated soil changes. However, whether plant taxonomic and functional diversities can explain the soil microbial diversity of restored forest ecosystems remains elusive. Here, we tested the linkage between plant attributes and soil microbial communities in four restored forests (Acacia species, Eucalyptus species, mixed coniferous species, mixed native species). The trait-based approaches were applied for plant properties and high-throughput Illumina sequencing was applied for fungal and bacterial diversity. The total number of soil microbial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) varied among the four forests. The highest richness of fungal OTUs was found in the Acacia forest. However, bacterial OTUs were highest in the Eucalyptus forest. Species richness was positively and significantly related to fungal and bacterial richness. Plant taxonomic diversity (species richness and species diversity) explained more of the soil microbial diversity than the functional diversity and soil properties. Prediction of fungal richness was better than that of bacterial richness. In addition, root traits explained more variation than the leaf traits. Overall, plant taxonomic diversity played a more important role than plant functional diversity and soil properties in shaping the soil microbial diversity of the four forests.

KEANEKARAGAMAN JENIS BURUNG DI TAMAN HUTAN RAYA SULTAN SYARIF HASYIM PROVINSI RIAU

Birds are an animal that has an important role in the process of forest succession, plays a role in spreading seeds, helping pollination, and balancing ecosystems. Deforestation of forest areas in Riau has a high rate, this can be seen from the change in the function of forests into agricultural and plantation land. The Sultan Syarif Hasyim Forest Park (TAHURA) is a conservation area that has quite alarming conditions, of the forest area of ​​6,172 hectares, there are only 2,000 hectares left forested, while the rest have acacia forest cover, shrubs, oil palm plantations, rubber plantations . The assessment of bird diversity needs to be carried out in the Sultan Syarif Hasyim Tahura given the high level of habitat destruction. Birds in TAHURA Sultan Syarif Hasyim have 71 species of birds from 34 families and 13 orders, there are 5 nocturnal birds. The diversity index (H) ranges from 3.19 - 3.92, the evenness index type (E) ranges from 0.88 - 0.92 and the species richness index (R) ranges from 2.14 - 4.28.

Estimation of Peat Surface Carbon Stocks on The Semenanjung Kampar from Land Use Changes Using Landsat Multi-Temporal in 2009-2018

Remote sensing has advantages in terms of temporal resolution that can be used to check changes in an object at different times. The Semenanjung Kampar peatland underwent land use change after the change in PP No. 71 of 2014 became PP No. 57 of 2016 which requires companies (paper companies) to restore the ecosystem on the Semenanjung Kampar. These changes were analyzed by utilizing remote sensing technology through multi-temporal imagery.This study aims to analyze changes in peatland use on the Semenanjung Kampar in 2009, 2013 and 2018, then estimate carbon stocks from changes in peatland use. The method used is the classification of Iso Cluster unsupervised and calculation of increase and decrease in carbon stocks (Gain and Loss). Based on this research the results of the accuracy of the classification of changes in land use on the Semenanjung Kampar were 0.72 or 72%.Changes in land use on the Semenanjung Kampar occur dynamically.The dominant land change for the 2009-2013 period was shrubs which became acacia forests 89386.31 ha and bushes from 2013-2018 to oil palm plantations 57878.47 ha. Furthermore, carbon stocks in the period 2009-2013 that have increased (acces) are 8.2% acacia forest and 13% decrease in primary peat forest while the 2013-2018 period has increased, namely 8% oil palm plantation and 21% shrub decline.

Seasonal activity pattern and habitat use by the Kuhl’s pipistrelle (Pipistrellus kuhlii) in an arid environment

We studied the seasonal activity pattern of the Kuhl’s pipistrelle Pipistrellus kuhlii in eight sites of the Bou Hedma National Park, central Tunisia, from June 2010 to June 2011, using both mistnetting and acoustic bat detection. Pipistrelles were captured all year-round only at water bodies. Captures peaked in late spring and early autumn. Pregnant females were observed from March to June, lactating females only in June, and flying juveniles from June to August. Echolocation calls and buzzes were recorded in all sites throughout the year. However, activity varied significantly among months and sites. Activity peaked in June and September after a noteworthy decline in August; the minimum was recorded in December and January. Bats mainly foraged at water bodies and around streetlamps. This result supports the previously reported major role of water bodies for bats in arid environments. Bats also foraged in the open acacia forest in summer, during the flowering period of Acacia Acacia tortilis raddiana. The steppe was the least used habitat. Social calls were mainly recorded in autumn around streetlamps, suggesting a swarming behaviour. Despite being a common bat species in the area, P. kuhlii should deserve conservation efforts that would benefit other bat species.

Large Mammal Use of Linear Remnant Forests in an Industrial Pulpwood Plantation in Sumatra, Indonesia

Riparian forests are often the last remaining areas of natural vegetation in agricultural and plantation forestry landscapes. Covering millions of hectares of land in Indonesia, industrial pulpwood plantations have rapidly replaced native forests. Our study aimed to better understand the conservation importance of linear remnants of riparian forest by examining their use by larger (>1 kg) mammal species. Our study site was located within an extensive acacia ( Acacia mangium) plantation adjoining Tesso Nilo National Park in Sumatra, Indonesia. Camera traps were used to detect mammals at 57 sites to assess the effects of corridor design and land cover covariates and species behavioral traits on mammal habitat use of four linear riparian forests. We recorded 17 species (including one International Union for Conservation of Nature [IUCN] Critically Endangered, two Endangered, and four Vulnerable) in riparian forests inside the plantation, including the Sumatran tiger ( Panthera tigris sumatrae), Malay tapir ( Tapirus indicus), and sun bear ( Helarctos malayanus). Some threatened species were only detected in the park buffer zone. Species varied in their responses to riparian forests, but distance to the national park, remnant width, and percent forest cover around the camera site were common predictors of remnant use. Many mammal species used riparian forests regardless of whether they were surrounded by intact acacia forests or recently cleared land. Our results indicate that linear remnant riparian forests ≤ 200 m in width can facilitate local (< 4 km) movements of many large mammal species in Sumatra, but wider riparian remnants would likely be more effective at promoting mammal movements over longer distances.

A review of visceral leishmaniasis during the conflict in South Sudan and the consequences for East African countries.

BackgroundVisceral leishmaniasis (VL), caused predominantly by Leishmania donovani and transmitted by both Phlebotomus orientalis and Phlebotomus martini, is highly endemic in East Africa where approximately 30 thousands VL cases are reported annually. The largest numbers of cases are found in Sudan - where Phlebotomus orientalis proliferate in Acacia forests especially on Sudan’s eastern border with Ethiopia, followed by South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and Uganda. Long-standing civil war and unrest is a dominant determinant of VL in East African countries. Here we attempt to identify the correlation between VL epidemics and civil unrest.Objective and methodologyIn this review, literature published between 1955 and 2016 have been gathered from MSF, UNICEF, OCHA, UNHCR, PubMed and Google Scholar to analyse the correlation between conflict and human suffering from VL, which is especially apparent in South Sudan.FindingsWaves of forced migration as a consequence of civil wars between 1983 and 2005 have resulted in massive and lethal epidemics in southern Sudan. Following a comprehensive peace agreement, but especially with increased allocation of resources for disease treatment and prevention in 2011, cases of VL declined reaching the lowest levels after South Sudan declared independence. However, in the latest epidemic that began in 2014 after the onset of a civil war in South Sudan, more than 1.5 million displaced refugees have migrated internally to states highly endemic for VL, while 800,000 have fled to neighboring countries.ConclusionWe find a strong relationship between civil unrest and VL epidemics which tend to occur among immunologically naïve migrants entering VL-endemic areas and when Leishmania-infected individuals migrate to new areas and establish additional foci of disease. Further complicating factors in East Africa’s VL epidemics include severe lack of access to diagnosis and treatment, HIV/AIDS co-infection, food insecurity and malnutrition. Moreover, cases of post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) can serve as important reservoirs of anthroponotic Leishmania parasites.