Natural Forest Areas Research Articles

Consequences of Land Use Changes on Native Forest and Agricultural Areas in Central-Southern Chile during the Last Fifty Years

Chile’s central-south region has experienced significant land use changes in the past fifty years, affecting native forests, agriculture, and urbanization. This article examines these changes and assesses their impact on native forest cover and agricultural land. Agricultural data for Chile (1980–2020) were obtained from public Chilean institutions (INE and ODEPA). Data on land use changes in central and south Chile (1975–2018), analysed from satellite images, were obtained from indexed papers. Urban area expansion in Chile between 1993 and 2020 was examined using publicly available data from MINVIU, Chile. Additionally, photovoltaic park data was sourced from SEA, Chile. Field crop coverage, primarily in central and southern Chile, decreased from 1,080,000 ha in 1980 to 667,000 ha in 2020, with notable decreases observed in cereal and legume crops. Conversely, the coverage of export-oriented orchards and vineyards increased from 194,947 ha to 492,587 ha. Forest plantations expanded significantly, ranging from 18% per decade in northern central Chile to 246% in the Maule and Biobío regions. This was accompanied by a 12.7–27.0% reduction per 10 years in native forest. Urban areas have experienced significant growth of 91% in the last 27 years, concentrated in the Mediterranean climate region. Solar photovoltaic parks have begun to increasingly replace thorn scrub (Espinal) and agricultural land, mirroring transformations seen in other Mediterranean nations like Spain and Portugal.

Conventional and Organic Honey Production and Quality: A Worldwide Perspective

Theoretical Framework: Honey production in the country is mainly carried out by family farmers, contributing to sustainable development and biodiversity. Organic honey production is a relevant topic, driven by the movement towards healthy foods. Brazil leads global organic honey production, standing out for being produced in native forest areas without the use of pesticides. Organic certification plays a crucial role, ensuring product quality, free from chemical contaminants, and promoting sustainable practices. Objective: To deepen the understanding of honey production and quality, focusing on the characteristics of traditional and organic honey, production at both global and Brazilian levels, beekeeping practices, family farming, and the production and certification of organic honey. Methodology: The Methodi Ordinatio protocol was used, a theoretical approach methodology based on literature review from platforms such as CAPES, WebSciense, Google Scholar, and PubMed, for the selection of scientific articles. Results and Discussion: The analysis highlighted the economic importance of honey and the challenges in organic production, such as the need for technical assistance and access to technologies. In summary, the article provides a comprehensive view of honey production and quality, emphasizing the relevance of organic production and certification as essential factors for sustainable practices.

Determining Water Use Patterns for the Betula platyphylla in the Southern Greater Khingan Mountains and Its Adaptation to Drought

Due to global climate change, seasonal droughts have intensified and become more frequent in certain semi-arid regions, and plants often adjust their water uptake depths to adapt to shifting environmental conditions. The southern Greater Khingan Mountains have a large natural secondary forest area and act as an important ecological barrier. This study focused on examining the water use patterns of the primary plant species, Betula platyphylla, within the natural secondary forest of the southern Greater Khingan Mountains. The investigation utilized oxygen stable isotope techniques and covered a timeframe spanning from July 2019 to September 2020. The findings indicate that the adaptable water utilization strategies and rapid response to precipitation could facilitate plants fully utilizing water from all depths, thereby enabling them to better adapt to arid environments. When the rainfall was low (390.4 mm in the growing season of 2019), the developed shallow roots quickly absorbed shallow soil water (0–20 cm, with a utilization ratio of 40.4% for the entire root depth), but when the rainfall increased (501.5 mm in the growing season of 2020), Betula platyphylla gradually transitioned to extracting soil water from deeper soil layers (40–60 cm) and deepened its root system (with a utilization ratio of 39.4%), indicating its adaptability to semi-arid environments. Therefore, the flexible water use strategy of Betula platyphylla in the same habitat may give it a competitive advantage during low rainfall periods. The findings are important for the protection of natural forests and water management in the southern Greater Khingan Mountains.

Clean and accurate soil quality monitoring in mining areas under environmental rehabilitation in the Eastern Brazilian Amazon.

Soil quality monitoring in mining rehabilitation areas is a crucial step to validate the effectiveness of the adopted recovery strategy, especially in critical areas for environmental conservation, such as the Brazilian Amazon. The use of portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometry allows a rapid quantification of several soil chemical elements, with low cost and without residue generation, being an alternative for clean and accurate environmental monitoring. Thus, this work aimed to assess soil quality in mining areas with different stages of environmental rehabilitation based on predictions of soil fertility properties through pXRF along with four machine learning algorithms (projection pursuit regression, PPR; support vector machine, SVM; cubist regression, CR; and random forest, RF) in the Eastern Brazilian Amazon. Sandstone and iron mines in different chronological stages of rehabilitation (initial, intermediate, and advanced) were evaluated, in addition to non-rehabilitated and native forest areas. A total of 81 soil samples (26 from sandstone mine and 55 from iron mine) were analyzed by both traditional wet-chemistry methods and pXRF. The available/exchangeable contents of K, Ca, B, Fe, and Al, in addition to H+Al, cation exchange capacity at pH = 7, Al saturation, soil organic matter, pH, sum of bases, base saturation, clay, and sand were accurately predicted (R2 > 0.70) using pXRF data, with emphasis on the prediction of Fe (R2 = 0.93), clay content (R2 = 0.81), H+Al (R2 = 0.81), and K+ (R2 = 0.85). The best predictive models were developed by RF and CR (86%) and when considering pXRF data + mining area + stage of rehabilitation (73%). The results highlight the potential of pXRF to accurately assess soil properties in environmental rehabilitation areas in the Amazon region (yet scarcely evaluated under this approach), promoting a more agile and cheaper preliminary diagnosis compared to traditional methods.

Models of residential space for ethnic minorities in Thanh Hoa Province associated with sustainable livelihoods

Thanh Hoa Province has 11 mountainous districts with seven ethnic minority groups, and the three largest ethnic groups are the Muong, Thai, and H'Mong. This region has great potential for developing a forest-based economy, ecotourism, community-based tourism, and cultural heritage tourism that is associated with cultural festivals, customs, lifestyles, and traditional housing architecture. However, developing a family-based economy, such as engaging in community-based tourism or agricultural production, has negatively affected and disrupted the structure of village spaces, spatial planning, and traditional house design. The arbitrary construction of additional service spaces and spaces for resident guests within the village space and the precinct of a house has reduced the area of the garden and agricultural land. The self-initiated modification, expansion, and use of non-traditional materials in traditional housing structures by residents to serve tourists have resulted in the loss of the architectural value of traditional homes. The exploitation of agricultural land has affected the natural forest area, the forest protection area at the headwaters, and the vegetation cover and natural ecosystems. Moreover, agricultural economic activities have not been linked to service activities, handicraft production, or tourism, and there are no adaptive residential space models, thus failing to create sustainable livelihood activities. Therefore, the article proposes settlement space models and orientations for residential space development including village spaces, house precincts, and traditional housing spaces of ethnic minorities in Thanh Hoa Province, associated with sustainable livelihoods based on the exploitation of traditional housing architectural heritage values to ensure local economic development. These models are closely linked with the conservation and promotion of ethnic cultural values, landscape preservation, environmental protection, and contribution to poverty reduction for residents.

Land-use patterns and fungal bioaerosols in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biome

Whilst the importance of fungal primary biological aerosol particles (PBAPs) has been recognised, few studies have empirically assessed how land-use patterns influence them. Here, we show the impacts of different land-use patterns on fungal PBAPs within the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot. Spanning a distance of ca. 600 km within this biome, we collected fungal bioaerosols in the following land-use patterns: a 25-year-old coffee plantation, a 2.5-year-old Eucalyptus plantation, a 3-months-old maize crop, a 2-year-old and another 7-year-old native forest reforestation area, and a native forest fragment. Using the portable Burkard air sampler, a total of 14 morphotype-species were found. Cladosporium sp. comprised as much as about 95% of all fungal spores collected, being present in all samples (frequency of 100%). Forest systems had as much as 5-to-19-fold more fungal spores in the air than maize crops. Sampling height and time (morning vs. afternoon) did not influence fungal concentration and number of species. In addition, using data derived from an eddy covariance tower in the Eucalyptus site, we estimated the emission rate to be 6649 spores m−2 s−1. Our study confirms that land-use patterns affect fungal PBAPs, and that replacing large areas of native Atlantic Forest by monospecific stands, a homogenisation of airborne fungi is occurring, with unknown consequences for climate regulation.

Soil disturbance caused by timber harvesting in a natural forest, West Sumatera Indonesia

Logging operations in natural forests generally use bulldozers. Bulldozers skid logs from the stump site to the landing site. The bulldozer maneuvers in the felling area cause skid trails and soil compaction. Soil compaction is one of the negative impacts of logging operations. The research aim is to analyze the level of soil compaction in various bulldozer skidding intensities after logging operations. The research occurred at a natural forest area in Siberut West Sumatera, Indonesia. The results of the study showed that there was a relationship between skidding intensity and the level of soil bulk density. The more a bulldozer moves at the same skid trail, the higher the soil bulk density. The range of soil bulk density is from 0.82 g cm−3 to 1.31 g cm−3. The bulk density increases markedly after the bulldozer’s first, second, and third passes. After the fourth pass, the bulk density is relatively constant. The porosity of the soil decreases with the increase of the bulk density. On skid trails where the soil is very compact, seeds that fall on skid trails will have difficulty growing well. Requires planting on primary skid trails. Soil damage in the form of soil compaction by bulldozers needs serious attention in the Reduce Impact Logging technique.

Expanding Rubber Plantation Degrades Biodiversity and Worsen Local Environment

The rapid growth of rubber plantations in India exacerbates traditional agriculture and degrades biodiversity. Rubber is a cash crop, earns a remarkable income for the farmer and boosts the economy in the world market. The North Eastern states of India produce rubber successfully due to favorable atmosphere and climatic conditions. This region occupies a large area of natural forest and a hotspot of biodiversity. In the recent past, people shifted their occupation to rubber plantations by sacrificing forests and biodiversity. A case study in South Tripura, N-E state of India, highlighted the story behind environmental degradation through rubber plantations. A Likert scale analysis followed by a logistic regression tried to find out the negative impact of rubber plantations.

Chemical characterization of soil organic matter in differents management practices in the Cerrado-Pantanal ecotone

Different land uses and occupations have a direct impact on edaphic attributes, which can be identified by soil quality indicators, with organic matter being an excellent edaphic quality indicator. The objective of the work was to chemically characterize soil organic matter (SOM) in different management systems in the municipality of Aquidauana, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Soil samples were collected in five areas with different management practices, in addition to an area of native Cerrado forest (NF), and the managed areas were: exposed soil (ES), conventional tillage system (CTS), no-tillage (NTS), permanent pasture (PP) and sugarcane (SC). In addition to the determination of bulk density (Bd), total organic carbon (TOC) contents and stocks were quantified, as well as carbon (C) contents and stocks of the humified fractions: humic acid (AH), fulvic acid (AF) and humin (HUM), with subsequent calculation of HA/FA and alkaline extract/humin (AE/HUM) and TOC stratification index (SI). There were no significant changes for Ds after six years of implementation of management systems. TOC levels and stocks were higher in PP and NTS areas. The HUM fraction was predominant, with higher contents and stocks of all fractions for the PP and NTS areas, demonstrating the greater intensity of the humification process in these management systems, with greater stability of C in the soil after six years of experiment. The PCA indicated a difference between the areas that present conservation practices in the ES and CTS areas. The NF, NTS, PP and SC areas contribute to SOM stabilization.

Combining approaches for environmental assessment of rehabilitated gold‐mining areas in the Eastern Amazon

AbstractMonitoring key soil and vegetation attributes in mining areas under environmental rehabilitation is essential to ensure that the intervention techniques are effective. There are several approaches to monitoring mining areas and their integration is necessary to process large amounts of information. Thus, this study aimed to (i) assess soil multi‐contamination with potentially toxic elements (PTE) and human health risks; (ii) obtain a soil quality index with soil fertility data; (iii) calculate spectral index; (iv) show rehabilitation status based on vegetation attributes, and (v) compile these indices in a single measure. Four tailings' ponds (TPs), two waste piles (WPs), and an area of native forest from a gold mine in the Carajás National Forest were evaluated. Soil quality and vegetation cover are good in forest areas, with no evidence of PTE contamination. On the other hand, the TPs have poor fertility and vegetation cover, as well as higher levels of PTE. Human health risk indices obtained for all PTE were lower than 1, indicating a low risk to human health. The results of integrating the different indices suggest that the environmental conditions of the WPs are better than those of the TPs, which are still far from the environmental conditions of native areas. Soil attributes and vegetation development in TPs areas could be enhanced by the incorporation of organic materials and fertilizers and by planting species with phytoremediation potential. Finally, the integrative approach of the different indices proved to be useful in assessing the rehabilitation progress of the areas.

KEANEKARAGAMAN JENIS ANGGREK DI JALUR PENDAKIAN WIRAYANA GUNUNG CAKRABUANA KABUPATEN MAJALENGKA

The existence of orchids in nature continues to decline due to habitat destruction and overexploitation. Conservation efforts that have been carried out so far have often experienced difficulties due to insufficient data and information as a basis for management, including conservation areas. The more widespread forest destruction will result in these species being threatened with extinction. This study aims to determine the diversity of orchid species, on the Wirayana Mount Cakrabuana Climbing Path. The information is expected to provide an initial contribution to the area management and orchid conservation efforts on the Wirayana Mount Cakrabuana Climbing Path. This research was conducted by means of a vegetation survey, sampling and documentation by exploring the existence of orchids. The sampling technique used the path transect method. The number of transects used is one line transect with a line length of 1500 m with a total of 22 sample plots. Data analysis was carried out by calculating the Important Value Index (INP), Species Dominance Index (Di) and Species Diversity Index (H'). The results showed that in the natural forest area of ​​Mount Cakrabuana there were 22 species of individuals which included 7 species of terrestrial orchids and 15 species of epiphytic orchids with a total of 243 individuals found. From the results of the calculation of species diversity, it is stated that the diversity of orchid species in the natural forest area of ​​Mount Cakrabuana is classified as moderate (2,973). This information is very important, especially for area managers in preserving the biodiversity of Mount Cakrabuana, especially orchids in the future.

FOREST SYSTEMS, SOIL FAUNA, AND SOIL FEATURES: HOW FIELD MANAGEMENT CHANGE THIS RELATIONSHIP?

The objective of this study was to identify differences in land use systems and forest management on the diversity of soil fauna and Collembola eco-morphotypes, and their relationship with physical-chemical attributes of the soil. Sampling was carried out in Native Forest (NF), Araucaria Reforestation (AR) and Eucalyptus (ER). In all, 19 taxonomic groups were identified, of which Formicidae and Collembola were the most abundant, in addition to 21 morphotypes of springtail. For TSBF, AR presented the highest abundance and NF the highest values of wealth and diversity of groups. Potassium and magnesium contents, total porosity, pore volume, penetration resistance (Rpen), organic matter, and pH were the environmental variables that contributed to explain the distribution of the soil fauna. In pitfalls traps, ER showed the greatest abundance, NF the greatest richness and AR the greatest diversity. Rpen and soil moisture contributed to explain the distribution of soil fauna. NF provided greater abundance, diversity, and richness of Collembola eco-morphotypes and biopores, macropores, clay, manganese and copper levels affected the community structure. Different forest systems affect the structure of the soil community, showing improvement in biological indicators in the Native Forest areas, Araucaria, and Eucalyptus Reforestation, under the influence of physical and chemical attributes.

Asymbiotic germination, seedling establishment and fungal uptake of Pterostylis montana and P. paludosa, two orchid species endemic to New Zealand

ABSTRACT Asymbiotic germination of orchid seeds has been successful for many species, and this could be an important method to generate seedlings to restore threatened populations. However, successful reintroduction of orchids into wild habitats depends on establishment of mycorrhizal symbioses. This communication reports on asymbiotic methods used to propagate two greenhood species endemic to New Zealand, Pterostylis montana (Not Threatened) and P. paludosa (At Risk – Declining). We furthermore investigated whether asymbiotically generated seedlings were colonised with orchid mycorrhizal fungi (OMF) when introduced to soil collected from natural forest areas where these species are not known to occur. We found that seedlings transferred to natural soil hosted at least seven different endophytic fungi, but no known OMF. We caution against the use of asymbiotically germinated seeds for reintroductions before getting a better understanding of the dynamics of mycorrhizal infections and their distribution in the soil.

The interior climate and its microclimatic variation of temperate forests in Northern Patagonia, Argentina

Knowledge on mesoclimatic zonation and microclimatic variations within mountain forest ecosystems is crucial for understanding regional species turnover and effects of climate change on these systems. The temperate mountain forests in the Andean region of South America are among the largest and contiguous natural deciduous forest areas in the world. Due to their pronounced disturbance regime and different successional stages, a climatic zonation combined with the characterisation of its microclimatic variation is important to identify thresholds of species occurrences.We used micro-loggers to measure air temperature and relative humidity for one year at 40 measurement locations along longitudinal and elevation gradients in mountain forests in Northern Patagonia, Argentina. Our results unveil mesoclimatic patterns within these forests characterised by variations in temperature and vapour pressure deficit along the elevational gradient in general, but also at different times of the year. For example, Austrocedrus chilensis and Nothofagus dombeyi forests differed mainly by temperature and its diurnal range in the warmest months of the year. Also, differences between forest stands and gaps were more pronounced in the warmest months of the year and at lower elevations, with up to 2.5 K higher temperatures in the second half of the day in gaps. We found clear indications that shrubland of Nothofagus antarctica representing a successional stage after disturbances alters the mesoclimatic pattern, favouring forest fire ignition. Such mesoclimatic variations have a major influence on tree species turnover and ecological processes within these forest ecosystems.The findings contribute to our understanding of the complex interplay between topography, climate, and vegetation in shaping the spatial patterns of species occurrences.

Assessing soil erosion in a semiarid ecosystem in Central Argentina using 137Cs and 7Be measurements

ABSTRACT Argentina is a Latin American country which encounters soil degradation problems. The most productive regions have implemented conservative land practices (no-till). However, agricultural frontier has been displaced to marginal lands with arid and semiarid climates, with the consequent disappearance in many areas of native forest and land degradation. In this work, the fallout of gamma-emitting radionuclides, 137Cs and 7Be, was jointly used to assess changes in soil erosion in a recently converted semiarid ecosystem into agricultural land. 137Cs was utilized to estimate the erosion over the past 60 years, whereas 7Be was employed to estimate the erosion after the conversion of the area to cultivated land and soil tillage. For 137Cs the Proportional Model (PM), the Mass Balance Model II (MBMII) and the MODERN model were used, for 7Be the Profile Distribution Model (PDM) and the MODERN model were used. 137Cs indicates mean erosional rates of 8.2, 10.5 and 6.5 Mg ha−1 a−1, using MBMII, PM and MODERN, respectively, and that a soil layer between 0.5 and 0.8 mm was annually lost by erosion. By applying a 7Be tracer, we measured erosion rates of 2.4 and 3.3 Mg ha−1 (with PDM and Modern, respectively), indicating the loss of the upper 0.2 mm of soil. This erosion can be attributed to a few heavy rainfalls that occurred within the past 90 days. The results suggest that current land management practices have led to an increase in soil erosion. This could be attributed to the fact that the soil remains bare after crop harvest, which may compromise its conservation and future productivity.

What, where, and how: a spatiotemporally explicit analysis of the drivers of habitat loss within the range of maned three‐toed sloths (Bradypus torquatus and Bradypus crinitus)

Abstract The first step towards understanding the conservation situation and informing conservation decision‐making is to identify the habitat loss drivers. However, for nearly all tropical biota, there is a glaring lack of information on the spatiotemporal patterns of anthropogenic drivers. Our objective was to analyse the spatial and temporal distribution of the main anthropogenic drivers of habitat loss for Bradypus torquatus and Bradypus crinitus, two endangered and endemic species to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We used land‐use information associated with seven major IUCN‐based threats to sloths, covering a three‐generation time window (1988–2020), to quantify the current area occupied, temporal changes, heterogeneity, and intensity of drivers across species distributions. We found that cattle farming and ranching dominate the range of both species (from 49% to 56%) and cover an area larger than the remaining native forest. Other drivers also represent important spatial and temporal features of land conversion across species distributions. Driven mainly by livestock expansion, both sloth species have experienced a significant loss of forest cover (Bradypus torquatus – 659098.70 ha; Bradypus crinitus – 139013.20 ha) in the Brazilian Atlantic forest. Overall, Bradypus torquatus showed a higher rate of deforestation than forest regeneration, whereas forest gains outweighed habitat loss for Bradypus crinitus. Our results show that a substantial area of native forest – essential for strictly arboreal species – is being continuously replaced by cattle ranching and agricultural activities, which may lead to population isolation and decline, threatening the long‐term population viability.

Phosphorus forms and adsorption properties of paddy field soils and potential risk to Indawgyi Lake, Myanmar

The largest freshwater and oligotrophic lake in northern Myanmar, called Indawgyi Lake, is at potential risk of eutrophication due to the phosphorus (P) export from nearby paddy fields. In this study, the P status of the soil of paddy fields and its potential mobility to the lake water to cause eutrophication have been evaluated. The Indawgyi Lake is the third largest lake in Asia and became a UNESCO biosphere reserve in June 2017 for its outstanding contribution to providing habitat for threatened birds and aquatic species. Although many other sources, e.g. high tourist interest, loss of natural forest areas, the gathering of pilgrims and lack of proper wastewater treatment plants are contributing to the P nutrients input to the lake, the increase of paddy fields around the lake area and use of synthetic fertiliser which exports to the lake is considered to the primary source of P export to the lake. In this study, the soil P was examined with different P extracted methods and P export to the lake was calculated. The extracted P differed in order and magnitude with different methods, and the order was increased in accordance with CaCl2 < DL-P < Olsen-P < BD-P < HCL-P < TP and for iron, it was HCl-Fe < TFe. All extracted Olsen-P was below 10 mg kg−1, which is below the critical level (30–172 mg kg−1) for P loss. On the other hand, the soil has a high P sorption capacity, and the maximum sorption capacity among the soil samples that were done with the Langmuir equation is 0.790 mg g−1. Our findings suggested that paddy fields are not contributing to the eutrophication of the lake at present. However, comparing the historical map around the lake area from 1944 to 2017, it has been found that the area of paddy fields around the lake has increased almost three-fold from 1944 to 2017. As a result of increasing paddy fields and synthetic fertiliser use, we can say that P export from paddy fields can cause severe eutrophication to the lake in the near future.

Influência de plantações de eucalipto na comunidade de macroinvertebrados bentônicos em nascentes neotropicais

Abstract Aim The high sensitivity of springs to anthropic impacts is largely due to the high existing aquatic-terrestrial connectivity. The degradation of these ecosystems can be caused by land use, such as eucalyptus monoculture. The aim of this study was to test the influence of Eucalyptus urograndis plantations on the richness and diversity of the benthic macroinvertebrate community and on the environmental variables measured in springs in the Atlantic Forest domains. Methods Ten springs (5 in native forest areas and 5 in eucalyptus area) were sampled in the dry period of 2017. The organisms were screened and identified at the family level. For each spring, dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, turbidity, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, total nitrogen, nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, total phosphorus, vegetation cover, granulometric characterization and organic matter were also measured. Results: The t-test showed that some environmental variables differed, with the eucalyptus areas having higher values of total dissolved solids and electrical conductivity, and lower values of coarse sand. In the present study, the richness and diversity of the benthic fauna of springs were significantly lower in eucalyptus sites than in native sites. Nonetheless, the composition of the communities did not differ. The Indicator Species Analysis (IndVal) associated Acari, Hydropsychidae, Leptoceridae, Nematoda, Psychodidae, and Tipulidae with areas of native forest. Conclusions Our results show that Brazilian springs are affected by eucalyptus monocultures reducing the richness and diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates and also changing water environmental properties. Thus, we verified that previous studies elsewhere in the world also apply to neotropical areas where eucalyptus is not native.

How are large-scale extractive industries affecting progress toward the sustainable development goals in Madagascar? Perceived social-ecological impacts of mining investments

The rapid worldwide increase in resource extraction is evident in Madagascar—a global biodiversity hotspot. This study examines the localized effects of operational and planned large-scale extractive investments on social-ecological systems in Madagascar and links them to the Sustainable Development Goals. The focus is on sites owned or explored by foreign investors, specifically Ambatovy Moramanga, Ambatovy Tamatave, QIT Madagascar Minerals/Rio Tinto, Ranobe, and Tantalum Rare Earth Malagasy. Employing a counterfactual approach, we gathered survey responses from 459 small-scale farming, agro-pastoral, and artisanal-fisheries-based households. The survey provided information on general household characteristics, land use, land management, livelihoods, well-being, and any perceived changes to these variables, as well as any perceived mining impacts related to the changes. Overall, respondents reported predominantly negative effects on land (and sea) use, livelihoods, well-being, and security. Mining pollution, primarily from operational sites, had reduced access to water and fisheries resources, and natural forest areas had diminished. Reduced productivity due to pollution of soils, water, and air had a negative impact on various land uses and affected people's health, particularly in the surroundings of QIT Madagascar Minerals/Rio Tinto. Although some projects, such as Ambatovy, had eventually improved healthcare and infrastructure, most negative mining impacts had occurred during both the exploratory and the operational phases of the projects. Overall, this study offers a comprehensive view of how large-scale extractive investments affect land (and sea) use and human well-being. In addition, we highlight policy implications that must be considered if large-scale extractive investments are to support progress on the 2030 Agenda.

Indicadores biológicos de qualidade do solo de fácil obtenção para o monitoramento do cultivo de milho com base agroecológica

ABSTRACT The soil is a natural resource of biotic and abiotic combinations affected by management and may significantly change their functionality. This study evaluates the impact of agricultural practices adopted under ecologically based management on corn cultivation compared with an adjacent native forest area. The study was developed in the experimental areas and laboratories of the Cascata Experimental Station - Embrapa Clima Temperado, Pelotas/ RS. The diversity of edaphic fauna was obtained by the PROVID method, which resulted in similarity in both environments. It was observed that the Shannon diversity index and Pielou equitability index were significantly higher in corn cultivation. Compared to Renyi's diversity profile, the edaphic fauna in corn presented a higher index of species than in the native forest (α&lt;2), attributed to a greater source of food for some communities. The bait-lamina methodology was used for the feeding activity of the soil biota, evidencing an average activity in corn approximately 60% higher compared to the forest (48.14%). These indexes must be associated with the average content of OM present in the soil, being 6.04% in the forest and 2.39% in the corn, because when analyzed by the T-test, they present significant levels for the feeding activity. It is concluded that the assessment of the impact of agricultural practices adopted under ecologically based management in corn cultivation resulted in no significant difference when compared with the adjacent native forest area since levels of similarity between the environments were identified concerning biological parameters of the soil.