Biodiversity Enhancement Research Articles

Seagrass ecosystem services show complex spatial patterns and associations

Seagrass beds support rich biodiversity and provide a range of important ecosystem services, and thus widespread seagrass degradation and decline has prompted broader efforts to protect and restore these habitats. Limited resources for seagrass management and restoration could be better directed by leveraging information about the potential patterns of ecosystem service supply. However, compared to many terrestrial and marine ecosystems, the spatial patterns and relationships among different seagrass ecosystem services are still poorly understood. Focusing on the Florida Gulf Coast as a study system, we performed one of the first spatially explicit assessments of multiple ecosystem services provided by seagrass beds. We developed or modified existing spatial models for five ecosystem services: biodiversity enhancement, nursery habitat, blue carbon, recreation, and coastal protection, using a combination of empirical and model datasets. Using these spatial models, we identified key predictors and quantified the marginal effect of seagrasses on each service. Our models revealed that seagrasses significantly enhance the supply of multiple services, but that there was considerable spatial variation within and among these services, resulting in distinct hotspots where seagrasses are most valuable in providing different services. Contrary to the expectation that all seagrass services will be positively correlated with one another because they are strongly related to seagrass characteristics, we also found positive and negative associations among services, revealing the potential for both co-benefits and trade-offs associated with seagrass management decisions. Finally, we found that biodiversity was not a reliable proxy for most services, as is sometimes assumed, highlighting the need for direct assessments of seagrass services. Our findings emphasize the importance of considering distinct predictors of different ecosystem services when assessing potential delivery from seagrasses and other foundation species, especially when planning and prioritizing ecosystem conservation and restoration projects.

Individual-tree growth system for even-aged Aleppo pine plantations in Aragón, Spain

Aim of study: An individual-tree growth system was developed for Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.) plantations.
 Area of study: Aragón region (Northeast Spain).
 Material and methods: Two datasets were used: Second and Third Spanish National Forest Inventories (104 plots with 1,678 trees), and ad hoc permanent plots (58 plots with 1720 trees, including 36 dead trees). Individual tree growth system was based on nine models. Different combinations of yield classes, initial stocking rates, thinning parameters, rotation periods, and age at first thinning were evaluated through the three most representative scenarios: timber production; soil conservation and biodiversity enhancement.
 Main results: The nine models demonstrated a significant explanatory power for the data, with R2 values ranging from 0.71 to 0.99. These findings are consistent with previous research, indicating a strong goodness of fit. Additionally, yield tables were developed for the three prevalent silvicultural scenarios. To enhance usability, all models within the system were seamlessly integrated into a web-based application SIMANFOR.
 Research highlights: To date, Aleppo pine forest managers in Aragon could only simulate silvicultural scenarios in natural stands. This study provides a new tool for plantations.

Eco-Friendly Activities for Enhancement of Biodiversity and Energy Conservation in and around Mangalore University, Mangalagangotri Campus

Rapid developmental activities in terms of urbanization and industrialization coupled with population pressure paved the way for an alarming increase in the degradation of the quality of the environment and biodiversity. Educational institutions have a special responsibility not only to decipher the knowledge, but also to motivate students and the general public by practicing and implementing various eco-friendly strategies. In this perspective, Mangalore University since its inception has been making its best efforts to implement and carry out many environment-friendly activities on the campus and outside. In continuation to the regular practice of implementing many green initiatives, during the academic year 2021-22, the university has carried out special plantation drives and additional rainwater harvesting systems. Further, motivated to implement the eco-friendly activities and projects in the Government schools adopted by Mangalore University with the intention of sensitizing pupils toward the environment. Altogether, it helped in maintaining the green ambiance along with further enrichment of biodiversity in and around the campus.

Pan-European Criteria for Sustainable Forest Management - Attitudes of Forestry Professionals in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Climate change is recognized as a global threat that negatively impacts biodiversity and forest resources. The use of existing indicators for sustainable forest management (SFM) related to biodiversity and climate change, as well as the development of new indicators, will help assess how forest management practices impact biodiversity enhancement and climate change mitigation. A Pan-European set of criteria and indicators has been developed as a policy instrument for monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on the progress in implementing SFM. In Bosnia and Herzegovina and Western Balkans in general, the Pan-European set of criteria and indicators is an insufficiently researched topic and there is a lack of scientific research conducted regarding their development and implementation. Through the analysis of the current situation in forestry of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), regarding the compliance and importance of the Pan-European criteria for SFM, this paper aims to explain how the international process of development and application of the Pan-European criteria for SFM can contribute to the improvement of the situation in forestry and the creation of a consistent forest policy in FBiH. The survey among forestry professionals (n=360), from the public forest administration and public forest companies in FBiH, included the sets of questions related to socio-demographic characteristics, assessment of compliance and importance of six criteria of SFM. Research results revealed that forestry professionals are mainly males, on average 41 years old, with 13 years of working experience. The majority of forestry professionals in FBiH are not familiar with Pan-European criteria for SFM, and have a low level of their understanding. On average, forestry professionals indicated that the Pan-European criteria for SFM were of high importance, while compliance with current forest management activities were rated lower on average. The large differences between responses regarding the average rating of compliance and importance of the Pan-European criteria for SFM indicate their low level of implementation in FBiH forest management activities. Accordingly, the results indicate that there is a need to organize educational lifelong learning programs in FBiH forestry sector, involving forestry professionals and other interested parties, to generate knowledge related to the Pan-European criteria for SFM and the concept of SFM in general.

Interlinking of Lakes to Combat Impacts of Climate Change

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC AR5, 2014), the global mean temperature may increase up to 4 °C by 2100, and will severely affect the availability of water resources and the water demand across the world. Understanding of the hydrological impacts of climate change enables water resource managers to make robust decisions on future policy adaptations. The concept of inter-basin transfer on a large scale has been under consideration for some time. In the present scenario there is great increase in demand for fresh water; thus, proper planning for conservation and judicious utilization is important to create balance between the availability and demand of water supply. Maharashtra State Adaptation Action Plan on Climate Change (MSAAPCC) for water resources sector recommended concrete efforts on conservation and renaturalisation of rivers and water bodies, enhancement of water storage and groundwater recharge and improvement of water use efficiency. Bhandara District of state of Maharashtra (India) is called as a district of lakes due to the existence of hundreds of lakes in the district called as Mama or Malguzari lakes. These lakes are developed in pre-independence era by the Gond king of the region for the purpose of irrigation and drinking purposes. These lakes were managed by the people; however, after independence, they came under the control of the govt and most of them got encroached or faced lack of attention and care by the local people. The district is being developed in various sectors and also the population is increasing in unpresented way leading to increased demand for water. The climate change has started showing signs; number of extreme weather events are increasing; recently, Bhandara received 186 mm of rainfall in a day; some of the areas in the district are facing the issues related to availability and quality of water irrespective of receiving average annual rainfall of more than 1100 mm. The linking of the lakes in the Bhandara District, Maharashtra, in a scientific manner using advanced tools and techniques will pave the way for sustainable development of water resources and its management. The linking of lakes will lead to creation of carbon sinks, enhancement of biodiversity, mitigation of drought and flood, and enhancement of food security. Peoples’ participation and multipronged approach on Awareness, action and accountability will hold the key to success through localization of SDGs as recommended by NITI Aayog, Govt. of India. The proposed integrated SWAT-MODFLOW model will provide scientific insights required for cost effective planning for interlinking and management of lakes in the region. The outcome of the study can be used as a rule base for adoption and development of similar proposals in the suitable areas in other regions.

Constructed wetlands for the treatment of combined sewer overflow upstream of centralized wastewater treatment plants

Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) constitute nowadays a major environmental concern, representing one of the main untreated sources of pollution for receiving water bodies. Additional, in recent years, the frequency and intensity of CSOs have increased due to the growing urbanisation and climate change. Although there is no single effective strategy, one of the most promising approaches for the control and treatment of CSOs can be found in nature-based solutions (NBS), such as constructed wetlands (CWs). Despite the demonstrated potential of CWs to treat CSOs, the only data reported in the literature refer to CSO-CW systems located along the sewerage network. This research represents, to the best of our knowledge, the first monitoring of a full-scale CSO-CW designed to treat the combined sewer overflow upstream of the WWTP located in Carimate, in the province of Como (Italy). The system is a multistage CW, composed by a 1st vertical subsurface flow (VF) stage (total area of 8500 m2) and a 2nd free water surface (FWS) stage (total area of 4500 m2). The observed removal rates during the 3 years monitoring campaign (mean values equal to 83.2%, 64.6%, 63.8% for COD, TP, and N-NH4+ respectively) confirmed the treatment efficiency of CW system for all the investigated parameters, consistent with literature data for CSO-CWs in line with the sewerage network, despite its large scale and different hydraulic characteristics. Furthermore, the system also provides additional ecosystem services such as flood mitigation (average CSO interception of 82%), enhancement of biodiversity and a low operational and maintenance cost.

Supporting the planning of urban blue-green infrastructure for biodiversity: A multi-scale prioritisation framework

Primary considerations for urban blue-green infrastructure (BGI) encompass sustainable stormwater/urban heat management while biodiversity conservation is often considered an inherent benefit rather than a core planning requirement. However, ecological function of BGI as ‘stepping stones’ or linear corridors for otherwise fragmented habitats is undisputed. While quantitative approaches for modelling ecological connectivity in conservation planning are well established, mismatches in scope and scale with models that support the planning of BGI makes their adoption and integration difficult across disciplines. Technical complexities have led to ambiguity around circuit and network-based approaches, focal node placement, spatial extents, and resolution. Furthermore, these approaches are often computationally intensive, and considerable gaps remain in their use for identifying local-scale critical “pinch-points” that urban planners may respond to with the integration of BGI interventions that address biodiversity enhancement among other ecosystem services. Here, we present a framework that simplifies and integrates the merits of regional connectivity assessments with a focus on urban areas to prioritise BGI planning interventions while reducing computational demands. Our framework facilitates: (1) modelling potential ecological corridors at a coarse regional scale, (2) prioritising local-scale BGI interventions based on the relative contribution of individual nodes in this regional network, and (3) inferring connectivity hot- and cold-spots for local-scale BGI interventions. We illustrate this in the Swiss lowlands, demonstrating how, compared to previous work, we are able to identify and rank different priority locations across the region for BGI interventions in support of biodiversity enhancement and how their local-scale functional design may be benefited by addressing specific environmental variables.

Construction of ecological network based on MSPA-Conefor-MCR at the county scale: A case study in Yanqing District, Beijing, China.

The acceleration of urbanization and the frequent occurrence of natural disasters have led to increasingly fragmented habitats and decreased ecological connectivity, which in turn hinder rural sustainable development. Constructing ecological networks is a key direction in the spatial planning. By strengthening source protection, corridor construction, and ecological control, it can effectively alleviate the contradiction between regional ecological and economic development imbalance and promote biodiversity enhancement. With Yanqing District as an example, we constructed the ecological network by means of the morphological spatial pattern analysis, the connectivity analysis software, and the minimum cumulative resistance model. We analyzed various network elements from a county perspective, and provide suggestions for the development of towns. The results showed that the ecological network of Yanqing District as a whole presented the distribution characteristics of "the Mountain and the Plain". A total of 12 ecological sources were identified, covering an area of 1085.54 km2, accounting for 54.4% of the total area. 66 ecological corridors were screened with a total length of 1057.18 km, including 21 important corridors and 45 general corridors, with the length of which accounting for 32.6% and 67.4%, respectively. 27 first-class ecological nodes and 86 second-class ecological nodes were identified, which were concentrated in "the Mountain" such as Qianjiadian and Zhenzhuquan. The distribution of ecological networks in different towns was closely related to their geographical environment and development orientation. The towns such as Qianjiadian and Zhenzhuquan were located in "the Mountain", covering a wide range of ecological sources and corridors. Strengthening protection of ecological source was the focus of network construction, which can promote the coordinated development of ecology and tourism in towns. The towns such as Liubinbao and Zhangshanying were located at the junction of "the Mountain-Plain", hence strengthening corridor connectivity was the main direction of network construction, which could promote the construction of ecological landscape in towns. The towns such as Yanqing and Kangzhuang were located in the "the Plain", with serious landscape fragmentation due to the lack of ecological sources and corridors. Those towns need to build green livable towns through increasing ecological nodes and strengthening ecological restoration. This study enriched the construction of ecological networks at the county scale, explored the interface with spatial planning, strengthened ecological restoration and ecological control, which had reference value for promoting the sustainable development of towns and the construction of a multi-scale ecological network.

Survey of Invasive Mosquito Surveillance and Control Capacity in Southeastern USA Reveals Training and Resource Needs.

Several invasive mosquito species that are nuisances or of medical and veterinary importance have been introduced into the Southeastern region of the USA, posing a threat to other species and the local ecosystems and/or increasing the risk of pathogen transmission to people, livestock, and domestic pets. Prompt and effective monitoring and control of invasive species is essential to prevent them from spreading and causing harmful effects. However, the capacity for invasive mosquito species surveillance is highly variable among mosquito control programs in the Southeast, depending on a combination of factors such as regional geography and climate, access to resources, and the ability to interact with other programs. To facilitate the development of invasive mosquito surveillance in the region, we, the Mosquito BEACONS (Biodiversity Enhancement and Control of Non-native Species) working group, conducted a survey on the capacities of various public health agencies and pest control agencies engaged in mosquito surveillance and control in seven Southeastern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina). Ninety control programs completed the survey, representing an overall response rate of 25.8%. We report key findings from our survey, emphasizing the training and resource needs, and discuss their implications for future invasive mosquito surveillance and control capacity building. By increasing communication and collaboration opportunities (e.g., real-time sharing of collection records, coordinated multistate programs), the establishment of Mosquito BEACONS and the implementation of this survey can accelerate knowledge transfer and improve decision support capacity in response to or in preparation for invasive mosquito surveillance and can establish infrastructure that can be used to inform programs around the world.

Determining Factors to Improve Urban Environment with the Biophilic Urbanism Approach: A Case Study of Torghabeh City

Located in Khorasan Razavi province, Torghabeh city is a year-round tourist attraction in the north–east of Iran because of its natural and environmental beauty and semi-rural ecosystems. The aim of this article is to describe the challenges Torghabeh faces regarding rapid urbanisation with an environmental and biophilic approach. This article uses the qualitative–quantitative research method, and the results are analyzed in SPSS software and with the linear regression method to identify the most important factors. Based on the results, the most influential components in improving the urban environment of the city are as follows: the extent and severity of soil contamination; amount and severity of acoustic pollution; conservation, restoration and enhancement of biodiversity of the city; low-impact development; innovative and new urban green spaces and considerations and provision of water resources.

Designing urban ports for improved coastal ecosystem services: Lessons learnt for enhancing biodiversity and reducing social-ecological conflicts

Ports are expanding urban systems worldwide which provide important economic benefits to local economies. But port land reclamation together with infrastructure deployment and operations, produce unprecedented pressure on surrounding coastal ecosystems. Thus, the implementation of effective management strategies to deal with social-environmental conflicts is often required. Only a few studies have addressed the socio-ecological link between port impact on coastal ecosystem services and how this related to social conflicts. Here, we use multidisciplinary research to address these questions considering two ports located in Coquimbo city-port (29°S) in Chile, as our study port-system. Index scores of port impacts on urban natural ecosystem services and the city were calculated from known drivers of decline. Questionnaires were used to identify local citizens’ concerns about port operations and expansion. Our results demonstrated significant pressures from port infrastructure and operations on maritime but also in shoreland coastal ecosystem services, which were perceived as a critical environmental concern by local respondents. There was low knowledge, but positive appreciation, of ecological engineering initiatives in urban environments to rehabilitate ecosystem attributes. Field experiments showed that biodiversity enhancement of port infrastructure is effective, and might be a good initiative to link people with the port. Our results suggest that port industries must engage in more explicit initiatives to compensate for the environmental impacts of the expansion of built infrastructure, resulting in more effective integration of these urban systems with natural ecosystems.

People, Crops, and Bee Farming: Landscape Models for a Symbiotic Network in Greece

Despite the rising awareness of the mutual benefits of pollination, agricultural production, and biodiversity, Greek planning has scarcely moved toward patterns of pollinator-friendly farm design models. This paper presents data from preliminary research analysis that defined generic landscape design models that can enhance the symbiotic associations between farming production and beekeeping in Greece. The main objective is to determine tailor-made landscape models that can contribute to a portfolio of actions easily apprehensible by non-technical audiences in the farming sector who want to introduce biodiversity enhancements to monoculture farming, fostering a safer, poisonous-free environment for introduced honeybees, simultaneously helping to augment their production yields. A preliminary study was conducted in four agricultural farming estates in Thessaly and the Peloponnese involving apple farming, citrus orchards, and hemp cultivation. It combined the analysis and assessment of land cover classes with regard to the provision of foraging habitat, assessment of foraging suitability, description of connectivity characteristics, and emerging spatial patterns of natural corridors, patches, and edges at an observation perimeter around each farm. Assessment of these data informed design models for planting enrichment and integration of natural patches, such as meadows and shrub corridors. Pilot installations of hives in study areas that combined characteristics of the landscape models presented resulted in the production of 8% to 12% bigger fruits and 30% to 50% increase in the total yield. We conclude that landscape design models for biodiversity enhancement are an important attribute of ecosystem services and require an understanding of specific geographical and landscape parameters to render models operational for bee farming and pollination.

An Overview of Pest and Disease Occurrence in Organic Pome Fruit Orchards in Europe and on the Implementation of Practices for Their Control

There is limited data regarding the specific problems faced by organic fruit growers when dealing with plant protection, particularly at a European Union level, though some general knowledge about pest and disease incidence can be found. Such information is crucial to improve the efficacy of a targeted knowledge transfer to organic fruit growers and advisors aiming at an increased adoption of innovative practices. A survey was thus carried out in seventeen European countries (16 EU member states and Switzerland), within the framework of the EU-funded project BIOFRUITNET, aiming at filling this knowledge gap also in terms of research needs. A questionnaire including a section about general aspects of orchard management (functional biodiversity, fertilization management, varietal/rootstock selection) and a section specifically dedicated to pest and disease occurrence and management in organic orchards was utilized to interview about 250 professionals (farmers and advisors), 155 of which were involved in pome fruits (including apple and pear) production. The analysis of the answers related to plant protection pointed out a varied situation about pest and disease occurrence in apple and pear orchards across Europe, though related to the zonal location of the respondent. However, more than 50% of respondents generally considered just few among the most damaging ones, normally co-occurring in the orchards. Interestingly, regardless of the respondents’ nationality or zonal location, more pests than diseases were indicated as relevant agents threatening organic pome fruits production. Nevertheless, only few measures promoting functional biodiversity in the orchards resulted in being broadly implemented in all regions. The analysis of the data underlines the strong demand for the development of a toolbox of measures that can be integrated successfully into the general orchard management strategy including the successful enhancement of functional or general biodiversity.

THE GREEN LINE | A biodiversity corridor along the past and present Athens railway network

The Green Line concerns the study of the introduction of an urban green route in proximity to the railway network of TRAINOSE in the greater area of Athens, Greece. The active and inactive railway network that runs through Athens has posed a challenge to good management, due to the empty spaces and derelict facilities it leaves behind as well as the urban fragmentation it causes. At the same time, Athens, in the midst of the global climate crisis, is in need of a long overdue introduction of urban green, in order to enhance the city’s resilience to extreme weather conditions and threats to biodiversity, especially to the urban and peri-urban fauna. The main motivation of all interventions is the introduction, mobility and enhancement of urban biodiversity. The means to achieve this is both the selection of ecologically valuable plant species able to attract and host important pollinator species and other urban fauna, and their interaction with humans. This interaction is examined in separate cases, depending on the urban and social conditions of each location, and incorporates urban farming (communal gardens, orchards, meeting and education points), urban beekeeping and pollinator care (urban beehives, bee and butterfly beds, bee hotels). These interventions are found along and in the vicinity of the railway network of TRAINOSE, which is divided into typologies and takes the form of individual design case studies. In its current state, this area bisects the city, creates problem areas and runs through densely populated areas with low incomes and a significantly low amount of green spaces, while, the conversions the railway network has undergone in recent decades leave behind areas ready to receive new uses. Most importantly, it can create a functional and practical green route that starts, passes through and ends at key points in the city.

Crustose coralline algae and biodiversity enhancement: The role of Lithophyllum stictiforme in structuring Mediterranean coralligenous reefs

Biogenic structures edified by crustose coralline algae (CCA) are known to enhance biodiversity, but the mechanisms involved are only partially defined. This study aims at contributing to the knowledge of the interaction between habitat-builder CCA and epibiont assemblages through a manipulative approach. To achieve this objective, transplantations of the CCA Lithophyllum stictiforme were performed to test the following hypotheses: 1) the structure of L. stictiforme epibiont assemblage changes between depth and biogeographic area; 2) L. stictiforme epibiont assemblage is different and more diversified than the assemblage recruited on bare rock; 3) the early L. stictiforme epibiont assemblage differ from the mature L. stictiforme epibiont assemblage. A total of 63 epibiontic taxa were found on the transplanted L. stictiforme thalli, such as 7 Chlorophyta, 10 Ochrophyta, 40 Rhodophyta, 1 Sarcomastigophora, 1 Porifera, 4 Bryozoa. The sessile assemblage recruited on transplanted L. stictiforme thalli depended on sites and depths, and it had a higher taxa richness compared to that colonizing the bare rock. The early recruited assemblage on L. stictiforme transplanted thalli compared to the mature assemblage on untouched thalli was different mostly in the relative abundance of taxa, rather than in species composition. These manipulative experiments highlighted for the first time the role of a common CCA on the development and biodiversity of coralligenous assemblages, contributing to emphasize the importance of CCA conservation efforts.

Effects of innovative long-term soil and crop management on topsoil properties of a Mediterranean soil based on detailed water retention curves

Abstract. The effectiveness of conservation agriculture (CA) and other soil management strategies implying a reduction of tillage has been shown to be site-dependent (crop, clime and soil), and thus any new soil and crop management should be rigorously evaluated before its implementation. Moreover, farmers are normally reluctant to abandon conventional practices if this means putting their production at risk. This study evaluates an innovative soil and crop management (including no-tillage, cover crops and organic amendments) as an alternative to conventional management for rainfed cereal cropping in a calcareous soil in a semi-arid Mediterranean climatic zone of Navarra (Spain), based on the analysis of soil water retention curves (SWRCs) and soil structure. The study was carried out in a small agricultural area in the municipality of Garínoain (Navarre, Spain) devoted to rainfed cereal cropping. No other agricultural area in the whole region of Navarre exists where soil and crop management as proposed herein is practiced. Climate is temperate Mediterranean, and the dominant soil is Fluventic Haploxerept. Within the study area there is a subarea devoted to the proposed soil and crop management (OPM treatment), while there is another subarea where the soil and crop management is conventional in the zone (CM treatment). OPM includes no-tillage (18 years continuous) after conventional tillage, crop rotation, use of cover crops and occasional application of organic amendments. CM involves continuous conventional tillage (chisel plow), mineral fertilization, no cover crops and a lower diversity of crops in the rotation. Undisturbed soil samples from the topsoil and disturbed samples from the tilled layer were collected for both systems. The undisturbed samples were used to obtain the detailed SWRCs in the low suction range using a HYPROP©device. From the SWRCs, different approaches found in the literature to evaluate soil physical quality were calculated. The pore-size distribution was also estimated from the SWRCs. Disturbed samples were used in the laboratory to assess soil structure by means of an aggregate-size fractionation and to perform complementary analysis from which other indicators related to soil functioning and agricultural sustainability were obtained. The approaches evaluated did not show clear differences between treatments. However, the differences in soil quality between the two forms of management were better observed in the pore size distributions and by the analysis of the size distribution and stability of soil aggregates. There was an overabundance of macropores under CM, while the amount of mesopores (available water) and micropores were similar in both treatments. Likewise, more stable macroaggregates were observed in OPM than in CM, as well as more organic C storage, greater microbial activity, and biomass. The proposed management system is providing good results regarding soil physical quality and contributing also to the enhancement of biodiversity, as well as to the improvement in water-use efficiency. Finally, our findings suggest that the adoption of the proposed practice would not result in a loss in yields compared to conventional management.

Intermediate-severity disturbance impacts in a mixedwood forest: A multi-scale analysis

Mixed Quercus-Pinus stands are increasingly desired by forest managers to achieve a range of objectives, including biodiversity enhancement and resilience to global change. To create and perpetuate desired mixed Quercus-Pinus stand composition and structure, quantitative information on natural disturbance impacts on stand development and succession is necessary. Wind is the most common natural canopy disturbance in eastern North America, and impacts vary in severity and spatiotemporal scales. Intermediate-severity disturbance (ISD; events that occur along a classification gradient between frequent gap-scale and infrequent, stand-replacing events) is hypothesized to be an important driver of mixed Quercus-Pinus creation and maintenance. Our overarching goal was to quantify patterns of intermediate-severity wind disturbance in a mixed Quercus-Pinus echinata Mill. forest on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee, USA. Specifically, our objectives were to: 1) quantify post-disturbance species composition, stand structure, and residual tree spatial patterns, 2) infer individual-tree, neighborhood, and site-specific impacts on tree mortality, and 3) describe frequency, size, shape, and spatial distribution of ISD-created canopy openings. We inventoried plots in Pinus echinata-dominated, disturbance-impacted portions of the forest. To infer individual-tree and spatially-explicit neighborhood characteristics that influenced survival probability, we applied a random forest classification algorithm. To document changes in tree spatial distribution before and after disturbance, we used spatial point pattern analysis. To characterize forest-scale disturbance patterns, we classified canopy gaps from high-resolution orthoimagery. The most important predictors of survival were basal area, taxonomic group, and distance to nearest neighbor. Pre-disturbance trees and residuals were spatially randomly distributed. Most detected openings were 50–150 m2, and the opening size-frequency distribution exhibited a reverse J-shape. Openings were spatially clustered within the forest at distances < 200 m and complex in shape. We provide quantitative recommendations on the frequency, size, shape, and spatial distribution of silvicultural entries patterned after natural disturbance. To emulate natural disturbance patterns, we recommend patch seedtree harvests with reserves or patch clearcuts with reserves, and these harvest-created openings should be concentrated (i.e., clustered) in portions of the stand in which P. echinata is most dominant and/or most competitive. Site preparation with prescribed fire, herbicide, and/or mechanical thinning may also be necessary to prepare the seedbed and reduce hardwood competition to favor Pinus establishment in openings.

Effect of Forest Management on Carbon Stock of Tropical Moist Afromontane Forest

Moist tropical forests have a significant role in provisioning and regulating ecosystem services. However, these forests are under threat of deforestation and forest degradation. In Ethiopia, the moist evergreen Afromontane forests have the potential for carbon storage and support a high diversity of plant species. However, it is under severe threat of deforestation and degradation.This investigation was conducted to obtain adequate information on the carbon stock potential of the moist Afromontane forest of southwestern Ethiopia. A comparison of carbon stock was conducted between disturbed and undisturbed forests. A systematic sampling design was applied for recording woody species and soil data. A total of 100 main plots of 400 m2 were laid to record trees and shrubs with a diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 5 cm. The soil data were collected from 1 m2 subplots established at the four corners and the center of each main plot. The DBH and height were measured to calculate the aboveground carbon of trees and shrubs with DBH ≥ 5 cm. A total of 68 tree and shrub species belonging to 59 genera and 33 families were recorded. The mean carbon stock density was 203.80 ± 12.38 t·ha–1 (aboveground carbon stock) and 40.76 ± 2.47 t·ha–1 (belowground carbon stock). The highest proportion of aboveground carbon (t·ha–1) (42.34%) was contributed by a few tree individuals with DBH &gt; 70 cm. The soil organic carbon stock (SOCS) (t·ha–1) for the depth of 0–30 cm is ranging from 58.97 to 198.33 across plots; the mean is 117.16 ± 3.15. The carbon stored in the moist Afromontane forest indicates its huge potential for climate change mitigation. Therefore, for the enhancement of forest biodiversity and carbon sequestration effective conservation measure and sound management approach is essential.

Vertical Green Structures to Establish Sustainable Built Environment: A Systematic Market Review

Vertical Green Structures (VGS) emerged as a building skin Nature-based Solution (NbS) aside from green roofs. The motivation underlying this VGS exploitation is fast urbanisation and the need to limit both land consumption and vegetation loss. These structures can provide several ecosystem services like air purification, biodiversity enhancement, and noise reduction. Although the usage of VGS offers different versatile and multi-scalar benefits in the built environment, they still need to respond to all the requirements of social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Over the last decades, technologies of VGS have been developed and new product types have become available in the market. This paper presents the overall development and benefits of VGS, and aims to provide a taxonomy by considering a systematic and interdisciplinary approach. The current market overview analyses and compares different aspects (i.e., environmental and economic features) of the products for a better understanding of the current state-of-the-art—from single component to system scale. The findings of this review lead to some suggestions to enhance the level of sustainability and increase the potential benefits. They look at both research and practice requirements to orient the users in selecting the most optimal VGS solution available in the market.

Echinoderm fisheries: their culture, conservation, bioactive compounds and therapeutic applications

The Indo-Pacific region sometimes referred to as the Indo-West Pacific, is considered to be the richest marine biodiversity hotspot comprising unique species of echinoderms, molluscs, shrimps, crabs and fishes. These bioresources provide excellent opportunities for the studies of breeding biology, reproductive ecology, aquaculture, conservation, population genetics as well as species and speciation mechanisms of many diverged taxa. However, this interesting area is quite new and yet to be fully explored and determined. In the bottom-dwelling sessile invertebrates, echinoderms belonging to the phylum Echinodermata, have been considered the high-valued marine bioresource, having profound biological, aquacultural, conservational, nutritional and pharmaceutical significance. Among them, the sea urchins and sea cucumbers are both commercially fished and heavily overexploited. In sea urchins, the harvested product is the gonad, commonly known as "Sea urchin Roe”, which has been long traditions of consuming as a high delicacy food in Asian, Mediterranean and Western Hemisphere countries, and have long been used as a luxury food in Japan. The population of the Asian Pacific Region has been using it for a long time as a remedy for improving general living tone and treatment for a number of diseases. In the sea cucumber, the principal product is the boiled and dried body-wall or ‘bêche-de-mer’ for which there is an increasing demand in many tropical and subtropical countries. Sea cucumbers are also believed to exert wound healing and reduce arthritis pain in humans, hence are widely used in Asian folk medicine. However, due to a lack of proper management and conservation strategy in place, many sea urchin and sea cucumber fisheries are under threat. For this, cultivation of these species increasingly becomes a necessity, both for stock enhancement programs and as a means to meet the increasing market demand. Procedures for mass production of the tropical Holothuria scabra are now well established in China, India, Australia, Indonesia, the Maldives, the Solomon Islands, Philippines and Thailand. Alike many other marine organisms, echinoderms have been, and continue to be, examined as a source of biologically active compounds with biomedical applications. Most recently, a number of important bioactive compounds have been isolated from sea cucumbers and sea urchins, having distinctive biological and pharmacological activities including anti-angiogenic, anticancer, anticoagulant, anti-hypertension, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antithrombotic, antitumor and wound healing activities. However, development patterns of echinoderm fisheries are largely expectable, often unsustainable and frequently too rapid for effective management. Proper steps should be undertaken on the potential ecosystem and human community consequences, appropriate aquaculture management strategies, and urge for better monitoring and reporting of catch and abundance, proper scientific research for stock enhancement and consideration of international biodiversity and trade regulations to ensure sustainable development and utilization of high-valued echinoderm fisheries to a greater extent.