Biodiversity Parameters Research Articles

The Microbiomes of Various Types of Abandoned Fallow Soils of South Taiga (Novgorod Region, Russian North-West)

More than 30 years have passed after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and huge areas of soil were left in a fallow state. The study of the microbiological status of fallow soils is an extremely urgent task because fallow soils represent the “hidden” food basket of Eurasia. In this context, we studied the influence of land use type (pasture, vegetable garden, hayfield, or secondary afforestation) on key agrochemical parameters and parameters of soil microbial biodiversity. All anthropogenically transformed soils included in the analysis showed increased humus content and pH shift to a more neutral side compared to the mature soil; the same seemed to be the case for all nutrient elements. It was established that the key factor regulating soil microbiome composition shift was the duration and degree of irreversibility of an agrogenic impact. The key phyla of soil microorganisms were Pseudomonadota, Acidobacteriota, Verrucomicrobiota, Bacteroidota, and Actinobacteriota. The proportion of other phyla was quite variative in soils of different land use. At the same time, all the 30-year-old abandoned soils were more similar to each other than to mature reference soil and 130-year-old soils of monoculture vegetable gardens. Thus, the first factor, regulating soil microbiome composition, is a continuation of soil agrogenic transformation. The second factor is the type of land use if the soil age was equal for fallow territory in the case of one initial podzol soil and one type of landscape. Thus, 30-year-old abandoned soils are intermediate in terms of microbial biodiversity between pristine natural podzols and plaggic podzol. It could be suggested that in the case of secondary involvement of soils in agriculture, the composition of the microbiome may turn to mature soil or to plaggic soil under intensive amelioration.

Can Grasslands in Photovoltaic Parks Play a Role in Conserving Soil Arthropod Biodiversity?

Under the increasing global energy demand, the new European Union Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 encourages combinations of energy production systems compatible with biodiversity conservation; however, in photovoltaic parks, panels shadowing the effects on soil health and biodiversity are still unknown. This study (location: Northern Italy) aimed to evaluate the effect of ground-mounted photovoltaic (GMPV) systems on soil arthropod biodiversity, considering two parks with different vegetation management: site 1-grassland mowed with tractor; site 2-grassland managed with sheep and donkeys. Three conditions were identified in each park: under photovoltaic panel (row), between the panel rows (inter-row), and around the photovoltaic plant (control). The soil pH and organic matter (SOM), soil arthropod community, biodiversity, and soil quality index (e.g., QBS-ar index) were characterised. Differences between the two GMPVs were mainly driven by the SOM content (higher values where grazing animals were present). No differences were observed in site 1, even if a high heterogeneity of results was observed for the soil biodiversity parameters under the panels. In site 2, SOM and pH, as well as arthropods biodiversity and QBS-ar, showed low values in the row. Soil fauna assemblages were also affected by ground-mounted panels, where Acarina, Collembola, Hymenoptera, and Hemiptera showed the lowest density in the row. This study suggests that ground-mounted solar panels had significant effects on below-ground soil fauna, and was more marked depending on the system management. Furthermore, the results obtained for the inter-row were similar to the control, suggesting that the area between the panel rows could be considered a good hotspot for soil biodiversity.

Biodiversity Conservation in Mining Landscapes: a Systematic Review of Assessment Approaches in the Philippines

Mining is an important sector of the Philippine economy, but it often results in negative impacts on biodiversity. To mitigate these impacts, it is crucial to assess biodiversity in mining areas and integrate conservation efforts into mining operations. As part of the national policy guidelines on biodiversity compliance for mining companies, this study has conducted a systematic review to examine the various biodiversity assessment methods, tools, sampling designs, diversity parameters, values, and indices used in the Philippines' mining sites. Search engines and research databases were utilized in identifying diversity assessment-related research. Based on the eligibility criteria, only 25 of the 100 papers downloaded and two project terminal reports were eligible and considered in the review. It was found that authors commonly used transect line and quadrat methods for floral studies and transect line, mist netting, point count, and opportunistic sampling for faunal studies. Species abundance, relative abundance, dominance, frequency, relative frequency, density, relative density, percent cover, and importance value were the most frequently assessed biodiversity parameters, whereas the Shannon-Wiener diversity index, Simpson index, species richness, and evenness were the most commonly used indices. Endemism, economic importance, invasiveness, and conservation status were additional factors evaluated. Overall, this review provides an overview of the various biodiversity assessment methods used in the country's mining areas and offers guidance for future assessments in other mining landscapes. The limited number of studies related to biodiversity assessment in mining areas in the Philippines over the last decade highlights the urgent need for more research in this field.

Biodiversity assessment using passive acoustic recordings from off-reef location—Unsupervised learning to classify fish vocalization

We present the quantitative characterization of Grande Island's off-reef acoustic environment within the Zuari estuary during the pre-monsoon period. Passive acoustic recordings reveal prominent fish choruses. Detailed characteristics of the call employing oscillograms and individual fish call parameters of the segmented data include vocal groups such as Sciaenidae, Terapon theraps, and planktivorous as well as invertebrate sounds, e.g., snapping shrimp. We calculated biodiversity parameters (i) Acoustic Evenness Index (AEI), (ii) Acoustic Complexity Index (ACI), and mean sound pressure level (SPLrms) for three frequency bands such as full band (50-22 050 Hz), the low-frequency fish band (100-2000 Hz), and the high-frequency shrimp band (2000-20 000 Hz). Here, ACI and AEI metrics characterize the location's soundscape data effectively indicating increased biodiversity of fish species for both the low-frequency and high-frequency bands. Whereas variations for SPLrms are prominent for three frequency bands. Moreover, we employ unsupervised classification through a hybrid technique comprising principal component analysis (PCA) and K-means clustering for data features of four fish sound types. Employed PCA for dimensionality reduction and related K-means clustering successfully provides 96.20%, 76.81%, 100.00%, and 86.36% classification during the dominant fish chorus. Overall, classification performance (89.84%) is helpful in the real-time monitoring of the fish stocks in the ecosystem.

Structural Characteristics of Niaouli Forests, Biodiversity, and Ethnobotanical Importance of the Valuable Species

In Benin, forest resources are limited and are in the grip of alarming degradation. In southern Benin, the Niaouli forests (6°40’ to 6°45’ North Lat. and 2°05’ to 2°10’ East Long.) require special attention given their state of degradation leading to loss of biodiversity. In order to contribute to the sustainable management of the forests, our investigations focused on the characterization of the structure, floristic diversity, and forms of use of the valuable species. The data was collected by systematic sampling with rectangular meshes of 100 m × 200 m in square plots of one (01) ha each. In total, seven (07) plots were installed for the determination of dendrometric and biodiversity parameters. The regeneration of the species was counted in quadrats of 100 m² installed on a diagonal of each plot. Ethnobotanical surveys were carried out within local populations, on a sample of 188 people made of heads of peasant households or their representatives, carpenters, traditional healers, and loggers in order to identify valuable species and appraise their ethnobotanical importance. Four valuable species were identified. They were Albizia zygia, Antiaris toxicaria, Ceiba pentandra, and Newbouldia laevis. The diversity parameters showed that the forests of Niaouli are characterized by a low floristic diversity in comparison with the forest ecosystems of southern Benin. The main valuable species of the Niaouli forests were experiencing a regeneration problem likely to hinder their sustainability and sustainable use. Albizia zygia, Antiaris toxicaria, and Ceiba pentandra are used more in the form of wood respectively by 85 %, 50 %, and 75 % of respondents. Newbouldia laevis is used more in the form of an infusion by 33 %, fodder by 21 %, and wood by 21 % of respondents. Respondents cited 58 diseases treated with species from the Niaouli forests. Considering the results obtained, regular reforestation and the introduction of new adapted species must be carried out to increase the biodiversity and ecosystem services of the forests.

Burdur İli farklı anason (Pimpinella anisum L.) ve rezene (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) agro- ekosistemlerinde epigean Hexapoda türlerinin biyolojik çeşitlilik parametrelerinin hesaplanması

This study was carried out to compare the biodiversity parameters of epigean insect species in 3 different regions with different geographical conditions. Tefenni Plain, Beyköy (Abdülmelik) Plain and Çaylı Mountain Village, which are located at 3 different altitudes, were chosen as the study area. Pitfall traps were placed in agro-ecosystems of anise and fennel in each region and epigean insect species caught with pitfall traps were checked weekly. A total of 2086 individuals belonging to 117 epigean insect species, mostly from the carabid family, were sampled. The highest number of individuals were sampled in Tf and Ta with 841 and 440, respectively. The results of Shannon-Wiener diversity were found to be the highest in Ta with 2.7893 while the lowest was found in Ca with 2.1775. Similar to Shannon-Wiener diversity results, Simpson diversity results were calculated as highest in Ta with 0.9196 and lowest in Ca with 0.7813. Simpson's dominance results determined that Ca was the highest dominant agro-ecosystem with 0.2187. The second and third most dominant agro-ecosystems were found to be Tf and Cf with 0.1847, 0.1635, respectively. According to both Shannon and Simpson Evenness; the population densities of epigean species living in Bf and Ba were found to be more balanced than in other agro-ecosystems. The percentage similarity analysis shows that the regions selected in different altitudes were more similar to each other than the plants of the same species. Contrary to expectations, it was observed that epigean insect species did not show distribution according to plant pattern and were not directly related to plants. It is thought that the epigean insect species sampled are affected by the altitude difference

Tradeoffs and synergies among ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation, and food production in coffee agroforestry

Concerns over the capacity of the world’s existing agricultural land to provide food for the global population under climate change and continued biodiversity loss have set the stage for a prevailing narrative of inherent tradeoffs with agricultural production. Coffee, a major export of tropical countries, offers a unique opportunity to examine how different management practices can lead to a variety of outcomes in food security, ecosystem services, and biodiversity conservation. Our study examined this intersection to identify tradeoffs and synergies using compiled data from Puerto Rico. At the island level, we analyzed data on coffee yield and planted area under shade or sun management. At the farm level, we analyzed management variables (percent shade cover, maximum canopy height, ground cover, and food crop richness), non-provisioning ecosystem services variables (total farm carbon storage, soil organic carbon storage, coffee plant carbon biomass, and hurricane resistance and resilience), and biodiversity variables (ant, bird, and lizard richness and abundance). At the island level, we found that planted area was the most significant predictor of total production, suggesting no obvious tradeoff between production and shade management in coffee farms. At the farm level, canopy cover of shade trees was negatively correlated with ground cover and positively correlated with food crop richness, suggesting a synergy between agroforestry and subsistence food production. We detected mostly synergies associated with ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation, and agroforestry management and no tradeoffs among ecosystem service and biodiversity parameters. Shade canopy cover significantly increased total carbon storage, coffee plant biomass, hurricane resistance, and bird species richness. Shade canopy height had a similar positive effect on total farm carbon storage while food crop richness had a positive effect on farm resilience following Hurricane Maria. Ground cover was positively associated with soil carbon storage and pest-controlling lizard abundance. Tradeoffs related to agroforestry management included an inverse relationship between ground cover and hurricane resistance and more dominance of an invasive ant species in farms with higher shade canopies. We discuss the implications of practicing agroforestry principles in this smallholder coffee system and highlight opportunities to contribute to more diversified food production systems that support biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Seasonal Dynamics of Faunal Diversity and Population Ecology in an Estuarine Seagrass Bed

Biodiversity is important for communities to be resilient to a changing world, but patterns of diversity fluctuate naturally over time. Understanding these shifts — and the species driving community dynamics — is crucial for informing future ecological research and conservation management plans. We investigated the impacts of seasonality, small-scale changes in seagrass cover, and small-scale spatial location on the epifaunal communities occupying a temperate seagrass bed in the South Island of New Zealand. By sampling epifaunal communities using a fine-mesh push net two to three times per season for 1 year, and using a combination of multivariate and hierarchical diversity analyses, we discovered that season, seagrass cover, and the location within the bay, and their interactions, explained 88.5% of the variation in community composition. Community composition and abundances, but not numbers, of species changed over seasons. The most common taxa were commercially important Caridean shrimp and juvenile flounder (Rhombosolea spp.), and both decreased in abundance in summer (shrimp: 1.40/m2 in winter to 0.80/m2 in summer; flounder: 0.15/m2 in winter to 0.01/m2 in summer). Other commercially important species were captured as juveniles, including blue cod (Parapercis colias), kahawai (Arripis trutta), and whitebait (Galaxias spp.). The only adult fish captured in the study were two pipefish species (Stigmatopora nigra and Leptonotus elevatus), which had distinctly seasonal breeding patterns, with reproductively active adults most likely to be found in the spring and fall. Our study highlights the importance of estimating biodiversity parameters based on sampling throughout the year, as some species will be overlooked. We demonstrate that the temperate estuarine seagrass-affiliated animal communities differ in response to season and fine-scale local environments, causing fluctuations in biodiversity throughout the year.

First record of the alien seed beetle Stator limbatus (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Bruchinae) from Cyprus

The subfamily Bruchinae includes the majority of alien to Europe Chrysomelidae. Up-to-date, seven alien seed-beetle species have been collected from Cyprus affecting ornamental plants and stored products. During the last decade Stator limbatus (Horn, 1873), a New World species has been gradually reported invading Middle-Eastern countries and Mediterranean islands. In this publication, S. limbatus is recorded for the first time from the island of Cyprus. Specimens were collected from Ficus microcarpa, Eucalyptus sp. and Delonix regia, with the later species being confirmed as a suitable host for S. limbatus. The alarming presence of S. limbatus in both urban and protected areas raises some questions about any adverse effects on native biodiversity and socioeconomic parameters. The general lack of knowledge regarding the Bruchinae fauna of Cyprus hampers research endeavours for possible agonistic behaviour between native and alien species for resources and host-plants.

FURTHER DATA ON SCALE INSECT SPECIES IN AN ORGANIC CITRUS ORCHARD IN NORTH-EASTERN TUNISIA: BIODIVERSITY, ABUNDANCE AND NATURAL ENEMIES

Elimem M., Jendoubi H., Lahfef C., Limem-Sellemi E., Ben Belgacem L., Kalboussi M., Rouz S. - Further data on scale insect species in an organic citrus orchard in north-eastern Tunisia: biodiversity, abundance and natural enemies. Faunistic studies on pests are always needed to update checklists of species in a country and enlighten the emergence of new potential species. A survey was carried out on the scale insect fauna of citrus and associated natural enemies in an organic orchard from the north-eastern of Tunisia (Zaghouan province). The occurrence, incidence, dominance and biodiversity parameters for each scale insect species were recorded. Samples of infested fruits, leaves and twigs (8 400 samples and 416 053 coccids) were collected at random from the citrus grove during three years (2017, 2019 and 2021). Eight scale insect species belonging to four families were identified: Aonidiella aurantii Maskell (1879), Parlatoria ziziphi Lucas (1853) (Diaspididae); Planococcus citri Risso (1813) (Pseudococcidae); Ceroplastes floridensis Del Guercio (1900), Coccus hesperidum Linnaeus (1758), C. pseudomagnoliarum Kuwana, Saissetia oleae Olivier (1791) (Coccidae) and Icerya purchasi Maskell (1878) (Monophlobidae). The eudominant species was P. ziziphi, presenting the highest densities (98.8%) during all the period of survey. The other coccids were classified as subrecedent species. The natural enemy fauna was limited to two coccidophagous species of ladybirds; Chilocorus bipustulatus Linnaeus (1758) which was the most dominant species and Rodolia (Novius) cardinalis Mulsant (1850). Records on scale insect fauna in Tunisia is enough completed within the citrus crop but should be extended to other fruit trees and ornamental plants. The checklist of coccids in Tunisia needs regular investigations. Key Words: Citrus, scale insects, biodiversity, natural enemies

PREDICTING VEGETATION ATTRIBUTES WITH NEURAL NETWORKS AND SENTINEL-1 & 2

Abstract. Evidence suggests that plant traits, plant functional diversity, and species diversity are linked to ecosystem functions to different extents. However, these relationships are sometimes inconsistent because of the presence of environmental gradients (e.g. climate, topography, land use) and scale mismatches between sampling units and landscape processes. Relationships between satellite data and vegetation parameters seem to be also case-specific, which hinders the creation of generalizable models. We have built predictive models of structural parameters and species composition across a broad range of climatic and topoedaphic conditions and management practices across grasslands and forests in Germany. For that, we use Sentinel multitemporal imagery and neural networks. Our models manage to explain 50% of the data variability for structural parameters, show high stability, and can generalize well across environmental gradients and sites. We also found that prediction models of biodiversity parameters show lower predictive capabilities. Spatially continuous models of grassland and forest attributes provide vital information on ecosystem functions at landscape scale. Thus, they can contribute to studying the feedback mechanisms between biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and land management at the scales to which ecological processes occur.

Thrips species biodiversity and dynamic populations in an organic Citrus orchard in northeastern Tunisia

Thrips species diversity in a Citrus organic orchard in the region of Mograne in Northeastern Tunisia based on biodiversity parameters (Shannon index, dominance, and equitability) showed the existence of ten thrips species. Among those species, five are phytophagous: Thrips tabaci, Thrips angusticeps, Frankliniella occidentalis, Limothrips denticornis, and Melanthrips fuscus. The remaining species are predatory: Aeolothrips tenuicornis, Aeolothrips fasciatus, Aeolothrips intermedius, Franklinothrips meaglops, and one genus, Haplothrips sp. The most abundant species are Aeolothrips intermedius (55%) followed by Thrips angusticeps and Haplothrips cottei (the same percentage of 11%), F. occidentalis and T.tabaci (5% and 6%, respectively), Aeolothrips fasciatus and Limothrips denticornis (3% and 4%) then Aeolothrips tennuicornis and Melanthrips fuscus (the same percentage of 2%). The species Franklinothrips megalops is less abundant (1%). The evolution of different thrips species revealed that the emergence reached high levels in March and April. Biodiversity indexes showed a case of lower dominance and higher equitability.

Investigating the spatiotemporal changes of land use/land cover and its implications for ecosystem services between 1972 and 2015 in Yuvacık.

This study aims to determine the spatiotemporal changes of land use/land cover and ecosystem services in a 12,092.1ha of Yuvacık planning unit (PU), by focusing on carbon storage, soil loss, water production, biodiversity, and forest fire vulnerability. Stand type maps and forest management plans designed in 1972, 2004, and 2015 were used to reveal the changes over 43years. The results pointed out obvious changes in terms of the occurrence of private and cadastral forests as new types of land use, disappearance of coppice and pure oak stands, and the transformation of 99% of open lands into residential areas. Furthermore, degraded forests decreased considerably and mixed forests rose sharply by 117.2%. The outputs were highly related to the increase by 42% (5194.9ha) of dense forest and shifting of 2548ha from thinner development stage to mature stages during the period. With respect to ecosystem services, carbon storage in forest ecosystems went up by 19.3 Gg over 43years. Moreover, soil loss declined significantly from 1.1 billion tons year-1 to 108,549 tons year-1, and water production decreased considerably from 1.8 billion to 2.7 million m3 year-1. According to the Shannon evenness index, there was an increase by 0.3 and 0.2 successively. Biodiversity parameters such as tree density jumped from 18 to 46ha-1 in thicker development classes (more than 36cm dbh) and positive developments in biodiversity chain noticed. Afterward, Yuvacık PU was classed in 2nd class of high wildfire vulnerability due to range of fire sensitivity index (5.22-6.88).

Why does pollen morphology vary? Evolutionary dynamics and morphospace occupation in the largest angiosperm order (Asterales).

Morphological diversity (disparity) is a key component of biodiversity and increasingly a focus of botanical research. Despite the wide range of morphologies represented by pollen grains, to date there are few studies focused on the controls on pollen disparity and morphospace occupation, and fewer still considering these parameters in a phylogenetic framework. Here, we analyse morphospace occupation, disparity and rates of morphological evolution in Asterales pollen, in a phylogenetic context. We use a dataset comprising 113 taxa from across the Asterales phylogeny, with pollen morphology described using 28 discrete characters. The Asterales pollen morphospace is phylogenetically structured around groups of related taxa, consistent with punctuated bursts of morphological evolution at key points in the Asterales phylogeny. There is no substantial difference in disparity among these groups of taxa, despite large differences in species richness and biogeographic range. There is also mixed evidence for whole-genome duplication as a driver of Asterales pollen morphological evolution. Our results highlight the importance of evolutionary history for structuring pollen morphospace. Our study is consistent with others that have shown a decoupling of biodiversity parameters, and reinforces the need to focus on disparity as a key botanical metric in its own right.

A first report of decapod crustaceans (Anomura and Brachyura) from Laje de Santos: a no-take marine reserve in the southeast coast of Brazil

This study represents an unprecedented effort to assess the diversity of rocky infralittoral decapod Brachyura and Anomura from the Laje de Santos Marine State Park, a preserved and protected area along the southeastern Brazilian coast. The samples were carried out quarterly for one year, using the combination of artificial refuge substrate for the passive capture of specimens and SCUBA dive for active capture. Specimens sampled were deposited in the Crustacean Collection of the Department of Biology of FFCLRP, University of São Paulo. The abundance and richness is expressive considering the dimension of the area with a total of 987 individuals distributed into 32 species, 22 genera, and 11 families. The hermit crab Pagurus brevidactylus and the crab Mithraculus forceps were the most abundant species of Anomura and Brachyura, respectively. This is the first study focused on carcinofauna inhabiting the park on and we encourage future works focused in the monitoring of species as well as the construction of new robust checklists contents from different offshore regions in order to build biodiversity parameters to serve as baseline for future management and work plans on Brazilian protected areas since decapod crustaceans are key group on fauna composition in any subtidal ecosystem.

Comparison of insect biological diversity parameters in natural and degraded habitats in Gölcük Nature Park (Isparta, Turkey)

The study was carried out to compare the biodiversity parameters of the insect species in natural and un-natural habitats in Gölcük Nature Park (Isparta Province) between 2018 and 2019. Two natural and two unnatural habitats (impact of tourism) were selected to realize mentioned aim. Totally 40 pitfall traps (10 traps for each habitat) were set up to sample Coleoptera species. Species richness was found higher in natural habitats than unnatural ones. Diversity index (both Shannon-Wiener and Simpson) were calculated higher in natural habitats and as expected, dominancy inversely proportional to diversity was measured lower in natural habitats. Shannon Evenness, population density due to individual of the species showed mostly evenly distributed on the graphs in natural habitats. The Sörenson Coefficient results showed that selected natural and unnatural habitats groups were found similar to each other. The results of the study showed that human activity plays an important role in habitat destruction. It has been revealed that species richness and diversity are negatively affected in habitats with human impact.

Impact of technogenic transformation of northern taiga land-scapes on mammalian population

Studies of the mammalian population in the area of operation of a large mining enterprise located in the northern taiga subzone of Yakutia have been conducted. A total of 2,334 cone-days and 3,000 trap-days are accumulated, post-hunting censuses of game species are taken. The mammalian fauna in the area affected by Udachninsky GOK is represented by 27 species. The negative impact of the mining enterprise on game species of mammals is manifested as an affected zone, for fur animals its width is 1.5–4.4 km, for the moose it is over 20 km. The study area is crossed by migration routes of the wild reindeer, and the presence of an industrial facility is a permanent threat to the well-being of the Lena-Olenek population of the species. The region is characterized by low abundance levels of small mammals even outside the anthropogenically affected areas. In technogenically transformed biotopes a decrease in capture rate and biodiversity parameters is registered, especially in open biotopes. In the forest stations forest species are being replaced by herbivorous inhabitants of open areas, which results in observable changes in the community structure. On the whole, the impact of the technogenic transformation of landscapes by the mining industry is manifested in redistribution of economically valuable species across the territory and a decrease in abundance and changes in the community structure of small mammals in the affected area.

Evidence for local‐scale community assembly processes from long‐term observations of biodiversity in a grassland chronosequence

AbstractQuestionsHabitat restorations offer the opportunity to observe community development over time to infer processes that drive assembly. We used long‐term data from diverse prairie plantings to test predictions of alternate models of community assembly.LocationPrairie plantings in former agricultural fields in Northfield, MN, USA.MethodsWe studied the plant community in adjacent prairie plantings across a 13‐year chronosequence. Permanent plots were surveyed repeatedly over a 16‐year period when the prairies were from 5 to 21 years old.ResultsMarked differences in plant composition and diversity among planting blocks obscured temporal inferences across the chronosequence; we found no age effect on any biodiversity parameter within the same sample year. However, strong age effects were evident when longitudinal changes were examined within planting blocks. Changes in local‐scale species richness and Shannon diversity were highly dependent on initial conditions. Low‐diversity plots gained species and high‐diversity plots lost species, resulting in convergence of taxonomic diversity. Phylogenetic diversity increased significantly with age. Processes that could reduce coexistence of related species include competitive exclusion and shared enemies. The species that gained or lost abundance were randomly distributed across the phylogeny overall. Legume species (Fabaceae) consistently increased over time, but grasses (Poaceae) and composites (Asteraceae) had a mix of species that increased or decreased. The species that increased were more likely to be late‐successional prairie specialists; declining species were more likely to be habitat generalists.ConclusionsOur results show that the trajectory of plant community succession in prairie plantings is highly variable, and depends on initial species diversity and phylogenetic relatedness. Such variation weakens the space‐for‐time substitution assumption in chronosequence studies; caution is necessary in interpreting chronosequence data from a single time sample. Restoration plantings over multiple sites and years are necessary to maximize landscape‐level diversity.

Forest Restoration Monitoring Protocol with a Low-Cost Remotely Piloted Aircraft: Lessons Learned from a Case Study in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Traditional forest restoration (FR) monitoring methods employ spreadsheets and photos taken at the ground level. Since remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) generate a panoramic high resolution and georeferenced view of the entire area of interest, this technology has high potential to improve the traditional FR monitoring methods. This study evaluates how low-cost RPA data may contribute to FR monitoring of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest by the automatic remote measurement of Tree Density, Tree Height, Vegetation Cover (area covered by trees), and Grass Infestation. The point cloud data was processed to map the Tree Density, Tree Height, and Vegetation Cover parameters. The orthomosaic was used for a Random Forest classification that considered trees and grasses as a single land cover class. The Grass Infestation parameter was mapped by the difference between this land cover class (which considered trees and grasses) and the Vegetation Cover results (obtained by the point cloud data processing). Tree Density, Vegetation Cover, and Grass Infestation parameters presented F_scores of 0.92, 0.85, and 0.64, respectively. Tree Height accuracy was indicated by the Error Percentage considering the traditional fieldwork and the RPA results. The Error Percentage was equal to 0.13 and was considered accurate because it estimated a 13% shorter height for trees that averaged 1.93 m tall. Thus, this study showed that the FR structural parameters were accurately measured by the low-cost RPA, a technology that contributes to FR monitoring. Despite accurately measuring the structural parameters, this study reinforced the challenge of measuring the Biodiversity parameter via remote sensing because the classification of tree species was not possible. After all, the Brazilian Atlantic Forest is a biodiversity hotspot, and thus different species have similar spectral responses in the visible spectrum and similar geometric forms. Therefore, until improved automatic classification methods become available for tree species, traditional fieldwork remains necessary for a complete FR monitoring diagnostic.

Microbiomes in Suspended Soils of Vascular Epiphytes Differ from Terrestrial Soil Microbiomes and from Each Other.

Microbial biodiversity parameters for tropical rainforests remain poorly understood. Whilst the soil microbiome accounts up to 95% of the total diversity of microorganisms in terrestrial ecosystems, the microbiome of suspended soils formed by vascular epiphytes remains completely unexplored. Samples of ground and suspended soils were collected in Cat Tien National Park, southern Vietnam. DNA extraction and sequencing were performed, and libraries of 16s rDNA gene sequences were analyzed. Alpha diversity indices of the microorganisms were the highest in the forest ground soil. In general, the microbiological diversity of all the soil types was found to be similar at the phylum level. Taxonomic composition of the bacterial communities in the suspended soils of plants from the same species are not closer than the taxonomic compositions of the communities in the suspended soils of different plant species. However, the beta diversity analysis revealed significant differences in the movement of mineral elements in terrestrial versus suspended soils. Our data showed that the suspended soils associated with vascular epiphytes were a depository of unique microbiological biodiversity. A contributing factor was the presence of large amounts of organic matter in the suspended soils—deposits collected by the epiphytes—which would have been degraded by termites if it had reached the ground. Further, the nutrient content of the suspended soils was prime for soil respiration activity and taxonomic microbial community biodiversity.