Ecological Monitoring Programs Research Articles

Development of a generalized pseudo-probabilistic approach for characterizing ecological conditions in estuaries using secondary data

Under the best circumstances, achieving or sustaining optimum ecological conditions in estuaries is challenging. Persistent information gaps in estuarine data make it difficult to differentiate natural variability from potential regime shifts. Long-term monitoring is critical for tracking ecological change over time. In the United States (US), many resource management programs are working at maximum capacity to address existing state and federal water quality mandates (e.g., pollutant load limits, climate impact mitigation, and fisheries management) and have little room to expand routine sampling efforts to conduct periodic ecological baseline assessments, especially at state and local scales. Alternative design, monitoring, and assessment approaches are needed to help offset the burden of addressing additional data needs to increase understanding about estuarine system resilience when existing monitoring data are sparse or spatially limited. Research presented here offers a pseudo-probabilistic approach that allows for the use of found or secondary data, such as data on hand and other acquired data, to generate statistically robust characterizations of ecological conditions in estuaries. Our approach uses a generalized pseudo-probabilistic framework to synthesize data from different contributors to inform probabilistic-like baseline assessments. The methodology relies on simple geospatial techniques and existing tools (R package functions) developed for the US Environmental Protection Agency to support ecological monitoring and assessment programs like the National Coastal Condition Assessment. Using secondary estuarine water quality data collected in the Northwest Florida (US) estuaries, demonstrations suggest that the pseudo-probabilistic approach produces estuarine condition assessment results with reasonable statistical confidence, improved spatial representativeness, and value-added information. While the pseudo-probabilistic framework is not a substitute for fully evolved monitoring, it offers a scalable alternative to bridge the gap between limitations in resource management capability and optimal monitoring strategies to track ecological baselines in estuaries over time.

Inferring population trends of Syagrus coronata (Arecaceae) in areas under different management in Brazilian Caatinga using a transition matrix model

Syagrus coronata (Mart.) Becc. (Arecaceae), known as licuri, is a palm tree widely distributed throughout the Brazilian semi-arid, being currently vulnerable to extinction. Its fruits are exploited by both humans and animals, representing high sociocultural, economic, and ecological relevance. This palm tree is found in areas under different management intensity and land use; therefore, both medium and long-term ecological monitoring programs are essential to verify the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on the dynamic of their populations. Information on population structure and growth (λ) from 2018 to 2021 was obtained in 40 plots of 20 × 20 m (1.6 ha). Population matrix models based on five life stages (seedling, sapling, juvenile, immature adult, and reproductive adults) were obtained, in addition to information on fruit productivity and harvesting intensity. Individuals from the seedling stage predominated in both pasture and natural habitats. The populations from two habitats were stable (Pasture λ = 1.00 and Natural λ = 1.01); however, no transition occurred from earlier up to later stages. The population in the pasture was characterized by a low transition rate (recruitment of juveniles onwards), caused mainly by the pressure exerted by cattle. Our results suggest that the adult reproductive and seedling stages are the most important for the survival and growth of the populations. Harvest intensity had no effect on population growth, and only 16.65 % of the fruit annual production was collected. Therefore, fruit harvesting is sustainable, but the type of pasture management might compromise the future of the population. Management strategies ought to reduce the pressure exerted by livestock to increase the transition between stages and maintain the S. coronata populations over several years.

Field collections and environmental DNA surveys reveal topographic complexity of coral reefs as a predictor of cryptobenthic biodiversity across small spatial scales

AbstractCoral reefs represent some of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world but are currently undergoing large‐scale degradation due to anthropogenic stressors. Such degradation usually begins with coral bleaching, and if the stress condition is inflicted for too long may eventually result in loss of structural complexity (or “flattening”) of the reef, dramatically changing habitat availability for reef‐associated fauna. Despite having been linked to important ecosystem functions, cryptobenthic organisms are often overlooked in ecological monitoring programs, and their microhabitat dependencies are poorly understood. Here, we combined collection‐based biodiversity monitoring techniques with five different environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling techniques (Reef water, sediment, crevice water, slurp gun, and bulk sediment) to survey cryptobenthic fishes and annelids on a Maldivian fringing coral reef. Collectively, 176 fish and 140 annelid taxa were detected with eDNA across 14 surveyed sites, more than doubling the reported annelid taxa in the region with 88 new occurrences. Water filtered near the reef structure revealed the highest species richness out of the five eDNA sampling techniques tested. Furthermore, we found correlations between fish species richness and topographic complexity for both collection‐ and eDNA‐based techniques. This suggests that detection by eDNA may be linked to site‐specific predictors and reveal community differences across small spatial scales (tens of meters). We also report that reef flattening (going from structural complex to less complex sites) can cause a 50% reduction in fish diversity and that cryptobenthic fish species richness was highly associated with branching corals. In contrast, annelid communities showed no clear correlations with environmental predictors, but co‐amplification of non‐target, non‐annelid taxa may have distorted such correlations if present. This suggest that the predictive powers of eDNA for environmental gradients may be dependent on the targeted taxa.

Genome-wide sequencing reveals geographical variations in the thermal adaptation of an aquaculture species with frequent seedling introductions

Climate change and human activity are essential factors affecting marine biodiversity and aquaculture, and understanding the impacts of human activities on the genetic structure to increasing high temperatures is crucial for sustainable aquaculture and marine biodiversity conservation. As a commercially important bivalve, the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum is widely distributed along the coast of China, and it has been frequently introduced from Fujian Province, China, to other regions for aquaculture. In this study, we collected four populations of Manila clams from different areas to evaluate their thermal tolerance by measuring cardiac performance and genetic variations using whole-genome resequencing. The upper thermal limits of the clams showed high variations within and among populations. Different populations displayed divergent genetic compositions, and the admixed population was partly derived from the Zhangzhou population in Fujian Province, implying a complex genomic landscape under the influence of local genetic sources and human introductions. Multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were associated with the cardiac functional traits, and some of these SNPs can affect the codon usage and the structural stability of the resulting protein. This study shed light on the importance of establishing long-term ecological and genetic monitoring programs at the local level to enhance resilience to future climate change.

Nature-based solutions for coastal protection in sheltered and exposed coastal waters: integrated monitoring program for baseline ecological structure and functioning assessment

Nature-based solutions, such as shellfish reefs, can support natural coastal defence and be a potential solution for climate-resilient shorelines in the future. In the Belgian Part of the North Sea, the “Coastbusters” projects aim to develop nature-based coastal protection by favouring subtidal mussel bed establishment on the seafloor through typical longline aquaculture techniques. Mussel beds are dependent on environmental conditions, and both influence the physical and biogeochemical features in a soft-sediment environment. Therefore, a comprehensive ecological monitoring program is essential to assess the success of future mussel bed development and its influence on the surrounding ecosystem. For establishing a monitoring baseline of the two experimental areas, a combination of conventional benthic assessment methods (grab sampling and granulometry) and non-invasive techniques (sediment profile imaging and transect diving video surveys) were utilised. Although mussel reefs did not yet develop by the time of this study, clear differences in ecological and sedimentological characteristics were found between two experimental areas (sheltered and exposed), subjected to slightly different hydrodynamic conditions. The one sheltered by coastal sandbanks was dominated by fine-muddy sand, higher species richness, biomass, and higher biological activity (burrows, fauna, and biological beds) as observed by all methods in one or another way. Moreover, functional diversity indices revealed a higher partitioning of the total available resources, suggesting more complex ecological processes in the sheltered area. Conversely, the area more exposed to the open sea was dominated by more sandy sediments, and fewer organisms were found. The combination of those different monitoring tools provides an integrated, complementary view, from different perspectives, on the biological, physical and functional characteristics of the study areas.

Erratum for Martinez et al., Leveraging ecological monitoring programs to collect soil and geomorphology data across the western United States

Erratum for Martinez et al., Leveraging ecological monitoring programs to collect soil and geomorphology data across the western United States

Leveraging ecological monitoring programs to collect soil and geomorphology data across the western United States

Leveraging ecological monitoring programs to collect soil and geomorphology data across the western United States

Insight into best practices: a review of long-term monitoring of the rocky intertidal zone of the Northeast Pacific Coast

On the shores of the Northeast Pacific Coast, research programs have monitored the rocky intertidal zone for multiple decades across thousands of kilometers, ranking among the longest-term and largest-scale ecological monitoring programs in the world. These programs have produced powerful datasets using simple field methods, and many are now capitalizing on modern field-sampling technology and computing power to collect and analyze biological information at increasing scale and resolution. Considering its depth, breadth, and cutting-edge nature, this research field provides an excellent case study for examining the design and implementation of long-term, large-scale ecological monitoring. I curated literature and interviewed 25 practitioners to describe, in detail, the methods employed in 37 community-level surveys by 18 long-term monitoring programs on the Northeast Pacific Coast, from Baja California, México, to Alaska, United States of America. I then characterized trade-offs between survey design components, identified key strengths and limitations, and provided recommendations for best practices. In doing so, I identified data gaps and research priorities for sustaining and improving this important work. This analysis is timely, especially considering the threat that climate change and other anthropogenic stressors present to the persistence of rocky intertidal communities. More generally, this review provides insight that can benefit long-term monitoring within other ecosystems.

Vegetation communities and summer net ecosystem CO2 exchange on western Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian High Arctic

Climate change is expected to result in the Arctic transitioning from a carbon sink to a carbon source environment, with models predicting half of the carbon stock of the upper 3 m soil layer to be released by the year 2300 (van Huissteden and Dolman 2012). However, uncertainty in latitudinal warming and changes in Arctic ecosystem functions, such as gross carbon ecosystem exchange (GEE), are poorly understood, in part a reflection of a high variability in vascular plant community diversity that is dependent upon and sensitive to physiographic controls, such as soil moisture, topography, and seasonal active layer depth (Walker et al. 2005). This heterogeneity complicates assessments of carbon fluxes on a landscape scale and how they will change in the future (Shaver et al. 2007), especially given their sensitivity to local changes in climate, such as warming and higher rates of rainfall (Bintanja 2018, Bintanja and Andry 2017). As part of the creation of a long-term ecological and environmental monitoring program at the McGill Arctic Research Station at Expedition Fiord, western Axel Heiberg Island, field-based studies in 2021-2022 of plant surveys and summer net ecosystem CO2 exchange monitoring were undertaken to: define the major vegetation communities; quantify and investigate CO2 fluxes with chambers and their analogous biophysical variables; and upscale plot level CO2 measurements to the landscape scale using high spatial resolution remote sensing data. define the major vegetation communities; quantify and investigate CO2 fluxes with chambers and their analogous biophysical variables; and upscale plot level CO2 measurements to the landscape scale using high spatial resolution remote sensing data. The Expedition Fiord area is recognized as a polar oasis, with high plant species richness existing within an environment of heterogeneous physiography. At the moment, five vegetation communities have been identified (xeric dwarf shrub barren, xeric-mesic dwarf shub barren, mesic dwarf shrub tundra, cassiope heath, and sedge meadow) that varied as a function of species diversity, percent cover, soil moisture, and net ecosystem carbon exchange. Barren vegetation communities having stronger respiration fluxes (i.e., carbon source environments) while more vegetated communities have stronger photosynthesis fluxes (i.e., carbon sink environments). Landcover classification revealed with high accuracy (79.3%) that barren ground and barren vegetation communities cover a much larger area compared to wetter habitats. Upscaling summer season measured carbon fluxes based on the landcover map revealed that Expedition Fiord is a carbon source environment, with an average efflux of +94.6 g CO2/day. Ongoing work focuses on the expansion of carbon flux and subsurface monitoring locations, as well as studies of soil carbon and microbial diversity across the different land cover classifications, which will help to better resolve how soil microorganisms, plant detritus, labile organic carbon, soil moisture, slope, aspect, and bedrock geology influence CO2 fluxes throughout the summer season in this high Arctic setting.

Long-term study of the tundra food web at a hotspot of Arctic biodiversity, the Bylot Island Field Station

We present the history of research activities at the Bylot Island Field Station of the Centre d’études nordiques, a hotspot of biodiversity in the Canadian Arctic. Intensive wildlife studies started at the station in the late 1980s, initially focussing on greater snow goose ecology and its impacts on the tundra vegetation. Since then, studies have expanded to encompass the whole vertebrate food web and have become one of the most comprehensive ecological monitoring programs in the Canadian Arctic. The main vertebrate species monitored include snow geese, lemmings, shorebirds, avian predators, buntings, and Arctic foxes. Over time, we recorded 66 bird and 10 mammal species, including 51 confirmed breeders. Contributions of the program to the field of ecology are numerous, but our demonstration of the dominant role played by predator–prey interactions in the Arctic food web is especially significant for the understanding of direct and indirect trophic interactions. Our studies provided essential information for management decisions taken to control the overabundant greater snow goose population and supported international efforts to assess the state of Arctic biodiversity. Future directions will reflect the need to deepen our understanding of trophic interactions and the effects of climate change using innovative advanced technologies.

Evaluation of streamflow as a covariate in models for predicting daily pesticide concentrations

AbstractSeveral models have been developed with streamflow as a covariate for predicting daily pesticide concentrations in surface water systems. Among these models, the SEAWAVE‐QEX model has been proposed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for regulatory assessments. In this paper, the model was modified to include alternative transformations of streamflow data, and to include no streamflow covariates. The predictive performance of the modified models was evaluated and compared with the original SEAWAVE‐QEX model using a high frequency sampling dataset that includes 9 sites with 10 years of data from the Atrazine Ecological Monitoring Program. Streamflow transformations evaluated included those in the SEAWAVE‐QEX model (short‐term and mid‐term flow anomalies), reduced models with only short‐term flow anomaly or without any flow covariates, normalized Box‐Cox transformation of flow, and combinations of normalized Box‐Cox and flow anomalies. Loglinear interpolation was also evaluated. The normalized Box‐Cox transformation provided best predictive performance and significantly better predictive performance than that of the SEAWAVE‐QEX model for a target quantity of regulatory interest, such as the maximum 1‐day rolling average (similarly for the maximum 60‐day rolling average, but not significantly so). The no‐flow covariate model was only slightly worse than Box‐Cox. Significant differences in predictive performance of the SEAWAVE‐QEX model were detected across sites.

Regime shifts in shallow lakes explained by critical turbidity

Worldwide, water quality managers target a clear, macrophyte-dominated state over a turbid, phytoplankton-dominated state in shallow lakes. The competition mechanisms underlying these ecological states were explored in the 1990s, but the concept of critical turbidity seems neglected in contemporary water quality models. In particular, a simple mechanistic model of alternative stable states in shallow lakes accounting for resource competition mechanisms and critical turbidity is lacking. To this end, we combined Scheffer's theory on critical turbidity with insights from nutrient and light competition theory founded by Tilman, Huisman and Weissing. This resulted in a novel graphical and mathematical model, GPLake-M, that is relatively simple and mechanistically understandable and yet captures the essential mechanisms leading to alternative stable states in shallow lakes. The process-based PCLake model was used to parameterize the model parameters and to test GPLake-M using a pattern-oriented strategy. GPLake-M's application range and position in the model spectrum are discussed. We believe that our results support the fundamental understanding of regime shifts in shallow lakes and provide a starting point for further mechanistic and management-focused explorations and model development. Furthermore, the concept of critical turbidity and the relation between light-limited submerged macrophytes and nutrient-limited phytoplankton might provide a new focus for empirical aquatic ecological research and water quality monitoring programs.

Recent decline in suitable large mammal habitats within the Dzanga Sangha Protected Areas, Central African Republic

The forests of the Congo Basin are an important home to some of the world’s most critically endangered species, including the central chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes troglodytes), the western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and the forest elephant (Loxodanta cyclotis). To contribute to the long-term sustainability of these species and their habitats within the Dzanga Sangha Protected Areas (DSPA) in the Central African Republic, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) developed an ecological monitoring program to assess the spatial drivers of species' habitat changes. Here, we assess and quantify chimpanzee, gorilla and elephant habitat suitability within the DSPA using data from two survey years (2015 and 2020), to identify priority habitat areas and recommend conservation measures to mitigate ongoing habitat changes. We found that priority chimpanzee habitats covered about 1383 km2 (30 %) of the entire DSPA in the year 2015, while priority gorilla and elephant habitats covered approximately 2569 km2 (56 %) and 3075 km2 (67 %) respectively. Priority habitat area for the three species declined by 4, 4.5 % and 9.8 % points respectively between 2015 and 2020, mostly due to increased human pressures. We further provide evidence that the Dzanga National Park represents a region of higher priority habitat for all three species owing to the reduced human pressure that has resulted from higher eco-guard patrol efforts. Based on our analysis, we recommend maintaining a nonviolent patrol presence to mitigate human pressures within remaining priority habitat areas, recognizing also the importance of collaboration with local communities to support long-term conservation goals.

Regulation of marine plankton respiration: A test of models

Plankton respiration is a major process removing oxygen from pelagic environments and constitutes one of the largest oxygen transformations in the sea. Where the O2 supplies due to dissolution, advection and oxygenic photosynthesis are not sufficient, hypoxic, or anoxic waters may result. Coastal waters with limited water exchange are especially prone to have low oxygen levels due to eutrophication and climate change. To support marine environmental management in a period of rapid climate change, we investigated the current knowledge of regulating plankton respiration based on field and experimental studies reported in the literature. Models for regulation of plankton respiration was tested on a three-year field data set. Temperature is the most reported predictor positively influencing plankton respiration (mean r2 = 0.50, n=15). The organic carbon supply driven by primary production has a similar coefficient of determination but fewer reported relationships (mean r2 = 0.52, n=6). Riverine discharges of dissolved organic carbon can override the influence of primary production in estuaries precluding effects of nutrient reductions. The median predictions of respiration regulation produced by current models vary by a factor of 2 from the median of observed values and extreme values varied even more. Predictions by models are therefore still too uncertain for application at regional and local scales. Models with temperature as predictor showed best performance but deviated from measured values in some seasons. The combined dependence of plankton respiration on temperature, phytoplankton production and discharge of riverine organic carbon will probably lead to increased oxygen consumption and reduced oxygen levels with projected climate change. This will be especially pronounced where increased precipitation is expected to enhance riverine discharges of carbon compounds. The biologically mediated transfer of carbon for long-term storage in deeper layers will slow down. Implementation of plankton respiration measurements in long-term ecological monitoring programs at water body and basin scales is advocated, which would enable future multivariate analyses and improvements in model precision across aquatic environments.

Glacial stream ecosystems and epilithic algal communities under a warming climate

Climate change is accelerating the global loss of glaciers with potentially striking consequences for downstream ecosystems. However, there exists limited evidence of the ecological impacts of glacier loss in meltwater streams, particularly in those outside of North America and Europe. We provide a review of the abiotic conditions in glacial streams that are potential factors of their ecosystem function and biodiversity with an emphasis on their key primary producers, namely rock-attached algae or “epilithon”. Here, shrinking glaciers discharge over time less turbid melt waters, resulting in slower moving and more transparent stream conditions that are also warmer and more chemically dilute. We hypothesize that these environmental changes will stimulate epilithic algal growth while also shifting its community structure towards larger and less nutritious taxa. Although such an increase in algal growth may benefit the productive harvestable fish capacity of certain mountain streams, a potential negative trade-off involves the proliferation of nuisance algae (e.g., Didymosphenia geminata), which thrives under clear, nutrient-poor mountain conditions. We advocate the use of long-term ecological monitoring programs and experiments coordinated across global mountain ranges to better predict and understand the ecological consequences of loss of glaciers on mountain stream ecosystems.

Geographic characteristics and environmental variables determine the diversities and assembly of the algal communities in interconnected river-lake system

Algal blooms in lakes are a major hazard worldwide. Although various geographical and environmental patterns affect algal communities during river-lake transit, a thorough understanding of what patterns shape the algal communities is still rarely researched, particularly in complex interconnected river-lake systems. In this study, focusing on the most typical interconnected river-lake system in China, the Dongting Lake, we collected paired water and sediment samples in summer, when algal biomass and growth rate are at high levels. Based on 23S rRNA gene sequencing, we investigated the heterogeneity and the differences in assembly mechanisms of planktonic and benthic algae in Dongting Lake. Planktonic algae contained more Cyanobacteria and Cryptophyta, while sediment harbored higher proportions of Bacillariophyta and Chlorophyta. For planktonic algae, stochastic dispersal dominated the assembly of the communities. Upstream rivers and confluences were important sources of planktonic algae in lakes. Meanwhile, for benthic algae, deterministic environmental filtering shaped the communities, and the proportion of benthic algae exploded with increasing N:P ratio and Cu concentration until reaching thresholds of 1.5 and 0.013 g/kg respectively, and then started falling, showing non-linear responses. This study revealed the variability of different aspects of algal communities in different habitats, traced the main sources of planktonic algae, and identified the thresholds for benthic algal shifts in response to environmental filters. Hence, upstream and downstream monitoring as well as thresholds of environmental factors should be considered in further aquatic ecological monitoring or regulatory programs of harmful algal blooms in these complex systems.

Assortative mating for reproductive timing affects population recruitment and resilience in a quantitative genetic model.

Quantitative models that simulate the inheritance and evolution of fitness-linked traits offer a method for predicting how environmental or anthropogenic perturbations can affect the dynamics of wild populations. Random mating between individuals within populations is a key assumption of many such models used in conservation and management to predict the impacts of proposed management or conservation actions. However, recent evidence suggests that non-random mating may be underestimated in wild populations and play an important role in diversity-stability relationships. Here we introduce a novel individual-based quantitative genetic model that incorporates assortative mating for reproductive timing, a defining attribute of many aggregate breeding species. We demonstrate the utility of this framework by simulating a generalized salmonid lifecycle, varying input parameters, and comparing model outputs to theoretical expectations for several eco-evolutionary, population dynamic scenarios. Simulations with assortative mating systems resulted in more resilient and productive populations than those that were randomly mating. In accordance with established ecological and evolutionary theory, we also found that decreasing the magnitude of trait correlations, environmental variability, and strength of selection each had a positive effect on population growth. Our model is constructed in a modular framework so that future components can be easily added to address pressing issues such as the effects of supportive breeding, variable age structure, differential selection by sex or age, and fishery interactions on population growth and resilience. With code published in a public Github repository, model outputs may easily be tailored to specific study systems by parameterizing with empirically generated values from long-term ecological monitoring programs.

Automatic Recognition of Black-Necked Swan (Cygnus melancoryphus) from Drone Imagery

Ecological monitoring programs are fundamental to following natural-system populational trends. Drones are a new key to animal monitoring, presenting different benefits but two basic re-strictions First, the increase of information requires a high capacity of storage and, second, time invested in data analysis. We present a protocol to develop an automatic object recognizer to minimize analysis time and optimize data storage. We conducted this study at the Cruces River, Valdivia, Chile, using a Phantom 3 Advanced drone with an HD-standard camera. We used a Black-necked swan (Cygnus melancoryphus) as a model because it is abundant and has a contrasting color compared to the environment, making it easy detection. The drone flew 100 m from water surface (correcting AGL in relation to pilot landing altitude) obtaining georeferenced images with 75% overlap and developing approximately 0.69 km2 of orthomosaics images. We estimated the swans’ spectral signature to build the recognizer and adjusted nine criteria for object-oriented classification. We obtained 140 orthophotos classified into three brightness categories. We found that the Precision, Sensitivity, Specificity, and Accuracy indicator were higher than 0.93 and a calibration curve with R2= 0.991 for images without brightness. The recognizer prediction decreases with brightness but is corrected using ND8-16 filter lens. We discuss the importance of this recognizer to data analysis optimization and the advantage of using this recognition protocol for any object in ecological studies.

Biodiversity monitoring informs forest management in south-west Western Australia: Ten-year findings of Forestcheck

Long-term monitoring is an important element of ecologically sustainable forest management and provides the foundation for adaptive management under conditions of uncertainty and change. Management of the jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest in south-west Western Australia is supported by an integrated monitoring program (Forestcheck) established to inform forest managers about trends in key elements of biodiversity associated with management activities. Forty-eight monitoring grids were established across four jarrah forest ecosystems following timber harvesting and silvicultural treatment, as well as in nearby forest that was unharvested or harvested >40 years previously. Biota monitored includes terrestrial vertebrates (mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians), vascular plants, epigeous macrofungi, cryptogams (lichens, mosses, and liverworts) and macro-invertebrates. Initial findings from a first round of monitoring between 2001 and 2006 were published previously. Here we report on a second round of monitoring undertaken between 2007 and 2012 and compare findings with the previous round for taxonomic richness, community structure, and response to silvicultural treatment and time since fire. We tested two hypotheses for each of the groups studied: (1) that silvicultural treatment or (2) time since fire had no effect on (a) richness or (b) assemblage composition.A total of 3787 taxa were recorded. Dominant factors influencing total species richness and composition were forest ecosystem type, time of monitoring, time since harvesting and time since fire. Silvicultural treatment had no significant effect on mean richness of invertebrates, macrofungi, vascular plants and birds for either monitoring period but cryptogam richness was higher in unharvested forest and species richness of terrestrial vertebrate fauna was higher in harvested forest. Time since harvest had a significant influence on all species assemblages except terrestrial vertebrates but over time effects were ameliorated other than for cryptogams and birds. Time since fire had no effect on taxonomic richness for any of the groups examined, but significant differences in assemblage composition were detected between three categories of time since fire for all the groups except terrestrial vertebrates.Knowledge of the distribution of individual organisms and the composition of taxon assemblages in jarrah forest has been significantly improved as a result of monitoring, particularly for invertebrates, macrofungi and cryptogams. Some taxa across all groups were only recorded in forest subject to specific management including unharvested reference forest and forest subject to different intensities of timber harvesting, demonstrating that disturbance associated with timber harvesting and post-harvest burning can create conditions favourable for some organisms that are otherwise encountered rarely in mature forest.These results demonstrate the critical role of well-designed, systematic and multi-taxon ecological monitoring programs for evaluating biological responses to often contentious forest management practices.

Long-term monitoring projects of Brazilian marine and coastal ecosystems.

Biodiversity assessment is a mandatory task for sustainable and adaptive management for the next decade, and long-term ecological monitoring programs are a cornerstone for understanding changes in ecosystems. The Brazilian Long-Term Ecological Research Program (PELD) is an integrated effort model supported by public funds that finance ecological studies at 34 locations. By interviewing and compiling data from project coordinators, we assessed monitoring efforts, targeting biological groups and scientific production from nine PELD projects encompassing coastal lagoons to mesophotic reefs and oceanic islands. Reef environments and fish groups were the most often studied within the long-term projects. PELD projects covered priority areas for conservation but missed sensitive areas close to large cities, as well as underrepresenting ecosystems on the North and Northeast Brazilian coast. Long-term monitoring projects in marine and coastal environments in Brazil are recent (<5 years), not yet integrated as a network, but scientifically productive with considerable relevance for academic and human resources training. Scientific production increased exponentially with project age, despite interruption and shortage of funding during their history. From our diagnosis, we recommend some actions to fill in observed gaps, such as: enhancing projects' collaboration and integration; focusing on priority regions for new projects; broadening the scope of monitored variables; and, maintenance of funding for existing projects.