Biodiversity Enhancement Research Articles

Valuing biodiversity enhancement in New Zealand's planted forests: Socioeconomic and spatial determinants of willingness-to-pay

Planted forests are increasingly recognised for the provision of habitats for species threatened with extinction. Despite this development, a limited number of empirical studies have been undertaken to estimate the economic value of this ecosystem service. New Zealand's planted forests provide habitat to at least 118 threatened species. These forests can be managed to increase the abundance of many of these species. We present findings from survey data obtained in a discrete choice experiment designed to estimate the non-market values for a proposed biodiversity enhancement programme in New Zealand's planted forests. We used a two-stage modelling process. First we estimated the individual specific willingness to pay values and then we explored their socio-economic and spatial determinants. The first stage modelling process, which used a random parameters logit model with error components, suggested that willingness to pay was higher for increasing the abundance of native bird than for non-bird species. The second stage model used a least squares panel random-effects regression. Results from this method suggested that socioeconomic characteristics, such as attitudes toward the programme and distance from large planted forests, influenced willingness to pay for biodiversity enhancement.

Steps towards an integrated eco-economy: the case of Randers, Denmark

An important factor in the recent economical development of the Danish city Randers has been the project Randers Rainforest (RR). RR is a tropical zoo, which consists of an indoor exhibition within three domes, as well as an outdoor exhibition which includes the neighbouring meadows adjacent to the River Guden. RR has been an active part in creating and facilitating a multidimensional project space which combines experience economy, nature conservation, biodiversity enhancement, environmental regulation services, rural and landscape management, and food networks. RR can be interpreted as an attempt to develop an integrated eco-economy, which transcends established borders between public and private organizations, private and community enterprise and between rural and urban spatial development. The specific aim of the paper is to demonstrate how modernization has decoupled urban and rural space and has produced �left-over� spaces within both domains. It will also be demonstrated how the tropical zoo project in Randers have revalorized �left-over� qualities and reintegrated significant ecosystem services and other functions into the local economy, thus providing an overall enhancement of urban green infrastructure

Integrated constructed wetlands: hotspots for freshwater coleopteran diversity in the landscape of Ireland

Constructed ponds are small water bodies that have an enormous biodiversity potential. The creation of this habitat can be seen as a valuable ecological enhancement tool, as ponds can host a great number of species. Integrated constructed wetlands (ICWs) are a type of surface-flow constructed wetland formed by interconnected ponds that integrate their water treatment capabilities with other functions such as biodiversity enhancement, carbon sequestration and landscape fit, by virtue of mimicking natural wetlands. ICWs have been shown to have the potential to enhance freshwater macroinvertebrate diversity in Ireland, especially Coleoptera diversity, in agricultural areas due to their unique design adaptability. A total of 67 water beetle taxa were found to inhabit the 15 studied ponds in the Annestown River catchment, Co. Waterford. Furthermore, when the taxa that have the potential to inhabit ICW ponds in Ireland were included a total of 82 water beetle taxa was obtained, which represents 26% of the known Irish aquatic lentic coleopteran fauna and includes several species of conservation interest. If the potential of these small water bodies to support water beetle diversity and that of other aquatic macroinvertebrates is to be maximised, particular attention should be paid to enhancing the range of mesohabitats within the ICW system.

Changes in trait divergence and convergence along a productivity gradient in wet meadows

Ecological theory predicts that species coexisting locally may either be functionally more dissimilar than expected by chance due to niche differentiation (‘trait divergence’), or rather be functionally similar given that species bearing traits associated with low competitive ability are likely to be excluded (‘trait convergence’). How the importance of trait divergence and convergence varies with productivity and depending on different plant traits still remains controversial. However assessing the effect of site productivity on meadow species assembly can help defining proper management practice for these ecosystems. We sought evidences for trait convergence and divergence across a productivity gradient over 21 wet meadows in Železné hory Mts. (Czech Republic), considering 13 plant traits. In each meadow, we recorded species composition in four 1m2 plots divided into 100 subplots, and different environmental parameters and site characteristics linked to productivity (standing biomass, soil water table and soil nutrients content). Species spatial aggregation within plots (calculated by the V-score metric on the 100 subplots per plot averaged across all plots in each meadow) was correlated with trait dissimilarity between species in a rather limited number of cases. Significant divergence was observed when traits were considered in combination or when using phylogeny as a proxy of functional similarity. Moreover, plot level patterns of trait divergence and convergence depended on local environmental characteristics. Specifically, for several of the traits studied (e.g. lifespan, combined traits) there was evidence that functional divergence of species decreased with increasing productivity. Overall from these results at fine scale we cannot rule out neutrality, but, where significant, patterns suggest stronger effects of niche differentiation between coexisting species (trait divergence) rather than convergence of functionally similar species. Nevertheless our results also support the view that increased productivity, coupled with intense competition for resources (mainly for light), can lead to the coexistence of more functionally similar species. This is relevant because biodiversity enhancement is generally achieved by maintaining low productivity in these meadows. In general our study gives insights on how species coexistence is related to life history traits and environmental variation, which is also relevant for the conservation and management of species-rich meadows.

Quantifying Preferences for the Natural World Using Monetary and Nonmonetary Assessments of Value

Given that funds for biodiversity conservation are limited, there is a need to understand people’s preferences for its different components. To date, such preferences have largely been measured in monetary terms. However, how people value biodiversity may differ from economic theory, and there is little consensus over whether monetary metrics are always appropriate or the degree to which other methods offer alternative and complementary perspectives on value. We used a choice experiment to compare monetary amounts recreational visitors to urban green spaces were willing to pay for biodiversity enhancement (increases in species richness for birds, plants, and aquatic macroinvertebrates) with self-reported psychological gains in well-being derived from visiting the same sites. Willingness-to-pay (WTP) estimates were significant and positive, and respondents reported high gains in well-being across 3 axes derived from environmental psychology theories (reflection, attachment, continuity with past). The 2 metrics were broadly congruent. Participants with above-median self-reported well-being scores were willing to pay significantly higher amounts for enhancing species richness than those with below-median scores, regardless of taxon. The socio-economic and demographic background of participants played little role in determining either their well-being or the probability of choosing a paying option within the choice experiment. Site-level environmental characteristics were only somewhat related to WTP, but showed strong associations with self-reported well-being. Both approaches are likely to reflect a combination of the environmental properties of a site and unobserved individual preference heterogeneity for the natural world. Our results suggest that either metric will deliver mutually consistent results in an assessment of environmental preferences, although which approach is preferable depends on why one wishes to measure values for the natural world.

The response of ground-dwelling spiders (Araneae) and hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) to afforestation assessed using within-site tracking

In manycountries throughout the world, the area of plantation forests continues to increase and they now dominate many landscapes. In recent decades, forest cover in Ireland has expanded largelydue to commercial afforestation with non-native conifers. This study provides the first within-site assessment of the response of two important arthropod groups to afforestation in agricultural grasslands in Ireland. Five sites were studied 1 year beforeand7yearsafterafforestationusingpitfalltrappingforactiveground-dwellingspidersandMalaisetrapping forhoverflies.Bothspeciesgroupswerestudiedingrasslandhabitat,andspiderswerealsosampledinfieldboundaryhedgerowhabitat.Afforestationwithinthestudysiteshadapositiveeffectonground-dwellingspiderdiversity over the first 7 years; total species richness increased in afforested grassland and hedgerow habitats, and forest specialist species richness increased in afforested grassland habitat. This was concurrent with, and most likely influenced by, the increase in habitat structure created by the forest vegetation, litter and deadwood layers and the increase in canopy cover. There was no effect of afforestation on hoverfly species richness over the first 7 years, possibly due to confounding effects of hoverfly movements across landscapes. Spider and hoverfly species compositions were also positively affected by afforestation. These results indicated that afforestation in our study sites, set within a predominantly agricultural landscape, benefitted arthropod diversity by increasing habitat diversity. Hedgerow habitats were also an important contributor to biodiversity in these newly planted forests. Ecologically oriented planning and management of afforestation must consider the influence of habitat quality in forest plantations, including the protection of biodiversity rich habitats and the quality of the land being afforested, to improve the contribution to biodiversity enhancement and conservation.

Mechanisms and predictors of ecological change in managed forests: A selection of papers from the second international conference on biodiversity in forest ecosystems and landscapes

Maintaining biodiversity is a key goal of global forest policy which promotes ecosystem health and resilience in the face of changing land use and climate. Sustainable management of forest ecosystems is essential to the social and economic services that forests provide, is an important component of the environmental policies of national governments, and is a specific focus of the Conventional on Biological Diversity. Sustainable forest management supports the maintenance and enhancement of biodiversity, and relies on evidence based research to underpin associated policies and practices. Studies that take a focussed approach are particularly helpful in this regard where they identify mechanisms of ecological change in forest habitats, and predictors appropriate to determining the impact of management practices. Observational research can suggest likely mechanisms for ecological change, which can be tested and confirmed through experimental research. Predictors based on long-term research, on the mechanisms underlying ecological relationships, or on modelling approaches can be used to infer information about existing forests and to forecast future trends. This special issue presents a selection of papers which were first presented at the second international IUFRO conference on biodiversity in forest ecosystems and landscapes at University College Cork, Ireland in August 2012. The aim of this conference series is to ‘share knowledge, discuss new trends, reflect on future directions in biodiversity management for sustainable forestry, and provide a stronger scientific basis for biodiversity management in forest landscapes in the light of climate change’. The selected papers exemplify the use of observational and experimental approaches to identify mechanisms of ecological change in forests, and the use of indicators to predict current and future patterns of biodiversity. Trends in forest biodiversity were examined and discussed, drawing on what we know about forests to reconstruct ancient forested landscapes and to identify strategies for the management of forests into the future.

Matrix modelling of prescribed burning in Calluna vulgaris‐dominated moorland: short burning rotations minimize carbon loss at increased wildfire frequencies

Summary Moorlands store large amounts of carbon providing a valuable ecosystem service. In the UK, prescribed burning is often used to manage moorlands, which can produce both positive (biodiversity enhancement and wildfire prevention) and negative impacts (carbon release and reduction in some ecosystem services provision). This issue is pertinent, as wildfire incidence may increase under climate warming, increasing damage to both conservation value and ecosystem services. To better manage these fire‐prone ecosystems, an understanding of the effects of prescribed‐burning regimes and wildfire on moorland fuel loads is required. As a first approximation of the relative impacts of prescribed burning and wildfire, we have modelled above‐ground fuel‐load accumulation and carbon release under varying wildfire return intervals at a study site in the Peak District, UK. Above‐ground fuel‐load accumulation following prescribed burning was assessed using a chronosequence study and combined with carbon loss measurements from prescribed‐burning experiments. The stable age structure of vegetation under varying prescribed‐burning rotations was then predicted using an age‐structured matrix model and moorland above‐ground fuel load calculated using a boot‐strapping approach. Finally, long‐term carbon losses were predicted under varying wildfire return intervals. Delayed vegetation regeneration was also modelled. The model does not consider below‐ground carbon or the effect of prescribed fire on wildfire probability. There was a clear interaction between prescribed‐burning rotation interval and wildfire return interval. At 50‐ and 100‐year wildfire return intervals, carbon losses were minimized by short prescribed‐burning rotations. However, under a 200‐year wildfire return interval, carbon loss was minimized by long rotation intervals where delayed regeneration was modelled. Under a 50‐year wildfire return interval, 8‐year prescribed‐burning rotation intervals could reduce carbon loss by 22% or 34% compared with 25‐ and 50‐year rotations, respectively. Synthesis and applications. The modelling approach outlined here provides a first approximation to the above‐ground carbon balance between prescribed burning and wildfire frequency at a single site. This may be useful in other dwarf‐shrub‐dominated ecosystems if prescribed burning is to be used to mitigate the effects of wildfire. At our study site, long prescribed‐burning rotations may minimize carbon loss at low wildfire return intervals. However, if wildfire incidence increases, more frequent prescribed burning is likely to minimize overall carbon loss. Well‐informed prescribed burning on a short rotation may produce smaller carbon losses than longer rotations under future climate conditions.

Sustainability assessment of sugarcane-ethanol production in Brazil: A case study of a sugarcane mill in São Paulo state

To improve decision-making, sustainability-based approaches to impact assessment demand that we move beyond narrowly defined considerations to address the full suite of requirements for sustainability, as well as the interconnections, feedbacks and uncertainties that typify complex socio-ecological systems at all scales. This paper applies a sustainability assessment framework to assess a sugarcane-ethanol mill in São Paulo state, Brazil, seeking to identify opportunities for improvements towards sustainability. The analysis highlights the importance of broader strategic planning for providing an appropriate context for more sustainable sugarcane-ethanol production at the watershed, municipal, and mill level. Five particularly important multi-scalar issues that were identified are (1) the maintenance of long-term water availability and quality; (2) the enhancement of biodiversity and reversal of ecological fragmentation; (3) the planned elimination of sugarcane straw burning and subsequence increase in mechanized harvesting; (4) the impacts of indirect and direct land-use change; and (5) the quality, availability and durability of livelihood opportunities. To address these issues requires long term integrated planning and monitoring, better understanding of cumulative impacts and thresholds, recognition of important tradeoffs, and a credible and collaborative decision-making process that involves and empowers stakeholders to set the agendas and seek common goals.

Environmental fallows as a new policy tool to safeguard farmland biodiversity in Finland

A novel agri-environment scheme for Environmental Fallows (EFs) was introduced in Finland to replace a former obligatory set-aside under the Common Agricultural Policy. It currently keeps fallow at nearly 7% of the agricultural land area and therefore may make a unique contribution to the enhancement of farmland biodiversity on the national scale. Farmers can chose from four types of EF fields (game, grassland, landscape, and meadow) or their combination as long as their total annual area falls within 5–15% of the field area. We studied the biodiversity value of EF fields in three regions across Finland (n=229) based on survey data of vegetation in four fallow types. We compared EF plant communities to those of other non-cropped biotopes (margins and semi-natural grasslands) (n=99). The meadow type sown with low competitive grasses and meadow species has proven to be the most species-rich EF type, approaching the diversity level of semi-natural meadows. Vegetation of the grassland type varied considerably ranging from swards similar to those of production grasslands to ones typical for semi-natural meadows. The vegetation composition of the game and landscape types of EF differed most from the other non-cropped biotopes, and other EFs. Plant species richness in the perennial fallows correlated positively with the parcel size (through increased within-field diversity) and age, and variation in the sward height. It was negatively related to the sward’s height and density, and the reported fertility level before EF establishment. Plant species richness in EFs was not related to the forest cover in the surrounding landscape. The scheme to a greater extent than the former set-aside contributed to both the amount and diversity of non-cropped vegetation on the landscape level. The long-term efficiency of the current scheme is likely to be compromised by its untargeted and unbinding nature.

Community visioning in a transfrontier conservation area in Southern Africa paves the way towards landscapes combining agricultural production and biodiversity conservation

This study employed participatory approaches to establish ways of engaging local communities within a transfrontier conservation area, towards achieving the goals of integrated agricultural production and biodiversity conservation at a landscape level, known as ecoagriculture. We facilitated farmers' meetings to create charts of local environmental and livelihood concerns and of their vision of the future. Water scarcity, bad road conditions, unemployment and low harvests emerged among the most prevalent concerns. Through a visioning process, participants arrived at a desired future that was largely inclined towards improved livelihoods, with comparatively little attention on biodiversity enhancement. We conclude that stakeholder-driven ecoagriculture could be a sustainable strategy to simultaneously achieve the community's vision and the goals of transfrontier conservation areas, provided biodiversity management strategies are linked to infrastructure improvement and income generating activities. We recommend a community visioning process as an effective approach to encourage collective action and to support local ownership of development programmes.

Bioprotection and disturbance: Seaweed, microclimatic stability and conditions for mechanical weathering in the intertidal zone

As well as their destructive roles, plants, animals and microorganisms contribute to geomorphology and ecology via direct and indirect bioprotection, which can reduce weathering and erosion. For example, indirect bioprotection can operate via biotic influences on microclimate whereby physical decay processes associated with fluctuations in temperature and moisture (salt crystallization, thermal fatigue and wetting–drying), are limited. In the intertidal zone, the spatial and temporal distribution of macroalgae (seaweeds) is patchy, related to physical and ecological conditions for colonization and growth, and the nature and frequency of natural and anthropogenic disturbance. We examined the influence of seaweed canopies (Fucus spp.) on near-surface microclimate and, by implication, on conditions for mechanical rock decay and under-canopy ecology. Monitoring on hard artificial coastal structures in South West England, UK, built from limestone and concrete showed that both the range and maxima of daily summertime temperatures were significantly lower, by an average of 56% and 25%, respectively, in areas colonized by seaweed compared to experimentally cleared areas. Short-term microclimatic variability (minutes–hours) was also significantly reduced, by an average of 78% for temperature and 71% for humidity, under algal canopies during low-tide events. Using seaweed as an example, we develop a conceptual model of the relationship between biological cover and microclimate in the intertidal zone. Disturbance events that remove or drastically reduce seaweed cover mediate shifts between relatively stable and unstable states with respect to mechanical decay and ecological stress associated with heat and desiccation. In urban coastal environments where disturbance may be frequent, facilitating the establishment and recovery of canopy-forming species on rocks and engineered structures could enhance the durability of construction materials as well as support conservation, planning and policy targets for biodiversity enhancement.

Wetlands in agricultural landscapes for nitrogen attenuation and biodiversity enhancement: Opportunities and limitations

Riparian zones along streams and other small wetlands perform important ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes. They improve water quality by retaining nutrients and sediment from through-flowing water, sequester carbon and attenuate flood peaks at high discharge. At the same time, they have been shown to enhance biodiversity at the landscape as well as regional scale. However, there is concern about loss of biodiversity and enhanced greenhouse gas emissions where wetlands have become overloaded with nutrient-rich surface water or groundwater. This paper discusses conditions for the best performance of riparian zones and other small wetlands in agricultural landscapes in terms of nutrient and greenhouse gas retention and biodiversity.High nitrous oxide emissions have been identified in riparian zones used for N removal and could be a concern which would diminish their overall environmental benefit. However, it has been shown in riparian zones in the Rhine and Scheldt catchment that nitrous oxide emissions mainly occur when soil pH values are lower than 5. Such conditions occur mostly in stream headwater areas only where sandy sediments have a low buffering capacity, whereas higher-order streams and their riparian zones often have fine silty clay or loam sediments with higher pH values, supporting effective denitrification with low nitrous oxide emission.The question whether the nutrient attenuation service comes at the expense of biodiversity losses should be answered differently for existing, (semi-)natural wetlands and for new wetlands created in the agricultural landscape. Existing wetlands are quite vulnerable for nutrient loading, depending on their natural nutrient richness. Oligotrophic and mesotrophic wetlands such as bogs and fens are negatively affected by nutrient loadings>4gNm−2y−1 and 0.5gPm−2y−1, which lead to loss of diversity and characteristic species. Wetlands in riparian zones are naturally more nutrient-rich and can tolerate much higher nutrient loadings without consequences for ecosystem health and diversity, their loading limits are 50gNm−2y−1 and 4gPm−2y−1. For nitrogen the relatively high limit is explained by significant denitrification activities in wetlands, transforming nitrate to mostly inert elemental nitrogen gas. There are also indications that only one of the major nutrients needs to be in short supply (i.e. below the limits indicated) in order to avoid major eutrophication problems. In agricultural areas where large numbers of wetlands have been created for N removal and biodiversity enhancement, the experience of this ‘dual purpose’ are generally positive, particularly in landscapes where not much of the original wetland resource remains.

Entropy by design: Gilles Clément, Parc Henri Matisse and the Limits to Avant‐garde Urbanism

AbstractDerborence Island, an inaccessible concrete structure set in the middle of Lille's Parc Henri Matisse, is an intriguing example of recent landscape design. The park, which was completed in 1995 as part of the vast Euralille development, was designed by the French landscape architect Gilles Clément. The idea for the park is derived from several sources, including the aesthetic characteristics of uncultivated ground, the symbolic reconstruction of a fragment of primary forest and the enhancement of urban biodiversity. It is suggested that Clément's novel synthesis of nature and culture is significantly different from prevailing discourses of landscape design and is best interpreted as a form of site‐specific art. Clément's project reveals tensions between the aesthetic and scientific significance of so‐called ‘waste spaces’ in contemporary cities and the widening scope of utilitarian approaches to landscape design.RésuméL'île Derborence, structure de béton inaccessible au cæur du Parc Henri Matisse de Lille, est un exemple fascinant de conception paysagère récente. Le parc, réalisé en 1995 dans le cadre du vaste aménagement d'Euralille, a été créé par l'architecte paysagiste français Gilles Clément. Le projet a eu plusieurs sources d'inspiration, dont les caractéristiques esthétiques d'un terrain non cultivé, la reconstitution symbolique d'un fragment de forêt primaire et l'enrichissement de la biodiversité urbaine. La synthèse novatrice entre nature et culture qu'effectue Clément est très différente des courants dominants de la création paysagère et trouve sa meilleure interprétation comme forme artistique propre à un lieu. Le projet de Clément met en évidence des tensions entre l'importance esthétique et scientifique des espaces dits ‘à l'abandon’ dans les villes contemporaines, et la dimension accrue des approches utilitaristes dans l'aménagement des paysages.

Warum Naturwaldreservate einrichten? (Essay)

Why should we have natural forest reserves? (Essay) Natural forest reserves, where any kind of intervention is prohibited, are a component of a holistic biodiversity and forest policy today. Permitting natural processes to unfold in natural forest reserves is a sustainable and cost-efficient contribution to the maintenance and enhancement of biodiversity. This paper discusses the reasons for the establishment of natural forest reserves and the peculiarities that need to be taken into account when implementing the biodiversity goals. It demonstrates that particularly the establishment of large natural forest reserves in currently managed forests on the Swiss Plateau and in the Jura mountains requires a large effort.

Present Status and Approaches for the Sustainable Development of Community Based Fish Culture in Seasonal Floodplains of Bangladesh

Coordination among the different stakeholders at policy planning, implementation and target beneficiary level, particularly among the agencies responsible for development and management of water resources, agriculture and fisheries, is essential for overall sustainable development. Stocking of larger fingerlings at suitable stocking densities of endemic (rohu, catla, mrigal) and exotic (silver carp, bighead carp, common carp/mirror carp) species should be stocked at varying proportion. Floodplain fish production depends only on the natural fertility of the water bodies. Technological interventions should include the installation of low cost bamboo fencing at water inlet and outlet points and setting of ring culverts for maintaining suitable levels of water for fish culture without hampering the production of rice and other crops in the intervention areas, selective stocking with native and exotic carps, restricted fishing for certain period of time and guarding. It is expected to exert positive influences in enhancing the standing crop and biodiversity of non-stocked species of fishes in the intervention seasonal floodplain. Entry of fish larvae, hatchlings and young fry of wild non-stocked fishes into the seasonal floodplains because of large fence spacing (approximately 1.0 cm), could restrict fishing for certain period, undisturbed habitat and guarding could contribute to higher productivity and enhancement of fish biodiversity in the seasonal floodplains. Proper motivation and effective cooperation of the beneficiaries are extremely important to culture fish in the seasonal floodplains under community based management system. Institutional support and constant vigilance from the Department of Fisheries (DoF) and local administrations are indispensable to ensure the sustainability of fish culture initiatives in the seasonal floodplains. Active participation and involvement of the local community people in all stages of fish culture operation beginning from selection of floodplains, formation of floodplain management committee, planning of fish culture activities, exercise of technical intervention, selective stocking with large fingerlings, guarding, monitoring and supervision, adopting harvesting strategies, marketing and distribution of benefits are extremely essential to ensure sustainability of the program. Mutual trust, sense of respect and good working relationship among the committee members are the basic social elements required for the success of community based fish culture initiatives.

Restoration of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services on Agricultural Land

Cultivation and cropping are major causes of destruction and degradation of natural ecosystems throughout the world. We face the challenge of maintaining provisioning services while conserving or enhancing other ecosystem services and biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. There is a range of possibilities within two types of intervention, namely “land sharing” and “land separation”; the former advocates the enhancement of the farmed environment, but the latter a separation between land designated for farming versus conservation. Land sharing may involve biodiversity-based agricultural practices, learning from traditional farming, changing from conventional to organic agriculture and from “simple” crops and pastures to agro-forestry systems, and restoring or creating specific elements to benefit wildlife and particular services without decreasing agricultural production. Land separation in the farmland context involves restoring or creating non-farmland habitat at the expense of field-level agricultural production—for example, woodland on arable land. Restoration by land sharing has the potential to enhance agricultural production, other ecosystem services and biodiversity at both the field and landscape scale; however, restoration by land separation would provide these benefits only at the landscape scale. Although recent debate has contrasted these approaches, we suggest they should be used in combination to maximize benefits. Furthermore, we suggest “woodland islets”, an intermediate approach between land abandonment and farmland afforestation, for ecological restoration in extensive agricultural landscapes. This approach allows reconciliation of farmland production, conservation of values linked to cultural landscapes, enhancement of biodiversity, and provision of a range of ecosystem services. Beyond academic research, restoration projects within agricultural landscapes are essential if we want to halt environmental degradation and biodiversity loss.

The value of the trackway system within a lowland plantation forest for ground-active spiders

European forest management guidelines include conservation and enhancement of biodiversity. Within plantation forestry, trackways provide contiguous permanent open-habitat with potential to enhance biodiversity. We examined the ground-active spider assemblage in the trackway network of Thetford Forest, Eastern England, the largest lowland conifer forest in the UK, created by afforestation of heathland and farmland. Results are relevant to other forests in heath regions across Europe. We used pitfall trapping to sample the spider assemblage of trackways within thicket-aged stands (n = 17), mature stands (n = 13) and heathland reference sites (n = 9). A total of 9,314 individuals of 71 species were recorded. Spider assemblages of the trackway network were distinct from those of the heathland reference sites; however, trackways were found to support specialist species associated with grass-heath habitats, including nationally scarce species. Richness of grass-heath species was similar for trackways in thicket-aged forest and heathland reference sites, although the abundance of individuals was three times greater in the reference sites. Trackways in mature stands had lower grass-heath species richness and abundance than both thicket trackways and heath reference sites. Wide trackways within thicket stands contained greater richness and abundance of specialist xeric species than narrower trackways. However, fewer xeric individuals were found in trackways compared to heathland reference sites. Either inferior habitat quality in trackways or poor dispersal ability of specialist xeric species may largely restrict these to relict areas of heathland. Targeted widening of trackways to allow permanent unshaded habitat and creating early successional stages by mechanical disturbance regimes could improve trackway suitability for specialist species, helping to restore connectivity networks for grass-heath biodiversity.

Sustainable Management of Forest Resources in India Through Criteria and Indicator Approach

The concept of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) is not new, but has become popular in recent years. SFM encompasses environmental dimension relating to maintenance of the natural resources in perpetuity, economic dimensions for production of goods and services and social dimensions describing involvement of people in decision-making process and equitable benefit sharing. For operationalising SFM it is imperative to have assessment system such that deviations towards or away from sustainability can be ascertained and corrective actions can be taken. The system should evaluate the two main conditions i.e., maintenance of ecosystem integrity and maintenance and enhancement of well being of people.Criteria and indicators (C & I) are the tools for assessing the magnitude and the direction of change in a given forestry situations and provide a forest management information system, which is important for forest managers and other actors for forestry related decision making. C & I can be used to encourage more holistic thinking when planning forest management activities, and to bring about greater vigor, openness, transparency and accountability in forest management planning, monitoring and reporting. The important eight criteria adopted in some forest divisions of India includes increase in the extent of forest and tree cover, maintenance, conservation and enhancement of biodiversity, maintenance and enhancement of ecosystem function and vitality, conservation and maintenance of soil and water resources, maintenance and enhancement of forest resource productivity, optimization of forest resource utilization, maintenance and enhancement of social, cultural and spiritual benefits and adequacy of policy, legal and institutional framework. Under each of these criteria such as for example under ecosystem function and vitality, the status of natural regeneration is used as an indicator.Mishra et al. (2004) observed that the people are mostly dependent on trees outside forest, hence reducing the pressure on the natural forest. The sustainability index shows comprehensive impact of various indicators on overall sustainability of the forest in the forest management unit (Anon. 2005 and 2006). Village communities in Kodagu have sustained the survival value of the Devarakadu institution by contributing towards their use and existence values, and also by offering social fencing (Accava et al., 2007).Regular monitoring and assessment through C & I helps to identify areas of concern and apply timely measures to ensure continuous availability of forest goods and services. The ultimate aim is to promote improved forest management practices overtime and to further the development of healthier and more productive forests, taking into consideration the social, economic, environmental, cultural and spiritual needs of the society.

Composição, uso e conservação de espécies arbóreas em quintais de agricultores familiares na região da mata seca norte-mineira, Brasil

Quintais podem ser considerados sistemas agroflorestais domésticos que fornecem diversos recursos para finsde subsistência às famílias que vivem em comunidades rurais e urbanas, especialmente em países tropicais. Este estudoobjetivou realizar um levantamento etnobotânico das espécies arbóreas reconhecidas e utilizadas em quintais de duascomunidades de agricultores familiares situadas no entorno do Parque Estadual da Mata Seca, Minas Gerais, Brasil, bemcomo compreender o papel destes agroecossistemas para a conservação de árvores nativas. O conhecimento local sobre osusos atribuídos às espécies foi acessado por meio de listas livres com 20 agricultores selecionados pela técnica bola-deneveem cada comunidade. Em cada quintal, foram amostradas todas as espécies arbustivas e arbóreas com circunferênciano nível do solo > 10 cm. Verificou-se que a maioria das espécies registradas foi citada por fornecer alimentos (48,3%) esombra (35,6%), evidenciando a importância das árvores frutíferas e perenifólias na composição de quintais no contextosemiárido local. Também foram citadas plantas medicinais e ornamentais, além de espécies mencionadas como material deconstrução, combustível, forragem, adubo, dentre outros usos. Dentre as 87 espécies arbóreas amostradas nos quintais, 44são nativas do território brasileiro e 23 podem ser encontradas nas matas secas da região. Estes resultados evidenciam queos quintais podem contribuir para conservação e incremento da biodiversidade local, funcionando como reservatório deespécies com diversas origens biogeográficas, incluindo árvores endêmicas e nativas da região. Além disso, tambémconcluiu-se que os quintais são importantes fontes de recursos vegetais para autoconsumo, contribuindo principalmentepara complementação alimentar e para o bem-estar das famílias nas comunidades que habitam o Semiárido norte-mineiro.Palavras-chave adicionais: agrobiodiversidade, etnobotânica, Floresta Estacional Decidual.