The impact of the digital economy on the forest food industry: Mechanisms and evidence from China

Pollen analysis was conducted on core materials that were deposited over the last 2000 cal years BP in Mkhuze wetland, KwaZulu-Natal. The objective was to reconstruct past vegetation and infer past changes in climate or possible human disturbances by enhancing both pollen and non-pollen proxy data in the summer rainfall region. Palynological results show a dominance of Poaceae (grasses >70%) that suggests a predominance of grassy vegetation in and around the swamp with some woodland and forest elements from the surroundings. Between 1700 and 1200 cal years BP, fungal spores, cryptogams, wetland plants, Podocarpus , and other forest pollen elements declined. Bushveld tree pollen of Spirostachys increased, indicating a decrease in moisture availability (humidity) and a change from forest to an open savanna vegetation. A peak of microscopic charcoal and Poaceae with a corresponding decrease in Spirostachys pollen around 800–500 cal years BP suggests an increase in wildfires under dry conditions that may have been caused by anthropogenic forest clearance for farming by the Iron Age people. The increase in microscopic charcoal, charred cuticles, a peak of Amaranthaceae pollen, and a corresponding decrease in trees and grasses in the last 280–200 cal years BP may be due to regional drought. The appearance of exotic Pinus pollen during the most recent period corresponds to the introduction of alien vegetation by European settlers. We compared changes in the pollen record of the Mkhuze freshwater swamp with a coeval section of a previously published longer pollen sequence in the nearby Lake St Lucia estuary to confirm if regional vegetation trends can also be observed in the section. Wider regional environmental trends were also assessed using other non-pollen proxies like isotopic data for comparison. Results align with δ 18 O, d 13 C and N 15 studies, although some, especially the latter, may not suggest parallel moisture conditions over the distances involved. This indicates that diverse environmental conditions prevailed in the region in the last c. 2000 years BP.

Biodiminution of lithium in forest floor food webs.

Managed forests make up over half of forests globally, with the majority used for timber harvest. To ensure efficient forest regeneration, it is vital that we understand how different management regimes affect the behaviours of seed-dispersing and seed-predating animals. Personalities, or consistent among-individual differences in behaviour, are a key factor driving all stages of the seed selection and dispersal process, including consumption versus caching decisions, and it is therefore critical to understand how differing anthropogenic forest manipulations may shift the personality distributions of a population. Within the context of a long-term capture–mark–recapture study in Maine, U.S.A., we used standardized tests to measure personality traits of 325 individual North American red squirrels, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus , over 8 years across two contrasting silvicultural treatments and reference plots (totalling six sites). During 2 years of the study, we deployed collar-mounted light-level geolocators on 14 unique individuals to measure daily activity patterns at a 5 min resolution and distinguish between when an individual was in its nest versus out of its nest. Our analysis revealed that personality distributions measured in standardized tests differ between unmanaged and managed forests, and that certain personality traits appeared to influence free-ranging activity patterns. Specifically, both uniform and irregular shelterwood forests had lower proportions of aggressive individuals than unmanaged forests, and more exploratory individuals spent less time active per day on average. Our study adds to the growing body of research showing that anthropogenic alterations to landscapes are associated with distinct behavioural compositions. The ecological consequences of these changes must be considered, especially for rodent populations that control seed dispersal. • We tested the personality of North American red squirrels using standardized tests. • We used collar-mounted light-level geolocators to measure daily activity patterns. • Aggressive individuals were more common in unmanaged forests than in managed forests. • More exploratory individuals spent less time active per day. • Land use change can affect personality compositions, with ecological consequences.

This paper investigates coastal and trade-related names in the Abui community of Takalelang in the Alor-Pantar Archipelago of Eastern Indonesia. The area has supplied forest products, spices, and food to the archipelago's trade network for at least 2000 years. The paper triangulates evidence from toponymy, historical sources, material culture, and oral tradition to understand the name-giving process and its historical and cultural context. The method unveils how trade affected the coastal toponymic interface, but also how the surrounding area developed to supply trade commodities and integrate new arrivals. The results reveal that the Abui coast is not a ‘hard edge’, but an ‘interface’, a place of contact and exchange, recounting origins, alliances, and past encounters. The structure of the Abui toponymy documents the Abui economic activities and agency in the face of pre-colonial and colonial powers.

This study aims to discover legal characteristics, namely behavioral norms in pata dela, particularly those related to sustainable forest development and food security. The method used in this study is empirical legal research conducted in Rakalaba Village, West Golewa District, Ngada Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province. The approaches used in this study are legal sociology, philosophy, legal history, and conceptual approaches. The data used in this study are primary and secondary data. The data were processed and then analyzed using descriptive qualitative methods. The novelty of this study focuses on the character of legal norms, namely the commands and prohibitions contained in the local wisdom of pata dela. These legal norms serve as guidelines for realizing sustainable forestry development that has an impact on food security. The results of the study show that the Ngadhu bhaga customary law community has an oral tradition called pata dela or ancestral teachings. Pata dela contains primary legal norms, namely commands marked with the word bodha, which means mandatory. In addition, pata dela also contains prohibitions marked with the word ma'e, which means forbidden. Pata dela plays a role in sustainable forest development based on customary law. For example, in the command “Bodha sepe ne'e de kenge, latu ne'e de kabu” and the prohibition “Ma'e rawu dhapi kabu, ma'e sa'a dhapi tara”. Through this oral tradition, the community can ensure that plants continue to grow. Pata dela also has implications for realizing food security for the Ngadhu Bhaga community. It contains commands and prohibitions that reflect an ecological understanding that food crops must be sustained so that they remain available over time. Food security is not only a matter of the availability of food at present, but also a guarantee that future generations will continue to have access to quality food sources. Conclusion of this study is that Pata dela contains primary legal norms that include commands and prohibitions. Pata dela is still alive and is still used as a guideline in sustainable forest development to achieve food security.

Expression of Concern: <i>Water Supply</i> (2023) 23 (11), 4436–4448: Assessment of forest food–water resources nexus and its utilization efficiency based on the Gaussian model, Weiguang Xie and Huaquan Ma, https://dx.doi.org/10.2166/ws.2023.267

Across diverse global contexts, Indigenous stewardship practices have transformed forested landscapes into dynamic and productive foodsheds, demonstrating that sustainable forest management is not a modern invention. This research investigates soil development in Gitselasu (Ts'msyen) forest gardens in northwestern British Columbia (BC, Canada), where ancestral interventions have structured diverse forest garden systems that persist today. Through comparative analysis of forest garden soils, ambient conifer forest soils, and evaluating Ts'msyen ethnopedological indices, we assess people's longstanding influence on soil formation and properties. Findings reveal that forest garden soils contain substantially higher levels of organic matter and nitrogen, with a substantially higher cation-exchange capacity and elevated pH. Additionally, we observed increased phosphorus and calcium bioavailability. These results reflect stewardship legacies akin to dark earth (terra preta) development in other global contexts, further highlighting how Indigenous soil knowledge, practices, and governance structures provide insights that fundamentally differ from conventional western agricultural approaches.

Patterns in fruit development and fruit abscission for the emerging forest food tree Canarium indicum

Abstract Over the history of Maya studies, archaeologists have proposed various models for the structure of Maya settlements and their use of the landscape. The introduction of lidar to Maya studies, and the wealth of data this technology yielded, has many of these ideas coming under renewed study. Some of the most prominent models discussed in the last two decades have centered on low-density agrarian urbanism and forest gardens. Using settlement studies, lidar data, and hydrological analysis, this article discusses the applicability of these models for the ancient Maya at Lamanai and Ka’kabish, and more generally, Northern Belize. The Maya in the periphery at Lamanai developed wetland management strategies by capitalizing on natural drainage next to seasonally inundated swamps, or bajos. Evidence suggests that the Maya sustained large populations by using channels at the edge of bajos for field systems. These systems may be key to understanding their sustainability in the past.

Biocultural values ​​play a critical role in understanding the socio-ecological interactions in the past of cultural landscapes and therefore warrant further research. This study is based on the assumption that biocultural values ​​are preserved in a landscape managed by indigenous people and traditional knowledge, whereas otherwise they will deteriorate. This study examines the deterioration of a cultural landscape created by the Circassian people through reclamation efforts in mountain forests based on their traditional knowledge, which was severed from its community management due to wartime conditions, and its recent revitalization. The study presents an assessment of the example of Circassian Forest Gardens, using the concepts of Biocultural Diversity, Biocultural Heritage, Cultural Disengagement, and Biocultural Memory. This study, based on a literature review, is intended as an invitation to think about the concepts in question and a contribution to academic knowledge, in order to preserve some values ​​of cultural landscapes that deserve to be protected, rather than a prescription for action.

Forest ecosystems are vital for sustaining biodiversity, and tree-dwelling snakes, as integral parts of forest food webs, are extremely sensitive to environmental alterations caused by deforestation. The goal of this study is to explore how deforestation influences the way treedwelling snakes in southern forests untilize their habitats. Through field investigations and data analysis, we found that deforestation led to a substantial reduction in canopy cover, directly decreasing the available habitat area for tree-dwelling snakes. The simplified vegetation structure, such as the decline in understory vegetation and hollow trees, impaired their foraging and reproductive abilities. Furthermore, the simplification of vegetation structure—such as fewer understory plants and hollow trees—impairs the snakes’ capacity to find food and reproduce. Additionally, habitat fragmentation resulting from deforestation restricted their movement range and gene flow. This research not only enhances our comprehension of the ecological consequences of deforestation but also provides a scientific foundation for formulating targeted conservation strategies for tree-dwelling snakes and their habitats.

ABSTRACT Understanding primate behavioral responses to food supply provides critical insights into their adaptive strategies in dynamic environments. The Critically Endangered Hainan gibbon ( Nomascus hainanus ), a China‐endemic species, has recently exhibited range expansion into low‐altitude forests. However, the foraging strategy of this species in lower‐elevation habitats remains poorly understood. In this study, we examined two Hainan gibbon groups within the National Park of Hainan Tropical Rainforest, representing old‐growth and secondary forest habitats, respectively. We assessed plant diversity in their home ranges through plot sampling at 100 m intervals and collected behavioral data via instantaneous scan sampling at 5‐min intervals. Our findings revealed low similarity in both overall forest composition and food plant availability between the two habitats. Although the two groups consumed a comparable number of food items, their dietary composition differed significantly. Notably, both groups exhibited a strong negative correlation between feeding preference and plant importance values, indicating that gibbons preferentially forage on non‐dominant tree species. These results demonstrate that Hainan gibbons exhibit dietary flexibility in response to spatial variation in food plant supply. Consequently, habitat restoration initiatives should prioritize key food plant availability to ensure sufficient foraging resources for this threatened species.

Abstract Purpose of Review Forests have a key role in global carbon dynamics, acting as both carbon sinks and sources. Yet, the intensification of global change-related natural and anthropogenic forest disturbances such as forest fires, deforestation, management practices, and biotic agents, among others, have the potential to compromise their carbon sink function. Here, we synthesize the current understanding of forest disturbances’ impact on forest carbon dynamics under varying spatial, temporal, and ecological contexts globally. Thereby, our goal is to address ongoing uncertainties around the pattern, magnitude, persistence, and variability of carbon emissions linked to forest disturbances and to identify underrepresented regions, disturbance types, or forest ecosystems that remain understudied. Recent Findings We present a synthesis of previous research from 2020 until early 2025. After screening 519 records, 90 studies were included for full synthesis following the PRISMA guidelines and PICOS framework. Data were extracted on forest type, carbon pool, disturbance type, geographic location, and study design. Recent studies have dominantly quantified carbon emissions from high-severity disturbances such as forest fires and deforestation. These disturbances have significant carbon impacts and have been amplifying under climate change. Furthermore, evidence from studies shows that compound disturbances often interact synergistically. However, the carbon impacts of low-intensity disturbances such as forest degradation, selective harvesting, or compound disturbances such as drought-fire interactions remain limited and fragmented. Moreover, the literature is biased toward aboveground pool estimates, with limited studies quantifying Total Ecosystem Carbon (TEC), as well as toward a remarkable underrepresentation of the Global South, with most research focused on areas and countries from the Global North. Summary This review identifies key gaps in the literature, particularly regarding underrepresented geographic regions, compound disturbance effects, and the integration of multiple carbon pools in carbon estimates. We conclude by offering recommendations to address these gaps, aiming to improve carbon flux estimates and support adaptive forest management.

India faces a critical timber deficit, as consumption (Compound Growth Rate (CGR) 5.20 %) continues to outpace domestic production (CGR 1.97 %). By 2030, timber demand is projected to reach 36.70 million cubic metres (MCUM). The study analyses the market structure, demand-supply gap and socio-economic conditions of timber growers across five districts−Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari, Salem, Dindigul and Thanjavur−representing diverse agro-climatic zones in Tamil Nadu. It uses primary data from 250 growers and secondary data (2000-2023) from International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), State Forest Records and Food and Agriculture Organization Statistical Database (FAOSTAT) to estimate CGR of timber production and import trends. Growers are predominantly male (92.4 %), middle-aged (mean 49.91 years), with 29.3 % illiterate and operate fragmented holdings (average 7.49 %). Teak is the dominant species (72.8 % adoption), though species diversification is influenced by landholding size and agro-climatic conditions. Despite 74.8 % attempting direct sales, market inefficiencies persist: complex channels involving 5 intermediaries inflate price spreads to ₹570/cft (vs. ₹440/cft in streamlined channels), reducing farmers’ share to 43 %-50 % of consumer prices. Critical constraints include water scarcity (59.04 % Garrett score), drying challenges (64.71 %), broker fees (54.37 %) and grading difficulties (57.45 %). Notably, 90.8 % of growers express readiness for digital market integration. The study recommends policy interventions targeting co-operative marketing, e-platform adoption, input subsidies and logistic optimization to enhance grower agency and bridge the supply gap.

Forest foods play a vital role in enhancing dietary diversity, human health, and the sustainable use of forest ecosystems. However, structured and machine-readable resources that systematically describe their taxonomic and nutritional attributes remain scarce. To fill this gap, we introduce ForestFoodKG, a comprehensive resource that integrates taxonomic hierarchy and nutritional composition of 1191 forest food items. The resource consists of two components-(i) the ForestFoodKG dataset, containing standardized taxonomic and nutritional records across seven biological levels, and (ii) the ForestFoodKG Knowledge Graph (ForestFoodKG-KG), which semantically links forest food entities using named entity recognition and relation extraction. The constructed graph comprises 4492 entities and 14,130 semantic relations, providing a structured foundation for intelligent querying, nutrition analytics, and ecological informatics. All data were manually verified and made publicly available in CSV format on GitHub. ForestFoodKG serves as the first structured knowledge base for forest foods, promoting data-driven research in nutrition science, sustainable forestry, and knowledge-based decision-making.

Greenhouse gases (GHG) levels have been increasing since the times of industrial revolution. Awareness and concern on this issue has created an urgent interest in finding effective ways to reduce net GHG emissions. Consequently, the objective of this paper was to investigate the total biomass and Carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration under Gmelina arborea (Beechwood), Tectonia grandis (Teak), Chrysophyllum albidum (African Star Apple), Treculia africana (African breadfruit) and Anacardium occidentales (Cashew) plantations in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria using appropriate standard procedures. On the premise of finding the ways of GHG reduction, a research was carried out in the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta to estimate the amount of carbondioxide sequestered per year by different tree species. The anthropogenic forest was divided into different sections. Each section has been planted with Gmelina arborea, Tectonia grandis, Chrysophyllum albidum, Treculia africana and Anacardium occidentales. Each study site was 100 m x 100 m transect and sub-divided into 50 m x 50 m quadrant. Stem girth of live trees greater than or equal to 30 cm girth measure at breast height was measured. Tree diameter was also calculated to compute the tree carbon stock calculated as 50 % of its biomass and all data were subjected to statistical analysis to separate the means using Analysis of Variance at 5% probability. The result showed that Anacardium occidentales had the highest carbon stock (354.9 kg) and sequestered the highest CO2/year (88.53 ppm) while Chrysophyllum albidum had the least carbon stock (19.2 kg) and least CO2/year (5.41 ppm)

Global biogeochemical cycling of trace elements is under influences of anthropogenic inputs and climate change, and their trophic transfers within natural food webs are not yet fully characterized. The present study investigated the trophodynamics of four trace elements (essential: copper and zinc, and non-essential: arsenic and cadmium) in a river food web and compared those with an upland forest food web in a semi-remote watershed in northern California, United States. We found empirical evidence of biomagnification for copper, zinc, and cadmium in the lower trophic levels of both aquatic and terrestrial food webs while we showed biodiminution for arsenic in food webs within the river, but not the forest as shown by calculating Trophic Magnification Factor (TMF), a direct and robust approach to explore the biomagnification efficiency of trace elements along the food web. There was a positive intercorrelation between copper, zinc, and cadmium among the food web components, indicating potential common mechanisms in controlling the trophic transfer of these three cationic trace elements in the natural food webs.

Background: Natural solutions, such as locally available food resources (LAFRs) and nontimber forest products (NTFPs), are recognized for their bioactive potential in addressing health challenges. Despite Mizoram’s rich biodiversity, the population faces increasing risks of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and micronutrient deficiencies (MNDs). Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed priority dietary preferences, food group consumption, dietary diversity score, and lifestyle practices, alongside a review of the nutraceutical potential of LAFRs and NTFPs. A three-day dietary recall was analyzed using t-tests at a 5% significance level against standards from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). One-way ANOVA was further employed to examine potential differences in food group consumption among occupational, gender, and age groups. Results: Results revealed strong cultural preferences for carbohydrate-rich breakfasts and meat-based dinners, with lunch often skipped or replaced by snacks. Over 85% of participants reported inadequate intake of milk, fruits, pulses, and nuts. Compared with older and high-income women, younger women exhibited the lowest intake of food groups and nutrient-dense foods. Occupation significantly influenced dietary patterns, with heavy workers consuming more cereals but fewer micronutrient-rich foods. A shift from traditional to modern dietary and lifestyle practices was observed, influencing overall diet quality and long-term health outcomes. The mean Dietary Diversity Score (0–10) was 5.6 ± 1.3, indicating significant gender differences in diet variety (males: 5.8 ± 1.2; females: 5.4 ± 1.4; p = 0.04). The review highlights that LAFRs and NTFPs serve as valuable sources of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, and bioactives with antidiabetic and anticancer properties while also providing essential micronutrients. Conclusions: The findings reveal a marked dietary transition in Mizoram and underscore the urgent need for food-based strategies to address nutrient gaps and the growing burden of NCDs.

Abstract We joined forces as both sought to understand the Maya Forest landscape and both had connections to the archaeology of Belize. As an archeologist with a deep commitment to conservation and community development and as a community leader engaged in traditional agriculture and teaching with a worldly curiosity, we both share profound interest in humanity. Our worlds have revolved around each other over the decades as our common interests developed and took shape. Our eventual collaboration began with archeology and transformed into a model for celebrating local traditions and knowledge we call the “Maya forest gardens.” Our very different backgrounds provide a foundation for a complex and dynamic partnership around “Archaeology Under the Canopy” at the Maya city of El Pilar. This is a work in progress.