Forest Patches Research Articles

Social information modifies the associations between forest fragmentation and the abundance of a passerine bird

Habitat loss and fragmentation are the main factors driving the occurrence and abundance of species in the landscape. However, the local occurrence and abundance of species may also depend on conspecific and heterospecific social information e.g. clues of animals’ presence or their voices. We investigated the impact of the interaction between different types of social information and forest fragmentation on the abundance of the song thrush, Turdus philomelos, in Central Europe. Three types of social information (attractive, repulsive, and mixed) and procedural control were broadcasted via loudspeakers in 150 forest patches that varied in size and isolation metrics. Repulsive social information (cues of presence of predator) decreased abundance of song thrush. Also, the repulsive social information changed the association between forest patch isolation, size and the abundance. Attractive social information (songs of the studied thrush) had no effect on song thrush abundance. However, the attractive social information reversed the positive correlation between habitat patch size and the abundance. Mixed social information (both repulsive and attractive) had no impact on the abundance nor interacted with habitat fragmentation. The observed effects mostly did not last to the next breeding season. Overall, our findings indicate that lands of fear and social attraction could modify the effect of habitat fragmentation on the species abundance but these effects probably are not long-lasting.

Dust deposition in agricultural landscapes: Temporal and spatial dynamics along a transect into a natural forest patch

This work presents the results of the deposition rate of aeolian sediments within a forest patch of semiarid Argentina. The goal of this study was to evaluate the spatial and temporal dynamic of the dust deposition rate (Dr), mainly of the mineral fraction. Passive collectors were installed along transects in a forest patch at 5, 15, 25, 50, 100 and 300 m downwind from the border of an agricultural plot. The average Dr during 30 months was 38.3 ± 26.8 g m−2 yr−1. Dr was statistically similar between spring-summer (47.5 ± 30.1 g m−2 yr−1) and the autumn–winter period (29.2 ± 21.7 g m−2 yr−1). The mean diameter of sediment particles was higher in spring-summer (70 µm) than in autumn–winter (50 µm), probably due to the greater contribution of coarser sediments from wind erosion of surrounding agricultural soils (local source) during spring-summer. During both periods silt-sized particles (40 %) and very fine sand (20 %) were the most abundant, while clay content was 3.5 %. Clay and silt contents were higher in autumn–winter, while fine sand content was higher in spring-summer. Dr within the forest patch was highly variable, therefore statistically homogeneous, despite the fact that 300 m inside the forest the average Dr was ≈35 % lower than at 5 m from the agricultural plot. Sediment deposited at the forest border showed higher aggregation than the sediment collected inside the forest. Forest patches are capable of retaining particles that are key for the soil fertility of semiarid areas, highlighting the importance of aeolian source-sink processes and of forest patches for long-term management decisions in agricultural landscapes.

Cavity-nesting birds in the forest patch around urban areas: A case study in Bogor, Indonesia

Cavity-nesting birds lay eggs and raise chicks within their nest inside the cavities. The existence of cavity-nesting birds in nature has important ecological roles. This study aimed to identify and analyze cavity-nesting bird species in the tropical lowland forest patches, particularly in Bogor, West Java Province, Indonesia. The study was conducted in the forested area within the Dramaga Experimental Forest and the Dramaga Campus of IPB University. The cavity-nesting bird species were observed during September – December 2020 and September – December 2021. Each cavity-nesters observed was classified based on how to make and utilize the nesting site (i.e., primary excavator, facultative excavator, non-excavator) and their nest locations (i.e., nesting in the trees or other locations). We observed 12 cavity-nesters in the study area, consisting of 4 primary excavators, 2 facultative excavators, 3 non-excavators in the trees, and 3 non-excavators in the riverbanks. Cavity-nesting bird richness in the Dramaga Campus (12 species) was higher than in the Dramaga Experimental Forest (9 species). This study revealed that the two study areas still provide suitable habitats for cavity-nesting birds. Therefore, it is essential to maintain the presence of cavity-nesting birds and their habitat by initiating conservation efforts, such as habitat management, strengthening conservation actions and policies, and increasing public awareness.

Changes of the composition of the Noctuoidea fauna along a geographical gradient in the northeastern part of the Carpathian Lowland

The northeastern part of the Carpathian Lowland is one of the most species-rich parts of the region, despite the long-term and sometimes extreme changes in land use. The fragmented remains of formerly contiguous forests maintain a significant part of the wildlife living in different oak, mixed oak, and gallery forest, and even faunas of connected grassland habitats. To reveal how the parallel Carpathian and Pannonian effects form the local insect fauna, the Noctuoidea assemblages of eight forest patches were assessed and compared, based on the distribution data of 479 species. Three types of assemblages were designated, with similar diversity but different compositions. The most unique and valuable ones can be found in the colline area of Transcarpathia, where the high habitat diversity supported by the topography promotes the coexistence of the species of humid forest fauna and many steppic and southern elements. The protection and planned management of these remained forest patches and their network in international cooperation can maintain a significant part of the fauna of the affected regions.

Extensification of Agricultural Land-Use Generates Severe Effects on the Critically Endangered Inter-Andean Dry Forest in the Ecuadorian Andean Landscape

Abstract The Inter-Andean Dry Forest is one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. The extensification of anthropogenic land-use has transformed the Inter-Andean Dry Forest in the landscape of the Rio Chota watershed, Ecuador. However, there is no evaluation of the land use/land cover dynamics to determine the loss and recovery of this ecosystem. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the extensification of agricultural land-use on the spatial pattern of the Inter-Andean Dry Forest ecosystem and the state of the landscape in the RCW during the periods 1991–2000 and 2000–2017. The effects of land-use change on the spatial pattern of the Inter-Andean Dry Forest were evaluated at the landscape level using satellite images and landscape metrics. The loss of the Inter-Andean Dry Forest was 45 % from 1991 to 2017, at a deforestation rate of 2.3 % per year. The largest loss of forest (42.7 %) occurred from 2000 to 2017. From 1991 to 2000, the number of patches of Inter-Andean Dry Forest increased by 194 % but decreased by 64 % in 2017. Over the entire study period, the major change in the landscape was the conversion of the Inter-Andean Dry Forest to agriculture (36.7 %), which was related to important changes in the spatial patterns of this ecosystem. Inter-Andean Dry Forest loss and fragmentation were associated with the extensification of agricultural land-use. The Rio Chota watershed is a landscape increasingly transformed by human processes. This study provides baseline information on landscape structure and composition. This information could help make management decisions for the Inter-Andean Dry Forest in specific landscape areas.

Effects of habitat heterogeneity on bird communities in the forests of northeastern Germany

Habitat heterogeneity is a key factor for regulating biodiversity in temperate lowland forests. Specifically, stands associated with late forest development phases provide important habitat structures for many rare and threatened forest bird species. However, how forest stands that differ in their structural complexity, canopy conditions and tree species composition affect forest bird assemblages both at the local and landscape scale remains largely unclear. In a young moraine lake landscape of northeastern Germany, we assessed correlations of bird diversity and bird composition with stand properties. We used data from 48 transects (400 m) established in (1) unmanaged, closed-canopy, mature stands that were dominated by Fagus sylvatica (UDS), and (2) diverse managed, mixed coniferous stands with a mosaic of open and closed canopy patches (MCS). We found that bird communities of the UDS strongly differed from those in the MCS, with open habitat species being more frequent in the MCS. By contrast, differences in diversity measures were less distinct. Moreover, we identified nine indicator species for the UDS (Columba oenas, Cyanistes caeruleus, Muscicapa striata, Leiopicus medius, Certhia brachydactyla, Ficedula parva, Dryobates minor, Sturnus vulgaris, Ficedula hypoleuca) and seven indicator species for the MCS (Periparus ater, Pyrrhula pyrrhula, Regulus regulus, Prunella modularis, Lophophanus cristatus, Emberiza citronella, Anthus trivialis). Several famous ancient beech forest patches in Müritz National Park and the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve “Schorfheide-Chorin” were found to harbour the set of the UDS indicator species. The UDS support of bird coenosis is typical for old mature broadleaved forests and can be considered as an effective tool for bird conservation. Our results further indicate that the combination of unmanaged and managed stands associated with different habitat complexities would benefit forest bird assemblages at the landscape scale. Key words: forest specialist birds, bird conservation, non-managed forests, old-growth patches, Ficedula parva, Leiopicus medius, coniferous forest

Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence

Man-animal conflict is a very complex issue which not only involves disruption of forest ecosystem but also a very weak legal support system while establishing wildlife corridors in the protected areas. Developmental projects have also taken a heavy toll on the very existence of wildlife and its symbiotic relationship with the forest ecosystem. The most common causes of human-wildlife conflict are livestock predation, crop raiding, loss of human life, animal death, damage to property, and injuries to people and wildlife. There are some valid reasons for increased man-animal conflicts in the recent past and they are changes in land use patterns (change from protected forest patches to agricultural, horticultural, and monoculture plantations) which destroy wildlife, livestock grazing, unscientific structures and practices of forest management in the country, allowing cattle to graze into forest areas and decreased prey base caused by poaching of herbivores leading to carnivores wandering out of forests in search of prey to indulge in cattle lifting and preying on human children.

Functional and conservation-related traits of bird communities in tropical restoration and second-growth forest patches

Functional and conservation-related traits of bird communities in tropical restoration and second-growth forest patches

Predictability of the Spatiotemporal Pattern of Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) Rooting Influenced by Acorn Availability

The natural regeneration of the temperate oak forests is often insufficient. Acorns of the oak serve as the basis of the recruitment and key food resources in these ecosystems, thus the crop size, the germination success and seed predators have crucial roles in the process. Wild boar (Sus scrofa) is often considered as one of the main mitigating agents in oak regeneration. Therefore, in our study we analyzed and compared the spatial patterns of the acorn density and the patches rooted by wild boar within and among the different examined time intervals in a 28 ha Turkey-sessile oak (Quercus cerris, Q. petraea) forest stand. Data were collected between 2016 October and 2019 December. In the acorn density patterns, intra-annual similarities were recognized mainly, regardless of the crop size. Meanwhile, rooting patterns showed inter- and intra-annual similarities in mast years and intra-annual overlaps in non-mast years, indicating that masting is a fundamental driver of wild boar foraging behavior. However, a direct local connection between the rooting intensity and the acorn density could not be shown, as wild boars never fully depleted the acorns, even in intensively used patches. This study can help in predicting the intensively rooted forest patches, providing opportunities to manage wildlife conflicts.

Spatiotemporal patterns of urban forest carbon sequestration capacity: Implications for urban CO2 emission mitigation during China's rapid urbanization

Urban forests provide ecological functions and human well-being. However, spatiotemporal changes in urban forest carbon sequestration (CS) under rapid urbanization remain poorly understood. We established a model to predict the annual CS dynamics in urban forests based on plot-measured CS and Landsat images. Our results showed that the urban forest coverage in Changchun increased from 18.09 % to 24.01 % between 2000 and 2019, especially in the urban suburbs. However, urban forest patches became more fragmented and less connected, particularly in the urban center. The NDVI is better than other vegetation indices for mapping urban forest CS. We observed a gradual increase in urban forest CS capacity from 2000 to 2019, with higher CS capacity found in urban suburbs compared to urban centers. The class distribution of urban forest CS capacity was skewed toward low values (0–2 g·m−2·d−1), but this tendency diminished gradually. In 2000, the urban forest in Changchun offset approximately 2.11 % of carbon emissions but declined to 0.88 % by 2019 due to increased carbon emissions. Rapid urbanization was the main factor affecting CS, with impervious surface area accounting for 48.7 % of the variation. Urban landscape pattern indices also influenced the CS, with higher forest patch connectivity and lower patch density leading to greater CS capacity. Our study helps urban managers develop urban greening strategies for carbon neutrality and low-carbon city.

Landscape configuration alters movement behavior and space‐use of a Hawaiian forest bird community

Habitat loss and fragmentation are considered the greatest threats to ecosystems worldwide. Movement reveals how individuals meet their habitat requirements and respond to environmental heterogeneity, and thus can provide a powerful tool for investigating how animals respond to changes in landscape configuration. In our study, we examined the effects of landscape configuration on the space use and movement strategies of four endemic Hawaiian forest bird species spanning a range of foraging guilds (i.e. frugivore, nectivore, generalist). We used a landscape‐level automated radio tracking system to measure location data of 127 individuals tracked on Hawaiʻi Island in a naturally fragmented landscape created by volcanic activity in the mid‐ to late‐1800s and a nearby continuous landscape. We found that landscape configuration had a strong effect on movement patterns and space‐use of all four species. In the fragmented landscape, all species predominately occupied a single forest patch, displayed a high degree of area‐restricted search behavior, with few long‐distance movements away from their primary forest patch. These patterns contrasted significantly with those of conspecifics in the continuous landscape which exhibited relatively unconstrained movements across the forested landscape and had 3‐ to 12‐fold larger home ranges. Our findings indicate that landscape structure plays a strong role in shaping movement behavior of a tropical bird community and provides valuable insights into the behavioral mechanisms that may be important for species to persist within fragmented landscapes.

Threats to the Critically Endangered yellow-headed tortoise Indotestudo elongata in Jalthal Forest, eastern lowland Nepal

AbstractJalthal Forest (62.6 km2) is a remnant forest patch of a once continuous, lush and dense area of sal Shorea robusta and mixed deciduous vegetation in eastern lowland Nepal that is now surrounded by a dense human population. The forest is one of the last remnants of suitable habitat for the Critically Endangered yellow-headed tortoise Indotestudo elongata. This study explored the distribution of and conservation threats facing the yellow-headed tortoise in Jalthal Forest through field surveys in 20 community forests and structured interviews with 80 members of 22 community forest user groups and local people during September–November 2021. We surveyed 11.3 km2 of the forest and observed only four individuals of I. elongata, indicating a population density of 0.35/km2. Local people perceived that the species is decreasing mainly because of hunting (42%) and habitat deterioration from incursion of invasive species (30%). Based on the interviews with local people involved in hunting, an annual mean of 6.8 tortoises were killed during 2017–2021. The purposes of hunting were consumption (70%) and ethnomedicinal uses (30%) by the Meche and Sathar communities. Awareness campaigns and networks of communication amongst all stakeholders are required to conserve this species in Jalthal Forest.

Constraints on avian seed dispersal reduce potential for resilience in degraded tropical forests

Abstract Seed dispersal is fundamental to tropical forest resilience. Forest loss or degradation typically leads to defaunation, altering seed transfer dynamics and impairing the ability of forested habitats to regenerate or recover from perturbation. However, the extent of defaunation, and its likely impacts on the seed dispersers needed to restore highly degraded or clear‐felled areas, remains poorly understood in tropical forest landscapes. To quantify defaunation of seed‐dispersing birds, we used field survey data from 499 transects in three forested regions of Brazil, first comparing the observed assemblages with those predicted by geographic range maps, and then assessing habitat associations of frugivores across land cover gradients. We found that current bird assemblages have lower functional diversity (FD) than predicted by species range maps in Amazonia (4%–6%), with a greater reduction in FD (28%) for the Atlantic Forest, which has been more heavily deforested for a longer period. Direct measures of seed dispersal are difficult to obtain, so we focused on potential seed transfer inferred from shared species occurrence. Of 83 predominantly frugivorous bird species recorded in relatively intact forests, we show that 10% were absent from degraded forest, and 57% absent from the surrounding matrix of agricultural land covers, including many large‐gaped species. Of 112 frugivorous species using degraded forest, 47% were absent from matrix habitats. Overall, frugivores occurring in both intact forest and matrix habitats were outnumbered by (mostly small‐gaped) frugivores occurring in both degraded forest and matrix habitats (23 additional species; 64% higher diversity). These findings suggest that birds have the potential to disperse seeds from intact and degraded forest to adjacent cleared lands, but that direct seed transfer from intact forests is limited, particularly for large‐seeded trees. Degraded forests may play a vital role in supporting natural regeneration of small‐seeded tree species as well as providing a ‘stepping‐stone’ in the regeneration pathway for large‐seeded trees. We propose that both intact and degraded forests will support the restoration potential of tropical forest landscapes, and that bird‐assisted seed dispersal can be enhanced by maintaining buffer zones of degraded or secondary forests around remaining intact forest patches. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Linking Anthropogenic Landscape Perturbation to Herbivory and Pathogen Leaf Damage in Tropical Tree Communities.

Anthropogenic disturbance of tropical humid forests leads to habitat loss, biodiversity decline, landscape fragmentation, altered nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration, soil erosion, pest/pathogen outbreaks, among others. Nevertheless, the impact of these alterations in multitrophic interactions, including host-pathogen and vector-pathogen dynamics, is still not well understood in wild plants. This study aimed to provide insights into the main drivers for the incidence of herbivory and plant pathogen damage, specifically, into how vegetation traits at the local and landscape scale modulate such interactions. For this purpose, in the tropical forest of Calakmul (Campeche, Mexico), we characterised the foliar damage caused by herbivores and pathogens in woody vegetation of 13 sampling sites representing a gradient of forest disturbance and fragmentation in an anthropogenic landscape from well preserved to highly disturbed and fragmented areas. We also evaluated how the incidence of such damage was modulated by the vegetation and landscape attributes. We found that the incidence of damage caused by larger, mobile, generalist herbivores, was more sensitive to changes in landscape configuration, while the incidence of damage caused by small and specialised herbivores with low dispersal capacity was more influenced by vegetation and landscape composition. In relation to pathogen symptoms, the herbivore-induced foliar damage seems to be the main factor related to their incidence, indicating the enormous importance of herbivorous insects in the modulation of disease dynamics across tropical vegetation, as they could be acting as vectors and/or facilitating the entry of pathogens by breaking the foliar tissue and the plant defensive barriers. The incidence of pathogen damage also responded to vegetation structure and landscape configuration; the incidence of anthracnose, black spot, and chlorosis, for example, were favoured in sites surrounded by smaller patches and a higher edge density, as well as those with a greater aggregation of semi-evergreen forest patches. Fungal pathogens were shown to be an important cause of foliar damage for many woody species. Our results indicate that an increasing transformation and fragmentation of the tropical forest of southern Mexico could reduce the degree of specialisation in plant-herbivore interactions and enhance the proliferation of generalist herbivores (chewers and scrapers) and of mobile leaf suckers, and consequently, the proliferation of some symptoms associated with fungal pathogens such as fungus black spots and anthracnose. The symptoms associated with viral and bacterial diseases and to nutrient deficiency, such as chlorosis, could also increase in the vegetation in fragmented landscapes with important consequences in the health and productivity of wild and cultivated plant species. This is a pioneering study evaluating the effect of disturbances on multitrophic interactions, offering key insights on the main drivers of the changes in herbivory interactions and incidence of plant pathogens in tropical forests.

Urbanization drives divergence in functional diversity and composition of woody plant communities in remnant forest patches

Urbanization has a profound impact on the ecological processes and plant diversity of remnant forests. To understand the relationship between urbanization and woody plant communities in remnant forests, we conducted a study in Guiyang, China, where we sampled 120 plots in 15 remnant forest patches along an urbanization gradient. We evaluated the functional diversity of woody plants based on four functional diversity indices and nine functional traits. We compared the functional diversity among different types of woody plants and between interior and edge communities, and analyzed the changes in functional diversity and individual functional traits along the urbanization gradient. Our results indicate that urbanization significantly decreases the functional diversity of woody plant communities. Additionally, urbanization leads to shifts in functional composition, particularly in shrub species, with an increase in leaf N content and a decrease in leaf C content, leaf C/N ratio, seed germination rate and seed mass. These findings suggest that increasing urbanization reduces the values of high resource-conserving traits of woody plants in remnant forests. Therefore, it is crucial to limit additional urban expansion around remnant forest patches to protect the functional diversity and crucial plant species with strong resource-conserving traits.

Forest landscape connectivity to prioritize afforestation in urban ecosystems: Seoul as a case study

Forest landscape connectivity is a key indicator that reflects the quality and function of the ecological environment. In urban ecosystems, analysis frameworks are needed to prioritize and optimize afforestation projects that maintain and increase forest landscape connectivity to help mitigate the increasing fragmentation of urban habitats, coordinate the relationship between urban development and urban ecosystem services, and guide decision making processes. The objective of this study is to identify forest patches that are most worth conserving and small patches that make the most significant contribution to landscape connectivity after their transformation into forest patches in a high-density city. We conducted a case study in Seoul, South Korea, where we initially quantified the landscape connectivity changes from 2001 to 2018 using the probability of connectivity (PC) and integral index of connectivity indices. Subsequently, we calculated the importance of each forest patch for four different years and ranked the potential contribution of each patch based on data from 2018 using the delta values for PC index (dPC). Our results showed that forest landscape connectivity in Seoul increased significantly from 2001 to 2018. In all four years, the ten forest patches with the highest dPC values remained nearly unchanged and were large in size; however, the individual area of each patch was not strictly related to its importance for connectivity. Based on these findings, we further examined the potential effect that the afforestation of habitat patches smaller than 20 ha would have on the overall forest landscape connectivity in Seoul. We also identified the 50 most important patches for afforestation using six land use and land cover types to provide a guide for effective afforestation efforts in Seoul. We expect that this study could enhance the effectiveness of habitat connectivity intervention while providing a realistic strategy for ecological afforestation planning in urban ecosystems.

Socio-ecological impact of forest legislations on forest and forest-people of Jhargram District, West Bengal

For thousands of years, the first settlers of the sub-continent anchored in the vast inland forest ecosystems. These first settlers are still surviving in different residual forest patches and are known as Aboriginals or tribal people. As a livelihood strategy, forest people used to tame the services of the forest ecosystem according to their needs while maintaining a narrow ecological balance. The traditional social, cultural, and religious practices and beliefs of the forest people were not devoid of the forest ecosystem. Secondary data on the overlapping of forest patches indicates their coexistence. The indigenous forest people of Jhargram district, those dependent on the services of forest ecosystems have been deeply affected by the forest policies implemented before and after India's independence. The expansion of government control over the forest resources for maximization of revenue, particularly in colonial times, paved the way to restrict forest people to access the benefits of forest ecosystem services. The main objective of this study is to analyze the impact of various regulations on forest and forest-dependent tribal people in the Jhargram District of West Bengal. The discussion has revealed some specific impacts of the forest legislation, direct and indirect in nature, on their habitat, occupation, and social and nutritional conditions. These impacts have been assessed on the basis of primary data and information generated from the field and some certain indicators. Statistical and computational techniques have been used to assess various impact. The findings attest that the effects of such legislation are consequent more upon the habitat and livelihood of the tribal groups than the non-tribal human communities.

Complexity of cacao production systems affects terrestrial ant assemblages

Given the rapid changes in tropical agricultural production, the evaluation of different management practices has gained interest to determine the effects of land-use change on biodiversity. The conversion of forests into agricultural land is one of the main drivers of diversity loss. Agroforestry systems have been shown as a promising option to provide suitable yields in addition to conserving biodiversity. In this study we compared species richness and community composition of terrestrial ants in six different systems in a long-term experimental site established in 2009 in Bolivia: a full-sun monoculture and an agroforestry system under conventional management, a full-sun monoculture and an agroforestry system under organic management, a highly diverse and dense agroforestry system without external inputs and a secondary forest. Using pitfall traps, we sampled ants four times during a seven-year period (2015-2021). We collected a total of 85 ant species belonging to 6 sub-families and 41 genera. More than 80% of the species were recorded in less than 10% of the traps. Species richness did not significantly differ between the systems. However, species composition mainly differed between the fallow and the production systems, and within the latter, it followed the management intensity gradient, i.e., complex agroforestry, agroforestry and monocultures. The indicator species analysis clearly showed species exclusively associated with one or more production systems, whereas others were only associated with the secondary forest. Species with specialised trophic roles were more frequent in forest and agroforestry systems. Our results showed that the disturbance generated by cultivation was the main driver differentiating ant communities, but also reinforced the importance of the complexity and management intensity of the production system. These results have strong implications for landscape management and highlights the importance of preserving natural patches of forest but also diverse and complex agroforestry systems within the agricultural matrix for ant diversity conservation.

First Capture of a Jaguar Using a Minimally Invasive Capture System for GPS Tracking in an Isolated Patch of Atlantic Forest in Southern Brazil.

This study presents the first successful capture using GPS tagging of a jaguar (Panthera onca) using a minimally invasive capture system (MICS). We used snare-foot traps and a MICS during two capture campaigns in a fragment of Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil. The specimen disarmed snares on different occasions, and capture was only possible with the MICS. The captured jaguar, an estimated 16-year-old adult male, was monitored using a GPS Vertex Plus Iridium collar with an optimal performance of 86% in expected locations. The jaguar's home range (659 km2 by MPC and 174 km2 by 95%K) was within the observed range for the species and the animal was primarily maintained in protected areas. The habitat types most frequently used were native grassland (27.2% of 4798 fixes), marsh (24.8%), and dense lowland forest (24.7%). The use of a MICS for trapping jaguars is a promising technique that shows advantages in terms of efficiency, selectivity, portability, reduced potential risk of injury to animals or trappers, and animal stress compared to other capture methods used for the species.

Frugivore-mediated seed dispersal in fragmented landscapes: Compositional and functional turnover from forest to matrix.

Seed dispersal by frugivores is a fundamental function for plant community dynamics in fragmented landscapes, where forest remnants are typically embedded in a matrix of anthropogenic habitats. Frugivores can mediate both connectivity among forest remnants and plant colonization of the matrix. However, it remains poorly understood how frugivore communities change from forest to matrix due to the loss or replacement of species with traits that are less advantageous in open habitats and whether such changes ultimately influence the composition and traits of dispersed plants via species interactions. Here, we close this gap by using a unique dataset of seed-dispersal networks that were sampled in forest patches and adjacent matrix habitats of seven fragmented landscapes across Europe. We found a similar diversity of frugivores, plants, and interactions contributing to seed dispersal in forest and matrix, but a high turnover (replacement) in all these components. The turnover of dispersed seeds was smaller than that of frugivore communities because different frugivore species provided complementary seed dispersal in forest and matrix. Importantly, the turnover involved functional changes toward larger and more mobile frugivores in the matrix, which dispersed taller, larger-seeded plants with later fruiting periods. Our study provides a trait-based understanding of frugivore-mediated seed dispersal through fragmented landscapes, uncovering nonrandom shifts that can have cascading consequences for the composition of regenerating plant communities. Our findings also highlight the importance of forest remnants and frugivore faunas for ecosystem resilience, demonstrating a high potential for passive forest restoration of unmanaged lands in the matrix.