Forest Reserve Research Articles

Occurrence and temporal activity pattern of Burmese Red Serow (Capricornis rubidus, Bovidae) in Baraiyadhala National Park, Bangladesh: insights from a camera trapping study

Abstract No single studies on the Burmese Red Serows, a little known bovid to date yet considered as nationally endangered species, have been conducted in Bangladesh. As part of a systematic wildlife inventory and monitoring project, this study utilized 48 camera traps to elucidate their occurrence, activity pattern and possible sympatric association with other artiodactyls species inhabiting Baraiyadhala National Park. The study found 25 independent serow events with relative abundance index (RAI) of 0.89. The number of individuals seems low, but this is by far the country’s stronghold population. The Red Serows are mostly nocturnal and showed moderate temporal activity with barking dear (∆1 = 0.59) and wild boar (∆1 = 0.62) in this area. Anthropogenic pressures due to tourists (RAI = 4.8) and poachers (RAI = 1.7) were highly evident and must have negative impact on overall wildlife of the national park. The study suggests similar studies in adjacent protected area (Hazarikhil Wildlife Sanctuary), habitat protection and restoration program, and awareness raising program targeting forest dependent communities for long term conservation of this species.

Spatial distribution of earthworm community structure along the wildlife sanctuaries of West Bengal, with a glimpse of parthenogenesis in Metaphire houlleti (Perrier, 1872)

Spatial distribution of earthworm community structure along the wildlife sanctuaries of West Bengal, with a glimpse of parthenogenesis in Metaphire houlleti (Perrier, 1872)

Assessment of biometrics and stress indicators of the adult Village Weaver birds (Ploceus cucullatus) during breeding and post-breeding seasons in Jos, Nigeria

In this era of climate change, some biological conservationists' concerns are based on seasonal studies that highlight how wild birds' physiological fitness are interconnected with the immediate environment to avoid population decline. We investigated how seasonal biometrics correlated to stress parameters of the adult Village Weavers (Ploceus cucullatus) during breeding and post-breeding seasons of the Weaver birds in Amurum Forest Reserve. Specifically, we explored the following objectives: (i) the seasonal number of birds captured; (ii) whether seasonal baseline corticosterone (CORT), packed cell volume (PCV), and heterophil to lymphocytes ratio (H:L) were sex-dependent; (iii) whether H:L ratio varied with baseline (CORT); (iv) whether phenotypic condition (post-breeding moult) and brood patch varied with baseline (CORT) and H:L ratio; and (v) how body biometrics co-varied birds’ seasonal baseline (CORT), (PCV) and (H:L) ratio. Trapping of birds (May–November) coincided with breeding and post-breeding seasons. The birds (n = 53 males, 39 females) were ringed, morphologically assessed (body mass, wing length, moult, brood patch) and blood collected from their brachial vein was used to assess CORT, PCV and H:L ratio. Although our results indicated more male birds trapped during breeding, the multiple analyses of variance (MANOVA) indicated that the seasonal temperature of the trapping sites correlated (P < 0.05) significantly to baseline (CORT). The general linear mixed model analyses (GLMMs) indicated that the baseline (CORT) also correlated significantly to H:L ratio of the male and female birds. However, PCV correlated significantly to body size of the birds (wing length) and not body mass. Haematological parameters such as the baseline CORT and the H:L ratio as indicators of stress in wild birds. Hence, there is the possibility that the Village Weaver birds suffered from seasonally induced stress under the constrained effect of environmental temperature. Hence, future studies should investigate whether the effect observed is also attributable to other passerine species.

Assessing coarse woody debris by integrating full area sampling and line intersect sampling: Combining the best of both worlds

Effective and comprehensive monitoring of the quantity of deadwood has become an important aspect of forest inventories for studies on structural and demographic dynamics, biodiversity and carbon stocks. Assessing dead wood quantity, however, is challenging and time consuming due to the structural complexity of deadwood. To monitor coarse woody debris (CWD) in a 10-year remeasuring cycle, we propose to combine full area sampling, to assess and position large-diameter CWD, with line intersect sampling, to estimate the volume of small-diameter CWD. The aim was to simultaneously I) lower the work load in the field, II) ensure low variability in average CWD volume and III) enable remeasurement of a high share of individual CWD objects to study dead wood dynamics and related biodiversity. Using data from 1601 circular plots measured with full area sampling in 16 temperate forest reserves (Flanders, northern Belgium), we simulated line intersect transects and tested threshold diameters between 10 and 130 cm to subdivide CWD to be measured with full area or line intersect sampling. The work load of the combined sampling with a threshold diameter of 20 to 40 cm was about 50 to 90% of the full area sampling work load respectively. Yet, no significant increase in the coefficient of variation (CV) of the average CWD volume was registered for threshold diameters up to 30 cm (133 %) compared to the full area sampling (125 %). The probability to relocate a 30 cm diameter CWD object after 10 years was 50 % and the probability for remeasuring increased with diameter. Using full area sampling with 10 cm threshold results in only 32 % of the objects relocated and remeasured after 10 years; using the combined sampling, only positioning logs over 30 cm increases this figure to 67 %, thus avoiding idle work. We conclude that combining full area and line intersect sampling has the advantage of lowering the work load, increasing the share of relocated objects over time, while not significantly increasing the variability in average CWD volume. An optimal threshold diameter between both methods was comprised between 20 and 40 cm but might further depend on relative importance of work load, need for relocation, CV, the study setup (e.g. number and size of plots), stand characteristics (e.g. CWD volume, dominant tree species) and decay rate. We propose to use a 30 cm threshold diameter for measuring CWD in temperate forest reserves.

"Biodiversity Offsetting" in Uganda's Protected Areas: A Pathway to Restoration of Forest Biodiversity?

With limited national financing for conservation, there is an increasing interest in using biodiversity offset funds to strengthen protected area management. Offsetting measures can potentially be used in the restoration of degraded protected areas. However, there are concerns related to the uncertainty of restoration outcomes and time-lags before the expected benefits can be observed. Using a case of the Gangu Central Forest Reserve in central Uganda, we contribute empirical findings showing the potential and limitations of biodiversity offsetting by means of the restoration of a degraded forest reserve. We use forest cover change analysis and community surveys to determine forest changes after eight years of offset implementation, and forest inventories to analyse the current forest structure and composition to ascertain taxonomic diversity recovery. The results revealed that biodiversity offsetting led to a 21% increase in Tropical High Forest cover, and enhanced restoration of forest species composition and diversity. However, attaining permanence of the restoration benefits requires the regulation of community forest resource access and use. Strengthening forest management capacity to monitor the offset sites and compensating impacted communities for foregone forest resource benefits are crucial for the successful implementation of biodiversity offsets.

The Progress/Status of Ecological Assessment on the Intensive Land Use in Selenge and Darkhan-Uul Province, Mongolia

Abstract. The study area, it includes Darkhan-Uul and Selenge provinces of Mongolia, is included in the most favourable natural-geographical areas, and the migration of people with livestock from the peripheral areas has led to an increase in the population, as well as a sharp increase in the number of grazing animals, resulting in the effects of natural and human activities. give an evaluation, develop the basis for the proper use of the land in the future. In Mongolia, the methods and principles of land evaluation differ depending on the general classification and purpose of land, so considering these characteristics, land evaluation is carried out by (1) the Department of Agriculture, (2) the Department of Urban Development, Industry and Mines, (3) the Department of Roads and Networks, (4) it is divided into types of land with forest reserves (Tserenbaljir, B. Naranchimeg, 2004). In the "instructions for land evaluation" issued by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1976, in the assessment of land quality, in addition to the main indicators of soil fertility and moisture, climate, land cover and use, chemical pollutions such as an alkaline acidity. In the ecological assessment study, data on land use, soil, vegetation, climate, natural conditions, resources, socio-economic, satellite and field studies were collected in numerical and tabular form. The Ecological assessment in intensive land use is divided into qualitative and quantitative assessment. The Qualitative assessment predicts ecological properties. The Quantitative methods use multi-species numerical methods to record ecological elements and calculate the overall percentage of ecological characteristics.

UAV and Deep Learning: Detection of selected riparian species along the Ganga River

Abstract. Environmental protection and sustainable natural resource management are being recognised worldwide as essential goals to safe guard human health and well-being. Riparian zones, that face the highest decline in freshwater biodiversity, are of prime conservation priority because they are essential for regulating climate, preserving aquatic-terrestrial biodiversity, maintaining ground water recharge and restoring rivers. In today's fast-paced data-driven environment, artificial intelligence (AI) is the precise answer to a wide range of problems including biodiversity conservation and wildlife management. Leveraging advancements like Uncrewed/Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and AI has resulted innovative strides in wildlife conservation. This study utilised UAV imagery to record high-resolution data of aquatic habitat and species along the Ganga River and employed deep learning algorithms to analyse the data. Through extensive field surveys in the Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary, 7,025 photos representing a variety of environments, including 20,000 annotated samples of aquatic animals such as turtles and gharials were generated. Vision based computing capabilities such as pattern recognition model were developed to identify these species. To enrich and enhance the dataset and model, we used different image pre-processing techniques. Slight rotation (±5 degrees), minor cropping (up to 10%), and adjustments in brightness, saturation, and shear (±15%) were applied. Controlled blur (up to 0.5%) and exposure modifications (±5%) were also implemented on the image dataset to improve accuracy. Three Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architectures, single-stage detectors named YOLO v7, YOLO v8, and Roboflow 3.0, were used for detecting the select species. Results show YOLO v8 excels, achieving mean average precision (mAP) of 98.8% for gharial and 92.2% for turtle detection, with a rapid average detection time of 0.308 seconds per frame at 3200 × 3200 resolution. Additionally, our model demonstrates real-time species detection capability through innovative frame sampling techniques with UAVs. This methodology provides promising technique to collect scientific data on IUCN red listed turtles and critically endangered gharials, allowing detection, monitoring, and real time counting with minimal intrusion. In conclusion, the fusion of UAVs and deep learning promises to revolutionize habitat monitoring, aiding conservation decision-making.

On a collection of jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) from the Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, India

Two new species, Habrocestum sahyadri sp. nov., and Irura shendurney sp. nov. are described from the Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala. The unknown female of Habrocestum kerala Asima, Caleb, Babu &amp; Prasad, 2022 is described and three other species: Gelotia lanka Wijesinghe, 1991, Phintella accentifera (Simon, 1901) and Vailimia jharbari Basumatary, Caleb &amp; Das, 2020 are recorded from the locality. Detailed descriptions, diagnosis and illustrations of the species are provided.

Effects of ecological factors on the pollination biology and seed production of Salvia daiguii: A critically endangered ornamental species from China

Salvia constitutes one of the largest genera in the Lamiaceae, with approximately 1,000 species found worldwide, and is recognized for its high ornamental and medicinal value. Salvia daiguii is a multipurpose perennial herb that grows on cliffs in the Zhangjiajie City, Hunan Province, China. Nevertheless, the pollination biology of vulnerable plants on cliffs, specifically the effects of abiotic factors on flower visitation and seed set, remains poorly understood. In this study, we observed the effects of biotic factors: flowering phenology and flower characteristics, flower longevity, nectar volume and concentration, pollen viability and stigma receptivity, pollinator visitation frequency, pollen remaining and deposition, and breeding systems, as well as abiotic factors: habitat fountain, temperature, and humidity, on the pollination and seed production of S. daiguii in two populations in Zhangjiajie City. The pollination biology results reveal that S. daiguii has a mixed mating system that depends on pollinators. The flower visitation and seed set of S. daiguii in the absence of natural fountain areas in Tianmenshan National Forest Park was scarcely affected by biotic factors. However, we observed a significant reduction in pollinator types, visitation frequency, and natural seed set of this population owing to abiotic factors, including the presence of a fountain habitat and increased humidity. Further, seed set in the Zhangjiaxi Ecological Forest Reserve was affected by both biotic (serious pollen limitation) and abiotic (higher population temperature) factors. We considered that pollinators types, flower visitation frequency, and natural seed set are vulnerable to the influence of ecological factors in fragmented habitats. Our results reveal the mechanisms contributing to the endangerment of species exemplified by S. daiguii and underscore the significance of conservation efforts for the sustainable use of other endangered species.

Phytosociology and Stand Structure of Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest of Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary, Jharkhand, Eastern India

Assessing the composition and structure of ecosystems is of the utmost importance for the conservation of forests. Tree species diversity, distribution pattern and stand structure provide baseline information for conservation and management of the forest. The present study was conducted in the Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary to assess the diversity, composition, richness and stand structure. Standard sampling method was used for vegetation sampling and data collection. An aggregate of 2876 individuals belonging to 41 species, 34 genera and 22 families were identified from 2.5 ha sampling area. The sanctuary recorded tree density of 1151 ind./ha with a total basal area of 510.807 sq. m. Analysis of IVI value revealed that S. robusta (65.207), B. cochinchinensis (22.451), A. latifolia (18.071), T. tomentosa (15.604) and D. melanoxylon (12.449) were the dominant tree species in the sanctuary. The family Fabaceae was the most species-rich family with 9 species. Over 70% of tree species showed contiguous distribution pattern in the studied area. The sanctuary recorded diversity index (H') of 3.204, richness index (R') of 4.504 and evenness index (E) of 0.863. The stand structure indicates a natural satisfactory regeneration and healthy population in the studied forest areas. Density-girth class distribution showed that more than 75% of the total population was dominated by seedlings and saplings. The research findings suggests that the sanctuary is an ecolologically rich site with an expanding population. An efffective management and conservation strategy will ensure a sustained biodiversity and richness of this protected site.

Degradation Rate/Vulnerability Potential and Fertility Status of Luvisols in the Mandara Mountains (Far-North Cameroon).

Soil degradation emerges as one of the major problems in the locality of Sir in the Mandara Mountains, Far-North Cameroon. Inappropriate agricultural techniques resulting in land use change affect soil functions and seriously harm forest ecosystems. This study was conducted to analyse the current character of soils and access their degradation and their level of fertility. Twenty soil samples were taken at 15 cm depth. This includes ten in the plot under forest reserve and ten others in the plot under cultivation. Cultivation is responsible for the increase in bulk density (BD) (1.59 to 2.23 g/cm3), Mg (4.76 to 6.40 cmol·kg-1), Ca (10.44 to 11.26 cmol·kg-1), P (7.93 to 9.93 g/kg), and Mg/K (2.28 to 5.84) and decrease in CEC (38 0.15 to 31.46 cmol·kg-1), OM (2.76 to 1.08%), OC (1.66 to 0.62%), total nitrogen (0.08 to 0.05%), K (4.59 to 1.15 cmol·kg-1), Na (1.32 to 0.91 cmol·kg-1), C/N (25.69 to 13.86), and Ca/Mg (2.32 to 1.89). This variability in physicochemical properties reflects progressive soil degradation. Cultivated soils are subject to severe degradation or potential vulnerability (SDR/Vp = 4/2) due to texture, organic carbon, soil aggregate stability, sealing index, and total nitrogen. On the other hand, soils under forest reserve are subject to severe degradation or vulnerability due to the total nitrogen and sodium absorption ratio. The soils of the study area are subject to severe and extreme potential degradation or vulnerability due to BD, respectively, under forest reserve and cultivation. Two classes of fertility were identified: class II (plots under forest reserve) having a good level of fertility, characterized by good physical properties and severe limitations in nitrogen and phosphorus and class IV (cultivated plots) with a low level of fertility due to severe limitations in organic matter, phosphorus, and poor physical characteristics. The best indicator of the good quality of the luvisols of Sir is the pH, while the bulk density is an indicator of severe to very extreme degradation or high to very high vulnerability. The application of organic and mineral amendments is essential for raising the organic matter and nitrogen and phosphorus contents in these soils.

Investigating the healthcare-seeking behaviors of mobile phone users to improve cervical cancer screening in rural Uganda.

Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer in low- and middle-income countries, despite being preventable. Uganda, which lacks an effective screening program, has one of the highest global cervical cancer incidence rates. Mobile health (mHealth) technology has the potential to improve healthcare-seeking behaviors and access. The present study describes the connection between mobile phone access and healthcare-seeking behaviors in rural Uganda. Women were eligible for this cross-sectional study if they had no prior screening or treatment for cervical cancer in the past 5 years, were aged 30 to 49 years old, and were residents of the South Busoga Forest reserve. Survey data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. Of the 1434 participants included in the analysis, 91.4% reported having access to a mobile phone. Most respondents were aged 30-40 years, had a partner, had ≤primary education, and were farmers. Participants with mobile phone access were significantly more likely to report attending a healthcare outreach visit (access = 87.3%, no access = 72.6%, P < 0.001) or visiting a health center (access = 96.9%, no access = 93.5%, P < 0.001). Participants in both groups had largely positive attitudes around and good knowledge of cervical cancer screening. While attendance to healthcare services was high amongst participants, those with mobile phone access were more likely to seek healthcare services. Further inquiry into this association between mobile phone access and healthcare-seeking behavior is needed to optimize the improvements to cervical cancer screening when implementing interventions such as mHealth technology.

Agricultural land use policies and landscape dynamics: Evidence from rainforest agroecological zone

Agricultural-land use policies play a crucial role in shaping agroecological landscapes globally. The evidence suggests that some of these policies tend to have undesired feedback/trade-offs, particularly about coastal resource use and conservation planning. The present study explores how agricultural policies influence land use/land cover (LULC) transition patterns in Ghana's Rain Forest Agroecological Zone (RFAZ). Landsat satellite images for 1991, 2008, and 2022 were acquired for the LULC mapping. Change detection and Intensity analysis were used to assess the pattern of land change. Also, documentary research processes were used to review and assess agricultural land use policies. The results showed that before rubber-related policy implementation, oil palm plantation was the dominant LULC type in the 1990 s. In the 1990 s and early 2000 s, there was a conscious government drive to leverage oil palm plantation development. This led to the growth in the size of oil palm plantations within the RFAZ landscape, considering the zone’s conducive natural environment. However, between 2008 and 2022, corresponding to the period of the increased promotion of rubber cultivation through the Outgrower project in the RFAZ, rubber plantations became the predominant land use, with an area of 11,763.81 ha in 2008 and 21,611.61 ha in 2022. The results from the LULC mapping and the intensity analysis showed that the Rubber Outgrowers Plantation Project (ROPP) and Norpalm Smallholder Scheme Project (NSSP) have degraded the natural cover through rubber and oil palm cultivation. The authors conclude that landscape dynamics, particularly in rainforest agroecological zones, represent a nexus challenge transforming policy adaptation's discursive context. The study recommends that agriculture and landscape policy/projects must have/take intermediary steps to address the feedback/trade-offs from well-intended initiatives. The study further suggests that management plans and strategies in the RFAZ should be consistent with the strict protection of forest reserves and water bodies.

Collaboration or Contravention? Ramifications For Effective Participatory Decision-Making in Collaborative Forest Management at Echuya Central Forest Reserve, South Western Uganda

Participatory decision-making has been extensively adopted worldwide as an essential mechanism and a good governance principle to reach a consensus in natural resource management. However, in most communities, local people who depend on forests are not involved in the decision-making process regarding conserving protected areas. This research assesses the ramifications of collaboration or contravention on effective participatory decision-making in collaborative forest management in Echuya Central Forest Reserve. It provides insights into how community consultations and participation of forest-adjacent communities in planning meetings influence the conservation of protected areas. We collected data from a total of 639 respondents, including Collaborative Forest Management (CFM) group members and non-CFM community members, government institutions, conservation organizations, and local community leaders, using semi-structured questionnaires, interview guides, and Focus Group Discussion guides. Results indicate that community consultations allow CFM stakeholders, particularly community members, to give ideas on how such projects can be implemented without destroying forest resources, promoting the goal of conserving the forest reserve. Community members’ participation in planning meetings allows them to contribute ideas about relevant and appropriate forest conservation approaches. However, the National Forestry Authority (NFA) and other non-community actor groups dominate the decision-making process mainly because the NFA has the legal mandate to manage the forest reserve on behalf of the Government. We concluded that the connivance of government forestry officials with unauthorized forest resource users undermines the spirit of participatory decision-making. Dishonesty and lack of accountability hampered effective participatory decision-making, and low attendance at meetings undermines effective participation in decision-making. Thus, community members’ consistent attendance of meetings is paramount for positive outcomes of participatory decision-making for the conservation of forests

Taxonomic reassessment of the Herpetoreas xenura (Wall, 1907) (Squamata: Serpentes: Natricidae) from Myanmar with description of a new species

The review of the taxonomic status of Herpetoreas xenura species complex, based on morphological and molecular data, revealed a new species from Myanmar, which we describe as Herpetoreas davidi sp. nov. from the Rakhine Yoma Elephant Wildlife Sanctuary in Rakhine State. It is suggested to be a sister species to Herpetoreas pealii and Herpetoreas xenura sensu stricto, and can be separated from the latter species by a combination of morphological and scalation characters, and by its pattern. Another population from the Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary, Sagaing Region, was previously confused with H. xenura. However, as a closer examination of its morphology, shows it to be closer to Hebius khasiensis, we herein tentatively refer to this population as Hebius khasiensis, pending further molecular data confirming its taxonomic status. Consequently, we propose to temporarily remove Herpetoreas xenura from the fauna of Myanmar. Further studies, especially in the northwestern region of Myanmar, such as near border with India in Chin Hills and Naga Hills, are required. An updated key for the species of Herpetoreas is also provided.

Long-term, medium-term and acute stress response of urban populations of Eurasian red squirrels affected by different levels of human disturbance.

Animals in urban areas often encounter novel and potentially stressful conditions. It is important to understand how wildlife cope with anthropogenic disturbance. To investigate this specific adaptation we live-trapped squirrels in two study sites in Warsaw: a forest reserve and an urban park and we estimated stress responses at three levels: long-term and medium-term stress (the level of stress hormones, i.e. cortisol and cortisone concentrations, in hair and feces) and acute reaction to human-induced stress (measured during handling with the aid of the three indices: breath rate, struggle rate, and vocalization). According to GLMM models no difference in the stress hormones level was found between the two populations. The only differences in cortisol concentrations clearly depended on the season, i.e. being higher in autumn and winter comparying to other seasons. There was no influence of sex, or reproductive status on stress hormones. Forest squirrels had significantly higher breath rates, suggesting they were more stressed by handling. There was no difference in the struggle rate between study areas, this index was mostly affected by season (i.e. being highest in winter). First-trapped squirrels vocalized less than during the subsequent trappings. Assumingly, during the first, and more stressful trapping, squirrels used 'freezing' and/or little vocalization, while during next captures they used alarm calls to warn conspecifics. Overall, we showed that the two squirrel populations differed only in terms of their breath rate. This suggests that they did not differ in medium-term and long-term stress in general, but they can differ in acute response to handling. This also suggests that both populations were similarly affected by environmental factors. The lack of clear effects may also be due to population heterogeneity. Thus, in order to assess the effects of anthropogenic stressors a broader range of indicators and diverse analytical methods, including behavioral analyses, should be employed.

Assessing the trends of land cover dynamics and its major driving forces in the Rajparian Wildlife Sanctuary Kashmir, Himalaya

Assessing the trends of land cover dynamics and its major driving forces in the Rajparian Wildlife Sanctuary Kashmir, Himalaya

The curious case of small mammal community in a rice-Pantanal agroecosystem of Brazil: A tale of multiple diversity metrics

To understand how certain types of agroecosystem management provide resources for biodiversity and conservation opportunities beyond protected areas, it is necessary to consider the cumulative effects on a local scale. Our study focuses on a rice-Pantanal wetland agricultural system within Brazil, where our goals were: i) to quantify the impact of rice paddies on taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity metrics of small mammals as biodiversity indicators, ii) to compare diversity indices based on incidence and abundance data. We carried out a thorough assessment to sample small mammal species in both the rice paddy and the adjacent legal reserve by employing a multiple diversity metrics approach. We captured the small mammals until reaching saturation on the species accumulation curve over 12,774 trap nights, resulting in 447 individuals, 10 species, including seven rodents and three marsupial species. Abundance-based beta-diversity between rice-paddy and forest reserve were higher (0.95) than incidence-based estimate (0.33). The species composition differed between the legal reserve (8 spp.) and the rice paddy (7 spp.), with the reserve exhibiting higher taxonomic diversity values compared to the rice paddy. In terms of functional and phylogenetic diversity, overall, the rice paddy exhibited higher values for the incidence-based metrics and the abundance-based metrics indicated that the reserve was more diverse. We conclude that Neotropical Pantanal rice fields retain substantial functional and phylogenetic diversities, providing suitable habitats for species thriving in open and semi-aquatic environments. Simultaneously, the legal reserve retains an essential aspect of functional diversity, when considering abundance, needed to maintain ecosystem resilience and stability. Proper abundance estimation is thus a key parameter for accurately evaluating the role of agricultural landscapes as biodiversity conservation opportunities beyond protected areas. Abundance-based indices should be used to correctly evaluate the contribution of each habitat to agroecosystem sustainability, especially in seasonal or extreme event-prone environments.

Female-biased birth sex ratio in a female dispersal primate suggests local resource competition.

Group living may entail local resource competition (LRC) which can be reduced if the birth sex ratio (BSR) is biased towards members of the dispersing sex who leave the group and no longer compete locally with kin. In primates, the predicted relationship between dispersal and BSR is generally supported although data for female dispersal species are rare and primarily available from captivity. Here, we present BSR data for Phayre's leaf monkeys (Trachypithecus phayrei crepusculus) at the Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand (N = 104). In this population, nearly all natal females dispersed, while natal males stayed or formed new groups nearby. The slower reproductive rate in larger groups suggests that food can be a limiting resource. In accordance with LRC, significantly more females than males were born (BSR 0.404 males/all births) thus reducing future competition with kin. This bias was similar in 2-year-olds (no sex-differential mortality). It became stronger in adults, supporting our impression of particularly fierce competition among males. To better evaluate the importance of BSR, more studies should report sex ratios throughout the life span, and more data for female dispersal primates need to be collected, ideally for multiple groups of different sizes and for several years.

Soil organic carbon and nutrient characteristics of Anogeissus groves in old Opara forest reserve, Nigeria.

Forest-savanna transition zones of West Africa are uniquely characterized by forest groves, forest patches, or forest islands, the importance of which for sustainable resource management and their potential for carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling is often underrated. Our study conducted a comparative analysis of the soil organic carbon and nutrient characteristics of the Anogeissus groves in the old Opara forest reserve and their adjoining arable lands. We established 30 sampling frames of 100m × 100m plots with 15 frames per land use type. For each sampling frame, six observation points were randomly selected, and composite soil samples were collected at soil depths of 0-20cm and 20-50cm per observation point. Our results showed Anogeissus groves and their adjoining arable lands to exist on similar landscapes while the groves have enriched soil morphological characteristics (e.g., soil color), higher soil organic carbon (SOC), and better nutrient characteristics. There were strong positive relationships between SOC, effective cation exchange capacity, total nitrogen, calcium, magnesium and calcium, zinc, electrical conductivity, and copper. The significant soil organic matter accumulation in the groves accounts for the overall improved soil characteristics over the adjoining arable lands. Preserving the groves and similar Africanecosystems may be important in climate regulation, resources and biodiversity conservation, and ethnopharmacology for rural communities. Thus, a question arises: should more land be set aside for ecological conservation or for agricultural productivity?