High Deforestation Rates Research Articles

Accelerating Promotional Media on Social Media for Brand Awareness Forest Smoothie

With high deforestation rates, reforestation is important to restore the ecosystem. Forest Smoothie, an international beverage company with the concept of "buying a smoothie equals planting a tree", faced the problem of lack of brand awareness on Instagram. Observation shows that their Instagram feed is monotonous and inconsistent in design, typography, and colour. This research aims to redesign Forest Smoothie's social media promotion with a modern and attractive design, using bright colours, consistent typography, and illustrations that reflect the brand's character. Using the design sprint method, this research went through the understand, diverge, decide, prototype, and validate stages. The result is an Instagram feed template that effectively attracts audience engagement. Validation through questionnaires showed positive responses regarding the recognizable concept, colour, typography readability, consistency, and interaction.

Co-Management Effects on Forest Restoration in Protected Areas of Bangladesh: A Remote Sensing and GIS-Based Analysis

Co-management is a promising forest governance strategy that integrates local communities’ traditional rights and forest dependencies while aiming to improve forest cover and ecosystem health. Bangladesh, facing high deforestation rates and limited per capita forest area, has implemented co-management initiatives since 2003 to restore forest cover and support the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities. While the socio-economic impacts of co-management are well studied, its effects on forest cover remain underexplored. This study addresses that gap by using three common spectral vegetation indices (NDVI, EVI, and MSAVI), calculated from Landsat 7 data, to analyze forest cover changes in five major protected areas under co-management. The results indicated that dense forest cover (41–71%) was initially prevalent in these areas, but a significant decline occurred between 2004 and 2015, with slope values ranging from −3.7 to −0.96. In contrast, the non-co-managed control site exhibited a much smaller decline (slope: −0.48 to −0.62) across all indices. Notable increases in agricultural land and forest–agriculture mosaics were also observed in the protected areas under co-management. Global Forest Watch data further confirmed substantial forest cover loss, particularly in CWS (158.77 ha) and SNP (0.49 ha). These findings highlight the need to reassess co-management strategies to address ongoing forest degradation.

All Deforestation Matters: Deforestation Alert System for the Caatinga Biome in South America’s Tropical Dry Forest

This study provides a comprehensive overview of Phase I of the deforestation dryland alert system. It focuses on its operation and outcomes from 2020 to 2022 in the Caatinga biome, a unique Brazilian dryland ecosystem. The primary objectives were to analyze deforestation dynamics, identify areas with highest deforestation rates, and determine regions that require prioritization for anti-deforestation efforts and conservation actions. The research methodology involved utilizing remote sensing data, including Landsat imagery, processed through the Google Earth Engine platform. The data were analyzed using spectral unmixing, adjusted Normalized Difference Fraction Index, and harmonic time series models to generate monthly deforestation alerts. The findings reveal a significant increase in deforestation alerts and deforested areas over the study period, with a 148% rise in alerts from 2020 to 2022. The Caatinga biome was identified as the second highest in detected deforestation alerts in Brazil in 2022, accounting for 18.4% of total alerts. Hexagonal assessments illustrate diverse vegetation cover and alert distribution, enabling targeted conservation efforts. The Bivariate Choropleth Map demonstrates the nuanced relationship between alert and vegetation cover, guiding prioritization for deforestation control and native vegetation restoration. The analysis also highlighted the spatial heterogeneity of deforestation, with most deforestation events occurring in small patches, averaging 10.9 ha. The study concludes that while the dryland alert system (SAD-Caatinga—Phase I) has effectively detected deforestation, ongoing challenges such as cloud cover, seasonality, and more frequent and precise monitoring persist. The implementation of DDAS plays a critical role in sustainable forestry by enabling the prompt detection of deforestation, which supports targeted interventions, helps contain the process, and provides decision makers with early insights to distinguish between legal and illegal practices. These capabilities inform decision-making processes and promote sustainable forest management in dryland ecosystems. Future improvements, including using higher-resolution imagery and artificial intelligence for validation, are essential to detect smaller deforestation alerts, reduce manual efforts, and support sustainable dryland management in the Caatinga biome.

Evaluating the barriers to adoption of improved biomass cookstoves in Benue state, Nigeria

The prevalent use of inefficient traditional stoves for biomass cooking energy in Nigeria contributes to high rates of biomass consumption, deforestation, and harmful pollutant emissions. This study aimed to assess the constraints hindering the adoption of improved biomass cookstoves (IBCS) in Benue State, Nigeria. Data were randomly collected from 135 households and analyzed using descriptive (frequency, mean and percentage) as well as inferential statistics (binary probit regression). Findings revealed that 88% of households rely on fuelwood for cooking, with approximately 35% still using traditional stoves. However, 46% of households have adopted IBCS and recognized its advantages, including improved cooking speed, fuel economy, time savings in fuelwood collection, cost savings, and reduced smoke emissions. Additionally, various factors such as age, household size, access to credit, location, distance to market, membership of women's associations, fuelwood collection distance, and fuelwood sources were identified as constraints to IBCS adoption. To promote IBCS adoption, we recommend that development planners and extension officers raise awareness among households and provide them credit incentives through government and NGO support. This research significantly contributes to pertinent knowledge by shedding light on the challenges and opportunities associated with IBCS adoption in Nigeria, thereby informing policy and development initiatives in the country.

Revisiting the Narrative of Deforestation in Central and Southern Mainland Early Modern Portugal as a ‘Ruined Landscape’: The Case of Shipbuilding in Lisbon

AbstractScholars have largely blamed shipbuilding for maritime expansion for being the main driver of deforestation in early modern Portugal. This article sets out to revisit the origins and reproduction of this narrative by analysing three interconnected elements in a case study of Lisbon's shipyards. Firstly, it studies the claims of forestry policies from the 1400s to the mid‐1600s. Secondly, it addresses Portuguese writers and foresters of the nineteenth century. Thirdly, it surveys the calculations of deforestation rates provided by Portuguese and foreign authors and foresters. Three main conclusions can be drawn: (1) scholars’ arguments that shipbuilding was chiefly responsible for deforestation are based on the claims set out in Portuguese forestry policies, (2) nineteenth‐century authors and writers stated multiple causes to explain the significant deforestation in early modern Portugal, and (3) it is very likely that the high deforestation rates that nineteenth‐ and early twentieth‐century authors reported are partially due to shifts in the meaning of ‘woodland’.

Conservation and Avoided Deforestation: Evidence from Protected Areas of Tanzania

Tanzania dedicates a substantial proportion (38%) of its territory to conservation, with a large number of Protected Areas (PAs) managed under various regimes. Nevertheless, the country still experiences high rates of deforestation, which threaten the ecological integrity and socio-economic benefits of its forests. We utilized the Global Forest Change Dataset (2012–2022) and implemented a Propensity Score Matching (PSM) approach followed by a series of binomial logit regression modeling. Our objectives were to evaluate (1) the likelihood of PAs in avoiding deforestation compared with unprotected forest landscapes, (2) the variability in effectiveness among the different PA management regimes in avoiding deforestation, (3) evidence of leakage, defined here as the displacement of deforestation beyond PA boundaries as a result of protection inside PAs. Our findings reveal that, despite ongoing deforestation within and outside of PAs, conservation efforts are, on average, three times more likely to avoid deforestation compared with unprotected landscapes. However, the effectiveness of avoiding deforestation significantly varies among the different management regimes. National Parks and Game Reserves are nearly ten times more successful in avoiding deforestation, likely because of the stringent set of regulations and availability of resources for implementation. Conversely, Nature Forest Reserves, Game Controlled Areas, and Forest Reserves are, on average, only twice as likely to avoid deforestation, indicating substantial room for improvement. We found little evidence of the overall leakage as a consequence of protection. These results highlight the mixed success of Tanzania’s conservation efforts, suggesting opportunities to enhance the effectiveness of many less protected PAs. We conclude by proposing potential strategic pathways to enhance further the climate and ecosystem benefits of conservation in Tanzania.

Charting the future of high forest low deforestation jurisdictions

High forest low deforestation jurisdictions (HFLDs) contain many of the world's last intact forests with historically low deforestation. Since carbon financing typically uses historical deforestation rates as baselines, HFLDs facing the prospect of future threats may receive insufficient incentives to be protected. We found that from 2002 to 2020, HFLDs (n = 310) experienced 44% higher deforestation rates than their historical baselines, and 60 HFLDs underwent periods of high deforestation (deforestation rate > 0.501%) at 0.983 ± 0.649% (mean ± SD)-a rate 7.5 times higher than the 10-y historical baseline of all HFLDs. For HFLDs to receive sufficient carbon finance requires baselines that can better reflect future deforestation trajectories of HFLDs. Using an empirical multifactorial model, we show that most contemporary HFLDs are expected to undergo higher deforestation from 2020 to 2038 than their historical baselines, with 72 HFLDs likely (>66% probability) to undergo high deforestation. Over the next 18 y, HFLDs are expected to lose 2.16 Mha y-1 of forests corresponding to 585 ± 74 MtCO2e y-1 (mean ± SE) of emissions. Efforts to protect HFLD forests from future threats will be crucial. In particular, improving baselining methods is key to ensuring that sufficient financing can flow to HFLDs to prevent deforestation.

Impactos das Atividades Agrícolas em Área de Amazônia Legal: Análise Espaço-Temporal das Mudanças de Cobertura do Solo entre 1985 e 2022

The Brazilian Forest Code stipulates the conservation of 80% of forested areas on rural properties as legal reserves. However, in recent decades, the expansion of agricultural areas has resulted in significant alterations to land use and cover. The objective of this investigation is to analyze the changes and transformations that have occurred in land use and coverage in the city of Sinop-MT, which is derived from the occupation of the Brazilian Legal Amazon. The spatio-temporal change between the years 1985 and 2022 was investigated. The methodology employed to obtain the maps was through the MapBiomas Platform. Socioeconomic reports were collected from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) database. The results indicated that agriculture in the region advanced significantly between 1995 and 2005, corresponding to the economic boom under the Real Plan. This period saw a surge in territorial expansion in the northern region of Mato Grosso, which was encouraged by the federal government. This expansion led to high rates of deforestation. Nevertheless, in 2004, monitoring programs were initiated with the objective of containing deforestation in the Legal Amazon. This resulted in the cessation of agricultural expansion between the years 2005 and 2022.

Fire is associated with forest degradation and economic land concessions, but not land conversion in the rapidly transforming Cambodian landscape

Abstract Cambodia is beset by high deforestation rates and fire frequencies. From 2001–2020, forest cover declined by 34%, and cropland and rubber expanded by 31,401 km2 and 4,530 km2, respectively; meanwhile nearly 8.7 million fires burned 41.6% of the land. Fires may be associated with deliberate land change, stable land management systems, and unplanned forest degradation. We integrated annual land cover and monthly burned area data from 2001–2020 to test three hypotheses. First, if fire is used during land conversion, there would be a detectable pulse in fire activity in the year immediately prior to, and the year of land cover change. Our temporal analysis found statistically elevated burn rates in five of 16 transition tests, however, they were typically <1% outside the predicted range, indicating no practical significance in the association of fire with land cover change. Second, fire prevalence would be lower in land managed for conservation or agricultural production than unclassified or unmanaged land. persistent forest and shrubland burned at significantly higher rates than expected, cropland burned significantly less, burning was almost absent from rubber plantations, and forests in protected areas (PAs) exhibited lower total burn percentages than unclassified land or industrial economic land concessions (ELCs), thus supporting the fire-land management hypothesis. However, total burned area in ELCs was greater than unclassified land for several persistent land cover classes, suggesting that local landowners may prevent fire in commercially valuable private agricultural land, but there may be no such prevention measures in industrial ELCs. Anti-fire policy enforcement in ELCs should be enhanced. Third, forests that converted into (degraded) shrublands would experience increasing fire frequency in the years leading up to transition, a hypothesis we found strong support for through our temporal analysis. Cambodia’s 2013 Law on Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting deputizes the public to enforce its provision, however given that the vast majority of fires occur in persistent forest in state-owned land, collective action problems are likely to hinder its effective implementation.

PRELIMINARY MONITORING OF WATER QUALITY AT BANTURUNG VILLAGE, BUKIT BATU DISTRICT, PALANGKA RAYA CITY

Water is a vital necessity for human and living things in general. It is undeniable that the decline in water quality today is the result of human activities that overexploit the environment. People's lifestyles that pay less attention to environmental aspects such as throwing garbage out of place, disposing of hazardous waste, and changing the function of forest areas that can increase the potential for erosion and often cause sedimentation at the bottom of the waters have a negative impact both directly and indirectly on the natural environment, especially water sources. High rate of forest degradation and deforestation has a significant impact on changes and decreases in water quality. In this study, water quality monitoring was conducted using several parameters as an initial step to understand the condition at the Dam and Clean Water Facility in Banturung Village, Bukit Batu District, Palangka Raya City. The results obtained from the analyzed parameters include odorless, pH 5.9, turbidity 1.0 NTU, temperature 28.1 °C, color 3.63 TCU, total dissolved solids (TDS) 10.2 mg/L, nitrate (NO3-) 0.608 mg/L, nitrite (NO2-) 0.002 mg/L, iron (Fe) 0.038 mg/L, and manganese (Mn) 0.006 mg/L.

Deforestation drivers in northern Morocco: an exploratory spatial data analysis

Formulating effective policies to address or mitigate deforestation requires a comprehensive understanding of the contributing factors. This study examines the drivers of deforestation from 2001 to 2020 in the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima (TTA) region, a northern Moroccan area distinguished by the country’s highest deforestation rate. Through an extensive review of existing literature and employing Geist and Lambin’s deforestation framework, we identified five key causes: infrastructure extension, agricultural expansion, logging, wildfires as direct causes, and demographic factors as an indirect cause. Data on deforestation and its contributing factors were sourced from diverse databases, including Global Forest Change (GFC), Global Land Analysis and Discovery (GLAD), Burned Area Product (MODIS Fire_CCI51), World Population, Forest Proximate People (FPP), and National Forest Inventory (NFI) datasets. Pixel-level analysis of GFC data indicated that wildfires are the primary driver of deforestation in the region, accounting for 35.2%, followed by agricultural expansion (30.6%), logging (13.2%), and infrastructure extension (10.1%). The remaining 10.9% of losses were attributed to other disturbances, such as illegal extraction, pests, and dieback. Spatial patterns were further analyzed through Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA) methods at a 1 km2 gridded scale, revealing strong clustering for all studied factors. Spatial relationships were explored using the bivariate local Moran’s index, which highlighted the highest spatial dependence between deforestation and fires (I = 0.21). Correlations between deforestation and other factors, including agricultural expansion, logging, infrastructure extension, and demographic pressure, were assessed at 0.18, 0.17, 0.08, and 0.05, respectively. Landscape pressures (LSP), encompassing deforestation, agricultural expansion, fires, infrastructure extension, and demographic pressure, were analyzed using the local Geary index, revealing a positive correlation in approximately 59% of spatial units. Last, a composite map of LSP clusters and an explanatory diagram illustrating dominant patterns in the TTA region were generated based on the results from local Geary’s multivariate and local Moran’s univariate tests.

Impacts of climate change in taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity in snakes in largest dry forest ecoregion, the Gran Chaco

The impacts of anthropogenic activities have significantly contributed to recent and future climate changes worldwide. The future effects of climate change on biodiversity have been intensively studied globally over the past two decades. Currently, dry ecoregions are among the most threatened ecosystems in the world. In South America, three such seasonal dry ecoregions stand out: the Cerrado, Caatinga, and the Gran Chaco. Among these, the Chaco has experienced high deforestation rates and landscape degradation over the last decade, making it a top priority for conservation efforts. In this study, we employed ecological niche modeling to estimate the present and future distribution of snakes in the Chaco region. Our goal was to assess how snake diversity will change with projected climate changes across this geographic area. Our findings suggest that snake assemblages in the Chaco will undergo significant changes under future climatic conditions, with a clear trend toward biotic homogenization of the ecoregion and a decrease in species richness. These negative changes will likely extend to the protected areas within the Chaco, resulting in biotic homogenization and a loss of species richness.

Temporal evolution of deforestation in the Xingu River Watershed between 2008 to 2020

Anthropic activities that alter land cover patterns in Watersheds, such as deforestation, affect the food and sanitary security of the population. Thus, the objective of this study was to develop a quantitative analysis of the temporal evolution of deforestation in the Xingu River Watershed between the years 2008 and 2020. To achieve this, the methodology was organized into the following steps: Database construction (Xingu River Watershed boundaries, deforested areas, and Land Use and Land Cover); Data preprocessing; Analysis of the temporal evolution of deforestation; and Quantitative analysis of land cover change in the deforested areas. It became evident that deforestation did not exhibit a standardized behavior, due to the large proportion of deforested areas in 2008 and the abrupt reduction in 2012. Furthermore, the deforestation in 2012, 2016, and 2020 resulted in greater conversion of native forests into pasture than the regeneration of these areas. Therefore, it can be concluded that 2008 had the highest deforestation rate, due to the increase in soybean prices, and that 2012 had the lowest rates due to the implementation of environmental policies, highlighting the relationship between environmental policies and the seasonality of commodity prices with deforestation rates. It was also concluded that the main destination for the deforested areas has been pastureland for livestock, and a viable solution to identify and punish offenders, as well as support small-scale producers and recover areas devastated by deforestation, is land regularization.

Bats and Mayan temples: Bat diversity and the potential for conservation of archeological zones in Yucatan, Mexico

AbstractThe role of archeological zones in biological conservation has been highlighted because of their restrictions over land‐use change, size, and maintenance of upstanding vegetation. The Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico has over 2000 archeological zones amidst biological, ecological, and culturally diverse landscapes. However, due to population centers and tourism growth, the peninsula is experiencing high deforestation and habitat fragmentation rates. To explore the role of archeological zones in biological conservation, we focused on bat species because of their high mobility, use of human structures as refugia, and the ecosystem services they provide. Using mist nets and roost surveys, we compared the bat diversity in four highly visited archeological zones during the dry and wet seasons. In a total effort of 34,560 m2 mist net hours, we found 23 species from six families and seven guilds, representing 53% of all bat species known from the Yucatan state, including two endangered species for Mexico: Mimon cozumelae and Micronycteris schmidtorum. We found between 12 and 19 species in each archeological zone, and the communities were similar between the four sites and between seasons. The Phyllostomidae family was dominant across all sites, accounting for 92% of all the captures. We also recorded 12 species across 52 diurnal and nocturnal roosts, suggesting that Mayan archeological structures could offer several advantages to bats despite the high visitation of tourists. Our results emphasize the need to conduct research beyond natural protected areas to complement conservation policies and incentivize the inclusion of archeological zones in Yucatan's bat conservation plans.Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.

Current knowledge of amphibian diversity in Sumatra, and its significance for conservation

Abstract The amphibians of the Indonesian island of Sumatra are poorly known, despite it being recognized as a biodiversity hotspot. For determining conservation priorities, up-to-date knowledge of the state of amphibian diversity in Sumatra is crucial, particularly considering the high deforestation rate on the island. To address this, I compiled and analysed a comprehensive dataset for amphibians known from Sumatra, to identify knowledge gaps and assess the significance of these data for conservation on the island and, more broadly, across Indonesia. The compilation indicates there are 135 amphibian species currently recorded for Sumatra, 55% more than the number known in 1923. Approximately 44 species have been described since 2000. Associated data on larvae and calls is lacking for many species. Although 66% of the amphibians of Sumatra are categorized as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, this may not represent the actual conservation status of these species because many of the assessments are outdated. In addition, 14% of species have not yet been evaluated. This study highlights the need for more comprehensive studies on the amphibians of Sumatra.

The impact of land use and cover changes on river flows in Wundanyi Catchment of Taita Hills, Kenya (1970–2030)

<p>Taita Hills are one of the most important biodiversity hotspots of Kenya but are experiencing a high rate of deforestation due to the to the conversion of its original forestland to agriculture and settlement during the last century. These landscape dynamics, coupled with rainfall fluctuations in these critical ecosystems, may significantly affect water resource distribution and food security in Taita Taveta County and its environs. This study aimed to establish the trends of land use/cover change (LUCC) in the Wundanyi catchment from 1970 to 2030 and predict their specific and combined effects on surface runoff and stream flow in the same period. The analysis was based on statistical trend analysis and dynamic landscape modeling using both historical and primary data from the Wundanyi catchment and Landsat TM and ETM+ imagery of Taita Hills for 1990, 2000, and 2010. Results show highly variable mean seasonal and annual values of discharge in Wundanyi catchment, probably attributed to environmental changes affecting Taita Hills in general and Wundanyi catchment in particular. Compared to 1990, major land use/cover changes in 2010 were featured by the expansion of built-up area (250%), plantation forest (23.7%), broadleaved forest (17.4%), and thicket (15.9%). It was also notable the decrease in woodland (−30.3%), cropland (−21.6%), and shrubland (−0.8%). Dynamic spatial trends by the year 2030 will be evidenced by increased thicket by 0.41% per annum (<em>R</em><sup>2</sup> = 81.6%) and by decreased plantation forests (−0.13%; <em>R</em><sup>2</sup> = 91.3%), woodland (−0.10%; <em>R</em><sup>2</sup> = 77.6%), shrubland (−0.11%; <em>R</em><sup>2</sup> = 85.2%), broadleaved forests (−0.03%; <em>R</em><sup>2</sup> = 56.6%) and cropland (−0.09%; <em>R</em><sup>2</sup> of 84.4). These changes will shape the catchment landscape and influence its hydrology, unless the existing forest and agricultural policy interventions are enforced. Hence, crop diversification, agroforestry, and soil and water conservation structures are recommended to maintain effective control of LUCC on hydrological processes going on in the Wundanyi catchment.</p>

Two decades of clear-cutting threats in the Brazilian Amazonian protected areas around the Jirau, Santo Antônio, and Belo Monte large dams

Deforestation rates in the Amazon have markedly increased in the last few years, affecting non-protected and protected areas (PAs). Brazil is a hotspot of Protected Area Downgrading, Downsizing, and Degazettement (PADDD) events, with most events associated with infrastructure projects. Despite the threats dams impose on PAs, there is a knowledge gap in assessing deforestation in PAs around large dams in the Amazon. This study investigates how deforestation affects Biodiversity Protection Areas (BioPAs) and Indigenous Lands around the Jirau and Santo Antônio (JSA) dams (Madeira River, Rondônia) and Belo Monte dam (Xingu River, Pará) in the Brazilian Amazon. We compared clear-cutting between PAs and control areas and the annual rates of forest change between pre-dam and post-dam periods. We discussed deforestation-related factors (e.g., PADDD events and the presence of management plans or councils). Our results show an increase in deforestation after the operation of the dams when environmental control from licensing agencies decreases and other political and economic factors are in practice. Indigenous Lands experienced a significant increase in deforestation around the Belo Monte dam, which is associated with the demarcation process and land conflicts. Surrounding the JSA dams, sustainable use BioPAs showed high deforestation rates, and 27 PADDD events were reported, four directly related to dams. In addition to dams, deforestation was associated with the crisis of Brazilian democracy and the weakening of environmental policies. In conclusion, the weak environmental control from environmental licensing agencies during dam operation and PADDD events have contributed to increased deforestation rates and additional stresses in the Amazon.

State-Directed Wood Industry Upgrading for Forest Protection and Economic Development in the Global South: Insights From Teak Processing in the Lao PDR

Asymmetric timber trade between least-developed countries with large forest resources but backward processing industries and emerging economies has led to an uneven distribution of value in international timber commodity chains. Selling their raw timber with no domestic value added contributes little to socio-economic development and is associated with high rates of deforestation. The Lao PDR has served as a raw timber frontier for advanced timber industries in neighboring countries, leading to forest loss and related environmental problems. In response, since 2015, the Lao government has adopted drastic policy measures to end forest degradation and upgrade its timber industry (e.g., log export ban). Using teak as an example, our study provides empirical ex-post evidence on the effectiveness of state-imposed timber industry upgrading policies. The study relies on expert interviews with key policy actors at national and local levels, as well as an enterprise survey and cluster analysis conducted in Xayyabouly province. These drastic policies had far-reaching implications for the structure of the timber industry and the configuration of the timber value chain and rural development.

Climate variability and river flow changes in Wundanyi sub-catchment of Taita hills, Kenya

<p>Wundanyi sub-catchment of Taita hills is experiencing a high rate of deforestation due to the conversion of all its original forestland to agriculture and settlement during the last century. The landscape dynamics coupled with rainfall fluctuations in these critical ecosystems may significantly affect water resource distribution and food security in Taita Taveta County and its environs. This study aimed to establish the trends of selected hydroclimatic variables in Wundanyi sub-catchment from 1970 to 2030 and their specific and combined effects on surface runoff and streamflow in the same period. The analysis was based on statistical trend analysis and dynamic landscape modelling using both historical and primary hydroclimatic data from Wundanyi and Voi weather stations. Results show highly variable mean seasonal and annual values of temperature, rainfall, runoff and discharge in both Wundanyi and Voi weather stations. Increasing mean temperatures and rainfall were observed during the long dry season (JJAS), while decreasing seasonal discharges were observed during both the JJAS dry season and the OND short rainy season. These anomalies were pronounced in 1980–1981, 1986–1987 and 1992–1993, probably due to both global and local environmental changes affecting Taita Hills in general and Wundanyi sub-catchment in particular. The predicted effects of rainfall fluctuation were supported by declining surface runoff of 1.3% during JJAS, and an increase of 0.8% during the OND, with similar effects on river discharges. The combined effects of climate variability and Land use and cover changes (LUCC) on surface runoff were estimated to an increase of 200 mm during JJAS and 370 mm during OND, and while river discharges increased by 2.37 m<sup>3</sup>/s and 1.93 m<sup>3</sup>/s during JJAS and OND, respectively. Consequently, natural forest covers have significant control effects on surface runoff and can boost river discharges amid diverse agricultural cropping practices. Hence, crop diversification, agroforestry, and soil and water conservation structures are recommended to maintain effective control of LUCC on hydrological processes going on in Wundanyi sub-catchment.</p>

Mitogenome-based genetic management of captive Great Hornbill in Thailand: Implications for reintroduction

The Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis) is globally vulnerable due to high rates of deforestation and hunting and are therefore a target for restoration. Captive breeding programs in Thailand maintain many Great Hornbills, however active genetic management of captive hornbills was not incorporated into the species recovery plan. With Great Hornbill reintroductions planned for northern Thailand in the immediate future, lack of genetic profiles and phylogenetic relationships among potential founders might hamper population recovery efforts. We assessed the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) diversity, genetic structure, and evolutionary history of 97 captive Great Hornbills across five zoos in Thailand. Among the 97 samples, we found 21 haplotypes with a haplotype and nucleotide diversity of h = 0.81336 ± 0.021 and pi = 0.00108 ± 0.00040, respectively. The maintenance of mitogenome diversity and no genetic differentiation between five captive populations (FST = 0.00000–0.09723, p > 0.05) might be a result of frequent founder exchange among facilities. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the existence of a southern clade BBITH13, indicating a genetically distinct southern population. To protect these genetic lineages and maintain adaptability of hornbills that have been reintroduced, breeding facilities that contain unique haplotypes should be given high priority in breeding plans. Our data support the evolutionary value of the captive hornbill population in Thailand and highlight the significance of incorporating active genetic management strategies into the species recovery plan for Great Hornbills.