Indigenous Forest Research Articles

Repeat airborne laser scanning to assess canopy height changes in tropical montane forests

Abstract. Tropical montane forests are vital ecosystems globally, preserving biodiversity, carbon stocks, and capturing moisture. We employed two airborne laser scanning (ALS) data sets to study changes in montane forest canopy heights in the Taita Hills, Kenya between 2014/2015 and 2022. We studied two forests, Ngangao (129 ha) and Yale (57 ha), which encompassed both indigenous montane forest and exotic plantations. First, forest types were mapped using field observations and aerial imagery, and then, canopy height changes were analysed using canopy height models at spatial resolution (i.e. the cell size) ranging from 1 m to 20 m. The results revealed overall increase in canopy height in the studied forests, with considerable spatial variation between the forest segments and main tree species. Planted exotic tree species, particularly eucalyptus but also pine and cypress, exhibited faster growth rates than native tree species. Point density differences between the ALS data sets can cause bias to estimation of canopy height changes. However, we observed that reducing the cell size of the canopy height models from 1 m to 10 m and 20 m, decreased the positive trend between point density difference and overestimation of canopy height change due to higher point density of more recent ALS data set. These findings contribute to our understanding on spatial complexity of montane forest ecosystems dynamics and help informing forest monitoring and development of management strategies for fragmented forests in montane regions.

The Wetu Telu Community’s Customary Chief Influence on the Management of Indigenous Forests in Bayan, North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara

The existence of an institution system and customary chief is very important for the sustainability of customary forest management. This study attempts to explain the function of the traditional chief of Wetu Telu community in the management of indigenous forests in the Bayan Sub-District, North Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara Province, as well as the institutional framework and changes in that function. Observation, interviews, and documentation were used to collect data. The data obtained was analyzed thematically using Nvivo 12 Software, while a descriptive analysis used the Milles and Huberman Model. The results show that customary chiefs have the following roles: raise public awareness, spearhead conservation efforts, convey moral and spiritual messages, guide and oversee conservation efforts, mediate conflicts of interest related to nature, lead religious activities related to nature, and establish communication and collaboration. The institutional system of the Wetu Telu community’s customary chief consists of several components, including special requirements, an appointment mechanism, personnel, a term of office, a source of income, and a dismissal mechanism. The role of the customary chief in indigenous forest management continues to be strengthened from time to time. The reasons for strengthening the role of the customary chief are the issuance of the Constitutional Court Decision Number 35 of 2012 concerning the status of indigenous forests, the recognition of the success of local wisdom-based forest management patterns, increasing public awareness of the importance of environmental conservation, global warming, and, the development of ecotourism. Keywords: customary chief, indigenous forest management, local government, Wetu Telu community

Landscape patterns drive provision of nature's contributions to people by mobile species

Abstract Predicting how nature's contributions to people (NCP) vary spatially remains a challenge. For NCP provided by mobile species, it is unclear how predictions need to account for the influence of multiple habitat types that act as sources, sinks and potential distractors of the NCP‐providing species. Existing approaches that do not account for these effects may inaccurately predict outcomes in real landscapes. To move beyond these limitations, we transfer quantitative inference approaches from movement ecology to explore how spatial habitat patterns determine the negative NCP of the invasive common brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula in New Zealand. We used a Bayesian model to investigate how the size of, and distance from, grassland and indigenous and exotic forest patches together contribute to relative possum density (measured by capture probability across a trapping network) in a heterogeneous 11,000‐ha landscape. We found that indigenous and exotic forest area were the most important factors in determining possum density. Although capture probability declined with increasing grassland area, the addition of grassland did not improve the relative model fit above one with indigenous forest as the only habitat. We expected differences in predicted possum density at habitat boundaries, for example, due to preferential foraging at edges. We found that indigenous and exotic forests contributed to capture probability interactively, such that capture probability at the between‐habitat edge was lower than expected, given the habitat area. We also found that models allowing for non‐linear habitat effects of exotic forests or grasslands, but not indigenous forests, were significantly better at predicting possum density than simpler models. Synthesis and applications. Our novel approach for spatial prediction can be applied to any of nature's contributions to people (NCP), and extended to identify trade‐offs and synergies among multiple NCP. For example, the negative NCP of possum density trades off with multiple known positive NCP from indigenous forests, including culturally significant non‐material NCP, and material NCP produced by exotic forests. We recommend that landscape management plans to maximise these positive NCP in future scenarios also consider how the risk of possum density may dampen net NCP provision. To minimise this negative NCP, our results support trap deployment in both indigenous and exotic forest.

Expansion of Naturally Grown Phyllostachys edulis (Carrière) J. Houzeau Forests into Diverse Habitats: Rates and Driving Factors

Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis (Carrière) J. Houzeau), which is native to China, is considered to be an invasive species due to its powerful asexual reproductive capabilities that allow it to rapidly spread into neighboring ecosystems and replace existing plant communities. In the absence of human intervention, it remains poorly understood how indigenous moso bamboo forests naturally expand into surrounding areas over the long term, and whether these patterns vary with environmental changes. Using multi-year forest resource inventory data, we extracted moso bamboo patches that emerged from 2010 to 2020 and proposed a bamboo expansion index to calculate the average rate of patch expansion during this period. Using the first global 30 m land-cover dynamic monitoring product with a fine classification system, we assessed the expansion speeds of moso bamboo into various areas, particularly forests with different canopy closures and categories. Using parameter-optimized geographic detectors, we explored the significance of multi-factors in the expansion process. The results indicate that the average expansion rate of moso bamboo forests in China is 1.36 m/y, with evergreen broadleaved forests being the primary area for invasion. Moso bamboo expands faster into open forest types (0.15 < canopy closure < 0.4), shrublands, and grasslands. The importance of factors influencing the expansion rate is ranked as follows: temperature > chemical properties of soil > light > physical properties of soil > moisture > atmosphere > terrain. When considering interactions, the primary factors contributing to expansion rates include various climate factors and the combined effect of climate factors and soil factors. Our work underscores the importance of improving the quality and density of native vegetation, such as evergreen broadleaved forests. Effective management strategies, including systematic monitoring of environmental variables, as well as targeted interventions like bamboo removal and soil moisture control, are essential for mitigating the invasion of moso bamboo.

Traditional taboos: informal and invisible protection of remaining patches of forest in Vhembe District in Limpopo, South Africa

IntroductionSince 1990, there has been a global decline in forest areas. Between 2010 and 2020, the greatest annual net loss of forests was on the African continent. Despite South African indigenous forests and trees being protected under the National Forests Act of 1998 (Act No. 84 of 1998), the country has also shown an increased annual net loss of forests. Although the Vhembe District Municipality in South Africa has lost forest owing to human-induced deforestation and other land use activities, sacred forests have not been affected. According to traditional beliefs, exploitation of such indigenous patches of sacred forests is taboo. This study aims to explore the role of taboos in the protection of the remaining patches of sacred forest.MethodsThe study relies on data collected between December 2022 and December 2023. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key informants (n = 61) and local communities in Tshidzivhe and Duthuni villages (n = 60). Observations were used as a further data collection tool. The interview questions were prepared to assess the role of taboos in the protection and management of sacred forests. Data collected through interviews were analysed using thematic content analysis, while field observations helped to corroborate the results from the interviews. Results and discussionThe study identified two main taboos – one that restricts entry into the sacred forests (i.e. preventing entry into the sacred forests, and harvesting, hunting and hiking in these areas), and another that prohibits noise or activities that disrespect sacred forests. The study found that believers and non-believers alike, for fear of retribution by the spirits, still obey these taboos and their related myths. This has allowed these areas to develop dense stands of closed-canopy evergreen forest that support more diverse flora and fauna than found in surrounding areas. Although sacred forests are not meant for biodiversity conservation, they offer opportunities to be integrated into global conservation targets of “30x30” and “Half-Earth” by 2030. They also offer the opportunity of serving as carbon sinks which is key to climate change mitigation. Recommendations for protecting sacred forests and associated taboos are drawn up based on these results.

VALUING INDIGENOUS RIGHTS OVER FOREST GOVERNANCE IN SIX ASEAN MEMBER COUNTRIES

Indigenous forests and indigenous communities have always shared a deep emotional, spiritual, and practical bond. This paper aims to methodically examine the relationship between the level of rights held by indigenous people concerning indigenous forest governance and the ability of the indigenous community in ensuring the long-term viability of its ecosystems. Concurrently, in examining and discussing these issues it is hoped that it can also contribute to the survival of the indigenous people in the future. The elucidation of indigenous people’s rights in the context of indigenous forest governance is based on the empirical scrutiny of the study hypotheses, utilizing the Sikor et al. type of rights. A quantitative analysis through Somer analysis was also carried out on the comprehensive secondary data sets obtained from six selected ASEAN member countries. The findings show that the six selected ASEAN member countries have not yet been granted the third level of rights for indigenous peoples with regard to indigenous forest governance. The statistical evidence strongly suggests the urgent need in these countries to grant indigenous people rights over indigenous forest governance, both within a legal framework and in practical implementation, particularly at the definitional and allocative level of rights. The absence of such rights at the highest levels raises significant concerns about the sustainability of indigenous forests and the welfare of indigenous people across the observed ASEAN member countries.

Exploring freshwater stream bacterial communities as indicators of land use intensity

BackgroundStream ecosystems comprise complex interactions among biological communities and their physicochemical surroundings, contributing to their overall ecological health. Despite this, many monitoring programs ignore changes in the bacterial communities that are the base of food webs in streams, often focusing on stream physicochemical assessments or macroinvertebrate community diversity instead. We used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to assess bacterial community compositions within 600 New Zealand stream biofilm samples from 204 sites within a 6-week period (February–March 2010). Sites were either dominated by indigenous forests, exotic plantation forests, horticulture, or pastoral grasslands in the upstream catchment. We sought to predict each site’s catchment land use and environmental conditions based on the composition of the stream bacterial communities.ResultsRandom forest modelling allowed us to use bacterial community composition to predict upstream catchment land use with 65% accuracy; urban sites were correctly assigned 90% of the time. Despite the variation inherent when sampling across a ~ 1000-km distance, bacterial community data could correctly differentiate undisturbed sites, grouped by their dominant environmental properties, with 75% accuracy. The positive correlations between actual values and those predicted by the models built using the stream biofilm bacterial data ranged from weak (average log N concentration in the stream water, R2 = 0.02) to strong (annual mean air temperature, R2 = 0.69).ConclusionsFreshwater bacterial community data provide useful insights into land use impacts on stream ecosystems; they may be used as an additional measure to screen stream catchment attributes.

How does geology influence the effect of land use on stream macroinvertebrate communities?

Abstract Both catchment geology and land use surrounding a stream will affect the degree of fine sediment deposition from erosion and its consequent impacts on stream macroinvertebrate communities. While geology and land use have been shown to impact stream communities individually, their interaction has received less attention. We investigated the interaction between geology and land use on stream macroinvertebrate communities in the Tairāwhiti Region, New Zealand. The region has streams that drain harder sandstones and softer shales and mudstones, the latter having some of the highest erosion rates in the world. Macroinvertebrates were sampled each year between 2016 and 2018 at 80 sites in exotic forest, indigenous forest and pasture streams that drained hard or soft geology catchments. Conductivity in pasture and exotic forest streams was nearly twice as high as in indigenous forest streams and higher in soft than hard sediment streams. Deposited sediment cover was greater in soft than hard sediment streams, and greater in pasture and exotic forest streams than in indigenous forest streams. Periphyton cover did not differ between land uses but was higher in soft sediment streams. Ecological health was higher in the indigenous forest sites, intermediate in exotic forest sites and lowest in pasture streams. Biological indices were also higher within each land use in streams draining hard than soft sediment streams. Invertebrate communities appear to be determined primarily by the amount of deposited fine sediment and conductivity, both of which are higher in soft than in hard bottom streams, and in exotic forest and pasture streams. Synthesis and applications: Our results illustrate a complex and strong interaction between geology and land use and the consequent impact on stream macroinvertebrate communities. The combination of soft bottom streams with pasture or exotic forest land use is more detrimental than in similar hard bottom streams. Therefore, regulations for the management of any given land use need to be much stricter in catchments dominated by soft sediment geology.

Exploring the post-harvest ‘window of vulnerability’ to landslides in New Zealand steepland plantation forests

Nature-based solutions (NbS) are actions to address societal problems. They are similar to soil and water bioengineering (SWB), where trees and forests are used to mitigate natural hazards. However, NbS can have unintended consequences.Forest-based NbS may involve the enhancement, rehabilitation or restoration of natural forests or planting of trees and forests to provide a range of services including the production of timber and wood. In New Zealand, planted steepland forests have been widely used as NbS for erosion control. While intact, these forests provide various beneficial ecosystem services. However, if these forests are harvested, there is a period of up to 6–‍8 years following clear-fell harvesting, known as the ‘window of vulnerability' (WoV) when the landscape is susceptible to rainfall-induced landslides. During this time, the combination of declining root strength and changes in soil hydrology can lead to shallow landslides, especially during heavy storms.This study focuses on three questions: determining whether there is a time within the WoV when susceptibility to rainfall-induced landslides, expressed as landslide density, reaches a maximum; are such landslides related to forestry infrastructure; and are those landslides connected to the stream network. We examined three areas in New Zealand (Tolaga Bay, Marlborough, and Tasman) where exceptional rain events triggered thousands of landslides on forest land harvested in the years immediately preceding those events. Using a range of high-resolution satellite imagery, we manually mapped rainfall-induced landslides and identified those due to the rain events.The maximum landslide number and density occurred on land harvested 1–4 years (and on average 2–3 years) before the event and varied slightly for each study area. Landslides also occurred in areas with trees up to harvest age of about 30 years and on areas with different vegetation covers, i.e., mature indigenous forests, pasture, scrub, etc. There were fewer landslides associated with forest infrastructure such as roads and landings than triggered on clearcut slopes. On average across the three study regions, about half the landslides were connected to streamlines, and so were able to deliver sediment and woody debris.Better information on susceptibility to rainfall-induced landslides following forest removal may help forest managers and regulators understand this hazard and what can (and cannot) be done to mitigate events which often result in ‘disastrous’ off-forest impacts as observed in New Zealand in recent years.

Структурные особенности коренных сосняков северной и средней тайги при пирогенных воздействиях

The study of indigenous pine forests of evolutionary formation as endangered virgin forests is the basic for fundamental research into the processes of formation of sustainable forest communities. The aim of the study presented in the article is a comparative assessment of the structures of tree fractions of phytocenoses according to the parameters of the age series of stands and the successional position, dynamic indicators of woody waste, the influence of the pyrogenic factor, and the presence of rot damage to the stands. Age structures, numerical and linear parameters of pyrogenic factors, their impact on the infestation of trees with rot, volumetric indicators of wood waste and characteristics of natural regeneration, the mass of wood xylolysis products during its decomposition by wood-destroying fungi have been studied in pine biogeocenoses with various dynamic characteristics in the taiga zone of European Russia. Pine biogeocenoses under these conditions have structures of different ages, altered by fires of different types. Using the example of an indigenous pine forest in the Pechora-Ilychskiy Nature Reserve (middle taiga), the influence of pyrogenic effects on the formation of various types of rot and damage to trunks is shown. The volumes of woody waste are distributed according to the stages of decomposition in pine forests with different structural and dynamic characteristics; pine undergrowth – according to height gradations. An example is given of calculating the mass of wood components deposited in the stands and released during the decomposition of woody waste by wood-destroying fungi for the biogeocenosis of the Pechora-Ilychskiy Nature Reserve. The majority of indigenous pine forests in the northern territories have been affected by fires of varying intensity and types, sometimes several times during a development cycle. Pyrogenic effects have a significant on changes in the age structures of pine forests, damage to their trunks, the general infestation of forest stands by wood-destroying fungi of the biotrophic complex, the volumes of woody waste, and the formation of natural regeneration structures.

The enemy of my enemy… Exotic mammals present biotic resistance against invasive alien conifers

Plant invasions are a widespread and recurring phenomenon that cause significant economic and environmental damage. Invasive alien conifers are weeds that are not only costly to manage, but consistently reinvade after management efforts. Understanding how many seeds survive to germinate is a key part in understanding the weed life cycle puzzle. Here we investigated the contribution that seed predators have on reducing invasive alien conifer seed survival across both invaded and uninvaded habitats in Aotearoa New Zealand. We combined quantitative and qualitative experiments to measure seed predation across invaded and uninvaded habitats, as well as to identify which fauna are the most prolific seed predators. We utilised ex-situ empirical evidence with in-situ observations to provide realistic impacts from different seed predator species. We found that introduced mammals, particularly rodents, were the primary seed predators of invasive conifers. Seed predation pressure was highest in herbicide treated invasive alien conifer forests, indigenous beech forests, and managed pasture containing grazing livestock. Indigenous tussock areas support fewer vertebrate seed predators and as a result are particularly vulnerable to conifer invasion. The majority of seed predation occurs within the first two weeks post-dispersal. These results suggest that introduced mammal control operations, which are essential to protect endemic New Zealand species, will likely result in increasing invasive conifer populations by reducing seed predation pressure. Seed predation varies greatly between habitats, suggesting invasion and reinvasion rates are higher in ungrazed areas of lower forest density that support fewer introduced mammals.

Indigenous and colonial influences on Amazonian forests

Societal Impact StatementGlobal climate models that incorporate carbon sources and sinks usually consider that forest uptake of carbon is in a state of equilibrium. Both historical and paleoecological records suggest that this is commonly not the case for Amazonia. Here, the impacts of colonial practices on Amazonian Indigenous peoples and forests are reviewed. Human activities affect forests' successional stages, trajectories, and species composition. By increasing the spatial coverage of paleoecological records that focus on pre‐ and post‐Columbian periods, the long‐term interactions between humans and Amazonian forests and their role in affecting Earth's climate may be better understood.SummaryLegacy effects left by the activities of Indigenous people in Amazonia are well known. Although severe, widespread, and recently occurring, the impacts left post‐1492 CE have been less investigated. We review the impact of colonial practices on Indigenous peoples and Amazonian forests. We suggest that forests comprise the sum of their past events, in a mosaic of different cumulative successional trajectories depending on the type, frequency, intensity, and timing of human influence. In regions with a history of minimal human influence, old‐growth species sensitive to fire would be the dominant landscape. In regions with high pre‐Columbian and low colonial influence, old‐growth forests carrying pre‐Columbian ecological legacies would be prevalent. Regions occupied by Indigenous groups post‐1492 CE would also carry similar ecological legacies. In regions influenced by the Jesuits, mid‐successional forests are expected to be enriched with cacao trees. In regions of latex extraction during the rubber boom, mid‐growth forests would present high abundances of early and mid‐successional species and depletion of some species. In deforested areas, we expect early successional forests with influence of exotic useful species. This patchwork of history probably plays a large role in shaping today's forests, and the biodiversity and carbon dynamics documented within them. Paleoecological work focusing on the last millennium, although scarce, has the potential to detect these mosaics of past human influence, and they should be considered when estimating forest ages and successional stages across the basin.

Generalist southern African temperate forest canopy tree species have distinct pollinator communities partially predicted by floral traits

AbstractForest canopies provide important resources for insect communities via flowers. Yet, pollination systems of tall forest trees are poorly studied, resulting from the difficulties in observing pollinator activity at the canopy level and great temporal variation in flower production. In temperate forest canopies of the southern hemisphere, small, whitish and generalist flowers seem to dominate. Here, we observed insect flower visitors, at the canopy level, to four southern Afrotemperate forest tree species bearing small, white to green flowers in a large, indigenous forest. Additionally, we quantified flower traits and collected pollen from representative insect visitors. A total of 105 insect species, from 48 families and 7 orders, were observed visiting flowers. In terms of total flower visits, the generalist Cape honey bee (Apis mellifera capensis) made up ca. 57% of all flower visits. A third of the total observation time covered crepuscular to nocturnal flower visits; yet only 12.68% of total visits took place during this time. Interestingly, despite both trees and insects being largely generalist in their interactions with one another (supported by the presence of conspecific and heterospecific pollen on most flower visitors), some insect species showed strong preferences for specific species of tree, driving dissimilar, interspecific assemblages of flower visitors. The pollinator community disparity may be explained through the unique and dissimilar floral traits for each tree species, both in flower size and in petal reflectance. We conclude that within generalist pollination systems, distinct and non‐random mutualisms can develop between different species of plants and a diverse suite of pollinators, and that floral traits could partially predict such interactions.

POTENSI PENGEMBANGAN AGROFORESTRI MASYARAKAT SEKITAR HUTAN ADAT GHIMBO POMUAN, KAMPAR, RIAU

Agroforestry applied to community gardens/yards around the Ghimbo Pomuan Indigenous Forest has the potential to be developed. The purpose of the study was to analyze the potential for agroforestry development of the community around the Ghimbo Pomuan Indigenous Forest, Kampar Riau. The method used in this research is a survey method. The survey method was carried out by structured interviews through questionnaires, identifying and making an inventory of fruit trees and agriculture with agroforestry patterns. Interviews were conducted to determine the types of fruit trees and agricultural products that have the potential to be developed by the community around the Ghimbo Pomuan Indigenous Forest. The results showed that the respondent's perception of the agroforestry system based on the Likert scale value had an average of 4.01. This shows that the respondent's knowledge of the agroforestry system is good. There were 29 types of trees, fruit and, agricultural crops, consisting of 19 families and 27 genera which were planted in the garden/yard with the respondent's agroforestry pattern. Generally, tree species are dominated by fruit trees. The combination of species in the agroforestry pattern is dominated by woody plants, namely rubber (Hevea bransiliasis) and coconut (Cocos nucifera). Types of fruit plants are sweet orange, longan, and guava image (Syzygium aqueum). While agricultural crops are dominated by bananas, corn, and chilies. The choice of combination of types of plants with agroforestry patterns is dominated by banana with longan, matoa with rimbang, chili, jambu citra with cassava.

Additions to the naturalised vascular flora of the Kingdom of Tonga

ABSTRACT Nineteen new records of flowering plants naturalised in the Kingdom of Tonga are recognised, with the majority of these present in the southern islands of ʻEua and Tongatapu. These records comprise earlier but unpublished collections made by G. P. Buelow and W. R. Sykes, and also collections made in 2023. These records are from seven families, with Asteraceae comprising seven species and Fabaceae and Lamiaceae three each. Basellaceae includes two new records, Anredera cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis and Basella alba L. The invasive Anredera was well-established at the location at which it was collected on ʻEua and may pose a threat to the indigenous tropical forest in ʻEua National Park. Many of the other new records are smaller-growing herbaceous species which are likely to have minimal environmental impact as they predominantly occur in disturbed waste places among other weed species. While some of the species listed here were previously recorded as observations in checklists, it has been difficult to locate herbarium vouchers supporting these records and so the vouchers reported here are a provisional first record for these.

Carbon Sequestration Potential of Agroforestry versus Adjoining Forests at Different Altitudes in the Garhwal Himalayas

Forests face a variety of threats in the modern era. Agroforestry systems, both traditional and introduced, have a tremendous capacity for providing sustainable resources and combating the impact of global climate change. Indigenous agroforestry and forest land-use systems are important reservoirs for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services, providing a potential contribution to livelihood security for rural communities. This study aimed to assess the tree diversity and carbon stock of agroforestry and adjoining forests along altitudinal gradients, ranging between 700 and 2200 masl (i.e., lower, middle, and upper altitudes) by laying sample plots randomly of a size of 20 × 20 m2. In the forest land-use system, the maximum Importance Value Index (IVI) included Dalbergia sissoo (71.10), Pyrus pashia (76.78), and Pinus roxburghii (79.69) at the upper, middle, and lower elevations, respectively, whereas, in the agroforestry land-use system, the IVI reported for Ficus semicordata was 43.05 at the upper, while for Grewia optiva it was at 53.82 at the middle and 59.33 at the lower altitudes. The below-ground biomass density (AGBD) was recorded as 1023.48 t ha−1 (lower), 242.92 t ha−1 (middle), and 1099.35 t ha−1(upper), while in the agroforestry land-use system, the AGBD was 353.48 t ha−1 (lower), 404.32 t ha−1 (middle), and 373.23 t ha−1 (upper). The total carbon density (TCD) values recorded were 630.57, 167.32, and 784.00 t ha−1 in forest land-use systems, and 227.46, 343.23, and 252.47 in agroforestry land-use systems for lower, middle, and upper altitudes, respectively. The Margalef’s Index values for agroforestry and forests ranged from 2.39 to 2.85 and 1.12 to 1.30, respectively. Soil organic carbon (SOC) stock recorded 45.32, 58.92, and 51.13 Mg C ha−1 for agroforestry and 61.73, 42.65, and 71.08 Mg C ha−1 for forest in lower, middle and upper elevations, respectively. The study suggests that selecting land use patterns can be an effective management system for tree species at different elevations for carbon storage, helping to mitigate climate change and aiding in sustainable management of ecosystems in the Garhwal Himalayas.

Plant diversity in secondary, montane grasslands – a case study of the abandoned plantations of Mariepskop Mountain, South Africa

Grasslands are one of the most threatened terrestrial ecosystem types, and montane grasslands of particular conservation concern. Despite high rates of transformation in recent decades, croplands and plantations are being abandoned in parts of many countries, creating an opportunity for conservation of montane grasslands through restoration. We report on the changes in the cover of major vegetation types (indigenous forest, grassland, and plantations) between 1935 and 2022, in an area that was intensively afforested from 1930 to 1960 and abandoned in 2000. Montane grassland at the site declined from over 50% of all landcover to below 15%, but subsequently recovered to 30% within 20 years. Many former plantations developed into secondary grassland with estimated gamma plant species richness of 231 for herbaceous species and 45 for savanna species. These are high values considering the size of the study area (4000 ha), and comparable to estimates from primary grassland sites in the broader region. However, at the scale of 1 m2 sampling quadrats, richness in the secondary grasslands was below that recorded in the last remaining patches of primary grassland at the site (means of 2.6 versus 4.7 for graminoid species, and 1.9 versus 2.9 for forbs). Some of the former Eucalyptus plantations had transformed into novel savannas dominated by fire-tolerant, resprouting trees, and may require more active restoration. Secondary grasslands such as those reported on here could potentially make a significant contribution to the conservation of montane biodiversity over the coming decades, warranting further research (both socio-economic and ecological) on the factors that lead to abandonment and promote the emerge of secondary grasslands of high diversity.

Successful domestication of Neonothopanus Hygrophanus (Mont.) De Kesel & Degreef and Lentinus Squarrosulus Mont., indigenous saprophytic edible mushrooms from Kibira National Park in Burundi

BackgroundMushroom cultivation in Burundi provides an excellent way to diversify agricultural production although domestication of mushroom species is at an infancy stage. The country is endowed with indigenous forests that harbour a wide diversity of mushrooms with potential for domestication. This study was undertaken to explore opportunities for domestication of saprophytic wild edible mushrooms from the Kibira National Park (KNP) in Burundi.MethodsSamples of Lentinus squarrosulus Mont. and Neonothopanus hygrophanus (Mont.) De Kesel & Degreef were collected from the field, and tissue cultured on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) medium. Spawn production and development was performed on sorghum grains and lignocellulosic substrates respectively and the parameters of mycelial growth and mushroom yield were determined.ResultsThe germplasm of L. squarrosulus and N. hygrophanus was successfully isolated with an average tissue culture incubation time of 6.4 ± 0.54 days and 7.6 ± 0.54 days for L. squarrosulus and N. hygrophanus, respectively. Spawn production incubation time on sorghum grains was 12.6 ± 0.89 days and 14.8 ± 0.83 days for L. squarrosulus and N. hygrophanus, respectively. For full colonization of lignocellulosic substrates, spawn production time ranged between 19 ± 1 and 21 ± 1 days for L. squarrosulus and between 17 ± 1.22 and 18 ± 1.22 days for N. hygrophanus. Both species successfully produced fruiting bodies and mushrooms yielded at a rate of 18.24 ± 9.76 to 22.85 ± 9.16% for L. squarrosulus and 12.66 ± 8.95 to 15.3 ± 8.94% for N. hygrophanus which is here reported for the first time to be successfully domesticated. For both species, the cottonseed hulls substrate comparatively showed the best yield followed by the combination of maize cobs/soybean straws (MC + SBS) (50:50), the combination of rice straws/soybean straws (RS + SBS) (50:50) and the maize cobs substrate respectively, while the rice straw showed the least. The combinations of MC + SBS (50:50) and RS + SBS (50:50) showed a yield close to that of cottonseed hulls.ConclusionsFor the first-time, this study presents successful domestication of N. hygrophanus and L. squarrosulus from KNP. It is concluded that the substrates combinations used in the study give good yields, and therefore recommended for use as cost-effective and efficient alternative substrates.

Whakamana te tangata – ka whai oranga te taiao: Indigenous led approaches for catchment health in Aotearoa-New Zealand

Large-scale transformation and modification of landscapes have occurred across most catchments in Aotearoa-New Zealand (A-NZ) in the past 200-years (mainly mid-1800s to mid- 1900s). This has been mainly through large-scale removal of indigenous forest and draining of wetlands to a landscape dominated by urban settlement and highly modified landscapes. The expansive shift to pastoral farming and urban settlement, under a colonial settlement vision has increasingly led to detrimental cumulative impacts on ecological health. Environmental decline has been tightly linked to significant adverse impacts on Māori (the Indigenous people of A-NZ) wellbeing. For Māori, this has been out of balance and step with an indigenous-based vision of A-NZ. To understand how a Māori worldview can help drive transformation in the health of our catchments and their communities, we argue that an Ao Māori (Māori worldview) framing for catchment management is necessary with reference to three catchment case studies (Kaipara, Waikato, and Waiapu). These case studies were chosen because they provide tangible examples of resurgence in the use and understanding of mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) next to co-governance, co-management, and decision-making. In the Kaipara, the collaborative governance model ensured that all parties’ views were understood and factored into decision making and this has led to growing social equity and more sustainable relationships with the whenua. Similarly, in the Waikato, co-governance of the waterways has increased the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. Knowledge sharing and engagement has directly driven positive environmental outcomes. So too for the Waiapu, where increased hapū/iwi capability and capacity has increased social cohesion and implementation of targeted actions to mitigate climate change impacts. We explore how by adopting a holistic approach to environmental stewardship, and having intimate knowledge at place, Māori thinking has the potential to rejuvenate environmental management, emphasising the necessity of partnership-based approaches.

Alternating dominant effects of temperature and precipitation along elevational gradient on the alpine and subalpine vegetation activities in southwestern China

Elevation plays a pivotal role in modulating hydroclimatic dynamics, changing vegetation activity and shaping vegetation distribution patterns in alpine regions. Nevertheless, a conspicuous knowledge gap persists regarding the interaction between climate drivers on vegetation activity. In this study, we investigated the spatio-temporal patterns of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), a proxy for vegetation activity, and examined its interactions with temperature (T) and precipitation (P) along elevational gradient (EG) in the Alpine and Sub-alpine Woodlands of Southwest China (ASWSC) during 2001–2018. We found that approximately 24% vegetation in ASWSC exhibited significant greening trend, as a result of regional warming and slight wetting during the study period. The greening and browning rates were both elevational asymmetric, with higher rates at lower elevations. We also illustrated an alternating domination of T - P on vegetation activity along EG. This suggested a roughly antagonistic effect between the two drivers within the whole vegetation elevation range except for a synergistic effect in the sub-alpine forests zone between 2300 - 4200 m. The antagonistic effect tended to be more pronounced in warm and dry years, while the synergistic effect was more evident in cold and wet years. Specifically for different vegetation types, we found an insignificant T - P interactive effect along EG in indigenous evergreen needleleaf forest (ENF) and evergreen broadleaf forest (EBF), in contrast to the significant synergistic effect in the regenerated deciduous broadleaf forest (DBF) and mixed forest (MF) and antagonistic effect in shrubland and grassland types. In summary, our study revealed alternating-dominant effects of temperature and precipitation on vegetation activity along EG. These findings will deepen our understanding of vegetation resistance and resilience to climate change and eventually contribute to establishing a scientific foundation for effective ecosystem management and conservation practices in alpine region.