Policy blind spots in forest conservation implementation: The overlooked value of primary forests

Prior research has demonstrated that the natural regeneration of Korean pine ( Pinus koraiensis ) in old-growth forests is quantitatively constrained by the composition of parent trees. To further explore the spatial relationships between regenerated and maternal Korean pine, we examined the spatial patterns of its regeneration across four ontogenetic stages (younger seedlings, older seedlings, smaller saplings, and taller saplings) in five old-growth mixed forest stands representing a gradient of Korean pine basal area proportion (33%-77%). Using spatial point pattern analysis with crown-projected coordinates, we quantified intra- and interspecific spatial associations. Results revealed that Korean pine natural regeneration is forest-type-specific, with the ribbed birch ( Betula costata )-Korean pine forest being the most conducive to regeneration. Distribution patterns indicated a density-dependent ontogenetic shift: regenerated individuals exhibited strong aggregation at the early stage, which shifted to a random-dominated distribution in later stages, a trend amplified in stands with higher proportions of Korean pine. Associations between younger seedlings and parent trees transitioned from fine-scale facilitation to broad-scale repulsion ( p < 0.05), but only where the Korean pine proportion was approximately 50%. Notably, most heterospecific associations were neutral, with facilitation being highly species- and context-specific. We conclude that high conspecific occupancy intensifies intraspecific competition, whereas neutral associations with broadleaved species suggest that niche partitioning governs coexistence. Conservation strategies should therefore focus on regulating parent tree density and maintaining stand diversity to ensure sustainable regeneration. Methodologically, we recommend that future point pattern analyses of large canopy trees, particularly those with severe crown asymmetry, using crown coordinates.

Planted forests in China have higher variability than natural forests

Classification of old-growth beech forest across Europe using Sentinel-2 and airborne laser scanning

Community participation in ecotourism project cycle and its impact on ecotourism sustainability in national priority forest areas of Ethiopia

Forests play a fundamental role in regulating the hydrological cycle and providing essential ecosystem services, functions that are increasingly threatened by climate change and human activities. Chile offers a relevant context for examining the relationship between land use change and hydrological processes, given its history of landscape transformations and growing water stress in the south-central region. Under the RCP8.5 climate scenario, four forest restoration scenarios were simulated using the TETIS hydrological model. These scenarios were designed based on national policies, Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) principles, and social criteria, and applied to two sub-basins of the Imperial River in the Araucanía Region. Our findings show that the combined effects of climate change and land use change produce the largest variations in hydrological processes. Increases in forest cover led to higher evapotranspiration, particularly under exotic plantation scenarios. Although streamflow generally declines, scenarios with native forest restoration in mid-to-upper basin areas provide a buffering effect on streamflow, especially during dry seasons. Large-scale native forest restoration enhances water retention and hydrological stability, whereas plantation-dominated reforestation results in the greatest water losses, particularly in dry years. These results highlight the effectiveness of NbS-oriented native forest restoration in maintaining water security, regulating hydrological flows, and supporting climate adaptation, providing actionable guidance for watershed management and policy development in Chile.

Can nature-based solutions improve urban land green use efficiency? Evidence from China's National Forest City certification

Improving national forest attribute maps of Sweden with machine learning

The expansion and intensification of agriculture are widely recognized as major drivers of biodiversity loss. While research has primarily focused on deforestation frontiers, few studies have linked spatial-temporal land-cover dynamics to the organizational arrangements of agro-industrial supply chains. This study addresses this gap by analyzing land-use systems in the Upper Parana Atlantic Forest in Argentina, a priority biodiversity hotspot. We identify trends and patterns of agricultural and forest land-use change over the past two decades. We interpret these patterns in relation to the territorial integration of agro-industrial supply chains, using secondary data sources. We divided the study area into hexagonal cells of approximately 100 km². Interannual trends in native forest cover and dominant land uses were analyzed from 2000 to 2019. Trends were estimated by regressing the proportional area of land-cover classes derived from the MapBiomas Trinational Atlantic Forest against calendar year. To explore landscape homogenization, we regressed Shannon land-cover diversity indices over time. Our results reveal two contrasting spatial configurations. Some landscapes are dominated by a single land use, showing increasing homogenization. Others maintain a diversity of land uses and remain heterogeneous. These configurations seem closely associated with transaction modalities between primary producers and agro-industrial actors. In turn, these arrangements influence their impacts on native forest cover and habitat conservation outside protected areas. Understanding how agro-industrial supply chains are territorially embedded is critical for identifying incentives to foster more sustainable land-use trajectories and support biodiversity conservation, like the design of effective governance systems for Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs).

Characterization of defensome genes and mobile genetic Elements in different types of pasture soil agroecosystems from the Brazilian Amazon.

Seed dispersal and predation are critical processes shaping the dynamics of plant communities in tropical forests. However, many seed dispersers and predators, particularly mammals, are increasingly threatened by deforestation and hunting. While the impacts of defaunation on seed dispersal and predation have been extensively studied, key knowledge gaps persist for many economically important African forest tree species. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of defaunation and habitat disturbance, as well as fruiting fluctuations on seed dispersal and predation patterns in Coula edulis. It is a widespread Guineo-Congolian tree species whose seeds are heavily traded by local communities. We tested three predictions in natural forests: (i) defaunation and habitat disturbance reduce fruit removal, (ii) fruit removal declines during high fruiting events, and (iii) dispersers and predators may use spatial memory and prior experience to locate fruiting trees (non-random search). Over two consecutive years (2022-2023), we established 288 fruit removal monitoring plots, 81 of which equipped with camera-traps, at two contrasting forest sites in Cameroon: a relatively intact forest in Campo Ma'an National Park and a disturbed forest near Mbalmayo city where large mammals have disappeared. Experimental plots consisting of 20 fresh fruits placed on the ground and monitored for 14 days were established beneath fruiting and non-fruiting C. edulis trees, as well as beneath individuals of other tree species. Over 1,120 camera trap days, we recorded 1,605 interactions between C. edulis fruits and animals. Rodents (Atherurus africanus, Cricetomys emini, and several squirrel species) were the primary fruit removers (60% of interactions), acting both as predators and dispersers. Their activity was seven times higher at Campo than at Mbalmayo. Large-bodied fauna, such as forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) and mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx), occurred only at Campo and behaved as seed predators, whereas humans harvested fruits at Mbalmayo. Fruit removal rates were significantly higher in the intact site, highlighting the combined effects of defaunation and habitat disturbance, and lower during the high fruiting year (2022), showing a consumer satiation effect. Moreover, fruit removal rates were highest under C. edulis fruiting trees, lower under non-fruiting C. edulis trees, and lowest under other tree species, suggesting that animals selectively target predictable fruit locations. Our findings suggest that defaunation and habitat disturbance alter seed dispersal systems by reducing the involvement of large mammals, while resilient rodent assemblage can sustain some dispersal functions, potentially buffering regeneration of C. edulis in defaunated forests.

Revised estimates of forest carbon sequestration reveal the true sink capacity of Japanese forests.

ABSTRACT As suburban conservation areas expand globally, understanding drivers of community tourism engagement is increasingly vital. By embedding relative deprivation within the prism of sustainability framework, this study investigates residents’ tourism participation intention in Jiuzhenshan National Forest Park, where a former mega-event facility was repurposed for tourism. Using a four-stage mixed-method design, we first applied Random Forest to identify key predictors of participation intention, then employed structure equation modeling (SEM) to test directional relationships among sustainability perceptions, relative deprivation, institutional trust, and residents’ tourism participation intention, and finally conducted interviews to explain underlying mechanisms. Results show that economic sustainability and spatial inclusion positively influence trust and satisfaction, while perceived relative deprivation exerts strong negative effects on trust and participation intention. Qualitative findings further reveal procedural injustice and emotional detachment from governance processes underpin residents’ disengagement, even in contexts where aggregate sustainability outcomes appear favourable. This integrated framework, combining machine learning, causal modelling, and qualitative insights, advances tourism sustainability research by highlighting the importance of spatial equity and trust-building in suburban protected areas. The study offers actionable implications for trust-building and inclusive governance in tourism development and legacy infrastructure reuse.

National forest cover change baselines for six countries of the Congo basin using open-source solutions and sample-based area estimates (2015–2023)

ABSTRACT Darwin’s wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) are parasitoid wasps widely distributed throughout the world, used in biological control, and considered the largest family of Hymenoptera, with approximately 25,000 described species worldwide. Studies on genus diversity are scarce, especially in semi-arid regions. This study aimed to record the main Ichneumonidae species in three vegetation types in the semi-arid area of Bahia, Brazil. Malaise traps were used in native vegetation, secondary forest, and Eucalyptus urophylla for two consecutive years. A total of 921 specimens were collected, identified into 18 subfamilies, 40 genera, and 73 morphospecies. Native forest showed the highest diversity (H’=3.481), followed by secondary forest (H’=2.815) and eucalyptus (H’=2.507). The most frequent genera were Mnioes (15.5%), Pimpla (15%), and Eiphosoma (7.8%). Similarity analysis indicated greater resemblance between secondary forest and native forest, which also showed higher species evenness (J’=0.8993). This study highlights the importance of native vegetation for conserving Ichneumonidae biodiversity, essential for ecosystem services, and contributes to knowledge of parasitoid fauna in underexplored semi-arid Brazilian regions.

Understanding seedling dynamics is essential for evaluating natural regeneration and guiding restoration strategies. This study monitored seedling emergence, survival, and growth of Lagerstroemia speciosa under natural forest conditions in Mizoram, Northeast India, using 10 permanent sample plots (1 m × 1 m) monitored fortnightly over a three-year period (2023-2025). Key microclimatic variables, including soil moisture, soil temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, air temperature, soil pH, and litter thickness were recorded alongside seedling performance. Across the monitoring period, the findings revealed that mean seedling emergence ranged from 2.4 ± 2.01 to 5.6 ± 7.62 seedlings per plot, with an overall survival rate of 53.85%, with significantly higher mortality (35.90%) during the dry winter months. Seedling growth increments were positively correlated with soil moisture (seedling height: r = 0.60, P < 0.001 and stem diameter: r = 0.44, P < 0.001) and soil temperature (seedling height: r = 0.52, P < 0.001 and stem diameter: r = 0.45 P < 0.001), while negatively correlated with soil pH (seedling height: r = - 0.27, P < 0.001 and stem diameter: r = - 0.22, P < 0.01). These results demonstrate that moisture availability and seasonal microclimatic variability are primary drivers of early regeneration. From a management perspective, these observational findings suggest that protecting microsite with adequate soil moisture and healthy accumulation of organic plant matter may improve establishment outcomes, though further research is needed to confirm the impact of canopy structure on the regeneration dynamics of L. speciosa.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays an essential role in carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation in forest ecosystems. While experimental studies have shown that plant diversity usually increases SOC, it remains unclear whether this positive relationship holds in natural ecosystems across varying climatic conditions. Using a global dataset of 15 large and long-term monitored natural forest sites spanning a wide latitudinal range, we assess the relationship between tree diversity and SOC within and across sites in temperate, subtropical, and tropical regions. We found an overall positive relationship between tree taxonomic diversity and SOC. The relationships between tree taxonomic or functional diversity and SOC became stronger under colder and more arid conditions. Additionally, tree functional composition was linked to SOC only within a subset of sites in more arid climates. These findings suggest that warmer and more humid conditions increase decomposition, offsetting diversity-driven carbon inputs, while colder and more arid conditions enhance SOC through low decomposition and increased inputs through abiotic facilitation and biotic interactions in high-diversity communities. Our findings indicate that conserving plant diversity is critical for enhancing carbon sequestration and mitigating the effects of climatic conditions, particularly in cold climates and regions facing an increase in arid conditions.

Expansion of forestry and agriculture in Southeast Asia has driven widespread deforestation, biodiversity loss and carbon emissions. Yet large areas of natural forest remain within concessions, representing overlooked opportunities for conservation and climate mitigation. We identify 42 Mha of natural tropical moist forest within 3,754 logging, oil palm, planted wood and rubber concessions across Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia and Myanmar. Clearing these forests could threaten 4.6 Mha of Key Biodiversity Areas and release ~1,216 Mt CO2 over 30 years. We assess the economic viability of conserving these forests through carbon market-supported avoided deforestation, estimating break-even carbon prices ranging from US$33 per t CO2 to US$1,677 per t CO2. Our results suggest that substantial areas could be conserved under higher carbon prices, but realising this potential will require complementary finance mechanisms and supportive policy and governance frameworks.

The Uluguru Nature Forest Reserve (UNFR) in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania is a vital biodiversity hotspot housing unique flora and fauna. This study focused on two endangered bird species, the Uluguru Bushshrike (UBS) Malaconotus alius and Loveridge’s Sunbird (LS) Cinnyris loveridgei, which are endemic to the UNFR. During a 2006–2007 survey, 387 individual birds representing 31 species were recorded, of which 19% were classified as threatened. UBS and LS constituted significant proportions of the total observations. Within the surveyed area of 9 km2, 59 UBS and 79 LS were recorded, and extrapolations to the entire UNFR (241 km2) return population sizes of ∼1 236 UBS and ∼1 935 LS individuals, underscoring their vulnerability. Altitude, canopy height and canopy cover influenced species distribution. UBS predominantly occupied altitudes between 1 200 and 1 800 metres, whereas the LS ranged from 1 200 to 2 400 m. Canopy height was positively correlated with UBS sightings in the 30–40 m range. LS was weakly correlated with canopy cover, indicating that it can occur across a gradient of canopy covers from open to closed. Because there is virtually no forest left in the lower montane region, the forested altitudinal range with its diverse canopy structures should be conserved to ensure the survival of endemic forest species in the UNFR.

Soil C:N:P relationships are widely used indicators of nutrient balance, organic matter quality, and biogeochemical functioning in forest ecosystems. However, their organization across structural phases and soil horizons in undisturbed temperate forests remains insufficiently documented. This study examined vertical and structural-phase variation in soil C:N:P stoichiometry within an old-growth Fagus orientalis forest the Hyrcanian region. We quantified C:N, C:P, and N:P ratios in paired organic and mineral soil samples, with stoichiometric relationships interpreted based on total C and N and Olsen-extractable (plant-available) P, across the initial, optimal, and decay structural phases of this contiguous old-growth stand. Within this forest, C:N and C:P ratios showed phase-associated differences in the organic horizon, generally declining from the initial to the decay phase, whereas N:P remained comparatively stable. In the mineral horizon, phase-associated differences were also observed for C:N and C:P; however, the magnitude of variation was smaller, and patterns were less consistent than in the organic layer. Strong vertical contrasts were observed, with consistently higher C:N and C:P ratios in the organic layer and comparatively conservative N:P patterns across horizons. Overall, vertical differentiation between soil horizons represented a stronger axis of variation than structural-phase differentiation within this old-growth system. These findings provide a high-resolution stoichiometric characterization of a long-protected Hyrcanian beech forest and may serve as a baseline for future comparisons in similare temperate beech forest ecosystems under low-disturbance conditions.