National Forest Research Articles

Impacts and implications of anthropogenic activities on mangrove forests: A review

The purpose of this paper is to review and evaluate published literature on the causes, impacts, implications and mitigation strategies of anthropogenic activities on mangrove forests. A systematic method was utilized to access research works of literature on “Impacts and implications of anthropogenic activities on mangrove forests”. A total of fifty-three (53) research papers published between the years 1975 to 2024 was accumulated and used for this review. A subjective approach was used to select the topics: impact and implications of anthropogenic activities on mangrove forests. In this paper, five (5) roles of mangroves were assessed and presented. Anthropogenic activities that threaten mangrove forests such as land conversion, mining and logging activities and household and industrial activities were also evaluated. Further, four (4) detrimental anthropogenic activities and the potential impacts they have on natural mangrove forests and the ecosystems they thrive in was also reported on. In addition, this paper reviewed some mitigation strategies for sustainable management and conservation of our mangroves, their ecosystems and the coastlines. The published works of literature established that reduced mangrove forests, altered mangrove composition, unequal species abundance, mass mangrove mortality, pollution in mangrove areas, rising sea levels, global climate change and coastal erosion or abrasion are all effects of anthropogenic activity that have a negative impact on mangrove forests and the ecosystems. This review highlights the fact that more studies on the impact and implications of anthropogenic activities on mangroves should be done in neotropical countries since there are paucity of such information on research and published data in these biodiversity rich regions.

Soil fungal community has higher network stability than bacterial community in response to warming and nitrogen addition in a subtropical primary forest.

Soil microbes play a very important role in maintaining the function and health of forest ecosystems. Unfortunately, global change factors are profoundly affecting soil microbial structure and function. In this study, we found that climate warming promoted bacterial network stability and nitrogen deposition decreased bacterial network stability. Changes in bacterial network stability had strong effects on bacterial community functional potentials linked to metabolism, nitrogen cycling, and carbon cycling, which would change the biogeochemical cycle in primary forests.

The effects of solar radiation on daily and seasonal stem increment of canopy trees in European temperate old-growth forests.

It is well established that solar irradiance greatly influences tree metabolism and growth through photosynthesis, but its effects acting through individual climate metrics have not yet been well quantified. Understanding these effects is crucial for assessing the impacts of climate change on forest ecosystems. To describe the effects of solar irradiance on tree growth, we installed 110 automatic dendrometers in two old-growth mountain forest reserves in Central Europe, performed detailed terrestrial and aerial laser scanning to obtain precise tree profiles, and used these to simulate the sum of solar irradiance received by each tree on a daily basis. Generalized linear mixed-effect models were applied to simulate the probability of growth and the growth intensity over seven growing seasons. Our results demonstrated various contrasting effects of solar irradiance on the growth of canopy trees. On the one hand, the highest daily growth rates corresponded with the highest solar irradiance potentials (i.e. the longest photoperiod). Intense solar irradiance significantly decreased tree growth, through an increase in the vapor pressure deficit. These effects were consistent for all species but had different magnitude. Tree growth is the most effective on long rainy/cloudy days with low solar irradiance.

Studies on the Flora of Parambikulam and Aliyar Submergible Areas

The paper deals with a detailed account of the vegetation of the Parambikulam and Aliyar Submergible areas in Kerala and Madras States. Intensive botanical exploration was carried out in different seasons of the year during 1962-63.The Parambikulam submergible area is situated in Trichur District, Kerala State at an altitude of ±610 m. It covers 20.8 sq. km of virgin forests and is formed by the construction of the dam across the Parambikulam river. The forest presents different layers of vegetation which is a continuation of that of Malabar Province and the Deccan Province as described by Sir J. D. Hooker. The luxuriant and thick vegetation comprises 159 species of Angiosperms belonging to 63 families. The families Papilionaceae and Euphorbiaceae are dominant. This vegetation includes several economically important timber yielding trees and medicinal plants.The Aliyar submergible area is situated in the Coimbatore District, Madras State and it is formed by the dam constructed across the Aliyar river. It covers an area of 6.5 sq km. The vegetation is mostly the scrub jungle type with the combination of dry deciduous type. It constitutes 292 species of Angiosperms belonging to 71 families. The families like Papilionaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Gramineae, Cyperaceae, Acanthaceae, Malvaceae and Labiatae are largely represented.

Tree demographic strategies largely overlap across succession in Neotropical wet and dry forest communities.

Secondary tropical forests play an increasingly important role in carbon budgets and biodiversity conservation. Understanding successional trajectories is therefore imperative for guiding forest restoration and climate change mitigation efforts. Forest succession is driven by the demographic strategies-combinations of growth, mortality and recruitment rates-of the tree species in the community. However, our understanding of demographic diversity in tropical tree species stems almost exclusively from old-growth forests. Here, we assembled demographic information from repeated forest inventories along chronosequences in two wet (Costa Rica, Panama) and two dry (Mexico) Neotropical forests to assess whether the ranges of demographic strategies present in a community shift across succession. We calculated demographic rates for >500 tree species while controlling for canopy status to compare demographic diversity (i.e., the ranges of demographic strategies) in early successional (0-30 years), late successional (30-120 years) and old-growth forests using two-dimensional hypervolumes of pairs of demographic rates. Ranges of demographic strategies largely overlapped across successional stages, and early successional stages already covered the full spectrum of demographic strategies found in old-growth forests. An exception was a group of species characterized by exceptionally high mortality rates that was confined to early successional stages in the two wet forests. The range of demographic strategies did not expand with succession. Our results suggest that studies of long-term forest monitoring plots in old-growth forests, from which most of our current understanding of demographic strategies of tropical tree species is derived, are surprisingly representative of demographic diversity in general, but do not replace the need for further studies in secondary forests.

Conservation of Sacred Groves of Rajasthan through Folkloric Beliefs

Sacred groves or sacred woods are groves of trees, related to traditional, religious & cultural beliefs & these areas are dedicated to local deities & ancestor spirits. They can be found as a section of a forest. They are excellent illustrations of in-situ conservation. These groves, which are around the nation in villages & cities, plains, and mountain areas, represent a priceless genetic diversity that helps to preserve our environment in many ways. Many extinct species that could have perished otherwise have been saved because of these virgin forest regions. Besides protecting biological diversity, the entire ecosystem aids in water & soil conservation. In the case of Rajasthan, sacred woods can be considered as one of the preservers of priceless ancient religious practices & traditional beliefs. Therefore, sacred forests offer humanity certain crucial ecological functions. In recent times, drastic changes around the globe have also impacted both religious practices and biological integrity. The destruction of the historic heritage has several causes, some of which need to be investigated, including changes in social beliefs, modernity, and the eroding of cultural practices. It becomes important to spread awareness of the management and conservation of various ecosystem services as well as to suggest management and conservation as an alternative strategy for the sustainability of forestry around human settlements.

Forest Policy in Nordic Countries: Expert Opinions on Future Needs, Uncertainties, and Recommendations

There are broad calls in national and international forest policy processes for basing decision-making on the best obtainable scientific knowledge. Simultaneously, there is also a need to accommodate plural values and objectives people and society in general have associated with forests. An essential step for building an evidence base that accommodates pluralistic understandings is to capture informant views on forest policies and the alternatives they offer to better prepare for future scenarios. This article draws on research experts’ views in Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, gathered from interviews between February and May 2023. An existing gap to bridge is understanding to what extent such views differ or correlate across the study countries. By systematizing on the similarities and differences in opinions, we develop a synopsis of future needs and uncertainties in policies across the studied countries, concluding with recommendations for determining the use of Nordic forests. Despite divergence in personal views and uncertainties about the future, most respondents saw a need for inclusive policymaking, policy coherence and integration, and changes in forest management. We find that strengthening evidence-basis, stakeholder participation, adaptive governance, and integrative forest management are challenges for future policy making.

Shaping pollinator diversity through coffee agroforestry management: A meta‐analytical approach

Abstract Pollinator diversity plays an important role in improving the resilience of pollination services. However, agricultural intensification is causing declines in pollinator diversity. Such losses could be mitigated and even reversed by agroforestry systems, whose structural complexity exceeds that of intensive agricultural systems. Research, primarily conducted in tropical regions, suggests that efficiently managing agroforestry systems can increase pollinator diversity. We performed a global meta‐analysis to explore how coffee agroforestry management practices affect the diversity of bee pollinators. We employed 137 sets of results from 20 studies that had been conducted at widely distributed locations across four of the seven continents. More specifically, we investigated the impact of augmenting floral resources (60 sets of results) and shade‐tree cover (43 sets of results) and reducing the distance to natural forests (34 sets of results). Additionally, we examined key moderating factors, including climatic conditions, pollinator sociality, the metrics used to describe pollinator diversity, pollinator sampling methods, the metrics used to characterise the effects of management practices and floral resource type. We observed that bee pollinator diversity broadly increased as local floral resources increased in tropical coffee agroforestry systems. Shade‐tree cover and proximity to natural forests did not broadly influence bee pollinator diversity. However, the strength and direction of the relationships between the agroforestry management practices and bee pollinator diversity were moderated by different factors, mainly climatic conditions and pollinator sociality. Our findings underscore the importance of managing coffee agroforestry systems to maximise bee diversity, which is crucial for coffee plant pollination. The broader objective should be to ensure the availability of resources that promote pollinator fitness, effective pollination and, as a consequence, crop yields.

Short-term effects of understory removal on understory diversity and biomass of temperate forests in northeast China

IntroductionUnderstory removal is a traditional practice in forest management to reduce fire risk and promote seedling regeneration. However, its effect on understory diversity, biomass and soil nutrients in temperate forest ecosystems is less known, which limits our assessment of the effectiveness of understory vegetation management.MethodsWe quantified the composition of the understory species, their diversity, and the biomass of the understory and factors driving changes in these parameters in primary mixed broad-leaved Pinus koraiensis forest (BKF), secondary Betula platyphylla forest (BF), and Larix gmelinii plantation (LF) in northeast China after a 5-year understory removal.ResultsAfter understory removal, the number of shrub and herb species in BKF and LF decreased, while the number of shrub species in BF increased significantly and that of herb species decreased; the species with strong light preference, Equisetum hyemale, Impatiens noli-tangere, and Filipendula Palmata, were dominant in the herb layer of the three forest types; Shannon–Wiener diversity, Pielou evenness, and Simpson diversity of the herb layer in LF increased significantly (P < 0.05), while those of the shrub and herb layers in BF and LF showed no significant changes (P > 0.05). The total understory biomass of understory of BKF and LF decreased by 0.94 t·hm−2 and 1.32 t·hm−2, respectively, while that of BF increased by 1.31 t·hm−2; soil NH4+-N and total phosphorus (TP) were the key factors regulating understory vegetation diversity and biomass, respectively.ConclusionThese results suggest that understory removal is a beneficial management strategy for increasing shrub biomass and diversity in secondary forests, while it should be avoided in primary forests and plantations to prevent the reduction of understory plant diversity and soil nutrient loss.

Unearthing the legacy of wildfires: post fire pyrogenic carbon and soil carbon persistence across complex Pacific Northwest watersheds

AbstractWildfires have the potential to dramatically alter the carbon (C) storage potential, ecological function, and the fundamental mechanisms that control the C balance of Pacific Northwest (PNW) forested ecosystems. In this study, we explored how wildfire influences processes that control soil C stabilization and the consequent soil C persistence, and the role of previous fire history in determining soil C fire response dynamics. We collected mineral soils at four depth increments from burned (low, moderate, and high soil burn severity classes) and unburned areas and surveyed coarse woody debris (CWD) in sites within the footprint of the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire and in surrounding Willamette National Forest and the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest. We found few changes in overall soil C pools as a function of fire severity; we instead found that unburned sites contained high levels of pyrogenic C (PyC) that were commensurate with PyC concentrations in the high severity burn sites—pointing to the high background rate of fire in these ecosystems. An analysis of historical fire events lends additional support, where increasing fire count is loosely correlated with increasing PyC concentration. An unexpected finding was that PyC concentration was lower in low soil burn severity sites than in control sites, which we attribute to fundamental ecological differences in regions that repeatedly burn at high severity compared with those that burn at low severity. Our CWD analysis showed that high mean fire return interval (decades between fire events) was strongly correlated with low annual CWD accumulation rate; whereas areas that burn frequently had a high annual CWD accumulation rate. Within the first year postfire, trends in soil density fractions demonstrated no significant response to fire for the mineral-associated organic matter pool but slight increases in the particulate pool with increasing soil burn severity—likely a function of increased charcoal additions. Overall, our results suggest that these PNW forest soils display complex responses to wildfire with feedbacks between CWD pools that provide varying fuel loads and a mosaic fire regime across the landscape. Microclimate and historic fire events are likely important determinants of soil C persistence in these systems.

Natural forests exhibit higher organic carbon concentrations and recalcitrant carbon proportions in soil than plantations: a global data synthesis

Natural forests exhibit higher organic carbon concentrations and recalcitrant carbon proportions in soil than plantations: a global data synthesis

Notes on Endoclita C. & R. Felder (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae) feeding on Eucalyptus in Vietnam, with new records and a new species

A new species of Endoclita C. & R. Felder from Yen Lap district, Phu Tho province, Vietnam, E. phuthoensis sp. n. and the female of Endoclita coomani (Viette) are described as new to science. Both are recorded feeding on Eucalyptus plantations for the first time. Larval and pupal tunnels of E. phuthoensis sp. n. and E. coomani in host stems in Phu Tho and Lao Cai provinces, Vietnam are described and illustrated for the first time. Tunnels were found within one meter above the ground. They are initiated at the bark surface, extend into the stem, usually at a downward angle, then bend upwards for a distance of less than 24 cm, contrasting with the proximal (downward) orientation of the tunnel in E. vietnamensis Buchsbaum & Grehan and E. salvazi Tindale. The tunnel entrance is surrounded by callus tissue that larvae feed on under a web of silk and debris. At pupation, larvae first construct a silk membrane across the tunnel entrance. Endoclita marginenotatus (Leech, 1898) is recorded from Vietnam (Mt. Fansipan) for the first time from a single specimen collected within natural forest habitat.

Recent changes in tropical-dry-forest connectivity within the Balsas Basin Biogeographic Province: potential effects on endemic-bird distributions

Maintaining landscape connectivity is a conservation priority for biodiversity as it may mitigate the adverse effects of forest degradation, fragmentation, and climate change by facilitating species dispersal. Despite their importance for biodiversity conservation, Mexican tropical dry forests (TDFs) face high fragmentation rates due to anthropogenic activities. In this study, we analyzed the connectivity dynamics of TDFs in the Balsas Basin Biogeographic Province (BBBP) between 2013 and 2018, focusing on old-growth and secondary TDF covers, including Protected Areas and Important Bird Areas. We evaluated the effects of connectivity loss and gain on the distribution areas of 30 endemic bird species with ecological associations with TDFs in the BBBP. We found expansion in TDFs accounting for a total increase of 227,905 ha due to secondary forest increase (12%). In contrast, old-growth forests experienced a reduction of 66,576 ha in the study area (8%). We also found a decrease in areas with high and very-high connectivity, coupled with an increase in low connectivity, except for TDFs inside Protected Areas, which increased by 3,000 ha, leading to higher connectivity. There was an increase in total forest cover in 27 species’ potential distribution, highlighting the possible role of secondary forests in promoting connectivity between old-growth forest patches. Our results reveal the complex dynamics between forest types, connectivity, and bird-species distributions. Despite an overall increase in forested areas, most TDFs continue to have low connectivity, likely impacting biodiversity, particularly for species that rely on highly conserved ecosystems. This study underscores the importance of integrated conservation strategies considering connectivity, forest recovery, and the dynamics of species-ecosystem interactions.

Habitat context and functional growth traits explain alien plant invader impacts on native vegetation communities

AbstractExamining context-dependency of ecological impacts of alien plant invasions is critical to further understand the mechanisms driving impacts. We examined how different regional and local habitat contexts influence the abundance-impact associations of an invasive ground-creeper, Tradescantia fluminensis, in native forests across eastern New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Invader impacts were assessed using surveys of resident vegetation at 97 monitoring plots (5 m × 2 m) located at 14 sites, representing a gradient of T. fluminensis abundance. We modelled the association of T. fluminensis invasion with native species richness (number per plot) and foliage cover across two different habitat types (remnant vs replanted forests), two vegetation community types (wet sclerophyll vs river oak forests), and two regions (northern vs. southern NSW). We also modelled variation in native species responses amongst different functional growth forms. The negative associations of T. fluminensis and native species communities was more strongly explained by local site variables (i.e., habitat type, community type, plant growth form) than regional scales. Native richness reduced with invasion in river oak but not wet sclerophyll forest. Native richness also declined in remnant forest, although no effect of invasion was observed in replanted forest. Surprisingly, native species growth forms most like T. fluminensis (ground layer herbs, ferns) were more resistant to reductions in native richness compared to divergent forms (shrub, tree and woody vine recruits). This study highlights the need to explicitly consider local community and habitat context and functional representation of resident species when considering invader impacts and site-level management plans.

Regional differences of functional and taxonomic bird diversity in tropical agroforests of Peru

AbstractDiversity and functionality of bird communities in tropical agroforests are shaped by their surrounding landscape, particularly the extent and type of natural forest. However, most evidence comes from tropical rainforest landscapes, whereas the bearing of such trends in other forest types remains understudied. We compared functional and beta diversity of bird communities in 23 cacao agroforests embedded in landscapes of two contrasting Peruvian regions: seasonally‐dry tropical forests and subtropical rainforests from the Andean foothills. Strong climatic seasonality affects both landscapes, but forest vegetation structure and complexity differ. We found higher bird species richness (n = 179 spp) and higher species turnover in the subtropical forest than in the dry forest landscape (n = 64 spp). Only in the dry forest landscape, distance from forest increased dissimilarity driven by species loss, that is, the nestedness component of beta diversity. This points to the importance of conserving dry tropical forests within the broader landscape matrix, with known benefits for pest control and cacao yield. Functional diversity indices were not influenced by forest distance in either landscape, but the proportion of insects in birds' diet decreased by 27% along a 1 km distance gradient from forest in the subtropical forest landscape. In the dry forest landscape, however, it decreased by only 3% across the same distance gradient. Far from forest (≥1 km), forest specialization decreased by ~33% and 20% in the subtropical and dry forest landscapes, respectively. These differences indicate that regionally‐adapted agroforest management is paramount for conserving bird diversity and ecosystem services as pest control. Procuring high‐canopy shade trees and adequate microhabitats for insectivorous species is essential to maintain biocontrol services in the subtropical forest. Conversely, in the dry forest enhancing low‐canopy vegetation with a focus on frugivores and ensuring forest closeness to agroforests may maximize bird diversity and their ecosystem services. A complete version of this article is translated to Spanish in the supplements.

Use of ChatGPT and Tripadvisor data for discovering positive and negative aspects of the BioParque Vale Amazônia and the Carajás National Forest between 2014 and 2022

The BioParque Vale Amazônia and the Carajás National Forest are tourist attractions that have their gateway in the city of Parauapebas, southeast of the State of Pará, approximately 720 km from the capital, Belém. Many people visit these places daily, and a portion of them record reviews about their experiences on the internet. One of the platforms that collects such data is Tripadvisor, thus constituting it an important data source to understand the positive and negative aspects of these places, from the perspective of visitors. The aim of this study was to measure the degree of satisfaction and dissatisfaction of visitors to the BioParque and forest based on sentiment analysis, automatically conducted by ChatGPT, of 244 reviews extracted from Tripadvisor. Approximately 90% of the reviews for both places were classified as positive; about 4% as neutral, and around 6% as negative. These figures reflect how well-preserved the areas are. However, dissatisfaction regarding outdated information on the BioParque's website and the sanitation of some areas of the forest were reported. These results are valuable for supporting the management of these spaces and for the constant improvement of the visitor experience, that can monitor visitors’ perspectives over time, aiming to improve their experiences.

Long-term effects of biochar application on biological nitrogen fixation of acacia species and soil carbon and nitrogen pools in an Australian subtropical native forest

Abstract Purpose Biological nitrogen (N) fixation (BNF) of understory acacia species presents a potential way for effectively restoring N in forest systems. This study aimed to quantify the impact of acacia species and biochar application rates on BNF and soil mineral N in a suburban native forest of subtropical Australia in the first 4–5 years after prescribed burning. Method Plant growth values and BNF were measured to assess the impact of biochar rates at 0, 5, and 10 t ha−1 on different acacia species. Soil NH4+-N and NO3−-N along with their N isotope composition (δ15N) were determined to investigate soil–plant interactions in response to acacia species and biochar application. Results The application of 10 t ha−1 biochar significantly enhanced the growth of acacia species, and concurrently reduced the loss of NO3−-N at soil depths of 0–5 and 5–10 cm. Compared with Acacia disparimma (percentage of N derived from the atmosphere or %Ndfa: 78.2%), A. leiocalyx demonstrated significant higher BNF ability (%Ndfa: 91.3%). Similarly, A. leiocalyx had better growth, in terms of height (269.1 cm versus 179.6 cm), diameter at ground level (2.62 cm versus 1.94 cm), basal area (6.49 cm2 versus 3.43 cm2) and volume (692.2 cm3 versus 258.0 cm3). This was associated with its ability to promote organic matter mineralization, resulting in the accumulation of 15N-depleted NH4+-N. NH4+-N, acting as a substrate, was transformed into NO3−-N through nitrification. From regression analysis, the efficient absorption of NH4+-N by A. leiocalyx significantly mitigated NH4+-N leaching with increasing soil moisture concentration (SMC), resulting in lower δ15N of NH4+-N, which was more negatively related to SMC (R2 = 0.401), compared to that of A. disparimma (R2 = 0.250) at soil depth of 0–5 cm. The production of NO3−-N was reduced, leading to lower NO3−-N concentrations of A. leiocalyx than A. disparimma at soil depth of 0–5 cm (8.06 µg N g−1 versus 9.61 µg N g−1) and that of 5–10 cm (8.24 µg N g−1 versus 9.21 µg N g−1) respectively. Conclusions As an effective soil amendment, biochar exhibited promise in reducing mineral N loss and stimulating plant growth in long-term applications of exceeding three years. Higher BNF capacity and greater plant growth were observed with A. leiocalyx, compared with those of A. disparimma. The retention and utilisation of mineral N by A. leiocalyx can be considered as strategy to restore forest soils.

Assessment of Phytomass and Carbon Stock in the Ecosystems of the Central Forest Steppe of the East European Plain: Integrated Approach of Terrestrial Environmental Monitoring and Remote Sensing with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

The rapid and accurate estimation of aboveground forest phytomass remains a challenging research task. In general, methods for estimating phytomass fall mainly into the category of field measurements performed by ground-based methods, but approaches based on remote sensing and ecological modelling have been increasingly applied. The aim is to develop the scientific and methodological framework for the remote sensing estimation of qualitative and quantitative characteristics of forest stands, using the combination of surveys and machine learning models to determine phytomass of forest stands and calculate the carbon balance. Even-aged stands of different tree species growing in the forest steppe zone of the East European Plain were chosen as test objects. We have applied the modernized methodological approaches to compare and integrate forest and tree stand characteristics obtained by ground-based and UAV-based comprehensive surveys; additionally, we developed computer vision models and methods for determining the same characteristics by remote sensing methods. The key advantage of the proposed methodology for remote monitoring and carbon balance control over existing analogues is the minimization of the amount of groundwork and, consequently, the reduction inlabor costs without loss of information quality. Reliable data on phytomass volumes will allow for operational control of the forest carbon storage, which is essential for decision-making processes. This is important for the environmental monitoring of forests and green spaces of various economic categories. The proposed methodology is necessary for the monitoring and control of ecological–climatic and anthropogenic–technogenic transformations in various landscapes. The development is useful for organizing the management of ecosystems, environmental protection, and managing the recreational and economic resources of landscapes with natural forests and forest plantations.

Contribution of Fuel Wood Income from Natural Forests to Household Economy in Delanta District, Northeastern Ethiopia

For Ethiopia’s rural homes, particularly those in the Delanta district, fuelwood is the primary energy source. This suggests that the impact of fuel wood from the forest to family energy use or income is significant. The goal of the current study was to estimate how much annual fuel wood harvested from forests contributes to household consumption and monetary income. 96% of the forest’s income comes from fuelwood. In the study area, it contributes 2,013,539 Birr, or 33%, of all family income. 703,014 ETB, or 23.8% of the total subsistence income, and 1,310,525 ETB, or 40.65% of the total cash income of the tested households, are both covered by fuelwood from the forest. Both socioeconomic and physical characteristics close to the users influenced how dependent a household was on fuelwood income from the forest. The data obtained from randomly selected households by survey method have been subjected to multiple regression analysis and obtained that households’ reliance on fuelwood income from the forest was significantly influenced by factors such as age, educational level, number of trees owned, distance to forest, distance to market, and nonforest income, all of which had a negative and significant impact. The only significant factor that significantly and positively influences reliance on fuelwood income from the forest is the number of family members. Therefore, preserving a natural forest through the use of alternative energy sources, such as electricity, or encouraging a plantation on one’s own property is a potential discipline for mandating climate change prevention.

Chloroplast Haplotype Diversity in the White Oak Populations of the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, and Sardinia

A phylogeographic study on the chloroplast DNA of natural white oak forests (Quercus subgen. Quercus, sect. Quercus) was carried out to identify possible haplotype-structured distribution within the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, and Sardinia. Sixty white oak populations belonging to Q. frainetto, Q. robur and the collective groups Q. petraea and Q. pubescens were considered and analyzed by combining five Chloroplast Simple Sequence Repeat (cpSSR) markers. A total of 28 haplotypes were detected. Central and southern Italy displayed the highest variability (14 and 10 haplotypes, respectively), followed by northern Italy (7), Sardinia (7), and Sicily (5). A complex geographical structure of the haplotype distribution emerged, highlighting (i) a high number of low-frequency haplotypes; (ii) the marked isolation of Sardinia; (iii) the occurrence of haplotypes widely distributed throughout the Italian Peninsula; (iv) the idiosyncrasy of Sicily, which exhibits exclusive haplotypes, and haplotypes shared with Sardinia and the rest of the Italian Peninsula. The haplotype distribution was also found to be partially related to the taxonomic identity of the specimens, with the following features emerging: a geographic separation between the central Italy and southern Italy Q. frainetto populations, an unexpected discontinuity between the Calabrian and Sicilian Q. petraea subsp. austrotyrrhenica populations, and the absence of the most common haplotype among the Q. pubescens populations of central and southern Italy.