Natural Vegetation Cover Research Articles

Использование ГИС для изучения запасов лекарственного растения Пермского края с целью развития региона России

The degree of preservation and condition of the natural vegetation cover are the most important indicator of the ecological well-being of the Russian regions. Conservation and rational use of plant resources is relevant in connection with the state programs of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation, as well as state import substitution programs. The Perm Krai is a Russian Region with a wide variety of flora. Hyperici herba is a promising type of medicinal plant raw materials. Hyperici herba is used as a raw material for the production of anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, immunotropic, adaptogenic, sedative, antidepressant, antioxidant, astringent, diuretic drugs in various dosage forms worldwide. The aim is to assess the resources and quality control of Hyperici herba, which grows in the Perm Krai for the possibility of further development of this Russian region. In this article, the peculiarities of the growth and distribution of Hyperici herba are revealed, quality control is carried out, the most promising areas for harvesting medicinal plant raw materials are identified. The medicinal plant materials harvesting was performed in the summer of 2022 by our own inventory expeditions to 13 districts of the Perm Krai. The Garmin ETrex Vista C navigator was used to determine the thicket’s growth geographic coordinates. Electronic distribution maps of medicinal plants were built in the ArcView program. The main resource indicators calculation was carried out according to the generally accepted method for determining the medicinal plants stocks. The phytochemical analysis of the harvested raw materials was performed in accordance with the 14th edition of the Russian State Pharmacopoeia. Information processing was carried out on personal computers in Microsoft Excel for Windows. Thus, the use of multifunctional GIS tools visually and clearly presented research information in the form of resource and phytochemical maps. This electronic cartographic material can be used in planning and prospects searching for the development of this Russian region in the future.

Anthropogenic impact on agricultural land in the Republic of Kazakhstan

The purpose of the article is to consider the features of the anthropogenic impact on agricultural land in the Republic of Kazakhstan (RK). The article deals with the current problem of agricultural land degradation, and desertification in Kazakhstan, where one of the causes is the anthropogenic activities of the population and the aridity of the country's climate. Most of the territory of Kazakhstan is located in conditions highly vulnerable to anthropogenic desertification when in combination with natural factors of desertification the ecological situation is sharply deteriorating. Another cause of land degradation is urbanization and intensive degradation of desert habitats - unsystematic road network, regulation of river flows, illegal cutting of saxaul for firewood for sale. As a result of urbanization and intensive agricultural development of the foothill strip in the south and east of the country, the natural vegetation cover is highly disturbed. Roads, pipelines, and power lines, which are being laid at an increasing rate, have a great impact on the fauna. The area of land occupied by mining enterprises is steadily growing. In the last 10 years, the areas of oil and gas extraction, development of uranium ores, etc. in Western Kazakhstan, the Eastern Caspian Sea region, the Betpakdala desert, etc. have been sharply increasing. As a result of insufficiently thought-out land management from water erosion 5.6 million hectares of arable land was affected and grain yield was reduced by 20-30%. Degradation of agricultural lands, including pastures, is 30-50% and higher %. in 9 of 14 regions of Kazakhstan. The use of the existing model of agricultural development of raw materials leads to inefficient economic development and constantly increasing pressure on ecosystems. The soil in Kazakhstan is very vulnerable, as it is comprehensively affected by various anthropogenic factors that lead to the constant deterioration of its quality. Soils near the Aral Sea and the Caspian Sea are subjected to the most intensive degradation, as wind erosion is widespread there.

Agricultural certification as a complementary tool for environmental law compliance

Agricultural sustainability standards are an important way of reducing commodity expansion's pressures on biodiversity. Despite the increase of global area under certification and mounting evidence of positive socioeconomic outcomes, certification-derived conservation benefits are less clear. We applied a robust counterfactual approach with a difference-in-difference methodology to quantify the environmental consequences of certification in one of the largest coffee-producing areas in the world, in southern Brazil, within the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes. We evaluated whether the adoption of certification standards affected native vegetation regeneration and deforestation, the proportion of vegetation deficit within each farm (the required area to achieve Federal Legislation required vegetation cover), and the conservation of sensitive vegetation protected under law across 531 certified farms. We did not detect certification-derived effects on the natural vegetation cover deficit and on deforestation and regeneration rates, which were low for certified and non-certified farms. However, we found that certified farms are restoring more sensitive areas than non-certified farms in the Atlantic Forest, which indicates a potential combined effect between law enforcement and certification. We suggest that in more consolidated landscapes, certification beneficial impacts on deforestation and regeneration might be more limited than observed in areas with weaker governance, such as agricultural frontiers or low-income countries. However, our results demonstrate the potential for certification schemes to complement and promote environmental legislation compliance. These potential combined effects between private sustainability standards and compliance with government environmental policies could provide a potent tool for improving the effectiveness of certification schemes in other high-biodiversity landscapes.

Identification of land use conflicts in Permanent Preservation Area in a Brazilian Amazon sub-basin

The southern region of the Amazon stands out for the growing agricultural development and installation of large hydroelectric projects. Given this scenario, the objective of this study was to quantify the Áreas de Preservação Permanente (APPs), Permanent Preservation Areas, of the water bodies of the Teles Pires river basin according to the current legislation, checking whether there is conflict regarding the use and occupation of these areas, and then check for the occurrence of degradation and identify the environmental fragility of the area. Using the Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI), the water bodies located in the study area were delineated and the APPs were delimited according to Law 12,651/2012. To identify the existence of conflicts within these areas, a map of land use and occupation was generated through Maximum Likelihood supervised classification, which was compared with the limits of the APPs, considering conflict areas whose land use is related to anthropic activities. Lastly, the potential and emerging fragility of the area were calculated, considering data of the slope, soil type and land cover/land use. The delimited APP comprised 3.96% of the total area of the basin and it showed a state of low degradation, with 83.83% of the area conserved under native vegetation cover and 15.93% showing conflicting type of use, with the occupation by pastures standing out, and among the APP categories mapped the headwaters were the most impacted. The spatialization of conflicts within the basin indicated that it has a very different conservation pattern, with the most critical areas concentrated in the center-east, where municipalities that have more than 40% of the APP occupied by anthropic activities are located. The north of the basin has areas with higher potential fragility, which is attenuated by the great soil protection.

A Near Four-Decade Time Series Shows the Hawaiian Islands Have Been Browning Since the 1980s

The Hawaiian Islands have been identified as a global biodiversity hotspot. We examine the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) using Climate Data Records products (0.05 × 0.05°) to identify significant differences in NDVI between neutral El Niño-Southern Oscillation years (1984, 2019) and significant long-term changes over the entire time series (1982–2019) for the Hawaiian Islands and six land cover classes. Overall, there has been a significant decline in NDVI (i.e., browning) across the Hawaiian Islands from 1982 to 2019 with the islands of Lāna’i and Hawai’i experiencing the greatest decreases in NDVI (≥44%). All land cover classes significantly decreased in NDVI for most months, especially during the wet season month of March. Native vegetation cover across all islands also experienced significant declines in NDVI, with the leeward, southwestern side of the island of Hawai’i experiencing the greatest declines. The long-term trends in the annual total precipitation and annual mean Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) for 1982–2019 on the Hawaiian Islands show significant concurrent declines. Primarily positive correlations between the native ecosystem NDVI and precipitation imply that significant decreases in precipitation may exacerbate the decrease in NDVI of native ecosystems. NDVI-PDSI correlations were primarily negative on the windward side of the islands and positive on the leeward sides, suggesting a higher sensitivity to drought for leeward native ecosystems. Multi-decadal time series and spatially explicit data for native landscapes provide natural resource managers with long-term trends and monthly changes associated with vegetation health and stability.

Impact of native vegetation cover near crops on the occurrence and molecular diversity of fire ants

AbstractSolenopsis invicta and Solenopsis saevissima are the most common fire ants in Brazil. Environmental disturbances favour the colony dispersal of both species, particularly those with an anthropogenic origin. However, the frequencies of the species can vary according to the amount of anthropogenic disturbances. Crops near native vegetation fragments is a common landscape in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Here, we analyse if there is influence of native vegetation cover on the occurrence of these fire ants and their molecular diversity in crops. Our hypothesis is that these species are antagonistic in terms of occurrence and molecular diversity when compared in the same habitat. We selected crops near fragments with around 50% of native vegetation cover, a percentage informative enough to detect biological responses from insects belonging to a same order. Nests were collected and the species were identified using external morphology, and mtDNA COI sequences. We reject our hypothesis, which suggest that the species colonize the vegetation patches around crops in a similar way. Solenopsis invicta is not limited by vegetation cover, and has a high haplotype diversity when compared to S. saevissima, particularly when the vegetation cover is greater than 50%. Additionally, the vegetation cover seems to not have influence in the total number of haplotypes, but the species have haplotypes that are exclusive to each landscape. Our findings suggest that S. invicta is expanding to native vegetation areas that it has not occupied before, as S. saevissima was dominant there.

Baseline assessment of the hydrological network and land use in riparian buffers of Pampean streams of Uruguay.

The integrated assessment of stream networks and terrestrial land use contributes a critical foundation for understanding and mitigating potential impacts on stream ecology. Riparian zone delineation and management is a key component for regulating water quality, particularly in agricultural watersheds. We present a national assessment of riparian zone land uses according to stream order for the entire hydrological network in the Uruguayan landscape in Southeastern South America. We classified over 82,500km of streams and rivers in Uruguay into seven Strahler order classes and delineated riparian buffers of 100 and 500m, depending on stream order, covering a total of 13% of the terrestrial land area in Uruguay. Natural vegetation cover in riparian zones averaged 77% among basins, whereby natural grassland dominated first and second order stream buffers at 58% and 49%, respectively. This highlighted the importance of grasslands in headwater regions of the country. Riparian forests formed corridors along larger streams, representing a mere 9% of buffers in first order streams but reaching 46% of buffers of 6th order streams. Among the six major basins of Uruguay, we found differences in the relative importance of riparian forests and crop cover in headwater stream riparian zones, as well as differences in relative crop cover within riparian zones. Results show that streams in subtropical grassland landscapes originate in open grassland environments, which has major implications for thermal regimes, carbon inputs, and stream biodiversity. Riparian buffer management should consider geographic differences among different basins and ecoregions within Uruguay.

Climatology, Bioclimatology and Vegetation Cover: Tools to Mitigate Climate Change in Olive Groves

This work establishes the relationship between bioclimatology and agronomy. Bioclimatic indices are obtained for several areas under olive cultivation and correlated with olive yields. Due to the effect of climate change on cultivation and the high economic losses it produces, we propose a sustainable development model for the territorial classification of crops based on bioclimatic knowledge. Bioclimatic diagrams are prepared to provide information on water stress in crops so that irrigation can be carried out at the most effective time, a measure that has been shown to lead to water and energy savings for growers. In addition to this development model, we propose the application of non-aggressive cultivation techniques such as the use of living plant cover to ensure the protection of the soil and avoid losses due to climate irregularities. Studies conducted up to the present on applied bioclimatology have yielded promising results in the fields of farming and forestry. The maps and bioclimatic indices of Professor Rivas-Martínez, Ic, Io and It/Itc, are essential for bioclimatic classification. The agricultural development model with a bioclimatic basis ensures economic savings for growers and minimizes the environmental impact of cultivation. In the case of olive cultivation we detected that in 2005 all the cultivated areas that were not in their thermoclimatic optimum were damaged by frost. The widespread cultivation of olive groves in the Mediterranean basin, and mainly in the south of Spain, is reason enough to establish a relationship between its production and its bioclimatic environment. The ombroclimatic study in certain localities under olive cultivation shows that areas with Io <2.5 are unproductive (Jodar, Tabernas), and that their low Io value needs to be supplemented with irrigation water. This means extracting water from aquifers for agricultural use, when the current climate irregularities do not allow the excessive use of subsoil water. For the time being the only way of mitigating this situation is with sustainable development, which requires a bioclimatic understanding of the territory; and the use of appropriate cultivation techniques, including herbaceous plant covers. In this last case a knowledge of the plant associations in the phytosociological class Stellarietea mediae constitutes the basis for establishing either natural or sown vegetation cover.

Regeneration of tree species after 11 years of canopy gap creation and deer exclusion in a warm temperate broad-leaved forest over-browsed by sika deer.

Deer overpopulation is a major threat to forest ecosystems worldwide resulting in loss of natural vegetation cover and increased sapling mortality. To resolve this problem of deer overpopulation, different strategies such as deer exclusion and gap creation have been explored to determine more efficient methods to restore deer-damaged forest ecosystems. In the current study, we applied a 2×2 factorial design of four different treatment groups in warm temperate secondary forests: closed canopy with deer as control, closed canopy without deer, clearcut with deer and clearcut without deer. We compared the decadal change in tree foliar cover and tree species richness among treatment groups to assess tree regeneration success. We also selected six tree species (Abies firma, Quercus acuta, Eurya japonica, Cinnamomum tenuifolium, Castanopsis sieboldii and Neolitsea sericea) that are common in the studied region and compared their regeneration success among the treatment groups. In the absence of deer, clearcutting increased the diversity of tree species and accelerated sapling growth, while under closed canopy conditions sapling heights did not exceed two meters. Tree saplings tended to be less abundant in treatments with deer compared to their counterpart, suggesting limited successful recruitment of saplings at the current deer density (10-13.5 deer km-2). In clearcut-with-deer treatment, non-tree species became abundant, and negatively affected recruitment of tree species as was suggested by regression analysis. However, these general trends were not equal for all tree species. Although clearcut-without-deer treatment facilitated sapling recruitment of all six tree species, Q. acuta, C. tenuifolium and C. sieboldii required deer exclusion for sapling recruitment while A. firma, N. sericea and E. japonica required increased light availability. Consequently, informed decisions can be made by identifying whether certain tree species are capable of naturally recruiting without human intervention and how best to ensure successful recruitment if necessary. By implementing effective strategies, time and resources will be saved, and management goals such as reestablishing tree cover rapidly and increasing tree species diversity can be achieved.

Vegetation impact on atmospheric moisture transport under increasing land-ocean temperature contrasts

Destabilization of the water cycle threatens human lives and livelihoods. Meanwhile our understanding of whether and how changes in vegetation cover could trigger transitions in moisture availability remains incomplete. This challenge calls for better evidence as well as for the theoretical concepts to describe it. Here we briefly summarize the theoretical questions surrounding the role of vegetation cover in the dynamics of a moist atmosphere. We discuss the previously unrecognized sensitivity of local wind power to condensation rate as revealed by our analysis of the continuity equation for a gas mixture. Using the framework of condensation-induced atmospheric dynamics, we then show that with the temperature contrast between land and ocean increasing up to a critical threshold, ocean-to-land moisture transport reaches a tipping point where it can stop or even reverse. Land-ocean temperature contrasts are affected by both global and regional processes, in particular, by the surface fluxes of sensible and latent heat that are strongly influenced by vegetation. Our results clarify how a disturbance of natural vegetation cover, e.g., by deforestation, can disrupt large-scale atmospheric circulation and moisture transport: an increase of sensible heat flux upon deforestation raises land surface temperature and this can elevate the temperature difference between land and ocean beyond the threshold. In view of the increasing pressure on natural ecosystems, successful strategies of mitigating climate change require taking into account the impact of vegetation on moist atmospheric dynamics. Our analysis provides a theoretical framework to assess this impact. The available data for the Northern Hemisphere indicate that the observed climatological land-ocean temperature contrasts are close to the threshold. This can explain the increasing fluctuations in the continental water cycle including droughts and floods and signifies a yet greater potential importance for large-scale forest conservation.

Aerial insectivorous bats in the Brazilian-Uruguayan savanna: Modelling the occupancy through acoustic detection

The Pampa is the least protected and one of the least sampled for bats among the Brazilian domains. This leads to significant Linnean and Wallacean shortfalls for bats in the Brazilian-Uruguayan savanna ecoregion. Here, we aimed to model the occupancy of aerial insectivorous bats in response to landscape structure at different scales, considering the influence of microclimate on bat detection. We acoustically monitored 68 locations during the spring and summer of 2019/2020, gathering data on temperature and humidity associated with each acoustic record using data loggers. We detected at least 11 species of the Molossidae and the Vespertilionidae families, of which 9 were used in the model. The response to landscape structure was species-specific: the occupancy probability of Eptesicus brasiliensis and Molossus cf. currentium increased with landscape connectivity at the 500 m scale while Eptesicus furinalis and Histiotus cf. velatus were negatively affected by landscape connectivity at the 5.0 km scale. Molossus occupancy probability responded negatively to landscape heterogeneity at the 3.0 km scale, while Promops centralis responded positively to landscape heterogeneity at the 5.0 km scale. Molossus rufus responded negatively to native vegetation cover and positively to landscape heterogeneity at the 5.0 km scale. Myotis albescens and Molossops temminckii did not respond significantly to any of the evaluated landscape metrics. Our results show that different bat species perceive the landscape differently, regardless of the guild of use of space – edge- or open-space forager. Our estimate of projected occupancy for the areas contiguous to those sampled ranged from 0.45 to 0.70 for the whole of the bat taxa, suggesting that the landscape, particularly where it still maintains its native elements, is reasonably favourable to aerial insectivores.

ASSESSMENT OF STREAM ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION USING FISHBASED METRICS IN A PROTECTED AREA AND ITS DISTURBED BUFFER ZONE, NORTHEASTERN ATLANTIC RAINFOREST

The susceptibility of streams to anthropogenic interference raises the need for continuous assessment of their environmental condition. From early studies to recent approaches, metrics derived from fish assemblages have proven to be fundamental tools in evaluating the ecological condition of watercourses. We assessed the environmental degradation of streams inside and surrounding the Córrego Grande Biological Reserve, state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, to develop and apply a biotic index for this region based on fish metrics. We performed samplings in 19 stream sites along 2012, 2018 and 2019, and collected 24 species belonging to five orders, 11 families, and 21 genera. The sites were classified as least-disturbed (N = 9, all within the protected area), intermediate (N = 8), and most-disturbed (N = 2). Ordination analyses distinctly separated the sites according to their disturbance classes, revealing that the percentage of native vegetation cover in 100 m buffers and type of riparian vegetation played an important role in the environmental quality of these sites. From the initial 38 metrics, three were able to distinguish between disturbance classes: percentage of Siluriformes and Characiformes species, percentage of nektonic species, and percentage of omnivorous individuals. Our results show that these metrics are significant factors to be considered in monitoring the environmental degradation of Atlantic Forest streams.

Analysis of the extent of the change of vegetation cover area in the heights of the southern Jordanian Mazar District for the period (1984-2021) using the vegetation coverage index (NDVI).

The study aimed to measure the change in the level of vegetation cover in the Southern Mazar District for the years (1980-2021), using the vegetation coverage index in the GIS program, and remote sensing data from available satellite visuals covering the study area for the time period. The study followed the applied analytical digital approach, and the tools of the geographic information systems program. The study found that the study area witnessed a significant decline in the area of ​​vegetation cover for the period between 1984 and 2021 AD, as follows: • The study area witnessed a clear decline in the area of ​​vegetation cover, in 1984 AD the percentage of vegetation cover was 89.4% of the area of ​​the study area, while in 2021 it decreased to 48%. • The decline in natural vegetation cover was significantly related, according to the vegetation cover index, to the annual rainfall rate. In 1984 AD, the area of ​​vegetation cover was 334.9 km2, and the annual rainfall amounted to 468 mm for the same year, while the area of ​​land covered by vegetation decreased to 190 km2 when the amount was Annual rainfall of 137 mm in 2021. • The arid climate characteristics extend from the desert and semi-desert region on the eastern side towards the mountainous region on the western side. • The impact of urbanization significantly on the decline of vegetation cover areas in the study area in general, and in the areas of the shrine, Mu'ta and Moab in particular due to the increase in the urban area, and the estimated amount of decline in the area of ​​vegetation cover is about 1.1 km² annually. Finally, the study recommended the necessity of taking quick and decisive measures by the decision maker to reduce the severity and speed of the decline of vegetation cover in the eastern parts of the study area, and to expand the study of the most affected species of natural plants to address the problem early.

Spatial genetic structure and limited gene flow in fragmented populations of the threatened Malleefowl (Leipoa ocellata)

The Malleefowl ( Leipoa ocellata ) is a threatened megapode bird that persists on the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia—an area that has undergone substantial clearance of native vegetation over the past 200 years. Habitat loss and fragmentation can negatively affect long-term conservation status by creating small and isolated subpopulations that lead to reduced gene flow, increased genetic drift, and inbreeding. In this study, we test whether Malleefowl on the Eyre Peninsula exhibit population structure that may have resulted from recent anthropogenic land cover changes. We used reduced-representation high-throughput DNA sequencing to obtain a dataset of 17,851 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Our results suggest that Malleefowl are not genetically homogeneous across the Eyre Peninsula and that habitat fragmentation has likely driven differentiation of at least two distinct populations by decreasing opportunities for gene flow. We also provide preliminary genetic evidence for female-biased dispersal in Malleefowl. Our study highlights the potential problems caused by anthropogenic land cover changes for threatened Malleefowl populations and underscores the need for ongoing monitoring. We emphasise the importance of both large continuous native vegetation patches and small connecting habitat fragments even in highly fragmented landscapes. We encourage land managers to facilitate between-patch movement by improving native vegetation cover and controlling overabundant herbivores to improve habitat quality by allowing natural regrowth of existing native vegetation. • Habitat fragmentation has driven differentiation of Malleefowl populations on the Eyre Peninsula. • Preliminary genetic evidence for female-biased dispersal in a megapode. • Malleefowl management decisions should involve genetic targets. • Managers should facilitate between-patch gene flow by improving vegetation cover. • Lacking improvement, translocations may be necessary for better genetic health.

Legal reserves ensure alpha and beta ant diversity in highly modified agricultural landscapes

To preserve biodiversity, the Brazilian law postulates that rural properties must keep a percentage of native vegetation cover, denominated as “Legal Reserve” (LR). Recent political efforts are being made to disoblige the farmer to keep the LRs. In this study we evaluated the role of LRs in ensuring the ant biodiversity on LRs and soybean plantations. Ants were collected in 42 landscapes within Amazonian forests and Cerrado savannahs and the transition vegetation between them. In each landscape, sets of pitfall traps were placed in a paired design, in the Legal Reserve area and in the adjacent soybean cultivation matrix. As expected, the number of species was extremely lower on soybean plantations. Despite richness, we observed strong turnover between the LRs and plantations. The landscape types on which the Legal Reserve was inserted did not influence the number, but did influence the composition of species. Also, the similarity among samples decay with geographic distance only on LRs. Our results show the importance of the maintenance of Legal Reserve areas for the ants and associated biodiversity in agro-ecosystems. This fact reinforces the need to preserve the Legal Reserves as described in Brazilian law.

Spatial Analysis of the Geoecological Adequability Index in Semi-Arid Watersheds, Northeast of Brazil

stract This research aimed to perform a comparative analysis of Geoecological Adequability (GA) in two semi-arid watersheds in Northeastern Brazil based on a classification carried out in a GIS (Geographic Information System) environment using the algebra map tool. The GA calculation reveals the interactions between landscape components through GIS, namely soil, slope, vegetation and land cover. Weights were assigned (1, 2 or 3) to the different cartographic layers of the geoecological components measured using the algebra map tool, through the arithmetic means, to classify the semiarid basins into different adequability levels, as follows: adequate, partially adequate and inadequate to anthropic uses. These procedures verified the predominance of the “adequate” class with a territorial area above 42% in both investigated basins; the “partially adequate” level and the second most comprehensive class comprised values between 30% and 40%; and, while smaller territorial extensions, below 20%, were “inadequate”. Based on these findings, it was possible to measure the most suitable areas for anthropic use in the studied basins and indicate the areas that should be conserved, with emphasis on protection and/or regeneration of the natural vegetation cover. This is important information concerning the planning and environmental management of these semi-arid landscapes in an objective and efficient way

The fate of vegetation remnants in the southern Amazon's largest threatened hotspot: part (I) a 33-year analysis of LULCC in the Tapajos River basin, Brazil

In the present study, we evaluated the dynamics of native vegetation cover (NVC) fragmentation from 1985 to 2018 in the most threatened basin of the Rio Tapajos (TRB), a tributary of the Amazon River. The study sought to understand how land use pressures negatively impacted the remnants of the agricultural matrix and the biodiversity of local biotas. To this end, we created a sampling grid with hexagons of 50,000 hectares each, compartmentalized as follows: for the entire basin area, we used a grid of 1255 hexagons in the analyses; in the northern portion of the basin (Amazon biome), we used a grid with 965 hexagons and in the southern portion of the basin (Cerrado biome) we used a grid with 290 hexagons. In these grids, we apply six landscape ecology metrics: number, size, edge, isolation, remnants and interiority, unprecedented in landscape studies. The hexagons created were our analytical units in the study of isolation and habitat loss between forest remnants (Fo) and savannas (Sa) in the three defined Core Areas. The results showed that the fragmentation dynamics in TRB was not a single and isolated event in the three compartments analyzed, with different clusters in the studied portions. The number of remnants grew exponentially in the landscape, in the first 20 years of the study (1985- 2005), and their areas lost half their original sizes in both parts of the basin. Regardless of remnant size or typology, the edge effect was high in both small and large patches (Fo = 15% and Sa = 20%). The isolation of the remnants was greater and increasing in the northern portion of the basin, in 20 years (1985-2005), the isolation class 100 to 1000 meters increased 31% for the Fo patches, while the Sa patches increased only 11% in the southern part of the basin. The total losses of remnants (Fo+Sa) in the northern portion were 38% and 41% for the remainders of the southern portion of the basin. It is important to emphasize that this study is the largest assessment ever carried out in the entire area of an Amazon watershed, with the objective of creating a database for comparative studies with other threatened watersheds. Our analyzes showed that 60% of the TRB Plateau area was converted to planted pastures and annual crops. If the same rates of deforestation and fragmentation remain at the current level, the prognosis for 2040 will not be encouraging.

Socio‐ecological evidence highlights that native Prosopis species are better for arid land restoration than non‐native ones

The selection of species for restoration projects requires decision‐making to be based on scientific evidence as well as input and approval from local communities. To better guide future restoration initiatives, this study assessed the socio‐ecological effects of two Prosopis congeners including the native Prosopis cineraria and the non‐native P. juliflora (mesquite) in two different sites in Southern Iran. Soil parameters including pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, and total nitrogen as well as vegetation indices including native vegetation cover, diversity, and density were measured under both of the congener tree species. Furthermore, pastoralists' perceptions toward the colonizing ability of both Prosopis congeners, their impacts on ecosystem services, and people's livelihoods and human well‐being were assessed through interviews and semi‐structured questionnaires. The ecological results showed that areas with native P. cineraria had higher native vegetation cover, density, and diversity as compared to sites with the non‐native P. juliflora. Soils under P. cineraria and P. juliflora generally showed similar properties, with some small differences between sites (especially for pH and nitrogen). The social results showed that pastoralists in both study regions perceived P. cineraria to be better for local ecosystem services and livelihoods and viewed it to have lower colonizing or invasion potential. It can be concluded that native P. cineraria is a better candidate for restoration because it provides more ecological and social benefits and poses fewer long‐term threats. Caution should be taken when promoting non‐native species such as P. juliflora for restoration.

Land‐use change impacts on soil and vegetation attributes in the Kanshi River basin, Potohar Plateau, Pakistan

AbstractSoil erosion and land degradation have intensified recently, resulting from large‐scale land‐use and land cover (LULC) change, deforestation and farm mechanization. This phenomenon motivates the rationale for the assessment of such land‐use changes and their impacts on soil and vegetation in the Kanshi River basin using various remote sensing techniques between 1987–2019. The image classification enabled the identification of dry and highland zones. It was observed that around 17% of natural vegetation cover disappeared and was converted into agricultural land. Significant increase in extensive agricultural practices, population growth, settlement, and the brick industry have increased soil erosion and changed the landscape of the Kanshi region during 1987–2019. Further, we classify gully erosion, rill erosion, sprinkle erosion, and sheet erosion have all been found at rates of 43%, 27%, 9%, and 21%, respectively. Similarly, soil classes in 2019 were doubled, with Sambrial association (1%), Rajar complex (36%), Dhulian association (15%), Gullied (15%), Missa complex, Rough mountainous (2%) and Rough broken (17%), compared to four classes in 1987: Gullied, Missa complex, rough broken land, and Torrent bed land. Whereas in 1987, four types of soils were observed. The recorded soil series had a limited water holding capacity and were well drained. Soil erosion is a natural and inevitable phenomenon; however, its intensity can be reduced by appropriate water resource management in this basin.

How can forest fragments support protected areas connectivity in an urban landscape in Brazil?

Cities continue to grow worldwide, and the highly modified urban landscape becomes an inhospitable environment for many species because the natural vegetation cover is commonly fragmented, and the remnants are often isolated. Protected Areas (PAs) located surrounding or within urban areas may not achieve their goal of protecting local or regional biodiversity. Thus, an urban ecological network is essential to support their PAs. Thus, this study aimed at assessing the PAs connectivity in an urban landscape in Brazil and understanding whether urban forest fragments can support an urban ecological network. Besides spatial models based on functional connectivity and graph theory, we used participatory techniques to design the resistance surface and the least-cost paths (LCPs) for Atlantic Forest birds. The results showed critical paths (LCPs), important areas for restoration programs for improving PAs connectivity, and essential forest fragments for conservation and restoration. Although the landscape has a forest structure with 1873 forest fragments and 516 links through which the LCPs were structured, most forest fragments and LCPs cannot provide the necessary support for the PAs connectivity. The current ecological network is dependent on forest fragments neighboring (outside PAs) and the flux dispersions occurred mainly in the peri-urban areas. Riparian zones and anthropic grasslands also showed importance for the PAs connectivity. We identified only 28 forest fragments spatially connected, presenting several sizes, and located near large forest areas, relevant PAs, and riparian zones. Six of these forest fragments, smaller than ten hectares and strategically located in the urban matrix, were indicated for restoration actions. The current low connectivity among PAs brings the importance of native vegetation restoration in the riparian zone and anthropic grassland and the importance of the periurban areas to promote biodiversity connectivity in the urban landscape.