Nearby Forest Research Articles

Useful Plants from the Wild to Home Gardens: An Analysis of Home Garden Ethnobotany in Contexts of Habitat Conversion and Land Use Change in Jeju, South Korea

Home gardens are often the most agrobiodiverse sites in the anthropogenic environment, a space where crops and other useful plants are often transplanted from other components of the landscape. This study investigates the plant composition of home gardens and their usefulness in 12 small towns and villages—with three of these chosen as the focus for in-depth research—situated in the Jeju province of South Korea. The goal of the research is to explore their roles in local ethnobotany in the context of habitat conversion and land use change. The 131 home gardens surveyed in these villages yielded 164 species- and variety-level plant taxa (52 wild, 109 domesticated, and 3 introduced), of which 95 were useful plant taxa (39 wild, 55 domesticated, and 1 introduced). Use of home garden plants was predominantly for food and medicinal purposes. Home garden plant usefulness was more multi-functional and thus more versatile than practices associated with these plants in non-garden habitats. Plant diversity in home gardens was supported by the presence of nearby forest and grassland areas. Interview data indicate that plant users were motivated to transplant wild plants into their home gardens in order to secure a consistent supply, given decreases in wild plant populations in the last 15–20 years. The loss and overharvesting of forests and other wild plant habitats have caused the decrease in these plant populations. Underlying drivers of the habitat conversion and land use change influencing increased wild plant transplants to home gardens are local livelihood and lifestyle changes, including the earlier expansion of commercial agriculture beginning in the late 1960s and the accelerated growth of tourism since 2000.

Population-weighted exposure to green spaces tied to lower COVID-19 mortality rates: A nationwide dose-response study in the USA

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a huge loss of human life globally. However, few studies investigated the link between exposure to green space and risk of COVID-19 mortality rate, while also distinguishing the effects of various types of green space, considering the spatial distribution of human population and green space, and identifying the optimal buffer distances of nearby green space. It is critical and pressing to fill these significant knowledge gaps to protect and promote billions of people's health and life across the world.This study adopted a negative binomial generalized linear mixed-effects model to examine the association between the ratios of various types of green space, population-weighted exposure to those various types of green space, and COVID-19 mortality rates across 3025 counties in the USA, adjusted for sociodemographic, pre-existing chronic disease, policy and regulation, behavioral, and environmental factors.The findings show that greater exposure to forest was associated with lower COVID-19 mortality rates, while developed open space had mixed associations with COVID-19 mortality rates. Forest outside park had the largest effect size across all buffer distances, followed by forest inside park. The optimal exposure buffer distance was 1 km for forest outside park, with per one-unit of increase in exposure associated with a 9.9 % decrease in COVID-19 mortality rates (95 % confidence interval (CI): 6.9 %–12.8 %). The optimal exposure buffer distance of forest inside park was 400 m, with per one-unit of increase in exposure associated with a 4.7 % decrease in mortality rates (95 % CI: 2.4 %–6.9 %).The results suggest that greater exposure to green spaces, especially to nearby forests, may mitigate the risk of COVID-19 mortality. Although findings of an ecological study cannot be directly used to guide medical interventions, this study may pave a critical new way for future research and practice across multiple disciplines.

Differential effects of wildfire on salt marsh and coastal forest plant community abundance and diversity in the urbanized Long Island Sound

Coastal marshes are dynamic ecosystems that provide essential ecosystem services and are impacted by a variety of natural and anthropogenic disturbances including flooding, fire, climate change, and urbanization. Coastal saltmarshes are sometimes managed through prescribed burning to enhance habitat value for wildlife and increase plant diversity, but this practice is uncommon in urbanized environments and the effects are unclear. In this study, we observed the effects of a 2017 wildfire on a Spartina saltmarsh and oak-hickory coastal forest over three years on Long Island Sound, New York. The objectives were to determine the impact of the fire on plant abundance, diversity, and invasive species. We studied the marshland and nearby coastal forest. It was concluded that the marsh habitat was more resilient than the forested habitat as its plant composition, abundance and diversity returned to that of the unburned marsh two years post fire. The wildfire caused large shifts in community composition, increasing abundance and diversity in the burned forest relative to the unburned forest, but it also facilitated an increase in non-native species. Because these systems provide countless ecosystem services, further research on the effect of wildfire and interactions with other disturbances is needed.

Systematics of the Central African Spiny Reed Frog Afrixalus laevis (Anura: Hyperoliidae), with the description of two new species from the Albertine Rift.

The geographically widespread species Afrixalus laevis (Anura: Hyperoliidae) currently has a disjunct distribution in western Central Africa (Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and possibly adjacent countries) and the area in and near the Albertine Rift in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries. At least two herpetologists have previously suggested that these disjunct populations represent distinct species, and herein, we utilize an integrative taxonomic approach with molecular and morphological data to reconcile the taxonomy of these spiny reed frogs. We sequenced 1554 base pairs of the 16S and RAG1 genes from 34 samples of A. laevis and one sample of A. orophilus (sympatric with eastern populations of A. laevis), and combined these data with previously sequenced GenBank Afrixalus samples via the bioinformatics toolkit SuperCRUNCH. Phylogenetic trees, dated phylogenetic analyses, and species-delimitation analyses were generated with RAxML, BEAST, and BPP, respectively. Eleven mensural characters were taken from multiple specimens of A. laevis and A. orophilus, and compared with paired t-tests and analyses of covariance. These combined results suggested populations of A. laevis in western Central Africa (Cameroon and Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea) represent one species, whereas populations from the Albertine Rift and nearby forests represent two undescribed taxa that are sister to A. dorsimaculatus. The two new species (A. lacustris sp. nov. and A. phantasma sp. nov.) are distinguished by our phylogenetic and species-delimitation analyses, significant differences in several mensural characters, qualitative morphological differences, and by their non-overlapping elevational distribution.

Soil carbon stocks in forest-tundra ecotones along a 500 km latitudinal gradient in northern Norway

As shrubs and trees are advancing into tundra ecosystems due to climate warming, litter input and microclimatic conditions affecting litter decomposition are likely to change. To assess how the upward shift of high-latitude treeline ecotones might affect soil organic carbon stocks (SOC), we sampled SOC stocks in the surface layers of 14 mountain birch forest-tundra ecotones along a 500 km latitudinal transect in northern Norway. Our objectives were to examine: (1) how SOC stocks differ between forest and tundra soils, and (2) the relative role of topography, vegetation and climate in explaining variability in SOC stock sizes. Overall, forest soils had higher SOC stocks (median: 2.01 kg m−2) than tundra soils (median: 1.33 kg m−2). However, SOC storage varied greatly within and between study sites. Two study sites had higher SOC stocks in the tundra than in the nearby forest, five sites had higher SOC stocks in the forest, and seven sites did not show differences in SOC stocks between forest and tundra soils. Thus, our results suggest that an upwards forest expansion does not necessarily lead to a change in SOC storage at all sites. Further, a partial least-squares regression (PLSR) model indicated that elevation, temperature, and slope may be promising indicators for SOC stock size at high-latitude treelines. Precipitation and vegetation were in comparison only of minor importance.

Potential effects of soil chemical and biological properties on wood volume in Eucalyptus urophylla × Eucalyptus grandis hybrid plantations and their responses to different intensity applications of inorganic fertilizer.

Long-term and high-intensity application of inorganic fertilizer leads to a strong variation of soil characteristics. The changes in soil chemical and biological properties can significantly affect the yield of Eucalyptus plantation. However, the mechanism of soil chemical properties affecting wood volume mediated by biological factors is not clear. The purpose of this study was to identify which soil properties were affected by different fertilization intensities and to disentangle the dominant factors affecting Eucalyptus volume. After clear felling evergreen broad-leaved forest, a Eucalyptus plantation was established that was coppiced every 5 years and fertilized every year. Within this plantation, areas with different treatments were established. These treatments were a 5-year growth period (low); two times 5-year growth period (medium); and three times 5-year growth period (high). In each treatment area and in a nearby evergreen broad-leaved forest (EBLF Control), five sample plots per treatment were set up. Various biological and chemistry analyses (18 in total) were related to determining the most important path and index for optimizing Eucalyptus plantation. The analysis of variance of enzyme activity and microbial biomass showed that the soil biological characteristics decreased over 10 years of plantation, and the enzyme activity was close to the state of EBLF control in medium, while the microbial biomass failed to return to its original state during continuous planting. Redundancy analysis results show that there was a strong correlation in chemical indicators and biological characteristics. Partial least square structural equation model showed that total phosphorus, nitrate nitrogen, urease, catalase, and microbial biomass nitrogen and phosphorus were the most influential soil biochemical factors, and the indirect effect of chemical properties on volume was achieved by microorganisms through enzyme activity. Continuous planting and large-scale application of inorganic fertilizer would lead to a decrease in plantation yield and fertilizer utilization efficiency and would affect the microbial biomass and enzyme activity by destroying the stability of soil chemical properties.

Assessing and modeling diurnal temperature buffering and evapotranspiration dynamics in forest restoration using ECOSTRESS thermal imaging

Restoration of temperate forests alters the diurnal dynamics of land surface temperature (LST) and evapotranspiration (ET) through increases in biomass, diversity, and complexity. The ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) is the first space-based thermal imaging instrument that allows for a study of diurnal LST and ET dynamics at a moderate spatial resolution (70 × 70 m).We quantified, compared, and modeled the LST and ET dynamics of two groups of forest restoration sites (43 sites in total, between 2 and 75 ha) in Southern Ontario, Canada that were initially restored from mainly agriculture between 2007 and 2019. We included all useable LST (n = 29) and ET (n = 9) ECOSTRESS image products from a full growing season in 2020 (June 1st to September 30th). Forest restoration sites were compared by age and against agriculture (pre-restoration state), mature forest (post-restoration state), and suburban residential sites (competing land use).The ability of forest restoration sites to buffer temperatures was highest in the afternoon, around 14:00 local time (EDT). As predicted, restoration sites were significantly cooler (x̄ 4.4–7.4 °C) than residential and agricultural areas and significantly warmer (x̄1.6–2.9 °C) compared to mature reference forest sites at both groups of sites. Relative diurnal (24-h) LST variability of forest and restoration sites was also significantly lower (0.9–2.9 °C) compared to agriculture and residential sites (3.3–5.2 °C). Daytime LST decreased significantly by 0.1 °C (3.1%), per year since restoration for one of the groups of sites relative to nearby mature reference forest sites as per a linear mixed effects regression model. It would take these sites ~30 years to reach the same buffering as mature forests. In characterizing ET dynamics of a subset of sites, we found that more recently restored sites had a statistically significant higher overall ET than older ones and that daytime relative instantaneous ET decreased with years since restoration. The variation explained by the ET model was however low.Our study provides insights into how diurnal forest ecosystem energy conversion and storage dynamics changes over time after restoration. These diurnal thermal dynamics impact wildlife habitat as well as human wellbeing. The change in thermal buffering over time could be used to assess the pace and trajectory of restoration by managers. The thermal buffering provided by restored forest can also be quantified as an ecosystem service. As such, the study demonstrates the utility and also limitations of novel thermal remote sensing methods, using free and publicly available imagery from ECOSTRESS.

Adjacent forest moderates insect pollination of oil palm

Natural habitat plays a role in many agroecosystems as a source of pollination services and other ecological spillover, but these effects are largely unquantified in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), a globally important crop linked to deforestation. In a field experiment in Sumatra, Indonesia, we manipulated floral visitor access to female oil palm inflorescences over a 100 m distance gradient from forest into oil palm and sampled insects with sticky traps placed above male and female inflorescences. Full exclusion of floral visitors decreased mean oil palm fruit set to 12%, demonstrating that insect pollination was necessary to maintain favorable fruit set and yield. Treatment group means of fruit set under open pollination (62%) and when excluding large (>1.4 mm diameter) organisms (72%), did not differ significantly from open pollination augmented with hand pollination (61%), suggesting no difference in pollen limitation. In contrast, when we examined change in fruit set with distance from forest, we found a significant trend of higher fruit set in oil palms closer to the forest when large organisms were excluded, which increased estimated fruit set at the forest edge to 87%, compared to open-pollinated palms (70%). This trend with distance from forest was absent when we fully excluded floral visitors, showing that the effect of forest was not likely due to an abiotic gradient (e.g., changing soil nutrients). Of the arthropod taxa collected from sticky traps, Drosophilidae (Diptera) and Gelechiidae (Lepidoptera) decreased and increased with distance from forest, respectively. The taxa Elaeidobius kamerunicus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Gelechiidae, and the families Thripidae and Phlaeothripidae (Thysanoptera) were abundant on both male and female inflorescence sticky traps. Elaeidobius kamerunicus, an introduced oil palm pollinator, had the only significant relationship with fruit set. Our results confirm pollination by insects as a key ecosystem service for oil palm production. Although further work is needed to clarify the relationship between fruit set, biodiversity, and distance from forest, we speculate that excluding large organisms could have increased fruit set closer to forest by mediating interactions between pollinators, forest predators, and farm mesopredators. Understanding the relationships between nearby forest and pollination services could better connect oil palm production to its landscape context and associated biodiversity. This would be important for landscape-scale conservation planning that considers both the ecosystem service needs and ecological impacts of oil palm agriculture.

Characterizing the Dependence on Non-timber Forest Products Among Communities Living Around Forest Conservation Areas in Marrupa-Mecula Corridor, Niassa Special Reserve, Niassa Province of Mozambique

The role of forests across the world has been recognized as key natural assets that offer several goods and services, especially to communities adjacent to them. Given this role, there have been minimal efforts to determine the factors characterizing this dependence of communities on non-timber forest products (NTFPs), especially in developing nations. This study surveyed and assessed different factors influencing household dependence on NTFPs in the Marrupa-Mecula Corridor, Niassa Special Reserve, Niassa Province of Mozambique. In total, 377 household members from eight villages attended the interview while employing proportional random sampling. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression. The study revealed that 90.9% of the households participate in collecting, producing, and selling NTFPs. Three factors, namely, social, economic, and physical, with twenty sub-factors or characteristics were found to have a significant association with dependence on forest resources. They include the availability of NTFPs, taking a collection of NTFPs as a family job, strong cultural attachment to forests, seasonal engagement in collection, nearby forests being home for community leaders, distance to the nearby forest, the housing needs of forests, forests being a major source of medicine, forests being a resource for educational institutions, forests being a major source of household food security, forests being a ready income for households, forests being a tourist attraction in the area, and affordability of distance to markets. The binary logistic regression revealed that gender, age, education, family size, and time spent in the area are significantly associated with dependence on NTFPs. Additionally, strong cultural attachment to forests, seasonal engagement in collection, nearby forests being homes for community leaders, distance to the nearby forest, housing needs, a major source of medicine, education, household food security, ready income, tourist attraction, and affordability of distance to markets were found to have a significant influence. On the contrary, scary dangerous wild animals, restriction of cultivation in non-gazetted forests, restriction of hunting in non-gazetted forests, and forest fires negatively affected the dependence on NTFPs/resources. As a way of achieving sustainable utilization of NTFPs, management plans and strategies need to incorporate these factors characterizing the dependence on NTFPs.

Use of road underpasses by mammals and a monitor lizard in eastern Australia and consideration of the prey-trap hypothesis.

Road networks continue to expand globally with predictable effects on ecological systems. Research into the effectiveness of road underpasses and overpasses for wildlife has been concentrated in North America and Europe. In Australia, most studies of underpasses have been of relatively short duration and without reference sites to give context to the measured rates of use. We studied 5–7 road underpasses at two locations in eastern Australia over 2–3 years, comparing camera trap detections of animals in underpasses with those at nearby forest sites. Three species of large macropod (wallabies and kangaroos) were frequently detected in the underpasses, with some underpasses traversed 1–4 times per week, and in many cases exceeded detections in the forest. The lace monitor (Varanus varius) was detected in all underpasses, often once per week during spring and summer, and infrequently in the forest. At each location, a different small macropod species, including one regionally threatened, showed a higher probability of detection in one underpass compared with several of the forest sites. The vulnerable koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) was detected infrequently in underpasses and in the adjoining forest. The short‐beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) had a high probability of detection in a single underpass. The “prey‐trap hypothesis” postulates that predators will exhibit increased activity at underpasses as a consequence of prey being funneled. We found the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) had high activity in some underpasses. However, its activity coincided less than expected with the activity of the mammals most at risk to it. Our results provide no consistent support for the “prey‐trap hypothesis.” Instead, our study confirms the generic value of underpasses for a range of medium‐large mammals as well as one large reptile. Habitat adjoining underpasses exert a strong influence on their use and require greater consideration to maximize underpass use.

Harvesting Local Energy: A Case Study of Community-Led Bioenergy Development in Galena, Alaska

Community-led bioenergy projects show great promise to address a range of issues for remote and Indigenous Arctic communities that typically rely on diesel for meeting their energy demands. However, there is very little research devoted to better understanding what makes individual projects successful. In this study, we analyze the case of the Galena Bioenergy Project (Alaska)—a biomass heating project that uses locally sourced woody biomass to help meet the heating demands of a large educational campus. Using project documents and other publicly available reports, we evaluate the project’s success using three indicators: operational, environmental, and community level socio-economic benefits. We find that the project shows signs of success in all three respects. It has a reliable fuel supply chain for operations, makes contributions towards greenhouse gas reductions by replacing diesel and has improved energy and economic security for the community. We also examine enabling factors behind the project’s success and identify the following factors as crucial: community-level input and support, state level financial support, access to forest biomass with no competing use, predictable demand and committed leadership. Our findings have important implications for other remote communities across the Boreal zone—especially those with nearby forest resources. Our examination of this case study ultimately highlights potential pathways for long-term success and, more specifically, shows how biomass resources might be best utilized through community-led initiatives to sustainably support energy security in Arctic communities.

Characterizations of an Emerging Disease: Apple Blotch Caused by Diplocarpon coronariae (syn. Marssonina coronaria) in the Mid-Atlantic United States.

Apple orchards with minimal or reduced fungicide inputs in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States have experienced outbreaks of severe premature defoliation with symptoms that matched those of apple blotch disease (ABD) caused by Diplocarpon coronariae. Fungal isolates obtained from symptomatic apple leaves and fruit produced uniform slow-growing, dark-gray colonies on peptone potato dextrose agar and had conidia. Internal transcribed spacer DNA sequences matched with D. coronariae and Koch's postulates were fulfilled when typical ABD symptoms occurred when reinoculated onto apple leaves and fruit. Spore dispersal in nonfungicide-treated orchards detected with quantitative PCR was low in early spring and dropped to undetectable levels in late May and early June before rising exponentially to highs in July and August, which coincided with symptom development. Only low spore numbers were detected in fungicide-treated orchards and nearby forests. In preliminary fungicide tests, fluxapyroxad, thiophanate methyl, and difenoconazole effectively inhibited mycelial growth of isolates invitro. When apple cultivars Fuji and Honeycrisp were inoculated with D. coronariae, Honeycrisp showed delayed onset of symptoms and lower disease severity, and the transcription profile of seven host defense-related genes showed that PR-2, PR-8, LYK4, and CERK1 were highly induced in Honeycrisp at 2 and 5days postinoculation. This is the first report of ABD in the Mid-Atlantic United States, which includes studies of seasonal D. coronariae spore dispersal patterns, preliminary fungicide efficacy, and host defense-related gene expression to assist development of best ABD management practices.

Do Parks Help Forests?

National Parks were created to help protect nature. But does that protection really matter? Are forests inside parks actually any better off than nearby forests outside of parks? How could you even tell? To find out, we studied thousands of trees inside of parks. We measured every tree’s diameter to see how big it was and returned 4 years later to see how they had changed. Then we compared the trees in parks to thousands of other trees that had been measured in similar unprotected forests nearby. It turns out that there are more trees growing in parks, and large trees are much more common. Trees in parks are less likely to die, but due to their large size, they grow more slowly. Parks even have more dead trees and dead wood on the forest floor. All of these things are signs of a healthy forest.

ECOLOGICAL REHABILITATION INDICATORS FOR ONE EUCALYPTUS REFORESTATION WITH AN OAK FOREST AS REFERENCE

The evaluation of reforestation for ecological restoration purposes in an area requires the comparison of similarity indicators with nearby reference forests. The objective of this study was to compare the vegetal composition, structure, falling debris, and their decomposition in the soil of a reforestation site of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh, planted more than 50 years ago, and a neighbouring forest dominated by Quercus deserticola Trel. and Q. laeta Liebm (used as reference), in an area of the State of Mexico; and obtain quantitative indicators of the trajectory of rehabilitation through the use of non-native species of Mexico. In reforestation and oak forest, we established 12 sampling sites where the composition, structure and two ecological processes (falling debris and decomposition) were determined. In addition, solar radiation was estimated by taking zenith photos of the canopy, using a hemispherical lens. When data was within normal distribution, we used the Student test, and when it was not, the Wilcoxon test was used to compare the variables studied. The reference forest outperformed reforestation (p ≤ 0.05) in: richness (68 and 50 species); diversity (Simpson index, 1.6-2.6 and 0.7-2.3); normal diameter (21.3 and 13.7 cm), accumulated leaf litter (18.2 and 9.2 Mg ha-1), detritus fall (0.606 and 0.321 Mg ha-1 per month), and litter decomposition (0.443 and 0.251 Mg ha-1 per month). Reforestation had a higher total radiation (5384 vs. 4376 MJ m-2 year-1) and tree height (8.1 vs. 7.4 m). The percentage values of importance were 32.8 and 26.9 % for Quercus deserticola and Q. laeta in the oak forest, and 70 % for E. camaldulensis in the reforestation. After 50 years, reforestation still showed statistical differences from forest in composition, structure, and soil processes.

Quality Control Impacts on Total Precipitation Gauge Records for Montane Valley and Ridge Sites in SW Alberta, Canada

This paper presents adjustment routines for Geonor totalizing precipitation gauge data collected from the headwaters of the Oldman River, within the southwestern Alberta Canadian Rockies. The gauges are situated at mountain valley and alpine ridge locations with varying degrees of canopy cover. These data are prone to sensor noise and environment-induced measurement errors requiring an ordered set of quality control (QC) corrections using nearby weather station data. Sensor noise at valley sites with single-vibrating wire gauges accounted for the removal of 5% to 8% (49–76 mm) of annual precipitation. This was compensated for by an increase of 6% to 8% (50–76 mm) from under-catch. A three-wire ridge gauge did not experience significant sensor noise; however, the under-catch of snow resulted in 42% to 52% (784–1342 mm) increased precipitation. When all QC corrections were applied, the annual cumulative precipitation at the ridge demonstrated increases of 39% to 49% (731–1269 mm), while the valley gauge adjustments were −4% to 1% (−39 mm to 13 mm). Public sector totalizing precipitation gauge records often undergo minimal QC. Care must be exercised to check the corrections applied to such records when used to estimate watershed water balance or precipitation orographic enhancement. Systematic errors at open high-elevation sites may exceed nearby valley or forest sites.

Abandoned Fishpond Reversal to Mangrove Forest: Will the Carbon Storage Potential Match the Natural Stand 30 Years after Reforestation?

Mangroves are essential carbon reserves, and their role in carbon sequestration is remarkable. However, anthropogenic pressures such as aquaculture development threatened this highly susceptible ecosystem. Thus, the need to rehabilitate abandoned aquaculture ponds is a must to offset the ecological losses over the economic gains derived from these mangrove land-use changes. Thus, we chose a reforestation site of a once heavily utilized fishpond devastated by a tsunami in the late 1970s in Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines. We then established a similar study plot in a nearby natural mangrove forest as a point of reference. We determined the heterogeneity in vegetation and estimated the aboveground and soil carbon storage capacities. We also examined the distinct changes in species composition and zonation from the seaward towards the landward zones. About 30 years after the abandoned fishpond rehabilitation, we found the tree density of the Rhizopora mucronata Lamk. and Avicenia marina (Forsk.) Vierh-dominated reforestation site was higher (271 trees ha−1) compared to that of the Rhizophora apiculata Blume-dominated natural stand (211 trees ha−1) (p < 0.05). The total aboveground biomass at the natural mangrove forest was 202.02 Mg ha−1, which was close to that of the reforestation site (195.19 Mg ha−1) (p > 0.05). The total aboveground C in the natural mangrove forest was 90.52 Mg C ha−1, while that of the reforestation site was 87.84 Mg C ha−1 (p > 0.05). Surprisingly, the overall soil C content at the natural forest of 249.85 Mg C ha−1 was not significantly different from that of the reforestation site with 299.75 Mg C ha−1 (p > 0.05). There was an increasing soil C content trend as the soil got deeper from 0–100 cm (p < 0.05). The zonation patterns established across the landward to seaward zones did not affect the aboveground and soil carbon estimates (p > 0.05). Our study highlights the effectiveness of abandoned fishpond rehabilitation and calls for continuous restoration of the remaining abandoned aquaculture ponds in the country because of their ability to sequester and store carbon. Lastly, their potential to store huge amounts of carbon that will counterbalance anthropogenic CO2 emissions is likewise highlighted.

Distribution and Roost Site Selection of Eastern Small-Footed Bats (Myotis leibii) in Mountains of West-Central Arkansas

Myotis leibii (Eastern Small-footed Bat) is a rare species in eastern North America that is threatened by habitat loss and white-nose syndrome. Although rare, this species cannot be adequately evaluated for listing on the Endangered Species Act because of data deficiencies, including about its distribution and roost habitat. Our objectives were to document the distribution of Eastern Small-footed Bats and determine landscape and local characteristics that influence their probability of presence in the mountains of west-central Arkansas. Using acoustic monitoring, visual searches of rock formations, and mist-netting, we found that presence of Eastern Small-footed Bats was more likely in regions with talus slopes and nearby forest cover. These features may benefit the species by providing abundant options for roost switching, unique thermal properties, and short distances to foraging habitat.

Capture-Recapture Reveals Heterogeneity in Habitat-Specific Mongoose Densities and Spatiotemporal Variability in Trapping Success in St. Kitts, West Indies

The small Indian mongoose (Urva auropunctata) is a non-native invasive species across the Caribbean and a rabies reservoir on at least four islands in the region. Although previous studies reported mongoose density estimates in their non-native range, the variability in trapping designs, study seasonality, and analytical methods among studies precludes direct comparisons. This study is the first to report mongoose densities for the island of St. Kitts, West Indies. Our objective was to quantify mongoose densities across four habitats characteristic for the island. High capture and recapture rates in this study resulted in detailed estimates of spatial heterogeneity in mongoose densities, ranging from 0.53 (CI95: 0.46–0.61) mongooses/ha in suburban habitat to 5.85 (CI95: 4.42–7.76) mongooses/ha in nearby dry forest. Estimates were robust to the estimation method used (correlation among methods, r > 0.9). Female-biased sex ratios estimated from fall season versus mostly unbiased sex ratios estimated from summer season suggests seasonality in capture success resulting from differences in sex-specific activity patterns of mongooses. We found no effect of habitat characteristics, at the scale of trap placements, associated with mongoose capture success.

Different-aged Pinus afforestation does not support typical Atlantic Forest fruit-feeding butterfly assemblages

The Atlantic Forest of the southern Brazilian highlands is a biocultural mosaic of Araucaria Forest and grasslands. Despite adverse impacts on biodiversity, extensive areas are being afforested with non-native pine (Pinus spp.), triggering forest succession on areas that were previously native grasslands. The long-term effects of afforestation with these non-native trees for biodiversity conservation are still unknown. Here, we assess this issue by comparing the fruit-feeding butterfly assemblages in young (20 year) and old (70 year) pine plots with nearby native Araucaria Forest. Abundance and richness of butterflies were positively correlated with temperature and mean humidity only in the native forest. Abiotic conditions differed between vegetation types: there was more sunlight, and was warmer and drier in the pine afforestation plots than in the Araucaria Forest. Butterfly species composition was similar between young and old pine plots, but distinct from the native Araucaria Forest. Butterfly species abundances in native forests were more evenly distributed than in afforestation sites. In these pine sites, assemblages were dominated by small, grass-feeding satyrines, whereas old pine sites had more liana-feeding biblidines, and the Araucaria Forest had more large-sized bamboo-feeding species. Our results indicate that even after 70 years of succession a non-native pine afforestation cannot support a butterfly assemblage as that found in the neighboring preserved forest. Moreover, threatened grassland specialist species have been locally extinct after only 20 years of pine afforestation. The evidence gathered here points against the use of silviculture with non-native trees in these biocultural mosaic landscapes.

Contributing to healthy forests: Social preferences for pest and disease mitigation programs in Spain

In a scenario of global change, with increasing temperatures and extreme climatic events, healthy forests are at risk. Forests have to fight several types of biotic and abiotic stress. Prospective scenarios warn of the negative effects that forests will suffer in upcoming decades (drought, fires, pests, diseases, etc.), consequently making it necessary to implement actions that can not only prevent the attack of biotic agents such as fungi and insects but also improve the resilience of forest systems. Such warning scenarios transcend the scientific sphere, and as such, Spanish society has previously expressed considerable concern about the appearance of pests and diseases caused by biotic agents. This article therefore analyzes the social preferences for pest and disease mitigation programs in Spanish forests. A discrete choice experiment was consequently carried out, and the willingness to pay was estimated for various characteristics of mitigation programs. The results show that society positively values these programs, mainly when they are applied in relatively nearby forests, when they are targeted at mixed forests, and when there is low uncertainty about their effectiveness. Conversely, the self-management of subsidies by forest owners is rejected, with a preference for funds being managed by regional public authorities.