Rainforest Cover Research Articles

The smallest Australian Tetrigidae (Orthoptera): taxonomic revision of Peraxelpa Sjöstedt, 1932 with the descriptions of three new genera and eleven new species

Summary Eastern Australia is a rich biodiversity hotspot that had continuous rainforest cover during the existence of Gondwana but which today is quite fragmented. A large part of Australian rainforest biodiversity remains undescribed. In this study, we present the results of our examination of a part of the Queensland Museum Tetrigidae collection. We describe two new tribes: Echopraxiini n. trib. and Quasimodini n. trib.; three new genera: Echopraxia n. gen. (Echopraxiini), Quasimodo n. gen., and Seraph n. gen. (both Quasimodini); and 11 new species: Echopraxia cooki n. sp., E. hasenpuschi n. sp., Peraxelpa bogdanovici n. sp., P. oankali n. sp., P. subedi n. sp., P. thompsoni n. sp., P. wrightae n. sp., Quasimodo janetzkae n. sp., Q. kochae n. sp., Q. yeatesi n. sp., and Seraph maestus n. sp. These taxa cannot be satisfyingly classified in the higher taxonomy due to the unclear placement of the key Cladonotinae genera, namely Cladonotus, Trusmaditetrix, Gestroana and Potua. Both tribes are left without subfamilial classification until Cladonotinae can be thoroughly revised.

Age, origin and tectonic controls on rapid recent exhumation of the Sibela Mountains, Bacan, Indonesia

The Sibela Mountains of the island of Bacan in eastern Indonesia contain one of the Earth’s youngest metamorphic complexes that is now exposed at elevations up to 2000 m. New mica 40Ar/39Ar and apatite (U–Th–Sm)/He data from metamorphic and igneous rocks indicate that these rocks were rapidly exhumed in the Pleistocene (c. 0.7 Ma). Exhumation of the metamorphosed Permo-Triassic basement (c. 249–257 Ma) was accompanied by metamorphism (recorded by schists) as well as partial melting (recorded by c. 1.4 Ma granitic dykes). These processes must have occurred at extremely high cooling and exhumation rates. The rapid exhumation on land was associated with significant subsidence in adjacent basins offshore that reach depths up to 2.4 km. Neogene metamorphic core complexes and other metamorphic complexes are well-known from eastern Indonesia, but they usually record much higher exhumation rates than those reported from older classic metamorphic core complexes found in other parts of the world and require a different formation mechanism. Unlike classic metamorphic core complexes that are characterized by low-angle detachment faults, the Bacan metamorphic rocks were exhumed on steep bounding normal faults forming a rectilinear block pattern. We suggest such complexes are termed metamorphic block complexes (MBC). The Bacan MBC is exceptionally young and like the other east Indonesian complexes was rapidly exhumed during subduction rollback. A flexure formed during arc-arc collision as the Sangihe forearc loaded the Halmahera forearc which reactivated steeply-dipping faults in a rectilinear chocolate block pattern.Graphical abstractThe Sibela Mountains of the island of Bacan in eastern Indonesia are formed by one of the Earth’s youngest metamorphic complexes. a Dense rain forest cover and steep flanks of the Sibela Mountains which rise from sea level to more than 2000 m. b Quaternary collision between the Sangihe and Halmahera arcs. Loading of the Halmahera forearc formed a flexure that reactivated steeply-dipping faults, which exhumed the Sibela Mountains metamorphic block. c Rapid cooling paths during exhumation of the Sibela metamorphic complex

Pengaruh Deforestasi dan Upaya Menjaga Kelestarian Hutan di Indonesia

Forests have many benefits for human life and the environment. Forests are also a place to live for various species of plants and animals. Forest management in Indonesia has been regulated in legal regulations such as the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia up to statutory regulations. However, in reality there are still activities that lead to forest destruction. This study aims to examine the legal regulations in Indonesia in regulating forest management, the reality that occurs, and efforts to preserve Indonesia's forests. The type of research used by the author is normative legal research which aims to examine the legal aspects related to legal arrangements in Indonesia in regulating forest management. Forest and environmental management have been regulated in legal regulations. Both in the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia to other laws and regulations. The existence of this legal arrangement is an effort to maintain and improve order and ensure legal certainty. Because the impact of this deforestation causes the loss of tropical rain forest cover which is a habitat for animals and plants.

Impact of Climate Change and Variability on Spatiotemporal Variation of Forest Cover; World Heritage Sinharaja Rainforest, Sri Lanka

Rainforests are continuously threatened by various anthropogenic activities. In addition, the ever-changing climate severely impacts the world’s rainforest cover. The consequences of these are paid back to human at a higher cost. Nevertheless, little or no significant attention was broadly given to this critical environmental issue. The World Heritage Sinharaja Rainforest in Sri Lanka is originating news on its forest cover due to human activities and changing climates. The scientific analysis is yet to be presented on the related issues. Therefore, this paper presents a comprehensive study on the possible impact on the Sinharaja Rainforest due to changing climate. Landsat images with measured rainfall data for 30 years were assessed and the relationships are presented. Results showcased that the built-up areas have drastically been increased over the last decade in the vicinity and the declared forest area. The authorities found the issues are serious and a sensitive task to negotiate in conserving the forest. The rainfall around the forest area has not shown significant trends over the years. Therefore, the health of forest cover was not severely impacted. Nevertheless, six cleared-up areas were found inside the Singaraja Rainforest under no human interactions. This can be due to a possible influence from the changing climate. This was justified by the temporal variation of Land Surface Temperature (LST) assessments over these six cleared-up areas. Therefore, the World Heritage rainforest is threatened due to human activities and under the changing climate change. Hence, the conservation of the Sinharaja Rainforest would be challenging in the future.

Bird communities in African cocoa agroforestry are diverse but lack specialized insectivores

Abstract Forests are being converted to agriculture throughout the Afrotropics, driving declines in sensitive rainforest taxa such as understorey birds. The ongoing expansion of cocoa agriculture, a common small‐scale farming commodity, has contributed to the loss of 80% rainforest cover in some African countries. African cocoa farms may provide habitat for biodiversity, yet little is known about their suitability for vertebrate fauna, or the effect of farm management on animal communities. Here, we report the first in‐depth investigation into avian diversity and community composition in African cocoa, by assembling a dataset of 9,566 individual birds caught across 83 sites over 30 years in Southern Cameroon. We compared bird diversity in mature forest and cocoa using measures of alpha, beta and gamma diversity, and we investigated the effect of cocoa farm shade and forest cover on bird communities. Gamma diversity was higher in cocoa than forest, though alpha diversity was similar, indicating a higher dissimilarity (beta diversity) between cocoa farms. Cocoa farms differed from forest in community composition, with a distinctive decrease in relative abundance of insectivores, forest specialists and ant‐followers and an increase in frugivores. Within cocoa farms, we found that farms with high shade cover in forested landscapes resulted in higher relative abundance and richness of sensitive forest species; shady farms contained up to five times the proportion of forest specialists than sunny farms. Synthesis and applications. Sunny African cocoa farms were less able to support sensitive bird guilds compared with shaded farms in forested landscapes. Our findings support the notion that certain ecological and dietary guilds, such as ant‐followers and forest specialists are disproportionately affected by land‐use change. In light of the current push to increase cocoa production in sub‐Saharan Africa, our results provide policymakers opportunities for more wildlife‐friendly cocoa schemes that maximize avian diversity.

Estimating feature extraction changes of Berkelah Forest, Malaysia from multisensor remote sensing data using and object-based technique

The study involves an object-based segmentation method to extract feature changes in tropical rainforest cover using Landsat image and airborne LiDAR (ALS). Disturbance event that are represents the changes are examined by the classification of multisensor data; that is a highly accurate ALS with different resolutions of multispectral Landsat image. Disturbance Index (DI) derived from Tasseled Cap Transformation, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and the ALS height are the variables for object-based segmentation process. The classification is categorized into two classes; disturbed and non-disturbed forest cover using Nearest Neighbor (NN), Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM). The overall accuracy ranging from 88% to 96% and kappa ranging from 0.79 to 0.91. Mcnemar’s test p-value (<0.05) is applied to check the classification for each method used which is RF 0.03 and SVM 0.01. The accuracy increases when the integration of ALS in Landsat image (SpectralLandsat; and SpectralLandsat + HeightALS).

A new crocodylid from the middle Miocene of Kenya and the timing of crocodylian faunal change in the late Cenozoic of Africa

AbstractBrochuchusis a small crocodylid originally based on specimens from the early Miocene of Rusinga Island, Lake Victoria, Kenya. Here, we report occurrences ofBrochuchusfrom several early and middle Miocene sites. Some are from the Lake Victoria region, and others are in the Lake Turkana Basin. Specimens from the middle Miocene Maboko locality form the basis of a new species,Brochuchus parvidens, which has comparatively smaller maxillary alveoli. Because of the smaller alveoli, the teeth appear to be more widely spaced in the new species. We also provide a revised diagnosis forBrochuchusand its type species,B.pigotti. A phylogenetic analysis supports a close relationship betweenBrochuchusand tube-snoutedEuthecodon, but although relationships among crocodylids appear poorly resolved in the set of optimal trees, this is becauseBrochuchusandEuthecodon, along with early Miocene “Crocodylus”gariepensisfrom the early Miocene of Namibia, jointly adopt two distinct positions—either closely related to the living sharp-nosed crocodile (Mecistops) or to a group including the living dwarf crocodiles (Osteolaemus). Character support for a close relationship withMecistopsis problematic, and we suspect a closer relationship toOsteolaemuswill be recovered with improved sampling, but the results here are ambiguous. In either case,Brochuchusis more closely related to living groups not currently found in East Africa. This material helps constrain the timing of crocodylian faunal turnover in the East African Rift Valley System, with endemic lineages largely being replaced byCrocodylusin the middle or late Miocene possibly in response to regional xerification and the replacement of continuous rainforest cover with open grasslands and savannas.UUID:http://zoobank.org/e6f0b219-5f3e-44e5-bdb9-60a4fae8d126

Assessing the Correlation between Forest Degradation and Climate Variability in the Oluwa Forest Reserve, Ondo State, Nigeria

Between 1981 and 1994, Nigeria lost 3.7 million hectares of its forests. It is estimated that less than 4% of Nigeria’s rainforest cover is left. Reckless use and abuse of the forest reserves in Nigeria lead to degradation. However, the relationship between forest degradation and climate variability has not been clearly elucidated. This study assesses the trend of forest degradation between 1986, 2002 and 2014 in the study area and also examines the correlation between forest degradation and climate variability using temperature and rainfall parameters. Classification of Landsat images (TM 1986, ETM+ 2002, and OLI 2014) and change analysis using NDVI values of three-timed period were performed to observe forest degradation in the study area. NDVI values were calculated by combining bands 4 (near infrared) and 3 (visible red) for Landsat TM and ETM+ and bands 5 (near infrared) and 4 (visible red) for Landsat OLI using the spatial analysis extension in ArcGIS environment Linear regression statistical analysis was employed to determine the correlation between forest degradation and climate variability. The results show a fluctuation in the trend of forest degradation, while a positive correlation coefficient of 0.58 shows that there is a relationship between forest degradation and temperature and rainfall variability. The study concludes that though there is a positive correlation between forest degradation and climate variability in the study area, the relationship is weak and not strong enough to make generalizations.

Fauna de Estafilínidos de Suelo con Diferentes Usos en el Volcán Santa Marta, Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, México

From collections in land with four uses (rainforest, agroforestry, maize crop, and grassland) from the localities of Lopez Mateos (LM), San Fernando (SF), and Venustiano Carranza (VC) in the Santa Marta Volcano, Veracruz, Mexico, 967 specimens were obtained in 11 subfamilies, 47 genera, and 114 morphospecies of the family Staphylinidae. The subfamilies with the greatest morphospecies richness were Aleocharinae (35), Paederinae (30), and Staphylininae (20). Greatest morphospecies richness was at SF (78) at the highest altitude (850 m) and has a rainforest cover of 50%, while LM occupied second place (61), and VC third place (38). The last two localities were at 250 m of altitude, but LM has a rainforest cover three times larger than VC. By type of land use, the greatest number of morphospecies was in the rainforest (59), followed by grassland, agroforestry land, and maize crop (46, 45, and 42 morphospecies, respectively). Pitfall traps collected markedly more abundance and taxa richness compared to the monolith collection, both at the three locations and with different land uses. The Staphylinidae analyzed is considered moderately diverse, because many morphospecies were represented by one or two individuals and because it represents 16.6% of all recorded species of the State of Veracruz (685). Staphylinidae is the family of Coleoptera with the most taxonomic richness of the edaphic fauna of the Santa Marta Volcano and plays an important role in natural control of populations of other invertebrates, including beneficial impact on maize crops by having 78% of morphospecies with predatory habits and more than 20% recycling decomposing organic matter.

Drivers of biomass recovery in a secondary forested landscape of West Africa

The rapidly growing human population in West Africa has generated increasing demand for agricultural land and forest products. Consequently 90% of the original rainforest cover has now disappeared and the remainder is heavily fragmented and highly degraded. Although many studies have focused on carbon stocks and fluxes in intact African forests, little information exists on biomass recovery rates in secondary forests. We studied a chronosequence of 96 secondary and old-growth forest fragments (0.2 ha each) where 32.103 trees with Diameter at Breast Height >2.5 cm have been censused. We modelled the biomass recovery trajectories in a time-explicit Bayesian framework and tested the effect on recovery rates of a large set of covariates related to the physical environment, plot history, and forest connectivity. Recovery rate trajectory is highly non-linear: recovery rates accelerated from 1 to 37 years, when biomass recovery reached 4.23 Mg·ha−1·yr−1, and decelerated afterwards. We predict that, on average, 10%, 25% and 50% of the old-growth forest biomass is respectively recovered 17, 30, and 51 years after abandonment. Recovery rates are strongly shaped by both the number of remnant trees (residuals of the former old-growth forest) and the previous crop cultivated before abandonment. The latter induced large differences in the time needed to recover 50% of an old-growth forest biomass: from 38 years for former Yam fields up to 86 years for former rice fields. Our results emphasize (i) the very slow recovery rates of West African forests, as compared to Neotropical forests (ii) the long-lasting impacts of past human activities and management choices on ecosystem biomass recovery in West African degraded forests.

The Effects of a Tropical rain Forest Cover on Airborne Gamma-Ray Spectrometry

Para solicitação de resumo, entrar em contato com editor-chefe (editor@sbgf.org.br).

Statistical reconstruction of global vegetation for the last glacial maximum

We provide an estimate of global vegetation density for the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) using a simple statistic model. For today's climate, vegetation is divided into 11 vegetation types plus bare soil, for each of which an empirical relationship between the probability of its occurrence and climate controls is derived. The relationships are then used to reconstruct the glacial vegetation patterns with and without considering CO2 modifications. For the LGM, the climate drivers are estimated from an ensemble-average of global paleo-climate simulations. The reconstruction suggests that vegetation types existing in today's cooler and drier regimes prevailed during the LGM and today's desert areas had more vegetation then. The vegetation patterns of the Amazon and Sahara are examined in detail. In the Amazon, tropical rainforest cover is reduced from 80% in today's climate to 40% in the LGM climate. The Sahara was partly covered by shrubs and grassland, with bare ground fraction reduced from 80% today to 30% in the LGM. The reconstructed vegetation patterns are compared with available biome data.

Inclusions in an isoferroplatinum nugget from the Freetown Layered Complex, Sierra Leone

ABSTRACTInclusions of platinum-group minerals (PGM) within alluvial isoferroplatinum nuggets from the Freetown Peninsula, Sierra Leone, are aligned with their shape determined by the structure of their host. The edges of the majority of the inclusions lie at 0°, 45° or 90° to external crystal edges of the nugget which shows that the inclusions are not randomly oriented earlier minerals incorporated within their host. The inclusions are later infills, probably formed at the surface of the nugget during growth and subsequently enclosed by the growing nugget. PGM on the present surface of the nugget represent the last stage of this partnership. A single nugget containing abundant inclusions is described here but similar features are observed in other nuggets from the same area. The inclusions contain laurite (RuS2), irarsite–hollingworthite (IrAsS–RhAsS), Pd–Te–Bi–Sb phases, Ir-alloy, Os-alloy, Pd-bearing Au, an Rh–Te phase, Pd–Au alloy and Pd–Pt–Cu alloy. PGM found on the nugget surface include laurite, irarsite and cuprorhodsite (CuRh2S4). The Pd–Te–Bi–Sb phases may include Sb-rich keithconnite (Pd20S7) and compositions close to the kotulskite–sobolevskite solid-solution series (PdTe–BiTe). Textural evidence suggests that formation of the nuggets began with the isoferroplatinum host and the voids were filled starting intergrowths of laurite and irarsite–hollingworthite with both laurite and irarsite–hollingworthite often showing compositional zonation and each of them replacing the other. Filling of the voids probably continued with Pd-Cu-bearing gold, Sb-rich keithconnite (Pd,Pt)20.06(Te,Sb,Bi)6.94, keithconnite, telluropalladinite Pd9(Te,Bi)4, RhTe and finally Ir-alloy and then Os-alloy. The nuggets are thought to be neoform growths in the organic- and bacterial-rich soils of the tropical rain forest cover of the Freetown intrusion. The mineralogical assemblage in the layered gabbros of the intrusion has been previously shown to differ from the alluvial assemblage in the rivers and these inclusions, not seen in Pt3Fe in the unaltered rocks, add a further item to the catalogue of differences.

How old is the Tasmanian cultural landscape? A test of landscape openness using quantitative land‐cover reconstructions

AbstractAimTo test competing hypotheses about the timing and extent of Holocene landscape opening using pollen‐based quantitative land‐cover estimates.LocationDove Lake, Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, Australia.MethodsFossil pollen data were incorporated into pollen dispersal models and corrected for differences in pollen productivity among key plant taxa. Mechanistic models (REVEALS—Regional Estimates of VEgetation Abundance from Large Sites) employing different models for pollen dispersal (Gaussian plume and Lagrangian stochastic models) were evaluated and applied in the Southern Hemisphere for the first time.ResultsValidation of the REVEALS model with vegetation cover data suggests an overall better performance of the Lagrangian stochastic model. Regional land‐cover estimates for forest and non‐forest plant taxa show persistent landscape openness throughout the Holocene (average landscape openness ~50%). Gymnoschoenus sphaerocephalus, an indicator of moorland vegetation, shows higher values during the early Holocene (11.7–9 ka) and declines slightly through the mid‐Holocene (9–4.5 ka) during a phase of partial landscape afforestation. Rain forest cover reduced (from ~40% to ~20%) during the period between 4.2–3.5 ka.Main conclusionsPollen percentages severely under‐represent landscape openness in western Tasmania and this bias has fostered an over‐estimation of Holocene forest cover from pollen data. Treeless vegetation dominated Holocene landscapes of the Dove Lake area, allowing us to reject models of landscape evolution that invoke late‐Holocene replacement of a rain forest‐dominated landscape by moorland. Instead, we confirm a model of Late Pleistocene inheritance of open vegetation. Rapid forest decline occurred after c. 4 ka, likely in response to regional moisture decline.

Scientists as citizens and knowers in the detection of deforestation in the Amazon.

This paper examines how scientists deal with tensions emerging from their role as providers of objective knowledge and as citizens concerned with how their research influences policy and politics in Brazil. This is accomplished through an ethnographic account of scientists using remote sensing technology, of their knowledge-making activities and of the broader socio-political controversies that permeate the detection of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. Strategies for mitigating uncertainty are central aspects of the knowledge practices analyzed, bringing controversies 'external' to the laboratory 'into' the lab, making these boundaries conceptually problematic. In particular, the anticipation of alternative interpretations of rainforest cover is a crucial way that scientists bring the world into the lab, helping to shed light on how scientists, usually seen and analyzed as isolated, are in fact often in constant dialogue with the broader political controversies related to their work. These insights help question the idea that the monitoring of deforestation through remote sensing is a form of secluded research, drawing a more complex picture of the dual role of scientists as knowledge producers and concerned citizens.

Mitochondrial Phylogenomics Resolves the Global Spread of Higher Termites, Ecosystem Engineers of the Tropics.

The higher termites (Termitidae) are keystone species and ecosystem engineers. They have exceptional biomass and play important roles in decomposition of dead plant matter, in soil manipulation, and as the primary food for many animals, especially in the tropics. Higher termites are most diverse in rainforests, with estimated origins in the late Eocene (∼54 Ma), postdating the breakup of Pangaea and Gondwana when most continents became separated. Since termites are poor fliers, their origin and spread across the globe requires alternative explanation. Here, we show that higher termites originated 42-54 Ma in Africa and subsequently underwent at least 24 dispersal events between the continents in two main periods. Using phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial genomes from 415 species, including all higher termite taxonomic and feeding groups, we inferred 10 dispersal events to South America and Asia 35-23 Ma, coinciding with the sharp decrease in global temperature, sea level, and rainforest cover in the Oligocene. After global temperatures increased, 23-5 Ma, there was only one more dispersal to South America but 11 to Asia and Australia, and one dispersal back to Africa. Most of these dispersal events were transoceanic and might have occurred via floating logs. The spread of higher termites across oceans was helped by the novel ecological opportunities brought about by environmental and ecosystem change, and led termites to become one of the few insect groups with specialized mammal predators. This has parallels with modern invasive species that have been able to thrive in human-impacted ecosystems.

Landscape trends in small mammal occupancy in the Makira–Masoala protected areas, northeastern Madagascar

Madagascar’s native small mammals (Tenrecidae and Nesomyinae) are understudied. To help fill these knowledge gaps, we analyzed 1,575 detections of small mammals obtained during camera-trap surveys at 7 sites in northeastern Madagascar (2008–2011) using single-season occupancy analyses in program PRESENCE. We estimated landscape occupancy and detection probabilities of tufted-tailed rats ( Eliurus spp.), red forest rats ( Nesomys spp.), greater hedgehog tenrecs ( Setifer setosus ), and common tenrecs ( Tenrec ecaudatus ) and examined how these parameters responded to habitat characteristics, habitat degradation, and the trap success of native and exotic carnivorans. Only Nesomys showed a marked difference in mean occupancy between intact (ψ = 0.71 ± SE 0.06), intermediately degraded (ψ = 0.23 ± SE 0.05), and degraded (ψ = 0.34 ± SE 0.06) forest sites. Only Nesomys and Setifer occupancy was strongly influenced by habitat characteristics; Nesomys occupancy was positively related to distance away from forest edge (β = 1.39 ± SE 0.27) and percent rainforest cover (β = 1.89 ± SE 0.39), and Setifer occupancy negatively related to average canopy height (β = −0.52 ± SE 0.25). We found trap success of exotic carnivorans had little influence on small mammal occupancy and detection probabilities (with the exception of Eliurus ). We suggest that camera traps are a valid method for studying aspects of small mammal ecology, but caution researchers to consider characteristics of camera traps (e.g., trigger speed) to increase potential inference.

Late Pleistocene–Holocene monsoon variations on climate, landforms and vegetation cover in southwestern India: An overview

Signatures of monsoon variability preserved in the Late Quaternary sediments of southwestern India have been decoded and addressed using biological proxies along with geochronological data. Barring sediments beyond the threshold for conventional 14C dating, Late Pleistocene sequences have been recognized both in Konkan and Kerala basins. Konkan area has only subsurface continental/lacustrine Late Pleistocene, whereas Kerala coast has mixed facies. The landscape as well as the vegetation cover has been substantially modified and the fossil contents and related palaeoenvironment provided ample evidence to demonstrate the landscape and vegetation dynamics since Late Pleistocene. Evidence of Myristica swamps until Late Pleistocene and its subsequent replacement by riparian forest towards Late Holocene in Konkan has been a significant impact of monsoon variations on the tropical rain forests. The prevalence of such freshwater swamps and a sensitive habitat indicated that Konkan had enjoyed an extended period of rainfall due to the combined effects of both SW and NE monsoons until the Late Pleistocene. The tropical rainforest cover along Kerala coast has shrunken considerably and pieces of evidence suggest that the entire terrain west of Sahyadri (Western Ghats) was under dense forest cover during the Holocene Climatic Optimum (9.0–6.0 k yrs BP) when the region had witnessed heavy precipitation much higher than that of the present. The forest land has been converted into major wetlands and present ecology is unsuitable to support evergreen forests and it can be concluded that coastal plains and associated landforms were covered by thick tropical evergreen forests which got destroyed by flooding towards Middle Holocene. Development of a chain of wetland system all along Kerala coast, loss of sheltered habitat and mangrove cover, and loss of sensitive freshwater Myristica swamps are some of the significant aspects brought in while addressing the monsoon variability in southwestern India.

Phylogeography of the genus Podococcus (Palmae/Arecaceae) in Central African rain forests: Climate stability predicts unique genetic diversity

The tropical rain forests of Central Africa contain high levels of species diversity. Paleovegetation or biodiversity patterns suggested successive contraction/expansion phases on this rain forest cover during the last glacial maximum (LGM). Consequently, the hypothesis of the existence of refugia e.g. habitat stability that harbored populations during adverse climatic periods has been proposed. Understory species are tightly associated to forest cover and consequently are ideal markers of forest dynamics. Here, we used two central African rain forest understory species of the palm genus, Podococcus, to assess the role of past climate variation on their distribution and genetic diversity. Species distribution modeling in the present and at the LGM was used to estimate areas of climatic stability. Genetic diversity and phylogeography were estimated by sequencing near complete plastomes for over 120 individuals. Areas of climatic stability were mainly located in mountainous areas like the Monts de Cristal and Monts Doudou in Gabon, but also lowland coastal forests in southeast Cameroon and northeast Gabon. Genetic diversity analyses shows a clear North–South structure of genetic diversity within one species. This divide was estimated to have originated some 500,000years ago. We show that, in Central Africa, high and unique genetic diversity is strongly correlated with inferred areas of climatic stability since the LGM. Our results further highlight the importance of coastal lowland rain forests in Central Africa as harboring not only high species diversity but also important high levels of unique genetic diversity. In the context of strong human pressure on coastal land use and destruction, such unique diversity hotspots need to be considered in future conservation planning.

Use of restored habitat by rainforest birds is limited by spatial context and species’ functional traits but not by their predicted climate sensitivity

Active restoration of biodiverse forest uses significant resource investment to produce rapid partial recovery of biodiversity, but with unknown longer term outcomes. Here we test the capacity of intensive high diversity rainforest restoration plantings to develop forest-like bird communities beyond their first decade of growth. Across a network comprising 16 such plantings aged 10–24years and eight old growth rainforest reference sites, spread across about 700km2 in the Australian Wet Tropics, we measured bird community composition and 18 attributes related to the sites’ local and landscape vegetation cover and other spatial properties. We compiled additional information on the bird species’ habitat use, movement patterns, responses to edges between forest and cleared land, and expected climate sensitivities. Data analyses showed that bird communities in restoration plantings did not become more similar to those of reference rainforest during their second decade of development. Across replanted sites, occupancy by bird species was significantly predicted by their functional traits, being least among rainforest-dependent species that were also either endemic or sedentary edge-avoiders. Occupancy by rainforest-dependent species was least when nearby remnant rainforest cover (within 200m) was lowest. Species predicted to be climate-sensitive occupied restored habitat at similar rates to other species. These findings provide a foundation for better spatial planning for both habitat-focused and species-focused restoration, and show that expectations based on promising early outcomes of intensive forest restoration projects must be tempered with awareness of likely longer term limitations, highlighting the need to set realistic restoration goals.