Recovery Of Biodiversity Research Articles

The extensive green facade as a means of production and recovery of biodiversity in urban highland areas of Ecuador

Green infrastructures have great potential to promote a productive system, which allows the development of a circular metabolism, as well as the protection and conservation of a biodiversity part. The present observation-based study seeks to analyze the potential productive and biodiversity benefits of a “traditional” extensive green wall located in Conocoto parish in Quitós city, Ecuador. For this purpose, the characteristics of the environment, the plant, and the conditions of its development are described in detail. The results provide recommendations for the design, maintenance, and application of extensive green walls in neotropical mountain climatic conditions, through the use of endemic Andean plants of a productive type, in this case the Passiflora mollisima, also commonly called “Taxo”.

Anchor scour from shipping and the defaunation of rocky reefs: A quantitative assessment

Anchor scour from shipping is increasingly recognised as a global threat to benthic marine biodiversity, yet no replicated ecological assessment exists for any seabed community. Without quantification of impacts to biota, there is substantial uncertainty for maritime stakeholders and managers of the marine estate on how these impacts can be managed or minimised. Our study focuses on a region in SE Australia with a high proportion of mesophotic reef (>30 m), where ships anchor while waiting to enter nearby ports. Temperate mesophotic rocky reefs are unique, providing a platform for a diversity of biota, including sponges, ahermatypic corals and other sessile invertebrates. They are rich in biodiversity, provide essential food resources, habitat refugia and ecosystem services for a range of economically, as well as ecologically important taxa. We examined seven representative taxa from four phyla (porifera, cnidaria, bryozoan, hydrozoa) across anchored and ‘anchor-free’ sites to determine which biota and which of their morphologies were most at risk. Using stereo-imagery, we assessed the richness of animal forest biota, morphology, size, and relative abundance. Our analysis revealed striking impacts to animal forests exposed to anchoring with between three and four-fold declines in morphotype richness and relative abundance. Marked compositional shifts, relative to those reefs that were anchor-free, were also apparent. Six of the seven taxonomic groups, most notably sponge morphotypes, exhibited strong negative responses to anchoring, while one morphotype, soft bryozoans, showed no difference between treatments. Our findings confirm that anchoring on reefs leads to the substantial removal of biota, with marked reductions of biodiversity and requires urgent management. The exclusion of areas of high biological value from anchorages is an important first step towards ameliorating impacts and promoting the recovery of biodiversity.

Rapid recovery of boreal rove beetle (Staphylinidae) assemblages 16 years after variable retention harvest

Post‐harvest recovery of biodiversity is one of important goals in modern forestry. A variable retention (VR) approach has been of particular interest in North America because it promotes rapid faunal recovery, while minimizing negative lasting impacts of logging on the natural fauna. We studied responses of rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) to a broad range of retention harvests (2, 10, 20, 50 and 75% retention) in comparison to uncut controls as part of the Ecosystem Management Emulating Natural Disturbance (EMEND) experiment in the boreal mixedwood forest of western Canada. We sampled beetles using pitfall traps 1, 2, 11 and 16 years post‐harvest in replicated (n = 3) stands representing four cover types (deciduous‐dominated, deciduous with spruce understory, mixed and coniferous‐dominated). We collected 74 263 individuals distributed across 99 species (excluding Aleocharinae). Estimated species richness was highest in clear‐cuts until year 11, but by year 16 species richness was similar among treatments. Species composition initially varied strongly in relation to intensity of harvest treatments, but overall variation decreased with time, and by year 16, species composition overlapped among most treatment combinations. Assemblages recovered more quickly in early successional (deciduous‐dominated) than in late successional (mixed and conifer‐dominated) stands. Overall, our results show that rove beetle assemblages in stands harvested to all VR prescriptions converged more rapidly toward those in fire‐origin mature stands than did assemblages in clear‐cuts over the first 16 years post‐harvest. Thus, it demonstrates that even modest levels of forest retention can facilitate the recovery of staphylinid assemblages in managed landscapes.

Oyster reef restoration fails to recoup global historic ecosystem losses despite substantial biodiversity gain.

Human activities have led to degradation of ecosystems globally. The lost ecosystem functions and services accumulate from the time of disturbance to the full recovery of the ecosystem and can be quantified as a "recovery debt," providing a valuable tool to develop better restoration practices that accelerate recovery and limit losses. Here, we quantified the recovery of faunal biodiversity and abundance toward a predisturbed state following structural restoration of oyster habitats globally. We found that while restoration initiates a rapid increase in biodiversity and abundance of reef-associated species within 2 years, recovery rate then decreases substantially, leaving a global shortfall in recovery of 35% below a predisturbed state. While efficient restoration methods boost recovery and minimize recovery shortfalls, the time to full recovery is yet to be quantified. Therefore, potential future coastal development should weigh up not only the instantaneous damage to ecosystem functions but also the potential for generational loss of services.

Comparison of sampling methods for small oxbow wetland fish communities.

Throughout the world, wetlands have experienced degradation and declines in areal coverage. Fortunately, recognition of the value of wetlands has generated interest in preserving and restoring them. Post-restoration monitoring is necessary to analyze success or failure, thereby informing subsequent management decisions. Restoration of oxbow wetlands has become the focus of targeted restoration efforts to promote recovery of biodiversity and sensitive species, and to enhance ecosystem services. The fish communities of oxbows have been the subject of many monitoring studies. However, a recommended sampling methodology for monitoring the fish communities of oxbows has not been described, thereby limiting our capacity to effectively monitor these ecosystems. We compared four sampling methodologies (backpack electrofishing, fyke netting, minnow trapping, and seining) for fish community data collection with a primary objective of determining an effective method for sampling fish communities in small oxbow wetlands. Seining and fyke netting were determined to be effective methods for sampling oxbow fish communities. Backpack electrofishing and minnow trapping produced low taxonomic richness values and sampled a smaller proportion of species present than seining and fyke netting. Although seining and fyke netting produced similar taxonomic diversity and abundance values, these two gears differ in their ease of implementation and potential habitat disturbance generated by sampling. Therefore, consideration must be given to how species present (especially sensitive species) within the wetland could be impacted by sampling disturbance when choosing between seining and fyke netting.

Invasive alien acacias rapidly stock carbon, but threaten biodiversity recovery in young second-growth forests.

Under the UN-Decade of Ecosystem Restoration and Bonn Challenge, second-growth forest is promoted as a global solution to climate change, degradation and associated losses of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Second growth is often invaded by alien tree species and understanding how this impacts carbon stock and biodiversity recovery is key for restoration planning. We assessed carbon stock and tree diversity recovery in second growth invaded by two Acacia species and non-invaded second growth, with associated edge effects, in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Carbon stock recovery in non-invaded forests was threefold lower than in invaded forests. Increasingly isolated, fragmented and deforested areas had low carbon stocks when non-invaded, whereas the opposite was true when invaded. Non-invaded forests recovered threefold to sixfold higher taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity than invaded forest. Higher species turnover and lower nestedness in non-invaded than invaded forests underpinned higher abundance of threatened and endemic species in non-invaded forest. Non-invaded forests presented positive relationships between carbon and biodiversity, whereas in the invaded forests we did not detect any relationship, indicating that more carbon does not equal more biodiversity in landscapes with high vulnerability to invasive acacias. To deliver on combined climate change and biodiversity goals, restoration planning and management must consider biological invasion risk. This article is part of the theme issue 'Understanding forest landscape restoration: reinforcing scientific foundations for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration'.

Theroad to recovery: a synthesis of outcomes from ecosystem restoration in tropical and sub-tropical Asian forests.

Current policy is driving renewed impetus to restore forests to return ecological function, protect species, sequester carbon and secure livelihoods. Here we assess the contribution of tree planting to ecosystem restoration in tropical and sub-tropical Asia; we synthesize evidence on mortality and growth of planted trees at 176 sites and assess structural and biodiversity recovery of co-located actively restored and naturally regenerating forest plots. Mean mortality ofplanted trees was 18% 1year after planting, increasing to 44% after 5 years. Mortality varied strongly by site andwas typically ca 20% higher in open areas than degraded forest, with height at planting positively affecting survival. Size-standardized growth rates were negatively related to species-level wood density in degraded forest and plantations enrichment settings. Based on community-level data from 11 landscapes, active restoration resulted in faster accumulation of tree basal area and structural properties were closer to old-growth reference sites, relative to natural regeneration, but tree species richness did not differ. High variability in outcomes across sites indicates that planting for restoration is potentially rewarding but risky and context-dependent. Restoration projects must prepare for and manage commonly occurring challenges and align with efforts to protect and reconnect remaining forest areas. The abstract of this article is available in Bahasa Indonesia in the electronic supplementary material. This article is part of the theme issue 'Understanding forest landscape restoration: reinforcing scientific foundations for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration'.

Communal Labor in Ecovillages: Contradictions, Impasses, and Possibilities within the Notion of Self-sufficiency.

Our goal is to outline the concept of communal labor in ecovillages of Brazil. To do that, we considered three elements: (1) political orientation for self-sufficiency; (2) technical-productive orientation in self-managed work and in plural economic practices; and (3) socio-environmental orientation centered on the recovery of biodiversity. We collected data in four ecovillages for 49days, through a methodological path of inspiration ethnography with fieldnote and participant observation, followed by remote monitoring for 22months. Our option was for flexible procedure to collect complex dynamics of management and routines of life by dialogues between researchers and informants. The results show that communal labor emerged in ecovillages as a resistance to market-centric society, although dependent on it incidentally. If, on the one hand, there are tensions and contradictions, on the other they reveal a strong organizational practice that shows possibilities and ways of redefining the relationships among human beings, and between collective organizations and ecosystems, by mitigating elements of alienation on values that inspire human emancipation.

Disturbance‐driven alteration of patch connectivity determines local biodiversity recovery within metacommunities

Understanding the capacity of ecological systems to withstand and recover from disturbances is a major challenge for ecological research in the context of environmental changes. Past research has mostly focused on the local effects of disturbances on biodiversity recovery, while alterations of inter‐patch connectivity induced by disturbances have received comparatively less attention. Here, we investigated the effect of disturbances on local biodiversity recovery within metacommunities. Our specific focus was on drying river networks, which are characterised by a high variability of patch connectivity. We found marked variations of local biodiversity recovery among sites and among groups of organisms with contrasting dispersal modes, which were explained by the amount of patch connectivity loss due to drying events. Local communities of flying organisms recovered more efficiently from drying events than organisms with strictly aquatic dispersal due to the capacity of the former group to overcome hydrological connectivity loss. As a general rule, loss of patch connectivity decreases community recovery, regardless of patch location in the river network, dispersal mode or drying spatial extent. The relationship between patch connectivity loss and community recovery we found in river networks is general and applicable to any spatial network with a high variability of patch connectivity.

Developing ecotourism sustainability maximization (ESM) model: a safe minimum standard for climate change mitigation in the Indian Himalayas.

Recently, ecotourism has been identified as an adaptation strategy for mitigating climate change impacts, as it can optimize carbon sequestration, biodiversity recovery, and livelihood benefits and generate new opportunities for the sustenance of the economy, environment, and society of the area endowed with natural resources and cultural values. With the growing responsibility at the global level, ecotourism resource management (ERM) becomes inevitable for its sustainable requirements. The integration of ecological and socio-economic factors is vital for ERM, as has been demonstrated by developing an Ecotourism Sustainability Maximization Model for an area under study, that is the Yuksam-Dzongri corridor (also known as Kangchendzonga Base Camp Trek), in the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve (KBR), Sikkim, India. This model is based on the earlier developed ecotourism sustainability assessment (ESA) framework by the authors, which is based on the hierarchical relationship among ecotourism principles, criteria, indicators, and verifiers. Employing such relationships, this paper attempts to maximize ecotourism sustainability (ES) as a function of its sustainability principles, criteria, indicators, and verifiers, subject to the constraints identified through the safe minimum standard (SMS) approach by employing linear programming. Using 58 indicators as decision variables and 114 constraints, the model resulted in a maximum level of achievable ES with a score of 84.6%, allowing the resultant optimum values of the indicators to be maintained at the operational level. A central tenet of the model is the collective responsibility and adoption of a holistic approach involving the government, tourists, tourism enterprises, and local people.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10661-022-10548-0.

Draft genome sequence of an invasive plant Lantana camara L.

Lantana camara L. is an invasive species of global concern. An ornamental plant originating from central America, it has now spread across natural and human-dominated habitats across tropical and subtropical regions globally. Understanding the population and evolutionary genetics of this species could help gain deeper insights into invasion biology, and provide tools for more effective management. Such investigation would require a relatively good quality genome assembly. While there have been reports of a transcriptome, it has been challenging to construct the genome assembly because of the large genome size. We present here the first draft genome assembly of Lantana camara L. which has an N50 value of 62 Kb, genome completeness of 99.3% and genome coverage of 74.3%. We hope that such an assembly will help researchers study colonization history, the genetic basis of adaptation and invasiveness, and help design strategies to contain the invasiveness of this plant, allowing biodiversity recovery in several parts of the globe.

Functional diversity and redundancy of amphibians, ants, and dung beetles in passive and active cloud forest restoration

Forest restoration practices have increased globally, with positive consequences for biodiversity conservation. However, our understanding of the variation in ecosystem functioning recovery presented among different restoration strategies remains limited, and few studies have compared the functional diversity of contrasting faunal assemblages. Here, we assessed how the functional diversities and functional redundancies of amphibian, ant, and dung beetle assemblages vary among forests of the same age (23 years) under active (native mixed plantations) and passive (natural regeneration) restoration, cattle pasture (degraded ecosystem), and mature cloud forest (reference ecosystem). We also explored how environmental variables relate to the functional diversity of each animal assemblage. We found that functional diversity (measured as functional richness, functional evenness, and functional divergence) and functional redundancy in the three faunal assemblages were similar between the two restoration strategies. However, some attributes of functional diversity did not reach the values of the reference ecosystem, especially in the amphibians and dung beetles. Environmental variables related to functional diversity also depended on the taxonomic group and the metric of functional diversity, but the most important of these variables were vegetation condition, canopy cover and tree density. In our study system, passive and active restoration produced similar recovery rates of functional diversity of the faunal assemblages. Regardless of the restoration strategy implemented, long-term adaptive management strategies must be implemented to ensure full recovery of biodiversity and functionality in Neotropical cloud forest landscapes.

Биогенные структуры терригенных отложений пограничного пермо-триасового интервала Южного Верхоянья, Республика Саха (Якутия)

The article describes biogenic structures (trace fossils and bioturbation) of clastic rocks within the Permian-Triassic boundary interval in the Tiryakh-Kobyumeh section (Southern Verkhoyanye). The section is built by interbedding marine sandstones and siltstones, and is associated with the Late Permian mass extinction event. Most of the strata contain a variety of biogenic structures. Different taxonomic compositions of trace fossils and high bioturbation of Permian rocks indicate dense habitation of the basin bottom. In the Lower Triassic deposits, diversity of trace fossils sharply decreases as well as the degree of bioturbation. In the lower part of the Nekuchan suite's Triassic deposits, an interval of horizontally stratified rocks without bioturbation interbedded with rocks bioturbated by stratum has been identified. The interval is overlaid with highly bioturbated deposits, which indicates a rapid recovery of biodiversity after the Permian mass extinction.

Successional trajectories of seed dispersal mode and seed size of canopy tree species in wet tropical forests

Despite the critical role of seed dispersal for tree colonization during forest succession in wet tropical forests, successional trajectories of seed dispersal modes are poorly documented at the community level. Overall successional trends in wet tropical forests indicate that, over time, animal-dispersed and large-seeded species increase in relative abundance in woody vegetation, whereas wind-dispersed and small-seeded species decline. Increased abundance of animal-dispersed trees during succession may be attributed to higher rates of seed deposition by animals and higher survival rates of animal-dispersed species with larger seeds (diaspores) compared to wind-dispersed species. We compiled categorical information on seed size (maximum seed length) and dispersal mode (anemochory, autochory, or zoochory) for 240 canopy tree species in six naturally regenerating forests (11–45 years since the abandonment of pasture) and two old-growth forests in lowland wet forests in northeastern Costa Rica. We evaluated dispersal mode and seed size among tree species classified as second growth and old growth specialists, and generalists based on relative abundance data in these plots. Further, we compared long-term trajectories in the dispersal and seed-size profile for 240 species of canopy tree species for seedlings, saplings, and trees ≥5 cm dbh using annual vegetation survey data from 1997 to 2013. Seed size was significantly associated with dispersal mode, which was driven by anemochorous species with intermediate seeds 6 mm to 15 mm and autochorous seeds with large seeds >15 mm. Dispersal modes of canopy tree species exhibited clear directional trajectories, with decreasing relative abundance of anemochory and increasing relative abundance of zoochory. Zoochorous seedlings showed higher survival rates than anemochorous seedlings. Species with seeds ≤ 6 mm decreased in relative abundance through succession, while species with seeds >15 mm increased within seedling and sapling communities. Seedlings with seeds >15 mm showed higher survival rates than smaller seeds in second-growth forests. The study further demonstrates the importance of seed traits, such as dispersal mode and seed size, for community assembly during forest regrowth, and the importance of frugivorous animals in this process. The abundance of animal-dispersed tree species in different size classes can be a useful indicator of the recovery of biodiversity and species interactions during forest succession in wet tropical regions.

Disturbance–recovery dynamics inform seafloor management for recovery

Over most of the world’s estuaries, coasts, and continental shelves, key indicators of seafloor biodiversity, anthropogenic stress, and ecological sustainability emphasize the need to shift habitat management and conservation from prevention of degradation to actions focused on ecological recovery. Here we discuss the role of ecological disturbance–recovery dynamics in devising and prioritizing effective management interventions. Understanding disturbance–recovery dynamics enables assessment of possible recovery outcomes and where these may be achieved. Ecosystem networks, biodiversity landscapes, species‐specific biological traits, and location‐specific contexts provide managers with information from which likely temporal and spatial scales of recovery can be determined. On the basis of ecological theory and empirical evidence, we emphasize the potential for key species to drive the recovery or maintenance of biodiversity in marine soft‐sediment ecosystems.

Disturbance legacy of a 100-year flood event: large wood accelerates plant diversity resilience on gravel-bed rivers.

Understanding biodiversity resilience after a major disturbance is a key issue in basic and applied science. Plant diversity in gravel-bed rivers is affected by flood events, which are one of the most effective disturbance agents in the flow regime, affecting species distribution, and ecosystem dynamics. Although disturbance plays a critical role in community assembly mechanisms, how plant diversity recovers after a severe disturbance, such as a 100-year flood event remains unknown. The present study examined how the disturbance legacy of large wood in gravel-bed river ecosystems contributes to the resilience of plant diversity. The present study demonstrated that the resilience of plant species in disturbance legacy sites, namely deposited large wood sites, was higher than that in open habitat sites. Indicator species analysis revealed that perennial plants were the most important indicator species of disturbance legacy sites. These results suggest that perennial species richness contributes to the resilience of high plant diversity across the disturbance legacy sites in this region. After major flood events, land managers often remove large wood and debris jams to avoid secondary disasters, such as embankment collapse. However, we suggest that large wood should be retained on the gravel beds to aid the recovery of biodiversity and ecosystems. Furthermore, understanding the relationships between disturbance legacies and ecosystem resilience can contribute to the formulation of strategies for sustainable ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation in the future.

Insect pollination services in actively and spontaneously restored quarries converge differently to natural reference ecosystem.

Ecological restoration has the potential to accelerate the recovery of biodiversity and ecosystem services in degraded ecosystems. However, current research queries whether active restoration is necessary. We evaluated plant-pollinator networks during spring at replicated sites within an actively restored quarry, at abandoned quarries undergoing spontaneous restoration, and within a natural reference area, to compare pollinator community composition and function. Overall, we aimed to assess which approach is more effective in rehabilitating pollination networks. We found that while both approaches allowed for the restoration of pollination function, active restoration provided faster recovery: pollination network structure was more similar to the reference ecosystem after 20-30 years of active restoration, than 40 years of natural succession in spontaneously restored areas. Different restoration approaches sustained distinct pollinator communities providing a similar service in different areas: honey bees played an important role in the natural area, bumblebees in the abandoned quarries and wild bees in the restored sites, suggesting a possible conflict between diverse wild bee communities and honey bee homogenized pollinator communities. In quarries, flower resource availability and diversity influenced networks' structural properties by constraining species interactions and composition. In spontaneously restored areas a rich herbaceous layer of ruderal species from early successional stages buffered against the shortage of flower resources at critical periods. Active restoration, though effective, should include practices that consider wild bee communities and mitigate flower resource scarcity. The use of "bridging" plants that flower in different periods, should be considered in active restoration programs to enhance the pollinator community.

Effects of cubic ecological restoration of mining wasteland and the preferred restoration scheme

In view of the strong acidity and high heavy metal contents of the soil, the low vegetation cover, and strong soil erosion caused by mining activities, the reasonable determination of the cubic restoration mode is the key to determining the good or bad ecological restoration effects on mining wasteland. In this study, based on field experiments, a combined cubic ecological restoration scheme for soil improvement-vegetation reconstruction was constructed. Using analysis of variance, a regression model, and the Mantel test, the differences in soil properties and the biodiversity were analyzed under different restoration schemes, the entropy-weighted-TOPSIS method was used to optimize the best ecological restoration model. The results revealed that compared with the pre-restoration state, the restoration significantly increased the soil pH (p < 0.05) by 4.07–5.73, regulated the strong acidic environment of the soil, increased the organic matter content by 5.35–11.21 times, and improved the soil fertility. The available contents of Pb and Cd were reduced by 67.15–75.58 % and 64.15–88.68 %, respectively compared with the background values. Biodiversity improved significantly, and the available content of Cd was an important factor in the biodiversity recovery. The evaluation of the effect of the restoration scheme showed that the combination of mixed soil amendments of rice husks and chicken manure (10 kg/m2), bacterial fertilizer (1.8 kg/m2), biochar (1.3 kg/m2), lime (8.3 kg/m2), and soil conditioner (1.0 kg/m2) and tolerant plants (Pinus elliottii, Lagerstroemia indica, and Plantago asiatica) are the optimal cubic ecological restoration scheme for the study area, with a plant survival rate of > 90 %, eight families and 10 species of plants, and a coverage rate of 100 %. These research results provide a scientific basis and technical support for reasonable artificial intervention in ecological restoration of mining waste sites in Nanling, northern Guangdong.

Significance of Soil Seed Bank in Forest Vegetation—A Review

Seed banks present in soils provide information on past/existing standing vegetation and the probable future vegetation of the area. We reviewed 187 articles related to seed banks that were published worldwide from 1859 to 2022 to understand the dynamics of soil seed banks. The heterogeneity and biodiversity of most ecosystems appear vulnerable due to the over-exploitation of soil over the years. The studies on seeds present in soil provide knowledge on species cover, which supports the restoration of degraded areas. An interesting feature observed in most references was that species identified in seed banks do not necessarily represent or reflect the standing vegetation—this is attributed to the varied dispersal mechanisms of different species. The most significant contributions of a seed bank are conservation and the provision of propagules to the ecosystem. These banks are critical for identifying the composition and spatial organisation of understorey plant communities in degraded forests following soil disturbances, such as wildfire, harvesting, and/or logging. Regeneration from soil seed banks enables biodiversity recovery in tropical forests. There has been little understanding of the function soil seed banks play in forest restoration, which is critical to the natural regeneration of forest reserves. The impact of invasive alien species and the associated soil seed banks on vegetation dynamics is poorly researched. With landscape restoration gaining significance in the present decade, it becomes exceedingly important to maintain existing vegetation. It is relevant to India, which has international commitments to restore 26 mha of degraded and deforested land by 2030. This review reveals the importance of soil seed banks and their role in the future maintenance of forest cover.

Ancient grasslands guide ambitious goals in grassland restoration.

Grasslands, which constitute almost 40% of the terrestrial biosphere, provide habitat for a great diversity of animals and plants and contribute to the livelihoods of more than 1 billion people worldwide. Whereas the destruction and degradation of grasslands can occur rapidly, recent work indicates that complete recovery of biodiversity and essential functions occurs slowly or not at all. Grassland restoration-interventions to speed or guide this recovery-has received less attention than restoration of forested ecosystems, often due to the prevailing assumption that grasslands are recently formed habitats that can reassemble quickly. Viewing grassland restoration as long-term assembly toward old-growth endpoints, with appreciation of feedbacks and threshold shifts, will be crucial for recognizing when and how restoration can guide recovery of this globally important ecosystem.