The importance of riparian forests as corridors for mammals in a productive landscape of the Yungas

Carbon sequestration potential of high-altitude afforestation in the Eastern Central Alps.

Impact of soil legacy on soil organic carbon partitioning in mangrove wetlands: a density-based fractionation and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study.

The Hoolock gibbon, India’s only ape, is highly dependent on continuous, mature forest canopies for survival, but faces rapid decline due to habitat fragmentation and human disturbance. This study focuses on understanding how habitat structure and spatial heterogeneity in Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary influence gibbon distribution, providing insights for effective conservation. The present study investigated the key habitat characteristics and spatial heterogeneity governing the distribution of western hoolock gibbons (Hoolock hoolock) across Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary and Bison National Park, Tripura, northeastern India, Between February and July 2024. Systematic field surveys were conducted along five belt transects (each 2 km × 10 m), quantifying canopy cover, vertical stratification, gap dynamics, woody plant species composition, and anthropogenic disturbance severity. Visual and spherical densiometer-derived canopy cover exceeded 85% across all study sites, and dense vertical foliage stratification with emergent vegetation reaching 13–19 m above ground typified gibbon-preferred areas. Small canopy gaps (<25 cm) constituted 56.8% of all recorded gaps, supporting understorey regeneration, while large gaps (>200 cm) were rare and locally attributable to Cyclone Remal (2024). Species richness and Simpson diversity index were highest in structurally complex stands. Canopy connectivity showed a strong positive correlation with gibbon detection frequency (Pearson r = 0.78, P < 0.001). Sentinel-2 multitemporal land cover analysis confirmed relative forest stability (>77% forest cover, 2018–2023) with only marginal agricultural encroachment at sanctuary margins. These findings underscore the conservation imperative of maintaining mature, structurally heterogeneous, and well-connected forests for the long-term persistence of this endangered ape.

Species distribution modeling for honeycreepers on Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi informs conservation action

Human activities play a significant role in the emergence of infectious diseases. We aimed to test whether artificial irrigation affects the occurrence of a zoonotic bacteria sensitive to desiccation, pathogenic Leptospira species (pathoLep), in micromammals inhabiting Mediterranean ecosystems. A total of 361 individuals, including 217 Algerian mice (Mus spretus), 79 wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus), and 65 greater white-toothed shrews (Crocidura russula), were captured during the four seasons of 2022 in six sites along a riparian forest close to a large city in north-eastern Spain and the surrounding agricultural fields, which are irrigated by flooding. A piece of kidney from each individual was analysed by means of two real-time PCR protocols targeting the lipL32 gene, which is exclusively found in pathoLep. Generalised Linear Models were used to study the factors that may be related to the presence of pathoLep. DNA of pathoLep was detected in 28% of the individuals, a relatively high occurrence compared to similar studies. The best model for the general micromammal population included four significant factors: season, age, species, and habitat. Prevalence was significantly lower during the dry seasons; in juveniles than in adult individuals; in the wood mouse than in the Algerian mouse and the shrew; and in natural than in agricultural habitats. Prevalence was consistently higher in agricultural habitats during all the seasons, reaching over 55% prevalence in these areas during spring. For the core species, the Algerian mouse, the best model included two factors (seasons and habitat), in the same sense as the general population model. This study shows that pathoLep are widespread among micromammals in the Middle Ebro Valley and that their occurrence is shaped by intrinsic and extrinsic factors. We identified a human activity (artificial irrigation) as an important driver favouring leptospiral survival in rural environments.

Many important processes in forest ecosystems are influenced by the spatial structure of the canopy. The spatial arrangement of trees and their branches within the canopy is crucial for light interception, often resulting in a positive relationship between canopy space filling and stand productivity. To date, there is no universal definition of canopy space. However, different parts of the canopy have distinct characteristics, making it crucial to assess the significance of varying canopy definitions. In this study, we investigated how canopy space filling changes with four different definitions of canopy space by using a canopy space filling index (CSFI) derived from terrestrial laser scanning. Moreover, we assessed the relative importance of these definitions in explaining stand productivity. Using data from a tropical tree diversity experiment, we found that CSFI strongly varied with the specific delineation of the canopy space. Across canopy definitions, stand productivity was significantly and positively affected by CSFI, indicating that this relationship was generally robust to varying definitions of canopy space. However, excluding the uppermost part and including the lowest part of the canopy space resulted in a distinct decline of explained variance in productivity. In addition, CSFI played a more important role in regulating productivity in mixtures compared to monocultures. Our results highlight the importance of different layers of the canopy space and tree species richness for a better understanding and assessment of forest dynamics and ecosystem functions. Further research is needed on the relationship between canopy space filling and stand productivity based on different canopy space definitions for mature forests and from different biomes.

Coastal erosion is a significant driver of global mangrove loss, yet its net effect on carbon stocks remains poorly understood. This uncertainty arises from sampling limitations and the potential for inland migration and accretion to offset losses. In this study, we estimated the total ecosystem carbon stocks (TECS) of mangroves undergoing erosion and accretion on a tropical island along the Amazon coast. The carbon balance was quantified over a 38-year period by combining field sampling with remote sensing. We found pronounced spatial variability in mangrove TECS (250–1373 Mg C ha⁻¹), closely linked to forest structure, soil properties, and coastal hydrodynamics. Results revealed an accentuated net decline of 55–77 % in TECS between 1985 and 2023, with an estimated loss of approximately 2500 Mg C. These losses are driven by an asymmetry in the carbon balance, highlighting that newly mangrove stands cannot fully compensate for the carbon lost from mature forests characterized by high biomass and organic-rich soils. Ultimately, our results reinforce the importance of local studies to improve large-scale estimates of carbon stocks and other ecosystem services provided by mangrove forests. • Coastal dynamics drive major shifts in Amazon mangroves carbon stocks. • Total Ecosystem Carbon Stocks varied widely (250–1373 Mg C ha⁻¹) across sites. • High carbon stocks were linked to peat layers in Rhizophora -dominated mangroves. • Changes on mangrove extant revealed a high decline in TECS, ∼ 2400 Mg C loss. • Results highlight the importance of localized processes in carbon assessments.

Hydrological seasonality mediates scale-dependent land use effects on riverine microplastic pollution.

Tight stomatal regulation and high intrinsic capacity of carbon assimilation inferred from isotopic composition negatively correlate with drought-driven decline in sclerophyllous species.

Under the combined pressures of climate change and irrigated cropland expansion, groundwater tables are declining rapidly across arid regions, thereby intensifying water limitation in riparian ecosystems. However, the mechanisms by which dominant riparian tree species coordinate multiple functional traits to maintain carbon–water balance remains poorly understood. This study investigated coordinated ecophysiological trait shifts of Populus euphratica Oliv. along a groundwater-depth gradient (2.19, 4.88, and 7.45 m) in the middle reaches of the Tarim River (China), hereafter referred to as shallow, middle, and deep groundwater depths, respectively. We quantified photosynthetic, hydraulic, stomatal, leaf anatomical and nutrient traits, and estimated long-term intrinsic water-use efficiency (WUEi) from foliar δ13C. As the groundwater table declined, (1) photosynthetic capacity and photochemical performance decreased, whereas WUEi increased markedly from 38.5 ± 2.9 to 54.2 ± 1.0 μmol mmol−1, accompanied by the lowest transpiration rate at the deep groundwater depth (4.6 ± 0.5 mmol m−2 s−1); (2) stomatal and anatomical adjustments consistent with water-loss reduction were observed, including a significant decline in stomatal density from 93.5 ± 14.5 to 79.3 ± 17.4 pores mm−2, and reduced stomatal size and stomatal area fraction (−20.3% and −32.7%, respectively); (3) the percentage loss of hydraulic conductivity increased, whereas sapwood-specific hydraulic conductivity declined, accompanied by greater sapwood investment relative to leaf area, with Huber value rising from 0.06 ± 0.02 to 0.11 ± 0.04 mm2 cm−2 at deep water depth; and (4) chlorophyll concentrations and leaf water content declined, whereas structural investment increased, as reflected by higher specific leaf mass and leaf dry matter content, and leaf nutrients were enriched, with total nitrogen and total phosphorus increasing by 67.1% and 42.0%, respectively. Trait-WUEi relationships further indicated that WUEi covaried most strongly with leaf anatomical and nutrient traits. These results demonstrate that increasing groundwater depth was associated with coordinated shifts in carbon assimilation, water-use regulation, hydraulic function, and nutrient allocation in P. euphratica. Such trait coordination may help explain how this species persists under chronic water limitation in arid riparian forests.

Riparian ecosystems are being increasingly threatened by hydrological alteration and biological invasions, yet the role of local environmental heterogeneity in shaping invasion dynamics remains poorly understood. To address this, we tested the hypothesis that invasion patterns are spatially structured and therefore cannot be fully captured by global statistical models. We evaluated this hypothesis by analysing the relationship between soil sand content and the abundance of Gleditsia triacanthos in a riparian forest of the Esteros de Farrapos and Islands of the Uruguay River National Park, Uruguay. Generalized Linear Mixed Model revealed no significant relationship between soil sand content and G. triacanthos abundance (χ2 = 1.93, p = 0.17). In contrast, spatially explicit analyses showed that relationships between sand content and abundance were spatially contingent. Positive linear relationships predominated in areas with low sand content (mean 24.5%, n = 12), while negative relationships were restricted to the highest sand levels (mean 87.6%, n = 3). Intermediate sand-content zones (mean 47%, n = 16) showed no consistent patterns. These results suggest that invasion patterns vary across spatial contexts and may reflect the influence of different processes operating locally, indicating that relying solely on global analyses risks misinterpreting drivers and overlooking fine-scale variation. Our findings emphasize that understanding invasive species in heterogeneous systems requires considering whether mechanisms operate at local or broad scales, and that explicitly analyzing spatial structure can guide both hypothesis formulation and field study design.

Pulsed resources, including mast production by forest trees, often have knock-on effects on consumer populations and their prey, predators, parasites and mutualists. Response by small rodents to fluctuating acorn production in temperate forests is a widespread example. Long-term research in Maine, USA, recently suggested combined effects of a warming climate and forest maturation on acorn production by red oak trees, leading to directional increases in average population density and body mass of white-footed mice. To foster reproducibility in long-term ecological research, we analysed data from our long-term study in southeastern New York, USA, which used similar field methods. Such a comparison allowed us to assess impacts of climate warming and forest growth on the same pulsed resource and responses by the same consumer species over time and at different latitudes. Despite a clear directional increase in mean minimum temperature and considerable growth in the average size and total basal area of trees during our 33-year study, neither acorn production by red oak trees nor abundance of white-footed mice showed directional increases. Similarly, average body mass of the mice did not change through time. Abundance of mice in mid-summer increased with increasing red oak acorn production the prior autumn. Mouse abundance also was higher in warmer years, although the effect of acorn abundance on mice was stronger. We found no evidence that temperature modified the acorn-driven population responses by mice. Long-term studies are notoriously hard to maintain and even harder to replicate between sites. The direct comparison of similar studies between Maine and New York provides an opportunity to assess the generality of mechanistic models linking climate change, mast seeding and consumer responses.

We investigated bryophyte communities in mature beech forests (Fagus sylvatica L.) and Austrian pine plantations (Pinus nigra J.F. Arnold) on Fruška Gora Mountain (northern Serbia) to examine how stand structure and edaphic conditions influence trait composition and functional diversity. Environmental predictors included soil pH, soil temperature, herbaceous cover, and shrub density, while collinear structural variables were summarized using principal component analysis into a composite structural–moisture gradient. Community–environment relationships were analyzed using redundancy analysis (RDA) with restricted permutations, trait–environment coupling using RLQ and fourth-corner analysis, and functional diversity using Rao’s quadratic entropy (RaoQ). The RDA indicated significant effects of all predictors. RLQ revealed a structured multivariate coupling between bryophyte traits and environmental gradients. Functional diversity was higher in beech forests than in pine plantations, increasing with shrub density and decreasing along the structural–moisture gradient. Overall, plantation stands supported functionally more homogeneous bryophyte assemblages, highlighting the importance of stand structural complexity for maintaining forest-floor bryophytes’ functional diversity.

As a key constructive tree species in arid ecosystems, Populus euphratica plays a vital role in maintaining desert ecological stability. The rhizosphere microorganisms of P. euphratica are crucial for supporting its adaptation to extreme environments. However, the dynamic changes and ecological functions of rhizosphere bacterial communities across its growth stages remain poorly understood. In our study, P. euphratica forests across stand ages, including young forest, middle-aged forest, near-mature forest, mature forest, over-mature forest, and senescent stages were used as research objects. Based on Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing technology, the dynamic changes in the rhizosphere bacterial communities were analyzed. The results indicated that the bacterial alpha-diversity showed an initial increase followed by a decrease, and the middle-aged and over-mature forests exhibited higher diversity. Salinimicrobium, Nitrolancea, and unidentified_Alphaproteobacteria were the dominant genera across all growth stages. Additionally, there were forest age-specific genera. Soil available nitrogen was positively correlated with the richness of generalist bacteria, but negatively correlated with that of specialist bacteria. This suggests that ecological niche differentiation may occur between them due to their distinct nitrogen utilization strategies. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed that the interactions among bacteria were predominantly positive, and the mature forest exhibited more modules and higher connectivity strength. This suggests that the community at the mature forest may develop stronger integrity through closer interspecific interactions, thereby enabling better adaptation to the rhizospheric microenvironment. The predicted abundance of primary metabolic pathways, such as nucleotide metabolism and amino acid metabolism, was higher for the young forests. The results provide data support for understanding the plant-microbial interaction and the stability of forest ecosystems in arid areas.

Biological scarification of Erythrina crista-galli: germination responses, performance costs, and implications for riparian forest restoration.

Ground vegetation species richness in close-to-nature managed and protected forests after four decades of protection.

Left: Montane riparian forest dominated by dwarf Pterocarya rhoifolia, Aesculus turbinata , and Acer nipponicum under extreme snowfall environment (maximum snow depth of 5 m). Right: Montane riparian forest dominated by Pterocarya rhoifolia, Aesculus turbinata , and Fagus crenata under heavy snowfall environment (maximum snow depth of 2 m). Location: Mt. Aizuasahidake, Tadami Town, Fukushima Prefecture (left), Mt. Asakusadake, Tadami Town, Fukushima Prefecture (right). Photographer: Yosuke Nakano Photos are courtesy of the authors of the article: Nakano, Y., Suzuki, W., & Masaki, T. (2026). Forest Structure and Maintenance Mechanisms of Montane Riparian Forests Under Extreme Snowfall in the Cool‐Temperate Zone of Western Fukushima, Japan. Plant Species Biology, 41(2). https://doi.org/10.1111/1442-1984.70051 This study compares forest structure and regeneration strategies of montane riparian forests under extreme (5 m) and heavy (2 m) snowfall in the Tadami region of Japan, revealing how dominant tree species adopt different survival strategies such as sprouting, dwarfing, and layering under severe snow conditions. image

Variation of above-ground tree biomass and soil carbon stocks across neotropical forest types

Guenons are a valuable model for understanding primate adaptability to heterogeneous habitats, similar to the environmental pressures faced during hominin evolution. This study investigates how red-tailed monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius) use two distinct vegetation types, riparian forests and miombo woodlands, within a mosaic habitat in the Issa Valley, Tanzania. We assessed how seasonality impacts core area sizes in both vegetation types, the proportion of spatial overlap between core areas across different seasons and years, and whether woodland use is associated with increased daily path lengths (DPLs) or specific foods. We employed kernel density estimates on behavioral observations (2016-2023) to calculate core area sizes and overlaps and linear regressions to assess relationships between woodland use and DPL. We employed logistic regression to analyze associations between food categories and woodland use. Core area sizes and overlaps did not vary significantly between seasons in either woodlands or forests. DPL showed a trend toward being lower on days when animals spent more time in woodland. Feeding on bark, flowers, and unripe fruit strongly increased the likelihood of woodland use, whereas ripe fruit was associated with forests. We propose several drivers for woodland use as well as what role niche partitioning with sympatric primates may play. Our study indicates that this arboreal primate dynamically utilizes the vegetation matrix, highlighting the importance of behavioral flexibility for Plio-Pleistocene hominins as forests were gradually replaced with wooded landscapes.