Riverine Woodland Research Articles

Prediction of Open Woodland Transpiration Incorporating Sun-Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence and Vegetation Structure

Transpiration (T) represents plant water use, while sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) emitted during photosynthesis, relates well to gross primary production. SIF can be influenced by vegetation structure, while uncertainties remain on how this might impact the relationship between SIF and T, especially for open and sparse woodlands. In this study, a method was developed to map T in riverine floodplain open woodland environments using satellite data coupled with a radiative transfer model (RTM). Specifically, we used FluorFLiES, a three-dimensional SIF RTM, to simulate the full spectrum of SIF for three open woodland sites with varying fractional vegetation cover. Five specific SIF bands were selected to quantify their correlation with field measured T derived from sap flow sensors. The coefficient of determination of the simulated far-red SIF and field measured T at a monthly scale was 0.93. However, when comparing red SIF from leaf scale to canopy scale to predict T, performance declined by 24%. In addition, varying soil reflectance and understory leaf area index had little effect on the correlation between SIF and T. The method developed can be applied regionally to predict tree water use using remotely sensed SIF datasets in areas of low data availability or accessibility.

Assessment of Land Cover and Land Use Change Dynamics in Kibwezi Watershed, Kenya.

Land use and land cover (LULC) parameters influence the hydrological and ecological processes taking place in a watershed. Understanding the changes in LULC is essential in the planning and development of management strategies for water resources. The purpose of the study was to detect changes in LULC in the Kibwezi watershed in Kenya, using geospatial approaches. Supervised and unsupervised classification techniques using remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS) were used to process Landsat imagery for 1999, 2009, and 2019 while ERDAS IMAGINE™ 14 and MS Excel software were used to derive change detection, and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was used to delineate the watershed using an in-built watershed delineation tool. The watershed was classified into ten major LULC classes, namely cropland (rainfed), cropland (irrigated), cropland (perennial), crop and shrubs/trees, closed shrublands, open shrubland, shrub grasslands, wooded shrublands, riverine woodlands, and built-up land. The results showed that LULC under shrub grassland, urban areas, and crops and shrubs increased drastically by 552.5%, 366.2%, and 357.1% respectively between 1999 and 2019 with an annual increase of 35.55%, 35.38%, and 33.86% per annum. The area under open shrubland and closed shrubland declined by73.7%, and 30.4% annually. These LULC transformations pose a negative impact on the watershed resources. There is therefore a need for proper management of the watershed for sustainable socio-economic development of the Kibwezi area.

A synthesis of fauna, palaeoenvironments and stratigraphy of the Miocene Tagay locality (Olkhon Island, Lake Baikal, Eastern Siberia)

We report about the Early Miocene Tagay fauna of Olkhon Island, the largest island of the Baikal Lake. The Tagay fauna is of high scientific importance because of the diversity of fishes, amphibians, lizards, snakes, turtles, manifold birds and mammals. The lithology, geochemistry and the fossil record along the Tagay-1 section allow reconstruction of various palaeoenvironments, i.e. open water, shallow lakes with adjacent wetlands, riverine woodlands, and also forested and dry habitats. The fossil record, lithology and geochemical sediment-analyses suggest a temperate palaeoclimate with short humid and dry periods. The small mammal record and the magnetic polarity pattern of the upper part of section Tagay-1 correlate with the subchrons C5Cn.2r – C5Cn.1r of Chron C5C and the late Burdigalian Stage of the Geologic Time Scale (GTS2000). The corresponding age range of the Tagay fauna is ~16.5 to ~16.3 Ma.

Terrestrial medium and large-sized mammalian species diversity in Michole Community Protected Forest, southern Ethiopia

The study on medium and large-sized mammalian species' diversity and distribution is important for conservation efforts in the different protected areas of Ethiopia. The present study was intended to investigate the species diversity of medium and large-sized mammalian fauna between October 2019 and July 2020 in Michole Community Protected Forest, southern Ethiopia. The study was conducted by stratification of the study area into three habitat types: riverine forest (3.37 km2), woodland (4.14 km2), and grassland with scattered trees (2.33 km2) based on the vegetation cover. A diurnal transect survey method was implemented to record the mammalian species diversity. A total of 18 representative sample transect lines (six in riverine forest, four in grassland with scattered trees, and eight in woodland habitats) that varied in length and width were used. A total of 17 species of medium and large-sized mammalian species were identified and recorded in the study area. As a result, the orders Carnivora and Primates have the greatest abundance, while the order Lagomorpha has the least. Anubis baboon (Papio anubis) was the most abundant species (15.14%), followed by Spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) (12.98%), Crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata) (12.51%), Vervet monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops) (10.35%), Common duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia) (8.80%), and Giant root-rat (Tachyoryctes macrocephalus) (8.65%). The distributions of mammals among the three habitat types were comparable. The riverine forest harbored the highest mammalian diversity index (H′ = 2.35) followed by the woodland (H′ = 2.32), and the grassland with scattered trees (H′ = 2.30), respectively. The greatest species similarity was recorded in woodland (0.902). The study area harbors considerable mammalian species that are threatened by interacting anthropogenic factors. So, urgent conservation measures by concerned sectors are needed to safeguard these animals and their habitat.

Avian Communities of Alatish National Park, Ethiopia

Alatish National Park, which is located in the Amhara National Regional State at the border with the Republic of Sudan, is rich in its avian resources. To study the park’s avian communities, the study area was classified based on its vegetation structures into riverine woodland, wooded grassland, woodland, and bamboo woodland. Data were collected from July 2017 to April 2018 using line transect and point count methods. As a result, 132 species of birds belonging to 18 orders and 55 families were identified. The highest species diversities during the wet (H’ = 3.53) and dry (H’ = 3.55) seasons were recorded in the riverine woodland habitat. Species evenness was also the highest during the wet (E = 0.79) and dry (E = 0.77) seasons in the riverine woodland habitat. The bamboo woodland habitat harboured the lowest species diversity during the wet (H’ = 2.81) and dry (H’ = 2.45) seasons. More species similarity (SI = 0.90) was recorded between wooded grassland and bamboo woodland habitats during the dry season. Relative abundance of birds among the different species showed significant differences (F131, 1452 = 2.94,P<0.05), and most birds in the area were identified as uncommon species. Forest fire, logging, and overgrazing by cattle have significantly contributed to habitat destruction in the park which might act as the cause for reduction in avian diversity. Therefore, appropriate conservation strategies should be designed and implemented to minimize avian habitat destruction due to various anthropogenic activities within the park.

A biodiverzitás-változás nyomon követése nagylepkék (Lepidoptera) vizsgálatával Sellye környékén, 1967–2022

633 species of butterflies and larger moths were detected around Sellye during the sixties and seventies of the last century. Several rare and interesting species were documented in those lowland oakhornbeam woodlands, riverine oak-elm-ash woodlands, and riverine ash-alder woodlands. After more than fifty years, during the years 2019-2022, we again visited this area to examine the composition and change of lepidopterous fauna, mostly the larger moths. The same sampling methods were applied in the recent surveys, but a UV-A compact fluorescent tube together with a normal compact fluorescent tube was used instead of a mercury vapour bulb, in the year 2022. Sometimes a small portable light trap was also applied, it was fitted with 12 Volt UV fluorescent LEDs. We visited the same (Gilvánfa) and similar sites (Marócsa, Páprád, Teklafalu) regularly, and sometimes some another sites. During this recent period altogether 437 lepidopterous species were taken. 53 of them were not detected in the first collecting period. Number of all known species grew up to 687 in the Sellye region. Voucher specimens have been deposited in the collection of Rippl-Rónai Museum, Kaposvár. The most important catch was three imogoes of Arytrura musculus (Ménétriés, 1859) during the years 2020 and 2022. Table 2 presents all the collected species in the past and recent periods, their quantity by group of sites (past) or by year (recent period). This table is completed by data of Kisdobsza and Potony, which sites are situated a slightly further away but in similar types of forests. Some of the 53 newly recorded species – e.g. Dysgonia algira (Linnaeus, 1767), Opisthograptis luteolata (Linnaeus, 1758), Eilicrinia cordiaria (Hübner, 1790), Dysgonia algira (Linnaeus, 1767), Eugnorisma depuncta (Linnaeus, 1761) – are characteristic of drier biotopes, while some of them – e.g. Mythimna unipuncta (Haworth, 1809), Rhodometra sacraria (Linnaeus, 1767) – are immigrant ones. Contrary 250 species were not caught in recent years. About a hundred species were not taken due to the methods. Daytime observations or collections hardly were applied. On the other hand, we did not visit those area during the early spring (March, April) and late autumn (November), so the very early and very late flying species were not registered. Thus about 150 species were not taken very probably due to climate change: increasing of temperature, less precipitation and extreme meteorological phenomena. The decrease of biodiversity is a general observation not only here but in other types of biotopes.

First report of naturalization of Houttuynia cordata Thunb. 1783 (Saururaceae) in Italy

The Chameleon plant (Houttuynia cordata Thunb.—Saururaceae) was introduced across all continents from Asia for ornamental and medicinal purposes at least two centuries ago. H. cordata is deemed a strong invader thanks to its great ability for rapid vegetative propagation by means of rhizomes and stolons (and their fragments) coupled with a high resistance to herbicides. Moreover, it has been suggested that H. cordata has the potential to displace native plants in wet forests and, in general, in wetland ecosystems. In New Zealand and North America, this species has been included in the black list of invasive alien species and it is included in a special control program for monitoring and eradication.In this study, we record the first established naturalized population of Houttuynia cordata in Italy. It was found in July 2019 in a riverine Salix woodland. After revisiting the location, a significant expansion of the initial population was observed in June 2020, suggesting its naturalization with great invasive potential.Criteria and procedures defined by the regional intervention priorities on alien species were applied to further monitor and eradicate the species, as an example of good practice for the management of alien species.

The effects of land use and microsite availability on early seedling recruitment of Acacia tortilis (synonym: Vachelia tortilis) in a southern African savanna

Many tree recruitment studies in African savannas target individual factors that limit recruitment, yet recruitment of some species could be limited by an interplay of environmental filters. This study investigated the effects of land use and microsite availability on early seedling recruitment of Acacia tortilis in riverine woodlands in north-western Zimbabwe. The riverine woodlands were divided according to the level of human disturbance into protected and unprotected sites. Each site was further divided into riverine and off riverine microsites. In each microsite, we laid five main plots (100 × 50 m) and nine seedling subplots (5 × 5 m) nested in each main plot, making a total of 60 main plots and 180 subplots. We found higher seedling recruitment in unprotected than protected sites. Although seeder density was twice greater in protected than unprotected sites, seed bank density was lower in the former by a factor of 1.5. Tree cover and herbaceous biomass was 1.4 and 1.8 times greater in protected than unprotected sites, respectively but were negatively correlated with seedling density. Across all microsites, herbivory-related mortality was less than 40% while drought-related mortality was more than 60%. Put together, the results suggest that higher recruitment in unprotected sites was most likely facilitated by domestic ungulates through seed dispersal and grass suppression which enhanced the quality of regeneration sites. We conclude that encroachment of A. tortilis in communal grazing sites is not only important for its conservation but for a variety of goods and services derived from it.

Effects of Long-Term Manual Invasive Plant Removal on Forest Understory Composition

ABSTRACT: Removal of invasive species is a common management goal to maintain native species composition and wildlife habitat. Due to the time and effort necessary to remove invasive species, it is important to clearly understand the benefits that will be gained through removal and what methods will best achieve those results. This study evaluated the response of native plant understory communities to the removal of invasive species that fell into a range of functional groups including perennial herbs (Microstegium vimineum, Liriope muscari), vines (Lonicera japonica, Lygodium japonicum, Hedra helix), shrubs (Ligustrum sinense), and trees (Albizia julibrissin, Triadica sebifera). Eight invasive plant species were removed from twenty-seven 1-m2 plots for 8 y in an upland mixed hardwood—pine and riverine woodland within the Ocmulgee National Monument, Macon, Georgia. Species richness, herbaceous cover, and woody species number was measured 2 y before removal and each year during removal. Mechanical removal ...

Seasonal habitat selection by African buffalo <i>Syncerus caffer</i> in the Savuti–Mababe–Linyanti ecosystem of northern Botswana

This study aimed to establish seasonal movement and habitat selection patterns of African buffalo Syncerus caffer in relation to a detailed habitat map and according to seasonal changes in forage quality and quantity in the Savuti–Mababe–Linyanti ecosystem (Botswana). Two buffalo were collared in November 2011 and another in October 2012. All three buffalo had greater activities in the mopane–sandveld woodland mosaic during the wet season, which provided high-quality leafy grasses and ephemeral water for drinking, but moved to permanent water and reliable forage of various wetlands (swamps and floodplains) and riverine woodlands during the dry season. Wetlands had higher grass greenness, height and biomass than woodlands during the dry season. Buffalo had similar wet season concentration areas in the 2011–2012 and 2012–2013 wet seasons and similar dry season concentration areas over the 2012 and 2013 dry seasons. However, their dry season location of collaring in 2011 differed dramatically from their 2012 and 2013 dry season concentration areas, possibly because of the exceptionally high flood levels in 2011, which reduced accessibility to their usual dry season concentration areas. The study demonstrates that extremely large and heterogeneous landscapes are needed to conserve buffalo in sandy, dystrophic ecosystems with variable rainfall.Conservation implications: This study emphasises the importance of large spatial scale available for movement, which enables adaptation to changing conditions between years and seasons.

Variation of tsetse fly abundance in relation to habitat and host presence in the Maasai Steppe, Tanzania.

Human activities modify ecosystem structure and function and can also alter the vital rates of vectors and thus the risk of infection with vector-borne diseases. In the Maasai Steppe ecosystem of northern Tanzania, local communities depend on livestock and suitable pasture that is shared with wildlife, which can increase tsetse abundance and the risk of trypanosomiasis. We monitored the monthly tsetse fly abundance adjacent to Tarangire National Park in 2014-2015 using geo-referenced, baited epsilon traps. We examined the effect of habitat types and vegetation greenness (NDVI) on the relative abundance of tsetse fly species. Host availability (livestock and wildlife) was also recorded within 100×100 m of each trap site. The highest tsetse abundance was found in the ecotone between Acacia-Commiphora woodland and grassland, and the lowest in riverine woodland. Glossina swynnertoni was the most abundant species (68%) trapped throughout the entire study, while G. pallidipes was the least common (4%). Relative species abundance was negatively associated with NDVI, with greatest abundance observed in the dry season. The relationship with the abundance of wildlife and livestock was more complex, as we found positive and negative associations depending on the host and fly species. While habitat is important for tsetse distribution, hosts also play a critical role in affecting fly abundance and, potentially, trypanosomiasis risk.

New Lepidocyrtus Bourlet, 1839 from riverine woodland in Hungary (Collembola, Entomobryidae).

Systematic soil fauna survey of riverine and swamp woodland habitats in West Hungary provided the opportunity to describe the new species L. isabelleae sp. nov. belonging to the the Lepidocyrtus pallidus-serbicus group. The new species is characterized by the dorsal macrochaetae formula R0R1sR1R2STSo/00/0101+2, the absence of scales on the antennae and legs beyond coxae and an additional dorsolateral macrochaeta (a7) on Abd. III. On this occasion, the L. pallidus-serbicus group has been revised and reinterpreted, and a differentiation key for the derived L. serbicus group has been developed.

X-rays and virtual taphonomy resolve the first Cissus (Vitaceae) macrofossils from Africa as early-diverging members of the genus.

Fossilized seeds similar to Cissus (Vitaceae) have been recognized from the Miocene of Kenya, though some were previously assigned to the Menispermaceae. We undertook a comparative survey of extant African Cissus seeds to identify the fossils and consider their implications for the evolution and biogeography of Cissus and for African early Miocene paleoenvironments. Micro-computed tomography (µCT) and synchrotron-based X-ray tomographic microscopy (SRXTM) were used to study seed morphology and anatomy. Virtual taphonomy, using SRXTM data sets, produced digital fossils to elucidate seed taphonomy. Phylogenetic relationships within Cissus were reconstructed using existing and newly produced DNA sequences for African species. Paleobiology and paleoecology were inferred from African nearest living relatives. The fossils were assigned to four new Cissus species, related to four modern clades. The fossil plants were interpreted as climbers inhabiting a mosaic of riverine woodland and forest to more open habitats. Virtual taphonomy explained how complex mineral infill processes concealed key seed features, causing the previous taxonomic misidentification. Newly sampled African species, with seeds most similar to the fossils, belong to four clades within core Cissus, two of which are early diverging. Virtual taphonomy, combined with X-ray imaging, has enabled recognition of the first fossil Cissus and Vitaceae from Africa. Early-divergent members of the core Cissus clade were present in Africa by at least the early Miocene, with an African origin suggested for the Cissus sciaphila clade. The fossils provide supporting evidence for mosaic paleoenvironments inhabited by early Miocene hominoids.

Adapting to Florida's riverine woodlands: the population status and feeding ecology of the Silver River rhesus macaques and their interface with humans.

The study of primates living in novel environments represents an interesting context in which to examine patterns of behavioral and ecological flexibility. Our research focused on an understudied, anthropogenically introduced primate population living in Florida, USA: the Silver River rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). To better understand how this population has adapted to life in Florida's riparian woodlands, we collected data on the diet and size of the rhesus macaque population and its encounters with boaters along the Silver River from January to May 2013. Using scan sampling and all-occurrences sampling, we collected 166h of diet data and 105h of human-macaque encounter data, respectively. We confirmed previous reports that four social groups comprise the Silver River macaque population, totaling 118 individuals. The Silver River macaques predominantly consumed leaves and other vegetative plant parts (87.5%), with ash trees serving as a staple food (66.5% of feeding records). Although human-macaque encounters were frequent (80% of 611 boats observed), only a small proportion of boats (11.5%) provisioned the macaques. Motorized boats (e.g., pontoon and motor boats) were more likely to provision, while kayaks and canoes were more likely to move in close proximity of the macaques situated at the river's edge. Our results indicate that the Silver River macaques have adjusted to life in the New World by adopting a temperate-dwelling feeding strategy and by incorporating locally available foods (e.g., sedges) into their diet. They have also learned that the river's edge provides opportunities to receive provisions from boaters. However, because the rate of provisioning is low, these foods likely play a filler fallback role. Given that provisioning and direct contact between macaques and boaters are infrequent but proximity to the macaques is a concern, our findings have important implications for the management of the human-macaque interface along the Silver River and beyond.

In situ ∼2.0 Ma trees discovered as fossil rooted stumps, lowermost Bed I, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

The discovery of fossil rooted tree stumps in lowermost Lower Bed I from the western Olduvai Basin, Tanzania, age-bracketed by the Naabi Ignimbrite (2.038 ± 0.005 Ma) and Tuff IA (1.88 ± 0.05 Ma), provides the first direct, in situ, and to date oldest evidence of living trees at Olduvai Gorge. The tree relicts occur in an interval dominated by low-viscosity mass flow and braided fluvial sediments, deposited at the toe of a largely Ngorongoro Volcano-sourced volcaniclastic fan apron that comprised a widely spaced network of ephemeral braided streams draining northward into the Olduvai Basin. Preservation of the trees occurred through their engulfment by mass flows, post-mortem mold formation resulting from differential decay of woody tissues, and subsequent fluvially-related sediment infill, calcite precipitation, and cast formation. Rhizolith preservation was triggered by the interaction of root-induced organic and inorganic processes to form rhizocretionary calcareous root casts. Phytolith analyses were carried out to complete the paleoenvironmental reconstruction. They imply a pronounced seasonality and indicate a wooded landscape with grasses, shrubs, and sedges growing nearby, comparable to the low, open riverine woodland (unit 4c) along the Garusi River and tributaries in the Laetoli area. Among the tree stump cluster were found outsized lithic clasts and those consisting of quartzite were identified as Oldowan stone tool artifacts. In the context of hominin activity, the identification of wooded grassland in association with nearby freshwater drainages and Oldowan artifacts significantly extends our paleoenvironmental purview on the basal parts of Lower Bed I, and highlights the hitherto underrated role of the yet poorly explored western Olduvai Gorge area as a potential ecologically attractive setting and habitat for early hominins.

A Comparison of the Composition and Diversity of Tree Populations along a Hydrological Gradient in Floodplains (Southern Québec, Canada)

With the current climate changes, it is essential to understand the mechanisms that govern floods and flow regimes and their effects on the dynamics of riparian forests. The aim is to assess the effects of new hydrological conditions (increase in flood frequency) on forest stands subject to frequent floods. The sampling sites (total of 94 quadrats) are located in riverine woodlands, and the choice of location corresponds to the boundaries of the flood-risk zones established by official government maps. Our study shows that there are significant differences in the composition and diversity of forest communities following differences in the flood recurrence zones. In the active floodplains (i.e., recurrence interval of 0–20 years), the tree population stands are clearly distinguished from other intermediate flood zones (interval of 20–100 years). Differences are also noted in the structure of the communities, in particular in the frequent flood zones, which are characterized by a low renewal rate, low density and less-diversified forest stands. The frequent floods risk forest stand rejuvenation and creating decline as a result of increased tree mortality and the low renewal rate. With the expected increases in the number of flood events in the coming decades, there may be greater tree mortality and a gradual disappearance of the forest communities.

Stable isotope paleoecology of Late Pleistocene Middle Stone Age humans from the Lake Victoria basin, Kenya

Paleoanthropologists have long argued that environmental pressures played a key role in human evolution. However, our understanding of how these pressures mediated the behavioral and biological diversity of early modern humans and their migration patterns within and out of Africa is limited by a lack of archaeological evidence associated with detailed paleoenvironmental data. Here, we present the first stable isotopic data from paleosols and fauna associated with Middle Stone Age (MSA) sites in East Africa. Late Pleistocene (∼100–45 ka, thousands of years ago) sediments on Rusinga and Mfangano Islands in eastern Lake Victoria (Kenya) preserve a taxonomically diverse, non-analog faunal community associated with MSA artifacts. We analyzed the stable carbon and oxygen isotope composition of paleosol carbonate and organic matter and fossil mammalian tooth enamel, including the first analyses for several extinct bovids such as Rusingoryx atopocranion, Damaliscus hypsodon, and an unnamed impala species. Both paleosol carbonate and organic matter data suggest that local habitats associated with human activities were primarily riverine woodland ecosystems. However, mammalian tooth enamel data indicate that most large-bodied mammals consumed a predominantly C4 diet, suggesting an extensive C4 grassland surrounding these riverine woodlands in the region at the time. These data are consistent with other lines of paleoenvironmental evidence that imply a substantially reduced Lake Victoria at this time, and demonstrate that C4 grasslands were significantly expanded into equatorial Africa compared with their present distribution, which could have facilitated dispersal of human populations and other biotic communities. Our results indicate that early populations of Homo sapiens from the Lake Victoria region exploited locally wooded and well-watered habitats within a larger grassland ecosystem.

The Diversity, Distribution and Relative Abundance of Medium and Large-sized Mammals in Baroye Controlled Hunting Area, Illubabor Zone, Southwest Ethiopia

The diversity, distribution and relative abundance of medium and large-sized mammals were studied in the newly established Baroye Controlled Hunting Area, Southwestern Ethiopia. The study covers two seasons extending between January and September, 2014. Three habitats types, grassland, woodland, and riverine forest were identified in the study area. A line transect survey method was implemented to record the mammalian diversity. Of the 38 arbitrarily established transects, 11 (5 from the grassland and 3 each from the woodland and riverine habitats) were randomly selected and permanently surveyed for two seasons. Each transect was surveyed twice a month for three months per season. A total of 23 species of mammals from 7 orders and 13 families were recorded from the area. Only five species including the rock hyrax ( Procavia capensis ) and Bush hare ( Lepus fagani ) were from medium sized mammals. Among the 18 large sized mammals, the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) was the most abundant. The leopard ( Panthera pardus ), lion ( P. leo ), African civet ( Civettictis civetta ), honey badger ( Mellivora capensis ) and black backed jackal ( Canis mesamolas ) were represented by few individuals. Riverine forest harbored the highest mammalian species (H’=2.37) followed by the woodland (H’=2.23) during the dry season. During the wet season, diversity was highest in the woodland (H’=2.25). The similarity of mammalian species between the riverine forest and woodland were very high during both seasons (SI=0.66), and least between riverine forest and grassland (SI=0.38). Owing to the high faunal diversities, upgrading the current controlled hunting area into higher protected area category will have immense significance to better conserve the unique ecosystem and faunal resource of the area.

Land-mollusc forest communities along an altitudinal transect in northern Italy

While central and northern European land-mollusc forest communities have received considerable research effort, southern Europe has enjoyed much less attention. Despite the extent of Italian forests in terms of altitude and latitude, there has been only one previous quantitative study of their molluscan faunas. This paper describes the molluscan communities of six forest habitats in northern Italy along an altitudinal transect. Species richness had its highest values at low elevations, especially in maritime woodland and in riverine poplar woodland. Species abundance decreased from lowland to montane habitats, possibly as a consequence of a transition from eutrophic to oligotrophic habitats and from calcareous to acidic soils. Compared with the central and northern European forests, the Italian forests were poorer as far as species richness is concerned, but showed greater diversity among locations as the Jaccard presence/absence similarity index among habitats is equal or lower than 0.5. Considering abundances, all molluscan communities were significantly different in pairwise comparisons, with the single exception of the montane mixed-deciduous and beech forests. The low faunal similarity among sites and the high percentage of species found in only one habitat support the need for a network of diverse protected areas to preserve land-mollusc biodiversity.

Identifying the woody resources of Diepkloof Rock Shelter (South Africa) using scanning electron microscopy of the MSA wood charcoal assemblages

This article presents the results of the anatomical identification of wood charcoal from pre-Still Bay, Still Bay and Howiesons Poort assemblages at Diepkloof Rock Shelter (South Africa) using scanning electron microscopy. In the earliest phases, with pre-Still Bay stone tools, the charcoal shows a predominance of Afromontane forest taxa, some riverine woodland species, mesic thicket and proteoid fynbos vegetation. With a change in lithic technology in Still Bay contexts, the balance of Afromontane and thicket taxa shifts towards favouring the latter. A more diverse array of proteoid fynbos species emerges, and there is evidence for the use of plants from the local wetlands of the Verlorenvlei. In Howiesons Poort contexts, typified by a different lithic technology, the charcoal shows some Afromontane forest persisting, but the overwhelming change is towards greater species diversity, with the woody taxa being increasingly representative of thicket and shrubland. Some of the fynbos and thicket species are typical of vegetational communities which inhabit well-drained soils, rocky or dry locations at the present day. More wetland plants from the Verlorenvlei were selected for use.The range of taxa in pre-Still Bay, Still Bay and Howiesons Poort contexts and the diversity of their preferred habitats (modelled on present-day recorded distributions) cannot be interpreted in a simplistic manner to reflect a unilinear change in climatic or soil moisture conditions. Whilst such factors may have played a significant part and contributed to some or all of the taxa having very different phytogeographical distributions compared to their modern counterparts (as at the nearby Elands Bay Cave), it is also necessary to consider to what extent people might have collected these diverse woody resources from a mosaic of vegetational communities, some local, some far away. These scenarios are not mutually exclusive and future collaborative work, which aims to include detailed local mapping of all woody taxa present in the sequence, will be crucial for presenting a resolved palaeoenvironmental and phytogeographical reconstruction through time.