Secondary Forest Research Articles

Changes in the radial growth patterns of two dominant tree species in north-central China under climate warming

The radial growth pattern of alpine coniferous trees in the mid-high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere has an unstable and inconsistent response to climate warming. Understanding the growth trends of trees in the past and future is crucial for forest cultivation against the background of climate change. Thus, we used traditional dendroclimatological methods to analyze the radial growth patterns and stability in response to climate change of the two dominant species on Guancen Mountain and concluded that: (1) the radial growth of Larix principis-rupprechtii was more sensitive than that of Picea meyeri to climatic factors; (2) before and after the abrupt temperature change, the major controlling climatic factors for the radial growth of the two dominant species were spring precipitation and mean temperature, respectively; (3) before the abrupt temperature change, the radial growth of L. principis-rupprechtii was affected by the mean temperature in autumn, while that of P. meyeri was restricted by the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index in spring; after the abrupt temperature change, the major controlling climate factors of L. principis-rupprechtii and P. meyeri were winter drought and the combination of water and heat in summer, respectively; and (4) after the abrupt temperature change, the interannual basal area increments of the two species followed an upward trend, however, the radial growth rate of both species decreased after detrending, and the growth and development of both species were seriously stressed by drought. Under the background of climate warming, to explore the coping situation of different tree species in the same habitat, to provide theoretical and mechanism support for the future cultivation of forests according to local conditions, and to provide suggestions for the "greening" problem fundamentally.

Anthropogenic effects and ecosystem services of tropical highland forests in Ethiopia

Despite the significant direct and indirect benefits that forests, particularly tropical highland forests, provide to local communities, they are facing severe degradation primarily due to population growth and rapid land-use changes. This has made it difficult for policymakers to effectively manage these forests due to a lack of comprehensive current forest research data. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to examine the anthropogenic impacts on forest ecosystems and the ecosystem services (11ecosystem services,ESs) they provide, as well as to understand local perspectives on management of natural forests. For collecting disturbance indicators and other environmental data, 12 transect lines by 150 meter interval between each of the two consecutive parallel transects and 40 quadrats (20 m x 20 m size each) by 100 m interval were laid out in 145 ha total forest land size of the five study sites of three districts. However, for questionnaire-based data, 266 respondents were participated. As revealed in the results, the majority of households (about 78 %) relied on mixed farming and had ≤ 1 ha of land with 5.6 average family size. Besides, 74.3 % of the households used forest products for cooking food and getting energy to their homes due to little or no electricity, or other energy sources in rural communities. Nearly 85 % of the households also obtained timber from natural forests. Tree cutting, grazing, cultivation, and fires were the major anthropogenic factors leading to deforestation and loss of ecosystem services and biodiversity of the studied forest ecosystems. Disturbance assessment indicated that almost all forest patches, excluding one in the eastern subregion of the study area, were severely impacted. This suggests a widespread degradation of Ethiopia's forests. However, various ESs, mainly regulating and habitat services, followed by provisioning ones, were delivered from these sites. Hence, soil erosion controlling, flood protecting, and soil fertility regulating services were some of the most services provided by the forests. Likewise, being shelter and nursery sites for biota were the other most important habitat service. The raw materials including grass for fodder, medicinal plants, timber, fuel wood, and water for livestock watering and domestic uses were the major provisioning services provided. Thus, more than 93 % of the households had a great interest for the protection and continuity of the present forest patches in the future. Briefly, despite being heavily degraded due to anthropogenic factors, these natural forests still provided various ecological, social, and economic services to the local people; thereby the people were interested in protecting and conserving them. Thus, for restoring degraded forest areas of the zone, community-based participatory conservation strategies were recommended.

Different habitat condition proportions on farms affect the structure and diversity of dung beetle (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae) communities

The continuous changes and increase of land use into ranching and agriculture have caused shifts in the composition and structure of dung beetle communities due to the modification of vegetation structure. The impact of these changes can be approached using dung beetles as ecological indicators. Agricultural, ranching, and forestry are often integrated into the same farm in different proportions (landscape level), and their degree of integration with habitats changes over time and space. We assessed if different habitat proportions of crop, pasture, and forest land on three farms affect the structure and diversity of dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) communities. Farms included from three to four habitat conditions each (plantations of timber species, banana-coffee plantation, living fences, pastures, secondary and riparian forest). Pitfall traps with dung and carrion as bait were placed across each habitat condition of each farm during three different sampling periods. Across all samplings, 1,198 dung beetle individuals belonging to 21 species were captured. Species diversity and composition vary according to the type of farm and the main factor that modifies this tendency is the proportion of pasture land composing the farm. Farms with a lower proportion of grazing land (11.96% for forestry farms and 32.19% for agricultural farms) and denser vegetation canopy, which cast more shadows, had greater beetle diversity. Conversely, farms having a greater proportion of grazing land had low diversity and a dominant tendency in the species abundance curve. Umbraphile species dominated the forest farm, indicating a strong affinity for shaded environments such as the one provided there, while species displaying no habitat preference exhibited higher abundance in the ranching farm. Additionally, a notable prevalence of small-sized species was observed in the ranching farm, contrasting with a relatively even distribution of sizes in the remaining landscapes. These tendencies suggest that shade positively influences biodiversity conservation. Riparian vegetation, living fences, and banana-coffee plantations are important connectivity elements in agricultural landscapes for shade-adapted dung beetle species.

Regeneration of secondary forest following anthropogenic disturbance from 1985 to 2021 for Amazonas, Brazil.

Following old-growth forest loss and subsequent land abandonment, secondary forest grows throughout the Amazon biome. For Amazonas, agricultural colonization was unsuccessful in many regions, leading to the regeneration of secondary forest and carbon storage under favorable climate conditions. Herein, the extent of regeneration in Amazonas and its timescale are investigated, including a granular analysis of its 62 municipalities, based on the MapBiomas dataset from 1985 to 2021. By 2021, 10,495 km2 of secondary forest had grown, corresponding to 28% of the lost old-growth forest. After normalization for algorithmic differences, this estimate was 17%-38% lower than prior studies for Amazonas that used earlier versions of the MapBiomas dataset, indicating increased accuracy in landcover assignments for more current versions of the dataset. For the northeastern microregion, representing the 15 municipalities of economic and population dominance in Amazonas, the growth of secondary forest varied from 3.0% to 9.8% of the total land area. For the southern microregion, constituting seven municipalities adjacent to large-scale deforestation of Mato Grosso and Rondônia, regeneration of secondary forest constituted 0.4%-1.2% of the land area. For the remaining interior municipalities, the regeneration was 0.0%-1.9%. Among the municipalities, the median regeneration interval, corresponding to the duration between the loss of old-growth forest and the appearance of secondary forest, ranged from 2 to 7 years. The median regeneration intervals of the interior, northeastern, and southern microregions were 3, 4, and 5 years, respectively. Even as the secular trend of deforestation continues in the Amazon biome and encroaches into the southern border of Amazonas state, the results herein indicate a possible resiliency toward secondary forest for undisturbed land on a timescale of several years, at least for mixed pasture-forest landscapes of kilometer-scale heterogeneity and assuming that a favorable climate persists for regeneration even as global change occurs.

Phylogenetic structure and turnover between lowland and montane subtropical forests indicate differential community assembly processes, affected by successional stage and spatial gradients

Secondary forests represent an increasing proportion of global forest cover and offer a range of ecosystem services that are integral to environmental policy targets. Highly disturbed landscapes with temporal records of forest plant community composition offer key insights into the processes that shape plant communities as forests undergo secondary succession. We investigated patterns of plant community phylogenetic structure and phylogenetic beta diversity. Mean pairwise distance (MPD) and Mean Nearest Taxon Distance (MNTD) metrics were determined between co-occurring species within plant communities, in addition to phylogenetic beta diversity metrics relative to null models of random phylogenetic assembly. MPD and MNTD were compared between elevational and successional classes and modelled as products of intercommunity distance (metres) and forest community age (years). Phylogenetic nonmetric multidimensional scaling explored phylogenetic community structure between lowland and montane forest type in Hong Kong. We found that plant communities in secondary forests in Hong Kong exhibited patterns of increased basal phylogenetic clustering with increasing community elevation, while phylogenetic turnover was influenced by spatial and successional factors in lowland and montane forest. Our findings indicate differential community assembly in lowland compared to montane forest type in Hong Kong, as well as evidence for barriers to plant dispersal in secondary forest communities due to patterns of spatial phylogenetic clustering. Plant communities in montane forests were found to be phylogenetically distinct from lowland forest plant communities. Patterns of spatial phylogenetic clustering may suggest significant dispersal or post-dispersal processes causing the clustering of related species at fine spatial scales, while phylogenetic turnover with increasing successional age may indicate compositional changes during the process of passive forest regeneration. Collectively, these results emphasize the need to investigate active pathways for rewilding dispersal limited late successional forest tree species in Hong Kong.

Characteristics of deep soil layer water deficit under different artificial vegetation types of the Loess Plateau, China

AbstractSoil water is a crucial factor for the growth of vegetation and sustainable development in water‐limited areas. After large‐scale vegetation restoration on the Chinese Loess Plateau, understanding the relationship between vegetation and deep soil moisture has become a crucial focus in current research. In this study, artificial forest (Pinus tabulaeformis [PT], Robinia pseudoacacia [RP] and Platycladus orientalis [PO]), apple orchard (AO), secondary forest (SF) and farmland (FL) were selected as the research objects, and grassland (GL) as the control, using soil‐drilling techniques. We systematically monitored the soil water content of 0–10 m soil layer over two hydrological years, and explored the effects of different vegetation types on soil water deficiency. The results showed that: (1) The deep soil water various significantly among different vegetation types. Compared with GL, the soil water content in all forest land was generally lower, and this difference became more pronounced in deeper soil layer (>7 m), which indicating the depth of the influence of vegetation on soil water has reached 10 m. (2) The mean soil water deficit size (SWDS) values of PT (0.14), RP (0.17), PO (0.07), AO (0.15), SF (0.10) and FL (0.27) in 0–1 m were all positive, indicating that surface soil water had accumulated during more than half of the sampling periods. In the 2–10 m soil layer, mean SWDS was negative in all vegetation types except in FL, leading to soil desiccation. SWDS was found to fluctuate with soil depth. (3) SWDS was affected by a combination of soil properties and vegetation growth. Our results indicate that the current afforestation model could lead to the deficiency of deep soil water. Therefore, it is imperative to make reasonable vegetation structure according to the available local soil and water resources in future vegetation allocation and management.

The Importance of Regenerating Forests for Biodiversity Conservation: Insights From Bird Communities

Biodiversity is crucial for ecological research and ecosystem function, but human activities have led to widespread habitat loss and threats to biodiversity. Recent studies challenge the belief that only primary forests preserve biodiversity, as 20-year-old secondary forests can exhibit comparable levels. We emphasize the significance of studying regenerating and human-altered forests. Our research explores the impact of such forests on avian communities, focusing on different habitat and forest types. Using Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling and Analysis of Similarities, we analyze bird community composition across various habitats. The Parker index and Analysis of Variance evaluate bird sensitivity to habitat changes. Results indicate significant differences in bird communities and sensitivity based on forest and habitat types. The study provides insights into forest integrity, contributing to improved conservation practices in regenerating and human-altered forests. Limitations include assumptions due to limited fragmented plots, suggesting avenues for future research to enhance forest regeneration efforts.

Preface

The International Conference on Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (ICNREC) is an annual event dedicated to discussing various topics and issues regarding the conservation of natural resources and the environment. The 4th ICNREC was held on October 26, 2023, at the IPB International Convention Center (Botani Square) in Bogor, Indonesia. This year, the conference raised the theme: “Origin of Land Status, History of Land Use, and Development of Plantation Land Cover.” Over the past 25 years, driven by its high economic value, the area of oil palm plantations in Indonesia has nearly tripled. Since 2008, Indonesia has been the largest palm oil producer in the world, contributing 48% of the total global palm oil production. With an area of no less than 16.32 million hectares, palm oil plantations have brought various positive impacts, including generating foreign exchange, alleviating rural poverty, and creating jobs for approximately 21.49 million people. However, this success has also drawn accusations that oil palm plantations originate from primary or secondary forests, leading to deforestation, biodiversity loss, and a decline in plant diversity. Although these accusations are still debatable and not scientifically valid, they have significantly harmed Indonesia’s position in global trade. On May 16, 2023, the European Union officially implemented the European Union Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR), which aims to ensure that products entering the EU market come from legal sources and do not cause deforestation. This regulation requires companies to trace these commodities back to the land where they were produced. In response, there is an urgent need to develop a scientifically valid and internationally recognized Deforestation Verification or Certification System for every oil palm plantation and palm oil mill. Research collaborations have shown that data and information about the “Origin of Land Status, History of Land Use, and Development of Plantation Land Cover” in various provinces are relatively easy to obtain and scientifically valid. To achieve both national and international legitimacy, it is necessary to discuss these findings with experts from various parts of the world with relevant disciplines. Therefore, the 4th ICNREC is themed “Origin of Land Status, History of Land Use, and Development of Plantation Land Cover.” Given the strategic position of palm oil as Indonesia’s main foreign exchange source and to avoid systemic negative impacts on the future progress of Indonesia’s palm oil industry, developing a deforestation verification/certification system based on data and information about the origin of land status, land cover development, and land use history is crucial. The 4th ICNREC was organized in partnership with the Center for Study, Advocacy, and Nature Conservation (PUSAKA KALAM), the Faculty of Forestry and Environment of IPB University, and the French Agricultural Research for International Development (CIRAD). It also received support from various sponsors, including the Indonesia Oil Palm Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDPKS), Sampoerna Agri, the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI), Asian Agri, the French Embassy in Indonesia, and the Indonesian Oil Palm Farmers Association (APKASINDO), along with many others who contributed to the event’s success. The conference resulted in a proceeding featuring 23 papers on various aspects of biodiversity. We appreciate all the support received in organizing the conference and preparing the proceedings and hope that these proceedings will benefit many people. Best Regards, Prof, Dr. Ir. Yanto Santosa, DEA Chairman of Committee of The 4th ICNREC List of Committee is available in this Pdf.

Changes in soil organic carbon stocks and mineralization following the replacement of secondary evergreen broadleaf forests with tea (Camellia sinensis L.) plantations

AbstractTea plantation ecosystems have a strong potential to sequester carbon (C) and reduce CO2 emissions. However, the effects of different tea planting periods on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and mineralization and related mechanisms are unclear. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated the effects of replacing evergreen broadleaf forests with tea plantations on SOC stocks and mineralization rates by examining alterations in SOC pools and composition, microbial community composition, functional genes related to C‐cycling and enzyme activities. The SOC content in forest, 30‐, 50‐ and 100‐year‐old tea plantations were 1.91%, 2.37%, 2.87% and 3.69%, respectively, in the 0–20 cm soil depth (100‐year‐old > 50‐year‐old > 30‐year‐old > forest). Cumulative CO2–C emissions increased by 38.1% (114 mg C kg−1 soil), 49.9% (157 mg C kg−1 soil), and 100.2% (171 mg C kg−1 soil) compared to forest soil (228 mg C kg−1 soil) after tea had been grown for 30, 50 and 100 years, respectively; however, cumulative CO2 emissions did not differ significantly between the 30‐ and 50‐year‐old plantations. The rate of SOC mineralization was positively related to particulate organic carbon (POC), water‐soluble organic carbon (WSOC), microbial biomass C (MBC), and O‐alkyl C contents, as well as β‐glucosidase/cellobiohydrolase activities and GH48/cbhI abundance; by contrast, the SOC mineralization rate was negatively correlated with the aromatic C content. More importantly, bacteria and fungi related to SOC mineralization, such as WPS‐2 and Acidobacteria, and Sordariomycetes, Tremellomycetes, Mortierellomycetes and Agaricomycetes, respectively, had high relative abundances. Our results indicate that replacing forests with tea plantations enhanced both SOC stocks and mineralization rates and that this effect was positively correlated with tea cultivation time. We reveal that an increased length of the tea planting period was conducive to increasing SOC stocks, and mitigating C losses in tea plantation soils is crucial for establishing an ecologically low‐C tea plantation system.

Assessment of land dynamics transformation into tea plantations using support vector machine

Precisely monitoring land use dynamics and spatial distributions is essential for sustainable development and long-term land management. Tea is one of the leading beverage crops cultivated in Bangladesh, expanding rapidly in northern districts and forcing land use change. This study aims to decipher the expansion of tea cultivation and land dynamics transformation to tea land areas in the northern region of Bangladesh by using Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS surface reflectance images. The supervised support vector machine (SVM) method was used for classification purposes, resulting in three classified maps for the years 2004, 2013 and 2022, having overall accuracies of 91.43 %, 98.67 %, and 98.48 % and kappa coefficients of 89.51, 98.37, and 98.13, respectively. The images were classified into six land use classes: agriculture, tea cultivation area, settlement, waterbody, bare land, and forest. Land transformation results reveal that overall tea land increased by 41.08 % from 2004 to 2022, experiencing a downward trend during 2004–2013, while from 2013 to 2022, a dramatic rise of 70.01 % (equal to 4683.60 ha) tea cultivation area was found in Panchagarh district. The bare land was among the most highly transformed land classes into tea plantations, followed by the forest area. This study provides evidence of transforming underutilized land class into a profitable land use practice, i.e., tea plantation. Thus, cutting-edge technologies would be imperative in land transformation detection for sustainable land management and policy implications for the sustainable development of small landholding livelihoods and the tea industry.

Monitoring the rewilding of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest on tree and mammal diversity: From a biodiversity hotspot to a biodiversity hopespot

The implementation of rewilding initiatives is crucial for biodiversity recovery, particularly in biodiversity hotspots such as the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Long-term monitoring of rewilding initiatives is critical for assessing progress and informing management choices. This study assesses the efficiency of different reforestation practices for biodiversity recovery, including passive restoration, active reforestation with different native seedlings, and plantations of exotic species. We applied an ecosystem approach to estimate the tree and mammal diversity, collected through forest plots and camera traps. We selected differently managed areas and included the oldest forest patches as reference points for the assessment of biodiversity; a naturally disturbed montane forest in the area was included as a control category for the disturbance analysis. Moreover, we investigated the influence of ecological variables, such as biodiversity, aboveground biomass, and altitude, on rewilding processes. Our results suggest that Eucalyptus plantations, a simplified ecosystem made up of monocultures of exotic species, support lower biodiversity. On the contrary, active reforestation with different native species resulted in an ecological status comparable to naturally regrown secondary forests. We show that active reforestation can reduce the time required for rewilding. We also found a positive correlation between tree and mammal species richness. These results underscore the importance and potential of responsible restoration efforts in recovering local biodiversity, contributing to the vision of a future where the Brazilian Atlantic Forest can be acknowledged not only as a biodiversity hotspot but also as a “hopespot.”

Vertical Stratification of Butterfly Assemblages Persists in Highly Disturbed Forest Fragments of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Vertical stratification is a property of forest habitats related to the differential distribution of organisms according to the variation in the conditions, from the understory to the canopy. Here, we aimed to test whether butterfly assemblages from highly disturbed forests maintain the pattern of vertical stratification. We hypothesized that degraded forests would not exhibit vertical stratification due to the low variation in the microhabitat conditions along the vertical gradient, resulting from the canopy openness. To test this, we sampled fruit-feeding butterflies with bait traps, alternately disposed between the understory and canopy of three secondary forest fragments in a very fragmented Atlantic Forest landscape, for one year. We found that the vertical strata differed in terms of species composition, with a high contribution by the nestedness component on the beta diversity spatial variation. The understory assemblages had a higher abundance and were more diverse than the upper stratum. We demonstrated that vertical stratification is maintained even in disturbed forests; however, this does not necessarily provide support for a good quality and functioning ecosystem in these habitats. The butterfly assemblages recorded here are a subset of the species pool that inhabits conserved remnants. Thus, even being represented by species commonly found in disturbed habitats, the dynamic of vertical stratification of assemblages remains.

Different responses of soil bacterial community to plant-plant interactions under organic-inorganic fertilizers affect seedling establishment during subalpine forest succession.

Rhizosphere bacterial community as a valuable indicator of soil quality and function, has been widespread studied. However, little knowledge is about the response of bacterial communities to plant-plant interaction and different fertilizers during secondary forest succession. We conducted a field pot experiment applying organic and inorganic fertilizers to monocultures and mixed cultures of dominant plant species from mid- to late-successional stages (Salix oritrepha, Betula albosinensis, and Picea asperata), and investigated the responses of plant growth and rhizosphere bacterial communities. Results indicated that growth rate of plant height varied among plant species, but no significant differences were observed in soil bacterial diversity and composition among plant species or inter-specific interactions under control. Compared to control, inorganic fertilizer resulted in increases in plant growth and the relative abundance of Proteobacteria, Patescibacteria, Bacteroidetes and Gemmatimonadetes, while simultaneously leading to decrease in the relative abundance of Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Rokubacteria and Planctomycetes. When grown with other species, the bacterial communities in the mixture resembled those of S. oritrepha in singular monoculture under inorganic fertilizer treatment, but plant growth was not affected by interspecific interaction. Unlike inorganic fertilizer, organic fertilizer significantly affected bacterial communities and increased bacterial diversity, but did not alter the effects of plant-plant interactions on bacterial communities. It was also observed that organic fertilizer facilitated later successional species' growth (P. asperata and B. albosinensis) by the mid-successional species (S. oritrepha), ultimately facilitating secondary forest succession. In addition, plants at different successional stages harbor specific bacterial communities to affect their growth, and the bacterial communities contributed more than soil properties to the variations in the plant growth of S. oritrepha and P. asperata though the bacterial communities were regulated by soil factors. This finding highlights the significance of the rhizosphere bacteria on plant growth and plant community succession. It also emphasize the importance of considering both plant-plant interactions and diverse fertilizer types in forest restoration efforts and provide valuable insights into optimizing agronomic practices for secondary forest succession.

The Role of Environmental NGOs (ENGOs) in Deforestation Issues in Endau-Rompin, 1970-2000

Tropical Rainforests in Peninsular Malaysia have a very important role in social, economic, and ecological development locally and transnationally. During the British colonial period, the forests in Peninsular Malaysia were heavily exploited until the idea of conservation came into existence to avoid the depletion of forest resources in the future. The colonial government subsequently established the Forestry Department by designating certain areas as forest reserves. However, after Independence, these forest areas continued to remain under threat to the extent that it has resulted in a decline in forest cover in addition to damage, fragmentation, and degradation of forests in favour of government policies that prioritized economic development. The rush for economic growth has created a conflict between forest stakeholders, particularly the state government and environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs). The objective of this paper is to present the role of ENGOs related to issues in deforestation and forest protection efforts within Endau-Rompin between 1970 where the EndauRompin controversy began until the establishment of Endau-Rompin State Park (Pahang) in 2000. This study used a qualitative approach, that is primary sources such as Parliamentary Hansard and newspapers, and secondary sources such as books and journal articles. In addition, field research was carried out through the observation of forest-related activities organized by several ENGOs. The findings of the study showed that one of the most critical roles of ENGOs in dealing with the issue of deforestation is to prevent activities that damage the forest, especially legal activities that involve decisions made by the state government. The involvement and role of ENGOs can only delay or prolong the process of losing forest cover. This happens because the state government has authority over the land (forest) matters according to the Federal Constitution which cannot be disputed from a legal point of view. The efforts to save the forest can only depend on the political will on whether the state government wants to address or ignore the concerns voiced by ENGOs in issues related to deforestation.

Phytogeographical and biological spectrum of vascular flora as an indicator of ecological changes following clear-cutting in Eastern Serbian beech forest sites

Extreme weather events caused considerable harm to the forest ecosystems in Eastern Serbia over a few hard winters, resulting in widespread ice breaks and ice uprooting. Certain forest stands were severely impacted during the winter of 2014-2015, necessitating clear-cutting measures. This research was conducted in the Timok forest area, through examination of the floristic composition in areas subjected to clear-cutting, including natural beech forests and artificially established conifer stands within beech sites (Helleboro odori-Fagetum moesiacae). A phytogeographical and bioecological analysis was conducted five years after clear-cutting. Changes in ecosystems were assessed by analysing the spectra of area-types and plant life forms, with comparisons drawn to the “Vinatovača” old-growth forest, situated in the submontane beech forest of Eastern Serbia. Descriptive analysis of the phytogeographical and bioecological spectra of vascular flora, alongside multinomial correspondence analysis, revealed an increased presence of species from Eurasian, Mediterranean-sub-Mediterranean, and Pontic area-types, as well as hemicryptophytic, phanerophytic, and therophytic life forms in the clear-cut areas. In contrast, the old-growth forest was colonised by species of Central European and Holarctic area-types, along with geophytic life forms. These findings suggest a shift towards xerothermic microclimates in the clear-cut areas and the stronger influence of the continental climate of Eastern Serbia with its extremes on deforested areas, as well as on the processes of forest ecosystem degradation.

Optimizing afforestation and reforestation strategies to enhance ecosystem services in critically degraded regions

Human activity has caused massive forest ecosystem damage, threatening the global environmental balance. Afforestation and reforestation are crucial strategies for the restoration of forest ecosystem functions. This study was conducted on Belitung Island, Indonesia, which has experienced forest degradation due to mining activity and is currently undergoing forest restoration efforts. This study aimed to identify priority areas for afforestation and reforestation using an innovative approach that integrates multi-criteria analysis (MCA) and machine-learning techniques based on ecosystem service (ES) indicators, wildfire susceptibility, and environmental pressure. This study is the first to combine long-term remote sensing data with machine learning to develop priority scenarios for afforestation and reforestation. Results show that low-priority afforestation areas cover 24,479.66 ha (20.45 %), medium-priority areas 58,703.30 ha (49.04 %), and high-priority areas 36,521.98 ha (30.51 %). For reforestation, low-priority areas cover 23,123.45 ha (30.45 %), medium-priority areas 38,197.36 ha (50.3 %), and high-priority areas 14,618.27 ha (19.25 %). This study is expected to serve as a reference for sustainable forest ecosystem restoration efforts in various regions by leveraging ES approaches and environmental conditions using remote-sensing technology.

The challenges associated with firewood supply and analysis of fuel quality parameters of the tree species used as firewood in Rwanda

Firewood serves as an essential cooking energy source for households in Rwanda. However, the supply of firewood is hindered by various challenges, such as escalating scarcity, long distances traveled to collect firewood, and reliance on low-quality biomass during shortages. This study aimed to assess the challenges associated with firewood supply and analyze the fuel quality of tree species used as firewood in Rwanda, using systematic sampling with 504 and 368 farmers, respectively, in Bugesera and Musanze Districts. The results indicated that women and children are predominantly involved in firewood collection, with households traveling over 9 km for firewood collection and spending 5–8 h per collection session. Additionally, 42 % and 43 % of households in Bugesera and Musanze Districts gather firewood twice weekly. The most preferred species for firewood were Eucalypts spp, Senna spectabilis, Grevillea robusta, and Alunus acuminata due to their rapid drying, low smoke production, and efficient fuel qualities. The fuel quality analysis indicated that Eucalyptus spp., Grevillea robusta, Croton megalocarpus, Alnus acuminata, and Senna spectabilis exhibit a substantial promising bioenergy characteristic that points to their potential for sustainable energy production. The study advocates for strategically incorporating high fuel qualities, rapid growth, and regeneration of tree species into trees-based systems in the agricultural landscape to ensure a sustainable firewood supply while mitigating forest degradation.

Navigating neighborhoods: Density, size, and species diversity influences on tree survival in subtropical secondary forests

Neighborhood effects significantly impact individual tree survival through mechanisms of resource competition and species interactions within forest ecosystems. However, the specific impacts of these effects, particularly how biodiversity feedback affects survival across diverse life stages and spatial scales in subtropical secondary forests, remains insufficiently documented. To bridge this gap, we conducted an extensive analysis of neighborhood effects at different life stages and spatial scales in the subtropical secondary forests of the Wuyi Mountains in Southeast China, uncovering key insights into the community structure and dynamics. Our investigation over a five-year period encompassed all individuals within our study plot, quantifying effects of neighborhood density, individual size in resource competition, and species diversity in the neighborhood across various life stages. Employing mixed-effects models, we established quantitative relationships to assess the impact of these factors on tree survival at different spatial scales. Our findings confirmed that density dependence adversely affects sapling survival at smaller scales. As trees mature and spatial test scales expand, the detrimental effects of conspecific resource competition on individual mortality decrease, whereas heterospecific resource competition notably impairs survival probabilities in later successional stages, suggesting a shift from intraspecific to interspecific competition as the dominant influence on mortality during secondary succession. Additionally, we detected consistent patterns in conspecific and heterospecific density effects with increasing spatial scale. These effects transitioned from interspecific differences at smaller scales to more uniform positive effects at larger scales, which may be attributed to the strong spatial dependency of neighborhood density effects, potentially due to increased habitat heterogeneity. Furthermore, our study highlights the crucial role of heterospecific neighborhood effects in enhancing survival. We observed significant positive impacts of species diversity and heterospecific interactions on individual tree survival, particularly at smaller spatial scales during the sapling stage. Importantly, our research unveils significant variability in species sensitivity to different neighborhood effects, which change with life stage and spatial scale. This underscores the necessity of accounting for life stage variations among species and the influence of spatial heterogeneity on neighborhood effects such as density. Our findings delineate distinct competition mechanisms between the earlier and later phases of forest succession, emphasizing the distinctive recovery processes of subtropical secondary forests. These insights are essential for informing forest management and conservation strategies, ensuring a nuanced understanding of forest community dynamics.

A global dataset of forest regrowth following wildfires

Wildfires result in forest loss or degradation and release substantial emissions into the atmosphere. Forest regrowth following these fires allows for ecosystem repair and carbon replenishment. However, there is a lack of datasets explicitly characterizing the forest regrowth after fires. Here we employed multiple remotely sensed datasets to generate the first global maps of forest structure regrowth including forest height, aboveground biomass (AGB), leaf area index (LAI), and fraction of photosynthetically active radiation (FPAR) following wildfires at a 30 m spatial resolution. The regrowth index for each structural parameter includes regrowth ratio and rate at 5-year intervals, primarily from 2000 to 2020. The dataset developed in this study provides detailed insights into the characteristics of global forest regrowth following forest fires in both spatial and temporal dimensions, contributing to the assessment of forest ecology equilibrium and the quantification of forest carbon dynamics.

Large-scale forest protection: the successful case of the Kayapo people in the Brazilian Amazon

Forest conservation is essential for action on climate change and biodiversity loss. Forest loss and degradation are increasing around the world, including in the Amazon. It is widely reported that Indigenous communities can be effective in forest protection, but less attention has been paid to explaining how they are able to do this in the face of severe threats. This article investigates what can be learned from the success of the Kayapo Indigenous communities and their organizations in protecting more than nine million hectares of primary forest in one of the most highly degraded and deforested areas of the Brazilian Amazon. We use geographic information system analysis to demonstrate the extent of forest protection, along with field work to examine the crucial alliances with conservation NGOs from governance and planning perspectives. Our interdisciplinary analysis is guided by the three-pillar framework for integrated landscape management and is informed by interviews conducted with Indigenous and non-Indigenous staff working for the Kayapo NGOs. Based on this data and the experience of the Kayapo people, we identify the main factors that facilitated large-scale forest conservation. Our research also reveals that the work of the Kayapo NGOs aligns with the principles of strong governance and effective planning. Lastly, we discuss key lessons and critical considerations to ensure the continued viability and ongoing success of the Kayapo NGOs in achieving their objectives.