Semi-natural Ecosystems Research Articles

Arthropod fauna of Thymelaea hirsuta in the Egyptian western desert, with a special reference to Olpium kochi

BackgroundNatural and semi-natural ecosystems in the Egyptian Western Desert are in serious danger of being degraded or lost through overgrazing, and overcutting of dominant vegetation, shrubs and trees and tourism activities. The study shows the effect of Man's use during 1990 and recently in 2018 led to desertification.ResultsThymelaea hirsuta (L.) (Thymelaeceae) was an important component (shrubs) in the natural ecosystems of the Egyptian Western Desert that harbors rich arthropod fauna all the year around. The spiders, pesudocorions (Arachnida: Araneae), and insects associated with this shrub were monthly sampled in 1990 at two different protected sites. One is on a very nice coastal ridge, semi-arid site, and the other is in the inland depression, arid site. The sites had distinctive characteristic of populations of non-insect predatory arthropods responding to habitat characteristics. The insects, spiders and pseudoscorpions occurred throughout the year in both sites. However, on the less arid site, the pronounced insect population occurred in winter months while the non-insect was relatively higher in summer months. On the more arid site, the highest insect population was in winter and the non-insect population was higher in autumn. The false-scorpion Olpium kochi Simon (Arachnida, Pseudoscorpionida, Olpiidae), a native rare predator to the Saharan fauna, was very common and its activity reflects its effective predatory role in both sites. In 2017–2018, several visits to the above sites showed that they were completely degraded and most of figs, olive, palm trees and dominant vegetations were removed. The survived shrub populations were very far from each other, sparse very low number and are very poor in arthropod fauna. Thus, several visits were essential to be paid just to collect enough numbers of O. kochi. The life-cycle of O. kochi is through egg-stage and three nymphal instars. There was no active feeding period by the end of each of these stages. Adults can live for 2–4 months. The developmental period takes 10 to 14 months/generation. Cannibalism tendency was among nymphs, but was very rare among fed or starved adults.ConclusionsThe study sites were seriously degraded with irreversible changes. The nice cost ridge was completely degraded and lost by removing the leading dominant vegetations and fruit trees and replacing building houses. Houses replaced most of the site in the inland depression for more desertification.

The abandoned underground mine as a semi-natural ecosystem: The story of Flaschar's Mine (Czechia)

We have investigated a typical abandoned underground slate mine situated in the Bohemian Massif (Central Europe) in order to describe its elementary components and to outline the varied relations among them. Based on the results from geological, geomorphological, hydrological, microclimatic, and biological investigation, we have defined the abandoned underground mine as an important but overlooked semi-natural ecosystem that represents an azonal and relatively fast evolving environment. Unlike any other studies published so far, we have found it also vulnerable in terms of fragility and time-limited stability. Our results together with a comprehensive discussion highlight the fundamental features of the abandoned underground mine and finally serve as a basis on which we introduce a conceptual model of the abandoned underground mine. The complex and interdisciplinary perception of abandoned underground mines is crucial for appropriate environmental assessment, tourist management, natural protection or remediation.

Long-Term Monitoring of Vegetation Dynamics in the Rhodopi Mountain Range National Park-Greece

While deforestation is a major environmental issue in the tropics, with thousands of hectares converted to agricultural land every year, in Europe the opposite trend is observed, with land abandonment in mountainous and semi-mountainous areas allowing the afforestation of former agricultural and pastoral land. This trend allows semi-natural ecosystems to recover after a prolonged period of exploitation and often over-exploitation, but it may also lead to significant loss of landscape heterogeneity with potentially detrimental effects on biodiversity. The current study aims to monitor changes in the vegetation coverage across a period of 35 years (between 1984 and 2019) in the Rhodopi Mountains range National Park in northern Greece. A time series of LANDSAT TM (16 images), LANDSAT ETM + (1 image) and LANDSAT 8 OLI/TIRS (4 images) were employed. One data transformation method was applied (TCT), and five vegetation indices (NDVI, NDWI, SAVI, EVI2 and BSI) were calculated to capture the land cover transition during the study period. The obtained results and all used indices suggest that over the study period there was a continuous trend of vegetation cover increasing, with open areas decreasing. The observed trend was further confirmed using Object Oriented Image Analysis on two pairs of images sensed in 1984 and 2019, respectively. The results suggest that almost 22.000 ha of open habitats have been lost to broadleaved and conifer woodlands, while the former also appear to be advancing into conifer-covered areas. This trend has led to significant loss of landscape heterogeneity and to a broadleaf-dominated landscape. The results are discussed in relation to their driving forces, the potential implications on biodiversity and the risk of wildfires in the near future.

Reactive nitrogen fluxes over peatland and forest ecosystems using micrometeorological measurement techniques

Abstract. Interactions of reactive nitrogen (Nr) compounds between the atmosphere and the earth's surface play a key role in atmospheric chemistry and in understanding nutrient cycling of terrestrial ecosystems. While continuous observations of inert greenhouse gases through micrometeorological flux measurements have become a common procedure, information about temporal dynamics and longer-term budgets of Nr compounds is still extremely limited. Within the framework of the research projects NITROSPHERE and FORESTFLUX, field campaigns were carried out to investigate the biosphere–atmosphere exchange of selected Nr compounds over different land surfaces. The aim of the campaigns was to test and establish novel measurement techniques in eddy-covariance setups for continuous determination of surface fluxes of ammonia (NH3) and total reactive nitrogen (ΣNr) using two different analytical devices. While high-frequency measurements of NH3 were conducted with a quantum cascade laser (QCL) absorption spectrometer, a custom-built converter called Total Reactive Atmospheric Nitrogen Converter (TRANC) connected and operated upstream of a chemiluminescence detector (CLD) was used for the measurement of ΣNr. As high-resolution data of Nr surface–atmosphere exchange are still scarce but highly desired for testing and validating local inferential and larger-scale models, we provide access to campaign data including concentrations, fluxes, and ancillary measurements of meteorological parameters. Campaigns (n=4) were carried out in natural (forest) and semi-natural (peatland) ecosystem types. The published datasets stress the importance of recent advancements in laser spectrometry and help improve our understanding of the temporal variability of surface–atmosphere exchange in different ecosystems, thereby providing validation opportunities for inferential models simulating the exchange of reactive nitrogen. The dataset has been placed in the Zenodo repository (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4513854; Brümmer et al., 2022) and contains individual data files for each campaign.

Priming effects in soils across Europe.

Land use is a key factor driving changes in soil carbon (C) cycle and contents worldwide. The priming effect (PE)-CO2 emissions from changed soil organic matter decomposition in response to fresh C inputs-is one of the most unpredictable phenomena associated with C cycling and related nutrient mobilization. Yet, we know very little about the influence of land use on soil PE across contrasting environments. Here, we conducted a continental-scale study to (i) determine the PE induced by 13 C-glucose additions to 126 cropland and seminatural (forests and grasslands) soils from 22 European countries; (ii) compare PE magnitude in soils under various crop types (i.e., cereals, nonpermanent industrial crops, and orchards); and (iii) model the environmental factors influencing PE. On average, PEs were negative in seminatural (with values ranging between -60 and 26µgCg-1 soil after 35days of incubation; median=-11) and cropland (from -55 to 27µCg-1 soil; median=-4.3) soils, meaning that microbial communities preferentially switched from soil organic C decomposition to glucose mineralization. PE was significantly less negative in croplands compared with seminatural ecosystems and not influenced by the crop type. PE was driven by soil basal respiration (reflecting microbial activity), microbial biomass C, and soil organic C, which were all higher in seminatural ecosystems compared with croplands. This cross European experimental and modeling study elucidated that PE intensity is dependent on land use and allowed to clarify the factors regulating this important C cycling process.

Units of Military Fortification Complex as Phenomenon Elements of the Czech Borderlands Landscape

This paper is focused on selected units of casemates with enhanced fortification in the military fortification complex of the Czech borderlands landscape as specific forms of brownfields. They represent a functional system that interacts with surrounding nature, landscape character, and human society. Four approaches were chosen to study the function and potential of selected individual abandoned casemates with enhanced fortification, where each of them corresponds to one of the four landscape layers: genius loci, socio-economic sphere, functional relationship (between human and the landscape), and natural conditions. There is a corresponding research method for each of the landscape layers (guided interview with respondents, data analysis on abandoned casemates with enhanced fortifications as brownfields, analysis of their landscape functions, and zoological survey of interior). The main results could show that abandoned casemates with enhanced fortifications can play important roles in all landscape layers: stories and genius loci, abandoned casemates with enhanced fortification as a special type of military brownfield but also as a semi-natural ecosystem, and the same time as a habitat for invertebrates. The analyses and surveys conducted clearly demonstrate that abandoned casemates with enhanced fortification as units of military fortification complex of the Czech borderlands landscape perform several hidden important functions in the landscape for which they cannot be viewed as brownfields. This hidden functional potential is most likely best described by the concept of hidden singularity, which offers itself for integration into basic approaches to brownfields.

Biological Control of South African Plants that are Invasive Elsewhere in the World: A Review of Earlier and Current Programmes

South Africa supports a rich floral diversity, with 21 643 native plant taxa that include a high proportion (76.3%) of endemic species, and many of these favoured as ornamentals, both locally and globally. Consequently, South Africa has contributed substantially to global plant invasions, with 1093 native taxa (5% of all species) naturalized in other countries. At least 80 taxa are invasive in natural or semi-natural ecosystems elsewhere, while an additional 132 taxa are potentially invasive. Of the global naturalized flora, 8.2% originate from South Africa and largely comprise species of Poaceae, Asteraceae, Iridaceae and Fabaceae. Australia, in particular, but also Europe and North America are major recipients of South African weeds. However, few countries have targeted South African plants for biological control (biocontrol), with most efforts undertaken by Australia. Previous and current targets have involved only 26 species with 17 agents (15 insects, one mite and one rust fungus) of South African origin released on five target species in Australia and the United States of America. South Africa's history of weed biocontrol, together with a large cohort of active scientists, is currently facilitating several internationally funded programmes targeting invasive plants of South African origin. In particular, the recently inaugurated Centre for Biological Control at Rhodes University and the University of KwaZulu-Natal have provided the impetus for novel efforts on five new target species and renewed efforts on four previously targeted species. In this contribution, we review the history of earlier biocontrol programmes against weeds of South African origin and the status of projects currently in progress in South Africa.

A meta-analysis of phosphatase activity in agricultural settings in response to phosphorus deficiency

Phosphorus (P) is a key limiting factor in crop growth and essential for agriculture. As plant uptake of P is inefficient, it is commonly applied to maintain crop yields leading to a range of negative environmental issues when applied in excess. Additionally, P in mineral fertilisers is derived from mined rock phosphate, which is a finite resource that needs to be sustainably managed in order to maintain food security in the long-term.Phosphatase activity is one of several mechanistic responses to P deficiency in the plant-soil system, enabling the mineralization of organic P to increase P availability for both plants and soil organisms. In this study we address the need to further understanding of the role of phosphatase enzyme activity in P acquisition in agricultural settings, using a systematic review of the literature and subsequent meta-analysis.We find that monoesterase activity is inhibited by availability of inorganic P (−23%, −39.8 to −2.2%) yet is enhanced by the availability of organic P (+74%, 8.4–232.1%). This indicates that phosphatase enzyme activity is important in P deficient agricultural systems, yet that the availability of organic P is more important in determining phosphatase activity than the level of P deficiency. We also investigated the role of other factors such as nitrogen addition, pH of growth substrate and changes in plant composition and physiology but, none of these factors explained significant variance in the data. We highlight need for consistent recording and reporting of additional variables in association with phosphatase enzyme assay data, which is required to enable quantification of the potential utilisation of organic P resources in agriculture, and the contribution of phosphatase activity to P acquisition in both agricultural and semi-natural ecosystems.

Exploring the impacts of urban expansion on green spaces availability and delivery of ecosystem services in the Accra metropolis

As Accra, Ghana's capital city, expands at an unprecedented rate, the fragmentation and loss of natural and semi-natural ecosystems may be the greatest challenge to achieving sustainable development. This study investigates the impact of Accra's growth and expansion on its natural green spaces, availability, and ecosystem services delivery. The study uses remotely sensed imageries (Landsat 1991–2018) for land use change analysis, the i-Tree Canopy model to quantify and value of urban ecosystems and stakeholder interviews to explore perceptions on green space value. Results showed that the overwhelming number of stakeholders understand and are aware of the beneficial values of urban green spaces but highlight poor planning, coupled with land tenure challenges, as a threat to the conservation of green spaces. Land use and land cover change analysis shows that the urban built environment has expanded from 55.1% to 83.79% at the expense of the natural environment, including green spaces, which have declined from 41% to 15% over 27 years. Existing areas of green spaces, including the Achimota forest, the University of Ghana campus and street trees on major roads, were valued at US$37,610,980 for carbon sequestration and storage, US$1,478,173 for air pollution regulation and US$458 for avoided runoff. A rapid assessment of the availability, accessibility and management of urban green spaces in the Accra metropolis can be an essential step towards identifying and mapping their consumptive and non-consumptive use-value and introducing appropriate interventions necessary for enhancing the city's resilience in an era of climate change.

Suitability for agroforestry implementation around Itombwe Natural Reserve (RNI), eastern DR Congo: Application of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach in geographic information system tool

The choice of appropriate land use suitability based on specific environmental and socio-economic factors could ensure sustainable land resource management in rural areas. Different land use suitability assessment approaches exist and have been successfully applied for agroforestry systems, natural or semi-natural ecosystems. In this study, different land use suitability levels for agroforestry were assessed around the Itombwe Natural Reserve (RNI), eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Information related to soil unity, topography, climate, road infrastructures, rivers, villages, land use and land cover were analyzed using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Moreover, spatial analyses were conducted for determining the matrix that confronts adopted variables and their corresponding weights. After performing the analyses in ArcGIS 10.7, results allowed identifying four agroforestry suitability zones, ranging from very high (~29.2%), high (~22.3%), moderate (~34%) and low (~14.5%) suitable zones. Suitability classes varied with locations (districts). The zoning around the RNI and the produced suitability maps from this study provide a valuable resource for decision-making in targeting areas suitable for agroforestry, and thus, contribute in preserving the RNI from degradation related to inadequate anthropogenic practices.

Multi-season unmixing of vegetation class fractions across diverse Californian ecoregions using simulated spaceborne imaging spectroscopy data

Spaceborne imaging spectrometers are expected to facilitate regional-scale vegetation analyses with multi-season hyperspectral imagery. However, we still lack a better understanding on both whether multi-season hyperspectral approaches are favorable over single-season approaches, as well as on the benefits of hyperspectral compared to multispectral data. Our study investigates the potential of multi-season unmixing of simulated Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program (EnMAP) data for vegetation class fraction mapping across diverse natural and semi-natural ecoregions in California, USA. We utilized spring, summer and fall 2013 simulated EnMAP imagery derived from Airborne Visible / Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) data covering study sites in the San Francisco Bay Area, Lake Tahoe and Santa Barbara. Regression-based unmixing with synthetic training datasets from spectral libraries was implemented for mapping needleleaf tree, broadleaf tree, shrub, herbaceous and non-vegetation fractions, and independent reference data was used for validation. Multi-season unmixing of simulated EnMAP had average Mean Absolute Errors (MAE) over all classes of 8.7% for the Bay Area, 8.5% for Lake Tahoe and 9.6% for Santa Barbara. However, larger errors in the low and high end of the fraction range remained, particularly in open-canopy woodlands and xeric shrub-dominated regions. Single-season unmixing of simulated EnMAP revealed large seasonal and regional variations within individual vegetation classes. In most cases, the best performing single-season unmixing had similar errors as the multi-season unmixing, i.e., ∆MAEs within ±1.0%. This points to the advantage of the multi-season integration strategy for more robust and generalized mapping independent from season and study site. Relative to EnMAP analyses, multi-season unmixing of multispectral Landsat composites for the same seasons yielded increases in average MAEs of +1.7%, +2.3% and +1.4% for the three study sites. This indicates that the higher spectral resolution of simulated EnMAP provides more relevant discriminative information when comparing contemporary image pairs. Unmixing of seasonal spectral-temporal metrics (STMs) from all available Landsat images for an entire year took advantage of the full temporal detail provided by these ongoing missions. We found Landsat STMs to effectively map vegetation class fractions, with average MAEs of 9.9%, 10.0% and 9.7% for the three study sites. Still, improvements particularly for mapping fractions of the woody vegetation classes through multi-season unmixing of simulated EnMAP point to the benefit of high spectral resolution data, and we assume that a comparable higher temporal resolution of hyperspectral satellites will further positively influence results. Overall, we conclude that multi-season unmixing of spaceborne imaging spectroscopy data holds great potential for advancing vegetation class fraction mapping across natural and semi-natural ecosystems.

Integrating Ecological Assessments to Target Priority Restoration Areas: A Case Study in the Pearl River Delta Urban Agglomeration, China

The identification and management of ecological restoration areas play important roles in promoting sustainable urban development. However, current research lacks a scientific basis for the scope and scale of ecological restoration. Further, the absence of a framework to assess policy goals and public preferences that leads to identification of ecological restoration areas across the science-policy interface is difficult, and the existing frameworks’ performance has little applicability. We proposed a transdisciplinary framework to combine ecological quality, ecological health, and ecosystem services as an assessment endpoint to identify priority restoration areas. Further, we classified the ecological restoration areas on a township scale by K-means. Based upon policy goals and public preferences of the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration, we chose air quality, biodiversity, soil fragility, recreation quality, ecosystem vigor, landscape metrics, and the water supply ecosystem service as elements of the evaluation system. This study showed that priority restoration areas accounted for 10.8% of the urban agglomeration area and classified township, largely in the difference between natural and semi-natural ecosystems and the human environment. Policymakers can use this framework comprehensively and flexibly to identify and classify ecological restoration areas to achieve policy goals and fulfil public preferences.

Biometrics, distribution, and breeding notes of Savanna Nightjar (Caprimulgus affinis) in several islands of Indonesia

Abstract. Widodo W, Sulistyadi E. 2021. Biometrics, distribution, and breeding notes of Savanna Nightjar (Caprimulgus affinis) in several islands of Indonesia. Biodiversitas 22: 2756-2762. The Savanna Nightjar Caprimulgus affinis Horsfield, 1821, a member of the family Caprimulgidae, is a sexually dimorphic, insectivorous nightjar species commonly found in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia. A least-concern species, Savanna Nightjar has diverse habitats from grasslands to shrubs to high-rise rooftops in the middle of the city. Yet, its breeding habits, particularly in urban areas, remain obscure. The purpose of the research is to discuss the biometric measurement, distribution pattern and notes of the breeding of Savanna Nightjar, through analyzing 50 specimens originating from Java, Sumatra, Billiton, Borneo, and Nusa Tenggara Islands belonging to the Museum of Zoology Bogor (MZB) in Cibinong and through a series of observation. The morphological measurements of specimens include the measurements of the length of the bodies, the wings, the tails, the bills, and the tarsi. One-way ANOVA analysis showed that the length of the body and the tail of Savanna Nightjar in Nusa Tenggara are significantly longer than those of Savanna Nightjar in Java, Sumatra, Billiton, or Borneo islands. The biometric differences could have been contributed to different habitat characteristics. Additionally, it was found the likelihood of breeding habit of Savanna Nightjar in urban areas with that of the countrysides because of the resemblance of semi-natural ecosystems in the city such as artificial rivers, small lakes, and parks to Nightjar’s open landscape natural habitats, which facilitates the breeding habits. Still, the migration of Savanna Nightjar from open country-landscapes to the metropolitan areas remains elusive and requires a more detailed study

Research on Key Technologies of Eco-city Construction Planning

As one of the main forms of urbanization in my country, urban construction is the process of building original natural or semi-natural ecosystems into urban artificial ecosystems from the perspective of ecology. It is the construction and replacement of ecosystem types and the process of encroachment. Urban planning must pay particular attention to the forward-looking nature of its ecological planning. While truly enhancing the city’s overall ecosystem service capabilities, it also prevents new ecological and environmental problems from being induced. Through theoretical analysis of the characteristics of ecosystem changes in the process of urban construction, combined with typical cases, several key issues in urban ecological planning have been summarized and condensed, and corresponding planning strategies and techniques have been proposed, with a view to providing ecological solutions for large-scale urban development in my country. Provide theoretical support for environmental protection work.

Forest inventory-based assessments of the invasion risk of Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco and Quercus rubra L. in Germany

In Europe, some non-native tree species (NNT) are classified as invasive because they have spread into semi-natural habitats. Yet, available risk assessment protocols are often based on a few limited case studies with unknown representativeness and uncertain data quality. This is particularly problematic when negative impacts of NNT are confined to particular ecosystems or processes, whilst providing valuable ecosystem services elsewhere. Here, we filled this knowledge gap and assessed invasion risks of two controversially discussed NNT in Germany (Quercus rubra L., Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) for broad forest types using large scale inventory data. For this purpose, establishment success of natural regeneration was quantified in terms of cover and height classes. The current extent of spread into protected forest habitats was investigated in south-west Germany using regional data. Establishment was most successful at sites where the NNT are abundant in the canopy and where sufficient light is available in the understory. Natural regeneration of both NNT was observed in 0.3% of the total area of protected habitats. In forest habitats with sufficient light in the understory and competitively inferior tree species, there is a risk that Douglas fir and red oak cause changes in species composition in the absence of management interventions. The installation of buffer zones and regular removal of unwanted regeneration could minimize such risks for protected areas. Our study showed that forest inventories can provide valuable data for comparing the establishment risk of NNT amongst ecosystem types, regions or jurisdictions. This information can be improved by recording the abundance and developmental stage of widespread NNT, particularly in semi-natural ecosystems.

Long-term effects of atmospheric deposition on British plant species richness

The effects of atmospheric pollution on plant species richness (nsp) are of widespread concern. We carried out a modelling exercise to estimate how nsp in British semi-natural ecosystems responded to atmospheric deposition of nitrogen (Ndep) and sulphur (Sdep) between 1800 and 2010. We derived a simple four-parameter equation relating nsp to measured soil pH, and to net primary productivity (NPP), calculated with the N14CP ecosystem model. Parameters were estimated from a large data set (n = 1156) of species richness in four vegetation classes, unimproved grassland, dwarf shrub heath, peatland, and broadleaved woodland, obtained in 2007. The equation performed reasonably well in comparisons with independent observations of nsp. We used the equation, in combination with modelled estimates of NPP (from N14CP) and soil pH (from the CHUM-AM hydrochemical model), to calculate changes in average nsp over time at seven sites across Britain, assuming that variations in nsp were due only to variations in atmospheric deposition. At two of the sites, two vegetation classes were present, making a total of nine site/vegetation combinations. In four cases, nsp was affected about equally by pH and NPP, while in another four the effect of pH was dominant. The ninth site, a chalk grassland, was affected only by NPP, since soil pH was assumed constant. Our analysis suggests that the combination of increased NPP, due to fertilization by Ndep, and decreased soil pH, primarily due to Sdep, caused an average species loss of 39% (range 23–100%) between 1800 and the late 20th Century. The modelling suggests that in recent years nsp has begun to increase, almost entirely due to reductions in Sdep and consequent increases in soil pH, but there are also indications of recent slight recovery from the eutrophying effects of Ndep.

A conceptual framework for urban ecological restoration and rehabilitation

Urban greenspace has gained considerable attention during the last decades because of its relevance to wildlife conservation, human welfare, and climate change adaptation. Biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation worldwide require the formation of new concepts of ecological restoration and rehabilitation aimed at improving ecosystem functions, services, and biodiversity conservation in cities. Although relict sites of natural and semi-natural ecosystems can be found in urban areas, environmental conditions and species composition of most urban ecosystems are highly modified, inducing the development of novel and hybrid ecosystems. A consequence of this ecological novelty is the lack of (semi-) natural reference systems available for defining restoration targets and assessing restoration success in urban areas. This hampers the implementation of ecological restoration in cities. In consideration of these challenges, we present a new conceptual framework that provides guidance and support for urban ecological restoration and rehabilitation by formulating restoration targets for different levels of ecological novelty (i.e., historic, hybrid, and novel ecosystems). To facilitate the restoration and rehabilitation of novel urban ecosystems, we recommend using established species-rich and well-functioning urban ecosystems as reference. Such urban reference systems are likely to be present in many cities. Highlighting their value in comparison to degraded ecosystems can stimulate and guide restoration initiatives. As urban restoration approaches must consider local history and site conditions, as well as citizens’ needs, it may also be advisable to focus the restoration of strongly altered urban ecosystems on selected ecosystem functions, services and/or biodiversity values. Ecosystem restoration and rehabilitation in cities can be either relatively inexpensive or costly, but even expensive measures can pay off when they effectively improve ecosystem services such as climate change mitigation or recreation. Successful re‐shaping and re-thinking of urban greenspace by involving citizens and other stakeholders will help to make our cities more sustainable in the future.

Plastic pollution: A focus on freshwater biodiversity.

Plastics are dominant pollutants in freshwater ecosystems worldwide. Scientific studies that investigated the interaction between plastics and freshwater biodiversity are incipient, especially if compared to the marine realm. In this review, we provide a brief overview of plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems around the world. We found evidence of plastic ingestion by 206 freshwater species, from invertebrates to mammals, in natural or semi-natural ecosystems. In addition, we reported other consequences of synthetic polymers in freshwater ecosystems-including, for instance, the entanglement of animals of different groups(e.g., birds). The problem of plastic pollution is complex and will need coordinated actions,such as recycling programs, correct disposal, stringent legislation, regular inspection, replacement of synthetic polymers with other materials, and ecological restoration. Current information indicates that the situation in freshwater ecosystems may be as detrimental as the pollution found in the ocean, although highly underappreciated.

Iberian oak decline caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi: A spatiotemporal analysis incorporating the effect of host heterogeneities at landscape scale

AbstractThe pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi is considered a main driver of Iberian oak decline (IOD), a forest disease which decimates holm oaks (Quercus ilex) and cork oaks (Quercus suber) in a multipurpose, silvo‐pastoral and seminatural ecosystem of 3.1 million hectares in the south‐west of Europe. Little is known about the spatial dynamics of Phytophthora cinnamomi and how forest stand characteristics affect the IOD epidemic. Here, we analyse IOD spread over several decades in one such ecosystem by means of a multilevel approach based on (a) identification of diseased sites via repeated aerial imagery at landscape scale, (b) confirmation by subsampling of soil and roots, and iii) an epidemic model accounting for host population heterogeneities. We use a 'self‐exciting' spatiotemporal point process with two additive risk components: an epidemic component represents the inoculum pressure from nearby disease foci, and a background component describes sporadic disease transmission over larger distances or from unobserved sources. Both risk components are found to increase over time, and a lagged power‐law spatial kernel provides the best fit for the observed disease pattern. We estimate that 49% of the secondary infections triggered by a primary source occur within a distance of 250 m. Our results also highlight the role of density and diversity of the host population; we find that the rate of sporadic infections in silvo‐pastoral systems (dehesas) is lower than in forests, and higher in mixed stands and shrub encroached oak lands than in pure stands. These results have direct implications for IOD management, for example the estimated spatial kernel may guide the definition of suitable target areas for localized control measures and help to quantify their success. Our results also suggest that silviculture treatments aimed at controlling the density and species composition of oak stands, as well as the abundance of shrubs, are crucial to the containment of IOD.

Pteridium aquilinum performance is driven by climate, soil and land-use in Southwest Asia

Growing anthropogenic impacts on natural and semi-natural ecosystems have created a network of degraded sites throughout the world. These disturbed ecosystems are often colonized by invasive plants such as Pteridium aquilinum, which is one of the most widespread plants worldwide. In northern Iran, P. aquilinum is often found invading newly-created habitats formed after anthropogenic disturbance. This study aimed to assess the relationship between P. aquilinum performance and a range of environmental factors (soils, climate, topography and land-use) in northern Iran. In fifteen sites dominated by P. aquilinum, that spanned the regional distribution of P. aquilinum, we measured its cover, density and biomass. Pteridium aquilinum was found to occur in a variety of land-uses including abandoned agricultural lands, degraded forests and upland rangelands. The performance of P. aquilinum varied significantly between the sites and it performed better in a moderate-Mediterranean climate. Variation partitioning confirmed the importance of climate followed by soil and land-use in explaining the performance of P. aquilinum. Topographic variables did not show any significant effect on P. aquilinum. Both temperature and rainfall affected P. aquilinum performance. Density was correlated positively with early-spring rainfall whereas biomass and cover were found to have positive correlation with temperature. There was also a gradient of soil texture/pH/N/P influencing P. aquilinum. Frond density and biomass were correlated positively with sand content, N and P, but negatively with pH, lime and bulk density. Thus, soil conditions alongside temperature in spring and early summer could explain P. aquilinum cover, but for density, rainfall in early spring was the most important factor, suggesting that in northern Iran P. aquilinum performance appears to be intermediate compared to responses reported for temperate (temperature-controlled) and tropical climates (rainfall-controlled).