Sustainability Of Forest Ecosystems Research Articles

Mycolichenological portrait of alder forest: alpha diversity revealed in 1ha plot in the Samursky National Park (Republic of Dagestan, Russia)

Aim. Xylobiont fungi and lichens determine the sustainability of forest ecosystems, but their species richness and taxonomic diversity depend on the forest type and the degree of its disturbance. Alder forests, characterised by a specific set of ecological conditions, represent poorly studied habitats in terms of myco‐ and lichenobiota. The aim of this work was to determine the species composition of aphyllophoroid fungi and epiphytic lichens on a 1 ha sample plot in a lowland floodplain forest dominated by Alnus glutinosa in the Delta Samura area of the Samursky National Park.The authors collected basidiomata of lignicolous fungi and lichen specimens on a sample plot of 1 ha during field studies. The surveyed forest area is represented by a community dominated by Alnus glutinosa and lianas. The material was identified using light microscopy techniques and a standard set of chemical reactions.Thirty‐three species of aphyllophoroid fungi (Basidiomycota) and 53 species of lichens and allied fungi (Ascomycota) were identified. Among them, 16 species (48 %) of aphyllophoroid fungi were recorded for the first time for the Samursky National Park, including six species revealed for the first time for the Republic of Dagestan, of which three species (Donkia pulcherrima, Phanerochaete cumulodentata and Sertulicium granuliferum) were new to the Northern Caucasus. Lichen species Arthothelium ruanum, Bacidia arceutina and Graphis pulverulenta are listed for the first time for the Republic of Dagestan. At the same time, 21 species of lichenized fungi were recorded for the first time on Alnus glutinosa within the region.The taxonomical structure of aphyllophoroid fungi revealed reflects the spring period of basidiomata‐based field study. The predominance of corticioid fungi and revealing hydnoid species among morphological groups may be indicative of the generally wetter habitats of alder forests in comparison to other forest types distributed in the studied area. Most of species were recorded on dead wood of Alnus glutinosa as the main forest‐forming tree. At the same time, each of other substrates (Carpinus betulus and Corylus avellana) turned out to be the habitat of species new to the region. The group of fungal species developing on large‐scale substrate units, represented by fallen trunks, was the most prevalent and is to be considered as more vulnarable in a case of anthropogenical habitat disturbance. The majority of epiphytic lichens discovered on alder are not specific to this woody substrate, except for single findings. These species belong to epiphytes inhabiting the Samur forest, the core of the lichenobiota of which is composed of thermophilous lichens of lowland deciduous forests. In our opinion, the relict character of the forest, which is an isolated and rather small forest massif with relatively homogeneous climatic conditions, causes a high similarity between the species composition of lichens revealed in the surveyed sample plot with Alnus glutinosa and previously studied plots dominated by Carpinus betulus, Populus alba, and Quercus robur.

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.

Extent, impacts and drivers of oystershell scale invasions in aspen ecosystems

Invasive herbivores that kill foundation tree species pose a major threat to forest ecosystem sustainability. One important foundation tree species in the interior western United States is quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), which is threatened by recent outbreaks of an invasive insect, oystershell scale (Lepidosaphes ulmi Linn.; OSS). OSS outbreaks were first reported in 2016, when OSS began causing dieback and mortality of aspen in wildland forest settings in northern Arizona. Since then, OSS has been observed in other locations across Arizona and in other western states, and recent studies in Arizona have highlighted the threat that OSS poses to aspen sustainability, warranting a comprehensive survey of OSS invasions and their impacts on aspen ecosystems. We sampled aspen populations across Arizona and addressed three questions: (1) What is the geographic extent of OSS in Arizona? (2) What impacts does OSS have on aspen? (3) Which biotic and abiotic factors influence the proportion of aspen stems infested by OSS? OSS was present in 29% of our 220 study plots and had a negative impact on aspen forest health. OSS was associated with crown damage and tree mortality, especially of intermediate-sized, recruiting stems. Climate was the most important driver of OSS infestation, with warmer, drier conditions resulting in significantly more OSS. OSS was also associated with less recent fire, presence of ungulate management strategies (e.g. fenced exclosures) and stands with a greater density of aspen saplings. We conclude by providing OSS monitoring and management recommendations, based on our findings, and emphasise that active management – such as prescribed fire, reduced reliance on ungulate exclosures or thinning – is required to suppress OSS populations and mitigate damage to aspen ecosystems.

Scale effect of landscape characteristics on undergrowth vegetation variance with different ecological traits

Herbaceous understory vegetation plays a significant role in temperate forested ecosystems, with its diversity strongly dependent on both local and landscape conditions. However, the contribution of these factors across different spatial scales (e.g., scale effect) remains inadequately understood. The objective of this study was to determine the most important landscape and local characteristics influencing the species richness of the herb layer. We surveyed and sampled 53 sites in a mountainous forest within the Baihuashan National Nature Reserve of Beijing. Using generalized linear models, we investigated the simultaneous effect of local (e.g. tree density, average tree height, and cover of tree, shrub, and ground vegetation) and landscape (e.g. Area-weighted Mean Patch Size, Area-weighted Mean Euclidean Nearest Neighbor Distance, Area-weighted Mean Fractal Dimension Index, forest area, and shrubbery area) variables on the richness of species in the understory herb layer. Variation partitioning was used to examine the individual contribution of local and landscape variables. Our results identified 366 plant species from 95 families across 53 sampling sites. Significant differences in species richness were found among life forms, seed dispersal types, and habitat preferences (P < 0.001). Parsimonious models indicated that combining local and landscape factors at a 2 km scale explained the most variation in phanerophytes (R2 = 0.658). Locally, average tree height significantly influenced the species richness of biotic dispersal, phanerophytes, and geophytes. At the landscape level, variables such as the Area-weighted Mean Fractal Dimension Index and farmland area significantly impacted plant community traits across different scales. Understanding these effects is crucial for developing effective sustainable forest ecosystem management strategies and for establishing robust ecological conservation policies.

Coping with extremes: Responses of Quercus robur L. and Fagus sylvatica L. to soil drought and elevated vapour pressure deficit

Climate change, particularly droughts and heat waves, significantly impacts global photosynthesis and forest ecosystem sustainability. To understand how trees respond to and recover from hydrological stress, we investigated the combined effects of soil moisture and atmospheric vapour pressure deficit (VPD) on seedlings of the two major European broadleaved tree species Fagus sylvatica (FS) and Quercus robur (QR). The experiment was conducted under natural forest gap conditions, while soil water availability was strictly manipulated. We monitored gas exchange (net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and transpiration rates), nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) concentration in roots and stomatal morphometry (size and density) during a drought period and recovery. Our comparative empirical study allowed us to distinguish and quantify the effects of soil drought and VPD on stomatal behavior, going beyond theoretical models. We found that QR conserved water more conservatively than FS by reducing transpiration and regulating stomatal conductance under drought. FS maintained higher stomatal conductance and transpiration at elevated VPD until soil moisture became critically low. QR showed higher intrinsic water use efficiency than FS. Stomata density and size also likely played a role in photosynthetic rate and speed of recovery, especially since QR with its seasonal adjustments in stomatal traits (smaller, more numerous stomata in summer leaves) responded and recovered faster compared to FS. Our focal species showed different responses in NSC content under drought stress and recovery, suggesting possible different evolutionary pathways in coping with stress. QR mobilized soluble sugars, while FS relied on starch mobilization to resist drought. Although our focal species often co-occur in mixed forests, our study showed that they have evolved different physiological, morphological and biochemical strategies to cope with drought stress. This suggests that ongoing climate change may alter their competitive ability and adaptive potential in favor of one of the species studied.

Addressing Epistemic Injustice: Engaging Children as Environmental Communicators to Support the Long-Term Sustainability of Forest Ecosystems

Closure of a forest for biosecurity purposes led to the marginalisation and disconnection of Year 6 children from a local forest of significance to them in Aotearoa, New Zealand. The marginalisation of children’s voices and concomitantly of their knowledge, ideas, and values from environmental issues can be viewed as an example of epistemic injustice, which manifests widely in the environmental area, particularly in relation to marginalised groups. To counter this marginalisation and promote epistemic justice, we explored how the creative arts involving a child-driven environmental communication project could foster children’s sense of agency by supporting the protection of a local forest affected by a tree disease. We show that the creative arts could facilitate the children’s meaningful engagement in environmental issues in a learning environment that fostered child-centric approaches that enabled children to express their visions for sustainable futures in distinctly unique ways that were relevant to them. Furthermore, enabling the children to participate as environmental communicators re-established their relationship with their local forest and re-balanced the power structures that had led to the children’s sense of marginalisation. The insights on how this child-centred relational approach can promote epistemic justice and provide a meaningful contribution to the long-term sustainable management of forest ecosystems has implications for other marginalised groups.

GIS and Artificial Intelligence Application in Smart Forest Ecosystem Sustainability Evaluation of Olokemeji Forest Reserve, Ogun State, Nigeria

The increase in human population over the years has accelerated growth in anthropogenic activities, which have led to the conversion of forest reserves to other land uses. In the sequel, it has become imperative for researchers to focus on the mapping of forest reserves through the use of GIS and Artificial Intelligence (AI) with time-efficient, automated, and low-cost methods to preserve the existing forest reserve and its sustainability evaluation implementation. This research aimed at utilizing GIS and artificial intelligence applications in smart forest ecosystem sustainability evaluation of Olokemeji forest reserve, Ogun State, with the following objectives: (i.) assessment of the current state of the forest ecosystem.(ii.) identify potential threats and risks to the study area and (iii.) develop sustainable management strategies for its conservation and preservation. In pursuance of this, GIS and AI were deployed in this study to assess the spatial characteristics of the forest ecosystem in Olokemeji forest reserve. Landsat imagery, ground coordinates, and a research questionnaire were the major data used. Object-based classification, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and Land Use Land Cover in ArcGIS 10.2 software was deployed in data generation and analysis. The results showed that in 2013, about 1657.115 ha of the study area was occupied by dense forest cover while in 2023, it decreased to 1188.060 ha, with a difference of about 469.055 ha. By implementing smart forest monitoring and evaluation systems that use artificial intelligence, the government and commercial groups should set regulations focused on reducing the escalating risks to forest reserves.

Climate Adaptation in White Oak (Quercus alba, L.): A Forty-Year Study of Growth and Phenology

Climate change poses a significant threat to the resilience and sustainability of forest ecosystems. This study examines the performance of white oak (Quercus alba, L.) across a range of provenances in a common garden planting, focusing on the species’ response to climatic variables and the potential role of assisted migration in forest management. We evaluated the survival and growth rates of white oak provenances originating from various points along a latitudinal gradient over a period of 40 years. These provenances were planted in a common garden situated near the midpoint of this latitudinal gradient, where we also monitored their phenological traits, such as budburst and leaf senescence. The results revealed substantial variation in phenological responses and growth patterns among the provenances, with southern provenances demonstrating faster growth and later senescence relative to local sources, with limited impact on survival. In contrast, the northern provenances demonstrated slower growth, resulting in later-aged competition-induced mortality. The findings highlight the necessity of incorporating genetic diversity into white oak reforestation and conservation strategies, as the local provenance may no longer be the most suitable option for current and future conditions. We advocate for a nuanced approach to forest management that leverages genetic insights to optimize seed source selection for reforestation, fostering resilient forest landscapes in the face of ongoing climate shifts.

Advances in Plant–Soil Feedback Driven by Root Exudates in Forest Ecosystems

Plant–soil feedback (PSF) was initially developed in the field of agricultural practices. In recent years, PSF has been extended to various ecosystems. Root exudates, essential for the exchange of materials, energy, and information at the plant–soil interface, significantly influence PSF. However, how PSF is driven by root secretions and the role of these secretions in different PSF pathways still needs to be further explored, particularly in forest ecosystems. Soil nutrients, microbial communities, and nematodes are important research topics in the process of PSF driven by root exudates. Investigating these aspects driven by root exudates provides valuable insights into the complex interactions both above ground and below the surface. This research can offer theoretical support and guidance for building stable, healthy, and sustainable forest ecosystems in the future.

Participatory forest management for sustainable rural livelihoods and forest ecosystem services: The case of Deneba Forest Managing Cooperative in Ethiopia

Participatory forestry management(PFM) enables direct engagement of local communities in sustainable forest resource management, utilization and decision-making. This study evaluated PFM and its contribution to sustainable rural livelihood and forest ecosystem services. The study sites were selected using purposive sampling technique. The sample households were designated using a stratified random sampling from forest user groups(FUGs) and non-user groups(NFUGs). Forest inventory, household survey, focus group discussion, key informant interviews and personal field observations were used for primary data collection. Results indicated that the PFM enhances the forest cover, plantation volume ha−1, number of trees ha−1, biodiversity conservation, regeneration capacity with more seedling and sapling population, and ecosystem services. The PFM had a positive and progressive contribution to forest resource management, income diversification, poverty alleviation, which provided the opportunity to diversify livelihoods, particularly of low-income households. The main challenges to the implementation of PFM were uneven FUG participation and benefit sharing, a weak institutional capacity and support, and a lack of strong coordination among various actors. Firewood collection, construction, and search of new farmlands were the major challenges. Therefore, to mitigate deforestation, degradation of forest resources and loss of biodiversity consequently to sustainably improve biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services and livelihoods of PFM participants, the local communities, government and other key stakeholders should weaken the top-down governance of forest and empower local community governance in forest management; encourage a sense of belongingness of local communities to the forest; address the problem of open access to forest resources; and enhance the FUG income, including market networks.

ИННОВАЦИОННЫЕ СТРАТЕГИИ ФИНАНСИРОВАНИЯ ЗЕЛЕНОЙ ЭКОНОМИКИ: ЛЕСНЫЕ ОБЛИГАЦИИ

The sustainability of forest ecosystems is key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. However, the rate of deforestation and degradation of forest ecosystems is unprecedented, and the need for the investments needed to implement sustainable forest management mechanisms is substantial. The protection of natural forests is directly dependent on the availability of financial resources for sustainable forest management. At present, there is a lack of knowledge about innovative financing mechanisms for sustainable forest management that are suitable for implementation in developing markets where large-scale deforestation occurs. The article describes financial instruments that provide investment in forestry, analyzes the arguments in favor of investing in intensive forest management projects. Mechanisms for financing sustainable forest management programmes through the issuance of forest bonds were also considered. Forest bonds are a more appropriate financial instrument for financing sustainable forest management than traditional green bonds. A taxonomy is provided Projects implemented within the framework of intensive forest management programmes for which forest bonds can be issued. The purpose of this article is to develop academic research aimed at studying forest green bonds and, more generally, green market financing mechanisms for sustainable forest management.

Tropical dry forests, water, biodiversity and the challenges of climate change in Nicaragua.

The Tropical Dry Forests of Nicaragua located mainly in the Pacific and Central-North zones play an essential role in maintaining resources such as water and the special biodiversity of this vulnerable ecosystem now under pressure from land-use changes and climate change These resources are essential to the well-being of the population as the main aquifers of the country are located in this area along with ecosystem services of this now heavily fragmented forest ecosystem. The ongoing influence of climate change along with land-use changes have caused the growth of arid zones in all of Central America. These on-going land use changes are lowering the resilience to the present and future climate change. Individual efforts to sustainable management of the forests are mentioned but it is nonetheless urgent to introduce wider and more intensive sustainable forestry and watershed management under a well-planned strategy based on findings of scientific research. The importance of the interrelationship between water and forests in the management of sustainable forest ecosystems will be stressed.

SUSTENTABILIDAD ECONÓMICA DE LAS CONCESIONES FORESTALES DEL DEPARTAMENTO HUÁNUCO, PERÚ

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background&lt;/strong&gt;: Nowadays, recent concepts such as “forest sustainability” and “sustainable forest management” have been adopted by most countries in the world, in addition to sustainable development, because they consider continuous use of forests and their perpetual ecological integrity to satisfy the needs of current and future generations. In that sense, sustainability indicators can realistically estimate whether the management of the system is correct, which is why various governments and organizations have set a variety of local, national, and international criteria and indicators (C&amp;amp;I) to evaluate the sustainability of forest ecosystems. &lt;strong&gt;Objective&lt;/strong&gt;: To create and validate indicators and determine the economic sustainability of forest concessions located in Huánuco department, Perú, applying multicriteria analysis based on the indicators. &lt;strong&gt;Methodology&lt;/strong&gt;: Standardized indicators were defined as scales from 0 to 4, with the latest as the highest sustainability value. Afterward, they were weighted by multiplying them by a coefficient according to their importance related to sustainability. A forest concession is considered economically sustainable if its economic sustainability index (ISK) is ≥ 2. In view of this, a survey was applied to forest concessions managers and workers. The Chi-square non-parametric statistical test was used to determine if ISK exceeds the value 2 in 40% of forest concessions. On the other hand, Pearson correlation was used among indicators with 95% of confidence. &lt;strong&gt;Results&lt;/strong&gt;: The Chi-square test proves that forest concessions which exploit forest resources mechanically (40% of the whole) are economically sustainable (X2 = 0.000, p-value = 1.000). Furthermore, it was found that the following indicators: “profit from the sale of wood” and “economic risk” are independent of each other (r = 0.091, p-value &amp;gt; 0.05). &lt;strong&gt;Implications&lt;/strong&gt;: Finding out the economic sustainability of forest concessions will lead to design more solid forest policies in Huanuco, Peru. &lt;strong&gt;Conclusion&lt;/strong&gt;: Mechanical forest exploitation leads to economically sustainable productive processes and higher profitability. Finally, developing value added products make possibilities bigger for forest concessions to be economically sustainable.&lt;/p&gt;

Determination of Health Index Classification and Management Sustainable Mangrove Ecosystems Using a Combination of Fuzzy and ISM Methods

The area of mangrove forests in Indonesia in 2021, according to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, is around 3,364,080 Ha; this amount is equivalent to 23% of the world’s mangrove ecosystem, which is from a total of 16,530,000 Ha (FAO, 2005). Information on the condition of mangrove ecosystems is important to know whether or not an area is good. Studies related to the condition of mangrove ecosystems based on environmental quality and mangrove health index to determine the environmental quality and mangrove health are needed for ecosystem management in the future. This article describes the health parameters of mangrove ecosystems that will be analyzed with the help of a combination of decision support software such as fuzzy and ISM so that priority mangrove ecosystem locations can be determined, mangrove health index values to determine the health status of mangrove ecosystems and determine alternative sustainable mangrove ecosystem management policies that will be applied to the object of study. In addition, the study also discusses the concept of determining standard criteria for the level of damage to mangrove ecosystems and determining the status of mangrove ecosystems. Based on fuzzy logic, data analysis shows that the output of the Mangrove Health Index can be determined with 3 variables and 27 rules, with key factors in Mangrove Density, Canopy Cover and Number of saplings. The results of ISM show that management institutions that must be actively involved in supporting the success of sustainable mangrove forest ecosystem management in Batam City are KLHK, DLHK Riau Islands Province, and BPDAS Sei Jang Duriangkang. Proper handling of constraints and management institutions that are actively involved in mangrove forest ecosystem management will ultimately encourage budget effectiveness and efficiency to meet the main goal, namely sustainable mangrove forest ecosystem management in Batam City.

Impact of Three Chainsaw Lubricants on Forest Soil Bacterial Community, Soil Respiration and Seedling Growth

Lubricants are applied onto chainsaw blades to achieve their optimum cutting performance; however, during logging or timber operations, lubricants may penetrate the forest soil. The persistent organic pollutants in lubricants may cause environmental damage, and different types of lubricants vary in terms of their environmental impact. Hence, selecting appropriate lubricants for timber operations is important for sustainable forest management. In this study, the effects of three lubricant types—biodegradable oil (bio-oil), petroleum-based bar-and-chain oil (mineral oil), and petroleum-based recycled oil (recycled oil)—on soil health were evaluated. The study was conducted in a controlled nursery setting, simulating post-logging reforestation. Sixteen types of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and the total petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations in the soil samples were analyzed. Bio-oil facilitated faster recovery from soil contamination, whereas mineral oil exhibited slow and incomplete recovery. Recycled lubricants appear to be more environmentally sustainable options, indicating lower long-term soil contamination risks than petroleum-based lubricants. From a productivity perspective, the lubricant that supported the growth of seedlings was bio-oil. The findings of our study contribute to responsible lubricant selection for enhancing the overall health and sustainability of forest ecosystems.

Environmental awareness and willingness to pay for biodiversity improvement in Puerto Rico

Biodiversity is vital for sustainable forest ecosystems. However, community values for forest biodiversity depend on environmental engagement, education, and awareness. The objectives of this study are to (1) assess households’ willingness to pay (WTP) for native plant and tree nursery in the Rio Hondo Community Forest (RHCF) of Puerto Rico, with the specific goal of supporting biodiversity and (2) examine the influence of environmental awareness on preferences for biodiversity improvement. Using a contingent valuation method, we find that households are willing to contribute $43/year to support biodiversity in the RHCF by planting native plants and trees, and that environmental awareness increases the support for biodiversity projects. The results suggest that outcomes of economic cost-benefit analyses can depend on environmental awareness. Hence, programs that support environmental awareness can improve economic efficiency of environmental protection projects.

Characterization of Soil Microbial Biomass Carbon and Nitrogen in Four Forest Types of Shushan Urban Forest Park

This study aimed to investigate the role of plantation forests and natural secondary forests in controlling soil physicochemical properties and microbial biomass in urban forest ecosystems. (1) Background: Urban forests provide numerous benefits to urban ecosystems, but the interaction between forest stands and soil properties in controlling soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and nitrogen (MBN) remains poorly understood. The objective of this study was to examine how different forest types (plantation forests and natural secondary forests) influence soil physicochemical properties and microbial biomass in urban forest ecosystems. (2) Methods: We conducted a study in Shushan Urban Forest Park, Hefei, China, utilizing redundancy analysis and linear regression analyses to identify key environmental factors affecting the microbial distribution and significant correlations between soil properties and microbial biomass. (3) Results: Plantation forests generally had lower pH, water content, and organic carbon and nutrient content than natural forests. Natural forests exhibited higher microbial biomass and nutrient cycling capacity. Soil depth and forest type have significant effects on soil properties and microbial biomass in both growing and dormant seasons, with practical implications for forest management and soil conservation in similar ecosystems. Soil water content (SWC), pH, total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and soil organic carbon (SOC) were identified as key factors affecting microbial carbon and nitrogen distribution during both growing and dormant seasons. Our study provides important insights into the role of forest stands and soil physicochemical properties in controlling soil microbial biomass in urban forest ecosystems. Effective forest management strategies should be developed to promote sustainable and resilient forest ecosystems. Future research should investigate the underlying mechanisms driving these relationships and focus on promoting sustainable and resilient urban forest ecosystems.

Integrating wildfire resistance and environmental concerns into a sustainable forest ecosystem management approach

This research aims at presenting landscape management planning methods to help stakeholders select forest ecosystem management plans that may address concerns with wildfire risk and with the environmental impacts of clearcuts. Specifically, we develop mixed integer programming models for spatial optimization that incorporate a wildfire resistance index as well as constraints on the size of clearcut openings. The former is used to enforce a minimum level of resistance to wildfire while the latter limits the size of openings, in each period of the planning horizon. Timber volume even flow is another concern that is also taken into account. This research is applied to the Zonas de Intervenção Florestal (ZIF) de Paiva and de Entre-Douro e Sousa (ZIF_VS) which are located in northwestern Portugal.

Effects of Thinning on Litterfall Production and Leaf Litter Decomposition Rates of Karacabey Forested Wetlands, Bursa, Turkiye

The contribution of litterfall (dead leaves, twigs, etc., fallen to the ground) and forest floor (organic residues such as leaves, twigs, etc., in various stages of decomposition, on the top of the mineral soil) is fundamental in both forest ecosystem sustainability and soil greenhouse gases (GHG) exchange system with the atmosphere. A focus on forested wetlands is particularly important, as these systems account for a disproportionate amount of global carbon flux relative to their spatial coverage, and the decomposition of leaf litter is a major contributor. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of two different thinning treatments (low thinning-canopy closure 41-70% and intense thinning-canopy closure 10-40%) on litterfall, forest floor litter and leaf litter decomposition rates of alder (Alnus glutinosa) stands in Karacabey forested wetlands. The litterfall was monthly collected using open litterfall traps for 2 years from 2021 to 2022. The forest floor litter was also sampled 50 x 50 cm2 quadrates of 5 points in research plots of 20×20 m. The differences in leaf litter decomposition rates between the low and intense thinning stands were investigated using the litterbag method in the field for 18 months. The results indicated that the intense thinning significantly reduced the total litterfall production (7.24 ± 0.384 Mg ha-1) and the forest floor litter (2.78 ± 0.41 Mg ha-1) compared to the low thinning stand (10.8 ± 0.527 Mg ha-1 and (4.38 ± 0.82 Mg ha-1 respectively). Lower leaf litter decomposition rates were also seen in the intense thinning stands than in the lower thinning stands. At the end of the 18 months, the leaf litter mass loss was 83.6% in the intense thinning stands compared to the lower thinning stands (88.3%).

Effect of environmental and spatial factors on the phylogenetic and functional diversity of the Mediterranean tree communities of Europe.

The tree flora of the Mediterranean Basin contains an outstanding taxonomic richness and a high proportion of endemic taxa. Contrary to other regions of the Mediterranean biome, a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the relationship between phylogenetic diversity, trait diversity and environmental factors in a spatial ecological context is lacking. We inferred the first calibrated phylogeny of 203 native tree species occurring in the European Mediterranean Basin based on 12 DNA regions. Using a set of four functional traits, we computed phylogenetic diversity for all 10,042 grid cells of 10 × 10 km spatial resolution to completely cover Mediterranean Europe. Then, we tested the spatial influence of environmental factors on tree diversity. Our results suggest that the nature of the relationship between traits and phylogeny varies among the different studied traits and according to the evolutionary distance considered. Phylogenetic diversity and functional diversity of European Mediterranean trees correlated strongly with species richness. High values of these diversity indices were located in the north of the study area, at high altitude, and minimum temperature of the coldest month. In contrast, the two phylogenetic indices that were not correlated with species richness (Mean Phylogenetic Distance, Phylogenetic Species Variability) were located in the south of the study area and were positively correlated with high altitude, soil organic carbon stock and sand soil texture. Our study provides support for the use of phylogenies in conservation biology to assess ecosystem functioning, and provides insights for the implementation of sustainable forest ecosystem management.