Tropical Forest Areas Research Articles

Distribuição espaço-temporal da biomassa e carbono florestal acima do solo em Floresta Tropical Seca sob pressão antrópica, Brasil

The present study aimed to characterize the spatiotemporal variability of aboveground biomass and carbon in two fragments of Dry Tropical Forest in the Brazilian semi-arid region using the kriging interpolation technique. One fragment experienced vegetation suppression for alternative land use, while the other had no history of use or wood extraction. The vertices of 80 plots (20 m x 20 m) were georeferenced, and biomass and carbon were estimated using allometric equations adjusted for Caatinga species. Spatial analyses and mapping of aboveground biomass and carbon were performed using GS+ software, with semivariograms fitted using spherical, exponential, and Gaussian models. The research aims to fill gaps regarding the impacts of inadequate forest exploitation in Dry Tropical Forests, specifically on the spatiotemporal distribution of biomass and carbon, as anthropogenic pressure can cause significant environmental degradation, resulting in reduced stocks. This investigation seeks to elucidate these dynamics and provide insights for management and conservation strategies based on robust empirical data, in addition to answering the following questions: Does the history of anthropogenic interventions in Dry Tropical Forest areas cause variations in the spatial distribution of biomass and carbon stocks that can be detected by the kriging method? Which attributes related to conservation and anthropogenic use reflect the spatial distribution of biomass and carbon stocks in Dry Tropical Forest areas? The results showed a strong spatial dependence of biomass and carbon stocks in both studied areas, indicating the influence of the areas’ use history. The conserved fragment presented a more homogeneous spatial distribution, suggesting that the selective and unauthorized wood extraction was dispersed throughout the area.

Carbon reserves in deltaic mangroves of the Colombian Pacific across different disturbance degrees

Mangrove forests occupy less than 1% of tropical forest areas, but account for approximately 3% of global tropical forest carbon sequestration and act as a natural atmospheric CO2 sequestration mechanism, which gives them an important role in climate change mitigation. However, different anthropogenic disturbances continue to negatively impact the structure and function of mangrove ecosystems; therefore, it is important to investigate the effect of specific anthropogenic alterations on the capacity of mangroves to store carbon. The present study aimed to test the hypothesis of a direct relationship between the degree of anthropogenic intervention and the reduction of mangrove carbon stocks. Eight edge forest types with different degrees of anthropogenic intervention and multiple uses were selected. Six 100 m2 plots were established in each forest to determine its structure and evaluate the concentration of sedimentary organic carbon and biomass. The anthropogenic disturbance index (ADI) was used to quantify the degree of specific disturbances in the studied forests. The results supported the proposed hypothesis, showing that the mangroves with the highest anthropogenic disturbance measured through the ADI registered the lowest values in blue carbon. However, it is evident that in addition to anthropogenic disturbances, impacts such as coastal erosion pose a very important threat to some of these forests. Estimated organic carbon losses in the study area were between 8.4% and 49.3%, corresponding to 158 and 929 Mg CO2 eq ha−1, respectively. Logging is one of the main disturbances that affects forests differently according to their structural development. Forests with higher structural development are subject to greater pressure. Carbon losses from logging are not only reflected in aboveground carbon, but are also evident in sedimentary carbon.

Microalgal in waters and sediments of Surabaya mangrove areas

Mangrove areas stored the highest carbon content in the tropics which is three times higher than the average carbon in mainland tropical forest areas. The nutrients surround may support the growth of primary producers such microalgae. The community of microalgae was observed during the high and low tide in wet season (December 2021). Five water samples were collected during high tide, while during low tide three stations was visited to obtain the sediment samples. Supporting parameters include chlorophyll a, nutrient content, ORP, DO, and pH was measured in situ. The results showed that the microalgae communities both in waters and sediments of Surabaya mangrove areas was always consisted of Chaetoceros sp., Pleurosigma sp. and Skeletonema sp. in each sample. The abundance of microalgae in waters and sediments was ranged from 32 – 7,898 and 15,200 – 17,200 cells mL-1, respectively. Based on the Simpson’s dominance index (D), waters and sediments samples were resulting a range from 0.15 – 0.19 and 0.17 – 0.23, respectively. Whereas the Shannon’s diversity index (H′) ranged from 1.94 – 2.04 for water samples and 1.99 – 2.17 for sediment samples. The equitability index (E) of both waters and sediments was range from 0.13 - 0.63 and 0.42 - 0.86, respectively. These results show that Surabaya mangrove areas is classified as an oligotrophic area.

The genus <i>Ctenorillo</i> Verhoeff, 1942 (Oniscidea, Armadillidae) from Colombia: new records, new species, and conservation comments

The Armadillidae are the most diverse family within the Oniscidea, widely distributed around the world. To date, only seven species of the family are known from Colombia. After the examination of a collection from the Colombian departments of Atlántico, Bolívar, Cesar, Magdalena, Risaralda, Santander, and Sucre, eight species were recognized as belonging to the genus Ctenorillo, of which six are considered to be new to Science: C. binomio n. sp., C. humboldti n. sp., C. mincaensis n. sp., C. orientalis n. sp., C. papagayoensis n. sp., and C. tayrona n. sp. Moreover, the distribution knowledge of C. dazai and C. tuberosus has expanded. Ctenorillo species in Colombia are predominantly distributed in Tropical Dry Forest areas, which is one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. Considering the new taxa presented here, allied with other Oniscidea groups, there is an urgent need to raise the awareness level regarding the conservation status of this ecosystem in the country.

Sebaran Bellucia pentamera Naudin Di Kawasan Objek Wisata Kapalo Banda Taram Kabupaten Lima Puluh Kota

Kapalo Banda Taram Tourism Area, Lima Puluh Kota Regency is one of the tropical rain forest areas in West Sumatra which has a high level of biodiversity that can be disturbed due to the presence of invasive plants, one of which is Bellucia pentamera. The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution of B. pentamera, to determine the effect of the number of Bellucian on the number of non-Bellucian and to determine the effect of distance from the river and light intensity on the distribution of B. pentamera. The research using the belt transect with a plot size of 20x50 m2. Data analysis using the Morisita Index and Simple Linear Regression formulas. The distribution of B. pentamera was quite large with the distribution pattern of B. pentamera sapling strata is clustered, while the tree strata had a uniform distribution pattern. The number of Bellucian individuals affects the presence of non-Bellucian individuals as indicated by a negative effect on species diversity, a decrease in the number of species, high dominance and habitat colonization which will limit resources and space for the growth of other species. The distance from the river affects the distribution of B. pentamera where the closer the distance from the river tends to increase the presence of B. pentamera, while the light intensity does not affect the presence of B. pentamera.

Morphoanatomical leaf traits of herbaceous species raised in a cronosequence of naturally regenerated areas of tropical deciduous forest

ABSTRACT Plant survival in semi-arid climates depends on morphological, anatomical, and physiological adjustments that determine survival under limiting environmental conditions. In this study, anatomical and morphological characteristics of three herbaceous species with different growth habits were determined: a tall herb, Mesosphaerum suaveolens (tall), Stachytarpheta sanguinea (short), and Jacquemontia evolvuloides (climbing). Fully expanded leaves were collected from three sites in each of three different natural regeneration periods in a seasonally dry tropical forest. Leaf, specific leaf area, epidermis, cuticle, parenchyma, and mesophyll thicknesses; stomatal and trichome densities were measured. All three species have stomata and trichomes on both leaf surfaces and higher densities on the abaxial surface than the adaxial surface. M. suaveolens and S. sanguinea have unusual leaf morphological and anatomical adjustments, with a larger leaf area in the more open and youngest site, but thicker abaxial and adaxial epidermis and mesophyll in the oldest site which has the closest canopy stratum. J. evolvuloides has more usual adjustments, with a smaller specific leaf area and thinner epidermis and isobilateral parenchyma in the youngest site, being better acclimatized to low water availability and high light incidence. Therefore, M. suaveolens and S. sanguinea have unique acclimatization strategies for different environmental conditions.

Contrasting patterns of land-cover change between early and late successional forests in a tropical montane cloud forest area managed under the milpa system

Land cover dynamics (LCD) in areas affected by different management types are hard to predict. Such is the case of tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF) areas in Mexico. The millenary itinerant milpa involves local cyclical deforestation and natural reforestation dynamics with long-lasting fallow periods. Conversely, induced grasslands for cattle, non-traditional maize cultivation with short fallow periods, and sedentary agriculture involve persistent deforestation rates. Also, human density changes could alter LCD. Ignoring such factors may lead to equivocal conclusions. We analyzed LCD using remote sensing analyses with LANDSAT images during two periods (1993–2005, 2005–2014) in a TMCF area in Sierra Norte, Oaxaca, affected by milpas, sedentary agriculture, and grasslands. We divided the study area into six indigenous sub-regions with different human population growth rates (HPG). We identified five land-cover types: mature forests (MF) dominated by TMCF species, early successional pine forests (PF), shrubby fallows (SH), croplands (milpas and more sedentary maize croplands together), and grasslands. We show that: (a) The 1993–2005 period was more variable than the 2005–2014 period, 27 % vs. 21 % of the total area displayed transitions into another class. (b) MF area dominated (277,128 ha), increased from 1993 (64.0 %) to 2014 (67.6 %), and was not statistically associated with HPG. (c) PFs decreased from 27 % in 1993 to 15 % in 2014, and their rate of change was negatively associated with HPG. (d) The total forest area (MF + PF) decreased by 9.3 %. (f) Grasslands, SHs, and croplands fluctuated between periods and sub-regions, but none exceeded 7 % of the total area. (g) Grasslands showed the greatest increase rate, mainly at the expense of forestlands. (h) The grassland and SH increments were positively associated with HPG. The heterogeneity in LCD among periods and sub-regions reveals the relevance of considering temporal and spatial scales within the same region. The persistence of MF and the PF decrease can be ascribed to the disruption of the successional dynamics related to the decline of the traditional milpa enforced by federal and state policies at the beginning of the 21st century, the sedentarization of agriculture, local conservation areas, increases of induced pastures, and human emigration. Although Sierra Norte is an essential reservoir of TMCFs, the decline of the total forest area, particularly secondary forests, is of concern given their roles in resilience and as carbon, culture, and biodiversity reservoirs. Humid mid-elevation areas of Sierra Norte are one of the few examples of mature forest persistence and secondary forest decline.

Spatio-temporal changes in global root zone soil moisture from 1981 to 2017

Root zone soil moisture (RZSM) has a direct impact on ecosystem function, vegetation growth and food security, and plays a vital role in global climate system, water and carbon cycles. However, large variations and uncertainties still exist in RZSM across the globe under the warming climate. In this study, we applied comparison map profile (CMP), Theil-Sen regression and partial correlation analysis to investigate the spatial and temporal changes of RZMS and its driving factors from 1981 to 2017 by using three soil moisture products–ERA5, GLDAS and MERRA-2. Results showed that RZSM derived from three products presented a similar spatial pattern that the highest RZSM values occurred in tropical forest and cold areas, followed by subtropical, while the relatively low RZSM values were observed in arid and semiarid regions. Globally, RZSM decreased in all of three datasets with a rate of −0.14 × 10-3 m3 m−3 yr−1 on average (p < 0.001), which was largely correlated with temperature anomalies. Spatially, the RZSM trends greatly varied, with 21–31% of global land areas experiencing a significant decreasing trend and 7–24% for an increasing trend, respectively, confirming their different sensitivities to climate change. Temperature-driven RZSM dominated 19–29% of global land areas and was primarily distributed in northern high-latitude areas. The areas dominated by evapotranspiration were mainly in arid and semiarid areas, accounting for 29–44% of global land areas. Precipitation dominates the remaining 36–45% of global land areas mainly in eastern America and Europe, suggesting variations in the dominance of environmental factors on the spatial patterns of RZSM trend. Our findings will deepen our understanding of the impacts of climate change on the long-term trend of global soil moisture, and will be greatly critical to global soil water resource protection and management under the warming climate.

Combining Remote Sensing and a Geographic Information System to Map and Assess the Accessibility of Invasive Alien Species Forest Stands: Case of Acacia mearnsii on Reunion Island

Acacia mearnsii, an invasive alien species, is the main resource identified for the energy transition initiated on Reunion Island. It is, therefore, critical to identify the existent forest stands within the island’s large tropical forest area and to determine which of these stands are accessible for logging operations. In this study, a very high-spatial-resolution image was used to map forest (Acacia mearnsii, Acacia heterophylla, Cryptomeria japonica) and non-forest land cover. To identify the accessible forest stands, we developed a geographic information system (GIS) processing chain, accounting for barriers, the distribution of slopes, and the location of forest roads. User-defined parameters, such as the slope threshold and maximal distance to forest roads, allow different scenarios to be explored. The classification yields an overall accuracy of 88% and a Kappa index of 0.86 and highlights the areas occupied by the different types of Acacia. By applying the GIS processing chain for a standard scenario, the results show that only 19% of the initial study area of 637 ha of Acacia mearnsii patches is suitable for exploitation. In conclusion, our results demonstrate how remote sensing (RS) and GIS can be combined to provide valuable tools for forest managers to design management plans for invasive alien forest species.

A dataset of soil moisture in Xishuangbanna tropical seasonal rain forests (2009–2017)

As the carrier of material circulation and energy flow, soil moisture plays an important role in terrestrial forest ecosystems. Observing soil moisture is beneficial for unveiling the hydrological characteristics, water conservation capacity and ecosystem service function of forest ecosystems. The tropical rain forest is among the most biodiverse ecosystems. There are large areas of tropical rain forests in Xishuangbanna, where the tropical seasonal rain forest represents a prominent vegetation type. Conducting continuous, long-term and high-quality ecological monitoring is one of the main tasks of China Ecosystem Research Network (CERN). Soil moisture content is an important indicator in the long-term site-specific water environment observations within the terrestrial ecosystems monitored by CERN. This dataset comprises soil moisture content data collected from January 2009 to December 2017 at the Xishuangbanna Station for Tropical Rainforest Ecosystem Studies of the Chinese Academy Sciences (also known as National Forest Ecosystem Research Station at Xishuangbanna, BNF for short), with a total of 2,879 entries. The determination method used for this dataset is fixed-point continuous observation using Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) instruments; observations were conducted at multiple, ranging from 0–10 cm, 10–20 cm, 20–30 cm, 30–40 cm, 40–50 cm, 50–70 cm, 70–90 cm and 90–110 cm. The observation frequency consists of 3 times per month, respectively at the beginning, middle and end of each month. The observations were conducted strictly according to the CERN observation and quality control protocols. The dataset is readily available for online sharing and serves as essential foundational data for conducting research on tropical forest hydrology under the global climate change and different vegetation environments.

Occurrence and characterization of insect galls in two areas of tropical dry forest (caatinga) in São Francisco River Natural Monument, Brazil

The caatinga vegetation is an important natural laboratory for the study of how plants and gall-inducing insects interact in highly variable and stressful moisture regimes. Despite this, only five gall inventories have been conducted and its richness of inducing insects and host plants has been little known. To contribute to our knowledge of galls from caatinga habitats, we registered and characterized the macroscopic aspects of the galls, then identifed the plant hosts and their associated fauna in two areas of caatinga in São Francisco River Natural Monument (MONA). Nineteen morphotypes of galls were recorded on 11 plant belonging to eight genera and six host plant families. Of the total number of galls recorded, most occurred in the rainy season (n=13). Most of the galls are globoid (n=10), pilose (n=10), green (n=15), and isolated (n=12). Most of the gall-inducing insect species found belonged to Diptera (Cecidomyiidae). All morphotypes recorded in this study are the first ones recorded of galls and their host plants in MONA. We also recorded, for the first time, the occurrence of galls in the floral buds of Cnidoscolus obtusifolius Pohl ex Baill. (Euphorbiaceae), demonstrating the importance of conducting studies in areas not yet sampled in the Caatinga biome. It is expected that this study will stimulate future investigations, helping in the protection and conservation of this conservation area and consequently increasing our knowledge about its biodiversity.

Distribution of the northern pampas cat, Leopardus garleppi, in northern South America, confirmation of its presence in Colombia and genetic analysis of a controversial record from the country

Abstract The common name of pampas cat includes a complex of small Neotropical felid species found in various habitats of South America. Recently several species of this complex were proposed, but there are few records in the northernmost distribution of the continent, and reports of the pampas cat’s presence in Colombia have been ambiguous. Current northern limits of Leopardus garleppi are limited to the Andes of Ecuador. Here we present the northernmost record of the species, validating its presence in Colombia and review previous controversial records from the country. The new record is based on a road-killed specimen in a dry tropical forest ecosystem in the municipality of Mercaderes, Department of Cauca. Our morphological and genetic comparisons also shown that a previous record from Colombia supported by a single skin recently used to described a new species named Leopardus narinensis belong to Leopardus tigrinus. With the information compiled from new localities in Colombia and Ecuador, the known distribution range for L. garleppi is increased towards the northern part of South America into areas of Tropical Dry Forest. The distribution now includes 14 ecoregions from Colombia to Bolivia, and four in Colombia (Eastern Cordillera real montane forests, Northwestern Andean montane forests, Northern Andean paramo, and the Patía Valley dry forests), which correspond to similar ecosystems inhabited by the species in other Andean landscapes. The potential distribution hypothesis showed that the species has high suitability in large areas of southwestern Colombia (Nariño). With the recording of L. garleppi in Colombia, the number of extant felid species in the country has increased to seven.

Biodiversity hotspot in the Sangha Trinational Protected Area revealed through Orthoptera Tettigoniidae.

This paper deals with the study of the Orthoptera Tettigoniidae found in Nouabal-Ndoki National Park (Republic of Congo) and the comparison of the results with those previously found in the neighbouring Dzanga-Ndoki National Park (Central African Republic). The study of specimens allowed for the description of a new tribe Myllocentrini, a new genus Pseudoeurycorypha (type species: P. civilettorum n. sp. from Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, and Cte dIvoire), and six new species Plangiopsis nouabalensis, Leiodontocercus vicentae, Phlaurocentrum dentatum, Poreuomena derozierae, Tetraconcha maculosa and Tetraconcha laszloi from Republic of Congo. In addition, Phlaurocentrum morettanum n. sp. is described from Cte dIvoire, while Phlaurocentrum morettoi Massa, 2013 from Central African Republic is synonymized with P. lobatum Ragge, 1962 from Democratic Republic of Congo. Furthermore, morphological evidence allows for the inclusion of three genera, Bongeia Sjstedt, 1902, Itokiia Sjstedt, 1902, and Tapiena Bolvar, 1906 (presently Afrotapiena n. gen.; species type: Tapiena minor Bolvar, 1906 from Ghana), in the tribe Plangiopsidini Cadea-Castaneda, 2015 which currently contains Plangiopsis Karsch, 1889 and Plangiola Bolvar, 1906. Moreover, new morphological data on the group of Arantia rectifolia Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878, including Arantia tanzanica Hemp & Massa, 2017 and Arantia marginata Massa, 2021, has enabled these two species to be transferred from the subgenus Euarantia Heller, 2014 to Arantia Stl, 1874. The male of Anthracopsis gigliotosi Karny, 1907 is described, and other species of Tettigoniidae are reported for the first time from Republic of Congo. Most of the endemic species or genera are highly vulnerable to extinction due to their small distributional ranges. The results highlight the importance of the Congo River Basin as a biodiversity hotspot and underline the need to find appropriate, additional and urgent conservation measures for this area of tropical forest.

Janusia anisandra (A. Juss.) Griseb (Malpighiaceae): The first case of enantiostyly in oil‐flower species

AbstractEnantiostyly is a floral polymorphism characterized by style deflection to the right and left, which results in flowers with mirror images. To date, enantiostyly occurs only in species that offer pollen or nectar as floral resource. Here we describe the first case of enantiostyly in an oil‐flower species. Janusia anisandra (A. Juss.) Griseb (Malpighiaceae) shows right and left‐styled flowers in individuals occurring in an area of tropical dry forest in Northeastern Brazil. We described the floral morphology, investigate the reproductive system, and made focal observations of flower visitors behaviour. J. anisandra has morphological traits that are part of the floral conservatism found in the neotropical species of Malpighiaceae, which preserves features that are decisive for the interaction with oil‐collecting bees of the Centridini tribe, performing a highly specialized pollination system. The six stamens (two major and four smaller), located in the center of the flower, characterizes heteranthery, an intrafloral polymorphism, in which the stamens differ in shape, size, and function and is commonly associated with enantiostyly. We identified the two floral morphs in the same individual, characterizing a monomorphic enantiostyly; each of the morphs differs by lateral displacement of the style to the right or to the left, always accompanied by one larger stamen. The species is moderately self‐compatible. Four species of solitary bees of the genus Centris were registered visiting the two morphs of J. anisandra flowers. Centris aenea and C. fuscata were the main pollinators, performing 65% of the visits. This new discovery of a classical monomorphic enantiostyly in J. anisandra opens the way for investigations in the evolution of this system in oil‐secreting flowers.

Tropical forest AGB estimation based on structure parameters extracted by TomoSAR

Forests play a crucial role in quantifying global carbon storage and detecting climate change in the form of aboveground biomass (AGB), which introduces an approach to study carbon cycle, ecology, and biodiversity. The monitoring and estimation of forest AGB are considered very important and of practical value. As we know, forest AGB relates with height, density and diameter at breast height, and how to relate the ecophysical parameters with remote sensing images is vital for forest AGB estimation. In this paper, we aim to explore structure parameters about forest density and height, extracted by tomographic SAR (TomoSAR) techniques, for further improving the precision of AGB estimation models. Firstly, vertical structure profiles are constructed via TomoSAR, and the structure features are extracted. Secondly, the correlation between these features and the in-situ forest maximum height, tree density, and average AGB in plot scale is analyzed. Thirdly, the 8-fold cross-validation and step-wise regression methods were utilized to construct the tropical forest AGB models. Finally, the results of these models have been presented and analyzed. Based on the analysis, it indicates that “Model 7” is the most effective model, and its performance at both plot and pixel scales indicates a high level of accuracy for predicting forest AGB. These findings suggest that the proposed method can be effectively applied to tropical forested areas and has good scalability.

Altitudinal Variations in the Mound Nests of Termites &lt;i&gt;Odontotermes Wallonensis&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;O. obesus&lt;/i&gt;

The nesting form of the mound nest of species Odontotermes wallonensis(E. Wasmann) and Odontotermes obesus (Rambur) was studied in hilly and tropical deciduous forest area of Kakoijana Reserved Forest of Abhayapuri (Bongaigaon district). It was compared to the plain village forest area of Baksa district (Bajegaon Pather). The morphometric measurement such as height, circumference, depth of the mound nest and the royal chamber from the surface of the ground was recorded along with weight of fungus garden and queen and their sections were photographed. The outcomes revealed that the location of the nest influences the structure and characteristics of the nest. The young and established mound nests of species O. obesus and O. wallonensis in hilly and plain area had different shape, sizes and colour. The shade of the fungus garden was buff i.e., yellowish brown in young nest whereas it was blackish brown in established nests. The queen termite and the royal chamber unable to be excavated were in hilly area as compared to the plain area. In some of the mound nests, no traces of the queen termites and rest of the castes were observed; and the mound was dead i.e., abandoned after the death of queen termite.

Annual emissions of carbon from land use, land-use change, and forestry from 1850 to 2020

Abstract. Estimates of the annual emissions of carbon from land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF) are important for constructing global, regional, and national carbon budgets, which in turn help predict future rates of climate change and define potential strategies for mitigation. Here, we update a long-term (1850–2020) series of annual national carbon emissions resulting from LULUCF (https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/U7GHRH, Houghton and Castanho, 2023), based largely, after 1960, on statistics of land use from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/, FAO, 2021). Those data suggest that rates of deforestation in the tropics (and thus net emissions of carbon) have decreased over the last 10 years (2011–2020). The data also indicate that the net loss of tropical forest area was greater than the net gain in agricultural lands, and we explore four alternative explanations for this apparent forest conversion, one of which is shifting cultivation. We also discuss how opposing trends in recent estimates of tropical deforestation (and emissions) might be reconciled. The calculated emissions of carbon attributable to LULUCF approximate the anthropogenic component of terrestrial carbon emissions, but limiting national carbon accounting to the anthropogenic component may also limit the potential for managing carbon on land.

Patterns and drivers of disturbance in tropical forest reserves of southern Ghana

Ghana has retained a substantial area of tropical forests in an extensive network of protected reserves. These forests are impacted by land uses such as logging, mining, and agriculture as well as wildfires. We studied forest disturbance and recovery from 2013 to 2020 using annual maps of forest cover derived from Landsat imagery. Fire-associated disturbance was distinguished using VIIRS active fire data. We used boosted regression trees to model disturbances in closed and open forests as a function of climate variability, human accessibility, and landscape structure. A total of 3562 km2 of forest reserves were disturbed, of which 17% (615 km2) were fire disturbances and 83% (2946 km2) were non-fire disturbances. Of the total disturbed area, 68% was degradation (change from closed to open forest), 28% was open forest loss, and only 4% was closed forest loss. Over the same period, 2702 km2 of forest reserves recovered, with 1948 km2 of these recovering to closed-canopy forests. Fire disturbances were strongly associated with precipitation anomalies and occurred mostly in drier years, whereas non-fire disturbances had weaker relationships with precipitation. Disturbances in closed forests occurred in landscapes where closed forest cover was already low. In contrast, disturbances in open forests were most common in locations with intermediate levels of population pressure from nearby cities and proximity to non-forest land cover. The results support the idea that forest disturbance in Ghana is a multi-stage process involving degradation of closed forests followed by loss of the resulting open forests. Although non-fire disturbance rates are consistent from year to year, sharp increases in fire disturbance occur in drought years. Locations with the highest disturbance risk are associated with measurable indicators of climate, human pressure, and fragmentation, which can be used to identify these areas for conservation and forest restoration activities.

Inventory of the Orchidaceae Family in Jorong Harapan Tinggam Community Forest Talamau Pasaman Barat District West Sumatera

Tinggam Community Forest is a highland tropical forest area in which many types of orchids are found. Orchids generally live as epiphytes, but there are also terrestrial ones. The purpose of this study was to determine the types of natural orchids found in the forest in the Jorong Harapan Tinggam Community Forest, Talamau District, West Pasaman Regency West Sumatera. The research method used is a descriptive survey using a roaming technique by tracing the forest from the outskirts to the forest as a whole. From the results of the study, it was found that there were 16 species, consisting of 13 epiphyte orchids, while the terrestrial orchids obtained were 3 species. The orchid species obtained were: Agrostophyllum lampongense Blume., Arundina graminifolia Hochr., Bulbophyllum sp., Bulbophyllum angustifolium Lindl., Bulbophyllum plavescens Blume., Coelogyne rochussenii Vriese., Cymbidium Rchb.fcrumenatum spp . dayanum De., Eria iridifolia Hook.F., Eria pilifera Ridley., Grammathophyllum speciosum Blume., Phaius tankervilleae Blume. Robiquatia spatulata Blume., Spathoglottis plicata Roxb., Thelasis carinata Blume. It can be concluded that the Jorong Harapan area is an ideal habitat for orchid growth.

Preliminary study: potential of tropical forest and coastal area for eco-edutourism on pesanggrahan beach, Malang Regency

The purpose of this preliminary study is to investigate and explore the potential that exists in the Pesanggrahan Coastal Forest area for eco-educational planning. The indicators of this preliminary study are divided into three: the potential of tropical forests, the potential of coastal areas, and the potential of socio-economic conditions. This study was carried out along the coast. and Pesanggrahan Forest, administratively located in Srigonco Village, Bantur District, Malang Regency. Analysis of the potential of coastal areas using the Tourism Suitability Index with conditional results for coastal tourism. These results indicate that from a preliminary study of the potential of the Pesanggrahan Coastal Forest area suitable for eco-educational planning, it is supported by other potentials in the form of potential socio-economic conditions, physical and biophysical potentials.