Undisturbed Landscapes Research Articles

Statistical parameters in assessing ecological and geochemical state of the Kolpashevo-Turukhan mineragenic zone eastern part

The relevance. The required statistical identification of natural and anthropogenic biogeochemical anomalies when conducting ecological and geochemical studies on the territories of buried exogenous ores with a weak anthropogenic pressure. The difficulty of their identification according to their sources is related to a similar litho-siderophilic geochemical specialization of sedimentary rocks of iron ore, titanium-zirconium formations and modern soils of taiga zone landscapes. Moreover, the research implemented a method for biomaterial sample preparation. This method is aimed at obtaining the possibility of using a biomaterial sample as a natural indicator to reveal the aeolian and dust aerosol substance intake. As a result, there is an urgent need to involve steps in biogeochemical data statistical processing that allows one qualitatively differentiate the effects of chemical elements concentration via root nutrition and dust accumulation on the leaves. The aim. Statistical assessment of content variability and relationships of chemical elements in aspen leaves in the zone of anthropogenic influence of transport roads crossing the localization areas of buried iron ore deposits of the Bakcharsko-Kolpashevo ore district, Kolpashevo-Turukhan mineragenic zone. Qualitative biogeochemical identification of biomaterial enrichment through root and dust in areas of anomalous concentration of chemical elements using data on accumulation of rare earth elements. Objects. Soil, leaves of common aspen (Populus tremula L., 1753). Methods. Regional biogeochemical and lithochemical sampling was carried out in three profiles along local roads with asphalt and unpaved surfaces at the entrances to settlements. The sampling points common for the methods were shifted off the roads at a distance of at least 20 m to undisturbed landscapes. After sample preparation, the concentration of 28 chemical elements in the samples was determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The interpretation of geochemical data was based on the results of multicomponent statistical analysis. Results. The studied territories along the lines of regional research are characterized by the background biogeochemical and lithochemical values. The revealed biogeochemical anomaly is caused by a dust halo that accompanies the unpaved road. The rare earth elements levels show the influence of fine dust-aerosol and aeolian material intake.

Invasion history of Lycium ferocissimum in Australia: The impact of admixture on genetic diversity and differentiation

AbstractAimWe investigated the invasion history of Lycium ferocissimum, a spine‐covered shrub native to South Africa that was introduced to Australia in the mid‐1800s, and has since developed into a damaging invasive plant of undisturbed landscapes and pastures. In addition to identifying the provenance of the Australian plants, we tested for evidence of admixture, and contrasted genetic diversity and structuring across the native and introduced ranges.LocationSamples were collected across South Africa (24 localities) and Australia (26 localities).MethodsWe used genotyping‐by‐sequencing (3117 SNPs across 381 individuals) to assess population genetic structuring in L. ferocissimum across Australia and South Africa. Coalescent analyses were used to explicitly test contrasting invasion scenarios.ResultsClear geographic genetic structuring was detected across South Africa, with distinct clusters in the Eastern and Western Cape provinces. The L. ferocissimum plants in Australia form their own genetic cluster, with a similar level of genetic diversity as plants in South Africa. Coalescent analyses demonstrated that the lineage in Australia was formed by admixture between Eastern Cape and Western Cape plants, with most of the genetic material from the Australian lineage originating from the Western Cape. Our analyses suggest that L. ferocissimum plants were originally introduced to South Australia, though it is unclear whether admixture occurred before or after its introduction to Australia. We detected little evidence of geographic genetic structure across Australia, although many of the populations were genetically distinct from one another.Main ConclusionsOur results illustrate how admixture can result in genetically diverse and distinct invasive populations. The complex invasion history of L. ferocissimum in Australia poses particular challenges for biological control. We suggest potential biological control agents should be screened against admixed plants (in addition to plants from the Eastern and Western Cape) to test whether they provide effective control of the genetically distinct invasive lineage.

APPLICATION OF THE RAPID ASSESSMENT OF THE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES TOOL FOR THE WETLAND “PRUT RIVER HEADWATERS” IN THE CARPATHIAN NATIONAL NATURE PARK (UKRAINE)

Wetlands are among the most important ecosystems on Earth. They improve water quality, control floods, regulate global carbon levels, have significant cultural and recreational values, and provide habitat for plants and animals uniquely adapted to living in wet conditions. Wetlands are diverse, hydrologically complex ecosystems, which tend to develop within a hydrological gradient going from terrestrial to mainly aquatic habitats [1]. In 2019, two wetlands of the Carpathian National Nature Park (CNNP), Ukraine, were identified by the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention as wetlands of international importance. The Prut River Heeadwaters Wetland is in the focus of this study. It belongs to Prut River basin that is very important transboundary tributaries of the Danube River. The Site acts as a flood regulator, and a freshwater reservoir, providing drinking water to people within the Prut River basin. The wetland is biodiversity hotspot with valuable species, many of them are listed as threatened in the national and global Red Lists, and a great number are endemic to the Eastern Carpathian biogeographic region. Due to the favourable climate and availability of almost undisturbed landscapes, the wetlands are very popular for visitors. In this study key research task is to apply Rapid Assessment of Wetland Ecosystem Services (RAWES) approach to the Prut River Headwaters Wetland in order to provide a qualitative and semi-quantitative assessment of a comprehensive range of wetland ecosystem services. The objective of the RAWES approach is to facilitate an assessment of the plurality of benefits provided by a wetland, which can be considered genuinely rapid, involving limited resources.

The fecal bacterial microbiome of the Kuhl’s pipistrelle bat (Pipistrellus kuhlii) reflects landscape anthropogenic pressure

BackgroundAnthropogenic disturbance has the potential to negatively affect wildlife health by altering food availability and diet composition, increasing the exposure to agrochemicals, and intensifying the contact with humans, domestic animals, and their pathogens. However, the impact of these factors on the fecal microbiome composition of wildlife hosts and its link to host health modulation remains barely explored. Here we investigated the composition of the fecal bacterial microbiome of the insectivorous bat Kuhl’s pipistrelle (Pipistrellus kuhlii) dwelling in four environmental contexts with different levels of anthropogenic pressure. We analyzed their microbiome composition, structure and diversity through full-length 16S rRNA metabarcoding using the nanopore long-read sequencer MinION™. We hypothesized that the bacterial community structure of fecal samples would vary across the different scenarios, showing a decreased diversity and richness in samples from disturbed ecosystems.ResultsThe fecal microbiomes of 31 bats from 4 scenarios were sequenced. A total of 4,829,302 reads were obtained with a taxonomic assignment percentage of 99.9% at genus level. Most abundant genera across all scenarios were Enterococcus, Escherichia/Shigella, Bacillus and Enterobacter. Alpha diversity varied significantly between the four scenarios (p < 0.05), showing the lowest Shannon index in bats from urban and intensive agriculture landscapes, while the highest alpha diversity value was found in near pristine landscapes. Beta diversity obtained by Bray–Curtis distance showed weak statistical differentiation of bacterial taxonomic profiles among scenarios. Furthermore, core community analysis showed that 1,293 genera were shared among localities. Differential abundance analyses showed that the highest differentially abundant taxa were found in near pristine landscapes, with the exception of the family Alcaligenaceae, which was also overrepresented in urban and intensive agriculture landscapes.ConclusionsThis study suggests that near pristine and undisturbed landscapes could promote a more resilient gut microbiome in wild populations of P. kuhlii. These results highlight the potential of the fecal microbiome as a non-invasive bioindicator to assess insectivorous bats’ health and as a key element of landscape conservation strategies.

Plasticity in oviposition and foraging behavior in the invasive pest Drosophila suzukii across natural and agricultural landscapes.

The effects and extent of the impacts of agricultural insect pests in and around cropping systems is a rich field of study. However, little research exists on the presence and consequence of pest insects in undisturbed landscapes distant from crop hosts. Research in such areas may yield novel or key insights on pest behavior or ecology that is not evident from agroecosystem-based studies. Using the invasive fruit pest Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) as a case study, we investigated the presence and resource use patterns of this agricultural pest in wild blackberries growing within the southern Appalachian Mountain range of North Carolina over 2 years. We found D.suzukii throughout the sampled range with higher levels of infestation (D.suzukii eggs/g fruit) in all ripeness stages in natural areas when compared with cultivated blackberry samples, but especially in under-ripe fruit. We also explored a direct comparison of oviposition preference between wild and cultivated fruit and found higher oviposition in wild berries when equal weights of fruit were offered, but oviposition was higher in cultivated berries when fruit number was equal. Forest populations laid more eggs in unripe wild-grown blackberries throughout the year than populations infesting cultivated berries. This suggests D.suzukii may change its oviposition and foraging behavior in relation to fruit type. Additionally, as D.suzukii exploits a common forest fruit prior to ripeness, further research is needed to explore how this affects wild food web dynamics and spillover to regional agroecosystems.

Limited role of soil texture in mediating natural vegetation response to rainfall anomalies

Evidence suggests that the response of rainfed crops to dry or wet years is modulated by soil texture. This is a central tenet for certain agronomic operations in water-limited regions that rely on spatial distribution of soil texture for guiding precision agriculture. In contrast, natural vegetation in climatic equilibrium evolves to form a dynamic assemblage of traits and species adapted to local climatic conditions, primarily precipitation in water-limited regions. For undisturbed landscapes, we hypothesize that natural vegetation responds to rainfall anomalies irrespectively of local soil texture whereas rainfed crops are expected to respond to texture-mediated plant available water. Earth system models (ESMs) often quantify vegetation response to drought and water stress based on traditional agronomic concepts despite fundamental differences in composition and traits of natural vegetation and crops. We seek to test the hypothesis above at local and regional scales to differentiate natural vegetation and rainfed crops response to rainfall anomalies across soil types and better link them to water and carbon cycles. We employed field observations and remote sensing data to systematically examine the response of natural and rainfed cropped vegetation across biomes and scales. At local scales (field to ∼0.1 km), we used crop yields from literature data and natural vegetation productivity as gross primary productivity (GPP) from adjacent FLUXNET sites. At regional scales (∼102 km), we rely exclusively on remote-sensing-based GPP. Results confirm a lack of response of natural vegetation productivity to soil texture across biomes and rainfall anomalies at all scales. In contrast, crop yields at field scale exhibit correlation with soil texture in dry years (in agreement with conventional agronomic practices). These results support the hypothesis that natural vegetation is decoupled from soil texture, whereas rainfed crops retain dependency on soil texture in dry years. However, the observed correlation of crops with soil texture becomes obscured at larger scales by spatial variation of topography, rainfall, and uncertainty in soil texture and GPP values. The study provides new insights into what natural vegetation’s climatic equilibrium might mean and reveals the role of scale in expressing such sensitivities in ESMs.

Using the Data of Geocryological Monitoring and Geocryological Forecast for Risk Assessment and Adaptation to Climate Change

Permafrost monitoring should be organized in different ways within undisturbed landscapes and in areas with technogenic impacts. The state and dynamics of permafrost are described by special indicators. It helps to characterize seasonal and long-term tendencies and link them with permafrost hazards estimation. The risk is determined by the hazard probability and the vulnerability of infrastructure elements. The hazard does not have integral indicators, but is determined by separate spatial and temporal characteristics. The spatial characteristics include the ground’s physical and cryolithological features that are linked with the history of the permafrost. The temporal characteristics are associated with the future evolution of the climate and anthropogenic pressures. The geocryological monitoring content and geocryological forecasting are interdependent and should be implemented together. The adaptation recommendations are based on the analytical algorithms and use the results of permafrost monitoring and permafrost state forecasting. The development of an adaptation program is a recognition of the company’s responsibility for the sustainable development of resource management territories. Risk management uses the methods of the flexible ground temperature regime management.

Archaeological landscape, settlement dynamics, and sociopolitical organization in the Chactún area of the central Maya Lowlands.

Until recently, an extensive area in the central lowlands of the Yucatán peninsula was completely unexplored archaeologically. In 2013 and 2014, during initial surveys in the northern part of the uninhabited Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in eastern Campeche, Mexico, we located Chactún, Tamchén and Lagunita, three major Maya centers with some unexpected characteristics. Lidar data, acquired in 2016 for a larger area of 240 km2, revealed a thoroughly modified and undisturbed archaeological landscape with a remarkably large number of residential clusters and widespread modifications related to water management and agriculture. Substantial additional information was obtained through field surveys and test excavations in 2017 and 2018. While hydraulic and agricultural features and their potential for solving various archaeologically relevant questions were discussed in a previous publication, here we examine the characteristics of settlement patterns, architectural remains, sculpted monuments, and ceramic evidence. The early Middle Preclassic (early first millennium BCE) material collected in stratigraphic pits at Tamchén and another locale constitutes the earliest evidence of colonization known so far in a broader central lowland area. From then until the Late Classic period, which was followed by a dramatic demographic decline, the area under study witnessed relatively constant population growth and interacted with different parts of the Maya Lowlands. However, a number of specific and previously unknown cultural traits attest to a rather distinctive regional development, providing novel information about the extent of regional variation within the Maya culture. By analyzing settlement pattern characteristics, inscriptional data, the distribution of architectural volumes and some other features of the currently visible archaeological landscape, which largely reflects the Late Classic situation, we reconstruct several aspects of sociopolitical and territorial organization in that period, highlighting similarities with and differences from what has been evidenced in the neighboring Río Bec region and elsewhere in the Maya area.

Functional composition of ant assemblages in habitat islands is driven by habitat factors and landscape composition

Fragmented natural habitats within human-transformed landscapes play a key role in preserving biodiversity. Ants as keystone species are essential elements of terrestrial ecosystems; thus, it is important to understand the factors influencing their presence. In a large-scale multi-site study, we surveyed ant assemblages using sweep netting and D-vac sampling on 158 ancient burial mounds preserving grassland habitats in agricultural landscapes in East-Hungary. We asked the following questions: (1) How do habitat factors and landscape composition affect species richness and functional diversity of ants? (2) Which ant traits are affected by habitat factors and landscape composition? Despite their small sizes, mounds as permanent and relatively undisturbed landscape elements could provide safe havens for diverse ant assemblages even in transformed agricultural landscapes. The complex habitat structure of wooded mounds supported high species and functional diversity of ant assemblages. Ant species on wooded mounds had small or medium-sized colonies, enabling the co-existence of more species. The effect of landscape composition on ant assemblages was mediated by habitat factors: steep slopes buffered the negative effect of the cropland matrix and enabled higher ant diversity.

The cost of undisturbed landscapes

By 2030, Austria aims to meet 100% of its electricity demand from domestic renewable sources, such as wind energy. Apart from the benefit of reducing CO2 emissions and, potentially, system cost, wind power is also associated with negative impacts at the local level, particularly its interference with landscape aesthetics. Some of these negative impacts might be avoided by using alternative renewable energy technologies. To better understand the trade-offs involved, we quantify the opportunity cost of wind power versus its best feasible alternative, which is solar photovoltaics in Austria. Methodologically, our analysis relies on the power system model medea, a technology-rich, partial-equilibrium model of the Austro-German electricity and district heating markets. Our findings suggest that the cost of undisturbed landscapes is considerable, even more so when solar PV is mainly realised on rooftops. Under a wide range of assumptions, the opportunity cost of wind power is high enough to allow for significant compensation of the ones affected by local, negative wind turbine externalities.

Soil quality changes in an Iberian pyrite mine site 15 years after land reclamation

Reclamation of highly degraded mine lands to a sustainable environmental quality has become a major policy concern in many countries with a long mining tradition. This paper reports the soil quality status of a historical mine site fifteen years after its reclamation, using indicators of chemical reactivity, soil fertility and health, and discusses the progress and effectiveness of the implemented measures by a comparative analysis between pre- and post-reclamation conditions. Twenty composite surface samples (0–20 cm depth) were obtained for physical and chemical characterization from the open pit mine and waste disposal area, using a stratified random sampling approach. Additionally seven sites were selected to collect topsoil samples for microbiological testing. Results showed that soil quality changed noticeably over the study period (2003–2018), with overall improvements in key properties, such as structural stability, cation exchange capacity, degree of base saturation, soil organic carbon, and available phosphorus. Prior to reclamation, the mine soil was unable to support vegetation due to hyperacidity coupled with elevated levels of toxic metals and nutrient deficiencies. The combined use of sugar beet lime and composted biosolids as a low-cost, locally available, soil amendment was effective in neutralizing both active and exchangeable acidity, and reducing the mobility, plant uptake and human bioaccessibility of trace elements. The amendment addition also enhanced soil fertility, carbon storage, nutrient availability and microbial biomass (bacteria and fungi). Revegetation with Pinus pinea and Nerium oleander has proven to be a successful strategy to create a vegetative cover aesthetically pleasant and environmentally compatible with the surrounding undisturbed landscape, although further efforts should be made to monitor over time the phytotoxic and bioaccessible levels of residual metals, notably Cd, Cu and Zn. The insights gained from this land reclamation experience provide success criteria for assisting natural attenuation in other abandoned mining sites worldwide.

Diverging pond dissolved organic matter characteristics yield similar CO2 flux potentials in a disturbed High Arctic landscape

Climate warming and permafrost thaw have the potential to shift Arctic carbon (C) cycling dynamics so ponds, which represent over a quarter of northern circumpolar surface water area, may play a larger role in the mineralization of terrestrial C and emission of greenhouse gases (GHG). Here, we constrain how active layer detachments (ALDs) affect C cycling dynamics in High Arctic ponds (n = 19) through the examination of geochemistry, dissolved organic matter (DOM) characteristics, and dissolved GHG concentrations. Summer rainfall events were identified as the primary source of pond water over a 5 week period during the monitored thaw season. We observed two distinct geochemical and DOM composition groups in ponds surrounded by undisturbed, vegetated areas compared to ponds located within the geomorphologically-disturbed ALDs. DOM in undisturbed areas had characteristics suggesting allochthonous origin from modern vegetation. Ponds in the ALDs had lower mean dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations than ponds within undisturbed landscapes, with DOM characterization suggesting greater proportions of autochthonous DOM. Observed differences in DOC concentrations and DOM composition between ponds located within the disturbed and undisturbed landscapes did not translate into significant differences in dissolved CO2 concentrations among pond types. We conclude that our observed changes in DOM composition and characteristics in High Arctic ponds may not result in substantial increases in GHG flux as a result of continued Arctic warming.

Nematode Community-Based Soil Food Web Analysis of Ferralsol, Lithosol and Nitosol Soil Groups in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi Reveals Distinct Soil Health Degradations

Determining if the vast soil health degradations across the seven major soil groups (orders) of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) can be managed on the basis of a one-size-fits-all or location-specific approach is limited by a lack of soil group-based understanding of soil health degradations. We used the relationship between changes in nematode population dynamics relative to food and reproduction (enrichment, EI) and resistance to disturbance (structure, SI) indices to characterize the soil food web (SFW) and soil health conditions of Ferralsol, Lithosol and Nitosol soil groups in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi. We applied bivariate correlations of EI, SI, soil pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), and texture (sand, silt and clay) to identify integrated indicator parameters, and principal component analysis (PCA) to determine how all measured parameters, soil groups, and countries align. A total of 512 georeferenced soil samples from disturbed (agricultural) and undisturbed (natural vegetation) landscapes were analyzed. Nematode trophic group abundance was low and varied by soil group, landscape and country. The resource-limited and degraded SFW conditions separated by soil groups and by country. EI and SI correlation with SOC varied by landscape, soil group or country. PCA alignment showed separation of soil groups within and across countries. The study developed the first biophysicochemical proof-of-concept that the soil groups need to be treated separately when formulating scalable soil health management strategies in SSA.

Анализ структуры землепользования староосвоенного региона для целей формирования природно-экологического каркаса с применением ГИС-технологий (на примере Белгородской области)

The Belgorod region is an example of an old-developed region, continuing to experience intense anthropogenic pressure. There are almost no undisturbed landscapes within the boundaries of the region, which have no restrictions to be included into the regional network of protected areas according to their ecological characteristics and legal status. The problem is that the ecological framework of the region is not a functionally and territorially integrated system, which is necessary for its effective functioning. The solution of the problem could be implementation of the scheme of ecological framework, developed in 2007 as a part of the territorial development of the region, but it is associated with potential conflicts of land owners rights. In this regard, the paper analyzed the compliance of the ecological framework proposed scheme with the existing land use structure to assess the prospects its practical implementation. The analysis of the anthropogenic pressure on the municipalities of the Belgorod region allowed to identify the model districts (Borisovsky and Gubkinsky) with the maximum and minimum anthropogenic pressure. On the example of selected areas, the prospects of transferring areas within the boundaries of the proposed scheme to the category of protected lands, corresponding to the structural elements of ecological framework were evaluated. The land use structure of the model districts was analyzed using OpenStreetMap resource which allowed to identify the main land categories (settlements, industry, forestry and agricultural lands and protected areas) and differentiate them by the potential of compliance with the proposed framework scheme. Processing the data of various categories lands spatial distribution within the boundaries of the ecological framework in the Borisovsky and Gubkinsky districts using the Quantum GIS program showed that despite the high pressure on the territory it is still possible to implement the proposed scheme. The design of the ecological framework in the old-developed regions should be carried out at the level of municipalities. The conducted research also confirmed the relevance of the legislative framework improvement to ensure environmental protection activities by fixing the legal category “ecological framework”.

Biotic and abiotic drivers of plant–pollinator community assembly across wildfire gradients

Abstract Understanding how abiotic disturbance and biotic interactions determine pollinator and flowering‐plant diversity is critically important given global climate change and widespread pollinator declines. To predict responses of pollinators and flowering‐plant communities to changes in wildfire disturbance, a mechanistic understanding of how these two trophic levels respond to wildfire severity is needed. We compared site‐to‐site variation in community composition (β‐diversity), species richness and abundances of pollinators and flowering plants among landscapes with no recent wildfire (unburned), mixed‐severity wildfire and high‐severity wildfire in three sites across the Northern Rockies Ecoregion, USA. We used variation partitioning to assess the relative contributions of wildfire, other abiotic variables (climate, soils and topography) and biotic associations among plant and pollinator composition to community assembly of both trophic levels. Wildfire disturbance generally increased species richness and total abundance, but decreased β‐diversity, of both pollinators and flowering plants. However, reductions in β‐diversity from wildfire appeared to result from increased abundances following fires, resulting in higher local species richness of pollinators and flowers in burned than unburned landscapes. After accounting for differences in abundance, standardized effect sizes of β‐diversity were higher in burned than unburned landscapes, suggesting that wildfire enhances non‐random assortment of pollinator and flowering‐plant species among local communities. Wildfire disturbance mediated the relative importance of mutualistic associations to β‐diversity of pollinators and flowering plants. The influence of pollinator β‐diversity on flowering‐plant β‐diversity increased with wildfire severity, whereas the influence of flowering‐plant β‐diversity on pollinator β‐diversity was greater in mixed‐severity than high‐severity wildfire or unburned landscapes. Moreover, biotic associations among pollinator and plant species explained substantial variation in β‐diversity of both trophic levels beyond what could be explained by wildfire and all other abiotic and spatial factors combined. Synthesis. Wildfire disturbance and plant–pollinator interactions both strongly influenced the assembly of pollinator and flowering‐plant communities at local and regional scales. However, biotic interactions were generally more important drivers of community assembly in disturbed than undisturbed landscapes. As wildfire regimes continue to change globally, predicting its effects on biodiversity will require a deeper understanding of the ecological processes that mediate biotic interactions among linked trophic levels.

Insights on the effect of aircraft traffic on avian vocal activity

Aircraft noise is pervasive across the USA, including in national parks, but its effects on wildlife remain unresolved. As with other noise sources, aircraft noise may affect species physiology and behaviour by being perceived as a threat, distracting individuals, or degrading the sensory environment. This study aimed to understand the effect of aircraft traffic and associated noise on the richness of bird vocalization activity in a remote national park in the USA. We used a continent‐wide acoustic dataset encompassing over 30:00 h of annotated recordings to identify two geographically similar sites with high rates of bird vocalizations and both high and low rates of aircraft noise. We selected sites in Denali National Park, both of which experience little human presence, and quantified the richness of bird vocalizations before, during and after aircraft events. We present evidence of a community‐level behavioural response to aircraft noise, with increased bird vocalization richness after aircraft events at a site with relatively lower aircraft noise. At the site with low rates of aircraft noise, we found bird vocalization richness did not significantly change during an aircraft event but did increase after an aircraft event. At the site with high rates of aircraft noise, bird vocalization richness did not significantly change during or after an aircraft event. This study provides new insights into wildlife responses to aircraft traffic and associated noise and highlights the importance of noise research in the management of relatively quiet and undisturbed landscapes.

Mining rehabilitation – Using geomorphology to engineer ecologically sustainable landscapes for highly disturbed lands

Mining is essential to the human economy and has been conducted for millennia. In the past ~60years, the scale of disturbance created by mining has grown larger in response to economic demands and technology capacity. However the scale of disturbance from mining is dwarfed by that of urban expansion and agriculture. Nevertheless, it is well recognised that mine sites have radically disturbed abiotic and biotic system components that, post-mining need to restore new land uses and ecosystem goods and services. In many cases, such aims demand a geomorphic integration with the surrounding undisturbed landscape. Erosional stability based on geomorphic principles is the first and most important part of the process. Without erosional stability, vegetation will be difficult to establish and maintain and soil and nutrients will be lost from the site. In this review we outline this process and methods by which a geomorphic and integrative landscape can be established. We also examine the issue of establishing a self-sustaining landscape that is similar to that of the prior undisturbed landscape. Here we argue that this is not possible in almost all situations, however the development of a new and ecologically successful, albeit different landscape is. The community needs to accept that mining, like agriculture, is essential to the modern economy and that a past landscape cannot be replaced with the same, but a new, functional and productive one can be developed. However, the ability to do this and ensure long-term ecological sustainability is questionable for many sites and considerable effort needs to be made to develop the technology to ensure that this will occur. We outline a way forward, based on geomorphic design and modelling.

Widespread genetic connectivity in Australia’s most common owl, despite extensive habitat fragmentation

ABSTRACT Reductions in genetic diversity and genetic connectivity have been documented in some predatory bird species in response to anthropogenic habitat fragmentation. The Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook) is the most common and widely-distributed owl in Australia but declines in abundance have been observed across its range. We used polymorphic microsatellite loci to investigate landscape-scale patterns of genetic variation and spatial genetic structure in boobooks from a variety of fragmented landscape types and relatively undisturbed landscape types across Western Australia. The maximum distance between collection locations of genetic samples was 1391 km. Indirect estimates of connectivity inferred from these genetic data were complemented by direct estimates of post-breeding dispersal of juvenile boobooks gathered from banding data resulting from this and other studies across Australia. We found high genetic diversity in microsatellite markers, weak spatial genetic structuring and no evidence of genetic erosion associated with inbreeding in heavily fragmented landscapes. Bayesian modelling, spatial autocorrelation analysis and principal coordinates analysis suggested a single large panmictic population across all areas sampled. Within the heavily fragmented landscape of an extensive urban area, band re-sightings and recoveries substantiate the considerable capacity of juvenile boobooks to disperse across areas far greater than the distance between patches. We hypothesise that the genetic homogeneity observed in this species is a consequence of long-distance dispersal capacity in addition to their ability as habitat and dietary generalists to make use of highly altered habitats.

Quantifying biodiversity trade-offs in the face of widespread renewable and unconventional energy development

The challenge of balancing biodiversity protection with economic growth is epitomized by the development of renewable and unconventional energy, whose adoption is aimed at stemming the impacts of global climate change, yet has outpaced our understanding of biodiversity impacts. We evaluated the potential conflict between biodiversity protection and future electricity generation from renewable (wind farms, run-of-river hydro) and non-renewable (shale gas) sources in British Columbia (BC), Canada using three metrics: greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, electricity cost, and overlap between future development and conservation priorities for several fish and wildlife groups - small-bodied vertebrates, large mammals, freshwater fish – and undisturbed landscapes. Sharp trade-offs in global versus regional biodiversity conservation exist for all energy technologies, and in BC they are currently smallest for wind energy: low GHG emissions, low-moderate overlap with top conservation priorities, and competitive energy cost. GHG emissions from shale gas are 1000 times higher than those from renewable sources, and run-of-river hydro has high overlap with conservation priorities for small-bodied vertebrates. When all species groups were considered simultaneously, run-of-river hydro had moderate overlap (0.56), while shale gas and onshore wind had low overlap with top conservation priorities (0.23 and 0.24, respectively). The unintended cost of distributed energy sources for regional biodiversity suggest that trade-offs based on more diverse metrics must be incorporated into energy planning.

Science to inform policy: Linking population dynamics to habitat for a threatened species in Canada

Abstract Boreal forests provide numerous ecological services, including the ability to store large amounts of carbon, and are of significance to global biodiversity. Increases in industrial activities in boreal landscapes since the mid‐20th century have added to concerns over biodiversity loss and climate change. Boreal forests are home to dwindling populations of boreal caribou Rangifer tarandus caribou in Canada, a species at risk that requires large, undisturbed landscapes for persistence. In 2012, the Canadian government defined critical habitat for boreal caribou by relating calf recruitment to disturbances. Some have questioned whether the recruitment relationship can be extrapolated beyond the environmental conditions represented in the analysis. We examined the effects of human disturbances and fire (alone and in combination) on variation in recruitment and adult female survival using data from 58 study areas in Canada. Top models were used in aspatial scenarios of landscape change to evaluate the efficacy of the critical habitat definition in achieving the recovery objectives for boreal caribou in two contrasting landscapes: Little Smoky, dominated by high levels of human disturbances, and the northern boreal shield of Saskatchewan (SK1), dominated by fire. The top recruitment model suggested the negative effect of fire was three to four times smaller than human disturbances. The top adult female survival model included human disturbances only. These results re‐affirm that human disturbances are the primary factor contributing to boreal caribou declines. Our aspatial scenarios suggested that undisturbed habitat would have to increase to ≥68% for Little Smoky to maintain a self‐sustaining population of boreal caribou with some degree of certainty. In contrast, the SK1 population was self‐sustaining with 40% undisturbed habitat when fire disturbance predominates, but could become vulnerable with increases in human disturbances (8%–9%). Policy implications. Boreal caribou are listed as threatened under Canada's Species at Risk Act. Our results suggest that the 65% undisturbed critical habitat designation in Canada's boreal caribou Recovery Strategy may serve as a reasonable proxy for achieving self‐sustaining populations of boreal caribou in landscapes dominated by human disturbances. However, some populations may be less or more vulnerable, as illustrated by the scenarios in a landscape dominated by fire (SK1). Continued population monitoring will be essential to assessing the effectiveness of land management strategies developed for boreal caribou recovery, especially with climate change.