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Pines play a significant role in forest biodiversity globally and generate huge forest litter. Dry pine needles due to low ignition temperature and high frictional force with the ground catch fire quickly. Annual forest fires in the northern states of India greatly impact the Indian economy besides causing huge loss to biodiversity, livelihood, and environment. Pine needles are also considered unfit for fodder consumption due to presence of tannins. Although the presence of softwood lignin in pine needles makes it difficult to degrade easily, the presence of holocellulose (68.5%) containing 45–51% cellulose makes this biomass a potential substrate to be used in pulp-making industries for low-grade paper sheets. The good fiber length of pine needles (1.3–1.4 mm) with a diameter of 30–32 μm, maybe considered important property for paper making. The use of pine needles in the pharmaceutical and food industries are due to the presence of secondary metabolites (α-pinene, β-pinene, caryophyllene etc.). The various other potential applications of pine needles are for producing bio-ethanol (yield, 3.98%; purity, 94%), biogas (yield, 23.1 L kg−1), smokeless briquettes (calorific value, 18.77 MJ kg−1), biochar (calorific value, 25.6 MJ kg−1), bio-composites (tensile strength, 21–60 MPa), and bio-pesticides. This paper comprehensively reviews the current applications of pine needles along with its future prospective applications that can have the dual advantage of providing employment opportunities to the people along with environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an overview of a special issue on the ecology, diversity, conservation, and management of ungulates (hoofed mammals). The issue includes ten papers that cover various topics related to ungulates and their habitats. The papers discuss the impact of ungulates on vegetation, forest composition, and structure, as well as their role as pests in forestry and agriculture. Other topics include the interactions between ungulates and predators, the conservation of ungulates and their habitats, and the genetic diversity of ungulates. The document also highlights research gaps and provides recommendations for integrated ungulate-forest management. [Extracted from the article]

The paper presents the results of a study of the species diversity and individual developmental stability of common fish species from the Vychegda River in the discharge area of treated wastewater from one of the largest forestry industries in the European, northeastern area of Russia. In 2018–2020, the European perch, roach, and bleak prevailed in the catches of a standard set of nets with a mesh size of 10 to 60 mm in the littoral zone of the monitoring sites. These species are widespread representatives of the ichthyofauna in the Vychegda River basin. White-eye bream, asp, and pike-perch were also registered; their recent appearance became possible due to the construction of canals connecting the Northern Dvina River basin with other river systems. Indicators of species diversity (the number of species, their relative abundance, and Shannon index) in areas adjacent to local timber plots were similar to those observed at monitoring sites. The integral index for the assessment of individual development, which is based on fluctuating asymmetry, indicated the absence of a negative effect on the formation of bilateral morphological structures in early ontogenesis in fish that lived both in the industrial area and in the conditionally background area. To clarify the results, an additional study should be carried out to identify physiological disorders or the accumulation of heavy metals or other pollutants in fish tissues and organs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests are crucial in supporting biodiversity and providing ecosystem services. Understanding forest biodiversity dynamics under different management strategies and climate change scenarios is essential for effective conservation and management. This paper introduces the Forest Biodiversity Dynamics Prototype Digital Twin (pDT), integrating forest and biodiversity models to predict the effects of management options on forest ecosystems. The primary objective is to identify optimal management strategies that promote biodiversity, focusing on conservation and adaptation to different climate conditions. We start with the case of Finnish forests and bird species and plan to expand to include more European countries and a variety of species as the pDT is further developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildland fires negatively impact forest biodiversity and human lives. They also spread very rapidly. Early detection of smoke and fires plays a crucial role in improving the efficiency of firefighting operations. Deep learning techniques are used to detect fires and smoke. However, the different shapes, sizes, and colors of smoke and fires make their detection a challenging task. In this paper, recent YOLO-based algorithms are adopted and implemented for detecting and localizing smoke and wildfires within ground and aerial images. Notably, the YOLOv7x model achieved the best performance with an mAP (mean Average Precision) score of 80.40% and fast detection speed, outperforming the baseline models in detecting both smoke and wildfires. YOLOv8s obtained a high mAP of 98.10% in identifying and localizing only wildfire smoke. These models demonstrated their significant potential in handling challenging scenarios, including detecting small fire and smoke areas; varying fire and smoke features such as shape, size, and colors; the complexity of background, which can include diverse terrain, weather conditions, and vegetation; and addressing visual similarities among smoke, fog, and clouds and the the visual resemblances among fire, lighting, and sun glare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests are crucial for supporting various ecosystem functions and biodiversity, but they are vulnerable to global change drivers such as climate change and land use change. The special issue "How belowground biodiversity affects ecosystem functions of forests" explores the relationship between belowground biodiversity and ecosystem functions in forests. The papers in the special issue cover topics such as the potential drivers of soil microbial biodiversity, the effects of belowground biodiversity on multiple ecosystem functions, and the implications for future research. The findings highlight the importance of belowground biodiversity in maintaining ecosystem functions and provide insights for forest management and biodiversity conservation. [Extracted from the article]

Whether environmental conditions under exotic tree plantations abandoned in the Western Ghats of India can facilitate the natural regeneration of tropical montane forest (Shola forest) tree species is being debated. In many cases, the exotic tree plantations are being cleared to allow for the restoration of native ecosystems. In this paper, we examined whether exotic tree plantations have indeed a negative effect on the regeneration of Shola forest tree species. For this, we assessed the abundance, diversity, and composition of the regeneration of Shola forest tree species in plantations, each with different dominant tree species (Acacia mearnsii , Pinus sp. and Eucalyptus sp.). We tested the abundance of regenerating native tree species against the main plantation canopy species (plantation type) as well as other environmental factors (aspect, distance to nearest Shola forest, structural diversity, slope, elevation, presence of herbivores, and canopy closure). We found that the number of native tree species regenerating in all plantation types was at an acceptable level: 1960, 1773, and 462 individuals ha−1 for Acacia , Eucalyptus , and Pinus plantations, respectively. A rare fraction analysis showed that the highest number of Shola tree species were regenerating under Acacia mearnsii (25) followed by Eucalyptus (19) and Pinus (8) plantations. The density and diversity of regenerating Shola trees was greatest under Acacia plantations and northern aspects but declined with increasing elevation. The presence of herbivores also reduced the density and diversity of Shola tree regeneration. We concluded that the restoration of Shola forest in the Western Ghats is possible in existing stands of exotic tree species and this process can be accelerated with appropriate silvicultural methods. We additionally recommend that studies involving long-term exclosures can provide valuable insights into the effects of browsing on regeneration and species composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fertility variation, defined as a difference in the ability to create progeny (i.e., reproductive success) among individuals, was reviewed using the related available theoretical and practical literature in an attempt to contribute to and improve future studies on the subject. Fertility variation is a useful guide for various purposes such as gene conservation, seed production programs, forest genetic resource (i.e., seed sources) management, other forestry practices (e.g., regeneration), and evolutional and physiological studies. Many papers and proceedings have been published, including both theoretical and practical approaches, on how fertility variation has improved in the last two decades. Large variations in fertility were widely reported among populations within species and among species. We reviewed the literature and combined our diverse knowledge to examine fertility variations and their linkage parameters. Fertility variations and their related parameters (e.g., gene diversity, status number, effective parent number, parental–balance curves) estimated based on reproductive characteristics have been studied for many years using easy and cheap surveys that are used for different purposes in forest sciences. Their importance is increasing and their use is becoming more widespread because of these advantages, leading to improvements in research papers. While many research papers have recently been published on fertility variations and linkage parameters, a review paper has not been published to date. Therefore, a review paper is needed based on a literature survey and unpublished experience, as a guide for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

These research articles are highly varied and can be classified into eight sub-domains that are representative of the chosen domain: natural and human disturbances, genetics, site conditions, tropical forest, peri-urban forest, forest soils, forest reserves, and mountain ecosystems (Figure 2). The sustainable and regular supply of ecosystem services by forests requires excellent knowledge of the functional and biological diversity in these complex ecosystems [[7], [9]]. In this study, natural forests were the most positively rated type of forest, while the managed ones were the least positively rated, revealing an important trend among the participants, and human intervention was not the foremost landscape-related factor affecting this perception. Forest ecosystems contribute to human wellbeing and the economy through the complex ecosystem services they provide [[1], [3], [5]]. [Extracted from the article]

Forest pests and diseases can diminish forest biodiversity, damage forest ecosystem functions, and have an impact on water conservation. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the interaction mechanism between plants and pests. In this paper, the prevention and control of a specific pest—namely the larva of Paranthrene tabaniformis (Rott.) (hereinafter referred to as larva)—are studied. Based on the invasion mechanism of the larva in poplar, we establish a delayed differential equation and analyze the existence and stability of equilibria. Next, we assess the existence of a Hopf bifurcation to determine the range of parameters that ensures that the equilibria are stable. Then, we select a set of parameters to verify the results of the stability analysis. Finally, we provide biological explanations and effective theoretical control methods for poplar pests and diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since biodiversity is a multifaceted aspect of natural systems, several indices have been suggested to measure it. In this paper, we examined a number of well-known diversity indexes to see whether some performed better than others when applied to forest data. In order to reach this goal, we used data on basic forest variables (such as the diameters, heights, and volumes of trees) from forest plots to see if common diversity indices lead to the same conclusions about changes in biodiversity in a pairwise comparison (i.e., comparing the same region at two different times or two different regions at the same time). Out of a collection of 17 diversity indices, 8 of them exhibited robustness, indicating their constant ability to demonstrate either an increase or decrease in biodiversity over pairwise comparisons. However, it is important to note that the remaining seven diversity indices may yield inconsistent or inconclusive results, but only with regard to forest data, highlighting the complexity and nuances of measuring biodiversity with different sorts of data. In this review article, all 17 indices are presented, allowing the reader to choose which ones are most applicable to their particular dataset (genetic, econometric, sociometric, etc.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Evolving societal demands and accelerated ecological dynamics due to global change are rapidly altering forest ecosystems and their services. This has prompted the need for advancing forest inventorying and monitoring initatives to expand their scope, improve data collection, foster scientific understanding, and better inform policy responses. Here, we discuss the collaborative processes followed to develop an Advanced Inventorying and Monitoring (AIM) system for Swiss forests. Further, we provide the key messages that emerged from this process which can be of interest to those involved in similar processes at the national/international level. Forests are under pressure and going through rapid changes. However, current inventorying and monitoring (IM) programs are often either disjointed, too narrow in their scope and/or do not operate at fine enough temporal resolutions, which may hinder scientific understanding, the timely supply of information, fast decision making, and may result in the sub-optimal use of resources. For these reasons, there is an urgent need for Advanced Forest Inventorying and Monitoring (AIM) programs to (i) achieve expanded relevance (by augmenting data/information across ecosystem properties and trophic levels), (ii) have increased temporal resolution (by tailored data collection frequency), and (iii) make use of technological advances (by incorporating novel tools and technologies). The Advanced Inventorying and Monitoring for Swiss Forests (SwissAIM) initiative was launched in 2020 to address these needs. SwissAIM builds upon the foundation offered by the existing programs (e.g., national forest inventory, long-term forest ecosystem research, biodiversity monitoring). It aims to offer a collaborative and adaptive framework to enable integrated data collection, evaluation, interpretation, analysis, and modeling. Ideally, it will result in a more responsive system with respect to current and predicted biotic/abiotic stressors that will challenge Swiss forests. Developing such a system implies identifying the information needs of different stakeholders (e.g., science, policy, practice), related technical requirements, and governance frameworks. Here, we present (i) the main features of the SwissAIM initiative (vision, scientific questions and variables, governance and engagement), (ii) the main outcomes of the participatory design process (measurements, sampling, and plot design), (iii) the potential transferability of AIM initiatives outside Switzerland (timing, relevance, practicability), and (iv) the key messages that emerged (i.e., need for advancement, integration and transdisciplinarity, statistical underpinning). Since similar needs related to forest inventorying and monitoring are emerging throughout Europe and elsewhere, the objective of this opinion paper is to share our experience and promote a dialog with those interested in developing AIM initiatives in other countries and regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Works of the Faculty of Forestry University of Sarajevo is the property of Faculty of Forestry University of Sarajevo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Invasive tree species pose a grave global threat to biodiversity, particularly impacting vulnerable grassland ecosystems. This paper presents a novel approach to simulate the invasion of ecosystems by these aggressive species. Our innovative coupled ODE-PDE model offers explicit invasion simulations, a significant leap beyond traditional integro-difference matrix models. With robust theoretical properties, including solution positivity, and drawing upon PDE theory, our model offers deeper insights into invasion behavior. Our model reveals that invasions undergo a prolonged quiescent phase before rapidly transitioning to a consistent rate of advancement after a critical point. This study not only sheds light on invasion dynamics but also charts a course for future exploration and potential model extensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper aims to understand the influence of tourism on ecological diversity and resource structure of forest parks in order to provide guidance for the development and utilization of forest parks. Taking a forest park in China as an example, the degree of tourism impact was divided into three types, and sample plots were arranged. Plant and soil data were collected to analyze vegetation diversity, soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, and microbial diversity. In the highly impacted plots (HI), the importance values of dominant species increased, and its Margalef richness index and Shannon-Wiener diversity index values were significantly different from those of the moderately impacted plots (MI) and the lowly impacted plots (LI) (p < 0.05). In HI, the soil bulk density was 1.58 ± 0.15 g/cm3, the moisture content was 6.87 ± 0.56%, the pH value was 8.26 ± 0.15, the electrical conductivity was 93.29 ± 6.12 µs/cm2, and the content of organic matter was 12.77 ± 0.78 g/kg. The various enzyme activities were lower in HI, which were significantly different from MI and LI. The bacterial, fungal, and actinomycete communities of HI were less similar to those of LI. Under the influence of tourism, the vegetation diversity of the forest park decreased, soil properties changed, and microbial diversity decreased, which was not conducive to ecological stability. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the intensity of tourism and protect the environment in the park. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, calcareous beech forests were classified and differentiated according to vascular plants. Bryophytes were often omitted or not all substrates were sampled in relevés, and therefore, the role of bryophytes in plant community differentiation remained unclear. In this paper, we studied bryophyte species richness, composition and functional patterns in vegetation units differentiated by vascular plants. We analysed 45 phytosociological relevés from 400 m2 plots in Fagus sylvatica-dominated forests on dolomite bedrock in Central Slovakia. The most frequent among 59 moss and 8 liverwort species was Tortella tortuosa, followed by Hypnum cupressiforme, Brachytheciastrum velutinum and Ctenidium molluscum. Average richness of bryophytes was 8.1 compared to 38.7 species of vascular plants. Seven bryophyte species were significantly linked to a particular vegetation unit. One-way ANOVA showed no noticeable differences in bryophyte species richness between vegetation units. However, it was negatively affected by xericity and positively by cover of rocks on soil surface. CCA revealed that species composition was affected significantly by xericity, cover of bare rocks and cover of tree layer. Mat and turf life forms prevailed, and both long-lived taxa/perennials and short-lived colonists formed the bryophyte layer. Observed bryophyte species grew mostly on rock, living and dead wood, and only minority of them on soil. Therefore, available substrates greatly contributed to the species richness of bryophytes and total plant diversity of the forest community. A complete investigation of substrates is necessary to assess the drivers of bryophyte species distribution and diversity, and their role in classification of calcareous beech forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers an exploratory analysis of the links between the politics of forest and struggles over environmental data in Sweden. The term politics of data is used to analyse data production orientated to productivity-oriented forestry and the use of digital technologies that allow ordinary citizens to produce data and knowledge on forests and biodiversity in Sweden. While both processes can be understood as innovation, they differ in terms of drivers and actors. The paper proposes to approach the former process as innovation from above, and the latter process will be understood as innovation from below. In this regard, the main argument to be developed in the paper is that these two forms of innovation reveal the key role of struggles on environmental data in the political interlinkages between contemporary land and property questions in forest and forestry in Sweden. By looking at data production from below, the paper attempts to bring a more dynamic understanding of the production, use and exchange of innovations for data production in environmental conflicts. The empirical analysis of the paper is based on cases where the role of data production in discussions on forestry in Sweden show contestation about the procedures to produce data and its use through digital transformations. These cases will serve to discuss the relations between political struggles over data and knowledge produced through digital tools, how land use and property are politically contested in the context of forestry, and how digital platforms for data production and management also become tools for incipient forms of democratization of knowledge production and innovation in decision making concerning forest and biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Forestry Review is the property of Commonwealth Forestry Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of International Forestry Review is the property of Commonwealth Forestry Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper investigates the changes in species diversity and the spatial pattern of the population of a moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) forest community in the Wuyi Mountain Nature Reserve in Fujian Province, China. Using the method of space–time substitution, the composition of species and changes in the spatial patterns of different communities were analyzed by taking Phyllostachys edulis mixed forests after 0, 3, 5, 10, 15, and 40 years of enclosure as the survey object. The results showed that as the number of years of enclosure extended, the important values of the Japanese bay tree (Machilus thunbergii Sieb. & Zucc.), chinquapin (Castanopsis faberi Hance), and Masson's pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) increased continuously. These trees became the dominant species of mature forest after 40 years of enclosure. The species diversity of mature and young trees in the community generally increased in parallel with the years of enclosure, and the species diversity of the shrubs generally increased first and then decreased as the number of years of enclosure increased. With the extension of enclosure years, the average diameter at breast height of the mature trees tended to increase, indicating that there were increasing advantages of mature growth as the time of enclosure increased. With the extension of enclosure years, the pattern of spatial distribution of the mature trees in the forest community was generally an aggregated distribution. The Phyllostachys edulis forest community under the prolonged enclosure conditions responded in a positive direction and ultimately formed a more stable Phyllostachys edulis mixed forest community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests contribute to numerous ecosystem functions and services and contain a large proportion of terrestrial biodiversity, but they are being negatively impaced by anthropogenic activities. Forests that have never been clear‐cut and have old growth characteristics, termed "near‐natural," often harbor different and richer species assemblages than managed forests. Alternative management strategies may be able to balance the needs of biodiversity with the demands of forestry, but evaluation efforts are limited by the challenges of measuring biodiversity. Species richness is frequently used as a simple measure of biodiversity, but research indicates that it may not adequately capture community‐level changes. Alternatively, trait‐based measures of biodiversity may prove to be useful, but research is lacking. In this paper, we use a large dataset that includes 339 obligate saproxylic beetle species collected over a decade in the boreal region throughout southern Norway to: (1) establish if there is a difference in beetle community composition between near‐natural and managed forests; and (2) determine which measures of beetle biodiversity best indicate forest naturalness. We arranged the sites in an ordination space and tested for differences in community composition between these forest types. We also tested different measures of biodiversity to determine which were the most predictive of forest naturalness. We found a clear difference in community composition between near‐natural and managed forests. Additionally, three measures of biodiversity were most predictive of forest naturalness: proportional abundance of predators, community weighted mean (CWM) of wing length, and CWM of body roundness. The probability that a forest was near‐natural increased with the proportional abundance of predators but decreased with CWM wing length and body roundness. Although species richness was higher in near‐natural forests, the effect was not significant. Overall, our findings underscore the conservation value of near‐natural forests and highlight the potential of several measures of biodiversity for determining forest quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is focused on the description of the black mulberry (Morus nigra), its ecology and the possibilities of its in vitro propagation for quick and efficient obtaining of a large quantity of clones in a relatively short time for subsequent planting or sale. Due to ongoing climate change, it is considerable to use mulberry trees in horticulture, agroforestry and forestry under the conditions of Central Europe. The use of the mulberry is conditioned by the availability of planting stock. A proven and successful method of mulberry propagation is in vitro cultivation. Based on literature review, the recommended composition of planting media and other procedures for in vitro cultivation of mulberries are presented. The aim of the article is to inform foresters about the possibilities of using the black mulberry tree in our conditions and, using its example, to point out the possibility of using non-standard species of trees both as part of adaptation measures to the expected climate change and as one of the options for increasing the biodiversity of the landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between the spatial structure of shelter forests and the diversity of understory herbaceous plants in desert–oasis ecotones is important for maintaining biodiversity indices and protecting the oasis ecosystem. In this paper, we explore the coupling relationship between tree layer structure (competition index, angle scale, neighborhood comparison, DBH, etc.) and understory herb diversity in the transition zone of shelter forest plots near oases and near deserts; in addition, we also aim to elucidate the dominant stand structure factors affecting herb biodiversity. The results indicated the following: A total of 13 herbaceous plant species were discovered in the transitional zone, with 11 species found near the oasis area and 4 species near the desert region. The Shannon, Simpson, and Pielou indices of understory herbaceous plants were significantly higher near the oasis area compared to the desert region. The Margalef index mean was higher in the oasis area compared to the desert region. Pearson and canonical correlation analyses revealed significant associations between specific stand structure indicators and diversity in the herbaceous layer. The results of the multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the competition index had a significant impact on the Shannon, Simpson, and Pielou diversity indices of the herbaceous layer in the understory of the shelterbelt forest near the oasis, with corresponding impact coefficients of 0.911, 0.936, and 0.831, respectively. The mingling degree was found to be the primary influencing factor for the Margalef index, with an impact coefficient of 0.825. However, in the understory of the shelterbelt forest near the desert, the neighborhood comparison ratio negatively affected the Shannon and Margalef indices, with impact coefficients of −0.634 and −0.736, respectively. Additionally, tree height negatively impacted the Simpson and Pielou indices, with impact coefficients of −0.645 and −0.677, respectively. In order to enhance the diversity of understory herbaceous species in the transitional zone and preserve the ecological system of the oasis, specific modifications to the forest structure and arrangement are essential. Pruning and thinning are necessary for shelterbelt forests located near desert regions, while shelterbelt forests near oases should use a suitable mix of tree species. These measures can help preserve or enhance the diversity of understory herbaceous plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective methods for monitoring animal populations are crucial for species conservation and habitat management. Motion‐activated cameras provide an affordable method for passively surveying animal presence across the landscape but have mainly been used for studying large‐bodied mammals. This paper explores the relative abundance and habitat preferences of red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) in coniferous forests using cameras and live trapping. The study was conducted in two forests (Newborough and Pentraeth) on Anglesey, North Wales, with a total of 50 sampling locations across four habitat categories. Detailed woodland structure and composition data were gathered around each sampling location. We found a strong positive correlation between the number of individual red squirrels live trapped over 10 days with the number of camera images of squirrels recorded during a previous 5‐day period. The time interval between camera deployment and the first recorded image of a red squirrel showed a significant negative correlation with the number of individuals live trapped. Red squirrel relative abundance was negatively related to forest canopy openness, while the presence of Scots pine and increased tree species diversity were positively associated with the relative abundance of squirrels. There was also a strong site difference with lower relative abundance at Newborough compared with Pentraeth, which likely reflects the heavy thinning of mature forest at Newborough reducing tree crown connectivity. The results show that remotely activated cameras are an effective method for monitoring red squirrel populations across varying animal densities. The cameras also provided crucial information on red squirrel habitat preferences that can aid in woodland management and conservation efforts. Cameras have great potential to collect data on the population status of other small mammals, but it is essential that these methods are validated on a species‐by‐species basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of the broad disjunction between Amazonia and the Atlantic Forest on biodiversity has been the theme of several discussions in recent decades. Here, we evaluate the effects of dependence on humid environments and the role of historical factors on the level, distribution and structuring of genetic variation in widely distributed Neotropical insects. For such, we test whether climatically stable zones (i.e. refuges) in both Amazonia and the Atlantic Forest concentrate higher genetic diversity in the social paper wasps Angiopolybia pallens and Synoeca surinama. We found that historical events have avoided the interchange of A. pallens between both rainforests at least since the Early Pliocene and that ancient colonization in north-western Amazonia and the Bahia refuge significantly predicts genetic diversity in populations of this species. Conversely, the split between the Atlantic Forest and remaining western populations of S. surinama is more recent (Plio-Pleistocene); this species has considerably lower genetic diversity than A. pallens and such diversity is mostly concentrated in Amazonia and in the cerrado biome (savanna) than in the Atlantic Forest. Finally, we propose that the occurrence of species that exhibit such distribution patterns should be taken into consideration when establishing areas for conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate large-scale classification of tree species is crucial for the monitoring, protection, and management of the Earth's invaluable forest ecosystems. Numerous previous studies have recognized the suitability of satellite imagery, particularly Sentinel-2 imagery, for this task. In this study, we utilized a dense phenology Sentinel-2 time series, which offered consistent data across multiple granules, to map tree species across the entire forested area in Austria. Aiming for the classification scheme to more accurately represent actual forest conditions, we included mixed tree species and sparsely populated classes (classes with sparse canopy cover) alongside pure tree species classes. To enhance the training data for the mixed and sparse classes, synthetic data creation was employed. Autocorrelation has significant implications for the validation of thematic maps. To investigate the impact of spatial dependency on validation data, two methods were employed at numerous split and buffer distances: spatial split validation and a validation method based on a buffered ground reference probability samples provided by the National Forest inventory (NFI). While a random training data holdout set yielded 99% accuracy, the spatial split validation resulted in 74% accuracy, emphasizing the importance of accounting for spatial autocorrelation when validating with holdout sets derived from polygon-based training data. The validation based on NFI data resulted in 55% overall accuracy, 91% post-hoc pure class accuracy, and 79% accuracy when confusions in phenological proximity were disregarded (e.g., spruce–larch confused with spruce). The significant differences in accuracy observed between spatial split and NFI validation underscore the challenge for polygon-based training data to capture ground reference forest complexity, particularly in areas with diverse forests. This hardship is further accentuated by the pure class accuracy of 91%, revealing the substantial impact of mixed stands on the accuracy of tree species maps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the relationship between landscape features and avian diversity in South Korea, examining both taxonomic and functional diversity. The Korean Peninsula serves as a pivotal habitat for resident bird species and a migratory pathway in the East Asia-Pacific flyway. Using a national dataset with block sizes ranging from 3.5 to 4.5 kilometers per side, we found that less urbanized open plains exhibit higher taxonomic diversity, while coastal regions with diverse water bird populations show higher functional diversity. These findings underscore the significance of conserving the existing land types and qualities in specific regions to substantially impact bird distribution and regional biodiversity. Remarkably, closed forests display diversity patterns akin to urban/built-up areas, despite their disparate land use characteristics. The stability of bird diversity indices across different land use types enables us to predict bird diversity indices based on the particular land use and land cover configurations. This study emphasizes the complementary nature of functional biodiversity indices in comprehending bird distribution patterns alongside taxonomic diversity indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Forestry and land-use change are leading causes of habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation worldwide. The boreal forest biome is no exception, and only a small proportion of this forest type remains intact. Since forestry will remain a major land-use in this region, measures must be taken to ensure forest dependent biodiversity. Stand level features and structures promoting conservation relevant species have received much attention, but the landscape level perspective is often missing. Hence, we review the literature that has related fragmentation in the surrounding landscape to occurrence of threatened, declining, red-listed, rare, or deadwood dependent species as well as those considered to be indicator, flagship, umbrella, and/or keystone species in a given boreal forest stand. Methods: A comprehensive search string was developed, benchmarked, and adapted for four bibliographic databases, two search engines, and 37 specialist websites. The online evidence synthesis tool Cadima was used for screening of both abstracts and full texts. All articles meeting the inclusion criteria were subject to study validity assessment and included in a narrative table. Studies reporting means and variance were included in quantitative meta-analysis when more than 3 comparable studies were available. Results: The searches resulted in 20 890 unique articles that were reduced to 172 studies from 153 articles. These studies related stand level presence, abundance, species richness, and/or composition of conservation relevant species to landscape factors such as: categorical fragmentation intensity (higher vs. lower), amount of habitat or non-habitat, distance to habitat, and/or habitat configuration, on scales ranging from tens to tens of thousands of ha. Forty-three studies were suitable for meta-analysis. These showed a significant negative effect of fragmentation on both presence and abundance of conservation relevant species, as well as a near significant trend for species richness. This was particularly clear when fragmentation was measured as distance to surrounding habitat for presence, and as habitat amount for abundance. The organism groups with the strongest support for a negative effect of fragmentation were wood fungi and birds. Conclusion: As hypothesised, there is strong support for negative effects of fragmentation in boreal forest. These results emphasize the negative consequences of the intensive forestry and associated landscape transformation that has been the norm for the last century. We argue that this should have direct implications for policy makers to shift towards including a landscape perspective in all planning of harvesting, preserving, and restoring forest. In addition, we found that research effort has been very uneven between organism groups, that studies on landscape change over time were rare, and that many studies have not quantified the difference in fragmentation intensity among landscapes making it difficult to quantify the extent of the negative effect. One way forward would be to revisit the studies included here in to incorporate change over time, as well as a true quantification of landscape fragmentation. By doing so, the scale of the negative effects would be much better analysed, which would greatly assist conservation practitioners all throughout the boreal forest biome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic land use and land cover change (LULCC) is projected to continue in the future. However, the influence of forest management on forest productivity change and subsequent LULCC projections remains under‐investigated. This study explored the impacts of forest management‐induced change in forest productivity on LULCC throughout the 21st century. Specifically, we developed a framework to softly couple the Global Change Analysis Model and Global Timber Model to consider forest management‐induced forest productivity change and projected future LULCC across the five Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs). We found future increases in forest management intensity overall drive the increase of forest productivity. The forest management‐induced forest productivity change shows diverse responses across all SSPs, with a global increase from 2015 to 2100 ranging from 3.9% (SSP3) to 8.8% (SSP1). This further leads to an overall decrease in the total area with a change of land use types, with the largest decrease under SSP1 (−7.5%) and the smallest decrease under SSP3 (−0.7%) in 2100. Among land use types, considering forest management‐induced change significantly reduces the expansion of managed forest and also reduces the loss of natural land in 2100 across SSPs. This suggests that ignoring forest management‐induced forest productivity change underestimates the efficiency of wood production, overestimates the managed forest expansion required to meet the future demand, and consequently, potentially introduces uncertainties into relevant analyses, for example, carbon cycle and biodiversity. Thus, we advocate to better account for the impacts of forest management in future LULCC projections. Plain Language Summary: Land use and land cover change has shown widespread social, economic, and environmental impacts. However, the influence of forest management on forest productivity change and subsequent land use and land cover change projections remains under‐investigated. This study explored how changes in forest productivity caused by forest management practices impact land use and land cover throughout the 21st century under various social and economic scenarios. The results show that more intense forest management generally leads to more productive forests. This, in turn, results in smaller changes in land use and land cover. Increasing forest management reduces the need to expand managed forests and helps preserve natural lands by 2100. Ignoring the impact of forest management on forest productivity could lead to biases in projecting forest expansion and wood production and potentially induce uncertainties in carbon cycling and biodiversity. Our results emphasize the need to account for forest management in future projections of land use and land cover changes. Key Points: Forest management‐induced productivity change has a significant impact on future land use and land cover change (LULCC)Neglecting such impact could overestimate the managed forest expansion and natural land reduction, especially under SSP1 and SSP5We advocate considering such impacts during LULCC projection to constrain the uncertainty [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant ecological strategies are essential for assessing habitat stress and disturbance and evaluating community productivity. These strategies provide theoretical frameworks for maintaining the natural state of vegetation and enhancing productivity. The functional traits of leaves reflect a plant's responses to environmental changes and contribute to understanding ecosystem stability, providing a basis for species diversity maintenance and effective conservation efforts. The Wuyishan National Park, a biodiversity hotspot in China, is a focal point for ecological research. Its evergreen, broad-leaved forest, the zonal vegetation of Mt. Wuyi, underpins plant diversity protection in the region. This study investigates the CSR (competitor, stress-tolerator, ruderal) strategy of 126 species on Wuyi Mountain to elucidate prevalent ecological strategies. The main ecological strategy of plants in the study area is the CS (competitor, stress-tolerator) strategy. The species exhibit nine categories. The most abundant ecological strategy is S/CS (plants from Fagaceae), accounting for 38%, followed by S/CSR at 23% (plants from Theaceae), CS at 20% (plants from Fagaceae and Theaceae), and the remaining strategies collectively at 19%. The different growth habit categories showed variations in the CSR strategies. The trees clustered around a CS median strategy, with no R-selected trees observed. Shrubs and lianas centered around an S/CSR strategy, while grasses and understory shrubs clustered around CS/CSR. Redundancy analysis results indicate that leaf functional traits are primarily influenced by temperature, suggesting that temperature is the key environmental factor driving the differentiation of plant functional traits. This study provides insights into the ecological strategies of plant species in the Mt. Wuyi region, highlighting the importance of considering both biotic and abiotic factors in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Efforts to understand how pollinating insect diversity is distributed across large geographic areas are rare despite the importance of such work for conserving regional diversity. We sought to relate the diversity of bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea), hover flies (Diptera: Syrphidae), and butterflies (Lepidoptera) to ecoregion, landscape context, canopy openness, and forest composition across southeastern U.S. forests. Location: Nineteen experimental forests across nine states in the southeastern U.S. Methods: We established 5–7 plots on each experimental forest. In each, we sampled pollinators monthly (March–September) using coloured pan traps, and collected data on local forest characteristics. We used the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) to quantify surrounding landcover at different spatial scales. Results: Bee richness was negatively correlated with both the amount of conifer (pine) forest and the extent of wetlands in the surrounding landscape but was positively correlated with canopy openness. Hover flies and butterflies were less sensitive to landscape context and stand conditions. Pollinator communities differed considerably among ecoregions, with those of the Central Appalachian and Coastal Plain ecoregions being particularly distinct. Bee richness and abundance peaked 2 months earlier in Central Appalachia than in the Coastal Plain and Southeastern Mixed Forest ecoregions. Main Conclusions: Our findings reveal ecoregional differences in pollinator communities across the southeastern U.S. and highlight the importance of landscape context and local forest conditions to this diverse fauna. The closed broadleaf forests of Appalachia and the open conifer‐dominated forests of the Coastal Plain support particularly distinct pollinator communities with contrasting seasonality. Our results suggest pine forests may reduce pollinator diversity in regions historically dominated by broadleaf forests. However, efforts to create more open canopies can help improve conditions for pollinators in planted pine forests. Research exploring associations between forest pollinators and different broadleaf tree taxa is needed to better anticipate the impacts of various management activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation and sustainable management of lineages providing non‐timber forest products are imperative under the current global biodiversity loss. Most non‐timber forest species, however, lack genomic studies that characterize their intraspecific variation and evolutionary history, which inform species' conservation practices. Contrary to many lineages in the Andean biodiversity hotspot that exhibit high diversification, the genus Parajubaea (Arecaceae) has only three species despite the genus' origin 22 million years ago. Two of the three palm species, P. torallyi and P. sunkha, are non‐timber forest species endemic to the Andes of Bolivia and are listed as IUCN endangered. The third species, P. cocoides, is a vulnerable species with unknown wild populations. We investigated the evolutionary relationships of Parajubaea species and the genetic diversity and structure of wild Bolivian populations. Sequencing of five low‐copy nuclear genes (3753 bp) challenged the hypothesis that P. cocoides is a cultigen that originated from the wild Bolivian species. We further obtained up to 15,134 de novo single‐nucleotide polymorphism markers by genotyping‐by‐sequencing of 194 wild Parajubaea individuals. Our total DNA sequencing effort rejected the taxonomic separation of the two Bolivian species. As expected for narrow endemic species, we observed low genetic diversity, but no inbreeding signal. We found three genetic clusters shaped by geographic distance, which we use to propose three management units. Different percentages of missing genotypic data did not impact the genetic structure of populations. We use the management units to recommend in situ conservation by creating new protected areas, and ex situ conservation through seed collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Forest ecosystems are crucial for maintaining high levels of bacterial diversity and containing high amounts of carbon (C), both of which play essential roles in regulating C cycling in the soil and atmosphere through the processes of soil respiration and plant photosynthesis. However, how bacterial communities and different soil carbon components (e.g., soil organic carbon (SOC), readily oxidizable organic carbon (ROC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and microbial biomass carbon (MBC)) impact the soil respiration remains largely unknown. Therefore, we hypothesize that belowground bacterial communities and soil carbon contribute to soil respiration, which further influences soil carbon storage. Methods: We collected 24 soil samples from Mount Lu (subtropical forest ecosystem, China) along an elevation gradient consisting in eight levels. Here, we used high-throughput sequencing to detect bacterial alpha and beta diversity. We also measured several soil carbon variables, including SOC, ROC, DOC, and MBC. Particularly, regression analysis, structural equation modeling and random forest analysis were applied to explore the effects of bacterial diversity and soil carbon on soil respiration using R-3.6.2. Results: The results showed that soil respiration has a clearly positive linear regression (R2 = 0.35–0.61, p < 0.01) with all measured soil carbon components, including SOC, ROC, DOC, and MBC. Bacterial communities composition was significantly divergent along the elevation levels, primarily due to species replacement. Random forest and structural equation modeling analysis confirmed that soil carbon and bacterial beta diversity were the significant driving forces behind soil respiration. Additionally, bacterial communities composition significantly impacted changes in soil respiration, with five identified rare bacterial phyla (WPS-2, Gemmatimonadetes, Verrucomicrobia, Planctomycetes, and Cyanobacteria) significantly correlated with soil respiration. Meanwhile, random forest regression analysis showed that rare bacterial taxa, rather than abundant ones, were the primary bacterial predictors of soil respiration. Conclusion: Taken together, belowground bacterial communities and soil carbon variables jointly contribute to soil respiration in a subtropical forest, and further regulate soil C storage as well as even influence climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the dynamics of forest structure complexity is a critical task in times of global warming, biodiversity loss and increasing disturbances in order to ensure the resilience of forests. Recent studies on forest biodiversity and forest structure emphasize the essential functions of deadwood accumulation and diversification of light conditions for the enhancement of structural complexity. The implementation of an experimental patch‐network in managed broad‐leaved forests within Germany enables the standardized analysis of various aggregated and distributed treatments characterized through diverse deadwood and light structures. To monitor the dynamics of enhanced forest structure complexity as seasonal and trend components, dense time‐series from high spatial resolution imagery of Sentinel‐1 (Synthetic‐Aperture Radar, SAR) and Sentinel‐2 (multispectral) are analyzed in time‐series decomposition models (BEAST, Bayesian Estimator of Abrupt change, Seasonal change and Trend). Based on several spatial statistics and a comprehensive catalog on spectral indices, metrics from Sentinel‐1 (n = 84) and Sentinel‐2 (n = 903) are calculated at patch‐level. Metrics best identifying the treatment implementation event are assessed by change point dates and probability scores. Heterogeneity metrics of Sentinel‐1 VH and Sentinel‐2 NMDI (Normalized Multi‐band Drought Index) capture the treatment implementation event most accurately, with clear advantages for the identification of aggregated treatments. In addition, aggregated structures of downed or no deadwood can be characterized, as well as more complex standing structures, such as snags or habitat trees. To conclude, dense time‐series of complementary high spatial resolution sensors have the potential to assess various aggregated forest structure complexities, thus supporting the continuous monitoring of forest habitats and functioning over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spending time in forests benefits human well‐being, but the importance of forest characteristics on well‐being is unclear. This knowledge could help guide forest management decisions to improve outcomes for both people and nature.The overall aim of this study was to investigate how psychological restoration, defined as psychological recovery processes in nature, may be supported by forest characteristics. We (1) investigated how perceptions of restoration (perceived restorativeness) were linked to specific forest characteristics. More specifically, we selected attributes included in nature protection legislation in Germany (beauty, diversity and uniqueness) as the basis to evaluate how forest characteristics were related to perceived restorativeness. Additionally, we (2) tested differences in the assessments of these attributes between forestry experts and people from the general public. Based on the results of the first two objectives (1, 2), we (3) predicted how forest management that affects forest characteristics may impact psychological restoration today and in the future.We developed a perceived restorativeness model based on attributes stated in the German Nature Conservation Act and specific forest structure variables. Drawing from the literature, we included perceived naturalness as an additional key predictor for restoration. Forestry experts and participants from the general public were then asked to rate computer‐generated forest stand pictures on these attributes and restorativeness.We found that all attributes were positively associated with perceived restorativeness, but perceived beauty was most important. Perceived uniqueness was statistically significant, but the strength of the relationship was weak. Mixed forests were rated as most beautiful, while coniferous forest stands were rated as least beautiful. The general public gave higher ratings than forestry experts on all attributes, but the pattern was similar. Based on participant ratings, forests left without management (Set‐aside), followed by forests with management aiming for resilience to climate change (Adaptation forestry), both supporting biodiversity conservation, showed the highest perceived restorativeness over the course of 100 years.Based on our results, it could be recommendable to increase forest diversity, especially in areas with many visitors. However, more nuanced knowledge involving diverse stakeholders is needed to inform forest management decisions on landscape level. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat degradation and fragmentation are two of the main drivers for biodiversity loss. To mitigate the negative impact of fragmentation in forests, conservation targets are increasingly addressing connectivity to facilitate the independent movement of species between habitat fragments to ensure genetic diversity and adaptation to climate change. In this article, we present a novel approach to identifying and prioritizing stepping stones for preserving connectivity based on national and regional biodiversity data for Austrian forest ecosystems. Our study identified forest areas where conservation measures should be taken to ensure future habitat connectivity by combining four indicator values with different requirements of a stepping stone habitat into a prioritization value. The four compounded indicators are: (i) the Protect Value, which includes distances to patches of protected areas with restricted management for the undisturbed development of retention areas, (ii) the Connect Value, which combines datasets of designated habitat corridors and connectivity areas in Austria based on landscape models and expert validation, (iii) the Species Value identifying species‐rich areas, and (iv) the Habitat Value identifying biotopes of high ecological value, key biodiversity areas, and sites of favorable protection status. Nonparametric tests revealed significant differences in prioritization value among the ecoregions of Austria and therefore encourage the consideration of stepping stone prioritization at local and regional context. Building upon the insights from this case study on Austrian forest ecosystems, we developed a robust framework derived from our methodology. This framework is designed to facilitate future implementations in diverse study regions, accounting for factors beyond connectivity crucial for identifying high value stepping stone habitats. We encourage adaptation of this framework to local data availability, species requirements, and local conditions. The compiled framework provides decision support for managers and conservationists for prioritizing areas to conserve and improve connectivity of forest habitats. However, it does not substitute on‐the‐ground field assessments of habitat quality and measures of functional connectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of Monema flavescens (Lepidoptera, Limacodidae), following the commodity risk assessment of Acer palmatum plants grafted on A. davidii from China, in which M. flavescens was identified as a pest of possible concern to the European Union. This species can be identified by morphological taxonomic keys and by barcoding. The adults of the overwintering generation emerge from late June to late August. The eggs are laid in groups on the underside of the host‐plant leaves, on which the larvae feed throughout their six to eight larval instars. Pupation occurs in ovoid cocoons at the junction between twigs and branches, or on the trunk. Overwintering occurs as fully grown larvae or prepupae in their cocoon. There are one or two generations per year. M. flavescens is polyphagous and feeds on broadleaves; it has been reported on 51 plant species belonging to 24 families. It mainly occurs in Asia (Bhutan, China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Japan, Nepal, the Republic of Korea), Russia (Eastern Siberia) and Taiwan. It is also present in the USA (Massachusetts). The pest's flight capacities are unknown. The main pathway for entry and spread is plants for planting with cocoons attached. This is partially closed by prohibition of some hosts. In several EU member states climatic conditions are conducive for establishment and many host plants are widespread. Introduction of M. flavescens may result in defoliations influencing tree health and forest diversity. The caterpillars also have urticating spines affecting human health. Phytosanitary measures are available to reduce the likelihood of entry, establishment and spread, and there is a definite potential for classical biological control. Recognising that natural enemies prevent M. flavescens being regarded as a pest in Asia, there is uncertainty regarding the magnitude of potential impact in EU depending on the influence of natural enemies. All criteria assessed by EFSA for consideration as a potential quarantine pest are met. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global biodiversity is negatively affected by anthropogenic climate change. As species distributions shift due to increasing temperatures and precipitation fluctuations, many species face the risk of extinction. In this study, we explore the expected trend for plant species distributions in Central America and southern Mexico under two alternative Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) portraying moderate (RCP4.5) and severe (RCP8.5) increases in greenhouse gas emissions, combined with two species dispersal assumptions (limited and unlimited), for the 2061–2080 climate forecast. Using an ensemble approach employing three techniques to generate species distribution models, we classified 1924 plant species from the region's (sub)tropical forests according to IUCN Red List categories. To infer the spatial and taxonomic distribution of species' vulnerability under each scenario, we calculated the proportion of species in a threat category (Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered) at a pixel resolution of 30 arc seconds and by family. Our results show a high proportion (58–67%) of threatened species among the four experimental scenarios, with the highest proportion under RCP8.5 and limited dispersal. Threatened species were concentrated in montane areas and avoided lowland areas where conditions are likely to be increasingly inhospitable. Annual precipitation and diurnal temperature range were the main drivers of species' relative vulnerability. Our approach identifies strategic montane areas and taxa of conservation concern that merit urgent inclusion in management plans to improve climatic resilience in the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot. Such information is necessary to develop policies that prioritize vulnerable elements and mitigate threats to biodiversity under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity appears to strongly suppress pathogens and pests in many plant and animal systems. However, this "dilution effect" is not consistently detected, and when present can vary strikingly in magnitude. Here, we use forest inventory data from over 25,000 plots (>1.1 million sampled trees) to quantify the strength of the dilution effect on dozens of forest pests and clarify why some pests are particularly sensitive to biodiversity. Using Bayesian hierarchical models, we show that pest prevalence is frequently lower in highly diverse forests, but there is considerable variability in the magnitude of this dilution effect among pests. The strength of dilution was not closely associated with host specialization or pest nativity. Instead, pest prevalence was lower in forests where co-occurring tree species were more distantly related to a pest's preferred hosts. Our analyses indicate that host evolutionary history and forest composition are key to understanding how species diversity may dilute the impacts of tree pests, with important implications for predicting how future biodiversity change may affect the spread and distribution of damaging forest pests. Biodiversity appears to strongly suppress pathogens and pests in many plant and animal systems, but this 'dilution effect' can vary strikingly in magnitude. This study uses forest inventory data from over 25,000 plots to show that the prevalence of tree pests is jointly controlled by the diversity and phylogenetic composition of forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Standardizing and translating species names from different databases is key to the successful integration of data sources in biodiversity research. There are numerous taxonomic name-resolution applications that implement increasingly powerful namecleaning and matching approaches, allowing the user to resolve species relative to multiple backbones simultaneously. Yet there remains no principled approach for combining information across these underlying taxonomic backbones, complicating efforts to combine and merge species lists with inconsistent and conflicting taxonomic information. Here, we present Treemendous, an open-source software package for the R programming environment that integrates taxonomic relationships across four publicly available backbones to improve the name resolution of tree species. By mapping relationships across the backbones, this package can be used to resolve datasets with conflicting and inconsistent taxonomic origins, while ensuring the resulting species are accepted and consistent with a single reference backbone. The user can chain together different functionalities ranging from simple matching to a single backbone, to graphbased iterative matching using synonym-accepted relations across all backbones in the database. In addition, the package allows users to 'translate' one tree species list into another, streamlining the assimilation of new data into preexisting datasets or models. The package provides a flexible workflow depending on the use case, and can either be used as a stand-alone name-resolution package or in conjunction with existing packages as a final step in the name-resolution pipeline. The Treemendous package is fast and easy to use, allowing users to quickly merge different data sources by standardizing their species names according to the regularly updated database. By combining taxonomic information across multiple backbones, the package increases matching rates and minimizes data loss, allowing for more efficient translation of tree species datasets to aid research into forest biodiversity and tree ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resource depletion, land-use change, and population growth triggered by the industrial revolution represent serious issues shared globally that have altered the structure, processes, and functions of ecosystems and had significant impacts on human well-being and survival security. This paper assesses changes in ecosystem service values (ESVs) in karst areas based on the perspective of land-use change. Guizhou province, which is typical of the South China Karst (SCK) ecologically fragile areas, was taken as a research subject. The past, current, and future spatial-temporal evolution of karst ESVs were assessed, using equivalence factors and CA-Markov modelling methods. The results show that: (1) from 1980 to 2040, arable land, woodland, and grassland occupy the main land types in the study area; at the same time, the water and built-up areas show a steady growth trend, with dramatic land use shifts occurring in the western, middle, and northern parts. (2) The overall ESVs increased by US$ 31.12 million during the study period, showing a temporal change trend of first decreasing and then increasing; forest land, grassland, and arable land area shift are the main factors of ESVs change; soil conservation, biodiversity conservation, and gas regulation functions are enhanced and play a vital role in the single ESVs increase; ESVs show a basin-type spatial distribution pattern. (3) The sensitivity index is <1, the ESV is inelastic to the VC factor adjustment, and the results are true and valid. This paper found that using quantitative methods to predict land use change of the South China Karst can provide accurate assessment of the differences in supply and demand for natural and social ecosystem services (ES) in a region, clarifying the trade-offs and synergies of ecosystem service functions, contributing to the achievement of sustainable development, and providing a practical reference for global land landscape optimization and land resource planners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of an analysis of the effects of Poland's forest management evolution over the last 75 years on forest biodiversity at the ecosystem level. Forest biodiversity changes in the two politically and economically different eras (socialism and democracy) are interpreted based on four indicators used in assessments of forest stands (naturalness; habitat diversity; forest management system; forest stand age structure). In the era of socialism (1945–1989), there were dynamic increases in the area of semi-natural forests as well as in the proportion of the most fertile habitats, whilst the proportion of the poorest habitats decreased quite dynamically. Then, the clearcutting management system was regularly implemented, with adverse impacts on forest spatial structure diversity. The proportion of old/mature tree stands and the stand average age increased at relatively slow rates. In the era of democracy (1990–2020), there were comparatively more dynamic increases observed in the area of forests undisturbed by man, as well as in the proportions of mixed broadleaved and wetland forest habitats. At the same time, the proportion of old/mature stands and stand average age kept increasing at relatively fast rates. The area of forests managed with the use of the shelterwood system increased and the area of forest plantations substantially decreased. On the other hand, irrespective of the era under study, there occurred a noticeable not-so-favourable decreasing trend in the proportion of the youngest forest stands. All in all, during the analysed period of more than seven decades, the evolution of forest management practice implemented in Poland's forests by State Forests National Forest Holding led to the restoration of/an increase in biodiversity at the ecosystem level. Yet, there have remained unsolved issues, as regards the following aspects: organisational (the assurance of further reconstruction of forest stands, and the restoration of water profiles), political (a lack of up-to-date national forest policy), and financial (the costs of protecting/restoring biodiversity vs. State Forests' self-financing), as well as conceptual (old-growth stands in managed forests, and controversy over clearcutting) and natural/anthropogenic (climate change, and the eutrophication of forest habitats) issues. The solutions may require measures outside the limits of Poland's forestry, if not far beyond national borders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a complex interaction between lightning-caused fire behavior and the flora and fauna of the forest, which involves the influence of a large number of ecological factors. However, more comprehensive simulation studies under multi-system interactions between lightning ignition, forest fire spread, and animal behavior are not well developed. In this paper, we propose a forest ecosystem model based on the Agent-based modelling approach to explore the detailed linkages between different forms of lightning-caused fires and forest biodiversity. The model simulates the lightning ignition, fire spread, vegetation burning and recovery, and multi-species-survival dynamics. The experimental results show the sensitivity between environmental parameters and the magnitude of lightning-caused fires, and the beneficial ecological consequences of lightning-caused fires on forest ecosystems. By exploring detailed linkages between different forms of lightning-caused fires and forest biodiversity, we provide theoretical insights and reference suggestions for forest system governance and biodiversity conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests are an essential part of the ecosystem and play an irreplaceable role in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem and protecting biodiversity. The monitoring of forest distribution plays an important role in the conservation and management of forests. This paper analyzes and compares the performance of imagery from GF-1 WFV, Landsat 8, and Sentinel-2 satellites with respect to forest/non-forest classification tasks using the random forest algorithm (RF). The results show that in the classification task of this paper, although the differences in classification accuracy among the three satellite datasets are not remarkable, the Sentinel-2 data have the highest accuracy, GF-1 WFV the second highest, and Landsat 8 the lowest. In addition, it was found that remotely sensed data of different processing levels show little influence on the classification accuracy with respect to the forest/non-forest classification task. However, the classification accuracy of the top of the atmosphere reflectance product was the most stable, and the vegetation index has a marginal effect on the distinction between forest and non-forest areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1 Forested landscapes as multidisciplinary spaces contributing to all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (modified from Mansourian [12]) However, forest landscapes are under pressure with the loss of forest areas by conversion to other land uses and degradation of existing forests, and reduced biodiversity. The paper of Jandl et al. ([11]) considers the strategy of non-management and of the reliance solely on natural forest dynamics as an optimal approach for adapting forests to climate change. Forests and forest landscapes, characterised by dominant forest areas with other embedded land uses, fulfil multiple essential ecosystem services (ES). With this, forests and forest landscapes may lose their characteristic structural and ecological features, and societies worldwide face diminishing levels of ecosystem services provided by forest landscapes. [Extracted from the article]

With this, forests and forest landscapes may lose their characteristic structural and ecological features, and societies worldwide face diminishing levels of ecosystem services provided by forest landscapes. Forests and forest landscapes, characterised by dominant forest areas with other embedded land uses, fulfil multiple essential ecosystem services (ES). 1 Forested landscapes as multidisciplinary spaces contributing to all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (modified from Mansourian [12]) However, forest landscapes are under pressure with the loss of forest areas by conversion to other land uses and degradation of existing forests, and reduced biodiversity. The paper of Jandl et al. ([11]) considers the strategy of non-management and of the reliance solely on natural forest dynamics as an optimal approach for adapting forests to climate change. [Extracted from the article]