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This study assessed the impact of altitude, precipitation, and soil conditions on species richness (SR), phylogenetic diversity (PD), and functional diversity (FD) standardized effect sizes in subtropical Brazilian Atlantic Forest tree communities. We considered specific trait information (FDs) for FD, reflecting recent adaptive evolution, contrasting with deeper phylogenetic constraints in FD. Three functional traits (leaf area‐LA, wood density‐WD, and seed mass‐SM) were examined for their response to these gradients. Generalized least squares models with environmental variables as predictors and diversity metrics as response variables were used, and a fourth‐corner correlation test explored trait‐environmental relationships. SR decreased with altitude, while PD increased, indicating niche convergence at higher altitudes. Leaf area and seed mass diversity also decreased with altitude. For LA, both FD and FDs were significant, reflecting filtering processes influenced by phylogenetic inheritance and recent trait evolution. For SM, only the specific trait structure responded to altitude. LA and SM showed significant trait‐environmental relationships, with smaller‐leaved and lighter‐seeded species dominant at higher altitudes. Soil gradients affect diversity. Fertile soils have a wider range of LA, indicating coexistence of species with different nutrient acquisition strategies. WD variation is lower for FDs. SM diversity has different relationships with soil fertility for FDs and FD, suggesting phylogeny influences trait variation. Soil pH influences WD and LA under acidic soils, with deeper phylogenetic constraints (FD). Environmental factors impact tree communities, with evidence of trait variation constraints driven by conditions and resources. Subtropical Atlantic forests' tree assemblies are mainly influenced by altitude, pH, and soil fertility, selecting fewer species and narrower trait spectra under specific conditions (e.g., higher altitudes, pH). Functional diversity patterns reflect both phylogenetic and recent evolution constraints, with varying strength across traits and conditions. These findings highlight the intricate processes shaping long‐lived species assembly across diverse environments in the Southern Brazilian Atlantic Forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid economic development can pose a threat to the biodiversity of tropical countries. In Laos, this is manifested by the conversion of natural forests into plantations, even though this area is one of the biodiversity hotspots of Southeast Asia. Beetle communities can be good indicators of the impact of anthropogenic pressure on natural ecosystems. In this study, we analyzed for the first time a large‐scale inventory of Coleoptera to assess the ecological and anthropogenic drivers of beetle communities in Laos. We examined beetle communities (described at the family level) across the country, located in distinct habitat types, in order to understand the impact of the conversion of natural forest into plantations. We found that beetle abundance had declined in plantations compared to natural forests. At the same time, we observed fewer beetle families in plantations overall, but at the scale of sampling sites there was no difference in local richness compared to natural forests, suggesting a homogenization of beetle communities in anthropogenic habitats. Although results are certainly sensitive to our coarse classification of beetle specimens into families, the negative impact of the conversion of natural tropical forests into agriculture area can still be clearly demonstrated. Our findings highlight that it is possible to make use of unstructured large‐scale inventories to explore how beetle communities responds to landscape changes induced by human activities. We suggest that sampling beetle communities can be used as an ecological indicator to monitor anthropogenic impacts on tropical ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retention of structural elements such as deadwood and habitat trees at the level of forest stands has been promoted to integrate biodiversity conservation into multiple‐use forest management. The conservation value of habitat trees is largely determined by the presence, richness, and abundance of tree‐related microhabitats (TreMs). Since TreMs are often lacking in intensively managed forests, an important question of forest conservation is how the abundance and richness of TreMs may be effectively restored. Here, we investigated whether the strict protection of forest through cessation of timber harvesting influenced TreM occurrence at tree and stand levels. For that purpose, we compared four managed and four set‐aside stands (0.25 ha each) in the Białowieża Forest, with identical origin following clear‐cuts approximately 100 years ago. We found that the abundance and richness of TreMs on living trees were not significantly different between stands that were either conventionally managed or where active forest management ceased 52 years ago. Yet, our analysis of TreMs on tree species with contrasting life‐history traits revealed that short‐lived, fast‐growing species (pioneers) developed TreMs quicker than longer‐lived, slower‐growing species. Hence, tree species such as Populus or Betula, which supply abundant and diverse TreMs, can play an important role in accelerating habitat restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tree plantings have the potential to increase species diversity and sequester carbon, yet planting failure and early mortality pose significant barriers to their success. Biodiversity‐ecosystem function theory suggests that diverse tree plantings could improve survival outcomes through either the portfolio or facilitation effect, yet there remain few tests of this hypothesis. Here, we use a large‐scale tree‐diversity experiment (BiodiversiTREE), with monitoring of nearly 8,000 individual trees to test whether (1) tree species diversity increases survival rates, (2) tree diversity stabilizes the risk of planting failure, and/or (3) diversity effects are important relative to other common drivers of seedling mortality (e.g. herbivory and soil moisture). We found that only species identity significantly impacted the likelihood of survival, not plant functional diversity nor plot species richness nor phylogenetic diversity. There were minor effects of elevation and soil moisture on survival, but both explained a very small amount of variation in the data (r2marg ≤ 0.011). Higher tree diversity did, however, strongly reduce variation in survival across plots, with nearly 2‐fold higher coefficients of variation in monocultures (30.4%, 28.4–32.6% 95% bootstrapped confidence interval) compared to 4‐ (16.3%, 13.8–18.7%) and 12‐species plots (12.8%, 10.8–14.7%). Ultimately, our results suggest that employing diverse species can lower the risk of planting failure (i.e. the portfolio effect), but that species selection still plays a large role in early establishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite widespread concerns about the anthropogenic drivers of global pollinator declines, little information is available about the impacts of land management practices on wild bees outside of agricultural systems, including in forests managed intensively for wood production. We assessed changes in wild bee communities with time since harvest in 60 intensively managed Douglas‐fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) stands across a gradient in stand ages spanning a typical harvest rotation. We measured bee abundance, species richness, and alpha and beta diversity, as well as habitat characteristics (i.e., floral resources, nesting substrates, understory vegetation, and early seral forest in the surrounding landscape) during the spring and summer of 2018 and 2019. We found that bee abundance and species richness declined rapidly with stand age, decreasing by 61% and 48%, respectively, for every 5 years since timber harvest. Asymptotic estimates of Shannon and Simpson diversity were highest in stands 6–10 years post‐harvest and lowest after the forest canopy had closed, ~11 years post‐harvest. Bee communities in older stands were nested subsets of bee communities found in younger stands, indicating that changes were due to species loss rather than turnover as the stands aged. Bee abundance—but not species richness—was positively associated with floral resource density, and neither metric was associated with floral richness. The amount of early seral forest in the surrounding landscape seemed to enhance bee species richness in older, closed‐canopy stands, but otherwise had little effect. Changes in the relative abundance of bee species did not relate to bee functional characteristics such as sociality, diet breadth, or nesting substrate. Our study demonstrates that Douglas‐fir plantations develop diverse communities of wild bees shortly after harvest, but those communities erode rapidly over time as forest canopies close. Therefore, stand‐scale management activities that prolong the precanopy closure period and enhance floral resources during the initial stage of stand regeneration will provide the greatest opportunity to enhance bee diversity in landscapes dominated by intensively managed conifer forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is commonly expected that exotic plants experience reduced herbivory, but experimental evidence for such enemy release is still controversial. One reason for conflicting results might be that community context has rarely been accounted for, although the surrounding plant diversity may moderate enemy release. Here, we tested the effects of focal tree origin and surrounding tree diversity on herbivore abundance and leaf damage in a cross‐Atlantic tree‐diversity experiment in Canada and Germany. We evaluated six European tree species paired with six North American congeners in both their native and exotic range, expecting lower herbivory for the exotic tree species in each pair at each site. Such reciprocal experiments have long been called for, but have not been realized thus far. In addition to a thorough evaluation of overall enemy release effects, we tested whether enemy release effects changed with the surrounding tree diversity. Herbivore abundance was indeed consistently lower on exotics across all six tree genera (12 comparisons). This effect of exotic status was independent of the continent, phylogenetic relatedness, and surrounding tree diversity. In contrast, leaf damage associated with generalist leaf chewers was consistently higher on North American tree species. Interestingly, several species of European weevils were the most abundant leaf chewers on both continents and the dominant herbivores at the Canadian site. Thus, most observed leaf damage is likely to reflect the effect of generalist herbivores that feed heavily on plant species with which they have not evolved. At the German site, sap suckers were the dominant herbivores and showed a pattern consistent with enemy release. Taken together, the consistently lower herbivory on exotics on both continents is not purely a pattern of enemy release in the strictest sense, but to some degree additionally reflects the susceptibility of native plants to invasive herbivores. In conclusion, our cross‐Atlantic study is consistent with the idea that nonnative trees have generally reduced herbivory, regardless of tree community diversity and species identity, but for different reasons depending on the dominant herbivore guild. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Franklin ([30]) wrote, "There is also a critical need to integrate biodiversity objectives into management of all our landscapes because preservation of selected tracts of land, even at the largest scale possible, will not by itself achieve the desired goal of maintaining Earth's biodiversity." Recognizing the complex socio-economic nature of the biodiversity crisis, this commentary proposes the expansion of indigenous territories and protected areas, the establishment of a global biodiversity monitoring network, and the training of a new generation of translational ecologists, as potential pathways toward a more promising future. Keywords: conservation outcomes; historical perspective; translational ecology; tropical biodiversity EN conservation outcomes historical perspective translational ecology tropical biodiversity 729 736 8 07/11/23 20230701 NES 230701 This commentary examines the dynamics of tropical conservation science, the translation of scientific insights into practical conservation actions, and the resulting conservation outcomes over the last 35 years, using Biodiversity (Wilson & Peters, 1988) as a point of reference. Biodiversity (Wilson & Peters, 1988) revisited: How has tropical conservation science changed in the last 35 years?. [Extracted from the article]

Scientists have deemed existing protected areas in European forests insufficient to halt and reverse biodiversity loss resulting from ongoing intensification of management. In Sweden, protected areas are therefore complemented with the so‐called areas of high conservation value (AHCVs), that is, landscapes encompassing both protected and assumed biodiversity‐valuable areas as well as surrounding land, where managers should pay increased attention to biodiversity. However, it is not known whether AHCVs are chosen so that the species they are intended to benefit inhabit such AHCVs to a higher degree. We investigated whether the occurrence and abundance of bird species that may be particularly vulnerable to intense forest management were higher in Swedish forest landscapes proposed as AHCVs compared with other forest landscapes. To this end, we fitted a joint species distribution model to bird count data for 70 forest bird species from a standardized Swedish bird monitoring scheme. Twelve of the 20 forest specialists (60%) were detected to occur more often inside AHCVs than outside, whereas no forest specialist was less likely to occur inside AHCVs. For forest generalists, the corresponding figures were 28% and 18%, respectively. Six of 15 red‐listed species (40%) were detectably more likely to occur inside AHCVs. The relationship between AHCV status of landscapes and the abundance of individual species was not as consistently negative or positive. The higher occurrence of specialists and threatened species inside AHCVs than outside of them suggests that if managed correctly, AHCVs are important habitat for a considerable part of the specialized forest avifauna in Sweden. We conclude that AHCVs represent an opportunity for designing green infrastructure benefitting Swedish forest biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amami‐Oshima and Tokunoshima Islands (the Amami Islands) are part of an important area for biogeography in Japan. Although the uniqueness of the islands' flora is well recognized, their plant diversity, including non‐tree life forms, has yet to be compared with that of other regions. Here, we characterize the plant community structure of the Amami Islands, and analyze the α and β diversity patterns with respect to environmental factors as well as the frequency of threatened and endemic species compared with that in regions at higher and lower latitudes. We used 5 × 100 m plots at seven sites on the Amami Islands, three sites further north, and one site further south to record the abundance of all vascular plant species and tree sizes. We also used tree census data from five plots from the Monitoring Sites 1000 Project. Three principal components from five environmental variables were used as factors affecting diversity. We found that the broad‐leaved evergreen forests on the Amami Islands have higher α diversity resulting from species richness anomalies in shared families among regions. Additionally, generalized linear mixed models indicated that temperature and altitude affect α diversity positively. Furthermore, multiple regression models on distance matrices showed that temperature and regional differences in weather conditions affect β diversity. Tree species were found to affect species diversity and rareness, but herbaceous plants also affect these parameters substantially. These results indicate that the two studied islands are biodiversity hotspots and that evaluating herbaceous species is important for determining forest biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Our understanding of the mechanisms that maintain forest diversity under changing climate can benefit from knowledge about traits that are closely linked to fitness. We tested whether the link between traits and seed number and seed size is consistent with two hypotheses, termed the leaf economics spectrum and the plant size syndrome, or whether reproduction represents an independent dimension related to a seed size–seed number trade‐off. Location: Most of the data come from Europe, North and Central America and East Asia. A minority of the data come from South America, Africa and Australia. Time period: 1960–2022. Major taxa studied: Trees. Methods: We gathered 12 million observations of the number of seeds produced in 784 tree species. We estimated the number of seeds produced by individual trees and scaled it up to the species level. Next, we used principal components analysis and generalized joint attribute modelling (GJAM) to map seed number and size on the tree traits spectrum. Results: Incorporating seed size and number into trait analysis while controlling for environment and phylogeny with GJAM exposes relationships in trees that might otherwise remain hidden. Production of the large total biomass of seeds [product of seed number and seed size; hereafter, species seed productivity (SSP)] is associated with high leaf area, low foliar nitrogen, low specific leaf area (SLA) and dense wood. Production of high seed numbers is associated with small seeds produced by nutrient‐demanding species with softwood, small leaves and high SLA. Trait covariation is consistent with opposing strategies: one fast‐growing, early successional, with high dispersal, and the other slow‐growing, stress‐tolerant, that recruit in shaded conditions. Main conclusions: Earth system models currently assume that reproductive allocation is indifferent among plant functional types. Easily measurable seed size is a strong predictor of the seed number and species seed productivity. The connection of SSP with the functional traits can form the first basis of improved fecundity prediction across global forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restoration of forests is now considered an essential tool to combat climate change and the global biodiversity decline. However, our understanding of how animal communities recover after restoration interventions in tropical forests is limited. Here, we aim to reveal the recovery patterns of fruit‐feeding butterfly communities across a large‐scale rainforest restoration area in Kibale National Park, Uganda. Our study represents a chronosequence resampling of fruit‐feeding butterfly communities across actively restored Afrotropical forest planted between 1995 and 2011 and primary forest reference sites. Sampling of 40 study sites was done first in the period 2011–2012 and again in the period 2020–2021 (including 5 new study sites), allowing a direct comparison of how communities have changed in nine years and to follow the progress of 26 years of active restoration. Fruit‐feeding butterfly community composition showed a directional pattern from the younger restored to older restored and primary forests. However, over the nine years, the similarity of community composition to primary forest increased only in younger restored forests. Furthermore, different characteristics of community structure and different diversity facets recovered at different paces. For example, the count of individuals, the count of species, and phylogenetic diversity increased in the restored forests; however, Simpson's diversity increased only in the older restored forest. Our study shows that active restoration can help fruit‐feeding butterfly communities become increasingly similar to communities found in primary forests, and such changes can be relatively fast in the early‐successional phases of tropical forests but slow down at later phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Climate change is affecting biodiversity at an accelerating rate. Despite the importance of fungi in ecosystems in general, and in the global carbon and nitrogen cycle in particular, there is little research on the response of fungi to climate change compared with plants and animals. Earlier studies show that climatic factors and tree species are key determinants of macrofungal diversity and distribution at large spatial scales. However, our knowledge of how climate change will affect macrofungal diversity and distribution in the future remains poorly understood. Location: Europe. Methods: Using openly available occurrence data of 1845 macrofungal species from eight European countries (i.e. Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, France and Spain), we built ensemble species distribution models to predict macrofungal response to climate change alone and combined climate and tree distribution change under the IPCC special report on 2080 emissions scenarios (SRES A2 and B2). Results: Considering climate change alone, we predict that about 77% (74.1%–80.7%) of the modelled species will expand their distribution range, and around 57% (56.1%–58.4%) of the modelled area will have an increase in macrofungal species richness. However, when considering the combined climate and tree species distribution change, only 50% (50%–50.9%) of the species are predicted to expand their distribution range and 49% (47.4%–51.1%) of the modelled area will experience an increase in macrofungal species richness. Main Conclusions: Overall, our models projected that large areas would exhibit increased macrofungal species richness under future climate change. However, tree species distribution might play a restrictive role in the future distributional shifts of macrofungi. In addition, macrofungal responses appear heterogeneous, varying among species and regions. Our findings highlight the importance of including tree species in the projection of climate change impacts on the macrofungal diversity and distribution on a continental scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Aims: Mixed‐species forests are known to be highly productive systems because of their high species diversity, including taxonomic diversity (species richness) and structural diversity. Recent empirical evidence also points to plant maximum height, as a functional trait that potentially drives forest above‐ground biomass (AGB). However, the interrelations between these biotic variables are complex, and it is not always predictable if structural diversity attributes or functional metrics of plant maximum height would act as the most important determinant of stand biomass. Here we evaluated the relative importance of structural diversity attributes and functional metrics of plant maximum height (Hmax) in predicting and mediating AGB response to variation in species richness in mixed‐species forests, while also accounting for fine‐scale environmental variation. Location: Northern Benin. Methods: We used forest inventory data from mixed‐species stands of native and exotic species. We quantified structural diversity as coefficient of variation of tree diameter at breast height (CVdbh) and of height (CVHt). For plant Hmax, we computed three metrics: functional range (FRHmax), functional divergence (FDHmax) and community‐weighted mean (CWMHmax). We used topographical variables such as elevation and slope to account for possible environmental effects. Simple and multiple mixed‐effects models, and structural equation models were performed to assess the direct and indirect links of AGB with species richness through structural diversity attributes and functional metrics of plant Hmax. Results: Species richness and CVdbh were positively related to AGB, while functional metrics of plant Hmax were not. Structural equation models revealed that species richness influenced AGB indirectly via CVdbh, which alone strongly promoted AGB. Elevation only had a positive direct effect on AGB. While increasing species richness enhanced CVdbh and functional measures of plant Hmax, there was no support for the latter mediating the effects of species richness on AGB. Conclusion: Structural diversity has a significant advantage in predicting and mediating the positive effect of species richness on AGB more so than functional measures of plant Hmax. We argue that structural diversity acts as a mechanism for the species richness–AGB relationship, and that maintaining high structural diversity would enhance biomass in mixed‐species forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ecology & Evolution (20457758) 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.)

Aim: In recent decades, a surge in the number of significant and uncontrolled wildfires has occurred worldwide. Global warming may amplify this trend and threaten most ecosystems worldwide. Deciduous forests are characterized by high plant diversity, and understanding their long‐term dynamics is crucial to anticipate changes in these ecosystems during ongoing global warming. The aim of this study is to understand how European beech forests have colonized the inner Eastern Carpathians and how changes in fire regime and human activities have affected their biodiversity. Location: Inner Eastern Carpathian Mountains, Slovakia. Taxon: Plantae, gymnosperms, angiosperms. Methods: Peat core was extracted from the centre of Ďurova mláka mire in 2018. A multi‐proxy approach has been applied to investigate the development of beech forest. Charcoal analysis has been done each centimetre to reconstruct the fire signal. Pollen analysis has been done at 2 cm resolution to reconstruct the vegetation composition and dynamics, and the variation in palynological richness (PRI), evenness and turnover has been analysed. Macro‐remains analysis has been performed at 10 cm resolution to add more information about the local vegetation. Results: Low diversity spruce forest was dominant until 5200 cal. BP during a fire‐prone period due to specific climatic conditions (drier climate than the following period). The higher fire frequency and intensity following this period is simultaneous with the first expansion of Fagus which indicate that Fagus could occupy post‐fire habitats, at least at the local scale. However, its dominance coincided with major gaps in fire events from 3900 cal. BP. The PRI has increased during the transition from spruce to beech forest highlighting the importance of beech forests in maintaining plant biodiversity. However, the stronger increase in the richness is synchronous with the increase in human activities around 2000 cal. BP, and then 350 cal. BP. Main Conclusions: Climate‐driven fire frequency has been a natural driver of vegetation changes in the Carpathians by promoting the emergence of high diversified beech forest. These changes were significantly modified by later increase in human activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Biogeography 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.)

While how taxonomic diversity mediates changes in ecosystem function is well‐studied, how deeper dimensions of biodiversity drive important processes is understudied. The overarching goal of this work was to determine the role of these dimensions of biodiversity independently and/or interactively in explaining carbon processing in rivers. Here, we explicitly link community structure and subsequent traits of riparian forests to adjacent ecosystem processing of carbon (e.g. leaf litter). This was accomplished by examining how forests are actually structured in addition to experimental manipulations of phylogenetic and functional diversities of riparian forest community inputs of leaf litter to streams. Experimental field manipulations were carried out in three Piedmont headwater streams to answer the following questions: 1) does existing variation in taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of riparian communities differentially drive decomposition in rivers? And 2) independent of taxonomic diversity, how does functional and phylogenetic diversity of leaf litter assemblages influence rates of decomposition in rivers? We observed significant interspecific variation in breakdown among 30 riparian tree species, in addition to significant relationships between breakdown rate and important foliar tissue chemistries. Breakdown of mixtures that reflected the composition of the riparian species composition did not vary with functional nor phylogenetic diversity, but breakdown of litter mixtures was higher than that of single species. In a separate study, when manipulated independently, functional and phylogenetic diversity were positively related to breakdown, and explained similar degrees of variation. These results are important to understand in light of deepening knowledge of the role different dimensions of biodiversity take in explaining ecosystem function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As demand for wood products increases in step with global population growth, balancing the potentially competing values of biodiversity conservation, carbon storage and timber production is a major challenge. Land sparing involves conserving forest while growing timber in intensively managed areas. On the other hand, land sharing utilizes ecological forestry approaches, but with a larger management footprint due to lower yields. While the sparing‐sharing framework has been widely tested and debated in agricultural settings to balance competing values, such land‐allocation strategies have been rarely studied in forestry.We examined whether a sparing, sharing or Triad strategy best achieves multiple forest objectives simultaneously. In Triad, management units (stands) in forest landscapes are allocated to one of three treatments: reserve (where conservation is the sole objective), intensive (timber production is the sole objective) and ecological (both objectives are combined). To our knowledge, ours is the first Triad study from the temperate zone to quantify direct measures of biodiversity (e.g. species' abundance).Using a commonly utilized forest planning tool parameterized with empirical data, we modelled the capacity of a temperate rainforest to provide multiple ecosystem services (biodiversity, carbon storage, timber production and old‐growth forest structure) over 125 years based on 43 different allocation scenarios. We then quantified trade‐offs between scenarios, taking into account the landscape structure, and determined which strategies most consistently balanced ecosystem services.Sparing strategies were best when the services provided by both old‐growth and early seral (young) forests were prioritized, but at a cost to species associated with mid‐seral stages, which benefitted most from Triad and sharing strategies. Therefore, sparing provides the greatest net benefit, particularly given that old‐growth‐associated species and ecosystem services are currently of the greatest conservation concern.Synthesis and applications. We found that maximizing multiple elements of biodiversity and ecosystem services simultaneously with a single management strategy was elusive. The strategy that maximized each service and species varied greatly by both the service and the level of timber production. Fortunately, a diversity of management options can produce the same wood supply, providing ample decision space for establishing priorities and evaluating trade‐offs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensification of land use by humans has led to a homogenization of landscapes and decreasing resilience of ecosystems globally due to a loss of biodiversity, including the majority of forests. Biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (BEF) research has provided compelling evidence for a positive effect of biodiversity on ecosystem functions and services at the local (α‐diversity) scale, but we largely lack empirical evidence on how the loss of between‐patch β‐diversity affects biodiversity and multifunctionality at the landscape scale (γ‐diversity). Here, we present a novel concept and experimental framework for elucidating BEF patterns at α‐, β‐, and γ‐scales in real landscapes at a forest management‐relevant scale. We examine this framework using 22 temperate broadleaf production forests, dominated by Fagus sylvatica. In 11 of these forests, we manipulated the structure between forest patches by increasing variation in canopy cover and deadwood. We hypothesized that an increase in landscape heterogeneity would enhance the β‐diversity of different trophic levels, as well as the β‐functionality of various ecosystem functions. We will develop a new statistical framework for BEF studies extending across scales and incorporating biodiversity measures from taxonomic to functional to phylogenetic diversity using Hill numbers. We will further expand the Hill number concept to multifunctionality allowing the decomposition of γ‐multifunctionality into α‐ and β‐components. Combining this analytic framework with our experimental data will allow us to test how an increase in between patch heterogeneity affects biodiversity and multifunctionality across spatial scales and trophic levels to help inform and improve forest resilience under climate change. Such an integrative concept for biodiversity and functionality, including spatial scales and multiple aspects of diversity and multifunctionality as well as physical and environmental structure in forests, will go far beyond the current widely applied approach in forestry to increase resilience of future forests through the manipulation of tree species composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restoring forest ecosystems to reverse soil degradation is critical to maintain environmental quality, forest and agricultural productivity, biodiversity conservation, and to provide valuable ecosystem services. Yet the impacts of forest restoration on soil quality remain under‐investigated. Here we aim to address a key knowledge gap: how does forest ecosystem restoration affect the recovery of soil quality in tropical and temperate regions? We conducted a global meta‐analysis to compare soil physical, chemical, and biological properties between restoring forests and reference old‐growth/less‐disturbed forests. We revealed for the first time that differences between restoring and reference forests are lower for physical (12–25%; based on median values of effect size) and chemical (10–74%) properties than for biological (32–90%) properties. More specifically, bulk density (12% of difference), pH (10%), and enzyme activity (32%) had mean values in restoring forests closer to those observed in reference forests. Overall, our results suggest that the restoration of soil properties was greater in tropical regions, after longer periods (>30 years), through passive restoration, and over pasturelands. Our global meta‐analysis helps to fill the soil information gap in forest restoration and increase our understanding of how to improve soil quality through forest restoration and soil monitoring processes in tropical and temperate regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Deforestation of the Atlantic Forest of eastern Paraguay has been recent but extensive, resulting in a fragmented landscape highly influenced by forest edges. We examined edge effects on multiple dimensions of small mammalian diversity. Location: Forest fragments of eastern Paraguayan Atlantic Forest. Methods: We trapped small mammal species at different distances from the forest edge (DTE) in reserves and estimated multiple dimensions of diversity per site. Similarity analysis identified species clusters that best described the patterns of diversity across reserves. Multivariate ordination and linear mixed models were used to determine the influence of DTE on various dimensions of small mammal diversity. Results: There was an increase in richness and abundance along a DTE gradient, and remnants with higher edge:area ratios showed higher richness and abundance, independent of remnant size. Species at edges were generalists, open‐habitat species or exotic species (spillover effect). We found higher phylogenetic diversity and functional richness and divergence towards forest edges. Spillover of non‐forest and invasive species best explained richness, generalist forest species best explained total abundance, abundance of Hylaeamys megacephalus best explained diversity and evenness metrics and the presence of Marmosa paraguayana best explained various phylogenetic diversity models. None of the models that included megafauna or social factors were shown to be important in explaining patterns as a function of DTE. Main Conclusions: We found strong support for a spillover effect and mixed support for complementary resource use and enhanced habitat resources associated with ecotones. Generalists characterized edge assemblages but not all generalists were equivalent. Edges showed more phylogenetically and functionally distinct assemblages than the interior of remnants. There was a conservation of functional diversity; however, open‐habitat species, habitat generalists and exotic species boosted diversity near forest edges. Mechanisms governing diversity along forest edges are complex; disentangling those mechanisms necessitates the use of multiple dimensions of diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a long‐term human impact, Central and Eastern Europe exhibit patches of steppe ecosystems having the highest plant species diversity worldwide. These unique ecosystems have persisted over millennia even though the local climatic conditions would support the formation of a closed forest. Several sources of disturbances have contributed to the persistence of the forest‐steppe landscape such as grazing, fire events and human impact. These disturbances have been recorded in local erosion rates. To gain a deeper understanding of the soil dynamics we aimed at deciphering the long‐ and short‐term erosion rates and the age of the soil mantle. The steppes in Transylvania, Romania, were studied to find evidence of a Holocene continuity of grasslands. Long‐term (millennia) average erosion rates were determined using meteoric 10Be in soils and in situ 10Be of rock outcrops (scarp). Long‐term rates were also estimated by the percolation theory. Short‐term (last few decades) erosion rates were obtained from 239+240Pu in soils. The soils started to form prior to the Last Glacial Maximum, probably during the Eemian Interglacial. The average, long‐term erosion rates varied between 0.18 and 0.63 t ha−1 yr−1. These rates are slightly elevated compared to expected soil erosion rates. The soils of the Transylvanian Plain formed over a long period and reached a quasi‐steady state (soil production equals denudation) that contributed to the maintenance of a biodiversity‐rich forest‐steppe landscape. The slightly elevated erosion rates are an effect of factors that contributed to the Holocene continuity (fire, grazing) and indicate open rather than a forested character of the landscape during soil development. During the last few decades, the erosion rates increased by a factor of 5–10, with values in the range of 1.31–4.05 t ha−1 yr−1. These large differences are caused by changes in human management of the soils. The biodiversity‐rich forest‐steppe landscapes are now under threat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding patterns of species coexistence is a fundamental challenge in ecology. The physical environment is believed to play an important role, influencing patterns of dispersal and biotic interactions across space and time. Floodplain forest species are presumed to interact strongly with their environment, as evidenced by pronounced spatial variation in forest composition associated with flood‐driven abiotic constraints. Questions of how, and to what degree, fine‐scale heterogeneity interacts with broad‐scale hydrogeomorphology to influence patterns of functional composition remain unresolved. We examined how functional diversity (i.e. richness and range of functional traits) and ecological strategies (i.e. functional trait combinations) of floodplain forest communities varied across regional and local gradients of flooding in a northern temperate region of the United States of America. We found functional diversity of woody overstory species varied across hydrogeomorphic settings and that different settings altered associations between functional diversity and both the relative elevation above and proximity to rivers. Ecological strategies shifted over local gradients of relative elevation and distance to channel with different magnitudes and directions depending on the broader hydrogeomorphic context. We found evidence that interactions among flood regimes and landform position impose different levels of functional constraint. These results indicate patterns of community assembly are not easily discerned from landform type or position alone, but rather from filtering that operates and interacts with biota over multiple spatial scales. Our results imply that it is important to characterize flood dynamics in ways that can be clearly linked to ecological processes and that treatment of floodplain landforms as transferable units across river‐valley segments is problematic, even within a single basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Biotropica 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.)

Spatiotemporal information on mangrove species assemblage of natural, disturbed, and rehabilitated is an essential prerequisite for effective strategies for biodiversity conservation and management. However, appropriate field‐based sampling strategies of spatial heterogeneity still hamper the detection of the species distribution and its temporal development. An increasing amount of remote sensing data seems the perfect way to tackle these challenges. With this article, we fill this gap by presenting a review of the challenges and limitations to assess the current status of species diversity. We conclude that species discrimination based on remote sensing techniques is still limited by atmospheric contamination and tidal fluctuations. The lack of accurate information on the spatiotemporal development of species diversity and forest structure further curtails an understanding of functional indicators and the predictive power of modeling approaches. Nevertheless, multi‐source remote‐sensing techniques could seemingly capture the landscape heterogeneity and support systematic sampling designs. Spatially balanced (systematic) training and validation data are necessary to compile robust spatiotemporal information, supporting reliable predictions for optimizing restoration efforts. A systematic sampling of spatiotemporal ecological information is vital to derive the historical state of mangroves, detecting their degradation, and predicting future patterns of species distribution that are generally crucial for restoration, and particularly to rehabilitate species diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managing forests for biodiversity conservation while maintaining economic output is a major challenge globally and requires accurate and timely monitoring of imperiled species. In the Pacific Northwest, USA, forest management is heavily influenced by the status of northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina), which have been in continued population decline for the past four decades. The monitoring program for northern spotted owls is transitioning from mark–resight surveys to a passive acoustic framework, requiring development of alternative analysis approaches. To maintain relevance for conservation and management, these analyses must accurately track underlying population changes, identify responses to disturbance, and estimate occupancy of owl pairs. We randomly selected and surveyed 5‐km2 hexagons for 6 weeks using passive acoustic monitoring in the Olympic Peninsula of Washington and the Oregon Coast Range during the 2018 spotted owl breeding season. We used a convolutional neural network to identify spotted owl calls, followed by logistic regression to determine the sex of vocalizing owls to assign pair status. We implemented multistate occupancy models to estimate probabilities of detection, species‐level landscape use, and pair occupancy of spotted owls. We also quantified detections of barred owls (Strix varia), a congeneric competitor and important driver of spotted owl population declines. The overall rate of hexagon use by spotted owls was estimated at 0.21 (SD 0.04) after adjusting for imperfect detection, and pair occupancy was 0.07 (SD 0.02). The probability of detecting a pair (i.e., both female and male) during a weekly occasion was relatively low (0.03, SD 0.01), indicating that true pair occupancy was between 1.3 and 4.1 times greater than the proportion of hexagons with observed pair detections. Barred owls were ubiquitous, with a naïve occupancy rate of 0.97. The intensity of calling by barred owls had a weak, negative effect on the probability of spotted owls being paired when present but had little measurable effect on their detectability. This work establishes a framework that may be effective for spotted owl population monitoring and illustrates that pairs have very low detection probability, which—combined with increasingly low numbers of spotted owl pairs—is an important consideration for conservation and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical forests harbour the highest levels of terrestrial biodiversity and represent some of the most complex ecosystems on Earth, with a significant portion of this diversity above ground. Although the vertical dimension is a central aspect of the ecology of forest communities, there is little consensus as to prominence, evenness, and consistency of community‐level stratification from ground to canopy. Here, we gather the results of 62 studies across the tropics to synthesise and assess broad patterns of vertical stratification of abundance and richness in vertebrates, the best studied taxonomic group for which results have not been collated previously. Our review of the literature yielded sufficient data for bats, small mammals, birds and amphibians. We show that variation in the stratification of abundance and richness exists within and among all taxa considered. Bat richness stratification was variable among studies, although bat abundance was weighted towards the canopy. Both bird richness and abundance stratification were variable, with no overriding pattern. On the contrary, both amphibians and small mammals showed consistent patterns of decline in abundance and richness towards the canopy. We descriptively characterise research trends in drivers of stratification cited or investigated within studies, finding local habitat structure and food distribution/foraging to be the most commonly attributed drivers. Further, we analyse the influence of macroecological variables on stratification patterns, finding latitude and elevation to be key predictors of bird stratification in particular. Prominent differences among taxa are likely due to taxon‐specific interactions with local drivers such as vertical habitat structure, food distribution, and vertical climate gradients, which may vary considerably across macroecological gradients such as elevation and biogeographic realm. Our study showcases the complexity with which animal communities organise within tropical forest ecosystems, while demonstrating the canopy as a critical niche space for tropical vertebrates, thereby highlighting the inherent vulnerability of tropical vertebrate communities to forest loss and canopy disturbance. We recognise that analyses were constrained due to variation in study designs and methods which produced a variety of abundance and richness metrics recorded across different arrangements of vertical strata. We therefore suggest the application of best practices for data reporting and highlight the significant effort required to fill research gaps in terms of under‐sampled regions, taxa, and environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large quantities of dead wood can be generated by disturbances such as wildfires. Dead trees created by disturbances play many critical ecological roles in forest ecosystems globally. The ability of deadwood to serve its ecological roles is contingent, in part, on the length of time trees remain standing following disturbance. Here, we briefly outline the results of a 10‐year study that aimed to quantify the rate of collapse of trees killed in a major wildfire in the wet ash forests of mainland south‐eastern Australia. We also quantified the factors associated with dead tree collapse. Our analyses revealed that 23% of 417 measured trees collapsed between 2011 and 2021. The most parsimonious model of the factors influencing tree collapse revealed a strong effect of diameter; smaller diameter trees were more likely to collapse over the 10 years of our study than larger diameter trees. In addition, trees in small and large patches were more likely to collapse than trees in contiguous forest (where there had been no logging in the surrounding area). If current rates of tree fall are maintained, then many of trees initially measured will have collapsed by 2030. Such losses of dead trees will have major negative effects on key values of ash‐type forests such as biodiversity conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photograph includes male and female gametophytes, and embryonic sporophytes of the giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera, but resemble those of Ecklonia radiata. To date, most studies on kelps have focused on their macroscopic sporophyte life stage because the microscopic gametophytes and embryonic sporophytes (Figure 1) are difficult to study in the field, which has led to uncertainties about what we know of their roles in kelp forest ecology. Most studies of urchin grazing have focused on their impacts on large kelp sporophytes, and few studies have examined the effects of grazing on kelp microscopic life stages. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Functional 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.)

Forest management affects conditions for both early‐ and late‐seral organisms, and managers and conservationists require information for balancing the ostensibly opposing habitat needs of both these guilds. We conducted meta‐analyses that examined silvicultural systems with a range of postharvest retention and their impacts on mature‐forest and shrubland bird species densities in eastern North America during the breeding season. Densities of mature‐forest bird species generally declined as canopy tree retention and basal area decreased, although some mature‐forest species had similar densities among unharvested and partially harvested (e.g., first‐entry shelterwood) stands, and others had their highest densities in shelterwoods. We conducted a previous meta‐analysis study, which showed most shrubland bird species in the region increase with harvest intensity, but some shrubland species had similar densities in clearcuts and shelterwoods. Given the contrasting effects of harvest intensity on the two avian guilds, we used Partners‐in‐Flight conservation values to generate objective community‐wide conservation indices relative to postharvest tree retention. Clearcuts and shelterwoods typically had the highest conservation values, and unharvested and lightly thinned stands (70%–100% tree retention) had the lowest conservation scores. Many declining shrubland bird species of conservation concern are abundant in low‐retention stands, thus elevating the conservation value of these stands. Additionally, high conservation values of harvested stands with 40%–70% tree retention represent the presence of both shrubland and mature‐forest species; the latter are potentially responding to enhanced understory structure needed for avian nesting or foraging. In contrast, contemporary closed‐canopy forests in eastern North America are generally characterized by low structural diversity and are mid‐seral stands due to historical patterns of land use and tree harvesting. Although avian community conservation values were lowest in high‐retention stands and many other threatened, non‐avian taxa depend on open‐canopy, managed forests, managers should note that late‐seral, unharvested stands can provide important habitat for old‐growth‐dependent taxa and any intensive forestry should also take into account other factors. Considering the growing interest in using postharvest retention of canopy trees to meet ecological objectives, our novel synthesis can assist managers in assessing species‐specific and community‐wide avian responses to tree retention levels along the entire gradient of canopy treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporations are failing to account for their impact on biodiversity despite accelerating extinctions. The value of biodiversity to business can be explained by an environmental philosophy spectrum, where perspectives range from anthropocentric (humans are prioritised) to ecocentric (all life is equal), made up of paradigms and values linked to biodiversity protection. We explore the biodiversity values conveyed by the 40 largest corporations responding to the CDP Forest Questionnaire using 28 specific yes/no criteria aligned with the environmental philosophy spectrum. Strong anthropocentric perspectives focused on economic contribution dominated, conveying a desire to protect company reputation, thereby legitimising operations. Corporations seemingly only protect biodiversity that hold material benefits for humans. Some biocentric/ecocentric perspectives were conveyed in terms of extinction risk and sometimes intrinsic value. This could be a response to the accelerating global biodiversity crisis, offering hope corporations can protect all forms of biodiversity and could evidence ecocentric leadership informing business strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Assessing the performances of different sampling approaches for documenting community diversity may help to identify optimal sampling efforts and strategies, and to enhance conservation and monitoring planning. Here, we used two data sets based on probabilistic and preferential sampling schemes of Italian forest vegetation to analyze the multifaceted performances of the two approaches across three major forest types at a large scale. Location: Italy. Methods: We pooled 804 probabilistic and 16,259 preferential forest plots as samples of vascular plant diversity across the country. We balanced the two data sets in terms of sizes, plot size, geographical position, and vegetation types. For each of the two data sets, 1000 subsets of 201 random plots were compared by calculating the shared and exclusive indicator species, their overlap in the multivariate space, and the areas encompassed by spatially‐constrained rarefaction curves. We then calculated an index of performance using the ratio between the additional and total information collected by each sampling approach. The performances were tested and evaluated across the three major forest types. Results: The probabilistic approach performed better in estimating species richness and diversity of species assemblages, but did not detect other components of the regional diversity, such as azonal forests. The preferential approach outperformed the probabilistic approach in detecting forest‐specialist species and plant diversity hotspots. Conclusions: Using a novel workflow based on vegetation‐plot exclusivities and commonalities, our study suggests probabilistic and preferential sampling approaches are to be used in combination for better conservation and monitor planning purposes to detect multiple aspects of plant community diversity. Our findings can assist the implementation of national conservation planning and large‐scale monitoring of biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landscape‐scale deforestation poses a major threat to global biodiversity, not only because it limits habitat availability, but also because it can drive the degradation of the remaining habitat. However, the multiple pathways by which deforestation directly and indirectly affects wildlife remain poorly understood, especially for elusive forest‐dependent species such as arboreal mammals. Using structural equation models, we assessed the direct and indirect effects of landscape forest loss on arboreal mammal assemblages in the Lacandona rainforest, Mexico. We placed camera traps in 100 canopy trees, and assessed the direct effect of forest cover and their indirect effects via changes in tree basal area and canopy openness on the abundance and diversity (i.e., species richness and exponential of Shannon entropy) of arboreal mammals. We found that forest loss had negative indirect effects on mammal richness through the increase of tree canopy openness. This could be related to the fact that canopy openness is usually inversely related to resource availability and canopy connectivity for arboreal mammals. Furthermore, independently of forest loss, the abundance and richness of arboreal mammals was positively related to tree basal area, which is typically higher in old‐growth forests. Thus, our findings suggest that arboreal mammals generally prefer old‐growth vegetation with relatively low canopy openness and high tree basal area. However, unexpectedly, forest loss was directly and positively related to the abundance and richness of mammals, probably due to a crowding effect, a reasonable possibility given the relatively short history (~40 years) of deforestation in the study region. Conversely, the Shannon diversity was not affected by the predictors we evaluated, suggesting that rare mammals (not the common species) are the ones most affected by these changes. All in all, our findings emphasize that conservation measures ought to focus on increasing forest cover in the landscape, and preventing the loss of large trees in the remaining forest patches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fine roots balance multiple essential plant functions that ultimately fuel plant productivity. The coordination of root functional traits is multidimensional, meaning that some traits are correlated while others can vary independently. This leads to a large variety of adaptive trait combinations and thus functional diversity in plant belowground morphology, anatomy, physiology and symbioses with soil biota. Within forest communities, co‐occurrence of such belowground trait combinations may be especially prevalent in tropical forests, not only due to their immense biodiversity but also because their soils are frequently weathered and limited in phosphorus. Phosphorus occurs in different forms (that differ in their mobility and accessibility) that may select for different trait combinations on relatively small spatial scales. While evidence accumulates of the myriad viable nutrient acquisition strategies on poor tropical soils, they are not well conceptualized. In this study, we outline criteria for the identification and investigation of fine‐root trait syndromes. We then apply these criteria to a case study of tropical tree species adapted to phosphorus‐poor soil and synthesize a range of traits. Five potentially coexisting syndromes are presented that are distinguished by root morphology, mycorrhizal association type, their interactions and implications for fine‐root functioning. We connect the functional variation of these species‐level syndromes in tropical communities to an established phosphorus partitioning hypothesis. The co‐occurrence of fine‐root trait syndromes could have implications for root sampling design, species coexistence, community structure and biogeochemical cycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non‐native tree species are widely used in forest plantations. This may have negative consequences for biodiversity. Hitherto, most studies have compared species diversity between native and non‐native forest stands, which makes it difficult to separate the impact of tree species per se from stand characteristics. Our study, conducted in the south of Sweden, compares saproxylic beetle diversity across different nutritional groups, in dead wood of two native and four non‐native tree species in a block design after one and three seasons. Such an approach allows analysis of the impact of non‐native tree species per se.Mean species richness (± SD) per log was lower in non‐native than in native tree species (non‐native trees: lodgepole pine: 10.7 (± 5.3); Sitka spruce: 8.5 (± 4.3), Douglas fir: 7.1 (± 4.3), Japanese larch 9.4 (± 4.6); native trees: Norway spruce: 12.0 (± 6.0), Scots pine: 12.3 (± 5.2)). Sample‐based rarefaction revealed that when only native tree species were pooled, the species richness was higher than for all tree species combined. The difference in species composition among tree species was strongly driven by bark and wood consumers in the first season, while for predators and fungivores, the differences were smaller. Species composition differed most in the first season.Dissimilarity in beetle species composition was positively correlated with phylogenetic distances of the tree species. Species richness was lower in non‐native tree species that are only remotely related to native trees species. Of the studied non‐native tree species, lodgepole pine was more closely related to native tree species and consistently harboured higher species richness.Synthesis and applications. Although non‐native tree species also harbour saproxylic beetle communities, the use of non‐native tree species, especially those only remotely related to native tree species, reduces local diversity of saproxylic beetles. Thus, for biodiversity conservation, an extensive use of non‐native tree species is not recommended as this increases the risk of losing forest biodiversity, especially when they are only distantly related to native tree species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest restoration/creation is a policy focus worldwide, with initiatives pledging to plant billions of trees. While there is an emphasis on providing "the right tree in the right place," we need to understand for whom the trees are right. Such social dimensions are frequently overlooked, despite being critical to successful forest restoration/creation. We used Q‐methodology to examine what forest biodiversity attributes (e.g., functions, behaviors, colors, smells) people (N = 194) relate to and how in Britain. We found that shared public perspectives on biodiversity attributes are multifaceted, influenced by personal experience and vary across taxa. This heterogeneity highlights the importance of gaining a richer understanding of human–nature relationships, as restoration/creation initiatives need to deliver biodiverse forests to accommodate the plurality of preferences brought to bear upon them. Based on our findings, emphasizing biodiversity in forest restoration/creation should contribute to greater use of, comfort in, and meaningful engagement with, forests in the future by a wider set of publics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical forest tree communities are structured by a range of large-scale drivers including elevation, certain high-impact anthropogenic activities (e.g., deforestation), and fires. However, low-impact human activities such as foraging may also be subtly but notably altering the composition of tropical forest tree communities. The study assessed the (i) differences in species diversity, patterns of relative abundance, and pairwise beta diversity between trees with edible and inedible fruits and seeds along an elevation gradient, and (ii) impact of human foraging on the forest tree communities in Oban Division of Cross River National Park, Nigeria. Fifteen permanent 40 by 40 m plots were established along an elevational gradient (120–460 m above mean sea level). All trees of 0.1 m diameter at breast height (dbh) and above were measured, identified, and, with the aid of structured questionnaires, classified into those with edible and inedible fruits/seeds. A total of 35 edible species with density of 128 stems/ hectare and basal area of 11.99 m2 /hectare, and 109 inedible species with density of 364 stems/hectare and basal area of 22.42 m2 /hectare were sampled. However, the evenness of edible and inedible species was similar at pooled and plot levels. For inedible species, there was a positive relationship between pairwise beta diversity and elevation, and this was driven mainly by turnover. In contrast, edible species exhibited a non-significant trend between elevation and beta diversity. Thus, the study showed that human foraging of edible fruits may have subtly influenced patterns of species diversity and community structure in this tropical forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As fragmented landscapes become increasingly common around the world, managing the spatial arrangement of landscape elements (i.e., landscape configuration) may help to promote the conservation of biodiversity. However, the relative effects of landscape configuration on different dimensions of biodiversity across species assemblages are largely unknown. Thus, a key challenge consists in understanding when it is necessary to focus on landscape configuration, in addition to landscape composition, to achieve multifunctional landscapes. We tested the effects of landscape composition (the percentage of tree cover and built infrastructure) and landscape configuration (degree of fragmentation) on landscape‐level species richness and different metrics of functional diversity of urban birds. We collected data on different bird guilds (nectarivores/frugivores, insectivores) from Brisbane, Australia. Using structural equation models, we found that landscape structure (landscape composition and configuration) affected functional diversity via two main pathways: (1) through effects of landscape composition, mediated by landscape configuration (indirect effects), and (2) through direct ("independent") effects of landscape composition and configuration, filtering species with extreme trait values. Our results show that landscape‐level species richness declined with the extent of built infrastructure, but patterns of trait diversity did not necessarily correlate with this variable. Landscape configuration had a stronger mediating effect on some metrics of the functional diversity of insectivores than on the functional diversity of frugivores/nectarivores. In addition, fragmentation increased the effects of built infrastructure for some traits (body size and dispersal capacity), but not for others (habitat plasticity and foraging behavior). These results suggest that differential approaches to managing landscape structure are needed depending on whether the focus is on protecting functional diversity or species richness and what the target guild is. Managing landscape fragmentation in areas with high levels of built infrastructure is important if the objective is to protect insectivore species with uncommon traits, even if it is not possible to preserve high levels of species richness. However, if the target is to enhance both functional diversity and species richness of multiple guilds, the focus should be on improving composition through the reduction of negative effects of built infrastructure, rather than promoting specific landscape configurations in growing cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat disturbance is disrupting ecological processes globally. The Atlantic Forest is particularly affected by land‐use intensification and defaunation, where primates play a key role in seed dispersal. Here, we evaluate how primate assemblages in the Atlantic Forest change according to landscape modification and the ecological consequences on seed dispersal. For this, we used 38 primate assemblages in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. We assessed the effects of patch size, mean inter‐patch distance, functional connectivity and matrix permeability on primate species richness, functional evenness and functional dispersion, distinguishing response traits (sensitivity to habitat disturbance) from effect traits (effect on seed dispersal). We further investigated which primate functional response–effect traits were retained in forest patches of different sizes. Increased inter‐patch distance reduced primate species richness. Decreased patch size led to a more uneven and less divergent distribution of response trait values within the functional space indicating the filtering of primates with similar strategies to cope with habitat loss. However, the increased divergence of effect traits in smaller patches indicates that those primates present distinct traits as seed dispersers. Finally, less permeable landscapes retained an uneven distribution of primate effect traits. Our findings indicate that reduced patch size results in primates with similar response traits, living in small groups and travelling short distances daily, but with contrasting traits as seed dispersers, which is positive for the persistence of non‐redundant services in disturbed landscapes. However, the reduced species richness in such isolated patches and the resistance to movement among them may compromise the long‐term viability of primate ecosystem services. Therefore, we encourage that further conservation planning should increase landscape connectivity, ensure the effective protection of native forests and increase anthropogenic matrix quality to develop biodiversity‐friendly landscapes that protect not only species but also the ecosystem services they provide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical forests are recognized for their role in providing diverse ecosystem services (ESs), with carbon uptake the best recognized. The capacity of tropical forests to provide ESs is strongly linked to their enormous biodiversity. However, causal relationships between biodiversity and ESs are poorly understood. This may be because biodiversity is often translated into species richness. Here, we argue that focusing on multiple attributes of biodiversity—structure, composition, and function—will make relationships between biodiversity and ESs clearer. In this review, we discuss the ecological processes behind ESs from tropical humid and subhumid forests of South America. Our main goal is to understand the links between the ESs and those three biodiversity attributes. While supporting and regulating services relate more closely to forest structure and function, provisioning services relate more closely to forest composition and function, and cultural services are more related to structure and composition attributes. In this sense, ESs from subhumid forests (savannas) differ from those provided by the Amazon Forest, although both ecosystems are recognized as harboring tremendous biodiversity. Given this, if anthropogenic drivers of change promote a shift in the Amazon Forest toward savanna—the savannization hypothesis—the types of services provided will change, especially climate regulating services. This review emphasizes the importance of deeply understanding ecosystem structure, composition, and function to better understand the services ecosystems provide. Understanding that anthropogenic impacts on biodiversity occur through these three main attributes, it becomes easier to anticipate how humans will impact ESs. Key Points: Tropical forests' biodiversity promotes diverse ecosystem services (ESs), but relationships between biodiversity and ESs are not obviousDifferent ES types are related to different attributes of biodiversity: structure, composition, and functionsSavannization of Amazonia could impact the types of ESs provided by rain forests, particularly climate regulating services [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the current global environmental crisis, restoring degraded ecosystems stands out among the nature‐based solutions to mitigate climate change, reestablish ecosystem services, and maintain biodiversity and human well‐being. The high biodiversity of the Atlantic Forest (AF) and its severe degradation turned it into a "restoration hotspot." We performed a bibliometric analysis of the research on restoration of the Brazilian AF to identify thematic trends, potential gaps, as well as networks and benefits of collaboration. We also explored the spatial distribution of degradation, restoration science, and practice within the AF. We analyzed 932 articles on the issue from the Web of Science platform (1990–2020). Publications abruptly increased in the last 15 years, first by Brazilian groups and later in collaboration with foreign groups. International collaboration increased the probability of highly cited articles. Topics addressed have changed greatly in their relative position over time, likely due to scientific advances refuting theories or invalidating failed techniques. Natural regeneration was the main trending topic, while forest succession was the main emerging topic, and ecosystem services appeared as a trending topic. Research and restoration initiatives were both unevenly distributed throughout the AF region, with the southeastern region of Brazil standing out (60% of publications). The percentage of the original AF undergoing restoration is very low in all regions, regardless of scientific publications or AF extent remaining. The knowledge gaps pointed—climate change and functional traits—should drive priorities for research funding, aiming to provide robust evidence to support decision‐making processes as well as restoration practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

History has profoundly affected the composition, distribution, and abundances of species in contemporary ecosystems. A full understanding of how ecosystems work and change must therefore take history into account. We offer four well‐studied examples illustrating how a knowledge of history has strengthened interpretations of modern systems: the development of molluscan antipredatory defenses in relation to shell‐breaking predators; the North Pacific kelp ecosystem with sea otters, smaller predators, sea urchins, and large herbivores; estuarine ecosystems affected by the decline in oysters and other suspension feeders; and the legacy of extinct large herbivores and frugivores in tropical American forests. Many current ecological problems would greatly benefit from a historical perspective. We highlight four of these: soil depletion and tree stunting in forests related to the disappearance of large consumers; the spread of anoxic dead zones in the ocean, which we argue could be mitigated by restoring predator and suspension‐feeding guilds; ocean acidification, which would be alleviated by more nutrient recycling by consumers in the aerobic ecosystem; and the relation between species diversity and keystone predators, a foundational concept that is complicated by simplified trophic relationships in modern ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India, in fact, is home to sections of four of the 36 regions recognized as global biodiversity hotspots - Himalaya, Indo-Burma, Sundaland, and the Western Ghats; while to be recognized as a biodiversity hotspot, a region needs to have at least 1500 endemic vascular plant species, by definition, these are also areas that have lost <=30% of its original natural vegetation (MoEFCC, 2018). Professor Bawa has been instrumental in developing strategic plans for two biodiversity hotspots in India. India is a home to extraordinary climatic and geological diversity and its geographical expanse covers a wide range of ecosystems including forests, grasslands, deserts, wetlands, montane, coastal, and marine ecosystems (Rodgers & Panwar, 1988). Animal-mediated seed dispersal in India: Implications for conservation of India's biodiversity. [Extracted from the article]

Aim: The distribution and abundance of forest biodiversity can be shaped by multiple drivers, including disturbances like wildfires. We quantified the influence of wildfire severity and bird life history attributes on temporal patterns of bird site occupancy. Location: Wet eucalypt forests of Victoria, Australia. Methods: We employed a Before, After, Control, Impact experimental design, gathering occupancy data on birds 5 years before, and for 10 years after, a wildfire in 2009. We quantified post‐fire decline and then recovery on sites subject to high‐severity fire, comparing these temporal patterns with those for birds at sites that were unburnt or burnt at moderate severity. We also tested the influence of life history attributes on bird responses to wildfire. Data were analysed using joint species distribution modelling, accounting for imperfect detection. Results: We found a two‐way interaction between fire severity and time period for overall bird site occupancy. The largest change between time periods was on sites burnt at high severity where bird occupancy declined immediately after fire followed by a strong recovery. Occupancy patterns remained largely unchanged on unburnt sites. For many individual species, interactions between fire severity and time period were similar to overall species occupancy. On sites subject to high‐severity fire, most species recovered to pre‐fire levels within 6 years. We found no evidence of a three‐way interaction between fire severity, time period, and life history attributes, with all trait groups of birds examined largely recovered to pre‐fire site occupancy levels 10 years post‐fire. Main conclusions: The Victorian 2009 wildfires were severe, but their impacts on common bird species were relatively short‐lived, with immediate post‐fire declines mostly reversed within ~10 years. Rapid post‐fire stand regeneration appears a likely driver of these responses and may account for the relatively limited influence of life history attributes on bird species recovery. However, diet influenced bird species occupancy after fire, with nectivores recovering slower than insectivores on sites subject to high severity fire. Our findings may be relevant to other forests types globally where there can be rapid post‐fire vegetation growth and stand regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Widespread afforestation is a crucial component of climate mitigation strategies worldwide. This presents a significant opportunity for biodiversity conservation if forests are appropriately managed. Within forests, structural and habitat diversity are known to be critical for biodiversity but pragmatic management recommendations are lacking. We make a comprehensive assessment of the effects of habitat variables on bird populations using data from over 4000 ha of forested landscape. We combine high‐resolution remote sensing data with comprehensive management databases to classify habitat attributes and measure the response of six taxonomic and functional diversity metrics: species richness, Shannon diversity, functional richness, functional evenness, functional divergence, and functional dispersion. We use a novel approach that combines hierarchical partitioning analysis with linear models to determine the relative importance of different habitat variables for each bird diversity metric. The age class of forest stands was consistently the most important variable across all bird diversity metrics, outperforming other structural measures such as horizontal and vertical heterogeneity and canopy density. Shrub density and gap fraction were each significantly associated with one bird diversity metric. In contrast, variables describing within‐stand structural heterogeneity (vertical and horizontal) were generally less important while tree species identity (e.g., conifer or broadleaved) was not significant for any bird diversity metric. Each of the six bird diversity metrics had different patterns of independent variable importance and significance, emphasizing the need to consider multiple diversity metrics in biodiversity assessments. Similarly, the optimal resolution for remote sensing metrics varied between structural variables and bird diversity metrics, suggesting that the use of remote sensing data in biodiversity studies could be greatly improved by first exploring different resolutions and data aggregations. Based on the results from this comprehensive study, we recommend that managers focus on creating habitat diversity at the between‐, rather than exclusively within‐stand scale, such as by creating a matrix of different age classes, to maximize bird diversity. This recommendation for forest managers is powerful yet pragmatic in its simplicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. It is increasingly being recognized that tree species diversity has positive effects on forest ecosystem carbon (C) stock. However, at broad spatial scales, this relationship may depend on climate conditions and species mycorrhizal associations. 2. Here, observations from 667 forest plots in subtropical China were used to investigate the effects of species diversity, mean annual precipitation (MAP), mean annual temperature (MAT) and mycorrhizal type (arbuscular or ectomycorrhizal) on the forest C stock and its components (tree C stock, shrub layer C stock, herb layer C stock, litter layer C stock, root C stock and soil C stock). 3. We found positive effect of tree species diversity on total forest C stock. MAP had positive effects on total forest C stock and its components, while MAT had consistently negative effects on total forest C stock and most of its components. Different levels of MAP and MAT did modulate the strength of effect of species diversity on forest C stock and its components. In addition, species diversity, MAT and MAP showed a significant positive relationship with arbuscular mycorrhiza-associated tree C stock but had no or negative relationship with ectomycorrhiza-associated tree C stock. 4. Synthesis. Our results indicate that maintaining high level of species diversity may support the buffering of negative effects resulting from climate warming. Furthermore, under climate warming the specific C stock of AM trees can increase, which can potentially promote forest C stock. Taken together, our study suggests that afforestation policies should consider not only tree species diversity to increase forest C stock but also the effects of different tree mycorrhizal types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]