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Timber‐oriented forest management profoundly alters forest structure and composition, with complex effects on associated biodiversity. However, while species' responses to forest management and resulting structural characteristics have been the subject of numerous studies, direct and indirect effects that cascade through trophic levels are rarely disentangled. As insectivorous bats are particularly sensitive to changes in forest structure, that shape their available flight space, we investigated how forest structure, composition and management also indirectly modify their habitats, for example, by affecting important insect prey groups. We used structural equation models (SEMs) to test bat responses to forest composition, structure (forest heterogeneity, old‐growth attributes) and management intensity, quantifying direct and indirect prey‐mediated effects. For that, three bat guilds—short‐ (SRE), mid‐ (MRE) and long‐range echolocating (LRE) bats—and their prey insects (moths and ground beetles) were analysed from 64 sites in the Black Forest, Germany. We found guild‐specific effects on bats: While the structural heterogeneity of forests directly influenced the activity of bat guilds, the main influence of forest management, composition and structure was mediated through their prey‐groups. SRE activity responded to moths and LRE activity was associated with ground beetles, with positive effects of the insect groups' abundance, but negative effects of the same group's species richness. In addition, the SEM approach revealed a negative top‐down relationship between MRE activities and moths, suggesting predation or avoidance behaviour of moths. While forest management directly or indirectly increased prey insect abundance, it negatively affected the availability of roosting structures for bats. Synthesis and applications. The results highlight the indirect and positive effects of forest management on bats and support the important role of bats in insect regulation within continuous cover forests. Although forest management created small gaps that improved foraging habitats for most bats, it compromised the roosting functionality for bats. The ‘close‐to‐nature forestry’ currently prevalent in Europe mainly promotes continuous‐cover forests in mid‐successional stages. Expanding the forest management portfolio towards open and old‐growth forests would increase roosting opportunities and provide complementary foraging habitats for different bat species, while promoting high biodiversity in managed forest landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how transformed habitats act as reservoirs of biodiversity is a key challenge at a time when ecosystems are under unprecedented pressure. Here we compare tree and bird biodiversity in actively cultivated and abandoned cacao agroforests, and use a space for time approach to ask how this diversity has changed over 100 years of succession.Tree and bird communities were surveyed in cacao agroforests, secondary forests at different stages of succession and primary forests in the Northern Range of Trinidad, West Indies, to test the prediction that there are consistent temporal trends in alpha and beta‐diversity across taxa.Temporal alpha‐diversity was taxon dependent. We found that tree alpha‐diversity increased with forest age. In contrast, there was no temporal trend in bird alpha‐diversity. Tree and bird species richness were negatively correlated.Tree and bird composition varied with forest age and environmental distance. A greater proportion of native trees, and of highly forest‐dependent and insectivorous birds were found in older forests.Our analyses show that actively cultivated and young abandoned cacao agroforests can sustain high bird alpha‐diversity, despite lower levels of tree alpha‐diversity. Old secondary and primary forests have unique species compositions including more sensitive and specialist species. Compositional shifts with successional stage for both trees and birds produce a patchwork of habitats that contribute to regional gamma‐diversity.Synthesis and applications. Our research highlights the value of actively cultivated cacao agroforests and secondary forest alongside primary forests as reservoirs of biodiversity. By supporting both biodiversity and livelihoods, traditionally grown shade‐cacao agroforests fall within a people and nature framework. Taken together, these results emphasise the contributions of secondary forests, which are often overlooked, to conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• High functional diversity continued after intensive post-logging treatments. • Treated forests had similar dung beetle richness to primary and untreated logged forest. • Treated and untreated forest shared alike compositions distinct from primary communities. • Post-logging silviculture may return timber yields in a biodiversity-friendly way. Commercially logged tropical forests hold high conservation value but are rapidly being converted to lucrative low-diversity plantations. Post-logging interventions that accelerate forest timber and carbon recovery—such as enrichment planting and cutting of woody vines—may reduce both the spatial extent of logging and economic pressures to convert forests, delivering considerable conservation benefits. However, they could also seriously undermine logged forest biodiversity, simplifying forest structure and removing important wildlife microhabitats. To date, no study has investigated the impact of post-logging interventions on invertebrates. Focusing on dung beetles, we explore the effects of intensive vine-cutting and enrichment planting within a largescale post-logging silvicultural project in northern Borneo. We find that for four measures of functional diversity (the facet of diversity that accounts for species traits and functions) and for species richness, treated forest communities are similar to those in unlogged and naturally regenerating forest. Moreover, although community composition in treated forest remains distinct from old-growth forest, it is no different than that in naturally regenerating forest and in fact more closely resembles old-growth than naturally regenerating forest in terms of effective diversity. Our results indicate that logged forests continue to host diverse and functioning dung beetle communities even after silvicultural intensification. Post-logging interventions could therefore play an important role in forest and biodiversity conservation via their incorporation into emerging agendas including REDD+ and the Bonn Challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangrove forests are one of the most important coastal ecosystems as they support many local communities. However, over the last two decades harvesting of mangrove forests has been extensive with effects on mangrove biodiversity and ecosystem services. We investigate the effect of mangrove harvesting on tree biodiversity in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Using two line transects each in ten mangrove forests, mangrove composition, species dominance, density, frequency, coverage, and stem diameter and diversity were recorded. Interviews detailing provisioning ecosystem services were also conducted with local forestry and fishery workers to determine the level of exploitation. Ten mangrove species were recorded ( Avicennia alba, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Ceriops tagal, Excoecaria agallocha, Lumnitzera racemosa, Nypa fruticans, Rhizophora apiculata, Rhizophora mucronata, Rhizophora stylosa, and Sonneratia alba) belonging to six families (Avicenniaceae, Rhizophoraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Combretaceae, Arecaceae and Sonneratiaceae). Mangrove forests are now dominated by saplings and seedlings, with few trees above 15 cm diameter at breast height. Rhizophora sp. were found to be the most important and dominant species. Rhizophora sp. was the most widely used as it was deemed the most suitable for firewood and charcoal. In addition, it is the main species planted in mangrove restoration projects, which have focused on establishing production forest rather than restoring natural species composition and structure. Despite the decrease in biodiversity, the mangroves still provide a wide range of ecosystem services to the communities in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tree plantations are rapidly expanding throughout Southeast Asia, and likely pose threats to the conservation of native biodiversity. While the impacts of oil palm expansion on tropical biodiversity has received increasing attention, and several recent reviews, the effects of other tree crops on native flora and fauna biodiversity remain understudied. Here we assess and compare the impact of rubber, acacia, eucalyptus, teak, and cacao plantations on biodiversity throughout the region, and discuss spatial and temporal factors that influence a production landscape's ability to support native species. Using a meta-analysis, we show that rubber and cacao plantations support lower biodiversity than intact forests, and are approximately equivalent to oil palm in their impacts on native biota. In contrast, richness of native species in acacia plantations was not statistically different from that in intact or secondary forests, though species composition could still be radically altered. Furthermore, older plantations are more similar to primary forests regarding community composition than younger plantations, likely due to increased habitat complexity and heterogeneity with plantation age. Though non-oil palm tree plantations are not ecologically equivalent to primary forests with regards to maintaining native community composition, they can support greater biodiversity than other modified landscapes such as annual crops. Increasing habitat complexity and spatial heterogeneity within plantations can improve the quality of the habitat they provide to native species. With industrial plantations projected to continue to expand, identifying ways to mitigate their impacts on biodiversity are increasingly critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today wood and nonwood forest resources management meets and often clashes with environment and biological diversity protection. A main problem is to understand relationships between the different roles of forest biodiversity, site, and management parameters. A multivariate statistical analysis has been carried out in order to interpret relationships between some forest biodiversity components and forest inventory data. Several indices of floristic diversity, species abundance, and structural heterogeneity at stand level have been calculated. The different components of forest biodiversity were separated by principal components analysis. Relations between forest biodiversity indices and site and management attributes have been investigated by two multivariate statistical techniques: bivariate correlation analysis and multiple linear regression. Results showed a high correlation between all the investigated components of forest biodiversity and some topographic and/or forest management attributes. Results also gave ancillary information to define sustainable forest management criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Conservation planning requires setting priorities at the same spatial scale at which decision-making processes are undertaken considering all levels of biodiversity, but current methods for identifying biodiversity hotspots ignore its genetic component. We developed a fine-scale approach based on the definition of genetic hotspots, which have high genetic diversity and unique variants that represent their evolutionary potential and evolutionary novelties. Our hypothesis is that wide- ranging taxa with similar ecological tolerances, yet of phylogenetically independent lineages, have been and currently are shaped by ecological and evolutionary forces that result in geographically concordant genetic patterns. We mapped previously published genetic diversity and unique variants of biparentally inherited markers and chloroplast sequences for 9 species from 188 and 275 populations, respectively, of the 4 woody dominant families of the austral temperate forest, an area considered a biodiversity hotspot. Spatial distribution patterns of genetic polymorphisms differed among taxa according to their ecological tolerances. Eight genetic hotspots were detected and we recommend conservation actions for some in the southern Coastal Range in Chile. Existing spatially explicit genetic data from multiple populations and species can help to identify biodiversity hotspots and guide conservation actions to establish science-based protected areas that will preserve the evolutionary potential of key habitats and species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the pre-historic era, humans have been using forests as a food, drugs and handcraft reservoir. Today, the use of botanical raw material to produce pharmaceuticals, herbal remedies, teas, spirits, cosmetics, sweets, dietary supplements, special industrial compounds and crude materials constitute an important global resource in terms of healthcare and economy. In recent years, DNA barcoding has been suggested as a useful molecular technique to complement traditional taxonomic expertise for fast species identification and biodiversity inventories. In this study, in situ application of DNA barcodes was tested on a selected group of forest tree species with the aim of contributing to the identification, conservation and trade control of these valuable plant resources. The "core barcode" for land plants (rbcL, matK, and trnH-psbA) was tested on 68 tree specimens (24 taxa). Universality of the method, ease of data retrieval and correct species assignment using sequence character states, presence of DNA barcoding gaps and GenBank discrimination assessment were evaluated. The markers showed different prospects of reliable applicability. RbcL and trnH-psbA displayed 100% amplification and sequencing success, while matK did not amplify in some plant groups. The majority of species had a single haplotype. The trnH-psbA region showed the highest genetic variability, but in most cases the high intraspecific sequence divergence revealed the absence of a clear DNA barcoding gap. We also faced an important limitation because the taxonomic coverage of the public reference database is incomplete. Overall, species identification success was 66.7%. This work illustrates current limitations in the applicability of DNA barcoding to taxonomic forest surveys. These difficulties urge for an improvement of technical protocols and an increase of the number of sequences and taxa in public databases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge about how forest margins are utilized can be crucial for a general understanding of changes in forest cover, forest structure, and biodiversity across landscapes. We studied forest-agriculture transitions in southwestern Ethiopia and hypothesized that the presence of coffee (Coffea arabica)decreases deforestation rates because of coffee's importance to local economies and its widespread occurrence in forests and forest margins. Using satellite images and elevation data, we compared changes in forest cover over 37 years (1973-2010) across elevations in 2 forest-agriculture mosaic landscapes (1100 km2 around Bonga and 3000 km2 in Goma-Gera). In the field in the Bonga area, we determined coffee cover and forest structure in 40 forest margins that differed in time since deforestation. Both the absolute and relative deforestation rates were lower at coffee-growing elevations compared with at higher elevations (−10/20% vs. −40/50% comparing relative rates at 1800 m asl and 2300-2500 m asl, respectively). Within the coffee-growing elevation, the proportion of sites with high coffee cover (>20%) was significantly higher in stable margins (42% of sites that had been in the same location for the entire period) than in recently changed margins (0% of sites where expansion of annual crops had changed the margin). Disturbance level and forest structure did not differ between sites with 30% or 3% coffee. However, a growing body of literature on gradients of coffee management in Ethiopia reports coffee's negative effects on abundances of forest-specialist species. Even if the presence of coffee slows down the conversion of forest to annual-crop agriculture, there is a risk that an intensification of coffee management will still threaten forest biodiversity, including the genetic diversity of wild coffee. Conservation policy for Ethiopian forests thus needs to develop strategies that acknowledge that forests without coffee production may have higher deforestation risks than forests with coffee production and that forests with coffee production often have lower biodiversity value. Efectos de la Administración Cafetalera sobre las Tasas de Deforestación y la Integridad de los Bosques [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the global concern for the loss of biodiversity, biological knowledge has become a central tool in environmental governance. Science studies has addressed the data-driven nature of biodiversity protection and explored various aspects of it, ranging from knowledge infrastructures to engagement of various social groups in knowledge production. This article focuses on how this knowledge is applied in forestry, one of the most threatening socio-economic practices to biodiversity. Drawing from a case study in Finland, carried out as an ethnography of forestry expert practices, I analyse how biodiversity has been institutionalised in forestry operations. Responsible action and pro-environmental behaviour are much debated topics in environmental governance literature. Here the focus is on how they are articulated and enacted as embedded in the expert practices. The practices and techniques of identifying and locating the biological values are thus not viewed as resources for decision making but as performative of the partnerships in environmental governance, shaping the roles of science, corporations, government and civil society. These partnerships and power relations are constituted by the uncertainty of biological knowledge and the instability of biological objects travelling between the realms of science, administration and economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we discuss cooperative networks for forest conservation from the viewpoint of deliberation. We ask how deliberative processes are produced and what predicts deliberation in the cooperative networks for forest conservation that have been established for policy implementation as a part of the Finnish forest biodiversity programme METSO. We base our argument on both qualitative and quantitative material. In the qualitative study, we present two cooperative networks for forest biodiversity conservation in Finland. The results show that clear leadership, active and determined work for common goals and openness to actively engage new actors assist in creating deliberative processes in cooperative networks. In the quantitative study, we explore the perceptions of implementers of METSO programme about the prerequisites for achievement in deliberation. The results of a quantitative study support those of a qualitative one: involving new forest owner groups and including conservation-biological knowledge were connected to perceived achievement. Based on the findings, we argue that in order to become as deliberative and empowering a programme as it has potential for, METSO needs to expose its actions to a broader public, critique and debate, involve new collaborators actively and support integration of various types of knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonal environmental variation experienced in the subtropics may contribute substantially to dynamics of community structure. This is particularly true for Neotropical bats because the geographic terminus of most families occurs there. Paraguayan Atlantic forest provides an ideal opportunity to evaluate effects of seasonality on structure of communities; it exhibits notable spatial and seasonal environmental variation and lies near the edge of the geographic distribution of most tropical bat species occurring there. We examined seasonality of bat populations and communities as well as correspondence to seasonal environmental conditions in eastern Paraguay. Most species exhibited lower abundances in the cool than in the warm season. Nonetheless, magnitude of differences was species-specific. Accordingly, highly significant differences between warm and cool seasons existed regarding species composition, evenness and diversity. Moreover, consistent with competition theory, magnitude of positive correlation between morphological distance and abundance and hence degree of structure was greater in the cool than warm season. Across the New World, seasonality assumes various forms (i.e. cold winters, dry and wet seasons) suggesting that better understanding of mechanistic bases of bat community structure in general may come from seasonal perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alpine landscapes are heavily influenced by ski run management, which can have severe impacts on alpine biodiversity. To assess these impacts on alpine Orthoptera, we compared species richness and species abundance in 41 plot pairs on ski runs and adjacent off-slope control plots in three ski resorts in Austria and Germany. A mixed modelling approach was used to assess the impacts of ski run preparation, artificial snow-making and environmental variables such as altitude, cover of dwarf shrubs and the application of fertilizer. Ski run plots showed a significantly lower species richness and number of individuals than control plots. Moreover, artificial snow led to a further decrease in species number. Hierarchical variance partitioning revealed that Orthoptera community composition is best predicted by environmental variables indirectly related to ski run management (fertilization, cover of dwarf shrubs) and to altitude. Only one out of five species significantly decreased in abundance after artificial snow-making. Other species were more sensitive to fertilizing and altitude. Dwarf shrubs were negatively associated with ski run management but positively associated with abundance of three species and species richness. Our data provide evidence for both direct and indirect consequences of ski runs and artificial snow-making on alpine Orthoptera. Overall, Orthoptera communities are suitable indicators for human-induced changes in alpine environments. In particular, a shift towards generalist species such as Chorthippus parallelus along with a decrease in typical alpine species gives cause for concern as this implies a homogenisation of biodiversity owing to ski run management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In Central America, natural forests have been transformed into agriculture production areas, generating forest fragmentation, desertification, erosion and loss of biodiversity, among other concerns. Different tree cover compositions are kept on these agricultural landscapes, including scattered trees in pastures, live fences, fragments of secondary forests, and riparian forests. These can help in biodiversity conservation because they generate shelter, feeding and reproduction areas, among others. We studied the composition, richness and abundance of diurnal butterflies on two types of live fences in a landscape where pastures are predominant in Costa Rica's Central Pacific Region. Transects (120x5m) were observed for an hour (two days/habitat) in five multi-strata fences (with several plant species, strata and canopy width) and five simple fences (with smaller and pruned trees). A total of 2 782 butterflies were observed (75 species). The most abundant species were Anartia fatima, Eurema daria, Eurema nise, Hermeuptychia hermes, Junonia evarete and Phoebis philea. Multi-strata fences had more species and can help maintain 56% of the total species observed in secondary and riparian forests. This type of live fence can play an important role in butterfly conservation in livestock areas, and its benefits are influenced by the manner in which farmers manage their land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diversity studies in forests are useful for conservation management. We analyzed the patterns of alpha diversity in three protected forests along an altitudinal gradient in the Northern part of the Central Mountain Range, Colombia. The study was based on six permanent plots of 1ha (two per area). According to plant size, two main categories were used: canopy (diameter at breast height≥10cm) and understory (1cm≤diameter at breast height<10cm). Species-area curves showed differences in species richness by size category in all regions. Instead, speciesindividual curves were independent of the size in Anorí and Angelópolis, but not in Belmira. Diversity patterns, as measured by Fisher's alpha index, showed a strong tendency to reach a plateau for sample sizes larger than 1000 individuals. Neither species-area curves nor species-individual curves showed an asymptote; however, the species accumulation rate in Belmira was very low (0.05) when compared to Anorí and Angelópolis (0.25). Fisher's alpha index is a very useful tool to understand the extent of relative differences in diversity among regions or forest types along altitudinal gradients, even when sample size is relatively small. Our results support dispersal limitation as the main mechanism structuring species assemblages at very fine scales, and the monotonic increment of density-dependence processes determining the tree community structure at larger spatial scales. Likewise, we found that density-dependence tends to increase with altitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Baima Tibetans, a unique ethnic group inhabiting the hilly regions of the southern tip of Gansu Province, possess ancient religious beliefs and rich traditional knowledge. Baima Tibetans have developed their culture, traditional beliefs, knowledge, customs and resource use systems through their productive activities and living practices over many generations. These have played a critical role in conserving local biodiversity, including the giant panda, and preserving the livelihoods of local inhabitants. People in the local Baima community have a great sense of self-identity that is related to their traditional beliefs and knowledge. They possess a strong recognition of the role that traditional beliefs play in protecting their villages and conserving the wealth of biodiversity. Consequently, Baima peoples respect their traditional ways and the customary regulations of the village that relate to the conservation and use of natural resources. Biodiversity conservation and community development have faced challenges in Baima Tibetan communities in recent times, which are largely due to the imposition by external actors of a powerful development model based on modern scientific knowledge and technologies, a model that usually neglects the role that traditional religious beliefs, production practices, and local governance systems play in biodiversity conservation and community development. In this paper we analyze of these issues on how the Baima Tibetan people''s traditional knowledge, practices, and local institutions may be better utilized to meet biodiversity conservation and community development needs in the future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Genetic diversity is indispensable for long-term forest sustainability and is therefore mentioned in numerous binding and nonbinding political covenants calling for action. Nevertheless, there are significant obstacles to the conservation of forest genetic resources. We discuss hindrances to genetic conservation, mainly in Europe. We identified impediments by reviewing the literature and on the basis of the experiences of the authors in this field and their participation in related political processes. The impediments include (1) difficulties in assessing and monitoring genetic erosion and human impacts (e.g., by the lack of markers showing adaptive variation and the lack of record keeping on the use and transfer of forest-tree germplasm), (2) complexities of European national structures that make the development of a common strategy toward forest genetic conservation problematic, (3) lack of effective forest governance in many parts of the world, (4) the general unattractiveness of genes as flagships in raising public awareness, (5) lack of integration of genetic aspects into biodiversity conservation, and (6) the fact that scientists and politicians are often at cross-purposes. To overcome these impediments, forest geneticists and their peers in species conservation have to participate more actively in decision making. In doing so, they must be prepared to face challenges on 2 fronts: participating in political processes and the provision of significant research findings to ensure that decisions with respect to forest genetic diversity are politically implementable and effectively address targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green-tree retention is a relatively new forestry application, which aims at decreasing the negative effects of clear-cut logging on forest biodiversity. In this study, the value of retained aspens in maintaining diverse assemblages of wood-decaying fungi (polypores; Basidiomycota) on clearcuts was investigated, after the retention trees had died, fallen and started to decay. A total of 110 fallen aspen trunks were investigated on clear-cuts and within old-growth forests in eastern Finland, southern boreal zone; and 499 records of polypores belonging to 46 species were made. The intermediately decayed trunks on a clear-cut area hosted more species and more red-listed species than did trunks within forests. Most of the polypore species with more than two records were found in both habitats. These results suggest that many aspen-associated polypores are able to live and reproduce in sun-exposed habitats, if the quality and quantity of dead wood fulfill the species-specific requirements. This unexpected result, however, may be partly due to the exceptionally great abundance of aspen in the study area. Furthermore, in the long term, the local benefits of fallen retention trees can be limited, unless the local continuity of large aspens, both living and dead, is ensured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the perceived risks to forest biodiversity and perceived effectiveness of biodiversity conservation strategies among the general public. It tests the hypotheses that perceived risk to forest biodiversity is influenced by cognitive factors (value orientation and knowledge) and social-cultural factors (such as gender and environmental membership) and that risk perceptions influence other cognitive constructs such as support for natural resource policy and management. Data were collected from a sample of the general public ( n= 596) in British Columbia, Canada by mail survey in 2001. Results show that insects and disease were perceived as the greatest risk. Educating the public and industry about biodiversity issues was perceived as a more effective conservation strategy than restricting human uses of the forest. Value orientation was a better predictor of perceptions of risk and perceived effectiveness of conservation strategies than knowledge indicators or social-cultural variables. Examining the indirect effects of social-cultural variables, however, revealed that value orientation may amplify the effect of these variables and suggests that alternative paths of influence should be included. Perceived risk showed an inconsistent association with perceived effectiveness of conservation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about the "Future of Zimbabwe," summit held on September 17, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa is presented. The summit discussed several topics related to Zimbabwe which included investment environment, brain drain and agriculture and food security. During his keynote speech, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai encouraged investment in the country.

The article focuses on a report from the United Nations' (UN) Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) which claims that Africa is at risk of losing its forest cover and biodiversity. The FAO report emphasises the significant role played by forests in the environmental protection and sustainment if livelihoods in the region. It also cites threats to forest biodiversity including climate change, forest fires and natural disasters.