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In the current research, the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown period on sediment quality of the Meric-Ergene River Basin was evaluated by determining the potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in sediment samples collected from 25 sampling points in the basin. Also some important ecological indicators including potential ecological risk index (PERI), contamination factor (CF), pollution load index (PLI), biological risk index (BRI), and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and some important statistical indicators including the Pearson correlation index (PCI), factor analysis (FA), and cluster analysis (CA) were applied to collected data. Levels of all the investigated PTEs in sediment of the basin show significant differences between the pre-lockdown and lockdown periods. The PTE contents have considerably decreased by 12.8%–45.4% during the lockdown period. Similarly, the results of applied sediment quality risk assessment indices showed significant improvement and the values have decreased by 22.4%–35.8%. In the lockdown period, reduction of industrial activities or limited production at many industrial facilities located in the basin reduced the amount of effluent, leading to significant improvement in sediment quality.

The article concerns the research on the emission of pollutants of a rail-road tractor in two stationary research tests. The purpose of the tests was to carry out control tests of pollutant emissions and their analysis. The object used during the works was approved in accordance with the Stage V standard, which requires measurements of emissivity both in stationary, dynamic and real conditions. Despite the requirement to test engines installed on a vehicle during their normal duty cycle with PEMS, the emission limits measured in this test have not yet been defined. Therefore, the work below focuses on the stationary test cycle. The measurements were carried out in accordance with the combustion engine operating points described in the approval test, and then compared with the modernized NRSC test. It contains modified measuring points and rotational speeds of the crankshaft, adopted on the basis of the most common operating parameters of agricultural tractor combustion engines in real operating conditions. The measurements were performed with the use of a mobile dynamometer and devices for measuring emissions of harmful exhaust gas compounds and recording on-board data. In the test, the vehicle drive system worked at fixed operating points, with defined values of crankshaft rotational speed and load. Based on the recorded data on the concentrations of pollutants in the exhaust gases, the specific emission of the object was determined. In the final stage of the work, these data were used to perform a comparative analysis with the emission limits contained in the standard.

Ecosystem restoration has been practiced for over a century and is increasingly supported by the emergent applied science of restoration ecology. A prerequisite for successful ecosystem restoration is determining meaningful and measurable goals. This requires tools to monitor success in a standardized way. Photogrammetry uses images to reconstruct landscapes and organisms in three dimensions, enabling non-invasive measurement of key success indicators with unprecedented accuracy. We propose photogrammetry can improve restoration success by: (i) facilitating measurable goals; (ii) innovating and standardizing indicators of success; and (iii) standardizing monitoring. While the case we present is specific to coral reefs, photogrammetry has enormous potential to improve restoration practice in a wide range of ecosystems.

San Pedro Mártir island is of high biological, ecological, and fishery importance and was declared a biosphere reserve in 2002. This island is the most oceanic in the Gulf of California, and information on its rocky reefs is scarce. The present study aimed to generate the first list of conspicuous invertebrate and fish species based onin situobservations and to examine the community structure of the shallow rocky reefs of the reserve. In addition, we estimated the ecological indicators of richness, abundance, Shannon diversity, and Pielou evenness to evaluate the conservation status of the biosphere reserve. Data were collected annually from 2007 to 2017 through 2,192 underwater SCUBA transects. A total of 35 species of invertebrates and 73 species of fish were recorded. Most of the species are widely distributed along the eastern Pacific. Overall, 64% of the species found in this study are commercially important, and 11 species have been listed as protected. The abundance of commercially important invertebrate species (i.e., the sea cucumberIsostichopus fuscusand the spiny oysterSpondylus limbatus) is decreasing, while commercially important fish species have maintained their abundance with periods of increase. The ecological indicators and the abundance and size of the commercial species indicate that the reserve is in good condition while meeting its conservation objectives.

Bats have been proposed as reliable bioindicators for monitoring bioaccumulation of elements and chemicals in natural and transformed ecosystems. Non-invasive methods are becoming more popular as research moves away from destructive methodologies. We present the first concentrations of 23 elements in Mops condylurus and Tadarida aegyptiaca (Molossidae) fur and blood from an opencast diamond mine and reference area using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Concentrations of B, K, Rb and Cd in the bats’ fur were significantly higher in the mining footprint compared to the reference area (P < 0.05). Other elements such as Zn and Hg were significantly higher in the blood of bats from the mining footprint than the reference area (P < 0.05), whereas Mn was significantly higher in the blood of bats from the reference area than from the mining footprint (P < 0.05). Sixteen of the 22 elements above the limit of detection, with the exception of Ba, were significantly higher in the fur samples than in the blood due to elements being incorporated over time into the fur as it grows, whereas blood reveals short-term exposure to elements. Concentrations of most of the elements were reasonably low except Al, Fe and Zn. In general, the element concentrations particularly in the fur samples were comparable with other international studies reporting elemental fur concentrations from anthropogenically impacted and natural areas. Fur and blood have the potential to be viable indicators of environmental toxicity, but research is required on toxic thresholds and physiological and ecological unknowns around element concentrations in bat tissues and organs.

Climatic changes threaten the diverse and highly endemic paramo flora of the equatorial Andes with species loss and reduction of plant community diversity. Edward Whymper’s findings in his botanical exploration of the Ecuadorian Andes in 1880 offer an opportunity to examine the impact of climate changes on species distribution over time. To achieve these goals, we revised Whymper’s historical plant species collections, recorded elevational distribution of the same species along his 1880 sampling routes on two volcanoes, Chimborazo and Antisana, and applied to them ecological indicator values. Of the species recorded by Whymper, 24 on Antisana and 21 on Chimborazo, we resampled 21 and 14 of those species, respectively, in 2020. The highest record we found on Chimborazo was at 5385 m, seven meters above the zero-richness elevation predicted from Whymper’s distribution data, and at 4937 m on Antisana, 113 m below it. Mean upper range limits of species have shifted upward by 91.7 m on Chimborazo and by 27.1 m on Antisana, suggesting mean shift rates of 6.6 m and 1.9 m per decade, respectively. This rate of upslope migration ranks among the slowest reported worldwide. Humidity ecological indicator values suggest that species composition of paramo plant communities changed since 1880 in response not only to rising temperature, but also increasing dryness. Rather than a uniform upslope migration, the response of paramo plants to climate changes in the equatorial Andes has been species-specific, likely driven, among other factors, by coupled effects of increasing temperature and declining humidity.

The degradation of freshwater ecosystems can be attributed to stressors associated with the increased demand for water and other aquatic resources. Freshwater ecosystems face such challenges in sup...

Understanding the biological response to increasing anthropogenic stressors is an important consideration to make when evaluating ecosystem well-being. Among aquatic ecological indicators, fish are effective as they are mobile and can be monitored relatively easily. The socio-economically important uMngeni River in South Africa is a highly regulated ‘working river’ and has seen a reduction in the numbers of its iconic Labeobarbus spp. as a result, primarily the KwaZulu-Natal yellowfish Labeobarbus natalensis. To understand how this species has adapted to these anthropogenic changes, we evaluated the reach-scale movements and habitat use of L. natalensis (n = 43) from August 2018 to August 2019 between Midmar and Albert Falls Dams. We included monitoring environmental parameters using radio telemetry methods. We found that L. natalensis showed facultative movements and typically exhibited diurnal activities. Habitat availability was important and appeared to depend on refugia during the austral winter (May to July) and spawning or body condition during austral summer (December to February). Upstream reach-scale movements were cued primarily by water temperature where flow provided access and maintained available habitats for breeding. Maintaining adequate flows during critical periods of movement and spawning is important and will assist in maintaining the population of L. natalensis. Furthermore, removing redundant instream barriers or fitting these with adequate fish passages will improve the fragmented population resilience of L. natalensis. These mitigation measures will improve ecosystem resilience and reduce the impacts of increasing anthropogenic stressors associated with socio-economically important rivers.

Insect diversity and abundance are in drastic decline worldwide, but quantifying insect populations to better conserve them is a difficult task. Mark-release-recapture (MRR) is widely used as an ecological indicator for insect populations, but the accuracy of MRR estimates can vary with factors such as spatial scale, sampling effort and models of inference. We conducted a three-year MRR study of B. thaidina in Yanzigou valley, Mt. Gongga but failed to obtain sufficient data for a robust population estimate. This prompted us to integrate B. thaidina life history information to parameterize agent-based models and evaluate the conditions under which successful MRR studies could be conducted. We evaluated: (1) the performance of MRR models under different landscape types, and (2) the influence of experimental design on the accuracy and variance of MRR-based estimates. Our simulations revealed systematic underestimates of true population parameters by MRR models when sampling effort was insufficient. In a total of 2772 simulations, subjective decisions in sampling protocol (e.g. frequency, number of sampling locations, use of spatially explicit models, type of estimands) accounted for nearly half of the variation in estimates. We conclude that MRR-based estimates could be improved with the addition of more field-specific parameters. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The aim of the author is to gain insight into the results of the survey expeditions carried out on the Danube and its catchment area every 6 years. In order to maintain the good status required by the Water Framework Directive, the methods for assessing the status of waters include an overview of the methodology of ecological indicators. The article also presents methodologies and developments resulting from water quality analyses and related international conventions and collaborations. Most importantly, it aims to provide a comprehensive picture of the state of the Danube River Basin, which can be deduced from research data from the last 20 years. After the introduction, the author examines the results of the International Danube Commission’s survey of the entire Danube every 6 years in terms of improving the ecological status, with particular reference to technical or methodological developments between surveys.

In this study the approach and method on its basis for calculated assessment of reference values of complex fuel-ecological criterion of Prof. І. Parsadanov as separate independent ecological safety factor and as reference points of psychophysical scale of the partial desirability function when using it as the ecological safety factor of power plants with reciprocating internal combustion engines exploitation process was proposed. Also in the study calculated assessment of reference values of ecological indicators of reciprocating internal combustion engines as components of complex fuel-ecological criterion depending on magnitudes of effective power and coordinates of field of engine operating regimes for different levels of statutory ecological standards in force in Ukraine and previously in force was carried out. Thus, calculated assessment of reference values of complex fuel-ecological criterion and its components was performed and obtained the distribution of such reference values in field of 2Ch10.5/12 autotractor diesel engine operating regimes depending as well as dependences of such reference values on magnitudes of level of ecological standards EURO, engine effective performance and lower calorific value of engine fuel. So, the study for the first time proposes the approach to calculated assessment of reference values of the complex fuel-ecological criterion of Prof. І. Parsadanov as reference points of the psychophysical scale of the Harrington's partial desirability function when using it as the separate independent ecological safety factor of exploitation process of power plants with reciprocating ICE. The method, based on the proposed approach for calculative evaluation of reference values of the complex fuel-ecological criterion of Prof. I. Parsadanov as reference points of psychophysical scale of partial desirability function is suitable for obtaining necessary data for the complex criterion evaluation of the ecological safety level of operation process of power units with piston ICE using generalized Harrington desirability function, in the structure of which the complex fuel-ecological criterion acts as a distinct factor of environmental safety.

Forestry plantations have been established globally to meet timber demands, often leading to the conversion of natural to artificial forests. Forestry plantations may support natural elements of forest biodiversity, but understanding their role in the maintenance of biodiversity is a crucial question. We performed a meta-analysis of 48 studies to determine how forestry plantations relative to natural forests influence the species richness and abundance of three important coleopteran groups (i.e., ground beetles, rove beetles, and dung beetles), given their essential role in ecosystem functioning. We assessed whether beetle responses depended on taxonomic group, geographical location, native or exotic character of the planted tree species, and associated management characteristics (i.e., composition, size, age, and connectivity of the plantations). We found that forestry plantations negatively affected coleopteran species richness and abundance compared to natural forests. The negative impact was most severe in plantations with exotic tree species and located in tropical biomes. Species richness and abundance of beetles significantly increased with plantation age in native plantations but decreased in exotic ones. Also, small plantations close to native forest had higher beetle species richness and abundance than ones located far away from native forest. Stopping the conversion of natural forests to plantations, promoting the use of native tree species, and lengthening rotations are critical for allowing biodiversity recovery in forestry plantations, combined with a robust conservation strategy to protect threatened biodiversity and ecosystem functioning., Hungarian Basic Research Fund, Remedinal, Natural Environment Research Council, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación

A cross-cultural approach to conservation and natural resource management will enable resource managers to access the full potential of dual knowledge epistemologies and facilitate genuine co-management. To achieve this epistemological convergence in Aotearoa, New Zealand, a framework and an ecological assessment tool are required that can employ indicators from both neoclassical ecological science and indigenous science, in particular mātauranga Māori. The Ecological State Assessment Tool (ESAT) was developed to assess quantitative scientific data using Māori ecological indicators. ESAT models population or social data weighted according to an applied Māori ecological perspective. ESAT may be applied to any conservation project to integrate Māori ecological knowledge in resource management. We illustrate the utility of ESAT in a case study of how different conservation management practices affect the ecological health of a short-tailed bat colony (Mystacina tuberculata), Pekapeka O Puketītī-Piopio. Applying ESAT shows that although pest control programs were achieving management targets, social engagement had a significant effect on ecological health outcomes for the bats. ESAT may assist territorial authorities and the Crown to meet their resource management obligations to Māori under the Treaty of Waitangi, value mātauranga and provide a way for Māori and ecologists to conceptualise and understand each other’s epistemology. Furthermore, ESAT can be adapted to include any cultural or ecological indicators, enabling its application internationally.

South Brazilian grasslands are at risk due to climate change and activities that convert native vegetation into agricultural lands. We used 12 native palm species as ecological indicators of these ecosystems to evaluate the impact of climate and land-use changes on their geographical distribution. We estimated the potential distribution of species for current and future (year 2050; RCP 4.5 and 8.5) climate and land-use conditions considering two dispersal scenarios. We also assessed the coverage of protected areas (PAs) for current and future species distribution. Our results indicated that the future distribution of all species will decrease under scenarios with no dispersal and increase under scenarios with dispersal; however, a dispersal scenario might be unlikely considering species dispersal ability and the increased pressure on grasslands. A comprehensive strategy is fundamental to ensure species conservation and recovery since the current PAs network covers less than 2% of the current distribution for nine out of the 12 species. Assessing the synergy of trends in climate and land-use changes is essential to improve conservation strategies for these emblematic species.

Ecological fiscal transfers (EFT) transfer public revenue between governments within a country based on ecological indicators. EFT can compensate subnational governments for the costs of conserving ecosystems and in principle can incentivize greater ecological conservation. We review established EFT in Brazil, Portugal, France, China and India, and emerging or proposed EFT in ten more countries. We analyse common themes related to EFT emergence, design and effects. EFT have grown rapidly from US$0.35 billion yr−1 in 2007 to US$23 billion yr−1 in 2020. We discuss the scope of opportunity to expand EFT to other countries by ‘greening’ intergovernmental fiscal transfers. The transfer of public funds between governments within a country based on ecological indicators is an emerging tool in environmental policy. A review of extant and proposed schemes identifies challenges and opportunities to expand the use of this instrument.

Introducción: El banco de semillas en el suelo es uno de los indicadores ecológicos más importantes para la evaluación y monitoreo de recuperación de ecosistemas degradados. Así mismo, actualmente indicadores ecológicos de restauración son usados en áreas afectadas por la ruptura de la represa de relaves de Fundão en Mariana, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Objetivo: En este estudio se evaluó la variación de la riqueza, composición de especies, densidad y parámetros fitosociológicos del banco de semillas en dos profundidades de relaves mineros en Mariana, municipio de Mariana, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Métodos: Se recolectaron 15 muestras por nivel de profundidad, en la capa superior (Profundidad1, P1 = 0-2.5 cm) y capa inferior (Profundidad2, P2 = 2.5-5.0 cm) del relave de minería para examinar el banco de semillas viable, que luego se colocó en un invernadero para la germinación. Posteriormente se contaron e identificaron semanalmente todos los individuos de cada especie durante un período de seis meses. Resultados: Se demostró que existe un banco de semillas en las capas superficiales de relaves mineros acumulados en las áreas afectadas de Mariana, con una marcada diferencia entre profundidades en términos de riqueza de especies y densidad de individuos. Se observó una mayor riqueza y número de individuos en P1, (1 165 semillas germinadas), pertenecientes a 18 familias y 47 especies, en comparación a P2 (197 individuos), pertenecientes a 12 familias y 23 especies. El banco de semillas de la capa P1 está influenciado por la lluvia de semillas del bosque cercano. Por otro lado, el banco de semillas de P2, puede ser característico de los relaves mineros. Conclusiones: El banco de semillas estudiado puede tener efectos positivos sobre la recuperación en el área de estudio, debido a la alta proporción de especies nativas, pioneras y anemocóricas típicas de etapas iniciales de sucesión secundaria.

Understanding how soil fertility changes due to environmental conditions and stand-age-dependent forest attributes is important for local-scale forest restoration. We evaluated the effects of stand-age-dependent forest attributes (plant community composition and litter stock) on soil and technosol fertility across two second-growth Atlantic forests (SGF) after the deposition of mining tailings in Mariana, southeastern Brazil. We hypothesized that technosol fertility in the SGF tailings is positively affected by plant community composition variability, stand age, and litter stock. We used total exchangeable bases and organic matter as fertility indicators for technosol and soil, and species composition and litter stock as stand-age-dependent forest attributes. Our results showed significant differences in the stand-age-dependent forest attributes and soil chemical properties between the two forest patches (SGF tailing and SGF non-tailing) evaluated. Thus, there was a marked gradient of litter storage and fertility between soil and technosol that can be important forest recovery indicators for the affected plant communities. Furthermore, according to the tested models, we corroborated the hypothesis that technosol fertility is positively affected by stand age, plant community composition variability, and litter stock, which may contribute considerably to forest recovery on tailings. Our results demonstrate that the fertility predictors analyzed to explain the forest recovery on tailings can also be considered as ecological indicators for assessing forest restoration in areas impacted by mining tailings in Mariana.

All data collected here are part of the ebook "Footprints of foods and culinary preparations consumed in Brazil". Here is presented the complete data used to calculate carbon, water and ecological footprints of foods and culinary preparations consumed in Brazil, a tool developed to enable the studies of a thesis named The food and its environmental impacts: approaches of national food guides and study of Brazilians diet , which was presented at the Global Health and Sustainability PhD Program of the Faculty of Public Health of the University of São Paulo. The e.book has both Portuguese and English versions. DOI: 10.11606/9788588848368 (ebook in Portuguese) DOI: 10.11606/9788588848405 (e.book in English) Licença: “É permitida a reprodução parcial ou total desta obra, desde que citada a fonte e autoria, proibindo qualquer uso para fins comerciais.”

In the present study, the spatial-temporal variations of iron, lead, copper, cadmium, mercury, nickel, and zinc accumulations in the water of Sehriban Stream (northern Turkey) were investigated. Water Quality Index (WQI), Heavy Metal Evaluation Index (HEI), Pearson Correlation Index (PCI), and Factor Analysis (FA) were used in analyzing the water quality. Sampling was performed in 12 stations on monthly basis between February 2019 and January 2020 (a hydrological year). The data showed that the Sehriban Stream had significantly high water quality characteristics and the investigated toxicants were not found as dangerous for health. Although there was a slight decrease in the water quality from upstream to downstream, the stream was found to have 1st class water quality in general. As a result of WQI and HEI, although it was determined that the water quality decreased slightly in autumn, the stream was found to be "A Grade - Excellent (

RIVER restoration is a popular technique to rehabilitate degraded river habitat. Given the nature of these types of engineering projects, using ecological indicators to monitor the restoration effectiveness has been a traditional approach. However, as this approach emphasizes the post-project performance, environmental impact attributed to a project’s construction phase has received little attention directly or indirectly. This study quantified the carbon footprint of ecological river restoration, using a project in California as a case study. A topographic diversity index (TDI) was developed as a functional unit of the river restoration project, indicating how a restoration project can increase the variation of habitat topography. The results show that river restoration can lead to greenhouse gas emissions ranging from 288 to 336 kg CO2 equivalent (kg CO2e) for every 1% of TDI improvement, or 9–14 kg CO2e per meter stream restored. This study identified that improving raw material acquisition plans and heavy-duty equipment rental decision can be feasible strategies leading to the reduction of carbon footprint.

Macroinvertebrates have been recognized as key ecological indicators of aquatic environment and are the most commonly used approaches for water quality assessment. However, species identification of macroinvertebrates (especially of aquatic insects) proves to be very difficult due to the lack of taxonomic expertise in some regions and can become time‐consuming. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of DNA barcoding for the classification of benthic macroinvertebrates and investigated the genetic differentiation in seven orders (Insecta: Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Coleoptera, and Odonata) from four large transboundary rivers of northwest China and further explored its potential application to biodiversity assessment. A total of 1,144 COI sequences, belonging to 176 species, 112 genera, and 53 families were obtained and analyzed. The barcoding gap analysis showed that COI gene fragment yielded significant intra‐ and interspecific divergences and obvious barcoding gaps. NJ phylogenetic trees showed that all species group into monophyletic species clusters whether from the same population or not, except two species (Polypedilum. laetum and Polypedilum. bullum). The distance‐based (ABGD) and tree‐based (PTP and MPTP) methods were utilized for grouping specimens into Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) and delimiting species. The ABGD, PTP, and MPTP analysis were divided into 177 (p = .0599), 197, and 195 OTUs, respectively. The BIN analysis generated 186 different BINs. Overall, our study showed that DNA barcoding offers an effective framework for macroinvertebrate species identification and sheds new light on the biodiversity assessment of local macroinvertebrates. Also, the construction of DNA barcode reference library of benthic macroinvertebrates in Eurasian transboundary rivers provides a solid backup for bioassessment studies of freshwater habitats using modern high‐throughput technologies in the near future., We evaluated the feasibility of DNA barcoding for the classification of benthic macroinvertebrates from four large transboundary rivers of northwest China. Our study shows that DNA barcoding can be used to clarify species boundaries and improve the reliability of environmental and biodiversity assessment in rivers.

Landscape conversion becomes a continuous process in a natural landscape for any strategic development. In a forest landscape mosaic, the conversion from non-forest land to forest land implies a constructive approach. Various bio-geographic processes are enriched and developed when the land was converted to forest land in a given landscape matrix. The present study evaluated how the increased forest cover improves the ecological quality of forest in Jhargram District of West Bengal State, India, from 1985 to 2015. The quality of forests includes dominance, fragmentation and connectivity, which are the basis ecological indicators of habitat structure. To address this issue, we extracted forest cover maps of 1985 and 2015 from land use/land cover classification. A grid framework was overlaid on these forest cover maps for patch-matrix model analysis. Reliable landscape ecological indices were used for the measurements of forest landscape quality in 1985 and 2015. Then a simple linear regression model was used to compare the results. Temporally, forest cover increased in Jhargram District from 1985 to 2015. The comparison of measurement indices depicts that although only a small amount of land was changed into forest land in the study area, this small change has greatly improved the structural compositional quality of the forest land. Compared with 1985, the forest land area increased by about 6930.56 ​hm2 in 2015. This increased forest cover improved the basic landscape ecological characters, such as inter patch connectivity, forest core area, forest habitat dependence, forest habitat dominance and forest edge effect. As a result, the ecosystem function in Jhargram District has been improved, which again attracts wildlife and enriches biodiversity.

Selected field vegetable crop combinations and increasing dosage of bio-char application, together with other alternative agronomic components of ecological agriculture (EA) were compared with conventional agriculture (CA) during the first three seasons of transition from CA to EA under hot-humid tropical conditions and sandy regasolic soils in Kalpitiya, Sri Lanka. The recommendations of the Department of Agriculture (Sri Lanka) was followed for managing conventional agriculture plots while alternative ecological options were followed for plant nutrient and pest managements. Capsicum-beet, Okra-beet and mae-spinach and radish-onion crop combinations could be selected for intercropping under ecological as well as conventional cropping systems based on their yield performances (Land Equivalent Ratio -LER) or other yield components. Even though plant growth rates and crop yields were lower at the beginning, EA was able to outrank CA by the third consecutive season. A bio-char amendment of 2 kg m-2 could be identified as the best among the different dosages tested. Soil N, P and K contents were increased while accumulation of Cd and Hg were reduced at the end of a three season long ecological agriculture practices. Insect pest/natural enemy incidence were not different between two cropping systems.

The habitats present in research sites across Amazonia have usually been characterized only very broadly, for example, as inundated or non-inundated (terra firma) forests. However, within each of these categories there is considerable variation in soil properties and floristic composition. This variation is likely to determine habitat quality for animal populations through its effects on primary productivity and food availability, thereby affecting carrying capacity. Therefore, comparison of edaphic properties across sites could provide new insight into which factors affect animal foraging patterns, population densities, and home-range sizes. We provide an example from Estacion Biologica Quebrada Blanco in Peruvian Amazonia, where behavioral studies on primates (especially tamarins) have been conducted for more than three decades but little is known about the edaphic or floristic characteristics of the forest they occupy. We used indicator plant species to estimate and map soil base cation concentration and its variability at Estacion Biologica Quebrada Blanco. We found that soils in the study area are relatively cation-poor in a western Amazonian context, which probably translates into low primary productivity. Some differences in soils among the home-ranges of three tamarin groups were also observed, illustrating the usefulness of the method for detailed habitat mapping. in Spanish is available with online material.