Search

The Rapoport Effect is a macroecological approach that proposes to explain the trend of species distribution across environmental gradients. Here, edaphic spiders were chosen as a model organism to test the Rapoport Effect along an elevational gradient in a ‘Brejo de Altitude’ in the Baturité Massif, Northeast Brazil. Spiders were sampled during 13 months from August 2020 to August 2021 using pitfall traps in five elevational bands distributed along the Baturité Massif. A total of 1,476 individuals were collected, of which adults correspond to 1,171 individuals, belonging to 107 morphospecies from 29 families. A tendency was observed in the decrease of species richness as a function of the increase in altitude, except in the two higher bands. We also found that 26 morphospecies present maximum elevational amplitude (740 m). Our results provide support for the occurrence of the Rapoport Effect in edaphic spiders along the elevational gradient in Baturité Massif. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic diversity within a species can be shaped by abiotic factors, such as climate and geography. We aimed to ascertain the relative importance of these two abiotic factors to Indrella ampulla , a monotypic snail species from the Western Ghats, India, that has three colour morphs with some overlapping distributions. We also wanted to investigate whether these colour morphs represent divergent lineages or incipient species. We sequenced one nuclear and two mitochondrial genes from 32 individuals of I. ampulla. We used phylogenetic, population genetic, and niche modelling tools to address these questions. The results suggested that the colour morphs were not reciprocally monophyletic and exhibited considerable niche overlap, suggesting that they cannot be considered as incipient species. Furthermore, the results showed that the impact of palaeoclimatic oscillations in shaping the genetic diversity of this species cannot be determined conclusively. The Palghat Gap seems to have shaped the genetic diversity in this group to a certain degree. The colour morph distributed south of the Palghat Gap did not show admixture and exhibited the least amount of niche overlap with the other morphs. The geography of the landscape seems to have played a prominent role in shaping genetic diversity in this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial forest plantations in South Africa are homogeneous monocultures of highly bred exotic species grown to deliver timber products of the best potential quality. As such, these stands are susceptible to adverse effects of biotic and abiotic factors, and therefore require intense management to mitigate these risks. A sustainable forest monitoring system that can detect real-time changes in the physiological state of these plantations is needed for timeous management intervention to reduce losses. The use of machine learning algorithms has recently become popular, with acceptable levels of success. This study explores the application of deep learning neural networks for early detection of damage caused by baboons in evergreen plantations of Pinus species. Using PlanetScope imagery (spectral band 590–860 nm), which is captured by a constellation of Dove nanosatellites, with a high temporal resolution available daily at 3 m spatial resolution, the study achieved an overall accuracy of 81.54%, with a kappa value of 0.69, using a deep neural network. In comparison, using a random-forest classifier produced 74.04% accuracy and a kappa value of 0.62. The study successfully mapped different levels of baboon damage within commercial pine forests. We provide a repeatable method for daily monitoring initiatives, and attest to the utility of higher-resolution imagery such as PlanetScope for mapping health and damage severity at the tree level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A gamut of abiotic and biotic factors is related to the amount of above-ground biomass (AGB) produced in ecosystems. Some factors have direct and others indirect relationships with AGB. Detailed analyses in tropical forests are few but much needed for better understanding the potential impacts of global change drivers and for mitigating impacts. Here, we examined the relationship between AGB and different predictor variables and quantitatively evaluated their relative importance in lowland to lower montane deciduous and lower montane – montane evergreen forest types. We hypothesised that the relationship between AGB and climate, topography, structural diversity, species diversity (alpha and beta) and phylogenetic diversity would differ between the two forest types. We inventoried trees from 114 plots (each 0.1 ha) and used partial least square structural equation modelling to test the direct and indirect relationship between AGB and the predictor variables. We found that structural diversity variables, stem density and tree girth, were significantly and positively related to AGB in both forest types, displaying a stronger relationship in montane evergreen forests (w = 0.65 for density and 0.89 for tree girth). In the deciduous forest, alpha and phylogenetic diversity were also important factors, whereas beta and phylogenetic diversity were important in the evergreen forest. The effects of topography and climate varied between forest types, with elevation and precipitation being related to AGB directly and indirectly through their relationship with structural diversity. Our results suggest that structural diversity is a key driver of tropical forest biomass, both directly and indirectly. This fundamental understanding can aid in the predictive efforts of biodiversity conservation and forest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Northern hemisphere evergreen forests assimilate a significant fraction of global atmospheric CO2 but monitoring large-scale changes in gross primary production (GPP) in these systems is challenging. Recent advances in remote sensing allow the detection of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) emission from vegetation, which has been empirically linked to GPP at large spatial scales. This is particularly important in evergreen forests, where traditional remote-sensing techniques and terrestrial biosphere models fail to reproduce the seasonality of GPP. Here, we examined the mechanistic relationship between SIF retrieved from a canopy spectrometer system and GPP at a winter-dormant conifer forest, which has little seasonal variation in canopy structure, needle chlorophyll content, and absorbed light. Both SIF and GPP track each other in a consistent, dynamic fashion in response to environmental conditions. SIF and GPP are well correlated (R 2 = 0.62-0.92) with an invariant slope over hourly to weekly timescales. Large seasonal variations in SIF yield capture changes in photoprotective pigments and photosystem II operating efficiency associated with winter acclimation, highlighting its unique ability to precisely track the seasonality of photosynthesis. Our results underscore the potential of new satellite-based SIF products (TROPOMI, OCO-2) as proxies for the timing and magnitude of GPP in evergreen forests at an unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution.

The Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve is a biodiverse region of peninsular India that harbors a significant number of endemic and near-endemic angiosperm species. The present documentation reveals a total of 211 endemic taxa conserved in this reserve. Analysis show that the endemic flora is dominated by Western Ghats (57%) elements, followed by Eastern and Western Ghats elements (28%), peninsular endemic elements (9%), and Indian elements (6%). The present study reports two endemic species of Western Ghats Sysygium densiflorum (Myrtaceae) and Meineckia longipes (Phyllanthaceae) as new distribution records for Karnataka state. The family Orchidaceae harbors the maximum endemic taxa. A majority of endemic taxa are confined to the evergreen forest of the reserve, hence these forests need special attention for conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Annual forest maps at a high spatial resolution are necessary for forest management and conservation. Large uncertainties remain among the existing forest maps, because of different forest definitions, satellite datasets, in-situ training datasets, and mapping algorithms. In this study, we generated annual forest maps and evergreen forest maps at a 30-m resolution in the Contiguous United States (CONUS) during 2015-2017 by integrating microwave data (Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR-2)) and optical data (Landsat) using Knowledgebased algorithms. The resultant PALSAR-2/Landsat-based forest maps (PL-Forest) were compared with five major forest datasets in the CONUS: (1) the Landsat tree canopy cover from Global Forest Watch datasets (GFW-Forest), 2) the Landsat Vegetation Continuous Field datasets (Landsat VCF-Forest), (3) the National Land Cover Database 2016 (NLCD-Forest), (4) the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) forest maps (JAXA-Forest), and (5) the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data from the USDA Forest Service (FIA-Forest). The forest structure data (tree canopy height and canopy coverage) derived from the lidar observations of the Geoscience Laser Altimetry System GLAS) onboard of NASA's Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat-1) were used to assess the five forest datasets derived from satellite images. Using the forest definition by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, more forest pixels from the PL-Forest maps meet the FAO's forest definitions than the GFW-, Landsat VCF-, and JAXA-Forest datasets. Forest area estimates from the PL-Forest were close to those from the FIAForest statistics but higher than the GFW-Forest, NLCD-Forest and lower than the Landsat VCF-Forest, which highlights the potential of using both PL-Forest and FIA-Forest datasets to support the FAO's Global Forest Resources Assessment. Furthermore, the PL-based annual evergreen forest maps (PL-Evergreen Forest) showed reasonableconsistency with the NLCD product. Together with our previous work in South America and monsoon Asia, this study further demonstrates the potential of integrating PALSAR and Landsat images for developing annual forest maps and forest-type maps at high spatial resolution across the scales from region to the globe, which could be used to support FAO Global Forest Resources Assessments. The PL-Forest and PL-Evergreen Forest datasets are publicly available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.21270261 (Wang et al., 2022). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides first-hand information on how the changing microhabitat in evergreen forests influences the assemblage of small terrestrial mammals. 30 plots of 100 × 50 metres were randomly sampled in the closed forest, open forest and farmlands habitats. Four transects, 100 m in length, spaced at 10 m, were established in each plot. Ten traps spaced at 10 m from each other were placed on each transect. In the dry and wet seasons, small mammals were captured for three consecutive nights twice a year using Sherman collapsible traps baited with oatmeal and groundnut paste. Small mammals were photographed and identified to species level in situ. The multidimensional scaling method was used to identify clusters of sites based on the composition of their communities. Differences in species composition among habitat types were tested using Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance. To identify the species contributions to the major differences between habitat types, a SIMPER analysis was performed. Species richness was compared by subjecting the relative abundance data to an individual-based rarefaction technique. Species diversity of the habitat types in the study areas was compared using the Renyi diversity ordering approach. A total of 507 individual small mammals of 22 species were sampled from both study sites. Our analysis revealed that the composition of small mammal species differed significantly between habitat types in the two study areas. Praomys tullbergi, Mastomys natalensis and Mus minutoides contributed 27.5%, 16.8% and 14.4%, respectively to overall community dissimilarity between the habitat types. Together these three species contributed to 54.8% and 62.8% of observed dissimilarities in Atewa and Bimpong study areas respectively. Overall observed species richness in Atewa (16 species) was higher than Bimpong (14 species). Generally, farmlands and open forests were more abundant, species-rich and diverse than the closed forest habitats in both study areas. Our results supported the hypothesis that different habitat types (farmlands, open forest, and closed forest) in the study areas will differ in small mammal assemblage due to different levels of disturbances.

The present study was conducted to elucidate the underlying processes that have maintained and promoted the coexistence of tropical forest tree species. Three 1-ha study plots (100 × 100 m) were established in the evergreen broad-leaved forest in Pu Hoat Nature Reserve, Nghe An Province, Central Vietnam. Uni- and bivariate spatial analyses were performed using the Programita November 2018 software to analyze the spatial patterns and associations of the co-dominant species at a distance of 0–50 m. The results showed that spatial patterns of species were mostly aggregated at a small scale of r < 15 m; randomness and regularity tend to increase at a large scale of r > 15 m. The number of species pairs with independent association accounted for an extremely high proportion (75–90%); attraction and repulsion accounted for a lower proportion (5–12.5%). Spatial association patterns of co-dominant species in the stands were primarily independent or segregated at large scales of r > 30 m. Processes such as limited seed dispersal, habitat heterogeneity, and density-dependent mortality adjusted the spatial distribution patterns and associations of the tree species in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) symbioses play an important role in tree biology and forest ecology. However, little is known on the composition of bacterial and fungal communities associated to ECM roots. In the present study, we surveyed the bacterial and fungal microbiome of ECM roots from stone oaks (Lithocarpus spp.) and Yunnan pines (Pinusyunnanensis) in the subtropical forests of the Ailao Mountains (Yunnan, China). The bacterial community was dominated by species pertaining to Rhizobiales and Acidobacteriales, whereas the fungal community was mainly composed of species belonging to the Russulales and Thelephorales. While the bacterial microbiome hosted by ECM roots from stone oaks and Yunnan pines was very similar, the mycobiome of these host trees was strikingly distinct. The microbial networks for bacterial and fungal communities showed a higher complexity in Lithocarpus ECM roots compared to Pinus ECM roots, but their modularity was higher in Pinus ECM roots. Seasonality also significantly influenced the fungal diversity and their co-occurrence network complexity. Our findings thus suggest that the community structure of fungi establishing and colonizing ECM roots can be influenced by the local soil/host tree environment and seasonality. These results expand our knowledge of the ECM root microbiome and its diversity in subtropical forest ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) is the most common wild felid in Southeast Asia, yet little is known about the factors that affect their population density and occupancy in natural habitats. Although leopard cats are highly adaptable and reportedly can attain high densities in human-modified habitats, it is not clear which natural habitat is optimal for the species. Also, this felid has been preyed upon by large carnivores in Southeast Asia, yet the intra-guild effects of large carnivore presence on leopard cats are almost unknown. To shed light on these fundamental questions, we used data from camera trap surveys for felids to determine the leopard cat densities in three different forest types within Cambodia: continuous evergreen, mosaic dominated by evergreen (hereafter evergreen mosaic), and mosaic dominated by open dry deciduous forests (hereafter DDF mosaic). We also conducted occupancy analyses to evaluate the interactions of the leopard cats with three large carnivores: leopards (Panthera pardus), dholes (Cuon alpinus), and domestic dogs (Canis familiaris). The estimated density (individuals/100 km2 ± SE) was highest in the continuous evergreen (27.83 ± 7.68), followed by evergreen mosaic (22.06 ± 5.35) and DDF mosaic (13.53 ± 3.23). Densities in all three forest types were relatively high compared to previous studies. Domestic dogs were detected on all 3 sites, and leopards and dholes had sufficient records on only one site each. The occupancy probability of leopard cats was not affected by the presence or absence of any large carnivore, indicating that large carnivores and leopard cats occurred independently of each other. Our findings support the claim that leopard cats are habitat generalists, but we show that evergreen forest is the optimum natural habitat for this species in the region. The DDF mosaic appears to sustain lower densities of leopard cats, probably due to the harsh dry season and wildfires that led to reduced prey base, although this generalist felid was still able to occupy DDF in relatively moderate numbers. Overall, the adaptability of leopard cats to various forest types, and lack of negative interaction with large carnivores, helps to explain why this species is the most common and widespread felid in Southeast Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the first records of five species of hylid frogs from the Mexican state of Tabasco: Charadrahyla chaneque (Duellman, 1961), Duellmanohyla chamulae (Duellman, 1961), Exerodonta bivocata (Duellman & Hoyt, 1961), Quilticohyla zoque (Canseco-Márquez et al. 2017), and Ptychohyla macrotympanum (Tanner, 1957). These species are associated with streams in tropical evergreen forests and were previously thought to be restricted to one or more of the nearby Mexican states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Veracruz.

Southern Great Plains (SGP) of the United States, comprising the states Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, spans diverse climatic regions. In recent decades, woody plant continues to expand and form forest (above 2 m in height) across the SGP. However, our knowledge of the forest amount and distribution in this region is very limited. This study aims to map forest, especially evergreen forest (above 2 m in height) in the SGP for the time period of 2015–2017. Annual mosaic data of HH and HV polarization backscattering (25 m) from Phased Arrayed L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar-2 (PALSAR-2) aboard Advanced Land Observing Satellite-2 (ALOS-2), along with their difference (HH-HV) and ratio (HH/HV) were utilized. With the four bands (HH, HV, difference, ratio) of 2017, decision rules of forest were developed based on 30 randomly selected forest plots (as of 2017) across the study area. With the decision rules, a PALSAR-2 based forest map was created for each year from 2015 to 2017. Then an annual maximum normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) threshold of 0.5, derived from Landsat 8 data of 2017 and the 30 forest plots, was used to filter potential commission error of rough surface and building in each PALSAR-2 based forest map. After that, a forest map circa 2016 was generated, in which each forest pixel was identified as such at least twice during 2015 and 2017. Lastly, a threshold of seasonal NDVI change (0.3) was derived to extract evergreen forest out of the forest map circa 2016. Accuracy assessment for the result forest map suggests a user’s accuracy of 99.2% and a producer’s accuracy of 88.7% for forest. Accuracy assessment for the evergreen forest map suggests a user’s accuracy of 97.3% and a producer’s accuracy of 90.5% for evergreen forest. The result forest map, especially the evergreen forest map, paves the way for follow-up studies on forest resource and woody plant encroachment in the SGP.

It remains challenging to interpret seasonal profile of vegetation dynamics from empirical indices NDVI and EVI for boreal forests due to confounding impacts of snow, soil and snowmelt in winter and spring. This work aims to characterize the seasonally snow-covered Howland boreal forest ecosystem in Maine, USA with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) images. Vegetation cover fraction (VGCF), fractional absorption of photosynthetically active radiation (fAPAR) by all canopy components (fAPARcanopy), fAPAR by canopy chlorophyll (fAPARchl) and fAPAR by canopy non-chlorophyll components (fAPARnon-chl) were extracted from MODIS images in multiple years (2001 - 2014). Snow exposed during December to April. Top of canopy viewable snow cover fraction in April of multiple years varied between 0.02 and 0.16 (0.06 ± 0.04). Seasonal VGCF and fAPARcanopy showed a summer plateau (VGCF: 0.97 ± 0.01; fAPARcanopy: 0.90 ± 0.01). Both seasonal fAPARchl and fAPARnon-chl changed with time, and seasonal fAPARnon-chl had a bimodal shape. Spring VGCF varied between 0.54 and 0.69 (0.61 ± 0.04). Spring fAPARchl and fAPARnon-chl were 0.22 ± 0.03 and 0.21 ± 0.02, respectively. Peak summer fAPARchl was 0.58 ± 0.02. The lowest summer fAPARnon-chl was 0.32 ± 0.02. Replacing fAPARcanopy with fAPARchl to simulate boreal forest ecosystem gross primary production (GPP) could reduce uncertainties in GPP simulations.

The structure of phylloclades and true leaves in Phyllocladus was investigated with emphasis on function, ecology and evolution. Only in the earliest ontogenetic stages are true, needle leaves developed. The earliest phylloclades comprise a fusion product of a shoot axis of the first order and its inserted leaves. Later, this is augmented by the expansion of axillary short shoots from the base of some of the fused leaves. Phylloclades of mature individuals are entire short shoot systems, including leaves and shoots, becoming fused with photosynthetic tissue. These phylloclades represent one of the adaptations for increasing functional photosynthetic area that are present in Podocarpaceae. Such adaptations were probably needed because Podocarpaceae are usually medium-sized trees faced with competition from the ever-expanding angiosperm forests at mid to high latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere from the Late Cretaceous, but especially during the Palaeocene–Eocene, when dense and diverse angiosperm-dominated rainforests were common. The data obtained from living species were compared to those from fossil material of Phyllocladus. Phyllocladus with fully developed phylloclades have been in place since at least the early Cenozoic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Under habitat loss and fragmentation, the intensity of local ecological processes involving species interactions changes pervasively, accelerating local species extinctions, and disrupting essential ecosystem functions. We addressed this issue by examining the direct population drivers of apex predators (five felid species), armadillo mesopredators, leafcutter ants (Atta sexdens and Atta cephalotes), and the indirect effects mediated by their inter‐trophic relationships in a ~25‐yr‐old land‐bridge island system formed by a hydroelectric dam in the Central Amazon. These trophic groups and pioneer tree abundance were surveyed across 34 variable‐sized islands and three continuous forest sites. Leafcutter populations were characterized in relation to their occurrence, colony density, and proportion of inactive colonies, and for each leafcutter response, we considered the direct and/or indirect effects of forest area on each trophic group. Leafcutter occupancy was best explained by the direct model, colony density by either the direct or the indirect model, and proportion of inactive colonies by an indirect model via the effects of pioneer tree abundance. The direct forest area effects were positive for apex predators and leafcutter occupancy, but negative for armadillos and pioneer trees. Yet leafcutter colony density declined in increasingly larger forest areas. The absence or low abundance of apex predators on small islands released armadillo hyper‐abundance, which contrary to expectation from top‐down control, covaried positively with leafcutter colony density. Finally, the indirect model showed that leafcutter colonies were more active under higher pioneer tree abundances. That leafcutter density increases on smaller islands whenever present is likely attributed to the hyper‐abundance of pioneer plants and canopy gaps. Although apex predators apparently suppressed armadillos, the remaining fraction of the food web seems to be controlled by bottom‐up mechanisms most likely related the overall low foliage palatability typical of wet evergreen forests. Our findings can be used to inform the long‐term viability of forest ecosystems affected by hydropower development in lowland Amazonia.

Under habitat loss and fragmentation, the intensity of local ecological processes involving species interactions changes pervasively, accelerating local species extinctions, and disrupting essential ecosystem functions. We addressed this issue by examining the direct population drivers of apex predators (five felid species), armadillo mesopredators, leafcutter ants (Atta sexdens and Atta cephalotes), and the indirect effects mediated by their inter‐trophic relationships in a ~25‐yr‐old land‐bridge island system formed by a hydroelectric dam in the Central Amazon. These trophic groups and pioneer tree abundance were surveyed across 34 variable‐sized islands and three continuous forest sites. Leafcutter populations were characterized in relation to their occurrence, colony density, and proportion of inactive colonies, and for each leafcutter response, we considered the direct and/or indirect effects of forest area on each trophic group. Leafcutter occupancy was best explained by the direct model, colony density by either the direct or the indirect model, and proportion of inactive colonies by an indirect model via the effects of pioneer tree abundance. The direct forest area effects were positive for apex predators and leafcutter occupancy, but negative for armadillos and pioneer trees. Yet leafcutter colony density declined in increasingly larger forest areas. The absence or low abundance of apex predators on small islands released armadillo hyper‐abundance, which contrary to expectation from top‐down control, covaried positively with leafcutter colony density. Finally, the indirect model showed that leafcutter colonies were more active under higher pioneer tree abundances. That leafcutter density increases on smaller islands whenever present is likely attributed to the hyper‐abundance of pioneer plants and canopy gaps. Although apex predators apparently suppressed armadillos, the remaining fraction of the food web seems to be controlled by bottom‐up mechanisms most likely related the overall low foliage palatability typical of wet evergreen forests. Our findings can be used to inform the long‐term viability of forest ecosystems affected by hydropower development in lowland Amazonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Although the conservation of tropical biodiversity depends on protected areas, there is still a very large ‘gap’ of knowledge on the flora of Brazilian reserves, especially in the Northeast region of Brazil. Field and herbarium surveys of the phanerogamic flora of the Ubajara National Park, located on the Brazilian Northeast, were made and analyses on phenology and dispersal syndromes were performed. 418 taxa (213 trees and shrubs, 100 terrestrial herbs, 68 climbing plants, 33 sub-shrubs, two epiphytes, one hemiparasite and one aquatic herb) were recorded. The most representative families were: Fabaceae, Malvaceae, Asteraceae, Rubiaceae and Euphorbiaceae. The annual flowering / fruiting peak hypothesis was not fully confirmed, therefore, the forest may be an important food resource for the fauna all year long (especially in the moister region). Zoochory was the predominant dispersal syndrome in the moister area, whereas, autochory and anemochory together, predominated in the drier area.

Summary: Photosynthetic phenology is an important indicator of annual gross primary productivity (GPP). Assessing photosynthetic phenology remotely is difficult for evergreen conifers as they remain green year‐round. Carotenoid‐based vegetation indices such as the photochemical reflectance index (PRI) and chlorophyll/carotenoid index (CCI) are promising tools to remotely track the invisible phenology of photosynthesis by assessing carotenoid pigment dynamics. PRI, CCI and the near‐infrared reflectance of vegetation (NIRV) index may act as proxies of photosynthetic efficiency (ɛ), an important parameter in light‐use efficiency models, or direct proxies of photosynthesis.To understand the physiological mechanisms reflected by PRI and CCI and the ability of vegetation indices to act as proxies of photosynthetic activity for estimating GPP, we measured leaf pigment composition, PRI, CCI, NIRV and photosynthetic activity at the leaf and canopy scales over 2 years in an evergreen and mixed deciduous forest.PRI and CCI captured the large seasonal carotenoid/chlorophyll ratio changes and good relationships were observed between PRI–ɛ and CCI–photosynthesis and NIRV–photosynthesis.PRI‐, CCI‐ and NIRV‐based models effectively tracked observed seasonal GPP. We propose that carotenoid‐based and near‐infrared reflectance vegetation indices may provide useful proxies of photosynthetic activity and can improve remote sensing‐based models of GPP in evergreen and deciduous forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to determine the accumulated carbon potential in the arboreal stratum of a Lowland Evergreen Forest in the Cuyabeno Fauna Production Reserve. A conglomerate of one hectare was established, subdivided into 25 sampling units of 20 x 20 m. The floristic composition, the index of ecological Importance at family and species level, and the aerial biomass were determined through allometric equations, biomass importance value and carbon stored potential in the arboreal stratum. It was determined that the forest in the study area stores 392.1 ± 2.35 Mg ha'1 of biomass and 196.05 ± 1.17 Mg C ha'1 in 685 ind ha'1 with Di,3o2. 10 cm distributed in 13 orders, 19 families, 35 genera 43 species. The families with the largest number of species were Fabacea, Moraceae, Lauraceae, among families that store the largest amount of carbon stood out: Lauraceae (35.6± 0.7 Mg ha-1), Chrysobalanaceae (34.5 ± 5.3 Mg ha'1), Fabaceae (23.6 ± 0.52 Mg ha'1), Sapotaceae (22.6 ± 0.6 Mg ha'1), Arecaceae (21.99 ± 0.25 Mg ha'1) which accumulate 70.4% of carbon retained in the forest aerial biomass. The accumulation of biomass is determined by the age of each biotype present in the forest, the density of its wood and the abundance of individuals. According to its structure, it is evident that the biomass is self-replenishing in the process of development with a tendency towards growth, biomass productivity and carbon sequestration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years there has been increasing attention in patterns of ß-diversity and mechanisms related to variations in species composition. In this study, we evaluated beta diversity patterns of bromeliads growing on cliffs immersed in Atlantic Forest. We hypothesized that the species composition varies according to the spatial scale, inferring that there is a replacement of species influenced mainly by environmental factors. The study was carried out on sandstone cliffs included in contiguous but distinct vegetation formations: Evergreen and Seasonal forests. Twenty-four vertical rocky outcrops were sampled. The spatial variation in species composition was evaluated by two ß-diversity components, turnover and nestedness. Multivariate analysis and variation partitioning were performed to distinguish niche and stochastic processes. We recorded 26 bromeliad species and a significantly higher contribution of turnover explaining beta diversity. Environmental factors affect ß-diversity patterns of Bromeliaceae. However, individually, the environmental predictors do not explain the data variation. Environmental variations spatially structured, and spatial variables determinate the dissimilarity in the composition of bromeliads on cliffs. Thus, our results revealed that both environmental and spatial effects can act together to define the floristic composition of rock-dwelling bromeliad communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hopea glabra Wight & Arn. and Hopea utilis (Bedd.) Bole are two little-known highly threatened endemic dipterocarps distributed in evergreen forests of the Western Ghats. Although literature surveys and herbarium records show occurrence of these species in different forest areas of Kerala, the present study could locate Hopea glabra from the Silent Valley National Park and Hopea utilis from Shankili forests in Kulathupuza range, enabling the portrayal of current distribution, basic ecology covering phenology, species association, regeneration and conservation status along with taxonomic notes.

Comparing with the effect of the average climate change on vegetation phenology, the impacts of extreme climate events remain unclear, especially considering their characteristic cumulative and time-lag effects. Using solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) satellite records, we investigated the cumulative and time-lag effects of drought and heat events on photosynthesis, particularly for the end date of autumn photosynthesis (EOP), in subtropical vegetation in China. Our results showed a negative effect of drought on the delay of EOP, with the cumulative effect on 30.12% (maximum continuous dry days, CDD), 34.82% (dry days, DRD), and 26.14% (dry period, DSDI) of the study area and the general time-lag effect on 50.73% (maximum continuous dry days), 56.61% (dry days), and 47.55% (dry period) of the study area. The cumulative and lagged time were 1–3 months and 2–3 months, respectively. In contrast, the cumulative effect of heat on EOP was observed in 16.27% (warm nights, TN90P), 23.66% (moderate heat days, TX50P), and 19.19% (heavy heat days, TX90P) of the study area, with cumulative time of 1–3 months. The lagged time was 3–4 months, detected in 31.02% (warm nights), 45.86% (moderate heat days), and 36.52% (heavy heat days) of the study area. At the vegetation community level, drought and heat had relatively rapid impacts on EOP in the deciduous broadleaved forest, whereas evergreen forests and bushes responded to heat slowly and took a longer time. Our results revealed that drought and heat have short-term cumulative and time-lag effects on the EOP of subtropical vegetation in China, with varying effects among different vegetation types. These findings provide new insights into the effect of drought and heat on subtropical vegetation and confirm the need to consider these effects in the development of prediction models of autumn phenology for subtropical vegetation. • The effect of extreme climate on EOP of subtropical vegetation in China were analyzed. • Drought and heat had short-term cumulative and time-lag effects on the EOP. • Drought and heat had rapid impacts on EOP in the deciduous broadleaved forest. • Evergreen forests and bushes responded to heat slowly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spectral unmixing remains the most popular method for estimating the composition of mixed pixels. However, the spectral-based unmixing method cannot easily distinguish vegetation with similar spectral characteristics (e.g., different forest tree species). Furthermore, in large areas with significant heterogeneity, extracting a large number of pure endmember samples is challenging. Here, we implement a fractional evergreen forest cover-self-adaptive parameter (FEVC-SAP) approach to measure FEVC at the regional scale from continuous intra-year time-series normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values derived from moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) imagery acquired over southern China, an area with a complex mixture of temperate, subtropical, and tropical climates containing evergreen and deciduous forests. Considering the cover of evergreen forest as a fraction of total forest (evergreen forest plus non-evergreen forest), the dimidiate pixel model combined with an index of evergreen forest phenological characteristics (NDVIann-min: intra-annual minimum NDVI value) was used to distinguish between evergreen and non-evergreen forests within a pixel. Due to spatial heterogeneity, the optimal model parameters differ among regions. By dividing the study area into grids, our method converts image spectral information into gray level information and uses the Otsu threshold segmentation method to simulate the appropriate parameters for each grid for adaptive acquisition of FEVC parameters. Mapping accuracy was assessed at the pixel and sub-pixel scales. At the pixel scale, a confusion matrix was constructed with higher overall accuracy (87.5%) of evergreen forest classification than existing land cover products, including GLC 30 and MOD12. At the sub-pixel scale, a strong linear correlation was found between the cover fraction predicted by our method and the reference cover fraction obtained from GF-1 images (R2 = 0.86). Compared to other methods, the FEVC-SAP had a lower estimation deviation (root mean square error = 8.6%). Moreover, the proposed method had greater estimation accuracy in densely than sparsely forested areas. Our results highlight the utility of the adaptive-parameter linear unmixing model for quantitative evaluation of the coverage of evergreen forest and other vegetation types at large scales.

Identification of ecosystem turnover in the palaeo-vegetation record is important for understanding the resilience of ecosystems to past environmental change. There is uncertainty over the ability of different types of palaeo-vegetation proxies to detect ecosystem turnover. The aim of this paper is to compare the sensitivity of two palaeo-vegetation proxies – pollen and phytoliths – to changes within and between three key tropical South American ecosystems: evergreen forest, dry forest and savannah. A quantitative approach is used to assess the sensitivity of these two proxies to vegetation changes, based on the variability of proxy assemblages from 1-ha ecological plots in ecotonal south-west Amazonia. This modern dataset of proxy variability within evergreen forest, dry forest and savannah plots is then used to define thresholds for proxy variability which differentiate floristic changes within an ecosystem from ecosystem turnover. These thresholds are applied to two palaeo-vegetation records from NE Bolivia. Our results show that pollen is more sensitive than phytoliths to changes within evergreen forest, but phytoliths are more sensitive than pollen to changes within dry forest. Both proxies were equally sensitive to changes within the savannahs. These are important considerations for palaeoecologists selecting proxies for the study of ecosystem turnover in the palaeo-record. Application of the thresholds to the palaeo-record demonstrated the utility of this quantitative approach for assessing the magnitude of vegetation change in the palaeo-record. This quantitative approach is therefore a useful tool to improve the identification of ecosystem turnover in the palaeo-record. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to document the diversity and distribution of polypores in wet evergreen and shola forests of Silent Valley National Park, Kerala State, in the southern Western Ghats, India. A combination of opportunistic and plot-based sampling was carried out in order to maximize the documentation of polypore distribution. The study was conducted throughout the entire study period of 2013-2015. Fifty-seven polypore species in 29 genera belonging to seven families were documented from the national park. The wet evergreen forest was enriched with 52 species whereas the shola forest harboured 20 polypore species. Fifteen species were found in both ecosystems while five species were exclusively found in the shola forest. The Polyporaceae was the dominant family with 30 species, followed by Hymenochaetaceae with 16 species, and Fomitopsidaceae and Meripilaceae with three species each. Ganodermataceae and Schizoporaceae made their presence with two species each while only one species was reported under family Meruliaceae. Among the polypores documented, 42 species were annuals and 15 were perennials. While analyzing the rot characteristics of the recorded polypores, it was found that white rot polypores have notable dominance over brown rot polypores. Out of the 57 species analysed, 52 polypores were white rotters and only five species were brown rotters. During the present study, three species (Phylloporia pectinata, Trametes menziesii, and Trametes ochracea) were found to be new records from the southern Western Ghats. An identification key was developed for the polypores documented from Silent Valley National Park based on micro and macro morphological features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the habitat requirements of threatened species is essential for developing effective conservation and habitat management plans. The Siamese fireback (Lophura diardi), a lowland pheasant species found in mainland Southeast Asia, has mostly been studied in its areas of range expansion in submontane forests. However, there is limited information on the species' ranging behaviour and habitat use in their lowland habitat. We investigated the ranging behaviour, patterns of habitat use, and roost site selection using radio telemetry in a small and well-protected lowland forest in northeastern Thailand. The home range size was slightly larger during the non-breeding season (26.4 ± 3.9 SE ha) than during the breeding season (20.8 ± 2.3 SE ha). The birds selected areas with high tree density at 3-5 m height, sparse tree coverage at 0.5-3 m height and high climber density in proximity to water sources. In addition, the Siamese fireback appeared to prefer roost sites on steeper slopes with less canopy cover, presumably to facilitate escape by flushing during attempted predation. Our results provide the first ranging ecology information on lowland Lophura species in their typical habitat which can be used as the basis for further research of other cryptic Lophura species in Southeast Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myristicaceae is one of the ancient families of flowering plants in tropical forests. The Western Ghats of India harbours 5 species of Myristicaceae viz., Gymnacranthera canarica, Myristica fatua var. magnifica, Myristica dactyloides, Myristica malabarica and Knema attenuate. Among the five species, the first two are exclusively associated with swampy habitat and possess aerial/knee roots. The other species occur mostly in non-swampy habitats. Present study is directed towards understanding and comparing the responses of obligate swampy and non-swampy species of Myristicaceae with respect to wood growth across different locations in Western Ghats. Samples were examined in laboratory for wood growth rings and specific gravity which indicated that there exists a significant variation in wood growth across the locations in both swampy and non-swampy species. Geographically closer locations showed similar growth pattern, indicating that climatic factors play a role in the wood growth. Compared to the non-swampy species, the swampy Gymnacranthera canarica showed higher growth (diameter) and specific gravity was higher in case of non-swamy species. Hence, specific comprehensive strategy and action plan for the long-term conservation of swamps and adjoining species in the central Western Ghats would be beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The genus Glauconycteris Dobson, 1875 currently contains 12 species of butterfly bats, all endemic to sub‐Saharan Africa. Most species are rarely recorded, with half of the species known from less than six geographic localities. The taxonomic status of several species remains problematic. Here, we studied the systematics of butterfly bats using both morphological and molecular approaches. We examined 45 adult specimens for external anatomy and skull morphology, and investigated the phylogeny of Glauconycteris using DNA sequences from three mitochondrial genes and 116 individuals, which in addition to outgroup taxa, included nine of the twelve butterfly bat species currently recognized. Four additional nuclear genes were sequenced on a reduced sample of 69 individuals, covering the outgroup and Glauconycteris species. Our molecular results show that the genus Glauconycteris is monophyletic, and that it is the sister‐group of the Asian genus Hesperoptenus. Molecular dating estimates based on either Cytb or RAG2 data sets suggest that the ancestor of Glauconycteris migrated into Africa from Asia during the Tortonian age of the Late Miocene (11.6–7.2 Mya), while the basal diversification of the crown group occurred in Africa at around 6 ± 2 Mya. The species G. superba is found to be the sister‐group of G. variegata, questioning its placement in the recently described genus Niumbaha. The small species living in tropical rainforests constitute a robust clade, which contains three divergent lineages: (i) the “poensis” group, which is composed of G. poensis, G. alboguttata, G. argentata, and G. egeria; (ii) the “beatrix” group, which contains G. beatrix and G. curryae; and (iii) the “humeralis” group, which includes G. humeralis and a new species described herein. In the “poensis” group, G. egeria is found to be monophyletic in the nuclear tree, but polyphyletic in the mitochondrial tree. The reasons for this mito‐nuclear discordance are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]