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["INCLUDED IN REVIEW"]
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["Reason for inclusion/exclusion","Authors","Article Title","Source Title","Author Keywords","Keywords Plus","Abstract","Publication Year","Volume","Issue","Start Page","End Page","Article Number","DOI"]
["Within topic, found by search","Briggs, A; Pryke, JS; Samways, MJ; Conlong, D","Macrophytes promote aquatic insect conservation in artificial ponds","AQUATIC CONSERVATION-MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS","agriculture; biodiversity; congruence; conservation evaluation; dragonflies; forestry practice; macroinvertebrates; reservoir; water beetles","DRAGONFLIES ODONATA; COMPARATIVE BIODIVERSITY; ECOSYSTEM SERVICES; SPECIES RICHNESS; FARMLAND PONDS; ALIEN PLANTS; ASSEMBLAGES; HABITAT; INDICATORS; MANAGEMENT","Farmland ponds promote regional aquatic biodiversity; however, optimally managing these ponds requires knowledge on how the biodiversity differs between ponds across catchments with different land uses. This study investigated the response of macrophytes, both those in the pond and on the bank, as well as dragonfly and water beetle species richness, diversity and composition in artificial ponds, to numerous environmental variables in catchments dominated by three land uses: protected areas (as reference sites), sugarcane-dominated and forestry-dominated landscapes, across two seasons. There was a strong association between insect species richness and vegetation cover, particularly sedges (Cyperus spp.) in spring and bulrushes (Typha capensis) in summer. There was also a positive response between insect species richness and sedges up to 70% cover, and bulrushes up to 40% cover, after which there was a decrease. Furthermore, the protected area ponds contained more rare and specialist insect species. Pond size was not a major variable for biodiversity overall. Although there was generally little congruence in composition among the three taxa, dragonflies were a good surrogate for water beetles and floating macrophytes. Well-vegetated ponds, both in the water and along the margin, are the most suited to promoting biodiversity, as long as the vegetation is not too dense, and not dominated by one plant species. Artificial ponds in production landscapes have great potential for conserving aquatic species, irrespective of land use, as long as there is management for macrophyte density and heterogeneity.",2019,29,8,1190,1201,"","10.1002/aqc.3157"]
["Within topic, found by search","Briggs, AJ; Pryke, JS; Samways, MJ; Conlong, DE","Complementarity among dragonflies across a pondscape in a rural landscape mosaic","INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY","Agricultural conservation; dragonfly diversity; farm ponds; lentic systems; odonata; pond conservation","ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY; COMPARATIVE BIODIVERSITY; ODONATA; INDICATORS; PATTERNS; DISTRIBUTIONS; CONSERVATION; ASSEMBLAGES; MANAGEMENT; RICHNESS","Networks of ponds (pondscapes) are becoming increasingly significant for resilient landscape planning in rural areas. Farmland and forestry ponds are habitat islands that support heterogeneous communities of aquatic organisms. Species richness, Dragonfly Biotic Index (DBI), Shannon's index, and species composition are used here to assess the complementary conservation value of adult dragonfly assemblages associated with forty ponds across a protected area-sugarcane-forestry mosaic. Despite differences in environmental variables among the various ponds, dragonfly species richness, DBI, Shannon index scores, as well as responses to particular environmental variables, did not differ between ponds in sugarcane, plantation forestry, and protected areas. Dragonfly composition differed in response to vegetation cover. Our results highlight the importance of catchment and regional management for all ponds within the pondscape, and show that ponds in the transformed areas (i.e. sugarcane and forestry areas) are important contributors to regional conservation. As the various ponds were complementary in their dragonfly assemblages, we recommend conservation focus at the level of the pondscape rather than on individual ponds.",2019,12,3,241,250,"","10.1111/icad.12339"]
["Within topic, found by search","Deacon, C; Pryke, JS; Samways, MJ","Variety among physical landscape features in natural grassland-plantation forestry mosaics promotes diverse butterfly assemblages","BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION","KwaZulu-Natal Midlands; Meso-filter conservation; Community dynamics; Landscape management; Biodiversity hotspot; Pollinators","PROTECTED AREAS; CONSERVATION; BIODIVERSITY; SCALE; UMBRELLA; HETEROGENEITY; MESOFILTER; INDICATOR; ABUNDANCE; INSECTS","Various physical landscape features across local and regional spatial scales contribute to heterogeneity. This means that ostensible maintenance of physical landscape features as representatives of heterogeneity (i.e., a meso-filter conservation approach) can contribute to conservation of insect assemblages. Using butterflies as model organisms, we investigate the conservation value of specific physical landscape feature types (rocky areas, wetlands, and gullies) relative to open grasslands, across 32 study sites in a natural grassland-plantation forestry mosaic in South Africa. We found that all considered landscape feature types had equal species richness and diversity levels compared to open grasslands. Yet, 8-diversity (mostly accounted for by species turnover) was overall high between rocky areas, wetlands, and open grasslands, resulting from associations between some butterfly species and certain landscape feature types. Gullies were occupied by nested assemblages of rocky areas and open grasslands, suggesting that gullies have lower conservation importance, and should be targets for restoration. Topography and butterfly food plant availability further influenced 8-diversity patterns and should also be considered when adopting a meso-filter conservation approach. 8-diversity was also high among similar feature types, suggesting that a variety of landscape features that encapsulates environmental variation at a landscape scale can best conserve regional butterfly assemblages. While our focus was on butterflies, we anticipate these findings to be relevant to other insect groups, given that butterflies have successfully been used as conservation surrogates for other terrestrial insect taxa (e.g., grasshoppers) in the same area.",2023,282,"","","",110076,"10.1016/j.biocon.2023.110076"]
["Within topic, found by search","Deacon, C; Samways, MJ; Pryke, JS","Interplay between pond size and matrix extent drives odonate diversity patterns in a fragmented landscape","BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION","Pondscape; Lentic habitats; Biodiversity hotspot; Transformed landscapes; Odonata","DRAGONFLIES ODONATA; AQUATIC INSECTS; BETA DIVERSITY; DISPERSAL; BIODIVERSITY; MANAGEMENT; HABITAT; GROWTH; DETERMINANTS; CONSERVATION","Landscape fragmentation impacts freshwater habitats and their quality, affecting aquatic insect assemblages. Adjacent terrestrial areas are important secondary habitats where amphibiotic insects mature, feed, find mates, and move to locate aquatic breeding habitats. Using a factorial design with 27 small and large ponds within small and large natural patches in an exotic tree plantation-fragmented landscape of South Africa, and odonates as model organisms, we investigated (1) how pond size/natural terrestrial patch size interaction affects odonate diversity patterns versus habitat quality variables, and (2) determined whether anisopterans and zygopterans respond differently to landscape fragmentation. Species richness was similar among ponds. However, odonate abundance was highest in large ponds regardless of natural terrestrial patch size. Zygopteran functional richness and diversity was driven by pond and natural patch size, suggesting that zygopterans are sensitive to landscape fragmentation. In contrast, anisopterans were more resilient to fragmentation and more likely to select suitable habitats following water chemistry and vegetation characteristics. Overall, large ponds were occupied by different odonate assemblages compared to small ponds, and occupancy was strongly associated with mobility traits. These findings emphasize that ponds in both small and large natural terrestrial patches have conservation value. A pondscape that represents various pond sizes is important for maintaining regional odonate diversity. Pond conservation needs to be considered in the wider terrestrial context, which host a range of important secondary habitats. Adjacent natural terrestrial habitats also connect nearby aquatic habitats, which enable insects to move across the landscape in response to natural and artificial drivers.",2023,32,14,4767,4785,"","10.1007/s10531-023-02726-4"]
["Within topic, found by search","Deacon, C; Samways, MJ; Pryke, JS","Artificial reservoirs complement natural ponds to improve pondscape resilience in conservation corridors in a biodiversity hotspot","PLOS ONE","","FRESH-WATER BIODIVERSITY; MACROINVERTEBRATE ASSEMBLAGES; SPECIES RICHNESS; RANGE SIZE; DIVERSITY; COMMUNITIES; DISPERSAL; HABITAT; ODONATA; INVERTEBRATES","Natural ponds are rich in biodiversity, contributing greatly to regional aquatic biodiversity. Artificial reservoirs used for irrigation can be significant additional features of the landscape. They infill the local natural pondscape, and are attractors for aquatic insects. Here, we determine the extent to which artificial reservoirs represent the local natural pond biota, and how they contribute to the pondscape in conservation corridors used to mitigate the impact of plantation forestry in a global biodiversity hotspot. We did this by: 1) identifying the environmental factors, including plants, that drive dragonfly, water beetle, and water bug species richness, diversity and composition, and 2) determining the value of natural ponds vs. artificial reservoirs for maintaining the population size and expanding the area of occupancy for dragonflies, beetles and bugs in conservation corridors. While vegetation cover was central for maintaining species richness and composition of the assemblages in general, many other environmental variables are necessary to encourage the full suite of local diversity. Artificial reservoirs are attractive habitats to many species, overall increasing area of occupancy for 75% of them (ranging from 62-84% for different taxa). These reservoirs provide complementary alternative habitats to natural ponds, leading to improved ecological resilience across the pondscape. We conclude that maintaining a diverse and heterogeneous pondscape is important for conserving local aquatic insect diversity, and that artificial reservoirs increase the local area of occupancy for a range of pond insects in conservation corridors, and improve the biodiversity value of these pondscapes.",2018,13,9,"","","e0204148","10.1371/journal.pone.0204148"]
["Within topic, found by search","Eckert, M; Gaigher, R; Pryke, JS; Janion-Scheepers, C; Samways, MJ","Timber plantations do not homogenize soil arthropod diversity but do alter species composition","GEODERMA","Biotic homogenization; Plantation forestry; Spatial heterogeneity; Species turnover; Ants; Springtails","BETA-DIVERSITY; BIOTIC HOMOGENIZATION; LAND-USE; SPRINGTAILS COLLEMBOLA; FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY; ECOSYSTEM SERVICES; PITFALL TRAPS; LONG-TERM; BIODIVERSITY; FOREST","Landscape transformation for agriculture threatens global biodiversity through simplification of ecosystems. We determine whether large-scale timber plantations contribute to biotic homogenization of soil biodiversity relative to remnant natural vegetation. We examined ant and springtail alpha-and beta-diversity, and assemblage composition, among biotopes in two different climatic and soil regions in a subtropical area of South Africa. Surprisingly, we observed equally high levels of alpha-and beta-diversity in plantations (Eucalyptus and Pinus) as in natural biotopes (indigenous forest and grassland) for both taxa in both regions, except in the inland sites where ant species richness was highest in grassland. Furthermore, beta-diversity in all biotopes was mainly due to species replacement rather than nestedness. The high diversity in plantations is likely due to high environ-mental variation among plantation sites, likely providing diverse niche opportunities across plantations. A possible mechanism for the large proportion of shared species between natural areas and plantations is coloni-zation of arthropods from natural areas into plantations and/or source populations surviving harvesting and tree planting and then their populations growing during long periods of tree maturation. Plantations and natural areas supported complementary assemblages, which builds on the idea that remnant natural vegetation in production landscapes is essential for conserving not only unique aboveground biodiversity, but also unique belowground biodiversity. Furthermore, timber plantations do not homogenize soil arthropod taxonomic di-versity as expected. This contrasts with global trends on biodiversity response to land-use change and emphasizes that conservation principles for soil biodiversity may differ from those aimed at aboveground biodiversity.",2022,428,"","","",116190,"10.1016/j.geoderma.2022.116190"]
["Within topic, found by search","Eckert, M; Gaigher, R; Pryke, JS; Janion-Scheepers, C; Samways, MJ","High trait diversity among soil arthropods allows their survival in a heterogeneous eco-agricultural mosaic","SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY","Arthropods; Functional diversity; Soil conservation; Soil health; Taxonomic diversity","FUNCTIONAL TRAITS; COLLEMBOLA; BIODIVERSITY; COMMUNITY; RESPONSES; FOREST","Studies examining changes in functional diversity and trait composition for soil arthropods are limited yet crucial for understanding the effects of land-use change. To determine whether plantation forestry drives functional homogenization of soil biota, we compared the taxonomic and functional diversity of ants and springtails between natural (indigenous forests and grasslands) and transformed (Eucalyptus plantations) biotopes. The prevalence of morphological and ecological traits in natural vs. transformed biotopes was also assessed. The study was conducted in two environmentally contrasting regions: high elevation areas with clay soils and coastal areas with sandy soils, in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Surprisingly, the Eucalyptus compartments generally had similar levels of taxonomic and functional diversity as indigenous forests and/or grasslands. However, there were shifts in traits between the three biotopes, with each biotope supporting arthropods with traits suited to the environmental conditions in the biotope. Some traits were representative of the natural biotopes, and others of the plantation compartments. As a functionally diverse component of soil biodiversity is present in the plantations, it is indicative that these plantations have seemingly high levels of ecosystem stability and functioning. Arthropod traits compatible with the different environments appear to allow them to persist in high diversity across the landscape mosaic. These results suggest that enhancing landscape heterogeneity in a production landscape increases taxonomic and functional diversity of soil arthropods by creating a large-scale, spatial mosaic of complementary conditions for species with different habitat requirements.",2023,186,"","","",109180,"10.1016/j.soilbio.2023.109180"]
["Within topic, found by search","Eckert, M; Gaigher, R; Pryke, JS; Samways, MJ","Rapid recovery of soil arthropod assemblages after exotic plantation tree removal from hydromorphic soils in a grassland-timber production mosaic","RESTORATION ECOLOGY","assemblages; biodiversity; hydromorphic soils; invasive alien species; plantations; restoration","LANDSCAPE CONTEXT; ALIEN PLANTS; SOUTH-AFRICA; INTERMEDIATE DISTURBANCE; HABITAT FRAGMENTATION; ECOSYSTEM SERVICES; SPECIES RICHNESS; BIODIVERSITY; DIVERSITY; FOREST","Many wetland systems are being lost or degraded by human activities such as plantation forestry. Therefore, efforts to restore these wetland systems are important for biodiversity recovery. We assess the recovery of arthropod assemblages that occupy hydromorphic grassland topsoil and leaf litter after the removal of exotic pine trees. We sampled arthropods in three biotopes (natural untransformed hydromorphic grasslands, restored hydromorphic grasslands, and commercial pine plantations) replicated across a large-scale timber-grassland mosaic in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, South Africa. In the restored sites, overall species richness, as well as species richness of spiders, ants, and orthopterans, was significantly higher than in plantations, and was as high as in natural, untransformed sites. Additionally, overall assemblage structure along with spider, beetle, ant, and orthopteran assemblages showed no significant differences between restored and natural grasslands. Therefore, pine tree removal enables recovery of these arthropod taxa to levels similar to those in natural hydromorphic grassland. Recovery was rapid, with the assemblages in some restored sites resembling those in untransformed sites after only 6 years, indicating a high level of resilience and recovery in these systems. Contrary to expectations, time since pine removal had a negative effect on arthropod recovery. This was due to the strongly negative effect of alien invasive American bramble (Rubus cuneifolius), which was most common in older restored sites, causing deviation from their restoration trajectory. The potential for arthropod recovery in these hydromorphic grasslands is high, but successful restoration is dependent on ongoing appropriate grassland management, especially removal of bramble.",2019,27,6,1357,1368,"","10.1111/rec.12991"]
["Within topic, found by search","Eckert, M; Gaigher, R; Pryke, JS; Samways, MJ","Soil arthropod assemblages reflect both coarse- and fine-scale differences among biotopes in a biodiversity hotspot","JOURNAL OF INSECT CONSERVATION","Complementary habitats; Habitat heterogeneity; Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany hotspot; Wetlands","CONSERVATION; FOREST; MANAGEMENT; GRASSLANDS; RESPONSES; RESERVE; BIOTA","Understanding how biodiversity responds to fine-scale heterogeneity improves our ability to predict larger-scale diversity patterns and informs local-scale conservation practices. This information is important in the design of conservation set-asides in commercial forestry landscapes in the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany biodiversity hotspot, in South Africa. We assessed how soil arthropod assemblages vary among biotopes with varying degrees of contrast in forestry landscape mosaics in this hotspot. The biotopes included dry and hydromorphic grasslands, indigenous forests and pine plantations. Assemblages were highly segregated among all biotopes for overall arthropods, and for all the feeding guilds, namely predators, herbivores, detritivores, and omnivores. There was a high degree of assemblage dissimilarity between structurally contrasting biotopes (grasslands vs. wooded biotopes) and biotopes that differ in their degree of transformation (natural biotopes vs. plantations). Yet, there was an equally high level of assemblage dissimilarity between dry and hydromorphic grasslands, which are similar in structure and undergo the same disturbance regimes, which emphasises the responsiveness of soil fauna to fine-scale habitat heterogeneity. Different biotopes favoured different feeding guilds and each biotope had species strongly associated with it, highlighting the complementarity of the biotopes. All natural biotopes had relatively high species richness, diversity, and species turnover. The diversity and turnover in pine plantations was as high as in the natural areas, suggesting that plantation conditions may favour certain soil arthropods.",2023,27,1,155,166,"","10.1007/s10841-022-00449-5"]
["Within topic, found by search","Eckert, M; Gaigher, R; Pryke, JS; Samways, MJ","Conservation of complementary habitat types and small-scale spatial heterogeneity enhance soil arthropod diversity","JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT","Springtails; Ants; Arthropod conservation; Soil fauna; Spatial heterogeneity; Living soil conservation","FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY; PITFALL TRAPS; COLLEMBOLA; BIODIVERSITY; SPRINGTAILS; ABUNDANCE; FOREST; GRASSHOPPER; MANAGEMENT; PATCHES","Humanity relies on soil fauna for important ecosystem services, as such our soils need sustainable management to ensure long-term biotic viability. However, environmental factors influencing the distribution and diversity of soil fauna are poorly understood, which limits effective conservation management. To address this issue, we assessed the influence of variables at different spatial scales (site, soil, and landscape) in different biotopes (natural forest patches and grasslands) in two contrasting geographical regions (inland Midlands and coastal Zululand, South Africa) on ant and springtail diversity in large-scale conservation corridors among commercial plantations. Midlands sites, with complex topography and nutrient-rich and deep soils, had higher soil arthropod diversity than sandy, shallow Zululand soils. Indigenous forest and grassland supported complementary arthropod assemblages. The responses of arthropod diversity and assemblage composition to local environmental variables varied greatly among biotopes, taxa, and regions, but responses were more pronounced in the Midlands than in Zululand, and arthropods were more responsive to site-and soil-related variables than to landscape variables. Lower soil biodiversity in Zululand compared to the Midlands emphasizes that management efforts to limit further homogenization from inappropriate management is particularly important in this sandy region. Lack of common drivers of soil arthropod diversity suggests that conservation strategies need to be tailored to different locations. Nonetheless, the conservation of both indigenous forest and grassland, together with pro-motion of small-scale spatial heterogeneity, will maximally benefit the widest range of soil-inhabiting organisms.",2022,317,"","","",115482,"10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115482"]
["Within topic, found by search","Gaigher, R; Pryke, JS; Samways, MJ","Divergent fire management leads to multiple beneficial outcomes for butterfly conservation in a production mosaic","JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY","butterfly; fire management; fire-prone ecosystem; fragmented landscape; grassland succession; indigenous forest; timber plantation; woody encroachment","BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION; SOUTH-AFRICA; FOREST; LANDSCAPE; DIVERSITY; ENCROACHMENT; ABANDONMENT; RESPONSES; ECOLOGY; PATTERN","Fire is an intrinsic component of many natural ecosystems. In human-modified landscapes that occur in fire-driven ecosystems, it can be difficult to make fire management decisions, as there must be a trade-off between ideal conservation management and the practicalities of management in an altered landscape. We assess how biodiversity is influenced by differences in fire regime in a landscape fragmented by timber production. Here, optimal fire management for maintaining grassland integrity is not always possible, due to logistical constraints and fire risk to plantations. We investigate thicket establishment arising from reduced fire frequency, and how this affects butterfly diversity, assemblage structure, indicator species and species associations to larval host plants with different growth forms. Butterflies were sampled along a gradient of woodiness in large-scale conservation corridors that separate timber compartments. The two extreme stages along the successional gradient, recently burned grassland and natural forests, supported relatively diverse and complementary butterfly assemblages. Grassland corridors without fire for 2 years were as high in butterfly diversity and similar in composition to recently burned grasslands. However, corridors without fire for >5 years were encroached by thicket and supported lower butterfly diversity. Thicket, with its intermediate vegetation character, was poor habitat for species adapted to either open grassland or to forests. Also, thicket-encroached areas carry high fire risk to plantations. Synthesis and applications. In this fragmented, fire-driven ecosystem, there is more than one burning strategy for achieving positive biodiversity outcomes. We recommend a divergent management approach that covers both extremes of the fire frequency continuum, with the choice depending on the stage of succession and management logistics for each site: (a) frequent burning to prevent woody encroachment in less-encroached, logistically easier sites or (b) letting succession run its course through thicket to forest by excluding fire in heavily encroached, logistically challenging sites. Both options are practicable and maintain biotopes that have high value for butterfly conservation and low fire risk to plantations. This divergent management approach is a flexible strategy that benefits both conservation and commercial interests across fire-prone plantation mosaics.",2019,56,6,1322,1332,"","10.1111/1365-2664.13357"]
["Within topic, found by search","Gaigher, R; Pryke, JS; Samways, MJ","Habitat complementarity and butterfly traits are essential considerations when mitigating the effects of exotic plantation forestry","BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION","Ecological networks; Conservation corridors; Complementary habitat; Protected area; Insect conservation; Trait shifts","LANDSCAPE; GRASSLANDS; CONNECTIVITY; CONSERVATION; AREA; HETEROGENEITY; BIODIVERSITY; DIVERSITY; ABUNDANCE; RESPONSES","Habitat loss threatens insect diversity globally. However, complementary vegetation types in remaining habitat increases opportunities for species survival. We assess the extent to which indigenous forest patches moderate the impact of exotic commercial afforestation on grassland butterflies. Butterflies were sampled in grassland along uncorrelated gradients of landscape-scale indigenous forest and plantation cover, while controlling for variation in local vegetation composition. We separately assessed responses by butterfly groups differing in habitat preference, larval diet, and mobility. There was no effect of landscape- or local-scale variables on species richness, but there was a strong interactive effect of forest and plantation cover on butterfly assemblage structure. The effect varied according to species traits. When forest cover was high, assemblages did not differ at different levels of plantation cover. However, plantation cover significantly influenced assemblage structure when forest cover was low. Grassland with limited forest cover in the protected area supported unique assemblages with high frequency of less mobile, specialized species with herbaceous larval host plants, whereas grassland with low forest cover near plantations had a prevalence of mobile, generalist species. A positive association between forest cover and butterflies with woody larval host plants suggests that indigenous forest patches improved the suitability of fragmented grassland for a subset of butterflies, emphasising the value of natural heterogeneity in transformed areas. However, certain butterfly traits associated with large, open grassland were under-represented in grassland between plantations, underscoring the importance of open areas in the broader landscape to conserve the full diversity of species.",2021,30,13,4089,4109,"","10.1007/s10531-021-02293-6"]
["Within topic, found by search","Grant, PBC; Samways, MJ","Use of ecoacoustics to determine biodiversity patterns across ecological gradients","CONSERVATION BIOLOGY","biodiversity assessment; ecological networks; insect conservation; landscape mosaics; protected areas; soundscape ecology","SOUTH-AFRICA; FOREST; ORTHOPTERA; CONSERVATION; ASSEMBLAGES; SCALE; VEGETATION; DIVERSITY; RICHNESS; INVASION","The variety of local animal sounds characterizes a landscape. We used ecoacoustics to noninvasively assess the species richness of various biotopes typical of an ecofriendly forest plantation with diverse ecological gradients and both nonnative and indigenous vegetation. The reference area was an adjacent large World Heritage Site protected area (PA). All sites were in a global biodiversity hotspot. Our results showed how taxa segregated into various biotopes. We identified 65 singing species, including birds, frogs, crickets, and katydids. Large, natural, protected grassland sites in the PA had the highest mean acoustic diversity (14.1 species/site). Areas covered in nonnative timber or grass species were devoid of acoustic species. Sites grazed by native and domestic megaherbivores were fairly rich (5.1) in acoustic species but none were unique to this habitat type, where acoustic diversity was greater than in intensively managed grassland sites (0.04). Natural vegetation patches inside the plantation mosaic supported high mean acoustic diversity (indigenous forests 7.6, grasslands 8.0, wetlands 9.1), which increased as plant heterogeneity and patch size increased. Indigenous forest patches within the plantation mosaic contained a highly characteristic acoustic species assemblage, emphasizing their complementary contribution to local biodiversity. Overall, acoustic signals determined spatial biodiversity patterns and can be a useful tool for guiding conservation.",2016,30,6,1320,1329,"","10.1111/cobi.12748"]
["Within topic, found by search","Hansen, S; Roets, F; Seymour, CL; Thébault, E; van Veen, FJF; Pryke, JS","Alien plants have greater impact than habitat fragmentation on native insect flower visitation networks","DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS","ecological networks; flower network analyses; food web; insect conservation; landscape ecology; pollination","ECOLOGICAL NETWORKS; ECOSYSTEM SERVICES; CANONICAL-ANALYSIS; SPECIES RICHNESS; BIODIVERSITY; CONSERVATION; BUTTERFLIES; POLLINATION; MANAGEMENT; LANDSCAPE","Aim: Habitat fragmentation and alien species are among the leading causes of biodiversity loss. In an attempt to reduce the impact of forestry on natural systems, networks of natural corridors and patches of natural habitat are often maintained within the afforested matrix, yet these can be subject to degradation by invasion of non-native species. Both habitat fragmentation and alien invasive species disrupt the complex interaction networks typical of native communities. This study examines whether an invasive plant and/or the fragmented nature of the forestry landscape influences natural flower visitation networks (FVNs), flower-visitor abundance and richness or flower/visitor species composition. Location: The species rich and diverse grasslands in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, South Africa is under threat from transformation, particularly by commercial forestry plantations, restricting much of the remaining untransformed grasslands into remnant grassland patches (RGPs). Remaining patches are under additional threat from the invasive Rubus cuneifolius Pursh (bramble). Sites were established in RGPs and in a nearby protected area (PA), with and without brambles present for both areas. Results: Flower abundance and flower area of native plant species were greater within RGP than in PA, but only in the absence of R. cuneifolius. Flower-visitor assemblages differed between invaded and uninvaded sites and also differed between PA and RGP sites. Both areas lost specialist flower-visitor species in the presence of brambles. Network modularity was greatly reduced by the presence of bramble, indicating a reduction in complexity and organization. The structure of FVNs was otherwise unaffected by presence of bramble or being located in RGPs or the PA. Main conclusions: The RPGs contribute to regional biodiversity conservation through additional compositional diversity and intact FVNs. Rubus cuneifolius reduces ecological complexity of both RGPs and PAs, however, and its removal must be prioritized to conserve FVNs.",2018,24,1,58,68,"","10.1111/ddi.12656"]
["Within topic, found by search","Joubert-van der Merwe, L; Pryke, JS; Samways, MJ","Well-managed grassland heterogeneity promotes butterfly conservation in a corridor network","JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT","Butterflies; Rangeland quality; Landscape matrix; Environmental heterogeneity; Continuum model; Patch buming and grazing","ORACHRYSOPS-ARIADNE LEPIDOPTERA; LANDSCAPE HETEROGENEITY; ECOLOGICAL NETWORKS; PLANT DIVERSITY; COMMUNITY; QUALITY; FRAGMENTATION; FIRE; MICROCLIMATE; RESOURCES","Habitat degradation is a major concern in transformed landscapes, as it reduces complexity by removing species, interactions, and ultimately biodiversity. Degradation is also of concern for ecological networks (ENs) composed of an interconnected system of conservation corridors among South Africa's commercial forestry compartments. These corridors are predominantly grasslands, and used as rangeland, so managed to optimize grazing conditions. Yet, how this management approach influences biodiversity remains unknown. Here, we studied how butterfly assemblages respond to local differences in rangeland quality (low, high and reference sites), and how this effect compared to that of local environmental variables (e.g. rockiness and bare ground), meso environmental gradients (e.g. topographic position and aspect), and landscape composition (i.e. proportion of different land cover types in the surrounding matrix). We calculated species richness and composition, Shannon's diversity index (H'), and the Butterfly Conservation Index (BCIn) representing the proportion of sensitive and range-restricted butterfly species per site. Rangeland quality was considered less important for butterflies than other environmental variables, but it was also significantly confounded with other environmental variables. At the landscape scale, proportion of grassland in the landscape matrix influenced butterfly assemblage composition, while proportion of thicket had a significant positive effect on BCIn. Moreover, the effect of elevation on assemblage composition emphasizes the value of maintaining environmental gradients within these conservation corridors. At the meso spatial scale, butterfly species richness and diversity (H') declined with increased dominance by a single plant species, which usually occurs late in a normal fire cycle. This suggests a reliance by butterflies on recurring natural disturbances for long-term persistence. We recommend moderate patch burning and grazing, as well as occasional hot burns to reduce thicket in Afromontane grassland. This approach would improve local scale vegetation patterns, and increase heterogeneity across the landscape for conserving these butterflies into the future.",2019,238,"",382,395,"","10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.03.021"]
["Within topic, found by search","Joubert-van der Merwe, L; Samways, MJ; Pryke, JS","A new protocol for monitoring operational outcomes of environmental management in commercial forestry plantations","JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT","Adaptive management; Commercial forestry; DPSIR framework; Effective management; Environmental degradation; Legislation","FRAMEWORK; BIODIVERSITY; CONSERVATION; ECOSYSTEM; SCALE; PUNISHMENT; REWARD; TOOL","Environmental degradation is a global phenomenon with a high likelihood of influencing human quality of life. Effective management responses are needed to achieve societal goals of sustainability. We develop here a new monitoring protocol (Management Check: MATCH) that comprehensively evaluates management outcomes at the operational level. Using the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework, we identified pressures influencing ecosystem integrity inside conservation corridors and commercial compartments of a timber production landscape mosaic. They were 1) domestic livestock grazing (the only exogenous pressure), 2) fire management, 3) invasive alien plants (IAPs), and potential soil erosion from two sources: 4) roads, and 5) harvested timber compartments. We assessed the effects of these on wetland and stream buffers. Environmental incidents accounted for more serious management issues (e.g. oil spills). Management responses were systematically unpacked into point-form questions, which formed the building blocks of our monitoring protocol. We assessed management in twelve plantations in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Answers were compared with Best Operational Practice (BOP), and reworked into a Weighted Index of Compliance (WIC) per section. We found that there was poor management of livestock grazing, but good management of IAPs, roads, and timber compartments. Management of wetland and stream buffers was very good. Fire management presented problems linked to lack of direct effects, measurable at the spatial and temporal scales of operations. We discuss operational outcomes within their respective legislative frameworks, and suggest ways of improving management operations, where needed. MATCH is the first monitoring protocol to comprehensively assess environmental management of commercial forestry at the operational level, and to clearly translate operational activities into measurable progress towards strategic goals. In doing so, MATCH breaks down silos and builds bridges for efficient environmental management in dynamic socio-ecological systems. Moreover, the principles developed here can be applied to build tools that help manage major risks in other economic sectors too. Overall, MATCH strengthened strategic and informed action, which is necessary at multiple levels of an organization, to combat major societal risks, such as environmental degradation.",2020,271,"","","",110922,"10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110922"]
["Within topic, found by search","Joubert, L; Pryke, JS; Samways, MJ","Positive effects of burning and cattle grazing on grasshopper diversity","INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY","Conservation; ecological networks; fire frequency; grasslands; grazing; Orthoptera","INTERMEDIATE DISTURBANCE HYPOTHESIS; GRASSLAND ARTHROPOD DIVERSITY; TALLGRASS PRAIRIE; AFRICAN SAVANNA; FIRE FREQUENCY; SOUTH-AFRICA; CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT; ACRIDIDAE ASSEMBLAGES; ECOLOGICAL NETWORKS; LARGE HERBIVORES","1. Grasshoppers constitute a significant proportion of invertebrate diversity in grasslands, but little is known about how fire and grazing, two of the main drivers of grassland dynamics, influence them. 2. Here, we determine how these disturbances influence grasshopper diversity in remnant grassland ecological networks (ENs) among commercial forestry compartments in Afromontane grassland, South Africa. Sites differed in fire frequency (annual vs. longer rotation burning), time since last fire (< 12 months vs. > 12 months ago), and presence or absence of domestic cattle grazing. Reference sites were in an adjacent protected area (PA). We also recorded bare ground, vegetation cover, and vegetation height. 3. Grasshopper abundance significantly benefitted from annual burning, cattle grazing, short grass, and when the last fire was < 12 months prior to sampling. 4. Fire frequency was the only disturbance with a significant effect on grasshopper species composition, but without significantly affecting species richness. In the PA, heterogeneity of dispersion was smaller in annually burned firebreaks than in sites with longer fire-return intervals, which points to homogenisation of resident grasshopper assemblages. 5. Although most grasshopper species favoured recently burned or grazed grassland, some preferred low or no disturbance. This illustrates a considerable range of habitat preferences in the grasshopper assemblage. 6. Management recommendation: Burning and grazing at moderate levels should be integral to local landscape management, as these impacts benefit grasshoppers in grassland ENs. Some areas should be left undisturbed to create a mosaic of different successional stages at the landscape spatial scale, providing diverse habitat for a wide range of species.",2016,9,4,290,301,"","10.1111/icad.12166"]
["Within topic, found by search","Joubert, L; Pryke, JS; Samways, MJ","Moderate grazing sustains plant diversity in Afromontane grassland","APPLIED VEGETATION SCIENCE","Afromontane grassland; Assemblage composition; Cattle grazing; Dominance; Fire disturbance; Indicator; Intermediate disturbance hypothesis; Natural disturbance; Plant species richness; Spatial scale","HIGHLAND SOURVELD GRASSLAND; SPECIES RICHNESS; SOUTH-AFRICAN; INTERMEDIATE DISTURBANCE; ECOLOGICAL NETWORKS; NORTH-AMERICAN; FIRE REGIMES; VEGETATION; PRODUCTIVITY; HETEROGENEITY","AimsNatural disturbances drive plant assemblages in Afromontane grassland. Our aim is to assess how intensity of cattle grazing and time since last fire influence plant species richness, dominance and assemblage composition. LocationCentral Midlands, KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. MethodsSites differed in grazing intensity (light, moderate and heavy) and time since last fire: recently burned (RB) vs unburned (UB). We sampled plants in 24 vegetation quadrats (1-m(2)) randomly located within each site (similar to 1000m(2)). We used linear regression models for species richness and dominance, IndVal to identify indicator species and CCA for assemblage composition. All analyses were conducted at quadrat and site level. ResultsSpecies richness was significantly influenced by time since last fire (RB>UB), grazing intensity (light < moderate > heavy) and the fire-grazing interaction at quadrat level. Dominance reciprocated the response of species richness to time since last fire (UB>RB), but did not respond consistently to grazing intensity (light > moderate > or < heavy). Plant assemblage composition was significantly influenced by time since last fire, grazing intensity and vegetation structure (live vegetation cover and vegetation height). Indicator species of species-poor, heavily grazed sites included alien species, such as Cirsium vulgare and Conyza bonariensis. ConclusionResponse of species richness to grazing intensity conforms to the predictions of the intermediate disturbance hypothesis. Burning and moderate grazing should be part of grassland management. To prevent species loss and influx of alien species, heavy grazing should be minimized. As development of grassland ecological networks in a timber matrix is being pioneered in South Africa, these findings indicate a way forward for the management of similar systems elsewhere in the world.",2017,20,3,340,351,"","10.1111/avsc.12310"]
["Within topic, found by search","Joubert, L; Pryke, JS; Samways, MJ","Past and present disturbances influence biodiversity value of subtropical grassland ecological networks","BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION","Firebreaks; Mown; Plantation forestry; Recovering grassland","RESTORATION SUCCESS; CONSERVATION; VEGETATION; MANAGEMENT; LANDSCAPE; CORRIDORS; DIVERSITY; FIRE","The effect of transforming natural habitat to commercial land uses can be mitigated by implementing ecological networks (ENs) in production landscapes. However, EN ability to conserve biodiversity is potentially influenced by past and present disturbances, and spatial configuration of habitat patches. Here, we investigated how plant assemblages of a subtropical EN in a timber production landscape in South Africa respond to disturbance history (i.e. natural vs. recovering after removal of Pinus spp.), mowing in firebreaks (i.e. 30 m wide grassy strips intended to stop spread of fires in plantations), and three design parameters: corridor width, distance to protected area boundary, and context i.e. proportion eucalypt compartments within 500 m radius. Reference sites were in the adjacent iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a protected area (PA). Past disturbances and the current practice of mowing in firebreaks significantly influenced plant species composition, but not plant species richness. Plant dominance was greatest in mowed firebreaks, but similar between natural and recovering grassland. None of the design variables affected plant species richness, or composition. However, dominance was significantly and negatively correlated with corridor width, and positively correlated with context. Hence, sites are ordered in terms of their biodiversity value from greatest to lowest: natural areas > recovering areas > firebreaks. Based on these results, natural grassland in wide, well-connected corridors should have greatest conservation priority. We recommend that past disturbances, and current management practices should be taken into account and integrated into the design of future ENs. Such an approach is necessary for effective biodiversity conservation in production landscapes.",2016,25,4,725,737,"","10.1007/s10531-016-1088-8"]
["Within topic, found by search","Kheswa, EZY; Ramesh, T; Kalle, R; Downs, CT","Habitat use by honey badgers and the influence of predators in iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa","MAMMALIAN BIOLOGY","Badger; Detection probability; Mesocarnivore; Occupancy probability; Plantations; Habitat ecology; Large carnivores","RATEL MELLIVORA-CAPENSIS; LARGE-SPOTTED-GENETS; HOME-RANGE; MESOPREDATOR; OCCUPANCY; LANDSCAPE; ABUNDANCE; AREAS; URBAN; CONSERVATION","Land-use, the extent of cover, and intra-guild competition with larger predators all influence habitat use by mesocarnivores. Understanding this is especially important for little-known mesocarnivore species. We investigated the occurrence of the relatively understudied honey badger (Mellivora capensis) in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (St. Lucia, South Africa), a Protected Area that covers approximately 700 km(2) with forestry plantations (agroforestry) on its Western Shores and restored natural vegetation on its Eastern Shores and Western Shores. We used single-season camera-trap data from a grid of 118 trap stations surveying continuously for 24 days, and estimated the probability of occupancy and detection of honey badgers, and modelled the influence of surrounding land-use, habitat characteristics and presence of other predators on each estimate. Mean estimated probability of occupancy of honey badgers was 0.38 +/- 0.08 and probability of detection was 0.12 +/- 0.03, with a naive occupancy estimate of 0.25. Distance to water and higher number of trees in adjacent plantations influenced honey badger occupancy positively. Presence of leopard (Panthera pardus pardus) had a negative effect on detection probability of honey badger while presence of spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) positively influenced honey badger detection, indicating that the presence of individual predator species influenced honey badger habitat use in varying ways. We found a higher occurrence of honey badgers in Eucalyptus plantations than in natural habitat types. This suggests that human-modified landscapes may not always be detrimental to adaptable, or more habitat-generalised species that are able to exploit new habitat opportunities. (C) 2018 Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Saugetierkunde. Published by Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.",2018,90,"",22,29,"","10.1016/j.mambio.2018.01.009"]
["Within topic, found by search","Kietzka, GJ; Pryke, JS; Gaigher, R; Samways, MJ","Webs of well-designed conservation corridors maintain river ecosystem integrity and biodiversity in plantation mosaics","BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION","Agroforestry; Landscape heterogeneity; Ecological networks; Water quality; Dragonflies; Biological indicators","DRAGONFLIES ODONATA; LANDSCAPE; QUALITY; FOREST; FRAGMENTATION; HETEROGENEITY; RICHNESS; NETWORKS; WILDLIFE; IMPACTS","Landscape transformation and subsequent habitat loss locally extirpate populations and threaten ecosystem health. Timber plantations are a major threat to grassland ecosystems globally. An effective mitigation measure is the instigation of webs of large conservation corridors as ecological networks in plantation mosaics. These ecological networks incorporate natural water courses along with their matrices of natural grassland. Dragonflies are highly sensitive to habitat condition and are effective bioindicators of water quality. Here, we compare dragonfly diversity in conservation corridors, with nearby protected areas as controls, to determine the effectiveness of ecological networks for maintaining river ecosystem integrity, in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, South Africa. We also investigate the effect of ecological network corridor width on dragonfly assemblages. Lastly, we explore the importance of 18 environmental variables as drivers of dragonfly diversity. Dragonfly abundance, species richness, and Dragonfly Biotic Index scores (a scoring system based on dragonfly range of extent, threat status, and environmental sensitivity) did not differ between ecological network and protected area sites. Dragonfly abundance and species richness were positively correlated with ecological network corridor width. Landscape and water variables were the most important drivers of dragonfly assemblage composition in both ecological networks and protected areas. Management variables and those related to anthropogenic disturbance were not as important. This highlights the conservation success of these well-managed ecological networks for maintaining dragonfly biodiversity in forestry plantations, provided that corridors are wide enough. Implementation of ecological networks as a mitigation measure for plantation forestry is highly effective for lotic systems, and should be implemented more widely in environmental protection plans for transformed landscapes.",2021,254,"","","",108965,"10.1016/j.biocon.2021.108965"]
["Within topic, found by search","Niemandt, C; Greve, M","Fragmentation metric proxies provide insights into historical biodiversity loss in critically endangered grassland","AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT","Biodiversity surrogates; Habitat loss; Mapping; Patch metrics; Roads","LANDSCAPE METRICS; HABITAT LOSS; LAND-USE; FOREST; TRANSFORMATION; ROADS; INDICATORS; COVER; DEFORESTATION; COMPLEXITY","Landscape transformation causes habitat loss and fragmentation, which poses the greatest threat to biodiversity globally. In a fragmented landscape the persistence of species is affected by the amount of habitat and the spatial attributes of individual habitat patches. As baseline biodiversity information is often unavailable to assess the effects of transformation on biodiversity, quantifying changes in patch metrics over time could be a useful indicator of biodiversity changes in fragmented landscapes.. We investigate historical land cover changes due to increased anthropogenic land uses in a highly fragmented, critically endangered grassland, the Woodbush Granite Grassland, South Africa. We test how the spatial attributes of habitat patches were affected by habitat loss and fragmentation over two extended time-periods, and use these results to infer likely threats to biodiversity over these periods. We used repeat aerial photography to analyse the drivers and extent of land cover loss and the changes in five fragmentation metrics over a 60 year period. The overall grassland extent decreased significantly over the 60-year period, mainly due to increased timber plantations, with an estimated 6.1% of the original extent of the grassland remaining in 2008. Increases in patch isolation due to habitat loss were most pronounced between 1948 and 1977, while between 1977 and 2008 patch sizes decreased and edge effects increased. This extensive habitat loss and increase in fragmentation are likely to have had considerable impacts on the biodiversity of the region, which is supported by anecdotal evidence of species extinctions and local extinctions. Because so little of the vegetation type remains, it is imperative that the last vestiges of this vegetation type are protected from transformation and further habitat degradation. In summary, we show how, faced with a lack of biodiversity data, fragmentation patch metrics can be used to quantify threats to biodiversity. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2016,235,"",172,181,"","10.1016/j.agee.2016.10.018"]
["Within topic, found by search","Pryke, JS; Roets, F; Samways, MJ","Wild Herbivore Grazing Enhances Insect Diversity over Livestock Grazing in an African Grassland System","PLOS ONE","","COLEOPTERA SCARABAEIDAE; ASSEMBLAGE STRUCTURE; DUNG; BIODIVERSITY; LAND; IMPACT; PLANT; UNGULATE; HETEROGENEITY; VEGETATION","Southern Africa's grassland biodiversity is threatened by habitat transformation such as commercial forestry. Ecological networks (ENs) have been instigated to alleviate the pressure of habitat transformation on local biodiversity. ENs are large scale webs of corridors and patches of natural vegetation criss-crossing production landscapes that can simulate conditions in protected areas (PAs). Many ENs have lost many native large mammal species, which have been replaced by domestic livestock to retain natural grazing dynamics, which could have an impact on the long-term value of ENs for insects. Here we compared dung beetle, butterfly and grasshopper diversity in ENs across a landscape mosaic of timber plantations, where 1) wild megaherbivores were maintained, 2) in ENs where these herbivores were replaced by livestock and, 3) in a nearby World Heritage PA which retained its natural complement of megaherbivores. Sites in the PA far from any plantation were similar in composition to those in the wild grazed EN. Presence of the wild grazers improved the alpha-and beta-diversity of all focal insect taxa when compared to domestic grazing. Furthermore, species composition shows significant differences between the two grazing systems indicating that an assemblage of native large mammals facilitates insect diversity conservation. We support the maintenance or introduction of large native mammals in ENs or similar conservation areas in production landscapes to simulate the ecological conditions and natural heterogeneity in nearby PAs.",2016,11,10,"","","e0164198","10.1371/journal.pone.0164198"]
["Within topic, found by search","Pryke, JS; Roets, F; Samways, MJ","Large African herbivore diversity is essential in transformed landscapes for conserving dung beetle diversity","JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY","ecological network; fragmentation; functional ecology; interaction networks; landscape ecology; landscape transformation; mammal diversity; protected area","HABITAT FRAGMENTATION; SPECIES-DIVERSITY; COMMUNITIES; SAVANNA; ASSEMBLAGES; NETWORKS; DECLINES; FORESTS; MAMMALS; IMPACT","Mammals are globally in decline, with habitat loss a primary driver. There are also human-wildlife conflicts, such as elephants destroying crops, which results in the ranges of many large mammal species being fenced off. Yet, how this activity affects functional associations of insects with large mammals has received little attention. Previous work suggests a generalised association with large mammals, as well as a strong response to landscape transformation. Here we assess how well dung beetle diversity tracks large African mammal herbivore diversity across a forestry plantation land use gradient by assessing how dung beetle taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional richness compares to large mammal diversity. We also determine how land use intensity affects dung beetle-to-mammal interaction networks. Dung beetles responded more intensively to an array of large mammals than to differences in land use intensity. Beetles also showed a strong preference for specific mammalian dung, with elephant dung being the most important factor for maintaining local dung beetle diversity. Large mammal abundance, functional diversity, dung beetle phylogenetic richness and number of realised mammal-to-dung beetle interactions were highest in the protected area. Land use intensity categories had distinct mammal and dung beetle assemblages. Transformed areas also have conservation value but provided that there is functional connectivity between remnant vegetation within the modified landscapes. Synthesis and applications. The loss of any native large mammal, especially African elephants, from transformed landscapes is likely to lead to a decline in biodiversity. This suggests that protected areas are essential for the conservation of native biodiversity and its interactions, while well-designed and managed transformed areas can have additional conservation value. African conservation managers and landowners should be encouraged to maintain a diversity of large mammals on their properties to maintain functional diversity and ultimately ecological resilience.",2022,59,5,1372,1382,"","10.1111/1365-2664.14152"]
["Within topic, found by search","Ramesh, T; Kalle, R; Downs, CT","Spatiotemporal variation in resource selection of servals: insights from a landscape under heavy land-use transformation","JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY","agricultural mosaics; habitat specialist; home range overlap; mesopredator; radiotracking; resource selection; seasonal home range; wetlands","HOME-RANGE; AUTOCORRELATION; AVAILABILITY; RACCOONS; MAMMALS; SEX","Changes in habitat composition and structure along natural agricultural habitat gradient affect spatial ecology of carnivores at both intraspecific and interspecific levels. An important prerequisite for the conservation and management of habitat specialists is a sound understanding of how they use indigenous habitats within fragmented landscapes. We present the 1st comprehensive study on home range, overlap, and resource selection of 16 radiocollared servals (Leptailurus serval) in the Drakensberg Midlands, South Africa. Servals (11 males and 5 females) were livetrapped and radiotracked between May 2013 and August 2014 covering 4 seasons (winter, spring, summer, and autumn). Mean annual home range estimates (95% and 50% fixed kernel [FK], respectively) for males (38.07 km(2); 8.27 km(2)) were generally larger than for females (6.22 km(2); 1.04 km(2)). Although male core ranges varied slightly in spring, overall serval home ranges were stable across seasons. There was considerable intersexual home range overlap (> 85%), whereas intrasexual overlap was rare (< 10%). Home range size decreased with increase in age and less availability of wetland, while it increased in males at both levels (95% FK and 50% FK). For both sexes, Manley's selection index indicated that natural habitats including wetlands and forest with bushland ranked higher than all other habitat classes. However, forested habitat was used approximately 2 times more frequently by males than females whereas cropland was avoided by both sexes. Overall, wetlands were ranked highest, followed by forest with bushland, grassland, plantations, and cropland in terms of serval resources selection. Our results emphasize that natural habitats, mainly wetlands and forests with bushland, are important predictors of spatiotemporal habitat use of servals in the agricultural mosaics of South Africa.",2016,97,2,554,567,"","10.1093/jmammal/gyv201"]
["Within topic, found by search","Samways, MJ; Barton, PS; Birkhofer, K; Chichorro, F; Deacon, C; Fartmann, T; Fukushima, CS; Gaigher, R; Habel, JC; Hallmann, CA; Hill, MJ; Hochkirch, A; Kaila, L; Kwak, ML; Maes, D; Mammola, S; Noriega, JA; Orfinger, AB; Pedraza, F; Pryke, JS; Roque, FO; Settele, J; Simaika, JP; Stork, NE; Suhling, F; Vorster, C; Cardoso, P","Solutions for humanity on how to conserve insects","BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION","Human well-being; Conservation action; Conservation strategies; Habitat management; Climate change; Species extinction","POLLINATION SERVICES; RESTORATION; NETWORK; VALUES","The fate of humans and insects intertwine, especially through the medium of plants. Global environmental change, including land transformation and contamination, is causing concerning insect diversity loss, articulated in the companion review Scientists' warning to humanity on insect extinctions. Yet, despite a sound philosophical foundation, recognized ethical values, and scientific evidence, globally we are performing poorly at instigating effective insect conservation. As insects are a major component of the tapestry of life, insect conservation would do well to integrate better with overall biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. This also involves popularizing insects, especially through use of iconic species, through more media coverage, and more inclusive education. Insect conservationists need to liaise better with decision makers, stakeholders, and land managers, especially at the conceptually familiar scale of the landscape. Enough evidence is now available, and synthesized here, which illustrates that multiple strategies work at local levels towards saving insects. We now need to expand these locally-crafted strategies globally. Tangible actions include ensuring maintenance of biotic complexity, especially through improving temporal and spatial heterogeneity, functional connectivity, and metapopulation dynamics, while maintaining unique habitats, across landscape mosaics, as well as instigating better communication. Key is to have more expansive sustainable agriculture and forestry, improved regulation and prevention of environmental risks, and greater recognition of protected areas alongside agro-ecology in novel landscapes. Future-proofing insect diversity is now critical, with the benefits far reaching, including continued provision of valuable ecosystem services and the conservation of a rich and impressive component of Earth's biodiversity.",2020,242,"","","",108427,"10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108427"]
["Within topic, found by search","Samways, MJ; Pryke, JS","Large-scale ecological networks do work in an ecologically complex biodiversity hotspot","AMBIO","Conservation corridors; Functional connectivity; Biodiversity; Mitigation; Retrospective analysis","SOUTH-AFRICA; CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT; GRASSLAND LINKAGES; WATER-RESOURCES; DRAGONFLIES; GRASSHOPPER; ASSEMBLAGES; DIVERSITY; QUALITY; ODONATA","Landscape-scale ecological networks (ENs) are interconnected conservation corridors of high-quality habitat used to mitigate the adverse effects of landscape fragmentation and to connect with protected areas. The effectiveness of ENs for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem function has been challenged. Here we show how an extensive system of ENs of remnant historic land was put in place at a large spatial scale (> 0.5 million ha) in a plantation forestry context in a global biodiversity hotspot in southern Africa. These ENs can maintain indigenous and historic compositional and functional biodiversity, even in an area prone to the challenging effects of El Nio. Furthermore, ENs increase the effective size of local protected areas. Socio-ecological solutions and financial viability are also integrated as part of practical implementation of ENs. By adopting a retrospective analytical approach, biodiversity is maintained while also having productive forestry, making this a powerful agro-ecological approach on a large conservation-significant scale.",2016,45,2,161,172,"","10.1007/s13280-015-0697-x"]
["Within topic, found by search","van Schalkwyk, J; Gaigher, R; Pryke, JS; Samways, MJ","Within-corridor heterogeneity is more important than corridor design for maintaining butterfly functional and taxonomic diversity","JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY","butterflies; conservation corridors; ecological networks; landscape heterogeneity; mitigation; species composition; traits","LANDSCAPE HETEROGENEITY; GRASSLAND LINKAGES; FOREST FRAGMENTS; BIODIVERSITY; ASSEMBLAGES; TRAITS; METAANALYSIS; DISPERSAL; RICHNESS; LAND","Local and landscape features influence the spatial distribution of biodiversity. At the landscape scale, heterogeneity has compositional and configurational components that can be measured at different resolutions of conservation planning. We assess the importance of local and landscape features measured at different planning resolutions for maintaining taxonomic and functional butterfly diversity. In remnant conservation corridors that dissect alien tree plantations, butterflies were sampled along a gradient of successional stages, from open and recently burned grasslands to closed-canopy woody habitats. Changes in local vegetation structure were represented by measures of canopy cover. At the landscape scale, compositional and configurational heterogeneity were measured at two resolutions: a simple binary classification of suitable habitat versus unsuitable transformed habitat, and a classification that accounts for the different successional stages within corridors (i.e. within-corridor heterogeneity). Butterfly assemblages were characterized using taxonomic (Simpson's diversity index) and functional indices (Rao's quadratic entropy). The relationship between environmental filters and species traits was further assessed using multivariate modelling. Taxonomic diversity did not reflect functional diversity, as the latter showed differential trait specific responses to local vegetation structure. For both functional and taxonomic diversity, local and landscape variables representing within-corridor heterogeneity were more important than landscape variables measured at the coarser planning resolution. Butterfly diversity showed a negative relationship with increasing edge density between grassy and woody habitats. Synthesis and applications. To promote the taxonomic and functional dimensions of biodiversity, management should aim to maintain both open- and closed-canopy habitats within corridors. These habitats should be contiguous, and corridors as wide as possible, to increase the patch size of contiguous habitat while reducing the proportion of edge.",2021,58,12,2734,2746,"","10.1111/1365-2664.14006"]
["Within topic, found by search","Sosibo, MT; Smith, DAE; Smith, YCE; Gumede, ST; Ngcobo, SP; Downs, CT","Mammalian assemblages in Southern Mistbelt Forests of the northern Eastern Cape, and southern KwaZulu-Natal Provinces, South Africa, and their response to bordering land-use","MAMMALIAN BIOLOGY","African mammals; Camera-traps; Detection probability; Exotic timber plantation; Forest patches; Grassland; Matrix; Occupancy","FRAGMENTED AFROMONTANE FOREST; MONKEY CERCOPITHECUS-MITIS; CAMERA TRAP DATA; SPECIES RICHNESS; LANDSCAPE PERMEABILITY; WILDLIFE COMMUNITIES; UDZUNGWA MOUNTAINS; POPULATION-DENSITY; INDIGENOUS FOREST; PATCH-OCCUPANCY","Anthropogenic activities have resulted in habitat loss and fragmentation across different landscapes. Anthropogenic land-uses adjacent to forest patches may further influence the movement and occupancy of a species. Therefore, we investigated how dominant land-uses, i.e. grassland, human settlement and commercial exotic timber plantations surrounding a forest patch and proximity to the forest edge, influenced the occupancy and detectability of mammalian species in selected Southern Mistbelt Forests. Using camera-traps deployed at 200 points per sampling season, we determined the mammalian species richness, occupancy and detection probability in disjunct Southern Mistbelt Forests in southern KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape Provinces, South Africa. We applied the Royle-Nichols multi-session multi-species hierarchical model to estimate species richness and occupancy of 14 mammalian species. The large-spotted genet Genetta tigrina had the highest mean occupancy (0.54), and the bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus had the highest detection probability (0.14) across all sampling areas. Detection probability was low across all mammalian species (<= 0.14), whereas occupancy was more variable (0.044-0.54). For most mammalian species, detectability was not influenced by distance from the edge; however, forest specialists, such as the bushbuck and the tree hyrax Dendrohyrax arboreus were more likely to be detected at the core as predicted. The core is typically associated with a dense connecting canopy and dense vegetation where these species can take shelter and forage with reduced predation risk. Our results highlighted how adjacent land-uses of grassland, human settlements and commercial exotic timber plantations played varying roles in determining mammalian species occupancy and detectability in the Southern Mistbelt Forest patches.",2022,102,2,429,440,"","10.1007/s42991-022-00243-5"]
["Within topic, found by search","Starke, AP; O'Connor, TG; Everson, CS","Topo-edaphic environment and forest plantation disturbance explain patterns of grassland species richness, composition and structure in an agro-ecological landscape, Maputaland, South Africa","AFRICAN JOURNAL OF RANGE & FORAGE SCIENCE","subtropical grassland; hygrophilous grassland; geoxylic suffrutex; grassland afforestation; secondary grassland","NATURE-RESERVE; COASTAL-PLAIN; VEGETATION; BIODIVERSITY; APPROPRIATE; COMMUNITY; AREAS; SOIL","Grasslands of the Maputaland coastal plain are biologically diverse and provide a variety of ecosystems services. Yet grasslands in this region are vulnerable to continuing development by plantation forestry that provides economic benefits to local communities. In order to provide a framework for land use that maintains grassland heterogeneity in complex agro-ecological systems, this paper characterises the main relations between grassland species composition, the physical environment and forestry plantation disturbance. Grassland species composition corresponded with landscape position and soil organic carbon. Grasslands occurring in infertile, elevated landscape positions were the most diverse having a greater richness of tufted graminoids, herbaceous forbs and geoxylic suffrutices than grassland occurring in low-lying dystrophic sites, which were dominated by rhizomatous and stoloniferous graminoids. Previously afforested grasslands (i.e. secondary grassland) were species poor, lacked keystone grasses, such as Themeda triandra, were dominated by a few species of rhizomatous or stoloniferous grasses and had been colonised by pioneer or ruderal forbs. Grassland species composition affects the provision of ecosystem services so to maintain a full complement of these attributes, grassland landscapes in Maputaland should comprise intact grasslands that cover both elevated and low-lying topographic positions.",2021,38,3,206,219,"","10.2989/10220119.2020.1815081"]
["Within topic, found by search","Theron, J; Pryke, JS; Latte, N; Samways, MJ","Mapping an alien invasive shrub within conservation corridors using super-resolution satellite imagery","JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT","Conservation corridors; Plantation forestry; Remote sensing; Deep learning; Rubus cuneifolius; Management; Invasion dynamics","PLANT INVASIONS; AFRICA; IMPACT","Alien invasive plant species are one of the main drivers of global biodiversity loss. Methods for monitoring the spread of alien invasive plants are needed to improve management and mitigate impact on local biodiversity. Recent advances in deep learning and image fusion holds great potential for mapping and managing alien invasive plants. One such method is super-resolution image reconstruction, where a neural network learns to downscale images from coarse to fine resolution. Within the commercial timber production landscape of KwaZulu-Natal, endangered grassland corridors are threatened by American bramble invasion, impacting plants, birds, arthropods, and soil restoration. Here we aim to improve our understanding of bramble invasion dynamics through using super-resolved satellite mosaics. Bramble was classified with very high accuracies (85%) from the super-resolved satellite mosaic, compared to other conventional satellite imagery with different spectral and spatial resolutions. Using landscape analyses, we identified plantation tree harvesting and prescribed burning to be major drivers increasing bramble cover within the landscape. Bramble cover was highest one year following plantation tree harvesting. Continuous prescribed burning positively influenced bramble. Bramble cover was also high close to streams, and under future invasion projections, bramble will severely impact Ensifera species alongside low priority grasshopper species habitat. Results also indicate that bramble has a significant negative impact on intermediate priority grasshoppers and plant species richness. For controlling bramble invasion within commercial timber production landscapes, we recommend the adoption rotational harvesting, as harvesting entire plantation blocks throughout the landscape will dramatically increase invasion potential of bramble. Current bramble removal programmes should prioritize riparian areas. Special attention is needed to control bramble one year after timber harvesting, as this is when bramble cover is highest. We show the benefits of using super-resolved mosaics to gain new insights into alien invasive species dynamics, while further development of this technique will aid in managing invasive alien plant species at local scales.",2022,321,"","","",116023,"10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116023"]
["Within topic, found by search","Theron, KJ; Pryke, JS; Samways, MJ","Maintaining functional connectivity in grassland corridors between plantation forests promotes high-quality habitat and conserves range restricted grasshoppers","LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY","Grassland mosaic; Grassland management; Plantation management; Land sparing; Grasshopper; South Africa","ECOLOGICAL NETWORKS; PATCH OCCUPANCY; LANDSCAPE; BIODIVERSITY; ORTHOPTERA; DIVERSITY; MODELS; SUITABILITY","Context Grassland corridors are set aside for biodiversity conservation within the commercial timber plantation landscape of South Africa, potentially connecting high value conservation areas together. However, the impact of the production landscape on functional connectivity within these corridors has not been investigated. Objectives We combine stacked species distribution modelling, functional connectivity analysis, species turnover calculations, and community analysis, to improve our understanding of how grassland corridors contribute to functional connectivity and biodiversity conservation within plantation landscapes. Methods Grasshoppers, which are reliable indicators of grassland quality, were used as model organisms and sampled within grassland corridors. Remote sensing and machine learning was used to predict functional connectivity and its influence on grasshoppers. Results Wide corridors along an elevation gradient with different aspects support different grasshopper assemblages and promote species turnover. Sensitive species occur at high elevations with a north-west facing slope in wide corridors that are functionally connected to large high-quality remnant patches. Maintenance of functional connectivity is dependent on the availability of high-quality habitat, which is shaped by prescribed burning, and has a significant effect on range restricted species. Not all high-quality habitat is functionally connected, attributed to exclusion of fire and/or invasive plants, requiring conservation intervention. Conclusions Prescribed burning should be used to maintain functional connectivity. We recommend less frequent fires, burning every 2-3 years, guided by NDVI. Large corridors at high elevation are priority. In estates with narrow corridors and low functional connectivity, stepping-stone habitats and grassland buffers next to roads should be considered for improved functional connectivity.",2022,37,8,2081,2097,"","10.1007/s10980-022-01471-3"]
["Within topic, found by search","Theron, KJ; Pryke, JS; Samways, MJ","Identifying managerial legacies within conservation corridors using remote sensing and grasshoppers as bioindicators","ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS","fire; lag effect; monitoring; NDVI; Orthoptera; time series","ALIEN PLANTS; ECOLOGICAL NETWORKS; SOUTHERN AFRICA; HABITAT QUALITY; GRASSLAND BIRD; BIODIVERSITY; COMMUNITIES; FIRE; ASSEMBLAGES; ORTHOPTERA","Biodiversity conservation under global change requires effective management of key biodiversity areas, even areas not under formal protection. Natural grassland conservation corridors between plantation forests are such areas, as they improve landscape connectivity, mitigate the impact of landscape fragmentation, and conserve biodiversity. However, empirical evidence is required to identify the extent to which past management actions promote effectiveness of conservation corridors into the future. We address this issue using grasshoppers, which are well-established indicators of habitat quality. In particular, we assess grasshopper response within corridors to historic grassland photosynthetic activity using a 25-yr normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series. We then use vegetation characteristics measured in the field to understand the potential mechanisms driving grasshopper response. Furthermore, we explore the efficacy of satellite remote sensing for monitoring grasshopper habitat using additive models. We found that grasshopper evenness responded positively to deviation in NDVI within a 3-yr period, whereas assemblage composition responded positively over a shorter time of two years. Grasshopper richness and evenness responded strongly to the local vegetation height and bare ground, whereas grasshopper assemblage composition also responded to plant species richness. We found a major negative impact of the invasive alien bramble (Rubus cuneifolius) on large-sized grasshoppers and species of conservation concern. Overall, the results illustrate the importance of maintaining primary high-quality habitat for maintaining grasshopper diversity, alongside removal of invasive bramble. We recommend prescribed burning to maintain high-quality habitat heterogeneity, with sites burned within three years. Furthermore, high-resolution satellite imagery is effective for monitoring grasshopper richness and assemblage composition response to changes in vegetation within the corridors. Grassland conservation corridors do conserve biodiversity, although effective management and monitoring needs to be in place to ensure biodiversity resembles that of neighbouring protected areas.",2022,32,1,"","","e02496","10.1002/eap.2496"]
["Within topic, found by search","van der Mescht, AC; Pryke, JS; Gaigher, R; Samways, MJ","Remnant habitat patches provide high value for a wide range of insect species in a timber plantation mosaic","BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION","Landscape transformation; Contrast; Spillover; Species richness; Insect diversity","NATURAL ENEMIES; BIODIVERSITY; SPILLOVER; LANDSCAPE; FOREST; EXTRAPOLATION; HETEROGENEITY; RAREFACTION; DIVERSITY; CONTRAST","Species present in transformed landscapes utilise resources from either the transformed patches, natural patches, or both. Depending on the degree to which species are specialised, species-specific responses to landscape transformation is both varied and dynamic. Understanding species-specific responses across a landscape is therefore essential to make informed conservation decisions. We investigate how spillover of stenotopic, cultural, and ubiquitous insect species respond to the different edge combinations present in a timber plantation mosaic. We use a multi-taxon approach, sampling two distinct insect assemblages (ground and foliage) across four different biotopes in a grassland-forest-plantation landscape in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, which forms part of the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany biodiversity hotspot. We show that in this landscape, ecological networks consisting of natural grassland and forest supported high insect diversity in both ground and foliage assemblages. The foliage assemblage displayed stronger responses to the different biotope combinations than the ground assemblage. There was remarkably little spillover of habitat specialist species of either the ground or foliage assemblages from grassland or forest into the plantation stands. The few species associated with plantation stands (cultural species) had consistent levels of spillover across different types of plantation blocks, but not into the natural areas. Natural biotopes in this landscape conserved many habitat specialists, whereas plantations maintained low levels of diversity. Thus, we recommend that conservation practitioners consider the fidelity and spillover of the species present in the local landscape before designing conservation plans in these dynamic production landscapes.",2023,32,5,1755,1775,"","10.1007/s10531-023-02574-2"]
["Within topic, found by search","van Schalkwyk, J; Kietzka, GJ; Pryke, JS; Gaigher, R; Samways, MJ","Enhancing semi-aquatic species representativeness beyond protected areas: dragonflies in networks of conservation corridors","BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION","Species turnover; Spatial prioritization; Complementarity; Rivers; Odonata","BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION; GRASSLAND LINKAGES; ECOLOGICAL NETWORK; QUALITY; ODONATA; PRIORITIZATION; BUTTERFLIES; SPECIALIST; LANDSCAPE; CRITERION","Complementarity is crucial when prioritizing sites for biodiversity conservation. Networks of conservation corridors (CCs) can contribute to regional representativeness by complementing biodiversity features included in existing protected areas (PAs). We ask whether criteria important for CC management and design are effective at prioritizing complementary sites, and how the consideration of species represented in PAs influence criteria performance. We focused on species turnover of generalist and specialist dragonflies across 88 riverine sites. Criteria assessed included site-level estimates of dragonfly species richness, estimates of local habitat quality and corridor width. Measures of local habitat quality were based on either dragonfly indicator species or proportion of alien vegetation. Results showed that CCs complement dragonfly diversity in PAs by contributing unrepresented generalist species. Of the criteria, corridor width was the most efficient at prioritizing complementary sites, while prioritization based on dragonfly indicator species or species richness underperformed. When aiming to prioritize CC sites that also complement sites situated in established PAs, wide corridors with low levels of alien vegetation should be favoured.",2023,32,12,3991,4005,"","10.1007/s10531-023-02678-9"]
["Within topic, found by search","van Schalkwyk, J; Pryke, JS; Samways, MJ","Wide corridors with much environmental heterogeneity best conserve high dung beetle and ant diversity","BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION","Biodiversity conservation; Landscape scale; Ecological networks; Landscape ecology; Insect conservation; Ants; Dung beetles","ECOLOGICAL NETWORKS; SPECIES RICHNESS; HABITAT; BIODIVERSITY; COMMUNITY; FOREST; SCALE; ASSEMBLAGES; COLEOPTERA; REGRESSION","Landscape ecological networks (ENs) consist of landscape-scale conservation corridors that connect areas of high natural value within a production mosaic with protected areas (PAs). In South Africa, ENs have been implemented on a large spatial scale to offset the negative impacts of plantation forestry on indigenous grasslands. We focus on corridor width as a factor for conserving dung beetle and ant diversity within an EN. We also investigate the importance of natural environmental heterogeneity (elevation, vegetation type) and habitat quality (soil hardness, invasive alien plant density). We sampled dung beetles and ants in 30 corridors of different sizes, and at ten sites in a nearby PA. In addition, we also analysed dung beetles according to their feeding guild. Tunnelling dung beetle species richness increased with corridor width. Rolling dung beetle species richness was higher in the PA than in the corridors of the EN. The dung beetle assemblage within the EN differed from that within the PA. Corridors of various widths differed in ant composition but not in species richness. Furthermore, the PA and the EN differed in environmental variables, which contributed to differences in dung beetle species richness and assemblage composition. Within the EN, environmental heterogeneity across the landscape was more important than corridor width for driving species diversity of both dung beetles and ants. When planning future ENs, wide corridors (> 280 m) that encompass as much natural heterogeneity across the landscape as possible will best conserve the range of local insect species.",2017,26,5,1243,1256,"","10.1007/s10531-017-1299-7"]
["Within topic, found by search","van Schalkwyk, J; Pryke, JS; Samways, MJ","Contribution of common vs. rare species to species diversity patterns in conservation corridors","ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS","Ecological networks; Dung beetles; Ants; Scarabaeidae; Formicidae; Matrix; Vagrant species","PLANT COMMUNITY COMPOSITION; DUNG BEETLE; CONCEPTUAL-FRAMEWORK; SPATIAL-DISTRIBUTION; ECOLOGICAL NETWORKS; RICHNESS PATTERNS; ABUNDANCE; HETEROGENEITY; BIODIVERSITY; LANDSCAPE","Understanding how common vs. rare species contribute to species richness patterns, and are differentially affected by landscape features, is essential for effective conservation monitoring and planning. Using common vs. rare dung beetles and ants, we test how species rarity shapes richness patterns across a timber plantation mosaic with remnant natural grassland conservation corridors as a mitigation measure. We then determine how environmental and spatial factors shape assemblage composition of common and rare grassland species, and how matrix-derived species influence these patterns. For each taxon, species were ranked from common-to-rare, and from rare-to-common. This ranking gave sequences of species richness patterns for increasing numbers of species. Along each stage of these two sequences, species richness of the sub-assemblage was correlated with that of the whole assemblage. This was repeated with matrix-derived species excluded. Deconstructing the species response matrices according to species traits, variation in composition of common vs. rare grassland specialists, as well as in matrix-derived species, were related to environmental (natural environmental heterogeneity and habitat quality) and spatial factors. For both taxa, common species reflected overall species richness patterns better than rare species. Matrix-derived species reduced the contribution of rare species to species richness patterns of dung beetles. Environmental variables were relatively more important for rare species than for common species composition, especially rare ants. We found that in a fragmented landscape: 1) common species reflect overall species richness patterns better than rare species, 2) overall species richness patterns do not reflect those of rare species, 3) the relative influence of regional-and local-scale factors are determined by an organism's scale of life function, 4) rare species are especially affected by habitat quality, 5) knowledge of ecological processes governing communities in landscape mosaics are crucial for conserving grassland species diversity within these corridors.",2019,104,"",279,288,"","10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.05.014"]
["Within topic, found by search","van Schalkwyk, J; Pryke, JS; Samways, MJ; Gaigher, R","Corridor width and orientation are complementary design variables for butterflies in conservation corridors","LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY","Habitat edges; Edge response; Edge orientation; Corridor; Ecological network; Grassland; Butterflies","HABITAT EDGES; SPECIES RICHNESS; FOREST; ABUNDANCE; RESOURCES; RESPONSES; HETEROGENEITY; LANDSCAPES; DIVERSITY; CONTRAST","Context Habitat edges are integral features of conservation corridors and can influence corridor function and effectiveness. Edge orientation is linked to corridor design and can shape edge responses by changing habitat conditions along edges as well as contrast between conserved habitats and transformed areas. Objectives We assess whether corridor orientation affects butterfly assemblages in conservation corridors. To do this, we investigate how edge orientation influences butterfly diversity and abundance along forestry plantation edges, and compare this to another important design variable, corridor width. Methods Butterflies were recorded along the sunny austral north- and shady austral south-orientated edges in grassland conservation corridors that dissect forestry plantations, as well as corridor interior sites. Species richness, abundance and similarity to interior sites were modelled using local habitat variables (ambient temperature, floral resources, and time of day), as well as corridor design variables (corridor width, orientation and an estimate of edge contrast influenced by orientation). Results Both edge orientation and corridor width were important for butterfly diversity along corridor edges. Wider corridors enhanced overall species richness and promoted similarity between edge and interior habitats. Concurrently, grassland specialist species preferred the sunnier edges (i.e., north facing in the southern hemisphere) while forest- specialists showed a preference for the shadier edges (south facing edges). Edge orientation influenced resident butterflies more strongly than transient butterflies and influenced specialists more strongly than generalists. Conclusions Corridor orientation and width are complementary design variables for butterfly conservation. Wide corridors at a variety of orientations benefit different subsets of the butterfly assemblage, and the whole corridor (including both edges) is important to consider in conservation planning to capture all biodiversity.",2022,37,10,2535,2549,"","10.1007/s10980-022-01484-y"]
["Within topic, found by search","van Schalkwyk, J; Pryke, JS; Samways, MJ; Gaigher, R","Maintaining high vegetation structural diversity in the landscape promotes arthropod diversity in dynamic production areas","LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY","Landscape contrast; Matrix; Spillover; Arthropods; Landscape; Forestry","BIODIVERSITY SPILLOVER; SPECIES RICHNESS; HABITAT EDGES; MATRIX MATTER; FOREST; CONSERVATION; RESPONSES; HETEROGENEITY; CONNECTIVITY; PLANTATIONS","Context Species occurrence in transformed areas (or matrix) can be enhanced by reducing the contrast in vegetation structure between the matrix and remnant natural patches. Contrast depends on both structural features of remnants and that of the matrix, which can be dynamic and determined by harvesting practices. Objectives We assess whether structurally equivalent vegetation, as determined by structural features of the matrix relative to that of remnants in the landscape, promotes species diversity and abundance in the matrix. Furthermore, we assess the relative importance of structurally equivalent vegetation compared to features of the immediate adjacent remnant patch. Methods Arthropods were sampled from 34 sites situated in alien forestry plantation blocks of different ages, dissected by corridors of natural grassland and/or closed canopy woody habitats. We analysed how arthropod assemblages within plantations were influenced by structural features of remnant vegetation in the landscape, and that of remnant patches directly adjacent. Results The amount of structurally equivalent vegetation at the landscape level promoted arthropod abundance and diversity within plantations and was more important than either the structural contrast or biotope type of the immediate adjacent patch for promoting diversity in the forestry blocks. Conclusions Landscapes composed of a mosaic of structurally distinct vegetation best contribute to promoting diversity within dynamic production areas. Harvesting practices that radically change the structural features of the entire plantation should be avoided. We recommend use of rotational harvesting, so creating a variety of plantation tree ages for improved arthropod spillover from both natural grassland and woody habitats.",2021,36,6,1773,1785,"","10.1007/s10980-021-01253-3"]
["Within topic, found by search","Yekwayo, I; Pryke, JS; Roets, F; Samways, MJ","Responses of ground living arthropods to landscape contrast and context in a forest-grassland mosaic","BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION","Natural forests; Grassland; Pine plantations; Landscape ecology; Insect conservation; Biodiversity","PINE PLANTATIONS; DWELLING BEETLES; ANT ASSEMBLAGES; COLEOPTERA CARABIDAE; SPECIES COMPOSITION; DIVERSITY PATTERNS; AFROMONTANE FOREST; FUNCTIONAL-GROUPS; BIRD ASSEMBLAGES; NATURAL FOREST","Landscape context and contrast are major features of transformed landscapes. These concepts are largely described in terms of vegetation and land use, and are rarely used on how other biodiversity responds to these anthropogenic boundaries. South African grassland matrix is naturally dotted with indigenous forest patches which have recently been transformed with plantations of non-native species. We investigate how various arthropod groups (detritivores, predators, ants) respond to juxtaposition of pines, natural forests and grasslands. We assess landscape context effects between natural forests and pines by determining how species that commonly occur in the interiors of these habitats use the adjacent habitat, and how landscape contrast between natural forests and grassland affects these groups proportionately. We sampled arthropods using pitfall traps and active searches in transects running from natural forest interiors across the edge into the matrix interior (grassland or pines). Natural forests had higher predator and detritivore diversity, while grassland had greater ant diversity. Results highlighted the complementarity of natural forests and grassland for arthropod diversity. Higher beta-diversity was recorded across landscape contrast than landscape context. Pine and natural forest associated species overlapped into adjacent habitats indicating that pines are used by certain natural forest species. However, pines are not true natural forest extensions, with only some species being supported. Pines may be connecting naturally isolated arthropod populations, which could have important evolutionary consequences. Only through appreciation of a range of arthropod groups and their response to context and contrast across the whole landscape can we undertake meaningful biodiversity conservation.",2017,26,3,631,651,"","10.1007/s10531-016-1262-z"]
["Within topic, found by search","Yekwayo, I; Pryke, JS; Roets, F; Samways, MJ","Conserving a variety of ancient forest patches maintains historic arthropod diversity","BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION","Natural forests; Arthropods; Forest interpatch distance; Forest mosaic","CARABID BEETLES COLEOPTERA; EXOTIC PINE PLANTATIONS; HABITAT FRAGMENTATION; AFROMONTANE FOREST; EPIGAEIC INVERTEBRATES; SPECIES COMPOSITION; NATURAL FOREST; ASSEMBLAGES; SPIDER; EDGE","Forests are naturally extensive tracts. However, in South Africa natural fires over many millennia have reduced forested areas into small remnants spread throughout a grassland matrix. Small patches, especially distant patches, are generally considered to be adverse for forest specialists, owing to decreased forest interior and increased edge. Here we test this assumption by determining the impact of forest interpatch distance and patch size on epigaeic arthropod diversity in this globally rare vegetation type. Forty patches were selected: ten large (100-435 m diameter) that are distant (500-645 m) from other patches, ten large that are close to other patches (38-97 m), ten small (30-42 m) that are distant, and ten small-close patches. Each patch had two plots: edge and interior. Arthropods were sampled using pitfall traps, Berlese-Tullgren funnels and active searches. Interiors and edges had similar species richness and composition, excluding spiders, which were richer in interiors. Patch size significantly influenced species richness of predatory beetles and arthropod assemblages, excluding spiders. Effect of the interaction between patch size and interpatch distance on species richness and composition varied among taxa. Furthermore, large patches supported similar assemblages regardless of interpatch distance. Arthropod response, particularly ants to patch size and interpatch distance, was partly shaped by the matrix type. The percentage of surrounding grassland had little effect on arthropod diversity. We can conclude that large and close patches are important for arthropod conservation. Nevertheless, it is also important to conserve a variety of patch sizes at various distances to maximize overall arthropod composition.",2016,25,5,887,903,"","10.1007/s10531-016-1096-8"]
["Additional resource","Eckert M.; Gaigher R.; Pryke J. S.; Samways M. J.","Short-term arthropod recovery in Eucalyptus plantations after harvesting is not affected by different residue management practices","FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT",{"$nulls":3},2023,537,{"$nulls":3},120973,"10.1016/j.foreco.2023.120973"]
["Additional resource","Gaigher, R.; Pryke, J.S.; Samways, M.J.","Indigenous forest edges increase habitat complexity and refuge opportunities for grassland butterflies","JOURNAL OF INSECT CONSERVATION",{"$nulls":3},2023,28,1,27,41,null,"10.1007/s10841-023-00520-9"]
["Additional resource","Van der Mescht, A. C.; Pryke, J. S.; Gaigher, R.;  Samways, M. J.","Ecological and acoustic responses of bush crickets to anthropogenic and natural ecotones.","BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION",{"$nulls":3},2021,30,13,3859,3878,null,"10.1007/s10531-021-02278-5"]
["Additional resource","van Schalkwyk, J.; Pryke, J. S.; Samways, M. J.; Gaigher, R.","Corridor width determines strength of edge influence on arthropods in conservation corridors","LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY",{"$nulls":3},2020,35,5,1175,1185,"","10.1007/s10980-020-01008-6"]
["Additional resource","Yekwayo I.; Pryke J. S.; Roets F.; Samways M. J.","Surrounding vegetation matters for arthropods of small, natural patches of indigenous forest","INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY",{"$nulls":3},2016,9,3,224,235,null,"10.1111/icad.12160"]
["Additional resource","Ramesh T.; Kalle R.; Rosenlund H.; Downs C. T.","Low leopard populations in protected areas of Maputaland: a consequence of poaching, habitat condition, abundance of prey, and a top predator","ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION",{"$nulls":3},2017,7,6,1964,1973,null,"10.1002/ece3.2771"]
["Additional resource","Smith, D. A. E.; Smith, Y. C. E.; Downs, C. T.","Promoting functional connectivity of anthropogenically-fragmented forest patches for multiple taxa across a critically endangered biome","LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING",{"$nulls":3},2019,190,"","","",103579,"10.1016/j.landurbplan.2019.05.010"]
["Additional resource","Yekwayo, I.; Pryke, J. S.; Gaigher, R.; Samways, M. J.","Only multi-taxon studies show the full range of arthropod responses to fire.","PLOS ONE",{"$nulls":3},2018,13,4,null,null,"e0195414","10.1371/journal.pone.0195414"]
[]
["INCLUDED IN REVIEW"]
[]
["Reason for inclusion/exclusion","Authors","Article Title","Source Title","Author Keywords","Keywords Plus","Abstract","Publication Year","Volume","Issue","Start Page","End Page","Article Number","DOI"]
["Outside review topic","Ackerman, P; Martin, C; Brewer, J; Ackerman, S","Effect of slope on productivity and cost of Eucalyptus pulpwood harvesting using single-grip purpose-built and excavator-based harvesters","INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOREST ENGINEERING","Mechanized; cut-to-length; slope-volume interaction; machine costing; LiDAR","","With the emergence of excavator-based harvesters in cut-to-length CTL operations as a potential alternative to purpose-built harvesters, a debate has been opened as to which machine type is the most suitable in the forestry environment. A mechanized Eucalyptus pulpwood CTL operation, was observed to determine the effect of slope on harvester productivity and cost. A 2 x 2 factorial design with two treatments (machine type) against slope and individual tree volume as factors was developed. Two machine types were studied, an excavator-based harvester (Volvo EC210BF), and a purpose-built harvester (TimberPro TL725B), both fitted with Maskiner SP 591 LX harvester heads. A single operator with significant experience on both machines was used throughout the study. The machines worked on a range of slopes, from level to 50% in two separate corridors containing trees of similar volume and form. Continuous slope data was derived using large footprint light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data of the area. Calculations were carried out on each machine to determine which machine was more costeffective. The productivity of the excavator based harvester decreased by 0.048 m(3)PMH(-1) for every 1% increase in slope, while the productivity of the purpose-built harvester was constant across slope. While the purpose-built harvester was found to have a higher mean productivity the excavator-based harvester was more economical. This suggests that, in terms of economics the excavator-based harvester was more suitable across the conditions encountered in this study.",2018,29,2,74,82,"","10.1080/14942119.2018.1431491"]
["Outside review topic","Alexander, J; Smith, DAE; Smith, YCE; Downs, CT","Drivers of fine-scale avian functional diversity with changing land use: an assessment of the effects of eco-estate housing development and management","LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY","Land use; Functional richness; Functional evenness; Functional divergence; Ecological land-use complementation; Urbanisation; Agriculture; Land transformation","GOLF-COURSES; LANDSCAPE COMPOSITION; DRAKENSBERG MIDLANDS; FOREST SPECIALIST; URBAN-ENVIRONMENT; BIRD DIVERSITY; BIODIVERSITY; CONSERVATION; COMMUNITIES; ABUNDANCE","Context The effects of changing land use, and especially urbanisation, on species and functional diversity are of global concern. Eco-estates are a form of urban housing development that is suggested to partially negate the effects of landscape development. Objectives We assessed avian functional diversity at four eco-estates (previously sugarcane plantations) and one sugarcane plantation site along the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa. We determined whether the differing development, management types, and the effects of land-cover configuration and composition at the respective study sites influenced avian functional diversity. Methods Fixed-radius point-count surveys were conducted within varying levels of land cover (natural, semi-natural, golf course and urban) at each ecoestate, and at a control sugarcane plantation site (natural, sugarcane-natural, and sugarcane land cover). The influence of differing land-cover covariates on all three components of functional diversity (functional richness, evenness, and divergence) were determined through a series of general linear models. Results Sections of the respective study sites with increased natural land cover, mainly in the form of indigenous forest and coastal thicket/dense bush, showed improved avian functional diversity in comparison to those with increased building and road density. Negative effects of increased building density may be offset through an interconnection with or incorporation within natural land cover. Each component of functional diversity was influenced dynamically by seasonal changes and depending on landcover type. Conclusion Eco-estates improved avian functional diversity if natural habitats are emphasised and connected. We suggest future development and management for eco-estates and agricultural land in coastal KZN follow ecological land-use complementation, to improve local ecosystem functioning.",2019,34,3,537,549,"","10.1007/s10980-019-00786-y"]
["Outside review topic","Amoo, AE; Babalola, OO","Impact of Land Use on Bacterial Diversity and Community Structure in Temperate Pine and Indigenous Forest Soils","DIVERSITY-BASEL","16S rRNA amplicon sequencing; forest management; metabolic potentials; microbial ecology; ribosomal data project; South Africa","MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES; CONSEQUENCES; GRASSLAND; PATTERNS; DRIVERS; CARBON","Soil microbial communities are an important part of ecosystems that possess the capability to improve ecosystem services; however, several aspects of the ecology of forest soil bacterial communities are still unknown. Here, we investigated the impact of land-use change on soil bacterial communities and the soil characteristics. High-throughput sequencing was used to ascertain the bacterial diversity and canonical correspondence analysis was used to determine relationships between the bacterial communities and environmental variables. Our results show spatial heterogeneity in the distribution of the microbial communities and significant relationships between the microbes and soil characteristics (axis 1 of the canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) plot explained 64.55% of the total variance while axis 2 described 24.49%). Knowledge of this is essential as it has direct consequences for the functioning of the soil ecosystem.",2019,11,11,"","",217,"10.3390/d11110217"]
["Outside review topic","Amsten, K; Cromsigt, JPGM; Kuijper, DPJ; Loberg, JM; Churski, M; Niklasson, M","Fire- and herbivory-driven consumer control in a savanna-like temperate wood-pasture: An experimental approach","JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY","consumer control; disturbance regime; fire; herbivory; landscape ecology; temperate ecosystem; tree sapling recruitment","BIALOWIEZA PRIMEVAL FOREST; DYNAMICS; TREES; REGENERATION; GRASSLANDS; SUCCESSION; BROWSERS; HISTORY; WORLD; VARIABILITY","1. Fire and herbivory are fundamental top-down processes, structuring grass-tree ratios in ecosystems across a diversity of climates. Both are plant consumers that can strongly control the recruitment of woody seedlings and saplings to taller height classes. Without consumer control, many grass-dominated ecosystems would convert into woodlands or forests. While extensively studied in savannas, few have explored the effects of these disturbance regimes on woody recruitment under temperate conditions. 2. We exposed saplings of five common European tree species to fire and herbivory in a full factorial experiment in a savanna-like wood-pasture. After 3 years, we evaluated the effects of fire and herbivory on tree sapling survival and height increment. The tree species used, varying in traits and in expected response to fire and herbivory, were Scots pine Pinus sylvestris, Norway spruce Picea abies, European oak Quercus robur, Silver birch Betula pendula and Small-leaved lime Tilia cordata. 3. Fire and herbivory had a negative effect on sapling survival for all species except for Q. robur, which was not affected by fire. Both processes reduced height increment of B. pendula, while only herbivory reduced the height increment of P. sylvestris and Q. robur. At the same time, B. pendula and P. sylvestris had some of the highest increments, together with P. abies, which had unaffected height increment in all treatments. T. cordata, on the other hand, had a negative height increment across all treatments. Overall, the combined effect of fire and herbivory was similar to the effect of herbivory alone on both survival and height increment, indicating no additional effect of fire when herbivores were present. 4. Synthesis. Our experiment showed how fire and herbivory can strongly affect the recruitment of European temperate tree saplings on a wood-pasture, potentially leading to comparable consumer control described for ecosystems elsewhere (e.g. savannas). Two strategies to deal with fire and herbivory were identified: tolerance (Q. robur) and avoidance (P. sylvestris and B. pendula). We conclude that both fire and herbivory may have been important drivers of structure and species composition in open ecosystems in temperate Europe in the past.",2021,109,12,4103,4114,"","10.1111/1365-2745.13783"]
["Outside review topic","Balagueman, RO; Assèdé, ESP; Moumouni-Moussa, I; Soumanou, AA; Biaou, SSH","Spatial disparities altered the determinants of biomass supply intention for clean energy: policy implications","FRONTIERS IN ENERGY RESEARCH","geographic heterogeneity; behavioral decision; forestry biomass supply; sustainable energy transition; Benin","STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELS; RENEWABLE ENERGY; PLANNED BEHAVIOR; USAGE INTENTION; BIOENERGY; ACCEPTANCE; KNOWLEDGE; AWARENESS; ATTITUDE; CHINA","Understanding the spatial variation of factors driving interest in bioenergy is important for designing effective energy policies. Although previous authors have broadly explored the determinants of biomass supply intentions in the field of bioenergy, the potential spatial variation of these factors has received limited consideration from bioenergy research. We performed a structural equation modeling based on the theory of planned behavior to investigate the impact of spatial disparities on factors determining people's intentions to supply forestry residues for clean energy. Our data were generated through a survey of 247 participants randomly sampled from two contrasting geographic regions (north and south) of the Republic of Benin. We found that spatial disparities altered the effects of attitude and knowledge of renewable energy while income and perceived behavioral control exhibited consistent positive effects across geographical regions. Our findings imply that ignoring spatial disparities when analyzing bioenergy acceptance can lead to distorted inferences. These findings can be used as a baseline information by policymakers to develop region-specific actions for achieving local transition toward clean energy in the Republic of Benin.",2023,11,"","","",1239710,"10.3389/fenrg.2023.1239710"]
["Outside review topic","Balshaw, HM; Douglas, P; Davies, ML; Doerr, SH","Pyrene and nile red fluorescence probes for in-situ study of polarity and viscosity of soil organic coatings implicated in soil water repellency","EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE","autofluorescence; emission lifetime; emission spectrum; excimer; hydrophobicity; water repellent","SANDY SOILS; HYDROPHOBIC COMPOUNDS; EXCIMER FLUORESCENCE; EXTRACTION; EUCALYPTUS; FRACTIONS; BEHAVIOR; PINE","Soil water repellency, that is, the reduced ability of soils to absorb water, is thought to be caused by organic coatings with predominantly non-polar properties on soil particle surfaces. Given the important role of particle surface polarity in determining soil water repellency, we explored the use of fluorescent probes as a method for the direct in-situ determination of the distribution and polarity of organics on bulk soil surfaces, and of their molecular mobility. We used nile red and pyrene, which have both been used successfully as environmental probes in previous studies, but have not been applied before to bulk soils. The probes were either (a) co-deposited with other organics known to induce water-repellent behaviour with acid-washed sand to produce 'model soils' or (b) adsorbed directly onto sandy soils that were naturally water repellent to different degrees, and studied using fluorescence microscopy and steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence. Reliable measurements could be made using pyrene as an in-situ probe on both model and natural soils, and a viscosity/mobility probe on model soils, whereas nile red was found not to be a useful probe. On model soils, made using hexadecane (HEX), octadecane (OCT) or stearic acid (SA) on acid-washed sand, pyrene excimer formation kinetics showed a decrease in environment mobility as the organic layer changes from a liquid through to a hard wax. Spectra from pyrene adsorbed to natural soils indicated varying environmental polarity and heterogeneity within the soil samples studied. Highlights Exploration of in-situ fluorescent probes to study polarity and viscosity of organics on soils. Fluorescent probes have never been used in situ on bulk soils before. Pyrene probe shows variation in mobility, polarity and heterogeneity of organics on soils. Pyrene is a useful in-situ fluorescent probe of polarity and mobility of organics on soils.",2020,71,5,868,879,"","10.1111/ejss.12925"]
["Outside review topic","Biggs, R; Clements, HS; Cumming, GS; Cundill, G; De Vos, A; Hamann, M; Luvuno, L; Roux, DJ; Selomane, O; Blanchard, R; Cockburn, J; Dziba, L; Esler, KJ; Fabricius, C; Henriksson, R; Kotschy, K; Lindborg, R; Masterson, VA; Nel, JL; O'Farrell, P; Palmer, CG; Pereira, L; Pollard, S; Preiser, R; Scholes, RJ; Shackleton, C; Shackleton, S; Sitas, N; Slingsby, JA; Spierenburg, M; Tengö, M; Reyers, B","Social-ecological change: insights from the Southern African Program on Ecosystem Change and Society","ECOSYSTEMS AND PEOPLE","Elena Bennett; SAPECS; social-ecological systems; transdisciplinarity; ecosystem services; human well-being; transformations; Global South","TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS; RURAL EASTERN CAPE; PROTECTED AREAS; TRANSDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH; COMMUNITY CONSERVATION; KNOWLEDGE COPRODUCTION; SERVICE DELIVERY; TRADE-OFFS; SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE; WATER CONSERVATION","Social-ecological systems (SES) research has emerged as an important area of sustainability science, informing and supporting pressing issues of transformation towards more sustainable, just and equitable futures. To date, much SES research has been done in or from the Global North, where the challenges and contexts for supporting sustainability transformations are substantially different from the Global South. This paper synthesises emerging insights on SES dynamics that can inform actions and advance research to support sustainability transformations specifically in the southern African context. The paper draws on work linked to members of the Southern African Program on Ecosystem Change and Society (SAPECS), a leading SES research network in the region, synthesizing key insights with respect to the five core themes of SAPECS: (i) transdisciplinary and engaged research, (ii) ecosystem services and human well-being, (iii) governance institutions and management practices, (iv) spatial relationships and cross-scale connections, and (v) regime shifts, traps and transformations. For each theme, we focus on insights that are particularly novel, interesting or important in the southern African context, and reflect on key research gaps and emerging frontiers for SES research in the region going forward. Such place-based insights are important for understanding the variation in SES dynamics around the world, and are crucial for informing a context-sensitive global agenda to foster sustainability transformations at local to global scales.",2022,18,1,447,468,"","10.1080/26395916.2022.2097478"]
["Outside geographic area","Braun, C; Merk, C; Pönitzsch, G; Rehdanz, K; Schmidt, U","Public perception of climate engineering and carbon capture and storage in Germany: survey evidence","CLIMATE POLICY","Carbon capture and storage; climate change; climate engineering; information; public opinion; solar radiation management","DIOXIDE CAPTURE; SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE; CCS; TRUST; TECHNOLOGIES; INFORMATION; ATTITUDES; CO2","Climate engineering (CE) and carbon capture and storage are controversial options for addressing climate change. This study compares public perception in Germany of three specific measures: solar radiation management (SRM) via stratospheric sulphate injection, large-scale afforestation, and carbon capture and storage sub-seabed (CCS-S). In a survey experiment we find that afforestation is most readily accepted as a measure for addressing climate change, followed by CCS-S and lastly SRM, which is widely rejected. Providing additional information decreases acceptance for all measures, but their ranking remains unchanged. The acceptance of all three measures is especially influenced by the perceived seriousness of climate change and by trust in institutions. Also, respondents dislike the measures more if they perceive them as a way of shirking responsibility for emissions or as an unconscionable manipulation of nature. Women react more negatively to information than men, whereas the level of education or the degree of intuitive vs reflective decision making does not influence the reaction to information.POLICY RELEVANCECurrent projections suggest that the use of climate engineering (CE) technologies or carbon capture and storage (CCS) is necessary if global warming is to be kept well below 2 degrees C. Our article focuses on the perspective of the general public and thus supplements the dialogue between policymakers, interest groups, and scientists on how to address climate change. We show that in Germany public acceptance of potentially effective measures such as SRM or CCS-S is low and decreases even more when additional information is provided. This implies that lack of public acceptance may turn out to be a bottleneck for future implementation. Ongoing research and development in connection with CCS-S and SRM requires continuous communication with, and involvement of, the public in order to obtain feedback and assess the public's reservations about the measures. The low level of acceptance also implies that emission reduction should remain a priority in climate policy.",2018,18,4,471,484,"","10.1080/14693062.2017.1304888"]
["Outside review topic","Burdzik, WMG; Skorpen, S","Experimental and analytical investigation into the stiffness of composite steel-reinforced timber beams with flexible shear connectors","JOURNAL OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERING","composite; timber; steel; beams; flexible connectors","","Most of the current research on the design of timber composite beams involves either complex mathematical models which are not checked with experimental testing, or is purely based on experimental work with no attempt to model the behaviour. In a literature review the authors failed to find a practical way of designing composite timber beams, other than in the Eurocode 5. The equations in Eurocode 5 are unfortunately limited in their application. This paper looks at stiffening timber beams, with a known stiffness distribution, by screwing or nailing a steel strip to the underside of the beam. The modelled behaviour is compared with experimental test results and recommendations for the analysis and design of such members are given. The experimental work involved determining the stiffness of twenty-four South African pine beams reinforced with metal strips. The spacing of the connectors was varied to ascertain the increase in stiffness of the composite with a reduction in the connector spacing. The analytical methods used were the Eurocode 5 method, as well as two finite element modelling methods, which may be used to determine the composite stiffness. The results of the three methods used show a remarkably good fit with the lower-bound experimental results.",2016,58,4,11,20,"","10.17159/2309-8775/2016/v58n4a2"]
["Outside review topic","Cardoso, P; Amponsah-Mensah, K; Barreiros, JP; Bouhuys, J; Cheung, H; Davies, A; Kumschick, S; Longhorn, SJ; Martínez-Muñoz, CA; Morcatty, TQ; Peters, G; Ripple, WJ; Rivera-Téllez, E; Stringham, OC; Toomes, A; Tricorache, P; Fukushima, CS","Scientists' warning to humanity on illegal or unsustainable wildlife trade","BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION","Economy; Ecosystem services; Extinction; Invasive alien species; Organized crime; Zoonotic diseases","TIMBER TRADE; IMPACTS; FOREST; CONSERVATION; BIODIVERSITY; FISHERIES; SERVICES; CONSEQUENCES; CONSUMPTION; REPTILES","Illegal or unsustainable wildlife trade is growing at a global level, threatening the traded species and coexisting biota, and promoting the spread of invasive species. From the loss of ecosystem services to diseases transmitted from wildlife to humans, or connections with major organized crime networks and disruption of local to global economies, its ramifications are pervading our daily lives and perniciously affecting our well-being. Here we build on the manifesto 'World Scientists' Warning to Humanity, issued by the Alliance of World Scientists. As a group of researchers deeply concerned about the consequences of illegal or unsustainable wildlife trade, we review and highlight how these can negatively impact species, ecosystems, and society. We appeal for urgent action to close key knowledge gaps and regulate wildlife trade more stringently.",2021,263,"","","",109341,"10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109341"]
["Outside review topic","Castro-Díez, P; Alonso, A; Saldaña-López, A; Granda, E","Effects of widespread non-native trees on regulating ecosystem services","SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT","Climate regulation; Fire risk; Multi-level meta-analysis; Soil erosion; Soil formation; Water cycle regulation","INVASIVE ALIEN PLANTS; AUSTRALIAN ACACIAS; PINE PLANTATIONS; WATER-RESOURCES; SOUTH-AFRICA; SOIL; IMPACTS; NITROGEN; FOREST; CARBON","Tree taxa are often planted beyond their native range to increase the provision of some ecosystem services. Yet, they can disrupt ecosystem processes in their new ranges, causing changes in the provision of other services. Here we review the effects of five widespread tree taxa (Acacia, Ailanthus, Eucalyptus, Pinus and Robinia) on six regulating ecosystem services in areas where they are non-native. We conducted a literature search for pair-wise comparisons between sites dominated by any of the selected taxa and sites with native vegetation. An array of variables were used as indicators for each ecosystem service. Data were analysed using multi-level meta-analyses to compare effects of taxa on each ecosystem service, and effects of the same taxa across contexts. We compiled 857 case studies from 107 source papers. Several taxa tended to increase climate regulation, mostly Eucalyptus. Acacia decreased fire risk prevention. Robinia, Acacia and Ailanthus increased soil fertility, while Eucalyptus and Pinus, tended to decrease it. Soil formation was enhanced by Robinia and Ailanthus. Acacia promoted the increase of water in land pools, while Eucalyptus tended to decrease them. All effects show a large heterogeneity across case studies. Part of this heterogeneity could be attributed to gross climatic differences (i.e. biome), to species differences within each genus, to the structure of the recipient ecosystem, and/or to human management. Managers and policy-makers should consider the context-dependency and the potential effects of non-native trees on a wide range of services to ground their decisions. Our analyses also revealed important gaps of knowledge (e.g. on fire risk prevention, erosion control or water cycle regulation) and some potential publication bias. The methodology used here easily allows for future updates as new information will become available. (c) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).",2021,778,"","","",146141,"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146141"]
["Outside review topic","Chabalala, Y; Adam, E; Ali, KA","Machine Learning Classification of Fused Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 Image Data towards Mapping Fruit Plantations in Highly Heterogenous Landscapes","REMOTE SENSING","smallholder farming; fruit-tree crops; data fusion; SAR; multispectral data; precision agriculture; image classification","REMOTE-SENSING DATA; TIME-SERIES; CROP CLASSIFICATION; RANDOM FOREST; DISCRIMINATION; SELECTION; FUSION; AREA; CROPLANDS; SUPPORT","Mapping smallholder fruit plantations using optical data is challenging due to morphological landscape heterogeneity and crop types having overlapping spectral signatures. Furthermore, cloud covers limit the use of optical sensing, especially in subtropical climates where they are persistent. This research assessed the effectiveness of Sentinel-1 (S1) and Sentinel-2 (S2) data for mapping fruit trees and co-existing land-use types by using support vector machine (SVM) and random forest (RF) classifiers independently. These classifiers were also applied to fused data from the two sensors. Feature ranks were extracted using the RF mean decrease accuracy (MDA) and forward variable selection (FVS) to identify optimal spectral windows to classify fruit trees. Based on RF MDA and FVS, the SVM classifier resulted in relatively high classification accuracy with overall accuracy (OA) = 0.91.6% and kappa coefficient = 0.91% when applied to the fused satellite data. Application of SVM to S1, S2, S2 selected variables and S1S2 fusion independently produced OA = 27.64, Kappa coefficient = 0.13%; OA= 87%, Kappa coefficient = 86.89%; OA = 69.33, Kappa coefficient = 69. %; OA = 87.01%, Kappa coefficient = 87%, respectively. Results also indicated that the optimal spectral bands for fruit trees mapping are green (B3) and SWIR_2 (B10) for S2, whereas for S1, the vertical-horizontal (VH) polarization band. Including the textural metrics from the VV channel improved crop discrimination and co-existing land use cover types. The fusion approach proved robust and well suited for accurate smallholder fruit plantation mapping.",2022,14,11,"","",2621,"10.3390/rs14112621"]
["Outside geographic area","Chiawo, DO; Kombe, WN; Craig, AJFK","Bird responses to land use change: guild diversity in a Kenyan coastal forest and adjoining habitats","EMU-AUSTRAL ORNITHOLOGY","Arabuko-Sokoke Forest; bird feeding guilds; ecosystem services; Kenyan coastal forest; land use","RAIN-FOREST; SEED DISPERSAL; SPECIES RICHNESS; FORAGING BEHAVIOR; ABUNDANCE; COMMUNITIES; ASSEMBLAGES; LANDSCAPE; FRAGMENTS; CONSEQUENCES","Land use change can have profound effects on forest ecology, particularly on the avian community. Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, one of the Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in Kenya, is under threat due to ongoing land use change in the surroundings that could affect species composition of many bird guilds. However, information on the response of different guilds in tropical land use systems is sparse in Africa. We examined the effects of land use on bird guilds in primary forest (Arabuko-Sokoke Forest), adjoining plantations, and neighbouring farmland. Point counts were distributed equally in the three land use systems to survey bird populations. A total of 2600 bird observations was recorded, representing 97 species in five main feeding guilds (frugivores, nectarivores, insectivores, carnivores, and granivores). Granivores were most abundant and diverse in farmland, while carnivores (primarily raptors) utilised all habitats. Insectivores were most diverse in primary forest where vertical heterogeneity of the vegetation and the presence of large fruiting trees significantly influenced their occurrence. Specialist nectarivores were most frequent in primary forest, whereas occasional nectarivores were less abundant there. Contrary to expectation, frugivore diversity showed no significant effect of land use.",2018,118,3,281,292,"","10.1080/01584197.2018.1431052"]
["Outside review topic","Chinembiri, TS; Mutanga, O; Dube, T","Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 Based Prediction of Forest Plantation C Stock Using Spatially Varying Coefficient Bayesian Hierarchical Models","REMOTE SENSING","Bayesian hierarchical modelling; geostatistics; Eucalyptus grandis; Eucalyptus camaldulensis; Pinus patula; spatial random effects; spatially varying coefficient","AIRBORNE LIDAR; VOLUME; COVER","This study sought to establish the performance of Spatially Varying Coefficient (SVC) Bayesian Hierarchical models using Landsat-8, and Sentinel-2 derived auxiliary information in predicting plantation forest carbon (C) stock in the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe. The development and implementation of Zimbabwe's land reform program undertaken in the year 2000 and the subsequent redistribution and resizing of large-scale land holdings are hypothesized to have created heterogeneity in aboveground forest biomass in plantation ecosystems. The Bayesian hierarchical framework, accommodating residual spatial dependence and non-stationarity of model predictors, was evaluated. Firstly, SVC models utilizing Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), derived from Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 data and 191 sampled C stock observations were constructed. The SVC models built for each of the two multispectral remote sensing data sets were assessed based on the goodness of fit criterion as well as the predictive performance using a 10-fold cross-validation technique. The introduction of spatial random effects in the form of Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 derived covariates to the model intercept improved the model fit and predictive performance where residual spatial dependence was dominant. For the Landsat-8 C stock predictive model, the RMSPE for the non-spatial, Spatially Varying Intercept (SVI) and SVC models were 8 MgCha(-1), 7.77 MgCha(-1), and 6.42 MgCha(-1) whilst it was 7.85 MgCha(-1), 7.69 MgCha(-1) and 6.23 MgCha(-1) for the Sentinel-2 C stock predictive models, respectively. Overall, the Sentinel-2-based SVC model was preferred for predicting C stock in plantation forest ecosystems as its model provided marginally tighter credible intervals, [1.17-1.60] MgCha(-1) when compared to the Landsat-8 based SVC model with 95% credible intervals of [1.13-1.62] Mg Cha(-1). The built SVC models provided an understanding of the performance of the multispectral remote sensing derived predictors for modeling C stock and thus provided an essential foundation required for updating the current carbon forest plantation databases.",2022,14,22,"","",5676,"10.3390/rs14225676"]
["Outside review topic","Clements, HS; San, ED; Hempson, G; Linden, B; Maritz, B; Monadjem, A; Reynolds, C; Siebert, F; Stevens, N; Biggs, R; De Vos, A; Blanchard, R; Child, M; Esler, KJ; Hamann, M; Loft, T; Reyers, B; Selomane, O; Skowno, AL; Tshoke, T; Abdoulaye, D; Aebischer, T; Aguirre-Gutierrez, J; Alexander, GJ; Ali, AH; Allan, DG; Amoako, EE; Angedakin, S; Aruna, E; Avenant, NL; Badjedjea, G; Bakayoko, A; Bamba-kaya, A; Bates, MF; Bates, PJJ; Belmain, SR; Bennitt, E; Bradley, J; Brewster, CA; Brown, MB; Brown, M; Bryja, J; Butynski, TM; Carvalho, F; Channing, A; Chapman, CA; Cohen, C; Cords, M; Cramer, JD; Cronk, N; Cunneyworth, PMK; Dalerum, F; Danquah, E; Davies-Mostert, HT; de Blocq, AD; De Jong, YA; Demos, TC; Denys, C; Djagoun, CAMS; Doherty-Bone, TM; Drouilly, M; du Toit, JT; Smith, DAE; Smith, YCE; Eiseb, SJ; Fashing, PJ; Ferguson, AW; Fernandez-Garcia, JM; Finckh, M; Fischer, C; Gandiwa, E; Gaubert, P; Gaugris, JY; Gibbs, DJ; Gilchrist, JS; Gil-Sanchez, JM; Githitho, AN; Goodman, PS; Granjon, L; Grobler, JP; Gumbi, BC; Gvozdik, V; Harvey, J; Hauptfleisch, M; Hayder, F; Hema, EM; Herbst, M; Houngbedji, M; Huntley, BJ; Hutterer, R; Ivande, ST; Jackson, K; Jongsma, GFM; Juste, J; Kadjo, B; Kaleme, PK; Kamugisha, E; Kaplin, BA; Kato, HN; Kiffner, C; Kimuyu, DM; Kityo, RM; Kouame, NG; Kouete, TM; le Roux, A; Lee, ATK; Lotter, MC; Lykke, AM; MacFadyen, DN; Macharia, GP; Madikiza, ZJK; Mahlaba, TAM; Mallon, D; Mamba, ML; Mande, C; Marchant, RA; Maritz, RA; Markotter, W; Mcintyre, T; Measey, J; Mekonnen, A; Meller, P; Melville, HI; Mganga, KZ; Mills, MGL; Minnie, L; Missoup, AD; Mohammad, A; Moinde, NN; Moise, BFE; Monterroso, P; Moore, JF; Musila, S; Nago, SGA; Namoto, MW; Niang, F; Nicolas, V; Nkenku, JB; Nkrumah, EE; Nono, GL; Norbert, MM; Nowak, K; Obitte, BC; Okoni-Williams, AD; Onongo, J; O'Riain, MJ; Osinubi, ST; Parker, DM; Parrini, F; Peel, MJS; Penner, J; Pietersen, DW; Plumptre, AJ; Ponsonby, DW; Porembski, S; Power, RJ; Radloff, FGT; Rambau, RV; Ramesh, T; Richards, LR; Rodel, MO; Rollinson, DP; Rovero, F; Saleh, MA; Schmiedel, U; Schoeman, MC; Scholte, P; Serfass, TL; Shapiro, JT; Shema, S; Siebert, SJ; Slingsby, JA; Sliwa, A; Smit-Robinson, HA; Sogbohossou, EA; Somers, MJ; Spawls, S; Streicher, JP; Swanepoel, L; Tanshi, I; Taylor, PJ; Taylor, WA; te Beest, M; Telfer, PT; Thompson, DI; Tobi, E; Tolley, KA; Turner, AA; Twine, W; Van Cakenberghe, V; van de Perre, F; van der Merwe, H; van Niekerk, CJG; van Wyk, PCV; Venter, JA; Verburgt, L; Veron, G; Vetter, S; Vorontsova, MS; Wagner, TC; Webala, PW; Weber, N; Weier, SM; White, PA; Whitecross, MA; Wigley, BJ; Willems, FJ; Winterbach, CW; Woodhouse, GM","The bii4africa dataset of faunal and floral population intactness estimates across Africa's major land uses","SCIENTIFIC DATA","","TERRESTRIAL BIODIVERSITY; PLANETARY BOUNDARY","Sub-Saharan Africa is under-represented in global biodiversity datasets, particularly regarding the impact of land use on species' population abundances. Drawing on recent advances in expert elicitation to ensure data consistency, 200 experts were convened using a modified-Delphi process to estimate 'intactness scores': the remaining proportion of an 'intact' reference population of a species group in a particular land use, on a scale from 0 (no remaining individuals) to 1 (same abundance as the reference) and, in rare cases, to 2 (populations that thrive in human-modified landscapes). The resulting bii4africa dataset contains intactness scores representing terrestrial vertebrates (tetrapods: +/- 5,400 amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals) and vascular plants (+/- 45,000 forbs, graminoids, trees, shrubs) in sub-Saharan Africa across the region's major land uses (urban, cropland, rangeland, plantation, protected, etc.) and intensities (e.g., large-scale vs smallholder cropland). This dataset was co-produced as part of the Biodiversity Intactness Index for Africa Project. Additional uses include assessing ecosystem condition; rectifying geographic/taxonomic biases in global biodiversity indicators and maps; and informing the Red List of Ecosystems.",2024,11,1,"","",191,"10.1038/s41597-023-02832-6"]
["Outside review topic","Coetzer, WG; Downs, CT; Perrin, MR; Willows-Munro, S","Influence of historical and contemporary habitat changes on the population genetics of the endemic South African parrotPoicephalus robustus","BIRD CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL","","MICROSATELLITE NULL ALLELES; ENDANGERED CAPE PARROT; POICEPHALUS-ROBUSTUS; AFROMONTANE FORESTS; COMPUTER-PROGRAM; CLIMATE-CHANGE; SAVANNA BIOME; RE-IMPLEMENTATION; TSWAING CRATER; CONSERVATION","The Cape ParrotPoicephalus robustusis a habitat specialist, restricted to forest patches in the Eastern Cape (EC), KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Limpopo provinces of South Africa. Recent census estimates suggest that there are less than 1,600 parrots left in the wild, although historical data suggest that the species was once more numerous. Fragmentation of the forest biome is strongly linked to climate change and exploitation of the forest by the timber industry. We examine the subpopulation structure and connectivity between fragmented populations across the distribution of the species. Differences in historical and contemporary genetic structure of Cape Parrots is examined by including both modern samples, collected from 1951 to 2014, and historical samples, collected from 1870 to 1946. A total of 114 individuals (historical = 29; contemporary = 85) were genotyped using 16 microsatellite loci. We tested for evidence of partitioning of genotypes at both a temporal and spatial scales by comparing shifts in allelic frequencies of historical (1870-1946) and contemporary (1951-2014) samples across the distribution of the species. Tests for population bottlenecks were also conducted to determine if anthropogenic causes are the main driver of population decline in this species. Analyses identified three geographically correlated genetic clusters. A southern group restricted to forest patches in the EC, a central group including birds from KZN and a genetically distinct northern Limpopo cluster. Results suggest that Cape Parrots have experienced at least two population bottlenecks. An ancient decline during the mid-Holocene (similar to 1,800-3,000 years before present) linked to climate change, and a more recent bottleneck, associated with logging of forests during the early 1900s. This study highlights the effects of climate change and human activities on an endangered species associated with the naturally fragmented forests of eastern South Africa. These results will aid conservation authorities with the planning and implementation of future conservation initiatives. In particular, this study emphasises the Eastern Cape mistbelt forests as an important source population for the species and calls for stronger conservation of forest patches in South Africa to promote connectivity of forest taxa.",2020,30,2,236,259,"","10.1017/S0959270919000315"]
["Outside geographic area","Corley, MFV; Ferreira, S; Lvovsky, AL; Rosete, J","Borkhausenia crimnodes Meyrick, 1912 (Lepidoptera, Oecophoridae), asouthern hemisphere species resident in Portugal","NOTA LEPIDOPTEROLOGICA","","","Borkhausenia crimnodes Meyrick, 1912, a species described from Argentina, has been found resident in Beira Litoral, Portugal, constituting its first records in Europe. Borkhausenia intumescens Meyrick, 1921, described from South Africa, is shown to be synonymous with B. crimnodes, described from Argentina. COI barcode sequencing has shown that a Portuguese specimen has 100% similarity with specimens collected in South Africa. The origin of the Portuguese population remains unclear but it is likely to be connected with timber importation for the paper industry. Male and female genitalia of B. crimnodes type and the Portuguese specimens are illustrated and described.",2017,40,1,15,24,"","10.3897/nl.40.10938"]
["Outside review topic","Crous, CJ; Malan, FS; Wingfield, MJ","Securing African forests for future drier climates: applying ecophysiology in tree improvement","SOUTHERN FORESTS-A JOURNAL OF FOREST SCIENCE","developing nations; drought tolerance; forest resilience; forest sustainability; plantation forestry; tree hydric strategy; wood anatomical ecology","XYLEM CAVITATION RESISTANCE; WATER-USE EFFICIENCY; WOOD DENSITY; PLANT-RESPONSES; PTEROCARPUS-ANGOLENSIS; HYDRAULIC EFFICIENCY; DROUGHT RESISTANCE; ANATOMICAL TRAITS; CARBON STARVATION; ACACIA-MEARNSII","Increasing incidences of drought-induced tree mortality are being recorded worldwide, including Africa. African forests cover a significant proportion of the continent, which implies that African forest sustainability is threatened from a climate-change perspective. This is especially problematic in a developing nation context, because forest ecosystems such as plantation forestry provide important goods and services that sustain human well-being and economic growth. Disentangling the likely triggers of tree mortality (including those linked to drought) in landscapes would not only explain the mechanisms underlying local die-offs, but also better predict future mortality events. Methods applied in the field of ecophysiology are particularly useful to study in situ plant responses to an environment. We consider the status quo of global peer-reviewed publication outputs during the past century that have made use of key ecophysiological research approaches, specifically studies concerning tree xylem anatomy', tree xylem cavitation', tree leaf gas-exchange' and tree xylem hydraulic conductivity'. We highlight the growth and applicability of this research field in understanding tree ecology. We also assess the role that the forestry sector has had in promoting such research to ensure future-proof forest products. Most importantly, we consider how Africa with its vast forested landscapes fits within this research spectrum. The last decade saw an increase of up to 60% in the total number of articles published, particularly with a focus on tree xylem cavitation and conductivity. Although forest research contributed greatly to the global tally of ecophysiological studies, and such studies in Africa have also increased by up to 88% in the past decade, there remains a general lack of this research topic in the continent. It is clear an optimisation of applied ecophysiological concepts and techniques will promote an improved understanding of tree mortality patterns. We argue that ecophysiological data will be crucial to future-proof tree improvement strategies in African commodity production landscapes, especially given future drier climates.",2016,78,4,241,254,"","10.2989/20702620.2016.1207131"]
["Outside review topic","De Cauwer, V; Beeckman, H; Kleinn, C; Moses, M; Nott, A; Seifert, T; Muys, B","Improving the knowledge base for tropical dry forest management in southern Africa: Regional volume models for Pterocarpus angolensis","FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT","Tree volume model; Generic model; Specific model; Allometric relationship; Baikiaea - Pterocarpus woodlands; Kiaat; Umbila; Muninga","ESTIMATING TREE BIOMASS; ABOVEGROUND BIOMASS; ALLOMETRIC MODELS; MIOMBO WOODLANDS; CARBON STOCKS; EQUATIONS; SUITABILITY; VEGETATION; RESOURCES; DENSITY","The development of site-specific allometric models for tree species of natural tropical forests is hampered by limited resources while there is little quality control of the models developed. This study compares site- and species-specific models with generic and regional or pantropical models for Pterocarpus angolensis, the most widely exploited timber tree of southern Africa. We developed regional models with diameter at breast height (DBH) and tree height for the total and merchantable wood volume of P. angolensis with a dataset of 415 trees collected by destructive and non-destructive methods at 14 different sites in the Baikiaea - Pterocarpus woodlands of Namibia and southern Angola. Sources of data heterogeneity, such as site, collector and method, were investigated using mixed models and climate variables as model predictors. The study compared the ability of the new models with ten other site and species-specific volume models and nine generic volume and biomass models to estimate wood volume at tree and stand level. Stand data of 129 sample plots, representing a rainfall gradient from 480 mm to 750 mm, were used. Results showed that the three best performing models with DBH as single predictor (error 28% - 30%), including our new model, were developed for Namibia and Zambia. Adding tree height as predictor to our model removed the heterogeneity caused by site and reduced the error to 22%. One regional generic and one pantropical generic model, both with tree height, performed as well and outperformed other Pterocarpus specific models. Our models showed that the mean portion of merchantable wood was 35% of the total wood volume, of which 58% was heartwood. Although addition of climate variables improved our models, they did not perform well at stand level. Estimated merchantable volume of P. angolensis at stand level varied from 1.9 to 2.7 m(3) ha(-1) , depending on the models employed. Total growing stock is estimated between 36 and 52 m(3) ha(-1) in our study area, depending on the model, with the contribution of P. angolensis approximately 13%. Our results suggest that site-specificity of models is needed when they only include DBH. The use of pantropical and regional DBH-height based models that are adapted to site conditions through the collection of accurate height and wood density data for biomass conversion factors, is advised rather than developing site-specific DBH based allometric models.",2020,477,"","","",118485,"10.1016/j.foreco.2020.118485"]
["Outside review topic","Deacon, C; Pryke, JS; Samways, MJ","Unpaved road verges are attractive habitats for dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in a plantation forestry-grassland mosaic","JOURNAL OF INSECT CONSERVATION","Road ecology; Transformed landscape; Biodiversity hotspot; Ground-dwelling insects; Insect conservation","SOUTH-AFRICA; CONSERVATION; DIVERSITY; MORTALITY; NETWORKS; IMPACTS; PACKAGE; ANTS","Roads have direct and indirect impacts on biodiversity, although the impacts on insects are not yet fully understood. In a plantation forestry-dominated landscape in South Africa, where natural grasslands make up ecological networks of conservation corridors among plantation compartments, we investigated the impact of maintained unpaved roads and unmanaged tracks on dung beetles. We show that these two types of roads have little impact on dung beetle species richness and assemblage structure, indicating that road verges are attractive habitats for dung beetles. Yet, nocturnal dung beetle abundance increased with distance away from roads, suggesting that areas farther away from roads are important to maintain their population sizes. Vegetation characteristics, especially total cover by grasses and overall vegetation height, were important drivers of dung beetles, yet substrate characteristics were unimportant. With vegetation characteristics being related to road maintenance, roads in the landscape have an indirect impact on dung beetle species richness, abundance, and assemblage composition, rather than a direct impact. Road construction in production landscapes is unavoidable, and their edges are attractive to dung beetles. This means that road users should avoid unnecessary road killings by strictly keeping to the road tracks. Habitat heterogeneity across the overall landscape should be encouraged to minimize current and future impacts of roads on dung beetles. The expansion of road networks, or the maintenance of existing road networks, should be done cautiously so as to promote habitat heterogeneity which is important for maintaining regional dung beetle diversity patterns.",2024,28,2,379,388,"","10.1007/s10841-024-00558-3"]
["Outside review topic","Deacon, C; Samways, MJ","A Review of the Impacts and Opportunities for African Urban Dragonflies","INSECTS","aquatic insects; biodiversity conservation; Cape Floristic Region; community engagement; Highveld; Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany biodiversity hotspot; mitigation; Odonata; southern Africa","KRUGER-NATIONAL-PARK; LAND-USE; INSECT CONSERVATION; ADULT DRAGONFLIES; SPECIES RICHNESS; WATER HYACINTH; ODONATA; DIVERSITY; URBANIZATION; BIODIVERSITY","Simple Summary The expansion of urban areas in combination with climate change places great pressure on species found in freshwater habitats. Dragonflies are iconic freshwater organisms due to their large body sizes and striking coloration. They have been widely used to indicate the impacts of natural and human-mediated activities on freshwater communities, while also indicating the mitigation measures required to ensure their conservation. Here, we review the major threats to dragonflies in southern Africa, specifically those in urban areas. We also provide information on effective mitigation measures to protect dragonflies and other aquatic insects in urban spaces. Using three densely populated areas as case studies, we highlight some of the greatest challenges for dragonflies in South Africa. More importantly, we give a summary of current mitigation measures which have maintained dragonflies in urban spaces. In addition to these mitigation measures, public involvement and raising awareness contribute greatly to the common cause of protecting dragonflies around us. Urban settlements range from small villages in rural areas to large metropoles with densely packed infrastructures. Urbanization presents many challenges to the maintenance of freshwater quality and conservation of freshwater biota, especially in Africa. There are many opportunities as well, particularly by fostering contributions from citizen scientists. We review the relationships between dragonflies and urbanization in southern Africa. Shifts in dragonfly assemblages indicate environmental change, as different species are variously sensitive to abiotic and biotic water and bank conditions. They are also conservation umbrellas for many other co-occurring species. Major threats to southern African dragonflies include increasing infrastructure densification, frequent droughts, habitat loss, pollution, and invasive alien vegetation. Mitigation measures include implementation of conservation corridors, maintenance of healthy permanent ponds, pollution reduction, and removal of invasive alien trees. Citizen science is now an important approach for supplementing and supporting professional scientific research.",2021,12,3,"","",190,"10.3390/insects12030190"]
["Outside review topic","du Plessis, M; Sulon, D; Streicher, D; Walls, R","Experimental testing on timber connections considering the influence of gap size and intumescent sealants","FIRE AND MATERIALS","exposed mass timber connections; intumescent fire protection; mass timber connection gaps; structural fire safety; thermal development steel-to-timber connection","","This paper investigates the influence of gap size (openings/spaces between two structural members) and the presence of intumescent sealants on the development of temperature when timber connections are exposed to fire conditions. The experimental results of 21 samples representing a concealed steel-to-timber connection configuration that was exposed with a 0, 3, 6, and 10 mm gap to the ISO834 standard fire for 120 min are presented. Half of the samples in each sample group were protected with an intumescent fire protection sealant. The temperatures in the timber were measured at various locations around the gap and directly next to the steel component. The experimental results show that the presence of a gap increases the temperature of the timber more than predicted by the thermal penetration models available, with current code guidelines (e.g., Eurocode 5) possibly being non-conservative. The use of an intumescent fire protection sealant in the gap is shown to be an effective protection method, but that the application configuration is important to ensure effective protection, especially as the gap becomes smaller. The results also show that the use of an intumescent fire protection sealant in a gap increases the predictability of the temperatures in the timber in longer duration fires. Unprotected samples and 0 mm gap samples exhibited large variability in the thermal development outcomes over time.",2024,48,1,39,61,"","10.1002/fam.3164"]
["Outside review topic","Elshehawi, S; Gabriel, M; Pretorius, L; Bukhosini, S; Butler, M; Van der Plicht, J; Grundling, P; Grootjans, AP","Ecohydrology and causes of peat degradation at the Vasi peatland, South Africa","MIRES AND PEAT","ecohydrology; natural isotopes; peat fires; radiocarbon dating","MAPUTALAND COASTAL-PLAIN; RADIOCARBON; SETTINGS; HOLOCENE; FLOW","The Vasi peatland complex is situated in the northeast of South Africa. It is an unprotected area surrounded by pine (Pinus sp.) and blue gum (Eucalyptus sp.) plantations. Little is known about the conditioning factors for the area's development and causes of degradation. In order to understand the ecohydrological system of this complex, water tables and ionic composition of surface water and groundwater, as well as natural isotopes of oxygen, hydrogen and carbon, were measured. Macrofossils and radiocarbon dating of the peat layer were used to describe the historical environmental conditions. We found that peat accumulation started during the Early Holocene and was initiated by terrestrialisation of inter-dune lakes. Our results also show that the Vasi peatland complex is primarily dependent on a perched water table due to the presence of iron-rich deposits close to the surface (i.e. KwaMbonambi Formation). The Vasi peatland basins appear to be hydrologically connected and some basins show indications of cascading through-flow systems, which means that the water flows from a higher basin to a lower one through the permeable parts of the sand dunes and peat layers. The stratigraphy indicates continuous peat accumulation, and thus that the water table was perennially high for thousands of years, despite evidence of the occasional natural occurrence of fires. We conclude that the most likely cause of the observed signs of degradation is land use change, i.e. the recent establishment of plantations, which affect the groundwater system.",2019,24,"","","",33,"10.19189/MaP.2019.OMB.StA.1815"]
["Outside review topic","Gardner, RAW; Bertling, I; Savage, MJ; Naidoo, S","Investigating optimal site conditions for flower bud production in Eucalyptus smithii orchards in South Africa","AUSTRALIAN FORESTRY","Cold tolerance; flowering; flower induction; seed orchards; site-species matching; chilling requirement; eucalypt; Eucalyptus smithii","FLORAL INDUCTION; ENVIRONMENTAL HETEROGENEITY; PACLOBUTRAZOL; NITENS; TEMPERATE; GROWTH; CLIMATE; MODEL","Eucalyptus smithii is an important commercial forestry species in South Africa. The species' shy and erratic flowering tendencies hinder its genetic improvement and seed production. Breeders and seed producers are highly dependent on paclobutrazol (PBZ) applications for encouraging flower and seed production in E. smithii orchards. During the summer of 2003/04, an E. smithii flowering field trial series was established across a range of high elevation (1568-1828m asl), cool temperate (13.8-15.5 degrees C mean annual temperature (MAT)) commercial forestry sites in South Africa. The main objective was to investigate the interaction between PBZ and a range of climatic and landscape factors on E. smithii floral bud (umbel) production. The main aim was to define optimum environmental conditions for E. smithii umbel production and potential orchard establishment. In the fifth and sixth years after planting, 64% and 83% of the control (nil PBZ) grafted trees and 94% and 94% of PBZ-treated trees produced umbels. In the fifth year, PBZ application increased mean (across-site) umbel production per tree by 132%. Regardless of whether PBZ was applied or not, mean umbel production varied markedly across sites. In the absence of PBZ application, E. smithii test orchards located on south-west facing slopes in high elevation (>1550m asl) areas at the lower end of the applied MAT range were generally the most productive on the basis of umbel crop. The study demonstrated that, through careful site selection, dependency on PBZ to achieve satisfactory umbel production in reproductively mature E. smithii trees may be substantially reduced. Within the elevation and MAT ranges applied in the trial series, E. smithii orchards situated in low positions in the landscape were at high risk of being severely damaged by frosts.",2016,79,2,137,146,"","10.1080/00049158.2016.1159164"]
["Outside review topic","Ghosh, SK; Slot, JC; Visser, EA; Naidoo, S; Sovic, MG; Conrad, AO; Kyre, B; Vijayakumar, V; Bonello, P","Mechanisms of Pine Disease Susceptibility Under Experimental Climate Change","FRONTIERS IN FORESTS AND GLOBAL CHANGE","climate change; Pinus nigra; tree defense; host metabolism; necrotrophic; Diplodia sapinea; Diplodia scrobiculata; fungal metabolism","SYSTEMIC INDUCED RESISTANCE; AUSTRIAN PINE; SPHAEROPSIS-SAPINEA; SECONDARY METABOLISM; TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR; INNATE IMMUNITY; WATER-STRESS; DIE-OFF; DROUGHT; PATHOGEN","Climate change (CC) conditions projected for many temperate areas of the world, expressed by way of excessive temperatures and low water availability, will impact forest health directly by means of abiotic stress but also by predisposing trees to pathogenic attack. However, we do not yet know how such environmental conditions alter the physiology and metabolism of trees to render them more susceptible to pathogens. To explore these mechanisms, we conditioned 3-year-old Austrian pine saplings to a simulated CC environment (combined drought and elevated temperatures), followed by pathogenic inoculation with two sister fungal species characterized by contrasting aggressiveness, Diplodia sapinea (aggressive) and D. scrobiculata (less aggressive). Lesion lengths resulting from infection were measured after 3 weeks to determine phenotypes, while dual transcriptomics analysis was conducted on tissues collected from the margins of developing lesions on separate branches 72 h post inoculation. As expected, climate change conditions enhanced host susceptibility to the less aggressive pathogen, D. scrobiculata, to a level that was not statistically different from the more aggressive D. sapinea. Under controlled climate conditions, D. sapinea induced suppression of critical pathways associated with host nitrogen and carbon metabolism, while enhancing its own carbon assimilation. This was accompanied by suppression of host defense-associated pathways. In contrast, D. scrobiculata infection induced host nitrogen and fatty acid metabolism as well as host defense response. The CC treatment, on the other hand, was associated with suppression of critical host carbon and nitrogen metabolic pathways, alongside defense associated pathways, in response to either pathogen. We propose a new working model integrating concurrent host and pathogen responses, connecting the weakened host phenotype under CC treatment with specific metabolic compartments. Our results contribute to a richer understanding of the mechanisms underlying the oft-observed increased susceptibility to fungal infection in trees under conditions of low water availability and open new areas of investigation to further integrate our knowledge in this critical aspect of tree physiology and ecology.",2022,5,"","","",872584,"10.3389/ffgc.2022.872584"]
["Outside review topic","Greeff, AS; Van Staden, LJ","THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARTICIPATIVE MANAGEMENT AND SAFETY CULTURE: A CASE OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN FORESTRY INDUSTRY","POLISH JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES","Participative management; Safety management; Employee involvement; Safety culture","PERFORMANCE; CLIMATE; LEADERSHIP; OIL","This research article investigates the influence of participative management on the safety culture among contract workers within South Africa's forestry industry. The study aims to address the necessity for a more engaged safety management approach within high-risk workplaces, with a specific focus on South Africa. This focus is essential due to concerning injury and fatality rates, notably in the mining and construction sectors. However, the forestry industry has demonstrated comparatively superior safety performance, as evident from the study outcomes. The research employs a mixed-method survey technique, combining self-administered surveys and structured interviews to gather data. The sample comprises both male and female forestry workers from the Mpumalanga Province in South Africa, who actively participate in operational activities, especially those related to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) within the forestry sector. The data extracted from the surveys is subjected to analysis using Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient. This statistical approach helps establish the relationship between various dimensions of participative management and safety culture. The results of the study unveil a substantial positive correlation connecting participative management and safety culture. This finding substantiates the theoretical premise that a more engaged managerial approach towards safety positively influences the safety culture of forestry workers.",2023,28,1,123,138,"","10.17512/pjms.2023.28.1.07"]
["Outside geographic area","Grobler, BA; Campbell, EE","Road and landscape-context impacts on bird pollination in fynbos of the southeastern Cape Floristic Region","SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY","Cape Floristic Region; Erica glandulosa; Fynbos; Landscape transformation; Mutualism disruption; Road ecology; Road verge vegetation","SOUTH-AFRICA; HABITAT FRAGMENTATION; PLANT INVASIONS; MUTUALISMS MATTER; AVIAN ASSEMBLAGES; BREEDING BIRDS; FEEDING GUILDS; PINE FORESTS; LAND-USE; ALIEN","Road verges can provide important habitats for plants, especially in transformed landscapes. However, roads and their associated traffic have several adverse impacts on ecosystems that can disrupt vital ecological processes, including pollination. In transformed landscapes, the negative effects of roads on pollination might be complemented by impacts of large-scale habitat modification. In these landscapes, road verge populations of plants that rely on pollinators could thus be at risk of pollination failure. This study investigates the pollination of a reseeding, bird-pollinated shrub, Erica glandulosa, in road verges of a fragmented and transformed rural landscape in the southeastern Cape Floristic Region. We test for road impacts on pollination by comparing number of ruptured anther rings - a proxy for pollination - in fynbos vegetation fragments at different distances from the road (0-10, 20-30 and 40-50 m). We also test whether different land-cover types (intact fynbos, alien thickets and rangelands/pastures) next to road verges influence the number of ruptured anther rings. After controlling for robbing rate and plant density, fewer flowers were pollinated near the road (0-10 m) than farther away (beyond 20 m), and fewer flowers were pollinated where road verges occurred next to alien thickets or pastures/rangelands compared to intact fynbos. However, bird pollinators were not excluded in road verges: on average, ca. 20-30% of flowers occurring within 10 m of the road were still visited by birds. While we expect the reduced pollination rate to have a negative effect on the fecundity of road-verge plants, it remains to be tested whether the pollination rate observed in verges is sufficient to sustain populations of bird-pollinated, seed-dependent plants. (c) 2021 SAAB. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2022,146,"",676,684,"","10.1016/j.sajb.2021.11.056"]
["Outside geographic area","Habel, JC; Samways, MJ; Schmitt, T","Mitigating the precipitous decline of terrestrial European insects: Requirements for a new strategy","BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION","Biodiversity crisis; Insect decline; Species richness; Abundance; Agricultural intensification; Habitat fragmentation; Habitat degradation; Pesticides; Climate change; Insect conservation","LONG-TERM CHANGES; SPECIES RICHNESS; LAND-USE; CITIZEN SCIENCE; CALCAREOUS GRASSLANDS; COMMUNITY COMPOSITION; SAPROXYLIC BEETLES; FOREST MANAGEMENT; BIODIVERSITY; DIVERSITY","Severe decline in terrestrial insect species richness, abundance, flying biomass, and local extinctions across Europe are cause for alarm. Here, we summarize this decline, and identify species affected most. We then focus on the species that might respond best to mitigation measures relative to their traits. We review apparent drivers of decline, and critically reflect on strengths and weaknesses of existing studies, while emphasising their general significance. Generality of recent scientific findings on insect decline have shortcomings, as results have been based on irregular time series of insect inventories, and have been carried out on restricted species sets, or have been undertaken only in a particular geographical area. Agricultural intensification is the main driver of recent terrestrial insect decline, through habitat loss, reduced functional connectivity, overly intense management, nitrogen influx, and use of other fertilisers, as well as application of harmful pesticides. However, there are also supplementary and adversely synergistic factors especially climate change, increasingly intense urbanisation, and associated increase in traffic volume, artificial lighting and environmental pollution. Despite these various synergistic impacts, there are mitigating factors that can beimplemented to stem the precipitous insect decline. Science can provide the fundamental information on potential synergistic and antagonistic mechanisms of multiple drivers of insect decline, while implementation research can help develop alternative approaches to agriculture and forestry to mitigate impacts on insects. We argue for more nature-friendly land-use practices to re-establish Europe's insect diversity.",2019,28,6,1343,1360,"","10.1007/s10531-019-01741-8"]
["Outside review topic","Herd-Hoare, S; Shackleton, CM","The use and value of wild harvested provisioning ecosystem services along a landscape heterogeneity gradient in rural South Africa","ECOSYSTEMS AND PEOPLE","Patrick O'Farrell; Fuelwood; habitat diversity; marine resources; non-timber forest products; value","TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS; NATURAL-RESOURCE USE; POVERTY ALLEVIATION; SPECIES RICHNESS; HOUSEHOLD USE; SAFETY NETS; LIVELIHOODS; TRADE; CONSUMPTION; INCOME","Provisioning ecosystem services (PES) are typically crucial to rural livelihoods, especially in developing countries. However, the links between PES and local biodiversity or landscape heterogeneity are poorly explored. Here, we examined the extent of use and value of locally harvested wild, terrestrial and marine PES (such as wild foods, traditional medicines, firewood, building materials and others) in three villages (35-40 households per village) along a gradient of decreasing landscape heterogeneity. Households at the site with the highest landscape heterogeneity used a greater array of PES (9 +/- 4) compared to the intermediate (5 +/- 3) and least heterogenous (0.9 +/- 0.8) sites. This resulted in a significantly greater annual value of PES to local livelihoods at the most diverse site (US$2 656 +/- 2 587 per household), compared to US$1 120 +/- 1 313 at the intermediate site and only US$105 +/- 193 at the least heterogeneous site. This study shows the importance of access to a diversity of landscapes and PES to support rural livelihoods, which is frequently overlooked in PES valuation studies and in situations of land use change where landscape heterogeneity may decline.",2022,18,1,616,629,"","10.1080/26395916.2022.2140711"]
["Outside review topic","Jaars, K; van Zyl, PG; Beukes, JP; Hellén, H; Vakkari, V; Josipovic, M; Venter, AD; Räsänen, M; Knoetze, L; Cilliers, DP; Siebert, SJ; Kulmala, M; Rinne, J; Guenther, A; Laakso, L; Hakola, H","Measurements of biogenic volatile organic compounds at a grazed savannah grassland agricultural landscape in South Africa","ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS","","BOREAL FOREST; MONOTERPENE CONCENTRATIONS; ATMOSPHERIC OXIDATION; FLUX MEASUREMENTS; BOUNDARY-LAYER; EMISSIONS; ISOPRENE; VOC; AIR; CANOPY","Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) play an important role in the chemistry of the troposphere, especially in the formation of tropospheric ozone (O-3) and secondary organic aerosols (SOA). Ecosystems produce and emit a large number of BVOCs. It is estimated on a global scale that approximately 90% of annual BVOC emissions are from terrestrial sources. In this study, measurements of BVOCs were conducted at the Welgegund measurement station (South Africa), which is considered to be a regionally representative background site situated in savannah grasslands. Very few BVOC measurements exist for savannah grasslands and results presented in this study are the most extensive for this type of landscape. Samples were collected twice a week for 2 h during the daytime and 2 h during the night-time through two long-term sampling campaigns from February 2011 to February 2012 and from December 2013 to February 2015, respectively. Individual BVOCs were identified and quantified using a thermal desorption instrument, which was connected to a gas chromatograph and a mass selective detector. The annual median concentrations of isoprene, 2-methyl-3-butene-2-ol (MBO), monoterpene and sesquiterpene (SQT) during the first campaign were 14, 7, 120 and 8 pptv, respectively, and 14, 4, 83 and 4 pptv, respectively, during the second campaign. The sum of the concentrations of the monoterpenes were at least an order of magnitude higher than the concentrations of other BVOC species during both sampling campaigns, with alpha-pinene being the most abundant species. The highest BVOC concentrations were observed during the wet season and elevated soil moisture was associated with increased BVOC concentrations. However, comparisons with measurements conducted at other landscapes in southern Africa and the rest of the world that have more woody vegetation indicated that BVOC concentrations were, in general, significantly lower for savannah grasslands. Furthermore, BVOC concentrations were an order of magnitude lower compared to total aromatic concentrations measured at Welgegund. An analysis of concentrations by wind direction indicated that isoprene concentrations were higher from the western sector that is considered to be a relatively clean regional background region with no large anthropogenic point sources, while wind direction did not indicate any significant differences in the concentrations of the other BVOC species. Statistical analysis indicated that soil moisture had the most significant impact on atmospheric levels of MBO, monoterpene and SQT concentrations, whereas temperature had the greatest influence on isoprene levels. The combined O-3 formation potentials of all the BVOCs measured calculated with maximum incremental reactivity (MIR) coefficients during the first and second campaign were 1162 and 1022 pptv, respectively. alpha-Pinene and limonene had the highest reaction rates with O3, whereas isoprene exhibited relatively small contributions to O3 depletion. Limonene, alpha-pinene and terpinolene had the largest contributions to the OH reactivity of BVOCs measured at Welgegund for all of the months during both sampling campaigns.",2016,16,24,15665,15688,"","10.5194/acp-16-15665-2016"]
["Outside geographic area","Jones, GM; Brosi, B; Evans, JM; Gottlieb, IGW; Loy, XW; Núñez-Regueiro, MM; Ober, HK; Pienaar, E; Pillay, R; Pisarello, K; Smith, LL; Fletcher, RJ","Conserving alpha and beta diversity in wood-production landscapes","CONSERVATION BIOLOGY","alternative energy; biodiversity; bioenergy; biomass; community; multispecies; occupancy modeling; resource extraction","LAND-USE INTENSIFICATION; PLANTATIONS","International demand for wood and other forest products continues to grow rapidly, and uncertainties remain about how animal communities will respond to intensifying resource extraction associated with woody bioenergy production. We examined changes in alpha and beta diversity of bats, bees, birds, and reptiles across wood production landscapes in the southeastern United States, a biodiversity hotspot that is one of the principal sources of woody biomass globally. We sampled across a spatial gradient of paired forest land-uses (representing pre and postharvest) that allowed us to evaluate biological community changes resulting from several types of biomass harvest. Short-rotation practices and residue removal following clearcuts were associated with reduced alpha diversity (-14.1 and -13.9 species, respectively) and lower beta diversity (i.e., Jaccard dissimilarity) between land-use pairs (0.46 and 0.50, respectively), whereas midrotation thinning increased alpha (+3.5 species) and beta diversity (0.59). Over the course of a stand rotation in a single location, biomass harvesting generally led to less biodiversity. Cross-taxa responses to resource extraction were poorly predicted by alpha diversity: correlations in responses between taxonomic groups were highly variable (-0.2 to 0.4) with large uncertainties. In contrast, beta diversity patterns were highly consistent and predictable across taxa, where correlations in responses between taxonomic groups were all positive (0.05-0.4) with more narrow uncertainties. Beta diversity may, therefore, be a more reliable and information-rich indicator than alpha diversity in understanding animal community response to landscape change. Patterns in beta diversity were primarily driven by turnover instead of species loss or gain, indicating that wood extraction generates habitats that support different biological communities.",2022,36,3,"","","e13872","10.1111/cobi.13872"]
["Outside geographic area","Jordaan, PR; Wilken, A; Combrink, X","The impact of Eucalyptus plantations on herpetofaunal diversity, Maputo National Park, Mozambique","AFRICAN JOURNAL OF HERPETOLOGY","Breviceps mossambicus; Exotic timber afforestation; Futi Corridor; Maputo Special Reserve; Mozambique Coastal Plain; Pitfall and funnel trap arrays","LAND-USE; RICHNESS; PROVINCE; HABITAT","Exotic afforestation has proven detrimental to biodiversity in general, however only a few studies documenting the impact of timber plantations on herpetofaunal diversity have been published within a southern African context. To determine if variations in herpetofaunal species assemblages could be detected between derelict Eucalyptus plantations, cleared plantation woodlots, and untransformed sand thicket vegetation, a pitfall and funnel trap survey was conducted in coastal southern Mozambique. Herpetofaunal species richness for derelict Eucalyptus plantations was 13 +/- 2.24 species, untransformed sand thicket vegetation 17 +/- 2.34 species and cleared plantation woodlots 18 +/- 3.14 species. Both Shannon-Weaver and Simpson Diversity Indices estimated the highest herpetofaunal species diversity in untransformed sand thicket vegetation and the lowest diversity in derelict Eucalyptus plantations. The herpetofaunal species assemblages of derelict Eucalyptus plantations and natural sand thicket vegetation were least similar (0.507 +/- 0.041), while cleared plantation woodlots and derelict Eucalyptus plantations were most similar (0.753 +/- 0.032) in terms of herpetofaunal community composition. In contrast to our expectations, significantly higher capture rates were reported for a fossorial anuran in derelict Eucalyptus plantations compared to both cleared plantation woodlots and untransformed sand thicket vegetation, which requires further investigation and discussion. As with most other studies investigating the effects of exotic timber plantations on biodiversity, our results indicate that the detectable herpetofaunal diversity decreased in Eucalyptus plantations when compared to natural or cleared plantation woodlots. Subsequently it would seem as though the active clearing of dilapidated timber plantations as part of rehabilitation efforts may positively affect herpetofaunal diversity.",2024,73,1,48,60,"","10.1080/21564574.2023.2293921"]
["Outside review topic","Jouquet, P; Chaudhary, E; Kumar, ARV","Sustainable use of termite activity in agro-ecosystems with reference to earthworms. A review","AGRONOMY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT","Agro-ecology; Sustainability; Dryland; Heterogeneity; Pests; Ecosystem services; Ecosystem disservices","MOUND-BUILDING TERMITES; WEST-AFRICAN SAVANNA; BURKINA-FASO; SUBTERRANEAN TERMITES; ECOSYSTEM SERVICES; SOIL MACROFAUNA; SOUTHERN AFRICA; CRUSTED SOIL; INDUCED HETEROGENEITY; SUDANIAN WOODLAND","Sustainable agriculture and agro-ecology justify the need to study and understand the role played by ecological processes, and soil biodiversity in particular, in agro-ecosystem functioning. A large number of studies have focused on earthworms in temperate and humid tropical ecosystems and have demonstrated their importance for improving soil biological, physical, and chemical properties in agro-ecosystems. Their success is so essential that earthworms are widely considered key species and relevant indicators of soil health in temperate ecosystems. In arid and sub-arid ecosystems, the role of soil engineer is usually attributed to termites, and especially fungus-growing termites in Africa and Asia. However, despite this recognition, significant effort is spent eradicating them in plantations because of their pest status. In this review, we discuss the status of termites (pests vs. soil engineers) and question whether termites play similar roles to earthworms in arid-and sub-arid agroecosystems, with a focus on their influence on nutrient cycling and water dynamics. We argue that the dream of controlling natural interactions and ridding plantations of termites remains a costly legacy of the green revolution. We review the agricultural practices that have been used to reduce termite damage in plantations by restoring refuges to predators or by reorienting termite foraging activity towards organic amendments. Then, we show that the stimulation of termite activity can be used to improve key ecological functions in agroecosystems, such as increasing water availability to plants or producing fertility hot-spots. Finally, we suggest that more research on how termites can be used for improving ecosystem services, as is actually done with earthworms in temperate and humid tropical countries, could lead to a paradigm shift in our understanding of the impact of termites in tropical agro-ecosytems.",2018,38,1,"","",3,"10.1007/s13593-017-0483-1"]
["Outside review topic","Kaptein, ND; Titshall, LW","A simple calibration of Hobo 4 channel analogue dataloggers for use with Watermark 253-L soil water potential sensors","WATER SA","channel bias; electrical conductance; electrolysis; granular matrix; soil water status","","The combination of granular matrix sensors with a Hobo 4 analogue channel datalogger provides a relatively inexpensive continuous soil water monitoring system. However, the datalogger excites all 4 channels concomitantly as it reads the sensor measurement of each channel in sequence. This results in localised electrolysis causing measurement bias error in Channels 2,3 and 4. To evaluate this channel bias. Watermark granular matrix sensors were connected to Hobo 4 channel dataloggers to measure electrical conductance of the soil. This study formed part of a larger study aimed at understanding water use by Eucalyptus plantations at different soil depths. The measured soil conductivity was calibrated against the gravimetric method in soil derived from Natal Group Sandstone and Dwyka Tillite that occur in southern KwaZulu-Natal. The channels of a Hobo 4 channel datalogger were successfully calibrated against the gravimetric method for both soil types (R-2 > 0.92). The voltage measurements of each channel increased in the order 1 < 2 < 3 < 4 for both soil types at a soil water content range of 12 to 44% and 6 to 46% for Dwyka Tillite and Natal Group Sandstone soils, respectively. Channel measurements were similar at soil water content ranges below 12 and 6% for tillite and sandstone soils, respectively. The study showed that Channels 2.3 and 4 of the Hobo 4 channel datalogger are affected by electrolysis. If this analogue datalogger is used with these types of sensors, these channels need to be calibrated back to Channel 1.",2019,45,2,160,164,"","10.4314/wsa.v45i2.01"]
["Outside review topic","Katna, A; Kulkarni, A; Thaker, M; Vanak, AT","Habitat specificity drives differences in space-use patterns of multiple mesocarnivores in an agroecosystem","JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY","agroecosystems; Canis aureus; Felis chaus; home range; human-dominated landscape; mesocarnivores; space-use patterns; Vulpes bengalensis","JACKALS CANIS-AUREUS; HOME-RANGE SIZE; CAT FELIS-CHAUS; GOLDEN JACKAL; SPATIAL ECOLOGY; RESOURCE SELECTION; SEASONAL-CHANGES; INDIAN FOX; BODY-MASS; R PACKAGE","Space-use patterns of animals are a fundamental measure of resource requirements and constraints. In some human-modified landscapes, especially agroecosystems that depend on both rainfall and irrigation, drivers that influence animal space use can show unexpected spatial and temporal patterns due to anthropogenic activities. Animals living in such landscapes are expected to respond to changes in their environment by altering home-range sizes and habitat selection at multiple scales. We used movement data from a guild of mesocarnivores to determine how home-range size and habitat selection differ across species and seasons in a complex agroecosystem in Central India. Based on high-resolution location data from golden jackals (Canis aureus), jungle cats (Felis chaus), and Indian foxes (Vulpes bengalensis) over a period of similar to 3 years, we found that home-range sizes scaled with body mass as expected, with high intra-species variability. Seasonal home ranges of golden jackals, jungle cats, and Indian foxes varied from 3.1 to 23.7 (mean = 12.3 +/- 1.6), 1.01 to 26.48 (mean = 5.9 +/- 0.9), and 1.16 to 10.71 (mean = 4.3 +/- 0.5) km(2), respectively. Contrary to expectations, home-range size did not vary significantly with season, suggesting that agricultural activities may dampen typical seasonal variations in resource availability and distribution. Site fidelity in seasonal home ranges for golden jackals, jungle cats, and Indian foxes was high (seasonal overlaps = 0.94 +/- 0.01, 0.89 +/- 0.02 and 0.81 +/- 0.03, respectively). We also found that the habitat specialist Indian fox primarily selected for remnant native grasslands and plantations, whereas the generalist golden jackal and jungle cat selected more human-modified land cover types at both the landscape and home-range scales. This study highlights the importance of maintaining natural habitats within production landscapes, especially for habitat specialists, which are more constrained in their requirements than generalist species.",2022,316,2,92,103,"","10.1111/jzo.12933"]
["Outside review topic","Kietzka, GJ; Pryke, JS; Gaigher, R; Samways, MJ","32 years of essential management to retain value of an urban dragonfly awareness pond","URBAN ECOSYSTEMS","Pond management; Dragonflies; Ecological succession; Dredging; Restoration; South Africa","HABITAT HETEROGENEITY; ODONATA ASSEMBLAGES; SPECIES-DIVERSITY; CONSERVATION; BIODIVERSITY; ECOLOGY; RESTORATION; SELECTION; WETLANDS; PLANTS","Pond construction in urban areas can mitigate loss of aquatic insects by providing refuges. Urban ponds are also an interface between civil society and aquatic insects, especially via charismatic dragonflies. Ponds have therefore been constructed specifically for dragonfly conservation awareness in many countries. Yet they require regular management, especially when an inflow to a shallow pond supplies inorganic and organic material, leading to vegetation overgrowth and natural infilling, rendering a pond back into a stream, unsuitable for many lentic species. Here, we assess changes in dragonfly diversity over a 32-year period at a pond constructed for dragonfly conservation awareness, and which underwent system changes: stream -> pond -> vegetation overgrowth and infilling and then following restoration from stream -> pond. Adult male dragonflies and 13 environmental variables were recorded along 31 transects, and compared with previous data collected at the same sites before pond construction and then in the short- and medium-term after. Years when the system comprised a pond had higher dragonfly abundance and species richness than when a stream, and both increased after the pond was restored. Shortly after restoration, the dragonfly assemblage closely resembled that of the earlier pond. Vegetation cover and alien vegetation presence were significant drivers of dragonfly assemblage change and decreased dragonfly abundance and species richness. Lessons learned here for maintaining a dragonfly awareness pond include periodical dredging to remove excessive vegetation overgrowth and infilling from organic and inorganic matter, and aim for high microhabitat heterogeneity using selective management of marginal vegetation, alongside a range of flow regimes.",2021,24,6,1295,1304,"","10.1007/s11252-021-01115-5"]
["Outside geographic area","Kirkpatrick, JB; Marsden-Smedley, JB; Di Folco, MB; Leonard, SWJ","Influence of grazing and vegetation type on post-fire floristic and lifeform composition in Tasmania, Australia","PLANT ECOLOGY","Tracheophytes; Lifeform; Tussock grassland; Hummock sedgeland; Heathy forest; Fire; Grazing; Tasmania","FIRE-GRAZER INTERACTIONS; TALLGRASS PRAIRIE; EUCALYPT FOREST; SPECIES COMPOSITION; FIELD EXPERIMENT; AFRICAN SAVANNA; SOUTH-AFRICA; PLANT; HETEROGENEITY; GRASSLAND","Fire and herbivory are important disturbances in vegetation globally. These disturbances are widely applied in combination for conservation and livestock management. Little is known regarding the relative effects on species composition of post-fire grazing, grazing by itself, burning by itself, the absence of both of these disturbances or of the variation of their influences between vegetation types. At seven sites in Tasmania, Australia, in sedgeland, heathy forest and grassland, the covers and heights of tracheophytes were measured before and for 2 years after the commencement of a fire experiment that nested grazing within burning. Burning followed by grazing, largely by native vertebrates, tended to result in greater changes in species and lifeform composition than either grazing by itself or burning by itself. Heathy forest and sedgeland responded primarily to fire rather than grazing. Heathy forest shifted to a new state with burning while sedgeland began a return to its pre-burn state. Grazing after burning most strongly affected the lowland tussock grassland, while also strongly influencing the height of highland tussock grasslands. Intact canopies in eucalypt forest after fire prevented a return to the original understorey while grazing animals turn tussock grassland into lawn after fire. In all cases, the effects of grazing after burning are incremental rather than strongly synergistic.",2016,217,1,57,69,"","10.1007/s11258-015-0559-4"]
["Outside geographic area","Leaver, J; Carstens, JC; Cherry, MI","Impact of informal timber harvesting on habitat structure and bird assemblages in a coastal forest of the Eastern Cape, South Africa","BIRD CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL","selective timber harvesting; canopy gaps; bird species composition; habitat heterogeneity; functional traits","CANOPY GAP CHARACTERISTICS; UNDERSTORY BIRDS; SPECIES TRAITS; TREEFALL GAPS; PATCH-SIZE; REGENERATION; DISTRIBUTIONS; REPLACEMENT; DISTURBANCE; SUCCESSION","African forests are under increasing pressure to supply local, regional, and international demand for timber. Much of this trade is unregulated, such that there is increasing concern regarding the ecological sustainability of this resource use. However, there is a lack of studies investigating the ecological impact of informal timber harvesting in African forests. While forest species have adapted to natural canopy gap dynamics, harvesting may alter natural disturbance regimes, with adverse effects on biodiversity. Information regarding harvest gaps, and concomitant impacts on habitat and biodiversity is thus essential to inform sustainable management. This study compared the frequency and nature of harvest gaps and natural gaps in a coastal forest in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, where informal selective timber harvesting occurs. Habitat condition and bird species richness and composition were compared across intact forest, natural gaps, and harvest gaps. Harvest-created gaps increased the number of canopy gaps by 30%, but were comparable with natural gaps in size. Habitat conditions in harvest gaps represented an intermediate state between intact forest and natural gaps, thereby increasing forest-scale habitat heterogeneity. While bird species richness was not affected, species composition differed across intact forest, harvest gaps and natural gaps, driven by changes in habitat condition, and mediated by species' feeding and nesting traits. Specifically, insectivores, cavity- and ground-nesting species, and hawking and arboreal probing species were negatively affected by the habitat gradient from intact sites to canopy gap conditions, while nectarivores, omnivores and ball/cup nesting species were positively affected. Thus, while the single-tree selective harvesting method used by informal harvesters largely emulated natural canopy disturbances, the harvest-mediated increase in the frequency of canopy gaps may reduce the abundance of certain bird species sensitive to canopy gap conditions and reduce forest-scale beta-diversity.",2021,31,2,219,238,"PII S0959270920000362","10.1017/S0959270920000362"]
["Outside review topic","Mantel, SK; Rivers-Moore, N; Ramulifho, P","Small dams need consideration in riverscape conservation assessments","AQUATIC CONSERVATION-MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS","abstraction; agriculture; catchment management; cumulative impacts; macroinvertebrates; small dams density index","FRESH-WATER BIODIVERSITY; ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS; PROTECTED AREAS; FARM DAMS; LAND-USE; FRAGMENTATION; OPPORTUNITIES; CONSEQUENCES; CONNECTIVITY; COMMUNITIES","1. Small, off-channel dams are generally ignored in impact assessments owing to limited information and spatial resolution issues. Previous research on South African rivers showed correlative links between high density of small dams and associated reductions in low flows, poorer water quality, and impoverished aquatic macroinvertebrate communities that were dominated by opportunistic taxa instead of specialist groups. 2 .Since small dams are usually associated with catchment transformation (for example, vineyards, stock farming and exotic timber plantations), they are convenient surrogates of the impacts of catchment transformation on river functionality. Here, an index of cumulative small dams for South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland is presented and evaluated. 3.Fifty-two per cent of the water management catchments in the study region exceeded the threshold for the cumulative small dams density (SDD) index above which river functionality is compromised. This estimate of potentially affected catchments is considered to be conservative for reasons discussed. 4.The index results are compared with a recent systematic biodiversity planning exercise for setting biodiversity targets for freshwater areas of South Africa. Although the systematic planning included in-stream small dams within 50m of a river, analysis showed that 36% of all quaternaries that have high SDD score overlap with river reaches classified as natural' or largely natural'. 5.Disregarding dams outside the 50m buffer area equates to ignoring the majority of small dams (94%) in South Africa, and it is recommended that aquatic conservation assessments include the SDD index as a cost layer for prioritizing rivers for rehabilitation and conservation.",2017,27,4,748,754,"","10.1002/aqc.2739"]
["Outside review topic","Mararakanye, N; Magoro, MN; Matshaya, NN; Rabothata, MC; Ncobeni, SR","Railway side mapping of alien plant distributions in Mpumalanga, South Africa","BOTHALIA","","INVENTORY; MANAGEMENT; VEGETATION; RESOURCES; DIVERSITY; ROADS","Background: Alien plant invasions are among the major threats to natural and semi-natural ecosystems in South Africa on approximately 18 million hectares of land. Much of the available data are not suitable for planning of local scale management because it is presented at a quarter degree grid square scale, which makes accurate location and estimates of invaded areas difficult. Objectives: The aim was to identify the dominant alien plant species and quantify their areal extent along a 479 km railway corridor in the Mpumalanga province. Method: The extent of the invaded area was obtained by manual digitising of alien plant distribution and density from Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre 5 imagery and by further applying an Iterative Self-Organising Data Analysis technique of the unsupervised classification method. Species' occurrences were located and identified in the field using a Global Positioning System. Results: The most dominant invaders in terms of the number of individual polygons and the infested area were Eucalyptus spp., Acacia spp., Populus alba L., Pinus patula Schltdl & Cham., Salix babylonica L. and Caesalpinia decapetala (Roth) Alston. These species have also been previously classified as major invaders, although the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act regulations permit their planting provided spreading to adjacent areas is avoided except for C. decapetala, which must be cleared under all circumstances. Conclusion: Knowledge of the species' occurrence and their extent will assist landowners and relevant authorities to control the spread of alien plants, which impact rail safety, agricultural production, water availability and biodiversity.",2017,47,1,"","","a2130","10.4102/abc.v47i1.2130"]
["Outside review topic","Marsicano, C; Angielczyk, KD; Cisneros, JC; Richter, M; Kammerer, CF; Fröbisch, J; Smith, RMH","Brazilian Permian Dvinosaurs (Amphibia, Temnospondyli): Revised Description and Phylogeny","JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY","","TRIMERORHACHIS AMPHIBIA; ACROPLOUS-VORAX; FOGO FORMATION; CLIMATE; EVOLUTION; TETRAPODS; TAXONOMY; ORIGINS; KANSAS; PEDRA","Recently collected temnospondyl fossils from the Cisuralian Pedra de Fogo Formation (north-eastern Brazil) indicate a diverse assemblage of aquatic tetrapods, including the dvinosaurs Timonya anneae and Procuhy nazariensis. Here we present revised diagnoses for these species and detailed descriptions of their holotypes. Timonya anneae is distinguished from all other dvinosaurs by several cranial characters including: combined width of both parietals less than interorbital width; presence of a groove-like internal carotid artery foramen; and presence of an ossified opisthotic. In the mandible, T. anneae presents two parasymphyseal fossae on each side of the mandibular symphysis to accommodate palatal fangs and a well-developed postglenoid area. Procuhy nazariensis, mostly preserved as a mold of the skull table and mandible, is diagnosed by the presence of the anteriormost extension of the squamosal posterior to parietal midlength; pineal foramen posterior to the midlength of the parietal; supratemporal exposed on the posterior border of the skull table; and presence of postglenoid process of the surangular separated from the retroarticular process of the articular by the mandibular sulcus. A new inclusive phylogeny of Temnospondyli indicates that Dvinosauria consists of the Trimerorhachidae (including Procuhy as the sister-taxon of Trimerorhachis) and the 'short-snouted' dvinosaurs, with Timonya as an early-diverging representative of the latter clade. The Pedra de Fogo dvinosaurs show close relationships with Cisuralian taxa from the North American southwest, reinforcing close paleogeographic connections between these regions in the late Paleozoic, but represent endemic taxa, corroborating the pattern suggested by the plant fossil record.",2021,41,1,"","","","10.1080/02724634.2021.1893181"]
["Outside review topic","Maseko, MST; Zungu, MM; Downs, CT","Nest characteristics of African crowned eagles and black sparrowhawks in urban mosaic landscapes: Potential constraints in finding nesting sites and implications for exotic tree management","LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING","Apex predators; Competition; Urban forests; Plantations; Urbanisation","BUZZARD BUTEO-BUTEO; ACCIPITER-MELANOLEUCUS; STURNUS-VULGARIS; URBANIZATION; FOREST; COMPETITION; RAPTORS; DURBAN; BIRDS; CONSERVATION","The increase in human population and continuous landscape transformations, especially in urban areas, will result in most of the natural habitats being degraded, significantly reduced in size and lost. Consequently, constraints in acquiring resources such as nesting sites and food may occur. In this study, we investigated the nesting site characteristics of two raptor species in the urban mosaic landscape of Durban, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, to determine the potential constraints affecting acquiring nesting sites. Between October 2020 and July 2021, we visited a total of 52 nests occupied by the African crowned eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus, hereafter crowned eagle) and the black sparrowhawk (Accipiter melanoleucus) in our study area and compared the nest characteristics of the two raptors. Our results showed that exotic tree plantations were the most commonly used as nest sites by both species, suggesting that exotic trees may be crucial in providing nesting sites for both species in this highly modified landscape. Furthermore, our results showed that there was no significant difference in nest height, tree cover, nest cover and distance to (i) road, (ii) building and (iii) water of nests occupied by the two species. However, there was a significant difference between tree height and nearest neighbour distance. Tall, mature trees, slightly isolated from other trees, influenced nest site use for our study species. Innovative conservation measures and strategies could be vital in protecting raptor nesting sites (i.e., exotic tree plantations) in urban mosaic landscapes with natural and managed green spaces.",2024,242,"","","",104946,"10.1016/j.landurbplan.2023.104946"]
["Outside review topic","Melin, A; Colville, JF; Duckworth, GD; Altwegg, R; Slabbert, R; Midgley, JJ; Rouget, M; Donaldson, JS","Diversity of pollen sources used by managed honey bees in variegated landscapes","JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL RESEARCH","Apis mellifera; DNA barcoding; floral resources; alien and natural vegetation; season","COLONY DEVELOPMENT; CAPE HONEYBEE; NUTRITION; POLLINATORS; REGRESSION; PREFERENCE; SELECTION; REVEALS; BARCODE; IMPACTS","Honey bees are the most economically important crop pollinator worldwide. They depend on a diversity of pollen for reproduction and colony growth. However, the influence of landscape composition on diversity and quantity of pollen collection by honey bees remains largely unexplored, particularly in variegated landscapes. Pollen on honey bees was trapped from 41 hives across ten sites in the Western Cape, South Africa during summer. Sampled hives were near eucalyptus trees surrounded by a high percentage of natural vegetation. Hives could therefore potentially be presented with a diverse range of flowers. To obtain a measure of relative abundance and representation of plant taxa pollen samples were collected at hives, sorted by color, weighed and DNA barcoded. Landscape analysis was performed to estimate the relative availability of the main floral resource-types and how this influenced the composition of pollen collected. Overall, eucalyptus made up the largest portion (similar to 49%) of pollen loads, the remainder was composed of 31 other taxa (12% native and 39% alien plants). An increase in the area of eucalyptus resulted in an increased as well as the relative amount of eucalyptus and natural pollen collected. Conversely, an increase in the area of eucalyptus resulted in a decrease in alien plant pollen and vice versa. Our results provide important quantitative evidence that shows the amount and diversity of pollen used by honey bees in summer appears to be disproportionately met by human-modified landscapes; whereas, natural vegetation, despite its large extent and diversity, performs a lower-level role during this season.",2020,59,5,988,999,"","10.1080/00218839.2020.1750757"]
["Outside review topic","Meyer, S","Environmental identity in the Age of Man: New perspectives on Toorbos. Part 2","TYDSKRIF VIR GEESTESWETENSKAPPE","Anthropocene; environmental identity; Toorbos (Dreamforest); Dalene Matthee; environmental attitude and behaviour; Susan Clayton; Susan Opotow","","The film version of Dalene Matthee's novel Toorbos (2003; translated by the author as Dreamforest, 2004) was released in 2019. Media interest in the film has drawn new attention to the novel. Rereading Toorbos in our era of growing dismay about the environmental crises all around us knocks the wind out of one and affirms the current relevance of the novel. The Age of Man, or the Anthropocene, refers to a geological epoch in which the earth is believed to reach critical tipping points due to increasing human influence. This could lead to rapid and irreversible change and could make life on earth impossible (Kotze 2014). In Part 1 of this study, published in the September 2020 issue of this journal, I introduced Susan Clayton and Susan Opotow's ideas about identity and the environment. Clayton emphasises that identity is both a product and a force, an assortment of beliefs about the self that serve as a motivator of particular ways of interacting with the world. A strong environmental identity, as a motivating force, can have significant effect on personal, social and political behaviour (Clayton 2003:46). Furthermore, environmental conflicts can be neither understood nor constructively resolved unless we recognise the ways in which they reflect individual and group identities (Clayton & Opotow 2003:19). Environmental identity is described as a sense of connection to some part of the nonhuman natural environment (based on history, emotional attachment or similarity) that affects the ways in which we perceive the world and respond to our surroundings; a belief that the environment is important to us and an important part of who we are (Clayton 2003:45-46). According to Clayton and Opotow (2003:10), environmental identity occurs on a continuum with minimal levels of social influence on the one end, and strong levels on the other. This scale for assessing individual differences in environmental identity is based on the reality that environmental identities inevitably contain a social component, but the degree of social influence varies for different individuals or groups (Clayton & Opotow 2003:10). The first aim of the study was to engage theoretically with the concept of environmental identity, and to underscore the importance of this principle for environmentally oriented thinking, in the context of global concern about the existential crisis humankind faces when the planet's ability to provide is depleted. Now, in Part 2, Clayton and Opotow's ideas about environmental identity serve as a theoretical framework for an ecocritical rereading of Toorbos. The aim of this part of the study is to put Clayton and Opotow's theoretical instrument to the test. Their model of environmental identity is illustrated and its value is tested by means of an analysis of the two main characters in Toorbos. Since Karoliena Kapp and Johannes Stander grew up in the same forest environment, they share a socio-economic and cultural background, but they do not seem to agree on the role of the forest in understanding themselves or their plans for the future. In fact, when scrutinised in terms of Clayton and Opotow's model, Karoliena and Johannes appear to be differently positioned on the continuum regarding environmental identity types. Karoliena finds herself on that side of the scale where a personal sense of connection to the natural surroundings - here the Knysna environment of the 1930s - strongly comes to the fore. Karolina lives the life of an individualist, with little interest in social ways or conventions; her direct and deliberate contact with the forest defines her life. While interaction with nature comes natural for her, social communication requires extra effort; the trees are cherished as giants of wisdom in whom she confides and where she finds knowledge about life and herself. Karoliena is intently attuned to the voices of the forest. She is dismayed at the silencing of these voices as large areas and mountainsides are stripped of their natural vegetation in preparation for plantations. Johannes'attunement to social factors and influences positions him quite a distance from her on Clayton and Opotow's scale. On his side of the scale social activities and commitment largely influence environmental identity; individual-mindedness and contact with the natural environment move to the periphery of attention. Johannes finds confirmation of his success as a businessman and leader of the Knysna community in the highest social circles. The preferences and opinions prevalent in these circles provide the basis for his relationship with Karoliena. He values her beauty and intelligence, qualities that contribute to his social status, more than her individuality and her affection for the trees, frogs and birds of the forest. The political realities of the time and the economic progress of the town are priorities; he fully favours plans for the removal of the trees in Knysna's streets to make place for lamp poles and tarred roads. He finds it impossible to understand or accommodate Karoliena's consternation about decisions such as these. Her disregard for all social expectations in direct contrast to voicing strong opinions about the intrinsic value nature has and the important role that interaction with the natural surroundings plays in her life, altogether puzzles Johannes. While this increasingly frustrates him, Karoliena considers his social-mindedness as restrictive and unaccommodating, not allowing her to be the person she is. Commitment to Johannes means denial of herself, a person whose individuality is so deeply rooted in her environmental identity. The greatest frustration in their relationship can be attributed to their respective efforts to maintain their different environmental identities. Due to the different levels of social influence on Karoliena and Johannes, she eventually has to leave him. Toorbos illustrates the effect of differences in environmental identity even among people who have the same background. It sheds light on the irreconcilability of people who are influenced in different ways by society. The conclusion regarding the powerful effect environmental identity issues may have on environmental behaviour and beliefs can be transferred from Toorbos to the broader present-day situation. The snippet of the South African reality depicted in Toorbos may create an awareness of environmental identity, and of the important implications it has for full comprehension and constructive ways of handling environmental conflicts in the Age of Man.",2020,60,4,1150,1163,"","10.17159/2224-7912/2020/v60n4-2a3"]
["Outside review topic","Mikolás, M; Tejkal, M; Kuemmerle, T; Griffiths, P; Svoboda, M; Hlásny, T; Leitao, PJ; Morrissey, RC","Forest management impacts on capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) habitat distribution and connectivity in the Carpathians","LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY","Forest management; Clear-cutting; Carpathian Ecoregion; Connectivity; Forest disturbance; Habitat fragmentation; Habitat modelling; Umbrella species","FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY; CANTABRIAN-CAPERCAILLIE; LANDSCAPE CONNECTIVITY; SELECTING THRESHOLDS; WESTERN CAPERCAILLIE; CONSERVATION STATUS; GROUSE WORLDWIDE; LAND-USE; BIODIVERSITY; POPULATION","Distribution and connectivity of suitable habitat for species of conservation concern is critical for effective conservation planning. Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus), an umbrella species for biodiversity conservation, is increasingly threatened because of habitat loss and fragmentation. We assessed the impact of drastic changes in forest management in the Carpathian Mountains, a major stronghold of capercaillie in Europe, on habitat distribution and connectivity. We used field data surveys with a forest disturbance dataset for 1985-2010 to map habitat suitability, and we used graph theory to analyse habitat connectivity. Climate, topography, forest proportion and fragmentation, and the distance to roads and settlements best identified capercaillie presence. Suitable habitat area was 7510 km(2) in 1985; by 2010, clear-cutting had reduced that area by 1110 km(2). More suitable habitat was lost inside protected areas (571 km(2)) than outside (413 km(2)). Habitat loss of 15 % reduced functional connectivity by 33 % since 1985. Forest management, particularly large-scale clear-cutting and salvage logging, have substantially diminished and fragmented suitable capercaillie habitat, regardless of the status of forest protection. Consequently, larger areas with suitable habitat are now isolated and many patches are too small to sustain viable populations. Given that protection of capercaillie habitat would benefit many other species, including old-growth specialists and large carnivores, conservation actions to halt the loss of capercaillie habitat is urgently needed. We recommend adopting policies to protect natural forests, limiting large-scale clear-cutting and salvage logging, implementing ecological forestry, and restricting road building to reduce forest fragmentation.",2017,32,1,163,179,"","10.1007/s10980-016-0433-3"]
["Outside review topic","Mobio, AJ; Fokou, G; Aka, S; Kouassi, KB; Kreppel, KS; Kouakou, KP; Amanzou, NAA; Dao, D; Bonfoh, B","Exploring beyond the conjunctural rhetoric: sociocultural drivers for the cassava crisis in Cote d'Ivoire","AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD ECONOMICS","Cassava crisis; Food shortage; Migrant producers; Sociocultural driver; Connectivity; Abidjan; Cote d'Ivoire","URBAN FOOD SECURITY; INSECURITY; FOODSCAPE; WORLD","Despite considerable improvement of food security in low- and middle-income countries over the last decades, food shortages remain persistent in sub-Saharan Africa. The driving forces are often related not only to climate change and other environmental hazards but also to socioeconomic and political factors. In Africa, food security has also assumed a strong urban dimension, raising new issues of physical and financial access to food. However, beyond the conjunctural rhetoric around unregulated food policies, social unrest, socio-economic difficulties, and environmental stresses, an emphasis should be put on socio-cultural aspects of food security. This would be possible through an analysis of connectivities between various stages and actors, i.e., food exchange practices between various socio-ecological spaces, and governance coordination in food security strategies. Based on a study on cassava shortage in Cote d'Ivoire in 2015-2016, this paper explores socio-cultural factors associated with food shortage in urban settings. Findings from a qualitative research approach comprising key-informant interviews and focus group discussion with various stakeholders in the cassava value chain revealed that food shortage cannot always be explained by supply/demand narratives. The study shows that cassava supply mechanisms in the Abidjan area are not sustainable as the main producers of cassava for sale are migrant workers employed in rubber plantations and whose stability in the region depends on prices of this cash crop on the international market. Regions at the vicinity of Abidjan are supplying the city with cassava but the offer does not meet the requirements of cassava-based food processors who need specific types of the product. Moreover, strategies from the municipal and government authorities to circumvent the shortage often face resistance of populations if local norms and values are not considered. In food strategies, sociocultural dynamics should be considered alongside the complex socioeconomic and environmental factors shaping the social geography of food supply in African cities.",2021,9,1,"","",2,"10.1186/s40100-020-00174-0"]
["Outside review topic","Mohd-Azlan, J; Conway, S; Travers, TJP; Lawes, MJ","The Filtering Effect of Oil Palm Plantations on Potential Insect Pollinator Assemblages from Remnant Forest Patches","LAND","pollination biology; boundary effect; ecological filter; fragmentation ecology; functional diversity; introduced weevil; landscape ecology; native pollinators","TROPICAL RAIN-FORESTS; FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY; ELAEIS-GUINEENSIS; HABITAT FRAGMENTATION; ECOSYSTEM SERVICES; SPECIES RICHNESS; NORTHERN BORNEO; LAND-USE; BIODIVERSITY; CONVERSION","Extensive oil palm plantations worldwide are dependent on insect pollination, specifically by introduced African weevils (Elaidobius spp.). The effectiveness of these weevils has been questioned following poor pollination and yield loss in Malaysia. Indigenous thrip (Thysanoptera) species, and moths (Lepidoptera) in the genus Pyroderces, may also be pollinators of oil palm, while the role of bees (Hymenoptera) and flies (Diptera) is unknown. The potential of native pollinators remains uncertain because of the almost total clearing of forest habitat from oil palm landscapes. In this study, we investigate the value of small high conservation value (HCV) forests as sources of potential native insect pollinators of oil palm in northern Sarawak. We further examine the filtering effect of oil palm-dominated landscapes on the species assemblages of six potential pollinator insect orders: Blattodea, Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera. Orders differed in both species composition and abundance between forest and oil palm plantations, with an average of 28.1% of species unique to oil palm. Oil palm presented a soft permeable boundary to Coleoptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera. Their species richness and abundance differed little between habitats with distance, despite species turnover. In contrast, oil palm presented a harder boundary to Diptera with a decline in both species richness and abundance with distance into oil palm. The abundance of the oil palm weevil (Elaedobius kamerunicus) was low compared to the native dominants, but similar to levels displayed by native thrips that may be pollinators of oil palm. The functional diversity of well-known pollinator guilds-bees and flies-was similar in forest and oil palm, suggesting that potential pollinators may yet exist among native orders of insects. Contrary to the prevailing opinion, even small forest patches in oil palm landscapes may provide native pollinator pressure.",2023,12,6,"","",1256,"10.3390/land12061256"]
["Outside geographic area","Mohd-Azlan, J; Kaicheen, SS; Lok, L; Lawes, MJ","THE ROLE OF FOREST FRAGMENTS IN SMALL MAMMAL CONSERVATION IN AN OIL PALM PLANTATION IN NORTHERN SARAWAK, BORNEO","JOURNAL OF OIL PALM RESEARCH","monocultures; HCV; diversity; persistence; bats; terrestrial small mammals","BAT DIVERSITY; FRUIT BATS; HABITAT FRAGMENTATION; PATCH-OCCUPANCY; EXTINCTION DEBT; TROPICAL FOREST; SOUTHEAST-ASIA; KERIAN RIVER; R PACKAGE; LANDSCAPE","In recent decades vast areas of Bornean rainforest have been converted to monocultures, particularly to oil palm. This study describes and compares the diversity and persistence of small mammal species in fragmented forests within an oil palm plantation. Small mammals were trapped over 44 sampling days using mist-nets, harp traps, and cage traps. A total of 39 species of small mammals were trapped, represented by 22 volant (bats) and 17 non-volant species. These species were represented by 29, 15 and 26 species, and controlling for sampling effort by rarefaction, 19, 15 and 14 species of small mammals in high conservation value (HCV) forests, forest edge, and in oil palm plantation, respectively. Species diversity was greatest in the HCV forests (H' = 2.22), followed by oil palm plantation (H' = 1.11), and then edge (H' = 1.07). The smaller HCV forest (116 ha vs. 990 ha) contained more species than the larger forest (25 vs. 17 species). We attribute this to differences in species relaxation rates and the possibility that species density compensation has occurred in the smaller forest. This study demonstrates the conservation value of small forest fragments in oil palm plantations to maintaining native species diversity and the ecosystem services they provide.",2019,31,3,422,436,"","10.21894/jopr.2019.0034"]
["Outside review topic","Naidoo, P","Greener on the other side: tracing stories of amaranth and moringa through indenture","AGENDA-EMPOWERING WOMEN FOR GENDER EQUITY","decolonial; herstories; seeds; indenture; epistemology","","My research, with its focus on women and food seed through the lens of indenture, has led me into the world of leafy green vegetables and their intimate connection to women who had been brought to South Africa to service colonial plantations. Leafy greens are currently buzzwords in the fitness, health, vegan, and vegetarian vocabulary. Occasionally, another leaf is discovered by the doyens of fancy cuisine, researchers or experts, elevating an unknown dark green leaf to superfood status. In the past few decades moringa and amaranth have gained popularity in scientific and culinary circles. This sudden spurt of interest in a food that has been traditionally eaten for years in ex-indentured communities, among many others, has often elicited from this community, wry amusement, confusion at its celebrity status or pride at its recognition. Delving into research transcripts and fieldwork notes, I observe, not only, how these communities consume moringa and amaranth, but the variety of ways the human and other-than-human stories are entangled. I also consider the impact/ benefits of the commodification of foods and seeds such as moringa and amaranth, on the many invisible people who have been propagating, consuming and storying the plant before its discovery.",2023,37,1,102,110,"","10.1080/10130950.2023.2183138"]
["Outside review topic","Nigussie, Z; Tsunekawa, A; Haregeweyn, N; Adgo, E; Nohmi, M; Tsubo, M; Aklog, D; Meshesha, D; Abele, S","Factors Affecting Small-Scale Farmers' Land Allocation and Tree Density Decisions in an Acacia decurrens-Based taungya System in Fagita Lekoma District, North-Western Ethiopia","SMALL-SCALE FORESTRY","Land management; Drought; Tobit model; Ethiopia; Adoption of agroforestry; Woodlot; Upper Blue Nile basin","RIFT-VALLEY; ADOPTION; AGROFORESTRY; DETERMINANTS; SOIL; INNOVATIONS; MANAGEMENT; EUCALYPTUS; HIGHLANDS; INDIA","The development of woodlots as an additional source of livelihood and as a land management option for small-scale farmers is a challenging issue in the cereal-based subsistence farming systems of north-western Ethiopia. There is a need to understand why and which factors determine the decisions of small-scale farmers to grow short-rotation woodlots on their land. Data used in this study were collected from a survey of 200 randomly selected households in the region. A Tobit regression model was used to determine predictor variables for farmers' decisions to allocate land to planting Acacia decurrens (J.C. Wendl.) Willd. and at what density trees are planted on the respective plots. The most important motivations for planting A. decurrens were income, soil fertility management, and soil and water conservation. Having a male head of household, long distance to markets and plots being on marginal land, among other factors, increased the allocation of land to A. decurrens woodlots. Having a male head of household, access to credit and plots being on marginal land, among other factors, increased tree planting density. Age had a negative effect on both allocation of land to woodlots and tree density, whereas farm size had an inverted U-shaped relationship with both decisions. These results suggest that wider expansion of A. decurrens-based plantation systems could be achieved through improving extension, credit access and road infrastructure to connect small-scale farmers to markets and finance.",2017,16,2,219,233,"","10.1007/s11842-016-9352-z"]
["Outside geographic area","Okumu, B; Muchapondwa, E","Welfare and forest cover impacts of incentive based conservation: Evidence from Kenyan community forest associations","WORLD DEVELOPMENT","Household welfare; Heterogeneity; Selection; Matching; QTE","EMPIRICAL-EVIDENCE; RURAL LIVELIHOODS; HOUSEHOLD WELFARE; NATIONAL-PARK; MANAGEMENT; PARTICIPATION; INCOME; COMANAGEMENT; DEPENDENCE; POVERTY","This paper examines whether offering landless forest-adjacent communities options to grow appropriate food crops inside forest reserves during early stages of reforestation programmes increases incomes of low-income households and conserve forests. We consider the forest cover and household welfare impacts of a unique incentive scheme in Kenya known as the Plantation Establishment and Livelihood Improvement Scheme (PELIS). PELIS seeks to deepen community participation in forestry, and improve the livelihoods of adjacent communities. Using cross sectional data collected from 22 Community Forest Associations and 406 households, we use propensity score matching methods to evaluate the mean impact of the scheme on forest cover and household welfare. We also assess the heterogeneous impacts of the scheme on household welfare using an endogenous quantile treatment effects model. The results show that on average, PELIS has a significant and positive impact on the welfare of participating households (estimated between 15.09% and 28.14%) and on forest cover (between 5.53% and 7.94%). However, the scheme cannot be defended on equity grounds as it has inequitable distributional impacts on household welfare. The scheme raises welfare of groups other than the poorest and marginalized sections of the community. Our observations from the field blame elite capture for this outcome. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2020,129,"","","",104890,"10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.104890"]
["Outside review topic","Olivier, B","The Covid-19 pandemic: An opportunity for reflection on the place of humanity in relation to nature?","TYDSKRIF VIR GEESTESWETENSKAPPE","capitalism; coronavirus; nature; network society; pandemic; necropolitics","","The present article poses the question, whether the novel coronavirus-pandemic is a blessing in disguise, in so far as it offers humanity the opportunity to reflect on its place in relation to nature, as well as on its future. This question is answered affirmatively, in light of scientific evidence that human economic practices are responsible for the emergence of the coronavirus. Specifically, the destruction of natural habitats by humans, who destroy rain forests to make way for soya and palm tree plantations, as well as for cattle farming, places tremendous stress on animals like bats, that tend to shed the viruses they carry when they get into contact with humans in spaces such as so-called wet markets. This constitutes what Jean Baudrillard calls blowback, that is, the manner in which nature exacts a kind of revenge for human technical interference in natural processes, and which one may anticipate in the wake of the medical-technological development of a vaccine against the virus, in so far as it is likely to generate the evolution of other, possibly more lethal viruses. An interpretive analysis of a science fiction film (The Day the Earth Stood Still; Derrickson 2008), demonstrates the effects of short-sighted human economic behaviour as far as species-extinction is concerned, which, in the film, is thematised fictionally as something that could adumbrate the extinction of humanity itself. It is argued that this film, which is a timely reminder of humans' responsibility towards nature, can be related to the present pandemic as far as the destruction of natural habitats is concerned, which demonstrably leads to the shedding of viruses. The novel coronavirus is further placed in the context of what Castells calls the network society, by showing that, similar to computer viruses, its rapid spread has been facilitated by the global network character of contemporary society. Decisive in this regard has been the global web of air travel routes that spans the globe, along which the virus was transported from China to other countries in the world. The economic aspect of the pandemic is explored in relation to the social stratification of the network society according to Castells, who depicts the world's elites as constructing their own exclusive spaces by means of various functions of networking. It appears that the pandemic has exacerbated the exclusionary drive, as well as the further self-enrichment on the part of the elites, and a parallel is drawn between this state of affairs and Michel Houellebecq's novel, The Possibility of an Island, which traces the incremental exclusion of ordinary human beings from the exclusive spaces occupied by the wealthy. This leads to a discussion of Naomi Klein's fears, that the current pandemic has given the world's technocrats an ideal opportunity to inveigle public authorities into investing taxpayers' funds in communications technology that would putatively safeguard people from infection by the coronavirus while, at the same time, allowing economic and educational activities (among others) to continue. She exposes the hidden truth, that this would be available to the rich, but at the cost of the safety of thousands of workers behind the scenes providing much of the safeguarding services to the wealthy, as well as the fact that technocrats like Eric Schmidt want these private projects to be funded by the public. Klein also points to alternative ways to adapt education safely without sacrificing the advantages of face-to-face teaching, even if she grants that communications technology has an important role to play. The philosophical implications of the pandemic are pursued along the lines of the question, whether the network society, which has undoubtedly facilitated its speedy unfolding, is really as new as it seems, leading to a discussion of both the affirmative and the negative answers to this question. While it is indeed new in terms of the actions (such as quasi-instantaneous global investments) made possible by communications technology based on the internet, there is a sense in which the structure of the network society is as old as the proverbial hills. This is clarified with recourse to Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari's ontology of becoming, multiplicity, rhizomatic connections and assemblages, which contrasts with traditional thinking in terms of hierarchical, arboreal structures. In Deleuzo-Guattarian terms, it is pointed out, reality has always been one of interconnectedness-in-becoming, so that, startlingly, society has always been a pandemic society in a virtual sense, and as actualised from time to time. The argument further focuses on the potential for what Slavoj Zizek terms barbarism with a human face, which is reminiscent of Achille Mbembe's necropolitics and necropower (death power), itself a response to Michel Foucault's notions of biopolitical power and biopower. While the latter were employed by Foucault to characterise and analyse the modern state's mode of governance in so far as it exercised power in relation to the modalities pertaining to human bodies that are born, become economically active, get ill and die, Mbembe argues that this conceptualisation is no longer adequate in an age where the state (for example in contemporary Palestine) has, by and large, reduced bodies to the living dead, and constructed death worlds where military technology is employed to control and, if necessary, terminate, human beings. Zizek highlights the ideological potential of the state's actions and expectations under pandemic conditions in so far as people are induced into so-called personal responsibility, while the state's complicity with regard to the inception of the pandemic is occluded. As Zizek points out, nothing less than a fundamental change regarding society's mode of life is required, namely a replacement of the extractive, destructive economic system of neoliberal capitalism by an economic system that factors nature into the economic equation. In conclusion, this is developed further by foregrounding the irony of socialism for the rich in the context of the pandemic, which is compared, via David Harvey's work, with the massive transfer of wealth from public funds to the wealthy in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. It is argued that, in light of the unavoidable destruction of nature by the current, hegemonic economic system, which is bound to give rise to further health hazards in the shape of viruses passed from stressed animals to humans, nothing less than a rejection of capitalism is needed, in the place of which a system has to be adopted which considers human beings to be part of an encompassing nature. In this regard reference is made to the work of critical economist, Charles Eisenstein.",2020,60,4,1103,1131,"","10.17159/2224-7912/2020/v60n4-2a1"]
["Outside review topic","Olu-Owolabi, BI; Diagboya, PN; Unuabonah, EI; Alabi, AH; Düring, RA; Adebowale, KO","Fractal-like concepts for evaluation of toxic metals adsorption efficiency of feldspar-biomass composites","JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION","Carica papaya seed; Pine cone; Clay-biomass composite; Fractal pseudo-second order model; Brouers-Sotolongo adsorption isotherm model","IRON-OXIDES; REMOVAL; SOILS; WATER; PARAMETERS; KAOLINITE; SORPTION; CADMIUM","Effective treatment of metals polluted water may be achieved using low-cost materials synergistically modified to obtain composite adsorbents. Thus, feldspar-biomass composites have been prepared via calcination of feldspar (FLC) and Carica papaya seeds or pine cone seeds to yield Carica papaya-FLC (CPF) and pine-cone-FLC (PCF) composite adsorbents, respectively. The composites physicochemical properties and effectiveness for Pb(II), Cd(II) and Cu(II) removal in aqueous solutions were examined. Results showed that calcination did not promote any structural modification in the basic FLC lattice. Though CPF and PCF exhibited lower specific surface area when compared with the FLC, their cation exchange capacities were enhanced. Unlike on the FLC, the metals adsorption on CPF and PCF were higher (>40%) for Cu(II) and Cd(II), pH independent and faster. The study showed that adsorption process on a system with varying types of surface sites and with varying affinity for an adsorbent can best be described by the fractal-like kinetic and equilibrium adsorption isotherm models (fractal pseudo-second order kinetic model and fractal Brouers-Sotolongo adsorption model) compared with the classical models (pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order kinetic models, Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm models). These adsorption processes were thermodynamically spontaneous, feasible and endothermic; however the modification significantly reduced their energy requirements. The Brouers-Sotolongo model showed that modification of FLC increased the width of the sorption energy distribution on the composites indicating the heterogeneity of the surface adsorption sites. Though no single classical theory of sorption can presently be put forward to explain the overall adsorptive process, metals adsorption on these feldspar-biomass composites are heterogeneous and complex processes with fractal architecture. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2018,171,"",884,891,"","10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.10.079"]
["Outside geographic area","Pardo, LE; Campbell, MJ; Cove, MV; Edwards, W; Clements, GR; Laurance, WF","Land management strategies can increase oil palm plantation use by some terrestrial mammals in Colombia","SCIENTIFIC REPORTS","","JAGUARUNDI PUMA-YAGOUAROUNDI; TROPICAL FOREST BIODIVERSITY; FOOD-HABITS; ECOSYSTEM SERVICES; CAMERA-TRAP; RAIN-FOREST; HOME-RANGE; IMPACTS; LANDSCAPE; EXPANSION","While the conservation role of remaining natural habitats in anthropogenic landscapes is clear, the degree to which agricultural matrices impose limitations to animal use is not well understood, but vital to assess species' resilience to land use change. Using an occupancy framework, we evaluated how oil palm plantations affect the occurrence and habitat use of terrestrial mammals in the Colombian Llanos. Further, we evaluated the effect of undergrowth vegetation and proximity to forest on habitat use within plantations. Most species exhibited restricted distributions across the study area, especially in oil palm plantations. Habitat type strongly influenced habitat use of four of the 12 more widely distributed species with oil palm negatively affecting species such as capybara and naked-tailed armadillo. The remaining species showed no apparent effect of habitat type, but oil palm and forest use probabilities varied among species. Overall, generalist mesocarnivores, white-tailed deer, and giant anteater were more likely to use oil palm while the remaining species, including ocelot and lesser anteater, showed preferences for forest. Distance to nearest forest had mixed effects on species habitat use, while understory vegetation facilitated the presence of species using oil palm. Our findings suggest that allowing undergrowth vegetation inside plantations and maintaining nearby riparian corridors would increase the likelihood of terrestrial mammals' occurrence within oil palm landscapes.",2019,9,"","","",7812,"10.1038/s41598-019-44288-y"]
["Outside review topic","Pfeifer, M; Boyle, MJW; Dunning, S; Olivier, PI","Forest floor temperature and greenness link significantly to canopy attributes in South Africa's fragmented coastal forests","PEERJ","Coastal forests; Forest edges; Eucalyptus plantations; Ground surface temperature; NDVI; Habitat microclimate; Fragmented landscapes; South Africa; Remote sensing; Thermal mapping","LEAF-AREA INDEX; SURFACE-TEMPERATURE; TROPICAL FORESTS; OIL PALM; MICROCLIMATE; PATTERNS; DEGRADATION; IMPACTS; COMMUNITIES; ASSEMBLAGES","Tropical landscapes are changing rapidly due to changes in land use and land management. Being able to predict and monitor land use change impacts on species for conservation or food security concerns requires the use of habitat quality metrics, that are consistent, can be mapped using above-ground sensor data and are relevant for species performance. Here, we focus on ground surface temperature (Thermal(ground)) and ground vegetation greenness (NDVIdown) as potentially suitable metrics of habitat quality. Both have been linked to species demography and community structure in the literature. We test whether they can be measured consistently from the ground and whether they can be up-scaled indirectly using canopy structure maps (Leaf Area Index, LAI, and Fractional vegetation cover, FCover) developed from Landsat remote sensing data. We measured Thermal(ground) and NDVIdown across habitats differing in tree cover (natural grassland to forest edges to forests and tree plantations) in the human-modifiedcoastal forested landscapes of Kwa-Zulua Natal, South Africa. We show that both metrics decline significantly with increasing canopy closure and leaf area, implying a potential pathway for upscaling both metrics using canopy structure maps derived using earth observation. Specifically, our findings suggest that opening forest canopies by 20% or decreasing forest canopy LAI by one unit would result in increases of Thermal(ground) by 1.2 degrees C across the range of observations studied. NDVIdown appears to decline by 0.1 in response to an increase in canopy LAI by 1 unit and declines nonlinearly with canopy closure. Accounting for micro-scale variation in temperature and resources is seen as essential to improve biodiversity impact predictions. Our study suggests that mapping ground surface temperature and ground vegetation greenness utilising remotely sensed canopy cover maps could provide a useful tool for mapping habitat quality metrics that matter to species. However, this approach will be constrained by the predictive capacity of models used to map field-derived forest canopy attributes. Furthermore, sampling efforts are needed to capture spatial and temporal variation in Thermal(ground) within and across days and seasons to validate the transferability of our findings. Finally, whilst our approach shows that surface temperature and ground vegetation greenness might be suitable habitat quality metric used in biodiversity monitoring, the next step requires that we map demographic traits of species of different threat status onto maps of these metrics in landscapes differing in disturbance and management histories. The derived understanding could then be exploited for targeted landscape restoration that benefits biodiversity conservation at the landscape scale.",2019,7,"","","","e6190","10.7717/peerj.6190"]
["Outside review topic","Pfeifer, M; Lefebvre, V; Peres, CA; Banks-Leite, C; Wearn, OR; Marsh, CJ; Butchart, SHM; Arroyo-Rodríguez, V; Barlow, J; Cerezo, A; Cisneros, L; D'Cruze, N; Faria, D; Hadley, A; Harris, SM; Klingbeil, BT; Kormann, U; Lens, L; Medina-Rangel, GF; Morante-Filho, JC; Olivier, P; Peters, SL; Pidgeon, A; Ribeiro, DB; Scherber, C; Schneider-Maunoury, L; Struebig, M; Urbina-Cardona, N; Watling, JI; Willig, MR; Wood, EM; Ewers, RM","Creation of forest edges has a global impact on forest vertebrates","NATURE","","EXTINCTION RISK; RAIN-FOREST; BODY-SIZE; HABITAT FRAGMENTATION; TROPICAL FOREST; PLANTATION FORESTS; SPECIES RICHNESS; THERMAL ECOLOGY; BIODIVERSITY; LANDSCAPE","Forest edges influence more than half of the world's forests and contribute to worldwide declines in biodiversity and ecosystem functions. However, predicting these declines is challenging in heterogeneous fragmented landscapes. Here we assembled a global dataset on species responses to fragmentation and developed a statistical approach for quantifying edge impacts in heterogeneous landscapes to quantify edge-determined changes in abundance of 1,673 vertebrate species. We show that the abundances of 85% of species are affected, either positively or negatively, by forest edges. Species that live in the centre of the forest (forest core), that were more likely to be listed as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), reached peak abundances only at sites farther than 200-400 m from sharp high-contrast forest edges. Smaller-bodied amphibians, larger reptiles and medium-sized non-volant mammals experienced a larger reduction in suitable habitat than other forest-core species. Our results highlight the pervasive ability of forest edges to restructure ecological communities on a global scale.",2017,551,7679,187,"+","","10.1038/nature24457"]
["Outside review topic","Prinz, R; Mola-Yudego, B; Ala-Ilomäki, J; Väätäinen, K; Lindeman, H; Talbot, B; Routa, J","Soil, Driving Speed and Driving Intensity Affect Fuel Consumption of Forwarders","CROATIAN JOURNAL OF FOREST ENGINEERING","fuel use; timber extraction; soft soil; tracks; data bus information; sustainable for-est operations","FOREST OPERATIONS; WHEEL SLIP; EXTRACTION; MACHINE","Fuel consumption is one of the key parameters in mechanised forest operations, particularly on lower bearing capacity soils, as wheel chains or bogie tracks can have a strong effect on it. This study aims to analyse the fuel consumption of several individual wheeled cut-to-length forwarder set-ups with different types of bogie tracks on peatland using automatic recording of data bus information. Two types of forwarders, 8-wheeled and 10-wheeled, and three types of tracks were tested on peatland in Eastern Finland. A mixed-model approach is the basis to study the fuel consumption as a function of the soil bearing capacity, the number of passes of the machine on the same soil, the section (curve or straight) and other variables related to the machine performance and set-up, for a total of N=27,928 fuel observations on three machines in 33 plots (trail segments). The model results in an R2=0.78; the number of passes increases the fuel consumption significantly, while the soil bearing capacity did not affect the fuel con-sumption. There are, however, important differences between the machines performance, which are addressed in the model. By contributing to the knowledge on the connection between op-erational conditions and fuel consumption, the study can contribute to the aim towards a sustainable forest operation through minimizing negative environmental impacts and provid-ing the necessary tools for further research efforts.",2023,44,1,31,43,"","10.5552/crojfe.2023.1725"]
["Outside geographic area","Rebelo, AJ; Rebelo, AG; Rebelo, AD; Bronner, GN","Effects of alien pine plantations on small mammal community structure in a southern African biodiversity hotspot","AFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY","biodiversity hotspot; Cape Floristic Region; habitat heterogeneity; heathland; passive restoration; pine plantations","SPECIES RICHNESS; CAPE PENINSULA; HABITAT; PLANT; FIRE; ASSEMBLAGES; SPECIALIST; SUCCESSION; VEGETATION; GENERALIST","Commercial plantations and alien tree invasions often have substantial negative impacts on local biodiversity. The effect of plantations on faunal communities in the fire-adapted fynbos vegetation of the Cape Floristic Region biodiversity hotspot is not yet well quantified. We studied small mammal community structure in alien Pinus radiata plantations and adjacent fynbos regenerating after clear-felling of plantations on the Cape Peninsula, South Africa. Small mammal sampling over 1,800 trap-nights resulted in 480 captures of 345 individuals (excluding recaptures) representing six species. Significantly more species, individuals (12 X) and biomasses (29 X) of small mammals occurred on recovering fynbos sites compared to plantations. This was commensurate with a higher diversity of plant growth forms, vegetation densities and live vegetation biomass. Only one small mammal species, the pygmy mouse (Mus minutoides), was consistently trapped within plantations. Fynbos sites were dominated by three small mammal species that are ecological generalists and early successional pioneer species, rendering the recovering fynbos slightly depauperate in terms of species richness and evenness relative to other studies done in pristine fynbos. We make three recommendations for forestry that would facilitate the restoration of more diverse natural plant communities and progressively more diverse and dynamic small mammal assemblages in a key biodiversity hotspot.",2019,57,2,212,225,"","10.1111/aje.12591"]
["Outside review topic","Santana, QC; Coetzee, MPA; Wingfield, BD; Wingfield, MJ; Steenkamp, ET","Nursery-linked plantation outbreaks and evidence for multiple introductions of the pitch canker pathogen Fusarium circinatum into South Africa","PLANT PATHOLOGY","Fusarium circinatum; pine plantations; pitch canker; population genetics","POPULATION-STRUCTURE; GENOTYPIC DIVERSITY; 1ST REPORT; CAUSAL AGENT; FUNGUS; ASSOCIATION; INFERENCE; PROGRAM; INDEXES; MARKERS","In recent years, Pinus plantation forestry has been significantly hampered by outbreaks of pitch canker caused by the fungus Fusarium circinatum. This study investigated the role of Pinus host, geographic origin and reproductive mode in structuring the F.circinatum populations in plantations. For this purpose, 159 isolates originating from diseased plantation trees in the Western and Eastern Cape Provinces of South Africa were genotyped using 10 microsatellite markers. Analyses of these data revealed 30 multilocus haplotypes and that the populations were distinct based on geographic origin as well as host. However, shared haplotypes were observed between populations, showing that these populations are connected, possibly through the movement of haplotypes. A second aim was to determine whether the genetic variation found in these populations of the fungus could be attributed to outbreaks of the seedling disease caused by this pathogen in Pinus nurseries. To achieve this goal, an additional set of 43 isolates originating from pine seedling nurseries was genotyped and analysed. The results showed that the populations of F.circinatum in plantations most probably originated from the nursery outbreaks that occurred prior to the plantation outbreak. Inferences regarding reproductive mode further showed that sexual reproduction has little impact on the genetic makeup of the F.circinatum populations and that they primarily reproduce asexually. Overall, the results of this study showed that the F.circinatum diversity in South Africa has arisen due to multiple introductions of the pathogen and is not due to sexual reproduction.",2016,65,3,357,368,"","10.1111/ppa.12437"]
["Outside review topic","Sapsford, SJ; Paap, T; Hardy, GESJ; Burgess, TI","The 'chicken or the egg': which comes first, forest tree decline or loss of mycorrhizae?","PLANT ECOLOGY","Anthropogenic; Climate; Fragmentation; Heavy metals; Pathogens; Pesticides; Stressors","HEAVY-METALS; PHYTOPHTHORA-CINNAMOMI; HABITAT FRAGMENTATION; EUCALYPTUS-GLOBULUS; FUNGAL COMMUNITIES; OXIDATIVE STRESS; JARRAH FOREST; SOIL CARBON; NITROGEN; DROUGHT","Forest trees are experiencing massive declines globally caused by a multitude of stressors, both abiotic (pollution, fragmentation and climate change) and biotic (fungi, bacteria, viruses and insects). Mycorrhizal fungi aid plants in the requisition of nutrients through their mutualistic relationship with plant roots and are integral to tree health. Stresses affecting tree health will also influence mycorrhizal fungi directly or indirectly, and thus alter the pathways responsible for nutrient absorption. Such an intimate association is a true chicken or egg quandary; do external stressors cause a loss of mycorrhizae which leads to tree decline, does tree decline result in a loss of mycorrhizae, or is it a combination of both? A review of literature has identified six stressors known to contribute to tree decline and to impact directly on mycorrhizae; global climate change, pesticides, heavy metals, excess fertilizer, pathogens and habitat fragmentation. A few review papers have highlighted the link; however, what is missing is irrefutable empirical research. This review documents the known direct impacts of the six stressors on mycorrhizal communities and places this in the context of decline syndromes in long-lived forest trees. We also discuss methodologies available to identify fungi and future research needed to unravel the complex relationships between forest tree declines and their associated mycorrhizal fungi.",2017,218,9,1093,1106,"","10.1007/s11258-017-0754-6"]
["Outside review topic","Sardeshpande, M; Shackleton, C","Wild Edible Fruits: A Systematic Review of an Under-Researched Multifunctional NTFP (Non-Timber Forest Product)","FORESTS","conservation; markets; non-timber forest products; policy; research priorities; sustainability; wild edible fruits","ADANSONIA-DIGITATA L.; BIRREA SUBSP CAFFRA; ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE; POPULATION-STRUCTURE; SCLEROCARYA-BIRREA; RURAL LIVELIHOODS; MAURITIA-FLEXUOSA; LAND-USE; SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT; TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE","Wild edible fruits (WEFs) are among the most widely used non-timber forest products (NTFPs), and important sources of nutrition, medicine, and income for their users. In addition to their use as food, WEF species may also yield fiber, fuel, and a range of processed products. Besides forests, WEF species also thrive in diverse environments, such as agroforestry and urban landscapes, deserts, fallows, natural lands, and plantations. Given the multifunctional, ubiquitous nature of WEFs, we conducted a systematic review on the literature specific to WEFs and highlighted links between different domains of the wider knowledge on NTFPs. We found that literature specific to WEFs was limited, and a majority of it reported ethnobotanical and taxonomic descriptions, with relatively few studies on landscape ecology, economics, and conservation of WEFs. Our review identifies priorities and emerging avenues for research and policymaking to promote sustainable WEF management and use, and subsequent biodiversity and habitat conservation. In particular, we recommend that ecosystem services, economic incentives, market innovations, and stakeholder synergies are incorporated into WEF conservation strategies.",2019,10,6,"","",467,"10.3390/f10060467"]
["Outside review topic","Saunders, A; Drew, DM","Measurements done on excised stems indicate that hydraulic recovery can be an important strategy used by Eucalyptus hybrids in response to drought","TREES-STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION","Embolism; Recovery; Refilling; Drought stress","X-RAY MICROTOMOGRAPHY; XYLEM EMBOLISM; LAURUS-NOBILIS; CAVITATION RESISTANCE; PLANT HYDRAULICS; WINTER EMBOLISM; WATER TRANSPORT; CLIMATE-CHANGE; VESSEL; VULNERABILITY","Key message A high-risk hydraulic strategy might be linked to embolism recovery in Eucalyptus hybrids, allowing plants to have high hydraulic conductivity regardless of safety. Plants use a variety of strategies to mitigate or reduce drought-induced hydraulic failure. Recovery of hydraulic conductivity after drought stress can be an important mechanism used to avoid drought-induced mortality; however, the underlying mechanism of hydraulic recovery is still poorly understood. We examined the hydraulic recovery response between E. grandis x camaldulensis (GC) and E. urophylla x grandis (GU) after drought. We aimed to determine if there is a trade-off between xylem safety and hydraulic recovery and what the underlying mechanism might be. Destructive measurements together with X-ray microtomography measurements were used to determine the extent of hydraulic recovery at various time intervals. We found two distinct hydraulic strategies used by plants. GC was more resistant to embolism formation as compared to UG; however, GC showed lower levels of hydraulic recovery after rewatering. Larger vessel sizes were related to increases in drought vulnerability. Hydraulic recovery was also related to functional traits of cells surrounding vessels, highlighting the possible role that these cells play to increase hydraulic conductance in the xylem and increasing connectivity between vessels. Our study suggest that hydraulic recovery can be an important hydraulic strategy used by Eucalyptus hybrids in response to drought. A high-risk hydraulic strategy might be linked to embolism recovery, allowing plants to have high hydraulic resistance regardless of safety.",2022,36,1,139,151,"","10.1007/s00468-021-02188-7"]
["Outside geographic area","Schneibel, A; Frantz, D; Röder, A; Stellmes, M; Fischer, K; Hill, J","Using Annual Landsat Time Series for the Detection of Dry Forest Degradation Processes in South-Central Angola","REMOTE SENSING","Landsat; time series analysis; Disturbance Index; dry tropical forest; Angola","CLOUD SHADOW; COVER CHANGE; DISTURBANCE; DYNAMICS; CUSSEQUE; DEFORESTATION; SEGMENTATION; CHALLENGES; RESOLUTION; EXPANSION","Dry tropical forests undergo massive conversion and degradation processes. This also holds true for the extensive Miombo forests that cover large parts of Southern Africa. While the largest proportional area can be found in Angola, the country still struggles with food shortages, insufficient medical and educational supplies, as well as the ongoing reconstruction of infrastructure after 27 years of civil war. Especially in rural areas, the local population is therefore still heavily dependent on the consumption of natural resources, as well as subsistence agriculture. This leads, on one hand, to large areas of Miombo forests being converted for cultivation purposes, but on the other hand, to degradation processes due to the selective use of forest resources. While forest conversion in south-central rural Angola has already been quantitatively described, information about forest degradation is not yet available. This is due to the history of conflicts and the therewith connected research difficulties, as well as the remote location of this area. We apply an annual time series approach using Landsat data in south-central Angola not only to assess the current degradation status of the Miombo forests, but also to derive past developments reaching back to times of armed conflicts. We use the Disturbance Index based on tasseled cap transformation to exclude external influences like inter-annual variation of rainfall. Based on this time series, linear regression is calculated for forest areas unaffected by conversion, but also for the pre-conversion period of those areas that were used for cultivation purposes during the observation time. Metrics derived from linear regression are used to classify the study area according to their dominant modification processes. We compare our results to MODIS latent integral trends and to further products to derive information on underlying drivers. Around 13% of the Miombo forests are affected by degradation processes, especially along streets, in villages, and close to existing agriculture. However, areas in presumably remote and dense forest areas are also affected to a significant extent. A comparison with MODIS derived fire ignition data shows that they are most likely affected by recurring fires and less by selective timber extraction. We confirm that areas that are used for agriculture are more heavily disturbed by selective use beforehand than those that remain unaffected by conversion. The results can be substantiated by the MODIS latent integral trends and we also show that due to extent and location, the assessment of forest conversion is most likely not sufficient to provide good estimates for the loss of natural resources.",2017,9,9,"","",905,"10.3390/rs9090905"]
["Outside review topic","Scott-Shaw, BC; Hill, TR; Gillham, JS","Calibration of a modelling approach for sediment yield in a wattle plantation, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa","WATER SA","commercial plantations; modelling; sediment yield; surface run-off; SWAT","WATER ASSESSMENT-TOOL; SWAT; SOIL; RUNOFF","Hydrological modelling is an appropriate approach to investigate the effect of interactions of climate, land-use and soil on the water-use of natural or managed ecosystems, in particular where spatial heterogeneity exists. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model has evolved into one of the most widely used catchment-scale hydrological models, which has been extensively used to better understand hydrological processes. In this paper, the SWAT model was adopted to simulate a wattle plantation in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. User-defined vegetation growth, soil and management input parameters were constructed for the study area based on site measurements. These parameters were subsequently modified using the Sequential Uncertainty Fitting (SUFI-2) analysis routine to calibrate the model. The calibrated model captured seasonal trends in the observed sediment and streamflow data. The compilation of spatially explicit sediment output provides a useful approach to manage catchments by identifying high erosion-risk areas. The SWAT model, using site-specific input parameters, provides a platform for subsequent hydrological and sediment modelling in South Africa.",2020,46,2,171,181,"","10.17159/wsa/2020.v46.i2.8232"]
["Outside geographic area","Silcock, RG; Hall, TJ; Jones, P; Filet, PG; Douglas, J","Spring fire effects on two Aristida/Bothriochloa native pastures in central Queensland, Australia","RANGELAND JOURNAL","Eucalyptus melanophloia; Eucalyptus populnea; ground cover; landscape ecology; pasture composition; seed banks","NORTH-EASTERN AUSTRALIA; BLACK SPEARGRASS PASTURES; TROPICAL SAVANNA; NITROGEN-FIXATION; SOUTH-AFRICA; GRAZING MANAGEMENT; SEMIARID CLIMATE; SOIL; RANGELAND; WOODLAND","Controlled burns are commonly used to suppress woody plant regrowth and to remove accumulated unpalatable pasture from rangelands and occasionally to alter pasture composition in native pastures in central Queensland, Australia. Outcomes can be somewhat unpredictable and short-term, and reliable evidence is needed to confirm the likely long-term efficacy of such fires. We imposed a regime of repeated spring burns on native Aristida/Bothriochloa pastures growing in two contrasting eucalypt woodlands of central Queensland to determine the effects on pasture composition, ground cover, landscape stability and woody plant recruitment, all in the absence of grazing. The sites selected were a silver-leaved ironbark (Eucalyptus melanophloia F.Muell.) woodland and a poplar box (E. populnea F.Muell.) woodland. Weather conditions precluded spring burns in 3 years out of 7 at the silver-leaved ironbark site and in 2 years out of 8 at the poplar box site. The burn intensity was variable, and frequent fires produced a marked change in abundance of only a few pasture species. Depending on the site, fires significantly increased the frequency of Enneapogon spp., Bothriochloa bladhii (Retz.) S.T.Blake and Dichanthium sericeum (R.Br.) A. Camus and reduced the frequency of some minor components such as Cymbopogon spp., Panicum effusum R.Br., Cenchrus ciliaris L. and, ephemerally, that of some forbs. Contrary to expectation, only Aristida calycina R.Br. declined in abundance among the many Aristida species present, and the abundance of Heteropogon contortus (L.) P.Beauv. ex Roem. & Schult. barely increased under regular spring fires. The total germinable seeds of herbaceous species in the soil each spring was significantly reduced by burning in the previous spring. Repeated spring fires rarely reinforced any initial change induced by burning, and slightly lowered average ground cover as well as various indices of landscape stability and ecosystem functionality. Changes produced were not always consistent across the two communities. Though prescribed burning is often important for maintaining grazing productivity and landscape values, very regular use is not recommended.",2018,40,5,485,500,"","10.1071/RJ17132"]
["Outside geographic area","Sinasson, GKS; Shackleton, CM; Kakaï, RLG; Sinsin, B","Forest degradation and invasive species synergistically impact Mimusops andongensis (Sapotaceae) in Lama Forest Reserve, Benin","BIOTROPICA","anthropogenic pressure; biological invasion; demographic structure; diameter class distribution; Non-Timber Forest Products","CHROMOLAENA-ODORATA LINN.; TREE SEEDLINGS; CONSERVATION; DIVERSITY; DEMOGRAPHY; DYNAMICS; DENSITY; HARVEST; PLANTS","Harvesting of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) can threaten target species, especially those with limited distribution and density. Exploited species also face threats from habitat fragmentation, fire, and invasive species. We assessed the impact of human disturbances and invasive species on the population of a key multipurpose NTFP species, Mimusops andongensis, in Lama Forest reserve (Benin). The densities of adult trees and regenerative stems decreased with increasing degradation. Mimusops andongensis contributed less to total tree density with increasing human disturbance. There were significantly fewer M. andongensis recruits with increasing cover of invasive Chromolaena odorata. Smaller diameter individuals predominated in non-degraded and moderately degraded sites while in degraded sites, the structure showed a negative exponential trend with the density of small diameter individuals being less than two trees/ha. Larger individuals were also rare in degraded sites. The low density of both mature trees and seedlings in degraded sites may undermine the long-term viability of M. andongensis, despite existing protection against NTFP harvesting and other anthropogenic pressures. Management should emphasize facilitating recruitment subsidies and limiting the presence of C. odorata. Resume L'exploitation des Produits Forestiers Non-Ligneux (PFNL) represente une menace a la conservation de nombre d'especes forestieres particulierement celles dont la distribution est assez limitee. Cette etude vise a identifier l'impact de la degradation de la foret et l'invasion par Chromolaena odorata sur les populations de Mimusops andongensis au Benin. Ceci a ete possible grace a un inventaire forestier realise dans la foret Classee de la Lama. Les plus fortes densites des arbres et de la regenerationont ete observees dans les parties les moins degradees de la foret et les densites les plus faibles dans les plus degradees. Il existe une relation negative significative entre la couverture en C. odorata et la densite de regeneration de l'espece. Les structures en diametre ont montre la dominance des sujets de petits diametres dans les parties relativement intactes et celles moyennement degradees tandis que dans les parties les plus degradees, elles ont montre une allure exponentielle decroissante. Les resultats ont montre une faible presence des arbres matures dans les zones degradees de la foret accompagnee par une faible densite de regeneration,ce qui ne garantie pas la conservation a long-terme de l'espece meme en protegeant la foret contre la collecte de PFNL et autres pressions anthropiques. Nous concluons un suivi de la disponibilite en semences, de la regeneration naturelle de l'espece ainsi que des essais de multiplication vegetative aux fins de sa preservation.",2017,49,2,160,169,"","10.1111/btp.12370"]
["Outside geographic area","Sordi, C","Bicho bandido: wild boars, biological invasions and landscape transformations on the Brazilian-Uruguayan border (Pampas region)","SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY","anthropology; landscape; biological invasions; wild boar; Pampa","","In this paper, I discuss the reactions to European wild boars (Sus scrofa) in the Brazilian-Uruguayan border region from an ethnographic point of view. Drawing on the concept of taskscape, I explore the reasons why these animals are regarded as 'bandits' by local agents, as well as the differences in perception between the threat posed by boars and by other non-native species also present in the Pampa biome, such as Australian eucalyptus (Eucalyptussp.), Pinus (Pinussp.) and South-African tough lovegrass (Eragrostis plana). By contrasting scientific and local views of 'invasive species', I argue that the reactions toSus scrofaare connected to the transformations that the Pampa landscape has been undergoing throughout its socio-environmental history. Namely, the deeply agonistic pattern of human-animal relations that constituted the prairie, as well as the tensions concerning the relations of property and labour in rural areas. Furthermore, in line with the approach that sees landscapes as shaped by different 'tasks', I explore local notions of 'work' in order to offer an alternative interpretation for the problem of biological invasions, beyond the territorial approach that permeates the literature on the subject.",2020,28,3,614,628,"","10.1111/1469-8676.12785"]
["Outside review topic","Starke, AP; Geldenhuys, CJ; O'Connor, TG; Everson, CS","Secondary vegetation provides a reservoir of non-timber forest products and agroforestry service options for forestry plantation systems, Maputaland, South Africa","SOUTHERN FORESTS-A JOURNAL OF FOREST SCIENCE","agroforestry tree products; human-modified landscapes; managed natural regeneration; multipurpose trees; NTFPs; plantation ecosystem services","CLIMATE; TREE; LAND","Tree species providing non-timber forest products (NTFPs) have the potential to enhance the socio-economic value of forestry plantation systems and mitigate biodiversity loss associated with production landscapes in Southern Africa. This can be accomplished by integrating NTFP agroforestry systems with forestry plantation systems but raises questions around which species and products are suited to the different environments that exist within large plantation systems or plantation landscapes. These questions can be answered by assessing the NTFP and agroforestry system (AFS) value of native species that form part of secondary vegetation within forestry plantations by shedding light on the disturbance regimes and environmental conditions that NTFP species prefer. This study assessed the NTFP value of secondary vegetation growing within abandoned clear-felled and abandoned unharvested forestry compartments. It addressed differences between the NTFP value of secondary vegetation and natural forest while providing options for how native species could be integrated into a forestry plantation system using agroforestry. We found that secondary vegetation growing in abandoned compartments provided roughly two-thirds of the NTFP uses provided by natural forest. The state of the compartment at the time of abandonment influenced which NTFPs were available. Secondary woodland developing in clear-felled compartments contained NTFPs which were associated with fire-adapted woodland species (e.g. fruit and oils from Marula trees). Naturalising forest in unfelled plantation compartments contained a composition of NTFPs associated with the provision of wood products. Our results show that native vegetation growing as secondary vegetation in forestry plantation systems has the potential to guide the development of native species agro-forestry systems and, in general, can contribute to a more formalised approach for integrating NTFP supply in forestry plantation systems.",2023,"","","","","","10.2989/20702620.2023.2257663"]
["Outside review topic","Theron, KJ; Gaigher, R; Pryke, JS; Samways, MJ","Abandoned fields and high plant diversity support high spider diversity within an agricultural mosaic in a biodiversity hotspot","BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION","Araneae; Cape Floristic Region; Habitat boundaries; Old-fields; Supplementary habitat; Surrounding habitat","CAPE FLORISTIC REGION; SURFACE-ACTIVE ARTHROPODS; CURRENT KNOWLEDGE; OLD FIELDS; LANDSCAPE; HABITAT; LAND; VEGETATION; MANAGEMENT; MATRIX","Protected areas alone cannot conserve all biodiversity; we must also conserve biodiversity within production landscapes. Little is known about spider diversity in the Cape Floristic Region (CFR) biodiversity hotspot and factors driving spider diversity in transformed landscapes. Here, we assess spatial patterns of spiders in different transformed biotopes bordering remnant fynbos natural vegetation patches, determine direction of associated edge effects, and identify environmental factors influencing spider local distribution. Spiders were sampled along replicated transects running from remnant patches into three different transformed biotopes: old-fields (abandoned farmland), vineyards, and alien tree plantations. Spider Shannon diversity within old-fields and plantations did not differ from remnant patches, which had the highest diversity, whereas vineyards had the lowest. Overall, spider diversity was consistently high around habitat boundaries, regardless of land use type. Vineyards showed sharp declines in spider diversity along the remnant-vineyard transect, compared to other transects. Spider assemblages within vineyards was significantly different compared to remnant patches and old-fields, whereas other land-uses showed greater similarity. Plant species richness within the transformed biotope core increased overall spider diversity, benefiting plant-dwelling assemblages, but negatively influencing ground-dwelling assemblages. Herbaceous plant cover was driving assemblages within vineyards, whereas Restionaceae plant cover drove assemblages within old-fields. Furthermore, amount of natural vegetation in the landscape influenced spider assemblages within transformed biotopes. Our results show that old-fields have great potential to increase structural and functional connectivity within agricultural mosaics, and their rehabilitation is recommended. Furthermore, increasing plant diversity throughout the transformed landscape can soften the landscape and benefit spider diversity.",2020,29,13,3757,3782,"","10.1007/s10531-020-02048-9"]
["Outside geographic area","Thondhlana, G; Pullanikkatil, D; Shackleton, CM","Plant Fibre Crafts Production, Trade and Income in Eswatini, Malawi and Zimbabwe","FORESTS","plant fibre; crafts production; income; heterogeneity","TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS; LIVELIHOODS; HIV/AIDS; PALM; SAN","The production of plant fibre products is considered a promising pathway for contributing to people's livelihoods particularly in developing countries, where economic options might be limited. However, there are limited comparative studies across countries on plant fibre products, making it difficult to examine how local and broader biophysical, socioeconomic, cultural and policy contexts influence craft production patterns in terms of primary plant resources used, products made and contributions to livelihoods. Using household surveys for data collection, this paper presents findings from a comparative analysis of plant fibre craft production and income in three southern African countries, Eswatini, Malawi and Zimbabwe. Although there was commonality in terms of the constraints experienced across the three countries, there were pronounced differences in the types and quantity of products and income between and within countries. The average gross monthly income from craft sales was modest and of the same order of magnitude across the three countries but 50% higher in Zimbabwe (US$75 +/- 135) than in Eswatini (US$56 +/- 71) and Malawi (US$48 +/- 168). High craft income was associated with long experience in craft production, quantity of craft products and access to bulk buyers while old age, more income sources, high education level and bigger households yielded low craft income. Although craft income tended to be low, the economic contexts in these countries characterised by high levels of poverty, craft income represents an important livelihood source. Implications for policy interventions are discussed.",2020,11,8,"","",832,"10.3390/f11080832"]
["Outside review topic","Thorn, JPR; Klein, JA; Steger, C; Hopping, KA; Capitani, C; Tucker, CM; Reid, RS; Marchant, RA","Scenario archetypes reveal risks and opportunities for global mountain futures","GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS","Decision support; Desirable futures; Participatory scenario planning; Science policy interface; Stakeholder participation; Sustainability science","ECOSYSTEM SERVICES; LAND-USE; BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION; DECISION-MAKING; CLIMATE-CHANGE; ADAPTATION; CHALLENGES; LANDSCAPE; POLICY; MANAGEMENT","Mountain social-ecological systems (MtSES) are transforming rapidly due to changes in multiple environmental and socioeconomic drivers. However, the complexity and diversity of MtSES present challenges for local communities, researchers and decision makers seeking to anticipate change and promote action towards sustainable MtSES. Participatory scenario planning can reveal potential futures and their interacting dynamics, while archetype analysis aggregates insights from site-based scenarios. We combined a systematic review of the global MtSES participatory scenarios literature and archetype analysis to identify emergent MtSES archetypal configurations. An initial sample of 1983 rendered 42 articles that contained 142 scenarios within which were 852 'futures states'. From these future states within the scenarios, we identified 59 desirable and undesirable futures that were common across studies. These 'common futures' were grouped into four clusters that correlated significantly with three social-ecological factors (GDP per capita, income inequality, and mean annual temperature). Using these clusters and their associated significant factors, we derived four MtSES scenario archetypal configurations characterized by similar key adaptation strategies, assumptions, risks, and uncertainties. We called these archetypes: (1) revitalization through effective institutions and tourism; (2) local innovations in smallholder farming and forestry; (3) upland depopulation and increased risk of hazards; and (4) regulated economic and ecological prosperity. Results indicate risks to be mitigated, including biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation, cultural heritage change, loss of connection to the land, weak leadership, market collapse, upland depopulation, increased landslides, avalanches, mudflows and rock falls, as well as climate variability and change. Transformative opportunities lie in adaptive biodiversity conservation, income diversification, adaptation to market fluxes, improving transport and irrigation infrastructure, high quality tourism and preserving traditional knowledge. Despite the uncertainties arising from global environmental changes, these archetypes support better targeting of evidence-informed actions across scales and sectors in MtSES.",2021,69,"","","",102291,"10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2021.102291"]
["Outside geographic area","Thorn, JPR; Thornton, TF; Helfgott, A; Willis, KJ","Indigenous uses of wild and tended plant biodiversity maintain ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes of the Terai Plains of Nepal","JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE","Agrobiodiversity conservation; Ethnopharmacology; Ethnobotany; Ethnoecology; Ethnomedicine; Food security; Indigenous knowledge; Medicinal plants; Traditional Ecological knowledge","ENVIRONMENTAL-CHANGE; CONSERVATION; IMPACTS; MUNICIPALITY; GARDENS","Background Despite a rapidly accumulating evidence base quantifying ecosystem services, the role of biodiversity in the maintenance of ecosystem services in shared human-nature environments is still understudied, as is how indigenous and agriculturally dependent communities perceive, use, and manage biodiversity. The present study aims to document traditional ethnobotanical knowledge of the ecosystem service benefits derived from wild and tended plants in rice-cultivated agroecosystems, compare this to botanical surveys, and analyze the extent to which ecosystem services contribute social-ecological resilience in the Terai Plains of Nepal. Method Sampling was carried out in four landscapes, 22 Village District Committees, and 40 wards in the monsoon season. Data collection was based on transects walks to collect plant specimens, structured and semi-structured interviews, and participatory fieldwork in and around home gardens, farms, and production landscapes. We asked 180 farmers to free-list vernacular names and describe use-value of wild and tended plants in rice-cultivated agroecosystems. Uses were categorized into eight broad groupings, and 61 biomedical ailment classifications. We assessed if knowledge of plant species diversity and abundance differed with regard to caste, age, and gender. Results Nepalese farmers have a deep knowledge of the use and management of the 391 vascular plant specimens identified, which provide key provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural ecosystem services. Altogether, plants belong to 76 distinct plant species from 49 phylogenetic families: 56 are used to cure 61 ailments, 27 for rituals, 25 for food, 20 for timber, 17 for fuel, 17 for fodder, 11 for soil enhancement, and eight for pesticides. Four caste groups have statistically different knowledge, and younger informants report a lower average number of useful plants. Conclusion Agricultural landscapes in Nepal are reservoirs of biodiversity. The knowledge of the use of wild and tended plant species in and around these farms differs by the caste and age group of land manager. Conducting research on agroecosystems will contribute to a deeper understanding of how nature is perceived by locals, to more efficient management and conservation of the breadbasket of Nepal, and to the conservation of valuable, but disappearing traditional knowledge and practice.",2020,16,1,"","",33,"10.1186/s13002-020-00382-4"]
["Outside review topic","Van Deventer, H; Adams, JB; Durand, JF; Grobler, R; Grundling, PL; van Rensburg, SJ; Jewitt, D; Kelbe, B; MacKay, CF; Naidoo, L; Nel, JL; Pretorius, L; Riddin, T; Van Niekerk, L","Conservation conundrum - Red listing of subtropical-temperate coastal forested wetlands of South Africa","ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS","Ecosystem risk assessment; Fragmentation; Habitat collapse; IUCN transitional forested wetlands; Red listing of ecosystems; Swamp and floodplain forests","PEAT FORMATION; WATER; FLOODPLAIN; MAPUTALAND; DYNAMICS; ESTUARY; EXTENT","Africa's range-restricted and transitional subtropical-temperate coastal forested wetlands are facing interlinking threats of climate and anthropogenic pressures. We assessed their conservation status using the criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Their total areal extent was hind-casted to the reference epoch 2000, followed by the quantification of subsequent total losses in areal extents for the epochs 2005, 2008, 2011 and 2017. South Africa had 120 km(2) of coastal swamp and floodplain forests in 2000 of which the majority (116.5 km(2)) occurred on the Maputaland Coastal Plain (MCP). By 2011, 20% of the areal extent was lost, and at the lowest rate of decline we estimate that >= 80% of the rest will be lost in the next 50 years. An ecosystem collapse assessment therefore indicated that the habitat is very likely Critically Endangered. Fragmentation and types of transformations were used as degradation indices to show functional collapse. These results showed that forest patches became increasingly fragmented, from 511 to 1 145 patches between 2000 and 2017 and that > 23% of the areal extent showed severe transformation. Several faunal species, with a close association to the forested wetlands of the MCP, are considered threatened with numbers declining because of transformation to timber plantations or agriculture and coupled with a prolonged drought. Of these, a sub-species of the Samango monkey, Cercopithecus mitis erythrarchus, considered to be a primary ecosystem engineer of the habitat, was red listed with a restricted distribution, being endemic, Near Threatened and declining. Also under pressure, because of habitat fragmentation and degradation is the Peregrine crab (Varuna litterata), a euryhaline species requiring connectivity across the land-seascape, ranging from freshwater forested wetlands to estuarine and off-shore environments. Functionally, these coastal forested wetlands are therefore also considered Critically Endangered. The final IUCN conservation status of South Africa's subtropical-temperate coastal forested wetlands are recommended to be very likely Critically Endangered. Irrespective of 62% of the areal extent of these forested wetlands being within protected areas, severe degradation (metrics of fragmentation and transformation) were observed even inside these areas for the past two decades. The conservation conundrum is that despite existing legislation and management measures, there has been no stop or reversal of the negative trends to date. As a supplementary method, we therefore recommend a transdisciplinary community-based approach to conservation practice, continued and improved monitoring of the habitat losses, the identifying priority areas for rehabilitation and addressing data deficiencies in important species associations.",2021,130,"","","",108077,"10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.108077"]
["Outside review topic","Visagie, CM; Houbraken, J; Dijksterhuis, J; Seifert, KA; Jacobs, K; Samson, RA","A taxonomic review of Penicillium species producing conidiophores with solitary phialides, classified in section Torulomyces","PERSOONIA","beta-tubulin; calmodulin; Eupenicillium; internal transcribed spacer rDNA region; low temperature Scanning Electron Microscopy (cryo-SEM); Monocillium; RNA polymerase II second largest subunit; Trichocomaceae; Wollemi pine","IDENTIFICATION; NOMENCLATURE; ASPERGILLUS; FOREST","The genus Torulomyces was characterised by species that typically have conidiophores consisting of solitary phialides that produce long chains of conidia connected by disjunctors. Based on the phylogenetic position of P. lagena (generic ex-neotype), the genus and its seven species were transferred to Penicillium and classified in sect. Torulomyces along with P. cryptum and P. lassenii. The aim of this study was to review the species currently classified in sect. Torulomyces using morphology and phylogenies of the ITS, BenA, CaM and RPB2 regions. Based on our results, we accept 16 species in sect. Torulomyces, including 12 new species described as P. aeris, P. austricola, P. cantabricum, P. catalonicum, P. oregonense, P. marthae-christenseniae, P. riverlandense, P. tubakianum, P. variratense, P. williamettense, P. wisconsinense and P. wollemiicola. In addition, we reclassify P. laeve and P. ovatum in sect. Exilicaulis and correct the typification of P. lagena. We provide descriptions and notes on the identification of the species.",2016,36,"",134,155,"","10.3767/003158516X690952"]
["Outside review topic","Wasserman, RJ; Sanga, S; Buxton, M; Dalu, T; Cuthbert, RN","Does invasive river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) alter leaf litter decomposition dynamics in arid zone temporary rivers?","INLAND WATERS","biological invasions; cross-ecosystem connectivity; detritivore decomposition; leaf litter decomposition; microbial decomposition; riparian zones","AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES; ORGANIC-MATTER; FOOD WEBS; BREAKDOWN; WOODLAND; COLONIZATION; BIODIVERSITY; ECOSYSTEMS; RESPONSES; SURVIVAL","Riparian zones are important for the maintenance of aquatic ecosystem functional integrity, yet are considered to be particularly vulnerable to plant invasions. The role of terrestrial riparian plant invasions in compromising aquatic ecosystem processes is, however, still poorly understood. This issue is particularly relevant for temporary rivers, which are understudied compared to permanent river systems, despite their ubiquity and largescale contributions to biogeochemical processes. Here we experimentally assessed leaf litter breakdown dynamics in situ in a temporary river in arid southeastern Botswana, Southern Africa. We contrasted aquatic leaching and microbial and invertebrate litter breakdown contributions to the native leadwoodCombretum imberbeand invasive river red gumEucalyptus camaldulensisin the Lotsane River. Fine-mesh (detritivore exclusion) and coarse-mesh (detritivore inclusion) bags were separately filled with leaf litter from each species and deployed in the river during a hydroperiod (wet phase), with decomposition measured over a 6-week period.E. camaldulensisshed significantly more leachate than the nativeC. imberbe.Significantly more microbial and detritivore breakdown was, however, observed in native than in invasive leaf litter. Overall, invertebrates contributed little to biological leaf litter breakdown processes compared to microbial breakdown contributions. Although significantly higher in native leaves, low invertebrate numbers were found in leaf litter in the study. This study highlights the role of microbial contributions to detrital decay in temporary arid zone rivers, whereas invertebrate contributions were relatively minor. The study further contributes to our understanding of how invasive riparian plant species alter aquatic detrital pool dynamics in invaded temporary wetland ecosystems.",2021,11,1,104,113,"","10.1080/20442041.2020.1802196"]
["Outside review topic","Wiener, KD; Grenfell, SE","Valley-bottom wetlands as temporary buffers for source-to-sink dispersal of sediment and associated phosphorus in dryland landscapes","EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS","drylands; ecosystem services; phosphorus; sediment (dis)connectivity; sediment dispersal; wetlands","FLUVIAL SUSPENDED SEDIMENT; NEW-SOUTH-WALES; NUTRIENT RETENTION; ORGANIC-MATTER; OVERBANK SEDIMENTATION; GULLY EROSION; WATER-QUALITY; AGE STRUCTURE; RIVER; CATCHMENT","Sediment trapping in wetlands is an essential ecosystem service, with implications for downstream ecosystems and water users. There is however limited empirical evidence of the contemporary rates and magnitude of sediment trapping in valley-bottom wetlands. Time-averaged suspended sediment samples from the inlets and outlets of forestry- and agriculturally-impacted valley-bottom wetlands with contrasting morphometric characteristics were compared in terms of suspended sediment and associated total phosphorous (total P) fluxes over annual scales, a dataset that was limited by Covid travel constraints. Although both wetlands were net depositional, contemporary suspended sediment mass balances for the agriculturally-impacted wetland revealed a temporal change in the amount of sediment trapped over two water years (2019/2020 and 2020/2021), with trapping efficacies of 91% and 24%, respectively. The proportion of sediment trapped in the water year of 2020/2021 within the adjacent wetland, with a small commercially forested catchment, was up to 4 times higher than the agriculturally-impacted wetland, which drained a larger catchment. Rates of total P retention showed that the agriculturally-impacted wetland was a net sink for phosphorus in 2019/2020, but shifted to a source of phosphorus in 2020/2021 as the export of suspended sediment was enhanced. However, this contrasts with the forestry-impacted wetland, which was a net sink of sediment and associated phosphorus during the one-year study period of 2020/2021. Overall, despite data constraints, this study suggests that the efficacy of valley-bottom wetlands in the delivery of sediment trapping and phosphorus removal ecosystem services varies temporally and spatially. This variability is potentially related to the interaction between annual rainfall regimes, catchment size and wetland geomorphic character. The temporary nature of sediment recycling processes could serve to balance wetland dynamics by regulating vertical growth of valley floors and longitudinal slope stability and should be considered in catchment management and wetland restoration planning strategies. Valley-bottom wetlands in dryland landscapes are dynamic fluvial landforms and play an important role in delivering a myriad of ecosystem services and supporting human well-being. Overall, results show that the efficiency of sediment trapping and phosphorus removal services in these wetlands are temporally variable and system-specific, and likely depends on the interaction between annual rainfall regimes, catchment size and local-scale wetland geomorphology. As these systems alternate between periods of net sediment trapping and short-term episodic recycling of sediment, we suggest that this could serve as a mechanism to locally regulate morphological adjustment. This study therefore highlights the importance of considering the temporary nature and spatial variability of sediment recycling processes in catchment management and wetland restoration planning strategies.image",2024,49,3,1179,1198,"","10.1002/esp.5761"]
["Outside review topic","Wynberg, R","Biopiracy: Crying wolf or a lever for equity and conservation?","RESEARCH POLICY","Access and benefit sharing; Nagoya Protocol; Indigenous peoples; Traditional knowledge; Intellectual property; Innovation","TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS; BIODIVERSITY; TRADE; COMMERCIALIZATION; SCELETIUM; BIOTRADE; ACCESS; SAFETY; RIGHTS","Access and benefit sharing (ABS) is a central approach to address biopiracy - the misappropriation of genetic resources and traditional knowledge without consent or compensation, often tied to patenting. Benefit-sharing agreements comprise a core element of ABS and are intended to leverage greater social and economic justice, create incentives for biodiversity conservation, and strengthen the rights of indigenous and local communities. However, emerging evidence suggests otherwise. Through review of four cases of biodiversity commercialization in South Africa - Hoodia gordonii, Aspalathus linearis (rooibos), Sceletium tortuosum (kougoed) and Pelargonium sidoides, each with histories of biopiracy charges and associated benefit-sharing agreements, this paper aims to explain this apparent contradiction. The cases reveal that while ABS has succeeded in recognizing holders of traditional knowledge, the wider political and economic struggles faced by communities remain neglected. Power relations and economic disparities have not changed, and control remains vested in land, with ownership remaining highly skewed towards industry partners who have market dominance; and intellectual property, the benefits of which are disassociated from traditional knowledge holders and biodiversity custodians. ABS pro-cesses have also led to a clamor for representation, favoring groups that are politically connected, well organized and resourced, while excluding more marginalized groups who are less capacitated. Moreover, despite significant biodiversity concerns in each case, there are few conservation benefits. Such trends, combined with new forms of digital biopiracy and opportunities opening through the post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, emphasize the need to reconceptualize ABS to leverage more equitable and sustainable outcomes.",2023,52,2,"","",104674,"10.1016/j.respol.2022.104674"]
["Outside review topic","Xu, W; Hao, MH; Wang, J; Zhang, CY; Zhao, XH; von Gadow, K","Soil Elements Influencing Community Structure in an Old-Growth Forest in Northeastern China","FORESTS","plant-soil relationships; dispersal limitation; habitat filtering; soil elements","HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS; TEMPERATE FOREST; DISPERSAL LIMITATION; TREE DIVERSITY; RAIN; RESPONSES; CHROMIUM; DISTRIBUTIONS; NUTRIENTS; MANGANESE","This study uses detailed soil and vegetation data collected in a 30-ha old-growth broad-leaved Korean pine forest to study the effect of soil properties on tree community structures. Spatial distribution patterns are simulated using a homogeneous Poisson process (HomP) and a homogeneous Thomas process (HomT). The simulated distributions are compared with the observed ones to explore correlations between certain tree species and several soil elements. The HomP model shows that all tested tree species are significantly correlated with at least one principal component in the upper-layer soil elements. The HomT model shows that only 36.4% of tree species are significantly correlated with the principal component of at least one upper-layer soil element. This result shows that the impact of dispersal limitation is greater than impact of environmental heterogeneity on species spatial distributions. The spatial autocorrelation of species induced by the dispersal limitation will largely conceal the plant-soil relationships caused by the heterogeneity of soil elements. An additional analysis shows that the elements in the upper soil layer which have the greatest impact on community niche structure are Pb, total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), Cu, Cr, Zn and available nitrogen (AN). The corresponding elements in the lower soil layers are Pb, TP, Cu, organic carbon (OC), Mn, total potassium (TK) and AN. Different species seem to be complementary regarding the demands on the available soil resources. The results of this study show that the tree species in the different growth groups have different habitat preferences. Compared with subcanopy and shrub species, the canopy species have more significant correlations with the soil elements.",2016,7,8,"","",159,"10.3390/f7080159"]
["Outside review topic","Zhou, Y; Bomfim, B; Bond, WJ; Boutton, TW; Case, MF; Coetsee, C; Davies, AB; February, EC; Gray, EF; Silva, LCR; Wright, JL; Staver, AC","Soil carbon in tropical savannas mostly derived from grasses","NATURE GEOSCIENCE","","WOODY PLANT ENCROACHMENT; ECOSYSTEM CARBON; SPATIAL HETEROGENEITY; ORGANIC-MATTER; FIRE FREQUENCY; NITROGEN; FOREST; VEGETATION; ACCUMULATION; PRODUCTIVITY","Grasses contribute more than half of the soil organic carbon across tropical savannas, according to a case study in South Africa combined with a synthesis of data from tropical savannas globally. Tropical savannas have been increasingly targeted for carbon sequestration by afforestation, assuming large gains in soil organic carbon (SOC) with increasing tree cover. Because savanna SOC is also derived from grasses, this assumption may not reflect real changes in SOC under afforestation. However, the exact contribution of grasses to SOC and the changes in SOC with increasing tree cover remain poorly understood. Here we combine a case study from Kruger National Park, South Africa, with data synthesized from tropical savannas globally to show that grass-derived carbon constitutes more than half of total SOC to a soil depth of 1 m, even in soils directly under trees. The largest SOC concentrations were associated with the largest grass contributions (>70% of total SOC). Across the tropics, SOC concentration was not explained by tree cover. Both SOC gain and loss were observed following increasing tree cover, and on average SOC storage within a 1-m profile only increased by 6% (s.e. = 4%, n = 44). These results underscore the substantial contribution of grasses to SOC and the considerable uncertainty in SOC responses to increasing tree cover across tropical savannas.",2023,16,8,710,"+","","10.1038/s41561-023-01232-0"]