Including ecosystem functions into restoration ecology has been repeatedly suggested, yet there is limited evidence that this is taking place without bias to certain habitats, species, or functions. ...We reviewed the inclusion of ecosystem functions in restoration and potential relations to habitats and species by extracting 224 publications from the literature (2004–2013). Most studies investigated forests, fewer grasslands or freshwaters, and fewest wetlands or marine habitats. Of all studies, 14% analyzed only ecosystem functions, 44% considered both biotic composition and functions, 42% exclusively studied the biotic component, mostly vascular plants, more rarely invertebrates or vertebrates, and least often microbes. Most studies investigating ecosystem functions focused on nutrient cycling (26%), whereas productivity (18%), water relations (16%), and geomorphological processes (14%) were less covered; carbon sequestration (10%), decomposition (6%), and trophic interactions (6%) were rarely studied. Monitoring of ecosystem functions was common in forests and grasslands, but the functions considered depended on the study organisms. These associations indicate research opportunities for certain habitats, species, and functions. Overall, the call to include ecosystem functions in restoration has been heard; however, a lack of clarity about the ecosystem functions to be included and deficits of feasible field methods are major obstacles for a functional approach. Restoration ecology should learn from recent advances in rapid assessment of ecosystem functions, and by a closer integration with biodiversity–ecosystem functioning research. Not all functions need to be measured in all ecosystems, but more functions than the few commonly addressed would improve the understanding of restored ecosystems.
Conservation and restoration of mangroves are necessary to meet global commitments for tackling the climate and biodiversity crises as well as reducing poverty. Management success is typically ...evaluated by estimating changes in vegetation cover, while changes in species composition and structural attributes across different habitats are often not considered. Here, we evaluated changes in mangrove composition, structural attributes, and drivers of change across Physically Stable Habitat (PSH), Diminished Tidal Inundation Habitat (DTIH), and Poor Drainage Habitat (PDH), for mangroves that have been protected for 22 years. We also analyzed the most likely ecological processes involved in the changes that have occurred. After 22 years, species remained the same in PSH and DTIH, but Rhizophora apiculata and Lumnitzera racemosa disappeared in PDH. Changes in relative proportions (number of trees of a species: total number of trees), and species abundance, varied between habitats. Additionally, changes in structural attributes also differed between habitat types over time suggesting they were driven by distinct ecological processes. Vegetation changes in PSH most likely occurred through a combination of ecologically important mangrove forest replacement and gap recovery processes, compared to only the gap recovery process in DTIH, and episodic changes due to stressful environmental conditions in PDH. Restoring hydrology, preventing sedimentation, planting proper seedlings of Avicennia marina should be conducted to save species and mangrove sustainability in PDH. It is highly recommended that managers follow a habitat-based approach to achieve effective management.
•Assessing habitat changes reveals diverging mangrove trajectories missed by traditional methods.•By adopting a habitat-based approach, managers can make more efficient and targeted interventions.•A habitat-based approach is adaptable for diverse mangrove areas and therefore could aid conservation globally.
•Managers need more robust methods for predicting species presence and other ecological characteristics under climate change.•Bioclimatic modeling was used to predict current and future potential ...vegetation type classes.•Species cover was linked to potential vegetation type classes to create species presence.•Accuracies were around 50% for PVTs but were often above 70% for species.
Land managers need new tools for planning novel futures due to climate change. Species distribution modeling (SDM) has been used extensively to predict future distributions of species under different climates, but their map products are often too coarse for fine-scale operational use. In this study we developed a flexible, efficient, and robust method for mapping current and future distributions and abundances of vegetation species and communities at the fine spatial resolutions that are germane to land management. First, we mapped Potential Vegetation Types (PVTs) using conventional statistical modeling techniques (Random Forests) that used bioclimatic ecosystem process and climate variables as predictors. We obtained over 50% accuracy across 13 mapped PVTs for our study area. We then applied future climate projections as climate input to the Random Forest model to generate future PVT maps, and used field data describing the occurrence of tree and non-tree species in each PVT category to model and map species distribution for current and future climate. These maps were then compared to two previous SDM mapping efforts with over 80% agreement and equivalent accuracy. Because PVTs represent the biophysical potential of the landscape to support vegetation communities as opposed to the vegetation that currently exists, they can be readily linked to climate forecasts and correlated with other, climate-sensitive ecological processes significant in land management, such as fire regimes and site productivity.
Background: Knowledge of the spatial trends of plant invasions in different habitats is essential for a better understanding of the process of these invasions. We examined the variation in invasive ...alien plant species (IAS) richness and composition at two spatial scales defined by elevation and habitat types (roadside, forest, and cultivated lands) in the Makawanpur district of Nepal. Following an elevation gradient ranging from 500 to 2,400 m asl along a mountain road, plant species cover was recorded within sample plots of size 10 m × 5 m. Systematic random sampling was adopted in every 100 m elevation intervals on three habitat types.
Results: Altogether 18 invasive alien plants belonging to eight families were recorded within 60 plots, of which 14 species (representing 80%) were from tropical North and South America. The most common plants by their frequency were Ageratina adenophora, Chromolaena odorata, Bidens pilosa, Lantana camara, and Parthenium hysterophorus. We found a significant relationship between species composition and elevation in the study area. Low-elevation regions had a higher number of alien species as compared to high-elevation regions within different habitat types.
Conclusions: The species richness and density of IAS were higher in the road site followed by the cultivated land and forest sites. This pattern occurred throughout the elevation range and habitats. IAS were found mostly in the open land with high sunlight availability. Information from such scientific assessment of invasive alien plants will assist in developing appropriate management plans in the Makawanpur district. KCI Citation Count: 0
Dimara PA, Purwanto RH, Auri A, Angrianto R, Mofu WY. 2023. Production potential of sago forests in different habitat types in Sentani watershed, Papua, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 24: 3924-3931. Sago ...possesses a substantial carbohydrate content, rendering it a promising alternative for ensuring food security. This study aimed to assess the potential for sago production in Sentani watershed, Papua Province, Indonesia across diverse growing environments, namely dryland, temporarily flooded, and prolonged flooded habitats. This research combined spatial analysis and field-based study. Spatial analysis utilized Landsat 8 satellite imagery from the year of 2021 analyzed using supervised classification and overlay methods to differentiate sago habitat types. Field study used the combination of line transect and systematic circular plot methods to assess the structure and composition of sago vegetation. Field study also determined starch yield of sago plant by felling the plant and extracting the starch. The results showed that there are 13 local sago varieties according to the Sentani language, namely ebhesum, folo, hobholo, manno, phane, phara, rondo, ruruna, osukhulu, wani, yakhalobe, yakhe, and yebha. Sago plants growing on dryland, temporarily flooded, and prolonged flooded habitats covered an area of 1,246.35 ha (15.89%), 4,820.49 ha (61.46%), and 1,775.92 ha (22.64%), respectively. The plant grew in clumps with 10, 13, and 8 varieties in the dryland, temporarily flooded, and prolonged flooded habitats, respectively. The total starch production reached 13,999.57 tons.year-1with production in dryland, temporarily, and prolonged flooded habitats amounting to 2,132.88 tons.year-1, 1,031.39 tons.year-1, and 1,335.31 tons.year-1, respectively. Meanwhile, the areas with the highest starch production were West Sentani, Sentani, and Waibu Sub-districts for the dry, temporary, and flooded habitats. Our findings suggest that two sago varieties, namely pharaand yebha, are recommended for cultivation because they are more adaptive and have high starch yield compared to other sago varieties.
To maintain or enhance biodiversity and sea floor integrity, mapping benthic habitats is a mandatory requirement in compliance with the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). The EU Commission ...Decision distinguishes between Broad Habitat Types (BHTs) and Other Habitat Types (OHTs). At the regional level, biotopes in the Baltic Sea region are classified according to the HELCOM underwater biotope and habitat classification (HUB). In this study, the habitats and their benthic communities were mapped for the entire German Baltic Sea at a high spatial resolution of 1 km. In two nature conservation areas of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as well as selected focus areas in the coastal waters, the resolution we provide is even more detailed at 50 × 50 m. Hydroacoustic data recording and benthological surveys (using bottom grabs, underwater towing camera technology, and diver sampling) helped identify biotopes in high resolution. Based on these data, together with additional data acquired since 2010 (a total of over 7000 stations and transect sections), we were able to spatially delineate benthic biotopes and their communities via predictive habitat modelling. The results are provided as full-coverage maps each for BHT, OHT, and HUB (9 classes of BHTs, 5 classes of OHTs, and 84 classes of HUB) with a level of spatial detail that does not yet exist for the Baltic Sea, and they form an essential basis for future monitoring, status assessments, and protection and management measures.
Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi play an important role in ecosystems, but little is known about how soil AM fungal community composition varies in relation to habitat type and land-use ...intensity. We molecularly characterized AM fungal communities in soil samples (n = 88) from structurally open (permanent grassland, intensive and sustainable agriculture) and forested habitats (primeval forest and spruce plantation). The habitats harboured significantly different AM fungal communities, and there was a broad difference in fungal community composition between forested and open habitats, the latter being characterized by higher average AM fungal richness. Within both open and forest habitats, intensive land use significantly influenced community composition. There was a broad difference in the phylogenetic structure of AM fungal communities between mechanically disturbed and nondisturbed habitats. Taxa from Glomeraceae served as indicator species for the nondisturbed habitats, while taxa from Archaeosporaceae, Claroideoglomeraceae and Diversisporaceae were indicators for the disturbed habitats. The distribution of these indicator taxa among habitat types in the MaarjAM global database of AM fungal diversity was in accordance with their local indicator status.
By analysing AM fungal DNA in soil from different habitats, its shown that forested and open habitats harbour different fungal communities, while disturbance changes the phylogenetic structure of fungal communities.
By analysing AM fungal DNA in soil from different habitats, its shown that forested and open habitats harbour different fungal communities, while disturbance changes the phylogenetic structure of fungal communities.
Zulkarnaen RN, Nisyawati, Witono JR. 2019. Population study and habitat preferences of Pinang Jawa (Pinanga javana) in Mt. Slamet, Central Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 20: 712-718. Conservation ...effort of Pinang Jawa is hampered due to lack of information on its ecology and population biology. The species is an endemic palm species to Java. The study aimed to assess the population study and habitat preference of Pinang Jawa in Mt. Slamet, Central Java. The research design used a purposive sampling method with a plot measuring 10x10 m. The observation plot was successfully made with a total of 183 plots. The result showed that the population was dominated by adult palm (mature) with the number of 1023 individuals on the southern slope of Mt. Slamet. Individuals growth dominated in hill slope. Population structure was dominated by individuals with stem heights of 6.1-8.1 m and stem diameters of 7-8.9 cm. The stem height and stem diameter class distribution showed that high mortality rate occurs in the seedlings stage class, although this stage should be high recruitment due to the seed production is perennial continuously. Predators were identified as the main threat for seedlings of Pinang Jawa. The result of statistical analysis clearly provides reveals that abiotic factors in which influencing the density of Pinang Jawa was slope, litter thickness, and crown cover.
•Fungi and woody plant diversity showed inconsistent patterns among habitat types.•The major fungal functional groups showed similar richness patterns among habitats.•Woody plant alpha diversity was ...an important indicator of saprotrophic and pathogenic fungi.•Relationships between fungal and woody plant communities depended on habitat types.
The diversity patterns of macroorganisms (i.e., plants) among different habitats have been well documented, however, those of microorganisms (i.e., fungi) as well as the relationships between them are still unclear. Here, we tested whether and to what degree fungal diversity was related to habitat types and compared diversity patterns of woody plants and soil fungi. We carried out field investigations on soil fungi in different habitat types (i.e., valleys, foothills, hillsides, and hilltops) in a 25-ha karst broadleaf forest in Southwest China. The tree richness, Shannon index, and Simpson index significantly increased from valleys to hilltops. While the soil fungal N1 diversity (the exponential Shannon index) marginally increased toward valleys, fungal N0 (richness) and N2 (the inverse Simpson index) diversity exhibited significantly reduced and increased patterns, respectively, from valleys to hilltops. The major fungal functional groups (i.e., EcM, AM, saprotrophic, and pathogenic fungi) showed similar increasing richness patterns in valleys. Moreover, woody plant alpha diversity was an important indicator of fungal functional groups except for EcM and AM fungi. In addition, woody plants increased in species turnover rate (βSIM) from valleys to hilltops, while fungal species had a concave distribution. The patterns of nestedness (βSNE) for tree species decreased from valleys to hilltops, while the opposite was true for soil fungal species. Our findings indicated that the diversity patterns of woody plants and fungi were inconsistent among habitat types, and the relationships between fungal and woody plant communities depended on habitat types in the karst forest.
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•We measured fragmentation by fitting power laws of cumulative patch frequency over patch size.•The Korcak exponent enables scale breakpoints in a spatial structure to be found.•Such ...thresholds become new meaningful indicators of the underlying causes of fragmentation.•Large forest patches become very rare beyond a small (27–101 ha) area threshold.•Interpretations point to landscape as spatial memory of human pressure on forests.
This study quantifies patchiness of eight types of zonal forests in three biogeographic regions of mainland Spain (Atlantic, Alpine and Mediterranean) which together occupy 1,726,578 ha. Their dominant species and European Habitat Type codes (EU Directive 92/43 EEC) are: Fagus sylvatica (9120, 9130 and 9150), Quercus robur and Q. pyrenaica (9230), Q. suber (9330), Pinus uncinata (9430), P. nigra ssp. salzmannii (9530) and P. pinea (subset of 9540). We applied the Korcak’s exponent B, which describes a hyperbolic relationship between the cumulative frequency of the number of patches and their sizes. The objectives were: 1) detect possible patch size intervals in which B varies significantly, explicitly identifying area thresholds, and 2) contribute to development of a robust forest mass fragmentation indicator. Exponent B was found by segmented regression analysis. The vector data were extracted from a filtered version of the Spanish Forest Map 1:50,000 (1997–2006). After validating the procedure by applying it to a previously published dataset, we found that in all cases the patch size range could be split into two significant intervals around relatively small threshold areas of 27–101 ha. In the one on the left, the rate at which relatively large patches become less abundant was always very slow (B = 0.017–0.094). After this threshold had been passed, the rate increased abruptly (B = 1.100–2.590). Both this high fragmentation and its lack of parsimony were unexpected in zonal forest types. General interpretations converge to the coexistence of forest patches of different ages due to human pressure events.
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