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•Highest and lowest average monthly emission was detected over lakes and bheries.•Average emission rate of methane was found 15% higher during pre-monsoon months.•Greater average ...emission was observed for seasonal wetlands than permanent wetlands.•Strong negative effect of water richness was detected over wetland CH4 emission.
Estimation and mapping of wetland methane (CH4) emission is carried out from the wetlands of mature Ganges deltaic environment of India. Wetlands are firstly demarcated into six types and CH4 emission is estimated for each wetland types during pre and post-monsoon seasons in order to assess seasonality effects on methanogenesis across wetland habitat types. Water Richness (WR) of the wetlands area was also assessed using Machine Learning (ML) algorithms to investigate its effect on CH4 emission. Results show significant variation of wetland CH4 emission influenced by WR and seasonality. Very high WR zone is found over almost 18% wetland area where average monthly emission is <0.5 ton/km2. This rate is much lower than the average monthly emission of very low WR zone (>3.0 ton/km2) covering more than 35% of the wetland area. Average monthly emission during pre-monsoon season is about 0.18 ton/km2 and which decreases to 0.15 ton/km2 during post-monsoon season. Considerable seasonal wetland areas make greater total CH4 emission during post-monsoon month than pre-monsoon. Highest average monthly emission rate is found over lakes which is 1.73 ton/km2 during pre-monsoon and reduces to 0.54 ton/km2 during post-monsoon followed by marshy wetlands. The bheries (local name of embanked wetland diurnally controlled by tidal water mainly used for pisciculture) show the lowest emission rate which is not more than 0.08 ton/km2.
Understanding large‐scale drivers of biodiversity in palustrine wetlands is challenging due to the combined effects of macroclimate and local edaphic conditions. In boreal and temperate fen ...ecosystems, the influence of macroclimate on biodiversity is modulated by hydrological settings across habitats, making it difficult to assess their vulnerability to climate change. Here, we investigate the influence of macroclimate and edaphic factors on three Essential Biodiversity Variables across eight ecologically defined habitats that align with ecosystem classifications and red lists. We used 27,555 vegetation plot samples from European fens to assess the influence of macroclimate and groundwater pH predictors on the geographic distribution of each habitat type. Additionally, we modeled the relative influence of macroclimate, water pH, and water table depth on community species richness and composition, focusing on 309 plant specialists. Our models reveal strong effects of mean annual temperature, diurnal thermal range, and summer temperature on biodiversity variables, with contrasting differences among habitats. While macroclimatic factors primarily shape geographic distributions and species richness, edaphic factors emerge as the primary drivers of composition for vascular plants and bryophytes. Annual precipitation exhibits non‐linear effects on fen biodiversity, with varying impact across habitats with different hydrological characteristics, suggesting a minimum requirement of 600 mm of annual precipitation for the occurrence of fen ecosystems. Our results anticipate potential impacts of climate warming on European fens, with predictable changes among habitat types and geographic regions. Moreover, we provide evidence that the drivers of biodiversity in boreal and temperate fens are closely tied to the ecological characteristics of each habitat type and the dispersal abilities of bryophytes and vascular plants. Given that the influence of macroclimate and edaphic factors on fen ecosystems is habitat specific, climate change research and conservation actions should consider ecological differentiation within functional IUCN ecosystems at continental and regional scales.
Predicting the impact of climate change on boreal and temperate fens is a challenging task. We evaluated how Essential Biodiversity Variables responded to macroclimate and edaphic factors across eight ecologically defined European fen habitats. Ecosystem distributions and species richness were primarily influenced by temperature‐related variables, whereas edaphic factors shaped community composition. Biodiversity responses were idiosyncratic to the ecological and hydrological characteristics of each habitat. To address the effects of climate change on fen ecosystems, it will be essential to adopt habitat‐based approaches in research and conservation.
This study analysed the dynamics of natural habitat types in the last 30 years, in the three largest Natura 2000 sites in the Apuseni Mountains area in Romania. The Apuseni Mountains area records one ...of the highest percentages of protected areas among Romanian mountains, exceeding 50%, characterised by high biodiversity with faunal and floral endemics and rare species across distinctive karstic landscapes. Habitat type maps were derived from Landsat satellite images acquired in 1986, 1993, 2000, 2007 and 2015 using an object-based classification. Based on habitat type maps, 18 landscape metrics at the class level and 16 metrics at the landscape level have been derived to quantify the structure, composition and spatial pattern of the landscape, correlating them with habitat type area changes. Results indicate that in the last 30 years, the deciduous and coniferous forests continuously improved in the Apuseni-Vlădeasa Mountains, but surprisingly deteriorated after the site was declared a Special Protection Area (SPA) in 2007. The mixed forest habitat type has recorded a tendency of deterioration since 1986, however, this trend stopped in 2007, probably due to the decrease of human interventions. In this site, the pastures and meadows habitat type deteriorated until 2000 due to agriculture development (before 1993) and natural growth of vegetation, improving considerably after that with a surprising atenuation after 2007. The deciduous forests habitats within the Defileul Mureşului Inferior – Dealurile Lipovei site deteriorated until 2007, but it appears that human interventions have diminished after the site was declared a SPA, while within the Drocea-Zarand site the deciduous forests have not suffered deterioration. In these two sites, pastures recorded a constant deterioration in the last three decades, mainly due to land abandonment. Results are potentially useful for authorities to improve management and to develop appropriate strategies for habitat conservation.
•Dynamics of natural habitat types of the Apuseni Mountains since 1986 were analyzed.•Habitat types condition in the largest site improved in the last 30 years.•The largest site landscape has been alarmingly deteriorated after the site was declared a Special Protection Area.•The other two sites recorded overall tendencies of habitat type deterioration.
The noise filter hypothesis predicts that species using higher sound frequencies should be more tolerant of noise pollution, because anthropogenic noise is more intense at low frequencies. Recent ...work analysed continental‐scale data on anthropogenic noise across the USA and found that passerine species inhabiting more noise‐polluted areas do not have higher peak song frequency but have more complex songs. However, this metric of song complexity is of ambiguous interpretation, because it can indicate either diverse syllables or a larger frequency bandwidth. In the latter case, the finding would support the noise filter hypothesis, because larger frequency bandwidths mean that more sound energy spreads to frequencies that are less masked by anthropogenic noise. We reanalysed how passerine song predicts exposure to noise using a more thorough dataset of acoustic song measurements, and showed that it is large frequency bandwidths, rather than diverse syllables, that predict the exposure of species to noise pollution. Given that larger bandwidths often encompass higher maximum frequencies, which are less masked by anthropogenic noise, our result suggests that tolerance to noise pollution might depend mostly on having the high‐frequency parts of song little masked by noise, thus preventing acoustic communication from going entirely unnoticed at long distances.
The unique, basophilic rocky grasslands on the Pulinka rock near Kletno in the Śnieżnik Massif (Eastern Sudetes) have been known since the 1960s. The aim of the study was to, re-analyze the status of ...this plant community with reference to species composition, functional structure, habitat conditions and syntaxonomic position 50 years afer its discovery, and first description. For this purpose, we used archival and contemporary data. The obtained results revealed close compositional similarity between the vegetation plots collected in 1968 and 2022. The abundance of relic species documented in phytosociological relevès has remained constant (Sesleria tatrae, Galium anisophyllon) or increased (Scabiosa lucida). Additionally, the first locality of Calamagrostis varia was found on the Pulinka – a species not yet recorded in the Sudetes. On the other hand, some regular fluctuations in the abundance of sporadic species were observed. However, these were not reflected in changes in community-weighted means for environmental variables (temperature, light, nutrients, soil reaction, and moisture) and functional traits (specific leaf area, seed mass, and leaf dry matter content). We also found no differences in the functional diversity index (FD Rao) between the first and last surveys. Therefore, the lack of temporal changes in the main ecological features may indicate a high stability of the studied grasslands despite the pressure of external factors (progressive climate warming and nitrogen deposition). The phytosociological analysis carried out suggests that the studied community belongs to the class Elyno-Seslerietea and the order Seslerietalia caeruleae. However, due to the unusually poor species composition of the studied rocky grasslands, we did not find it currently possible to classify them at the alliance and association level. This requires further studies and classification based on broader data, including Western Carpathian calcicolous swards.
Intensively managed agricultural landscapes often lack suitable habitats to support diverse wildlife, particularly harming pollinator communities. Besides mass flowering crops, remnant patches of ...natural and semi‐natural vegetation may play a key role in maintaining and conserving biodiversity. Yet, the effects of different natural habitats, including forests and grasslands, on different pollinator communities are poorly understood at the landscape scale.
We examined the abundance, richness, and diversity of wild bees and hoverflies, two key pollinator groups, across a land‐use gradient spanning forest edges, grassland, wildflower strips, and sunflower monoculture. We also examined the distribution of hoverfly larvae trophic guilds and wild bee nesting traits across the above‐mentioned land‐use gradient. Finally, we evaluated the impact of landscape structure (forest, grassland, and water cover in the surrounding landscape) on pollinator community composition.
Our results indicate that forest and grassland habitats supported a higher abundance and greater richness of pollinators than wildflower strips and sunflower monocultures. Furthermore, hoverflies were more sensitive to habitat and floristic homogenization than wild bees. Sunflower and wildflower habitats also hosted a lower diversity of larvae trophic guilds and wild bee nesting guilds as compared to forests and grasslands.
Our study suggests that conserving and restoring forest and grassland habitats within agricultural mosaics may serve as the main ‘refuge’ for wild pollinators.
Land use type (forest edge, grassland, sunflower, wildflower strip) had significant, strong effects on overall pollinator abundance.
Sunflower monoculture and wild flower strips significantly decreased pollinator abundance relative to forest edges. The abundance of wild bees and hoverflies decreased from forest edges to grasslands.
Forest cover exhibited different effects on wild bee and hoverfly richness. A stronger increase was noted in hoverfly richness and diversity with increasing forest cover as compared to wild bees.
The ‘Habitats’ Directive (HD 92/43/EEC) is one of the primary legal tools aiming at conserving nature in Europe. Due to the complex iter to revise it, the habitats listed in the Annex I have been ...seldom updated after the HD adoption. Basing on already available information and expert knowledge, this paper presents a preliminary list of relevant habitats occurring in Sardinia, not yet considered and worth to be placed in the Annex I. Two new habitat proposals, one habitat new for Italy, and nine new subtypes of already existing HD habitats are here described. Most of the proposed new habitats and subtypes have a limited distribution range, due to the high number of narrow, often endangered, endemic species that characterize them. Being neglected, they are consequently poorly investigated, inconstantly monitored and unprotected. Thus, the main aim of this paper is to promote their conservation through implementation of HD and its interpretation manuals.
In response to growing demand for ecosystem‐level risk assessment in biodiversity conservation, and rapid proliferation of locally tailored protocols, the IUCN recently endorsed new Red List criteria ...as a global standard for ecosystem risk assessment. Four qualities were sought in the design of the IUCN criteria: generality; precision; realism; and simplicity. Drawing from extensive global consultation, we explore trade‐offs among these qualities when dealing with key challenges, including ecosystem classification, measuring ecosystem dynamics, degradation and collapse, and setting decision thresholds to delimit ordinal categories of threat. Experience from countries with national lists of threatened ecosystems demonstrates well‐balanced trade‐offs in current and potential applications of Red Lists of Ecosystems in legislation, policy, environmental management and education. The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems should be judged by whether it achieves conservation ends and improves natural resource management, whether its limitations are outweighed by its benefits, and whether it performs better than alternative methods. Future development of the Red List of Ecosystems will benefit from the history of the Red List of Threatened Species which was trialed and adjusted iteratively over 50 years from rudimentary beginnings. We anticipate the Red List of Ecosystems will promote policy focus on conservation outcomes in situ across whole landscapes and seascapes.
► The paper refers to the relationships between biodiversity, ecosystem services (ES) and nature conservation. ► This issue is exemplified on the Pan-European network of protected areas “Natura ...2000”. ► A literature survey is followed by a case study in the Ore Mountains situated along the border between Germany and the Czech Republic. ► The specific role of Natura 2000 habitat types and species for the provision of ES is revealed. ► It is also shown how biodiversity and ES of Natura 2000 sites are or will be influenced by land use changes and by climate change.
The recent discussion about the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem services also raises the question as to whether the argumentative basis for nature conservation can be strengthened by emphasizing the role of species and habitats in supporting ecosystem services. A literature survey shows that mainly socio-cultural and some regulating services are dependent on particular species, groups of species, or habitat types, while many other services, especially those related to provisioning, rely more heavily on vegetation structures and land cover. These findings are exemplified and discussed using a case study on Natura 2000 sites in the Ore Mountains in the German state of Saxony. Only a small portion of the species listed in the Annexes of the Habitats Directive is bound to particular Natura 2000 habitat types. Such species can be regarded as indicators both for these habitats and for the ecosystem services they provide, as well as for indicating changes in ecosystems and related services, which are caused by climate change and land use changes (e.g. due to flood mitigation measures and the enhanced use of renewable energies).
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