Background:Soil acidifcationn caused by anthropogenic activities may aft soil biochemical cydling,bidiversity,productivity,and multiple eosystem-related functions in drylands.However,to date,such information is lackin...Background:Soil acidifcationn caused by anthropogenic activities may aft soil biochemical cydling,bidiversity,productivity,and multiple eosystem-related functions in drylands.However,to date,such information is lacking to support this hypothesis.Methods Based on a transect survey of 78 naturally assembled shrub communities,we caloulated acid deposition flux in Northwest China and evaluated its likely ecological ffets by testing three altemnative hypotheses,namely:.nidche complementarity,mass ratio,and vegetation quantity hypotheses Rao's quadratic entopy and community-weighted mean traits were employed to represent the complementary aspect of niche complementarity and mass ratio effects,respectively.Resulbs:We observed that in the past four decades,the concentrations of exchangeable base cations in soil in Northwest China have decreased significantly to the extent of having faced the risk of depletion,whereas changes in the calium carbonate content and pH of soil were not significant.Adid deposition primani ly increased the aboweground biomass and shrub density in shrublands but had no sigmificant effect on shrub richness and ecasystem multifunctionality(EMF),indicating that acid deposition had positive but weak ecological effects on dryland ecosystems.Community wd ghted mean of functional traits(representing the mass ratio hypothesis)correlated negatively with EMF,whereas both Rao's quadratic entropy(representing the niche complementarity hypothesis)and aboveground biomass(representing the vegetation quantity hypothesis)correlated positively but insignifcantly with EMF.These biodiversity-EMF relationships highlight the fragility and instability of drylands relative to forest ecasystems.Concuions:The findings from this study serve as important reference points to understand the ris of soil acidification in arid regions and its impacts on biodiversity-EMF relationships.展开更多
The significance of biodiversity and ecosystem services are gradually recognized by human as an approach towards sustainability, so it is important to understand relationships and congruence between them to support co...The significance of biodiversity and ecosystem services are gradually recognized by human as an approach towards sustainability, so it is important to understand relationships and congruence between them to support conservation planning, especially in the hotspot areas with a prominent role in conservation. However, the management of most conservation hotspots mainly focused on biodiversity, and rarely concerned with ecosystem services. With the aim of proposing criteria for conservation strategies that contribute to the optimization of biodiversity and ecosystem services, in this study, a Geographic Information System(GIS)-based approach was designed to estimate and map the biodiversity and ecosystem services in Chongqing Municipality of China. Furthermore, the distributions of hotspot areas for biodiversity and ecosystem services were mapped based on the relationship between cumulative ecosystem services and areas. Finally the statistical analysis was processed focused on specific conservation objectives. The results showed that hotspot areas can conserve the most biodiversity but with the least ecosystem services under the conservation plans target to biodiversity conservation. In contrast, depending on the ecosystem services of interest, hotspot areas can conserve the largest ecosystem services but with the least biodiversity. By integrating biodiversity and ecosystem services into conservation plan, we found that the conservation and regeneration of these small areas, would contribute to a conservation of 44% of the biodiversity hotspot and 14%–42% of the ecosystem services hotspot. Moreover, the current nature reserve selection was not maximize the biodiversity and ecosystem services compared to integration strategy, indicating that hotspot areas conservation and selection is vital for optimization protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services, and has practical significance for natural resources and ecosystem management.展开更多
The Sustainable Wetland Management adopted for this study depicts that, the identification of drivers and impacts is needed first, in other to get a clearer roadmap, after which the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversit...The Sustainable Wetland Management adopted for this study depicts that, the identification of drivers and impacts is needed first, in other to get a clearer roadmap, after which the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework would come into play to serve as a pathway for Sustainability. The study evaluates how Sierra Leone might implement the Framework’s proposed strategies in National Wetland Management. As a result, the research tried to thoroughly examine the factors that contribute to wetland degradation as well as the effects they have on the people who live nearby. The purposive sampling method was used to administer 385 structured questionnaires to inhabitants. The data was then processed in an Excel spreadsheet. Microsoft Publisher was used to draw the framework and a descriptive analysis was done. Results indicated that;the majority of the inhabitants of Aberdeen Creek are traders/self-employed, furthermore, the majority chose the place because it’s less expensive and nearer to the workplace, settlement expansion and pollution are the two most common degrading activities, while flooding and health-related issues are some of the consequences, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is regarded to be a perfect tool for wetland management. It was concluded that to accomplish the objectives in the framework, it is necessary to have both political and social will. Satellite data and water quality research are further needed to validate the report.展开更多
Due to the rapid economic growth and the continuous increase of human, ecosystem disturbances and habitat destructions, the biodiversity of freshwater ecosystems in China is rapidly declining. This issue is gradually ...Due to the rapid economic growth and the continuous increase of human, ecosystem disturbances and habitat destructions, the biodiversity of freshwater ecosystems in China is rapidly declining. This issue is gradually gaining the government’s attention as its environmental policy becomes more and more equally-weighed on both “pollution prevention and control” and “ecological conservation” issues while only the former was emphasized in the past. However, some unsolved issues still exist with regard to aquatic biodiversity monitoring and management in China. For example, there are functional overlaps among governmental departments; regional ecological function divisions are not clarified; biodiversity is usually neglected or not emphasized in environmental impact assessment for construction projects; and so on. In our opinion, the following areas should be emphasied: (a) enhancing the cooperation among governmental departments; (b) setting up mechanisms to allow ecological watershed management; (c) establishing the biodiversity conservation and ecological restoration planning for local freshwater ecosystem; (d) clarifying the ecological function divisions; (e) enhancing the biodiversity monitoring and management for freshwater ecosystem in environmental impact assessment studies for industrial construction and rural development projects; (f) establishing a technical regulatory framework for related monitoring and management activities which includes an index system for monitoring and assessment; (g) studying and establishing the related biological criteria for formulating assessment standards; and (h) paying attention to aquatic vegetation, fishes, benthic macro-invertebrates and other key aquatic assemblages.展开更多
Aquatic ecosystems support a substantial source of the earth’s biological diversity. They are an essential reservoir and share an enormous proportion of earth’s biological productivity. Both aquatic resources and it...Aquatic ecosystems support a substantial source of the earth’s biological diversity. They are an essential reservoir and share an enormous proportion of earth’s biological productivity. Both aquatic resources and its biodiversity are interrelated to each other and they perform a myriad of functions and are valuable and essential for the sustainability of biotic communities. Aquatic biodiversity in both freshwater and marine environments are under continuous decline because of overexploitation of species, introduced exotic plant or animal, pollution sources from cities, industries and agricultural zones, loss and changes in ecological niche. Their conservation and management in the form of bio reserve points and bioregional management and worldwide monitoring are needed for the protection of the aquatic biodiversity. This review is presenting information on biodiversity in aquatic habitats and their resources, in marine and fresh water ecosystems, their importance conservation and restoration mechanisms.展开更多
This is a review paper based on national and international literature, national inventories and empirical approach. A general overview of the forests, forest management and forest biodiversity of Greece are briefly su...This is a review paper based on national and international literature, national inventories and empirical approach. A general overview of the forests, forest management and forest biodiversity of Greece are briefly summarized. The distribution of the main forest species and their ecosystems in the Geographic regions of Greece is presented in a tabular form. Their multiple functions and uses, their management type/regime, their risks and threats, protection and conservation measures are also synoptically described. Furthermore, adaptive forest management and silviculture as well as management of genetic diversity in order to face climate change are also analysed. Research priority areas on biodiversity and challenges for biodiversity research and related policy in Greece have been summarized. The new Rural Development Program (2014-2020), which is currently in the final phase of implementation, will take into consideration the forest itself and forest-related European and National legal obligations. Finally, major conclusions and research priority areas on future management and conservation of forests are highlighted.展开更多
This paper examines the role and effectiveness of locacal institutions in the management of forest biodiversity in New Dabaga-Ulongambi Forest Reserve, Tanzania. Data were obtained through questionnaires, interviews, ...This paper examines the role and effectiveness of locacal institutions in the management of forest biodiversity in New Dabaga-Ulongambi Forest Reserve, Tanzania. Data were obtained through questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions, participatory rural appraisal and field observations. The study revealed that the most remarkable local institutions connected to forest biodiversity management include: Village Natural Resources Man- agement Committee (92%), tree nursery group (79.4%), beekeep- ing groups (61.1%), fish fanning (43.3%), livestock rearing group (33.9%). Main activities carried out by local institutions which directly contribute to the sustainability Of forest reserve include: forest patrols, fire extinguish, preparation of fire breaks, plant- ing of trees along the forest boundaries, creation of awareness, arresting of forest defaulters, participation in income generation activities. For the purpose of realization that local communities are capable of managing forest biodiversity through their traditional institutions, the policy should provide tangible opportunity for local communities to meet their needs as they manage the forests.展开更多
Aiming at providing theoretical basis for effective protection of biodiversity, the study presents a cascade method which combines both qualitative and quantitative methods, incorporates basic data with RS(remote se...Aiming at providing theoretical basis for effective protection of biodiversity, the study presents a cascade method which combines both qualitative and quantitative methods, incorporates basic data with RS(remote sense) technology, and ranks the ecosystems according to its ability of biodiversity sustainability in Hebei Province. The results indicate that the most important areas for protection in Hebei Province are forest and meadow ecosystems in some highlands around Xiaowutai Mountain, Wuling Mountain, North Hebei, Taihang Mountain and East Hebei; grass ecosystems in part of plateau area and North Hebei; and some scattered wetlands in the plain and inshore areas. This method is suitable for undertaking large-scale investigations especially when the data are not adequate or unevenly distributed spatially.展开更多
Biodiversity and ecosystem services play key roles in future economic strategies seeking to promote development and prosperity. This study assesses the status of biodiversity and flow of ecosystem services from select...Biodiversity and ecosystem services play key roles in future economic strategies seeking to promote development and prosperity. This study assesses the status of biodiversity and flow of ecosystem services from selected forest types in the Western Ghats. At the sampling sites, the number of tree species ranged from 16 to 79 per hectare depending on the forest type. The estimates for Shannon–Wiener index for trees in the evergreen, moist deciduous and dry deciduous forest plots were 3.02, 2.9 and 1.54, respectively. The total biomass carbon stocks in evergreen, moist deciduous and dry deciduous forests in the study area was 229, 221 and 189 t C/ha, respectively.Analysis of dependency patterns of local communities on forest resources indicated a high dependency on provisional services such as fuelwood, manure and fodder. The study records the highest dependency rates for fuelwood,ranging between 72 and 100% for the three forest types and indicates that forest ecosystems underpin the well-being of the population dependent directly and indirectly on them.展开更多
Background: Two approaches mark the difference between the "ecological" and "agricultural" view of the biodiversity/ growth relation. In ecology the trend is averaged by taking monocultures of all species as base...Background: Two approaches mark the difference between the "ecological" and "agricultural" view of the biodiversity/ growth relation. In ecology the trend is averaged by taking monocultures of all species as baseline to evaluate mixtures. This contrasts the "agricultural" view focusing on the most productive species or species combination as baseline to evaluate mixtures. The present study investigates the change of highest rates (maximum) productivities in grasslands and forests with increasing plant (or tree) diversity, and compares these with the average response. Methods: We base our analysis on existing published datasets relating the growth of plant stands (growth rate per land area) to the diversity on the same plot. We use a global dataset (Ellis et al. 2012 and MODIS-data, see Fig. 1), the grassland experiment in lena (Buchmann et al. 2017), the regional study on forests in Romania and Germany by Bouriaud et al. (2016), and data from the German National Forest inventory (BWl 3, see Fig. 3). In all cases the average response of growth to changes in biodiversity as well as the boundary line of the maximum values was calculated. Results: in both vegetation types a decreasing trend of maximum productivity with any added species emerges, contrasting the average trend that was positive in grassland, but absent in forests. The trend of maximum values was non-significant in grasslands probably due to the fact that not all combinations of species mixtures were available. In temperate forests, maximum productivity decreases significantly by about 10% in regional studies and by 8% at national scale with each added species. Maximum biomass per area was the same for managed and unmanaged conditions. A global assessment of NPP and biodiversity could also not confirm a general positive biodiversity- productivity relationship. Conclusions: Managed grasslands and forests reach highest productivity and volumes at low diversity. Also globally we could not confirm a biodiversity effect on productivity. Despite this, for long-living organisms, such as trees, the incentive for land managers exists to reduce the risk of failure due to climate extremes and diseases by taking a loss in productivity into account and to actively maintain a mixture of species.展开更多
Regular grid of permanent sample plots (PSP) of ICP-Forests monitoring system was used for forest ecosystems biodiversity assessments and inventory. The supplementary features were added to the PSP structure to conduc...Regular grid of permanent sample plots (PSP) of ICP-Forests monitoring system was used for forest ecosystems biodiversity assessments and inventory. The supplementary features were added to the PSP structure to conduct biological diversity census: eight sample plots 1 × 1 m for geo-botanical description;two sample plots of 5 × 5 m each for description of the PSP’s undergrowth;one 25 × 25 m plot for coarse woody debris estimations;four soil inventory pits. The total number of PSP amounted to 248. Total data used are as following: 1) 1984 geo-botanical descriptions of vegetation belonging to ground cover layers made on 1 × 1 m sample plots;2) 496 descriptions of undergrowth on 5 × 5 m sample plots;3) 178 descriptions of woody debris on 25 × 25 m sample plots;4) 496 descriptions of soil inventory pits. General statistical indicators characterizing forest land cover diversity were calculated. Statistic indicators of α-diversity for the Karelian Isthmus forest vegetation cover have the following values: 1) m (mean number of species per PSP) = 26 species;2) σ (standard deviation) = 9.5 species;3) v (variation coefficient) = 36.5%;4) Р (deviation amplitude) = 60 – 7 = 53 species. β – diversity of forest ecosystems as well as γ – diversity also was studied on the base of information collected on the same regular grid of sample plots. It appears that sample plots distribution by species diversity gradation is well described by the standard curve of normal distribution for the entire Karelian Isthmus forest (determination coefficient of the curve being 95.2%) as well as for each type of forest. Hence, the criterion (standard) of biodiversity for forest ecosystems can be defined as the mean value of alpha diversity for each forest type group – m;and the standard deviation – σ, as a tool for assessing deviations from the standard. PSP locations are fixed using GPS technology, this allows biodiversity assessments at the same place in the next years for biodiversity trends estimations and consist the frame for systematic biodiversity inventory.展开更多
The 21st century has seen an acceleration of global change,including climate change,elevated carbon dioxide,nitrogen deposition,and land-use intensification,which poses a significant threat to ecosystem functioning.Ne...The 21st century has seen an acceleration of global change,including climate change,elevated carbon dioxide,nitrogen deposition,and land-use intensification,which poses a significant threat to ecosystem functioning.Nev-ertheless,studies on the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning(BEF)have consistently demonstrated that biodiversity enhances ecosystem functioning and its stability,even in variable environmental conditions.These findings potentially indicate the critical role of biodiversity in promoting sustainable provi-sioning of ecosystem functioning under global change.Our paper provides a comprehensive review of current BEF research and the response of BEF to multiple global change factors.We demonstrate that(1)assessing the effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning requires consideration of multiple dimensions of diversity,such as diversity across multiple trophic levels(plants,animals,and microbes),multiple facets(taxonomy,functional traits,and phylogeny),and multiple spatial scales(local,regional,and landscape scales).(2)The interaction of multiple global change factors may lead to a greater reduction in biodiversity and ecosystem functioning than a single global change factor.(3)Multidimensional biodiversity regulates the response of ecosystem functioning to global change factors,indicating that high levels of multidimensional biodiversity can mitigate the negative impacts of global change on ecosystem functioning.Overall,we emphasize that recognizing the importance of multidimensional biodiversity is critical for sustaining ecosystem functioning.Therefore,prioritizing conserva-tion efforts to maintain and enhance all dimensions of biodiversity is essential to address the challenges of future global change.展开更多
The estimation was made for the conservation value of forest ecosystem biodiversity in Nyingchi Prefecture of Tibet.The results showed that the annual economic benefits of biodiversity in Nyingchi Prefecture were abou...The estimation was made for the conservation value of forest ecosystem biodiversity in Nyingchi Prefecture of Tibet.The results showed that the annual economic benefits of biodiversity in Nyingchi Prefecture were about 21.4 billion yuan,and the annual economic benefits of global biodiversity were about 3 trillion USD.It indicated that the ecological value of forest ecosystem in Nyingchi Prefecture is high,forest ecosystem has extremely important ecological value.Therefore,in the decision-making process,it is necessary to strengthen the protection of forest ecosystem,with particular emphasis on the restoration of damaged ecosystem.展开更多
Currently insect pest management solely depends on chemical pesticide that continuously affects on environment, biodiversity, animal as well as human health. Outbreak of secondary insect pest is also the cost of pesti...Currently insect pest management solely depends on chemical pesticide that continuously affects on environment, biodiversity, animal as well as human health. Outbreak of secondary insect pest is also the cost of pesticide use in field leading crop more vulnerable to more pests. These negative impacts of pesticides have provoked growing interest in the adoption of multi-function agricultural biodiversity that promote pest management, creating interesting challenge for traditional approaches to regulatory compliance. To address multi-function agricultural practice, we tested several intercropping systems with mustard and their effect on pest management. Our results revealed that intercropping systems mustard with onion, garlic, radhuni and coriander significantly reduced pest population over sole crop. However, intercropping mustard with wheat and gram increased pest population in mustard field. This result indicated that all crops are not suitable for intercropping system. Among the tested intercropping systems, mustard with onion and coriander significantly reduced branch and flower infestation and increased pod formation per plant. These four intercropping systems did not significantly affect on honeybee pollinator which are crucial for mustard crop yield. A significant linear relationship was also found between honeybee population and pod formation. Our results indicate that suitable intercropping system can be a potential multi-functional agricultural practice for pest management in mustard crop.展开更多
Over the past 50 years,a number of homegrown solutions and international development assistance have been initiated and implemented to address the West Africa Sahel region’s biodiversity resources decline.This ranges...Over the past 50 years,a number of homegrown solutions and international development assistance have been initiated and implemented to address the West Africa Sahel region’s biodiversity resources decline.This ranges from indigenous/community led natural resources regeneration and land restoration techniques,funding and technical support in developing protected areas,military aid,specialized training of forest rangers and massive education of populace on biodiversity protection.Terrorist activities have negatively affected the biodiversity management in West Africa Sahel.However,there is a paucity of information about the impacts of terrorist activities on biodiversity management in West Africa.Therefore,this study tries to close this knowledge gap by describing and highlighting the impact of terrorism on biodiversity in West Africa Sahel.The authors used a systematic review of data through search engines like Google scholar,Z-library,Mendeley,Researchgate and Jstor for reports,scientific articles,books,field notes and other already published materials.The authors also consulted videos and media reports on YouTube,France24,PBS news etc.The study highlighted the key impacts of terrorist activities on biodiversity management.Some of these include the kidnaping of foresters,hijacking and controlling the management protected area like the case of Park W,destroying forest/bush fires,the use of explosive and poaching.These activities destroy animals’habitats and therefore causing biodiversity depletion.The authors recommend the enhancement of the framework of protect areas,enhance the management of conflicts between population around protected areas as some sustainable solutions to biodiversity management.The Sahel states should strengthen their cooperation in building the capacities of the citizens in reducing the viability of terrorism through sustainable green jobs.展开更多
Liberia holds 44.5% of the remaining portion of the Upper Guinean Rainforest in West Africa,which is home to critically endangered forest elephants and western chimpanzees.The forests are of vital importance for the l...Liberia holds 44.5% of the remaining portion of the Upper Guinean Rainforest in West Africa,which is home to critically endangered forest elephants and western chimpanzees.The forests are of vital importance for the livelihoods of millions of West Africans and provide key ecosystem services of local and global importance for food systems transformation and agroecology.Liberia’s efforts toward land reform through legislation and policies recognise communities’rights to own and manage their customary lands and resources.These include the National Forestry Reform Law of 2006,the Community Rights Law Concerning Forest Lands of 2009,and the Land Rights Act of 2018,and more.In May 2022,a program team from the Sustainable Development Institute(SDI)-Friends of the Earth Liberia researched the social and environmental impacts of Maryland Oil Palm Plantations(MOPPs)in Liberia.Twenty-three(23)key informant interviews(KIIs)and 10 focus group discussions(FGDs)were conducted in seven communities in and around the MOPP.They included farmers,contract workers,MOPP staff,local authorities,women and youth leaders,the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA)Inspector,the Civil Society Head,and the Gender Coordinator of Maryland County.The team cross-checked information with formal documents as much as possible and took photographs and global positioning system(GPS)locations of areas of deforestation,pollution,and conflict.The team also used observation to monitor environmental pollution,such as affluent into water bodies and planting oil palm in wetlands.The team used narrative analysis and geospatial landscape analysis to analyze the data.The research finds that land conflict and deforestation have several negative impacts on communities.MOPP has not respected land tenure rights or followed Free Prior and Informed Consent(FPIC)standards,including resettlement without reparation and destruction of farms and old towns without(sufficient)compensation or restitution.During MOPP land acquisition and clearance,communities experienced the loss of their farms and the identification of villages as“village de squatters”,leading to restricted access to farmland,heightened food insecurity,and reduced income from cash crops to support families.MOPP destroyed high conservation value areas and destroyed secondary forest regrowth,which affected important biodiversity areas.MOPP is one of the four large-scale industrial palm oil plantations in Liberia in Maryland County.It has a palm oil mill in a joint venture with Golden Veroleum Liberia(GVL).Its 2011 concession agreement includes 8,800 hectares for industrial palm oil plantations.展开更多
Background: Climate change may strongly influence soil erosion risk, namely through variations in the precipitation pattern. Forests may contribute to mitigate the impacts of climate change on soil erosion and forest ...Background: Climate change may strongly influence soil erosion risk, namely through variations in the precipitation pattern. Forests may contribute to mitigate the impacts of climate change on soil erosion and forest managers are thus challenged by the need to define strategies that may protect the soil while addressing the demand for other ecosystem services. Our emphasis is on the development of an approach to assess the impact of silvicultural practices and forest management models on soil erosion risks under climate change. Specifically, we consider the annual variation of the cover-management factor(C) in the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation over a range of alternative forest management models to estimate the corresponding annual soil losses, under both current and changing climate conditions. We report and discuss results of an application of this approach to a forest area in Northwestern Portugal where erosion control is the most relevant water-related ecosystem service.Results: Local climate change scenarios will contribute to water erosion processes, mostly by rainfall erosivity increase.Different forest management models provide varying levels of soil protection by trees, resulting in distinct soil loss potential.Conclusions: Results confirm the suitability of the proposed approach to address soil erosion concerns in forest management planning. This approach may help foresters assess management models and the corresponding silvicultural practices according to the water-related services they provide.展开更多
Along with the industrial development, adverse impacts on the natural environment become more serious, and ecosystem health and ecological security have also been deteriorated. The traditional environment management f...Along with the industrial development, adverse impacts on the natural environment become more serious, and ecosystem health and ecological security have also been deteriorated. The traditional environment management focused on the shorterm and economic benefits. Such managing pattern is not accommodating to the new situation of increasingly global environment problems and large scale marine environment problems. This paper introduces the advance and definition of a new managing patternecosystem management. Meanwhile, the con- notation of ecosystem management was summarized as seven points: Sustainability; Human is an important aspect of ecosystem management; Cooperation is the foundation of ecosystem management; Maintain health and security of ecosystem; Ecological diversity protection characters ecosystem management; Maintain the integrity of ecosystem; Ecosystem management must be founded on scientific theories and precise information. Somebody said Ecosystem Management is "a new label of old ideas". However, there is an essential difference between ecosystem management and traditional environmental management. In the last part of this paper, the differences of the approaches between ecosystem management and traditional environmental management are compared.展开更多
Biodiversity is a complex system involving plants, animals, microorganisms and human beings. Due to human population growth and economic pressure, there has been a high rate of biological resource destruction. Realizi...Biodiversity is a complex system involving plants, animals, microorganisms and human beings. Due to human population growth and economic pressure, there has been a high rate of biological resource destruction. Realizing this global environmental concern, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) established the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1992. It marked a significant step in the global efforts in the conservation and sustained utilization of biological diversity. Thailand joined other counties signing the Convention but ratification has not yet been made. However, the country is among those that have carried out many activities in support of the conservation and sustained utilization of biological resources.展开更多
Background: Forest biodiversity is the foundation of many ecosystem services, and the effect of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning and processes (BEF) has been a central issue in biodiversity studies. Although m...Background: Forest biodiversity is the foundation of many ecosystem services, and the effect of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning and processes (BEF) has been a central issue in biodiversity studies. Although many hypotheses have been developed to interpret global gradients of biodiversity, there has not been complete agreement on mechanisms controlling biodiversity patterns and distributions. Differences may be due to limited observation data and inconsistencies of spatial scales in analysis. Methods: In this study, we take advantage of USDA Forest Service forest inventory and analysis (FIA) data for exploring regional forest biodiversity and BEF in New England forests. The FIA data provide detailed information of sampled plots and trees for the region, including 6000 FIA plots and more than 33,000 individual trees. Biodiversity models were used to analyze the data. Results: Tree species diversity increases from the north to the south at a rate about 2-3 species per latitudinal degree. Tree species diversity is better predicted by tree height than forest age or biomass. Very different distribution patterns of two common maple species, sugar maple (Acer sdcchorum) and red maple (Acer rubrum), highlight the vulnerability of sugar maple and its potential replacement by red maple on New England landscapes. Red maple generally already outperforms sugar maple, and will likely and continuously benefit from a changing climate in New England. Conclusions: We conclude that forest structure (height) and resources (biomass) are more likely foundational characteristics supporting biodiversity rather than biodiversity determining forest productivity and/or biomass. The potential replacement of red maple for sugar maple in the New England areas could affect biodiversity and stability of forest ecosystem functioning because sugar maple plays important ecological roles distinct from red maple that are beneficial to other tree species in northern hardwood forests. Such a change may not affect forest resilience in terms of forest productivity and biomass as these are similar in red maple and sugar maple, however, it would almost certainly alter forest structure across the landscape.展开更多
基金financially supported by the third xinjiang scientific expedition program (grant no.2022xjkk0901)the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No.XDA2006030102)the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China(No.42171068 and No.42330503)。
文摘Background:Soil acidifcationn caused by anthropogenic activities may aft soil biochemical cydling,bidiversity,productivity,and multiple eosystem-related functions in drylands.However,to date,such information is lacking to support this hypothesis.Methods Based on a transect survey of 78 naturally assembled shrub communities,we caloulated acid deposition flux in Northwest China and evaluated its likely ecological ffets by testing three altemnative hypotheses,namely:.nidche complementarity,mass ratio,and vegetation quantity hypotheses Rao's quadratic entopy and community-weighted mean traits were employed to represent the complementary aspect of niche complementarity and mass ratio effects,respectively.Resulbs:We observed that in the past four decades,the concentrations of exchangeable base cations in soil in Northwest China have decreased significantly to the extent of having faced the risk of depletion,whereas changes in the calium carbonate content and pH of soil were not significant.Adid deposition primani ly increased the aboweground biomass and shrub density in shrublands but had no sigmificant effect on shrub richness and ecasystem multifunctionality(EMF),indicating that acid deposition had positive but weak ecological effects on dryland ecosystems.Community wd ghted mean of functional traits(representing the mass ratio hypothesis)correlated negatively with EMF,whereas both Rao's quadratic entropy(representing the niche complementarity hypothesis)and aboveground biomass(representing the vegetation quantity hypothesis)correlated positively but insignifcantly with EMF.These biodiversity-EMF relationships highlight the fragility and instability of drylands relative to forest ecasystems.Concuions:The findings from this study serve as important reference points to understand the ris of soil acidification in arid regions and its impacts on biodiversity-EMF relationships.
基金Under the auspices of National Key Technology Research and Development Program of China(No.2011BAC09B08)Special Issue of National Remote Sensing Survey and Assessment of Eco-Environment Change Between 2000 and 2010(No.STSN-04-01)
文摘The significance of biodiversity and ecosystem services are gradually recognized by human as an approach towards sustainability, so it is important to understand relationships and congruence between them to support conservation planning, especially in the hotspot areas with a prominent role in conservation. However, the management of most conservation hotspots mainly focused on biodiversity, and rarely concerned with ecosystem services. With the aim of proposing criteria for conservation strategies that contribute to the optimization of biodiversity and ecosystem services, in this study, a Geographic Information System(GIS)-based approach was designed to estimate and map the biodiversity and ecosystem services in Chongqing Municipality of China. Furthermore, the distributions of hotspot areas for biodiversity and ecosystem services were mapped based on the relationship between cumulative ecosystem services and areas. Finally the statistical analysis was processed focused on specific conservation objectives. The results showed that hotspot areas can conserve the most biodiversity but with the least ecosystem services under the conservation plans target to biodiversity conservation. In contrast, depending on the ecosystem services of interest, hotspot areas can conserve the largest ecosystem services but with the least biodiversity. By integrating biodiversity and ecosystem services into conservation plan, we found that the conservation and regeneration of these small areas, would contribute to a conservation of 44% of the biodiversity hotspot and 14%–42% of the ecosystem services hotspot. Moreover, the current nature reserve selection was not maximize the biodiversity and ecosystem services compared to integration strategy, indicating that hotspot areas conservation and selection is vital for optimization protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services, and has practical significance for natural resources and ecosystem management.
文摘The Sustainable Wetland Management adopted for this study depicts that, the identification of drivers and impacts is needed first, in other to get a clearer roadmap, after which the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework would come into play to serve as a pathway for Sustainability. The study evaluates how Sierra Leone might implement the Framework’s proposed strategies in National Wetland Management. As a result, the research tried to thoroughly examine the factors that contribute to wetland degradation as well as the effects they have on the people who live nearby. The purposive sampling method was used to administer 385 structured questionnaires to inhabitants. The data was then processed in an Excel spreadsheet. Microsoft Publisher was used to draw the framework and a descriptive analysis was done. Results indicated that;the majority of the inhabitants of Aberdeen Creek are traders/self-employed, furthermore, the majority chose the place because it’s less expensive and nearer to the workplace, settlement expansion and pollution are the two most common degrading activities, while flooding and health-related issues are some of the consequences, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is regarded to be a perfect tool for wetland management. It was concluded that to accomplish the objectives in the framework, it is necessary to have both political and social will. Satellite data and water quality research are further needed to validate the report.
文摘Due to the rapid economic growth and the continuous increase of human, ecosystem disturbances and habitat destructions, the biodiversity of freshwater ecosystems in China is rapidly declining. This issue is gradually gaining the government’s attention as its environmental policy becomes more and more equally-weighed on both “pollution prevention and control” and “ecological conservation” issues while only the former was emphasized in the past. However, some unsolved issues still exist with regard to aquatic biodiversity monitoring and management in China. For example, there are functional overlaps among governmental departments; regional ecological function divisions are not clarified; biodiversity is usually neglected or not emphasized in environmental impact assessment for construction projects; and so on. In our opinion, the following areas should be emphasied: (a) enhancing the cooperation among governmental departments; (b) setting up mechanisms to allow ecological watershed management; (c) establishing the biodiversity conservation and ecological restoration planning for local freshwater ecosystem; (d) clarifying the ecological function divisions; (e) enhancing the biodiversity monitoring and management for freshwater ecosystem in environmental impact assessment studies for industrial construction and rural development projects; (f) establishing a technical regulatory framework for related monitoring and management activities which includes an index system for monitoring and assessment; (g) studying and establishing the related biological criteria for formulating assessment standards; and (h) paying attention to aquatic vegetation, fishes, benthic macro-invertebrates and other key aquatic assemblages.
文摘Aquatic ecosystems support a substantial source of the earth’s biological diversity. They are an essential reservoir and share an enormous proportion of earth’s biological productivity. Both aquatic resources and its biodiversity are interrelated to each other and they perform a myriad of functions and are valuable and essential for the sustainability of biotic communities. Aquatic biodiversity in both freshwater and marine environments are under continuous decline because of overexploitation of species, introduced exotic plant or animal, pollution sources from cities, industries and agricultural zones, loss and changes in ecological niche. Their conservation and management in the form of bio reserve points and bioregional management and worldwide monitoring are needed for the protection of the aquatic biodiversity. This review is presenting information on biodiversity in aquatic habitats and their resources, in marine and fresh water ecosystems, their importance conservation and restoration mechanisms.
文摘This is a review paper based on national and international literature, national inventories and empirical approach. A general overview of the forests, forest management and forest biodiversity of Greece are briefly summarized. The distribution of the main forest species and their ecosystems in the Geographic regions of Greece is presented in a tabular form. Their multiple functions and uses, their management type/regime, their risks and threats, protection and conservation measures are also synoptically described. Furthermore, adaptive forest management and silviculture as well as management of genetic diversity in order to face climate change are also analysed. Research priority areas on biodiversity and challenges for biodiversity research and related policy in Greece have been summarized. The new Rural Development Program (2014-2020), which is currently in the final phase of implementation, will take into consideration the forest itself and forest-related European and National legal obligations. Finally, major conclusions and research priority areas on future management and conservation of forests are highlighted.
基金TAFORI and Forestry and Beekeeping Division through Participatory Forest Management (PFM)grant for funding this study
文摘This paper examines the role and effectiveness of locacal institutions in the management of forest biodiversity in New Dabaga-Ulongambi Forest Reserve, Tanzania. Data were obtained through questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions, participatory rural appraisal and field observations. The study revealed that the most remarkable local institutions connected to forest biodiversity management include: Village Natural Resources Man- agement Committee (92%), tree nursery group (79.4%), beekeep- ing groups (61.1%), fish fanning (43.3%), livestock rearing group (33.9%). Main activities carried out by local institutions which directly contribute to the sustainability Of forest reserve include: forest patrols, fire extinguish, preparation of fire breaks, plant- ing of trees along the forest boundaries, creation of awareness, arresting of forest defaulters, participation in income generation activities. For the purpose of realization that local communities are capable of managing forest biodiversity through their traditional institutions, the policy should provide tangible opportunity for local communities to meet their needs as they manage the forests.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30590381)
文摘Aiming at providing theoretical basis for effective protection of biodiversity, the study presents a cascade method which combines both qualitative and quantitative methods, incorporates basic data with RS(remote sense) technology, and ranks the ecosystems according to its ability of biodiversity sustainability in Hebei Province. The results indicate that the most important areas for protection in Hebei Province are forest and meadow ecosystems in some highlands around Xiaowutai Mountain, Wuling Mountain, North Hebei, Taihang Mountain and East Hebei; grass ecosystems in part of plateau area and North Hebei; and some scattered wetlands in the plain and inshore areas. This method is suitable for undertaking large-scale investigations especially when the data are not adequate or unevenly distributed spatially.
基金supported by The TEEB India initiative of MoEFCC
文摘Biodiversity and ecosystem services play key roles in future economic strategies seeking to promote development and prosperity. This study assesses the status of biodiversity and flow of ecosystem services from selected forest types in the Western Ghats. At the sampling sites, the number of tree species ranged from 16 to 79 per hectare depending on the forest type. The estimates for Shannon–Wiener index for trees in the evergreen, moist deciduous and dry deciduous forest plots were 3.02, 2.9 and 1.54, respectively. The total biomass carbon stocks in evergreen, moist deciduous and dry deciduous forests in the study area was 229, 221 and 189 t C/ha, respectively.Analysis of dependency patterns of local communities on forest resources indicated a high dependency on provisional services such as fuelwood, manure and fodder. The study records the highest dependency rates for fuelwood,ranging between 72 and 100% for the three forest types and indicates that forest ecosystems underpin the well-being of the population dependent directly and indirectly on them.
文摘Background: Two approaches mark the difference between the "ecological" and "agricultural" view of the biodiversity/ growth relation. In ecology the trend is averaged by taking monocultures of all species as baseline to evaluate mixtures. This contrasts the "agricultural" view focusing on the most productive species or species combination as baseline to evaluate mixtures. The present study investigates the change of highest rates (maximum) productivities in grasslands and forests with increasing plant (or tree) diversity, and compares these with the average response. Methods: We base our analysis on existing published datasets relating the growth of plant stands (growth rate per land area) to the diversity on the same plot. We use a global dataset (Ellis et al. 2012 and MODIS-data, see Fig. 1), the grassland experiment in lena (Buchmann et al. 2017), the regional study on forests in Romania and Germany by Bouriaud et al. (2016), and data from the German National Forest inventory (BWl 3, see Fig. 3). In all cases the average response of growth to changes in biodiversity as well as the boundary line of the maximum values was calculated. Results: in both vegetation types a decreasing trend of maximum productivity with any added species emerges, contrasting the average trend that was positive in grassland, but absent in forests. The trend of maximum values was non-significant in grasslands probably due to the fact that not all combinations of species mixtures were available. In temperate forests, maximum productivity decreases significantly by about 10% in regional studies and by 8% at national scale with each added species. Maximum biomass per area was the same for managed and unmanaged conditions. A global assessment of NPP and biodiversity could also not confirm a general positive biodiversity- productivity relationship. Conclusions: Managed grasslands and forests reach highest productivity and volumes at low diversity. Also globally we could not confirm a biodiversity effect on productivity. Despite this, for long-living organisms, such as trees, the incentive for land managers exists to reduce the risk of failure due to climate extremes and diseases by taking a loss in productivity into account and to actively maintain a mixture of species.
文摘Regular grid of permanent sample plots (PSP) of ICP-Forests monitoring system was used for forest ecosystems biodiversity assessments and inventory. The supplementary features were added to the PSP structure to conduct biological diversity census: eight sample plots 1 × 1 m for geo-botanical description;two sample plots of 5 × 5 m each for description of the PSP’s undergrowth;one 25 × 25 m plot for coarse woody debris estimations;four soil inventory pits. The total number of PSP amounted to 248. Total data used are as following: 1) 1984 geo-botanical descriptions of vegetation belonging to ground cover layers made on 1 × 1 m sample plots;2) 496 descriptions of undergrowth on 5 × 5 m sample plots;3) 178 descriptions of woody debris on 25 × 25 m sample plots;4) 496 descriptions of soil inventory pits. General statistical indicators characterizing forest land cover diversity were calculated. Statistic indicators of α-diversity for the Karelian Isthmus forest vegetation cover have the following values: 1) m (mean number of species per PSP) = 26 species;2) σ (standard deviation) = 9.5 species;3) v (variation coefficient) = 36.5%;4) Р (deviation amplitude) = 60 – 7 = 53 species. β – diversity of forest ecosystems as well as γ – diversity also was studied on the base of information collected on the same regular grid of sample plots. It appears that sample plots distribution by species diversity gradation is well described by the standard curve of normal distribution for the entire Karelian Isthmus forest (determination coefficient of the curve being 95.2%) as well as for each type of forest. Hence, the criterion (standard) of biodiversity for forest ecosystems can be defined as the mean value of alpha diversity for each forest type group – m;and the standard deviation – σ, as a tool for assessing deviations from the standard. PSP locations are fixed using GPS technology, this allows biodiversity assessments at the same place in the next years for biodiversity trends estimations and consist the frame for systematic biodiversity inventory.
基金partially supported by the National Natural Sci-ence Foundation of China(Grant No.32101309)National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2022YFF0802102)+1 种基金International Partnership Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.177GJHZ2022020BS)Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS(2021050).
文摘The 21st century has seen an acceleration of global change,including climate change,elevated carbon dioxide,nitrogen deposition,and land-use intensification,which poses a significant threat to ecosystem functioning.Nev-ertheless,studies on the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning(BEF)have consistently demonstrated that biodiversity enhances ecosystem functioning and its stability,even in variable environmental conditions.These findings potentially indicate the critical role of biodiversity in promoting sustainable provi-sioning of ecosystem functioning under global change.Our paper provides a comprehensive review of current BEF research and the response of BEF to multiple global change factors.We demonstrate that(1)assessing the effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning requires consideration of multiple dimensions of diversity,such as diversity across multiple trophic levels(plants,animals,and microbes),multiple facets(taxonomy,functional traits,and phylogeny),and multiple spatial scales(local,regional,and landscape scales).(2)The interaction of multiple global change factors may lead to a greater reduction in biodiversity and ecosystem functioning than a single global change factor.(3)Multidimensional biodiversity regulates the response of ecosystem functioning to global change factors,indicating that high levels of multidimensional biodiversity can mitigate the negative impacts of global change on ecosystem functioning.Overall,we emphasize that recognizing the importance of multidimensional biodiversity is critical for sustaining ecosystem functioning.Therefore,prioritizing conserva-tion efforts to maintain and enhance all dimensions of biodiversity is essential to address the challenges of future global change.
基金Supported by Humanity and Social Science Project of Colleges and Universities in Tibet Autonomous Region in 2015 "Study on Ecological Economy Construction in Tibet:A Case Study of Nyingchi Prefecture"(sk2015-33)
文摘The estimation was made for the conservation value of forest ecosystem biodiversity in Nyingchi Prefecture of Tibet.The results showed that the annual economic benefits of biodiversity in Nyingchi Prefecture were about 21.4 billion yuan,and the annual economic benefits of global biodiversity were about 3 trillion USD.It indicated that the ecological value of forest ecosystem in Nyingchi Prefecture is high,forest ecosystem has extremely important ecological value.Therefore,in the decision-making process,it is necessary to strengthen the protection of forest ecosystem,with particular emphasis on the restoration of damaged ecosystem.
文摘Currently insect pest management solely depends on chemical pesticide that continuously affects on environment, biodiversity, animal as well as human health. Outbreak of secondary insect pest is also the cost of pesticide use in field leading crop more vulnerable to more pests. These negative impacts of pesticides have provoked growing interest in the adoption of multi-function agricultural biodiversity that promote pest management, creating interesting challenge for traditional approaches to regulatory compliance. To address multi-function agricultural practice, we tested several intercropping systems with mustard and their effect on pest management. Our results revealed that intercropping systems mustard with onion, garlic, radhuni and coriander significantly reduced pest population over sole crop. However, intercropping mustard with wheat and gram increased pest population in mustard field. This result indicated that all crops are not suitable for intercropping system. Among the tested intercropping systems, mustard with onion and coriander significantly reduced branch and flower infestation and increased pod formation per plant. These four intercropping systems did not significantly affect on honeybee pollinator which are crucial for mustard crop yield. A significant linear relationship was also found between honeybee population and pod formation. Our results indicate that suitable intercropping system can be a potential multi-functional agricultural practice for pest management in mustard crop.
文摘Over the past 50 years,a number of homegrown solutions and international development assistance have been initiated and implemented to address the West Africa Sahel region’s biodiversity resources decline.This ranges from indigenous/community led natural resources regeneration and land restoration techniques,funding and technical support in developing protected areas,military aid,specialized training of forest rangers and massive education of populace on biodiversity protection.Terrorist activities have negatively affected the biodiversity management in West Africa Sahel.However,there is a paucity of information about the impacts of terrorist activities on biodiversity management in West Africa.Therefore,this study tries to close this knowledge gap by describing and highlighting the impact of terrorism on biodiversity in West Africa Sahel.The authors used a systematic review of data through search engines like Google scholar,Z-library,Mendeley,Researchgate and Jstor for reports,scientific articles,books,field notes and other already published materials.The authors also consulted videos and media reports on YouTube,France24,PBS news etc.The study highlighted the key impacts of terrorist activities on biodiversity management.Some of these include the kidnaping of foresters,hijacking and controlling the management protected area like the case of Park W,destroying forest/bush fires,the use of explosive and poaching.These activities destroy animals’habitats and therefore causing biodiversity depletion.The authors recommend the enhancement of the framework of protect areas,enhance the management of conflicts between population around protected areas as some sustainable solutions to biodiversity management.The Sahel states should strengthen their cooperation in building the capacities of the citizens in reducing the viability of terrorism through sustainable green jobs.
文摘Liberia holds 44.5% of the remaining portion of the Upper Guinean Rainforest in West Africa,which is home to critically endangered forest elephants and western chimpanzees.The forests are of vital importance for the livelihoods of millions of West Africans and provide key ecosystem services of local and global importance for food systems transformation and agroecology.Liberia’s efforts toward land reform through legislation and policies recognise communities’rights to own and manage their customary lands and resources.These include the National Forestry Reform Law of 2006,the Community Rights Law Concerning Forest Lands of 2009,and the Land Rights Act of 2018,and more.In May 2022,a program team from the Sustainable Development Institute(SDI)-Friends of the Earth Liberia researched the social and environmental impacts of Maryland Oil Palm Plantations(MOPPs)in Liberia.Twenty-three(23)key informant interviews(KIIs)and 10 focus group discussions(FGDs)were conducted in seven communities in and around the MOPP.They included farmers,contract workers,MOPP staff,local authorities,women and youth leaders,the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA)Inspector,the Civil Society Head,and the Gender Coordinator of Maryland County.The team cross-checked information with formal documents as much as possible and took photographs and global positioning system(GPS)locations of areas of deforestation,pollution,and conflict.The team also used observation to monitor environmental pollution,such as affluent into water bodies and planting oil palm in wetlands.The team used narrative analysis and geospatial landscape analysis to analyze the data.The research finds that land conflict and deforestation have several negative impacts on communities.MOPP has not respected land tenure rights or followed Free Prior and Informed Consent(FPIC)standards,including resettlement without reparation and destruction of farms and old towns without(sufficient)compensation or restitution.During MOPP land acquisition and clearance,communities experienced the loss of their farms and the identification of villages as“village de squatters”,leading to restricted access to farmland,heightened food insecurity,and reduced income from cash crops to support families.MOPP destroyed high conservation value areas and destroyed secondary forest regrowth,which affected important biodiversity areas.MOPP is one of the four large-scale industrial palm oil plantations in Liberia in Maryland County.It has a palm oil mill in a joint venture with Golden Veroleum Liberia(GVL).Its 2011 concession agreement includes 8,800 hectares for industrial palm oil plantations.
基金ALTERFOR project,“Alternative models and robust decision-making for future forest management”,H2020-ISIB-2015-2/grant agreement No. 676754,funded by European Union Seventh Framework ProgrammeSUFORUN project,‘Models and decision SUpport tools for integrated FOrest policy development under global change and associated Risk and UNcertainty’ funded by the European Union’s H2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Grant Agreement number 691149+2 种基金BIOECOSYS project,“Forest ecosystem management decision-making methods an integrated bioeconomic approach to sustainability”(LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-030391,PTDC/ASP-SIL/30391/2017)MedFOR,Master Programme on Mediterranean Forestry and Natural Resources Management (Erasmus+Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees,Project 20171917)Centro de Estudos Florestais,research unit funded by Fundacao para a Ciência e a Tecnologia I.P.(FCT),Portugal within UIDB/00239/2020。
文摘Background: Climate change may strongly influence soil erosion risk, namely through variations in the precipitation pattern. Forests may contribute to mitigate the impacts of climate change on soil erosion and forest managers are thus challenged by the need to define strategies that may protect the soil while addressing the demand for other ecosystem services. Our emphasis is on the development of an approach to assess the impact of silvicultural practices and forest management models on soil erosion risks under climate change. Specifically, we consider the annual variation of the cover-management factor(C) in the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation over a range of alternative forest management models to estimate the corresponding annual soil losses, under both current and changing climate conditions. We report and discuss results of an application of this approach to a forest area in Northwestern Portugal where erosion control is the most relevant water-related ecosystem service.Results: Local climate change scenarios will contribute to water erosion processes, mostly by rainfall erosivity increase.Different forest management models provide varying levels of soil protection by trees, resulting in distinct soil loss potential.Conclusions: Results confirm the suitability of the proposed approach to address soil erosion concerns in forest management planning. This approach may help foresters assess management models and the corresponding silvicultural practices according to the water-related services they provide.
文摘Along with the industrial development, adverse impacts on the natural environment become more serious, and ecosystem health and ecological security have also been deteriorated. The traditional environment management focused on the shorterm and economic benefits. Such managing pattern is not accommodating to the new situation of increasingly global environment problems and large scale marine environment problems. This paper introduces the advance and definition of a new managing patternecosystem management. Meanwhile, the con- notation of ecosystem management was summarized as seven points: Sustainability; Human is an important aspect of ecosystem management; Cooperation is the foundation of ecosystem management; Maintain health and security of ecosystem; Ecological diversity protection characters ecosystem management; Maintain the integrity of ecosystem; Ecosystem management must be founded on scientific theories and precise information. Somebody said Ecosystem Management is "a new label of old ideas". However, there is an essential difference between ecosystem management and traditional environmental management. In the last part of this paper, the differences of the approaches between ecosystem management and traditional environmental management are compared.
文摘Biodiversity is a complex system involving plants, animals, microorganisms and human beings. Due to human population growth and economic pressure, there has been a high rate of biological resource destruction. Realizing this global environmental concern, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) established the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1992. It marked a significant step in the global efforts in the conservation and sustained utilization of biological diversity. Thailand joined other counties signing the Convention but ratification has not yet been made. However, the country is among those that have carried out many activities in support of the conservation and sustained utilization of biological resources.
基金the project NRS-6“Climate,Fire,and Carbon Cycle Sciences”supported by the USDA Forest ServiceBeijing Forestry University for covering the trip to the conference and generous conference venue facilitating this study
文摘Background: Forest biodiversity is the foundation of many ecosystem services, and the effect of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning and processes (BEF) has been a central issue in biodiversity studies. Although many hypotheses have been developed to interpret global gradients of biodiversity, there has not been complete agreement on mechanisms controlling biodiversity patterns and distributions. Differences may be due to limited observation data and inconsistencies of spatial scales in analysis. Methods: In this study, we take advantage of USDA Forest Service forest inventory and analysis (FIA) data for exploring regional forest biodiversity and BEF in New England forests. The FIA data provide detailed information of sampled plots and trees for the region, including 6000 FIA plots and more than 33,000 individual trees. Biodiversity models were used to analyze the data. Results: Tree species diversity increases from the north to the south at a rate about 2-3 species per latitudinal degree. Tree species diversity is better predicted by tree height than forest age or biomass. Very different distribution patterns of two common maple species, sugar maple (Acer sdcchorum) and red maple (Acer rubrum), highlight the vulnerability of sugar maple and its potential replacement by red maple on New England landscapes. Red maple generally already outperforms sugar maple, and will likely and continuously benefit from a changing climate in New England. Conclusions: We conclude that forest structure (height) and resources (biomass) are more likely foundational characteristics supporting biodiversity rather than biodiversity determining forest productivity and/or biomass. The potential replacement of red maple for sugar maple in the New England areas could affect biodiversity and stability of forest ecosystem functioning because sugar maple plays important ecological roles distinct from red maple that are beneficial to other tree species in northern hardwood forests. Such a change may not affect forest resilience in terms of forest productivity and biomass as these are similar in red maple and sugar maple, however, it would almost certainly alter forest structure across the landscape.