Impacts of forest expansion on microbial diversity and community assembly in fragmented mountain ecosystems

Environmental Research, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 120956 - 120956

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

Language: Английский

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Prescribed burning effectively maintains threatened species in semi‐natural grasslands on lava flows

Plants People Planet, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Jan. 30, 2025

Societal Impact Statement Prescribed burning shows promise for managing certain grassland types, but relying solely on it often reduces plant diversity, including threatened species. In Japanese dry grasslands established volcanic ejecta, we explored conditions under which maintains high diversity. Lava grasslands, especially those young lava flows with hard, shallow, and acidic soil rock stone cover, harbored the most diverse plants, Burning helps prevent forest encroachment, efficiently maintaining species‐rich flows. We recommend this approach to land managers conserving particularly in conditions. Summary can be an effective efficient method large areas of face global increases abandonment. However, regular leads declines diversity plants species Eurasian countries. Therefore, investigating prescribed effectively conserves is highly important. hypothesized that specific physicochemical conditions, even burning‐only management maintain To test hypothesis, compared properties vegetation among burning‐managed different bedrocks (young/old scoria) Nashigahara, Yamanashi, Japan. quantitatively investigated how bedrock, soil, affected found highest were characterized by hard shallow than old young/old scoria grasslands. Meanwhile, nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) did not vary bedrock types had no significant effects low pH, resulting height caused supporting hypothesis. Mature comprises forests worldwide. Nonetheless, our findings suggest successfully suppresses tree dominance promotes establishment propose conserve semi‐natural environments, such as

Language: Английский

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Landscape composition influences invertebrate herbivory on flowering forbs in semi-natural grasslands

Basic and Applied Ecology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: March 1, 2025

Language: Английский

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Patch‐Burn Grazing Increased Structural Heterogeneity in Southwestern North Dakota Rangelands

Applied Vegetation Science, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 28(1)

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

ABSTRACT Aims Persistent land use change throughout the North American Great Plains increases need to maintain and improve ecosystem service delivery from remaining rangelands meet production conservation goals. Vegetation structure is an property influenced by management that has site selection implications for wildlife livestock. In this study, we investigated efficacy of patch‐burn grazing increase structural heterogeneity on semi‐arid post‐Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grasslands in southwestern Dakota. Location Hettinger Research Extension Center Hettinger, Methods We surveyed plant community composition characteristics pastures during 2017–2020 summer seasons. Three were stocked with cow‐calf pairs three sheep. also units conventional (hay or idle) active post‐CRP enrolled summers 2018–2020. tested vegetative differences between patches varying time since fire grazer types using mixed‐effect models ordination. used variance partitioning determine if contrast increased over study period was higher relative management. Results Time significant all characteristics, recently burned being different other patches. There no cattle sheep pastures, but forb legume cover lower pastures. Structural greater than Conclusions Increased important supporting a broad suite rangeland can stabilize forage production. This supports expectation moderate stocking rates will regardless type, practitioners should consider which suites species may benefit.

Language: Английский

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Collaborative Adaptive Management in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: A Rangeland Living Laboratory at the US Sheep Experiment Station

Sustainability, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 17(7), P. 3086 - 3086

Published: March 31, 2025

Social conflict over rangeland-use priorities, especially near protected areas, has long pitted environmental and biodiversity conservation interests against livestock livelihoods. Social–ecological limits management adaptation creativity while reinforcing social disciplinary divisions. It can also reduce rancher access to land negatively affect wildlife conservation. Communities increasingly expect research organizations address complex dynamics improve opportunities for multiple ecosystem service delivery on rangelands. In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), an area of western US, long-standing disagreements among actors who argue use those prioritize are limiting ranching Researchers at USDA-ARS US Sheep Experiment Station (USSES) along with University societal partners responding these challenges using a collaborative adaptive (CAM) methodology. The USSES Rangeland Collaboratory is living laboratory project leveraging resources federal range sheep ranch operating across sagebrush steppe ecosystems in Clark County, Idaho, montane/subalpine landscapes Beaverhead Montana. places stakeholders, including ranchers, groups, government managers, decision-making seat participatory case study. This involves planning related grazing livestock–wildlife decisions two ranch-scale rangeland scenarios, one modeled after traditional operation second, more intensified no summer ranges. We discuss extent which CAM approach creates multi-directional learning participants evaluate trade-offs preferred systems through research. system where needs goals various misaligned spatiotemporal, disciplinary, social–ecological scales, structure methods focus knowledge creation.

Language: Английский

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Satellite-observed mountain greening predicts genomic erosion in a grassland medicinal herb over half a century

Current Biology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 1, 2025

Mountains are biodiversity hotspots contributing essential benefits to human societies, but global environmental change is rapidly altering their habitats. During the past five decades, increasing temperatures and land-use in montane subalpine elevations facilitated productivity expansion of competitive vegetation, termed as "greening," with adverse effects on open grassland Although vegetation greening well-documented through satellite observations, its impact populations genomic integrity affected species remains underexplored. Here, we address this challenge by integrating 40 years remote sensing data museum genomics fieldwork assess mountain diversity plants southern Balkan peninsula. We sequenced genomes historical modern Ironwort, a plant significant medicinal value, demonstrate widespread erosion across populations. Our results show that, average, 6% (0%-20%) Ironwort's genome inbreeding accumulation over half century, indicating various degrees population declines. Importantly, that highly predictable normalized difference index (NDVI) rates change. models suggest faster increases density associated higher declines species, revealing negative impacts ecosystems. By linking two independent disparate monitoring indicators, ability predict consequences temporal far-reaching implications for protecting natural resources these fragile

Language: Английский

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Prescribed burning in montane Nardus grasslands: Fire frequency is key to balance vegetation structure and diversity

Biological Conservation, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 308, P. 111208 - 111208

Published: May 4, 2025

Language: Английский

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Altitudinal distributions of endangered butterflies in the Austrian Alps

Biological Conservation, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 306, P. 111129 - 111129

Published: April 9, 2025

Language: Английский

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Farm-level acceptability of contract attributes in agri-environment-climate measures for biodiversity conservation

Journal of Rural Studies, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 112, P. 103448 - 103448

Published: Oct. 12, 2024

Language: Английский

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Ecological Network Construction Based on Ecosystem Services and Landscape Pattern Indices in the Tabu River Basin

Land, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 13(12), P. 2209 - 2209

Published: Dec. 17, 2024

Unsustainable human activities threaten the ecological security of arid and semi-arid watersheds. However, improving connectivity networks can enhance ecosystem services preserve biodiversity in these fragile environments. In this study, we aimed to identify sources Tabu River Basin by quantifying five key using a morphological spatial pattern analysis model. We further optimized resistance surfaces landscape indices, constructed an network, provided recommendations for sustainable management. The results obtained were as follows: (1) Ecosystem exhibit clear heterogeneity, with significant increases water yield, food supply, carbon sequestration over past two decades. (2) Landscape such aggregation index, patch cohesion Shannon’s diversity showed declines, indicating heightened fragmentation reduced connectivity. (3) Over study period, number increased from 6 17, although total area decreased. corridors expanded 9 36, length increase 362.47 km, whereas pinch points 27 40. (4) After optimization, one additional corridor 24 new identified, alongside marked reduction northern central-western regions. These provide robust scientific basis optimizing land-use planning reinforcing Basin.

Language: Английский

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