Conservation Value, Management and Restoration of Europe’S Semi‑Natural Open Landscapes

Abstract Most semi-natural open habitats in Europe have been traditionally maintained by anthropogenic activities, such as grazing or mowing, preventing the establishment of woody vegetation. These habitats harbour a remarkably rich biodiversity in terms of both plant and animal species, but are also highly threatened, mainly by agricultural intensification and land abandonment. With this Editorial we introduce a Special Issue initiated by the European Dry Grassland Group (EDGG) at the Open Landscapes Conference (Hildesheim, 2013) and the 11th European Dry Grassland Meeting (Kulikovo Pole, 2014). We aim to give a short introduction to the current conservation status, significance and research of semi-natural open habitats in Europe and present the collected articles of the Special Issue. These papers cover a wide range of different semi-natural open habitats, including wood-pastures, heathlands, steppes, semi-dry and dry grasslands across the Palearctic region and address issues related to the assessment methods, threats, management and restoration of these habitats. We conclude that, in order to ensure their conservation and to monitor the changes in open habitats, integrative approaches are needed that take into account not only vegetation records, but also multiple animal taxa, abiotic factors, management practices, ecosystem services and modelling simulations for anticipating possible future scenarios. We also recommend that decision-makers should support actions to conserve open habitats in Europe by addressing such major challenges as the encroachment of woody vegetation. We are convinced that the present Special Issue will contribute to a better understanding of ecosystem functions and support the biodiversity conservation and management of semi-natural open habitats.

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Subtropical Broad-Leaved Urban Forests as the Foremost Dynamic and Complex Habitats for a Wide Range of Bird Species

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su132313021 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (23) ◽

pp. 13021

Author(s):

Muhammad Nawaz Rajpar ◽

Shahab Ali Khan ◽

Allah Ditta ◽

Hayssam M. Ali ◽

Sami Ullah ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Distance Sampling ◽

Bird Species ◽

Urban Forests ◽

Line Transect ◽

Current Conservation ◽

Diverse Range ◽

Bird Density ◽

Wide Range

Broad-leaved subtropical forests are the most productive, diversified, and complex ecosystems on the planet. Unfortunately, they are currently under severe threat from anthropogenic activities, such as. deforestation, housing settlements, and agricultural expansion. In response to these severe effects, the present study was conducted to explore the current conservation status and population structure of a wide range of bird species inhabiting different subtropical broad-leaved urban forests of Pakistan. In total, 2879 individuals comprising 53 species and 28 families were detected between December 2017 and November 2018 as revealed through the distance sampling line transect method. The habitat selection among bird species varied according to vegetation structure and composition, food resources, adjoining habitats, and human settlements. According to IUCN Red List data, one species was deemed vulnerable out of 53 bird species, while the remaining 52 species were ranked as ofleast concern. The findings of the density analysis revealed that bird density varied between six subtropical broad-leaved forests. Palamar (3.954 ± 0.221 birds/ha) and Kityari (3.138 ± 0.162 birds/ha) were densely populated, whereas Kamal Khan (1.102 ± 0.178 birds/ha) was of the least concern. Likewise, the diversity analysis showed that Kamal Khan was a more diverse habitat (Shannon–Wiener Index; H’ = 3.581 ± 0.021). Shahabad was richer (Margalef Richness Index; R1 = 8.007 ± 0.053) and Dob Ghar was evenly distributed (Pielou J Evenness Index; E = 0.940 ± 0.005) compared to other urban habitats studied. Eight foraging guilds were identified among the bird species. Insectivores were the most abundant bird species utilizing the urban dwelling habitats. carnivores/piscivores/insectivores utilized Dob Ghar forest, while more frugivores utilized Kamal Khan and Dob Ghar. Based on the data, it was concluded that subtropical broad-leaved urban forests are dynamic, complex, and of vital significance for a diverse range of bird species.

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Estimation of carbon stocks under different soil uses in the central highlands of Mexico

Acta Agronómica ◽

10.15446/acag.v66n1.52842 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 66 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Gustavo Alvarez Arteaga ◽

Belina García Fajardo ◽

María Estela Orozco Hernández ◽

Patricia Mireles Lezama ◽

Julieta Contreras Martínez

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Management Practices ◽

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Abiotic Factors ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Biological Properties ◽

Carbon Stocks ◽

Soil Organic Carbon Stocks ◽

Physical And Chemical

The loss of organic carbon stocks from the soil and their expulsion into the atmosphere due to the effect of anthropogenic activities must be understood as a problem that goes beyond the environmental to the social and economic context, with the soil degradation being just one of its many impacts. While the accumulation of carbon in the soil depends naturally on the interaction among a series of biotic and abiotic factors, management practices often cause the deterioration of its physical, chemical and biological properties, and, thus, increase the levels of mineralization and a reduction in carbon stocks. This research was undertaken in the municipality of San José del Rincón, State of Mexico, in volcanic soils under different conditions of soil use and disturbation time periods. Samples were obtained at 11 plots, on which physical and chemical analyses were undertaken, obtaining soil organic carbon stocks at 20 cm top soil. The results indicated that, for the soils used for agriculture and induced pasture, there were significant increases in the bulk density, greater acidity and a decrease in carbon concentration compared to forest soils. The organic carbon stocks taken from soils used in forestry, agriculture and induced pasture at a depth of 20 cm were 131, 53 and 63 Mg C ha-1 respectively, results which suggest the timing and intensity of management are determinants in the loss of soil organic carbon stocks from the soil, as well as the alteration of some of their physical and chemical properties.

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Recent Advances in Remote Sensing of Evapotranspiration

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs13214260 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (21) ◽

pp. 4260

Author(s):

Nishan Bhattarai ◽

Pradeep Wagle

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Global Environmental Change ◽

Global Scale ◽

Ecosystem Functions ◽

Special Issue ◽

Large Area ◽

Modeling Tools ◽

Recent Advances ◽

Wide Range

Evapotranspiration (ET) plays an important role in coupling the global energy, water, and biogeochemical cycles and explains ecosystem responses to global environmental change. However, quantifying and mapping the spatiotemporal distribution of ET across a large area is still a challenge, which limits our understanding of how a given ecosystem functions under a changing climate. This also poses a challenge to water managers, farmers, and ranchers who often rely on accurate estimates of ET to make important irrigation and management decisions. Over the last three decades, remote sensing-based ET modeling tools have played a significant role in managing water resources and understanding land-atmosphere interactions. However, several challenges, including limited applicability under all conditions, scarcity of calibration and validation datasets, and spectral and spatiotemporal constraints of available satellite sensors, exist in the current state-of-the-art remote sensing-based ET models and products. The special issue on “Remote Sensing of Evapotranspiration II” was launched to attract studies focusing on recent advances in remote sensing-based ET models to help address some of these challenges and find novel ways of applying and/or integrating remotely sensed ET products with other datasets to answer key questions related to water and environmental sustainability. The 13 articles published in this special issue cover a wide range of topics ranging from field- to global-scale analysis, individual model to multi-model evaluation, single sensor to multi-sensor fusion, and highlight recent advances and applications of remote sensing-based ET modeling tools and products.

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Impact of Stand and Landscape Management on Forest Pest Damage

Annual Review of Entomology ◽

10.1146/annurev-ento-062321-065511 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 67 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Lorenzo Marini ◽

Matthew P. Ayres ◽

Hervé Jactel

Keyword(s):

Management Practices ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Ecosystem Functions ◽

Annual Review ◽

Publication Date ◽

General Strategy ◽

Pest Species ◽

Forest Types ◽

Pest Damage ◽

Wide Range

One promising approach to mitigate the negative impacts of insect pests in forests is to adapt forestry practices to create ecosystems that are more resistant and resilient to biotic disturbances. At the stand scale, local stand management practices often cause idiosyncratic effects on forest pests depending on the environmental context and the focal pest species. However, increasing tree diversity appears to be a general strategy for reducing pest damage across several forest types. At the landscape scale, increasing forest heterogeneity (e.g., intermixing different forest types and/or age classes) represents a promising frontier for improving forest resistance and resilience and for avoiding large-scale outbreaks. In addition to their greater resilience, heterogeneous forest landscapes frequently support a wide range of ecosystem functions and services. A challenge will be to develop cooperation and coordination among multiple actors at spatial scales that transcend historical practices in forest management. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Entomology, Volume 67 is January 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

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Editorial for Special Issue “Digital Mapping in Dynamic Environments”

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs12203384 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (20) ◽

pp. 3384

Author(s):

Brendan Malone ◽

Budiman Minasny

Keyword(s):

Management Practices ◽

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Remote Sensing Data ◽

Statistical Modelling ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Special Issue ◽

Proximal Sensing ◽

Digital Mapping ◽

Sensing Platforms ◽

Data Informed

It is widely acknowledged that the global stock of soil and environmental resources are diminishing and under threat. This issue stems from current and historical unsustainable management practices, leading to degraded landscapes, which is further compounded by increased pressures upon them from ever-increasing anthropogenic activities. To curb the trajectory toward a collapse of our ecosystems, systematic ways are needed to assess the condition of our natural resources, how much they might have changed, and to what extent this might impact on the life sustaining functions we derive from our environment and the extent of our food producing systems. Some solutions to these issues come in the form of measurement, mapping and monitoring technology, which facilitates powerful ways in which to be informed about and to understand and assess the condition of our landscapes so that they can be managed strategically or simply improved. This Special Issue showcases from several locations across the globe, detailed examples of what is achievable at the convergence of big data brought about by remote and proximal sensing platforms, advanced statistical modelling and computing infrastructure to understand and monitor our ecosystems better. These utilities not only provide high-resolution abilities to map the extent and changes to our food producing systems, they also have yielded new ways to determine land-use and climate effects on the fate of soil carbon across living generations and to identify hydrological risk strategies in otherwise data-poor urban environments. Leveraging the availability of remote sensing data is telling, but the papers in this Special Issue also highlight the sophistication of modelling capabilities to deliver not only highly detailed maps of temporal dynamic soil phenomena but ways to draw new inferences from sparse and disparate model input data. The challenges of restoring our ecosystems are immense and sobering. However, we are well equipped and capable of confronting these pervasive issues in objective and data-informed ways that have previously never been possible.

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Conservation and diversity of Palaearctic grasslands – Editorial to the 5th EDGG special issue in Hacquetia

Hacquetia ◽

10.2478/hacq-2019-0011 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 143-146

Author(s):

Orsolya Valkó ◽

Rocco Labadessa ◽

Salza Palpurina ◽

Sabina Burrascano ◽

Atushi Ushimaru ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Conservation Biology ◽

Special Issue ◽

Dry Grassland ◽

Dry Grasslands ◽

Grassland Ecosystems ◽

Wide Range ◽

Wet Grasslands ◽

Group Members ◽

Effective Conservation

Abstract Palaearctic grasslands are diverse and dynamic ecosystems that are in the focus of ecology, conservation biology and agronomy. This special issue is dedicated to the biodiversity and conservation issues of Palaearctic grasslands and was initiated by the Eurasian Dry Grassland Group members attending the 14th Eurasian Dry Grassland Conference (EDGC) at Sulmona, Italy in 2018. The papers in this special issue cover a wide range of grassland ecosystems from mountain dry grasslands to lowland loess grasslands, feathergrass steppes and wet grasslands, and focus on the biodiversity values and conservation issues of Palaearctic grasslands. We believe that this compilation will contribute to a better understanding of the ecology of grasslands and support their more effective conservation.

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Conservation and utilization of threatened hardwood species through reforestation ? an example of Afzelia xylocarpa (Kruz.) Craib and Dalbergia cochinchinensis Pierre in Cambodia

Pacific Conservation Biology ◽

10.1071/pc100101 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 101 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

T. So ◽

I. Theilade ◽

B. Dell

Keyword(s):

Poverty Reduction ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Natural Forests ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Current Conservation ◽

Hardwood Species ◽

Wide Range ◽

International Prices ◽

Production Areas

The leguminaceous rosewoods, Afzelia xylocarpa (Caesalpiniodeae) and Dalbergia cochinchinensis (Faboideae) are threatened by habitat loss and exploitation for their extremely highly-prized timber throughout their range. This paper examines the current conservation status of A. xylocarpa and D. cochinchinensis in Cambodia, draws together information on silviculture and trade, and summarizes current conservation measures in the country. Urgent measures are required to conserve and sustainably use the remaining genetic resources. Opportunities and challenges for achieving these goals, through use of the two threatened species in reforestation, are discussed. The suitability of the species for reforestation combined with increasing domestic and international prices for rosewood provide an opportunity for promotion of the species in planting programmes. This would not only alleviate the pressure on their natural habitats, but also bring about economic benefit. The paper outlines some important steps in the development of domestication strategies including testing and improving silvicultural practices, and increasing the supply of genetically superior seeds from seed production areas and/or seed orchards. As a first step, a network of in situ gene banks has been established in natural forests in Cambodia. A wide range of stakeholders need to participate in such programmes in order to address socio-economic development and poverty reduction. This is in line with the main objective of the National Forest Programme of Cambodia.

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Ecological and Molecular Interactions between Insects and Fungi

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms10010096 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 96

Author(s):

Rosario Nicoletti ◽

Andrea Becchimanzi

Keyword(s):

Human Health ◽

Molecular Interactions ◽

Human Activities ◽

Crop Production ◽

Management Practices ◽

Ecological Context ◽

Special Issue ◽

Symbiotic Relationships ◽

General Overview ◽

Wide Range

Insects and fungi represent two of the most widespread groupings of organisms in nature, occurring in every kind of ecological context and impacting agriculture and other human activities in various ways. Moreover, they can be observed to reciprocally interact, establishing a wide range of symbiotic relationships, from mutualism to antagonism. The outcome of these relationships can in turn affect the extent at which species of both organisms can exert their noxious effects, as well as the management practices which are to be adopted to counter them. In conjunction with the launch of a Special Issue of Microorganisms with the same title, this article offers a general overview of the manifold aspects related to such interactions from the perspective of implementing our capacity to regulate them in a direction more favorable for the environment, crop production and human health.

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Dry Grasslands of Southern Europe: Syntaxonomy, Management and Conservation

Hacquetia ◽

10.2478/hacq-2014-0015 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 1-14 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Iva Apostolova ◽

Jürgen Dengler ◽

Romeo Di Pietro ◽

Rosario G Gavilán ◽

Ioannis Tsiripidis

Keyword(s):

Management Practices ◽

Mediterranean Area ◽

Special Focus ◽

Southern Europe ◽

Special Issue ◽

Dry Grassland ◽

Dry Grasslands ◽

New Associations ◽

Taxonomic Groups ◽

Management And Conservation

Abstract The Mediterranean area is a natural biodiversity hotspot that has also been influenced by humans for millennia. Especially the grasslands of Southern Europe have long been known for their diversity and beauty. However, several gaps remain in our knowledge about these grasslands, e.g. for some regions such as the southern Balkans, or taxonomic groups such as cryptogams. Here we introduce a Special Issue with contributions from the 9th European Dry Grassland Group meeting held in Prespa, Greece, 2012. The topic of this meeting was “Dry grasslands of Europe: grazing and ecosystem services” with special focus on Southern European regions. The Special Issue, apart from this Editorial, consists of eight contributions arranged according to the three major topics: syntaxonomy (5 articles), management (2) and conservation (1). The classification papers include descriptions of four new associations and four subassociations. Data about management practices are provided as well. We conclude that dry grassland vegetation in Southern Europe exhibits transitions between different higher syntaxa and thus requires further studies at broader scales to allow better understanding at the supranational scale.

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Impression management and legitimacy strategies: The BP case

FINANCIAL REPORTING ◽

10.3280/fr2012-004004 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 35-64 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Giovanna Michelon

Keyword(s):

Impression Management ◽

Management Practices ◽

Legitimacy Theory ◽

British Petroleum ◽

Wide Range ◽

Management Techniques ◽

Disclosure Tone ◽

The Empirical Analysis ◽

A Company ◽

Texas City

The aim of this paper is to study if and how impression management varies during different phases of the legitimation process, in particular during the legitimacy building and legitimacy repairing phases (Suchman, 1995). We aim at understanding whether and how the disclosure tone adopted by a company in the two different moments is diverse and thus functional to the intrinsic objective of the each phase. The empirical analysis focuses on the case of British Petroleum Plc. We investigated the impression management practices undertaken by the company both during the preparation of the rebranding operation, i.e. a situation in which the company is trying to build legitimacy; and during the happenings of two legitimacy crises, like the explosion of the refinery in Texas City and the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The evidence appears in line with the theoretical prediction of legitimacy theory. Results show that while the company tends to privilege image enhancement techniques during the legitimacy-building phase, it uses more obfuscation techniques when managing a legitimacy-repairing process. Moreover, the analysis suggests that the company makes more extensive use of impression management techniques in the disclosures addressed to shareholders, investors and other market operators than in the disclosures addressed to the wide range of other stakeholders.

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