Dependência, pressão e recuperação de recursos florestais no Parque Nacional do Limpopo (Moçambique)

The general perception is that forest resources exploitation can cause the degradation and loss of resources and biodiversity, promoted by landscape fragmentation and pressure over habitats. But such assumption might not be adjusted to situations where long term exploitation by traditional communities is based on management strategies adapted to recovery, adjusting pressure to kept resources available. In this work, we assess the recovery of the Mopane woodlands considering different land use practices and stand development stages on areas explored by local communities. In detail, we want to explore: i) changes on stem size across plant comunities dominated by Mopane (Kirk ex Benth ex J. Leonard); ii) relationships between the variation in stem size across communities and the associated land use practices and vegetation stand development stage. To answer those questions, an inventory was carried out to collect data from 50 temporary circular plots of different sizes spatially nested, covering four stand development stages. Each nested circular plot was composed of a large plot (0.02 ha), an intermediate plot (0.04 ha), and an inner plot (0.01 ha) for counting stems of different DBH. Data was analysed using Excel, Two-Way Indicator Species Analysis (TWINSPAN) and CANOCO, and several parametric and non-parametric tests. TWINSPAN analysis, using stem counts, grouped the 1746 stems from 29 species (with Mopane as one species) into 5 communities and 10 sub-communities, based on indicator species and eigenvalues (level of stability). This study was carried out in the Limpopo National Park (LNP), in Mozambique, a conservation area established in 2001 and part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP) since 2002. Acording to the results, population structure (size class distribution of trees) of Mopane communities showed variation related to stand development stage, as expected. The initial stages show good regeneration, indicating that recovery is not hampered by the exploitation regime in use, a critical aspect once ecosystem dynamics of Mopane woodland has a deep influence on the way that local communities manage harvesting of Mopane products for different uses, and traditional uses do also have influence on recovery dynamics. So, management of such resource is critical to ensure sustainable resource use and guarantee provision for future generations. For that, a zonation of Mopane woodlands within the Park, considering different land uses, might enhance a quick system recovery on specific areas and contribute to woodland productivity, good quality products and reduce used areas, promoting habitat conservation.

Scientific-methodical and practical principles for assessment of the key territories of the Eastern Podillya's econetwork based on the main criteria of their formation

The article presents scientific-methodical and practical principles for assessment of key territories of the ecological network of Eastern Podillya based on the main criteria of their formation. It offers the system of appropriate approaches and principles to be applied for formation of the key territories of the region's ecological network. The principle of representativeness should serve as a main criterion for selection of the key territories, however, we still advise to consider three types of such territories – biotic (botanical, zoological, mycological); geographical (landscape; biogeographical); geozoological (object; categorical; functional). Such aspects as area, size, configuration, state of internal ecological balance should play a significant role in creating the key territories, however, the qualitative and quantitative composition of protected objects, degree of anthropogenic impact on natural and man-made ecosystems and types of conservation regimes are also extremely important. Matrix representativeness, which is widely used in EU countries, should be also of great importance in forming a network of key territories. It is based on the landscape-zonal principle, where the systems of natural zoning units (biogeographical, geobotanical, floristic, forest typological, zoogeographical, physical-geographical) form the matrix of biodiversity species and landscapes. According to this principle, the basis for creation of key territories should by all means include typical (indicator) species of biodiversity, landscapes of all natural zones, subzones, regions, provinces, sub-provinces, districts. The field surveys of Eastern Podillya led us to a conclusion that a significant number of key territories do not perform a function of preserving biotic and landscape diversity. The conducted field researches allowed establishing the fact that there is a risk of losing such diversity under current ecological conditions of the region. Therefore, using the principle of representativeness, we presented a method of assessing the key territories of the Eastern Podillya's ecological network based on the main criteria of their formation. The main criteria include degree of naturalness of a certain key territory, its floristic and faunistic significance, landscape-coenotic and specific (relating to species) representativeness, purpose of a key territory, and its protected status (regime).

Quantifying the Response of an Estuarine Nekton Community to Coastal Wetland Habitat Restoration

Globally coastal habitats are experiencing degradation and threatening the production of critical ecosystem services such as shoreline stabilization, water filtration, and nursery grounds for marine fauna. To combat the loss of these ecosystem services, resource managers are actively restoring coastal habitats. This study compares samples collected from non-restored sites, sites restored in 2011, and sites that underwent restoration in 2019. Restoration sites are impacted wetlands with high elevation mounds that were leveled to increase the areal extent of intertidal habitats, enabling the recruitment of intertidal flora and fauna. Fyke nets were used to sample nekton within the upper intertidal zone. To quantify restoration success, nekton abundance, biomass, diversity, and indicator species were quantified. Sites restored in 2011 had a greater abundance compared to non-restored sites. Common snook, clown gobies, silversides, juvenile mullet, and Gulf killifishes were indicator species at successfully restored sites, while salinity, site type, and Secchi depth played important roles in predicting abundance and diversity. These findings are consistent with recent studies suggesting it can take years to see quantifiable differences in nekton communities following habitat restoration. Additionally, this work provides new insight regarding the benefits of restoring coastal wetland elevation to maximize intertidal habitat, thereby positively impacting nekton communities.

Management diversification increases habitat availability for multiple biodiversity indicator species in production forests

Context Forest biodiversity is closely linked to habitat heterogeneity, while forestry actions often cause habitat homogenization. Alternative approaches to even-aged management were developed to restore habitat heterogeneity at the stand level, but how their application could promote habitat diversity at landscape scale remains uncertain. Objectives We tested the potential benefit of diversifying management regimes to increase landscape-level heterogeneity. We hypothesize that different styles of forest management would create a diverse mosaic of forest habitats that would in turn benefit species with various habitat requirements. Methods Forest stands were simulated under business-as-usual management, set-aside (no management) and 12 alternative management regimes. We created virtual landscapes following diversification scenarios to (i) compare the individual performance of management regimes (no diversification), and (ii) test for the management diversification hypothesis at different levels of set-aside. For each virtual landscape, we evaluated habitat availability of six biodiversity indicator species, multispecies habitat availability, and economic values of production. Results Each indicator species responded differently to management regimes, with no single regime being optimal for all species at the same time. Management diversification led to a 30% gain in multispecies habitat availability, relative to business-as-usual management. By selecting a subset of five alternative management regimes with high potential for biodiversity, gains can reach 50%. Conclusions Various alternative management regimes offer diverse habitats for different biodiversity indicator species. Management diversification can yield large gains in multispecies habitat availability with no or low economic cost, providing a potential cost-effective biodiversity tool if the management regimes are thoughtfully selected.

Assessing ecological patterns in Wellington south coast's nearshore rocky-reef communities for resource conservation and management

<p>Many coastal marine communities are increasingly affected by terrestrial and maritime human activities and growing coastal populations. Protection of coastal assets and the sustainable use of coastal resources requires knowledge of nearshore benthic community status; the environmental processes that structure and connect them; the quality, abundance, and distribution of physical habitat; essential habitat for species requiring protective measures, and the spatio-temporal scales at which these patterns and processes occur. To assess the status of Wellington South Coast’s (WSC) rocky-reef assemblages prior to the enactment of the Taputeranga Marine Reserve in 2009, two annual baseline surveys were conducted during the austral summers of 2007/08 and 2008/09. These surveys evaluated the biotic and abiotic components of the assemblages in terms of diversity, abundance distribution, and size-class frequency patterns of key macroalgal and mobile macro-invertebrate species. These results were analysed to develop recommendations for best post-reserve monitoring practices, including the identification of “indicator” species for rapid yet representative field surveys to assess structural and status changes. In combination with patterns described by a previous pre-reserve baseline survey series (2000) that focussed on a reduced list of macro-algal and mobile macro-invertebrate species, this final pre-reserve survey forms the basis of a historical dataset for WSC rocky reefs that can be used for long-term monitoring of ecosystem shifts due to the new reserve and to possible changes caused by anthropogenic activity or altered natural processes. These aims were addressed by collecting information directly at local/site scale and remotely, at the larger area scale. Dived baseline surveys quantified nearshore WSC rocky-reef epibenthic assemblages at 9 sites at depths ranging from 5-13.6m and at a mean distance from shore = 113m. A survey design that included three sites west of the pending marine reserve, three sites to the east, and three sites within the designated reserve was selected to permit later BACI analyses of post-reserve changes. Species surveyed were those commonly encountered during daylight on exposed surfaces and in accessible crevices and belonged to one of three epibenthic groups: macro-algae (48 species), mobile macro-invertebrates (36 species), and sessile macro-invertebrates (30 morphotypes). These surveys did not include epizoa or smaller, cryptic newly recruited macro-invertebrates. Sessile macro-invertebrate cover was only logged if >0.1%/m2. To gauge possible spatio-temporal patterns in primary productivity as a measure of ecosystem function, biomass and plant size were measured semiannually (winter, summer) for dominant kelp and fucoid species and for two key recreationally and commercially important mobile macro-invertebrate species (sea urchin and abalone). Predictive regression equations developed from wet weight and plant size can be used for future non-destructive estimates of local primary productivity and in trophic modelling. [...] This mapping data forms the basis of a legacy dataset that will assist with monitoring changes in the integrity of critical physical habitat and associated biotic cover. It has also demonstrated that representative descriptions of both biotic and abiotic benthic components can be achieved with a minimum of sampling points and by using the quicker semi-quantitative visual analysis of video. These data can also be used to ground-truth a recently-completed multi-beam acoustic survey of the area. This work has used the approach of landscape ecology, which explains patterns in community structure, function, status and biophysical causes from a spatial perspective, to study biophysical patterns in WSC epibenthic rocky-reef communities. The work identified a high degree of spatial and temporal variation within the abiotic and biotic community within and outside of the reserve area and the limited availability of preferred habitat. The work also identified the need to include indicator species in monitoring to improve the chance of detecting impacted assemblages. These results, and the development of non-destructive sampling tools for assessing ecosystem status, are relevant locally and nationally for resource managers.</p>

Assessing ecological patterns in Wellington south coast's nearshore rocky-reef communities for resource conservation and management

<p>Many coastal marine communities are increasingly affected by terrestrial and maritime human activities and growing coastal populations. Protection of coastal assets and the sustainable use of coastal resources requires knowledge of nearshore benthic community status; the environmental processes that structure and connect them; the quality, abundance, and distribution of physical habitat; essential habitat for species requiring protective measures, and the spatio-temporal scales at which these patterns and processes occur. To assess the status of Wellington South Coast’s (WSC) rocky-reef assemblages prior to the enactment of the Taputeranga Marine Reserve in 2009, two annual baseline surveys were conducted during the austral summers of 2007/08 and 2008/09. These surveys evaluated the biotic and abiotic components of the assemblages in terms of diversity, abundance distribution, and size-class frequency patterns of key macroalgal and mobile macro-invertebrate species. These results were analysed to develop recommendations for best post-reserve monitoring practices, including the identification of “indicator” species for rapid yet representative field surveys to assess structural and status changes. In combination with patterns described by a previous pre-reserve baseline survey series (2000) that focussed on a reduced list of macro-algal and mobile macro-invertebrate species, this final pre-reserve survey forms the basis of a historical dataset for WSC rocky reefs that can be used for long-term monitoring of ecosystem shifts due to the new reserve and to possible changes caused by anthropogenic activity or altered natural processes. These aims were addressed by collecting information directly at local/site scale and remotely, at the larger area scale. Dived baseline surveys quantified nearshore WSC rocky-reef epibenthic assemblages at 9 sites at depths ranging from 5-13.6m and at a mean distance from shore = 113m. A survey design that included three sites west of the pending marine reserve, three sites to the east, and three sites within the designated reserve was selected to permit later BACI analyses of post-reserve changes. Species surveyed were those commonly encountered during daylight on exposed surfaces and in accessible crevices and belonged to one of three epibenthic groups: macro-algae (48 species), mobile macro-invertebrates (36 species), and sessile macro-invertebrates (30 morphotypes). These surveys did not include epizoa or smaller, cryptic newly recruited macro-invertebrates. Sessile macro-invertebrate cover was only logged if >0.1%/m2. To gauge possible spatio-temporal patterns in primary productivity as a measure of ecosystem function, biomass and plant size were measured semiannually (winter, summer) for dominant kelp and fucoid species and for two key recreationally and commercially important mobile macro-invertebrate species (sea urchin and abalone). Predictive regression equations developed from wet weight and plant size can be used for future non-destructive estimates of local primary productivity and in trophic modelling. [...] This mapping data forms the basis of a legacy dataset that will assist with monitoring changes in the integrity of critical physical habitat and associated biotic cover. It has also demonstrated that representative descriptions of both biotic and abiotic benthic components can be achieved with a minimum of sampling points and by using the quicker semi-quantitative visual analysis of video. These data can also be used to ground-truth a recently-completed multi-beam acoustic survey of the area. This work has used the approach of landscape ecology, which explains patterns in community structure, function, status and biophysical causes from a spatial perspective, to study biophysical patterns in WSC epibenthic rocky-reef communities. The work identified a high degree of spatial and temporal variation within the abiotic and biotic community within and outside of the reserve area and the limited availability of preferred habitat. The work also identified the need to include indicator species in monitoring to improve the chance of detecting impacted assemblages. These results, and the development of non-destructive sampling tools for assessing ecosystem status, are relevant locally and nationally for resource managers.</p>

Floristic Composition: Dynamic Biodiversity Indicator of Tree Canopy Effect on Dryland and Improved Mediterranean Pastures

Montado is a characteristic ecosystem of the Mediterranean region. The adequate management of this silvo-pastoral ecosystem requires good understanding of the effect of factors such as tree canopy, fertilization and soil amendment on pasture growth. The main objectives of this work were: (1) to evaluate the effect of tree canopy on soil characteristics and pasture productivity and quality; and (2) to test floristic composition assessment as a bio-indicator of soil improvements (amendment and fertilization) in each study area (under and outside tree canopy). Topsoil was characterized at the beginning of the project (October 2015) and at the end of the experiments (spring 2020). Soil parameters obtained by electronic sensors (soil moisture content, soil cone index and surface temperature) were monitored monthly during the 2017/2018 pasture vegetative cycle. Pasture productivity, quality and floristic composition were evaluated every two years (2016, 2018 and 2020) in the spring flowering period. The results of the floristic inventory were submitted to a multilevel pattern analysis (Indicator Species Analysis, ISA). Pasture biodiversity was evaluated based on the calculation of richness indices. This study showed a positive effect of tree canopy on soil fertility and pasture quality (e.g., CP). Pasture productivity, on the other hand, was higher in areas outside tree canopy. The great potential of ISA as a tool for identification of bio-indicator species was also demonstrated. Pasture species were identified as ecological and dynamic attributes characteristic of each study area, before and after soil amendment and fertilization.