The Potency of Cratoxylum arborescens Blume (Geronggang) and Combrecarpus rotundatus Dans (Tumih) as Natural Regeneration in Degraded Tropical Peat Swamp Forest

The massive forest fire disasters have left an enormous area of ​​degraded peatland. This study aims to analyze the performance of two species, namely C. arborescens and C. rotundatus, as the natural regeneration post forest fires. This research was conducted in 5 different locations that experienced severe fires in 2006. We made a total of 25 plots for each location to measure biodiversity at four growth levels. We analyzed the data with vegetation analysis formulas from Magurran. The results show that at the tree growth level, C. rotundatus can withstand the fires in 2006 and is currently still growing in more significant numbers than C. arborescens. At the pole, sapling, and seedling growth levels, these species perform well as natural regeneration species with many individuals, but C. arborescens is a bit more dominant. Both species are suitable for natural regeneration after fires in degraded peat swamp forests based on survived and existing individuals. On the other hand, both species could not improve the vegetation diversity in the whole ecosystem. These two species can be the option for natural regeneration if there a limited budget and the degraded areas are in a very remote location.

Roadsides are key habitats for birds in the Argentine Pampas: conservation and management implications

Summary Unexploited public areas such as roadsides could provide habitat to help preserve biodiversity in South America, as in other regions. Our objective was to determine the importance of the roadsides of the Argentine Pampas for native birds and to suggest management strategies. We surveyed birds inhabiting roadsides in all seasons and determined whether roadsides were used as habitat. We recorded a total of 95 species on roadsides, which represents 55% of those species described from the area. Species included specialists of grassland, wetland and woodland, 4 vulnerable species and 19 declining species. Bird richness decreased in winter, as well as grassland specialists’ abundances. Most individuals used roadsides for foraging and performing reproduction-related behaviours, mainly on native trees; these and tall grass were the main substrates. We conclude that many species of birds use the habitat provided by roadsides, and we recommend management strategies such as favouring seed availability in winter, restoring trees and tall grass and increasing vegetation diversity to maximize roadside conservation value.

Strip Clearcutting Drives Vegetation Diversity and Composition in the Moso Bamboo Forests

Strip clearcutting of Moso bamboo forests in southern China has seen increasing interest as a way of reducing harvesting costs. Previous research has shown that cutting influences the overstory structure and drives changes in the microclimate and soil properties. However, the effects of strip cutting on understory vegetation diversity and composition remain unclear. To better understand the influence of cutting on the understory vegetation, this study compares sites under natural restoration after cut and uncut sites in the Moso bamboo forest. We selected plots that were cut in 2019 (C19) and 2017 (C17), as well as unharvested plots as controls (CK). The results showed that strip clearcutting increased the understory vegetation richness and diversity, and a significant difference (A = 0.23, P = 0.001) existed in the composition of the vegetation between the three treatments. Furthermore, the decrease of soil total phosphorus and total potassium content resulted in the difference in undergrowth vegetation distribution and composition between the uncut plots and the cut plots. Our results suggest that strip clearcutting may not be harmful to biodiversity on a local scale in the Moso bamboo forest. Study Implications: This study demonstrates that strip clearcutting, which is an economically important harvesting method for bamboo, had significant effects on understory vegetation composition and diversity, and understory vegetation has not returned to preharvest levels after two years. The understory vegetation was affected by soil nutrient content and light conditions in the forest. We believe our research has made a significant contribution to the literature because bamboo is commercially important and its sustainable management is needed by many industries. This study highlights the impact of strip cutting on understory vegetation. The retention of understory vegetation characteristics is critical for the sustainable management of these forests, and this study not only demonstrates the dynamics of cut plots recovery but also increases our knowledge of this important species.

Assessing the Preference and Restorative Potential of Urban Park Blue Space

Urban parks are essential parts of a city’s natural environment, and blue spaces of urban parks bring aesthetic and health benefits to people. However, the current blue spaces mainly focus on the marine environment or a giant water body scale at the urban or regional level. The urban park blue spaces (e.g., rivers, creeks, ponds) are relatively neglected. An experiment involving 10 different urban park blue spaces in Huanhuaxi park was conducted to assess urban park blue spaces’ aesthetic preference and restorative potential. The results indicated that (1) a water body with good water quality and natural visual form may be more attractive and have restorative potential; (2) blue spaces with high vegetation diversity are preferred, and artificial elements should be evaluated more carefully when added to the scene to avoid disharmony and conflict with the surrounding environment; (3) in practical design, the proportions of plants, buildings, topographical changes, and water should be coordinated to maintain the blue space’s landscape heterogeneity; (4) more leisure activities and interactions should be considered for better recovery; and (5) designers need to emphasize the balance of natural and man-made elements to enhance the visual quality of the water feature. This investigation is important for the management and development of leisure and natural resources in urban parks.

Ecosystem, vegetation and soil diversity of the mountain forest-steppe of West Altai (a case study of the Tigirek State Natural Reserve)

The quantitative assessment of ecosystem diversity is a basic tool for the evaluation of its resilience to anthropogenic loads and climatic changes. Our work is devoted to the large-scale predictive ecosystem mapping of hard-to-reach West Altai Mountain areas as well as vegetation, soil, and ecosystem quantitative diversity assessment (basing on Shannon and Simpson indices). The key site (7x4.5 km area) located in the Tigirek State Natural Reserve in the humid climate of the windward part of Altai. The predominance of shrub meadow communities and forb meadows on Gleyic Chernozems and Gleyic Chernic Phaeozems, Gleyic Cambisols, as well as the development of larch forests on the slopes of shady exposures on Greyzemic Chernozems are the regional specificities of the forest-steppe Altai ecosystem. Steppe communities (located on the Haplic Chernozems, Cambisols, and Leptosols), occupy less than 2% of the key site. The studied mountain forest-steppe ecosystem of West Altai is characterized by an extremely high level of spatial diversity: the Shannon index is 3.28, the Simpson is 0.95; an increase in soil diversity leads to a linear increase in vegetation diversity.

Vegetation diversity of Hevea brasiliensis agroforest system in Tumbang Mantuhe Village, Gunung Mas Regency, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

A rubber agroforest system is a form of land use that considers ecological and economic aspects that are still maintained by the people of Tumbang Mantuhe Village. This study aims to identify and analyze the diversity of vegetation in the agroforest system in Tumbang Mantuhe Village, Gunung Mas Regency, Central Kalimantan. This research uses purposive sampling and the vegetation analysis method. The results showed that the species of vegetation in the rubber agroforest system amounted to 29 species in 23 families. At the seedling level, it is dominated by Macaranga sp. and Xylopia ferruginea; the sapling level is dominated by H. brasiliensis and Syzygium tawahense; the pole level is dominated by Deplanchea bancana and Xylopia ferruginea; at the tree, the level is dominated by H. brasiliensis and Lithocarpus sp. At the seedling, sapling, pole, and tree levels, the diversity values were moderate and the species richness values were moderate to high, and the species distribution was even (stable). The H. brasiliensis agroforest system with various trees in it is a characteristic of local wisdom that the people of Tumbang Mantuhe Village have applied from generation to generation, which provides a balance between ecology and economy.

Challenges on fire severity assessment in Indonesia: A vegetation diversity changes perspective

Fire severity assessment plays a significant role in post-fire management, which relates to burned area recovery, economic valuation, and law enforcement. Although various fire severity assessments have been conducted in several burned areas in Indonesia, the standardized method seems limited. This study aims to define criteria and indicators for forest and land fire severity assessment based on systematic reviews using a text mining approach. Systematic reviews on peer-reviewed journal articles related to forest fire severity published in 2010-2021 from Google Scholar source was conducted using Publish or Perish application using keywords of forest fire, severity, criteria, indicator, vegetation, soil, wildlife, living trees, mortality, survival, a burned area, abundance with no citations nor patents included. The linkage among forest fire severity related terms was analyzed using the VOSviewer application, which is based on a text mining approach to identify the most common criteria and indicators for fire severity assessment. The study revealed that there are 991 articles published fits to the keywords, of which 269 articles close related to forest fire severity from 75 peer-reviewed journals. Text mining analyses resulted in 4 clusters of forest fire severity related terms. The criteria commonly used for forest fire severity assessment are vegetation and soil, while the options for indicators including diversity, abundance, forest structure, tree mortality, and burn depth. These criteria and indicators are recommended for formulating forest fire severity assessment standard methods in Indonesia.

Analysis of the effect of CO and PM 2.5 parameters on vegetation conditions in red brick industrial area, Srimulyo Village, Sragen Regency

Red brick industrial activity which is developing in Srimulyo Village generates pros and cons related to CO gas emissions and the resulting particulates, which affect to the flora diversity. This study aims to identify flora biodiversity in the red brick industrial area of Srimulyo Village, then analyze the effect of the emission value of CO and Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 on vegetation in the area. This study conducted at 4-point locations for sampling, using Shannon-Wiener formula to determine the biodiversity index. Result obtain low vegetation diversity index and low stability with the average index value was 1.91. The low vegetation diversity index has correlation with the measured value of CO and PM 2.5 gases which above the standard thresholds. The average range of CO gas levels is 353.3-844.7 ppm, and PM 2.5 levels is 1928.7-9517.7 µg/m3. In conclusion, this study shows that the CO gases and PM 2.5 resulted from Red Brick Industrial Area affect to the flora diversity index into a low cluster in the observed location.

Analysis of vegetation diversity at urban forest Balai Wilayah Sungai (BWS) II Medan

The urban forest is part of the public green open space (RTH) formed from tree vegetation that affects temperature and humidity and reduces wind speed to provide comfort for residents in the vicinity. One of the urban forests in Medan is the Balai Wilayah Sungai (BWS) II Medan. Therefore, vegetation density has an influence on temperature and which affects the quality of urban forests. This study aimed to identify the structure and composition of the BWS II Medan urban forest vegetation. The vegetation analysis method used in this study is a combination method between the path method and the plotline method. The vegetation data that has been obtained is then processed to obtain the Important Value Index (IVI) and the Plant Species Diversity Index (H’). The results showed that the woody plants found in the urban forest of BWS II Medan were 20 species with the composition of seedlings of four species (26 individuals), saplings of twelve species (49 individuals), poles of eleven species (39 individuals) and trees of ten species (141 individuals). The species that dominates at the tree level is Trembesi (Samanea saman), with an IVI value of 118.16%. Meanwhile, the dominant plant species at the seedling, sapling, and pole levels were Mahoni (Swietenia mahagoni), with IVI values of 78.67%, 55.73%, and 103.62, respectively. Therefore, the level of diversity in the BWS II Medan Urban Forest for saplings is classified as moderate, while seedlings, poles, and trees are classified as low.

Analisis Struktur dan Komposisi Vegetasi Tumbuhan Di Taman Hutan Raya Raden Soerjo Prigen Pasuruan

Long drought and uncontrolled human activities resulted in R. Soerjo Prigen Pasuruan Grand Forest Park experiencing fire. Adverse impacts on vegetation can result in vegetation death. Damage caused by fire to vegetation can lead to succession which can be seen from the composition and structure of forest vegetation. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of environmental parameters, structure and composition of plant vegetation in Tahura R. Soerjo, which were used as a learning resource for biology. This study used a purposive sampling technique. The method used is a combination of paths and checkered lines. The data analysis technique used is the Importance Value Index (INP), the dominance index, the diversity index, the wealth index, and the evenness index. The results showed that the identification of plant vegetation diversity was found as many as 33 species from 17 families that came from 3 divisions. The highest INP was found at the seedling level. The value of the dominance index is less than 1. The results show that the value of the density index is low, because it has a value of <3.5. The evenness value is at a high value, except at the tree level.