Setting Up Optimal Meteorological Networks: An Example From Italy

A permanent assessment of climate regime in forest sites has a key role in forest resource conservation and preservation of ecosystem services, biodiversity and landscape multi-functionality, informing sustainable forest management. In this view, time-series of meteorological data relative to several monitoring sites from the ICP-Forest network in Italy, were analyzed with the aim to define the number of site-specific observations, which can be considered adequate for further analysis on forest resource management. The relative importance of each factor accounted in our analysis (season, year, variable, plot, sampling proportion) was investigated comparing results through the use of descriptive statistics.

The Critical Level of Mangrove Ecosystem in Lariang Watershed Downstream, West Sulawesi-Indonesia

Critical land is a land whose soil condition has experienced or is in the process of physical, chemical, or biological damage which ultimately endangers hydrological, orological functions, and agricultural production. This research purposes were to determine the level of criticality of mangrove ecosystems, as the basis for sustainable management. Determination and delineation of the location were carried out photogrammetrically using Landsat 7 ETM + Band 542 imagery and maps, as well as terrestrial by direct measurement in the field. The species inventory and identification, tree/pole potency, saplings and seedlings used the line plot sampling and spot check methods. The results showed that the mangrove ecosystem area was of 577.07 ha, condition of dense (uncritical) vegetation reached an area of 138.16 ha (23.94%), followed by a rare (critical) condition of 286.63 ha (49.67%), while a damaged condition (very critical) 152.28 ha (26.39%). The dominant mangrove species were Sonneratia alba, Rhizophora apiculata, Avicenia marina, and Rhizophora mucronata. The main determinant of the mangrove ecosystems criticality was the mangrove cover area reduction as the non-mangrove land (ponds) impacts. To improve the quality of mangrove forest ecosystems, sustainable conservation is needed, one of which is the preparation of basic mangrove critical data and community empowerment. They are needed to restore, maintain and improve the function of forests and mangrove forest lands in order to increase their carrying capacity, productivity and their role in maintaining life support systems through rehabilitation programs.

Evaluating the efficacy of a consumer-centric method for ecological sampling: Using bonobo (Pan paniscus) feeding patterns as an instrument for tropical forest characterization

1. Characteristics of food availability and distribution are a key component of a species ecology. Objective measurement of food resources, such as vegetation plot sampling, do not consider aspects of selection by the consumer and therefore may produce imprecise measures of availability. Further, in most animal ecology research, traditional ecological surveying often is time-intensive and supplementary to ongoing behavioral observation. We propose a method to integrate ecological sampling of an animal's environment into existing behavioral data collection systems by using the consumer as the surveyor. Here, we introduce the consumer-centric method (CCM) of assessing resource availability for its ability to measure food resource abundance, distribution, and dispersion. This method catalogues feeding locations observed during behavioral observation and uses aggregated data to characterize these ecological metrics. 2. We evaluated the CCM relative to traditional vegetation plot surveying using accumulated feeding locations across three years visited by a tropical frugivore, the bonobo (Pan paniscus), and compared it with data derived from over 200 vegetation plots across their 50km2+ home range. 3. We demonstrate that food species abundance estimates derived from the CCM are comparable to those derived from traditional vegetation plot sampling after approximately 600 observation days or 60 spatially explicit feeding locations. The agreement between the methods further improved when accounting for aspects of consumer selectivity in objective vegetation plot sampling (e.g., size minima). Estimates of density from CCM correlated with plot-derived estimates and were relatively insensitive to home range inclusion and other species characteristics, but were sensitive to sampling frequency (e.g., consumption frequency). Agreement between the methods in relative distribution of resources performed better across species than expected by chance, although measures of dispersion correlated poorly. 4. We demonstrate that while providing a robust measure to quantify local food availability, the CCM has an advantage over traditional sampling methods as it incorporates sampling biases relevant to the consumer. Therefore, as this method can be incorporated into existing observational data collection and does not require additional ecological surveying, it serves as a promising method for behavioral ecological data collection for animal species who re-use space and consume immobile food items.

A comparison of three methods for estimating call densities of migrating bowhead whales using passive acoustic monitoring

Various methods for estimating animal density from visual data, including distance sampling (DS) and spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR), have recently been adapted for estimating call density using passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) data, e.g., recordings of animal calls. Here we summarize three methods available for passive acoustic density estimation: plot sampling, DS, and SECR. The first two require distances from the sensors to calling animals (which are obtained by triangulating calls matched among sensors), but SECR only requires matching (not localizing) calls among sensors. We compare via simulation what biases can arise when assumptions underlying these methods are violated. We use insights gleaned from the simulation to compare the performance of the methods when applied to a case study: bowhead whale call data collected from arrays of directional acoustic sensors at five sites in the Beaufort Sea during the fall migration 2007–2014. Call detections were manually extracted from the recordings by human observers simultaneously scanning spectrograms of recordings from a given site. The large discrepancies between estimates derived using SECR and the other two methods were likely caused primarily by the manual detection procedure leading to non-independent detections among sensors, while errors in estimated distances between detected calls and sensors also contributed to the observed patterns. Our study is among the first to provide a direct comparison of the three methods applied to PAM data and highlights the importance that all assumptions of an analysis method need to be met for correct inference.

Urban Forest Inventory for Carbon Reduction in a University City Campus

Performing forest inventory in the campus is one of the breakthroughs towards achieving sustainable campus. Forest inventory aided the universities in creating a holistic baseline or framework in managing, planning and monitoring the forest in the campus in pursuance of a functional urban ecosystem through sustainable practice. The inventory aims to determine the number of trees and the stocking of carbon and biomass. Accurate estimation of the forest’s number of trees and biomass carbon sinks can improve the understanding of carbon cycles and help in developing sustainable forest management. The study area is identified as secondary type forest with 50.1% of the strata is 60–80% canopy cover dominated by small stands. There is a total of 14 sampling plots inventoried and measured using 40 x 40m square plot sampling. 41% of the three species found comprised of rubber trees (Hevea Brasiliensis). The total number of trees estimated is 97,325 trees with the average density of 21 m2/ha and 24,146.54 Mg CO2e aboveground biomass and carbon stocking.

New Varieties of Coffee: Compromising the Qualities of Adaptive Agroforestry? A Case Study From Southern Mexico

The most recent wave of coffee leaf rust, and its interaction with climatic variability, caused severe crop losses in shade-grown coffee areas in Latin America during the 2010–14 production cycles and beyond. Fungal attack on traditional Arabica varieties led to a process of substitution with new coffee varieties that are tolerant or resistant to the pathogen. The adaptation literature classifies this type of intervention as an incremental adaptation, with the potential to lead the system toward sustainable transformation. This research explores the initial consequences of introducing certain hybrid varieties into the transboundary area of the Tacaná Volcano, located between Chiapas and Guatemala, with the objective of identifying aspects that put the potential for adaptive agroforestry at risk. We hypothesize that the interaction of a range of economic, political, and ecological factors leads to ambiguous results in terms of both production and environmental adaptation. Ecological and management variables were analyzed in a case study of 30 producers. Quantitative data, collected through ecological plot sampling and application of a socio-productive survey, was complemented with ethnographic data. We conclude that, for our case study, the manner in which these new coffee varieties were introduced raises new sources of vulnerability that could be compromising the local and ecological benefits of agroforestry systems, as well as diminishing their capacity to cope with the future impacts of climate change.

Urban Forest Inventory For Carbon Reduction In A University City Campus

Background Performing forest inventory in the campus is one of the breakthroughs towards achieving sustainable campus. The inventory aims to determine the number of trees and calculate the stocking of carbon and biomass. This is inevitably important when the contribution of trees to the oxygen supplies as well as stocks for carbon biomass are of concern. Realising the importance of contribution of trees to the surrounding community, this study was therefore conducted. Results The study area is identified as secondary type forest with 50.1% of the strata is 60–80% canopy cover dominated by small stands. There is a total of 14 sampling plots inventoried and measured using 40 x 40m square plot sampling. 41% of the three species found comprised of rubber trees (Hevea Brasiliensis). The total number of trees estimated is 97,325 trees with the average density of 21 m2/ha and 24,146.54 Mg CO2e aboveground biomass and carbon stocking. Conclusion The study has successfully assessed the forest resources that are available in University Malaya campus. It was found that the forests in the study area fall in the category of secondary forest where stands are in the successive growing stages. Intensive sampling units with support from sufficient spatial data produced reliable estimates. This information is crucial for the reporting of forest resources that reside in an urban environment. With the new sets of data of the forest obtained from the forest inventory, UM management now have the ability to easily and accurately evaluate the composition and condition of the forest, and estimate the environmental services and aesthetic values. These are the first few steps that have been taken by UM towards improving the management of the urban forest on campus.

Kajian Struktur Komunitas Krustasea Pada Kondisi Lingkungan Mangrove Di Desa Tireman Kabupaten Rembang

ABSTRACT: Mangrove ecosystems are ecosystems located in coastal areas that are affected by tides so that the bases are always flooded. Mangroves have ecological functions that can support the growth of organisms in them. The ecological functions include nursery ground, feeding ground, and spawing ground for organisms living in it, one of which is crustaceans. The Rembang coastal area is used by the surrounding community to change the function of mangrove vegetation land into a pond area so that it can affect the existence of crustaceans. This study aims to determine the structure of the crustacean community including composition, abundance, diversity, uniformity, dominance, and distribution patterns of mangrove vegetation in Tireman Village, Rembang District, Rembang Regency. The study was conducted in April - May 2019. The method of determining the location using purposive sampling. Sampling uses a qualitative method with a 5x5 meter sampling plot with three repetitions. The material used is crustacean community structure data and environmental parameters. The results obtained were found 10 types from 4 families originating from 2 infra-orders (Brachyura and Anomura). The highest abundance is found in Station B of 1.59 individuals / m2. Diversity individuex is low to moderate (H '= 0.98 - 1.28) and uniformity individuex is low (e = 0.21 - 0.27), and there is no dominance at each research station (C = 0.34 - 0.47). The type of distribution pattern that is found is clustered (clumped). ABSTRAK: Ekosistem mangrove merupakan ekosistem yang terdapat pada daerah tepi pantai yang dipengaruhi oleh pasang surut air laut sehingga dasarnya selalu tergenang air. Mangrove mempunyai fungsi ekologi yang dapat menunjang pertumbuhan organisme yang ada di dalamnya. Fungsi ekologi tersebut meliputi nursery ground, feeding ground, dan spawing ground bagi organisme yang tinggal di dalamnya salah satunya krustasea. Wilayah pesisir Rembang dimanfaatkan oleh masyarakat sekitar untuk alih fungsi lahan vegetasi mangrove menjadi areal tambak sehingga dapat mempengaruhi keberadaan krustasea. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui struktur komunitas krustasea meliputi komposisi, kelimpahan, keanekaragaman, keseragaman, dominansi, dan pola sebaran pada vegetasi mangrove Desa Tireman Kecamatan Rembang Kabupaten Rembang. Penelitian dilaksankan pada bulan April – Mei 2019. Metode penentuan lokasi menggunakan purposive sampling. Pengambilan sampel menggunakan metode kualitatif dengan plot sampling 5x5 meter dengan tiga kali pengulangan. Materi yang digunakan adalah data struktur komunitas krustasea dan parameter lingkungan. Hasil penelitian yang diperoleh ditemukan 10 jenis dari 4 famili yang berasal dari 2 infra ordo (Brachyura dan Anomura). Kelimpahan tertinggi terdapat pada Stasiun B sebesar 1,59 individu/m2. Indeks keanekaragaman termasuk kategori rendah hingga sedang (H' = 0,98 – 1,28) dan indeks keseragaman kategori rendah (e = 0,21 – 0,27), dan tidak ada dominansi di setiap stasiun penelitian (C = 0,34 – 0,47). Pola sebaran jenis yang dijumpai yaitu mengelompok (clumped).

Komposisi dan Tutupan Kanopi Vegetasi Mangrove di Perairan Bakauheni, Kabupaten Lampung Selatan

Kondisi kesehatan vegetasi mangrove yang berada di daratan dan pulau – pulau kecil sangat penting dalam menjaga keseimbangan ekosistem pesisir dan laut. Perbedaan kondisi tumbuh mangrove dapat mempengaruhi dinamika perubahan vegetasi dan tutupan kanopi mangrove. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis struktur, komposisi dan tutupan kanopi mangrove di Perairan Bakauheni, Kabupaten Lampung Selatan. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini yaitu metode deskriptif. Penentuan titik atau stasiun sampling dengan menggunakan metode purposive sampling. Metode pengambilan data vegetasi mangrove dengan metode plot sampling dan pengambilan data tutupan kanopi mangrove dengan metode hemispherical photography. Penelitian ini dilakukan di 4 lokasi yaitu Desa Kramat (DK), Desa Muara Bakau (DMB), Pulau Rimau Balak (PRB), dan Pulau Kandang Balak (PKB) yang terdiri dari 4 stasiun penelitian. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kawasan Perairan Bakauheni yang terdiri dari 4 lokasi peneltiian ditemukan 14 spesies mangrove di dalam plot dan di luar plot penelitian. Nilai Kerapatan mangrove berkisar 966–1634 ind/ha. Nilai Indeks Keanekaragaman (H’) dan Keseragaman (J’) di lokasi penelitian termasuk dalam kategori rendah. Hasil persentase tutupan kanopi mangrove termasuk kategori padat berkisar 72,04±13,18% – 86,41±1,08%. The health condition of mangrove vegetation on land and small islands is very important in maintaining the balance of coastal and marine ecosystems. Differences in mangrove area conditions can affect the dynamics of changes in vegetation and mangrove canopy cover. This study aims to analyze the structure, composition and cover of mangrove canopies in Bakauheni Waters, South Lampung Regency. The method used in this research is descriptive method. Determination of the point or sampling station using purposive sampling method. The method of collecting mangrove vegetation data using plot sampling method and mangrove canopy cover data collection using hemispherical photography method. This research was conducted in 4 locations, namely Kramat Village (DK), Muara Bakau Village (DMB), Rimau Balak Island (PRB), and Kandang Balak Island (PKB) consisting of 4 research stations. The results showed that the Bakauheni Waters area which consisted of 4 research sites found 14 mangrove species inside the plot and outside the research plot. Mangrove density values range from 966-1634 ind/ha. The value of Diversity Index (H') and Uniformity (J') in the study location is included in the low category. The percentage yield of mangrove canopy cover including the dense category ranges 72.04±13.18% - 86.41±1.08%.