The history of Abies pinsapo during the Holocene in southern Spain, based on pedoanthracological analysis

The aim of this research is to reconstruct the ancient distribution area of Abies pinsapo Boiss. (Spanish fir) in the Serranía de Ronda region, southern Spain, during the Holocene. The main method was pedoanthracological analysis, the study of non-archaeological charcoal found in natural soils. In this research a total of 37 soil excavations were done in several mountain ranges with potentially favourable places for firs to have grown in the past. Specific sites and places such as hillsides, endorheic basins (with no outflow), sinkholes, summits and mountain passes were selected on the basis of evidence from a range of different sources including ancient documents, pollen studies and species distribution models. The soil samples collected from these sites were prepared in the laboratory and the charcoal was identified and radiocarbon dated. Statistical and cartographic analyses were also done. The study revealed evidence of past populations of Abies sp. in places where it is no longer found today. A total of 47 different chronologies were obtained from these sites with ages ranging between 9,931 cal bp and 78 cal bp. In addition, the wide variations in the charcoal values enabled us to make an initial estimate of the importance of ancient forest fires in different places in the Serranía de Ronda. When this information has been considered with all the other available data sources, it will be an essential resource for the efficient management of relict fir woods in southern Spain.

Loss in macronutrient pools in bilberry and lingonberry in mesic Scots pine forests after Northern red oak introduction

Forest transformation from coniferous monocultures to mixed stands is being promoted worldwide, including the introduction of fast-growing broadleaved tree species within native stands. Here, we studied how enrichment of temperate European Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) forest by North-American northern red oak Quercus rubra impacted macronutrient concentrations in two long-lived and dominant components of the forest understory: bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus and lingonberry V. vitis-idaea. Study sites were located in forest complexes (central Poland) which occupy continuously reforested lands (hereafter ancient forests) as well as post-agricultural lands (recent forests), all suitable for mesic pine forests. Samples of bilberry and lingonberry leaves, stems, and fruits were collected in pine stands and in adjacent Scots pine-red oak stands, in both ancient and recent forests. Concentrations of macronutrients (C, N, P, K, Ca, S, and Mg) in aboveground biomass components were analysed using standardized chemical procedures. The study revealed intra- and interspecific (bilberry vs. lingonberry) differences in concentrations of all nutrients in leaves, stems, and fruits, except for invariable C concentrations. Macronutrient accumulations in plants were decreased by land-use discontinuity and favoured by enrichment of tree stands by Q. rubra. The estimated macronutrient pools were much higher for V. myrtillus than V. vitis-idaea in all forest types studied. They were lower in forests enriched with Q. rubra, both ancient (up to 25.5% for bilberry and 99.9% for lingonberry) and recent (46.9% and 99.9%, respectively), as well as in recent pine forest (46.6% and 81.1%, respectively) than in ancient pine forest. Higher K and S pools (39.3% and 6.5%, respectively) noted for bilberry in an ancient forest with Q. rubra were exceptions. Despite more effective accumulations of elements at the species level, macronutrient pools of Vaccinium myrtillus and V. vitis-idaea decreased significantly in the presence of introduced Q. rubra due to negative impacts of this broadleaved tree on bilberry and lingonberry cover and biomass. Therefore, the limitation of alien Q. rubra planting in sites of mesic pine forest with the abundant occurrence of V. myrtillus and/or V. vitis-idaea is recommended. Graphic abstract

Factors influencing late-Holocene vegetation dynamics and biodiversity on Hallands Väderö, SW Sweden: A statistical evaluation

Forest composition characteristic of the Mid-Holocene has survived on Hallands Väderö, an island nature reserve off the south west coast of Sweden. Current veteran Tilia and Quercus trees contribute to a remarkably rich biodiversity of fungi, bryophytes, lichens and insects. Understanding which potential factors influence Holocene vegetation dynamics can support efforts to protect biodiversity, but the role of grazing and browsing has previously been difficult to evaluate because of the lack of long-term datasets. Palaeoecological analyses over the last c. 3000 years from a pond on the island reveal sustained presence of Quercus, Alnus, Tilia, Corylus and Ulmus, alongside increasing Fagus in recent centuries. Changes in grazing pressure have been documented since AD 1665 and a statistical approach was used to calculate the relative importance of grazing pressure, climate variability, and fire activity on the dynamics of selected taxa. Grazing was the main factor reducing population size of Fagus, Alnus, Tilia and Corylus on the island over the period AD 1665–1858, with warm winter temperatures and summer humidity having significant positive influences in the last millennium for Quercus, Alnus, Tilia and Corylus. The survival of large numbers of red-listed species is likely to be due to the continuity of large old trees, ancient forest composition and a distinctive disturbance history in a favourable climate.

Plant Species Over-Occupancy Indicates River Valleys Are Natural Corridors for Migration

River valleys are considered natural corridors for migration of plant species, however, there is a lack of studies confirming higher colonisation rates of plant species in these areas. We compare plant species-richness between ancient and recent forests, and those located in a river valley with those located in the surrounding landscape. We hypothesise that, close to a river, higher plant species-richness will be associated with recent forests thus indicating a higher colonisation rate. The study area includes part of the Elbe River Valley and its surrounding landscape in the Czech Republic. We sampled an equal number of recent and ancient forests but lying at different distances from the river. We used generalised linear models to test the effect of distance from the river in dependence upon forest continuity (recent/ancient forest) on two plant species-richness categories, i.e. richness of forest species and overall species richness. In the surrounding landscape, higher richness of forest species was associated with ancient forests, whereas overall species richness was comparable. In the river valley, richness of forest species as well as overall species richness was higher in the recent forests. Recent forests in the river valley were more saturated by plant species than those in the surrounding landscape, indicating that in the river valley the colonisation rate of plant species is higher. These results confirm the importance of river valleys as natural corridors for migration of plant species.

Do Adjacent Forests Affect the Regeneration of Oak-Hornbeam and Ancient Forest Plant Species in Manor Parks in Poland?

Manor parks are characteristic objects in the agricultural landscape of Poland. Lack of proper management after World War II, however, led to their devastation from a cultural point of view, but may allow the regeneration of rare and endangered species. The aim of our study was to determine if the presence of forests in the vicinity of manor parks will work as an accelerator of the regeneration process of oak-hornbeam and ancient forest species. Phytosociological analyses were conducted in manor parks adjacent to forests and not adjacent to the forest as well as natural forests. The total number of plant species, number and percentage share of ancient forest species, and plant species consistent with oak-hornbeam habitat were analyzed using a GLM model. Characteristic species were identified using detrended correspondence analysis. Parks adjacent to forests and natural forests showed higher numbers of total species, ancient forest species, and oak-hornbeam species compared with parks not adjacent to forests, but there were no differences in percentage shares of ancient forest species and oak-hornbeam species. For all three types of studied objects, characteristic species could be identified. We conclude that adjacent forests allow greater regeneration of ancient forest species and oak-hornbeam forest species in manor parks.

Introducing the complexity of climate change through a videogame: Change Game – Play with the Planet

<p>Although the topic of climate change has gained more prominence in recent years, many people still struggle to understand the complex and widespread implications that it is likely to have on almost every sector of our society and natural environment.</p><p>Climate change is a complex issue. The physical process that regulates the feedbacks and interactions of the Earth System’s components are complicated, the consequences for society and ecosystems are extensive, as too are the implications for the economy. Many effects are not yet fully understood and are difficult to envisage.</p><p>Improving climate literacy and the public’s understanding about the causes and consequences of climate change are important to increasing civic participation and engagement. They are necessary for the deep and systemic transformation needed to create resilient and zero carbon societies, in line with the Paris Agreement goals.</p><p>Videogames have been identified as an ideal means through which to represent complexity, simulating different scenarios and testing alternative paths. ‘Change Game’ was developed by the CMCC Foundation, with a view to representing the climate system and its interactions with society and with natural ecosystems. The game was designed to be scientifically grounded, but also engaging and entertaining. </p><p>A simplified model was developed to establish the game’s values, which covered energy and water consumption, historical GHG emissions by sectors, scenarios to reach net zero emissions, technological solutions, climate impacts, etc.</p><p>The player is put in charge of the growth and development of a city on a planet inhabited by a pre-set number of players (5-30) who are also developing their own cities. They have to provide energy, water and food to satisfy their population’s needs, build manufacturing and services industries, manage their resources, trade them with other players, invest in research, education and entertainment, and care for the health, happiness and prosperity of their community.</p><p>However, the higher the emissions that all the players on the same planet generate, the greater the challenges they will face. These include heat waves, droughts, floods, rising sea levels or the spread of new diseases.    <br>The activities in the game are organised within 9 macro categories: houses, factories (steel, cement, sawmill, food factories), services (school, university, hospital, mall, museum, sports center, trading center, warehouse), mines (rock, mineral, rare elements), agriculture (crops, livestock and fish), forestry (forest, ancient forest, land and marine protected areas), energy (fossil fuel, hydroelectric, solar, wind, offshore wind, tidal, nuclear, biofuel, batteries), water (well, aqueduct, water reservoir, desalination plant), negative emissions technologies.</p><p>Through education players can learn to promote sustainable behaviors which affect resource consumption as well as the growth and happiness of their populations. Investment in research determines access to more advanced technological solutions and buildings aimed at reducing GHG emissions or increasing resilience to climate change effects.               </p><p>Finally, players can interact with neighboring cities on the same planet in the multiplayer environment through trade, climate strikes, corruption attacks and fake news.</p><p>Change Game is freely available as an app for Android and IOS mobiles.</p>

How ancient forest fragmentation and riparian connectivity generate high levels of genetic diversity in a micro-endemic Malagasy tree

Understanding landscape changes is central to predicting evolutionary trajectories and defining conservation practices. While human-driven deforestation is intense throughout Madagascar, exception in areas like the Loky-Manambato region (North) raises questions. This region also harbors a rich and endemic flora, whose evolutionary origin remains poorly understood.We assessed the genetic diversity of an endangered micro-endemic Malagasy olive species (Noronhia spinifolia) to better understand the vegetation dynamic in the Loky-Manambato region and its influence on past evolutionary processes. We characterized 72 individuals sampled across eight forests through nuclear and mitochondrial restriction associated sequencing data (RADseq) and chloroplast microsatellites (cpSSR).Extremely high genetic diversity was revealed in the three genomic compartments (chloroplast h = 0.99, mitochondrial h = 0.85, and nuclear HO = 0.07-0.20). Combined population and landscape genetics analyses indicate that N. spinifolia diversity is best explained by the current forest cover (R2 = 0.90), highlighting a long-standing forest fragmentation in the region. Our results further suggest a predominant role of forestdwelling organisms in mediating pollen and seed dispersals.This sustains a major and long-term role of riparian corridors in maintaining connectivity across those antique mosaic-habitats, calling for the study of organismal interactions that promote gene flow.