Search results for "conservation."

Tetronciumand its only species,T. magellanicum(Juncaginaceae): distribution, ecology and lectotypification

2013

Abstract Mering S. von: Tetroncium and its only species, T. magellanicum (Juncaginaceae): distribution, ecology and lectotypification. — Willdenowia 43: 13–24. June 2013. — Online ISSN 1868–6397; © 2013 BGBM Berlin-Dahlem. Stable URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3372/wi.43.43102 Tetroncium magellanicum (Juncaginaceae) was described by Willdenow in 1808, based on material collected by Commerson at the Strait of Magellan during Bougainville's voyage around the world. Type material of this species was traced and a lectotype for the name is designated. A description of the species and notes on its ecology and conservation status are provided. For the first time, a detailed map showing the known distri…

Harvesting trees to harvest cash crops: The role of internal migrants in forest land conversion in Uganda

2021

Projecting biodiversity and wood production in future forest landscapes: 15 key modeling considerations

2017

A variety of modeling approaches can be used to project the future development of forest systems, and help to assess the implications of different management alternatives for biodiversity and ecosystem services. This diversity of approaches does however present both an opportunity and an obstacle for those trying to decide which modeling technique to apply, and interpreting the management implications of model output. Furthermore, the breadth of issues relevant to addressing key questions related to forest ecology, conservation biology, silviculture, economics, requires insights stemming from a number of distinct scientific disciplines. As forest planners, conservation ecologists, ecologica…

Forest Sharing® as an Innovative Facility for Sustainable Forest Management of Fragmented Forest Properties: First Results of Its Implementation

2023

The forestry sector in Italy and throughout Europe is going through a critical period due to ongoing natural and anthropological processes, such as climate change and the abandonment of rural areas. These processes lead to a constant fragmentation of properties in small forest parcels, with direct impacts on management capacity. In this framework, new sustainable forest management methods are being tested and are shown to be good practices to oppose the decline of forest ecosystems. Their innovative aspects concern the introduction of a form of shared and circular economy, where management is built on the process, rather than on the product. Their technical activities are based on precision…

Landscape Ecological Structure in the Eastern Part of the North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve, Latvia

2008

Landscape Ecological Structure in the Eastern Part of the North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve, Latvia Latvia is a country where the forest area has increased and habitat fragmentation has reversed compared with many other European countries. In order to examine the effect of this expansion on biodiversity, vegetation maps dating from 2002 and the years 1930-1936 were used for comparative landscape structure analyses while archive materials from forest plans, and data from the national forest management database were used for land use analysis. Four landscape ecoregions in the eastern side of the North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve were selected for analysis. Landscape structure indicators derived f…

More wood but less biodiversity in forests in Finland: a historical evaluation

2022

National forest inventories (NFI) in Finland provide empirical evidence for a marked increase in tree growth, total forest area, and total timber volume over the past century. Meanwhile, the assessments of threatened forest species and habitats indicate continuous degradation of biodiversity in Finnish forests. To shed light on this seeming paradox, we summarized the temporal patterns of forest characteristics (indicators) that have major influence on biodiversity, comparing the structure of current Finnish forests with natural and historical references. Using a variety of data sources, we estimated the proportion of area of old-growth forest and of deciduous-dominated forests, the density …

Micropropagation from inflorescence stems of the Spanish endemic plant Centaurea paui Loscos ex Willk. (Compositae)

1999

Tissue culture techniques have been established as a useful approach for ex situ conservation of rare, endemic or threatened plant species. This report describes the micropropagation of Centaurea paui Loscos ex Willk (Compositae), an extremely endangered plant species endemic to the Valencia Community (eastern Spain), as a conservation measure which does not cause damage to the wild plants used as explant source. Inflorescence nodal segments of C. paui were selected as explants for in vitro establishment. The best rate of shoot proliferation was obtained on Murashige and Skoog (MS) mineral medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l 6-benzyladenine or with 2 mg/l kinetin. Maximum shoot elongation was…

The anthropogenic sealing of soils in urban areas

2009

The sealing of soils by impervious materials is, normally, detrimental to its ecological functions. Exchanges of energy, water and gases are restricted or hampered and an increasing pressure is being exerted on adjacent, non sealed areas. The negative effects span from loss of plant production and natural habitats to increased floods, pollution, and health risks and consequently higher social costs. Environmental Agencies produce periodical reports where the phenomenon of soil consumption by urban infrastructures is monitored with extremely sophisticated geographical tools but little specific research is available that describes the effects of soil sealing. This paper reviews some recent co…

Sex-specific genetic differences in endurance swimming of Trinidadian guppies.

2015

Abstract Swim performance is considered a main fitness‐determining trait in many aquatic organisms. Swimming is generally the only way most aquatic prey can escape predation, and swimming capacity is directly linked to food capture, habitat shifts, and reproduction. Therefore, evolutionary studies of swim performance are important to understand adaptation to aquatic environments. Most studies, however, concentrate on the importance of burst‐swim responses to predators, and little is known about its effect on endurance. Even fewer studies associate differences in organism swim capabilities to key gender‐specific responses. In this experiment, we assess the gender‐specific genetic basis of sw…

The effects of post-pasture woody plant colonization on soil and aboveground litter carbon and nitrogen along a bioclimatic transect.

2013

Abstract: We investigated the effects of woody plant colonization of abandoned pastures on soil and litter organic carbon (C) stocks and nitrogen (N) content along a bioclimatic transect in a semi-arid environment (Sicily, Italy). Soil samples were taken in three successional stages (grazed pasture, shrubland, forest) within each of three bioclimates (supramediterranean - “supra”, mesomediterranean - “meso”, thermomediterranean - “thermo”). Organic C and N in litter and soil (0-10 cm and 10-30 cm depth) were determined, as well as soil bulk density. Especially at 0-10 cm depth, changes in C and N contents along successional stages differed among bioclimates. Soil organic carbon (SOC) stock …