Responses of Etiella zinckenella to habitat fragmentation of Caraganas in desert steppe in Ningxia, China

Habitat fragmentation is a common cause for which species becomes threatened or endangered. Existence of viable habitat is critical to the survival of any species, so habitat fragmentation is the main reason for the changes in distribution and abundance of organisms, and is usually considered to have negative effect on the abundance, species richness and population of organisms in a specific landscape. But this effect may also depend on whether some species could use one or more types of habitat in a specific landscape. Because of its well resistance to stress, Caragana is one of predominant shrub in desert region for forest planting and desert preventing, which plays a critical role in desert control and ecosystem stabilization. Baijitan National Nature Reserve, located in Lingwu County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China, is typical of desert nature reserve in which the Caragana spp., Oxytropis aciphylla and other desert plants are protected. The Caragana woodlands in this region show a pattern of dots, patches and strips separated by natural and cultivated forest, thereby leading to a typical fragmented landscape. Etiella zinckenella (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) is one of seed pests of Caragana. In order to illuminate the responses of E. zinckenella to the habitat fragmentation of Caraganas woodlands, the present study focused on the effects of habitat area, habitat fragmentation, as well as matrix composition on the population density and damage ratio of E. zinckenella in desert steppe. From May 2008 to June 2009, by using parallel jump sampling method, 13 Caragana woodland patches representing four landscapes from Baijitan National Nature Reserve were investigated and totally 15,117 pods were inspected. Then, the landscape fragmentation indices, population density and damage ratio of E. zinckenella in Caragana woodlands were calculated. The statistic analysis of the data indicated that the four landscapes have a significant difference in the population density and damage ratio of E. zinckenella; and in the same landscape, the neighbor patches also have a significant difference in the damage ratios of E. zinckenella. E. zinckenella seems to prefer some species of Caragana, for instance, the damage ratio of E. zinckenella to Caragana microphylla is found the highest, followed by the damage ratio to Caragana davazamcidamage, while the damage ratio to Caragana korshinskii is found the lowest. The coverage of Caragana is found positively related to the damage ratio of E. zinckenella with hinge damage ratio in high coverage of Caragana forest. The regression analysis shows that the latitude (R_s = 0.5724), longitude (R_s = 0.5577), altitude (R_s = 0.4614) and patch area (R = 0.3012) were not significantly associated with population density and damage ratio of E. zinckenella. However, the population density and damage ratio of E. zinckenella decreased with the increasing in patch area. The landscape patch fragmentation index (R = 0.91129) and the patch density index (R = 0.89864) show a positive correlation with damage ratio. The fragmentation shape index (R = ?0.89675) and inside habitat area fragmentation index (R = ?0.77646) show a negative correlation with the damage ratio. As a result, the population of E. zinckenella was suppressed by the landscape fragmentation, but the patch isolation and complementary resources in the landscape matrix may also have a positive impact on the population density of E. zinckenella.     

Effects of road network on Asian elephant habitat and connectivity between the nature reserves in Xishuangbanna,Southwest China

Evaluating road effects on the ecological status and landscape connectivity is critical for animal corridor design. Taking the fragmented nature reserves in Xishuangbanna as a case, road impacts on Asian elephant habitats were determined based on a suitability analysis. Potential corridors between different sub-reserves were located using “least-cost” method as a systematic way incorporating remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS). Our results revealed that road networks, especially high-level roads (expressway, national road and city-county city road), had the largest effects on the suitability according to the sensitivity analysis. Suitability ( > 40) area will increase about 40% if there were no high-level roads. In total, seven potential linkages were located and found to be capable of connecting the habitats of the four sub-reserves. We suggested the Menglun reserve could serve as a stepping-stone for elephant migration. Four further conservation priorities were also identified between the Menglun reserve and the Mengla reserve where the road impacts were intensive. Our study provided information for the development of an efficient reserve network for elephant conservation between existing nature reserves in China and neighboring provinces in Lao PDR.     

Landscape pattern MACRS analysis and the optimal utilization of Shiyang River Basin based on RS and GIS approach

Chose the arid interior district Shiyang River basin four issues of Landsat/TM images from 1986 to 2006 to visually interpret, and analyze the natural succession of ecological environment and the landscape pattern characteristic under the human activity interference. The results showed that in past 20 years, the number of landscape patch has increased, but the average patch size was decreasing, which explained that the landscape fragmentation degree was increasing, the landscape integrity was declining. The edge density of landscape remained invariable basically, which explained its stability maintained good. The diversity and evenness index continually enhanced, the diversity increased from 0.73 in 1986 to 0.84 in 2006. The mean core patch area of study area reduced from134.47 hm² in 1994 to 127.67 hm² in 2006, which indicated that the landscape core area was decreasing. On the one hand, it accelerated circulatory speed of species and reduced resistance of the energy flux. On the other hand it destroyed the integrity of the original landscape, easily caused the core area reducing continually, and led to vicious circle of the landscape separation. Seen from the whole study area, The utilization of landscape developed to the heterogeneous direction, indicated the proportional difference between various landscapes types was increasing, this kind of change has reflected the human activity’s influence to the whole landscape to a certain extent. It is believed that there are a series of landscape ecological problems such as low landscape ecological connectivity, simplified landscape structure and the more oasis fragmentation. In order to solve these problems, according to the principle that the movements of flow, energy and material in a landscape are related to some factors such as distance, time, impedance, etc., this study adopts the minimum accumulative resistance surface (MARS), the minimum cost resistance (MCR) model, and uses the surface diffusion technology to analyze compactness of landscape structure and the spatial difference of ecological function in Shiyang River basin. Then constructs some landscape components such as source, corridor and ecological node to strengthen the spatial connection of ecological network, and further discusses the landscape pattern optimization proposal.     

Exploring effective conservation networks based on multi-scale planning unit analysis. A case study of the Balsas sub-basin,Maranhão State,Brazil

Nature conservation and restoration activities require delineation of effective conservation networks. This paper presents a methodology which allows a quick evaluation of different planning options for extensive areas. We analyzed the spatial structure of remaining patches of the natural Cerrado vegetation in the Balsás sub-basin, South of Maranhão State of Brazil (about 25,590 km²) in order to understand how the remaining habitats are distributed and spatially configured. Conservation area network scenarios are based on hexagonal cells, referred to as analysis unit (AU) cells. A multi-scale analysis of 10,000 ha and 50,000 ha AU cells was set up to represent local and regional scales, respectively. For each AU at both local and regional scales we computed landscape metrics of native vegetation: NATIVE VEGETATION COVER: percentage of native vegetation cover; (NV-NP): number of patches; (NV-MSI): mean shape index. Subsequently, five different conservation and restoration strategies were defined: (a) only enforce nature conservation within legally established units; (b) target nature conservation only within the local AU landscape; (c) target regional management by combining neighboring AU; (d) management of both local landscape and region; (e) protect the legal conservation areas and promote local and regional conservation. We also generated scenarios of habitat capacity for mammals and matched these results with the different vegetation conservation scenarios. Results indicate that only 12% of the study area is well conserved and that 43% of the region is in a very critical condition. The percentage of AU cells where native vegetation conservation actions are required differ for the five conservation strategies: These results allow policy makers and other stakeholders to target the locations and extent of conservation units required. We suggest that about 45% of the sub-basin could be managed at local, regional or both scales. Regarding a mammal species diversity scenario an even higher percentage of the average habitat capacity of the selected species occurs in open cerrado and valleys areas that coincide with critical areas. The proposed multi-scale analysis unit cell approach can support the planning process of extensive areas as necessary in Brazil.     

Landscape dynamics and their effect on the functional connectivity of a Mediterranean landscape in Chile

Land use and cover changes have been identified as a major factor contributing to shape landscape structure and biodiversity patterns, particulary in areas with a long history of human occupation and habitat fragmentation, such as the Mediterranean landscapes. However, the existing studies on landscape change indicators for Mediterranean areas have mostly focused in Europe, while for other Mediterranean zones, and especially for South America, there is a serious lack of knowledge concerning the impact of landscape dynamics on ecological processes. Further research on this topic is urgently needed, given the high biodiversity levels and the rapidly increasing rates of human modification in the Mediterranean landscapes of South America. For this purpose, we investigated the dynamics of a landscape in the semiarid region of the Mediterranean zone of Chile, and measured the effect of those dynamics on functional connectivity, during a period of about four decades (1975–2011). Landscape connectivity indicators were extracted from a series of Landsat images. The Equivalent Connnected Area index (ECA) was used as indicator of connectivity trends, and was evaluated for three representative distances of seed dispersal in the study area (150 m, 500 m and 1000 m). In addition, the patches that most contribute to maintain the present connectivity, and their roles as connectivity providers, were identified through a set of commensurable indicators: betweenness centrality and the fractions (intra, flux connector) of the Integral Index of Connectivity. We found that these indicators were useful to detect and summarize a number of previously unreported trends in these Mediterranean landscapes. First, population growth and economic development were compatible with an increase in functional connectivity for forest habitats, mainly because the abandonment of marginal agricultural lands and their subsequent conversion to espinals (Acacia caven) triggered vegetation succession towards secondary forests. Second, increased forest connectivity was not associated to a decrease in the characteristic heterogeneity of Mediterranean landscapes. Third, many patches of espinal, despite being commonly regarded as of poor conservation value, were crucial to promote connectivity by acting as stepping stones among other patches with higher habitat quality. The approach here presented provides a combined assessment of landscape structure, function and change that should be valuable and applicable to deliver operational indicators in dynamic landscapes in South America and other Mediterranean regions.     

Comparison of land use/land cover change and landscape patterns in Honghe National Nature Reserve and the surrounding Jiansanjiang Region,China

Land use and land cover change (LUCC) determines landscape patterns and affects the ability of ecosystems to provide the services and biodiversity on which humans ultimately depend. The Honghe National Nature Reserve is a biodiversity-rich area in the Jiansanjiang region of northeast China. In this study, the LUCC and landscape patterns were compared between the reserve and the Jiansanjiang region. With remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS) procedures, satellite images from 1989, 2001 and 2010 were used to calculate dynamics of LUCC amplitudes, landscape pattern index, transition matrix. The influence of LUCC on the wetland landscape of the nature reserve was discussed in the context of broader LUCC analyses. The results showed that land uses in the studied regions changed remarkedly over the time period; swamp area declined significantly as arable land increased. The ecological landscape index showed that distinct landscape patches were small, scattered and highly fragmented, moving toward a more monotonous landscape. Anthropogenic activities such as farming directly decreased the wetland landscape diversity. Furthermore, anthropogenic factors diminished wetland areas indirectly through climatic factors, namely air temperature and precipitation levels. National and regional policies on agriculture and water use have been highly influential, and the Honghe National Nature Reserve is highly susceptible to land use changes in the surrounding Jiansanjiang region.     

A landscape-level assessment of Asian elephant habitat,its population and elephant–human conflict in the Anamalai hill ranges of southern Western Ghats,India

Spatial information at the landscape scale is extremely important for conservation planning, especially in the case of long-ranging vertebrates. The biodiversity-rich Anamalai hill ranges in the Western Ghats of southern India hold a viable population for the long-term conservation of the Asian elephant. Through rapid but extensive field surveys we mapped elephant habitat, corridors, vegetation and land-use patterns, estimated the elephant population density and structure, and assessed elephant–human conflict across this landscape. GIS and remote sensing analyses indicate that elephants are distributed among three blocks over a total area of about 4600 km². Approximately 92% remains contiguous because of four corridors; however, under 4000 km² of this area may be effectively used by elephants. Nine landscape elements were identified, including five natural vegetation types, of which tropical moist deciduous forest is dominant. Population density assessed through the dung count method using line transects covering 275 km of walk across the effective elephant habitat of the landscape yielded a mean density of 1.1 (95% CI = 0.99–1.2) elephant/km². Population structure from direct sighting of elephants showed that adult male elephants constitute just 2.9% and adult females 42.3% of the population with the rest being sub-adults (27.4%), juveniles (16%) and calves (11.4%). Sex ratios show an increasing skew toward females from juvenile (1:1.8) to sub-adult (1:2.4) and adult (1:14.7) indicating higher mortality of sub-adult and adult males that is most likely due to historical poaching for ivory. A rapid questionnaire survey and secondary data on elephant–human conflict from forest department records reveals that villages in and around the forest divisions on the eastern side of landscape experience higher levels of elephant–human conflict than those on the western side; this seems to relate to a greater degree of habitat fragmentation and percentage farmers cultivating annual crops in the east. We provide several recommendations that could help maintain population viability and reduce elephant–human conflict of the Anamalai elephant landscape.     

Sex-specific indicators of landscape use by servals: Consequences of living in fragmented landscapes

The conversion of wetlands and its associated habitat for farming, residential development and commercial purposes has led to many small disconnected patches of native vegetation surrounded by generally inhospitable human altered land uses. Such human interventions pose a serious threat to the survival of wetland dependent indicator species such as the serval (Leptailurus serval) in the Drakensberg Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. To address the effects of habitat fragmentation on serval space use we used GPS fixes of collared individuals for 100 days between May 2013 and January 2014. We tracked five females and eleven male servals with GPS-UHF collars. Fragmentation indices at the class level (wetland, forest with bushland, grassland and cropland) were measured within the collared serval's minimum convex polygon area (MCP) of home range. Serval use points and fragmentation indices were extracted to each sub-landscape unit of 2 km² falling within the MCP home range. The response of serval population to fragmentation indices was analyzed using generalized linear models at three levels: male, female and the overall population. We found that core area of wetland positively explained landscape use by servals. Effects of forest core area, forest proximity and patch richness were important for landscape use by male servals. Male and female serval use declined with increase in complex shapes of forest and grassland, wetland clumpiness for females and overall, and cropland patches for servals overall. Our results showed that wetland is a key determinant for the survival of male and female servals in fragmented landscapes therefore effective conservation of serval population demands adequate viable native habitat.     

Low levels of reserve carbohydrates in reed (Phragmites australis) stands of Kis-Balaton,Hungary

Seasonal dynamics of concentrations of reserve carbohydrates (starch, sucrose, glucose, fructose and their sum denoted as total non-structural carbohydrates, TNC) were followed in five reed stands of Kis-Balaton wetland area in Hungary. The stands included three stands of tall and robust reed, situated in the Ingói area, and two stands of short and subtle reed situated in the downstream part. While both the seasonal pattern and the proportions of single carbohydrate species corresponded to findings for other sites, the absolute concentrations were markedly lower as compared to other European reed stands except lake Fertö in Hungary. The seasonal minimum values ranged from 54 to 87 mg g⁻¹ dry weight. During the seasonal minimum, glucose reached the lowest concentrations (down to 0.01 mg g⁻¹ dry weight) of all carbohydrates measured. The seasonal maximum concentrations of TNC reached 160–270 mg g⁻¹ dry weight. Maximum TNC standing stock ranged from 240 to 520 g m⁻², and was depleted by 60–80% during the period of spring shoot growth. It is proposed that the remaining TNC pool may not suffice to support complete recovery after a subsequent catastrophic event.     

Effects of yak dung patch dropped in cold season on soil and pasture on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

To clarify how dung patches from grazing yaks affect soil and pasture in the alpine meadow of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, yak dung was collected, mixed and redistributed in a cold grazing season. The soil physical and chemical properties and forage growth were then monitored under the yak dung patch, and 10 cm and 50 cm from the edge of yak dung patches. The result has shown that yak dung significantly improved soil moisture, total organic matter, and soil available N and P under or close to the dung patches. The forage production at 10 cm from the dung patch (303 g/m²) was significantly higher than that at 50 cm from the dung patch (control) (284 g/m²) in the second year, while the production was similar to the control in the first and the third year. The process of yak dung decomposition was slow and yak dung remains were observed 3 years after the drop. The dung patches also formed a strong ‘shell’, very difficult for plant underneath to penetrate and grow. Therefore, almost all plants under yak dung patches died, leading to decline in forage yield in the first, second, and the third year. In practice in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau regions, yak dung is often collected as fuel by the local farmers. Removing yak dung from alpine meadow may on one hand lead to losses in soil nutrients, but on the other hand reduces some of the negative effects, e.g. the reduction of forage yield under yak dung patches.     

Does the tropical agricultural matrix bear potential for primate conservation? A baseline study from Western Uganda

As for most large mammals, conservation research on primates usually focuses on protected areas, and yet not much is known about primate communities in land-use systems in the absence of hunting. Using line transects, we estimated population densities for four primate species in a mixed agroforest landscape up to a distance of 4000 m from a forest reserve, in a region where no primate hunting takes place. We then modelled encounter rates and cluster size in relation to landscape parameters by means of bivariate analysis and Generalised Linear Models (GLMs). Black-and-white colobus (Colobus guereza) were most common, with confidence intervals for density estimates of 31.1–62.8 individuals/km². Red-tailed monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius) and blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis) occurred at 15.2–37.9 ind/km² and 13.9–36.7 ind/km² respectively, and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) at 1.0–2.8 ind/km². Chimpanzee nest numbers and distribution appeared to be significantly constrained by transect forest coverage, forest coverage within 500 m and distance from the main forest, whereas monkey sightings were generally less restricted by landscape variables. The considerable population density of monkeys suggests that, in the absence of hunting, mixed agroforest systems may play a relevant role in primate conservation and highlight that it is useful to consider primate ecology in land sharing approaches to conservation.     

The reliability of a composite biodiversity indicator in predicting bird species richness at different spatial scales

Several biodiversity features can be linked to landscape heterogeneity, that, in turn, can be informative for management and conservation purposes. Usually, the more the landscape is complex the more the biodiversity increases. Biodiversity indicators can be a useful tool to assess biodiversity status, in function of landscape heterogeneity. In this study, we developed a biodiversity indicator, based on Shannon diversity index and built from distribution maps of protected species. With such an approach, we seek to evaluate the feasibility of using a combination of target species as a surrogate for assessing the status of the whole bird community. Our approach was spread over multiple spatial scales, to determine which was the most informative. We selected four species protected by European regulation and generated a presence-absence map from species distribution modelling. We, therefore, used the FRAGSTATS biodiversity metric to calculate Shannon index for the overlapped presence-absence maps, at two spatial scales (500 m and 1000 m). Then, the relationships with the whole community was assessed through generalised least square models, at the spatial scale of 4 ha, 9 ha and 25 ha. Results showed that the higher rate of variability of community was explained by the biodiversity indicator at 1000 m scale. Indeed, the more informative spatial scale for the whole bird community was 9 ha. In addition, a pattern emerged about the relationships between biodiversity indicator and community richness, that is worth of further research. Our study demonstrates that the usefulness of surrogate species for biodiversity and community assessment can become clear only at a certain spatial scales. Indeed, they can be highly predictive of the whole community, and highly informative for conservation planning. Moreover, their use can optimize biodiversity monitoring and conservation, focusing on a small number of noteworthy species.     

Applying remote sensing techniques to monitoring seasonal and interannual changes of aquatic vegetation in Taihu Lake,China

Knowledge of the composition and areal distribution of aquatic vegetation types, as well as their seasonal and interannual variations, is crucial for managing and maintaining the balance of lake ecosystems. In this study, a series of remotely sensed images with a resolution of 30 m (HJ-CCD and Landsat TM) were collected and used to map the distribution of aquatic vegetation types in Taihu Lake, China. Seasonal and interannual dynamics of aquatic vegetation types were explored and analyzed. The distribution areas of Type I (emergent, floating-leaved and floating vegetation) and Type II (submerged vegetation) were used to model their growing season phenology by double logistic functions. The resulting double logistic models showed, the area of Type I reached its peak in mid-August, and the maximum area for Type II occurred in mid-September. From 1984 to 2013, Type I area increased continuously from 59.75 km² to 148.00 km² (R² = 0.84), whereas the area covered by Type II first increased and then decreased, with a trend conforming to a significant quadratic curve (R² = 0.83). The eutrophication and stable state of Taihu Lake was assessed using a simple indicator which was expressed as a ratio of Type II area to Type I area. The results showed that the eutrophication in the lake might have been increasing in the area studied since 2000. Additionally, the results showed that air temperature had likely a direct effect on the growth of Type I (R² = 0.66) and a significant, but delayed, effect on the growth of Type II.     

Future land use effects on the connectivity of protected area networks in southeastern Spain

Land-use change is a major driver of the global biodiversity crisis, mainly via the fragmentation and loss of natural habitat. Although land-use changes will accelerate to meet humankind's growing demand for agricultural products, conservation planning rarely considers future land uses and how they may affect the connectivity of ecological networks. Here, we integrate land-use models with landscape fragmentation and connectivity analyses, to assess the effects of past and future land-use changes on the connectivity of protected area networks for a highly dynamic region in southeast Spain. Our results show a continued geographical polarisation of land use, with agricultural intensification and urban development in the coastal areas, and the abandonment of traditional land use in the mountains (e.g., 1100 km² of natural vegetation are projected to be lost in coastal areas whereas 32 km² of natural vegetation would recover in interior areas from 1991 to 2015). As a result, coastal protected areas will experience increasing isolation. The connectivity analyses reveal that the two protected area networks in place in the study area, the European “Natura 2000” and the Andalusian “RENPA” networks, include many landscape connectors. However, we identify two areas that currently lack protection but contain several important patches for maintaining the region's habitat connectivity: the northwestern and the southwestern slopes of the Sierra Cabrera and Bédar protected area. Our results highlight the importance of considering future land-use trajectories in conservation planning to maintain connectivity at the regional scale, and to improve the resilience of conservation networks.     

Influence of hydrology process on wetland landscape pattern: A case study in the Yellow River Delta

A comprehensive study using ecological engineering analysis was conducted on the influence of the hydrology process in the Yellow River Delta. It was found that water and sediment played an important role in the formation and maintenance of the estuarine wetland. Based on hydrological data (1950–2005), meteorological data (1954–2005) and landscape data produced from integrated Landsat TM images of the Yellow River Delta, the relationship among all the above factors has been analyzed. The results indicated that runoff, sediment discharge and the area of the reed marsh wetland, meadow wetland and tidal wetland had evidently decreased from 1986 to 2001. The runoff and sediment discharge into the Yellow River Delta at a rate of 200–300 × 10⁸ m³ and at 5–8 × 10⁸ t, respectively, were probably the most optimal range for maintaining the stable wetland landscape pattern. Regression analysis and principal component analysis showed that there was a strong positive correlation between the area of wetland landscape and runoff, sediment discharge, whereas there was a negative correlation between the area and the temperature, and there was no significant trend with precipitation levels. The water and sediment discharge are the dominant variable factors of the wetland. Human activities also have an important influence on transformation of wetland types as well as wetland degradation. Therefore, with economic development, climate change and sustainable utilization of resources, great attention should be paid to the changes of natural landscape and their causes.     

Mapping changes to vegetation pattern in a restoring wetland: Finding pattern metrics that are consistent across spatial scale and time

Tidal salt marshes in the San Francisco Estuary region display heterogeneous vegetation patterns that influence wetland function and provide adequate habitat for native or endangered wildlife. In addition to analyzing the extent of vegetation, monitoring the dynamics of vegetation pattern within restoring wetlands can offer valuable information about the restoration process. Pattern metrics, derived from classified remotely sensed imagery, have been used to measure composition and configuration of patches and landscapes, but they can be unpredictable across scales, and inconsistent across time. We sought to identify pattern metrics that are consistent across spatial scale and time – and thus robust measures of vegetation and habitat configuration – for a restored tidal marsh in the San Francisco Bay, CA, USA. We used high-resolution (20 cm) remotely sensed color infrared imagery to map vegetation pattern over 2 years, and performed a multi-scale analysis of derived vegetation pattern metrics. We looked at the influence on metrics of changes in grain size through resampling and changes in minimum mapping unit (MMU) through smoothing. We examined composition, complexity, connectivity and heterogeneity metrics, focusing on perennial pickleweed (Sarcocornia pacifica), a dominant marsh plant. At our site, pickleweed patches grew larger, more irregularly shaped, and closely spaced over time, while the overall landscape became more diverse. Of the two scale factors examined, grain size was more consistent than MMU in terms of identifying relative change in composition and configuration of wetland marsh vegetation over time. Most metrics exhibited unstable behavior with larger MMUs. With small MMUs, most metrics were consistent across grain sizes, from fine (e.g. 0.16 m²) to relatively large (e.g. 16 m²) pixel sizes. Scale relationships were more variable at the landcover class level than at the landscape level (across all classes). This information may be useful to applied restoration practitioners, and adds to our general understanding of vegetation change in a restoring marsh.     

Habitat availability for multiple avian species under modeled alternative conservation scenarios in the Two Hearted River watershed in Michigan,USA

Due to differences in the responses of species to changing landscape patterns, developing a conservation plan with an optimal outcome of supporting contrasting habitat needs can be difficult. Landscape scenario modeling can provide a means to compare alternative conservation strategies and can reveal tradeoffs of managing for one objective versus another. In order to evaluate the impacts of alternative conservation strategies in a 53,653 ha landscape in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, four scenarios of alternative conservation strategies were modeled 100 years into the future using the VDDT^®/TELSA^® spatial model suite, and habitat availability was evaluated for five target bird species of local conservation concern under each scenario. The target species were Dendroica fusca (Blackburnian Warbler), Picoides arcticus (Black-backed Woodpecker), Dendroica kirtlandii (Kirtland's Warbler), Buteo lineatus (Red-shouldered Hawk), and Scolopax minor (American Woodcock). Scenarios were ranked based on relative performance of three habitat metric results (total primary habitat area, average size of habitat patches, and average distance to the nearest neighboring habitat patch) for each species. The final overall rank for each scenario was generally related to harvest intensity; the scenario with the smallest total area of even-aged management ranked the highest. Ranks were not consistent across all response variables. Relative species sensitivity was also evaluated, and the ranks did not match expectations, with the more habitat generalist species showing the highest sensitivity and the most specialist species showing the lowest. The approach here provides a means of projecting and comparing potential long-term impacts of alternative landscape strategies on diverse wildlife habitats. These results, when considered with budget considerations and species’ habitat area and population goals, can assist local managers and stakeholders in conservation planning by identifying tradeoffs and compromises aimed at optimizing protection for a variety of target species.     

Modeling landscape condition for biodiversity assessment—Application in temperate North America

Conservation decisions are well supported by predictive spatial models that indicate the relative ecological condition of a given place. The intent of this 90 m pixel landscape condition model is to use nationally available spatial data from the USA, Mexico, and Canada to express assumptions regarding the relative ecological effects of land uses on terrestrial natural communities and species. This approach emphasizes and updateable and transparent design which takes advantage of empirical biodiversity data from the USA to both calibrate and validate the model. Map layers depicting infrastructure, land use, and modified vegetation were each scored for site impact and distance decay, and then combined into one map surface. Field observations from Natural Heritage Programs, each scored for relative ecological condition (in categories A = excellent to D = poor), were used to calibrate distance decay parameters. Some 90,000 observations for at-risk species, invasive plant species, and natural communities were used for model validation. Statistically significant distinctions in ecological condition among validation samples were predicted by the resultant spatial model. Variation in landscape condition was then summarized by regional U.S. Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs) in terms of areas approximating A–D condition. Montane and desert LCCs scored on average much higher in area approximating “A” and “B” landscape condition, while LCCs with more substantial agricultural and urban footprints scored overwhelmingly within the “D” range of condition. Similar analyses illustrated range-wide scoring of landscape condition for major vegetation types across temperate North America.     

Prescribed moorland burning meets good practice guidelines: A monitoring case study using aerial photography in the Peak District,UK

Upland moors in the UK have been managed for centuries using rotational prescribed-burning, but in recent years there has been contentious debate over its continuing use due to varying effects on moorland ecosystem services. Prescribed-burning should only be carried out using good-practice codes, which include restrictions on the size, location and frequency of burns. Good burning practice is an indicator of management standards and habitat condition in moorland landscapes. However, there has been little attempt to assess management performance with respect to these restrictions. We investigated prescribed-burning on a case-study estate (Howden Moor) in the Peak District National Park from 1988 to 2009 using management maps and aerial photography. The annual area burned (0.9%) was far below recommendations (10%) and patches were in keeping with the target sizes specified (mean ± se: 2370 ± 70 m²). The risk of a large or escaped fire was very low, with less than 1% of fires greater than 15,000 m². However, only 28.9% of the total burnable area was burned, leaving the rest unmanaged and accumulating fuel. Future guidelines might recommend the application of prescribed-burning across the range of Calluna vulgaris growth phases, to reduce fuel load and promote biodiversity at the landscape scale. We show that vegetation mapping and aerial photography are an effective method for monitoring prescribed-burning practice on moorlands. The information derived from such monitoring studies should lead to greater confidence in the standard of prescribed-burning and adherence to good-practice guidelines and requirements imposed by statutory authorities.     

Quasi-continuous fermentation in a reverse-flow diafiltration bioreactor

Heterogeneities occur in various bioreactor designs including cell retention devices. Whereas in external devices changing environmental conditions cannot be prevented, cells are retained in their optimal environment in internal devices. Conventional reverse-flow diafiltration utilizes an internal membrane device, but pulsed feeding causes spatial heterogeneities. In this study, the influence of conventional reverse-flow diafiltration on the yeast Hansenula polymorpha is investigated. Alternating 180 s of feeding with 360 s of non-feeding at a dilution rate of 0.2 h⁻¹ results in an oscillating DOT signal with an amplitude of 60%. Thereby, induced short-term oxygen limitations result in the formation of ethanol and a reduced product concentration of 25%. This effect is enforced at increased dilution rate. To overcome this cyclic problem, sequential operation of three membranes is introduced. Thus, quasi-continuous feeding is achieved reducing the oscillation of the DOT signal to an amplitude of 20% and 40% for a dilution rate of 0.2 h⁻¹ and 0.5 h⁻¹, respectively. Fermentation conditions characterized by complete absence of oxygen limitation and without formation of overflow metabolites could be obtained for dilution rates from 0.1 h⁻¹ to 0.5 h⁻¹. Thus, sequential operation of three membranes minimizes oscillations in the DOT signal providing a nearly homogenous culture over time.