With roads encroaching into natural environments, there is an increased likelihood of wildlife coming into contact with vehicles, resulting in an increase in wildlife—vehicle collisions. Our goal was to investigate environmental correlates of moose—vehicle collisions (MVCs) on the island of Newfoundland, Canada. We developed predictive models to compare environmental variables at known MVC locations with environmental variables at random sites along the Newfoundland road network. The most supported generalized linear model explained ~36% of the variance in the probability of MVC occurrence. This top model predicted an increase in the probability of MVC occurrence: with decreasing distance to developed areas; on primary rather than secondary roads; on straight rather than curved roads; and in locations where roadside vegetation cutting has occurred. Our study highlights MVC predictors that are consistent with other wildlife—vehicle collision studies around the globe and which will serve as the basis for mitigation strategies on the island of Newfoundland with potential applications to other regions with high moose densities.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of extreme weather events on flowering around Lake Issaqueena (SC, USA) using plant-flowering data collected with Global Positioning System (GPS)-enabled cameras on a monthly basis in 2012, 2013, and 2014. Six species were identified that flowered before and after a late spring test date (30 April) in at least one study year. Sign tests of the consistency of positive or negative differences in the percentages of test species flowering before the late spring test date between years indicated that these test species shifted towards earlier flowering in 2012 (extreme high monthly temperature), but that the consistency of these shifts was only significant when comparing 2012 to 2013. Nine species were identified that flowered before and after a late summer test date (31 August) in at least one study year. Sign tests of the consistency of positive or negative differences in the percentages of test species flowering before the late summer test date between years indicate that these test species shifted towards later flowering in 2013 after two consecutive months of extreme high precipitation in July and August. Warmer spring temperatures can advance flowering, and extreme summer precipitation events can delay flowering.

Urban-adapting carnivorous predators such as the Cooper's hawk appear to be adjusting their diet in urban areas to mostly include larger-bodied adult birds rather than nest contents, compared to Cooper's hawks in natural areas. If adult prey in urban areas are relatively more threatened by predation relative to their offspring and non-urban adults, then life-history theory predicts contrasting shifts in urban vs. non-urban reproductive behavior and effort. We tested whether urban and non-urban Eastern bluebirds exhibited contrasting reproductive effort consistent with shifts in the relative risk perception of adult vs. nest predation. At urban sites, Eastern bluebirds using nest boxes exposed to broadcasts of Cooper's hawk vocalizations exhibited enhanced reproductive parameters compared to controls, whereas the opposite trend occurred in box-nesting bluebirds at non-urban sites. As predicted by theory, given prey life-stage switching by a dominant predator, increased perception of predation risk from hawks led to opposing reproductive strategies in urban vs. non-urban habitats. Results align with increasing evidence that urban predation pressures, prey risk perception, and reproductive investment patterns are distinct from those of natural habitats.

Dendroarchaeological samples archived in historical wooden artifacts can be used to reconstruct forest conditions during European settlement of North America. In this study, we dated and examined tree-ring records of white oak (Quercus alba L.) logs sampled from a kitchen and slave quarters from a historical plantation in western Virginia. The kitchen was constructed from logs harvested after the 1845 growing season. The slave quarters was constructed from logs harvested after the 1864 growing season. White oak establishment in the study area parallels a general pattern of forest expansion into clearings following the depopulation of Native Americans from the eastern United States between 1720 and 1789. Synchronized canopy openings in the 1770s and 1780s could be due to increased tree cutting by European settlers to erect wooded palisades for protection against Native Americans.

Increased demand for natural resources and economic transition threaten natural and biocultural capital and thus ecosystem services for human well-being. We applied an evidence-based approach to strategic planning of functional green infrastructure in a European biodiversity hotspot: the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains. We (1) described how potential natural vegetation types have been transformed, (2) applied evidence-based critical thresholds for each potential natural vegetation land cover, (3) measured how much of the potential natural vegetation land covers are protected, and (4) estimated the area of cultural landscapes that emerged.While only 2% of lowland land cover types were left, 55% of mountain forests and 94% of alpine land covers remained. Manymountain forests were transformed to valuable cultural landscapes. Beech and oak forests covered 42% of the study area but at low levels of protection (<5%). The highest protection level (12–17%) was in mixed beech—fir—spruce and in spruce forests. However, taking connectivity into account, only alpine land covers formed a functional habitat network. More areas need to be protected and planned to build a functional green infrastructure. Traditional village systems with biocultural values need support. We discuss how strategic analyses can encourage collaborative spatial planning and international development cooperation.

Leaf photosynthetic characteristics could be determinant factors to identify the most productive clones of hybrid poplars (Populus spp.) and willows (Salix spp.). Photosynthetic acclimation of hybrid poplars and willows was studied under greenhouse conditions. Seven Populus and five Salix clones were grown for 3 months at three spacings [20 × 20, 35 × 35, and 60 × 60 cm] and two nitrogen (N) levels (20 and 200 µg g^-1). There were no significant spacing effects on leafless aboveground biomass per tree (AGBT) and height. Clonal acclimation to higher density was associated to increases in leaf area index (LAI) by 347% and specific leaf area (SLA) by 13% despite decreased leaf N content per unit leaf area (N_area) by 31%. There were no changes in net CO₂ assimilation rate (A) and photosynthetic N-use efficiency in the ambient light condition (PNUE_amb) within different spacings. The N addition alleviated competition effects by maximizing leaf area (LA) and SLA. Compared with less productive clones, more productive clones had 28% greater SLA, greater LA and AGBT per unit of increase in N_area over all treatments. The increased development of LA and SLA under high planting density is a key indicator of more productive clones.

The elevational gradient in biodiversity, i.e. the decrease in species richness with increasing altitude, is well established in ecology. Here, we examined the respective gradient of parasitic hymenopterans (Encyrtidae) and plants in the Lagodekhi National Park (Country of Georgia) across an elevational gradient from 665 m to 2559 m a.s.l. by means of a year-round sampling of insects and a seasonal sampling of plants. Contrary to expectation, we found species richness of both taxa to peak at highest elevations. This unusual pattern was related to particular shifts in vegetation types, from relatively species-poor forests over rich grasslands towards poorer highland scrub vegetation. Our results call for a closer look at elevational gradients and highlights the need for including vegetation types in the assessment of altitudinal diversity gradients.