From September 2015 to January 2016, we studied the tree species diversity, biomass and biomass carbon stock of two different forests in Western Odisha: a wildlife sanctuary and a sacred forest. The wildlife sanctuary is entirely managed by the Forest Department, whereas the sacred forest is jointly managed by the local community and the Forest Department. Our results showed that the sacred forest had a greater species richness, density and diversity compared to the wildlife sanctuary. The density in different diameter classes showed that the sacred forest is regenerating with a good regeneration potential, but the wildlife sanctuary had a poor regeneration potential with lower numbers of saplings than adults. However, the biomass and carbon content of the wildlife sanctuary were higher than in the sacred forest. This may be due to the presence of a higher proportion of old trees in the wildlife sanctuary compared to the sacred forest. Biomass values can be used to emphasize the role of management in maintaining the carbon stock in forest ecosystems. Our results can be helpful in framing conservation strategies and action plans for forest patches in India and globally.

Changes to the fire regime in boreal Alaska are shifting the ratio of coniferous to deciduous dominance on the landscape. The increase in aspen and birch may have important effects on predatory hymenopteran assemblages by providing a source of extrafloral nectar and increasing prey availability. Furthermore, fire-induced changes in successional age alter habitat structure and microclimate in ways that may favor ants. This study is the first to characterize the influence of fire-related vegetation changes on boreal predatory hymenopteran assemblages. We compare the abundance, species richness, and composition of predatory hymenopteran assemblages among forests at different stages of succession and of varying post-fire tree species compositions. Ant assemblages were weakly related to forest composition, but ants were significantly more abundant and speciose in early-successional forests than in mid-late successional forests. In contrast, macropterous wasp morphospecies richness and abundance, and micropterous wasp abundance, were positively related to the basal area of aspen, but were not related to successional stage. The results suggest that shifts in boreal vegetation related to climate warming will result in changes to the predaceous insect community, with ants responding positively to disturbance and wasps responding positively to an increase in the representation of aspen on the landscape.

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest and Brazilian Savanna (i.e., Cerrado) are classified as World Biodiversity Hotspots. Our goal was to analyze the spatial distribution of endangered species in both habitats within the Mourão River basin, southern Brazil. Forest remnants were mapped using Landsat 8 satellite images applying NDVI medium and landscape metrics. Locations of endangered species were added as an additional layer. The result was a map of 4015 forest remnants of which 97.66% were smaller than 50 ha, and 2.34% were larger than 50 ha. A total of 41 species was recorded in the Atlantic Forest fragments of the basin (total area: 25 502.6 ha), and 32 species in the Brazilian Savanna (total area: 8.6 ha). The forest fragment with the greatest richness of endangered species was Lago Azul State Park with 29 species endangered at the state level and six at the national level. The second and third most species-rich fragments corresponded to Brazilian Savanna fragments: Cerrado Ecological Station and Lote 7H. The integration of GIS, landscape metrics and spatial distribution of endangered species is an important tool for the identification of priority areas for biodiversity conservation.

Overabundant generalist ungulates and invasive plants negatively impact forest plants, but few studies have investigated how these stressors interact. We tested the impacts after 5–6 years of exclusion vs. access of white-tailed deer and the presence or removal of an invasive shrub, Lonicera maackii (Amur honeysuckle), on forest understory plant composition in Ohio, USA. Exclusion of deer resulted in increased tree seedling density and species richness, and increased shrub basal area, but decreased species richness of the forest floor layer, as well as decreased cover of bare ground and annual plants. The removal of L. maackii resulted in impacts on a broader range of understory plants, including greater species richness and cover of the forest floor layer, and greater cover of graminoids and vines specifically. There were also interaction effects between deer and L. maackii. Where deer were excluded and L. maackii was removed, there was greater cover of tree seedlings, vines, and spring perennials, and a tendency for greater native species richness. These findings reveal that deer and invasive shrubs have synergistic effects on forest understories, indicating that management of both is warranted.

Microbes play crucial roles in global carbon cycles, particularly in peatland ecosystems that store vast quantities of carbon. Boreal peatlands are under stress from commercial extraction of peat, drainage for conversion to forestry and agricultural lands, and climate change. In this study, we identify key microbial groups and their ecological functions across peatland depth profiles and provide insight into how environmental changes related to water table may alter microbial communities. We examined the diversity and composition of prokaryotic communities across a microtopographic hummock–hollow gradient using Illumina sequencing. Communities formed a gradient of species and functional groups with depth, with overlap in functional groups at lower layers of hummocks and upper layers of hollows. Yet, overall, we found significantly different prokaryotic communities in hollows than hummocks. Surfaces of hummocks were typified by aerobic chemoorganotrophs, methanotrophs and chemoheterotrophs, mid-depths were typified by aerobic chemoorganotrophs, nitrogen-fixing bacteria and anaerobic nitrate reducers, while lower depths in hollows were typified by anaerobic and facultative anaerobic chemoorganotrophs, nitrate reducers and methanogenic archaea. Microbial composition as a function of hydrology and moisture regimes suggests that environmental changes that alter hydrological regimes (e.g., climate change, peatland draining) may alter carbon and nutrient cycling regimes.

The effects of simulated nitrogen (N) addition on soil exchangeable cations were assessed in a young Keteleeria fortunei var. cyclolepis forest in subtropical China. Three N addition schemes with three replications were designed for the forest control (without N addition, CK), low N (5 g N m^–2 a^–1, L-N) and high N (50 g N m^–2 a^–1, H-N). Results showed that continuous N addition resulted in increased, although not statistically significant, plant biomass of K. fortunei var. cyclolepis, while it significantly decreased cation exchange capacity (CEC), base saturation (BS) and exchangeable base cations (BCs) (especially Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ under high N addition). General soil properties (except total P) were significantly affected by high N addition compared with the control. High N addition significantly increased the concentration of foliar N, and decreased the concentrations of foliar P, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺. Soil pH was also significantly altered by increased N addition, indicating that N addition significantly accelerated soil acidification. This study found that N addition was negatively correlated with soil pH, CEC and Ca²⁺, and that loss of BCs might be related to increased NO₃^–.

To assess the effects of nitrogen deposition and liming on the early regeneration of two dominant tree species, Pinus massoniana and Schima superba, in a subtropical forest of China, we conducted a greenhouse experiment at three nitrogen deposition levels (0, 10, and 20 g N m^-2 year^-1) and two liming levels (0 and 100 g CaCO₃ m^-2 year^-1). Results showed that (1) nitrogen deposition decreased the seed germination and seedling survival of P. massoniana, but did not affect those of S. superba; (2) high nitrogen deposition decreased the height and diameter of P. massoniana, but did not affect the diameter of S. superba, and low nitrogen deposition increased the height of S. superba; (3) high nitrogen deposition decreased the aboveground, belowground, and total biomass of P. massoniana and only reduced the aboveground biomass of S. superba; (4) liming increased the height of S. superba under a high nitrogen deposition, but decreased the height of P. massoniana regardless of nitrogen deposition levels. These results indicate that increased nitrogen deposition may render the habitat suitable for S. superba growth, but reduce the P. massoniana population. Liming appears ineffective in mitigating the negative effects of high nitrogen deposition in this region.

There is an information gap on biodiversity effects of land use and land cover (LULC) dynamics of agrarian landscapes. Such data are essential for policy making and species management in agroecosystems. Thus, changes in LULC inside the Abohar wildlife sanctuary and its eco-sensitive zone were investigated using LISS-III satellite images from 2003 to 2016. The area under cropland witnessed a 3.6% increase, whereas wastelands significantly declined by 4.3%. Further, the impact of LULC dynamics on nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) was determined through mortality distribution in the sanctuary from 2012 to 2017. The spatio-temporal distribution pattern of mortality revealed that a total of 336 nilgai died during the six years studied. Free-ranging feral dogs, in conjunction with fencing and road accidents, were the major factors involved in nilgai casualty. Fatalities were clustered in regions with significant LULC change. The results confirmed that intensified development and reuse of derelict agricultural fields disturbed nilgai ecology and habitat use pattern. Human-wildlife conflicts in agrarian landscapes are an increasing concern and should be managed following identification of sensitive areas.