Research Article
Exploring environmental condition of silvofishery pond to support the sustainability of mangrove management in Berau Regency, IndonesiaBackgroundOn the islands of Kalimantan and Sulawesi, Indonesia, mangroves are threatened by conversion into brackish water aquaculture ponds. To combat mangrove deforestation, government ministries and academia have promoted silvofishery ponds as a method of sustainably combining fish or shrimp aquaculture with mangrove restoration and protection. Understanding the biotic and abiotic factors impacting silvofishery ponds is important to inform management decisions and increase support for silvofishery ponds. Open access copy available |
Conservation for production? The benefits of mangroves for sustainable shrimp aquacultureBackgroundIncreasing shrimp demand and declining annual shrimp harvests threaten mangroves in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, due to deforestation from shrimp aquaculture expansion. Silvofishery practices that combine shrimp aquaculture with mangrove conservation are promoted to prevent further mangrove deforestation while still protecting the shrimp farming industry. Mangrove ecosystem services are essential for aquaculture systems to thrive, so it is important to determine successful biophysical elements of silvofishery systems to encourage the development of more sustainable aquaculture practices. Open access copy available |
Taking the pulse of Earth’s tropical forests using networks of highly distributed plotsBackgroundTropical forests play a critical but complex role in global carbon cycling, biodiversity conservation, and climate regulation. These complex dynamics are due to spatial heterogeneity and varying disturbance regimes. Traditional monitoring approaches often rely on remote sensing, which may not capture fine-scale ecological processes. In response, global scientific collaborations have developed extensive forest plot networks to monitor forest structure, biomass, and ecological changes over time. These distributed plots provide high-resolution, ground-based insights into tropical forest conditions across continents. Open access copy available |
Long-term (1990–2019) monitoring of forest cover changes in the humid tropicsBackgroundTropical moist forests are essential for biodiversity, climate regulation, and global carbon storage, yet they face increasing pressure from deforestation and degradation. Accurate, long-term monitoring of forest dynamics is necessary to support climate policies, including REDD+ and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Previous studies have provided partial insights, but a comprehensive spatial and temporal characterization of forest degradation and recovery remains limited. Advances in satellite imagery and cloud computing now enable consistent monitoring at pantropical scales. Open access copy available |
User-Driven Land Cover Change Prediction Map Tool for Land Conservation PlanningBackgroundEffective conservation planning requires forward-looking tools that anticipate land cover change, rather than relying solely on historical analysis. Rapid urbanization and land-use change threaten ecosystems and biodiversity, particularly in regions experiencing development pressure. Traditional models often lack accessibility for nontechnical users, limiting their application in real-world decision-making. Integrating machine learning with user-friendly platforms can enhance stakeholder engagement and improve conservation outcomes. Open access copy available |
Integrating satellite-based forest disturbance alerts improves detection timeliness and confidenceBackgroundSatellite-based forest monitoring systems are essential for detecting deforestation and supporting climate change mitigation efforts. Multiple alert systems exist, including Global Land Analysis and Discovery (GLAD)-Landsat, GLAD-Sentinel-2, and RADD, each with distinct capabilities and limitations related to sensor type and environmental conditions. Optical systems struggle under cloud cover, while radar systems may miss certain disturbance signals. This creates uncertainty for users and highlights the need for integrated monitoring approaches. Open access copy available |
Near real-time monitoring of tropical forest disturbance by fusion of Landsat, Sentinel-2, and Sentinel-1 dataBackgroundAvailable with subscription or purchase |
Status and distribution of mangrove forests of the world using earth observation satellite dataBackgroundWith many threats causing mangrove loss and degradation (e.g., sea level rise, conversion to agriculture or aquaculture, tourism, urban development, overexploitation), it is important to have accurate measurements and maps of global mangrove extent. With inconsistent monitoring across space and time, incompatible datasets, and large ranges in current global mangrove area estimates (110,000 to 240,000 km2), it is necessary to refine the global estimate of mangrove area to have a reliable baseline for monitoring global mangrove loss. Available with subscription or purchase |
Afforestation and Reforestation Have Varying Biodiversity Impacts Across and Within BiomesBackgroundAfforestation and reforestation (AR) are widely promoted as nature-based solutions (NbS) for carbon dioxide removal and climate mitigation. Global initiatives aim to expand forest cover significantly to meet climate targets. However, AR can produce unintended biodiversity impacts, particularly when implemented in ecosystems such as grasslands or savannas, where native species are not adapted to forest conditions. The ecological outcomes of AR vary across biomes and species, highlighting the need for spatially explicit, biodiversity-sensitive planning frameworks. Open access copy available |
Enhancing Above-Ground Biomass Estimation in Agroforestry Systems: A Scalable Deep Learning Approach Using Sentinel-2 DataBackgroundOpen access copy available |
