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National parks and conservation concessions: a comparison between mammal populations in two types of tropical protected areas in Ucayali, PeruBackgroundPeru holds the second largest portion of the Amazon rainforest and is threatened by illegal logging and crop cultivation, as well as mining and other activities. Protected areas are one method of forest conservation, which can exist as conservation concessions. These areas of land granted for protection and rehabilitation area vital to maintaining the health and distribution of the forest. Biodiversity is understudied in many of these regions, especially about terrestrial mammals. Open access copy available |
Lightly-harvested rustic cocoa is a valuable land cover for amphibian and reptile conservation in human-modified rainforest landscapesBackgroundTropical biodiversity is impacted by anthropogenic land covers such as agriculture. Land use has the ability to both negatively and positively impact tropical biodiversity. In the tropics, important crops are grown in tropical forested landscapes such as coffee and cocoa. These forest understories are also important habitats for highly sensitive and ecologically vulnerable amphibian species. Amphibians and reptiles are an understudied taxa in conservation ecology and targeted in this study. Open access copy available |
Divergent litterfall nutrient responses to rainfall seasonality revealed through long-term observations in a tropical dry forestBackgroundForest litterfall can provide important nutrients to the soil for ecosystem health such as Phosphorus and Nitrogen. In water limited ecosystems rainfall often controls forest nutrient cycling. It is not yet understood how nutrient uptake of these nutrients is influenced by seasonal rainfall and how these litter nutrient contents change from year to year. Open access copy available |
Human Persecution is An Important Threat to the Conservation of the Endangered Black-and-Chestnut Eagle in Northern AndesBackgroundHuman-wildlife conflicts are widespread and put threatened species at an even higher risk of extinction. Human persecution of threatened wild animals with the aim to protect domesticated animals contributes to the decline of threatened wild animals. The black-and-chestnut eagle is under threat in the northern Andes of Ecuador and Colombia due to efforts to protect domestic poultry. Open access copy available |
Frugivory and seed dispersal in the Cerrado: Network structure and defaunation effectsBackgroundSeed dispersal is an important process for ecosystem functioning. The Brazilian Cerrado, the world’s largest and most biodiverse savanna, contains a plethora of animal dispersed plant woody plant species. The Cerrado region is understudied and identifying species roles in ecosystem networks needs to be better understood for evolutionary and conservation purposes. Open access copy available |
Cactus height increases the modularity of a plant–frugivore network in the Caatinga dry forestBackgroundSeed dispersal plays an important role in maintaining ecosystem biodiversity. Disperser species with many plant interactions tend to be more abundant while species with fewer interaction tend to be rarer. Fruit accessibility is one plant factor that limits frugivore visits. Plant height is thought to affect fruit accessibility. Available with subscription or purchase |
Pollinator recognition by a keystone tropical plantBackgroundThe evolution of flowering plants is complex and has resulted in a great amount of diversity in species both genetically and structurally. Pollination is the key to providing this variability and is responsible for evolutionary patterns and trends in flowering plant species. Some flowering plants are generalists, allowing for many types of pollinators to visit, while others are highly specified. The mechanism for this specialization is not well understood. Open access copy available |
The importance of insects on land and in water: a tropical viewBackgroundInsects provide a wide variety of ecosystem services such as pollination, nutrient cycling, and seed dispersal. The UN Sustainable Development Goals are thought to be supported by the conservation of diverse insect communities. The roles of tropical insects in ecosystem services and their contributions are summarized in this literature review. The authors identify research trends, knowledge gaps, and potential avenues for future investigations. Open access copy available |
Regeneration Status and Role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge for Cloud Forest Ecosystem Restoration in EcuadorBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Post-fire ecological restoration in Latin American forest ecosystems: Insights and lessons from the last two decadesBackgroundForests make up a significant portion of the earth’s aboveground biodiversity. Human-caused wildfires are a main driver of forest loss across Latin America and the Caribbean. The authors review literature to understand the causes of fires and strategies of post-fire restoration. They focus their search on more recent literature within the last two decades in order to highlight the most advanced methods. The authors also search for gaps in knowledge or application of fire restoration practices that may be hindering progress. Open access copy available |
Ecosystem restoration job creation potential in BrazilBackgroundEcosystem restoration is recognized globally for its environmental benefits. Other benefits from ecosystem restoration such as job creation may be of high interest to key stakeholders. The leverage of job creation may motivate additional investments and long-term commitment from stakeholders into restoration projects. Open access copy available |
Identifying hotspots for ecosystem restoration across heterogeneous tropical savannah-dominated regionsBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Assisted restoration interventions drive functional recovery of tropical wet forest tree communitiesBackgroundIntegrating science and practice is one of the main goals of the U.N. Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. A variety of factors can influence the application of restoration treatments across tropical ecosystems. Deciding where to apply a restoration strategy on the spectrum between natural regeneration an active restoration planting can be challenging and there is not enough current knowledge that compares these methods. Open access copy available |
Ten principles for restoring campo rupestre, a threatened tropical, megadiverse, nutrient-impoverished montane grasslandBackgroundIn the U.N. Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, one of the most overlooked ecosystem types is tropical grasslands. Studies on these ecosystems are lacking, as are the foundations for restoration. These foundational points of policy, practice, and governance in addition to science need to be addressed. The authors provide 10 principles to restore the campo rupestre, a tropical grassland that is threatened by human activities including mining. Available with subscription or purchase |
Disrupted montane forest recovery hinders biodiversity conservation in the tropical AndesBackgroundIn the U.N. Decade on Restoration, recovering degraded forests is a high priority. Andean montane forests are a biodiversity hotspot, storing large quantities of carbon, and providing many sources for human livelihood. Many parts of the Andean forests are recovering after agriculture abandonment, but it is not yet known how the dynamics of these recovery processes progress over time. Knowledge of forest regeneration trajectory is crucial for further restoration planning. Open access copy available |
The Embedded Agroecology of Coffee Agroforestry: A Contextualized Review of Smallholder Farmers’ Adoption and ResistanceBackgroundAgroforestry crops are known to provide many benefits to both people and nature. Implementing agroforestry practices can be complex and requires improvement in certain regions and practices. Coffee agroforestry is not widely adopted and there is a lack of knowledge about the implementation of agroforestry techniques for coffee production. Open access copy available |
Shaded-Coffee: A Nature-Based Strategy for Coffee Production Under Climate Change? A ReviewBackgroundCoffee agroforestry systems are a natural climate solution that are used to reduce the impact of coffee cultivation on ecosystem health. Coffee generates over $200 billion in income globally each year, so ensuring the efficiency and success of cultivation is crucial for human livelihood. Coffee agroforestry systems are often variable, and there lacks a compiled knowledge base about these systems and practices. Open access copy available |
Soil Biological Activity, Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics in Modified Coffee Agroforestry Systems in MexicoBackgroundCoffee agroforestry systems bring a plethora of economic, social, and ecological benefits. Specifically, they aid soil biological activity. In Mexico, due to cost and production challenges, coffee is being replaced by avocado plantations. The impact of coffee agroforestry systems on specific soil biological characteristics and processes is not fully understood. Nor are the impacts of avocado plantations on soil biological activity. Open access copy available |
Tree diversity in a tropical agricultural‑forest mosaic landscape in HondurasBackgroundTropical forests hold high biodiversity values, but are also valued for agricultural land uses. Particularly in Central America, a region with particularly high biodiversity, intensive land management practices have reduced and continue to reduce forest and species abundance. There is a push to change land use practices in order to restore and promote biodiversity, though the potential for biodiversity on agricultural landscapes is an understudied subject. Open access copy available |
Optimal restoration for pollination services increases forest cover while doubling agricultural profitsBackgroundIn the midst of a global biodiversity crisis and a rapidly expanding food demand, improving agricultural techniques is a high priority. Pollinators are at the forefront of this restoration goal partially due to their rapid decline in population, and also their crucial role in food production. 75% of globally common food depends on pollinators. Though improving agriculture is important, it is also expensive and risky for land owners. A framework is needed to determine best arrangements and practices for sustainable agriculture. Open access copy available |