East Asia and Pacific
Fungi and Insects Compensate for Lost Vertebrate Seed Predation in an Experimentally Defaunated Tropical ForestBackgroundDefaunation, primarily caused by overhunting, is known to disrupt critical plant-animal interactions such as seed dispersal and seed predation. This can have cascading effects on plant regeneration, species composition, and even carbon storage. While previous studies have focused on the negative consequences of losing vertebrate seed dispersers and predators, it remains unclear whether other organisms, such as fungi and insects, can compensate for these losses. This study explores whether the decline of large vertebrate seed predators in a tropical rainforest is offset by increased seed predation from non-vertebrate sources, specifically insects and fungi. Open access copy available |
Defaunation of Large-Bodied Frugivores Reduces Carbon Storage in a Tropical Forest of Southeast AsiaBackgroundTropical forests are vital for carbon storage, but recent studies suggest that defaunation—the loss of large-bodied seed dispersers due to hunting and habitat fragmentation—can significantly impact this function. While previous research has shown reductions in above-ground carbon storage due to defaunation in South America and Africa, its effects on Southeast Asian forests remain debated. Some scientists argue that the dominance of wind-dispersed Dipterocarpaceae trees in the region buffers against carbon losses from defaunation. This study examines the extent to which defaunation influences carbon storage in a tropical forest in Thailand, where large frugivores such as primates, hornbills, and terrestrial mammals still persist. Available with subscription or purchase |
Indigenous knowledge and the shackles of wildernessBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Beyond Tenure: Rights-based Approaches to Peoples and ForestsBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Active restoration accelerates the carbon recovery of human-modified tropical forestsBackground:More than half of all tropical forests are degraded by human impacts, leaving them threatened with conversion to agricultural plantations and risking substantial biodiversity and carbon losses. Restoration could accelerate recovery of aboveground carbon density (ACD), but adoption of restoration is constrained by cost and uncertainties over effectiveness. Therefore, is necessary to understand the economic feasibility of restoration treatments in the context of global carbon pricing and the Paris climate agreement. Available with subscription or purchase |
Do primary rainforest tree species recruit into passively and actively restored tropical rainforest?BackgroundIn many restoration projects, recruitment is dominated by a low diversity of regionally-abundant pioneer species and species with small, easily dispersed seeds. These species are characteristic of secondary rainforest and do not include the far more diverse suite of species characteristic of the original, primary rainforest. As restoring ecosystem processes is one of the central goals of restoration, this raises the question of which, if any, of the available rainforest restoration methods may be used to promote the recruitment of primary rainforest species. Available with subscription or purchase |
Tropical Rainforest Restoration Plantations Are Slow to Restore the Soil Biological and Organic Carbon Characteristics of Old Growth RainforestBackground:With widespread deforestation and land conversion posing significant threats to biodiversity and carbon sequestration, there is an urgent need to comprehend the intricate relationship between land use change, soil microbial communities, and soil organic carbon dynamics in tropical rainforest ecosystems. 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 |
Bird Assemblages in Coffee Agroforestry Systems and Other Human Modified Habitats in IndonesiaBackgroundDeforestation in tropical regions such as Indonesia is mainly driven by need for agricultural expansion. Agroforestry systems for a major agricultural crop, coffee, are becoming increasingly popular as the need for forest restoration is more apparent. Coffee agroforestry provides benefits to biodiversity, though specific impacts of coffee shade trees on bird populations outside of the Neotropics and Africa are understudied. Birds are a highly important taxa and serve many vital ecological roles. Open access copy available |
Spatial patterns and drivers of smallholder oil palm expansion within peat swamp forests of Riau, IndonesiaBackgroundTropical peat swamps are a major carbon sink, and therefore critical for meeting global climate goals. There is also rapid loss of these ecosystem types due to agriculture practices and drainage. Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is often planted in drained peat swamps for production. Policies in Indonesia drive smallholder oil palm farms into peatlands and prevent their access to industrial fields. Open access copy available |
