Ecosystem Services and Ecological Processes
Long-term changes in liana loads and tree dynamics in a Malaysian forestBackgroundIncreasingly lianas are recognized as one of the most important growth form in seasonal tropical forest, yet there has been limited research that has studied the effects in other forests. This study discusses the effect of lianas on tree growth, reproduction, and survivorship in a Southeast Asian Dipterocarp forest. Available with subscription or purchase |
Birds of the Man Made Ecosystems: the PlantationsBackgroundThe authors compare bird diversity in Uttara Kannada, India, comparing intact evergreen and secondary moist deciduous forests to teak, eucaplypts and betelnut plantations with the intent of addressing two questions: what level of diversity can a plantation support and how to species compositions compare to nearby forests? Available with subscription or purchase |
Development of the soil macrofauna community under silvopastoral and agrosilvicultural systems in AmazoniaBackgroundThe Brazilian Amazon has experienced extensive land conversion from forests to cattle pasture, many of which now lay abandoned. Agro-forestry serves as one potential solution to this problem and this study examines the re-establishment of a diversified soil macrofauna in order to inform this approach. Available with subscription or purchase |
Tree species selection for a mine tailigns bioremediation project in PeruBackgroundThis article explains a project in southern Peru where tree plantings were used as bioremediation for treating tailings water from a copper mine. A variety of 25 tree species were selected for trial plantings on the site that could also be suitable for fuel and construction wood in the future. Available with subscription or purchase |
Growing biodiverse carbon-rich forestsBackgroundCarbon storage and biodiversity has long been viewed as completely separate restoration objectives, resulting in parceling tracts of restoration land for one objective or the other. This study shows that the relationship between plant functional diversity and carbon sequestration rate depends on climate and habitat factors. Knowing this relationship, a restoration site can be managed for both objectives. Open access copy available |
Charaterization and Impact Assessment of Water Harvesting Techniques: A Case Study of Abreha Atsbeha Watershed, Tigray, EthiopiaBackgroundThis report gives a comprehensive overview of water harvesting techniques in a community called Abreha we Atsbeha in Tigray, Ethiopia. This community was awarded the UN Equator Prize for their restoration work in 2012. In addition to providing a detailed historical, demographic, ecological, and hydrological description of the site, the authors also detail the major water harvesting techniques employed, including: bench terracing, stone bunds, stine bunds with trenches, soil bunds with trenches, semi-circular stone bunds, percolation ponds check dams, shallow wells, diversion heads, and hand dug wells. Open access copy available |
Riparian restortion for protecting water quality in tropic agricultural watershedsBackgroundIn the Sarapui River watershed in southeastern Brazil, the water quality system was measured for six subwatersheds in the region. In addition to measuring the subwatersheds, the entire watershed system was also measured and compared to a simulation model that included riparian zones throughout the river watershed. Available with subscription or purchase |
Case Study: Community Based Ecological Mangrove Rehabilitation (CBEMR) in IndonesiaBackgroundMangrove plantings in Indonesia have typically failed for a number of reasons including inappropriate site selection, inappropriate species selection, and/or conflict over land tenure. The authors discussed ecological mangrove rehabilitation (EMR) and its use in Indonesia, which required a more socio-cultural-political apprach as compared with EMR in the United States. Open access copy available |
Prioritizing sites for ecological restoration based on ecosystem servicesBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Local ecological knowledge of trees on farms, constraints and opportunities for further integratino in Tigray Region, northern Ethiopia: A Case Study of smallholder farmers in Abreha Wa Atsbeha and Adi GudomBackgroundThe paper compared two Ethiopian sites with differing levels of on-farm tree adoption: Abreha we Atsbeha (high adoption) and Adi Gudom (low adoption). The author used a knowledge-based systems approach involving participatory rural appraisal, focus group discussions, and semi-structured interviews. In both sites, farmers planted trees on their holdings for income generation, user rights, and direct benefits, and they planted trees on communal lands to comply with government policies, improve soil fertility and water harvesting, improve land for redistribution, and improve aesthetics. Open access copy available |
