Ecosystem Services and Ecological Processes
Restoring dense vegetation can slow mountain erosion to near natural benchmark levelsBackgroundTropical mountain areas may undergo rapid land degradation as demographic growth and intensified agriculture cause more people to migrate to fragile ecosystems. To assess the extent of the resulting damage, an erosion rate benchmark against which changes in erosion can be evaluated is required. Benchmarks reflecting natural erosion rates are usually not provided by conventional sediment fluxes, which are often biased due to modern land use change, and also miss large, episodic events within the measuring period. Available with subscription or purchase |
Effect of Vegetation Restoration on Soil and Water Erosion and Nutrient Losses of a Severely Eroded Clayey Plinthudult in Southeastern ChinaBackgroundIn this study, researchers compare erosion from reforested and degraded sites in subtropical southeastern China. Goals & MethodsThe objective of the study was to estimate the long-term influences of reforestation on soil and water erosion and nutrient losses in regions of southeast China that are characterized by severely eroded bare land derived from Quaternary red clay. The study examined surface runoff, soil erosion, and soil nutrient content. Available with subscription or purchase |
Using ecosystem valuation to protect the Atlantic Rainforest: the case of the Oasis ProjectBackgroundThe article explores the Oasis Project, which is a payment for ecosystem services program that aims to protect the Atlantic Forest in Brazil. The program was established in 1990 in response to the destruction of the forest. The Oasis Project aims to provide drinking water to approximately 17 million in the Sao Paulo metropolitan region by financially compensating landowners engaged in maintaining forest cover in their proprieties. Available with subscription or purchase |
Marco regulatório sobre pagamento por serviços ambientais no Brasil (Regulatory framework of payment for ecosystem services in Brazil)Open access copy available |
Deep Soil Moisture Storage and Transpiration in Forests and Pastures of Seasonally-Dry AmazoniabackgroundThis study, conducted in the seasonal rainforest of Northern Brazil (Para), compares re-growth of pasture, mature forest, and natural forest (capoeira). Goals & MethodsThe study assessed the impacts of land-use change on plant-available water (PAW) and evapotranspiration (ET). To do so, they measured volumetric water content (VWC) at 8 m below three nearby ecosystems over four years, including a mature evergreen forests, an adjacenet pasture, and a second-growth forest on abandoned pasture land. Available with subscription or purchase |
Faustian Bargains? Restoration Realities in the Context of Biodiversity Offset PoliciesbackgroundThis article presents an analysis of the effectiveness of forest restoration as a mechanism to offset biodiversity loss. Available with subscription or purchase |
Restauração florestal: do diagnóstico de degradação ao uso de indicadores ecológicos para o monitoramento das ações (Forest restoration: from the diagnostics of degradation to the use of ecological indicators in the monitoring of actions)Open access copy available |
Amelioration of degraded rain forest soils by plantations of native treesbackgroundWhile much has been studied about the ability of tree growth to improve degraded soils in temperate zones, less is known about the impacts of tree growth on degraded soils in tropical zones. research goals & methodsThis study looks at the effects of trees planted in abandoned pasture land in northeastern Costa Rica, 25 years after that land had been cleared of rainforest. The soil was sampled before tree planting and 4 years after the trees became established. Available with subscription or purchase |
Soil macrofauna and litter nutrients in three tropical tree plantations on a disturbed site in Puerto RicoBackgroundTree plantations are increasingly common in tropical landscapes due to their multiple uses. Plantations vary in structure and composition, and these variations may alter soil fauna communities. Recent studies have demonstrated the important role of soil fauna in the regulation of plant litter decomposition in the tropics. However, little is known about how plantation species affect soil fauna populations, which may in turn affect the biogeochemistry of the plantation system. Open access copy available |
Tree species effects on soil properties in experimental plantations in tropical moist forestBackgroundForest soil properties are influenced by the complex interactions of vegetation, soil type, geology, management, and climactic patterns. Tree species can differ in their long-term effects on soils. This study resamples one of the earliest replicated experimental sites at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica, used to examine the effects of native tropical tree species on soil properties, to examine longer term effects on soil properties. Open access copy available |
