Forest Dynamics

Consequences of broadscale timber plantations for biodiversity in cleared forest landscapes of tropical and subtropical Australia

Background

In Australia, as in many countries, there has been a shift in timber production from native forests to plantations. While plantations are primarily considered an efficient means of producing timber, there is increasing interest in their potential contribution to biodiversity conservation. This paper conducts a literature review of the impacts of plantations on biodiversity and assesses plantation scenarios proposed for cleared rainforest landscapes in tropical and subtropical Australia.

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Ouragans et diversite biologique dans les forets tropicales. L’exemple de la Guadeloupe (Hurricanes and diversity in tropical forests: the example of Guadeloupe).

The authors examined the relationship between hurricane disturbances and biodiversity and found that diversity of forests increased their resistance to hurricane disturbances. They concluded that recurrence of strong hurricanes could lead to extirpation of rare or vulnerable non-pioneer species.

 

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Trends in forest condition, threats and conservation action as derived from participatory monitoring in coastal Kenya

Background

The coastal forests of Kenya are conservation priorities hosting high levels of biodiversity. Monitoring of biodiversity in these forests is therefore necessary to understand and reverse negative trends in good time.

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Establishment of Tree Seedlings in the Understory of Restoration Plantations: Natural Regeneration and Enrichment Plantings

Background

This study investigates how seedling establishment is affected in the understory of restoration sites of different ages (10,22 and 55 year-old) within the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. It also assesses some of the environmental microsite conditions that influenced the stand dynamics process.

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Sixty-Seven Years of Land-Use Change in Southern Costa Rica

Background

Habitat loss and fragmentation of forests are among the biggest threats to biodiversity and associated ecosystem services in tropical landscapes. This paper uses the vicinity of the Las Cruces Biological Station in southern Costa Rica as a regional case study to comment on seven decades of land-use change in one of the most intensively studied sites in the Neotropics.

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Succession and Management of Tropical Dry Forests in the Americas: Review and New Perspectives

Background

This article emphasizes the importance of understanding of successional processes in tropical dry forests. It provides an overview of the current knowledge  of the ecology of tropical dry forest ecosystems and discusses management implications . The authors describe rapidly increasing degradation and destruction of these ecosystems and identify gaps in knowledge to be addressed by future research.

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Effects of Invasive Alien Plants on Fire Regimes

Background

This article considers how  invasive plant species affect native ecosystems by altering fuel properties, fire behavior and fire regime characteristics. These may impact the ability of a site to restore to its previous state.

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Neotropical Secondary Forest Succession: Changes in Structural and Functional Characteristics

Background

This paper reiviews the main biotic and abiotic factors that influence patterns of secondary forest succession in the Neotropics after complete forest clearance due to human activities.

Research Goals & Methods

The authors look at patterns of species replacement and various processes that occur during succession and suggest that the sequence of processes may be predictable even if species composition is not.

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Identifying Hotspots of Deforestation and Reforestation in Colombia (2001–2010): Implications for Protected Areas

background

This article uses satellite imagery, MODIS MOD13Q1 Vegetation Indices 250 , the Virtual Interpretation of EarthWeb-Interface Tool (VIEW-IT) to conduct a land-use analysis of Colombia, mapping trends and "hotspot" areas of deforestation and of reforestation from 2001 to 2010.

Research Goals & Methods

The authors identify four hotspots of deforestation (clustered particularly in lowlands in the north of the country) and four of reforestation, mainly in the Andes highlands.

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Seed Dispersal by Birds and Bats in Lowland Philippine Forest Successional Area

Background

While seed dispersal by birds and bats can be an important driver of succession, few studies have studied this dynamic in the tropical forests of SE Asia. This study compares the role of bird and bat dispersal in the lowland dipterocarp forest of the Subic Watershed Forest Reserve (SWFR) in Luzon Island, Philippines.

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