Latest Articles from Nature Conservation Latest 3 Articles from Nature Conservation https://natureconservation.pensoft.net/ Fri, 29 Mar 2024 15:33:25 +0200 Pensoft FeedCreator https://natureconservation.pensoft.net/i/logo.jpg Latest Articles from Nature Conservation https://natureconservation.pensoft.net/ Hydrological regime and forest development have indirect effects on soil fauna feeding activity in Central European hardwood floodplain forests https://natureconservation.pensoft.net/article/106260/ Nature Conservation 53: 257-278

DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.53.106260

Authors: Nicole Scheunemann, David J. Russell

Abstract: Soil fauna act as regulators of decomposition processes via their feeding activity, thereby playing an important role in regulating carbon cycling and sequestration. Hardwood floodplain forests are critically endangered habitats, but strongly contribute to carbon sequestration in Central Europe. In the present study, within a floodplain forest-development programme, we investigated the feeding activity of soil fauna via the Bait Lamina test in hardwood floodplain forests of the middle Elbe River in Germany in sites with different hydrological regimes and forest-development stages, with neighbouring grassland sites for comparison. While statistically significant differences in overall feeding activity between general hydrological regimes or forest development stages were not found, decreases in feeding activity with soil depth were strongly modulated by these factors, indicating more unfavourable conditions for soil fauna at increasing soil depth due to, e.g., anoxic conditions in floodplains of tributaries or low soil moisture content below the shallow rooting zone of grasslands. Registered effects of soil texture on soil fauna feeding activity were dependent on forest-tree density, and combined effects indicate that soil-fauna feeding activity varies with soil temperature during spring, but with soil moisture in early autumn. In conclusion, our results highlight the importance of the current abiotic conditions on soil-fauna feeding activities in floodplain forests, i.e. soil temperature, moisture and ground water level. Hydrological regime and forest development have a strong impact on the effect of these conditions, indirectly affecting soil fauna feeding activity and highlighting the multifactorial influence on soil fauna functional activity to be considered in floodplain-forest restoration programs.

HTML

XML

PDF

]]>
Research Article Fri, 29 Sep 2023 16:15:03 +0300
Ecology and conservation of the Dutch ground beetle fauna – Lessons from 66 years of pitfall trapping https://natureconservation.pensoft.net/article/89861/ Nature Conservation 49: 189-192

DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.49.89861

Authors: Lucija Šerić Jelaska

Abstract:

HTML

XML

PDF

]]>
Book Review Tue, 9 Aug 2022 16:21:20 +0300
Recreation effects on wildlife: a review of potential quantitative thresholds https://natureconservation.pensoft.net/article/63270/ Nature Conservation 44: 51-68

DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.44.63270

Authors: Jeremy S. Dertien, Courtney L. Larson, Sarah E. Reed

Abstract: Outdoor recreation is increasingly recognised for its deleterious effects on wildlife individuals and populations. However, planners and natural resource managers lack robust scientific recommendations for the design of recreation infrastructure and management of recreation activities. We reviewed 38 years of research on the effect of non-consumptive recreation on wildlife to attempt to identify effect thresholds or the point at which recreation begins to exhibit behavioural or physiological change to wildlife. We found that 53 of 330 articles identified a quantitative threshold. The majority of threshold articles focused on bird or mammal species and measured the distance to people or to a trail. Threshold distances varied substantially within and amongst taxonomic groups. Threshold distances for wading and passerine birds were generally less than 100 m, whereas they were greater than 400 m for hawks and eagles. Mammal threshold distances varied widely from 50 m for small rodents to 1,000 m for large ungulates. We did not find a significant difference between threshold distances of different recreation activity groups, likely based in part on low sample size. There were large gaps in scientific literature regarding several recreation variables and taxonomic groups including amphibians, invertebrates and reptiles. Our findings exhibit the need for studies to measure continuous variables of recreation extent and magnitude, not only to detect effects of recreation on wildlife, but also to identify effect thresholds when and where recreation begins or ceases to affect wildlife. Such considerations in studies of recreation ecology could provide robust scientific recommendations for planners and natural resource managers for the design of recreation infrastructure and management of recreation activities.

HTML

XML

PDF

]]>
Review Article Fri, 28 May 2021 10:19:18 +0300