Search Results (539)

In 2019, the United Nations’ General Assembly established 2021 to 2030 as the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, and ecological restoration should be adopted by the member nations. In 2015, Brazil had already committed to restoring (replanting) twelve million hectares of forests, and this commitment was reaffirmed in the National Plan for the Recovery of Native Vegetation in 2017 and relaunched at COP16 on diversity in 2024. Despite Brazil’s leadership in establishing the Tropical Forests Forever Fund (TFFF) in 2023, which was launched at COP30 in Belem in 2025, the expansion of the agricultural frontier remains the main driver of deforestation in the Amazon/Rain Forest and the Cerrado biomes. This article aims to examine the social and ecological consequences of the capitalist occupation and expansion of the agricultural frontier in the Cerrado. It will also study the counterpoint of the land struggles and initiatives of peasant organizations focused on conservation and restoration as possibilities and perspectives for the social and ecological restoration of the Cerrado landscapes. Based on an interdisciplinary approach, the specialized literature, and official agricultural data, the study shows that, in addition to degrading nature (deforestation, water and soil contamination, and desertification) and threatening the historical ways of life of countryside peoples, the frontier’s expansion blocks possibilities for restoration and hinders initiatives to protect the remaining nature of Brazil’s second-largest biome. On the other hand, resistance to expropriation and appropriation, and struggles for land and territory, have emerged as possibilities for socio-environmental restoration, beyond reforestation and the recovery of destroyed nature, by transforming landscapes, ways of life, and production, and by creating conditions for food sovereignty and sustainability in the countryside. Therefore, agroecological actions by agrarian movements and rural organizations in general, and those of the Movement of Landless Rural Workers (MST) in particular, have become emblematic in opposing agrarian extractivism and unsustainable monocrops imposed upon and disseminated throughout the Brazilian Cerrado. Full article

The reconstruction of vegetation in opencast mining areas constitutes an intricate process of ecological restoration within human-altered systems. A systematic characterization of the multi-dimensional synergistic successional pathways—encompassing morphology, structure, and function—and the corresponding delineation of key recovery phases holds significant potential to inform and refine land reclamation strategies. This study took the southern dump of the Antaibao Coal Mine within the Pingshuo mining area on the Loess Plateau as the study area. Using the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, time series Landsat remote sensing images from 1990 to 2023 were processed to derive three indicators representing vegetation coverage morphology, landscape pattern structure, and ecosystem service function: Vegetation Fractional Coverage (VFC), Mining Landscape Restoration Index (MLRI), and Remote Sensing Ecological Index (RSEI). A Reconstructed vegetation Restoration Comprehensive Index (RRCI) was established through the multi-dimensional collaborative analysis of morphology–structure–function. Based on the long-term evolutionary sequence of RRCI, the S-logistic growth curve model was employed for nonlinear fitting, and critical restoration stages of reconstructed vegetation were quantitatively delineated using preset threshold rules. The results demonstrate that time series RRCI data of the screened sample plots effectively characterize the spatiotemporal restoration dynamics of reconstructed vegetation, with a high model goodness of fit (R² > 0.7). In accordance with the criteria for delineating critical stages of reconstructed vegetation restoration, the average durations of the accelerated development period, consolidation development period, and overall recovery development period of reconstructed vegetation in the study area are 5.09 years, 4.64 years, and 9.73 years, respectively. Significant differences exist in the accelerated development period and overall recovery development period between arbor forest lands and arbor shrub forest lands (p < 0.05), and the time required for vegetation restoration at each stage is longer in arbor forest lands than in arbor shrub forest lands. This study constructs a multi-dimensionally collaborative RRCI and quantifies critical stages of reconstructed vegetation evolution, which is of great significance for promoting the sustainable evolution and dynamic management of reconstructed vegetation in opencast mining areas. Full article

Grasslands represent one of the most extensive terrestrial biomes globally, covering approximately one-third of the Earth’s land surface, yet they are increasingly threatened by land-use change and overgrazing, underscoring the need for reliable monitoring approaches. This study compares the performance of machine learning and deep learning algorithms for grassland mapping using multi-source remote sensing data derived from Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, and terrain variables. The research was conducted in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, a heterogeneous landscape comprising lowland savannas, high-altitude grasslands, escarpments, and riverine wetlands. Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifiers were implemented in Google Earth Engine using fused satellite and terrain datasets with field-collected samples for training and validation, while a One-Dimensional Convolutional Neural Network (1D-CNN) was developed in Python 3.13.5 using the same inputs. Results demonstrate that integrating multi-source data improves classification accuracy, with radar-based features contributing the most. RF achieved the highest performance, with an overall accuracy of 97.7% and grass-class precision, recall, and F1-score exceeding 0.97, closely followed by the 1D-CNN with 91% overall accuracy and complete grass detection. In contrast, SVM performed notably lower with an overall accuracy of 80,8%. These findings highlight the effectiveness of advanced learning approaches for grassland mapping and support their application in ecological restoration and environmental management. Full article

Rapid coastal urbanization poses severe threats to biodiversity through habitat fragmentation, making continuous monitoring of urban ecosystems essential. While birds serve as sensitive bio-indicators, the long-term spatiotemporal dynamics of their habitats and temporal shifts in environmental drivers remain poorly understood in high-density megacities. This study addresses this gap by developing a trend-explainable machine learning framework to evaluate avian habitat suitability across the western coast of Shenzhen from 2010 to 2020. We applied a standardized filtering protocol to citizen science data and integrated occupancy modeling with a Random Forest algorithm to simulate habitat distributions at 30 m resolution. Spatiotemporal habitat alterations were quantified using Mann–Kendall trend analysis, while SHAP was utilized to diagnose the changing importance and non-linear thresholds of ecological drivers over the decade. Our findings reveal pronounced spatial heterogeneity among six avian guilds. Habitat quality for terrestrial birds, raptors, and songbirds degraded severely in northern industrial regions, whereas targeted ecological restoration facilitated recovery in southern and western urban cores. The analysis further demonstrates dynamic temporal shifts in environmental responses. The restrictive impact of anthropogenic stressors including population density and nighttime light weakened for terrestrial and canopy-dwelling guilds but intensified for waterfowl. Concurrently, natural elements such as vegetation coverage and proximity to water bodies became increasingly important. Based on these spatiotemporal patterns, we delineated five ecological zones to guide targeted conservation interventions. This research provides an analytical framework linking predictive modeling with mechanistic insights, supporting evidence-based biodiversity conservation and sustainable urban planning in rapidly developing coastal landscapes. Full article

The net primary productivity (NPP) of the spatiotemporal variation in vegetation directly reflects ecosystem function, and landscape pattern evolution is a key spatial correlate of its differentiation. Clarifying this relationship is critical for regional ecological management. We focused on the upper and middle Yangtze River, using 2000–2020 land use and NPP data to analyze how overall landscape patterns are differentially associated with NPP across vegetation types and identify key landscape pattern characteristics associated with NPP. Our results show the following: (1) Based on 4102 grid cells at a 10 km × 10 km spatial grain and an 8:2 random train–test split validation procedure, XGBoost outperformed all other machine learning models, achieving a test set coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.78. (2) Over the study period, 89.58% of the region showed an increased Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), with extensive grassland and shrubland conversion to forest. Regional average NPP increased by 51.57 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹. (3) Associations between landscape patterns and NPP differed across vegetation types. Number of patches (NP) was most strongly associated with forest and overall NPP, largest patch index (LPI) showed the closest linkage with shrubland NPP, and proportion of like adjacency (PLADJ) correlated most strongly with grassland NPP. Integrating vegetation evolution trends and vegetation-specific associations between landscape patterns and NPP, we propose that future ecological restoration and territorial spatial governance can adopt targeted landscape optimization strategies based on key correlated landscape indicators to support sustainable improvement of regional ecosystem productivity. Full article

The urban fringe, a critical transitional zone between urban and rural areas, exhibits the most intense land-use conflicts and the most dynamic spatial restructuring. Its fragmentation not only undermines the efficiency of spatial land use but also threatens ecosystem stability, thereby posing a challenge to sustainable urban development. This study aims to examine the characteristics and future trends of spatial fragmentation within the urban fringe of Xi’an. Using multi-source datasets—including nighttime light imagery, land use data, and building vector data—we delineated the urban fringe boundary based on a light gradient threshold method. By combining landscape metrics with spatial overlay analysis, we assessed land use changes and spatial fragmentation patterns from 2000 to 2020 and projected land use conditions for 2030, 2040, and 2050. The results reveal that between 2000 and 2020, cultivated land became increasingly fragmented due to the expansion of construction land, while forest areas continued to expand under ecological restoration policies. Impervious surfaces exhibited infill aggregation. Rapid increases in nighttime light intensity were strongly correlated with heightened fragmentation (R² = 0.65, p < 0.01), confirming that urban expansion is the dominant driver of fragmentation. Projections indicate that the proportion of cultivated land will decline to 0.51, approaching a “critical warning threshold”. Full article

Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State, Nigeria, situated at the confluence of the Niger and Benue Rivers, has experienced rapid urban expansion alongside heightened environmental risks, including flooding and ecosystem degradation. Using multi-temporal Landsat imagery (2000, 2010, 2020, 2024), Random Forest classification, and landscape metrics, this study analyses spatio-temporal patterns of urban growth and fragmentation in this underrepresented mid-sized African city. Urban land cover expanded from 6668 ha in 2000 to 15,985 ha in 2024 (net ~140% growth), following a non-linear trajectory of rapid expansion (2000–2010), partial consolidation (2010–2020), and renewed growth with intensified fragmentation (2020–2024). This growth caused severe ecological impacts: dense forest declined by 99.7% (from 373 ha to 1 ha), woodland by 73.9%, and core natural land cover by 23% to 13.8% of the landscape, below critical ecological thresholds. Edge density rose by 121%, exacerbating urban heat, runoff, and biodiversity loss, while apparent gains in grassland largely reflect secondary succession rather than recovery. This study recommends enforcing development restrictions below 10 m in elevation, with 100 m riparian buffers; restoring 500 ha of native corridors; mandating 20% urban tree canopy cover; and establishing community-based green space monitoring. The findings provide empirical insights into sustainability challenges facing mid-sized African cities and offer transferable strategies for ecologically sensitive urban planning. Full article

Fengshui forests are cultural-ecological landscape units that preserve native vegetation, ritual memory, and village-based conservation practices on the Leizhou Peninsula. However, recent land-use change has increased the risk of native-core loss, plantation encroachment, and fragmentation. Using Shirong Village, Suixi County, Zhanjiang City, as an exploratory village-scale case, we distinguished the historical Fengshui forest landscape zone from the native Fengshui forest core represented by the native evergreen broad-leaved forest. High-resolution remote-sensing images from 2012, 2017, and 2024 were interpreted using a unified classification scheme, and transition matrices and landscape metrics were calculated using ENVI, ArcGIS, and Fragstats. From 2012 to 2024, the native Fengshui forest core decreased from 8.30 ha to 6.49 ha (−1.81 ha; −21.8%), while plantation patches increased from 0.22 ha to 3.26 ha as Eucalyptus forest expanded and Acacia mangium appeared by 2024. Open/degraded buffer land declined from 3.20 ha to 0.43 ha, whereas built-up, cropland, and road components increased from 2.72 ha to 4.26 ha. Landscape metrics showed a weakened dominant core, higher patch density, and increased boundary complexity after 2017. The observed transitions indicate a shift from a relatively continuous native forest core to a reduced core embedded in plantation and built-up components. Because socioeconomic and policy drivers were not directly quantified, the study discusses potential explanatory pathways rather than statistically tested causal mechanisms. The findings provide village-scale evidence for cultural-landscape conservation, native-core restoration, and adaptive management of Fengshui forests. Full article

Seed enhancement technologies have emerged as promising approaches to improve seedling growth and nursery performance of forest tree species. This study evaluated the effects of combining seed priming and seed coating technologies with beneficial microbial inoculants on the seedling quality of Falcataria falcata (L.) Greuter & R.Rankin. Fourteen treatments, including hydropriming (HP), gibberellic acid (GA₃), Rhizobium sp., Trichoderma sp., endomycorrhiza, polymer coating, nutrients, fungicide, and insecticide, were assessed under nursery conditions. Seedling quality was determined using the number of roots, number of nodules, root-to-shoot ratio, vigor index I, and vigor index II. Significant differences among treatments were observed for all measured parameters (p < 0.001). The treatment HP + GA₃ + Rhizobium sp. + polymer coat + fungicide (T13) produced the highest number of roots (31.76 roots seedling⁻¹), indicating enhanced root development. Meanwhile, HP + endomycorrhiza (T4) resulted in the highest number of nodules (5.49 nodules seedling⁻¹), root-to-shoot ratio (0.593), and vigor index I (2055.57), reflecting improved biomass allocation and overall seedling quality. Principal component analysis explained 71.9% of the total variation and revealed distinct associations between treatments and growth attributes. Treatments containing Rhizobium sp. were primarily associated with root proliferation and seedling vigor, whereas endomycorrhizal treatments were linked to nodulation and balanced biomass development. The results demonstrate that integrating microbial inoculants with seed priming and coating technologies can significantly enhance seedling quality, even when germination responses are similar among treatments. These findings highlight the potential of biologically enhanced seeds as a sustainable strategy for producing vigorous planting materials suitable for plantation forestry, reforestation, and landscape restoration programs. Full article

Experiencing the forest landscape in its natural state is one of the factors that positively affect people, especially younger generations exposed to stress. The study assessed the impact of listening to nature sounds and observing forest landscapes on the mood and well-being of young adults exposed to a real forest environment. The experiment consisted of two sessions, allowing us to compare the regenerative effects of observing the forest with full engagement of the senses of sight and hearing, and by listening exclusively to the sounds of nature (birdsong, rustling leaves). The relaxation benefits were compared using psychological tests, including the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), Profile of Mood States (POMS), Restorative Outcome Scale (ROS), and Subjective Vitality Scale (SVS), administered before and after each exposure. The study involved 31 volunteers from Warsaw, the Polish capital (17 women and 14 men, with an average age of 25). A significant improvement in mood (as measured by the POMS) was observed, particularly through a reduction in Anger and Confusion. Both sessions (with and without a blindfold) significantly reduced negative affect (PANAS Negative) and increased restorative outcomes (ROS). However, no significant differences were found between full immersion (sight and hearing) and auditory-only exposure, suggesting that the acoustic layer of the forest environment plays a dominant role in the short-term psychological regeneration of young adults. In summary, these results suggest that both forms of exposure to nature have a relaxing effect on humans. However, full immersion, which involves being in the forest and viewing it, combined with listening to the sounds of nature, provides by far the most benefits for improving the well-being and mood of forest visitors. Full article

The unprecedented 2022 wildfire season in Navarra, northern Spain, marked a turning point in regional wildfire management, when seven simultaneous large fires during a June heatwave burned more than 17,000 ha in just a few days, overwhelming suppression capacity and highlighting the limits of a strategy based primarily on ignition prevention and fire suppression. In this study, we implemented a stochastic wildfire modeling system based on the Minimum Travel Time algorithm, historical ignition patterns, spatial fuel data, and spatiotemporal weather variability to assess community and protected area exposure to wildfire. We simulated more than 50,000 fire season replicates under extreme fire weather conditions, estimating annual burn probability across fire intensity classes at 50 m spatial resolution. We then intersected modeled fire perimeters with building footprints representing residential and industrial structures, as well as protected areas, to assess the spatial distribution of exposure across the region. Results showed strong concentration of community exposure, with three fourths of residential and industrial exposure concentrated in just over one third of the total municipal area. Across Navarra, mean annual modeled exposure summed to 120 residential buildings and 16 industrial structures. Across the protected area network, mean annual burned area summed to 90 ha year⁻¹, including 68 ha year⁻¹ at flame lengths greater than 2.5 m, while burned forest area was 16 ha year⁻¹. Protected areas in southern Navarra and forested protected areas in central and northern Navarra showed the highest modeled exposure, identifying priority landscapes where prevention, restoration, and evaluation of managed fire options could support more resilient ecosystems. This study provides a scientific basis for improving wildfire risk governance and strengthening the resilience of communities and protected areas under increasing wildfire pressure in the region. Full article

Mining activities elevate environmental noise and represent a major disturbance in terrestrial ecosystems. Vegetation belts are often used as mitigation measures. This study evaluates the role of Robinia pseudoacacia L. forest plantations in reducing noise at the lignite complex of western Macedonia, in Greece. Field measurements of noise level (LAeq) were conducted inside and outside the plantations from spring to autumn during 2020 and 2021. Measurements were taken at five points across four sites differing in their distance from the noise source. Leaf Area Index (LAI) was recorded, and meteorological variables were measured concurrently. Linear mixed-effect models were used to assess the effects of forest presence, distance from source, climatic conditions, and LAI, while accounting for repeated measurements across sampling days and sites. Noise levels were significantly lower within plantations than outside, indicating that restored forest stands can act as buffers to mining noise. The distance of trees from the noise source and atmospheric conditions are also significant drivers of noise levels. These findings highlight the potential of post-mining plantations to provide an additional acoustic regulation service in restored industrial landscapes. Full article

Forest conversion from natural forests to secondary forests and plantations has significantly altered wildlife habitats in subtropical regions. However, the drivers of disparities in bird and mammal multidimensional diversity between these forest types remain poorly understood. We analyzed a four-year camera-trapping dataset to compare the taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity and community structure of birds and mammals. Our results indicated that forest conversion impacts biodiversity differently across taxa. Birds exhibited higher taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity in secondary forests than in plantations. A similar pattern was also evident for birds among different stand types. However, mammals exhibited considerable taxonomic diversity but showed higher phylogenetic diversity and structure in secondary forests. A similar pattern was also evident for mammals among different stand types. Beta diversity revealed significant differences in bird taxonomic composition and mammal phylogenetic composition between secondary and plantation forests. Furthermore, elevation primarily influenced bird taxonomic diversity, phylogenetic diversity and structure in secondary forests, whereas mammal functional diversity, phylogenetic diversity and structure were more sensitive to elevational changes in both secondary and plantation forests. These findings reveal that birds and mammals respond distinctively to forest conversion. We emphasize that management strategies must be group-specific. For birds, we recommend prioritizing the preservation of secondary forests as biodiversity refugia and transforming structurally simplified plantations into complex habitats by retaining legacy trees and native understory vegetation. For mammals, conservation should prioritize landscape-scale connectivity by protecting continuous forest corridors along altitudinal gradients. Practically, this requires restricting further fragmentation of high-altitude habitats and restoring native vegetation in degraded corridors to facilitate dispersal and maintain the phylogenetic integrity of mammal communities. Full article

Blue-green spaces are critical for diversified landscape planning. However, rapid urbanization and habitat fragmentation continue to disrupt ecological connectivity in river-basin landscapes. This study focuses on the Xiu River Basin, a major tributary of Poyang Lake and a key node of the East Asian–Australasian Flyway. We developed a multi-guild avian ecological network framework to support biodiversity-oriented landscape planning. Birds were classified into four functional guilds: aquatic resident, aquatic wintering, forest resident, and forest wintering. For each guild, we designed a specific set of environmental variables. We integrated MaxEnt and InVEST to identify ecological sources by combining habitat suitability with habitat quality. The results showed that 68.75% of the basin qualifies as good-quality habitat, although suitable habitats remained highly heterogeneous and fragmented among guilds. We identified 1839.93 km² of ecological sources, 157 corridors, 215 pinchpoints, and 344 barriers, revealing clear differences in the connectivity requirements between aquatic and forest birds and between resident and wintering birds. We further delineated four ecological priority areas and proposed targeted restoration strategies for wetlands, river–lake systems, forested mountains, and urban–rural transition zones. Overall, this study demonstrates that multi-guild connectivity analysis can provide a spatial framework for informing urban forest conservation, blue-green infrastructure planning, and diversified landscape planning in complex basin landscapes. Full article

The San Juan Islands are one of the few places where native temperate grasslands are found in western Washington State. These ecosystems are important reservoirs of biodiversity and sources of ecosystem services, support many rare and endemic species, and have profound cultural significance to the Coast Salish peoples. These ecologically and culturally valuable ecosystems have become scarce due to the combined pressures of changes in land use, the introduction of non-native invasive species, and the exclusion of fire from the landscape. A lack of historical context and ecological baseline knowledge has made it impossible to fully understand the long-term trends in the extent and distribution of this ecosystem. To address this knowledge gap, we used historical land cover data and multispectral imagery to create a high-resolution, spatially explicit database of grassland extent on the San Juan Islands at multiple time periods since the early years of Euro-American colonization. Our spatial analysis of these data revealed significant decreases in grassland extent between time periods, with an overall 77% net decrease in the extent of non-agricultural grasslands and a loss of 93% of the area of persistent, old-growth grasslands since 1890 across the region. These changes are primarily a result of conversion to agriculture and conifer encroachment or succession to forest. The spatial data and analyses created in this study help to develop the historical baseline of native temperate grasslands on the San Juan Islands, adding to our understanding of the lingering legacy that changes in land use have had on this ecosystem, with the potential to aid in the development of effective conservation and restoration practices. Full article