Search Results (38)

The grey-headed woodpecker (Picus canus) (GHW) is one of the least-studied European woodpeckers, listed in Annex I of the Birds Directive. We examined the key environmental characteristics that determine the possibility of GHW occurrence in vast forests in northeast Poland. Woodpeckers were inventoried in spring on 54 study plots (4 km²) covering 20% of the forest area. Active territories were detected and mapped using the playback experiment of territorial voices and drumming. The generalized linear model GLM, random forest RF, and Boosting were used for modeling. GLM was used to indicate the most critical factors affecting the abundance of GHW. The number of territories in a single study plot ranged from 0 to 3; the most frequent were areas without woodpeckers. The probability of the nesting of the GHW was increasing at plots with watercourses, a bigger share of mixed forest area, and a proportion of stands over 120 years old. The calculation for all 400 quadrats allowed us to estimate the population size at approximately 180–200 breeding pairs. The overall density of GHW in the study area was assessed at 0.13/km², while at the optimal quadrats, it increased to about 0.75/km². Preference for watercourses was linked to alders growing along water banks. Near the water, there are often small meadows where the GHW can prey on ants. In turn, old-growth forests above 120 years old increased the probability of the presence of the GHW. There are more dead and dying trees in older forests, which are the ones the GHW chooses to excavate cavities. To effectively protect the habitats of the GHW, it is necessary to maintain a larger area of stands over 120 years old, mainly on wet sites. Full article

This study focuses on the alpine meadow ecosystem of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, which plays a vital role in carbon sequestration and water resource protection. However, mining activities have severely damaged the ecosystem, posing challenges for ecological restoration. The study selected the Jiangcang mining area and analyzed the physical, chemical, and carbon characteristics and heavy metal content of soil samples from the slag platforms and slopes (0–20 cm), which were restored in 2015 and 2020 to explore the effects of different soil reconstruction methods on soil function and ecological resilience. The results show that the minimum data set (MDS) can effectively replace the total data set (TDS) in assessing soil quality. The assessment indicates good restoration effects in 2020, with some areas rated high in soil quality. Although issues such as high bulk density, high electrical conductivity, low moisture content, nitrogen deficiency, and low organic matter limit ecological restoration, the carbon sequestration capacity of the restored soil is strong. This study provides scientific evidence for ecological restoration in cold mining areas, indicating that capping measures can enhance soil resistance to erosion, nutrient retention, and carbon sink functions. Full article

The mesic grasslands of the Molinio-Arrhenatheretea Tx. 1937 in Vojvodina could play a crucial role in biodiversity conservation, but also in local economies, providing essential ecosystem services, such as habitats for diverse species and resources for agricultural and pastoral activities. However, they face growing threats from unsustainable land use, urbanization and climate change. In this study, a database comprising 716 relevés and 636 plant species was created. All meadow plots were classified into seven habitat types and evaluated for their sustainable use potential using the index developed in this study, based on economically notable species, their status of protection and total cover. Through this index, moist or wet mesotrophic to eutrophic pasture demonstrates the highest potential, whereas temperate and boreal moist or wet oligotrophic grassland shows the lowest. This index offers a decision-support tool, optimizing economic benefits while minimizing environmental impact and offering guidelines for sustainable grassland management and policy recommendations tailored to local conditions. It also serves as a framework for other regions facing similar challenges, contributing to the advancement of grassland ecosystem service valuation and its preservation. Full article

Assessing the ecosystem service value (ESV) of grasslands is crucial for sustainable resource management and environmental conservation. This study evaluates the spatiotemporal changes in grassland ecosystem services in the Bosten Lake Basin using long-term land use data (2000–2022). Employing the Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model, we develop three future scenarios—natural development, ecological protection, and economic priority—to predict grassland utilization trends. The findings reveal a continuous decline in grassland area and ecosystem service values, driven by climate change and human activities. Compared with 2022, all three scenarios indicate further degradation, but ecological protection measures significantly mitigate ESV loss. This study provides scientific insights for sustainable land management and policy-making, contributing to ecological restoration strategies under climate change impacts. The findings reveal the following: (1) Over the 22-year period, the grassland area in the Bosten Lake Basin has experienced an overall decline. Notably, the area of plain desert steppe grassland expanded from 626,179.41 ha to 1,223,506.62 ha, whereas plain meadow grassland reduced from 556,784.64 ha to 118,948.23 ha. (2) The total ecosystem service value of grasslands in the basin exhibited a marginally insignificant decrease, amounting to a reduction of 5.73422 billion CNY. The values for mountain desert, mountain desert steppe, mountain typical steppe, and mountain meadow grasslands were relatively low and showed minimal change. (3) In comparison to 2022, the projected areas of grassland under the three scenarios for 2000 show a substantial reduction, particularly in plain desert and hilly desert grasslands. The ecosystem service values across all scenarios are expected to decline in tandem with varying degrees of grassland degradation. This research underscores the impact of global warming and human activities on the shrinking grassland area and the diminishing ecosystem service values in the Bosten Lake Basin. The current state of grassland resources in the study area is under threat, highlighting the urgent need for strategic planning and conservation efforts to ensure sustainable development and ecological integrity. Full article

Alpine wetland ecosystems, as important carbon sinks and water conservation areas, possess unique ecological functions. Driven by climate change and human activities, the spatial distribution changes in alpine wetlands directly affect the ecosystems and water resource management within a basin. To further refine the evolution processes of different types of alpine wetlands in different zones of a basin, this study combined multiple field surveys, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flights, and high-resolution images. Based on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud platform, we constructed a Random Forest model to identify and extract alpine wetlands in the Shule River Basin over a long-term period from 1987 to 2021. The results indicated that the accuracy of the extraction based on this method exceeded 90%; the main wetland types are marsh, swamp meadow, and river and lake water bodies; and the spatial–temporal distribution of each wetland type has obvious heterogeneity. In total, 90% of the swamp meadows areas were mainly scattered throughout the study area’s section 3700 to 4300 m above sea level (a.s.l.), and 80% of the marshes areas were concentrated in the Dang River source 3200 m above sea level. From 1987 to 2021, the alpine wetland in the study area showed an overall expansion trend. The total area of the wetland increased by 51,451.8 ha and the area increased by 53.5%. However, this expansion mainly occurred in the elevation zone below 4000 m after 2004, and low-altitude marsh wetland primarily dominated the expansion. The analysis of the spatial–temporal heterogeneity of alpine wetlands can provide a scientific basis for the attribution analysis of the change in alpine wetlands in inland water conservation areas, as well as for protection and rational development and utilization, and promote the healthy development of ecological environments in nature reserves. Full article

Although soil is mainly perceived as the basic component of agricultural production, it also plays a pivotal role in environmental protection and climate change mitigation. Soil ecosystems are the largest terrestrial carbon source and greenhouse gas emitters, and their degradation as a result of aggressive human activity exacerbates the problem of climate change. Application of microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology to soil-based ecosystems such as sediments, wetlands, farmland, or meadows allows for sustainable management of these environments with energy and environmental benefits. Soil ecosystem-based MFCs enable zero-energy, environmentally friendly soil bioremediation (with efficiencies reaching even 99%), direct clean energy production from various soil-based ecosystems (with power production reaching 334 W/m²), and monitoring of soil quality or wastewater treatment in wetlands (with efficiencies of up to 99%). They are also a new strategy for greenhouse gas, soil salinity, and metal accumulation mitigation. This article reviews the current state of the art in the field of application of MFC technology to various soil-based ecosystems, including soil MFCs, sediment MFCs, plant MFCs, and CW-MFCs (constructed wetlands coupled with MFCs). Full article

Climate variations and human activities, as two major driving forces, have profound impacts on alpine ecosystems. The Three-River Headwaters Region (TRHR) is located in the alpine region and is the source of three major rivers flowing to eastern China and Southeast Asia. Grassland is the dominant vegetation type in the TRHR and is fragile and sensitive to climate variations and human activities due to the alpine environment. Different types of grassland may have varying coping mechanisms with disturbances due to their unique environments and physiological functions. However, there is limited quantitative research on the response of different grassland types to climate variations and human activities in the TRHR. Therefore, the Carnegie–Ames–Stanford approach (CASA) was selected to simulate the net primary productivity (NPP) affected by climate (NPP_C) and the actual NPP (NPP_A) of steppes and meadows in the TRHR from 2001 to 2022, and the NPP affected by human activities (NPP_H) was calculated by subtracting the NPP_A from the NPP_C. Results showed that the NPP_A increased by 0.53 gC/m²/a during the study period, with the NPP_A of steppes and meadows increasing by 0.55 gC/m²/a and 0.51 gC/m²/a, respectively. The regions dominated by climate variations, human activities, and the combined impact of the two accounted for 22.01%, 29.42%, and 48.57% of the NPP_A changes. In terms of climate change, the impact of temperature and soil moisture on the NPP is equally important. It is worth noting that the alpine meadows (67.60%) contributed more to the increases in the NPP_A than the steppes (32.40%). In addition, climate variations and human activities contributed more to the increased total NPP_A of the meadows (20.54 GgC and 36.41 GgC) than that of the steppes (14.35 GgC and 10.20 GgC). The results clarify the quantitative evaluation system for the impact of human activities and climate change on different types of grasslands in the TRHR, providing guidance for the protection and management of these grasslands. Full article

Seagrass meadows, including those formed by Zostera noltei, play a crucial role in marine ecosystem health by providing habitat stability and coastal protection. In the Romanian Black Sea, Z. noltei meadows are critically endangered due to pressures from eutrophication, habitat loss, and climate change. This study presents a comprehensive baseline assessment of Z. noltei meadows near Mangalia, Romania, utilizing in situ field methods and UAV mapping conducted in the spring and summer of 2023. Seven meadow sites (Z1–Z7) were identified, with notable variability in density, shoot counts, and coverage across sites. Site Z1 exhibited the highest density (1223 shoots/m⁻²) and Z5 and Z7 the longest leaves (an average of 60 cm), reflecting possible environmental influences. Statistical analyses revealed significant inter-site differences in shoot density and leaf length, with density emerging as a primary differentiator. Ex situ analyses of epiphyte load indicated a median, balanced epiphyte load. This baseline dataset supported the selection of Z1 as a reference donor site for seagrass relocation activities along the Romanian coast in 2023. By providing critical insights into Z. noltei structure and health, this study supports future conservation efforts and evidence-based management of these vulnerable coastal habitats. Full article

The grassland ecosystem in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (IMAR) serves as a vital ecological barrier in northern China, and the vegetation productivity in the grasslands exhibits considerable temporal and spatial variations. However, few studies have examined the long-term variations in the NPP in the IMAR and quantified the effects of natural factors and human activities on the NPP. The study modeled the net primary productivity (NPP) of the IMAR’s grasslands using the Carnegie–Ames–Stanford approach (CASA) model and employed linear regression, trend analysis, and spatial statistics to analyze the spatio-temporal patterns in vegetation productivity and explore the impact on the NPP of natural and socio-economic factors over the past two decades. The results reveal that the average NPP value from 2001 to 2021 was 293.80 gC∙m⁻² a⁻¹, characterized by spatial clustering of a relatively high NPP in the east, a low NPP in the west, and an annual increase of 3.26 gC∙m⁻² over the years. The NPP values varied significantly across different vegetation cover types, with meadows having the highest NPP, followed by typical steppe and desert grasslands. The spatial distribution pattern and temporal changes in the grassland productivity are the result of both natural factors and human activities, including topographical properties and socio-economic indicators such as gross domestic product, night-time light, and population. The results for the NPP in the IMAR were based solely on the CASA model and, therefore, to achieve improved data reliability, exact measurements in real field conditions will be conducted in the future. The findings from the spatial clustering and temporal trajectories of the NPP and the impacts from the factors can provide useful guidance to planning grassland vegetation protection policies for the IMAR. Full article

Coastal wetlands deliver essential ecosystem services, including cultural services, which provide non-material benefits such as recreation, education, and spiritual enrichment that are crucial for human well-being. This study investigates the cultural ecosystem services provided by a 40 ha coastal wetland in the Gulf of Manfredonia, southern Italy, within the Gargano National Park. By integrating an ecological survey of the bird community with a social survey of visitors to the King’s Lagoon Nature Reserve, the content of tailored planning strategies and management tools for the conservation of wetland biodiversity was developed. An ecological analysis of the bird community was carried out on the assumption that it could be representative of the total biodiversity observed in the wetland. On the other hand, a questionnaire was used to collect information from visitors to the reserve, highlighting the aspects of the wetland that they found most interesting and attractive according to their judgement and beliefs, and thus targeting a specific set of cultural ecological services. The two approaches were then combined to develop a comprehensive strategy. The bird community analysis led to the identification of the mixed biotope category (a combination of wetlands, aquatic/riparian ecosystems, semi-natural vegetated areas, and meadows together with agricultural areas) as the reference biotope for prioritizing wetland management. The Ardeidae family was chosen as a bird flagship group because of its high visibility, ease of identification, attractiveness to visitors, wide local distribution, and fairly constant presence in the study area throughout the year. Flagship species have a dual function: to guide conservation measures and actions by wetland managers, and to attract the interest, curiosity and active participation of potential visitors to the wetland. Based on the results, a list of guidelines for improving the birds’ habitats and providing them with resources (feeding, breeding, shelter, roosting, etc.) has been proposed. The aim of these measures is to optimize the presence and abundance of Ardeidae as flagship species, thereby preserving the biodiversity heritage in general and increasing the provision of cultural ecosystem services in the wetland. The resulting dynamic interplay ensures that both natural and cultural resources are fully and appropriately valued, protected, and maintained for the benefit of present and future generations. Full article

Changes in land usage, increasing climatic uncertainty, and dynamic development of the rate of natural population growth of the Eurasian beaver will lead to increasing benefits and disadvantages from beaver activity. During three growing seasons from 2020 to 2022, four cross-sections were marked on unused sub-irrigation systems with the periodic occurrence of beaver dams, located on organic soils in parts of the facility protected by the Habitats Directive (natural habitat 6510) in Central Poland. Periodic water table measurements in wells, the beds of adjacent ditches, and the riverbed were carried out. Identification of the states and structures of plant communities was done using the botanical-weight analysis of several samples with an area of 1 m². Beaver dams increased water levels in the river, ditches, and groundwater depth in over 78% of events in 2020–2022 years. A large impact of precipitation on the hydraulic conditions in the meadow was observed. In the studied area, since a moderately moist habitat (6510) is protected within the Natura 2000 network, phenomena increasing soil moisture, in the absence of mowing of meadows and the occurrence of expansive herbaceous vegetation that tolerates increased moisture, may lead to the disappearance of these habitats, especially in the zone near the riverbed. Full article

Estimating the spatiotemporal variations in natural grassland carrying capacity is crucial for maintaining the balance between grasslands and livestock. However, accurately assessing this capacity presents significant challenges due to the high costs of biomass measurement and the impact of human activities. In this study, we propose a novel method to estimate grassland carrying capacity based on potential net primary productivity (NPP), applied to the source area of the Nujiang River and Selinco Lake on the Tibetan Plateau. Initially, we utilize multisource remote sensing data—including soil, topography, and climate information—and employ the random forest regression algorithm to model potential NPP in areas where grazing is banned. The construction of the random forest model involves rigorous feature selection and hyperparameter optimization, enhancing the model’s accuracy. Next, we apply this trained model to areas with grazing, ensuring a more accurate estimation of grassland carrying capacity. Finally, we analyze the spatiotemporal variations in grassland carrying capacity. The main results showed that the model achieved a high level of precision, with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 4.89, indicating reliable predictions of grassland carrying capacity. From 2001 to 2020, the average carrying capacity was estimated at 9.44 SU/km², demonstrating a spatial distribution that decreases from southeast to northwest. A slight overall increase in carrying capacity was observed, with 65.7% of the area exhibiting an increasing trend, suggesting that climate change has a modest positive effect on the recovery of grassland carrying capacity. Most of the grassland carrying capacity is found in areas below 5000 m in altitude, with alpine meadows and alpine meadow steppes below 4750 m being particularly suitable for grazing. Given that the overall grassland carrying capacity remains low, it is crucial to strictly control local grazing intensity to mitigate the adverse impacts of human activities. This study provides a solid scientific foundation for developing targeted grassland management and protection policies. Full article

Changes to land use carbon emissions (LUCEs) have become significant contributors to increasingly severe climate issues. Land use change is one of the crucial factors that affect carbon emissions. Alpine meadows regions are sensitive to climate change and human activities. However, current research on LUCEs mainly focuses on analyzing present land use status and spatial patterns. To reveal and forecast future LUCEs in the alpine region, the Upper Yellow River of Gannan (UYRG) was used as a case study. Based on the land use data from 1990 to 2020, we used the multi-scenario PLUS model to predict the land use types in 2030 and analyzed the spatial and temporal dynamic trends of LUCEs from 1990 to 2030. The results showed a strong correlation between the predicted and actual land use types, with a Kappa value of 0.93, indicating the applicability of the PLUS model in predicting land use in the UYRG. Over the study period, construction land expanded, while woodland and grassland diminished. Carbon emissions (CEs) increased by 516.4% from −200,541.43 Mg CO₂e in 1990 to 835,054.08 Mg CO₂e in 2020, with construction land being the main contributor. In the Natural Development scenario for 2030, construction land expanded most rapidly, resulting in the highest LUCEs. In the Ecological Protection scenario, woodland and grassland expanded, while construction land decreased, leading to an expansion in carbon sinks. In the Cropland Protection scenario, cropland expanded, with CEs falling between the other two scenarios. These findings lay a theoretical groundwork for formulating policies addressing LUCEs in alpine meadows, providing valuable insights for further studies. Full article

Seedling is a crucial stage in the growth and development of plants, and the expansion and persistence of plant populations can be achieved through seed regeneration. Sheep grazing, fertilization, light, soil moisture, vegetation diversity and biomass, and litter all have potential impacts on species regeneration. We measured vegetation diversity, annual net primary productivity (ANPP), litter, ground photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and soil moisture of alpine meadows under sheep grazing and nitrogen addition treatments, and studied their effects on the dicotyledonous seedling abundance and diversity using linear regression models (LMs) and structural equation models (SEMs). We found that sheep grazing reduced ANPP, increased vegetation diversity and PAR, and decreased soil moisture. Fertilization increased ANPP and litter, decreased vegetation diversity and PAR, but had no effect on soil moisture. Sheep grazing and fertilization both reduced the abundance of dicotyledonous seedlings, and simultaneously fertilization can reduce the diversity of dicotyledonous seedlings, while sheep grazing had no effect on the diversity of dicotyledonous seedlings. LMs showed that vegetation diversity, ANPP, and litter, rather than light and soil moisture, affected dicotyledonous seedling abundance and diversity. SEMs revealed that sheep grazing and fertilization indirectly influenced seedling regeneration through vegetation diversity rather than ANPP and litter. Our research will increase our understanding of the dicotyledonous plant regeneration process in alpine grasslands and facilitate the development of strategies for management and protection of alpine grassland. Full article

Because of the numerous ecosystem services provided by soil, such as elemental cycling, food production, and water filtration and storage, this resource requires special protection to maintain total efficiency of these services. However, standard agricultural practices can have a degrading effect, not only on the physical and chemical properties of soil, but may also threaten soil invertebrate communities. Soil macrofauna, and earthworms in particular, play a critical role in soil ecosystems because their activities affect the availability of nutrients for plants, shape soil structure, and significantly impact organic matter dynamics. The present study was undertaken to determine the effects of two systems used in plant cultivation (no-dig and conventional digging). Both used vermicompost as an organic fertilizer and looked at selected characteristics of Lumbricidae groupings and the dynamics of selected soil physicochemical properties. This study was conducted over three years in the same area to ensure that the soil characteristics were the same. The NDG (no-dig) and DG (conventional digging) sites were prepared as appropriate with a perennial hay meadow (MW) used as a control site. An electrical extraction (octet) method was used to collect earthworms. The same six species of earthworm were found at each site: Dendrodrilus rubidus (Sav.), Lumbricus rubellus (Hoff.), Aporrectodea caliginosa (Sav.), Aporrectodea rosea (Sav.), Octolasion lacteum (Örley), and Lumbricus terrestris (L.). Earthworm abundance and biomass were found to be significantly higher at the NDG site compared to DG (NDG > DG; abundance by 24% (p < 0.05), biomass by 22% (p < 0.05)). No significant differences between NDG and MW were shown. Moisture, temperature, and soil organic carbon content likely influenced the abundance and biomass of Lumbricidae. The NDG site showed significantly higher organic carbon and moisture content and significantly lower temperatures than the DG site. The average number of earthworms damaged by digging was 0.85 ind. m⁻², but did not significantly affect the other results. Overall, NDG is preferable to DG for enhancing the earthworm and physicochemical parameters of soil. Full article