Patch-occupancy models indicate human activity as major determinant of forest elephant Loxodonta cyclotis seasonal distribution in an industrial corridor in Gabon

The importance of human activity and ecological features in influencing African forest elephant ranging behaviour was investigated in the Rabi-Ndogo corridor of the Gamba Complex of Protected Areas in southwest Gabon. Locations in a wide geographical area with a range of environmental variables were selected for patch-occupancy surveys using elephant dung to assess seasonal presence and absence of elephants. Patch-occupancy procedures allowed for covariate modelling evaluating hypotheses for both occupancy in relation to human activity and ecological features, and detection probability in relation to vegetation density. The best fitting models for old and fresh dung data sets indicate that (1) detection probability for elephant dung is negatively related to the relative density of the vegetation, and (2) human activity, such as presence and infrastructure, are more closely associated with elephant distribution patterns than are ecological features, such as the presence of wetlands and preferred fresh fruit. Our findings emphasize the sensitivity of elephants to human disturbance, in this case infrastructure development associated with gas and oil production. Patch-occupancy methodology offers a viable alternative to current transect protocols for monitoring programs with multiple covariates.     

Colonisation of clearfelled coupes by rainforest tree species from mature mixed forest edges, Tasmania, Australia

Mixed forest, containing a eucalypt overstorey and an understorey of rainforest tree species, accounts for approximately 20% (195,000 ha) of Tasmania's wet eucalypt forest. In wood production areas it is typically clearfelled, burnt and then sown with eucalypt seed. This management removes virtually all standing seed sources within the coupe, so that recolonisation of coupes by rainforest tree species depends largely on seed sources located at the coupe edges. We quantified the influence of mature mixed forest edges on rainforest regeneration following clearfelling by modelling the change in the density of the regeneration of the four dominant rainforest tree species (Nothofagus cunninghamii, Atherosperma moschatum, Phyllocladus aspleniifolius and Eucryphia lucida) with increasing distance from forest edge. We also assessed the influence on rainforest tree regeneration of prevailing wind direction, age of regeneration, characteristics of the mature edge vegetation and of the competing regenerating vegetation within the coupe. Distance from edge and age of coupe were highly significant (p < 0.01) effects in each of the species models. We found that the abundance of regeneration declined with increasing distance from edge for all four rainforest tree species, and with the exception of A. moschatum regeneration, increased with coupe age up to the age of 15 years. The abundance of N. cunninghamii and E. lucida, which are species with restricted seed dispersal, declined most steeply with increasing distance from the edge. A. moschatum, which is a species with the potential for long distance seed dispersal by wind, was more abundant than N. cunninghamii and E. lucida at distances greater than 20 m from coupe edges. More than 500 seedlings ha⁻¹ were present at all distances from coupe edge for P. aspleniifolius, reflecting its capacity to germinate after disturbance from soil-stored and bird-dispersed seed. There were no significant differences in seedling density upwind or downwind of coupe edges, although the potential for dense regeneration of N. cunninghamii and E. lucida and for long distance dispersal of A. moschatum appeared to be greatest downwind of edges. Other variables that significantly affected the abundance of regeneration were the height of rainforest tree species in the edge vegetation (N. cunninghamii model), the cover of rainforest tree species in the edge vegetation (A. moschatum model) and the cover of competing eucalypt regeneration within the coupe (P. aspleniifolius model). The proportion of rainforest tree species that regenerated vegetatively was small (3.1%). We concluded that management which maintains mature mixed forest edges, or patches of mature forest within coupes, is likely to result in greater levels of rainforest regeneration and a more rapid shift towards pre-harvest composition following logging. We use our results to demonstrate that variable retention harvesting systems, such as aggregated retention or stripfelling, which reduce the distance to rainforest seed source, would result in a greater abundance of rainforest regeneration over a larger proportion of the coupe than current clearfell, burn and sow silviculture.     

Exposure to ecotourism reduces survival and affects stress response in hoatzin chicks (Opisthocomus hoazin)

Ecotourism helps to protect many habitats, but may also have negative impacts on wildlife. We investigated effects of ecotourists on reproductive success of hoatzins (Opisthocomus hoazin) and on hormonal status of their chicks in Amazonian rainforest lakes by comparing birds from undisturbed and from tourist-exposed nests. Hatching success was similar in both groups but chick survival was much lower at tourist-exposed nests than at undisturbed nests. This effect was due to an increased mortality of juveniles prior to fledging whereas small nestlings seemed largely unaffected. Juveniles, but not nestlings, living at tourist-exposed sites had a lower body mass and showed a stronger hormonal response to experimental stress compared to individuals at undisturbed sites. These data suggest that juvenile hoatzins were susceptible to tourist-induced stress which in turn may be responsible for the lower survival. In contrast, adult hoatzins that were incubating had apparently habituated to tourist presence because their flush distances at tourist-exposed nests were 50% lower than at undisturbed sites. Our findings demonstrate that individuals in different life stages show different susceptibilities to tourism. We suggest that even just watching animals during breeding can threaten their survival, but a proper scientific management of off-limit zones and area-specific guidelines for wildlife observation could reduce harmful effects.     

西双版纳热带雨林国家公园周边社区土地利用方式及发展研究

国家公园和周边社区居民存在着非常紧密的互动关系。文章以西双版纳热带雨林国家公园周边社区为研究对象,于2010年1~12月采用PRA、RRA(乡村快速评估)方法,对周边263个社区开展调查分析。结果显示,社区的土地利用模式已趋向稳定,单一种植粮食的种植业结构正在调整,发展扩大种植了橡胶、茶叶、水果等经济林木和甘蔗等经济作物,原始生产方式正在被固定农田、种植长期经济林木取代。针对存在的问题,对国家公园及社区的进一步管理和发展提出建议。     

4种高大树木的叶片性状及WUE随树高的变化

为了解西双版纳北热带雨林高大树木树顶叶片性状对通道阻力增长引起的水力限制增强及高光和季节性干旱等气候条件的响应,对该区乔木浆果乌桕(Sapium baccatum Roxb)、思茅木姜子(Litsea pierrei var. szemois liou)、小叶藤黄(Garcinia cowa Roxb)及共生木质藤本黑风藤(Fissisfigma polyanthum (Hook. f. et Thoms.)Merr.)的叶片形态解剖结构、光合色素、水分利用效率(WUE)等随冠层高度的变化及种间差异进行了研究。结果表明:小叶藤黄和思茅木姜子的叶片(310.14、319.73 μm)和角质层(6.06、5.13 μm)都较厚、细胞较大(21.48、27.09 μm),光合色素含量则较低;黑风藤栅栏组织所占的比例最大、光合色素含量也最高,但叶片薄、WUE最低;浆果乌桕的WUE最高。随着冠层高度的增加,4种树木的叶厚、栅栏组织及角质层厚度、LMA、P/S和TPM/LT均增加、细胞变小,其中黑风藤的变幅最大。4树种的叶绿素和类胡萝卜素含量均随冠层的增高而减少,δ¹³C和WUE则随树冠增高而增大(黑风藤的变幅小于3种乔木);Δ则相反。上述结果表明4种树木冠层上部叶片偏向旱生结构和水分利用效率增加,暗示树顶叶片可能受到了水分胁迫,从而在结构上偏向于减少水分散失、功能上提高对水分的利用效率以适应水分亏缺;同时,随冠层增加光合色素含量减少,暗示其光合碳同化能力也降低。上述结果支持了水力限制假说中由于通道阻力增大引起树顶水力限制增强,大树可能会通过减少光和碳的获得而减慢树高生长的假设。     

Physiological responses of saplings of rainforest timber species differing in successional group to light regimes and nitrogen

Saplings of 19 valuable rain forest timber species representative of three successional status groups (early secondary, late secondary and climax) were grown in a polyhouse to examine their responses to three light intensity/quality treatments and nitrogen supply. Solar radiation was modified using painted polyethylene sheet to mimic natural light environments across a rain forest vertical column as follows: 1. Transparent plastic, 80% of full sunlight, R:FR = 0.95, 2. Blue shade, 14% of full sunlight, R:FR = 0.69; 3. Green shade, 7% of full sunlight, R:FR = 0.50. Transparent plastic conditions promoted an increase in stem height and diameter (i.e., growth), leaf thickness and gas exchange per unit leaf area. Additional nitrogen availability enhanced growth and specific leaf area (i.e., leaves were thinner), particularly in the full sun environment and on early secondary and late secondary successional species, but did not influence photosynthetic rate. Successional status of the species did not affect photosynthetic rate although early secondary successional species grew faster and had fewer branches than species of the other successional groups. We recommend that for a successful mixed stand the high-light requiring species should be planted first, with increased nitrogen supply, and the shade tolerant species should be introduced later with no extra nitrogen supply required.     

Ecosystem-based management in the Great Bear Rainforest

Ecosystem-based management is the management system being applied to 6.4 million hectares of the coast of British Columbia, Canada, an area referred to as the Great Bear Rainforest. This approach, intended to manage for ecosystem integrity and community wellbeing, is similar in many respects to ecosystem management approaches elsewhere. However, several novel elements are involved in application of ecosystem-based management on British Columbia's coast: shifts in power that have led to increased aboriginal control and the formation of coalitions between groups that were formerly in opposition; development of explicit models relating management strategies to land-use objectives and separating knowledge from values; use of ecological thresholds and natural variability to establish management targets. Current management is based on transitional targets that differ from science-based targets. Many challenges remain in moving to full implementation of ecosystem-based management, including the difficulties involved in moving from one management model to a fundamentally different one, limited resources for implementation, dealing with complex systems, the lack of freely available multi-disciplinary data, and the difficulty of bringing concepts of uncertainty and risk into public policy discussions in a transparent manner.     

Climate warming and the rainforest birds of the Australian Wet Tropics: Using abundance data as a sensitive predictor of change in total population size

Global average surface temperatures have increased rapidly over the last 100 years and there is accumulating evidence that climate change is already causing shifts in species’ distributions. We use extensive abundance data and expected range shifts across altitudinal gradients to predict changes in total population size of rainforest birds of Australian tropical rainforests in response to climate warming. According to our most conservative model scenario, 74% of rainforest birds of north-eastern Australia are predicted to become threatened (including 26 critically endangered species) as a result of projected mid-range warming expected within the next 100 years. Extinction risk varies according to where along the altitudinal gradient a species is currently most abundant. Upland birds are most affected and are likely to be immediately threatened by even small increases in temperature. In contrast, there is a capacity for the population size of lowland species to increase, at least in the short term. We conclude that abundance data collected across climatic gradients will be fundamental to gaining an understanding of population size change associated with climate warming.     

Golden bowerbird (Prionodura newtonia) habitat in past, present and future climates: predicted extinction of a vertebrate in tropical highlands due to global warming

A generalised linear model was used to predict climatically suitable habitat for the golden bowerbird (Prionodura newtonia De Vis), an endemic species of the Wet Tropics of North Queensland. Mean temperature of the coldest quarter and mean precipitation of the wettest quarter were found to be the best habitat predictors. For independent validation data, accuracy was 67% (Kappa statistic, n=30). Past, and future habitats suitable to the golden bowerbird were mapped by altering the temperature and precipitation input to the model. In the current climate, total potential habitat is estimated to be 1564 km², occurring as a number of separate patches with distinct bowerbird subpopulations. Past habitat was most limiting, 406 km², during the Holocene climatic optimum (c. 5000-3600 YBP, +2 °C and +50% rainfall relative to today). With future warming, assuming a 10% decrease in rainfall, potential habitat is reduced to 582 km² (1 °C warming), 163 km² (2 °C warming) and 37 km² (3 °C warming). Thus, global warming in the coming decades is likely to be a significant threat to the survival of this and similar upland and highland species in the tropics.     

Low light availability affects leaf gas exchange,growth and survival of Euterpe edulis seedlings transplanted into the understory of an anthropic tropical rainforest

Euterpe edulis Mart. (Arecaceae) is a threatened palm tree of the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest understory with fundamental importance for the restoration of degraded forest environments. We assessed the leaf gas exchange, growth and survival of E. edulis seedlings transplanted at three different forest sites (S1, S2 and S3) in the same area in which cocoa trees had been cultivated in a rustic agroforestry system. Measurement was carried out during the first year after seedling transplantation. The sites were characterised according to canopy openness (CO) and total daily photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD). Average CO and PPFD values were 13.3%, 8.0% and 6.7%, and 3.34, 2.79 and 0.62 mol m^?2 d^?1 for S1, S2 and S3, respectively. A progressive decline in seedling survival was observed in all sites throughout the experiment. At 387 d after planting, survival at S1, S2 and S3 was 57%, 44% and 37%, respectively. The gross light-saturated photosynthetic rate (A_max), leaf area and plant biomass were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in S1 and S2 when compared with S3. The values of dark respiration rate (R _d) and photosynthetic compensation irradiance (I _c) were sufficiently low for a positive carbon balance. Notwithstanding, the interpretation of results of microclimate variables together with leaf gas exchange and growth variables indicated that seedlings at all sites were in a suboptimal condition to achieve A_max, which is probably the main cause of the dramatic decline in the seedlings’ survival throughout the first year after transplantation. From a practical point of view, if the values of CO and PFD are lower than 10% and 3 mol m^?2 d^?1, respectively, it is suggested that the transplanting of E. edulis seedlings to the understory of abandoned agroforestry systems be accompanied by cultural practices, such as the thinning and pruning of tree tops.