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Rachel Carson's warning of a silent spring directed attention to unwanted side effects of pesticide application. Though her work led to policies restricting insecticide use, various insecticides currently in use affect nontarget organisms and may contribute to population declines. The insecticide tebufenozide is used to control defoliating Lepidoptera in oak forests harboring rich insect faunas. Over 3 years, we tested the effect of its aerial application on bird populations with autonomous sound recorders in a large, replicated, full factorial field experiment during a spongy moth (Lymantria dispar) outbreak. The soundscape analysis combined automated aggregation of recordings into sound indices with species identification by experts. After pesticide application in the year of the outbreak, acoustic complexity in early summer was significantly reduced. The soundscape analysis showed that the reduction was not related to birds, but instead to the large reduction in caterpillar feeding and frass dropping. Effects on the vocal activity of birds were smaller than originally expected from a related study demonstrating tebufenozide's negative effect on bird breeding success. The legacy of the pesticide treatment, in terms of soundscape variation, was not present in the second year when the outbreak had ended. Our results showed a dimension of insecticide‐induced acoustic variation not immediately accessible to the human ear. It also illustrated how a multifaceted soundscape analysis can be used as a generic approach to quantify the impact of anthropogenic stressors in novel ways by providing an example of remote and continuous sound monitoring not possible in conventional field surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the main terrain factors, the slope aspect generally shows remarkable effects on microclimate and vegetation distribution. The purpose of this study was to determine the potential effects of the slope aspect on soil respiration and the soil microbial community in a temperate mountain forest. A field investigation was carried out in a mountain oak forest located at different slope aspects (northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest), and soil respiration was continuously measured for 12 months. The soil's bacterial and fungal taxa were analyzed during the growing season. Our results showed that average soil respiration on the southwest and southeast slope aspects was 72.9% higher than the average on the northeast and northwest slope aspects. The coefficient of variation of soil respiration had the highest value on the northwest aspect (20.9%) and the lowest value on the southeast aspect (6.9%). The southeast slope had significantly higher soil respiration and temperature sensitivity compared to the other three slope aspects. The slope aspect substantially affected the soil's bacterial and fungal r/K strategy, showing the lowest values on the northwest aspect and the highest values on the southeast aspect. Differences in bacterial r/K, the ratio of microbial biomass carbon (MBC) to soil organic carbon (SOC), and SOC among slope aspects contributed to a 43%, 38%, and 32% variation in soil respiration, respectively. The variation of soil temperature across slope aspects showed an indirect effect on soil respiration through changing bacterial r/K and MBC/SOC. Our findings highlight that terrain plays a critical role in regulating the spatial heterogeneity of soil respiration in mountain forests, which could be explained by the differences in SOC and microbial community composition across slope aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil bacteria, the predominant microbiota in soil, are subject to the law of minimum and the law of tolerance, but the assembly patterns of soil bacteria in response to environmental factors remain far from clear. Here, we took advantage of an altitudinal gradient (1020–1770 asl) in oak-dominant forests and assessed whether soil bacteria linearly or nonlinearly respond to environmental properties through the changes in the community diversity and composition. We found that soil bacteria decreased with increasing altitude in terms of the species richness and phylogenetic structure, while they were unchanged with increasing altitude in terms of community composition. The species richness was nonlinearly affected by the soil pH (19.9%), C:N ratio (14.3%), SOC (11.4%), and silt + clay content (9.9%). Specifically, the species richness peaked at a pH of 5.5–6.5, and an SOC of 25–50 g kg−1, and it showed abrupt decreases and increases at a C:N ratio of 14.5 and a silt + clay content of 70%. The community composition was significantly affected by the soil pH (28.2%), then by the SOC (3.6%), available phosphorus (1.0%), and silt + clay content (0.5%), and it showed less turnovers at a pH of 6.0, SOC of 50 g kg−1, and available phosphorus > 3.0 g kg−1. These findings imply that environmental filtering processes nonlinearly shape bacterial communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the initial settlement across metro Chicago, residents relegated cemeteries to the edge of municipalities, but the edge soon became the middle. As population increased and spread outward, burial grounds were moved farther from the city center. Lincoln Park cemetery's (1836–1859) partial removal is perhaps the best-known example. In the 1860s, public-health official Dr. John Rauch led the movement to end burials within the city limits. He was especially critical of burials at Lincoln Park, which risked contaminating Lake Michigan, Chicago's water supply. Most of, but by no means all, the bodies were moved to Graceland, Rosehill, Oakwood, and other recently established cemeteries outside the city limits, making way for the expansion of Lincoln Park to the south. Today, many once outlying cemeteries comprise prime real estate. Infrastructure projects as well as new housing and shopping-mall developments impinge on forgotten family cemeteries, "vacated" cemeteries, "inconveniently" situated cemeteries, and poor-farm cemeteries. The following examples, taken from cultural resource management (CRM) projects conducted by Midwest Archaeological Research Services (MARS), Inc., over a 30-year period, provide an overview of the impact of development on cemeteries (Figure 1). Archaeological surveys identified undisturbed and previously disturbed graves. Excavation and analysis of these burial remains provide information about early settlement, family life, religious institutions, and social structure. Most of the human remains recovered have been reinterred in another final resting place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity is declining at various scales due to habitat simplification. Nevertheless, there is scarce information on how the biotic and abiotic changes linked to simplification affect several diversity dimensions, such as taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversities. This study investigated whether transforming natural oak forests into induced grasslands affected species diversity, functional group structure, and phylogenetic diversity of ant assemblages inhabiting a temperate forest in central Mexico. We placed over 1000 pitfall traps in five sampling events covering a ten‐year period. We used Hill numbers to evaluate species diversity differences between vegetation types and patterns over time. Ant species were classified into stress‐related functional groups, which were analyzed for their association with vegetation types and changes to their proportional abundance over time. We calculated the standardized effect size of the mean nearest taxon distance to quantify the evolutionary history and test for non‐random patterns within vegetation types and sampling years. Species richness did not differ between vegetation types, yet grasslands showed greater diversity for the q = 1 and q = 2 orders. , We also found three ant species as bioindicators for each type of vegetation. Regarding functional structure, cold climate specialists were associated with oak forests. In contrast, generalist species were predominant in induced grasslands. Higher phylogenetic diversity with an overdispersed structure was associated with oak forest, whereas lower phylogenetic diversity and a clustered pattern were found in induced grassland. These results indicate that habitat simplification may not affect the number of ant species, but rather increases their relative abundance and reorganizes the functional and phylogenetic structure in the ecosystem, particularly shifting towards the dominance of evolutionary closely related species and broad‐stress‐tolerant groups. These results highlight the importance of integrating further dimensions of diversity to properly evaluate the reassembly dynamics after habitat simplification, and understand the mechanisms driving this biodiversity loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diet of the Atlas Flycatcher, an endemic bird species of North Africa is studied in Northeastern Algeria in the forest of Guerrouch in the Taza National Park. The diet analysis was based on the examination of the faecal sacs of the nestlings (n=150) collected in nest boxes installed in a mixed formation of Algerian oak and African oak (Quercus canariensis and Quercus afares). A total of 854 food items were identified, representing 49 prey taxa. The analysis of centesimal frequencies by class revealed the clear dominance of Insecta with 85.12%, followed by Arachnida 13.34%, Gastropoda 1.28% and Malacostraca 0.23%. Regarding orders, the diet was constituted mainly of Coleoptera 44.37%, followed by Hemiptera 21.89% and Araneae 13.34%. The size of the prey taxa varied between 3 and 14 mm with an average of 7.11±3.14 mm. The best represented size class was that which varies between 3 and 4.37 mm. To test the homogeneity between the 4 nest boxes sampled, an ANOVA test was applied. The results show the presence of 2 distinct groups of nesting boxes concerning the variable number of families / faecal sacs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Lilloa is the property of Fundacion Miguel Lillo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Soil bacteria, the predominant microbiota in soil, are subject to the law of minimum and the law of tolerance, but the assembly patterns of soil bacteria in response to environmental factors remain far from clear. Here, we took advantage of an altitudinal gradient (1020–1770 asl) in oak-dominant forests and assessed whether soil bacteria linearly or nonlinearly respond to environmental properties through the changes in the community diversity and composition. We found that soil bacteria decreased with increasing altitude in terms of the species richness and phylogenetic structure, while they were unchanged with increasing altitude in terms of community composition. The species richness was nonlinearly affected by the soil pH (19.9%), C:N ratio (14.3%), SOC (11.4%), and silt + clay content (9.9%). Specifically, the species richness peaked at a pH of 5.5–6.5, and an SOC of 25–50 g kg−1, and it showed abrupt decreases and increases at a C:N ratio of 14.5 and a silt + clay content of 70%. The community composition was significantly affected by the soil pH (28.2%), then by the SOC (3.6%), available phosphorus (1.0%), and silt + clay content (0.5%), and it showed less turnovers at a pH of 6.0, SOC of 50 g kg−1, and available phosphorus > 3.0 g kg−1. These findings imply that environmental filtering processes nonlinearly shape bacterial communities.

Outbreaks of the spongy moth Lymantria dispar can have devastating impacts on forest resources and ecosystems. Lepidoptera‐specific insecticides, such as Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (BTK) and tebufenozide, are often deployed to prevent heavy defoliation of the forest canopy. While it has been suggested that using BTK poses less risk to non‐target Lepidoptera than leaving an outbreak untreated, in situ testing of this assumption has been impeded by methodological challenges. The trade‐offs between insecticide use and outbreaks have yet to be addressed for tebufenozide, which is believed to have stronger side effects than BTK. We investigated the short‐term trade‐offs between tebufenozide treatments and no‐action strategies for the non‐target herbivore community in forest canopies. Over 3 years, Lepidoptera and Symphyta larvae were sampled by canopy fogging in 48 oak stands in southeast Germany during and after a spongy moth outbreak. Half of the sites were treated with tebufenozide and changes in canopy cover were monitored. We contrasted the impacts of tebufenozide and defoliator outbreaks on the abundance, diversity, and functional structure of chewing herbivore communities. Tebufenozide treatments strongly reduced Lepidoptera up to 6 weeks after spraying. Populations gradually converged back to control levels after 2 years. Shelter‐building species dominated caterpillar assemblages in treated plots in the post‐spray weeks, while flight‐dimorphic species were slow to recover and remained underrepresented in treated stands 2 years post‐treatment. Spongy moth outbreaks had minor effects on leaf chewer communities. Summer Lepidoptera decreased only when severe defoliation occurred, whereas Symphyta declined 1 year after defoliation. Polyphagous species with only partial host plant overlap with the spongy moth were absent from heavily defoliated sites, suggesting greater sensitivity of generalists to defoliation‐induced plant responses. These results demonstrate that both tebufenozide treatments and spongy moth outbreaks alter canopy herbivore communities. Tebufenozide had a stronger and longer lasting impact, but it was restricted to Lepidoptera, whereas the outbreak affected both Lepidoptera and Symphyta. These results are tied to the fact that only half of the outbreak sites experienced severe defoliation. This highlights the limited accuracy of current defoliation forecast methods, which are used as the basis for the decision to spray insecticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A blend of longhorn beetle pheromones was tested as a generic attractant in a Central European oak forest. Overall, 20 cerambycid species totalling 1250 specimens were captured using two trap types.More adults of Phymatodes testaceus and Leiopus nebulosus nebulosus were attracted to pheromone‐baited traps compared to solvent controls. Significant numbers of four other species were caught by panel traps but not funnel traps. For the cerambycine Pyrrhidium sanguineum, significantly more beetles were caught in treatment traps than controls. For the cerambycine Anaglyptus mysticus, lepturines Cortodera humeralis and Rhagium sycophanta, the numbers of beetles caught in treatment or control traps were similar, indicating no attraction to the lure blend. Adults of a predatory clerid beetle Clerus mutillarius were caught in significantly larger numbers by both baited trap types in comparison to controls, totalling 1514 specimens.Antennae of both sexes of C. mutillarius showed responses to 3‐hydroxyhexan‐2‐one and 2‐methylbutan‐1‐ol, and males also responded to syn‐2,3‐hexanediol.Strong attraction of C. mutillarius suggests eavesdropping on the pheromones of cerambycids and that such attractant baits, without traps, might be used to manipulate the local population density of predators in a push‐pull biological control program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The functioning of tropical montane ecosystems are key provider of environmental services. However, climate and land use change interactively affect the ecohydrological and biogeochemical processes that support the provision of such services. We evaluate the effect of land use/land coverand the seasonality and intensity of the rainfall on the ecological functions of erosion control and nutrient regulation in a gradient of human intervention in the Central Andes of Colombia. Our results show that soil erosion (kg/ha/year) was higher in the transitory crop (187.7), followed by the permanent crop (98.2), and much lower in the pasture (8.0) and native forest (7.2). Our results also indicate a differential effect of land use and rainfall seasonality on erosion and nutrient transport, both processes being significantly higher in crops and lower in forest, both for the wet and dry seasons. However, the relationships between erosion and rainfall intensity varied depending on the hydrological season (in the wet seasons, no linear model was significant, while in the dry seasons, linear models for maximum rainfall intensity were significant in both crops and in the oak forest, and linear models with mean intensity were significant for both types of crops). Nitrogen exhibited the highest rates of transport, which can have important implications for water and soil pollution. Nitrogen transport via erosion (g/ha/year) was consistent with erosion results, being higher in the transitory crop (399.9) and permanent crop (265.3) that in the oak forest (6.9) and pasture (6.8). These results indicate that converting forests affects the capacity of ecosystems to provide environmental services, which is further amplified by projections of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ice storms, as important sources of frequent and injurious disturbances, drive forest dynamics in the Northern Hemisphere. However, stand-level differential vulnerability to ice storms and the associated factors that predispose forest stands remain unclear. This is particularly concerning in the subtropics where the frequency of ice storms is predicted to increase with global warming. Here we assessed how the impact on three forest stands (early and late secondary-growth forests, and old-growth forests) differed after an extreme ice storm during 20-21 March 2022, and identified the abiotic and biotic factors that determine the damage intensity in the Shennongjia World Natural Heritage Site, a biodiversity conservation hotspot in central China. We found a stand-specific 'middomain effect' where the late secondary-growth forest sustained the most severe damage, the early secondarygrowth forest sustained the least, and the old-growth forest suffered an intermediate amount. 'Crown broken' was the most severe damage type across all three forest stands, although the proportion of 'branch broken' was also high in the old-growth forest. Topography played a significant role in determining the vulnerability of the early secondary-growth forest to severe ice storms whereas the forest structure and composition were important factors in explaining the damage rates in the old-growth forest, although they differed among the damage categories. In contrast, topography, forest structure and composition generally explain the intensity of damage in the late secondary-growth forests. Our results highlight that, in subtropical forests, the intensity of damage caused by severe ice storms and related determining factors are stand-level dependent. We also suggest exploring potential management strategies (e.g., slow-growing hardwood species that can resist storms should be the main species for reforestation in early secondary-growth forests) to mitigate the risk of future severe ice storms, as well as other wind-related climatic extremes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through a long-term sampling of the ectomycorrhizal fungi in remnant fragments of both lowland oak forest and montane cloud forest, in central Veracruz, Mexico, a new species, Tylopilus tropicalis of the Tylopilus balloui group, was discovered, along with a new record of T. oradivensis originally described from Costa Rica. Macro- and micromorphological features, a phylogenetic analysis of a concatenated ITS, 28S and RPB1 dataset, as well as ecological distribution, support the hypotheses. The new species proposed here grows under Quercus sapotifolia, and T. oradivensis appears near Q. xalapensis in the tropical oak forest and in the montane cloud forest, respectively. Both species treated here are described, illustrated, and discussed. An artificial key is provided to distinguish both species from other closely related species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six bacteria (Bacillus velezensis 13, Bacillus subtillis 42, Pseudomonas fluorescens E221, Pseudomonas Poae EE12, Rahnella sp. EM1, and Serratia sp. EM2) isolated from the soil and litter of Mexican oak forests were characterized by identifying their ability to acquire phosphorus from different sources, analyzed for their biocontrol capabilities against two different phytopathogenic fungi, and finally tested for their ability to stimulate the germination of maize seeds and promotion of maize seedling growth. The greatest capacity to biocontrol the mycelial growth of phytopathogenic fungi Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium oxysporum was found in B. velezensis 13 and B. subtillis 42. P. poae EE12 and P. fluorescens E221 significantly promoted germination and the length of the primary root in Zea mays. Rahnella sp. EM1 and Serratia sp. EM2 could produce indole compounds related to auxin synthesis and increased the fresh weight of the maize seedlings. Together, these isolates represent an alternative to reduce the use of agrochemicals in maize cultivation. In general, soil microorganisms from Mexican oak forests represent a source of genetic resources for the sustainable management and conservation of soils for agricultural use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oak forest in the village of Radenkovac (municipality of Sokobanja) is one of the rare, extremely old and preserved oak forests in the Eastern region of Serbia. As such, it was recognized by the municipality of Sokobanja and an initiative was launched to protect this area. This paper presents the results of floristic research of the oak forest, and provides a review of the recorded forest ecosystems. The aim of the research is to valorize the area from the aspect of nature conservation and to obtain significant data on flora and vegetation for the purposes of preparing a future conservation study. The field research determined a total of 114 plant taxa, classified within 100 genera and 40 families. The basic value of the area is reflected in the preserved forest community of sessile oak and Turkey oak (Quercetum petraeae-cerris B. Jovanović (1960) 1979), as well as in the presence of rare and endangered species such as Kosovo peony (Paeonia peregrina), red helleborine (Cephalanthera rubra) and lady orchid (Orchis purpurea).

Abstract Background Forest fire incidences in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India are very common in summers. Pine and oak are the principal and dominant species of Himalayan subtropical forest and Himalayan temperate forest, respectively. Forest vegetation influences the physicochemical and biological properties of soil and forest fire in pine and oak forests may have a different effect on the physicochemical and biological properties of soil. Therefore, the present study was carried out to assess the impact of forest fire on soil microbial properties, enzymatic activity, and their relationship with soil physicochemical properties in the advent of forest fire in the pine and oak forests of the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand Himalaya, India. Results The soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, soil basal respiration, and acid phosphatase activity decreased, whereas dehydrogenase activity increased at burnt sites of both forest types. The overall change in soil microbial biomass carbon was 63 and 40% at the burnt oak forest and burnt pine forest, respectively. Dehydrogenase activity and acid phosphatase activity showed a strong positive correlation with soil organic matter (r = 0.8) and microbial indices, respectively. The ratio of soil microbial biomass carbon/nitrogen was reduced at burnt sites of both forest types. Factor analysis results showed that fire had a significant impact on soil characteristics. The soil basal respiration was linked with macro- and micronutrients at burnt sites, whereas at control sites, it was linked with physicochemical properties of soil along with nutrients. Conclusion Forest fire had a significant impact on soil properties of both forest types. The impact of forest fire on soil microbial biomass carbon was stronger in the oak forest than in the pine forest. Forest type influenced soil enzymatic activity at burnt sites. The bacterial community was dominated over fungi in burnt sites of both forests. Soil microbial indices can be used as a selective measure to assess the impact of fire. Furthermore, forest type plays an important role in regulating the impact of forest fire on soil properties.

In order to understand forest services at stand level through the integration of structural attributes, forest structures in three main stand types were analyzed based on various structural attributes relating to the services of habitat conservation, timber production and soil water conservation in Loess Plateau, China. Forty sample plots with similar site and environment conditions were established in three types of oak stands. Twenty-two indexes such as stand density, mean DBH, mean height, etc., were selected to analyze the relationship between structural attributes and forest service. With a core set of structural attributes selected by principal component analysis, the link between the service and structural attributes and the compatibility between each service was analyzed using correlation analysis. The results show that the oak–broadleaf mixed forest has the highest structural complexity index (SCI), indicating the best habitat conservation among others, while the oak–pine mixed forest and pure oak forest have the highest timber value in different scenarios of timber price, indicating the largest potential for timber production. Little differences were found between stand types regarding the indicators for soil water conservation. The structural attributes that had a positive correlation with habitat conservation (e.g., number of shrub species, species richness of canopy layer, the proportion of broadleaves and snag density) were identified to be negative for timber production; while the attributes that had a positive correlation with timber production (e.g., stand density and proportion of pine and oaks) were found to be negative for habitat conservation. The results of the trade-off analysis showed that timber production tends to be conflicting with the other two non-timber forest services. In order to enhance the provisioning of multiple services, it was suggested to implement the interventions that could balance these services, such as structural retention and single-tree selective logging. This study could contribute to the theoretical base for the decision making in the multi-purpose sustainable management of oak forests in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ciência Florestal (01039954) is the property of Ciencia Florestal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Green oak tortrix (Tortrix viridana L.) is a pest that is changing the phenological pattern and the leaf area index (LAI) of trees in the Zagros region. We compared LAI changes in control (pest-free) and pest-affected areas of oak forests located in Sardasht city, Azerbaijan province, western Iran. During the developmental stage of the canopy (April to December 2020), 32 pictures were taken at 15 locations using a fisheye lens camera at both study sites. Correlation of LAI with meteorological parameters such as temperature, vapor pressure deficit (VPD), precipitation, evaporation, and daylight hours were studied. Average LAI value in the control (1.51) was significantly greater than that of the pest-affected area (0.90). LAI peaked at 1.32 in the pest affected area on June, 8, 2020, whereas the peak value of 1.81 was observed 8 days earlier (May, 31, 2020) in the control area. Apart from rainfall, LAI demonstrated a significant positive correlation with all climatic parameters in both control and pest areas. However, LAI showed a stronger correlation with climatic parameters in the control area (mean r=0.6) compared to the pest-affected area (mean r=0.4). In both studied areas, temperature had the highest correlation coefficients with LAI (0.7 in the control vs. 0.5 in the pest-affected area). The sensitivity of LAI to both green oak tortrix and climatic parameters suggests that the climate change may result in future alterations on oak tree phenology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Macromycetes play relevant roles in ecosystem functioning as pathogens, mutualists, and organic matter decomposers. Their diversity and distribution are strongly related to environmental conditions and vegetation types, however, there is a lack of ecological studies assessing which biotic and abiotic factors affect macrofungal communities. Questions: Which vegetation type harbors the highest macromycete diversity? Do macromycete diversity and species composition change among forest types? Which are the main environmental factors related to diversity and distribution patterns along the study area? Data description: Macromycete species richness and abundance, and environmental variables recorded in temperate forests. Study site and dates: Ayoquezco de Aldama, Oaxaca. June-November 2019. Methods: Macromycetes were collected twice a month in oak, oak-pine, pine-oak and pine forests, and environmental variables were recorded at each site. Species diversity and composition turnover were calculated using diversity and similarity indexes. The relation between diversity and species composition with environmental variables was determined with statistical analyses. Results: A total of 186 species were collected. Oak-dominated forests showed the highest similarity in macromycete diversity and species composition. The observed patterns of diversity and distribution were related mainly to air and soil humidity and temperature, topographic factors, and vegetation structure. Conclusions: Macromycete diversity and species composition can conspicuously change in short distances owing to the heterogeneity of habitats and resources provided by woody plants, and the topographic characteristic of the landscape. Vegetation type affects both macromycete diversity and distribution due to its influence on local temperature and humidity. Translate stop Translate stop Translate stop Translate stop

The evaluation of reforestation for ecological restoration purposes in an area requires the comparison of similarity indicators with nearby reference forests. The objective of this study was to compare the vegetal composition, structure, falling debris, and their decomposition in the soil of a reforestation site of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh, planted more than 50 years ago, and a neighbouring forest dominated by Quercus deserticola Trel. and Q. laeta Liebm (used as reference), in an area of the State of Mexico; and obtain quantitative indicators of the trajectory of rehabilitation through the use of non-native species of Mexico. In reforestation and oak forest, we established 12 sampling sites where the composition, structure and two ecological processes (falling debris and decomposition) were determined. In addition, solar radiation was estimated by taking zenith photos of the canopy, using a hemispherical lens. When data was within normal distribution, we used the Student test, and when it was not, the Wilcoxon test was used to compare the variables studied. The reference forest outperformed reforestation (p ≤ 0.05) in: richness (68 and 50 species); diversity (Simpson index, 1.6-2.6 and 0.7-2.3); normal diameter (21.3 and 13.7 cm), accumulated leaf litter (18.2 and 9.2 Mg ha-1), detritus fall (0.606 and 0.321 Mg ha-1 per month), and litter decomposition (0.443 and 0.251 Mg ha-1 per month). Reforestation had a higher total radiation (5384 vs. 4376 MJ m-2 year-1) and tree height (8.1 vs. 7.4 m). The percentage values of importance were 32.8 and 26.9 % for Quercus deserticola and Q. laeta in the oak forest, and 70 % for E. camaldulensis in the reforestation. After 50 years, reforestation still showed statistical differences from forest in composition, structure, and soil processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study and conservation of biodiversity is one of the global problems of modern biology, since currently in many regions of the planet there is a decrease in the species composition of various organisms, including fungi. The obtained data make a significant contribution to the knowledge of the diversity of macromycetes of oak forests in the middle reaches of the Ural River, information about which is still insufficient and fragmented on the territory of Kazakhstan. The article presents data on the biodiversity of mycobiota of the oak forests of the Ural River valley, growing not only in the floodplain of the river, but also in beams, that is, the ravine forests flowing into the central floodplain. We have registered 31 species belonging to 23 genera, 17 families and five orders. The leading families are Polyporaceae, Boletaceae, Russulaceae, Amanitaceae. As a result of our research, it has been found that the mycological composition in ravine oak forests is richer than in floodplain oak forests. The richness of the species composition of macromycetes appears to have been influenced by well-defined associations in ravine oak forests (22 associations), represented by forest boreal tree-shrub species absent in floodplain oak forests, as well as favorable microclimatic conditions, relief, soil cover and various ecotopes that are not observed in floodplain oak forests (16 associations). Ecological-trophic analysis showed the predominance of mycorrhizal (45.1%) and xylotrophs (41.9%) over humus saprotrophs (12.9%). The considered taxonomic composition of macromycetes of the studied area is collected, identified and presented for the first time for this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some unusual specimens of the wood-inhabiting fungus Auricularia auricula-judae have been studied using morphological and molecular methods. As expected from external features, we describe a new species Auricularia cerrina sp. nov. Sequencing of the ITS region confirms differences from other species of Auricularia, and preliminary phylogenetic analysis is presented. Auricularia cerrina is characterized by blackish fruitbodies in fresh conditions with the combined presence of the medulla layer and small spores compared with Auricularia auricula-judae. The new species is based on specimens from the Czech Republic (central Europe) of Quercus cerris. Colour photographs in situ of fruitbodies and some microscopic photos are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inefficient management of protected areas (PAs) is often due to ignoring their surrounding matrix in the baseline studies, especially in wooded landscapes. In Iran, the application of landscape structure studies in protection policies and PA management is not prevalent. In this study, land cover changes in Dena Rural District (including parts of inside and outside Dena PA) have analyzed using the process of the Landsat images along with field survey two times (1989 and 2018). The landscape structural integrity was quantified based on the situation of oak forest land and its alteration. The composition and the configuration of oak forest land were assessed by metrics based on the moving extent of the Persian squirrel, Sciurus anomalus (which is an endangered focal endemic species completely dependent on the oak forest). Alterations of landscape structural integrity were compared for inside and outside Dena PA and at different altitudes. The results show connectivity loss and increased fragmentation of oak remnant patches, but this deforestation is more severe near areas facing direct human impacts and interventions. These are among attributes that are to be considered for zoning PA (such as controlling zone and training/participation zone). At higher altitudes, physical protection and strict control are more effective, while training local communities for stewardship is more essential at lower altitudes for conserving woodland integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying the response of forest ecosystems to climate change is one of the urgent tasks of modern ecology. Regional manifestations of global climate change lead to special reactions of forest ecosystems. The main source of energy for all processes in ecosystems is solar radiation. It starts all the processes of transformation of matter, energy and information in the ecosystem. A change in its income leads to a restructuring of the ecosystem functioning system. For the Crimean Peninsula today the response of forest ecosystems to climate change remains poorly studied. This determines the relevance and purpose of this work. On the base of the landscape-typological map of the Crimean Peninsula, open reanalysis databases, and GIS modeling, the elements of the radiation balance of the oak forest ecosystems of the Crimean peninsula are estimated under the conditions of modern climate changes. The basic laws of the radiation balance formation of oak forest ecosystems and the features of its interannual dynamics are shown.

Fires cause physical, chemical and biological changes in the soil such as porosity, specific gravity, infiltration rate, runoff, erosion, pH and nutrient cycling. The Eijkelkamp rainfall simulator and 0.09 m2 plots were used to investigate the temporal variations of runoff, erosion, suspended load concentration and the amount of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and extractable soil potassium, and finally, how the burned areas in the Zarivar Lake Watershed returned to the previous conditions from 2014 to 2017 were analyzed. Results at the 95% confidence level showed a two-fold increase in the runoff in the short term, and a decreasing trend in the long term. The suspended load removed from the plots increased threefold in the short term. The fire also significantly increased total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and extractable potassium in the first year by 70, 286 and 48%, respectively. But in the long term, only the extractable potassium returned to the normal condition. Therefore, it was found that, after four years of fire in the oak forests of the Zaribar Lake Watershed, except for the suspended load concentration and extractable potassium, the other variables did not return to the normal conditions.

Differences in nutrient acquisition pathways between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi are associated with greater soil organic matter accumulation and reduced inorganic nitrogen (N) availability in EM‐dominated forests. These plant–soil feedbacks are expected to influence seedling recruitment and the maintenance of diversity.Montane forests of Central America are characterized by a mosaic of AM and EM dominance. We used a seedling transplant and soil manipulation experiment on Volcán Barú, Panama, to evaluate whether patches of oak (EM‐dominated) forest and mixed (AM‐dominated) forest affect seedling growth. We predicted that (a) plant–soil feedbacks would result in lower soil inorganic N availability in oak than in mixed forests, (b) consequently AM seedlings would grow more slowly and have lower foliar N concentrations in oak forest and (c) dependence of EM seedlings on organic N uptake via mycorrhiza would mean that inorganic N addition would increase seedling performance for AM but not EM (i.e. oak) seedlings. As soil organic matter accumulation may affect seedling performance beyond altering nutrient supply, we also tested whether organic matter removal differentially affected AM and EM seedlings.Nitrogen availability was six times lower and the soil organic layer three times deeper in oak‐dominated stands compared to mixed stands. Foliar N was lower for AM seedlings growing in oak than in mixed forest, but did not differ for oak seedlings and was increased only marginally by N addition for both AM and EM seedlings growing in both AM and EM forests. Seedling growth did not respond to N addition or organic matter removal. However, AM seedlings generally grew slower in oak forest compared with AM forest, consistent with lower foliar N concentration and low‐light availability. These results suggest that changes in soil nitrogen availability have a limited effect on seedling growth.In the neotropics, EM tree communities occur at high elevation. Future upslope migration of trees may result in AM‐dominated tree communities encountering unfavourable soil conditions generated by EM‐dominated canopies. While longer term experiments are needed, our results suggest that AM seedlings may not be able to tolerate conditions associated with EM forest. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate and socioeconomic factors are modifying fire regimes. In this scenario, some taxa, such as amphibians, may be increasingly vulnerable. We examined the response of amphibian species to fire severity after a 1600-ha fire in a fire-active region located in the north-western Iberian Peninsula. This area is a biogeographical crossroad where Atlantic and Mediterranean amphibian species can coexist in the same ponds. We sampled 33 water points in native (mainly oak) and exotic (eucalyptus) forests. Water points were sampled in two different periods: just after the fire to report direct mortality, and two years after the fire to evidence amphibian resilience. We examined the influence of forest type and fire severity on the number of amphibian species detected per point (species richness). Species richness per point varied depending on both forest type (i.e. higher richness in the native forest) and fire severity. Both Atlantic and Mediterranean groups showed higher species richness at native than at exotic points. The occurrence of Atlantic species did not change with fire whereas the number of Mediterranean species increased at sites affected by highseverity fires. This study identified the negative effect of eucalyptus plantations on amphibians and showed that the response of this taxon to fire is partially shaped by species-specific bioregion affinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncertainty regarding how subalpine forest ecosystems respond to tree harvesting hinders their sustainable management and conservation strategies. To investigate the impact of oak (Quercus aquifolioides Rehd. et Wils.) harvesting and stand recovery processes on soil microbial communities and understory vegetation on the eastern Tibetan Plateau, we sampled and quantified the microbial community structure and understory vegetation in three age classes (1 year, 10 years, and 20 years since tree logging) of harvested stands and an un-harvested reference (control) stand of subalpine oak forest. Our result showed logging significantly altered the edaphic properties (p < 0.001) and shifted microbial community structure (p < 0.05), increasing the abundances of the Actinobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) but decreasing fungi and general, gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Post-harvest evolution increased the biomass of understory vegetation and reshaped its community. Fungi (18:1ω7c, 18:1ω9c) and gram-negative bacteria (18:2ω7c, cy19:0) abundances changed significantly (p < 0.01) after harvesting and during stand recovery, suggesting their potential use as indicators for post-harvest oak recovery. Structural equation modeling (SEqM) revealed that, via litter, residue, and edaphic properties, the recovery process indirectly promoted microbe abundance while the overstory vegetation regrowth inhibited the plant community's biomass in the understory. Microbial communities only had a minor, direct effect on understory vegetation. Litter and edaphic factors played important roles in reshaping understory plant and soil microbial communities for post-harvest evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spittlebugs have been identified as the main European vectors of the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa Wells et al. in different pathosystems. However, our knowledge about bacterium epidemiology in Apulian (Southern Italy) olive orchards is currently limited to the late spring secondary (olive-to-olive) spread mediated by the spittlebug Philaenus spumarius (L.). Summer dispersal toward wild trees and shrubs is a common trait observed in several spittlebug species that could have important impacts on X. fastidiosa epidemiology. Here, we report preliminary data on presence and abundance of spittlebugs during the year in four different habitats interspersed with cultivated orchards within a natural area in Apulia. In two surveyed habitats, a pine forest and a lake shore, the latter dominated by elm plants, spittlebug adults peaked during the period June-September, with maximum values in July-August on elm. Three spittlebug species, Neophilaenus campestris (Fallen), P. spumarius and Philaenus italosignus Drosopoulos et Remane were evenly collected on pine plants, while the latter was the most abundant on elms. A few individuals were collected on elm throughout the end of the year, while on pines spittlebugs were only collected in summer. The possible implications of our findings for X. fastidiosa epidemiology in both cultivated orchards and natural habitats, together with future research needs are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macromycetes are a group of fungi characterized by the production of fruit bodies and are highly relevant in most terrestrial ecosystems as pathogens, mutualists, and organic matter decomposers. Habitat transformation can drastically alter macromycete communities and diminish the contribution of these organisms to ecosystem functioning; however, knowledge on the effect of urbanization on macrofungal communities is scarce. Diversity metrics based on functional traits of macromycete species have shown to be valuable tools to predict how species contribute to ecosystem functionality since traits determine the performance of species in ecosystems. The aim of this study was to assess patterns of species richness, functional diversity, and composition of macrofungi in an urban ecosystem in Southwest Mexico, and to identify microclimatic, environmental, and urban factors related to these patterns in order to infer the effect of urbanization on macromycete communities. We selected four oak forests along an urbanization gradient and established a permanent sampling area of 0.1 ha at each site. Macromycete sampling was carried out every week from June to October 2017. The indices used to measure functional diversity were functional richness (FRic), functional divergence (FDig), and functional evenness (FEve). The metric used to assess variation of macrofungal ecological function along the study area was the functional value. We recorded a total of 134 macromycete species and 223 individuals. Our results indicated a decline of species richness with increased urbanization level related mainly to microclimatic variables, and a high turnover of species composition among study sites, which appears to be related to microclimatic and urbanization variables. FRic decreased with urbanization level, indicating that some of the available resources in the niche space within the most urbanized sites are not being utilized. FDig increased with urbanization, which suggests a high degree of niche differentiation among macromycete species within communities in urbanized areas. FEve did not show notable differences along the urbanization gradient, indicating few variations in the distribution of abundances within the occupied sections of the niche space. Similarly, the functional value was markedly higher in the less urbanized site, suggesting greater performance of functional guilds in that area. Our findings suggest that urbanization has led to a loss of macromycete species and a decrease in functional diversity, causing some sections of the niche space to be hardly occupied and available resources to be under-utilized, which could, to a certain extent, affect ecosystem functioning and stability.

The objective of this study is to know the influence of environmental conditions on the distribution of oak species in the Tlemcen Mountains. We made a bioclimatic and floristic study on four stations located on the mountain ranges of the Tlemcen Mountains. This study was carried out, taking into account the ecological aspect oriented towards the presence of oak species within the four study stations. The main ecological gradients governing the ecological trends of oak forests in this area have been characterized. The ecological dynamics of oak taxa within the local floristic procession for each station was analyzed by Mintab 16 software according to factorial discrimination of correspondences (A.FC), which led us to highlight the most influential ecological gradients. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5527194

The objective of this study is to know the influence of environmental conditions on the distribution of oak species in the Tlemcen Mountains. We made a bioclimatic and floristic study on four stations located on the mountain ranges of the Tlemcen Mountains. This study was carried out, taking into account the ecological aspect oriented towards the presence of oak species within the four study stations. The main ecological gradients governing the ecological trends of oak forests in this area have been characterized. The ecological dynamics of oak taxa within the local floristic procession for each station was analyzed by Mintab 16 software according to factorial discrimination of correspondences (A.FC), which led us to highlight the most influential ecological gradients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a one-year decomposition experiment on Quercus frainetto Ten. and Quercus cerris L. leaf litter in natural conditions. The decomposition rate constant was 0.831 yr−1 (Q. frainetto) and 0.458 yr−1 (Q. cerris). For the initial chemical composition of the oaks’ litter, differences were not found in concentrations of lignin and fats, waxes and oil fractions, but were found for water-soluble matter, hemicellulose and cellulose. Later decomposition stages indicated that lignin and fats, waxes and oil fractions influenced differences in both oaks’ litter decay rates. Anatomical analysis revealed differences between the oaks in leaf mesophyll and epidermis but not in the entire leaf and lower epidermis. Results after 12 months of the experiment revealed that 48.04% of the entire leaf, 53.30% of mesophyll, 32.93% of lignified upper and 47.67% of lower epidermis in Q. frainetto, and 28.70% of the entire leaf, 31.60% of mesophyll, 25.17% of lignified upper and 20.93% of lower epidermis in Q. cerris were decomposed. Reduction in leaf thickness mainly was caused by the reduction of mesophyll parenchyma, composed of easily degradable plant materials. Leaf tissues with the most recalcitrant plant materials were lignified upper epidermis, covered by a thick cuticle composed of fats and waxes, and xylem within the leaf veins.

Mapping of breeding territories of Short-toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla) took place in the forests of the western part of Cerová vrchovina in 2017. Of the total area (61 km²), forests account for 36.6 km². The species has only been registered in oak forests and mixed deciduous forests with oaks aged 60 years and older. Those stands covered 32% (11.54 km²) of the total forest area in the study area. In total, 47 Short-toed Treecreeper territories were found. Breeding density was 1.28 p./100 ha of the total forest area. The local density varied between 0.5–4.2 p./10 ha, on average 1.4 p./10 ha. The local breeding density of species breeding territories was positively associated with stand age (R2 = 0.19, P = 0.003). Sympatric occurrence with Eurasian Treecreeper (C. familiaris) was also mapped at breeding sites occupied by Short-toed Treecreeper. The breeding territories of the Short-toed Treecreeper overlapped with the breeding areas of the Eurasian Treecreeper at 30 sites (in which 31 Eurasian Treecreeper territories have been registered), i.e. in 66.7% of the sites occupied by Short-toed Treecreeper. Eurasian Treecreeper is more numerous in the woods of the study area than Short-toed Treecreeper.

Agaric fungi are a large group of Basidiomycetes that known as mushrooms in the broad sense. In order to identify and characterize the agaric fungi in oak forests of Kermanshah province, specimens were collected in 2014-2015. Microscopic and macroscopic characteristics including size and color of cap and stem, size and shape of basidia, the number of strigma, size, shape and color of spores and cystidia type were checked. Both morphological and ITS sequencing were used for identification. DNA extraction was carried out using a Genomic DNA Purification kit. The ITS1, 5.8S, and ITS2 (ITS) Regions were amplified using ITS1 and ITS4 primers. Fragments about 600 bp were amplified and after sequencing deposited in GenBank. Based on both morphological and molecular characteristics Agrocybe praecox (KT833856), Cyclocybe cylindracea (KT833863), Coprinopsis atramentaria (KT833863), Entoloma serrulatum (KT833862), Hebeloma alpinum (KT833861), Hypholoma fasciculare (KT833860), Lactarius glaucescens (KT833859), Lepiota cristata (KT833859), Pholiota gummosa (KT833858), Psilocybe atrobrunnea (KT833864), Psilocybe cyanescens (KT833857), Stropharia aeruginosa (KT833865). Boletus erythropus and Irpex lacteus were identified in Kermanshah province. Hebeloma alpinum, Entoloma serrulatum and Cyclocybe cylindracea are new for Iran mycoflora. All representatives were deposited in fungal collection of Plant Protection Department, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.

Background: Forest fire incidences in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India are very common in summers. Pine and oak are the principal and dominant species of Himalayan subtropical forest and Himalayan temperate forest, respectively. Forest vegetation influences the physicochemical and biological properties of soil and forest fire in pine and oak forests may have a different effect on the physicochemical and biological properties of soil. Therefore, the present study was carried out to assess the impact of forest fire on soil microbial properties, enzymatic activity, and their relationship with soil physicochemical properties in the advent of forest fire in the pine and oak forests of the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand Himalaya, India. Results: The soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, soil basal respiration, and acid phosphatase activity decreased, whereas dehydrogenase activity increased at burnt sites of both forest types. The overall change in soil microbial biomass carbon was 63 and 40% at the burnt oak forest and burnt pine forest, respectively. Dehydrogenase activity and acid phosphatase activity showed a strong positive correlation with soil organic matter (r = 0.8) and microbial indices, respectively. The ratio of soil microbial biomass carbon/nitrogen was reduced at burnt sites of both forest types. Factor analysis results showed that fire had a significant impact on soil characteristics. The soil basal respiration was linked with macro- and micronutrients at burnt sites, whereas at control sites, it was linked with physicochemical properties of soil along with nutrients. Conclusion: Forest fire had a significant impact on soil properties of both forest types. The impact of forest fire on soil microbial biomass carbon was stronger in the oak forest than in the pine forest. Forest type influenced soil enzymatic activity at burnt sites. The bacterial community was dominated over fungi in burnt sites of both forests. Soil microbial indices can be used as a selective measure to assess the impact of fire. Furthermore, forest type plays an important role in regulating the impact of forest fire on soil properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regeneration of pedunculate oak by shelterwood cutting causes profound ecological changes in the regenerated stands. In this paper, we studied how the pedunculate oak leaf miner community changes after shelterwood cutting with a short regeneration period and does the stand age influence the trend of seasonal variation in their diversity. Leaf miners were chosen because they are a very diverse group of insects closely tied to their host plant. For this reason, their community reacts to all changes to which their host plant is subjected. Three regenerated (5, 10, and 15-year-old) and one control (110-year-old forest) stand were selected in the studied area. A total of 28 species of leaf miners were recorded in them. Many rare species disappeared after shelterwood cutting, while frequent and abundant species experienced a decline in numbers. That led to a decrease in diversity, which was the lowest in the 5-year-old stand. The diversity of leaf miners began to increase in the older regenerated stands. The highest diversity was observed in the control stand. A period of 5 years is needed for the recolonization of approx. 40% of the leaf miner fauna, while 10 years is the recolonization period for approx. 60% and 15 years for approx. 85% of the above fauna. The trend of seasonal variation of the diversity of the pedunculate oak leaf miner community varied in stands of different ages. The diversity of oak leaf miners was the lowest in spring, whereas it increased until the middle of summer and then decreased in all the studied stands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ambrosia beetles, including Cyclorhipidion bodoanum, are frequently introduced into new areas through the international trade of wood and wood products. Cyclorhipidion bodoanum is native to eastern Siberia, the Korean Peninsula, Northeast China, Southeast Asia, and Japan but has been introduced into North America, and Europe. In Europe, it was first discovered in 1960 in Alsace, France, from where it has slowly spread to the north, southeast, and east. In 2020, C. bodoanum was captured in an ethanol-baited insect trap in the Bohemian Massif in the western Czech Republic. The locality is covered by a forest of well-spaced oak trees of various ages, a typical habitat for this beetle. The capture of C. bodoanum in the Bohemian Massif, which is geographically isolated from the rest of Central Europe, confirms that the species is spreading east. The species probably spread naturally from Germany, but the period of establishment is difficult to estimate. Although the spread seems to be slow i.e. the beetle required about 60 years to spread from the borders of France and Switzerland to Bohemia, C. bodoanum may have spread more quickly but remained undetected in the newly invaded areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little study was done to understand the role of high-altitude oak forests in climate change mitigation. Here, we analyzed data from 30 sample plots collected along the four altitudinal gradients to assess species distribution and carbon stocks in the Panchase Conservation Area in Nepal. Three carbon pools were considered, namely aboveground carbon (AGC), belowground carbon (BGC), and carbon in litters (leaf litters, grass, and herb biomass, CiL). Seven species were found, of which two are oak tree species (Quercus semecarpifolia and Quercus lamellosa). Quercus semecarpifolia is the most dominant species in terms of stem density and carbon stocks, followed by Quercus lamellose. Average tree diameter, height, and total carbon stocks were 27.7 cm, 8.4 m, and 127.6 MgC ha−1, respectively. Our study found higher carbon stocks at the higher altitudinal gradient. Pearson’s correlation analysis shows a strong effect of altitudinal gradients on carbon stocks (r = 0.7124), moderate effect on tree height (r = 0.5263), and less effects on diameter (r = 0.1733). A stepwise multiple regression analysis shows strong relationship between carbon stocks with height (P = 0.0059) and carbon stocks with tree diameter (P = 0.0148). Our ground observations and random interviews indicate that the low carbon stocks at the low altitude were due to human disturbance. Oak forests at lower altitudes are sparse forest stands with poor regeneration capacity, overgrazing, and extensive lopping. If such disturbance is prevented, oak forest can increase carbon stocks to 361.7 MgC ha−1 as found at the higher altitude. Conservation of oak forests in the Panchase Conservation Area could result in emission reductions of 633.0 MgCO2 ha−1. These reductions could be eligible for financial incentives under the REDD + scheme.

In order to contribute to the myrmecological fauna knowledg of the Guerrouche forest massif based in northeastern Algeria. A study was conducted on three oak groves (Quercus suber, Q. canariensis and Q.afares). A total of 60 plots were surveyed by using four sampling methods (manual capture, bait, pitfall and Winkler). The inventory revealed 34 ants species belonging to 15 genus and 4 sub-families; Dolichoderinae, Formicinae, Myrmicinae and Ponerinae. Dispatch as follow, 22 species for Cork oak, 14 for Algerian oak and 17 for Afares oak. Myrmicinae dominate in Cork oak and in Algerian oak (82.83 and 81.23% respectively) while in the Afares oak, Formicinae are largely in the lead (68.54%). This study revealed an endemic species to Algeria (Aphaenogaster testaceo-pilosa ssp canescens), three endemic’ species to Algeria and Morocco (Camponotus laurenti, Messor antennatus ans Aphaenogaster foreli) and one endemic to Algeria and Tunisia (Bothriomymrmex decapitans). Comparison of the four sampling methods effectiveness, used reveals that it’s the bait (80.7% of the species total number harvested in the all stations) and manual capture (49.69% of the species total number harvested in the all stations), which allowed the capture of the largest number of species followed by pitfalls traps (31.64% of the species total number harvested in the all stations). The Winkler was much less effective (5.55% of the species total number harvested in the all stations).

Questions: What will happen to species diversity in a forest when exploitation of the canopy foliage terminates? The foliage of the main canopy tree of a mountain evergreen oak forest was harvested at different intensities prior to a forest survey in 1993 and resampled in 2013 after the harvest of canopy foliage ceased (1995). We predict a decrease in herbaceous species richness with increasing canopy cover, and an opposite trend for vines and woody species. We hypothesise that plant species' alpha and beta diversity will change most in the plots where foliage was most intensively harvested while showing less change in the plots that underwent almost no harvesting. Location: Temperate evergreen laurel–oak forest in the Himalaya, Nepal. Methods: We resampled all non‐epiphytic vascular plants in 64 plots of 10 m × 10 m in 2013, following the same protocol used in 1993. Plant species were categorised into three life forms; woody (except woody vines), herbaceous, and vines. Uni‐ and multivariate numerical methods were used to assess the significance of the changes in species diversity for different life forms. Results: Vines and woody species increased, whereas herbaceous species decreased, but overall gamma diversity remained unchanged. The overall alpha richness for herbaceous species decreased, while the opposite is true for woody and vine richness. Herbaceous richness decreased and woody richness increased in the areas with low and intermediate disturbance (in 1993), whereas vines remained unchanged. Only vine richness increased in the area that was very disturbed in 1993. Total species richness as well as herbaceous and vine richness decreased with increasing tree canopy cover. Conclusions: Plots that were intensively harvested in 1993 did not recover their richness because vines dominated the forest floor. Management should prevent overexploitation, and only allow low‐intensity canopy disturbance, which may facilitate habitat diversity and thereby enhance species richness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To develop a syntaxonomic classification of the xero-mesophytic broad-leaved oak forests of the Republic of Tatarstan with a preliminary analysis of their unique ecological features. Study area: The Republic of Tatarstan (European part of the Russian Federation). Methods: A total of 91 relevés were processed. Most of them (73.6%) were sampled in Tatarstan during 2016 and 2017, the remaining ones (26.4%) were historical published data. They were classified by means of a modified TWINSPAN algorithm using total inertia as a heterogeneity measure. Diagnostic, constant, and dominant species were identified using analytical tools in the JUICE 7.0 program. Results: The xero-mesophytic forests of the study area were assigned to four clusters. We describe two of them as new associations: Astragalo ciceri-Quercetum roboris ass. nova and Sanguisorbo officinalis-Quercetum roboris ass. nova. We classify them within the class Quercetea pubescentis. Conclusions: Our study is the first attempt to classify thermophilous and xero-mesophytic oak forests of the Republic of Tatarstan using the Braun-Blanquet system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strong mutual relationships exist between rodents and ecosystems. By modifying the structure and functioning of ecosystems, human activity can affect rodent behaviour and ecology. The yellow-necked mouse Apodemus flavicollis is widespread in Europe, and its spatial ecology has been studied in various habitats, but studies are lacking for Mediterranean forests often altered by forest management practices. We investigated the spatial behaviour of A. flavicollis in a sub-Mediterranean deciduous oak forest of central Italy subject to forest management. We radio-tracked 27 individuals in two different coppice stands, i.e. a recently cut area and a high forest, differing in terms of species-specific habitat quality and rodent population density. We analysed the size of home ranges in relation to habitat type and sex. Our results revealed that home range and core area size did not differ between habitat types or sexes. The spatial behaviour of A. flavicollis thus did not appear to be influenced by population density and habitat quality. The lack of sex-related differences confirms the current knowledge on the species' spatial ecology. Our findings provide the first useful information on the spatial behaviour of A. flavicollis in sub-Mediterranean deciduous oak forests, whose ecological processes may be markedly influenced by this key species at several trophic levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Ant-plant mutualistic networks tend to have a nested structure that contributes to their stability, but the ecological factors that give rise to this structure are not fully understood. Here, we evaluate whether ant abundance and dominance hierarchy determine the structure of the ant-plant networks in two types of vegetation: oak and grassland, in two temperate environments of Mexico: Flor del Bosque State Park (FBSP) and La Malinche National Park (MNP). We predicted that dominant and abundant ant species make up the core, and submissives, the periphery of the network. We also expected a higher specialization level in the ant trophic level than in plant trophic level due to competition among the ant species for the plant-derived resources. Methods. The ant-plant interaction network was obtained from the frequency of antplant interactions. We calculated a dominance hierarchy index for the ants using sampling with baits and evaluated their abundance using pitfall traps. Results. In MNP, the Formica spp. species complex formed the core of the network (in both the oak forest and the grassland), while in FBSP, the core species were Prenolepis imparis (oak forest) and Camponotus rubrithorax (grassland). Although these core species were dominant in their respective sites, they were not necessarily the most dominant ant species. Three of the four networks (oak forest and grassland in FBSP, and oak forest in MNP) were nested and had a higher number of plant species than ant species. Although greater specialization was observed in the ant trophic level in the two sites and vegetations, possibly due to competition with the more dominant ant species, this was not statistically significant. In three of these networks (grassland and oak forest of MNP and oak forest of FBSP), we found no correlation between the dominance hierarchy and abundance of the ant species and their position within the network. However, a positive correlation was found between the nestedness contribution value and ant dominance hierarchy in the grassland of the site FBSP, which could be due to the richer ant-plant network and higher dominance index of this community. Conclusions. Our evidence suggests that ant abundance and dominance hierarchy have little influence on network structure in temperate ecosystems, probably due to the species-poor ant-plant network and a dominance hierarchy formed only by the presence of dominant and submissive species with no intermediate dominant species between them (absence of gradient in hierarchy) in these ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date seven species of the genus SphaerotarsusWomersley, 1936 have been described namely, three exclusively from larvae, three from postlarval forms and one from larvae and postlarval forms. In this study, the larvae of a fifth species are described and illustrated from Iran, namely: Sphaerotarsus sadafae sp. nov. collected from soil and litter under oak trees, (Quercus spp). Also, a key to the world larval species is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]