Key message Epiphytic lichens of remnant Atlantic oakwood trees, enclosed within a recently planted conifer matrix, show ability to survive early stages of woodland restoration (conifer removal). Context Atlantic oakwood, ancient semi-natural woodland (ASNW), supports important epiphytic lichens. Fragmented ASNW, historically in-filled with conifers, are now being restored to reflect ASNW tree and

The atmospheric boundary layer mediates the exchange of energy, matter, and momentum between the land surface and the free troposphere, integrating a range of physical, chemical, and biological processes and is defined as the lowest layer of the atmosphere (ranging from a few meters to 3 km). In this review, we investigate how continuous, automated observations of the atmospheric boundary layer can

Assessing forest canopy dynamics is crucial for understanding the response of vegetation to environmental variability and change. While digital repeat photography is gaining increased attention for obtaining field phenology observations, colour indices derived from this method are often affected by leaf colour and actual canopy structure, complicating the physical interpretation of results. In addition

The impact of agricultural technologies on crop yield is influenced by the environment type (ENVT) as determined by weather and soil. Understanding the correlation between the ENVT of the testing site in relation to the ENVT of the target production region is important for the evaluation and scaling out of agricultural technologies. Here we propose and apply the first explicit method to characterize

With the development of water detection instruments, it is feasible to detect the stem liquid water content. However, real-time and non-destructive monitoring of liquid water and ice content of plant stems in winter remains challenging. Here, we developed a living wood freeze–thaw detection (LWFTD) sensor to detect the liquid water and ice content of plant stems in situ, in real time, and micro-destructively

Recently, the growing need to complement rural and foreign sources of food and woodfuel is driving interest in urban forestry management in medium cities. The present study was designed to characterize the diversity of fruit trees in households of two rapidly developing cities in southeastern DR Congo (Lubumbashi and Kolwezi), and shed light on the sociological aspects of their management. Analyses

Artificial lawns are an increasingly popular alternative to their living counterparts, but their environmental impacts are undocumented. The hydrological impacts of artificial (synthetic polymer) grass were investigated in comparison to living grass in a series of controlled rainfall experiments, representing daily short rainfall events of different volumes (750 mL, 1000 mL, 1250 mL). Two varieties

This research examined the psychological (perceived restoratives, emotion, stress, and mood) and physiological (blood pressure readings) effects of short-range visits to urban environments. Ninety participants visited two urban areas; Bukit Jalil Urban Park (a green space) and Bukit Jalil Urban Street (an urban a built-up city centre as a controlled environment) located in a tropical city Kuala Lumpur

Urban green spaces provide a range of services to urban residents; however, how these distinct spaces provide different services, if any, to human wellbeing has been seldom addressed. Using large volumes of social media data considering broad user groups and publicly available content, we developed a method to transform unstructured online comments into a structured assessment of nine categories of

Background With rapid urbanization globally, people in cities tend to have fewer opportunities to interact with nature. Some health-promoting green infrastructure may support increased visitation. Objective To investigate associations between green space visitation and a range of health promoting green infrastructure. Methods From November 2019 to January 2020, we conducted a population-based cross-sectional

ABSTRACT Sixteen polymorphic nuclear microsatellite markers were developed for Meliosma arnottiana (Wright) Walp. (Sabiaceae), a deciduous or half-evergreen tree. In Japan, the species is disjunctively distributed in the Izu Islands and the southern part of the Japanese archipelago, and the Izu population (var. hachijoensis) is regarded as a threatened species. Variations in the 16 markers were compared

Historically and under cooler climate conditions, steep slope vineyards yielded best quality wines and highest reputation, due to their distinctive microclimate, especially during ripening period. Nevertheless, steep slope vineyard sites primarily suffer from reduced competitiveness leading to abandonment, thus a loss of valuable vineyard sites. The aim of this work was to investigate differences in

Key message Whole-tree harvesting makes forests more profitable than conventional harvest as long as the impact on tree growth remains under 2.3% for even-aged oak ( Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.) and 3.4% for sweet chestnut ( Castanea sativa Mill.) coppice with oak standards. Coppice-with-standards may have potential to be more profitable than even-aged oak in case of 50% rise in fuelwood prices

Parasitic wasps are important group of entomophagous insects for pest control. As parasitic wasps often lay eggs on or into their associated hosts, parasitoids evolve to utilize several factors including venom, polydnavirus (PDV) to alter host physiology for successful parasitism. Some taxa of endoparasitoids produce teratocytes, which are a type of cells that are released into host insects when wasp

With the continuous advancement of global urbanization and increasingly serious ecological problems, ecological space protection has gradually become one of the concerns of urban planning. Although some cities worldwide have relatively robust urban planning implementation systems, due to the different planning means and methods of ecological space protection, there lacks a set of standards for the

As a crucial part of urban green space, urban shrub biomass and biomass allocation play an important role in the urban carbon cycle. However, the current body of research mainly focuses on natural vegetation, and the biomass allocation patterns of urban shrubs remain poorly addressed. In this study, whole-plant harvests of 13 common urban shrubs in the Yangtze River Delta region were conducted to ascertain

Particulate matter (PM) removal is a major component of ecosystem services provided by urban green infrastructure. The annual PM removal service of plant species has generally been determined based on net PM removal ability. However, little is known about the leaf surface area normalized net PM mass removal abilities and efficiencies of different species. Net PM removal ability is the PM removed from

ABSTRACT The growing demand for food, water, and shelter change the way people use land. These changes have affected or even caused conflict in several locations. However, conflicts do not erupt in isolation; they are the result of multiple interacting causes. There is limited structural understanding of these causes. In this study, we systematically coded case studies that report on conflict related

ABSTRACT Globally, significant land conversions of traditionally managed temperate grasslands to croplands were taking place. Among these is South-Central Uruguay where changes in recent decades have highly likely impacted plant productivity, soil quality, and carbon fluxes at a regional scale. A geospatial version of the biophysical model EPIC was developed and validated (Geospatial-EPIC-UY). An analysis

ABSTRACT Currently, only 40% of Brazil’s Pampa still is covered by original vegetation; however, there is a clear underrepresentation of regional biodiversity in protected areas (PA). Herein, we assessed the extent to which 13 PAs for the Integral Protection in the Brazilian Pampa are effective in conserving samples of the natural attributes and biodiversity of the Pampa. Of all 13 PAs analysed, 11

ABSTRACT Loss of agricultural land due to urban sprawl has negative impacts on community lifestyles and green landscapes in peri-urban areas. However, researchers rarely investigate the complex decisions made by landowners and land managers about changes in farmland at the fringes of cities. A postal questionnaire was sent to 1,600 farmland owners and managers on the fringes of Adelaide, South Australia

ABSTRACT Improving our understanding of land-use change is critical for water management in semi-arid areas, due to its effects on the hydrological cycle. In the U.S. Southwest, fallowing farmland has become one strategy to reduce water use. Previous to this study, the magnitude and location of changes in fallowing have not been studied in depth. Using the 30-meter Cropland Data Layer, this study assessed

ABSTRACT Sustainable intensification (SI) is a necessary approach to overcome the contradictions between food demands and resource and environmental constraints. We reviewed 2,475 papers on the topic ‘Sustainable Intensification,’ from Web of Science (WOS), with the help of visualizations drawn by CiteSpace and Biblioshiny. The objectives are: (i) to clarify the concept and connotations of SI, and

ABSTRACT Undertaking industrial transfers from the eastern region in China and other developed countries leads to the growth of urban construction in central and western China. This can result in serious problems, such as the reduction of the amount of cultivated land, thus endangering Chinese food security. This paper utilizes a system generalized method of moments (SYS-GMM) estimator and data from

Compared with far-developed measures and methods for mono-specific forest stands, the silvicultural prescriptions for mixed-species stands are at their early beginning. However, they are essential for the well-conceived establishment, design, and control of mixed-species stands, currently promoted in many countries worldwide. Here, we review the state of the art and we further develop silvicultural

AbstractRiparian buffers implemented to minimize sediment, nutrients, and disturbance impacts on streams during forest operations vary greatly in the degree to which ecological criteria are used in their design. Because most forest operations are concentrated around headwater streams, our primary research objective was to identify a floristically based riparian boundary for headwater streams using

Frequently burned old field shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata)–loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) woodlands in the southeastern US provide important wildlife habitat and multiple ecosystem services. Because these communities differ in composition of dominant plant species and have different land use legacies than native pine savannas, the ability to prevent encroachment by off-site broadleaf woody tree species

Hot water extraction (HWE) treatment changes the physicochemical properties of the wood, including hygroscopic properties. HWE treatment decreases the hydroxyl accessibility of the wood, but the relevance of other mechanisms that change hygroscopic properties are not fully understood. This study investigates the effect of drying on the hydroxyl accessibility and sorption properties of wood. Pressurized

Tuta absoluta is a devastating pest in tomato production areas worldwide. After its first introduction to Turkey in 2009, it quickly became the major pest of tomato growing areas. Although some biocontrol agents have been used especially in greenhouses, the main control of T. absoluta relies heavily on chemical insecticides. However, failure in chemical control has often been reported due to resistance

Pear cultivation accounts for a large proportion of worldwide orchards, but its sustainability is controversial because it relies on intensive use of pesticides. It is therefore crucial and timely to find alternative methods to chemical control in pear orchards. The psyllids Cacopsylla pyri and Cacopsylla pyricola are the most important pests of pear trees in Europe and North America, respectively

AcMNPV is a model organism of baculovirus, and Spodoptera frugiperda is one of its hosts. Disclosing the role of ac106/107 in AcMNPV infecting Spodoptera frugiperda 9 (Sf9) cells is of great significance for modifying AcMNPV as a microbial insecticide. This work constructed recombinant baculovirus that knocking out, repairment and overexpression of ac106/107 and explored the effects of Ac106/107 on

Low toxin doses that do not affect mean responses in plant populations can still change the growth of subpopulations. Studies covering vegetative stages ascribed fast-growing plants higher thresholds for growth stimulation and inhibition, compared to the rest of the population. We hypothesized that such selective effects also play a role after reproduction, i.e. that the offspring of glyphosate treated

Calcium is an essential macronutrient for plant growth. Although it has been demonstrated that exogenous Ca application can increase plant resistance to abiotic stress, little is known about its potential to enhance plant tolerance to biotic stress. Here we investigated whether the pretreatment of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seeds with calcium chloride (CaCl2) improves plant resistance against wheat

Nematode and disease resistant rootstocks have been developed for many vegetable crops including tomato, eggplant, melon, watermelon, and cucumber and are being utilized by an increasing number of growers. Grafting commercially desirable vegetable scions on nematode and disease resistant rootstocks has been significantly stimulated by the need for an alternative to banned soil fumigation with methyl

Hordeum glaucum Steud. is an important grass weed species in South Australia that has evolved resistance to glyphosate. This study investigated the mode of inheritance of glyphosate resistance in this species.

Various studies on wood adhesives filled with conductive fillers for future application to structural monitoring showed a piezoresistive (resistance change with strain) response of the adhesive bond lines that is measurable under direct current. The results also showed a relatively high signal noise with low sensitivity. Using impedance spectroscopy as a measurement technique, the improvements in frequency-dependent

The bamboo-wood composite container floor (BWCCF) plays an increasingly important role in the transportation area in recent years. However, the conventional mechanical testing methods are conducted in a time-consuming and resource-wasting way. Therefore, this study is aimed to provide a frugal and high-efficiency method to predict the concentrated load of BWCCF, by comparing models with two sets of

Leaf chlorophyll content can be retrieved from satellite observed radiance providing a new perspective for accurately mapping the global pattern of maximum carboxylation rate (Vcmax). However, it is unclear whether species and canopy positions affect the relationship between Vcmax and leaf chlorophyll content. Here, vertical and seasonal variations in leaf Vcmax, chlorophyll and nitrogen (N) content

Asparagus decline syndrome (ADS) is one of the most important diseases affecting asparagus crop, causing important yield losses worldwide. Fusarium proliferatum, F. oxysporum and F. redolens are among the main species associated to ADS. To explore their potential inoculum sources and the effectiveness of soil disinfestation practices for ADS management, molecular methods based in qPCR have been developed

Urban parks can provide many physical and psychological health benefits, but these may not be shared equitably among visitors. The purpose of this study was to explore park visitor demographics and activities, as well as their in-depth narratives regarding experiences, perceptions of accessibility, and desired improvements in a range of urban park types, using Portland, Oregon as a case study. We used

Evidence affirms green space has health benefits, but ethnic inequities in green space availability are under-researched. Percentages of parkland, tree canopy, and open grass within 1.6 km road network distance from home were linked to 110,233 participants in the Sax Institute’s 45 and Up Study baseline survey living in the cities of Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong. Participants were dichotomised

Exposure to ambient PM 2.5 poses serious threats to human health. In such cases, the presence of green roofs (GRs) and green walls (GWs) has several environmental benefits, including the capture of the pollutant. Choosing appropriate designs of GWs and GRs to improve urban air quality is challenging because their performances depend on their constituent species and environmental characteristics of

The aim of this study was to determine if local or regional native plants might be suitable for use on a custom living wall system (LWS) located in a humid subtropical climate. Nineteen taxa of plants native to the ecoregion or adjacent ecoregions were installed into 297 custom-designed modules fabricated from galvanized sheet metal by-products. This study reports plant survival and health ratings

A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-021-01385-w

Understanding farmers’ underlying perceptions and knowledge of the impact of trees on-farm is essential to develop appropriate agroforestry practices that meet farmers’ aspirations. Using the Australian-funded Trees for Food Security (T4FS) project as a case study, we obtained quantitative data from questionnaire interviews with 400 smallholder farmers belonging to four farmer categories in the Mt

The present study was carried out at two altitudinal zones in the Renuka forest Division in Himachal Pradesh (Western Himalaya, India) and explored provisioning services use patterns to understand mountain people’s dependency on the adjacent forest. A total of 29 villages were surveyed for the study of forest ecosystem services in relation to their socioeconomic status. Average fuelwood and fodder

In this study, we assessed the effect of airborne laser scanning (ALS) scan angle on point cloud metrics and the estimation of forest attributes in balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) dominated forests of western Newfoundland, Canada. We collected calibration data from ground plot locations representing varying scan angles from two flight lines: within 4° of nadir in one flight line, and either

AbstractForest management inventories assisted by airborne laser scanning (ALS) can be used to predict different forest attributes. These predictions are utilized in practical forestry, but in the case of timber assortment-specific volumes, the ALS-based predictions can be inaccurate. This causes uncertainty in harvest planning. However, ALS-based predictions can be calibrated to achieve greater accuracy