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272 results for “Forest biodiversity”
Proximity to forest mediates trade-offs between yields and biodiversity of birds in oil palm smallholdings
<p>There is much debate about how best to mitigate the effects of agricultural expansion on biodiversity, especially in the tropics. Recent studies have emphasised that proximity to natural habitats can enhance farmland biodiversity, yet few studies have examined whether or not such proximity mediates local trade-offs between yields and biodiversity, and hence alters conclusions about the ecological benefits of alternative farming strategies. Here we examine yield-biodiversity trade-offs, focusing on birds in oil palm smallholdings at different distances from remaining areas of forest, including a large forest reserve, in Ghana. We found significantly fewer birds on higher-yielding than lower-yielding farms, in terms of both species richness and abundance. For forest specialist birds (likely to be highly vulnerable to conversion of land to agriculture) we also found a greater trade-off (i.e. lower richness and abundance for a given yield) at farms further from forest, to the extent that increasing distance to the nearest forest from 1 to 10 km had a similar effect as a 3- to 5-fold increase in fruit yield brought about by increased intensification. Our study highlights the importance of accounting for the effects of natural forest in the landscape when considering agricultural policies for biodiversity protection, underlining the importance of a landscape-scale approach to conservation.</p>
Supplementary material 2: Seu Nico Community Dynamics from: Tree Diversity and Dynamics of the Forest of Seu Nico, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil - Biodiversity Data Journal 3: e5425 (31 July 2015) https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.3.e5425
2868 tree occurrences from two census within 100 plots of 10x10 m in the Forest of Seu Nico (FSN), Viçosa municipality, Minas Gerais, Brazil, including measurements of each tree as well as environmental data from all 100 plots. Dataset consists of seven independent files
Figure 1. from: Tree Diversity and Dynamics of the Forest of Seu Nico, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil - Biodiversity Data Journal 3: e5425 (31 July 2015) https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.3.e5425
Figure 1. - The Forest of Seu Nico (FSN) covers the bottom and the slopes of a small valley on the Bom Sucesso Farm in Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Photograph by M. Gastauer from northeastern direction.
Data from: Within-individual leaf trait response to local light availability and biodiversity in a subtropical forest experiment
<p>This dataset contains 15 leaf traits and the relative light availability from 400 trees at sub-individual level. Leaf samples were collected in August and September 2017 in the BEF-China main experiment (site A) in different sampling heights within the individuals. Samples were taken in 66 plots across all diversity levels of the experimental site. Leaf traits were analysed using near-infrared spectroscopy. Available leaf traits are LDMC, SLA, leaf N, leaf C, CN ratio, leaf Mg, leaf Ca, leaf K, leaf P, leaf S, cellulose, lignin, phenolics and tannin. Additionally, light data is available for each height level.</p>
The umbrella value of caribou management strategies for biodiversity conservation in boreal forests under global change
<p><span>Single-species conservation management is often proposed to preserve biodiversity in human-disturbed landscapes. How global change will impact the umbrella value of single-species management strategies remains an open question of critical conservation importance. We assessed the effectiveness of threatened boreal caribou as an umbrella for bird and beetle conservation under global change. We combined mechanistic, spatially explicit models of forest dynamics and predator-prey interactions to forecast the impact of management strategies on the survival of boreal caribou in boreal forest. We then used predictive models of species occupancy to characterize concurrent impacts on bird and beetle diversity. Landscapes were simulated based on three scenarios of climate change and four of forest management. We found that strategies that best mitigate human impact on boreal caribou were an effective umbrella for maintaining bird and beetle assemblages. While we detected a stronger effect of land-use change compared to climate change, the umbrella value of management strategies for caribou habitat conservation were still impacted by the severity of climate change. Our results showed an interplay among changes in forest attributes, boreal caribou mortality, as well as bird and beetle species assemblages. The conservation status of some species mandates the development of recovery strategies, highlighting the importance of our study which shows that single-species conservation can have important umbrella benefits despite global change.</span></p>
A marine heatwave changes the stabilizing effects of biodiversity in kelp forests
<p>The code and data are used in a preliminary manuscript, titled "A marine heatwave changes the stabilizing effects of biodiversity in kelp forests".</p>
Chronic anthropogenic disturbance mediates the biodiversity-productivity relationship across stand ages in a large temperate forest region
<div>Temperate forests, especially those in the densely populated regions of the world, are experiencing increasing levels of habitat degradation and biological impoverishment due to subtle but pervasive chronic anthropogenic disturbances including frequent and continuous grazing and extraction of non-timber forest products. However, the effects of these subtle, chronic disturbances on the biodiversity-productivity relationship have rarely been examined especially in forests at different development stages. Accordingly, this study explores how chronic anthropogenic disturbance affects the relationship between tree species diversity and forest productivity at different stand development stages in a large temperate forest region.</div> <div> </div> <div>We used the human footprint index as a proxy for chronic human disturbance. Hierarchical Bayesian models were employed to assess the effects of chronic human disturbance on the relationship between tree diversity and forest productivity across different stand age. Several measures of diversity were employed, including taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity.</div> <div> </div> <div>Forest productivity consistently increased with taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic biodiversity; these biodiversity facets were the main drivers of forest productivity compared to stand age, chronic human disturbance, and climate. However, the magnitude at which productivity increases with the increments of taxonomic and functional diversity diminishes with the increasing chronic disturbance, especially in younger stands. The effects of phylogenetic diversity on productivity did not vary with chronic disturbance, regardless of stand age.</div> <div> </div> <div> <strong>Synthesis and applications:</strong> Chronic human disturbance in a large temperate forest region reduces the increase in community productivity due to different facets of biodiversity, especially in young forests. The evidence suggests that the mitigation of chronic human disturbance and the conservation of biodiversity will be effective in sustaining essential ecosystem functions.</div>
Data from: Higher avian biodiversity, increased shrub cover, and proximity to continuous forest may reduce pest insect crop loss in small-scale oil palm farming
<p>One of the key ecosystem services offered by avian biodiversity within agricultural landscapes is natural predation. Nonetheless, the current use of biological control agents such as farmland birds in oil palm plantations is relatively limited. The present study aimed to assess the potential roles of avian biodiversity, particularly insectivores which provide natural predation against oil palm herbivorous insects. We also investigated the influence of local- and landscape-scale variables on foliage damage (crown or frond). Our data showed that crown damage decreased with increasing farmland bird richness (overall and insectivore), shrub cover, dried biomass, and elevation, but increased with epiphyte cover, oil palm height, and distance to continuous forest. Frond damage was negatively related to bird richness (overall, insectivore, and non-insectivore) and non-insectivore abundance, elevation, and shrub cover, while increased with insectivorous abundance, epiphyte cover, oil palm height, and distance to continuous forest. We also found that plantations (≥ 50 ha) were more susceptible to foliage damage from pest insects than smallholdings (<50 ha). There was no evidence that indicated the influence of forest patches on foliage damage. Our study highlights the economic value of conserving biodiversity, most notably, farmland birds and continuous forests with respect to biological control of defoliating pests and maintaining yield productivity in oil palm cultivation. Growers, particularly major plantation companies should make oil palm farming more biodiversity-friendly in order to increase the number of biological control agents such as birds.</p>
Spatial variation in human disturbances and their effects on forest structure and biodiversity across an Afromontane forest
<p><strong>Context</strong></p> <p>Human disturbances can have large impacts on forest structure and biodiversity, and thereby result in forest degradation, a property difficult to detect by remote sensing.</p> <p><strong>Objectives </strong></p> <p>To investigate spatial variation in anthropogenicdisturbances and their effects on forest structure and biodiversity.</p> <p><strong>Methods </strong></p> <p>In 144 plots of 20 x 20 m distributed across a forest area of 750 km2 in Southwest Ethiopia, we recorded: landscape variables (e.g., distance to forest edge), different human disturbances, forest structure variables, and species composition of trees and epiphyllous bryophytes. We then first assessed if landscape variables could explain the spatial distribution of disturbances. Second, we analysed how forest structure and biodiversity were influenced by disturbances.</p> <p><strong>Results </strong></p> <p>Human disturbances, such as coffee management and grazing declined with distance to forest edges and penetrated at least a kilometer into the forest. The slope was not related to disturbance levels, but several types of disturbances were less common at higher elevations. Among human disturbance types, coffee management reduced liana cover and was associated with altered species composition of trees. The presence of large trees and basal areas was not related to any of the disturbance gradients.</p> <p><strong>Conclusions </strong></p> <p>Although most anthropogenic disturbances displayed clear edge effects, surprisingly the variation in the chosen forest degradation indices was only weakly related to these disturbances. We suggest that the intersection between edge effects and forest degradation is very context-specific and relies much on how particular societies use the forests. For example, in this landscape coffee management seems to be a key driver.</p>
Range-wide habitat use of the Harpy Eagle indicates four major tropical forest gaps in the Key Biodiversity Area network
<p>Quantifying habitat use is important for understanding how animals meet their requirements for survival and provides information for conservation planning. Currently, assessments of range-wide habitat use that delimit species distributions are incomplete for many taxa. The Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) is a raptor of conservation concern, widely distributed across Neotropical lowland forests, that currently faces threats from habitat loss and fragmentation. Here, we use penalized logistic regression to identify species-habitat associations and predict habitat suitability based on a new International Union for the Conservation of Nature range metric, termed Area of Habitat. From the species-habitat model, we performed a gap analysis to identify areas of high habitat suitability in regions with limited coverage in the Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) network. Range-wide habitat use indicated that Harpy Eagles prefer areas of 70-75% evergreen forest cover, low elevation, and high vegetation species richness. Conversely, Harpy Eagles avoid areas of >10% cultivated landcover and mosaic forest, and topographically complex areas. Our species-habitat model identified a large continuous area of potential habitat across the pan-Amazonia region, and a habitat corridor from the Chocó-Darién ecoregion of Colombia running north along the Caribbean coast of Central America. Little habitat was predicted across the Atlantic Forest biome, which is now severely degraded. The current KBA network covered 18% of medium to high Harpy Eagle habitat exceeding a target biodiversity area representation of 10%, based on species range size. Four major areas of high suitability habitat lacking coverage in the KBA network were identified in north and west Colombia, western Guyana, and north-west Brazil. We recommend these multiple gaps of habitat as new KBAs for strengthening the current KBA network. Modelled area of habitat estimates as described here are a useful tool for large-scale conservation planning and can be readily applied to many taxa.</p>
Short-term effects of continuous cover forestry on forest biomass production and biodiversity: Applying single-tree selection in forests dominated by Picea abies
AbstractThe rotation forestry system provides high biomass production, but could also have a negative impact on species sensitive to disturbance. Continuous cover forestry (CCF) could contribute to solving these conflicting goals, but its feasibility in nutrient limited boreal forests is yet unresolved. In a unique experiment, we simultaneously assessed the short-term effect of single-tree selection on both biomass production and biodiversity (vascular plants, bryophytes, wood-inhabiting fungi), and tested fertilization as a way to mediate growth-biodiversity trade-offs. We found that unharvested stands and stands subjected to single-tree selection had a similar species assemblage of vascular plants, bryophytes, and wood-inhabiting fungi. Fertilization increased growth by 37% and induced shifts in two understory species (favoring the grass Avenella flexuosa and disfavoring the bryophyte Hylocomium splendens). We conclude that single-tree selection may become a useful tool to enhance biodiversity in managed forests.
Landscape conservation as a strategy for recovering biodiversity: lessons from a long-term program of pasture restoration in the southern Atlantic Forest
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span>Although ecological restoration has entered the global agenda to reverse different anthropogenic disturbances, we still know little about how this solution interacts with other conservation strategies, to avoid the progressive loss of species and ecosystem services. </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span>Here we evaluate one of the pioneering restoration programs in the southern Brazilian Atlantic Forest, where the combination of conservation and restoration efforts have been carried out for 20 years. Specifically, we tested how landscape characteristics, restoration strategies <span class="msoDel"> </span>and environmental characteristics affect the results of the restoration of pastures. </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span>We established 65 circular plots (total 4.0 ha) along restoration areas (3-10 years) and sampled trees and shrubs composing the canopy (DBH <u>></u> 5cm) and understory (DBH< 5cm, height > 1.3m). We analyzed the landscape metrics (proportion of old-growth forests in 200 m, 500m and 1000m buffers around each plot; and area and distance of the nearest-neighboring old-growth forests). We explored the multiple effects of landscape, restoration strategy (reforestation, natural regeneration) and environmental variables (soil, pasture grass types) on the species composition and multiple diversity metrics of restoration areas. </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span>The species composition was very similar among restoration ages and restoration strategies. We found positive and strong effects of old-growth forest (200 m buffer) proportion on the species richness and Shannon diversity (canopy and understory), aboveground biomass (canopy) and functional diversity (understory) of restoration areas. The restoration strategies affected forest structure, and, in general, the reforestation strategy increased aboveground biomass, Shannon, functional and phylogenetic diversities (in canopy), and percentage of endemic species and biomass (understory), when compared to natural regeneration. </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span>The 20 year-experience in the southern Atlantic Forest showed that programs focused on landscape conservation associated with a mixture of restoration strategies (i.e. natural regeneration in larger areas and active restoration in more disturbed sites)<span class="msoDel"> </span>, can be an efficient strategy to ensure biodiversity and ecosystem services in tropical landscapes.</span></p> <p><span>Synthesis and applications</span><span>: To manage degraded tropical lands and achieve global targets for biodiversity and ecosystem services, it is necessary to first ensure the conservation of natural remnants and then use multiple restoration strategies in less resilient areas.</span></p>
Comparison of mosquitoes and fly derived DNA as a tool for sampling vertebrate biodiversity in suburban forests in Berlin, Germany
<p><span>The use of invertebrate-derived DNA (iDNA) is a promising non-invasive tool to monitor wildlife. While most studies have been carried out in dense tropical and sub-tropical forests and have focused on the use of a single category of invertebrates, this study compares the use of flies- and mosquito-derived DNA to assess vertebrate diversity in semi-urban environments. We conducted our sampling in four different forest plots in Berlin, Germany. Pools of flies and non-bloodfed mosquitoes were metabarcoded using 108 bp vertebrate-specific 12S rRNA (12S-V5) and 94 bp mammal-specific 16S rRNA (16Smam) mitochondrial markers, and individual bloodfed mosquitoes were sequenced using the 340 bp vertebrate-specific 12S rRNA fragment (Mam-12S-340). From the fly pools, we detected 10 mammal species using 16Smam, while 12S-V5 detected four bird, two amphibian and six mammal species. From the non-bloodfed mosquito pools, we only amplified putative contaminant DNA, indicating that mosquito females without visual signs of a blood meal carry no traces of vertebrate DNA. Finally, in the bloodfed mosquitoes, we identified four mammal and one bird species. Focusing on mammal species, we did not find significant differences in the proportion of species detected regarding the total available number of species between sampling localities. Fly samples were easier to obtain and more abundant over the sampled localities compared to mosquito samples. We conclude that, while there are a few advantages in using mosquito blood meals, the use of flies in the detection of wildlife in a suburban environment is more effective in terms of collection of samples and detection of vertebrates, although this technique is limited to few mammal species in the urban environment. </span></p>
Metabarcoding for biodiversity inventory blind spots: A test case using the beetle fauna of an insular cloud forest
<p>Soils harbour a rich arthropod fauna, but many species are still not formally described (Linnaean shortfall), and the distribution of those already described is poorly understood (Wallacean shortfall). Metabarcoding holds much promise to fill this gap, however, nuclear copies of mitochondrial genes, and other artefacts lead to taxonomic inflation, which compromises the reliability of biodiversity inventories. Here we explore the potential of a bioinformatic approach to jointly "denoise" and filter non-authentic mitochondrial sequences from metabarcode reads to obtain reliable soil beetle inventories and address open questions in soil biodiversity research, such as the scale of dispersal constraints in different soil layers. We sampled cloud forest arthropod communities from 49 sites in the Anaga peninsula of Tenerife (Canary Islands). We performed whole organism community DNA (wocDNA) metabarcoding, and built a local reference database with COI barcode sequences of 310 species of Coleoptera for filtering reads and the identification of metabarcoded species. This resulted in reliable haplotype data after considerably reducing nuclear mitochondrial copies and other artefacts. Comparing our results with previous beetle inventories, we found: (i) new species records, potentially representing undescribed species; (ii) new distribution records, and; (iii) validated phylogeographic structure when compared with traditional sequencing approaches. Analyses also revealed evidence for higher dispersal constraint within deeper soil beetle communities, compared to those closer to the surface. The combined power of barcoding and metabarcoding contribute to mitigate the important shortfalls associated with soil arthropod diversity data, and thus address unresolved questions for this vast biodiversity fraction.</p>
Data from: Orchid trade at the source: Epiphytic species with conspicuous flowers in low-elevation forests are more locally collected in a Philippine key biodiversity area
<p>Orchids are the most heavily traded plant group globally, putting pressure on wild populations in many source countries like the Philippines. Despite its rich orchid diversity, there remains a notable gap in understanding the factors driving orchid trade within the country. To address this knowledge gap and support orchid conservation efforts, we utilized a five-year orchid diversity dataset extensively collected through floristic field and village garden surveys in one of the largest key biodiversity areas in the southern Philippines. We employed a trait-based approach to investigate ecological drivers of local orchid collection within this source area. Our results show that around 36% of local orchid diversity have predicted collection risks of ≥50%. Notably, locally collected orchid species exhibited multiple, large, and conspicuously colored flowers that are found in low-elevation forests and higher up in forest stratum. Elevational distribution and flower size emerged as the strongest predictors, potentially influencing collection preferences. Our analysis of predicted collection risks underscores the vulnerability of both threatened and non-threatened orchid species to local collection pressures. Moreover, we highlight the practical utility of our trait-based approach in predicting risks and informing management strategies for local orchid conservation. This research marks a significant step towards identifying ecological drivers influencing orchid trade at its source, providing insights that can inform targeted conservation strategies across many key biodiversity areas for this highly diverse, charismatic, and threatened plant family.</p>
Model runs - Reconciling the EU forest, biodiversity, and climate strategies
<p>These are the model runs for the paper "Reconciling the EU forest, biodiversity, and climate strategies" published in Global Change Biology in 2024, by Gregor et al.</p> <p>The data can be used to re-run the optimizations.</p>
Quantifying the spatial heterogeneity of forest conversion costs and how it relates to biodiversity, conservation and land use history
<b>Description: </b><p>Start and end dates of salvage logging activity at the SAFE Project experimental site</p><p><b>Project: </b>This dataset was collected as part of the following SAFE research project: <a href="https://www.safeproject.net/projects/project_view/6"><b>Quantifying the spatial heterogeneity of forest conversion costs and how it relates to biodiversity, conservation and land use history</b></a></p><p><b>Funding: </b>These data were collected as part of research funded by: </p><ul><li>Sime Darby (grant)</li></ul><p>This dataset is released under the CC-BY 4.0 licence, requiring that you cite the dataset in any outputs, but has the additional condition that you acknowledge the contribution of these funders in any outputs.</p><p></p><p><b>Permits: </b>These data were collected under permit from the following authorities:</p><ul><li>Sabah Biodiversity Council (Research licence na)</li></ul><p></p><p><b>XML metadata: </b>GEMINI compliant metadata for this dataset is available <a href="https://www.safeproject.net/datasets/xml_metadata?id=3266827">here</a></p><p><b>Files: </b>This dataset consists of 2 files: template_Symes.xlsx, SAFE_COUPE.zip</p><p><b>template_Symes.xlsx</b></p><p>This file contains dataset metadata and 1 data tables:</p><ol><li><p><b>Salvage logging records</b> (described in worksheet Data)</p><p>Description: Dates of earliest and latest known salvage logging activity in logging coupes</p><p>Number of fields: 10</p><p>Number of data rows: 187</p><p>Fields: </p><ul><li><b>CoupeNumber</b>: Coupe number (Field type: Location)</li><li><b>StartDateTrack</b>: Earliest date of logging activity recorded through GPS loggers on bulldozers (Field type: Date)</li><li><b>EndDateTrack</b>: Last date of logging activity recorded through GPS loggers on bulldozers (Field type: Date)</li><li><b>StartDateLocation</b>: Earliest date of logging activity recorded through 'Location' method (Field type: Date)</li><li><b>EndDateLocation</b>: Last date of logging activity recorded through 'Location' method (Field type: Date)</li><li><b>StartDateMeasurement</b>: Earliest date of logging activity recorded through 'Measurement' method (Field type: Date)</li><li><b>EndDateMeasurement</b>: Last date of logging activity recorded through 'Measurement' method (Field type: Date)</li><li><b>Contractor</b>: Name of the contractor responsible for the coupe (Field type: ID)</li><li><b>GlobalStart</b>: Earliest date of any recorded salvage logging activity (Field type: Date)</li><li><b>GlobalEnd</b>: Last date of any recorded salvage logging activity (Field type: Date)</li></ul></li></ol><p><b>SAFE_COUPE.zip</b></p><p>Description: SAFE coupe data</p><p><b>Date range: </b>2013-01-02 to 2015-12-31</p><p><b>Latitudinal extent: </b>4.5000 to 5.0700</p><p><b>Longitudinal extent: </b>116.7500 to 117.8200</p>
Figure 1 in Impact of dike age on biodiversity and functional composition of soil macrofaunal communities in poplar forests in a reclaimed coastal area
Figure 1. Distribution of sample sites on the reclaimed coast.
Connectivity and succession of open structures as a key to sustaining light-demanding biodiversity in deciduous forests
<p>1. European forests are facing a rapid decline of light-demanding biota. This has prompted active interventions to re-establish and maintain partial habitat openness in protected areas. Managers of protected areas, however, need substantially more scientific evidence to support their decisions on where, when, and how to intervene.</p> <p>2. We investigated the importance of spatial continuity of open forest habitats in different years of succession, using six pairs of experimental clearings established in the formerly open, oak-dominated forests of the Podyji National Park (Czech Republic). In each pair, one clearing was connected to the forest edge, while the other was isolated in closed forest. We sampled butterflies (74 spp.), moths (435 spp.), saproxylic beetles (465 spp.), and vascular plants (567 spp.) on the 12 clearings during the first five years of succession. We then compared species richness, abundance, and composition of the four taxa between the two clearing types and along the succession.</p> <p>3. All studied insect groups were substantially more species-rich and more abundant in connected than in isolated clearings. Species composition of plants, moths, and butterflies differed between the clearing types.</p> <p>4. The number of species of all studied taxa generally increased from the first to the second or third year after cutting; species composition of all taxa differed among years. This suggests rapid changes in habitat quality and thus limited time for colonisation by light-demanding organisms.</p> <p>5. <i>Synthesis and applications</i>: Our results offer an evidence that spatial connectivity and rapid temporal dynamics are important habitat features for light-demanding insects. Attempts to create or restore habitats for light-demanding forest biota should take into account that: (i) Insects benefit from direct connection of new open patches to open habitats or flight corridors such as forest edges. (ii) Considering plants, the optimal solution is to connect newly created open forest habitats to existing habitats with established biota of high conservation value. (iii) Interventions should be carried out within short time intervals, i.e. within years rather than decades. (iv) A fine mosaic of interconnected<span>, open woodland patches in various successional stages is more beneficial than a single large patch with a single successional stage.</span></p>
Large wild herbivores slow down the rapid decline of plant diversity in a tropical forest biodiversity hotspot
<p>1. The UN declaration of the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 emphasizes the need for effective measures to restore ecosystems and safeguard biodiversity. Large herbivores regulate many ecosystem processes and functions, yet their potential as a nature-based solution to buffer against long-term temporal declines in biodiversity associated to global change and restore diversity in secondary forests remains unknown.</p> <p>2. By means of an exclusion experiment, we tested experimentally the buffering effects of large wild herbivores to avert against long-term biodiversity collapse in old-growth and secondary tropical forests in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil where sapling abundance and species richness declined circa 20% over the course of 10 years. The experiment comprised 50 large herbivore exclosure-open control plot pairs (25 at the old-growth forest and 25 at the secondary forest), where 2m2 were monitored in every plot during a 10-year period.</p> <p>3. Large herbivores were able to decelerate diversity declines and compositional change in the species-rich old-growth forest, but only decelerated compositional change in the secondary forest. In contrast, declines in species richness and abundance were unaffected by large herbivores on either forest.</p> <p>4. The buffering effects of large herbivores were strongly non-linear and contingent on the initial level of diversity at the patch scale: highly diverse communities suffered the strongest collapse in the absence of large herbivores. Thus, larger buffering effects of large herbivores on the old growth forest are the logical consequence of large herbivores buffering the many high diversity plant communities found in this forest. Conversely, as the secondary forest held fewer high diversity patches, buffering effects on the secondary forest were weak.</p> <p>5. Synthesis and applications: Our study indicates that large herbivores have moderate yet critical effects on slowing down community change and diversity loss of highly diverse plant communities, thus suggesting that the conservation of (and potentially trophic rewilding with) large herbivores is a fundamental nature-based solution for averting the global collapse of the strongholds of biodiversity. Its buffering effects on biodiversity loss operate at very small spatial scales, are likely contingent on successional stage, and most effective in old-growth or high diversity secondary forests.</p>
ScienceDex guides
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These curated guides explain access requirements, typical timelines, costs, and reuse considerations for widely used research datasets.
Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.