Abstract in English:

ABSTRACT Background: Forests in the Atlantic Forest Domain are increasingly threatened by fire, which disrupts their structure, biodiversity, and resilience. This study investigates how fire impacts functional diversity, community structure, and regeneration in fragmented forest patches near urban areas. Results: We analyzed three types of forest patches: Closed Forest, Perturbed Forest (Once-burned Forest), and Burned Forest (Twice-burned Forest). Significant differences were found in species composition, diversity, and structural parameters among these vegetation types. Closed Forests exhibited the highest levels of functional diversity, structural complexity, and species richness. In contrast, Perturbed and Burned Forests showed reduced functional diversity, lower community-level traits, and diminished resilience. Functional metrics, such as functional divergence (Fdiv) and functional richness (Fric), were notably lower in fire-affected areas. Additionally, fire occurrence influenced dispersal modes, with animal-dispersed species predominating and a notable absence of large-seeded species. Conclusion: The study highlights the significant impact of fire on forest regeneration. Recurrent fires lead to decreased species diversity and functional redundancy, transforming closed-canopy forests into more open, savanna-like landscapes. The absence of large-seeded and animal-dispersed species further impedes the regeneration and resilience of fragmented Atlantic Forests. These findings underscore the need for targeted conservation and management strategies to support forest recovery and maintain biodiversity in fire-prone regions.

Abstract in English:

ABSTRACT Background: Türkiye is a very rich country in terms of the distribution and diversity of plants. Despite these current conditions, natural plant species are not sufficiently used in designing urban landscapes. The research aims to reveal an ecological model approach to urban planting by determining the ecological indicator values ​​(EIV’s) and coexistence in nature of the species detected in the natural vegetation, revealing the potential of plants to come together. Results: Within the scope of research, natural areas in Düzce Plain and at the points touching the plain were determined according to the CORINE land cover classification, and 5 different habitat types were determined as forest habitat, riparian areas, rocky habitat, wetlands and meadow habitat. In this study, 420 plant taxa belonging to 89 families which were taken from 33 points and 168 sample areas, were identified. Both natural plant species determined by collecting plant species from the area and plant species diversity will be revealed by determining the ecological demands of the plants. After determining whether the coexistence of plant species collected and identified in these habitat types is distributed in an interdependent manner, scenarios regarding the coexistence of plants were constructed with the help of the latent variables model (LVM’s) by R software program. Conclusion: Some of the plant species with the highest percentage of presence according to the plant layers were selected, and plant compositions with high coexistence were proposed according to the LVM’s.

Abstract in English:

ABSTRACT Background: Quantifying aboveground biomass (AGB) is crucial for studying the carbon cycle and estimating mitigation potential of climate change. Combining field inventory data and remote sensing such as Landsat imagery, is a common approach for landscape-Level AGB analysis. However, uncertainties in biomass estimations persist, highlighting the need for improved statistical methods. The objectives of this study were (i) model the AGB of temperate forests managed for timber production using Landsat 8 data and three regression algorithms (linear regression, generalized additive models [GAM], and random forests), and (ii) quantify interannual AGB variations (2013-2022) across a forest landscape. Predictor variables included spectral bands, vegetation indices (VI), textural metrics, and stand age. Results: The RF algorithm showed the best performance with accurate estimates, explaining 76% of the AGB variability. It also showed an RMSE of 32.93 Mg ha-1 when stand age was included as a predictor variable. The AGB showed a spatial variation from 9 to 289 Mg ha-1, and an inventory of 113,408.81 Mg (±11,663.13 Mg) in a landscape of 823.6 ha, ranging from 101,904.70 Mg in 2013 to 127,915.60 Mg in 2022. The 10-12-year-old stands showed the highest increment of biomass after a decade, increasing from 71.06 Mg ha-1 (±19.81) in 2013 to 153.37 Mg ha-1 (±14.13) in 2022. Conclusion: The study evaluated a practical methodology to estimate the spatiotemporal variation of AGB in managed temperate forests. This approach can be implemented to support the evaluation of the potential contribution of managed forests to climate change mitigation.

Abstract in English:

ABSTRACT Background: Harvesting, especially skidding operations have a significant impact on the forest soil properties. This study aimed to advance understanding of how timber harvesting may influence soil respiration in forested ecosystems. We investigated the impact of soil respiration for some of the skidding techniques after skidding operations depending on slope and stand types. Results: We measured soil CO2 efflux to evaluate the skidding techniques on soil, depending on the slope and stand type. Thus, three skidding techniques with tractor for harvesting (1-suspended skidding, 2-using a skidding cone, 3-cable-pulling) were used in 6 different study site and the variations in soil respiration and soil properties were examined at 3 different slopes (0-20%, 20-33%, >33%), 2 different stand types (b-bc, c-cd) at topsoil (0-5 cm). Also soil respiration was measured at intervals of 5 days (on days 1, 5, and 10) after skidding operation. In addition, pH, EC (electrical conductivity), and soil moisture were evaluated depending on slope and stand type in the study. Conclusion: It was determined that respiration increased on the first day but decreased on day 5 and 10. It was found that the slope and stand type have no effect on soil respiration. It was determined that the skidding technique that reduces the soil respiration the most is suspended skidding with a rate of 90%. However, the skidding technique that reduced respiration the least was skidding by using a skidding cone suspended skidding with a rate of 64% when evaluated on day 10.

Abstract in English:

ABSTRACT Background: The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of restoration practices following the Fundão disaster in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, a key region for global biodiversity. Focusing on affected areas in Mariana, MG, the study used seed bank analysis as a key indicator to understand environmental recovery progress. The study compared active and passive restoration areas with a reference ecosystem by collecting 168 soil samples, which were subjected to germination in a greenhouse. Results: The results revealed a high germination rate of herbaceous seeds, predominantly native species. Significant differences were found in floristic composition among the different restoration types studied. Areas undergoing active restoration showed greater similarity to the reference ecosystem, emphasizing the importance of Distance from Forest Fragment, Percentage of Forest Area in the Surroundings, and species diversity for restoration success. Conclusion: The results highlight the crucial importance of landscape connectivity for the success of ecological restoration. Active restoration strategies play a fundamental role in accelerating environmental recovery and bringing degraded areas closer to the floristic composition of reference ecosystems.

Abstract in English:

ABSTRACT Background: Brazil has the largest tropical forest cover in territorial extension, although it is subject to different forms of threat. We analyzed a time series of the firewood and charcoal production from the extractivism of native forests between the years 2010 and 2020 in Northeast Brazil, in order to support future reflections on the impacts of these uses on the sustainability of the production chain of exploration and on the conservation of native forests in the region. Considering the time frame from 2010 to 2020, data on the volume of firewood and charcoal produced from plant extraction in the Northeastern, were obtained via the official platform of Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. Results: The total production of firewood was 157,771,059 m3 and charcoal 4,137,418 t., while the states of Bahia (29.3%), Ceará (21.4%) and Maranhão (14.1%) accounted for 74.8% of total firewood produced in the Northeastern. As for charcoal production, Maranhão (51.0%), Bahia (20.3%) and Piauí (23.8%) accounted for 95.1% of total produced. Production stationarity was found for all states, with the exception of Paraíba and Piauí in firewood, and Paraíba and Rio Grande do Norte in charcoal. A downward trend was identified in most states, with the exception of Paraíba and Piauí in firewood and Paraíba and Rio Grande do Norte in charcoal, both without any type of trend. Conclusion: Considering the economic sustainability of the production chain, efforts to encourage energy plantations should focus on regions with lower production, using species of fast-growing species that can meet demand and conserve native caatinga vegetation.

Abstract in English:

ABSTRACT Background: The development and application of new technologies and solutions are extremely important to manage and monitor urban forestry to prevent accidents resulting from falls that often result in social and property damage. To evaluate the internal conditions of a tree, it is recommended to use indirect methods, both for the trunk and the root system. However, existing methods can predict trunk properties at the lower level in some situations, that can lead to a misinterpretation of the actual phytosanitary status of the evaluated specimen and cause the incomplete assessment. Thus, the present work aimed to evaluate, with acquisition and software development, the use of geophysical method of electrical resistivity (ER), with longitudinal profiles along the trunk, every 45º, for internal and non-destructive analysis of two specimens of Eucalyptus sp. and one of Pachira aquatica trees. In these trees, data were acquired and compared each other’s by ER, mechanical impulse tomography and resistograph. Results: This approach allows for the investigation the entire length of the trunk, in a reduced time. From the results, it was possible to establish qualitative (from images) and some quantitative (physical property values) relationships between the ER, impulse tomography and resistography, by the internal image generated and the physical properties obtained. Conclusion: Both in the interpretation of the generated images and the values obtained, they exhibited different characteristics of the studied wood, demonstrating the potential of the developed methodology for rapid and precise application in urban trees.