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Ecological Sustainability on Agroforests for Mammal Biodiversity Conservation

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainability, Biodiversity and Conservation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 23 November 2024 | Viewed by 865

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Biological Sciences Department, Santa Cruz State University, Bahia CEP 45662-900, Brazil
Interests: biodiversity; climate breakdown; defaunation; anthropogenic factors; trophic cascade; ecosystem functioning; conservation biology; habitat loss; global warming
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are soliciting submissions for a Special Issue entitled "Ecological Sustainability on Agroforests for Mammal Biodiversity Conservation", to be published in the Sustainability Journal. I am Ricardo Siqueira Bovendorp, and am serving as a Guest Editor for this Special Issue. For further reading, please follow the link to the Special Issue Website at:

Agroforestry, namely the integration of native trees and shrubs into agricultural landscapes, has gained prominence as a sustainable land use practice. Beyond its economic benefits, agroforestry plays a crucial role in fostering the conservation of ecological sustainability and biodiversity. Many studies around the world have shown that agroforests can promote the conservation of mammal biodiversity, emphasizing the interplay between agricultural productivity and the preservation of diverse mammalian species. The vertical structure of agroforests, characterized by canopy, understory, and ground-level vegetation, offers niches for mammals with distinct habitat preferences, contributing to increased biodiversity. One of the key advantages of agroforestry is its ability to enhance habitat connectivity. By establishing wildlife corridors through the integration of forest remnants, agroforests enable mammals to move freely across fragmented landscapes. This connectivity is crucial for maintaining the genetic diversity within mammal populations and supporting their natural behaviors, such as migration, dispersal, and foraging. Agroforests provide a multitude of ecosystem services that directly benefit mammalian biodiversity. The diverse vegetation in these landscapes offers food resources, including fruits, seeds, and insects, supporting the dietary needs of various mammals. Additionally, agroforests contribute to soil conservation, water management, and climate regulation, creating a conducive environment for the survival and reproduction of mammalian species.

In this Special Issue, we aim to highlight papers that address the ecological sustainability of agroforests for the conservation of mammal biodiversity. We welcome the submission of either review or original research articles that cover a broad range of topics related to mammal biodiversity in agroforests. We also particularly welcome papers that discuss the ecological consequences of the shift in and loss of mammal biodiversity, and stimulate a debate on how to revert the loss of mammals to restore biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services.

Dr. Ricardo Siqueira Bovendorp
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • mammals
  • biodiversity
  • defaunation
  • anthropogenic factors
  • trophic cascade
  • ecosystem functioning
  • conservation biology
  • habitat loss
  • protected areas
  • agroforest

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 2844 KiB  
Article
Bark Browsing and Recovery: A Comparative Study between Douglas Fir and Silver Fir Species in the Western Carpathians
by Bohdan Konôpka, Vladimír Šebeň and Jozef Pajtík
Sustainability 2024, 16(6), 2293; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16062293 - 10 Mar 2024
Viewed by 483
Abstract
The foraging behavior of ruminating ungulates significantly impacts forest ecosystems due to their nutritional requirements. This study focuses on inter-specific comparisons of bark browsing (stripping) between Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) and silver fir (Abies alba Mill.). Field measurements were [...] Read more.
The foraging behavior of ruminating ungulates significantly impacts forest ecosystems due to their nutritional requirements. This study focuses on inter-specific comparisons of bark browsing (stripping) between Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) and silver fir (Abies alba Mill.). Field measurements were conducted at the previously established research demonstration site “Husárik” in the Javorníky Mountains, north-western Slovakia. We measured the sizes of wounds on stems and assessed the dimensions of unrecovered parts of wounds, subsequently calculating areas of recovered bark patches. Then, the total areas of wounds recovered patches, and unrecovered parts were measured. Additionally, the percentages of wound areas, recovered areas, and unrecovered areas were expressed as proportions relative to the total bark surface. Influencing factors such as the position of wounds along the vertical stem profile and stem diameter class were analyzed using two- and three-way ANOVA followed by Fisher’s LSD test. The results demonstrate the susceptibility of both tree species to bark browsing by ruminating ungulates, primarily red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) in our study site. Douglas fir exhibited slightly less intense browsing compared to silver fir, while silver fir had a slightly higher recovery rate. Specifically, 17.0% of the bark surface in Douglas fir and 21.5% in silver fir were browsed. The proportions of recovered areas on wounds were 62.5% and 69.6% in Douglas fir and silver fir, respectively. Regarding the vertical stem profile, the most intense browsing occurred at a height of 101–125 cm from the ground level, with rates of 40.7% in Douglas fir and 47.0% in silver fir. Browsing intensity showed negligible variation among diameter classes, which were classified as up to 35 mm, 35–50 mm, and over 50 mm. Our findings suggest that, as an introduced species, Douglas fir is not a suitable substitute for other commercially significant tree species in supporting sustainable forestry in European countries where ruminating ungulates are overabundant. Full article
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