NEWS
NEWS
Study Highlights the Importance of Fire History for Conserving Fire-Dependent Beetles in Boreal Forests
This recent published paper written by our researchers analyzes the influence of recent forest fire history (12 years prior to sampling) on the occurrence of pyrophilic beetles, which benefit from forest fires, in a 10,000 km² region in Sweden. The researchers used smoke attraction traps to capture beetles at 21 forest sites with different fire histories and developed a new spatiotemporal connectivity measure to assess how the location and timing of fires affected beetle occurrence. They found that the presence of pyrophilic beetles was significantly related to fires that occurred nearby (within 2 km) and recently (within the last 2-3 years), whereas other beetle species did not show this relationship. These results suggest that prescribed burns for conservation purposes should be conducted close to other fires and at relatively frequent intervals to promote the biodiversity of pyrophilic beetles.
Milberg P, Bergman K-O, Jansson N, Norman H, Sundin F, Westerberg L, Johansson V. Short Spatiotemporal Fire History Explains the Occurrence of Beetles Favoured by Fire. Insects. 2024; 15(10):775. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15100775
Study Reveals New Insights on Biodiversity in Swedish Oak Forests
This article analyzes the influence of climate change on the effectiveness of protected areas in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services. The study compares the biodiversity of plants and arthropods, as well as productivity (tree growth), in protected and non-protected areas along a latitudinal gradient in Sweden. The authors observed that plant and arthropod species richness increased with latitude but was not higher in protected areas compared to non-protected ones. Tree growth was also not associated with latitude or protection status. These results suggest that current conservation strategies may be insufficient to protect biodiversity and ecosystem services in the face of climate change, highlighting the need for more climate-adapted strategies.
Listen to a short podcast about the paper:
Milberg, P. and Strandhag, J. How spruce and pine fare in a wooded meadow without management for a century. Baltic Forestry. 2024, 30(1): id 732; https://doi.org/10.46490/BF732
Harnessing Remote Sensing for Biomass Estimation in Young Scots Pine Forests
This paper explores the application of remote sensing technologies to estimate aboveground biomass in young Pinus sylvestris (Scots Pine) stands. Conducted in the Baltic region, the study compares different remote sensing methods, including LiDAR and aerial imagery, to traditional field measurements for biomass estimation. The findings demonstrate that remote sensing is a promising tool for biomass assessment, providing accurate estimates while reducing the time and labor associated with fieldwork. The research is valuable for forest managers and ecologists seeking efficient ways to monitor forest growth and carbon sequestration in young stands.
Long-term Succession and Decline: A Century of Small Tree and Shrub Dynamics in a Southern Swedish Meadow
This recently publish paper investigates how small tree and shrub populations have changed over a century of natural succession in a protected meadow. The study revisits an area in southern Sweden that ceased traditional management practices like mowing in 1923, allowing the natural progression of the landscape from a meadow to a forest. By comparing data from a 1937 survey with fieldwork conducted in 2023, the authors found a significant decline in both population density and canopy cover of the species studied. Despite this, some trees and shrubs have persisted, demonstrating the slow pace of ecological change and highlighting the potential for restoration in semi-open landscapes.
This study emphasizes the importance of traditional land-use practices for maintaining biodiversity and suggests that without management, such species may continue to decline. The paper contributes valuable insights for conservationists and land managers looking to balance natural succession with the preservation of species-rich habitats like wooded meadows.
Listen to a short podcast about the paper:
Finndin M., Milberg P. The population development of small trees and shrubs after 100 years of free succession of a wooded meadow in southern Sweden. Silva Fennica. 2024, 58(1): id 23071. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.23071
NEW PUBLICATION: Comparing DNA Metabarcoding, Barcoding, and Morphological Methods
This paper investigates the effectiveness of three methods—DNA metabarcoding, standard barcoding, and traditional morphology-based identification—in identifying insect species and estimating biodiversity. The study evaluates their performance across various insect taxonomic groups (butterflies, bumblebees, and parasitic wasps) by comparing species assignment consistency.
Key findings:
- DNA barcoding showed an average assignment consistency of 49% across taxonomic groups, with parasitic wasps showing the lowest accuracy.
- Metabarcoding provided reliable biodiversity estimates that aligned well with morphological identification results, demonstrating its utility in large-scale biodiversity assessments.
- The study revealed that species assignment consistency is influenced by taxonomic group, sequence similarity thresholds, and geographic distance.
The findings highlight that while challenges remain, DNA barcoding and metabarcoding offer robust alternatives to traditional taxonomy, especially in biodiversity monitoring and conservation.
Listen to a short podcast about it:
RECENT PUBLISHED PAPER: Long-Distance Movements and Large Population Sizes of Endangered BUTTERFLY Species
New study published examines the dispersal patterns, population sizes, and conservation needs of three globally threatened butterfly species: the Marsh Fritillary, Apollo, and Large Blue
Key findings:
- Population sizes: Despite being endangered, these species maintain large populations in some areas, with nearly 30,000 captures recorded.
- Long-distance movements: The Marsh Fritillary traveled up to 7.2 km, and the Apollo butterfly up to 6.4 km, indicating the need for expansive habitats.
- Density-dependent dispersal: As population density increased, butterflies were more likely to disperse to less crowded areas, improving survival.
Conservation Implications:
The study stresses the need for habitat management and landscape-level conservation strategies to protect these species from threats like agriculture and climate change, ensuring their survival on Gotland.
Listen about the paper in this short podcast:
Franzén, M., Johansson, H., Askling, J., Kindvall, O., Johansson, V., Forsman, A., Sunde, J. Long-distance movements, large population sizes and density-dependent dispersal in three threatened butterfly species. Insect Conservation and Diversity. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1111/icad.12766
THE WEBSITE IS ON!
We are excited to announce that the Biodiversa website is now live!
Here, you can learn more about the Conservation Ecology Group, based in Sweden, and their ongoing research. Our group consists of researchers and students working together to explore ways to better protect nature and halt species decline. Our research projects focus on monitoring wild populations, understanding pollinators and pollination relationships, and investigating the environmental needs of key species.
We will continue to update the website with more information about our research to improve science communication and make it accessible to everyone.
We hope you enjoy exploring our work!
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
