Hainan Province, a tropical island region in China, boasts a rich diversity of natural resources, including a substantial population of venerable trees (VTs). VTs, or venerable trees, represent an important ecological and cultural resource. However, accelerated urbanization and increased human activities pose significant threats to their survival. This study investigates the status of VTs in Hainan Province, analyzing key characteristics such as age, height, diameter at breast height (DBH), and crown width. We evaluated 373 species and 18,459 VTs, examining the natural and anthropogenic factors that drive their distribution. Results indicate a rich and diverse species composition, with a pyramidal age structure, where VT numbers decline with increasing age, suggesting a sufficient reserve of younger VTs. Spatial distribution patterns reveal a clustering of VTs, with higher densities in northern Hainan and reduced presence in coastal and seaward urban areas compared to inland regions. The optimal model identified habitat heterogeneity and environmental energy as the primary drivers of VT species diversity, with MAPR (maximum minus minimum precipitation) emerging as the strongest predictor of species richness. The best combination model showed a greater independent effect on VT species diversity patterns than the other models, which had lower values. Based on these findings, we propose protective measures to address the current threats and preservation challenges facing Hainan’s ancient trees.

Agricultural intensification and land clearing for agriculture has resulted in loss of biodiversity worldwide, land degradation and reduced the quality of ecosystems services that assist agriculture. Vegetative strips such as hedgerows and shelterbelts have the potential to provide ecosystem service benefits that improve agricultural production and environmental sustainability. A complex, interdisciplinary body of evidence exists examining the various social, physical, chemical, biological and ecological effects of vegetative strips. Here we provide an update to a systematic map of evidence regarding the social and environmental effects of vegetative strips within boreal and temperate regions. We track temporal changes in research trends since the previous map published on this topic in 2015. We followed the approach the previous map, searching databases using an identical search string. We used pre-defined eligibility criteria and layered article screening, reporting the reasons for article exclusion. We extracted meta-data and descriptively summarised the results to allow comparison to the previous map, producing an interactive database that serves as a comprehensive and up-to-date map of new evidence on top of the previous findings. We found many trends that were consistent with the previous map, including terminology trends, study regions, vegetative strip type, strip location and measured outcomes. We also found that there were key changes in the publication frequency of studies examining some biodiversity-related ecosystem services. In addition, several knowledge gaps identified in the previous map have been filled. A small number of countries in the Global North continue to drive major changes in publication trends.

In many farming landscapes, aquatic features such as wetlands, creeks and dams provide water needed for stock and irrigation, while also acting as habitat for a range of plants and animals. Indeed, some species threatened by land use change may otherwise be considerably rarer – or even extinct – in the absence of these habitats. Therefore, a critical issue for the maintenance of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes is the extent to which the management of aquatic systems can help promote the integration of agricultural production and biodiversity conservation. We completed a snapshot cross-sectional study in southern New South Wales (south-eastern Australia) to quantify the efficacy of simple management practices – partial revegetation and stock reduction via fencing – for improving vegetation structure, water quality, and macroinvertebrate assemblages. We found that even short-term livestock exclusion resulted in increased vegetation cover. Relative to dams that were unfenced, those that had been partially or completely fenced for many years were characterized by reduced turbidity and nutrient levels and contained fewer thermotolerant (faecal) coliforms. They also supported increased richness and abundance of macroinvertebrates. In contrast, control (unfenced) dams tended to have high abundance of a few macroinvertebrate taxa. Notably, differences remained between the macroinvertebrate assemblages of fenced dams and nearby ‘natural’ waterbodies. Our results show how management interventions can improve water quality in farm dams and provide a valuable reference and baseline for longer term studies of farm dam improvement.