Frontiers of protected areas versus forest exploitation: Assessing habitat network functionality in 16 case study regions globally.

Exploitation of natural forests forms expanding frontiers. Simultaneously, protected area frontiers aim at maintaining functional habitat networks. To assess net effects of these frontiers, we examined 16 case study areas on five continents. We (1) mapped protected area instruments, (2) assessed their effectiveness, (3) mapped policy implementation tools, and (4) effects on protected areas originating from their surroundings. Results are given as follows: (1) conservation instruments covered 3-77%, (2) effectiveness of habitat networks depended on representativeness, habitat quality, functional connectivity, resource extraction in protected areas, time for landscape restoration, "paper parks", "fortress conservation", and data access, (3) regulatory policy instruments dominated over economic and informational, (4) negative matrix effects dominated over positive ones (protective forests, buffer zones, inaccessibility), which were restricted to former USSR and Costa Rica. Despite evidence-based knowledge about conservation targets, the importance of spatial segregation of conservation and use, and traditional knowledge, the trajectories for biodiversity conservation were generally negative.

Changes in the leaf nutrient and pigment contents of Berberis microphylla G. Forst. in relation to irradiance and fertilization.

Berberis microphylla G. Forst. commonly named calafate, is a Patagonian shrub that grows in humid areas of the steppe, coastal thickets, edges and gaps of Nothofagus forests or along streams and rivers, with small purple berries. The objective of this study was to evaluate the changes in leaf nutrient (carbon, nitrogen, carbon:nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) and pigment contents (chlorophyll a and b, chlorophyll a:b ratio and carotenoids) of B. microphylla plants growing under different irradiances (low = 24%, medium = 57%, and high = 100% of the natural irradiance) and fertilization levels (0 = 0.00 g, 1 = 3.36 g, and 2 = 6.72 g per plant) during two growing seasons (2008-2009, 2009-2010). Also, we explored the relationships of these variables with anthocyanin, as well as with total phenol fruit contents. The fertilization has been highlighted, particularly in the content of foliar nutrients, where nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium contents were highest with fertilization level 2 (2.0%, 0.1%, and 0.6%, respectively), while carbon:nitrogen ratio (37.5) was maximum on fertilization level 0. Irradiance has greatly affected the content of foliar pigments. Thus, chlorophyll a, b, and carotenoids were highest under low irradiance (0.4, 0.1 and 0.2 mmol/m2, respectively), while chlorophyll a:b ratio was maximum under medium and high irradiance conditions (3.1). In addition, the quantity of fruit secondary metabolite (anthocyanin and phenol) could be estimated using carbon and potassium leaf contents and chlorophyll a and b contents. On the other hand, the annual climatic variability between 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 mainly affected the variables on nutrient and pigment contents, likely evidencing the influence of two distinct climate periods, El Niño/La Niña phenomena, respectively. The changes observed in the leaf nutrient and pigment contents of B. microphylla could be related to the acclimation capacity of B. microphylla shrubs to changes in environmental conditions via arrangements in leaf composition.

In vitro propagation of Berberis buxifolia Lam

Berberis buxifolia is a native shrub of Patagonia with a great importance due to its crop production as soon its medicinal and tinctorial applications. The aim of this work was to develop a protocol for in vitro propagation of B. buxifolia, with special emphasys on the rooting stage. The culture of the explants on Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium added with 0.55 microM BA allowed to attain a multiplication rate of 1:4.7 at day 63. Rooted shoots were obtained on Murashige and Skoog medium with half strength of macronutrient salts. The culture of the shoots with a period of 4 days of darkness at the beginning of the rooting, on a medium with 1.25 microM IBA for 7 days, followed by a IBA free medium until day 28, allowed to attain 80 rooting. These results show that B. buxifolia can be in vitro propagated.(AU)

Calcium and boron for in vitro rooting of Nothofagus nervosa

Several mineral compounds influence adventitious rooting, and those containing boron and calcium, play an important role. They are associated to the enzyme regulation, cell division, cellular metabolism (induction stage) and roots enlargement (expression stage). The aims of this work were to study the variation of the endogenous calcium and boron concentrations along the rooting, and determine their optimal concentrations in the rooting basal medium of Nothofagus nervosa. Significant variation in endogenous calcium concentrations was detected along the rooting phase, strongly correlated with rhizogenesis phenomenons and linked to total peroxidase variation as cited elsewhere. Calcium and boron concentrations in the basal medium significantly affected the rooting. Treatment containing 60 mg.L-1 Ca and 1 mg.L-1 B produced root formation in fewer days than other combinations. The variation of these nutrient concentrations in the medium is a useful tool to improve microcutting rooting. Roots are obtained earlier and in a shorter period of time, finally resulting in more homogeneous microplants with a better developed rooting system.(AU)

In vitro propagation of Berberis buxifolia Lam

Berberis buxifolia is a native shrub of Patagonia with a great importance due to its crop production as soon its medicinal and tinctorial applications. The aim of this work was to develop a protocol for in vitro propagation of B. buxifolia, with special emphasys on the rooting stage. The culture of the explants on Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium added with 0.55 microM BA allowed to attain a multiplication rate of 1:4.7 at day 63. Rooted shoots were obtained on Murashige and Skoog medium with half strength of macronutrient salts. The culture of the shoots with a period of 4 days of darkness at the beginning of the rooting, on a medium with 1.25 microM IBA for 7 days, followed by a IBA free medium until day 28, allowed to attain 80 rooting. These results show that B. buxifolia can be in vitro propagated.

Calcium and boron for in vitro rooting of Nothofagus nervosa

Several mineral compounds influence adventitious rooting, and those containing boron and calcium, play an important role. They are associated to the enzyme regulation, cell division, cellular metabolism (induction stage) and roots enlargement (expression stage). The aims of this work were to study the variation of the endogenous calcium and boron concentrations along the rooting, and determine their optimal concentrations in the rooting basal medium of Nothofagus nervosa. Significant variation in endogenous calcium concentrations was detected along the rooting phase, strongly correlated with rhizogenesis phenomenons and linked to total peroxidase variation as cited elsewhere. Calcium and boron concentrations in the basal medium significantly affected the rooting. Treatment containing 60 mg.L-1 Ca and 1 mg.L-1 B produced root formation in fewer days than other combinations. The variation of these nutrient concentrations in the medium is a useful tool to improve microcutting rooting. Roots are obtained earlier and in a shorter period of time, finally resulting in more homogeneous microplants with a better developed rooting system.