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Environmental DNA (eDNA) approaches to monitoring biodiversity in terrestrial environments have largely focused on sampling water bodies, potentially limiting the geographic and taxonomic scope of eDNA investigations. We assessed the performance of two strictly terrestrial eDNA sampling approaches to detect arboreal mammals, a guild with many threatened and poorly studied taxa worldwide, within two central New Jersey (USA) woodlands. We evaluated species detected with metabarcoding using two eDNA collection methods (tree bark vs. soil sampling), and compared the performance of two detection methods (qPCR vs. metabarcoding) within a single species. Our survey, which included 94 sampling events at 21 trees, detected 16 species of mammals, representing over 60% of the diversity expected in the area. More DNA was found for the 8 arboreal versus 8 non-arboreal species detected (mean: 2466 vs. 289 reads/sample). Soil samples revealed a generally similar composition, but a lower diversity, of mammal species. Detection rates for big brown bat were 3.4 × higher for qPCR over metabarcoding, illustrating the enhanced sensitivity of single-species approaches. Our results suggest that sampling eDNA from on and around trees could serve as a useful new monitoring tool for cryptic arboreal mammal communities globally.

Mangrove forest restoration can improve services and functions across associated coastal ecosystems. However, the effectiveness of mangrove restoration efforts is highly dependent on knowing the locations and habitat requirements of target species within the landscape of interest. Habitat suitability models are powerful tools that identify suitable environmental conditions and reduce the risk of poor site selection. When coupled with information on potential future climate conditions, land‐use conflicts, and co‐benefits (e.g., biodiversity), these models can be used to identify and prioritize areas that meet multiple stakeholder objectives and help implement a broader ecosystem‐based approach to restoration. In this study, we coupled habitat suitability models with machine learning to assess present and future habitat suitability of mangrove forests across the Arabian Gulf. We then incorporated land‐use and marine habitat data from Qatar to prioritize areas for mangrove restoration in a country where mangroves constitute the only type of forest. All the tested machine learning models (artificial neural networks, boosted regression trees, random forest, Maxent, and Maxnet) showed high predictive performance, but the percentage of contributions of each environmental predictor differed across the models. Important predictors of mangrove habitat suitability in Qatar included elevation, slope, distance to coastline, temperature, and precipitation. While most models predicted a future reduction in suitable habitat for mangrove forests in the country and across the region, there were suitable sites in Qatar located within currently protected areas. We identified several potential areas of high restoration impact (i.e., high present and future suitability, far from urban areas, and closest to live coral areas) across the northwest side of Qatar. These results demonstrate that habitat suitability modeling can be paired with information on land‐use restrictions, proximity to infrastructure, and other ecosystems to integrate an ecosystem‐based approach to guide restoration site selection.

The spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae), is an emerging invasive pest, which attacks a wide variety of fruits and berries. Although previous studies have focused on different aspects of D. suzukii reproductive biology, there are no protocols available for determining the mating status of D. suzukii females and drosophilids in general. In this study, a step-by-step protocol for tissue dissection, isolating spermathecae, and determining the mating status of females was developed specifically for D. suzukii. This protocol is an effective and relatively quick method for determining female mating status. It has important applications from exploring reproductive output of D. suzukii females to understanding the biology of D. suzukii winter morph, which presumably plays the main role in the overwintering of this invasive species. We demonstrated applicability of this protocol for both field collected flies and flies reared in the lab, including fly specimens stored on a long-term basis.

Codling moth Cydia pomonella L. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) is a major pest of pome fruits worldwide. Fruit is damaged by larval feeding, and numbers of larvae are directly related to the numbers of females in the preceding generation. In Pacific Northwest, apple orchards, C. pomonella are generally managed with insecticides and mating disruption. However, additional control methods are needed when these treatments fail or are undesirable. Using a three-component kairomone lure that attracts both sexes, we mass-trapped C. pomonella in 4-acre plots located within commercial apple orchards. In all cases, there were smaller increases in fruit infestation in the mass-trapped plots than in the corresponding control plots. This relative decrease in fruit infestation in the mass-trapped plots corresponded with the removal of more male and female C. pomonella. Mass-trapping using this lure has potential to be a novel and promising addition to integrated pest management of C. pomonella.

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is a well-documented pest of agricultural crops across the globe. However, not all crops are suitable hosts for H. halys, and it is necessary to proactively document the susceptibility of economically important specialty crops, such as cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon; Ericaceae), a native fruit crop that contributes millions of dollars to the North American economy. In this study, we tested whether cranberry is a suitable host for H. halys by measuring the development and feeding injury inflicted by H. halys on cranberry fruit and foliage. We found that H. halys nymphs cannot successfully develop on cranberry fruit or foliage alone, but that the fruit are susceptible to adult feeding. On the basis of these findings, cranberry does not seem to be a suitable host to support nymph development, but adult feeding could negatively impact fruit quality. Future research should consider the impacts of adult feeding on fruit quality and how adult abundance in and near agricultural crops might change the risk profile of this pest.

Pest management of emerging pests can be challenging because very little fundamental knowledge is available to inform management strategies. One such pest, the red-headed flea beetle Systena frontalis (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is increasingly being identified as a pest of concern in cranberries Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton (Ericales: Ericaceae). To improve our understanding of this pest and to develop more targeted management programs, we conducted field and laboratory studies to characterize the development, seasonal emergence patterns, and density-dependent plant injury. We found that significantly more flea beetle eggs hatched when exposed to sustained cold treatment between 0 and 5[degrees]C for 15 wk than at warmer temperatures, and for shorter and longer cold-period durations. The adults emerged sporadically over the summer, were patchily distributed, fed on both fruit and foliage, and preferentially fed on new plant growth. Using soil cores, we found eggs and larvae located relatively deep (>30 cm) in the soil. These patterns indicate that S. frontalis likely overwinters as eggs, and that targeting the larval stage may be the most effective management approach. Despite the cryptic nature of the larvae, continuing to improve our understanding of this life stage will be critical to optimizing control strategies.

Codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), is a significant pest of pome fruits and walnuts worldwide. Recently, a three-chemical kairomonal lure, comprised of pear ester, acetic acid, and n-butyl sulfide, was successfully used as an attractant in a mass-trapping scheme to reduce fruit damage in commercial apple orchards. In this study, we tested whether this same attractant could be used outside of an orchard setting to decrease fruit damage in isolated, unmanaged apple (Malus spp.) (Rosales: Rosaceae) trees. Traps containing the lures were placed in trees before the first codling moth flight and maintained throughout the summer. We found that while the traps statistically reduced the percent of apples damaged near the trap, the effect was smaller than expected and limited to areas near the trap. It is currently unclear, but site-specific effects (e.g., host type, apple density, codling moth source) may be important factors in the efficacy of management tools in these systems. While kairomone-based trapping could be a practical and feasible management tool in individual trees outside of orchards, more work needs to be done to understand the limitations of this method.

Pest management of emerging pests can be challenging because very little fundamental knowledge is available to inform management strategies. One such pest, the red-headed flea beetle Systena frontalis (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is increasingly being identified as a pest of concern in cranberries Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton (Ericales: Ericaceae). To improve our understanding of this pest and to develop more targeted management programs, we conducted field and laboratory studies to characterize the development, seasonal emergence patterns, and density-dependent plant injury. We found that significantly more flea beetle eggs hatched when exposed to sustained cold treatment between 0 and 5°C for 15 wk than at warmer temperatures, and for shorter and longer cold-period durations. The adults emerged sporadically over the summer, were patchily distributed, fed on both fruit and foliage, and preferentially fed on new plant growth. Using soil cores, we found eggs and larvae located relatively deep (>30 cm) in the soil. These patterns indicate that S. frontalis likely overwinters as eggs, and that targeting the larval stage may be the most effective management approach. Despite the cryptic nature of the larvae, continuing to improve our understanding of this life stage will be critical to optimizing control strategies.

Male and female codling moths, Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), were shown to be attracted to a three-chemical kairomonal lure consisting of pear ester, acetic acid, and n-butyl sulfide. A controlled-release device based on sachets was developed in the laboratory and field tested to optimize the attractiveness of C. pomonella to this combination of attractants, and to decrease material costs associated with the controlled-release of these chemicals. The lure was most effective when pear ester was released from a separate dispenser than when combined acetic acid and n-butyl sulfide. We found that acetic acid and n-butyl sulfide can be combined into one device without decreasing C. pomonella trap catches and that there is minimal pear release rate before trap catch is negatively affected. A sachet-based controlled-release system of pear ester, acetic acid, n-butyl sulfide is a cost-effective alternative to a vial and septa controlled-release system and allows for easier quantification of ideal release rates. A reduction in material costs associated with management are important in promoting the adoption of attract-and-kill and mass-trapping paradigms for C. pomonella management.These findings also have important consequences in interpreting studies that use different loads of pear ester, and emphasize the need to better understand the release rates of attractants.

Forest-based carbon sequestration projects incentivize reforestation and restoration activities while offering opportunities to realize co-benefits such as biodiversity conservation. While conservation aspects are increasingly emphasized in these projects, the rigor of biodiversity co-benefit verification has been highly variable. Recent advances in biodiversity monitoring based on shed DNA in the environment (eDNA) offer promise for improving effectiveness, standardization, and transparency. Here we analyze 129 forest carbon projects and 396 peer-reviewed studies to identify how biodiversity co-benefits are currently verified within forest carbon markets, and to evaluate the potential of eDNA for tracking biodiversity change. Our analysis revealed that eDNA studies focused more on smaller organisms (microbes and invertebrates) and on temperate ecosystems compared with biodiversity-focused forest carbon projects. Efforts to align these two worlds via investments into broadening the geographic and taxonomic scope could allow greater adoption and increased accountability in biodiversity monitoring within forest carbon markets (i.e. standardized, auditable biodiversity data trails). Adapting advancements in eDNA technology to the biodiversity monitoring needs of nature-based initiatives will aid countries and organizations striving to meet global conservation commitments. Environmental DNA studies focus more on microbes, invertebrates, and temperate ecosystems, compared to biodiversity-focused forest carbon projects, and both areas need to align to facilitate improved biodiversity monitoring in the forest carbon market, according to the three-phase systematic analysis.