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The management of wildlife hosts for controlling parasites and disease has a history of mixed success. Deer can be important hosts for ticks, such as Ixodes ricinus , which is the primary vector of disease-causing zoonotic pathogens in Europe. Deer are generally managed by culling and fencing for forestry protection, habitat conservation, and commercial hunting, and in this study we test whether these deer management methods can be useful for controlling ticks, with implications for tick-borne pathogens. At different spatial scales and habitats we tested the hypotheses that tick abundance is reduced by (1) culling deer and (2) deer exclusion using fencing. We compared abundance indices of hosts and questing I. ricinus nymphs using a combination of small-scale fencing experiments on moorland, a large-scale natural experiment of fenced and unfenced pairs of forests, and cross-sectional surveys of forest and moorland areas with varying deer densities. As predicted, areas with fewer deer had fewer ticks, and fenced exclosures had dramatically fewer ticks in both large-scale forest and small-scale moorland plots. Fencing and reducing deer density were also associated with higher ground vegetation. The implications of these results on other hosts, pathogen prevalence, and disease risk are discussed. This study provides evidence of how traditional management methods of a keystone species can reduce a generalist parasite, with implications for disease risk mitigation.

The Tierra del Fuego Archipelago (TFA), situated at the southernmost tip of South America, represents a region of great biogeographical importance facing rapid environmental changes due to anthropic activities and climate change. In this context, the assessment of the sub-Antarctic biodiversity of the TFA is becoming increasingly important. Among invertebrates, insects are the most diverse group in the TFA, still they are largely unexplored. The order Coleoptera is particularly dominant in the TFA, with the Geadephaga group being a recognized natural group that plays key ecological roles in both natural and agricultural ecosystems. Although the species richness of Geadephaga is lower in sub-Antarctic environments than in subtropical archipelagos, these beetles exhibit a remarkable degree of endemism, emphasizing their unique evolutionary significance in sub-Antarctic habitats. In this contribution, we present a comprehensive list of Geadephaga species in the TFA, along with a taxonomic key, illustrated images of adult specimens, and distribution maps, to improve the understanding of their biogeographic patterns. We report a total of 52 species (one Cicindelidae and 51 Carabidae), including ten newly recorded species and three new putative taxa. The species richness of the TFA surpasses that of the other sub-Antarctic islands. Our findings reveal distinct biogeographical patterns associated with Nothofagus forests, the Magellanic moorlands, and the Patagonian steppe, indicating the influence of climatic conditions on beetle diversity. Our outcomes underline the importance of studying the ecological and evolutionary processes that shape the biodiversity of this sub-Antarctic archipelago.

Occupancy modeling is an essential tool for understanding species‐habitat associations, thereby helping to plan the conservation of rare and threatened wildlife species. The conservation status and ecology of several avian species, particularly ground‐dwelling birds, are poorly known in Ethiopia. We used camera trap‐based occupancy modeling to investigate habitat covariate influence on occupancy (Ψ) and detection probability (ρ) estimates of Moorland Francolins Scleroptila psilolaema from spatially replicated surveys across both relatively pristine and disturbed landscapes in the Afroalpine biome of Ethiopia. Model‐averaged estimate of ψ̂ $$ \\hat{\\uppsi} $$across all sites was 0.76 (SD = 0.28) and ρ̂ $$ \\hat{\\uprho} $$was 0.77 (SD = 0.13) in the pristine landscape. The ψ̂ $$ \\hat{\\uppsi} $$of the species in the disturbed landscape was 0.56 (SD = 0.19) and ρ̂ $$ \\hat{\\uprho} $$was 0.48 (SD = 0.06). As hypothesized, based on our model‐averaged beta coefficient estimates (βmean ± SE), predators significantly negatively influenced the occupancy of Moorland Francolins in pristine habitat. We also found a significant positive association of occupancy with herb species richness. Contrary to our prediction, distance to road significantly negatively influence the occupancy of the species, suggesting that occupancy probability was highest in proximity to roadsides and trails in the pristine habitat. There was no significant influence of habitat covariates on the occupancy of the species in the disturbed habitat. The most important covariates that significantly influence the detectability of the species in pristine habitat included sampling occasion and precipitation. The greater occupancy and detectability of this endemic species in the pristine habitat could be linked with the particular conservation status and management of this biodiversity hotspot in the central highlands of Ethiopia. Our results suggest that strict legal enforcement is required to sustainably preserve Moorland Francolins and the ecological integrity of the entire Afroalpine biome. We recommend using camera traps in order to develop realistic and effective conservation and management strategies for rare, sensitive, cryptic, and ground‐dwelling animals in the region. In this research, camera trap‐based occupancy modeling was applied to investigate habitat covariates' influence on occupancy and detection probability estimates of Moorland Francolins from spatially replicated surveys in relatively pristine and disturbed landscapes in the Afroalpine biome of Ethiopia. The study species was influenced by predators, herb species richness, and distance to roads and trails in the pristine habitat. Camera traps help to plan effective conservation and management strategies for secretive ground‐dwelling animals in the topographically complex region.

Fire has been used for centuries to generate and manage some of the UK's cultural landscapes. Despite its complex role in the ecology of UK peatlands and moorlands, there has been a trend of simplifying the narrative around burning to present it as an only ecologically damaging practice. That fire modifies peatland characteristics at a range of scales is clearly understood. Whether these changes are perceived as positive or negative depends upon how trade-offs are made between ecosystem services and the spatial and temporal scales of concern. Here we explore the complex interactions and trade-offs in peatland fire management, evaluating the benefits and costs of managed fire as they are currently understood. We highlight the need for (i) distinguishing between the impacts of fires occurring with differing severity and frequency, and (ii) improved characterization of ecosystem health that incorporates the response and recovery of peatlands to fire. We also explore how recent research has been contextualized within both scientific publications and the wider media and how this can influence non-specialist perceptions. We emphasize the need for an informed, unbiased debate on fire as an ecological management tool that is separated from other aspects of moorland management and from political and economic opinions. This article is part of the themed issue ‘The interaction of fire and mankind’.

We used a landscape-scale study of birch invasion onto heather moorland to determine the consistency of changes in vegetation type and soil properties and in the community composition of five soil organism groups. Our aim was to determine whether the degree to which soil organisms respond to natural changes and/or induced changes (e.g. changes in land-use type and climate) in habitat is consistent across trophic and taxonomic groups in the context of conservation policies for birch woodland and heather moorland. Mainland Scotland. We sampled mesostigmatid mites, oribatid mites, fungi, bacteria and archaea in adjacent patches of birch woodland (dominated by Betula pubescens) and heather moorland (dominated by Calluna vulgaris) at 12 sites for which annual rainfall ranged between 713 and 2251 mm. Differences in community composition were visualized using non-metric multidimensional scaling based on Bray-Curtis dissimilarities. The factors contributing to differences between habitats within sites were explored using general linear models and those among sites using redundancy analysis. The communities of all groups differed between habitats within sites, but only the oribatid mites and fungi differed consistently between habitats across sites. Within sites, dissimilarity in fungal communities was positively related to the difference in C. vulgaris cover between habitats, whereas dissimilarities in bacteria and archaea were positively related to differences in soil pH and C:N ratio between habitats, respectively. The influence of vegetation type and soil properties differed between groups of soil organisms, albeit in a predictable manner, across the 12 sites. Organisms directly associated with plants (fungi), and organisms with microhabitat and resource preferences (Oribatida) were strongly responsive to changes in habitat type. The response of organisms not directly associated with plants (bacteria, archaea) depended on differences in soil properties, while organisms with less clear microhabitat and resource preferences (Mesostigmata) were not strongly responsive to either vegetation type or soil properties. These results show that it is possible to predict the impact of habitat change on specific soil organisms depending on their ecology. Moreover, the community composition of all groups was related to variation in precipitation within the study area, which shows that external factors, such as those caused by climate change, can have a direct effect on belowground communities.

In the Scottish uplands, prescribed burning of moorland vegetation is widely practised either to boost gamebird numbers for recreational shooting or to improve livestock grazing. In recent years, this system of land management has become controversial due to concerns over the potential impacts on ecosystem services. However, there are limited data on the extent, distribution or frequency of burning and it is unclear whether there are long‐term trends in burning. Crucially, the extent of burning on peat soils is not well known. We used a time series of Landsat imagery covering 7750 km2 of moorland in Eastern Scotland to detect annual variation in area burnt from 1985 to 2022. Burnt areas were detected using annual changes in Normalised Burn Ratio. An accuracy evaluation conducted over eight sites covering 415 km2 using a combination of Google Earth imagery, and field studies suggested a user's accuracy of 90% and a producer's accuracy of 77%. We estimate an average annual mean area burnt of 61 km2 with large interannual variability and no significant change in area burnt over the 38‐year study period. We estimate that 32% of burning (19 km2 year−1) occurred on deep peat soils with no reduction in burning on deep peat after the revision of national guidelines (the Muirburn Code) in 2017 recommended ceasing this practice. We find that in Eastern Scotland there has been no significant change in moorland area burnt over the last four decades. The fractional area burnt that is on deep peat is a matter of management concern. Muirburn is a traditional method of burning old‐growth heather to promote fresh growth. In a satellite study of Eastern Scotland over the past four decades, we found no significant change in the area of moorland burnt, with deep peat accounting for a large fraction of burn area throughout.

The increase in population has an impact on increasing demand for land to meet living needs. This condition triggers changes in land use that are oriented towards meeting living needs. Land use should be adjusted to the main function of the area so that development does not have a negative impact on the environment. This research aims to analyze the suitability of land use for functions area in Tawangmangu Sub-District in 2023. This research uses a quantitative descriptive approach with a scoring method. Data collection in this research was carried out by observation, document analysis and image interpretation. The research results show that 3208.09 Ha (45.8%) of land in Tawangmangu Sub-District has land use that is not in accordance with the function of the area. There are 917.66 Ha (30.76%) of protected areas whose existing land uses are settlements, rice fields, moorlands, gardens and shrubs. The findings in this research can be used as material for consideration by the government in formulating spatial planning policies related to sustainable development in Tawangmangu Sub-District.

During the last century, afforestation and intensification of sheep grazing in the British uplands have led to widespread declines in globally rare heather moorland. We quantified changes in heather cover over 70 years in relation to changes in sheep grazing on Langholm Moor, and examined the impact on red grouse, a gamebird inhabiting heather moorland. Between 1948 and 2009, when grazed heavily by sheep, heather-dominated vegetation declined from 53 to 14% cover. Large-scale sheep reductions from 2011 then allowed increase of heather-dominated vegetation cover to 18% by 2015. However, changes in heather cover were associated with changes in grouse abundance only where heather-dominated cover was reduced below thresholds of 27% (95% CL 18–36%; pre-breeding) and 17% (95% CL 13–20%; post-breeding). The number of grouse shot between 1951 and 1992 remained high where 37–65% of dominant heather cover was retained, but then declined between 1992 and 1996 following increased predation by raptors, leading to the cessation of shooting. Subsequently, grouse densities fluctuated in relation to periodic management by gamekeepers (1992–1999 and 2008–2016), but heather loss continued possibly until 2011, and predation in this context prevented sustained increases sufficient for ‘driven’ shooting. Grouse shooting provides an economic incentive to maintain and restore heather moorland. On Langholm Moor, however, afforestation in the surrounding landscape and isolation from other heather moors may have led to a grouse population less well buffered against growing predation pressure, especially outside keepered periods. As grouse shooting could not be restored, the future management of the moor remains uncertain.

During the process of delimitation of the Santurban moorland ecosystem (Colombia), a socioenvironmental conflict arose from small and large-scale mining extractivism. This study analyzes the social representations of settlers in this moorland ecosystem, regarding the meaning, practice and value of their territory and water as a vital resource, in order to interpret their perceptions on the internal dynamics of conflict and the different aspects symbolizing their complexity. An ethnographic design was implemented by NVIVO software information coding. The findings underscore the uncertainty of rural stakeholders facing the impossibility to continue to develop ancestral mining activities and the disputes arising from the urban setting for the defense of water. It was concluded that the socioenvironmental conflict presented requires ongoing participation from rural and urban settlers, in consideration to their permanent questions regarding the current situation in their regions and the permanent search for solutions.

Peat moorlands are important habitats in the boreal region, where they store approximately 30% of the global soil carbon (C). Prescribed burning on peat is a very contentious management strategy, widely linked with loss of carbon. Here, we quantify the effects of prescribed burning for lightly managed boreal moorlands and show that the impacts on peat and C accumulation rates are not as bad as is widely thought. We used stratigraphical techniques within a unique replicated ecological experiment with known burn frequencies to quantify peat and C accumulation rates (0, 1, 3 and 6 managed burns since around 1923). Accumulation rates were typical of moorlands elsewhere, and were reduced significantly only in the 6-burn treatment. However, impacts intensified gradually with burn frequency; each additional burn reduced the accumulation rates by 4.9 g m−2 yr−1 (peat) and 1.9 g C cm−2 yr−1, but did not prevent accumulation. Species diversity and the abundance of peat-forming species also increased with burn frequency. Our data challenge widely held perceptions that a move to 0 burning is essential for peat growth, and show that appropriate prescribed burning can both mitigate wildfire risk in a warmer world and produce relatively fast peat growth and sustained C sequestration.