Notes for genera: basal clades of Fungi (including Aphelidiomycota, Basidiobolomycota, Blastocladiomycota, Calcarisporiellomycota, Caulochytriomycota, Chytridiomycota, Entomophthoromycota, Glomeromycota, Kickxellomycota, Monoblepharomycota, Mortierellomycota, Mucoromycota, Neocallimastigomycota, Olpidiomycota, Rozellomycota and Zoopagomycota)

Compared to the higher fungi (Dikarya), taxonomic and evolutionary studies on the basal clades of fungi are fewer in number. Thus, the generic boundaries and higher ranks in the basal clades of fungi are poorly known. Recent DNA based taxonomic studies have provided reliable and accurate information. It is therefore necessary to compile all available information since basal clades genera lack updated checklists or outlines. Recently, Tedersoo et al. (MycoKeys 13:1--20, 2016) accepted Aphelidiomycota and Rozellomycota in Fungal clade. Thus, we regard both these phyla as members in Kingdom Fungi. We accept 16 phyla in basal clades viz. Aphelidiomycota, Basidiobolomycota, Blastocladiomycota, Calcarisporiellomycota, Caulochytriomycota, Chytridiomycota, Entomophthoromycota, Glomeromycota, Kickxellomycota, Monoblepharomycota, Mortierellomycota, Mucoromycota, Neocallimastigomycota, Olpidiomycota, Rozellomycota and Zoopagomycota. Thus, 611 genera in 153 families, 43 orders and 18 classes are provided with details of classification, synonyms, life modes, distribution, recent literature and genomic data. Moreover, Catenariaceae Couch is proposed to be conserved, Cladochytriales Mozl.-Standr. is emended and the family Nephridiophagaceae is introduced

Structure and carbon stocks of accessible mangroves under different conservation status in the Colombian Caribbean

This is the final version. Available from Elsevier via the DOI in this record. Data availability: The research data supporting this publication is available at Zenodo (doi:10.5281/zenodo.11220445) and the University of Exeter’s institutional repository.Mangroves are under immense anthropogenic pressures globally which are further exacerbated by their accessibility to humans. To minimize human access hence pressures to the ecosystem, establishment of protected areas is often employed. However, the ecological effectiveness of protected areas, which influences their legal durability, is rarely assessed beyond curbing deforestation. Furthermore, little is known about whether protection could still provide a positive ecological impact if the sites are easily accessible, i.e., adjacent to urban areas, near roads, small in area and/or fragmented. To improve our understanding thereon, this study compares anthropogenic disturbance severity, forest structures and ecosystem carbon (C) stocks of protected and unprotected mangroves near Barranquilla, Colombia's largest coastal city. The outcomes suggest that accessible, yet protected mangrove has a mean disturbance index of 5.3, lower than unprotected mangrove (mean 11). Protected mangrove also has higher mean (± SD) tree basal area (26.5 ± 15.6 m2 ha−1), mean densities of tree, sapling and seedling (899 ± 398, 5155 ± 7860, and 68,837 ± 73,899 individual ha−1, respectively) and biomass C stock (mean 89.5 ± 39 Mg ha−1) than those of accessible unprotected mangrove (mean basal area 19.3 ± 5 m2 ha−1; mean tree, sapling and seedling densities 823 ± 215, 749 ± 94, and 33,727 ± 44,882 individual ha−1, respectively; mean biomass C stock 60.2 ± 14.5 Mg ha−1). Results suggest that the current sediment C stocks, that is higher in unprotected than protected mangroves (396.8 ± 552.6 and 142.4 ± 205.7 Mg ha−1, respectively), are not primarily driven by conservation status, but by long-term processes that likely pre-date the protected status designation. Mangrove protection, however, could help maintain carbon stocks in soils and biomass and the potential for further soil carbon sequestration, and thus are pivotal in determining future trajectories of mangrove climate mitigation potential. This study shows that even imperfect protection offers ecological benefits to highly accessible ecosystems. Hence, focus should be placed on optimizing these benefits and minimizing their vulnerability to downgrading, downsizing and degazettement.Natural Environment Research Council (NERC

Structure and carbon stocks of accessible mangroves under different conservation status in the Colombian Caribbean (dataset)

Data for: Hapsari et al. 2024. Structure and carbon stocks of accessible mangroves in the Colombian Caribbean. Forest Ecology and Management. The data collection of forest structure and biomass carbon (C) stock was conducted based on modified protocol by Kauffman and Donato (2012). 13 measurement plots were established in Cuatro Bocas, protected mangrove within the Isla Salamanca National Park and 15 measurement plots were established in Mallorquin, unprotected mangrove. Within the larger plots (7-m radius), mangrove trees were identified, and the diameter of each was measured at breast height (dbh), except for Rhizophora spp. (measured at 30 cm above the highest stilt root) (Kauffman and Donato, 2012; Howard et al. 2014) and dead trees (measured immediately below the cut line if remaining stems are lower than 1.3 m) (Scales and Friess, 2019). Mangrove saplings (dbh <5 cm) and seedling (<140 cm height) were recorded within smaller plot sizes (2-m radius). Fallen dead woods or woody debris (large (≥ 7.6 cm) and medium (2.5 ≤ 7.6 cm)) were recorded and measured along 4 planar transects in each plot. Vegetation biomass was estimated using species specific allometric equations developed by Smith and Whelan (2006) for aboveground. For belowground biomass estimation, general equation by Komiyama et al. (2008) was used then adjusted by factoring the proportion of obtained estimated species-specific aboveground biomass with that of the general equation by Komiyama et al. (2005) to reduce overestimation. Vegetation biomass C stock was calculated using species specific wood density and C content published by Rodrigues et al. (2014) and Virgulino-Júnior et al. (2020), and conservative conversion factor (0.46 g of C per 1 g biomass) to convert woody debris C stocks (Murdiyarso et al., 2009). All data does not require specific software to access.The article associated with this dataset is available in ORE at: http://hdl.handle.net/10871/136319This is the dataset used for the Hapsari et al. (2024) article "Structure and carbon stocks of accessible mangroves in the Colombian Caribbean" published in Forest Ecology and Management.Natural Environment Research Council (NERC

'Pushing the limits': Experiences of women in tropical peatland research

Science fields, including tropical peatland research, are facing persistent under-representation of women. In this perspective piece, we explore, as women at different stages of our career, our personal experiences of 'what is it like to be a woman working in tropical peatland science'? We collected our responses and analysed them thematically. Although we come from a variety of different backgrounds and cultures, our responses all dealt with common issues, such as from practical challenges of being women in the field, persistent sexism, issues of harassment to navigating the politics of research as a woman. The peat swamp is seen as a site of rebellion against traditional gender roles. Senior female role models were also vital for us all, which highlights that mentoring schemes in aquatic and wetland research, as in other science fields, need further consideration and investment. Continuing to improve gender balance is central to effecting a positive change in research culture, and we stress that the issue of the 'bravado' surrounding fieldwork needs to be further explored and challenged. By pushing these 'limits' both in the field and in the academy, we will not only produce a more equal and compassionate working environment, but also ultimately improve our science

Intact and managed peatland soils as a source and sink of GHGs from 1850 to 2100

Land-use change disturbs the function of peatland as a natural carbon sink and triggers high GHG emissions1. Nevertheless, historical trends and future trajectories of GHG budgets from soil do not explicitly include peatlands2,3. Here, we provide an estimate of the past and future role of global peatlands as either a source or sink of GHGs based on scenario timelines of land conversion. Between 1850 and 2015, temperate and boreal regions lost 26.7 million ha, and tropical regions 24.7 million ha, of natural peatland. By 2100, peatland conversion in tropical regions might increase to 36.3 million ha. Cumulative emissions from drained sites reached 80 ± 20 PgCO2e in 2015 and will add up to 249 ± 38 Pg by 2100. At the same time, the number of intact sites accumulating peat will decline. In 1960 the global peatland biome turned from a net sink into a net source of soil-derived GHGs. Annual back-conversion of most of the drained area would render peatlands GHG neutral, whereas emissions from peatland may comprise 12–41% of the GHG emission budget for keeping global warming below +1.5 to +2 °C without rehabilitation

Assessing changes in global fire regimes

This is the final version. Available from Springer via the DOI in this record. Availability of data and materials: The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are attached as supplementary data.Background: The global human footprint has fundamentally altered wildfire regimes, creating serious consequences for human health, biodiversity, and climate. However, it remains difficult to project how long-term interactions among land use, management, and climate change will affect fire behavior, representing a key knowledge gap for sustainable management. We used expert assessment to combine opinions about past and future fire regimes from 99 wildfire researchers. We asked for quantitative and qualitative assessments of the frequency, type, and implications of fire regime change from the beginning of the Holocene through the year 2300. Results: Respondents indicated some direct human influence on wildfire since at least ~ 12,000 years BP, though natural climate variability remained the dominant driver of fire regime change until around 5,000 years BP, for most study regions. Responses suggested a ten-fold increase in the frequency of fire regime change during the last 250 years compared with the rest of the Holocene, corresponding first with the intensification and extensification of land use and later with anthropogenic climate change. Looking to the future, fire regimes were predicted to intensify, with increases in frequency, severity, and size in all biomes except grassland ecosystems. Fire regimes showed different climate sensitivities across biomes, but the likelihood of fire regime change increased with higher warming scenarios for all biomes. Biodiversity, carbon storage, and other ecosystem services were predicted to decrease for most biomes under higher emission scenarios. We present recommendations for adaptation and mitigation under emerging fire regimes, while recognizing that management options are constrained under higher emission scenarios. Conclusion: The influence of humans on wildfire regimes has increased over the last two centuries. The perspective gained from past fires should be considered in land and fire management strategies, but novel fire behavior is likely given the unprecedented human disruption of plant communities, climate, and other factors. Future fire regimes are likely to degrade key ecosystem services, unless climate change is aggressively mitigated. Expert assessment complements empirical data and modeling, providing a broader perspective of fire science to inform decision making and future research priorities.U.S. National Science FoundationU.S. National Science FoundationU.S. National Science FoundationNational Science Centre, PolandNational Science Center, PolandEuropean Union’s Horizon 2020Trond Mohn Stiftelse (TMS) and University of BergenFundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia I.P. (FCT)Centre National des Recherches ScientifiqueSwiss Academy of SciencesChinese Academy of SciencesBrigham Young Universit