Observations of the 19 month continous flight of a subadult Swift refine new research avenues with respect to the behaviour of subadult Swifts in relation to migration strategies and the potential influence of skyglow on foraging.
We present a unique dataset of historical tropical tree phenology observations at two sites from different bioclimatic regions across the Congo Basin. These data may provide a reference baseline and key information on how tree species are responding to a changing climate.
Accurate maps of canopy height (CH) and aboveground biomass (AGB) are needed for monitoring forests over large regions. Producing such data is particularly challenging over the complex, diverse and dense humid tropical forests of Africa where signal saturation observed from optical and radar satellites and complex responses in LiDAR data require advanced mapping techniques to capture high biomass and tall height values. Here, we trained a deep learning (U-Net) model to generate the first annual maps (2019–2022) of top CH at 10 m resolution over the African dense forest region, using Sentinel-1/-2 images trained on LiDAR-derived height data from the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation mission (GEDI).
Here, we demonstrate and evaluate the Simulating Optimal FUNctioning (rsofun) R package, which provides a computationally efficient implementation of the P-model for site-scale simulations of ecosystem photosynthesis and the acclimation of photosynthetic traits, complemented with functionalities for Bayesian model-data integration and the estimation of model parameters and prediction uncertainty.
Enset Xanthomonas wilt (EXW), caused by Xanthomonas vasicola pv. musacearum (Xvm), severely impacts enset cultivation in the Ethiopian highlands. Controlled net trials demonstrated that healthy enset plants developed EXW symptoms after exposure to leafhoppers that continuously fed on Xvm-inoculated plants. Given the omnipresence of the leafhoppers in several of the studied enset-production landscapes, best management remains the timely and complete removal of all diseased plants, the use of disease-free planting materials, and clean garden tools, which in turn will also keep the risk of secondary leafhopper-vectored transmission at a minimum. Extension services should emphasize the increased EXW transmission risk in areas with high leafhopper populations as part of an integrated EXW management strategy.
We provide default hardware specification to guarantee continuity in the PhenoCam network. This necessitates inter near-surface remote sensing camera calibration to ensure consistency within and between sites. The results of this study support the integration of the Live 2 camera into the PhenoCam Network, thereby facilitating the continuation of long-term phenological monitoring efforts.
Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc), the causal agent of Fusarium wilt of banana, can persist in the soil for extended periods as chlamydospores or endophytes in weeds, complicating control measures. This study explored the potential of the spent P. ostreatus substrates (SPoS) to suppress Foc R1 in a field. SPoS applications at planting and after every two months over an 8-month period did not significantly reduce leaf symptoms and corm damage.
While Pisang Awak, an important local variety, is known to be susceptible to both Fusarium wilt (Foc) Race 1 and TR4, recent field observations suggest a limited susceptibility of Pisang Awak to Foc TR4 in mixed cultivar plantation settings. Local farmers similarly reported observing reduced susceptibility, with several having already replanted TR4-affected Cavendish fields with Pisang Awak as part of their disease management strategy.
We provide default hardware specification to guarantee continuity in the PhenoCam network. This necessitates inter near-surface remote sensing camera calibration to ensure consistency within and between sites. The results of this study support the integration of the Live 2 camera into the PhenoCam Network, thereby facilitating the continuation of long-term phenological monitoring efforts.
Recent sporadic of Banana Bunchy Top Disease (BBTD) by the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) merited a comprehensive field survey across the country. Combining the Rwandan survey with BBTD surveys in neighboring countries a BBTD probability model was developed for Rwanda, taking into account environmental, land-use/land-cover and socio-economic variables, from which a country-wide vulnerability map was compiled.