Impacts of fire and prospects for recovery in a tropical peat forest ecosystem.

Uncontrolled fires place considerable burdens on forest ecosystems, compromising our ability to meet conservation and restoration goals. A poor understanding of the impacts of fire on ecosystems and their biodiversity exacerbates this challenge, particularly in tropical regions where few studies have applied consistent analytical techniques to examine a broad range of ecological impacts over multiyear time frames. We compiled 16 y of data on ecosystem properties (17 variables) and biodiversity (21 variables) from a tropical peatland in Indonesia to assess fire impacts and infer the potential for recovery. Burned forest experienced altered structural and microclimatic conditions, resulting in a proliferation of nonforest vegetation and erosion of forest ecosystem properties and biodiversity. Compared to unburned forest, habitat structure, tree density, and canopy cover deteriorated by 58 to 98%, while declines in species diversity and abundance were most pronounced for trees, damselflies, and butterflies, particularly for forest specialist species. Tracking ecosystem property and biodiversity datasets over time revealed most to be sensitive to recurrent high-intensity fires within the wider landscape. These megafires immediately compromised water quality and tree reproductive phenology, crashing commercially valuable fish populations within 3 mo and driving a gradual decline in threatened vertebrates over 9 mo. Burned forest remained structurally compromised long after a burn event, but vegetation showed some signs of recovery over a 12-y period. Our findings demonstrate that, if left uncontrolled, fire may be a pervasive threat to the ecological functioning of tropical forests, underscoring the importance of fire prevention and long-term restoration efforts, as exemplified in Indonesia.

Communicating conservation: Evidence of knowledge gains through a children's conservation club in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Conservation education as a key element in fighting species extinction. One of the key objectives of environmental education is to promote pro-environmental behaviours; increasing knowledge and understanding are the first steps. An understanding of the forest and its links to human and wildlife health is essential to foster forest protection. We used NVivo 12 to evaluate a conservation education program based around the Sebangau National Park, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Two age groups were evaluated 7-10 years old (37 children) and 11-13 years old (35 children) in 2 sessions conducted approximately 9 months apart. We asked students to write an essay about their knowledge of the forest. Over the 9 months, children increased their use of words accurately associated with BNF activities (0 to 4%), conservation actions (0 to 2%) and forest threats (2 to 12%) as well as expressing more of an emotional connection to the forest and wildlife (0 to 5%). Children who had joined the club for >12 months showed an increase in knowledge about forest characteristics (25 to 30%) and wildlife species names (43 to 55%). While we can demonstrate clear awareness increase on environmental issues, changing mind-sets, attitudes and behaviours does require an in-depth vital experience. We strongly believe that non-formal education is a key complementary tool to inspire new generations to take action towards conservation and sustainable development.