Tree ferns (order Cyatheales) have been moved from their native ranges for more than two centuries, and the number of species introduced to new countries has recently increased rapidly. However, no comprehensive global list of alien tree ferns exists. Botanical garden collections and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility database were examined, and a systematic literature review was conducted to collect information on tree fern introduction dates, locations and impacts in non-native ranges. Overall, 158 species out of 795 Cyatheales species (c. 20
Climate-induced crises such as droughts and floods increasingly strain public institutions, particularly where authority is fragmented and decisions must be made under urgency and uncertainty. This article examines Brazil's river-basin monitoring rooms as procedural instruments of water crisis governance. Adopting a pragmatist lens that links practical authority and policy instrumentation, we analyze two cases-S & atilde;o Francisco and Para & iacute;ba do Sul-using a qualitative, multi-source research design. We show that monitoring rooms enable flexible, real-time coordination by combining technical forecasting with structured, bounded deliberation. Their authority is built in practice through recurrent mechanisms: problem-solving under uncertainty, translation of hydrological and energy data into accessible terms, and sustained relational work that supports trust and compliance. Monitoring rooms complement basin committees by bridging urgent crisis response with longer-term governance, and they have become institutionalized through repeated crisis use. The discussion situates these findings within collaborative governance and policy instrumentation debates, and highlights how similar procedural arenas in other domains (e.g., wildfire or pandemic response) can make governance more workable under stress. (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic):(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)((sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic))(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic). Las crisis clim & aacute;ticas, como las sequ & iacute;as y las inundaciones, ejercen una presi & oacute;n cada vez mayor sobre las instituciones p & uacute;blicas, en particular cuando la autoridad est & aacute; fragmentada y las decisiones deben tomarse en condiciones de urgencia e incertidumbre. Este art & iacute;culo examina las salas de monitoreo de cuencas hidrogr & aacute;ficas de Brasil como instrumentos procedimentales para la gobernanza de las crisis h & iacute;dricas. Adoptando una perspectiva pragm & aacute;tica que vincula la autoridad pr & aacute;ctica con la instrumentaci & oacute;n de pol & iacute;ticas, analizamos dos casos -S & atilde;o Francisco y Para & iacute;ba do Sul- mediante un dise & ntilde;o de investigaci & oacute;n cualitativo multifuente. Demostramos que las salas de monitoreo permiten una coordinaci & oacute;n flexible y en tiempo real al combinar la previsi & oacute;n t & eacute;cnica con una deliberaci & oacute;n estructurada y delimitada. Su autoridad se construye en la pr & aacute;ctica mediante mecanismos recurrentes: resoluci & oacute;n de problemas en condiciones de incertidumbre, traducci & oacute;n de datos hidrol & oacute;gicos y energ & eacute;ticos a t & eacute;rminos accesibles y trabajo relacional sostenido que fomenta la confianza y el cumplimiento. Las salas de monitoreo complementan a los comit & eacute;s de cuenca al conectar la respuesta urgente a las crisis con la gobernanza a largo plazo, y se han institucionalizado mediante su uso reiterado en situaciones de crisis. El debate sit & uacute;a estos hallazgos en el marco de los debates sobre gobernanza colaborativa e instrumentaci & oacute;n de pol & iacute;ticas, y destaca c & oacute;mo & aacute;mbitos procesales similares en otros dominios (por ejemplo, respuesta a incendios forestales o pandemias) pueden hacer que la gobernanza sea m & aacute;s viable bajo estr & eacute;s.
Agroecological transitions in the Global South often unfold within complex ecologies of intermediation, shaped by atomised project logics, donor dependence and transnational interventions. In such contexts, the coexistence of multiple intermediaries - NGOs, research bodies, farmer organisations, etc. - can hinder rather than foster niche development. This article analyses how orchestration can emerge as a governance mechanism that provides cooperation and symbiosis within such fragmented ecologies of intermediation. Drawing on a longitudinal study of the Senegalese agroecological niche (1980-2025), we trace how a locally rooted NGO mobilised and steered an advocacy coalition - DyTAES (French acronym for 'Dynamique pour une transition agroecologique au Senegal') - to connect grassroot initiatives with territorial coalitions, national policy arenas and transnational agendas. We therefore conceptualise niche orchestration as a specific governance mechanism whereby a central and resourceful actor coordinates an ecologies of intermediation to generate momentum for the niche. Orchestration is not a single act of management, but an iterative, multi-scalar process that unfolds over time through the strategic integration of multiple systemic intermediation functions. Such centralization and functional bundling are uncommon, as intermediation efforts in broader ecologies are usually spread across multiple actors. The Senegalese experience demonstrates both the potential and the risks of niche orchestration, highlighting how it can accelerate transitions while raising concerns of dependency and co-optation. Future research may test and refine this perspective using other study cases, including in Global North contexts and non-agricultural context.
Long-term studies are crucial for evaluating how intercropping affects the agronomic, environmental, and socio-economic sustainability of sugarcane systems. Intercropping with cover crops is expected to improve soil fertility and reduce herbicide use; however, its long-term effects on yield, weed dynamics, and production costs remain unclear, particularly under tropical conditions. Weed pressure has been hypothesized to drive yield decline over time, yet the temporal evolution of weed communities and their consequences for system sustainability remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that intercropping would modify ecosystem functions and services by increasing weed diversity and soil fertility, reducing herbicide use, and also increasing labor and production costs. To test this hypothesis, we conducted the first 7-year field experiment on Reunion Island, comparing four sugarcane intercropping systems with conventional chemical and low weed control systems. A multi-criteria approach assessed weed community dynamics, soil fertility, sugarcane yield and quality, herbicide use, labor, and economic performance over a complete crop cycle, including multiple ratoons. We show that weed pressure increased over time in both chemical and intercropping systems due to greater weed cover and species richness. Weed community structure differed during the first 3 years but later homogenized under sugarcane dominance. This increase led to more manual weeding in intercropping systems and to increased herbicide use in chemical ones, resulting in a 61% reduction in herbicide use under intercropping. After 7 years, soil chemical and biological fertility remained unchanged, while physical fertility improved with companion crop and weed development. Sugarcane yield and sucrose content were maintained, but production costs and working hours increased. This study demonstrates that sugarcane intercropping reduces herbicide dependence without compromising yield, though at higher labor costs. Systems maintaining spontaneous flora in inter-rows appear to offer a promising compromise for sustainable weed management. Further research on this system should be conducted in different pedoclimatic conditions.
In the Sahel, land degradation caused by climate variability and unsustainable human activities has led to soil erosion, declining fertility, and worsening food insecurity. To address this, large-scale restoration initiatives incorporating soil and water conservation (SWC) techniques and drought-resistant tree species have been implemented. This study evaluated the growth of 1564 trees from six species (Acacia nilotica, Acacia raddiana, Senegalia senegal, Vachellia seyal, Bauhinia rufescens, and Ziziphus mauritiana) on rehabilitated lands, using a Bayesian growth model to assess the effects of SWC structures, management practices, and geomorphological conditions. Among the SWC techniques studied-half-moons, trenches, bench terraces, stone bunds, and trenchbund combinations-half-moons proved most effective in enhancing tree growth (+12 %). Pediments provided the best conditions for tree development, outperforming plateaus and slopes. The absence of site management (guarding, replanting, and maintenance of plants and structures) decreased growth (-9 %). Sustainable reforestation in the Sahel requires integrating scientific knowledge with local expertise, adaptive strategies, and community involvement. A holistic approach that prioritizes effective SWC structures, suitable planting sites, and continuous management is crucial for restoring degraded lands, strengthening ecosystem resilience, and ensuring long-term success.
