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Ziegler SL, Atencio WE, Carroll JM, Byers JE. High parasite prevalence in an ecosystem engineer correlated with both local- and landscape-level factors. Oecologia 2024; 205:423-435. [PMID: 38898336 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05581-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Spatial variation in parasitic infection may have many physical and biological drivers. Uncovering these drivers may be especially important for parasites of ecosystem engineers because the engineers are foundational to their communities. Oysters are an important coastal ecosystem engineer that have declined drastically worldwide, in part due to enhanced cases of lethal oyster diseases, such as Dermo and MSX, caused by the protozoan parasites Perkinsus marinus and Haplosporidium nelsoni, respectively. Besides water quality and hydrodynamics, there is little information on how other variables influence the prevalence and intensity of these pathogens in oysters across a regional scale. To examine drivers of spatial variation in these oyster parasites-including host size, local reef properties, and landscape properties-we sampled 24 reefs systematically spread along the coast of Georgia, USA. Across sites, we found universally high prevalence of oysters with at least one of these parasites (91.02% ± 8.89, mean ± SD). Not only are high levels of parasite prevalence potentially problematic for a pivotal ecosystem engineer, but also low spatial variability may limit the explanatory power of variables across a regional scale. Our statistical models explained between 18 and 42% of the variation in spatial patterns of prevalence and intensity of these microparasites. Interestingly, landscape context was a positive predictor of P. marinus, but a negative predictor of H. nelsoni. Overall, our findings suggest that factors driving parasite prevalence and intensity operate across multiple spatial scales, and the same factor can both facilitate and hinder different parasites within the same host species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wil E Atencio
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, USA
| | - John M Carroll
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, USA
| | - James E Byers
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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2
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Knauer A, Naef C, Albrecht M. Pesticide hazard, floral resource availability and natural enemies interactively drive the fitness of bee species depending on their crop fidelity. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 922:171058. [PMID: 38378056 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Anina Knauer
- Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Carmen Naef
- Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Zürich, Switzerland
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3
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Alvarez-Baca JK, Montealegre X, Alfaro-Tapia A, Zepeda-Paulo F, Van Baaren J, Lavandero B, Le Lann C. Composition and Food Web Structure of Aphid-Parasitoid Populations on Plum Orchards in Chile. INSECTS 2023; 14:288. [PMID: 36975973 PMCID: PMC10051262 DOI: 10.3390/insects14030288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
By increasing plant diversity in agroecosystems, it has been proposed that one can enhance and stabilize ecosystem functioning by increasing natural enemies' diversity. Food web structure determines ecosystem functioning as species at different trophic levels are linked in interacting networks. We compared the food web structure and composition of the aphid- parasitoid and aphid-hyperparasitoid networks in two differentially managed plum orchards: plums with inter-rows of oats as a cover crop (OCC) and plums with inter-rows of spontaneous vegetation (SV). We hypothesized that food web composition and structure vary between OCC and SV, with network specialization being higher in OCC and a more complex food web composition in SV treatment. We found a more complex food web composition with a higher species richness in SV compared to OCC. Quantitative food web metrics differed significantly among treatments showing a higher generality, vulnerability, interaction evenness, and linkage density in SV, while OCC presented a higher degree of specialization. Our results suggest that plant diversification can greatly influence the food web structure and composition, with bottom-up effects induced by plant and aphid hosts that might benefit parasitoids and provide a better understanding of the activity, abundance, and interactions between aphids, parasitoids, and hyperparasitoids in plum orchards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeniffer K. Alvarez-Baca
- Laboratorio de Control Biológico, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca 3460000, Chile
- ECOBIO (Écosystèmes, Biodiversité, Évolution)-UMR 6553, Université de Rennes 1, CNRS, 6553 Rennes, France
| | - Xiomara Montealegre
- Laboratorio de Control Biológico, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca 3460000, Chile
| | - Armando Alfaro-Tapia
- Laboratorio de Control Biológico, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca 3460000, Chile
- ECOBIO (Écosystèmes, Biodiversité, Évolution)-UMR 6553, Université de Rennes 1, CNRS, 6553 Rennes, France
- Centro Regional de Investigación e Innovación para la Sostenibilidad de la Agricultura y los Territorios Rurales, Centro Ceres, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Quillota 2260000, Chile
| | - Francisca Zepeda-Paulo
- Laboratorio de Control Biológico, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca 3460000, Chile
- Instituto Interdisciplinario para la Innovación -I3-, Universidad de Talca, Talca 3460000, Chile
| | - Joan Van Baaren
- ECOBIO (Écosystèmes, Biodiversité, Évolution)-UMR 6553, Université de Rennes 1, CNRS, 6553 Rennes, France
| | - Blas Lavandero
- Laboratorio de Control Biológico, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca 3460000, Chile
| | - Cécile Le Lann
- ECOBIO (Écosystèmes, Biodiversité, Évolution)-UMR 6553, Université de Rennes 1, CNRS, 6553 Rennes, France
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Bat-parasite interaction networks in urban green areas in northeastern Brazil. Parasitology 2023; 150:262-268. [PMID: 36529860 PMCID: PMC10090594 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182022001718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Interaction networks can provide detailed information regarding ecological systems, helping us understand how communities are organized and species are connected. The goals of this study were to identify the pattern of interaction between bats and ectoparasites in urban green areas of Grande Aracaju, Sergipe, and calculate connectance, specialization, nesting, modularity and centrality metrics. Bats were captured using 10 mist nets inside and on the edges of the fragments, and the collected ectoparasites were stored in 70% alcohol. All analyses were performed using R software. The interaction network consisted of 10 species of bats and 13 ectoparasites. Connectivity was considered low (0.12). The specialization indices for ectoparasites ranged from 0.50 to 1.00, and the value obtained for the network was 0.96, which is high. The observed nesting metric was low (wNODF = 1.47), whereas the modularity was high (wQ = 0.74), indicating that the studied network had a modular topology. All centrality metrics had low values. The observed modularity may have been caused by the evolutionary history of the bats and ectoparasites involved and the high specificity index of the interactions. The low centrality values may be associated with low connectivity and a high degree of specialization. This study provides relevant information on bat–parasite interactions in an urban environment, highlighting the need for further studies to improve our understanding of host–parasite interaction networks.
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Xie L, Bi Y, Zhang Y, Guo N. Effect of Coal Mining on Soil Microorganisms from Stipa krylovii Rhizosphere in Typical Grassland. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:3689. [PMID: 36834383 PMCID: PMC9960647 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20043689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The environmental changes caused by coal mining activities caused disturbances to the plant, soil, and microbial health in the mining area. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play an important role in the ecological restoration of mining areas. However, it is less understood how soil fungal communities with multiple functional groups respond to coal mining, and the quantitative impact and risk of mining disturbance. Therefore, in this study, the effect of coal mining on soil microorganisms' composition and diversity were analyzed near the edge of an opencast coal-mine dump in the Shengli mining area, Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia. The response strategy of soil fungi to coal mining and the stability of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in the soil fungal community were determined. Our results showed that coal mining affected AMF and soil fungi in areas within 900 m from the coal mine. The abundance of endophytes increased with the distance between sampling sites and the mine dump, whereas the abundance of saprotroph decreased with the distance between sampling sites and the mine dump. Saprotroph was the dominant functional flora near the mining area. The nodes percentage of Septoglomus and Claroideoglomus and AMF phylogenetic diversity near the mining area were highest. AMF responded to the mining disturbance via the variety and evolution strategy of flora. Furthermore, AMF and soil fungal communities were significantly correlated with edaphic properties and parameters. Soil available phosphorus (AP) was the main influencer of soil AMF and fungal communities. These findings evaluated the risk range of coal mining on AMF and soil fungal communities and elucidated the microbial response strategy to mining disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yinli Bi
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
- Institute of Ecological and Environmental Restoration in Mining Areas of West China, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710054, China
| | - Yanxu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
| | - Nan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
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Akram W, Sajjad A, Ghramh HA, Ali M, Khan KA. Nesting Biology and Ecology of a Resin Bee, Megachile cephalotes (Megachilidae: Hymenoptera). INSECTS 2022; 13:1058. [PMID: 36421961 PMCID: PMC9698045 DOI: 10.3390/insects13111058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
We report the nesting biology and ecology of Megachile cephalotes Smith, 1853 for the first time in Pakistan. Wooden and bamboo trap nests were deployed at three different locations in Bahawalpur district, Pakistan, from January 2020 to May 2021. A total of 242 nests of M. cephalotes were occupied in all three locations with the maximum abundance in the Cholistan Institute of Desert Studies. Megachile cephalotes remained active from March to September (the spring and summer seasons). In a nest, females made 7-8 brood cells each having a length of 1.2-2.3 cm. Plant resin was used to construct cells and mud or animal dung to plug the nest entrance. A vestibular cell was also made between the outermost brood cell and the nest entrance that ranged from 1.4 to 2.5 cm in length. No intercalary cells were observed in the nests. The males took 65.3 days to become adults, while the females took 74.78 days. The sex ratio was significantly biased toward females in all three locations. Grewia asiatica was the predominant pollen grain species found in the brood cells. Megachile cephalotes were observed collecting resin from Acacia nilotica, Prosopis juliflora, and Moringa oleifera. Three cleptoparasites of this species were also recorded: Euaspis carbonaria, Coelioxys sp., and Anthrax sp. This study set up a background to encourage new studies on artificial nesting and provides tools for proper biodiversity management and conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waseem Akram
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Asif Sajjad
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Hamed A. Ghramh
- Research Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
- Unit of Bee Research and Honey Production, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
- Biology Department Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mudssar Ali
- Institute of Plant Protection, Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture, Multan 60000, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Khalid Ali Khan
- Research Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
- Unit of Bee Research and Honey Production, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
- Applied College, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
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7
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Floral resource distribution and fitness consequences for two solitary bee species in agricultural landscapes. Basic Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2022.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Ground Beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Responses to Cattle Grazing, Grassland Restoration, and Habitat across a Precipitation Gradient. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13080696. [PMID: 36005321 PMCID: PMC9409295 DOI: 10.3390/insects13080696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Beneficial insect numbers have sharply declined in recent years, and these declines negatively impact (1) food crops due to reduced pollination services, and (2) wildlife and birds due to reduced food sources. In part, agricultural intensification and habitat fragmentation have led to these declines. In the United States, one conservation effort is the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which provides financial assistance for replanting agricultural land to restored habitat to improve environmental health and quality. Common CRP grassland restorations are CP2 (“native grass” seed mix) and CP25 (“rare and declining habitat” seed mix). We examined the response of ground beetles, a group that is important for wildlife, to CRP restoration and management across three grassland habitats, and 108 sites. We examined two restoration types (CP2, CP25), and the grazing or absence of grazing by cattle. Our findings indicate that ground beetle communities are not negatively impacted by moderate levels of cattle grazing. Additionally, we found that cattle grazing might have positive effects on ground beetle abundance, biomass, and diversity in tallgrass habitats. The positive impact of cattle grazing may provide an additional incentive for CRP restorations that would enhance beneficial insect populations. Abstract Grasslands in North America have declined by over 70% since industrialization of settlements due to the conversion of natural habitats to cropland and urban centers. In the United States, the federally supported Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) was created to improve water quality, reduce soil erosion, and increase native habitats for wildlife. Within these restored grasslands, ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) are a keystone invertebrate group that fill several crucial niches and may serve as bioindicators of successful land management strategies. To understand the impact of land management on ground beetles, we examined carabid beetle community responses to a grazing treatment and two plant restoration treatments with low and relatively high initial plant diversity over two field seasons. We used pitfall traps at 108 CRP sites across a 63.5 cm precipitation gradient, encompassing three grassland types. Overall, grazing and restoration treatment did not have detectable effects on carabid abundance, biomass, or diversity. Carabid communities, however, responded differently to grazing within grassland types—all three community measures increased in response to grazing in tallgrass sites only. Our short-term study suggests that moderate levels of cattle grazing do not negatively affect carabid communities and might have positive effects on abundance, biomass, and diversity in tallgrass regions.
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Mubamba S, Nduna N, Siachoono S, Chibesa M, Phiri D, Chama L. Plant-frugivore networks are robust to species loss even in highly built-up urban ecosystems. Oecologia 2022; 199:637-648. [PMID: 35781743 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05213-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Animal seed dispersal processes are an important aspect of ecosystem services, as they shape the survival of seed dispersers and the balanced distribution of propagules for many plant communities. Several studies within tropical wild ecosystems have generally shown that seed dispersal processes are highly generalised and robust to extinction. Studies examining seed dispersal networks in highly built-up urban ecosystems and their robustness to species loss or extinction are rare. We examined avian seed dispersal networks across an urban ecosystem characterised by a high human settlement and infrastructure of the built environment in Zambia to determine their network specialisation, interaction evenness and interaction diversity, as these three parameters are critical in driving the resilience of these mutualisms' interactions against extinction. A total of 405 individuals representing 11 species of birds were observed and recorded feeding on a total of 11 focal fleshy-fruiting plant species. Network specialisation was generally low and remained similar across study areas. Interaction evenness and interaction diversity were not only high but also remained similar across study areas. Low specialisation and high interaction evenness and diversity show that mutualistic interactions in these networks are equally highly generalised, suggesting a stable and robust coexistence of species in plant-frugivore communities within urban ecosystems. Generally, our results seem to broadly suggest that opportunities for conservation still exist in these ecosystems provided urbanisation is accompanied by promoting either the management of remnant fruiting plants or the cultivation of new ones to support the avian communities existing in these areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saidy Mubamba
- Department of Zoology, Copperbelt University, Jambo Drive, Riverside, P.O. Box 21692, Kitwe, Zambia
| | - Norman Nduna
- Department of Zoology, Copperbelt University, Jambo Drive, Riverside, P.O. Box 21692, Kitwe, Zambia
| | - Stanford Siachoono
- Department of Zoology, Copperbelt University, Jambo Drive, Riverside, P.O. Box 21692, Kitwe, Zambia
| | - Moses Chibesa
- Department of Zoology, Copperbelt University, Jambo Drive, Riverside, P.O. Box 21692, Kitwe, Zambia
| | - Darius Phiri
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Copperbelt University, Jambo Drive, Riverside, P.O. Box 21692, Kitwe, Zambia
| | - Lackson Chama
- Department of Zoology, Copperbelt University, Jambo Drive, Riverside, P.O. Box 21692, Kitwe, Zambia.
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Reproductive patterns of solitary cavity-nesting bees responsive to both local and landscape factors. Urban Ecosyst 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-021-01116-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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11
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Jeavons E, Baaren J, Le Ralec A, Buchard C, Duval F, Llopis S, Postic E, Le Lann C. Third and fourth trophic level composition shift in an aphid–parasitoid–hyperparasitoid food web limits aphid control in an intercropping system. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emma Jeavons
- University of RennesCNRSECOBIO [(Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Evolution)] ‐ UMR Rennes France
- Laboratoire de Biologie Végétale Yves Rocher La Gacilly France
- LTSER « Zone Atelier Armorique »CNRS Rennes France
| | - Joan Baaren
- University of RennesCNRSECOBIO [(Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Evolution)] ‐ UMR Rennes France
| | - Anne Le Ralec
- IGEPPInstitut AgroINRAEUniversité de Rennes 1Université Bretagne‐Loire Rennes France
| | | | - Franck Duval
- IGEPPInstitut AgroINRAEUniversité de Rennes 1 Le Rheu France
| | - Stéphanie Llopis
- University of RennesCNRSECOBIO [(Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Evolution)] ‐ UMR Rennes France
| | - Estelle Postic
- IGEPPInstitut AgroINRAEUniversité de Rennes 1Université Bretagne‐Loire Rennes France
| | - Cécile Le Lann
- University of RennesCNRSECOBIO [(Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Evolution)] ‐ UMR Rennes France
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12
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Interaction networks between solitary hymenopterans and their natural enemies in different restoration areas. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467421000419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe diversity of species and their interactions have been positively related with environmental complexity. Therefore, highly anthropized environments have their integrity under serious threat. These effects may last for years compromising the dynamics of natural communities, such as antagonistic and mutualistic interactions, including host-natural enemy interactions. To investigate these effects, trap nest methodology was used to assess the diversity of solitary bees, wasps and their natural enemies in three fragmented environments with different degree of anthropic perturbation, composed of a Eucalyptus plantation (considered here as higher perturbation), a Cerrado area (medium perturbation) and a Riparian forest (lesser perturbation). Then, host-natural enemies associations were analysed to verify the size, specialization degree and modularity of interaction network. The gradient from highest to lowest degree of anthropic perturbation was evidenced in the species diversity index, the size of the interaction network and the specialization indexes of the host-natural enemy network. The environment with Eucalyptus plantation showed higher values of diversity of natural enemies, greater number of species in the interaction network, lesser degree of specialization in the interaction and lesser modularity, than Cerrado and Riparian forest environments, respectively. The low degree of nestedness and lack of significance of this index to all sampled areas are indicative of a specialized pattern of networks. The results corroborate the notion that human impact may affect interaction networks, this being an important tool for checking the degree of anthropic alteration.
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Lajos K, Demeter I, Mák R, Balog A, Sárospataki M. Preliminary assessment of cavity-nesting Hymenopterans in a low-intensity agricultural landscape in Transylvania. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:11903-11914. [PMID: 34522349 PMCID: PMC8427617 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, our aim was to assess several traits of cavity-nesting Hymenopteran taxa in a low-intensity agricultural landscape in Transylvania. The study took place between May and August 2018 at eight study sites in the hilly mountainous central part of Romania, where the majority of the landscape is used for extensive farming or forestry. During the processing of the trap nest material, we recorded several traits regarding the nests of different cavity-nesting Hymenopteran taxa and the spider prey found inside the nests of the spider-hunting representatives of these taxa. We also evaluated the relationship between the edge density and proportion of low-intensity agricultural areas surrounding the study sites and some of these traits. The majority of nests were built by the solitary wasp genus Trypoxylon, followed by the solitary wasp taxa Dipogon and Eumeninae. Solitary bees were much less common, with Hylaeus being the most abundant genus. In the nests of Trypoxylon, we mostly found spider prey from the family of Araneidae, followed by specimens from the families of Linyphiidae and Theridiidae. In the nests of Dipogon, we predominantly encountered spider prey from the family of Thomisidae. We found significant effects of low-intensity agricultural areas for the genera of Auplopus, Megachile, Osmia, and the Thomisid prey of Dipogon. We also found that the spider prey of Trypoxylon was significantly more diverse at study sites with higher proportions of low-intensity agricultural areas. Our results indicate that solitary bees seem to be more abundant in areas, where the influence of human activities is stronger, while solitary wasps seem to rather avoid these areas. Therefore, we suggest that future studies not only should put more effort into sampling in low-intensity agricultural landscapes but also focus more on solitary wasp taxa, when sampling such an area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Károly Lajos
- Department of Zoology and EcologyHungarian University of Agriculture and Life SciencesGödöllőHungary
| | - Imre Demeter
- Department of Zoology and EcologyHungarian University of Agriculture and Life SciencesGödöllőHungary
| | - Róbert Mák
- Department of Zoology and EcologyHungarian University of Agriculture and Life SciencesGödöllőHungary
| | - Adalbert Balog
- Department of HorticultureFaculty of Technical and Human ScienceSapientia Hungarian University of TransylvaniaTirgu‐MuresRomania
| | - Miklós Sárospataki
- Department of Zoology and EcologyHungarian University of Agriculture and Life SciencesGödöllőHungary
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McLeod AM, Leroux SJ. Incongruent drivers of network, species and interaction persistence in food webs. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anne M. McLeod
- Dept of Biology, Memorial Univ. of Newfoundland St John's NL Canada
| | - Shawn J. Leroux
- Dept of Biology, Memorial Univ. of Newfoundland St John's NL Canada
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15
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Beneficial insects are associated with botanically rich margins with trees on small farms. Sci Rep 2021; 11:15190. [PMID: 34312457 PMCID: PMC8313545 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94536-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Beneficial insect communities on farms are influenced by site- and landscape-level factors, with pollinator and natural enemy populations often associated with semi-natural habitat remnants. They provide ecosystem services essential for all agroecosystems. For smallholders, natural pest regulation may be the only affordable and available option to manage pests. We evaluated the beneficial insect community on smallholder bean farms (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and its relationship with the plant communities in field margins, including margin trees that are not associated with forest fragments. Using traps, botanical surveys and transect walks, we analysed the relationship between the floral diversity/composition of naturally regenerating field margins, and the beneficial insect abundance/diversity on smallholder farms, and the relationship with crop yield. More flower visits by potential pollinators and increased natural enemy abundance measures in fields with higher plant, and particularly tree, species richness, and these fields also saw improved crop yields. Many of the flower visitors to beans and potential natural enemy guilds also made use of non-crop plants, including pesticidal and medicinal plant species. Selective encouragement of plants delivering multiple benefits to farms can contribute to an ecological intensification approach. However, caution must be employed, as many plants in these systems are introduced species.
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16
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Zuim V, Marques VM, Godoi CTD, Gontijo LM, Haro MM, Guedes RNC. Does refuge spillover affect arthropod food webs associated with Bt maize? PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2021; 77:3088-3098. [PMID: 33798281 DOI: 10.1002/ps.6388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A high dose/refuge combination is the main tactic recommended for mitigating resistance selection of target herbivore species in crops expressing insecticidal proteins of the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (i.e. Bt proteins). The tactic consists of the simultaneous use of Bt crops expressing high levels of the Bt protein associated with neighboring areas of refuge of the same non-Bt crop species. Nonetheless, the approach faces controversy regarding its effectiveness and scale of adoption, at least in some regions. One concern focuses on its potential impact on the arthropod community, including its short-term and spatially dependent impact considering the likely biota spillover effect between Bt and non-Bt neighboring areas. Thus, the eventual spillover of Bt maize targeted and non-targeted arthropods was surveyed along transects extending from the refuge border to the center of the Bt maize area. RESULTS Arthropods were collected throughout the maize vegetative and reproductive stages. A total of 85 arthropod species were collected, but their richness and abundance did not vary with distance from the refuge. By contrast, cultivation season played a significant role in distinguishing the arthropod communities. Refuge distance from the sampling point within Bt-fields did not significantly affect the food web metrics, unlike season, which affected the number of nodes integrating each food web. Winter maize cultivation exhibited higher arthropod diversity and combined values of species numeric abundance and biomass at each trophic level. CONCLUSIONS No arthropod spillover was evident between the refuge edge and Bt maize, adding further controversy to the tactic currently subjected to lower usage in the region with a disputed cost-benefit relationship, because not even the target and its interdependent species were affected. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vitor Zuim
- Departamento de Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil
| | - Vinicius M Marques
- Departamento de Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil
- Departamento de Manejo e Conservação de Ecossistemas Naturais e Agrários, Universidade Federal de Viçosa - Campus Florestal, Florestal, Brazil
| | - Carolina Tavares D Godoi
- Departamento de Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil
- Departamento de Manejo e Conservação de Ecossistemas Naturais e Agrários, Universidade Federal de Viçosa - Campus Florestal, Florestal, Brazil
| | - Lessando M Gontijo
- Departamento de Manejo e Conservação de Ecossistemas Naturais e Agrários, Universidade Federal de Viçosa - Campus Florestal, Florestal, Brazil
| | - Marcelo M Haro
- Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuária e Extensão Rural de Santa Catarina (Epagri), Estação Experimental de Itajaí, Itajaí, Brazil
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Dolezal AJ, Esch EH, MacDougall AS. Restored marginal farmland benefits arthropod diversity at multiple scales. Restor Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra J. Dolezal
- University of Guelph, Department of Integrative Biology, 50 Stone Road East Guelph Ontario Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Ellen H. Esch
- University of Guelph, Department of Integrative Biology, 50 Stone Road East Guelph Ontario Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Andrew S. MacDougall
- University of Guelph, Department of Integrative Biology, 50 Stone Road East Guelph Ontario Canada N1G 2W1
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18
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Marja R, Klein AM, Viik E, Batáry P. Environmentally-friendly and organic management practices enable complementary diversification of plant–bumblebee food webs. Basic Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2021.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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19
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20
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Mazón M, Jiménez MDC, Reátegui J, Donoso DA. Tritrophic web structure in montane Andean forests undergoing ecological restoration. FOOD WEBS 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2020.e00170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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21
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Mutual and Opposing Responses of Carabid Beetles and Predatory Wasps to Local and Landscape Factors in Vineyards. INSECTS 2020; 11:insects11110746. [PMID: 33143021 PMCID: PMC7693422 DOI: 10.3390/insects11110746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary The aim of this study was to contribute to closing knowledge gaps on managing vineyards and viticultural landscapes in order to support insect diversity and abundance. We studied two different groups of predating insects, carabid beetles and cavity-nesting wasps, in organically and conventionally managed vineyards in Germany. Effects of surrounding landscapes and vegetation structure within vineyards were evaluated. No differences in species richness and abundance of carabid beetles and cavity-nesting wasps were found between organic and conventional management. Enhanced vegetation cover was positively correlated with carabids and negatively with wasps. High covers of annual crops in the surrounding landscape led to fewer species and individuals of both groups. The results underline the importance of insect-friendly management, especially in intensely farmed landscapes. Abstract Preserving agro-biodiversity is one of the main means at the moment to counteract the global biodiversity crisis. Vineyard inter-rows offer vegetation covers which could function as foraging grounds for arthropods. Furthermore, organic management and enhanced landscape complexity often support biodiversity. Here, species richness and abundance of two groups of arthropod predators in vineyards were studied. Fifteen pairs of organically and conventionally managed vineyards were chosen along a gradient of landscape complexity in Rhine-Hesse, Germany. Carabid beetles were sampled using pitfall traps and cavity-nesting wasps with trap nests, respectively. Proportions of different land-use types surrounding the vineyards were calculated and inter-row vegetation cover was characterized. Species richness and abundances of both predator groups were not significantly affected by the management system. Likewise, increased cover of semi-natural habitats in the surrounding landscape did not promote their diversity or abundance. Instead, the increasing cover of annual crops diminished both groups. Cavity-nesting wasps profited from dense inter-row vegetation cover, while carabids were disadvantaged. The results indicate that distinct taxa within the same trophic group can respond oppositely to vineyard management. Thus, inter-row vegetation management with densely and sparsely vegetated elements might be best to support predator diversity. Overall, our results suggest that organic viticulture alone is insufficient to assist the studied insect groups, and that other local and landscape management options are needed for their protection.
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22
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Ganser
- Agroscope, Agroecology and Environment Zürich Switzerland
| | | | - Eva Knop
- Agroscope, Agroecology and Environment Zürich Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zürich Zürich Switzerland
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23
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The long-term restoration of ecosystem complexity. Nat Ecol Evol 2020; 4:676-685. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-1154-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Torné‐Noguera A, Arnan X, Rodrigo A, Bosch J. Spatial variability of hosts, parasitoids and their interactions across a homogeneous landscape. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:3696-3705. [PMID: 32313628 PMCID: PMC7160165 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Species assemblages and their interactions vary through space, generating diversity patterns at different spatial scales. Here, we study the local-scale spatial variation of a cavity-nesting bee and wasp community (hosts), their nest associates (parasitoids), and the resulting antagonistic network over a continuous and homogeneous habitat. To obtain bee/wasp nests, we placed trap-nests at 25 sites over a 32 km2 area. We obtained 1,541 nests (4,954 cells) belonging to 40 host species and containing 27 parasitoid species. The most abundant host species tended to have higher parasitism rate. Community composition dissimilarity was relatively high for both hosts and parasitoids, and the main component of this variability was species turnover, with a very minor contribution of ordered species loss (nestedness). That is, local species richness tended to be similar across the study area and community composition tended to differ between sites. Interestingly, the spatial matching between host and parasitoid composition was low. Host β-diversity was weakly (positively) but significantly related to geographic distance. On the other hand, parasitoid and host-parasitoid interaction β-diversities were not significantly related to geographic distance. Interaction β-diversity was even higher than host and parasitoid β-diversity, and mostly due to species turnover. Interaction rewiring between plots and between local webs and the regional metaweb was very low. In sum, species composition was rather idiosyncratic to each site causing a relevant mismatch between hosts and parasitoid composition. However, pairs of host and parasitoid species tended to interact similarly wherever they co-occurred. Our results additionally show that interaction β-diversity is better explained by parasitoid than by host β-diversity. We discuss the importance of identifying the sources of variation to understand the drivers of the observed heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Anselm Rodrigo
- CREAFCerdanyola del VallèsSpain
- Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaCerdanyola del VallèsSpain
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25
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Łoś A, Skórka P, Strachecka A, Winiarczyk S, Adaszek Ł, Winiarczyk M, Wolski D. The associations among the breeding performance of Osmia bicornis L. (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), burden of pathogens and nest parasites along urbanisation gradient. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 710:135520. [PMID: 31780170 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Urban environments may negatively affect the development of organisms. In host-pathogen/parasite systems, this impact may lead to increased manifestations of pathogens that decrease the success of their hosts in urban environments compared to rural ones. We tested this hypothesis in the solitary bee Osmia bicornis L. We estimated the development of bees, their reproductive success and the manifestation of different pathogens and nest parasites along an urbanisation gradient. We conducted the experiment in an urbanisation gradient in sites representing three environments: urban, suburban and rural. First, we analysed the manifestation of bacterial and fungal microorganisms in pollen loads, within dried/mummified individuals, on the surface of cocoons and on the surface of diapausing adult individuals by using the MALDI-TOF MS technique. We also verified genetic samples from diapausing individuals for the presence of the parasitic Nosema apis (Zandler, 1909) and N. ceranae (Fries et al., 1996) species. Finally, we assessed the level of reproductive success and manifestations of brood parasites. Not any biological material from the nests was infected by pathogenic microorganisms. This result indicates that the nests are not a reservoir of the pathogenic bacteria and that O. bicornis offspring are not a source or vectors of these pathogens to the surrounding environment and indirectly to other bee species. In urban sites, there was a lower number of parasites than in suburban and rural environments. The presence of parasites was negatively correlated with the reproductive success and may be a limiting factor for O. bicornis populations. We also found that urban sites had the highest indices of reproductive success and the lowest number of breeding failures compared to suburban and rural sites. Moreover, bacterial and fungal transmission is not a serious threat in the studied region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Łoś
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, al. Mickiewicza 33, 31-120 Kraków, Poland.
| | - Piotr Skórka
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, al. Mickiewicza 33, 31-120 Kraków, Poland.
| | - Aneta Strachecka
- Institute of Biological Basis of Animal Production, Faculty of Biology, Animal Sciences and Bioeconomy, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, ul. Akademicka 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland.
| | - Stanisław Winiarczyk
- Department of Epizootiology and Clinic of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, ul. Głęboka 30, 20-612 Lublin, Poland.
| | - Łukasz Adaszek
- Department of Epizootiology and Clinic of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, ul. Głęboka 30, 20-612 Lublin, Poland
| | - Mateusz Winiarczyk
- Department of Vitreoretinal Surgery, Medical University of Lublin, ul. Chmielna 1, 20-079 Lublin, Poland.
| | - Dariusz Wolski
- Department of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences, ul. Akademicka 12, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
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Shinohara N, Uchida K, Yoshida T. Contrasting effects of land-use changes on herbivory and pollination networks. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:13585-13595. [PMID: 31871668 PMCID: PMC6912900 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Land-use changes, one of the greatest threats to global biodiversity, can cause underappreciated effects on ecosystems by altering the structures of interspecific interaction networks. These effects have typically been explored by evaluating interaction networks composed of a single type of interaction. Therefore, it remains unclear whether the different types of interaction networks sharing the same species respond to the same land-use changes in a similar manner.To compare the responses of herbivory and pollination networks to land-use changes, we investigated both types of interaction networks in seminatural grasslands categorized into three types of agricultural land-use (abandoned, extensively managed, and intensively managed) in a Japanese agricultural landscape. We quantified the structures of the interaction networks using several indices (connectance, evenness, diversity, generality, network specialization, and robustness) and compared them among different land-use types. We conducted piecewise SEM to differentiate the direct and indirect effects of land-use changes on the network structures.Although both land-use changes (abandonment and intensification) led to reduced plant and insect species richness, the structures of herbivory and pollination networks showed different responses to the land-use changes. There was a marked contrast in network generality; while, herbivore species were less generalized (i.e., having fewer host plant species) in fields with land-use intensification, pollinator species were less generalized in abandoned fields.Furthermore, the mechanisms behind the changes in interaction networks were also different between pollination and herbivory networks. The change in herbivory network generality was induced by the decrease in plant species richness, whereas the change in pollination network generality was mainly induced by the effect independent of changes in species richness and composition, which possibly reflect the less number of flowers in shaded environment.The present study demonstrates that agricultural land-use changes affect herbivory and pollination networks in contrasting ways and suggests the importance of assessing multiple types of interaction networks for biodiversity conservation in plant-insect systems. Our results also highlight the underappreciated importance of maintaining habitats with an intermediate intensity of land-use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoto Shinohara
- Department of Agricultural and Life SciencesThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Kei Uchida
- Institute for Sustainable Agro‐ecosystem ServicesThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
- Department of General Systems StudiesThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Takehito Yoshida
- Department of General Systems StudiesThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
- Research Institute for Humanity and NatureKyotoJapan
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27
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McWilliams C, Lurgi M, Montoya JM, Sauve A, Montoya D. The stability of multitrophic communities under habitat loss. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2322. [PMID: 31127118 PMCID: PMC6534601 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10370-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat loss (HL) affects species and their interactions, ultimately altering community dynamics. Yet, a challenge for community ecology is to understand how communities with multiple interaction types-hybrid communities-respond to HL prior to species extinctions. To this end, we develop a model to investigate the response of hybrid terrestrial communities to two types of HL: random and contiguous. Our model reveals changes in stability-temporal variability in population abundances-that are dependent on the spatial configuration of HL. Our findings highlight that habitat area determines the variability of populations via changes in the distribution of species interaction strengths. The divergent responses of communities to random and contiguous HL result from different constraints imposed on individuals' mobility, impacting diversity and network structure in the random case, and destabilising communities by increasing interaction strength in the contiguous case. Analysis of intermediate HL suggests a gradual transition between the two extreme cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris McWilliams
- School of Computer Science, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and Engineering Maths, Merchant Venturers Building, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS81UB, UK
| | - Miguel Lurgi
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling, Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, CNRS, 2 route du CNRS, 09200, Moulis, France
| | - Jose M Montoya
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling, Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, CNRS, 2 route du CNRS, 09200, Moulis, France
| | - Alix Sauve
- University of Bordeaux, Integrative and Theoretical Ecology LabEx COTE, 33615, Pessac, France
| | - Daniel Montoya
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling, Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, CNRS, 2 route du CNRS, 09200, Moulis, France.
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28
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Derocles SAP, Lunt DH, Berthe SCF, Nichols PC, Moss ED, Evans DM. Climate warming alters the structure of farmland tritrophic ecological networks and reduces crop yield. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:4931-4946. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Revised: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Stephane A. P. Derocles
- INRA; UMR 1347 Agroécologie; Dijon France
- School of Environmental Sciences; University of Hull; Hull UK
| | - David H. Lunt
- School of Environmental Sciences; University of Hull; Hull UK
| | | | - Paul C. Nichols
- School of Environmental Sciences; University of Hull; Hull UK
| | - Ellen D. Moss
- School of Environmental Sciences; University of Hull; Hull UK
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences; Newcastle University; Newcastle upon Tyne UK
| | - Darren M. Evans
- School of Environmental Sciences; University of Hull; Hull UK
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences; Newcastle University; Newcastle upon Tyne UK
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29
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Osorio-Canadas S, Arnan X, Bassols E, Vicens N, Bosch J. Seasonal dynamics in a cavity-nesting bee-wasp community: Shifts in composition, functional diversity and host-parasitoid network structure. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205854. [PMID: 30325966 PMCID: PMC6191139 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological communities are composed of species that interact with each other forming complex interaction networks. Although interaction networks have been usually treated as static entities, interactions show high levels of temporal variation, mainly due to temporal species turnover. Changes in taxonomic composition are likely to bring about changes in functional trait composition. Because functional traits influence the likelihood that two species interact, temporal changes in functional composition and structure may ultimately affect interaction network structure. Here, we study the seasonality (spring vs. summer) in a community of cavity-nesting solitary bees and wasps (‘hosts’) and their nest associates (‘parasitoids’). We analyze seasonal changes in taxonomic compostion and structure, as well as in functional traits, of the host and parasitoid communities. We also analyze whether these changes result in changes in percent parasitism and interaction network structure. Our host and parasitoid communities are strongly seasonal. Host species richness increases from spring to summer. This results in important seasonal changes in functional composition of the host community. The spring community (almost exclusively composed of bees) is characterized by large, univoltine, adult-wintering host species. The summer community (composed of both bees and wasps) is dominated by smaller, bivoltine, prepupa-wintering species. Host functional diversity is higher in summer than in spring. Importantly, these functional changes are not only explained by the addition of wasp species in summer. Functional changes in the parasitoid community are much less pronounced, probably due to the lower parasitoid species turnover. Despite these important taxonomic and functional changes, levels of parasitism did not change across seasons. Two network metrics (generality and interaction evenness) increased from spring to summer. These changes can be explained by the seasonal increase in species richness (and therefore network size). The seasonal shift from a bee-dominated community in spring to a wasp-dominated community in summer suggests a change in ecosystem function, with emphasis on pollination in spring to emphasis on predation in summer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Emili Bassols
- Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa, Olot, Spain
| | - Narcís Vicens
- Servei de Medi Ambient de la Diputació de Girona, Pujada Sant Martí 4–5, Girona, Spain
| | - Jordi Bosch
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
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30
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Curtsdotter A, Banks HT, Banks JE, Jonsson M, Jonsson T, Laubmeier AN, Traugott M, Bommarco R. Ecosystem function in predator-prey food webs-confronting dynamic models with empirical data. J Anim Ecol 2018; 88:196-210. [PMID: 30079547 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Most ecosystem functions and related services involve species interactions across trophic levels, for example, pollination and biological pest control. Despite this, our understanding of ecosystem function in multitrophic communities is poor, and research has been limited to either manipulation in small communities or statistical descriptions in larger ones. Recent advances in food web ecology may allow us to overcome the trade-off between mechanistic insight and ecological realism. Molecular tools now simplify the detection of feeding interactions, and trait-based approaches allow the application of dynamic food web models to real ecosystems. We performed the first test of an allometric food web model's ability to replicate temporally nonaggregated abundance data from the field and to provide mechanistic insight into the function of predation. We aimed to reproduce and explore the drivers of the population dynamics of the aphid herbivore Rhopalosiphum padi observed in ten Swedish barley fields. We used a dynamic food web model, taking observed interactions and abundances of predators and alternative prey as input data, allowing us to examine the role of predation in aphid population control. The inverse problem methods were used for simultaneous model fit optimization and model parameterization. The model captured >70% of the variation in aphid abundance in five of ten fields, supporting the model-embodied hypothesis that body size can be an important determinant of predation in the arthropod community. We further demonstrate how in-depth model analysis can disentangle the likely drivers of function, such as the community's abundance and trait composition. Analysing the variability in model performance revealed knowledge gaps, such as the source of episodic aphid mortality, and general method development needs that, if addressed, would further increase model success and enable stronger inference about ecosystem function. The results demonstrate that confronting dynamic food web models with abundance data from the field is a viable approach to evaluate ecological theory and to aid our understanding of function in real ecosystems. However, to realize the full potential of food web models, in ecosystem function research and beyond, trait-based parameterization must be refined and extended to include more traits than body size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alva Curtsdotter
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.,School of Bioscience, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden.,Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - H Thomas Banks
- Center for Research in Scientific Computation, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
| | - John E Banks
- Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center (UROC), California State University, Monterey Bay, Seaside, California
| | - Mattias Jonsson
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tomas Jonsson
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.,School of Bioscience, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden
| | - Amanda N Laubmeier
- Center for Research in Scientific Computation, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
| | - Michael Traugott
- Mountain Agriculture Research Unit, Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Riccardo Bommarco
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
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31
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Staab M, Pufal G, Tscharntke T, Klein A. Trap nests for bees and wasps to analyse trophic interactions in changing environments—A systematic overview and user guide. Methods Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Staab
- Nature Conservation and Landscape EcologyFaculty of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
- Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS)University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
| | - Gesine Pufal
- Nature Conservation and Landscape EcologyFaculty of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
| | | | - Alexandra‐Maria Klein
- Nature Conservation and Landscape EcologyFaculty of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
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32
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Bam W, Hooper-Bui LM, Strecker RM, Adhikari PL, Overton EB. Coupled effects of oil spill and hurricane on saltmarsh terrestrial arthropods. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0194941. [PMID: 29641552 PMCID: PMC5895010 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Terrestrial arthropods play an important role in saltmarsh ecosystems, mainly affecting the saltmarsh’s primary production as the main consumers of terrestrial primary production and decomposition. Some of these arthropods, including selected insects and spiders, can be used as ecological indicators of overall marsh environmental health, as they are differentially sensitive to ecological stressors, such as land loss, erosion, oil spills, and tropical storms. In the present study, we used terrestrial arthropods collected from seven (three lightly-oiled, four heavily-oiled) sites in Barataria Bay and from three unoiled reference sites in Delacroix, Louisiana, to determine the impacts of the distribution and re-distribution of Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil on these saltmarsh ecosystems. A total of 9,476 and 12,256 insects were collected in 2013 and 2014, respectively. The results show that the terrestrial arthropods were negatively affected by the re-distribution of DWH oil by Hurricane Isaac in 2012, although the level of impacts varied among the arthropod groups. Moreover, the mean diversity index was higher (>1.5) in 2014 than in 2013 (<1.5) for all sites, suggesting a recovery trajectory of the saltmarsh arthropod population. The higher taxonomic richness observed in the reference sites compared to the oiled sites for both years also indicated long-term impacts of DWH oil to the saltmarsh arthropod community. Whereas a slow recovery of certain terrestrial arthropods was observed, long-term monitoring of arthropod communities would help better understand the recovery and succession of the marsh ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wokil Bam
- Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Linda M. Hooper-Bui
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, United States of America
| | - Rachel M. Strecker
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, United States of America
| | - Puspa L. Adhikari
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, United States of America
| | - Edward B. Overton
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, United States of America
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33
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Plant diversity effects on arthropods and arthropod-dependent ecosystem functions in a biodiversity experiment. Basic Appl Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2017.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Nitschke N, Allan E, Zwölfer H, Wagner L, Creutzburg S, Baur H, Schmidt S, Weisser WW. Plant diversity has contrasting effects on herbivore and parasitoid abundance in Centaurea jacea flower heads. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:9319-9332. [PMID: 29187971 PMCID: PMC5696411 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2016] [Revised: 05/01/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
High biodiversity is known to increase many ecosystem functions, but studies investigating biodiversity effects have more rarely looked at multi-trophic interactions. We studied a tri-trophic system composed of Centaurea jacea (brown knapweed), its flower head-infesting tephritid fruit flies and their hymenopteran parasitoids, in a grassland biodiversity experiment. We aimed to disentangle the importance of direct effects of plant diversity (through changes in apparency and resource availability) from indirect effects (mediated by host plant quality and performance). To do this, we compared insect communities in C. jacea transplants, whose growth was influenced by the surrounding plant communities (and where direct and indirect effects can occur), with potted C. jacea plants, which do not compete with the surrounding plant community (and where only direct effects are possible). Tephritid infestation rate and insect load, mainly of the dominant species Chaetorellia jaceae, decreased with increasing plant species and functional group richness. These effects were not seen in the potted plants and are therefore likely to be mediated by changes in host plant performance and quality. Parasitism rates, mainly of the abundant chalcid wasps Eurytoma compressa and Pteromalus albipennis, increased with plant species or functional group richness in both transplants and potted plants, suggesting that direct effects of plant diversity are most important. The differential effects in transplants and potted plants emphasize the importance of plant-mediated direct and indirect effects for trophic interactions at the community level. The findings also show how plant-plant interactions critically affect results obtained using transplants. More generally, our results indicate that plant biodiversity affects the abundance of higher trophic levels through a variety of different mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norma Nitschke
- Institute of EcologyFriedrich‐Schiller‐UniversityJenaGermany
| | - Eric Allan
- Institute of Plant SciencesUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Helmut Zwölfer
- Department for Animal Ecology IUniversity of BayreuthBayreuthGermany
| | - Lysett Wagner
- Institute of EcologyFriedrich‐Schiller‐UniversityJenaGermany
| | | | - Hannes Baur
- Abteilung Wirbellose TiereNaturhistorisches Museum BernBernSwitzerland
- Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
| | | | - Wolfgang W. Weisser
- Institute of EcologyFriedrich‐Schiller‐UniversityJenaGermany
- Present address:
Terrestrial Ecology Research GroupDepartment of Ecology and Ecosystem ManagementSchool of Life Sciences WeihenstephanTechnical University of MunichFreisingGermany
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35
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Staniczenko PPA, Lewis OT, Tylianakis JM, Albrecht M, Coudrain V, Klein AM, Reed-Tsochas F. Predicting the effect of habitat modification on networks of interacting species. Nat Commun 2017; 8:792. [PMID: 28986532 PMCID: PMC5630616 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00913-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2016] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A pressing challenge for ecologists is predicting how human-driven environmental changes will affect the complex pattern of interactions among species in a community. Weighted networks are an important tool for studying changes in interspecific interactions because they record interaction frequencies in addition to presence or absence at a field site. Here we show that changes in weighted network structure following habitat modification are, in principle, predictable. Our approach combines field data with mathematical models: the models separate changes in relative species abundance from changes in interaction preferences (which describe how interaction frequencies deviate from random encounters). The models with the best predictive ability compared to data requirement are those that capture systematic changes in interaction preferences between different habitat types. Our results suggest a viable approach for predicting the consequences of rapid environmental change for the structure of complex ecological networks, even in the absence of detailed, system-specific empirical data. In a changing world, the ability to predict the impact of environmental change on ecological communities is essential. Here, the authors show that by separating species abundances from interaction preferences, they can predict the effects of habitat modification on the structure of weighted species interaction networks, even with limited data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip P A Staniczenko
- National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC), Annapolis, MD, 21401, USA. .,Department of Biology, University of Maryland College Park, Maryland, MD, 20742, USA. .,CABDyN Complexity Centre, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 1HP, UK.
| | - Owen T Lewis
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Jason M Tylianakis
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand.,Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Matthias Albrecht
- Institute for Sustainability Sciences, Agroscope, Zurich, 8046, Switzerland
| | - Valérie Coudrain
- Mediterranean Institute of Marine and Terrestrial Biodiversity and Ecology, Aix-Marseille University, University of Avignon, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Marseille, 13284, France
| | - Alexandra-Maria Klein
- Chair of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, D-79106, Germany
| | - Felix Reed-Tsochas
- CABDyN Complexity Centre, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 1HP, UK.,Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3BD, UK
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36
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Structural breakdown of specialized plant-herbivore interaction networks in tropical forest edges. Glob Ecol Conserv 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2017.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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37
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Médoc V, Firmat C, Sheath D, Pegg J, Andreou D, Britton J. Parasites and Biological Invasions. ADV ECOL RES 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aecr.2016.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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38
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Avalos DS, Mangeaud A, Valladares GR. Parasitism and Food Web Structure in Defoliating Lepidoptera - Parasitoid Communities on Soybean. NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2016; 45:712-717. [PMID: 27299866 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-016-0416-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2015] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Food webs are usually regarded as snapshots of community feeding interactions. Here, we describe the yearly and cumulative structure of parasitoid-caterpillar food webs on soybean in central Argentina, analyzing parasitism rates and their variability in relation to parasitoid diversity and food web vulnerability in the system. Lepidoptera larvae were collected along four seasons from soybean crops and reared in laboratory to obtain and identify adults and parasitoids. Eleven species of defoliating Lepidoptera and ten parasitoid species were recorded. Food web statistics showed rather low annual variability, with most variation coefficients in the order of 0.20 and generality showing the most stable values. Parasitism showed the highest variability, which was independent of parasitoid diversity and food web vulnerability, although parasitism rates were negatively related to parasitoid richness. Our study highlights the need to consider food web structure and variability in order to understand the functioning of ecological communities in general and in extensive agricultural ecosystems in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- D S Avalos
- Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Univ Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Valparaíso S/N, Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, Argentina.
| | - A Mangeaud
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, UNC, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - G R Valladares
- Centro de Investigaciones Entomológicas de Córdoba, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (CONICET-UNC), Córdoba, Argentina
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39
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Fischer LK, Eichfeld J, Kowarik I, Buchholz S. Disentangling urban habitat and matrix effects on wild bee species. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2729. [PMID: 27917318 PMCID: PMC5131621 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In face of a dramatic decline of wild bee species in many rural landscapes, potential conservation functions of urban areas gain importance. Yet effects of urbanization on pollinators, and in particular on wild bees, remain ambiguous and not comprehensively understood. This is especially true for amenity grassland and extensively managed wastelands within large-scale residential housing areas. Using Berlin as a study region, we aimed to investigate (a) if these greenspaces are accepted by wild bee assemblages as foraging habitats; (b) how assemblage structure of bees and individual bee species are affected by different habitat (e.g., management, flower density) and urban matrix variables (e.g., isolation, urbanization); and (c) to what extent grassland restoration can promote bees in urban environments. In summer 2012, we collected 62 bee species belonging to more than 20% of the taxa known for Berlin. Urbanization significantly affected species composition of bees; 18 species were affiliated to different levels of urbanization. Most bee species were not affected by any of the environmental variables tested, and urbanization had a negative effect only for one bee species. Further, we determined that restoration of diverse grasslands positively affected bee species richnesss in urban environments. We conclude that differently structured and managed greenspaces in large-scale housing areas can provide additional foraging habitats and refuges for pollinators. This supports approaches towards a biodiversity friendly management within urban regions and may be of particular importance given that anthropogenic pressure is increasing in many rural landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonie K Fischer
- Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Julia Eichfeld
- Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ingo Kowarik
- Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Sascha Buchholz
- Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
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40
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Hicks DM, Ouvrard P, Baldock KCR, Baude M, Goddard MA, Kunin WE, Mitschunas N, Memmott J, Morse H, Nikolitsi M, Osgathorpe LM, Potts SG, Robertson KM, Scott AV, Sinclair F, Westbury DB, Stone GN. Food for Pollinators: Quantifying the Nectar and Pollen Resources of Urban Flower Meadows. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0158117. [PMID: 27341588 PMCID: PMC4920406 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2015] [Accepted: 06/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Planted meadows are increasingly used to improve the biodiversity and aesthetic amenity value of urban areas. Although many ‘pollinator-friendly’ seed mixes are available, the floral resources these provide to flower-visiting insects, and how these change through time, are largely unknown. Such data are necessary to compare the resources provided by alternative meadow seed mixes to each other and to other flowering habitats. We used quantitative surveys of over 2 million flowers to estimate the nectar and pollen resources offered by two exemplar commercial seed mixes (one annual, one perennial) and associated weeds grown as 300m2 meadows across four UK cities, sampled at six time points between May and September 2013. Nectar sugar and pollen rewards per flower varied widely across 65 species surveyed, with native British weed species (including dandelion, Taraxacum agg.) contributing the top five nectar producers and two of the top ten pollen producers. Seed mix species yielding the highest rewards per flower included Leontodon hispidus, Centaurea cyanus and C. nigra for nectar, and Papaver rhoeas, Eschscholzia californica and Malva moschata for pollen. Perennial meadows produced up to 20x more nectar and up to 6x more pollen than annual meadows, which in turn produced far more than amenity grassland controls. Perennial meadows produced resources earlier in the year than annual meadows, but both seed mixes delivered very low resource levels early in the year and these were provided almost entirely by native weeds. Pollen volume per flower is well predicted statistically by floral morphology, and nectar sugar mass and pollen volume per unit area are correlated with flower counts, raising the possibility that resource levels can be estimated for species or habitats where they cannot be measured directly. Our approach does not incorporate resource quality information (for example, pollen protein or essential amino acid content), but can easily do so when suitable data exist. Our approach should inform the design of new seed mixes to ensure continuity in floral resource availability throughout the year, and to identify suitable species to fill resource gaps in established mixes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien M. Hicks
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, United Kingdom
| | - Pierre Ouvrard
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, United Kingdom
- Earth and Life Institute - Agronomy, Université catholique de Louvain, Place Croix du Sud 2, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Katherine C. R. Baldock
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQUG, United Kingdom
- Cabot Institute, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol, BS8 1UJ, United Kingdom
| | - Mathilde Baude
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQUG, United Kingdom
- Collegium Sciences et Techniques, EA 1207 LBLGC, Université d’Orléans, 45067, Orléans, France
| | - Mark A. Goddard
- School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - William E. Kunin
- School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Nadine Mitschunas
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQUG, United Kingdom
- Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AR, United Kingdom
| | - Jane Memmott
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQUG, United Kingdom
- Cabot Institute, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol, BS8 1UJ, United Kingdom
| | - Helen Morse
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQUG, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Nikolitsi
- School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Lynne M. Osgathorpe
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQUG, United Kingdom
| | - Simon G. Potts
- Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AR, United Kingdom
| | | | - Anna V. Scott
- Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AR, United Kingdom
| | - Frazer Sinclair
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, United Kingdom
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Gola Rainforest National Park, Kenema, Sierra Leone
| | - Duncan B. Westbury
- Institute of Science & the Environment, The University of Worcester, Henwick Grove, Worcester, WR2 6AJ, United Kingdom
| | - Graham N. Stone
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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41
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Vacher C, Tamaddoni-Nezhad A, Kamenova S, Peyrard N, Moalic Y, Sabbadin R, Schwaller L, Chiquet J, Smith MA, Vallance J, Fievet V, Jakuschkin B, Bohan DA. Learning Ecological Networks from Next-Generation Sequencing Data. ADV ECOL RES 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aecr.2015.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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42
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Osorio S, Arnan X, Bassols E, Vicens N, Bosch J. Local and landscape effects in a host-parasitoid interaction network along a forest-cropland gradient. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2015; 25:1869-1879. [PMID: 26591453 DOI: 10.1890/14-2476.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Land-use driven habitat modification is a major driver of biodiversity loss and impoverishment of interaction diversity. This may affect ecosystem services such as pollination and biological control. Our objective is to analyze the effects of local (nesting environment: farms vs. tree stands) and landscape (forest-cropland gradient) factors on the structure and composition of a cavity-nesting bee-wasp (CNBW) community, their nests associates (henceforth parasitoids), and their interactions. We set up 24 nest-trapping stations in a fragmented, extensively farmed area of ~100 km². We obtained 2035 nests containing 7572 brood cells representing 17 bee and 18 wasp species, attacked by 20 parasitoid species. Community structure and composition, as well as network structure, were much more dependent on local than on landscape factors. Host abundance and richness were higher in farms. In addition, host abundance was positively correlated to cropland cover. We also found highly significant differences between nesting environments in host community composition. Structure and composition of the parasitoid community were conditioned by the structure and composition of the host community. Network structure was affected by nesting environment but not by landscape factors. Interactions tended to be more diverse in farms. This result was mostly explained by differences in network size (greater in farms). However, generality was significantly higher in farms even after controlling for network size, indicating that differences in species' interaction patterns associated to differences in community composition between the two nesting environments are also affecting network structure. In conclusion, open habitats associated with extensively farmed exploitations favor local CNBW diversity (especially bees) and result in more complex host-parasitoid interaction networks in comparison to forested areas. The conservation value of this kind of open habitat is important in view of the progressive abandonment of extensively cultivated farmland taking place in Europe at the expense of agricultural intensification and reforestation.
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43
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Wirta HK, Vesterinen EJ, Hambäck PA, Weingartner E, Rasmussen C, Reneerkens J, Schmidt NM, Gilg O, Roslin T. Exposing the structure of an Arctic food web. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:3842-56. [PMID: 26380710 PMCID: PMC4567885 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2015] [Revised: 06/16/2015] [Accepted: 07/09/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
How food webs are structured has major implications for their stability and dynamics. While poorly studied to date, arctic food webs are commonly assumed to be simple in structure, with few links per species. If this is the case, then different parts of the web may be weakly connected to each other, with populations and species united by only a low number of links. We provide the first highly resolved description of trophic link structure for a large part of a high-arctic food web. For this purpose, we apply a combination of recent techniques to describing the links between three predator guilds (insectivorous birds, spiders, and lepidopteran parasitoids) and their two dominant prey orders (Diptera and Lepidoptera). The resultant web shows a dense link structure and no compartmentalization or modularity across the three predator guilds. Thus, both individual predators and predator guilds tap heavily into the prey community of each other, offering versatile scope for indirect interactions across different parts of the web. The current description of a first but single arctic web may serve as a benchmark toward which to gauge future webs resolved by similar techniques. Targeting an unusual breadth of predator guilds, and relying on techniques with a high resolution, it suggests that species in this web are closely connected. Thus, our findings call for similar explorations of link structure across multiple guilds in both arctic and other webs. From an applied perspective, our description of an arctic web suggests new avenues for understanding how arctic food webs are built and function and of how they respond to current climate change. It suggests that to comprehend the community-level consequences of rapid arctic warming, we should turn from analyses of populations, population pairs, and isolated predator-prey interactions to considering the full set of interacting species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena K Wirta
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki Latokartanonkaari 5, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Eero J Vesterinen
- Department of Biology, University of Turku Vesilinnantie 5, FI-20014, Turku, Finland
| | - Peter A Hambäck
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Elisabeth Weingartner
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Claus Rasmussen
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University Ny Munkegade 114, DK-8000, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jeroen Reneerkens
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands ; Arctic Research Centre, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Niels M Schmidt
- Arctic Research Centre, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Olivier Gilg
- Laboratoire Biogéosciences, UMR CNRS 6282, Université de Bourgogne 6 Boulevard Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France ; Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique 16 rue de Vernot, 21440, Francheville, France
| | - Tomas Roslin
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki Latokartanonkaari 5, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
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44
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Kaiser-Bunbury CN, Blüthgen N. Integrating network ecology with applied conservation: a synthesis and guide to implementation. AOB PLANTS 2015; 7:plv076. [PMID: 26162897 PMCID: PMC4564002 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plv076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2015] [Accepted: 06/27/2015] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Ecological networks are a useful tool to study the complexity of biotic interactions at a community level. Advances in the understanding of network patterns encourage the application of a network approach in other disciplines than theoretical ecology, such as biodiversity conservation. So far, however, practical applications have been meagre. Here we present a framework for network analysis to be harnessed to advance conservation management by using plant-pollinator networks and islands as model systems. Conservation practitioners require indicators to monitor and assess management effectiveness and validate overall conservation goals. By distinguishing between two network attributes, the 'diversity' and 'distribution' of interactions, on three hierarchical levels (species, guild/group and network) we identify seven quantitative metrics to describe changes in network patterns that have implications for conservation. Diversity metrics are partner diversity, vulnerability/generality, interaction diversity and interaction evenness, and distribution metrics are the specialization indices d' and [Formula: see text] and modularity. Distribution metrics account for sampling bias and may therefore be suitable indicators to detect human-induced changes to plant-pollinator communities, thus indirectly assessing the structural and functional robustness and integrity of ecosystems. We propose an implementation pathway that outlines the stages that are required to successfully embed a network approach in biodiversity conservation. Most importantly, only if conservation action and study design are aligned by practitioners and ecologists through joint experiments, are the findings of a conservation network approach equally beneficial for advancing adaptive management and ecological network theory. We list potential obstacles to the framework, highlight the shortfall in empirical, mostly experimental, network data and discuss possible solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nico Blüthgen
- Ecological Networks, Department of Biology, TU Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstr. 3, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
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45
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Marcilio-Silva V, Cavalin PO, Varassin IG, Oliveira RAC, de Souza JMT, Muschner VC, Marques MCM. Nurse abundance determines plant facilitation networks of subtropical forest-grassland ecotone. AUSTRAL ECOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vinicius Marcilio-Silva
- Laboratório de Ecologia Vegetal; Departamento de Botânica; Universidade Federal do Paraná; Caixa Postal 19031 Curitiba PR 81531-980 Brazil
| | - Pedro O. Cavalin
- Laboratório de Ecologia Vegetal; Departamento de Botânica; Universidade Federal do Paraná; Caixa Postal 19031 Curitiba PR 81531-980 Brazil
| | - Isabela G. Varassin
- Laboratório de Ecologia Vegetal; Departamento de Botânica; Universidade Federal do Paraná; Caixa Postal 19031 Curitiba PR 81531-980 Brazil
| | - Ricardo A. C. Oliveira
- Laboratório de Ecologia Vegetal; Departamento de Botânica; Universidade Federal do Paraná; Caixa Postal 19031 Curitiba PR 81531-980 Brazil
| | - Jana M. T. de Souza
- Departamento Acadêmico de Química e Biologia; Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná; Curitiba PR Brazil
| | - Valéria C. Muschner
- Laboratório de Ecologia Molecular Vegetal; Departamento de Botânica; Universidade Federal do Paraná; Curitiba PR Brazil
| | - Márcia C. M. Marques
- Laboratório de Ecologia Vegetal; Departamento de Botânica; Universidade Federal do Paraná; Caixa Postal 19031 Curitiba PR 81531-980 Brazil
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46
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Bordes F, Morand S, Pilosof S, Claude J, Krasnov BR, Cosson JF, Chaval Y, Ribas A, Chaisiri K, Blasdell K, Herbreteau V, Dupuy S, Tran A. Habitat fragmentation alters the properties of a host-parasite network: rodents and their helminths in South-East Asia. J Anim Ecol 2015; 84:1253-63. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2014] [Accepted: 02/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Bordes
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution; CNRS-IRD-UM2, CC065; Université de Montpellier 2; 34095 Montpellier France
| | - Serge Morand
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution; CNRS-IRD-UM2, CC065; Université de Montpellier 2; 34095 Montpellier France
- CNRS-CIRAD; Centre d'Infectiologie Christophe Mérieux du Laos; PO Box 3888 Samsenthai Road Vientiane Lao PDR
| | - Shai Pilosof
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology; Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research; Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies; Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research; Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Sede Boqer Campus 84990 Midreshet Ben-Gurion Israel
| | - Julien Claude
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution; CNRS-IRD-UM2, CC065; Université de Montpellier 2; 34095 Montpellier France
| | - Boris R. Krasnov
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology; Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research; Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies; Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research; Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Sede Boqer Campus 84990 Midreshet Ben-Gurion Israel
| | - Jean-François Cosson
- INRA; UMR CBGP (INRA/IRD/Cirad/Montpellier SupAgro); Campus International de Baillarguet CS 30016 F-34988 Montferrier-sur-Lez Cedex France
| | - Yannick Chaval
- INRA; UMR CBGP (INRA/IRD/Cirad/Montpellier SupAgro); Campus International de Baillarguet CS 30016 F-34988 Montferrier-sur-Lez Cedex France
| | - Alexis Ribas
- Biodiversity Research Group; Faculty of Science; Udon Thani Rajabhat University; Udon Thani 41000 Thailand
| | - Kittipong Chaisiri
- Department of Helminthology; Faculty of Tropical Medicine; Mahidol University; 420/6 Ratchavithi Rd Ratchathevi Bangkok 10400 Thailand
| | - Kim Blasdell
- CSIRO Biosecurity flagship; Australian Animal Health Laboratory; 5 Portarlington Road Geelong Vic. 3220 Australia
| | - Vincent Herbreteau
- ESPACE-DEV; IRD - Université des Antilles et de la Guyane - Université de Montpellier 2 - Université de la Réunion; Station SEAS-OI F-97410 Saint-Pierre France
| | | | - Annelise Tran
- CIRAD; UMR TETIS; F-34093 Montpellier France
- UR22 AGIRs; Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD); Campus International de Baillarguet 34398 Montpellier France
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Gezon ZJ, Wyman ES, Ascher JS, Inouye DW, Irwin RE. The effect of repeated, lethal sampling on wild bee abundance and diversity. Methods Ecol Evol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zachariah J. Gezon
- Department of Biological Sciences Dartmouth College 78 College St Hanover NH 03755 USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory Crested Butte CO 81224 USA
| | - Eli S. Wyman
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology American Museum of Natural History New York NY 10024 USA
| | - John S. Ascher
- Department of Biological Sciences National University of Singapore 14 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117543 Singapore
| | - David W. Inouye
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory Crested Butte CO 81224 USA
- Department of Biology University of Maryland College Park MD 20742 USA
| | - Rebecca E. Irwin
- Department of Biological Sciences Dartmouth College 78 College St Hanover NH 03755 USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory Crested Butte CO 81224 USA
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Karg J, Kujawa K, Manhart C, Marschalek H, Neugebauer KR, Sachteleben J. Restoration of Subalpine Species-Rich Grasslands: Short-TermvsLong-Term Changes in the Density and Diversity of above-Ground Insects. POLISH JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.3161/15052249pje2015.63.1.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Tsiafouli MA, Thébault E, Sgardelis SP, de Ruiter PC, van der Putten WH, Birkhofer K, Hemerik L, de Vries FT, Bardgett RD, Brady MV, Bjornlund L, Jørgensen HB, Christensen S, Hertefeldt TD, Hotes S, Gera Hol WH, Frouz J, Liiri M, Mortimer SR, Setälä H, Tzanopoulos J, Uteseny K, Pižl V, Stary J, Wolters V, Hedlund K. Intensive agriculture reduces soil biodiversity across Europe. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2015; 21:973-85. [PMID: 25242445 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 240] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2014] [Revised: 09/04/2014] [Accepted: 09/10/2014] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Soil biodiversity plays a key role in regulating the processes that underpin the delivery of ecosystem goods and services in terrestrial ecosystems. Agricultural intensification is known to change the diversity of individual groups of soil biota, but less is known about how intensification affects biodiversity of the soil food web as a whole, and whether or not these effects may be generalized across regions. We examined biodiversity in soil food webs from grasslands, extensive, and intensive rotations in four agricultural regions across Europe: in Sweden, the UK, the Czech Republic and Greece. Effects of land-use intensity were quantified based on structure and diversity among functional groups in the soil food web, as well as on community-weighted mean body mass of soil fauna. We also elucidate land-use intensity effects on diversity of taxonomic units within taxonomic groups of soil fauna. We found that between regions soil food web diversity measures were variable, but that increasing land-use intensity caused highly consistent responses. In particular, land-use intensification reduced the complexity in the soil food webs, as well as the community-weighted mean body mass of soil fauna. In all regions across Europe, species richness of earthworms, Collembolans, and oribatid mites was negatively affected by increased land-use intensity. The taxonomic distinctness, which is a measure of taxonomic relatedness of species in a community that is independent of species richness, was also reduced by land-use intensification. We conclude that intensive agriculture reduces soil biodiversity, making soil food webs less diverse and composed of smaller bodied organisms. Land-use intensification results in fewer functional groups of soil biota with fewer and taxonomically more closely related species. We discuss how these changes in soil biodiversity due to land-use intensification may threaten the functioning of soil in agricultural production systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Tsiafouli
- Department of Ecology, School of Biology, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, 54124, Greece
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