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Li X, Bleisch WV, Hu W, Li Q, Wang H, Chen Z, Bai R, Jiang XL. Human disturbance increases spatiotemporal associations among mountain forest terrestrial mammal species. eLife 2024; 12:RP92457. [PMID: 38949865 PMCID: PMC11216745 DOI: 10.7554/elife.92457] [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] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Spatial and temporal associations between sympatric species underpin biotic interactions, structure ecological assemblages, and sustain ecosystem functioning and stability. However, the resilience of interspecific spatiotemporal associations to human activity remains poorly understood, particularly in mountain forests where anthropogenic impacts are often pervasive. Here, we applied context-dependent Joint Species Distribution Models to a systematic camera-trap survey dataset from a global biodiversity hotspot in eastern Himalayas to understand how prominent human activities in mountain forests influence species associations within terrestrial mammal communities. We obtained 10,388 independent detections of 17 focal species (12 carnivores and five ungulates) from 322 stations over 43,163 camera days of effort. We identified a higher incidence of positive associations in habitats with higher levels of human modification (87%) and human presence (83%) compared to those located in habitats with lower human modification (64%) and human presence (65%) levels. We also detected a significant reduction of pairwise encounter time at increasing levels of human disturbance, corresponding to more frequent encounters between pairs of species. Our findings indicate that human activities can push mammals together into more frequent encounters and associations, which likely influences the coexistence and persistence of wildlife, with potential far-ranging ecological consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyou Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - William V Bleisch
- China Exploration and Research Society, 2707-08 SouthMark, Wong Chuk HangHong KongChina
| | - Wenqiang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Quan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Hongjiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Zhongzheng Chen
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of the Conservation and Exploitation of Biological Resources, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal UniversityWuhuChina
| | - Ru Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Xue-Long Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
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2
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Harmáčková L, Remeš V. The Evolution of Local Co-occurrence in Birds in Relation to Latitude, Degree of Sympatry, and Range Symmetry. Am Nat 2024; 203:432-443. [PMID: 38358810 DOI: 10.1086/728687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
AbstractRecent speciation rates and the degree of range-wide sympatry are usually higher farther from the equator. Is there also a higher degree of secondary syntopy (coexistence in local assemblages in sympatry) at higher latitudes and, subsequently, an increase in local species richness? We studied the evolution of syntopy in passerine birds using worldwide species distribution data. We chose recently diverged species pairs from subclades not older than 5 or 7 million years, range-wide degree of sympatry not lower than 5% or 25%, and three definitions of the breeding season. We related their syntopy to latitude, the degree of sympatry (breeding range overlap), range symmetry, and the age of split. Syntopy was positively related to latitude, but it did not differ between tropical and temperate regions, instead increasing from the Southern to the Northern Hemisphere. Syntopy was also higher in species pairs with a higher degree of sympatry and more symmetric ranges, but it did not predict local species richness. Following speciation, species in the Northern Hemisphere presumably achieve positive local co-occurrence faster than elsewhere, which could facilitate their higher speciation rates. However, this does not seem to be linked to local species richness, which is probably governed by other processes.
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Boron V, Deere NJ, Hyde M, Bardales R, Stasiukynas D, Payán E. Habitat modification destabilizes spatial associations and persistence of Neotropical carnivores. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3722-3731.e4. [PMID: 37625415 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.07.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Spatial relationships between sympatric species underpin biotic interactions, structure ecological communities, and maintain ecosystem health. However, the resilience of interspecific spatial associations to human habitat modification remains largely unknown, particularly in tropical regions where anthropogenic impacts are often greatest. We applied multi-state multi-species occurrence models to camera trap data across nine tropical landscapes in Colombia to understand how prominent threats to forest ecosystems influence Neotropical carnivore occurrence and interspecific spatial associations, with implications for biotic interactions. We show that carnivore occurrence represents a delicate balance between local environmental conditions and interspecific interactions that can be compromised in areas of extensive habitat modification. The stability of carnivore spatial associations depends on forest cover to mediate antagonistic encounters with apex predators and structurally intact forests to facilitate coexistence between competing mesocarnivores. Notably, we demonstrate that jaguars play an irreplaceable role in spatially structuring mesocarnivore communities, providing novel evidence on their role as keystone species. With increasing global change, conserving both the extent and quality of tropical forests is imperative to support carnivores and preserve the spatial associations that underpin ecosystem stability and resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Boron
- Panthera, 8W 40th Street, New York 10018, USA; World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), The Living Planet Centre, Rufford House, Brewery Road, Woking, Surrey GU21 4LL, UK.
| | - Nicolas J Deere
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NR, UK.
| | - Matthew Hyde
- Panthera, 8W 40th Street, New York 10018, USA; Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Center for Human-Carnivore Coexistence, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | | | | | - Esteban Payán
- Panthera, 8W 40th Street, New York 10018, USA; Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York 10460, USA
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Jiang X, He L, Qu Y, Jian B, Deng D, Liu M, Yang J, Ma Y, Chen D, Huang Y. Effects of grazing exclusion on vegetation community characteristics over 22 years in the Zoige alpine meadows from China. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2023.103892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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5
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Deane DC, Hui C, McGeoch M. Two dominant forms of multisite similarity decline - Their origins and interpretation. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9859. [PMID: 36911316 PMCID: PMC9994616 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9859] [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: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The number of species shared by two or more sites is a fundamental measure of spatial variation in species composition. As more sites are included in the comparison of species composition, the average number of species shared across them declines, with a rate increasingly dependent on only the most widespread species. In over 80% of empirical communities, models of decline in shared species across multiple sites (multisite similarity decline) follow one of two distinct forms. An exponential form is assumed to reflect stochastic assembly and a power law form niche-based sorting, yet these explanations are largely untested, and little is known of how the two forms arise in nature. Using simulations, we first show that the distribution of the most widespread species largely differentiates the two forms, with the power law increasingly favored where such species occupy more than ~75% of sites. We reasoned the less cosmopolitan distribution of widespread species within exponential communities would manifest as differences in community biodiversity properties, specifically more aggregated within-species distributions, less even relative abundance distributions, and weaker between-species spatial associations. We tested and largely confirmed these relationships using 80 empirical datasets, suggesting that the form of multisite similarity decline offers a basis to predict how landscape-scale loss or gain of widespread species is reflected in different local-scale community structures. Such understanding could, for example, be used to predict changes in local-scale competitive interactions following shifts in widespread species' distributions. We propose multiple explanations for the origin of exponential decline, including high among-site abiotic variation, sampling of highly specialized (narrow niche width) taxa, and strong dispersal limitation. We recommend these are evaluated as alternative hypotheses to stochastic assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Deane
- Department of Environment and Genetics, Research Centre for Future Landscapes La Trobe University Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Cang Hui
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Centre for Invasion Biology Stellenbosch University Matieland South Africa.,Biodiversity Informatics Unit African Institute for Mathematical Sciences Cape Town South Africa
| | - Melodie McGeoch
- Department of Environment and Genetics, Research Centre for Future Landscapes La Trobe University Melbourne Victoria Australia
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Chozas S, Chefaoui RM, Correia O, Santos AMC, Hortal J. Geographical shifts in the successional dynamics of inland dune shrub communities. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9828. [PMID: 36818530 PMCID: PMC9935296 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Species' environmental requirements and large-scale spatial and evolutionary processes determine the structure and composition of local communities. However, ecological interactions also have major effects on community assembly at landscape and local scales. We evaluate whether two xerophytic shrub communities occurring in SW Portugal follow constrained ecological assembly dynamics throughout large geographical extents, or their composition is rather driven by species' individualistic responses to environmental and macroecological constraints. Inland dune xerophytic shrub communities were characterized in 95 plots. Then, we described the main gradients of vegetation composition and assessed the relevance of biotic interactions. We also characterized the habitat suitability of the dominant species, Stauracanthus genistoides, and Ulex australis, to map the potential distribution of the xerophytic shrub communities. Finally, we examined the relationships between the vegetation gradients and a broad set of explanatory variables to identify the relative importance of each factor driving changes in community composition. We found that xerophytic shrubs follow uniform successional patterns throughout the whole geographical area studied, but each community responds differently to the main environmental gradients in each region. Soil organic matter is the main determinant of community variations in the northern region, Setúbal Peninsula, whereas aridity is so in the South/South-Western region. In contrast, in the central region, Comporta, the variation between S. genistoides and U. australis communities is explained mainly by aridity and temperature seasonality, followed by the individualistic responses of the dominant species and soil organic matter. Overall, these results indicate that, the relative importance of the main factors causing community-level responses varies according to regional processes and the suitability of the environmental conditions for the dominant species in these communities. These responses are also determined by intrinsic community mechanisms that result in a high degree of similarity in the gradient-driven community stages in different regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Chozas
- cE3c – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes and cE3c – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de CiênciasUniversidade de LisboaLisbonPortugal
| | - Rosa M. Chefaoui
- Área de Biodiversidad y ConservaciónUniversidad Rey Juan CarlosMóstolesSpain
| | - Otília Correia
- cE3c – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes and cE3c – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de CiênciasUniversidade de LisboaLisbonPortugal
| | - Ana M. C. Santos
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG‐UAM), Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de CienciasUniversidad Autónoma de MadridMadridSpain,Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC‐UAM)Universidad Autónoma de MadridMadridSpain
| | - Joaquín Hortal
- cE3c – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes and cE3c – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de CiênciasUniversidade de LisboaLisbonPortugal,Department of Biogeography and Global Change, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN‐CSIC)MadridSpain
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Gorczynski D, Hsieh C, Ahumada J, Akampurira E, Andrianarisoa MH, Espinosa S, Johnson S, Kayijamahe C, Lima MGM, Mugerwa B, Rovero F, Salvador J, Santos F, Sheil D, Uzabaho E, Beaudrot L. Human density modulates spatial associations among tropical forest terrestrial mammal species. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:7205-7216. [PMID: 36172946 PMCID: PMC9827980 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The spatial aggregation of species pairs often increases with the ecological similarity of the species involved. However, the way in which environmental conditions and anthropogenic activity affect the relationship between spatial aggregation and ecological similarity remains unknown despite the potential for spatial associations to affect species interactions, ecosystem function, and extinction risk. Given that human disturbance has been shown to both increase and decrease spatial associations among species pairs, ecological similarity may have a role in mediating these patterns. Here, we test the influences of habitat diversity, primary productivity, human population density, and species' ecological similarity based on functional traits (i.e., functional trait similarity) on spatial associations among tropical forest mammals. Large mammals are highly sensitive to anthropogenic change and therefore susceptible to changes in interspecific spatial associations. Using two-species occupancy models and camera trap data, we quantified the spatial overlap of 1216 species pairs from 13 tropical forest protected areas around the world. We found that the association between ecological similarity and interspecific species associations depended on surrounding human density. Specifically, aggregation of ecologically similar species was more than an order of magnitude stronger in landscapes with the highest human density compared to those with the lowest human density, even though all populations occurred within protected areas. Human-induced changes in interspecific spatial associations have been shown to alter top-down control by predators, increase disease transmission and increase local extinction rates. Our results indicate that anthropogenic effects on the distribution of wildlife within protected areas are already occurring and that impacts on species interactions, ecosystem functions, and extinction risk warrant further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Gorczynski
- Department of BiosciencesRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
- Program in Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Chia Hsieh
- Department of BiosciencesRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
- Program in Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Jorge Ahumada
- Moore Center for Science, Conservation InternationalArlingtonVirginiaUSA
| | - Emmanuel Akampurira
- Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation (ITFC), Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST)KabaleUganda
- Department of Conflict and Development Studies, Ghent UniversityGentBelgium
| | | | - Santiago Espinosa
- Facultad de CienciasUniversidad Autónoma de San Luis PotosíSan Luis PotosíMexico
- Escuela de Ciencias BiológicasPontificia Universidad Católica del EcuadorQuitoEcuador
| | - Steig Johnson
- Department of Anthropology and ArchaeologyUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada
| | | | - Marcela Guimarães Moreira Lima
- Biogeography of Conservation and Macroecology LaboratoryInstitute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal do ParáParáBrazil
| | - Badru Mugerwa
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife ResearchBerlinGermany
- Department of EcologyTechnische Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Francesco Rovero
- Department of BiologyUniversity of FlorenceFlorenceItaly
- MUSE‐Museo delle ScienzeTrentoItaly
| | - Julia Salvador
- Wildlife Conservation SocietyQuitoEcuador
- Pontificia Universidad Católica del EcuadorQuitoEcuador
| | - Fernanda Santos
- Programa de Capacitação Institucional, Coordenação de Ciências da Terra e Ecologia, Museu Paraense Emílio GoeldiBelémBrazil
| | - Douglas Sheil
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)AasNorway
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management GroupWageningen University & ResearchWageningenNetherlands
| | | | - Lydia Beaudrot
- Department of BiosciencesRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
- Program in Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
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Food availability alters community co-occurrence patterns at fine spatiotemporal scales in a tropical masting system. Oecologia 2022; 200:169-181. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05252-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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9
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Ulrich W, Olszewski P, Puchałka R, Sewerniak P, Koprowski M. Inter‐ and intraspecific spatial distributions, spatial segregation by dominants and emergent neutrality in understorey plants. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Werner Ulrich
- Dept of Ecology and Biogeography, Nicolaus Copernicus Univ.Toruń Poland
| | - Piotr Olszewski
- Dept of Ecology and Biogeography, Nicolaus Copernicus Univ.Toruń Poland
| | - Radosław Puchałka
- Dept of Ecology and Biogeography, Nicolaus Copernicus Univ.Toruń Poland
| | - Piotr Sewerniak
- Dept of Soil Science and Landscape Management, Nicolaus Copernicus Univ.Toruń Poland
| | - Marcin Koprowski
- Dept of Ecology and Biogeography, Nicolaus Copernicus Univ.Toruń Poland
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