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Novel plant-frugivore network on Mauritius is unlikely to compensate for the extinction of seed dispersers. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1019. [PMID: 36823195 PMCID: PMC9950440 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36669-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Insular communities are particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic extinctions and introductions. Changes in composition of island frugivore communities may affect seed dispersal within the native plant community, risking ecological shifts and ultimately co-extinction cascades. Introduced species could potentially mitigate these risks by replacing ecological functions of extinct species, but conclusive evidence is lacking. Here, we investigate changes in plant-frugivore interactions involving frugivorous birds, mammals and reptiles in Mauritius, an oceanic island with an exceptionally well-specified frugivore community and well-described species introduction history. We demonstrate substantial losses of binary interaction partnerships (at the species level) resulting from native species extinctions, but also gains of equal numbers of novel interactions with introduced species, potentially supporting the idea that non-native species might compensate for lost seed dispersal. However, closer investigation of animal seed handling behaviour reveals that most interactions with seed dispersers are replaced by ecologically different interactions with seed predators. Therefore, restoration of seed dispersal functionality in this novel plant-frugivore community is unlikely.
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2
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Bonfim FCG, Dodonov P, Guimarães PR, Cazetta E. Habitat loss shapes the structure and species roles in tropical plant–frugivore networks. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fernando César Gonçalves Bonfim
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation, Applied Ecology and Conservation Lab, Univ. Estadual de Santa Cruz Ilhéus Brazil
| | - Pavel Dodonov
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation, Applied Ecology and Conservation Lab, Univ. Estadual de Santa Cruz Ilhéus Brazil
- Spatial Ecology Lab, Inst. of Biology, Federal Univ. of Bahia Salvador Brazil
| | - Paulo R. Guimarães
- Depto de Ecologia, Inst. de Biociências, Univ. de São Paulo São Paulo Brazil
| | - Eliana Cazetta
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation, Applied Ecology and Conservation Lab, Univ. Estadual de Santa Cruz Ilhéus Brazil
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3
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Burdon FJ, Reyes M, Schönenberger U, Räsänen K, Tiegs SD, Eggen RIL, Stamm C. Environmental context determines pollution impacts on ecosystem functioning. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Francis J. Burdon
- Eawag – Swiss Federal Inst. of Aquatic Science and Technology Dübendorf Switzerland
- Te Aka Mātuatua – School of Science, Univ. of Waikato Hamilton New Zealand
| | - Marta Reyes
- Eawag – Swiss Federal Inst. of Aquatic Science and Technology Dübendorf Switzerland
| | - Urs Schönenberger
- Eawag – Swiss Federal Inst. of Aquatic Science and Technology Dübendorf Switzerland
| | - Katja Räsänen
- Eawag – Swiss Federal Inst. of Aquatic Science and Technology Dübendorf Switzerland
- Dept of Biological and Environmental Science, Univ. of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Scott D. Tiegs
- Dept of Biological Sciences, Oakland Univ. Rochester MI USA
| | - Rik I. L. Eggen
- Eawag – Swiss Federal Inst. of Aquatic Science and Technology Dübendorf Switzerland
- ETH Zürich, Inst. of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics Zürich Switzerland
| | - Christian Stamm
- Eawag – Swiss Federal Inst. of Aquatic Science and Technology Dübendorf Switzerland
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4
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Griffith P, Lang JW, Turvey ST, Gumbs R. Using functional traits to identify conservation priorities for the world's crocodylians. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Phoebe Griffith
- Institute of Zoology Zoological Society of London London UK
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit The Recanati‐Kaplan Centre, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Jeffrey W. Lang
- Gharial Ecology Project Madras Crocodile Bank Trust Mamallapuram Tamil Nadu India
| | | | - Rikki Gumbs
- EDGE of Existence Programme Conservation and Policy, Zoological Society of London London UK
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5
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Importance of Mesohabitat for Nest-Site Selection in Breeding Eagle Owls (Bubo bubo): A Multi-Scale Model. DIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/d14060438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Apex predators make excellent bioindicators of habitat quality and anthropogenic changes. Eagle owls (Bubo bubo) are such apex and keystone predators, who show preferential nest-site selection, usually away from human activities and habitation. However, Israel is a small country with a burgeoning human population. Hence, in order to understand the habitat requirements of eagle owls in central Israel, we conducted a multi-scale model analysis on their existing nest sites between 2006 and 2010. We identified 203 successful breeding attempts at 73 different sites. Our data suggested that the breeding population of the eagle owls was limited by the availability of quality nest locations, i.e., quarries, and caves. The probability of an eagle pair breeding increased with the presence of both quarries and caves, but was not related to mesohabitat properties. In addition, eagle owl breeding densities were positively related to the number of nest localities and to the planted woodlands. Furthermore, we found that eagle owls successfully raised their young regardless of the surrounding mesohabitat and sought the presence of other potential nest sites in the vicinity of the active nest sites, most likely due to the owls’ opportunistic and generalist hunting behavior, which facilitated the consumption of a wide prey base. Appropriate nest sites (quarries and caves) appeared to increase population numbers and, therefore, should be protected Further studies should determine whether increasing artificial nest sites and reclaiming abandoned quarries could increase eagle owl numbers in a sustainable manner.
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6
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Bartel SL, Orrock JL. The important role of animal social status in vertebrate seed dispersal. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:1094-1109. [PMID: 35235713 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13988] [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: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Seed dispersal directly affects plant establishment, gene flow and fitness. Understanding patterns in seed dispersal is, therefore, fundamental to understanding plant ecology and evolution, as well as addressing challenges of extinction and global change. Our ability to understand dispersal is limited because seeds may be dispersed by multiple agents, and the effectiveness of these agents can be highly variable both among and within species. We provide a novel framework that links seed dispersal to animal social status, a key component of behaviour. Because social status affects individual resource access and movement, it provides a critical link to two factors that determine seed dispersal: the quantity of seeds dispersed and the spatial patterns of dispersal. Social status may have unappreciated effects on post-dispersal seed survival and recruitment when social status affects individual habitat use. Hence, environmental changes, such as selective harvesting and urbanisation, that affect animal social structure may have unappreciated consequences for seed dispersal. This framework highlights these exciting new hypotheses linking environmental change, social structure and seed dispersal. By outlining experimental approaches to test these hypotheses, we hope to facilitate studies across a wide diversity of plant-animal networks, which may uncover emerging hotspots or significant declines in seed dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savannah L Bartel
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - John L Orrock
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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7
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Biassi DL, Baldissera R, Galiano D, de Souza Rezende R. Effects of Pine Forest Management Practices on Bat Functional Traits in a Subtropical Region. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2022. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2021.23.2.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David Liposki Biassi
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Comunitária da Região de Chapecó — UNOCHAPECÓ, Rua Servidão Anjo da Guarda, 295-D, Efapi, CEP 89809-000, Chapecó, SC, Brasil
| | - Ronei Baldissera
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Comunitária da Região de Chapecó — UNOCHAPECÓ, Rua Servidão Anjo da Guarda, 295-D, Efapi, CEP 89809-000, Chapecó, SC, Brasil
| | - Daniel Galiano
- Laboratório de Zoologia, Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul, Campus Realeza. Rua Edmundo Gaievisk, 1000, Zona Rural, CEP 85770000, Realeza, PR, Brasil
| | - Renan de Souza Rezende
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Comunitária da Região de Chapecó — UNOCHAPECÓ, Rua Servidão Anjo da Guarda, 295-D, Efapi, CEP 89809-000, Chapecó, SC, Brasil
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8
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Sengupta A, McConkey KR, Kwit C. The influence of provisioning on animal‐mediated seed dispersal. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Asmita Sengupta
- Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment Bangalore Karnataka India
- National Inst. of Advanced Studies Bangalore Karnataka India
| | - Kim R. McConkey
- School of Geography, Univ. of Nottingham Malaysia Campus Semenyih Selangor Malaysia
| | - Charles Kwit
- Dept of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, Univ. of Tennessee Knoxville TN USA
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9
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Kastner M, Pollock HS, Savidge JA, Fricke EC, Rogers HS. Functional robustness of seed dispersal by a remnant frugivore population on a defaunated tropical island. Biotropica 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Kastner
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology Iowa State University Ames IA USA
| | - Henry S. Pollock
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Urbana IL USA
| | - Julie A. Savidge
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO USA
| | - Evan C. Fricke
- National Socio‐Environmental Synthesis Centre Annapolis MD USA
| | - Haldre S. Rogers
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology Iowa State University Ames IA USA
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10
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Mortelliti A, Brehm AM. Environmental heterogeneity and population density affect the functional diversity of personality traits in small mammal populations. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201713. [PMID: 33290673 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding factors affecting the functional diversity of ecological communities is an important goal for ecologists and conservationists. Previous work has largely been conducted at the community level; however, recent studies have highlighted the critical importance of considering intraspecific functional diversity (i.e. the functional diversity of phenotypic traits among conspecifics). Further, a major limitation of existing literature on this topic is the lack of empirical studies examining functional diversity of behavioural phenotypes-including animal personalities. This is a major shortcoming because personality traits can affect the fitness of individuals, and the composition of personalities in a population can have important ecological consequences. Our study aims to contribute to filling this knowledge gap by investigating factors affecting the functional diversity of personality traits in wild animal populations. Specifically, we predicted that the richness, divergence and evenness associated with personality traits would be impacted by key components of forest structure and would vary between contrasting forest types. To achieve our objective we conducted a fully replicated large-scale field experiment over a 4 year period using small mammal populations as a model system. We found that greater heterogeneity in the cover of shrubs, coarse woody debris and canopy cover was associated with a greater richness, lower divergence and lower evenness in personality traits. Greater population density was associated with greater functional richness and lower functional divergence and evenness of personality traits. To maintain a behaviourally diverse population and its associated functions, managers may promote heterogeneity in vegetation and increased population density, which we found to be the most important determinants driving functional diversity of personality traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Mortelliti
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, 5755 Nutting Hall, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | - Allison M Brehm
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, 5755 Nutting Hall, Orono, ME 04469, USA
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11
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Tongkok S, He X, Alcantara MJM, Saralamba C, Nathalang A, Chanthorn W, Brockelman WY, Lin L. Composition of frugivores of Baccaurea ramiflora (Phyllanthaceae) and effects of environmental factors on frugivory in two tropical forests of China and Thailand. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
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12
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Carpenter JK, Wilmshurst JM, McConkey KR, Hume JP, Wotton DM, Shiels AB, Burge OR, Drake DR. The forgotten fauna: Native vertebrate seed predators on islands. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Janet M. Wilmshurst
- Manaaki Whenua ‐ Landcare Research Lincoln New Zealand
- School of Environment University of Auckland Auckland New Zealand
| | - Kim R. McConkey
- School of Natural Sciences and Engineering National Institute of Advanced StudiesIndian Institute of Science Campus Bangalore India
- School of Geography University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus Selangor Malaysia
| | - Julian P. Hume
- Department of Life Sciences Natural History Museum Herts UK
| | - Debra M. Wotton
- Moa's Ark Research Paraparaumu New Zealand
- Biological Sciences University of Canterbury Christchurch New Zealand
| | - Aaron B. Shiels
- USDAAPHISWSNational Wildlife Research Center Fort Collins CO USA
| | | | - Donald R. Drake
- School of Life Sciences University of Hawaiʻi Honolulu HI USA
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13
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Tsuji Y, Campos-Arceiz A, Prasad S, Kitamura S, McConkey KR. Intraspecific differences in seed dispersal caused by differences in social rank and mediated by food availability. Sci Rep 2020; 10:1532. [PMID: 32001788 PMCID: PMC6992765 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58381-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
We use individual-based information on the behavior of wild female Japanese macaques in two consecutive years with different food availability (nut-rich vs. nut-poor) to test effects of dominance rank and nut fruiting on seed dispersal parameters. We predicted that social rank would affect dispersal (1) quantity, (2) quality, (3) species richness, and (4) percentage of berries in the diet in the nut-poor year, while these differences would disappear in the nut-rich year. We found seeds of nine fleshy-fruited plant species in the feces of the monkeys. The frequency of seed occurrence for two plant species (Viburnum dilatatum and Rosa multiflora) showed an interaction between dominance ranks and years; in the nut-poor year V. dilatatum seeds were more abundant among dominant females and R. multiflora among subordinates, while such inter-rank differences disappeared in the nut-rich year. Similarly, the intact ratio of V. dilatatum seeds was lower for dominants in the nut-poor year, while inter-rank variations disappeared in the nut-rich year. Finally, percentage of berries in diet and seed richness showed no inter-annual nor inter-rank variations. Our study highlights that differences in individuals’ social rank lead to within-group variation in seed dispersal services and that these differences are dependent on nut availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yamato Tsuji
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, 41-2 Kanrin, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan.
| | - Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz
- School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, The University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, Semenyih, Selangor, 43500, Malaysia
| | - Soumya Prasad
- National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bengaluru, 5600012, India
| | - Shumpei Kitamura
- Ishikawa Prefectural University, 1-308, Suematsu, Nonoichi, Ishikawa, 921-8836, Japan
| | - Kim R McConkey
- School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, The University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, Semenyih, Selangor, 43500, Malaysia.,National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bengaluru, 5600012, India
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14
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Såli (Micronesian starling –Aplonis opaca) as a key seed dispersal agent across a tropical archipelago. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467419000361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
AbstractSeed dispersal is an important ecological process that structures plant communities and influences ecosystem functioning. Loss of animal dispersers therefore poses a serious threat to forest ecosystems, particularly in the tropics where zoochory predominates. A prominent example is the near-total extinction of seed dispersers on the tropical island of Guam following the accidental introduction of the invasive brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis), negatively impacting seedling recruitment and forest regeneration. We investigated frugivory by a remnant population of Såli (Micronesian starling –Aplonis opaca) on Guam and two other island populations (Rota, Saipan) to evaluate their ecological role as a seed disperser in the Mariana archipelago. Using a combination of behavioural observations, nest contents and fecal samples, we documented frugivory of 37 plant species. Native plants comprised the majority (66%) of all species and 90% of all seeds identified in fecal and nest contents. Diet was highly similar across age classes and sampling years. In addition, plant species consumed by Såli comprised 88% of bird-dispersed adult trees and 54% of all adult trees in long-term forest monitoring plots, demonstrating the Såli’s broad diet and potential for restoring native forests. Overall, we provide the most comprehensive assessment to date of frugivory by the Såli and confirm its importance as a seed disperser on Guam and throughout the Marianas.
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15
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Terui A, Finlay JC, Hansen AT, Kozarek JL. Quantifying cryptic function loss during community disassembly. J Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Akira Terui
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior University of Minnesota Saint Paul MN USA
- Department of Forest Science Graduate School of Agriculture Hokkaido University Sapporo Japan
- Department of Biology University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro NC USA
| | - Jacques C. Finlay
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior University of Minnesota Saint Paul MN USA
- St. Anthony Falls Laboratory University of Minnesota Minneapolis MN USA
| | - Amy T. Hansen
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering University of Kansas Lawrence KS USA
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16
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Nield AP, Enright NJ, Ladd PG, Perry GLW. Detecting plant spatial pattern change after disperser loss: A simulation and a case study. POPUL ECOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/1438-390x.12006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew P. Nield
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group Environment and Conservation Science, Murdoch University, Murdoch Western Australia Australia
| | - Neal J. Enright
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group Environment and Conservation Science, Murdoch University, Murdoch Western Australia Australia
| | - Philip G. Ladd
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group Environment and Conservation Science, Murdoch University, Murdoch Western Australia Australia
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Baker DJ, Garnett ST, O'Connor J, Ehmke G, Clarke RH, Woinarski JCZ, McGeoch MA. Conserving the abundance of nonthreatened species. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2019; 33:319-328. [PMID: 30047186 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2017] [Revised: 05/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Human modification of the environment is driving declines in population size and distributional extent of much of the world's biota. These declines extend to many of the most abundant and widespread species, for which proportionally small declines can result in the loss of vast numbers of individuals, biomass, and interactions. These losses could have major localized effects on ecological and cultural processes and services without elevating a species' global extinction risk. Although most conservation effort is directed at species threatened with extinction in the very near term, the value of retaining abundance regardless of global extinction risk is justifiable based on many biodiversity or ecosystem service metrics, including cultural services, at scales from local to global. The challenges of identifying conservation priorities for widespread and abundant species include quantifying the effects of species' abundance on services and understanding how these effects are realized as populations decline. Negative effects of population declines may be disconnected from the threat processes driving declines because of species movements and environment flows (e.g., hydrology). Conservation prioritization for these species shares greater similarity with invasive species risk assessments than extinction risk assessments because of the importance of local context and per capita effects of abundance on other species. Because conservation priorities usually focus on preventing the extinction of threatened species, the rationale and objectives for incorporating declines of nonthreatened species must be clearly articulated, going beyond extinction risk to encompass the range of likely harmful effects (e.g., secondary extinctions, loss of ecosystem services) if declines persist or are not reversed. Research should focus on characterizing the effects of local declines in species that are not threatened globally across a range of ecosystem services and quantifying the spatial distribution of these effects through the distribution of abundance. The case for conserving abundance in nonthreatened species can be made most powerfully when the costs of losing this abundance are better understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Baker
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Stephen T Garnett
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, N.T., 0909, Australia
| | - James O'Connor
- BirdLife Australia, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton, VIC, 3053, Australia
| | - Glenn Ehmke
- BirdLife Australia, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton, VIC, 3053, Australia
| | - Rohan H Clarke
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - John C Z Woinarski
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, N.T., 0909, Australia
| | - Melodie A McGeoch
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
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18
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Jarić I, Heger T, Castro Monzon F, Jeschke JM, Kowarik I, McConkey KR, Pyšek P, Sagouis A, Essl F. Crypticity in Biological Invasions. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:291-302. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2018.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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19
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Predator-Prey Interactions in the Anthropocene: Reconciling Multiple Aspects of Novelty. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:616-627. [PMID: 30902358 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Ecological novelty, when conditions deviate from a historical baseline, is increasingly common as humans modify habitats and communities across the globe. Our ability to anticipate how novelty changes predator-prey interactions will likely hinge upon the explicit evaluation of multiple forms of novelty, rather than a focus on single forms of novelty (e.g., invasive predators or climate change). We provide a framework to assess how multiple forms of novelty can act, alone or in concert, on components shared by all predator-prey interactions (the predation sequence). Considering how novelty acts throughout the predation sequence could improve our understanding of predator-prey interactions in an increasingly novel world, identify important knowledge gaps, and guide conservation decisions in the Anthropocene.
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Bennitt E, Hubel TY, Bartlam-Brooks HLA, Wilson AM. Possible causes of divergent population trends in sympatric African herbivores. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0213720. [PMID: 30861044 PMCID: PMC6421633 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Sympatric herbivores experience similar environmental conditions but can vary in their population trends. Identifying factors causing these differences could assist conservation efforts aimed at maintaining fully functional ecosystems. From 1996-2013, tsessebe and wildebeest populations in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, declined by 73% and 90%, respectively, whereas zebra populations remained stable. These sympatric, medium sized herbivores are exposed to similar natural and anthropogenic pressures, but apparently differ in their responses to those pressures. To identify factors that could cause these differences, we fitted GPS-enabled collars to six zebra, eight tsessebe and seven wildebeest in the Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana. We calculated utilisation distributions (UDs) from GPS data, and used 95% isopleths to compare seasonal home range size between species. We calculated utilisation intensity (UI) from the UDs and generated spatial layers representing resources and disturbances, and then used model averaging to identify factors affecting UI for each species. We calculated second and third order habitat selection ratios to determine whether species were habitat specialists or generalists. Zebra occupied larger home ranges than tsessebe and wildebeest, showed weaker responses to spatial variables and displayed no third order habitat selection; zebra social systems are also more fluid, allowing for information exchange between stable harems. Herbivore species that are sedentary, occupy small home ranges, are habitat specialists and exist in relatively isolated groups are likely to be less resistant and resilient to the rapid pace of environmental change forecast by climate change scenarios. Resources contained within existing protected areas are unlikely to maintain populations of such species at sufficiently high levels, potentially leading to functional extinction. Special precautions may be needed to ensure that such species can persist in the wild, such as buffer zones around existing protected areas, which would allow greater potential for adaptive movement should current environmental conditions change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Bennitt
- Okavango Research Institute, University of Botswana, Maun,
Botswana
- * E-mail:
| | - Tatjana Y. Hubel
- Structure and Motion Lab, Royal Veterinary College, London, United
Kingdom
| | | | - Alan M. Wilson
- Structure and Motion Lab, Royal Veterinary College, London, United
Kingdom
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21
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Absence of native flower visitors for the endangered Hawaiian mint Stenogyne angustifolia: Impending ecological extinction? Glob Ecol Conserv 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2018.e00468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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22
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Tew E, Landman M, Kerley GI. The Contribution of the Chacma Baboon to Seed Dispersal in the Eastern Karoo, South Africa. AFRICAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2018. [DOI: 10.3957/056.048.023002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Tew
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, 6031 South Africa
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Marietjie Landman
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, 6031 South Africa
| | - Graham I.H. Kerley
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, 6031 South Africa
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23
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Mitchell D, Snelling EP, Hetem RS, Maloney SK, Strauss WM, Fuller A. Revisiting concepts of thermal physiology: Predicting responses of mammals to climate change. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:956-973. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Duncan Mitchell
- Brain Function Research Group; School of Physiology; Faculty of Health Sciences; University of the Witwatersrand; Johannesburg South Africa
- School of Human Sciences; University of Western Australia; Crawley WA Australia
| | - Edward P. Snelling
- Brain Function Research Group; School of Physiology; Faculty of Health Sciences; University of the Witwatersrand; Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Robyn S. Hetem
- Brain Function Research Group; School of Physiology; Faculty of Health Sciences; University of the Witwatersrand; Johannesburg South Africa
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences; Faculty of Science; University of the Witwatersrand; Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Shane K. Maloney
- Brain Function Research Group; School of Physiology; Faculty of Health Sciences; University of the Witwatersrand; Johannesburg South Africa
- School of Human Sciences; University of Western Australia; Crawley WA Australia
| | - Willem Maartin Strauss
- Brain Function Research Group; School of Physiology; Faculty of Health Sciences; University of the Witwatersrand; Johannesburg South Africa
- Department of Environmental Science; University of South Africa; Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Andrea Fuller
- Brain Function Research Group; School of Physiology; Faculty of Health Sciences; University of the Witwatersrand; Johannesburg South Africa
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24
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Wordley CFR, Sankaran M, Mudappa D, Altringham JD. Heard but not seen: Comparing bat assemblages and study methods in a mosaic landscape in the Western Ghats of India. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:3883-3894. [PMID: 29721265 PMCID: PMC5916271 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2017] [Revised: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We used capture (mist‐netting) and acoustic methods to compare the species richness, abundance, and composition of a bat assemblage in different habitats in the Western Ghats of India. In the tropics, catching bats has been more commonly used as a survey method than acoustic recordings. In our study, acoustic methods based on recording echolocation calls detected greater bat activity and more species than mist‐netting. However, some species were detected more frequently or exclusively by capture. Ideally, the two methods should be used together to compensate for the biases in each. Using combined capture and acoustic data, we found that protected forests, forest fragments, and shade coffee plantations hosted similar and diverse species assemblages, although some species were recorded more frequently in protected forests. Tea plantations contained very few species from the overall bat assemblage. In riparian habitats, a strip of forested habitat on the river bank improved the habitat for bats compared to rivers with tea planted up to each bank. Our results show that shade coffee plantations are better bat habitat than tea plantations in biodiversity hotspots. However, if tea is to be the dominant land use, forest fragments and riparian corridors can improve the landscape considerably for bats. We encourage coffee growers to retain traditional plantations with mature native trees, rather than reverting to sun grown coffee or coffee shaded by a few species of timber trees.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mahesh Sankaran
- School of Biology University of Leeds Leeds UK.,National Centre for Biological Sciences Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, GKVK Bangalore India
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25
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Tinoco BA, Santillán VE, Graham CH. Land use change has stronger effects on functional diversity than taxonomic diversity in tropical Andean hummingbirds. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:3478-3490. [PMID: 29607040 PMCID: PMC5869371 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Revised: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Land use change modifies the environment at multiple spatial scales, and is a main driver of species declines and deterioration of ecosystem services. However, most of the research on the effects of land use change has focused on taxonomic diversity, while functional diversity, an important predictor of ecosystem services, is often neglected. We explored how local and landscape scale characteristics influence functional and taxonomic diversity of hummingbirds in the Andes Mountains in southern Ecuador. Data was collected in six landscapes along a land use gradient, from an almost intact landscape to one dominated by cattle pastures. We used point counts to sample hummingbirds from 2011 to 2012 to assessed how local factors (i.e., vegetation structure, flowering plants richness, nectar availability) and landscape factors (i.e., landscape heterogeneity, native vegetation cover) influenced taxonomic and functional diversity. Then, we analyzed environment – trait relationships (RLQ test) to explore how different hummingbird functional traits influenced species responses to these factors. Taxonomic and functional diversity of hummingbirds were positively associated with landscape heterogeneity but only functional diversity was positively related to native vegetation coverage. We found a weak response of taxonomic and functional diversity to land use change at the local scale. Environment‐trait associations showed that body mass of hummingbirds likely influenced species sensitivity to land use change. In conclusion, landscape heterogeneity created by land use change can positively influence hummingbird taxonomic and functional diversity; however, a reduction of native vegetation cover could decrease functional diversity. Given that functional diversity can mediate ecosystem services, the conservation of native vegetation cover could play a key role in the maintenance of hummingbird pollination services in the tropical Andes. Moreover, there are particular functional traits, such as body mass, that increase a species sensitivity to land use change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris A Tinoco
- Department of Ecology and Evolution Stony Brook University Stony Brook NY USA.,Escuela de Biología Ecología y Gestión Universidad del Azuay Cuenca Ecuador
| | | | - Catherine H Graham
- Department of Ecology and Evolution Stony Brook University Stony Brook NY USA.,Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL Birmensdorf Switzerland
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26
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McConkey KR. Seed Dispersal by Primates in Asian Habitats: From Species, to Communities, to Conservation. INT J PRIMATOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-017-0013-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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27
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Pérez-Méndez N, Rodríguez A, Nogales M. Intra-specific downsizing of frugivores affects seed germination of fleshy-fruited plant species. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2017.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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28
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Lee YF, Kuo YM, Chang HY, Tsai CF, Baba S. Foraging dispersion of Ryukyu flying-foxes and relationships with fig abundance in East-Asian subtropical island forests. BMC Ecol 2017; 17:35. [PMID: 29137616 PMCID: PMC5686908 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-017-0146-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Figs are widely distributed key resources to many tropical-subtropical animals, and flying-foxes are major consumers and seed dispersers of figs. Bat-fig interrelationships, however, may vary among species differing in fruiting traits, i.e., bat- versus bird-dispersed figs. We examined Ryukyu flying-fox foraging dispersion and the relationships with tree species composition and fig abundance in forests of Iriomote Island. RESULTS Bat foraging dispersion showed no spatial patterns with respect to different areas of the island, and was not explained by heterogeneity, density, or basal area (BA) of total trees, nor by relative density or BA of fruiting trees or total fruiting figs among sites. Instead, bat densities were positively dependent on the relative density of total figs, and particularly the relative BA of bat-dispersed figs Ficus septica and F. variegata. Both species were dominant figs in forests, fruiting asynchronously with long crop seasons, and were used as predominant foods. Bats foraged mostly solitarily and the mean density was in a hump-shaped relationship with crop sizes of the dominant bat-figs. These two species and Ficus benguetensis are larger-sized bat-figs, all contained more seeds, higher dry-pulp mass and water mass, but not necessarily water content. By approximate estimation, higher proportions of seeds of these bat-figs would have been removed from fruits through the bat consumption, than that of small-sized bird-figs like F. virgata, F. superba, and F. microcarpa. CONCLUSIONS The foraging dispersion of Ryukyu flying-foxes in forests depends on the availability of the most abundant bat-figs that serve as predominant foods. Intermediate levels of crop sizes of theses figs appear most fit with their solitary foraging. Our results suggest that as density and BA coverage of these dominant bat-figs are below a certain level, their effectiveness to attract bats may dwindle and so would their chance of dispersal by bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Fu Lee
- Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 701 Taiwan
| | - Yen-Min Kuo
- Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 701 Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Yi Chang
- Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 701 Taiwan
| | - Chi-Feng Tsai
- Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 701 Taiwan
| | - Shigeyuki Baba
- Tropical Biosphere Research Center and Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
- Present Address: International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
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29
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Gelmi-Candusso TA, Heymann EW, Heer K. Effects of zoochory on the spatial genetic structure of plant populations. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:5896-5910. [PMID: 28921766 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2016] [Revised: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Spatial genetic structure (SGS) of plants results from the nonrandom distribution of related individuals. SGS provides information on gene flow and spatial patterns of genetic diversity within populations. Seed dispersal creates the spatial template for plant distribution. Thus, in zoochorous plants, dispersal mode and disperser behaviour might have a strong impact on SGS. However, many studies only report the taxonomic group of seed dispersers, without further details. The recent increase in studies on SGS provides the opportunity to review findings and test for the influence of dispersal mode, taxonomic affiliation of dispersers and their behaviour. We compared the proportions of studies with SGS among groups and tested for differences in strength of SGS using Sp statistics. The presence of SGS differed among taxonomic groups, with reduced presence in plants dispersed by birds. Strength of SGS was instead significantly influenced by the behaviour of seed dispersal vectors, with higher SGS in plant species dispersed by animals with behavioural traits that result in short seed dispersal distances. We observed high variance in the strength of SGS in plants dispersed by animals that actively or passively accumulate seeds. Additionally, we found SGS was also affected by pollination and marker type used. Our study highlights the importance of vector behaviour on SGS even in the presence of variance created by other factors. Thus, more detailed information on the behaviour of seed dispersers would contribute to better understand which factors shape the spatial scale of gene flow in animal-dispersed plant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana A Gelmi-Candusso
- Verhaltensökologie & Soziobiologie, Deutsches Primatenzentrum - Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Eckhard W Heymann
- Verhaltensökologie & Soziobiologie, Deutsches Primatenzentrum - Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Katrin Heer
- Naturschutzbiologie, Phillips-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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30
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Zwolak R. How intraspecific variation in seed-dispersing animals matters for plants. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2017; 93:897-913. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2017] [Revised: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rafał Zwolak
- Department of Systematic Zoology, Faculty of Biology; Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89; 61-614 Poznań Poland
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31
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Goss-Souza D, Mendes LW, Borges CD, Baretta D, Tsai SM, Rodrigues JLM. Soil microbial community dynamics and assembly under long-term land use change. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2017; 93:4102335. [DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fix109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Goss-Souza
- Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, 13400–970, Brazil
- Applied Ecology Graduate Program, Luiz de Queiroz School of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, 13418–900, Brazil
- Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California – Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Lucas William Mendes
- Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, 13400–970, Brazil
| | - Clovis Daniel Borges
- Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, 13400–970, Brazil
- Applied Ecology Graduate Program, Luiz de Queiroz School of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, 13418–900, Brazil
| | - Dilmar Baretta
- Department of Soils and Sustainability, Santa Catarina State University, Chapecó, SC, 89815-630, Brazil
| | - Siu Mui Tsai
- Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, 13400–970, Brazil
| | - Jorge L. M. Rodrigues
- Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California – Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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32
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Culot L, Bello C, Batista JLF, do Couto HTZ, Galetti M. Synergistic effects of seed disperser and predator loss on recruitment success and long-term consequences for carbon stocks in tropical rainforests. Sci Rep 2017; 7:7662. [PMID: 28794422 PMCID: PMC5550475 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08222-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The extinction of large frugivores has consequences for the recruitment of large-seeded plants with potential lasting effects on carbon storage in tropical rainforests. However, previous studies relating frugivore defaunation to changes in carbon storage ignore potential compensation by redundant frugivores and the effects of seed predators on plant recruitment. Based on empirical data of the recruitment success of a large-seeded hardwood tree species (Cryptocarya mandioccana, Lauraceae) across a defaunation gradient of seed dispersers and predators, we show that defaunation increases both seed dispersal limitation and seed predation. Depending on the level of seed predator loss, plant recruitment is reduced by 70.7–94.9% as a result of the loss of seed dispersers. The loss of large seed predators increases the net seed mortality by 7–30% due to the increased abundance of small granivorous rodents. The loss of large seed dispersers can be buffered by the compensatory effects of smaller frugivores in seed removal, but it is not sufficient to prevent a decrease in plant recruitment. We show that the conservation of both seed predators and dispersers is necessary for the recruitment of large-seeded plants. Since these plants contribute substantially to carbon stocks, defaunation can jeopardize the maintenance of tropical forest carbon storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurence Culot
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Zoologia, Laboratório de Primatologia, Avenida 24A, 1515, 13506-900, CP199, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil. .,Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Ecologia, Laboratório de Biologia da Conservação, Avenida 24A, 1515, 13506-900, CP199, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil.
| | - Carolina Bello
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Ecologia, Laboratório de Biologia da Conservação, Avenida 24A, 1515, 13506-900, CP199, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
| | - João Luis Ferreira Batista
- Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz" (ESALQ) / Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Departamento de Ciências Florestais, Avenida Pádua Dias, 11, 13418-900, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Hilton Thadeu Zarate do Couto
- Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz" (ESALQ) / Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Departamento de Ciências Florestais, Avenida Pádua Dias, 11, 13418-900, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Mauro Galetti
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Ecologia, Laboratório de Biologia da Conservação, Avenida 24A, 1515, 13506-900, CP199, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
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33
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Dainese M, Isaac NJB, Powney GD, Bommarco R, Öckinger E, Kuussaari M, Pöyry J, Benton TG, Gabriel D, Hodgson JA, Kunin WE, Lindborg R, Sait SM, Marini L. Landscape simplification weakens the association between terrestrial producer and consumer diversity in Europe. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:3040-3051. [PMID: 27992955 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Land-use change is one of the primary drivers of species loss, yet little is known about its effect on other components of biodiversity that may be at risk. Here, we ask whether, and to what extent, landscape simplification, measured as the percentage of arable land in the landscape, disrupts the functional and phylogenetic association between primary producers and consumers. Across seven European regions, we inferred the potential associations (functional and phylogenetic) between host plants and butterflies in 561 seminatural grasslands. Local plant diversity showed a strong bottom-up effect on butterfly diversity in the most complex landscapes, but this effect disappeared in simple landscapes. The functional associations between plant and butterflies are, therefore, the results of processes that act not only locally but are also dependent on the surrounding landscape context. Similarly, landscape simplification reduced the phylogenetic congruence among host plants and butterflies indicating that closely related butterflies become more generalist in the resources used. These processes occurred without any detectable change in species richness of plants or butterflies along the gradient of arable land. The structural properties of ecosystems are experiencing substantial erosion, with potentially pervasive effects on ecosystem functions and future evolutionary trajectories. Loss of interacting species might trigger cascading extinction events and reduce the stability of trophic interactions, as well as influence the longer term resilience of ecosystem functions. This underscores a growing realization that species richness is a crude and insensitive metric and that both functional and phylogenetic associations, measured across multiple trophic levels, are likely to provide additional and deeper insights into the resilience of ecosystems and the functions they provide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Dainese
- DAFNAE, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg, 97074, Germany
| | - Nick J B Isaac
- Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Gary D Powney
- Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Riccardo Bommarco
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, SE-750 07, Sweden
| | - Erik Öckinger
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, SE-750 07, Sweden
| | - Mikko Kuussaari
- Natural Environment Centre, Finnish Environment Institute, PO Box 140, Helsinki, FI-00251, Finland
| | - Juha Pöyry
- Natural Environment Centre, Finnish Environment Institute, PO Box 140, Helsinki, FI-00251, Finland
| | - Tim G Benton
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Doreen Gabriel
- Institute of Crop and Soil Science, Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Bundesallee 50, Braunschweig, D-38116, Germany
| | - Jenny A Hodgson
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool, UK
| | - William E Kunin
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Regina Lindborg
- Department of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SE-106 91, Sweden
| | - Steven M Sait
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Lorenzo Marini
- DAFNAE, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy
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34
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Rumeu B, Devoto M, Traveset A, Olesen JM, Vargas P, Nogales M, Heleno R. Predicting the consequences of disperser extinction: richness matters the most when abundance is low. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Rumeu
- Centre for Functional Ecology Department of Life Sciences Calçada Martim de Freitas University of Coimbra 3000‐456 Coimbra Portugal
| | - Mariano Devoto
- Facultad de Agronomía Universidad de Buenos Aires Av. San Martín 4453 C1417DSE Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Anna Traveset
- Mediterranean Institute of Advanced Studies (CSIC‐UIB) Terrestrial Ecology Group C/Miquel Marqués 21 07190‐Esporles Mallorca Balearic Islands Spain
| | - Jens M. Olesen
- Department of Bioscience Aarhus University DK‐8000 Aarhus C Denmark
| | - Pablo Vargas
- Royal Botanical Garden Madrid (CSIC‐RJB) Plaza de Murillo, 2 28014 Madrid Spain
| | - Manuel Nogales
- Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group (CSIC‐IPNA) 38206 La Laguna Tenerife Canary Islands Spain
| | - Ruben Heleno
- Centre for Functional Ecology Department of Life Sciences Calçada Martim de Freitas University of Coimbra 3000‐456 Coimbra Portugal
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35
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Heymann EW, Culot L, Knogge C, Noriega Piña TE, Tirado Herrera ER, Klapproth M, Zinner D. Long-term consistency in spatial patterns of primate seed dispersal. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:1435-1441. [PMID: 28261455 PMCID: PMC5330868 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Revised: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 12/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Seed dispersal is a key ecological process in tropical forests, with effects on various levels ranging from plant reproductive success to the carbon storage potential of tropical rainforests. On a local and landscape scale, spatial patterns of seed dispersal create the template for the recruitment process and thus influence the population dynamics of plant species. The strength of this influence will depend on the long-term consistency of spatial patterns of seed dispersal. We examined the long-term consistency of spatial patterns of seed dispersal with spatially explicit data on seed dispersal by two neotropical primate species, Leontocebus nigrifrons and Saguinus mystax (Callitrichidae), collected during four independent studies between 1994 and 2013. Using distributions of dispersal probability over distances independent of plant species, cumulative dispersal distances, and kernel density estimates, we show that spatial patterns of seed dispersal are highly consistent over time. For a specific plant species, the legume Parkia panurensis, the convergence of cumulative distributions at a distance of 300 m, and the high probability of dispersal within 100 m from source trees coincide with the dimension of the spatial-genetic structure on the embryo/juvenile (300 m) and adult stage (100 m), respectively, of this plant species. Our results are the first demonstration of long-term consistency of spatial patterns of seed dispersal created by tropical frugivores. Such consistency may translate into idiosyncratic patterns of regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eckhard W Heymann
- Verhaltensökologie & Soziobiologie Deutsches Primatenzentrum, Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung Göttingen Germany
| | - Laurence Culot
- Verhaltensökologie & Soziobiologie Deutsches Primatenzentrum, Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung Göttingen Germany; Laboratório de Primatologia Departamento de Zoologia Universidade Estadual Paulista Rio Claro SP Brazil; Primatology Research Group Behavioral Biology UnitUniversity of Liège Liège Belgium
| | - Christoph Knogge
- Verhaltensökologie & Soziobiologie Deutsches Primatenzentrum, Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung Göttingen Germany; Present address: Caixa Postal 47 Nazaré Paulista São Paulo12960-000 Brazil
| | | | | | - Matthias Klapproth
- Kognitive Ethologie Deutsches Primatenzentrum, Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung Göttingen Germany
| | - Dietmar Zinner
- Kognitive Ethologie Deutsches Primatenzentrum, Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung Göttingen Germany
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36
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Galetti M, Brocardo CR, Begotti RA, Hortenci L, Rocha-Mendes F, Bernardo CSS, Bueno RS, Nobre R, Bovendorp RS, Marques RM, Meirelles F, Gobbo SK, Beca G, Schmaedecke G, Siqueira T. Defaunation and biomass collapse of mammals in the largest Atlantic forest remnant. Anim Conserv 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Galetti
- Departamento de Ecologia; Instituto de Biociências; Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP); Rio Claro Brazil
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity; Department of Bioscience; Aarhus University; Ny Munkegade 114 DK-8000 Aarhus C Denmark
| | - C. R. Brocardo
- Departamento de Ecologia; Instituto de Biociências; Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP); Rio Claro Brazil
| | - R. A. Begotti
- Departamento de Ecologia; Instituto de Biociências; Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP); Rio Claro Brazil
| | - L. Hortenci
- Departamento de Ecologia; Instituto de Biociências; Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP); Rio Claro Brazil
| | - F. Rocha-Mendes
- Departamento de Ecologia; Instituto de Biociências; Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP); Rio Claro Brazil
| | - C. S. S. Bernardo
- Departamento de Ecologia; Instituto de Biociências; Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP); Rio Claro Brazil
| | - R. S. Bueno
- Departamento de Ecologia; Instituto de Biociências; Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP); Rio Claro Brazil
| | - R. Nobre
- Departamento de Ecologia; Instituto de Biociências; Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP); Rio Claro Brazil
| | - R. S. Bovendorp
- Departamento de Ecologia; Instituto de Biociências; Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP); Rio Claro Brazil
| | - R. M. Marques
- Departamento de Ecologia; Instituto de Biociências; Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP); Rio Claro Brazil
| | - F. Meirelles
- Departamento de Ecologia; Instituto de Biociências; Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP); Rio Claro Brazil
| | - S. K. Gobbo
- Departamento de Ecologia; Instituto de Biociências; Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP); Rio Claro Brazil
| | - G. Beca
- Departamento de Ecologia; Instituto de Biociências; Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP); Rio Claro Brazil
| | - G. Schmaedecke
- Departamento de Ecologia; Instituto de Biociências; Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP); Rio Claro Brazil
| | - T. Siqueira
- Departamento de Ecologia; Instituto de Biociências; Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP); Rio Claro Brazil
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Tinoco BA, Graham CH, Aguilar JM, Schleuning M. Effects of hummingbird morphology on specialization in pollination networks vary with resource availability. OIKOS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.02998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Boris A. Tinoco
- Dept of Ecology and Evolution; Stony Brook University; 650 Life Sciences Building Stony Brook NY11794 USA
- Escuela de Biología, Ecología y Gestión; Univ. del Azuay; Cuenca Ecuador
| | - Catherine H. Graham
- Dept of Ecology and Evolution; Stony Brook University; 650 Life Sciences Building Stony Brook NY11794 USA
| | - Juan M. Aguilar
- Escuela de Biología, Ecología y Gestión; Univ. del Azuay; Cuenca Ecuador
| | - Matthias Schleuning
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F); Frankfurt am Main Germany
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38
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Seed Dispersal by Primates and Implications for the Conservation of a Biodiversity Hotspot, the Atlantic Forest of South America. INT J PRIMATOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-016-9903-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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39
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Sengupta A, McConkey KR, Radhakrishna S. Primates, Provisioning and Plants: Impacts of Human Cultural Behaviours on Primate Ecological Functions. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0140961. [PMID: 26536365 PMCID: PMC4633054 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0140961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Accepted: 10/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Human provisioning of wildlife with food is a widespread global practice that occurs in multiple socio-cultural circumstances. Provisioning may indirectly alter ecosystem functioning through changes in the eco-ethology of animals, but few studies have quantified this aspect. Provisioning of primates by humans is known to impact their activity budgets, diets and ranging patterns. Primates are also keystone species in tropical forests through their role as seed dispersers; yet there is no information on how provisioning might affect primate ecological functions. The rhesus macaque is a major human-commensal species but is also an important seed disperser in the wild. In this study, we investigated the potential impacts of provisioning on the role of rhesus macaques as seed dispersers in the Buxa Tiger Reserve, India. We studied a troop of macaques which were provisioned for a part of the year and were dependent on natural resources for the rest. We observed feeding behaviour, seed handling techniques and ranging patterns of the macaques and monitored availability of wild fruits. Irrespective of fruit availability, frugivory and seed dispersal activities decreased when the macaques were provisioned. Provisioned macaques also had shortened daily ranges implying shorter dispersal distances. Finally, during provisioning periods, seeds were deposited on tarmac roads that were unconducive for germination. Provisioning promotes human-primate conflict, as commensal primates are often involved in aggressive encounters with humans over resources, leading to negative consequences for both parties involved. Preventing or curbing provisioning is not an easy task as feeding wild animals is a socio-cultural tradition across much of South and South-East Asia, including India. We recommend the initiation of literacy programmes that educate lay citizens about the ill-effects of provisioning and strongly caution them against the practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmita Sengupta
- School of Natural Sciences and Engineering, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bangalore, India
| | - Kim R. McConkey
- School of Natural Sciences and Engineering, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bangalore, India
| | - Sindhu Radhakrishna
- School of Natural Sciences and Engineering, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bangalore, India
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Geffroy B, Samia DSM, Bessa E, Blumstein DT. How Nature-Based Tourism Might Increase Prey Vulnerability to Predators. Trends Ecol Evol 2015; 30:755-765. [PMID: 26475119 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2015.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2015] [Revised: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Tourism can be deleterious for wildlife because it triggers behavioral changes in individuals with cascading effects on populations and communities. Among these behavioral changes, animals around humans often reduce their fearfulness and antipredator responses towards humans. A straightforward prediction is that habituation to humans associated with tourism would negatively influence reaction to predators. This could happen indirectly, where human presence decreases the number of natural predators and thus prey become less wary, or directly, where human-habituated individuals become bolder and thus more vulnerable to predation. Building on ideas from the study of traits associated with domestication and urbanization, we develop a framework to understand how behavioral changes associated with nature-based tourism can impact individual fitness, and thus the demographic trajectory of a population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Geffroy
- Center of Study of the Meridional Amazon, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Sinop, Brazil; INRA, UR1037 LPGP, Fish Physiology and Genomics, Campus de Beaulieu, 35000 Rennes, France
| | - Diogo S M Samia
- Laboratory of Theoretical Ecology and Synthesis, Department of Ecology, Federal University of Goiás, CP. 131, 74001-970 Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Bessa
- State University of Mato Grosso, Tangará da Serra, Mato Grosso, Brazil; Laboratory of Behavioral Ecology of Reproduction, State University of Ponta Grossa, Av. Gal. Carlos Cavalcanti, 4748, 84030-900 Ponta Grossa, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Daniel T Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 621 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA.
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41
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Complexity and insidiousness of cryptic function loss mechanisms. Trends Ecol Evol 2015; 30:371-2. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2015.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2015] [Revised: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 04/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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