1
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Ewers RM. An audacious approach to conservation. Trends Ecol Evol 2024:S0169-5347(24)00168-X. [PMID: 39122563 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2024.07.003] [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: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
New digital and sensor technology provides a huge opportunity to revolutionise conservation, but we lack a plan for deploying the technologies effectively. I argue that environmental research should be concentrated at a small number of 'super-sites' and that the concentrated knowledge from super-sites should be used to develop holistic ecosystem models. These, in turn, should be morphed into digital twin ecosystems by live connecting them with automated environmental monitoring programmes. Data-driven simulations can then help select pathways to achieve locally determined conservation goals, and digital twins could revise and adapt those decisions in real-time. This technology-heavy vision for 'smart conservation' provides a map toward a future defined by more flexible, more responsive, and more efficient management of natural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Ewers
- Georgina Mace Centre, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot SL5 7PY, UK.
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2
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Everts T, Van Driessche C, Neyrinck S, Haegeman A, Ruttink T, Jacquemyn H, Brys R. Phenological mismatches mitigate the ecological impact of a biological invader on amphibian communities. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2024:e3017. [PMID: 39118362 DOI: 10.1002/eap.3017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Horizon scans have emerged as a valuable tool to anticipate the incoming invasive alien species (IAS) by judging species on their potential impacts. However, little research has been conducted on quantifying actual impacts and assessing causes of species-specific vulnerabilities to particular IAS due to persistent methodological challenges. The underlying interspecific mechanisms driving species-specific vulnerabilities therefore remain poorly understood, even though they can substantially improve the accuracy of risk assessments. Given that interspecific interactions underlying ecological impacts of IAS are often shaped by phenological synchrony, we tested the hypothesis that temporal mismatches in breeding phenology between native species and IAS can mitigate their ecological impacts. Focusing on the invasive American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus), we combined an environmental DNA (eDNA) quantitative barcoding and metabarcoding survey in Belgium with a global meta-analysis, and integrated citizen-science data on breeding phenology. We examined whether the presence of native amphibian species was negatively related to the presence or abundance of invasive bullfrogs and whether this relationship was affected by their phenological mismatches. The field study revealed a significant negative effect of increasing bullfrog eDNA concentrations on native amphibian species richness and community structure. These observations were shaped by species-specific vulnerabilities to invasive bullfrogs, with late spring- and summer-breeding species being strongly affected, while winter-breeding species remained unaffected. This trend was confirmed by the global meta-analysis. A significant negative relationship was observed between phenological mismatch and the impact of bullfrogs. Specifically, native amphibian species with breeding phenology differing by 6 weeks or less from invasive bullfrogs were more likely to be absent in the presence of bullfrogs than species whose phenology differed by more than 6 weeks with that of bullfrogs. Taken together, we present a novel method based on the combination of aqueous eDNA quantitative barcoding and metabarcoding to quantify the ecological impacts of biological invaders at the community level. We show that phenological mismatches between native and invasive species can be a strong predictor of invasion impact regardless of ecological or methodological context. Therefore, we advocate for the integration of temporal alignment between native and IAS's phenologies into invasion impact frameworks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teun Everts
- Genetic Diversity, Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Geraardsbergen, Belgium
- Department of Biology, Plant Conservation and Population Biology, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Van Driessche
- Genetic Diversity, Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Geraardsbergen, Belgium
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sabrina Neyrinck
- Genetic Diversity, Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Geraardsbergen, Belgium
| | - Annelies Haegeman
- Plant Science Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Melle, Belgium
| | - Tom Ruttink
- Plant Science Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Melle, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Hans Jacquemyn
- Department of Biology, Plant Conservation and Population Biology, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Rein Brys
- Genetic Diversity, Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Geraardsbergen, Belgium
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3
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Roberts WR, Siepielski AM, Alverson AJ. Diatom abundance in the polar oceans is predicted by genome size. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002733. [PMID: 39116044 PMCID: PMC11309476 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
A principal goal in ecology is to identify the determinants of species abundances in nature. Body size has emerged as a fundamental and repeatable predictor of abundance, with smaller organisms occurring in greater numbers than larger ones. A biogeographic component, known as Bergmann's rule, describes the preponderance, across taxonomic groups, of larger-bodied organisms in colder areas. Although undeniably important, the extent to which body size is the key trait underlying these patterns is unclear. We explored these questions in diatoms, unicellular algae of global importance for their roles in carbon fixation and energy flow through marine food webs. Using a phylogenomic dataset from a single lineage with worldwide distribution, we found that body size (cell volume) was strongly correlated with genome size, which varied by 50-fold across species and was driven by differences in the amount of repetitive DNA. However, directional models identified temperature and genome size, not cell size, as having the greatest influence on maximum population growth rate. A global metabarcoding dataset further identified genome size as a strong predictor of species abundance in the ocean, but only in colder regions at high and low latitudes where diatoms with large genomes dominated, a pattern consistent with Bergmann's rule. Although species abundances are shaped by myriad interacting abiotic and biotic factors, genome size alone was a remarkably strong predictor of abundance. Taken together, these results highlight the cascading cellular and ecological consequences of macroevolutionary changes in an emergent trait, genome size, one of the most fundamental and irreducible properties of an organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wade R. Roberts
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States of America
| | - Adam M. Siepielski
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States of America
| | - Andrew J. Alverson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States of America
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4
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Lai HR, Bellingham PJ, McCarthy JK, Richardson SJ, Wiser SK, Stouffer DB. Detecting Nonadditive Biotic Interactions and Assessing Their Biological Relevance among Temperate Rainforest Trees. Am Nat 2024; 204:105-120. [PMID: 39008837 DOI: 10.1086/730807] [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: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
AbstractInteractions between and within abiotic and biotic processes generate nonadditive density-dependent effects on species performance that can vary in strength or direction across environments. If ignored, nonadditivities can lead to inaccurate predictions of species responses to environmental and compositional changes. While there are increasing empirical efforts to test the constancy of pairwise biotic interactions along environmental and compositional gradients, few assess both simultaneously. Using a nationwide forest inventory that spans broad ambient temperature and moisture gradients throughout New Zealand, we address this gap by analyzing the diameter growth of six focal tree species as a function of neighbor densities and climate, as well as neighbor × climate and neighbor × neighbor statistical interactions. The most complex model featuring all interaction terms had the highest predictive accuracy. Compared with climate variables, biotic interactions typically had stronger effects on diameter growth, especially when subjected to nonadditivities from local climatic conditions and the density of intermediary species. Furthermore, statistically strong (or weak) nonadditivities could be biologically irrelevant (or significant) depending on whether a species pair typically interacted under average or more extreme conditions. Our study highlights the importance of considering both the statistical potential and the biological relevance of nonadditive biotic interactions when assessing species performance under global change.
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5
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Kiaris H. Optimal conditions, experimentation and drug testing. Lab Anim (NY) 2024; 53:187-188. [PMID: 39009860 DOI: 10.1038/s41684-024-01412-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Hippokratis Kiaris
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Peromyscus Genetic Stock Center, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
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6
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Carneiro L, Miiller NOR, Cuthbert RN, Vitule JRS. Biological invasions negatively impact global protected areas. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 948:174823. [PMID: 39019276 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Protected areas underpin global biodiversity conservation and sustainability agendas. Biological invasions increasingly threaten the ecological functioning and long-term conservation value of protected areas, while a lack of information on impact impedes management decisions. We collated data from effects of biological invasions in protected areas to provide the first quantitative analysis of their global impacts. Based on 300 reported effects from 44 invasive species, we show that there are overall negative impacts from invasive species on both biotic and abiotic characteristics of protected areas globally. Impacts were pervasive across population, community, and ecosystem scales, and for the vast majority of invasive taxa with sufficient data. Negative impacts have been incurred around the world, with National Parks and World Heritage Sites in the Neartic and Neotropical regions the most studied. Notwithstanding context-dependencies and uneven research efforts, the recurrent negative impacts of invasive species indicate that current efforts are insufficient to curb current stressors and meet conservation and sustainability targets on land and in water. To address the risk of biological invasions in protected areas, it is imperative to prioritise fundamental research on ecological interactions, establish robust monitoring and prevention programs, and raise awareness through global initiatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laís Carneiro
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação, Departamento de Engenharia Ambiental, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Brazil.
| | - Natali O R Miiller
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação, Departamento de Engenharia Ambiental, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Brazil
| | - Ross N Cuthbert
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 5DL, United Kingdom
| | - Jean R S Vitule
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação, Departamento de Engenharia Ambiental, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Brazil
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7
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Prestes JG, Carneiro L, Miiller NOR, Neundorf AKA, Pedroso CR, Braga RR, Sousa R, Vitule JRS. A systematic review of invasive non-native freshwater bivalves. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024. [PMID: 38973333 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13113] [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: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
The introduction of invasive species has become an increasing environmental problem in freshwater ecosystems due to the high economic and ecological impacts it has generated. This systematic review covers publications from 2010 to 2020, focusing on non-native invasive freshwater bivalves, a particularly relevant and widespread introduced taxonomic group in fresh waters. We collected information on the most studied species, the main objectives of the studies, their geographical location, study duration, and type of research. Furthermore, we focused on assessing the levels of ecological evidence presented, the type of interactions of non-native bivalves with other organisms and the classification of their impacts. A total of 397 publications were retrieved. The studies addressed a total of 17 species of non-native freshwater bivalves; however, most publications focused on the species Corbicula fluminea and Dreissena polymorpha, which are recognised for their widespread distribution and extensive negative impacts. Many other non-native invasive bivalve species have been poorly studied. A high geographical bias was also present, with a considerable lack of studies in developing countries. The most frequent studies had shorter temporal periods, smaller spatial extents, and more observational data, were field-based, and usually evaluated possible ecological impacts at the individual and population levels. There were 94 publications documenting discernible impacts according to the Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT). However, 41 of these publications did not provide sufficient data to determine an impact. The most common effects of invasive bivalves on ecosystems were structural alterations, and chemical and physical changes, which are anticipated due to their role as ecosystem engineers. Despite a considerable number of studies in the field and advances in our understanding of some species over the past decade, long-term data and large-scale studies are still needed to understand better the impacts, particularly at the community and ecosystem levels and in less-studied geographic regions. The widespread distribution of several non-native freshwater bivalves, their ongoing introductions, and high ecological and economic impacts demand continued research. Systematic reviews such as this are essential for identifying knowledge gaps and guiding future research to enable a more complete understanding of the ecological implications of invasive bivalves, and the development of effective management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliani Giselli Prestes
- Laboratory of Ecology and Conservation, Department of Environmental Engineering, Technology Sector, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, 81530-000, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Conservation, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, 81530-000, Brazil
| | - Laís Carneiro
- Laboratory of Ecology and Conservation, Department of Environmental Engineering, Technology Sector, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, 81530-000, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Conservation, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, 81530-000, Brazil
| | - Natali Oliva Roman Miiller
- Laboratory of Ecology and Conservation, Department of Environmental Engineering, Technology Sector, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, 81530-000, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Conservation, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, 81530-000, Brazil
| | - Ananda Karla Alves Neundorf
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Conservation, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, 81530-000, Brazil
- Laboratory of Adaptive Biology, Department of Cell Biology, Sector of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, 81530-000, Brazil
| | - Clemerson Richard Pedroso
- Laboratory of Ecology and Conservation, Department of Environmental Engineering, Technology Sector, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, 81530-000, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Conservation, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, 81530-000, Brazil
| | - Raul Rennó Braga
- Department of Animal and Plant Biology, State University of Londrina, Londrina, 86057-970, Brazil
| | - Ronaldo Sousa
- CBMA - Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, Braga, 4710-057, Portugal
| | - Jean Ricardo Simões Vitule
- Laboratory of Ecology and Conservation, Department of Environmental Engineering, Technology Sector, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, 81530-000, Brazil
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8
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Johnston ASA. Predicting emergent animal biodiversity patterns across multiple scales. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17397. [PMID: 38984852 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Restoring biodiversity-based resilience and ecosystem multi-functionality needs to be informed by more accurate predictions of animal biodiversity responses to environmental change. Ecological models make a substantial contribution to this understanding, especially when they encode the biological mechanisms and processes that give rise to emergent patterns (population, community, ecosystem properties and dynamics). Here, a distinction between 'mechanistic' and 'process-based' ecological models is established to review existing approaches. Mechanistic and process-based ecological models have made key advances to understanding the structure, function and dynamics of animal biodiversity, but are typically designed to account for specific levels of biological organisation and spatiotemporal scales. Cross-scale ecological models, which predict emergent co-occurring biodiversity patterns at interacting scales of space, time and biological organisation, is a critical next step in predictive ecology. A way forward is to first capitalise on existing models to systematically evaluate the ability of scale-explicit mechanisms and processes to predict emergent patterns at alternative scales. Such model intercomparisons will reveal mechanism to process transitions across fine to broad scales, overcome approach-specific barriers to model realism or tractability and identify gaps which necessitate the development of new fundamental principles. Key challenges surrounding model complexity and uncertainty would need to be addressed, and while opportunities from big data can streamline the integration of multiple scale-explicit biodiversity patterns, ambitious cross-scale field studies are also needed. Crucially, overcoming cross-scale ecological modelling challenges would unite disparate fields of ecology with the common goal of improving the evidence-base to safeguard biodiversity and ecosystems under novel environmental change.
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9
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Pili AN, Leroy B, Measey JG, Farquhar JE, Toomes A, Cassey P, Chekunov S, Grenié M, van Winkel D, Maria L, Diesmos MLL, Diesmos AC, Zurell D, Courchamp F, Chapple DG. Forecasting potential invaders to prevent future biological invasions worldwide. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17399. [PMID: 39007251 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
The ever-increasing and expanding globalisation of trade and transport underpins the escalating global problem of biological invasions. Developing biosecurity infrastructures is crucial to anticipate and prevent the transport and introduction of invasive alien species. Still, robust and defensible forecasts of potential invaders are rare, especially for species without known invasion history. Here, we aim to support decision-making by developing a quantitative invasion risk assessment tool based on invasion syndromes (i.e., generalising typical attributes of invasive alien species). We implemented a workflow based on 'Multiple Imputation with Chain Equation' to estimate invasion syndromes from imputed datasets of species' life-history and ecological traits and macroecological patterns. Importantly, our models disentangle the factors explaining (i) transport and introduction and (ii) establishment. We showcase our tool by modelling the invasion syndromes of 466 amphibians and reptile species with invasion history. Then, we project these models to amphibians and reptiles worldwide (16,236 species [c.76% global coverage]) to identify species with a risk of being unintentionally transported and introduced, and risk of establishing alien populations. Our invasion syndrome models showed high predictive accuracy with a good balance between specificity and generality. Unintentionally transported and introduced species tend to be common and thrive well in human-disturbed habitats. In contrast, those with established alien populations tend to be large-sized, are habitat generalists, thrive well in human-disturbed habitats, and have large native geographic ranges. We forecast that 160 amphibians and reptiles without known invasion history could be unintentionally transported and introduced in the future. Among them, 57 species have a high risk of establishing alien populations. Our reliable, reproducible, transferable, statistically robust and scientifically defensible quantitative invasion risk assessment tool is a significant new addition to the suite of decision-support tools needed for developing a future-proof preventative biosecurity globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arman N Pili
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Boris Leroy
- Unité 8067 Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, Université de Caen Normandie, CNRS, IRD, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - John G Measey
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- UMR7179 MECADEV CNRS/MNHN, Département Adaptations du Vivant, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Bâtiment d'Anatomie Comparée, Paris, France
| | - Jules E Farquhar
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Adam Toomes
- Invasion Science and Wildlife Ecology Group, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Phillip Cassey
- Invasion Science and Wildlife Ecology Group, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Sebastian Chekunov
- Invasion Science and Wildlife Ecology Group, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Matthias Grenié
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Grenoble, France
| | - Dylan van Winkel
- Bioresearches (Babbage Consultants Limited), Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Lisa Maria
- Biosecurity New Zealand-Tiakitanga Pūtaiao Aotearoa, Ministry for Primary Industries-Manatū Ahu Matua, Upper Hutt, New Zealand
| | - Mae Lowe L Diesmos
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
- Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
| | | | - Damaris Zurell
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Franck Courchamp
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Gif Sur Yvette, France
| | - David G Chapple
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
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10
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Arnillas CA, Carscadden K. When indices disagree: facing conceptual and practical challenges. Trends Ecol Evol 2024; 39:634-643. [PMID: 38508921 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2024.02.001] [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: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Hypothesis testing requires meaningful ways to quantify biological phenomena and account for alternative mechanisms that could explain the same pattern. Researchers combine experiments, statistics, and indices to account for these confounding mechanisms. Key concepts in ecology and evolution, such as niche breadth (NB) or fitness, can be represented by several indices, which often provide uncorrelated estimates. Is this because the indices use different types of noisy data or because the targeted phenomenon is complex and multidimensional? We discuss implications of these scenarios and propose five steps to aid researchers in identifying and combining indices, experiments, and statistics. Building on prior efforts to construct databases of hypotheses and indices and document assumptions, these steps help provide a formal strategy to reduce self-confirmatory bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Alberto Arnillas
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto - Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada.
| | - Kelly Carscadden
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, 1900 Pleasant Street, Box 334, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
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11
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Woelfel S, Silva MS, Stecher B. Intestinal colonization resistance in the context of environmental, host, and microbial determinants. Cell Host Microbe 2024; 32:820-836. [PMID: 38870899 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2024.05.002] [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: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Microbial communities that colonize the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract defend against pathogens through a mechanism known as colonization resistance (CR). Advances in technologies such as next-generation sequencing, gnotobiotic mouse models, and bacterial cultivation have enhanced our understanding of the underlying mechanisms and the intricate microbial interactions involved in CR. Rather than being attributed to specific microbial clades, CR is now understood to arise from a dynamic interplay between microbes and the host and is shaped by metabolic, immune, and environmental factors. This evolving perspective underscores the significance of contextual factors, encompassing microbiome composition and host conditions, in determining CR. This review highlights recent research that has shifted its focus toward elucidating how these factors interact to either promote or impede enteric infections. It further discusses future research directions to unravel the complex relationship between host, microbiota, and environmental determinants in safeguarding against GI infections to promote human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Woelfel
- Max von Pettenkofer-Institute for Hygiene and Clinical Microbiology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Marta Salvado Silva
- Max von Pettenkofer-Institute for Hygiene and Clinical Microbiology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Bärbel Stecher
- Max von Pettenkofer-Institute for Hygiene and Clinical Microbiology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
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12
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Orr JA, Macaulay SJ, Mordente A, Burgess B, Albini D, Hunn JG, Restrepo-Sulez K, Wilson R, Schechner A, Robertson AM, Lee B, Stuparyk BR, Singh D, O'Loughlin I, Piggott JJ, Zhu J, Dinh KV, Archer LC, Penk M, Vu MTT, Juvigny-Khenafou NPD, Zhang P, Sanders P, Schäfer RB, Vinebrooke RD, Hilt S, Reed T, Jackson MC. Studying interactions among anthropogenic stressors in freshwater ecosystems: A systematic review of 2396 multiple-stressor experiments. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14463. [PMID: 38924275 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the interactions among anthropogenic stressors is critical for effective conservation and management of ecosystems. Freshwater scientists have invested considerable resources in conducting factorial experiments to disentangle stressor interactions by testing their individual and combined effects. However, the diversity of stressors and systems studied has hindered previous syntheses of this body of research. To overcome this challenge, we used a novel machine learning framework to identify relevant studies from over 235,000 publications. Our synthesis resulted in a new dataset of 2396 multiple-stressor experiments in freshwater systems. By summarizing the methods used in these studies, quantifying trends in the popularity of the investigated stressors, and performing co-occurrence analysis, we produce the most comprehensive overview of this diverse field of research to date. We provide both a taxonomy grouping the 909 investigated stressors into 31 classes and an open-source and interactive version of the dataset (https://jamesaorr.shinyapps.io/freshwater-multiple-stressors/). Inspired by our results, we provide a framework to help clarify whether statistical interactions detected by factorial experiments align with stressor interactions of interest, and we outline general guidelines for the design of multiple-stressor experiments relevant to any system. We conclude by highlighting the research directions required to better understand freshwater ecosystems facing multiple stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A Orr
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- School of the Environment, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | | | | | - Benjamin Burgess
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Dania Albini
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Julia G Hunn
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | - Ramesh Wilson
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Anne Schechner
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
- Ruumi ApS, Svendborg, Denmark
| | - Aoife M Robertson
- Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Bethany Lee
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Blake R Stuparyk
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Delezia Singh
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | | | - Jeremy J Piggott
- Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jiangqiu Zhu
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Khuong V Dinh
- Section for Aquatic Biology and Toxicology, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Louise C Archer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marcin Penk
- Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Minh Thi Thuy Vu
- Section for Aquatic Biology and Toxicology, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Noël P D Juvigny-Khenafou
- Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Scotland, UK
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Germany
| | - Peiyu Zhang
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | | | - Ralf B Schäfer
- Research Center One Health Ruhr, University Alliance Ruhr
- Faculty of Biology, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Rolf D Vinebrooke
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sabine Hilt
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Reed
- School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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13
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Abrham M, Norén K, Bartolomé Filella J, Angerbjörn A, Lecomte N, Pečnerová P, Freire S, Dalerum F. Properties of vertebrate predator-prey networks in the high Arctic. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11470. [PMID: 38826159 PMCID: PMC11137350 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Predation is an important ecological process that can significantly impact the maintenance of ecosystem services. In arctic environments, the relative ecological importance of predation is thought to be increasing due to climate change, partly because of increased productivity with rising temperatures. Therefore, understanding predator-prey interactions in arctic ecosystems is vital for the sustainable management of these northern regions. Network theory provides a framework for quantifying the structures of ecological interactions. In this study, we use dietary observations on mammalian and avian predators in a high arctic region, including isolated peninsulas on Ellesmere Island and north Greenland, to construct bipartite trophic networks. We quantify the complexity, specialization, and nested as well as modular structures of these networks and also determine if these properties varied among the peninsulas. Mammal prey remains were the dominant diet item for all predators, but there was spatial variation in diet composition among peninsulas. The predator-prey networks were less complex, had more specialized interactions, and were more nested and more modular than random expectations. However, the networks displayed only moderate levels of modularity. Predator species had less specialized interactions with prey than prey had with predators. All network properties differed among the peninsulas, which highlights that ecosystems often show complex responses to environmental characteristics. We suggest that gaining knowledge about spatial variation in the characteristics of predator-prey interactions can enhance our ability to manage ecosystems exposed to environmental perturbations, particularly in high arctic environments subject to rapid environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muzit Abrham
- Department of ZoologyStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Karin Norén
- Department of ZoologyStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | | | | | - Nicolas Lecomte
- Department of BiologyUniversity of MonctonMonctonNew BrunswickCanada
| | | | - Susana Freire
- Biodiversity Research InstituteCSIC‐Univ. Oviedo‐PrincMieresSpain
- Biodiversity Research InstituteMieresSpain
| | - Fredrik Dalerum
- Department of ZoologyStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
- Biodiversity Research InstituteCSIC‐Univ. Oviedo‐PrincMieresSpain
- Biodiversity Research InstituteMieresSpain
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and EntomologyUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
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14
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Gontijo LM. Addressing context dependence in studies of plant diversity to improve the understanding of natural enemy conservation. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 63:101202. [PMID: 38642848 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2024.101202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
Increasing plant diversity has become a major aspect of habitat management and natural enemy conservation. Nonetheless, the results of plant diversity studies have varied significantly within and across agroecosystems. This variation has often been ascribed to a condition known as context dependence. However, concluding plainly that results are context dependent does not allow for the understanding of the actual underlying causes. Therefore, I discuss in this paper the importance of identifying and dealing with context dependence. I specifically comment on common biotic and abiotic inherent variables that can drive context dependence. The most common context types explored herein are location, time, nonfocal plant and crop species, and natural enemy species. Finally, I offer several recommendations for identifying and dealing with context dependence. I believe understanding the different forms in which context dependence arises is paramount to reduce unexplained variation and improve the predictability of plant diversity studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lessando M Gontijo
- Department of Entomology and Acarology, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP 13418-900, Brazil.
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15
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Yao Z, Xin Y, Ma Z, Zhao L, Mu W, Guo J, Ali A. Plant beta-turnover rather than nestedness shapes overall taxonomic and phylogenetic beta-diversity triggered by favorable spatial-environmental conditions in large-scale Chinese grasslands. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1285787. [PMID: 38903427 PMCID: PMC11187821 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1285787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Introduction Although it is widely acknowledged that biodiversity maintains plant community assembly processes, exploring the patterns and drivers of beta-diversity (β-diversity; species variation among local plant communities) has received much less attention compared to alpha-diversity (α-diversity; species variation within a local plant community). Here, we aim to examine the patterns and spatial-environmental drivers of taxonomic and phylogenetic β-diversity, and their components such as species turnover and nestedness, in large-scale Leymus chinensis grassland communities. Methods We collected plant community data from 166 sites across widely distributed L. chinensis communities in northern China, and then calculated the taxonomic and phylogenetic β-diversity indices (overall, turnover and nestedness) using a pairwise dissimilarity approach. To assess the effects and to explain the variation in the patterns of β-diversity, we collected data on geospatial, climate and soil conditions. We applied descriptive statistics, Mental correlations, and multiple linear regression models to assess the patterns and spatial-environmental drivers of β-diversity. Results The β-turnover, as compared to β-nestedness, exhibited a predominant influence, constituting 92.6% of the taxonomic β-diversity and 80.4% of the phylogenetic β-diversity. Most of the spatial-environmental variables were significantly positively correlated with the overall taxonomic and phylogenetic β-diversity and β-turnover, but not with β-nestedness. Climatic factors such as MAP and MAT were the strongest predictors of both taxonomic and phylogenetic β-diversity and β-turnover. The variance partitioning analysis showed that the combined effects of spatial and environmental factors accounted for 19% and 16% of the variation in the taxonomic and phylogenetic β-diversity (overall), 17% and 12% of the variation in the β-turnover, and 7% and 1% of the variation in the β-nestedness, respectively, which were higher than independent effects of either spatial or environmental factors. Discussion At larger spatial scales, the turnover component of β-diversity may be associated with the species complementarity effect, but dominant or functionally important species can vary among communities due to the species selection effect. By incorporating β-diversity into grassland management strategies, we can enhance the provision of vital ecosystem services that bolster human welfare, serving as a resilient barrier against the adverse effects of climate change at regional and global scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyu Yao
- Yinshanbeilu Grassland Eco-hydrology National Observation and Research Station, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing, China
- Institute of Water Resources for Pastoral Areas Ministry of Water Resources, Hohhot, China
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology and School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Yue Xin
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology and School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | | | - Liqing Zhao
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology and School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Wenkui Mu
- Inner Mongolia Hohhot Meteorological Bureau, Hohhot, China
| | - Jianying Guo
- Yinshanbeilu Grassland Eco-hydrology National Observation and Research Station, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing, China
- Institute of Water Resources for Pastoral Areas Ministry of Water Resources, Hohhot, China
| | - Arshad Ali
- Forest Ecology Research Group, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei, China
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16
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McGeoch MA, Clarke DA, Mungi NA, Ordonez A. A nature-positive future with biological invasions: theory, decision support and research needs. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230014. [PMID: 38583473 PMCID: PMC10999266 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
In 2050, most areas of biodiversity significance will be heavily influenced by multiple drivers of environmental change. This includes overlap with the introduced ranges of many alien species that negatively impact biodiversity. With the decline in biodiversity and increase in all forms of global change, the need to envision the desired qualities of natural systems in the Anthropocene is growing, as is the need to actively maintain their natural values. Here, we draw on community ecology and invasion biology to (i) better understand trajectories of change in communities with a mix of native and alien populations, and (ii) to frame approaches to the stewardship of these mixed-species communities. We provide a set of premises and actions upon which a nature-positive future with biological invasions (NPF-BI) could be based, and a decision framework for dealing with uncertain species movements under climate change. A series of alternative management approaches become apparent when framed by scale-sensitive, spatially explicit, context relevant and risk-consequence considerations. Evidence of the properties of mixed-species communities together with predictive frameworks for the relative importance of the ecological processes at play provide actionable pathways to a NPF in which the reality of mixed-species communities are accommodated and managed. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ecological novelty and planetary stewardship: biodiversity dynamics in a transforming biosphere'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melodie A. McGeoch
- Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria, Australia
| | - David A. Clarke
- Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ninad Avinash Mungi
- Section of Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
| | - Alejandro Ordonez
- Section of Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
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17
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Richards D, Dewhurst Z, Giltrap D, Lavorel S. Tree contributions to climate change adaptation through reduced cattle heat stress and benefits to milk and beef production. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17306. [PMID: 38699931 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Cattle heat stress causes billions of dollars' worth of losses to meat and milk production globally, and is projected to become more severe in the future due to climate change. Tree establishment in pastoral livestock systems holds potential to reduce cattle heat stress and thus provide nature-based adaptation. We developed a general model for the impact of trees on cattle heat stress, which can project milk and meat production under future climate scenarios at varying spatial scales. The model incorporates the key microclimate mechanisms influenced by trees, including shade, air temperature, humidity, and wind speed. We conducted sensitivity analyses to demonstrate the relative influence of different mechanisms through which trees can impact cattle heat stress, and how tree impacts are influenced by climatic context globally. Trees hold the greatest potential to reduce cattle heat stress in higher latitudes and altitudes, with minor benefits in the lowland tropics. We projected the future contributions of current trees in mitigating climate change impacts on the dairy and beef herds of Aotearoa-New Zealand (A-NZ) in 2070-2080. Trees were simulated to contribute to A-NZ milk yields by over 491 million liters (lower CI = 112 million liters, upper CI = 850 million liters), and meat yields by over 8316 tonnes (lower CI = 2431 tonnes, upper CI = 13,668 tonnes) annually. The total economic contribution of existing trees in mitigating future cattle heat stress was valued at $US 244 million (lower CI = $US 58 million, upper CI = $US 419 million). Our findings demonstrate the importance of existing trees in pastoral landscapes and suggest that strategic tree establishment can be a valuable adaptation option for reducing cattle heat stress under climate change. Tree establishment in the next few years is critical to provide adaptation capacity and economic benefit in future decades.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Donna Giltrap
- Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Sandra Lavorel
- Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, Université Grenoble Alpes-Université Savoie Mont Blanc-CNRS, Grenoble, France
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18
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Fowler JC, Ziegler S, Whitney KD, Rudgers JA, Miller TEX. Microbial symbionts buffer hosts from the demographic costs of environmental stochasticity. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14438. [PMID: 38783567 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Species' persistence in increasingly variable climates will depend on resilience against the fitness costs of environmental stochasticity. Most organisms host microbiota that shield against stressors. Here, we test the hypothesis that, by limiting exposure to temporally variable stressors, microbial symbionts reduce hosts' demographic variance. We parameterized stochastic population models using data from a 14-year symbiont-removal experiment including seven grass species that host Epichloë fungal endophytes. Results provide novel evidence that symbiotic benefits arise not only through improved mean fitness, but also through dampened inter-annual variance. Hosts with "fast" life-history traits benefited most from symbiont-mediated demographic buffering. Under current climate conditions, contributions of demographic buffering were modest compared to benefits to mean fitness. However, simulations of increased stochasticity amplified benefits of demographic buffering and made it the more important pathway of host-symbiont mutualism. Microbial-mediated variance buffering is likely an important, yet cryptic, mechanism of resilience in an increasingly variable world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua C Fowler
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA
| | - Shaun Ziegler
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Kenneth D Whitney
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Jennifer A Rudgers
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Tom E X Miller
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
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19
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Chadwick FJ, Haydon DT, Husmeier D, Ovaskainen O, Matthiopoulos J. LIES of omission: complex observation processes in ecology. Trends Ecol Evol 2024; 39:368-380. [PMID: 37949794 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.10.009] [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: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Advances in statistics mean that it is now possible to tackle increasingly sophisticated observation processes. The intricacies and ambitious scale of modern data collection techniques mean that this is now essential. Methodological research to make inference about the biological process while accounting for the observation process has expanded dramatically, but solutions are often presented in field-specific terms, limiting our ability to identify commonalities between methods. We suggest a typology of observation processes that could improve translation between fields and aid methodological synthesis. We propose the LIES framework (defining observation processes in terms of issues of Latency, Identifiability, Effort and Scale) and illustrate its use with both simple examples and more complex case studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fergus J Chadwick
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK; Centre for Research Into Ecological and Environmental Monitoring, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland, UK.
| | - Daniel T Haydon
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Dirk Husmeier
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK
| | - Otso Ovaskainen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, P.O. Box 35 FI-40014, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Jason Matthiopoulos
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
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20
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Kumschick S, Bertolino S, Blackburn TM, Brundu G, Costello KE, de Groot M, Evans T, Gallardo B, Genovesi P, Govender T, Jeschke JM, Lapin K, Measey J, Novoa A, Nunes AL, Probert AF, Pyšek P, Preda C, Rabitsch W, Roy HE, Smith KG, Tricarico E, Vilà M, Vimercati G, Bacher S. Using the IUCN Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa to inform decision-making. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14214. [PMID: 38051018 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
The Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT) is an important tool for biological invasion policy and management and has been adopted as an International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) standard to measure the severity of environmental impacts caused by organisms living outside their native ranges. EICAT has already been incorporated into some national and local decision-making procedures, making it a particularly relevant resource for addressing the impact of non-native species. Recently, some of the underlying conceptual principles of EICAT, particularly those related to the use of the precautionary approach, have been challenged. Although still relatively new, guidelines for the application and interpretation of EICAT will be periodically revisited by the IUCN community, based on scientific evidence, to improve the process. Some of the criticisms recently raised are based on subjectively selected assumptions that cannot be generalized and may harm global efforts to manage biological invasions. EICAT adopts a precautionary principle by considering a species' impact history elsewhere because some taxa have traits that can make them inherently more harmful. Furthermore, non-native species are often important drivers of biodiversity loss even in the presence of other pressures. Ignoring the precautionary principle when tackling the impacts of non-native species has led to devastating consequences for human well-being, biodiversity, and ecosystems, as well as poor management outcomes, and thus to significant economic costs. EICAT is a relevant tool because it supports prioritization and management of non-native species and meeting and monitoring progress toward the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) Target 6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Kumschick
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Kirstenbosch Research Centre, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sandro Bertolino
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
| | - Tim M Blackburn
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
| | - Giuseppe Brundu
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Centre (NBFC), Palermo, Italy
| | - Katie E Costello
- Biodiversity Assessment and Knowledge Team, Science and Data Centre, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Thomas Evans
- Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | | | - Piero Genovesi
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- ISPRA, Rome, Italy
- IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group, Roma, Italy
| | - Tanushri Govender
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Jonathan M Jeschke
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Katharina Lapin
- Austrian Research Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscape (BFW), Vienna, Austria
| | - John Measey
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Institute for Biodiversity, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Ana Novoa
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Ana L Nunes
- Biodiversity Assessment and Knowledge Team, Science and Data Centre, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Cambridge, UK
| | - Anna F Probert
- Zoology Discipline, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Petr Pyšek
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Cristina Preda
- Department of Natural Sciences, Ovidius University of Constanta, Constanta, Romania
| | | | - Helen E Roy
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, UK
| | - Kevin G Smith
- Biodiversity Assessment and Knowledge Team, Science and Data Centre, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Cambridge, UK
| | - Elena Tricarico
- National Biodiversity Future Centre (NBFC), Palermo, Italy
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Montserrat Vilà
- Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC) and Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | | | - Sven Bacher
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
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21
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Peinetti HR, Bestelmeyer BT, Chirino CC, Vivalda FL, Kin AG. Thresholds and alternative states in a Neotropical dry forest in response to fire severity. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2024; 34:e2937. [PMID: 38071696 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Neotropical xerophytic forest ecosystems evolved with fires that shaped their resilience to disturbance events. However, it is unknown whether forest resilience to fires persists under a new fire regime influenced by anthropogenic disturbance and climate change. We asked whether there was evidence for a fire severity threshold causing an abrupt transition from a forest to an alternative shrub thicket state in the presence of typical postfire management. We studied a heterogeneous wildfire event to assess medium-term effects (11 years) of varying fire severity in a xerophytic Caldén forest in central Argentina. We conducted vegetation surveys in patches that were exposed to low (LFS), medium (MFS), and high (HFS) fire severities but had similar prefire woody canopy cover. Satellite images were used to quantify fire severity using a delta Normalized Burning Ratio (dNBR) and to map prefire canopy cover. Postfire total woody canopy cover was higher in low and medium than high severity patches, but the understory woody component was highest in HFS patches. The density of woody plants was over three times higher under HFS than MFS and LFS due to the contribution of small woody plants to the total density. Unlike LFS and MFS patches, the small plants in HFS patches were persistent, multistem shrubs that resulted from the resprouting of top-killed Prosopis caldenia trees and, more importantly, from young shrubs that probably established after the wildfire. Our results suggest that the Caldén forest is resilient to fires of low to moderate severities but not to high-severity fires. Fire severities with dNBR values > ~600 triggered an abrupt transition to a shrub thicket state. Postfire grazing and controlled-fire treatments likely contributed to shrub dominance after high-severity wildfire. Forest to shrub thicket transitions enable recurring high-severity fire events. We propose that repeated fires combined with grazing can trap the system in a shrub thicket state. Further studies are needed to determine whether the relationships between fire and vegetation structure examined in this case study represent general mechanisms of irreversible state changes across the Caldenal forest region and whether analogous threshold relationships exist in other fire-prone woodland ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Raúl Peinetti
- Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Santa Rosa, Argentina
| | - Brandon T Bestelmeyer
- USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA
| | - Claudia C Chirino
- Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Santa Rosa, Argentina
| | - Florencia L Vivalda
- Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Santa Rosa, Argentina
| | - Alicia G Kin
- Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Santa Rosa, Argentina
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22
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Sinclair JS, Welti EAR, Altermatt F, Álvarez-Cabria M, Aroviita J, Baker NJ, Barešová L, Barquín J, Bonacina L, Bonada N, Cañedo-Argüelles M, Csabai Z, de Eyto E, Dohet A, Dörflinger G, Eriksen TE, Evtimova V, Feio MJ, Ferréol M, Floury M, Forio MAE, Fornaroli R, Goethals PLM, Heino J, Hering D, Huttunen KL, Jähnig SC, Johnson RK, Kuglerová L, Kupilas B, L'Hoste L, Larrañaga A, Leitner P, Lorenz AW, McKie BG, Muotka T, Osadčaja D, Paavola R, Palinauskas V, Pařil P, Pilotto F, Polášek M, Rasmussen JJ, Schäfer RB, Schmidt-Kloiber A, Scotti A, Skuja A, Straka M, Stubbington R, Timm H, Tyufekchieva V, Tziortzis I, Vannevel R, Várbíró G, Velle G, Verdonschot RCM, Vray S, Haase P. Multi-decadal improvements in the ecological quality of European rivers are not consistently reflected in biodiversity metrics. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:430-441. [PMID: 38278985 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02305-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Humans impact terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems, yet many broad-scale studies have found no systematic, negative biodiversity changes (for example, decreasing abundance or taxon richness). Here we show that mixed biodiversity responses may arise because community metrics show variable responses to anthropogenic impacts across broad spatial scales. We first quantified temporal trends in anthropogenic impacts for 1,365 riverine invertebrate communities from 23 European countries, based on similarity to least-impacted reference communities. Reference comparisons provide necessary, but often missing, baselines for evaluating whether communities are negatively impacted or have improved (less or more similar, respectively). We then determined whether changing impacts were consistently reflected in metrics of community abundance, taxon richness, evenness and composition. Invertebrate communities improved, that is, became more similar to reference conditions, from 1992 until the 2010s, after which improvements plateaued. Improvements were generally reflected by higher taxon richness, providing evidence that certain community metrics can broadly indicate anthropogenic impacts. However, richness responses were highly variable among sites, and we found no consistent responses in community abundance, evenness or composition. These findings suggest that, without sufficient data and careful metric selection, many common community metrics cannot reliably reflect anthropogenic impacts, helping explain the prevalence of mixed biodiversity trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- James S Sinclair
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany.
| | - Ellen A R Welti
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | - Florian Altermatt
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Mario Álvarez-Cabria
- IHCantabria - Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de la Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Jukka Aroviita
- Freshwater and Marine Solutions, Finnish Environment Institute, Oulu, Finland
| | - Nathan J Baker
- Institute of Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | | | - José Barquín
- IHCantabria - Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de la Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Luca Bonacina
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences - DISAT, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Núria Bonada
- FEHM-Lab (Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management), Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Facultat de Biologia, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miguel Cañedo-Argüelles
- FEHM-Lab (Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management), Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Zoltán Csabai
- Department of Hydrobiology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Tihany, Hungary
| | - Elvira de Eyto
- Fisheries Ecosystems Advisory Services, Marine Institute, Newport, Ireland
| | - Alain Dohet
- Environmental Research and Innovation Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Gerald Dörflinger
- Water Development Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Tor E Eriksen
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo, Norway
| | - Vesela Evtimova
- Department of Aquatic Ecosystems, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Maria J Feio
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Associated Laboratory ARNET, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Martial Ferréol
- INRAE, UR RiverLy, centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Mathieu Floury
- Department Community and Ecosystem Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, Villeurbanne, France
| | | | - Riccardo Fornaroli
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences - DISAT, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jani Heino
- Geography Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Daniel Hering
- Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Sonja C Jähnig
- Department Community and Ecosystem Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
- Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Richard K Johnson
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lenka Kuglerová
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Benjamin Kupilas
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Landscape Ecology, Chair for Applied Landscape Ecology and Ecological Planning, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Lionel L'Hoste
- Environmental Research and Innovation Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Aitor Larrañaga
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain
| | - Patrick Leitner
- Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Armin W Lorenz
- Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Brendan G McKie
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Timo Muotka
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Diana Osadčaja
- Institute of Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Riku Paavola
- Oulanka Research Station, University of Oulu Infrastructure Platform, Kuusamo, Finland
| | | | - Petr Pařil
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | | | - Marek Polášek
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jes J Rasmussen
- NIVA Denmark (Norwegian Institute for Water Research), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ralf B Schäfer
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Astrid Schmidt-Kloiber
- Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alberto Scotti
- Eurac Research, Institute for Alpine Environment, Bolzano/Bozen, Italy
- APEM Ltd, Stockport, UK
| | - Agnija Skuja
- Institute of Biology, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
| | - Michal Straka
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- T.G. Masaryk Water Research Institute, p.r.i., Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Rachel Stubbington
- School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
| | - Henn Timm
- Chair of Hydrobiology and Fishery, Centre for Limnology, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Elva vald, Estonia
| | - Violeta Tyufekchieva
- Department of Aquatic Ecosystems, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Iakovos Tziortzis
- Water Development Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Rudy Vannevel
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Flanders Environment Agency, Aalst, Belgium
| | - Gábor Várbíró
- Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Gaute Velle
- LFI - The Laboratory for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ralf C M Verdonschot
- Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Sarah Vray
- Environmental Research and Innovation Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Peter Haase
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
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23
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Olenin S, Elliott M, Minchin D, Katsanevakis S. Marine ecosystem health and biological pollution: Reconsidering the paradigm. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 200:116054. [PMID: 38309178 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Our study re-evaluates a fundamental paradigm in marine invasion ecology - whether introduced species are considered as contaminants, i.e. just present in the system, or whether they are pollutants per se, i.e. they cause biological harm. This re-evaluation includes the concepts of marine ecosystem health and biological pollution using the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) as an example. Hence, we clarify the distinction between "biological contamination" (pertaining to Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) introductions) and "biological pollution" (associated with Invasive Alien Species - IAS). We emphasize the need for comprehensive indicators that consider their ecological, economic, and societal impacts. The MSFD Descriptor D2 NIS is analysed using the "biocontamination-biopollution" gradient to better reflect the complexities of ecosystem health. We discuss limitations in current monitoring and evaluation criteria, such as the absence of unified NIS/IAS monitoring, challenges in interpreting ecological impacts, and context-dependent assessment results. We emphasize the importance of context-specific management measures, considering the origin of pressures, whether endogenic (caused within a management area such a regional sea) or exogenic (with causes from outside a management area). Ultimately, we underscore the importance of a holistic and adaptable approach to address the diverse challenges posed by biocontamination and biopollution, protecting both marine ecosystems and human well-being in an ever-changing environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergej Olenin
- Marine Research Institute, Klaipeda University, Klaipeda 92294, Lithuania.
| | - Michael Elliott
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK; International Estuarine & Coastal Specialists (IECS) Ltd., Leven HU17 5LQ, UK
| | - Dan Minchin
- Marine Research Institute, Klaipeda University, Klaipeda 92294, Lithuania; Marine Organism Investigations, Killaloe V94W2N9, Ireland
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24
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Calixto ES, de Oliveira Pimenta IC, Lange D, Marquis RJ, Torezan-Silingardi HM, Del-Claro K. Emerging Trends in Ant-Pollinator Conflict in Extrafloral Nectary-Bearing Plants. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:651. [PMID: 38475497 DOI: 10.3390/plants13050651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
The net outcomes of mutualisms are mediated by the trade-offs between the costs and benefits provided by both partners. Our review proposes the existence of a trade-off in ant protection mutualisms between the benefits generated by the ants' protection against the attack of herbivores and the losses caused by the disruption of pollination processes, which are commonly not quantified. This trade-off has important implications for understanding the evolution of extrafloral nectaries (EFNs), an adaptation that has repeatedly evolved throughout the flowering plant clade. We propose that the outcome of this trade-off is contingent on the specific traits of the organisms involved. We provide evidence that the protective mutualisms between ants and plants mediated by EFNs have optimal protective ant partners, represented by the optimum point of the balance between positive effects on plant protection and negative effects on pollination process. Our review also provides important details about a potential synergism of EFN functionality; that is, these structures can attract ants to protect against herbivores and/or distract them from flowers so as not to disrupt pollination processes. Finally, we argue that generalizations regarding how ants impact plants should be made with caution since ants' effects on plants vary with the identity of the ant species in their overall net outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Denise Lange
- Department of Biology, Federal University of Technology-Parana, Campus Santa Helena, Santa Helena, Curitiba 80230-901, PR, Brazil
| | - Robert J Marquis
- Department of Biology and the Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center, University of Missouri, St. Louis, MO 63121, USA
| | - Helena Maura Torezan-Silingardi
- Postgraduation Program in Entomology, Department of Biology, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-900, SP, Brazil
- Institute of Biology, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38405-240, MG, Brazil
| | - Kleber Del-Claro
- Postgraduation Program in Entomology, Department of Biology, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-900, SP, Brazil
- Institute of Biology, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38405-240, MG, Brazil
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25
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Di Martino R, Picot A, Mitri S. Oxidative stress changes interactions between 2 bacterial species from competitive to facilitative. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002482. [PMID: 38315734 PMCID: PMC10881020 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Knowing how species interact within microbial communities is crucial to predicting and controlling community dynamics, but interactions can depend on environmental conditions. The stress-gradient hypothesis (SGH) predicts that species are more likely to facilitate each other in harsher environments. Even if the SGH gives some intuition, quantitative modeling of the context-dependency of interactions requires understanding the mechanisms behind the SGH. In this study, we show with both experiments and a theoretical analysis that varying the concentration of a single compound, linoleic acid (LA), modifies the interaction between 2 bacterial species, Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Comamonas testosteroni, from competitive at a low concentration, to facilitative at higher concentrations where LA becomes toxic for one of the 2 species. We demonstrate that the mechanism behind facilitation is that one species is able to reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are produced spontaneously at higher concentrations of LA, allowing for short-term rescue of the species that is sensitive to ROS and longer coexistence in serial transfers. In our system, competition and facilitation between species can occur simultaneously, and changing the concentration of a single compound can alter the balance between the two.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Di Martino
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Aurore Picot
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Sara Mitri
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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26
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Golivets M, Knapp S, Essl F, Lenzner B, Latombe G, Leung B, Kühn I. Future changes in key plant traits across Central Europe vary with biogeographical status, woodiness, and habitat type. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 907:167954. [PMID: 37866591 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Many plant traits covary with environmental gradients, reflecting shifts in adaptive strategies and thus informing about potential consequences of future environmental change for vegetation and ecosystem functioning. Yet, the evidence of trait-environment relationships (TERs) remains too heterogeneous for reliable predictions, partially due to insufficient consideration of trait syndromes specific to certain growth forms and habitats. Moreover, it is still unclear whether non-native and native plants' traits align similarly along environmental gradients, limiting our ability to assess the impacts of future plant invasions. Using a Bayesian multilevel modelling framework, we assess TERs for native and non-native woody and herbaceous plants across six broad habitat types in Central Europe at a resolution of c. 130 km2 and use them to project trait change under future environmental change scenarios until 2081-2100. We model TERs between three key plant traits (maximum height, Hmax; specific leaf area, SLA; seed mass, SM) and individual environmental factors (7 climate variables and % urban land cover) and estimate trait change summed across all environmental effects. We also quantify the change in the average trait difference between native and non-native plants. Our models depict multiple TERs, with important differences attributed to biogeographical status and woodiness within and across habitat types. The overall magnitude of trait change is projected to be greater for non-native than native taxa and to increase under more extreme scenarios. Native woody plant assemblages may generally experience a future increase across all three traits, whereas woody non-natives may decline in Hmax and increase in SLA and SM. Herbaceous Hmax is estimated to increase and SLA to decrease in most habitats. The obtained trait projections highlight conditions of competitive advantage of non-native plants over natives and vice versa and can serve as starting points for projecting future changes in ecosystem functions and services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Golivets
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle, Germany.
| | - Sonja Knapp
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle, Germany; Ecosystem Science/Plant Ecology, Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Franz Essl
- Division of Bioinvasions, Global Change & Macroecology, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernd Lenzner
- Division of Bioinvasions, Global Change & Macroecology, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Guillaume Latombe
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Brian Leung
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Bieler School of Environment, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ingolf Kühn
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle, Germany; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
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27
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Jarvis L, Rosenfeld J, Gonzalez-Espinosa PC, Enders EC. A process framework for integrating stressor-response functions into cumulative effects models. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 906:167456. [PMID: 37839475 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Stressor-response (SR) functions quantify ecological responses to natural environmental variation or anthropogenic stressors. They are also core drivers of cumulative effects (CE) models, which are increasingly recognized as essential management tools to grapple with the diffuse footprint of human impacts. Here, we provide a process framework for the identification, development, and integration of SR functions into CE models, and highlight their consequential properties, behaviour, criteria for selecting appropriate stressors and responses, and general approaches for deriving them. Management objectives (and causal effect pathways) will determine the ultimate stressor and target response variables of interest (i.e., individual growth/survival, population size, community structure, ecosystem processes), but data availability will constrain whether proxies need to be used for the target stressor or response variables. Available data and confidence in underlying mechanisms will determine whether empirical or mechanistic (theoretical) SR functions are optimal. Uncertainty in underlying SR functions is often the primary source of error in CE modelling, and monitoring outcomes through adaptive management to iteratively refine parameterization of SR functions is a key element of model application. Dealing with stressor interactions is an additional challenge, and in the absence of known or suspected interaction mechanisms, controlling main effects should remain the primary focus. Indicators of suspected interaction presence (i.e., much larger or smaller responses to stressor reduction than expected during monitoring) should be confirmed through adaptive management cycles or targeted stressor manipulations. Where possible, management decisions should selectively take advantage of interactions to strategically mitigate stressor impacts (i.e., by using antagonisms to suppress stressor impacts, and by using synergisms to efficiently reduce them).
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Jarvis
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ontario & Prairie Region, Freshwater Institute, 501 University Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada.
| | - Jordan Rosenfeld
- UBC Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; B.C. Ministry of Environment, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Pedro C Gonzalez-Espinosa
- Nippon Foundation Ocean Nexus, Simon Fraser University, School of Resource and Environmental Management, Technology and Science Complex 1, 643A Science Rd, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Eva C Enders
- Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Eau Terre Environnement Research Centre, 490 de la Couronne Street, Quebec City, QC G1K 9A9, Canada.
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28
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Brian JI, Catford JA. A mechanistic framework of enemy release. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:2147-2166. [PMID: 37921034 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
The enemy release hypothesis (ERH) is the best-known hypothesis explaining high performance (e.g. rapid population growth) of exotic species. However, the current framing of the ERH does not explicitly link evidence of enemy release with exotic performance. This leads to uncertainty regarding the role of enemy release in biological invasions. Here, we demonstrate that the effect of enemy release on exotic performance is the product of three factors: enemy impact, enemy diversity, and host adaptation. These factors are modulated by seven contexts: time since introduction, resource availability, phylogenetic relatedness of exotic and native species, host-enemy asynchronicity, number of introduction events, type of enemy, and strength of growth-defence trade-offs. ERH-focused studies frequently test different factors under different contexts. This can lead to inconsistent findings, which typifies current evidence for the ERH. For example, over 80% of meta-analyses fail to consider ecological contexts which can alter study findings; we demonstrate this by re-analysing a recent ERH synthesis. Structuring the ERH around factors and contexts promotes generalisable predictions about when and where exotic species may benefit from enemy release, empowering effective management. Our mechanistic factor-context framework clearly lays out the evidence required to support the ERH, unifies many enemy-related invasion hypotheses, and enhances predictive capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua I Brian
- Department of Geography, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Jane A Catford
- Department of Geography, King's College London, London, UK
- Fenner School of Environment & Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
- School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
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29
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Arcángel AE, Rodríguez EA, Saad JF, de la Barra P, Narvarte MA, Storero LP, Pereyra PJ. Same species, different population dynamics: Spatio-temporal differences of Undaria pinnatifida (Ochrophyta, Phaeophyceae) in the intertidal of North Patagonia, Argentina. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2023; 59:1310-1322. [PMID: 37817449 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
Population dynamics can be influenced by physical and biological factors, particularly in stressful environments. Introduced species usually have great physiological plasticity, resulting in populations with different traits. Undaria pinnatifida, a macroalga originally described from northeast Asia, was introduced in Northern Patagonia, Argentina (San Matías Gulf) around 2010. To describe the spatio-temporal variability in population structure and morphometry of U. pinnatifida, we conducted monthly field samplings for 2 years at the intertidal area of two contrasting sites in the San Matías Gulf. Individuals of U. pinnatifida were classified by developmental stage, and their morpho-gravimetric variables were measured. In both intertidal sites juveniles were found in higher proportion during austral autumn and grew and matured during the autumn-winter months (from May onwards), and individuals senesced during early austral summer (December and January). Conversely, density and biomass were largely different between sites, and individuals showed slight morphological variability between sites. Environmental (e.g., nutrient concentration, available substrate) and biological factors (e.g., facilitation, competition) may explain the observed differences. Since there is not a macroalga with U. pinnatifida morphometrical characteristics in the intertidal environments of San Matías Gulf, studying this recent introduction gives us a better understanding of its potential ecological effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Evangelina Arcángel
- Centro de Investigación Aplicada y Transferencia Tecnológica en Recursos Marinos Almirante Storni (CIMAS), San Antonio Oeste, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Escuela Superior de Ciencias Marinas-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, San Antonio Oeste, Argentina
| | - Emiliano Alexis Rodríguez
- Centro de Investigación Aplicada y Transferencia Tecnológica en Recursos Marinos Almirante Storni (CIMAS), San Antonio Oeste, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Escuela Superior de Ciencias Marinas-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, San Antonio Oeste, Argentina
| | - Juan Francisco Saad
- Centro de Investigación Aplicada y Transferencia Tecnológica en Recursos Marinos Almirante Storni (CIMAS), San Antonio Oeste, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Escuela Superior de Ciencias Marinas-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, San Antonio Oeste, Argentina
| | - Paula de la Barra
- Coastal Systems Department, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Maite Andrea Narvarte
- Centro de Investigación Aplicada y Transferencia Tecnológica en Recursos Marinos Almirante Storni (CIMAS), San Antonio Oeste, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Escuela Superior de Ciencias Marinas-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, San Antonio Oeste, Argentina
| | - Lorena Pía Storero
- Centro de Investigación Aplicada y Transferencia Tecnológica en Recursos Marinos Almirante Storni (CIMAS), San Antonio Oeste, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Escuela Superior de Ciencias Marinas-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, San Antonio Oeste, Argentina
| | - Patricio Javier Pereyra
- Centro de Investigación Aplicada y Transferencia Tecnológica en Recursos Marinos Almirante Storni (CIMAS), San Antonio Oeste, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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30
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Radujković D, Vicca S, van Rooyen M, Wilfahrt P, Brown L, Jentsch A, Reinhart KO, Brown C, De Gruyter J, Jurasinski G, Askarizadeh D, Bartha S, Beck R, Blenkinsopp T, Cahill J, Campetella G, Canullo R, Chelli S, Enrico L, Fraser L, Hao X, Henry HAL, Hohn M, Jouri MH, Koch M, Lawrence Lodge R, Li FY, Lord JM, Milligan P, Minggagud H, Palmer T, Schröder B, Szabó G, Zhang T, Zimmermann Z, Verbruggen E. Consistent predictors of microbial community composition across spatial scales in grasslands reveal low context-dependency. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:6924-6938. [PMID: 37873915 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Environmental circumstances shaping soil microbial communities have been studied extensively. However, due to disparate study designs, it has been difficult to resolve whether a globally consistent set of predictors exists, or context-dependency prevails. Here, we used a network of 18 grassland sites (11 of those containing regional plant productivity gradients) to examine (i) if similar abiotic or biotic factors predict both large-scale (across sites) and regional-scale (within sites) patterns in bacterial and fungal community composition, and (ii) if microbial community composition differs consistently at two levels of regional plant productivity (low vs. high). Our results revealed that bacteria were associated with particular soil properties (such as base saturation) and both bacteria and fungi were associated with plant community composition across sites and within the majority of sites. Moreover, a discernible microbial community signal emerged, clearly distinguishing high and low-productivity soils across different grasslands independent of their location in the world. Hence, regional productivity differences may be typified by characteristic soil microbial communities across the grassland biome. These results could encourage future research aiming to predict the general effects of global changes on soil microbial community composition in grasslands and to discriminate fertile from infertile systems using generally applicable microbial indicators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dajana Radujković
- Department of Biology, Plants and Ecosystems (PLECO), Universiteitsplein 1, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Sara Vicca
- Department of Biology, Plants and Ecosystems (PLECO), Universiteitsplein 1, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Margaretha van Rooyen
- Department of Plant and Soil Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Peter Wilfahrt
- Department of Disturbance Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Leslie Brown
- Applied Behavioural Ecology & Ecosystem Research Unit, Dept. Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Florida, South Africa
| | - Anke Jentsch
- Department of Disturbance Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Kurt O Reinhart
- United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (or USDA-ARS), Fort Keogh Livestock& Range Research Laboratory, Miles City, Montana, USA
| | - Charlotte Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Johan De Gruyter
- Department of Biology, Plants and Ecosystems (PLECO), Universiteitsplein 1, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Gerald Jurasinski
- Landscape Ecology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
- Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Diana Askarizadeh
- Department of Rehabilitation of Arid and Mountainous Regions, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sandor Bartha
- Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Ryan Beck
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Theodore Blenkinsopp
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - James Cahill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Giandiego Campetella
- Unit of Plant Diversity and Ecosystems Management, School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Roberto Canullo
- Unit of Plant Diversity and Ecosystems Management, School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Stefano Chelli
- Unit of Plant Diversity and Ecosystems Management, School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Lucas Enrico
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (CONICET-UNC) and FCEFyN, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Lauchlan Fraser
- Department of Natural Resource Science, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Xiying Hao
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Hugh A L Henry
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Maria Hohn
- Department of Botany, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Marian Koch
- Soil Physics, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | | | - Frank Yonghong Li
- School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Janice M Lord
- Department of Botany - Te Tari Huaota, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Patrick Milligan
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Hugjiltu Minggagud
- School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Todd Palmer
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | | | - Gábor Szabó
- Environmental Sciences Doctoral School, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - Tongrui Zhang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Zita Zimmermann
- Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Erik Verbruggen
- Department of Biology, Plants and Ecosystems (PLECO), Universiteitsplein 1, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
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31
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Wood KEA, Kobe RK, Ibáñez I, McCarthy-Neumann S. Tree seedling functional traits mediate plant-soil feedback survival responses across a gradient of light availability. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293906. [PMID: 38011125 PMCID: PMC10681222 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
1. Though not often examined together, both plant-soil feedbacks (PSFs) and functional traits have important influences on plant community dynamics and could interact. For example, seedling functional traits could impact seedling survivorship responses to soils cultured by conspecific versus heterospecific adults. Furthermore, levels of functional traits could vary with soil culturing source. In addition, these relationships might shift with light availability, which can affect trait values, microbe abundance, and whether mycorrhizal colonization is mutualistic or parasitic to seedlings. 2. To determine the extent to which functional traits mediate PSFs via seedling survival, we conducted a field experiment. We planted seedlings of four temperate tree species across a gradient of light availability and into soil cores collected beneath conspecific (sterilized and live) and heterospecific adults. We monitored seedling survival twice per week over one growing season, and we randomly selected subsets of seedlings to measure mycorrhizal colonization and phenolics, lignin, and NSC levels at three weeks. 3. Though evidence for PSFs was limited, Acer saccharum seedlings exhibited positive PSFs (i.e., higher survival in conspecific than heterospecific soils). In addition, soil microbes had a negative effect on A. saccharum and Prunus serotina seedling survival, with reduced survival in live versus sterilized conspecific soil. In general, we found higher trait values (measured amounts of a given trait) in conspecific than heterospecific soils and higher light availability. Additionally, A. saccharum survival increased with higher levels of phenolics, which were higher in conspecific soils and high light. Quercus alba survival decreased with higher AMF colonization. 4. We demonstrate that functional trait values in seedlings as young as three weeks vary in response to soil source and light availability. Moreover, seedling survivorship was associated with trait values for two species, despite both drought and heavy rainfall during the growing season that may have obscured survivorship-trait relationships. These results suggest that seedling traits could have an important role in mediating the effects of local soil source and light levels on seedling survivorship and thus plant traits could have an important role in PSFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E. A. Wood
- Department of Forestry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Richard K. Kobe
- Department of Forestry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Inés Ibáñez
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Sarah McCarthy-Neumann
- Department of Forestry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
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32
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Fox JW. The existence and strength of higher order interactions is sensitive to environmental context. Ecology 2023; 104:e4156. [PMID: 37622464 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
One strategy for understanding the dynamics of any complex system, such as a community of competing species, is to study the dynamics of parts of the system in isolation. Ecological communities can be decomposed into single species, and pairs of interacting species. This reductionist strategy assumes that whole-community dynamics are predictable and explainable from knowledge of the dynamics of single species and pairs of species. This assumption will be violated if higher order interactions (HOIs) are strong. Theory predicts that HOIs should be common. But it is difficult to detect HOIs, and to infer their long-term consequences for species coexistence, solely from short-term data. I conducted a protist microcosm experiment to test for HOIs among competing bacterivorous ciliates, and test the sensitivity of HOIs to environmental context. I grew three competing ciliate species in all possible combinations at each of two resource enrichment levels, and used the population dynamic data from the one- and two-species treatments to parameterize a competition model at each enrichment level. I then compared the predictions of the parameterized model to the dynamics of the whole community (three-species treatment). I found that the existence, and thus strength, of HOIs was environment dependent. I found a strong HOI at low enrichment, which enabled the persistence of a species that would otherwise have been competitively excluded. At high enrichment, three-species dynamics could be predicted from a parameterized model of one- and two-species dynamics, provided that the model accounted for nonlinear intraspecific density dependence. The results provide one of the first rigorous demonstrations of the long-term consequences of HOIs for species coexistence, and demonstrate the context dependence of HOIs. HOIs create difficult challenges for predicting and explaining species coexistence in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy W Fox
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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33
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Martínez-Vilalta J, García-Valdés R, Jump A, Vilà-Cabrera A, Mencuccini M. Accounting for trait variability and coordination in predictions of drought-induced range shifts in woody plants. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 240:23-40. [PMID: 37501525 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Functional traits offer a promising avenue to improve predictions of species range shifts under climate change, which will entail warmer and often drier conditions. Although the conceptual foundation linking traits with plant performance and range shifts appears solid, the predictive ability of individual traits remains generally low. In this review, we address this apparent paradox, emphasizing examples of woody plants and traits associated with drought responses at the species' rear edge. Low predictive ability reflects the fact not only that range dynamics tend to be complex and multifactorial, as well as uncertainty in the identification of relevant traits and limited data availability, but also that trait effects are scale- and context-dependent. The latter results from the complex interactions among traits (e.g. compensatory effects) and between them and the environment (e.g. exposure), which ultimately determine persistence and colonization capacity. To confront this complexity, a more balanced coverage of the main functional dimensions involved (stress tolerance, resource use, regeneration and dispersal) is needed, and modelling approaches must be developed that explicitly account for: trait coordination in a hierarchical context; trait variability in space and time and its relationship with exposure; and the effect of biotic interactions in an ecological community context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Martínez-Vilalta
- CREAF, E08193, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E08193, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
| | - Raúl García-Valdés
- CREAF, E08193, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
- Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC), E25280, Solsona, Spain
- Department of Biology, Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, School of Experimental Sciences and Technology, Rey Juan Carlos University, E28933, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alistair Jump
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, FK9 4LA, Stirling, UK
| | - Albert Vilà-Cabrera
- CREAF, E08193, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, FK9 4LA, Stirling, UK
| | - Maurizio Mencuccini
- CREAF, E08193, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
- ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, E08010, Barcelona, Spain
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34
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Britton JR. Contemporary perspectives on the ecological impacts of invasive freshwater fishes. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2023; 103:752-764. [PMID: 36207758 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Introductions of non-native freshwater fish continue to increase globally, although only a small proportion of these introductions will result in an invasion. These invasive populations can cause ecological impacts in the receiving ecosystem through processes including increased competition and predation pressure, genetic introgression and the transmission of non-native pathogens. Definitions of ecological impact emphasize that shifts in the strength of these processes are insufficient for characterizing impact alone and, instead, must be associated with a quantifiable decline of biological and/or genetic diversity and lead to a measurable loss of diversity or change in ecosystem functioning. Assessments of ecological impact should thus consider the multiple processes and effects that potentially occur from invasive fish populations where, for example, impacts of invasive common carp Cyprinus carpio populations are through a combination of bottom-up and top-down processes that, in entirety, cause shifts in lake stable states and decreased species richness and/or abundances in the biotic communities. Such far-reaching ecological impacts also align to contemporary definitions of ecosystem collapse, given they involve substantial and persistent declines in biodiversity and ecosystem functions that cannot be recovered unaided. Thus, while not all introduced freshwater fishes will become invasive, those species that do develop invasive populations can cause substantial ecological impacts, where some of the impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning might be sufficiently harmful to be considered as contributing to ecosystem collapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Robert Britton
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Bournemouth University, Poole, UK
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35
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Fredston AL, Cheung WWL, Frölicher TL, Kitchel ZJ, Maureaud AA, Thorson JT, Auber A, Mérigot B, Palacios-Abrantes J, Palomares MLD, Pecuchet L, Shackell NL, Pinsky ML. Marine heatwaves are not a dominant driver of change in demersal fishes. Nature 2023; 621:324-329. [PMID: 37648851 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06449-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Marine heatwaves have been linked to negative ecological effects in recent decades1,2. If marine heatwaves regularly induce community reorganization and biomass collapses in fishes, the consequences could be catastrophic for ecosystems, fisheries and human communities3,4. However, the extent to which marine heatwaves have negative impacts on fish biomass or community composition, or even whether their effects can be distinguished from natural and sampling variability, remains unclear. We investigated the effects of 248 sea-bottom heatwaves from 1993 to 2019 on marine fishes by analysing 82,322 hauls (samples) from long-term scientific surveys of continental shelf ecosystems in North America and Europe spanning the subtropics to the Arctic. Here we show that the effects of marine heatwaves on fish biomass were often minimal and could not be distinguished from natural and sampling variability. Furthermore, marine heatwaves were not consistently associated with tropicalization (gain of warm-affiliated species) or deborealization (loss of cold-affiliated species) in these ecosystems. Although steep declines in biomass occasionally occurred after marine heatwaves, these were the exception, not the rule. Against the highly variable backdrop of ocean ecosystems, marine heatwaves have not driven biomass change or community turnover in fish communities that support many of the world's largest and most productive fisheries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexa L Fredston
- Department of Ocean Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
| | - William W L Cheung
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Thomas L Frölicher
- Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Zoë J Kitchel
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Aurore A Maureaud
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - James T Thorson
- Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Arnaud Auber
- Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la MER (Ifremer), Unité Halieutique Manche Mer du Nord, Laboratoire Ressources Halieutiques, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
| | | | - Juliano Palacios-Abrantes
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Maria Lourdes D Palomares
- Sea Around Us, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Nancy L Shackell
- Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Malin L Pinsky
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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36
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Ellis-Soto D, Oliver RY, Brum-Bastos V, Demšar U, Jesmer B, Long JA, Cagnacci F, Ossi F, Queiroz N, Hindell M, Kays R, Loretto MC, Mueller T, Patchett R, Sims DW, Tucker MA, Ropert-Coudert Y, Rutz C, Jetz W. A vision for incorporating human mobility in the study of human-wildlife interactions. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:1362-1372. [PMID: 37550509 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02125-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
As human activities increasingly shape land- and seascapes, understanding human-wildlife interactions is imperative for preserving biodiversity. Habitats are impacted not only by static modifications, such as roads, buildings and other infrastructure, but also by the dynamic movement of people and their vehicles occurring over shorter time scales. Although there is increasing realization that both components of human activity substantially affect wildlife, capturing more dynamic processes in ecological studies has proved challenging. Here we propose a conceptual framework for developing a 'dynamic human footprint' that explicitly incorporates human mobility, providing a key link between anthropogenic stressors and ecological impacts across spatiotemporal scales. Specifically, the dynamic human footprint integrates a range of metrics to fully acknowledge the time-varying nature of human activities and to enable scale-appropriate assessments of their impacts on wildlife behaviour, demography and distributions. We review existing terrestrial and marine human-mobility data products and provide a roadmap for how these could be integrated and extended to enable more comprehensive analyses of human impacts on biodiversity in the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Ellis-Soto
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Ruth Y Oliver
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
| | - Vanessa Brum-Bastos
- School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
- Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformatics, Wroclaw University of Environmental Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Urška Demšar
- School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Brett Jesmer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Jed A Long
- Department of Geography & Environment, Centre for Animals on the Move, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Francesca Cagnacci
- Animal Ecology Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center S.C.A.R.L., Palermo, Italy
| | - Federico Ossi
- Animal Ecology Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Italy
| | - Nuno Queiroz
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado/BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- Marine Biological Association, Plymouth, UK
| | - Mark Hindell
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
- Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Roland Kays
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC, USA
- Dept Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Matthias-Claudio Loretto
- Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Group, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Berchtesgaden National Park, Berchtesgaden, Germany
- Department of Migration, Max-Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Thomas Mueller
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt (Main), Germany
- Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - Robert Patchett
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - David W Sims
- Marine Biological Association, Plymouth, UK
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Marlee A Tucker
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Yan Ropert-Coudert
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, La Rochelle Université - CNRS, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Christian Rutz
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Walter Jetz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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37
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Xirocostas ZA, Ollerton J, Tamme R, Peco B, Lesieur V, Slavich E, Junker RR, Pärtel M, Raghu S, Uesugi A, Bonser SP, Chiarenza GM, Hovenden MJ, Moles AT. The great escape: patterns of enemy release are not explained by time, space or climate. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231022. [PMID: 37583319 PMCID: PMC10427826 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
When a plant is introduced to a new ecosystem it may escape from some of its coevolved herbivores. Reduced herbivore damage, and the ability of introduced plants to allocate resources from defence to growth and reproduction can increase the success of introduced species. This mechanism is known as enemy release and is known to occur in some species and situations, but not in others. Understanding the conditions under which enemy release is most likely to occur is important, as this will help us to identify which species and habitats may be most at risk of invasion. We compared in situ measurements of herbivory on 16 plant species at 12 locations within their native European and introduced Australian ranges to quantify their level of enemy release and understand the relationship between enemy release and time, space and climate. Overall, plants experienced approximately seven times more herbivore damage in their native range than in their introduced range. We found no evidence that enemy release was related to time since introduction, introduced range size, temperature, precipitation, humidity or elevation. From here, we can explore whether traits, such as leaf defences or phylogenetic relatedness to neighbouring plants, are stronger indicators of enemy release across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe A. Xirocostas
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Jeff Ollerton
- Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, People's Republic of China
- Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology, University of Northampton, Northampton, UK
| | - Riin Tamme
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, J. Liivi 2, 50409 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Begoña Peco
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG), Department of Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Global Change, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Vincent Lesieur
- CSIRO European Laboratory, 830 Avenue du Campus Agropolis, 34980 Montferrier sur Lez, France
| | - Eve Slavich
- Stats Central, Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, UNSW Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Robert R. Junker
- Evolutionary Ecology of Plants, Department of Biology, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Meelis Pärtel
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, J. Liivi 2, 50409 Tartu, Estonia
| | - S. Raghu
- CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Akane Uesugi
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- Biosciences and Food Technology Division, School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria 3083, Australia
| | - Stephen P. Bonser
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Giancarlo M. Chiarenza
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Mark J. Hovenden
- Biological Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Angela T. Moles
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
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38
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Spake R, Bowler DE, Callaghan CT, Blowes SA, Doncaster CP, Antão LH, Nakagawa S, McElreath R, Chase JM. Understanding 'it depends' in ecology: a guide to hypothesising, visualising and interpreting statistical interactions. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:983-1002. [PMID: 36859791 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
Ecologists routinely use statistical models to detect and explain interactions among ecological drivers, with a goal to evaluate whether an effect of interest changes in sign or magnitude in different contexts. Two fundamental properties of interactions are often overlooked during the process of hypothesising, visualising and interpreting interactions between drivers: the measurement scale - whether a response is analysed on an additive or multiplicative scale, such as a ratio or logarithmic scale; and the symmetry - whether dependencies are considered in both directions. Overlooking these properties can lead to one or more of three inferential errors: misinterpretation of (i) the detection and magnitude (Type-D error), and (ii) the sign of effect modification (Type-S error); and (iii) misidentification of the underlying processes (Type-A error). We illustrate each of these errors with a broad range of ecological questions applied to empirical and simulated data sets. We demonstrate how meta-analysis, a widely used approach that seeks explicitly to characterise context dependence, is especially prone to all three errors. Based on these insights, we propose guidelines to improve hypothesis generation, testing, visualisation and interpretation of interactions in ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Spake
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, RG6 6EX, Reading, UK
| | - Diana E Bowler
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, OX10 8BB, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Corey T Callaghan
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle - Wittenberg, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, 33314-7719, FL, USA
| | - Shane A Blowes
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Computer Science, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06099, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - C Patrick Doncaster
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ, Southampton, UK
| | - Laura H Antão
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- UNSW Data Science Hub, Evolution & Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW, Sydney, 2052, NSW, Australia
| | - Richard McElreath
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Jonathan M Chase
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Computer Science, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06099, Halle (Saale), Germany
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39
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Clarke DA, McGeoch MA. Invasive alien insects represent a clear but variable threat to biodiversity. CURRENT RESEARCH IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 4:100065. [PMID: 37564301 PMCID: PMC10410178 DOI: 10.1016/j.cris.2023.100065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Invasive alien insects are an important yet understudied component of the general threat that biological invasions pose to biodiversity. We quantified the breadth and level of this threat by performing environmental impact assessments using a modified version of the Environmental Impact Assessment for Alien Taxa (EICAT) framework. This represents the largest effort to date on quantify the environmental impacts of invasive alien insects. Using a relatively large and taxonomically representative set of insect species that have established non-native populations around the globe, we tested hypotheses on: (1) socioeconomic and (2) taxonomic biases, (3) relationship between range size and impact severity and (4) island susceptibility. Socioeconomic pests had marginally more environmental impact information than non-pests and, as expected, impact information was geographically and taxonomically skewed. Species with larger introduced ranges were more likely, on average, to have the most severe local environmental impacts (i.e. a global maximum impact severity of 'Major'). The island susceptibility hypothesis found no support, and both island and mainland systems experience similar numbers of high severity impacts. These results demonstrate the high variability, both within and across species, in the ways and extents to which invasive insects impact biodiversity, even within the highest profile invaders. However, the environmental impact knowledge base requires greater taxonomic and geographic coverage, so that hypotheses about invasion impact can be developed towards identifying generalities in the biogeography of invasion impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Clarke
- Department of Environment and Genetics, La Trobe University, Victoria 3086, Australia
- Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future, La Trobe University, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - Melodie A. McGeoch
- Department of Environment and Genetics, La Trobe University, Victoria 3086, Australia
- Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future, La Trobe University, Victoria 3086, Australia
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40
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Franzese J, Ripa RR. Common juniper, an overlooked conifer with high invasion potential in protected areas of Patagonia. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9818. [PMID: 37330618 PMCID: PMC10276858 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37023-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The benefits of early detection of biological invasions are widely recognized, especially for protected areas (PAs). However, research on incipient invasive plant species is scarce compared to species with a recognized history of invasion. Here, we characterized the invasion status of the non-native conifer Juniperus communis in PAs and interface areas of Andean Patagonia, Argentina. We mapped its distribution and described both the invasion and the environments this species inhabits through field studies, a literature review, and a citizen science initiative. We also modeled the species' potential distribution by comparing the climatic characteristics of its native range with those of the introduced ranges studied. The results show that J. communis is now widely distributed in the region, occurring naturally in diverse habitats, and frequently within and close to PAs. This species can be considered an incipient invader with a high potential for expansion in its regional distribution range, largely due to its high reproductive potential and the high habitat suitability of this environment. Early detection of a plant invasion affords a valuable opportunity to inform citizens of the potential risks to high conservation value ecosystems before the invader is perceived as a natural component of the landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorgelina Franzese
- Investigaciones de Ecología en Ambientes Antropizados, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (CONICET-UNCo), R8400, S. C. Bariloche, Argentina.
| | - Ramiro Rubén Ripa
- Grupo de Genética Ecológica, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (CONICET-UNCo), Evolutiva y de la Conservación, R8400, S. C. Bariloche, Argentina
- Instituto de Evolución, Ecología Histórica y Ambiente (CONICET-UTN), San Rafael, Mendoza, Argentina
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41
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Bovill WD, Downes BJ, Bond NR, Reich P, Coleman R, Lake PS. A large-scale field experiment across six rivers illustrates how the effects of resource enrichment are context dependent. Oecologia 2023; 202:41-54. [PMID: 37138043 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05368-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Resource supplementation can increase species richness and change the faunal composition of communities, but experiments have produced variable outcomes. An often overlooked element is that species richness can only increase if new taxa can disperse to resource-rich locations and invade established, local communities. We experimentally increased a basal resource (detritus) in six rivers in south-eastern Australia by driving wooden stakes into the riverbed to increase retention of detritus. Control sites were left untreated. Sites were located in agricultural sections with mostly cleared vegetation, but with intact (uncleared) reference sites upstream to provide sources of prospective colonists. We measured channel retentiveness and sampled benthic detritus and invertebrates before and after manipulation. We tested whether: greater retentiveness increased detritus densities, species richness and abundances and altered faunal composition; manipulation sites reached bio-equivalence with reference sites; new species arose from upstream reference areas; and whether outcomes were consistent across rivers. Only three rivers gained increases in detritus densities. All had low pre-existing amounts of in-stream wood compared with rivers that did not respond to treatment. Two rivers (Hughes Creek, Seven Creeks) gained higher species richness and invertebrate densities within 12 months and reached bio-equivalence with reference sites. In contrast, Turtons Creek showed species turnover through replacement of individuals. Only in Hughes Creek was there evidence of successful dispersal from the upstream reference area. The outcomes show that the effects of resource supplementation vary between rivers and suggest that pre-existing conditions (e.g. channel retentiveness) may cause these differences, providing clear evidence of context dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- William D Bovill
- School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
- Department of Infrastructure Engineering, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Barbara J Downes
- School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Nick R Bond
- Centre for Freshwater Ecosystems, La Trobe University, Wodonga, VIC, Australia
| | - Paul Reich
- Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | - P S Lake
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
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42
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Anderson B, Pannell J, Billiard S, Burgarella C, de Boer H, Dufay M, Helmstetter AJ, Méndez M, Otto SP, Roze D, Sauquet H, Schoen D, Schönenberger J, Vallejo-Marin M, Zenil-Ferguson R, Käfer J, Glémin S. Opposing effects of plant traits on diversification. iScience 2023; 26:106362. [PMID: 37034980 PMCID: PMC10074578 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Species diversity can vary dramatically across lineages due to differences in speciation and extinction rates. Here, we explore the effects of several plant traits on diversification, finding that most traits have opposing effects on diversification. For example, outcrossing may increase the efficacy of selection and adaptation but also decrease mate availability, two processes with contrasting effects on lineage persistence. Such opposing trait effects can manifest as differences in diversification rates that depend on ecological context, spatiotemporal scale, and associations with other traits. The complexity of pathways linking traits to diversification suggests that the mechanistic underpinnings behind their correlations may be difficult to interpret with any certainty, and context dependence means that the effects of specific traits on diversification are likely to differ across multiple lineages and timescales. This calls for taxonomically and context-controlled approaches to studies that correlate traits and diversification.
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43
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Guenat S, Dallimer M. A global meta-analysis reveals contrasting impacts of air, light, and noise pollution on pollination. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9990. [PMID: 37082326 PMCID: PMC10111172 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In the face of biodiversity decline, understanding the impact of anthropogenic disturbances on ecosystem functions is critical for mitigation. Elevated levels of pollution are a major threat to biodiversity, yet there is no synthesis of their impact on many of the major ecosystem functions, including pollination. This ecosystem function is both particularly vulnerable as it depends on the fine-tuned interaction between plants and pollinators and hugely important as it underpins the flora of most habitats as well as food production. Here, we untangle the impact of air, light, and noise pollution on the pollination system by systematically evaluating and synthesizing the published evidence via a meta-analysis. We identified 58 peer-reviewed articles from three databases. Mixed-effects meta-regression models indicated that air pollution negatively impacts pollination. However, there was no effect of light pollution, despite previous studies that concentrated solely on pollinators suggesting a negative impact. Evidence for noise pollution was extremely limited. Unless action is taken to tackle air pollution, the capacity to support well-functioning diverse pollination systems will be compromised, with negative consequences for habitat conservation and food security.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solène Guenat
- Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and EnvironmentUniversity of LeedsLS2 9JTLeedsUK
- Institute of Landscape Planning and EcologyUniversity of StuttgartKeplerstraße 11D‐70174StuttgartGermany
- Swiss Federal Research Institute for ForestSnow and Landscape WSLZürcherstrasse 1118903BirmensdorfSwitzerland
| | - Martin Dallimer
- Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and EnvironmentUniversity of LeedsLS2 9JTLeedsUK
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44
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Native diversity contributes to composition heterogeneity of exotic floras. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
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45
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Martinez ND. Predicting ecosystem metaphenome from community metagenome: A grand challenge for environmental biology. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9872. [PMID: 36911308 PMCID: PMC9994474 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Elucidating how an organism's characteristics emerge from its DNA sequence has been one of the great triumphs of biology. This triumph has cumulated in sophisticated computational models that successfully predict how an organism's detailed phenotype emerges from its specific genotype. Inspired by that effort's vision and empowered by its methodologies, a grand challenge is described here that aims to predict the biotic characteristics of an ecosystem, its metaphenome, from nucleic acid sequences of all the species in its community, its metagenome. Meeting this challenge would integrate rapidly advancing abilities of environmental nucleic acids (eDNA and eRNA) to identify organisms, their ecological interactions, and their evolutionary relationships with advances in mechanistic models of complex ecosystems. Addressing the challenge would help integrate ecology and evolutionary biology into a more unified and successfully predictive science that can better help describe and manage ecosystems and the services they provide to humanity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neo D. Martinez
- Center for Complex Networks and Systems, School of Informatics, Computing, and EngineeringIndiana University, BloomingtonIndianaBloomingtonUSA
- Pacific Ecoinformatics and Computational Ecology LabCABerkeleyUSA
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46
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Relationships of community diversity with distributions of rare species, non-native plants, and compositional stability in a temperate forest–open habitat landscape. COMMUNITY ECOL 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s42974-023-00138-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
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47
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Phenotypic Plasticity in Juvenile Frogs That Experienced Predation Pressure as Tadpoles Does Not Alter Their Locomotory Performance. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12030341. [PMID: 36979033 PMCID: PMC10045024 DOI: 10.3390/biology12030341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Anuran species can respond to environmental changes via phenotypic plasticity, which can also result in ecological impacts across the life history of such species. We investigated the effects of predation pressure (i.e., the non-consumption effect) from the dragonfly larva (Anax parthenope) on the phenotypical change of tadpoles into juvenile frogs (specifically the black-spotted pond frog, Pelophylax nigromaculatus), and also analyzed the impact of morphological changes on locomotory performance after metamorphosis. The experiments on predator impact were conducted in the laboratory. Body length, weight, development timing, and metamorphosis timing in the presence of dragonfly nymphs were measured in both tadpoles and juvenile frogs. The body and tail shapes of the tadpoles, as well as the skeletal shape of the juvenile frogs, were analyzed using landmark-based geometric morphometrics. Furthermore, the locomotory performance of the juvenile frogs was tested by measuring their jumping and swimming speeds. Tadpoles that had grown with predators possessed smaller bodies, deeper tail fins, and slower development rates, and they waited longer periods of time before commencing metamorphosis. Having said this, however, the effect of predator cues on the body length and weight of juvenile frogs was not found to be significant. These juvenile frogs possessed longer limbs and narrower skulls, with subtle morphological changes in the pelvis and ilium, but there was no subsequent difference in their swimming and jumping speeds. Our results showed that the changes in anatomical traits that can affect locomotor performance are so subtle that they do not affect the jumping or swimming speeds. Therefore, we support the view that these morphological changes are thus by-products of an altered tadpole period, rather than an adaptive response to predator-escape ability or to post-metamorphosis life history. On the other hand, delayed metamorphosis, without an increase in body size, may still be disadvantageous to the reproduction, growth, and survival of frogs in their life history following metamorphosis.
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48
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Vitule JRS, Pelicice FM. Care needed when evaluating the contributions of non-native species. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:499-500. [PMID: 36740537 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jean R S Vitule
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação, Departamento de Engenharia Ambiental, Setor de Tecnologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
| | - Fernando M Pelicice
- Núcleo de Estudos Ambientais, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade, Ecologia e Conservação (PPGBec), Universidade Federal de Tocantins, Brazil
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49
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Zhang L, Liu X, Sun Z, Bu W, Bongers FJ, Song X, Yang J, Sun Z, Li Y, Li S, Cao M, Ma K, Swenson NG. Functional trait space and redundancy of plant communities decrease toward cold temperature at high altitudes in Southwest China. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2023; 66:376-384. [PMID: 35876972 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-021-2135-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Plant communities in mountainous areas shift gradually as climatic conditions change with altitude. How trait structure in multivariate space adapts to these varying climates in natural forest stands is unclear. Studying the multivariate functional trait structure and redundancy of tree communities along altitude gradients is crucial to understanding how temperature change affects natural forest stands. In this study, the leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous content from 1,590 trees were collected and used to construct the functional trait space of 12 plant communities at altitudes ranging from 800 m to 3,800 m across three mountains. Hypervolume overlap was calculated to quantify species trait redundancy per community. First, hypervolumes of species exclusion and full species set were calculated, respectively. Second, the overlap between these two volumes was calculated to obtain hypervolume overlap. Results showed that the functional trait space significantly increased with mean annual temperature toward lower altitudes within and across three mountains, whereas species trait redundancy had different patterns between mountains. Thus, warming can widen functional trait space and alter the redundancy in plant communities. The inconsistent patterns of redundancy between mountains suggest that warming exerts varying influences on different ecosystems. Identification of climate-vulnerable ecosystems is important in the face of global warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Xiaojuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China.
| | - Zhenhua Sun
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, China
| | - Wensheng Bu
- Key Laboratory of State Forestry Administration on Forest Ecosystem Protection and Restoration of Poyang Lake Watershed, College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China
| | - Franca J Bongers
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Xiaoyang Song
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, China
| | - Jie Yang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, China
| | - Zhenkai Sun
- Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation, Forestry and Grassland Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 100091, China
| | - Yin Li
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Monitoring and Sustainable Management and Utilization, Sanming University, Sanming, 365004, China
| | - Shan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Min Cao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, China
| | - Keping Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China.
| | - Nathan G Swenson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, 46556, USA
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50
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Anthony CR, Germino MJ. Does post-fire recovery of native grasses across abiotic-stress and invasive-grass gradients match theoretical predictions, in sagebrush steppe? Glob Ecol Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
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