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Xie Y, Huang H, Xie X, Ou J, Chen Z, Lu X, Kong D, Nong L, Lin M, Qian Z, Mao Y, Chen Y, Wang Y, Chen Z, Deng C. Landscape, Human Disturbance, and Climate Factors Drive the Species Richness of Alien Invasive Plants on Subtropical Islands. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:2437. [PMID: 39273921 PMCID: PMC11397202 DOI: 10.3390/plants13172437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2024] [Revised: 08/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024]
Abstract
Invasive alien plants (IAPs) pose a significant threat to island biodiversity and severely impact ecosystems. Understanding the species-area relationship and environmental determinants of growth forms for IAP species on subtropical islands is crucial for establishing an IAP's early warning mechanism, enhancing island ecological management, and protecting the ecosystems of Fujian and other subtropical islands. The study identified significant species-area relationships for IAPs and different life-form plants (trees, shrubs, and herbs), with slopes of 0.27, 0.16, 0.15, and 0.24, respectively. The small island effect does not apply to all species. Isolation has little effect on species richness, and the IAPs on Fujian islands do not conform to the isolation effect in island biogeography. Landscape factors are the main determinants of IAPs and different life-form species richness, with area, shape index, and perimeter-area ratio being the three primary landscape factors. These environmental factors are closely related to habitat heterogeneity. Besides landscape factors, different life forms respond differently to environmental factors. Climate drives the species richness distribution of shrubs and herbs, while trees are mainly influenced by human activities. Overall, landscape, human disturbance, and climate jointly drive the distribution of IAPs, with landscape factors being the most significant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanqiu Xie
- College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350100, China
| | - Hui Huang
- College of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Fujian College of Water Conservancy and Electric Power, Sanming 365000, China
| | - Xinran Xie
- College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350100, China
| | - Jingyao Ou
- College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350100, China
| | - Zhen Chen
- College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350100, China
| | - Xiaoxue Lu
- College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350100, China
| | - Deyi Kong
- College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350100, China
| | - Liebo Nong
- College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350100, China
| | - Manni Lin
- College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350100, China
| | - Zhijun Qian
- College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350100, China
| | - Yue Mao
- College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350100, China
| | - Ying Chen
- College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350100, China
| | - Yingxue Wang
- College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350100, China
| | - Zujian Chen
- College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350100, China
| | - Chuanyuan Deng
- College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350100, China
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Hong Y, Liu X, Zhang N, Wang Z, Zhang C, Zhang M. Suitable Habitat Distribution and Niche Overlap of the Sable ( Martes zibellina) and Yellow-Throated Marten ( Martes flavigula) in Taipinggou National Nature Reserve, Heilongjiang Province, China. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:594. [PMID: 39194532 DOI: 10.3390/biology13080594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2024] [Revised: 07/28/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
The global focus on fostering harmonious interactions and promoting rational coexistence among wildlife species to uphold or reinstate biodiversity remains a prominent area of interest. We conducted a study on the sable and yellow-throated marten in Taipinggou National Nature Reserve, Heilongjiang, China, using the line transect method and infrared camera traps from 2022 to 2023. We then analyzed the overlap of their suitable habitats and niches with the aim of gaining insight into the interspecific competition between these two species. We found that the suitable habitat areas for the sable and yellow-throated marten were 55.20 km2 and 23.28 km2, accounting for 24.86% and 10.48% of the total area of this study, respectively. The overlap between the suitable habitats for the sable and yellow-throated marten was 15.73 km2, accounting for 28.5% and 67.6% of their suitable habitat, supporting our Hypothesis 1. The first principal component (Dim1) of the niche explained 35.4% of the overall variability, which is mainly related to the environmental variables "Distance from Settlements" and "Distance from Roads". Overall, 25.5% of the total variability was explained by the second principal component (Dim2), associated with "Slope" and "Distance from Coniferous and Broadleaved Mixed Forest". The niches occupied by the sable and yellow-throated marten were both off-center of the environmental background space, with the niches of the sable being larger than those of the yellow-throated marten. Schoener's D index was 0.56, indicating a high degree of niche overlap between the sable and yellow-throated marten, supporting our Hypothesis 2. Our study is helpful in terms of formulating conservation and management policies for the sable and yellow-throated marten.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Hong
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Xinxin Liu
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Ning Zhang
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Ziwen Wang
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Changzhi Zhang
- Jiangxi Environmental Engineering Vocational College, Ganzhou 341000, China
| | - Minghai Zhang
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
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Zhang H, Chase JM, Liao J. Habitat amount modulates biodiversity responses to fragmentation. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:1437-1447. [PMID: 38914711 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02445-1] [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: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Anthropogenic habitat destruction leads to habitat loss and fragmentation, both of which interact to determine how biodiversity changes at the landscape level. While the detrimental effects of habitat loss are clear, there is a long-standing debate about the role of habitat fragmentation per se. We identify the influence of the total habitat amount lost as a modulator of the relationship between habitat fragmentation and biodiversity. Using a simple metacommunity model characterized by colonization-competition (C-C) trade-offs, we show that the magnitude of habitat loss can induce a unimodal response of biodiversity to habitat fragmentation. When habitat loss is low, habitat fragmentation promotes coexistence by suppressing competitively dominant species, while habitat fragmentation at high levels of habitat loss can shape many smaller isolated patches that drive extinctions of superior competitors. While the C-C trade-off is not the only mechanism for biodiversity maintenance, the modulation of habitat fragmentation effects by habitat loss is probably common. Reanalysis of a globally distributed dataset of fragmented animal and plant metacommunities shows an overall pattern that supports this hypothesis, suggesting a resolution to the debate regarding the relative importance of positive versus negative fragmentation effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helin Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Transboundary Ecosecurity of Southwest China, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion Prevention and Green Development, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology and Centre for Invasion Biology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Jonathan M Chase
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Computer Science, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Jinbao Liao
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Transboundary Ecosecurity of Southwest China, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion Prevention and Green Development, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology and Centre for Invasion Biology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
- Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China.
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López-Vázquez K, Lara C, Corcuera P, Castillo-Guevara C, Cuautle M. The human touch: a meta-analysis of anthropogenic effects on plant-pollinator interaction networks. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17647. [PMID: 38948210 PMCID: PMC11214738 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Anthropogenic activities significantly impact natural ecosystems, leading to alterations in plant and pollinator diversity and abundance. These changes often result in shifts within interacting communities, potentially reshaping the structure of plant-pollinator interaction networks. Given the escalating human footprint on habitats, evaluating the response of these networks to anthropization is critical for devising effective conservation and management strategies. Methods We conducted a comprehensive review of the plant-pollinator network literature to assess the impact of anthropization on network structure. We assessed network metrics such as nestedness measure based on overlap and decreasing fills (NODF), network specialization (H2'), connectance (C), and modularity (Q) to understand structural changes. Employing a meta-analytical approach, we examined how anthropization activities, such as deforestation, urbanization, habitat fragmentation, agriculture, intentional fires and livestock farming, affect both plant and pollinator richness. Results We generated a dataset for various metrics of network structure and 36 effect sizes for the meta-analysis, from 38 articles published between 2010 and 2023. Studies assessing the impact of agriculture and fragmentation were well-represented, comprising 68.4% of all studies, with networks involving interacting insects being the most studied taxa. Agriculture and fragmentation reduce nestedness and increase specialization in plant-pollinator networks, while modularity and connectance are mostly not affected. Although our meta-analysis suggests that anthropization decreases richness for both plants and pollinators, there was substantial heterogeneity in this regard among the evaluated studies. The meta-regression analyses helped us determine that the habitat fragment size where the studies were conducted was the primary variable contributing to such heterogeneity. Conclusions The analysis of human impacts on plant-pollinator networks showed varied effects worldwide. Responses differed among network metrics, signaling nuanced impacts on structure. Activities like agriculture and fragmentation significantly changed ecosystems, reducing species richness in both pollinators and plants, highlighting network vulnerability. Regional differences stressed the need for tailored conservation. Despite insights, more research is crucial for a complete understanding of these ecological relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karla López-Vázquez
- Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas y de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Iztapalapa, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Carlos Lara
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, San Felipe Ixtacuixtla, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Pablo Corcuera
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Iztapalapa, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Citlalli Castillo-Guevara
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, San Felipe Ixtacuixtla, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Mariana Cuautle
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, San Felipe Ixtacuixtla, Tlaxcala, Mexico
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Xu M, Yang X, Shao J, Huang J, Fan W, Yang A, Ci H, Wang Y, Gan J, Han Y, Zeng J. Biogeographic effects shape soil bacterial communities across intertidal zones on island beaches through regulating soil properties. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 930:172785. [PMID: 38677414 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172785] [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: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Island coastal zones are often mistakenly perceived as "ecological desert". Actually, they harbour unique communities of organisms. The biodiversity on islands is primarily influenced by the effects of area and isolation (distance from the mainland), which mainly focused on plants and animals, encompassing studies of entire islands. However, the application of area and isolation effects to soil microorganisms on island beaches across the intertidal zones remains largely unexplored. We hypothesized that island area and isolation shape soil bacterial communities by regulating soil properties on island beaches, due to the fact that local soil properties might be strongly influenced by land-use, which may vary among islands of different sizes and isolations. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a study on 108 plots spanning 4 intertidal zones on 9 representative island beaches within Zhoushan Archipelago, eastern China. We employed one-way ANOVA and Tukey's honestly significant difference (HSD) test to assess the differences in diversity, composition of soil bacterial communities and soil properties among intertidal zones. Redundancy analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM) were used to examine the direct and indirect impacts of beach area and isolation on soil bacterial communities. Our findings revealed that the area and isolation did not significantly influence soil bacterial diversity and the relative abundance of dominant soil bacterial phyla. However, soil nitrogen (soil N), phosphorus (soil P), organic carbon (SOC), available potassium content (soil AK), and electrical conductivity (soil EC) showed significant increases with the area and isolation. As the tidal gradient increased on beaches, soil bacterial OTU richness, Chao 1, and relative abundance of Planctomycetota and Crenarchaeota decreased, while relative abundance of other soil bacterial phyla increased. We found that influences of island area and isolation shape soil bacterial communities on beaches by regulating soil properties, particularly soil moisture, salinity, and nutrients, all of which are also influenced by area and isolation. Island with larger areas and in lower intertidal zones, characterized by higher soil water content (SWC), soil EC, and soil AK, exhibited greater soil bacterial diversity and fewer dominant soil bacterial phyla. Conversely, in the higher intertidal zones with vegetation containing higher soil N and SOC, lower soil bacterial diversity and more dominant soil bacterial phyla were observed. These findings have the potential to enhance our new understanding of how island biogeography in interpreting island biome patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingshan Xu
- Zhejiang Institute of Hydraulics & Estuary (Zhejiang Institute of Marine Planning and Design), Hangzhou 310020, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaodong Yang
- Institute of East China Sea, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang, China; Department of Geography and Spatial Information Techniques, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Jie Shao
- Zhejiang Institute of Hydraulics & Estuary (Zhejiang Institute of Marine Planning and Design), Hangzhou 310020, Zhejiang, China
| | - Junbao Huang
- Zhejiang Institute of Hydraulics & Estuary (Zhejiang Institute of Marine Planning and Design), Hangzhou 310020, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wenzhou Fan
- Zhejiang Institute of Hydraulics & Estuary (Zhejiang Institute of Marine Planning and Design), Hangzhou 310020, Zhejiang, China
| | - Anna Yang
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Tiantong National Forest Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Hang Ci
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Tiantong National Forest Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Yongju Wang
- Zhejiang Institute of Hydraulics & Estuary (Zhejiang Institute of Marine Planning and Design), Hangzhou 310020, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jianjun Gan
- Zhejiang Institute of Hydraulics & Estuary (Zhejiang Institute of Marine Planning and Design), Hangzhou 310020, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yu Han
- Zhejiang Institute of Hydraulics & Estuary (Zhejiang Institute of Marine Planning and Design), Hangzhou 310020, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jian Zeng
- Zhejiang Institute of Hydraulics & Estuary (Zhejiang Institute of Marine Planning and Design), Hangzhou 310020, Zhejiang, China.
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Zhu Y, Liu Y, Sheng S, Zheng J, Wu S, Cao Z, Zhang K, Xu Y. Quantifying the effects of landscape and habitat characteristics on structuring bird assemblages in urban habitat patches. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12707. [PMID: 38830929 PMCID: PMC11148024 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63333-z] [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: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding the determinants of biodiversity in fragmented habitats is fundamental for informing sustainable landscape development, especially in urban landscapes that substantially fragment natural habitat. However, the relative roles of landscape and habitat characteristics, as emphasized by two competing frameworks (the island biogeography theory and the habitat diversity hypothesis), in structuring species assemblages in fragmented habitats have not been fully explored. This study investigated bird assemblages at 26 habitat patches (ranging in size from 0.3 to 290.4 ha) in an urban landscape, southwest China, among which habitat type composition and woody plant species composition varied significantly. Through 14 bird surveys conducted over six breeding seasons from 2017 to 2022, we recorded 70 breeding bird species (excluding birds recorded only once and fly-overs, such as raptors, swallows and swifts), with an average of 26 ± 10 (SD) species per patch. We found that patch area had significant direct and indirect effects on bird richness, with the indirect effects mediated by habitat richness (i.e., the number of habitat types). Isolation (measured as the distance to the nearest patch), perimeter to area ratio (PAR), and woody plant richness did not significantly predict variation in bird richness. Furthermore, none of these factors significantly sorted bird species based on their functional traits. However, the overall makeup of bird assemblages was significantly associated with the specific habitat types and woody plant species present in the patches. The results suggest that neither the island biogeography theory nor the habitat diversity hypothesis can fully explain the impacts of habitat fragmentation on bird richness in our study system, with their roles primarily being linked to patch area. The findings that habitat and plant compositions were the major drivers of variation in bird assemblage composition offer valuable insights into urban planning and green initiatives. Conservation efforts should focus not only on preserving large areas, but also on preventing urban monocultures by promoting diverse habitats within those areas, contributing to the persistence of meta-communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Zhu
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration On Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern China, School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550001, China
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yu Liu
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration On Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern China, School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550001, China
| | - Shang Sheng
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration On Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern China, School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550001, China
| | - Jinfeng Zheng
- School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Su Wu
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration On Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern China, School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550001, China
| | - Zhaoyang Cao
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration On Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern China, School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550001, China
| | - Kai Zhang
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration On Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern China, School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550001, China
| | - Yu Xu
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration On Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern China, School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550001, China.
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Pille Arnold J, Tylianakis JM, Murphy MV, Cawthray GR, Webber BL, Didham RK. Body-size-dependent effects of landscape-level resource energetics on pollinator abundance in woodland remnants. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232771. [PMID: 38864334 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2771] [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: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Land use change alters floral resource availability, thereby contributing to declines in important pollinators. However, the severity of land use impact varies by species, influenced by factors such as dispersal ability and resource specialization, both of which can correlate with body size. Here. we test whether floral resource availability in the surrounding landscape (the 'matrix') influences bee species' abundance in isolated remnant woodlands, and whether this effect varies with body size. We sampled quantitative flower-visitation networks within woodland remnants and quantified floral energy resources (nectar and pollen calories) available to each bee species both within the woodland and the matrix. Bee abundance in woodland increased with floral energy resources in the surrounding matrix, with strongest effects on larger-bodied species. Our findings suggest important but size-dependent effects of declining matrix floral resources on the persistence of bees in remnant woodlands, highlighting the need to incorporate landscape-level floral resources in conservation planning for pollinators in threatened natural habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Pille Arnold
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
- CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Floreat, Western Australia, 6014, Australia
| | - Jason M Tylianakis
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Mark V Murphy
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Gregory R Cawthray
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Bruce L Webber
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
- CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Floreat, Western Australia, 6014, Australia
| | - Raphael K Didham
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
- CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Floreat, Western Australia, 6014, Australia
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Wang Z, Chase JM, Xu W, Liu J, Wu D, Zhang A, Wang J, Luo Y, Yu M. Higher trophic levels and species with poorer dispersal traits are more susceptible to habitat loss on island fragments. Ecology 2024; 105:e4300. [PMID: 38650396 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4300] [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: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Ongoing habitat loss and fragmentation caused by human activities represent one of the greatest causes of biodiversity loss. However, the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation are not felt equally among species. Here, we examined how habitat loss influenced the diversity and abundance of species from different trophic levels, with different traits, by taking advantage of an inadvertent experiment that created habitat islands from a once continuous forest via the creation of the Thousand Island Lake, a large reservoir in China. On 28 of these islands with more than a 9000-fold difference in their area (0.12-1154 ha), we sampled plants, herbivorous insects, and predatory insects using effort-controlled sampling and analyses. This allowed us to discern whether any observed differences in species diversity were due to passive sampling alone or to demographic effects that disproportionately influenced some species relative to others. We found that while most metrics of sampling effort-controlled diversity increased with island area, the strength of the effect was exacerbated for species in higher trophic levels. When we more explicitly examined differences in species composition among islands, we found that the pairwise difference in species composition among islands was dominated by species turnover but that nestedness increased with differences in island area, indicating that some species are more likely to be absent from smaller islands. Furthermore, by examining trends of several dispersal-related traits of species, we found that species with lower dispersal propensity tended to be those that were lost from smaller islands, which was observed for herbivorous and predatory insects. Our results emphasize the importance of incorporating within-patch demographic effects, as well as the taxa and traits of species when understanding the influence of habitat loss on biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhonghan Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jonathan M Chase
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Computer Science, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Wubing Xu
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Computer Science, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Jinliang Liu
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Donghao Wu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Aiying Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jirui Wang
- School of Agricultural and Food Science, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yuanyuan Luo
- College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Mingjian Yu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Yadav LK, Bellis D, Smith ZC, Ony M, Hale C, Richards C, Klingeman WE, Staton ME, Granger JJ, Hadziabdic D. Genetic diversity and population structure of a rare flowering tree endemic to Appalachia, Stewartia ovata. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11547. [PMID: 38932967 PMCID: PMC11199121 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11547] [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: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Stewartia ovata (cav.) Weatherby, commonly known as mountain stewartia, is an understory tree native to the southeastern United States (U.S.). This relatively rare species occurs in isolated populations in Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. As a species, S. ovata has largely been overlooked, and limited information is available regarding its ecology, which presents obstacles to conservation efforts. Stewartia ovata has vibrant, large white flowers that bloom in summer with a variety of filament colors, suggesting potential horticultural traits prized by ornamental industry. However, S. ovata is relatively slow growing and, due to long seed dormancy, propagation is challenging with limited success rates. This has created a need to assess the present genetic diversity in S. ovata populations to inform potential conservation and restoration of the species. Here, we employ a genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) approach to characterize the spatial distribution and genetic diversity of S. ovata in the southern Appalachia region of the eastern United States. A total of 4475 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified across 147 individuals from 11 collection sites. Our results indicate low genetic diversity (He = 0.216), the presence of population structure (K = 2), limited differentiation (F ST = 0.039), and high gene flow (Nm = 6.16) between our subpopulations. Principal component analysis corroborated the findings of STRUCTURE, confirming the presence of two distinct S. ovata subpopulations. One subpopulation mainly contains genotypes from the Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee, while the other consists of genotypes present in the Great Smoky Mountain ranges in Tennessee, North Carolina, and portions of Nantahala, Chattahoochee-Oconee national forests in Georgia, highlighting that elevation likely plays a major role in its distribution. Our results further suggested low inbreeding coefficient (F IS = 0.070), which is expected with an outcrossing tree species. This research further provides necessary insight into extant subpopulations and has generated valuable resources needed for conservation efforts of S. ovata.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. K. Yadav
- Department of Entomology and Plant PathologyUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - D. Bellis
- Department of Entomology and Plant PathologyUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Z. C. Smith
- Department of Entomology and Plant PathologyUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - M. Ony
- Department of Entomology and Plant PathologyUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - C. Hale
- Department of Plant BiologyUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgiaUSA
- Forest and Wildlife Research CenterMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMississippiUSA
| | - C. Richards
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of ChicagoChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - W. E. Klingeman
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - M. E. Staton
- Department of Entomology and Plant PathologyUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - J. J. Granger
- Forest and Wildlife Research CenterMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMississippiUSA
| | - D. Hadziabdic
- Department of Entomology and Plant PathologyUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
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10
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Zheng S, Yu M, Webber BL, Didham RK. Intraspecific leaf trait variation mediates edge effects on litter decomposition rate in fragmented forests. Ecology 2024; 105:e4260. [PMID: 38353290 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4260] [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: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
There is strong trait dependence in species-level responses to environmental change and their cascading effects on ecosystem functioning. However, there is little understanding of whether intraspecific trait variation (ITV) can also be an important mechanism mediating environmental effects on ecosystem functioning. This is surprising, given that global change processes such as habitat fragmentation and the creation of forest edges drive strong trait shifts within species. On 20 islands in the Thousand Island Lake, China, we quantified intraspecific leaf trait shifts of a widely distributed shrub species, Vaccinium carlesii, in response to habitat fragmentation. Using a reciprocal transplant decomposition experiment between forest edge and interior on 11 islands with varying areas, we disentangled the relative effects of intraspecific leaf trait variation versus altered environmental conditions on leaf decomposition rates in forest fragments. We found strong intraspecific variation in leaf traits in response to edge effects, with a shift toward recalcitrant leaves with low specific leaf area and high leaf dry matter content from forest interior to the edge. Using structural equation modeling, we showed that such intraspecific leaf trait response to habitat fragmentation had translated into significant plant afterlife effects on leaf decomposition, leading to decreased leaf decomposition rates from the forest interior to the edge. Importantly, the effects of intraspecific leaf trait variation were additive to and stronger than the effects from local environmental changes due to edge effects and habitat loss. Our experiment provides the first quantitative study showing that intraspecific leaf trait response to edge effects is an important driver of the decrease in leaf decomposition rate in fragmented forests. By extending the trait-based response-effect framework toward the individual level, intraspecific variation in leaf economics traits can provide the missing functional link between environmental change and ecological processes. These findings suggest an important area for future research on incorporating ITV to understand and predict changes in ecosystem functioning in the context of global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilu Zheng
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Floreat, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Mingjian Yu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Bruce L Webber
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Floreat, Western Australia, Australia
- Western Australian Biodiversity Science Institute, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Raphael K Didham
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Floreat, Western Australia, Australia
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11
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Auliz-Ortiz DM, Benítez-Malvido J, Arroyo-Rodríguez V, Dirzo R, Pérez-Farrera MÁ, Luna-Reyes R, Mendoza E, Álvarez-Añorve MY, Álvarez-Sánchez J, Arias-Ataide DM, Ávila-Cabadilla LD, Botello F, Braasch M, Casas A, Campos-Villanueva DÁ, Cedeño-Vázquez JR, Chávez-Tovar JC, Coates R, Dechnik-Vázquez Y, del Coro Arizmendi M, Dias PA, Dorado O, Enríquez P, Escalona-Segura G, Farías-González V, Favila ME, García A, García-Morales LJ, Gavito-Pérez F, Gómez-Domínguez H, González-García F, González-Zamora A, Cuevas-Guzmán R, Haro-Belchez E, Hernández-Huerta AH, Hernández-Ordoñez O, Horváth A, Ibarra-Manríquez G, Lavín-Murcio PA, Lira-Saade R, López-Díaz K, MacSwiney G. MC, Mandujano S, Martínez-Camilo R, Martínez-Ávalos JG, Martínez-Meléndez N, Monroy-Ojeda A, Mora F, Mora-Olivo A, Muench C, Peña-Mondragón JL, Percino-Daniel R, Ramírez-Marcial N, Reyna-Hurtado R, Rodríguez-Ruíz ER, Sánchez-Cordero V, Suazo-Ortuño I, Terán-Juárez SA, Valdivieso-Pérez IA, Valencia V, Valenzuela-Galván D, Vargas-Contreras JA, Vázquez-Pérez JR, Vega-Rivera JH, Venegas-Barrera CS, Martínez-Ramos M. Underlying and proximate drivers of biodiversity changes in Mesoamerican biosphere reserves. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2305944121. [PMID: 38252845 PMCID: PMC10861858 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2305944121] [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: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Protected areas are of paramount relevance to conserving wildlife and ecosystem contributions to people. Yet, their conservation success is increasingly threatened by human activities including habitat loss, climate change, pollution, and species overexploitation. Thus, understanding the underlying and proximate drivers of anthropogenic threats is urgently needed to improve protected areas' effectiveness, especially in the biodiversity-rich tropics. We addressed this issue by analyzing expert-provided data on long-term biodiversity change (last three decades) over 14 biosphere reserves from the Mesoamerican Biodiversity Hotspot. Using multivariate analyses and structural equation modeling, we tested the influence of major socioeconomic drivers (demographic, economic, and political factors), spatial indicators of human activities (agriculture expansion and road extension), and forest landscape modifications (forest loss and isolation) as drivers of biodiversity change. We uncovered a significant proliferation of disturbance-tolerant guilds and the loss or decline of disturbance-sensitive guilds within reserves causing a "winner and loser" species replacement over time. Guild change was directly related to forest spatial changes promoted by the expansion of agriculture and roads within reserves. High human population density and low nonfarming occupation were identified as the main underlying drivers of biodiversity change. Our findings suggest that to mitigate anthropogenic threats to biodiversity within biosphere reserves, fostering human population well-being via sustainable, nonfarming livelihood opportunities around reserves is imperative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Martín Auliz-Ortiz
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia58190, Mexico
| | - Julieta Benítez-Malvido
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia58190, Mexico
| | - Víctor Arroyo-Rodríguez
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia58190, Mexico
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Mérida, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mérida97357, Mexico
| | - Rodolfo Dirzo
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA9430
- Department of Earth Systems Science, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA9430
| | - Miguel Ángel Pérez-Farrera
- Herbario Eizi Matuda, Laboratorio de Ecología, Evolutiva, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutiérrez29039, Mexico
| | - Roberto Luna-Reyes
- Dirección de Áreas Naturales y Vida Silvestre, Secretaría de Medio Ambiente e Historia Natural, Tuxtla Gutiérrez29000, Mexico
| | - Eduardo Mendoza
- Instituto de Investigaciones sobre los Recursos Naturales, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia58337, Mexico
| | | | - Javier Álvarez-Sánchez
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México04510, Mexico
| | - Dulce María Arias-Ataide
- Centro de Investigación y Educación Ambiental Sierra de Huautla, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca62914, Mexico
| | - Luis Daniel Ávila-Cabadilla
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Mérida, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mérida97357, Mexico
| | - Francisco Botello
- Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México04510, Mexico
| | - Marco Braasch
- Faktorgruen, Landschaftsarchitekten bdla Beratende Ingenieure, Abteilung Landschaftsplanung, Rottweil, Baden-Württemberg78628, Germany
| | - Alejandro Casas
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia58190, Mexico
| | - Delfino Álvaro Campos-Villanueva
- Estación de Biología Tropical Los Tuxtlas, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, San Andrés Tuxtla, Veracruz95701, Mexico
| | - José Rogelio Cedeño-Vázquez
- Departamento de Sistemática y Ecología Acuática, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Unidad Chetumal, Chetumal77014, Mexico
| | - José Cuauhtémoc Chávez-Tovar
- Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Lerma, Lerma, Estado de México52006, Mexico
| | - Rosamond Coates
- Estación de Biología Tropical Los Tuxtlas, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, San Andrés Tuxtla, Veracruz95701, Mexico
| | - Yanus Dechnik-Vázquez
- Pre-Planning Center of the Gulf, Federal Electricity Comission, Boca del Río, Veracruz94295, Mexico
| | - María del Coro Arizmendi
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalneplantla54090, Mexico
| | - Pedro Américo Dias
- Primate Behavioral Ecology Lab, Instituto de Neuroetología, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz91190, Mexico
| | - Oscar Dorado
- Centro de Investigación y Educación Ambiental Sierra de Huautla, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca62914, Mexico
| | - Paula Enríquez
- Departamento de Conservación de la Biodiversidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Unidad San Cristóbal, San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas29290, Mexico
| | - Griselda Escalona-Segura
- Departamento de Conservación de la Biodiversidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Unidad Campeche, Campeche24500, Mexico
| | - Verónica Farías-González
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalneplantla54090, Mexico
| | - Mario E. Favila
- Red de Ecoetología, Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Xalapa, Veracruz91070, Mexico
| | - Andrés García
- Estación de Biología Chamela, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, San Patricio48980, Mexico
| | - Leccinum Jesús García-Morales
- Departamento de Posgrado e Investigación, Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Victoria, Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas87010, Mexico
| | - Fernando Gavito-Pérez
- Reserva de la Biosfera Sierra de Manantlán, Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas, Autlán de Navarro48903, Mexico
| | - Héctor Gómez-Domínguez
- Herbario Eizi Matuda, Laboratorio de Ecología, Evolutiva, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutiérrez29039, Mexico
| | - Fernando González-García
- Red Biología y Conservación de Vertebrados, Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Xalapa, Veracruz91073, Mexico
| | - Arturo González-Zamora
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz911901, Mexico
| | - Ramón Cuevas-Guzmán
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Centro Universitario de la Costa Sur, Universidad de Guadalajara, Autlán de Navarro48900, Mexico
| | | | | | - Omar Hernández-Ordoñez
- Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México04510, Mexico
| | - Anna Horváth
- Quirón, Centro de Intervenciones Asistidas con Equinos y Formación para el Bienestar y Sustentabilidad, Asociación Civil, Comitán de Domínguez30039, Mexico
| | - Guillermo Ibarra-Manríquez
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia58190, Mexico
| | - Pablo Antonio Lavín-Murcio
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua32315, Mexico
| | - Rafael Lira-Saade
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalneplantla54090, Mexico
| | - Karime López-Díaz
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Cognitivas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca62209, Mexico
| | | | - Salvador Mandujano
- Red Biología y Conservación de Vertebrados, Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Xalapa, Veracruz91073, Mexico
| | - Rubén Martínez-Camilo
- Unidad Villa Corzo, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas, Villa de Corzo30520, Mexico
| | | | - Nayely Martínez-Meléndez
- Orquidario y Jardín Botánico "Comitán", Secretaría de Medio Ambiente e Historia Natural, Comitán de Domínguez30106, Mexico
| | | | - Francisco Mora
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia58190, Mexico
| | - Arturo Mora-Olivo
- Instituto de Ecología Aplicada, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas87019, Mexico
| | - Carlos Muench
- Coordinación Universitaria para la Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México04510, Mexico
| | - Juan L. Peña-Mondragón
- Consejo Nacional de Humanidades, Ciencia y Tecnología -Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia58190, Mexico
| | - Ruth Percino-Daniel
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México04510, Mexico
| | - Neptalí Ramírez-Marcial
- Departamento de Conservación de la Biodiversidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Unidad San Cristóbal, San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas29290, Mexico
| | - Rafael Reyna-Hurtado
- Departamento de Conservación de la Biodiversidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Unidad Campeche, Campeche24500, Mexico
| | - Erick Rubén Rodríguez-Ruíz
- Comisión de Parques y Biodiversidad de Tamaulipas, Gobierno del Estado de Tamaulipas, Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas87083, Mexico
| | - Víctor Sánchez-Cordero
- Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México04510, Mexico
| | - Ireri Suazo-Ortuño
- Instituto de Investigaciones sobre los Recursos Naturales, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia58337, Mexico
| | - Sergio Alejandro Terán-Juárez
- División de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Tecnológico Nacional de México, Campus Ciudad Victoria, Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas87010, Mexico
| | - Ingrid Abril Valdivieso-Pérez
- División de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Instituto Tecnológico de Conkal, Tecnológico Nacional de México, Conkal97345, Mexico
| | - Vivian Valencia
- Department of Environment, Agriculture and Geography, Bishop’s University, Sherbrooke, QCJ1M 1Z7, Canada
| | - David Valenzuela-Galván
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca62209, Mexico
| | | | - José Raúl Vázquez-Pérez
- Departamento de Conservación de la Biodiversidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Unidad San Cristóbal, San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas29290, Mexico
| | - Jorge Humberto Vega-Rivera
- Estación de Biología Chamela, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, San Patricio48980, Mexico
| | - Crystian Sadiel Venegas-Barrera
- Departamento de Posgrado e Investigación, Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Victoria, Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas87010, Mexico
| | - Miguel Martínez-Ramos
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia58190, Mexico
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12
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Sharma HP, Bhattarai BP, Regmi S, Bhandari S, Adhikari D, Aryal B, Tamang K, Nepali A, K C S, Rawal B, Parajuli S, Baral BD, Devkota S, Koirala S, Belant JL, Katuwal HB. Occurrence and temporal overlap of sympatric jungle cats and leopard cats in Parsa‒Koshi Complex, Nepal. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2387. [PMID: 38287050 PMCID: PMC10825126 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52644-w] [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: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Co-occurrence and spatial and temporal overlap of sympatric jungle and leopard cats are influenced by habitat preferences, and interspecific competition. Understanding these factors influence is crucial for developing effective conservation strategies. We conducted a camera survey in Parsa‒Koshi Complex (PKC), Nepal during December 2022-March 2023 to investigate factors influencing occupancy and spatial and temporal overlap between jungle cats (Felis chaus) and leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis). The mean detection probability (t = 0.664, p = 0.507) did not differ between jungle cats (p = 0.500 ± 0.289) and leopard cats (p = 0.501 ± 0.288); however, occupancy (t = 31.008, p < 0.001) was greater for jungle cats (ψ = 0.247 ± 0.020) than leopard cats (ψ = 0.178 ± 0.019). Jungle cats and leopard cats were positively associated with large predators, and jungle cats were positively associated with human presence and negatively associated with canopy cover. We observed high diel overlap between leopard cats and jungle cats (Dhat1 = 0.802, norm0CI: 0.720-0.884), with both species largely nocturnal. Co-existence of jungle cats and leopard cats in PKC appears to be facilitated by spatial segregation. These findings provide valuable insights into the complex ecological dynamics and interactions between sympatric jungle and leopard cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hari Prasad Sharma
- Central Department of Zoology, Institute of Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal.
- Nepal Zoological Society, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal.
| | - Bishnu Prasad Bhattarai
- Central Department of Zoology, Institute of Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Nepal Zoological Society, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Sandeep Regmi
- Central Department of Zoology, Institute of Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, Yunnan, China
| | - Shivish Bhandari
- Department of Biology, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD, 21251, USA
| | | | - Bishnu Aryal
- Central Department of Zoology, Institute of Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Krishna Tamang
- Central Department of Zoology, Institute of Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Amrit Nepali
- Central Department of Zoology, Institute of Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Sabin K C
- Central Department of Zoology, Institute of Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Basudha Rawal
- Central Department of Zoology, Institute of Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Sagar Parajuli
- Central Department of Zoology, Institute of Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Bashu Dev Baral
- Central Department of Zoology, Institute of Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Surya Devkota
- Central Department of Zoology, Institute of Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | | | - Jerrold L Belant
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Hem Bahadur Katuwal
- Nepal Zoological Society, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal.
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, Yunnan, China.
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13
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Hui TCY, Tang Q, Ng EYX, Chong JL, Slade EM, Rheindt FE. Small-Mammal Genomics Highlights Viaducts as Potential Dispersal Conduits for Fragmented Populations. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:426. [PMID: 38338069 PMCID: PMC10854910 DOI: 10.3390/ani14030426] [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: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Wildlife crossings are implemented in many countries to facilitate the dispersal of animals among habitats fragmented by roads. However, the efficacy of different types of habitat corridors remains poorly understood. We used a comprehensive sampling regime in two lowland dipterocarp forest areas in peninsular Malaysia to sample pairs of small mammal individuals in three treatment types: (1) viaduct sites, at which sampling locations were separated by a highway but connected by a vegetated viaduct; (2) non-viaduct sites, at which sampling locations were separated by a highway and not connected by a viaduct; and (3) control sites, at which there was no highway fragmenting the forest. For four small mammal species, the common tree shrew Tupaia glis, Rajah's spiny rat Maxomys rajah, Whitehead's spiny rat Maxomys whiteheadi and dark-tailed tree rat Niviventer cremoriventer, we used genome-wide markers to assess genetic diversity, gene flow and genetic structure. The differences in genetic distance across sampling settings among the four species indicate that they respond differently to the presence of highways and viaducts. Viaducts connecting forests separated by highways appear to maintain higher population connectivity than forest fragments without viaducts, at least in M. whiteheadi, but apparently not in the other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tabitha C. Y. Hui
- Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117558, Singapore; (Q.T.); (E.Y.X.N.); (F.E.R.)
| | - Qian Tang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117558, Singapore; (Q.T.); (E.Y.X.N.); (F.E.R.)
| | - Elize Y. X. Ng
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117558, Singapore; (Q.T.); (E.Y.X.N.); (F.E.R.)
- Discipline of Biological Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7005, Australia
| | - Ju Lian Chong
- Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu 21030, Terengganu, Malaysia;
| | - Eleanor M. Slade
- Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore
| | - Frank E. Rheindt
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117558, Singapore; (Q.T.); (E.Y.X.N.); (F.E.R.)
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14
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Lu Z, Qin G, Gan S, Liu H, Macreadie PI, Cheah W, Wang F. Blue carbon sink capacity of mangroves determined by leaves and their associated microbiome. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17007. [PMID: 37916453 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17007] [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: 05/13/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Mangroves play a globally significant role in carbon capture and storage, known as blue carbon ecosystems. Yet, there are fundamental biogeochemical processes of mangrove blue carbon formation that are inadequately understood, such as the mechanisms by which mangrove afforestation regulates the microbial-driven transfer of carbon from leaf to below-ground blue carbon pool. In this study, we addressed this knowledge gap by investigating: (1) the mangrove leaf characteristics using state-of-the-art FT-ICR-MS; (2) the microbial biomass and their transformation patterns of assimilated plant-carbon; and (3) the degradation potentials of plant-derived carbon in soils of an introduced (Sonneratia apetala) and a native mangrove (Kandelia obovata). We found that biogeochemical cycling took entirely different pathways for S. apetala and K. obovata. Blue carbon accumulation and the proportion of plant-carbon for native mangroves were high, with microbes (dominated by K-strategists) allocating the assimilated-carbon to starch and sucrose metabolism. Conversely, microbes with S. apetala adopted an r-strategy and increased protein- and nucleotide-biosynthetic potentials. These divergent biogeochemical pathways were related to leaf characteristics, with S. apetala leaves characterized by lower molecular-weight, C:N ratio, and lignin content than K. obovata. Moreover, anaerobic-degradation potentials for lignin were high in old-aged soils, but the overall degradation potentials of plant carbon were age-independent, explaining that S. apetala age had no significant influences on the contribution of plant-carbon to blue carbon. We propose that for introduced mangroves, newly fallen leaves release nutrient-rich organic matter that favors growth of r-strategists, which rapidly consume carbon to fuel growth, increasing the proportion of microbial-carbon to blue carbon. In contrast, lignin-rich native mangrove leaves shape K-strategist-dominated microbial communities, which grow slowly and store assimilated-carbon in cells, ultimately promoting the contribution of plant-carbon to the remarkable accumulation of blue carbon. Our study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of microbial community responses during reforestation in mangrove ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Lu
- Xiaoliang Research Station of Tropical Coastal Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, the CAS Engineering Laboratory for Ecological Restoration of Island and Coastal Ecosystems, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- South China National Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Guoming Qin
- Xiaoliang Research Station of Tropical Coastal Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, the CAS Engineering Laboratory for Ecological Restoration of Island and Coastal Ecosystems, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Shuchai Gan
- Xiaoliang Research Station of Tropical Coastal Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, the CAS Engineering Laboratory for Ecological Restoration of Island and Coastal Ecosystems, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- South China National Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Hongbin Liu
- Department of Ocean Sciences and Division of Life Sciences, School of Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, P.R. China
| | - Peter I Macreadie
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood Campus, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Wee Cheah
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Faming Wang
- Xiaoliang Research Station of Tropical Coastal Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, the CAS Engineering Laboratory for Ecological Restoration of Island and Coastal Ecosystems, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- South China National Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, P.R. China
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15
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Chen X, Wang Q, Cui B, Chen G, Xie T, Yang W. Ecological time lags in biodiversity response to habitat changes. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 346:118965. [PMID: 37741191 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
The decline of biodiversity can occur with a substantial delay following habitat loss, degradation, and other environmental changes, such as global warming. Considerable time lags may be involved in these responses. However, such time lags typically pose a significant but often unrecognized challenge for biodiversity conservation across a wide range of taxa and ecosystems. Here, we synthesize the current knowledge, categories, manifestations under different scenarios and impacts of ecological time lags. Our work reveals that studies on ecosystem structure lags are far more than ecosystem process and function lags. Due to the presence of these time-lag effects, the 'window phase' typically exists, which is widely recognized as 'relaxation time', providing a particular opportunity for biodiversity conservation. The manifestations of time lags vary under different scenarios. In addition, the different mechanisms that can result in ecological time lags are hierarchically nested, in which mechanisms at the population and metapopulation level have routinely been suggested as explanations for ecological time lags. It generally takes longer time to reach equilibrium at the metapopulation level than it takes for effects to be fully expressed at the level of individuals. Finally, we propose corresponding implications for biodiversity conservation and management. Our research will provide priorities for science and management on how to address the impact of ecological time lags to mitigate future attrition of biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuejuan Chen
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Wang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Research and Development Center for Watershed Environmental Eco-Engineering, Advanced Institute of Natural Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, China; Yellow River Estuary Wetland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Ministry of Education, Shandong, China
| | - Baoshan Cui
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Research and Development Center for Watershed Environmental Eco-Engineering, Advanced Institute of Natural Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, China; Yellow River Estuary Wetland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Ministry of Education, Shandong, China.
| | - Guogui Chen
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Research and Development Center for Watershed Environmental Eco-Engineering, Advanced Institute of Natural Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Tian Xie
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Yellow River Estuary Wetland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Ministry of Education, Shandong, China
| | - Wenxin Yang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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16
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Promy NT, Newberry M, Gulisija D. Rapid evolution of phenotypic plasticity in patchy habitats. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19158. [PMID: 37932330 PMCID: PMC10628295 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45912-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity may evolve rapidly, enabling a population's persistence in the face of sudden environmental change. Rapid evolution can occur when there is considerable genetic polymorphism at selected loci. We propose that balancing selection could be one of the mechanisms that sustain such polymorphism for plasticity. We use stochastic Monte Carlo simulations and deterministic analysis to investigate the evolution of a plasticity modifier locus in structured populations inhabiting favorable and adverse environments, i.e. patchy habitats. We survey a wide range of parameters including selective pressures on a target (structural) locus, plasticity effects, population sizes, and migration patterns between demes including periodic or continuous bidirectional and source-sink dynamics. We find that polymorphism in phenotypic plasticity can be maintained under a wide range of environmental scenarios in both favorable and adverse environments due to the balancing effect of population structure in patchy habitats. This effect offers a new plausible explanation for the rapid evolution of plasticity in nature: Phenotypic plasticity may rapidly evolve from genetic variation maintained by balancing selection if the population has experienced immigration from populations under different selection regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nawsheen T Promy
- Department of Computer Science, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, USA
| | - Mitchell Newberry
- Center for the Study of Complex Systems, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, 219 Yale Boulevard NE, 3566 Castetter Hall, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Davorka Gulisija
- Department of Computer Science, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, USA.
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, 219 Yale Boulevard NE, 3566 Castetter Hall, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.
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17
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Jin H, Xu J, Peng Y, Xin J, Peng N, Li Y, Huang J, Zhang R, Li C, Wu Y, Gong B, Wang R. Impacts of landscape patterns on plant species diversity at a global scale. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 896:165193. [PMID: 37406683 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165193] [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: 04/09/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Landscape patterns are important drivers of biodiversity. Owing to differences in vegetation types, sampling methods, diversity measures, spatial scales, and landscape levels, the impact of landscape patterns on biodiversity remains widely debated. Using a global standardized plant community database and land use and land cover maps at 30-m resolution, for the period 1990-2017, we calculated plant species α- and β-diversity, and landscape metrics at patch- and landscape-levels, and discerned the direct and indirect impacts of landscape patterns on plant species diversity based on environmental factors, namely climate, spatial features, and human disturbance. We found that landscape patterns exhibited the main indirect effects, whereas climate factors exhibited dominant direct effects on plant α-diversity via the direct effects of patch patterns and functional traits. With respect to β-diversity, landscape-level patterns exerted more direct than indirect effects. These effects are strongly dependent on scale. Landscape- and patch-level patterns had opposite effects on plant diversity, depending on their composition and spatial structure, demonstrating that their effects could be mediated by one another. The adaptation of plants to landscape patterns is mainly through variations in leaf area, plant height, specific leaf area, stem density, seed biomass, and other seed-dispersal traits, which vary across vegetation types. Our findings highlight the importance of functional traits and diversity in understanding the mechanism by which landscape patterns influence plant species diversity; accordingly, we recommend balancing the spatial structure of patch- and landscape-level patterns to enhance variation in functional traits, and, ultimately, to maintain global plant diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanni Jin
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jing Xu
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yu Peng
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Jiaxun Xin
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Nanyi Peng
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yanyi Li
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jijiao Huang
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Ruiqiang Zhang
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Chen Li
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yimeng Wu
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Bingzhang Gong
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Ronghui Wang
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
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18
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Pérez-Ortega B, Hendry AP. A meta-analysis of human disturbance effects on glucocorticoid hormones in free-ranging wild vertebrates. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:1459-1471. [PMID: 37095625 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12962] [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: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Free-ranging wild vertebrates need to cope with natural and anthropogenic stressors that cause short and/or long-term behavioural and physiological responses. In areas of high human disturbance, the use of glucocorticoid (GC) hormones as biomarkers to measure stress responses is an increasingly common tool for understanding how animals cope with human disturbance. We conducted a meta-analysis to investigate how human disturbances such as habitat conversion, habitat degradation, and ecotourism influence baseline GC hormones of free-ranging wild vertebrates, and we further test the role of protected areas in reducing the impact of such disturbances on these hormones. A total of 58 studies met the inclusion criteria, providing 152 data points for comparing levels of GC hormones under disturbed and undisturbed conditions. The overall effect size suggests that human disturbance does not cause a consistent increase in levels of GC hormones (Hedges' g = 0.307, 95% CI = -0.062 to 0.677). However, when the data were analysed by disturbance type, living in unprotected areas or in areas with habitat conversion were found to increase GC hormone levels compared to living in protected or undisturbed areas. By contrast, we found no evidence that ecotourism or habitat degradation generates a consistent increase in baseline GC hormone levels. Among taxonomic groups, mammals appeared more sensitive to human disturbance than birds. We advocate the use of GC hormones for inferring major human-caused contributors to the stress levels of free-ranging wild vertebrates - although such information needs to be combined with other measures of stress and interpreted in the context of an organism's life history, behaviour, and history of interactions with human disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betzi Pérez-Ortega
- McGill University, Redpath Museum and Department of Biology, 859 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0C4, Canada
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, PO Box 0843-03092, Panama, Republic of Panama
| | - Andrew P Hendry
- McGill University, Redpath Museum and Department of Biology, 859 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0C4, Canada
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19
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Dutcher KE, Nussear KE, Heaton JS, Esque TC, Vandergast AG. Move it or lose it: Predicted effects of culverts and population density on Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) connectivity. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286820. [PMID: 37768995 PMCID: PMC10538755 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Roadways and railways can reduce wildlife movements across landscapes, negatively impacting population connectivity. Connectivity may be improved by structures that allow safe passage across linear barriers, but connectivity could be adversely influenced by low population densities. The Mojave desert tortoise is threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation, and population declines. The tortoise continues to decline as disturbance increases across the Mojave Desert in the southwestern United States. While underground crossing structures, like hydrological culverts, have begun receiving attention, population density has not been considered in tortoise connectivity. Our work asks a novel question: How do culverts and population density affect connectivity and potentially drive genetic and demographic patterns? To explore the role of culverts and population density, we used agent-based spatially explicit forward-in-time simulations of gene flow. We constructed resistance surfaces with a range of barriers to movement and representative of tortoise habitat with anthropogenic disturbance. We predicted connectivity under variable population densities. Simulations were run for 200 non-overlapping generations (3400 years) with 30 replicates using 20 microsatellite loci. We evaluated population genetic structure and diversity and found that culverts would not entirely negate the effects of linear barriers, but gene flow improved. Our results also indicated that density is important for connectivity. Low densities resulted in declines regardless of the landscape barrier scenario (> 75% population census size, > 97% effective population size). Results from our simulation using current anthropogenic disturbance predicted decreased population connectivity over time. Genetic and demographic effects were detectable within five generations (85 years) following disturbance with estimated losses in effective population size of 69%. The pronounced declines in effective population size indicate this could be a useful monitoring metric. We suggest management strategies that improve connectivity, such as roadside fencing tied to culverts, conservation areas in a connected network, and development restricted to disturbed areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten E. Dutcher
- Department of Geography, University of Nevada–Reno, Reno, Nevada, United States of America
| | - Kenneth E. Nussear
- Department of Geography, University of Nevada–Reno, Reno, Nevada, United States of America
| | - Jill S. Heaton
- Department of Geography, University of Nevada–Reno, Reno, Nevada, United States of America
| | - Todd C. Esque
- United States Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Boulder City, Nevada, United States of America
| | - Amy G. Vandergast
- United States Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, San Diego, California, United States of America
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20
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Marcantonio M, Voda R, Da Re D, Igot Q, Dennis RLH, Vielfaure A, Vanwambeke SO, Nieberding CM. The Effect of Habitat on Insect Movements: Experimental Evidence from Wild-Caught Butterflies. INSECTS 2023; 14:737. [PMID: 37754705 PMCID: PMC10531938 DOI: 10.3390/insects14090737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
There is broad evidence that the main driver of the ongoing biodiversity crisis is land-use change, which reduces and fragments habitats. The consequence of habitat fragmentation on behavioural responses of fitness-related traits in insects have been so far understudied. In herbivorous insects, oviposition-related behaviours determine access to larval food, and the fate of the next generation. We present a pilot study to assess differences in behaviours related to movement and oviposition in Limenitis camilla butterflies from Wallonia (Belgium), one of the most fragmented regions in Europe. We first quantified variation in functional habitat connectivity across Wallonia and found that fragmented habitats had more abundant, but less evenly distributed host plants of L. camilla. Secondly, we quantified the behaviours of field-caught L. camilla females originating from habitats with contrasted landscape connectivity in an outdoor experimental setting. We found differences in behaviours related to flight investment: butterflies from fragmented woodlands spent more time in departing flight, which we associated with dispersal, than butterflies from homogenous woodlands. Although results from this study should be interpreted with caution given the limited sample size, they provide valuable insights for the advancement of behavioural research that aims to assess the effects of global changes on insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Marcantonio
- Earth & Life Institute, University of Louvain (UCLouvain), Carnoy Building, Croix du sud 4-5, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (A.V.); (C.M.N.)
| | - Raluca Voda
- Earth & Life Institute, University of Louvain (UCLouvain), Carnoy Building, Croix du sud 4-5, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (A.V.); (C.M.N.)
| | - Daniele Da Re
- Centre for Earth and Climate Research, Earth & Life Institute, University of Louvain (UCLouvain), Place Louis Pasteur 3, Bâtiment Mercator, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (D.D.R.); (S.O.V.)
| | - Quentin Igot
- Centre for Earth and Climate Research, Earth & Life Institute, University of Louvain (UCLouvain), Place Louis Pasteur 3, Bâtiment Mercator, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (D.D.R.); (S.O.V.)
| | - Roger L. H. Dennis
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK;
| | - Aurélien Vielfaure
- Earth & Life Institute, University of Louvain (UCLouvain), Carnoy Building, Croix du sud 4-5, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (A.V.); (C.M.N.)
- L’Institut Agro Dijon, 26, bd Docteur Petitjean-BP 87999, 21079 Dijon, France
| | - Sophie O. Vanwambeke
- Centre for Earth and Climate Research, Earth & Life Institute, University of Louvain (UCLouvain), Place Louis Pasteur 3, Bâtiment Mercator, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (D.D.R.); (S.O.V.)
| | - Caroline M. Nieberding
- Earth & Life Institute, University of Louvain (UCLouvain), Carnoy Building, Croix du sud 4-5, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (A.V.); (C.M.N.)
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21
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Weeks TL, Betts MG, Pfeifer M, Wolf C, Banks-Leite C, Barbaro L, Barlow J, Cerezo A, Kennedy CM, Kormann UG, Marsh CJ, Olivier PI, Phalan BT, Possingham HP, Wood EM, Tobias JA. Climate-driven variation in dispersal ability predicts responses to forest fragmentation in birds. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:1079-1091. [PMID: 37248334 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02077-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Species sensitivity to forest fragmentation varies latitudinally, peaking in the tropics. A prominent explanation for this pattern is that historical landscape disturbance at higher latitudes has removed fragmentation-sensitive species or promoted the evolution of more resilient survivors. However, it is unclear whether this so-called extinction filter is the dominant driver of geographic variation in fragmentation sensitivity, particularly because climatic factors may also cause latitudinal gradients in dispersal ability, a key trait mediating sensitivity to habitat fragmentation. Here we combine field survey data with a morphological proxy for avian dispersal ability (hand-wing index) to assess responses to forest fragmentation in 1,034 bird species worldwide. We find that fragmentation sensitivity is strongly predicted by dispersal limitation and that other factors-latitude, body mass and historical disturbance events-have relatively limited explanatory power after accounting for species differences in dispersal. We also show that variation in dispersal ability is only weakly predicted by historical disturbance and more strongly associated with intra-annual temperature fluctuations (seasonality). Our results suggest that climatic factors play a dominant role in driving global variation in the impacts of forest fragmentation, emphasizing the need for more nuanced environmental policies that take into account local context and associated species traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas L Weeks
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK.
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum London, London, UK.
| | - Matthew G Betts
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Marion Pfeifer
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Christopher Wolf
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | | | - Luc Barbaro
- Dynafor, University of Toulouse, INRAE, Castanet-Tolosan, France
- CESCO, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne-University, Paris, France
| | - Jos Barlow
- Lancaster Environmental Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Alexis Cerezo
- Foundation for Ecodevelopment and Conservation (FUNDAECO), Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
| | - Christina M Kennedy
- Global Protect Oceans, Lands and Waters Program, The Nature Conservancy, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Urs G Kormann
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Charles J Marsh
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, and Yale Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Pieter I Olivier
- M.A.P Scientific Services, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Benjamin T Phalan
- Centre for Conservation of Atlantic Forest Birds, Parque das Aves, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil
| | - Hugh P Possingham
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Eric M Wood
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Joseph A Tobias
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
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22
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Koskenpato K, Lehikoinen A, Morosinotto C, Gunko R, Karell P. Regional variation in climate change alters the range-wide distribution of colour polymorphism in a wild bird. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10311. [PMID: 37470029 PMCID: PMC10352091 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10311] [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: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
According to Gloger's rule, animal colouration is expected to be darker in wetter and warmer climates. Such environmental clines are predicted to occur in colour polymorphic species and to be shaped by selection if colour morphs represent adaptations to different environments. We studied if the distribution of the colour polymorphic tawny owl (Strix aluco) morphs (a pheomelanic brown and a pale grey) across Europe follow the predictions of Gloger's rule and if there is a temporal change in the geographical patterns corresponding to regional variations in climate change. We used data on tawny owl museum skin specimen collections. First, we investigated long-term spatiotemporal variation in the probability of observing the colour morphs in different climate zones. Second, we studied if the probability of observing the colour morphs was associated with general climatic conditions. Third, we studied if weather fluctuations prior to the finding year of an owl explain colour morph in each climate zone. The brown tawny owl morph was historically more common than the grey morph in every studied climate zone. Over time, the brown morph has become rarer in the temperate and Mediterranean zone, whereas it has first become rarer but then again more common in the boreal zone. Based on general climatic conditions, winter and summer temperatures were positively and negatively associated with the proportion of brown morph, respectively. Winter precipitation was negatively associated with the proportion of brown morph. The effects of 5-year means of weather on the probability to observe a brown morph differed between climate zones, indicating region-dependent effect of climate change and weather on tawny owl colouration. To conclude, tawny owl colouration does not explicitly follow Gloger's rule, implying a time and space-dependent complex system shaped by many factors. We provide novel insights into how the geographic distribution of pheomelanin-based colour polymorphism is changing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Koskenpato
- Bioeconomy Research TeamNovia University of Applied SciencesEkenäsFinland
- Finnish Museum of Natural History, The Helsinki Lab of OrnithologyUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
- Present address:
Department of Forest Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and ForestryUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Aleksi Lehikoinen
- Finnish Museum of Natural History, The Helsinki Lab of OrnithologyUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Chiara Morosinotto
- Bioeconomy Research TeamNovia University of Applied SciencesEkenäsFinland
- Department of BiologyLund UniversityLundSweden
- Present address:
Department of BiologyUniversity of PadovaPadovaItaly
- Present address:
National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC)PalermoItaly
| | - Ruslan Gunko
- Bioeconomy Research TeamNovia University of Applied SciencesEkenäsFinland
- Department of BiologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - Patrik Karell
- Bioeconomy Research TeamNovia University of Applied SciencesEkenäsFinland
- Department of BiologyLund UniversityLundSweden
- Present address:
Department of Ecology and GeneticsUniversity of UppsalaUppsalaSweden
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23
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Zhong Y, Zhong Y, Xie Y, Lei Y, Wei B, Liu J, Yu M. Climate and fragment area jointly affect the annual dynamics of seedlings in different functional groups in the Thousand Island Lake. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1200520. [PMID: 37389292 PMCID: PMC10303124 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1200520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Habitat fragmentation and climate change are the two main threats to global biodiversity. Understanding their combined impact on plant community regeneration is vital for predicting future forest structure and conserving biodiversity. This study monitored the seed production, seedling recruitment and mortality of woody plants in the Thousand Island Lake, a highly fragmented anthropogenic archipelago, for 5 years. We analyzed the seed-seedling transition, seedling recruitment and mortality of different functional groups in the fragmented forests and conducted correlation analyses involving climatic factors, island area, and plant community abundance. Our results showed that: 1) shade-tolerant and evergreen species had higher seed-seedling transition, seedling recruitment and survival rate than shade-intolerant and deciduous species in time and space, and these advantages increased with the island area. 2) Seedlings in different functional groups responded differently to island area, temperature and precipitation. 3) Increasing active accumulated temperature (the sum of the mean daily temperature above 0 °C) significantly increased seedling recruitment and survival, and warming climate favored the regeneration of evergreen species. 4) The seedling mortality rate of all plant functional groups increased with the increase of island area, but the increasing strength weakened significantly with the increase of the annual maximum temperature. These results suggested that the dynamics of woody plant seedlings varied among functional groups, and can be regulated separately and jointly by fragmentation and climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuping Zhong
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuchen Zhong
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Hangzhou Xuejun High School, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuchu Xie
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yanping Lei
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Boliang Wei
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Wuyanling National Nature Reserve Administration of Zhejiang, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jinliang Liu
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Mingjian Yu
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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de Fraga R, Tavares V, Simões MH, Prous X, Girolamo-Neto C, Brandi IV, Oliveira G, Trevelin LC. Caves as wildlife refuges in degraded landscapes in the Brazilian Amazon. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6055. [PMID: 37055452 PMCID: PMC10102069 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32815-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Cross-habitat spillover may be the outcome of a process of habitat loss or degradation where the receiving habitat serves as a refuge for organisms. Once surface habitats are lost or degraded, animals can find underground refuge in caves. This paper is focused on testing whether taxonomic order richness inside caves is positively affected by the loss of the native vegetation cover surrounding caves; whether degradation of native vegetation cover predicts cave community composition; and whether there is a pattern of cave community clusters delimited by similarity in the effects of habitat degradation on animal communities. We gathered a comprehensive speleological dataset consisting of occurrence data of thousands of invertebrates and vertebrates sampled in 864 iron caves in the Amazon, to test the effects of both variables measured inside caves and surrounding landscapes on spatial variation in richness and composition of animal communities. We show that caves can work as refuges for the fauna in landscapes where the native vegetation cover surrounding them was degraded, which was evidenced by landcover change increasing the richness of cave communities and clustering caves by similarity in community composition. Therefore, habitat degradation on the surface should be a key variable when characterizing cave ecosystems for conservation prioritization and offset planning. Habitat degradation causing a cross-habitat spillover effect highlights the importance of maintaining the connection between caves by the surface, especially large caves. Our study can help guide industry and stakeholders working on the complex conciliation between land use and biodiversity conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael de Fraga
- Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, Pará, Brazil.
| | - Valéria Tavares
- Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | | | - Xavier Prous
- Environmental Licensing and Speleology, Vale S.A., Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Cesare Girolamo-Neto
- Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Iuri V Brandi
- Environmental Licensing and Speleology, Vale S.A., Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Oliveira
- Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Leonardo C Trevelin
- Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, Pará, Brazil.
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Dos Santos EO, Klain VF, B Manrique S, Rodrigues RO, Dos Santos HF, Sangioni LA, Dasso MG, de Almeida MAB, Dos Santos E, Born LC, Reck J, Botton SDA. Influence of landscape structure on previous exposure to Leptospira spp. and Brucella abortus in free-living neotropical primates from southern Brazil. Am J Primatol 2023; 85:e23472. [PMID: 36814095 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23472] [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: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
The environments in which neotropical primates live have been undergoing an intense fragmentation process, constituting a major threat to the species' survival and causing resource scarcity, social isolation, and difficulty in dispersal, leaving populations increasingly vulnerable. Moreover, the proximity of wild environments to anthropized landscapes can change the dynamics of pathogens and the parasite-host-environment relationship, creating conditions that favor exposure to different pathogens. To investigate the previous exposure of free-living primates in Rio Grande do Sul State (RS), southern Brazil, to the bacterial agents Leptospira spp. and Brucella abortus, we investigated agglutinating antibodies against 23 serovars of Leptospira spp. using the microscopic agglutination test and B. abortus acidified antigen test in primate serum samples; 101 samples from primates captured between 2002 and 2016 in different forest fragments were used: 63 Alouatta caraya, 36 Alouatta guariba clamitans, and 02 Sapajus nigritus cucullatus. In addition, the forest remnants where the primates were sampled were characterized in a multiscale approach in radii ranging from 200 to 1400 m to investigate the potential relationship of previous exposure to the agent with the elements that make up the landscape structure. The serological investigation indicated the presence of antibodies for at least one of the 23 serovars of Leptospira spp. in 36.6% (37/101) of the samples analyzed, with titers ranging from 100 to 1600. The most observed serovars were Panama (17.8%), Ballum (5.9%), Butembo (5.9%), Canicola (5.9%), Hardjo (4.9%), and Tarassovi (3.9%); no samples were seropositive for Brucella abortus. Decreased forest cover and edge density were the landscape factors that had a significant relationship with Leptospira spp. exposure, indicating that habitat fragmentation may influence contact with the pathogen. The data generated in this study demonstrate the importance of understanding how changes in landscape structure affect exposure to pathogenic microorganisms of zoonotic relevance. Hence, improving epidemiological research and understanding primates' ecological role in these settings can help improve environmental surveillance and conservation strategies for primate populations in different landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisandro O Dos Santos
- Laboratório de Saúde Única, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Centro de Ciências Rurais da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Vinícius F Klain
- Laboratório de Primatologia, Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida da Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Sebastián B Manrique
- Laboratório de Primatologia, Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida da Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Rogério O Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Leptospirose do Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor, Secretaria Estadual de Agricultura, Pecuária e Desenvolvimento Rural, Eldorado do Sul, Brazil
| | - Helton F Dos Santos
- Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisas em Animais Silvestres, Laboratório Central de Diagnóstico de Patologias Aviárias, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Luís A Sangioni
- Laboratório de Saúde Única, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Centro de Ciências Rurais da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Maurício G Dasso
- Laboratório de Leptospirose do Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor, Secretaria Estadual de Agricultura, Pecuária e Desenvolvimento Rural, Eldorado do Sul, Brazil
| | - Marco A B de Almeida
- Divisão de Vigilância Ambiental em Saúde, Centro Estadual de Vigilância em Saúde, Secretaria de Estado da Saúde, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Edmilson Dos Santos
- Divisão de Vigilância Ambiental em Saúde, Centro Estadual de Vigilância em Saúde, Secretaria de Estado da Saúde, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Lucas C Born
- Divisão de Vigilância Ambiental em Saúde, Centro Estadual de Vigilância em Saúde, Secretaria de Estado da Saúde, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - José Reck
- Laboratório de Parasitologia do Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor, Secretaria Estadual de Agricultura, Pecuária e Desenvolvimento Rural, Eldorado do Sul, Brazil
| | - Sônia de Avila Botton
- Laboratório de Saúde Única, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Centro de Ciências Rurais da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, Brazil
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Yang Y, Wang Z, Li B, Guan J. The impact of photovoltaic projects on ecological corridors through the Least-Cost Path model. Glob Ecol Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
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Barelli C, Oberosler V, Cavada N, Mtui AS, Shinyambala S, Rovero F. Long‐term dynamics of wild primate populations across forests with contrasting protection in Tanzania. Biotropica 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
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28
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Yezzi A, Nebbia A, Zalba S. Grassland Fragmentation: Introduction to the Special Issue. DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15040489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
The fragmentation of natural environments is one of the most cited causes of the loss of biological diversity, and consequently it has received a great deal of attention from the scientific community for decades [...]
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Zhao F, Liu Y, Wang Z, Lu J, Cao L, Zeng C. Genetic Diversity and Connectivity of Ocypode ceratophthalmus in the East and South China Seas and Its Implications for Conservation. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:437. [PMID: 36979129 PMCID: PMC10044906 DOI: 10.3390/biology12030437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
The East and South China Seas are rich in marine resources, but they are also under great pressure from climate change and human activities. Maintaining diversity and connectivity between communities is thought to be effective in mitigating these pressures. To assess the diversity and connectivity among the populations of Ocypode ceratophthalmus in the East and South China Seas, 15 populations from or near 15 marine protected areas in the two seas were studied using COI and D-Loop as genetic markers. The results showed that O. ceratophthalmus populations had high diversity, and the results of a hierarchical analysis of molecular variance and fixation index found that there were no significant genetic structures among these populations. High historical gene flow and high migration rates were further observed among populations by Migrate-n. Furthermore, the COI sequences further showed the asymmetric migration rate with a higher migration rate from south to north than from north to south. This information could provide recommendations for the management of marine protected areas in the East and South China Seas.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Cong Zeng
- School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
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30
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Yilangai RM, Abalaka J, Nsor CA, Babale A, Karau SD, Ivande S. Effect of disturbance on bird feeding guilds in a West African dry forest. Afr J Ecol 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.13136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- R. M. Yilangai
- Department of Crop Production University of Jos Jos Nigeria
- A.P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute Jos Nigeria
| | - J. Abalaka
- A.P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute Jos Nigeria
| | | | - A. Babale
- Gombe State University Gombe Nigeria
| | - S. D. Karau
- National Centre for Remote Sensing Jos Nigeria
| | - S. Ivande
- A.P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute Jos Nigeria
- Department of Zoology University of Jos Jos Nigeria
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31
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Travassos-Britto B, Hohlenwerger C, Miranda J, da Rocha PLB. Quantity and quality of suitable matrices matter in reducing the negative effect of fragmentation. ECOLOGICAL COMPLEXITY 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecocom.2023.101040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
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32
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Bastos JR, Capellesso ES, Vibrans AC, C. M. Marques M. Human impacts, habitat quantity and quality affect the dimensions of diversity and carbon stocks in subtropical forests: a landscape-based approach. J Nat Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2023.126383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
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33
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Ren P, Didham RK, Murphy MV, Zeng D, Si X, Ding P. Forest edges increase pollinator network robustness to extinction with declining area. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:393-404. [PMID: 36717744 PMCID: PMC9998274 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01973-y] [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: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Edge effects often exacerbate the negative effects of habitat loss on biodiversity. In forested ecosystems, however, many pollinators actually prefer open sunny conditions created by edge disturbances. We tested the hypothesis that forest edges have a positive buffering effect on plant-pollinator interaction networks in the face of declining forest area. In a fragmented land-bridge island system, we recorded ~20,000 plant-pollinator interactions on 41 islands over 3 yr. We show that plant richness and floral resources decline with decreasing forest area at both interior and edge sites, but edges maintain 10-fold higher pollinator abundance and richness regardless of area loss. Edge networks contain highly specialized species, with higher nestedness and lower modularity than interior networks, maintaining high robustness to extinction following area loss while forest interior networks collapse. Anthropogenic forest edges benefit community diversity and network robustness to extinction in the absence of natural gap-phase dynamics in small degraded forest remnants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Ren
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Raphael K Didham
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.,CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Floreat, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Mark V Murphy
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Di Zeng
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Institute of Eco-Chongming, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xingfeng Si
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Institute of Eco-Chongming, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ping Ding
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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34
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Mitchell JC, D’Amico V, Trammell TLE, Frank SD. Carabid specialists respond differently to nonnative plant invasion in urban forests. Urban Ecosyst 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-022-01323-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
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35
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Vélová L, Véle A, Peltanová A, Šafářová L, Menendéz R, Horák J. High‐, medium‐, and low‐dispersal animal taxa communities in fragmented urban grasslands. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Vélová
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Prague Czech Republic
| | - Adam Véle
- Forestry & Game Management Research Institute Jíloviště Czech Republic
| | - Alena Peltanová
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Prague Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Šafářová
- East Bohemian Museum in Pardubice Pardubice Czech Republic
| | - Rosa Menendéz
- Lancaster Environment Centre Lancaster University Lancaster UK
| | - Jakub Horák
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Prague Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science University of Hradec Králové Hradec Králové Czech Republic
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36
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Zarate MA, Shanee S, Charpentier E, Sarmiento Y, Schmitt CA. Expanded distribution and predicted suitable habitat for the critically endangered yellow-tailed woolly monkey (Lagothrix flavicauda) in Perú. Am J Primatol 2023; 85:e23464. [PMID: 36642976 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23464] [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: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The Tropical Andes Biodiversity Hotspot holds a remarkable number of species at risk of extinction due to anthropogenic habitat loss, hunting, and climate change. One of these species, the critically endangered yellow-tailed woolly monkey (Lagothrix flavicauda), was recently observed in the region Junín, 206 km south of its previously known distribution. This range extension, combined with continued habitat loss, calls for a reevaluation of the species distribution, and available suitable habitat. Here, we present novel data from surveys at 53 sites in the regions of Junín, Cerro de Pasco, Ayacucho, and Cusco. We encountered L. flavicauda at 9 sites, all in Junín, and the congeneric Lagothrix lagotricha tschudii at 20 sites, but never in sympatry. Using these new localities along with all previous geographic localities for the species, we made predictive species distribution models based on ecological niche modeling using a generalized linear model and maximum entropy. Each model incorporated bioclimatic variables, forest cover, vegetation measurements, and elevation as predictor variables. The model evaluation showed >80% accuracy for all measures. Precipitation was the strongest predictor of species presence. Habitat suitability maps illustrate potential corridors for gene flow between the southern and northern populations, although much of this area is inhabited by L. l. tschudii whereas L. flavicauda has yet to be officially confirmed in these areas, by these or any other scientific surveys. An analysis of the current protected area (PA) network showed that ~75% of remaining suitable habitat is unprotected. With this, we suggest priority areas for new PAs or expansions to existing reserves that would conserve potential corridors between L. flavicauda populations. Further surveys and characterization of the distribution in intermediate areas, combined with studies on gene flow through these areas, are still needed to protect this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A Zarate
- Department of Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sam Shanee
- Neotropical Primate Conservation, Windrush, Looe Hill, Seaton, Cornwall, UK.,Asociación Neotropical Primate Conservation Perú, San Martin, Perú
| | | | - Yeissy Sarmiento
- Asociación Neotropical Primate Conservation Perú, San Martin, Perú
| | - Christopher A Schmitt
- Department of Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Goddard J, Shivaji R, Cronin JT. Ecological release and patch geometry can cause nonlinear density-area relationships. J Theor Biol 2023; 557:111325. [PMID: 36356943 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2022.111325] [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: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
A primary driver of species extinctions and declining biodiversity is loss and fragmentation of habitats owing to human activities. Many studies spanning a wide diversity of taxa have described the relationship between population density and habitat patch area, i.e., the density-area relationship (DAR), as positive, neutral, negative or some combination of the three. However, the mechanisms responsible for these relationships remain elusive. We employ a theoretical spatially explicit population model built upon the reaction-diffusion framework with absorbing boundary conditions to model a habitat specialist dwelling in islands of habitat surrounded by a hostile matrix. We consider patches with a convex or non-convex geometry. Our results show that a single species following logistic-type population growth exhibits a strictly positive and continuous DAR. However, when multiple asymptotically stable steady states are preset in the system, a discontinuous DAR arises. In the case of two species governed by diffusive Lotka-Volterra growth and competitive interactions, we observe that overall DAR structure can be either (1) positive, (2) positive for small areas and neutral for large, or (3) hump-shaped, i.e., positive for area below a threshold and negative for area above. Patch complexity such as non-convex geometry can cause discontinuities in DAR slope for a single species and create qualitatively different patterns in a competitive system as compared to a convex patch. We also compared our theoretical results with two empirical studies (Anolis lizards on islands and crossbills and pine squirrels in forest fragments) where the pragmatic view of DAR fails to give a mechanistic understanding of what was observed. Close qualitative agreement between theoretical and observed DAR indicates that our model gives a reasonable explanation of the mechanisms underpinning DAR found in those studies. From a conservation perspective, the DAR is crucial to the identification of valuable habitat fragments that favor high abundance and the design of a reserve for a target species. When it comes to protecting a single species, these results suggest that there is unlikely to be a simple solution and that conservation decisions should always be made on a case-by-case basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerome Goddard
- Department of Mathematics, Auburn University Montgomery, Montgomery, 36064, AL, USA.
| | - Ratnasingham Shivaji
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, 27412, NC, USA.
| | - James T Cronin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, 70803, LA, USA.
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38
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de la Sancha NU, González‐Maya JF, Boyle SA, Pérez‐Estigarribia PE, Urbina‐Cardona JN, McIntyre NE. Bioindicators of edge effects within Atlantic Forest remnants: Conservation implications in a threatened biodiversity hotspot. DIVERS DISTRIB 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Noé U. de la Sancha
- Department of Environmental Science and Studies DePaul University Chicago Illinois USA
- Negaunee Integrative Research Center The Field Museum of Natural History Chicago Illinois USA
| | - José F. González‐Maya
- División de Ciencias Biológicas y de la Salud, Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Lerma Lerma de Villada Mexico México
- Proyecto de Conservación de Aguas y Tierras ‐ ProCAT Colombia Bogotá Colombia
| | - Sarah A. Boyle
- Department of Biology and Program in Environmental Studies and Sciences, Rhodes College Memphis Tennessee USA
| | - Pastor E. Pérez‐Estigarribia
- Polytechnic School, Universidad Nacional de Asunción San Lorenzo Paraguay
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Sudamericana PJC Paraguay
| | - J. Nicolas Urbina‐Cardona
- Facultad de Estudios Ambientales y Rurales, Departamento de Ecología y Territorio Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Bogotá Colombia
| | - Nancy E. McIntyre
- Department of Biological Sciences Texas Tech University Lubbock Texas USA
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Dvorsky C, Riddle K, Boone M. Assessing the Impact of Chemical Algae Management Strategies on Anurans and Aquatic Communities. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2023; 42:213-224. [PMID: 36342350 PMCID: PMC10107480 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Pond management with chemical and biological agents that reduce overgrowth of algae is an important means of maintaining water quality in residential ponds, yet the effects on nontarget species are not fully understood. We assessed the impact of Aquashade (a common nontoxic pond dye) and copper sulfate (a toxic algaecide) on American toad (Anaxyrus americanus), northern leopard frog (Lithobates pipiens), and Cope's gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis) metamorphosis in outdoor mesocosm experiments. We also evaluated the relative impact of tadpole grazing versus chemical treatment on phytoplankton and periphyton abundance. We found no significant effects of pond management treatment on anuran metamorphosis, suggesting that addition of Aquashade and copper sulfate at tested concentrations does not significantly impact anurans under these experimental conditions. Interestingly, we found that the presence of tadpoles more strongly reduced algal abundance than Aquashade or copper sulfate by significantly decreasing phytoplankton and periphyton abundance over time. The present study suggests that anuran tadpoles may be effective at maintaining water quality, and that Aquashade and copper sulfate may have minimal effects on amphibian metamorphosis. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:213-224. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Almasieh K, Rouhi H, Hasti F. Identifying core habitats and connectivity paths for the conservation of mouflon (Ovis gmelini) in Western Iran. Glob Ecol Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
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41
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Blandford MI, Hillcoat KB, Pratchett MS, Hoey AS. Effects of habitat fragmentation on the recruitment and early post-settlement survival of coral reef fishes. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 183:105798. [PMID: 36401956 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2022.105798] [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: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The combined effects of global climate change and local anthropogenic stressors are leading to increasing loss and fragmentation of habitats. On coral reefs, habitat loss has been shown to influence the abundance and composition of associated fish assemblages, yet few studies have considered how habitat fragmentation may influence reef fish populations and assemblages. Herein, we compared survival, growth and recruitment of reef fish among experimental patches composed of six similar sized colonies of finely branching Pocillopora spp. but with different degrees of fragmentation: coral colonies were clumped (unfragmented), divided into two groups (low fragmentation), three groups (moderate fragmentation) or six groups (high fragmentation). Thirty settlement-stage Pomacentrus amboinensis were tagged, released onto each of the experimental patches, and their survival monitored daily for 11 days. Abundance and species richness of all reef fishes that subsequently recruited to the patches were also recorded, and used to analyse recruitment and community composition. There were no detectable differences among fragmentation treatments in the abundance or composition of reef fish assemblages that recruited to the patches, however, fragmentation influenced the survivorship of P. amboinensis. Highest survival of P. amboinensis was recorded on the unfragmented patches (61%.11 days-1) and highly fragmented habitat patches (54%.11 days-1) and lowest survival on low and moderate fragmentation treatments (47% and 48%.11 days-1, respectively). This suggests that there may be multiple competing processes that moderate mortality (e.g., predation) in unfragmented versus highly fragmented habitats, with moderate levels of habitat fragmentation having the greatest influence on the early post-settlement survival of corsal reef fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- M I Blandford
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville Q, 4811, Australia.
| | - K B Hillcoat
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville Q, 4811, Australia.
| | - M S Pratchett
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville Q, 4811, Australia.
| | - A S Hoey
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville Q, 4811, Australia.
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42
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Pereira AC, Colli GR. Landscape features affect caiman body condition in the middle Araguaia River floodplain. Anim Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. C. Pereira
- Departamento de Zoologia Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília Brasília Brazil
| | - G. R. Colli
- Departamento de Zoologia Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília Brasília Brazil
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43
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Wu Y, Wang B, Wu L, Liu S, Yue L, Wu J, Chen D. Fifty-year habitat subdivision enhances soil microbial biomass and diversity across subtropical land-bridge islands. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1063340. [PMID: 36569066 PMCID: PMC9780280 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1063340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although habitat loss and subdivision are considered main causes of sharp declines in biodiversity, there is still great uncertainty concerning the response of soil microbial biomass, diversity, and assemblage to habitat subdivision at the regional scale. Here, we selected 61 subtropical land-bridge islands (with small, medium, and large land areas) with a 50-year history of habitat subdivision and 9 adjacent mainland sites to investigate how habitat subdivision-induced unequal-sized patches and isolation affects biomass, diversity, and assemblages of soil bacteria and fungi. We found that the soil bacterial and fungal biomass on all unequal-sized islands were higher than that on mainland, while soil bacterial and fungal richness on the medium-sized islands were higher than that on mainland and other-sized islands. The habitat subdivision-induced increases in microbial biomass or richness were mainly associated with the changes in subdivision-specified habitat heterogeneities, especial for soil pH and soil moisture. Habitat subdivision reduced soil bacterial dissimilarity on medium-sized islands but did not affect soil fungal dissimilarity on islands of any size. The habitat fragment-induced changes in soil microbial dissimilarity were mainly associated with microbial richness. In summary, our results based on the responses of soil microbial communities from subtropical land-bridge islands are not consistent with the island biogeographical hypotheses but are to some extent consistent with the tradeoff between competition and dispersal. These findings indicate that the response of soil microbial communities to habitat subdivision differed by degree of subdivision and strongly related to habitat heterogeneity, and the distribution of microbial diversity among islands is also affected by tradeoff between competition and dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wu
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology, Yunnan University, Kunming, China,Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology and Health in Universities of Yunnan Province, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China,Engineering Research Center of Eco-Environment in Three Gorges Reservoir Region of Ministry of Education, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China
| | - Bing Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Eco-Environment in Three Gorges Reservoir Region of Ministry of Education, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China
| | - Liji Wu
- Engineering Research Center of Eco-Environment in Three Gorges Reservoir Region of Ministry of Education, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China
| | - Shengen Liu
- Engineering Research Center of Eco-Environment in Three Gorges Reservoir Region of Ministry of Education, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China
| | - Lingyan Yue
- Engineering Research Center of Eco-Environment in Three Gorges Reservoir Region of Ministry of Education, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China
| | - Jianping Wu
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology, Yunnan University, Kunming, China,Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology and Health in Universities of Yunnan Province, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China,Jianping Wu,
| | - Dima Chen
- Engineering Research Center of Eco-Environment in Three Gorges Reservoir Region of Ministry of Education, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China,*Correspondence: Dima Chen,
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44
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Swartz E, Weier SM, Pretorius ME, Keith M. Natural Vegetation Edges Promote Bat Activity in Macadamia Orchards in Northeastern South Africa. AFRICAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2022. [DOI: 10.3957/056.052.0155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emma Swartz
- Eugène Marais Chair of Wildlife Management, Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Pretoria, 0028 South Africa
| | - Sina M. Weier
- SARChI (NRF-DST) Research Chair on Biodiversity Value and Change, School of Mathematical & Natural Science, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa
| | - Mariëtte E. Pretorius
- Eugène Marais Chair of Wildlife Management, Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Pretoria, 0028 South Africa
| | - Mark Keith
- Eugène Marais Chair of Wildlife Management, Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Pretoria, 0028 South Africa
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45
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Perrin A, Glaizot O, Christe P. Worldwide impacts of landscape anthropization on mosquito abundance and diversity: A meta-analysis. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:6857-6871. [PMID: 36107000 PMCID: PMC9828797 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, the emergence and resurgence of vector-borne diseases have been well documented worldwide, especially in tropical regions where protection and defense tools for human populations are still very limited. In this context, the dynamics of pathogens are influenced by landscape anthropization (i.e., urbanization, deforestation, and agricultural development), and one of the mechanisms through which this occurs is a change in the abundance and/or diversity of the vectors. An increasing number of empirical studies have described heterogeneous effects of landscape anthropization on vector communities; therefore, it is difficult to have an overall picture of these effects on a global scale. Here, we performed a meta-analysis to quantify the impacts of landscape anthropization on a global scale on the presence/abundance and diversity of mosquitoes, the most important arthropods affecting human health. We obtained 338 effect sizes on 132 mosquito species, compiled from 107 studies in 52 countries that covered almost every part of the world. The results of the meta-analysis showed an overall decline of mosquito presence/abundance and diversity in response to urbanization, deforestation, and agricultural development, except for a few mosquito species that have been able to exploit landscape anthropization well. Our results highlighted that these few favored mosquito species are those of global concern. They, thus, provide a better understanding of the overall effect of landscape anthropization on vector communities and, more importantly, suggest a greater risk of emergence and transmission of vector-borne diseases in human-modified landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Perrin
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Olivier Glaizot
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
- Museum of ZoologyLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Philippe Christe
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
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46
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Coastal waterbird eco-habitat stability assessment in Zhangjiangkou Mangrove National Nature Reserve Based on habitat function-coordination coupling. ECOL INFORM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2022.101871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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47
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Landscape-scale connectivity and fragment size determine species composition of grassland fragments. Basic Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2022.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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48
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Large, concealed islands in the urban sea: Scattered surrounding green space enhances the quality of grassland habitats in urban parks, Tokyo. Urban Ecosyst 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-022-01311-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
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49
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Li M, Sui Y, Wang X, Ma Z, Luo Y, Aluthwattha ST, McKey D, Pujol B, Chen J, Zhang L. High outcrossing rates in a self-compatible and highly aggregated host-generalist mistletoe. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:6489-6504. [PMID: 36201456 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16720] [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: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Plants have evolved various strategies to avoid inbreeding, but the mass flowering displayed by many plants predisposes them to within-plant pollen movements and self-pollination. Mistletoes often aggregate at multiple spatial scales. Their bird pollinators often visit several flowers of the same individual and of others on the same host tree. We hypothesized that hermaphroditic mistletoes have self-incompatibility mechanisms that reduce or prevent selfing. Whether their spatial distribution, affected by host specificity, host distribution, and the behaviour of seed dispersers, influences their mating system and population genetic structure remains unclear. We studied how mating system and spatial distribution affect genetic structure in four populations of the host-generalist mistletoe Dendrophthoe pentandra in southwestern China using microsatellite markers and progeny arrays. We also characterized the fine-scale spatial genetic structure among 166 mistletoes from four host trees in one population. Prevalence and intensity of infection both appeared to vary among host species, strongly affecting the degree of aggregation. Host tree size had a strong effect on infection intensity. Surprisingly, manual pollination experiments indicated that D. pentandra is self-compatible, but genetic analyses revealed that outcrossing rates were higher than expected in all four populations (MLTR tm 0.83-1.20, Bayesian tm 0.772-0.952). Spatial genetic structure was associated with distance between host trees but not at shorter scales (within hosts). Our results demonstrate that the combination of bird pollination, bird-mediated seed dispersal, and post-dispersal processes result in outcrossing and maintain relatively high diversity in the presence of biparental inbreeding, despite very high local densities and possible self-compatibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manru Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Sui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xuanni Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhanxia Ma
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yahuang Luo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Sasith Tharanga Aluthwattha
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, China
| | - Doyle McKey
- CEFE, University of Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Benoit Pujol
- PSL Université Paris, EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Université de Perpignan, Perpignan, France
| | - Jin Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, China
| | - Ling Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, China
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50
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Fernández VP, Rodríguez-Gómez GB, Molina-Marín DA, Castaño-Villa GJ, Fontúrbel FE. Effects of landscape configuration on the occurrence and abundance of an arboreal marsupial from the Valdivian rainforest. REVISTA CHILENA DE HISTORIA NATURAL 2022. [DOI: 10.1186/s40693-022-00107-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Habitat fragmentation and degradation processes affect biodiversity by reducing habitat quantity and quality, with differential effects on the resident species. However, their consequences are not always noticeable as some ecological processes affected involve idiosyncratic responses among different animal groups. The Valdivian temperate rainforests of southern Chile are experiencing a rapid fragmentation and degradation process despite being a biodiversity hotspot. Deforestation is one of the main threats to these forests. There inhabits the arboreal marsupial Dromiciops gliroides, an iconic species from the Valdivian rainforest, it is the only extant representative of the ancient Microbiotheria order, and it is currently threatened by habitat loss. Here we tested the effects of habitat configuration on D. gliroides occurrence and abundance along 12 landscapes of southern Chile with different disturbance levels.
Methods
We estimated D. gliroides occurrence and abundance using camera traps and related those metrics with landscape configuration indices obtained from FRAGSTATS (i.e., forest %, connectivity, patch number, contiguity, and distance to the nearest patch) using Bayesian linear mixed models.
Results
We found that D. gliroides occurrence was not influenced by landscape configuration, while its abundance was positively influenced by forest contiguity.
Conclusions
Although this arboreal marsupial is present in disturbed forests, its restricted movement capabilities and high dependency on the forest three-dimensional structure may affect its long-term persistence. We urge to rethink native forest conservation and management policies to improve habitat connectivity with possible positive consequences for native fauna.
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