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Li X, Bleisch WV, Hu W, Li Q, Wang H, Chen Z, Bai R, Jiang XL. Human disturbance increases spatiotemporal associations among mountain forest terrestrial mammal species. eLife 2024; 12:RP92457. [PMID: 38949865 PMCID: PMC11216745 DOI: 10.7554/elife.92457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Spatial and temporal associations between sympatric species underpin biotic interactions, structure ecological assemblages, and sustain ecosystem functioning and stability. However, the resilience of interspecific spatiotemporal associations to human activity remains poorly understood, particularly in mountain forests where anthropogenic impacts are often pervasive. Here, we applied context-dependent Joint Species Distribution Models to a systematic camera-trap survey dataset from a global biodiversity hotspot in eastern Himalayas to understand how prominent human activities in mountain forests influence species associations within terrestrial mammal communities. We obtained 10,388 independent detections of 17 focal species (12 carnivores and five ungulates) from 322 stations over 43,163 camera days of effort. We identified a higher incidence of positive associations in habitats with higher levels of human modification (87%) and human presence (83%) compared to those located in habitats with lower human modification (64%) and human presence (65%) levels. We also detected a significant reduction of pairwise encounter time at increasing levels of human disturbance, corresponding to more frequent encounters between pairs of species. Our findings indicate that human activities can push mammals together into more frequent encounters and associations, which likely influences the coexistence and persistence of wildlife, with potential far-ranging ecological consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyou Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - William V Bleisch
- China Exploration and Research Society, 2707-08 SouthMark, Wong Chuk HangHong KongChina
| | - Wenqiang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Quan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Hongjiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Zhongzheng Chen
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of the Conservation and Exploitation of Biological Resources, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal UniversityWuhuChina
| | - Ru Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Xue-Long Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
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Natani T, Culot L, da Cunha RGT. Potential effects of brown howler monkey extinction on dispersal services in fragmented forests void of large dispersers. Primates 2024; 65:333-339. [PMID: 38564141 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-024-01128-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The dispersal of large-seeded species strongly depends on medium-sized and large frugivores, such as primates, which are highly susceptible to population declines. In the Atlantic Forest, brown howler monkeys Alouatta guariba are medium-sized folivorous-frugivorous species that are likely to occur in small to large fragments where the largest frugivores are extinct. However, populations of this primate have been suffering from forest fragmentation, habitat loss, hunting, and the direct and indirect effects of yellow fever outbreaks, which increase the importance of understanding their role as seed dispersers and the impacts of their potential loss. The richness and abundance of large-seeded species might also be reduced in smaller fragments, which could directly affect the magnitude of the potential impact of disperser extinction on plant recruitment. Here, we tested the following mutually exclusive predictions on the effect of fragment size on plant richness and relative density of medium- and large-seeded species consumed by brown howler monkeys in fragments smaller than 1500 ha: the number and the relative density of plant species potentially affected by the local extinction of these monkeys will be (1) directly related to forest fragment size, or (2) not related to forest fragment size. Plant richness and the relative density of large- and medium-sized seed species consumed by brown howler monkeys did not vary with fragment size, corroborating our second prediction. Thus, the local extinction of brown howler monkeys would have a similar potentially negative impact on plant regeneration for the range of tested fragment sizes. We discuss the limitations of our results and suggest other lines of enquiry for the refinement of our conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thays Natani
- Laboratório de Ecologia, Evolução e Conservação de Anfíbios e Répteis, Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Laurence Culot
- Departamento de Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio Mesquita, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
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3
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Durand-Bessart C, Akomo-Okoue EF, Ebang Ella GW, Porcher V, Bitome Essono PY, Bretagnolle F, Fontaine C. Local people enhance our understanding of Afrotropical frugivory networks. Curr Biol 2024; 34:1541-1548.e3. [PMID: 38452760 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Afrotropical forests are undergoing massive change caused by defaunation, i.e., the human-induced decline of animal species,1 most of which are frugivorous species.1,2,3 Frugivores' depletion and their functional disappearance are expected to cascade on tree dispersal and forest structure via interaction networks,4,5,6,7 as the majority of tree species depend on frugivores for their dispersal.8 However, frugivory networks remain largely unknown, especially in Afrotropical areas,9,10,11 which considerably limits our ability to predict changes in forest dynamics and structures using network analysis.12,13,14,15 While the academic workforce may be inadequate to fill this knowledge gap before it is too late, local ecological knowledge appears as a valuable source of ecological information and could significantly contribute to our understanding of such crucial interactions for tropical forests.16,17,18,19,20,21 To investigate potential synergies between local ecological knowledge and academic knowledge,20,21 we compiled frugivory interactions linking 286 trees to 100 frugivore species from the academic literature and local ecological knowledge coming from interviews of Gabonese forest-dependent people. Here, we showed that local ecological knowledge on frugivory interactions was substantial and original, with 39% of these interactions unknown by science. We demonstrated that combining academic and local ecological knowledge affects the functional relationship linking frugivore body mass to seed size, as well as the network structure. Our results highlight the benefits of bridging knowledge systems between academics and local communities for a better understanding of the functioning and response to perturbations of Afrotropical forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémentine Durand-Bessart
- Biogeosciences, UMR 6282, Université Bourgogne Franche Comte-CNRS, 21000 Dijon, France; Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation, CESCO, UMR 7204, MNHN-CNRS-SU, 75005 Paris, France; SENS, IRD, CIRAD, 34000 Montpellier, France.
| | | | | | - Vincent Porcher
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain; SENS, IRD, CIRAD, 34000 Montpellier, France
| | | | - François Bretagnolle
- Biogeosciences, UMR 6282, Université Bourgogne Franche Comte-CNRS, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Colin Fontaine
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation, CESCO, UMR 7204, MNHN-CNRS-SU, 75005 Paris, France
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4
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Tuo B, García-Palacios P, Guo C, Yan ER, Berg MP, Cornelissen JHC. Meta-analysis reveals that vertebrates enhance plant litter decomposition at the global scale. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:411-422. [PMID: 38195996 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02292-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Evidence is mounting that vertebrate defaunation greatly impacts global biogeochemical cycling. Yet, there is no comprehensive assessment of the potential vertebrate influence over plant decomposition, despite litter decay being one of the largest global carbon fluxes. We therefore conducted a global meta-analysis to evaluate vertebrate effects on litter mass loss and associated element release across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Here we show that vertebrates affected litter decomposition by various direct and indirect pathways, increasing litter mass loss by 6.7% on average, and up to 34.4% via physical breakdown. This positive vertebrate impact on litter mass loss was consistent across contrasting litter types (woody and non-woody), climatic regions (boreal, temperate and tropical), ecosystem types (aquatic and terrestrial) and vertebrate taxa, but disappeared when evaluating litter nitrogen and phosphorus release. Moreover, we found evidence of interactive effects between vertebrates and non-vertebrate decomposers on litter mass loss, and a larger influence of vertebrates at mid-to-late decomposition stages, contrasting with the invertebrate effect known to be strongest at early decomposition stage. Our synthesis demonstrates a global vertebrate control over litter mass loss, and further stresses the need to account for vertebrates when assessing the impacts of biodiversity loss on biogeochemical cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Tuo
- A-LIFE, Systems Ecology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Pablo García-Palacios
- Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias (ICA), CSIC, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Chao Guo
- Forest Zoology, Technische Universität Dresden, Tharandt, Germany.
| | - En-Rong Yan
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Tiantong National Forest Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, and Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Eco-Chongming (IEC), Shanghai, China
| | - Matty P Berg
- A-LIFE, Ecology & Evolution, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- GELIFES, Conservation and Community Ecology Group, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Tsunamoto Y, Tsuruga H, Kobayashi K, Sukegawa T, Asakura T. Seed dispersal function of the brown bear Ursus arctos on Hokkaido Island in northern Japan: gut passage time, dispersal distance, germination, and effects of remaining pulp. Oecologia 2024; 204:505-515. [PMID: 38265600 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05510-5] [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: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Megafauna are important seed dispersers because they can disperse large quantities of seeds over long distances. In Hokkaido, Japan, the largest terrestrial animal is the brown bear (Ursus arctos) and other megafauna seed dispersers are lacking. Thus, brown bears are expected to have an important function as seed dispersers in Hokkaido. In this study, we, for the first time, evaluated the seed dispersal function of brown bears in Hokkaido using three fleshy-fruited trees and studied: (1) gut passage time (GPT) in feeding experiments, (2) seed dispersal distance using tracking data of wild bears, and (3) the effect of gut passage and pulp removal on germination rate. Most seeds were defecated intact, and less than 6% were broken. The average GPT without pulp was 3 h and 56 min to 6 h and 13 min, depending on the plant and trial. Each plant's average simulated seed dispersal distance was 202-512 m. The dispersal distance of Actinidia arguta seeds with pulp was significantly longer than those without pulp because of their longer GPT. The germination rate of defecated seeds without pulp was 19-51%, depending on the plant, and was significantly higher or not different comparing with that of seeds with pulp. We concluded that brown bears in Hokkaido are effective seed dispersers. In managing brown bears in Hokkaido, such ecological functions should be considered along with conserving the bear population and reducing human-bear conflicts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihiro Tsunamoto
- Hokkaido Research Organization, Research Institute of Energy, Environment and Geology, Kita 19 Nishi 12, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0819, Japan.
| | - Hifumi Tsuruga
- Hokkaido Research Organization, Research Institute of Energy, Environment and Geology, Kita 19 Nishi 12, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0819, Japan
| | - Konomi Kobayashi
- Sapporo Maruyama Zoo, 3-1 Miyagaoka, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Takeshi Sukegawa
- Sapporo Maruyama Zoo, 3-1 Miyagaoka, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Takuya Asakura
- Sapporo Maruyama Zoo, 3-1 Miyagaoka, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
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Jiang C, Wang Y, Yang Z, Zhao Y. Do adaptive policy adjustments deliver ecosystem-agriculture-economy co-benefits in land degradation neutrality efforts? Evidence from southeast coast of China. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:1215. [PMID: 37713117 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11821-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystem restoration projects (ERPs) facilitate land degradation neutrality (LDN). However, the response dynamics and interactions of sectors within ecosystem-agriculture-economy nexus (EAEN) have not been sufficiently explored, which constrains the coordinated efficacy of LDN efforts. To bridge the knowledge gaps, the present study selected a land restoration hotspot in southeastern China as a case to investigate the simultaneous responses of the EAEN sectors to ERPs from a novel social-ecological system (SES)-based LDN perspective. Various biophysical models and Manne-Kendall trend test as well as multi-source spatially explicit data and socioeconomic statistics were applied to quantify the co-evolution of natural and socioeconomic indicators. ERPs converting cropland to woodland and grassland promoted vegetation restoration, reduced soil erosion, and enhanced carbon sequestration. However, cropland loss initially resulted in a decline in grain productivity. Policy adjustments and improvements in ecosystem restoration efforts and agricultural production conditions improved food security and increased agricultural production capacity. Effective policymaking and favorable resident engagement accelerated the transformation from a grain-production-based agriculture to diversified industries and, by extension, economic output, income, and population. The success of socioeconomic development under the SES framework for LDN demonstrated that this strategy could achieve the desired environmental, agricultural, and economic targets. EAEN under the SES conceptual framework provides an inclusive, comprehensive LDN perspective and improves ERP efficacy. The findings of the present work might be applicable to other land restoration areas challenged by the complex interactions among multidimensional factors. Comparably successful implementation of these ERPs could be realized if individual environmental and socioeconomic conditions are thoroughly considered during the formulation of coordinated development policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Coupling Process and Effect of Natural Resources Elements, Beijing, 100055, China.
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China.
- Changsha Comprehensive Survey Center of Natural Resources, China Geological Survey, Changsha, 410600, China.
- Dongying Base of Integration Between Industry and Education for High-Quality Development of Modern Agriculture, Ludong University, Dongying, 257509, China.
- Guangzhou Institute of Geography, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510070, China.
| | - Yixin Wang
- Research Institute of Management Science, Hohai University, Nanjing, 211100, China
| | - Zhiyuan Yang
- Department of Infrastructure Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Ying Zhao
- Dongying Base of Integration Between Industry and Education for High-Quality Development of Modern Agriculture, Ludong University, Dongying, 257509, China.
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7
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Boron V, Deere NJ, Hyde M, Bardales R, Stasiukynas D, Payán E. Habitat modification destabilizes spatial associations and persistence of Neotropical carnivores. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3722-3731.e4. [PMID: 37625415 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.07.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Spatial relationships between sympatric species underpin biotic interactions, structure ecological communities, and maintain ecosystem health. However, the resilience of interspecific spatial associations to human habitat modification remains largely unknown, particularly in tropical regions where anthropogenic impacts are often greatest. We applied multi-state multi-species occurrence models to camera trap data across nine tropical landscapes in Colombia to understand how prominent threats to forest ecosystems influence Neotropical carnivore occurrence and interspecific spatial associations, with implications for biotic interactions. We show that carnivore occurrence represents a delicate balance between local environmental conditions and interspecific interactions that can be compromised in areas of extensive habitat modification. The stability of carnivore spatial associations depends on forest cover to mediate antagonistic encounters with apex predators and structurally intact forests to facilitate coexistence between competing mesocarnivores. Notably, we demonstrate that jaguars play an irreplaceable role in spatially structuring mesocarnivore communities, providing novel evidence on their role as keystone species. With increasing global change, conserving both the extent and quality of tropical forests is imperative to support carnivores and preserve the spatial associations that underpin ecosystem stability and resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Boron
- Panthera, 8W 40th Street, New York 10018, USA; World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), The Living Planet Centre, Rufford House, Brewery Road, Woking, Surrey GU21 4LL, UK.
| | - Nicolas J Deere
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NR, UK.
| | - Matthew Hyde
- Panthera, 8W 40th Street, New York 10018, USA; Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Center for Human-Carnivore Coexistence, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | | | | | - Esteban Payán
- Panthera, 8W 40th Street, New York 10018, USA; Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York 10460, USA
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Boiten G, Dekegel S, Tagg N, Willie J. Defaunation is known to have pervasive, negative effects on tropical forests, but this is not the whole story. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0290717. [PMID: 37651368 PMCID: PMC10470957 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290717] [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: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Ecosystem functioning and integrity are affected by the loss of large-bodied animals, and comprehending when and how ecosystems are affected is an important goal of defaunation ecology. Despite considerable investigation, our understanding is incomplete. Previous research is biased towards the study of seed dispersal in the Neotropics. This study examined whether and how defaunation affects stem density, species diversity, species composition, spatial distribution, and dispersal mode composition of young understorey plants in an Afrotropical setting. Rectangular plots along transects and wedge-shaped plots under focal trees of five mammal-dispersed species were used to compare three sites representing a defaunation gradient in the Dja faunal reserve in Cameroon. Results showed no change in stem density. Woody plant diversity was highest in the most defaunated site, and compositional differences were noted. Under focal trees, the overall abundance of both seedlings and juveniles was similar. The most defaunated site had the highest number of seedlings far from parent trees. More juvenile stems occurred near parent trees in the least defaunated site. This surprising trend might result from fruit dispersal by small, surviving animals and humans more easily collecting fruits, for food or medicinal purposes, in defaunated, more accessible sites. Negligible or no differences in the abundance of animal-dispersed species and other dispersal modes emerged. This study highlights the roles of extant taxa as surrogate providers of ecological services in defaunated Afrotropical forests. Hence, functional compensation is a serious possibility. Additionally, conceptual models of defaunation consequences that exclude the role of humans may not reflect real-world situations. Overall, these investigations suggest that tropical forests, especially those where ecological niches are less partitioned, may be more resilient to defaunation pressures than is often assumed. Effectively conserving extant, and perhaps less iconic, animal species provides hope for defaunated forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gust Boiten
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Steffi Dekegel
- Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Earth and Life Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Nikki Tagg
- Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Born Free Foundation, Horsham, United Kingdom
| | - Jacob Willie
- Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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9
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Altino VS, Rezende DCB, Nogueira SSC, Aldrigui LG, Roldan M, Duarte JMB, Fureix C, Mendl M, Nogueira-Filho SLG. Validation of complementary non-invasive tools for stress assessment in spotted paca ( Cuniculus paca). Anim Welf 2023; 32:e54. [PMID: 38487411 PMCID: PMC10936349 DOI: 10.1017/awf.2023.49] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Monitoring the concentration of glucocorticoid metabolites (GCMs) in faecal samples is a non-invasive tool for physiological stress evaluation, particularly useful when studying wild species. However, both negative and positive stimuli (distress and eustress, respectively) can lead to a rise in glucocorticoids. Thus, besides validating whether GCM concentration in faeces reflects endogenous adrenal activity, we also need to identify behavioural indicators of distress to avoid misinterpretation. Therefore, we submitted four adult male spotted pacas (Cuniculus paca) to an exogenous adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenge-test in a Latin square design (4 × 4) to monitor changes in the GCM concentration in faeces. We also aimed to describe behaviours potentially indicative of distress. We collected excreted faeces and video-recorded the animals' behaviours for five consecutive days, one day before and four days after application of the following four treatments: 1st control (no-handling); 2nd control (intra-muscular [IM] injection of saline solution); low-dose ACTH (IM injection of 0.18 ml ACTH); and high-dose ACTH (IM injection of 0.37 ml ACTH). There was a peak in the concentration of GCM in faeces collected 24 h after the injection of the high-dose ACTH treatment. Additionally, independent of the treatments, spotted pacas spent less time on exploration and feeding states, while spending more time in the inactive but awake (IBA) state following the treatment application (challenge day). The use of GCM concentration in faecal samples together with the behavioural changes (less exploration and feeding, and more IBA) showed to be efficient as a non-invasive tool for welfare assessment of farmed spotted paca.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa S Altino
- Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz Rod. Jorge Amado, km 16, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil, 45662-900
| | - Darília CB Rezende
- Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz Rod. Jorge Amado, km 16, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil, 45662-900
| | - Selene SC Nogueira
- Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz Rod. Jorge Amado, km 16, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil, 45662-900
| | - Letícia G Aldrigui
- Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz Rod. Jorge Amado, km 16, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil, 45662-900
| | - Mar Roldan
- Núcleo de Pesquisa e Conservação de Cervídeos, Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual Paulista (FCAV-UNESP), Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José MB Duarte
- Núcleo de Pesquisa e Conservação de Cervídeos, Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual Paulista (FCAV-UNESP), Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carole Fureix
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Langford, UK
| | - Michael Mendl
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Langford, UK
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10
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Pringle RM, Abraham JO, Anderson TM, Coverdale TC, Davies AB, Dutton CL, Gaylard A, Goheen JR, Holdo RM, Hutchinson MC, Kimuyu DM, Long RA, Subalusky AL, Veldhuis MP. Impacts of large herbivores on terrestrial ecosystems. Curr Biol 2023; 33:R584-R610. [PMID: 37279691 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Large herbivores play unique ecological roles and are disproportionately imperiled by human activity. As many wild populations dwindle towards extinction, and as interest grows in restoring lost biodiversity, research on large herbivores and their ecological impacts has intensified. Yet, results are often conflicting or contingent on local conditions, and new findings have challenged conventional wisdom, making it hard to discern general principles. Here, we review what is known about the ecosystem impacts of large herbivores globally, identify key uncertainties, and suggest priorities to guide research. Many findings are generalizable across ecosystems: large herbivores consistently exert top-down control of plant demography, species composition, and biomass, thereby suppressing fires and the abundance of smaller animals. Other general patterns do not have clearly defined impacts: large herbivores respond to predation risk but the strength of trophic cascades is variable; large herbivores move vast quantities of seeds and nutrients but with poorly understood effects on vegetation and biogeochemistry. Questions of the greatest relevance for conservation and management are among the least certain, including effects on carbon storage and other ecosystem functions and the ability to predict outcomes of extinctions and reintroductions. A unifying theme is the role of body size in regulating ecological impact. Small herbivores cannot fully substitute for large ones, and large-herbivore species are not functionally redundant - losing any, especially the largest, will alter net impact, helping to explain why livestock are poor surrogates for wild species. We advocate leveraging a broad spectrum of techniques to mechanistically explain how large-herbivore traits and environmental context interactively govern the ecological impacts of these animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Pringle
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - Joel O Abraham
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - T Michael Anderson
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC 27109, USA
| | - Tyler C Coverdale
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA; Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Andrew B Davies
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | | | | | - Jacob R Goheen
- Department of Zoology & Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82072, USA
| | - Ricardo M Holdo
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Matthew C Hutchinson
- Department of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of California Merced, Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Duncan M Kimuyu
- Department of Natural Resources, Karatina University, Karatina, Kenya
| | - Ryan A Long
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
| | - Amanda L Subalusky
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Michiel P Veldhuis
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands
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11
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Bona K, Delabie JH, Cazetta E. Effects of anthropogenic disturbances on diaspore removal by ants: A meta-analysis. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2023.103893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
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12
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Williams PJ, Brodie JF. Predicting how defaunation-induced changes in seed predation and dispersal will affect tropical tree populations. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2023; 37:e14014. [PMID: 36178021 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14014] [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: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The loss of large animals due to overhunting and habitat loss potentially affects tropical tree populations and carbon cycling. Trees reliant on large-bodied seed dispersers are thought to be particularly negatively affected by defaunation. But besides seed dispersal, defaunation can also increase or decrease seed predation. It remains unclear how these different defaunation effects on early life stages ultimately affect tree population dynamics. We reviewed the literature on how tropical animal loss affects different plant life stages, and we conducted a meta-analysis of how defaunation affects seed predation. We used this information to parameterize models that altered matrix projection models from a suite of tree species to simulate defaunation-caused changes in seed dispersal and predation. We assessed how applying these defaunation effects affected population growth rates. On average, population-level effects of defaunation were negligible, suggesting that defaunation may not cause the massive reductions in forest carbon storage that have been predicted. In contrast to previous hypotheses, we did not detect an effect of seed size on changes in seed predation rates. The change in seed predation did not differ significantly between exclosure experiments and observational studies, although the results of observational studies were far more variable. Although defaunation surely affects certain tree taxa, species that benefit or are harmed by it and net changes in forest carbon storage cannot currently be predicted based on available data. Further research on how factors such as seed predation vary across tree species and defaunation scenarios is necessary for understanding cascading changes in species composition and diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jedediah F Brodie
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
- Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
- Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
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13
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Wang L, Wei F, Svenning JC. Accelerated cropland expansion into high integrity forests and protected areas globally in the 21st century. iScience 2023; 26:106450. [PMID: 37034983 PMCID: PMC10074200 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Intact forests and protected areas (PAs) are central to global biodiversity conservation and nature-based climate change mitigation. However, cropland encroachment threatens the ecological integrity and resilience of their functioning. Using satellite observations, we find that a large proportion of croplands in the remaining forests globally have been gained during 2003-2019, especially for high-integrity forests (62%) and non-forest biomes (60%) and tropical forests (47%). Cropland expansion during 2011-2019 in forests globally has even doubled (130% relative increase) than 2003-2011, with high medium-integrity (190%) and high-integrity (165%) categories and non-forest (182%) and tropical forest biomes (136%) showing higher acceleration. Unexpectedly, a quarter of croplands in PAs globally were gained during 2003-2019, again with a recent accelerated expansion (48%). These results suggest insufficient protection of these irreplaceable landscapes and a major challenge to global conservation. More effective local, national, and international coordination among sustainable development goals 15, 13, and 2 is urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanhui Wang
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE) and Section for Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Corresponding author
| | - Fangli Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO) & Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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14
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Cruz CEF, Driemeier D, Sonne L, Pavarini SP, Panziera W, Funkler GR, Böelter NS, Homem JLC, Soares CES, Tres GZ, Silva VGC, Correa ML, Caporal FJM, Marques ST, Soares JF, Wagner PGC, Nisa-Castro-Neto W, Andretta I. Rehabilitation and release of confiscated songbirds into the wild: A pilot study. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1109568. [PMID: 37065241 PMCID: PMC10098152 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1109568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Songbirds are currently the most prevalent animals in illegal trafficking in Brazil and other countries, so they are often confiscated, and this poses legal, ethical, and conservation challenges. Returning them to nature requires complex and expensive management, a topic that is sparingly addressed in the literature. Here, we described the processes and costs associated with an attempt to rehabilitate and release confiscated songbirds into the wild. A total of 1,721 songbirds of several species were quarantined, rehabilitated, and released, primarily on two farms located within their typical geographical distribution. Health assessments were performed on samples from 370 birds. Serology revealed no antibodies against Newcastle disease, and Salmonella spp. cultures were negative. Real-time polymerase chain reactions detected M. gallisepticum in samples from seven birds. Atoxoplasma spp. and Acuaria spp. infections, sepsis, and trauma were the top causes of bird death. About 6% of the released birds were recaptured, within an average period of 249 days after release, and at a mean distance of 2,397 meters from the release sites. The majority of these birds were found with free-living mates within or close to fragments of transitional ecoregions with native or cultivated grasslands, and native groves/forests, and shrublands. However, eucalyptus plantations with rich understory regeneration provided a suitable environment for the released forest species to settle, since they were recaptured during the defense of these sites. Over half of the recaptured birds presented behavioral profiles with both dominant and tame traits. Birds with dominant traits are more likely to settle in habitats and face the live decoys during fieldwork, whereas birds with tame characteristics tend to accept close contact with humans. Ultramarine grosbeak (Cyanoloxia brissonii), the least common species among those released, at the release sites showed an almost 2-fold recapture rate in the shortest mean distances from the release sites. This suggests less territory competition, perhaps a major factor of bird re-establishment here. The total per-bird cost was USD 57. Our findings suggested suitable survival and re-establishment of confiscated songbirds in the wild, when managed as we describe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cláudio Estêvão Farias Cruz
- Centro de Estudos em Manejo de Aves Silvestres (CEMAS), Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Cláudio Estêvão Farias Cruz
| | - David Driemeier
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Setor de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Luciana Sonne
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Setor de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Saulo P. Pavarini
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Setor de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Welden Panziera
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Setor de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Gustavo R. Funkler
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Laboratório Porto Belo, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Nicole S. Böelter
- Centro de Estudos em Manejo de Aves Silvestres (CEMAS), Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Juan L. C. Homem
- Centro de Estudos em Manejo de Aves Silvestres (CEMAS), Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Camila E. S. Soares
- Centro de Estudos em Manejo de Aves Silvestres (CEMAS), Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Gabrielle Z. Tres
- Centro de Estudos em Manejo de Aves Silvestres (CEMAS), Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Vitor G. C. Silva
- Centro de Estudos em Manejo de Aves Silvestres (CEMAS), Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Miguel L. Correa
- Centro de Estudos em Manejo de Aves Silvestres (CEMAS), Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | - Sandra T. Marques
- Laboratório de Parasitologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - João F. Soares
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Laboratório de Protozoologia e Rickettsioses Vetoriais, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Paulo Guilherme Carniel Wagner
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Centro de Triagem de Animais Silvestres (CETAS), Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis (IBAMA), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Walter Nisa-Castro-Neto
- Organização para a Pesquisa e a Conservação de Esqualus no Brasil (PRÓ-SQUALUS), Tôrres, Brazil
| | - Inês Andretta
- Laboratório de Ensino Zootécnico, Faculdade de Agronomia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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15
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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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16
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Lapola DM, Pinho P, Barlow J, Aragão LEOC, Berenguer E, Carmenta R, Liddy HM, Seixas H, Silva CVJ, Silva-Junior CHL, Alencar AAC, Anderson LO, Armenteras D, Brovkin V, Calders K, Chambers J, Chini L, Costa MH, Faria BL, Fearnside PM, Ferreira J, Gatti L, Gutierrez-Velez VH, Han Z, Hibbard K, Koven C, Lawrence P, Pongratz J, Portela BTT, Rounsevell M, Ruane AC, Schaldach R, da Silva SS, von Randow C, Walker WS. The drivers and impacts of Amazon forest degradation. Science 2023; 379:eabp8622. [PMID: 36701452 DOI: 10.1126/science.abp8622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Approximately 2.5 × 106 square kilometers of the Amazon forest are currently degraded by fire, edge effects, timber extraction, and/or extreme drought, representing 38% of all remaining forests in the region. Carbon emissions from this degradation total up to 0.2 petagrams of carbon per year (Pg C year-1), which is equivalent to, if not greater than, the emissions from Amazon deforestation (0.06 to 0.21 Pg C year-1). Amazon forest degradation can reduce dry-season evapotranspiration by up to 34% and cause as much biodiversity loss as deforestation in human-modified landscapes, generating uneven socioeconomic burdens, mainly to forest dwellers. Projections indicate that degradation will remain a dominant source of carbon emissions independent of deforestation rates. Policies to tackle degradation should be integrated with efforts to curb deforestation and complemented with innovative measures addressing the disturbances that degrade the Amazon forest.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Lapola
- Laboratório de Ciência do Sistema Terrestre - LabTerra, Centro de Pesquisas Meteorológicas e Climáticas Aplicadas à Agricultura - CEPAGRI, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Patricia Pinho
- Instituto de Pesquisas Ambientais da Amazônia, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Jos Barlow
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Luiz E O C Aragão
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil.,Geography, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Erika Berenguer
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.,Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Hannah M Liddy
- Columbia Climate School, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hugo Seixas
- Laboratório de Ciência do Sistema Terrestre - LabTerra, Centro de Pesquisas Meteorológicas e Climáticas Aplicadas à Agricultura - CEPAGRI, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Camila V J Silva
- Instituto de Pesquisas Ambientais da Amazônia, Brasília, DF, Brazil.,Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.,BeZero Carbon Ltd, London, UK
| | - Celso H L Silva-Junior
- Institute of Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.,Programa de Pós-graduação em Biodiversidade e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Maranhão - UFMA, São Luís, MA, Brazil
| | - Ane A C Alencar
- Instituto de Pesquisas Ambientais da Amazônia, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Liana O Anderson
- Centro Nacional de Monitoramento e Alertas de Desastres Naturais, São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | - Kim Calders
- Computational & Applied Vegetation Ecology Laboratory, Department of Environment, Ghent University, Belgium.,School of Forest Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | | | | | | | - Bruno L Faria
- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Norte de Minas Gerais, Diamantina, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Joice Ferreira
- Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária, Belém, PA, Brazil
| | - Luciana Gatti
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | - Kathleen Hibbard
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration Headquarters, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Charles Koven
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Peter Lawrence
- National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Julia Pongratz
- Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg, Germany.,Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Mark Rounsevell
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.,University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Alex C Ruane
- NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Celso von Randow
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil
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17
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Marshall AR, Waite CE, Pfeifer M, Banin LF, Rakotonarivo S, Chomba S, Herbohn J, Gilmour DA, Brown M, Chazdon RL. Fifteen essential science advances needed for effective restoration of the world's forest landscapes. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210065. [PMID: 36373922 PMCID: PMC9661955 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
There has never been a more pressing and opportune time for science and practice to collaborate towards restoration of the world's forests. Multiple uncertainties remain for achieving successful, long-term forest landscape restoration (FLR). In this article, we use expert knowledge and literature review to identify knowledge gaps that need closing to advance restoration practice, as an introduction to a landmark theme issue on FLR and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Aligned with an Adaptive Management Cycle for FLR, we identify 15 essential science advances required to facilitate FLR success for nature and people. They highlight that the greatest science challenges lie in the conceptualization, planning and assessment stages of restoration, which require an evidence base for why, where and how to restore, at realistic scales. FLR and underlying sciences are complex, requiring spatially explicit approaches across disciplines and sectors, considering multiple objectives, drivers and trade-offs critical for decision-making and financing. The developing tropics are a priority region, where scientists must work with stakeholders across the Adaptive Management Cycle. Clearly communicated scientific evidence for action at the outset of restoration planning will enable donors, decision makers and implementers to develop informed objectives, realistic targets and processes for accountability. This article paves the way for 19 further articles in this theme issue, with author contributions from across the world. This article is part of the theme issue 'Understanding forest landscape restoration: reinforcing scientific foundations for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R. Marshall
- Forest Research Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, QLD 4556, Australia
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
- Reforest Africa, Mang'ula, Tanzania
- Flamingo Land Ltd, Kirby Misperton, North Yorkshire YO17 6UX, UK
| | - Catherine E. Waite
- Forest Research Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, QLD 4556, Australia
| | - Marion Pfeifer
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Lindsay F. Banin
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, UK
| | - Sarobidy Rakotonarivo
- École Supérieure des Sciences Agronomiques, Université d'Antananarivo, BP 566 Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | | | - John Herbohn
- Forest Research Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, QLD 4556, Australia
| | - Donald A. Gilmour
- Forest Research Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, QLD 4556, Australia
| | - Mark Brown
- Forest Research Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, QLD 4556, Australia
| | - Robin L. Chazdon
- Forest Research Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, QLD 4556, Australia
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18
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Hughes LJ, Morton O, Scheffers BR, Edwards DP. The ecological drivers and consequences of wildlife trade. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 98:775-791. [PMID: 36572536 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Wildlife trade is a key driver of extinction risk, affecting at least 24% of terrestrial vertebrates. The persistent removal of species can have profound impacts on species extinction risk and selection within populations. We draw together the first review of characteristics known to drive species use - identifying species with larger body sizes, greater abundance, increased rarity or certain morphological traits valued by consumers as being particularly prevalent in trade. We then review the ecological implications of this trade-driven selection, revealing direct effects of trade on natural selection and populations for traded species, which includes selection against desirable traits. Additionally, there exists a positive feedback loop between rarity and trade and depleted populations tend to have easy human access points, which can result in species being harvested to extinction and has the potential to alter source-sink dynamics. Wider cascading ecosystem repercussions from trade-induced declines include altered seed dispersal networks, trophic cascades, long-term compositional changes in plant communities, altered forest carbon stocks, and the introduction of harmful invasive species. Because it occurs across multiple scales with diverse drivers, wildlife trade requires multi-faceted conservation actions to maintain biodiversity and ecological function, including regulatory and enforcement approaches, bottom-up and community-based interventions, captive breeding or wildlife farming, and conservation translocations and trophic rewilding. We highlight three emergent research themes at the intersection of trade and community ecology: (1) functional impacts of trade; (2) altered provisioning of ecosystem services; and (3) prevalence of trade-dispersed diseases. Outside of the primary objective that exploitation is sustainable for traded species, we must urgently incorporate consideration of the broader consequences for other species and ecosystem processes when quantifying sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam J. Hughes
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield South Yorks S10 2TN Sheffield UK
| | - Oscar Morton
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield South Yorks S10 2TN Sheffield UK
| | - Brett R. Scheffers
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida Gainesville FL 32611 USA
| | - David P. Edwards
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield South Yorks S10 2TN Sheffield UK
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19
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Bogoni JA, Percequillo AR, Ferraz KMPMB, Peres CA. The empty forest three decades later: Lessons and prospects. Biotropica 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Juliano A. Bogoni
- Laboratório de Ecologia, Manejo e Conservação de Fauna (LEMaC), Departamento de Ciências Florestais, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz” Universidade de São Paulo Piracicaba Brazil
- School of Environmental Sciences University of East Anglia Norwich UK
| | - Alexandre R. Percequillo
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz” Universidade de São Paulo Piracicaba Brazil
| | - Katia M. P. M. B. Ferraz
- Laboratório de Ecologia, Manejo e Conservação de Fauna (LEMaC), Departamento de Ciências Florestais, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz” Universidade de São Paulo Piracicaba Brazil
| | - Carlos A. Peres
- School of Environmental Sciences University of East Anglia Norwich UK
- Instituto Juruá Manaus Brazil
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20
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Gorczynski D, Hsieh C, Ahumada J, Akampurira E, Andrianarisoa MH, Espinosa S, Johnson S, Kayijamahe C, Lima MGM, Mugerwa B, Rovero F, Salvador J, Santos F, Sheil D, Uzabaho E, Beaudrot L. Human density modulates spatial associations among tropical forest terrestrial mammal species. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:7205-7216. [PMID: 36172946 PMCID: PMC9827980 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The spatial aggregation of species pairs often increases with the ecological similarity of the species involved. However, the way in which environmental conditions and anthropogenic activity affect the relationship between spatial aggregation and ecological similarity remains unknown despite the potential for spatial associations to affect species interactions, ecosystem function, and extinction risk. Given that human disturbance has been shown to both increase and decrease spatial associations among species pairs, ecological similarity may have a role in mediating these patterns. Here, we test the influences of habitat diversity, primary productivity, human population density, and species' ecological similarity based on functional traits (i.e., functional trait similarity) on spatial associations among tropical forest mammals. Large mammals are highly sensitive to anthropogenic change and therefore susceptible to changes in interspecific spatial associations. Using two-species occupancy models and camera trap data, we quantified the spatial overlap of 1216 species pairs from 13 tropical forest protected areas around the world. We found that the association between ecological similarity and interspecific species associations depended on surrounding human density. Specifically, aggregation of ecologically similar species was more than an order of magnitude stronger in landscapes with the highest human density compared to those with the lowest human density, even though all populations occurred within protected areas. Human-induced changes in interspecific spatial associations have been shown to alter top-down control by predators, increase disease transmission and increase local extinction rates. Our results indicate that anthropogenic effects on the distribution of wildlife within protected areas are already occurring and that impacts on species interactions, ecosystem functions, and extinction risk warrant further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Gorczynski
- Department of BiosciencesRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
- Program in Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Chia Hsieh
- Department of BiosciencesRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
- Program in Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Jorge Ahumada
- Moore Center for Science, Conservation InternationalArlingtonVirginiaUSA
| | - Emmanuel Akampurira
- Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation (ITFC), Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST)KabaleUganda
- Department of Conflict and Development Studies, Ghent UniversityGentBelgium
| | | | - Santiago Espinosa
- Facultad de CienciasUniversidad Autónoma de San Luis PotosíSan Luis PotosíMexico
- Escuela de Ciencias BiológicasPontificia Universidad Católica del EcuadorQuitoEcuador
| | - Steig Johnson
- Department of Anthropology and ArchaeologyUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada
| | | | - Marcela Guimarães Moreira Lima
- Biogeography of Conservation and Macroecology LaboratoryInstitute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal do ParáParáBrazil
| | - Badru Mugerwa
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife ResearchBerlinGermany
- Department of EcologyTechnische Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Francesco Rovero
- Department of BiologyUniversity of FlorenceFlorenceItaly
- MUSE‐Museo delle ScienzeTrentoItaly
| | - Julia Salvador
- Wildlife Conservation SocietyQuitoEcuador
- Pontificia Universidad Católica del EcuadorQuitoEcuador
| | - Fernanda Santos
- Programa de Capacitação Institucional, Coordenação de Ciências da Terra e Ecologia, Museu Paraense Emílio GoeldiBelémBrazil
| | - Douglas Sheil
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)AasNorway
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management GroupWageningen University & ResearchWageningenNetherlands
| | | | - Lydia Beaudrot
- Department of BiosciencesRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
- Program in Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
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21
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Sze JS, Childs DZ, Carrasco LR, Edwards DP. Indigenous lands in protected areas have high forest integrity across the tropics. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4949-4956.e3. [PMID: 36302386 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.09.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Intact tropical forests have a high conservation value.1 Although perceived as wild,2 they have been under long-term human influence.3 As global area-based conservation targets increase, the ecological contributions of Indigenous peoples through their governance institutions and practices4 are gaining mainstream interest. Indigenous lands-covering a quarter of Earth's surface5 and overlapping with a third of intact forests6-often have reduced deforestation, degradation, and carbon emissions, compared with non-protected areas and protected areas.7,8 A key question with implications for the design of more equitable and effective conservation policies is to understand the impacts of Indigenous lands on forest integrity and long-term use, as critical measures of ecosystem health included within the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.9 Using the forest landscape integrity index10 and Anthromes11 datasets, we find that high-integrity forests tend to be located within the overlap of protected areas and Indigenous lands (protected-Indigenous areas). After accounting for location biases through statistical matching and regression, protected-Indigenous areas had the highest protective effect on forest integrity and the lowest land-use intensity relative to Indigenous lands, protected areas, and non-protected controls pan-tropically. The protective effect of Indigenous lands on forest integrity was lower in Indigenous lands than in protected areas and non-protected areas in the Americas and Asia. The combined positive effects of state legislation and Indigenous presence in protected-Indigenous areas may contribute to maintaining tropical forest integrity. Understanding management and governance in protected-Indigenous areas can help states to appropriately support community-governed lands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jocelyne S Sze
- School of Biosciences, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
| | - Dylan Z Childs
- School of Biosciences, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - L Roman Carrasco
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore
| | - David P Edwards
- School of Biosciences, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
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22
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Factors Affecting the Natural Regeneration of the Larix principis-rupprechtii Mayr Plantations: Evidence from the Composition and Co-Occurrence Network Structure of Soil Bacterial Communities. Processes (Basel) 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/pr10091771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial communities living in the soil can affect forests natural regeneration, but the effects of their composition and network inference on regeneration of Larix principis-rupprechtii Mayr plantations remain largely elusive. Therefore, the redundancy analysis and structure equations modeling of affecting elements for the regeneration of L. principis-rupprechtii plots including the diversity, composition and network structure of soil bacteria, topographic factors, light factors, and soil physicochemical properties have been conducted. It was found that the increased modularity of the soil bacterial community co-occurrence network and the enrichment of metabolic pathway bacteria had a significant positive effect on the successful regeneration (total effect of 0.84). The complexity of the soil bacterial community gradually decreased with the increase of stand regeneration, and the composition and structure of the flora became simpler (with standard path coefficients: −0.70). In addition, altitude also had a positive effect on regeneration with a total effect of 0.39. Soil nutrients had significantly negative effects on regeneration with total effects of −0.87. Soil bacterial communities may mediate the effects of soil nutrients, altitude, litter thickness, and herbaceous diversity on regeneration in L. principis-rupprechtii plantations. The results provide a great contribution to our understanding of regeneration-soil bacterial community interactions and the basis and important data for sustainable management of L. principis-rupprechtii plantations in the Lvliang Mountains located in northern China.
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23
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Flores BM, Staal A. Feedback in tropical forests of the Anthropocene. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:5041-5061. [PMID: 35770837 PMCID: PMC9542052 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Tropical forests are complex systems containing myriad interactions and feedbacks with their biotic and abiotic environments, but as the world changes fast, the future of these ecosystems becomes increasingly uncertain. In particular, global stressors may unbalance the feedbacks that stabilize tropical forests, allowing other feedbacks to propel undesired changes in the whole ecosystem. Here, we review the scientific literature across various fields, compiling known interactions of tropical forests with their environment, including the global climate, rainfall, aerosols, fire, soils, fauna, and human activities. We identify 170 individual interactions among 32 elements that we present as a global tropical forest network, including countless feedback loops that may emerge from different combinations of interactions. We illustrate our findings with three cases involving urgent sustainability issues: (1) wildfires in wetlands of South America; (2) forest encroachment in African savanna landscapes; and (3) synergistic threats to the peatland forests of Borneo. Our findings reveal an unexplored world of feedbacks that shape the dynamics of tropical forests. The interactions and feedbacks identified here can guide future qualitative and quantitative research on the complexities of tropical forests, allowing societies to manage the nonlinear responses of these ecosystems in the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernardo M. Flores
- Graduate Program in EcologyFederal University of Santa CatarinaFlorianopolisBrazil
| | - Arie Staal
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable DevelopmentUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
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24
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Live decoys: an old but effective tool for attracting, capturing, and studying free-living passerines. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-022-01571-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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25
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McFadden IR, Fritz SA, Zimmermann NE, Pellissier L, Kissling WD, Tobias JA, Schleuning M, Graham CH. Global plant-frugivore trait matching is shaped by climate and biogeographic history. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:686-696. [PMID: 35199916 PMCID: PMC9302656 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Species interactions are influenced by the trait structure of local multi‐trophic communities. However, it remains unclear whether mutualistic interactions in particular can drive trait patterns at the global scale, where climatic constraints and biogeographic processes gain importance. Here we evaluate global relationships between traits of frugivorous birds and palms (Arecaceae), and how these relationships are affected, directly or indirectly, by assemblage richness, climate and biogeographic history. We leverage a new and expanded gape size dataset for nearly all avian frugivores, and find a positive relationship between gape size and fruit size, that is, trait matching, which is influenced indirectly by palm richness and climate. We also uncover a latitudinal gradient in trait matching strength, which increases towards the tropics and varies among zoogeographic realms. Taken together, our results suggest trophic interactions have consistent influences on trait structure, but that abiotic, biogeographic and richness effects also play important, though sometimes indirect, roles in shaping the functional biogeography of mutualisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian R McFadden
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland.,Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Susanne A Fritz
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Institut für Geowissenschaften, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Niklaus E Zimmermann
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Loïc Pellissier
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland.,Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - W Daniel Kissling
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joseph A Tobias
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Matthias Schleuning
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Catherine H Graham
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland
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26
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Priority areas for conservation of primates in a threatened Amazonian savanna. J Nat Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2021.126109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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27
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Campo‐Celada M, Jordano P, Benítez‐López A, Gutiérrez‐Expósito C, Rabadán‐González J, Mendoza I. Assessing short and long‐term variations in diversity, timing and body condition of frugivorous birds. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- María Campo‐Celada
- Dept of Integrative Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Sevilla Spain
| | - Pedro Jordano
- Dept of Integrative Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Sevilla Spain
- Dept of Plant Biology and Ecology, Univ. de Sevilla Sevilla Spain
| | - Ana Benítez‐López
- Dept of Integrative Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Sevilla Spain
| | - Carlos Gutiérrez‐Expósito
- tier3 Solutions GmbH Leverkusen Germany
- Conservation Biology Dept, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Isla de la Cartuja Sevilla Spain
| | | | - Irene Mendoza
- Dept of Integrative Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Sevilla Spain
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28
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Gillerot L, Grussu G, Condor-Golec R, Tavani R, Dargush P, Attorre F. Progress on incorporating biodiversity monitoring in REDD+ through national forest inventories. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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29
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Rogers HS, Donoso I, Traveset A, Fricke EC. Cascading Impacts of Seed Disperser Loss on Plant Communities and Ecosystems. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND SYSTEMATICS 2021. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-012221-111742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Seed dispersal is key to the persistence and spread of plant populations. Because the majority of plant species rely on animals to disperse their seeds, global change drivers that directly affect animals can cause cascading impacts on plant communities. In this review, we synthesize studies assessing how disperser loss alters plant populations, community patterns, multitrophic interactions, and ecosystem functioning. We argue that the magnitude of risk to plants from disperser loss is shaped by the combination of a plant species’ inherent dependence on seed dispersal and the severity of the hazards faced by their dispersers. Because the factors determining a plant species’ risk of decline due to disperser loss can be related to traits of the plants and dispersers, our framework enables a trait-based understanding of change in plant community composition and ecosystem functioning. We discuss how interactions among plants, among dispersers, and across other trophic levels also mediate plant community responses, and we identify areas for future research to understand and mitigate the consequences of disperser loss on plants globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haldre S. Rogers
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA
| | - Isabel Donoso
- Global Change Research Group, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, 07190 Esporles, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Anna Traveset
- Global Change Research Group, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, 07190 Esporles, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Evan C. Fricke
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
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30
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Edwards DP, Cerullo GR, Chomba S, Worthington TA, Balmford AP, Chazdon RL, Harrison RD. Upscaling tropical restoration to deliver environmental benefits and socially equitable outcomes. Curr Biol 2021; 31:R1326-R1341. [PMID: 34637743 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration offers immense potential to return hundreds of millions of hectares of degraded tropical landscapes to functioning ecosystems. Well-designed restoration can tackle multiple Sustainable Development Goals, driving synergistic benefits for biodiversity, ecosystem services, agricultural and timber production, and local livelihoods at large spatial scales. To deliver on this potential, restoration efforts must recognise and reduce trade-offs among objectives, and minimize competition with food production and conservation of native ecosystems. Restoration initiatives also need to confront core environmental challenges of climate change and inappropriate planting in savanna biomes, be robustly funded over the long term, and address issues of poor governance, inadequate land tenure, and socio-cultural disparities in benefits and costs. Tackling these issues using the landscape approach is vital to realising the potential for restoration to break the cycle of land degradation and poverty, and deliver on its core environmental and social promises.
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Affiliation(s)
- David P Edwards
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
| | | | | | | | - Andrew P Balmford
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Robin L Chazdon
- Tropical Forests and People Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD 4556, Australia
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31
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Camargo PHSA, Carlo TA, Brancalion PHS, Pizo MA. Frugivore diversity increases evenness in the seed rain on deforested tropical landscapes. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paulo H. S. A. Camargo
- Univ. Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Inst. de Biociências Rio Claro SP Brasil
- Biology Dept, 208 Mueller Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State Univ. State College Pennsylvania USA
| | - Tomás A. Carlo
- Biology Dept, 208 Mueller Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State Univ. State College Pennsylvania USA
| | - Pedro H. S. Brancalion
- Dept of Forest Sciences, ‘Luiz de Queiroz' College of Agriculture, Univ. of São Paulo Piracicaba SP Brazil
| | - Marco A. Pizo
- Univ. Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Inst. de Biociências Rio Claro SP Brasil
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32
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Jenkins RLM, Warren RF, Price JT. Addressing risks to biodiversity arising from a changing climate: The need for ecosystem restoration in the Tana River Basin, Kenya. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254879. [PMID: 34288974 PMCID: PMC8294490 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change is projected to have significant effects on the distribution of species globally, but research into the implications in parts of Africa has been limited. Using species distribution modelling, this study models climate change-related risks to the terrestrial biodiversity (birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and plants) of Kenya’s economically-important and ecologically diverse Tana River Basin. Large reductions in species richness are projected with just 2°C warming (relative to preindustrial levels) with birds and plants seeing the greatest impact. Potential climate refugia for biodiversity are identified within the basin, but often overlap with areas already converted to agriculture or set aside for agricultural expansion, and the majority are outside protected areas. Similarly, some protected areas contain no projected refugia at higher levels of global warming, showing they may be insufficient to protect the basin’s biodiversity as climate changes. However, risks to biodiversity are much smaller if the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to ‘well below 2°C’ warming, rather than 2°C only, is met. The potential for refugia for plants and animals decreases strongly with warming. For example, 82% of the basin remaining climatically suitable for at least 75% of the plants currently present at 1.5°C warming, as compared with 23% at 2°C and 3% at 4.5°C. This research provides the first assessment of the combined effects of development plans and climate change on biodiversity of the Tana River Basin, including identifying potential areas for restoration, and contributes to a greater understanding of biodiversity protection and adaptation options in Kenya.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhosanna L. M. Jenkins
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Rachel F. Warren
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
- Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Jeff T. Price
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
- Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
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33
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Borgerson C, Fisher BL, Razafindrapaoly BN, Rasolofoniaina BJR, Randriamanetsy JM, Razafindrapaoly BL, Rajaona D, Herrera P, Van Itterbeeck J, Martinez KM, Aardema ML. A nutrient‐rich traditional insect for improving food security and reducing biodiversity loss in Madagascar and
sub‐Saharan
Africa. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Cortni Borgerson
- Department of Anthropology Montclair State University Montclair New Jersey USA
- Madagascar Health and Environmental Research (MAHERY) Maroantsetra Madagascar
| | - Brian L. Fisher
- California Academy of the Sciences San Francisco California USA
- Madagascar Biodiversity Center Parc Botanique et Zoologique de Tsimbazaza Antananarivo Madagascar
| | | | | | | | | | - Delox Rajaona
- Madagascar Health and Environmental Research (MAHERY) Maroantsetra Madagascar
| | - Patsy Herrera
- Department of Anthropology Montclair State University Montclair New Jersey USA
- Department of Biology Montclair State University Montclair New Jersey USA
| | | | - Kenneth M. Martinez
- Department of Anthropology Montclair State University Montclair New Jersey USA
| | - Matthew L. Aardema
- Department of Biology Montclair State University Montclair New Jersey USA
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics American Museum of Natural History New York New York USA
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34
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Vidiella B, Fontich E, Valverde S, Sardanyés J. Habitat loss causes long extinction transients in small trophic chains. THEOR ECOL-NETH 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12080-021-00509-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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35
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36
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Dent DH, Estrada-Villegas S. Uniting niche differentiation and dispersal limitation predicts tropical forest succession. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:700-708. [PMID: 33966918 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Tropical secondary forests are increasingly important for carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation worldwide; yet, we still cannot accurately predict community turnover during secondary succession. We propose that integrating niche differentiation and dispersal limitation will generate an improved theoretical explanation of tropical forest succession. The interaction between seed sources and dispersers regulates seed movement throughout succession, and recent technological advances in animal tracking and molecular analyses enable us to accurately monitor seed movement as never before. We propose a framework to bridge the gap between niche differentiation and dispersal limitation. The Source-Disperser Limitation Framework (SDLF) provides a way to better predict secondary tropical forest succession across gradients of landscape disturbance by integrating seed sources and frugivore behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisy H Dent
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, UK; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama; Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Sergio Estrada-Villegas
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama; Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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37
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Fungi and insects compensate for lost vertebrate seed predation in an experimentally defaunated tropical forest. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1650. [PMID: 33712621 PMCID: PMC7955059 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21978-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Overhunting reduces important plant-animal interactions such as vertebrate seed dispersal and seed predation, thereby altering plant regeneration and even above-ground biomass. It remains unclear, however, if non-hunted species can compensate for lost vertebrates in defaunated ecosystems. We use a nested exclusion experiment to isolate the effects of different seed enemies in a Bornean rainforest. In four of five tree species, vertebrates kill many seeds (13-66%). Nonetheless, when large mammals are excluded, seed mortality from insects and fungi fully compensates for the lost vertebrate predation, such that defaunation has no effect on seedling establishment. The switch from seed predation by generalist vertebrates to specialist insects and fungi in defaunated systems may alter Janzen-Connell effects and density-dependence in plants. Previous work using simulation models to explore how lost seed dispersal will affect tree species composition and carbon storage may require reevaluation in the context of functional redundancy within complex species interactions networks.
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38
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The resilient frugivorous fauna of an urban forest fragment and its potential role in vegetation enrichment. Urban Ecosyst 2021; 24:943-958. [PMID: 33432262 PMCID: PMC7787706 DOI: 10.1007/s11252-020-01080-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Anthropocentric defaunation affects critical ecological processes, such as seed dispersal, putting ecosystems and biomes at risk, and leading to habitat impoverishment. Diverse restoration techniques could reverse the process of habitat impoverishment. However, in most of the restoration efforts, only vegetation cover is targeted. Fauna and flora are treated as isolated components, neglecting a key component of ecosystems’ functioning, the ecological interactions. We tested whether the resilient frugivorous generalist fauna can improve habitat quality by dispersing native plant species through the use of fruit feeders as in a semideciduous seasonal urban forest fragment. A total of 32 sampling points was selected at a heavily degraded 251-ha urban forest fragment, with feeders installed at two heights monitored by camera-traps. Variable quantities of native fruits of 27 zoochorous species were offered alternately in the feeders. Based on more than 36,000 h of video records, Turdus leucomelas (Class Aves), Sapajus nigritus (Class Mammalia), and Salvator merianae (Class Reptilia) were recorded ingesting the highest fruit species richness. Didelphis albiventris (Class Mammalia) was the most frequent visitor but consumed only pulp in most of the visits. The frugivorous birds were recorded at a high visitation rate and consumed a wider variety of fruits. Our study opens a new avenue to combine the traditional approach of ecosystems recovery and ecological interactions restauration in an urban forest fragment.
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39
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Mena JL, Pacheco V. Mountains and traits: environmental heterogeneity and mammal assemblages along an elevational gradient in the Northern Andes. STUDIES ON NEOTROPICAL FAUNA AND ENVIRONMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/01650521.2020.1851345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- José L. Mena
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru
- Museo de Historia Natural “Vera Alleman Haeghebaert”, Universidad Ricardo Palma, Lima, Peru
| | - Víctor Pacheco
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru
- Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru
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40
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Comparing the success of active and passive restoration in a tropical cloud forest landscape: A multi-taxa fauna approach. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0242020. [PMID: 33170890 PMCID: PMC7654786 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Tropical forest restoration initiatives are becoming more frequent worldwide in an effort to mitigate biodiversity loss and ecosystems degradation. However, there is little consensus on whether an active or a passive restoration strategy is more successful for recovering biodiversity because few studies make adequate comparisons. Furthermore, studies on animal responses to restoration are scarce compared to those on plants, and those that assess faunal recovery often focus on a single taxon, limiting the generalization of results. We assessed the success of active (native mixed-species plantations) and passive (natural regeneration) tropical cloud forest restoration strategies based on the responses of three animal taxa: amphibians, ants, and dung beetles. We compared community attributes of these three taxa in a 23-year-old active restoration forest, a 23-year-old passive restoration forest, a cattle pasture, and a mature forest, with emphasis on forest-specialist species. We also evaluated the relationship between faunal recovery and environmental variables. For all taxa, we found that recovery of species richness and composition were similar in active and passive restoration sites. However, recovery of forest specialists was enhanced through active restoration. For both forests under restoration, similarity in species composition of all faunal groups was 60–70% with respect to the reference ecosystem due to a replacement of generalist species by forest-specialist species. The recovery of faunal communities was mainly associated with canopy and leaf litter covers. We recommend implementing active restoration using mixed plantations of native tree species and, whenever possible, selecting sites close to mature forest to accelerate the recovery of tropical cloud forest biodiversity. As active restoration is more expensive than passive restoration, both strategies might be used in a complementary manner at the landscape level to compensate for high implementation costs.
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41
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Yu Y, Zhao W, Martinez-Murillo JF, Pereira P. Loess Plateau: from degradation to restoration. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 738:140206. [PMID: 32660774 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
United Nations established 2021-2030 as the decade for ecosystem restoration and "prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems worldwide". Ecosystem and land degradation are a global phenomenon. As a consequence of land degradation, in the late 1990s, the "Grain for Green Program" (GFGP) was established in Loess Plateau (China). It converted slope farmlands to forest or grassland over the, resulting in a visible "greening" trend. Other effects of GFGP on soil properties, land production, hydrological conditions, ecosystem services, and policy implications are the topics of this Special Issue. This Special Issue includes 17 contributions that cover recent research carried out in Loess Plateau in the mentioned topics at different spatial and temporal scales. The collection of papers presented in this Special Issue discusses critical issues in vegetation restoration and sustainable land management in the region. This Special Issue will contribute to United Nations strategy for ecosystems restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yu
- College of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation & Desertification Combating, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Jixian National Forest Ecosystem Research Network Station, CNERN, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Department of Sediment Research, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Wenwu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Juan F Martinez-Murillo
- Departamento de Geografía, Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos s/n, Málaga 29071, Spain; Instituto de Geomorfología y Suelos, Universidad de Málaga, Ampliación Campus de Teatinos, Málaga 29071, Spain
| | - Paulo Pereira
- Environmental Management Laboratory, Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
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42
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Global distribution and conservation status of ecologically rare mammal and bird species. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5071. [PMID: 33033235 PMCID: PMC7545165 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18779-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Identifying species that are both geographically restricted and functionally distinct, i.e. supporting rare traits and functions, is of prime importance given their risk of extinction and their potential contribution to ecosystem functioning. We use global species distributions and functional traits for birds and mammals to identify the ecologically rare species, understand their characteristics, and identify hotspots. We find that ecologically rare species are disproportionately represented in IUCN threatened categories, insufficiently covered by protected areas, and for some of them sensitive to current and future threats. While they are more abundant overall in countries with a low human development index, some countries with high human development index are also hotspots of ecological rarity, suggesting transboundary responsibility for their conservation. Altogether, these results state that more conservation emphasis should be given to ecological rarity given future environmental conditions and the need to sustain multiple ecosystem processes in the long-term.
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43
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Lim JY, Svenning JC, Göldel B, Faurby S, Kissling WD. Frugivore-fruit size relationships between palms and mammals reveal past and future defaunation impacts. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4904. [PMID: 32994391 PMCID: PMC7524719 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18530-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian frugivores are critical seed dispersers, but many are under threat of extinction. Futhermore, the impact of past and future defaunation on plant assemblages has yet to be quantified at the global scale. Here, we integrate palm and mammalian frugivore trait and occurrence data and reveal a global positive relationship between fruit size and frugivore body size. Global variation in fruit size is better explained by present-day frugivore assemblages than by Late Pleistocene assemblages, suggesting ecological and evolutionary reorganization after end-Pleistocene extinctions, except in the Neotropics, where some large-fruited palm species may have outlived their main seed dispersers by thousands of years. Our simulations of frugivore extinction over the next 100 years suggest that the impact of defaunation will be highest in the Old World tropics, and an up to 4% assemblage-level decrease in fruit size would be required to maintain the global body size–fruit size relationship. Overall, our results suggest that while some palm species may be able to keep pace with future defaunation through evolutionary changes in fruit size, large-fruited species may be especially vulnerable to continued defaunation. Extinctions of megafauna can have cascading effects on their ecological communities. Here, Lim et al. investigate the relationships of historical and current mammalian frugivore body size with palm fruit size, then project how further mammal extinctions are likely to affect palm communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Ying Lim
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands. .,School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore.
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity & Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark
| | - Bastian Göldel
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity & Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark
| | - Søren Faurby
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, 40530, Sweden.,Gothenberg Global Biodiversity Centre, Gothenburg, 40530, Sweden
| | - W Daniel Kissling
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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44
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Maximizing the value of forest restoration for tropical mammals by detecting three-dimensional habitat associations. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:26254-26262. [PMID: 32989143 PMCID: PMC7584909 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2001823117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Tropical forest ecosystems are facing unprecedented levels of degradation, severely compromising habitat suitability for wildlife. Despite the fundamental role biodiversity plays in forest regeneration, identifying and prioritizing degraded forests for restoration or conservation, based on their wildlife value, remains a significant challenge. Efforts to characterize habitat selection are also weakened by simple classifications of human-modified tropical forests as intact vs. degraded, which ignore the influence that three-dimensional (3D) forest structure may have on species distributions. Here, we develop a framework to identify conservation and restoration opportunities across logged forests in Borneo. We couple high-resolution airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and camera trap data to characterize the response of a tropical mammal community to changes in 3D forest structure across a degradation gradient. Mammals were most responsive to covariates that accounted explicitly for the vertical and horizontal characteristics of the forest and actively selected structurally complex environments comprising tall canopies, increased plant area index throughout the vertical column, and the availability of a greater diversity of niches. We show that mammals are sensitive to structural simplification through disturbance, emphasizing the importance of maintaining and enhancing structurally intact forests. By calculating occurrence thresholds of species in response to forest structural change, we identify areas of degraded forest that would provide maximum benefit for multiple high-conservation value species if restored. The study demonstrates the advantages of using LiDAR to map forest structure, rather than relying on overly simplistic classifications of human-modified tropical forests, for prioritizing regions for restoration.
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45
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Meta-analysis of controlled trials testing horticultural therapy for the improvement of cognitive function. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14637. [PMID: 32884098 PMCID: PMC7471303 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71621-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Improving cognitive function is one of the most challenging global issues in cognitive impairment population. Horticultural therapy involves the expertise of a horticultural therapist who establishes a treatment plan for horticultural activities that aim to achieve cognitive changes, and thereby improve health-related quality of life. However, more convincing evidence demonstrating the effect of horticultural therapy on cognitive function is essential. The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of controlled trials testing the effect of horticultural therapy on cognitive function and the findings indicate that horticultural therapy programs significantly improved cognitive function. The effect size of the horticultural therapy program was large. Findings of this meta-analysis have important implications for practice and policies. Contemporary healthcare systems should consider horticultural therapy as an important intervention for improving patients’ cognitive function. Governments and policy-makers should consider horticultural therapy as an important tool to prevent the decline of cognitive function in cognitive impairment population.
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46
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Abundance of jaguars and occupancy of medium- and large-sized vertebrates in a transboundary conservation landscape in the northwestern Amazon. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
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47
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Abstract
Incentive-based measures are increasingly popular to alleviate ongoing biodiversity loss and greenhouse gas emissions from land use change. However, effectively using scarce conservation funds remains a major challenge. Using behavioral economic experiments in the buffer zone of a Vietnamese national park, we show that unfair payment distributions that are beyond land users’ control can reduce the environmental effectiveness of incentives, and that women exert more effort. Our study region is threatened by forest degradation and is part of the nationwide Vietnamese Payments for Forest Ecosystem Services program, making it an important and relevant context for improving the effectiveness of conservation measures. These results show that policymakers aiming for effective and efficient programs should pay close attention to fairness and gender. Global efforts for biodiversity protection and land use-based greenhouse gas mitigation call for increases in the effectiveness and efficiency of environmental conservation. Incentive-based policy instruments are key tools for meeting these goals, yet their effectiveness might be undermined by such factors as social norms regarding whether payments are considered fair. We investigated the causal link between equity and conservation effort with a randomized real-effort experiment in forest conservation with 443 land users near a tropical forest national park in the Vietnamese Central Annamites, a global biodiversity hotspot. The experiment introduced unjustified payment inequality based on luck, in contradiction of local fairness norms that were measured through responses to vignettes. Payment inequality was perceived as less fair than payment equality. In agreement with our preregistered hypotheses, participants who were disadvantaged by unequal payments exerted significantly less conservation effort than other participants receiving the same payment under an equal distribution. No effect was observed for participants advantaged by inequality. Thus, equity effects on effort can have consequences for the effectiveness and efficiency of incentive-based conservation instruments. Furthermore, we show that women exerted substantially more conservation effort than men, and that increasing payment size unexpectedly reduced effort. This emphasizes the need to consider social comparisons, local equity norms, and gender in environmental policies using monetary incentives to motivate behavioral change.
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48
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Green EJ, McRae L, Freeman R, Harfoot MBJ, Hill SLL, Baldwin-Cantello W, Simonson WD. Below the canopy: global trends in forest vertebrate populations and their drivers. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200533. [PMID: 32486986 PMCID: PMC7341944 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Global forest assessments use forest area as an indicator of biodiversity status, which may mask below-canopy pressures driving forest biodiversity loss and 'empty forest' syndrome. The status of forest biodiversity is important not only for species conservation but also because species loss can have consequences for forest health and carbon storage. We aimed to develop a global indicator of forest specialist vertebrate populations to improve assessments of forest biodiversity status. Using the Living Planet Index methodology, we developed a weighted composite Forest Specialist Index for the period 1970-2014. We then investigated potential correlates of forest vertebrate population change. We analysed the relationship between the average rate of change of forest vertebrate populations and satellite-derived tree cover trends, as well as other pressures. On average, forest vertebrate populations declined by 53% between 1970 and 2014. We found little evidence of a consistent global effect of tree cover change on forest vertebrate populations, but a significant negative effect of exploitation threat on forest specialists. In conclusion, we found that the forest area is a poor indicator of forest biodiversity status. For forest biodiversity to recover, conservation management needs to be informed by monitoring all threats to vertebrates, including those below the canopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth J Green
- UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre, 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Louise McRae
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
| | - Robin Freeman
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
| | - Mike B J Harfoot
- UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre, 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Samantha L L Hill
- UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre, 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | | | - William D Simonson
- UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre, 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, UK
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49
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Cosset CCP, Gilroy JJ, Srinivasan U, Hethcoat MG, Edwards DP. Mass-abundance scaling in avian communities is maintained after tropical selective logging. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:2803-2812. [PMID: 32211157 PMCID: PMC7083669 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Selective logging dominates forested landscapes across the tropics. Despite the structural damage incurred, selectively logged forests typically retain more biodiversity than other forest disturbances. Most logging impact studies consider conventional metrics, like species richness, but these can conceal subtle biodiversity impacts. The mass-abundance relationship is an integral feature of ecological communities, describing the negative relationship between body mass and population abundance, where, in a system without anthropogenic influence, larger species are less abundant due to higher energy requirements. Changes in this relationship can indicate community structure and function changes.We investigated the impacts of selective logging on the mass-abundance scaling of avian communities by conducting a meta-analysis to examine its pantropical trend. We divide our analysis between studies using mist netting, sampling the understory avian community, and point counts, sampling the entire community.Across 19 mist-netting studies, we found no consistent effects of selective logging on mass-abundance scaling relative to primary forests, except for the omnivore guild where there were fewer larger-bodied species after logging. In eleven point-count studies, we found a more negative relationship in the whole community after logging, likely driven by the frugivore guild, showing a similar pattern.Limited effects of logging on mass-abundance scaling may suggest high species turnover in logged communities, with like-for-like replacement of lost species with similar-sized species. The increased negative mass-abundance relationship found in some logged communities could result from resource depletion, density compensation, or increased hunting; potentially indicating downstream impacts on ecosystem functions. Synthesis and applications. Our results suggest that size distributions of avian communities in logged forests are relatively robust to disturbance, potentially maintaining ecosystem processes in these forests, thus underscoring the high conservation value of logged tropical forests, indicating an urgent need to focus on their protection from further degradation and deforestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy C P Cosset
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences University of Sheffield Sheffield UK
| | - James J Gilroy
- School of Environmental Sciences University of East Anglia Norwich UK
| | - Umesh Srinivasan
- Program in Science, Technology and Environmental Policy Woodrow Wilson School for Public and International Affairs Princeton University Princeton NJ USA
| | - Matthew G Hethcoat
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences University of Sheffield Sheffield UK
- School of Mathematics and Statistics University of Sheffield Sheffield UK
- Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures University of Sheffield Sheffield UK
| | - David P Edwards
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences University of Sheffield Sheffield UK
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50
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Gardner CJ, Struebig MJ, Davies ZG. Conservation must capitalise on climate's moment. Nat Commun 2020; 11:109. [PMID: 31937759 PMCID: PMC6960152 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13964-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The health of the natural environment has never been a greater concern, but attention to biodiversity loss is being eclipsed by the climate crisis. We argue that conservationists must seize the agenda to put biodiversity at the heart of climate policy. Gardner and colleagues argue that efforts to conserve biodiversity should capitalise on current momentum in the realm of climate change policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlie J Gardner
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NR, UK.
| | - Matthew J Struebig
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NR, UK
| | - Zoe G Davies
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NR, UK
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