1
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Santos AA, Wappler T, McLoughlin S. Earliest evidence of granivory from China (Shanxi Formation) points to seeds as a food source and nursing habitat for insects in the earliest Permian humid tropical forests of Cathaysia. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0311737. [PMID: 39401203 PMCID: PMC11472943 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0311737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 09/24/2024] [Indexed: 10/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Three types of plant-insect interactions are identified on seeds from the lower Permian (Asselian) Shanxi and lower Shihhotse formations of the Taiyuan district, North China. This enhances the relatively meagre fossil record of seed predation in global late Paleozoic floras, adding the earliest record of granivory from Cathaysia. The dispersed seeds cannot be attributed with confidence to any particular plant group, but associated fossil leaves belong to a broad spectrum of plants, including Medullosales, Cycadales, Noeggerathiales, Gigantopteridales, Cordaitales, and Voltziales. Among 85 analysed seeds, six showed evidence of predation, referable to three damage types: DT074 and two new damage types that will be added to the forthcoming version of the fossil damage guide (DT274, DT430). These damage features indicate novel strategies of seed exploitation in the earliest Permian of China. The causal agents of the seed herbivory are difficult to resolve with certainty, but possible culprits include representatives of Palaeodictyopteroidea, although we cannot exclude other groups, such as Dictyoptera, Odonatoptera, Archaeorthoptera, Hemipteroidea or early holometabolan insects. The presence of damage features, together with a range of probable defensive structures (hairs, spines, apical horns, and thick integuments), suggests that an active arms race involving insects and plant reproductive structures was already well established by the early Permian.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artai A. Santos
- Department of Paleobiology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Torsten Wappler
- Natural History Department, Hessian State Museum, Darmstadt, Germany
- Department of Palaeontology, Institute of Geosciences, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Stephen McLoughlin
- Department of Paleobiology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
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2
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LaManna JA, Hartig F, Myers JA, Freckleton RP, Detto M, Surendra A, Doolittle CJ, Bachelot B, Bagchi R, Comita LS, DeFilippis DM, Huanca-Nunez N, Hülsmann L, Jevon FV, Johnson DJ, Krishnadas M, Magee LJ, Mangan SA, Milici VR, Murengera ALB, Schnitzer SA, Smith DJB, Stein C, Sullivan MK, Torres E, Umaña MN, Delavaux CS. Consequences of Local Conspecific Density Effects for Plant Diversity and Community Dynamics. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14506. [PMID: 39354892 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14506] [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: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 08/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/11/2024] [Indexed: 10/03/2024]
Abstract
Conspecific density dependence (CDD) in plant populations is widespread, most likely caused by local-scale biotic interactions, and has potentially important implications for biodiversity, community composition, and ecosystem processes. However, progress in this important area of ecology has been hindered by differing viewpoints on CDD across subfields in ecology, lack of synthesis across CDD-related frameworks, and misunderstandings about how empirical measurements of local CDD fit within the context of broader ecological theories on community assembly and diversity maintenance. Here, we propose a conceptual synthesis of local-scale CDD and its causes, including species-specific antagonistic and mutualistic interactions. First, we compare and clarify different uses of CDD and related concepts across subfields within ecology. We suggest the use of local stabilizing/destabilizing CDD to refer to the scenario where local conspecific density effects are more negative/positive than heterospecific effects. Second, we discuss different mechanisms for local stabilizing and destabilizing CDD, how those mechanisms are interrelated, and how they cut across several fields of study within ecology. Third, we place local stabilizing/destabilizing CDD within the context of broader ecological theories and discuss implications and challenges related to scaling up the effects of local CDD on populations, communities, and metacommunities. The ultimate goal of this synthesis is to provide a conceptual roadmap for researchers studying local CDD and its implications for population and community dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A LaManna
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Florian Hartig
- Theoretical Ecology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Jonathan A Myers
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Robert P Freckleton
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Matteo Detto
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Akshay Surendra
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Cole J Doolittle
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Bénédicte Bachelot
- Department of Plant Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Robert Bagchi
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Liza S Comita
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - David M DeFilippis
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | | | - Lisa Hülsmann
- Ecosystem Analysis and Simulation (EASI) Lab, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Fiona V Jevon
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Daniel J Johnson
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Meghna Krishnadas
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Lukas J Magee
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Scott A Mangan
- Arkansas Biosciences Institute, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
| | - Valerie R Milici
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | | | - Stefan A Schnitzer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Daniel J B Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Claudia Stein
- Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Auburn University at Montgomery, Montgomery, Alabama, USA
| | - Megan K Sullivan
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Ethan Torres
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - María Natalia Umaña
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Camille S Delavaux
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zurich, Switzerland
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3
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McKee RK, Taillie PJ, Hart KM, Lopez CL, Sanjar A, McCleery RA. Ecological function maintained despite mesomammal declines. Sci Rep 2024; 14:19668. [PMID: 39181911 PMCID: PMC11344858 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-66534-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Mid-sized mammals (i.e., mesomammals) fulfill important ecological roles, serving as essential scavengers, predators, pollinators, and seed dispersers in the ecosystems they inhabit. Consequently, declines in mesomammal populations have the potential to alter ecological processes and fundamentally change ecosystems. However, ecosystems characterized by high functional redundancy, where multiple species can fulfil similar ecological roles, may be less impacted by the loss of mesomammals and other vertebrates. The Greater Everglades Ecosystem in southern Florida is a historically biodiverse region that has recently been impacted by multiple anthropogenic threats, most notably the introduction of the Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus). Since pythons became established, mesomammal populations have become greatly reduced. To assess whether these declines in mesomammals have affected two critical ecosystem functions-scavenging and frugivory-we conducted experiments in areas where mesomammals were present and absent. We did not observe significant differences in scavenging or frugivory efficiency in areas with and without mesomammals, but we did observe significant differences in the communities responsible for scavenging and frugivory. Despite the observed evidence of redundancy, the changes in community composition could potentially lead to indirect consequences on processes like seed dispersal and disease dynamics within this ecosystem, emphasizing the need for further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca K McKee
- Department of Biology, Mercer University, 1501 Mercer University Drive, Macon, Georgia, 31207, United States.
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA.
| | - Paul J Taillie
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA
- Department of Geography, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kristen M Hart
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Davie, FL, USA
| | - Christopher L Lopez
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA
| | - Adam Sanjar
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA
| | - Robert A McCleery
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA
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Moore JH, Gibson L, Amir Z, Chanthorn W, Ahmad AH, Jansen PA, Mendes CP, Onuma M, Peres CA, Luskin MS. The rise of hyperabundant native generalists threatens both humans and nature. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:1829-1844. [PMID: 37311559 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In many disturbed terrestrial landscapes, a subset of native generalist vertebrates thrives. The population trends of these disturbance-tolerant species may be driven by multiple factors, including habitat preferences, foraging opportunities (including crop raiding or human refuse), lower mortality when their predators are persecuted (the 'human shield' effect) and reduced competition due to declines of disturbance-sensitive species. A pronounced elevation in the abundance of disturbance-tolerant wildlife can drive numerous cascading impacts on food webs, biodiversity, vegetation structure and people in coupled human-natural systems. There is also concern for increased risk of zoonotic disease transfer to humans and domestic animals from wildlife species with high pathogen loads as their abundance and proximity to humans increases. Here we use field data from 58 landscapes to document a supra-regional phenomenon of the hyperabundance and community dominance of Southeast Asian wild pigs and macaques. These two groups were chosen as prime candidates capable of reaching hyperabundance as they are edge adapted, with gregarious social structure, omnivorous diets, rapid reproduction and high tolerance to human proximity. Compared to intact interior forests, population densities in degraded forests were 148% and 87% higher for wild boar and macaques, respectively. In landscapes with >60% oil palm coverage, wild boar and pig-tailed macaque estimated abundances were 337% and 447% higher than landscapes with <1% oil palm coverage, respectively, suggesting marked demographic benefits accrued by crop raiding on calorie-rich food subsidies. There was extreme community dominance in forest landscapes with >20% oil palm cover where two pig and two macaque species accounted for >80% of independent camera trap detections, leaving <20% for the other 85 mammal species >1 kg considered. Establishing the population trends of pigs and macaques is imperative since they are linked to cascading impacts on the fauna and flora of local forest ecosystems, disease and human health, and economics (i.e., crop losses). The severity of potential negative cascading effects may motivate control efforts to achieve ecosystem integrity, human health and conservation objectives. Our review concludes that the rise of native generalists can be mediated by specific types of degradation, which influences the ecology and conservation of natural areas, creating both positive and detrimental impacts on intact ecosystems and human society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan H Moore
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Blvd, Nanshan, Shenzhen, China
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Luke Gibson
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Blvd, Nanshan, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zachary Amir
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Wirong Chanthorn
- Department of Environmental Technology and Management, Faculty of Environment, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan Road, Jatujak District, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Abdul Hamid Ahmad
- Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, Kota Kinabalu, 88400, Malaysia
| | - Patrick A Jansen
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 4, Wageningen, 6708 PB, Netherlands
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Roosevelt Ave. Tupper Building - 401, Panama City, 0843-03092, Panama
| | - Calebe P Mendes
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Manabu Onuma
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onagava, Tsukuba-City, 305-8506, Japan
| | - Carlos A Peres
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
- Instituto Juruá, R. Ajuricaba, 359 - Aleixo, Manaus, 69083-020, Brazil
| | - Matthew Scott Luskin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
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5
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Poulsen JR, Maicher V, Malinowski H, DeSisto C. Situating defaunation in an operational framework to advance biodiversity conservation. Bioscience 2023; 73:721-727. [PMID: 37854893 PMCID: PMC10580966 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biad079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic pressures are causing the widespread loss of wildlife species and populations, with adverse consequences for ecosystem functioning. This phenomenon has been widely but inconsistently referred to as defaunation. A cohesive, quantitative framework for defining and evaluating defaunation is necessary for advancing biodiversity conservation. Likening defaunation to deforestation, we propose an operational framework for defaunation that defines it and related terms, situates defaunation relative to intact communities and faunal degradation, and encourages quantitative, ecologically reasonable, and equitable measurements. We distinguish between defaunation, the conversion of an ecosystem from having wild animals to not having wild animals, and faunal degradation, the process of losing animals or species from an animal community. The quantification of context-relevant defaunation boundaries or baselines is necessary to compare faunal communities over space and time. Situating a faunal community on the degradation curve can promote Global Biodiversity Framework targets, advancing the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R Poulsen
- The Nature Conservancy, Boulder, Colorado, United States
- Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States
| | - Vincent Maicher
- CAFI Forest Research and Monitoring for The Nature Conservancy, Gabon
| | | | - Camille DeSisto
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, United States
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6
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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: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [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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7
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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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8
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Rabett RJ, Morimoto R, Kahlert T, Stimpson CM, O’Donnell S, Mai Huong NT, Manh BV, Holmes R, Khánh PS, Van TT, Coward F. Prehistoric pathways to Anthropocene adaptation: Evidence from the Red River Delta, Vietnam. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280126. [PMID: 36753481 PMCID: PMC9907861 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past twenty years, government advisory bodies have placed increasing emphasis on the need for adaptive measures in response to the effects of human-induced climate change. Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs), which incorporate macroeconomic and climate variables, feature prominently in advisory content, though they rarely draw on data from outside strictly constrained hypothetical systems. This has led to assertions that they are not well-suited to approximate complex systemic human-environment processes. Modular, interdisciplinary approaches have offered a way to address this shortcoming; however, beyond climate records, prehistoric data continue to be under-utilised in developing such models. In this paper we highlight the contribution that archaeology and palaeoecology can make to the development of the next generation IAMs that are expected to enhance provision for more local and pro-active adaptations to future climate change. We present data from one of Southeast Asia's most heavily developed river deltas: the Red River (Song Hong) Delta, in Vietnam and localised analysis from the Tràng An Landscape Complex World Heritage Site, on the delta's southern margin. Comparison is made between Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSP) 5-8.5 and SSP2-4.5 emission projection models and the Mid-Holocene inundation of the Red River Basin. We highlight the value to taking a scientific long view of coastal evolution through an illustrative set of eight research foci where palaeo-data can bring new and localised empirical data to bear on future risk management planning. We proceed to demonstrate the applicability of palaeoenvironmental, zooarchaeological and historical evidence to management and the development of sustainable conservation strategies using Tràng An as a case study. In so doing, we further highlight the importance of knowledge exchange between scientific, corporate, non-governmental, local, and state stakeholders to achieve tangible results on the ground.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J. Rabett
- Archaeology & Palaeoecology, School of Natural & Built Environment, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
- Institute for Hellenic Culture & the Liberal Arts, The American College of Greece, Athens, Greece
- * E-mail:
| | - Risa Morimoto
- Department of Economics, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Thorsten Kahlert
- Centre for Geographic Information Science and Geomatics, School of Natural & Built Environment, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | | | - Shawn O’Donnell
- Department of Geography & Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | | | - Bui Van Manh
- Department of Tourism, Ninh Bình City, Ninh Bình Province, Vietnam
| | - Rachael Holmes
- School of Geography, Geology & the Environment, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Phạm Sinh Khánh
- Tràng An Landscape Complex Management Board, Ninh Bình City, Ninh Bình Province, Vietnam
| | - Tran Tan Van
- Vietnam Institute of Geosciences & Mineral Resources, Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Fiona Coward
- Department of Archaeology, Anthropology & Forensic Science, Faculty of Science & Technology Bournemouth University, Poole, Dorset, United Kingdom
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9
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Yi MCK, Kaicheen SS, Brodie JF, Mohd‐Azlan J. Direct comparisons of logging and agroforestry influence on tropical mammals in Sarawak, Borneo. Biotropica 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sally Soo Kaicheen
- Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Kota Samarahan Malaysia
| | - Jedediah F. Brodie
- Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Kota Samarahan Malaysia
- Division of Biological Sciences and Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula Montana USA
| | - Jayasilan Mohd‐Azlan
- Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Kota Samarahan Malaysia
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10
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Genes L, Losapio G, Donatti CI, Guimarães PR, Dirzo R. Frugivore Population Biomass, but Not Density, Affect Seed Dispersal Interactions in a Hyper-Diverse Frugivory Network. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.794723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutualistic interactions are regulated by plant and animal traits, including animal body size and population density. In seed dispersal networks, frugivore body size determines the interaction outcome, and species population density determines interaction probability through encounter rates. To date, most studies examining the relative role of body size and population density in seed dispersal networks have examined animal guilds encompassing a narrow range of body sizes (e.g., birds only). Given non-random, body-size dependent defaunation, understanding the relative role of these traits is important to predict and, ideally, mitigate the effects of defaunation. We analyzed a hyper-diverse seed dispersal network composed of birds and mammals that cover a wide range of body sizes and population densities in the Brazilian Pantanal. Animal density per se did not significantly explain interaction patterns. Instead, population biomass, which represents the combination of body size and population density, was the most important predictor for most interaction network metrics. Population biomass was strongly correlated with body size, but not with density. Thus, larger frugivore species dispersed more plant species and were involved in more unique pairwise interactions than smaller species. Moreover, species with larger population biomass had the strongest influence (i.e., as indicated by measures of centrality) on other species in the network and were more generalist, interacting with a broader set of species, compared to species with lower population biomass. We posit that the increased abundance of small-sized frugivores resulting from the pervasive defaunation of large vertebrates would not compensate for the loss-of-function of the latter and the inherent disruption of seed dispersal networks.
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11
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Szefer P, Molem K, Sau A, Novotny V. Weak effects of birds, bats, and ants on their arthropod prey on pioneering tropical forest gap vegetation. Ecology 2022; 103:e3690. [PMID: 35322403 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The relative roles of plants competing for resources versus top-down control of vegetation by herbivores, in turn impacted by predators, during early stages of tropical forest succession remain poorly understood. Here we examine the impact of insectivorous birds, bats and ants exclusion on arthropods communities on replicated 5x5 m of pioneering early successional vegetation plots in lowland tropical forest gaps in Papua New Guinea. In plots from which focal taxa of predators were excluded we observed increased biomass of herbivorous and predatory arthropods, and increased density, and decreased diversity of herbivorous insects. However, changes in the biomass of plants, herbivores and arthropod predators were positively correlated or uncorrelated between these three trophic levels and also between individual arthropod orders. Arthropod abundance and biomass correlated strongly with the plant biomass irrespective of the arthropods' trophic position - a signal of bottom-up control. Patterns in herbivore specialization confirm lack of a strong top-down control and were largely unaffected by the exclusion of insectivorous birds, bats and ants. No changes of plant-herbivore interaction networks were detected except for decrease in modularity of the exclosure plots. Our results suggest weak top-down control of herbivores, limited compensation between arthropod and vertebrate predators, and limited intra-guild predation by birds, bats and ants. Possible explanations are strong bottom-up control, a low activity of the higher order predators, especially birds, possibly also bats, in gaps, and continuous influx of herbivores from surrounding mature forest matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Szefer
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1645/31a, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Biology Centre, Institute of Entomology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Kenneth Molem
- New Guinea Binatang Research Centre, PO Box 604, Madang 511, Papua New Guinea
| | - Austin Sau
- New Guinea Binatang Research Centre, PO Box 604, Madang 511, Papua New Guinea
| | - Vojtech Novotny
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1645/31a, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Biology Centre, Institute of Entomology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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Cazetta TC, Vieira EM. Fire Occurrence Mediates Small-Mammal Seed Removal of Native Tree Species in a Neotropical Savanna. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.793947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Seed dispersal and predation are critical processes for plant recruitment which can be affected by fire events. We investigated community composition of small mammals in gallery forests with distinct burning histories (burned or not burned ∼3 years before) in the Cerrado (neotropical savanna). We evaluated the role of these animals as seed removers of six native tree species, potentially mediated by the occurrence of fire. We sampled four previously burned sites and four unburned ones. Seed removal was assessed using two exclusion treatments: exclusive access of small rodents and access of all seed-removing vertebrates. The previous burning changed the structural characteristics of the forests, increasing the density of the understory vegetation and herbaceous cover, which determined differences in species composition, richness, and abundance of small rodents (abundance in the burned forests was 1/6 of the abundance in the unburnt ones). Seed removal rates across the six species were reduced in burnt forests in both treatments and were higher for the “all vertebrates” treatment. Other vertebrates, larger than small rodents, played a significant role as seed removers for five of the six species. The effects of fire were consistent across species, but for the two species with the largest seeds (Hymenaea courbaril and Mauritia flexuosa) removal rates for both treatments were extremely low in the burned forests (≦5%). The observed decline in small rodent seed predation in the burned forests may have medium to long-term consequences on plant communities in gallery forests, potentially affecting community composition and species coexistence in these forests. Moreover, fire caused a sharp decline in seed removal by large mammals, indicating that the maintenance of dispersal services provided by these mammals (mainly the agouti Dasyprota azarae) for the large-seeded species may be jeopardized by the burning of gallery forests. This burning would also affect several small mammal species that occur in the surrounding typical savanna habitats but also use these forests. Fire events have been increasing in frequency and intensity because of human activities and climate changing. This current scenario poses a serious threat considering that these forests are fire-sensitive ecosystems within the Cerrado.
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