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Remeš V, Harmáčková L, Matysioková B, Rubáčová L, Remešová E. Vegetation complexity and pool size predict species richness of forest birds. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.964180] [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
Disentangling regional and local drivers of species richness in communities is a long-term focus of ecology. Regional species pools affect local communities by providing their constituent species. Additionally, the amount and variety of resources enhance diversity locally. Here, we investigated whether the same ecological factor (vegetation complexity) shapes both regional and local species richness and thus drives local diversity both indirectly (via pool size) and directly (via facilitating the coexistence of species). We studied passerine birds of woodlands and forests in eastern Australia. We quantified regional species pool size and sampled local bird communities at 63 transects spanning 3,000 km. We estimated canopy height both regionally using satellite imagery and locally using vegetation sampling in the field. We studied how species pool size changed with regional canopy height and water availability, and how local species richness changed with pool size and local canopy height. Local species richness increased with both local canopy height and the size of the regional species pool. Pool size, in turn, increased with regional canopy height, which itself increased with water availability. Moreover, local species richness expressed as a proportion of the regional pool also increased with local canopy height. In sum, vegetation complexity indexed by canopy height had a doubly positive effect on local species richness: indirectly by promoting a large regional species pool and directly by facilitating the coexistence of disproportionately many species locally. Regional pools were larger in tall forests probably due to the legacy of extensive moist forests that once covered most of Australia, thus providing a sizeable potential for speciation, diversification, and species persistence. Local species richness was greater in tall, more productive forests with more vegetation layers likely due to more and varied resources (i.e., more potential niches), allowing the coexistence of more individuals and species of consumers.
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2
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Pinho BX, Trindade DPF, Peres CA, Jamelli D, de Lima RAF, Ribeiro EMS, Melo FPL, Leal IR, Tabarelli M. Cross‐scale drivers of woody plant species commonness and rarity in the Brazilian drylands. DIVERS DISTRIB 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13587] [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
Affiliation(s)
- Bruno X. Pinho
- Departamento de Botânica Universidade Federal de Pernambuco Recife Brazil
- AMAP, Univ Montpellier, INRAe, CIRAD, CNRS, IRD Montpellier France
| | | | - Carlos A. Peres
- School of Environmental Sciences University of East Anglia Norwich UK
- Instituto Juruá Manaus Brazil
| | - Davi Jamelli
- Departamento de Botânica Universidade Federal de Pernambuco Recife Brazil
| | | | - Elâine M. S. Ribeiro
- Laboratório de Biodiversidade e Genética Evolutiva Universidade de Pernambuco – Campus Petrolina Petrolina Brazil
| | - Felipe P. L. Melo
- Departamento de Botânica Universidade Federal de Pernambuco Recife Brazil
| | - Inara R. Leal
- Departamento de Botânica Universidade Federal de Pernambuco Recife Brazil
| | - Marcelo Tabarelli
- Departamento de Botânica Universidade Federal de Pernambuco Recife Brazil
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Yu H, Sui X, Sun M, Yin X, Deane DC. Relative Importance of Ecological, Evolutionary and Anthropogenic Pressures on Extinction Risk in Chinese Angiosperm Genera. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.844509] [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
China has many threatened plant species, which are exposed to environmental degradation and other anthropogenic pressures. We assessed support for potential extinction pathways in Chinese angiosperm genera and quantified possible threats to phylogenetic diversity. We compiled a database and phylogeny for 27,409 Chinese angiosperm species in 2,453 genera. For each genus, we used the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List classifications to quantify extinction risk and calculated predictors corresponding to their ecological, evolutionary characteristics and exposure to human pressures. We first tested for phylogenetic clustering in extinction risk among genera and then tested support for direct and indirect causal pathways involving our predictors using piecewise structural equation models. Finally, we quantified the potential loss of phylogenetic diversity under different extinction scenarios. We found that extinction risk is non-randomly distributed among Chinese angiosperm genera, with the proportion of threatened species higher in range-limited and species-rich taxa. Habitat loss had a significant positive effect on threatened species richness. Phylogenetic diversity loss under scenarios: the decreasing habitat loss and relative extinction rate were high. Thus, genera would suffer from high extinction risk, if species in these genera occupy similar niches and overlapping ranges. While diversification or speciation via niche divergence might increase range-limited species vulnerable to stochastic extinction, this could reduce extinction risk of the whole clade by expanding its range and climatic niche tolerance. Endemic genera with higher extinction rates, less climatic niche divergence, and lower range segregation are especially vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances.
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Marion ZH, Orwin KH, Wood JR, Holdaway RJ, Dickie IA. Land use, but not distance, drives fungal beta diversity. Ecology 2021; 102:e03487. [PMID: 34289082 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Fungi are one of the most diverse taxonomic groups on the planet, but much of their diversity and community organization remains unknown, especially at local scales. Indeed, a consensus on how fungal communities change across spatial or temporal gradients-beta diversity-remains nascent. Here, we use a data set of plant-associated fungal communities (leaf, root, and soil) across multiple land uses from a New Zealand-wide study to look at fungal community turnover at small spatial scales (<1 km). Using hierarchical Bayesian beta regressions and Hill-number-based diversity profiles, we show that fungal communities are often markedly dissimilar at even small distances, regardless of land use. Moreover, diversity profile plots indicate that leaf, root, and soil-associated communities show different patterns in the dominance or rarity of dissimilar species. Leaf-associated communities differed from site to site in their low-abundance species, whereas root-associated communities differed between sites in the dominant species; soil-associated communities were intermediate. Land-use differences were largely driven by the lower turnover between high-productivity grassland sites. Further, we discuss the implications and benefits of using diversity profile plots of turnover to draw inferences into the mechanisms of how communities are structured across spatial gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary H Marion
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, 4800 Private Bag, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand
| | - Kate H Orwin
- Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research, P.O. Box 69040, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand
| | - Jamie R Wood
- Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research, P.O. Box 69040, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand
| | - Robert J Holdaway
- Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research, P.O. Box 69040, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand
| | - Ian A Dickie
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, 4800 Private Bag, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand
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Hu Y, Scheffers B, Pan X, Hu H, Zhou Z, Liang D, Wenda C, Wen Z, Gibson L. Positive abundance-elevational range size relationship weakened from temperate to subtropical ecosystems. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2623-2636. [PMID: 34245566 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Describing the patterns and revealing the underlying mechanisms responsible for variations in community structure remain a central focus in ecology. However, important gaps remain, including our understanding of species abundance. Most studies on abundance-based relationships are from either temperate ecosystems or tropical ecosystems, and few have explicitly tested abundance-based relationships across a temperate to tropical ecotone. Here, we use a comprehensive dataset of breeding birds across elevation spanning a temperate to subtropical gradient in the Himalayas-Hengduan Mountains of China to examine the relationship between species abundance and (a) elevational range size, (b) body size, (c) elevational range centre and (d) endemicity. We tested a priori predictions for abundance-elevational range size relationship, abundance-body size relationship and abundance-elevational range centre relationship, and explored how these relationships change along this temperate to subtropical mountain ecosystem. We found that species abundance was significantly positively correlated with elevational range size across the study sites, demonstrating the key importance of elevational range size towards species abundance. Body size and elevational range centre are weakly correlated with abundance. A novel finding of our study is that the abundance-elevational range size relationship gradually weakened from temperate to subtropical ecosystems, adding to a growing body of evidence suggesting that abundance-elevational range size tracks a temperate to tropical ecotone. Our study demonstrates that abundance range-size relationship can transition across ecotones where faunas of different evolutionary origins converge. Furthermore, measuring abundance relationships across different environmental variables at the same spatial scale with comparable biogeography is a key strategy that can reveal the underlying mechanisms behind abundance patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiming Hu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Brett Scheffers
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Xinyuan Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huijian Hu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhixin Zhou
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dan Liang
- Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Cheng Wenda
- Division for Ecology & Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, the University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong S.A.R. China
| | - Zhixin Wen
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Luke Gibson
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
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Predicting the Future Distribution of Ara rubrogenys, an Endemic Endangered Bird Species of the Andes, Taking into Account Trophic Interactions. DIVERSITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/d13020094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Species distribution models (SDMs) are commonly used with climate only to predict animal distribution changes. This approach however neglects the evolution of other components of the niche, like food resource availability. SDMs are also commonly used with plants. This also suffers limitations, notably an inability to capture the fertilizing effect of the rising CO2 concentration strengthening resilience to water stress. Alternatively, process-based dynamic vegetation models (DVMs) respond to CO2 concentration. To test the impact of the plant modelling method to model plant resources of animals, we studied the distribution of a Bolivian macaw, assuming that, under future climate, DVMs produce more conservative results than SDMs. We modelled the bird with an SDM driven by climate. For the plant, we used SDMs or a DVM. Under future climates, the macaw SDM showed increased probabilities of presence over the area of distribution and connected range extensions. For plants, SDMs did not forecast overall response. By contrast, the DVM produced increases of productivity, occupancy and diversity, also towards higher altitudes. The results offered positive perspectives for the macaw, more optimistic with the DVM than with the SDMs, than initially assumed. Nevertheless, major common threats remain, challenging the short-term survival of the macaw.
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Leahy L, Scheffers BR, Andersen AN, Hirsch BT, Williams SE. Vertical niche and elevation range size in tropical ants: Implications for climate resilience. DIVERS DISTRIB 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lily Leahy
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science College of Science & Engineering James Cook University Townsville Qld Australia
| | - Brett R. Scheffers
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation University of Florida Gainesville FL USA
| | - Alan N. Andersen
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods Charles Darwin University Casuarina NT Australia
| | - Ben T. Hirsch
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science College of Science & Engineering James Cook University Townsville Qld Australia
| | - Stephen E. Williams
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science College of Science & Engineering James Cook University Townsville Qld Australia
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Sreekar R, Sam K, Dayananda SK, Goodale UM, Kotagama SW, Goodale E. Endemicity and land-use type influence the abundance-range-size relationship of birds on a tropical island. J Anim Ecol 2020; 90:460-470. [PMID: 33080048 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A single adverse environment event can threaten the survival of small-ranged species while random fluctuations in population size increase the extinction risk of less-abundant species. The abundance-range-size relationship (ARR) is usually positive, which means that smaller-ranged species are often of low abundance and might face both problems simultaneously. The ARR has been reported to be negative on tropical islands, perhaps allowing endemic species in such environments to remain extant. But there is a need to understand how endemism and land-use interact to shape ARR. Using 41 highly replicated transects along the full elevational gradient of Sri Lanka, we determined the following: (a) the direction of ARR, (b) if endemism affects ARR and (c) if land-use (rainforest, buffer and agriculture) changes ARR differently for endemics and non-endemics. Additionally, (d) we identified endemics that had both lower abundances and smaller range sizes, and ranked them from most threatened (specific to rainforests) to least threatened using a weighted-interaction nestedness estimator. (a) We found a positive relationship between species abundances and range size. This positive ARR was maintained among endemic and non-endemic species, across land-use types and at local and regional scales. (b) The ARR interacted with endemicity and land-use. Endemics with smaller range sizes had higher abundances than non-endemics, and particularly higher in rainforests compared to agriculture. In contrast, species with larger range sizes had similar abundances across endemicity and land-use categories. Many endemics with smaller range sizes are globally threatened; therefore, higher abundances may buffer them from extinction risks. (c) Nine (29%) endemics had both below average abundance and elevational range size. The nestedness estimator ranked the endemics Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush Myophonus blighi, Red-faced Malkoha Phaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus, Sri Lanka Thrush Zoothera imbricata and White-faced Starling Sturnornis albofrontus as the four most vulnerable species to local extinction risk, which corresponds to their global extinction risk. We demonstrate that ARR can be positive on tropical islands, but it is influenced by endemism and land-use. Examining shifts in ARR is not only important to understand community dynamics but can also act as a tool to inform managers about species that require monitoring programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachakonda Sreekar
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Katerina Sam
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Salindra K Dayananda
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, China.,Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka, Department of Zoology, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - Uromi Manage Goodale
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Sarath W Kotagama
- Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka, Department of Zoology, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - Eben Goodale
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
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Sam K, Koane B. Biomass, abundances, and abundance and geographical range size relationship of birds along a rainforest elevational gradient in Papua New Guinea. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9727. [PMID: 32923179 PMCID: PMC7457928 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The usually positive inter-specific relationship between geographical range size and the abundance of local bird populations comes with exceptions. On continents, the majority of these exceptions have been described from tropical montane areas in Africa, where geographically-restricted bird species are unusually abundant. We asked how the local abundances of passerine and non-passerine bird species along an elevational gradient on Mt. Wilhelm, Papua New Guinea relate to their geographical range size. We collected data on bird assemblages at eight elevations (200–3,700 m, at 500 m elevational increments). We used a standardized point-counts at 16 points at each elevational study site. We partitioned the birds into feeding guilds, and we obtained data on geographical range sizes from the Bird-Life International data zone. We observed a positive relationship between abundance and geographical range size in the lowlands. This trend changed to a negative one towards higher elevations. The total abundances of the assemblage showed a hump-shaped pattern along the elevational gradient, with passerine birds, namely passerine insectivores, driving the observed pattern. In contrast to abundances, the mean biomass of the bird assemblages decreased with increasing elevation. Our results show that montane bird species maintain dense populations which compensate for the decreased available area near the top of the mountain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Sam
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Entomology Institute, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Bonny Koane
- The New Guinea Binatang Research Centre, Madang, Papua New Guinea
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Hashim AM, Alharbi BM, Abdulmajeed AM, Elkelish A, Hozzein WN, Hassan HM. Oxidative Stress Responses of Some Endemic Plants to High Altitudes by Intensifying Antioxidants and Secondary Metabolites Content. PLANTS 2020; 9:plants9070869. [PMID: 32659963 PMCID: PMC7412441 DOI: 10.3390/plants9070869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Most endemic plant species have limited altitudinal ranges. At higher altitudes, they are subjected to various environmental stresses. However, these plants use unique defense mechanisms at high altitudes as a convenient survival strategy. The changes in antioxidant defense system and accumulation of different secondary metabolites (SMs) were investigated as depending on altitude in five endemic endangered species (Nepeta septemcrenata, Origanum syriacum subsp. Sinaicum, Phlomis aurea, Rosa arabica, and Silene schimperiana) naturally growing in Saint Katherine protectorate (SKP). Leaves were collected from different sites between 1600 and 2200 m above sea level to assess the biochemical and physiological variations in response to high altitudes. At higher altitudes, the soil pH and micronutrient soil content decreased, which can be attributed to lower mineralization processes at lower pH. Total phenols, ascorbic acid, proline, flavonoids, and tannins increased in response to different altitudes. SMs progressively increased in the studied species, associated with a significant decrease in the levels of antioxidant enzyme activity. R. arabica, as the most threatened plant, showed the maximum response compared with other species. There was an increase in photosynthetic pigments, which was attained via the increase in chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoid contents. There was a significant increase in total soluble sugars and total soluble protein content in response to different altitudes. SDS-PAGE of leaf proteins showed alteration in the protein profile between different species and the same species grown at a different altitude. These five species can adapt to high-altitude habitats by various physiological mechanisms, which can provide a theoretical basis for the future conservation of these endangered endemic species in SKP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed M. Hashim
- Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11865, Egypt; (A.M.H.)
| | - Basmah M. Alharbi
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Tabuk University, Tabuk 71421, Saudi Arabia;
| | | | - Amr Elkelish
- Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt;
| | - Wael N. Hozzein
- Bioproducts Research Chair, Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
- Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62511, Egypt
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +20-1024824643
| | - Heba M. Hassan
- Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11865, Egypt; (A.M.H.)
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Morelli F, Benedetti Y, Pape Møller A. Diet specialization and brood parasitism in cuckoo species. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:5097-5105. [PMID: 32551085 PMCID: PMC7297776 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Brood parasitism is a breeding strategy adopted by many species of cuckoos across the world. This breeding strategy influences the evolution of life histories of brood parasite species.In this study, we tested whether the degree on diet specialization is related to the breeding strategy in cuckoo species, by comparing brood parasite and nonparasite species. We measured the gradient of diet specialization of cuckoos, by calculating the Gini coefficient, an index of inequality, on the multiple traits describing the diet of species. The Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion on a scale between 0 and 1, reflecting a gradient from low to high specialization, respectively. First, we tested the strength of the phylogenetic signal of diet specialization index among cuckoo species worldwide. Then, we ran phylogenetic generalized least square (PGLS) models to compare diet specialization, distribution range, and body mass of parasitic and nonparasitic cuckoo species, considering the phylogenetic signal of data.After adjusting for the phylogenetic signal of the data and considering both, species distribution range and species body mass, brood parasitic cuckoos were characterized by higher diet specialization than nonbrood parasitic species. Brood parasitic species were also characterized by a larger breeding distribution range than nonparasitic species.The findings of this study provide an additional understanding of the cuckoos' ecology, relating diet and breeding strategies, information that could be important in conservation ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Morelli
- Faculty of Environmental SciencesDepartment of Applied Geoinformatics and Spatial PlanningCzech University of Life Sciences PragueCzech Republic
- Faculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of Zielona GóraZielona GóraPoland
| | - Yanina Benedetti
- Faculty of Environmental SciencesDepartment of Applied Geoinformatics and Spatial PlanningCzech University of Life Sciences PragueCzech Republic
| | - Anders Pape Møller
- Ecologie Systématique EvolutionUniversité Paris‐SudCNRSUniversité SaclayOrsay CedexFrance
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Tanentzap AJ, Igea J, Johnston MG, Larcombe MJ. Does Evolutionary History Correlate with Contemporary Extinction Risk by Influencing Range Size Dynamics? Am Nat 2020; 195:569-576. [PMID: 32097046 DOI: 10.1086/707207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Extinction threatens many species yet is predicted by few factors across the plant tree of life (ToL). Taxon age is one factor that may associate with extinction if occupancy of geographic and adaptive zones varies with time, but evidence for such an association has been equivocal. Age-dependent occupancy can also influence diversification rates and thus extinction risk where new taxa have small range and population sizes. To test how age, diversification, and range size were correlated with extinction, we analyzed 639 well-sampled genera representing 8,937 species from across the plant ToL. We found a greater proportion of species were threatened by contemporary extinction in younger and faster-diversifying genera. When we directly tested how range size mediated this pattern in two large, well-sampled groups, our results varied. In conifers, potential range size was smaller in older species and was correlated with higher extinction risk. Age on its own had no direct effect on extinction when accounting for its influence on range size. In palm species, age was neither directly nor indirectly correlated with extinction risk. Our results suggest that range size dynamics may explain differing patterns of extinction risk across the ToL, with consequences for biodiversity conservation.
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13
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Law B, Chidel M, Law PR. Multi-year population dynamics of a specialist trawling bat at streams with contrasting disturbance. J Mammal 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyz210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Habitat degradation leads to homogenization of biological communities, often due to the dominance of generalist species over specialists. Yet data as to how life history attributes of specialists vary with such perturbations remain sparse. We compared long-term population dynamics of a specialist trawling bat, the large-footed myotis (Myotis macropus), between two forested catchments. One forest stream was nutrient-enriched from dairy farming in its headwaters and a portion of its surrounding catchment was harvested for timber during the study, while the other was located in primarily undisturbed forest. We caught and banded bats annually at their roosts over 14 years and banded 529 individuals with a 45% recapture rate. The maximum time to recapture was nine years and there was no evidence for transiency in our populations. Mark-recapture analyses allowed for investigation of the dependence of survival on time, sex, and age at marking. Our study spanned extreme El Niño and La Niña weather events, but we found little variation in survival, although recruitment was lower during drought. Mean minimum winter temperature (positive) and rainfall (positive) had weak influences on survival. Survival of adults (~0.70) and population size of adult females was similar between the two sites, suggesting that neither timber harvesting with retained riparian buffers nor eutrophication from farming influenced survival. Survival of adult males and females was similar, but survival of juveniles was less than half that of adults, probably due to a combination of mortality and dispersal. Survival was three times lower immediately after one of the timber bridges used as a roost fully collapsed. Specializing on aquatic habitats buffered M. macropus from most extreme weather, but there was also evidence for possible mortality and recovery after an intense rainfall and flooding event immediately prior to the study. More frequent intense rainfall predicted with global warming may reduce the species’ resilience over time.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mark Chidel
- Forest Science Unit, NSW Primary Industries, Locked Bag 5123, Parramatta 2124, NSW Australia
- The Hills Shire Council, P.O. Box 75, Castle Hill, 1765, NSW, Australia
| | - Peter R Law
- Research Associate, Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
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Lunghi E, Corti C, Mulargia M, Zhao Y, Manenti R, Ficetola GF, Veith M. Cave morphology, microclimate and abundance of five cave predators from the Monte Albo (Sardinia, Italy). Biodivers Data J 2020; 8:e48623. [PMID: 32076380 PMCID: PMC7010837 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.8.e48623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Systematic data collection on species and their exploited environments is of key importance for conservation studies. Within the less-known environments, the subterranean ones are neither easy to be studied, nor to be explored. Subterranean environments house a wide number of specialised organisms, many of which show high sensitivity to habitat alteration. Despite the undeniable importance to monitor the status of the subterranean biodiversity, standardised methodologies to record biotic and abiotic data in these environments are still not fully adopted, impeding therefore the creation of comparable datasets useful for monitoring the ecological condition in the subterranean environments and for conservation assessment of related species. New information In this work we describe a methodology allowing the collection of standardised abiotic and biotic data in subterranean environments. To show this, we created a large dataset including information on environmental features (morphology and microclimate) and abundance of five predators (one salamander, three spiders and one snail) occurring in seven caves of the Monte Albo (Sardinia, Italy), an important biodiversity hotspot. We performed 77 surveys on 5,748 m2 of subterranean environments througout a year, recording 1,695 observations of the five cave predators. The fine-scale data collection adopted in our methodology allowed us to record detailed information related to both morphology and microclimate of the cave inner environment. Furthermore, this method allows us to account for species-imperfect detection when recording presence/abundance data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Lunghi
- Key Laboratory of the Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China Key Laboratory of the Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China.,Museo di Storia Naturale dell'Università degli Studi di Firenze, "La Specola", Firenze, Italy Museo di Storia Naturale dell'Università degli Studi di Firenze, "La Specola" Firenze Italy.,Universität Trier Fachbereich VI Raum-und Umweltwissenschaften Biogeographie, Trier, Germany Universität Trier Fachbereich VI Raum-und Umweltwissenschaften Biogeographie Trier Germany
| | - Claudia Corti
- Museo di Storia Naturale dell'Università degli Studi di Firenze, "La Specola", Firenze, Italy Museo di Storia Naturale dell'Università degli Studi di Firenze, "La Specola" Firenze Italy
| | - Manuela Mulargia
- CEAS Santa Lucia, Siniscola, Italy CEAS Santa Lucia Siniscola Italy
| | - Yahui Zhao
- Key Laboratory of the Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China Key Laboratory of the Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Raoul Manenti
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano Milano Italy
| | - Gentile Francesco Ficetola
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano Milano Italy.,Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS,, Grenoble, France Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble France.,LECA, Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, Grenoble, France LECA, Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine Grenoble France.,Université Savoie Mont Blanc, Annecy, France Université Savoie Mont Blanc Annecy France
| | - Michael Veith
- Universität Trier Fachbereich VI Raum-und Umweltwissenschaften Biogeographie, Trier, Germany Universität Trier Fachbereich VI Raum-und Umweltwissenschaften Biogeographie Trier Germany
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15
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Fournier B, Vázquez-Rivera H, Clappe S, Donelle L, Braga PHP, Peres-Neto PR. The spatial frequency of climatic conditions affects niche composition and functional diversity of species assemblages: the case of Angiosperms. Ecol Lett 2019; 23:254-264. [PMID: 31749270 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 07/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Climatic conditions vary in spatial frequency globally. Spatially rare climatic conditions provide fewer suitable environments than common ones and should impose constraints on the types of species present locally and regionally. We used data on 467 North American angiosperms to test the effects of the spatial frequency of climatic conditions on ecological niche specialisation and functional diversity. We predicted that rare climates should favour generalist species that are able to inhabit a broader range of climatic conditions. Our results show that climate frequency filters species that differ in niche breadths and rare environments host species combinations with greater functional diversity. The proposed analytical approaches and hypotheses can be adapted to investigate different aspects of ecological assemblies and their biodiversity. We discuss different mechanisms regarding how spatial frequency of environments can affect niche composition and functional diversity. These should be useful while developing theoretical frameworks for generating a deeper understanding of its underpinnings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bertrand Fournier
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Héctor Vázquez-Rivera
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Sylvie Clappe
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada.,Université de Lyon, F-69000, Lyon, France.,Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Louis Donelle
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada
| | | | - Pedro R Peres-Neto
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada
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16
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Lunghi E, Zhao Y, Sun X, Zhao Y. Morphometrics of eight Chinese cavefish species. Sci Data 2019; 6:233. [PMID: 31653865 PMCID: PMC6814779 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-019-0257-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Chinese cavefishes are a bizarre and interesting vertebrate taxa, but one with relatively little research. China holds the highest global cavefish diversity, accounting for about one-third of known species. Sinocyclocheilus is the largest genus of cavefishes in the world and is endemic to the south of China. The distribution of Sinocyclocheilus species is very narrow, and sometimes they inhabit just a single cave; this feature increases the vulnerability to extinction. With this study we provide the first comprehensive dataset related to the morphometrics of eight Sinocyclocheilus species. In addition to enhancing our knowledge on these poorly known species we aim to provide a dataset useful for future comparative analyses aiming to better understand the adaptive ability of cavefishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Lunghi
- Key Laboratory of the Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Museo di Storia Naturale dell'Università degli Studi di Firenze, Sezione di Zoologia "La Specola", Firenze, Italy
| | - Yang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of the Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Xueying Sun
- China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yahui Zhao
- Key Laboratory of the Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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17
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Biedma L, Calzada J, Román J, Godoy JA. Rare and rear: population genetics of marsh-specialist Crocidura suaveolenspopulations in the Gulf of Cádiz. J Mammal 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyy172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Luis Biedma
- Department of Integrated Sciences, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University of Huelva, Avenida de las Fuerzas Armadas, Huelva, Spain
| | - Javier Calzada
- Department of Integrated Sciences, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University of Huelva, Avenida de las Fuerzas Armadas, Huelva, Spain
| | - Jacinto Román
- Department of Conservation Biology, Doñana Biological Station, Sevilla, Spain
| | - José A Godoy
- Department of Integrative Ecology, Doñana Biological Station, Sevilla, Spain
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18
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Reside AE, Critchell K, Crayn DM, Goosem M, Goosem S, Hoskin CJ, Sydes T, Vanderduys EP, Pressey RL. Beyond the model: expert knowledge improves predictions of species' fates under climate change. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2019; 29:e01824. [PMID: 30390399 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Revised: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The need to proactively manage landscapes and species to aid their adaptation to climate change is widely acknowledged. Current approaches to prioritizing investment in species conservation generally rely on correlative models, which predict the likely fate of species under different climate change scenarios. Yet, while model statistics can be improved by refining modeling techniques, gaps remain in understanding the relationship between model performance and ecological reality. To investigate this, we compared standard correlative species distribution models to highly accurate, fine-scale, distribution models. We critically assessed the ecological realism of each species' model, using expert knowledge of the geography and habitat in the study area and the biology of the study species. Using interactive software and an iterative vetting with experts, we identified seven general principles that explain why the distribution modeling under- or overestimated habitat suitability, under both current and predicted future climates. Importantly, we found that, while temperature estimates can be dramatically improved through better climate downscaling, many models still inaccurately reflected moisture availability. Furthermore, the correlative models did not account for biotic factors, such as disease or competitor species, and were unable to account for the likely presence of micro refugia. Under-performing current models resulted in widely divergent future projections of species' distributions. Expert vetting identified regions that were likely to contain micro refugia, even where the fine-scale future projections of species distributions predicted population losses. Based on the results, we identify four priority conservation actions required for more effective climate change adaptation responses. This approach to improving the ecological realism of correlative models to understand climate change impacts on species can be applied broadly to improve the evidence base underpinning management responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- April E Reside
- College of Science & Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Kay Critchell
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Darren M Crayn
- Centre for Tropical Environmental Sustainability Science, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, 4878, Australia
- Australian Tropical Herbarium, James Cook University, McGregor Road, Smithfield, Queensland, 4878, Australia
| | - Miriam Goosem
- College of Science & Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
| | - Stephen Goosem
- College of Science & Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
- Wet Tropics Management Authority, P.O. Box 2050, Cairns, Queensland, 4870, Australia
| | - Conrad J Hoskin
- College of Science & Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
| | - Travis Sydes
- Far North Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils, Cairns, Queensland, 4870, Australia
| | - Eric P Vanderduys
- CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, ATSIP PMB PO, Aitkenvale, Queensland, 4814, Australia
| | - Robert L Pressey
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
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19
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Manenti R, Barzaghi B, Lana E, Stocchino GA, Manconi R, Lunghi E. The stenoendemic cave-dwelling planarians (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida) of the Italian Alps and Apennines: Conservation issues. J Nat Conserv 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2018.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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20
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Quaglietta L, Paupério J, Martins FMS, Alves PC, Beja P. Recent range contractions in the globally threatened Pyrenean desman highlight the importance of stream headwater refugia. Anim Conserv 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- L. Quaglietta
- CIBIO/InBio; Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos; Universidade do Porto; Vairão Portugal
- CEABN/InBio; Centro de Ecologia Aplicada “Professor Baeta Neves”; Instituto Superior de Agronomia; Universidade de Lisboa; Tapada da Ajuda; Lisboa Portugal
| | - J. Paupério
- CIBIO/InBio; Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos; Universidade do Porto; Vairão Portugal
| | - F. M. S. Martins
- CIBIO/InBio; Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos; Universidade do Porto; Vairão Portugal
| | - P. C. Alves
- CIBIO/InBio; Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos; Universidade do Porto; Vairão Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia; Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto; Porto Portugal
- Wildlife Biology Program; University of Montana; Missoula MT USA
| | - P. Beja
- CIBIO/InBio; Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos; Universidade do Porto; Vairão Portugal
- CEABN/InBio; Centro de Ecologia Aplicada “Professor Baeta Neves”; Instituto Superior de Agronomia; Universidade de Lisboa; Tapada da Ajuda; Lisboa Portugal
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21
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Leite GA, Farias IP, Gonçalves ALS, Hawes JE, Peres CA. Coarse- and fine-scale patterns of distribution and habitat selection places an Amazonian floodplain curassow in double jeopardy. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4617. [PMID: 29785338 PMCID: PMC5960267 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Patterns of habitat selection are influenced by local productivity, resource availability, and predation risk. Species have taken millions of years to hone the macro- and micro-habitats they occupy, but these may now overlap with contemporary human threats within natural species ranges. Wattled Curassow (Crax globulosa), an endemic galliform species of the western Amazon, is threatened by both hunting and habitat loss, and is restricted to white-water floodplain forests of major Amazonian rivers. In this study conducted along the Juruá River, Amazonas, Brazil, we quantified the ranging ecology and fine-scale patterns of habitat selection of the species. We estimated the home range size of C. globulosa using conventional VHF telemetry. To estimate patterns of habitat selection, we used geo-locations of day ranges to examine the extent and intensity of use across the floodplain, which were then compared to a high-resolution flood map of the study area. We captured two females and one male, which we monitored for 13 months between September 2014 and September 2015. Average home range size was 283 ha, based on the 95% aLoCoH estimator. Wattled Curassows selected areas of prolonged flood pulses (six to eight months/year) and had a consistent tendency to be near open water, usually in close proximity to river banks and lakes, especially during the dry season. Amazonian floodplains are densely settled, and the small portions of floodplain habitat used by Wattled Curassows are both the most accessible to hunters and most vulnerable to deforestation. As a result, the geographic and ecological distribution of Wattled Curassows places them at much higher extinction risk at multiple spatial scales, highlighting the need to consider habitat preferences within their conservation strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel A Leite
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética, Conservação e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.,Laboratório de Evolucão e Genética Animal, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.,Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Izeni P Farias
- Laboratório de Evolucão e Genética Animal, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - André L S Gonçalves
- Grupo de Pesquisas em Mamíferos Amazônicos (GPMA), Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Joseph E Hawes
- Applied Ecology Research Group, Department of Biology, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK
| | - Carlos A Peres
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
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22
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Is thermal limitation the primary driver of elevational distributions? Not for montane rainforest ants in the Australian Wet Tropics. Oecologia 2018; 188:333-342. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4154-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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23
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Morelli F, Benedetti Y, Møller AP, Liang W, Carrascal LM. Cuckoos host range is associated positively with distribution range and negatively with evolutionary uniqueness. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:765-773. [PMID: 29355941 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The evolutionary distinctiveness (ED) score is a measure of phylogenetic isolation that quantifies the evolutionary uniqueness of a species. Here, we compared the ED score of parasitic and non-parasitic cuckoo species world-wide, to understand whether parental care or parasitism represents the largest amount of phylogenetic uniqueness. Next, we focused only on 46 cuckoo species characterized by brood parasitism with a known number of host species, and we explored the associations among ED score, number of host species and breeding range size for these species. We assessed these associations using phylogenetic generalized least squares (PGLS) models, taking into account the phylogenetic signal. Parasitic cuckoo species were not more unique in terms of ED than non-parasitic species. However, we found a significant negative association between the evolutionary uniqueness and host range and a positive correlation between the number of host species and range size of parasitic cuckoos, probably suggesting a passive sampling of hosts by parasitic species as the breeding range broadens. The findings of this study showed that more generalist brood parasites occupied very different positions in a phylogenetic tree, suggesting that they have evolved independently within the Cuculiformes order. Finally, we demonstrated that specialist cuckoo species also represent the most evolutionarily unique species in the order of Cuculiformes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Morelli
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Applied Geoinformatics and Spatial Planning, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Yanina Benedetti
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Applied Geoinformatics and Spatial Planning, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Anders Pape Møller
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay Cedex, France
| | - Wei Liang
- College of Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, China
| | - Luis M Carrascal
- Department of Biogeography and Global Change, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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24
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Castiglione S, Mondanaro A, Melchionna M, Serio C, Di Febbraro M, Carotenuto F, Raia P. Diversification Rates and the Evolution of Species Range Size Frequency Distribution. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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25
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Vermeij GJ, Grosberg RK. Rarity and persistence. Ecol Lett 2017; 21:3-8. [PMID: 29110416 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Revised: 05/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Rarity is a population characteristic that is usually associated with a high risk of extinction. We argue here, however, that chronically rare species (those with low population densities over many generations across their entire ranges) may have individual-level traits that make populations more resistant to extinction. The major obstacle to persistence at low density is successful fertilisation (union between egg and sperm), and chronically rare species are more likely to survive when (1) fertilisation occurs inside or close to an adult, (2) mate choice involves long-distance signals, (3) adults or their surrogate gamete dispersers are highly mobile, or (4) the two sexes are combined in a single individual. In contrast, external fertilisation and wind- or water-driven passive dispersal of gametes, or sluggish or sedentary adult life habits in the absence of gamete vectors, appear to be incompatible with sustained rarity. We suggest that the documented increase in frequency of these traits among marine genera over geological time could explain observed secular decreases in rates of background extinction. Unanswered questions remain about how common chronic rarity actually is, which traits are consistently associated with chronic rarity, and how chronically rare species are distributed among taxa, and among the world's ecosystems and regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geerat J Vermeij
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Richard K Grosberg
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
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26
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Quantification of habitat fragmentation reveals extinction risk in terrestrial mammals. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:7635-7640. [PMID: 28673992 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1705769114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Although habitat fragmentation is often assumed to be a primary driver of extinction, global patterns of fragmentation and its relationship to extinction risk have not been consistently quantified for any major animal taxon. We developed high-resolution habitat fragmentation models and used phylogenetic comparative methods to quantify the effects of habitat fragmentation on the world's terrestrial mammals, including 4,018 species across 26 taxonomic Orders. Results demonstrate that species with more fragmentation are at greater risk of extinction, even after accounting for the effects of key macroecological predictors, such as body size and geographic range size. Species with higher fragmentation had smaller ranges and a lower proportion of high-suitability habitat within their range, and most high-suitability habitat occurred outside of protected areas, further elevating extinction risk. Our models provide a quantitative evaluation of extinction risk assessments for species, allow for identification of emerging threats in species not classified as threatened, and provide maps of global hotspots of fragmentation for the world's terrestrial mammals. Quantification of habitat fragmentation will help guide threat assessment and strategic priorities for global mammal conservation.
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27
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Vamosi JC, Gong YB, Adamowicz SJ, Packer L. Forecasting pollination declines through DNA barcoding: the potential contributions of macroecological and macroevolutionary scales of inquiry. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 214:11-18. [PMID: 27901268 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
While pollinators are widely acknowledged as important contributors to seed production in plant communities, we do not yet have a good understanding of the importance of pollinator specialists for this ecosystem service. Determination of the prevalence of pollinator specialists is often hindered by the occurrence of cryptic species and the limitations of observational data on pollinator visitation rates, two areas where DNA barcoding of pollinators and pollen can be useful. Further, the demonstrated adequacy of pollen DNA barcoding from historical records offers opportunities to observe the effects of pollinator loss over longer timescales, and phylogenetic approaches can elucidate the historical rates of extinction of specialist lineages. In this Viewpoint article, we review how advances in DNA barcoding and metabarcoding of plants and pollinators have brought important developments to our understanding of specialization in plant-pollinator interactions. We then put forth several lines of inquiry that we feel are especially promising for providing insight on changes in plant-pollinator interactions over space and time. Obtaining estimates of the effects of reductions in specialists will contribute to forecasting the loss of ecosystem services that will accompany the erosion of plant and pollinator diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana C Vamosi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Yan-Bing Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Sarah J Adamowicz
- Biodiversity Institute of Ontario & Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Laurence Packer
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada
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28
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Leitão RP, Zuanon J, Villéger S, Williams SE, Baraloto C, Fortunel C, Mendonça FP, Mouillot D. Rare species contribute disproportionately to the functional structure of species assemblages. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:rspb.2016.0084. [PMID: 27053754 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
There is broad consensus that the diversity of functional traits within species assemblages drives several ecological processes. It is also widely recognized that rare species are the first to become extinct following human-induced disturbances. Surprisingly, however, the functional importance of rare species is still poorly understood, particularly in tropical species-rich assemblages where the majority of species are rare, and the rate of species extinction can be high. Here, we investigated the consequences of local and regional extinctions on the functional structure of species assemblages. We used three extensive datasets (stream fish from the Brazilian Amazon, rainforest trees from French Guiana, and birds from the Australian Wet Tropics) and built an integrative measure of species rarity versus commonness, combining local abundance, geographical range, and habitat breadth. Using different scenarios of species loss, we found a disproportionate impact of rare species extinction for the three groups, with significant reductions in levels of functional richness, specialization, and originality of assemblages, which may severely undermine the integrity of ecological processes. The whole breadth of functional abilities within species assemblages, which is disproportionately supported by rare species, is certainly critical in maintaining ecosystems particularly under the ongoing rapid environmental transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael P Leitão
- PPG Biologia de Água Doce e Pesca Interior, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil Laboratoire Biodiversité Marine et ses Usages, MARBEC, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Jansen Zuanon
- Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Sébastien Villéger
- Laboratoire Biodiversité Marine et ses Usages, MARBEC, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Stephen E Williams
- Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
| | - Christopher Baraloto
- INRA, UMR Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane, INRA, Kourou, French Guiana International Center for Tropical Botany, Department of Biol Sci, FIU, Miami, USA
| | - Claire Fortunel
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Fernando P Mendonça
- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia, Presidente Figueiredo, Brazil
| | - David Mouillot
- Laboratoire Biodiversité Marine et ses Usages, MARBEC, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
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Raia P, Carotenuto F, Mondanaro A, Castiglione S, Passaro F, Saggese F, Melchionna M, Serio C, Alessio L, Silvestro D, Fortelius M. Progress to extinction: increased specialisation causes the demise of animal clades. Sci Rep 2016; 6:30965. [PMID: 27507121 PMCID: PMC4978992 DOI: 10.1038/srep30965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal clades tend to follow a predictable path of waxing and waning during their existence, regardless of their total species richness or geographic coverage. Clades begin small and undifferentiated, then expand to a peak in diversity and range, only to shift into a rarely broken decline towards extinction. While this trajectory is now well documented and broadly recognised, the reasons underlying it remain obscure. In particular, it is unknown why clade extinction is universal and occurs with such surprising regularity. Current explanations for paleontological extinctions call on the growing costs of biological interactions, geological accidents, evolutionary traps, and mass extinctions. While these are effective causes of extinction, they mainly apply to species, not clades. Although mass extinctions is the undeniable cause for the demise of a sizeable number of major taxa, we show here that clades escaping them go extinct because of the widespread tendency of evolution to produce increasingly specialised, sympatric, and geographically restricted species over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Raia
- Department of Earth Science, Environment and Resources, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Napoli, Italy
| | - F Carotenuto
- Department of Earth Science, Environment and Resources, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Napoli, Italy
| | - A Mondanaro
- Department of Earth Science, Environment and Resources, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Napoli, Italy
| | - S Castiglione
- Department of Earth Science, Environment and Resources, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Napoli, Italy
| | - F Passaro
- Department of Earth Science, Environment and Resources, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Napoli, Italy
| | - F Saggese
- Department of Earth Science, Environment and Resources, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Napoli, Italy
| | - M Melchionna
- Department of Earth Science, Environment and Resources, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Napoli, Italy
| | - C Serio
- Department of Earth Science, Environment and Resources, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Napoli, Italy
| | - L Alessio
- Department of Earth Science, Environment and Resources, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Napoli, Italy
| | - D Silvestro
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, 413 19 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - M Fortelius
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, P.O. Box 64, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.,Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1066 Blindern, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway
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Nowrouzi S, Andersen AN, Macfadyen S, Staunton KM, VanDerWal J, Robson SKA. Ant Diversity and Distribution along Elevation Gradients in the Australian Wet Tropics: The Importance of Seasonal Moisture Stability. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0153420. [PMID: 27073848 PMCID: PMC4830544 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2015] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The threat of anthropogenic climate change has seen a renewed focus on understanding contemporary patterns of species distribution. This is especially the case for the biota of tropical mountains, because tropical species often have particularly narrow elevational ranges and there are high levels of short-range endemism. Here we describe geographic patterns of ant diversity and distribution in the World Heritage-listed rainforests of the Australian Wet Tropics (AWT), revealing seasonal moisture stability to be an important environmental correlate of elevational patterns of species composition. We sampled ants in leaf litter, on the litter surface and on tree trunks at 26 sites from six subregions spanning five degrees of latitude and elevation ranges from 100–1,300 m. A total of 296 species from 63 genera were recorded. Species richness showed a slight peak at mid elevations, and did not vary significantly with latitude. Species composition varied substantially between subregions, and many species have highly localised distributions. There was very marked species turnover with elevation, with a particularly striking compositional disjunction between 600 m and 800 m at each subregion. This disjunction coincides with a strong environmental threshold of seasonal stability in moisture associated with cloud ‘stripping’. Our study therefore provides further support for climatic stability as a potential mechanism underlying patterns of diversity. The average height of orographic cloud layers is predicted to rise under global warming, and associated shifts in seasonal moisture stability may exacerbate biotic change caused by rising temperature alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somayeh Nowrouzi
- Centre for Tropical Biodiversity & Climate Change, College of Marine and Ecosystem Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- CSIRO Land & Water Flagship, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
- * E-mail: ;
| | | | | | - Kyran M. Staunton
- Centre for Tropical Biodiversity & Climate Change, College of Marine and Ecosystem Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Jeremy VanDerWal
- Centre for Tropical Biodiversity & Climate Change, College of Marine and Ecosystem Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- eResearch Centre, Division of Research and Innovation, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Simon K. A. Robson
- Centre for Tropical Biodiversity & Climate Change, College of Marine and Ecosystem Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
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Ferenc M, Fjeldså J, Sedláček O, Motombi FN, Djomo Nana E, Mudrová K, Hořák D. Abundance-area relationships in bird assemblages along an Afrotropical elevational gradient: space limitation in montane forest selects for higher population densities. Oecologia 2016; 181:225-33. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3554-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 01/08/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Vamosi JC, Armbruster WS, Renner SS. Evolutionary ecology of specialization: insights from phylogenetic analysis. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 281:rspb.2014.2004. [PMID: 25274367 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.2004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In this Special feature, we assemble studies that illustrate phylogenetic approaches to studying salient questions regarding the effect of specialization on lineage diversification. The studies use an array of techniques involving a wide-ranging collection of biological systems (plants, butterflies, fish and amphibians are all represented). Their results reveal that macroevolutionary examination of specialization provides insight into the patterns of trade-offs in specialized systems; in particular, the genetic mechanisms of trade-offs appear to extend to very different aspects of life history in different groups. In turn, because a species may be a specialist from one perspective and a generalist in others, these trade-offs influence whether we perceive specialization to have effects on the evolutionary success of a lineage when we examine specialization only along a single axis. Finally, how geographical range influences speciation and extinction of specialist lineages remains a question offering much potential for further insight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana C Vamosi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2L 0Z3
| | - W Scott Armbruster
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DY, UK Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99709, USA Department of Biology, NTNU, Trondheim 7491, Norway
| | - Susanne S Renner
- Systematic Botany and Mycology, Department of Biology, University of Munich (LMU), Munich 80638, Germany
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33
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Pellissier L. Stability and the competition-dispersal trade-off as drivers of speciation and biodiversity gradients. Front Ecol Evol 2015. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2015.00052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
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Comas M, Escoriza D, Moreno-Rueda G. Stable isotope analysis reveals variation in trophic niche depending on altitude in an endemic alpine gecko. Basic Appl Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2014.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Scriber JM. Climate-Driven Reshuffling of Species and Genes: Potential Conservation Roles for Species Translocations and Recombinant Hybrid Genotypes. INSECTS 2013; 5:1-61. [PMID: 26462579 PMCID: PMC4592632 DOI: 10.3390/insects5010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2013] [Revised: 12/04/2013] [Accepted: 12/06/2013] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Comprising 50%-75% of the world's fauna, insects are a prominent part of biodiversity in communities and ecosystems globally. Biodiversity across all levels of biological classifications is fundamentally based on genetic diversity. However, the integration of genomics and phylogenetics into conservation management may not be as rapid as climate change. The genetics of hybrid introgression as a source of novel variation for ecological divergence and evolutionary speciation (and resilience) may generate adaptive potential and diversity fast enough to respond to locally-altered environmental conditions. Major plant and herbivore hybrid zones with associated communities deserve conservation consideration. This review addresses functional genetics across multi-trophic-level interactions including "invasive species" in various ecosystems as they may become disrupted in different ways by rapid climate change. "Invasive genes" (into new species and populations) need to be recognized for their positive creative potential and addressed in conservation programs. "Genetic rescue" via hybrid translocations may provide needed adaptive flexibility for rapid adaptation to environmental change. While concerns persist for some conservationists, this review emphasizes the positive aspects of hybrids and hybridization. Specific implications of natural genetic introgression are addressed with a few examples from butterflies, including transgressive phenotypes and climate-driven homoploid recombinant hybrid speciation. Some specific examples illustrate these points using the swallowtail butterflies (Papilionidae) with their long-term historical data base (phylogeographical diversity changes) and recent (3-decade) climate-driven temporal and genetic divergence in recombinant homoploid hybrids and relatively recent hybrid speciation of Papilio appalachiensis in North America. Climate-induced "reshuffling" (recombinations) of species composition, genotypes, and genomes may become increasingly ecologically and evolutionarily predictable, but future conservation management programs are more likely to remain constrained by human behavior than by lack of academic knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Mark Scriber
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, MI 48824, USA.
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
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Verde Arregoitia LD, Blomberg SP, Fisher DO. Phylogenetic correlates of extinction risk in mammals: species in older lineages are not at greater risk. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20131092. [PMID: 23825210 PMCID: PMC3712450 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.1092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2013] [Accepted: 06/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Phylogenetic information is becoming a recognized basis for evaluating conservation priorities, but associations between extinction risk and properties of a phylogeny such as diversification rates and phylogenetic lineage ages remain unclear. Limited taxon-specific analyses suggest that species in older lineages are at greater risk. We calculate quantitative properties of the mammalian phylogeny and model extinction risk as an ordinal index based on International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List categories. We test for associations between lineage age, clade size, evolutionary distinctiveness and extinction risk for 3308 species of terrestrial mammals. We show no significant global or regional associations, and three significant relationships within taxonomic groups. Extinction risk increases for evolutionarily distinctive primates and decreases with lineage age when lemurs are excluded. Lagomorph species (rabbits, hares and pikas) that have more close relatives are less threatened. We examine the relationship between net diversification rates and extinction risk for 173 genera and find no pattern. We conclude that despite being under-represented in the frequency distribution of lineage ages, species in older, slower evolving and distinct lineages are not more threatened or extinction-prone. Their extinction, however, would represent a disproportionate loss of unique evolutionary history.
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Püttker T, Bueno AA, dos Santos de Barros C, Sommer S, Pardini R. Habitat specialization interacts with habitat amount to determine dispersal success of rodents in fragmented landscapes. J Mammal 2013. [DOI: 10.1644/12-mamm-a-119.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Weisse T, Laufenstein N, Weithoff G. Multiple environmental stressors confine the ecological niche of the rotifer Cephalodella acidophila. FRESHWATER BIOLOGY 2013; 58:1008-1015. [PMID: 23704795 PMCID: PMC3659023 DOI: 10.1111/fwb.12104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/28/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The planktonic food web in extremely acidic mining lakes is restricted to a few species that are either acidophilic or acidotolerant. Common metazoans inhabiting acidic mining lakes with a pH below 3 include rotifers in the genera Cephalodella and Elosa. The life history response of Cephalodella acidophila to three environmental key factors, pH (2, 3.5, 5.0 and 7.0), temperature (10, 17.5 and 25 °C) and food concentration (10 000, 35 000 and 50 000 algal cells per mL), was investigated in a full factorial design using life-table experiments. The effect of each of the three environmental variables investigated on the rotifer life cycle parameters (life span, fecundity and population growth rate) differed. C. acidophila is a stenoecious species with a pH optimum in the range 3-4 and a comparably high food threshold. Combining the laboratory results with field data, we conclude that C. acidophila is severely growth limited in its natural habitat. However, low pH alone is not harmful as long as temperatures are moderate to warm and food is abundant. The population of C. acidophila in the field is maintained mainly due to release from competitors and predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Weisse
- Research Institute for Limnology of the University of InnsbruckMondsee, Austria
| | - Nicole Laufenstein
- Institute for Limnology of the Austrian Academy of SciencesMondsee, Austria
| | - Guntram Weithoff
- Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Modelling, University of PotsdamPotsdam, Germany
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39
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Parkyn J, Newell DA. Australian land snails: a review of ecological research and conservation approaches. MOLLUSCAN RESEARCH 2013. [DOI: 10.1080/13235818.2013.782793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Fjeldså J, Bowie RC, Rahbek C. The Role of Mountain Ranges in the Diversification of Birds. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2012. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-102710-145113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 257] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jon Fjeldså
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark;
| | - Rauri C.K. Bowie
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology & Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720;
| | - Carsten Rahbek
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark;
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41
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HAGGER VALERIE, FISHER DIANA, SCHMIDT SUSANNE, BLOMBERG SIMON. Assessing the vulnerability of an assemblage of subtropical rainforest vertebrate species to climate change in south-east Queensland. AUSTRAL ECOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2012.02437.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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42
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Fleming PJS, Allen BL, Ballard GA. Seven considerations about dingoes as biodiversity engineers: the socioecological niches of dogs in Australia. AUSTRALIAN MAMMALOGY 2012. [DOI: 10.1071/am11012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Australian dingoes have recently been suggested as a tool to aid biodiversity conservation through the reversal or prevention of trophic cascades and mesopredator release. However, at least seven ecological and sociological considerations must be addressed before dog populations are positively managed.Domestication and feralisation of dingoes have resulted in behavioural changes that continue to expose a broad range of native and introduced fauna to predation.Dingoes and other dogs are classic mesopredators, while humans are the apex predator and primary ecosystem engineers in Australia.Anthropogenic landscape changes could prevent modern dingoes from fulfilling their pre-European roles.Dingoes are known to exploit many of the same species they are often presumed to ‘protect’, predisposing them to present direct risks to many threatened species.The assertion that contemporary dog control facilitates the release of mesopredators disregards the realities of effective dog control, which simultaneously reduces fox and dog abundance and is unlikely to enable increases in fox abundance.The processes affecting threatened fauna are likely a combination of both top-down and bottom-up effects, which will not be solved or reversed by concentrating efforts on managing only predator effects.Most importantly, human social and economic niches are highly variable across the ecosystems where dingoes are present or proposed. Human perceptions will ultimately determine acceptance of positive dingo management.Outside of an adaptive management framework, positively managing dingoes while ignoring these seven considerations is unlikely to succeed in conserving native faunal biodiversity but is likely to have negative effects on ecological, social and economic values.
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43
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Vanderduys EP, Kutt AS. Is the Asian house gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus, really a threat to Australia’s biodiversity? AUST J ZOOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1071/zo12077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Invasive animals can have a wide range of impacts in natural systems. The introduced Asian house gecko Hemidactylus frenatus has invaded widely in Australia, but is largely restricted to human-altered landscapes. Hoskin (2011) has argued that H. frenatus has the potential to negatively impact Australian ecosystems by invading natural habitats. We examine this contention by reviewing an extensive standardised fauna survey dataset collected in northern and central Queensland during the key period of H. frenatus expansion from the 1990s to 2012. In light of these data we also re-examine data from other areas that suggest H. frenatus is a benign threat and is unlikely to become an environmental pest within Australia. On current evidence, we conclude that H. frenatus is unlikely to spread much beyond areas of human influence.
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Birand A, Vose A, Gavrilets S. Patterns of Species Ranges, Speciation, and Extinction. Am Nat 2012; 179:1-21. [DOI: 10.1086/663202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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45
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Oza AU, Lovett KE, Williams SE, Moritz C. Recent speciation and limited phylogeographic structure in Mixophyes frogs from the Australian Wet Tropics. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2011; 62:407-13. [PMID: 22063263 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2011.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2011] [Revised: 10/13/2011] [Accepted: 10/15/2011] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Through a combination of macroecological, paleoecological, and phylogeographical analyses, the rainforests of the Australian Wet Tropics (AWT) have emerged as a useful model for understanding sensitivity of species to past climatic change and, hence, for predicting vulnerability to future change. To extend the ecological breadth of comparative phylogeographic analyses, we investigate a clade of myobatrachid frogs, Mixophyes, a genus of large, stream-breeding but terrestrial frogs, three species of which are endemic to rainforests of the AWT. Here we (i) combine mtDNA, allozyme, and morphological data to refine knowledge of the geographic and environmental distribution of each taxon, (ii) resolve relationships among species, and (iii) use mtDNA phylogeography to infer responses of the three taxa to late-Pleistocene and Holocene climatic change. Each of the three species (Mixophyes carbinensis, Mixophyes coggeri, and Mixophyes schevilli) is effectively diagnosed by mtDNA, with the two small-bodied, allopatric species (M. carbinensis and M. schevilli) being sister-taxa. Mixophyes have a very different history from other AWT amphibians, with more recent speciation (net divergences <5%) and much lower and geographically unstructured mtDNA diversity within each species. The combination of low diversity (θ(Π)<0.36%) and strong signals of recent population expansion (Fu's Fs<0) suggests very high sensitivity to climate-driven rainforest dynamics, perhaps due to their large body size, low population density, and their requirement for both wet forest-floor litter and streams suitable for breeding. The results further emphasize the heterogeneity of species' responses to climate change and suggest that species dependent on multiple habitat types could be especially vulnerable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuja U Oza
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, 3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA 94720-3160, USA.
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DENNIS ROGERLH, DAPPORTO LEONARDO, FATTORINI SIMONE, COOK LAURENCEM. The generalism-specialism debate: the role of generalists in the life and death of species. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2011.01789.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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47
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Labay B, Cohen AE, Sissel B, Hendrickson DA, Martin FD, Sarkar S. Assessing historical fish community composition using surveys, historical collection data, and species distribution models. PLoS One 2011; 6:e25145. [PMID: 21966438 PMCID: PMC3178614 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0025145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2011] [Accepted: 08/29/2011] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurate establishment of baseline conditions is critical to successful management and habitat restoration. We demonstrate the ability to robustly estimate historical fish community composition and assess the current status of the urbanized Barton Creek watershed in central Texas, U.S.A. Fish species were surveyed in 2008 and the resulting data compared to three sources of fish occurrence information: (i) historical records from a museum specimen database and literature searches; (ii) a nearly identical survey conducted 15 years earlier; and (iii) a modeled historical community constructed with species distribution models (SDMs). This holistic approach, and especially the application of SDMs, allowed us to discover that the fish community in Barton Creek was more diverse than the historical data and survey methods alone indicated. Sixteen native species with high modeled probability of occurrence within the watershed were not found in the 2008 survey, seven of these were not found in either survey or in any of the historical collection records. Our approach allowed us to more rigorously establish the true baseline for the pre-development fish fauna and then to more accurately assess trends and develop hypotheses regarding factors driving current fish community composition to better inform management decisions and future restoration efforts. Smaller, urbanized freshwater systems, like Barton Creek, typically have a relatively poor historical biodiversity inventory coupled with long histories of alteration, and thus there is a propensity for land managers and researchers to apply inaccurate baseline standards. Our methods provide a way around that limitation by using SDMs derived from larger and richer biodiversity databases of a broader geographic scope. Broadly applied, we propose that this technique has potential to overcome limitations of popular bioassessment metrics (e.g., IBI) to become a versatile and robust management tool for determining status of freshwater biotic communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Labay
- Texas Natural History Collections, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, United States of America.
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48
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Reside AE, VanDerWal J, Kutt A, Watson I, Williams S. Fire regime shifts affect bird species distributions. DIVERS DISTRIB 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1472-4642.2011.00818.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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Angert AL, Crozier LG, Rissler LJ, Gilman SE, Tewksbury JJ, Chunco AJ. Do species’ traits predict recent shifts at expanding range edges? Ecol Lett 2011; 14:677-89. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2011.01620.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 397] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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50
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Carew ME, Miller AD, Hoffmann AA. Phylogenetic signals and ecotoxicological responses: potential implications for aquatic biomonitoring. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2011; 20:595-606. [PMID: 21365200 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-011-0615-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/11/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Macroinvertebrates can be successfully used as biomonitors of pollutants and environmental health because some groups are sensitive whereas, others are relatively tolerant to pollutants. An issue of ongoing debate is what constitutes an appropriate group for biomonitoring; should the group represent species, genera or higher taxonomic levels? A phylogenetic framework can provide new insights into this issue. By developing phylogenies for chironomids and mayflies, this investigation shows that there is strong phylogenetic signal for pollution responses, and that phylogenetic nodes are common to tolerant and sensitive groups of species. A phylogenetic analysis of biotic indices developed for mayflies based on their response to organic pollution shows that mayfly families varied in pollution tolerance. In contrast, based on sediment zinc concentrations as an indicator of pollution tolerance, Australian chironomids tend to vary in tolerance at lower taxonomic levels. Published data on North American chironomids shows much of the signal for pollution responses is contained within genera rather than sub-families. Tools are now available to distinguish whether this signal reflects historical evolutionary constraints or environmental effects leading to common evolved responses. This suggests that ideally higher taxonomic levels should be used for biomonitoring when there are strong phylogenetic constraints at higher levels. Evolutionary considerations can therefore help to guide the development of macroinvertebrate biomonitors and provide insights into processes that produce sensitive and tolerant taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa E Carew
- Department of Zoology, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
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