1
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Yamawo A, Ohno M. Joint evolution of mutualistic interactions, pollination, seed dispersal mutualism, and mycorrhizal symbiosis in trees. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 243:1586-1599. [PMID: 38724032 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Mycorrhizal symbiosis, seed dispersal, and pollination are recognized as the most prominent mutualistic interactions in terrestrial ecosystems. However, it remains unclear how these symbiotic relationships have interacted to contribute to current plant diversity. We analyzed evolutionary relationships among mycorrhizal type, seed dispersal mode, and pollination mode in two global databases of 699 (database I) and 10 475 (database II) tree species. Although database II had been estimated from phylogenetic patterns and therefore had lower certainty of the mycorrhizal type than database I, whose mycorrhizal type was determined by direct observation, database II allowed analysis of many more taxa from more regions than database I. We found evidence of joint evolution of all three features in both databases. This result is robust to the effects of both sampling bias and missing taxa. Most arbuscular mycorrhizal-associated trees had endozoochorous (biotic) seed dispersal and biotic pollination, with long dispersal distances, whereas most ectomycorrhizal-associated trees had anemochorous (abiotic) seed dispersal and wind (abiotic) pollination mode, with shorter dispersal distances. These results provide a novel scenario in mutualistic interactions, seed dispersal, pollination, and mycorrhizal symbiosis types, which have jointly evolved and shaped current tree diversity and forest ecosystem world-wide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akira Yamawo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, 3 Bunkyo-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori, 036-8561, Japan
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2113, Japan
| | - Misuzu Ohno
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, 3 Bunkyo-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori, 036-8561, Japan
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2
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Janko Š, Rok Š, Blaž K, Danilo B, Andrej G, Denis K, Klemen Č, Matjaž G. DNA barcoding insufficiently identifies European wild bees (Hymenoptera, Anthophila) due to undefined species diversity, genus-specific barcoding gaps and database errors. Mol Ecol Resour 2024; 24:e13953. [PMID: 38523561 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Recent declines in insect abundances, especially populations of wild pollinators, pose a threat to many natural and agricultural ecosystems. Traditional species monitoring relies on morphological character identification and is inadequate for efficient and standardized surveys. DNA barcoding has become a standard approach for molecular identification of organisms, aiming to overcome the shortcomings of traditional biodiversity monitoring. However, its efficacy depends on the completeness of reference databases. Large DNA barcoding efforts are (almost entirely) lacking in many European countries and such patchy data limit Europe-wide analyses of precisely how to apply DNA barcoding in wild bee identification. Here, we advance towards an effective molecular identification of European wild bees. We conducted a high-effort survey of wild bees at the junction of central and southern Europe and DNA barcoded all collected morphospecies. For global analyses, we complemented our DNA barcode dataset with all relevant European species and conducted global analyses of species delimitation, general and genus-specific barcoding gaps and examined the error rate in DNA data repositories. We found that (i) a sixth of all specimens from Slovenia could not be reliably identified, (ii) species delimitation methods show numerous systematic discrepancies, (iii) there is no general barcoding gap across all bees and (iv) the barcoding gap is genus specific, but only after curating for errors in DNA data repositories. Intense sampling and barcoding efforts in underrepresented regions and strict curation of DNA barcode repositories are needed to enhance the use of DNA barcoding for the identification of wild bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Šet Janko
- Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology, Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Šturm Rok
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Koderman Blaž
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Bevk Danilo
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Gogala Andrej
- Slovenian Museum of Natural History, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Kutnjak Denis
- Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Čandek Klemen
- Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Gregorič Matjaž
- Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology, Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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3
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Haest B, Liechti F, Hawkes WL, Chapman J, Åkesson S, Shamoun-Baranes J, Nesterova AP, Comor V, Preatoni D, Bauer S. Continental-scale patterns in diel flight timing of high-altitude migratory insects. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230116. [PMID: 38705191 PMCID: PMC11070267 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Many insects depend on high-altitude, migratory movements during part of their life cycle. The daily timing of these migratory movements is not random, e.g. many insect species show peak migratory flight activity at dawn, noon or dusk. These insects provide essential ecosystem services such as pollination but also contribute to crop damage. Quantifying the diel timing of their migratory flight and its geographical and seasonal variation, are hence key towards effective conservation and pest management. Vertical-looking radars provide continuous and automated measurements of insect migration, but large-scale application has not been possible because of limited availability of suitable devices. Here, we quantify patterns in diel flight periodicity of migratory insects between 50 and 500 m above ground level during March-October 2021 using a network of 17 vertical-looking radars across Europe. Independent of the overall daily migratory movements and location, peak migratory movements occur around noon, during crepuscular evening and occasionally the morning. Relative daily proportions of insect migration intensity and traffic during the diel phases of crepuscular-morning, day, crepuscular-evening and night remain largely equal throughout May-September and across Europe. These findings highlight, extend, and generalize previous regional-scale findings on diel migratory insect movement patterns to the whole of temperate Europe. This article is part of the theme issue 'Towards a toolkit for global insect biodiversity monitoring'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgen Haest
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, Sempach, 6204, Switzerland
| | - Felix Liechti
- Swiss Birdradar Solution AG, Technoparkstrasse 2, 8406, Winterthur, Switzerland
| | - Will L. Hawkes
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, Sempach, 6204, Switzerland
| | - Jason Chapman
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation and Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK
- Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, People's Republic of China
| | - Susanne Åkesson
- Department of Biology, Centre for Animal Movement Research, Lund University, Ecology Building, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Judy Shamoun-Baranes
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, IBED, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94240, Amsterdam, GE 1090, The Netherlands
| | | | - Vincent Comor
- Independent researcher, Les Pennes-Mirabeau, 13170, France
| | - Damiano Preatoni
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, Via J.-H. Dunant 3, Varese, 21100 Italy
| | - Silke Bauer
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, Sempach, 6204, Switzerland
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, IBED, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94240, Amsterdam, GE 1090, The Netherlands
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4
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Paraskevopoulos AW, Sanders NJ, Resasco J. Temperature-driven homogenization of an ant community over 60 years in a montane ecosystem. Ecology 2024; 105:e4302. [PMID: 38594213 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Identifying the mechanisms underlying the changes in the distribution of species is critical to accurately predict how species have responded and will respond to climate change. Here, we take advantage of a late-1950s study on ant assemblages in a canyon near Boulder, Colorado, USA, to understand how and why species distributions have changed over a 60-year period. Community composition changed over 60 years with increasing compositional similarity among ant assemblages. Community composition differed significantly between the periods, with aspect and tree cover influencing composition. Species that foraged in broader temperature ranges became more widespread over the 60-year period. Our work highlights that shifts in community composition and biotic homogenization can occur even in undisturbed areas without strong habitat degradation. We also show the power of pairing historical and contemporary data and encourage more mechanistic studies to predict species changes under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna W Paraskevopoulos
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Nathan J Sanders
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Julian Resasco
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
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5
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Sales K, Thomas P, Gage MJG, Vasudeva R. Experimental heatwaves reduce the effectiveness of ejaculates at occupying female reproductive tracts in a model insect. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231949. [PMID: 38721134 PMCID: PMC11076118 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
Globally, heatwaves have become more common with hazardous consequences on biological processes. Research using a model insect (Tribolium castaneum) found that 5-day experimental heatwave conditions damaged several aspects of male reproductive biology, while females remained unaffected. However, females' reproductive fitness may still be impacted, as insects typically store sperm from multiple males in specialized organs for prolonged periods. Consequently, using males which produce sperm with green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged sperm nuclei, we visualized in vivo whether thermal stress affects the ejaculate occupancy across female storage sites under two scenarios; (i) increasing time since insemination and (ii) in the presence of defending competitor sperm. We reconfirmed that sperm from heatwave-exposed males sired fewer offspring with previously mated females and provided new scenarios for in vivo distributions of heat-stress-exposed males' sperm. Sperm from heatwave-exposed males occupied a smaller area and were at lower densities across the females' storage sites. Generally, sperm occupancy decreased with time since insemination, and sperm from the first male to mate dominated the long-term storage site. Reassuringly, although heated males' ejaculate was less successful in occupying female tracts, they were not lost from female storage at a faster rate and were no worse than control males in their offensive ability to enter storage sites occupied by competitor sperm. Future work should consider the potential site-specificity of factors influencing sperm storage where amenable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kris Sales
- Forest Research, Inventory, Forecasting and Operational Support (IFOS), FarnhamGU10 4LH, UK
| | - Paul Thomas
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, NorwichNR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Matthew J. G. Gage
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, NorwichNR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Ramakrishnan Vasudeva
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, NorwichNR4 7TJ, UK
- School of Biology, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, UK
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6
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Müller J, Hothorn T, Yuan Y, Seibold S, Mitesser O, Rothacher J, Freund J, Wild C, Wolz M, Menzel A. Weather explains the decline and rise of insect biomass over 34 years. Nature 2024; 628:349-354. [PMID: 37758943 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06402-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Insects have a pivotal role in ecosystem function, thus the decline of more than 75% in insect biomass in protected areas over recent decades in Central Europe1 and elsewhere2,3 has alarmed the public, pushed decision-makers4 and stimulated research on insect population trends. However, the drivers of this decline are still not well understood. Here, we reanalysed 27 years of insect biomass data from Hallmann et al.1, using sample-specific information on weather conditions during sampling and weather anomalies during the insect life cycle. This model explained variation in temporal decline in insect biomass, including an observed increase in biomass in recent years, solely on the basis of these weather variables. Our finding that terrestrial insect biomass is largely driven by complex weather conditions challenges previous assumptions that climate change is more critical in the tropics5,6 or that negative consequences in the temperate zone might only occur in the future7. Despite the recent observed increase in biomass, new combinations of unfavourable multi-annual weather conditions might be expected to further threaten insect populations under continuing climate change. Our findings also highlight the need for more climate change research on physiological mechanisms affected by annual weather conditions and anomalies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jörg Müller
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Rauhenebrach, Germany.
- Bavarian Forest National Park, Grafenau, Germany.
| | - Torsten Hothorn
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ye Yuan
- Ecoclimatology, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Sebastian Seibold
- Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Research Group, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Berchtesgaden National Park, Berchtesgaden, Germany
- Forest Zoology, TUD Dresden University of Technology, Tharandt, Germany
| | - Oliver Mitesser
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Rauhenebrach, Germany
| | - Julia Rothacher
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Rauhenebrach, Germany
| | - Julia Freund
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Rauhenebrach, Germany
| | - Clara Wild
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Rauhenebrach, Germany
| | - Marina Wolz
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Rauhenebrach, Germany
| | - Annette Menzel
- Ecoclimatology, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
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7
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Rosso AA, Casement B, Chung AK, Curlis JD, Folfas E, Gallegos MA, Neel LK, Nicholson DJ, Williams CE, McMillan WO, Logan ML, Cox CL. Plasticity of Gene Expression and Thermal Tolerance: Implications for Climate Change Vulnerability in a Tropical Forest Lizard. ECOLOGICAL AND EVOLUTIONARY PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 97:81-96. [PMID: 38728692 DOI: 10.1086/729927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
AbstractTropical ectotherms are thought to be especially vulnerable to climate change because they have evolved in temporally stable thermal environments and therefore have decreased tolerance for thermal variability. Thus, they are expected to have narrow thermal tolerance ranges, live close to their upper thermal tolerance limits, and have decreased thermal acclimation capacity. Although models often predict that tropical forest ectotherms are especially vulnerable to rapid environmental shifts, these models rarely include the potential for plasticity of relevant traits. We measured phenotypic plasticity of thermal tolerance and thermal preference as well as multitissue transcriptome plasticity in response to warmer temperatures in a species that previous work has suggested is highly vulnerable to climate warming, the Panamanian slender anole lizard (Anolis apletophallus). We found that many genes, including heat shock proteins, were differentially expressed across tissues in response to short-term warming. Under long-term warming, the voluntary thermal maxima of lizards also increased, although thermal preference exhibited only limited plasticity. Using these data, we modeled changes in the activity time of slender anoles through the end of the century under climate change and found that plasticity should delay declines in activity time by at least two decades. Our results suggest that slender anoles, and possibly other tropical ectotherms, can alter the expression of genes and phenotypes when responding to shifting environmental temperatures and that plasticity should be considered when predicting the future of organisms under a changing climate.
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Bach A, Raub F, Höfer H, Ottermanns R, Roß-Nickoll M. ARAapp: filling gaps in the ecological knowledge of spiders using an automated and dynamic approach to analyze systematically collected community data. Database (Oxford) 2024; 2024:baae004. [PMID: 38306294 PMCID: PMC10836506 DOI: 10.1093/database/baae004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
The ARAMOB data repository compiles meticulously curated spider community datasets from systematical collections, ensuring a high standard of data quality. These datasets are enriched with crucial methodological data that enable the datasets to be aligned in time and space, facilitating data synthesis across studies, respectively, collections. To streamline the analysis of these datasets in a species-specific context, a suite of tailored ecological analysis tools named ARAapp has been developed. By harnessing the capabilities of ARAapp, users can systematically evaluate the spider species data housed within the ARAMOB repository, elucidating intricate relationships with a range of parameters such as vertical stratification, habitat occurrence, ecological niche parameters (moisture and shading) and phenological patterns. Database URL: ARAapp is available at www.aramob.de/en.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Bach
- Institute for Environmental Research, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, Aachen 52074, Germany
| | - Florian Raub
- Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe, Erbprinzenstr. 13, Karlsruhe 76133, Germany
| | - Hubert Höfer
- Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe, Erbprinzenstr. 13, Karlsruhe 76133, Germany
| | - Richard Ottermanns
- Institute for Environmental Research, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, Aachen 52074, Germany
| | - Martina Roß-Nickoll
- Institute for Environmental Research, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, Aachen 52074, Germany
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9
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Fouquet A, Kok PJR, Recoder RS, Prates I, Camacho A, Marques-Souza S, Ghellere JM, McDiarmid RW, Rodrigues MT. Relicts in the mist: Two new frog families, genera and species highlight the role of Pantepui as a biodiversity museum throughout the Cenozoic. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024; 191:107971. [PMID: 38000706 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
The iconic mountains of the Pantepui biogeographical region host many early-diverging endemic animal and plant lineages, concurring with Conan Doyle's novel about an ancient "Lost World". While this is the case of several frog lineages, others appear to have more recent origins, adding to the controversy around the diversification processes in this region. Due to its remoteness, Pantepui is challenging for biological surveys, and only a glimpse of its biodiversity has been described, which hampers comprehensive evolutionary studies in many groups. During a recent expedition to the Neblina massif on the Brazil-Venezuela border, we sampled two new frog species that could not be assigned to any known genus. Here, we perform phylogenetic analyses of mitogenomic and nuclear loci to infer the evolutionary relationships of the new taxa and support their description. We find that both species represent single lineages deeply nested within Brachycephaloidea, a major Neotropical clade of direct-developing frogs. Both species diverged >45 Ma from their closest relatives: the first is sister to all other Brachycephaloidea except for Ceuthomantis, another Pantepui endemic, and the second is sister to Brachycephalidae, endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. In addition to these considerable phylogenetic and biogeographic divergences, external morphology and osteological features support the proposition of two new family and genus-level taxa to accommodate these new branches of the amphibian tree of life. These findings add to other recently described ancient vertebrate lineages from the Neblina massif, providing a bewildering reminder that our perception of the Pantepui's biodiversity remains vastly incomplete. It also provides insights into how these mountains acted as "museums" during the diversification of Brachycephaloidea and of Neotropical biotas more broadly, in line with the influential "Plateau theory". Finally, these discoveries point at the yet unknown branches of the tree of life that may go extinct, due to global climate change and zoonotic diseases, before we even learn about their existence, amphibians living at higher elevations being particularly at risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Fouquet
- Laboratoire Évolution et Diversité Biologique, UMR 5174, CNRS, IRD, Université Paul Sabatier, Bâtiment 4R1 31062 cedex 9, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31077 Toulouse, France.
| | - Philippe J R Kok
- Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, 12/16 Banacha Str., Łódź 90-237, Poland; Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, United Kingdom.
| | - Renato Sousa Recoder
- Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Zoologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Ivan Prates
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Agustin Camacho
- Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Zoologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Sergio Marques-Souza
- Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Zoologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - José Mario Ghellere
- Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Zoologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Roy W McDiarmid
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC 20013, USA
| | - Miguel Trefaut Rodrigues
- Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Zoologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Nervo B, Laini A, Roggero A, Palestrini C, Rolando A. Spatio-temporal modelling suggests that some dung beetle species (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae) may respond to global warming by boosting dung removal. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 908:168127. [PMID: 37907105 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
In the current framework of changes to the global climate, information on the thermal tolerance of dung beetles is crucial to understand how they might cope with increases in land temperature in terms of survival and ecosystem service provision. In this spatio-temporal modelling study, we investigated the thermal tolerance and effect of temperature changes on dung removal by three dung beetle species (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae) living within the 600-1400 m altitudinal belt in the Italian Alps. We chose large tunneler beetles because of their pivotal role in dung removal and nutrient recycling, important ecosystem services for maintaining the viability and profitability of the Alpine pastoral system. Our study used experimental data on dung removal at different temperatures to predict changes to this ecosystem service in the future considering different climatic scenarios and changes in land use for the specific study area. The results show that the temperature increases incurred between 1981 and 2005 may have boosted rates of spring dung removal across the entire study area (expressed as average dung removal per pair per month), partially compensating for the reduction in grassland extent within pasture-based livestock farming systems. Despite the limitations related to modelling future climate change scenarios and uncertainties deriving from several interacting factors (e.g., the sensitivity of large-bodied species to land-use changes), our results suggest that the predicted increases in temperature over the next 80 years would continue to boost dung removal, revealing a resilience of this service. The increase in dung removal rates, for all three species, is mainly related to the most extreme scenario of carbon emissions and for the months spanning from May to October of the interval 2041-2100. Focusing on large tunnelers and adopting a dynamic approach that considers changes in dung removal over space and time can assist ecosystem service conservation planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Nervo
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, 10123 Turin, Italy
| | - Alex Laini
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, 10123 Turin, Italy.
| | - Angela Roggero
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, 10123 Turin, Italy
| | - Claudia Palestrini
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, 10123 Turin, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo 90133, Italy
| | - Antonio Rolando
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, 10123 Turin, Italy
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11
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Grenis K, Nufio C, Wimp GM, Murphy SM. Does artificial light at night alter moth community composition? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220365. [PMID: 37899018 PMCID: PMC10613536 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Ecological studies investigating the effects of artificial light at night (ALAN) have primarily focused on single or a few species, and seldom on community-level dynamics. As ALAN is a potential cause of insect and biodiversity declines, community-level perspectives are essential. We empirically tested the hypothesis that moth species differentially respond to ALAN and that these responses can cause shifts in community composition. We sampled moths from prairie fragments in Colorado, USA. We tested whether local light sources, sky glow, site area and/or vegetation affected moth community diversity. We found that increased sky glow decreased moth abundance and species richness and shifted community composition. Increased sky glow shifted moth community composition when light and bait traps were combined; notably this result appears to be driven entirely by moths sampled at bait traps, which is an unbiased sampling technique. Our results show that ALAN has significant effects on moth communities and that local light sources have contrasting effects on moth community composition compared to sky glow. It is imperative that we better understand the contrasting effects of types of ALAN to comprehend the overall impacts of light pollution on biodiversity declines. This article is part of the theme issue 'Light pollution in complex ecological systems'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kylee Grenis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, CO, 80210, USA
| | - César Nufio
- University of Colorado Museum of Natural History, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
- BioInteractive Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Gina M. Wimp
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Shannon M. Murphy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, CO, 80210, USA
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12
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Emerson BC, Borges PAV, Cardoso P, Convey P, deWaard JR, Economo EP, Gillespie RG, Kennedy S, Krehenwinkel H, Meier R, Roderick GK, Strasberg D, Thébaud C, Traveset A, Creedy TJ, Meramveliotakis E, Noguerales V, Overcast I, Morlon H, Papadopoulou A, Vogler AP, Arribas P, Andújar C. Collective and harmonized high throughput barcoding of insular arthropod biodiversity: Toward a Genomic Observatories Network for islands. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:6161-6176. [PMID: 36156326 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Current understanding of ecological and evolutionary processes underlying island biodiversity is heavily shaped by empirical data from plants and birds, although arthropods comprise the overwhelming majority of known animal species, and as such can provide key insights into processes governing biodiversity. Novel high throughput sequencing (HTS) approaches are now emerging as powerful tools to overcome limitations in the availability of arthropod biodiversity data, and hence provide insights into these processes. Here, we explored how these tools might be most effectively exploited for comprehensive and comparable inventory and monitoring of insular arthropod biodiversity. We first reviewed the strengths, limitations and potential synergies among existing approaches of high throughput barcode sequencing. We considered how this could be complemented with deep learning approaches applied to image analysis to study arthropod biodiversity. We then explored how these approaches could be implemented within the framework of an island Genomic Observatories Network (iGON) for the advancement of fundamental and applied understanding of island biodiversity. To this end, we identified seven island biology themes at the interface of ecology, evolution and conservation biology, within which collective and harmonized efforts in HTS arthropod inventory could yield significant advances in island biodiversity research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent C Emerson
- Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Institute of Natural Products and Agrobiology (IPNA-CSIC), San Cristóbal de la Laguna, Spain
| | - Paulo A V Borges
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c)/Azorean Biodiversity Group, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment, CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, University of the Azores, Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal
| | - Pedro Cardoso
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c)/Azorean Biodiversity Group, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment, CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, University of the Azores, Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe), Finnish Museum of Natural History Luomus, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Peter Convey
- British Antarctic Survey, NERC, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, South Africa
| | - Jeremy R deWaard
- Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
| | - Evan P Economo
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
- Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rosemary G Gillespie
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Susan Kennedy
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | | | - Rudolf Meier
- Center for Integrative Biodiversity Discovery, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore City, Singapore
| | - George K Roderick
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | | | - Christophe Thébaud
- UMR 5174 EDB Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique, Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III, CNRS, IRD, Toulouse, France
| | - Anna Traveset
- Global Change Research Group, Mediterranean Institut of Advanced Studies (CSIC-UIB), Mallorca, Spain
| | - Thomas J Creedy
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | | | - Víctor Noguerales
- Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Institute of Natural Products and Agrobiology (IPNA-CSIC), San Cristóbal de la Laguna, Spain
| | - Isaac Overcast
- Département de Biologie, École normale supérieure, Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS), CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Hélène Morlon
- Département de Biologie, École normale supérieure, Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS), CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Anna Papadopoulou
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Alfried P Vogler
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Paula Arribas
- Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Institute of Natural Products and Agrobiology (IPNA-CSIC), San Cristóbal de la Laguna, Spain
| | - Carmelo Andújar
- Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Institute of Natural Products and Agrobiology (IPNA-CSIC), San Cristóbal de la Laguna, Spain
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13
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Ramos Aguila LC, Li X, Akutse KS, Bamisile BS, Sánchez Moreano JP, Lie Z, Liu J. Host-Parasitoid Phenology, Distribution, and Biological Control under Climate Change. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2290. [PMID: 38137891 PMCID: PMC10744521 DOI: 10.3390/life13122290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate change raises a serious threat to global entomofauna-the foundation of many ecosystems-by threatening species preservation and the ecosystem services they provide. Already, changes in climate-warming-are causing (i) sharp phenological mismatches among host-parasitoid systems by reducing the window of host susceptibility, leading to early emergence of either the host or its associated parasitoid and affecting mismatched species' fitness and abundance; (ii) shifting arthropods' expansion range towards higher altitudes, and therefore migratory pest infestations are more likely; and (iii) reducing biological control effectiveness by natural enemies, leading to potential pest outbreaks. Here, we provided an overview of the warming consequences on biodiversity and functionality of agroecosystems, highlighting the vital role that phenology plays in ecology. Also, we discussed how phenological mismatches would affect biological control efficacy, since an accurate description of stage differentiation (metamorphosis) of a pest and its associated natural enemy is crucial in order to know the exact time of the host susceptibility/suitability or stage when the parasitoids are able to optimize their parasitization or performance. Campaigns regarding landscape structure/heterogeneity, reduction of pesticides, and modelling approaches are urgently needed in order to safeguard populations of natural enemies in a future warmer world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Carlos Ramos Aguila
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China; (X.L.); (Z.L.); (J.L.)
| | - Xu Li
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China; (X.L.); (Z.L.); (J.L.)
| | - Komivi Senyo Akutse
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi P.O. Box 30772-00100, Kenya;
- Unit of Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
| | | | - Jessica Paola Sánchez Moreano
- Grupo Traslacional en Plantas, Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Parroquia Muyuna km 7 vía Alto Tena, Tena 150150, Napo, Ecuador;
| | - Zhiyang Lie
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China; (X.L.); (Z.L.); (J.L.)
| | - Juxiu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China; (X.L.); (Z.L.); (J.L.)
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14
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Suhaimi AH, Kobayashi MJ, Satake A, Ng CC, Lee SL, Muhammad N, Numata S, Otani T, Kondo T, Tani N, Yeoh SH. An ecological transcriptome approach to capture the molecular and physiological mechanisms of mass flowering in Shorea curtisii. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16368. [PMID: 38047035 PMCID: PMC10693236 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Climatic factors have commonly been attributed as the trigger of general flowering, a unique community-level mass flowering phenomenon involving most dipterocarp species that forms the foundation of Southeast Asian tropical rainforests. This intriguing flowering event is often succeeded by mast fruiting, which provides a temporary yet substantial burst of food resources for animals, particularly frugivores. However, the physiological mechanism that triggers general flowering, particularly in dipterocarp species, is not well understood largely due to its irregular and unpredictable occurrences in the tall and dense forests. To shed light on this mechanism, we employed ecological transcriptomic analyses on an RNA-seq dataset of a general flowering species, Shorea curtisii (Dipterocarpaceae), sequenced from leaves and buds collected at multiple vegetative and flowering phenological stages. We assembled 64,219 unigenes from the transcriptome of which 1,730 and 3,559 were differentially expressed in the leaf and the bud, respectively. Differentially expressed unigene clusters were found to be enriched with homologs of Arabidopsis thaliana genes associated with response to biotic and abiotic stresses, nutrient level, and hormonal treatments. When combined with rainfall data, our transcriptome data reveals that the trees were responding to a brief period of drought prior to the elevated expression of key floral promoters and followed by differential expression of unigenes that indicates physiological changes associated with the transition from vegetative to reproductive stages. Our study is timely for a representative general flowering dipterocarp species that occurs in forests that are under the constant threat of deforestation and climate change as it pinpoints important climate sensitive and flowering-related homologs and offers a glimpse into the cascade of gene expression before and after the onset of floral initiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Husaini Suhaimi
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Masaki J. Kobayashi
- Forestry Division, Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Akiko Satake
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Ching Ching Ng
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Soon Leong Lee
- Forestry Biotechnology Division, Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Norwati Muhammad
- Forestry Biotechnology Division, Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Shinya Numata
- Department of Tourism Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Otani
- Shikoku Research Center, Forestry Research and Management Organization, Kochi, Japan
| | - Toshiaki Kondo
- Bio-Resources and Utilization Division, Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Naoki Tani
- Forestry Division, Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Suat Hui Yeoh
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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15
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Edwards AW, Harrison XA, Smith MA, Chavarría Díaz MM, Sasa M, Janzen DH, Hallwachs W, Chaves G, Fernández R, Palmer C, Wilson C, North A, Puschendorf R. Amphibian diversity across three adjacent ecosystems in Área de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16185. [PMID: 38034867 PMCID: PMC10688307 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Amphibians are the most threatened species-rich vertebrate group, with species extinctions and population declines occurring globally, even in protected and seemingly pristine habitats. These 'enigmatic declines' are generated by climate change and infectious diseases. However, the consequences of these declines are undocumented as no baseline ecological data exists for most affected areas. Like other neotropical countries, Costa Rica, including Área de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) in north-western Costa Rica, experienced rapid amphibian population declines and apparent extinctions during the past three decades. To delineate amphibian diversity patterns within ACG, a large-scale comparison of multiple sites and habitats was conducted. Distance and time constrained visual encounter surveys characterised species richness at five sites-Murciélago (dry forest), Santa Rosa (dry forest), Maritza (mid-elevation dry-rain forest intersect), San Gerardo (rainforest) and Cacao (cloud forest). Furthermore, species-richness patterns for Cacao were compared with historic data from 1987-8, before amphibians declined in the area. Rainforests had the highest species richness, with triple the species of their dry forest counterparts. A decline of 45% (20 to 11 species) in amphibian species richness was encountered when comparing historic and contemporary data for Cacao. Conservation efforts sometimes focus on increasing the resilience of protected areas, by increasing their range of ecosystems. In this sense ACG is unique containing many tropical ecosystems compressed in a small geographic space, all protected and recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site. It thus provides an extraordinary platform to understand changes, past and present, and the resilience of tropical ecosystems and assemblages, or lack thereof, to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex W. Edwards
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, Devon, UK
| | - Xavier A. Harrison
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | - M. Alex Smith
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Mahmood Sasa
- School of Biology, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, San Jose, Costa Rica
| | - Daniel H. Janzen
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Winnie Hallwachs
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Gerardo Chaves
- School of Biology, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, San Jose, Costa Rica
| | - Roberto Fernández
- Guanacaste Dry Forest Conservation Fund, Philadelphia, United States of America
| | - Caroline Palmer
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, Devon, UK
| | - Chloe Wilson
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, Devon, UK
| | - Alexandra North
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, Devon, UK
| | - Robert Puschendorf
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, Devon, UK
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16
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Haas-Renninger M, Schwabe NLA, Moser M, Krogmann L. Black gold rush - Evaluating the efficiency of the Fractionator in separating Hymenoptera families in a meadow ecosystem over a two week period. Biodivers Data J 2023; 11:e107051. [PMID: 37915314 PMCID: PMC10616778 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.11.e107051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In the face of insect decline, monitoring projects are launched widely to assess trends of insect populations. Collecting over long time periods results in large numbers of samples with thousands of individuals that are often just stored in freezers waiting to be further processed. As the time-consuming process of sorting and identifying specimens prevents taxonomists from working on mass samples, important information on species composition remains unknown and taxonomically neglected species remain undiagnosed. Size fractioning of bulk samples can improve sample handling and, thus, can help to overcome the taxonomic impediment. In this paper, we evaluate the efficiency of the fractionator in separating Hymenoptera families from a Malaise trap sample of a meadow ecosystem over a two week interval to make them available for further morphological identification. The fractionator system by Buffington and Gates (2008) was used to separate the sample in two size classes - a large (macro) and a small (micro) fraction - and Hymenoptera specimens were then counted and identified on family level. In total, 2,449 Hymenoptera specimens were found in the macro fraction and 3,016 in the micro fraction (5,465 specimens in total). For 24 out of 34 Hymenoptera families (71%), separation was significant. This study illustrates the efficiency of the fractionator and its potential to improve workflows dealing with specimen-rich Malaise trap samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maura Haas-Renninger
- State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Stuttgart, GermanyState Museum of Natural History StuttgartStuttgartGermany
- University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, GermanyUniversity of HohenheimStuttgartGermany
| | - Noa L. A. Schwabe
- University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, GermanyUniversity of HohenheimStuttgartGermany
| | - Marina Moser
- State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Stuttgart, GermanyState Museum of Natural History StuttgartStuttgartGermany
- University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, GermanyUniversity of HohenheimStuttgartGermany
| | - Lars Krogmann
- State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Stuttgart, GermanyState Museum of Natural History StuttgartStuttgartGermany
- University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, GermanyUniversity of HohenheimStuttgartGermany
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17
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Millard J, Outhwaite CL, Ceaușu S, Carvalheiro LG, da Silva e Silva FD, Dicks LV, Ollerton J, Newbold T. Key tropical crops at risk from pollinator loss due to climate change and land use. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadh0756. [PMID: 37824611 PMCID: PMC10569713 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh0756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Insect pollinator biodiversity is changing rapidly, with potential consequences for the provision of crop pollination. However, the role of land use-climate interactions in pollinator biodiversity changes, as well as consequent economic effects via changes in crop pollination, remains poorly understood. We present a global assessment of the interactive effects of climate change and land use on pollinator abundance and richness and predictions of the risk to crop pollination from the inferred changes. Using a dataset containing 2673 sites and 3080 insect pollinator species, we show that the interactive combination of agriculture and climate change is associated with large reductions in insect pollinators. As a result, it is expected that the tropics will experience the greatest risk to crop production from pollinator losses. Localized risk is highest and predicted to increase most rapidly, in regions of sub-Saharan Africa, northern South America, and Southeast Asia. Via pollinator loss alone, climate change and agricultural land use could be a risk to human well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Millard
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Charlotte L. Outhwaite
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Silvia Ceaușu
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Luísa G. Carvalheiro
- Department of Ecology, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, GO 74690-900, Brazil
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Change (CE3C), University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Felipe Deodato da Silva e Silva
- Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Mato Grosso (IFMT)—Campus Barra do Garças, Barra do Garças, MT 78600-000, Brazil
| | - Lynn V. Dicks
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Jeff Ollerton
- Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology, University of Northampton, University Drive, Northampton, NN1 5PH UK
| | - Tim Newbold
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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18
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Prudic KL, Zylstra ER, Melkonoff NA, Laura RE, Hutchinson RA. Community scientists produce open data for understanding insects and climate change. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 59:101081. [PMID: 37393063 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2023.101081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
Insect species are responding to human-caused global changes, sparking an urgent need for more conservation and management. Recent publications indicate the speed and scale of these changes to be both fast and large, impacting ecosystem function and human health. Community scientists are contributing vast amounts of data on insect occurrence and abundance to publicly available biodiversity platforms. These data are then used by ecologists to estimate insect diversity and distributions and forecast species' responses to the stressors of the Anthropocene. Yet, challenges remain with taxonomy, species identification, and sampling, some of which can be improved by new tools and approaches. Here we review the open, global community science programs providing the majority of publicly available insect data. We explore the advantages, challenges, and next steps with these large-scale community science ventures, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between professionals and community scientists to jointly address the conservation of insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- K L Prudic
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Arizona Institute for Resilient Environments and Societies, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
| | - E R Zylstra
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Tucson Audubon Society, Tucson, AZ 85705 USA
| | - N A Melkonoff
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, AZ 85008 USA
| | - R E Laura
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; US Fish and Wildlife Service, Flagstaff, AZ, 86001, USA
| | - R A Hutchinson
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA; Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
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19
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Mengel L, Linhart S, Haug GT, Weiterschan T, Müller P, Hoffeins C, Hoffeins HW, Baranov V, Haug C, Haug JT. The Morphological Diversity of Dragon Lacewing Larvae (Nevrorthidae, Neuroptera) Changed More over Geological Time Scales Than Anticipated. INSECTS 2023; 14:749. [PMID: 37754717 PMCID: PMC10649721 DOI: 10.3390/insects14090749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Nevrorthidae, the group of dragon lacewings, has often been considered a relic group. Today, dragon lacewings show a scattered distribution, with some species occurring in southern Europe, Japan, Australia, and one in China. The idea that this distribution is only a remnant of an originally larger distribution is further supported by fossils of the group preserved in ambers from the Baltic region (Eocene, ca. 35-40 MaBP) and Myanmar (Kachin amber, Cretaceous, ca. 100 MaBP). Larvae of the group are slender and elongated and live mostly in water. Yet, larvae are in fact very rare. So far, only slightly more than 30 larval specimens, counting all extant and fossil larvae, have been depicted in the literature. Here, we report numerous additional specimens, including extant larvae, but also fossil ones from Baltic and Kachin amber. Together with the already known ones, this sums up to over 100 specimens. We analysed quantitative aspects of the morphology of these larvae and compared them over time to identify changes in the diversity. Despite the enriched sample size, the data set is still unbalanced, with, for example, newly hatched larvae (several dozen specimens) only known from the Eocene. We expected little change in larval morphology over geological time, as indicated by earlier studies. However, on the contrary, we recognised morphologies present in fossils that are now extinct. This result is similar to those for other groups of lacewings which have a relic distribution today, as these have also suffered a loss in diversity in larval forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Mengel
- Faculty of Biology, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; (L.M.); (S.L.); (G.T.H.); (J.T.H.)
| | - Simon Linhart
- Faculty of Biology, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; (L.M.); (S.L.); (G.T.H.); (J.T.H.)
| | - Gideon T. Haug
- Faculty of Biology, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; (L.M.); (S.L.); (G.T.H.); (J.T.H.)
| | | | | | | | | | - Viktor Baranov
- Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, 41092 Sevilla, Spain;
| | - Carolin Haug
- Faculty of Biology, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; (L.M.); (S.L.); (G.T.H.); (J.T.H.)
- GeoBio-Center at LMU, Richard-Wagner-Str. 10, 80333 München, Germany
| | - Joachim T. Haug
- Faculty of Biology, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; (L.M.); (S.L.); (G.T.H.); (J.T.H.)
- GeoBio-Center at LMU, Richard-Wagner-Str. 10, 80333 München, Germany
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20
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Versluijs TSL, Zhemchuzhnikov MK, Kutcherov D, Roslin T, Martin Schmidt N, van Gils JA, Reneerkens J. Site-specific length-biomass relationships of arctic arthropod families are critical for accurate ecological inferences. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15943. [PMID: 37692121 PMCID: PMC10492534 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Arthropods play a crucial role in terrestrial ecosystems, for instance in mediating energy fluxes and in forming the food base for many organisms. To better understand their functional role in such ecosystem processes, monitoring of trends in arthropod biomass is essential. Obtaining direct measurements of the body mass of individual specimens is laborious. Therefore, these data are often indirectly acquired by utilizing allometric length-biomass relationships based on a correlative parameter, such as body length. Previous studies have often used such relationships with a low taxonomic resolution and/or small sample size and/or adopted regressions calibrated in different biomes. Despite the scientific interest in the ecology of arctic arthropods, no site-specific family-level length-biomass relationships have hitherto been published. Here we present 27 family-specific length-biomass relationships from two sites in the High Arctic: Zackenberg in northeast Greenland and Knipovich in north Taimyr, Russia. We show that length-biomass regressions from different sites within the same biome did not affect estimates of phenology but did result in substantially different estimates of arthropod biomass. Estimates of daily biomass at Zackenberg were on average 24% higher when calculated using regressions for Knipovich compared to using regressions for Zackenberg. In addition, calculations of daily arthropod biomass at Zackenberg based on order-level regressions from frequently cited studies in literature revealed overestimations of arthropod biomass ranging from 69.7% to 130% compared to estimates based on regressions for Zackenberg. Our results illustrate that the use of allometric relationships from different sites can significantly alter the biological interpretation of, for instance, the interaction between insectivorous birds and their arthropod prey. We conclude that length-biomass relationships should be locally established rather than being based on global relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom S. L. Versluijs
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Mikhail K. Zhemchuzhnikov
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Dmitry Kutcherov
- Department of Entomology, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Tomas Roslin
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Niels Martin Schmidt
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
- Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jan A. van Gils
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Reneerkens
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
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21
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Rumohr Q, Baden CU, Bergtold M, Marx MT, Oellers J, Schade M, Toschki A, Maus C. Drivers and pressures behind insect decline in Central and Western Europe based on long-term monitoring data. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0289565. [PMID: 37611013 PMCID: PMC10446172 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Insect declines have been discussed intensively among experts, policymakers, and the public. Albeit, decreasing trends have been reported for a long time for various regions in Europe and North America, but the controversial discussion over the role of specific drivers and pressures still remains. A reason for these uncertainties lies within the complex networks of inter-dependent biotic and abiotic factors as well as anthropogenic activities that influence habitats, communities, populations, and individual organisms. Many recent publications aim to identify both the extent of the observed declines and potential drivers. With this literature analysis, we provide an overview of the drivers and pressures and their inter-relationships, which were concluded in the scientific literature, using some of the best-studied insect groups as examples. We conducted a detailed literature evaluation of publications on Carabidae (Coleoptera) and Lepidoptera trends with data for at least 6 years in countries of Central and Western Europe, with a focus on agricultural landscapes. From the 82 publications identified as relevant, we extracted all reported trends and classified the respective factors described according to the DPSIR model. Further, we analysed the level of scientific verification (presumed vs correlated vs examined) within these papers for these cited stressors. The extracted trends for both species groups underline the reported overall declining trend. Whether negative or positive trends were reported in the papers, our semi-quantitative analysis shows that changes in insect populations are primarily anthropogenically driven by agriculture, climate change, nature conservation activities, urbanisation, and other anthropogenic activities. Most of the identified pressures were found to act on habitat level, only a fraction attributed to direct effects to the insects. While our analysis gives an overview of existing research concerning abundance and biodiversity trends of carabids and lepidopterans, it also shows gaps in scientific data in this area, in particular in monitoring the pressures along with the monitoring of abundance trends. The scientific basis for assessing biodiversity changes in the landscape is essential to help all stakeholders involved to shape, e.g. agriculture and other human activities, in a more sustainable way, balancing human needs such as food production with conservation of nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quintana Rumohr
- gaiac, Research Institute for Ecosystem Analysis and Assessment, Aachen, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Johanna Oellers
- gaiac, Research Institute for Ecosystem Analysis and Assessment, Aachen, Germany
| | | | - Andreas Toschki
- gaiac, Research Institute for Ecosystem Analysis and Assessment, Aachen, Germany
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22
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Ghisbain G, Rosa P, Bogusch P, Flaminio S, Divelec RLE, Dorchin A, Kasparek M, Kuhlmann M, Litman J, Mignot M, Mller A, Praz C, Radchenko VG, Rasmont P, Risch S, Roberts SPM, Smit J, Wood TJ, Michez D, Revert S. The new annotated checklist of the wild bees of Europe (Hymenoptera: Anthophila). Zootaxa 2023; 5327:1-147. [PMID: 38220888 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5327.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
At a time when nature conservation has become essential to ensure the long-term sustainability of our environment, it is widely acknowledged that conservation actions must be implemented within a solid taxonomic framework. In preparation for the upcoming update of the IUCN Red List, we here update the European checklist of the wild bees (sensu the IUCN geographical framework). The original checklist, published in 2014, was revised for the first time in 2017. In the present revision, we add one genus, four subgenera and 67 species recently described, 40 species newly recorded since the latest revision (including two species that are not native to Europe), 26 species overlooked in the previous European checklists and 63 published synonymies. We provide original records for eight species previously unknown to the continent and, as original taxonomic acts, we provide three new synonyms, we consider two names as nomina nuda, ten names as nomina dubia, three as species inquirenda, synonymize three species and exclude 40 species from the previous checklist. Around a hundred other taxonomic changes and clarifications are also included and discussed. The present work revises the total number of genera for IUCN Europe to 77 and the total number of species to 2,138. In addition to specifying the taxonomic changes necessary to update the forthcoming Red List of European bees, we discuss the sampling and taxonomic biases that characterise research on the European bee fauna and highlight the growing importance of range expansions and species invasions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Ghisbain
- Laboratory of Zoology; Research Institute for Biosciences; University of Mons; Place du parc 20; 7000; Mons; Belgium.
| | - Paolo Rosa
- Laboratory of Zoology; Research Institute for Biosciences; University of Mons; Place du parc 20; 7000; Mons; Belgium.
| | - Petr Bogusch
- Faculty of Science; University of Hradec Krlov; Hradec Krlov; Czech Republic.
| | - Simone Flaminio
- Laboratory of Zoology; Research Institute for Biosciences; University of Mons; Place du parc 20; 7000; Mons; Belgiu; Centro di Ricerca Agricoltura e Ambiente; (CREA) Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e lanalisi dellEconomia Agraria-via di Corticella 133; 40128 Bologna; Italy.
| | - Romain LE Divelec
- Laboratory of Zoology; Research Institute for Biosciences; University of Mons; Place du parc 20; 7000; Mons; Belgium.
| | - Achik Dorchin
- Laboratory of Zoology; Research Institute for Biosciences; University of Mons; Place du parc 20; 7000; Mons; Belgium; Muse Royal de lAfrique Centrale; Leuvensesteenweg 13; 3080 Tervuren; Belgium.
| | | | - Michael Kuhlmann
- Zoological Museum; University of Kiel; Hegewischstr. 3; 24105 Kiel; Germany.
| | - Jesse Litman
- Zoological Museum; University of Kiel; Hegewischstr. 3; 24105 Kiel; Germany..
| | - Maud Mignot
- Natural History Museum of Neuchtel; Terreaux 14; 2000 Neuchtel; Switzerland.
| | - Andreas Mller
- Laboratory of Zoology; Research Institute for Biosciences; University of Mons; Place du parc 20; 7000; Mons; Belgium.
| | - Christophe Praz
- ETH Zrich; Institute of Agricultural Sciences; Biocommunication and Entomology; Schmelzbergstrasse 9/LFO; 8092 Zrich; Switzerland.
| | - Vladimir G Radchenko
- Info fauna Swiss Zoological Records Center; Avenue de Bellevaux 51; 2000 Neuchtel; Switzerland. Institute of Biology; University of Neuchatel; Rue Emile-Argand 16; 2000 Neuchtel; Switzerland.
| | - Pierre Rasmont
- Institute for Evolutionary Ecology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine; acad. Lebedev; 37; 03143 Kiev; Ukraine.
| | - Stephan Risch
- Laboratory of Zoology; Research Institute for Biosciences; University of Mons; Place du parc 20; 7000; Mons; Belgium.
| | | | - Jan Smit
- Agroecology Lab;Universit Libre de Bruxelles (ULB); Boulevard du Triomphe CP 264/02; 1050 Brussels; Belgium.
| | | | - Denis Michez
- Laboratory of Zoology; Research Institute for Biosciences; University of Mons; Place du parc 20; 7000; Mons; Belgium.
| | - Sara Revert
- Laboratory of Zoology; Research Institute for Biosciences; University of Mons; Place du parc 20; 7000; Mons; Belgium.
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23
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Slade EM, Ong XR. The future of tropical insect diversity: strategies to fill data and knowledge gaps. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 58:101063. [PMID: 37247774 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2023.101063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The decline of insect diversity is a much-discussed, yet understudied phenomenon, particularly in the tropics, where the majority of insect abundance, diversity and biomass is found. Integrated approaches involving traditional taxonomic methods, new molecular approaches, and novel monitoring and identification tools and applications are needed to address related and challenging questions regarding how many species of tropical insects exist, their distributions and natural history, the relative impacts of global change drivers on insect diversity across complex tropical landscapes, and the effects of insect declines on ecosystem functions and services. The main barriers to addressing these challenges are a lack of capacity and funding for research on insects in tropical countries and a lack of recognition of their importance for ecosystem functioning and human wellbeing. Insects must be brought into policy agendas, local capacity and funding through cross-boundary collaborations and equitable scientific practices increased, and their importance emphasized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor M Slade
- Tropical Ecology & Entomology Lab, Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798, Singapore.
| | - Xin Rui Ong
- Tropical Ecology & Entomology Lab, Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798, Singapore
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24
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Newton L, Tolman E, Kohli M, Ware JL. Evolution of Odonata: genomic insights. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 58:101073. [PMID: 37290694 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2023.101073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Odonata is an order of insects that comprises ∼6500 species. They are among the earliest flying insects, and one of the first diverging lineages in the Pterygota. Odonate evolution has been a topic of research for over 100 years, with studies focusing primarily on their flight behavior, color, vision, and aquatic juvenile lifestyles. Recent genomics studies have provided new interpretations about the evolution of these traits. In this paper, we look at how high-throughput sequence data (i.e. subgenomic and genomic data) have been used to answer long-standing questions in Odonata ranging from evolutionary relationships to vision evolution to flight behavior. Additionally, we evaluate these data at multiple taxonomic levels (i.e. ordinal, familial, generic, and population) and provide comparative analysis of genomes across Odonata, identifying features of these new data. Last, we discuss the next two years of Odonata genomic study, with context about what questions are currently being tackled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lacie Newton
- American Museum of Natural History, Division of Invertebrate Zoology, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Ethan Tolman
- American Museum of Natural History, Division of Invertebrate Zoology, New York, NY 10024, USA; City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4309, USA; Richard Gilder Graduate School, AMNH, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Manpreet Kohli
- American Museum of Natural History, Division of Invertebrate Zoology, New York, NY 10024, USA; Department of Natural Sciences, Baruch College, City University of New York, New York City, NY 10010, USA
| | - Jessica L Ware
- American Museum of Natural History, Division of Invertebrate Zoology, New York, NY 10024, USA.
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25
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Dornelas M, Chase JM, Gotelli NJ, Magurran AE, McGill BJ, Antão LH, Blowes SA, Daskalova GN, Leung B, Martins IS, Moyes F, Myers-Smith IH, Thomas CD, Vellend M. Looking back on biodiversity change: lessons for the road ahead. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220199. [PMID: 37246380 PMCID: PMC10225864 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Estimating biodiversity change across the planet in the context of widespread human modification is a critical challenge. Here, we review how biodiversity has changed in recent decades across scales and taxonomic groups, focusing on four diversity metrics: species richness, temporal turnover, spatial beta-diversity and abundance. At local scales, change across all metrics includes many examples of both increases and declines and tends to be centred around zero, but with higher prevalence of declining trends in beta-diversity (increasing similarity in composition across space or biotic homogenization) and abundance. The exception to this pattern is temporal turnover, with changes in species composition through time observed in most local assemblages. Less is known about change at regional scales, although several studies suggest that increases in richness are more prevalent than declines. Change at the global scale is the hardest to estimate accurately, but most studies suggest extinction rates are probably outpacing speciation rates, although both are elevated. Recognizing this variability is essential to accurately portray how biodiversity change is unfolding, and highlights how much remains unknown about the magnitude and direction of multiple biodiversity metrics at different scales. Reducing these blind spots is essential to allow appropriate management actions to be deployed. This article is part of the theme issue 'Detecting and attributing the causes of biodiversity change: needs, gaps and solutions'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Dornelas
- Centre for Biological Diversity, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
- Guia Marine Laboratory, MARE, Faculdade de Ciencias da Universidade de Lisboa, Cascais 2750-374, Portugal
- Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Jonathan M. Chase
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Department of Computer Sciences, Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg 06099, Germany
| | | | - Anne E Magurran
- Centre for Biological Diversity, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
| | - Brian J McGill
- School of Biology and Ecology and Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
| | - Laura H. Antão
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki,Finland
| | - Shane A. Blowes
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Department of Computer Sciences, Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg 06099, Germany
| | - Gergana N. Daskalova
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg 2361, Austria
| | - Brian Leung
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada H3A 1B1
| | - Inês S. Martins
- Centre for Biological Diversity, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
- Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Faye Moyes
- Centre for Biological Diversity, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
| | | | - Chris D Thomas
- Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Mark Vellend
- Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York YO10 5DD, UK
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada J1K 2R1
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26
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Bauer IL. The oral repellent - science fiction or common sense? Insects, vector-borne diseases, failing strategies, and a bold proposition. Trop Dis Travel Med Vaccines 2023; 9:7. [PMID: 37381000 DOI: 10.1186/s40794-023-00195-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the last decades, unimaginable amounts of money have gone into research and development of vector control measures, repellents, treatment, and vaccines for vector borne diseases. Technological progress and scientific breakthroughs allowed for ever more sophisticated and futuristic strategies. Yet, each year, millions of people still die or suffer from potentially serious consequences of malaria or dengue to more recent infections, such as zika or chikungunya, or of debilitating consequences of neglected tropical diseases. This does not seem value for money. In addition, all current vector control strategies and personal protection methods have shortcomings, some serious, that are either destructive to non-target species or unsatisfactory in their effectiveness. On the other hand, the rapid decline in insect populations and their predators reflects decades-long aggressive and indiscriminate vector control. This major disruption of biodiversity has an impact on human life not anticipated by the well-meaning killing of invertebrates. The objective of this paper is to re-examine current control methods, their effectiveness, their impact on biodiversity, human and animal health, and to call for scientific courage in the pursuit of fresh ideas. This paper brings together topics that are usually presented in isolation, thereby missing important links that offer potential solutions to long-standing problems in global health. First, it serves as a reminder of the importance of insects to human life and discusses the few that play a role in transmitting disease. Next, it examines critically the many currently employed vector control strategies and personal protection methods. Finally, based on new insights into insect chemo-sensation and attractants, this perspective makes a case for revisiting a previously abandoned idea, the oral repellent, and its use via currently successful methods of mass-application. The call is out for focused research to provide a powerful tool for public health, tropical medicine, and travel medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irmgard L Bauer
- College of Healthcare Sciences, Academy - Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia.
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27
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Hüftlein F, Seidenath D, Mittereder A, Hillenbrand T, Brüggemann D, Otti O, Feldhaar H, Laforsch C, Schott M. Effects of diesel exhaust particles on the health and survival of the buff-tailed bumblebee Bombus terrestris after acute and chronic oral exposure. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 458:131905. [PMID: 37421857 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
The diesel-powered transportation sector is a major producer of environmental pollution in the form of micro- and nanoscale diesel exhaust particles (DEP). Pollinators, such as wild bees, may inhale DEP or ingest it orally through plant nectar. However, if these insects are adversely affected by DEP is largely unknown. To investigate potential health threats of DEP to pollinators, we exposed individuals of Bombus terrestris to different concentrations of DEP. We analysed the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) content of DEP since these are known to elicit adverse effects on invertebrates. We investigated the dose-dependent effects of those well-characterized DEP on survival and fat body content, as a proxy for the insects' health condition, in acute and chronic oral exposure experiments. Acute oral exposure to DEP showed no dose-dependent effects on survival or fat body content of B. terrestris. However, we could show dose-dependent effects after chronic oral exposure with high doses of DEP where significantly increased mortality was observed. Further, there was no dose-dependent effect of DEP on the fat body content after exposure. Our results give insights into how the accumulation of high concentrations of DEP e.g., near heavily trafficked sites, can influence insect pollinators' health and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dimitri Seidenath
- Department of Animal Population Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Andreas Mittereder
- Department of Engineering Thermodynamics and Transport Processes, University of Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Thomas Hillenbrand
- Department of Engineering Thermodynamics and Transport Processes, University of Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Dieter Brüggemann
- Department of Engineering Thermodynamics and Transport Processes, University of Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Oliver Otti
- Department of Animal Population Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Germany; BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Heike Feldhaar
- Department of Animal Population Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Germany; BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Christian Laforsch
- Department of Animal Ecology I, University of Bayreuth, Germany; BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, Germany.
| | - Matthias Schott
- Department of Animal Ecology I, University of Bayreuth, Germany; BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, Germany.
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28
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Quinto J, Díaz-Castelazo C, Ramírez-Hernández A, Padilla A, Sánchez-Almodóvar E, Galante E, Micó E. Interaction Networks Help to Infer the Vulnerability of the Saproxylic Beetle Communities That Inhabit Tree Hollows in Mediterranean Forests. INSECTS 2023; 14:insects14050446. [PMID: 37233074 DOI: 10.3390/insects14050446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Insect communities are facing contrasting responses due to global change. However, knowledge on impacts of communities' reorganizations is scarce. Network approaches could help to envision community changes in different environmental scenarios. Saproxylic beetles were selected to examine long-term variations in insect interaction/diversity patterns and their vulnerability to global change. We evaluated interannual differences in network patterns in the tree hollow-saproxylic beetle interaction using absolute samplings over an 11-year interval in three Mediterranean woodland types. We explored saproxylic communities' vulnerability to microhabitat loss via simulated extinctions and by recreating threat scenarios based on decreasing microhabitat suitability. Although temporal diversity patterns varied between woodland types, network descriptors showed an interaction decline. The temporal beta-diversity of interactions depended more on interaction than on species turnover. Interaction and diversity temporal shifts promoted less specialized and more vulnerable networks, which is particularly worrisome in the riparian woodland. Network procedures evidenced that saproxylic communities are more vulnerable today than 11 years ago irrespective of whether species richness increased or decreased, and the situation could worsen in the future depending on tree hollow suitability. Network approaches were useful for predicting saproxylic communities' vulnerability across temporal scenarios and, thus, for providing valuable information for management and conservation programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Quinto
- Instituto de Investigación CIBIO (Centro Iberoamericano de la Biodiversidad), Universidad de Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain
| | | | | | - Ascensión Padilla
- Instituto de Investigación CIBIO (Centro Iberoamericano de la Biodiversidad), Universidad de Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain
- Instituto Interuniversitario de Geografía, Universidad de Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain
| | | | - Eduardo Galante
- Instituto de Investigación CIBIO (Centro Iberoamericano de la Biodiversidad), Universidad de Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain
| | - Estefanía Micó
- Instituto de Investigación CIBIO (Centro Iberoamericano de la Biodiversidad), Universidad de Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain
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29
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Rumschlag SL, Mahon MB, Jones DK, Battaglin W, Behrens J, Bernhardt ES, Bradley P, Brown E, De Laender F, Hill R, Kunz S, Lee S, Rosi E, Schäfer R, Schmidt TS, Simonin M, Smalling K, Voss K, Rohr JR. Density declines, richness increases, and composition shifts in stream macroinvertebrates. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf4896. [PMID: 37134169 PMCID: PMC10156106 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf4896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Documenting trends of stream macroinvertebrate biodiversity is challenging because biomonitoring often has limited spatial, temporal, and taxonomic scopes. We analyzed biodiversity and composition of assemblages of >500 genera, spanning 27 years, and 6131 stream sites across forested, grassland, urban, and agricultural land uses throughout the United States. In this dataset, macroinvertebrate density declined by 11% and richness increased by 12.2%, and insect density and richness declined by 23.3 and 6.8%, respectively, over 27 years. In addition, differences in richness and composition between urban and agricultural versus forested and grassland streams have increased over time. Urban and agricultural streams lost the few disturbance-sensitive taxa they once had and gained disturbance-tolerant taxa. These results suggest that current efforts to protect and restore streams are not sufficient to mitigate anthropogenic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L Rumschlag
- Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental Change Initiative, and Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
- Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, MN, USA
| | - Michael B Mahon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental Change Initiative, and Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Devin K Jones
- Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental Change Initiative, and Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - William Battaglin
- Colorado Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Jonny Behrens
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Paul Bradley
- South Atlantic Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Ethan Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental Change Initiative, and Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Frederik De Laender
- Research Unit of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Namur Institute of Complex Systems, and Institute of Life, Earth, and the Environment, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Ryan Hill
- Pacific Ecological Systems Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Stefan Kunz
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Sylvia Lee
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Emma Rosi
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY, USA
| | - Ralf Schäfer
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Travis S Schmidt
- Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Helena, MT, USA
| | - Marie Simonin
- Univ Angers, Institut Agro, INRAE, IRHS, SFR QUASAV, F-49000 Angers, France
| | - Kelly Smalling
- New Jersey Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Lawrenceville, NJ, USA
| | - Kristofor Voss
- Department of Biology, Regis University, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Jason R Rohr
- Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental Change Initiative, and Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
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30
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Crowley LM, Ivison K, Enston A, Garrett D, Sadler JP, Pritchard J, MacKenzie AR, Hayward SA. A comparison of sampling methods and temporal patterns of arthropod abundance and diversity in a mature, temperate, Oak woodland. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2022.103873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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31
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Harvey JA, Dong Y. Climate Change, Extreme Temperatures and Sex-Related Responses in Spiders. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12040615. [PMID: 37106814 PMCID: PMC10136024 DOI: 10.3390/biology12040615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Climatic extremes, such as heat waves, are increasing in frequency, intensity and duration under anthropogenic climate change. These extreme events pose a great threat to many organisms, and especially ectotherms, which are susceptible to high temperatures. In nature, many ectotherms, such as insects, may seek cooler microclimates and 'ride out´ extreme temperatures, especially when these are transient and unpredictable. However, some ectotherms, such as web-building spiders, may be more prone to heat-related mortality than more motile organisms. Adult females in many spider families are sedentary and build webs in micro-habitats where they spend their entire lives. Under extreme heat, they may be limited in their ability to move vertically or horizontally to find cooler microhabitats. Males, on the other hand, are often nomadic, have broader spatial distributions, and thus might be better able to escape exposure to heat. However, life-history traits in spiders such as the relative body size of males and females and spatial ecology also vary across different taxonomic groups based on their phylogeny. This may make different species or families more or less susceptible to heat waves and exposure to very high temperatures. Selection to extreme temperatures may drive adaptive responses in female physiology, morphology or web site selection in species that build small or exposed webs. Male spiders may be better able to avoid heat-related stress than females by seeking refuge under objects such as bark or rocks with cooler microclimates. Here, we discuss these aspects in detail and propose research focusing on male and female spider behavior and reproduction across different taxa exposed to temperature extremes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey A Harvey
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Section Animal Ecology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yuting Dong
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Monge O, Maggini I, Schulze CH, Dullinger S, Fusani L. Physiologically vulnerable or resilient? Tropical birds, global warming, and redistributions. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9985. [PMID: 37082319 PMCID: PMC10111238 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Tropical species are considered to be more threatened by climate change than those of other world regions. This increased sensitivity to warming is thought to stem from the assumptions of low physiological capacity to withstand temperature fluctuations and already living near their limits of heat tolerance under current climatic conditions. For birds, despite thorough documentation of community-level rearrangements, such as biotic attrition and elevational shifts, there is no consistent evidence of direct physiological sensitivity to warming. In this review, we provide an integrative outlook into the physiological response of tropical birds to thermal variation and their capacity to cope with warming. In short, evidence from the literature suggests that the assumed physiological sensitivity to warming attributed to tropical biotas does not seem to be a fundamental characteristic of tropical birds. Tropical birds do possess the physiological capacities to deal with fluctuating temperatures, including high-elevation species, and are prepared to withstand elevated levels of heat, even those living in hot and arid environments. However, there are still many unaddressed points that hinder a more complete understanding of the response of tropical birds to warming, such as cooling capacities when exposed to combined gradients of heat and humidity, the response of montane species to heat, and thermoregulation under increased levels of microclimatic stress in disturbed ecosystems. Further research into how populations and species from different ecological contexts handle warming will increase our understanding of current and future community rearrangements in tropical birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Otto Monge
- Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of ViennaDjerassiplatz 11030ViennaAustria
| | - Ivan Maggini
- Konrad‐Lorenz Institute of EthologyUniversity of Veterinary MedicineSavoyenstrasse 1a1160ViennaAustria
| | - Christian H. Schulze
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity ResearchUniversity of ViennaRennweg 141030ViennaAustria
| | - Stefan Dullinger
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity ResearchUniversity of ViennaRennweg 141030ViennaAustria
| | - Leonida Fusani
- Konrad‐Lorenz Institute of EthologyUniversity of Veterinary MedicineSavoyenstrasse 1a1160ViennaAustria
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive BiologyUniversity of ViennaAlthanstrasse 141090ViennaAustria
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Hector TE, Gehman ALM, King KC. Infection burdens and virulence under heat stress: ecological and evolutionary considerations. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220018. [PMID: 36744570 PMCID: PMC9900716 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
As a result of global change, hosts and parasites (including pathogens) are experiencing shifts in their thermal environment. Despite the importance of heat stress tolerance for host population persistence, infection by parasites can impair a host's ability to cope with heat. Host-parasite eco-evolutionary dynamics will be affected if infection reduces host performance during heating. Theory predicts that within-host parasite burden (replication rate or number of infecting parasites per host), a key component of parasite fitness, should correlate positively with virulence-the harm caused to hosts during infection. Surprisingly, however, the relationship between within-host parasite burden and virulence during heating is often weak. Here, we describe the current evidence for the link between within-host parasite burden and host heat stress tolerance. We consider the biology of host-parasite systems that may explain the weak or absent link between these two important host and parasite traits during hot conditions. The processes that mediate the relationship between parasite burden and host fitness will be fundamental in ecological and evolutionary responses of host and parasites in a warming world. This article is part of the theme issue 'Infectious disease ecology and evolution in a changing world'.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. E. Hector
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - A.-L. M. Gehman
- Hakai Institute, End of Kwakshua Channel, Calvert Island, BC Canada, V0N 1M0,Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC Canada, V6T 1Z4
| | - K. C. King
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 3SZ, UK
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Oro D, Alsedà L, Hastings A, Genovart M, Sardanyés J. Social copying drives a tipping point for nonlinear population collapse. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2214055120. [PMID: 36877850 PMCID: PMC10089190 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2214055120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Sudden changes in populations are ubiquitous in ecological systems, especially under perturbations. The agents of global change may increase the frequency and severity of anthropogenic perturbations, but complex populations' responses hamper our understanding of their dynamics and resilience. Furthermore, the long-term environmental and demographic data required to study those sudden changes are rare. Fitting dynamical models with an artificial intelligence algorithm to population fluctuations over 40 y in a social bird reveals that feedback in dispersal after a cumulative perturbation drives a population collapse. The collapse is well described by a nonlinear function mimicking social copying, whereby dispersal made by a few individuals induces others to leave the patch in a behavioral cascade for decision-making to disperse. Once a threshold for deterioration of the quality of the patch is crossed, there is a tipping point for a social response of runaway dispersal corresponding to social copying feedback. Finally, dispersal decreases at low population densities, which is likely due to the unwillingness of the more philopatric individuals to disperse. In providing the evidence of copying for the emergence of feedback in dispersal in a social organism, our results suggest a broader impact of self-organized collective dispersal in complex population dynamics. This has implications for the theoretical study of population and metapopulation nonlinear dynamics, including population extinction, and managing of endangered and harvested populations of social animals subjected to behavioral feedback loops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Oro
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology Laboratory, Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas,17300Girona, Spain
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Lluís Alsedà
- Departament de Matemàtiques, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona,08193Bellaterra, Spain
- Centre de Recerca Matemàtica,08193Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Alan Hastings
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA95616
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM87501
| | - Meritxell Genovart
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology Laboratory, Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas,17300Girona, Spain
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Pérez-Cembranos A, Pérez-Mellado V. Long-Term Seed Dispersal within an Asymmetric Lizard-Plant Interaction. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13060973. [PMID: 36978515 PMCID: PMC10044582 DOI: 10.3390/ani13060973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
During the last 24 years, the mutualistic interaction between the dead horse arum, Helicodiceros muscivorus, and the Balearic lizard, Podarcis lilfordi, was studied on Aire Island (Balearic Islands, Spain). From a small population of a hundred plants, the dead horse arum expanded extraordinarily throughout the island, reaching the highest known densities of the species and occupying areas of the island where it was not previously present. The current abundance of plants is a direct effect of the frugivorous activity of the Balearic lizard, which is the main, if not the only, effective seed disperser of the plant on Aire Island. However, abiotic factors predominated over biotic factors in driving abundance of plants. Over the years, plant densities varied significantly depending on the aridity of the island, with higher densities recorded in drier years. Lizards’ frugivorous activity and dispersal intensity was inversely correlated with annual rainfall. We found higher dispersal intensity in years with lower rainfall. We propose that the years of lower rainfall are those in which there is a lower prey availability. In such years, lizards compensate the shortage of other trophic resources with a more intense consumption of dead horse arum fruits. The mutualistic interaction is therefore asymmetric, since there is a greater influence of the frugivorous activity of the lizards on the plants than of the plants on lizards. It is, in short, a system chronically out of balance.
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Levenson HK, Tarpy DR. Planted pollinator habitat in agroecosystems: How does the pollinator community respond? Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1060834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Pollinators are important both ecologically and economically. Nonetheless, documented pollinator population decline threatens ecosystem functioning and human well-being. In response, conservation methods such as augmented pollinator habitat are becoming popular tools to combat pollinator losses. While previous research has shown added habitat can benefit bee communities, there are still aspects of the habitat implementation that require further research, particularly how this will impact bee communities in real-world settings beyond researcher-led efforts. In our study, we use a 2016 initiative mandating the planting of pollinator habitat on research stations across North Carolina, United States to act as an outdoor laboratory to investigate this exact question. From 2016 to 2018, we found significant increases in bee abundance and diversity. However, these increases depended on the quality of habitat, with areas of higher flower cover and diversity supporting larger, more diverse bee communities. Although the habitats positively supported bee communities, we found that resources within the habitats were lower later in the sampling season, highlighting the need of developing seed mixes that include late season resources. Weedy plants were documented to establish within the habitats, demonstrating the need for regular upkeep and maintenance of pollinator habitat in order to appropriately support bee communities. It is likely that planting pollinator habitat will not be a one-size-fits-all conservation solution, as bee species can respond differently to some habitat characteristics. Future long-term studies on pollinators will be important as natural fluctuations in bee populations may limit findings and many knowledge gaps on native bees still persist.
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Abstract
Insects constitute vital components of ecosystems. There is alarming evidence for global declines in insect species diversity, abundance, and biomass caused by anthropogenic drivers such as habitat degradation or loss, agricultural practices, climate change, and environmental pollution. This raises important concerns about human food security and ecosystem functionality and calls for more research to assess insect population trends and identify threatened species and the causes of declines to inform conservation strategies. Analysis of genetic diversity is a powerful tool to address these goals, but so far animal conservation genetics research has focused strongly on endangered vertebrates, devoting less attention to invertebrates, such as insects, that constitute most biodiversity. Insects' shorter generation times and larger population sizes likely necessitate different analytical methods and management strategies. The availability of high-quality reference genome assemblies enables population genomics to address several key issues. These include precise inference of past demographic fluctuations and recent declines, measurement of genetic load levels, delineation of evolutionarily significant units and cryptic species, and analysis of genetic adaptation to stressors. This enables identification of populations that are particularly vulnerable to future threats, considering their potential to adapt and evolve. We review the application of population genomics to insect conservation and the outlook for averting insect declines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T Webster
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden;
| | - Alexis Beaurepaire
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Peter Neumann
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Eckart Stolle
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Museum Koenig, Bonn, Germany
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Long-term, large-scale experiment reveals the effects of seed limitation, climate, and anthropogenic disturbance on restoration of plant communities in a biodiversity hotspot. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2201943119. [PMID: 36745782 PMCID: PMC9963678 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2201943119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Ecological restoration is essential for maintaining biodiversity in the face of dynamic, global changes in climate, human land use, and disturbance regimes. Effective restoration requires understanding bottlenecks in plant community recovery that exist today, while recognizing that these bottlenecks may relate to complex histories of environmental change. Such understanding has been a challenge because few long-term, well-replicated experiments exist to decipher the demographic processes influencing recovery for numerous species against the backdrop of multiyear variation in climate and management. We address this challenge through a long-term and geographically expansive experiment in longleaf pine savannas, an imperiled ecosystem and biodiversity hotspot in the southeastern United States. Using 48 sites at three locations spanning 480 km, the 8-y experiment manipulated initial seed arrival for 24 herbaceous plant species and presence of competitors to evaluate the impacts of climate variability and management actions (e.g., prescribed burning) on plant establishment and persistence. Adding seeds increased plant establishment of many species. Cool and wet climatic conditions, low tree density, and reduced litter depth also promoted establishment. Once established, most species persisted for the duration of the 8-y experiment. Plant traits were most predictive when tightly coupled to the process of establishment. Our results illustrate how seed additions can restore plant diversity and how interannual climatic variation affects the dynamics of plant communities across a large region. The significant effects of temperature and precipitation inform how future climate may affect restoration and conservation via large-scale changes in the fundamental processes of establishment and persistence.
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Tudor EP, Lewandrowski W, Tomlinson S. Integrating animal physiology into the adaptive management of restored landscapes. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023:10.1007/s00267-023-01800-5. [PMID: 36781454 PMCID: PMC10372129 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-023-01800-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Global-scale ecological changes and intensifying habitat destruction and have caused alarming declines in wildlife populations, resulting in a great need for concerted efforts towards their conservation. Despite this, animals are frequently overlooked in restoration and management initiatives and therefore populations often do not reassemble following disturbance without re-establishing habitat that meets their abiotic and biotic requirements. However, restoration ecologists broadly lack insight into the physiological mechanisms that can govern the responses of fauna to environmental change and management. Therefore, we conducted a literature search for studies reporting a mechanistic understanding of faunal habitat suitability and selection in restored landscapes to deliver an updated perspective on the integration of animal ecophysiology and restoration ecology. Of the 75,442 studies that we identified discussing ecological restoration in the last 50 years, only 8,627 (11.4%) did so in the context of fauna from which 912 studies (1.2%) examined habitat selection, 35 studies (0.05%) integrated physiology and only 15 studies (0.02%) explored thermal biology, despite temperature being one of the most pervasive drivers of physiological functioning. To combat this, we developed a conceptual framework that can guide restoration ecophysiology and promote innovative, multidisciplinary research through an established adaptive management structure. While physiological tools and approaches are currently underutilised in restoration practice, integrating them into ecological restoration, and environmental management more broadly, will offer exciting new opportunities to describe, explain and predict the responses of fauna to environmental change occurring, and that yet to come.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily P Tudor
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia.
- Kings Park Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kattidj Close, Kings Park, WA, 6005, Australia.
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
| | - Wolfgang Lewandrowski
- Kings Park Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kattidj Close, Kings Park, WA, 6005, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Sean Tomlinson
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia
- Kings Park Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kattidj Close, Kings Park, WA, 6005, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
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We need to talk about nonprobability samples. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:521-531. [PMID: 36775795 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
In most circumstances, probability sampling is the only way to ensure unbiased inference about population quantities where a complete census is not possible. As we enter the era of 'big data', however, nonprobability samples, whose sampling mechanisms are unknown, are undergoing a renaissance. We explain why the use of nonprobability samples can lead to spurious conclusions, and why seemingly large nonprobability samples can be (effectively) very small. We also review some recent controversies surrounding the use of nonprobability samples in biodiversity monitoring. These points notwithstanding, we argue that nonprobability samples can be useful, provided that their limitations are assessed, mitigated where possible and clearly communicated. Ecologists can learn much from other disciplines on each of these fronts.
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Samu F, Szita É, Botos E, Simon J, Gallé-Szpisjak N, Gallé R. Agricultural spider decline: long-term trends under constant management conditions. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2305. [PMID: 36759542 PMCID: PMC9911793 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29003-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
There is widespread evidence for a worldwide trend of insect decline, but we have much fewer data about recent temporal trends in other arthropod groups, including spiders. Spiders can be hypothesised to similarly decline because of trophic dependence on insects and being equally sensitive to local and global environmental changes. Background trends in arthropod populations can be verified if we decouple large-scale environmental transitions, such as climate change, from local factors. To provide a case study on baseline spider community trends, we observed changes in the spider community of an unsprayed alfalfa field and its margin 23 years apart under largely unchanged local conditions. We aimed to determine whether there are changes in spider abundance, species richness and mean species characteristics. Spider abundance per unit effort decreased dramatically, by 45% in alfalfa and by 59% in the margin, but species richness and most characteristics remained unchanged. Community composition in both habitats shifted and became more similar by the current study period. The population decline was especially marked in certain farmland species. We propose that in the absence of local causative factors, spider abundance decline in our study indicates a reduction of spider populations at landscape and regional scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Samu
- Plant Protection Institute, Centre of Agricultural Research, ELKH, Herman Ottó Street 15, 1022, Budapest, Hungary
| | - É Szita
- Plant Protection Institute, Centre of Agricultural Research, ELKH, Herman Ottó Street 15, 1022, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - E Botos
- Plant Protection Institute, Centre of Agricultural Research, ELKH, Herman Ottó Street 15, 1022, Budapest, Hungary
| | - J Simon
- Plant Protection Institute, Centre of Agricultural Research, ELKH, Herman Ottó Street 15, 1022, Budapest, Hungary
| | - N Gallé-Szpisjak
- 'Lendület' Landscape and Conservation Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological Research, 2163, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - R Gallé
- 'Lendület' Landscape and Conservation Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological Research, 2163, Vácrátót, Hungary.,MTA-SZTE 'Momentum' Applied Ecology Research Group, Közép Fasor 52, 6726, Szeged, Hungary
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Opito EA, Alanko T, Kalbitzer U, Nummelin M, Omeja P, Valtonen A, Chapman CA. 30 years brings changes to the arthropod community of Kibale National Park, Uganda. Biotropica 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Urs Kalbitzer
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Konstanz Germany
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
| | - Matti Nummelin
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Patrick Omeja
- Makerere University Biological Field Station Fort Portal Uganda
| | - Anu Valtonen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences University of Eastern Finland Joensuu Finland
| | - Colin A. Chapman
- Biology Department Vancouver Island University Nanaimo British Columbia Canada
- Department of Anthropology The George Washington University Washington District of Columbia USA
- School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg South Africa
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation Northwest University Xi'an China
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Felgentreff ES, Buchholz S, Straka TM. From science to society to practice? Public reactions to the insect crisis in Germany. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sascha Buchholz
- Institute of Landscape Ecology University of Münster Münster Germany
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Chen Y, Tournayre O, Tian H, Lougheed SC. Assessing the breeding phenology of a threatened frog species using eDNA and automatic acoustic monitoring. PeerJ 2023; 11:e14679. [PMID: 36710869 PMCID: PMC9879156 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Climate change has driven shifts in breeding phenology of many amphibians, causing phenological mismatches (e.g., predator-prey interactions), and potentially population declines. Collecting data with high spatiotemporal sensitivity on hibernation emergence and breeding times can inform conservation best practices. However, monitoring the phenology of amphibians can be challenging because of their cryptic nature over much of their life cycle. Moreover, most salamanders and caecilians do not produce conspicuous breeding calls like frogs and toads do, presenting additional monitoring challenges. Methods In this study, we designed and evaluated the performance of an environmental DNA (eDNA) droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assay as a non-invasive tool to assess the breeding phenology of a Western Chorus Frog population (Pseudacris maculata mitotype) in Eastern Ontario and compared eDNA detection patterns to hourly automatic acoustic monitoring. For two eDNA samples with strong PCR inhibition, we tested three methods to diminish the effect of inhibitors: diluting eDNA samples, adding bovine serum albumin to PCR reactions, and purifying eDNA using a commercial clean-up kit. Results We recorded the first male calling when the focal marsh was still largely frozen. Chorus frog eDNA was detected on April 6th, 6 days after acoustic monitoring revealed this first calling male, but only 2 days after males attained higher chorus activity. eDNA signals were detected at more sampling locales within the marsh and eDNA concentrations increased as more males participated in the chorus, suggesting that eDNA may be a reasonable proxy for calling assemblage size. Internal positive control revealed strong inhibition in some samples, limiting detection probability and quantification accuracy in ddPCR. We found diluting samples was the most effective in reducing inhibition and improving eDNA quantification. Conclusions Altogether, our results showed that eDNA ddPCR signals lagged behind male chorusing by a few days; thus, acoustic monitoring is preferable if the desire is to document the onset of male chorusing. However, eDNA may be an effective, non-invasive monitoring tool for amphibians that do not call and may provide a useful complement to automated acoustic recording. We found inhibition patterns were heterogeneous across time and space and we demonstrate that an internal positive control should always be included to assess inhibition for eDNA ddPCR signal interpretations.
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Predicting the Habitat Suitability and Distribution of Two Species of Mound-Building Termites in Nigeria Using Bioclimatic and Vegetation Variables. DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15020157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Temperature is an important factor determining the abundance, distribution and diversity of termite species. Thus, termites are affected by changing climate and have to adopt different means of surviving in order to avoid extinction. Using termite occurrence data, bioclimatic variables and vegetation cover, we modelled and predicted the current and future habitat suitability for mound-building termites in Nigeria. Of the 19 bioclimatic variables and the vegetation index (NDVI) tested, only six were significant and eligible as predictors of habitat suitability for the mound-building termites Macrotermes subhyalinus and M. bellicosus. Under current climatic conditions (2022), the northwest, northeast and central regions are highly suitable for M. subhyalinus, while the distribution of M. bellicosus decreased in the North West, North East and in the Central region. However, regarding habitat suitability for the future (2050), there was a predicted range expansion into suitable areas for the two termite species. The increase in temperature due to global warming has an effect which can either result in migration or sometimes extinction of termite species within an ecosystem. Here, we have predicted habitat suitability for the two mound-building termite species under current and future climatic scenarios, and how the change in climatic variables would lead to an expansion in their range across Nigeria.
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A reconstruction of parasite burden reveals one century of climate-associated parasite decline. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2211903120. [PMID: 36623180 PMCID: PMC9934024 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2211903120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Long-term data allow ecologists to assess trajectories of population abundance. Without this context, it is impossible to know whether a taxon is thriving or declining to extinction. For parasites of wildlife, there are few long-term data-a gap that creates an impediment to managing parasite biodiversity and infectious threats in a changing world. We produced a century-scale time series of metazoan parasite abundance and used it to test whether parasitism is changing in Puget Sound, United States, and, if so, why. We performed parasitological dissection of fluid-preserved specimens held in natural history collections for eight fish species collected between 1880 and 2019. We found that parasite taxa using three or more obligately required host species-a group that comprised 52% of the parasite taxa we detected-declined in abundance at a rate of 10.9% per decade, whereas no change in abundance was detected for parasites using one or two obligately required host species. We tested several potential mechanisms for the decline in 3+-host parasites and found that parasite abundance was negatively correlated with sea surface temperature, diminishing at a rate of 38% for every 1 °C increase. Although the temperature effect was strong, it did not explain all variability in parasite burden, suggesting that other factors may also have contributed to the long-term declines we observed. These data document one century of climate-associated parasite decline in Puget Sound-a massive loss of biodiversity, undetected until now.
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Holveck M, Muller D, Visser B, Timmermans A, Colonval L, Jan F, Crucifix M, Nieberding CM. Warmer temperatures result in maladaptive learning of sexual preferences. Funct Ecol 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marie‐Jeanne Holveck
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain Louvain‐la‐Neuve Belgium
| | - Doriane Muller
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain Louvain‐la‐Neuve Belgium
| | - Bertanne Visser
- Evolution and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Entomology University of Liège ‐ Gembloux Agro‐Bio Tech Gembloux Belgium
| | - Arthur Timmermans
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain Louvain‐la‐Neuve Belgium
| | - Lidwine Colonval
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain Louvain‐la‐Neuve Belgium
| | - Fabrice Jan
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain Louvain‐la‐Neuve Belgium
| | - Michel Crucifix
- Earth and Climate, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain Louvain‐la‐Neuve Belgium
| | - Caroline M. Nieberding
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain Louvain‐la‐Neuve Belgium
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Régnier B, Legrand J, Calatayud PA, Rebaudo F. Developmental Differentiations of Major Maize Stemborers Due to Global Warming in Temperate and Tropical Climates. INSECTS 2023; 14:51. [PMID: 36661979 PMCID: PMC9866401 DOI: 10.3390/insects14010051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
While many insects are in decline due to global warming, the effect of rising temperatures on crop insect pests is uncertain. A capacity to understand future changes in crop pest populations remains critical to ensure food security. Using temperature-dependent mathematical models of the development of four maize stemborers in temperate and tropical regions, we evaluated the potential impacts of different climate change scenarios on development time. While recognizing the limitations of the temperature-dependent development rate approach, we found that global warming could either be beneficial or detrimental to pest development, depending on the optimal temperature for the development of the species and scenarios of climate change. Expected responses range from null development to 1.5 times faster development than expected today. These results suggest that in the medium term, the studied species could benefit from global warming with an accelerated development, while in the long term, their development could either be delayed or accelerated, which may impact their dynamics with implications on maize cultivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baptiste Régnier
- UMR Évolution, Génomes, Comportement et Écologie, IRD, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Judith Legrand
- UMR Génétique Quantitative et Évolution—Le Moulon, Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, CNRS, AgroParisTech, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Paul-André Calatayud
- UMR Évolution, Génomes, Comportement et Écologie, IRD, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - François Rebaudo
- UMR Évolution, Génomes, Comportement et Écologie, IRD, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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Catchpole Ahumada S, Carrera Suárez L, Rivera R. Could an event of extreme drought (2019-2020) affect the feeding ecology of Bubo magellanicus (Gmelin 1788) (Strigiformes: Strigidae) in a Mediterranean region of Chile? PeerJ 2023; 11:e15020. [PMID: 37151291 PMCID: PMC10158770 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Global warming generates changes in environmental conditions, affecting the spatial-temporal dynamics of precipitation and temperature. Droughts, events of low rainfall, are becoming more frequent and severe. In central Chile, from 2010 to date, an unprecedented drought event has developed, affecting the ecosystem and creating pressure on the dynamics of food webs. The present study analysed the trophic ecology of Bubo magellanicus, a top predator in the Mediterranean region of Chile, between 2019 and 2020 a period with a rainfall deficit of 72.6%. Our results established a diet mainly described by invertebrates (97.75%), in particular by the Gramnostola rosea spider (87.86%), and a low contribution of small vertebrates (2.24%). The trophic niche breadth (B = 0.37) and the standardised Levin's index (BSTA = 0.01) are the lowest recorded in the species B. magellanicus. A comparative analysis of trophic ecology with other studies developed in the same region established significant differences in the composition of the diet (frequency of occurrence of prey unit). This work provides evidence that droughts and other extreme environmental scenarios restructure the food webs of an ecosystem, with direct consequences on the trophic niche of the species, specifically top predators.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Reinaldo Rivera
- Instituto Milenio de Oceanografía, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Biobío, Chile
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Filoinformática, Concepción, Biobío, Chile
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Rivera JD, Favila ME. Good news! Sampling intensity needed for accurate assessments of dung beetle diversity may be lower in the Neotropics. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.999488] [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
Ecological studies with Scarabaeinae dung beetles have increased exponentially over the past 30 years, using lethal pitfall traps baited with mammal feces or carrion as the preferred sampling method. Different studies have determined the distance between pitfall traps for effective sampling, but the number of traps is often subjective, leading to excessive or poor sampling. This study provides quantitative guidelines for establishing the sample size for optimal completeness of dung beetle diversity by systematically reviewing the relationship between sampling intensity and sampling coverage, habitat type, and the journal impact factor in peer-reviewed research. We gathered 94 studies covering a range from México to Argentina. Sampling was conducted mainly in forested habitats, followed by treeless agriculture and agroforestry systems, with a median value of 50 pitfall traps per sampled habitat. Sampling completeness was above 0.9 in 95% of the studies. Oversampling ranged from 1 to more than 96,000 individuals, and sampling deficit varied between 2 and 3,300 specimens. Sampling intensity and the journal impact factor were significantly and positively correlated with oversampling, but these variables did not explain the sampling deficit. The positive correlation between journal impact factor and oversampling may reflect a publication bias where high-impact journals and researchers seek more generalizable information obtained with a higher sampling intensity. Dung beetle oversampling was not homogeneous between habitats, being highest in old-growth forests and lowest in disturbed habitats such as pastures and forest edges. Our results show that the collection intensity used in dung beetle studies should be reconsidered carefully. By incorporating ethical principles used in animal science, we suggest sampling guidelines for a robust sampling scheme of dung beetle diversity, which would also prevent oversampling. Consciously reducing sampling intensity will make resource use more cost-effective. We suggest increasing the number of independent sampling units rather than intensifying subsampling, thereby increasing the predictive power of statistical models to obtain more robust evidence of the phenomena under study.
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