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Haubrock PJ, Kurtul I, Macêdo RL, Mammola S, Franco ACS, Soto I. Competency in invasion science: addressing stagnation challenges by promoting innovation and creative thinking. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024:10.1007/s00267-024-02035-8. [PMID: 39235460 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-024-02035-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024]
Abstract
In today's ever-evolving scientific landscape, invasion science faces a plethora of challenges, such as terminological inconsistency and the rapidly growing literature corpus with few or incomplete syntheses of knowledge, which may be perceived as a stagnation in scientific progress. We explore the concept of 'competency', which is extensively debated across disciplines such as psychology, philosophy, and linguistics. Traditionally, it is associated with attributes that enable superior performance and continuous ingenuity. We propose that the concept of competency can be applied to invasion science as the ability to creatively and critically engage with global challenges. For example, competency may help develop innovative strategies for understanding and managing the multifaceted, unprecedented challenges posed by the spread and impacts of non-native species, as well as identifying novel avenues of inquiry for management. Despite notable advancements and the exponential increase in scholarly publications, invasion science still encounters obstacles such as insufficient interdisciplinary collaboration paralleled by a lack of groundbreaking or actionable scientific advancements. To enhance competency in invasion science, a paradigm shift is needed. This shift entails fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, nurturing creative and critical thinking, and establishing a stable and supportive environment for early career researchers, thereby promoting the emergence of competency and innovation. Embracing perspectives from practitioners and decision makers, alongside diverse disciplines beyond traditional ecological frameworks, can further add novel insights and innovative methodologies into invasion science. Invasion science must also address the ethical implications of its practices and engage the public in awareness and education programs. Such initiatives can encourage a more holistic understanding of invasions, attracting and cultivating competent minds capable of thinking beyond conventional paradigms and contributing to the advancement of the field in a rapidly changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip J Haubrock
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany.
- Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Centre of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Zátiší 728/II, 389 25, Vodňany, Czech Republic.
- CAMB, Center for Applied Mathematics and Bioinformatics, Gulf University for Science and Technology, Al-Abdullah, Kuwait.
| | - Irmak Kurtul
- Marine and Inland Waters Sciences and Technology Department, Faculty of Fisheries, Ege University, İzmir, Türkiye
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Bournemouth University, Poole, Dorset, UK
| | - Rafael L Macêdo
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 1-3, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Müggelseedamm 310, 12587, Berlin, Germany
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Natural Resources, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Federal University of São Carlos, UFSCar, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Stefano Mammola
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), Corso Tonolli, 50, Verbania, 28922, Italy
- Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS), University of Helsinki, Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13, Helsinki, 00100, Finland
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, 90133, Italy
| | - Ana Clara S Franco
- Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, 17003, Girona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Ismael Soto
- Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Centre of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Zátiší 728/II, 389 25, Vodňany, Czech Republic
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2
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Mazza V, Eccard JA. Expanding through the Emerald Isle: exploration and spatial orientation of non-native bank voles in Ireland. Curr Zool 2024; 70:320-331. [PMID: 39035766 PMCID: PMC11255993 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoad038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Whether introduced into a completely novel habitat or slowly expanding their current range, the degree to which animals can efficiently explore and navigate new environments can be key to survival, ultimately determining population establishment and colonization success. We tested whether spatial orientation and exploratory behavior are associated with non-native spread in free-living bank voles (Myodes glareolus, N = 43) from a population accidentally introduced to Ireland a century ago. We measured spatial orientation and navigation in a radial arm maze, and behaviors associated to exploratory tendencies and risk-taking in repeated open-field tests, at the expansion edge and in the source population. Bank voles at the expansion edge re-visited unrewarded arms of the maze more, waited longer before leaving it, took longer to start exploring both the radial arm maze and the open field, and were more risk-averse compared to conspecifics in the source population. Taken together, results suggest that for this small mammal under heavy predation pressure, a careful and thorough exploration strategy might be favored when expanding into novel environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Mazza
- Animal Ecology, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 1, 14469, Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Largo dell'Università 1, 0100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Jana A Eccard
- Animal Ecology, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 1, 14469, Potsdam, Germany
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Mazza V, Šlipogor V. Behavioral flexibility and novel environments: integrating current perspectives for future directions. Curr Zool 2024; 70:304-309. [PMID: 39035762 PMCID: PMC11255986 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoae029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Mazza
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Largo dell'Università 1, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
- Ichthyogenic Experimental Marine Centre (CISMAR), Località Le Saline snc, 01016 Tarquinia, Italy
| | - Vedrana Šlipogor
- Department of Zoology, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Quartier UNIL-Sorge, Bâtiment Biophore, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- The Sense – Innovation and Research Center Lausanne & Sion, Avenue de Provence 82, 1007 Lausanne, Switzerland
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4
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McGeoch MA, Clarke DA, Mungi NA, Ordonez A. A nature-positive future with biological invasions: theory, decision support and research needs. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230014. [PMID: 38583473 PMCID: PMC10999266 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
In 2050, most areas of biodiversity significance will be heavily influenced by multiple drivers of environmental change. This includes overlap with the introduced ranges of many alien species that negatively impact biodiversity. With the decline in biodiversity and increase in all forms of global change, the need to envision the desired qualities of natural systems in the Anthropocene is growing, as is the need to actively maintain their natural values. Here, we draw on community ecology and invasion biology to (i) better understand trajectories of change in communities with a mix of native and alien populations, and (ii) to frame approaches to the stewardship of these mixed-species communities. We provide a set of premises and actions upon which a nature-positive future with biological invasions (NPF-BI) could be based, and a decision framework for dealing with uncertain species movements under climate change. A series of alternative management approaches become apparent when framed by scale-sensitive, spatially explicit, context relevant and risk-consequence considerations. Evidence of the properties of mixed-species communities together with predictive frameworks for the relative importance of the ecological processes at play provide actionable pathways to a NPF in which the reality of mixed-species communities are accommodated and managed. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ecological novelty and planetary stewardship: biodiversity dynamics in a transforming biosphere'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melodie A. McGeoch
- Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria, Australia
| | - David A. Clarke
- Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ninad Avinash Mungi
- Section of Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
| | - Alejandro Ordonez
- Section of Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
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Reinecke A, Flaig IC, Lozano YM, Rillig MC, Hilker M. Drought induces moderate, diverse changes in the odour of grassland species. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2024; 221:114040. [PMID: 38428627 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2024.114040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Plants react to drought stress with numerous changes including altered emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from leaves, which provide protection against oxidative tissue damage and mediate numerous biotic interactions. Despite the share of grasslands in the terrestrial biosphere, their importance as carbon sinks and their contribution to global biodiversity, little is known about the influence of drought on VOC profiles of grassland species. Using coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we analysed the odorants emitted by 22 European grassland species exposed to an eight-week-lasting drought treatment (DT; 30% water holding capacity, WHC). We focused on the odorants emitted during the light phase from whole plant shoots in their vegetative stage. Emission rates were standardised to the dry weight of each shoot. Well-watered (WW) plants (70% WHC) served as control. Drought-induced significant changes included an increase in total emission rates of plant VOC in six and a decrease in three species. Diverging effects on the number of emitted VOC (chemical richness) or on the Shannon diversity of the VOC profiles were detected in 13 species. Biosynthetic pathways-targeted analyses revealed 13 species showing drought-induced higher emission rates of VOC from one, two, three, or four major biosynthetic pathways (lipoxygenase, shikimate, mevalonate and methylerythritol phosphate pathway), while six species exhibited reduced emission rates from one or two of these pathways. Similarity trees of odorant profiles and their drought-induced changes based on a biosynthetically informed distance metric did not match species phylogeny. However, a phylogenetic signal was detected for the amount of terpenoids released by the studied species under WW and DT conditions. A comparative analysis of emission rates of single compounds released by WW and DT plants revealed significant VOC profile dissimilarities in four species only. The moderate drought-induced changes in the odorant emissions of grassland species are discussed with respect to their impact on trophic interactions across the food web. (294 words).
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Reinecke
- Freie Universität Berlin, Inst. of Biology, Applied Zoology/Animal Ecology, Haderslebener Str. 9, 12163, Berlin, Germany; Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Isabelle C Flaig
- Freie Universität Berlin, Inst. of Biology, Applied Zoology/Animal Ecology, Haderslebener Str. 9, 12163, Berlin, Germany; Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Yudi M Lozano
- Freie Universität Berlin, Inst. of Biology, Plant Ecology, Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany; Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias C Rillig
- Freie Universität Berlin, Inst. of Biology, Plant Ecology, Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany; Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Monika Hilker
- Freie Universität Berlin, Inst. of Biology, Applied Zoology/Animal Ecology, Haderslebener Str. 9, 12163, Berlin, Germany; Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
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Golivets M, Knapp S, Essl F, Lenzner B, Latombe G, Leung B, Kühn I. Future changes in key plant traits across Central Europe vary with biogeographical status, woodiness, and habitat type. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 907:167954. [PMID: 37866591 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167954] [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: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Many plant traits covary with environmental gradients, reflecting shifts in adaptive strategies and thus informing about potential consequences of future environmental change for vegetation and ecosystem functioning. Yet, the evidence of trait-environment relationships (TERs) remains too heterogeneous for reliable predictions, partially due to insufficient consideration of trait syndromes specific to certain growth forms and habitats. Moreover, it is still unclear whether non-native and native plants' traits align similarly along environmental gradients, limiting our ability to assess the impacts of future plant invasions. Using a Bayesian multilevel modelling framework, we assess TERs for native and non-native woody and herbaceous plants across six broad habitat types in Central Europe at a resolution of c. 130 km2 and use them to project trait change under future environmental change scenarios until 2081-2100. We model TERs between three key plant traits (maximum height, Hmax; specific leaf area, SLA; seed mass, SM) and individual environmental factors (7 climate variables and % urban land cover) and estimate trait change summed across all environmental effects. We also quantify the change in the average trait difference between native and non-native plants. Our models depict multiple TERs, with important differences attributed to biogeographical status and woodiness within and across habitat types. The overall magnitude of trait change is projected to be greater for non-native than native taxa and to increase under more extreme scenarios. Native woody plant assemblages may generally experience a future increase across all three traits, whereas woody non-natives may decline in Hmax and increase in SLA and SM. Herbaceous Hmax is estimated to increase and SLA to decrease in most habitats. The obtained trait projections highlight conditions of competitive advantage of non-native plants over natives and vice versa and can serve as starting points for projecting future changes in ecosystem functions and services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Golivets
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle, Germany.
| | - Sonja Knapp
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle, Germany; Ecosystem Science/Plant Ecology, Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Franz Essl
- Division of Bioinvasions, Global Change & Macroecology, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernd Lenzner
- Division of Bioinvasions, Global Change & Macroecology, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Guillaume Latombe
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Brian Leung
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Bieler School of Environment, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ingolf Kühn
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle, Germany; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
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7
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Riley CL, Oostra V, Plaistow SJ. Does the definition of a novel environment affect the ability to detect cryptic genetic variation? J Evol Biol 2023; 36:1618-1629. [PMID: 37897127 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14238] [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: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic change exposes populations to environments that have been rare or entirely absent from their evolutionary past. Such novel environments are hypothesized to release cryptic genetic variation, a hidden store of variance that can fuel evolution. However, support for this hypothesis is mixed. One possible reason is a lack of clarity in what is meant by 'novel environment', an umbrella term encompassing conditions with potentially contrasting effects on the exposure or concealment of cryptic variation. Here, we use a meta-analysis approach to investigate changes in the total genetic variance of multivariate traits in ancestral versus novel environments. To determine whether the definition of a novel environment could explain the mixed support for a release of cryptic genetic variation, we compared absolute novel environments, those not represented in a population's evolutionary past, to extreme novel environments, those involving frequency or magnitude changes to environments present in a population's ancestry. Despite sufficient statistical power, we detected no broad-scale pattern of increased genetic variance in novel environments, and finding the type of novel environment did not explain any significant variation in effect sizes. When effect sizes were partitioned by experimental design, we found increased genetic variation in studies based on broad-sense measures of variance, and decreased variation in narrow-sense studies, in support of previous research. Therefore, the source of genetic variance, not the definition of a novel environment, was key to understanding environment-dependant genetic variation, highlighting non-additive genetic variance as an important component of cryptic genetic variation and avenue for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille L Riley
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behaviour, IVES, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Vicencio Oostra
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Stewart J Plaistow
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behaviour, IVES, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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McCleery R, Guralnick R, Beatty M, Belitz M, Campbell CJ, Idec J, Jones M, Kang Y, Potash A, Fletcher RJ. Uniting Experiments and Big Data to advance ecology and conservation. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:970-979. [PMID: 37330409 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.05.010] [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: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Many ecologists increasingly advocate for research frameworks centered on the use of 'big data' to address anthropogenic impacts on ecosystems. Yet, experiments are often considered essential for identifying mechanisms and informing conservation interventions. We highlight the complementarity of these research frameworks and expose largely untapped opportunities for combining them to speed advancements in ecology and conservation. With nascent but increasing application of model integration, we argue that there is an urgent need to unite experimental and big data frameworks throughout the scientific process. Such an integrated framework offers potential for capitalizing on the benefits of both frameworks to gain rapid and reliable answers to ecological challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert McCleery
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32618, USA.
| | - Robert Guralnick
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32618, USA
| | - Meghan Beatty
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32618, USA
| | - Michael Belitz
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32618, USA
| | - Caitlin J Campbell
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32618, USA
| | - Jacob Idec
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32618, USA
| | - Maggie Jones
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32618, USA
| | - Yiyang Kang
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32618, USA
| | - Alex Potash
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32618, USA
| | - Robert J Fletcher
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32618, USA
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9
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Kleptoparasitism from condors to eagles mediated by an exotic prey. FOOD WEBS 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2022.e00271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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10
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Bernard-Verdier M, Seitz B, Buchholz S, Kowarik I, Lasunción Mejía S, Jeschke JM. Grassland allergenicity increases with urbanisation and plant invasions. AMBIO 2022; 51:2261-2277. [PMID: 35594005 PMCID: PMC9481851 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-022-01741-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Pollen allergies have been on the rise in cities, where anthropogenic disturbances, warmer climate and introduced species are shaping novel urban ecosystems. Yet, the allergenic potential of these urban ecosystems, in particular spontaneous vegetation outside parks and gardens, remains poorly known. We quantified the allergenic properties of 56 dry grasslands along a double gradient of urbanisation and plant invasion in Berlin (Germany). 30% of grassland species were classified as allergenic, most of them being natives. Urbanisation was associated with an increase in abundance and diversity of pollen allergens, mainly driven by an increase in allergenic non-native plants. While not inherently more allergenic than native plants, the pool of non-natives contributed a larger biochemical diversity of allergens and flowered later than natives, creating a broader potential spectrum of allergy. Managing novel risks to urban public health will involve not only targeted action on allergenic non-natives, but also policies at the habitat scale favouring plant community assembly of a diverse, low-allergenicity vegetation. Similar approaches could be easily replicated in other cities to provide a broad quantification and mapping of urban allergy risks and drivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maud Bernard-Verdier
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 1-3, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Müggelseedamm 301, 12587, Berlin, Germany
| | - Birgit Seitz
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Rothenburgstraße 12, 12165 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sascha Buchholz
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Rothenburgstraße 12, 12165 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Heisenbergstraße 2, 48149 Munster, Germany
| | - Ingo Kowarik
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Rothenburgstraße 12, 12165 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sara Lasunción Mejía
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 1-3, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jonathan M. Jeschke
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 1-3, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Müggelseedamm 301, 12587, Berlin, Germany
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11
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Knapp S, von der Lippe M, Kowarik I. Interactions of Functional Traits With Native Status and Ecosystem Novelty Explain the Establishment of Plant Species Within Urban Ecosystems: Evidence From Berlin, Germany. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.790340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A key challenge in urban biodiversity conservation is to understand the drivers that govern the population establishment of different groups of species in different urban ecosystems. Here, we ask whether and to what extent vascular plant species establishment (i.e., the ability to establish self-sustaining populations within a certain time span) is driven by interactions of species functional traits, native status, and the type of ecosystem species occur in, with types of ecosystems distinguished by their degree of ecosystem novelty. To answer this question, we use a dataset of 1,178 vascular plant species occurring in Berlin, Germany that originally had been compiled to substantiate the Berlin Red List of endangered plant species. This dataset classifies native and non-native species into casual and established species based on a minimum of 25 years of expert observation. Whether a species is established or casual is distinguished among four broad types of ecosystems: natural remnant, hybrid, novel immature, and novel mature ecosystems. Moreover, we classify species into those native to Berlin and non-native species (split into archaeophytes and neophytes), and link species to selected functional traits and indicator values. By applying ordinal regression within a Bayesian framework, we show that traits are key drivers of these establishment processes and that the traits that drive species establishment differ across types of ecosystems. While across traits, more established species are present in natural remnants, low canopy height, annual life span, and late end of flowering specifically promote establishment in novel immature ecosystems. In hybrid ecosystems, low canopy height and reproduction by seeds are beneficial traits, with the latter promoting establishment in novel mature ecosystems, too. Traits were less important in predicting species establishment in native as compared to non-native species. All types of ecosystems add to urban biodiversity, and trait analyses refine our knowledge on how they can be supported in doing so on the long term. This can help in sharpening conservation measures.
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Staples TL, Kiessling W, Pandolfi JM. Emergence patterns of locally novel plant communities driven by past climate change and modern anthropogenic impacts. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:1497-1509. [PMID: 35545440 PMCID: PMC9325357 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14016] [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] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Anthropogenic disturbance and climate change can result in dramatic increases in the emergence of new, ecologically novel, communities of organisms. We used a standardised framework to detect local novel communities in 2135 pollen time series over the last 25,000 years. Eight thousand years of post‐glacial warming coincided with a threefold increase in local novel community emergence relative to glacial estimates. Novel communities emerged predominantly at high latitudes and were linked to global and local temperature change across multi‐millennial time intervals. In contrast, emergence of locally novel communities in the last 200 years, although already on par with glacial retreat estimates, occurred at midlatitudes and near high human population densities. Anthropogenic warming does not appear to be strongly associated with modern local novel communities, but may drive widespread emergence in the future, with legacy effects for millennia after warming abates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy L Staples
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Wolfgang Kiessling
- GeoZentrum Nordbayern, Department of Geography and Geosciences, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - John M Pandolfi
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
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13
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People’s Attitudes and Emotions towards Different Urban Forest Types in the Berlin Region, Germany. LAND 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/land11050701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
In an era of urbanization, forests are a key component of the urban green infrastructure, providing multiple benefits to urban residents. While emerging forests on urban wasteland could increase the urban forest area, it is unclear how residents view such novel forest types. In a comparative self-administered online survey, we assessed attitudes and emotions of residents (n = 299) from the Berlin region, Germany, towards forest types that represent transformation stages from natural to novel forests: (1) natural remnants, (2) silvicultural plantings, (3) park forests and (4) novel wild forests in wastelands. Respondents expressed positive attitudes and emotions towards all forest types, including the novel wild forest. Ratings were most positive towards natural remnants and least positive towards the novel wild forest. The indicated prevalence of non-native trees (Ailanthus altissima, Robinia pseudoacacia) did not evoke negative responses. Women and younger people were more positive towards the novel wild forest compared to other respondents, and men were most positive towards natural remnants. Place attachment was positively related to the park forest. Results indicate support for a wide range of forest types, including novel wild forests and non-native tree species, which can be used to expand urban forest areas and enhance opportunities for nature experience in cities.
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Cabon V, Kracht A, Seitz B, Kowarik I, von der Lippe M, Buchholz S. Urbanisation modulates the attractiveness of plant communities to pollinators by filtering for floral traits. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Cabon
- Technische Univ. Berlin, Dept of Ecology Berlin Germany
- Univ. de Rennes 1, CNRS‐ECOBIO (Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Évolution) UMR 6553 Rennes France
| | - Alice Kracht
- Technische Univ. Berlin, Dept of Ecology Berlin Germany
| | - Birgit Seitz
- Technische Univ. Berlin, Dept of Ecology Berlin Germany
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Inst. of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) Berlin Germany
| | - Ingo Kowarik
- Technische Univ. Berlin, Dept of Ecology Berlin Germany
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Inst. of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) Berlin Germany
| | - Moritz von der Lippe
- Technische Univ. Berlin, Dept of Ecology Berlin Germany
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Inst. of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) Berlin Germany
| | - Sascha Buchholz
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Inst. of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) Berlin Germany
- Inst. of Landscape Ecology, Univ. of Münster Münster Germany
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15
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Boyce P, Bhattacharyya J, Linklater W. The need for formal reflexivity in conservation science. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36:e13840. [PMID: 34623701 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Conservation issues are often complicated by sociopolitical controversies that reflect competing philosophies and values regarding natural systems, animals, and people. Effective conservation outcomes require managers to engage myriad influences (social, cultural, political, and economic, as well as ecological). The contribution of conservation scientists who generate the information on which solutions rely is constrained if they are unable to acknowledge how personal values and disciplinary paradigms influence their research and conclusions. Conservation challenges involving controversial species provide an opportunity to reflect on the paradigms and value systems that underpin the discipline and practice of conservation science. Recent analyses highlight the ongoing reliance on normative values in conservation. We frame our discussion around controversies over feral horses (Equus ferus caballus) in the Canadian West and New Zealand and suggest that a lack of transparency and reflexivity regarding normative values continues to prevent conservation practitioners from finding resilient conservation solutions. We suggest that growing scrutiny and backlash to many normative conservation objectives necessitates formal reflexivity methods in conservation biology research, similar to those required of researchers in social science disciplines. Moreover, given that much conservation research and action continues to prioritize Western normative values regarding nature and conservation, we suggest that adopting reflexive methods more broadly is an important step toward more socially just research and practice. Formalizing such methods and requiring reflexivity in research will not only encourage reflection on how personal and disciplinary value systems influence conservation work but could more effectively engage people with diverse perspectives and values in conservation and encourage more novel and resilient conservation outcomes, particularly when dealing with controversial species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Boyce
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Jonaki Bhattacharyya
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Wayne Linklater
- Department of Environmental Studies, California State University, Sacramento, California, USA
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16
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Heger T, Zarrieß S, Algergawy A, Jeschke J, König-Ries B. INAS: Interactive Argumentation Support for the Scientific Domain of Invasion Biology. RESEARCH IDEAS AND OUTCOMES 2022. [DOI: 10.3897/rio.8.e80457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Developing a precise argument is not an easy task. In real-world argumentation scenarios, arguments presented in texts (e.g. scientific publications) often constitute the end result of a long and tedious process. A lot of work on computational argumentation has focused on analyzing and aggregating these products of argumentation processes, i.e. argumentative texts. In this project, we adopt a complementary perspective: we aim to develop an argumentation machine that supports users during the argumentation process in a scientific context, enabling them to follow ongoing argumentation in a scientific community and to develop their own arguments. To achieve this ambitious goal, we will focus on a particular phase of the scientific argumentation process, namely the initial phase of claim or hypothesis development. According to argumentation theory, the starting point of an argument is a claim, and also data that serves as a basis for the claim. In scientific argumentation, a carefully developed and thought-through hypothesis (which we see as Toulmin's "claim'' in a scientific context) is often crucial for researchers to be able to conduct a successful study and, in the end, present a new, high-quality finding or argument. Thus, an initial hypothesis needs to be specific enough that a researcher can test it based on data, but, at the same time, it should also relate to previous general claims made in the community. We investigate how argumentation machines can (i) represent concrete and more abstract knowledge on hypotheses and their underlying concepts, (ii) model the process of hypothesis refinement, including data as a basis of refinement, and (iii) interactively support a user in developing her own hypothesis based on these resources. This project will combine methods from different disciplines: natural language processing, knowledge representation and semantic web, philosophy of science and -- as an example for a scientific domain -- invasion biology. Our starting point is an existing resource in invasion biology that organizes and relates core hypotheses in the field and associates them to meta-data for more than 1000 scientific publications, which was developed over the course of several years based on manual analysis. This network, however, is currently static (i.e. needs substantial manual curation to be extended to incorporate new claims) and, moreover, is not easily accessible for users who miss specific background and domain knowledge in invasion biology. Our goal is to develop (i) a semantic model for representing knowledge on concepts and hypotheses, such that also non-expert users can use the network; (ii) a tool that automatically computes links from publication abstracts (and data) to these hypotheses; and (iii) an interactive system that supports users in refining their initial, potentially underdeveloped hypothesis.
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Abstract
Novel assemblages of biotic, abiotic, and social components resulting from human-induced actions (e.g., climate change, land-use change, species movement) have been labeled as “Novel Ecosystems”, or “Novel Urban Ecosystems” when emerging in urban contexts. This concept has been shifting perspectives among some scientists and making them question traditional values about human-nature interactions in a rapidly changing era dominated by anthropogenic actions (Anthropocene). Controversial dimensions surrounding the Novel Ecosystems and Novel Urban Ecosystems terms may be preventing the evolution and further research of these concepts. The environmental problems that our society will soon face support a search for innovative solutions and transdisciplinary efforts. For that reason, this discussion should not cease, rather should expand to other fields of knowledge that can contribute with pertinent insights and collaborations. This way, this short communication aims to reflect on the opportunities from Landscape Architecture to the discussion, research, and application of the novel ecosystems concepts in the real world, particularly in the urban landscape, and also reflect on the opportunities of this debate to the Landscape Architecture field. Ultimately, Landscape Architecture can contribute with innovative and creative perspectives, acceding valuable and advanced tools, facilitating dialogues between fields of knowledge, and bridging gaps between science, people, and nature.
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Teixeira CP, Fernandes CO, Ahern J, Honrado JP, Farinha-Marques P. Urban ecological novelty assessment: Implications for urban green infrastructure planning and management. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 773:145121. [PMID: 33592466 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Urban areas are continuously subjected to anthropogenic transformations that result in the emergence of novel urban ecosystems. To prepare for and respond to contemporary negative environmental impacts (e.g., climate change, land-use change, biological invasions), it is increasingly urgent to plan and adapt cities' green infrastructure. Accordingly, the inclusion of the novel ecosystems concept in urban planning and management is pertinent and necessary. Nevertheless, identification or measurement of ecological novelty has been challenging and can be problematic without the appropriate methods. The objectives of this study are to 1) develop and test a methodology to assess novelty in urban ecosystems grounded on the combination of both human and biotic dimensions of the novel ecosystems concept, and 2) discuss the implications that urban ecological novelty assessment can have for future urban green infrastructure planning and management. In contrast to other proposed methods, this assessment considers the human dimension of the concept as equally important as the biotic dimension, once the human presence is pervasive and a fundamental component of urban landscapes. The proposed working methodology was tested in Porto, Portugal, in study sites with contrasting human-induced transformation pathways and plant species assemblages, thus theoretically representing different degrees of urban ecological novelty. The methodology developed in this work is straightforward and can be adjusted and replicated to other cities according to available data and tools. Above all, the assessment of urban ecological novelty can inform future urban planning and management and assist in investigating novel urban ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catarina Patoilo Teixeira
- InBIO - Rede de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Biologia Evolutiva, CIBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Departamento de Geociências, Ambiente e Ordenamento do Território, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, rua do Campo Alegre 687, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Cláudia Oliveira Fernandes
- InBIO - Rede de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Biologia Evolutiva, CIBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Departamento de Geociências, Ambiente e Ordenamento do Território, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, rua do Campo Alegre 687, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Jack Ahern
- Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003-2901, USA.
| | - João Pradinho Honrado
- InBIO - Rede de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Biologia Evolutiva, CIBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Paulo Farinha-Marques
- InBIO - Rede de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Biologia Evolutiva, CIBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Departamento de Geociências, Ambiente e Ordenamento do Território, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, rua do Campo Alegre 687, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
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Grumbine RE, Xu J. Five Steps to Inject Transformative Change into the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. Bioscience 2021; 71:637-646. [PMID: 34084096 PMCID: PMC8169310 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biab013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Accelerating declines in biodiversity and unmet targets in the Convention on Biological Diversity's 2010-2020 Strategic Plan for Biodiversity are stimulating widespread calls for transformative change. Such change includes societal transitions toward sustainability, as well as in specific content of the CBD's draft Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. We summarize research on transformative change and its links to biodiversity conservation, and discuss how it may influence the work of the CBD. We identify five steps to inject transformative change into the design and implementation of a new post-2020 framework: Pay attention to lessons learned from transitions research, plan for climate change, reframe area-based conservation, scale up biodiversity mainstreaming, and increase resources. These actions will transform the very nature of work under the CBD; a convention based on voluntary implementation by countries and facilitated by international administrators and experts must now accommodate a broader range of participants including businesses, Indigenous peoples, and multiple nonstate actors.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Edward Grumbine
- Chinese Academy of Sciences President's International Fellowship Initiative, Centre for Mountain Futures, Kunming Institute of Botany, Kumming, China
| | - Jianchu Xu
- East and Central Asia Office, World Agroforestry Centre, Kunming, China, and is the director of the Centre for Mountain Futures and a professor at the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in Kunming, China
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20
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Milanović M, Kühn I, Pyšek P, Knapp S. Functional diversity changes in native and alien urban flora over three centuries. Biol Invasions 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-021-02509-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
AbstractAlien species in urban areas have a large effect on overall species diversity. A suitable metric of flora’s response to environmental change is functional diversity (FD) that refers to the multivariate space of species’ trait compositions, reflecting their ecological niches. We studied how FD changed over 320 years of urbanization in the city of Halle (Saale), Germany. Selected functional traits (related to stress-tolerance, reproduction, competitiveness and phenology) were examined for the difference in FD between native and alien plant species, the latter specifically for archaeophytes, neophytes and invasive species. Functional diversity for each trait was calculated using Rao’s Q index followed by a linear model to test for changes in Rao’s Q over time between the groups. Over the 320 years, overall FD remained constant despite species turnover, but FD significantly increased for neophytes and invasive species compared to native species. Plant height was the only trait showing increase in FD as main effect, while for the other traits examined FD decreased over time. Considering invasive species separately, the majority of traits exhibit a significant increase in FD except for seed mass where it decreased. Finally, FD of multiple functional traits combined decreased over time. This can be due to homogenization of functional trait between native and alien species, as a consequence of habitats becoming more similar and subsequent habitat filtering. Our results demonstrate that during the last three centuries, urbanization influenced plant FD in various ways and may contribute to future uniformity of urban floras and greater invasiveness.
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21
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Ammar Y, Niiranen S, Otto SA, Möllmann C, Finsinger W, Blenckner T. The rise of novelty in marine ecosystems: The Baltic Sea case. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:1485-1499. [PMID: 33438266 PMCID: PMC7985865 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Global environmental changes have accelerated at an unprecedented rate in recent decades due to human activities. As a consequence, the incidence of novel abiotic conditions and biotic communities, which have been continuously emerging in the Earth system, has rapidly risen. Despite growing attention to the incidence and challenges posed by novelty in terrestrial ecosystems, novelty has not yet been quantified in marine ecosystems. Here, we measured for the rate of novelty (RoN) in abiotic conditions and community structure for three trophic levels, i.e., phytoplankton, zooplankton, and fish, in a large marine system - the Baltic Sea. We measured RoN as the degree of dissimilarity relative to a specific spatial and temporal baseline, and contrasted this with the rate of change as a measure of within-basin change over time. We found that over the past 35 years abiotic and biotic RoN showed complex dynamics varying in time and space, depending on the baseline conditions. RoN in abiotic conditions was smaller in the open Central Baltic Sea than in the Kattegat and the more enclosed Gulf of Bothnia, Gulf of Riga, and Gulf of Finland in the north. We found a similar spatial pattern for biotic assemblages, which resulted from changes in composition and stock size. We identified sea-surface temperature and salinity as key drivers of RoN in biotic communities. Hence, future environmental changes that are expected to affect the biogeochemistry of the Baltic Sea, may favor the rise of biotic novelty. Our results highlighted the need for a deeper understanding of novelty development in marine ecosystems, including interactions between species and trophic levels, ecosystem functioning under novel abiotic conditions, and considering novelty in future management interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosr Ammar
- Stockholm Resilience CentreStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Susa Niiranen
- Stockholm Resilience CentreStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Saskia A. Otto
- Institute of Marine Ecosystem and Fishery ScienceCenter for Earth System Research and SustainabilityUniversity of HamburgHamburgGermany
| | - Christian Möllmann
- Institute of Marine Ecosystem and Fishery ScienceCenter for Earth System Research and SustainabilityUniversity of HamburgHamburgGermany
| | - Walter Finsinger
- ISEM, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHEMontpellierFrance
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22
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Heger T, Aguilar-Trigueros CA, Bartram I, Braga RR, Dietl GP, Enders M, Gibson DJ, Gómez-Aparicio L, Gras P, Jax K, Lokatis S, Lortie CJ, Mupepele AC, Schindler S, Starrfelt J, Synodinos AD, Jeschke JM. The Hierarchy-of-Hypotheses Approach: A Synthesis Method for Enhancing Theory Development in Ecology and Evolution. Bioscience 2021; 71:337-349. [PMID: 33867867 PMCID: PMC8038874 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaa130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In the current era of Big Data, existing synthesis tools such as formal meta-analyses are critical means to handle the deluge of information. However, there is a need for complementary tools that help to (a) organize evidence, (b) organize theory, and (c) closely connect evidence to theory. We present the hierarchy-of-hypotheses (HoH) approach to address these issues. In an HoH, hypotheses are conceptually and visually structured in a hierarchically nested way where the lower branches can be directly connected to empirical results. Used for organizing evidence, this tool allows researchers to conceptually connect empirical results derived through diverse approaches and to reveal under which circumstances hypotheses are applicable. Used for organizing theory, it allows researchers to uncover mechanistic components of hypotheses and previously neglected conceptual connections. In the present article, we offer guidance on how to build an HoH, provide examples from population and evolutionary biology and propose terminological clarifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Heger
- Department of Biodiversity Research and Systematic Botany, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Restoration Ecology, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Carlos A Aguilar-Trigueros
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Isabelle Bartram
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Sociology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg
| | - Raul Rennó Braga
- Universidade Federal do Paraná, Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Gregory P Dietl
- Paleontological Research Institution and the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Martin Enders
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
| | - David J Gibson
- School of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, Illinois
| | - Lorena Gómez-Aparicio
- Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla, CSIC, LINCGlobal, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Pierre Gras
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), also in Berlin, Germany
| | - Kurt Jax
- Department of Restoration Ecology, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Department of Conservation Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sophie Lokatis
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Christopher J Lortie
- Department of Biology, York University, York, Canada, as well as with the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
| | - Anne-Christine Mupepele
- Chair of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, and the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, both in Germany
| | - Stefan Schindler
- Environment Agency Austria and University of Vienna's Division of Conservation Biology, Vegetation, and Landscape Ecology, Vienna, Austria, and his third affiliation is with Community Ecology and Conservation, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic, Finally
| | - Jostein Starrfelt
- University of Oslo's Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis and with the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, both in Oslo, Norway
| | - Alexis D Synodinos
- Department of Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling, Theoretical, and Experimental Ecology Station, CNRS, Moulis, France
| | - Jonathan M Jeschke
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
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23
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Bridgewater
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. .,Institute for Applied Ecology and Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
| | - Rakhyun E Kim
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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25
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Knapp S, Aronson MFJ, Carpenter E, Herrera-Montes A, Jung K, Kotze DJ, La Sorte FA, Lepczyk CA, MacGregor-Fors I, MacIvor JS, Moretti M, Nilon CH, Piana MR, Rega-Brodsky CC, Salisbury A, Threlfall CG, Trisos C, Williams NSG, Hahs AK. A Research Agenda for Urban Biodiversity in the Global Extinction Crisis. Bioscience 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaa141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Rapid urbanization and the global loss of biodiversity necessitate the development of a research agenda that addresses knowledge gaps in urban ecology that will inform policy, management, and conservation. To advance this goal, we present six topics to pursue in urban biodiversity research: the socioeconomic and social–ecological drivers of biodiversity loss versus gain of biodiversity; the response of biodiversity to technological change; biodiversity–ecosystem service relationships; urban areas as refugia for biodiversity; spatiotemporal dynamics of species, community changes, and underlying processes; and ecological networks. We discuss overarching considerations and offer a set of questions to inspire and support urban biodiversity research. In parallel, we advocate for communication and collaboration across many fields and disciplines in order to build capacity for urban biodiversity research, education, and practice. Taken together we note that urban areas will play an important role in addressing the global extinction crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Knapp
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ and formerly with the Institute of Ecology, Technische Universität, Berlin, Germany
| | - Myla F J Aronson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, Brunswick, New Jersey
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ian MacGregor-Fors
- University of Helsinki, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme in Lahti, Finland
| | - J Scott MacIvor
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marco Moretti
- Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | | | - Max R Piana
- Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts—Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts and the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources at Rutgers University, in Brunswick, New Jersey
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Amy K Hahs
- University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
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Manzano S, Julier ACM, Dirk CJ, Razafimanantsoa AHI, Samuels I, Petersen H, Gell P, Hoffman M, Gillson L. Using the past to manage the future: the role of palaeoecological and long‐term data in ecological restoration. Restor Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Saúl Manzano
- Plant Conservation Unit, Department of Biological Sciences University of Cape Town HW Pearson Building, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch Cape Town 7701 South Africa
| | - Adele C. M. Julier
- Plant Conservation Unit, Department of Biological Sciences University of Cape Town HW Pearson Building, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch Cape Town 7701 South Africa
| | - Cherie J. Dirk
- Plant Conservation Unit, Department of Biological Sciences University of Cape Town HW Pearson Building, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch Cape Town 7701 South Africa
| | - Andriantsilavo H. I. Razafimanantsoa
- Plant Conservation Unit, Department of Biological Sciences University of Cape Town HW Pearson Building, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch Cape Town 7701 South Africa
| | - Igshaan Samuels
- Agricultural Research Council‐Animal Production University of the Western Cape Private Bag X17, Bellville Cape Town 7535 South Africa
| | - Hana Petersen
- Plant Conservation Unit, Department of Biological Sciences University of Cape Town HW Pearson Building, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch Cape Town 7701 South Africa
| | - Peter Gell
- School of Health and Life Sciences Federation University Australia Mt Helen Victoria 3350 Australia
| | - M.Timm Hoffman
- Plant Conservation Unit, Department of Biological Sciences University of Cape Town HW Pearson Building, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch Cape Town 7701 South Africa
| | - Lindsey Gillson
- Plant Conservation Unit, Department of Biological Sciences University of Cape Town HW Pearson Building, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch Cape Town 7701 South Africa
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27
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McInturff A, Xu W, Wilkinson CE, Dejid N, Brashares JS. Fence Ecology: Frameworks for Understanding the Ecological Effects of Fences. Bioscience 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaa103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Investigations of the links between human infrastructure and ecological change have provided eye-opening insights into humanity's environmental impacts and contributed to global environmental policies. Fences are globally ubiquitous, yet they are often omitted from discussions of anthropogenic impacts. In the present article, we address this gap through a systematic literature review on the ecological effects of fences. Our overview provides five major takeaways: 1) an operational definition of fencing to structure future research, 2) an estimate of fence densities in the western United States to emphasize the challenges of accounting for fences in human-footprint mapping, 3) a framework exhibiting the ecological winners and losers that fences produce, 4) a typology of fence effects across ecological scales to guide research, and 5) a summary of research trends and biases that suggest that fence effects have been underestimated. Through highlighting past research and offering frameworks for the future, we aim with this work to formalize the nascent field of fence ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Justin S Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley
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Schittko C, Bernard-Verdier M, Heger T, Buchholz S, Kowarik I, von der Lippe M, Seitz B, Joshi J, Jeschke JM. A multidimensional framework for measuring biotic novelty: How novel is a community? GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:4401-4417. [PMID: 32359002 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic changes in climate, land use, and disturbance regimes, as well as introductions of non-native species can lead to the transformation of many ecosystems. The resulting novel ecosystems are usually characterized by species assemblages that have not occurred previously in a given area. Quantifying the ecological novelty of communities (i.e., biotic novelty) would enhance the understanding of environmental change. However, quantification remains challenging since current novelty metrics, such as the number and/or proportion of non-native species in a community, fall short of considering both functional and evolutionary aspects of biotic novelty. Here, we propose the Biotic Novelty Index (BNI), an intuitive and flexible multidimensional measure that combines (a) functional differences between native and non-native introduced species with (b) temporal dynamics of species introductions. We show that the BNI is an additive partition of Rao's quadratic entropy, capturing the novel interaction component of the community's functional diversity. Simulations show that the index varies predictably with the relative amount of functional novelty added by recently arrived species, and they illustrate the need to provide an additional standardized version of the index. We present a detailed R code and two applications of the BNI by (a) measuring changes of biotic novelty of dry grassland plant communities along an urbanization gradient in a metropolitan region and (b) determining the biotic novelty of plant species assemblages at a national scale. The results illustrate the applicability of the index across scales and its flexibility in the use of data of different quality. Both case studies revealed strong connections between biotic novelty and increasing urbanization, a measure of abiotic novelty. We conclude that the BNI framework may help building a basis for better understanding the ecological and evolutionary consequences of global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conrad Schittko
- Biodiversity Research/Systematic Botany, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Maud Bernard-Verdier
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Tina Heger
- Biodiversity Research/Systematic Botany, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Restoration Ecology, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Sascha Buchholz
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Department of Ecology, Ecosystem Science/Plant Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ingo Kowarik
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Department of Ecology, Ecosystem Science/Plant Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Moritz von der Lippe
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Department of Ecology, Ecosystem Science/Plant Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Birgit Seitz
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Department of Ecology, Ecosystem Science/Plant Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jasmin Joshi
- Biodiversity Research/Systematic Botany, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Landscape and Open Space, HSR Hochschule für Technik, Rapperswil, Switzerland
| | - Jonathan M Jeschke
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
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29
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Enders M, Havemann F, Ruland F, Bernard‐Verdier M, Catford JA, Gómez‐Aparicio L, Haider S, Heger T, Kueffer C, Kühn I, Meyerson LA, Musseau C, Novoa A, Ricciardi A, Sagouis A, Schittko C, Strayer DL, Vilà M, Essl F, Hulme PE, van Kleunen M, Kumschick S, Lockwood JL, Mabey AL, McGeoch MA, Palma E, Pyšek P, Saul W, Yannelli FA, Jeschke JM. A conceptual map of invasion biology: Integrating hypotheses into a consensus network. GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY : A JOURNAL OF MACROECOLOGY 2020; 29:978-991. [PMID: 34938151 PMCID: PMC8647925 DOI: 10.1111/geb.13082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Since its emergence in the mid-20th century, invasion biology has matured into a productive research field addressing questions of fundamental and applied importance. Not only has the number of empirical studies increased through time, but also has the number of competing, overlapping and, in some cases, contradictory hypotheses about biological invasions. To make these contradictions and redundancies explicit, and to gain insight into the field's current theoretical structure, we developed and applied a Delphi approach to create a consensus network of 39 existing invasion hypotheses. RESULTS The resulting network was analysed with a link-clustering algorithm that revealed five concept clusters (resource availability, biotic interaction, propagule, trait and Darwin's clusters) representing complementary areas in the theory of invasion biology. The network also displays hypotheses that link two or more clusters, called connecting hypotheses, which are important in determining network structure. The network indicates hypotheses that are logically linked either positively (77 connections of support) or negatively (that is, they contradict each other; 6 connections). SIGNIFICANCE The network visually synthesizes how invasion biology's predominant hypotheses are conceptually related to each other, and thus, reveals an emergent structure - a conceptual map - that can serve as a navigation tool for scholars, practitioners and students, both inside and outside of the field of invasion biology, and guide the development of a more coherent foundation of theory. Additionally, the outlined approach can be more widely applied to create a conceptual map for the larger fields of ecology and biogeography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Enders
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, PharmacyInstitute of BiologyFreie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
- Leibniz‐Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)BerlinGermany
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB)BerlinGermany
| | - Frank Havemann
- Philosophische FakultätInstitut für Bibliotheks‐ und InformationswissenschaftHumboldt‐Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Florian Ruland
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, PharmacyInstitute of BiologyFreie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
- Leibniz‐Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)BerlinGermany
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB)BerlinGermany
| | - Maud Bernard‐Verdier
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, PharmacyInstitute of BiologyFreie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
- Leibniz‐Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)BerlinGermany
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB)BerlinGermany
| | - Jane A. Catford
- Department of GeographyKing’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- School of BioSciencesThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
- Biological SciencesUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Sylvia Haider
- Martin Luther University Halle‐WittenbergInstitute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical GardenHalle (Saale)Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | - Tina Heger
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB)BerlinGermany
- Biodiversity Research/Systematic BotanyUniversity of PotsdamPotsdamGermany
- Technical University of MunichFreisingGermany
| | - Christoph Kueffer
- Institute of Integrative Biology, Department of Environmental Systems ScienceETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
- Centre for Invasion BiologyDepartment of Botany and ZoologyStellenbosch UniversityMatielandSouth Africa
| | - Ingolf Kühn
- Martin Luther University Halle‐WittenbergInstitute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical GardenHalle (Saale)Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZDepartment Community EcologyHalle (Saale)Germany
| | - Laura A. Meyerson
- The University of Rhode IslandDepartment of Natural Resources ScienceKingstonRhode Island
| | - Camille Musseau
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, PharmacyInstitute of BiologyFreie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
- Leibniz‐Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)BerlinGermany
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB)BerlinGermany
| | - Ana Novoa
- Czech Academy of SciencesInstitute of BotanyDepartment of Invasion EcologyPrůhoniceCzech Republic
| | - Anthony Ricciardi
- Centre for Invasion BiologyDepartment of Botany and ZoologyStellenbosch UniversityMatielandSouth Africa
- Redpath MuseumMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Alban Sagouis
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, PharmacyInstitute of BiologyFreie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
- Leibniz‐Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)BerlinGermany
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB)BerlinGermany
| | - Conrad Schittko
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB)BerlinGermany
- Biodiversity Research/Systematic BotanyUniversity of PotsdamPotsdamGermany
| | - David L. Strayer
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem StudiesMillbrookNew YorkUnited States
- Graham Sustainability InstituteUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUnited States
| | - Montserrat Vilà
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD‐CSIC)SevilleSpain
- Department of Plant Biology and EcologyUniversity of SevilleSevilleSpain
| | - Franz Essl
- Centre for Invasion BiologyDepartment of Botany and ZoologyStellenbosch UniversityMatielandSouth Africa
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity ResearchUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Philip E. Hulme
- Bio‐Protection Research CentreLincoln UniversityLincoln, CanterburyNew Zealand
| | - Mark van Kleunen
- Ecology, Department of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and ConservationTaizhou UniversityTaizhouChina
| | - Sabrina Kumschick
- Centre for Invasion BiologyDepartment of Botany and ZoologyStellenbosch UniversityMatielandSouth Africa
- South African National Biodiversity InstituteKirstenbosch National Botanical GardensClaremontSouth Africa
| | - Julie L. Lockwood
- Ecology, Evolution and Natural ResourcesRutgers UniversityNew BrunswickNew Jersey
| | - Abigail L. Mabey
- Biological SciencesUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonUnited Kingdom
- Ocean and Earth ScienceNational Oceanography CentreUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Estíbaliz Palma
- School of BioSciencesThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Petr Pyšek
- Czech Academy of SciencesInstitute of BotanyDepartment of Invasion EcologyPrůhoniceCzech Republic
- Department of EcologyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| | - Wolf‐Christian Saul
- Centre for Invasion BiologyDepartment of Botany and ZoologyStellenbosch UniversityMatielandSouth Africa
- Centre for Invasion BiologyDepartment of Mathematical SciencesStellenbosch UniversityMatielandSouth Africa
| | - Florencia A. Yannelli
- Centre for Invasion BiologyDepartment of Botany and ZoologyStellenbosch UniversityMatielandSouth Africa
| | - Jonathan M. Jeschke
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, PharmacyInstitute of BiologyFreie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
- Leibniz‐Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)BerlinGermany
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB)BerlinGermany
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Bridgewater P, Hemming K. Ecological Novelty Is Inevitable, Can Be Positive, but Needs Policy Context: A Comment on Heger and Colleagues (2019). Bioscience 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaa025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Bridgewater
- Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia
| | - Kyle Hemming
- Institute for Applied Ecology, Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia
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31
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Clear Language for Ecosystem Management in the Anthropocene: A Reply to Bridgewater and Hemming. Bioscience 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaa024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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CityScapeLab Berlin: A Research Platform for Untangling Urbanization Effects on Biodiversity. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12062565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Urban biodiversity conservation requires an understanding of how urbanization modulates biodiversity patterns and the associated ecosystem services. While important advances have been made in the conceptual development of urban biodiversity research over the last decades, challenges remain in understanding the interactions between different groups of taxa and the spatiotemporal complexity of urbanization processes. The CityScapeLab Berlin is a novel experimental research platform that allows the testing of theories on how urbanization affects biodiversity patterns and biotic interactions in general and the responses of species of conservation interest in particular. We chose dry grassland patches as the backbone of the research platform because dry grasslands are common in many urban regions, extend over a wide urbanization gradient, and usually harbor diverse and self-assembled communities. Focusing on a standardized type of model ecosystem allowed the urbanization effects on biodiversity to be unraveled from effects that would otherwise be masked by habitat- and land-use effects. The CityScapeLab combines different types of spatiotemporal data on (i) various groups of taxa from different trophic levels, (ii) environmental parameters on different spatial scales, and (iii) on land-use history. This allows for the unraveling of the effects of current and historical urban conditions on urban biodiversity patterns and the related ecological functions.
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Lawns in Cities: From a Globalised Urban Green Space Phenomenon to Sustainable Nature-Based Solutions. LAND 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/land9030073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This opinion paper discusses urban lawns, the most common part of open green spaces and urban green infrastructures. It highlights both the ecosystem services and also disservices provided by urban lawns based on the authors’ experience of working within interdisciplinary research projects on lawns in different cities of Europe (Germany, Sweden and Russia), New Zealand (Christchurch), USA (Syracuse, NY) and Australia (Perth). It complements this experience with a detailed literature review based on the most recent studies of different biophysical, social, planning and design aspects of lawns. We also used an international workshop as an important part of the research methodology. We argue that although lawns of Europe and the United States of America are now relatively well studied, other parts of the world still underestimate the importance of researching lawns as a complex ecological and social phenomenon. One of the core objectives of this paper is to share a paradigm of nature-based solutions in the context of lawns, which can be an important step towards finding resilient sustainable alternatives for urban green spaces in the time of growing urbanisation, increased urban land use competition, various user demands and related societal challenges of the urban environment. We hypothesise that these solutions may be found in urban ecosystems and various local native plant communities that are rich in species and able to withstand harsh conditions such as heavy trampling and droughts. To support the theoretical hypothesis of the relevance of nature-based solutions for lawns we also suggest and discuss the concept of two natures—different approaches to the vision of urban nature, including the understanding and appreciation of lawns. This will help to increase the awareness of existing local ecological approaches as well as an importance of introducing innovative landscape architecture practices. This article suggests that there is a potential for future transdisciplinary international research that might aid our understanding of lawns in different climatic and socio-cultural conditions as well as develop locally adapted (to environmental conditions, social needs and management policies) and accepted nature-based solutions.
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Onandia G, Schittko C, Ryo M, Bernard-Verdier M, Heger T, Joshi J, Kowarik I, Gessler A. Ecosystem functioning in urban grasslands: The role of biodiversity, plant invasions and urbanization. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0225438. [PMID: 31756202 PMCID: PMC6874358 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Urbanization is driving the transformation of natural and rural ecosystems worldwide by affecting both the abiotic environment and the biota. This raises the question whether urban ecosystems are able to provide services in a comparable way to their non-urban counterparts. In urban grasslands, the effects of urbanization-driven ecological novelty and the role of plant diversity in modulating ecosystem functioning have received little attention. In this study, we assessed the influence of biodiversity, abiotic and biotic novelty on ecosystem functioning based on in situ measurements in non-manipulated grasslands along an urbanization gradient in Berlin (Germany). We focused on plant aboveground biomass (AGB), intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) and 15N enrichment factor (Δδ15N) as proxies for biomass production, water and N cycling, respectively, within grassland communities, and tested how they change with plant biogeographic status (native vs alien), functional group and species identity. Approximately one third of the forb species were alien to Berlin and they were responsible for 13.1% of community AGB. Community AGB was positively correlated with plant-species richness. In contrast, iWUE and Δδ15N were mostly determined by light availability (depicted by sky view factor) and urban parameters like the percentage of impervious surface or human population density. We found that abiotic novelty potentially favors aliens in Berlin, mainly by enhancing their dispersal and fitness under drought. Mainly urban parameters indicating abiotic novelty were significantly correlated to both alien and native Δδ15N, but to AGB and iWUE of alien plants only, pointing to a stronger impact of abiotic novelty on N cycling compared to C and water cycling. At the species level, sky view factor appeared to be the prevailing driver of photosynthetic performance and resource-use efficiency. Although we identified a significant impact of abiotic novelty on AGB, iWUE and Δδ15N at different levels, the relationship between species richness and community AGB found in the urban grasslands studied in Berlin was comparable to that described in non-urban experimental grasslands in Europe. Hence, our results indicate that conserving and enhancing biodiversity in urban ecosystems is essential to preserve ecosystem services related to AGB production. For ensuring the provision of ecosystem services associated to water and N use, however, changes in urban abiotic parameters seem necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Onandia
- Research Platform “Data”, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Conrad Schittko
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Biodiversity Research and Systematic Botany, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Masahiro Ryo
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maud Bernard-Verdier
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Division of Zoology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tina Heger
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Biodiversity Research and Systematic Botany, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- Restoration Ecology, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Jasmin Joshi
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Biodiversity Research and Systematic Botany, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- Institute for Landscape and Open Space, HSR Hochschule für Technik, Rapperswil, Switzerland
| | - Ingo Kowarik
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Department of Ecology, Ecosystem Science and Plant Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Arthur Gessler
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Department of Forest Dynamics, Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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35
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Emerging Urban Forests: Opportunities for Promoting the Wild Side of the Urban Green Infrastructure. SUSTAINABILITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/su11226318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Many cities aim to increase urban forest cover to benefit residents through the provision of ecosystem services and to promote biodiversity. As a complement to traditional forest plantings, we address opportunities associated with “emerging urban forests” (i.e., spontaneously developing forests in cities) for urban biodiversity conservation. We quantified the area of successional forests and analyzed the species richness of native and alien plants and of invertebrates (carabid beetles, spiders) in emerging forests dominated by alien or native trees, including Robinia pseudoacacia, Acer platanoides, and Betula pendula. Emerging urban forests were revealed as shared habitats of native and alien species. Native species richness was not profoundly affected by the alien (co-)dominance of the canopy. Instead, native and alien plant species richnesses were positively related. Numbers of endangered plants and invertebrates did not differ between native- and alien-dominated forest patches. Patterns of tree regeneration indicate different successional trajectories for novel forest types. We conclude that these forests (i) provide habitats for native and alien species, including some endangered species, (ii) allow city dwellers to experience wild urban nature, and (iii) support arguments for adapting forests to dynamic urban environments. Integrating emerging urban forests into the urban green infrastructure is a promising pathway to sustainable cities and can complement traditional restoration or greening approaches.
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