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Orihuela-Torres A, Morales-Reyes Z, Hermoso V, Picazo F, Sánchez Fernández D, Pérez-García JM, Botella F, Sánchez-Zapata JA, Sebastián-González E. Carrion ecology in inland aquatic ecosystems: a systematic review. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:1425-1443. [PMID: 38509722 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13075] [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: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Carrion ecology, i.e. the decomposition and recycling of dead animals, has traditionally been neglected as a key process in ecosystem functioning. Similarly, despite the large threats that inland aquatic ecosystems (hereafter, aquatic ecosystems) face, the scientific literature is still largely biased towards terrestrial ecosystems. However, there has been an increasing number of studies on carrion ecology in aquatic ecosystems in the last two decades, highlighting their key role in nutrient recirculation and disease control. Thus, a global assessment of the ecological role of scavengers and carrion in aquatic ecosystems is timely. Here, we systematically reviewed scientific articles on carrion ecology in aquatic ecosystems to describe current knowledge, identify research gaps, and promote future studies that will deepen our understanding in this field. We found 206 relevant studies, which were highly biased towards North America, especially in lotic ecosystems, covering short time periods, and overlooking seasonality, a crucial factor in scavenging dynamics. Despite the low number of studies on scavenger assemblages, we recorded 55 orders of invertebrates from 179 families, with Diptera and Coleoptera being the most frequent orders. For vertebrates, we recorded 114 species from 40 families, with birds and mammals being the most common. Our results emphasise the significance of scavengers in stabilising food webs and facilitating nutrient cycling within aquatic ecosystems. Studies were strongly biased towards the assessment of the ecosystem effects of carrion, particularly of salmon carcasses in North America. The second most common research topic was the foraging ecology of vertebrates, which was mostly evaluated through sporadic observations of carrion in the diet. Articles assessing scavenger assemblages were scarce, and only a limited number of these studies evaluated carrion consumption patterns, which serve as a proxy for the role of scavengers in the ecosystem. The ecological functions performed by carrion and scavengers in aquatic ecosystems were diverse. The main ecological functions were carrion as food source and the role of scavengers in nutrient cycling, which appeared in 52.4% (N = 108) and 46.1% (N = 95) of publications, respectively. Ecosystem threats associated with carrion ecology were also identified, the most common being water eutrophication and carrion as source of pathogens (2.4%; N = 5 each). Regarding the effects of carrion on ecosystems, we found studies spanning all ecosystem components (N = 85), from soil or the water column to terrestrial vertebrates, with a particular focus on aquatic invertebrates and fish. Most of these articles found positive effects of carrion on ecosystems (e.g. higher species richness, abundance or fitness; 84.7%; N = 72), while a minority found negative effects, changes in community composition, or even no effects. Enhancing our understanding of scavengers and carrion in aquatic ecosystems is crucial to assessing their current and future roles amidst global change, mainly for water-land nutrient transport, due to changes in the amount and speed of nutrient movement, and for disease control and impact mitigation, due to the predicted increase in occurrence and magnitude of mortality events in aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Orihuela-Torres
- Department of Ecology, University of Alicante, Ctra. San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, Alicante, 03690, Spain
- Department of Applied Biology, Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO-UMH), Miguel Hernández University, Carretera de Beniel km 3.2, Orihuela, 03312, Spain
| | - Zebensui Morales-Reyes
- Instituto de Estudios Sociales Avanzados (IESA), CSIC, Campo Santo de los Mártires, 7, Córdoba, 14004, Spain
| | - Virgilio Hermoso
- Departamento de Biología de la Conservación, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD) - CSIC, Américo Vespucio 26, Sevilla, 41092, Spain
| | - Félix Picazo
- Department of Ecology/Research Unit Modeling Nature (MNat), University of Granada, Faculty of Sciences, Campus Fuentenueva s/n, Granada, 18071, Spain
- Water Institute (IdA), University of Granada, Ramón y Cajal 4, Granada, 18003, Spain
| | - David Sánchez Fernández
- Department of Ecology and Hidrology, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, Murcia, 30100, Spain
| | - Juan M Pérez-García
- Department of Applied Biology, Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO-UMH), Miguel Hernández University, Carretera de Beniel km 3.2, Orihuela, 03312, Spain
| | - Francisco Botella
- Department of Applied Biology, Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO-UMH), Miguel Hernández University, Carretera de Beniel km 3.2, Orihuela, 03312, Spain
| | - José A Sánchez-Zapata
- Department of Applied Biology, Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO-UMH), Miguel Hernández University, Carretera de Beniel km 3.2, Orihuela, 03312, Spain
| | - Esther Sebastián-González
- Department of Ecology, University of Alicante, Ctra. San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, Alicante, 03690, Spain
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Pashkevich MD, Luke SH, Aryawan AAK, Waters HS, Caliman J, Dupérré N, Naim M, Potapov AM, Turner EC. Riparian buffers made of mature oil palms have inconsistent impacts on oil palm ecosystems. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2552. [PMID: 35112418 PMCID: PMC9286838 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Expansion of oil palm has caused widespread declines in biodiversity and changes in ecosystem functioning across the tropics. A major driver of these changes is loss of habitat heterogeneity as forests are converted into oil palm plantations. Therefore, one strategy to help support biodiversity and functioning in oil palm is to increase habitat heterogeneity, for instance, by retaining forested buffers around rivers when new plantations are established, or maintaining buffers made of mature oil palms ("mature palm buffers") when old plantations are replanted. While forested buffers are known to benefit oil palm systems, the impacts of mature palm buffers are less certain. In this study, we assessed the benefits of mature palm buffers, which were being passively restored (in this case, meaning that buffers were treated with no herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers) by sampling environmental conditions and arthropods within buffers and in surrounding non-buffer areas (i.e., areas that were 25 and 125 m from buffers, and receiving normal business-as-usual management) across an 8-year chronosequence in industrial oil palm plantations (Sumatra, Indonesia). We ask (1) Do environmental conditions and biodiversity differ between buffer and non-buffer areas? (2) Do buffers affect environmental conditions and biodiversity in adjacent non-buffer areas (i.e., areas that were 25 m from buffers)? (3) Do buffers become more environmentally complex and biodiverse over time? We found that buffers can have environmental conditions (canopy openness, variation in openness, vegetation height, ground cover, and soil temperature) and levels of arthropod biodiversity (total arthropod abundance and spider abundance in the understory and spider species-level community composition in all microhabitats) that are different from those in non-buffer areas, but that these differences are inconsistent across the oil palm commercial life cycle. We also found that buffers might contribute to small increases in vegetation height and changes in ground cover in adjacent non-buffer areas, but do not increase levels of arthropod biodiversity in these areas. Finally, we found that canopy openness, variation in openness, and ground cover, but no aspects of arthropod biodiversity, change within buffers over time. Collectively, our findings indicate that mature palm buffers that are being passively restored can have greater environmental complexity and higher levels of arthropod biodiversity than non-buffer areas, particularly in comparison to recently replanted oil palm, but these benefits are not consistent across the crop commercial life cycle. If the goal of maintaining riparian buffers is to consistently increase habitat heterogeneity and improve biodiversity, an alternative to mature palm buffers or a move toward more active restoration of these areas is, therefore, probably required.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah H. Luke
- Insect Ecology Group, Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | | | - Helen S. Waters
- Insect Ecology Group, Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- School of GeosciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Jean‐Pierre Caliman
- Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology Research Institute (SMARTRI)PekanbaruIndonesia
| | | | - Mohammad Naim
- Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology Research Institute (SMARTRI)PekanbaruIndonesia
| | - Anton M. Potapov
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and AnthropologyUniversity of GoettingenGoettingenGermany
| | - Edgar C. Turner
- Insect Ecology Group, Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
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Mohd Hanafiah K, Abd Mutalib AH, Miard P, Goh CS, Mohd Sah SA, Ruppert N. Impact of Malaysian palm oil on sustainable development goals: co-benefits and trade-offs across mitigation strategies. SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE 2022; 17:1639-1661. [PMID: 34667481 PMCID: PMC8517301 DOI: 10.1007/s11625-021-01052-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Palm oil (PO) is an important source of livelihood, but unsustainable practices and widespread consumption may threaten human and planetary health. We reviewed 234 articles and summarized evidence on the impact of PO on health, social and economic aspects, environment, and biodiversity in the Malaysian context, and discuss mitigation strategies based on the sustainable development goals (SDGs). The evidence on health impact of PO is equivocal, with knowledge gaps on whether moderate consumption elevates risk for chronic diseases, but the benefits of phytonutrients (SDG2) and sensory characteristics of PO seem offset by its high proportion of saturated fat (SDG3). While PO contributes to economic growth (SDG9, 12), poverty alleviation (SDG1, 8, 10), enhanced food security (SDG2), alternative energy (SDG9), and long-term employment opportunities (SDG1), human rights issues and inequities attributed to PO production persist (SDG8). Environmental impacts arise through large-scale expansion of monoculture plantations associated with increased greenhouse gas emissions (SDG13), especially from converted carbon-rich peat lands, which can cause forest fires and annual trans-boundary haze; changes in microclimate properties and soil nutrient content (SDG6, 13); increased sedimentation and change of hydrological properties of streams near slopes (SDG6); and increased human wildlife conflicts, increase of invasive species occurrence, and reduced biodiversity (SDG14, 15). Practices such as biological pest control, circular waste management, multi-cropping and certification may mitigate negative impacts on environmental SDGs, without hampering progress of socioeconomic SDGs. While strategies focusing on improving practices within and surrounding plantations offer co-benefits for socioeconomic, environment and biodiversity-related SDGs, several challenges in achieving scalable solutions must be addressed to ensure holistic sustainability of PO in Malaysia for various stakeholders. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11625-021-01052-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khayriyyah Mohd Hanafiah
- School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia
- Life Sciences, Macfarlane Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC 3004 Australia
| | - Aini Hasanah Abd Mutalib
- School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia
- Institute of Tropical Biodiversity and Sustainable Development, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu Malaysia
| | - Priscillia Miard
- School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia
| | - Chun Sheng Goh
- Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia, Sunway University, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor Malaysia
| | | | - Nadine Ruppert
- School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia
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Arif M, Tahir M, Jie Z, Changxiao L. Impacts of riparian width and stream channel width on ecological networks in main waterways and tributaries. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 792:148457. [PMID: 34153764 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Riparian buffer width and stream channel width have different impacts on ecological networks (e.g., plant cover, regeneration, exotics, erosion, habitat, and stressors) and provide various ecosystem services. The protection of riparian zones of increasing widths for higher-order streams and connected tributaries alongside mega-reservoirs and around dams is of great global significance. However, it remains unclear which protection strategies are most effective for such zones. By applying a rapid field-based approach with 326 transects on an inundated area of 58,000 km2 within the Three Gorges Dam Reservoir (TGDR) in China, we found that riparian buffer areas were influenced differently by broad-ranging widths. The riparian buffer width of 101.84 ± 72.64 m (mean ± standard deviation) had the greatest impact on the main waterway, whereas the stream channel width of 99.87 ± 97.10 m was most influential in tributaries. The correlation coefficient strengths among ecological and stress parameters (independently) were relatively greater in the main waterway riparian zones; the highest value was r = 0.930 using Pearson correlation (p < 0.05). In contrast, stress parameters revealed substantial and strong relationships with ecological parameters in tributaries, with the highest value being r = 0.551. Riparian width had the strongest influence on buffer vegetation scales, high-impact exotics, and bank stability. In comparison, channel width had the greatest effect on tree roots, dominant tree regeneration, and agricultural farming. These parameters showed distinctive responses in the shapes of indexing in higher-order streams and connected tributaries. These observations confirm the urgent need for research on regional-based extended riparian areas managed by the same administration strategies. Revised guidelines are needed to protect massive dam and reservoir ecosystems from further deterioration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Arif
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Environments in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), Chongqing Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation, College of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Punjab Forest Department, Government of Punjab, Lahore 54000, Pakistan.
| | | | - Zheng Jie
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Environments in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), Chongqing Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation, College of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Li Changxiao
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Environments in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), Chongqing Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation, College of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
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Rizali A, Karindah S, Nugroho CT, Rahardjo BT. Similarity of ant communities increases with isolation from natural habitat and abundance of invasive ants in oil palm plantations of Central Borneo. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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Aguiar JJM, Anjos DV, Carvalho RL, de Almeida W, Santos ACC, Santos JC. Plant richness drives ant diversity in
Eucalyptus
‐dominated landscape on Brazilian savanna. AUSTRAL ECOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jonas José Mendes Aguiar
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Entomologia Departamento de Agronomia Universidade Federal de Lavras Lavras Minas GeraisBrazil
| | - Diego V. Anjos
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ecologia e Conservação de Recursos Naturais Instituto de Biologia Universidade Federal de Uberlândia Uberlândia Minas GeraisBrazil
| | - Raquel L. Carvalho
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ecologia e Conservação de Recursos Naturais Instituto de Biologia Universidade Federal de Uberlândia Uberlândia Minas GeraisBrazil
| | - Wanessa de Almeida
- Departamento de Ecologia Universidade Federal de Sergipe Av. Marechal Rondon, s/n, Bairro Jardim Rosa Elze CEP: 49100‐000 São Cristóvão SergipeBrazil
| | | | - Jean Carlos Santos
- Departamento de Ecologia Universidade Federal de Sergipe Av. Marechal Rondon, s/n, Bairro Jardim Rosa Elze CEP: 49100‐000 São Cristóvão SergipeBrazil
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Hood AS, Advento AD, Stone J, Fayle TM, Fairnie AL, Waters HS, Foster WA, Snaddon JL, Ps S, Caliman JP, Naim M, Turner EC. Removing understory vegetation in oil palm agroforestry reduces ground-foraging ant abundance but not species richness. Basic Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2020.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Tsang TPN, Guénard B, Bonebrake TC. Omnivorous ants are less carnivorous and more protein-limited in exotic plantations. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1941-1951. [PMID: 32379899 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Diets of species are crucial in determining how they influence food webs and community structures, and how their populations are regulated by different bottom-up processes. Omnivores are able to adjust their diet flexibly according to environmental conditions, such that their impacts on food webs and communities, and the macronutrients constraining their population, can be plastic. In particular, omnivore diets are known to be influenced by prey availability, which exhibits high spatial and temporal variation. To examine the plasticity of diet and macronutrient limitation in omnivores, we compared trophic positions, macronutrient preferences and food exploitation rates of omnivorous ants in invertebrate-rich (secondary forests) and invertebrate-poor (Lophostemon confertus plantations) habitats. We hypothesized that omnivorous ants would have lower trophic positions, enhanced protein limitation and reduced food exploitation rates in L. confertus plantations relative to secondary forests. We performed cafeteria experiments to examine changes in macronutrient limitation and food exploitation rates. We also sampled ants and conducted stable isotope analyses to investigate dietary shifts between these habitats. We found that conspecific ants were less carnivorous and had higher preferences for protein-rich food in L. confertus plantations compared to secondary forests. However, ant assemblages did not exhibit increased preferences for protein-rich food in L. confertus plantations. At the species-level, food exploitation rates varied idiosyncratically between habitats. At the assemblage-level, food exploitation rates were reduced in L. confertus plantations. Our results reveal that plantation establishments alter the diet and foraging behaviour of omnivorous ants. Such changes suggest that omnivorous ants in plantations will have reduced top-down impacts on prey communities but also see an increased importance of protein as a bottom-up force in constraining omnivore population sizes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toby P N Tsang
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China
| | - Benoit Guénard
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China
| | - Timothy C Bonebrake
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China
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Davidson G, Chua TH, Cook A, Speldewinde P, Weinstein P. The Role of Ecological Linkage Mechanisms in Plasmodium knowlesi Transmission and Spread. ECOHEALTH 2019; 16:594-610. [PMID: 30675676 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-019-01395-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Revised: 11/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Defining the linkages between landscape change, disease ecology and human health is essential to explain and predict the emergence of Plasmodium knowlesi malaria, a zoonotic parasite residing in Southeast Asian macaques, and transmitted by species of Anopheles mosquitos. Changing patterns of land use throughout Southeast Asia, particularly deforestation, are suggested to be the primary drivers behind the recent spread of this zoonotic parasite in humans. Local ecological changes at the landscape scale appear to be increasing the risk of disease in humans by altering the dynamics of transmission between the parasite and its primary hosts. This paper will focus on the emergence of P. knowlesi in humans in Malaysian Borneo and the ecological linkage mechanisms suggested to be playing an important role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gael Davidson
- CENRM and School of Population and Global Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Tock H Chua
- Department of Pathobiology and Medical Diagnostics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.
| | - Angus Cook
- School of Population and Global Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | | | - Philip Weinstein
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
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10
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Carrasco‐Rueda F, Loiselle BA. Do riparian forest strips in modified forest landscapes aid in conserving bat diversity? Ecol Evol 2019; 9:4192-4209. [PMID: 31015998 PMCID: PMC6467860 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Revised: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Agricultural practices lead to losses of natural resources and biodiversity. Maintaining forests alongside streams (riparian forest strips) has been used as a mechanism to minimize the impact of clearing for agriculture on biodiversity. To test the contribution of riparian forest strips to conserve biodiversity in production landscapes, we selected bats as a biodiversity model system and examined two dimensions of diversity: taxonomic and functional. We compared bat diversity and composition in forest, with and without stream habitat, and in narrow forest riparian strips surrounded by areas cleared for agriculture. We tested the hypothesis that riparian forest strips provide potential conservation value by providing habitat and serving as movement corridors for forest bat species. Riparian forest strips maintained 75% of the bat species registered in forested habitats. We found assemblage in sites with riparian forest strips were dominated by a few species with high abundance and included several species with low abundance. Bat species assemblage was more similar between sites with streams than between those sites to forests without stream habitat. These results highlight the importance of stream habitat in predicting presence of bat species. We registered similar number of guilds between forest sites and riparian forest strips sites. Relative to matrix habitats, stream and edge habitats in riparian forest strips sites were functionally more diverse, supporting our hypothesis about the potential conservation value of riparian forest strips. Results from this study suggest that maintaining riparian forest strips within cleared areas for agricultural areas helps conserve the taxonomic and functional diversity of bats. Also, it provides basic data to evaluate the efficacy of maintaining these landscape features for mitigating impacts of agricultural development on biodiversity. However, we caution that riparian forest strips alone are not sufficient for biodiversity maintenance; their value depends on maintenance of larger forest areas in their vicinity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farah Carrasco‐Rueda
- School of Natural Resources and EnvironmentUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFlorida
| | - Bette A. Loiselle
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and ConservationUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFlorida
- Center for Latin American StudiesUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFlorida
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Luke SH, Slade EM, Gray CL, Annammala KV, Drewer J, Williamson J, Agama AL, Ationg M, Mitchell SL, Vairappan CS, Struebig MJ. Riparian buffers in tropical agriculture: Scientific support, effectiveness and directions for policy. J Appl Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah H. Luke
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE)School of Anthropology and ConservationUniversity of Kent Canterbury UK
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Eleanor M. Slade
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of Oxford Oxford UK
- Lancaster Environment CentreUniversity of Lancaster Lancaster UK
| | | | - Kogila V. Annammala
- Centre for Environmental Sustainability and Water Security (IPASA)Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Johor Bahru Malaysia
| | - Julia Drewer
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) Edinburgh UK
| | - Joseph Williamson
- School of Biological and Chemical SciencesQueen Mary University of London London UK
| | - Agnes L. Agama
- South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership (SEARRP) Lahad Datu Malaysia
| | - Miklin Ationg
- Department of Irrigation and DrainageWater Resources Management Section Kota Kinabalu Malaysia
| | - Simon L. Mitchell
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE)School of Anthropology and ConservationUniversity of Kent Canterbury UK
| | - Charles S. Vairappan
- Institute for Tropical Biology and ConservationUniversiti Malaysia Sabah Kota Kinabalu Malaysia
| | - Matthew J. Struebig
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE)School of Anthropology and ConservationUniversity of Kent Canterbury UK
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12
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Gray REJ, Ewers RM, Boyle MJW, Chung AYC, Gill RJ. Effect of tropical forest disturbance on the competitive interactions within a diverse ant community. Sci Rep 2018; 8:5131. [PMID: 29572517 PMCID: PMC5865194 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-23272-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how anthropogenic disturbance influences patterns of community composition and the reinforcing interactive processes that structure communities is important to mitigate threats to biodiversity. Competition is considered a primary reinforcing process, yet little is known concerning disturbance effects on competitive interaction networks. We examined how differences in ant community composition between undisturbed and disturbed Bornean rainforest, is potentially reflected by changes in competitive interactions over a food resource. Comparing 10 primary forest sites to 10 in selectively-logged forest, we found higher genus richness and diversity in the primary forest, with 18.5% and 13.0% of genera endemic to primary and logged respectively. From 180 hours of filming bait cards, we assessed ant-ant interactions, finding that despite considered aggression over food sources, the majority of ant interactions were neutral. Proportion of competitive interactions at bait cards did not differ between forest type, however, the rate and per capita number of competitive interactions was significantly lower in logged forest. Furthermore, the majority of genera showed large changes in aggression-score with often inverse relationships to their occupancy rank. This provides evidence of a shuffled competitive network, and these unexpected changes in aggressive relationships could be considered a type of competitive network re-wiring after disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross E J Gray
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK.
| | - Robert M Ewers
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Michael J W Boyle
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Arthur Y C Chung
- Forest Research Centre, Forestry Department, P.O. Box 1407, 90715, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Richard J Gill
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
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13
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Kimber A, Eggleton P. Strong but taxon-specific responses of termites and wood-nesting ants to forest regeneration in Borneo. Biotropica 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Annie Kimber
- Department of Life Sciences; Imperial College London; Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road Ascot SL5 7PY UK
- The Life Sciences Department; the Natural History Museum; Cromwell Road London SW7 5BD UK
| | - Paul Eggleton
- The Life Sciences Department; the Natural History Museum; Cromwell Road London SW7 5BD UK
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García-Martínez MÁ, Valenzuela-González JE, Escobar-Sarria F, López-Barrera F, Castaño-Meneses G. The surrounding landscape influences the diversity of leaf-litter ants in riparian cloud forest remnants. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0172464. [PMID: 28234948 PMCID: PMC5325296 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2016] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Riparian vegetation is a distinctive and ecologically important element of landscapes worldwide. However, the relative influence of the surrounding landscape on the conservation of the biodiversity of riparian remnants in human-modified tropical landscapes is poorly understood. We studied the surrounding landscape to evaluate its influence on leaf-litter-ant alpha and beta diversity in riparian remnants in the tropical montane cloud forest region of central Veracruz, Mexico. Sampling was carried out in 12 sites with riparian vegetation during both rainy (2011) and dry (2012) seasons. Ten leaf-litter samples were collected along a 100-m transect per site and processed with Berlese-Tullgren funnels and Winkler sacks. Using remotely-sensed and ground-collected data, we characterized the landscape around each site according to nine land cover types and computed metrics of landscape composition and configuration. We collected a total of 8,684 ant individuals belonging to 53 species, 22 genera, 11 tribes, and 7 subfamilies. Species richness and the diversity of Shannon and Simpson increased significantly in remnants immersed in landscapes with a high percentage of riparian land cover and a low percentage of land covers with areas reforested with Pinus, cattle pastures, and human settlements and infrastructure. The composition of ant assemblages was a function of the percentage of riparian land cover in the landscape. This study found evidence that leaf-litter ants, a highly specialized guild of arthropods, are mainly impacted by landscape composition and the configuration of the focal remnant. Maintaining or improving the surrounding landscape quality of riparian vegetation remnants can stimulate the movement of biodiversity among forest and riparian remnants and foster the provision of ecosystem services by these ecosystems. Effective outcomes may be achieved by considering scientific knowledge during the early stages of riparian policy formulation, in addition to integrating riparian management strategies with broader environmental planning instruments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Gabriela Castaño-Meneses
- Ecología de Artrópodos en Ambientes Extremos, Unidad Multidisciplinaria de Docencia e Investigación, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, Querétaro, México
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15
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Effects of forests, roads and mistletoe on bird diversity in monoculture rubber plantations. Sci Rep 2016; 6:21822. [PMID: 26903032 PMCID: PMC4763173 DOI: 10.1038/srep21822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 01/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Rising global demand for natural rubber is expanding monoculture rubber (Hevea brasilensis) at the expense of natural forests in the Old World tropics. Conversion of forests into rubber plantations has a devastating impact on biodiversity and we have yet to identify management strategies that can mitigate this. We determined the life-history traits that best predict bird species occurrence in rubber plantations in SW China and investigated the effects of surrounding forest cover and distance to roads on bird diversity. Mistletoes provide nectar and fruit resources in rubber so we examined mistletoe densities and the relationship with forest cover and rubber tree diameter. In rubber plantations, we recorded less than half of all bird species extant in the surrounding area. Birds with wider habitat breadths and low conservation value had a higher probability of occurrence. Species richness and diversity increased logarithmically with surrounding forest cover, but roads had little effect. Mistletoe density increased exponentially with rubber tree diameters, but was unrelated to forest cover. To maximize bird diversity in rubber-dominated landscapes it is therefore necessary to preserve as much forest as possible, construct roads through plantations and not forest, and retain some large rubber trees with mistletoes during crop rotations.
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16
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Ossola A, Nash MA, Christie FJ, Hahs AK, Livesley SJ. Urban habitat complexity affects species richness but not environmental filtering of morphologically-diverse ants. PeerJ 2015; 3:e1356. [PMID: 26528416 PMCID: PMC4627909 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat complexity is a major determinant of structure and diversity of ant assemblages. Following the size-grain hypothesis, smaller ant species are likely to be advantaged in more complex habitats compared to larger species. Habitat complexity can act as an environmental filter based on species size and morphological traits, therefore affecting the overall structure and diversity of ant assemblages. In natural and semi-natural ecosystems, habitat complexity is principally regulated by ecological successions or disturbance such as fire and grazing. Urban ecosystems provide an opportunity to test relationships between habitat, ant assemblage structure and ant traits using novel combinations of habitat complexity generated and sustained by human management. We sampled ant assemblages in low-complexity and high-complexity parks, and high-complexity woodland remnants, hypothesizing that (i) ant abundance and species richness would be higher in high-complexity urban habitats, (ii) ant assemblages would differ between low- and high-complexity habitats and (iii) ants living in high-complexity habitats would be smaller than those living in low-complexity habitats. Contrary to our hypothesis, ant species richness was higher in low-complexity habitats compared to high-complexity habitats. Overall, ant assemblages were significantly different among the habitat complexity types investigated, although ant size and morphology remained the same. Habitat complexity appears to affect the structure of ant assemblages in urban ecosystems as previously observed in natural and semi-natural ecosystems. However, the habitat complexity filter does not seem to be linked to ant morphological traits related to body size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Ossola
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne , Richmond, VIC , Australia
| | - Michael A Nash
- South Australian Research and Development Institute, Waite Campus , Urrbrae, SA , Australia ; School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne , Parkville, VIC , Australia ; School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide , Urrbrae, SA , Australia
| | - Fiona J Christie
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne , Richmond, VIC , Australia
| | - Amy K Hahs
- Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology, c/o School of BioSciences, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria , Parkville, VIC , Australia
| | - Stephen J Livesley
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne , Richmond, VIC , Australia
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17
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Giam X, Hadiaty RK, Tan HH, Parenti LR, Wowor D, Sauri S, Chong KY, Yeo DCJ, Wilcove DS. Mitigating the impact of oil-palm monoculture on freshwater fishes in Southeast Asia. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2015; 29:1357-1367. [PMID: 25800305 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2014] [Accepted: 12/14/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic land-cover change is driving biodiversity loss worldwide. At the epicenter of this crisis lies Southeast Asia, where biodiversity-rich forests are being converted to oil-palm monocultures. As demand for palm oil increases, there is an urgent need to find strategies that maintain biodiversity in plantations. Previous studies found that retaining forest patches within plantations benefited some terrestrial taxa but not others. However, no study has focused on aquatic taxa such as fishes, despite their importance to human well-being. We assessed the efficacy of forested riparian reserves in conserving freshwater fish biodiversity in oil-palm monoculture by sampling stream fish communities in an oil-palm plantation in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Forested riparian reserves maintained preconversion local fish species richness and functional diversity. In contrast, local and total species richness, biomass, and functional diversity declined markedly in streams without riparian reserves. Mechanistically, riparian reserves appeared to increase local species richness by increasing leaf litter cover and maintaining coarse substrate. The loss of fishes specializing in leaf litter and coarse substrate decreased functional diversity and altered community composition in oil-palm plantation streams that lacked riparian reserves. Thus, a land-sharing strategy that incorporates the retention of forested riparian reserves may maintain the ecological integrity of fish communities in oil-palm plantations. We urge policy makers and growers to make retention of riparian reserves in oil-palm plantations standard practice, and we encourage palm-oil purchasers to source only palm oil from plantations that employ this practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingli Giam
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, U.S.A
- Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore, S117546, Singapore
| | - Renny K Hadiaty
- Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Research Center for Biology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Cibinong, 16911, Indonesia
| | - Heok Hui Tan
- Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore, S117546, Singapore
| | - Lynne R Parenti
- Division of Fishes, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 159, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 20013, U.S.A
| | - Daisy Wowor
- Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Research Center for Biology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Cibinong, 16911, Indonesia
| | - Sopian Sauri
- Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Research Center for Biology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Cibinong, 16911, Indonesia
| | - Kwek Yan Chong
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, S117543, Singapore
| | - Darren C J Yeo
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, S117543, Singapore
| | - David S Wilcove
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, U.S.A
- Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, U.S.A
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