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He F, Svenning JC, Chen X, Tockner K, Kuemmerle T, le Roux E, Moleón M, Gessner J, Jähnig SC. Freshwater megafauna shape ecosystems and facilitate restoration. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:1141-1163. [PMID: 38411930 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13062] [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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Freshwater megafauna, such as sturgeons, giant catfishes, river dolphins, hippopotami, crocodylians, large turtles, and giant salamanders, have experienced severe population declines and range contractions worldwide. Although there is an increasing number of studies investigating the causes of megafauna losses in fresh waters, little attention has been paid to synthesising the impacts of megafauna on the abiotic environment and other organisms in freshwater ecosystems, and hence the consequences of losing these species. This limited understanding may impede the development of policies and actions for their conservation and restoration. In this review, we synthesise how megafauna shape ecological processes in freshwater ecosystems and discuss their potential for enhancing ecosystem restoration. Through activities such as movement, burrowing, and dam and nest building, megafauna have a profound influence on the extent of water bodies, flow dynamics, and the physical structure of shorelines and substrata, increasing habitat heterogeneity. They enhance nutrient cycling within fresh waters, and cross-ecosystem flows of material, through foraging and reproduction activities. Freshwater megafauna are highly connected to other freshwater organisms via direct consumption of species at different trophic levels, indirect trophic cascades, and through their influence on habitat structure. The literature documenting the ecological impacts of freshwater megafauna is not evenly distributed among species, regions, and types of ecological impacts, with a lack of quantitative evidence for large fish, crocodylians, and turtles in the Global South and their impacts on nutrient flows and food-web structure. In addition, population decline, range contraction, and the loss of large individuals have reduced the extent and magnitude of megafaunal impacts in freshwater ecosystems, rendering a posteriori evaluation more difficult. We propose that reinstating freshwater megafauna populations holds the potential for restoring key ecological processes such as disturbances, trophic cascades, and species dispersal, which will, in turn, promote overall biodiversity and enhance nature's contributions to people. Challenges for restoration actions include the shifting baseline syndrome, potential human-megafauna competition for habitats and resources, damage to property, and risk to human life. The current lack of historical baselines for natural distributions and population sizes of freshwater megafauna, their life history, trophic interactions with other freshwater species, and interactions with humans necessitates further investigation. Addressing these knowledge gaps will improve our understanding of the ecological roles of freshwater megafauna and support their full potential for facilitating the development of effective conservation and restoration strategies to achieve the coexistence of humans and megafauna.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengzhi He
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, State Key Laboratory of Black Soils Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shengbei Street 4888, Changchun, 130102, China
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, Berlin, 12587, Germany
- Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, Berlin, 10099, Germany
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO) and Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO) and Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark
| | - Xing Chen
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, Berlin, 12587, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 1-3, Berlin, 14195, Germany
| | - Klement Tockner
- Senckenberg Society for Nature Research, Senckenberganlage 25, Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany
- Faculty for Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, Frankfurt am Main, 60438, Germany
| | - Tobias Kuemmerle
- Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, Berlin, 10099, Germany
| | - Elizabeth le Roux
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO) and Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark
| | - Marcos Moleón
- Department of Zoology, University of Granada, Avenida de Fuente Nueva S/N, Granada, 18071, Spain
| | - Jörn Gessner
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, Berlin, 12587, Germany
| | - Sonja C Jähnig
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, Berlin, 12587, Germany
- Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, Berlin, 10099, Germany
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2
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Zheng Y, Huang S, Fan H, Liu H, Xu J, Craig NJ, Li JY, He W, Su L. Microplastics in different tissues of historical and live samples of endangered mega-fish (Acipenser sinensis) and their potential relevance to exposure pathways. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2024; 272:106943. [PMID: 38733942 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2024.106943] [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: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
The Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis) is an endangered freshwater mega-fish (IUCN-red listed) that survives in the Yangtze River Basin, but the population of which has declined significantly in response to environmental pressures generated by human activities. In order to evaluate the interaction between Chinese sturgeon and microplastics (MPs) for the first time, we examined the gut and gills of historical samples (n = 27), in conjunction with the blood and mucus of live samples (n = 10), to explore the potential pathways involved in MP uptake. We detected MPs in 62.9 % of the field fish, with no significant difference between guts (mean=0.9 items/individual) and gills (mean=0.8 items/individual). The abundance of MPs in fish from 2017 was significantly higher than that from 2015 to 2016 with regards to both gills and gut samples. The size of MPs in gills was significantly smaller than those in guts, yet both contained mostly fibers (90.2 %). No MPs were confirmed in blood, however 62.5 % of mucus samples contained MPs. The MPs in mucus indicated the possibility of MPs entering Chinese sturgeons if their skins were damaged. The body size of Chinese sturgeons affected their MPs uptake by ingestion and inhalation, as less MPs were detected in the gut and gills of smaller individuals. Combining the evidence from historical and live samples, we revealed the presence of MPs in different tissues of Chinese sturgeon and their potential relevance to exposure pathways. Our work expands the understanding of multiple exposure pathways between MPs and long-lived mega-fish, while emphasizing the potential risks of long-term exposure in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueping Zheng
- Shanghai Aquatic Wildlife Conservation and Research Center, Shanghai 200003, China
| | - Sirui Huang
- College of Oceanography and Ecological Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Houyong Fan
- Shanghai Aquatic Wildlife Conservation and Research Center, Shanghai 200003, China
| | - Hanqi Liu
- East China Sea Ecological Center, MNR (Ministry of Natural Resources), Shanghai 201206, China
| | - Jianan Xu
- Shanghai Aquatic Wildlife Conservation and Research Center, Shanghai 200003, China
| | - Nicholas J Craig
- School of Biosciences, the University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Juan-Ying Li
- College of Oceanography and Ecological Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of River and Lake Biochain Construction and Resource Utilization, Shanghai 201702, China
| | - Wenhui He
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of River and Lake Biochain Construction and Resource Utilization, Shanghai 201702, China
| | - Lei Su
- College of Oceanography and Ecological Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of River and Lake Biochain Construction and Resource Utilization, Shanghai 201702, China.
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Hendry AP, Barrett RDH, Bell AM, Bell MA, Bolnick DI, Gotanda KM, Haines GE, Lind ÅJ, Paccard M, Peichel CL, Peterson CR, Poore HA, Massengill RL, Milligan‐McClellan K, Steinel NC, Sanderson S, Walsh MR, Weber JN, Derry AM. Designing eco-evolutionary experiments for restoration projects: Opportunities and constraints revealed during stickleback introductions. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11503. [PMID: 38932947 PMCID: PMC11199335 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Eco-evolutionary experiments are typically conducted in semi-unnatural controlled settings, such as mesocosms; yet inferences about how evolution and ecology interact in the real world would surely benefit from experiments in natural uncontrolled settings. Opportunities for such experiments are rare but do arise in the context of restoration ecology-where different "types" of a given species can be introduced into different "replicate" locations. Designing such experiments requires wrestling with consequential questions. (Q1) Which specific "types" of a focal species should be introduced to the restoration location? (Q2) How many sources of each type should be used-and should they be mixed together? (Q3) Which specific source populations should be used? (Q4) Which type(s) or population(s) should be introduced into which restoration sites? We recently grappled with these questions when designing an eco-evolutionary experiment with threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) introduced into nine small lakes and ponds on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska that required restoration. After considering the options at length, we decided to use benthic versus limnetic ecotypes (Q1) to create a mixed group of colonists from four source populations of each ecotype (Q2), where ecotypes were identified based on trophic morphology (Q3), and were then introduced into nine restoration lakes scaled by lake size (Q4). We hope that outlining the alternatives and resulting choices will make the rationales clear for future studies leveraging our experiment, while also proving useful for investigators considering similar experiments in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alison M. Bell
- School of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Michael A. Bell
- Museum of PaleontologyUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
| | - Daniel I. Bolnick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsConnecticutUSA
| | - Kiyoko M. Gotanda
- Department of Biological SciencesBrock UniversitySaint CatharinesOntarioCanada
| | - Grant E. Haines
- Aquaculture and Fish BiologyHólar University CollegeSauðárkrókurIceland
| | - Åsa J. Lind
- Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Michelle Paccard
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Texas at ArlingtonArlingtonTexasUSA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Natalie C. Steinel
- Biological SciencesUniversity of Massachusetts LowellLowellMassachusettsUSA
| | | | - Matthew R. Walsh
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Texas at ArlingtonArlingtonTexasUSA
| | - Jesse N. Weber
- Integrative BiologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWisconsinUSA
| | - Alison M. Derry
- Sciences BiologiquesUniversité du Québec á MontréalMontréalQuébecCanada
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Passy SI, Larson CA, Mruzek JL, Budnick WR, Leboucher T. A new perspective on the spatial, environmental, and metacommunity controls of local biodiversity. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 926:171618. [PMID: 38467253 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171618] [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: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Influential ecological research in the 1980s, elucidating that local biodiversity (LB) is a function of local ecological factors and the size of the regional species pool (γ-diversity), has prompted numerous investigations on the local and regional origins of LB. These investigations, however, have been mostly limited to single scales and target groups and centered exclusively on γ-diversity. Here we developed a unified framework including scale, environmental factors (heterogeneity and ambient levels), and metacommunity properties (intraspecific spatial aggregation, regional evenness, and γ-diversity) as hierarchical predictors of LB. We tested this framework with variance partitioning and structural equation modeling using subcontinental data on stream diatoms, insects, and fish as well as local physicochemistry, climate, and land use. Pure aggregation + regional evenness outperformed pure γ-diversity in explaining LB across groups. The covariance of the environment with aggregation + regional evenness rather than with γ-diversity generally explained a much greater proportion of the variance in diatom and insect LB, especially at smaller scales. Thus, disregarding aggregation and regional evenness, as commonly done, may lead to gross underestimation of the pure metacommunity effects and the indirect environmental effects on LB. We examined the shape of the local-regional species richness relationship, which has been widely used to infer local vs. regional effects on LB. We showed that this shape has an ecological basis, but its interpretation is not straightforward. Therefore, we advocate that the variance partitioning analysis under the proposed framework is adopted instead. In diatoms, metacommunity properties had the greatest total effects on LB, while in insects and fish, it was the environment, suggesting that larger organisms are more strongly controlled by the environment. Broader use of our framework may lead to novel biogeographical insights into the drivers of LB and improved projections of its trends along current and future environmental gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia I Passy
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA.
| | - Chad A Larson
- Washington State Department of Ecology, Environmental Assessment Program, Lacey, WA, USA.
| | - Joseph L Mruzek
- Forestry and Environmental Conservation Department, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA.
| | - William R Budnick
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
| | - Thibault Leboucher
- Laboratory for Continental Environments, National Scientific Research Center, University of Lorraine, Metz, France.
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5
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Jackson MC, Friberg N, Moliner Cachazo L, Clark DR, Mutinova PT, O'Gorman EJ, Kordas RL, Gallo B, Pichler DE, Bespalaya Y, Aksenova OV, Milner A, Brooks SJ, Dunn N, Lee KWK, Ólafsson JS, Gíslason GM, Millan L, Bell T, Dumbrell AJ, Woodward G. Regional impacts of warming on biodiversity and biomass in high latitude stream ecosystems across the Northern Hemisphere. Commun Biol 2024; 7:316. [PMID: 38480906 PMCID: PMC10937648 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05936-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Warming can have profound impacts on ecological communities. However, explorations of how differences in biogeography and productivity might reshape the effect of warming have been limited to theoretical or proxy-based approaches: for instance, studies of latitudinal temperature gradients are often conflated with other drivers (e.g., species richness). Here, we overcome these limitations by using local geothermal temperature gradients across multiple high-latitude stream ecosystems. Each suite of streams (6-11 warmed by 1-15°C above ambient) is set within one of five regions (37 streams total); because the heating comes from the bedrock and is not confounded by changes in chemistry, we can isolate the effect of temperature. We found a negative overall relationship between diatom and invertebrate species richness and temperature, but the strength of the relationship varied regionally, declining more strongly in regions with low terrestrial productivity. Total invertebrate biomass increased with temperature in all regions. The latter pattern combined with the former suggests that the increased biomass of tolerant species might compensate for the loss of sensitive species. Our results show that the impact of warming can be dependent on regional conditions, demonstrating that local variation should be included in future climate projections rather than simply assuming universal relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle C Jackson
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK.
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK.
| | - Nikolai Friberg
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) Sognsveien 68, Oslo, 0855, Norway
- Freshwater Biological Section, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Water@Leeds, University of Leeds, School of Geography, Leeds, UK
| | - Luis Moliner Cachazo
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
- Department of Geography, King's College London, The Strand, London, WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - David R Clark
- School of Life Science, University of Essex, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
- Institute for Analytics and Data Science, University of Essex, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Petra Thea Mutinova
- The Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Økernveien 94, Oslo, 0579, Norway
| | - Eoin J O'Gorman
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
- School of Life Science, University of Essex, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Rebecca L Kordas
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Bruno Gallo
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Doris E Pichler
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Yulia Bespalaya
- N. Laverov Federal Centre for Integrated Arctic Research, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Arkhangelsk, Russia
| | - Olga V Aksenova
- N. Laverov Federal Centre for Integrated Arctic Research, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Arkhangelsk, Russia
| | - Alexander Milner
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Stephen J Brooks
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Nicholas Dunn
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - K W K Lee
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
- Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, Lam Kam Road, Tai Po, Tsuen, Hong Kong
| | - Jón S Ólafsson
- Institute of Marine and Freshwater Research, Hafnafjordur, 220, Hafnarfjörður, Iceland
| | - Gísli M Gíslason
- Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, 102, Iceland
| | - Lucia Millan
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Thomas Bell
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Alex J Dumbrell
- School of Life Science, University of Essex, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Guy Woodward
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK.
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6
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Danet A, Giam X, Olden JD, Comte L. Past and recent anthropogenic pressures drive rapid changes in riverine fish communities. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:442-453. [PMID: 38291153 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02271-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Understanding how and why local communities change is a pressing task for conservation, especially in freshwater systems. It remains challenging because of the complexity of biodiversity changes, driven by the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of human pressures. Using a compilation of riverine fish community time series (93% between 1993 and 2019) across the Palaearctic, Nearctic and Australasia realms, we assessed how past and recent anthropogenic pressures drive community changes across both space and time. We found evidence of rapid changes in community composition of 30% per decade characterized by important changes in the dominant species, together with a 13% increase in total abundance per decade and a 7% increase in species richness per decade. The spatial heterogeneity in these trends could be traced back to the strength and timing of anthropogenic pressures and was mainly mediated by non-native species introductions. Specifically, we demonstrate that the negative effects of anthropogenic pressures on species richness and total abundance were compensated over time by the establishment of non-native species, a pattern consistent with previously reported biotic homogenization at the global scale. Overall, our study suggests that accounting for the complexity of community changes and its drivers is a crucial step to reach global conservation goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alain Danet
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA.
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
| | - Xingli Giam
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Julian D Olden
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lise Comte
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA
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Lu K, Wu H, Jähnig SC, He F. The impacts of reduced connectivity on multiple facets of aquatic insect diversity in floodplain wetlands, Northeast China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169207. [PMID: 38072277 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169207] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
River-floodplain ecosystems are highly complex and dynamic systems that are subjected to human disturbance, such as the construction of levees. Aquatic insects are among the most widely used indicators to assess human impacts on floodplain wetlands. Most studies are still based on taxonomic biodiversity. However, trait-based approaches remain limited, which could impede the development of effective management strategies. Here, we investigated aquatic insect assemblages in eleven pairs of wetlands along the Wusuli River in two seasons (Spring and Autumn) and assessed their responses to the impact of levee construction, considering taxonomic and functional diversity. We found that pooled species richness (73 taxa) in river-connected wetlands was almost twice of that in levee-blocked wetlands (37 taxa). Six and one indicator taxa for river-connected wetlands were identified in May and October, respectively, while no indicator taxon for the levee-blocked wetlands was identified. Moreover, taxonomic and functional alpha diversity in river-connected wetlands was much higher than in levee-blocked wetlands, but beta diversity showed a contrasting pattern. Additionally, multivariate dispersion analysis indicated a more evident difference in beta diversity between river-connected and levee-blocked wetlands in May than in October, likely due to the temporary lateral connection in summer (i.e., water flowed over levees during flood events). Our results revealed that anthropogenic impacts (e.g., levee construction and agricultural activity) weakened the connectivity of floodplain wetland ecosystems, leading to decreased taxonomic and functional diversity of aquatic insects in isolated wetlands. Our study highlights the importance of combining taxonomic and trait-based approaches in biomonitoring programs of floodplain wetland ecosystems. It also underscores the necessity of restoring habitat connectivity of wetland ecosystems (e.g., river-floodplain connectivity and connections between different wetlands) to facilitate biodiversity recovery and enhance ecological functions and services supported by these valuable ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangle Lu
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130102 Changchun, China
| | - Haitao Wu
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130102 Changchun, China; State Key Laboratory of Black Soils Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China.
| | - Sonja C Jähnig
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 12587 Berlin, Germany; Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany
| | - Fengzhi He
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130102 Changchun, China; State Key Laboratory of Black Soils Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China; Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 12587 Berlin, Germany; Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany
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8
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Sanders E, Wassens S, Michael DR, Nimmo DG, Turner JM. Extinction risk of the world's freshwater mammals. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14168. [PMID: 37563953 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
The continued loss of freshwater habitats poses a significant threat to global biodiversity. We reviewed the extinction risk of 166 freshwater aquatic and semiaquatic mammals-a group rarely documented as a collective. We used the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species categories as of December 2021 to determine extinction risk. Extinction risk was then compared among taxonomic groups, geographic areas, and biological traits. Thirty percent of all freshwater mammals were listed as threatened. Decreasing population trends were common (44.0%), including a greater rate of decline (3.6% in 20 years) than for mammals or freshwater species as a whole. Aquatic freshwater mammals were at a greater risk of extinction than semiaquatic freshwater mammals (95% CI -7.20 to -1.11). Twenty-nine species were data deficient or not evaluated. Large species (95% CI 0.01 to 0.03) with large dispersal distances (95% CI 0.03 to 0.15) had a higher risk of extinction than small species with small dispersal distances. The number of threatening processes associated with a species compounded their risk of extinction (95% CI 0.28 to 0.77). Hunting, land clearing for logging and agriculture, pollution, residential development, and habitat modification or destruction from dams and water management posed the greatest threats to these species. The basic life-history traits of many species were poorly known, highlighting the need for more research. Conservation of freshwater mammals requires a host of management actions centered around increased protection of riparian areas and more conscientious water management to aid the recovery of threatened species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmalie Sanders
- School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Albury, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Skye Wassens
- School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Albury, New South Wales, Australia
- Gulbali Institute for Agriculture, Water and Environment, Charles Sturt University, Albury, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Damian R Michael
- Gulbali Institute for Agriculture, Water and Environment, Charles Sturt University, Albury, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Dale G Nimmo
- School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Albury, New South Wales, Australia
- Gulbali Institute for Agriculture, Water and Environment, Charles Sturt University, Albury, New South Wales, Australia
| | - James M Turner
- Institute of Biomedical and Environmental Health Research, School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, South Lanarkshire, UK
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Grant MI, Kyne PM, James J, Hu Y, Mukherji S, Amepou Y, Baje L, Chin A, Johnson G, Lee T, Mahan B, Wurster C, White WT, Simpfendorfer CA. Elemental analysis of vertebrae discerns diadromous movements of threatened non-marine elasmobranchs. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2023; 103:1357-1373. [PMID: 37632330 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
River sharks (Glyphis spp.) and some sawfishes (Pristidae) inhabit riverine environments, although their long-term habitat use patterns are poorly known. We investigated the diadromous movements of the northern river shark (Glyphis garricki), speartooth shark (Glyphis glyphis), narrow sawfish (Anoxypristis cuspidata), and largetooth sawfish (Pristis pristis) using in situ laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) on vertebrae to recover elemental ratios over each individual's lifetime. We also measured elemental ratios for the bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) and a range of inshore and offshore stenohaline marine species to assist in interpretation of results. Barium (Ba) was found to be an effective indicator of freshwater use, whereas lithium (Li) and strontium (Sr) were effective indicators of marine water use. The relationships between Ba and Li and Ba and Sr were negatively correlated, whereas the relationship between Li and Sr was positively correlated. Both river shark species had elemental signatures indicative of prolonged use of upper-estuarine environments, whereas adults appear to mainly use lower-estuarine environments rather than marine environments. Decreases in Li:Ba and Sr:Ba at the end of the prenatal growth zone of P. pristis samples indicated that parturition likely occurs in fresh water. There was limited evidence of prolonged riverine habitat use for A. cuspidata. The results of this study support elemental-environment relationships observed in teleost otoliths and indicate that in situ LA-ICP-MS elemental characterization is applicable to a wide range of elasmobranch species as a discriminator for use and movement across salinity gradients. A greater understanding of processes that lead to element incorporation in vertebrae, and relative concentrations in vertebrae with respect to the ambient environment, will improve the applicability of elemental analysis to understand movements across the life history of elasmobranchs into the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael I Grant
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Piku Biodiversity Network, National Research Institute, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
| | - Peter M Kyne
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Julie James
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
| | - Yi Hu
- Advanced Analytical Centre, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sushmita Mukherji
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Yolarnie Amepou
- Piku Biodiversity Network, National Research Institute, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
| | - Leontine Baje
- National Oceanic Resource Management Authority, Palikir, Pohnpei State, Federated States of Micronesia
| | - Andrew Chin
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Grant Johnson
- Fisheries Division, Northern Territory Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade, Berrimah, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Tegan Lee
- Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Brandon Mahan
- IsoTropics Geochemistry Laboratory, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Christopher Wurster
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
| | - William T White
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Castray Esplanade, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
- Australian National Fish Collection, CSIRO National Research Collections Australia, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Colin A Simpfendorfer
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
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10
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Dhami B, Maraseni T, Thapa K, K. C. N, Subedi S, Gautam S, Ayer S, Bayne E. Gharial ( Gavialis gangeticus) conservation in Bardia National Park, Nepal: Assessing population structure and habitat characteristics along the river channel amidst infrastructure development. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10661. [PMID: 38020685 PMCID: PMC10630156 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Nepal initiated numerous hydropower and irrigation-related infrastructure projects to enhance and promote green energy, water security, and agricultural productivity. However, these projects may pose risks to natural habitats and the well-being of aquatic fauna, leading to significant effects on delicate ecosystems. To understand these potential impacts, it is crucial to gather reliable baseline data on the population status and habitat characteristics of species. This study specifically focuses on Gharials (Gavialis gangeticus), a critically endangered species. We recorded data on pre-determined habitat variables at stations spaced 500 m apart along the two major river streams of Bardia National Park, as well as at locations where Gharials were sighted between February and March 2023. We used binary logistic regression with a logit link function to investigate the habitat characteristics related to the occurrence of Gharials. The presence/absence of Gharials at sampling points served as the dependent variable, while 10 other predetermined variables (ecological variables and disturbance variables) served as independent variables. Our study recorded 23 Gharials, comprising 14 adults, six sub-adults, and three juveniles, with a sex ratio of 55.56 males per 100 females. Most individuals (83%) were found basking. Among the 10 habitat predictors, three variables (mid-river depth, river width, and water temperature) were significantly correlated (p < .05) with the probability of Gharial occurrence. The model shows that Gharial detection probability increases with greater mid-river depth and width and lower water temperature. This study establishes a population baseline for Gharials within the river system before the construction of large infrastructure projects, such as dams and irrigation canals. It also recommends continuous monitoring of Gharial populations after water release and/or diversion to evaluate the impact of large infrastructure projects on the population and their associated habitat characteristics. This will help enable more informed and targeted conservation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bijaya Dhami
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| | - Tek Maraseni
- University of Southern QueenslandToowoombaQueenslandAustralia
| | | | | | - Sanskar Subedi
- Institute of Forestry Pokhara CampusTribhuvan UniversityPokharaNepal
| | - Shreejan Gautam
- Institute of Forestry Pokhara CampusTribhuvan UniversityPokharaNepal
| | - Santosh Ayer
- College of Natural Resource Management (CNRM)Agriculture and Forestry UniversityKatariNepal
| | - Erin Bayne
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
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11
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Heilpern SA, Herrera-R GA, Fiorella KJ, Moya L, Flecker AS, McIntyre PB. Species trait diversity sustains multiple dietary nutrients supplied by freshwater fisheries. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:1887-1897. [PMID: 37671723 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14299] [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: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
Species, through their traits, influence how ecosystems simultaneously sustain multiple functions. However, it is unclear how trait diversity sustains the multiple contributions biodiversity makes to people. Freshwater fisheries nourish hundreds of millions of people globally, but overharvesting and river fragmentation are increasingly affecting catches. We analyse how loss of nutritional trait diversity in consumed fish portfolios affects the simultaneous provisioning of six essential dietary nutrients using household data from the Amazon and Tonlé Sap, two of Earth's most productive and diverse freshwater fisheries. We find that fish portfolios with high trait diversity meet higher thresholds of required daily intakes for a greater variety of nutrients with less fish biomass. This beneficial biodiversity effect is driven by low redundancy in species nutrient content profiles. Our findings imply that sustaining the dietary contributions fish make to people given declining biodiversity could require more biomass and ultimately exacerbate fishing pressure in already-stressed ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian A Heilpern
- Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Guido A Herrera-R
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Kathryn J Fiorella
- Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Luis Moya
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Iquitos, Perú
| | - Alexander S Flecker
- Deparment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Peter B McIntyre
- Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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12
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Scholl EA, Cross WF, Guy CS, Dutton AJ, Junker JR. Landscape diversity promotes stable food-web architectures in large rivers. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:1740-1751. [PMID: 37497804 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14289] [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: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Uncovering relationships between landscape diversity and species interactions is crucial for predicting how ongoing land-use change and homogenization will impact the stability and persistence of communities. However, such connections have rarely been quantified in nature. We coupled high-resolution river sonar imaging with annualized energetic food webs to quantify relationships among habitat diversity, energy flux, and trophic interaction strengths in large-river food-web modules that support the endangered Pallid Sturgeon. Our results demonstrate a clear relationship between habitat diversity and species interaction strengths, with more diverse foraging landscapes containing higher production of prey and a greater proportion of weak and potentially stabilizing interactions. Additionally, rare patches of large and relatively stable river sediments intensified these effects and further reduced interaction strengths by increasing prey diversity. Our findings highlight the importance of landscape characteristics in promoting stabilizing food-web architectures and provide direct relevance for future management of imperilled species in a simplified and rapidly changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wyatt F Cross
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Christopher S Guy
- U.S. Geological Survey, Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Adeline J Dutton
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - James R Junker
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
- Great Lakes Research Center 100 Phoenix Drive, Houghton, Michigan, USA
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13
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Martins IS, Schrodt F, Blowes SA, Bates AE, Bjorkman AD, Brambilla V, Carvajal-Quintero J, Chow CFY, Daskalova GN, Edwards K, Eisenhauer N, Field R, Fontrodona-Eslava A, Henn JJ, van Klink R, Madin JS, Magurran AE, McWilliam M, Moyes F, Pugh B, Sagouis A, Trindade-Santos I, McGill BJ, Chase JM, Dornelas M. Widespread shifts in body size within populations and assemblages. Science 2023; 381:1067-1071. [PMID: 37676959 DOI: 10.1126/science.adg6006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Biotic responses to global change include directional shifts in organismal traits. Body size, an integrative trait that determines demographic rates and ecosystem functions, is thought to be shrinking in the Anthropocene. Here, we assessed the prevalence of body size change in six taxon groups across 5025 assemblage time series spanning 1960 to 2020. Using the Price equation to partition this change into within-species body size versus compositional changes, we detected prevailing decreases in body size through time driven primarily by fish, with more variable patterns in other taxa. We found that change in assemblage composition contributes more to body size changes than within-species trends, but both components show substantial variation in magnitude and direction. The biomass of assemblages remains quite stable as decreases in body size trade off with increases in abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inês S Martins
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, Scotland
- Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Franziska Schrodt
- School of Geography, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD
| | - Shane A Blowes
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Department of Computer Science, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale) 06099, Germany
| | - Amanda E Bates
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Anne D Bjorkman
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 40530, Sweden
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Gothenburg 41319, Sweden
| | - Viviana Brambilla
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, Scotland
- MARE, Guia Marine Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Cascais 2750-374, Portugal
| | - Juan Carvajal-Quintero
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Cher F Y Chow
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, Scotland
| | - Gergana N Daskalova
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg 2361, Austria
| | - Kyle Edwards
- Department of Oceanography, University of Hawai''i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Richard Field
- School of Geography, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD
| | - Ada Fontrodona-Eslava
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, Scotland
| | - Jonathan J Henn
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - Roel van Klink
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Department of Computer Science, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale) 06099, Germany
| | - Joshua S Madin
- Hawai''i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai''i at Manoa, Kāne'ohe, Hawai''i 96744, USA
| | - Anne E Magurran
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, Scotland
| | - Michael McWilliam
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, Scotland
| | - Faye Moyes
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, Scotland
| | - Brittany Pugh
- School of Geography, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD
- University College London, School of Geography, Gower Street, London WC1E 6AE, UK
| | - Alban Sagouis
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Department of Computer Science, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale) 06099, Germany
| | - Isaac Trindade-Santos
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, Scotland
- Macroevolution Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1, Tancha, Onna-son, Kunigami-gun 904-0495, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Brian J McGill
- School of Biology and Ecology and Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | - Jonathan M Chase
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Department of Computer Science, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale) 06099, Germany
| | - Maria Dornelas
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, Scotland
- Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
- MARE, Guia Marine Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Cascais 2750-374, Portugal
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14
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Woods T, Freeman MC, Krause KP, Maloney KO. Observed and projected functional reorganization of riverine fish assemblages from global change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:3759-3780. [PMID: 37021672 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16707] [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: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Climate and land-use/land-cover change ("global change") are restructuring biodiversity, globally. Broadly, environmental conditions are expected to become warmer, potentially drier (particularly in arid regions), and more anthropogenically developed in the future, with spatiotemporally complex effects on ecological communities. We used functional traits to inform Chesapeake Bay Watershed fish responses to future climate and land-use scenarios (2030, 2060, and 2090). We modeled the future habitat suitability of focal species representative of key trait axes (substrate, flow, temperature, reproduction, and trophic) and used functional and phylogenetic metrics to assess variable assemblage responses across physiographic regions and habitat sizes (headwaters through large rivers). Our focal species analysis projected future habitat suitability gains for carnivorous species with preferences for warm water, pool habitats, and fine or vegetated substrates. At the assemblage level, models projected decreasing habitat suitability for cold-water, rheophilic, and lithophilic individuals but increasing suitability for carnivores in the future across all regions. Projected responses of functional and phylogenetic diversity and redundancy differed among regions. Lowland regions were projected to become less functionally and phylogenetically diverse and more redundant while upland regions (and smaller habitat sizes) were projected to become more diverse and less redundant. Next, we assessed how these model-projected assemblage changes 2005-2030 related to observed time-series trends (1999-2016). Halfway through the initial projecting period (2005-2030), we found observed trends broadly followed modeled patterns of increasing proportions of carnivorous and lithophilic individuals in lowland regions but showed opposing patterns for functional and phylogenetic metrics. Leveraging observed and predicted analyses simultaneously helps elucidate the instances and causes of discrepancies between model predictions and ongoing observed changes. Collectively, results highlight the complexity of global change impacts across broad landscapes that likely relate to differences in assemblages' intrinsic sensitivities and external exposure to stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Woods
- Eastern Ecological Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, West Virginia, Kearneysville, USA
| | - Mary C Freeman
- Eastern Ecological Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia, Athens, USA
| | - Kevin P Krause
- Eastern Ecological Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, West Virginia, Kearneysville, USA
| | - Kelly O Maloney
- Eastern Ecological Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, West Virginia, Kearneysville, USA
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15
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Holgate A, White PR, Leighton TG, Kemp PS. Applying appropriate frequency criteria to advance acoustic behavioural guidance systems for fish. Sci Rep 2023; 13:8075. [PMID: 37202429 PMCID: PMC10195784 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33423-5] [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: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Deterrents that use acoustics to guide fish away from dangerous areas depend on the elicitation of avoidance in the target species. Acoustic deterrents select the optimum frequency based on an assumption that highest avoidance is likely to occur at the greatest sensitivity. However, such an assumption may be unfounded. Using goldfish (Carassius auratus) as a suitable experimental model, this study tested this as a null hypothesis. Under laboratory conditions, the deterrence thresholds of individual goldfish exposed to 120 ms tones at six frequencies (250-2000 Hz) and four Sound Pressure Levels (SPL 115-145 dB) were quantified. The deterrence threshold defined as the SPL at which 25% of the tested population startled was calculated and compared to the hearing threshold obtained using Auditory Evoked Potential and particle acceleration threshold data. The optimum frequency to elicit a startle response was 250 Hz; different from the published hearing and particle acceleration sensitivities based on audiograms. The difference between the deterrence threshold and published hearing threshold data varied from 47.1 dB at 250 Hz to 76 dB at 600 Hz. This study demonstrates that information obtained from audiograms may poorly predict the most suitable frequencies at which avoidance behaviours are elicited in fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Holgate
- International Centre for Ecohydraulics Research, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
| | - P R White
- Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - T G Leighton
- Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - P S Kemp
- International Centre for Ecohydraulics Research, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
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16
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Rumschlag SL, Mahon MB, Jones DK, Battaglin W, Behrens J, Bernhardt ES, Bradley P, Brown E, De Laender F, Hill R, Kunz S, Lee S, Rosi E, Schäfer R, Schmidt TS, Simonin M, Smalling K, Voss K, Rohr JR. Density declines, richness increases, and composition shifts in stream macroinvertebrates. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf4896. [PMID: 37134169 PMCID: PMC10156106 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf4896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Documenting trends of stream macroinvertebrate biodiversity is challenging because biomonitoring often has limited spatial, temporal, and taxonomic scopes. We analyzed biodiversity and composition of assemblages of >500 genera, spanning 27 years, and 6131 stream sites across forested, grassland, urban, and agricultural land uses throughout the United States. In this dataset, macroinvertebrate density declined by 11% and richness increased by 12.2%, and insect density and richness declined by 23.3 and 6.8%, respectively, over 27 years. In addition, differences in richness and composition between urban and agricultural versus forested and grassland streams have increased over time. Urban and agricultural streams lost the few disturbance-sensitive taxa they once had and gained disturbance-tolerant taxa. These results suggest that current efforts to protect and restore streams are not sufficient to mitigate anthropogenic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L Rumschlag
- Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental Change Initiative, and Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
- Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, MN, USA
| | - Michael B Mahon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental Change Initiative, and Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Devin K Jones
- Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental Change Initiative, and Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - William Battaglin
- Colorado Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Jonny Behrens
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Paul Bradley
- South Atlantic Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Ethan Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental Change Initiative, and Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Frederik De Laender
- Research Unit of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Namur Institute of Complex Systems, and Institute of Life, Earth, and the Environment, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Ryan Hill
- Pacific Ecological Systems Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Stefan Kunz
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Sylvia Lee
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Emma Rosi
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY, USA
| | - Ralf Schäfer
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Travis S Schmidt
- Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Helena, MT, USA
| | - Marie Simonin
- Univ Angers, Institut Agro, INRAE, IRHS, SFR QUASAV, F-49000 Angers, France
| | - Kelly Smalling
- New Jersey Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Lawrenceville, NJ, USA
| | - Kristofor Voss
- Department of Biology, Regis University, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Jason R Rohr
- Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental Change Initiative, and Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
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17
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Doody TM, Gao S, Vervoort W, Pritchard J, Davies M, Nolan M, Nagler PL. A river basin spatial model to quantitively advance understanding of riverine tree response dynamics to water availability and hydrological management. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 332:117393. [PMID: 36739773 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117393] [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: 09/11/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Ecological condition continues to decline in arid and semi-arid river basins globally due to hydrological over-abstraction combined with changing climatic conditions. Whilst provision of water for the environment has been a primary approach to alleviate ecological decline, how to accurately monitor changes in riverine trees at fine spatial and temporal scales, remains a substantial challenge. This is further complicated by constantly changing water availability across expansive river basins with varying climatic zones. Within, we combine rare, fine-scale, high frequency temporal in-situ field collected data with machine learning and remote sensing, to provide a robust model that enables broadscale monitoring of physiological tree water stress response to environmental changes via actual evapotranspiration (ET). Physiological variation of Eucalyptus camaldulensis (River Red Gum) and E. largiflorens (Black Box) trees across 10 study locations in the southern Murray-Darling Basin, Australia, was captured instantaneously using sap flow sensors, substantially reducing tree response lags encountered by monitoring visual canopy changes. Actual ET measurement of both species was used to bias correct a national spatial ET product where a Random Forest model was trained using continuous timeseries of in-situ data of up to four years. Precise monthly AMLETT (Australia-wide Machine Learning ET for Trees) ET outputs in 30 m pixel resolution from 2012 to 2021, were derived by incorporating additional remote sensing layers such as soil moisture, land surface temperature, radiation and EVI and NDVI in the Random Forest model. Landsat and Sentinal-2 correlation results between in-situ ET and AMLETT ET returned R2 of 0.94 (RMSE 6.63 mm period-1) and 0.92 (RMSE 6.89 mm period-1), respectively. In comparison, correlation between in-situ ET and a national ET product returned R2 of 0.44 (RMSE 34.08 mm period-1) highlighting the need for bias correction to generate accurate absolute ET values. The AMLETT method presented here, enhances environmental management in river basins worldwide. Such robust broadscale monitoring can inform water accounting and importantly, assist decisions on where to prioritize water for the environment to restore and protect key ecological assets and preserve floodplain and riparian ecological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya M Doody
- CSIRO, Land and Water, Waite Campus, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
| | - Sicong Gao
- CSIRO, Land and Water, Waite Campus, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; University of Canberra, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Willem Vervoort
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jodie Pritchard
- CSIRO, Land and Water, Waite Campus, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Micah Davies
- CSIRO, Land and Water, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Martin Nolan
- CSIRO, Land and Water, Waite Campus, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Pamela L Nagler
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Tucson, AZ, USA
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18
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Birnie‐Gauvin K, Lynch AJ, Franklin PA, Reid AJ, Landsman SJ, Tickner D, Dalton J, Aarestrup K, Cooke SJ. The
RACE
for freshwater biodiversity: Essential actions to create the social context for meaningful conservation. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kim Birnie‐Gauvin
- Section for Freshwater Fisheries and Ecology, National Institute for Aquatic Resources Technical University of Denmark Denmark
| | - Abigail J. Lynch
- U.S. Geological Survey National Climate Adaptation Science Center Maryland USA
| | - Paul A. Franklin
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research New Zealand
| | - Andrea J. Reid
- Centre for Indigenous Fisheries, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries University of British Columbia Canada
| | - Sean J. Landsman
- Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Sciences and Department of Biology Carleton University Ottawa Ontario Canada
| | | | - James Dalton
- International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Switzerland
| | - Kim Aarestrup
- Section for Freshwater Fisheries and Ecology, National Institute for Aquatic Resources Technical University of Denmark Denmark
| | - Steven J. Cooke
- Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Sciences and Department of Biology Carleton University Ottawa Ontario Canada
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19
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Germann V, Borgwardt F, Fischer J, Fuchs-Hanusch D, Regelsberger M, Schubert G, Uhmann A, Langergraber G. Development and Evaluation of Options for Action to Progress on the SDG 6 Targets in Austria. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 325:116487. [PMID: 36419305 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The Agenda 2030 of the United Nations stipulates an ambitious set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They were globally agreed upon and demand coherent, context-specific implementation at the national level. To address the complexity of challenges therein, the Agenda is designed to be integrated, indivisible, and universal. The numerous multifaceted interactions in-between the SDGs and with corresponding measures pose a complex challenge for decision-makers implementing them worldwide that requires support for a comprehensive discourse in the science-society-policy arena. Research on the interactions between the SDGs has been flourishing and can help to understand where policy options might be most successfully located. A catalytic effect on several other goals is, e.g., often attributed to SDG 6 on water and sanitation. However, beyond the where to locate policy options, it is similarly important to understand how potential policy options would affect the SDGs and their targets. We developed eleven options and 85 measures as context-specific pathways to advance the SDG 6 Targets in Austria. As a country in the Global North and with a generally far-established water and sanitation infrastructure and management, this responds to the Agenda's demand for universal applicability and can serve as an example to illustrate potential challenges beyond basic infrastructure provision and management. The proposed options cover resources-oriented sanitation, blue-green-brown infrastructure, efficient use and integrated management of water resources, maintenance and restoration of ecological functions of inland waters, reduction of diffuse discharge of nutrients and problematic substances as well as trace substances, water, sanitation and hygiene in public spaces, groundwater protection, development cooperation as well as co-design and co-creation. Their effects on the SDG 6 Targets are evaluated using a 7-point-scale. The evaluation method is simple and practicable, and fosters discourse on the entire water cycle amongst the expert group applying the method. The evaluated effects on the targets are found to be unanimously positive or neutral, but trade-offs might arise when including other SDGs in the assessment, making an expansion of the evaluation necessary for coherent implementation. The results can be used as a baseline to support follow-up discussions with stakeholders and decision-makers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verena Germann
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, Institute of Sanitary Engineering and Water Pollution Control, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Florian Borgwardt
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33, A-1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jörg Fischer
- Institute of Polymeric Materials and Testing, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenberger Straße 69, 4040, Linz, Austria
| | - Daniela Fuchs-Hanusch
- Institute of Urban Water Management and Landscape Water Engineering, Graz University of Technology, Stremayrgasse 10/I, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Gerhard Schubert
- Geological Survey of Austria, Neulinggasse 38, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Annett Uhmann
- Geological Survey of Austria, Neulinggasse 38, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Günter Langergraber
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, Institute of Sanitary Engineering and Water Pollution Control, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
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20
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Karres N, Kang S, Aldous A, Pattison-Williams JK, Masuda YJ. How effective is community-based management of freshwater resources? A review. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 323:116161. [PMID: 36261959 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Despite the existence of numerous research studies on community-based conservation, relatively few focus on the particularities of freshwater ecosystems. Freshwater ecosystems are distinct from terrestrial and marine ecosystems, exhibiting both greater concentrations of biodiversity and elevated threats. In addition, freshwater resources have distinct social, legal, political, and economic characteristics which limit the generalizability of community-based conservation research from other ecological domains. We examine peer-reviewed literature on community-based management of freshwater resources to understand and assess project contexts and outcomes. Our review indicates that studies of freshwater community-based management are limited in number and representativeness. While positive outcomes for both biodiversity and human well-being are commonly reported, limitations due to study design constrain the ability to infer the significance or causality of these effects. Overall, our analysis indicates that there are several gaps in the available research: across geographic regions, freshwater ecosystem types, intervention types, and environmental and human well-being outcome types. Given the importance of freshwater resources to Indigenous Peoples and local communities, our review highlights the critical need to generate evidence across more diverse contexts to achieve greater clarity on whether and how community-based projects can be most effective.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shiteng Kang
- The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA, 22203, USA
| | | | - John K Pattison-Williams
- Department of Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2R3, Canada
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21
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Raffo DCD, Norris D, Hartz SM, Michalski F. Anthropogenic influences on the distribution of a threatened apex-predator around sustainable-use reserves following hydropower dam installation. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14287. [PMID: 36285331 PMCID: PMC9588301 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14287] [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: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Although previous studies demonstrate declines in many large bodied species following hydropower dam installation, others suggest that some species, including the giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) may return to newly created reservoir habitats. Yet, there is a lack of evidence to support such theories. Here, we analyzed the effects of a hydropower dam on giant otters using a before-after control-impact study design in the eastern Brazilian Amazon. We collected data 3 years before (2011-2012 and 2015) and after (2017-2019) dam construction, totaling 6,459 km of surveys along rivers with 43 direct sightings of giant otters. Contrary to expectations, our results revealed that giant otters did not remain nor did they return to the dam reservoir. Beyond the zone directly impacted by the dam giant otter occurrence and relative abundance declined next to sustainable-use reserves where the river was more intensely used by people. Our study showed that in the absence of active management sustainable-use reserves and low human density were not sufficient to maintain this apex-predator. Our findings suggest a need to proactively create and maintain areas with low levels of anthropogenic disturbance to enable sustainable coexistence between energy demands and biodiversity across Amazonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah C. Dávila Raffo
- Postgraduate Programme in Ecology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil,Ecology and Conservation of Amazonian Vertebrates Research Group, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá, Amapá, Brazil
| | - Darren Norris
- Ecology and Conservation of Amazonian Vertebrates Research Group, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá, Amapá, Brazil,School of Environmental Sciences, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá, Amapá, Brazil,Postgraduate Programme in Tropical Biodiversity, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá, Amapá, Brazil
| | - Sandra Maria Hartz
- Postgraduate Programme in Ecology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Michalski
- Ecology and Conservation of Amazonian Vertebrates Research Group, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá, Amapá, Brazil,Postgraduate Programme in Tropical Biodiversity, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá, Amapá, Brazil,Pro-Carnivores Institute, Atibaia, São Paulo, Brazil
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22
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Mancino C, Canestrelli D, Maiorano L. Going west: Range expansion for loggerhead sea turtles in the Mediterranean Sea under climate change. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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23
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Li Q, Deng M, Li W, Pan Y, Lai G, Liu Y, Devlin AT, Wang W, Zhan S. Habitat configuration of the Yangtze finless porpoise in Poyang Lake under a shifting hydrological regime. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:155954. [PMID: 35580683 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155954] [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: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Habitats of freshwater cetaceans are under increasing threats of deterioration globally. A complete understanding of long-term variations of habitat configurations is therefore critical. Poyang Lake in China contains a large and stable population of the Yangtze finless porpoise, a critically endangered freshwater cetacean species. However, constant water decline and intensified human activities in the lake since 2000 have led to uncertainty for porpoise conservation. We address this issue via remote sensing and hydrodynamic modeling of nine environmental variables during different seasons over the past two decades. The MaxEnt model was used to extrapolate changes in likely habitat configurations of the porpoise, and MARXAN algorithms delineated habitat protection priorities in different seasons. Results illustrate that flow velocity, water depth, Chl-a concentration, distance to grassland and boats greatly affect the porpoise distribution. Shifts in these environmental variables can lead to significant habitat decreases in all seasons. In particular, unstable hydrological regimes may force the porpoises to live in habitats with lower water depths for suitable flow velocity conditions in the dry season, and habitats are increasingly infringed by grassland and mudflats. High protection priority areas such as the northern channel and the estuaries of the tributaries urgently need long-term systematic and targeted surveys of ecosystem functionality and flexible management of anthropogenic activities. Combining remote sensing with hydrodynamic and species distribution models can also assist in understanding the situation of other aquatic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiyue Li
- College of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330022, China
| | - Mingming Deng
- College of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330022, China
| | - Wenya Li
- College of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330022, China
| | - Yue Pan
- College of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330022, China
| | - Geying Lai
- College of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330022, China; The Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330022, China.
| | - Ying Liu
- College of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330022, China; The Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330022, China
| | - Adam Thomas Devlin
- College of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330022, China
| | - Weiping Wang
- Department of agriculture and Rural Affairs of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330000, China
| | - Shupin Zhan
- Department of agriculture and Rural Affairs of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330000, China
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24
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Hofmeister E, Ruhs EC, Fortini LB, Hopkins MC, Jones L, Lafferty KD, Sleeman J, LeDee O. Future Directions to Manage Wildlife Health in a Changing Climate. ECOHEALTH 2022; 19:329-334. [PMID: 35759113 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-022-01604-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Erik Hofmeister
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, 6006 Schroeder Rd., Madison, WI, 53711, USA.
| | | | - Lucas Berio Fortini
- U.S. Geological Survey Pacific Islands Ecological Research Center, Inouye Regional Center, 1845 Wasp Blvd., Bldg. 176, Honolulu, HI, 96818, USA
| | - M Camille Hopkins
- U.S. Geological Survey Ecosystems Mission Area, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA, 20192, USA
| | - Lee Jones
- USFWS-Natural Resource Program Center, 10 E. Babcock, Rm 105, Bozeman, MT, 59715, USA
| | - Kevin D Lafferty
- Marine Science Institute, U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center, University of California, 805, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Jonathan Sleeman
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, 6006 Schroeder Rd., Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | - Olivia LeDee
- U.S. Geological Survey, Climate Adaptation Science Centers, 1956 Buford Ave. St, Paul, MN, 55108, USA
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25
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Temperature and interspecific competition alter the impacts of two invasive crayfish species on a key ecosystem process. Biol Invasions 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-022-02875-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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26
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Grant MI, Bicknell AWJ, Htut T, Maung A, Maung T, Myo Myo K, Rein T, San MK, White WT, Ya KZ, Mizrahi M. Market surveys and social media provide confirmation of the endangered giant freshwater whipray Urogymnus polylepis in Myanmar. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2022; 101:302-307. [PMID: 35475478 PMCID: PMC9543834 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15073] [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: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The giant freshwater whipray Urogymnus polylepis is a threatened species that is vulnerable to riverine and coastal marine pressures. Despite its threatened status, the range of U. polylepis is still being determined. In this study, photographic evidence of U. polylepis in Myanmar was provided through market surveys (2017-2018) and social media (Sharks and Rays of Rakhine Facebook page, 2021). Urogymnus polylepis is exposed to fisheries and habitat degradation pressures in Myanmar; therefore, conservation management is likely needed to ensure populations persist into the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael I. Grant
- CENTRE for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture, College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | | | - Thaung Htut
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Myanmar ProgrammeYangonMyanmar
| | - Antt Maung
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Myanmar ProgrammeYangonMyanmar
| | - Thu Maung
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Myanmar ProgrammeYangonMyanmar
| | - Khin Myo Myo
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Myanmar ProgrammeYangonMyanmar
| | - Thu Rein
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Myanmar ProgrammeYangonMyanmar
| | - Min Khan San
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Myanmar ProgrammeYangonMyanmar
| | - William T. White
- CSIRO Oceans and AtmosphereHobartTasmaniaAustralia
- Australian National Fish CollectionCSIRO National Research Collections AustraliaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Kyaw Zay Ya
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Myanmar ProgrammeYangonMyanmar
| | - Meira Mizrahi
- CENTRE for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture, College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Myanmar ProgrammeYangonMyanmar
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27
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Crossley MS, Latimer CE, Kennedy CM, Snyder WE. Past and recent farming degrades aquatic insect genetic diversity. Mol Ecol 2022. [PMID: 35771845 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Recent declines in once-common species are triggering concern that an environmental crisis point has been reached. Yet, the lack of long abundance time series data for most species can make it difficult to attribute these changes to anthropogenic causes, and to separate them from normal cycles. Genetic diversity, on the other hand, is sensitive to past and recent environmental changes, and reflects a measure of a populations' potential to adapt to future stressors. Here, we consider whether patterns of genetic diversity among aquatic insects can be linked to historical and recent patterns of land use change. We collated mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) variation for >700 aquatic insect species across the United States, where patterns of agricultural expansion and intensification have been documented since the 1800s. We found that genetic diversity was lowest in regions where cropland was historically (pre-1950) most extensive, suggesting a legacy of past environmental harm. Genetic diversity further declined where cropland has since expanded, even after accounting for climate and sampling effects. Notably though, genetic diversity also appeared to rebound where cropland has diminished. Our study suggests that genetic diversity at the community level can be a powerful tool to infer potential population declines and rebounds over longer time spans than is typically possible with ecological data. For the aquatic insects that we considered, patterns of land use many decades ago appear to have left long-lasting damage to genetic diversity that could threaten evolutionary responses to rapid global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Crossley
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | | | - Christina M Kennedy
- Global Protect Oceans, Lands and Waters Program, The Nature Conservancy, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - William E Snyder
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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28
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Kalogianni E, Kapakos Y, Oikonomou A, Giakoumi S, Zimmerman B. Dramatic decline of two freshwater killifishes, main anthropogenic drivers and appropriate conservation actions. J Nat Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2022.126191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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29
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B-Béres V, Kókai Z, Várbíró G, Mustazhapova G, Csabai Z, Pernecker B, Borics G, Bácsi I, Boda P. Flow Intermittence Drives the Benthic Algal Composition, Biodiversity and Diatom-Based Quality of Small Hilly Streams in the Pannonian Ecoregion, Hungary. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.834548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change is putting increasing pressure on flowing waters. Drastic water level fluctuations in rivers or drying up of small and medium-sized streams all contribute to the biodiversity crisis threatening freshwater ecosystems. Benthic diatoms are important elements of biofilm in small streams. However, knowledge on the relationship between benthic diatoms and flow intermittence is incomplete, especially in regions recently impacted by recurrent drying. Thus, we investigated benthic diatom flora of small intermittent, hilly streams in the warm temperate region of Europe (the Pannonian Ecoregion). Our hypotheses were addressed to compositional changes, biodiversity loss and diatom-based ecological assessment. The results revealed clear flow intermittence-induced differences in taxa and trait composition of diatoms. Altogether six species for the dry phase and three species in the aquatic phase were identified as indicative ones by using indicator value analyses. In contrast to water regime induced changes in assemblages, there was a seasonal overlap in taxa and trait composition. During the study period, the drying up of streams did not result in significant biodiversity loss either at taxa or trait levels. Functional dispersion, however, reduced significantly by summer. Overall, neither the hydrological regime nor seasonal changes had a significant effect on diatom-based quality indices, except for the Rott trophic index (TID index). The TID index values were significantly lower in dry phases than in aquatic ones. These results suggested that the drying up of streams has a very complex influence on benthic diatoms. It seems that taxonomical and functional redundancy can reduce the negative impact of short-time flow intermittence on assemblages. As a practical benefit, the results are the first to support the use of diatom-based quality indices in the assessment of flow intermittence in the temperate region.
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30
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Wang H, Wang P, Xu C, Sun Y, Shi L, Zhou L, Jeppesen E, Chen J, Xie P. Can the “Ten-Year Fishing Ban” Rescue Biodiversity of the Yangtze River? Innovation (N Y) 2022; 3:100235. [PMID: 35492431 PMCID: PMC9047000 DOI: 10.1016/j.xinn.2022.100235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Haijun Wang
- Institute for Ecological Research and Pollution Control of Plateau Lakes, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650504, China
| | - Puze Wang
- Institute for Ecological Research and Pollution Control of Plateau Lakes, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650504, China
| | - Chi Xu
- School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210033, China
| | - Yanfeng Sun
- Institute for Ecological Research and Pollution Control of Plateau Lakes, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650504, China
| | - Lei Shi
- Institute for Ecological Research and Pollution Control of Plateau Lakes, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650504, China
| | - Long Zhou
- Institute for Ecological Research and Pollution Control of Plateau Lakes, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650504, China
| | - Erik Jeppesen
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Silkeborg 8600, Denmark
- Sino-Danish Centre for Education and Research, Beijing 100039, China
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - Jun Chen
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Ping Xie
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
- Corresponding author
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31
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Cook P, Hawes JE, Campos-Silva JV, Peres CA. Human-wildlife conflicts with crocodilians, cetaceans and otters in the tropics and subtropics. PeerJ 2022; 9:e12688. [PMID: 35036162 PMCID: PMC8740516 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12688] [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: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Conservation of freshwater biodiversity and management of human-wildlife conflicts are major conservation challenges globally. Human-wildlife conflict occurs due to attacks on people, depredation of fisheries, damage to fishing equipment and entanglement in nets. Here we review the current literature on conflicts with tropical and subtropical crocodilians, cetaceans and otters in freshwater and brackish habitats. We also present a new multispecies case study of conflicts with four freshwater predators in the Western Amazon: black caiman (Melanosuchus niger), giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), boto (Inia geoffrensis) and tucuxi (Sotalia fluviatilis). Documented conflicts occur with 34 crocodilian, cetacean and otter species. Of the species reviewed in this study, 37.5% had conflicts frequently documented in the literature, with the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) the most studied species. We found conflict severity had a positive relationship with species body mass, and a negative relationship with IUCN Red List status. In the Amazonian case study, we found that the black caiman was ranked as the greatest ‘problem’ followed by the boto, giant otter and tucuxi. There was a significant difference between the responses of local fishers when each of the four species were found entangled in nets. We make recommendations for future research, based on the findings of the review and Amazon case study, including the need to standardise data collection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Cook
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom.,Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph E Hawes
- Applied Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA), Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.,Instituto Juruá, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - João Vitor Campos-Silva
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA), Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.,Instituto Juruá, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.,Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Carlos A Peres
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom.,Instituto Juruá, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
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32
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Emphasizing declining populations in the Living Planet Report. Nature 2022; 601:E20-E24. [PMID: 35082413 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04165-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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33
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Dias RM, Peláez O, Lopes TM, Oliveira AGD, Angulo-Valencia MA, Agostinho AA. Importance of protection strategies in the conservation of the flagship species “dourado” Salminus brasiliensis (Characiformes: Bryconidae). NEOTROPICAL ICHTHYOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1590/1982-0224-2022-0046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract In the upper Paraná River floodplain, the populations of Salminus brasiliensis have been subjected to several anthropic impacts, such as overfishing, the blocking of migratory routes by dams, and regulation of the flood regime. Its populations have disappeared or become depleted in most rivers in this basin. These populations are the target of protection measures aimed at restoring them. This study evaluated the abundance of this species in the upper Paraná River floodplain over a 26-year time series in sites under different degrees of protection. Despite the overall decrease in the abundance of S. brasiliensis across the region, the less impacted sites have higher abundances and exhibited a slower decline in the probability of occurrence. Over time, populations in less impacted sites also exhibited improved fish condition. Some protected areas in the upper Paraná River have had a mitigation effect by lowering the velocity of population decline and representing a constant source of propagule production for other areas. Our results reinforce the notion that populations threatened with low abundances take a long time to effectively recover their stocks. Thus, besides evaluating species conservation strategies, long-term studies are essential to subsidize management measures, such as fisheries regulations.
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No pervasive relationship between species size and local abundance trends. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 6:140-144. [PMID: 34969990 PMCID: PMC8825279 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01624-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Although there is some evidence that larger species could be more prone to population declines, the potential role of size traits in determining changes in community composition has been underexplored in global-scale analyses. Here, we combine a large cross-taxon assemblage time series database (BioTIME) with multiple trait databases to show that there is no clear correlation within communities between size traits and changes in abundance over time, suggesting that there is no consistent tendency for larger species to be doing proportionally better or worse than smaller species at local scales. Despite expectations that global anthropogenic pressures on species with communities may be size biased, this relationship has not been tested on a large scale. Here the authors use existing databases to show that larger species have not experienced more declines in abundance within their respective communities than small species.
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Raffn J, Christensen AA, de Witt M, Lewis C, Büchner-Marais C. Introducing a flat ontology into landscape research: a case study of water governance experiments in South Africa. LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY 2021; 38:1-17. [PMID: 34840425 PMCID: PMC8611254 DOI: 10.1007/s10980-021-01374-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Contemporary resource management paradigms within the developed world build on an understanding of human agency as ontologically distinct from the mode of existence of plants and animals. Because of this perspective, which gives priority to human agency, policies typically take their point of departure with human societies and associated ecosystems deemed of particular value. OBJECTIVES As an alternative to this worldview, social theorists have introduced what is known as "flat ontology", where all beings are bestowed equal rights to negotiate their existence. To explore the implications of introducing such an understanding into landscape management, a participatory planning process for water allocation was developed and tested in a case study in the Eerste River Catchment in South Africa. METHODS The planning process was mediated using the approach "politics of nature" (PoN), which aims to operationalize flat ontology to renegotiate water allocation based on the needs of all beings instead of the desire of a subset of humans. PoN allowed participants to playfully co-develop a common ontology and value-set. Data documenting these processes were collected digitally and analysed. RESULTS Results indicate that the approach engendered a rethinking of key relationships between human agency and ecosystem functionality, illustrating a potential for PoN-approaches to be deployed for governance of complex landscapes. CONCLUSIONS On the basis of experiments using PoN-methodology in the context of watershed management, it is discussed how the introduction of a flat ontology in landscape research, could inspire new ways of designing and intervening with collaborative resource management processes. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10980-021-01374-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Raffn
- Division for Quantitative Sustainability Assessment, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Andreas Aagaard Christensen
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, 1958 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Geography, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marlene de Witt
- Water Institute, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Cathie Lewis
- Independent Researcher, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - Charon Büchner-Marais
- Water Institute, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Centre for Complex Systems in Transition (CST), Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
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Mor JR, Muñoz I, Sabater S, Zamora L, Ruhi A. Energy limitation or sensitive predators? Trophic and non-trophic impacts of wastewater pollution on stream food webs. Ecology 2021; 103:e03587. [PMID: 34792187 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Impacts of environmental stressors on food webs are often difficult to predict because trophic levels can respond in divergent ways, and biotic interactions may dampen or amplify responses. Here we studied food-web level impacts of urban wastewater pollution, a widespread source of degradation that can alter stream food webs via top-down and bottom-up processes. Wastewater may (i) subsidize primary producers by decreasing nutrient limitation, inducing a wide-bottomed trophic pyramid. However, (ii) wastewater may also reduce the quality and diversity of resources, which could decrease energy transfer efficiency by reducing consumer fitness, leading to predator starvation. Additionally, (iii) if higher trophic levels are particularly sensitive to pollution, primary consumers could be released from predation pressure. We tested these hypotheses in 10 pairs of stream sites located upstream and downstream of urban wastewater effluents with different pollutant levels. We found that wastewater pollution reduced predator richness by ~34%. Community Size Spectra (CSS) slopes were steeper downstream than upstream of wastewater effluents-in all except one impact site where predators became locally extinct. Further, variation in downstream CSS slopes were correlated with pollution loads: the more polluted the stream, the steeper the CSS. We estimate that wastewater pollution decreased energy transfer efficiencies to primary consumers by ~70%, limiting energy supply to predators. Additionally, traits increasing vulnerability to chemical pollution were overrepresented among predators, which presented compressed trophic niches (δ15 N- δ13 C) downstream of effluents. Our results show that wastewater pollution can impact stream food webs via a combination of energy limitation to consumers and extirpation of pollution-sensitive top predators. Understanding the indirect (biotically-mediated) vs. direct (abiotic) mechanisms controlling responses to stress may help anticipating impacts of altered water quantity and quality-key signatures of global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi-René Mor
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Girona, Spain.,Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Isabel Muñoz
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sergi Sabater
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Girona, Spain.,Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Lluís Zamora
- Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Albert Ruhi
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA, USA
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Hierarchical genetic structure and implications for conservation of the world's largest salmonid, Hucho taimen. Sci Rep 2021; 11:20508. [PMID: 34654859 PMCID: PMC8520000 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99530-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Population genetic analyses can evaluate how evolutionary processes shape diversity and inform conservation and management of imperiled species. Taimen (Hucho taimen), the world’s largest freshwater salmonid, is threatened, endangered, or extirpated across much of its range due to anthropogenic activity including overfishing and habitat degradation. We generated genetic data using high throughput sequencing of reduced representation libraries for taimen from multiple drainages in Mongolia and Russia. Nucleotide diversity estimates were within the range documented in other salmonids, suggesting moderate diversity despite widespread population declines. Similar to other recent studies, our analyses revealed pronounced differentiation among the Arctic (Selenge) and Pacific (Amur and Tugur) drainages, suggesting historical isolation among these systems. However, we found evidence for finer-scale structure within the Pacific drainages, including unexpected differentiation between tributaries and the mainstem of the Tugur River. Differentiation across the Amur and Tugur basins together with coalescent-based demographic modeling suggests the ancestors of Tugur tributary taimen likely diverged in the eastern Amur basin, prior to eventual colonization of the Tugur basin. Our results suggest the potential for differentiation of taimen at different geographic scales, and suggest more thorough geographic and genomic sampling may be needed to inform conservation and management of this iconic salmonid.
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Crabot J, Mondy CP, Usseglio-Polatera P, Fritz KM, Wood PJ, Greenwood MJ, Bogan MT, Meyer EI, Datry T. A global perspective on the functional responses of stream communities to flow intermittence. ECOGRAPHY 2021; 44:1511-1523. [PMID: 34720401 PMCID: PMC8554635 DOI: 10.1111/ecog.05697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The current erosion of biodiversity is a major concern that threatens the ecological integrity of ecosystems and the ecosystem services they provide. Due to global change, an increasing proportion of river networks are drying and changes from perennial to non-perennial flow regimes represent dramatic ecological shifts with potentially irreversible alterations of community and ecosystem dynamics. However, there is minimal understanding of how biological communities respond functionally to drying. Here, we highlight the taxonomic and functional responses of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities to flow intermittence across river networks from three continents, to test predictions from underlying trait-based conceptual theory. We found a significant breakpoint in the relationship between taxonomic and functional richness, indicating higher functional redundancy at sites with flow intermittence higher than 28%. Multiple strands of evidence, including patterns of alpha and beta diversity and functional group membership, indicated that functional redundancy did not compensate for biodiversity loss associated with increasing intermittence, contrary to received wisdom. A specific set of functional trait modalities, including small body size, short life span and high fecundity, were selected with increasing flow intermittence. These results demonstrate the functional responses of river communities to drying and suggest that on-going biodiversity reduction due to global change in drying river networks is threatening their functional integrity. These results indicate that such patterns might be common in these ecosystems, even where drying is considered a predictable disturbance. This highlights the need for the conservation of natural drying regimes of intermittent rivers to secure their ecological integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ken M Fritz
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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Shift towards Opportunistic Life-History of Sleeper in Response to Multi-Decadal Overfishing. WATER 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/w13182582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Understanding long-term changes in life-history traits is central to assessing and managing freshwater fisheries. In this study, we explored how life-history traits have shifted in association with long-term change in population status for a native fish species (freshwater sleeper, Odontobutis sinensis, a by-catch species of shrimp traps) in the middle Yangtze lakes, China. We assessed the life-history traits of the species from Honghu Lake in 2016, where abundance had been dramatically lower following about 60 years of high fishing pressure, and made comparisons to similar data from Liangzi Lake (1957), when fishing intensity was low and abundance was high, and Bao’an Lake (1993–1994), when about 10 years of intense exploitation had occurred and abundance had greatly declined. Modern Honghu Lake sleeper exhibit life-history traits that are substantially more opportunistic compared to both of the historical populations. Modern fish were larger at age-1 and had significantly faster growth rates, a higher prevalence of sexually mature individuals and increased fecundities. Fish from the historical samples were larger and had higher age class diversity and delayed sexual maturation. Combined, the data suggest that faster growth towards early sexual maturation and reduced body sizes are associated with destabilized populations and ecosystems. Similar life-history patterns are common in other declined fish populations under exploitation. Recovering historic fish life-history dynamics requires conservation management policies aimed at reducing harvest and improving floodplain habitats.
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Doody JS, Reid JA, Bilali K, Diaz J, Mattheus N. In the post-COVID-19 era, is the illegal wildlife trade the most serious form of trafficking? CRIME SCIENCE 2021; 10:19. [PMID: 34540528 PMCID: PMC8436868 DOI: 10.1186/s40163-021-00154-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Despite the immense impact of wildlife trafficking, comparisons of the profits, costs, and seriousness of crime consistently rank wildlife trafficking lower relative to human trafficking, drug trafficking and weapons trafficking. Using the published literature and current events, we make the case, when properly viewed within the context of COVID-19 and other zoonotic diseases transmitted from wildlife, that wildlife trafficking is the most costly and perhaps the most serious form of trafficking. Our synthesis should raise awareness of the seriousness of wildlife trafficking for humans, thereby inducing strategic policy decisions that boost criminal justice initiatives and resources to combat wildlife trafficking.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Sean Doody
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida-St. Petersburg Campus, 140 7th Ave. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33705 USA
| | - Joan A. Reid
- Department of Criminology, University of South Florida-St. Petersburg Campus, 140 7th Ave. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33705 USA
| | - Klejdis Bilali
- Department of Criminology, University of South Florida-St. Petersburg Campus, 140 7th Ave. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33705 USA
| | - Jennifer Diaz
- Department of Criminology, University of South Florida-St. Petersburg Campus, 140 7th Ave. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33705 USA
| | - Nichole Mattheus
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida-St. Petersburg Campus, 140 7th Ave. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33705 USA
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On the Way to the Fluvial Anthroposphere—Current Limitations and Perspectives of Multidisciplinary Research. WATER 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/w13162188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Floodplains represent a global hotspot of sensitive socioenvironmental changes and early human forcing mechanisms. In this review, we focus on the environmental conditions of preindustrial floodplains in Central Europe and the fluvial societies that operated there. Due to their high land-use capacity and the simultaneous necessity of land reclamation and risk minimisation, societies have radically restructured the Central European floodplains. According to the current scientific consensus, up to 95% of Central European floodplains have been extensively restructured or destroyed. Therefore, question arises as to whether or when it is justified to understand Central European floodplains as a ‘Fluvial Anthroposphere’. The case studies available to date show that human-induced impacts on floodplain morphologies and environments and the formation of specific fluvial societies reveal fundamental changes in the medieval and preindustrial modern periods. We aim to contribute to disentangling the questions of when and why humans became a significant controlling factor in Central European floodplain formation, and how humans in interaction with natural processes and other chains of effects have modified floodplains. As a conclusion, we superimpose emerging fields of research concerning the onset of the Fluvial Anthroposphere and provide 10 specific thematic objectives for future multidisciplinary work.
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42
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Dunn CG, Paukert CP. Accounting for dispersal and local habitat when evaluating tributary use by riverine fishes. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Corey G. Dunn
- Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit School of Natural Resources University of Missouri 302 Anheuser‐Busch Natural Resources Building Columbia Missouri 65211 USA
| | - Craig P. Paukert
- Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit School of Natural Resources University of Missouri 302 Anheuser‐Busch Natural Resources Building Columbia Missouri 65211 USA
- U.S. Geological Survey Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit School of Natural Resources University of Missouri 302 Anheuser‐Busch Natural Resources Building Columbia Missouri 65211 USA
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Paudel S, Koprowski JL, Thakuri U, Karki A. In-stream habitat availability for river dolphins in response to flow: Use of ecological integrity to manage river flows. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0241099. [PMID: 34288903 PMCID: PMC8294540 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Population decline and extinction risk of river dolphins are primarily associated with flow alteration. Previous studies predominantly highlighted maintenance of adequate flow for low water seasons when habitats contract and the risk of local extinction escalates. Although river dolphins are sensitive to reduction in river flow, no studies quantify the relationships between flow and ecology of river dolphins to mitigate the potential adverse impacts of flow alteration. We quantify the relationships between flow and the ecology of river cetaceans concerning Ganges River dolphins (GRD; Platanista gangetica gangetica) usable area availability (AWS) for the low water season at wider flows (50-575 m3/s) at finer spatial and temporal scales. This study reveals that distribution of area usable to GRD is highly regulated by the adequate flow and river attributes (velocity and depth) interactions that likely offer energetically efficient modes of locomotion to GRD, suggesting the hydro-physical environment as a major determinant of river dolphin distribution and abundance. Flow and AWS relationships indicate that the flow during the dry season negatively contributed to AWS, whereas that of pre-monsoon maximized the AWS, suggesting that modifying flow regimes does alter in-stream habitats at varying spatial scales and may influence life-history strategies. Substantial fragmentation in suitable pool availability and loss of longitudinal connectivity exhibited by dry season flow suggested a higher risk of adverse biological effects during the dry season, which may reduce population viability by reducing survivorship and reproduction failure. Owing to river dolphins' dependence on the attribute of freshwater flow, they can be expected to be more affected by flow regulations as interactive effects. Considering the seasonal effects and changes in the availability of usable areas by flow alteration, adopting effective habitat retention plans by water-based development projects appears critical to avoid further ecological risks in aquatic species conservation. Identifying priority riverscapes for river cetaceans and prioritizing investment opportunities is an essential first step towards effective riverine cetacean conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shambhu Paudel
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
- Tribhuvan University, Institute of Forestry, Pokhara, Nepal
- * E-mail:
| | - John L. Koprowski
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Bim Kendall House, Laramie, WY, United States of America
| | - Usha Thakuri
- Tribhuvan University, Institute of Forestry, Pokhara, Nepal
| | - Ajay Karki
- Ministry of Forests and Environment, Government of Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal
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Perujo N, Van den Brink PJ, Segner H, Mantyka-Pringle C, Sabater S, Birk S, Bruder A, Romero F, Acuña V. A guideline to frame stressor effects in freshwater ecosystems. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 777:146112. [PMID: 33689887 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Environmental policies fall short in protecting freshwater ecosystems, which are heavily threatened by human pressures and their associated stressors. One reason is that stressor effects depend on the context in which they occur and it is difficult to extrapolate patterns to predict the effect of stressors without these being contextualized in a general frame. This study aims at improving existing decision-making frameworks such as the DPSIR approach (Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response) or ERA (Environmental Risk Assessment) in the context of stressors. Here, we delve into stressor-impact relationships in freshwater ecosystems and develop a guideline which includes key characteristics such as stressor type, stressor duration, location, the natural levels of environmental variables to which each ecosystem is used to, among others. This guideline is intended to be useful in a wide range of ecosystem conditions and stressors. Incorporating these guidelines may favor the comparability of scientific results and may lead to a substantial advancement in the efficacy of diagnosis and predictive approaches of impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Perujo
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; University of Girona, Plaça de Sant Domènec 3, 17004 Girona, Spain.
| | - P J Van den Brink
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, the Netherlands; Wageningen Environmental Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, the Netherlands
| | - H Segner
- Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, University of Bern, P.O. Box, 3001, Bern, Switzerland
| | - C Mantyka-Pringle
- Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, Whitehorse, YT, Canada; School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - S Sabater
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; Institut d'Ecologia Aquàtica (IEA), University of Girona, Campus de Montilivi, 17003 Girona, Spain
| | - S Birk
- University of Duisburg-Essen, Faculty of Biology, Aquatic Ecology, Universitätsstrasse 5, 45141 Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 5, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - A Bruder
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - F Romero
- Plant-Soil Interactions, Research Division Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - V Acuña
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; University of Girona, Plaça de Sant Domènec 3, 17004 Girona, Spain
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Burgess BJ, Purves D, Mace G, Murrell DJ. Classifying ecosystem stressor interactions: Theory highlights the data limitations of the additive null model and the difficulty in revealing ecological surprises. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:3052-3065. [PMID: 33830596 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how multiple co-occurring environmental stressors combine to affect biodiversity and ecosystem services is an on-going grand challenge for ecology. Currently, progress has been made through accumulating large numbers of smaller-scale empirical studies that are then investigated by meta-analyses to detect general patterns. There is particular interest in detecting, understanding and predicting 'ecological surprises' where stressors interact in a non-additive (e.g. antagonistic or synergistic) manner, but so far few general results have emerged. However, the ability of the statistical tools to recover non-additive interactions in the face of data uncertainty is unstudied, so crucially, we do not know how well the empirical results reflect the true stressor interactions. Here, we investigate the performance of the commonly implemented additive null model. A meta-analysis of a large (545 interactions) empirical dataset for the effects of pairs of stressors on freshwater communities reveals additive interactions dominate individual studies, whereas pooling the data leads to an antagonistic summary interaction class. However, analyses of simulated data from food chain models, where the underlying interactions are known, suggest both sets of results may be due to observation error within the data. Specifically, we show that the additive null model is highly sensitive to observation error, with non-additive interactions being reliably detected at only unrealistically low levels of data uncertainty. Similarly, plausible levels of observation error lead to meta-analyses reporting antagonistic summary interaction classifications even when synergies co-dominate. Therefore, while our empirical results broadly agree with those of previous freshwater meta-analyses, we conclude these patterns may be driven by statistical sampling rather than any ecological mechanisms. Further investigation of candidate null models used to define stressor-pair interactions is essential, and once any artefacts are accounted for, the so-called 'ecological surprises' may be more frequent than was previously assumed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Burgess
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Georgina Mace
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - David J Murrell
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
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Bowler DE, Eichenberg D, Conze K, Suhling F, Baumann K, Benken T, Bönsel A, Bittner T, Drews A, Günther A, Isaac NJ, Petzold F, Seyring M, Spengler T, Trockur B, Willigalla C, Bruelheide H, Jansen F, Bonn A. Winners and losers over 35 years of dragonfly and damselfly distributional change in Germany. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Diana E. Bowler
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity Friedrich Schiller University Jena Jena Germany
- Department Ecosystem Services Helmholtz‐Center for Environmental Research – UFZ Leipzig Germany
| | - David Eichenberg
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
| | - Klaus‐Jürgen Conze
- GdO (Gesellschaft deutschsprachiger Odonatologen) & Arbeitskreis Libellen NRW Essen Germany
| | - Frank Suhling
- Department Landscape Ecology and Environmental Systems Analysis Institute of Geoecology Technische Universität Braunschweig Braunschweig Germany
| | - Kathrin Baumann
- Arbeitsgemeinschaft Libellen in Niedersachsen und Bremen Niedersachsen and Bremen Germany
| | - Theodor Benken
- Schutzgemeinschaft Libellen in Baden‐Württemberg e.V Karlsruhe Germany
| | - André Bönsel
- Planung für alternative Umwelt GmbH Gresenhorst Germany
| | - Torsten Bittner
- Landesanstalt für Umwelt Baden‐Württemberg Karlsruhe Germany
| | - Arne Drews
- Landesamt für Landwirtschaft Umwelt und ländliche Räume Schleswig‐Holstein Flintbek Germany
| | | | | | | | - Marcel Seyring
- Landesamt für Umweltschutz Sachsen‐Anhalt Halle (Saale) Germany
| | - Torsten Spengler
- Arbeitsgemeinschaft Libellen in Niedersachsen und Bremen Niedersachsen and Bremen Germany
| | - Bernd Trockur
- Arbeitskreis Libellen der DELATTINIA e.V. ‐ Naturforschende Gesellschaft des Saarlandes Tholey‐Hasborn Germany
| | | | - Helge Bruelheide
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden Martin Luther University Halle‐Wittenberg Halle Germany
| | - Florian Jansen
- Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences University of Rostock Rostock Germany
| | - Aletta Bonn
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity Friedrich Schiller University Jena Jena Germany
- Department Ecosystem Services Helmholtz‐Center for Environmental Research – UFZ Leipzig Germany
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Heilpern SA, DeFries R, Fiorella K, Flecker A, Sethi SA, Uriarte M, Naeem S. Declining diversity of wild-caught species puts dietary nutrient supplies at risk. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabf9967. [PMID: 34049874 PMCID: PMC8163071 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abf9967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Although biodiversity loss adversely influences a variety of ecosystem functions, how declining wild food diversity affects nutrient supplies for people is poorly understood. Here, we analyze the impact of declining biodiversity on nutrients supplied by fish using detailed information from the Peruvian Amazon, where inland fisheries provide a critical source of nutrition for many of the region's 800,000 people. We found that the impacts of biodiversity loss on nutrient supplies depended on compensation, trophic dynamics, and functional diversity. When small sedentary species compensated for declines in large migratory species, fatty acid supplies increased, while zinc and iron supplies decreased. In contrast, the probability of failing to maintain supplies or nutrient supply risk increased when species were nutritionally unique. Our results show that trait-based regulations and public health polices need to consider biodiversity's vital role in sustaining nutritional benefits for over 2 billion people dependent on wild foods across the globe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian A Heilpern
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Ruth DeFries
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kathryn Fiorella
- Deparment of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Alexander Flecker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Suresh A Sethi
- USGS New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - María Uriarte
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shahid Naeem
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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48
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He F, Langhans SD, Zarfl C, Wanke R, Tockner K, Jähnig SC. Combined effects of life-history traits and human impact on extinction risk of freshwater megafauna. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:643-653. [PMID: 32671869 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Megafauna species are intrinsically vulnerable to human impact. Freshwater megafauna (i.e., freshwater animals ≥30 kg, including fishes, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians) are subject to intensive and increasing threats. Thirty-four species are listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Red List of Threatened Species, the assessments for which are an important basis for conservation actions but remain incomplete for 49 (24%) freshwater megafauna species. Consequently, the window of opportunity for protecting these species could be missed. Identifying the factors that predispose freshwater megafauna to extinction can help predict their extinction risk and facilitate more effective and proactive conservation actions. Thus, we collated 8 life-history traits for 206 freshwater megafauna species. We used generalized linear mixed models to examine the relationships between extinction risk based on the IUCN Red List categories and the combined effect of multiple traits, as well as the effect of human impact on these relationships for 157 classified species. The most parsimonious model included human impact and traits related to species' recovery potential including life span, age at maturity, and fecundity. Applying the most parsimonious model to 49 unclassified species predicted that 17 of them are threatened. Accounting for model predictions together with IUCN Red List assessments, 50% of all freshwater megafauna species are considered threatened. The Amazon and Yangtze basins emerged as global diversity hotspots of threatened freshwater megafauna, in addition to existing hotspots, including the Ganges-Brahmaputra and Mekong basins and the Caspian Sea region. Assessment and monitoring of those species predicted to be threatened are needed, especially in the Amazon and Yangtze basins. Investigation of life-history traits and trends in population and distribution, regulation of overexploitation, maintaining river connectivity, implementing protected areas focusing on freshwater ecosystems, and integrated basin management are required to protect threatened freshwater megafauna in diversity hotspots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengzhi He
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, Berlin, 12587, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 1-3, Berlin, 14195, Germany
- School of Geography, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Simone D Langhans
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, Berlin, 12587, Germany
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
- BC3 - Basque Centre for Climate Change, Sede Building 1, Leioa, 48904, Spain
| | - Christiane Zarfl
- Center for Applied Geosciences, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Hölderlinstr. 12, Tübingen, 72074, Germany
| | - Roland Wanke
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, Berlin, 12587, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 1-3, Berlin, 14195, Germany
| | - Klement Tockner
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, Berlin, 12587, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 1-3, Berlin, 14195, Germany
- Austrian Science Fund (FWF), Sensengasse 1, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - Sonja C Jähnig
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, Berlin, 12587, Germany
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49
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Clause AG, Celestian AJ, Pauly GB. Plastic ingestion by freshwater turtles: a review and call to action. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5672. [PMID: 33758245 PMCID: PMC7987988 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84846-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Plastic pollution, and especially plastic ingestion by animals, is a serious global issue. This problem is well documented in marine systems, but it is relatively understudied in freshwater systems. For turtles, it is unknown how plastic ingestion compares between marine and non-marine species. We review the relevant turtle dietary literature, and find that plastic ingestion is reported for all 7 marine turtle species, but only 5 of 352 non-marine turtle species. In the last 10 years, despite marine turtles representing just 2% of all turtle species, almost 50% of relevant turtle dietary studies involved only marine turtles. These results suggest that the potential threat of plastic ingestion is poorly studied in non-marine turtles. We also examine plastic ingestion frequency in a freshwater turtle population, finding that 7.7% of 65 turtles had ingested plastic. However, plastic-resembling organic material would have inflated our frequency results up to 40% higher were it not for verification using Raman spectroscopy. Additionally, we showcase how non-native turtles can be used as a proxy for understanding the potential for plastic ingestion by co-occurring native turtles of conservation concern. We conclude with recommendations for how scientists studying non-marine turtles can improve the implementation, quality, and discoverability of plastic ingestion research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam G Clause
- Urban Nature Research Center and Department of Herpetology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Aaron J Celestian
- Department of Mineral Sciences, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Gregory B Pauly
- Urban Nature Research Center and Department of Herpetology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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50
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Pärssinen V, Hulthén K, Brönmark C, Björnerås C, Ekelund Ugge G, Gollnisch R, Hansson L, Herzog SD, Hu N, Johansson E, Lee M, Rengefors K, Sha Y, Škerlep M, Vinterstare J, Zhang H, Langerhans RB, Nilsson PA. Variation in predation regime drives sex‐specific differences in mosquitofish foraging behaviour. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kaj Hulthén
- Lund Univ., Aquatic Ecology, Dept of Biology Lund Sweden
| | | | | | - Gustaf Ekelund Ugge
- Lund Univ., Aquatic Ecology, Dept of Biology Lund Sweden
- Univ. of Skövde, School of Bioscience Skövde Sweden
| | | | | | | | - Nan Hu
- Lund Univ., Aquatic Ecology, Dept of Biology Lund Sweden
| | - Emma Johansson
- Lund Univ., Aquatic Ecology, Dept of Biology Lund Sweden
| | - Marcus Lee
- Lund Univ., Aquatic Ecology, Dept of Biology Lund Sweden
| | | | - Yongcui Sha
- Lund Univ., Aquatic Ecology, Dept of Biology Lund Sweden
| | - Martin Škerlep
- Lund Univ., Aquatic Ecology, Dept of Biology Lund Sweden
| | | | - Huan Zhang
- Lund Univ., Aquatic Ecology, Dept of Biology Lund Sweden
- Chinese Academy of Sciences, Inst. of Hydrobiology Wuhan China
| | - R. Brian Langerhans
- North Carolina State Univ., Dept of Biological Sciences and W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology Raleigh USA
| | - P. Anders Nilsson
- Lund Univ., Aquatic Ecology, Dept of Biology Lund Sweden
- Karlstad Univ., River Ecology and Management Research Group RivEM, Dept of Environmental and Life Sciences Karlstad Sweden
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