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González-Varo JP, Albrecht J, Arroyo JM, Bueno RS, Burgos T, Escribano-Ávila G, Farwig N, García D, Illera JC, Jordano P, Kurek P, Rösner S, Virgós E, Sutherland WJ. Frugivore-mediated seed dispersal in fragmented landscapes: Compositional and functional turnover from forest to matrix. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2302440120. [PMID: 37871198 PMCID: PMC10622928 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2302440120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Seed dispersal by frugivores is a fundamental function for plant community dynamics in fragmented landscapes, where forest remnants are typically embedded in a matrix of anthropogenic habitats. Frugivores can mediate both connectivity among forest remnants and plant colonization of the matrix. However, it remains poorly understood how frugivore communities change from forest to matrix due to the loss or replacement of species with traits that are less advantageous in open habitats and whether such changes ultimately influence the composition and traits of dispersed plants via species interactions. Here, we close this gap by using a unique dataset of seed-dispersal networks that were sampled in forest patches and adjacent matrix habitats of seven fragmented landscapes across Europe. We found a similar diversity of frugivores, plants, and interactions contributing to seed dispersal in forest and matrix, but a high turnover (replacement) in all these components. The turnover of dispersed seeds was smaller than that of frugivore communities because different frugivore species provided complementary seed dispersal in forest and matrix. Importantly, the turnover involved functional changes toward larger and more mobile frugivores in the matrix, which dispersed taller, larger-seeded plants with later fruiting periods. Our study provides a trait-based understanding of frugivore-mediated seed dispersal through fragmented landscapes, uncovering nonrandom shifts that can have cascading consequences for the composition of regenerating plant communities. Our findings also highlight the importance of forest remnants and frugivore faunas for ecosystem resilience, demonstrating a high potential for passive forest restoration of unmanaged lands in the matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan P. González-Varo
- Departamento de Biología, Instituto de Investigación Vitivinícola y Agroalimentaria, Universidad de Cádiz, Puerto Real11510, Spain
| | - Jörg Albrecht
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main60325, Germany
| | - Juan M. Arroyo
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Sevilla41092, Spain
| | - Rafael S. Bueno
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo90128, Italy
| | - Tamara Burgos
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid28933, Spain
| | - Gema Escribano-Ávila
- Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution Department, Complutense University Madrid, Madrid28040, Spain
| | - Nina Farwig
- Conservation Ecology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg35032, Germany
| | - Daniel García
- Biodiversity Research Institute (University of Oviedo – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas – Principado de Asturias), Mieres33600, Spain
| | - Juan C. Illera
- Biodiversity Research Institute (University of Oviedo – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas – Principado de Asturias), Mieres33600, Spain
| | - Pedro Jordano
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Sevilla41092, Spain
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla41012, Spain
| | - Przemysław Kurek
- Department of Plant Ecology and Environmental Protection, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań61-712, Poland
| | - Sascha Rösner
- Conservation Ecology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg35032, Germany
| | - Emilio Virgós
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid28933, Spain
| | - William J. Sutherland
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 3QZ, United Kingdom
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Wu Y, Zhang W, Wang Y, Zhao S, Tian J, Shi J, Yang X, Cui P. Effects of Landscape Context on Bird Community in the Subtropical Evergreen Broad-Leaved Forest of Wuyishan National Park. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13081294. [PMID: 37106857 PMCID: PMC10134990 DOI: 10.3390/ani13081294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Landscape context can reflect the habitat structure and play an important role in bird species occurrences and abundance. For local biodiversity conservation and restoration, we examined the effects of landscape context on bird communities at different altitude gradients. Our study was conducted in four altitude gradients (<300 m, 300-599 m, 600-899 m, 900-1200 m) of subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in Wuyishan National Park, China. The bird survey was carried out in 115 transects in spring, summer, autumn and winter. We examined the effects of altitude, season and landscape context. The result showed that (1) species richness and abundance at <300 m altitude were highest among the four altitude gradients, and they showed more significant differences than those at other altitude gradients; (2) the species richness of birds was associated with altitude, season and landscape context, as the season is more significant than other explanatory variables; (3) at the landscape level, habitat configuration is more important. The average canopy height and contagion index positively correlated with the species richness and abundance of birds at all four altitude gradients. In particular, the average canopy height is significant at 300-599 m and 600-899 m altitude gradients. The study results can provide a theoretical basis and guidance for future national park conservation and management and ecological restoration in the subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Wu
- Research Center for Biodiversity Conservation and Biosafety, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory on Biosafety, State Environmental Protection Scientific Observation and Research Station for Ecological Environment of Wuyi Mountains, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China
| | - Wenwen Zhang
- Research Center for Biodiversity Conservation and Biosafety, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory on Biosafety, State Environmental Protection Scientific Observation and Research Station for Ecological Environment of Wuyi Mountains, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China
| | - Yifei Wang
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Shengjun Zhao
- Research Center for Biodiversity Conservation and Biosafety, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory on Biosafety, State Environmental Protection Scientific Observation and Research Station for Ecological Environment of Wuyi Mountains, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China
| | - Jing Tian
- Research Center for Biodiversity Conservation and Biosafety, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory on Biosafety, State Environmental Protection Scientific Observation and Research Station for Ecological Environment of Wuyi Mountains, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China
| | - Jie Shi
- Research Center for Biodiversity Conservation and Biosafety, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory on Biosafety, State Environmental Protection Scientific Observation and Research Station for Ecological Environment of Wuyi Mountains, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China
| | - Xiao Yang
- Research Center for Biodiversity Conservation and Biosafety, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory on Biosafety, State Environmental Protection Scientific Observation and Research Station for Ecological Environment of Wuyi Mountains, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China
| | - Peng Cui
- Research Center for Biodiversity Conservation and Biosafety, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory on Biosafety, State Environmental Protection Scientific Observation and Research Station for Ecological Environment of Wuyi Mountains, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China
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3
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Thiel S, Willems F, Farwig N, Rehling F, Schabo DG, Schleuning M, Shahuano Tello N, Töpfer T, Tschapka M, Heymann EW, Heer K. Vertically stratified frugivore community composition and interaction frequency in a liana fruiting across forest strata. Biotropica 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
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4
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Luiselli L. A range’s core should not only be important in research. Afr J Ecol 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.13131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Luiselli
- Institute for Development, Ecology, Conservation and Cooperation Rome Italy
- Department of Animal and Environmental Biology Rivers State University of Science and Technology Port Harcourt Nigeria
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie et d'Ecotoxicologie, Faculté des Sciences Université de Lomé Lomé Togo
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5
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Sandor ME, Elphick CS, Tingley MW. Extinction of biotic interactions due to habitat loss could accelerate the current biodiversity crisis. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2608. [PMID: 35366031 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2608] [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: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Habitat loss disrupts species interactions through local extinctions, potentially orphaning species that depend on interacting partners, via mutualisms or commensalisms, and increasing secondary extinction risk. Orphaned species may become functionally or secondarily extinct, increasing the severity of the current biodiversity crisis. While habitat destruction is a major cause of biodiversity loss, the number of secondary extinctions is largely unknown. We investigate the relationship between habitat loss, orphaned species, and bipartite network properties. Using a real seed dispersal network, we simulate habitat loss to estimate the rate at which species are orphaned. To be able to draw general conclusions, we also simulate habitat loss in synthetic networks to quantify how changes in network properties affect orphan rates across broader parameter space. Both real and synthetic network simulations show that even small amounts of habitat loss can cause up to 10% of species to be orphaned. More area loss, less connected networks, and a greater disparity in the species richness of the network's trophic levels generally result in more orphaned species. As habitat is lost to land-use conversion and climate change, more orphaned species increase the loss of community-level and ecosystem functions. However, the potential severity of repercussions ranges from minimal (no species orphaned) to catastrophic (up to 60% of species within a network orphaned). Severity of repercussions also depends on how much the interaction richness and intactness of the community affects the degree of redundancy within networks. Orphaned species could add substantially to the loss of ecosystem function and secondary extinction worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manette E Sandor
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
- Northern Arizona University, Landscape Conservation Initiative, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
- Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, USA
| | - Chris S Elphick
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Morgan W Tingley
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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6
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Naka LN, Costa BMDS, Lima GR, Claramunt S. Riverine Barriers as Obstacles to Dispersal in Amazonian Birds. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.846975] [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
Amazonian rivers represent known barriers for avian dispersal, reducing gene flow and enhancing differentiation. Despite the importance of rivers in the avian evolutionary process, we have made only minor advances in understanding the limitations imposed by rivers on flying birds. To fill that gap, we conducted dispersal-challenge experiments over water, assessing the flying capabilities of 84 tropical bird species of 22 different avian families. We mist-netted and released 484 birds from a stationary boat on the Rio Branco, northern Amazonia, at increasing distances from the shore, including 249 individuals at 100; 219 at 200; 8 at 300; and 5 at 400 m. A successful trial was represented by a bird reaching the riverbank, whereas a failure would refer to birds not reaching the shore and landing on the water, when they were rescued by our team. Our main goal was to understand if the outcome in the experiments could be predicted by (i) phylogenetic constraints, (ii) morphology (body mass and wing shape), (iii) flight speed, (iv) ecological preferences (stratum, habitat, and river-island specialization), and (v) psychological reluctance to fly. Nearly two thirds of the individuals (332) were successful in reaching the riverbank, whereas 152 failed. We found significant differences among lineages. Whereas seven avian families succeeded in all of the trials, two families (antbirds and wrens) were particularly bad dispersers (<40% success). The hand-wing index (HWI) was the single most powerful predictor of trial success. Flying speed was also a significant predictor of success. Overall, ecological attributes had a low explanatory power. Only forest stratum preference had a significant, although weak, effect on dispersal ability: canopy- and ground-dwellers performed better than understory birds. However, we found no effect of habitat preference or river-island specialization on dispersal ability. Our speed estimates for 64 bird species are among the first produced for the tropics and suggest slower flying speeds than those reported from temperate migratory birds. Although birds showed behavioral differences when presented with the opportunity to fly away from the boat, we found no evidence that their reluctance to fly could predict the outcome in the experiments. This represents the first experimental study evaluating the riverine effect through dispersal ability of Amazonian birds, providing important insights to better understand dispersal limitations provided by riverine barriers.
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7
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Claramunt S, Hong M, Bravo A. The effect of flight efficiency on gap‐crossing ability in Amazonian forest birds. Biotropica 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Claramunt
- Department of Natural History Royal Ontario Museum Toronto Ontario Canada
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Milly Hong
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Adriana Bravo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
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8
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Deshpande P, Lehikoinen P, Thorogood R, Lehikoinen A. Snow depth drives habitat selection by overwintering birds in built-up areas, farmlands and forests. JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY 2022; 49:630-639. [PMID: 35911634 PMCID: PMC9306755 DOI: 10.1111/jbi.14326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Aim Abundances of animals vary according to species-specific habitat selection, but habitats are undergoing rapid change in response to anthropogenic alterations of land use and climate. The long-term decline of snowfall is one of the most dramatic abiotic changes in boreal regions, with potential to alter species communities and shape future ecosystems. However, the effects of snow cover on habitat-specific abundances remain unclear for many taxa. Here we explore whether long-term declines in snow cover affect the abundances of overwintering birds. Taxon Fifty bird species. Location Finland, Northern Europe. Methods We used generalized linear mixed models to analyse citizen-led monitoring data from 196 transects over a 32-year period to assess whether abundances of birds have changed in built-up areas, farmlands and forests, and whether these covary with warming temperatures and decreasing snow. We then explored if changes in abundance can be explained by body mass, migration strategy or feeding guilds of the species. Results Over the study period, the abundance of overwintering birds increased. This increase was most pronounced in farmlands (69.6%), where abundances were positively associated with decreasing snow depth. On the other hand, while abundances in built-up habitats (19.5%) decreased over the study period, they increased in periods of high snow depths. Finally, we found that the short-distance migration strategy explains changes in bird abundances with snow. In farmlands, ground feeding birds and heavier birds also show a positive trends in abundance with decreasing snow depths. Main conclusions Local snow conditions are driving habitat selection of birds in the winter; birds in farmlands were most responsive to a decrease in snow depth. Changing snow depths can affect bird movements across habitats in the winter, but also influence migratory patterns and range shifts of species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Purabi Deshpande
- HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life SciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
- The Helsinki Lab of Ornithology, Finnish Museum of Natural HistoryUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Petteri Lehikoinen
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Rose Thorogood
- HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life SciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Aleksi Lehikoinen
- The Helsinki Lab of Ornithology, Finnish Museum of Natural HistoryUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
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9
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Mulvaney JM, Matthee CA, Cherry MI. Species-landscape interactions drive divergent population trajectories in four forest-dependent Afromontane forest songbird species within a biodiversity hotspot in South Africa. Evol Appl 2021; 14:2680-2697. [PMID: 34815747 PMCID: PMC8591328 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Species confined to naturally fragmented habitats may exhibit intrinsic population complexity which may challenge interpretations of species response to anthropogenic landscape transformation. In South Africa, where native forests are naturally fragmented, forest-dependent birds have undergone range declines since 1992, most notably among insectivores. These insectivores appear sensitive to the quality of natural matrix habitats, and it is unknown whether transformation of the landscape matrix has disrupted gene flow in these species. We undertook a landscape genetics study of four forest-dependent insectivorous songbirds across southeast South Africa. Microsatellite data were used to conduct a priori optimization of landscape resistance surfaces (land cover, rivers and dams, and elevation) using cost-distances along least-cost pathway (LCP), and resistance distances (IBR). We detected pronounced declines in effective population sizes over the past two centuries for the endemic forest specialist Cossypha dichroa and Batis capensis, alongside recent gene flow disruption in B. capensis, C. dichroa and Pogonocichla stellata. Landscape resistance modelling showed both native forest and dense thicket configuration facilitates gene flow in P. stellata, B. capensis and C. dichroa. Facultative dispersal of P. stellata through dense thicket likely aided resilience against historic landscape transformation, whereas combined forest-thicket degradation adversely affected the forest generalist B. capensis. By contrast, Phylloscopus ruficapilla appears least reliant upon landscape features to maintain gene flow and was least impacted by anthropogenic landscape transformation. Collectively, gene flow in all four species is improved at lower elevations, along river valleys, and riparian corridors- where native forest and dense thicket better persist. Consistent outperformance of LCP over IBR land-cover models for P. stellata, B. capensis and C. dichroa demonstrates the benefits of wildlife corridors for South African forest-dependent bird conservation, to ameliorate the extinction debts from past and present anthropogenic forest exploitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jake M. Mulvaney
- Department of Botany and ZoologyStellenbosch UniversityMatielandSouth Africa
| | - Conrad A. Matthee
- Department of Botany and ZoologyStellenbosch UniversityMatielandSouth Africa
| | - Michael I. Cherry
- Department of Botany and ZoologyStellenbosch UniversityMatielandSouth Africa
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10
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The Potential Role of Drove Roads as Connecting Corridors for Birds between Natura 2000 Sites. BIRDS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/birds2030023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological connectivity among protected Natura 2000 sites is a priority for conservation in Europe due to the increasing pressure on biodiversity from human activities and climate change. Drove roads, the traditional paths used to move livestock through the territory, have been proposed as potential ecological corridors due to their large extent, continuous nature and centennial protection from ploughing and urbanization, which allows the persistence of some tree cover and natural habitats in them. Bird communities were sampled during the reproductive season along 19 drove road transects in agrarian landscapes between Natura 2000 sites, all of them around the conurbation of Madrid (Madrid Region, Spain). Bird community nestedness was assessed by NODF computation followed by significance estimation by aleatorization, and factors explaining species richness and bird abundance were analyzed through General Linear Models fitted with environmental variables measured on official vegetation maps and orthophotos. Bird communities in drove roads were significantly nested, showing high predictability in the order of species loss from better preserved sites to those under stronger environmental pressures. Accordingly, Poisson regression showed bird richness to decrease strongly with distance from the closest Natura 2000 site and to increase with forest cover at the landscape and at the drove road scales. Bird abundance increased strongly with distance from urban areas and motorways, and it was slightly higher in areas with more forest cover and in transects with less bare ground. These results, and the higher relevance detected for landscape scale variables (500 m around transects) than for those at the drove road (50 m) scale, show that (i) they can only play a secondary role as habitat for nesting birds but (ii) they may add to the Green Infrastructure strategy as facilitators or stepping stones for bird communities if the surrounding landscape is favorable for them.
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11
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Siqueira FF, de Carvalho D, Rhodes J, Archibald CL, Rezende VL, van den Berg E. Small Landscape Elements Double Connectivity in Highly Fragmented Areas of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.614362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The Atlantic Forest in Brazil is a biodiversity hotspot, yet its diverse ecosystems and species are becoming increasingly threatened by habitat loss and extreme habitat fragmentation. Most habitat patches of Atlantic Forest are dispersed across agricultural landscapes (e.g., grazing and cropping) in relatively small and isolated fragments (80% < 50 ha). Forest fragments < 1 ha, scattered trees in pastures, tree lines on trenches and fences, and remnant riparian forest, collectively called here Small Landscape Elements (SLEs), are very common in this context. While these SLEs make up much of the Atlantic Forests footprint, very little is known about their role or impact on the persistence and conservation of species. In this study, we investigate the role of SLEs on landscape configuration, particularly their contribution toward landscape connectivity of individual species and the genetic flow of species between larger forest fragments. We randomly selected 20 buffers of 707 hectares within a 411,670 hectare area of the Atlantic Forest that was completely covered by forest in the past located in the south of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The forest cover randomly varied between these buffers. We used graph theory to measure landscape connectivity as the probability of connectivity for different disperser movement types between landscape knots (habitat patches). We used three estimated dispersal distances in the models: pollen disperser insect (50 m), low-mobility seed disperser bird (100 m) and high-mobility seed disperser bird (760 m). The SLEs together increased the probability of connection by roughly 50%, for all model dispersers, if compared to a theoretical baseline landscape containing no SLEs. Of all SLEs, riparian forests contribute the most toward enhancing landscape connectivity. In these highly fragmented landscapes, such as the Atlantic Forest (>70%), the position of SLEs within the landscapes was more important than their respective areas for connectivity. Although the landscapes were deeply fragmented, we showed that the presence of SLEs can increase connectivity and reduce further biodiversity loss in the Atlantic Forest.
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12
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Evans LC, Sibly RM, Thorbek P, Sims I, Oliver TH, Walters RJ. Behavior underpins the predictive power of a trait-based model of butterfly movement. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:3200-3208. [PMID: 32273981 PMCID: PMC7141018 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Dispersal ability is key to species persistence in times of environmental change. Assessing a species' vulnerability and response to anthropogenic changes is often performed using one of two methods: correlative approaches that infer dispersal potential based on traits, such as wingspan or an index of mobility derived from expert opinion, or a mechanistic modeling approach that extrapolates displacement rates from empirical data on short-term movements.Here, we compare and evaluate the success of the correlative and mechanistic approaches using a mechanistic random-walk model of butterfly movement that incorporates relationships between wingspan and sex-specific movement behaviors.The model was parameterized with new data collected on four species of butterfly in the south of England, and we observe how wingspan relates to flight speeds, turning angles, flight durations, and displacement rates.We show that flight speeds and turning angles correlate with wingspan but that to achieve good prediction of displacement even over 10 min the model must also include details of sex- and species-specific movement behaviors.We discuss what factors are likely to differentially motivate the sexes and how these could be included in mechanistic models of dispersal to improve their use in ecological forecasting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke C. Evans
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of ReadingReadingUK
| | | | - Pernille Thorbek
- SyngentaJealott's Hill International Research CentreBracknellUK
- BASF SE, APD/EELimburgerhofGermany
| | - Ian Sims
- SyngentaJealott's Hill International Research CentreBracknellUK
| | - Tom H. Oliver
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of ReadingReadingUK
| | - Richard J. Walters
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of ReadingReadingUK
- Centre for Environmental and Climate ResearchUniversity of LundLundSweden
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13
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Effects of habitat-patch size and patch isolation on the diversity of forest birds in the urban-forest mosaic of Durban, South Africa. Urban Ecosyst 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-020-00945-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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14
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Habel JC, Tobias JA, Fischer C. Movement ecology of Afrotropical birds: Functional traits provide complementary insights to species identity. Biotropica 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jan Christian Habel
- Evolutionary Zoology Department of Biosciences University of Salzburg Salzburg Austria
| | - Joseph A. Tobias
- Department of Life Sciences Imperial College London Silwood Park Ascot UK
| | - Christina Fischer
- Restoration Ecology Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management Technische Universität München Freising Germany
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15
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Ovaskainen O, Ramos DL, Slade EM, Merckx T, Tikhonov G, Pennanen J, Pizo MA, Ribeiro MC, Morales JM. Joint species movement modeling: how do traits influence movements? Ecology 2019; 100:e02622. [PMID: 30644540 PMCID: PMC6850360 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Joint species distribution modeling has enabled researchers to move from species-level to community-level analyses, leading to statistically more efficient and ecologically more informative use of data. Here, we propose joint species movement modeling (JSMM) as an analogous approach that enables inferring both species- and community-level movement parameters from multispecies movement data. The species-level movement parameters are modeled as a function of species traits and phylogenetic relationships, allowing one to ask how species traits influence movements, and whether phylogenetically related species are similar in their movement behavior. We illustrate the modeling framework with two contrasting case studies: a stochastic redistribution model for direct observations of bird movements and a spatially structured diffusion model for capture-recapture data on moth movements. In both cases, the JSMM identified several traits that explain differences in movement behavior among species, such as movement rate increasing with body size in both birds and moths. We show with simulations that the JSMM approach increases precision of species-specific parameter estimates by borrowing information from other species that are closely related or have similar traits. The JSMM framework is applicable for many kinds of data, and it facilitates a mechanistic understanding of the causes and consequences of interspecific variation in movement behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Otso Ovaskainen
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, Helsinki, 00014, Finland.,Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, N-7491, Norway
| | - Danielle Leal Ramos
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eleanor M Slade
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Merckx
- Behavioural Ecology and Conservation Group, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud 4-5, bte L7.07.04, Louvain-la-Neuve, BE-1348, Belgium
| | - Gleb Tikhonov
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, Helsinki, 00014, Finland
| | - Juho Pennanen
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, Helsinki, 00014, Finland
| | - Marco Aurélio Pizo
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Rio Claro, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Milton Cezar Ribeiro
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juan Manuel Morales
- Grupo de Ecología Cuantitativa, INIBIOMA-CRUB, CONICET, Avenida Pioneros 2350, S.C. de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
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16
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Quitián M, Santillán V, Bender IMA, Espinosa CI, Homeier J, Böhning‐Gaese K, Schleuning M, Lena Neuschulz E. Functional responses of avian frugivores to variation in fruit resources between natural and fragmented forests. Funct Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marta Quitián
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre Frankfurt (SBiK-F) Frankfurt am Main Germany
- Departament of Biological SciencesGoethe University Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Vinicio Santillán
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre Frankfurt (SBiK-F) Frankfurt am Main Germany
- Departament of Biological SciencesGoethe University Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Irene M. A. Bender
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre Frankfurt (SBiK-F) Frankfurt am Main Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Institute of Biology, Geobotany and Botanical GardenMartin Luther University Halle‐Wittenberg Halle Germany
| | | | - Jürgen Homeier
- Albrecht von Haller Institute of Plant SciencesUniversity of Goettingen Goettingen Germany
| | - Katrin Böhning‐Gaese
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre Frankfurt (SBiK-F) Frankfurt am Main Germany
- Departament of Biological SciencesGoethe University Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Matthias Schleuning
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre Frankfurt (SBiK-F) Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Eike Lena Neuschulz
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre Frankfurt (SBiK-F) Frankfurt am Main Germany
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17
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Direct and indirect effects of plant and frugivore diversity on structural and functional components of fruit removal by birds. Oecologia 2018; 189:435-445. [PMID: 30569240 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4324-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/08/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Seed dispersal is an important ecosystem function, but it is contentious how structural and functional diversity of plant and bird communities are associated with seed-dispersal functions. We used structural equation models to test how structural (i.e., abundance, species richness) and functional diversity (i.e., functional dispersion and community-weighted means of functional traits) of fruiting plants and frugivorous birds directly and indirectly influence the respective components of fruit removal. We recorded plant and bird diversity in point counts and observed plant-frugivore interactions in a tropical mountain forest in Ecuador. We also recorded plant and bird morphological traits to calculate measures of functional diversity. We found that fruit abundance had a positive direct effect on bird abundance, which directly and indirectly mediated the abundance of removed fruits. Plant and bird species richness were only directly related to the richness of the removed fruits. Functional dispersion of the plant community was positively associated to that of the bird community and to that of the removed fruits. Consistently, we found positive associations between community-weighted means of plant and bird traits and between community-weighted means of plant traits and that of plants with removed fruits. In contrast, community-weighted means of the bird community were unrelated to that of the removed fruits. Overall, our results suggest that plant abundance directly and indirectly influences fruit removal, likely because of avian fruit tracking. However, we did not find strong links between the functional diversity of the frugivore community and removed fruits, suggesting that other factors in addition to plant-animal trait matching might be important for the functional diversity of removed fruits. Our findings highlight the importance of frugivore abundance for maintaining seed dispersal by animals in tropical forests.
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18
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Molina-Venegas R, Llorente-Culebras S, Ruiz-Benito P, Rodríguez MA. Evolutionary history predicts the response of tree species to forest loss: A case study in peninsular Spain. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0204365. [PMID: 30235313 PMCID: PMC6147707 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary history can explain species resemblance to a large extent. Thus, if closely related species share combinations of traits that modulate their response to environmental changes, then phylogeny could predict species sensitivity to novel stressors such as increased levels of deforestation. To test this hypothesis, we used 66,949 plots (25-m-radius) of the Spanish National Forest Inventory and modelled the relationships between local (plot-level) stem density of 61 Holarctic tree species and forest canopy cover measured at local and landscape scales (concentric circles centred on the plots with radiuses of 1.6, 3.2 and 6.4 km, respectively). Then, we used the output model equations to estimate the probability of occurrence of the species as a function of forest canopy cover (i.e. response to forest loss), and quantified the phylogenetic signal in their responses using a molecular phylogeny. Most species showed a lower probability of occurrence when forest canopy cover in the plots (local scale) was low. However, the probability of occurrence of many species increased when forest canopy cover decreased across landscape scales. We detected a strong phylogenetic signal in species response to forest loss at local and small landscape (1.6 km) scales. However, phylogenetic signal was weak and non-significant at intermediate (3.2 km) and large (6.4 km) landscape scales. Our results suggest that phylogenetic information could be used to prioritize forested areas for conservation, since evolutionary history may largely determine species response to forest loss. As such, phylogenetically diverse forests might ensure contrasted responses to deforestation, and thus less abrupt reductions in the abundances of the constituent species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Paloma Ruiz-Benito
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel A Rodríguez
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
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19
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Albrecht J, Classen A, Vollstädt MGR, Mayr A, Mollel NP, Schellenberger Costa D, Dulle HI, Fischer M, Hemp A, Howell KM, Kleyer M, Nauss T, Peters MK, Tschapka M, Steffan-Dewenter I, Böhning-Gaese K, Schleuning M. Plant and animal functional diversity drive mutualistic network assembly across an elevational gradient. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3177. [PMID: 30093613 PMCID: PMC6085337 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05610-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Species’ functional traits set the blueprint for pair-wise interactions in ecological networks. Yet, it is unknown to what extent the functional diversity of plant and animal communities controls network assembly along environmental gradients in real-world ecosystems. Here we address this question with a unique dataset of mutualistic bird–fruit, bird–flower and insect–flower interaction networks and associated functional traits of 200 plant and 282 animal species sampled along broad climate and land-use gradients on Mt. Kilimanjaro. We show that plant functional diversity is mainly limited by precipitation, while animal functional diversity is primarily limited by temperature. Furthermore, shifts in plant and animal functional diversity along the elevational gradient control the niche breadth and partitioning of the respective other trophic level. These findings reveal that climatic constraints on the functional diversity of either plants or animals determine the relative importance of bottom-up and top-down control in plant–animal interaction networks. Differential responses of plant and animal functional diversity to climatic variation could affect trait matching in mutualistic interactions. Here, Albrecht et al. show that network structure varies across an elevational gradient owing to bottom-up and top-down effects of functional diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jörg Albrecht
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Alice Classen
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Maximilian G R Vollstädt
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Antonia Mayr
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Neduvoto P Mollel
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, Bern, 3013, Switzerland.,Tropical Pesticides Research Institute (TPRI), Arusha, Tanzania
| | - David Schellenberger Costa
- Landscape Ecology Group, Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Carl von Ossietzky Straße 9-11, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany.,Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburger Strasse 159, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Hamadi I Dulle
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Markus Fischer
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, Bern, 3013, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Hemp
- Department of Plant Systematics, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Kim M Howell
- Department of Zoology and Wildlife Conservation, University of Dar-es-Salaam, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Michael Kleyer
- Landscape Ecology Group, Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Carl von Ossietzky Straße 9-11, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Nauss
- Environmental Informatics, Faculty of Geography, University of Marburg, Deutschhausstraße 12, 35032, Marburg, Germany
| | - Marcell K Peters
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Marco Tschapka
- Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert- Einstein-Allee 11, 89069, Ulm, Germany.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, PO Box 0843-03092, Balboa Ancòn, Republic of Panama
| | - Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Katrin Böhning-Gaese
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Biologicum, Max-von-Laue-Straße 13, 60439, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Matthias Schleuning
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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20
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Syiem BLN, Goswami VR, Vasudev D. "In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings": Woodlands in an agricultural matrix maintain functionality of a wintering bird community. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0201657. [PMID: 30071074 PMCID: PMC6072076 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0201657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The agricultural matrix has increasingly been recognized for its potential to supplement Protected Areas (PAs) in biodiversity conservation. This potential is highly contextual, depending on composition and spatial configuration of matrix elements and their mechanistic relationship with biological communities. We investigate the effects of local vegetation structure, and proximity to a PA on the site-use of different guilds in a wintering bird community within the PA, and in wooded land-use types in the surrounding matrix. We used occupancy models to estimate covariate–guild relationships and predict site-use. We also compared species richness (estimated through capture–recapture models) and species naïve site-use between the PA and the matrix to evaluate taxonomic changes. We found that tree cover did not limit the site-use of most guilds of the community, probably due to high canopy cover across all chosen sites. Exceptions to this were guilds comprising generalist species. Shrub cover and bamboo cover had important effects on some woodland-associated guilds, suggesting a change in limiting factors for site-use under adequate tree cover. Site-use across the matrix was high for all analyzed guilds. This was found to be due to three non-exclusive reasons: (i) presence of one or more ubiquitous species (found all across the landscape) within some guilds, (ii) redundancy of species within guilds that buffered against a decrease in site-use, and (iii) turnover in guild composition/abundances to more generalist species from PA to matrix. Estimated species richness was higher in the matrix (107± 11; mean ± SE) than in the PA (90± 7), which may have been in part due to the addition of generalist species in the matrix. Understanding factors that limit biological communities is crucial to better managing the ever-increasing matrix for biodiversity conservation. Our study provides insights into the effects of different components of vegetation structure on the bird community in wooded land-use types in the matrix. We highlight the value of woodlands surrounding PAs in maintaining multiple guilds, and hence, the functionality of a wintering bird community. However, we caution that the matrix may fall short in retaining some specialized species of the community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biang La Nam Syiem
- Post-graduate Programme in Wildlife Biology and Conservation, Wildlife Conservation Society India Program and National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, India
- Wildlife Conservation Society, India Program, Bangalore, India
- Centre for Wildlife Studies, Bangalore, India
- * E-mail:
| | - Varun R. Goswami
- Wildlife Conservation Society, India Program, Bangalore, India
- Centre for Wildlife Studies, Bangalore, India
- Conservation Initiatives, Guwahati, India
| | - Divya Vasudev
- Wildlife Conservation Society, India Program, Bangalore, India
- Centre for Wildlife Studies, Bangalore, India
- Conservation Initiatives, Guwahati, India
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21
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Bradfer‐Lawrence T, Gardner N, Dent DH. Canopy bird assemblages are less influenced by habitat age and isolation than understory bird assemblages in Neotropical secondary forest. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:5586-5597. [PMID: 29938076 PMCID: PMC6010736 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Revised: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Secondary forest habitats are increasingly recognized for their potential to conserve biodiversity in the tropics. However, the development of faunal assemblages in secondary forest systems varies according to habitat quality and species-specific traits. In this study, we predicted that the recovery of bird assemblages is dependent on secondary forest age and level of isolation, the forest stratum examined, and the species' traits of feeding guild and body mass. This study was undertaken in secondary forests in central Panama; spanning a chronosequence of 60-, 90-, and 120-year-old forests, and in neighboring old-growth forest. To give equal attention to all forest strata, we employed a novel method that paired simultaneous surveys in canopy and understory. This survey method provides a more nuanced picture than ground-based studies, which are biased toward understory assemblages. Bird reassembly varied according to both habitat age and isolation, although it was challenging to separate these effects, as the older sites were also more isolated than the younger sites. In combination, habitat age and isolation impacted understory birds more than canopy-dwelling birds. Proportions of dietary guilds did not vary with habitat age, but were significantly different between strata. Body mass distributions were similar across forest ages for small-bodied birds, but older forest supported more large-bodied birds, probably due to control of poaching at these sites. Canopy assemblages were characterized by higher species richness, and greater variation in both dietary breadth and body mass, relative to understory assemblages. The results highlight that secondary forests may offer critical refugia for many bird species, particularly specialist canopy-dwellers. However, understory bird species may be less able to adapt to novel and isolated habitats and should be the focus of conservation efforts encouraging bird colonization of secondary forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Bradfer‐Lawrence
- School of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of StirlingStirlingUK
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama CityPanama
| | - Nick Gardner
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama CityPanama
| | - Daisy H. Dent
- School of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of StirlingStirlingUK
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama CityPanama
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22
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Emer C, Galetti M, Pizo MA, Guimarães PR, Moraes S, Piratelli A, Jordano P. Seed-dispersal interactions in fragmented landscapes - a metanetwork approach. Ecol Lett 2018; 21:484-493. [PMID: 29368364 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Revised: 11/25/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Mutualistic interactions repeatedly preserved across fragmented landscapes can scale-up to form a spatial metanetwork describing the distribution of interactions across patches. We explored the structure of a bird seed-dispersal (BSD) metanetwork in 16 Neotropical forest fragments to test whether a distinct subset of BSD-interactions may mediate landscape functional connectivity. The metanetwork is interaction-rich, modular and poorly connected, showing high beta-diversity and turnover of species and interactions. Interactions involving large-sized species were lost in fragments < 10 000 ha, indicating a strong filtering by habitat fragmentation on the functional diversity of BSD-interactions. Persistent interactions were performed by small-seeded, fast growing plant species and by generalist, small-bodied bird species able to cross the fragmented landscape. This reduced subset of interactions forms the metanetwork components persisting to defaunation and fragmentation, and may generate long-term deficits of carbon storage while delaying forest regeneration at the landscape level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carine Emer
- Departmento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, CP 199, 13506-900, Rio Claro - SP, Brazil.,Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EBD-CSIC), Av. Américo Vespucio 26, E-41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Mauro Galetti
- Departmento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, CP 199, 13506-900, Rio Claro - SP, Brazil
| | - Marco A Pizo
- Departmento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, CP 199, 13506-900, Rio Claro - SP, Brazil
| | - Paulo R Guimarães
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
| | - Suelen Moraes
- Departamento de Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rodovia João Leme dos Santos, Km 110, SP-264, 18052-780, Sorocaba - SP, Brazil
| | - Augusto Piratelli
- Departamento de Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rodovia João Leme dos Santos, Km 110, SP-264, 18052-780, Sorocaba - SP, Brazil
| | - Pedro Jordano
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EBD-CSIC), Av. Américo Vespucio 26, E-41092, Sevilla, Spain
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23
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Frank HK, Frishkoff LO, Mendenhall CD, Daily GC, Hadly EA. Phylogeny, Traits, and Biodiversity of a Neotropical Bat Assemblage: Close Relatives Show Similar Responses to Local Deforestation. Am Nat 2017; 190:200-212. [DOI: 10.1086/692534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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24
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Shryock B, Marzluff JM, Moskal LM. Urbanization Alters the Influence of Weather and an Index of Forest Productivity on Avian Community Richness and Guild Abundance in the Seattle Metropolitan Area. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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25
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Moreira JI, Riba-Hernández P, Lobo JA. Toucans (Ramphastos ambiguus
) facilitate resilience against seed dispersal limitation to a large-seeded tree (Virola surinamensis
) in a human-modified landscape. Biotropica 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Juan I. Moreira
- Proyecto Carey; Península de Osa, Costa Rica; Apdo 10672-1000 Puntarenas San José Costa Rica
- Escuela de Biología; Universidad de Costa Rica; 2600 San Pedro Costa Rica
| | - Pablo Riba-Hernández
- Proyecto Carey; Península de Osa, Costa Rica; Apdo 10672-1000 Puntarenas San José Costa Rica
| | - Jorge A. Lobo
- Escuela de Biología; Universidad de Costa Rica; 2600 San Pedro Costa Rica
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26
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Olivier PI, van Aarde RJ. The response of bird feeding guilds to forest fragmentation reveals conservation strategies for a critically endangered African eco-region. Biotropica 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pieter I. Olivier
- Conservation Ecology Research Unit; Department of Zoology and Entomology; University of Pretoria; Hatfield 0083 South Africa
| | - Rudi J. van Aarde
- Conservation Ecology Research Unit; Department of Zoology and Entomology; University of Pretoria; Hatfield 0083 South Africa
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27
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Ulrich W, Lens L, Tobias JA, Habel JC. Contrasting Patterns of Species Richness and Functional Diversity in Bird Communities of East African Cloud Forest Fragments. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0163338. [PMID: 27855174 PMCID: PMC5113869 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0163338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid fragmentation and degradation of large undisturbed habitats constitute major threats to biodiversity. Several studies have shown that populations in small and highly isolated habitat patches are prone to strong environmental and demographic stochasticity and increased risk of extinction. Based on community assembly theory, we predict recent rapid forest fragmentation to cause a decline in species and functional guild richness of forest birds combined with a high species turnover among habitat patches, and well defined dominance structures, if competition is the major driver of community assembly. To test these predictions, we analysed species co-occurrence, nestedness, and competitive strength to infer effects of interspecific competition, habitat structure, and species' traits on the assembly of bird species communities from 12 cloud forest fragments in southern Kenya. Our results do not point to a single ecological driver of variation in species composition. Interspecific competition does not appear to be a major driver of species segregation in small forest patches, while its relative importance appears to be higher in larger ones, which may be indicative for a generic shift from competition-dominated to colonisation-driven community structure with decreasing fragment size. Functional trait diversity was independent of fragment size after controlling for species richness. As fragmentation effects vary among feeding guilds and habitat generalists, in particular, tend to decline in low quality forest patches, we plead for taking species ecology fully into account when predicting tropical community responses to habitat change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Werner Ulrich
- Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Chair of Ecology and Biogeography, Pl-87-100 Toruń, Poland
- * E-mail:
| | - Luc Lens
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Terrestrial Ecology Unit, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Joseph A. Tobias
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, United Kingdom
| | - Jan C. Habel
- Technische Universität München, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, D-85354 Freising, Germany
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28
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Coetzee BWT, Chown SL. Land-use change promotes avian diversity at the expense of species with unique traits. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:7610-7622. [PMID: 30128115 PMCID: PMC6093147 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 07/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Land‐use change may alter both species diversity and species functional diversity patterns. To test the idea that species diversity and functional diversity changes respond in differing ways to land‐use changes, we characterize the form of the change in bird assemblages and species functional traits along an intensifying gradient of land use in the savanna biome in a historically homogeneous vegetation type in Phalaborwa, South Africa. A section of this vegetation type has been untransformed, and the remainder is now mainly characterized by urban and subsistence agricultural areas. Using morphometric, foraging and breeding functional traits of birds, we estimate functional diversity changes. Bird species richness and abundance are generally higher in urban and subsistence agricultural land uses, as well as in the habitat matrix connecting these regions, than in the untransformed area, a pattern mainly driven through species replacement. Functionally unique species, particularly ground nesters of large body size, were, however, less abundant in more utilized land uses. For a previously homogenous vegetation type, declines in the seasonality of energy availability under land‐use change have led to an increase in local avian diversity, promoting the turnover of species, but reduced the abundance of functionally unique species. Although there is no simple relationship between land‐use and diversity change, land‐use change may suit some species, but such change may also involve functional homogenization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard W T Coetzee
- Centre for Invasion Biology Department of Botany and Zoology Stellenbosch University Private Bag X1 Matieland 7602 South Africa.,School of Biological Sciences Monash University Melbourne Victoria 3800 Australia
| | - Steven L Chown
- School of Biological Sciences Monash University Melbourne Victoria 3800 Australia
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29
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Khimoun A, Eraud C, Ollivier A, Arnoux E, Rocheteau V, Bely M, Lefol E, Delpuech M, Carpentier ML, Leblond G, Levesque A, Charbonnel A, Faivre B, Garnier S. Habitat specialization predicts genetic response to fragmentation in tropical birds. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:3831-44. [PMID: 27314987 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2015] [Revised: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Habitat fragmentation is one of the most severe threats to biodiversity as it may lead to changes in population genetic structure, with ultimate modifications of species evolutionary potential and local extinctions. Nonetheless, fragmentation does not equally affect all species and identifying which ecological traits are related to species sensitivity to habitat fragmentation could help prioritization of conservation efforts. Despite the theoretical link between species ecology and extinction proneness, comparative studies explicitly testing the hypothesis that particular ecological traits underlies species-specific population structure are rare. Here, we used a comparative approach on eight bird species, co-occurring across the same fragmented landscape. For each species, we quantified relative levels of forest specialization and genetic differentiation among populations. To test the link between forest specialization and susceptibility to forest fragmentation, we assessed species responses to fragmentation by comparing levels of genetic differentiation between continuous and fragmented forest landscapes. Our results revealed a significant and substantial population structure at a very small spatial scale for mobile organisms such as birds. More importantly, we found that specialist species are more affected by forest fragmentation than generalist ones. Finally, our results suggest that even a simple habitat specialization index can be a satisfying predictor of genetic and demographic consequences of habitat fragmentation, providing a reliable practical and quantitative tool for conservation biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Khimoun
- UMR 6282 Biogéosciences, CNRS/Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Equipe BIOME, 6 bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Cyril Eraud
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, CNERA Avifaune Migratrice, Station biologique de Chizé, Carrefour de la Canauderie, 79360, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Anthony Ollivier
- UMR 6282 Biogéosciences, CNRS/Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Equipe BIOME, 6 bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Emilie Arnoux
- UMR 6282 Biogéosciences, CNRS/Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Equipe BIOME, 6 bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Vincent Rocheteau
- UMR 6282 Biogéosciences, CNRS/Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Equipe BIOME, 6 bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Marine Bely
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, CNERA Avifaune Migratrice, Station biologique de Chizé, Carrefour de la Canauderie, 79360, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Emilie Lefol
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, CNERA Avifaune Migratrice, Station biologique de Chizé, Carrefour de la Canauderie, 79360, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Martin Delpuech
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, CNERA Avifaune Migratrice, Station biologique de Chizé, Carrefour de la Canauderie, 79360, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Marie-Laure Carpentier
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, CNERA Avifaune Migratrice, Station biologique de Chizé, Carrefour de la Canauderie, 79360, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Gilles Leblond
- SARL BIOS, 168 rue de Brindeau, 97190, Le Gosier, France
| | - Anthony Levesque
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, Cellule Technique des Antilles Françaises, Chemin de Boyer, Section Boisbert, 97129, Le Lamentin, France
| | - Anaïs Charbonnel
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, CNERA Avifaune Migratrice, Station biologique de Chizé, Carrefour de la Canauderie, 79360, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Bruno Faivre
- UMR 6282 Biogéosciences, CNRS/Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Equipe BIOME, 6 bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Stéphane Garnier
- UMR 6282 Biogéosciences, CNRS/Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Equipe BIOME, 6 bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
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Peter F, Berens DG, Grieve GR, Farwig N. Forest Fragmentation Drives the Loss of Insectivorous Birds and an Associated Increase in Herbivory. Biotropica 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Peter
- Conservation Ecology; Faculty of Biology; Philipps-Universität Marburg; Karl-von-Frisch Str. 8 D-35043 Marburg Germany
| | - Dana G. Berens
- Conservation Ecology; Faculty of Biology; Philipps-Universität Marburg; Karl-von-Frisch Str. 8 D-35043 Marburg Germany
| | - Graham R. Grieve
- School of Life Sciences; University of KwaZulu-Natal; C/o PO Box 739 4278 Munster KwaZulu-Natal South Africa
| | - Nina Farwig
- Conservation Ecology; Faculty of Biology; Philipps-Universität Marburg; Karl-von-Frisch Str. 8 D-35043 Marburg Germany
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31
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Díaz Vélez MC, Silva WR, Pizo MA, Galetto L. Movement Patterns of Frugivorous Birds Promote Functional Connectivity among Chaco Serrano Woodland Fragments in Argentina. Biotropica 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- María Celeste Díaz Vélez
- Research Group in Plant Reproductive Ecology; Multidisciplinary Institute of Vegetal Biology; National University of Córdoba; National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET); Casilla de Correo 495 CP 5000 Córdoba Argentina
| | - Wesley R. Silva
- Laboratory of Vertebrate-Plant Interactions; Department of Animal Biology; Campinas State University; 13083-862 Campinas Brazil
| | - Marco A. Pizo
- Department of Zoology; Paulista State University; 13506-900 Rio Claro Brazil
| | - Leonardo Galetto
- Research Group in Plant Reproductive Ecology; Multidisciplinary Institute of Vegetal Biology; National University of Córdoba; National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET); Casilla de Correo 495 CP 5000 Córdoba Argentina
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32
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Helbig-Bonitz M, Ferger SW, Böhning-Gaese K, Tschapka M, Howell K, Kalko EKV. Bats are Not Birds - Different Responses to Human Land-use on a Tropical Mountain. Biotropica 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Helbig-Bonitz
- Institute of Experimental Ecology; University of Ulm; Albert-Einstein-Allee 11 89069 Ulm Germany
| | - Stefan W. Ferger
- Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F); Senckenberganlage 25 60325 Frankfurt am Main Germany
- Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung; Senckenberganlage 25 60325 Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Katrin Böhning-Gaese
- Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F); Senckenberganlage 25 60325 Frankfurt am Main Germany
- Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung; Senckenberganlage 25 60325 Frankfurt am Main Germany
- Institute for Ecology, Evolution & Diversity; Goethe University; Biologicum, Max-von-Laue-Straße 13 60439 Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Marco Tschapka
- Institute of Experimental Ecology; University of Ulm; Albert-Einstein-Allee 11 89069 Ulm Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute; PO Box 0843-03092 Balboa Ancón Republica de Panamá
| | - Kim Howell
- Department of Zoology and Wildlife Conservation; University of Dar es Salaam; PO Box 35064 Dar es Salaam Tanzania
| | - Elisabeth K. V. Kalko
- Institute of Experimental Ecology; University of Ulm; Albert-Einstein-Allee 11 89069 Ulm Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute; PO Box 0843-03092 Balboa Ancón Republica de Panamá
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Grass I, Brandl R, Botzat A, Neuschulz EL, Farwig N. Contrasting taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity responses to forest modifications: comparisons of taxa and successive plant life stages in South African scarp forest. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118722. [PMID: 25719204 PMCID: PMC4342016 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2014] [Accepted: 01/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The degradation of natural forests to modified forests threatens subtropical and tropical biodiversity worldwide. Yet, species responses to forest modification vary considerably. Furthermore, effects of forest modification can differ, whether with respect to diversity components (taxonomic or phylogenetic) or to local (α-diversity) and regional (β-diversity) spatial scales. This real-world complexity has so far hampered our understanding of subtropical and tropical biodiversity patterns in human-modified forest landscapes. In a subtropical South African forest landscape, we studied the responses of three successive plant life stages (adult trees, saplings, seedlings) and of birds to five different types of forest modification distinguished by the degree of within-forest disturbance and forest loss. Responses of the two taxa differed markedly. Thus, the taxonomic α-diversity of birds was negatively correlated with the diversity of all plant life stages and, contrary to plant diversity, increased with forest disturbance. Conversely, forest disturbance reduced the phylogenetic α-diversity of all plant life stages but not that of birds. Forest loss neither affected taxonomic nor phylogenetic diversity of any taxon. On the regional scale, taxonomic but not phylogenetic β-diversity of both taxa was well predicted by variation in forest disturbance and forest loss. In contrast to adult trees, the phylogenetic diversity of saplings and seedlings showed signs of contemporary environmental filtering. In conclusion, forest modification in this subtropical landscape strongly shaped both local and regional biodiversity but with contrasting outcomes. Phylogenetic diversity of plants may be more threatened than that of mobile species such as birds. The reduced phylogenetic diversity of saplings and seedlings suggests losses in biodiversity that are not visible in adult trees, potentially indicating time-lags and contemporary shifts in forest regeneration. The different responses of taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity to forest modifications imply that biodiversity conservation in this subtropical landscape requires the preservation of natural and modified forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingo Grass
- Department of Ecology—Conservation Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Roland Brandl
- Department of Ecology—Animal Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Alexandra Botzat
- Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Eike Lena Neuschulz
- Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F) and Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - Nina Farwig
- Department of Ecology—Conservation Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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Berens DG, Chama L, Albrecht J, Farwig N. High Conservation Value of Forest Fragments for Plant and Frugivore Communities in a Fragmented Forest Landscape in South Africa. Biotropica 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dana G. Berens
- Department of Ecology - Conservation Ecology; Fachbereich Biologie; Philipps-Universität Marburg; Karl-von-Frisch Str. 8 DE-35043 Marburg Germany
| | - Lackson Chama
- Department of Ecology - Conservation Ecology; Fachbereich Biologie; Philipps-Universität Marburg; Karl-von-Frisch Str. 8 DE-35043 Marburg Germany
| | - Jörg Albrecht
- Department of Ecology - Conservation Ecology; Fachbereich Biologie; Philipps-Universität Marburg; Karl-von-Frisch Str. 8 DE-35043 Marburg Germany
| | - Nina Farwig
- Department of Ecology - Conservation Ecology; Fachbereich Biologie; Philipps-Universität Marburg; Karl-von-Frisch Str. 8 DE-35043 Marburg Germany
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35
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Low reproductive rate predicts species sensitivity to habitat loss: a meta-analysis of wetland vertebrates. PLoS One 2014; 9:e90926. [PMID: 24651675 PMCID: PMC3961235 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2013] [Accepted: 02/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
We tested the hypotheses that species with greater mobility and/or higher reproductive rates are less sensitive to habitat loss than species with lower mobility and/or reproductive rates by conducting a meta-analysis of wetland vertebrate responses to wetland habitat loss. We combined data from 90 studies conducted worldwide that quantified the relationship between wetland amount in a landscape and population abundance of at least one wetland species to determine if mobility (indexed as home range size and body length) and annual reproductive rate influence species responses to wetland loss. When analyzed across all taxa, animals with higher reproductive rates were less sensitive to wetland loss. Surprisingly, we did not find an effect of mobility on response to wetland loss. Overall, wetland mammals and birds were more sensitive to wetland loss than were reptiles and amphibians. Our results suggest that dispersal between habitat patches is less important than species’ reproductive rates for population persistence in fragmented landscapes. This implies that immigration and colonization rate is most strongly related to reproduction, which determines the total number of potential colonists.
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