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Lancaster J, Downes BJ, Kayll ZJ. Bigger is not necessarily better: empirical tests show that dispersal proxies misrepresent actual dispersal ability. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240172. [PMID: 38772418 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0172] [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: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Tests for the role of species' relative dispersal abilities in ecological and biogeographical models rely heavily on dispersal proxies, which are seldom substantiated by empirical measures of actual dispersal. This is exemplified by tests of dispersal-range size relationships and by metacommunity research that often features invertebrates, particularly freshwater insects. Using rare and unique empirical data on dispersal abilities of caddisflies, we tested whether actual dispersal abilities were associated with commonly used dispersal proxies (metrics of wing size and shape; expert opinion). Across 59 species in 12 families, wing morphology was not associated with actual dispersal. Within some families, individual wing metrics captured some dispersal differences among species, although useful metrics varied among families and predictive power was typically low. Dispersal abilities assigned by experts were either no better than random or actually poorer than random. Our results cast considerable doubt on research underpinned by dispersal proxies and scrutiny of previous research results may be warranted. Greater progress may lie in employing innovative survey and experimental design to measure actual dispersal in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill Lancaster
- School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of Melbourne , , Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Barbara J Downes
- School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of Melbourne , , Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Zachary J Kayll
- School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of Melbourne , , Victoria, 3010, Australia
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2
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Pignataro T, Lourenço GM, Beirão M, Cornelissen T. Wings are not perfect: increased wing asymmetry in a tropical butterfly as a response to forest fragmentation. THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2023; 110:28. [PMID: 37289369 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-023-01856-7] [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: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Habitat fragmentation and ecosystem changes have the potential to affect animal populations in different ways. To effectively monitor these changes, biomonitoring tools have been developed and applied to detect changes in population structure and/or individual traits that reflect such changes. Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) represents random deviations from perfect symmetry in bilateral traits from perfect symmetry in response to genetic and/or environmental stresses. In this study, we evaluated the use of FA as a tool to monitor stress caused by forest fragmentation and edge formation, using the tropical butterfly M. helenor (Nymphalidae) as a model species. We collected adult butterflies from three fragments of Atlantic Forest in Brazil encompassing both edge and interior habitats. Four wing traits (wing length, wing width, ocelli area, and ocelli diameter) were evaluated. Butterflies captured at edge sites exhibited higher FA values for wing length and wing width compared to those captured at interior sites, whereas traits related to ocelli did not show differences between the two habitat types. Our results suggest that the differences in abiotic and biotic conditions between forest interior and edges can act as a source of stress, impacting the symmetry of flight-related traits. On the other hand, as ocelli are crucial for butterfly camouflage and counter-predator strategies, our results indicate that this trait may be more conserved. By employing FA, we identified trait-specific responses to habitat fragmentation, thus suggesting its potential as a biomarker for environmental stress that can be used in butterflies to monitor habitat quality and change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thaís Pignataro
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Conservação e Manejo de Vida Silvestre, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
- Centro de Síntese Ecológica e Conservação (CSEC), Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
| | - Giselle Martins Lourenço
- Centro de Síntese Ecológica e Conservação (CSEC), Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Ambientais, Instituto Ciências Naturais, Humanas e Sociais, Acervo Biológico da Amazônia Meridional, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Sinop, MT, Brazil
- Núcleo de Estudo da Biodiversidade da Amazônia Mato-grossense, Instituto Ciências Naturais, Humanas e Sociais, Acervo Biológico da Amazônia Meridional, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Sinop, MT, Brazil
| | - Marina Beirão
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Insetos, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Tatiana Cornelissen
- Centro de Síntese Ecológica e Conservação (CSEC), Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
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3
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Xing S, Leahy L, Ashton LA, Kitching RL, Bonebrake TC, Scheffers BR. Ecological patterns and processes in the vertical dimension of terrestrial ecosystems. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:538-551. [PMID: 36622247 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Climatic gradients such as latitude and elevation are considered primary drivers of global biogeography. Yet, alongside these macro-gradients, the vertical space and structure generated by terrestrial plants form comparable climatic gradients but at a fraction of the distance. These vertical gradients provide a spectrum of ecological space for species to occur and coexist, increasing biodiversity. Furthermore, vertical gradients can serve as pathways for evolutionary adaptation of species traits, leading to a range of ecological specialisations. In this review, we explore the ecological evidence supporting the proposition that the vertical gradient serves as an engine driving the ecology and evolution of species and shaping larger biogeographical patterns in space and time akin to elevation and latitude. Focusing on vertebrate and invertebrate taxa, we synthesised how ecological patterns within the vertical dimension shape species composition, distribution and biotic interactions. We identify three key ecological mechanisms associated with species traits that facilitate persistence within the vertical environment and draw on empirical examples from the literature to explore these processes. Looking forward, we propose that the vertical dimension provides an excellent study template to explore timely ecological and evolutionary questions. We encourage future research to also consider how the vertical dimension will influence the resilience and response of animal taxa to global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Xing
- School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lily Leahy
- Department of Environment and Genetics, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Louise A Ashton
- Ecology and Biodiversity Area, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Roger L Kitching
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Timothy C Bonebrake
- Ecology and Biodiversity Area, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Brett R Scheffers
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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4
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Oliveira IF, Baccaro FB, Werneck FP, Haugaasen T. Seasonal flooding decreases fruit-feeding butterfly species dominance and increases spatial turnover in floodplain forests of central Amazonia. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9718. [PMID: 36620401 PMCID: PMC9817189 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The seasonal flood pulse in Amazonia can be considered a primary driver of community structure in floodplain environments. Although this natural periodic disturbance is part of the landscape dynamics, the seasonal inundation presents a considerable challenge to organisms that inhabit floodplain forests. The present study investigated the effect of seasonal flooding on fruit-feeding butterfly assemblages in different forest types and strata in central Amazonia. We sampled fruit-feeding butterflies in the canopy and the understory using baited traps in adjacent upland (unflooded forests-terra firme), white and blackwater floodplain forests (várzea and igapó, respectively) during the low- and high-water seasons. Butterfly abundance decreased in the high-water season, especially of dominant species in várzea, but the number of species was similar between seasons in the three forest types. Species composition differed between strata in all forest types. However, the flood pulse only affected butterfly assemblages in várzea forest. The β-diversity components also differed only in várzea. Species replacement (turnover) dominated the spatial β-diversity in igapó and terra firme in both seasons and várzea in the high-water season. Nonetheless, nestedness was relatively higher in várzea forests during the low-water season, mainly due to the effect of dominant species. These results emphasize the importance of seasonal flooding to structure butterfly assemblages in floodplain forests and reveal the idiosyncrasy of butterfly community responses to flooding in different forest types. Our results also suggest that any major and rapid changes to the hydrological regime could severely affect floodplain communities adapted to this natural seasonal hydrological cycle, threatening the existence of these unique environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabela Freitas Oliveira
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em EcologiaInstituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia – INPAManausBrazil,Ecosystem Modeling, Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology (CCTB)University of WürzburgWürzburgGermany,Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life Sciences – NMBUÅsNorway
| | | | - Fernanda P. Werneck
- Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Programa de Coleções Científicas BiológicasInstituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia – INPAManausBrazil
| | - Torbjørn Haugaasen
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life Sciences – NMBUÅsNorway
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5
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Richter A, Nakamura G, Agra Iserhard C, da Silva Duarte L. The hidden side of diversity: Effects of imperfect detection on multiple dimensions of biodiversity. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:12508-12519. [PMID: 34594516 PMCID: PMC8462181 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7995] [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: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies on ecological communities often address patterns of species distribution and abundance, but few consider uncertainty in counts of both species and individuals when computing diversity measures.We evaluated the extent to which imperfect detection may influence patterns of taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity in ecological communities.We estimated the true abundance of fruit-feeding butterflies sampled in canopy and understory strata in a subtropical forest. We compared the diversity values calculated by observed and estimated abundance data through the hidden diversity framework. This framework evaluates the deviation of observed diversity when compared with diversities derived from estimated true abundances and whether such deviation represents a bias or a noise in the observed diversity pattern.The hidden diversity values differed between strata for all diversity measures, except for functional richness. The taxonomic measure was the only one where we observed an inversion of the most diverse stratum when imperfect detection was included. Regarding phylogenetic and functional measures, the strata showed distinct responses to imperfect detection, despite the tendency to overestimate observed diversity. While the understory showed noise for the phylogenetic measure, since the observed pattern was maintained, the canopy had biased diversity for the functional metric. This bias occurred since no significant differences were found between strata for observed diversity, but rather for estimated diversity, with the canopy being more clustered.We demonstrate that ignore imperfect detection may lead to unrealistic estimates of diversity and hence to erroneous interpretations of patterns and processes that structure biological communities. For fruit-feeding butterflies, according to their phylogenetic position or functional traits, the undetected individuals triggered different responses in the relationship of the diversity measures to the environmental factor. This highlights the importance to evaluate and include the uncertainty in species detectability before calculating biodiversity measures to describe communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Richter
- Departamento de EcologiaUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
| | - Gabriel Nakamura
- Departamento de BiologiaUniversidade Federal do CearáFortalezaBrazil
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6
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Seifert CL, Lamarre GPA, Volf M, Jorge LR, Miller SE, Wagner DL, Anderson-Teixeira KJ, Novotný V. Vertical stratification of a temperate forest caterpillar community in eastern North America. Oecologia 2019; 192:501-514. [PMID: 31872269 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04584-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Vertical niche partitioning might be one of the main driving forces explaining the high diversity of forest ecosystems. However, the forest's vertical dimension has received limited investigation, especially in temperate forests. Thus, our knowledge about how communities are vertically structured remains limited for temperate forest ecosystems. In this study, we investigated the vertical structuring of an arboreal caterpillar community in a temperate deciduous forest of eastern North America. Within a 0.2-ha forest stand, all deciduous trees ≥ 5 cm diameter at breast height (DBH) were felled and systematically searched for caterpillars. Sampled caterpillars were assigned to a specific stratum (i.e. understory, midstory, or canopy) depending on their vertical position and classified into feeding guild as either exposed feeders or shelter builders (i.e. leaf rollers, leaf tiers, webbers). In total, 3892 caterpillars representing 215 species of butterflies and moths were collected and identified. While stratum had no effect on caterpillar density, feeding guild composition changed significantly with shelter-building caterpillars becoming the dominant guild in the canopy. Species richness and diversity were found to be highest in the understory and midstory and declined strongly in the canopy. Family and species composition changed significantly among the strata; understory and canopy showed the lowest similarity. Food web analyses further revealed an increasing network specialization towards the canopy, caused by an increase in specialization of the caterpillar community. In summary, our study revealed a pronounced stratification of a temperate forest caterpillar community, unveiling a distinctly different assemblage of caterpillars dwelling in the canopy stratum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo L Seifert
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic. .,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Greg P A Lamarre
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Center for Tropical Forest Science-Forest Global Earth Observatory, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama, Republic of Panama
| | - Martin Volf
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Leonardo R Jorge
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Scott E Miller
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Kristina J Anderson-Teixeira
- Center for Tropical Forest Science-Forest Global Earth Observatory, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama, Republic of Panama.,Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | - Vojtěch Novotný
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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7
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Spaniol RL, Duarte LDS, Mendonça MDS, Iserhard CA. Combining functional traits and phylogeny to disentangling Amazonian butterfly assemblages on anthropogenic gradients. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Luís Spaniol
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ecologia Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre Rio Grande do Sul Brasil
| | - Leandro da Silva Duarte
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ecologia Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre Rio Grande do Sul Brasil
| | - Milton de Souza Mendonça
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ecologia Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre Rio Grande do Sul Brasil
| | - Cristiano Agra Iserhard
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Biologia Animal Universidade Federal de Pelotas Capão do Leão Rio Grande do Sul Brasil
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8
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Schäfer MA, Berger D, Rohner PT, Kjaersgaard A, Bauerfeind SS, Guillaume F, Fox CW, Blanckenhorn WU. Geographic clines in wing morphology relate to colonization history in New World but not Old World populations of yellow dung flies. Evolution 2018; 72:1629-1644. [PMID: 29911337 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Geographic clines offer insights about putative targets and agents of natural selection as well as tempo and mode of adaptation. However, demographic processes can lead to clines that are indistinguishable from adaptive divergence. Using the widespread yellow dung fly Scathophaga stercoraria (Diptera: Scathophagidae), we examine quantitative genetic differentiation (QST ) of wing shape across North America, Europe, and Japan, and compare this differentiation with that of ten microsatellites (FST ). Morphometric analyses of 28 populations reared at three temperatures revealed significant thermal plasticity, sexual dimorphism, and geographic differentiation in wing shape. In North America morphological differentiation followed the decline in microsatellite variability along the presumed route of recent colonization from the southeast to the northwest. Across Europe, where S. stercoraria presumably existed for much longer time and where no molecular pattern of isolation by distance was evident, clinal variation was less pronounced despite significant morphological differentiation (QST >FST ). Shape vector comparisons further indicate that thermal plasticity (hot-to-cold) does not mirror patterns of latitudinal divergence (south-to-north), as might have been expected under a scenario with temperature as the major agent of selection. Our findings illustrate the importance of detailed phylogeographic information when interpreting geographic clines of dispersal traits in an adaptive evolutionary framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin A Schäfer
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - David Berger
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Animal Ecology at Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18d, SE-75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Patrick T Rohner
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anders Kjaersgaard
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie S Bauerfeind
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Frédéric Guillaume
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Charles W Fox
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506
| | - Wolf U Blanckenhorn
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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