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Henriksen MV, Bär A, Garratt MPD, Nielsen A, Johansen L. Limited function of road verges as habitat for species connecting plant-bee networks in remnant semi-natural grasslands. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230168. [PMID: 39034700 PMCID: PMC11305161 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0168] [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: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Species-rich natural and semi-natural ecosystems are under threat owing to land use change. To conserve the biodiversity associated with these ecosystems, we must identify and target conservation efforts towards functionally important species and supporting habitats that create connections between remnant patches in the landscape. Here, we use a multi-layer network approach to identify species that connect a metanetwork of plant-bee interactions in remnant semi-natural grasslands which are biodiversity hotspots in European landscapes. We investigate how these landscape connecting species, and their interactions, persist in their proposed supporting habitat, road verges, across a landscape with high human impact. We identify 11 plant taxa and nine bee species that connect semi-natural grassland patches. We find the beta diversity of these connector species to be low across road verges, indicating a poor contribution of these habitats to the landscape-scale diversity in semi-natural grasslands. We also find a significant influence of the surrounding landscape on the beta diversity of connector species and their interactions with implications for landscape-scale management. Conservation actions targeted toward species with key functional roles as connectors of fragmented ecosystems can provide cost-effective management of the diversity and functioning of threatened ecosystems.This article is part of the theme issue 'Connected interactions: enriching food web research by spatial and social interactions'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie V. Henriksen
- Department of Landscape and Biodiversity, Norwegian Institute
of Bioeconomy Research, 1431, Ås, Norway
| | - Annette Bär
- Department of Landscape and Biodiversity, Norwegian Institute
of Bioeconomy Research, 1431, Ås, Norway
| | - Michael P. D. Garratt
- School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of
Reading, ReadingRG6 6AR, UK
| | - Anders Nielsen
- Department of Landscape and Biodiversity, Norwegian Institute
of Bioeconomy Research, 1431, Ås, Norway
| | - Line Johansen
- Department of Landscape and Biodiversity, Norwegian Institute
of Bioeconomy Research, 1431, Ås, Norway
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2
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Patrick PG, Singkam AR. Biodiversity conservation, human-animal interactions, and zootherapy in ecological knowledge of Indonesian Healers. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14278. [PMID: 38682639 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
We examined the entanglement of biodiversity conservation, human-animal interactions, zootherapy, and local beliefs among Sumatran Healers and their local community by completing an ethnography of 43 Indigenous Healers across 8 tribes in Bengkulu Province, Sumatra, Indonesia. Data collection tools were interviews, observations, videos, photographs, and a researcher journal. Of the 43 Healers, 30 used animals and mentioned 62 species. Of the animals identified, the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List lists 34% (n = 21) as endangered, decreasing, or vulnerable, including Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae), Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus), and Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis). Of the 30 Healers using animals, 50% (n = 15) practiced healing with at least one endangered, decreasing, or vulnerable animal. We defined 3 personas: Healer self-persona, Healer-imposed persona, and community-imposed persona. A persona represented a group's opinions and sentiments related to Healers killing animals for medicinal purposes. Using an iterative data analysis process, we grouped the data across the 3 personas into 5 themes: ease of killing and preparing animals, emotions related to killing animals, animal value, relationship to religion, and Healers are tricksters. The complexity of merging the identities of Healers and the community within an actor-network embodies the relationality of actions, interactions, and feelings among Healers, between Healers and animals, and between Healers and the community. Conservationists should be cognizant of Healers' medicinal use of animals, views of human-animal interactions, and zootherapy from all social and emotional perspectives. The data led to defining Indigenous Healer ecological knowledge components of zootherapy, human-animal interactions, and biodiversity conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia G Patrick
- College of Education and Health Professions, Columbus State University, Columbus, Georgia, USA
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3
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Ryser R, Chase JM, Gauzens B, Häussler J, Hirt MR, Rosenbaum B, Brose U. Landscape configuration can flip species-area relationships in dynamic meta-food-webs. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230138. [PMID: 38913064 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Spatial and trophic processes profoundly influence biodiversity, yet ecological theories often treat them independently. The theory of island biogeography and related theories on metacommunities predict higher species richness with increasing area across islands or habitat patches. In contrast, food-web theory explores the effects of traits and network structure on coexistence within local communities. Exploring the mechanisms by which landscape configurations interact with food-web dynamics in shaping metacommunities is important for our understanding of biodiversity. Here, we use a meta-food-web model to explore the role of landscape configuration in determining species richness and show that when habitat patches are interconnected by dispersal, more species can persist on smaller islands than predicted by classical theory. When patch sizes are spatially aggregated, this effect flattens the slope of the species-area relationship. Surprisingly, when landscapes have random patch-size distributions, the slope of the species-area relationships can even flip and become negative. This could be explained by higher biomass densities of lower trophic levels that then support species occupying higher trophic levels, which only persist on small and well-connected patches. This highlights the importance of simultaneously considering landscape configuration and local food-web dynamics to understand drivers of species-area relationships in metacommunities.This article is part of the theme issue 'Diversity-dependence of dispersal: interspecific interactions determine spatial dynamics'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remo Ryser
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena 07743, Germany
| | - Jonathan M Chase
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Institute for Computer Science, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle 06108, Germany
| | - Benoit Gauzens
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena 07743, Germany
| | - Johanna Häussler
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena 07743, Germany
| | - Myriam R Hirt
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena 07743, Germany
| | - Benjamin Rosenbaum
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena 07743, Germany
| | - Ulrich Brose
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena 07743, Germany
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4
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Bonte D, Keith S, Fronhofer EA. Species interactions and eco-evolutionary dynamics of dispersal: the diversity dependence of dispersal. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230125. [PMID: 38913054 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Dispersal plays a pivotal role in the eco-evolutionary dynamics of spatially structured populations, communities and ecosystems. As an individual-based trait, dispersal is subject to both plasticity and evolution. Its dependence on conditions and context is well understood within single-species metapopulations. However, species do not exist in isolation; they interact locally through various horizontal and vertical interactions. While the significance of species interactions is recognized for species coexistence and food web functioning, our understanding of their influence on regional dynamics, such as their impact on spatial dynamics in metacommunities and meta-food webs, remains limited. Building upon insights from behavioural and community ecology, we aim to elucidate biodiversity as both a driver and an outcome of connectivity. By synthesizing conceptual, theoretical and empirical contributions from global experts in the field, we seek to explore how a more mechanistic understanding of diversity-dispersal relationships influences the distribution of species in spatially and temporally changing environments. Our findings highlight the importance of explicitly considering interspecific interactions as drivers of dispersal, thus reshaping our understanding of fundamental dynamics including species coexistence and the emergent dynamics of metacommunities and meta-ecosystems. We envision that this initiative will pave the way for advanced forecasting approaches to understanding biodiversity dynamics under the pressures of global change. This article is part of the theme issue 'Diversity-dependence of dispersal: interspecific interactions determine spatial dynamics'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dries Bonte
- Department of Biology, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35 , Gent B-9000, Belgium
| | - Sally Keith
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University , Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Emanuel A Fronhofer
- ISEM, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE , Montpellier 34095, France
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5
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Hendrickson EC, Cruzan MB. Effective dispersal patterns in prairie plant species across human-modified landscapes. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17354. [PMID: 38656619 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17354] [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: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Effective dispersal among plant populations is dependent on vector behaviour, landscape features and availability of adequate habitats. To capture landscape feature effects on dispersal, studies must be conducted at scales reflecting single-generation dispersal events (mesoscale). Many studies are conducted at large scales where genetic differentiation is due to dispersal occurring over multiple generations, making it difficult to interpret the effects of specific landscape features on vector behaviour. Genetic structure at the mesoscale may be determined by ecological and evolutionary processes, such as the consequences of vector behaviour on patterns of gene flow. We used chloroplast haplotypes and nuclear genome SNP surveys to identify landscape features influencing seed and pollen dispersal at a mesoscale within the Rogue River Valley in southern Oregon. We evaluated biotic and abiotic vector behaviour by contrasting two annual species with differing dispersal mechanisms; Achyrachaena mollis (Asteraceae) is a self-pollinating and anemochoric species, and Plectritis congesta (Caprifoliaceae) is biotically pollinated with barochoric seeds. Using landscape genetics methods, we identified features of the study region that conduct or restrict dispersal. We found chloroplast haplotypes were indicative of historic patterns of gene flow prior to human modification of landscapes. Seed dispersal of A. mollis was best supported by models of isolation by distance, while seed-driven gene flow of P. congesta was determined by the distribution of preserved natural spaces and quality habitat. Nuclear genetic structure was driven by both pollen and seed dispersal, and both species responded to contemporary landscape changes, such as urban and agricultural conversion, and habitat availability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mitchell B Cruzan
- Department of Biology, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA
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6
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Renner SC, Gossner MM, Ayasse M, Böhm S, Teuscher M, Weisser WW, Jung K. Forest structure, plants, arthropods, scale, or birds' functional groups: What key factor are forest birds responding to? PLoS One 2024; 19:e0304421. [PMID: 38820267 PMCID: PMC11142435 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Forest birds respond to a diverse set of environmental factors, including those altered by forest management intensity, such as resource and habitat availability in the form of food or nesting sites. Although resource/habitat availability and bird traits likely mediate responses of bird diversity to global change drivers, no study has assessed the direct and indirect effects of changes in forest management and traits on bird assemblages jointly at large spatial scales. In this context the questions remain whether (1) the birds' response to forest management changes through alterations in structural properties and/or food availability, or (2) if birds' eco-morphological traits act as environmental filters in response to environmental factors. We audio-visually recorded birds at 150 forest plots in three regions of Germany and assessed the forest structure (LiDAR) as well as the diversity of the herbaceous layer and diversity and biomass of arthropods. We further assessed eco-morphological traits of the birds and tested if effects on bird assemblages are mediated by changes in eco-morphological traits' composition. We found that abundance and species numbers of birds are explained best by models including the major environmental factors, forest structure, plants, and arthropods. Eco-morphological traits only increased model fit for indirect effects on abundance of birds. We found minor differences between the three regions in Germany, indicating spatial congruency of the processes at the local and regional scale. Our results suggest that most birds are not specialized on a particular food type, but that the size, diversity and species composition of arthropods are important. Our findings question the general view that bird traits adapt to the resources available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swen C. Renner
- Ornithology, Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin M. Gossner
- Forest Entomology, Research Unit Forest Health and Biotic Interactions, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Stefan Böhm
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Miriam Teuscher
- Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land-use, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Kirsten Jung
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
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7
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Passy SI, Larson CA, Mruzek JL, Budnick WR, Leboucher T. A new perspective on the spatial, environmental, and metacommunity controls of local biodiversity. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 926:171618. [PMID: 38467253 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Influential ecological research in the 1980s, elucidating that local biodiversity (LB) is a function of local ecological factors and the size of the regional species pool (γ-diversity), has prompted numerous investigations on the local and regional origins of LB. These investigations, however, have been mostly limited to single scales and target groups and centered exclusively on γ-diversity. Here we developed a unified framework including scale, environmental factors (heterogeneity and ambient levels), and metacommunity properties (intraspecific spatial aggregation, regional evenness, and γ-diversity) as hierarchical predictors of LB. We tested this framework with variance partitioning and structural equation modeling using subcontinental data on stream diatoms, insects, and fish as well as local physicochemistry, climate, and land use. Pure aggregation + regional evenness outperformed pure γ-diversity in explaining LB across groups. The covariance of the environment with aggregation + regional evenness rather than with γ-diversity generally explained a much greater proportion of the variance in diatom and insect LB, especially at smaller scales. Thus, disregarding aggregation and regional evenness, as commonly done, may lead to gross underestimation of the pure metacommunity effects and the indirect environmental effects on LB. We examined the shape of the local-regional species richness relationship, which has been widely used to infer local vs. regional effects on LB. We showed that this shape has an ecological basis, but its interpretation is not straightforward. Therefore, we advocate that the variance partitioning analysis under the proposed framework is adopted instead. In diatoms, metacommunity properties had the greatest total effects on LB, while in insects and fish, it was the environment, suggesting that larger organisms are more strongly controlled by the environment. Broader use of our framework may lead to novel biogeographical insights into the drivers of LB and improved projections of its trends along current and future environmental gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia I Passy
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA.
| | - Chad A Larson
- Washington State Department of Ecology, Environmental Assessment Program, Lacey, WA, USA.
| | - Joseph L Mruzek
- Forestry and Environmental Conservation Department, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA.
| | - William R Budnick
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
| | - Thibault Leboucher
- Laboratory for Continental Environments, National Scientific Research Center, University of Lorraine, Metz, France.
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8
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Niu X, Wang P, Xie Z, Gao M, Qian S, Saifutdinov R, Aspe NM, Wu D, Guan P. Soil nematode metacommunities in different land covers: Assessment at the local and regional scales. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11468. [PMID: 38799394 PMCID: PMC11116945 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The metacommunity theory enhances our understanding of how ecological processes regulate community structure. Yet, unraveling the complexities of soil nematode metacommunity structures across various spatial scales and determining the factors influencing these patterns remains challenging. Therefore, we conducted an investigation on soil nematode metacommunities spanning from north to south in the Northeastern China. Our aim was to test whether nematode metacommunities were structured by different drivers under three land covers (i.e., farmland, grassland and woodland) at the local and regional scales. The results revealed that the Clementsian, Gleasonian and their quasi-structures of soil nematodes collectively accounted for 93% of the variation across the three land covers at the local and regional scales. These structures suggest that the soil nematode metacommunities in the Northeast China responded to fluctuations in environmental gradients. At the local scale, metacommunities were primarily shaped by biological interactions. At the regional scale, environmental heterogeneity, dispersal limitation and biological interactions all contributed to nematode metacommunities. Meanwhile, biological interactions under three land covers were represented within different trophic groups, with plant parasites predominant in farmlands and bacterivores in grasslands and woodlands. In conclusion, the metacommunity structures of soil nematodes remain stable at different spatial scales and land covers. Biological interactions are widespread among nematodes regardless of changes in spatial scales and land covers. This study reveals the importance of nematode sensitivity to the environment and biological interactions in shaping the nematode metacommunities, potentially enhancing our understanding of the spatial patterns of nematode metacommunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ximei Niu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of EnvironmentNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Ping Wang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of EnvironmentNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of EducationNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Zhijing Xie
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of EnvironmentNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of EducationNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Meixiang Gao
- Department of Geography and Spatial Information TechniquesNingbo UniversityNingboChina
| | - Siru Qian
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of EnvironmentNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Ruslan Saifutdinov
- Laboratory for Soil Ecological FunctionsA.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of SciencesMoscowRussia
| | - Nonillon M. Aspe
- College of Marine and Allied SciencesMindanao State University at NaawanNaawanPhilippines
| | - Donghui Wu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of EnvironmentNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of EducationNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and AgroecologyChinese Academy of SciencesChangchunChina
| | - Pingting Guan
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of EnvironmentNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of EducationNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
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9
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Lu W, Deng X, Zhao Z, Ren R, Rao X, Xie P, Chen J. Influence of environmental filtering and spatial processes on macroinvertebrate community in urban lakes in the Taihu Lake Basin, China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:37010-37019. [PMID: 38760599 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33694-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Studies identifying the relative importance of multiple ecological processes in macroinvertebrate communities in urban lakes at a basin scale are rare. In this study, 14 urban lakes in the Taihu Lake Basin were selected to explore the relative importance of environmental filtering and spatial processes in the assembly of macroinvertebrate communities. Our findings revealed significant spatiotemporal variations in macroinvertebrate communities, both between lakes and across seasons. We found that environmental filtering exerted a greater influence on taxonomic total beta diversity and its individual components (species turnover and nestedness) compared to spatial processes. Key environmental variables such as water depth, water temperature, total dissolved solids, chlorophyll a, and lake surface area were found to be crucial in shaping macroinvertebrate communities within these urban lakes. The observed high spatial heterogeneity in environmental conditions, along with intermediate basin areas, good connectivity and short distances between lakes, and the high dispersal ability of dominant taxa, likely contributed to the dominance of environmental filtering in macroinvertebrate community assembly. Our study contributes to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms governing macroinvertebrate community assembly in urban lakes, thereby providing valuable insights for studies on community ecology and water environmental protection in urban lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenze Lu
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology of China, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xuwei Deng
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology of China, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Zixin Zhao
- College of Environment & Ecology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Ren Ren
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology of China, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiao Rao
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology of China, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ping Xie
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology of China, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Institute for Ecological Research and Pollution Control of Plateau Lakes, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
| | - Jun Chen
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology of China, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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10
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Tariq A, Ullah A, Graciano C, Zeng F, Gao Y, Sardans J, Hughes AC, Zhang Z, Peñuelas J. Combining different species in restoration is not always the right decision: Monocultures can provide higher ecological functions than intercropping in a desert ecosystem. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 357:120807. [PMID: 38569266 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120807] [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: 10/21/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Vegetation restoration in deserts is challenging due to these ecosystems' inherent fragility and harsh environmental conditions. One approach for active restoration involves planting native species, which can accelerate the recovery of ecosystem functions. To ensure the effectiveness of this process, carefully selecting species for planting is crucial. Generally, it is expected that a more diverse mix of species in the plantation will lead to the recovery of a greater number of ecosystem functions, especially when the selected species have complementary niche traits that facilitate maximum cooperation and minimize competition among them. In this study, we evaluated the planting of two native species from the hyper-desert of Taklamakan, China, which exhibit marked morpho-physiological differences: a phreatophytic legume (Alhagi sparsifolia) and a halophytic non-legume (Karelinia caspia). These species were grown in both monoculture and intercrop communities. Monoculture of the legume resulted in the highest biomass accumulation. Intercropping improved several ecosystem functions in the 50 cm-upper soil, particularly those related to phosphorus (P), carbon (C), and sulfur (S) concentrations, as well as soil enzyme activities. However, it also increased soil sodium (Na+) concentration and pH. Halophyte monocultures enhanced ecological functions associated with nitrogen concentrations in the upper soil and with P, S, C, and cation concentrations (K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cu2+, Fe2+, Zn2+, Co2+, Ni2+), along with enzyme activities in the deep soil. It also maximized Na+ accumulation in plant biomass. In summary, we recommend legume monoculture when the primary goal is to optimize biomass accumulation. Conversely, halophyte monoculture is advisable when the objective is to extract sodium from the soil or enhance ecosystem functions in the deep soil. Intercropping the two species is recommended to maximize the ecosystem functions of the upper soil, provided there is no salinization risk. When planning restoration efforts in desert regions, it is essential to understand the impact of each species on ecosystem function and how complementary species behave when intercropped. However, these interactions are likely species- and system-specific, highlighting the need for more work to optimize solutions for different arid ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akash Tariq
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Desert Plant Roots Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China; State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China; Cele National Station of Observation and Research for Desert-Grassland Ecosystems, Cele, 848300, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; CSIC, Global Ecology Unit, CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; CREAF, Cerdanyola Del Vallès, 08193, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Abd Ullah
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Desert Plant Roots Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China; State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China; Cele National Station of Observation and Research for Desert-Grassland Ecosystems, Cele, 848300, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Corina Graciano
- Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata 1900, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Fanjiang Zeng
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Desert Plant Roots Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China; State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China; Cele National Station of Observation and Research for Desert-Grassland Ecosystems, Cele, 848300, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Yanju Gao
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Desert Plant Roots Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China; State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China; Cele National Station of Observation and Research for Desert-Grassland Ecosystems, Cele, 848300, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jordi Sardans
- CSIC, Global Ecology Unit, CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; CREAF, Cerdanyola Del Vallès, 08193, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Alice C Hughes
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 852, China
| | - Zhihao Zhang
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Desert Plant Roots Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China; State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China; Cele National Station of Observation and Research for Desert-Grassland Ecosystems, Cele, 848300, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Josep Peñuelas
- CSIC, Global Ecology Unit, CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; CREAF, Cerdanyola Del Vallès, 08193, Catalonia, Spain
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11
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Miller SN, Beier P, Suzart de Albuquerque F. A test of Conserving Nature's Stage: protecting a diversity of geophysical traits can also support a diversity of species at a landscape scale. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2024; 382:20230063. [PMID: 38342207 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2023.0063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
Conserving Nature's Stage (CNS) is a concept from conservation planning that promotes the protection of areas encompassing a broad range of enduring geophysical traits to provide long-term habitat for diverse species. The efficacy of using enduring geophysical characteristics as surrogates for biodiversity, independent of non-geophysical features and when considering finer resolution area selections, has yet to be investigated. Here, we evaluated CNS using 33 fine-scale inventories of vascular plant, non-vascular plant, invertebrate or vertebrate species from 13 areas across three continents. For each inventory, we estimated a continuous multidimensional surrogate defined from topographic and soil estimates of the surveyed plots. We assessed surrogate effectiveness by comparing the species representation of surrogate selected plots to the representation from plots picked randomly and using species information. We then used correlation coefficients to assess the link between the performance and qualities of the inventories, surroundings and surrogates. The CNS surrogate showed positive performance for 24 of the 33 inventories, and among these tests, represented 28 more species than random and 83% of the total number of species on average. We also found a small number of weak correlations between performance and environmental variability, as well as qualities of the surrogate. Our study demonstrates that prioritizing areas for a variety of geophysical characteristics will, in most cases, promote the representation of species. Our findings also point to areas for future research that might enhance CNS surrogacy. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Geodiversity for science and society'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie N Miller
- School of Biology and Ecology, Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, The University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5751, USA
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff,AZ 86011-5018, USA
| | - Paul Beier
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff,AZ 86011-5018, USA
- Center for Large Landscape Conservation, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Fabio Suzart de Albuquerque
- School of Applied Sciences and Arts, College of IntegrativeSciences and Arts, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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12
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Garber PA, Dolins F, Lappan S. Scientific activism to protect the world's primates and their environments from extinction: Introduction to the special issue. Am J Primatol 2024; 86:e23601. [PMID: 38284477 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Nonhuman primates and their habitats are facing an impending extinction crisis. Approximately 69% of primate species are listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as threatened and 93% have declining populations. Human population growth (expected to reach 10.9 billion by the year 2100), the unsustainable demands of a small number of consumer nations for forest-risk commodities, deforestation and habitat conversion, the expansion of roads and rail networks, cattle ranching, the hunting and trapping of wild primate populations, and the potential spread of infectious diseases are among the primary drivers of primate population decline. Climate change will only exacerbate the current situation. The time to act to protect primate populations is now! In this special issue of the American Journal of Primatology, we present a series of commentaries, formulated as "Action Letters." These are designed to educate and inform primatologists, conservation biologists, wildlife ecologists, political leaders, and global citizens about the conservation challenges faced by particular primate taxa and particular world regions, and present examples of specific actions that one can take, individually and collectively, to promote the persistence of wild primate populations and environmental justice for local human populations and impacted ecological communities. As scientists, researchers, and educators, primatologists are in a unique position to lead local, national, and international efforts to protect biodiversity. In this special issue, we focus on primates of the Brazilian Amazon, lemurs of northeast Madagascar, Temminck's red colobus monkey (Piliocolobus badius temminckii), night monkeys (Aotus spp.), long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis), the primate pet trade, and professional capacity building to foster conservation awareness and action. We encourage primatologists, regardless of their research focus, to engage in both advocacy and activism to protect wild primate populations worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Garber
- Department of Anthropology, and Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- International Centre of Biodiversity and Primate Conservation, Dali University, Dali, Yunnan, China
| | - Francine Dolins
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Michigan, Dearborn, Michigan, USA
| | - Susan Lappan
- Department of Anthropology, Malaysian Primatological Society, Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina, USA
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13
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Alfaro-Lucas JM, Martin D, Michel LN, Laes A, Cathalot C, Fuchs S, Sarrazin J. Fluid chemistry alters faunal trophodynamics but not composition on the deep-sea Capelinhos hydrothermal edifice (Lucky Strike vent field, Mid-Atlantic Ridge). Sci Rep 2024; 14:1940. [PMID: 38253666 PMCID: PMC10803789 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52186-1] [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: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The recently discovered deep-sea Capelinhos hydrothermal edifice, ~ 1.5 km of the main Lucky Strike (LS) vent field (northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge), contrasts with the other LS edifices in having poorly-altered end-member hydrothermal fluids with low pH and chlorine, and high metal concentrations. Capelinhos unique chemistry and location offer the opportunity to test the effects of local abiotic filters on faunal community structure while avoiding the often-correlated influence of dispersal limitation and depth. In this paper, we characterize for the first time the distribution patterns of the Capelinhos faunal communities, and analyze the benthic invertebrates (> 250 µm) inhabiting diffusive-flow areas and their trophic structures (δ13C, δ15N and δ34S). We hypothesized that faunal communities would differ from those of the nearest LS vent edifices, showing an impoverished species subset due to the potential toxicity of the chemical environment. Conversely, our results show that: (1) community distribution resembles that of other LS edifices, with assemblages visually dominated by shrimps (close to high-temperature focused-fluid areas) and mussels (at low-temperature diffuse flow areas); (2) most species from diffuse flow areas are well-known LS inhabitants, including the bed-forming and chemosymbiotic mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus and (3) communities are as diverse as those of the most diverse LS edifices. On the contrary, stable isotopes suggest different trophodynamics at Capelinhos. The high δ15N and, especially, δ13C and δ34S values suggest an important role of methane oxidation (i.e., methanotrophy), rather than the sulfide oxidation (i.e., thiotrophy) that predominates at most LS edifices. Our results indicate that Capelinhos shows unique environmental conditions, trophic structure and trophodynamics, yet similar fauna, compared to other LS edifices, which suggest a great environmental and trophic plasticity of the vent faunal communities at the LS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan M Alfaro-Lucas
- Univ Brest, Ifremer, CNRS, Unité BEEP, 29280, Plouzané, France.
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
| | - Daniel Martin
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Blanes, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Loïc N Michel
- Univ Brest, Ifremer, CNRS, Unité BEEP, 29280, Plouzané, France
- Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Agathe Laes
- Univ Brest, Ifremer, CNRS, Unité BEEP, 29280, Plouzané, France
| | - Cécile Cathalot
- Univ Brest, Ifremer, CNRS, Unité BEEP, 29280, Plouzané, France
| | - Sandra Fuchs
- Univ Brest, Ifremer, CNRS, Unité BEEP, 29280, Plouzané, France
| | - Jozée Sarrazin
- Univ Brest, Ifremer, CNRS, Unité BEEP, 29280, Plouzané, France
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Jeliazkov A, Chase JM. When Do Traits Tell More Than Species about a Metacommunity? A Synthesis across Ecosystems and Scales. Am Nat 2024; 203:E1-E18. [PMID: 38207141 DOI: 10.1086/727471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
AbstractLinking species traits with the variation in species assemblages across habitats has often proved useful for developing a more mechanistic understanding of species distributions in metacommunities. However, summarizing the rich tapestry of a species in all of its nuance with a few key ecological traits can also lead to an abstraction that provides less predictability than when using taxonomy alone. As a further complication, taxonomic and functional diversities can be inequitably compared, either by integrating taxonomic-level information into the calculation of how functional aspects of communities vary or by detecting spurious trait-environment relationships. To remedy this, we here synthesize analyses of 80 datasets on different taxa, ecosystems, and spatial scales that include information on abundance or presence/absence of species across sites with variable environmental conditions and the species' traits. By developing analyses that treat functional and taxonomic diversity equitably, we ask when functional diversity helps to explain metacommunity structure. We found that patterns of functional diversity explained metacommunity structure and response to environmental variation in only 25% of the datasets using a multitrait approach but up to 59% using a single-trait approach. Nevertheless, an average of only 19% (interquartile range = 0%-29%) of the traits showed a significant signal across environmental gradients. Species-level traits, as typically collected and analyzed through functional diversity patterns, often do not bring predictive advantages over what the taxonomic information already holds. While our assessment of a limited advantage of using traits to explain variation in species assemblages was largely true across ecosystems, traits played a more useful role in explaining variation when many traits were used and when trait constructs were more related to species' status, life history, and mobility. We propose future research directions to make trait-based approaches and data more helpful for inference in metacommunity ecology.
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Quévreux P, Haegeman B, Loreau M. Spatial heterogeneity of biomass turnover has contrasting effects on synchrony and stability in trophic metacommunities. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:1817-1828. [PMID: 37602911 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Spatial heterogeneity is a fundamental feature of ecosystems, and ecologists have identified it as a factor promoting the stability of population dynamics. In particular, differences in interaction strengths and resource supply between patches generate an asymmetry of biomass turnover with a fast and a slow patch coupled by a mobile predator. Here, we demonstrate that asymmetry leads to opposite stability patterns in metacommunities receiving localized perturbations depending on the characteristics of the perturbed patch. Perturbing prey in the fast patch synchronizes the dynamics of prey biomass between the two patches and destabilizes predator dynamics by increasing the predator's temporal variability. Conversely, perturbing prey in the slow patch decreases the synchrony of the prey's dynamics and stabilizes predator dynamics. Our results have implications for conservation ecology and suggest reinforcing protection policies in fast patches to dampen the effects of perturbations and promote the stability of population dynamics at the regional scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Quévreux
- Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, UAR 2029, CNRS, Moulis, France
| | - Bart Haegeman
- CNRS/Sorbonne Université, UMR7621 Laboratoire d'Océanographie Microbienne, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - Michel Loreau
- Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, UAR 2029, CNRS, Moulis, France
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16
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Bertellotti F, Sommer NR, Schmitz OJ, McCary MA. Impacts of habitat connectivity on grassland arthropod metacommunity structure: A field-based experimental test of theory. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10686. [PMID: 38020703 PMCID: PMC10630154 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10686] [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: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Metacommunity theory has advanced scientific understanding of how species interactions and spatial processes influence patterns of biodiversity and community structure across landscapes. While the central tenets of metacommunity theory have been promoted as pivotal considerations for conservation management, few field experiments have tested the validity of metacommunity predictions. Here, we tested one key prediction of metacommunity theory-that decreasing habitat connectivity should erode metacommunity structure by hindering species movement between patches. For 2 years, we manipulated an experimental old-field grassland ecosystem via mowing to represent four levels of habitat connectivity: (1) open control, (2) full connectivity, (3) partial connectivity, and (4) no connectivity. Within each treatment plot (10 × 10 m, n = 4 replicates), we measured the abundance and diversity (i.e., alpha and beta) of both flying and ground arthropods using sticky and pitfall traps, respectively. We found that the abundance and diversity of highly mobile flying arthropods were unaffected by habitat connectivity, whereas less mobile ground arthropods were highly impacted. The mean total abundance of ground arthropods was 2.5× and 2× higher in the control and partially connected plots compared to isolated patches, respectively. We also reveal that habitat connectivity affected the trophic interactions of ground arthropods, with predators (e.g., wolf spiders, ground spiders) being highly positively correlated with micro-detritivores (springtails, mites) but not macro-detritivores (millipedes, isopods) as habitat connectivity increased. Together these findings indicate that changes in habitat connectivity can alter the metacommunity structure for less mobile organisms such as ground arthropods. Because of their essential roles in terrestrial ecosystem functioning and services, we recommend that conservationists, restoration practitioners, and land managers include principles of habitat connectivity for ground arthropods when designing biodiversity management programs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Matthew A. McCary
- School of the EnvironmentYale UniversityNew HavenConnecticutUSA
- Department of BiosciencesRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
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17
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Wisnoski NI, Andrade R, Castorani MCN, Catano CP, Compagnoni A, Lamy T, Lany NK, Marazzi L, Record S, Smith AC, Swan CM, Tonkin JD, Voelker NM, Zarnetske PL, Sokol ER. Diversity-stability relationships across organism groups and ecosystem types become decoupled across spatial scales. Ecology 2023; 104:e4136. [PMID: 37401548 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
The relationship between biodiversity and stability, or its inverse, temporal variability, is multidimensional and complex. Temporal variability in aggregate properties, like total biomass or abundance, is typically lower in communities with higher species diversity (i.e., the diversity-stability relationship [DSR]). At broader spatial extents, regional-scale aggregate variability is also lower with higher regional diversity (in plant systems) and with lower spatial synchrony. However, focusing exclusively on aggregate properties of communities may overlook potentially destabilizing compositional shifts. It is not yet clear how diversity is related to different components of variability across spatial scales, nor whether regional DSRs emerge across a broad range of organisms and ecosystem types. To test these questions, we compiled a large collection of long-term metacommunity data spanning a wide range of taxonomic groups (e.g., birds, fish, plants, invertebrates) and ecosystem types (e.g., deserts, forests, oceans). We applied a newly developed quantitative framework for jointly analyzing aggregate and compositional variability across scales. We quantified DSRs for composition and aggregate variability in local communities and metacommunities. At the local scale, more diverse communities were less variable, but this effect was stronger for aggregate than compositional properties. We found no stabilizing effect of γ-diversity on metacommunity variability, but β-diversity played a strong role in reducing compositional spatial synchrony, which reduced regional variability. Spatial synchrony differed among taxa, suggesting differences in stabilization by spatial processes. However, metacommunity variability was more strongly driven by local variability than by spatial synchrony. Across a broader range of taxa, our results suggest that high γ-diversity does not consistently stabilize aggregate properties at regional scales without sufficient spatial β-diversity to reduce spatial synchrony.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan I Wisnoski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA
- Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Riley Andrade
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Max C N Castorani
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Christopher P Catano
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Aldo Compagnoni
- Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas Lamy
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
- MARBEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Nina K Lany
- Northern Research Station, Forest Service, US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Durham, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Luca Marazzi
- Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
- Thames21, London, UK
| | - Sydne Record
- Department of Biology, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
| | - Annie C Smith
- Department of Forestry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Olympia, Washington, USA
| | - Christopher M Swan
- Department of Geography and Environmental Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jonathan D Tonkin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
- Te Pūnaha Matatini Centre of Research Excellence, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
- Bioprotection Aotearoa Centre of Research Excellence, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Nicole M Voelker
- Department of Geography and Environmental Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Phoebe L Zarnetske
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Eric R Sokol
- National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), Boulder, Colorado, USA
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR), University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
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18
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Rolls RJ, Deane DC, Johnson SE, Heino J, Anderson MJ, Ellingsen KE. Biotic homogenisation and differentiation as directional change in beta diversity: synthesising driver-response relationships to develop conceptual models across ecosystems. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:1388-1423. [PMID: 37072381 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023]
Abstract
Biotic homogenisation is defined as decreasing dissimilarity among ecological assemblages sampled within a given spatial area over time. Biotic differentiation, in turn, is defined as increasing dissimilarity over time. Overall, changes in the spatial dissimilarities among assemblages (termed 'beta diversity') is an increasingly recognised feature of broader biodiversity change in the Anthropocene. Empirical evidence of biotic homogenisation and biotic differentiation remains scattered across different ecosystems. Most meta-analyses quantify the prevalence and direction of change in beta diversity, rather than attempting to identify underlying ecological drivers of such changes. By conceptualising the mechanisms that contribute to decreasing or increasing dissimilarity in the composition of ecological assemblages across space, environmental managers and conservation practitioners can make informed decisions about what interventions may be required to sustain biodiversity and can predict potential biodiversity outcomes of future disturbances. We systematically reviewed and synthesised published empirical evidence for ecological drivers of biotic homogenisation and differentiation across terrestrial, marine, and freshwater realms to derive conceptual models that explain changes in spatial beta diversity. We pursued five key themes in our review: (i) temporal environmental change; (ii) disturbance regime; (iii) connectivity alteration and species redistribution; (iv) habitat change; and (v) biotic and trophic interactions. Our first conceptual model highlights how biotic homogenisation and differentiation can occur as a function of changes in local (alpha) diversity or regional (gamma) diversity, independently of species invasions and losses due to changes in species occurrence among assemblages. Second, the direction and magnitude of change in beta diversity depends on the interaction between spatial variation (patchiness) and temporal variation (synchronicity) of disturbance events. Third, in the context of connectivity and species redistribution, divergent beta diversity outcomes occur as different species have different dispersal characteristics, and the magnitude of beta diversity change associated with species invasions also depends strongly on alpha and gamma diversity prior to species invasion. Fourth, beta diversity is positively linked with spatial environmental variability, such that biotic homogenisation and differentiation occur when environmental heterogeneity decreases or increases, respectively. Fifth, species interactions can influence beta diversity via habitat modification, disease, consumption (trophic dynamics), competition, and by altering ecosystem productivity. Our synthesis highlights the multitude of mechanisms that cause assemblages to be more or less spatially similar in composition (taxonomically, functionally, phylogenetically) through time. We consider that future studies should aim to enhance our collective understanding of ecological systems by clarifying the underlying mechanisms driving homogenisation or differentiation, rather than focusing only on reporting the prevalence and direction of change in beta diversity, per se.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Rolls
- School of Environmental and Rural Sciences, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, 2351, Australia
| | - David C Deane
- School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086, Australia
| | - Sarah E Johnson
- Natural Resources Department, Northland College, Ashland, WI, 54891, USA
| | - Jani Heino
- Geography Research Unit, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 8000, Oulu, FI-90014, Finland
| | - Marti J Anderson
- New Zealand Institute for Advanced Study (NZIAS), Massey University, Albany Campus, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Kari E Ellingsen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Fram Centre, P.O. Box 6606 Langnes, Tromsø, 9296, Norway
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19
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Carroll T, Cardou F, Dornelas M, Thomas CD, Vellend M. Biodiversity change under adaptive community dynamics. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:3525-3538. [PMID: 36916852 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Compositional change is a ubiquitous response of ecological communities to environmental drivers of global change, but is often regarded as evidence of declining "biotic integrity" relative to historical baselines. Adaptive compositional change, however, is a foundational idea in evolutionary biology, whereby changes in gene frequencies within species boost population-level fitness, allowing populations to persist as the environment changes. Here, we present an analogous idea for ecological communities based on core concepts of fitness and selection. Changes in community composition (i.e., frequencies of genetic differences among species) in response to environmental change should normally increase the average fitnessof community members. We refer to compositional changes that improve the functional match, or "fit," between organisms' traits and their environment as adaptive community dynamics. Environmental change (e.g., land-use change) commonly reduces the fit between antecedent communities and new environments. Subsequent change in community composition in response to environmental changes, however, should normally increase community-level fit, as the success of at least some constituent species increases. We argue that adaptive community dynamics are likely to improve or maintain ecosystem function (e.g., by maintaining productivity). Adaptive community responses may simultaneously produce some changes that are considered societally desirable (e.g., increased carbon storage) and others that are undesirable (e.g., declines of certain species), just as evolutionary responses within species may be deemed desirable (e.g., evolutionary rescue of an endangered species) or undesirable (e.g., enhanced virulence of an agricultural pest). When assessing possible management interventions, it is important to distinguish between drivers of environmental change (e.g., undesired climate warming) and adaptive community responses, which may generate some desirable outcomes. Efforts to facilitate, accept, or resist ecological change require separate consideration of drivers and responses, and may highlight the need to reconsider preferences for historical baseline communities over communities that are better adapted to the new conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadhg Carroll
- Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, University of York, York, UK
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Françoise Cardou
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Ontario, Toronto, Canada
| | - Maria Dornelas
- Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, University of York, York, UK
- Centre for Biological Diversity, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Chris D Thomas
- Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, University of York, York, UK
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Vellend
- Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, University of York, York, UK
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Québec, Sherbrooke, Canada
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20
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Riva F, Barbero F, Balletto E, Bonelli S. Combining environmental niche models, multi-grain analyses, and species traits identifies pervasive effects of land use on butterfly biodiversity across Italy. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:1715-1728. [PMID: 36695553 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how species respond to human activities is paramount to ecology and conservation science, one outstanding question being how large-scale patterns in land use affect biodiversity. To facilitate answering this question, we propose a novel analytical framework that combines environmental niche models, multi-grain analyses, and species traits. We illustrate the framework capitalizing on the most extensive dataset compiled to date for the butterflies of Italy (106,514 observations for 288 species), assessing how agriculture and urbanization have affected biodiversity of these taxa from landscape to regional scales (3-48 km grains) across the country while accounting for its steep climatic gradients. Multiple lines of evidence suggest pervasive and scale-dependent effects of land use on butterflies in Italy. While land use explained patterns in species richness primarily at grains ≤12 km, idiosyncratic responses in species highlighted "winners" and "losers" across human-dominated regions. Detrimental effects of agriculture and urbanization emerged from landscape (3-km grain) to regional (48-km grain) scales, disproportionally affecting small butterflies and butterflies with a short flight curve. Human activities have therefore reorganized the biogeography of Italian butterflies, filtering out species with poor dispersal capacity and narrow niche breadth not only from local assemblages, but also from regional species pools. These results suggest that global conservation efforts neglecting large-scale patterns in land use risk falling short of their goals, even for taxa typically assumed to persist in small natural areas (e.g., invertebrates). Our study also confirms that consideration of spatial scales will be crucial to implementing effective conservation actions in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. In this context, applications of the proposed analytical framework have broad potential to identify which mechanisms underlie biodiversity change at different spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Riva
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Francesca Barbero
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology (DBIOS), University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Emilio Balletto
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology (DBIOS), University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Simona Bonelli
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology (DBIOS), University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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21
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Borthagaray AI, Cunillera-Montcusí D, Bou J, Tornero I, Boix D, Anton-Pardo M, Ortiz E, Mehner T, Quintana XD, Gascón S, Arim M. Heterogeneity in the isolation of patches may be essential for the action of metacommunity mechanisms. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1125607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The spatial isolation gradient of communities and the gradient in the species dispersal ability are recognized as determinants of biodiversity in metacommunities. In spite of this, mean field models, spatially explicit models, and experiments were mainly focused on idealized spatial arrangements of communities leaving aside the combining role of dispersal and isolation gradients in metacommunity processes. Consequently, we have an incipient understanding of the role of the real spatial arrangement of communities on biodiversity patterns. We focus on six metacommunities for which confident information about the spatial arrangement of water bodies is available. Using coalescent metacommunity models and null models that randomize the location of water bodies, we estimated the potential effect of the landscape on biodiversity and its dependence on species dispersal ability. At extremely low or high dispersal abilities, the location of ponds does not influence diversity because different communities are equally affected by the low or high incoming dispersal. At intermediate dispersal abilities, peripheral communities present a much lower richness and higher beta diversity than central communities. Moreover, metacommunities from real landscapes host more biodiversity than randomized landscapes, a result that is determined by the heterogeneity in the geographic isolation of communities. In a dispersal gradient, mass effects systematically increase the local richness and decrease beta diversity. However, the spatial arrangement of patches only has a large importance in metacommunity processes at intermediate dispersal abilities, which ensures access to central locations but limits dispersal in isolated communities. The ongoing reduction in spatial extent and simplification of the landscape may consequently undermine the metacommunity processes that support biodiversity, something that should be explicitly considered in preserving and restoring strategies.
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22
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Müller J, Mitesser O, Cadotte MW, van der Plas F, Mori AS, Ammer C, Chao A, Scherer-Lorenzen M, Baldrian P, Bässler C, Biedermann P, Cesarz S, Claßen A, Delory BM, Feldhaar H, Fichtner A, Hothorn T, Kuenzer C, Peters MK, Pierick K, Schmitt T, Schuldt B, Seidel D, Six D, Steffan-Dewenter I, Thorn S, von Oheimb G, Wegmann M, Weisser WW, Eisenhauer N. Enhancing the structural diversity between forest patches-A concept and real-world experiment to study biodiversity, multifunctionality and forest resilience across spatial scales. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:1437-1450. [PMID: 36579623 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Intensification of land use by humans has led to a homogenization of landscapes and decreasing resilience of ecosystems globally due to a loss of biodiversity, including the majority of forests. Biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) research has provided compelling evidence for a positive effect of biodiversity on ecosystem functions and services at the local (α-diversity) scale, but we largely lack empirical evidence on how the loss of between-patch β-diversity affects biodiversity and multifunctionality at the landscape scale (γ-diversity). Here, we present a novel concept and experimental framework for elucidating BEF patterns at α-, β-, and γ-scales in real landscapes at a forest management-relevant scale. We examine this framework using 22 temperate broadleaf production forests, dominated by Fagus sylvatica. In 11 of these forests, we manipulated the structure between forest patches by increasing variation in canopy cover and deadwood. We hypothesized that an increase in landscape heterogeneity would enhance the β-diversity of different trophic levels, as well as the β-functionality of various ecosystem functions. We will develop a new statistical framework for BEF studies extending across scales and incorporating biodiversity measures from taxonomic to functional to phylogenetic diversity using Hill numbers. We will further expand the Hill number concept to multifunctionality allowing the decomposition of γ-multifunctionality into α- and β-components. Combining this analytic framework with our experimental data will allow us to test how an increase in between patch heterogeneity affects biodiversity and multifunctionality across spatial scales and trophic levels to help inform and improve forest resilience under climate change. Such an integrative concept for biodiversity and functionality, including spatial scales and multiple aspects of diversity and multifunctionality as well as physical and environmental structure in forests, will go far beyond the current widely applied approach in forestry to increase resilience of future forests through the manipulation of tree species composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jörg Müller
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Rauhenebrach, Germany
- Bavarian Forest National Park, Grafenau, Germany
| | - Oliver Mitesser
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Rauhenebrach, Germany
| | - Marc W Cadotte
- Biological Sciences, University of Toronto-Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Fons van der Plas
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Akira S Mori
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Christian Ammer
- Silviculture and Forest Ecology of the Temperate Zones, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Anne Chao
- Institute of Statistics, National Tsing Hua University, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan
| | | | - Petr Baldrian
- Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Praha 4, Czech Republic
| | - Claus Bässler
- Bavarian Forest National Park, Grafenau, Germany
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Conservation Biology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Peter Biedermann
- Chair of Forest Entomology and Protection, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Stegen, Germany
| | - Simone Cesarz
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alice Claßen
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Benjamin M Delory
- Institute of Ecology, Leuphana University Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany
| | - Heike Feldhaar
- Department of Animal Ecology I, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Andreas Fichtner
- Institute of Ecology, Leuphana University Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany
| | - Torsten Hothorn
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Kuenzer
- German Remote Sensing Data Center (DFD), German Aerospace Center (DLR), Wessling, Germany
- Chair of Remote Sensing, Institute of Geography and Geology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Marcell K Peters
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Kerstin Pierick
- Silviculture and Forest Ecology of the Temperate Zones, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Department for Spatial Structures and Digitization of Forests, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Schmitt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Schuldt
- Department of Botany II, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Dominik Seidel
- Department for Spatial Structures and Digitization of Forests, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Diana Six
- Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Simon Thorn
- Hessian Agency for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology, State Institute for the Protection of Birds, Gießen, Germany
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Biology Centre, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Goddert von Oheimb
- Professur für Biodiversität und Naturschutz, Technische Universität Dresden, FR Forstwissenschaften, Dresden, Germany
| | - Martin Wegmann
- Chair of Remote Sensing, Institute of Geography and Geology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang W Weisser
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Life Science Systems, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
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23
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Piano E, Bonte D, De Meester L, Hendrickx F. Dispersal capacity underlies scale-dependent changes in species richness patterns under human disturbance. Ecology 2023; 104:e3946. [PMID: 36479697 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Changes in the species richness of (meta-)communities emerge from changes in the relative species abundance distribution (SAD), the total density of individuals, and the amount of spatial aggregation of individuals from the same species. Yet, how human disturbance affects these underlying diversity components at different spatial scales and how this interacts with important species traits, like dispersal capacity, remain poorly understood. Using data of carabid beetle communities along a highly replicated urbanization gradient, we reveal that species richness in urban sites was reduced due to a decline in individual density as well as changes in the SAD at both small and large spatial scales. Changes in these components of species richness were linked to differential responses of groups of species that differ in dispersal capacity. The individual density effect on species richness was due to a drastic 90% reduction of low-dispersal individuals in more urban sites. Conversely, the decrease in species richness due to changes in the SAD at large (i.e., loss of species from the regional pool) and small (i.e., decreased evenness) spatial scales were driven by species with intermediate and high dispersal ability, respectively. These patterns coincide with the expected responses of these dispersal-type assemblages toward human disturbance, namely, (i) loss of low-dispersal species by local extinction processes, (ii) loss of higher-dispersal species from the regional species pool due to decreased habitat diversity, and (iii) dominance of a few highly dispersive species resulting in a decreased evenness. Our results demonstrate that dispersal capacity plays an essential role in determining scale-dependent changes in species richness patterns. Incorporating this information improves our mechanistic insight into how environmental change affects species diversity at different spatial scales, allowing us to better forecast how human disturbance will drive local and regional changes in biodiversity patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Piano
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Dries Bonte
- Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Luc De Meester
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany.,Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Frederik Hendrickx
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium.,Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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24
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van der Plas F, Hennecke J, Chase JM, van Ruijven J, Barry KE. Universal beta-diversity-functioning relationships are neither observed nor expected. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:532-544. [PMID: 36806396 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Widespread evidence shows that local species richness (α-diversity) loss hampers the biomass production and stability of ecosystems. β-Diversity, namely the variation of species compositions among different ecological communities, represents another important biodiversity component, but studies on how it drives ecosystem functioning show mixed results. We argue that to better understand the importance of β-diversity we need to consider it across contexts. We focus on three scenarios that cause gradients in β-diversity: changes in (i) abiotic heterogeneity, (ii) habitat isolation, and (iii) species pool richness. We show that across these scenarios we should not expect universally positive relationships between β-diversity, production, and ecosystem stability. Nevertheless, predictable relationships between β-diversity and ecosystem functioning do exist in specific contexts, and can reconcile seemingly contrasting empirical relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fons van der Plas
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, 6700, AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Justus Hennecke
- Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jonathan M Chase
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Institute of Computer Science, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Jasper van Ruijven
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, 6700, AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Kathryn E Barry
- Ecology and Biodiversity Group, Dept of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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25
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McFadden IR, Sendek A, Brosse M, Bach PM, Baity-Jesi M, Bolliger J, Bollmann K, Brockerhoff EG, Donati G, Gebert F, Ghosh S, Ho HC, Khaliq I, Lever JJ, Logar I, Moor H, Odermatt D, Pellissier L, de Queiroz LJ, Rixen C, Schuwirth N, Shipley JR, Twining CW, Vitasse Y, Vorburger C, Wong MKL, Zimmermann NE, Seehausen O, Gossner MM, Matthews B, Graham CH, Altermatt F, Narwani A. Linking human impacts to community processes in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:203-218. [PMID: 36560926 PMCID: PMC10107666 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Human impacts such as habitat loss, climate change and biological invasions are radically altering biodiversity, with greater effects projected into the future. Evidence suggests human impacts may differ substantially between terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, but the reasons for these differences are poorly understood. We propose an integrative approach to explain these differences by linking impacts to four fundamental processes that structure communities: dispersal, speciation, species-level selection and ecological drift. Our goal is to provide process-based insights into why human impacts, and responses to impacts, may differ across ecosystem types using a mechanistic, eco-evolutionary comparative framework. To enable these insights, we review and synthesise (i) how the four processes influence diversity and dynamics in terrestrial versus freshwater communities, specifically whether the relative importance of each process differs among ecosystems, and (ii) the pathways by which human impacts can produce divergent responses across ecosystems, due to differences in the strength of processes among ecosystems we identify. Finally, we highlight research gaps and next steps, and discuss how this approach can provide new insights for conservation. By focusing on the processes that shape diversity in communities, we aim to mechanistically link human impacts to ongoing and future changes in ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian R McFadden
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland.,Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Agnieszka Sendek
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland.,Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Morgane Brosse
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Peter M Bach
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Marco Baity-Jesi
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Janine Bolliger
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Kurt Bollmann
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Eckehard G Brockerhoff
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Giulia Donati
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Friederike Gebert
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Shyamolina Ghosh
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Hsi-Cheng Ho
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Imran Khaliq
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - J Jelle Lever
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland.,Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Ivana Logar
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Helen Moor
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland.,Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Odermatt
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Loïc Pellissier
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland.,Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Luiz Jardim de Queiroz
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Kastanienbaum, Switzerland.,Institute of Ecology & Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Christian Rixen
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Davos, Switzerland
| | - Nele Schuwirth
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - J Ryan Shipley
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
| | - Cornelia W Twining
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
| | - Yann Vitasse
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Vorburger
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland.,Institute of Integrative Biology, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mark K L Wong
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland.,School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Niklaus E Zimmermann
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Ole Seehausen
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Kastanienbaum, Switzerland.,Institute of Ecology & Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Martin M Gossner
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland.,Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Blake Matthews
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
| | - Catherine H Graham
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Florian Altermatt
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Anita Narwani
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland
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26
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O’Sullivan JD, Terry JCD, Wilson R, Rossberg AG. Community composition exceeds area as a predictor of long-term conservation value. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1010804. [PMID: 36716317 PMCID: PMC9946215 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Conserving biodiversity often requires deciding which sites to prioritise for protection. Predicting the impact of habitat loss is a major challenge, however, since impacts can be distant from the perturbation in both space and time. Here we study the long-term impacts of habitat loss in a mechanistic metacommunity model. We find that site area is a poor predictor of long-term, regional-scale extinctions following localised perturbation. Knowledge of the compositional distinctness (average between-site Bray-Curtis dissimilarity) of the removed community can markedly improve the prediction of impacts on regional assemblages, even when biotic responses play out at substantial spatial or temporal distance from the initial perturbation. Fitting the model to two empirical datasets, we show that this conclusions holds in the empirically relevant parameter range. Our results robustly demonstrate that site area alone is not sufficient to gauge conservation priorities; analysis of compositional distinctness permits improved prioritisation at low cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob D. O’Sullivan
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - J. Christopher D. Terry
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ramesh Wilson
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Axel G. Rossberg
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
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27
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Simões-Clivatti TRO, Hernández MIM. Ecological indication metrics on dung beetles metacommunities in native forests and Pinus monocultures. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.972176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Beetles of the subfamily Scarabaeinae are commonly used as ecological indicators in studies about the effects of environmental changes. We analyzed the influence of the type of habitat, vegetation, mammals (as food resource), and temperature on dung beetle metacommunities in subtropical native forests and Pinus monocultures to evaluate the factors driving these assemblages. In the summer of 2018/2019, we sampled 12 areas in Southern Brazil, six Pinus monocultures and six native forests. We performed a dispersal test, applying a marking-recapture method. Some recaptures occurred in different habitats, showing low dispersal between habitats. We recorded behavioral activities confirming the use of both native forest and Pinus areas. The metrics did not reflect the difference in the environmental quality of the areas regarding species richness and diversity in different habitats. This shows that these metrics are not the best when using dung beetle assemblages as ecological indicators of biodiversity loss resulting from land-use changes, requiring complementing the analysis with composition analysis methods. When we partitioned beta diversity between habitats, we observed a dissimilarity between Pinus monocultures and native forest assemblages due to species substitution, with many species contributing to the dissimilarity between habitats. In our structural equation models, the influence of environmental factors on metacommunities showed no predictor related to dung beetle richness, but several variables influenced their abundance.
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28
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Tourinho L, Maria de Brito Alves S, Bastos Lobo da Silva F, Verdi M, Roque N, Augusto Conceição A, Aona LY, de Oliveira G, Nasser Caiafa A, Rigueira DM, Jordão Porto T, Dobrovolski R, Vilela B. A participatory approach to map strategic areas for conservation and restoration at a regional scale. Perspect Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2022.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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29
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Qin C, Ge Y, Gao J, Zhou S, Yu J, Wang B, Datry T. Ecological drivers of macroinvertebrate metacommunity assembly in a subtropical river basin in the Yangtze River Delta, China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 837:155687. [PMID: 35525362 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Identifying the underlying ecological drivers of macroinvertebrate community assembly is fundamental to metacommunity ecology. Comparably, determining the influence of different drivers on beta diversity patterns can provide insight into processes governing community organization. Exploring the ecological drivers of metacommunity and beta diversity are major avenues to improve bioassessment, restoration, and river management, which are still poorly explored in China, especially in subtropical highly developed river networks. To address this gap, we use a dataset (macroinvertebrate communities and environmental variables) collected from the Yangtze River Delta, China to test the above ideas. We used the K-means clustering method to divide 405 river sites into three anthropogenic impacted groups, nearly pristine sites, moderately impacted sites, and heavily impacted sites, and subsequently used partial Mantel tests to investigate how species sorting and dispersal shaped the metacommunity that varied with the levels of anthropogenic impacts and to explore the responses of different components of beta diversity to environmental and spatial distances among sites for each group. Our results revealed that both species sorting and dispersal shape communities, but the importance of species sorting and dispersal varied with the levels of anthropogenic impacts. Nearly pristine sites were mostly shaped only by species sorting, while heavily impacted sites were shaped by dispersal. We also found that turnover was by far the dominant component of beta diversity across all levels of impact. Therefore, we encourage that environmental variables and spatial processes should be considered in bioassessment approaches. In addition, it is essential to focus on maintaining habitat heterogeneity and identifying and protecting regional species pools that could improve local biodiversity through dispersal for ecosystem management of the Yangtze River Delta of China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyan Qin
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China; INRAE, UR RiverLy, Centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne, 69626 Villeurbanne Cedex, France
| | - Yifei Ge
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China
| | - Jin Gao
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China
| | - Shengli Zhou
- Zhejiang Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center, Zhejiang 310012, PR China
| | - Jian Yu
- Zhejiang Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center, Zhejiang 310012, PR China
| | - Beixin Wang
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China.
| | - Thibault Datry
- INRAE, UR RiverLy, Centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne, 69626 Villeurbanne Cedex, France
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30
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Palmeirim AF, Emer C, Benchimol M, Storck-Tonon D, Bueno AS, Peres CA. Emergent properties of species-habitat networks in an insular forest landscape. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabm0397. [PMID: 36026453 PMCID: PMC9417167 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm0397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Deforestation and fragmentation are pervasive drivers of biodiversity loss, but how they scale up to entire landscapes remains poorly understood. Here, we apply species-habitat networks based on species co-occurrences to test the effects of insular fragmentation on multiple taxa-medium-large mammals, small nonvolant mammals, lizards, understory birds, frogs, dung beetles, orchid bees, and trees-across 22 forest islands and three continuous forest sites within a river-damming quasi-experimental landscape in Central Amazonia. Widespread, nonrandom local species extinctions were translated into highly nested networks of low connectance and modularity. Networks' robustness considering the sequential removal of large-to-small sites was generally low; between 5% (dung beetles) and 50% (orchid bees) of species persisted when retaining only <10 ha of islands. In turn, larger sites and body size were the main attributes structuring the networks. Our results raise the prospects that insular forest fragmentation results in simplified species-habitat networks, with distinct taxa persistence to habitat loss.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carine Emer
- Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto Juruá, Rua das Papoulas, 97 Manaus, Brazil
| | - Maíra Benchimol
- Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada à Conservação, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Brazil
| | - Danielle Storck-Tonon
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ambiente e Sistemas de Produção Agrícola (PPGASP), Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Tangará da Serra, Brazil
| | - Anderson S. Bueno
- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Farroupilha, Júlio de Castilhos, RS, Brazil
| | - Carlos A. Peres
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
- Instituto Juruá, Rua das Papoulas, 97 Manaus, Brazil
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31
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Leite MDS, Boesing AL, Metzger JP, Prado PI. Matrix quality determines the strength of habitat loss filtering on bird communities at the landscape scale. J Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Melina de Souza Leite
- Department of Ecology University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão 321, T14 São Paulo SP Brazil
| | - Andrea Larissa Boesing
- Department of Ecology University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão 321, T14 São Paulo SP Brazil
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Institute (SBiK‐F), Georg‐Voigt‐Straße 14 Frankfurt am Main Hessen Germany
| | - Jean Paul Metzger
- Department of Ecology University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão 321, T14 São Paulo SP Brazil
| | - Paulo Inácio Prado
- Department of Ecology University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão 321, T14 São Paulo SP Brazil
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32
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Meier L, Brauns M, Grimm V, Weitere M, Frank K. MASTIFF: A mechanistic model for cross-scale analyses of the functioning of multiple stressed riverine ecosystems. Ecol Modell 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.110007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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33
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Wood SLR, Martins KT, Dumais-Lalonde V, Tanguy O, Maure F, St-Denis A, Rayfield B, Martin AE, Gonzalez A. Missing Interactions: The Current State of Multispecies Connectivity Analysis. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.830822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Designing effective habitat and protected area networks, which sustain species-rich communities is a critical conservation challenge. Recent decades have witnessed the emergence of new computational methods for analyzing and prioritizing the connectivity needs of multiple species. We argue that the goal of prioritizing habitat for multispecies connectivity should be focused on long-term persistence of a set of species in a landscape or seascape. Here we present a review of the literature based on 77 papers published between 2010 and 2020, in which we assess the current state and recent advances in multispecies connectivity analysis in terrestrial ecosystems. We summarize the four most employed analytical methods, compare their data requirements, and provide an overview of studies comparing results from multiple methods. We explicitly look at approaches for integrating multiple species considerations into reserve design and identify novel approaches being developed to overcome computational and theoretical challenges posed by multispecies connectivity analyses. There is a lack of common metrics for multispecies connectivity. We suggest the index of metapopulation capacity as one metric by which to assess and compare the effectiveness of proposed network designs. We conclude that, while advances have been made over the past decade, the field remains nascent by its ability to integrate multiple species interactions into analytical approaches to connectivity. Furthermore, the field is hampered its ability to provide robust connectivity assessments for lack of a clear definition and goal for multispecies connectivity conservation.
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34
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Mérillet L, Robert M, Hernvann PY, Pecuchet L, Pavoine S, Mouchet M, Primicerio R, Kopp D. Effects of life-history traits and network topological characteristics on the robustness of marine food webs. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
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35
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Furey GN, Hawthorne PL, Tilman D. Might field experiments also be inadvertent metacommunities? Ecology 2022; 103:e3694. [PMID: 35353386 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Metacommunity theory predicts that the composition and diversity of a site depends on its characteristics and those of its neighborhood. Dispersal between plots in a field experiment could link responses observed in a focal plot to both its treatment and those of its neighbors. However, the diversity, composition and treatments of neighboring plots are rarely included in analyses of experimental treatments. We analyzed a spatially gridded grassland nitrogen addition experiment and found that plant species richness and the composition of focal plots were influenced not just by their nitrogen treatment but also by the number of species in neighboring plots and their abundances. For each additional species in a focal plot's neighborhood, the species richness of the focal plot increased by 0.30 species per 0.3 m2 . Control plots had a significant loss of species, at a rate of ~0.23 species per 0.3 m2 per year during the 23-year experiment, but only when their neighborhoods had low species richness. Changes in the abundance of the three dominant species depended both on the nitrogen treatment of a focal plot and on their abundance in adjacent plots. Our analyses suggested that both the experimental nitrogen treatments and metacommunity processes co-determined plant species richness and plant species' abundances. Our findings suggested that analyzing many traditional field experiments with a metacommunity perspective may reveal confounding of experimental treatments and provide empirical data to test metacommunity theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- George N Furey
- Ecology Evolution and Behavior, College of Biological Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
| | - Peter L Hawthorne
- Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN
| | - David Tilman
- Bren School of Environmental Management, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
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36
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Alberti M, Wang T. Detecting patterns of vertebrate biodiversity across the multidimensional urban landscape. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:1027-1045. [PMID: 35113498 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Explicit characterisation of the complexity of urban landscapes is critical for understanding patterns of biodiversity and for detecting the underlying social and ecological processes that shape them. Urban environments exhibit variable heterogeneity and connectivity, influenced by different historical contingencies, that affect community assembly across scales. The multidimensional nature of urban disturbance and co-occurrence of multiple stressors can cause synergistic effects leading to nonlinear responses in populations and communities. Yet, current research design of urban ecology and evolutionary studies typically relies on simple representation of the parameter space that can be observed. Sampling approaches apply simple urban gradients such as linear transects in space or comparisons of urban sites across the urban mosaic accounting for a few variables. This rarely considers multiple dimensions and scales of biodiversity, and proves to be inadequate to explain observed patterns. We apply a multidimensional approach that integrates distinctive social, ecological and built characteristics of urban landscapes, representing variations along dimensions of heterogeneity, connectivity and historical contingency. Measuring species richness and beta diversity across 100 US metropolitan areas at the city and 1-km scales, we show that distinctive signatures of urban biodiversity can result from interactions between socioecological heterogeneity and connectivity, mediated by historical contingency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Alberti
- Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Urban Ecology Research Lab, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Tianzhe Wang
- Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Urban Ecology Research Lab, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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37
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Addressing context dependence in ecology. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 37:158-170. [PMID: 34756764 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Context dependence is widely invoked to explain disparate results in ecology. It arises when the magnitude or sign of a relationship varies due to the conditions under which it is observed. Such variation, especially when unexplained, can lead to spurious or seemingly contradictory conclusions, which can limit understanding and our ability to transfer findings across studies, space, and time. Using examples from biological invasions, we identify two types of context dependence resulting from four sources: mechanistic context dependence arises from interaction effects; and apparent context dependence can arise from the presence of confounding factors, problems of statistical inference, and methodological differences among studies. Addressing context dependence is a critical challenge in ecology, essential for increased understanding and prediction.
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38
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Fahrig L, Watling JI, Arnillas CA, Arroyo-Rodríguez V, Jörger-Hickfang T, Müller J, Pereira HM, Riva F, Rösch V, Seibold S, Tscharntke T, May F. Resolving the SLOSS dilemma for biodiversity conservation: a research agenda. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 97:99-114. [PMID: 34453405 PMCID: PMC9290967 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The legacy of the 'SL > SS principle', that a single or a few large habitat patches (SL) conserve more species than several small patches (SS), is evident in decisions to protect large patches while down-weighting small ones. However, empirical support for this principle is lacking, and most studies find either no difference or the opposite pattern (SS > SL). To resolve this dilemma, we propose a research agenda by asking, 'are there consistent, empirically demonstrated conditions leading to SL > SS?' We first review and summarize 'single large or several small' (SLOSS) theory and predictions. We found that most predictions of SL > SS assume that between-patch variation in extinction rate dominates the outcome of the extinction-colonization dynamic. This is predicted to occur when populations in separate patches are largely independent of each other due to low between-patch movements, and when species differ in minimum patch size requirements, leading to strong nestedness in species composition along the patch size gradient. However, even when between-patch variation in extinction rate dominates the outcome of the extinction-colonization dynamic, theory can predict SS > SL. This occurs if extinctions are caused by antagonistic species interactions or disturbances, leading to spreading-of-risk of landscape-scale extinction across SS. SS > SL is also predicted when variation in colonization dominates the outcome of the extinction-colonization dynamic, due to higher immigration rates for SS than SL, and larger species pools in proximity to SS than SL. Theory that considers change in species composition among patches also predicts SS > SL because of higher beta diversity across SS than SL. This results mainly from greater environmental heterogeneity in SS due to greater variation in micro-habitats within and across SS habitat patches ('across-habitat heterogeneity'), and/or more heterogeneous successional trajectories across SS than SL. Based on our review of the relevant theory, we develop the 'SLOSS cube hypothesis', where the combination of three variables - between-patch movement, the role of spreading-of-risk in landscape-scale population persistence, and across-habitat heterogeneity - predict the SLOSS outcome. We use the SLOSS cube hypothesis and existing SLOSS empirical evidence, to predict SL > SS only when all of the following are true: low between-patch movement, low importance of spreading-of-risk for landscape-scale population persistence, and low across-habitat heterogeneity. Testing this prediction will be challenging, as it will require many studies of species groups and regions where these conditions hold. Each such study would compare gamma diversity across multiple landscapes varying in number and sizes of patches. If the prediction is not generally supported across such tests, then the mechanisms leading to SL > SS are extremely rare in nature and the SL > SS principle should be abandoned.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenore Fahrig
- Geomatics and Landscape Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - James I Watling
- John Carroll University, 1 John Carroll Blvd., University Heights, OH, U.S.A
| | | | - Víctor Arroyo-Rodríguez
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Antigua Carretera a Patzcuaro No. 8701, Ex-Hacienda de San Jose de la Huerta, 58190, Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico.,Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Tablaje Catastral No. 6998, Carretera Merida-Tetiz km 4.5, Municipio de Ucu, 97357, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
| | - Theresa Jörger-Hickfang
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (Halle-Jena-Leipzig), Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, Am Kirchtor 1, 06108, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Jörg Müller
- University of Würzburg, Sanderring 2, 97070, Würzburg, Germany.,Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2, 94481, Grafenau, Germany
| | - Henrique M Pereira
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (Halle-Jena-Leipzig), Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Federico Riva
- Geomatics and Landscape Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Verena Rösch
- Ecosystem Analysis, Institute for Environmental Science, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Sebastian Seibold
- Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Research Group, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354, Freising, Germany.,Berchtesgaden National Park, Doktorberg 6, 83471, Berchtesgaden, Germany
| | - Teja Tscharntke
- Agroecology, University of Göttingen, Wilhelmsplatz 1, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Felix May
- Freie Universität Berlin, Kaiserswerther Str. 16-18, 14195, Berlin, Germany
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39
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Swan CM, Brown B, Borowy D, Cavender‐Bares J, Jeliazkov A, Knapp S, Lososová Z, Padullés Cubino J, Pavoine S, Ricotta C, Sol D. A framework for understanding how biodiversity patterns unfold across multiple spatial scales in urban ecosystems. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Bryan Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences Virginia Tech 2125 Derring Hall Blacksburg Virginia 24061 USA
| | - Dorothy Borowy
- University of Maryland Baltimore County Baltimore Maryland 21250 USA
| | - Jeannine Cavender‐Bares
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior University of Minnesota 1479 Gortner Avenue St. Paul Minnesota 55108 USA
| | - Alienor Jeliazkov
- INRAE UR HYCAR University of Paris‐Saclay Antony 92160 France
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig 04103 Germany
| | - Sonja Knapp
- Department of Community Ecology Helmholtz‐Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ Theodor‐Lieser‐Str. 4 Halle (Saale) 06120 Germany
| | - Zdeňka Lososová
- Department of Botany and Zoology Masaryk University Kotlářská 2 Brno CZ‐61137 Czech Republic
| | - Josep Padullés Cubino
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior University of Minnesota 1479 Gortner Avenue St. Paul Minnesota 55108 USA
- Department of Botany and Zoology Masaryk University Kotlářská 2 Brno CZ‐61137 Czech Republic
| | - Sandrine Pavoine
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO) Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN) Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Sorbonne Université CP 135, 57 rue Cuvier Paris 75005 France
| | - Carlo Ricotta
- Department of Environmental Biology University of Rome La Sapienza’ Piazzale Aldo Moro 5 Roma 00185 Italy
| | - Daniel Sol
- CSIC Spanish National Research Council CREAF‐UAB Catalonia 08193 Spain
- CREAF Centre for Ecological Research and Applied Forestries Catalonia 08193 Spain
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40
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Guerra‐Castro EJ, Conde JE, Barcelo A, Cruz‐Motta JJ. Variation in fouling assemblages associated with prop roots of
Rhizophora mangle
L. in the Caribbean: The role of neutral and niche processes. AUSTRAL ECOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Edlin J. Guerra‐Castro
- Centro de Ecología Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas Altos de Pipe, Caracas 1020‐A Venezuela
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Mérida Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Mérida, Yucatán México
| | - Jesús Eloy Conde
- Centro de Ecología Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas Altos de Pipe, Caracas 1020‐A Venezuela
| | - Amalia Barcelo
- Escuela de Ciencias Aplicadas del Mar Universidad de Oriente Núcleo Nueva Esparta Boca de Río, Isla de Margarita Venezuela
| | - Juan J. Cruz‐Motta
- Laboratorio de Ecología Experimental Departamento de Estudios Ambientales Universidad Simón Bolívar Sartenejas Caracas Venezuela
- Department of Marine Sciences University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez Puerto Rico
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41
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Arroyo-Esquivel J, Marculis NG, Hastings A. The effect of colonization dynamics in competition for space in metacommunities. THEOR ECOL-NETH 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12080-021-00515-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
AbstractOne of the main factors that determines habitat suitability for sessile and territorial organisms is the presence or absence of another competing individual in that habitat. This type of competition arises in populations occupying patches in a metacommunity. Previous studies have looked at this process using a continuous-time modeling framework, where colonizations and extinctions occur simultaneously. However, different colonization processes may be performed by different species, which may affect the metacommunity dynamics. We address this issue by developing a discrete-time framework that describes these kinds of metacommunity interactions, and we consider different colonization dynamics. To understand potential dynamics, we consider specific functional forms that characterize the colonization and extinction processes of metapopulations competing for space as their limiting factor. We then provide a mathematical analysis of the models generated by this framework, and we compare these results to what is seen in nature and in previous models.
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42
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da Silva PG, Cañedo-Argüelles M, Bogoni JA, Heino J. Editorial: Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Metacommunities - Implications for Conservation and Management. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.670212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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43
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Phenotypic plasticity of invasive Carpobrotus edulis modulates tolerance against herbivores. Biol Invasions 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-021-02475-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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44
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Kurthen AL, He F, Dong X, Maasri A, Wu N, Cai Q, Jähnig SC. Metacommunity Structures of Macroinvertebrates and Diatoms in High Mountain Streams, Yunnan, China. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.571887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
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45
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Biodiversity and ecosystem services in the Campo Rupestre: A road map for the sustainability of the hottest Brazilian biodiversity hotspot. Perspect Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2020.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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