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Svenning JC, Buitenwerf R, Le Roux E. Trophic rewilding as a restoration approach under emerging novel biosphere conditions. Curr Biol 2024; 34:R435-R451. [PMID: 38714176 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2024]
Abstract
Rewilding is a restoration approach that aims to promote self-regulating complex ecosystems by restoring non-human ecological processes while reducing human control and pressures. Rewilding is forward-looking in that it aims to enhance functionality for biodiversity, accepting and indeed promoting the dynamic nature of ecosystems, rather than fixating on static composition or structure. Rewilding is thus especially relevant in our epoch of increasingly novel biosphere conditions, driven by strong human-induced global change. Here, we explore this hypothesis in the context of trophic rewilding - the restoration of trophic complexity mediated by wild, large-bodied animals, known as 'megafauna'. This focus reflects the strong ecological impacts of large-bodied animals, their widespread loss during the last 50,000 years and their high diversity and ubiquity in the preceding 50 million years. Restoring abundant, diverse, wild-living megafauna is expected to promote vegetation heterogeneity, seed dispersal, nutrient cycling and biotic microhabitats. These are fundamental drivers of biodiversity and ecosystem function and are likely to gain importance for maintaining a biodiverse biosphere under increasingly novel ecological conditions. Non-native megafauna species may contribute to these effects as ecological surrogates of extinct species or by promoting ecological functionality within novel assemblages. Trophic rewilding has strong upscaling potential via population growth and expansion of wild fauna. It is likely to facilitate biotic adaptation to changing climatic conditions and resilience to ecosystem collapse, and to curb some negative impacts of globalization, notably the dominance of invasive alien plants. Finally, we discuss the complexities of realizing the biodiversity benefits that trophic rewilding offers under novel biosphere conditions in a heavily populated world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens-Christian Svenning
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
| | - Robert Buitenwerf
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Elizabeth Le Roux
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
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2
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Lundgren EJ, Bergman J, Trepel J, le Roux E, Monsarrat S, Kristensen JA, Pedersen RØ, Pereyra P, Tietje M, Svenning JC. Functional traits-not nativeness-shape the effects of large mammalian herbivores on plant communities. Science 2024; 383:531-537. [PMID: 38301018 DOI: 10.1126/science.adh2616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Large mammalian herbivores (megafauna) have experienced extinctions and declines since prehistory. Introduced megafauna have partly counteracted these losses yet are thought to have unusually negative effects on plants compared with native megafauna. Using a meta-analysis of 3995 plot-scale plant abundance and diversity responses from 221 studies, we found no evidence that megafauna impacts were shaped by nativeness, "invasiveness," "feralness," coevolutionary history, or functional and phylogenetic novelty. Nor was there evidence that introduced megafauna facilitate introduced plants more than native megafauna. Instead, we found strong evidence that functional traits shaped megafauna impacts, with larger-bodied and bulk-feeding megafauna promoting plant diversity. Our work suggests that trait-based ecology provides better insight into interactions between megafauna and plants than do concepts of nativeness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erick J Lundgren
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO) and Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane City, Queensland, Australia
| | - Juraj Bergman
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO) and Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jonas Trepel
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO) and Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Conservation Biology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Elizabeth le Roux
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO) and Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
- Aarhus Institute for Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Sophie Monsarrat
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO) and Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Rewilding Europe, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Jeppe Aagaard Kristensen
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO) and Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Rasmus Østergaard Pedersen
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO) and Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Patricio Pereyra
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones, Científicas y Técnicas, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Centro de Investigación Aplicada y Transferencia, Tecnológica en Recursos Marinos Almirante Storni (CIMAS), San Antonio Oeste, Argentina
| | - Melanie Tietje
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO) and Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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3
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Lin S, Liu C, Chen X, Zhang Y, Lin H, Yu X, Bo Y, Lu Y. Self-Driven Photo-Polarized Water Molecule-Triggered Graphene-Based Photodetector. RESEARCH (WASHINGTON, D.C.) 2023; 6:0202. [PMID: 37529624 PMCID: PMC10389694 DOI: 10.34133/research.0202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Flowing water can be used as an energy source for generators, providing a major part of the energy for daily life. However, water is rarely used for information or electronic devices. Herein, we present the feasibility of a polarized liquid-triggered photodetector in which polarized water is sandwiched between graphene and a semiconductor. Due to the polarization and depolarization processes of water molecules driven by photogenerated carriers, a photo-sensitive current can be repeatedly produced, resulting in a high-performance photodetector. The response wavelength of the photodetector can be fine-tuned as a result of the free choice of semiconductors as there is no requirement of lattice match between graphene and the semiconductors. Under zero voltage bias, the responsivity and specific detectivity of Gr/NaCl (0.5 M)W/N-GaN reach values of 130.7 mA/W and 2.3 × 109 Jones under 350 nm illumination, respectively. Meanwhile, using a polar liquid photodetector can successfully read the photoplethysmography signals to produce accurate oxygen blood saturation and heart rate. Compared with the commercial pulse oximetry sensor, the average errors of oxygen saturation and heart rate in the designed photoplethysmography sensor are ~1.9% and ~2.1%, respectively. This study reveals that water can be used as a high-performance photodetector in informative industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shisheng Lin
- College of Information Science and Electronic Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China
- Hangzhou Gelanfeng Technology Co. Ltd, Hangzhou 310051, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China
| | - Chang Liu
- College of Information Science and Electronic Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China
| | - Xin Chen
- College of Information Science and Electronic Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Materials and Devices, HCSemitek Corporation, Yiwu 322009, P. R. China
| | - Hongtao Lin
- College of Information Science and Electronic Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China
| | - Xutao Yu
- College of Information Science and Electronic Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China
| | - Yujiao Bo
- College of Information Science and Electronic Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China
| | - Yanghua Lu
- Hangzhou Gelanfeng Technology Co. Ltd, Hangzhou 310051, P. R. China
- Smart Materials for Architecture Research Lab, Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University, Jiaxing 314100, P. R. China
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4
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Pringle RM, Abraham JO, Anderson TM, Coverdale TC, Davies AB, Dutton CL, Gaylard A, Goheen JR, Holdo RM, Hutchinson MC, Kimuyu DM, Long RA, Subalusky AL, Veldhuis MP. Impacts of large herbivores on terrestrial ecosystems. Curr Biol 2023; 33:R584-R610. [PMID: 37279691 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Large herbivores play unique ecological roles and are disproportionately imperiled by human activity. As many wild populations dwindle towards extinction, and as interest grows in restoring lost biodiversity, research on large herbivores and their ecological impacts has intensified. Yet, results are often conflicting or contingent on local conditions, and new findings have challenged conventional wisdom, making it hard to discern general principles. Here, we review what is known about the ecosystem impacts of large herbivores globally, identify key uncertainties, and suggest priorities to guide research. Many findings are generalizable across ecosystems: large herbivores consistently exert top-down control of plant demography, species composition, and biomass, thereby suppressing fires and the abundance of smaller animals. Other general patterns do not have clearly defined impacts: large herbivores respond to predation risk but the strength of trophic cascades is variable; large herbivores move vast quantities of seeds and nutrients but with poorly understood effects on vegetation and biogeochemistry. Questions of the greatest relevance for conservation and management are among the least certain, including effects on carbon storage and other ecosystem functions and the ability to predict outcomes of extinctions and reintroductions. A unifying theme is the role of body size in regulating ecological impact. Small herbivores cannot fully substitute for large ones, and large-herbivore species are not functionally redundant - losing any, especially the largest, will alter net impact, helping to explain why livestock are poor surrogates for wild species. We advocate leveraging a broad spectrum of techniques to mechanistically explain how large-herbivore traits and environmental context interactively govern the ecological impacts of these animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Pringle
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - Joel O Abraham
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - T Michael Anderson
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC 27109, USA
| | - Tyler C Coverdale
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA; Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Andrew B Davies
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | | | | | - Jacob R Goheen
- Department of Zoology & Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82072, USA
| | - Ricardo M Holdo
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Matthew C Hutchinson
- Department of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of California Merced, Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Duncan M Kimuyu
- Department of Natural Resources, Karatina University, Karatina, Kenya
| | - Ryan A Long
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
| | - Amanda L Subalusky
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Michiel P Veldhuis
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands
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5
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Mougi A. Eco-evolutionary dynamics in microbial interactions. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9042. [PMID: 37270654 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36221-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbes play an important role in ecosystem functioning and human health. A key feature of microbial interactions is a feedback system in which they modify the physical environment and react to it. Recently, it has been shown that the ecological consequences of microbial interactions driven by the modification of their surrounding pH environment can be predicted from the effects of their metabolic properties on pH. The optimum environmental pH for a given species can adaptively change in response to the changes in environmental pH that are induced by them. However, the mechanisms underlying the effect of these adaptive changes in pH niche on microbial coexistence are yet to be explored. In this study, I theoretically demonstrate that ecological theory can only accurately predict the qualitative ecological consequences if the growth and pH change rates are the same for each species, which suggests that adaptive pH niche changes can generally make ecological consequence predictions based on ecological theory difficult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiko Mougi
- Institute of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Academic Assembly, Shimane University, 1060 Nishikawatsu-Cho, Matsue, 690-8504, Japan.
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6
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Magliano PN, Breshears DD, Murray F, Niborski MJ, Nosetto MD, Zou CB, Jobbágy EG. South American Dry Chaco rangelands: Positive effects of cattle trampling and transit on ecohydrological functioning. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2800. [PMID: 36546663 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2800] [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: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Livestock production in drylands requires consideration of the ecological applications of ecohydrological redistribution of water. Intensive cattle trampling and the associated increase of surface runoff are common concerns for rangeland productivity and sustainability. Here, we highlight a regional livestock production system in which cattle trails and trampling surrounding an artificial impoundment are purposely managed to enhance redistribution and availability of water for cattle drinking. Based on literature synthesis and field measurements, we first describe cattle production systems and surface water redistribution in the Dry Chaco rangelands of South America, and then develop a conceptual framework to synthesize the ecohydrological impacts of livestock production on these ecosystems. Critical to this framework is the pioshere-a degraded overgrazed and overtrampled area where vegetation has difficulties growing, usually close to the water points. The Dry Chaco rangelands have three key distinctive characteristics associated with the flat sedimentary environment lacking fresh groundwater and the very extensive ranching conditions: (1) cattle drinking water is provided by artificial impoundments filled by runoff, (2) heavy trampling around the impoundment and its adjacent areas generates a piosphere that favors runoff toward the impoundment, and (3) the impoundment, piosphere, and extensive forage areas are hydrologically connected with a network of cattle trails. We propose an ecohydrological framework where cattle transit and trampling alter the natural water circulation of these ecosystems, affecting small fractions of the landscape through increased runoff (compaction in piosphere and trails), surface connectivity (convergence of trails to piosphere to impoundment), and ponding (compaction of the impoundment floor) that operate together making water harvesting and storage possible. These effects have likely generated a positive water feedback on the expansion of livestock in the region with a relatively low impact on forage production. We highlight the role of livestock transit as a geomorphological agent capable of reshaping the hydrology of flat sedimentary rangelands in ways that can be managed positively for sustainable ranching systems. We suggest that the Dry Chaco offers an alternative paradigm for rangelands in which cattle trampling may contribute to sustainable seminatural production systems with implications for other dry and flat rangelands of the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricio N Magliano
- Grupo de Estudios Ambientales - IMASL, Universidad Nacional de San Luis y CONICET, San Luis, Argentina
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, San Luis, Argentina
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - David D Breshears
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Francisco Murray
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), AER San Luis, San Luis, Argentina
| | - Marcos J Niborski
- Grupo de Estudios Ambientales - IMASL, Universidad Nacional de San Luis y CONICET, San Luis, Argentina
- Cátedra de Manejo y Conservación de Suelos, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), CABA, Argentina
| | - Marcelo D Nosetto
- Grupo de Estudios Ambientales - IMASL, Universidad Nacional de San Luis y CONICET, San Luis, Argentina
- Cátedra de Climatología, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos (UNER), Paraná, Argentina
| | - Chris B Zou
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Esteban G Jobbágy
- Grupo de Estudios Ambientales - IMASL, Universidad Nacional de San Luis y CONICET, San Luis, Argentina
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7
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Benoit JB, McCluney KE, DeGennaro MJ, Dow JAT. Dehydration Dynamics in Terrestrial Arthropods: From Water Sensing to Trophic Interactions. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 68:129-149. [PMID: 36270273 PMCID: PMC9936378 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-120120-091609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Since the transition from water to land, maintaining water balance has been a key challenge for terrestrial arthropods. We explore factors that allow terrestrial arthropods to survive within a variably dry world and how they shape ecological interactions. Detection of water and hydration is critical for maintaining water content. Efficient regulation of internal water content is accomplished by excretory and osmoregulatory systems that balance water intake and loss. Biochemical and physiological responses are necessary as water content declines to prevent and repair the damage that occurs during dehydration. Desiccation avoidance can occur seasonally or daily via a move to more favorable areas. Dehydration and its avoidance have ecological impacts that extend beyond a single species to alter trophic interactions. As climate changes, evolutionary and ecological processes will be critical to species survival during drought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua B Benoit
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA;
| | - Kevin E McCluney
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, USA;
| | - Matthew J DeGennaro
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University and Biomolecular Sciences Institute, Miami, Florida, USA;
| | - Julian A T Dow
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom;
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8
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Lundgren EJ, Ramp D, Middleton OS, Wooster EIF, Kusch E, Balisi M, Ripple WJ, Hasselerharm CD, Sanchez JN, Mills M, Wallach AD. A novel trophic cascade between cougars and feral donkeys shapes desert wetlands. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:2348-2357. [PMID: 35871769 PMCID: PMC10087508 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Introduced large herbivores have partly filled ecological gaps formed in the late Pleistocene, when many of the Earth's megafauna were driven extinct. However, extant predators are generally considered incapable of exerting top-down influences on introduced megafauna, leading to unusually strong disturbance and herbivory relative to native herbivores. We report on the first documented predation of juvenile feral donkeys Equus africanus asinus by cougars Puma concolor in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of North America. We then investigated how cougar predation corresponds with differences in feral donkey behaviour and associated effects on desert wetlands. Focusing on a feral donkey population in the Death Valley National Park, we used camera traps and vegetation surveys to compare donkey activity patterns and impacts between wetlands with and without cougar predation. Donkeys were primarily diurnal at wetlands with cougar predation, thereby avoiding cougars. However, donkeys were active throughout the day and night at sites without predation. Donkeys were ~87% less active (measured as hours of activity a day) at wetlands with predation (p < 0.0001). Sites with predation had reduced donkey disturbance and herbivory, including ~46% fewer access trails, 43% less trampled bare ground and 192% more canopy cover (PERMANOVA, R2 = 0.22, p = 0.0003). Our study is the first to reveal a trophic cascade involving cougars, feral equids and vegetation. Cougar predation appears to rewire an ancient food web, with diverse implications for modern ecosystems. Our results suggest that protecting apex predators could have important implications for the ecological effects of introduced megafauna.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erick J Lundgren
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark.,Centre for Compassionate Conservation, TD School, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Australia
| | - Daniel Ramp
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, TD School, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Australia
| | | | - Eamonn I F Wooster
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, TD School, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Australia
| | - Erik Kusch
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Mairin Balisi
- La Brea Tar Pits and Museum, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology, Claremont, CA, USA
| | - William J Ripple
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Chris D Hasselerharm
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jessica N Sanchez
- One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Mystyn Mills
- Department of Botany & Plant Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Arian D Wallach
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, TD School, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Australia
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9
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Blanchard G, Munoz F. Revisiting extinction debt through the lens of multitrophic networks and meta‐ecosystems. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Grégoire Blanchard
- AMAP, Univ. Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD Montpellier France
- AMAP, IRD, Herbier de Nouvelle Calédonie Nouméa Nouvelle Calédonie
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10
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Berger J, Biel M, Hayes FP. Species conflict at Earth’s edges – Contests, climate, and coveted resources. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.991714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Direct conflict between species is an infrequently witnessed biological phenomenon. Potential drivers of such contests can include climate change, especially at Earth’s high elevation and latitudinal extremes where temperatures warm 2–5 times faster than elsewhere and hydro-geomorphic processes such as glacial recession and soil erosion affect species access to abiotic resources. We addressed a component of this broader issue by empirical assessments of mammalian conflict over access to four abiotic resources – minerals, water, snow, and shade – by annotation of past studies and by empirical data collection. Evidence for Nearctic and Palearctic mammals indicates that when desert waters are in short supply, contests intensify, generally favoring larger species regardless of their status as native or exotic. Our empirical data indicate that contests between two large and approximately similarly-sized mammals – mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) and bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) – along a 2,500 km gradient at three high-altitude (above tree-line) sites in the Rocky Mountains of North America, result in striking asymmetries; goats dominated > 95% of interactions. Despite far fewer observations of encounters to access shade or snow patches, an increasingly prominent dialog needs to be held about rarely explored biological phenomena where less is known than we might otherwise presume, whether induced by climate or increasing anthropological alteration because of underpinnings to understand community structure and conservation planning. Observations on the frequency and intensity by which individuals escalate behavior to access abiotic resources remains an underappreciated arena to help identify the proximate importance of scarcity in the natural environment. Notwithstanding Darwin’s prediction some 165 years ago that populations in extreme environments (high-latitude, high-altitude) are more likely to be impacted by abiotic variables than biotic, conflict between species may be reflective of climate degradation coupled with the changing nature of coveted resources.
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11
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Castelli G, Piemontese L, Quinn R, Aerts J, Elsner P, Ertsen M, Hussey S, Filho WL, Limones N, Mpofu B, Neufeld DG, Ngugi K, Ngwenya N, Parker A, Ryan C, de Trincheria J, Villani L, Eisma J, Bresci E. Sand dams for sustainable water management: Challenges and future opportunities. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:156126. [PMID: 35605850 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156126] [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: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Sand dams are impermeable water harvesting structures built to collect and store water within the volume of sediments transported by ephemeral rivers. The artificial sandy aquifer created by the sand dam reduces evaporation losses relative to surface water storage in traditional dams. Recent years have seen a renaissance of studies on sand dams as an effective water scarcity adaptation strategy for drylands. However, many aspects of their functioning and effectiveness are still unclear. Literature reviews have pointed to a range of research gaps that need further scientific attention, such as river corridors and network dynamics, watershed-scale impacts, and interaction with social dynamics. However, the scattered and partially incomplete information across the different reviews would benefit from an integrated framework for directing future research efforts. This paper is a collaborative effort of different research groups active on sand dams and stems from the need to channel future research efforts on this topic in a thorough and coherent way. We synthesize the pivotal research gaps of a) unclear definition of "functioning" sand dams, b) lack of methodologies for watershed-scale analysis, c) neglect of social aspects in sand dam research, and d) underreported impacts of sand dams. We then propose framing future research to better target the synthesized gaps, including using the social-ecological systems framework to better capture the interconnected social and biophysical research gaps on sand dams, fully utilizing the potential of remote sensing in large-scale studies and collecting sand dam cases across the world to create an extensive database to advance evidence-based research on sand dams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Castelli
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy.
| | - Luigi Piemontese
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy
| | - Ruth Quinn
- Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, The University of Sheffield, United Kingdom; Department of Civil Engineering and Construction, Atlantic Technological University, Sligo, Ireland
| | - Jeroen Aerts
- Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM), VU University Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Paul Elsner
- Department of Geography, Birkbeck, University of London, United Kingdom
| | - Maurits Ertsen
- Water Resources, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands
| | | | - Walter Leal Filho
- Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, United Kingdom
| | - Natalia Limones
- Department of Physical Geography and Regional Geographic Analysis, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | - Alison Parker
- Cranfield Water Science Institute, Cranfield University, United Kingdom
| | - Cate Ryan
- Department of Environmental Science, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand
| | - Josep de Trincheria
- Institute of Wastewater Management and Water Protection, Hamburg University of Technology, Germany
| | - Lorenzo Villani
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy; Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussels (VUB), Belgium
| | - Jessica Eisma
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington, USA
| | - Elena Bresci
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy
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12
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Fricke EC, Hsieh C, Middleton O, Gorczynski D, Cappello CD, Sanisidro O, Rowan J, Svenning JC, Beaudrot L. Collapse of terrestrial mammal food webs since the Late Pleistocene. Science 2022; 377:1008-1011. [PMID: 36007038 DOI: 10.1126/science.abn4012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Food webs influence ecosystem diversity and functioning. Contemporary defaunation has reduced food web complexity, but simplification caused by past defaunation is difficult to reconstruct given the sparse paleorecord of predator-prey interactions. We identified changes to terrestrial mammal food webs globally over the past ~130,000 years using extinct and extant mammal traits, geographic ranges, observed predator-prey interactions, and deep learning models. Food webs underwent steep regional declines in complexity through loss of food web links after the arrival and expansion of human populations. We estimate that defaunation has caused a 53% decline in food web links globally. Although extinctions explain much of this effect, range losses for extant species degraded food webs to a similar extent, highlighting the potential for food web restoration via extant species recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan C Fricke
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.,Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Chia Hsieh
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Owen Middleton
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | | | | | - Oscar Sanisidro
- Departamento Ciencia de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - John Rowan
- Department of Anthropology, University at Albany, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lydia Beaudrot
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
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13
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Péter H, Zuberbühler K, Hobaiter C. Well-digging in a community of forest-living wild East African chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii). Primates 2022; 63:355-364. [PMID: 35662388 PMCID: PMC9273564 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-022-00992-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
Access to resources shapes species' physiology and behaviour. Water is not typically considered a limiting resource for rainforest-living chimpanzees; however, several savannah and savannah-woodland communities show behavioural adaptations to limited water. Here, we provide a first report of habitual well-digging in a rainforest-living group of East African chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) and suggest that it may have been imported into the community's behavioural repertoire by an immigrant female. We describe the presence and frequency of well-digging and related behaviour, and suggest that its subsequent spread in the group may have involved some degree of social learning. We highlight that subsurface water is a concealed resource, and that the limited spread of well-digging in the group may highlight the cognitive, rather than physical, challenges it presents in a rainforest environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hella Péter
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK.,School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Klaus Zuberbühler
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK.,Department of Comparative Cognition, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.,Budongo Conservation Field Station, PO Box 362, Masindi, Uganda
| | - Catherine Hobaiter
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK. .,Budongo Conservation Field Station, PO Box 362, Masindi, Uganda.
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14
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Kerby JT, Krivak-Tetley FE, Shikesho SD, Bolger DT. Livestock impacts on an iconic Namib Desert plant are mediated by abiotic conditions. Oecologia 2022; 199:229-242. [PMID: 35524862 PMCID: PMC9120118 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05177-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Resolving the relative contributions of top-down versus bottom-up drivers of vegetation dynamics is a major challenge in drylands. In the coming decades, growing livestock populations and shifts in water availability will simultaneously impact many arid systems, but a lack of empirical data on plant responses to these pressures limits understanding of how plants will respond. Here, we combine ground and drone observations from an herbivore exclosure experiment to identify ungulate visitation patterns and their impacts on the cover and melon production of !nara (Acanthosicyos horridus), a large, long-lived desert plant in the hyper-arid Namib Desert. !Nara are of key ecological, social, and economic importance to Namib ecosystems and to the local Topnaar people. At our study site, we find that among native and domestic herbivores, free-ranging donkeys have the largest impact on !nara cover and melon production. !Nara cover was negatively affected by herbivores close to the desert-ephemeral river ecotone during a dry period, whereas !nara cover increased on all plants across the landscape during a wetter period, regardless of herbivore access. !Nara near the river channel and those protected from herbivores had more mature melons, particularly during the wetter period. At this site, the potential for conflict between Topnaar !nara melon harvesting and pastoral practices varies with a plant's distance from the river and prevailing abiotic conditions. This work advances monitoring approaches and adds empirical support to the understanding that top-down and bottom-up regulation of plant dynamics varies with spatiotemporal context, even within landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey T Kerby
- Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, Høegh-Guldbergs Gade 6B, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.
- Department of Environmental Studies, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA.
| | - Flora E Krivak-Tetley
- Department of Environmental Studies, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Saima D Shikesho
- Gobabeb-Namib Research Institute, Namib Naukluft Park, Namibia
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Douglas T Bolger
- Department of Environmental Studies, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
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15
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Boyce P, Bhattacharyya J, Linklater W. The need for formal reflexivity in conservation science. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36:e13840. [PMID: 34623701 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Conservation issues are often complicated by sociopolitical controversies that reflect competing philosophies and values regarding natural systems, animals, and people. Effective conservation outcomes require managers to engage myriad influences (social, cultural, political, and economic, as well as ecological). The contribution of conservation scientists who generate the information on which solutions rely is constrained if they are unable to acknowledge how personal values and disciplinary paradigms influence their research and conclusions. Conservation challenges involving controversial species provide an opportunity to reflect on the paradigms and value systems that underpin the discipline and practice of conservation science. Recent analyses highlight the ongoing reliance on normative values in conservation. We frame our discussion around controversies over feral horses (Equus ferus caballus) in the Canadian West and New Zealand and suggest that a lack of transparency and reflexivity regarding normative values continues to prevent conservation practitioners from finding resilient conservation solutions. We suggest that growing scrutiny and backlash to many normative conservation objectives necessitates formal reflexivity methods in conservation biology research, similar to those required of researchers in social science disciplines. Moreover, given that much conservation research and action continues to prioritize Western normative values regarding nature and conservation, we suggest that adopting reflexive methods more broadly is an important step toward more socially just research and practice. Formalizing such methods and requiring reflexivity in research will not only encourage reflection on how personal and disciplinary value systems influence conservation work but could more effectively engage people with diverse perspectives and values in conservation and encourage more novel and resilient conservation outcomes, particularly when dealing with controversial species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Boyce
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Jonaki Bhattacharyya
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Wayne Linklater
- Department of Environmental Studies, California State University, Sacramento, California, USA
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16
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Lundgren EJ, Moeller KT, Clyne MO, Middleton OS, Mahoney SM, Kwapich CL. Cicada nymphs dominate American black bear diet in a desert riparian area. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8577. [PMID: 35261736 PMCID: PMC8888249 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Erick J. Lundgren
- Department of Biology Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE) Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus C Denmark
| | - Karla T. Moeller
- School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
| | - Michael Otis Clyne
- Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology Graduate Program University of Nevada, Reno Reno Nevada USA
| | | | - Sean M. Mahoney
- Department of Wildlife Humboldt State University Arcata California USA
| | - Christina L. Kwapich
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Massachusetts Lowell Lowell Massachusetts USA
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17
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Abdullah MM, Assi A, Zubari WK, Mohtar R, Eidan H, Al Ali Z, Al Anzi B, Sharma VK, Ma X. Revegetation of native desert plants enhances food security and water sustainability in arid regions: Integrated modeling assessment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 806:151295. [PMID: 34736754 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Food security and water sustainability in arid and semiarid regions are threatened by rapid population growth, declining natural resources, and global climate change. Countries in the arid regions compensate meat import by raising domestic livestock with cultivated green fodder, which diminishes lands for other crops and depletes precious water resources. This study presents for the first time an in-depth integrated food water ecosystem (FWEco) nexus modeling on the feasibility of restoring 10% of Kuwait's desert as grazing rangeland to alleviate water consumption from fodder production. Our results showed that revegetating 10% of the country's land with native species could support up to 23% of domestic livestock through natural grazing at optimal coverage (70%) and high productivity, and decrease water consumption by up to 90%. However, depending solely on natural rainfall is unlikely to achieve the optimal coverage. Strategic supplemental irrigation in the fall season (e.g., October and November) is required to maximize vegetation coverage and enhance food security and water sustainability. Significantly, strategic irrigation results in much lower net water consumption because irrigating native species requires much less water than green fodder cultivation. Therefore, revegetating desert lands with native species to restore their natural grazing service can be a sustainable approach to simultaneously improve food security and water sustainability in arid landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meshal M Abdullah
- Geography Department, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, P.O. Box 50, Oman; Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
| | - Amjad Assi
- Natural Environmental Systems and Technologies (NEST) Research Group, Ecolife Sciences Research and Consultation, Kuwait; Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Waleed K Zubari
- Arabian Gulf University, College of Graduate Studies, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Manama, Bahrain
| | - Rabi Mohtar
- Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Hamed Eidan
- Natural Environmental Systems and Technologies (NEST) Research Group, Ecolife Sciences Research and Consultation, Kuwait
| | - Zahraa Al Ali
- Natural Environmental Systems and Technologies (NEST) Research Group, Ecolife Sciences Research and Consultation, Kuwait
| | - Bader Al Anzi
- Department of Environmental Technologies and Management, College of Life Sciences, Kuwait University, Kuwait City 13060, Kuwait
| | - Virender K Sharma
- School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
| | - Xingmao Ma
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
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18
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The Impacts of Drought on the Health and Demography of Eastern Grey Kangaroos. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12030256. [PMID: 35158580 PMCID: PMC8833700 DOI: 10.3390/ani12030256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Eastern grey kangaroos, like most wildlife, are facing an increasingly uncertain future under rapid climate change. How individuals and populations cope with extreme climatic events will influence their capacity to adapt and persist. Here, we analyzed how drought impacted eastern grey kangaroo populations by focusing on their body condition, demography, activity rates at water points, and the likelihood of parasitic infections. We found that body condition was lower as environmental conditions became more extreme and that fewer males in the population were observed. The proportion of juveniles within the population increased as more favorable conditions returned. Kangaroos with poor body conditions were more likely to become hosts to ticks, while higher parasite egg burdens in scats occurred in autumn. Our study has shown that the impacts eastern grey kangaroos face during climatic events such as drought can be severe and may have long-term consequences. Abstract Extreme climatic events such as droughts and floods are expected to become more intense and severe under climate change, especially in the southern and eastern parts of Australia. We aimed to quantify the relationship between body condition scores (BCS), demography, activity rate, and parasitic infections of eastern grey kangaroos on a large conservation property under different climate extremes by employing camera traps established at artificial water points (AWPs). The survey period included a severe drought, broken by a significant flooding event. Climatic and environmental conditions were documented using remotely sensed indices of moisture availability and vegetation productivity. These conditions were found to affect all health and population parameters measured. BCS, juvenile proportions, and sex ratios were most correlated with 6-month lags in climatic conditions, while the activity rate of kangaroos at AWPs was most correlated with vegetation productivity. Ticks were mostly found on individuals with a poorer BCS, while the concentration of parasitic eggs in feces was higher in autumn than in spring. Our study offers a glimpse into some of the environmental drivers of eastern grey kangaroo populations and their health, information that may become increasingly important in today’s climate. It further emphasizes the importance of this knowledge for wildlife conservation efforts appropriate to managing the impact of climate change alongside other threats.
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19
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Miller ZR, Allesina S. Metapopulations with habitat modification. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2109896118. [PMID: 34857638 PMCID: PMC8670473 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2109896118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Across the tree of life, organisms modify their local environment, rendering it more or less hospitable for other species. Despite the ubiquity of these processes, simple models that can be used to develop intuitions about the consequences of widespread habitat modification are lacking. Here, we extend the classic Levins metapopulation model to a setting where each of n species can colonize patches connected by dispersal, and when patches are vacated via local extinction, they retain a "memory" of the previous occupant-modeling habitat modification. While this model can exhibit a wide range of dynamics, we draw several overarching conclusions about the effects of modification and memory. In particular, we find that any number of species may potentially coexist, provided that each is at a disadvantage when colonizing patches vacated by a conspecific. This notion is made precise through a quantitative stability condition, which provides a way to unify and formalize existing conceptual models. We also show that when patch memory facilitates coexistence, it generically induces a positive relationship between diversity and robustness (tolerance of disturbance). Our simple model provides a portable, tractable framework for studying systems where species modify and react to a shared landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary R Miller
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637;
| | - Stefano Allesina
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
- Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
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20
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Kristensen JA, Svenning JC, Georgiou K, Malhi Y. Can large herbivores enhance ecosystem carbon persistence? Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 37:117-128. [PMID: 34801276 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
There is growing interest in aligning the wildlife conservation and restoration agenda with climate change mitigation goals. However, the presence of large herbivores tends to reduce aboveground biomass in some open-canopy ecosystems, leading to the possibility that large herbivore restoration may negatively influence ecosystem carbon storage. Belowground carbon storage is often ignored in these systems, despite the wide recognition of soils as the largest actively-cycling terrestrial carbon pool. Here, we suggest a shift away from a main focus on vegetation carbon stocks, towards inclusion of whole ecosystem carbon persistence, in future assessments of large herbivore effects on long-term carbon storage. Failure to do so may lead to counterproductive biodiversity and climate impacts of land management actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeppe A Kristensen
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK; Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE) and Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE) and Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | | | - Yadvinder Malhi
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
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21
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Coates PS, O'neil ST, MuÑoz DA, Dwight IA, Tull JC. Sage‐Grouse Population Dynamics are Adversely Affected by Overabundant Feral Horses. J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peter S. Coates
- U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Road Dixon CA 95620 USA
| | - Shawn T. O'neil
- U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Road Dixon CA 95620 USA
| | - Diana A. MuÑoz
- U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Road Dixon CA 95620 USA
| | - Ian A. Dwight
- U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Road Dixon CA 95620 USA
| | - John C. Tull
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Science Applications, Pacific Southwest Region 1340 Financial Boulevard Reno NV 89502 USA
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22
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Lundgren EJ, Ramp D, Stromberg JC, Wu J, Nieto NC, Sluk M, Moeller KT, Wallach AD. Equids engineer desert water availability. Science 2021; 372:491-495. [PMID: 33926950 DOI: 10.1126/science.abd6775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Megafauna play important roles in the biosphere, yet little is known about how they shape dryland ecosystems. We report on an overlooked form of ecosystem engineering by donkeys and horses. In the deserts of North America, digging of ≤2-meter wells to groundwater by feral equids increased the density of water features, reduced distances between waters, and, at times, provided the only water present. Vertebrate richness and activity were higher at equid wells than at adjacent dry sites, and, by mimicking flood disturbance, equid wells became nurseries for riparian trees. Our results suggest that equids, even those that are introduced or feral, are able to buffer water availability, which may increase resilience to ongoing human-caused aridification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erick J Lundgren
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia. .,Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Daniel Ramp
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Jianguo Wu
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.,School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Nathan C Nieto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Martin Sluk
- Roger Williams Park Museum of Natural History, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Karla T Moeller
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Arian D Wallach
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
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