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Valente JJ, Rivers JW, Yang Z, Nelson SK, Northrup JM, Roby DD, Meyer CB, Betts MG. Fragmentation effects on an endangered species across a gradient from the interior to edge of its range. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2023; 37:e14091. [PMID: 37021393 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14091] [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: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how habitat fragmentation affects individual species is complicated by challenges associated with quantifying species-specific habitat and spatial variability in fragmentation effects within a species' range. We aggregated a 29-year breeding survey data set for the endangered marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) from >42,000 forest sites throughout the Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington, and northern California) of the United States. We built a species distribution model (SDM) in which occupied sites were linked with Landsat imagery to quantify murrelet-specific habitat and then used occupancy models to test the hypotheses that fragmentation negatively affects murrelet breeding distribution and that these effects are amplified with distance from the marine foraging habitat toward the edge of the species' nesting range. Murrelet habitat declined in the Pacific Northwest by 20% since 1988, whereas the proportion of habitat comprising edges increased by 17%, indicating increased fragmentation. Furthermore, fragmentation of murrelet habitat at landscape scales (within 2 km of survey stations) negatively affected occupancy of potential breeding sites, and these effects were amplified near the range edge. On the coast, the odds of occupancy decreased by 37% (95% confidence interval [CI] -54 to 12) for each 10% increase in edge habitat (i.e., fragmentation), but at the range edge (88 km inland) these odds decreased by 99% (95% CI 98 to 99). Conversely, odds of murrelet occupancy increased by 31% (95% CI 14 to 52) for each 10% increase in local edge habitat (within 100 m of survey stations). Avoidance of fragmentation at broad scales but use of locally fragmented habitat with reduced quality may help explain the lack of murrelet population recovery. Further, our results emphasize that fragmentation effects can be nuanced, scale dependent, and geographically variable. Awareness of these nuances is critical for developing landscape-level conservation strategies for species experiencing broad-scale habitat loss and fragmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathon J Valente
- Department of Forest Engineering, Resources, and Management, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alabama Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - James W Rivers
- Department of Forest Engineering, Resources, and Management, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Zhiqiang Yang
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Ogden, Utah, USA
| | - S Kim Nelson
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Joseph M Northrup
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, and Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Daniel D Roby
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | | | - Matthew G Betts
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
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2
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Lee MB, Chen D, Zou F. Winter Bird Diversity and Abundance in Small Farmlands in a Megacity of Southern China. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.859199] [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
Urban expansion often accompanies a loss of natural habitats and arable lands but an increase in urban population. In China, vegetable-dominant small farmlands are common in urban/peri-urban areas. Some farmlands are also associated with government policy that aims to enhance local farmers’ livelihoods as well as increase food availability for city citizens. While small urban farmlands create open greenery cover that may provide birds with resources such as food and shelter, little attention has been given to understanding bird diversity in urban farmlands. Using two hierarchical models (multi-species occupancy model and N-mixture model), we examined how species richness and abundance of birds were associated with environmental characteristics within and surrounding urban farmlands in Guangzhou, one of the largest cities in China. We conducted crop and bird surveys at urban farmlands during two winter seasons between December 2019 and January 2021. Species richness increased with non-woody (herbaceous) vegetation cover within a farmland. Abundance of three species was also positively associated with the local non-woody vegetation variable. Two species were more abundant at farmlands with higher crop diversity. Compositional features of matrix surrounding a farmland (a 500-m circular area) did not affect species richness. However, species richness and abundance of one species tended to decrease with increasing farmland fragmentation (patch density of farmlands) within a 1-km circular area. These findings suggest that (1) birds could be more influenced by environmental features within farmlands than matrix features surrounding farmlands, (2) local uncultivated herbaceous vegetation is an important environmental feature, and (3) diverse crops in farmlands may benefit some birds. They also indicate that the landscape pattern of farmlands, such as degree of fragmentation, could affect bird diversity in urban farmlands.
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3
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Local and Landscape Compositions Influence Stingless Bee Communities and Pollination Networks in Tropical Mixed Fruit Orchards, Thailand. DIVERSITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/d12120482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Stingless bees are vital pollinators for both wild and crop plants, yet their communities have been affected and altered by anthropogenic land-use change. Additionally, few studies have directly addressed the consequences of land-use change for meliponines, and knowledge on how their communities change across gradients in surrounding landscape cover remains scarce. Here, we examine both how local and landscape-level compositions as well as forest proximity affect both meliponine species richness and abundance together with pollination networks across 30 mixed fruit orchards in Southern Thailand. The results reveal that most landscape-level factors significantly influenced both stingless bee richness and abundance. Surrounding forest cover has a strong positive direct effect on both factors, while agricultural and urbanized cover generally reduced both bee abundance and diversity. In the local habitat, there is a significant interaction between orchard size and floral richness with stingless bee richness. We also found that pollinator specialization in pollination networks decreased when the distance to the forest patch increased. Both local and landscape factors thus influenced meliponine assemblages, particularly the forest patches surrounding an orchard, which potentially act as a key reservoir for stingless bees and other pollinator taxa. Preservation of forest patches can protect the permanent nesting and foraging habitat of various pollinator taxa, resulting in high visitation for crop and wild plants.
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Rus AI, McArthur C, Mella VSA, Crowther MS. Habitat fragmentation affects movement and space use of a specialist folivore, the koala. Anim Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. I. Rus
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
| | - C. McArthur
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
| | - V. S. A. Mella
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
| | - M. S. Crowther
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
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Zungu MM, Maseko MS, Kalle R, Ramesh T, Downs CT. Effects of landscape context on mammal richness in the urban forest mosaic of EThekwini Municipality, Durban, South Africa. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
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Betts MG, Wolf C, Pfeifer M, Banks-Leite C, Arroyo-Rodríguez V, Ribeiro DB, Barlow J, Eigenbrod F, Faria D, Fletcher RJ, Hadley AS, Hawes JE, Holt RD, Klingbeil B, Kormann U, Lens L, Levi T, Medina-Rangel GF, Melles SL, Mezger D, Morante-Filho JC, Orme CDL, Peres CA, Phalan BT, Pidgeon A, Possingham H, Ripple WJ, Slade EM, Somarriba E, Tobias JA, Tylianakis JM, Urbina-Cardona JN, Valente JJ, Watling JI, Wells K, Wearn OR, Wood E, Young R, Ewers RM. Extinction filters mediate the global effects of habitat fragmentation on animals. Science 2019; 366:1236-1239. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aax9387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Habitat loss is the primary driver of biodiversity decline worldwide, but the effects of fragmentation (the spatial arrangement of remaining habitat) are debated. We tested the hypothesis that forest fragmentation sensitivity—affected by avoidance of habitat edges—should be driven by historical exposure to, and therefore species’ evolutionary responses to disturbance. Using a database containing 73 datasets collected worldwide (encompassing 4489 animal species), we found that the proportion of fragmentation-sensitive species was nearly three times as high in regions with low rates of historical disturbance compared with regions with high rates of disturbance (i.e., fires, glaciation, hurricanes, and deforestation). These disturbances coincide with a latitudinal gradient in which sensitivity increases sixfold at low versus high latitudes. We conclude that conservation efforts to limit edges created by fragmentation will be most important in the world’s tropical forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew G. Betts
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Christopher Wolf
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Marion Pfeifer
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | | | - Víctor Arroyo-Rodríguez
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Campus Morelia, Antigua Carretera Patzcuaro no. 8701, Ex-Hacienda de San José de la Huerta, 58190 Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
| | - Danilo Bandini Ribeiro
- Instituo de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Caixa Postal 549, 79070-900 Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Jos Barlow
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK
- Setor Ecologia, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Lavras, 37200-000, Lavras, MG, Brazil
| | - Felix Eigenbrod
- Geography and Environmental Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Deborah Faria
- Applied Conservation Ecology Lab, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, da Biodiversidade, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rodovia Ilhéus-Itabuna, km 16, Salobrinho, 45662-000 Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Robert J. Fletcher
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Adam S. Hadley
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Joseph E. Hawes
- Applied Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UK
| | - Robert D. Holt
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Brian Klingbeil
- School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Urs Kormann
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
- Division of Forest Sciences, School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences HAFL, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Zollikofen, Switzerland
| | - Luc Lens
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Taal Levi
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Guido F. Medina-Rangel
- Groupo de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Reptiles, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Ciudad Universitaria, Edificio 425, Bogotá, Distrito Capital, Colombia
| | - Stephanie L. Melles
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada
| | - Dirk Mezger
- Department of Science and Education, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL 60605, USA
| | - José Carlos Morante-Filho
- Applied Conservation Ecology Lab, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, da Biodiversidade, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rodovia Ilhéus-Itabuna, km 16, Salobrinho, 45662-000 Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Avenida Transnordestina, s/n - Novo Horizonte, 44036-900 Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil
| | - C. David L. Orme
- Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Carlos A. Peres
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Benjamin T. Phalan
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, 40170-115 Bahia, Brazil
| | - Anna Pidgeon
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Hugh Possingham
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA 22203, USA
| | - William J. Ripple
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Eleanor M. Slade
- Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Dr., 637459 Singapore
| | - Eduardo Somarriba
- Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza, Turrialba, Costa Rica
| | - Joseph A. Tobias
- Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Jason M. Tylianakis
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - J. Nicolás Urbina-Cardona
- Department of Ecology and Territory, School of Rural and Environmental Studies, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Jonathon J. Valente
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Migratory Bird Center, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 20013, USA
| | - James I. Watling
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH 44118, USA
| | - Konstans Wells
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, Wales, UK
| | - Oliver R. Wearn
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Eric Wood
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032, USA
| | - Richard Young
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Les Augres Manor, Trinity, Jersey JE3 5BP, UK
| | - Robert M. Ewers
- Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot SL5 7PY, UK
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7
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Valente JJ, Betts MG. Response to fragmentation by avian communities is mediated by species traits. DIVERS DISTRIB 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathon J. Valente
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society Forest Biodiversity Research Network Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon
| | - Matthew G. Betts
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society Forest Biodiversity Research Network Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon
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8
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Espinosa MI, Gouin N, Squeo FA, López D, Bertin A. Landscape connectivity among remnant populations of guanaco ( Lama guanicoe Müller, 1776) in an arid region of Chile impacted by global change. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4429. [PMID: 29507827 PMCID: PMC5836568 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Connectivity between populations plays a key role in the long-term persistence of species in fragmented habitats. This is of particular concern for biodiversity preservation in drylands, since water limited landscapes are typically characterized by little suitable habitat cover, high habitat fragmentation, harsh matrices, and are being rapidly degraded at a global scale. In this study, we modelled landscape connectivity between 11 guanaco Lama guanicoe populations in Chile’s arid Norte Chico, a region that supports the last remnant coastal populations of this emblematic herbivore indigenous to South America. We produced a habitat suitability model to derive a regional surface resistance map, and used circuit theory to map functional connectivity, investigate the relative isolation between populations, and identify those that contribute most to the patch connectivity network. Predicted suitable habitat for L. guanicoe represented about 25% of the study region (i.e., 29,173 km2) and was heterogeneously distributed along a continuous stretch along the Andes, and discontinuous patches along the coast. As a result, we found that high connectivity current flows in the mid and high Andes formed a wide, continuous connectivity corridor, enabling connectivity between all high Andean populations. Coastal populations, in contrast, were more isolated. These groups demonstrate no inter-population connectivity between themselves, only with higher altitude populations, and for two of them, animal movement was linked to the effectiveness of wildlife crossings along the Pan-American highway. Our results indicate that functional connectivity is an issue of concern for L. guanicoe in Chile’s Norte Chico, implying that future conservation and management plans should emphasize strategies aimed at conserving functional connectivity between coastal and Andean populations, as well as the protection of habitat patches likely to act as stepping stones within the connectivity network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara I Espinosa
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Serena, La Serena, Chile
| | - Nicolas Gouin
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Serena, La Serena, Chile.,Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas, La Serena, Chile.,Instituto de Investigación Multidisciplinar en Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad de La Serena, La Serena, Chile
| | - Francisco A Squeo
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Serena, La Serena, Chile.,Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas, La Serena, Chile.,Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Santiago, Chile
| | - David López
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas, La Serena, Chile
| | - Angéline Bertin
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Serena, La Serena, Chile
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Kormann UG, Hadley AS, Tscharntke T, Betts MG, Robinson WD, Scherber C. Primary rainforest amount at the landscape scale mitigates bird biodiversity loss and biotic homogenization. J Appl Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Urs G. Kormann
- Agroecology Georg‐August University Göttingen Göttingen Germany
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society Oregon State University Corvallis OR USA
| | - Adam S. Hadley
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society Oregon State University Corvallis OR USA
| | - Teja Tscharntke
- Agroecology Georg‐August University Göttingen Göttingen Germany
| | - Matthew G. Betts
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society Oregon State University Corvallis OR USA
| | - W. Douglas Robinson
- Oak Creek Lab of Biology Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Corvallis OR USA
| | - Christoph Scherber
- Agroecology Georg‐August University Göttingen Göttingen Germany
- Institute of Landscape Ecology Münster Germany
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10
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Rivers JW, Houtz JL, Betts MG, Horton BM. No evidence for a link between forest herbicides and offspring sex ratio in a migratory songbird using high-throughput molecular sexing. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 5:cox054. [PMID: 28959450 PMCID: PMC5610655 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cox054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Revised: 07/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/04/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Many species that use or require early-successional forest are of conservation concern, including a number of songbirds that have experienced long-term population declines. In this study, our initial goal was to test whether herbicide application intensity was linked to offspring sex ratio in the White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys), a species that requires early-successional forest within forested landscapes. However, a rapid and accurate method using direct PCR to sex a large sample of birds (n > 1000 individuals) was unavailable, so our secondary goal was to develop a new approach for rapidly determine offspring sex. We obtained blood samples from sparrow young during the 2013-2014 breeding seasons in regenerating conifer plantations that were treated with one of four treatments (i.e. light, moderate, and intensive herbicide application, or no-spray control). We then optimized a protocol that used a commercially available, direct PCR kit to amplify sex-specific fragments of the CHD (chromo-helicase-DNA-binding) genes directly from whole blood stored in lysis buffer. Using this approach, we found no evidence that offspring sex ratio was linked to herbicide application intensity or to food availability across herbicide treatments. Our molecular sexing technique was 100% accurate when validated on known-sex adults, and 99.9% of our blood samples amplified successfully after being stored in lysis buffer stored for up to 3 years. The application of direct PCR for sexing birds eliminated the need for DNA extraction and substantially reduced sample processing time, cost, and the opportunity for errors during the extraction step. We conclude that forest herbicide application intensity does not influence sparrow offspring sex ratio in our study system, and that our approach provides a rapid, accurate, and tractable method for sexing birds that can facilitate studies that require processing of a large number of samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- James W Rivers
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Jennifer L Houtz
- Department of Biology, Millersville University, Millersville, PA 17551, USA
| | - Matthew G Betts
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Brent M Horton
- Department of Biology, Millersville University, Millersville, PA 17551, USA
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11
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Hadley AS, Frey SJK, Robinson WD, Betts MG. Forest fragmentation and loss reduce richness, availability, and specialization in tropical hummingbird communities. Biotropica 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam S. Hadley
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society Oregon State University Corvallis OR USA
| | - Sarah J. K. Frey
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society Oregon State University Corvallis OR USA
| | - W. Douglas Robinson
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Corvallis OR USA
| | - Matthew G. Betts
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society Oregon State University Corvallis OR USA
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12
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Marrotte RR, Bowman J, Brown MG, Cordes C, Morris KY, Prentice MB, Wilson PJ. Multi-species genetic connectivity in a terrestrial habitat network. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2017; 5:21. [PMID: 29043084 PMCID: PMC5629812 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-017-0112-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Habitat fragmentation reduces genetic connectivity for multiple species, yet conservation efforts tend to rely heavily on single-species connectivity estimates to inform land-use planning. Such conservation activities may benefit from multi-species connectivity estimates, which provide a simple and practical means to mitigate the effects of habitat fragmentation for a larger number of species. To test the validity of a multi-species connectivity model, we used neutral microsatellite genetic datasets of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis), American marten (Martes americana), fisher (Pekania pennanti), and southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) to evaluate multi-species genetic connectivity across Ontario, Canada. RESULTS We used linear models to compare node-based estimates of genetic connectivity for each species to point-based estimates of landscape connectivity (current density) derived from circuit theory. To our knowledge, we are the first to evaluate current density as a measure of genetic connectivity. Our results depended on landscape context: habitat amount was more important than current density in explaining multi-species genetic connectivity in the northern part of our study area, where habitat was abundant and fragmentation was low. In the south however, where fragmentation was prevalent, genetic connectivity was correlated with current density. Contrary to our expectations however, locations with a high probability of movement as reflected by high current density were negatively associated with gene flow. Subsequent analyses of circuit theory outputs showed that high current density was also associated with high effective resistance, underscoring that the presence of pinch points is not necessarily indicative of gene flow. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our study appears to provide support for the hypothesis that landscape pattern is important when habitat amount is low. We also conclude that while current density is proportional to the probability of movement per unit area, this does not imply increased gene flow, since high current density tends to be a result of neighbouring pixels with high cost of movement (e.g., low habitat amount). In other words, pinch points with high current density appear to constrict gene flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robby R. Marrotte
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Canada
| | - Jeff Bowman
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, Canada
| | - Michael G.C. Brown
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Canada
| | - Chad Cordes
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, Canada
| | - Kimberley Y. Morris
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Canada
| | - Melanie B. Prentice
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Canada
| | - Paul J. Wilson
- Biology Department, Trent University, Peterborough, Canada
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Volpe NL, Robinson WD, Frey SJK, Hadley AS, Betts MG. Tropical Forest Fragmentation Limits Movements, but Not Occurrence of a Generalist Pollinator Species. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0167513. [PMID: 27941984 PMCID: PMC5152895 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat loss and fragmentation influence species distributions and therefore ecological processes that depend upon them. Pollination may be particularly susceptible to fragmentation, as it depends on frequent pollinator movement. Unfortunately, most pollinators are too small to track efficiently which has precluded testing the hypothesis that habitat fragmentation reduces or eliminates pollen flow by disrupting pollinator movement. We used radio-telemetry to examine space use of the green hermit hummingbird (Phaethornis guy), an important ‘hub’ pollinator of understory flowering plants across substantial portions of the neotropics and the primary pollinator of a keystone plant which shows reduced pollination success in fragmented landscapes. We found that green hermits strongly avoided crossing large stretches of non-forested matrix and preferred to move along stream corridors. Forest gaps as small as 50 m diminished the odds of movement by 50%. Green hermits occurred almost exclusively inside the forest, with the odds of occurrence being 8 times higher at points with >95% canopy cover compared with points having <5% canopy cover. Nevertheless, surprisingly. the species occurred in fragmented landscapes with low amounts of forest (~30% within a 2 km radius). Our results indicate that although green hermits are present even in landscapes with low amounts of tropical forest, movement within these landscapes ends up strongly constrained by forest gaps. Restricted movement of pollinators may be an underappreciated mechanism for widespread declines in pollination and plant fitness in fragmented landscapes, even when in the presence of appropriate pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelia L. Volpe
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, 104 Nash Hall, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - W. Douglas Robinson
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, 104 Nash Hall, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Sarah J. K. Frey
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Adam S. Hadley
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Matthew G. Betts
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Kroll AJ, Verschuyl J, Giovanini J, Betts MG. Assembly dynamics of a forest bird community depend on disturbance intensity and foraging guild. J Appl Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Kroll
- Weyerhaeuser Company; P.O. Box 9777 Federal Way WA 98063 USA
| | - Jake Verschuyl
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc.; P.O. Box 1259 Anacortes WA 98221 USA
| | - Jack Giovanini
- Weyerhaeuser Company; P.O. Box 9777 Federal Way WA 98063 USA
| | - Matthew G. Betts
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network; Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society; Oregon State University; Corvallis OR 97331 USA
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15
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Yeager LA, Keller DA, Burns TR, Pool AS, Fodrie FJ. Threshold effects of habitat fragmentation on fish diversity at landscapes scales. Ecology 2016; 97:2157-2166. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Revised: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 02/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A. Yeager
- Institute of Marine Sciences; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Morehead City North Carolina 28557 USA
- National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center; Annapolis Maryland 21401 USA
| | - Danielle A. Keller
- Institute of Marine Sciences; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Morehead City North Carolina 28557 USA
| | - Taylor R. Burns
- Institute of Marine Sciences; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Morehead City North Carolina 28557 USA
- Department of Environmental Science; Loyola University New Orleans; New Orleans Louisiana 70118 USA
| | - Alexia S. Pool
- Institute of Marine Sciences; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Morehead City North Carolina 28557 USA
| | - F. Joel Fodrie
- Institute of Marine Sciences; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Morehead City North Carolina 28557 USA
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17
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Rayfield B, Pelletier D, Dumitru M, Cardille JA, Gonzalez A. Multipurpose habitat networks for short‐range and long‐range connectivity: a new method combining graph and circuit connectivity. Methods Ecol Evol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bronwyn Rayfield
- Department of Biology McGill University 1205 Docteur Penfield Montreal QC H3A 1B1 Canada
| | - David Pelletier
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences and McGill School of Environment McGill University 21111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte Anne de Bellevue Montreal QC H9X 3V9 Canada
| | - Maria Dumitru
- Department of Biology McGill University 1205 Docteur Penfield Montreal QC H3A 1B1 Canada
| | - Jeffrey A. Cardille
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences and McGill School of Environment McGill University 21111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte Anne de Bellevue Montreal QC H9X 3V9 Canada
| | - Andrew Gonzalez
- Department of Biology McGill University 1205 Docteur Penfield Montreal QC H3A 1B1 Canada
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Heinrichs JA, Bender DJ, Gummer DL, Schumaker NH. Effects of landscape and patch-level attributes on regional population persistence. J Nat Conserv 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2015.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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19
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Ordóñez-Gómez JD, Arroyo-Rodríguez V, Nicasio-Arzeta S, Cristóbal-Azkarate J. Which is the appropriate scale to assess the impact of landscape spatial configuration on the diet and behavior of spider monkeys? Am J Primatol 2014; 77:56-65. [PMID: 25231365 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2014] [Revised: 05/22/2014] [Accepted: 05/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the response of species to changes in landscape configuration is required to design adequate management and conservation strategies. Yet, the most appropriate spatial scale (i.e., landscape size) to assess the response of species to changes in landscape configuration (so-called "scale of effect") is largely unknown. In this paper, we assess the impact of landscape forest cover, forest fragmentation, edge density, and inter-patch isolation distance on the diet and behavior of six communities of spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) in the fragmented Lacandona rainforest, Mexico. We evaluated the strength of the relationship between each landscape predictor and each response variable within ten different-sized landscapes (range = 50-665 ha) to identify the landscape size that best predicted changes in diet and behavior. The strength of most associations varied across spatial scales, with the 126-ha landscape showing the strongest relationships between landscape predictors and response variables in many cases. Yet forest cover represented the main driver of the diet and behavior of spider monkeys, being positively associated with time traveling and time feeding on wood, but negatively related to time resting and time feeding on leaves. Although weaker, the impact of edge density was opposite to forest cover for most response variables. Forest fragmentation and isolation distance showed the weakest associations with the diet and behavior of this species. Our findings thus indicate that different landscape attributes operate on different response variables at different spatial scales. Therefore, the scale of effects cannot be generalized to all response variables and to all predictors, and a multi-scale analysis will be required to accurately assess the impact of landscape configuration on species' responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- José D Ordóñez-Gómez
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
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Wang X, Blanchet FG, Koper N. Measuring habitat fragmentation: An evaluation of landscape pattern metrics. Methods Ecol Evol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xianli Wang
- Department of Renewable Resources; University of Alberta; 751 General Service Building Edmonton AB T6G 2H1 Canada
| | - F. Guillaume Blanchet
- Department of Renewable Resources; University of Alberta; 751 General Service Building Edmonton AB T6G 2H1 Canada
- Section of Ecology; Department of Biology; University of Turku; Turku FI-20014 Finland
- Mathematical Biology Group; Department of Biosciences; Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences; University of Helsinki; PO Box 65 (Viikinkaari 1) Helsinki FI-00014 Finland
| | - Nicola Koper
- Natural Resources Institute; University of Manitoba; 317 Sinnott Building 70 Dysart Rd. Winnipeg MB R3T 2M6 Canada
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Zapata VM, Robledano F. Assessing biodiversity and conservation value of forest patches secondarily fragmented by urbanisation in semiarid southeastern Spain. J Nat Conserv 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2013.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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22
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Pfeifer M, Lefebvre V, Gardner TA, Arroyo-Rodriguez V, Baeten L, Banks-Leite C, Barlow J, Betts MG, Brunet J, Cerezo A, Cisneros LM, Collard S, D'Cruze N, da Silva Motta C, Duguay S, Eggermont H, Eigenbrod F, Hadley AS, Hanson TR, Hawes JE, Heartsill Scalley T, Klingbeil BT, Kolb A, Kormann U, Kumar S, Lachat T, Lakeman Fraser P, Lantschner V, Laurance WF, Leal IR, Lens L, Marsh CJ, Medina-Rangel GF, Melles S, Mezger D, Oldekop JA, Overal WL, Owen C, Peres CA, Phalan B, Pidgeon AM, Pilia O, Possingham HP, Possingham ML, Raheem DC, Ribeiro DB, Ribeiro Neto JD, Douglas Robinson W, Robinson R, Rytwinski T, Scherber C, Slade EM, Somarriba E, Stouffer PC, Struebig MJ, Tylianakis JM, Tscharntke T, Tyre AJ, Urbina Cardona JN, Vasconcelos HL, Wearn O, Wells K, Willig MR, Wood E, Young RP, Bradley AV, Ewers RM. BIOFRAG - a new database for analyzing BIOdiversity responses to forest FRAGmentation. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:1524-37. [PMID: 24967073 PMCID: PMC4063456 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2013] [Revised: 02/10/2014] [Accepted: 02/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat fragmentation studies have produced complex results that are challenging to synthesize. Inconsistencies among studies may result from variation in the choice of landscape metrics and response variables, which is often compounded by a lack of key statistical or methodological information. Collating primary datasets on biodiversity responses to fragmentation in a consistent and flexible database permits simple data retrieval for subsequent analyses. We present a relational database that links such field data to taxonomic nomenclature, spatial and temporal plot attributes, and environmental characteristics. Field assessments include measurements of the response(s) (e.g., presence, abundance, ground cover) of one or more species linked to plots in fragments within a partially forested landscape. The database currently holds 9830 unique species recorded in plots of 58 unique landscapes in six of eight realms: mammals 315, birds 1286, herptiles 460, insects 4521, spiders 204, other arthropods 85, gastropods 70, annelids 8, platyhelminthes 4, Onychophora 2, vascular plants 2112, nonvascular plants and lichens 320, and fungi 449. Three landscapes were sampled as long-term time series (>10 years). Seven hundred and eleven species are found in two or more landscapes. Consolidating the substantial amount of primary data available on biodiversity responses to fragmentation in the context of land-use change and natural disturbances is an essential part of understanding the effects of increasing anthropogenic pressures on land. The consistent format of this database facilitates testing of generalizations concerning biologic responses to fragmentation across diverse systems and taxa. It also allows the re-examination of existing datasets with alternative landscape metrics and robust statistical methods, for example, helping to address pseudo-replication problems. The database can thus help researchers in producing broad syntheses of the effects of land use. The database is dynamic and inclusive, and contributions from individual and large-scale data-collection efforts are welcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Pfeifer
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL5 7PY, U.K
| | - Veronique Lefebvre
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL5 7PY, U.K
| | | | - Victor Arroyo-Rodriguez
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) Morelia, Mexico
| | - Lander Baeten
- Department of Forest & Water Management, Ghent University Ghent, Belgium
| | - Cristina Banks-Leite
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL5 7PY, U.K
| | - Jos Barlow
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University Lancaster, U.K
| | - Matthew G Betts
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University Corvallis, Oregon
| | - Joerg Brunet
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Alexis Cerezo
- Departmento de Métodos Cuantitativos y Sistemas de Información, Universidad de Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Laura M Cisneros
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut Storrs, Connecticut ; Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of Connecticut Storrs, Connecticut
| | - Stuart Collard
- Nature Conservation Society of South Australia Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Neil D'Cruze
- The World Society for the Protection of Animals London, U.K
| | - Catarina da Silva Motta
- Departamento de Entomologia, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA) Manaus, Brazil
| | - Stephanie Duguay
- Geomatics and Landscape Ecology Research Laboratory, Carleton University Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Felix Eigenbrod
- Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton Southampton, U.K
| | - Adam S Hadley
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University Corvallis, Oregon
| | - Thor R Hanson
- 351 False Bay Drive, Friday Harbor, Washington, 98250
| | - Joseph E Hawes
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia Norwich, U.K
| | | | - Brian T Klingbeil
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut Storrs, Connecticut ; Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of Connecticut Storrs, Connecticut
| | - Annette Kolb
- Institute of Ecology, FB2, University of Bremen Bremen, Germany
| | - Urs Kormann
- Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, Goettingen University Goettingen, Germany
| | - Sunil Kumar
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Thibault Lachat
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest Snow and Landscape Research WSL Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | | | | | - William F Laurance
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science and School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University Cairns, Qld, Australia
| | - Inara R Leal
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco Recife, Brazil
| | - Luc Lens
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University Ghent, Belgium
| | - Charles J Marsh
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds Leeds, U.K
| | - Guido F Medina-Rangel
- Instituto de Ciencias Naturales - ICN, National University of Colombia Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Stephanie Melles
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Dirk Mezger
- Department of Zoology, Field Museum of Natural History Chicago, Illinois
| | - Johan A Oldekop
- Sheffield Institute for International Development, University of Sheffield Sheffield, U.K
| | - William L Overal
- Departamento de Entomologia, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi (MPEG) Belém, Brazil
| | - Charlotte Owen
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL5 7PY, U.K
| | - Carlos A Peres
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia Norwich, U.K
| | - Ben Phalan
- Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton Southampton, U.K
| | - Anna M Pidgeon
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Oriana Pilia
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL5 7PY, U.K
| | - Hugh P Possingham
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL5 7PY, U.K ; The University of Queensland Brisbane, Qld, Australia
| | | | - Dinarzarde C Raheem
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences Brussels, Belgium ; Life Sciences Department, The Natural History Museum London, U.K
| | - Danilo B Ribeiro
- Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul Campo Grande, Brazil
| | | | - W Douglas Robinson
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University Corvallis, Oregon
| | - Richard Robinson
- Department of Parks and Wildlife, Manjimup Research Centre Manjimup, WA, Australia
| | - Trina Rytwinski
- Department of Biology, Carleton University Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Christoph Scherber
- Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, Goettingen University Goettingen, Germany
| | | | - Eduardo Somarriba
- Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE) Turrialba, Costa Rica
| | - Philip C Stouffer
- School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center Baton Rouge, Louisiana ; BDFFP, INPA Manaus, Brazil
| | - Matthew J Struebig
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent Canterbury, U.K
| | - Jason M Tylianakis
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL5 7PY, U.K ; School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury Canterbury, New Zealand
| | - Teja Tscharntke
- Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, Goettingen University Goettingen, Germany
| | - Andrew J Tyre
- School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, Nebraska
| | - Jose N Urbina Cardona
- Ecology and Territory Department, School of Rural and Environmental Studies, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - Oliver Wearn
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL5 7PY, U.K ; Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London London, U.K
| | - Konstans Wells
- The Environment Institute, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Adelaide Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Michael R Willig
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut Storrs, Connecticut ; Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of Connecticut Storrs, Connecticut
| | - Eric Wood
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, Wisconsin
| | | | - Andrew V Bradley
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL5 7PY, U.K
| | - Robert M Ewers
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL5 7PY, U.K
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Villard MA, Metzger JP. REVIEW: Beyond the fragmentation debate: a conceptual model to predict when habitat configuration really matters. J Appl Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 246] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marc-André Villard
- Département de biologie; Université de Moncton; Moncton NB E1A 3E9 Canada
| | - Jean Paul Metzger
- Departamento de Ecologia; Instituto de Biociências - USP; Rua do Matão, 321, travessa 14 05508-900 São Paulo SP Brazil
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Le Tortorec E, Helle S, Käyhkö N, Suorsa P, Huhta E, Hakkarainen H. Habitat fragmentation and reproductive success: a structural equation modelling approach. J Anim Ecol 2013; 82:1087-97. [PMID: 23550698 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2012] [Accepted: 02/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
1. There is great interest on the effects of habitat fragmentation, whereby habitat is lost and the spatial configuration of remaining habitat patches is altered, on individual breeding performance. However, we still lack consensus of how this important process affects reproductive success, and whether its effects are mainly due to reduced fecundity or nestling survival. 2. The main reason for this may be the way that habitat fragmentation has been previously modelled. Studies have treated habitat loss and altered spatial configuration as two independent processes instead of as one hierarchical and interdependent process, and therefore have not been able to consider the relative direct and indirect effects of habitat loss and altered spatial configuration. 3. We investigated how habitat (i.e. old forest) fragmentation, caused by intense forest harvesting at the territory and landscape scales, is associated with the number of fledged offspring of an area-sensitive passerine, the Eurasian treecreeper (Certhia familiaris). We used structural equation modelling (SEM) to examine the complex hierarchical associations between habitat loss and altered spatial configuration on the number of fledged offspring, by controlling for individual condition and weather conditions during incubation. 4. Against generally held expectations, treecreeper reproductive success did not show a significant association with habitat fragmentation measured at the territory scale. Instead, our analyses suggested that an increasing amount of habitat at the landscape scale caused a significant increase in nest predation rates, leading to reduced reproductive success. This effect operated directly on nest predation rates, instead of acting indirectly through altered spatial configuration. 5. Because habitat amount and configuration are inherently strongly collinear, particularly when multiple scales are considered, our study demonstrates the usefulness of a SEM approach for hierarchical partitioning of habitat amount vs. habitat configuration in landscape ecology that may have bearing on biological conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Le Tortorec
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, FI-20014, Turku, Finland
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Vergara PM, Pérez-Hernández CG, Hahn IJ, Soto GE. Deforestation in central Chile causes a rapid decline in landscape connectivity for a forest specialist bird species. Ecol Res 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-013-1037-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Assessing regional and interspecific variation in threshold responses of forest breeding birds through broad scale analyses. PLoS One 2013; 8:e55996. [PMID: 23409106 PMCID: PMC3567043 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2012] [Accepted: 01/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Identifying persistence and extinction thresholds in species-habitat relationships is a major focal point of ecological research and conservation. However, one major concern regarding the incorporation of threshold analyses in conservation is the lack of knowledge on the generality and transferability of results across species and regions. We present a multi-region, multi-species approach of modeling threshold responses, which we use to investigate whether threshold effects are similar across species and regions. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We modeled local persistence and extinction dynamics of 25 forest-associated breeding birds based on detection/non-detection data, which were derived from repeated breeding bird atlases for the state of Vermont. We did not find threshold responses to be particularly well-supported, with 9 species supporting extinction thresholds and 5 supporting persistence thresholds. This contrasts with a previous study based on breeding bird atlas data from adjacent New York State, which showed that most species support persistence and extinction threshold models (15 and 22 of 25 study species respectively). In addition, species that supported a threshold model in both states had associated average threshold estimates of 61.41% (SE = 6.11, persistence) and 66.45% (SE = 9.15, extinction) in New York, compared to 51.08% (SE = 10.60, persistence) and 73.67% (SE = 5.70, extinction) in Vermont. Across species, thresholds were found at 19.45-87.96% forest cover for persistence and 50.82-91.02% for extinction dynamics. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Through an approach that allows for broad-scale comparisons of threshold responses, we show that species vary in their threshold responses with regard to habitat amount, and that differences between even nearby regions can be pronounced. We present both ecological and methodological factors that may contribute to the different model results, but propose that regardless of the reasons behind these differences, our results merit a warning that threshold values cannot simply be transferred across regions or interpreted as clear-cut targets for ecosystem management and conservation.
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Mimet A, Houet T, Julliard R, Simon L. Assessing functional connectivity: a landscape approach for handling multiple ecological requirements. Methods Ecol Evol 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas Houet
- Laboratoire GEODE; Géographie de l'Environnement; 5 Allée A. Machado; Toulouse Cedex 1; FR-31 058; France
| | - Romain Julliard
- Conservation des espèces, Restauration et Suivi des Populations; UMR MNHN-CNRS-UPCM, UMR 7204; 55 rue Buffon; Paris; FR-75005; France
| | - Laurent Simon
- Laboratoire Dynamiques Sociales et Recomposition des Espaces; UMR CNRS-Paris 1- Paris 7- Paris 8- Paris 10; 2, rue Valette; Paris; FR-75005; France
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Riffell SK, Gutzwiller KJ. Model selection criteria affect measures of temporal variation in animal-landscape regression models. DIVERS DISTRIB 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1472-4642.2012.00917.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Samuel K. Riffell
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, & Aquaculture; Box 9690 Mississippi State MS 39762 USA
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Hadley AS, Betts MG. The effects of landscape fragmentation on pollination dynamics: absence of evidence not evidence of absence. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2011; 87:526-44. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-185x.2011.00205.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Zitske BP, Betts MG, Diamond AW. Negative effects of habitat loss on survival of migrant Warblers in a forest mosaic. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2011; 25:993-1001. [PMID: 21732980 DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2011.01709.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Habitat loss and fragmentation in forested landscapes often negatively affect animal abundance; however, whether these factors also affect fitness is not well known. We hypothesized that observed decreases in bird occurrence and abundance in landscapes with harvested forests are associated with reduced apparent survival of adults. We defined apparent survival as an estimate of survival that accounts for an imperfect resighting probability, but not permanent emigration (i.e., dispersal). We examined the association between spatially extensive habitat loss and apparent survival of males of 2 Neotropical migrant species, Blackburnian Warbler (Dendroica fusca) and Black-Throated Green Warbler (D. virens), over 7 years in the Greater Fundy Ecosystem, New Brunswick, Canada. We estimated apparent survival among and within breeding seasons. We quantified amount of habitat in the context of individual species. In this landscape, boundaries between land-cover types are gradual rather than clearly identifiable and abrupt. Estimated apparent within-season survival of both species decreased as a function of amount of habitat within a 2000-m radius; survival was approximately 12 times (95% CI 3.43-14) greater in landscapes with 85% habitat than in landscapes with 10% habitat. Apparent annual survival also decreased as a function of amount of habitat within a 100-m radius. Over the range of habitat amount, apparent annual survival decreased 15% (95% CI 7-29%) as the amount of habitat decreased. Our results suggest that reduced species occurrence in landscapes with low proportions of habitat is due partly to lower apparent survival at these sites. This mechanism operates both directly (i.e., via effects on mortality or dispersal during breeding) and possibly through indirect effects during the nonbreeding season. Habitat loss was associated not only with a lower number of individuals, but also with lower survival of those individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- B P Zitske
- Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, P.O. Box 45111, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 6E1, Canada
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Schwenk WS, Donovan TM. A multispecies framework for landscape conservation planning. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2011; 25:1010-1021. [PMID: 21871028 DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2011.01723.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Rapidly changing landscapes have spurred the need for quantitative methods for conservation assessment and planning that encompass large spatial extents. We devised and tested a multispecies framework for conservation planning to complement single-species assessments and ecosystem-level approaches. Our framework consisted of 4 elements: sampling to effectively estimate population parameters, measuring how human activity affects landscapes at multiple scales, analyzing the relation between landscape characteristics and individual species occurrences, and evaluating and comparing the responses of multiple species to landscape modification. We applied the approach to a community of terrestrial birds across 25,000 km(2) with a range of intensities of human development. Human modification of land cover, road density, and other elements of the landscape, measured at multiple spatial extents, had large effects on occupancy of the 67 species studied. Forest composition within 1 km of points had a strong effect on occupancy of many species and a range of negative, intermediate, and positive associations. Road density within 1 km of points, percent evergreen forest within 300 m, and distance from patch edge were also strongly associated with occupancy for many species. We used the occupancy results to group species into 11 guilds that shared patterns of association with landscape characteristics. Our multispecies approach to conservation planning allowed us to quantify the trade-offs of different scenarios of land-cover change in terms of species occupancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Scott Schwenk
- Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Ann Cunningham
- Department of Earth Science and Geography, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604, USA
| | - Douglas H. Johnson
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
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Sattler T, Borcard D, Arlettaz R, Bontadina F, Legendre P, Obrist MK, Moretti M. Spider, bee, and bird communities in cities are shaped by environmental control and high stochasticity. Ecology 2010; 91:3343-53. [PMID: 21141195 DOI: 10.1890/09-1810.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Spatially organized distribution patterns of species and communities are shaped by both autogenic processes (neutral mechanism theory) and exogenous processes (niche theory). In the latter, environmental variables that are themselves spatially organized induce spatial structure in the response variables. The relative importance of these processes has not yet been investigated in urban habitats. We compared the variance explained by purely spatial, spatially structured environmental, and purely environmental components for the community composition of spiders (Araneae), bees (Apidae), and birds (Aves) at 96 locations in three Swiss cities. Environmental variables (topography, climate, land cover, urban green management) were measured on four different radii around sampling points (< 10 m, 50 m, 250 m, 1000 m), while Moran's eigenvector maps (MEMs) acted as spatial variables. All three taxonomic groups showed weak spatial structure. Spider communities reacted to very fine-scaled environmental changes of lawn and meadow management and climate. Bird community composition was determined by woody plants as well as solar radiation at all radii, the scale of the influence varying among species. Bee communities were weakly explained by isolated variables only. Our results suggest that the anthropogenic structuring of urban areas has disrupted the spatial organization of environmental variables and inhibited the development of biotic spatial processes. The near absence of spatial structure may therefore be a feature typical of urban species assemblages, resulting in urban community composition mainly influenced by local environmental variables. Urban environments represent a close-knit mosaic of habitats that are regularly disturbed. Species communities in urban areas are far from equilibrium. Our analysis also suggests that urban communities need to be considered as being in constant change to adapt to disturbances and changes imposed by human activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Sattler
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Ecosystem Boundaries, Via Belsoggiorno 22, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland.
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Betts MG, Hagar JC, Rivers JW, Alexander JD, McGarigal K, McComb BC. Thresholds in forest bird occurrence as a function of the amount of early-seral broadleaf forest at landscape scales. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2010; 20:2116-2130. [PMID: 21265446 DOI: 10.1890/09-1305.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Recent declines in broadleaf-dominated, early-seral forest globally as a function of intensive forest management and/or fire suppression have raised concern about the viability of populations dependent on such forest types. However, quantitative information about the strength and direction of species associations with broadleaf cover at landscape scales are rare. Uncovering such habitat relationships is essential for understanding the demography of species and in developing sound conservation strategies. It is particularly important to detect points in habitat reduction where rates of population decline may accelerate or the likelihood of species occurrence drops rapidly (i.e., thresholds). Here, we use a large avian point-count data set (N = 4375) from southwestern and northwestern Oregon along with segmented logistic regression to test for thresholds in forest bird occurrence as a function of broadleaf forest and early-seral broadleaf forest at local (150-m radius) and landscape (500-2000-m radius) scales. All 12 bird species examined showed positive responses to either broadleaf forest in general, and/or early-seral broadleaf forest. However, regional variation in species response to these conditions was high. We found considerable evidence for landscape thresholds in bird species occurrence as a function of broadleaf cover; threshold models received substantially greater support than linear models for eight of 12 species. Landscape thresholds in broadleaf forest ranged broadly from 1.35% to 24.55% mean canopy cover. Early-seral broadleaf thresholds tended to be much lower (0.22-1.87%). We found a strong negative relationship between the strength of species association with early-seral broadleaf forest and 42-year bird population trends; species most associated with this forest type have declined at the greatest rates. Taken together, these results provide the first support for the hypothesis that reductions in broadleaf-dominated early-seral forest due to succession and intensive forest management have led to population declines of constituent species in the Pacific northwestern United States. Forest management treatments that maintain or restore even small amounts of broadleaf vegetation could mitigate further declines.
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Affiliation(s)
- M G Betts
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, 312 Richardson Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA.
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Alofs KM, Fowler NL. Habitat fragmentation caused by woody plant encroachment inhibits the spread of an invasive grass. J Appl Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2010.01785.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Landscape-level impact of tropical forest loss and fragmentation on bird occurrence in eastern Guatemala. Ecol Modell 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2009.10.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Gillies CS, St. Clair CC. Functional responses in habitat selection by tropical birds moving through fragmented forest. J Appl Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2009.01756.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Swift TL, Hannon SJ. Critical thresholds associated with habitat loss: a review of the concepts, evidence, and applications. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2009; 85:35-53. [PMID: 19930172 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-185x.2009.00093.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
A major conservation concern is whether population size and other ecological variables change linearly with habitat loss, or whether they suddenly decline more rapidly below a "critical threshold" level of habitat. The most commonly discussed explanation for critical threshold responses to habitat loss focus on habitat configuration. As habitat loss progresses, the remaining habitat is increasingly fragmented or the fragments are increasingly isolated, which may compound the effects of habitat loss. In this review we also explore other possible explanations for apparently nonlinear relationships between habitat loss and ecological responses, including Allee effects and time lags, and point out that some ecological variables will inherently respond nonlinearly to habitat loss even in the absence of compounding factors. In the literature, both linear and nonlinear ecological responses to habitat loss are evident among simulation and empirical studies, although the presence and value of critical thresholds is influenced by characteristics of the species (e.g. dispersal, reproduction, area/edge sensitivity) and landscape (e.g. fragmentation, matrix quality, rate of change). With enough empirical support, such trends could be useful for making important predictions about species' responses to habitat loss, to guide future research on the underlying causes of critical thresholds, and to make better informed management decisions. Some have seen critical thresholds as a means of identifying conservation targets for habitat retention. We argue that in many cases this may be misguided, and that the meaning (and utility) of a critical threshold must be interpreted carefully and in relation to the response variable and management goal. Despite recent interest in critical threshold responses to habitat loss, most studies have not used any formal statistical methods to identify their presence or value. Methods that have been used include model comparisons using Akaike information criterion (AIC) or t-tests, and significance testing for changes in slope or for polynomial effects. The judicious use of statistics to help determine the shape of ecological relationships would permit greater objectivity and more comparability among studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trisha L Swift
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9 Canada.
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Proppe DS, Sturdy CB. The effect of schedules of reinforcement on the composition of spontaneous and evoked black-capped chickadee calls. J Exp Biol 2009; 212:3016-25. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.031724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Songbirds often modify elements of their songs or calls in particular social situations (e.g. song matching, flock convergence, etc.) but whether adult individuals also make vocal modifications in response to abiotic environmental factors (e.g. food availability) is relatively unknown. In the present study we test whether two different schedules of food reinforcement,fixed ratio continuous reinforcement and variable ratio partial reinforcement,cause adult black-capped chickadees to change the structure of their chick-a-dee calls. We also examine how these calls differ in two contexts:being alone versus when experiencing an alarming event. Wild-caught black-capped chickadees were housed in isolation to prevent social interaction and recorded weekly for seven weeks. Baseline recordings on week one show that calls given alone differed from those given during an alarming event in both note type composition and frequency (i.e. pitch). Calls also changed over time between birds on the two different schedules of reinforcement. In addition,birds on different reinforcement schedules responded differently during the two recording conditions. Our results suggest that call characteristics can be modified rapidly and may reflect abiotic environmental conditions. If call structure varies consistently with particular abiotic environmental conditions, much can be gained from bioacoustic analyses of calls from wild birds. However, vocal patterns must be consistent across dialects, and we must disentangle vocal changes due to the abiotic environment from those due to social interaction. Further research is needed from natural populations and across multiple regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darren S. Proppe
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta,Canada, T6G 2R3
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Rompré G, Robinson WD, Desrochers A, Angehr G. Predicting declines in avian species richness under nonrandom patterns of habitat loss in a neotropical landscape. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2009; 19:1614-1627. [PMID: 19769107 DOI: 10.1890/08-1207.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
One of the key concerns in conservation is to document and predict the effects of habitat loss on species richness. To do this, the species-area relationship (SAR) is frequently used. That relationship assumes random patterns of habitat loss and species distributions. In nature, however, species distribution patterns are usually nonrandom, influenced by biotic and abiotic factors. Likewise, socioeconomic and environmental factors influence habitat loss and are not randomly distributed across landscapes. We used a recently developed SAR model that accounts for nonrandomness to predict rates of bird species loss in fragmented forests of the Panama Canal region, an area that was historically covered in forest but now has 53% forest cover. Predicted species loss was higher than that predicted by the standard SAR. Furthermore, a species loss threshold was evident when remaining forest cover declined by 25%. This level of forest cover corresponds to 40% of the historical forest cover, and our model predicts rapid species loss past that threshold. This study illustrates the importance of considering patterns of species distributions and realistic habitat loss scenarios to develop better estimates of losses in species richness. Forecasts of tropical biodiversity loss generated from simple species-area relationships may underestimate actual losses because nonrandom patterns of species distributions and habitat loss are probably not unique to the Panama Canal region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghislain Rompré
- Centre d'Etude de la Forêt, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
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Riffell SK, Gutzwiller KJ. Interannual variation in bird-landscape relations: understanding sources of a pervasive conservation dilemma. OIKOS 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2008.17061.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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St-Laurent MH, Cusson M, Ferron J, Caron A. Use of Residual Forest by Snowshoe Hare in a Clear-cut Boreal Landscape. Northeast Nat (Steuben) 2008. [DOI: 10.1656/1092-6194-15.4.497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Riparian corridors enhance movement of a forest specialist bird in fragmented tropical forest. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2008; 105:19774-9. [PMID: 19017794 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0803530105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Riparian corridors and fencerows are hypothesized to increase the persistence of forest animals in fragmented landscapes by facilitating movement among suitable habitat patches. This function may be critically important for forest birds, which have declined dramatically in fragmented habitats. Unfortunately, direct evidence of corridor use has been difficult to collect at landscape scales and this limits support for corridors in conservation planning. Using telemetry and handheld GPS units, we examined the movement of forest birds by translocating territorial individuals of barred antshrikes (Thamnophilus doliatus; a forest specialist) and rufous-naped wrens (Campylorhynchus rufinucha; a forest generalist) 0.7-1.9 km from their territories in the highly fragmented tropical dry forest of Costa Rica. In each translocation, the directly intervening habitat comprised 1 of 3 treatments: forested riparian corridor, linear living fencerow, or open pasture. Antshrikes returned faster and with greater success in riparian corridors relative to pasture treatments. This species also traveled more directly in riparian corridor treatments, detoured to use forested routes in the other 2 treatments, and did not use fencerows even when they led directly to their home territories. By contrast, wrens were more likely to use fencerows when returning, and return time and success were equivalent among the 3 treatments. Both species crossed fewer gaps in tree cover during riparian corridor treatments than in fencerow or pasture treatments. We conclude that antshrikes, which may be representative of other forest specialists, use forested corridors for movement in this landscape and that fencerows are avoided as movement conduits.
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Henderson LE, Broders HG. Movements and Resource Selection of the Northern Long-Eared Myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) in a Forest—Agriculture Landscape. J Mammal 2008. [DOI: 10.1644/07-mamm-a-214.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Johnston CA, Ghioca DM, Tulbure M, Bedford BL, Bourdaghs M, Frieswyk CB, Vaccaro L, Zedler JB. Partitioning vegetation response to anthropogenic stress to develop multi-taxa wetland indicators. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2008; 18:983-1001. [PMID: 18536257 DOI: 10.1890/07-1207.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Emergent plants can be suitable indicators of anthropogenic stress in coastal wetlands if their responses to natural environmental variation can be parsed from their responses to human activities in and around wetlands. We used hierarchical partitioning to evaluate the independent influence of geomorphology, geography, and anthropogenic stress on common wetland plants of the U.S. Great Lakes coast and developed multi-taxa models indicating wetland condition. A seven-taxon model predicted condition relative to watershed-derived anthropogenic stress, and a four-taxon model predicted condition relative to within-wetland anthropogenic stressors that modified hydrology. The Great Lake on which the wetlands occurred explained an average of about half the variation in species cover, and subdividing the data by lake allowed us to remove that source of variation. We developed lake-specific multi-taxa models for all of the Great Lakes except Lake Ontario, which had no plant species with significant independent effects of anthropogenic stress. Plant responses were both positive (increasing cover with stress) and negative (decreasing cover with stress), and plant taxa incorporated into the lake-specific models differed by Great Lake. The resulting models require information on only a few taxa, rather than all plant species within a wetland, making them easier to implement than existing indicators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol A Johnston
- Department of Biology, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota 57007, USA.
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Betts MG, Forbes GJ, Diamond AW. Thresholds in songbird occurrence in relation to landscape structure. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2007; 21:1046-58. [PMID: 17650254 DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2007.00723.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Theory predicts the occurrence of threshold levels of habitat in landscapes, below which ecological processes change abruptly. Simulation models indicate that below critical thresholds, fragmentation of habitat influences patch occupancy by decreasing colonization rates and increasing rates of local extinction. Uncovering such putative relationships is important for understanding the demography of species and in developing sound conservation strategies. Using segmented logistic regression, we tested for thresholds in occurrence of 15 bird species as a function of the amount of suitable habitat at multiple scales (150-2000-m radii). Suitable habitat was defined quantitatively based on previously derived, spatially explicit distribution models for each species. The occurrence of 10 out of 15 species was influenced by the amount of habitat at a landscape scale (>or=500-m radius). Of these species all but one were best predicted by threshold models. Six out of nine species exhibited asymptotic thresholds; the effects of habitat loss intensified at low amounts of habitat in a landscape. Landscape thresholds ranged from 8.6% habitat to 28.7% (x= 18.5 +/- 2.6%[95% CI]). For two species landscape thresholds coincided with sensitivity to fragmentation; both species were more likely to occur in large patches, but only when the amount of habitat in a landscape was low. This supports the fragmentation threshold hypothesis. Nevertheless, the occurrence of most species appeared to be unaffected by fragmentation, regardless of the amount of habitat present at landscape extents. The thresholds we identified may be useful to managers in establishing conservation targets. Our results indicate that findings of landscape-scale studies conducted in regions with relatively high proportions of habitat and low fragmentation may not be applicable in regions with low habitat proportions and high fragmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew G Betts
- Department of Biological Sciences, 103 Gilman Hall, Dartmouth College, NH 03755, USA.
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ZHARIKOV YURI, LANK DAVIDB, COOKE FRED. Influence of landscape pattern on breeding distribution and success in a threatened Alcid, the marbled murrelet: model transferability and management implications. J Appl Ecol 2007. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2007.01319.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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