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Mota L, Hevia V, Rad C, Alves J, Silva A, González JA, Ortega‐Marcos J, Aguado O, Alcorlo P, Azcárate FM, Chapinal L, López CA, Loureiro J, Marks EAN, Siopa C, Sousa JP, Castro S. Flower strips and remnant semi‐natural vegetation have different impacts on pollination and productivity of sunflower crops. J Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Mota
- Department of Life Sciences, Centre for Functional Ecology University of Coimbra Coimbra Portugal
| | - Violeta Hevia
- Social‐ecological systems Laboratory Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC‐UAM) Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid Spain
| | - Carlos Rad
- Grupo de Investigación en Compostaje UBUCOMP Universidad de Burgos Burgos Spain
| | - Joana Alves
- Department of Life Sciences, Centre for Functional Ecology University of Coimbra Coimbra Portugal
| | - António Silva
- Department of Life Sciences, Centre for Functional Ecology University of Coimbra Coimbra Portugal
| | - José A. González
- Social‐ecological systems Laboratory Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC‐UAM) Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid Spain
| | - Jorge Ortega‐Marcos
- Social‐ecological systems Laboratory Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid Spain
| | - Oscar Aguado
- Grupo de Investigación en Compostaje UBUCOMP Universidad de Burgos Burgos Spain
| | - Paloma Alcorlo
- Social‐ecological systems Laboratory Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC‐UAM) Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid Spain
| | - Francisco M. Azcárate
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC‐UAM) Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid Spain
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG), Department of Ecology Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid Spain
| | - Libertad Chapinal
- Social‐ecological systems Laboratory Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid Spain
| | - César A. López
- Social‐ecological systems Laboratory Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC‐UAM) Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid Spain
| | - João Loureiro
- Department of Life Sciences, Centre for Functional Ecology University of Coimbra Coimbra Portugal
| | - Evan A. N. Marks
- Grupo de Investigación en Compostaje UBUCOMP Universidad de Burgos Burgos Spain
| | - Catarina Siopa
- Department of Life Sciences, Centre for Functional Ecology University of Coimbra Coimbra Portugal
| | - José Paulo Sousa
- Department of Life Sciences, Centre for Functional Ecology University of Coimbra Coimbra Portugal
| | - Sílvia Castro
- Department of Life Sciences, Centre for Functional Ecology University of Coimbra Coimbra Portugal
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Azcárate FM, Alameda-Martín A, Escudero A, Sánchez AM. Ant Communities Resist Even in Small and Isolated Gypsum Habitat Remnants in a Mediterranean Agroecosystem. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.619215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural and seminatural habitat remnants play a crucial ecological role in intensified agroecosystems. Assumptions on the conservation value of small and poorly connected fragments in a hostile matrix come from generalization obtained from a limited number of taxa, mostly plants, and vertebrates. To date, few studies have analyzed the effect of fragmentation on ant communities in Mediterranean agroecosystems, despite the importance of this group of animals on several key ecosystem functions and services. Here, we analyze the effects of fragment area and connectivity on ant communities in gypsum outcrops in a large cereal agroecosystem of Central Spain. Ant communities were described by their species composition, abundance (total number of occurrences), and number of species, standardized both by area (species density), and abundance (species richness). Observed number of species was relatively high in comparison with other studies in the Mediterranean, and we found no effects of fragment characteristics on species density, species richness and species composition, which implies that even small and isolated patches do have a value for ant conservation. Moreover, total number of occurrences were higher for smaller and more isolated fragments. This finding contrasts with the results reported for other taxa in similar gypsum habitats and suggests that certain ant traits and strategies make them particularly resistant to fragmentation and capable to take advantage of small habitat patches. Given the important ecological role played by ants, we recommend the preservation of these small habitat fragments in the management plans of agroecosystems in these drylands, especially in those cases in which intensification of agricultural practices greatly diminish natural habitat availability.
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García-Fernández A, Manzano P, Seoane J, Azcárate FM, Iriondo JM, Peco B. Herbivore corridors sustain genetic footprint in plant populations: a case for Spanish drove roads. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7311. [PMID: 31341747 PMCID: PMC6637930 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat fragmentation is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity conservation and ecosystem productivity mediated by direct human impact. Its consequences include genetic depauperation, comprising phenomena such as inbreeding depression or reduction in genetic diversity. While the capacity of wild and domestic herbivores to sustain long-distance seed dispersal has been proven, the impact of herbivore corridors in plant population genetics remains to be observed. We conducted this study in the Conquense Drove Road in Spain, where sustained use by livestock over centuries has involved transhumant herds passing twice a year en route to winter and summer pastures. We compared genetic diversity and inbreeding coefficients of Plantago lagopus populations along the drove road with populations in the surrounding agricultural matrix, at varying distances from human settlements. We observed significant differences in coefficients of inbreeding between the drove road and the agricultural matrix, as well as significant trends indicative of higher genetic diversity and population nestedness around human settlements. Trends for higher genetic diversity along drove roads may be present, although they were only marginally significant due to the available sample size. Our results illustrate a functional landscape with human settlements as dispersal hotspots, while the findings along the drove road confirm its role as a pollinator reservoir observed in other studies. Drove roads may possibly also function as linear structures that facilitate long-distance dispersal across the agricultural matrix, while local P. lagopus populations depend rather on short-distance seed dispersal. These results highlight the role of herbivore corridors for conserving the migration capacity of plants, and contribute towards understanding the role of seed dispersal and the spread of invasive species related to human activities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pablo Manzano
- Commission on Ecosystem Management, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Nairobi, Kenya.,Terrestrial Ecology Group-Departamento de Ecología, Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,HELSUS, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Javier Seoane
- Terrestrial Ecology Group-Departamento de Ecología, Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco M Azcárate
- Terrestrial Ecology Group-Departamento de Ecología, Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose M Iriondo
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Begoña Peco
- Terrestrial Ecology Group-Departamento de Ecología, Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Silvestre M, Aguilar A, Seoane J, Azcárate FM. Responses of seed size, ant worker size, and seed removal rate to elevation in Mediterranean grasslands. Oecologia 2019; 189:781-793. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04356-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Flores O, Seoane J, Hevia V, Azcárate FM. Spatial patterns of species richness and nestedness in ant assemblages along an elevational gradient in a Mediterranean mountain range. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0204787. [PMID: 30566476 PMCID: PMC6300198 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 11/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The study of biodiversity spatial patterns along ecological gradients can serve to elucidate factors shaping biological community structure and predict ecosystem responses to global change. Ant assemblages are particularly interesting as study cases, because ant species play a key role in many ecosystem processes and have frequently been identified as useful bioindicators. Methods Here we analyzed the response of ant species richness and assemblage composition across elevational gradients in Mediterranean grasslands and subsequently tested whether these responses were stable spatially and temporally. We sampled ant assemblages in two years (2014, 2015) in two mountain ranges (Guadarrama, Serrota) in Central Spain, along an elevational gradient ranging from 685 to 2390 m a.s.l. Results Jackknife estimates of ant species richness ranged from three to 18.5 species and exhibited a hump-shaped relationship with elevation that peaked at mid-range values (1100–1400 m). This pattern was transferable temporally and spatially. Elevation was related to ant assemblage composition and facilitated separation of higher elevation assemblages (> 1700 m) from the remaining lower elevation species groups. Ant assemblages were nested; therefore species assemblages with a decreased number of species were a subset of the richer assemblages, although species turnover was more important than pure nestedness in all surveys. The degree of nestedness changed non-linearly as a cubic polynomial with elevation. These assembly patterns coincided more clearly over time than between the two study regions. Discussion We suggest double environmental stressors typical of Mediterranean mountains explained species richness patterns: drought at low elevations and cold temperatures at high elevations likely constrained richness at both extremes of elevational gradients. The fact that species turnover showed a dominant role over pure nestedness suggested current ant assemblages were context-dependent and highly vulnerable to global change, which threatens the conservation of present day native ant communities, particularly at high elevations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Flores
- Department of Biogeography and Global Change, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Spanish National Research Council (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Terrestrial Ecology Group, Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Javier Seoane
- Terrestrial Ecology Group, Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Violeta Hevia
- Social-Ecological Systems Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco M. Azcárate
- Terrestrial Ecology Group, Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Moretti M, Dias ATC, Bello F, Altermatt F, Chown SL, Azcárate FM, Bell JR, Fournier B, Hedde M, Hortal J, Ibanez S, Öckinger E, Sousa JP, Ellers J, Berg MP. Handbook of protocols for standardized measurement of terrestrial invertebrate functional traits. Funct Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 227] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Moretti
- Biodiversity and Conservation Biology Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL Zürcherstrasse 111 8903 Birmensdorf Switzerland
| | - André T. C. Dias
- Departamento de Ecologia Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) Maracanã Rio de Janeiro Brazil
| | - Francesco Bello
- Institute of Botany Czech Academy of Sciences Dukelska 135 379 82 Třeboň Czech Republic
- Faculty of Sciences University of South Bohemia Na Zlate Stoce 1 370 05 České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Florian Altermatt
- Department of Aquatic Ecology Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology 8600 Dübendorf Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Winterthurerstrasse 190 8057 Zürich Switzerland
| | - Steven L. Chown
- School of Biological Sciences Monash University Clayton Victoria3800 Australia
| | - Francisco M. Azcárate
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG) Department of Ecology Universidad Autónoma de Madrid C/Darwin 2 28049 Madrid Spain
| | - James R. Bell
- Rothamsted Research West Common Harpenden HertfordshireAL5 2JQ UK
| | - Bertrand Fournier
- Laboratoire Chrono‐Environnement UMR 6249 CNRS Université de Bourgogne Franche‐Comté 16 route de Gray 25030 Besançon Cedex France
| | - Mickaël Hedde
- INRA AgroParisTech Université Paris‐Saclay UMR 1402 Ecosys Route de Saint‐Cyr RD 10 78026 Versailles Cedex France
| | - Joaquín Hortal
- Departamento de Biogeografía y Cambio Global Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN‐CSIC) C/Jose Gutierrez Abascal 2 28006 Madrid Spain
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (Ce3C) Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa (FCUL) Ed. C2, Campo Grande 1749‐06 Lisboa Portugal
| | - Sébastien Ibanez
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine CNRS UMR 5553 Université Savoie Mont Blanc 73376 Le Bourget‐du‐Lac France
| | - Erik Öckinger
- Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences P.O. Box 7044 750 07 Uppsala Sweden
| | - José Paulo Sousa
- Centre for Functional Ecology Department of Life Sciences University of Coimbra 3000‐456 Coimbra Portugal
| | - Jacintha Ellers
- Department of Ecological Science Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam De Boelelaan 1085 1081 HV Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Matty P. Berg
- Department of Ecological Science Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam De Boelelaan 1085 1081 HV Amsterdam The Netherlands
- Conservation Ecology Group Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen Postbox 11103 9700 CC Groningen The Netherlands
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos P. Carmona
- Terrestrial Ecology Group Department of Ecology Autonomous University of Madrid Madrid 28049 Spain
- Department of Botany Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia Cěské Budějovice 37005 Czech Republic
| | - Cristina Rota
- Terrestrial Ecology Group Department of Ecology Autonomous University of Madrid Madrid 28049 Spain
| | - Francisco M. Azcárate
- Terrestrial Ecology Group Department of Ecology Autonomous University of Madrid Madrid 28049 Spain
| | - Begoña Peco
- Terrestrial Ecology Group Department of Ecology Autonomous University of Madrid Madrid 28049 Spain
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Azcárate FM, Seoane J, Castro S, Peco B. Drove roads: Keystone structures that promote ant diversity in Mediterranean forest landscapes. Acta Oecologica 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2013.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Carmona CP, Azcárate FM, Peco B. Does cattle dung cause differences between grazing increaser and decreaser germination response? Acta Oecologica 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2012.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Carmona CP, Röder A, Azcárate FM, Peco B. Grazing management or physiography? Factors controlling vegetation recovery in Mediterranean grasslands. Ecol Modell 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2012.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Carmona CP, Azcárate FM, de Bello F, Ollero HS, Lepš J, Peco B. Taxonomical and functional diversity turnover in Mediterranean grasslands: interactions between grazing, habitat type and rainfall. J Appl Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2012.02193.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos P. Carmona
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG); Ecology Department; Autonomous University of Madrid; 28049; Madrid; Spain
| | - Francisco M. Azcárate
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG); Ecology Department; Autonomous University of Madrid; 28049; Madrid; Spain
| | | | - Helios S. Ollero
- Biology Department; Autonomous University of Madrid; 28049; Madrid; Spain
| | - Jan Lepš
- Department of Botany; Faculty of Science; University of South Bohemia; CZ-370 05; Cěské Budějovice; Czech Republic
| | - Begoña Peco
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG); Ecology Department; Autonomous University of Madrid; 28049; Madrid; Spain
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Andersen AN, Azcárate FM, Cowie ID. Seed selection by an exceptionally rich community of harvester ants in the Australian seasonal tropics. J Anim Ecol 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2000.00452.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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