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Pickett STA, Simone AT, Anderson P, Sharifi A, Barau A, Hoover FA, Childers DL, McPhearson T, Muñoz-Erickson TA, Pacteau C, Grove M, Frantzeskaki N, Nagendra H, Ginsberg J. The relational shift in urban ecology: From place and structures to multiple modes of coproduction for positive urban futures. Ambio 2024; 53:845-870. [PMID: 38643341 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-024-02001-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
This perspective emerged from ongoing dialogue among ecologists initiated by a virtual workshop in 2021. A transdisciplinary group of researchers and practitioners conclude that urban ecology as a science can better contribute to positive futures by focusing on relationships, rather than prioritizing urban structures. Insights from other relational disciplines, such as political ecology, governance, urban design, and conservation also contribute. Relationality is especially powerful given the need to rapidly adapt to the changing social and biophysical drivers of global urban systems. These unprecedented dynamics are better understood through a relational lens than traditional structural questions. We use three kinds of coproduction-of the social-ecological world, of science, and of actionable knowledge-to identify key processes of coproduction within urban places. Connectivity is crucial to relational urban ecology. Eight themes emerge from the joint explorations of the paper and point toward social action for improving life and environment in urban futures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - AbdouMaliq T Simone
- Urban Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Beyond Inhabitation Lab, Polytechnic University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Pippin Anderson
- Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Private Bag x3, Cape Town, 7701, South Africa
| | - Ayyoob Sharifi
- Hiroshima University, 1-5-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8529, Japan
| | - Aliyu Barau
- Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Bayero University Kano, PMB 3011, Kano, Nigeria
| | - Fushcia-Ann Hoover
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd, Charlotte, NC, 28223, USA
| | - Daniel L Childers
- School of Sustainability, WCPH 442, Arizona State University, POB 877904, Tempe, AZ, 85287-7904, USA
| | - Timon McPhearson
- The New School, 79 Fifth Avenue, 16th Fl., New York, NY, 10003, USA
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tischa A Muñoz-Erickson
- International Institute of Tropical Forestry, USDA Forest Service, 1201 Calle Ceiba, Jardín Botánico Sur, Río Piedras, PR, 00926, USA
| | - Chantal Pacteau
- Institut d'Écologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, Campus Pierre et Marie Curie 4, place Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Morgan Grove
- Baltimore Field Station, USDA Forest Service, 5523 Research Park Drive, Suite 350, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Niki Frantzeskaki
- Utrecht University, Vening Meinesz Building A, Princetonlaan 8a, 3584 CB, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Harini Nagendra
- Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability, Azim Premji University, Burugunte Village, Bikkanahalli Main Road, Sarjapura, Bangalore, 562125, India
| | - Joshua Ginsberg
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY, 12545, USA
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Pickett STA, Frantzeskaki N, Andersson E, Barau AS, Childers DL, Hoover FA, Lugo AE, McPhearson T, Nagendra H, Schepers S, Sharifi A. Shifting forward: Urban ecology in perspective. Ambio 2024; 53:890-897. [PMID: 38642313 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-024-02007-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
The world has become urban; cities increasingly shape our worldviews, relation to other species, and the large-scale, long-term decisions we make. Cities are nature, but they need to align better with other ecosystems to avoid accelerating climate change and loss of biodiversity. We need a science to guide urban development across the diverse realities of global cities. This need can be met, in part, by shifts in urban ecology and its linkages to related sciences. This perspective is a "synthesis of syntheses", consolidating ideas from the other articles in the Special Section. It re-examines the role of urban ecology, and explores its integration with other disciplines that study cities. We conclude by summarizing the next steps in the ongoing shift in urban ecology, which is fast becoming an integral part of urban studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Niki Frantzeskaki
- Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Vening Meinesz Building A, Princetonlaan 8a, 3485 CB, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Erik Andersson
- Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme and Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 1, P.O. Box 65, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Research Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Aliyu Salisu Barau
- Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Bayero University Kano, PMB 3011, Kano, Nigeria
| | - Daniel L Childers
- School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, POB 877904, Tempe, AZ, 85287-7904, USA
| | - Fushcia-Ann Hoover
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of North Carolina Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd, Charlotte, NC, 28223, USA
| | - Ariel E Lugo
- International Institute of Tropical Forestry, USDA Forest Service, 1201 Calle Ceiba, Jardín Botánico Sur, Río Piedras, PR, 00926-1115, USA
| | - Timon McPhearson
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Box AB, Millbrook, NY, 12545, USA
- Urban Systems Lab, The New School, 79 Fifth Ave, 16 Floor, New York, NY, 10003, USA
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Harini Nagendra
- Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability, Azim Premji University, Burugunte Village, Bikkanahalli Main Road, Sarjapura, Bangalore, IN, 562125, India
| | - Selina Schepers
- Department of Environment and Sustainable Development, Stadsplein 1, 3600, Genk City, Belgium
| | - Ayyoob Sharifi
- The IDEC Institute, Hiroshima University, 1-5-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8529, Japan
- School of Architecture and Design, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon
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Chakraborty B, Pithva K, Mohanty S, McCowan B. Lethal dog attacks on adult rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) in an anthropogenic landscape. Primates 2024; 65:151-157. [PMID: 38446367 PMCID: PMC11018557 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-024-01122-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
For nonhuman primates living in anthropogenic areas, predation by larger predators is relatively rare. However, smaller predators, such as free-ranging as well as domesticated dogs, can shape the socioecology of urban nonhuman primates, either directly by attacking and killing them or indirectly by modifying their activity patterns. Here, we describe three (two probably fatal) cases of dog attacks on adult rhesus macaques inhabiting an anthropogenic landscape in Northern India and the circumstances surrounding these incidents. We discuss the importance of considering human presence and intervention in dog-nonhuman primate relationships while studying nonhuman primate populations across anthropogenic gradients, and its potential influences on group social dynamics and transmission of zoonotic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bidisha Chakraborty
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Krishna Pithva
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Subham Mohanty
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Brenda McCowan
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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Santicchia F, Tranquillo C, Wauters LA, Palme R, Panzeri M, Preatoni D, Bisi F, Martinoli A. Physiological stress response to urbanisation differs between native and invasive squirrel species. Sci Total Environ 2024; 922:171336. [PMID: 38423339 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Novel pressures derived from urbanisation can alter native habitats and ultimately impact wildlife. Coping with such human-driven changes might induce shifts in species phenotypic traits, such as physiological responses to anthropogenic stressors. Preadaptation to face those challenges has been suggested to favour settlement and spread of invasive alien species in urbanised areas which, consequently, might respond differently than ecologically similar native species to stressors posed by urbanisation. The activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the subsequent release of glucocorticoids (GCs) has been suggested to mediate responses to anthropogenic disturbance in vertebrates. Furthermore, intraspecific competition, in conjunction with stressors related to urbanisation, might affect invasive and native species physiological stress responses differently. Using a parallel pseudo-experimental study system we measured faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) concentrations of the native Eurasian red squirrel and the invasive alien Eastern grey squirrel along a rural-urban gradient and in relation to conspecific density. The two species responded differently to challenges posed by the synergic effect of urbanisation and intraspecific competition. Association of FGMs and conspecific density in native red squirrels varied between rural and suburban sites, potentially depending on differential HPA axis responses. In urban sites, this relationship did not differ significantly from that in rural and suburban ones. Conversely, invasive grey squirrels' FGMs did not vary in relation to conspecific density, nor differed along the rural-urban gradient. Improving knowledge about native and competing invasive species' physiological responses to anthropogenic stressors can support conservation strategies in habitats altered by man. Our findings suggested that the invasive squirrels might be preadapted to cope with these challenges in urbanised areas, potentially increasing their success under the future global change scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Santicchia
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit, Guido Tosi Research Group, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, via J. H. Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy.
| | - Claudia Tranquillo
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit, Guido Tosi Research Group, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, via J. H. Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy.
| | - Lucas A Wauters
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit, Guido Tosi Research Group, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, via J. H. Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy; Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Rupert Palme
- Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Mattia Panzeri
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit, Guido Tosi Research Group, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, via J. H. Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Damiano Preatoni
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit, Guido Tosi Research Group, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, via J. H. Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy.
| | - Francesco Bisi
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit, Guido Tosi Research Group, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, via J. H. Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy.
| | - Adriano Martinoli
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit, Guido Tosi Research Group, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, via J. H. Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy.
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Hassan MO, Alsudays IM, Mohamed HY, Abdelhameed AA, Suliman Alghanam SM, Al-Robai SA, Genidy EM, Nasr SH, El-Tayeb MA, Okla MK, Kiani BH, Abeed AH. Microenvironment created by Plantago lagopus L. may affect cover and diversity of coexisting species in urban vegetation. Heliyon 2024; 10:e28614. [PMID: 38590851 PMCID: PMC11000020 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 12/16/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Some plant species may exhibit new microenvironments which lead to significant changes in the cover and diversity of the coexisting species. In this investigation, we evaluated the effects of Plantago lagopus L. on the cover and diversity of the associated plant species in the urban vegetation. A total of 70 plots were conducted in sites with- and without this species in urban gardens. Cover of the associated species and different diversity indices including species richness, Shannon-Wiener, evenness, and Simpson indices were measured. The allelopathic potential of P. lagopus was verified using its rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils on two target species existing within the same environment. Some soil criteria and seed sizes of the associated species were also determined. Most of the coexisting weeds were reduced in terms of their cover in plots with Plantago. The reduction of plant diversity depended on its cover. Besides, the aboveground biomass was reduced in sites comprising Plantago. The degree of inhibition was not related to the seed size of the species found. This species reduced the incident solar radiation and the local temperature over the soil surface. The locations exhibiting such species contained lower contents of available potassium and zinc. Rhizosphere soil of P. lagopus substantially inhibited germination and growth of Amaranthus viridis, but it didn't do so for Medicago lupulina. Reduction in cover, diversity, and biomass of the urban weeds associated with P. lagopus may be related to the reduction of received solar radiation, soil temperature, and nutrient availability. The allelopathic potential of P. lagopus may have a partial role in this reduction. These results suggest that P. lagopus may create a microenvironment of new conditions not favorable for most of the coexisting species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud O. Hassan
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, E-62511, Egypt
| | | | - Howida Y. Mohamed
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, E-62511, Egypt
| | - Asmaa A. Abdelhameed
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, E-62511, Egypt
| | | | - Sami Asir Al-Robai
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha 1988, Saudi Arabia
| | - Esraa M. Genidy
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, E-62511, Egypt
| | - Siada H. Nasr
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, E-62511, Egypt
| | - Mohamed A. El-Tayeb
- Botany and Microbiology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad K. Okla
- Botany and Microbiology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bushra Hafeez Kiani
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, 01609, USA
| | - Amany H.A. Abeed
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut, 71516, Egypt
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Manes S, Vale MM, Pires APF. Nature-based solutions potential for flood risk reduction under extreme rainfall events. Ambio 2024:10.1007/s13280-024-02005-8. [PMID: 38580898 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-024-02005-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Climate change will substantially increase extreme rainfall events, especially in the Tropics, enhancing flood risks. Such imminent risks require climate adaptation strategies to endure extreme rainfall and increase drainage systems. Here, we evaluate the potential of nature-based solutions by using an ecosystem service modeling approach, evaluating the impact of extreme rainfall events on flood risks in a large urban area and with a real-world land recovery plan. We evaluate the cost-effectiveness of four different land recovery scenarios and associated co-benefits, based on a gradient increase in area recovered and cost of implementation. Although the scenarios reveal increasing flood risk reduction and co-benefits along with greater proportion of land recovery, the most cost-effective scenario was the one with an intermediate land recovery where 30% of the study area would be reforested. We emphasize the striking benefits of nature-based solutions for flood risk reduction in cities, considering landscape scale and stakeholders' needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stella Manes
- Graduate Program in Ecology (PPGE/UFRJ), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Bloco A, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-590, Brazil.
- International Institute for Sustainability (IIS), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Mariana M Vale
- Ecology Department, Instituto de Biologia (IB/UFRJ), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Bloco A, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-590, Brazil
| | - Aliny P F Pires
- Ecology Department, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Pavilhão Reitor Haroldo Lisboa da Cunha, Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ), R. São Francisco Xavier, 524, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-013, Brazil
- Brazilian Foundation for Sustainable Development (FBDS), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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7
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Bauduin T, Gypens N, Borges AV. Seasonal and spatial variations of greenhouse gas (CO 2, CH 4 and N 2O) emissions from urban ponds in Brussels. Water Res 2024; 253:121257. [PMID: 38340702 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Freshwaters have been recognized as important sources of greenhouse gases (GHG) to the atmosphere. However, urban ponds have received little attention even though their number is increasing due to expanding urbanisation globally. Ponds are frequently associated to urban green spaces that provide several ecosystemic services such as cooling local climate, regulating the water cycle, and acting as small carbon sinks This study aims to identify and understand the processes producing GHGs (CO2, CH4, and N2O) in the urban ponds of the temperate European city of Brussels in Belgium. 22 relatively small ponds (0.1-4.6 ha) surrounded by contrasted landscape (strictly urban, bordered by cropland or by forest), were sampled during four seasons in 2021-2022. The mean ± standard deviation was 3,667 ± 2,904 ppm for the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2), 2,833 ± 4,178 nmol L-1 for CH4, and 273 ± 662% for N2O saturation level (%N2O). Relationships of GHGs with oxygen and water temperature suggest that biological processes controlled pCO2, CH4 concentration and%N2O. However, pCO2 was also controlled by external inputs as indicated by the higher values of pCO2 in the smaller ponds, more subject to external inputs than larger ones. The opposite was observed for CH4 concentration that was higher in larger ponds, closer to the forest in the city periphery, and with higher macrophyte cover. N2O concentrations, as well as dissolved inorganic nitrogen, were higher closer to the city center, where atmospheric nitrogen deposition was potentially higher. The total GHG emissions from the Brussels ponds were estimated to 1kT CO2-eq per year and were equivalent to the carbon sink of urban green spaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Bauduin
- Ecology of Aquatic Systems, Free University of Brussels, Belgium; Chemical Oceanography Unit, University of Liège, Belgium.
| | - N Gypens
- Ecology of Aquatic Systems, Free University of Brussels, Belgium
| | - A V Borges
- Chemical Oceanography Unit, University of Liège, Belgium
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Zhang F, Qian H. A comprehensive review of the environmental benefits of urban green spaces. Environ Res 2024; 252:118837. [PMID: 38570129 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
This detailed analysis highlights the numerous environmental benefits provided by urban green spaces, emphasizing their critical role in improving urban life quality and advancing sustainable development. The review delves into critical themes such as the impact of urban green spaces on human health, the complex interplay between urban ecology and sustainability, and the evaluation of ecosystem services using a comprehensive review of existing literature. The investigation thoroughly examines various aspects of green infrastructure, shedding light on its contributions to social cohesion, human well-being, and environmental sustainability in general. The analysis summarizes the study's findings and demonstrates the critical role of urban green spaces in urban ecology, which significantly mitigates environmental challenges. The intricate links between these green spaces and human health are thoroughly investigated, with benefits ranging from enhanced mental and physical well-being to comprehensive mental health. Furthermore, the analysis emphasizes how green spaces benefit urban development by increasing property values, boosting tourism, and creating job opportunities. The discussion also considers possible futures, emphasizing the integration of technology, the advancement of natural solutions, and the critical importance of prioritizing health and well-being in the design of urban green spaces. To ensure that urban green spaces are developed and maintained as essential components of resilient and sustainable urban environments, the assessment concludes with practical recommendations for communities, urban planners, and legislators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Zhang
- College of Landscape Architecture, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210037, China.
| | - Haochen Qian
- College of Landscape Architecture, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210037, China
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Srigyan M, Samad A, Singh A, Karan J, Chandra A, Sinha PG, Kumar V, Das S, Thomas A, Suyesh R. Vocal repertoire of Microhyla nilphamariensis from Delhi and comparison with closely related M. ornata populations from the western coast of India and Sri Lanka. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16903. [PMID: 38562993 PMCID: PMC10984171 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Advertisement calls in frogs have evolved to be species-specific signals of recognition and are therefore considered an essential component of integrative taxonomic approaches to identify species and delineate their distribution range. The species rich genus Microhyla is a particularly challenging group for species identification, discovery and conservation management due to the small size, conserved morphology and wide distribution of its members, necessitating the need for a thorough description of their vocalization. In this study, we provide quantitative description of the vocal behaviour of Microhyla nilphamariensis, a widely distributed south Asian species, from Delhi, India, based on call recordings of 18 individuals and assessment of 21 call properties. Based on the properties measured acrossed 360 calls, we find that a typical advertisement call of M. nilphamariensis lasts for 393.5 ± 57.5 ms, has 17 pulses on average and produce pulses at rate of 39 pulses/s. The overall call dominant frequency was found to be 2.8 KHz and the call spectrum consisted of two dominant frequency peaks centered at 1.6 KHz and 3.6 KHz, ranging between 1.5-4.1 KHz. Apart from its typical advertisement call, our study also reveals the presence of three 'rare' call types, previously unreported in this species. We describe variability in call properties and discuss their relation to body size and temperature. We found that overall dominant frequency 1 (spectral property) was found to be correlated with body size, while first pulse period (temporal property) was found to be correlated with temperature. Further, we compare the vocal repertoire of M. nilphamariensis with that of the congener Microhyla ornata from the western coast of India and Sri Lanka and also compare the call properties of these two populations of M. ornata to investigate intra-specific call variation. We find statistically significant differentiation in their acoustic repertoire in both cases. Based on 18 call properties (out of 20), individuals of each locality clearly segregate on PCA factor plane forming separate groups. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) using PCA factors shows 100% classification success with individuals of each locality getting classified to a discrete group. This confirms significant acoustic differentiation between these species as well as between geographically distant conspecifics. The data generated in this study will be useful for comparative bioacoustic analysis of Microhyla species and can be utilized to monitor populations and devise conservation management plan for threatened species in this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megha Srigyan
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Department of Biochemistry, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
| | - Abdus Samad
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Biological Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Abhishek Singh
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Biological Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Jyotsna Karan
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Biological Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Abhishek Chandra
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Pooja Gokhale Sinha
- Department of Botany, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Vineeth Kumar
- Department of Biology, Center for Advanced Learning, Mangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Sandeep Das
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation Division, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, Kerala, India
- Department of Zoology, St Joseph’s College (Autonomous), Irinjalakuda, Thrissur, Kerala, India
| | - Ashish Thomas
- Department of Environmental Studies, SGND Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Robin Suyesh
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
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Bouilloud M, Galan M, Pradel J, Loiseau A, Ferrero J, Gallet R, Roche B, Charbonnel N. Exploring the potential effects of forest urbanization on the interplay between small mammal communities and their gut microbiota. Anim Microbiome 2024; 6:16. [PMID: 38528597 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-024-00301-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Urbanization significantly impacts wild populations, favoring urban dweller species over those that are unable to adapt to rapid changes. These differential adaptative abilities could be mediated by the microbiome, which may modulate the host phenotype rapidly through a high degree of flexibility. Conversely, under anthropic perturbations, the microbiota of some species could be disrupted, resulting in dysbiosis and negative impacts on host fitness. The links between the impact of urbanization on host communities and their gut microbiota (GM) have only been scarcely explored. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the bacterial composition of the GM could play a role in host adaptation to urban environments. We described the GM of several species of small terrestrial mammals sampled in forested areas along a gradient of urbanization, using a 16S metabarcoding approach. We tested whether urbanization led to changes in small mammal communities and in their GM, considering the presence and abundance of bacterial taxa and their putative functions. This enabled to decipher the processes underlying these changes. We found potential impacts of urbanization on small mammal communities and their GM. The urban dweller species had a lower bacterial taxonomic diversity but a higher functional diversity and a different composition compared to urban adapter species. Their GM assembly was mostly governed by stochastic effects, potentially indicating dysbiosis. Selection processes and an overabundance of functions were detected that could be associated with adaptation to urban environments despite dysbiosis. In urban adapter species, the GM functional diversity and composition remained relatively stable along the urbanization gradient. This observation can be explained by functional redundancy, where certain taxa express the same function. This could favor the adaptation of urban adapter species in various environments, including urban settings. We can therefore assume that there are feedbacks between the gut microbiota and host species within communities, enabling rapid adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Bouilloud
- CBGP, IRD, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
- Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations, 750 Avenue Agropolis, 34988, Montferrier sur Lez, France.
| | - Maxime Galan
- CBGP, IRD, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Julien Pradel
- CBGP, IRD, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Anne Loiseau
- CBGP, IRD, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Julien Ferrero
- CBGP, IRD, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Romain Gallet
- CBGP, IRD, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Benjamin Roche
- MIVEGEC, IRD, CNRS, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Nathalie Charbonnel
- CBGP, IRD, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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11
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Richmond IC, Perron MC, Boyle SP, Pick FR. Connectivity of stormwater ponds impacts Odonata abundance and species richness. Landsc Ecol 2024; 39:63. [PMID: 38435963 PMCID: PMC10902110 DOI: 10.1007/s10980-024-01817-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Context The successful dispersal of an animal depends, partly, on landscape connectivity. Urbanization poses risks to dispersal activities by increasing hostile land cover types. Objectives We investigated how connectivity of urban ponds impacted Odonata communities (dragonflies and damselflies), an order of semi-aquatic insects that actively disperse. Methods We sampled 41 constructed stormwater ponds and 8 natural ponds in a metropolitan area. The effect of connectivity and the quantity of available adjacent habitats was tested at different scales for dragonflies (900 m) and damselflies (300 m), determined by a literature analysis, to account for differences in suborder dispersal capabilities. Results Lower levels of connectivity and fewer nearest neighbours negatively impacted abundance, species richness, and composition of dragonflies (p values < 0.01, R2 = 0.18-0.70). Adult dragonfly abundance had a stronger positive relationship with connectivity than species richness. In particular, the abundance of adult dragonfly Leucorrhinia frigida, found almost exclusively at natural ponds, had a positive relationship with connectivity. Connectivity and the number of nearest neighbours had no significant impact on damselflies apart from a slight negative relationship between connectivity and species richness (p value = 0.02, R2 = 0.11). Natural ponds had significantly higher levels of connectivity when compared to stormwater ponds. Conclusions Our results suggest that dragonflies are positively affected by increased connectivity in an urban landscape, with no benefit of connectivity to damselflies at the scale measured. We recommend intentional planning of urban stormwater pond networks, where individual ponds can act as stepping stones, incorporated with strategic inclusion of beneficial land cover types. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10980-024-01817-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- I. C. Richmond
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie Private, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Canada
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, QC H4B 1R6 Canada
| | - M. C. Perron
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie Private, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Canada
- St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences, 2 St. Lawrence Drive, Cornwall, ON K6H 4Z1 Canada
| | - S. P. Boyle
- School of Science and the Environment, Memorial University of Newfoundland - Grenfell, 20 University Dr, Corner Brook, NL A2H 5G5 Canada
| | - F. R. Pick
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie Private, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Canada
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12
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Jiménez T, Peña-Villalobos I, Arcila J, Del Basto F, Palma V, Sabat P. The effects of urban thermal heterogeneity and feather coloration on oxidative stress and metabolism of pigeons (Columba livia). Sci Total Environ 2024; 912:169564. [PMID: 38142996 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization stands out as a significant anthropogenic factor, exerting selective pressures on ecosystems and biotic components. A notable outcome of urbanization is thermal heterogeneity where the emergence of Urban Heat Islands is characterized by elevated air and surface temperatures compared to adjacent rural areas. Investigating the influence of thermal heterogeneity on urban animals could offer insights into how temperature variations can lead to phenotypic shifts. Urban pigeons (Columba livia) serve as an excellent model for studying urban thermal effects, given the melanism variations, which are associated with the pleiotropy of the melanocortin system. To examine the development of physiological plasticity in response to urban thermal variations, we conducted a study on pigeons in Santiago, Chile, during the rainy season. We assessed the influence of habitat on physiological traits related to metabolism and antioxidant capacities, which are theoretically affected by feather coloration. Our findings reveal that variations in melanism significantly impact pigeon physiology, affecting both antioxidant capacities and the mitochondrial activity of red blood cells. It was found that higher urban temperatures, from both the current sampling month and the prior sampling month (from CRU TS dataset), were negatively and strongly associated with lower antioxidant and metabolic activities. This suggests that elevated urban temperatures likely benefit the energetic budgets of pigeon populations and mitigate the negative effects of oxidative metabolism, with differential effects depending on feather colorations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomás Jiménez
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Isaac Peña-Villalobos
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Laboratorio de Células troncales y Biología del Desarrollo, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Javiera Arcila
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisco Del Basto
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Verónica Palma
- Laboratorio de Células troncales y Biología del Desarrollo, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Pablo Sabat
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Santiago, Chile; Millennium Nucleus of Patagonian Limit of Life (LiLi)
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13
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Martín-Vélez V, Navarro J, Figuerola J, Aymí R, Sabaté S, Planell R, Vila J, Montalvo T. A spatial analysis of urban gulls contribution to the potential spread of zoonotic and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Sci Total Environ 2024; 912:168762. [PMID: 38007121 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
Wildlife human interactions within cities are becoming more common with consequences for pathogen transmission and human health. Large gulls are opportunistic feeders, adapted to coexist with humans in urban environments, and are potential vectors for spread and transmission of pathogens, including antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. We investigated the potential role that urban gulls play in the spread and dispersal of these bacteria. We analysed 129 faecal swabs from yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) of different ages (56 adults and 73 immatures) during the breeding period from three years in the highly populated city of Barcelona (northeastern Spain). Thirteen individuals tested positive for the pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter jejuni), including antibiotic-resistant strains. We modelled the potential spatial spread of pathogens using the GPS trajectories of 58 yellow-legged gulls (23 adults, 35 immature individuals), which included the thirteen individuals that tested positive for pathogenic bacteria. By overlapping the spatially explicit pathogen dispersal maps with the distribution of urban installations sensitive at risk of possible pathogen spillover (e.g. elder and medical centres, markets, food industries, kindergartens, or public water sources), we identified potential areas at risk of pathogen spillover. Pathogens may be potentially spread to municipalities beyond Barcelona city borders. The results revealed that immature gulls dispersed pathogens over larger areas than adults (maximum dispersal distances of 167 km versus 53.2 km, respectively). Recreational urban water sources were the most sensitive habitats visited by GPS-tagged gulls that tested positive, followed by schools. Combining GPS movement data with pathogen analytics allows spatially explicit maps to be generated using a One Health approach that can help urban and public health management within large cities, such as Barcelona, and identify areas used by humans that are sensitive to pathogen spillover from gulls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Martín-Vélez
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM), CSIC, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Joan Navarro
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM), CSIC, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD), CSIC, Avenida Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Raül Aymí
- Institut Català d'Ornitologia, Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Pl. Leonardo da Vinci, 4-5, a, Barcelona 08019, Spain
| | - Sara Sabaté
- Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB SANT PAU), Sant Quintí 77-79, 08041 Barcelona, Spain; Agencia de Salud Pública de Barcelona, Pl. Lesseps, 1, 08023 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raquel Planell
- Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB SANT PAU), Sant Quintí 77-79, 08041 Barcelona, Spain; Agencia de Salud Pública de Barcelona, Pl. Lesseps, 1, 08023 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Vila
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Center for Biomedical Diagnosis (CDB), Hospital Clinic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.; ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Tomás Montalvo
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain; Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB SANT PAU), Sant Quintí 77-79, 08041 Barcelona, Spain; Agencia de Salud Pública de Barcelona, Pl. Lesseps, 1, 08023 Barcelona, Spain
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14
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Carballo-Bolaños R, Wei Y, Denis V. Coral transplantation in urban environments: Insights from colony survival and growth on artificial frames versus the seabed. Mar Environ Res 2024; 194:106319. [PMID: 38211473 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Urban and green transitions require infrastructures that can cause pressure on coastal ecosystems. In northern Taiwan, plans to convert an oil-fired power plant to gas would necessitate a port terminal construction, threatening nearby corals and marine life. To mitigate construction impacts, the relocation of affected corals was proposed. We conducted a transplantation study, prior to such a large-scale coral relocation, to assess its feasibility and to identify potential risks associated with the marginal location of northern Taiwan for tropical corals. Five coral species, representative of the different ecological strategies, were selected. We used two methods (artificial frames and seabed cementation) to transplant 246 colony fragments to two pre-selected sites. Over a year, we monitored fragment survival and growth, in parallel with environmental conditions. We found that survival and growth were significantly influenced by transplantation methods, sites, and species. The difference between methods revealed biotic (predation by corallivorous snails) and abiotic (mechanical damage by waves) factors affecting coral survival and growth. Acropora species exhibited high growth, but also high mortality, consistent with their known ecology. Other species presented slower growth but higher survival. One site provided a better environment for corals, which we attributed to topography and reduced exposure. Overall, this study provides interesting insights into relocating corals in a high-latitude and urban coral ecosystem, highlighting risks related to mechanical damages and predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Carballo-Bolaños
- Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei City, 10617, Taiwan; Ocean Center, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei City, 10617, Taiwan.
| | - Yi Wei
- Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei City, 10617, Taiwan; Ocean Center, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei City, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Vianney Denis
- Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei City, 10617, Taiwan; Ocean Center, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei City, 10617, Taiwan.
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15
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Rautjärvi S, MacGregor-Fors I. Where economic parity meets ecology: Neither biodiversity nor ecosystem integrity values relate to wealth in the context of a medium-sized Finnish city. Ambio 2024; 53:292-298. [PMID: 37819441 PMCID: PMC10774213 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-023-01927-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Ecological conditions are heavily influenced by human-environment interactions, which is why understanding the relationships between people and nature is crucial. While earlier studies have indicated a pattern of positive correlations between economic wealth and biodiversity in urban areas, there are some examples that suggest that such associations are more intricate than initially presumed. In this study, we aimed to assess whether such a relation holds in Lahti, a medium-sized city in southern Finland, considering two biodiversity proxies (i.e., bird and woody plant species richness) and the Urban Ecosystem Integrity Index (UEII) of the city. Our results show no clear relationship between economic wealth (average annual income per statistical area) reported for 2019 and the two assessed biodiversity proxies and the UEII. These findings shed new light on the "luxury effect" in urban areas and reveal the nature of such relationship in highly green cities embedded in economic parity scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sini Rautjärvi
- Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Niemenkatu 73, 15140, Lahti, Finland
| | - Ian MacGregor-Fors
- Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Niemenkatu 73, 15140, Lahti, Finland.
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16
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Hayes WM, O'Shea BJ, Pierre MA, Wilson A, Bicknell JE. Bird communities across different levels of human settlement: A comparative analysis from two northern Amazonian ecoregions. Sci Total Environ 2023; 903:166535. [PMID: 37634729 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Urban ecosystems are increasingly dominating landscapes globally, so it is critical to understand the effects of human settlements on biodiversity. Bird communities are effective indicators because they are impacted by the size and expansion of human settlements, exemplified by changes in their habitat use, breeding and foraging behaviours, as well as patterns of richness and abundance. Existing studies on bird community responses to human settlements have mainly focused on single ecoregions and large cities, leaving a gap in comparative research on how differently sized human settlements affect bird communities across various ecoregions. To address this gap, we examine species richness, bird abundances and community composition in human settlements, which exhibit variable sizes, populations, landscape configurations, and overall intensity of settlement in two tropical ecoregions in Guyana, Amazonia: forest and savannah. In each ecoregion we explored how different groupings of urban tolerance in birds responded to human settlements of differing population size and building densities. Overall, we found significant differences in bird communities across the varying levels of human settlement intensity in both ecoregions, with greater differences in bird community composition in the forest ecoregion than the savannah region. In both ecoregions, species richness and abundance were highest at the medium level of settlement of human settlement. Our findings suggest that bird tolerance to human settlements varies based on ecoregion and site-level factors. In the savannah, built features may be benefitting birds from all urban tolerance levels, but they have a negative impact on less urban-tolerant species in the forest ecoregion. Our comparative analysis reveals for the first time that the impact of human settlements on avian communities in northern Amazonia varies among ecoregions, indicating that species evolved to live in a savannah may be more tolerant to human settlements than those more evolved to a forest system.
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Affiliation(s)
- William M Hayes
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NR, UK.
| | - Brian J O'Shea
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, 11 W Jones St, Raleigh, NC 27601, United States
| | - Meshach A Pierre
- Tropical Conservation and Development Program, Center for Latin American Studies, University of Florida, United States
| | - Asaph Wilson
- South Rupununi Conservation Society, Shulinab, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo, Guyana
| | - Jake E Bicknell
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NR, UK
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Griffin CD, Tominiko C, Medeiros MCI, Walguarnery JW. Microplastic pollution differentially affects development of disease-vectoring Aedes and Culex mosquitoes. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2023; 267:115639. [PMID: 37924798 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
Plastic in the form of microplastic particles (MPs) is now recognized as a major pollutant of unknown consequences in aquatic habitats. Mosquitoes, with aquatic eggs, larvae, and pupae, are likely to encounter microplastic, particularly those species that are abundant in close proximity to human development, including those that vector human and animal disease. We examined the effects of polyethylene MPs, the most common microplastic documented in environmental samples, on the development and survival of the mosquitoes Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus. In laboratory egg-laying and larval development container environments similar to those used by both species in the field, a mix of 1-53 µm MPs at concentrations of 60, 600, and 6000 MP ml-1 increased early instar larval mortality in both species relative to control treatments. A significant difference was found in the response of each species to microplastic at the lowest microplastic concentration tested, with Cx. quinquefasciatus survival equivalent to that in control conditions but with Ae. albopictus larvae mortality elevated to 37% within 48 h. These results differ from those of previous studies in which larvae were only exposed to MPs during the last aquatic instar stage and from which it was concluded that microplastic was ontogenically transferred without negatively affecting development. Increasing plastic pollutant concentrations could therefore act as selective pressures on aquatic larvae and ultimately influence outcomes of ecological interactions among mosquito vector populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chasen D Griffin
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA; School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Christine Tominiko
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA; College of Agriculture and Natural Resource Management, University of Hawai]i at Hilo, 200W. Kāwili St., Hilo, HI 96720, USA
| | - Matthew C I Medeiros
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA; Center for Microbiome Analysis Through Island Knowledge and Investigation, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Justin W Walguarnery
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
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Riascos JM, Gomez N. A bioengineer in the city -the Darwinian fitness of fiddler crabs inhabiting plastic pollution hotspots. Environ Pollut 2023; 335:122254. [PMID: 37499967 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Mangrove forests have been widely recognized as effective traps for plastic litter, which tends to accumulate in landward areas. In mangrove forests surrounding cities, plastic litter may increase up to two orders of magnitude. Therefore, crabs that process sediments for feeding and burrowing in landward areas are likely to be impacted by marine litter and other disturbances. As counterintuitive as it may seem, crabs are developing dense populations in urban mangroves from different countries, suggesting parallel adaptive processes related to the availability of anthropogenic food sources. To better understand this, we compared the loads of macroplastics within and between mangroves along an urban-rural-wild forest gradient in the Urabá Gulf, Colombian Caribbean. We then assessed if there is directional selection on crab phenotypes likely associated with human-provided food sources in urbanized forests. Finally, we evaluated the hypothesis that crabs in urban areas exhibit increased fecundity and survival - components of the Darwinian fitness - of female crabs in urban (versus wild) populations through three spawning seasons. Crabs in urban areas were larger (males), showed a healthier body condition (both sexes), and females had a larger reproductive lifespan than crabs in wild areas, strongly suggesting responses to the availability of predictable anthropogenic food subsidies in urban forests. Despite this, higher female fecundity was observed only during a spawning season. However, this short-lived increase in fecundity was offset by reduced survival among female crabs in urban forests, likely due to increased predation by birds, which appear to be emerging as dominant consumers in urban mangroves.
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Affiliation(s)
- José M Riascos
- Corporación Académica Ambiental, Universidad de Antioquia-Sede Ciencias del Mar, Turbo, Antioquia, Colombia; Corporation Center of Excellence in Marine Sciences - CEMarin, Bogotá, Colombia.
| | - Nicolás Gomez
- Programa de Ecología de Zonas Costeras, Universidad de Antioquia-Sede Ciencias del Mar, Turbo, Colombia
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Du S, Murray RL. Road salt pollution alters sex ratios in emerging mosquito populations. Environ Pollut 2023; 334:122203. [PMID: 37453680 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
De-icing road salt is a persistent emerging pollutant in temperate freshwater systems, where winter salting is necessary for road and pedestrian safety. Experts argue that road salts may increase salt-tolerant mosquito populations and, potentially, disease transmission in urban areas. Only adult females consume bloodmeals and may carry zoonotic diseases. While there are some species with naturally occurring male-biased sex ratios, it is unclear whether road salt differentially affects male and female mosquitoes to alter sex ratios. We hypothesized that road salts would masculinize emergence sex ratios and decrease female success because females may face higher exposure to stressors during their lengthy juvenile development compared to males. We measured mosquito emergence sex ratios of control (0 g/L added salt) and salt (4.5 g/L added salt) mesocosms in southern Ontario, Canada across the West Nile Virus season (May to October). We found female-biased sex ratios (i.e., <50% male frequency) in both 0 and 4.5 g/L. While mosquito abundance was significantly higher in 4.5 g/L compared to 0 g/L, road salt significantly increased the proportion of emerging males from 32.8% to 40.8% (Negative Binomial Model; Estimate ± SE = 0.283 ± 0.108; P = 0.009); mosquitoes shift their sex ratios from female-biased towards parity (50:50) in response to salt. Our study illustrates the need to evaluate sex-specific abundance in pollution-related mosquito population studies. By showing a shift toward more male mosquitoes emerging in high salinity compared to control treatments, our results suggest that road salts may have the potential to decrease female mosquito success and indirectly reduce disease transmission in cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherry Du
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada; Centre for Urban Environments, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada.
| | - Rosalind L Murray
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada; Centre for Urban Environments, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada
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Gibson E, Zimmerman NB. Urban biogeography of fungal endophytes across San Francisco. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15454. [PMID: 37547726 PMCID: PMC10399560 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In natural and agricultural systems, the plant microbiome-the microbial organisms associated with plant tissues and rhizosphere soils-has been shown to have important effects on host physiology and ecology, yet we know little about how these plant-microbe relationships play out in urban environments. Here we characterize the composition of fungal communities associated with living leaves of one of the most common sidewalk trees in the city of San Francisco, California. We focus our efforts on endophytic fungi (asymptomatic microfungi that live inside healthy leaves), which have been shown in other systems to have large ecological effects on the health of their plant hosts. Specifically, we characterized the foliar fungal microbiome of Metrosideros excelsa (Myrtaceae) trees growing in a variety of urban environmental conditions. We used high-throughput culturing, PCR, and Sanger sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS nrDNA) region to quantify the composition and structure of fungal communities growing within healthy leaves of 30 M. excelsa trees from six distinct sites, which were selected to capture the range of environmental conditions found within city limits. Sequencing resulted in 854 high-quality ITS sequences. These sequences clustered into 85 Operational Taxonomic Units (97% OTUs). We found that these communities encompass relatively high alpha (within) and beta (between-site) diversity. Because the communities are all from the same host tree species, and located in relatively close geographical proximity to one another, these analyses suggest that urban environmental factors such as heat islands or differences in vegetation or traffic density (and associated air quality) may potentially be influencing the composition of these fungal communities. These biogeographic patterns provide evidence that plant microbiomes in urban environments can be as dynamic and complex as their natural counterparts. As human populations continue to transition out of rural areas and into cities, understanding the factors that shape environmental microbial communities in urban ecosystems stands to become increasingly important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Gibson
- Department of Biology, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Naupaka B. Zimmerman
- Department of Biology, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
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21
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Ordóñez C, Labib SM, Chung L, Conway TM. Satisfaction with urban trees associates with tree canopy cover and tree visibility around the home. NPJ Urban Sustain 2023; 3:37. [PMID: 38666053 PMCID: PMC11041773 DOI: 10.1038/s42949-023-00119-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Many world cities want to expand the number of urban trees. How this expansion occurs should consider what people expect from trees based on how they experience and perceive these trees. Therefore, we need a better understanding of how people perceptually respond to urban tree abundance. This research examined whether people's satisfaction with urban trees and satisfaction with the management of those trees were related to objective measures of greenery such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), percent tree canopy cover, and the Viewshed Greenness Visibility Index (VGVI) for trees. We used a demographically and geographically representative survey of 223 residents in Toronto, Canada, and calculated NDVI, canopy cover, and VGVI at three neighbourhood sizes. We analysed the data using generalized linear regression. We found that canopy cover and VGVI had a positive association with satisfaction with urban trees. The associations were comparatively stronger at larger neighbourhood scales than at smaller scales. There were no statistically significant associations with NDVI or satisfaction with the management of urban trees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilo Ordóñez
- Department of Geography, Geomatics and Environment, University of Toronto at Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6 Canada
| | - S. M. Labib
- Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Lincoln Chung
- Department of Geography, Geomatics and Environment, University of Toronto at Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6 Canada
| | - Tenley M. Conway
- Department of Geography, Geomatics and Environment, University of Toronto at Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6 Canada
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22
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Jeantet A, Sandmeyer L, Campech C, Audebert F, Agostini S, Pellerin A, Gasparini J. The "parasite detoxification hypothesis": lead exposure potentially changes the ecological interaction from parasitism to mutualism. Ecotoxicology 2023:10.1007/s10646-023-02678-z. [PMID: 37326808 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-023-02678-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
In urban areas, organisms are exposed to high pollutant levels, especially element trace metals that may impact host-parasite interactions. Indeed, parasites have been reported to reduce the negative effects of pollutants on their hosts. The fitness of parasitized organisms in polluted environments may therefore be greater than that of unparasitized organisms. In our study, we used an experimental approach to test this hypothesis on feral pigeons (Columba livia), which are endemically parasitized by nematodes and exposed to high levels of lead in urban areas. We tested the combined effects of lead exposure and helminth parasitism on different pigeon fitness components: preening, immunocompetence, abundance of lice (Columbicola columbae) and haemosporidian parasites (Heamoproteus spp., Plasmodium spp.), reproduction investment, and oxidative stress. Our results show that among pigeons exposed to lead treatment, individuals harboring nematode parasites exhibit more preening activity and have fewer ectoparasites lice than nematode-free individuals. Benefits for nematode-parasitized individuals exposed to lead were not detected for other fitness parameters. Further studies are required to confirm the "parasite detoxification hypothesis" in pigeons and to identify the mechanisms by which this detoxification occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Jeantet
- Sorbonne Université, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Lisa Sandmeyer
- Sorbonne Université, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Clément Campech
- Sorbonne Université, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Fabienne Audebert
- Sorbonne Université, MNHN, CNRS, IRD, UCA, Laboratoire de Biologie des Organismes et Écosystèmes Aquatiques, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Simon Agostini
- Centre de recherche en Écologie Expérimentale et Prédictive (CEREEP-Ecotron IleDeFrance), Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, PSL Resarch University, UMS 3194, 77140, Saint-Pierre-lès-Nemours, France
| | - Anouk Pellerin
- Sorbonne Université, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Julien Gasparini
- Sorbonne Université, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, 75005, Paris, France
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23
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Gilles S, Meinzer M, Landgraf M, Kolek F, von Bargen S, Pack K, Charalampopoulos A, Ranpal S, Luschkova D, Traidl-Hoffmann C, Jochner-Oette S, Damialis A, Büttner C. Betula pendula trees infected by birch idaeovirus and cherry leaf roll virus: Impacts of urbanisation and NO 2 levels. Environ Pollut 2023; 327:121526. [PMID: 37001600 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Viruses are frequently a microbial biocontaminant of healthy plants. The occurrence of the infection can be also due to environmental stress, like urbanisation, air pollution and increased air temperature, especially under the ongoing climate change. The aim of the present study was to investigate the hypothesis that worsened air quality and fewer green areas may favour the higher frequency of common viral infections, particularly in a common tree in temperate and continental climates, Betula pendula ROTH. We examined 18 trees, during the years 2015-2017, the same always for each year, in the region of Augsburg, Germany. By specific PCR, the frequency of two viruses, Cherry leaf roll virus (CLRV, genus Nepovirus, family Secoviridae), which is frequent in birch trees, and a novel virus tentatively named birch idaeovirus (BIV), which has been only recently described, were determined in pollen samples. The occurrence of the viruses was examined against the variables of urban index, air pollution (O3 and NO2), air temperature, and tree morphometrics (trunk perimeter, tree height, crown height and diameter). Generalized Non-linear models (binomial logit with backward stepwise removal of independent variables) were employed. During the study period, both CLRV and BIV were distributed widely throughout the investigated birch individuals. CLRV seemed to be rather cosmopolitan and was present independent of any abiotic factor. BIV's occurrence was mostly determined by higher values of the urban index and of NO2. Urban birch trees, located next to high-traffic roads with higher NO2 levels, are more likely to be infected by BIV. Increased environmental stress may lead to more plant viral infections. Here we suggest that this is particularly true for urban spaces, near high-traffic roads, where plants may be more stressed, and we recommend taking mitigation measures for controlling negative human interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Gilles
- Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany; Institute of Environmental Medicine, Helmholtz Center Munich - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Meike Meinzer
- Albrecht Daniel Thaer Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Department of Phytomedicine, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maria Landgraf
- Albrecht Daniel Thaer Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Department of Phytomedicine, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Franziska Kolek
- Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Susanne von Bargen
- Albrecht Daniel Thaer Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Department of Phytomedicine, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kaja Pack
- Albrecht Daniel Thaer Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Department of Phytomedicine, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Athanasios Charalampopoulos
- Terrestrial Ecology and Climate Change, Department of Ecology, School of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Surendra Ranpal
- Physical Geography/Landscape Ecology and Sustainable Ecosystem Development, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Eichstätt, Germany
| | - Daria Luschkova
- Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany; Institute of Environmental Medicine, Helmholtz Center Munich - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann
- Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany; Institute of Environmental Medicine, Helmholtz Center Munich - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Augsburg, Germany; Christine-Kühne Center for Allergy Research and Education (CK-Care), Davos, Switzerland
| | - Susanne Jochner-Oette
- Physical Geography/Landscape Ecology and Sustainable Ecosystem Development, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Eichstätt, Germany
| | - Athanasios Damialis
- Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany; Terrestrial Ecology and Climate Change, Department of Ecology, School of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Carmen Büttner
- Albrecht Daniel Thaer Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Department of Phytomedicine, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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24
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Cao L, Sun Y, Beckmann-Wübbelt A, Saha S. Characteristics of urban park recreation and health during early COVID-19 by on-site survey in Beijing. NPJ Urban Sustain 2023; 3:31. [PMID: 37305612 PMCID: PMC10243239 DOI: 10.1038/s42949-023-00110-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The positive health effects of green space have received increasing attention, however, on-site surveys and city-level research to reveal the relationship between urban park recreation and urbanite health in metropolitan areas during a post-pandemic period are lacking. We conducted an on-site survey using a questionnaire with 225 respondents from 22 urban parks distributed across the metropolitan area of Beijing during the early COVID-19 eased period with another 1346 respondents in 2021 to make verification. We identified factors that could influence public perceptions of park quality and human health (i.e., physical, mental, and social health) and revealed gender differences in perceptions of park characteristics. The correspondence pattern of perceived urban park quality with social health is distinct from that of physical and mental health. Due to the strict social distancing policy in early COVID-19 period, urban parks in different levels of urbanization environment could exert varied health effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Cao
- The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Forest Ecosystem of State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Research Center for Urban Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Sun
- The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Forest Ecosystem of State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Research Center for Urban Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Angela Beckmann-Wübbelt
- Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlstr. 11, 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Somidh Saha
- Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlstr. 11, 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany
- Institute for Geography and Geoecology (IfGG), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlstr. 12, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
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25
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Silva-Rodríguez EA, Cortés E, Zambrano B, Naughton-Treves L, Farías AA. On the causes and consequences of the free-roaming dog problem in southern Chile. Sci Total Environ 2023:164324. [PMID: 37230363 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Free-roaming dogs are an important concern for public health, livestock production and the environment. Human behaviors-such as allowing pets to roam, abandoning dogs, or feeding stray animals-could influence free-roaming dog abundance and the frequency of occurrence of dog-caused problems. Here we aim to determine patterns of free-roaming dog abundance in urban and rural areas, to reveal spatial variation in human behaviors underlying the free-roaming dog problem, and to test for associations between free-roaming dog abundance and related problems. We conducted our study in Chile, where dogs are a major environmental issue. In Chile, as in many other Global South countries, many people leave their dogs to roam, partly due to norms and to lax enforcement of dog control laws. To address our objectives, we counted dogs in 213 transects in urban and rural areas to model dog abundance using N-mixture models. Then we conducted interviews in 553 properties around the transects to determine people's dog management, their behavior towards free-roaming dogs and the prevalence of dog-caused problems. Dog abundance was higher in transects where a higher number of owned dogs was allowed to roam, as well as in lower-income neighborhoods (based on property tax valuation). Meanwhile, rural citizens were more likely to let their dogs' roam. Dog abandonment was reported more frequently in lower-income urban neighborhoods and rural areas. Not surprisingly, we found that several problems-such as dog bites-were more frequent where we detected more free-roaming dogs. Our results highlight that the owned dog population is a central component of the free-roaming dog problem, and that human behavior is the key driver underlying the problem. Dog management programs should promote responsible dog-ownership, with a strong message focused on keeping dogs inside properties and preventing abandonment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo A Silva-Rodríguez
- Laboratorio de Fauna Silvestre & Laboratorio de Biodiversidad y Ecología del Dosel, Instituto de Conservación, Biodiversidad y Territorio, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla 567, Valdivia, Chile; Programa Austral Patagonia, Universidad Austral de Chile, Chile.
| | - Esteban Cortés
- Laboratorio de Fauna Silvestre & Laboratorio de Biodiversidad y Ecología del Dosel, Instituto de Conservación, Biodiversidad y Territorio, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla 567, Valdivia, Chile; Programa Austral Patagonia, Universidad Austral de Chile, Chile; Programa de Magíster en Ciencias mención Bosques y Medio Ambiente, Escuela de Graduados, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla 567, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Brayan Zambrano
- Laboratorio de Fauna Silvestre & Laboratorio de Biodiversidad y Ecología del Dosel, Instituto de Conservación, Biodiversidad y Territorio, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla 567, Valdivia, Chile; Centro de Investigación para la Sustentabilidad & Programa de Doctorado en Medicina de la Conservación, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Chile; ONG, Unidad por la Conservación de los Ecosistemas, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Lisa Naughton-Treves
- Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States of America
| | - Ariel A Farías
- Departamento de Ecología & Gestión Ambiental, Centro Universitario Regional del Este (CURE-Maldonado), Universidad de la República, Maldonado, Uruguay; Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), P. Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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26
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Lusseau D, Baillie R. Disparities in greenspace access during COVID-19 mobility restrictions. Environ Res 2023; 225:115551. [PMID: 36841525 PMCID: PMC9951027 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
More than half of the human population lives in cities and therefore predominantly experience nature in urban greenspace, an important contributor to wellbeing. As the world faces a pandemic which threatens the physical and mental health of billions of people, it is crucial to understand that all have the possibility to access nature exposure to alleviate some of these challenges. Here, for the first time, we integrate data from Facebook, Twitter, and Google Search users to show that people looked for greenspace during COVID-19 mobility restrictions but may not have always managed to reach it. We used a longitudinal approach, replicated in three European cities, to assess whether people spent more time in locations with more greenspace, and whether this change in urban density remained for the whole pandemic, pre-vaccine, period. We coupled this human density study with a longitudinal study of web search patterns for Parks and online discussion about urban greenspace. People searched for Parks near them more during the pandemic, particularly when they were allowed to visit them. They discussed in positive terms greenspace particularly more at the start of the pandemic. People spent more time in areas with greenspace when they could and that depended on the level of multiple deprivation of their neighbourhood. Importantly, while people sought greenspace throughout the first 20 months of the pandemic, this preference intensified through the waves of lockdown. Living in an affluent area conferred a greenspace advantage in London and Paris but we find that in Berlin greenspace in more deprived neighbourhoods were used more. Overall, urban greenspace occupied a greater place in people's lives during the pandemic. Whether people could realise greenspace access depended on the deprivation level of the neighbourhood. Public greenspace access should be integrated in national indices of deprivation given its importance for wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Lusseau
- National Institute for Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, 2800, Denmark.
| | - Rosie Baillie
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 2 TZ, UK
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27
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Deshpande P, Sharma R, Lehikoinen A, Thorogood R. Native fauna interact differently with native and alien trees in a tropical megacity. Sci Total Environ 2023; 868:161683. [PMID: 36690109 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The negative effects of invasive alien plant species on natural ecosystems are well known. However, in rapidly growing cities, alien plants can provide native fauna with resources otherwise lost due to the biotic homogenization, which is common to urban ecosystems. Interactions of native fauna with alien flora have thus far focused largely on invertebrate pollinators in temperate cities in the northern hemisphere. Cities in tropical areas, however, are larger and are growing more rapidly, and host a variety of vertebrate pollinators. Understanding how birds and mammals interact with native and alien flora in these megacities could improve management of urban ecosystems in highly biodiverse regions while limiting invasion potential. Therefore, here we investigate whether native diurnal birds and mammals interact differently with native versus alien trees in Bengaluru, India where historical planting has led to an abundance of alien tree species. We find that tree origin alone was not an important predictor for bird species richness and abundance, but taller native trees with large floral display sizes were more species rich than alien trees of similar floral displays. As expected from their shared evolutionary history, nectarivorous birds fed from native trees more often in a manner that could facilitate pollination, but engaged in nectar theft more often with alien trees. Squirrels (the mammal observed most frequently to interact with flowers) were more likely, however, to depredate flowers of native trees. Our results suggest alien trees can be an important resource for fauna in expanding urban areas, and that nectar theft by birds could reduce the seed set of alien trees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Purabi Deshpande
- HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00011, Finland; Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00011, Finland; The Helsinki Lab of Ornithology, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, 9 P.O. Box 17, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland.
| | - Rohan Sharma
- Ashoka Trust For Research In Ecology And The Environment, PO, Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560064, India
| | - Aleksi Lehikoinen
- The Helsinki Lab of Ornithology, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, 9 P.O. Box 17, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland
| | - Rose Thorogood
- HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00011, Finland; Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00011, Finland
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28
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Galimany E, Navarro J, Martino I, Aymí R, Cermeño P, Montalvo T. Gulls as potential sentinels for urban litter: combining nest and GPS-tracking information. Environ Monit Assess 2023; 195:521. [PMID: 36988754 PMCID: PMC10060334 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11133-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The production of urban waste has increased in the past decades leading to its mishandling. The effects on public health, economy, and wildlife that waste mismanagement can have are forcing governments to increase their efforts in detecting and mitigating the presence of waste. Identifying and monitoring sentinel species to assess the presence of urban litter could be a cost-effective option. Thus, analyzing the nest composition of yellow-legged gulls from an urban population inhabiting a very high populated city (Barcelona, Spain), and combining this information with accurate GPS tracking data, provides a potential tool to monitor the presence of marine and terrestrial litter over time. The results revealed the highest presence of debris in the nests of a seabird ever recorded. All the nests examined contained anthropogenic waste, with plastic items present in all of them. Crossing the nest composition with GPS tracking movements confirmed that the waste to build the nests was collected in the urban area and not in other environments surrounding the city. Then, the nest waste composition may be a good indicator of waste mismanagement and advise the municipalities to improve waste management and recycling strategies for the different types of litter. Using gulls breeding in cities as sentinel species and, in particular, the study of their nest composition, may provide essential data to decision-making stakeholders to adopt a One Health approach and help improve not only the environment's health but also the health of those who live in it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eve Galimany
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM), CSIC, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Joan Navarro
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM), CSIC, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ilaria Martino
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM), CSIC, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raül Aymí
- Institut Català d'Ornitologia, Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Pl. Leonardo da Vinci, 4-5, a, 08019, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pablo Cermeño
- Research and Conservation Department, Barcelona Zoo Foundation, Parc de La Ciutadella, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tomas Montalvo
- Servei de Vigilància I Control de Plagues Urbanes, Agencia de Salud Pública de Barcelona, Pl. Lesseps, 1, 08023, Barcelona, Spain
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29
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Mendiola-Islas V, Lara C, Corcuera P, Valverde PL. The behavior of Broad-tailed hummingbirds is altered by cycles of human activity in a forested area converted into agricultural land. PeerJ 2023; 11:e14953. [PMID: 36874969 PMCID: PMC9983423 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background By changing the circumstances in which animals make their behavioral decisions, weekly cycles of human activity might cause changes in wildlife behavior. For example, when there is more human activity in a location, animals may become more vigilant, which can decrease the time they spend foraging, or roam farther from home, leading to increased home range size. Overall, there has been little exploration of how animal species living in locations that have undergone land use change are affected by the temporal dynamics of human activity levels. In this study, we aimed to analyze the effect of the weekend on agricultural activities and hummingbird territorial activity. We examined differences between weekdays and weekends in factors previously shown to follow weekly cyclical patterns, such as pedestrian presence, traffic, and the presence of domestic animals. We hypothesized that territorial hummingbirds would respond to these weekly cycles of human activity by altering their behavior. Methods We studied Broad-tailed hummingbird territories in forested areas that had been transformed to agriculture lands in central Mexico. We evaluated whether territorial individuals changed their behaviors (i.e., chases of intruders, foraging within their territory, number of intruders allowed to forage in the territory) in response to variation between weekdays and weekends in the number of pedestrians, cyclists, dogs, farm animals and vehicles. Results We found that the level of agriculture-related human activities showed a weekly cycle at our study site. On weekdays there was higher traffic of pedestrians, cyclists, dogs, farm animals and vehicles, compared to the weekends. Hummingbirds responded to these weekday-weekends differences by changing their territorial behavior. Compared to weekends, on weekdays hummingbirds showed a decrease in defense (number of chases) as well as the use of their territory (number of flowers visited), which allowed increased access to intruders (number of visited flowers by intruders). Conclusions Our findings suggest that variation in agriculture-related human activities between weekdays and weekends can alter the territorial behavior of hummingbirds. Behavioral shifts seem to be related to these human activity cycles, leading hummingbirds to reduce chases and feeding during weekdays when human activity is highest, but increasing both behaviors during times of minimal disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Mendiola-Islas
- Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Iztapalapa, Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas y de la Salud, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Carlos Lara
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, San Felipe Ixtacuixtla, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Pablo Corcuera
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Pedro Luis Valverde
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Ciudad de México, México
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Morelli F, Leveau LM, Mikula P, MacGregor-Fors I, Bocelli ML, Quesada-Acuña SG, González-Lagos C, Gutiérrez-Tapia P, Dri GF, Delgado-V CA, Zavala AG, Campos J, Ortega-Álvarez R, Contreras-Rodríguez AI, López DS, Toledo MCB, Sarquis A, Giraudo A, Echevarria AL, Fanjul ME, Martínez MV, Haedo J, Sanz LGC, Dominguez YAP, Fernandez V, Marinero V, Abilhoa V, Amorin R, Fontana CS, da Silva TW, Vargas SSZ, Escobar Ibañez JF, Juri MD, Camín SR, Marone L, Piratelli AJ, Franchin AG, Crispim L, Benitez J, Benedetti Y. Are birds more afraid in urban parks or cemeteries? A Latin American study contrasts with results from Europe. Sci Total Environ 2023; 861:160534. [PMID: 36574545 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The escape behaviour, measured as flight initiation distance (FID; the distance at which individuals take flight when approached by a potential predator, usually a human in the study systems), is a measure widely used to study fearfulness and risk-taking in animals. Previous studies have shown significant differences in the escape behaviour of birds inhabiting cemeteries and urban parks in European cities, where birds seem to be shyer in the latter. We collected a regional dataset of the FID of birds inhabiting cemeteries and parks across Latin America in peri-urban, suburban and urban parks and cemeteries. FIDs were recorded for eighty-one bird species. Mean species-specific FIDs ranged from 1.9 to 19.7 m for species with at least two observations (fifty-seven species). Using Bayesian regression modelling and controlling for the phylogenetic relatedness of the FID among bird species and city and country, we found that, in contrast to a recent publication from Europe, birds escape earlier in cemeteries than parks in the studied Latin American cities. FIDs were also significantly shorter in urban areas than in peri-urban areas and in areas with higher human density. Our results indicate that some idiosyncratic patterns in animal fearfulness towards humans may emerge among different geographic regions, highlighting difficulties with scaling up and application of regional findings to other ecosystems and world regions. Such differences could be associated with intrinsic differences between the pool of bird species from temperate European and mostly tropical Latin American cities, characterized by different evolutionary histories, but also with differences in the historical process of urbanization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Morelli
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Kamýcká 129, CZ-165 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic; Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, Prof. Z. Szafrana St. 1, PL-65-516 Zielona Góra, Poland.
| | - Lucas M Leveau
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires - IEGEBA (CONICET - UBA), Ciudad Universitaria, Pab 2, Piso 4, Buenos Aires 1426, Argentina
| | - Peter Mikula
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Kvetna 8, Brno 603 65, Czech Republic
| | - Ian MacGregor-Fors
- University of Helsinki, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, Niemenkatu 73, 15140 Lahti, Finland
| | - M Lucia Bocelli
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires - IEGEBA (CONICET - UBA), Ciudad Universitaria, Pab 2, Piso 4, Buenos Aires 1426, Argentina
| | - Sergio Gabriel Quesada-Acuña
- Universidad Estatal a Distancia, Vicerrectoría de Investigación, Laboratorio de Ecología Urbana, 2050 Sabanilla, San José, Costa Rica
| | - César González-Lagos
- Departamento de Ciencias, Facultad de Artes Liberales, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile; Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Gabriela Franzoi Dri
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, 5755 Nutting Hall, Room 244, 04469-5755, USA
| | - Carlos A Delgado-V
- Programa de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias y Biotecnología, Universidad CES, Calle 10A 22-04, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Alvaro Garitano Zavala
- Instituto de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Puras y Naturales, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, Casilla 10077, La Paz, Bolivia
| | | | - Rubén Ortega-Álvarez
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad (IIES) - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Campus Morelia, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro 8711, Col. San José de la Huerta, Morelia, Michoacán 58190, Mexico
| | | | - Daniela Souza López
- North American Birds Conservation Initiative, CONABIO, Liga Periférico-Insurgentes Sur No. 4903, Parques del Pedregal, 14010 Tlalpan, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Maria Cecília B Toledo
- Laboratório de Ecologia, Instituto Básico de Biociências, Universidade de Taubaté Curso de Pós-graduação em Ciências Ambientais, Brazil
| | - Andres Sarquis
- Instituto Nacional de Limnología (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Universidad Nacional del Litoral), Ciudad Universitaria, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Alejandro Giraudo
- Instituto Nacional de Limnología (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Universidad Nacional del Litoral), Ciudad Universitaria, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Ada Lilian Echevarria
- Instituto de Vertebrados - Zoología - Fundación Miguel Lillo, Miguel Lillo 251 San Miguel de Tucumán, CP 4000 Tucumán, Argentina
| | - María Elisa Fanjul
- Instituto de Vertebrados - Zoología - Fundación Miguel Lillo, Miguel Lillo 251 San Miguel de Tucumán, CP 4000 Tucumán, Argentina
| | - María Valeria Martínez
- Instituto de Vertebrados - Zoología - Fundación Miguel Lillo, Miguel Lillo 251 San Miguel de Tucumán, CP 4000 Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Josefina Haedo
- Instituto de Ecología Regional (CONICET - UNT), Tucumán, Argentina
| | | | | | - Viviana Fernandez
- Centro de Investigaciones de la Geósfera y la Biósfera-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de San Juan (UNSJ), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Complejo Universitario "Islas Malvinas", Rivadavia, San Juan, Argentina
| | - Veronica Marinero
- Centro de Investigaciones de la Geósfera y la Biósfera-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de San Juan (UNSJ), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Complejo Universitario "Islas Malvinas", Rivadavia, San Juan, Argentina
| | - Vinícius Abilhoa
- Museu de História Natural Capão da Imbuia, PMC Rua Prof. Benedito Conceição, 407, 82810-080 Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Rafael Amorin
- Museu de História Natural Capão da Imbuia, PMC Rua Prof. Benedito Conceição, 407, 82810-080 Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Carla Suertegaray Fontana
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução da Biodiversidade, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga 6681, prédio 40 sala 110 B, 90619-900, Brazil; Laboratório de Ornitologia, Museu de Ciências e Tecnologia, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS 90619-900, Brazil
| | - Thaiane Weinert da Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução da Biodiversidade, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga 6681, prédio 40 sala 110 B, 90619-900, Brazil
| | - Sarah Sandri Zalewski Vargas
- Laboratório de Ornitologia, Museu de Ciências e Tecnologia, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS 90619-900, Brazil
| | - Juan F Escobar Ibañez
- Red de Ambiente y Sustentabilidad, Instituto de Ecología, A.C. (INECOL), Xalapa, Mexico
| | | | - Sergio R Camín
- ECODES, Grupo de investigación en ecología de comunidades de desierto, IADIZA-CONICET, Mendoza y Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, UNCuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Luis Marone
- ECODES, Grupo de investigación en ecología de comunidades de desierto, IADIZA-CONICET, Mendoza y Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, UNCuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Augusto João Piratelli
- Universidade Federal de São Carlos - Depto. Ciências Ambientais/CCTS, Rodovia João Leme dos Santos, Km 110 - Itinga, CEP 18052-780 Sorocaba, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Larissa Crispim
- Universidade Federal de São Carlos - Depto. Ciências Ambientais/CCTS, Rodovia João Leme dos Santos, Km 110 - Itinga, CEP 18052-780 Sorocaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Julieta Benitez
- Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Houssay 200, 9410 Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
| | - Yanina Benedetti
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Kamýcká 129, CZ-165 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic
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Toomey A, Smith J, Becker C, Palta M. Towards a pedagogy of social-ecological collaborations: engaging students and urban nonprofits for an ecology with cities. Urban Ecosyst 2023; 26:425-432. [PMID: 36845165 PMCID: PMC9942029 DOI: 10.1007/s11252-023-01343-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
The concept of ecology with cities calls for a broader scope of participatory research and pedagogical tools for engagement with urban environmental issues. Projects that take an ecology with cities approach can provide opportunities for diverse audiences, including students, teachers, community members, and scientists, to participate in urban ecology, thus serving as potential steppingstones for further engagement. While there is increasing scholarship on the value of participatory approaches for increasing ecological literacy (e.g. citizen science), less has been written on the collaborative process of such experiences, particularly the social science aspects that can lead to successful outcomes and lessons learned. This paper describes a collaborative research project that engaged undergraduate students and community outreach staff of an urban nonprofit organization to better understand social uses and values associated with a public park located on the Harlem River in New York City. We explore the outcomes of the project for both students and staff, and provide reflections for educators interested in using a pedagogy of social-ecological collaborations in urban contexts. We argue that such an approach facilitates engagement between universities and community-based nonprofits to engage students in learning about the complexity, uncertainty, and value of urban ecosystem management. Supplementary information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11252-023-01343-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Toomey
- Department of Environmental Studies and Science, Pace University, One Pace Plaza, New York, NY 10038 USA
- Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West & 79th St., New York, NY 10024 USA
| | - Jason Smith
- New York Restoration Project, 254 West 31st Street, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10001 USA
| | - Cam Becker
- Department of Environmental Studies and Science, Pace University, One Pace Plaza, New York, NY 10038 USA
| | - Monica Palta
- Department of Environmental Studies and Science, Pace University, One Pace Plaza, New York, NY 10038 USA
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Iida A, Yamazaki T, Hino K, Yokohari M. Urban agriculture in walkable neighborhoods bore fruit for health and food system resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. NPJ Urban Sustain 2023; 3:4. [PMID: 37521202 PMCID: PMC9890428 DOI: 10.1038/s42949-023-00083-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Urban agriculture is the key to creating healthy cities and developing resilient urban food systems in uncertain times. However, relevant empirical evidence is limited. This study quantitatively verified the association of access to local food through urban agriculture with subjective well-being, physical activity, and food security concerns of neighborhood communities in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The target was Tokyo, Japan, where small-scale local food systems are widespread in walkable neighborhoods. We found that diversity in local food access, ranging from self-cultivation to direct-to-consumer sales, was significantly associated with health and food security variables. In particular, the use of allotment farms was more strongly associated with subjective well-being than the use of urban parks, and it was more strongly associated with the mitigation of food security concerns than the use of food retailers. These findings provide robust evidence for the effectiveness of integrating urban agriculture into walkable neighborhoods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Iida
- Department of Urban Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 1138656 Japan
| | - Takahiro Yamazaki
- Department of Urban Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 1138656 Japan
- Department of Environmental Design, Kobe Design University, Hyogo, 6512196 Japan
| | - Kimihiro Hino
- Department of Urban Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 1138656 Japan
| | - Makoto Yokohari
- Department of Urban Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 1138656 Japan
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Mohammadi A, Nayeri D, Alambeigi A, Marchini S. A wicked environmental challenge: collaboration network for free-ranging dog management in an urban environment. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2023; 30:27125-27136. [PMID: 36378375 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-24029-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Invasive species possess wide-ranging social and ecological impacts globally. Although the ecological impacts are well studied, social aspects especially in developing countries are often poorly understood. Free-ranging dogs (FRDs) (Canis familiaris) are the most abundant carnivore on earth with a high level of invasion. Recently, the presence of FRDs in the Jiroft city in southern Iran has increased, and local managers have not yet developed a coherent management plan. Given the high rate of human bites by FRDs in this region, a principled management plan with integrated collaboration between the relevant organizations is necessary. To better understand collaboration networks, we interviewed employees of three relevant governmental organizations about their collaboration with other organizations toward FRD management. Our objective in this study was to (1) assess the collaboration between the municipality, provincial offices of veterinary medicine, and health network and (2) predict the behavioral tendencies of network actors based on their current position in the FRD management network. Although most employees have never worked together to manage FRDs, our results showed that most of the interviewees did not evaluate the role of other organizations in FRD management as beneficial. Moreover, the current assessment of the employees of the two municipal and health organizations affects their current collaboration in the management of FRDs. Also, the current collaboration has a significant impact on their intention to collaborate in the future. We make suggestions for improving collaboration in managing FRDs in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Mohammadi
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Jiroft, Jiroft, Iran
| | - Danial Nayeri
- Department of Wildlife, California State Polytechnic University Humboldt, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA, 95521, USA
| | - Amir Alambeigi
- Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, College of Agricultural Economics and Development, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
| | - Silvio Marchini
- Wildlife Ecology, Management and Conservation Lab (LEMaC), Forest Science Department, "Luiz de Queiroz" College of Agriculture (ESALQ), University of São Paulo (USP), Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
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Murugavel B, Kandula S, Somanathan H, Kelber A. Home ranges, directionality and the influence of moon phases on the movement ecology of Indian flying fox males in southern India. Biol Open 2023; 12:286595. [PMID: 36648245 PMCID: PMC9922730 DOI: 10.1242/bio.059513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Flying foxes of the genus Pteropus are amongst the largest fruit bats and potential long-range pollinators and seed dispersers in the paleotropics. Pteropus giganteus (currently P. medius) is the only flying fox that is distributed throughout the Indian mainland, including in urban and rural areas. Using GPS telemetry, we mapped the home ranges and examined flight patterns in P. giganteus males across moon phases in a semi-urban landscape in southern India. Home range differed between the tracked males (n=4), likely due to differences in their experience in the landscape. We found that nightly time spent outside the roost, distance commuted and the number of sites visited by tracked individuals did not differ significantly between moon phases. In 61% of total tracked nights across bats, the first foraging site was within 45˚ of the emergence direction. At the colony-level, scan-based observations showed emergence flights were mostly in the northeast (27%), west (22%) and southwest (19%) directions that could potentially be related to the distribution of foraging resources. The movement ecology of fruit bats in relation to the pollination and seed dispersal services they provide requires to be investigated in future studies. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baheerathan Murugavel
- IISER TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE), School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala P. O, Vithura, Kerala 695551, India
| | - Sripathi Kandula
- 74-6-51, Sravanthi Enclave, Prakash Nagar, Rajamahendravaram, Andhra Pradesh, 533103 India
| | - Hema Somanathan
- IISER TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE), School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala P. O, Vithura, Kerala 695551, India
| | - Almut Kelber
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 22362 Lund, Sweden,Author for correspondence ()
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Landler L, Burgstaller S, Schweiger S. Land-use preferences of the European green toad (Bufotes viridis) in the city of Vienna (Austria): the importance of open land in urban environments. Front Zool 2023; 20:3. [PMID: 36647115 PMCID: PMC9843927 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-022-00480-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Urban areas are increasing worldwide, which poses threats to animal wildlife. However, in certain cases cities can provide refuges for endangered animals. The European green toad (Bufotes viridis) is one of such examples, which is known from cities throughout their distribution. In contrast, considerable areas of their former (primary) habitats have been degraded. The primary habitats of this species include steppes and wild river floodplains, both characterized by dynamic changes and the presence of open areas. We used available green toad observation data (2007-2020) to model the effects of land-use types on occurrence probability in the city of Vienna. Forest and densely populated areas were highly significantly negatively associated with green toad presence, while transformation/construction site areas showed a strong positive effect. Such occurrence pattern might be characteristic for early succession species, which depend on stochastic environmental disturbances (e.g., droughts and floods) in their primary habitats. We argue that urban landscape planning should appreciate the potential ecological value of open land in cities which is either in a transition phase or a permanent 'wasteland'. Ecological managing of such landscape could vastly increase urban biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Landler
- Institute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33/I, 1180, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Stephan Burgstaller
- Institute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33/I, 1180, Vienna, Austria
| | - Silke Schweiger
- First Zoological Department, Herpetological Collection, Natural History Museum Vienna, Burgring 7, 1010, Vienna, Austria
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MacIvor JS, de Keyzer CW, Marshall MS, Thurston GS, Onuferko TM. Establishment of the non-native horned-face bee Osmia cornifrons and the taurus mason bee Osmia taurus (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in Canada. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14216. [PMID: 36518272 PMCID: PMC9744147 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Established populations of the non-native horned-face bee, Osmia cornifrons (Radoszkowski, 1887), and the taurus mason bee, Osmia taurus Smith, 1873 (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), have been identified from Canada for the first time. In the US, the importation of O. cornifrons, beginning in the 1970s, led to its release for agricultural crop pollination and spread across the country. In this article, we report on O. cornifrons captured while sampling wild bees in Toronto, Ontario using hand nets, bug vacuums, and vane traps, as well as established populations in trap nests, from 2017-2020. The morphologically similar O. taurus, which was accidentally introduced to the US with shipments of imported O. cornifrons, was also recorded in our samples. Recently, a few individual O. taurus specimens have been identified from Ontario and Quebec; however, the extent of our sampling included nests, indicating it is also established in Canada. Others have shown its population growth to have been associated with concordant declines in abundances of native mason bee species in the US, and similar impacts are possible in Canada if action is not taken. We propose three non-mutually exclusive possible pathways for the arrival of O. cornifrons, as well as O. taurus, in Canada: (1) natural migration northward from non-native populations in the US, (2) international importation in the 1980s-2000s to support agricultural research programs, and (3) unintentional release of mason bee cocoons purchased from non-local vendors. We argue that a focus on enhancing populations of locally occurring native bees and stronger policy on the importation and sale of non-native bees are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Scott MacIvor
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Madison S. Marshall
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Berlow M, Wada H, Derryberry EP. Experimental Exposure to Noise Alters Gut Microbiota in a Captive Songbird. Microb Ecol 2022; 84:1264-1277. [PMID: 34783872 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01924-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Noise pollution is an unprecedented evolutionary pressure on wild animals that can lead to alteration of stress hormone levels and changes in foraging behavior. Both corticosterone and feeding behavior can have direct effects on gut bacteria, as well as indirect effects through changes in gut physiology. Therefore, we hypothesized that exposure to noise will alter gut microbial communities via indirect effects on glucocorticoids and foraging behaviors. We exposed captive white-crowned sparrows to city-like noise and measured each individuals' corticosterone level, food intake, and gut microbial diversity at the end of four treatments (acclimation, noise, recovery, and control) using a balanced repeated measures design. We found evidence that noise acts to increase corticosterone and decrease food intake, adding to a growing body of research indicating noise exposure affects stress hormone levels and foraging behaviors. We also found evidence to support our prediction for a causal, positive relationship between noise exposure and gut microbial diversity, such that birds had higher measures of alpha diversity during noise exposure. These results help to explain previous findings that urban, free-living white-crowned sparrows have higher bacterial richness than rural sparrows. However, noise appeared to act directly on the gut microbiome or, more likely, through an unmeasured variable, rather than through indirect effects via corticosterone and food intake. Altogether, our study indicates that noise affects plasma corticosterone, feeding behavior, and the gut microbiome in a songbird and raises new questions as to the mechanism linking noise exposure to gut microbial diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mae Berlow
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
| | - Haruka Wada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Elizabeth P Derryberry
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
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Bernard-Verdier M, Seitz B, Buchholz S, Kowarik I, Lasunción Mejía S, Jeschke JM. Grassland allergenicity increases with urbanisation and plant invasions. Ambio 2022; 51:2261-2277. [PMID: 35594005 PMCID: PMC9481851 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-022-01741-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Pollen allergies have been on the rise in cities, where anthropogenic disturbances, warmer climate and introduced species are shaping novel urban ecosystems. Yet, the allergenic potential of these urban ecosystems, in particular spontaneous vegetation outside parks and gardens, remains poorly known. We quantified the allergenic properties of 56 dry grasslands along a double gradient of urbanisation and plant invasion in Berlin (Germany). 30% of grassland species were classified as allergenic, most of them being natives. Urbanisation was associated with an increase in abundance and diversity of pollen allergens, mainly driven by an increase in allergenic non-native plants. While not inherently more allergenic than native plants, the pool of non-natives contributed a larger biochemical diversity of allergens and flowered later than natives, creating a broader potential spectrum of allergy. Managing novel risks to urban public health will involve not only targeted action on allergenic non-natives, but also policies at the habitat scale favouring plant community assembly of a diverse, low-allergenicity vegetation. Similar approaches could be easily replicated in other cities to provide a broad quantification and mapping of urban allergy risks and drivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maud Bernard-Verdier
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 1-3, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Müggelseedamm 301, 12587, Berlin, Germany
| | - Birgit Seitz
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Rothenburgstraße 12, 12165 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sascha Buchholz
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Rothenburgstraße 12, 12165 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Heisenbergstraße 2, 48149 Munster, Germany
| | - Ingo Kowarik
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Rothenburgstraße 12, 12165 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sara Lasunción Mejía
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 1-3, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jonathan M. Jeschke
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 1-3, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Müggelseedamm 301, 12587, Berlin, Germany
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Pinilla-Rosa M, García-Saúco G, Santiago A, Ferrandis P, Méndez M. Can botanic gardens serve as refuges for taxonomic and functional diversity of Odonata? The case of the botanic garden of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain). Limnology (Tokyo) 2022; 24:37-50. [PMID: 36258754 PMCID: PMC9559554 DOI: 10.1007/s10201-022-00704-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED In a scenario with declining biodiversity and habitat loss, botanic gardens could serve as refuges for invertebrates, but the opportunities they offer for animal conservation are still poorly understood. Odonata is a good model group for conservation studies, because it includes threatened species and responses to habitat disturbance are well documented. In this study, we assessed the role of the botanic garden of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain as a refuge for members of Odonata by analysing their taxonomic and functional diversity. We explored if the small size of the botanic garden might constrain the taxonomic diversity of Odonata and if low habitat diversity might limit their functional diversity. We sampled adult Odonata from five water bodies along a gradient of human impact and characterized the Odonata communities based on 12 functional traits in Odonata. We used a species-area relationship to control for differences in the size of water bodies. Compared with natural lakes, the Odonata communities contained less species and their functional diversity was lower in the botanic garden ponds, where generalist species were basically hosted. Despite these limitations, the botanic garden ponds hosted the number of species expected for natural water bodies with the moderate surface area and functional diversity, thereby demonstrating that they are a valuable habitat for Odonata in an urban environment. Appropriate management involving the removal of exotic fish and habitat diversification, including creating lotic environments, would increase the taxonomic and functional diversity of Odonata in this urban system. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10201-022-00704-3.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alejandro Santiago
- Botanic garden of Castilla-La Mancha, Avda. de La Mancha s/n, 02006 Albacete, Spain
| | - Pablo Ferrandis
- Botanic garden of Castilla-La Mancha, Avda. de La Mancha s/n, 02006 Albacete, Spain
- Botanic Institute of the University of Castilla-La Mancha, Avda. de La Mancha s/n, 02006 Albacete, Spain
| | - Marcos Méndez
- University Rey Juan Carlos, C/ Tulipán s/n, 28933 Móstoles, Madrid Spain
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40
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Davenport RN, Weaver M, Weiss KCB, Strauss EG. Spatiotemporal relationships of coyotes and free-ranging domestic cats as indicators of conflict in Culver City, California. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14169. [PMID: 36225908 PMCID: PMC9549883 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
As habitat generalists, urban coyote (Canis latrans) populations often utilize an abundance of diverse food sources in cities. Within southern California, domestic cats (Felis catus) comprise a higher proportion of coyote diets than in other studied urban areas throughout the United States. However, it is unclear which ecological factors contribute to higher rates of cat depredation by coyotes in this region. While previous research suggests that coyote presence may have a negative effect on free-ranging domestic cat distributions, few studies have determined whether urban green spaces affect coyote or free-ranging domestic cat occurrence and activity within a predominantly urbanized landscape. We placed 20 remote wildlife cameras across a range of green spaces and residential sites in Culver City, California, an area of Los Angeles County experiencing pronounced coyote-domestic cat conflict. Using data collected across 6 months from 2019-2020, we assessed the influence of green space and prey species (i.e., cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus spp.) and domestic cats) on coyote habitat use and activity. Coyotes exhibited a preference for sites with higher amounts of green space, while domestic cat habitat use was high throughout our study region. Although cottontail rabbit habitat use was also highly associated with urban green space, neither cottontails nor domestic cats appeared to temporally overlap significantly with coyotes. Unlike other cities where coyotes and domestic cats exhibit strong habitat partitioning across the landscape, domestic cats and coyotes spatially overlapped in green space fragments throughout Culver City. We suggest that this pattern of overlap may be responsible for the frequent cases of domestic cat depredation by coyotes in Culver City.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca N. Davenport
- Center for Urban Resilience, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California, United States,Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States
| | - Melinda Weaver
- Center for Urban Resilience, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California, United States
| | | | - Eric G. Strauss
- Center for Urban Resilience, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California, United States
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Yang Y, Wei C, Xiao L, Zhong Z, Li Q, Wang H, Wang W. Effects of urbanization on woody plant phylogenetic diversity and its associations with landscape features in the high latitude northern hemisphere region, Northeast China. Sci Total Environ 2022; 838:156192. [PMID: 35618115 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization is one of the primary drivers of terrestrial modification, with marked biological homogenization worldwide but relatively poor knowledge of woody phylogenetic diversity. Here, we investigated 943 plots, about 93,000 woody plants from 130 species in Northeast China, and calculated six phylogenetic diversity indexes, and urbanization landscape metrics; the responses of phylogenetic diversity to urbanization and its coupling relationship with landscape features were explored at 25 km × 25 km, 50 km × 50 km and 75 km × 75 km grid scales. We found that urbanization had enhanced the evolutionary distinctiveness of woody plants, characterizing as increasing Faith phylogenetic diversity (FPD) and their mean pairwise distance (MPD) while decreasing the mean nearest taxon distance (MNTD); these trends were independent of landscape scales and gymnosperm inclusion or not. As indicated by increasing SesMPD (Standardized MPD), the dominant role of community assemblage changed from environmental filtering in low urbanization intensity (UI) to competitive exclusion in high UI regions. Artificial surface area (ASA) and its percentage, SHAPE_F (Shape index of forest), and PD_F (Patch density of forest) had a threshold effect on phylogenetic diversity. ASA%, GDP (gross domestic product), and population density were the most potent predictors for the variations of phylogenetic diversity, and GDP contributed the most (42.9%). A higher GDP accompanied a higher FPD, SesPD (Standardized FPD), and SesMNTD (Standardized MNTD); higher PD_F and lower SHAPE_F were associated with higher MNTD, MPD, and SesMPD. In conclusion, urbanization strongly modifies woody plant phylogenetic diversity. Identifying the threshold effects and significant factors for phylogenetic variations allows biodiversity assessment and conservation through proper landscape configuration under the urbanization context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanbo Yang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology (MOE), College of Chemistry, Chemistry Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Chenhui Wei
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471000, China
| | - Lu Xiao
- Urban Forests and Wetland Group, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Changchun 130102, China
| | - Zhaoliang Zhong
- College of Resources & Environment, Jiujiang University, Jiujiang 332005, China
| | - Qi Li
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology (MOE), College of Chemistry, Chemistry Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Huimei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology (MOE), College of Chemistry, Chemistry Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China.
| | - Wenjie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology (MOE), College of Chemistry, Chemistry Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; Urban Forests and Wetland Group, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Changchun 130102, China.
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O'Brien AM, Yu ZH, Pencer C, Frederickson ME, LeFevre GH, Passeport E. Harnessing plant-microbiome interactions for bioremediation across a freshwater urbanization gradient. Water Res 2022; 223:118926. [PMID: 36044799 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization impacts land, air, and water, creating environmental gradients between cities and rural areas. Urban stormwater delivers myriad co-occurring, understudied, and mostly unregulated contaminants to aquatic ecosystems, causing a pollution gradient. Recipient ecosystems host interacting species that can affect each others' growth and responses to these contaminants. For example, plants and their microbiomes often reciprocally increase growth and contaminant tolerance. Here, we identified ecological variables affecting contaminant fate across an urban-rural gradient using 50 sources of the aquatic plant Lemna minor (duckweed) and associated microbes, and two co-occurring winter contaminants of temperate cities, benzotriazole and salt. We conducted experiments totalling >2,500 independent host-microbe-contaminant microcosms. Benzotriazole and salt negatively affected duckweed growth, but not microbial growth, and duckweeds maintained faster growth with their local, rather than disrupted, microbiota. Benzotriazole transformation products of plant, microbial, and phototransformation pathways were linked to duckweed and microbial growth, and were affected by salt co-contamination, microbiome disruption, and source sites of duckweeds and microbes. Duckweeds from urban sites grew faster and enhanced phytotransformation, but supported less total transformation of benzotriazole. Increasing microbial community diversity correlated with greater removal of benzotriazole, but taxonomic groups may explain shifts across transformation pathways: the genus Aeromonas was linked to increasing phototransformation. Because benzotriazole toxicity could depend on amount and type of in situ transformation, this variation across duckweeds and microbes could be harnessed for better management of urban stormwater. Broadly, our results demonstrate that plant-microbiome interactions harbour manipulable variation for bioremediation applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M O'Brien
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada; Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, 46 College Rd, Durham, NH, 03824, USA.
| | - Zhu Hao Yu
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 200 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E5, Canada
| | - Clara Pencer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Megan E Frederickson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Gregory H LeFevre
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering and IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering, University of Iowa, 4105 Seamans Center, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Elodie Passeport
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 200 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E5, Canada; Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, 35 St George St, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A4, Canada
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Hagemann J, Conejero C, Stillfried M, Mentaberre G, Castillo-Contreras R, Fickel J, López-Olvera JR. Genetic population structure defines wild boar as an urban exploiter species in Barcelona, Spain. Sci Total Environ 2022; 833:155126. [PMID: 35405223 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Urban wildlife ecology is gaining relevance as metropolitan areas grow throughout the world, reducing natural habitats and creating new ecological niches. However, knowledge is still scarce about the colonisation processes of such urban niches, the establishment of new communities, populations and/or species, and the related changes in behaviour and life histories of urban wildlife. Wild boar (Sus scrofa) has successfully colonised urban niches throughout Europe. The aim of this study is to unveil the processes driving the establishment and maintenance of an urban wild boar population by analysing its genetic structure. A set of 19 microsatellite loci was used to test whether urban wild boars in Barcelona, Spain, are an isolated population or if gene flow prevents genetic differentiation between rural and urban wild boars. This knowledge will contribute to the understanding of the effects of synurbisation and the associated management measures on the genetic change of large mammals in urban ecosystems. Despite the unidirectional gene flow from rural to urban areas, the urban wild boars in Barcelona form an island population genotypically differentiated from the surrounding rural ones. The comparison with previous genetic studies of urban wild boar populations suggests that forest patches act as suitable islands for wild boar genetic differentiation. Previous results and the genetic structure of the urban wild boar population in Barcelona classify wild boar as an urban exploiter species. These wild boar peri-urban island populations are responsible for conflict with humans and thus should be managed by reducing the attractiveness of urban areas. The management of peri-urban wild boar populations should aim at reducing migration into urban areas and preventing phenotypic changes (either genetic or plastic) causing habituation of wild boars to humans and urban environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justus Hagemann
- Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, D-10315 Berlin, Germany; University of Potsdam, Evolutionary Adaptive Genomics, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Carles Conejero
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Milena Stillfried
- Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, D-10315 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gregorio Mentaberre
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Ciència Animal, Escola Tècnica Superior d'Enginyeria Agraria (ETSEA), Universitat de Lleida (UdL), 25098 Lleida, Spain
| | - Raquel Castillo-Contreras
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jörns Fickel
- Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, D-10315 Berlin, Germany; University of Potsdam, Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Jorge Ramón López-Olvera
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
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Sresto MA, Siddika S, Fattah MA, Morshed SR, Morshed MM. A GIS and remote sensing approach for measuring summer-winter variation of land use and land cover indices and surface temperature in Dhaka district, Bangladesh. Heliyon 2022; 8:e10309. [PMID: 36051265 PMCID: PMC9424964 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid urbanization has induced land use and land cover change (LULC) that increases land surface temperature (LST). Analyzing seasonal variations of LULC and LST is a precondition for mitigating heat island effects and promoting a sustainable living environment. The objective of this study is to explore the association between the seasonal LST dynamics and LULC indices for the Dhaka district of Bangladesh. The LULC indices are comprised of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI), Normalized Difference Bareness Index (NDBAI), and Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI). The results show that the LULC effect on LST in Dhaka is significant, with an increase in summer season LST from 34.58 °C to 37.66 °C and in winter season LST from 24.710C to 26.24 °C. Predictably, the highest and lowest LST values were observed in the built-up and vegetation-covered areas, respectively. Secondly, the correlation values indicate a significant inverse correlation (R2 > 0.50) between NDVI and LST, as well as MNDWI and LST. On the contrary, positive correlations were observed between NDBI and LST, and between NDBAI and LST for both the summer and winter seasons. Finally, subsequent vegetation decline (-69.34%) and increasing built-up area (+11.30%) between 2000 and 2020 in Dhaka district were found to be the most significant factors for the increasing trend and spatial heterogeneity of LST in Dhaka. The methodological approach of this study offers a low-cost efficient technique for monitoring LST hotspots, which can guide land use planners and urban managers for spatial intervention to ensure a livable environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mizbah Ahmed Sresto
- Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, Khulna, 9203, Bangladesh
| | - Sharmin Siddika
- Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, Khulna, 9203, Bangladesh
| | - Md Abdul Fattah
- Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, Khulna, 9203, Bangladesh
| | - Syed Riad Morshed
- Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, Khulna, 9203, Bangladesh
| | - Md Manjur Morshed
- Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, Khulna, 9203, Bangladesh
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Gazzard A, Baker PJ. What makes a house a home? Nest box use by West European hedgehogs ( Erinaceus europaeus) is influenced by nest box placement, resource provisioning and site-based factors. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13662. [PMID: 35811826 PMCID: PMC9261924 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Artificial refuges provided by householders and/or conservation practitioners potentially represent one mechanism for mitigating declines in the availability of natural nest sites used for resting, breeding and hibernating in urban areas. The effectiveness of such refuges for different species is, however, not always known. In this study, we conducted a questionnaire survey of UK householders to identify factors associated with the use of ground-level nest boxes for West European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus), a species of conservation concern. Overall, the percentage of boxes used at least once varied with season and type of use: summer day nesting (35.5-81.3%), breeding (7.2-28.2%), winter day nesting (20.1-66.5%) and hibernation (21.7-58.6%). The length of time the box had been deployed, the availability of artificial food and front garden to back garden access significantly increased the likelihood that a nest box had been used for all four nesting types, whereas other factors related to placement within the garden (e.g., in a sheltered location, on hardstanding such as paving, distance from the house) and resource provisioning (bedding) affected only some nesting behaviours. The factors most strongly associated with nest box use were the provisioning of food and bedding. These data suggest, therefore, that householders can adopt simple practices to increase the likelihood of their nest box being used. However, one significant limitation evident within these data is that, for welfare reasons, householders do not routinely monitor whether their box has been used. Consequently, future studies need to adopt strategies which enable householders to monitor their boxes continuously. Ultimately, such studies should compare the survival rates and reproductive success of hedgehogs within artificial refuges versus more natural nest sites, and whether these are affected by, for example, the impact of nest box design and placement on predation risk and internal microclimate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Gazzard
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom
| | - Philip J. Baker
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom
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Mills JG, Selway CA, Thomas T, Weyrich LS, Lowe AJ. Schoolyard Biodiversity Determines Short-Term Recovery of Disturbed Skin Microbiota in Children. Microb Ecol 2022:1-12. [PMID: 35689685 PMCID: PMC9188306 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-022-02052-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Creating biodiverse urban habitat has been proposed, with growing empirical support, as an intervention for increasing human microbial diversity and reducing associated diseases. However, ecological understanding of urban biodiversity interventions on human skin microbiota remains limited. Here, we experimentally test the hypotheses that disturbed skin microbiota recover better in outdoor schoolyard environments and that greater biodiversity provides a greater response. Repeating the experiment three times, we disturbed skin microbiota of fifty-seven healthy 10-to-11-year-old students with a skin swab (i.e., cleaning), then exposed them to one school environment-either a 'classroom' (n = 20), 'sports field' (n = 14), or biodiverse 'forest' (n = 23)-for 45 min. Another skin swab followed the exposure to compare 'before' and 'after' microbial communities. After 45 min, the disturbance immediately followed by outdoor exposure, especially the 'forest', had an enriching and diversifying effect on skin microbiota, while 'classroom' exposure homogenised inter-personal variability. Each effect compounded over consecutive days indicating longer-term exposure outcomes. The experimental disturbance also reduced the core skin microbiota, and only outdoor environments were able to replenish lost species richness to core membership (n species > 50% prevalent). Overall, we find that environmental setting, especially including biodiversity, is important in human microbiota recovery periods and that the outdoors provide resilience to skin communities. This work also has implications for the inclusion of short periods of outside or forest exposure in school scheduling. Future investigations of the health impacts of permanent urban biodiversity interventions are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob G Mills
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
| | - Caitlin A Selway
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Torsten Thomas
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences, University of New South Wales, Bidjigal Country, Sydney, Australia
| | - Laura S Weyrich
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA, USA
| | - Andrew J Lowe
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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Becher J, Englisch C, Griebler C, Bayer P. Groundwater fauna downtown - Drivers, impacts and implications for subsurface ecosystems in urban areas. J Contam Hydrol 2022; 248:104021. [PMID: 35605354 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2022.104021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Groundwater fauna (stygofauna) comprises organisms that have adapted to the dark subterranean environment over a course of thousands and millions of years, typically having slow metabolisms and long life cycles. They are crucial players in the groundwater of oxygenic aquifers, and contribute to various ecosystem services. Today's knowledge of their sensitivity to anthropogenic impacts is incomplete and a critical analysis of the general relevance of local findings is lacking. In this review, we focus on those areas with the highest interference between humans and stygofauna: cities. Here is where local pollution by various contaminants and heat strongly stresses the unique groundwater ecosystems. It is demonstrated that it is difficult to discern the influence of individual factors from the findings reported in field studies, and to extrapolate laboratory results to field conditions. The effects of temperature increase and chemical pollution vary strongly between tested species and test conditions. In general, previous findings indicate that heating, especially in the long-term, will increase mortality, and less adapted species are at risk of vanishing from their habitats. The same may be true for salinity caused by road de-icing in cold urban areas. Furthermore, high sensitivities were shown for ammonium, which will probably be even more pronounced with rising temperatures resulting in altered biodiversity patterns. Toxicity of heavy metals, for a variety of invertebrates, increases with time and chronic exposure. Our current knowledge reveals diverse potential impacts on groundwater fauna by urban pollution, but our insights gained so far can only be validated by standardized and long-term test concepts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Becher
- Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Geosciences and Geography, Department of Applied Geology, Von-Seckendorff-Platz 3, 06120 Halle, Germany.
| | - Constanze Englisch
- University of Vienna, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Division of Limnology, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Griebler
- University of Vienna, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Division of Limnology, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Bayer
- Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Geosciences and Geography, Department of Applied Geology, Von-Seckendorff-Platz 3, 06120 Halle, Germany
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Martín-Vélez V, Montalvo T, Afán I, Sánchez-Márquez A, Aymí R, Figuerola J, Lovas-Kiss Á, Navarro J. Gulls living in cities as overlooked seed dispersers within and outside urban environments. Sci Total Environ 2022; 823:153535. [PMID: 35104514 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The yellow-legged gull is an opportunistic and generalist bird that has colonised urban areas, where it has found very favourable trophic resources but also causes disturbance to humans and damage to infrastructure. Here, we investigated the potential role that gulls play in the dispersal of plants in Barcelona, a highly populated city of north-eastern Spain. We analysed the stomach contents of 145 chicks collected in urban nests and reported the presence of seeds of 27 plant taxa. We then developed a plant dispersal model based on the movements of 20 GPS-tracked yellow-legged gulls breeding in the city of Barcelona. We estimated seed dispersal distances, seed shadows and percentage of seeds reaching habitats suitable for seeds regurgitated in pellets and those excreted in faeces. Seven of the 27 plant taxa found in the stomachs were alien taxa to Spain. Average dispersal distances of plant seeds by gulls were around 700 m, but maximum dispersal distances reached up to 35 km. Dispersal distances and seed spatial patterns did not differ between faeces and pellet models, as most strongly depended on gull movements. About 95% of the seeds were dispersed within urban environments and between 20 and 30% reached suitable habitats for seed deposition (urban woodlands, green urban parks and urban grasslands). Urban gulls frequently dispersed seeds (including alien species) within urban habitats, both via direct consumption or via secondary dispersal after consuming granivorous birds that had ingested the seeds, such as pigeons or parakeets. Urban planning for Barcelona is based on native plant species, and thus, special attention should be paid to alien plants dispersed by birds, which could pose a risk to native biodiversity in urban ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Martín-Vélez
- Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC, Avenida Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain.
| | - Tomás Montalvo
- Servei de Vigilància i Control de Plagues Urbanes, Agencia de Salud Pública de Barcelona, Pl. Lesseps, 1, 08023 Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Afán
- Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC, Avenida Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Antoni Sánchez-Márquez
- Institut de Ciències del Mar - CSIC, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raül Aymí
- Institut Català d'Ornitologia, Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Pl. Leonardo da Vinci, 4-5, 08019, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC, Avenida Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ádám Lovas-Kiss
- Wetland Ecology Research Group, Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Department of Tisza River Research, Debrecen, Bem tér 18/C. H-4026, Hungary
| | - Joan Navarro
- Institut de Ciències del Mar - CSIC, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
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Martinez AS, Dafforn KA, Johnston EL, Filippini G, Potts J, Mayer-Pinto M. Variations in benthic fluxes of sediments near pier pilings and natural rocky reefs. Mar Environ Res 2022; 177:105640. [PMID: 35526360 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2022.105640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Marine artificial structures such as pilings are replacing natural habitats, and modifying surrounding areas, often resulting in local decreases in species diversity and facilitation of bioinvasion. Most research on the impacts of artificial structures in marine ecosystems has primarily focused on rocky bottom habitats and biodiversity, overlooking the effects of these structures on the functioning of nearby sedimentary habitats. Here we compared, for the first time, benthic metabolism (O2 fluxes) and sediment-water nutrient (inorganic nitrogen, phosphate, and dissolved organic nitrogen) fluxes in shallow water sediments adjacent to pilings and natural reefs. We also measured sediment properties (grain size, total organic carbon, total nitrogen, C:N ratio and chlorophyll-a content). We found that sediments near pilings were generally finer with greater C:N ratios than those near reefs, while differences in other sediment properties between types of habitats were dependent on the site. We found significant differences in the oxygen consumption, primary productivity, and net ecosystem metabolism in sediments around pilings compared to sediments near natural reefs, but these patterns differed by site. Net nutrient fluxes were similar in sediments near pilings and reefs at both sites. This study showed that although pilings can be associated with changes in the functioning of sedimentary habitats, patterns and the direction of change seem to vary depending on local conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline S Martinez
- Institute of Marine Science, Federal University of São Paulo (IMar/UNIFESP), Santos, SP, Brazil; Centre of Marine Science and Innovation, Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
| | - Katherine A Dafforn
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Emma L Johnston
- Centre of Marine Science and Innovation, Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Giulia Filippini
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Jaimie Potts
- NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, Lidcombe, NSW, 2141, Australia
| | - Mariana Mayer-Pinto
- Centre of Marine Science and Innovation, Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
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Brom P, Underhill LG, Winter K. A review of the opportunities to support pollinator populations in South African cities. PeerJ 2022; 10:e12788. [PMID: 35295555 PMCID: PMC8919850 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Globally insects are declining, but some guilds of pollinators are finding refuge in urban landscapes. The body of knowledge on urban pollinators is relatively mature, which means it is now possible to begin to make generalization. Unfortunately, studies do not represent climatic regions evenly and there is a gap in research from the African continent. This study aimed to address some of the gaps on urban pollination knowledge in South Africa and to identify opportunities to improve urban habitats for pollinators. We reviewed the international literature on urban pollinators and the South African literature on pollinators with a landscape ecology focus, drawing on literature with an emphasis on agricultural and ecosystem services. The findings show that some taxa (e.g. large-bodied, cavity nesting bees) will exploit urban environments increasing in abundance with urban intensity. Moderately sensitive taxa (such as small-bodied, ground-nesting bees) take advantage of urban environments only if local habitats are supportive of their needs for resource provision and habitat connectivity. The South African urban poor rely on pollination services for subsistence agriculture and the reproduction of wild-foraged medicines and food. Potential interventions to improve habitat quality include strategic mowing practices, conversion of turf-grass to floral rich habitats, scientific confirmation of lists of highly attractive flowers, and inclusion of small-scale flower patches throughout the urban matrix. Further research is needed to fill the Africa gap for both specialized and generalized pollinators (Diptera, Halictids, Lepidoptera and Hopliini) in urban areas where ornamental and indigenous flowering plants are valued.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peta Brom
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Les G. Underhill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Kevin Winter
- Environmental and Geographical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
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