Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Bram Catfolis, Tosca Vanroy, Kris Verheyen, Lander Baeten, An Martel, Frank Pasmans, Diederik Strubbe, Luc Lens
Summary: Sylvicultural practices increasingly focus on forest conservation, restoration, and sustainable management. Forests with higher structural complexity provide a more favorable nutritional environment for forest birds, resulting in better nutritional status, possibly due to increased food availability and sheltered habitat. The dominant tree species, architecture, and associated ecology also influence these relationships. Understanding the condition, performance, and health of forest species is crucial for informing managers and policymakers on the impact of changing forestry practices on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Eva Serrano-Davies, Nina Bircher, Bernice Sepers, Kees van Oers
Summary: Habitat characteristics during rearing are associated with behavioral phenotypes. This study explores how rearing habitat characteristics relate to exploratory behavior, food selection, and foraging performance during winter in wild great tits. The results show that faster explorers are raised in lower quality habitats and visit feeders more frequently. Additionally, the rearing environment influences diet selection during winter. This study highlights the importance of habitat characteristics in shaping behavior.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Yi Wang, Chen Wang, Wei Hong, Shilin Tian, Qin Lu, Bing-Jun Wang, Huaiming Jin, Nima Zhuoma, Xin Lu, Huabin Zhao
Summary: This study investigates the molecular adaptations associated with cooperative breeding in Tibetan ground tits by resequencing the whole genome of wild populations. It identifies candidate genes and functional ontologies related to hormonal regulation, such as oxytocin signaling, estrogen signaling, and insulin secretion. These findings provide important insights into the genetic roles in the evolution of cooperative breeding.
Article
Ornithology
M. J. O'Connell, F. I. Squirrell, M. Greening
Summary: Capsule radio-tracking was used to study the winter roosting behavior of four woodland passerine species. The study found variation in roost site selection within and between species, with European Robins showing the highest site fidelity. The height and types of habitats used for roosting also differed among the species.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Timothee Bonnet, Michael B. Morrissey, Pierre de Villemereuil, Susan C. Alberts, Peter Arcese, Liam D. Bailey, Stan Boutin, Patricia Brekke, Lauren J. N. Brent, Glauco Camenisch, Anne Charmantier, Tim H. Clutton-Brock, Andrew Cockburn, David W. Coltman, Alexandre Courtiol, Eve Davidian, Simon R. Evans, John G. Ewen, Marco Festa-Bianchet, Christophe de Franceschi, Lars Gustafsson, Oliver P. Honer, Thomas M. Houslay, Lukas F. Keller, Marta Manser, Andrew G. McAdam, Emily McLean, Pirmin Nietlisbach, Helen L. Osmond, Josephine M. Pemberton, Erik Postma, Jane M. Reid, Alexis Rutschmann, Anna W. Santure, Ben C. Sheldon, Jon Slate, Celine Teplitsky, Marcel E. Visser, Bettina Wachter, Loeske E. B. Kruuk
Summary: This study analyzed long-term data from 19 wild bird and mammal populations and found that additive genetic variance in relative fitness is often substantial and, on average, twice that of previous estimates. These rates of contemporary adaptive evolution can affect population dynamics and suggest that natural selection has the potential to partly mitigate effects of current environmental change.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Tianzuo Zhang, Yuke Jia, Yijie Zhai, Yueyang Bai, Ke Ren, Ziyue Cheng, Xinying Zhou, Xiaoxu Shen, Jinglan Hong, Jingjing Cao
Summary: Coal-fired winter heating has serious environmental and health impacts, especially at the provincial level in China. The emissions of greenhouse gases and heavy metals from coal-fired heating activities have caused long-term damage to ecosystems and human health, resulting in significant social costs.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Luis E. Santiago, Jimena Forero-Montana, Elvia J. Melendez-Ackerman, William A. Gould, Jess K. Zimmerman
Summary: Sustainable forestry is crucial for enhancing the adaptability and resilience of regions facing extreme weather events. Understanding the social acceptability of forest management practices through inclusive public dialogue is important for defining effective management policies and strategies. A study conducted in Puerto Rico used focus group discussions with local experts from various sectors, revealing differences in viewpoints on sustainability elements among different groups. This highlights the significance of engaging stakeholders from all sectors to seek a model that caters to the majority, and calls for the development of a clear roadmap for sustainable forestry planning at the local level.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
I Solis, J. J. Sanz, L. Imba, E. Alvarez, E. Barba
Summary: Global warming may lead to a higher incidence of moult-breeding overlap in great tits in two Spanish populations, potentially due to increased second clutch frequency and a lengthening of the breeding season. The study found that the proportion of individuals overlapping moult and breeding increased in one population, with factors such as sex and age influencing the probability of overlap in late-breeding individuals.
ANIMAL BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Ornithology
Jin Bai, Chelsea A. Weitekamp, Kelly Frye, Kathryn E. Sieving
Summary: This study demonstrated the impact of species identity on homing success and speed in common feeder bird species in Southeast US, and provided further evidence that bird movements in suburban areas are constrained by low canopy cover.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Matthew D. Tarr
Summary: The reduction in caterpillar abundance caused by non-native, invasive shrubs affects the nestling health and reproductive success of shrubland-dependent passerines.
NORTHEASTERN NATURALIST
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Elsie H. Shogren, W. Alice Boyle
Summary: The study examined display investment in male white-ruffed manakins and found that individual quality and cooperation played a significant role in shaping behavior, while competition had a lesser impact. Male individuals often reduce their effort through cooperation with neighbors to advertise lek locations, while maintaining a consistent level of investment in display sites despite competition.
Article
Biology
Jeffrey G. Brown
Summary: This article discusses the role of bipedalism in the evolutionary divergence between humans and chimpanzees, proposing a tick-based evolutionary hypothesis and suggesting a potential link between bipedalism and defense against ticks.
Article
Environmental Studies
Makoto Ehara, Toshiya Matsuura, Hao Gong, Heng Sokh, Chivin Leng, Hong Narith Choeung, Rida Sem, Hisako Nomura, Ikutaro Tsuyama, Tetsuya Matsui, Kimihiko Hyakumura
Summary: Rural households in developing countries heavily rely on non-timber forest products (NTFPs) for their livelihoods, but the forests supplying these products face competition from other land uses. Deforestation and degradation caused by NTFP collection can lead to conflicts among resource users and hinder long-term development goals. This study used a questionnaire to assess village households' awareness of the impacts of deforestation and illegal tree extraction on NTFP collection, and predicted the spatial distribution of affected villages. Based on the results, priority areas for patrolling and forest conservation interventions were identified.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Dries Van de Loock, Laurence Cousseau, Beate Apfelbeck, Mwangi Githiru, Luc Lens, Erik Matthysen
Summary: Females adjust their reproductive investment based on social cues such as group size and number of helpers. In the cooperatively breeding placid greenbul, females laid larger eggs in larger groups and reduced their feeding rate when assisted by more helpers. Fledging success increased with group size, while the condition of the young did not vary with the number of helpers. Predicting the influence of social conditions on maternal investment may be more challenging than previously believed.
Article
Ornithology
Nicholas I. Wilkinson, Molly Doubleday, Andrew Douse, Andy Ford, Leah A. Kelly, Kenny Kortland, Juli Titherington, Simon R. Wotton, Steven R. Ewing
Summary: The estimated number of Western Capercaillies in Scotland in winter 2021-2022 was 532, which is 52% lower than the estimate in 2015-2016. The majority of the population is concentrated in Badenoch and Strathspey region. With the population at its lowest level since monitoring began in 1992-1994, measures are urgently needed to improve breeding success and survival.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alejandra Moran-Ordonez, Andrea Duane, Assu Gil-Tena, Miquel De Caceres, Nuria Aquilue, Carlos A. Guerra, Ilse R. Geijzendorffer, Marie-Josee Fortin, Lluis Brotons
LAND DEGRADATION & DEVELOPMENT
(2020)
Review
Ecology
Quim Canelles, Nuria Aquilue, Patrick M. A. James, Joshua Lawler, Lluis Brotons
Summary: Forest landscapes worldwide are shaped by abiotic and biotic drivers, but interactions between insect pests and other drivers of change are still poorly understood. Most studies focused on interactions between insect outbreaks and fire, while interactions with other disturbances received less attention. The effects of these interactions are likely to increase in the face of continuing global change.
Article
Biology
Oscar Gordo, Lluis Brotons, Sergi Herrando, Gabriel Gargallo
Summary: Research indicates that urban birds did not increase their probability of occurrence during the lockdown, but their detectability did increase, especially during the early morning. This suggests that urban birds have a high level of behavioral plasticity to rapidly adjust to novel environmental conditions.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Editorial Material
Biodiversity Conservation
Virgilio Hermoso, Adrian Regos, Alejandra Moran-Ordonez, Andrea Duane, Lluis Brotons
Summary: Climate regulation strategies based on forest restoration may increase fire risk in drier and warmer conditions in Europe, impacting climate, environment, and human health. Climate-smarter options like wetlands restoration or grassland recovery provide similar climate benefits while creating less flammable landscapes, making them a more suitable choice for regions facing similar challenges.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Quim Canelles, Emili Bassols, Jordi Vayreda, Lluis Brotons
Summary: In recent decades, invasive species have significantly increased due to higher international trade rates and new climate conditions. The combination of data from native and invaded areas was found to be the most effective methodology for invasive species modeling in this study.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Alejandra Moran-Ordonez, Julia Ramsauer, Lluis Coll, Lluis Brotons, Aitor Ameztegui
Summary: The study found that Mediterranean forests will experience changes in ecosystem service provision under different IPCC climate change scenarios. Climate change will lead to a reduction in regulating services, an increase in climate-related forest hazards, and unclear impacts on material services. The interaction of temperature rise and other drivers will play a key role in determining the extent of these changes.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Julia Ramsauer, Lluis Brotons, Sergi Herrando, Alejandra Moran-Ordonez
Summary: The study investigated the use of bird-seed-dispersal indicators (BSDI) based on species distribution models (SDMs) in predicting the distribution of Viscum album. Results showed that Turdus spp. richness indicator at 3500 m scale explained up to 15% of variance, while climatic conditions and percentage of olive groves were also significant predictors. The abundance or species richness BSDI were less effective in predicting V. album distribution.
Editorial Material
Biodiversity Conservation
Dale G. Nimmo, Alan N. Andersen, Sally Archibald, Matthias M. Boer, Lluis Brotons, Catherine L. Parr, Morgan W. Tingley
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Roger Puig-Girones, Lluis Brotons, Pere Pons
Summary: The study analyzes the impact of fire on open-habitat bird species and finds that the time elapsed since the fire, fire severity, and proximity of potential population sources are related to species richness. Some species show time lags in response to post-fire changes, while water deficit plays a significant role in bird occurrence.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Adriano Mazziotta, Johanna Lundstrom, Nicklas Forsell, Helen Moor, Jeannette Eggers, Narayanan Subramanian, Nuria Aquilue, Alejandra Moran-Ordonez, Lluis Brotons, Tord Snall
Summary: To achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, it is necessary to increase the global terrestrial carbon sink. Forests provide various climate change mitigation solutions, such as bioenergy, bioeconomy, and protection. These different solutions have different impacts on ecosystem services, with bioenergy and bioeconomy solutions decreasing the multifunctionality of ecosystem services, while protected forests increase biodiversity and non-wood ecosystem services.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Maria Trivino, Alejandra Moran-Ordonez, Kyle Eyvindson, Clemens Blattert, Daniel Burgas, Anna Repo, Tahti Pohjanmies, Lluis Brotons, Tord Snall, Mikko Monkkonen
Summary: In this study, using Finland as a case study, the researchers assessed the potential supply of various ecosystem services under different management regimes and climate change scenarios. Results showed that the effects of management on the future supply of these services were, on average, 11 times higher than the effects of climate change across all services. The importance of these drivers also differed significantly between northern and southern Finland.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Stefano Canessa, Jose Salgado-Rojas, Dani Villero, Lluis Brotons, Felix Amat, Daniel Guinart, Sonia Solorzano, Lluis Lopez, Xavier Comas, Virgilio Hermoso
Summary: Optimization methods are not commonly used in supporting species recovery programs, due to the difficulty in representing and optimizing complex multidimensional problems. However, a study demonstrates how integer linear programming can be used to solve such complex problems in reintroduction planning for the critically endangered Montseny brook newt, optimizing site restoration efforts, captive releases, and monitoring.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Sander Jacobs, Fernando Santos-Martin, Eeva Primmer, Fanny Boeraeve, Alejandra Moran-Ordonez, Vania Proenca, Martin Schlaepfer, Lluis Brotons, Robert Dunford, Sandra Lavorel, Antoine Guisan, Joachim Claudet, Zuzana Harmackova, Inge Liekens, Jennifer Hauck, Kasper Kok, Yves Zinngrebe, Simona Pedde, Balint Czucz, Cosimo Solidoro, Matthew Cantele, Christian Rixen, Anna Heck, Jomme Desair, Tobias Plieninger, Paula A. Harrison
Summary: This study compares the impacts of six future scenarios on sustainable development goals and biodiversity targets in Europe and Central Asia. The findings emphasize the importance of transformative change and provide insights into preferred directions for political transformation. The study also highlights the potential to avoid significant societal losses and generate multiple benefits.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Dani Villero, Albert Montori, Gustavo A. Llorente, Nuria Roura-Pascual, Philippe Geniez, Lluis Brotons
Summary: This study aims to assess the impact of the spread of D. pictus on native species in the Iberian Peninsula and other regions. The results show a strong climatic niche overlap between D. pictus and endemic species in the Iberian Peninsula, which may have negative effects on some species in the future.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Judit Lecina-Diaz, Maria-Luisa Chas-Amil, Nuria Aquilue, Angelo Sil, Lluis Brotons, Adrian Regos, Julia Touza
Summary: In southern Europe, land abandonment and an unbalanced investment toward fire suppression have increased wildfire risk. This study combines scenario analysis, fire landscape modelling, and economic tools to identify land-use policies that can reduce wildfire-related losses in the Geres-Xures Transboundary Biosphere Reserve. The combination of High Nature Value farmlands (HNVf) and fire-smart land-use strategies is the most efficient way to reduce wildfire hazard and minimize damages.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)