Article
Ecology
Shawan Chowdhury, Myron P. Zalucki, Tatsuya Amano, Bradley K. Woodworth, Ruben Venegas-Li, Richard A. Fuller
Summary: The study found that most migratory butterflies have strong seasonal variation in habitat suitability, with over 75% of pixels within their distributions showing seasonal switching. The rate of seasonal switching was highest in tropical regions, with some species experiencing extreme range fluctuations that may lead to elevated extinction risk.
Review
Biology
Elleard F. W. Heffern, Holly Huelskamp, Sonya Bahar, R. Fredrik Inglis
Summary: Phase transitions are a crucial concept in physics with recent successful applications in understanding various phenomena in biological systems. This includes explaining collective behavior in animals and neuronal firing. Particularly in the area of population collapse and extinction, phase transition theory can provide insights into extinction events like population decline due to climate change or microbial responses to stressors such as antibiotic treatment.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kristen Ruegg, Eric C. Anderson, Marius Somveille, Rachael A. Bay, Mary Whitfield, Eben H. Paxton, Thomas B. Smith
Summary: Global loss of biodiversity has increased the urgency of understanding species responses to rapid environmental change, with specialized species facing challenges; using a genome-wide genetic approach, migratory routes of different populations of the willow flycatcher have been successfully mapped, further quantifying the differences in climate tolerances within populations.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Justin Merondun, Elizabeth M. Kierepka, Aaron B. A. Shafer, Dennis L. Murray
Summary: The study found that the eastern wolf in south-central Canada faces competition threats from gray wolves and coyote-like canids, with limited advantageous niche space, requiring conservation measures to maintain the survival of the population. The research also suggests that competitive disadvantage can limit species' recovery efforts, hence necessitating management measures to promote ecological differentiation between groups.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
C. A. Morrison, A. Aunins, Z. Benko, L. Brotons, T. Chodkiewicz, P. Chylarecki, V Escandell, D. P. Eskildsen, A. Gamero, S. Herrando, F. Jiguet, J. A. Kalas, J. Kamp, A. Klvanova, P. Kmecl, A. Lehikoinen, A. Lindstroem, C. Moshoj, D. G. Noble, I. J. Oien, J-Y Paquet, J. Reif, T. Sattler, B. S. Seaman, N. Teufelbauer, S. Trautmann, C. A. M. van Turnhout, P. Vorisek, S. J. Butler
Summary: Studies show that bird song landscapes in North America and Europe are becoming quieter and less varied, reflecting declines in bird diversity and abundance. The changes in soundscapes may have widespread implications for the connection between humans and nature, potentially affecting human health and well-being.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Alice Monnier-Corbel, Alexandre Robert, Yves Hingrat, Blas M. Benito, Anne-Christine Monnet
Summary: Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) derived from Species Distribution Model (SDM) has been used to infer or predict local demographic properties such as abundance for many species. However, the relationship between HSI and abundance has been a topic of debate, with some studies showing a lack of correlation. To better understand this relationship, we studied the temporal variation of HSI and abundance using data from a 10-year monitoring of a Houbara bustard population in Morocco. Our results showed a triangular relationship between local abundance and HSI, with the upper limit of abundance increasing with HSI. Additionally, sites with the highest HSI had the least variation in abundance. These findings provide empirical evidence supporting the importance of investigating the relationship between HSI and abundance using temporal variation.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Joana Bernardino, Ricardo C. Martins, Regina Bispo, Ana Teresa Marques, Miguel Mascarenhas, Ricardo Silva, Francisco Moreira
Summary: The study found that bird carcass size was a key driver of carcass persistence and searcher efficiency in bird fatality surveys, with scent detection dogs consistently out-performing human observers. Season and habitat interactions also played an important role in carcass persistence patterns, while variations in searcher efficiency rates by human observers were largely influenced by ground visibility.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REVIEW
(2022)
Article
Biology
Vera M. Warmuth, Malcolm D. Burgess, Toni Laaksonen, Andrea Manica, Marko Magi, Andreas Nord, Craig R. Primmer, Glenn-Peter Saetre, Wolfgang Winkel, Hans Ellegren
Summary: Climate change can impact population demography by altering patterns of gene flow and reproductive isolation. A study on pied flycatchers using a directly estimated mutation rate in birds has revealed that major population splits occurred during periods of increased climate instability and rapid global temperature change. This highlights the potential strong impact that episodes of climate instability and rapid temperature changes can have on species' evolutionary trajectories.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Physics, Mathematical
Mahmoud B. A. Mansour
Summary: In this paper, a stochastic model of bacterial population growth with antimicrobial resistance under random fluctuations is considered. The model is analyzed for the persistence and extinction of bacterial cells. Results show asymptotic extinction and conditional persistence for population growth. Computer simulations are performed to illustrate the model behavior. The model findings have important implications for eradicating bacterial cells and the emergence of resistance.
JOURNAL OF STATISTICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Kelsey P. Lyberger, Matthew M. Osmond, Sebastian J. Schreiber
Summary: Climate change intensifies environmental disturbances, affecting population size and extinction risk in finite populations under extreme events. More evolution can lead to greater maladaptation and slower population recovery, while heritability may either increase extinction risk in short extreme events or help populations persist in longer events. The buffering effect of phenotypic variance can outweigh the load it causes during severe events.
AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yue Wang, Tianyuan Lan, Shuyu Deng, Zhenhua Zang, Zhixia Zhao, Zongqiang Xie, Wenting Xu, Guozhen Shen
Summary: This study found that forest-cover change is the most important factor driving giant panda's population persistence, while the synergistic effect of climate change and land-use change has a relatively small impact. These findings highlight the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the relative effects of climate change and land-use change in addressing global biodiversity loss.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Mathematical & Computational Biology
Qura tul Ain, Jinrong Wang
Summary: This paper focuses on studying an epidemic model for disease evolution using stochastic models. It demonstrates encoding the model into formalisms suitable for analysis with advanced stochastic model checkers, and shows the dynamics of a co-infection model as a compartmental system shaped by disease complexity. Through non-traditional analytical methods, key asymptotic properties of eradication and continuation in the mean are demonstrated, providing insights for more effective disease control strategies in public health.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMATHEMATICS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Javier Seoane, Alba Estrada, Mirkka M. Jones, Otso Ovaskainen
Summary: Growing interest in biodiversity mapping has led to the development of species distribution atlases, often based on citizen-science projects. In this study, a hierarchical multi-species model is built using data from the third Spanish breeding bird atlas, taking into account spatial, phylogenetic, and trait-based dependencies. The model predicts the distributions of species niches, species richness, and community traits along ecological gradients. Climate, habitat associations, and species' traits all contribute to species' distributions. The study demonstrates the generalization of ecological relationships from local to large scales and highlights the importance of citizen-science mapping efforts in understanding biodiversity.
ECOLOGICAL INFORMATICS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jan M. Baert, Eric W. M. Stienen, Frederick Verbruggen, Nico van de Weghe, Luc Lens, Wendt Mueller
Summary: Individual niche variation is common within animal populations and may temporally vary due to behavioural plasticity. This study found that breeding female lesser black-backed gulls showed pronounced shifts in habitat use and almost disappeared individual variation in foraging behavior during the breeding season, which suggests a complex interplay between competitive constraints, resource reliability, and shifting time- and energy budges in shaping temporal dynamics in individual niche variation.
Article
Ecology
Masato Kitano, K. Shawn Smallwood, Keiichi Fukaya
Summary: The outcomes of integrated detection trials, which are used to estimate the number of bird fatalities caused by wind turbines, are influenced by various environmental factors such as the duration of the trials, the body mass of the carcasses, the season, and the presence of snow and precipitation. The results suggest that trial duration and carcass body mass have the greatest impact on bird carcass detection probability in these trials.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Claire Carvell, Nadine Mitschunas, Rachel McDonald, Sarah Hulmes, Lucy Hulmes, Rory S. O'Connor, Michael P. D. Garratt, Simon G. Potts, Michelle T. Fountain, Dinara Sadykova, Mike Edwards, Marek Nowakowski, Richard F. Pywell, John W. Redhead
Summary: Sown wildflower areas can increase the abundance of flower-visiting insects, but their benefits for other insect groups are limited. The successful establishment and maintenance of sown wildflower areas rely on appropriate management practices.
BASIC AND APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
John W. Redhead, Richard Burkmar, Mike Brown, Richard F. Pywell
Summary: E-Planner is a free web-based application that provides detailed maps of agricultural land in Great Britain for environmental enhancement. The information provided by E-Planner is important for spatial targeting of farm management, maximizing crop production and environmental delivery efficiency. The methods used by E-Planner for collating and presenting data on environmental constraints and drivers are widely applicable.
ENVIRONMENTAL MODELLING & SOFTWARE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Willem Proesmans, Christopher Andrews, Alan Gray, Rob Griffiths, Aidan Keith, Uffe N. Nielsen, David Spurgeon, Richard Pywell, Bridget Emmett, Adam J. Vanbergen
Summary: Cattle grazing has profound effects on the abiotic and biotic characteristics of forest ecosystems, including modifications to soil environment and changes in microbial and invertebrate communities.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cecily E. D. Goodwin, Luca Butikofer, Jack H. Hatfield, Paul M. Evans, James M. Bullock, Jonathan Storkey, Andrew Mead, Goetz M. Richter, Peter A. Henrys, Richard F. Pywell, John W. Redhead
Summary: Due to the increasing demand for food and environmental services, agriculture needs to deliver multiple outcomes. Characterizing differences across agricultural landscapes is crucial in exploring spatial patterns in land capacity. Creating characterizations at multiple levels allows policymakers and land managers to harmonize ecosystem services delivery. Understanding variation within and between agricultural landscapes and farming practices has implications for environmental sustainability and food security.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Ornithology
Blaise Martay, James W. Pearce-Higgins, Sarah J. Harris, Simon Gillings
Summary: This study examines the population trends of two warbler species in relation to habitat, climate, and weather. The results show that both species' populations are correlated with changes in habitat and breeding ground temperatures. However, other factors such as species interactions and climate change in their wintering grounds and during migration may also play a role in determining population abundance and trends.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
John W. Redhead, Shelley A. Hinsley, Marc S. Botham, Richard K. Broughton, Stephen N. Freeman, Paul E. Bellamy, Gavin Siriwardena, Zoe Randle, Marek Nowakowski, Matthew S. Heard, Richard F. Pywell
Summary: Despite decades of research and implementation of agri-environment schemes (AES), farmland biodiversity continues to decline. However, a 10-year study on bird and butterfly species in a farmland landscape in southern England showed that areas with AES intervention had stable or increasing species abundance, in contrast to equivalent landscapes without AES. These findings emphasize the importance of delivering and monitoring high-quality AES options for biodiversity conservation.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
William N. W. Fincham, John W. Redhead, Ben A. Woodcock, Richard F. Pywell
Summary: This study investigates the factors that limit agricultural yield and explores the relationships between in-field yield patterns and local landscape context. The findings suggest that proximity to the field edge and the presence of semi-natural habitats in the surrounding landscape can reduce crop yields. The study highlights the need for high-resolution environmental data to inform precision agriculture management and environmental policies.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ben A. Woodcock, Anna E. Oliver, Lindsay K. Newbold, H. Soon Gweon, Daniel S. Read, Ujala Sayed, Joanna Savage, Jim Bacon, Emily Upcott, Katherine Howell, Katharine Turvey, David B. Roy, M. Gloria Pereira, Darren Sleep, Arran Greenop, Richard F. Pywell
Summary: This study utilized a national citizen science monitoring scheme to quantify the impact of agricultural intensification on honeybee diet breadth, finding a negative correlation between species richness of forage plants and arable cropping area. In intensively farmed areas, honeybee diets were dominated by Brassica crops, and the prevalence of Deformed Wing Virus in bees increased in agricultural land with high use of foliar insecticides.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kathryn E. Powell, Tom H. Oliver, Tim Johns, Manuela Gonzalez-Suarez, Judy England, David B. Roy
Summary: There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that terrestrial arthropods are rapidly declining worldwide. However, it remains uncertain whether freshwater invertebrates, which play a crucial role in ecosystem services, are also experiencing declines. In this study, a long-term dataset from 2002 to 2019 of macroinvertebrate abundance in English rivers was analyzed. The findings revealed varied patterns across taxonomic groups and trophic levels, indicating a complex picture of change in freshwater macroinvertebrate abundance. The results contribute to the identification of priority regions for addressing potential environmental stressors causing declines in macroinvertebrate abundance.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Richard K. Broughton, James M. Bullock, Charles George, France Gerard, Marta Maziarz, Wesley E. Payne, Paul A. Scholefield, Daniel Wade, Richard F. Pywell
Summary: Passive rewilding is a method of expanding woodland cover and restoring biodiversity by abandoning land management and allowing natural vegetation succession to occur. In a case study over 33 years, researchers found that passive rewilding resulted in the development of a distinctive habitat mosaic, supporting a locally distinctive bird community. Wetland and woodland bird species increased compared to nearby farmland, while farmland bird species declined.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Emily V. Upcott, Peter A. Henrys, John W. Redhead, Susan G. Jarvis, Richard F. Pywell
Summary: Cropping decisions have significant impacts on agricultural management strategies and environmental outcomes. Mapping and predicting crop rotations enable targeted mitigation measures and risk forecasting. The study demonstrates the complexity of crop rotations and suggests their importance across disciplines beyond agronomy and ecology.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dafydd M. O. Elias, Kelly E. Mason, Katherine Howell, Nadine Mitschunas, Lucy Hulmes, Sarah Hulmes, Inma Lebron, Richard F. Pywell, Niall P. McNamara
Summary: Grasslands contribute 30% of global terrestrial carbon, mostly stored in soils, and provide essential ecosystem services. Research on extending grassland reseeding cycle to increase stable soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks is limited, hindering effective grassland management for climate change mitigation.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Michelle T. Fountain, Konstantinos Tsiolis, Celine X. Silva, Greg Deakin, Michael P. D. Garratt, Rory O'Connor, Claire Carvell, Richard F. Pywell, Michael Edwards, Simon G. Potts
Summary: This project aimed to identify the nest locations of ground-nesting bees in apple orchards and determine the factors that influence their nest selection. Most of the nests were found in the bare ground underneath the apple trees. Fourteen species of ground-nesting bees were identified in the orchards. Therefore, maintaining bare ground areas in apple orchards can improve nesting opportunities for ground-nesting bees and enhance pollination.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Louise J. Slater, Chris Huntingford, Richard F. Pywell, John W. Redhead, Elizabeth J. Kendon
Summary: Recent extreme weather events in the UK have had severe impacts on crop yields, raising concerns about the effect of climate change on wheat production. This study investigates the impacts of climate change on wheat yields in the country and finds that the volatility of wheat yields has increased in recent years, with climate impacts being strongest during years with compound weather extremes. Projections show that while average temperatures and precipitation are likely to increase during certain wheat growth stages in the future, statistical models suggest that wheat yields will continue to grow. However, the study highlights that wheat farming in the UK may face new weather conditions outside of its historical climate envelope.
EARTH SYSTEM DYNAMICS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Simon Gillings, Sarah J. Harris
Summary: This study examined the travel associated with participation in the UK Breeding Bird Survey and found that biodiversity monitoring heavily relies on private vehicles, with different geographical areas and travel modes showing variations. The estimated carbon emissions produced in 2019 for achieving BBS coverage were at least 46.8 tonnes CO(2)e, indicating a significant carbon footprint in the monitoring sector. The study discusses possible pathways to decarbonize monitoring schemes and emphasizes the responsibility of scheme organizers for decarbonization efforts.