Article
Ecology
Alexej P. K. Siren, Christopher S. Sutherland, Christopher A. Bernier, Kimberly J. Royar, Jillian R. Kilborn, Catherine B. Callahan, Rachel M. Cliche, Leighlan S. Prout, Toni Lyn Morelli
Summary: In the face of global change, it is essential to understand the causes of range limits in biogeography and ecology. A new theory, Interactive Range-Limit Theory (iRLT), suggests that positive biotic factors can alleviate abiotic stress along cold edges, while abiotic stress can mediate biotic interactions along warm limits. Through a study on carnivores in the northeastern United States, it was found that snow limits populations directly, but prey availability influences range dynamics along cold edges, supporting the iRLT hypothesis.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Stephanie Schelfhout, Safaa Wasof, Jan Mertens, Margot Vanhellemont, Andreas Demey, Annelies Haegeman, Eva DeCock, Iris Moeneclaey, Pieter Vangansbeke, Nicole Viaene, Steve Baeyen, Nancy De Sutter, Martine Maes, Wim H. van der Putten, Kris Verheyen, An De Schrijver
Summary: The study on Nardus grassland species grown in different phosphorus gradients revealed a significant impact of phosphorus concentration on the biomass of oligotrophic indicator species, which were outcompeted by fast-growing plant species. Restoration of Nardus grasslands requires phosphorus-poor soil conditions to maintain the typical species composition.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Francesco Mambretti, Nicolo Pedrani, Luca Casiraghi, Elvezia Maria Paraboschi, Tommaso Bellini, Samir Suweis
Summary: Molecular ecology utilizes molecular genetic data to address ecological questions and the interactions among species play a crucial role in determining species coexistence and abundance. This study proposes using a Molecular Dynamics coarse-grained model to investigate interactions among DNA strands representing different species, and explores the competitive advantages and coexistence mechanisms.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Qiuyan Wang, Lamei Jiang, Yudong Chen, Xinmin Tian, Guanghui Lv
Summary: This study aimed to explore the responses of Suaeda salsa to combined abiotic stress and competition conditions to gain further insights into the ecological adaptation of halophytes to stress conditions. Results showed that drought and planting density were the main environmental factors restricting growth. Drought decreased biomass accumulation, while competition promoted early anthesis and fructescence to improve fitness.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Zhenyu Yao, Yue Xin, Liu Yang, Liqing Zhao, Arshad Ali
Summary: This study investigates the direct and indirect effects of climatic factors on species diversity and aboveground biomass in large-scale grasslands. The results suggest that the relationship between plant coverage and aboveground biomass is stronger than the relationship between species diversity and aboveground biomass. Additionally, precipitation and temperature are identified as key climatic drivers affecting species richness, evenness, plant coverage, and aboveground biomass through complex pathways. The study highlights the sensitivity of grasslands to climate change and emphasizes the importance of considering temperature and precipitation in grassland management.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Mark Ficsor, Zoltan Csabai
Summary: This review summarizes the literature on how abiotic environmental factors and biotic interactions impact the distribution of Central European species of net-spinning freshwater caddisfly larvae. It discusses the role of water parameters, species-specific traits, and interactions among coexisting species in influencing the downstream succession of characteristic species.
Article
Biology
Jake M. Alexander, Daniel Z. Atwater, Robert Colautti, Anna L. Hargreaves
Summary: Species' ranges are constrained by ecological and evolutionary factors. The role of biotic interactions in shaping adaptation and range limits is not well understood. This study investigates how biotic interactions influence adaptation and proposes a model to illustrate the potential for range expansion and niche evolution.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Travis W. King, Carly Vynne, David Miller, Scott Fisher, Scott Fitkin, John Rohrer, Jason Ransom, Daniel H. Thornton
Summary: The influence of biotic interactions on carnivore distribution patterns decreases as spatial grain of analysis increases, with abiotic factors playing a larger role at broader spatial extents. Interspecific interactions among carnivores influence occupancy and detection across spatial scales, but do not show significant differences at finer temporal scales.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Francesco Ferretti, Raquel Oliveira, Mariana Rossa, Irene Belardi, Giada Pacini, Sara Mugnai, Niccolo Fattorini, Lorenzo Lazzeri
Summary: This study investigated the feeding habits of wolves on small carnivores and found that there was temporal and spatial overlap between the two, which suggests that the negative impact of wolves on small carnivores is limited.
FRONTIERS IN ZOOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Mahmoud Bayat, Thomas Knoke, Sahar Heidari, Seyedeh Kosar Hamidi, Harold Burkhart, Abolfazl Jaafari
Summary: Climate change has significant effects on forest ecosystems, and accurately estimating tree diameter increment under future climate change is important for sustainable forest management. This study used artificial neural networks and linear mixed-effect models to model tree diameter increment in the Hyrcanian Forest, Iran, under different climate change scenarios. The results showed that the impact of climate change on tree growth was not very noticeable, with a decrease of only about 7% annually.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Priscila Lemes, Fabiana G. Barbosa, Babak Naimi, Miguel B. Araujo
Summary: Scientists examined how animal-plant interactions and dispersal limitations might impact the responses of Brazil nut-dependent frogs to climate change. Their findings suggest that suitable habitats for these frogs are projected to decrease, which could have implications for their survival. However, it is crucial that these species maintain their own dispersal abilities in order to preserve ecological and evolutionary processes.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Review
Zoology
Zhilin LI, Jiayu Lu, Xiaoyi Shi, Li'an Duo, James L. D. Smith, Tianming Wang
Summary: Research shows that elevation and ungulate density are important factors influencing the coexistence mechanisms of tigers and leopards. Increased elevation leads to higher spatial niche overlap of tigers and leopards, while prey-rich regions result in higher dietary overlap. Furthermore, interference competition between the two carnivores is less observed in habitats with dense tree cover and homogeneous vegetation structures. Policymakers and managers should focus on elevation, prey abundance, and habitat structures for the conservation of tigers and leopards.
INTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Diego Centeno-Alvarado, Jessica Luiza S. Silva, Oswaldo Cruz-Neto, Ariadna Valentina Lopes
Summary: This study focused on the endemic species Tacinga palmadora in the dry forest of Brazil and tested the hypothesis that biotic interactions do not affect species distribution at large geographical scales. The results showed that climate change could reduce suitable habitats for T. palmadora, supporting the hypothesis.
REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Hengfang Wang, Rui Zhang, Yan Cai, Qi Yang, Guanghui Lv
Summary: Ecological uniqueness is an important factor in biodiversity conservation, and research has shown that it is influenced by species richness, soil factors, and community characteristics. The study found that herbaceous plants contribute more to beta diversity and that soil pH, moisture content, and phylogenetic diversity have significant effects on ecological uniqueness. Different plant forms and communities may have varying importance of factors affecting ecological uniqueness.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rebecca Greatorex, Antony M. Knights
Summary: Independently, ocean warming and acidification are two major threats to marine organisms, and their interaction has wide-ranging consequences to biological functioning, population and community structure, species interactions, and ecosystem service provision. A multitrophic experiment showed that future ocean acidification and warming had negative consequences on the growth, feeding, and metabolic rate of blue mussels, but had no effect on the predator's growth and metabolism, and even increased its feeding. This differential response between the two species to ocean acidification and warming could lead to fundamental changes in ecosystem structure and functioning.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Garry Sotnik, Brooke A. Cassell, Matthew J. Duveneck, Robert M. Scheller
Summary: Exploratory modeling in forestry uses various approaches to simulate forest management. This study explored how different modeling approaches influence the deep uncertainty faced in simulated forest management. Results showed that simulated forest management in different modeling approaches faced varying degrees of deep uncertainty, leading to significant differences in simulation outcomes. The ability of management to respond to forest change and adapt decisions was negatively correlated with deep uncertainty.
Article
Ecology
Benjamin J. Padilla, Chris Sutherland
Summary: This research explores patterns of avian diversity and abundance in heterogenous landscapes using multiple dimensional gradients of human-mediated modification. The results show that avian richness is highest in more heterogeneous regions of the landscape, and individual species exhibit varying responses. This study provides valuable insight for conservation and management in human-dominated landscapes.
Article
Ecology
Joseph Drake, Xavier Lambin, Chris Sutherland
Summary: Connectivity is a fundamental concept that links dispersal to the dynamics and persistence of spatially structured populations. While traditional measures of connectivity assume it to be static, it is actually dynamic and related to the spatial distribution of individuals and populations. Using occupancy data from water voles, we found that considering the dynamic nature of connectivity improves the recovery of population dynamics and has implications for metapopulation capacity predictions.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Patricia Levasseur, Michael T. Jones, Barbara Brennessel, Robert Prescott, Mark Faherty, Chris Sutherland
Summary: The status, size, and density of Diamondback Terrapin populations along the Atlantic coast have been reported as unknown or declining. Using spatial capture-recapture (SCR) methods, the study presents the first application of SCR to analyze Diamondback Terrapins in two known activity areas in Massachusetts. The results show that detection of terrapins is influenced by survey effort, day of the season, tide cycle, time of tide, survey time relative to the tide, cloud cover, and windspeed. The study also found significant differences in density and space use between the two sites, as well as a female-biased sex ratio. This study demonstrates the usefulness of SCR methods in estimating population size and density, while providing insights into space use and detection in Diamondback Terrapins.
JOURNAL OF HERPETOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Sierra R. Latham, Alexej P. K. Siren, Leonard R. Reitsma
Summary: Our study found that the space and habitat use of Wood Turtles are influenced by regional, landscape, and sex-specific differences. Turtles at sites dominated by conifer trees and with higher road density had smaller home ranges. Females moved farther away from rivers and had the longest single-event movements, while males had longer movements overall and followed rivers. At a finer spatial scale, turtles selected activity areas with complex vegetative structure and a more open canopy.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Goncalo Curveira-Santos, Laura Gigliotti, Chris Sutherland, Daniela Rato, Margarida Santos-Reis, Lourens H. Swanepoel
Summary: Carnivore intraguild dynamics are influenced by the complex interplay between environmental affinities and interspecific interactions. The management and conservation paradigms in South Africa have significantly altered the structure of local carnivore assemblages. Our study reveals that carnivores are generally distributed independently across space but existing spatial dependencies are context-specific. Furthermore, temporal overlap patterns mostly depend on species' endogenous clock rather than the local context.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Darragh Hare, Hueseyin Ambarli, Amy J. Dickman, Egil Droge, Mohammad S. Farhidinia, Paul J. Johnson, Munib Khanyari, Rose Mandisodza-Chikerema, Robert A. Montgomery, Chris Sutherland, Hugh Webster, Matthew Wijers
Summary: Trophy hunting is a highly controversial topic in wildlife conservation, with divergent views on its effectiveness and impact. The use of a blanket term for trophy hunting overlooks the variations in hunting practices and reasons behind trophy collection. It is crucial for stakeholders to communicate clearly and specify their stance on different hunting activities.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Alexej Siren, Marketa Zimova, Chris S. Sutherland, John T. Finn, Jillian R. Kilborn, Rachel M. Cliche, Leighlan S. Prout, L. Scott Mills, Toni Lyn Morelli
Summary: This study focuses on the influence of resource availability on snowshoe hare populations along their trailing range edge. The results show that variability in resource availability affects population density and fluctuations, as well as survival rates. Hares living in resource-limited environments have lower population density but higher survival rates and lower parasite loads compared to populations in resource-rich environments.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alyssa Rosemartin, Theresa M. Crimmins, Katharine L. Gerst, Erin E. Posthumus, Aaron R. Ramirez, Cynthia S. A. Wallace, Toni Lyn Morelli
Summary: Knowledge co-production, involving creators and users of information, is gaining popularity in the conservation and ecology fields. Despite its growing success, there are still barriers and challenges in this work. Through reflecting on three recent case studies, we found that team composition and early engagement with agency representatives are crucial for success. Long-term commitment and valuing a range of knowledge systems are also important factors.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Brandon P. Hedrick, Alba Estrada, Chris Sutherland, A. Marcia Barbosa
Summary: The acceleration of climate change is affecting the distributions of many species, particularly amphibians. Understanding the impact of climate change on their distributions is crucial for the overall health of ecosystems.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Carl Chalmers, Paul Fergus, Serge Wich, Steven. N. N. Longmore, Naomi Davies Walsh, Philip. A. A. Stephens, Chris Sutherland, Naomi Matthews, Jens Mudde, Amira Nuseibeh
Summary: Birds are crucial for monitoring biodiversity and habitat health, and they play a vital role in ecosystem management. Declining bird populations can lead to reduced ecosystem services such as seed dispersal, pollination, and pest control. While monitoring birds is important for ecologists, it is often time-consuming, expensive, and challenging to manage. This paper proposes using deep learning to overcome the challenges and automate bird monitoring in camera trap data.
Article
Biology
Chris Sutherland, Darragh Hare, Paul J. Johnson, Daniel W. Linden, Robert A. Montgomery, Egil Droge
Summary: The debates surrounding model selection paradigms are important, especially in the absence of a consensus. This study highlights the need for a better understanding of existing approaches, specifically among end-users of statistics and model selection tools. The researchers focus on the Akaike information criterion (AIC) in ecological literature and address common misunderstandings related to 'pretending' variables and the interpretation of p-values in relation to AIC. By complementing technical literature with simulations, the study aims to improve statistical practices and the interpretation and reporting of models selected using AIC.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Alyssa Soucy, Parinaz Rahimzadeh-Bajgiran, Sandra De Urioste-Stone, Aaron Weiskittel, Matthew J. Duveneck, Bridie McGreavy
Summary: The vulnerability assessment of the forest industry in Maine to climate change reveals that each county in the state has its unique combination of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity indicators, with overall vulnerability highest in the rural northern and western parts.
JOURNAL OF FORESTRY
(2022)