Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Toni Kasiske, Jens Dauber, Alexander Harpke, Sebastian Klimek, Elisabeth Kuehn, Josef Settele, Martin Musche
Summary: Extensively managed grasslands are facing loss and degradation due to agricultural intensification and land abandonment, causing negative impacts on insect populations. This study used nationwide butterfly data to analyze the effects of land cover and land-use intensity on butterfly species richness and trait composition. The results demonstrated the importance of low herbivore livestock densities in preserving pollinating insects and safeguarding biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Michael S. Crossley, Olivia M. Smith, Lauren L. Berry, Robert Phillips-Cosio, Jeffrey Glassberg, Kaylen M. Holman, Jacquelin G. Holmquest, Amanda R. Meier, Sofia A. Varriano, Maureen R. McClung, Matthew D. Moran, William E. Snyder
Summary: The study found that there is great heterogeneity in abundance and biodiversity trends for North American butterflies, mainly influenced by recent precipitation and temperature. Different regions show different changes in butterfly populations, with a slight increase in abundance observed around urban areas. Overall, changes in butterfly numbers are primarily driven by climate factors.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Kristen E. E. Lynch, Marcin R. R. Penk, Philip M. M. Perrin, Jeremy J. J. Piggott
Summary: Grazing by domestic livestock can have significant effects on the saltmarsh invertebrate community, with cessation of grazing leading to changes in community composition and impacts on certain species. However, it does not appear to have a detectable effect on invertebrate abundance. Cessation of grazing does result in an increase in biomass, driven by higher abundance of the amphipod Orchestia gammarellus. There is a tendency to overlook the value of invertebrates in conservation assessment of saltmarshes in Europe, highlighting the need for greater attention to be given to understanding the role of invertebrates in maintaining healthy saltmarshes.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Elizabeth Y. Braatz, Zachariah J. Gezon, Kristin Rossetti, Lily T. Maynard, Jonathan S. Bremer, Geena M. Hill, Marissa A. Streifel, Jaret C. Daniels
Summary: The study found that bloom evenness has a significant impact on flower visitor richness, insect richness, and insect abundance, while bloom abundance is positively correlated with flower visitor abundance. Factors such as nearest greenspace size, distance to greenspace, plant type, and yard area were not found to be important, and plant richness, although significant, had a small effect size.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Diego de Pedro, Fadia Sara Ceccarelli, Remy Vandame, Jorge Merida, Philippe Sagot
Summary: The current ecological crisis highlights the urgency of documenting diversity and distribution. Bees are ecologically and economically important due to their high diversity and varied ecosystem services. Evaluating two common biodiversity indices, species richness and phylogenetic diversity, we determine the best approach for selecting areas of conservation priority.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Ning Wang, Xiaoxiao Song, Jiayu Wang, Liming Wang
Summary: In the past few decades, both species biodiversity and productivity of desert steppe have been reduced due to excessive use and climate factors. To counteract this, the Chinese government has supported large-scale grassland ecological restoration programs since the year 2000. A study found that light grazing (8 sheep/ha 0.5 yr(-1)) was the most suitable grazing intensity for the sustainability of biodiversity in the desert steppe of Inner Mongolia, and a three-year fencing period was the most suitable. Policies that remove livestock from the desert grassland for long periods (7+ years) are not beneficial for maintaining insect diversity, and heavy grazing leads to a weaker ecological environment and decreased insect diversity.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Juan A. Encina-Dominguez, Eduardo Estrada-Castillon, Miguel Mellado, Cristina Gonzalez-Montelongo, Jose Ramon Arevalo
Summary: "Disturbances in the pine forests of Mexico, primarily caused by cattle, horses, goat, and sheep grazing, have resulted in low tree recruitment, establishment of invasive shrubs, changes in species composition, and invasion of weeds primarily spread by livestock. This study compared a grazing-excluded pine forest stand with a nearby area subjected to livestock grazing in the Sierra de Zapaliname natural protected area in northeast Mexico. The results showed that grazing has altered the understory species composition and reduced evenness in the control plots. To maintain species diversity and forest structure, it is recommended to restrict extensive grazing or reduce the number of animals in areas of high ecological value."
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Raja Imran Hussain, Ronnie Walcher, Nora Vogel, Bernhard Krautzer, Leonid Rasran, Thomas Frank
Summary: Intensification of grassland management leads to a decrease in insect diversity. Flower strips have a restorative effect on preserving and restoring native grassland insect diversity. Heteroptera and syrphid species richness and abundance are higher in flower strips, while butterfly abundance and species richness are higher in extensive grasslands. Restoring insect diversity is a slow process influenced by local vegetation conditions and connection to source populations.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yan Wu, Yuanbao Du, Xuan Liu, Xinrong Wan, Baofa Yin, Yanbin Hao, Yanfen Wang
Summary: Livestock overgrazing and climate change are the main causes of grassland degeneration and biodiversity decline, but the underlying mechanism is still unclear. A meta-analysis of 91 field studies in 26 countries was conducted to analyze the effects of grazing intensity, grazing history, grazing animal type, productivity, and climate on grassland biodiversity. The results showed that the effects of these factors varied across different components of the biome and measurements of diversity, indicating the complex nature of the relationship between livestock grazing and grassland biodiversity.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Pei Zhang, Shuangdan Chen, Yi Ai, Yonghong Wang, Dehui Xi, Liming Tian, Tserang Donko Mipam
Summary: Livestock grazing has a significant impact on the belowground community in grasslands. Moderate grazing can maintain the diversity and functionality of soil nematodes, optimize soil nutrient cycling, and the response of the nematode community has a hump-shaped pattern to grazing intensity.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Francisco Javier Peris-Felipo, Fernando Santa, Oscar Aguado, Jose Vicente Falco-Gari, Alicia Iborra, Michael Schade, Claire Brittain, Vasileios Vasileiadis, Luis Miranda-Barroso
Summary: The continuous intensification of agricultural production has led to the loss of insect biodiversity over the past 80 years. This study in Spain's intensive wine farms over three years found that planting cover plants in vineyards significantly increased insect species and individuals, suggesting that the use of cover plants can create refuges for insects, aiding in their conservation and reducing the impact of agriculture on insect decline.
Article
Entomology
Kathleen L. Prudic, Terese Maxine P. Cruz, Jazmyn I. B. Winzer, Jeffrey C. Oliver, Natalie A. Melkonoff, Hank Verbais, Andrew Hogan
Summary: Urban botanical gardens serve as habitats for local wildlife, particularly in the warm and dry climate of the southwest US. They exhibit higher numbers and diversity of butterfly species, acting as important green refugia for pollinators and other wildlife in the face of ongoing aridification due to climate change.
Article
Entomology
Cinja Schwarz, Thomas Fartmann
Summary: Traditional summer grazing in common pastures has a positive effect on grasshopper density, particularly for threatened species. It results in open and heterogeneous swards, which provide favorable conditions for high grasshopper densities.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Martin Freitag, Johannes Kamp, Andrey Dara, Tobias Kuemmerle, Tatyana V. Sidorova, Ingrid A. Stirnemann, Frederike Velbert, Norbert Hoelzel
Summary: After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, decreased grazing pressure and increased fire frequency in Kazakhstan's dry steppe region led to changes in plant functional composition. Areas with high cover of grasses with high leaf dry matter content were more prone to fires, while higher grazing pressure favored the growth of woody forbs and ruderal plants with high specific leaf area.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Florian Fumy, Steffen Kaempfer, Thomas Fartmann
Summary: The study showed that reducing land-use intensity and increasing habitat diversity and moisture gradient are key factors for conservation of ecosystems and species assemblages, in order to enhance Orthoptera species richness.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Victor H. Gonzalez, Terry Griswold, Marianna Simoes
JOURNAL OF HYMENOPTERA RESEARCH
(2017)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Paul Rhoades, Terry Griswold, Lisette Waits, Nilsa A. Bosque-Perez, Christina M. Kennedy, Sanford D. Eigenbrode
JOURNAL OF INSECT CONSERVATION
(2017)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
A. Dorchin, M. M. Lopez-Uribe, C. J. Praz, T. Griswold, B. N. Danforth
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2018)
Article
Zoology
Connal Eardley, Terry Griswold
Article
Ecology
Michael Stemkovski, William D. Pearse, Sean R. Griffin, Gabriella L. Pardee, Jason Gibbs, Terry Griswold, John L. Neff, Ryan Oram, Molly G. Rightmyer, Cory S. Sheffield, Karen Wright, Brian D. Inouye, David W. Inouye, Rebecca E. Irwin
Article
Zoology
Ze-Qing Niu, Feng Yuan, John S. Ascher, Max Kasparek, Michael C. Orr, Terry Griswold, Chao-Dong Zhu
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Michael G. Branstetter, Andreas Mueller, Terry L. Griswold, Michael C. Orr, Chao-Dong Zhu
Summary: The mason bee subgenus Osmia is important for agriculture as managed pollinators and sources of non-native pollinators. Through phylogenomic analysis, researchers determined the phylogeny, divergence times, and biogeographic history of Osmia. Mitochondrial DNA results also revealed potential taxonomic synonymies within the species.
SYSTEMATIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Felipe Freitas, Michael G. Branstetter, Daniel M. Casali, Antonio J. C. Aguiar, Terry Griswold, Eduardo A. B. Almeida
Summary: This study investigates the antitropical distribution of eucerine bees and reveals the early diversification of these bees in southern South America. The distribution of eucerine bees was likely influenced by global cooling and aridification events, and paleoclimatic and vegetational conditions were more relevant than the consolidation of the Isthmus of Panama. The uncertainty in divergence time estimation is not due to the amount of molecular data being used, but more likely other factors like fossil calibrations and violations of clock models.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Paige R. Chesshire, Erica E. Fischer, Nicolas J. Dowdy, Terry L. Griswold, Alice C. Hughes, Michael C. Orr, John S. Ascher, Laura M. Guzman, Keng-Lou James Hung, Neil S. Cobb, Lindsie M. McCabe
Summary: Native bee populations in the US are declining, prompting the need for a national monitoring program. This study analyzed bee specimen records to create range maps and assess inventory completeness. The findings reveal significant deficiencies in taxonomic and geographic data, highlighting the importance of accelerated digitization campaigns and integrating community science data for a more comprehensive understanding of bee distributions in the US.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Felipe Freitas, Michael G. Branstetter, Terry Griswold, Eduardo A. B. Almeida
Summary: Incongruence in phylogenetic results is common due to underlying evolutionary process uncertainty and difficulties in determining optimal analytical approaches. Through a study on Eucerinae bees, the research demonstrates that within-locus partitioning can improve gene tree and species tree estimation, confidently resolving incongruences.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Phillip L. Stephenson, Terry L. Griswold, Michael S. Arduser, Ashley P. G. Dowling, David G. Krementz
BIODIVERSITY DATA JOURNAL
(2018)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Katherine Parys, Terry Griswold, Harold W. Ikerd, Michael Christopher Orr
BIODIVERSITY DATA JOURNAL
(2018)
Article
Zoology
Terry Griswold
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Nadia Bystriakova, Terry Griswold, John S. Ascher, Michael Kuhlmann
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2018)
Article
Ecology
Joan M. Meiners, Terry L. Griswold, David J. Harris, S. K. Morgan Ernest
AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2017)