Article
Ecology
Santiago Villamarin-Cortez, Lacey Hankin, Stephanie Coronado, Jacob Macdonald, Jorge Ari Noriega
Summary: This study analyzed a museum database of dung beetle specimens in Ecuador to understand the main drivers of their distribution. The results showed that elevation and precipitation were the main variables influencing dung beetle distribution. The study also found high turnover in functional groups at larger scales and higher taxonomic beta diversity in the Amazon basin compared to the coastal region. The findings suggest the importance of considering habitat fragmentation, land-use alteration, and climate change in dung beetle conservation efforts.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
James S. Pryke, Francois Roets, Michael J. Samways
Summary: Mammals are declining globally due to habitat loss. Human-wildlife conflicts have led to the fencing off of ranges for many large mammal species. However, the impact of this activity on the functional associations between insects and large mammals has not been well studied.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Farooq Ahmed, Muhammad Ejaz Ul Islam Dar, Muhammad Jamil Ahmed, Tariq Habib, Liaquat Ali Khan
Summary: This research aims to investigate the utilization of forest resources by the local population of Musk Deer National Park in Western Himalayas, Pakistan. A socio-economic survey was conducted in 12 villages, and the results showed that the majority of local people relied on forest resources for medicinal uses. A total of 109 plant species were widely used for various purposes, including medicine, food, and fuel. The study highlights the cultural significance of these plant species and emphasizes the importance of local knowledge in sustainable resource utilization and cultural and ecological diversity preservation.
ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Rajan Amin, Tim Wacher, Shadrach Kerwillain, Malavika Narayana, Constant Ndjassi
Summary: Sapo National Park in Liberia is the country's largest protected area and is home to diverse wildlife, including rare Upper Guinea forest endemics. However, the park is under threat from habitat degradation, poaching, and illegal mining.
AFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Gabriel Demombynes, Damien de Walque, Paul Gubbins, Piedad Urdinola, Jeremy Veillard
Summary: This study compares the age gradient of COVID-19 mortality in different countries using official COVID-19 death counts and excess mortality estimates for 2020. The findings show that more COVID-19 deaths occurred at younger ages in middle-income countries compared with high-income countries. These findings suggest that COVID-19 is not just a threat to older people in developing countries, but also affects younger working-age individuals.
Article
Economics
Karol Lavado-Solis, Carlos Enrique Orihuela, Felipe Vasquez-Lavin, Jose Davila
Summary: The study found that willingness to pay for the conservation of biodiversity in Yanachaga-Chemillen National Park is determined by the functional characteristics of key species in ecosystem resilience, rather than the number of species. Therefore, future studies should consider functionality of ecosystems more in conservation efforts.
ECONOMIA AGRARIA Y RECURSOS NATURALES
(2021)
Article
Public Administration
Raymundo Mogollon, Carlos Orihuela, Sabrina Diaz, Jose Davila
Summary: Understanding willingness to pay for biodiversity conservation is crucial for the formulation and implementation of environmental conservation policies in countries like Peru. A survey conducted in Yanachaga-Chemillen National Park revealed households are willing to pay approximately $6, providing valuable information on the local population's valuation of biodiversity conservation.
REVISTA IBEROAMERICANA DE ESTUDIOS MUNICIPALES
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Elodie Wilwert, Rampal S. Etienne, Louis van de Zande, Martine E. Maan
Summary: Visual system plasticity in cichlid fish is mediated by differential expression of opsin and cyp27c1, possibly associated with species differences in visual niche.
Review
Ecology
Inger K. de Jonge, Michiel P. Veldhuis, J. Hans C. Cornelissen, Matty P. Berg, Han Olff
Summary: The metamicrobiome is a concept that studies carbon and nutrient recycling in ecosystems. Mutualistic associations between microbes, plants, and animals reduce the sensitivity of recycling pathways to global change, allowing continued recycling of plant matter even in unfavorable conditions. Understanding the structure and functioning of the metamicrobiome is important for understanding environmental change.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Kasper J. Meijer, Oscar Franken, Tjisse van der Heide, Sander J. Holthuijsen, Wim Visser, Laura L. Govers, Han Olff
Summary: In soft-bottom marine ecosystems, the variation of bedforms, induced by wind- and tidal-driven hydrodynamics, plays an important role in determining the occurrence of different macrozoobenthic species. By characterizing bedform variation using high-resolution single-beam data, a Terrain Ruggedness Index (TRI) can be calculated and used as a predictor of hydrodynamic parameters and macrozoobenthic species distribution. This approach provides valuable information for distinguishing between natural dynamics and anthropogenic disturbances, contributing to marine management and conservation decision-making.
REMOTE SENSING IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Shu Xie, Luis Valente, Rampal S. Etienne
Summary: The role of traits in the diversification of phylogenetic trees has been studied, but their impact on island dynamics remains relatively unexplored. By extending the island biodiversity model DAISIE, this study evaluates the inference model that ignores trait-dependence and finds that it can accurately estimate island diversity dynamics in scenarios with moderate differences between trait states. However, the new simulation model may be a useful tool for studying patterns of trait variation.
Article
Ecology
Lucas M. Porto, Rampal S. Etienne, Renan Maestri
Summary: Colonization of new environments can lead to an evolutionary radiation, as observed in canids when they reached Eurasia and South America around 11 million years ago. The increase of grasslands and new herbivorous fauna likely drove the diversification of wolves in North America, while empty niches and absence of competitors may explain the success of canids in Africa and South America. Interactions with other carnivores also influenced the diversification dynamics of canids.
Review
Ecology
Isaac Overcast, Guillaume Achaz, Robin Aguilee, Carmelo Andujar, Paula Arribas, Thomas J. Creedy, Evan P. Economo, Rampal S. Etienne, Rosemary Gillespie, Claire Jacquet, Flora Jay, Susan Kennedy, Henrik Krehenwinkel, Amaury Lambert, Emmanouil Meramveliotakis, Victor Noguerales, Benoit Perez-Lamarque, George Roderick, Haldre Rogers, Megan Ruffley, Isabel Sanmartin, Alfried P. Vogler, Anna Papadopoulou, Brent C. Emerson, Helene Morlon
Summary: MacArthur and Wilson's theory of island biogeography has been important for predicting patterns of species diversity, abundance, and trait data. However, there is a need to incorporate the genetic component into these models and unify processes across different organizational scales. This review highlights the potential for developing a genetic theory of island biogeography and outlines two approaches for integrating genetic diversity patterns into community-scale models.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Janne Nauta, Marjolijn J. A. Christianen, Ralph J. M. Temmink, Gregory S. S. Fivash, Beatriz Marin-Diaz, Valerie C. Reijers, Karin Didderen, Emma Penning, Annieke C. W. Borst, Jannes H. T. Heusinkveld, Maarten Zwarts, Peter M. J. M. Cruijsen, Nadia Hijner, Wouter Lengkeek, Leon P. M. Lamers, Tjisse van Der Heide, Tjeerd J. J. Bouma, Daphne van Der Wal, Han Olff, Laura L. L. Govers
Summary: Reef-forming species are degrading rapidly worldwide, and restoration efforts using artificial reefs are becoming popular. This study assesses the effectiveness of biodegradable artificial reefs as habitat for reef-forming species through food web network analysis.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Rampal S. Etienne, Bart Haegeman, Alvaro Dugo-Cota, Carles Vila, Alejandro Gonzalez-Voyer, Luis Valente
Summary: This article discusses the importance of competition in microevolution but its role in macroevolution is unclear. The authors use the DAISIE framework to study diversity-dependence on islands and find that it mainly occurs within species of the same evolutionary lineage. Rating: 8/10.
SYSTEMATIC BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Robert Spitzer, Eric Coissac, Joris P. G. M. Cromsigt, Annika M. Felton, Christian Fohringer, Marietjie Landman, Wiebke Neumann, David Raubenheimer, Navinder J. Singh, Pierre Taberlet, Fredrik Widemo
Summary: Differences in botanical diet compositions correlated with nutritional differences in moose faecal samples collected during winter. Moose mixed Scots pine and Vaccinium spp. as complementary foods to reach a nutritional target resembling Salix spp. twigs and selected for Salix spp. browse. Available protein and total non-structural carbohydrates showed significant correlation in observed diets.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Beatriz Marin-Diaz, Daphne van Der Wal, Leon Kaptein, Pol Martinez-Garcia, Christopher H. Lashley, Kornelis de Jong, Jan Willem Nieuwenhuis, Laura L. Govers, Han Olff, Tjeerd J. Bouma
Summary: Salt marshes can provide important coastal defense by reducing wave loading and run-up levels during storms. The development of salt marshes in the Dutch Wadden Sea is related to the bathymetry of the tidal-flat foreshore, and wave run-up onto dikes depends on foreshore bathymetry, the presence of marshes, marsh vegetation properties, tidal range, and wind exposure.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Tanja K. K. Petersen, Anders L. L. Kolstad, Jari Kouki, Shawn J. J. Leroux, Lynette R. R. Potvin, Jean-Pierre Tremblay, Martha Wallgren, Fredrik Widemo, Joris P. G. M. Cromsigt, Coline Courtois, Gunnar Austrheim, John Gosse, Michael den Herder, Luise Hermanutz, James D. M. Speed
Summary: This study analyzed the impact of moose on forest canopies across the boreal biome through distributed exclosure experiments. The results showed a uniform response of forest canopies to moose across regions, regardless of environmental gradients. Moose led to a decrease in canopy height, complexity, and above-ground biomass.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Sheila M. Holmes, Sabrina Dressel, Julien Morel, Robert Spitzer, John P. Ball, Goran Ericsson, Navinder J. Singh, Fredrik Widemo, Joris P. G. M. Cromsigt, Kjell Danell
Summary: Climate change has become a challenging issue for the ecological environment. The (sub) arctic and boreal regions experience the most rapid warming, making them ideal for studying the impact of climate change on mammals. Moose serve as a relevant model species due to their circumpolar range, and their population declines in the southern edge are linked to rising temperatures. This study examines the direct and indirect pathways linking temperature, precipitation, food quality, and moose calf mass in northern Sweden, with temperature showing stronger relationships than other factors.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Oswald J. Schmitz, Magnus Sylven, Trisha B. Atwood, Elisabeth S. Bakker, Fabio Berzaghi, Jedediah F. Brodie, Joris P. G. M. Cromsigt, Andrew B. Tilker, Shawn J. Leroux, Frans J. Schepers, Felisa A. Smith, Sari Stark, Jens-Christian Svenning, Andrew B. Tilker, Henni Ylanne
Summary: The authors argue for the importance of including animals in natural climate solutions, as the restoration and conservation of wild animals and their functional roles can enhance natural carbon capture and storage. They believe that this approach can contribute to preventing climate warming beyond 1.5 degrees C. However, they point out that the current understanding undervalues the role animals play in controlling the carbon cycle.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tiphaine P. M. Bailly, Philip Kohlmeier, Rampal S. Etienne, Bregje Wertheim, Jean-Christophe Billeter
Summary: Being part of a group facilitates cooperation between group members but also creates competition for resources. Gravid females modulate reproductive output depending on social context, laying eggs faster when grouped to reduce competition between offspring and increase survival. The presence of others triggers this response, regardless of sex, mating status, or species. The modulation of egg laying by group is connected to a lifting of the inhibition of light on oogenesis and egg laying, possibly mediated by an increase in juvenile hormone activity. This suggests a widespread and profound influence of social context on reproduction.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marcos Suarez-Menendez, Martine Berube, Fabricio Furni, Vania E. Rivera-Leon, Mads-Peter Heide-Jorgensen, Finn Larsen, Richard Sears, Christian Ramp, Britas Klemens Eriksson, Rampal S. Etienne, Jooke Robbins, Per J. Palsboll
Summary: Direct estimation of germline mutation rate in baleen whales using pedigrees shows higher values than phylogeny-based estimates, similar to estimates for primates and toothed whales. Our results reduce previous genetic-based estimates of preexploitation whale abundance and challenge the explanation of low cancer rates in large mammals.