Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
G. Asha, K. Manoj, P. P. Megha, Palatty Allesh Sinu
Summary: In seasonal tropical habitats, the thermal tolerance of insects plays a significant role in their habitat preference, activity patterns, and community formation. Open habitats have more dung beetle activity than closed habitats, with distinct differences between diurnal and nocturnal communities, influenced by habitat and season.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Camila Leandro, Mirkka Jones, William Perrin, Pierre Jay-Robert, Otso Ovaskainen
Summary: Mediterranean landscapes in Europe have recently experienced changes in biodiversity, with human activities and habitat fragmentation affecting dung beetles and their responses to landscape composition being rarely investigated.
Article
Ecology
Anderson Estupinan-Mojica, Renato Portela-Salomao, Carolina N. Liberal, Braulio A. Santos, Celia C. C. Machado, Helder F. P. de Araujo, Juan Von Thaden, Fredy Alvarado
Summary: Land-use change is a major driver of global biodiversity loss. In human-modified landscapes, forest cover and landscape heterogeneity have a positive impact on dung beetle diversity, while edge density has a negative impact. Combining natural vegetation remnants and heterogeneous agricultural landscapes is the most effective approach to conserving dung beetle biodiversity.
BASIC AND APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Raquel L. Carvalho, Ellen Andresen, Victor Arroyo-Rodriguez, Diego V. Anjos, Angelica F. Resende, Fernando Vaz de Mello, Heraldo L. Vasconcelos
Summary: Biotic communities in agricultural landscapes are influenced by both local land use and surrounding landscape structure. However, most studies only focus on one factor, limiting our ability to provide conservation management guidelines for biodiversity in human-modified landscapes.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Jose D. Rivera, Pedro Giovani da Silva, Mario E. Favila
Summary: The study found that adequate forest coverage has a positive effect on the species richness, diversity, and functional divergence of dung beetles, while forest fragmentation is negatively correlated with the diversity, biomass, and evenness of dung beetles. Taxonomic and functional diversity of dung beetles are positively correlated, with ecological traits being randomly lost in the landscape.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Adam Steed, Francois Roets, Gabriella J. Kietzka, Casparus J. Crous
Summary: This study assessed the impact of rangeland abandonment on dung beetle biodiversity and functional diversity in an African semi-desert region. Contrary to expectations, abandoned rangelands showed higher dung beetle biodiversity and functional richness. Flatlands and dry riverbeds were particularly important in sustaining high dung beetle diversity and functional diversity. The study also suggests that rangeland abandonment improved conditions for most dung beetle species but negatively affected larger species that require more dung resources for development.
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Irena A. Koelemeijer, Ayco J. M. Tack, Beyene Zewdie, Sileshi Nemomissa, Kristoffer Hylander
Summary: This study identified drivers behind woody plant regeneration in coffee agroforestry, showing that local management intensity negatively impacted species richness, diversity, density, and height, while sites adjacent to continuous forests had higher species richness and diversity. Transfer limitation was detrimental for the regeneration of late successional species in agroforestry systems with reduced woody plant diversity.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
G. Asha, K. Manoj, T. P. Rajesh, Sangeetha Varma, U. Prashanth Ballullaya, Palatty Allesh Sinu
Summary: This study investigated the impact of urbanization on dung beetle diversity in habitats of different structures. The results showed that dung beetle abundance, richness, and diversity were higher in urban landscapes compared to sacred groves and home gardens. Tunnellers and rollers were affected by urbanization, while dwellers were not affected. These findings suggest that urbanization may have a greater impact on the biodiversity of native forests.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Flavia Freire Siqueira, Dulcineia de Carvalho, Jonathan Rhodes, Carla L. Archibald, Vanessa Leite Rezende, Eduardo van den Berg
Summary: The study investigated the role of Small Landscape Elements (SLEs) in landscape connectivity within the highly fragmented Atlantic Forest. It found that in these landscapes, the position of SLEs was more important than their respective areas for enhancing landscape connectivity.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Forestry
D. Kopr, J. Sipos, J. Schlaghamersky
Summary: Xerothermophilous beetles are endangered due to habitat loss, particularly the loss of suitable light conditions. Coppicing, a historical forest management practice in Europe, supports many species. However, post-WWII, coppicing was abandoned, leading to declines in forest biodiversity. In the Podyji National Park, two neglected coppices were restored in 2015/2016 to support heliophilous and endangered species. Beetle assemblages were studied before and after logging using flight interception traps. Logging had a positive impact on overall species richness and supported threatened species. Beta-diversity was highest in the second year after logging, indicating spatial differentiation. Co-occurrence analysis showed shared environmental preferences, but logging led to more random species distribution, highlighting the importance of dispersal ability and random immigration.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Bruno K. C. Filgueiras, Carlos A. Peres, Luciana Iannuzzi, Marcelo Tabarelli, Inara R. Leal
Summary: The study found that dung beetle assemblages in Caatinga dry forests in northeastern Brazil did not experience successional replacements along the regeneration gradient, showing high resilience. Additionally, disturbance-associated dung beetle species led to assemblage convergence across the regeneration cline.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Paulo De Marco Jr, Rodrigo A. de Souza, Andre F. A. Andrade, Sara Villen-Perez, Caroline Correa Nobrega, Luiza Motta Campello, Marcellus Caldas
Summary: Areas set aside for conservation within private lands, especially in regions with poor public land protection, such as the Brazilian Cerrado, can effectively enhance biodiversity-friendly landscapes. Private protected areas accommodate a significant percentage of threatened vertebrate species ranges, and their spatial spread benefits a large number of species.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lizbeth Gonzalez-Gomez, Daniel Gonzalez-Tokman, Juan H. Garcia, Andres Lira-Noriega, Federico Escobar
Summary: In order to achieve a balance between conservation and livestock production in highly degraded tropical landscapes, it is necessary to consider the relationships among biodiversity, landscape structure, and farming practices. Dung beetles are used as ecological indicators to assess the health of pastures because they are sensitive to both landscape changes and local scale management practices. This study found that livestock management practices were the best predictors for species richness, Shannon diversity, and number of individuals, while patches of old secondary forest cover had a positive significant relationship with every response variable, indicating that they provide favorable conditions for dung beetles in highly degraded landscapes.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lei Han, Zhi Wang, Mengmeng Wei, Muyang Wang, Hui Shi, Kathreen Ruckstuhl, Weikang Yang, Joana Alves
Summary: This study assesses the role of small patches in landscape connectivity and identifies critical and important patches for conservation in the Kalajun-Kuerdening forest in Xinjiang, China. It also highlights the importance of small patches in maintaining overall connectivity and providing habitat and protection for species with small home ranges and short dispersal distances.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Aino Hamalainen, Lenore Fahrig, Joachim Strengbom, Thomas Ranius
Summary: Habitat loss is a major threat to biodiversity, but the effects of habitat amount on species richness are not well understood. This study examined the effects of local and landscape-scale habitat amount on lichen species density in Swedish boreal forests. The amount of old forests within 5 km of the stands was found to be a better predictor of species density than other proxies of landscape habitat amount.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Giliandro G. Silva, Andy J. Green, Pedro Hoffman, Vinicius Weber, Cristina Stenert, Adam Lovas-Kiss, Leonardo Maltchik
Summary: This study investigated the differences in waterbird-mediated endozoochory among five South American waterfowl species and the impact of seasonality on dispersal functions. The results revealed that these waterfowl dispersed 2,066 intact diaspores from 40 different plant taxa, with at least one diaspore present in 65% of fecal samples, predominantly from native amphibious and emergent plants. Seasonal variation was evident, with more diaspores found in the cold period compared to the warm period, and a strong interaction between bird species and season was the most important predictor of variation in both taxonomic richness and abundance of diaspores.
FRESHWATER BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Raquel F. Freiry, Mateus M. Pires, Andressa Gouvea, Pedro H. O. Hoffman, Cristina Stenert, Leonardo Maltchik
Summary: In subtropical seasonal ponds, the alpha diversity of zooplankton hatchling communities is primarily related to substrate heterogeneity, and the beta diversity of the total community is influenced by annual rainfall and substrate heterogeneity. The beta diversity of Cladocera is solely affected by annual rainfall, while substrate heterogeneity influences the overall beta diversity of Rotifera. Overall, the distinct relationships of the zooplankton groups with the explanatory datasets suggest differing sensitivities to impacts in habitat structure and climatic conditions in subtropical seasonal ponds.
ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Daiane Vendramin, Allana Goncalves Piu, Ana Emilia Brochado Schneider, Lidiane Martins, Pedro Henrique de Oliveira Hoffmann, Elvio S. F. Medeiros, Leonardo Felipe Bairos Moreira, Leonardo Maltchik, Cristina Stenert
Summary: Wetlands, one of the most diverse environments, are threatened by human activities. This study examines the relationship between dormant zooplankton stages and clay removal, as well as the influence of adding topsoil from natural wetlands to mined wetlands. The results suggest that sediment donation from natural to mined wetlands may help establish a more diverse community in disturbed systems.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Mateus M. Pires, Leandro Bieger, Thaise Boelter, Cristina Stenert, Leonardo Maltchik
Summary: This study investigated the seasonal patterns of metacommunity assembly mechanisms of macroinvertebrates in wetlands with varying hydroperiods in southern Brazil. It found that environmental and spatial variables play different roles in influencing metacommunity structure across seasons and hydroperiods, and that different environmental variables affect metacommunity structure in each hydroperiod.
INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF HYDROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Jordan Tuparai Talhaferro, Alessandra Angelica de Padua Bueno, Mateus Marques Pires, Cristina Stenert, Leonardo Maltchik, Carla Bender Kotzian
Summary: This study describes three new species of Hyalella collected in wetlands in the southern Brazilian Coastal Plain. Each species has distinct characteristics and distribution locations. The new records increase the diversity of Hyalella species in Brazil to 33 and in the Americas to 83.
Article
Zoology
Luis Esteban Krause Lanes, Matheus Vieira Volcan, Leonardo Maltchik
Summary: Two new species of Austrolebias, Austrolebias botocudo and Austrolebias nubium, are described in this study. They are found in high-altitude areas in southern Brazil and are easily distinguished from congeners by their color patterns and other morphological features. The conservation status of these new species is discussed and an identification key for the subgenus Acrolebias is provided.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Mateus M. Pires, Marta G. Grech, Cristina Stenert, Leonardo Maltchik, Luis B. Epele, Kyle I. McLean, Jamie M. Kneitel, Douglas A. Bell, Hamish S. Greig, Chase R. Gagne, Darold P. Batzer
Summary: The study found that family-level resolution can be used as a surrogate of finer taxonomic resolutions to describe invertebrate community structure patterns in New World freshwater wetlands without significant information loss. However, conclusions on biodiversity patterns derived from datasets with different numerical resolutions should be critically considered.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Soraya Ribeiro, Leonardo F. B. Moreira, Gerhard E. Overbeck, Leonardo Maltchik
Summary: The study reveals that most Pampa protected areas are subject to both internal and external human pressures. Human land uses are prevalent in both the protected areas and buffer zones, posing challenges to the biodiversity and natural attributes of the Pampa region.
JOURNAL OF LAND USE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Roberta Cozer Bacca, Mateus Marques Pires, Leonardo Felipe Bairos Moreira, Cristina Stenert, Leonardo Maltchik
Summary: The metacommunity organisation of aquatic insects in temporary ponds in southern Brazil is influenced by environmental factors (habitat structure; water chemistry; climate) and spatial factors, with differences observed between strong-flying and weak-flying insect subsets. Climate and fine-scale spatial factors play a significant role in structuring the composition of strong-flying insects, while weak-flying insects are more affected by local water chemistry and spatially structured climate.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yongcui Lan, Jinliang Wang, Qianwei Liu, Fang Liu, Lanfang Liu, Jie Li, Mengjia Luo
Summary: This study focuses on the five major plateau lake basins in central Yunnan, China, and constructs an ecological security pattern using the source-resistance surface-corridor-pinch point framework. The study simulates land use/cover change in the region and identifies early warning regions where future urban expansion poses a threat to current ecological source areas and corridors.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Pingping Huang, Feng Zhao, Bailing Zhou, Kuidong Xu
Summary: This study investigates the distribution of benthic microeukaryotes in the China Seas and finds that they can stride over the ecological barrier of 32 degrees N. The study also highlights the significant influence of depth, temperature, and latitude on communities in the China Seas.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Federico Morelli, Yanina Benedetti, Jesse Stanford, Leszek Jerzak, Piotr Tryjanowski, Paolo Perna, Riccardo Santolini
Summary: Species distribution models (SDMs) are numerical tools used for predicting species' spatial distribution. This study found that ecological characteristics, such as habitat specialization, play a role in improving the accuracy of SDMs.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Xiaoxuan Wu, Hang Liu, Wei Liu
Summary: Global climate change, urbanization, and economic development have increased the need for sustainable human development, urban ecological governance, and low-carbon energy transformation. This study analyzes the green ecological transition in Chengdu based on panel data from 2010 to 2020, exploring its spatiotemporal evolution and key factors. The results show an overall upward trend in Chengdu's green ecological development and positive spatial autocorrelation in certain districts.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Castaldi Simona, Formicola Nicola, Mastrocicco Micol, Morales Rodriguez Carmen, Morelli Raffaella, Prodorutti Daniele, Vannini Andrea, Zanzotti Roberto
Summary: Sustainable agricultural practices are increasingly important for global and national environmental policies and economy. This study compared the sustainability of grape production under integrated and organic management using multiple indicators. The results showed that organic management was more beneficial for most environmental aspects of the agroecosystem compared to integrated management, without affecting grape yield.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Gaia Vaglio Laurin, Alexander Cotrina-Sanchez, Luca Belelli-Marchesini, Enrico Tomelleri, Giovanna Battipaglia, Claudia Cocozza, Francesco Niccoli, Jerzy Piotr Kabala, Damiano Gianelle, Loris Vescovo, Luca Da Ros, Riccardo Valentini
Summary: Phenology monitoring is important for understanding forest functioning and climate impacts. This research compares the phenological behavior of European beech forests using Tree-Talker (TT+) and Sentinel 2 satellite data. The study finds differences in the information derived by the two sensor types, particularly in terms of season length, phenology changepoints, and leaf period variability. TT+ with its higher temporal resolution demonstrates precision in capturing the phenological changepoints, especially when satellite image availability is limited.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Huanhuan Pan, Ziqiang Du, Zhitao Wu, Hong Zhang, Keming Ma
Summary: The land use and cover changes resulting from coal mining activities and ecological restoration have had a significant impact on ecosystem services in mining areas. This study investigates the relationship between ecosystem services and land use intensity in coal mining areas, emphasizing the importance of understanding this interdependence for balanced human-land system development. The research examines the evolving relationship across different reclamation stages in Shanxi, China, using a coupling coordination degree model. The findings suggest the need for timely and judicious reclamation of coalfields, considering the land's bearing capacity.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jingjuan He, Yijun Shi, Lihua Xu, Zhangwei Lu, Mao Feng
Summary: This study examines the spatial interplay between changes in the blue-green spatial distribution and modifications in land surface temperature grades in Shanghai. The findings reveal that the transformation of the blue-green spatial pattern differs between different sectors of the city, and the impact on the thermal environment varies spatially.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yi Xu, Di Zhang, Junqiang Lin, Qidong Peng, Xiaohui Lei, Tiantian Jin, Jia Wang, Ruifang Yuan
Summary: This study analyzed the response relationship between phytoplankton growth and water environmental parameters in the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China using long-term monitoring data and machine learning models. The results revealed the differences between monitoring sites and identified the key parameters that affect phytoplankton growth.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)