Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Melese Genete Muluneh, Motuma Tolera Feyissa, Tefera Mangistu Wolde
Summary: This study investigated the impact of anthropogenic disturbance and fragment size on the diversity and structural attributes of woody species in northern Ethiopian forests. The findings suggest that increasing fragment size can enhance diversity and stability of the forest, while disturbance intensities varied among different patches.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bao-Jie Du, Rui Chen, Wen-Tao Tao, Hong-Liang Shi, Wen-Jun Bu, Ye Liu, Shuai Ma, Meng-Ya Ni, Fan-Li Kong, Jin-Hua Xiao, Da-Wei Huang
Summary: The discovery of a new nymph with exaggerated leaf-like antennae from the mid-Cretaceous suggests the presence of a sensitive sensory system and magnificent appearance in Hemiptera insects. These exaggerated antennae may play a role in sexual selection and could represent a new camouflage pattern. However, the oversized antennae also come with increased risks from predators.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ryan M. Huang, Wilderson Medina, Thomas M. Brooks, Stuart H. M. Butchart, John W. Fitzpatrick, Claudia Hermes, Clinton N. Jenkins, Alison Johnston, Daniel J. Lebbin, Binbin V. Li, Natalia Ocampo-Penuela, Mike Parr, Hannah Wheatley, David A. Wiedenfeld, Christopher Wood, Stuart L. Pimm
Summary: Accurate maps of species ranges are crucial for conservation efforts, and a systematic approach of batch-processing range maps for terrestrial bird species in Central and South America was developed in this study. The results show that threatened species are generally more widespread than previously estimated, with on average Areas of Habitat being 12% larger than published ranges.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mathias M. Pires, Maira Benchimol, Livia R. Cruz, Carlos A. Peres
Summary: The conversion of natural ecosystems into human-modified landscapes is the main driver of biodiversity loss in terrestrial ecosystems. Even when species persist within habitat remnants, populations may become so small that ecological interactions are functionally lost, disrupting local interaction networks. To uncover the consequences of land use changes toward ecosystem functioning, we need to understand how changes in species richness and abundance in human-modified landscapes rearrange ecological networks.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Guanghui Yang, Rui Wang, Zuhua Xu, Zhijiang Shao
Summary: This study presents a self-evolving offset-free model predictive control algorithm for dynamic working-point change tasks in industrial processes. The algorithm reduces the impact of model-plant mismatch and improves the dynamic performance of MPC by using historical scenarios similar to the current operational scenario for disturbance prediction.
INDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jessica R. Marsh, Payal Bal, Hannah Fraser, Kate Umbers, Tanya Latty, Aaron Greenville, Libby Rumpff, John C. Z. Woinarski
Summary: The impact on and response to invertebrate species in fires are often overlooked, despite the fact that they are significantly affected. Therefore, more conservation measures need to be directed towards protecting these species.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Xiao-Yan Wang, Yuan Ge, Song Gao, Tong Chen, Jiang Wang, Fei-Hai Yu
Summary: Species evenness significantly increases the drought resistance of plant communities by enhancing complementarity among species. A positive relationship between species richness and drought resistance is found at high and medium evenness, but not at low evenness. Neither species evenness nor species richness significantly affects selection effects for the drought resistance of the communities.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Julia Joos, Catalina Pimiento, Donald B. Miles, Johannes Mueller
Summary: This study investigates the evolution of tortoise body size over the past 23 million years, finding a significant reduction in both mean and maximum body size of extant tortoises compared to fossil taxa, with this reduction occurring earlier in mainland tortoises.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Emma G. Wrigglesworth, James H. Johnston
Summary: The study investigates the dichroic effect of metallic nanoparticles, finding a conclusive link between the effect and particle size without the need for special particle shapes or size distributions. These results experimentally demonstrate the relationship between particle size and the ratio of scattering to absorption predicted by Mie theory, which has important implications for users of Mie theory calculations.
NANOSCALE ADVANCES
(2021)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
G. Machado, G. J. Baxter
Summary: We consider the impact of a nonvanishing fraction of initially infected nodes on the susceptible-infected-recovered epidemic model on random networks. We propose a new method to measure the size of the epidemic and epidemic threshold.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Oscar Sanisidro, Matthew C. Mihlbachler, Juan L. Cantalapiedra
Summary: Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the rapid increase in size in early Cenozoic mammalian lineages, including sustained and gradual directional change, successive occupation of adaptive zones associated with larger body sizes, and non-directional evolution associated with branching events and higher diversification potential. This study examines these hypotheses in brontotheres, one of the first mammalian radiations to consistently evolve large sizes. The results show that body mass evolution in brontotheres primarily occurred during speciation and did not exhibit a preferred direction. Long-term directional change was a result of the higher survival rate of larger lineages in less competitive herbivore communities. This study highlights the importance of differential species proliferation in explaining long-term phenotypic trends observed in the fossil record.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Samuel Hamilton, David Regan, Lukas Payne, Wolfgang Langbein, Paola Borri
Summary: A method to measure the size of single dielectric nanoparticles with high accuracy and precision using quantitative differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy is reported. This method offers a powerful quantitative tool for nanoparticle analysis with accuracy, sensitivity, and high-throughput.
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Sangeeta Saha, Debgopal Sahoo, Guruprasad Samanta
Summary: In the context of foraging behaviour, a species can be classified as a generalist or a specialist based on the breadth of their diet. Specialist species have a restricted diet and occupy a much narrower niche, whereas generalist species consume a wide range of resources and thrive in a variety of habitats. Our analyses reveal that the only species that may suffer extinction possibility are the specialist predators.
MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTERS IN SIMULATION
(2023)
Article
Biology
Philipp Kaufmann, James Malcolm Howie, Elina Immonen
Summary: The study found that sexually antagonistic selection can maintain high genetic variance, while sex-limited directional selection leads to a reduction in genetic variance. In a body size selection experiment, sexually antagonistic selection maintained more ancestral, autosomal additive genetic variance compared to sex-limited selection. Both forms of selection preserved a high genetic correlation between the sexes, indicating that sexual antagonism can maintain more genetic variance and fuel sex-specific adaptation in a short evolutionary time scale by reducing sexual conflict over alternative alleles.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eva Turk, Simona Kralj-Fiser, Matjaz Kuntner
Summary: The study of macroevolutionary trends in golden orbweavers identifies heterogeneity in speciation and extinction, potentially influenced by organismal and environmental factors. However, analyses fail to support the role of phenotypic extremeness and dispersal propensity in nephilid diversification patterns, suggesting limited impact of these factors. The recent hypothesis of universal diversification dynamics may provide the simplest explanation for macroevolutionary patterns in the phylogeny of golden orbweavers.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Calum X. Cunningham, George L. W. Perry, David M. J. S. Bowman, David M. Forsyth, Michael M. Driessen, Matt Appleby, Barry W. Brook, Greg Hocking, Jessie C. Buettel, Ben J. French, Rowena Hamer, Sally L. Bryant, Matt Taylor, Riana Gardiner, Kirstin Proft, Vincent P. Scoleri, Antje Chiu-Werner, Toby Travers, Liam Thompson, Tom Guy, Christopher N. Johnson
Summary: The fallow deer population in Tasmania, Australia has remained at low abundance for over a century, but recent indications suggest an increase in both their numbers and distribution. Using spotlight counts from 1985 to 2019, the study shows that fallow deer numbers have increased by 11.5% annually, resulting in a 40-fold increase over this period. The core distribution of the species has also expanded 2.9-fold, covering approximately 27% of Tasmania's land area. Satellite populations have been established in areas where farmed deer have escaped or been released, indicating human facilitation of range expansion. Climate and habitat suitability models predict that 56% of Tasmania is suitable for fallow deer, suggesting that range expansion is likely to continue unless actively managed.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Shane D. Morris, Michael R. Kearney, Christopher N. Johnson, Barry W. Brook
Summary: The study examines the potential physiological effects of climate change on the Tasmanian devil during its extinction window in mid-Holocene, finding no widespread negative impacts of climate on the devil's physiology on the mainland. This suggests that cultural and demographic changes in human populations or competition with dingoes may have played a more significant role in the devil's extinction.
Article
Ecology
Luke A. Yates, Barry W. Brook, Jessie C. Buettel
Summary: The spatial analysis of linear features in ecology is a challenging and rarely attempted problem, with existing methods often being abstract and difficult to apply. This study introduces a concrete method for analyzing spatial patterning of line-segment data, which was validated using fallen tree data from Australian tall eucalypt forest plots.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Vishesh L. Diengdoh, Stefania Ondei, Rahil J. Amin, Mark Hunt, Barry W. Brook
Summary: Functional connectivity between protected areas in Australia, important for butterfly species, is predicted to decrease in future scenarios of land use, land cover, and climate change. Changes are expected to occur along the edges of species' current distribution. Results can be used for comparisons with other studies and to identify priority areas for conservation.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Luke A. Yates, Zach Aandahl, Shane A. Richards, Barry W. Brook
Summary: Specifying, assessing, and selecting statistical models are crucial for ecological research. We provide a comprehensive and accessible review on the technical aspects of cross validation for model selection, including bias correction, estimation uncertainty, score choice, and overfitting mitigation. Our recommendations include using leave-one-out cross validation or k-fold with bias correction for minimizing bias and using calibrated selection to mitigate overfitting.
ECOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Tristan Derham, Christopher Johnson, Brianna Martin, Julia Ryeland, Stefania Ondei, Matthew Fielding, Barry W. Brook
Summary: The Tasmanian emu coexisted with Aboriginal people for thousands of years, but rapidly went extinct soon after European colonization. Research suggests that hunting activities played a major role in their extinction, and reintroducing them to Tasmania would require community support.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Matthew C. McDowell, Shane D. Morris, Christopher N. Johnson, Brianna Martin, Barry W. Brook
Summary: This study models the changes in the range of the Broad-toothed rat, Mastacomys fuscus, by using fossil, sub-fossil, and contemporary records. It reveals that Mastacomys fuscus had a wider range and occupied more diverse environmental conditions in the recent past compared to its current distribution. The contraction of the species' distribution on mainland Australia to high-elevation areas occurred rapidly and recently. The research emphasizes the importance of utilizing sub-fossil data in understanding the changes in distribution and habitat occupation of threatened species for conservation planning.
Editorial Material
Ecology
Ivan Jaric, Jessie C. Buettel, Barry W. Brook
Article
Ecology
Ivan Jaric, Ricardo A. Correia, Marino Bonaiuto, Barry W. Brook, Franck Courchamp, Josh A. Firth, Kevin J. Gaston, Tina Heger, Jonathan M. Jeschke, Richard J. Ladle, Yves Meinard, David L. Roberts, Kate Sherren, Masashi Soga, Andrea Soriano-Redondo, Diogo Verissimo, Uri Roll
Summary: Societal awareness and engagement with environmental problems are crucial for effective conservation programs. Research shows that public attention to cultural products decreases over time, which could also limit motivation for conservation efforts. This study addresses the concept of attention transience in conservation, discusses its drivers and mechanisms, and provides an overview of conservation issues for which it is particularly relevant. Attention transience allows conservationists a brief opportunity to focus public awareness and mobilize support, emphasizing the importance of tailored marketing campaigns, targeted communication, and efforts to refocus attention on key issues.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
E. M. Ringwaldt, B. W. Brook, J. C. Buettel, C. X. Cunningham, C. Fuller, R. Gardiner, R. Hamer, M. Jones, A. M. Martin, S. Carver
Summary: This study investigates the dynamics and drivers of landscape-scale wildlife disease using the case of sarcoptic mange in bare-nosed wombats in Tasmania, Australia. The research finds that the Tasmanian landscape is almost universally suitable for wombats, except in areas with high mean annual precipitation. However, the clinical signs of sarcoptic mange are widespread but heterogeneously distributed. The disease is most likely to occur in areas with high host habitat suitability, low annual precipitation, near freshwater sources, and minimal topographic roughness.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Barry W. Brook, Stephen R. Sleightholme, Cameron R. Campbell, Ivan Jaric, Jessie C. Buettel
Summary: The Thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, has become a symbol of human-induced extinction. Despite the last captive animal dying in 1936, reports of possible ongoing survival in remote regions of Tasmania capture public interest. Analysis of observational records suggests the Thylacine most likely became extinct in the late 20th century, but there is a small chance of persistence in remote areas.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Thomas Cherico Wanger, Barry W. Brook, Theodore Evans, Teja Tscharntke
Summary: The use of pesticides on tropical crops has increased significantly in recent decades, posing a threat to biodiversity and ecosystem services. While amphibians and reptiles are common in tropical agricultural landscapes, there are few field studies that measure the impacts of pesticides on these species. This study conducted a year-long field experiment in Indonesia and found that pesticide application cannot predict the diversity patterns of amphibians and reptiles in cocoa plantations. However, exposure to herbicides and insecticides in vegetable gardens resulted in the elimination of amphibians, while reptiles were less impacted by insecticides and unaffected by herbicides. The loss of a common amphibian species due to pesticide use suggests a strong indirect negative effect of pesticides on their role as pest-control agents. The authors recommend landscape-based Integrated Pest Management and further ecotoxicological studies on amphibians and reptiles to establish a regulatory framework and ensure the recognition and protection of their ecosystem services.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lucile Leveque, Rahil J. Amin, Jessie Buettel, Scott Carver, Barry Brook
Summary: This study examines the factors influencing the distribution of the Tasmanian native hen and predicts its future distribution changes under climate change. The results show that 37% of Tasmania is currently suitable for the native hens, with low summer precipitation, low elevation, human-modified vegetation, and urban areas being key factors. Urban areas can also serve as "oases" in unsuitable regions, supporting high breeding activity. Under climate change predictions, the native hens are expected to lose only 5% of their occupied range by 2055. Overall, the species is resilient to climate change and benefits from anthropogenic landscape modifications, making it a rare example of a flightless rail adapting to human activity.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Thomas Botterill-James, Calum X. Cunningham, Christopher N. Johnson, Sean Haythorne, Damien A. Fordham, Barry W. Brook, Richard P. Duncan, David M. Forsyth
Summary: Using a validated pattern-oriented model, we demonstrate how the future distribution and abundance of invasive fallow deer in Tasmania can be significantly reduced by targeted increases in harvest and prioritizing removal around high conservation value regions. Our approach can be applied to project the likely effects of management interventions on future distributions and abundances for a range of invasive species.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Alexandra J. Paton, Jessie C. Buettel, Barry W. Brook
Summary: This study compared long-term camera-trap and scat surveys and found that scat surveys generally underestimated site occupancy and richness, particularly for arboreal species. However, the research also showed that scat surveys were more effective in monitoring large, trail-using mammals.
