Article
Ecology
Vanessa Cutts, Dagmar M. Hanz, Martha Paola Barajas-Barbosa, Franziska Schrodt, Manuel J. Steinbauer, Carl Beierkuhnlein, Pierre Denelle, Jose Maria Fernandez-Palacios, Pierre Gauzere, Matthias Grenie, Severin D. H. Irl, Nathan Kraft, Holger Kreft, Brian Maitner, Francois Munoz, Wilfried Thuiller, Cyrille Violle, Patrick Weigelt, Richard Field, Adam C. Algar
Summary: Current models of island biogeography treat endemic and non-endemic species as if they were functionally equivalent, focussing primarily on species richness. Thus, the functional composition of island biotas in relation to island biogeographical variables remains largely unknown.
Article
Environmental Studies
Enrico Ruzzier, Leonardo Forbicioni, Rodolfo Gentili, Nicola Tormen, Olivia Dondina, Valerio Orioli, Luciano Bani
Summary: Investigating drivers of species richness in insular contexts revealed that island area was the predominant factor, with a combination of island area and distance also playing a significant role. In contrast, the influence of habitat diversity was relatively limited.
Article
Zoology
Fred Kraus
Summary: This study redescribes a poorly known gecko species, Lepidodactylus flaviocularis, from Guadalcanal, and describes a new closely related species from Makira Island in the Solomon Islands. Both species exhibit unique characteristics including undivided subdigital lamellae, extensive toe webbing, and enlarged precloacal/femoral scales. Their habitat preference and conservation status still require further investigation.
Article
Plant Sciences
Gunnar Keppel, Francis J. Nge, Thomas Ibanez
Summary: Islands in the tropical Pacific Ocean are known for their high biodiversity and endemism, despite their relatively small landmasses. This study investigates the sources, age, number of colonizations, and diversification of 16 archipelagos in the South Pacific to understand the formation of this biodiversity. The results support the theory of the Taxon Cycle, where ongoing colonization leads to the displacement of established lineages. However, older islands such as New Caledonia and Fiji show a slower taxon cycle and lower diversification rates.
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jonathan D. Kennedy, Petter Z. Marki, Andrew H. Reeve, Mozes P. K. Blom, Dewi M. Prawiradilaga, Tri Haryoko, Bonny Koane, Pepijn Kamminga, Martin Irestedt, Knud A. Jonsson
Summary: The study on passerine birds in New Guinea reveals that species distribution and evolution are closely related to elevation and geographic location, with differences in phylogeny and endemism between lowland and mountain species.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Duorun Wang, Yuhao Zhao, Shupei Tang, Xiangxu Liu, Wande Li, Peng Han, Di Zeng, Yangheshan Yang, Guangpeng Wei, Yi Kang, Xingfeng Si
Summary: The Equilibrium Theory of Island Biogeography proposes that larger and closer islands have higher biodiversity due to the balance of colonization and extinction. However, nearby islands can also act as species sources for focal islands. In this study, we investigated how island area, isolation, and nearby islands impact bird diversity in the Zhoushan Archipelago.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Nathaniel H. H. Wehr, Hailey M. M. Boone, Samuel R. R. Wehr, Jerrold L. L. Belant
Summary: Island biogeography theory states that biodiversity increases with island size and decreases with distance from mainland source populations. The influence of other island characteristics and species traits on island biodiversity was assessed using presence data for 20 mammal species on 70 islands in the Great Lakes of North America. Islands closer to mainland source populations and larger islands and archipelagos supported greater mammalian species richness. Winter dormant species occurred less on islands while semiaquatic species occurred more. This study highlights the importance of considering archipelago characteristics and species traits for describing island biodiversity and provides baseline data for mammal diversity in the Great Lakes region.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Matteo Conti, Pier Luigi Nimis, Stefano Martellos
Summary: Scientific names can easily be associated with typographical errors in query systems, leading to the use of matching algorithms globally. FlorItaly has integrated a near match algorithm and a tool for aligning names with the national checklists to enhance user experience.
Article
Microbiology
Viviana Morillo-Lopez, Alexandra Sjaarda, Imon Islam, Gary G. Borisy, Jessica L. Mark Welch
Summary: The study reveals that microbial communities in different microhabitats within the human mouth vary, with the bacteria composition in corncob structures being only a subset of those present in dental plaque. Direct interactions between different bacterial species were observed, indicating complex species ensembles within these microhabitats.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Roberto Rozzi, Mark Lomolino, Alexandra A. E. van der Geer, Daniele Silvestro, S. Kathleen Lyons, Pere Bover, Josep A. Alcover, Ana Benitez-Lopez, Cheng-Hsiu Tsai, Masaki Fujita, Mugino O. Kubo, Janine Ochoa, Matthew E. Scarborough, Samuel T. Turvey, Alexander Zizka, Jonathan M. Chase
Summary: Islands have long been recognized as unique environments for evolutionary divergence, resulting in variations in body size, such as dwarfs and giants. Incorporating data from 1231 extant and 350 extinct species, our study spanning 23 million years reveals that island mammals with extreme body sizes are most vulnerable to extinction. Moreover, the arrival of modern humans has significantly accelerated extinction rates, leading to the near complete eradication of these iconic examples of island evolution.
Article
Forestry
Ana Posta, Zdenko Tkalcec, Ivana Kusan, Neven Matocec, Lucia Pole, Milan Cerkez, Armin Mesic
Summary: This study examined seventeen collections of the genus Parasola from Croatia using integrative taxonomic methods. A new species, Parasola papillatospora, was described based on both morphology and multigene phylogenetic analyses. The species was found growing on soil in temperate deciduous forests in two different areas of NW Croatia. The most notable features of the new species are the characteristics of its basidiospores, such as a papillate apex, central germ pore, and highly variable shape. Additionally, eight Parasola species were reported for the first time in Croatia, with P. malakandensis being a new record for Europe.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Jonathan Q. Richmond, Hidetosi Ota, L. Lee Grismer, Robert N. Fisher
Summary: The evolution of the Emoia atrocostata species group is influenced by niche breadth and position, showing characteristics such as multidirectional spread, phyletic diversity, and shifts in ecology. Additionally, the group may be in the early stages of a Wilsonian taxon cycle, with the ability to tolerate salt stress promoting dispersal to remote oceanic islands. Geographical isolation, rather than ecological shifts, is the primary driver of divergence in this species group.
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Peng Han, Yuhao Zhao, Yi Kang, Ping Ding, Xingfeng Si
Summary: This study examined the biogeography of bird soundscapes on land-bridge islands in Thousand Island Lake, China. The results showed that larger islands had higher diversity of avian soundscapes, while isolation had a negative effect on acoustic evenness. The study emphasizes the importance of considering both species and habitat diversity in understanding the mechanisms influencing biological soundscapes on islands.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Julien Louys, Todd J. Braje, Chun-Hsiang Chang, Richard Cosgrove, Scott M. Fitzpatrick, Masaki Fujita, Stuart Hawkins, Thomas Ingicco, Ai Kawamura, Ross D. E. MacPhee, Matthew C. McDowell, Hanneke J. M. Meijer, Philip J. Piper, Patrick Roberts, Alan H. Simmons, Gerrit van den Bergh, Alexandra van der Geer, Shimona Kealy, Sue O'Conor
Summary: The impact of modern humans on previously unoccupied island ecosystems and the extinction of Pleistocene megafauna are closely linked. However, current data does not support a direct association between Pleistocene hominin arrival and global extinctions, which are difficult to separate from environmental changes. It is not until the Holocene that significant changes in technology, dispersal, demography, and human behavior visibly affect island ecosystems.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Review
Ecology
Kasey E. E. Barton, Claire Fortunel
Summary: Island floras are diverse and face severe threats. The vulnerability of island species to invasive plants and their ability to resist displacement remains unclear. The assumption that island plants have evolved conservative resource use, slow growth rates, and weak competitive abilities has mixed evidence. Future studies comparing functional strategies of native island and native continental plants, as well as tests for competition between native and invasive island plants, are urgently needed to protect these biodiversity hotspots.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)