Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Carly E. Campbell, Darryl N. Jones, Monica Awasthy, Alienor L. M. Chauvenet
Summary: Despite the growing recognition of the importance of conserving biodiversity in urban areas, there is a bias in urban bird research towards certain species and topics, leading to gaps in understanding urban ornithology. Studies with a strong conservation link are uncommon, and most research tends to focus on broad suites of species rather than specific groups or species. Understanding these biases is crucial for effectively conserving urban bird biodiversity not only in Australia but also on other continents.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rohan D. Simkin, Karen C. Seto, Robert McDonald, Walter Jetz
Summary: Urban land expansion is a significant driver of habitat and biodiversity loss, particularly in developing tropical regions. Strategies should be implemented to minimize the impacts of urban land and strengthen global biodiversity protection.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Martin Palt, Daniel Hering, Jochem Kail
Summary: Woody riparian vegetation (WRV) provides significant benefits to benthic macroinvertebrates in both rural agricultural and urban landscapes, improving ecological status. However, the effects of WRV are context-specific, being more pronounced in rural agricultural catchments and in urban areas with moderate agricultural land use. WRV's beneficial effects are limited in purely urban catchments and in a multiple stressor context.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Montague H. C. Neate-Clegg, Benjamin A. Tonelli, Casey Youngflesh, Joanna X. Wu, Graham A. Montgomery, Cagan H. Sxekercioglu, Morgan W. Tingley
Summary: As human population density increases, biodiversity must co-exist with urbanization or face local extinction. However, there are few globally consistent patterns to explain variation in urban tolerance, which hinders the development of a predictive framework.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Qiuyang Tan, Guoyu Zhang, Aizhong Ding, Zhaoyong Bian, Xue Wang, Yuzi Xing, Lei Zheng
Summary: Nitrogen cycling is vital for maintaining river ecological functions, but is threatened by human activities. The newly discovered comammox provides insights into the ecological effects of nitrogen by directly oxidizing ammonia to nitrate. This study examined how land use practices affect the activity and contribution of different ammonia oxidizers in North China. The results showed that comammox dominated nitrification in less disturbed basins, while AOB became the major player in highly developed basins. Increasing anthropogenic land use activities decreased the diversity of comammox communities and simplified the comammox network. NH4+-N, pH, and C/N were found to be crucial drivers of AOB and comammox distribution and activity. These findings shed light on aquatic-terrestrial linkages and can be applied to watershed land use management.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kristin P. Davis, Helen R. Sofaer, Liba Pejchar
Summary: While rare species are vulnerable to global change, declines in common species are also of conservation concern. We explored avian population responses to land cover change and found that initial natural land cover favored rare but not common species. Commonness mediated the relationship between change in human land cover and species' counts. Increases in agriculture and declines in pasture favored common but not rare species. Understanding how commonness mediates species' responses to land cover change can help guide conservation strategies.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Hao Zhang, Wei Deng, Shaoyao Zhang, Li Peng, Ying Liu
Summary: The urban-rural transitional areas in southwestern China play a crucial role in sustainable ecosystem creation. A study in the Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration found that the rural-urban fringe had stronger interactions between ecosystem services compared to urban areas. Particularly, the synergy between habitat quality and carbon storage was stronger than any other interactions in the entire study area.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Hongxi Liu, Miao Zhang, Jizeng Du, Yang Zhou, Yujun Yi
Summary: Land use/cover change has a significant impact on terrestrial carbon stock change in urban agglomeration. In this study, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region was divided into ecological barrier, potential carbon sequestration, and potential carbon loss zones, and corresponding land management strategies were proposed. The analysis of each zone revealed distinct drivers of carbon stock change, and recommendations for ecological engineering projects, revegetation, and urban-rural land conversion were provided.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Wenping Yu, Jinan Shi, Yuling Fang, Aimeng Xiang, Xiang Li, Chunhong Hu, Mingguo Ma
Summary: As urbanization continues to alter the Earth's surface, its effects on land surface temperature and the urban thermal environment have become a key concern for urban ecologists and environmentalists. Using Chengdu city in Southwest China as a case study, this research explores the urbanization pattern and its impact on surface urban heat islands (SUHIs). The findings reveal that excessive urbanization contributes to the deterioration of the urban ecological environment and living comfort, highlighting the need for sustainable urban development.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Joseph K. Afrifa, Kweku A. Monney, Justus P. Deikumah
Summary: This study examines the influence of different land-use types and environmental resources on bird diversity in a rapidly developing urban settlement in Ghana. The results show that urban farmlands have the highest species diversity, while built-up areas have expanded and vegetation coverage has decreased. The findings suggest that maintaining vegetation fragments within a sustained urban expansion framework is important for urban bird conservation and biodiversity.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Mark A. Hall, Dale G. Nimmo, Andrew F. Bennett
Summary: Semi-natural features in farmland play a vital role in wildlife conservation. Birds and insects respond differently to various combinations of features. Birds are more sensitive to landscapes lacking wooded roadsides and streamside vegetation, while insects prefer landscapes without scattered trees and wooded roadsides.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiaoai Dai, Brian Alan Johnson, Penglan Luo, Kai Yang, Linxin Dong, Qiang Wang, Chao Liu, Naiwen Li, Heng Lu, Lei Ma, Zhengli Yang, Yuanzhi Yao
Summary: This study utilized remote sensing and GIS technologies to quantitatively estimate the ecosystem service value of Chengdu from 2003 to 2018 and conducted a driver analysis. The results showed significant changes in land use in Chengdu, with a 30.92% decrease in ecosystem service value over the past 16 years. The ESV of Chengdu was found to have a negative correlation with total population, urbanization rate, and per capita GDP, indicating the importance of regulating the socioeconomic structure for maintaining a high level of ecosystem services.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Bo Yang, Hongxing Liu, Emily L. Kang, Timothy L. Hawthorne, Susanna T. Y. Tong, Song Shu, Min Xu
Summary: Satellite thermal remote sensing was used to investigate the impact of urban traffic restrictions on heat dynamics during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Analysis of surface temperature observations showed that cutting off half of the traffic volume led to a significant decrease in mean surface temperature by up to 2.4 degrees C.
COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Phuong N. Nguyen, Sandra M. Rehan
Summary: Bees form symbiotic relationships with their bacteria and fungi, and these interactions can have a significant impact on bee health. In urban landscapes, changes in land use development affect bee habitats and floral resource availability, thus altering the composition and diversity of bee microbiomes. Certain microbes were found to be more abundant in less urban locations, while others were more common in developed areas. These findings highlight the importance of considering the impact of urbanization on pollinator health and taking steps to protect wild bees from anthropogenic activities.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Le Ma, Longgang Xiang, Chao Wang, Nengcheng Chen, Wei Wang
Summary: This study proposes a flexible framework for analyzing carbon balance and investigates the dynamics and heterogeneity of carbon balance in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River Urban Agglomeration (MRYRUA) in China. The results show that the region was in a state of carbon deficit between 2000 and 2020, with a significant decrease in growth rate during 2005-2020. Ecological urbanization, population density, and road density were found to have a positive effect on curbing the growth in carbon emissions.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Darin Kopp, Daniel Allen
Summary: This study quantified the impacts of several environmental gradients on the spatial and temporal characteristics of aquatic insect subsidies across the contiguous United States by synthesizing geospatial, aquatic biomonitoring, and biological traits data. The trait composition of benthic macroinvertebrate communities varied among hydrologic regions, affecting how aquatic insects transport subsidies as adults. The results suggest that natural and anthropogenic gradients could affect aquatic insect subsidies by changing the trait composition of benthic macroinvertebrate communities.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
John C. Hammond, Margaret Zimmer, Margaret Shanafield, Kendra Kaiser, Sarah E. Godsey, Meryl C. Mims, Samuel C. Zipper, Ryan M. Burrows, Stephanie K. Kampf, Walter Dodds, C. Nathan Jones, Corey A. Krabbenhoft, Kate S. Boersma, Thibault Datry, Julian D. Olden, George H. Allen, Adam N. Price, Katie Costigan, Rebecca Hale, Adam S. Ward, Daniel C. Allen
Summary: Analysis of nonperennial flow regimes in 540 U.S. Geological Survey watersheds revealed regional differences and the significant impact of aridity and human alterations on stream drying patterns. While aridity played a key role at a continental scale, unique combinations of drivers emerged at regional scales, highlighting the importance of climate change and land cover modifications in shaping future streamflow dynamics.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Daniel Nelson, Michelle H. Busch, Darin A. Kopp, Daniel C. Allen
Summary: While climate change affects ecosystems globally, not all ecosystems respond in the same way. The resilience of ecological communities may depend on the energy pathways of food webs. Studies show that communities with multiple energy pathways are more stable and more resistant to disturbances like climate change. In particular, this study found that food webs based on green energy sources showed higher overall resilience to drought compared to mixed or brown energy sources.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Samuel C. Zipper, John C. Hammond, Margaret Shanafield, Margaret Zimmer, Thibault Datry, C. Nathan Jones, Kendra E. Kaiser, Sarah E. Godsey, Ryan M. Burrows, Joanna R. Blaszczak, Michelle H. Busch, Adam N. Price, Kate S. Boersma, Adam S. Ward, Katie Costigan, George H. Allen, Corey A. Krabbenhoft, Walter K. Dodds, Meryl C. Mims, Julian D. Olden, Stephanie K. Kampf, Amy J. Burgin, Daniel C. Allen
Summary: The study investigated trends and drivers of intermittency signatures of non-perennial streams across the United States, revealing that half of the gages showed significant trends in at least one signature during a specific time period, with changes in no-flow duration being the most common. Regional patterns of change showed widespread drying in the southern US and wetting in the north.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Shang Gao, Mengye Chen, Zhi Li, Stephen Cook, Daniel Allen, Thomas Neeson, Titantian Yang, Teshome Yami, Yang Hong
Summary: This study investigates the capability of distributed hydrologic modeling to capture stream dynamics in the Upper Blue River Basin, OK. The results show that the CREST model can accurately capture low to moderate streamflow values at the watershed outlet and estimate wet/dry status in small headwater tributaries, while underestimating high flow values. The mapping of dynamic stream networks using the CREST simulation reveals that non-perennial streams are the most dynamic in small headwater tributaries and high-order streams are sustained by perennial flow, showcasing the potential of using distributed hydrologic models for mapping dynamic streams globally.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
R. Andrade, H. L. Bateman, K. L. Larson, C. Herzog, J. A. Brown
Summary: Our study found that in urban areas, doves and common species are most frequently brought to wildlife rehabilitation centers. Young and helpless birds are more likely to be rescued, reflecting a perception of vulnerability. Neighborhoods with higher incomes and pro-ecological worldviews are more likely to have residents participate in wildlife rescue activities, while neighborhoods with a high percentage of Hispanic/Latinx residents tend to have fewer rescues.
Article
Ornithology
Elizabeth Besozzi, Brian Chew, Daniel C. Allen, Andrea Contina
Summary: This study presents the first observation of plumage color aberration and slow-growing feather tissue in Painted Buntings. By analyzing hydrogen stable isotopes in feathers, researchers were able to track the bird's movements across its annual cycle. The findings suggest further movements of the bunting after arriving at molting stopover sites in northern coastal Mexico.
WILSON JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Riley Andrade, Kelli L. Larson, Janet Franklin, Susannah B. Lerman, Heather L. Bateman, Paige S. Warren
Summary: The impacts of urbanization on bird biodiversity depend on human-environment interactions that drive land management. Less attention has been given to public perceptions of birds close to home. People's perceptions of local bird communities are related to species traits. Distinctive aesthetics, especially color and song, as well as traits related to foraging and diet drive perceptions. Increasing people's direct experiences with iconic species and species with distinguishing attributes has the potential to improve public perceptions and strengthen support for broader conservation initiatives.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Kinley Ragan, Jan Schipper, Heather L. Bateman, Sharon J. Hall
Summary: Wildlife populations in semi-arid regions are facing challenges caused by human activities and their access to surface water depends on the connectivity of riparian corridors. This study in northern Sonora, Mexico, examined the relationship between habitat variables and mammal use of riparian corridors. Results showed that river characteristics, remoteness, and topographic variety influenced patterns of occupancy probability and estimated abundance of mammals, but the strength and direction of these relationships varied by species. These findings highlight the importance of studying physical and biological aspects of habitat to improve wildlife connectivity in biodiversity hotspots and semi-arid ecosystems worldwide.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jeffrey A. Brown, Susannah B. Lerman, Anthony J. Basile, Heather L. Bateman, Pierre Deviche, Paige S. Warren, Karen L. Sweazea
Summary: Urbanization is a significant driver of habitat alteration, particularly through the introduction of novel elements such as artificial light and noise pollution. This study focuses on the impact of restaurant refuse as an anthropogenic food source on avian communities. The results suggest that an increase in the number of restaurants may lead to a decrease in avian species diversity but an increase in overall abundance. Furthermore, specific bird species, such as rock pigeon, mourning dove, and Inca dove, were found to be highly associated with restaurant habitats.
Article
Ecology
Jonathan W. Lopez, Daniel C. Allen, Caryn C. Vaughn
Summary: This study investigates how emergent macrophytes and aquatic animal aggregations influence the flow of resources between streams and terrestrial habitats. The findings suggest that white-tailed deer play a significant role in transferring aquatic-derived nutrients into terrestrial ecosystems by consuming macrophytes and defecating on land. It remains unclear whether aquatic animal aggregations promote such resource flows, but the global distributions of deer and macrophytes indicate that cervid-driven aquatic-to-terrestrial nutrient flows may be widespread and ecologically important.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Michelle H. Busch, Daniel C. Allen, Katharine A. Marske, Lucie Kuczynski
Summary: How communities are structured is a fundamental ecological question. Changes in climate and other environmental stressors can alter community structure. This study examined temporal changes in taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity of stream fish assemblages in the southern plains of the U.S. over four decades and found that community patterns were influenced by historical richness and temperature changes.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
H. L. Bateman, B. D. Allen, M. S. Moore, D. M. Hondula
Summary: Research shows that animals in urban areas are affected by human-induced land use change and urban heat island effect. A study on wild rodents suggests that extreme heat in urban environments has negative effects on the body condition and fitness of vertebrates, potentially impacting their adaptation and survival.
Article
Ecology
Fabio Suzart de Albuquerque, Heather L. Bateman, Mason J. Ryan, Brett Montgomery
Summary: This study successfully predicted the contemporary distribution of the toad species A. microscaphus using historical data, showing a strong correlation between the distribution of contemporary hotspots and precipitation in the wettest quarter. The research highlights the potential impacts of climate change on habitat suitability for the species in the Southwest United States drylands.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Riley Andrade, Janet Franklin, Kelli L. Larson, Christopher M. Swan, Susannah B. Lerman, Heather L. Bateman, Paige S. Warren, Abigail York
Summary: This paper addresses the challenge of understanding how human activities influence the processes by which ecological communities are structured in urban ecosystems by developing a framework that links social-ecological dynamics to ecological communities using the metacommunity perspective. The framework provides a theoretical and empirical foundation for transdisciplinary research to examine how social-ecological dynamics mediate the assembly of novel communities in urban ecosystems.