Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Itxaso Quintana, Edgar F. Cifuentes, Jeffrey A. Dunnink, Maria Ariza, Daniela Martinez-Medina, Felipe M. Fantacini, Bibek R. Shrestha, Freddie-Jeanne Richard
Summary: The global expansion of road networks poses a threat to apex predator conservation and ecosystem functioning. This is due to wildlife-vehicle collisions, habitat loss and fragmentation, reduced genetic connectivity, and increased poaching. Our review of 36 apex predator species shows that all are exposed to road impacts. The highest risk species are predominantly found in Asia, with others in the Americas, Africa, and Europe. To mitigate future road impacts, we propose a method to assess potential impact on apex predators, which is applied to proposed road developments in the Amazon, Africa, and Nepal. Around 500 protected areas will be affected by these roads, endangering core apex predator habitats. It is urgent to implement rigorous road development planning and effective mitigation measures to avoid construction in wilderness areas and predator strongholds.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Eoin J. O'Gorman, Lei Zhao, Rebecca L. Kordas, Steve Dudgeon, Guy Woodward
Summary: This study investigates the interactive effects of warming and fish predators on freshwater ecosystems. The presence of fish and warming together result in changes in the food web and a reduction in consumer species.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sarah R. Hoy, Philip W. Hedrick, Rolf O. Peterson, Leah M. Vucetich, Kristin E. Brzeski, John A. Vucetich
Summary: By studying the impact of genetic changes in the grey wolf population on the ecosystem of Isle Royale National Park, it was found that these changes led to fluctuations in predation rates on moose, which in turn affected the population of moose and the consumption rate of balsam fir. Therefore, forest dynamics can be linked to genetic characteristics of predator populations.
Article
Ecology
Ishana Shukla, Kaitlyn M. Gaynor, Boris Worm, Chris T. Darimont
Summary: This study aimed to create a list of keystone animal species and examine their characteristics and influences on ecosystems. The findings reveal that large vertebrate consumers are only a fraction of the identified keystone species, and researchers have defined a wide variety of keystone species with significant variations in associated ecosystem processes. Future research should clarify the definition of keystone status and determine the type, abundance, and quality of data required for identification.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Harry B. M. Wells, Ramiro D. Crego, Oystein H. Opedal, Leo M. Khasoha, Jesse M. Alston, Courtney G. Reed, Sarah Weiner, Samson Kurukura, Abdikadir A. Hassan, Mathew Namoni, Jackson Ekadeli, Duncan M. Kimuyu, Truman P. Young, Tyler R. Kartzinel, Todd M. Palmer, Robert M. Pringle, Jacob R. Goheen
Summary: The study found that megaherbivores have a positive impact on the occurrence and use intensity of zebras, but a negative impact on other mesoherbivore species. The influence of megaherbivores on mesoherbivores is mainly determined by their shoulder height, rather than diet or phylogenetic relatedness. While megaherbivores significantly reduced the total use intensity of mesoherbivores, their impact on species richness was minimal.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shengjie Liu, Shangwen Xia, Donghao Wu, Jocelyn E. Behm, Yuanyuan Meng, Hao Yuan, Ping Wen, Alice C. Hughes, Xiaodong Yang
Summary: This study investigated the distribution and morphological traits of termite diversity globally and in China. It found that termite species richness increased with decreasing latitude, and termite morphological traits showed a latitudinal trend with decreasing body size and leg length at higher latitudes. Temperature, NDVI, and water variables were identified as the most important drivers of termite richness variation, while temperature and soil properties drove the geographic distribution of termite morphological traits. The study's global termite richness map provides a valuable baseline for further ecological analysis.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Joshua S. Lynn, Ragnhild Gya, Kari Klanderud, Richard J. Telford, Deborah E. Goldberg, Vigdis Vandvik
Summary: Climate change impacts on biota vary across sites, species, and individual species' ranges. Incorporating species' trait information improves predictions about climate responses. Plant height emerges as the most consistent trait associated with species' climate difference sensitivity.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Nicole Carey, Edwin T. Chester, Belinda J. Robson
Summary: Recent climate change is impacting the timing, duration, and volume of river and stream flows globally, leading to changes in aquatic biota. Some species are facing extinction while others are adapting in various ways, highlighting the limitations of using life history to predict species responses to climate-driven flow regime changes.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alexander R. Dyer, Ulrich Brose, Emilio Berti, Benjamin Rosenbaum, Myriam Hirt
Summary: Movement is crucial for animal survival and biodiversity in fragmented landscapes. A model considering biophysical constraints of animal body mass suggests that larger animals have limited heat-dissipation capacities, leading to reduced travel speeds and a hump-shaped trend with body mass. This implies that the movement capacities of the largest species are more limited than previously thought, which has important implications for predicting biodiversity dynamics in fragmented landscapes.
Article
Biology
Tim Janicke, Salome Fromonteil
Summary: The study found that sexual size dimorphism (SSD) based on length measurements was correlated with the sex difference in the opportunity for sexual selection but showed a weak and statistically non-significant relationship with the sex difference in the Bateman gradient. This suggests that pre-copulatory sexual selection plays a limited role in the evolution of SSD across a broad phylogenetic context.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Andrew J. Abraham, Andrea B. Webster, Tomos O. Prys-Jones, Elizabeth le Roux, Dylan Smith, Duncan McFayden, Pieter C. de Jager, Marcus Clauss, Christopher E. Doughty
Summary: Animals concentrate key nutrients in their bodies, and the removal of animals from fenced wildlife reserves can lead to significant loss of nutrients for the ecosystem. Faecal P concentrations can serve as an indicator of potential nutrient stress in the system. Natural predation is a sufficient mechanism to mitigate the need for wildlife removal and prevent nutrient loss.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Hao Bai, Hongzhao Lu, Ling Wang, Shanshan Wang, Wenxian Zeng, Tao Zhang
Summary: The Ningqiang pony is a rare Chinese breed, and research has shown that two SNP mutations within the LCORL/NCAPG and LASP1 genes are significantly related to body height, serving as screening markers for height in this breed.
ANIMAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Michael Staab, Martin M. Gossner, Nadja K. Simons, Rafael Achury, Didem Ambarli, Soyeon Bae, Peter Schall, Wolfgang W. Weisser, Nico Bluethgen
Summary: Species richness and biomass of insects has generally declined in German forests over the past decade, with larger and carnivorous species being more vulnerable. The underlying drivers of insect decline and variations between species are not yet fully understood. This study highlights the importance of forests in understanding insect trends and suggests that non-native tree species and extensive timber harvesting may contribute to declines. Furthermore, it found that larger and more abundant species at higher trophic levels are most affected, while herbivores show an increase in population. The findings indicate potential shifts in food webs and emphasize the need for targeted management to mitigate declines.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Lucie Thompson, Konstans Wells, Nuria Galiana, Miguel Lurgi
Summary: This study investigates the range shifts of birds in Great Britain and finds that geographical boundaries and species traits and environmental preferences are important factors influencing those shifts, particularly for Northern and passeriform species.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Loic Chalmandrier, Florian Hartig, Daniel C. Laughlin, Heike Lischke, Maximilian Pichler, Daniel B. Stouffer, Loic Pellissier
Summary: The paper introduces a new method that links empirical functional traits with demographic parameters of a process-based model through inverse modeling. It is applied to a highly diverse mountain grassland, showing that the calibrated trait-demography relationships fit well with the observed community structure. The authors propose a new Bayesian framework to calibrate community models via functional traits in species-rich ecosystems.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Jon Morant, Eneko Arrondo, Ainara Cortes-Avizanda, Marcos Moleon, Jose A. Donazar, Jose A. Sanchez-Zapata, Pascual Lopez-Lopez, Hector Ruiz-Villar, Inigo Zuberogoitia, Zebensui Morales-Reyes, Lara Naves-Alegre, Esther Sebastian-Gonzalez
Summary: This study estimated the production and distribution of ungulate carrion biomass in peninsular Spain, revealing that anthropogenic sources supplied much more carrion than natural sources. Livestock was the primary carrion provider, followed by big game hunting and roadkills. The spatial distribution of carrion differed among sources, with anthropogenic carrion being more aggregated. The findings highlight the importance of carrion biomass quantification in evaluating ecosystem health.
Article
Ornithology
Jose A. Donazar, Ainara Cortes-Avizanda, Eneko Arrondo, Alejandro Delgado-Gonzalez, Olga Ceballos
Summary: Protected areas in southern Europe play a vital role in conserving large avian scavengers, but the impact of increasing visitor numbers on their movement patterns is still unclear. A study conducted in a natural park in northern Spain found that while the number of visitors did affect the foraging birds' movements, it had a smaller effect compared to the temperature of the day. Additionally, male vultures tended to move further than females.
Article
Ecology
Elena Quintero, Francisco Rodriguez-Sanchez, Pedro Jordano
Summary: Mutualistic interactions among free-living species involve low-frequency interactions and asymmetric dependence. Using a fleshy-fruited plant and its frugivore assemblage as a model, researchers found that interaction effectiveness was mainly driven by interaction frequency. Despite asymmetric dependences, reciprocity in rewards between partners was determined by the quantity of fruit consumed. They anticipate that reciprocity will emerge in low-intimacy mutualisms where interaction frequency plays a crucial role.
Article
Ecology
Blanca Arroyo-Correa, Pedro Jordano, Ignasi Bartomeus
Summary: Patterns of resource use at the species level are influenced by individual differences in exploiting available resources, such as pollinator use by plants. Our study used detailed data on plant-pollinator interactions to examine how variation in pollinator use among individual plants impacts community structure and dynamics. We found that all co-occurring plant species consisted of specialists interacting with subsets of pollinators that visited generalists, and the differences in interaction patterns were driven by variation in traits among individuals. Furthermore, communities with higher levels of variation in plant traits and pollinator use showed a nested structure and were more feasible. Our research highlights the importance of preserving intraspecific variation in traits and resource use within populations.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Aye Myat Thu, Tluang Hmung Thang, Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz, Rui-Chang Quan
Summary: Urbanization and increasing populations have led to closer contact between people, companion animals, and wildlife, even within protected areas. This study investigated the spatio-temporal responses of wildlife species, with a focus on the Endangered Eld's deer, to human disturbances in Shwesettaw Wildlife Sanctuary, Myanmar. The findings suggest that anthropogenic disturbances have negative impacts on the detection of native wildlife species, and Eld's deer tend to avoid areas close to human settlements. Furthermore, some species exhibited lower activity overlap with people during the rainy season, and all studied species shifted to nocturnal activity or showed no clear activity pattern during the cool-dry season when the presence of dogs increased.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Li-Li Li, Qiao-Yan Wang, Hong-Pei Yang, Yong-Xiang Tao, Lan-Xin Wang, Zheng-Bin Yang, Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz, Rui-Chang Quan
Summary: The study evaluated the match between established protected areas and the current distribution of Asian elephants in Xishuangbanna, China. It identified key habitat patches for elephant conservation, with the three most important patches located outside of the established protected area. These patches contained a significant amount of the estimated food resources for Asian elephants. The study recommends including these key habitat patches in a new national park being planned by the Chinese authorities.
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Guido Caniglia, R. Freeth, C. Luederitz, J. Leventon, S. P. West, B. John, D. Peukert, D. J. Lang, H. von Wehrden, B. Martin-Lopez, I. Fazey, F. Russo, T. von Wirth, M. Schluter, C. Vogel
Summary: Philosophers in the Western tradition of virtue ethics have long considered practical wisdom a central virtue. This Perspective suggests that virtue ethics and practical wisdom can enrich the work of sustainability researchers, helping them to navigate the challenges of co-producing knowledge and effecting transformative change.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Peta Brom, Kristine Engemann, Christina Breed, Maya Pasgaard, Titilope Onaolapo, Jens-Christian Svenning
Summary: This paper presents a method that utilizes remote sensing, GIS modeling, and stakeholder engagement to create a decision support tool for communicating the availability and need for green infrastructure benefits. The case study conducted in the City of Tshwane, South Africa, shows that this method can provide oversight on multiple objectives for green infrastructure and has implications for urban planning practice.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Henriette. T. Horsdal, Marianne. G. Pedersen, Jorg Schullehner, Cecilie S. Ostergaard, John J. Mcgrath, Esben Agerbo, Allan Timmermann, Ane Marie Closter, Jorgen Brandt, Jesper H. Christensen, Lise M. Frohn, Camilla Geels, Matthias Ketzel, Jibran Khan, Pia Orby, Yulia Olsen, Gregor Levin, Jens-Christian Svenning, Kristine Engemann, Steen Gyldenkaerne, Birgitte Hansen, Ole Hertel, Clive E. Sabel, Christian Erikstrup, Torben Sigsgaard, Carsten B. Pedersen
Summary: The aim of this study is to provide an overview of nationwide environmental data in Denmark and its potential linkage to individual-level records to promote research on the impact of the local environment on human health. Researchers in Denmark can conduct large population-based studies using nationally complete population and health registries. Linking environmental data to individuals enables new possibilities for studying the health effects of the social, built, and physical environment.
SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Stephan Kambach, Francesco Maria Sabatini, Fabio Attorre, Idoia Biurrun, Gerhard Boenisch, Gianmaria Bonari, Andraz Carni, Maria Laura Carranza, Alessandro Chiarucci, Milan Chytry, Juergen Dengler, Emmanuel Garbolino, Valentin Golub, Behluel Gueler, Ute Jandt, Jan Jansen, Anni Jaskova, Borja Jimenez-Alfaro, Dirk Nikolaus Karger, Jens Kattge, Ilona Knollova, Gabriele Midolo, Jesper Erenskjold Moeslund, Remigiusz Pielech, Valerijus Rasomavicius, Solvita Rusina, Jozef Sibik, Zvjezdana Stancic, Angela Stanisci, Jens-Christian Svenning, Sergey Yamalov, Niklaus E. Zimmermann, Helge Bruelheide
Summary: Ecological theory predicts a close relationship between macroclimate and functional traits, but global climatic gradients only weakly correlate with local plant communities' trait composition, suggesting the importance of factors that have been ignored. This study investigates the consistency of climate-trait relationships across European habitats and finds that the predictive power of climate increases with more narrowly defined habitats for certain functional traits, emphasizing the need to consider habitat definition in future predictions of climatic effects on plant communities.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Fangfang Ma, Yingjie Yan, Jens-Christian Svenning, Quan Quan, Jinlong Peng, Ruiyang Zhang, Jinsong Wang, Dashuan Tian, Qingping Zhou, Shuli Niu
Summary: Climate warming has profound effects on plant community structure and ecosystem functioning, especially in the face of extreme drought. The study found that warming decreases the resistance and recovery of aboveground net primary productivity but increases the resistance and recovery of belowground net primary productivity and overall net primary productivity. The stability of dominant species is identified as a key predictor of ecosystem functional resistance and recovery.
Article
Entomology
Chanida Fung, Kwasi Asante, Mark D. E. Fellowes, Manuela Gonzalez-Suarez
Summary: The pest cowpea weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus, has flight and flightless forms that differ in morphology and life-history. The flight forms are dispersers with lower fecundity and increase in frequency when population density and intraspecific competition are high. The larvae of C. maculatus can cause significant damage to stored grains, and the ectoparasitoid, Dinarmus basalis, is a potential biological control agent. Our study found that attack by D. basalis reduced the number of emerging offspring produced by both morphs, with a greater impact on the flight morph. This suggests that there may be an additional cost of dispersal for C. maculatus.
JOURNAL OF STORED PRODUCTS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Patricia Santillan-Carvantes, Patricia Balvanera, Simon Thomsen, Francisco Mora, Nathalia Perez-Cardenas, Daniel Cohen-Salgado, Ruben Ramirez-Ramirez, Mayra E. Gavito, Berta Martin-Lopez
Summary: This study provides a method to spatially identify the components of social-ecological systems that have been shaped by both environmental conditions and management practices, in order to address the sustainable management of biodiversity hotspots such as Tropical Dry Forests. The findings suggest that decision-makers' actions are constrained by topographical characteristics, the communal (or private) governance determined by public policies, and the availability of resources.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lola Fernandez-Gomez, Jose A. Sanchez-Zapata, Jose A. Donazar, Xavier Barber, Jomar M. Barbosa
Summary: This study examines the impact of environmental factors and resource availability on the breeding success of top scavengers. The findings suggest that ecosystem-level primary productivity, livestock population, and density-dependent processes play a crucial role in determining the breeding success of the species.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Studies
Jon Morant, Eneko Arrondo, Jose Antonio Sanchez-Zapata, Jose Antonio Donazar, Antoni Margalida, Martina Carrete, Guillermo Blanco, Francisco Guil, David Serrano, Juan Manuel Perez-Garcia
Summary: The demand for renewable energy has led to the development of wind farms worldwide. This study used GPS-tracking data of griffon vultures in Spain to evaluate factors influencing vulnerability and exposure to collision risks. The results showed that food availability, distance to nesting areas, and the presence of conspecifics affected the vulnerability and exposure of vultures. The study emphasized the need to reduce mapping uncertainties and plan wind energy development spatially to ensure the safety of vulnerable species.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REVIEW
(2024)