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)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Eva Egelyng Sigsgaard, Kent Olsen, Morten D. D. Hansen, Oskar Liset Pryds Hansen, Toke Thomas Hoye, Jens-Christian Svenning, Philip Francis Thomsen
Summary: The study found that eDNA metabarcoding of cow dung samples can detect a wide range of invertebrate species, with differences in species composition among different habitats. This method shows promise for future biomonitoring of dung-associated invertebrates and highlights the potential for further research and monitoring implementation.
Review
Biology
Stephanie Coakley, Carloalberto Petti
Summary: This paper discusses the highly problematic invasive species, Himalayan balsam, and further explains the potential negative impacts on ecosystems and economies that biological invasions can cause. Insights gained from studying invasive species can provide valuable contributions to conservation efforts in addressing issues like biological invasion and climate change. Impacts of studying Impatiens glandulifera and its influence on invaded ecosystems will be examined in this study.
Article
Plant Sciences
Yukai Chen, Hai-Li Zhang, Li Zhang, Mir Muhammad Nizamani, Taoxiu Zhou, Haiyang Zhang, Tingting Liu
Summary: Hopea hainanensis is an endangered tree species found in Hainan Island, China and Northern Vietnam. Due to its high quality wood, it has been heavily exploited by humans, resulting in a decline in population size and habitat fragmentation. Researchers are currently studying the ecological factors and seed germination to understand its endangered status. However, there is a lack of systematic analysis on the genetic diversity of this species. Therefore, it is important to study the genetic diversity to provide a scientific basis for its conservation.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Anna-Thalassini Valli, Christos Chondrogiannis, George Grammatikopoulos, Gregoris Iatrou, Panayiotis Trigas
Summary: The study assessed the conservation status of the local endemic species Micromeria browiczii on Zakynthos Island in Greece, revealing a high level of endangerment with a predicted extinction risk of 5.6% in the next 50 years. Urgent conservation actions are required to prevent the extinction of the species as fluctuations in population size indicate a precarious situation.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Natascha Wosnick, Renata D. Leite, Eloisa P. Giareta, Ana Rita O. P. Nunes, Jorge L. S. Nunes, Patricia Charvet, Emygdio L. A. Monteiro-Filho
Summary: Several strategies have been adopted to optimize biodiversity conservation, with the use of fauna and flora species as flagships being one effective approach. However, the selection of flagship species must carefully consider both intrinsic and extrinsic factors, and improved measures for their conservation are needed to ensure effectiveness in biodiversity protection.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Deng Wei, Yuan Cai-Lian, Li Na, Liu Shuo-Ran, Yang Xiao-Yan, Xiao Wen
Summary: This study utilized leaves as island models to assess microbial biodiversity, revealing significant microbial SAR in deciduous trees but not in evergreen trees. There were no significant differences in microbial diversity at the alpha diversity level, but significant differences were observed in beta diversity. Consistent historical background may mask microbial SAR, highlighting the importance of intensive sampling and consistent historical background for understanding microbial SAR.
Article
History & Philosophy Of Science
Christopher Hunter Lean
Summary: Ecological systems with functional organization may experience functions or malfunctions, with natural functions justifying conservation efforts. While no theory of function applies to large scale ecosystems, controlling invasive species can still help preserve ecological features.
Article
Plant Sciences
Kris A. G. Wyckhuys, Johanna Audrey Leatemia, Muhammad Zainal Fanani, Michael J. Furlong, Baogen Gu, Buyung Asmara Ratna Hadi, Jeffij Virgowat Hasinu, Maria C. Melo, Saartje Helena Noya, Aunu Rauf, Johanna Taribuka, Yubak Dhoj Gc
Summary: Islands provide unique settings for studying the interaction between biodiversity and ecosystem function. Observational and manipulative studies on Indonesian islands reveal the important role of generalist predators in biotic resistance against the cassava mealybug and fall armyworm. The magnitude of biotic resistance varies between island contexts, seasons, and ecological realms.
Article
Ecology
Andrew C. Kraemer, Yannik E. Roell, Nate F. Shoobs, Christine E. Parent
Summary: The accumulation of functional diversity in communities is investigated in a multiscale study of land snail communities on 10 oceanic archipelagos. Consistent patterns of functional diversity across island ontogeny on all examined archipelagos indicate a common role for habitat filtering, ecological opportunity, and competition in diverse systems, leading to predictable changes in functional diversity and average morphology through island ontogeny.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jerry H. Koko, Sean O. Swift, Nicole A. Hynson
Summary: The study found that 97% of surveyed native Hawaiian plant species showed evidence of mycorrhizal colonization, including endemic and indigenous species. Differences in colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were observed among sites, corresponding with variations in precipitation and temperature. These results suggest that islands like Hawaii may actually harbor more mycorrhizal hosts than continents, with potential important roles of AM fungi in future reintroduction projects.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Javier Nori, Romina Semhan, Cristian Simon Abdala, Octavio Rojas-Soto
Summary: The unique case of Argentinian reptiles, particularly the genus Liolaemus, is experiencing a significant increase in known species due to a high species description rate of 3.25 spp./year. This recent evolutionary radiation in Liolaemus has led to spatial changes in richness and endemism patterns, particularly in the Patagonian steppe and Monte ecoregions of Argentina. The decrease in average extent of occurrence (EOO) of Liolaemus species also poses an increased extinction risk, with 80% of species today having an EOO smaller than 20,000 km(2).
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hiroshi Noda, Akihiro Nishimura, Hidetoshi Kato, Akiyo Naiki, Wei Xiao, Mario Martinez, Mari Marutani, James McConnell, Koji Takayama
Summary: This study investigates the phylogeny and biogeography of endemic Ochrosia species in the Bonin Islands. The findings reveal distinct origins of these species, highlighting the complexity of plant origins and speciation in oceanic islands.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Jason M. M. Gleditsch, Jocelyn E. E. Behm, Jacintha Ellers, Wendy A. M. Jesse, Matthew R. R. Helmus
Summary: Island biogeography theory is updated to incorporate the effects of land development and economic trade on species richness patterns in the Caribbean. The study built a database of native and introduced reptiles and amphibians for Caribbean islands and evaluated the relationships between species richness and habitat diversity and isolation. The contemporized theory explains the current patterns of biodiversity and will continue to predict the island biogeography of the Anthropocene.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Markus A. Roesch, Dennis M. Hansen, Nik C. Cole
Summary: This study investigated the reproductive behavior and success factors of the Guenther's gecko on Round Island, Mauritius. The findings suggest that nest-site suitability has a minimal impact on the reproductive success of the gecko, and their reproductive success is high on the island.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Rolf Georg Beutel, Frank Friedrich, Evan P. Economo
Summary: Holometabolous insects have undergone a process of structural simplification in evolution, with megadiverse Holometabola characterized by structurally simplified larvae. Different groups show varying degrees of reduction and simplification, with a correlated complexity between larval and adult stages evident in the evaluations.
Article
Ecology
Rogerio R. Silva, Felipe Martello, Rodrigo Machado Feitosa, Otavio Guilherme M. Silva, Livia Pires do Prado, Carlos Roberto F. Brandao, Emilia Zoppas de Albuquerque, Maria Santina C. Morini, Jacques Hubert Charles Delabie, Erison Carlos dos Santos Monteiro, Agripino Emanuel Oliveira Alves, Alexander L. Wild, Alexander V. Christianini, Alexandre Arnhold, Alexandre Casadei Ferreira, Aline Machado Oliveira, Alvaro D. Santos, Alvaro Galban, Amanda Aparecida de Oliveira, Amanda Gomes Madureira Subtil, Amanda Martins Dias, Ana Eugenia de Carvalho Campos, Ana Maria Waldschimidt, Andre Victor Lucci Freitas, Andrea N. Avalos, Andreas L. S. Meyer, Andres F. Sanchez-Restrepo, Andrew V. Suarez, Anselmo Santos Souza, Antonio C. M. Queiroz, Antonio J. Mayhe-Nunes, Ariel da Cruz Reis, Benedito Cortes Lopes, Benoit Guenard, Bhrenno Maykon Trad, Bianca Caitano, Boris Yagound, Brenda Pereira-Silva, Brian L. Fisher, Brisa Lunar Patricio Tavares, Bruna Borges Moraes, Bruno K. C. Filgueiras, Carin Guarda, Carla R. Ribas, Carlos Eduardo Cereto, Carlos Eduardo Lustosa Esberard, Carlos E. G. R. Schaefer, Carolina I. Paris, Cecilia Bueno, Chaim Jose Lasmar, Cinthia Borges da Costa-Milanez, Cladis Juliana Lutinski, Claudia M. Ortiz-Sepulveda, Claudia Tiemi Wazema, Clea S. F. Mariano, Corina Anahi Barrera, Cristian Luan Klunk, Daniel Oliveira Santana, Dario Larrea, Debora Cristina Rother, Debora R. Souza-Campana, Debora Yumi Kayano, Diego Lemos Alves, Diego Santana Assis, Diego Anjos, Eder Cleyton Barbosa Franca, Eduardo F. Santos, Elisangela A. Silva, eliton Vieira Santos, Elmo Borges Koch, Emely Laiara Silva Siqueira, Erica A. Almeida, Erica Santos Araujo, Erick Villarreal, Erin Becker, Ernesto de Oliveira Canedo-Junior, Esperidiao A. Santos-Neto, Evan P. Economo, evellyn Silva Araujo-Oliveira, Fabiana Cuezzo, Fabricio Severo Magalhaes, Felipe Marcel Neves, Felix Baumgarten Rosumek, Fernanda Emanuela Dorneles, Fernando B. Noll, Filipe V. Arruda, Flavia A. Esteves, Flavio Nunes Ramos, Flavio Roberto Mello Garcia, Flavio Siqueiro de Castro, Francisco Serna, Frederico Rottgers Marcineiro, Frederico S. Neves, Gabriela Bandeira do Nascimento, Gabriela de Figueiredo Jacintho, Gabriela P. Camacho, Genesio Tamara Ribeiro, Giselle Martins Lourenco, Gloria Ramos Soares, Graciele A. Castilho, Guilherme Pereira Alves, Gustavo A. Zurita, Gustavo Henrique Machado Santos, Helena Carolina Onody, Helon Simoes Oliveira, Heraldo L. Vasconcelos, Hipolito Ferreira Paulino-Neto, Humberto Brant, Igor Rismo Coelho, Inacio Jose de Melo Teles e Gomes, Inara R. Leal, Iracenir Andrade Dos Santos, Isis Caroline Siqueira Santos, Itanna O. Fernandes, Ivan C. Nascimento, Jarbas Marcal Queiroz, John E. Lattke, Jonathan Majer, Jose Henrique Schoereder, Jose Oliveira Dantas, Joudellys Andrade-Silva, Juan Martin Diaz Guastavino, Juliana Silveira dos Santos, Julieta Filloy, Julio C. M. Chaul, Junir Antonio Lutinski, Karine S. Carvalho, Kelli S. Ramos, Kelly L. S. Sampaio, Lais Aryane M. Ribeiro, Leandro Sousa-Souto, Lucas N. Paolucci, Luciana Elizalde, Luciana R. Podgaiski, Lucila Chifflet, Ludimila Juliele Carvalho-Leite, Luis A. Calcaterra, Luiz Eduardo Macedo-Reis, Luiz Fernando Silva Magnago, Marcelo Silva Madureira, Marcio Morais Silva, Marcio R. Pie, Marcio Uehara-Prado, Marco Aurelio Pizo, Marcos Antonio Pesquero, Marcos Augusto Ferraz Carneiro, Maria Assunta Busato, Maria Fernanda Brito de Almeida, Maria Isabel Bellocq, Mariah Tibcherani, Mariana Sampaio Casimiro, Mariane Ueda Vaz Ronque, Marilia Maria Silva da Costa, Marina Acero Angotti, Marina Vasconcelos de Oliveira, Maurice Leponce, Mayara Mieko Goncalves Imata, Mila Ferraz de Oliveira Martins, Monica Antunes Ulyssea, Nadia Barbosa do Espirito Santo, Natalia Maritza Ladino Lopez, Natalia Soares Balbino, Nathalia Sampaio da Silva, Nathalia V. H. Safar, Paloma Leal de Andrade, Paulo H. S. A. Camargo, Paulo S. Oliveira, Pavel Dodonov, Pedro Luna, Philip S. Ward, Priscila E. Hanisch, Priscila Santos Silva, Raquel Divieso, Raquel L. Carvalho, Renata B. F. Campos, Reuber Antoniazzi, Ricardo Eduardo Vicente, Ricardo Giovenardi, Ricardo Ildefonso Campos, Ricardo R. C. Solar, Ricardo Toshio Fujihara, Roberta de Jesus Santos, Roberth Fagundes, Roberto J. Guerrero, Rodolfo S. Probst, Rodrigo Silva de Jesus, Rogerio Silvestre, Roman Alberto Lopez-Munoz, Ronara de Souza Ferreira-Chaline, Rony Peterson Santos Almeida, Samuel de Mello Pinto, Santiago Santoandre, Sergio L. Althoff, Servio P. Ribeiro, Tainara Jory, Tae Tanaami Fernandes, Tamires de Oliveira Andrade, Thalles Platiny Lavinscky Pereira, Thiago Goncalves-Souza, Thiago Sanches Ranzani da Silva, Victoria N. G. Silva, Vinicius Marques Lopez, Vinicius Rodrigues Tonetti, Vivian Ayumi Fujizawa Nacagava, Viviane M. Oliveira, Wesley Dattilo, Wesley DaRocha, Weslly Franco, William Drose, William Antonialli, Milton Cezar Ribeiro
Summary: The dataset of ants in the Atlantic Forest of South America includes diverse ant records that can be used by researchers to study various ecological and regional questions, as well as to assess the impact of land use changes on ecological processes.
Article
Ecology
Cong Liu, Evan P. Economo, Benoit Guenard
Summary: Island systems are critical for biodiversity conservation, but knowledge about their biodiversity value, especially for insects, is incomplete. To address this gap, we created a new database containing information on ants from 2678 islands globally, including 7010 species and information on their native or exotic status.
Article
Ecology
Runxi Wang, Jamie M. Kass, Christophe Galkowski, Federico Garcia, Matthew T. Hamer, Alexander Radchenko, Sebastian D. Salata, Enrico Schifani, Zalimkhan M. Yusupov, Evan P. Economo, Benoit Guenard
Summary: This study developed a next-generation map of biogeographical regionalization for European ants by integrating expert-validated regional lists, species distribution modelling, and a recent phylogeny, addressing the Wallacean and Darwinian shortfalls for this important insect group. The results indicate strong constraints from geographical barriers and potential effects of climatic history on ant distributions and evolutionary history, while also providing baseline spatial information for future investigations of regional insect distributions.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Natalie R. Graham, Henrik Krehenwinkel, Jun Ying Lim, Phillip Staniczenko, Jackson Callaghan, Jeremy C. Andersen, Daniel S. Gruner, Rosemary G. Gillespie
Summary: This study used a geological chronosequence across the Hawaiian Islands to examine the changes in ecological communities with community age. By sampling arthropod and plant communities and analyzing their interactions, the study found that the number of interactions, ratio of plant to arthropod species, and interaction evenness increased significantly with community age. Additionally, the index of specialization had a curvilinear relationship with community age. These findings indicate that younger communities have fewer but stronger interactions, while older communities become more diverse and even.
Article
Entomology
Nathan P. Havill, Tonya D. Bittner, Jeremy C. Andersen, Nicholas J. Dietschler, Joseph S. Elkinton, Stephen D. Gaimari, Brian P. Griffin, Deanna Zembrzuski, Mark C. Whitmore
Summary: In the case of the silver fly, the two species in North America exhibit an east-west geographic divergence and show differentiation associated with different host prey species and plants. The silver flies have undergone ancestral specialization on pine adelgids in the west, and more recent divergence on new adelgid prey species. These findings support the hypothesis of geographic distribution and host preference in silver flies.
INSECT SYSTEMATICS AND DIVERSITY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yangqing Luo, Amanda Taylor, Patrick Weigelt, Benoit Guenard, Evan P. Economo, Arkadiusz Nowak, Inderjit Inderjit, Holger Kreft
Summary: Biotic interactions, especially mutualistic interactions with invertebrates, are important for shaping global plant diversity patterns. A global-scale biogeographic analysis of ant-plant mutualisms reveals distinct patterns, with domatium- and EFN-bearing plant diversity decreasing towards the poles, while elaiosome-bearing plants prevail at mid-latitudes. Climate, particularly temperature and precipitation, emerge as strong predictors of ant-associated plant diversity, with EFN-bearing plants increasing in hot and moist regions and elaiosome-bearing plants linked to interacting ant seed dispersers in dry regions. These results highlight the importance of mutualistic interactions for understanding plant biogeography.
Article
Entomology
Jeremy C. Andersen, Nathan P. Havill, Jennifer L. Chandler, George H. Boettner, Brian P. Griffin, Joseph S. Elkinton
Summary: The European winter moth has been accidentally introduced to North America multiple times and has been hybridizing with the native Bruce spanworm at a rate of up to 10% per year. Both species respond to the same sex pheromones and produce viable offspring, but their mating flights may differ in timing. Through collecting and genotyping male moths, it was found that there are significant differences in the timing of flight between the two species, likely promoting reproductive isolation. The later flight of the winter moth compared to the Bruce spanworm may limit its spread in the northeastern United States due to increased exposure to extreme winter events.
ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Ryan S. Crandall, Jennifer L. Chandler, Nicholas J. Dietschler, Jeremy C. Andersen, Joseph S. Elkinton
Summary: Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) is a forest pest in the eastern United States that kills millions of eastern hemlock and Carolina hemlock. The US biological control program for HWA focuses on introducing Laricobius species, specifically Laricobius nigrinus and Laricobius osakensis. The establishment of Laricobius nigrinus is influenced by winter minimum temperatures, while the establishment of Laricobius osakensis is yet to be documented in the northeastern United States. The first observation of reproductive activity of the released predator of HWA, Leucotaraxis argenticollis, is reported in this study.
ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biology
Adrian Richter, Evan P. Economo
Summary: This article provides an overview of ant feeding mechanisms, including the morphological features of mouthparts, preoral space, and cephalic sucking pump. The morphological differences among ants may be related to their ecological diversity. Additionally, brief comparisons with other insects and vertebrates are presented, along with the identification of gaps in knowledge.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biology
Pooja Nathan, Evan P. Economo, Benoit Guenard, Anna K. Simonsen, Megan E. Frederickson
Summary: Mutualism plays an important role in the spread and adaptation of species in new environments. Generalized mutualisms increase the likelihood of species establishing and thriving beyond native ranges, while specialized mutualisms do not affect or even reduce non-native spread.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zimai Li, Bhoomika Bhat, Erik T. Frank, Thalita Oliveira-Honorato, Fumika Azuma, Valerie Bachmann, Darren J. Parker, Thomas Schmitt, Evan P. Economo, Yuko Ulrich
Summary: Individual behavior variations contribute to the different infection risks in social groups, and infections can affect the social organization and division of labor within a colony.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jeremy C. Andersen, Joseph S. Elkinton
Summary: Climate suitability analyses based on ecological niche modeling are helpful for biological control practitioners to assess the potential success of introducing different candidate agents in the field. This study compares the climate suitability of three strains of Aphalara itadori from different source localities in Japan for the biological control of invasive knotweed species in Europe and North America. The results show that one strain has limited suitability in comparison to other locations, while another strain is predicted to have medium-to-high suitability for knotweeds in North America. The source locality of the third strain is predicted to have medium-to-high suitability for all examined knotweed species in both North America and Europe.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Jakovos Demetriou, Christos Georgiadis, Angeliki F. Martinou, Helen E. Roy, James K. Wetterer, Lech Borowiec, Evan P. Economo, Kostas A. Triantis, Sebastian Salata
Summary: This article reviews the alien ant species found on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, which has significant biodiversity. The study highlights the severe consequences of invasive alien ants on native biodiversity and provides information on the species, their geographic origin, and their impact. The research emphasizes the importance of early detection, monitoring, and management efforts to mitigate the negative effects on biodiversity.
Article
Biology
Julian Katzke, Pavel Puchenkov, Heiko Stark, Evan P. Economo
Summary: Understanding muscle performance through muscle architecture analysis is crucial for ecology and evolution studies. Tomographic techniques provide an alternative to tedious dissections for measuring muscle architecture features. Utilizing Blender Python API scripts for image analysis enables fast and accurate estimation of animal muscle architecture.
INTEGRATIVE ORGANISMAL BIOLOGY
(2022)