Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Amaia Astarloa, Richard Glennie, Guillem Chust, Isabel Garcia-Baron, Guillermo Boyra, Udane Martinez, Anna Rubio, Maite Louzao
Summary: This study explores the segregation mechanisms behind the co-occurrence of five phylogenetically related pelagic birds in the Bay of Biscay. By analyzing vertical ranges and prey availability features, the research reveals that niche differentiation is primarily driven by environmental and trophic niche partitioning, as well as potential vertical segregation.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Joseph J. Bizzarro, John C. Field, Jarrod A. Santora, K. Alexandra Curtis, Brian K. Wells
Summary: This study defines trophic guilds within biogeographic regions of the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME) and compares the results among these regions. The researchers found that each region had distinctive trophic guild structures, driven by species composition and ecological characteristics. They also emphasize the importance of considering spatial and temporal scales of coherence in predator and prey dynamics for ecosystem modeling and management strategies.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Dallas B. Ruble, Stijn Verschueren, Bogdan Cristescu, Laurie L. Marker
Summary: In this study, we investigated the behavioral responses of five African ungulates to the reintroduction of cheetahs. The results showed that medium-sized species visited waterholes less frequently in the presence of cheetahs, while large-sized species visited more often. In addition, ungulates spent more time at waterholes when cheetahs were present, possibly indicating increased vigilance. No significant differences were found in the circadian or seasonal activity of waterhole visits. This research highlights the importance of studying the long-term behavioral consequences of trophic rewilding to ensure the success of recovery programs.
Article
Plant Sciences
Sean J. Sharp, Christine Angelini
Summary: Disturbances are increasing in frequency and scale with climate change, benefiting opportunistic species exploiting areas where habitat-forming species have been removed. Birds, through parasite transmission to snails, appear to work synergistically with snail-consuming nekton to slow cordgrass loss.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Diana Medina-Contreras, Jaime Cantera-Kintz, Alberto Sanchez
Summary: Through comparing three mangrove systems in the Colombian Pacific with different levels of anthropogenic intervention, this study found that higher levels of anthropogenic intervention can lead to decreased diversity and modifications in the trophic structure of tropical mangrove fish communities. The results indicate that high anthropogenic intervention levels result in lower abundance and species numbers, as well as an increase in isotopic niche width, suggesting a decrease in availability of prey and basal resources.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Anna Cassady, Kurt E. Anderson, Kurt A. Schwabe, Helen M. Regan
Summary: A changing climate and unregulated water extractions have caused water stress for over 2 billion people worldwide, making the reuse of treated municipal wastewater an attractive option to alleviate this stress. Through studying the relationship between wastewater treatment plant locations and occurrences of threatened and endangered (T & E) species in California, it was found that there is a positive correlation between the two, highlighting the importance of considering species conservation goals in decisions about effluent reuse.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Robert J. Lennox, Jacob W. Brownscombe, Chris Darimont, Andrij Horodysky, Taal Levi, Graham D. Raby, Steven J. Cooke
Summary: Human predators exploit animals at high rates, targeting different age classes and phenotypes. They have significant ecological and evolutionary impacts and can replace wild predators in maintaining ecosystem services. Poorly managed human activities can harm ecosystems and human well-being.
Review
Oceanography
Milica Predragovic, Christopher Cvitanovic, Denis B. Karcher, Matthew D. Tietbohl, U. Rashid Sumaila, Barbara Horta e Costa
Summary: Climate change presents a significant challenge to marine ecosystems and species globally, particularly in European seas. However, there is a lack of comprehensive research on the potential impacts on commercially important and threatened species, hindering effective fisheries management.
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Tamara Burgos, Jose M. Fedriani, Gema Escribano-Avila, Javier Seoane, Javier Hernandez-Hernandez, Emilio Virgos
Summary: The presence of apex predators can have significant impacts on food webs, affecting the abundance and foraging behavior of frugivorous carnivores, as well as seed dispersal and the demography of fleshy-fruited plant species. Understanding these ecological interactions is crucial for designing effective conservation strategies, particularly in rewilding programs.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Catherine R. M. Attard, Jonathan Sandoval-Castillo, Dean M. Gilligan, Peter J. Unmack, Leanne K. Faulks, Luciano B. Beheregaray
Summary: This study demonstrates the application of genomic techniques in detecting hybrid populations of golden perch in the Murray-Darling Basin, southeast Australia, revealing admixture through a genome-wide dataset of 6,862 SNPs. The research suggests that stocking programs may introduce non-endemic ancestry, impacting genetic variation in the wild.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Benjamin Marsaly, Daniel Daugherty, Oliver N. Shipley, Carey Gelpi, Norman Boyd, Jonathan Davis, Mark Fisher, Philip Matich
Summary: Top predators, such as bull sharks and alligator gars, play crucial roles in their ecosystems. Our study on their trophic ecology and plasticity in two estuaries of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico showed their ability to adjust their behaviors in response to changes in prey availability and potential competition, suggesting they may be somewhat resilient to climate change and anthropogenic disturbances. This highlights the importance of combining different approaches to refine our understanding of the ecological roles of top predators.
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mark de Bruyn, Matteo Barbato, Joseph D. DiBattista, Matt K. Broadhurst
Summary: The study investigated the feeding ecologies of the common blacktip shark and the great hammerhead off eastern Australia, revealing their main prey as stingrays and teleost fish, with a challenge in distinguishing primary and secondary predation due to extensive mixing in predator and prey taxa through stomach chyme.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Shijie Song, jianyong Shen, Shishun Zhou, Xianming Guo, Jinchao Zhao, Xinghui Shi, Zhiyomh Yu, Qiangbang Gong, Shaohua You, Sven Landrein
Summary: Lianas are important components of tropical rainforests and play a significant role in biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Eleutharrhena macrocarpa is a critically endangered liana species, and this study provides conservation ideas for threatened tropical lianas based on field survey, age structure analysis, and habitat modeling.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Shijie Song, Jianyong Shen, Shishun Zhou, Xianming Guo, Jinchao Zhao, Xinghui Shi, Zhiyong Yu, Qiangbang Gong, Shaohua You, Sven Landrein
Summary: This study investigated the population size, distribution, age structure, and potential habitat of Eleutharrhena macrocarpa, a critically endangered liana. The results showed that most individuals will die after reaching a certain age, and a significant number of populations consist of only one individual. The potential habitat areas are predicted to decline in the future under different climate scenarios.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tamlin Jefferson, Maria L. D. Palomares, Carolyn J. Lundquist
Summary: By prioritizing the protection of certain areas in the ocean, we can achieve multiple goals of conserving biodiversity, protecting threatened species, and ensuring food security. A coordinated, global approach is necessary to effectively balance these objectives and avoid conflict between conservation and food security.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)