News Item
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sara Phillips
Summary: By assessing the unique traits of traded animals and their role in ecosystems, researchers can evaluate the potential impact of losses.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Robert Nasi
Summary: The cultivation of oil palm is a permanent practice, but a five-year study shows that incorporating native trees into the monoculture can enhance biodiversity and ecosystem functioning without significantly reducing crop yields. The presence of native trees benefits the plantation ecosystem while maintaining crop productivity.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emiliano Donadio, Sebastian Di Martino, Sofia Heinonen
Summary: A foundation is reintroducing native species to restore ecosystems and develop ecotourism.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Vivienne P. Groner, Jessica J. Williams, Richard G. Pearson
Summary: Biodiversity plays a crucial role in providing ecosystem services, but the contribution of rare and endangered species (RES) to these services is unclear. A systematic review found a lack of quantitative research on the role of RES in agricultural production, which is a major driver of biodiversity change. Further research is urgently needed to inform conservation and agricultural policies.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joseph William Bull, Isobel Taylor, Elizabeth Biggs, Henry M. J. Grub, Tom Yearley, Harriet Waters, E. J. Milner-Gulland
Summary: Every large organization should consider and plan how to achieve net gain in biodiversity.
Article
Plant Sciences
Marcus Hedblom, Anne-Caroline Prevot, Axelle Gregoire
Summary: Urban greenery is important for human health, resilient and sustainable cities, and biodiversity. However, urban sprawl and densification have reduced access and quality of urban greenery. Urban planners, architects, landscape architects, and urban ecologists have different views on nature in cities. Science fiction movies often ignore nature in their depictions of future cities and do not show innovative ways of including nature in cityscapes. Collaborating with SF artists, urban designers, and urban ecologists can help integrate nature into depictions of future cities.
URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING
(2022)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ana S. L. Rodrigues, Marie-Morgane Rouyer
Summary: A global analysis provides evidence that protected areas are slowing down global biodiversity declines, although the effects vary across different groups of species, and what happens outside protected areas also matters.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Virginia M. Weis
Summary: Biologists have found through careful analysis of nutrient cycling that corals can rely on an unexpected food source to survive in times of food scarcity.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mark R. Payne
Summary: A recent analysis of fish population data in Europe and North America has revealed an alarming increase in the occurrence of marine heatwaves, challenging our previous understanding of their ecological implications.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eric Allan
Summary: A field experiment offers a new approach to explore the mechanisms through which grazing, fertilizer use, and light availability can influence the biodiversity of a grassland plant community.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Angga Yudaputra, Inggit Puji Astuti, Tri Handayani, Hartutiningsih Siregar, Iyan Robiansyah, Sri Wahyuni, Arief Noor Rachmadiyanto, Danang Wahyu Purnomo, Vandra Kurniawan, Yupi Isnaini, Frisca Damayanti, Rizmoon Nurul Zulkarnaen, Joko Ridho Witono, Izu Andry Fijridiyanto, Arief Hidayat, Mustaid Siregar, Esti Munawaroh, Fitriany Amalia P. Wardhani, Puguh Dwi Raharjo, Ana Widiana, Wendell Cropper Jr
Summary: It has been 23 years since the conservation status of highland tropical pitcher plant Nepenthes talangensis was assessed in 2000. Existing threats may increase the risk of extinction for the species, and a better understanding of its ecology and conservation needs is necessary. Information on population distributions, ecological requirements, priority conservation areas, climate impact, and population structure is crucial for assessing extinction risks and securing the species.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Michael Vardon, Yuqing Chen, Albert van Dijk, Heather Keith, Peter Burnett, David Lindenmayer
Summary: Ecosystem accounting can integrate ecological and economic data for biodiversity conservation, but better data and standardized reporting are needed.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Zubaria Waqar, Ramiris Cesar Souza Moraes, Maira Benchimol, Jose Carlos Morante-Filho, Eduardo Mariano-Neto, Fernanda Amato Gaiotto
Summary: The study assessed the genetic diversity and structure of Manilkara multifida populations in the remnants of the Atlantic Forest in southern Bahia, Brazil, finding a significant decrease in genetic variability between adult and juvenile trees. The forest fragments also showed unexpectedly short gene flow.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Minerva Singh, Jessamine Badcock-Scruton, C. Matilda Collins
Summary: The study reveals that the current protected areas offer minimal suitable habitat for threatened bird species, and projections show that in the future, some species may gain habitat area but lose protection. This highlights the importance of considering habitat availability and protection status for species conservation under future climate and land-use change scenarios.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Aryo Adhi Condro, Lilik Budi Prasetyo, Siti Badriyah Rushayati, I. Putu Santikayasa, Entang Iskandar
Summary: The Leuser Ecosystem is crucial for global biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services, but it faces threats from climate change and human activities. Research provides climate change metrics to support conservation management, highlighting threats to endangered mammal species. Different conservation strategies and monitoring measures can help support conservation efforts in this mega biodiversity region.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Evan R. Buechley, Marco Girardello, Andrea Santangeli, Alazar Daka Ruffo, Girma Ayalew, Yilma D. Abebe, David R. Barber, Ralph Buij, Keith Bildstein, Bruktawit Abdu Mahamued, Montague H. C. Neate-Clegg, Darcy Ogada, Peter P. Marra, T. Scott Sillett, Jean-Marc Thiollay, Martin Wikelski, Peter Yaworsky, Cagan H. Sekercioglu
Summary: This study utilized a range of data sources to build distribution models for vulture species, identifying priority conservation areas in Ethiopia, particularly in the highlands and lowlands of the northeast.
BIRD CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
M. H. C. Neate-Clegg, J. J. Horns, M. Buchert, T. L. Pope, R. Norvell, J. R. Parrish, F. Howe, C. H. Sekercioglu
Summary: Riparian corridors are crucial for bird breeding and migration, with climate and vegetation changes affecting bird populations. Warmer, drier years and El Nino events increase total captures and species richness, particularly for non-riparian species. Changes in community composition are also related to temperature and precipitation fluctuations.
ANIMAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Austin M. Green, Emily Young, Hailey Keller, Trayl Grace, Mary E. Pendergast, Cagan H. Sekercioglu
Summary: As humans continue to urbanize and the urban landscapes expand globally, wildlife faces pressure to adapt to new environmental disturbances. Human recreational activities can affect wildlife behavior, particularly in less developed areas, and especially during peak periods of recreational activity. This study examined the impact of periodic increases in human recreation on mammal species in northern Utah, USA, using data from a large-scale citizen science camera trapping project. The findings suggest that while some species did exhibit altered temporal activity patterns during periods of increased human recreational activity, overall there was little evidence of a temporal 'weekend effect'.
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.
Editorial Material
Ecology
Cagan H. Sekercioglu, William J. Sutherland, Evan R. Buechley, Binbin V. Li, Natalia Ocampo-Penuela, Bruktawit Abdu Mahamued
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
cagan H. Sekercioglu, Melissa J. Fullwood, Thure E. Cerling, Federico Oviedo Brenes, Gretchen C. Daily, Paul R. Ehrlich, Page Chamberlain, Seth D. Newsome
Summary: Understanding how human modification of habitats affects tropical bird feeding patterns is crucial for conserving bird biodiversity. Traditional methods of diet analysis are difficult for investigating tropical bird diets, but stable isotope analysis provides a cost-effective and efficient alternative. In our study in southern Costa Rica, we compared stable isotope values of four bird species in different habitats and found that habitat choice significantly influenced diet composition. Coffee plantations were found to be deficient in invertebrates preferred by forest generalist birds, indicating the importance of forest remnants for native birds in agricultural landscapes.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Anastasios Bounas, Victoria Saravia-Mullin, Maria Mendez, Volen Arkumarev, Lusine Aghajanyan, Korsh Ararat, Evan Buechley, Vladimir Dobrev, Dobromir Dobrev, Ron Efrat, Ivaylo Klisurov, Elzbieta Kret, Theodora Skartsi, Steffen Oppel, Rusko Petrov, Cagan H. Sekercioglu, Anton Vaidl, Jose A. Donazar, Stoyan C. Nikolov, Konstantinos Sotiropoulos
Summary: This study provides genetic management recommendations for the conservation translocation program of the declining Egyptian Vulture population in the Balkans. The results show that the current population management scheme and source populations do not have a significant impact on genetic diversity. However, releasing individuals of different origin would be appropriate to prevent further population contraction and loss of adaptive alleles.
JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Henry C. Stevens, Adam C. Smith, Evan R. Buechley, cagan H. Sekercioglu, Vaughn Shirey, Kenneth Rosenberg, Frank A. La Sorte, Douglas Tallamy, Peter P. Marra
Summary: This study used a Bayesian modeling framework to investigate the impact of phylogeny, geography, and ecological traits on the population trends of North American bird species. The results indicate that multiple ecological traits correlate with regional population trends, but the individual effects vary between different bird groups.
ORNITHOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Charlotte Rault, Fabien Leprieur, Luc Barbaro, Holger Kreft, Nicolas Mouquet, Julien Papaix, Cagan H. Sekercioglu, Cyrille Violle, Jean-Yves Barnagaud
Summary: This study investigates the spatial variations in ecological traits of breeding bird assemblages on oceanic islands. It tests the hypothesis that native and naturalized alien bird species are filtered by different processes, leading to diverging associations between traits and environmental gradients. The study assesses the composition of breeding bird assemblages on oceanic islands and quantifies their ecological trait structures with respect to diet, mobility, and body mass.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jeffrey D. Haight, Sharon J. Hall, Mason Fidino, Solny A. Adalsteinsson, Adam A. Ahlers, Julia Angstmann, Whitney J. B. Anthonysamy, Elizabeth Biro, Merri K. Collins, Barbara Dugelby, Travis Gallo, Austin M. Green, Laura Hartley, Mark J. Jordan, Cria A. M. Kay, Elizabeth W. Lehrer, Robert A. Long, Brandon MacDougall, Seth B. Magle, Darren E. Minier, Chris Mowry, Maureen Murray, Kristina Nininger, Mary E. Pendergast, Katie R. Remine, Travis Ryan, Carmen Salsbury, Christopher J. Schell, Cagan H. Sekercioglu, Catherine J. Shier, Kelly C. Simon, Colleen C. St Clair, Theodore Stankowich, Cassondra J. Stevenson, Lisa Wayne, Dave Will, Jacque Williamson, Larry Wilson, Amanda J. Zellmer, Jesse S. Lewis
Summary: Human-driven environmental changes affect wildlife diversity, but the impact varies across different cities due to landscape patterns, species characteristics, and other factors. This study analyzed data from 20 North American cities and found that regional environmental characteristics and mammal species traits influenced the effects of urbanization on species occupancy and community composition.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marlee A. Tucker, Aafke M. Schipper, Tempe S. F. Adams, Nina Attias, Tal Avgar, Natarsha L. Babic, Kristin J. Barker, Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau, Dominik M. Behr, Jerrold L. Belant, Dean E. Beyer, Niels Blaum, J. David Blount, Dirk Bockmuhl, Ricardo Luiz Pires Boulhosa, Michael B. Brown, Bayarbaatar Buuveibaatar, Francesca Cagnacci, Justin M. Calabrese, Rok Cerne, Simon Chamaille-Jammes, Aung Nyein Chan, Michael J. Chase, Yannick Chaval, Yvette Chenaux-Ibrahim, Seth G. Cherry, Dusko Cirovic, Emrah Coban, Eric K. Cole, Laura Conlee, Alyson Courtemanch, Gabriele Cozzi, Sarah C. Davidson, Darren DeBloois, Nandintsetseg Dejid, Vickie DeNicola, Arnaud L. J. Desbiez, Iain Douglas-Hamilton, David Drake, Michael Egan, Jasper A. J. Eikelboom, William F. Fagan, Morgan J. Farmer, Julian Fennessy, Shannon P. Finnegan, Christen H. Fleming, Bonnie Fournier, Nicholas L. Fowler, Mariela G. Gantchoff, Alexandre Garnier, Benedikt Gehr, Chris Geremia, Jacob R. Goheen, Morgan L. Hauptfleisch, Mark Hebblewhite, Morten Heim, Anne G. Hertel, Marco Heurich, A. J. Mark Hewison, James Hodson, Nicholas Hoffman, J. Grant C. Hopcraft, Djuro Huber, Edmund J. Isaac, Karolina Janik, Milos Jezek, Orjan Johansson, Neil R. Jordan, Petra Kaczensky, Douglas N. Kamaru, Matthew J. Kauffman, Todd M. Kautz, Roland Kays, Allicia P. Kelly, Jonas Kindberg, Miha Krofel, Josip Kusak, Clayton T. Lamb, Tayler N. LaSharr, Peter Leimgruber, Horst Leitner, Michael Lierz, John D. C. Linnell, Purevjav Lkhagvaja, Ryan A. Long, Jose Vicente Lopez-Bao, Matthias-Claudio Loretto, Pascal Marchand, Hans Martin, Lindsay A. Martinez, Roy T. McBride, Ashley A. D. McLaren, Erling Meisingset, Joerg Melzheimer, Evelyn H. Merrill, Arthur D. Middleton, Kevin L. Monteith, Seth A. Moore, Bram Van Moorter, Nicolas Morellet, Thomas Morrison, Rebekka Mueller, Atle Mysterud, Michael J. Noonan, David O'Connor, Daniel Olson, Kirk A. Olson, Anna C. Ortega, Federico Ossi, Manuela Panzacchi, Robert Patchett, Brent R. Patterson, Rogerio Cunha de Paula, John Payne, Wibke Peters, Tyler R. Petroelje, Benjamin J. Pitcher, Bostjan Pokorny, Kim Poole, Hubert Potocnik, Marie-Pier Poulin, Robert M. Pringle, Herbert H. T. Prins, Nathan Ranc, Slaven Reljic, Benjamin Robb, Ralf Roder, Christer M. Rolandsen, Christian Rutz, Albert R. Salemgareyev, Gustaf Samelius, Heather Sayine-Crawford, Sarah Schooler, Cagan H. Sekercioglu, Nuria Selva, Paola Semenzato, Agnieszka Sergiel, Koustubh Sharma, Avery L. Shawler, Johannes Signer, Vaclav Silovsky, Joao Paulo Silva, Richard Simon, Rachel A. Smiley, Douglas W. Smith, Erling J. Solberg, Diego Ellis-Soto, Orr Spiegel, Jared Stabach, Jenna Stacy-Dawes, Daniel R. Stahler, John Stephenson, Cheyenne Stewart, Olav Strand, Peter Sunde, Nathan J. Svoboda, Jonathan Swart, Jeffrey J. Thompson, Katrina L. Toal, Kenneth Uiseb, Meredith C. VanAcker, Marianela Velilla, Tana L. Verzuh, Bettina Wachter, Brittany L. Wagler, Jesse Whittington, Martin Wikelski, Christopher C. Wilmers, George Wittemyer, Julie K. Young, Filip Zieba, Tomasz Zwijacz-Kozica, Mark A. J. Huijbregts, Thomas Mueller
Summary: COVID-19 lockdowns have had significant impacts on wildlife, altering their spatial behaviors such as increased movements and reduced avoidance of roads. However, individual responses varied and were influenced by the different lockdown conditions.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Maja Belic, Antea Klobucar, Sinisa Faraguna, Romana Turk, Silvijo Vince, Emrah Coban, Aysegul Coban, Cagan Hakki Sekercioglu, Josip Kusak
Summary: Hematology is an important indicator of population health, and blood film evaluation is a quick method to gain insights into hematological parameters. This study aimed to test the possibility of using blood film evaluation as the only source of hematological data to assess the health status of brown bears. The results confirmed the usefulness of blood film evaluation in assessing the hematological status of animals, but suggested that more blood parameters should be analyzed for a more accurate assessment of health status.
VETERINARSKI ARHIV
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kyle D. Kittelberger, Megan K. Miller, Cagan H. Sekercio
Summary: This study assessed the potential impacts of wildfires on fall bird migration over the past decade and found a positive correlation between acres burned by wildfires and the number of bird captures, as well as a negative correlation with bird body mass index. The study also considered the lag effects of wildfires on bird migration and evaluated the usefulness of different proxies of body condition in highly stressed land birds.
AVIAN CONSERVATION AND ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Kyle D. Kittelberger, Noel Hohenthal, Kayahan Agirkaya, Aysegul Coban, Cagan Hakki Sekercioglu
Summary: The first Black-headed Penduline Tit in Turkey was recorded and studied, providing an overview of identification, age, and sex determination in comparison to the Eurasian Penduline Tit. This study also highlights the taxonomic situation and challenges of identifying this poorly studied species. It brings awareness to the species and may be valuable for those encountering it as a vagrant in the Caucasian region.
ZOOLOGY IN THE MIDDLE EAST
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kelsey A. Barnick, Austin M. Green, Mary E. Pendergast, Cagan H. Sekercioglu
Summary: Human development and roads have distinct effects on wildlife. Understanding these effects can help inform conservation strategies. We studied the mammalian community composition near a major interstate highway in northern Utah, USA. Our findings suggest that the highway does not significantly affect species richness or community similarity. Factors such as housing and human population density negatively impact mammalian community composition and species richness, while increased NDVI and decreased human footprint have a positive effect.
CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE
(2022)