Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Julien Louys, Todd J. Braje, Chun-Hsiang Chang, Richard Cosgrove, Scott M. Fitzpatrick, Masaki Fujita, Stuart Hawkins, Thomas Ingicco, Ai Kawamura, Ross D. E. MacPhee, Matthew C. McDowell, Hanneke J. M. Meijer, Philip J. Piper, Patrick Roberts, Alan H. Simmons, Gerrit van den Bergh, Alexandra van der Geer, Shimona Kealy, Sue O'Conor
Summary: The impact of modern humans on previously unoccupied island ecosystems and the extinction of Pleistocene megafauna are closely linked. However, current data does not support a direct association between Pleistocene hominin arrival and global extinctions, which are difficult to separate from environmental changes. It is not until the Holocene that significant changes in technology, dispersal, demography, and human behavior visibly affect island ecosystems.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
T. R. McClanahan, Nyawira A. Muthiga
Summary: Understanding the response of temperate corals in Mauritius to chronic and acute environmental stresses over a 15-year period revealed significant declines in coral cover, particularly on windward reefs. The distribution of coral taxa was influenced by island geography and oceanographic conditions, with strong predictor variables including thermal stress anomalies and water flow variability. Frequent acute stress was associated with lower thermal acclimation rates and differential impacts on dominant and subdominant coral taxa.
Article
Ecology
David J. X. Tan, Ethan F. Gyllenhaal, Michael J. Andersen
Summary: Pleistocene sea-level change has had a significant impact on the evolution and assembly of island biotas. A software package called PleistoDist has been developed to visualize and quantify the effects of sea-level change on islands and to test different hypotheses of inter-island dispersal and community assembly.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Peng Han, Yuhao Zhao, Yi Kang, Ping Ding, Xingfeng Si
Summary: This study examined the biogeography of bird soundscapes on land-bridge islands in Thousand Island Lake, China. The results showed that larger islands had higher diversity of avian soundscapes, while isolation had a negative effect on acoustic evenness. The study emphasizes the importance of considering both species and habitat diversity in understanding the mechanisms influencing biological soundscapes on islands.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Thalita Ferreira-Arruda, Nathaly R. Guerrero-Ramirez, Pierre Denelle, Patrick Weigelt, Michael Kleyer, Holger Kreft
Summary: The influence of island dynamics and characteristics on different facets of plant diversity, including functional and phylogenetic diversity, is explored using barrier islands. Island area is found to be the best predictor for all diversity facets. Larger islands have higher functional and phylogenetic diversity, while smaller islands have lower diversity. Habitat heterogeneity also affects diversity, with increased competition on smaller islands leading to potential trade-offs between area and heterogeneity.
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
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Geerat J. Vermeij
Summary: Evolutionary innovations are influenced by geography, with more innovations in the Indo-West Pacific region and higher survival rates for norm-breaking innovations in the same region compared to the Atlantic-East Pacific region. However, these innovations contribute less to overall taxonomic richness.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Ecology
K. C. Burns
Summary: This study investigates the paradox of island evolution by comparing the evolution of endemic floras on four oceanic archipelagos. The results suggest that solitary endemics evolve more slowly and converge on intermediate morphology, while co-occurring endemics evolve more rapidly and exhibit highly differentiated morphology.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Siliang Lin, Lin Chen, Weixin Peng, Jiehua Yu, Jiekun He, Haisheng Jiang
Summary: The study reveals that the flora of Hainan has continental origin and high floristic affinity with Vietnam, with historical land connectivity and temperature being the most important factors. Temperature shapes the floristic dissimilarities through environmental filtering, showing variations in beta diversity components across different regions.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biology
Julian Schrader, Ian J. Wright, Holger Kreft, Mark Westoby
Summary: Island biogeography focuses on the distribution of species on islands and isolated habitats, with five key processes shaping island diversity. The classical approach emphasizes species richness as the outcome, but functional traits can provide new insights into species colonization and persistence on islands. These traits are influenced by dispersal, establishment, extinction, evolutionary pathways, and ecological interactions, contributing to the unique characteristics of island species.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carmelo Andujar, Paula Arribas, Heriberto Lopez, Yurena Arjona, Antonio Perez-Delgado, Pedro Oromi, Alfried P. Vogler, Brent C. Emerson
Summary: Most of the understanding of island diversity comes from aboveground systems, while the patterns and processes of diversification and community assembly for belowground biotas remain poorly understood. This study focuses on a young and dynamic oceanic island to advance our understanding of the processes driving community assembly of soil mesofauna. Through DNA metabarcoding and analysis, the study reveals the role of niche conservatism in community assembly and the importance of habitat specialization through colonization and preadapted species. The study also shows hierarchical patterns of distance decay and geographical structuring within the soil mesofaunal community.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gary A. Zarillo
Summary: On the decadal time scale of coastal planning and management, the influence of relative sea-level rise is usually considered constant. However, along the east coast of Florida and coastal regions further north, the coastal ocean sea level is controlled by North Atlantic circulation and Gulf Stream flow at the interannual and decadal time scale. Each coastal region has its own distinctive annual sea-level cycle and longer-term sea-level oscillations. This paper discusses the influence of the strong Florida coastal ocean sea-level signal on topographic evolution, sediment budgets, and coastal transgression at the decadal time scale.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Oceanography
Ou Wang, Tong Lee, Christopher G. Piecuch, Ichiro Fukumori, Ian Fenty, Thomas Frederikse, Dimitris Menemenlis, Rui M. Ponte, Hong Zhang
Summary: The relative contributions of local and remote wind stress and air-sea buoyancy forcing to sea-level variations along the East Coast of the United States are investigated. Wind stress explains a significant portion of the interannual sea-level variance, while both wind and buoyancy forcing together explain a larger portion. The study also disproves a previous hypothesis about the Labrador Sea wind stress being a driver of Nantucket sea-level variations. Remote buoyancy forcing is found to influence Nantucket sea level through slow advective processes.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
A. Guy Plint, David Ulicny, Stanislav Cech, Ireneusz Walaszczyk, Darren R. Grocke, Jiri Laurin, Joel A. Shank, Ian Jarvis
Summary: This study integrates basin-scale, three-dimensional sequence architecture, molluscan biostratigraphy, and carbon-isotope chemostratigraphy to demonstrate synchronous sea-level changes in the Western Canada Foreland Basin and the Bohemian Cretaceous Basin. The results show that major transgressive events in both basins were paced by different eccentricity cycles, while early Coniacian sequences were influenced by the obliquity rhythm. The findings provide new insights into the mechanisms of eustatic change and fill gaps in previous research.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Elke Burkhardt, Ilse Van Opzeeland, Boris Cisewski, Ramona Mattmueller, Marlene Meister, Elena Schall, Stefanie Spiesecke, Karolin Thomisch, Sarah Zwicker, Olaf Boebel
Summary: This study highlights the importance of Elephant Island (EI) for Southern Hemisphere fin whales throughout their annual life cycle, with whales mainly visiting the area for feeding, as shown by acoustic recordings and visual information. Acoustic activity decreases as the breeding season begins.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2021)