Article
Entomology
Sara Castro-Cobo, Olivier Blight, Xavier Espadaler, Elena Angulo
Summary: The Argentine ant is an invasive species that has spread to three islands in the Mediterranean Sea and is organized in three European supercolonies. Human presence affects the likelihood of invasion on certain beaches, with certain supercolonies showing more expansion in specific locations. Co-occurrence with native ant species was observed on some beaches, suggesting the importance of long-term studies for understanding the dynamics of invasions.
MYRMECOLOGICAL NEWS
(2021)
Review
Evolutionary Biology
Arnaud Sentis, Jean-Louis Hemptinne, Alexandra Magro, Yannick Outreman
Summary: The role of evolution in biological control programs is often underestimated, but it is crucial for improving efficiency and resilience. Humans can manipulate natural evolutionary processes to enhance the performance of local biological control agents. However, biological control cannot be simplified as species interactions, as pests and biological control agents are influenced by multiple selective forces.
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Phillip J. Haubrock, Ross N. Cuthbert, Peter Haase
Summary: Rates of biological invasion are increasing, posing threats to ecosystems globally. Aquatic ecosystems, due to high connectivity and lack of monitoring, are particularly vulnerable to species introductions. This study used benthic invertebrate samples from streams and small rivers in Central Europe collected between 2000 and 2018 to investigate invasion dynamics. The results indicate an increase in non-native species richness and abundance, with higher success in larger streams and warmer regions.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biology
Jelena Bujan, Andrew T. Nottingham, Esther Velasquez, Patrick Meir, Michael Kaspari, Stephen P. Yanoviak
Summary: This study used a tropical forest soil warming experiment to assess the impact of temperature increase on litter-dwelling ants. The results showed that a two-year increase in temperature can lead to changes in ant community structure and foraging activities.
Article
Ecology
Tara de Queiroz, Susan E. E. Meyer
Summary: Seed banks are crucial for population survival in highly variable environments, and the response of desert species' seed banks to climate change is a key concern. The rare desert plant Arctomecon californica has shown a remarkable ability to maintain a long-lived seed bank, with up to 20 years of seed viability. Protecting known population areas is crucial for the conservation of this species' seed bank.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jacob Usinowicz, Jonathan M. Levine
Summary: The study investigated the impact of climate change on alpine plant persistence by combining experimental data with a theoretical framework. Predictions suggest that while warmer and wetter conditions may increase growth rates, overlapping competition will negate these benefits. The research highlights the intricate pathways through which climate change affects species' persistence and emphasizes the importance of considering low-density growth rates in understanding these impacts.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Carlos Antonio da Silva Junior, Mendelson Lima, Paulo Eduardo Teodoro, Jose Francisco de Oliveira-Junior, Fernando Saragosa Rossi, Beatriz Miky Funatsu, Weslei Butturi, Thais Lourenconi, Aline Kraeski, Tatiane Deoti Pelissari, Francielli Aloisio Moratelli, Damien Arvor, Iago Manuelson dos Santos Luz, Larissa Pereira Ribeiro Teodoro, Vincent Dubreuil, Vinicius Modolo Teixeira
Summary: The Amazon Basin is experiencing environmental degradation due to deforestation and an increase in fires. The fires are made worse by anomalously dry periods in the region.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fatemeh Khosravi, Andrea Taylor, Yim Ling Siu
Summary: Decision-makers can use climate information to adapt to the risks of climate variability and change, but the climate products need to be tailored according to users' specific information needs. Water managers in China require climate data with different timescales and variables, primarily obtaining historical, weather, and seasonal forecasts data from the China Meteorological Administration. By using external sources of climate change projections, users in China can critically evaluate the climate services provided by the CMA and understand the limitations of current services such as limited variables and timescales.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
James S. Sinclair, Michael E. Fraker, James M. Hood, Kenneth T. Frank, Mark R. DuFour, Ann Marie Gorman, Stuart A. Ludsin
Summary: This study evaluated the changes in fish species and trait composition in Lake Erie over the past 50 years in relation to human-driven changes in nutrient inputs, climate warming, and biological invasions. The results showed that shifts in species and traits were primarily associated with altered nutrient inputs, with no consistent trait-based evidence for the effects of warming and invasive species. Furthermore, context-dependent trait responses were observed, with different nutrient inputs leading to different trait shifts in different regions of the lake.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yugo Seko, Koya Hashimoto, Keisuke Koba, Daisuke Hayasaka, Takuo Sawahata
Summary: By comparing the dietary breadth of Argentine ant supercolonies in Japan, the study found that the more successful LH1 supercolony has a broader dietary range, possibly due to its superior resource exploitation ability, which may be the reason for its successful invasion.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Andrew J. Felton, Robert K. Shriver, Michael Stemkovski, John B. Bradford, Katharine N. Suding, Peter B. Adler
Summary: Rapid climate change can exceed ecosystems' adaptability, with consequences for ecosystem functioning often overlooked in climate change impact projections. Uncertainties related to climate disequilibrium are found to be a dominant source of uncertainty in long-term ecological response projections, with the importance of understanding and regulating climate disequilibrium processes emphasized for improving predictions and management.
Article
Ecology
Anna Oprei, Jose Schreckinger, Tatiana Kholiavko, Aline Frossard, Michael Mutz, Ute Risse-Buhl
Summary: Climate change and erosion from agricultural areas can cause increased drying periods and bedform migration of riverbeds. Sediment drying and bedform migration can independently stress the microbial community residing in the riverbed. The recovery process of the microbial community after exposure to these stressors varies in terms of function and structure, with different recovery times for community respiration and gross primary production. The impacts of sediment drying and bedform migration on microbial function and structure can persist for several months, and consecutive stress events combined with seasonal effects may hinder the recovery process, causing severe alterations to the microbial community.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ian R. Young, Agustinus Ribal
Summary: A long-duration, multi-mission altimeter dataset was analyzed to evaluate its accuracy in measuring long-term trends in significant wave height. Two calibration methods were investigated, with the altimeter-altimeter approach showing larger positive trends globally. However, both methods are affected by temporal non-homogeneity between altimeter missions. The study concluded that the accuracy in determining trends in significant wave height is limited to approximately +/- 0.2 cm/year. The sampling pattern of the altimeters was also examined, and it was found that under-sampling can bias trend estimates at the 99th percentile level, but not significantly at lower percentiles (90th and mean).
Article
Economics
Matthew E. Kahn, Kamiar Mohaddes, Ryan N. C. Ng, M. Hashem Pesaran, Mehdi Raissi, Jui-Chung Yang
Summary: The study shows that persistent changes in temperature can negatively impact economic activity, while changes in precipitation do not have a statistically significant effect. Losses from climate change vary significantly across countries.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Maowei Liang, Xiao Feng, Elise S. Gornish
Summary: The study investigated the coupled effects of grazing intensity and rainfall intensity on plant cover in semi-arid rangelands using long-term data. It found that rainfall intensity had different impacts on plant community cover at different time periods, especially small rainfall pulses had significant effects on plant cover, which has important implications for managing semi-arid ecosystems.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Matthew W. F. Howse, Rose A. McGruddy, Antoine Felden, James W. Baty, John Haywood, Philip J. Lester
Summary: This study analyzed the diet of the exotic European paper wasp and closely related congener in New Zealand, finding that both species mainly consume Lepidopteran insects but also other orders. There were significant differences in prey between the two wasp species, although these differences may be driven by limited sample size. The diet of these wasps includes both native and introduced species, with potential impacts on agricultural pests and local biodiversity.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2022)
Review
Ecology
Monica A. M. Gruber, Davide Santoro, Meghan Cooling, Philip J. Lester, Benjamin D. Hoffmann, Christina Boser, Lori Lach
Summary: Risk assessments are crucial for managing invasive species, and understanding the impacts of invasive species is essential for these assessments. Invasive ants are widespread and damaging, and a global assessment of their impacts has been conducted, resulting in a priority list of risk species.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Symon Palmer, Peter K. Dearden, Ocean R. Mercier, Alan King-Hunt, Phillip J. Lester
Summary: There is a global demand for new technologies to manage pest species, with gene silencing and gene drives being potential solutions, but facing challenges in feasibility, cost, benefits, and risks. Ethical, social, and regulatory considerations are crucial in the development and implementation of novel biotechnological pest control methods.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF NEW ZEALAND
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Mark Anderson, Stephen Hartley, Heiko U. Wittmer
Summary: The Cook Strait click beetle is only found in five offshore island refugia in New Zealand. This study estimated their elevational distribution and population density on Te Pakeka/Maud Island. The results showed that the beetles were present across the island's elevational range, but population densities were highest at lower elevations. Habitat assessments indicated that the abundance of mahoe and the presence of daytime refugia positively influenced beetle counts. This study provides important population estimates and insights for conservation management.
NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Philip J. Lester, Antoine Felden, James W. Baty, Mariana Bulgarella, John Haywood, Ashley N. Mortensen, Emily J. Remnant, Zoe E. Smeele
Summary: This study confirms the introduction of only one haplotype of Varroa destructor mite in New Zealand, and describes the viral communities in both the mites and the honey bees they parasitize. The most prevalent and abundant virus in bees is the Deformed wing virus A (DWV-A) strain, while VDV-2, Black queen cell virus, and Sacbrood virus play secondary roles. There is higher variation in viral loads in bees compared to mites, with DWV-A and VDV-2 being the dominant viruses in the mites.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Antoine Felden, Jana Dobelmann, James W. W. Baty, Joseph McCormick, John Haywood, Philip J. J. Lester
Summary: This study investigates the feasibility of manipulating the immune system of a biological invader using double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to increase susceptibility to pathogens. While the immune pathway disruption resulted in changes in viral loads, it did not consistently increase microbial infections or alter ant abundance in the field.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Aiden Reason, Mariana Bulgarella, Philip J. Lester
Summary: The invasive Asian paper wasp, Polistes chinensis, poses a threat to native invertebrate communities in New Zealand and South-East Australia. In a field study in New Zealand, researchers discovered that this species was infected with two pathogenic fungi, Beauveria malawiensis and Ophiocordyceps humbertii. These fungi were found to infect approximately 3.3% of the studied wasp population and significantly increase their mortality rates. This is the first record of these fungi infecting paper wasps in New Zealand and may contribute to the development of biological control agents for paper wasps worldwide.
Article
Biology
Kim F. Miller, Deborah J. Wilson, Stephen Hartley, John G. Innes, Neil B. Fitzgerald, Poppy Miller, Yolanda van Heezik
Summary: This study examined the relationship between five invasive urban mammals (Rattus species, European hedgehogs, mice, and brushtail possums) and different habitat features in urban green spaces, and identified areas where management efforts should be focused for ecological restoration. The results showed that rats were least detected in residential gardens, possums were most often detected in forest fragments, and hedgehogs were least detected in forest fragments. Proximity of amenity parks to forest patches was positively associated with possum and hedgehog presence and negatively with rats. Management of rats should focus on sites with shrub and lower canopy cover, and of mice on sites with herb layer cover. These findings have important implications for the restoration and management of biodiversity in urban green spaces.
Article
Ecology
Stephanie Tomscha, Bethanna Jackson, Rubianca Benavidez, Mairead de Roiste, Stephen Hartley, Julie Deslippe
Summary: Percentage-based targets for conservation and restoration lack evidence, especially for multiple ecosystem services. Decision-making scales can also pose challenges for implementing restoration targets. This study examined these challenges in the Ruamahanga Basin, New Zealand, where most wetlands have been drained. Restoration scenarios were created at two spatial scales: basin-scale and subcatchment-scale. The results showed that most of the variability in ecosystem service outcomes is found at fine spatial scales, which has implications for policy mechanisms and spatially-targeted management of ecosystem services.
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Philip J. Lester, David O'Sullivan, George L. W. Perry
Summary: Gene drives have limited effects on the eradication of wasp pests, but they offer long-term and cost-effective methods of pest suppression and reduce predation pressure on native species.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Entomology
M. W. F. Howse, J. Haywood, P. J. Lester
Summary: Social insects are challenging to eradicate and targeting them for eradication has a much lower success rate compared to non-social insects. Success is higher in more recent eradication attempts and decreases as the duration of the attempt goes on. Eradication is more successful on islands and when targeting species with a broader host range. Effective control treatments, management, monitoring systems, and social and political support are important for successful eradication.
Article
Biology
Jana Dobelmann, Antoine Felden, Philip J. Lester
Summary: The globally invasive Argentine ant was found to significantly increase the viral loads of deformed wing virus (DWV) and black queen cell virus in honey bees. However, microsporidian and trypanosomatid infections were not affected by ant invasion. Viral spillback from ants and ant attacks could increase infection levels in bees and pose a stressor to bee colonies. These findings highlight the overlooked effect of species invasions on pathogen dynamics.
Article
Virology
Zoe E. Smeele, James W. Baty, Philip J. Lester
Summary: This study tested the effectiveness of DWV-specific dsRNA sequences in reducing DWV loads and symptoms in honey bees. The results showed that parasitized bees had higher DWV levels, but DWV-dsRNA treatment did not significantly reduce DWV loads and symptoms in mini-hive reared bees, possibly due to sequence divergence between bees and varroa. The study also found that DWV-dsRNA treatment did not have a significant impact on Varroa mites' RNAi response or DWV levels.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Mariana Bulgarella, Alejandro E. Mieles, Jacqueline Rodriguez, Yesenia Campana, Georgia M. Richardson, Robert A. Keyzers, Charlotte E. Causton, Philip J. Lester
Summary: The yellow paper wasp, an invasive insect species in the Galapagos Islands, is a voracious predator of insect larvae and causes nuisance to humans. Current methods of wasp suppression are inefficient, and the development of species-specific attractants is needed. This study investigated the behavioral responses of male and female wasps to extracts from different body segments, and identified potential attractants for yellow paper wasps.
NEOTROPICAL BIODIVERSITY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Roald Bomans, Asher Cook, Stephen Hartley
Summary: The study investigates the impact of aerial 1080 operations on bird populations in New Zealand's Aorangi and Remutaka Ranges. Although some claim that forests become silent after 1080 use, the research shows limited evidence of negative effects on bird populations, suggesting a low likelihood of poisoning native birds.
NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
