Article
Entomology
Lei Nie, Bamisope Steve Bamisile, Yuling Li, Hao Ran, Suhang Wang, Lei Wang, Yijuan Xu
Summary: The invasive species W. auropunctata has shown competitive advantages over resident ants in southern China, especially in terms of food and space resources, potentially leading to the replacement of some native ant species.
Article
Ecology
Kiana B. Young, David T. Saalfeld, Colette Brandt, Kyle R. Smith, Timothy J. Spivey, Cory J. Stantorf
Summary: Interactions between gray wolves and wolverines are understudied in North America. This study documents three instances of a wolf pack killing wolverines, providing insights into the possible reasons behind such interactions. The findings contribute to a better understanding of wolf and wolverine ecology and interspecific predator interactions.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
T. Champneys, M. J. Genner, C. C. Ioannou
Summary: The study found that the non-native Nile tilapia exhibited greater aggression and dominance over the native Manyara tilapia in competitive interactions, potentially leading to changes in resource use and long-term habitat displacement.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Haley L. Kenyon, Paul R. Martin
Summary: Aggressive interactions play an important role in birds, allowing them to gain resources and defend against competitors. Birds use signals involving sounds and color to communicate and avoid the costs of intraspecific aggression. They display similar aggressive postures and visual signals regardless of the species they are interacting with.
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Haley L. Kenyon, Paul R. Martin
Summary: Aggressive interactions among bird species often involve the display of weapons and specific visual signals, such as positioning the body towards the opponent, using bright colors, and highlighting certain body parts. Despite differences in species and taxonomic families, the overall patterns of aggressive signals remain consistent, indicating that selection from aggressive interactions may act on the same signaling traits regardless of competitor identity.
PEERJ COMPUTER SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jaramar Villarreal-Rosas, Jessie A. Wells, Laura J. Sonter, Hugh P. Possingham, Jonathan R. Rhodes
Summary: Land use change has led to significant declines in ecosystem services globally, impacting different beneficiaries unevenly. This study focused on the Brigalow Belt Bioregion in Australia to assess how land use change affects flood protection for urban residents, rural communities, and the food sector. Results showed net declines in flood protection for all sectors, with urban residents experiencing the greatest impact.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Robert Reuter, Olga Ferlian, Mika Tarkka, Nico Eisenhauer, Karin Pritsch, Judy Simon
Summary: The inorganic and organic nitrogen acquisition of temperate tree species is found to be influenced more by the competitive environment and availability of specific nitrogen sources in the soil rather than the type of mycorrhizal association.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Jacob R. Drucker, Nathan R. Senner, Juan Pablo Gomez
Summary: Interspecific aggression can lead to competitive exclusion or facilitate sympatry, and the symmetry of aggression can affect species relationships. Research found that despite size differences, Black-crowned Antbirds still responded to playback from Spot-backed Antbirds, and the two species co-occurred in some areas.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Angela Moreras, Jere Tolvanen, Chiara Morosinotto, Elsa Bussiere, Jukka Forsman, Robert L. Thomson
Summary: Breeding and nest-site choice are important behavioral strategies to counter negative interactions, such as predation and competition. Redstarts preferred 5 cm entrance size cavities which reduced brood parasitism risk, while predation rates remained comparable to 7 cm entrance size cavities. Interspecific competition for nest sites may influence redstart settlement patterns in different entrance sizes.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Sabrina Ongaratto, Edson L. L. Baldin, Thomas E. Hunt, Debora G. Montezano, Emily A. Robinson, Maria C. dos Santos
Summary: The study found that the velvetbean caterpillar had a competitive advantage over the soybean looper, affecting the survival and behavior of the latter. Additional research is recommended to further understand the effects of interactions, especially in field conditions.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Wenbo Zhang, Jue Qu, Wei Wang, Jun Hu, Jie Li
Summary: This study proposes a reliable and repeatable deep learning feature point retrieval method by using informative reference images and key point selection to improve the geolocation effect in damaged areas. Experiments show that this method effectively improves the accuracy of geo-location for damaged roads.
Article
Zoology
Francesco Ferretti, Raquel Oliveira, Mariana Rossa, Irene Belardi, Giada Pacini, Sara Mugnai, Niccolo Fattorini, Lorenzo Lazzeri
Summary: This study investigated the feeding habits of wolves on small carnivores and found that there was temporal and spatial overlap between the two, which suggests that the negative impact of wolves on small carnivores is limited.
FRONTIERS IN ZOOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jing Yang, Jiahui Lu, RenRen Wang, Xihua Wang, Shaopeng Li, Guochun Shen
Summary: This study investigated the responses of mean trait values of 11 tree species to reduced light and interspecific competition, showing substantial changes in trait differences, community-weighted means, and functional diversity. Incorporating these trait responses improved the identification of effects of low light and interspecific competition on community structure, revealing that strong abiotic filters could promote trait divergence if trait responses were considered. This emphasizes the importance of incorporating species mean trait value responses in trait-based community ecology for a more accurate and sensitive understanding of ecological mechanisms.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Guizong Zhang, Hao Yang, Weiping Zhang, T. Martijn Bezemer, Wenju Liang, Qi Li, Long Li
Summary: A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of intercropping systems on soil biota. It was found that intercropped maize soils had increased complexity and robustness of soil networks, while densities of plant parasitic nematodes and β-glucosidase activity were reduced. Intercropped soybean soils had lower C availability, but showed an increase in saprophytic fungi and plant parasitic nematodes compared to monoculture soils.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Tore Slagsvold, Karen L. Wiebe
Summary: Research found that male great tits may show aggression towards caged male pied flycatchers placed at a distance during the breeding season. However, this aggression was not influenced by the appearance of the nest boxes, nor correlated with the clutch size of great tits.
Review
Ecology
Shawan Chowdhury, Michael D. Jennions, Myron P. Zalucki, Martine Maron, James E. M. Watson, Richard A. Fuller
Summary: Anthropogenic pressures are causing a decline in insect populations worldwide. Protected areas, which are important for safeguarding vertebrates, have not focused much on insect conservation. There is a lack of knowledge on the effectiveness of protected areas for insect conservation, especially regarding threats and management strategies. The authors propose a research agenda to prioritize insects in expanding the global protected area network.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Stephen G. Kearney, James E. M. Watson, April E. Reside, Diana O. Fisher, Martine Maron, Tim S. Doherty, Sarah M. Legge, John C. Z. Woinarski, Stephen T. Garnett, Brendan A. Wintle, Euan G. Ritchie, Don A. Driscoll, David Lindenmayer, Vanessa M. Adams, Michelle S. Ward, Josie Carwardine
Summary: Earth's extinction crisis is worsening and threat classification schemes are crucial for assessing the drivers and threats causing species declines. However, there is a lack of a complementary framework for evaluating the conservation responses needed to reduce these threats. In this study, an expert-driven threat-abatement framework was developed and applied to 1532 threatened species in Australia, highlighting the importance of retaining and restoring habitat, controlling invasive species and diseases, and improving fire management for species recovery. Integrated management responses are necessary for the survival and recovery of most species.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jeremy S. Simmonds, Andres Felipe Suarez-Castro, April E. Reside, James E. M. Watson, James R. Allan, Scott C. Atkinson, Pasquale Borrelli, Nigel Dudley, Stephen Edwards, Richard A. Fuller, Edward T. Game, Simon Linke, Sean L. Maxwell, Panos Panagos, Philippe Puydarrieux, Fabien Quetier, Rebecca K. Runting, Talitha Santini, Laura J. Sonter, Martine Maron
Summary: Global efforts to achieve internationally agreed goals such as reducing carbon emissions and halting biodiversity loss lack integration. To unify these goals, we have derived specific area-based targets for retaining natural and seminatural terrestrial vegetation worldwide. At least 50% of Earth's terrestrial surface needs to be preserved in order to contribute to biodiversity, climate, soil, and freshwater conservation objectives under 4 United Nations' resolutions.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Nicholas P. Leseberg, Alex Kutt, Megan C. Evans, Tida Nou, Scott Spillias, Zoe Stone, Jessica C. Walsh, Stephen A. Murphy, Mike Bamford, Allan H. Burbidge, Kate Crossing, Robert A. Davis, Stephen T. Garnett, Rodney P. Kavanagh, Robert Murphy, John Read, Julian Reid, Stephen van Leeuwen, Alexander W. T. Watson, James E. M. Watson, Martine Maron
Summary: An evidence-based approach is necessary for the conservation management of threatened species, especially those that are poorly known. Experts used structured expert elicitation to determine the most effective conservation strategies for the critically endangered Night Parrot. The combination of protecting and actively managing habitat was found to be the most beneficial strategy.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Jessica C. Walsh, Michelle R. Gibson, Jeremy S. Simmonds, Helen J. Mayfield, Clare Bracey, Courtney B. Melton, April E. Reside, Martine Maron
Summary: Summarising the evidence about 'what works' for conservation is an important first step towards evidence-based practice. Our review of scientific evidence on conservation interventions for Australian woodland birds revealed a lack of comparable studies and knowledge gaps in the effectiveness of widely implemented interventions.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Divya Narain, Laura J. Sonter, Alex Mark Lechner, James E. M. Watson, Jeremy S. Simmonds, Martine Maron
Summary: Infrastructure development drives global biodiversity loss, with the financial sector indirectly contributing to this loss. Biodiversity safeguards by infrastructure financiers can help reduce the damage, but their coverage, harmonization, and alignment with international best practices need to be examined. Our assessment of public development banks and development finance institutions revealed that 42% of them have biodiversity safeguards, with 86% of these harmonized with the International Finance Corporation's Performance Standard 6. Strengthening these safeguards and adopting best practices is crucial in stemming global biodiversity loss.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sophus O. S. E. zu Ermgassen, Katie Devenish, B. Alexander Simmons, Ascelin Gordon, Julia P. G. Jones, Martine Maron, Henrike Schulte Buhne, Roshan Sharma, Laura J. Sonter, Niels Strange, Michelle Ward, Joseph W. Bull
Summary: Biodiversity offsetting is a globally influential policy mechanism for balancing development and biodiversity loss, but there is little evidence of its effectiveness. This study evaluated the outcomes of a jurisdictional offsetting policy in Victoria, Australia. The results suggest that achieving a 'net gain' in woody vegetation extent through offsetting seems unlikely due to the majority of increases in vegetation not being additional.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Da-Li Lin, Chih-Yi Tsai, Scott Pursner, Jung Chao, Allen Lyu, Tatsuya Amano, Martine Maron, Ruey-Shing Lin, Kun-Hai Lin, Kung-Kuo Chiang, Yung-Lun Lin, Li-Chung Lu, An-Yu Chang, Wan-Jyun Chen, Richard A. Fuller
Summary: Although some countries along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway have begun reporting population trends and identifying threats to migratory waterbirds, there is still limited systematic waterbird monitoring, hindering our understanding of the overall status of waterbird populations in the flyway. To address this, data from a citizen science project in Taiwan were used to examine recent population trends of 31 migratory waterbird species. The results showed varying trends among regions and identified the impacts of local land use and habitat loss in the Yellow Sea on the decline of migratory waterbirds in Taiwanese wetlands.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Deqiang Ma, Jonathan Rhodes, Martine Maron
Summary: Offsetting the impacts of development-induced marine habitat loss on fishery resources is crucial for ensuring seafood security. However, the potential benefits of marine habitat restoration for fishery resources have not been quantified. In this study, we use a case study of mangrove habitat offsets in Australia to determine the minimum restoration area needed to fully offset fishery losses caused by development projects.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Clarice Borges-Matos, Martine Maron, Jean Paul Metzger
Summary: Biodiversity offsets are often questioned in terms of their effectiveness. The review of existing condition metrics used in the offsetting context revealed differences in how ecological attributes from biodiversity, landscape, and ecosystem services were included. It is suggested that condition metrics should include the three dimensions of equivalence in a disaggregated way, and the use of modeling, expert opinion, and GIS could facilitate this.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Correction
Ecology
Shawan Chowdhury, Michael D. Jennions, Myron P. Zalucki, Martine Maron, James E. M. Watson, Richard A. Fuller
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Editorial Material
Ecology
Martine Maron, Fabien Quetier, Mariana Sarmiento, Kerry ten Kate, Megan C. Evans, Joseph W. Bull, Julia P. G. Jones, Sophus O. S. E. zu Ermgassen, E. J. Milner-Gulland, Susie Brownlie, Jo Treweek, Amrei von Hase
Summary: In order for the concept of nature positive to be an effective guide for international action on biodiversity conservation, it needs to learn from the lessons of the mitigation hierarchy, or else it runs the risk of being just empty greenwashing.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jonathan R. Rhodes, Yan Liu, Agung Wahyudi, Martine Maron, Md Sayed Iftekhar, Shantala Brisbane
Summary: Biodiversity offsets are a popular policy tool for mitigating the impact of development on biodiversity. However, their success depends on complex interactions among socio-economic, ecological, and policy processes. Habitat surrogates are commonly used in offset policies to determine requirements, but this approach may lead to poor outcomes for species. Agency-led offsets delivered by a public agency are proposed as a potential solution because they can strategically choose offset sites that maximize outcomes for species. The success of this approach depends on patterns of development and offset site availability.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ross Crates, Paul G. G. McDonald, Courtney B. B. Melton, Martine Maron, Dean Ingwersen, Emily Mowat, Max Breckenridge, Liam Murphy, Robert Heinsohn
Summary: Addressing the overabundance of noisy miners is an important step in protecting woodland birds. This study found that removing noisy miners significantly reduced their densities and improved the success rate of endangered species. The cost of managing noisy miners can be as low as AUD $10 per hectare.
CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Deqiang Ma, Jonathan Rhodes, Carissa J. Klein, Martine Maron
Summary: Biodiversity offsetting is a method used to offset the negative impacts of development on biodiversity. However, the redistribution of ecosystem services caused by offsets can affect the distribution of benefits among beneficiaries. This study compared the effects of two offset policy rules on the distribution of fishery economic benefits and losses.