Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Adrian Garcia-Rodriguez, Bernd Lenzner, Clara Marino, Chunlong Liu, Julian A. Velasco, Celine Bellard, Jonathan M. Jeschke, Hanno Seebens, Franz Essl
Summary: Shifts between native and alien climatic niches pose challenges for predicting biological invasions, especially for insular species. This study analyzed alien occurrences of endemic insular amphibians, reptiles, and birds and found that climatic mismatches were common in invasions of birds and reptiles, but less common in amphibians. Several predictors were identified for climatic mismatches, which varied among taxonomic groups.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Severin Biaou, Gerard Nounagnon Gouwakinnou, Florent Noulekoun, Kolawole Valere Salako, Jesugnon Marie Reine Houndjo Kpoviwanou, Thierry Dehouegnon Houehanou, Honore Samadori Sorotori Biaou
Summary: Climate change is expected to have an impact on species distribution globally. The current evaluation methods assume that species respond uniformly to environmental changes along their distribution range, but populations occupying different niches may respond differently due to local adaptation. Therefore, incorporating intraspecific variation into species distribution models can result in more reliable predictions.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Elia Lo Parrino, Mattia Falaschi, Raoul Manenti, Gentile Francesco Ficetola
Summary: Species distribution models are commonly used to predict potential distributions of invasive species. However, niche expansion in freshwater invasive species challenges the reliability of these models. This study investigates the factors influencing niche shifts using multiple sets of environmental variables and found that methodological choices strongly affect niche dynamics metrics, while biological features have a weaker influence. Inappropriate methodological choices can lead to apparent niche shifts, raising concerns about the reliability and interpretation of niche models. The high rate of niche expansion in freshwater invasive species emphasizes the need for objective criteria in selecting variables for niche assessments.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
N. A. Aravind, Maanya Uma Shaanker, Poorna H. N. Bhat, Bipin Charles, Uma R. Shaanker, Manzoor A. Shah, G. Ravikanth
Summary: This study analyzes the niche shifts of 33 of the world's top invasive species and finds that 90% of them have largely stayed within similar habitats rather than moving to completely new ones. This indicates the potential inertia that species may face when leaving their fundamental niche and suggests that niche conservatism may play a role in dampening the rates of invasion.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Daniel L. Perret, Dov F. Sax
Summary: Using conifers as a model system, it was found that niche-based sampling better represents species' niches compared to geographic sampling, with the size of this difference depending on study design and sample size. Gridded niche-based study designs achieved the most complete sampling at larger sample sizes, covering 15-25% more of a species' niche compared to similar geographical designs. However, all study designs performed poorly with fewer than 10 samples, and niche-based transects achieved slightly higher niche coverage in such cases.
Article
Ecology
Sara Santamarina, Ruben G. Mateo, Estrella Alfaro-Saiz, Carmen Acedo
Summary: Predicting the distribution of Invasive Alien Species (IAS) using species distribution models is promising for conservation planning. Multi-site comparisons and studying niche dynamics can provide insights for better understanding invasion processes and implementing local conservation actions. The fine-scale niche overlap analysis further explains the potential of IAS and can be used as a model example for promoting conservation actions.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Marcelo R. Rosas, Ricardo A. Segovia, Pablo C. Guerrero
Summary: Through comparing the species in South America and North America, we found that the distribution of the South American Astereae genus Haplopappus is influenced by climatic niche conservatism. There is a non-random distribution of species richness in central Chile, with endemic zones and transitional zones.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lixia Han, Zhixin Zhang, Weishan Tu, Qing Zhang, Yanhua Hong, Shengnan Chen, Zhiqiang Lin, Shimin Gu, Yuanbao Du, Zhengjun Wu, Xuan Liu
Summary: Many studies have questioned the niche conservatism hypothesis (NCH) and the usefulness of ecological niche models (ENMs) for predicting species distributions, as they have detected climatic niche shifts during range changes. Incorporating preferred prey in the assessment of NCH and ENM predictions improved the accuracy of predicting range shifts for the Asian openbill bird. Identifying species' preferred prey provides insights into the importance of trophic interactions and their impact on species distributions in response to climate change.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Maribel Vasquez-Valderrama, Carlos P. Carmona, Anibal Pauchard
Summary: The analysis of climatic space shifts in invasive woody legumes between native and introduced areas revealed that most invasive species show differences in climate conditions between the two ranges, with the introduced range having different climatic conditions compared to the native range. The invasive legumes were classified into four groups based on climate differences, with dissociation being the most common. Additionally, species in the expansion group had larger leaves compared to those in the dissociation group.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Thaise Emilio, Havle Pereira Jr, Flavia R. C. Costa
Summary: The study on plant species and trait distributions plays a crucial role in tackling ecological challenges such as climate change and biodiversity crisis. Intriguingly, the research in the central Amazonian forest revealed the significant impact of intraspecific variation on trait variations, shedding light on the understanding of species response to climate change. The findings also emphasized the species-specific trait-environment relationships and the turnover in species composition as the primary driver of palm trait composition changes along topography.
FRONTIERS IN FORESTS AND GLOBAL CHANGE
(2021)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Hai Ngoc Ngo, Dennis Roedder, Lee Grismer, Truong Quang Nguyen, Minh Duc Le, Shuo Qi, Thomas Ziegler
Summary: Based on phylogenetic analyses, the first divergence date of Goniurosaurus was estimated to be in the Eocene (approximately 45.3 million years ago). Diversification within four monophyletic species groups began in the mid-Miocene (approximately 13.4 to 7.7 million years ago) and continued until at least the early Pleistocene (approximately 2 million years ago). The ancestral regions of each monophyletic Goniurosaurus species group were predicted to be contiguous continental Eastern Asia. The assessments of their niche evolution can provide insights into vulnerability to climate change and improve conservation measures for Goniurosaurus species in the future.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Somaye Vaissi, Sahar Rezaei
Summary: Nutria, an invasive mammal native to South America, has had major ecological and economic impacts around the world. This study examined the climatic niches of nutria in both their native and invasive regions, finding that while some niches remained stable, others shifted during the invasion. The study also predicted future distribution changes for nutria under climate change, with habitat expanding in some regions and contracting in others by 2070.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Maria Sanz-Arnal, Carmen Benitez-Benitez, Monica Miguez, Pedro Jimenez-Mejias, Santiago Martin-Bravo
Summary: Based on the reconstruction of current and past environmental spaces for mainland and Macaronesian species, as well as the study of bioclimatic niche evolution, it was found that the ecological requirements of Macaronesian species did not overlap with those of mainland species or Pliocene fossils. On the other hand, the niches of mainland species showed significant similarity and equivalence.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Ian S. Pearse, Patrick McIntyre, N. Ivalu Cacho, Sharon Y. Strauss
Summary: Based on an analysis of a clade of jewelflowers, this study found that the fitness homeostasis of genotypes can be a major factor contributing to a species' realized niche breadth and geographic range. Fitness homeostasis is important for species as it can buffer them from the loss of genetic diversity and provide time for adaptation under changing climates.
Article
Forestry
Zhenghua Lian, Juan Wang, Chunyu Zhang, Xiuhai Zhao, Klaus von Gadow
Summary: The study examined the mismatch between species distribution and climatic niche optima, finding high variability in this mismatch along temperature and precipitation gradients, and that these mismatches were influenced by functional traits associated with competition and migration lags.
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
W. C. Tan, A. Herrel, D. Roedder
Summary: Habitat change and fragmentation are major drivers of biodiversity loss worldwide. Despite increased research efforts, there are biases in the study of habitat fragmentation, with focus on specific continents and limited exploration of response variables. However, there is a shift towards utilizing advanced technologies in research, indicating a need for increased investment in biodiversity hotspots.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Hai Ngoc Ngo, Dennis Roedder, Lee Grismer, Truong Quang Nguyen, Minh Duc Le, Shuo Qi, Thomas Ziegler
Summary: Based on phylogenetic analyses, the first divergence date of Goniurosaurus was estimated to be in the Eocene (approximately 45.3 million years ago). Diversification within four monophyletic species groups began in the mid-Miocene (approximately 13.4 to 7.7 million years ago) and continued until at least the early Pleistocene (approximately 2 million years ago). The ancestral regions of each monophyletic Goniurosaurus species group were predicted to be contiguous continental Eastern Asia. The assessments of their niche evolution can provide insights into vulnerability to climate change and improve conservation measures for Goniurosaurus species in the future.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jose W. W. Valdez, Corey T. T. Callaghan, Jessica Junker, Andy Purvis, Samantha L. L. Hill, Henrique M. M. Pereira
Summary: Although previous research has provided conflicting results, this study assessed the ability to detect global biodiversity trends using local species richness. The analysis considered factors such as the number of monitoring sites, sampling interval, measurement error, spatial grain of monitoring, and spatial sampling biases. The study found that while a monitoring network with hundreds of sites could detect global change in species richness within a 30-year period, detecting yearly trends and trends within shorter timeframes was challenging. Measurement errors and spatial sampling biases also had significant impacts on the ability to detect trends. The findings suggest that monitoring a representative network of sites at the national level, combined with models accounting for errors and biases, can improve our understanding of global biodiversity change.
Correction
Environmental Sciences
Francisco J. Oficialdegui, Jose M. Zamora-Marin, Simone Guareschi, Pedro M. Anastacio, Pablo Garcia-Murillo, Filipe Ribeiro, Rafael Miranda, Fernando Cobo, Belinda Gallardo, Emili Garcia-Berthou, Dani Boix, Andres Arias, Jose A. Cuesta, Leopoldo Medina, David Almeida, Filipe Banha, Sandra Barca, Idoia Biurrun, M. Pilar Cabezas, Sara Calero, Juan A. Campos, Laura Capdevila-Arguelles, Cesar Capinha, Frederic Casals, Miguel Clavero, Joao Encarnacao, Carlos Fernandez-Delgado, Javier Franco, Antonio Guillen, Virgilio Hermoso, Annie Machordom, Joana Martelo, Andres Mellado-Diaz, Felipe Morcillo, Javier Oscoz, Anabel Perdices, Quim Pou-Rovira, Argantonio Rodriguez-Merino, Macarena Ros, Ana Ruiz-Navarro, Marta I. Sanchez, David Sanchez-Fernandez, Jorge R. Sanchez-Gonzalez, Enrique Sanchez-Gullon, M. Alexandra Teodosio, Mar Torralva, Rufino Vieira-Lanero, Francisco J. Oliva-Paterna
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Francisco J. Oficialdegui, Jose M. Zamora-Marin, Simone Guareschi, Pedro M. Anastacio, Pablo Garcia-Murillo, Filipe Ribeiro, Rafael Miranda, Fernando Cobo, Belinda Gallardo, Emili Garcia-Berthou, Dani Boix, Andres Arias, Jose A. Cuesta, Leopoldo Medina, David Almeida, Filipe Banha, Sandra Barca, Idoia Biurrun, M. Pilar Cabezas, Sara Calero, Juan A. Campos, Laura Capdevila-Arguelles, Cesar Capinha, Frederic Casals, Miguel Clavero, Joao Encarnacao, Carlos Fernandez-Delgado, Javier Franco, Antonio Guillen, Virgilio Hermoso, Annie Machordom, Joana Martelo, Andres Mellado-Diaz, Felipe Morcilloy, Javier Oscoz, Anabel Perdices, Quim Pou-Rovira, Argantonio Rodriguez-Merino, Macarena Ros, Ana Ruiz-Navarro, Marta I. Sanchez, David Sanchez-Fernandez, Jorge R. Sanchez-Gonzalez, Enrique Sanchez-Gullon, M. Alexandra Teodosio, Mar Torralva, Rufino Vieira-Lanero, Francisco J. Oliva-Paterna
Summary: As the number of introduced species continues to rise, it is crucial to identify and prioritize current and potential invasive alien species (IAS) for effective management. Using a combination of scientific knowledge and expert opinion, this study identified the most relevant aquatic IAS in the Iberian Peninsula and classified them into a concern list and an alert list. This approach provides a robust assessment and cost-effective strategy for prioritizing resources in IAS prevention and management.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Sylvia Hofmann, Joachim Schmidt, Rafaqat Masroor, Leo J. Borkin, Spartak Litvintchuk, Dennis Roedder, Vladimir Vershinin, Daniel Jablonski
Summary: This study provides new molecular data and species distribution models for Himalayan spiny frogs, which contribute to the understanding of their taxonomy, phylogeography, genetic diversity, and distribution. These findings are important for reconstructing the palaeoenvironmental and palaeotopographic history of the Himalaya-Tibet-Orogen.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
HyeJin Kim, Garry D. Peterson, William W. L. Cheung, Simon Ferrier, Rob Alkemade, Almut Arneth, Jan J. Kuiper, Sana Okayasu, Laura Pereira, Lilibeth A. Acosta, Rebecca Chaplin-Kramer, Eefje den Belder, Tyler D. Eddy, Justin A. Johnson, Sylvia Karlsson-Vinkhuyzen, Marcel T. J. Kok, Paul Leadley, David Leclere, Carolyn J. Lundquist, Carlo Rondinini, Robert J. Scholes, Machteld A. Schoolenberg, Yunne-Jai Shin, Elke Stehfest, Fabrice Stephenson, Piero Visconti, Detlef van Vuuren, Colette C. C. Wabnitz, Juan Jose Alava, Ivon Cuadros-Casanova, Kathryn K. Davies, Maria A. Gasalla, Ghassen Halouani, Mike Harfoot, Shizuka Hashimoto, Thomas Hickler, Tim Hirsch, Grigory Kolomytsev, Brian W. Miller, Haruka Ohashi, Maria Gabriela Palomo, Alexander Popp, Roy Paco Remme, Osamu Saito, U. Rashid Sumalia, Simon Willcock, Henrique M. Pereira
Summary: The Nature Futures Framework (NFF) is a tool for creating positive futures for nature and people. It explores different perspectives on nature and describes how it can be applied in modeling to support decision-making. The paper presents key considerations for developing qualitative and quantitative scenarios, as well as three approaches to modeling Nature Futures scenarios in policy processes.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Inna Rech, Philipp Ginal, Anna Rauhaus, Thomas Ziegler, Dennis Roedder
Summary: According to the One Plan Approach to Conservation, ex situ conservation breeding of threatened gecko species is necessary in addition to in situ conservation measures. A study on gecko species worldwide revealed that only 9.3% of recognized species were kept in zoos, with 20.4% of them classified as threatened. Most zoo-kept geckos were found in European, North American, and Australian zoos, but institutions in Oceania mainly kept native geckos. The study suggests that zoos, both inside and outside the distributional range, can play a crucial role in conservation programs by establishing insurance colonies in cooperation with experts and conservation centers.
JOURNAL FOR NATURE CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sandra Oliveira, Cesar Capinha, Jorge Rocha
Summary: The highly invasive Aedes albopictus mosquito continues to spread worldwide, driven by international trade and its role as a vector for diseases such as Zika and dengue. A model based on trade volumes, climate similarity, and geographic distance predicts that this species might enter all assessed countries by 2035.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Guogui Chen, Xuan Gu, Cesar Capinha, Shing Yip Lee, Baoshan Cui, Fang Yang, Yufeng Lin, Mingming Jia, Mao Wang, Wenqing Wang
Summary: A study found that large-scale anthropogenic mangroves increase species diversity and change taxonomic compositions of mangrove macrobenthos. This is due to increased dispersal ability of macrobenthos caused by the construction of anthropogenic mangroves. Therefore, monitoring and assessing the ecological effects of anthropogenic habitats on functional fauna will be important for future coastal restoration and sustainable aquaculture.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Franz Essl, Adrian Garcia-Rodriguez, Bernd Lenzner, Jake M. Alexander, Cesar Capinha, Pierre Gauzere, Antoine Guisan, Ingolf Kuehn, Jonathan Lenoir, David M. Richardson, Sabine B. Rumpf, Jens-Christian Svenning, Wilfried Thuiller, Damaris Zurell, Stefan Dullinger
Summary: The rapid environmental changes in the Anthropocene era have caused shifts in species' spatial distributions, with lagged responses leading to disequilibrium states. The effects of different types of environmental change and time lags on species responses have not been adequately explored, which has implications for biodiversity assessments, scenarios, and models, thus impacting policymaking and conservation science. This perspective piece examines lagged species responses to environmental change and discusses ways to improve the calibration of species distribution models (SDMs) to account for time lags and enhance biodiversity science and policy.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Ruth Anastasia Regnet, Inna Rech, Dennis Roedder, Mirco Sole
Summary: A solid basis for addressing conservation challenges in amphibians requires increased knowledge of their natural history and biology. Recent research has found that reproductive modes in amphibians are more complex and varied than previously believed, but remain understudied. Detailed information on reproductive history is particularly important for filling current knowledge gaps.
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Ruth A. Regnet, Paul Lukas, Dennis Roedder, Benjamin Wipfler, Mirco Sole
Summary: In this study, we conducted a morphological examination of captive-bred larval specimens of Ranitomeya variabilis from the French Guiana population and provided detailed data on their external morphology, chondrocranium, cranial muscle systems, and internal organs. We also identified essential characteristics for recognizing tadpoles of different Ranitomeya species. The observed muscle configurations and morphological characters further support the taxonomic relationships within the Dendrobatidae family, particularly between Ranitomeya and Dendrobates.
Article
Ecology
Anna Schertler, Bernd Lenzner, Stefan Dullinger, Dietmar Moser, Jennifer L. Bufford, Luisa Ghelardini, Alberto Santini, Cesar Capinha, Miguel Monteiro, Luis Reino, Michael J. Wingfield, Hanno Seebens, Marco Thines, Wayne Dawson, Mark van Kleunen, Holger Kreft, Jan Pergl, Petr Pysek, Patrick Weigelt, Marten Winter, Franz Essl
Summary: This study analyzes the global distribution, taxonomy, ecological characteristics, temporal accumulation trajectories, and regional hotspots of 100 major alien fungal and oomycete pathogens with significant socio-economic and environmental impacts.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Ana Ceia-Hasse, Carla A. Sousa, Bruna R. Gouveia, Cesar Capinha
Summary: Arboviral diseases are a global concern, and forecasting vector abundance is crucial for preventive risk assessment. This study demonstrates the use of deep learning algorithms to predict short-term trends in Aedes aegypti mosquito eggs, showing high predictive performance. Linking this approach to disease transmission models could enhance early warning systems for arboviral disease risk.
ECOLOGICAL INFORMATICS
(2023)
