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Functional diversity–i.e., the diversity of morphophysiological characteristics of species in a biological community–revolutionized ecology in recent decades, shifting the focus of the field from species to ecosystems. While its ecological applications are known, its adaptability to other disciplines, specifically music, is explored here. We retrieved fourteen characteristics of 12,944 songs by the top 100 artists of the 2010s decade on four streaming platforms. Then, we calculated the three main components of functional diversity–richness, evenness, and divergence–to each artist using probabilistic hypervolumes. Furthermore, we investigated to what extent functional diversity and the traits of an artist, its albums and songs has an effect on their popularity across streaming platforms such as Spotify. High functional richness, where an artist's songs differ greatly sonically, correlated with increased listens of up to 244,300,000. This would lead to estimated profit earnings exceeding $1,000,000 per richness gain. Danceable, highly-energetic, melodic, pop, and, notably, melancholic songs, albums, and artists are more listened to than their counterparts in streaming services. We captured how patterns in human song might reflects the social state of human societies in recent years and demonstrate the potential of applying functional diversity concepts and tools across scientific and economic domains, extending its relevance beyond ecology. By demonstrating applications of state-of-the-art functional diversity metrics using music as a case study, we intent to communicate the often-complex concepts of functional diversity using the familiar realm of music, which is an intrinsic trait of human cultures across the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1.Dams on large rivers alter hydrodynamics, reduce seasonal variability and environmental heterogeneity, and have significant effects on river ecology. They produce less diverse environments and alter the community composition. Knowledge about the effects of dams on functional aspects of zooplankton communities is scarce. Thus, our main goal was to investigate how the zooplankton community of the Tocantins River in central Brazil changed after the implementation of the Estreito hydroelectric power plant dam. We explored the relationships of taxonomic and functional beta diversity in the zooplankton community, with the seasonality, flooding river phases and limnological variables.2.To answer our goals, we collected water samples 1 year before plant construction and 5 months after dam enclosure. To investigate how the environment changed after river damming, we conducted a principal component analysis. We calculated taxonomic and functional beta diversity using the Jaccard pairwise dissimilarity index for presence–absence data. To identify which functional traits were associated with each river phase and season, we firstly calculated the community weighted mean (CWM) for each trait. Secondly, we partitioned beta diversity into turnover and nestedness components. To investigate patterns of taxonomic and functional beta diversity and its turnover and nestedness components, we additionally used a series of six linear mixed models.3.Our results indicated that the limnological characteristics of the river changed after damming. Taxonomic and functional turnover was higher during the pre‐inundation phase, and this phase also showed greater limnological heterogeneity in comparison to the post‐inundation phase. We observed a strong seasonal dynamic in taxonomic turnover, with high turnover during the dry season. However, these seasonal dynamics disappeared after river damming. We demonstrated that the patterns of taxonomic and functional beta diversities were influenced by limnological variables and seasonal dynamics, which resulted in reduced variability in both species composition and functional characteristics after the implementation of the reservoir.4.This study emphasises the importance of variations in annual flow regimes in lotic ecosystems. We also showed an association between environmental heterogeneity patterns the high taxonomic and functional diversity of zooplankton communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding of the trait-based ecology of the periphytic algal community has increased in the last decade. However, the relationship between their functional diversity and ecosystem functions, such as primary production, has been speculated on, but yet not proven. Human impacts promote changes in biotic communities leading to a risk of extinction, with consequences for the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. In this study, we unraveled the associations between the taxonomic and functional components of periphytic algal diversity, stream eutrophication, and productivity patterns. Furthermore, we simulated future patterns of species extinction to predict how productivity may change when facing extinction. Primary production and taxonomic and functional diversity of the periphytic algal communities were estimated in five streams across a trophic gradient in the Ave River basin (northwest Portugal). Our results demonstrated that eutrophication led to a unimodal pattern of taxonomic diversity, while functional diversity tended to increase with increasing eutrophication. We found that only functional diversity had a positive association with primary production. The extinction estimations indicated that almost all species found in our study were at high extinction risk. When we spatially scaled our extinction simulations, we found poor-productive streams after the extirpation of a few species. However, at the regional scale, the ecosystem supports the extinction of at least 40% of species before turning into a poor-productive system. Intermediate levels of disturbance are probably beneficial for the diversity of periphytic algal communities, to a certain extent. Moreover, functionally diverse communities were more productive, and the alleged future extinction of species is likely to lead to poor-productive streams if regionally focused conservation initiatives are not implemented. We recommend that, using simulations of functional extinction, it is possible to infer how the loss of these microorganisms could alter ecosystem functioning, to better predict human impacts on aquatic ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species are going extinct 1,000 times faster than expected due to human impacts. When the extinction of species culminates in functional loss, ecosystem functioning is altered. Functional extinction risk depends on taxonomic and functional rarity, with the non‐redundant traits found in rare species being the most vulnerable.To investigate the relationship between taxonomic rarity and functional extinction, we ran extinction simulations driven by taxonomic rarity. Firstly, we sampled the fish fauna of 40 pristine Amazonian streams and compiled functional traits related to the body size, defence, diet, stratification, and activity of species. Then, we removed species, beginning with the rarest and ending with the commonest (and vice‐versa) and compared the observed patterns with random extinction at local and regional scales.Following the removal of rare species, the functional rarity and body size of the community both decreased, and functional extinctions occurred after less than 10% of extinction at both spatial scales. Otherwise, the removal of common species resulted in an increase in functional rarity at the local scale, although widespread species ensured the persistence of a set of unique functional traits at a regional scale. Additionally, more than 60% of the common species had to go extinct before any functional extinction occurred at either scale.If the ongoing mass extinction targets rare species, Amazonian stream ecosystems will be impacted by the loss of fish species associated with vulnerable functions.We propose an extinction risk assessment based on the ecosystem and recommend that future studies apply our approach to other taxa and ecosystems, to better understand the effects of human impacts on ecosystem functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Biotropica is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Periphytic diatoms are a key primary producer in floodplain systems. In this study, we assessed the species and functional traits in the periphytic diatom community in three lentic environments directly connected to the Paraná River shortly after damming and a decade later. Samples were collected in 2001–2002 and 2010–2011 during high waters phase. Periphytic samples were obtained from Eichhornia azurea Kunth, found in the shore zone of these environments. We recorded a total of 90 diatom species. 47 taxa were exclusive during the period shortly after damming and 18 taxa were only found in 2010–2011. The analysis of the similarity, diversity, beta diversity and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) suggested that there were differences in the species and functional traits of the periphytic diatom community between the two study periods. Variations in water transparency and nutrient (including nitrogen and phosphorus forms) were the most important variables shaping diatom communities diatoms during the study periods. High and motile profiles were characteristic shortly after damming and taxa of high and low profiles predominated a decade later. High transparency, high water and nitrogen levels favored the development of high and low profile, such as Gomphonema augur var. augur , Synedra goulardii and Amphora sp., whereas taxa belonging to high-profile and motile algae (e.g., Eunotia indica , Nitzschia amphibia ) were found in the opposite conditions. Species turnover was an important diversity component that was greatly influenced by limnologic differences over time, represented by environmental and temporal dissimilarities between the years. These changes reinforce the modifications that have occurred in the environmental component of the Upper Paraná River floodplain downstream of the dam from the start of its operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assembly rules are ecological processes imposed on a regional species bank to establish the structure of communities and define diversity patterns regarding space and time. Here, we investigated the trait distribution of periphytic algae in floodplain lakes that are naturally under contrasting environmental pressures with and without flood pulse action (low and high water phases) and the relationship between functional traits and environmental variables at regional and local scales. We hypothesized that functional clustering will be related to the low water phase in local scale, based on environment filters, and functional overdispersion to the high water phase in regional scale. With respect to traits, we can expect that the flood pulse would favored the prevalence of nanoperiphyton, filamentous forms and loosely attached. For this, we conducted a two-year assessment of the structure and dynamic of periphytic algae communities regarding their functional traits in lakes belonging to two sub-basins in a subtropical floodplain (upper Paraná River floodplain). The samplings occurred during the high water phase in 2010 and 2011 and the low water phase in 2011. The functional diversity values of the communities were quantified and compared with the mean value of communities randomly generated using null models. The relationships between functional traits and environmental variables were examined using RLQ analysis. We have shown that the traits respond to abiotic factors, and they indicated overdispersion in high water phase, and higher functional diversity in most preserved environments with absence of the pulse. The flood pulse favored the prevalence of colonial life form, stalked, entangled and heterotrichous species. This study showed spatial and temporal differences in the limnological characteristics between the lakes caused by hydrological phase and local forces in different sub-basins and the importance mainly of assimilable nutrients in the evaluation of trait–environment relationships. The overdispersion result can be assigned to flood pulse, which promotes a higher probability of dispersion and colonization of new areas for rare species, disturbance and more heterogeneous habitats, allowing opportunities for resource partitioning and regeneration of different species strategies. Moreover, the higher periphytic algae functional diversity in preserved sites emphasizes the importance of understanding ecological patterns linked to environmental degradation, as well as of conservation initiatives, because variation in periphytic algal communities implies in changes in the trophic structure, dynamics and in the functioning of environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Biota Neotropica (Edicao em Iingles) is the property of Biota Neotropica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Pithophora is the only genus recorded of the Pithophoraceae family in Brazil. Pithophora specimens were found close to banks of Hydrilla verticillata (L.F.) Royle in the Upper Paraná River floodplain. The specimens showed intercalary akinetes isospores in the same individual and morphologic similarities with Pithophora oedogonia reported in previous studies. This species constitutes a new citation for the Upper Paraná River floodplain and the third report for Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed the eutrophication effects on leaf litter decomposition and primary production, and on periphytic algae, fungi and invertebrates. According to the subsidy-stress model, we expected that when algae and decomposers were nutrient limited, their activity and diversity would increase at moderate levels of nutrient enrichment, but decrease at high levels of nutrients, because eutrophication would lead to the presence of other stressors and overwhelm the subsidy effect. Chestnut leaves ( Castanea sativa Mill) were enclosed in mesh bags and immersed in five streams of the Ave River basin (northwest Portugal) to assess leaf decomposition and colonization by invertebrates and fungi. In parallel, polyethylene slides were attached to the mesh bags to allow colonization by algae and to assess primary production. Communities of periphytic algae and decomposers discriminated the streams according to the trophic state. Primary production decomposition and biodiversity were lower in streams at both ends of the trophic gradient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epibiosis is a facultative association between two organisms: the epibiont, which colonizes the surface of living substrates, and the basibiont, which hosts the epibionts. Among protists, while numerous accounts exist for ciliates as epibionts of zooplankton, little information is available about the occurrence of this relationship between flagellates and microcrustaceans in the neotropics. During a survey on the epibiotic relationship between ciliated protists and planktonic copepodsin a tropical floodplain, we reported for the first time the occurrence of Colacium vesiculosum as an epibiont on Thermocyclops minutus and Notodiaptomus amazonicus from southern Brazil. The mean infestation prevalence was significantly higher on adults 30.53% (± 2.85) in comparison with copepodites 0.87% (± 0.55). When hosts were separated by order (Calanoida and Cyclopoida) copepodites presented a mean infestation prevalence of 0.92% (± 0.85) and 0.83% (± 0.60) respectively, while adults had a mean prevalence of 29.55% (± 6.8) and 30.13% (± 5.83), which could be explained by the fact that adult copepods provide a more stable substrate for epibionts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patterns of beta diversity of plankton communities in rivers have been mainly determined by hydrological factors that alter the dispersion and composition of species and traits. Rotifers in the Guamá River (eastern Amazonian River) were sampled (monthly between October 2017 and June 2019) to analyze the temporal variation of taxonomic and functional beta diversity and its partitions (turnover and nestedness) as well as the effects of temporal, environmental, and seasonal dissimilarities. Taxonomic turnover and functional nestedness over time were observed as well as functional homogenization, which was arguably due to the hypereutrophic condition of the river. There were no seasonal differences in taxonomic and functional beta diversity probably due the low environmental dissimilarity. This study demonstrated that this Guamá River stretch presented low environmental dissimilarity and hypereutrophic waters, which benefited the establishment of a community of species with high taxonomic turnover over time, but with low functional dissimilarity and loss of some functions related to the functional traits evaluated in the ecosystem. It is important to point out that temporal studies should evaluate both taxonomic and functional aspects of communities, mainly because the effect of environmental changes may be more noticeable at the functional level of communities.

Studies considering the functional traits of organisms, populations, and communities functional indices increase the understanding of many factors on ecosystem functioning. Here, we analyze the predation effect (by fish) on zooplankton functional diversity and the effects of biomass and density of periphytic algae on zooplankton feeding type trait and body size. We expect that intense predation by fish on zooplankton leads to higher values of zooplankton functional diversity and that food resource will be positively related to the abundance of zooplankton trait and body size. For that, microcosms were established (T1- fish-absence, and T2- fish-presence, both with periphytic algae as food). We observed that fish presence decreased zooplankton functional diversity through modifications in the availability of nutrients and algae, through the middle-out effect. We also observed that body size had a negative relationship with the food resource, reaffirming that high food availability in subtropical lakes is linked to small-bodied zooplankton. The raptorial copepods covariate positively with the periphytic algae, which was an alternative food resource and, in this case, the main form of carbon input into the system. In this study, omnivorous fish reduced zooplankton functional traits, which can alter the energy stock and energy flow in aquatic ecosystems.