Bats are nocturnal mammals which lives in large aggregations as colonies, hang their feet to twig of tree upward side, provide widespread ecological and monetary services via pollination, seed dispersal, rejuvenation of forests, guano as nutrient rich fertilizer and agricultural pest control. Different factors like exposure to heavy metals, pesticides, hunting, diminishing food supply, habitat destruction, forest fires and diseases are responsible for decreasing bat population, but urbanization greatly affects the composition and structure of inhabiting animal communities by transforming the natural habitats into environments dominated by human constructions. Micro bats feed on insect pests and help to reduce pesticide application in agricultural crops, whereas fruit bats feed on horticultural orchards like guava, ber and litchi thus act as pest. Bats are reservoirs of many pathogens like hendra, nipah, tioman, European lyssa and ebola viruses which cause several epidemic diseases among humans and domestic animals. Among 60 countries around the world, more than 200 bat species are considered to be threatened (critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable) by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Using different eco-friendly methods like artificial lights and netting we can save our orchards and conserve fruit bats which will be helpful in the maintenance of ecological balance of nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Indigenous groups in the American South relied on local resources including adapted neo-tropical and regionally domesticated crops and native fauna. Arrival of missionaries and non-native animal species (chickens, pigs, and cattle) led to changing subsistence strategies and settlement patterns. The mission communities needed to be self-sustaining and generate surpluses to supply the capital of La Florida (St. Augustine). Zooarchaeological data from sites in La Florida show how mission communities adopted these animals into their subsistence systems. Data shows adoption of domesticates varied across the provinces, and some food items became profitable market commodities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Wild animals have been implicated as reservoirs and even "melting pots" of pathogenic and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria of concern to human health. Though Escherichia coli is common among vertebrate guts and plays a role in the propagation of such genetic information, few studies have explored its diversity beyond humans nor the ecological factors that influence its diversity and distribution in wild animals. We characterized an average of 20 E. coli isolates per scat sample (n = 84) from a community of 14 wild and 3 domestic species. The phylogeny of E. coli comprises 8 phylogroups that are differentially associated with pathogenicity and antibiotic resistance, and we uncovered all of them in one small biological preserve surrounded by intense human activity. Challenging previous assumptions that a single isolate is representative of within-host phylogroup diversity, 57% of individual animals sampled carried multiple phylogroups simultaneously. Host species' phylogroup richness saturated at different levels across species and encapsulated vast within-sample and within-species variation, indicating that distribution patterns are influenced both by isolation source and laboratory sampling depth. Using ecological methods that ensure statistical relevance, we identify trends in phylogroup prevalence associated with host and environmental factors. The vast genetic diversity and broad distribution of E. coli in wildlife populations has implications for biodiversity conservation, agriculture, and public health, as well as for gauging unknown risks at the urban-wildland interface. We propose critical directions for future studies of the "wild side" of E. coli that will expand our understanding of its ecology and evolution beyond the human environment. IMPORTANCE To our knowledge, neither the phylogroup diversity of E. coli within individual wild animals nor that within an interacting multispecies community have previously been assessed. In doing so, we uncovered the globally known phylogroup diversity from an animal community on a preserve imbedded in a human-dominated landscape. We revealed that the phylogroup composition in domestic animals differed greatly from that in their wild counterparts, implying potential human impacts on the domestic animal gut. Significantly, many wild individuals hosted multiple phylogroups simultaneously, indicating the potential for strain-mixing and zoonotic spillback, especially as human encroachment into wildlands increases in the Anthropocene. We reason that due to extensive anthropogenic environmental contamination, wildlife is increasingly exposed to our waste, including E. coli and antibiotics. The gaps in the ecological and evolutionary understanding of E. coli thus necessitate a significant uptick in research to better understand human impacts on wildlife and the risk for zoonotic pathogen emergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Campanino, Finella M., English, Philina A., Layman, Craig A., and Archer, Stephanie K.
Subjects
ANIMAL communities, FISH diversity, INVERTEBRATE communities, SEAGRASSES, FISH communities, SPONGES (Invertebrates), FISHES
Abstract
Ecosystem engineers (e.g., seagrasses) have profound effects on biodiversity and community structure. Sponges possess traits (e.g., providing structure) that suggest they may act as ecosystem engineers, but we know little about their relationships with the animal communities that inhabit seagrass beds. This study explored the effects of the marine sponge, Ircinia felix, on fish and invertebrate taxa richness, abundance, turnover, and community composition in a seagrass bed through a 1-year field experiment performed in The Bahamas. We recorded the fish and invertebrate communities present in 5 × 5 m plots with the addition of either a live sponge, a polypropylene sponge replica (structure), or no additional structure (control). Both taxonomic groups responded to the addition of a live sponge. Taxa richness and abundance increased at least fourfold over a year in the presence of I. felix, but decreased twofold or more in the other plot types. Live sponge presence increased the number of new taxa gained by at least 24%, and reduced the number of taxa lost compared to other plot types. Finally, we found that the fish community composition shifted in a more consistent direction in the presence of a live sponge than in the other plots. Our study shows that sponges can act as ecosystem engineers in subtropical seagrass systems and additional research is needed to determine the full extent and implications of their ecological effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
He published over 200 peer-reviewed papers, and his research contributed conceptually to ecology, marine biology, environmental sciences, fisheries ecology, restoration ecology, and conservation biology. Pete was an exceptionally creative and productive scientist, who made key contributions to many aspects, or subdisciplines, in ecology and marine science. Introduction: Honoring the contribution of Charles H. Peterson (1946-2020) to the field of marine ecology Pete examined how habitat created by seagrass beds, salt marshes, oyster reefs, beaches, deep-sea hydrothermal vent organisms, and Antarctic crustaceans influences marine communities and produces ecosystem services. [Extracted from the article]
The article presents the discussion on shallow warm water coral reefs of the tropics and subtropics. Topics include cracks and crevices of reefs producing space and microenvironments harbouring multitudes of diverse organisms; and diversity of the reef-building scleractinian corals due to the skeletal structures and the numerous features.
Mitchell, Nora, McAssey, Edward V., and Hodel, Richard G. J.
Subjects
*DNA, *BIOTIC communities, *ANIMAL communities, *RNA, *COLLECTION & preservation of plant specimens, *PLANT DNA
Abstract
Xie et al. ([27]) presented two modifications to standard CTAB DNA extraction protocols that increase DNA yield: a strategy to prevent DNA shearing and a nuclei isolation approach that results in substantially larger quantities of extracted DNA. Many fern lineages have notoriously large genomes, which necessitates modifications to DNA extraction protocols to ensure sufficient quantities of high-molecular-weight DNA to complete long-read sequencing. Analyses of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) have become a staple tool for botanists to answer questions across a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from population genetics to biogeography, ecology, development, microbiology, physiology, and phylogenetics. [Extracted from the article]
Belowground life relies on plant litter, while its linkage to living roots had long been understudied, and remains unknown in the tropics. Here, we analysed the response of 30 soil animal groups to root trenching and litter removal in rainforest and plantations in Sumatra, and found that roots are similarly important to soil fauna as litter. Trenching effects were stronger in soil than in litter, with an overall decrease in animal abundance in rainforest by 42% and in plantations by 30%. Litter removal little affected animals in soil, but decreased the total abundance by 60% in rainforest and rubber plantations but not in oil palm plantations. Litter and root effects on animal group abundances were explained by body size or vertical distribution. Our study quantifies principle carbon pathways in soil food webs under tropical land use, providing the basis for mechanistic modelling and ecosystem‐friendly management of tropical soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Stream‐dwelling communities are expected to show a gradual replacement of the dominant feeding types following the type of resources found along the river continuum. Yet, the underlying longitudinal gradients in food web structure and energy flow‐paths remain poorly understood.Here, I synthesise novel research on the River Continuum Concept (RCC) and identify promising areas for future research linked to longitudinal changes in food‐chain length and energy mobilisation routes. For example, feeding links and connectance should reach maximum values in mid‐order rivers and then decrease to river mouths following uncovered longitudinal diversity patterns. Regarding energy mobilisation routes, a gradual replacement in the food web fuelling between allochthonous (leaf litter) and autochthonous (periphyton) resources should be expected.Beyond longitudinal changes in primary basal resource to consumer paths, other allochthonous (e.g. riparian arthropod inputs) and autochthonous (e.g. fish prey) inputs subsidising higher level consumers may show longitudinal changes, that is, terrestrial invertebrates decreasing but piscivory increasing downstream. However, the role of these inputs, that can alter predator niche variation and have indirect community‐based effects, on both food web structure and energy flow‐paths along the river continuum is not clear yet.Incorporating energy mobilisation and food web structure into RCC principles is necessary for a broad understanding of ecosystem functioning and trophic diversity in riverine systems, driving the emergence of novel insights. How function and structure of riverine food webs adapt to longitudinal changes in physical and biological environments represent a challenge for next generation of stream ecologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Ecological restoration is crucial to mitigate climate change and conserve biodiversity, and accurately monitoring responses to restoration is imperative to guide current and future efforts. This study examines the impact of ecological restoration of a tropical dry forest in Central India. Here, the state forest department and a nongovernmental organization work with local communities to remove an invasive shrub, Lantana camara, in the forest, to assist natural regeneration, primarily for the purpose of improving access to forest resources for forest‐dependent people. We used acoustic technology to examine the bird community composition and the acoustic space used (ASU) across comparable restored, unrestored (with L. camara), and naturally low L. camara density (LLD) sites. We found no significant difference in the cumulative number of bird species detected between the site types (median in restored and LLD = 38, unrestored = 41). We found a significant difference in bird community composition across sites (r2 = 0.049, p ≤ 0.001). ASU differs between site types (r2 = 0.023, p ≤ 0.10), with restored sites positively associated with ASU compared to unrestored and LLD sites, which could represent a temporary increase in ASU as animal communities are reorganized after the complete removal of L. camara. Our results suggest that small‐scale restoration efforts that aim to help meet livelihood needs have the potential to contribute to ecological goals in this landscape. However, it is necessary to continue to monitor the regeneration trajectory in restored sites and the possible changes in the ASU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
But to sustain such socio-ecological systems, people need to see themselves not as conservators of wildlife and ecosystems, nor as managers of wildlife and ecosystems, but as stewards of wildlife and ecosystems. The search for negative emissions solutions is now looking to nature, where instead of searchers merely viewing species and ecosystems needing protection from climate change, species and ecosystems are increasingly being viewed as playing a hand in mitigating it. SP 6, sp [10],[11],[12] This makes good sense. Complex multitrophic ecosystems, with ACC species present, are also more likely to create resilience of ecosystem processes to environmental change because of greater redundancy in trophic pathways and a mixture of top-down and bottom-up controls of ecosystem composition and function. Such stewardship holds that humans have ethical obligations to one another that are mediated through their mutual relationships with nonhuman species and ecosystems.[92] Unlike conservation, which aims to protect species and ecosystems from people, or management, which aims to maximize natural resource extraction for people while minimizing damages from exploitation and ecosystem transformation, a stewardship ethic promotes the continuous improvement of ecosystem functioning and resilience everywhere by simultaneously creating the conditions that allow for the autonomous existences of species, and promoting the production of natural resources and ecosystem services.[92] This ethic can help to expand opportunities for humans to remain on the landscapes and make a living there, including through stewardship of wildlife and ecosystems for the purposes of sustaining and enhancing the ecosystem service provided by ACC. [Extracted from the article]
Aquatic plant invasions are primarily caused by human activities, such as the release of aquarium plants, the dumping of garden waste, and the use of aquatic plants in aquaculture and ornamental pond systems. Biological invasions are considered one of the most significant causes of ecosystem disruption, which results in a significant loss of biodiversity at broad geographical scales and concurrent alterations to the function and supply of ecosystem services (Vilà et al. [89]; Ehrenfeld [30]; Murphy and Romanuk [59]; Bohan et al. [9]; Xie et al. [95]). Preventing the introduction and spread of invasive aquatic plant species requires a combination of measures, including early detection and rapid response to new invasions, increased regulation of the trade in aquatic plants, and public education and outreach to prevent the accidental release of non-native species (McGavigan [57]). Plant communities with the dominance of I Elaeagnus angustifolia i typically have low species diversity and are dominated by this invasive species. [Extracted from the article]
Few studies have addressed drug resistance of Enterobacterales in rural communities in developing countries. This study aimed to determine the coexistence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and carbapenemase genes in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae strains carrying the mcr-1 gene in rural communities in Ecuador from healthy humans and their backyard animals. Sixty-two strains, thirty E. coli and thirty-two K. pneumoniae strains carrying the mcr-1 gene were selected from a previous study. PCR were performed for the presence of ESBLs and carbapenemase genes. The strains were further characterized, and the genetic relationship was studied with multi-locus sequencing typing (MLST) of seven housekeeping genes. Fifty-nine of the sixty-two mcr-1 isolates (95%) harbored at least on β-lactam resistance gene. The most prevalent ESBL genes were the blaTEM genes (present in in 80% of the E. coli strains) and the blaSHV gene (present in 84% of the K. pneumoniae strains). MSLT analysis revealed 28 different sequence types (ST); 15 for E. coli and 12 for K. pneumoniae, with most ST never described in humans and animals. The coexistence of mcr-1 and β-lactams resistant genes in E. coli and K. pneumoniae strains is alarming and threatens the efficacy of last-resort antibiotics. Our findings highlight backyard animals as a reservoir of mcr-1/β-lactams resistant genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
The COVID-19 pandemic is intricately linked to biodiversity loss and ecosystem health. Conversely, loss of biodiversity disrupts ecological functioning and undermines the ability of ecosystems to support humankind.[6] 1 Box Biodiversity, ecosystems and associated definitions HT
Biodiversity. Keywords: Climate change; Global warming; Ecology; World Health Organization; Communicable diseases; COVID-19; Zoonoses EN Climate change Global warming Ecology World Health Organization Communicable diseases COVID-19 Zoonoses 336 340 5 05/03/23 20230501 NES 230501 Biodiversity in Australia is in steep decline, posing major risks to human health Australia is one of 17 megadiverse countries globally, with many plants, animals and ecosystems found nowhere else on Earth. [Extracted from the article]
Copyright of Journal of Northwest A & F University - Natural Science Edition is the property of Editorial Department of Journal of Northwest A&F University (Natural Science Edition) 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.)
Restoration of forests is now considered an essential tool to combat climate change and the global biodiversity decline. However, our understanding of how animal communities recover after restoration interventions in tropical forests is limited. Here, we aim to reveal the recovery patterns of fruit‐feeding butterfly communities across a large‐scale rainforest restoration area in Kibale National Park, Uganda. Our study represents a chronosequence resampling of fruit‐feeding butterfly communities across actively restored Afrotropical forest planted between 1995 and 2011 and primary forest reference sites. Sampling of 40 study sites was done first in the period 2011–2012 and again in the period 2020–2021 (including 5 new study sites), allowing a direct comparison of how communities have changed in nine years and to follow the progress of 26 years of active restoration. Fruit‐feeding butterfly community composition showed a directional pattern from the younger restored to older restored and primary forests. However, over the nine years, the similarity of community composition to primary forest increased only in younger restored forests. Furthermore, different characteristics of community structure and different diversity facets recovered at different paces. For example, the count of individuals, the count of species, and phylogenetic diversity increased in the restored forests; however, Simpson's diversity increased only in the older restored forest. Our study shows that active restoration can help fruit‐feeding butterfly communities become increasingly similar to communities found in primary forests, and such changes can be relatively fast in the early‐successional phases of tropical forests but slow down at later phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
The article details the NWGA 2024 Congress, in South Africa, where Herman Archer was honored with the Silver Ram for his service, various regional shearing sheds received accolades for wool quality, and new leadership positions were filled, including the election of Niel du Preez as national vice chairperson. It mentions the appointment of Dan Kriek as general manager and the highest wool price awarded to Chris van Rooyen.
Conservatively - for various uncertainties and gaps exist in its crime statistics - more than 5,000 violent gang crimes, including homicides, felony assaults and rape, take place just in the City of Los Angeles every year. Those who inhabit areas of the city that are prone to street gang activity are acutely aware of the intricacies of their local geography and the boundaries that divide "safe" from "unsafe" spaces. Eruvim can also be found in dozens of other American cities, most major settlements in Canada, a number of key Jewish population centres in Latin America and Europe (although, quite surprisingly, not Paris, Berlin or Budapest), select districts in Australia and South Africa, and almost every town and city in Israel. This wire makes up part of the Williamsburg eruv (plural eruvim or eruvin), a ritual enclosure that allows thousands of observant Orthodox Jews to practise their faith as desired on Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath. [Extracted from the article]
"Just Fodder" by Josh Milburn explores the ethical dilemma faced by self-professed animal lovers who feed their companion animals with protein derived from other animals. The book raises questions about the moral responsibility of these individuals and the potential harm caused by feeding non-herbivorous animals a plant-based diet. Milburn presents an ethical framework that emphasizes relational, positive obligations towards animals, supplementing their basic negative rights. The book also discusses the ethical issues surrounding the feeding of different categories of animals, including companion animals, wildlife, and rescued animals. Overall, "Just Fodder" offers a comprehensive examination of the ethics of feeding animals and provides insights into the complex relationship between humans and animals. [Extracted from the article]
Cross-habitat spillover may be the outcome of a process of habitat loss or degradation where the receiving habitat serves as a refuge for organisms. Once surface habitats are lost or degraded, animals can find underground refuge in caves. This paper is focused on testing whether taxonomic order richness inside caves is positively affected by the loss of the native vegetation cover surrounding caves; whether degradation of native vegetation cover predicts cave community composition; and whether there is a pattern of cave community clusters delimited by similarity in the effects of habitat degradation on animal communities. We gathered a comprehensive speleological dataset consisting of occurrence data of thousands of invertebrates and vertebrates sampled in 864 iron caves in the Amazon, to test the effects of both variables measured inside caves and surrounding landscapes on spatial variation in richness and composition of animal communities. We show that caves can work as refuges for the fauna in landscapes where the native vegetation cover surrounding them was degraded, which was evidenced by landcover change increasing the richness of cave communities and clustering caves by similarity in community composition. Therefore, habitat degradation on the surface should be a key variable when characterizing cave ecosystems for conservation prioritization and offset planning. Habitat degradation causing a cross-habitat spillover effect highlights the importance of maintaining the connection between caves by the surface, especially large caves. Our study can help guide industry and stakeholders working on the complex conciliation between land use and biodiversity conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Simple Summary: Animal welfare policy regarding husbandry practices in sheep in Australia differs between states and territories. This dis-uniformity of the legislature can be confusing and limit the application of the law, particularly with growing pressure from the local and global community to improve animal welfare. The influence of scientific evidence contributing to the development of these policies is unclear. This article explores the Australian animal welfare legislature and the scientific evidence informing husbandry practices commonly performed at lamb marking. The development and substance of animal welfare policy is subject to a range of social, cultural, economic, and scientific influences that commonly vary within and between countries. Discrepancies in policy can create confusion and mistrust among stakeholders and consumers and limit the ability to create a uniform minimum level of requirements to safeguard animal welfare, as well as create a level 'playing field' for farmers when trading with other jurisdictions. The livestock sector is receiving growing scrutiny globally for real and perceived violations of animal welfare, for example, the practice of mulesing in Australia. This article explores animal welfare legislation within Australia and how it reflects the scientific evidence surrounding routine husbandry practices in sheep, including tail docking, castration, and mulesing. While there is some variation between state and territory legislation, the most notable concern is the lack of enforceable recommendations surrounding the evidence-based use of analgesia and anaesthesia for painful husbandry procedures. The age at which these procedures are recommended to be performed is relatively consistent across Australian jurisdictions, but there is a marked difference compared to international legislation. The global context of animal welfare legislation, public perception, and producer perception of these procedures are also discussed, highlighting the difficulty of creating robust animal welfare legislation that promotes a good standard of welfare that is respected worldwide whilst being practical in an Australian setting given our unique geography and climatic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Avian mixed-species flocks are ubiquitous across habitats and a model for studying how heterospecific sociality influences the behavior and composition of animal communities. Here, we review the literature on mixed-species flocks and argue that a renewed focus on individual-level interactions among flock members can transform our understanding of this iconic, avian social system. Specifically, we suggest that an individual perspective will further our understanding of (1) how inter- and intraspecific variation in flock participation links to fitness costs and benefits, (2) the implications of familiarity between individuals in structuring mixed-species flock communities, and (3) how social roles within mixed-species flocks are related to social behavior within and across species. We summarize studies that use an individual perspective in each of these areas and discuss knowledge from conspecific social behavior to posit more broadly how individuals may shape mixed-species flocks. We encourage research approaches that incorporate individual variation in traits, relationships, and social roles in their assessment of mixed-species flocking dynamics. We propose that the analysis of individual variation in behavior will be particularly important for explicitly identifying fitness outcomes that led to the evolution of mixed-species flocks, which in turn affect community structure and resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Long recognized as a threat to wildlife, particularly for large carnivores, livestock grazing in protected areas can potentially undermine conservation objectives. The interspecific interactions among livestock, snow leopards (Panthera uncia), and their wild prey in fragile Asian highland ecosystems have been a subject of debate. We strategically deployed 164 camera traps in the Wolong National Nature Reserve to systematically investigate the activities of snow leopards, their primary wild ungulate prey species, and free‐ranging livestock. We found that snow leopard habitat use was influenced by both wild prey and livestock. Blue sheep served as the main wild prey that spatially attracted snow leopards and coexisted with yaks while free‐ranging yaks significantly restricted snow leopard habitat use both temporally and spatially. This study challenges the conventional understanding that livestock indirectly impacts large carnivores by competing with and displacing wild prey. Our findings highlight that free‐ranging yaks within the alpine canyon terrain could directly limit snow leopard habitat use, suggesting a potential risk of grazing in reducing apex predator distribution and jeopardizing their populations. Consequently, managing their coexistence in shared habitats requires a more nuanced approach. Furthermore, our research underscores the importance of further research efforts aimed at enhancing our comprehension of the complex interplay within animal communities and ecosystems. This knowledge will contribute to the development of informed, evidence‐based conservation strategies and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Simple Summary: Research on the microorganisms in the reproductive tract of cows has become increasingly popular. Reproductive pathogens, including bacteria, caused uterine disease and decrease fertility. Using sequencing techniques endometrial microbiomes in healthy animals and those with metritis were compared. Our study has identified uterine microbiome profiles that are positively and negatively associated with uterine health. Since it is important to know which bacteria live in healthy or diseased animals, this information will enable the development of treatment options for cows that not only reduce antibiotic use but improve fertility. An improved understanding of changes to the bacteria communities will help to identify animals that can successfully become pregnant again after calving. The bovine genital tract harbors a dynamic microbiome. Genital tract microbial communities in healthy animals have been characterized using next-generation sequencing methods showing that microbe compositions differ between the vagina and uterus, more so during the postpartum period. Pre-calving fecal and vaginal, and endometrial swabs at the different postpartum intervals were collected from dairy cows. Microbiomes in these samples were determined based on bacterial 16S amplicon sequencing and compared between healthy (H; n = 10) control animals and cows that developed metritis (M; n = 10) within 21 days postpartum (DPP). Compared to healthy animals the pre-calving fecal and vaginal microbiomes of metritis animals were more abundant in sequences from the phylum Fusobacteria and the bacterial genera such as Escherichia-Shigella and Histophilus. In addition, compared to healthy animals, metritis cows harboured low microbial species diversity in the endometrium, as well as decreasing Proteobacteria and increasing Fusobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes abundances. The greatest taxonomic compositional deviations in endometrial microbial communities between the metritis and health cows were detected between 7 and 10 DPP. There was high taxonomic similarity detected between postpartum endometrial microbiomes and the prepartum vaginal and fecal microbiomes suggesting that colonization through bacteria ascending from the rectum and vagina to the uterine cavity might play a major role in establishing the endometrial microbiome postpartum. A deeper understanding of the establishment and dynamics of postpartum endometrial microbial communities in cows will thus provide crucial basic knowledge to guide the development of genital microbiome manipulation strategies for preventing uterine disease and improving fertility in dairy cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Simple Summary: Sentient animals have moral rights. This follows from the best justification for human rights that we can give. However, that does not mean that animals have the same rights as we do. First, they have partially different interests. Second, humans have special relationships with each other, from which special duties also follow. Humans live in states and are subject to compulsory laws. However, we have also made many animals existentially dependent on us through subjugation. A just coexistence with such animals is only possible if we also grant them political membership rights. Do animals have moral rights? An affirmative answer follows from the best justification for human rights that we can give. The moral status not only of humans but also of animals consists in an egalitarian right to have rights. From this equal status, however, substantially equal rights follow only if the morally relevant interests are equal. A reasonably broad and differentiated understanding of our own, human animal nature reveals which interests we share with many other animals. Thus, sentient animals have basic rights to life and well-being, including volitional activities and access to beneficial social relationships. Further rights arise from special human–animal relationships that are also politically relevant. By subjecting animals and, thus, making them existentially dependent on us, we owe them more than mere protection and help in easily remediable emergencies. We thereby also assume associative duties, as they exist among fellow citizens. Therefore, we should open our understanding of the common good to the reality of species-mixed communities and represent animals politically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Forests within urban areas are important for the survival of some native plant and animal communities. Urban forests are negatively affected by human-mediated disturbances, including those that increase nonnative plant invasion. Nonnative plants alter forest structure, and can contribute to dense understory vegetation, more open canopy structure, and less leaf litter volume. This modified vegetation structure alters resources urban forests provide for native forest species. Carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) are used globally to understand community-level responses to changes in ecosystem quality. We sampled carabids in 24 urban temperate deciduous and mixed forests in two cities, Raleigh, North Carolina and Newark, Delaware, to understand how carabid communities in different regions change in response to nonnative plant invasion. We predicted forests invaded by nonnative plants would have denser understories and carabid communities with less forest specialist species and more open area specialist species. We focused on forest specialist carabids, species that depend on intact forest canopies, and open area specialist carabids, species that depend on open or no canopies, to determine whether urban forests support species indicative of intact forest ecosystems. We found greater native ground cover was associated with greater forest specialist diversity, greater canopy openness increased open area specialist capture and diversity, and understory vegetation density reduced open area specialist diversity. However, relationships were dependent on regional plant and carabid community composition. This study suggests abundant nonnative plants and associated dense vegetation structure are potential mechanisms explaining differences between rural and urban carabid communities and provides a unique example of how nonnative plants influence a guild of arthropods other than obligate herbivores. Our results indicate urban forests are not negligible ecosystems, but rather a reservoir for native biota. We suggest urban forest managers promote native species by managing nonnative species invasion in the understory of urban forests, to improve ecosystem quality for native forest specialist species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Tulloch, Lynley, Andrews, Michelle, Charteris, Kayla, and Shorter, Tanya
Subjects
EARLY childhood education, EFFECT of human beings on climate change, CRITICAL thinking, ANIMAL communities, ECOFEMINISM, SUSTAINABILITY
Abstract
In Aotearoa New Zealand and globally, anthropogenic climate change and other socio-environmental issues are having a profound and negative impact on natural ecosystems, cultural sites, human communities, and multiple species. These impacts have significant implications for the education of our children and early childhood education, for sustainability offers a hopeful way forward. In this article we suggest that the principles of ecopedagogy hold promise for a holistic form of ECEfS (early childhood education for sustainability) in Aotearoa New Zealand. ECEfS supports the development of sustainability values, dispositions and concepts in young children. The authors demonstrate how these characteristics of ECEfS link well with Te Whāriki (Ministry of Education, 2017) as a holistic, place-based and relational curriculum. In this paper we use vignettes drawn from our experiences as researchers and educators in ECE as prompts for reflection. The vignettes provide opportunities for teachers to inquiry into their own pedagogical practice and implications for weaving ecopedagogy into the curriculum. In this article we propose a holistic form of ECEfS that is cognisant of the interdependencies between healthy environments, non-human animals and communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
BIRD communities, ANIMAL communities, INDUSTRIALIZATION, BIRD populations, NUMBERS of species, SOCIAL dominance
Abstract
To detect stress affecting bird communities after the construction of an industrial area (Carnia, North-eastern Italy), a before (2004)-after (2014) comparison has been performed, using the diversity/dominance (or 'stress') curves. We observed a marked decrease in number of species (31 vs. 20), in pair densities (292 vs. 120) and in Shannon diversity index (2.97 vs. 2.56), with an increase in dominance concentration index (Simpson: 0.04 vs. 0.06). Although, at singles species level, only Lanius collurio showed a significant reduction (p < 0.05), the change in slope of the 'stress curves' makes explicit the disruption in general pattern of frequencies, with an increase of generalist/edge species and the disappearance of forest-interior and agro-mosaic sensitive species. 'Stress curves' appeared a useful tool to detect the effects of change in land use due to industrialization at community level. We stimulate community ecologists to apply more frequently this analysis to detect the effects of anthropogenic threats on animal communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Svinin, Anton O., Chikhlyaev, Igor V., Bashinskiy, Ivan W., Osipov, Vitaly V., Neymark, Leonid A., Ivanov, Alexander Yu., Stoyko, Tamara G., Chernigova, Polina I., Ibrogimova, Polina K., Litvinchuk, Spartak N., and Ermakov, Oleg A.
Trematode infection of the second intermediate hosts can lead to changes in their fitness and, as a result, a change in the invasion rate of animal communities. It is especially pronounced during the invasion of parasite species that reduce activity due to the manipulation of hosts through the changes of their morphology and physiology. One of these cases is an anomaly P syndrome hotspot found in some populations of water frogs and toads in Europe caused by the trematode Strigea robusta metacercariae. The occurrence of pathogen and their participation in ecosystems are intrigues questions in the anomaly P phenomenon, as well as the role of planorbid snails that serve as the first intermediate hosts for many trematode species. Herein, we focused on trematodes spectra from planorbid snails and amphibians from the anomaly P hosts with the aim to undetected interactions between the pathways of parasites. Emerging cercariae of 6802 planorbid snails of dominant species (Planorbarius corneus, Planorbis planorbis, and Anisus spp.) were detected by both morphological and molecular methods in seven waterbodies in Privolzhskaya Lesostep Nature Reserve (Russia). A total of 95 sequences of 18 species were received, and 48 sequences were unique and did not present in any genetic databases. The 18 species of trematodes from snails and 14 species of trematodes from amphibian hosts (Pelophylax ridibundus; Ranidae; Anura) were detected. Three species (Echinostoma nasincovae, Tylodelphys circibuteonis and Australapatemon burti) was new for the trematode fauna of the Middle Volga River region and Russia as a whole. Eleven species of parasitic flatworms have amphibians in their life cycles and nine species used amphibians as metacercariae hosts: Echinostoma nasincovae, E. miyagawai, Echinoparyphium recurvatum, Tylodelphys circibuteonis, Neodiplostomum spathula, Paralepoderma cloacicola, Macrodera longicollis, Strigea robusta, and Strigea strigis. The occurrence of trematode species from planorbid mollusks and frogs were compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
The alteration of environmental conditions has two major outcomes on the demographics of living organisms: population decline of the common species and extinction of the rarest ones. Halting the decline of abundant species as well as the erosion of biodiversity require solutions that may be mismatched, despite being rooted in similar causes. In this study, we demonstrate how rank abundance distribution (RAD) models are mathematical representations of a dominance-diversity dilemma. Across 4,375 animal communities from a range of taxonomic groups, we found that a reversed RAD model correctly predicts species richness, based solely on the relative dominance of the most abundant species in a community and the total number of individuals. Overall, predictions from this RAD model explained 69% of the variance in species richness, compared to 20% explained by simply regressing species richness on the relative dominance of the most abundant species. Using the reversed RAD model, we illustrate how species richness is co-limited by the total abundance of a community and the relative dominance of the most common species. Our results highlight an intrinsic trade-off between species richness and dominance that is present in the structure of RAD models and real-world animal community data. This dominance-diversity dilemma suggests that withdrawing individuals from abundant populations might contribute to the conservation of species richness. However, we posit that the positive effect of harvesting on biodiversity is often offset by exploitation practices with negative collateral consequences, such as habitat destruction or species bycatches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Kanno, Yoichiro, Kim, Seoghyun, and Pregler, Kasey C.
Subjects
*GLOBAL warming, *ANIMAL communities, *COLD-blooded animals, *ANIMAL populations, *VITAL statistics, *COEXISTENCE of species, *KNOWLEDGE gap theory
Abstract
Animals experience seasonally changing conditions in temperate regions, thus population vital rates change seasonally. However, knowledge is lacking on patterns of seasonal correlation between growth and survival in sympatric ectotherms, and this knowledge gap limits our understanding of environmental change impacts on animal populations and communities. Here, we investigated sub‐seasonal (two‐month intervals) correlation between growth and survival in three stream fishes (bluehead chub Nocomis leptocephalus, creek chub Semotilus atromaculatus and mottled sculpin Cottus bairdii) in South Carolina, USA, via a mark–recapture survey over 28 months. We found that patterns of temporal correlation between the population vital rates differed among the sympatric species. Growth increased and survival decreased with water temperature in two eurythermal species, resulting in negative correlation between growth and survival. Growth peaked in sub‐seasons with an intermediate water temperature range in a third stenothermal species, while survival decreased with water temperature for this species too. Consequently, there was not significant negative or positive correlation between sub‐seasonal growth and survival in the stenothermal species. Body condition (weight at given length) decreased from May through November in all three species, providing a potential physiological explanation for why survival rates were lower during this period. Negative correlation among population vital rates stabilizes population size over time and buffers animal populations from environmental change because the vital rates are not affected simultaneously in the same direction, indicating some degree of resiliency in the face of climate changes in the two eurythermal species. However, such a demographic mechanism of resiliency could be maintained so long as climate warming does not exceed optimal growth temperature, above which negative correlation between growth and survival may no longer be maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
The ability to directly measure and monitor poor nutrition in individual animals and ecological communities is hampered by methodological limitations. In this study, we use nutrigenomics to identify nutritional biomarkers in a freshwater zooplankter, Daphnia pulex, a ubiquitous primary consumer in lakes and a sentinel of environmental change. We grew animals in six ecologically relevant nutritional treatments: nutrient replete, low carbon (food), low phosphorus, low nitrogen, low calcium and high Cyanobacteria. We extracted RNA for transcriptome sequencing to identify genes that were nutrient responsive and capable of predicting nutritional status with a high degree of accuracy. We selected a list of 125 candidate genes, which were subsequently pruned to 13 predictive potential biomarkers. Using a nearest‐neighbour classification algorithm, we demonstrate that these potential biomarkers are capable of classifying our samples into the correct nutritional group with 100% accuracy. The functional annotation of the selected biomarkers revealed some specific nutritional pathways and supported our hypothesis that animal responses to poor nutrition are nutrient specific and not simply different presentations of slow growth or energy limitation. This is a key step in uncovering the causes and consequences of nutritional limitation in animal consumers and their responses to small‐ and large‐scale changes in biogeochemical cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Ectoparasites on wild birds and mammals threaten health of the animal and community. Most studies of ectoparasites tend to be location focused so characterizing wider differences between ectoparasites and hosts is difficult. The aim of this study was to identify ectoparasites from free ranging and captive wildlife at an academic zoological medicine service in Central Oklahoma and record first reports of ectoparasites and hosts. We collected 228 ectoparasites from 47 animals: 111 ectoparasites from 30 birds were 14 lice (n = 78), four hematophagous fly (n = 20), and three tick (n = 13) species. One hundred seventeen ectoparasites from 17 mammals were four flea (n = 8) and four tick (n = 109) species. Results included 13 first-time ectoparasite species and 26 first-time host-ectoparasite reports in Oklahoma. The study portrays closer representation of ectoparasites infesting wild animals in Central Oklahoma and demonstrate possible correlation between mortality and injury to parasitized hosts. Additional studies would document ectoparasites infesting wildlife in Central Oklahoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Minimum animal units (MAU) are central to the study of skeletal part profiles in zooarchaeology. This measure standardizes skeletal part counts by their anatomical frequencies in a complete animal, transforming those counts into a series of values—one for each type of skeletal part. Zooarchaeologists often treat MAU as ordinal scale and use rank order statistics to compare MAU values against measures of dietary utility and bone density. Using simulation, I show that these standardized values erase critical sample size information and lead to biased ordinal correlations, preventing reliable inferences about the fossil populations from which the samples were drawn. Given the sample sizes typical of zooarchaeological work, the standardized count problem probably misguides many interpretations of taphonomy and human subsistence. The problem can be circumvented by using Poisson regression, a simple statistical method that provides conservative inferences for relationships between skeletal part profiles and measures of bone density and dietary utility, especially when implemented in a Bayesian framework. The regression approach treats skeletal part data as counts rather than ranks, while also retaining sample size information. I demonstrate the method with two archaeofaunal examples. Poisson regression allows for reliable inferences about fossil assemblages, although extending those inferences back to past animal communities or death assemblages presents additional challenges. Insights into these communities and assemblages require that zooarchaeologists carefully consider the relationship between statistical model specification and causation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Recovering biodiversity is a common goal of restoration, yet outcomes for animal communities are highly variable. A major reason for this variability may be that active restoration efforts typically target plant communities, with the assumption that animal communities will passively recover in turn. However, this assumption remains largely unvalidated experimentally making it unclear how plant‐focused restoration strategies influence animal communities. We evaluated how the diversity of seed mixes used to restore tallgrass prairies (a common plant‐focused technique) influenced the recovery of ant community diversity and composition. Our study took place within a large‐scale restoration experiment in southwest Michigan, where 12 former agricultural fields are being restored to tallgrass prairie by sowing seeds of prairie plant species native to our region. Half of each field was seeded with 12 prairie species and the other half with 72 prairie species. Sites restored with high diversity seed mixes increased plant species richness, but did not consistently influence ant richness or community composition. Instead, ant species richness and composition were related to an interaction between realized plant species richness (which was only partly structured by seeding treatments) and environmental structure. Specifically, ant richness increased more with higher realized plant richness when vegetation cover was lower and soil‐surface temperatures were higher. Our findings illustrate how plant and animal communities can respond differently to plant‐focused restoration efforts. Despite this, plant community restoration can structure animal community responses, in concert with environmental factors. Layering additional restoration strategies onto existing plant‐focused approaches may further benefit biodiversity across taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Ecological restoration is critical for climate and biodiversity resilience over the coming century. Today, there is strong evidence that wildlife can significantly influence the distribution and stoichiometry of elements across landscapes, with subsequent impacts on the composition and functioning of ecosystems. Consequently, any anthropogenic activity that modifies this important aspect of zoogeochemistry, such as changes to animal community composition, diet, or movement patterns, may support or hinder restoration goals. It is therefore imperative that the zoogeochemical effects of such anthropogenic modifications are quantified and mapped at high spatiotemporal resolutions to help inform restoration strategies. Here, we first discuss pathways through which human activities shape wildlife‐mediated elemental landscapes and outline why current frameworks are inadequate to characterize these processes. We then suggest improvements required to comprehensively model, validate, and monitor element recycling and redistribution by wildlife under differing wildlife management scenarios and discuss how this might be implemented in practice through a specific example in the southern Kalahari Desert. With robust ecological forecasting, zoogeochemical impacts of wildlife can thus be used to support ecological restoration and nature‐based solutions to climate change. If ignored in the restoration process, the effects of wildlife on elemental landscapes may delay, or even prevent, restoration success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
The increasing global emergence of zoonoses warrants improved awareness of activities that predispose vulnerable communities to greater risk of disease. Zoonotic disease outbreaks regularly occur within Myanmar and at its borders partly due to insufficient knowledge of behavioral risks, hindering participatory surveillance and reporting. This study employed a behavioral surveillance strategy among high-risk populations to understand the behavioral risks for zoonotic disease transmission in an effort to identify risk factors for pathogen spillover. To explore behavioral mechanisms of spillover in Myanmar, we aimed to: (1) evaluate the details around animal contact and types of interaction, (2) assess the association between self-reported unusual symptoms (i.e., any illness or sickness that is not known or recognized in the community or diagnosed by medical providers) and animal contact activities and (3) identify the potential risk factors including behavioral practices of self-reported illness. Participants were enrolled at two community sites: Hpa-An and Hmawbi in Southern Myanmar. A behavioral questionnaire was administered to understand participants' animal exposures, behaviors and self-reported illnesses. From these responses, associations between (1) animal contact activities and self-reported unusual illnesses, and (2) potential risk factors and self-reported unusual illness were tested. Contact with poultry seemed to be very frequent (91.1%) and many participants reported raising, handling and having poultry in their houses as well as slaughtering or being scratched/bitten by them, followed by contact with rodents (57.8%) and swine (17.9%). Compared to participants who did not have any unusual symptoms, participants who had unusual symptoms in the past year were more likely to have sold dead animals (OR = 13.6, 95% CI 6.8–27.2), slaughtered (OR = 2.4, 95% CI 1.7–3.3), raised (OR = 3.4, 95% CI 2.3–5.0) or handled animals (OR = 2.1, 95% CI 1.2–3.6), and had eaten sick (OR = 4.4, 95% CI 3.0–6.4) and/or dead animals (OR = 6.0, 95% CI 4.1–8.8) in the same year. Odds of having reported unusual symptoms was higher among those involved in animal production business (OR = 3.4, 95% CI 1.9–6.2) and animal-involved livelihoods (OR = 3.3, 95% CI 1.5–7.2) compared to other livelihoods. The results suggest that there is a high level of interaction between humans, livestock and wild animals in communities we investigated in Myanmar. The study highlights the specific high-risk behaviors as they relate to animal contact and demographic risk factors for zoonotic spillover. Our findings contribute to human behavioral data needed to develop targeted interventions to prevent zoonotic disease transmission at human–animal interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Coastal groundwater‐dependent ecosystems (GDEs), such as wetlands, estuaries and mangrove forests, are globally important habitats that promote biodiversity, provide climate regulation and serve as refugia for plant and animal communities. However, global warming, coastal development and over‐abstraction threaten the availability and quality of groundwater in coastal aquifers and, by extension, the ecohydrological function of dependent ecosystems. Because ecohydrological knowledge of coastal groundwater is disparate across disciplines and habitat types, we begin by summarising the physiochemical, biological and hydrological processes supported by groundwater across coastal watersheds. Groundwater makes a significant but poorly recognised contribution to the function and resilience of coastal ecosystems and will play an essential role in climate change mitigation and adaptation. This review then explores how critical ecosystem processes supported by groundwater will be affected in areas of the humid subtropics that are expected to be impacted by climatic drying. Where rainfall is predicted to decrease, reduced groundwater recharge will interrupt the hydrology of coastal GDEs, while anthropogenic pressures, such as land‐use intensification and pollution, will diminish the quality of remaining groundwater. The challenges of managing groundwater for multiple purposes under climate change predictions are highlighted. To improve the management of coastal GDEs, research should be aimed at developing robust conceptual models of coastal groundwater systems that quantify biophysical linkages with ecological communities across relevant spatiotemporal scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Al-Razi, Hassan, Campera, Marco, Hasan, Sabit, Maria, Marjan, Nijman, Vincent, and Nekaris, K. Anne-Isola
Subjects
AGRICULTURE, TROPICAL forests, HABITATS, NOCTURNAL animals, POPULATION density, ANIMAL communities
Abstract
Agricultural expansion has had a detrimental effect on tropical forests and the animal communities that depend on them. Agroforestry systems, however, with their more complex tree and plant communities, have been shown to be important habitats for a range of globally threatened species, including nocturnal animals. Here, we present novel data on the encounter rates of seven species of nocturnal mammals in relation to agroforestry systems within four national parks and associated plantations in Bangladesh to examine if encounter rates were influenced by the human population density, presence of plantations, and human access as represented by a Human Influence Index of anthropogenic disturbance. We walked 70.3 km of transects with only semi-natural forest, 26.9 km of transects with semi-natural forest and gardens, and 21.7 km of transects with semi-natural forest and monocultures over 55 nights from 2017–2019. Of the seven species of nocturnal mammals we detected, all were present in Satachari National Park, whereas six occurred in Lawachara National Park, Rajkandi Forest Range, and Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary. Within these national parks, three species (Bengal slow loris, large Indian civet, particolored flying squirrel) were more frequently recorded in areas with human disturbance, especially agroforestry plantations. With declining forest cover in Bangladesh, we highlight here the potential of agroforestry systems as emerging important habitats for these species. We encourage long-term studies of these lesser-studied taxa to understand fully the capacity of agroforestry systems in order to support their long-term conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Background: Wild boar has experienced several evolutionary trajectories from which domestic (under artificial selection) and the feral pig (under natural selection) originated. Strong adaptation deeply affects feral population's morphology and physiology, including the microbiota community. The gut microbiota is generally recognized to play a crucial role in maintaining host health and metabolism. To date, it is unclear whether feral populations' phylogeny, development stages or lifestyle have the greatest impact in shaping the gut microbiota, as well as how this can confer adaptability to new environments. Here, in order to deepen this point, we characterized the gut microbiota of feral population discriminating between juvenile and adult samples, and we compared it to the microbiota structure of wild boar and domestic pig as the references. Gut microbiota composition was estimated through the sequencing of the partial 16S rRNA gene by DNA metabarcoding and High Throughput Sequencing on DNA extracted from fecal samples. Results: The comparison of microbiota communities among the three forms showed significant differences. The feral form seems to carry some bacteria of both domestic pigs, derived from its ancestral condition, and wild boars, probably as a sign of a recent re-adaptation strategy to the natural environment. In addition, interestingly, feral pigs show some exclusive bacterial taxa, also suggesting an innovative nature of the evolutionary trajectories and an ecological segregation in feral populations, as already observed for other traits. Conclusions: The feral pig showed a significant change between juvenile and adult microbiota suggesting an influence of the wild environment in which these populations segregate. However, it is important to underline that we certainly cannot overlook that these variations in the structure of the microbiota also depended on the different development stages of the animal, which in fact influence the composition of the intestinal microbiota. Concluding, the feral pigs represent a new actor living in the same geographical space as the wild boars, in which its gut microbial structure suggests that it is mainly the result of environmental segregation, most different from its closest relative. This gives rise to interesting fields of exploration regarding the changed ecological complexity and the consequent evolutionary destiny of the animal communities involved in this phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Shrubs are important factors in the assembly of desert plant and animal communities. By providing shelter and resources to other plants and animals, shrubs can change plant–animal interactions including those with consumers and pollinators. Here, we test the hypothesis that shrubs facilitate the reproduction of other desert plants by influencing pollination and compensation for consumer pressure. We used the known benefactor Larrea tridentata as our focal shrub species and the flowering annual Malacothrix glabrata as a potential protege in the Mojave Desert. We tested the effects of facilitation (shrub microsite), consumer pressure (both artificial folivory and florivory), and pollination (ambient or supplemented) on flower and seed production of the annual M. glabrata. We found that floral production and seed mass were similar between microsites but that pollen was limited under shrubs in the absence of any other manipulation. Plants under shrubs produced more flowers and seeds than in the open when folivory and florivory treatments were applied. Malacothrix glabrata experienced a cost to association with L. tridentata in terms of pollen limitation but plants were better able to compensate for consumer pressure under shrubs through increased flower and seed production when damaged. Therefore, association with shrubs involves a reproductive trade-off between costs to pollination and benefits to compensation for consumer pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Scholl, Eric A., Cross, Wyatt F., and Guy, Christopher S.
Subjects
*ANIMAL communities, *SURFACE of the earth, *GEOMORPHOLOGY, *ECOSYSTEMS, *HUMAN-animal relationships, *FOOD chains
Abstract
Understanding how the Earth's surface (i.e. 'nature's stage') influences connections between biodiversity and ecosystem function (BEF) is a central objective in ecology. Despite recent calls to examine these connections at multiple trophic levels and at more complex and realistic scales, little is known about how landscape structure shapes BEF relationships among animal communities in nature. We coupled high‐resolution habitat mapping with extensive field sampling to quantify connections among the geophysical habitat templet, invertebrate assemblages and secondary production in two large North American riverscapes. Patterns of sediment size governed invertebrate assemblage structure, with particularly strong effects on composition, richness and taxonomic and functional diversity. These relationships propagated to drive positive relationships between biodiversity and secondary production that were modified by scale, context‐dependencies and anthropogenic modification. Finally, leveraging spatially‐explicit descriptions of geophysical and biological properties, we uncovered distinct and nested spatial scales of biodiversity and secondary production, and suggest that multiple geophysical processes simultaneously influence these patterns at different scales. Together, our findings advance our understanding of relationships between the physical templet and patterns of BEF, and help to predict how perturbations to the Earth's surface may propagate to influence biodiversity and energy flux through food webs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
The relationship between species' body masses and densities is strongly conserved around a three‐quarter power law when pooling data across communities. However, studies of local within‐community relationships have revealed major deviations from this general pattern, which has profound implications for their stability and functioning. Despite multiple contributions of soil communities to people, there is limited knowledge on the drivers of body mass–abundance relationships in these communities. We compiled a dataset comprising 155 soil–animal communities across four countries (Canada, Germany, Indonesia, USA), all sampled using the same methodology. We tested if variation in local climatic and edaphic conditions drives differences in local body mass–abundance scaling relationships. We found substantial variation in the slopes of this power‐law relationship across local communities. Structural equation modeling showed that soil temperature and water content have a positive and negative net effect, respectively, on soil communities. These effects are mediated by changes in local edaphic conditions (soil pH and carbon content) and the body‐mass range of the communities. These results highlight ways in which alterations of soil climatic and edaphic conditions interactively impact the distribution of abundance between populations of small and large animals. These quantitative mechanistic relationships facilitate our understanding of how global changes in environmental conditions, such as temperature and precipitation, will affect community–abundance distributions and thus the stability and functioning of soil–animal communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Wildfires are an increasing concern due to rising temperatures and incidence of droughts associated with changing climate, poor land management, and direct human interference. Most studies of the impact of fire on temperate heathland and bog examined the consequences of controlled or prescribed burning. Less is known about the impacts of uncontrolled wildfires on sites designated for their conservation value. We examined the initial impact and short‐term trajectory (3.5 years) of cool temperate peatland plant and arthropod communities on designated upland sites in Northern Ireland following wildfires, that is, unplanned with respect to where and when they occur, severity, and duration. These near simultaneous wildfires were often due to a failure to control prescribed burns. Wildfires were associated with a loss of blanket bog and heath indicator species. Broad vegetation groups showed initial recovery characterized by a decrease in bare ground and increasing cover of shrub species and bryophytes. However, at a species level, Sphagnum spp and bryophyte communities, which are central to peatland ecosystem functioning, showed no sign of recovery to prefire composition. Rather, bryophyte communities became more divergent over the course of the study and were mainly characterized by increased abundance of the alien pioneer acrocarp Campylopus introflexus. Similarly, composition of arthropod communities (ground beetles and spiders) differed between burnt and unburnt areas and showed no evidence of a return to species composition in unburnt areas. The nationally rare beetle Carabus nitens was more common in the aftermath of wildfire. Synthesis. Whilst, long‐term recovery was not investigated, these short‐term changes suggest enduring detrimental impacts on the distinctive communities associated with peatlands, primarily through the loss of Sphagnum spp., affecting ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and water and soil retention. It may not be possible to restore exact prefire species composition of plant and animal communities. We suggest a precautionary approach involving management of upland vegetation, public education, and vigilance, to prevent further wildfires and protect these key upland habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Daskin, Joshua H., Becker, Justine A., Kartzinel, Tyler R., Potter, Arjun B., Walker, Reena H., Eriksson, Fredrik A. A., Buoncore, Courtney, Getraer, Alexander, Long, Ryan A., and Pringle, Robert M.
Size‐structured differences in resource use stabilize species coexistence in animal communities, but what behavioral mechanisms underpin these niche differences? Behavior is constrained by morphological and physiological traits that scale allometrically with body size, yet the degree to which behaviors exhibit allometric scaling remains unclear; empirical datasets often encompass broad variation in environmental context and phylogenetic history, which complicates the detection and interpretation of scaling relationships between size and behavior. We studied the movement and foraging behaviors of three sympatric, congeneric spiral‐horned antelope species (Tragelaphus spp.) that differ in body mass—bushbuck (26–40 kg), nyala (57–83 kg), and kudu (80–142 kg)—in an African savanna ecosystem where (i) food was patchily distributed due to ecosystem engineering by fungus‐farming termites and (ii) predation risk was low due to the extirpation of several large carnivores. Because foraging behavior is directly linked to traits that scale allometrically with size (e.g., metabolic rate, locomotion), we hypothesized that habitat use and diet selection would likewise exhibit nonlinear scaling relationships. All three antelope species selected habitat near termitaria, which are hotspots of abundant, high‐quality forage. Experimental removal of forage from termite mounds sharply reduced use of those mounds by bushbuck, confirming that habitat selection was resource driven. Strength of selection for termite mounds scaled negatively and nonlinearly with body mass, as did recursion (frequency with which individuals revisited locations), whereas home‐range area and mean step length scaled positively and nonlinearly with body mass. All species disproportionately ate mound‐associated plant taxa; nonetheless, forage selectivity and dietary composition, richness, and quality all differed among species, reflecting the partitioning of shared food resources. Dietary protein exhibited the theoretically predicted negative allometric relationship with body mass, whereas digestible‐energy content scaled positively. Our results demonstrate cryptic size‐based separation along spatial and dietary niche axes—despite superficial similarities among species—consistent with the idea that body‐size differentiation is driven by selection for divergent resource‐acquisition strategies, which in turn underpin coexistence. Foraging and space‐use behaviors were nonlinearly related to body mass, supporting the hypothesis that behavior scales allometrically with size. However, explaining the variable functional forms of these relationships is a challenge for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Cormorant colonies are often viewed negatively by fishermen and foresters due to their extremely high impact on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. In forests, the habitats of nesting territories are destroyed, with concomitant impacts on the animal communities. In 2011–2022, investigating three colonies of Great Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo), we aimed to test whether their effect on small mammals depends on colony size. In the largest colony in Lithuania, a low species richness, lower diversity and relative abundance, as well as poorer body conditions of the most abundant species was found in the nesting zone. However, once the cormorants left the nesting site, all the parameters recovered. Two small colonies had a positive impact, with higher species richness in the territory of the colony (seven and ten species), diversity (H = 1.56 and 1.49), and relative abundance (27.00 ± 2.32 and 25.29 ± 2.91 ind. per 100 trap days) compared with the control habitat (three and eight species; H = 1.65 and 0.99; 12.58 ± 1.54 and 8.29 ± 1.05 ind./100 trap-days). We conclude that up to a certain colony size, cormorant pressure is a driver of habitat succession and has similar effects on the small mammal community as other successions in disturbed habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Brandl, Simon J., Lefcheck, Jonathan S., Bates, Amanda E., Rasher, Douglas B., and Norin, Tommy
Subjects
*ANIMAL communities, *BIOTIC communities, *BIOLOGICAL fitness, *ANIMAL ecology, *HABITATS, *LIFE history theory
Abstract
All animals on Earth compete for free energy, which is acquired, assimilated, and ultimately allocated to growth and reproduction. Competition is strongest within communities of sympatric, ecologically similar animals of roughly equal size (i.e. horizontal communities), which are often the focus of traditional community ecology. The replacement of taxonomic identities with functional traits has improved our ability to decipher the ecological dynamics that govern the assembly and functioning of animal communities. Yet, the use of low‐resolution and taxonomically idiosyncratic traits in animals may have hampered progress to date. An animal's metabolic rate (MR) determines the costs of basic organismal processes and activities, thus linking major aspects of the multifaceted constructs of ecological niches (where, when, and how energy is obtained) and ecological fitness (how much energy is accumulated and passed on to future generations). We review evidence from organismal physiology to large‐scale analyses across the tree of life to propose that MR gives rise to a group of meaningful functional traits – resting metabolic rate (RMR), maximum metabolic rate (MMR), and aerobic scope (AS) – that may permit an improved quantification of the energetic basis of species coexistence and, ultimately, the assembly and functioning of animal communities. Specifically, metabolic traits integrate across a variety of typical trait proxies for energy acquisition and allocation in animals (e.g. body size, diet, mobility, life history, habitat use), to yield a smaller suite of continuous quantities that: (1) can be precisely measured for individuals in a standardized fashion; and (2) apply to all animals regardless of their body plan, habitat, or taxonomic affiliation. While integrating metabolic traits into animal community ecology is neither a panacea to disentangling the nuanced effects of biological differences on animal community structure and functioning, nor without challenges, a small number of studies across different taxa suggest that MR may serve as a useful proxy for the energetic basis of competition in animals. Thus, the application of MR traits for animal communities can lead to a more general understanding of community assembly and functioning, enhance our ability to trace eco‐evolutionary dynamics from genotypes to phenotypes (and vice versa), and help predict the responses of animal communities to environmental change. While trait‐based ecology has improved our knowledge of animal communities to date, a more explicit energetic lens via the integration of metabolic traits may further strengthen the existing framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]