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AbstractNatural and semi-natural grassland communities in Bulgaria are subjected to anthropogenic pressure leading to their degradation and fragmentation. Because they host many groups of living organisms, this poses serious challenges in relation to their conservation and sustainable use. We present the results of a study on the floristic and habitat diversity of various grassland communities of the plain areas of Bulgaria. The assessment was based on 36 sample plots situated mostly in the eastern and northern parts of the country. Diversity was estimated by means of three indices. A total of 360 plant species and eight habitat types were identified. Species richness and diversity varied substantially among the different habitats. Shannon’s H’ varied from 0.9 to 3.6, Simpson diversity (1-D)—from 0.42 to 0.96, and Berger-Parker (1/D)—from 1.3 to 6.0. The highest diversity was recorded in habitats 62A0, 6240, 6210, and 42C0. The studied sites were clustered in five distinct groups based on the Sørensen pairwise similarity index. The groups formed reflected the main types of habitats and the role of anthropogenic and environmental factors in their formation, status, and diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the distribution patterns and driving mechanisms of bamboo species diversity on islands is essential for advancing knowledge of island ecosystem processes and informing strategies for bamboo resource conservation and management. This study utilized standardized major axis regression (SMA) to assess the effects of island area and isolation on bamboo species across 30 islands in Fujian, China. Furthermore, a partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) was constructed to explore the driving mechanisms underlying bamboo species richness. This analysis incorporated six key environmental factors—island size, isolation, shape, climate, development intensity, and habitat heterogeneity—spanning a total of 12 variables. The primary findings were as follows: (1) Eight genera and twenty-nine bamboo species were identified on Fujian islands. Species richness increased significantly with island area, consistent with the theory of area effects, while isolation had no significant impact on richness. (2) Different reproductive types exhibited distinct responses to environmental conditions. This was evident in the species–area relationship slopes (z-values): SR = 2.07; monopodial = 0.94; sympodial = 0.82; and polycyclic = 0.44. These variations highlight the ecological adaptability and functional traits of different reproductive strategies within island ecosystems. (3) Among the six environmental factors, island area exerted the greatest influence on species richness, underscoring its role as the primary driver of bamboo diversity and reproductive strategies. (4) Island area and isolation also impacted species richness indirectly through their effects on development intensity. In conclusion, the bamboo species richness and reproductive types on Fujian islands are primarily shaped by island area, followed by development intensity and habitat heterogeneity. In contrast, climate, island shape, and isolation play relatively minor roles. This study provides critical insights into the interplay of island area, isolation, shape, climate, development intensity, and habitat heterogeneity in shaping bamboo diversity. The findings offer a valuable foundation for bamboo resource conservation, island ecosystem management, and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Background Aims Materials and Methods Results Discussion Conclusion The study of island species richness has gone far beyond traditional theories, as more and more studies attempt to include new predictor variables besides island area. Despite the rich bat diversity of Mediterranean islands, no studies have examined the factors influencing chiropteran species richness in such a geographic context.We used Greek islands as a model to detect drivers of bat species richness based on a broad species occurrence dataset from islands of the Aegean and Ionian Seas, which was explored using 10 potential predictor variables.Initially, we comprehensively evaluated all available data and sources for 53 Greek islands, deemed essential. This resulted in a reduced set of 28 islands. Predictors were grouped into three categories: island area, landscape diversity and island isolation. Generalised linear models were employed to identify the most significant factors explaining bat species richness in the 28 islands.Tree cover and the distance between the islands and their nearest coast (mainland or island) best performed to predict bat species richness on Greek islands.We show the important role of landscape composition and degree of isolation in influencing the distribution of bat species on islands.We highlight the importance of forest habitats and the vital role of their management and protection, especially in the insular systems of the Mediterranean basin, where the risk of forest degradation or loss due to wildfires and land use change is especially high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The relationship between the environmental (ED) or habitat (HD) diversity of a landscape and its species richness (S) is of global interest. The standard linear relationship tested is that total S rises with an increase in variability of environmental properties. Findings: We recognize three basic S − ED patterns: convex, unimodal, and concave. These are shown to be based on three underlying species − area (S − A) curves: power, logarithmic, and sigmoid. From these, we find that the standard linear relationship lacks theoretical support. There are two sets of circumstances that can lead to a humped relationship: a particular type of S-A curve (logarithmic), and the operation of negative secondary effects as habitats become smaller and more isolated. The preponderance of positive linear and dearth of unimodal S − ED and S − HD relationships reported so far can be attributed to six causes. These include: only testing for linear relationships; limited data sets that exclude small, unique, or isolated habitats; regressions against non-causal variables; and/or use of biased data that have not been ground-truthed. Conclusions: Informed by the underlying S − A curves and the level of negative biotic effects at high ED, one can predict the numerous shapes of the S − ED curve. Hump-backed S − ED curves should apply widely in regions with species-rich biotas and where the environmental range is large and numerous isolated habitats are present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Endemism is essential in biodiversity, biogeography, and conservation tasks. Based on herbarium specimens kept in some local herbaria, many published literature, and available information, we compiled a comprehensive list and an updated assessment of the Egyptian endemic and near-endemic taxa. The application of quantitative approaches to the distribution patterns, conservation status, and habitat preference of endemic taxa in Egypt was provided. Comparisons of the near-endemic taxa with other neighbouring flora were explained. For each taxon, the distribution patterns, most preferable habitat, biological spectrum, and taxa among 14 phytogeographical regions (Operational Geographical Units; OGUs) of Egypt were determined. Results In this study, 19 endemics (out of 70) and 76 near-endemics (out of 181) are newly added taxa. Differentiation indices represented the taxonomic degrees of differentiation among endemic taxa. Two different indices were used to assess endemism: single-region endemic taxa (SRET) and multiple-region endemic taxa (MRET). Most endemic and near-endemic taxa were recorded from the mountainous Sinai (S) and the Mareotis sector of the Mediterranean coastal land (Mm). Generally, the most represented families in endemic and near-endemic areas were Asteraceae, Caryophyllaceae, Lamiaceae, and Fabaceae. More than 60% of the endemic taxa occurred in the sandy plains, wadis (desert valleys), and rocky plains and mountains. Applying hierarchical cluster analysis to the occurrences of 70 endemic taxa in the 14 studied OGUs revealed five main floristic groups (I–V), each characterized by certain OGUs. We provided eight groups of near-endemic taxa that represented their extension in neighbouring countries. Conclusions The presented data will help to fill the gap in our knowledge of endemism, provide baseline information to understand biogeographical processes and facilitate further cooperation toward conservation purposes.

Climatic variation along the elevation gradient promotes the natural parapatric occurrence of the European hare (Lepus europaeus) and Alpine mountain hare (Lepus timidus varronis) in the Alps. Recent data indicate a displacement of mountain hares caused by competition with the European hare. Competitive exclusion might take place at a fine spatial scale and hybrids may sharpen competition. Genetic non-invasive sampling (gNIS) demonstrates to be effective to retrieve information from wild animals. However, based on the accuracy of the differing genetic analysis methods, the selection of the method might decisively influence results. To examine habitat preferences of Alpine mountain hares, European hares and their hybrids with particular interest in the influence of the accuracy of the genetic analysis method on the results, we performed gNIS in Grisons (Switzerland) for four years and compared habitat associations of the genotyped samples. We recorded 137 individuals (i.e., 35 hybrids, 49 European hares, 53 Alpine mountain hares). Combined nuclear and mitochondrial DNA analysis including individual identification revealed to be the most accurate indirect method for the study of habitat preferences of hares. Alpine mountain hares had a narrow habitat breadth and used little habitat diversity. Hybrids showed great similarities in their habitat preferences to European hares. Hybrids might increase the competition in favour of European hares and the displacement of Alpine mountain hares, since they show similar patterns of habitat use to European hares. Ongoing climate change potentiate the niche overlap between species, increasing the risk of Alpine hare decline due to hybridisation and displacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endemism is essential in biodiversity, biogeography, and conservation tasks. Based on herbarium specimens kept in some local herbaria, many published literature, and available information, we compiled a comprehensive list and an updated assessment of the Egyptian endemic and near-endemic taxa. The application of quantitative approaches to the distribution patterns, conservation status, and habitat preference of endemic taxa in Egypt was provided. Comparisons of the near-endemic taxa with other neighbouring flora were explained. For each taxon, the distribution patterns, most preferable habitat, biological spectrum, and taxa among 14 phytogeographical regions (Operational Geographical Units; OGUs) of Egypt were determined. Results: In this study, 19 endemics (out of 70) and 76 near-endemics (out of 181) are newly added taxa. Differentiation indices represented the taxonomic degrees of differentiation among endemic taxa. Two different indices were used to assess endemism: single-region endemic taxa (SRET) and multiple-region endemic taxa (MRET). Most endemic and near-endemic taxa were recorded from the mountainous Sinai (S) and the Mareotis sector of the Mediterranean coastal land (Mm). Generally, the most represented families in endemic and near-endemic areas were Asteraceae, Caryophyllaceae, Lamiaceae, and Fabaceae. More than 60% of the endemic taxa occurred in the sandy plains, wadis (desert valleys), and rocky plains and mountains. Applying hierarchical cluster analysis to the occurrences of 70 endemic taxa in the 14 studied OGUs revealed five main floristic groups (I–V), each characterized by certain OGUs. We provided eight groups of near-endemic taxa that represented their extension in neighbouring countries. Conclusions: The presented data will help to fill the gap in our knowledge of endemism, provide baseline information to understand biogeographical processes and facilitate further cooperation toward conservation purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cool‐water habitats provide increasingly vital refuges for cold‐water fish living on the margins of their historical ranges; consequently, efforts to enhance or create cool‐water habitat are becoming a major focus of river restoration practices. However, the effectiveness of restoration projects for providing thermal refuge and creating diverse temperature regimes at the watershed scale remains unclear. In the Klamath River in northern California, the Karuk Tribe Fisheries Program, the Mid‐Klamath Watershed Council, and the U.S. Forest Service constructed a series of off‐channel ponds that recreate floodplain habitat and support juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and steelhead (O. mykiss) along the Klamath River and its tributaries. We instrumented these ponds and applied multivariate autoregressive time series models of fine‐scale temperature data from ponds, tributaries, and the mainstem Klamath River to assess how off‐channel ponds contributed to thermal regime diversity and thermal refuge habitat in the Klamath riverscape. Our analysis demonstrated that ponds provide diverse thermal habitats that are significantly cooler than creek or mainstem river habitats, even during severe drought. Wavelet analysis of long‐term (10 years) temperature data indicated that thermal buffering (i.e. dampening of diel variation) increased over time but was disrupted by drought conditions in 2021. Our analysis demonstrates that in certain situations, human‐made off‐channel ponds can increase thermal diversity in modified riverscapes even during drought conditions, potentially benefiting floodplain‐dependent cold‐water species. Restoration actions that create and maintain thermal regime diversity and thermal refuges will become an essential tool to conserve biodiversity in climate‐sensitive watersheds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coral reefs are one of the most productive marine ecosystems that support reefs and reef-associated fish and invertebrates. The abundance and distribution of reef and reef-associated fish species concerning substrate characteristics were empirically ascertained, evaluating protected (Bonavista) and non-protected (Trincomalee) coral reef ecosystems in Sri Lanka. Line Intercept Transect (LIT) and Underwater visual belt transect methods were employed to estimate fish and substrate diversity, distribution, and abundance during the non-monsoonal period. Shannon–Weiner index was employed to compute substrate and fish diversity, while the Similarity Index was computed to compare the similarity of the reef ecosystems. Data were analyzed using CPCe, SPSS, and MS Excel software, wherever applicable. Physicochemical parameters of seawater in the coral reef environs located on the east and southern coasts were indistinguishable (P > 0.05). Eighteen and 34 hard coral species were encountered, all of which accounted for 22.37 ± 1.27% and 68.40 ± 2.93% of the total substrate in the Bonavista and Trincomalee reefs, respectively. Merulinidae and Acroporidae were the dominant coral families and the two families of fish, Labridae and Pomacentridae accounted for the highest number of species and individuals in Bonavista and Trincomalee reefs, respectively. A total of 127 and 109 reef and reef-associated fish species were encountered at Bonavista and Trincomalee reefs, respectively. The number of fish families, species, and individuals was comparatively higher in Bonavista, albeit species diversity and evenness were higher in Trincomalee. The number of species and individuals in Bonavista and Trincomalee reef ecosystems showed a significant positive relationship (P < 0.05) with coral cover and the number of microhabitats. Species diversity at two reef ecosystems showed a positive relationship (P < 0.05) with coral cover and a negative relationship with rubble cover. Species of family Labridae showed a significant positive relationship (P < 0.05) with coral cover and the number of microhabitats, while family Pomacentridae showed strong relationships (P < 0.05) with rock cover. The present study elucidates that relationships between fish species and habitat characteristics are conspicuous and common to both reef ecosystems. And findings help authorities make policy decisions and manage species and reef environs for the long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how the complexities of biodiversity are maintained on islands has long been one of the central issues studied in conservation biology. With the global onset of anthropogenically driven biodiversity changes, the influence of anthropogenic activities challenges the applicability of the widely accepted Equilibrium Theory of Island Biogeography (ETIB). This study aimed to test how island area, isolation (MD: distance to the mainland, and ND: distance to the nearest island), and human activities (habitat heterogeneity, and proportion of road area relative to island area to refer to the human impact on island) separately and jointly affect the species diversity of vascular plants. The number of plant species with different growth forms (woody plants, herbs, and lianas) was calculated on 35 islands in Sanyang Wetland, which is a human-dominated wetland near the highly populated city of Wenzhou, China. We also evaluated the relative importance of these variables on the number of species using a random forest analysis. The number of species increased with increasing island area and habitat heterogeneity and decreased with increasing isolation for different growth forms. A significant, positive relationship was observed between the number of species and the proportion of road area for herbs, but not for woody plants and lianas. Habitat heterogeneity was the most important predictor for all plants, the proportion of road area was the most important predictor for herbs, and MD was the most important predictor for woody plants and lianas. These results indicate that ETIB remains relevant in the context of human disturbance, but the relative importance of ecological processes on species diversity differs significantly among plant growth forms. Therefore, we should consider plant functional groups when testing multifactorial effects on species diversity on human-dominated islands.

Understanding animals' selection of microhabitats is important in both ecology and biodiversity conservation. However, there is no generally accepted methodology for the characterization of microhabitats, especially for vegetation structure. We studied microhabitat selection of three Vipera snakes by comparing grassland vegetation structure between viper occurrence points and random points in three grassland ecosystems: V. graeca in mountain meadows of Albania, V. renardi in loess steppes of Ukraine and V. ursinii in sand grasslands in Hungary. We quantified vegetation structure in an objective manner by automated processing of images taken of the vegetation against a vegetation profile board under standardized conditions. We developed an R script for automatic calculation of four vegetation structure variables derived from raster data obtained in the images: leaf area (LA), height of closed vegetation (HCV), maximum height of vegetation (MHV) and foliage height diversity (FHD). Generalized linear mixed models revealed that snake occurrence was positively related to HCV in V. graeca, to LA in V. renardi and to LA and MHV in V. ursinii, and negatively to HCV in V. ursinii. Our results demonstrate that vegetation structure variables derived from automated image processing significantly relate to viper microhabitat selection. Our method minimizes the risk of subjectivity in measuring vegetation structure, enables the aggregation of adjacent pixel data and is suitable for comparison of or extrapolation across different vegetation types or ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims -- In contrast to the flowering plants, the pteridophyte flora of Madagascar is still understudied. While several studies have been published on the eastern and central parts of the island, there are currently few works dedicated to the pteridophytes of southwestern Madagascar. The aim of this work is to increase the knowledge of the pteridophyte flora of the Isalo massif in southwestern Madagascar. It presents a checklist of Isalo's pteridophytes and an analysis of the diversity and distribution patterns of pteridophyte communities across ecological gradients in the eastern canyons of Isalo. Material and methods -- Eighty plots were placed in six canyons. In each plot, pteridophyte species abundance was inventoried, as well as several ecological and geomorphological variables. A census in the field and observations on specimens in herbaria were carried to make a checklist of all the pteridophyte species known for Isalo. Statistical analysis was carried out to understand the pteridophyte diversity and distribution patterns in the Isalo's canyons: (1) exploratory analysis (FAMD and HCPC) highlights the general patterns of ecological gradients, (2) a rarefaction curve was used to compare species diversity, and (3) co-inertia analysis investigated the relationship between ecological gradient and pteridophyte communities. Key results -- In total, 60 species of ferns and lycophytes have been recorded in the massif, including ten endemic species to Madagascar and 11 species reported for the first time in the Isalo massif. Species diversity is especially high in the northern canyons (Anjofo, Andramanero, Antsifotra) in contrast to the middle (Maki and Rats) and southern (Namaza) canyons. Fern distribution patterns were correlated to a combination of environmental factors, highlighting species-specific ecological preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Landscape composition and configuration, as well as seasonal landscape dynamics shape the behaviour, movement and energy expenditure of animals, i.e. foraging, hiding or fleeing, and ultimately survival. Especially in highly modified agricultural systems, it is crucial to understand how animal behaviour is influenced by landscape context to develop sustainable land management concepts. Objectives: We show how landscape composition and configuration, together with seasonal dynamics affect animal behavioural types, accounting for the different life-history events in both sexes. Methods: We investigated 34 European hares in two contrasting agricultural landscapes (a simple and a complex landscape) by using tri-axial accelerometer data to classify the animals' behaviour into five categories: resting, foraging, moving, grooming and standing upright (i.e. vigilance behaviour). We tested whether the amount of behaviours per category changed with landscape composition and configuration, season and sex. Results: During peak breeding, hares in areas of high habitat diversity rested more, moved less and spent less time searching for resources. During winter, hares moved more and rested less. Females rested less and foraged more in areas with large agricultural fields. Conclusions: A complex landscape is particularly important during the breeding season, allowing animals to allocate enough energy into reproduction. In winter, hares in areas of low habitat diversity may not find enough thermal and anti-predator shelter to move as much as they would need to meet their requirements. Hence, high habitat diversity and small field sizes guarantee species persistence in human-altered agricultural areas throughout the year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Mediterranean landscapes are undergoing severe transformations (land-use change and homogenization) that threatens biodiversity and the services these ecosystems provide. These effects can differ amongst biodiversity facets (plants vs. birds, taxonomic vs. functional) and ecosystem functions (e.g., seed dispersal, forest regeneration, pest control), although these are still poorly understood in Mediterranean landscapes. Objectives: Our study aims at understanding how Mediterranean landscape characteristics and land use (tree croplands, shrublands and pine, oak and mixed forest) affect the diversity of birds and plants, and how these changes in biodiversity could affect ecosystem functioning. Methods: In 2020–2021, we sampled 49 (5 × 5 m) plots in South-eastern Spain and from five different land uses: tree croplands, shrublands, and pine, oak and mixed forests. We measured land use, habitat diversity and size, together with birds and plant diversity. We assessed both direct and indirect (via bird and plant diversity) effects of landscape characteristics on 6 different ecosystem functions related to forest regeneration, predation, herbivory or aboveground biomass, which imply interactions between birds, plants and their environment. Results: Plant communities responded mainly to local features (land use), whereas birds did so to habitat size and landscape diversity (within 500 m radius). Seed and caterpillar predation were more affected by bird's diversity, whereas regeneration capacity of woody species was driven by both plants and birds. Land use was amongst the most important drivers of all measured functions, with generally higher functioning levels in oak and mixed forests than in the rest of land uses. Conclusions: Our results emphasize the complementary information obtained when considering multiple biodiversity facets in studying the consequences of landscape transformation. We also show that these multiple biodiversity changes can be as important as those of land-use or landscape characteristics for ecosystem functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how the complexities of biodiversity are maintained on islands has long been one of the central issues studied in conservation biology. With the global onset of anthropogenically driven biodiversity changes, the influence of anthropogenic activities challenges the applicability of the widely accepted Equilibrium Theory of Island Biogeography (ETIB). This study aimed to test how island area, isolation (MD: distance to the mainland, and ND: distance to the nearest island), and human activities (habitat heterogeneity, and proportion of road area relative to island area to refer to the human impact on island) separately and jointly affect the species diversity of vascular plants. The number of plant species with different growth forms (woody plants, herbs, and lianas) was calculated on 35 islands in Sanyang Wetland, which is a human-dominated wetland near the highly populated city of Wenzhou, China. We also evaluated the relative importance of these variables on the number of species using a random forest analysis. The number of species increased with increasing island area and habitat heterogeneity and decreased with increasing isolation for different growth forms. A significant, positive relationship was observed between the number of species and the proportion of road area for herbs, but not for woody plants and lianas. Habitat heterogeneity was the most important predictor for all plants, the proportion of road area was the most important predictor for herbs, and MD was the most important predictor for woody plants and lianas. These results indicate that ETIB remains relevant in the context of human disturbance, but the relative importance of ecological processes on species diversity differs significantly among plant growth forms. Therefore, we should consider plant functional groups when testing multifactorial effects on species diversity on human-dominated islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shelter building caterpillars act as ecosystem engineers by creating and maintaining leaf shelters, which are then colonized by other arthropods. Foliage quality has been shown to influence initial colonization by shelter-building caterpillars. However, the effects of plant quality on the interactions between ecosystem engineers and their communities have yet to be studied at the whole plant level. We examined how leaf tying caterpillars, as ecosystem engineers, impact arthropod communities on Quercus alba (white oak), and the modifying effect of foliage quality on these interactions. We removed all leaf tying caterpillars and leaf ties on 35 Q. alba saplings during the season when leaf tying caterpillars were active (June–September), and compared these leaf tie removal trees to 35 control trees whose leaf ties were left intact. Removal of these ecosystem engineers had no impact on overall arthropod species richness, but reduced species diversity, and overall arthropod abundance and that of most guilds, and changed the structure of the arthropod community as the season progressed. There was an increase in plant-level species richness with increasing number of leaf ties, consistent with Habitat Diversity Hypothesis. In turn, total arthropod density, and that of both leaf tying caterpillars and free-feeding caterpillars were affected by foliar tannin and nitrogen concentrations, and leaf water content. The engineering effect was greatest on low quality plants, consistent with the Stress-Gradient Hypothesis. Our results demonstrate that interactions between ecosystem engineering and plant quality together determine community structure of arthropods on Q. alba in Missouri. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncovering relationships between landscape diversity and species interactions is crucial for predicting how ongoing land‐use change and homogenization will impact the stability and persistence of communities. However, such connections have rarely been quantified in nature. We coupled high‐resolution river sonar imaging with annualized energetic food webs to quantify relationships among habitat diversity, energy flux, and trophic interaction strengths in large‐river food‐web modules that support the endangered Pallid Sturgeon. Our results demonstrate a clear relationship between habitat diversity and species interaction strengths, with more diverse foraging landscapes containing higher production of prey and a greater proportion of weak and potentially stabilizing interactions. Additionally, rare patches of large and relatively stable river sediments intensified these effects and further reduced interaction strengths by increasing prey diversity. Our findings highlight the importance of landscape characteristics in promoting stabilizing food‐web architectures and provide direct relevance for future management of imperilled species in a simplified and rapidly changing world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of an analysis of the effects of Poland's forest management evolution over the last 75 years on forest biodiversity at the ecosystem level. Forest biodiversity changes in the two politically and economically different eras (socialism and democracy) are interpreted based on four indicators used in assessments of forest stands (naturalness; habitat diversity; forest management system; forest stand age structure). In the era of socialism (1945–1989), there were dynamic increases in the area of semi-natural forests as well as in the proportion of the most fertile habitats, whilst the proportion of the poorest habitats decreased quite dynamically. Then, the clearcutting management system was regularly implemented, with adverse impacts on forest spatial structure diversity. The proportion of old/mature tree stands and the stand average age increased at relatively slow rates. In the era of democracy (1990–2020), there were comparatively more dynamic increases observed in the area of forests undisturbed by man, as well as in the proportions of mixed broadleaved and wetland forest habitats. At the same time, the proportion of old/mature stands and stand average age kept increasing at relatively fast rates. The area of forests managed with the use of the shelterwood system increased and the area of forest plantations substantially decreased. On the other hand, irrespective of the era under study, there occurred a noticeable not-so-favourable decreasing trend in the proportion of the youngest forest stands. All in all, during the analysed period of more than seven decades, the evolution of forest management practice implemented in Poland's forests by State Forests National Forest Holding led to the restoration of/an increase in biodiversity at the ecosystem level. Yet, there have remained unsolved issues, as regards the following aspects: organisational (the assurance of further reconstruction of forest stands, and the restoration of water profiles), political (a lack of up-to-date national forest policy), and financial (the costs of protecting/restoring biodiversity vs. State Forests' self-financing), as well as conceptual (old-growth stands in managed forests, and controversy over clearcutting) and natural/anthropogenic (climate change, and the eutrophication of forest habitats) issues. The solutions may require measures outside the limits of Poland's forestry, if not far beyond national borders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As impervious cover increases with urban development, stream channels are degraded by increased stormwater runoff, which negatively impacts stream habitat quality and benthic macroinvertebrate diversity. We examined the relationship between stream habitat diversity and aquatic insect taxa and trait richness and diversity at the watershed scale in 30 streams, covering a gradient of stream habitat quality. We then quantified the relationship between taxa and trait richness and diversity and seven microhabitats at the reach scale in ten streams with high habitat quality. We found that both taxa richness and diversity declined at a greater rate than trait richness and diversity along an in-stream habitat diversity gradient. Taxa richness was positively correlated with pools, runs, backwater, leaf packs, and riffles, while trait richness was positively correlated with runs, small wood, and riffles. Taxa diversity was positively correlated with pools and leaf packs while trait diversity was positively correlated with runs, leaf packs, small wood, and riffles. An indicator species analysis revealed that specific taxa and traits were associated with specific microhabitats or combinations of microhabitats. By correlating the taxa in urban streams with specific microhabitats, we can better evaluate the success of stream restoration in restoring stream function and in stimulating benthic macroinvertebrate recovery.

Provisioning ecosystem services (PES) are typically crucial to rural livelihoods, especially in developing countries. However, the links between PES and local biodiversity or landscape heterogeneity are poorly explored. Here, we examined the extent of use and value of locally harvested wild, terrestrial and marine PES (such as wild foods, traditional medicines, firewood, building materials and others) in three villages (35–40 households per village) along a gradient of decreasing landscape heterogeneity. Households at the site with the highest landscape heterogeneity used a greater array of PES (9 ± 4) compared to the intermediate (5 ± 3) and least heterogenous (0.9 ± 0.8) sites. This resulted in a significantly greater annual value of PES to local livelihoods at the most diverse site (US$2 656 ± 2 587 per household), compared to US$1 120 ± 1 313 at the intermediate site and only US$105 ± 193 at the least heterogeneous site. This study shows the importance of access to a diversity of landscapes and PES to support rural livelihoods, which is frequently overlooked in PES valuation studies and in situations of land use change where landscape heterogeneity may decline.

Keywords: conservation; early life history diversity; habitat diversity; keystone environments; portfolio effect; salmonids EN conservation early life history diversity habitat diversity keystone environments portfolio effect salmonids 1 5 5 08/03/23 20230801 NES 230801 Life history diversity facilitates long-term species persistence by buffering populations against environmental stochasticity across space and time (Schindler et al., [14]). Does fine-scale habitat diversity promote meaningful phenotypic diversity within a watershed network? The ecological literature suggests that broad-scale habitat diversity (e.g., lakes, floodplains, rivers) creates resilience in long-term salmonid population dynamics and can play an important role in species diversity and persistence via the portfolio effect. Conservation, habitat diversity, keystone environments, early life history diversity, portfolio effect, salmonids. [Extracted from the article]

As impervious cover increases with urban development, stream channels are degraded by increased stormwater runoff, which negatively impacts stream habitat quality and benthic macroinvertebrate diversity. We examined the relationship between stream habitat diversity and aquatic insect taxa and trait richness and diversity at the watershed scale in 30 streams, covering a gradient of stream habitat quality. We then quantified the relationship between taxa and trait richness and diversity and seven microhabitats at the reach scale in ten streams with high habitat quality. We found that both taxa richness and diversity declined at a greater rate than trait richness and diversity along an in-stream habitat diversity gradient. Taxa richness was positively correlated with pools, runs, backwater, leaf packs, and riffles, while trait richness was positively correlated with runs, small wood, and riffles. Taxa diversity was positively correlated with pools and leaf packs while trait diversity was positively correlated with runs, leaf packs, small wood, and riffles. An indicator species analysis revealed that specific taxa and traits were associated with specific microhabitats or combinations of microhabitats. By correlating the taxa in urban streams with specific microhabitats, we can better evaluate the success of stream restoration in restoring stream function and in stimulating benthic macroinvertebrate recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionScientific documentation of the qualitative forest vegetation parameters of a biogeographical area provides baseline information to guide conservation strategies and design policies for biodiversity management regulations.MethodsWe present one of the most comprehensive qualitative vegetation analyses to evaluate the entire structure and function of an ecosystem in the remote northern part of the Kashmir Himalaya, India. Several multivariate ecological community analyses were conducted after determining the presence of plant species in the various habitats using a random sampling technique.ResultsIn total, 155 plant species belonging to 120 genera and 49 families occurred in the area. Asteraceae was the largest family (12% of plant species) followed by Rosaceae (11%). The patterns of species distribution across families were uneven, with 50% of the species belonging to only 7 families, and 23 families being monotypic. In terms of functional groups, the herbaceous growth form dominated. Therophytes were the dominant life form, indicating that the vegetation was disturbed. According to the phytogeographical research, 65% of the species documented in the study area were native, 15% were invasive, 14% naturalized, and 5% being casual. The majority (30%) of exotic species were reported along roadsides. Of all the species found, 39% grew in their natural habitats, such as forests, and 11% were scattered along roadsides. Plant species were grouped in five different clusters based on their floristic similarity. According to the estimated diversity indices, natural forest has the greatest values for Shannon’s and Simpson’s index. We found that the study area serves as the natural habitat for several significant, endangered medicinal plants, including Arnebia benthamii, Bergenia ciliata, Delphinium roylei, Gentiana kurroo, Phytolacca acinosa, Saussurea costus, and Trillium govanianum. Therefore, we recommend that human intervention in natural regeneration efforts be prioritized in these habitats to increase the population of these species.ConclusionExamining species features from the perspective of functional groups contributes to our understanding of the ecological aspects of the flora. It may also be useful in developing management plans to ensure long-term management of forest landscapes in this remote Himalayan region.

Environmental heterogeneity is considered an important factor supporting the evolution and maintenance of biodiversity. At small scales, such heterogeneity is thought to promote species co-existence through an increase in niche opportunities. Amazonia, the largest and most biodiverse rainforest in the world, presents a large number of vegetation types within its territory. Here, we tested the hypothesis that butterfly assemblages differ among five vegetation types at a small scale (less than 1 km2) in a region of Southern Amazonia. The vegetation types studied were forest gap, terra firme, igapó, semi-deciduous forest, and bamboo forest. The richest and most abundant community was in forest gap; igapó was the least rich, but held the second most abundant community and the only one with nine indicator species instead of two or three. Assemblage composition differed among all vegetation types, with the exception of forest gap and bamboo forest. Different light levels, temperatures, humidity, and host plant availability among vegetation types are likely relevant factors influencing these butterfly assemblages. The results suggest that the presence of various vegetation types in the region promotes the coexistence of butterfly species, and that specific threats to each vegetation type should be addressed to conserve the region's biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Military areas often host extraordinary biodiversity compared to the typical agricultural landscape in Europe. It has been suggested that this is due to the high landscape heterogeneity caused by disturbances from military training. This study aimed to test this hypothesis using data from the military area Hradiště and nearby farmland in the Czech Republic (Central Europe). Here, we measured two facets of landscape heterogeneity -- the number of woody vegetation patches and habitat diversity -- and supplemented these measures with previously published data from bird point counts performed on the same sites. The number of woody vegetation patches was higher in the military area than in the farmland and was positively related to the species richness of birds of conservation concern. Habitat diversity did not differ between both regions. It showed, however, a hump-shaped relationship with total bird species richness. Our results indicate that open landscapes of military areas host a higher number of birds of conservation concern than the farmland due to a finer grain of woodland-grassland mosaic. To support more bird species, it is essential to keep habitat diversity high in open landscapes but at a level that does not harm bird populations by area limitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural landscapes had been inhabited by a vast number of bird species in the past; however, especially in the last decades, agricultural intensification had negatively affected habitat composition. Habitat heterogeneity decreased and the number of many species inhabiting farmland has severely declined. These landscapes still offer a home for species, but with decreasing environmental variability, less suitable habitat might be available and interspecific competition might have been altered. Agricultural fields under organic farming are often assumed to provide adequate habitats for farmland birds, thus competition for these areas might be high and affect species' habitat selection. We compared habitat selection of two typical farmland bird species, Grey Partridges (Perdix perdix) and Common Pheasants (Phasianus colchicus), to determine the extent of habitat overlap in agricultural landscapes under organic and conventional farming in spring. Our study showed that both species preferred study squares with high habitat heterogeneity. In addition, squares with agricultural fields (e.g. without culture, winter cereals and fallow land) under organic farming were preferred by Grey Partridges, while Common Pheasants were mainly found on study squares containing agricultural fields under conventional farming. A broad habitat width in respect to food selection might have driven habitat choice of Common Pheasants; however, occupation of agricultural fields under organic farming by Grey Partridge males might also explain habitat selection of Common Pheasants. Awareness should be raised when releasing captive-rearing pheasants because interspecific competition between Grey Partridges and Common Pheasants could also affect fecundity and survival of both species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecology and phenology of the Dysderidae (Araneae) were investigated in two different sites (Tala‐Guilef and Tikjda), located at opposite slopes of the Djurdjura National Park in Algeria. The following questions were investigated: Are there any endemic species in the studied area? Do the slopes' orientation influence the abundance, richness and diversity of these spider communities? Are the activity and the vital cycle of the three most abundant species different in the two different plant physiognomies (cedar forests and alpine grasslands)? The Dysderidae were collected monthly for 2 years using pitfall traps. In total, 1532 specimens were collected: 333 males, 389 females and 381 juveniles in Tala‐Guilef and 230 males, 66 females and 133 juveniles in Tikjda. Among the total of 10 species sampled, three species belonging to three genera in Tala‐Guilef, 10 species belonging to four genera in Tikdja and four endemic species was recorded. The slope orientation influence the abundance and the species richness. The activity and the vital cycle of the three most abundant species were not different in the cedar forests and alpine grasslands. For these species, no relationship was found between the activity cycle and the vegetation physiognomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rehabilitation of large Anthropocene rivers requires engagement of diverse stakeholders across a broad range of sociopolitical boundaries. Competing objectives often constrain options for ecological restoration of large rivers whereas fewer competing objectives may exist in a subset of tributaries. Further, tributaries contribute toward building a “portfolio” of river ecosystem assets through physical and biological processes that may present opportunities to enhance the resilience of large river fishes. Our goal is to review roles of tributaries in enhancing mainstem large river fish populations. We present case histories from two greatly altered and distinct large-river tributary systems that highlight how tributaries contribute four portfolio assets to support large-river fish populations: 1) habitat diversity, 2) connectivity, 3) ecological asynchrony, and 4) density-dependent processes. Finally, we identify future research directions to advance our understanding of tributary roles and inform conservation actions. In the Missouri River United States, we focus on conservation efforts for the state endangered lake sturgeon, which inhabits large rivers and tributaries in the Midwest and Eastern United States. In the Colorado River, Grand Canyon United States, we focus on conservation efforts for recovery of the federally threatened humpback chub. In the Missouri River, habitat diversity focused on physical habitats such as substrate for reproduction, and deep-water habitats for refuge, whereas augmenting habitat diversity for Colorado River fishes focused on managing populations in tributaries with minimally impaired thermal and flow regimes. Connectivity enhancements in the Missouri River focused on increasing habitat accessibility that may require removal of physical structures like low-head dams; whereas in the Colorado River, the lack of connectivity may benefit native fishes as the disconnection provides refuge from non-native fish predation. Hydrologic variability among tributaries was present in both systems, likely underscoring ecological asynchrony. These case studies also described density dependent processes that could influence success of restoration actions. Although actions to restore populations varied by river system, these examples show that these four portfolio assets can help guide restoration activities across a diverse range of mainstem rivers and their tributaries. Using these assets as a guide, we suggest these can be transferable to other large river-tributary systems.

The increasing number of visitors to wetland parks has caused varying degrees of impact on wetland life. How to reduce the damage to wetland biodiversity caused by recreational activities in parks, improve tourists' recreational experience, and balance the relationship between the two are urgent problems that need to be solved. Therefore, four urban wetland parks were selected as subjects for this study. The present study utilized social media data to study the diversity of urban wetland habitats and tourists' wetland landscape preferences from the spatial dimension and explore the relationship between the two. This is a practice different from the traditional ecological research (survey, measurement, monitoring, questionnaire survey) of wetland habitat diversity assessment. The research revealed the following findings: (1) There was a significant positive correlation between habitat saturation and positive artificial elements, such as landscape structures and aerial walkways; (2) Landscape complexity is negatively correlated with landscape instantaneity and wilderness degree; (3) Habitat diversity was negatively correlated with landscape instantaneity but positively correlated with naturalness and positive artificial elements. This study proposes wetland habitat construction as a strategy to optimize the management of habitat diversity in urban wetland parks and enhance its ecological education function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the Natura 2000 network, there is a legal imperative to protect endangered species. A lack of knowledge about habitat requirements for these species undermines the ability to make informed decisions about appropriate conservation measures, especially for isolated populations that may have developed habitat preferences specific to their region. Carabus menetriesi is an endangered ground beetle found in Europe and warrants protection under EU law. We collected occupancy data of C. menetriesi using live pitfall traps over two seasons in 2016 and 2018 at a protected nature reserve in southern Bavaria, Germany. Here, we present the results of a patch-occupancy modeling approach to determine habitat preferences for C. menetriesi at this site. Our model shows that increasing Sphagnum cover and habitat diversity led to higher occupancy levels for C. menetriesi at this site, while tree cover was negatively correlated with occupancy, but increased the detectability of the species. Implications for insect conservation: Measures for protecting the C. menetriesi population at the study site were taken in accordance with our results. Areas with high tree cover were thinned at several sites, although the success of this measure has yet to be determined. Our findings about habitat diversity suggest that expansion of low intensity grazing in the area, a measure that was suggested as a result of our survey and is currently in process of implementation, might benefit the species. Whether our results can be transferred to C. menetriesi populations in different habitats remains to be investigated, however, our methodological approach with regard to both the data collection and analysis can be used to assess other populations and provide important information about relevant habitat parameters for that population. This will allow conservation managers to make well-informed decisions about conserving C. menetriesi, or indeed other similar carabid species with isolated populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provisioning ecosystem services (PES) are typically crucial to rural livelihoods, especially in developing countries. However, the links between PES and local biodiversity or landscape heterogeneity are poorly explored. Here, we examined the extent of use and value of locally harvested wild, terrestrial and marine PES (such as wild foods, traditional medicines, firewood, building materials and others) in three villages (35–40 households per village) along a gradient of decreasing landscape heterogeneity. Households at the site with the highest landscape heterogeneity used a greater array of PES (9 ± 4) compared to the intermediate (5 ± 3) and least heterogenous (0.9 ± 0.8) sites. This resulted in a significantly greater annual value of PES to local livelihoods at the most diverse site (US$2 656 ± 2 587 per household), compared to US$1 120 ± 1 313 at the intermediate site and only US$105 ± 193 at the least heterogeneous site. This study shows the importance of access to a diversity of landscapes and PES to support rural livelihoods, which is frequently overlooked in PES valuation studies and in situations of land use change where landscape heterogeneity may decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cemeteries are often seen as monofunctional spaces for burial and mourning and, within the dynamically changing urban fabric, as a planning conundrum. Long periods of stability have also turned these untouched and hidden places into refugia for nature and wildlife. In booming and dense cities with high land use pressures and housing shortages, in particular, as the amount of burial ground needed per citizen decreases and burial cultures change, the cemetery has become a contested nature, as a simultaneous space of emotion, commerce and community. We revisited the diversity and ontogenesis of cemeteries, and the interactions with neighboring uses of the urban matrix. Our review demonstrates a wide range of different ecosystem services of urban cemeteries, beyond potential as hotspots of culture and biodiversity. We highlight their multifunctional character and the need for a holistic and trans-disciplinary evaluation using multistakeholder approaches to further develop cemeteries as a crucial element of sustainable urban landscapes.

Functional diversity metrics have been suggested as important indicators of ecosystem functioning. We investigated the effects of land use mediated by local environmental variables on the fish assemblages' functional structure in 18 headwater streams distributed in the Upper Paraná and Iguaçu ecoregions. The species were characterized according to habitat use, food resource use, life history, and hypoxia tolerance. We calculated functional diversity indices [richness (FRic), evenness (FEve), divergence (FDiv), dispersion (FDis), diversity (RaoQ)] and functional rarity indices [distinctiveness (Disti), uniqueness (Uni)], and evaluated the effects of regional and local variables on these indices using generalized linear models. The results highlighted the occurrence of the most functionally distinct and unique species in the forested streams. Moreover, we observed higher FRic in streams sampled in argisol, with a high ammonia load and low habitat diversity. Forested and agricultural covers positively affected FDis and RaoQ. Urban cover had a negative effect on FDis and RaoQ, mainly due to the increase in generalist functional groups in urban streams. Our findings emphasize the importance of forested cover in maintaining specialized species in fish assemblages of streams and preserving functional diversity and ecosystem functioning. Furthermore, these results contribute to direct conservation and recovery measures in freshwater environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most spiders are mobile and easily transported across the world via human activity, making them ideal candidates for biological invasions. Mermessus trilobatus (Emerton, 1882) is one of Europe's most invasive spider species and one of the few invasive spider species that successfully invade (semi-) natural ecosystems. Yet, its invasion success is not well understood. We investigated the Niche Breadth-Invasion Success Hypothesis in an old sand quarry with high habitat diversity in northern Belgium. We captured spiders using pitfall traps at 25 locations over 14 months. The activity-density of M. trilobatus could be linked to soil pH and temperature. Mermessus trilobatus showed the highest habitat diversity of all 150 species captured and was one of the few species found in each pitfall trap. The low habitat specificity of M. trilobatus could be key in population establishment, fast spread and invasion success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Effective river management requires analysis of spatial distribution and habitat diversity. • Under normal flow the distribution of fish habitat is along the river channel while under flood flow is on the banks. • Two-dimensional habitat diversity construction model accurately simulates habitat diversity regardless of flow magnitude. Analyzing the spatial distribution and habitat diversity of river habitats not only helps us understand river ecology and guides effective management, but also informs efforts to create suitable habitats for fish and restore environmental diversity. Henceforth, we developed a Two-Dimensional Habitat Diversity Construction Model to predict and analyze the variation and spatial distribution of fish habitat types under the normal (for both dry and wet seasons) and flood flows (for different return periods). Shannon and Simpson Index, and Habitat Diversity Index (HDI) were used to assess the habitat diversity under normal and flood flow conditions. The simulation results showed that under normal flow, fish habitat distribution is along the channel while under flood flow it is more on the banks. Under average annual flow and high flow during the rainy season, 4.4 % and 20.51 % of water-covered areas, respectively, lack suitable habitats. For flood flows with return periods of 2 years and 100 years, 55.6 % and 73.36 % of water-covered areas do not support any habitat types. Regardless of the flow type, the model can reasonably evaluate the spatial distribution and habitat diversity of various habitat types in the river. Findings from this study will assist in conserving existing fish habitats, and in introducing missing/lacking habitats. In addition, it could provide a reference for creating ecological habitats for fish in rivers and restoring habitat diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the roles of ecological drivers in shaping biodiversity is fundamental for conservation practice. In this study, we explored the effects of elevation, conservation status, primary productivity, habitat diversity and anthropogenic disturbance (represented by human population density and birding history) on taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional avian diversity in a subtropical landscape in southeastern China. We conducted bird surveys using 1‐km transects across a total of 30 sites, of which 10 sites were located within a natural reserve. Metrics of functional diversity were calculated based on six functional traits (body mass, clutch size, dispersal ratio, sociality, diet and foraging stratum). We built simultaneous autoregression models to assess the association between the ecological factors and diversity of the local avian communities. Local avian diversity generally increased with increasing habitat diversity, human population density and primary productivity. We also detected phylogenetic and functional clustering in these communities, suggesting that the avian assemblages were structured mainly by environmental filtering, rather than interspecific competition. Compared with sites outside the natural reserve, sites within the natural reserve had relatively lower avian diversity but a higher level of phylogenetic heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to rising global warming and climate change, biodiversity protection has become a critical ecological concern. Rich biodiversity zones are under threat and are deteriorating, necessitating national, regional, and provincial efforts to safeguard these natural areas. The effective conservation of national parks and nature-protected areas help to improve biodiversity conservation, forest, and urban air quality. The continuous encroachment and abuse of these protected areas have degraded the ecosystem over time. While exploring the geophysical ecology and biodiversity conservation of these areas in West Africa, Kainji National Park was selected for this study because of its notable location, naturalness, rich habitat diversity, topographic uniqueness, and landmass. The conservation of national parks and nature-protected areas is a cornerstone of biodiversity conservation globally. This study is aimed at the target United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 13, 2030—Climate Action targeted at taking urgent action towards combating climate change and its impacts. The study captures both flora and fauna that are dominant in the study area. The 15 identified tree species were selected from over 30 species with 563,500,000 (an average of 3,700,000 in each sample frame) trees for every tree species/type with a total of 63% tree green canopy cover. The study areas divided into three zones were randomly sampled within a stratum of 25 × 25 km frames divided into 150 sample frames for proper analyses using the i-Tree Eco v6.0.25. It is a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service peer-reviewed application (software) designed which includes tools for urban and rural forestry study and benefits evaluations. The following microclimatic data were captured and analyzed photosynthetically active radiation, rain/precipitation, temperature, transpiration, evaporation, water intercepted by trees, runoff avoided by trees, potential evaporation by trees, and isoprene and monoterpene by trees. This study also further discusses the tree benefits of a green, low carbon, and sustainable environment within the context of biodiversity conservation, considering carbon storage, carbon sequestration, hydrology effects, pollution removal, oxygen production, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). There is a quick need for remotely-sensed information about the national parks, protected areas and nature reserves at regular intervals, and government policies must be strict against illegal poaching, logging activities, and other hazardous human impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The indirect effect of seminatural habitats on pest suppression has been widely studied in agricultural landscapes. By contrast, the role of crop diversity on pest suppression by predators has seldom been explored, particularly using molecular gut-content analysis (MGCA). In addition, differences between early- and late-season effects of landscape complexity on pest control, crucial to ensure season-long control, have received little attention. During 2014 and 2015, we investigated the effect of agricultural landscape complexity and crop diversity on cereal leaf beetle (CLB, Oulema melanoplus) predation early in the season using sentinel egg cards and late in the season by assessing larval predation using MGCA. Early-season CLB egg predation and late-season abundance of Nabis americoferus and coccinellids in wheat fields were positively correlated with amount of woodland habitat in these landscapes. Contrary to our predictions, crop diversity had negative associations with the late-season frequency of larval predation and the abundance of N. americoferus. Predator diversity and the abundance of Hippodamia lady beetles had negative associations with CLB abundance, highlighting the significant contribution of some generalist predators to CLB suppression. Our results suggest that the proportion of woodland and a few major crops (e.g., canola and non-cereal crops), rather than crop diversity, are associated with higher predation at different temporal scales. Overall, our results suggest that a habitat management strategy could be implemented to adjust the crop rotation regime to add the right kind of crop diversity in the landscape to support the natural control of CLB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The availability of various habitats increases biodiversity and provides niche opportunities for organisms, although greater habitat diversity may contribute to the spreading of invasive plants. In this study, we aimed to assess the impact of the extent of invasion on bird responses to the availability of their natural habitats. Specifically, we asked whether the Caucasian hogweeds, herbaceous invasive plants spreading in abandoned lands, shape those responses by providing new niche opportunities or limitations and whether these invaders can be tolerated by the bird community. The research was conducted in south-eastern Poland in 2020 on 64 research sites, half of which were located near the Caucasian hogweeds’ invasion. The birds were counted from points within 100 m, while the areas of invaded and uninvaded habitats were measured within 100 and 500 m. The impact of the invaded area was negative for the overall bird abundance and species richness. At the same time, the invasion affected birds differently depending on their nesting/foraging assemblages, the availability of various uninvaded habitats, and the extent of invaded areas. Specifically, the abundance of ground/herb dwellers non-linearly dropped even with small increases of the invaded area suggesting their high sensitivity to invasion. These birds were supported by the agricultural land availability, but only when its area was lower than 1.0 ha and the habitat was fragmented, indicating the value of extensive croplands for ground/herb dwelling species. Ecotone birds benefited from small invaded areas mixed with bushes but suffered when the invaded areas were large. Habitat homogenization by the invader physiognomically similar to shrubs was favoured by bush foragers. Tree foragers preferred forest partitioning near the largest invaded areas. The invaded and uninvaded habitats influenced bird community at a fine scale (i.e. in a 100-m radius), while only crucial areas of meadows, forests and agriculture available in a 500-m radius remained important for the community. This study showed that even a small amount of plant invaders rapidly and negatively affect birds when they grow in open areas and are physiognomically different from these birds’ habitats, while species living in ecotone or trees suffer from severely invaded areas. It suggests the priority of invading weeds’ removal in open areas, regardless of the invaded area, as well as the need to prevent weed development in overgrown areas.

Urbanization results in complex and variable changes to environmental conditions, which translate to shifts in selection pressures for organisms. Size of a city as well as the intensity and extent of urbanization can synergistically influence how organisms are impacted. However, less is known about how landscape heterogeneity, rate of land-use change, and scale of urbanization affect species persistence. We evaluate the ways in which urbanization changes the environment and examine how some of these environmental factors influence the presence of the lizard Psammophilus dorsalis (Peninsular rock agama), in Bengaluru, India. Variability in environmental factors across the study area was characterised by measures of habitat composition and diversity, habitat connectivity, rate of habitat change, predation pressure, land surface temperature (LST) and artificial light at night (ALAN), that were derived from remotely sensed and citizen science data. Most of these factors showed high variance across two measures of urbanization: distance from city center and proportion of built-up area. Habitat diversity and ALAN were the only two factors that changed predictably and in a non-linear way, with distance from the city center and proportion of built-up area. We then used a multi-scale approach to examine the relative importance of some these environmental factors at the landscape scale, as well as additional factors at the microhabitat-scale, in predicting the presence and relative abundance of P. dorsalis respectively. At the landscape scale, LST, which is positively correlated with proportion of cropland, predicted lizard presence; whereas at the microhabitat scale, P. dorsalis was more likely to be found in sites with higher proportions of rocks. Overall, we demonstrate that urbanization can result in environmental predictors that do not vary linearly across the urbanization gradient. For the iconic rock agama, many of these environmental factors do not seem to be strong selection pressures that influence their distribution in the expanding cityscape. Whether this urban utilizer can continue to persist with increasing anthropogenic development is uncertain. To better understand drivers of species persistence, we emphasize the importance of quantifying urbanization across multiple axes, considering environmental factors that are relevant to species at different spatial and temporal scales.

Sexual reproduction is the basic way to form high genetic diversity and it is beneficial in evolution and speciation of fungi. The global diversity of teleomorphic species in Ascomycota has not been estimated. This paper estimates the species number for sexual ascomycetes based on five different estimation approaches, viz. by numbers of described fungi, by fungus:substrate ratio, by ecological distribution, by meta-DNA barcoding or culture-independent studies and by previous estimates of species in Ascomycota. The assumptions were made with the currently most accepted, "2.2–3.8 million" species estimate and results of previous studies concluding that 90% of the described ascomycetes reproduce sexually. The Catalogue of Life, Species Fungorum and published research were used for data procurement. The average value of teleomorphic species in Ascomycota from all methods is 1.86 million, ranging from 1.37 to 2.56 million. However, only around 83,000 teleomorphic species have been described in Ascomycota and deposited in data repositories. The ratio between described teleomorphic ascomycetes to predicted teleomorphic ascomycetes is 1:22. Therefore, where are the undiscovered teleomorphic ascomycetes? The undescribed species are no doubt to be found in biodiversity hot spots, poorly-studied areas and species complexes. Other poorly studied niches include extremophiles, lichenicolous fungi, human pathogens, marine fungi, and fungicolous fungi. Undescribed species are present in unexamined collections in specimen repositories or incompletely described earlier species. Nomenclatural issues, such as the use of separate names for teleomorph and anamorphs, synonyms, conspecific names, illegitimate and invalid names also affect the number of described species. Interspecies introgression results in new species, while species numbers are reduced by extinctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flow refugia, locations that maintain substrate stability and low hydraulic stress during periods of high flow, can ensure riverine resilience in the face of increasing hydrological unpredictability. Despite their known importance, they have been overlooked in recent years with work on drought refugia currently seeing greater attention. Moreover, research on the role of flow refugia during artificial flood pulses in regulated rivers, where flood disturbances are no longer part of the hydrograph, is essentially absent. Here, we compared flow refugia for benthic macroinvertebrates among six habitats (main channel, side channel, riffle, margin, lentic including a floodplain pond, and inundated floodplain) within four different sites in response to an artificial flood pulse. We found that the grain‐size distribution and macroinvertebrate community composition changed at each site following the flood. Macroinvertebrate assemblages became longitudinally homogeneous, but within‐site beta diversity and taxa richness remained temporally stable following the flood pulse, suggesting the presence of flow refugia. In this respect, margin, inundated floodplain and lentic (a floodplain pond) habitats provided important flow refugia locations, particularly for the mobile mayfly Rhithrogena sp. In contrast, low substrate stability in riffle and side channels resulted in limited refugia potential for most taxa. Refuge use was however patchy with high levels of intra‐habitat variability being evident for Rhithrogena sp. and the amphipod Gammarus fossarum in margin and side channel habitats. Further work is required to advance our knowledge of flow refugia in rivers with differing flow regimes to enable their integration into management and restoration schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrological changes affect not only the physicochemical factors and habitat structure of river ecosystems, but also the structure of biological communities sensitive to environmental changes, such as zooplankton. In this study, we investigate the effects of weir opening on environmental variables and topographic structures at Sejong Weir in South Korea and monitor the resulting changes in the structure and distribution of the zooplankton community. Weir opening led to increased dissolved oxygen and decreased conductivity, turbidity, chlorophyll a, total phosphorus, and total nitrogen and increased the diversity of topographic structures (reduced pool area and increase riffle and grassland/bare land areas) in the section downstream of Sejong Weir. Prior to weir opening (2015–2016), the cladoceran community was dominated by Chydrous spaeericus and Moina microcopa. After opening (2018–2019), the abundance of other cladoceran communities such as Bosmina groups (Bosmina longiseta, Bosmina fatalis, and Bosminopsis deitersi), Ceriodaphnia sp., and Daphnia obtusa increased. In contrast, the copepod species (Cyclops vicinus and Mesocyclops leukarti) were abundant before weir opening. We conclude that artificial weir opening helped maintain the unique environmental characteristics of the river ecosystem in terms of river continuity and led to a different zooplankton community composition in the new river environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Area and environmental heterogeneity influence species richness in islands. Whether area or environmental heterogeneity is more relevant in determining species richness is a central issue in island biogeography. Several models have been proposed, addressing the issue, and they can be reconducted to three main hypotheses developed to explain the species-area relationship: (1) the area-per se hypothesis (known also as the extinction-colonisation equilibrium), (2) the random placement (passive sampling), and the (3) environmental heterogeneity (habitat diversity). In this paper, considering also the possible influence of geographic distance on island species richness, we explore the correlation between area, environmental heterogeneity, and species richness by using faunistic data of Oniscidea inhabiting the Pontine Islands, a group of five small volcanic islands and several islets in the Tyrrhenian Sea, located about 60 km from the Italian mainland. We found that the colonisation of large Pontine Islands may occur via processes independent of geographic distance which could instead be an important factor at a much smaller scale. Such processes may be driven by a combination of anthropogenic influences and natural events. Even in very small-size island systems, environmental heterogeneity mostly contributes to species richness. Environmental heterogeneity could influence the taxocenosis structure and, ultimately, the number of species of Oniscidea via direct and indirect effects, these last mediated by area which may or may not have a direct effect on species richness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large wood (LW) is an integral part of natural river ecosystems and determines their ecological integrity by modulating hydromorphology and providing habitats. Hence, LW installations are a common restoration measure in large rivers, even if effects on biodiversity are ambiguous or unknown for ecosystem functioning. Here we quantified the hydromorphological, biological, and functional effects of LW 8 months after installation in a large gravel‐bed river. Both morphological and flow diversity increased strongly by 821% and 127%, respectively. Similarly, fish abundance increased nearly 10‐fold, and macroinvertebrate diversity increased by 35%. Ecosystem functions benefited from LW installation and increased significantly (e.g., by up to 390% for bacterial production) at sites influenced by LW compared to those without LW. Our results highlight the role of the bark habitat of LW that increased the direct effects of LW via the provision of new habitat and stimulated ecosystem‐wide processes. Our integrative approach evaluating the success of LW installations in a large river revealed cascading effects from the provisioning of new habitats, the increase of species diversity to higher ecosystem functioning. It also demonstrated that hydromorphological parameters or community composition alone are insufficient to quantify the complex effects of LW installation, which underlines the necessity to evaluate restoration success with different measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Habitat loss, fragmentation and decrease of habitat quality caused by urbanization have led to a dramatic decline in biodiversity worldwide. For highly urbanized areas, parks have become “islands” or habitat fragments for wildlife. As an important indicator group of urban ecosystem health, the response of birds to urbanization has attracted the global attention of ecologists. Understanding the key factors affecting bird diversity in urbanized environment is crucial to the protection of biodiversity in urban ecosystems. Methods We used the line-transect method to survey birds in 37 urban parks in Nanjing, China. We also measured a number of park characteristics (area, isolation, shape index, environmental noise, distance to city center, and habitat diversity) that are commonly assumed to influence bird diversity. We then used the information-theoretic multi-model inference approach to determine which park characteristics had significant impacts on bird species richness. Results We found that park area, habitat diversity and the distance to city center were the best positive predictors of bird species richness in Nanjing urban parks. By contrast, park isolation, park shape and environmental noise had little or no influence on bird diversity. Conclusions Our study highlights the importance of park area, habitat diversity and the distance to city center in determining bird diversity in Nanjing city parks. Therefore, from a conservation viewpoint, we recommend that large parks with complex and diverse habitats far away from the city center should be retained or constructed to increase bird diversity in urban design and planning.