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Spatial co-occurrence patterns are determined by environmental factors, such as food availability or habitat characteristics and by biotic associations. When resources are limited, competition which implies a dominant hierarchy can shape species assemblage. Here, we study space and time co-occurrence of steppe passerines during the breeding season in a natural steppe habitat, its modulation by environmental filtering, potential biotic interactions and random processes. We applied the joint species distribution model of hierarchical modelling of species community (HMSC) to data on species presence–absence and environmental, temporal and spatial covariates acquired from seven plots in a natural steppe in central Spain during two consecutive years. Our results reveal the patterns of bird species co-occurrence and suggest that this assemblage might be competitively structured. The assemblage appears to be configured around one dominant species, the Eurasian skylark, which establishes principally negative associations with many of the coexistent species. Our results contribute to the understanding of how competition and dominance processes, together with ecological constraints and other biotic associations, shape bird assemblages, Academy of Finland - 309581. European Commission - LIFE Connect Ricotí project LIFE20-NAT/ES/000133, LIFE Ricotí project LIFE15-NAT-ES-000802. European Commission - Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, H2020 Excellent Science, H2020 European Research Council, 856506. Jane ja Aatos Erkon Säätiö - Research Council of Norway through its Centres. Remedinal REMEDINAL-3 from CAM

Living in high latitudes and altitudes sets specific requirements on species’ ability to forecast seasonal changes and to respond to them in an appropriate way. Adaptation into diverse environmental conditions can also lead to ecological speciation through habitat isolation or by inducing changes in traits that influence assortative mating. In this review, we explain how the unique time-measuring systems of Drosophila virilis group species have enabled the species to occupy high latitudes and how the traits involved in species reproduction and survival exhibit strong linkage with latitudinally varying photoperiodic and climatic conditions. We also describe variation in reproductive barriers between the populations of two species with overlapping distributions and show how local adaptation and the reinforcement of prezygotic barriers have created partial reproductive isolation between conspecific populations. Finally, we consider the role of species-specific chromosomal inversions and the X chromosome in the development of reproductive barriers between diverging lineages. peerReviewed

1. Traits related to reproduction and dispersal drive the assembly and dynamics of species communities and can explain and predict how species respond to habitat loss and fragmentation and to the changing climate. For fungi, such links remain poorly known. 2. We examine how spore production rate, a key demographic trait, is influenced by the interaction between environmental conditions and species traits. We monitored the spore production of 97 wood-inhabiting fungal species on 107 decaying logs for two years and analyzed the data with a hierarchical community model. 3. Our analysis demonstrates clear species differences in seasonal patterns, with spring and summer release dominating in perennial species, contrary to the commonly held view of autumn as the primary ?mushroom season?. Many species follow a diurnal pattern with a higher spore release rate during the night. Such patterns in release timing have important implications for dispersal, as shown by recent model simulations. 4. The overall level of spore release was negatively correlated with spore size, providing new evidence that fungi face the classic trade-off of investing either in the number or size of offspring. 5. We found that different species within the functional group of wood-inhabiting fungi display alternative strategies in spore release timing and along the trade-off between offspring size and number. Linking our findings to previously reported correlations between spore size and other traits, we propose a new conceptualization of life history strategies in wood-inhabiting fungi, with implications for species? ability to survive the ongoing biodiversity crisis.

Studies have shown negative impacts of increased human pressures on biodiversity at local (alpha-diversity) and regional (gamma-diversity) scales. However, the diversity between local sites (beta-diversity) has received less attention. This is an important shortcoming since beta- diversity acts as a linkage between the local and regional scales. Decreased beta- diversity means that local sites lose their distinctiveness, becoming more similar to each other. This process is known as biotic homogenization. However, the mechanisms causing biotic homogenization have not been fully studied nor its impacts on different facets of biodiversity. We examined if land- use change due to human actions causes biotic homogenization of taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity in bird communities of forested habitats in the state of Minnesota, USA. We address if forest loss and increased human domination in a region were associated with decreased beta- diversity. Our results showed that elevated human pressure was not related to increased biotic homogenization in this study region. Effects of landscape change were incongruent among taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity. At all spatial scales, taxonomic diversity was unrelated to forest loss or human domination. Interestingly, increased human domination appeared to increase the functional beta- diversity of bird communities. This association was driven by a decrease in local diversity. Forest habitat loss was associated with de -creasing functional and phylogenetic diversity in local communities (alpha- diversity) and in regional species pool (gamma-diversity), but not in beta- diversity. We highlight the importance of considering multiple facets of biodiversity as their responses to human land- use is varied. Conservation significance of beta- diversity hinges on local and regional diversity responses to human land- use intensification, and organization of biodiversity should therefore be analyzed at multiple spatial scales. peerReviewed

The area of semi-natural grasslands has decreased dramatically causing many grassland specialist species to persist in small habitat fragments. Furthermore, ecological communities once shaped by disturbances related to traditional agriculture now face the impacts of modern agriculture and urbanization. Many of the species have become endangered due to the combined effects of habitat destruction and degradation. We studied the responses of vascular plants and bryophytes to present and past connectivity in semi-natural grasslands, while accounting for the effects of local environmental conditions. We conducted vegetation surveys in 33 fragmented, unmanaged dry grasslands in Southwest Finland. A total of 191 vascular plant species and 60 bryophyte species were recorded. Higher vascular plant diversity was associated with higher historical connectivity, whereas bryophyte diversity declined with increasing current connectivity. Edaphic conditions, microclimate and disturbances were found to structure both vascular plant and bryophyte communities, but the responses to individual environmental variables were very different. The contrasting responses could be explained by the differences between the typical life-history strategies in vascular plants and bryophytes as well as resource competition between the two groups. These results highlight the need to consider different species groups when planning conservation measures. Vascular plant richness may best be conserved in connected grasslands whereas bryophyte richness in isolated ones. The results also indicated that trampling by humans could result in positive disturbance and to some extent help maintain richness of grassland specialist species.

Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2022 Hanhimäki, Watts, Koskela, Koteja, Mappes and Hämäläinen. Gut microbiota is expected to coevolve with the host's physiology and may play a role in adjusting the host's energy metabolism to suit the host's environment. To evaluate the effects of both evolved host metabolism and the environmental context in shaping the gut microbiota, we used a unique combination of (1) experimental evolution to create selection lines for a fast metabolism and (2) a laboratory-to-field translocation study. Mature bank voles Myodes glareolus from lines selected for high aerobic capacity (A lines) and from unselected control (C lines) were released into large (0.2 ha) outdoor enclosures for longitudinal monitoring. To examine whether the natural environment elicited a similar or more pronounced impact on the gut microbiota of the next generation, we also sampled the field-reared offspring. The gut microbiota were characterized using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing of fecal samples. The artificial selection for fast metabolism had minimal impact on the gut microbiota in laboratory conditions but in field conditions, there were differences between the selection lines (A lines vs. C lines) in the diversity, community, and resilience of the gut microbiota. Notably, the selection lines differed in the less abundant bacteria throughout the experiment. The lab-to-field transition resulted in an increase in alpha diversity and an altered community composition in the gut microbiota, characterized by a significant increase in the relative abundance of Actinobacteria and a decrease of Patescibacteria. Also, the selection lines showed different temporal patterns in changes in microbiota composition, as the average gut microbiota alpha diversity of the C lines, but not A lines, was temporarily reduced during the initial transition to the field. In surviving young voles, the alpha diversity of gut microbiota was significantly higher in A-line than C-line voles. These results indicate that the association of host metabolism and gut microbiota is context-specific, likely mediated by behavioral or physiological modifications in response to the environment.

Pölyttäjähyönteisten katoaminen on osallistanut ihmisiä lajien suojeluun. Vihertalouden myötä on muotoutunut myös mielikuvia pölyttäjähyönteisten optimaalisista elinympäristöistä sekä pölyttäjäkasveista. Suomessa tieteelliset pölyttäjähyönteisten pitkäkestoiset elinympäristötutkimukset ovat rahoituksen puuttuessa tuottaneet vain niukasti tietoa pölyttäjäkeskusteluun. Tämä monivuotinen ja useampaan metodiin pohjautuva tutkimus tarkastelee kimalaisten vuorovaikutussuhdetta erilaisiin ihmisen muokkaamiin ympäristöihin ja niiden kasveihin. Vahvan kestävyysajattelun tavoitteiden mukaisesti tutkimus hyödyntää tutkimusasetelmissaan eri tieteenalojen lähestymiskulmia: taidetta ja taidekasvatusta elämäsidonnaisemman tutkimusaluerakenteen muodostamisessa, maantiedettä mittausmenetelmissä ja alueellisissa tarkasteluissa, kasvi- ja eläinbiologiaa lajistovuorovaikutusseurannoissa ja filosofiaa pohdintojen kokoajana. Tutkimus tarttuu eettisiin kysymyksiin paitsi pölyttäjähyönteisten elinympäristöjen myös tutkimusmenetelmien ja tutkijan itsensä osalta., The disappearance of pollinating insects has increased people’s interest in protecting them. Ideas of green economy have informed images of optimal habitats for plant-pollinator interactions. In Finland, long-term scientific habitat researches of pollinating insects have only produced little information for the pollinator discussion. This long-term, multi-method research observes the interaction of bumblebees with various man-made environments and their plants. The article reports the results of field studies conducted in 2019 and 2020 and also raises ethical issues concerning the methods of insect research from the perspective of strong sustainability thinking.

Background Protected areas (PA) are central to biodiversity, but their efficiency is challenged by human-induced habitat loss and fragmentation. In the Fennoscandian boreal region, forestry with clearcutting is a threat to biodiversity causing the loss of mature forest elements and deterioration of ecological processes in forest landscapes, ultimately affecting PAs via declined structural connectivity. This paper aims to (1) determine PAs with high, red-listed species concentrations; (2) estimate the change in forest habitat around these PAs on different spatial scales; and (3) determine if forest management intensity is higher around biologically most valuable PAs. Occurrences of red-listed forest-dwelling species in Finland were used to identify PAs harbouring these species and to produce site-specific importance indices. CORINE landcover data was used as a baseline for the distribution of forests to assess the cover of clear-cuttings from 2001 to 2019 with the Global Forest Change (GFC) data set in three buffer areas around the PAs with occurrences of red-listed species. Results The largest proportion of clear-cuts occurred in 1 km and 10 km buffers around the PAs in the southern and middle boreal zones, being ca. 20%. This indicates that the forest habitat is degrading fast at regional and landscape levels. On the positive side, the change in forest cover was lower around the biologically most important PAs compared to other PAs with red-listed species. Conclusions Open and free satellite-data based assessments of the cover and change of forests provide reliable estimates about the rates at which mature and old-growth forests are being converted into young managed ones in Finland mainly via clear-cuts on different scales around PAs. The rate of clear-cuts was lowest in adjacent buffer areas next to the most species-rich PAs, which provides opportunities for biodiversity conservation efforts to be targeted to the remaining mature and old-growth forests found in the vicinity of these areas.

Inari on harvinainen kunta Lapin maakunnassa. Väestökadosta kärsivän maakunnan yksi pohjoisimmista kunnista onnistuu olemaan muuttovoittoinen, vaikka se on ”keskellä ei-mitään”. Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan kaupungista Inarin kuntaan muuttaneiden ihmisten arkea. Tavoitteena on selvittää Inariin muuttajien muuttomotiiveja, kuntaan jäämisen syitä sekä kokemuksia arjesta, paikallisyhteisöön kuulumisesta ja asuinpaikkaan kiinnittymisestä. Tarkoituksena on antaa ääni niille, joille Inarin kunta on pitkäaikainen koti ja arjen elinympäristö – ei vain sattumalta valittu lomakohde. Tutkimuksen teoreettinen viitekehys koostuu ensisijaisesti Rita Felskin teoriasta, jonka mukaan arki koostuu kolmesta ulottuvuudesta: ajallisuudesta (repetition), tilallisuudesta (home; sense of home) ja modaalisuudesta (habit). Lisäksi arjen elinympäristön, kuulumisen, paikkaan kiinnittymisen ja paikallisidentiteetin käsitteet ovat keskeinen osa tutkimuksen teoreettista viitekehystä. Tutkimusaineisto koostuu kuuden ihmisen teemahaastatteluista. He ovat työikäisiä ihmisiä, joilla on vahva kaupunkilaistausta. Haastattelut on toteutettu Inarin kunnassa vuoden 2020 touko-kesäkuussa. Haastattelujen lisäksi aineistoa on täydennetty osallistuvalla havainnoinnilla, jota on tehty Inarissa vuoden 2020 tammi-syyskuun välisenä aikana. Tutkimuksen analyysimenetelmänä on käytetty teoriaohjaavaa sisällönanalyysiä. Muuttajien muuttomotiivit ovat olleet moninaisia. Muuton taustalla on ollut sekä Inarin kuntaan vetäviä että kaupungista poistyöntäviä motiiveja. Pääasialliset muuttomotiivit liittyivät työ- ja koulutusmahdollisuuksiin, asuinympäristön fyysisiin ominaisuuksiin sekä muuton mahdollistaman elämänmuutoksen tekemiseen. Kaupungista pois työnsivät esimerkiksi liikenne, hektisyys, melu, asumisen ahtaus, ihmisten kasvottomuus, luonnonläheisyyden puute sekä kaupunkiympäristön suorituskeskeisyys. Osalle muutto toimi irtiottona kaupungin oravanpyörästä, ja mahdollisti rauhoittumista ja itsetutkiskelua. Inarin kunta nähdään kotina ja hyvänä asuinympäristönä esimerkiksi sen turvallisuuden, rauhallisuuden ja luonnonläheisyyden vuoksi. Arjen keskeisiä tiloja ovat koti, työpaikka, luonto, kunnan peruspalvelut sekä sosiaalinen media. Ajallisuuden näkökulmasta muuttajien arki näyttäytyy pääosin rauhallisena ja kiireettömänä. Erityisesti työ, vuodenajat sekä niiden mukana vaihtuvat sääolosuhteet ja valon määrä rytmittävät arkea. Vuodenajat ja luonnon läsnäolo vaikuttavat myös arjen rutiineihin ja toiminnan laatuun. Muuttajat kokevat arkensa pääasiassa hyväksi ja mielekkääksi. Arjessa tapahtuvan toiminnan mielekkyyttä luovat viihtyisä koti, työ, harrastukset, luonnonrauha sekä ihmissuhteet, kuten perhe, ystävät ja naapurit. Muuttajat kokevat, että muutto on parantanut heidän kokonaisvaltaista hyvinvointiaan, vahvistanut luontoyhteyttä sekä muuttanut kulutustottumuksia ja käsityksiä siitä, mitkä asiat ovat arjessa tärkeitä. Myös sosiaalisten suhteiden määrä on kasvanut. Syvempien ihmissuhteiden luominen koetaan kuitenkin haastavaksi. Muuttajat kokevat, että paikallisyhteisöön on vaikea päästä mukaan. Kunnassa eletyn ajan pituudesta riippumatta muuttajat kokevat olevansa ulkopuolisia ja ”junantuomia”. Muuttajat kuitenkin suhtautuvat tulevaisuuteen toiveikkaasti, eikä heillä ole kiinnostusta palata vanhaan kaupunkielämään. Inarin kunnan sekä muiden maaseutualueiden tulevaisuus kuitenkin mietityttävät. Erityisesti kunnan vuokra-asuntojen, työpaikkojen sekä palvelujen tarjontaa toivotaan kehitettävän, jotta kunta säilyisi jatkossakin vetovoimaisena ja elinvoimaisena. Inarin toivotaan kuitenkin säilyvän rauhallisena kuntana, jossa sekä ihmisillä että luonnolla on tulevaisuudessa tilaa olla ja hengittää.

Rakennettu luonnonmukainen elinympäristö voi edistää vaelluskalojen poikastuotantoa vesivoimalaitoksen tai muun patorakenteen yhteydessä. Elinympäristö toimii samalla kokonaisen ekosysteemin perustana. Tyypillisesti vesivoiman rakentamisessa on menetetty huomattavasti virtavesien eliöstölle soveltuvaa elinympäristöä, jota luonnonmukaiset ratkaisut voivat korvata osana ekologista kompensaatiota. Toimenpiteellä voidaan siis parantaa rakennetun vesistön ekologista arvoa ja tilaa. Tässä raportissa kuvataan Imatran kaupunkipuron suunnittelu- ja rakennusvaiheet sekä raportoidaan seurannan tulokset rakennusvaiheen jälkeen. Imatran kaupunkipuron suunnittelussa korostettiin puron soveltuvuutta taimenelle sopivana elinympäristönä. Vaikka kaupunkipuroa ei ole suunniteltu vaellusreitiksi, käytettyjä suunnitteluperiaatteita voi soveltaa suoraan myös luonnonmukaisiin ohitusuomiin. Imatran kaupunkipuro valmistui vuonna 2014 puistomaiselle alueelle ja joutomaalle Imatrankosken voimalaitoksen läheisyyteen. Puro on noin yhden kilometrin mittainen ja sen leveys vaihtelee 2–10 metrin välillä. Uoman suunnittelussa huomioitiin erilaisten elinympäristöjen ja taimenen kutu- ja poikasalueiden lisäksi myös maisemalliset tekijät ja soveltuvuus virkistyskäyttöön. Imatrankosken padon putouskorkeus, 24 m, ja käytettävissä oleva alue pyrittiin hyödyntämään mahdollisimman hyvin. Lisäksi mutkittelemalla uomaa sen pituus voitiin maksimoida. Uoman materiaalina käytettiin (vaihtelevan kokoista) soraa, isompia kiviä sekä puumateriaalia. Kaupunkipuron virtaama on kesäaikaan noin 250 l/s ja talvella noin 100 l/s. Tavoite purosta taimenen lisääntymisympäristönä näyttää toteutuneen, sillä taimen ja muutkin kala- ja eliölajit ovat ottaneet puron käyttöönsä. Imatran kaupunkipurossa taimenen lisääntyminen on onnistunut jopa odotuksia paremmin ja poikastiheys on korkeampi kuin vastaavissa luonnonpuroissa. Kaupunkipuron pinta-ala on huomattavan vähäinen verrattuna valtavaan määrään patoamisen seurauksena menetettyä koskipinta-alaa. Rakennettu luonnonmukainen elinympäristö kuitenkin tarjoaa uhanalaiselle taimenelle soveltuvaa elinympäristöä. Jokaista luonnossa syntynyttä yksilöä voidaan pitää lajin kannalta tärkeänä. Pohjaeläimistö on runsastunut lajirikkaudeltaan joka vuosi. Samalla pohjaeläinten lukumäärä on moninkertaistunut neljän tarkkailuvuoden aikana. Luonnolle, lajistolle ja ekosysteemeille aiheutettujen haittojen vähentäminen on tulossa myös olemassa olevan vesivoiman vastuulle. Pelkät kalataloudelliset kompensaatiot tai pelkkä kalatie eivät riitä ratkaisemaan ongelmia, jotka vesirakentaminen ja vesivoima ovat aiheuttaneet erityisesti soveltuvien elinympäristöjen määrälle ja laadulle. Imatran kaupunkipurolta saadut tulokset rohkaisevat jatkossa nostamaan erilaiset rakennetut luonnonmukaiset elinympäristöt ja kompensaatiohabitaatit toimivaksi vaihtoehdoksi virtavesien tilan parantamisessa. Abstract Nature-like habitat as ecological compensation in streams Built nature-like habitat can promote the juvenile production of migratory fish in vicinity of a hydropower plant or a distinct dam structure. At the same time, the habitat serves as the basis for the entire ecosystem. Typically, the construction of hydropower has resulted in a significant loss of habitat suitable for aquatic life, which can be replaced by nature-like solutions as part of ecological compensation. The measure can therefore improve the ecological value and status of the human-modified water body. This report describes the design and construction phases of the Imatra City Brook and reports the results of monitoring after the construction phase. The design of the Imatra City Brook emphasized that the brook will become suitable habitat for trout. However, brook is not designed as a bypass, albeit the design principles used can be applied directly to natural bypasses. The Imatra City Brook was completed in 2014 in a park-like area in the vicinity of the Imatrankoski power plant. The brook is about one kilometer long and varies in width from 2 to 10 meters. In addition to different habitats and spawning and juvenile areas for trout, landscape design and suitability for recreational use were also taken into account in the design of the area. The height of the Imatrankoski dam, 24 m, and the available area were utilized to make the best possible use, and by meandering the brook, its length could be maximized. Gravel of varying sizes, larger stones and wood were used as the base material for the structures. The flow of the brook is about 250 l/s in summer and about 100 l/s during winter. The goal of the stream being a spawning and rearing ground for trout seems to have been achieved, as trout and other species of fish and organisms have taken over the stream. In the Imatra City Brook, trout reproduction has been even better than expected and the density of juvenile fish is higher than in the compared natural streams. The total area of the brook is remarkably small compared to the huge amount of rapids and riverine habitats lost for hydropower production and construction of dams. However, the built natural-like habitat provides a suitable habitat for trout as an endangered species and any individual born in the wild can be considered important for the population of the species. The species richness of benthic macroinvertebrates increases every year. At the same time, the number of macroinvertebrate individuals has multiplied during the four years of observation. Reducing damage to nature, species and ecosystems is becoming the responsibility of existing hydropower. Fisheries compensation alone (stockings) or the technical fishways alone are not enough to solve the problems that hydropower and damming have caused, especially for the quantity and quality of suitable habitats. In the future, the results from the Imatra City Brook will encourage the upgrading of various built natural-like habitats or compensatory habitats as one viable option for improving the status of the water bodies.

Climate velocity is an increasingly used metric to detect habitats, locations and regions which are exposed to high rates of climate change and displacement. In general, velocities are measured based on the assumption that future climatically similar locations can occur anywhere in the study landscape. However, this assumption can provide a biased basis for habitats which are constrained to specific environmental conditions. For such habitats, a set of selected suitable locations may provide ecologically more realistic velocity measures. Here, we focus on one environmentally constrained habitat, aapa mires, which are peat-accumulating EU Habitats Directive priority habitats, whose ecological conditions and biodiversity values may be jeopardised by climate change. We assess the climate exposure of aapa mires in Finland by developing velocity metrics separately for the whole ≥10 ha aapa mire complexes (‘aapa mires’) and their wettest flark-dominated parts (‘flark fens’). Velocity metrics were developed for six bioclimatic variables (growing degree days (GDD5), mean January and July temperatures, annual precipitation, and May and July water balance, based on climate data for 1981–2010 and for 2040–2069 as derived from global climate models for two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). For the six variables, velocities were calculated based on the distance between climatically similar present-day and nearest future mire, divided by the number of years between the two periods, and by excluding the unsuitable matrix. Both aapa mires and flark fens showed high exposure (>5 km/year) to changes in January temperature, and often also considerably high velocities for GDD5 and July temperatures. The flark fens showed significantly higher climate velocities than the aapa mires and had a smaller amount of corresponding habitat in their surroundings. Thus, many of the studied mires, particularly the flark fens, are likely to face increased risks of exposure due to changes in winter and summer temperatures. Moreover, considerable changes in precipitation-related conditions may occur at the southern margin of the aapa mire zone. Our results show that specifically tailored climate velocity metrics can provide a useful quantitative tool to inform conservation and management decisions to support the ecosystem sustainability of this EU Habitats Directive biotope and targeting restoration towards the most vulnerable aapa mires. Highlights • Aapa mires are EU Habitats Directive priority habitats of high conservation value • Velocity assessments enable quantifying the exposure of habitats to climate change • Boreal aapa mires will face notable exposure risks due to warming climate • Wet flark fens with open water pools and their biodiversity are particularly at risk • Climate velocity information supports adaptive biodiversity conservation planning

Ihmistoiminnasta aiheutuvat ekologisesti haitalliset vaikutukset voidaan kompensoida tuottamalla luonnon kannalta hyötyjä, esimerkiksi ennallistamalla elinympäristöjä tai perustamalla uusia luonnonsuojelualueita. Elinympäristön ennallistaminen mahdollistaa elinympäristön palautumisen kohti luonnontilaa. Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli selvittää, voitaisiinko jo aiemmin suojelluilla alueilla tehtävällä ennallistamisella saavuttaa ekologisessa kompensaatiossa tarvittava luontohyöty. Voi ehkä vaikuttaa siltä, että tällä tavoin tuotetut hyödyt eivät ole luonnon kannalta lisäisiä, koska toimenpiteet kohdistuvat alueisiin, jotka ovat jo suojeltu. Suomessa on kuitenkin tällä hetkellä monia suojelualueita, joilla tehtävät ennallistamistoimet tuottaisivat luontohyötyjä, mutta joihin ei ole taloudellisia resursseja. Ihmisen toiminnasta aiheutuvia ekologisesti haitallisia vaikutuksia ei pääsääntöisesti kompensoida lainkaan. Näin ollen elämme tilanteessa, jossa vapaaehtoiset kompensaatiot olisivat joka tapauksessa lisäisiä, sillä vaihtoehtoisesti ennallistamista ei tehtäisi lainkaan. Tässä työssä esitetään myös laskentamalli suojelualueilla tuotettavien ennallistamishyötyjen arviointiin., Harmful ecological impacts caused by development projects can be compensated (offset) by ecological gains, produced by habitat restoration or the establishment of new protected areas. Restoration actions allows ecosystem recovery to start and eventually leads to improved habitat condition. The aim of this study was to determine whether restoration actions applied inside an already protected area could be used as gains to offset the ecological damage. The key question is whether restoration gains inside protected areas really are additional from the perspective of the nature. At first, it may seem such gains are not additional, because the target area is protected already. However, restoration needs in the conservation area network of Finland far exceed the economic resource available for implementing said restoration. In addition, most development projects can be completed without any requirement to offset ecologically harmful impacts. Therefore, voluntary offsetting of harmful ecological impacts can indeed provide benefits additional to nature. Here, we present a method for estimating offset gains quantitatively, taking into account improvements gained both by conservation and restoration in the estimation of offset gains.

Uncultivated field margins are important refugia for pollinating insects in agricultural landscapes. However, the spill-over of pollination services from field margins to adjacent crops is poorly understood. This study (i) examined the effects of landscape heterogeneity on pollinator occurrence in permanent field margins and pollinator visitation to adjacent mass-flowering turnip rape (Brassica rapa ssp. oleifera) in boreal agricultural landscapes, and (ii) tested whether pollinator abundance and species richness in field margins predict abundance and species richness of crop visitors. Pollinators visiting the crop were more affected by landscape heterogeneity than pollinators in adjacent margins. Species richness, total abundance, and the abundance of syrphid flies visiting the crop increased with increasing landscape heterogeneity, whereas, in field margins, landscape heterogeneity had little effect on pollinators. In field-dominated homogeneous landscapes, wild pollinators rarely visited the crop even if they occurred in adjacent margins, whereas in heterogeneous landscapes, differences between the two habitats were smaller. Total pollinator abundance and species richness in field margins were poor predictors of pollinator visitation to adjacent crop. However, high abundances of honeybees and bumblebees in margins were related to high numbers of crop visitors from these taxa. Our results suggest that, while uncultivated field margins help pollinators persist in boreal agricultural landscapes, they do not always result in enhanced pollinator visitation to the adjacent crop. More studies quantifying pollination service delivery from semi-natural habitats to crops in different landscape settings will help develop management approaches to support crop pollination.

According to ecology theory, isolated habitat fragments cannot maintain populations of specialized species. Yet, empirical evidence based on monitoring of the same fragments over time is still limited. We studied the colonization–extinction dynamics of eight wood-decaying fungal species in 16 old-growth forest fragments (Phellinus nigrolimitatusPhellinus ferrugineofuscus

Urbanisation is a major cause of biodiversity loss but careful habitat management and provision of green space within cities can help to mitigate its negative effects. Grasslands occupy large surface areas and have many functions but only a few studies have begun to explore how birds exploit these habitats in urban contexts. We hypothesized that the value of grasslands for nesting and feeding birds is likely to depend both on landscape context, and on local characteristics (grassland size, use and vegetation structure). We surveyed local habitat characteristics, breeding bird presence, abundance and foraging activity in 47 grassland sites, distributed along an urban-rural gradient in two French cities, and varying in the proportions of grassland, built-up land and residential gardens in the neighbouring landscape. Species richness was influenced by local rather than landscape variables; larger sites with scrub within the grassland and taller hedgerow vegetation were more species rich. Total bird abundance, however, depended on landscape context, and increased in suburban grasslands with a higher proportion of gardens in the landscape. Foraging in grass was more frequently observed in shorter, regularly mown, recreational grasslands. These were more common in urban contexts and favoured by species requiring easily accessible and visible invertebrate prey. Less intensively managed wastelands were species rich despite being in urban contexts and favoured by seedeaters and one farmland specialist. A diversity of use and management of grasslands along the urban-rural gradient could allow birds with various requirements to co-exist at landscape scale. peerReviewed

Sex allocation theory predicts that the proportion of daughters to sons will evolve in response to ecological conditions that determine the costs and benefits of producing each sex. All else being equal, the adult sex ratio (ASR) should also vary with ecological conditions. Many studies of subterranean species reported female-biased ASR, but no systematic study has yet been conducted. We test the hypothesis that the ASR becomes more female-biased with increased isolation from the surface. We compiled a dataset of ASRs of 35 species in the subterranean amphipod Niphargus, each living in one of three distinct habitats (surface-subterranean boundary, cave streams, phreatic lakes) representing an environmental gradient of increased isolation underground. The ASR was female-biased in 27 of 35 species; the bias was statistically significant in 12 species. We found significant difference in the ASR among habitats after correction for phylogeny. It is most weakly female-biased at the surface-subterranean boundary and most strongly female-biased in phreatic lakes. Additional modelling suggests that the ASR has evolved towards a single value for both surface-subterranean boundary and cave stream dwelling species, and another value for 9 of 11 phreatic lake dwellers. We suggest that a history of inbreeding in subterranean populations might lower inbreeding depression such that kin selection favours mating with siblings. This could select for a female-biased offspring sex ratio due to local mate competition among brothers. The observed patterns in sex ratios in subterranean species make them a group worthy of more attention from those interested in sex allocation theory. peerReviewed

Species’ abundances and distributions are studied using population models. Models are simplifications and rely on assumptions and justifications of the model structure, i.e., which ecological processes and interactions are important to include, and which are excluded. It is important to evaluate how these assumptions and justifications are translated to model outcomes, such as population growth rate, which are then used both in conservation biology and evolutionary ecology. I studied how incomplete demographic information affects the ecological modelling of plants with hidden stages (dormancy). Using long-term demographic data of four species I investigated how model assumptions, model structure or limitations of data sets affects the estimates of vital rates (e.g., survival, reproduction). Furthermore, I constructed population models based on incomplete information and assessed how the model outcomes, such as population growth rate, were affected. Finally, I discussed how the results affect the ecological and evolutionary interpretations of the models in plants. My results showed that many ecological parameters are robust to incomplete demographic information. Population growth rate, generation time and net reproductive rate were only moderately or not at all affected by assumptions about plant dormancy or whether we use data of known age, stage or both. However, other model outcomes (reproductive values, sensitivity of population growth rate to vital rates) were affected. On the other hand, if the main interest is to study vital rates, missing demographic information can affect the results. For example, estimates of survival depend on the assumptions we make about the fate of dormant plants (dead or alive). Also, studying senescence (decrease in vital rates with age) without knowing the age of plants (age-from-stage method) does not always reveal a true pattern of age-dependence. Furthermore, it is not always possible to replace a long-term data set with a shorter time series from several sites when investigating relationship between environmental drivers and vital rates. Altogether, additional demographic information could produce more reliable estimates for demographic parameters, but even simplified population models can be sufficient to study ecology of plants when resources are limited or when information is out of reach. Tiivistelmä Lajien yleisyyteen ja levinneisyyteen vaikuttavia tekijöitä voidaan tutkia populaatiomallien avulla. Mallit ovat yksinkertaistuksia, jotka nojaavat oletuksiin ja siihen, mitkä ekologiset prosessit ja vuorovaikutukset on sisällytetty malliin. Populaatiomallien ennusteita, kuten populaation kasvukerrointa, hyödynnetään niin suojelubiologiassa kuin evoluutioekologiassakin. Tämän vuoksi tulisikin arvioida populaatiomallin oletusten ja valitun rakenteen mahdollisia vaikutuksia mallin ennusteisiin. Tutkimuksessani selvitin, kuinka demografisen aineiston puutteet vaikuttavat maan alla piilevien kasvien ekologian mallintamiseen. Tutkin, kuinka oletukset, mallin rakenne tai aineiston rajoitukset vaikuttivat kasvin elinkiertoparametreihin, kuten todennäköisyyteen pysyä elossa tai jälkeläistuottoon. Analysoin myös, miten puutteellinen demografinen aineisto vaikutti populaatiomallien ennusteisiin, kuten populaation kasvukertoimeen. Lopuksi pohdin, miten tulokset vaikuttavat kasvien malleista tehtäviin ekologisiin ja evolutiivisiin tulkintoihin. Tulokset osoittavat, että monet lajien ekologiaa kuvaavat suureet eivät ole herkkiä aineiston puutteille. Populaation kasvukerroin, sukupolven pituus tai elinikäinen jälkeläistuotto riippui vain vähän tai se ei riipu lainkaan kasvien tilasta tehdyistä oletuksista tai siitä, perustuuko malli kasvin ikään, tilaan tai molempiin. Toiset mallien ennusteet, kuten lisääntymisarvo ja kasvukertoimen sensitiivisyys mallin parametreille, olivat herkempiä. Toisaalta aineiston puutteet voivat vaikuttaa elinkiertoparametrien estimaatteihin. Esimerkiksi elossa säilymisen todennäköisyys riippuu siitä, mitä oletamme maan alla piileville kasveille tapahtuneen (onko se kuollut vai elossa). Vastaavasti kasvin ikääntymisen vaikutusta elinkiertoparametreihin ei aina voida mallintaa luotettavasti, jos kasvin ikä johdetaan kasvin tilaan perustuvasta mallista. Lisäksi ympäristötekijöiden ja elinkiertoparametrien suhdetta mallinnettaessa aikasarjan pituus voi olla kriittinen tekijä, jota ei välttämättä voi kompensoida mittaamalla lyhyempiä aikasarjoja useammasta populaatiosta. Vaikka tarkempi demografinen aineisto tuottaisikin luotettavampia tuloksia demografiaa kuvaaville lukuarvoille, yksinkertaistetumpi populaatiomalli voi olla riittävä — etenkin, jos resurssit ovat rajalliset tai tarkentavaa tietoa ei ole mahdollista kerätä.

Background Map-based tools have recently found their way into health-related research. They can potentially be used to quantify older adults’ life-space. This study aimed to evaluate the validity (vs. GPS) and the test-retest reliability of a map-based life-space assessment (MBA). Methods Life-space of one full week was assessed by GPS and by MBA. MBA was repeated after approximately 3 weeks. Distance-related (mean and maximum distance from home) and area-related (convex hull, standard deviational ellipse) life-space indicators were calculated. Intraclass correlations (MBA vs. GPS and test-retest) were calculated in addition to Bland-Altman analyses (MBA vs. GPS). Results Fifty-eight older adults (mean age 74, standard deviation 5.5 years; 39.7% women) participated in the study. Bland-Altman analyses showed the highest agreement between methods for the maximum distance from home. Intraclass correlation coefficients ranged between 0.19 (95% confidence interval 0 to 0.47) for convex hull and 0.72 (95% confidence interval 0.52 to 0.84) for maximum distance from home. Intraclass correlation coefficients for test-retest reliability ranged between 0.04 (95% confidence interval 0 to 0.30) for convex hull and 0.43 (95% confidence interval 0.19 to 0.62) for mean distance from home. Conclusions While acceptable validity and reliability were found for the distance-related life-space parameters, MBA cannot be recommended for the assessment of area-related life-space parameters. peerReviewed

Background: Meaningful activities can be done in or around home, but opportunities for participation and active aging decrease when moving in smaller areas. Active aging refers to having an active approach to life in line with one's goals, ability and opportunities. In adults over 75 years with different baseline neighborhood mobility levels, we studied active aging scores two years prior to and amid COVID-19, when governments restricted mobility of residents to slow the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: AGNES cohort data were collected in 2017-2018 and spring 2020. Individuals were queried about their will, ability, and opportunity, and extent of doing 17 activities, and subsequently, item, composite and sub-scores of active aging were computed. Neighborhood mobility was assessed as frequency of moving in or beyond own neighborhood (limited, regular, daily=reference). Associations were studied using Generalized Linear Models (cross-sectionally, n=1007) and General Estimating Equations (prospectively, n=774). Results: Participants with limited baseline neighborhood mobility had lower active aging scores than those with daily mobility, but the decline over time was similar. Some item scores on opportunity to act and extent of doing, e.g. for making one's day more interesting and advancing matters of faith or worldview, were better retained amid COVID-19 by those with limited mobility, attenuating group differences. Conclusions: Active aging scores were somewhat compromised in individuals with limited neighborhood mobility, but opportunities for and engagement in several activities seemed to be better retained amid COVID-19 than for those with daily mobility. Thus, active aging may be possible despite mobility restriction. peerReviewed

The aim was to study the correspondence between the objective and perceived environment and to assess their associations with physical activity (PA) in older people. 848 community-dwelling older people aged 75–90 were interviewed on their difficulties in walking 500 m, perceiving nature as a facilitator for outdoor mobility, and PA. The presence of water and landscape diversity were objectively assessed inside 500 m and 1000 m circular buffers around participants’ homes. Using logistic regression, participant data were analyzed together with the objectively assessed environmental features. Our results indicate that higher habitat diversity within natural areas correlates with higher PA among older people without walking difficulties and the presence of water correlates with higher PA among those with walking difficulties. peerReviewed

Much of our understanding of natural invasions is retrospective, based on data acquired after invaders become established. As a consequence, we know little about the characteristics of the early population growth and habitat use of the invaders during establishment. Here we report on experimental introductions of guppies into natural streams in which we conducted monthly censuses of each population. Two of the four introductions were in streams with thinned canopies, which mimics a common form of habitat disturbance. We conducted similar censuses of natural populations to characterize natural population densities and generate a null distribution against which we could test a priori hypotheses about the establishment of the experimental invaders. We constructed a pedigree for one population, which enabled us to quantify lifetime reproductive success. Population simulations predict that the nature of the introduced population’s life history, in combination with reduced risk of predation in the introduction sites, will result in explosive population growth; however, populations of introduced invaders instead grew to match densities observed in natural streams with intact canopies. Experimental populations in streams with thinned canopies grew to densities that often exceeded those of natural streams with intact canopies. High population densities were associated with the increased use of marginal habitat. Adult females and males that moved into marginal habitat suffered no apparent fitness loss, suggesting lower population densities found there compensated for lower habitat quality. Our results suggest that the ecological setting in which invasions occur plays a role at least comparable in importance to that of the invader’s inherent characteristics in shaping early population growth and habitat use. peerReviewed

International audience; In this overview (introductory article to a special issue including 14 papers), we consider all main types of natural and artificial inland freshwater habitas (fwh). For each type, we identify the main biodiversity patterns and ecological features, human impacts on the system and environmental issues, and discuss ways to use this information to improve stewardship. Examples of selected key biodiversity/ecological features (habitat type): narrow endemics, sensitive (groundwater and GDEs); crenobionts, LIHRes (springs); unidirectional flow, nutrient spiraling (streams); naturally turbid, floodplains, large-bodied species (large rivers); depth-variation in benthic communities (lakes); endemism and diversity (ancient lakes); threatened, sensitive species (oxbow lakes, SWE); diverse, reduced littoral (reservoirs); cold-adapted species (Boreal and Arctic fwh); endemism, depauperate (Antarctic fwh); flood pulse, intermittent wetlands, biggest river basins (tropical fwh); variable hydrologic regime—periods of drying, flash floods (arid-climate fwh). Selected impacts: eutrophication and other pollution, hydrologic modifications, overexploitation, habitat destruction, invasive species, salinization. Climate change is a threat multiplier, and it is important to quantify resistance, resilience, and recovery to assess the strategic role of the different types of freshwater ecosystems and their value for biodiversity conservation. Effective conservation solutions are dependent on an understanding of connectivity between different freshwater ecosystems (including related terrestrial, coastal and marine systems).

Why populations of threatened species disappear is among the key questions in conservation biology. However, very few local and regional studies have attempted to quantify the importance of the various causes. In this investigation, the status of the populations of threatened vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens found between the years 1860–1979 in a national biodiversity hot spot in SW Finland was studied during the years 1990–2008. Of the populations, 82% had disappeared and 18% were re-discovered. The disappearance rate of populations differed between habitats: exceeding 80% in most habitat types whilst being lowest on rock outcrops (58%). Complete destruction of all locally suitable habitats was the main reason for the disappearance of the populations (73%) concerned. Habitat deterioration (including partial habitat loss) was identified as the reason for the disappearance for 22% of the populations. Only for 5% of the populations could it not be revealed whether habitat quality had changed or not, but deterioration of habitat quality or habitat loss is possible even in these cases. For none of the disappeared populations was no change in habitat quality verified. In most cases, habitat loss and deterioration were caused by agriculture or forestry. These results support the conclusion that vascular plant, bryophyte and lichen populations in the boreal landscape have disappeared directly because their habitats have disappeared, declined in size or deteriorated due to forestry, agriculture, construction, mining and pollution. More subtle changes in habitat quality, fragmentation, problems related to small population size per se and other reasons may have contributed to only a few disappearances of local populations. The disappearance rate was similar between the study groups, but the relative importance of reasons for disappearance was different. The results emphasize the importance of habitat protection for threatened vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens. Keywords: Biodiversity, Conservation biology, Extinction, Fragmentation, Habitat quality

nonPeerReviewed

The pioneering work done during the past three decades in the regulated Rivers Perhonjoki and Kalajoki, Finland, to study and rehabilitate river lamprey populations is presented. The effects of various anthropogenic activities and rehabilitation measures are evaluated based on habitat surveys and long-term monitoring of larval densities, numbers of adults migrating upstream and of transformers migrating downstream. Telemetric tracking and tagging experiments were used to determine the efficacy of fishways. Lamprey populations in both rivers decreased in the 1980s and 1990s. This was linked to obstructed upstream migration of adults and deterioration of habitats for different life stages due to various regulation measures and hydropeaking. In the River Perhonjoki, 571 000 adult lampreys were translocated above the migration barriers in 1981–2010 and 247 million sub-yearling larvae were stocked in 1997–2010 of regulation. Furthermore, attempts were made to restore key habitats in various river sections, hydropeaking was mitigated and a fishway complex was constructed. Despite these mitigation measures, the river lamprey population has not recovered. In the River Kalajoki, a fish ramp was constructed to enhance migration over a weir and lampreys passed through it effectively. Further, fast-flowing areas were restored with lamprey-specific methods. After restoration the densities of both sub-yearling and older larvae increased, but despite the mitigation measures, larval densities in the river section just below the hydroelectric power plant remained at a low level. Possible mechanisms by which different anthropogenic activities affect different life stages of river lamprey and possible reasons for inefficacy or efficacy of rehabilitation measures are discussed. Tässä artikkelissa kuvataan Perhonjoen ja Kalajoen nahkiaispopulaatioita koskevat tutkimukset ja kompensaatiotoimenpiteet kolmen vuosikymmenen ajalta sekä pohditaan saatujen kokemusten valossa mahdollisia syitä toimenpiteiden tehottomuuteen tai tehokkuuteen. Ihmistoiminnan haittavaikutuksia ja kompensaatiotoimien tuloksellisuutta arvioitiin elinympäristökartoitusten ja toukkatiheyksien pitkän aikavälin seurannan, jokeen kutemaan nousevien aikuisten nahkiaisten määrän ja vaelluspoikasten määrän perusteella. Telemetriaseurantaa ja merkintäkokeita käytettiin kalateiden toimivuuden arvioimiseen. Kummankin joen nahkiaispopulaatio pieneni 1980-luvulla ja 1990-luvulla. Tämä johtui sekä aikuisten nahkiaisten kutuvaelluksen estymisestä että vesirakentamisen ja lyhytaikaissäännöstelyn aiheuttamasta elinympäristöjen heikkenemisestä. Perhonjoella siirrettiin 571 000 aikuista nahkiaista vaellusesteiden yläpuolelle jaksolla 1981–2010 ja istutettiin 247 miljoonaa muutaman viikon ikäistä toukkaa jaksolla 1997–2010. Lisäksi kunnostettiin tärkeimpiä nahkiaisten elinympäristöjä joen eri osissa, lievennettiin lyhytaikaissäännöstelyä ja rakennettiin kalatiekompleksi. Näistä kompensaatiotoimista huolimatta joen nahkiaispopulaatio taantui. Kalajoella rakennettiin pohjapatoon kalaporras, joka mahdollisti aikuisten nahkiaisten kutunousun. Lisäksi virta-alueet kunnostettiin nahkiaisen elintavat huomioivin menetelmin. Kunnostusten jälkeen sekä yksivuotiaiden että vanhempien nahkiaistoukkien tiheys kasvoi, mutta toimenpiteistä huolimatta toukkatiheydet pysyivät pieninä voimalaitoksen alapuolella sijaitsevalla jokiosuudella. Ympäristöä muuttavien toimenpiteiden haittojen ja niitä kompensoivien toimenpiteiden riittävyyden arviointiin sisältyy aina epävarmuutta. Nämä tutkimukset osoittivat, että epävarmuus on erityisen suurta, kun arvioinnin kohteena on laji, jolla on monimutkainen, huonosti tunnettu elinkierto ja aiempi tieto ihmistoiminnan haitoista ja kompensaatiotoimenpiteiden toimivuudesta on hyvin vähäistä.

Understanding the spatial patterns of species distribution and predicting suitable habitats for threatened species are central themes in land use management and planning. In this study, we examined the geographic distribution of threatened mire plant species and identified their national hotspots, i.e. areas with high amounts of suitable habitats for threatened mire plant species. We also determined the main environmental correlates related to the distribution patterns of these species. The specific aims were to: (1) identify the environmental variables that control the distribution of threatened peatland species in a boreal aapa mire zone, Finland; and (2) to identify the richness patterns and hotspots of threatened species. Our results showed that the combination of individual species models offers a useful tool for identifying landscape-scale richness patterns for threatened plant species. The modeling performance was high across the modelled species, and the richness patterns generated by single models coincide with the expected richness pattern based on expert knowledge. The method is therefore a powerful tool for basic biodiversity applications. In cases where reliable models for species occurrences and hotspots can be produced, these models can play a significant role in land-use planning and help managers to meet different conservation challenges.

This chapter highlights research on the concepts of life-space mobility and active ageing. With age, the life-space of older people becomes more restricted and they spend more and more time in or around their home, a situation that increases the risk of social isolation, physical inactivity, and poor quality of life. Optimal mobility is the result of a good balance between the environmental demands and affordances, on the one hand, and the personal resources and capacity of the individual, on the other hand. This chapter describes a new tool developed by the authors and their colleagues to assess active ageing at the level of the individual, rather than at the policy level. This chapter discusses intervention strategies that improved opportunities for participation and well-being of older people. peerReviewed

Intergenerational fitness effects on offspring due to the early life of the parent are well studied from the standpoint of the maternal environment, but intergenerational effects owing to the paternal early life environment are often overlooked. Nonetheless, recent laboratory studies in mammals and ecologically relevant studies in invertebrates predict that paternal effects can have a major impact on the offspring's phenotype. These non‐genetic, environment‐dependent paternal effects provide a mechanism for fathers to transmit environmental information to their offspring, and could allow rapid adaptation. We used the bank vole Myodes glareolus, a wild rodent species with no paternal care, to test the hypothesis that a high population density environment in the early life of fathers can affect traits associated with offspring fitness. We show that the protein content in the diet and/or social environment experienced during the father's early life (prenatal and weaning) influence the phenotype and survival of his offspring and may indicate adaptation to density‐dependent costs. Furthermore, we show that experiencing multiple environmental factors during the paternal early life can lead to a different outcome on the offspring phenotype than stimulated by experience of a single environmental factor, highlighting the need to study developmental experiences in tandem rather than independent of each other. peerReviewed

Kedot ovat lajistoltaan rikkaita perinnebiotooppeja ja äärimmäisen uhanalaisia elinympäristöjä, joita uhkaa kaupungeissa rakentaminen ja umpeenkasvu. Pro gradu -työssäni selvitin paikallisten ympäristötekijöiden ja maiseman kytkeytyneisyyden yhteyttä hoitamattomien kaupunkiketojen putkilokasvi- ja sammallajirikkauteen. Kartoitin 33 tutkimuskedolta putkilokasvi- ja sammallajiston ja mittasin ympäristötekijöitä maastossa ja paikkatieto-ohjelman avulla, tutkimusruudun ja kedon mittakaavalla. Tilastollisissa analyyseissä käytin yleistettyjä lineaarisia malleja. Tulosten perusteella putkilokasvien lajimäärää selittivät kedon koko, kaltevuus, kallioisuus, paahteisuus ja maaperän happamuus. Sammallajimäärää selittivät maaperän happamuus, kedon kaltevuus, putkilokasvillisuuden peittävyys, kedon kallioisuus ja kytkeytyneisyys. Mikään muuttuja ei selittänyt tilastollisesti merkitsevästi kedon huomionarvoisten putkilokasvien lajimäärää. Useat kasvilajirikkautta koskevat teoriat ovat kehitetty putkilokasvilajeille, joten sammallajitutkimuksessa mittakaavaan tulee kiinnittää huomiota ja sammalia tutkia putkilokasvilajeja pienemmällä mittakaavalla. Tulosten perusteella suurten, tasaisten, osin kallioisten ja maaperältään hieman happamien ketojen säilyttäminen kasvillisuudeltaan avoimina voisi tukea kasvilajeiltaan rikkaiden ketojen suotuisaa suojelutasoa kaupunkiympäristössä.

Success rates for conservation translocations of species are low and there is a need for increased understanding of how this activity is best applied. Here, using static species distribution models and a spatially-explicit dynamic simulation model, RangeShifter, we examine the impacts of habitat cover in recipient landscapes, allocation of individuals into multiple sites and species trait characteristics on the long-term fate of hypothetical translocations of a grassland specialist butterfly, Maniola jurtina, in Finland. While persistence of populations introduced to climatically suitable locations northwards of the current range can be increased by selecting sites with increasing habitat cover and by allocation of individuals to multiple release sites, local population growth rate is shown to be the key parameter in determining likely translocation success. We conclude that the long-term persistence of translocated habitat specialist butterflies, particularly with low growth rates, appears to be uncertain in modern-day fragmented grassland networks and that translocation activities should prioritize management that improves local growth rate.

Translocations have been advocated as a conservation tool helping species adapt to climate and land-use change, but well-documented examples of invertebrates’ translocations are rare. The paper describes a successful translocation of the threatened Clouded Apollo butterfly ( Parnassius mnemosyne ) in Finland, compares this to a specific failed translocation, and presents conclusions for conservation planning as to factors contributing to the success. Two apparent key characteristics of the successful translocation were greater abundance of larval resources and less open landscape. The successful site was surrounded by forest, which strongly restricted emigration, crucially supporting the survival of the small initial population. Based on 20 mated females’ translocation in 2000, the local population increased slowly, reaching 600 butterflies in 2011. A large translocation patch together with host-plant abundance enabled successful establishment of the local population. Availability of other suitable grassland patches sufficiently nearby was an additional key characteristic, facilitating the Clouded Apollo’s expansion. However, the expansion rate was low; it took seven years for the butterflies to colonise the five nearest patches, only 10–200 m from the translocation patch. By 2013, they had colonised all suitable semi-natural grassland patches within 2 km from the translocation site and established a seemingly viable metapopulation with 11 subpopulations. The results point to the significance of local habitat area and landscape quality, along with conditions restricting emigration, in determination of suitable translocation sites.

Studies on the determinants of plant-herbivore and herbivore-parasitoid associations provide important insights into the origin and maintenance of global and local species richness. If parasitoids are specialists on herbivore niches rather than on herbivore taxa, then alternating escape of herbivores into novel niches and delayed resource tracking by parasitoids could fuel diversification at both trophic levels. We used DNA barcoding to identify parasitoids that attack larvae of seven Pontania sawfly species that induce leaf galls on eight willow species growing in subarctic and arctic-alpine habitats in three geographic locations in northern Fennoscandia, and then applied distance- and model-based multivariate analyses and phylogenetic regression methods to evaluate the hierarchical importance of location, phylogeny and different galler niche dimensions on parasitoid host use. We found statistically significant variation in parasitoid communities across geographic locations and willow host species, but the differences were mainly quantitative due to extensive sharing of enemies among gallers within habitat types. By contrast, the divide between habitats defined two qualitatively different network compartments, because many common parasitoids exhibited strong habitat preference. Galler and parasitoid phylogenies did not explain associations, because distantly related arctic-alpine gallers were attacked by a species-poor enemy community dominated by two parasitoid species that most likely have independently tracked the gallers' evolutionary shifts into the novel habitat. Our results indicate that barcode- and phylogeny-based analyses of food webs that span forested vs. tundra or grassland environments could improve our understanding of vertical diversification effects in complex plant-herbivore-parasitoid networks.

Land-use changes and the resulting habitat degradation have been regarded as the most important known causes of waterfowl population declines. We assessed the habitat requirements of waterbirds, including waterfowl, in a hemiboreal, agricultural watershed in southern Finland. We related the birds' species diversity, abundance and brood numbers on ten lakes to environmental variables, including land use characteristics as well as topographic and local biotic features. Both species diversity and pair numbers responded to land use characteristics, such as the area of agricultural land surrounding the lakes. Our results suggest that land use may reflect habitat quality, possibly in terms of resource availability and predation risk. The pair numbers of waterbirds grew along with the availability of invertebrates, an important food resource. The abundance of gulls affected the diversity, abundance and reproductive success of waterfowl positively in our study area, probably because they provided shelter from pre...

Muutos aineistojen avoimuudessa 11.5.2018 alkaen: Tässä raportissa esitellyt metsien monimuotoisuudesta kertovat valtakunnalliset paikkatietoaineistot ovat avointa tietoa myös valtion talousmetsien osalta Metsähallitus Metsätalous Oy:n annettua niille julkaisuluvan 11.5.2018. Tätä raporttia kirjoittaessa nämä aineistot oli luokiteltu salatuiksi, minkä vuoksi alueet on peitetty raportin tuloskartoissa. Lisäksi aineistojen käyttöoikeudet koskien lopullisia tulosaineistoja (ei lähtöaineistoja) raportin taulukossa 1 (s. 20 – 21) eivät ole ajan tasalla. Puustoisten elinympäristöjen monimuotoisuusarvojen Zonation-analyysit olivat yksi osaprojekti ympäristöministeriön rahoittamassa Ekologiset päätösanalyysit yhteiskunnallisen päätöksenteon tukena -hankkeessa (2015–2019). Osaprojektin tavoitteena oli tuottaa puustoisten elinympäristöjen luontoarvoja kuvaavia karttoja asiantuntijakäyttöön METSOn eli Etelä-Suomen metsien monimuotoisuuden toimintaohjelman toteuttamisen tueksi. Monimuotoisuudelle tärkeiden metsäalueiden Zonation-analyysit tehtiin valtakunnallisesti sekä elinkeino-, liikenne ja ympäristökeskusalueittain. Analyysien tavoitteena oli tunnistaa metsiä, joissa on paljon erilaista lahopuuta ja jotka ovat kytkeytyneet muihin laadukkaisiin metsäalueisiin ja suojelualueisiin. Hankkeessa tuotettuja metsien monimuotoisuusarvoja kuvaavia prioriteettikarttoja tullaan käyttämään vuosien 2015–2025 aikana sekä maastokuvio-, tila-, alue- että valtakunnallisen tason suunnittelun ja arvioinnin tukena esimerkiksi luonnonhoitohankkeiden ja suojelualueverkoston tarkastelun yhteydessä. Analyysiin valittiin metsien monimuotoisuutta kuvaaviksi muuttujiksi kasvillisuusluokka, puulaji, puuston keskiläpimitta ja tilavuus puusto-ositteittain, sekä punaisen listan metsälajien esiintymät. Kasvillisuusluokan ja puustotunnusten perusteella laskettiin koko Suomeen kaikille puuta kasvaville alueille kohteiden lahopuupotentiaali MOTTI-ohjelman (puuston kehitysennusteita kasvu- ja tuotosmallien avulla tuottava ohjelma) avulla. Analyysien pääaineiston muodostivat näistä lahopuupotentiaaleista muodostetut 20 kasvillisuusluokka/puulaji -syöttöaineistoa. Zonation-ohjelmistolla tehtiin kuusi erilaista analyysiversiota. Ensimmäisessä versiossa käytetyt syöttöaineistot olivat mukana myös kaikissa seuraavissa versioissa. Näin pystyttiin tarkastelemaan kahden peräkkäisen version muutoksia ja ymmärtämään paremmin miten tulokset ovat syntyneet. Analyyseissä edettiin paikallisen tason tarkastelusta suuremman alueellisen mittakaavan, kuten esimerkiksi maakunnan, metsien monimuotoisuusarvojen tarkasteluun. Lähtötilanteessa tarkasteltiin metsien monimuotoisuusarvoja paikallisesti puustorakenteesta johdettuun lahopuupotentiaaliin perustuen. Lisäksi analyyseissä alennettiin sellaisten alueiden arvoa, joilla oli tehty luonnon monimuotoisuutta tai luonnontilaa heikentäviä toimenpiteitä. Kehittyneemmissä analyysien versioissa otettiin huomioon kytkeytyvyys eri tavoin: ensiksi tarkasteltiin lähekkäin sijaitsevien metsiköiden pirstoutuneisuutta ja hyvää kytkeytyvyyttä, huomioitiin kytkeytyvyys Metsälain 10 §:ssä määritettyihin erityisen arvokkaisiin elinympäristöihin ja pysyviin suojelualueisiin. Lisäksi otettiin huomioon tiedossa olevat punaisen listan metsälajien esiintymät.

The degradation of rivers and streams has led to world-wide efforts to restore freshwater habitats. A good understanding of the social-ecological context is considered key to successful restoration. In this thesis, a multidisciplinary framework was applied to study ecological and social dimensions of restoration success. First, the long-term performance of in-stream restoration measures was examined by conducting repeated cross-sectional surveys in restored streams up to 20 years post-restoration. Next, nationwide electrofishing data were used to assess the density responses of juvenile salmonids to habitat restoration and factors influencing restoration success were examined. Finally, changes in the provision of ecosystem services were evaluated by comparing the perceptions of restoration outcomes between two user groups and three study rivers. The results indicated that the restoration-induced increase in habitat heterogeneity persisted over time, initiating an overall positive development also in biological metrics (i.e. juvenile salmonids and aquatic mosses). However, overall substrate variability in restored streams remained lower than in near-pristine streams, with a shortage of gravel beds. Fish responses varied strongly between rivers, which was explained mainly by watershed scale (e.g. river basin size, dominant geology) and local (potential interspecific competition) factors. Site-specific differences were also observed in the delivery of ecosystem services, mainly reflecting stakeholder perceptions of landscape value and fish provisioning. Overall, the results show that setting indicators and target levels for restoration success is grounded on perspective. Socially conscious ecological restoration that acknowledges local specialities and needs in priority setting, planning and implementation has the potential to provide multiple benefits for river ecosystems and society. Tiivistelmä Virtavesien ekologisen tilan heikentyminen on johtanut maailmanlaajuisiin toimiin niiden elinympäristöjen kunnostamiseksi. Usein ekologisen kunnostuksen onnistuminen edellyttää kuitenkin ihmisen ja ympäristön vuorovaikutussuhteiden laaja-alaista ymmärtämistä. Tässä väitöskirjatutkimuksessa käytettiin monitieteistä viitekehystä virtavesikunnostusten ekologisten ja sosiaalisten vaikutusten tutkimiseen. Ensimmäisessä osatyössä arvioitiin kunnostustoimenpiteiden kestävyyttä sekä uoman rakenteellisen monimuotoisuuden kehittymistä pitkällä aikavälillä (10–20 vuotta kunnostusten jälkeen). Toisessa osatyössä tehtiin valtakunnallisen sähkökalastusaineiston avulla meta-analyysipohjainen yhteenveto suomalaisten virtavesikunnostusten vaikutuksista taimenen ja lohen kesänvanhojen (0+) poikasten tiheyteen sekä tutkittiin kunnostustulokseen vaikuttavia ympäristötekijöitä. Kolmannessa osatyössä selvitettiin kunnostusten onnistumista ekosysteemipalvelujen näkökulmasta vertaamalla kahden eri käyttäjäryhmän kokemia muutoksia kolmen tutkimusjoen välillä. Väitöskirjan tulokset osoittivat, että kunnostukset lisäsivät jokiuoman rakenteellista monimuotoisuutta sekä lyhyellä että pitkällä aikavälillä ja vaikuttivat myönteisesti myös biologisiin indikaattoreihin (lohikalojen poikastiheys ja vesisammalet). Vaihtelu pohjan laadussa oli kuitenkin luonnontilaisia uomia vähäisempää ja erityisesti kutuun soveltuvaa soraa oli niukasti. Lohikalojen tiheysvaste vaihteli voimakkaasti jokien välillä, mikä selittyi pääasiassa valuma-alueeseen liittyvillä (esim. valuma-alueen koko ja geologia) ja paikallisilla (mahdollinen lajien välinen kilpailu) tekijöillä. Paikkasidonnaisia eroja havaittiin myös vaikutuksissa ekosysteemipalveluihin ja ne heijastivat etenkin maisemassa ja kalasaaliissa koettuja muutoksia. Tutkimus osoitti, että erilaiset taustat ja odotukset vaikuttavat vahvasti siihen, millaisten kriteerien perusteella kunnostusten onnistumista arvioidaan. Jotta kunnostuksilla saavutettaisiin hyötyjä sekä jokiekosysteemeille että yhteiskunnalle, on tärkeää tuntea paikalliset erityispiirteet ja -tarpeet ja ottaa ne huomioon kunnostuskohteiden valinnassa sekä toimenpiteiden suunnittelussa ja toteutuksessa.

nonPeerReviewed

Lintujen ikkunatörmäämiskuolemat ovat yksi suurimmista ihmislähtöisestä toiminnasta aiheutuva lintujen kuolinsyy. Aikaisempien tutkimusten mukaan on arvioitu muun muassa, että Yhdysvalloissa kuolee vuosittain noin miljardi lintua ikkunatörmäyksen seurauksena. Tässä työssä hyödynsin tiedettävästi ensimmäisen kerran rengastettujen lintujen tietoja ikkunatörmäyskuolemien tarkastelemisessa. Analysoimani data sisälsi yhteensä 6 388 ikkunatörmäyksessä kuollutta rengastettua lintuyksilöä. Työn tarkoituksena oli selvittää löytyykö lintujen ikkunatörmäyskuolemille selittäviä tekijöitä ryhmittelemällä aineiston lintulajit taksonomian mukaisiin lajiryhmiin, litulajien painon mukaan, uhanalaisuusluokituksen mukaan sekä eri elinympäristöryhmiin. Lisäksi selvitin vuosien 1974  2014 tapahtuneiden lintujen törmäyksien jakautumista Suomessa verrattuna lintujen rengastuspaikkoihin ja Suomen kuntien väestötiheyteen. Erilaisten linturyhmien ikkunaan törmäämisen todennäköisyyden kuvaamisessa käytin avuksi termiä törmäysalttius. Lintujen törmäysalttiudet lintulajeittain aineiston mukaan laskin jakamalla tarkasteltavan lintulajin aineiston mukaiset vuosien 1974  2014 välillä tapahtuneet kuolettavat ikkunatörmäykset kyseisinä vuosina rengastettujen lintuyksilöiden määrällä. Törmäysalttius kuvaa siis tarkasteltavana olevan lintulajin kuolettavan ikkunaantörmäämisen todennäköisyyttä. Tekemieni tilastollisten analyysien perusteella kaikista suurin törmäysalttius oli lajiryhmällä haukat ja pienin yhdistetyllä ryhmällä lokit ja tiirat. Linnun painolla ja lintujen ikkunatörmäämistodennäköisyydellä ei ollut yhteyttä. Uhanalaisuusluokittelun mukaan uhanalaisten lintujen törmäysalttius oli 1,9 kertainen verrattuna ei-uhanalaisiin lintulajeihin. Uhanalaisen valkoselkätikan törmäysalttius oli toiseksi suurin kaikista tarkasteltavista lintulajeista. Rengaslöytöjen perusteella Suomessa joka 80:s rengastettu valkoselkätikka törmää kuolettavasti ikkunaan. Elinympäristöluokittelun mukaan selvästi suurin törmäysalttius oli vanhan metsän lintulajeilla. Maantieteellisen sijoittuvuuden mukaan lintuja törmäsi eniten niissä Suomen kunnissa, joissa myös väestötiheys on suuri. Bird deaths resulting from bird-window collisions are one of the biggest human associated avian mortality factor. In previous studies it has been estimated that in the United States alone about 1 billion birds are killed annually due to collisions with windows. In this study I used bird ringing data probably for the first time to analyse bird deaths resulting from window strikes. Data included 6 388 banded bird individuals which were found dead after collision with window. The aim of this study was to find out if there are any factors which would influence bird-window deaths. In this study I sorted bird species by taxonomy, weight, conservation status and environment. Moreover I analysed how deathly bird-window collisions have distributed over Finland in years 1974  2014 compared to bird ringing coordinates in those years and Finland's municipality density. To describe the window collision probability of different bird groups I used a term colliding vulnerability (törmäysalttius). I calculated colliding vulnerabilities for different bird groups by dividing deadly window collisions during years 1974  2014 by amount of banded birds in that time scale. Colliding vulnerability represents the probability of bird specie to collide lethally with windows. According to the results the most vulnerable taxonomic bird group to collide lethally with windows was hawks and the least vulnerable was group which included gulls and terns. There was no connection between weight and probability of leathal window collisions. I found out that according to conservation status probability of lethal bird-window collision of endangered bird species was 1,9 times higher than probability of unendagered bird species. The white-backed woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos) had the second biggest colliding vulnerability of all bird species which were included in this study. According to banding recoveries of birds every 80th ringed white-backed woodpecker dies by colliding with window in Finland. The highest striking probability of different environment groups was within old-forest bird species. The consequences show also that in Finland birds collide lethally with windows in those municipalities where the municipality density is high.

Suomen ilmasto tulee muuttumaan jo lähivuosikymmeninä. Vuotuisen sademäärän on ennustettu lisääntyvän Suomessa 8 - 20 % ja lämpötilojen nousevan Suomessa 1,5 - 2 kertaa nopeammin kuin maapallolla keskimäärin, eli 2 - 6 astetta vuosisadan loppuun mennessä. Ilmastonmuutoksella ennakoidaan olevan merkittävä vaikutus suojelualueverkoston kykyyn turvata luonnon monimuotoisuutta. Luonnonsuojelu onkin huomattavien haasteiden edessä, sillä suojelualuesuunnittelussa ei ole yleensä varauduttu voimakkaisiin muutoksiin. Näiden haasteiden hallintaa vaikeuttaa myös ilmastonmuutoksen vaikutusten ennustamiseen liittyvät epävarmuudet. Suojelualueverkoston riittävyyttä ja kykyä säilyttää luonnon monimuotoisuus muuttuvassa ilmastossa voidaan arvioida eliölajiston, luontotyyppien ja ekosysteemien levinneisyyden ja ekologisten piirteiden, sekä ilmaston-muutoksen voimakkuuden alueellisten erojen ja suojelualueiden biogeofysikaalisten tekijöiden avulla. Tietoa tarvitaan erityisesti lajien ja luontotyyppien herkkyydestä ilmastonmuutokselle. Maisematason arvioinneissa voidaan käyttää yleisluonteisia kriteereitä kuten suojelualueiden määrä ja puskurialueiden laajuus, ekologisten käytävien esiintyminen ja maisemamatriisin soveltuvuus lajien leviämiseen. Itse suojelualueita voidaan arvioida niiden koon, maanpinnan muotojen ja elinympäristöjen monipuolisuuden, pienilmastollisten refugioiden esiintymisen sekä paikallisen ilmastonmuutoksen voimakkuuden perusteella. Suojelualueverkoston arvioinnissa tulee huomioida myös verkoston ulkopuolisen maankäytön vaikutuksia, sillä suojelualueiden ulkopuolella monimuotoisuutta turvaavilla toimilla voidaan edistää verkoston sopeutumista ilmastonmuutoksen vaikutuksiin. Ilmastonmuutokseen sopeutumiseen liittyvät toimet (esimerkiksi talousmetsissä) ja muu maankäyttö voivat toisaalta johtaa luonnon monimuotoisuudelle haitallisiin vaikutuksiin suojelualueverkoston sisällä ja laajemminkin. Toimivien ekologisten yhteyksien säilyttäminen on keskeistä muuttuvassa ilmastossa. Suomen lajistoon tulee täydennystä valtion rajojen ulkopuolelta. Siksi olisi tärkeää selvittää, kuinka hyvin erilaiset rajat ylittävät ekologiset käytävät, kuten Fennoskandian vihreä vyöhyke, toimivat lajien liikkumisreitteinä muuttuvassa ilmastossa. Luonnonsuojelualueverkosto on merkittävä ekosysteemipalvelujen tuottaja muuttuvassa ilmastossa. Yksi tärkeä suojelualueiden tuottama ekosysteemipalvelu on toimiminen hiilivarastona ja hiilinieluna. Siten suojelualueverkostolla on merkitystä ilmastonmuutoksen hillinnässä ja siihen sopeutumisessa, mutta tätä asiaa ei ole aiemmin tutkittu Suomessa.

Autonomy in mobility is a central component of active ageing. Life-space mobility describes where, when, and how an individual reaches desired destinations. Walking, an important form of physical activity among older people, is a prerequisite for engaging in daily activities. This study explored the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between physical activity and life-space mobility. The associations of walking with reasons for going outdoors in different life-space areas, living arrangements, and environmental barriers to mobility were also examined. Data from two larger studies were used: the Life-Space Mobility in Old Age (LISPE) accelerometer substudy (n=174, median age 79.7) and Screening and Counseling for Physical Activity and Mobility in Older People (SCAMOB) (n=657, median age 77.0). Participants were community-dwelling older people living in Central Finland. Physical activity and step count were measured by an accelerometer (Hookie, tri-axial, “AM20 Activity Meter”) for 7 days. Life-space mobility was assessed with the University of Alabama at Birmingham Study of Aging Life-Space Assessment. Reasons for going outdoors, walking for errands and environmental mobility barriers were self-reported. The cross-sectional analyses showed that life-space mobility correlated with objectively measured physical activity. Over the two-year follow-up, a lower step count and less moderate-intensity physical activity at baseline preceded a significantly steeper decline in life-space mobility. In old age, a higher amount of walking activity was associated with going outdoors for shopping or walking for exercise, living alone, and perceiving fewer environmental mobility barriers. This study indicates more time spent walking outdoors and the accumulation of moderate-intensity physical activity may help to maintain higher life- space mobility, a correlate of good quality of life. In promoting walking activity among community-dwelling older people, both individual and environmental factors should be taken into account.

Aim: Understanding the relative contribution of different species interactions in shaping community assembly has been a pivotal aim in community ecology. Biotic interactions are acknowledged to be important at local scales, although their signal is assumed to weaken over longer distances. We examine the relationship between positive, neutral and negative pairwise bird abundance distributions and the phylogenetic and functional distance between these pairs after first controlling for habitat associations. Location: France and Finland. Time period: 1984 to 2011 (Finland), 2001 to 2012 (France). Major Taxa studied: Birds. Methods: We used results from French and Finnish land bird monitoring programmes, from which we created three independent datasets (French forests, French farmlands and Finnish forests). Separately for the three datasets, we fitted linear mixed-effects models for pairwise abundance values across years per point count station to infer the association between all common species pairs, while controlling for geographical distribution and habitat associations, and saved pairwise regression coefficients for further analyses. We used a null model approach to infer whether the observed associations (effect sizes) differ from random. Finally, using quantile regression, we analysed the relationships between functional dissimilarity/phylogenetic distance and effect sizes. Results: Our results show both negative and positive species interactions, although negative interactions were twice as common as positive interactions. Closely related species were more likely to show strong associations, both negative and positive, than more distant species across broad spatial scales. For functional dissimilarity, the results varied across datasets. Main conclusions: Our results emphasize the potential of functional and phylogenetic proximity in generating both negative and positive species associations, which can produce pervasive patterns from local to geographical scales. Future assembly studies should refrain from strict dichotomies, such as compensatory dynamics versus environmental forcing, and instead consider the possibility of positive interactions. peerReviewed