To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: Biodiverse ecosystems.
Journal articles on the topic 'Biodiverse ecosystems'
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 50 journal articles for your research on the topic 'Biodiverse ecosystems.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Browse journal articles on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.
1
Palmer, Margaret, and Albert Ruhi. "Linkages between flow regime, biota, and ecosystem processes: Implications for river restoration." Science 365, no. 6459 (September 19, 2019): eaaw2087. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.aaw2087.
Full textAbstract:
River ecosystems are highly biodiverse, influence global biogeochemical cycles, and provide valued services. However, humans are increasingly degrading fluvial ecosystems by altering their streamflows. Effective river restoration requires advancing our mechanistic understanding of how flow regimes affect biota and ecosystem processes. Here, we review emerging advances in hydroecology relevant to this goal. Spatiotemporal variation in flow exerts direct and indirect control on the composition, structure, and dynamics of communities at local to regional scales. Streamflows also influence ecosystem processes, such as nutrient uptake and transformation, organic matter processing, and ecosystem metabolism. We are deepening our understanding of how biological processes, not just static patterns, affect and are affected by stream ecosystem processes. However, research on this nexus of flow-biota-ecosystem processes is at an early stage. We illustrate this frontier with evidence from highly altered regulated rivers and urban streams. We also identify research challenges that should be prioritized to advance process-based river restoration.
2
França, Filipe M., Cassandra E. Benkwitt, Guadalupe Peralta, James P. W. Robinson, Nicholas A. J. Graham, Jason M. Tylianakis, Erika Berenguer, et al. "Climatic and local stressor interactions threaten tropical forests and coral reefs." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 375, no. 1794 (January 27, 2020): 20190116. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2019.0116.
Full textAbstract:
Tropical forests and coral reefs host a disproportionately large share of global biodiversity and provide ecosystem functions and services used by millions of people. Yet, ongoing climate change is leading to an increase in frequency and magnitude of extreme climatic events in the tropics, which, in combination with other local human disturbances, is leading to unprecedented negative ecological consequences for tropical forests and coral reefs. Here, we provide an overview of how and where climate extremes are affecting the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth and summarize how interactions between global, regional and local stressors are affecting tropical forest and coral reef systems through impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. We also discuss some key challenges and opportunities to promote mitigation and adaptation to a changing climate at local and global scales. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Climate change and ecosystems: threats, opportunities and solutions'.
3
Grantham, H. S., E. McLeod, A. Brooks, S. D. Jupiter, J. Hardcastle, A. J. Richardson, E. S. Poloczanska, et al. "Ecosystem-based adaptation in marine ecosystems of tropical Oceania in response to climate change." Pacific Conservation Biology 17, no. 3 (2011): 241. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc110241.
Full textAbstract:
Tropical Oceania, including Melanesia, Polynesia, Micronesia and northern Australia, is one of the most biodiverse regions of the world. Climate change impacts have already occurred in the region and will become one of the greatest threats to biodiversity and people. Climate projections indicate that sea levels will rise in many places but not uniformly. Islands will warm and annual rainfall will increase and exhibit strong decadal variations. Increases in global atmospheric CO2 concentration are causing ocean acidification, compromising the ability of organisms such as corals to maintain their calcium carbonate skeletons. We discuss these climate threats and their implications for the biodiversity of several ecosystems (coral reefs, seagrass and mangroves) in the region. We highlight current adaptation approaches designed to address these threats, including efforts to integrate ecosystem and community-based approaches. Finally, we identify guiding principles for developing effective ecosystem-based adaptation strategies. Despite broad differences in governance and social systems within the region, particularly between Australia and the rest of the Pacific, threats and planning objectives are similar. Ensuring community awareness and participation are essential everywhere. The science underpinning ecosystem-based adaptation strategies is in its infancy but there is great opportunity for communicating approaches and lessons learnt between developing and developed nations in tropical Oceania.
4
Miller, Ben P., Elizabeth A. Sinclair, Myles H. M. Menz, Carole P. Elliott, Eric Bunn, Lucy E. Commander, Emma Dalziell, et al. "A framework for the practical science necessary to restore sustainable, resilient, and biodiverse ecosystems." Restoration Ecology 25, no. 4 (December 15, 2016): 605–17. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/rec.12475.
Full text
5
Sharma, Bhushan Kumar, and Sumita Sharma. "Biodiversity of Indian Rotifers (Rotifera) with remarks on biogeography and richness in diverse ecosystems." Opuscula Zoologica 52, no. 1 (2021): 69–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.18348/opzool.2021.1.69.
Full textAbstract:
We assess biodiversity status of Rotifera known from India to-date based on our studies from various regions of this country and evaluation of other viable records, and highlight notable features of biogeography and richness. The Indian fauna reveals 434 valid species belonging to 68 genera and 25 families and thus indicates the most biodiverse Rotifera vis-àvis south and Southeast Asia, and records ~25% and ~41% species of global and regional biogeographic interest. It depicts the littoral-periphytic nature, broadly tropical character, the limited reports of cold-water species from the sub-Himalayan and Himalayan latitudes, paucity of the endemics and Bdelloids, and cryptic diversity awaits analyses. The richest diversity and distinct biogeographic identity of Rotifera of Northeast India (NEI) is attributed to location of this region in the ‘Himalayan and Indo-Burmese’ biodiversity hot-spots, ‘Assam gateway’ – the biogeographic corridor, and the ‘Rotiferologist effect’. Regional disparity and spatial heterogeneity of biodiversity elsewhere from India are attributed to the limited sampling, inadequate collections from diverse ecosystems, unidentified species, and paucity of attention on smaller species. The biodiverse rotifer assemblages of the floodplain lakes including Deepor Beel and Loktak Lake, the two Ramsar sites and globally megadiverse ecosystems, are hypothesized to habitat diversity of these ecotones, while ‘Rotifera paradox’ depict speciose constellations per sample. The species-rich small floodplain and urban wetlands focus interest on rotifer diversity in small water bodies. We estimate more diverse Indian Rotifera following analyses of collections from underexplored and unexplored regions and ecosystems, and the bdelloid and sessile rotifers using integrative taxonomic approaches.
6
Cohen, Andrew S., Elizabeth L. Gergurich, Benjamin M. Kraemer, Michael M. McGlue, Peter B. McIntyre, James M. Russell, Jack D. Simmons, and Peter W. Swarzenski. "Climate warming reduces fish production and benthic habitat in Lake Tanganyika, one of the most biodiverse freshwater ecosystems." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113, no. 34 (August 8, 2016): 9563–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1603237113.
Full textAbstract:
Warming climates are rapidly transforming lake ecosystems worldwide, but the breadth of changes in tropical lakes is poorly documented. Sustainable management of freshwater fisheries and biodiversity requires accounting for historical and ongoing stressors such as climate change and harvest intensity. This is problematic in tropical Africa, where records of ecosystem change are limited and local populations rely heavily on lakes for nutrition. Here, using a ∼1,500-y paleoecological record, we show that declines in fishery species and endemic molluscs began well before commercial fishing in Lake Tanganyika, Africa’s deepest and oldest lake. Paleoclimate and instrumental records demonstrate sustained warming in this lake during the last ∼150 y, which affects biota by strengthening and shallowing stratification of the water column. Reductions in lake mixing have depressed algal production and shrunk the oxygenated benthic habitat by 38% in our study areas, yielding fish and mollusc declines. Late-20th century fish fossil abundances at two of three sites were lower than at any other time in the last millennium and fell in concert with reduced diatom abundance and warming water. A negative correlation between lake temperature and fish and mollusc fossils over the last ∼500 y indicates that climate warming and intensifying stratification have almost certainly reduced potential fishery production, helping to explain ongoing declines in fish catches. Long-term declines of both benthic and pelagic species underscore the urgency of strategic efforts to sustain Lake Tanganyika’s extraordinary biodiversity and ecosystem services.
7
Ambalavanan, Logajothiswaran, Shumpei Iehata, Rosanne Fletcher, Emylia H. Stevens, and Sandra C. Zainathan. "A Review of Marine Viruses in Coral Ecosystem." Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 9, no. 7 (June 27, 2021): 711. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/jmse9070711.
Full textAbstract:
Coral reefs are among the most biodiverse biological systems on earth. Corals are classified as marine invertebrates and filter the surrounding food and other particles in seawater, including pathogens such as viruses. Viruses act as both pathogen and symbiont for metazoans. Marine viruses that are abundant in the ocean are mostly single-, double stranded DNA and single-, double stranded RNA viruses. These discoveries were made via advanced identification methods which have detected their presence in coral reef ecosystems including PCR analyses, metagenomic analyses, transcriptomic analyses and electron microscopy. This review discusses the discovery of viruses in the marine environment and their hosts, viral diversity in corals, presence of virus in corallivorous fish communities in reef ecosystems, detection methods, and occurrence of marine viral communities in marine sponges.
8
Shaver, Elizabeth C., and Brian R. Silliman. "Time to cash in on positive interactions for coral restoration." PeerJ 5 (June 22, 2017): e3499. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3499.
Full textAbstract:
Coral reefs are among the most biodiverse and productive ecosystems on Earth, and provide critical ecosystem services such as protein provisioning, coastal protection, and tourism revenue. Despite these benefits, coral reefs have been declining precipitously across the globe due to human impacts and climate change. Recent efforts to combat these declines are increasingly turning to restoration to help reseed corals and speed-up recovery processes. Coastal restoration theory and practice has historically favored transplanting designs that reduce potentially harmful negative species interactions, such as competition between transplants. However, recent research in salt marsh ecosystems has shown that shifting this theory to strategically incorporate positive interactions significantly enhances restoration yield with little additional cost or investment. Although some coral restoration efforts plant corals in protected areas in order to benefit from the facilitative effects of herbivores that reduce competitive macroalgae, little systematic effort has been made in coral restoration to identify the entire suite of positive interactions that could promote population enhancement efforts. Here, we highlight key positive species interactions that managers and restoration practitioners should utilize to facilitate the restoration of corals, including (i) trophic facilitation, (ii) mutualisms, (iii) long-distance facilitation, (iv) positive density-dependence, (v) positive legacy effects, and (vi) synergisms between biodiversity and ecosystem function. As live coral cover continues to decline and resources are limited to restore coral populations, innovative solutions that increase efficiency of restoration efforts will be critical to conserving and maintaining healthy coral reef ecosystems and the human communities that rely on them.
9
Buendía, Corina, Axel Kleidon, Stefano Manzoni, Björn Reu, and Amilcare Porporato. "Evaluating the effect of nutrient redistribution by animals on the phosphorus cycle of lowland Amazonia." Biogeosciences 15, no. 1 (January 12, 2018): 279–95. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-279-2018.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract. Phosphorus (P) availability decreases with soil age and potentially limits the productivity of ecosystems growing on old and weathered soils. Despite growing on ancient soils, ecosystems of lowland Amazonia are highly productive and are among the most biodiverse on Earth. P eroded and weathered in the Andes is transported by the rivers and deposited in floodplains of the lowland Amazon basin creating hotspots of P fertility. We hypothesize that animals feeding on vegetation and detritus in these hotspots may redistribute P to P-depleted areas, thus contributing to dissipate the P gradient across the landscape. Using a mathematical model, we show that animal-driven spatial redistribution of P from rivers to land and from seasonally flooded to terra firme (upland) ecosystems may sustain the P cycle of Amazonian lowlands. Our results show how P imported to land by terrestrial piscivores in combination with spatial redistribution of herbivores and detritivores can significantly enhance the P content in terra firme ecosystems, thereby highlighting the importance of food webs for the biogeochemical cycling of Amazonia.
10
Lehmann, Steffen. "Growing Biodiverse Urban Futures: Renaturalization and Rewilding as Strategies to Strengthen Urban Resilience." Sustainability 13, no. 5 (March 8, 2021): 2932. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su13052932.
Full textAbstract:
How are our cities using nature-based solutions to confront the challenges posed by a warming climate, the loss of biodiversity and major resource depletion? This article discusses the opportunities and benefits of applying the concepts of regreening and rewilding of cities. The article engages with key sources and summarizes the background and development of regreening and nature-based solutions and important policies, concerns and perspectives of international and national organizations. It introduces the integration of nature-based solutions (NBS) as a strategy in urban planning with the aim to strengthen urban resilience and to slow down the biodiversity decline. Rewilding areas in cities has become a powerful strategy to bring back butterflies, insects, birds, and wildlife. In contrast to highly managed parks and gardens, these rewilding initiatives are leaving allotted spaces mostly uncultivated and self-regulated. Contact to nature is essential for human existence, urban wellbeing, and good quality of life. Green spaces in cities—big or small—all contribute to the health and wellbeing of residents. However, many cities do not offer residents easy access to green space within the city. Improving the better distribution of and access to green spaces and extending gardens and parks is likely to deliver a large number of benefits, such as: ecosystem services, better water management for enhanced urban flood control, slowing down the biodiversity loss, contributing to food security, and restoring damaged ecosystems. Furthermore, additional green space and NBS help to keep cities cool during heatwaves and improve the urban microclimate. Rewilding has emerged as an important part of new public parks and gardens. The next step is to up-scale citywide climate intervention strategies deployed to keep cities cool. However, as the discussion of this article shows, it is essential that the design of these NBS strategies is fully integrated with other complementary planning interventions and seeks synergies across all sectors.
11
Armenteras, Dolors, Liliana M. Dávalos, Joan S. Barreto, Alejandro Miranda, Angela Hernández-Moreno, Carlos Zamorano-Elgueta, Tania M. González-Delgado, María C. Meza-Elizalde, and Javier Retana. "Fire-induced loss of the world’s most biodiverse forests in Latin America." Science Advances 7, no. 33 (August 2021): eabd3357. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abd3357.
Full textAbstract:
Fire plays a dominant role in deforestation, particularly in the tropics, but the relative extent of transformations and influence of fire frequency on eventual forest loss remain unclear. Here, we analyze the frequency of fire and its influence on postfire forest trajectories between 2001 and 2018. We account for ~1.1% of Latin American forests burnt in 2002–2003 (8,465,850 ha). Although 40.1% of forests (3,393,250 ha) burned only once, by 2018, ~48% of the evergreen forests converted to other, primarily grass-dominated uses. While greater fire frequency yielded more transformation, our results reveal the staggering impact of even a single fire. Increasing fire frequency imposes greater risks of irreversible forest loss, transforming forests into ecosystems increasingly vulnerable to degradation. Reversing this trend is indispensable to both mitigate and adapt to climate change globally. As climate change transforms fire regimes across the region, key actions are needed to conserve Latin American forests.
12
Sosnowska, Monika. "Co zjada Hamleta? Robaki jako aktywni aktorzy w elsynorskiej (i nie tylko) gastronomii." Zoophilologica, no. 6 (December 29, 2020): 125–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.31261/zoophilologica.2020.06.09.
Full textAbstract:
Having been inspired by William Shakespeare’s Hamlet – a drama where both a ghost and a worm find their shelter – the author discusses contacts, interactions relations, and interdependence between human and non-human animals. During the investigation of his father’s “unnatural death,” Hamlet becomes aware of many natural phenomena, including organic cycle (in which worms play a crucial role). Although worms are culturally insignificant, they are significant organisms for ecosystems. As recyclers and fertilizers, they have real impact on ecosystem’s condition and equilibrium. The author exploits contemporary scientific knowledge to identify worms (mentioned in the play) by naming specific invertebrates in accordance with valid taxonomy. To refer to non-human Others, an innovative word – ‘The BioDiverse’ – is proposed. Additionally, Hamlet becomes an inspiration to reflect upon old and new funeral eco-practices, as well as the author’s future funeral – its place and form. The article is written from an ecocritical perspective.
13
Davies, Thomas W., Matthew Coleman, Katherine M. Griffith, and Stuart R. Jenkins. "Night-time lighting alters the composition of marine epifaunal communities." Biology Letters 11, no. 4 (April 2015): 20150080. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0080.
Full textAbstract:
Marine benthic communities face multiple anthropogenic pressures that compromise the future of some of the most biodiverse and functionally important ecosystems in the world. Yet one of the pressures these ecosystems face, night-time lighting, remains unstudied. Light is an important cue in guiding the settlement of invertebrate larvae, and altering natural regimes of nocturnal illumination could modify patterns of recruitment among sessile epifauna. We present the first evidence of night-time lighting changing the composition of temperate epifaunal marine invertebrate communities. Illuminating settlement surfaces with white light-emitting diode lighting at night, to levels experienced by these communities locally, both inhibited and encouraged the colonization of 39% of the taxa analysed, including three sessile and two mobile species. Our results indicate that ecological light pollution from coastal development, shipping and offshore infrastructure could be changing the composition of marine epifaunal communities.
14
Coello Sanz, Fernando, Frederic Casals, and Jorge Rubén Sánchez-González. "How Can Be Lotic Ecosystem Size More Precisely Estimated? Comparing Different Approximations in Pre-Pyrenean and Pyrenean Mountains." Water 13, no. 5 (March 6, 2021): 721. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w13050721.
Full textAbstract:
Rivers are among the most biodiverse and endangered ecosystems on earth. In Europe, concern over their conservation promoted the development of legal instruments for habitat and species conservation, the Habitats Directive, and water resource management, the Water Framework Directive. This legal protection demanded the estimate of river ecosystem surface for different purposes. Different approaches allow river surface to be measured at a low cost. Some accurate techniques like satellite images or LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) do not always work at a large scale or for streams and small rivers. We discuss here the use of the traditional hydraulics relationship between drainage area and bankfull width as a good approach to river surface estimation. We confirm that the use of this cheap and simple method could be a good approach to estimate river surface. However, we also proved that the development of regional curves, i.e., to establish the empirical relationship based on study area data, constitutes an essential improvement to estimation.
15
Ahumada-C., Daniela, Alejandro Segovia-Paccini, and Gabriel R. Navas-S. "Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) of Montes de María sub-region: Preliminary list of species from El Carmen de Bolívar (Bolívar, Colombia)." Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales 43, no. 168 (September 25, 2019): 521–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.18257/raccefyn.808.
Full textAbstract:
We provide a preliminary list of the diurnal butterflies of El Carmen de Bolívar based on specimens captured between 2015 and 2017 using entomological nets during active searches. Six of the Colombian families of diurnal butterflies were registered. In this study, we provide the distribution of each species throughout the Colombian Caribbean and we confirmed the presence of some species in the region: Emesis fatimella, Eurybia lycisca (Riodinidae) and Urbanus teleus (Hesperiidae). This research contributes to the knowledge of diurnal butterflies in one of the most biodiverse areas of the Caribbean region, which undergoes a progressive transformation of their ecosystems.
16
Boelee, Eline, Jan Janse, Antoine Le Gal, Marcel Kok, Rob Alkemade, and Willem Ligtvoet. "Overcoming water challenges through nature-based solutions." Water Policy 19, no. 5 (May 12, 2017): 820–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wp.2017.105.
Full textAbstract:
Freshwater is a key resource and medium for various economic sectors and domestic purposes but its use is often at the expense of natural ecosystems. Water management must change to deal with urgent issues and protect aquatic ecosystems and their services, while addressing the demand for water from the competing claims for cities, agriculture, industry, energy and transport. In this paper key water challenges (shortage, pollution, aquatic ecosystems threatened) have been identified via global modelling. By the IMAGE-GLOBIO model chain a Trend scenario up to 2050 was modelled, as well as the potential of three ‘pathways’ aimed at halving average global biodiversity loss while also meeting the sustainable development goals. Biodiversity is then used as a guiding principle to address these challenges because water services depend on healthy and biodiverse ecosystems. Subsequently the potential of nature-based solutions is reviewed for four sub-sectors: cities, food production, hydropower, and flood protection, grouped under the three alternative pathways to meet key water challenges. Mainstreaming biodiversity into water policy requires integrated planning. Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) could provide an opportune starting point as a well recognised integrating framework for planning, to guide the actual implementation of nature-based solutions in sub-sectors.
17
Milligan, Rosanna J., Andrea M. Bernard, Kevin M. Boswell, Heather D. Bracken-Grissom, Marta A. D'Elia, Sergio deRada, Cole G. Easson, et al. "The Application of Novel Research Technologies by the Deep Pelagic Nekton Dynamics of the Gulf of Mexico (DEEPEND) Consortium." Marine Technology Society Journal 52, no. 6 (November 1, 2018): 81–86. http://dx.doi.org/10.4031/mtsj.52.6.10.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractThe deep waters of the open ocean represent a major frontier in exploration and scientific understanding. However, modern technological and computational tools are making the deep ocean more accessible than ever before by facilitating increasingly sophisticated studies of deep ocean ecosystems. Here, we describe some of the cutting-edge technologies that have been employed by the Deep Pelagic Nekton Dynamics of the Gulf of Mexico (DEEPEND; <ext-link ext-link-type="uri" href="http://www.deependconsortium.org">www.deependconsortium.org</ext-link>) Consortium to study the biodiverse fauna and dynamic physical-chemical environment of the offshore Gulf of Mexico (GoM) from 0 to 1,500 m.
18
Jarvie, Scott, and Jens-Christian Svenning. "Using species distribution modelling to determine opportunities for trophic rewilding under future scenarios of climate change." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 373, no. 1761 (October 22, 2018): 20170446. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2017.0446.
Full textAbstract:
Trophic rewilding, the (re)introduction of species to promote self-regulating biodiverse ecosystems, is a future-oriented approach to ecological restoration. In the twenty-first century and beyond, human-mediated climate change looms as a major threat to global biodiversity and ecosystem function. A critical aspect in planning trophic rewilding projects is the selection of suitable sites that match the needs of the focal species under both current and future climates. Species distribution models (SDMs) are currently the main tools to derive spatially explicit predictions of environmental suitability for species, but the extent of their adoption for trophic rewilding projects has been limited. Here, we provide an overview of applications of SDMs to trophic rewilding projects, outline methodological choices and issues, and provide a synthesis and outlook. We then predict the potential distribution of 17 large-bodied taxa proposed as trophic rewilding candidates and which represent different continents and habitats. We identified widespread climatic suitability for these species in the discussed (re)introduction regions under current climates. Climatic conditions generally remain suitable in the future, although some species will experience reduced suitability in parts of these regions. We conclude that climate change is not a major barrier to trophic rewilding as currently discussed in the literature.This article is part of the theme issue ‘Trophic rewilding: consequences for ecosystems under global change’.
19
Moncrieff, Glenn R. "Locating and Dating Land Cover Change Events in the Renosterveld, a Critically Endangered Shrubland Ecosystem." Remote Sensing 13, no. 5 (February 24, 2021): 834. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs13050834.
Full textAbstract:
Land cover change is the leading cause of global biodiversity decline. New satellite platforms allow for monitoring of habitats in increasingly fine detail, but most applications have been limited to forested ecosystems. I demonstrate the potential for detailed mapping and accurate dating of land cover change events in a highly biodiverse, Critically Endangered, shrubland ecosystem—the Renosterveld of South Africa. Using supervised classification of Sentinel 2 data, and subsequent manual verification with very high resolution imagery, I locate all conversion of Renosterveld to non-natural land cover between 2016 and 2020. Land cover change events are further assigned dates using high temporal frequency data from Planet labs. A total area of 478.6 hectares of Renosterveld loss was observed over this period, accounting for 0.72% of the remaining natural vegetation in the region. In total, 50% of change events were dated to within two weeks of their actual occurrence, and 87% to within two months. The Renosterveld loss identified here is almost entirely attributable to conversion of natural vegetation to cropland through ploughing. Change often preceded the planting and harvesting seasons of rainfed annual grains. These results show the potential for new satellite platforms to accurately map land cover change in non-forest ecosystems, and detect change within days of its occurrence. There is potential to use this and similar datasets to automate the process of change detection and monitor change continuously.
20
Correa Ayram, Camilo Andrés, Andrés Etter, Julián Díaz-Timoté, Susana Rodríguez Buriticá, Wilson Ramírez, and Germán Corzo. "Spatiotemporal evaluation of the human footprint in Colombia: Four decades of anthropic impact in highly biodiverse ecosystems." Ecological Indicators 117 (October 2020): 106630. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106630.
Full text
21
Austin, Kelly F., Mark D. Noble, and Kellyn McCarthy. "Conditionality Contaminates Conservation: Structural Adjustment and Land Protection in Less-Developed Nations." International Journal of Social Science Studies 5, no. 5 (April 12, 2017): 46. http://dx.doi.org/10.11114/ijsss.v5i5.2352.
Full textAbstract:
The destruction that human beings cause the natural environment is so catastrophic that the current era has now been labeled the “Sixth Extinction.” Conservation and the preservation of species and ecosystems is a leading strategy in preventing biodiversity loss and preserving natural ecosystems. As threats to biodiversity mount, it is imperative that social scientists explore the macro-level processes that influence conservation areas, especially in poorer nations where the majority of biodiverse zones are located. This study explores the impact of structural adjustment policies on the ability of less-developed nations to designate land for conservation. We use ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to examine the influence of IMF conditionality on levels of terrestrial protected areas for 86 less-developed nations. The results confirm our hypothesis that nations undergoing IMF structural adjustment have a smaller percentage of land devoted to terrestrial protected areas than nations not undergoing structural adjustment. Neoliberal approaches that encourage privatization and deregulation ultimately impair less-developed nations’ abilities to make conservation a priority.
22
Laidre, Mark E., and Geerat J. Vermeij. "A biodiverse housing market in hermit crabs: proposal for a new biodiversity index." UNED Research Journal 4, no. 2 (December 1, 2012): 175–79. http://dx.doi.org/10.22458/urj.v4i2.5.
Full textAbstract:
Cuantificar la variación de la biodiversidad es un objetivo importantede la biología. Sin embargo, debido a que tales inventarios, en especialpara la biodiversidad marina, son costosos, difíciles y consumenmucho tiempo, hay un gran valor en indicadores simples que permitandeterminar la biodiversidad de una región determinada de maneraeficiente. Hicimos un inventario de las conchas usadas como casasmóviles terrestres por los cangrejos ermitaños (Coenobita compressus)en la Península de Osa, Costa Rica, un “punto álgido” de biodiversidad.Se registraron 41 especies, el mayor número registrado en cualquierpoblación de cangrejos ermitaños. Proponemos que la “diversidad delmercado de vivienda” en los cangrejos ermitaños puede proporcionarun índice de biodiversidad ecosistémica conveniente, lo que podríafacilitar las comparaciones entre sitios.ABSTRACTQuantifying variation in biodiversity is an important goal of biology.However, because inventorying biodiversity, especially marinebiodiversity, is costly, difficult, and time consuming, there is great valuein simple metrics that can reliably indicate a given region’s biodiversityand that can be efficiently gathered. We inventoried shells used asportable houses by terrestrial hermit crabs (Coenobita compressus) inOsa Peninsula, Costa Rica, a biodiversity hotspot. Forty-one species wererecorded, the largest number registered for any hermit crab population.We propose that housing market diversity in hermit crabs might providea convenient biodiversity index of ecosystems, potentially facilitatingcomparisons across different sites.
23
Malhi, Yadvinder, and Oliver L. Phillips. "Introduction." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences 359, no. 1443 (March 29, 2004): 309–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2003.1448.
Full textAbstract:
This issue is based on the proceedings of a symposium on ‘Tropical Forests and Global Atmospheric Change’ that was held at the Association for Tropical Biology annual meeting in Panama City, Panama, in July 2002. Our overall goal was to explore how the world's most biodiverse ecosystems might fare in an era of rapid atmospheric change. To achieve this we needed to ask original thinkers from a wide range of disciplines to focus on this common concern, often using new field data or new syntheses of existing data. Several researchers who could not attend the meeting were also invited to contribute to this Theme Issue which builds on advances in several distinct scientific disciplines.
24
Seddon, Nathalie, Georgina M. Mace, Shahid Naeem, Joseph A. Tobias, Alex L. Pigot, Rachel Cavanagh, David Mouillot, James Vause, and Matt Walpole. "Biodiversity in the Anthropocene: prospects and policy." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 283, no. 1844 (December 14, 2016): 20162094. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.2094.
Full textAbstract:
Meeting the ever-increasing needs of the Earth’s human population without excessively reducing biological diversity is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity, suggesting that new approaches to biodiversity conservation are required. One idea rapidly gaining momentum—as well as opposition—is to incorporate the values of biodiversity into decision-making using economic methods. Here, we develop several lines of argument for how biodiversity might be valued, building on recent developments in natural science, economics and science-policy processes. Then we provide a synoptic guide to the papers in this special feature, summarizing recent research advances relevant to biodiversity valuation and management. Current evidence suggests that more biodiverse systems have greater stability and resilience, and that by maximizing key components of biodiversity we maximize an ecosystem’s long-term value. Moreover, many services and values arising from biodiversity are interdependent, and often poorly captured by standard economic models. We conclude that economic valuation approaches to biodiversity conservation should (i) account for interdependency and (ii) complement rather than replace traditional approaches. To identify possible solutions, we present a framework for understanding the foundational role of hard-to-quantify ‘biodiversity services’ in sustaining the value of ecosystems to humanity, and then use this framework to highlight new directions for pure and applied research. In most cases, clarifying the links between biodiversity and ecosystem services, and developing effective policy and practice for managing biodiversity, will require a genuinely interdisciplinary approach.
25
Müller, Sarah Marie, Jasmin Peisker, Claudia Bieling, Kathrin Linnemann, Konrad Reidl, and Klaus Schmieder. "The Importance of Cultural Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity for Landscape Visitors in the Biosphere Reserve Swabian Alb (Germany)." Sustainability 11, no. 9 (May 9, 2019): 2650. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su11092650.
Full textAbstract:
Agricultural landscapes play an important role in providing different ecosystem services. However, the current trend of land use intensification in Central Europe involves the risk of trade-offs between them. Since cultural ecosystem services (CES) are less tangible, they are often underrepresented in landscape management decisions. To highlight this subject we evaluated CES in agro-ecosystems in the biosphere reserve Swabian Alb (Southwestern Germany). We conducted a survey among visitors to investigate their usage of the landscape, their perception as well as valuation of CES, and interrelations with biodiversity. The results show the presence of various types of usage related to cultural services, the most prominent being recreation and landscape aesthetics. People declared a high affinity to nature and biodiversity awareness. A participatory mapping task revealed their appreciation of biodiverse and ecologically relevant places such as protected species-rich grasslands, traditional orchards and hedgerows. Several socio-demographic differences emerged, e.g., between age classes and local/non-local visitors. We conclude that our exemplary methodical approach was successful in capturing the CES and their link to biodiversity in the investigated biosphere reserve, while identifying priority fields of action concerning the integration of CES into management and planning of cultural landscapes, ultimately serving as guides for local decision-makers.
26
Marler, Thomas E. "Three Invasive Tree Species Change Soil Chemistry in Guam Forests." Forests 11, no. 3 (February 28, 2020): 279. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/f11030279.
Full textAbstract:
Research Highlights: Established stands of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit, Spathodea campanulata P. Beauv., and Vitex parviflora Juss. modified soils in Guam’s limestone forests, reducing storage pools of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Background and Objectives: Invasive plants may engineer negative changes in ecosystem properties. This study was conducted to determine changes in soil chemistry following infestations of three problematic tree species on Guam. Materials and Methods: Minerals, metals, and mineralization dynamics were measured in invaded sites and paired sites with biodiverse native tree cover. Results: Most soil properties were significantly changed by long-term infestations of the invasive tree species. The soils within invaded sites exhibited total carbon, total nitrogen, and available phosphorus that were less than native sites. In contrast, the carbon/nitrogen ratio increased for every species-site combination. The other chemical properties were idiosyncratic among the sites and species. Conclusions: Mitigation and restoration activities that include the removal of these trees from project sites may require many years for the below-ground ecosystems to return to their native state. These three invasive trees decrease the ability of Guam soils to sequester recalcitrant forms of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
27
Wilhelm, Jennifer A., and Richard G. Smith. "Ecosystem services and land sparing potential of urban and peri-urban agriculture: A review." Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 33, no. 5 (April 17, 2017): 481–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1742170517000205.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractAgricultural expansion contributes to the degradation of biodiverse ecosystems and the services these systems provide. Expansion of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA), on the other hand, may hold promise to both expand the portfolio of ecosystem services (ES) available in built environments, where ES are typically low and to reduce pressure to convert sensitive non-urban, non-agricultural ecosystems to agriculture. However, few data are available to support these hypotheses. Here we review and summarize the research conducted on UPA from 320 peer-reviewed papers published between 2000 and 2014. Specifically, we explored the availability of data regarding UPA's impact on ES and disservices. We also assessed the literature for evidence that UPA can contribute to land sparing. We find that the growth in UPA research over this time period points to the emerging recognition of the potential role that UPA systems play in food production worldwide. However, few studies (n = 15) place UPA in the context of ES, and no studies in our review explicitly quantify the land sparing potential of UPA. Additionally, while few studies (n = 19) quantify production potential of UPA, data that are necessary to accurately quantify the role these systems can play in land sparing, our rough estimates suggest that agricultural extensification into the world's urban environments via UPA could spare an area approximately twice the size of the US state of Massachusetts. Expanding future UPA research to include quantification of ES and functions would shed light on the ecological tradeoffs associated with agricultural production in the built environment. As food demand increases and urban populations continue to grow, it will be critical to better understand the role urban environments can play in global agricultural production and ecosystem preservation.
28
Delabye, Sylvain, Rodolphe Rougerie, Sandrine Bayendi, Myrianne Andeime-Eyene, Evgeny V. Zakharov, Jeremy R. deWaard, Paul D. N. Hebert, et al. "Characterization and comparison of poorly known moth communities through DNA barcoding in two Afrotropical environments in Gabon." Genome 62, no. 3 (March 2019): 96–107. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/gen-2018-0063.
Full textAbstract:
Biodiversity research in tropical ecosystems—popularized as the most biodiverse habitats on Earth—often neglects invertebrates, yet invertebrates represent the bulk of local species richness. Insect communities in particular remain strongly impeded by both Linnaean and Wallacean shortfalls, and identifying species often remains a formidable challenge inhibiting the use of these organisms as indicators for ecological and conservation studies. Here we use DNA barcoding as an alternative to the traditional taxonomic approach for characterizing and comparing the diversity of moth communities in two different ecosystems in Gabon. Though sampling remains very incomplete, as evidenced by the high proportion (59%) of species represented by singletons, our results reveal an outstanding diversity. With about 3500 specimens sequenced and representing 1385 BINs (Barcode Index Numbers, used as a proxy to species) in 23 families, the diversity of moths in the two sites sampled is higher than the current number of species listed for the entire country, highlighting the huge gap in biodiversity knowledge for this country. Both seasonal and spatial turnovers are strikingly high (18.3% of BINs shared between seasons, and 13.3% between sites) and draw attention to the need to account for these when running regional surveys. Our results also highlight the richness and singularity of savannah environments and emphasize the status of Central African ecosystems as hotspots of biodiversity.
29
van der Ent, Antony, Nishanta Rajakaruna, Robert Boyd, Guillaume Echevarria, Rimi Repin, and Dick Williams. "Global research on ultramafic (serpentine) ecosystems (8th International Conference on Serpentine Ecology in Sabah, Malaysia)." Australian Journal of Botany 63, no. 4 (2015): iii. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/btv63n4_in.
Full textAbstract:
Since 1991, researchers from approximately 45 nations have participated in eight International Conferences on Serpentine Ecology (ICSE). The ICSE conferences are coordinated by the International Serpentine Ecology Society (ISES), a formal research society whose members study geological, pedological, biological and applied aspects of ultramafic ecosystems worldwide. These conferences have provided an international forum to discuss and synthesise multidisciplinary research, and have provided opportunities for scientists in distinct fields and from different regions of the world to conduct collaborative and interdisciplinary research. The 8th ICSE was hosted by Sabah Parks in Malaysia, on the island of Borneo, and attracted the largest delegation to date, 174 participants from 31 countries. This was the first time an ICSE was held in Asia, the region that hosts some of the world’s most biodiverse ultramafic ecosystems. The presentations provided a cross-section of the current status of research in all aspects of serpentine-biota relations. In this Special Issue of Australian Journal of Botany, which encompasses two double issues (1–2 and 3–4), we have compiled a selection of papers from among the oral and poster presentations to provide insights into recent advances in geoecological and applied studies of serpentine habitats worldwide.
30
Medina, Félix M., Marta López-Darias, and Julien C. Piquet. "Rapid responses against invasive species on islands: lessons from the introduced Barbary ground squirrel Atlantoxerus getulus in the Canary Islands." Oryx 53, no. 4 (May 29, 2018): 782–86. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0030605318000200.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractDespite efforts to combat invasive species, further measures are still required to prevent their arrival and translocation, especially into biodiverse island ecosystems. Although many governments worldwide have already established protocols to control alien species, the European outermost regions have yet to implement fully effective prevention or rapid response procedures. The numerous translocations of the invasive Barbary ground squirrel Atlantoxerus getulus within the Canary Islands illustrate this problem. From 1996 to 2016 at least 2.1 individuals per year have been moved from Fuerteventura to other islands. If movements of these medium-sized vertebrates are taking place regularly, the number of smaller species transported within the archipelago could potentially be greater. We argue that it is essential to implement stricter strategies for invasive species control in these remote biodiversity-rich islands, including early detection and rapid response, to minimize impacts on native biodiversity.
31
Tompkins, Paul, and Matthias Wolff. "Galápagos macroalgae: A review of the state of ecological knowledge." Revista de Biología Tropical 65, no. 1 (September 23, 2016): 375. http://dx.doi.org/10.15517/rbt.v65i1.18139.
Full textAbstract:
Previous work has highlighted the critical role of macroalgal productivity and dynamics in supporting and structuring marine food webs. Spatio-temporal variability in macroalgae can alter coastal ecosystems, a relationship particularly visible along upwelling-influenced coastlines. As a result of its equatorial location and nutrient rich, upwelling-influenced waters, the Galápagos Archipelago in the East Pacific, hosts a productive and biodiverse marine ecosystem. Reports and collections of macroalgae date back to the Beagle voyage, and since then, more than three hundred species have been reported. However, their ecology and functional role in the ecosystem is not well understood. According to various disparate and in part anecdotal sources of information, abundant and diverse communities exist in the Western regions of the archipelago, the North is essentially barren, and in the central/South abundance and distribution is variable and less well defined. Both oceanographic conditions and herbivore influence have been theorized to cause this pattern. Extensive changes in macroalgal productivity and community composition have occurred during strong ENSO events, and subsequent declines in marine iguana (an endemic and iconic grazer) populations have been linked to these changes. Iguanas are only one species of a diverse and abundant group of marine grazers in the system, highlighting the potentially important role of macroalgal productivity in the marine food web. This review represents a first compilation and discussion of the available literature and presents topics for future research.
32
Richards, Daniel R., and Daniel A. Friess. "Rates and drivers of mangrove deforestation in Southeast Asia, 2000–2012." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113, no. 2 (December 28, 2015): 344–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1510272113.
Full textAbstract:
The mangrove forests of Southeast Asia are highly biodiverse and provide multiple ecosystem services upon which millions of people depend. Mangroves enhance fisheries and coastal protection, and store among the highest densities of carbon of any ecosystem globally. Mangrove forests have experienced extensive deforestation owing to global demand for commodities, and previous studies have identified the expansion of aquaculture as largely responsible. The proportional conversion of mangroves to different land use types has not been systematically quantified across Southeast Asia, however, particularly in recent years. In this study we apply a combined geographic information system and remote sensing method to quantify the key proximate drivers (i.e., replacement land uses) of mangrove deforestation in Southeast Asia between 2000 and 2012. Mangrove forests were lost at an average rate of 0.18% per year, which is lower than previously published estimates. In total, more than 100,000 ha of mangroves were removed during the study period, with aquaculture accounting for 30% of this total forest change. The rapid expansion of rice agriculture in Myanmar, and the sustained conversion of mangroves to oil palm plantations in Malaysia and Indonesia, are identified as additional increasing and under-recognized threats to mangrove ecosystems. Our study highlights frontiers of mangrove deforestation in the border states of Myanmar, on Borneo, and in Indonesian Papua. To implement policies that conserve mangrove forests across Southeast Asia, it is essential to consider the national and subnational variation in the land uses that follow deforestation.
33
Ferreira, Marco, João Gago, and Filipe Ribeiro. "Diet of European Catfish in a Newly Invaded Region." Fishes 4, no. 4 (December 8, 2019): 58. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/fishes4040058.
Full textAbstract:
Biological invasions are considered to be one of the leading causes of biodiversity loss worldwide. Freshwater ecosystems are amongst the most biodiverse, containing about 50% of the world’s known fish species but, ironically, are the most invaded ecosystems. In Portuguese freshwaters, there are currently 20 identified non-native fishes, arriving at an unprecedented rate of a new species every two years. A recent non-native is the European catfish Silurus glanis, a top predator native to Central and Eastern Europe, that arrived at the Lower Tagus (Portugal) circa 2006. This study compares the dietary habits of this top predator in two different habitats of the Lower Tagus in order to evaluate its potential impact. The stomach contents of 96 individuals were analyzed, 61 from the lotic environment and 35 from the lentic systems. A total of 66 stomachs contained prey items, 38 from the lotic and 28 from the lentic. Diet varied considerably between habitats, with shrimp and crayfish being the most abundant prey items in the lentic systems and shrimp and fish the most abundant prey items in the lotic section. Tendency to piscivory was observed in large-sized individuals. Overall, the findings in this study provide the first evidence of the potential impacts of European catfish through predation on the fish communities.
34
ZoBell, Vanessa M., and Brett J. Furnas. "Impacts of land use and invasive species on native avifauna of Mo’orea, French Polynesia." PeerJ 5 (September 15, 2017): e3761. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3761.
Full textAbstract:
Oceanic islands are among the most endemically biodiverse ecosystems in the world. They have been adversely impacted by human expansion, which affects regional biodiversity by altering the natural habitats of vulnerable, indigenous species. Birds represent a valuable indicator species of environmental change due to their ability to adapt quickly. Investigating the relationship between environmental change, abundance, and behaviors of birds can help us better anticipate potential impacts to island ecosystems. In addition, we can understand the population trends and restricted ranges of native avifauna, identify the regions needing protection, and assess habitat vulnerability linked to anthropogenic activities. In Mo’orea, French Polynesia, we studied nine passerine bird species using automated acoustic recording devices placed in agricultural, forested, and mixed habitats. Based on call counts per unit time and occupancy modeling, we found evidence that three non-native species preferred agricultural areas and low-canopy cover over dense forested areas. Furthermore, native bird detectability and possibly abundance was significantly lower than non-native birds. Using hierarchical cluster analysis to support inferences regarding behavioral differences, we found that native bird calling activity was negatively associated with non-native bird calling activity. Altogether, these results suggest native bird populations are at risk in all of the habitats studied, but forests serve as a potential refuge.
35
Streinzer, Martin, Jharna Chakravorty, Johann Neumayer, Karsing Megu, Jaya Narah, Thomas Schmitt, Himender Bharti, Johannes Spaethe, and Axel Brockmann. "Species composition and elevational distribution of bumble bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Bombus Latreille) in the East Himalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, India." ZooKeys 851 (June 3, 2019): 71–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.851.32956.
Full textAbstract:
The East Himalaya is one of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems. However, very little is known about the abundance and distribution of many plant and animal taxa in this region. Bumble bees are a group of cold-adapted and high elevation insects that fulfil an important ecological and economical function as pollinators of wild and agricultural flowering plants and crops. The Himalayan mountain range provides ample suitable habitats for bumble bees. Systematic study of Himalayan bumble bees began a few decades ago and the main focus has centred on the western region, while the eastern part of the mountain range has received little attention and only a few species have been verified. During a three-year survey, more than 700 bumble bee specimens of 21 species were collected in Arunachal Pradesh, the largest of the north-eastern states of India. The material included a range of species that were previously known from a limited number of collected specimens, which highlights the unique character of the East Himalayan ecosystem. Our results are an important first step towards a future assessment of species distribution, threat, and conservation. Clear elevation patterns of species diversity were observed, which raise important questions about the functional adaptations that allow bumble bees to thrive in this particularly moist region in the East Himalaya.
36
Marselle, Melissa R., Sarah J. Lindley, Penny A. Cook, and Aletta Bonn. "Biodiversity and Health in the Urban Environment." Current Environmental Health Reports 8, no. 2 (May 12, 2021): 146–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40572-021-00313-9.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract Purpose of review Biodiversity underpins urban ecosystem functions that are essential for human health and well-being. Understanding how biodiversity relates to human health is a developing frontier for science, policy and practice. This article describes the beneficial, as well as harmful, aspects of biodiversity to human health in urban environments. Recent findings Recent research shows that contact with biodiversity of natural environments within towns and cities can be both positive and negative to human physical, mental and social health and well-being. For example, while viruses or pollen can be seriously harmful to human health, biodiverse ecosystems can promote positive health and well-being. On balance, these influences are positive. As biodiversity is declining at an unprecedented rate, research suggests that its loss could threaten the quality of life of all humans. Summary A key research gap is to understand—and evidence—the specific causal pathways through which biodiversity affects human health. A mechanistic understanding of pathways linking biodiversity to human health can facilitate the application of nature-based solutions in public health and influence policy. Research integration as well as cross-sector urban policy and planning development should harness opportunities to better identify linkages between biodiversity, climate and human health. Given its importance for human health, urban biodiversity conservation should be considered as public health investment.
37
Silva, Cleber Vinicius Vitorio, Josimar Ribeiro de Almeida, Carlos Eduardo Silva, Lyanna Oliveira de Carvalho, Carlos Domingos da Silva, Luccas Henrique Gomes Rigueiral, and Raphael Gomes de Paula. "Structure and floristic survey of a forest fragment in the Billings Reservoir, São Paulo." Revista Ibero-Americana de Ciências Ambientais 9, no. 7 (May 24, 2019): 1–11. http://dx.doi.org/10.6008/cbpc2179-6858.2018.007.0001.
Full textAbstract:
The Atlantic Forest is the largest biome in the State of São Paulo, one of the most biodiverse ecosystems complexes on the planet, considered a conservation hotspot. This work aimed to list the plant species through the classification of the life forms of RAUNKIAER (1905), improved by CABRERA & WILLINK (1973). The survey of the species was carried out by prospecting’s in 54 quadratic plots of 36 m2, evenly distributed in a forest fragment of 48,010.91 m2. There recorded 97 species distributed in 47 families, with predominance Myrtaceae. The survey was carried out in December 2017, of the total number of species collected in the area of the fragment: 63 are trees, 17 are herbaceous, 6 are epiphytic, 4 are lianas, 3 are shrubs, 2 are palm trees, one is arborescent and one scandent. It is worth noting the registration of the vulnerable species Euterpe edulis, all botanical material is in the Herbarium RBR - UFRRJ - Institute of Biological and Health Sciences.
38
Hoskins, Hannah M. J., Oliver J. Burdekin, Kara Dicks, Kathy Y. Slater, Niall P. McCann, Merlijn Jocque, Franklin Castañeda, and Neil Reid. "Non-volant mammal inventory of Cusuco National Park, north-west Honduras: reporting the presence of Jaguar, Panthera onca (Linnaeus, 1758), and demonstrating the effects of zonal protection on mammalian abundance." Check List 14, no. 5 (October 19, 2018): 877–91. http://dx.doi.org/10.15560/14.5.877.
Full textAbstract:
Neotropical cloud forests are one of the most biodiverse yet threatened ecosystems with deforestation and hunting creating major problems. We report a non-volant mammal species inventory for Cusuco National Park, Honduras, spanning 2006–2016. Data were collected using 4 methods: tracks and signs, camera trapping, direct sightings and live trapping. Recorded species of conservation importance included Central American red brocket (Mazama temama (Kerr, 1792)), Baird’s tapir (Tapirus bairdii (Gill, 1865)), margay (Leopardus wiedii (Schinz, 1821)), and jaguar (Panthera onca (Linnaeus, 1758)); the latter recorded for the first time. Cusuco National Park is a site of strategic geographical importance within the Central American jaguar corridor. In total, 43 species were recorded from 26 families. We demonstrate the impact of zonal protection measures with higher mammal abundance recorded in the park’s highly protected core compared to the less protected buffer zone. We advise continued monitoring to provide robust time-series of population trends.
39
Wohlgemuth, Thomas. "Die Natur und ihr Imitat (Essay) | The nature and its imitation (essay)." Schweizerische Zeitschrift fur Forstwesen 161, no. 8 (August 1, 2010): 316–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.3188/szf.2010.0316.
Full textAbstract:
This essay questions the increasing call for broad conservation strategies to sustain and support biodiversity in the Swiss forest. Three arguments build the basis for this discussion: 1) Forests, together with the alpine mountain zones, represent the most extensive ecosystems in Switzerland. As a consequence of the continuous expansion of the forest area, biodiversity of forest organisms is not generally at risk. 2) Endangered species are less frequent in mountain forests than in lowland forests. 3) Populations of different species groups have been subjected to large, natural fluctuations over the last 3000 years. The biodiverse forest model, which is aspired today, resembles more an intensively or even overused forest of former times than a natural or even pristine forest. I conclude that future forest management should focus on the preservation of natural processes rather than biodiversity. Since Switzerland lacks large contiguous zones of natural forests, existing incentives should be more effectively used to achieve this goal.
40
Xavier, Carolina Nogueira, Daniela Granato-Souza, Ana Carolina M. C. Barbosa, and José Reinaldo Moreira da Silva. "Tropical dendrochronology applied to invasive tree species in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest." Journal of Forestry Research 32, no. 1 (December 13, 2019): 91–101. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11676-019-01075-9.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractThe Atlantic Forest is one of the largest and most biodiverse rainforests of South America but anthropogenic activities are drastically changing these landscapes. The invasion of alien or exotic species is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity. There are few studies of invasive species in tropical Brazilian ecosystems. This research examines growth and ecological aspects of Syzygium cumini and Clitoria fairchildiana, two invasive tree species in the Pedra Branca State Park, an Atlantic Forest remnant in southeastern Brazil. Both species were successfully dated, indicating an average age of 58 and 31 years, respectively. A positive relationship between growth and precipitation of the previous growing season suggests an ecological adaptive strategy, which could be facilitating their invasion into the environment. Cumulative growth diameter curves indicate slow and fast growth rates for S. cumini and C. fairchildiana, respectively. Growth release episodes detected in the tree rings indicate increased anthropogenic disturbances over the last 50 years.
41
Kersten, Oliver, Eric W. Vetter, Michelle J. Jungbluth, Craig R. Smith, and Erica Goetze. "Larval assemblages over the abyssal plain in the Pacific are highly diverse and spatially patchy." PeerJ 7 (September 26, 2019): e7691. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.7691.
Full textAbstract:
Abyssal plains are among the most biodiverse yet least explored marine ecosystems on our planet, and they are increasingly threatened by human impacts, including future deep seafloor mining. Recovery of abyssal populations from the impacts of polymetallic nodule mining will be partially determined by the availability and dispersal of pelagic larvae leading to benthic recolonization of disturbed areas of the seafloor. Here we use a tree-of-life (TOL) metabarcoding approach to investigate the species richness, diversity, and spatial variability of the larval assemblage at mesoscales across the abyssal seafloor in two mining-claim areas in the eastern Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCZ; abyssal Pacific). Our approach revealed a previously unknown taxonomic richness within the meroplankton assemblage, detecting larvae from 12 phyla, 23 Classes, 46 Orders, and 65 Families, including a number of taxa not previously reported at abyssal depths or within the Pacific Ocean. A novel suite of parasitic copepods and worms were sampled, from families that are known to associate with other benthic invertebrates or demersal fishes as hosts. Larval assemblages were patchily distributed at the mesoscale, with little similarity in OTUs detected among deployments even within the same 30 × 30 km study area. Our results provide baseline observations on larval diversity prior to polymetallic nodule mining in this region, and emphasize our overwhelming lack of knowledge regarding larvae of the benthic boundary layer in abyssal plain ecosystems.
42
van Klink, Roel, and Michiel F. WallisDeVries. "Risks and opportunities of trophic rewilding for arthropod communities." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 373, no. 1761 (October 22, 2018): 20170441. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2017.0441.
Full textAbstract:
Trophic rewilding is a restoration strategy focusing on the restoration of trophic interactions to promote self-regulating, biodiverse ecosystems. It has been proposed as an alternative to traditional conservation management in abandoned or defaunated areas. Arthropods constitute the most species-rich group of eukaryotic organisms, but are rarely considered in rewilding. Here, we first present an overview of direct and indirect pathways by which large herbivores and predators affect arthropod communities. We then review the published evidence of the impacts of rewilding with large herbivores on arthropods, including grey literature. We find that systematic monitoring is rare and that a comparison with a relevant control treatment is usually lacking. Nevertheless, the available data suggest that when the important process of top-down control of large-herbivore populations is missing, arthropod diversity tends to decrease. To ensure that rewilding is supportive of biodiversity conservation, we propose that if natural processes can only partially be restored, substitutes for missing processes are applied. We also propose that boundaries of acceptable outcomes of rewilding actions should be defined a priori , particularly concerning biodiversity conservation, and that action is taken when these boundaries are transgressed. To evaluate the success of rewilding for biodiversity, monitoring of arthropod communities should be a key instrument. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Trophic rewilding: consequences for ecosystems under global change’.
43
Gandhi, Samir, and Trevor Jones. "Identifying Mangrove Deforestation Hotspots in South Asia, Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific." Remote Sensing 11, no. 6 (March 26, 2019): 728. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs11060728.
Full textAbstract:
Mangroves inhabit highly productive inter-tidal ecosystems in >120 countries in the tropics and subtropics providing critical goods and services to coastal communities and contributing to global climate change mitigation owing to substantial carbon stocks. Despite their importance, global mangrove distribution continues to decline primarily due to anthropogenic drivers which vary by region/country. South Asia, Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific contain approximately 46% of the world’s mangrove ecosystems, including the most biodiverse mangrove forests. This region also exhibits the highest global rates of mangrove loss. Remotely sensed data provides timely and accurate information on mangrove distribution and dynamics critical for targeting loss hotspots and guiding intervention. This report inventories, describes and compares all known single- and multi-date remotely sensed datasets with regional coverage and provides areal mangrove extents by country. Multi-date datasets were used to estimate dynamics and identify loss hotspots (i.e., countries that exhibit greatest proportional loss). Results indicate Myanmar is the primary mangrove loss hotspot, exhibiting 35% loss from 1975–2005 and 28% between 2000–2014. Rates of loss in Myanmar were four times the global average from 2000–2012. The Philippines is additionally identified as a loss hotspot, with secondary hotspots including Malaysia, Cambodia and Indonesia. This information helps inform and guide mangrove conservation, restoration and managed-use within the region.
44
van der Ent, Antony, Nishanta Rajakaruna, Robert Boyd, Guillaume Echevarria, Rimi Repin, and Dick Williams. "Global research on ultramafic (serpentine) ecosystems (8th International Conference on Serpentine Ecology in Sabah, Malaysia): a summary and synthesis." Australian Journal of Botany 63, no. 2 (2015): 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt15060.
Full textAbstract:
Since 1991, researchers from approximately 45 nations have participated in eight International Conferences on Serpentine Ecology (ICSE). The Conferences are coordinated by the International Serpentine Ecology Society (ISES), a formal research society whose members study geological, pedological, biological and applied aspects of ultramafic (serpentine) ecosystems worldwide. These conferences have provided an international forum to discuss and synthesise multidisciplinary research, and have provided opportunities for scientists in distinct fields and from different regions of the world to conduct collaborative and interdisciplinary research. The 8th ICSE was hosted by Sabah Parks in Malaysia, on the island of Borneo, and attracted the largest delegation to date, 174 participants from 31 countries. This was the first time an ICSE was held in Asia, a region that hosts some of the world’s most biodiverse ultramafic ecosystems. The presentations provided a cross-section of the current status of research in all aspects of ultramafic-biota relations. In this Special Issue of Australian Journal of Botany (Issues 1–2 combined and 3–4 combined), we have compiled a selection of papers from among the oral and poster presentations to provide insights into recent advances in geoecological and applied studies of ultramafic habitats worldwide. Here we provide a preview of select papers found in this Special Issue and summarise some of the contributions made during the 8th ICSE and describe some of the exciting challenges awaiting future research.
45
Turcios-Casco, Manfredo Alejandro, Diego Iván Ordoñez Mazier, José Alejandro Soler Orellana, Hefer Daniel Ávila-Palma, and Eduardo Javier Ordoñez Trejo. "Two caves in western Honduras are important for bat conservation: first checklist of bats in Santa Bárbara." Subterranean Biology 30 (June 27, 2019): 41–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.30.35420.
Full textAbstract:
Caves are important reservoirs for species, including bats, but in Honduras there is little known information about these biodiverse ecosystems. We describe the importance of two caves in Ceguaca in western Honduras, based on the species richness of each cave. From December 2015 to May 2016, we used three mist-nets in seven journeys (74.27 mist-net/hours). We captured 139 bats belonging to 23 species of four families. We recorded 10 species in the crop of Quita Sueño, 10 in the cave of El Peñón, and 12 in the cave of Monte Grueso. In overall, 17% of the bats were captured in the crops of Quita Sueño, 62% in the cave of Monte Grueso, and 21% in the cave of El Peñón. About 9% of bat species of the total account for Honduras could be found in the cave of El Peñón, and 10% in the cave of Monte Grueso. If we consider the number of the species that have been recorded since 1979, between 20.9 and 49.2% of the expected species are still unrecorded, this suggests that despite low sampling effort there is a high diversity. However, the diversity of bats species using these caves embraced on the Tropical Dry Forest of Ceguaca is threatened by the fragmentation of the ecosystem due to the following reasons: intentional fires in the caves, extensive cattle raising, replacement of native plants with extensions of crops, and human-vampire conflicts (Desmodusrotundus).
46
APARECIDO, Luiza Maria Teophilo, Joaquim dos SANTOS, Niro HIGUCHI, and Norbert KUNERT. "Relevance of wood anatomy and size of Amazonian trees in the determination and allometry of sapwood area." Acta Amazonica 49, no. 1 (March 2019): 1–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1809-4392201800961.
Full textAbstract:
ABSTRACT Hydrological processes in forest stands are mainly influenced by tree species composition and morpho-physiological characteristics. Few studies on anatomical patterns that govern plant hydraulics were conducted in tropical forest ecosystems. Thus, we used dye immersion to analyze sapwood area patterns of 34 trees belonging to 26 species from a terra firme forest in the central Brazilian Amazon. The sapwood area was related with wood anatomy and tree size parameters (diameter-at-breast-height - DBH, total height and estimated whole-tree volume). Exponential allometric equations were used to model sapwood area using the biometrical variables measured. Sapwood area traits (cross-section non-uniformity and heartwood visibility) varied significantly among and within species even though all were classified as diffuse porous. DBH was strongly and non-linearly correlated with sapwood area (R 2 = 0.46, P < 0.001), while no correlation was observed with vessel-lumen diameter (P = 0.94) and frequency (P = 0.58). Sapwood area and shape were also affected by the occurrence of vessel obstruction (i.e., tyloses), hollow stems and diseases. Our results suggest that sapwood area patterns and correlated variables are driven by intrinsic species characteristics, microclimate and ecological succession within the stand. We believe that individual tree sapwood characteristics have strong implications over water use, hydrological stand upsaling and biomass quantification. These characteristics should be taken into account (e.g., through a multi-point sampling approach) when estimating forest stand transpiration in a highly biodiverse ecosystem.
47
Knowlton, Nancy, and Jeremy Jackson. "The Evolutionary Diversity and Ecological Complexity of Coral Reefs." Paleontological Society Papers 17 (October 2011): 111–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1089332600002473.
Full textAbstract:
Coral reefs are the most biodiverse marine ecosystems on the planet, with at least one quarter of all marine species associated with reefs today. This diversity, which remains very poorly understood, is nevertheless extraordinary when one considers the small proportion of ocean area that is occupied by coral reefs. Networks of competitive and trophic linkages are also exceptionally complex and dense. Reefs have a long fossil record, although extensive reef building comes and goes. In the present, coral reefs sometimes respond dramatically to disturbances, and collapses are not always followed by recoveries. Today, much of this failure to recover appears to stem from the fact that most reefs are chronically stressed by human activities, judging by observations of recovery at exceptional locations where local human activity is minimal. How long reefs can continue to bounce back in the face of warming and acidification remains an open question. Another big uncertainty is how much loss of biodiversity will occur with the inevitable degradation of coral reefs that will continue in most places for the foreseeable future.
48
ROMERO-ORTIZ, CATALINA, FABIAN GARCÍA, and EDUARDO VILLARREAL. "Checklist of the false scorpions (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones) of Colombia, with new records and a key to the identification of the families." Zootaxa 4711, no. 1 (December 13, 2019): 107–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4711.1.4.
Full textAbstract:
Colombia is a mega-biodiverse country and rich in ecosystems as different as the Amazon and the Andes. Much is known of the vertebrate fauna, however there is still an information-gap for many arthropod groups including the arachnids. Here, we compile all the information available for pseudoscorpions (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones) recorded from Colombia and include several new records and distribution extensions. For each described species, we present information on taxonomic history, type localities, global and local distributions, repository of Colombian specimens, and collection numbers when available. We document 12 families, 45 genera and 65 species of pseudoscorpions for Colombia and most species belong to the families Chernetidae (27 species) and Olpiidae (8 species). We record Beierolpium venezuelense Heurtault, 1982, Geogarypus amazonicus Mahnert, 1979, Sathrochthonius venezuelanus Muchmore, 1989, and Semeiochernes armiger (Balzan, 1892) for the first time for Colombia. We further extend the known ranges of Parachernes melonopygus Beier, 1959 and Paratemnoides nidificator (Balzan, 1888). The data suggest that the Caribbean region of Colombia has the highest number of records. Total numbers are not complete and many other new pseudoscorpion species are expected.
49
González-Rodríguez, Águeda María, Eva María Pérez-Martín, Patricia Brito, and Beatriz Fernández-Marín. "Unexpected Vulnerability to High Temperature in the Mediterranean Alpine Shrub Erysimum scoparium (Brouss. ex Willd.) Wettst." Plants 10, no. 2 (February 17, 2021): 379. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/plants10020379.
Full textAbstract:
Current understanding of the effects of extreme temperature on alpine evergreens is very limited for ecosystems under Mediterranean climate (characterised by a drought period in summer), despite being exceptionally biodiverse systems and highly vulnerable under a global change scenario. We thus assessed (i) seasonal change and (ii) effect of ontogeny (young vs. mature leaves) on thermal sensitivity of Erysimum scoparium, a keystone evergreen of Teide mountain (Canary Islands). Mature leaves were comparatively much more vulnerable to moderately high leaf-temperature (≥+40 and <+50 °C) than other alpine species. Lowest LT50 occurred in autumn (−9.0 ± 1.6 °C as estimated with Rfd, and −12.9 ± 1.5 °C with Fv/Fm). Remarkably, young leaves showed stronger freezing tolerance than mature leaves in spring (LT50 −10.3 ± 2.1 °C vs. −5.6 ± 0.9 °C in mature leaves, as estimated with Rfd). Our data support the use of Rfd as a sensitive parameter to diagnose temperature-related damage in the leaves of mountain plants. On a global change scenario, E. scoparium appears as a well-prepared species for late-frost events, however rather vulnerable to moderately high temperatures.
50
McIntyre, Peter B., Catherine A. Reidy Liermann, and Carmen Revenga. "Linking freshwater fishery management to global food security and biodiversity conservation." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113, no. 45 (October 24, 2016): 12880–85. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1521540113.
Full textAbstract:
Fisheries are an essential ecosystem service, but catches from freshwaters are often overlooked. Hundreds of millions of people around the world benefit from low-cost protein, recreation, and commerce provided by freshwater fisheries, particularly in regions where alternative sources of nutrition and employment are scarce. Here, we derive a gridded global map of riverine fisheries and assess its implications for biodiversity conservation, fishery sustainability, and food security. Catches increase with river discharge and human population density, and 90% of global catch comes from river basins with above-average stress levels. Fish richness and catches are positively but not causally correlated, revealing that fishing pressure is most intense in rivers where potential impacts on biodiversity are highest. Merging our catch analysis with nutritional and socioeconomic data, we find that freshwater fisheries provide the equivalent of all dietary animal protein for 158 million people. Poor and undernourished populations are particularly reliant on inland fisheries compared with marine or aquaculture sources. The spatial coincidence of productive freshwater fisheries and low food security highlights the critical role of rivers and lakes in providing locally sourced, low-cost protein. At the same time, intensive fishing in regions where rivers are already degraded by other stressors may undermine efforts to conserve biodiversity. This syndrome of poverty, nutritional deficiency, fishery dependence, and extrinsic threats to biodiverse river ecosystems underscores the high stakes for improving fishery management. Our enhanced spatial data on estimated catches can facilitate the inclusion of inland fisheries in environmental planning to protect both food security and species diversity.