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After centuries of extinction due to human persecution, Eurasian beavers Castor fiber L. have been released to Southern Europe in the last decades. Being ecosystem engineers, beavers have attracted great attention regarding restoration of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Nonetheless, the effects of the species on aquatic invertebrates known to date are not univocal and mostly refer to central European riverine systems. Here, we evaluated the effects of beaver presence on aquatic macroinvertebrates for the first time in a Mediterranean riverine ecosystem, by applying a sound control‐impact sampling design and controlling for seasonal variation in macroinvertebrate assemblage composition. A significant variation in response to season was evident for macroinvertebrate communities, revealing distinct assemblages during spring and summer. Furthermore, the presence of beavers was also identified as a significant driver of species composition, as samples near the beaver dam showed significant variation from control sites. Macroinvertebrate community traits changed according to the relative position to the beaver dam, as control sites featured on average higher abundances of taxa with higher values of bioindication score, larger size, lower adaptation to drag, and were less frequently of introduced origins. Yet, these differences were strongly taxon‐ and season‐specific in their intensity and direction. Differences across sites were mainly driven by the relative abundances of few taxa—including both alien species and high environmental quality indicators—such as those from genera Potamopyrgus, Baetis, Habrophlebia, Ephemerella, Leuctra, and Radix, which explained about 70% of the observed divergence among conditions. Our results indicate that beavers and their engineering activity may induce highly variable species‐specific responses in macroinvertebrates, thus possibly representing a driver of environmental heterogeneity along Mediterranean rivers, and that both bioindicators and alien species may exploit such heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amphibians are increasingly threatened, leading to growing concern about their key role in natural ecosystems globally as predators and essential consumers in food webs. Effective conservation plans are linked to up‐to‐date distributional and ecological information, but dietary knowledge is often underrepresented. This information is essential for understanding ecological requirements, changes in the species and populations, impacts of habitat modification, and developing conservation strategies. Here, we present the current knowledge on amphibian diets in Colombia, to determine (a) the number of species studied and their distribution across families and genera; (b) the temporal and regional patterns in number of articles on amphibian diets; and (c) the trends in topics studied associated with amphibian diets; and to offer (d) a qualitative description of amphibian diets and the methods used for stomach contents collection. We found 70 published studies on the diet of Colombian amphibians between the years 1914 and 2022, including 100 species (11.6% of Colombian species). The Andean region is the best represented, and the Amazon and Orinoco the least. The topics most frequently studied were prey items consumed and ontogeny, followed by systematics and taxonomy, and land‐use change impacts. Forty‐one prey items were consumed, where Coleoptera and Hymenoptera were the most common prey items. While the development of information on amphibian diets has recently increased, knowledge remains limited, with a significant information gap for many Colombian species in different regions. Conducting studies in little‐explored areas of the country, especially the Amazon, Orinoco, and Pacific regions, should have high priority. Investigations should be focused on Caudata and Gymnophiona, plus the anurans of the Hemiphractidae and Pipidae families that do not have diet records in Colombia. Indeed, we evidence the necessity to perform trophic network analysis to understand better the energy flow between species and the associated spatial, temporal, or functional trait changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biodiversity crisis is exacerbated by a growing human population modifying nearly three‐quarters of the Earth's land surface area for anthropogenic uses. Habitat loss and modification represent the largest threat to biodiversity and finding ways to offset species decline has been a significant undertaking for conservation. Landscape planning and conservation strategies can enhance habitat suitability for biodiversity in human‐modified landscapes. Artificial habitat structures such as artificial reefs, nest boxes, chainsaw hollows, artificial burrows, and artificial hibernacula have all been successfully implemented to improve species survival in human‐modified and fragmented landscapes. As the global shift towards renewable energy sources continues to rise, the development of photovoltaic systems is growing exponentially. Large‐scale renewable projects, such as photovoltaic solar farms have large space requirements and thus have the potential to displace local wildlife. We discuss the feasibility of 'conservoltaic systems' – photovoltaic systems that incorporate elements tailored specifically to enhance wildlife habitat suitability and species conservation. Artificial habitat structures can potentially lessen the impacts of industrial development (e.g., photovoltaic solar farms) through strategic landscape planning and an understanding of local biodiversity requirements to facilitate recolonization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystems and biodiversity across the world are being altered by human activities. Habitat modification and degradation are among the most important drivers of biodiversity loss. These modifications can have an impact on species behavior, which can, in turn, impact their mortality. While several studies have investigated the impacts of habitat degradation and fragmentation on terrestrial species, the extent to which habitat modifications affect the behavior and fitness of marine species is still largely unknown, particularly for pelagic species. Since the early 1990s, industrial purse seine vessels targeting tuna have started deploying artificial floating objects—Drifting Fish Aggregating Devices (DFADs)—in all oceans to increase tuna catchability. Since then, the massive deployment of DFADs has modified tuna surface habitat, by increasing the density of floating objects, with potential impacts on tuna associative behavior and mortality. In this study, we investigate these impacts for yellowfin tuna in the Indian Ocean. Using an individual‐based model based on a correlated random walk and newly available data on DFAD densities, we quantify for the first time how the increase in floating object density, due to DFAD use, affects the percentage of time that yellowfin tuna spend associated, which, in turn, directly impacts their availability to fishers and fishing mortality. This modification of tuna associative behavior could also have indirect impacts on their fitness, by retaining tuna in areas detrimental to them or disrupting schooling behavior. Hence, there is an urgent need to further investigate DFAD impacts on tuna behavior, in particular, taking social behavior into account, and to continue regulation efforts on DFAD use and monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The Chihuahua Chub Gila nigrescens is a species of conservation concern throughout its distribution. The species is threatened by habitat degradation, nonnative species, and stochastic events (e.g., wildfire and drought). Although conservation efforts are ongoing, it is unclear how Chihuahua Chub in the Mimbres River, New Mexico, respond to conservation actions and stochastic events. Methods: To address these uncertainties, we collected population demographic and dynamics data on Chihuahua Chub in the Mimbres River and used the data to construct an age‐structured, female‐based population model. The model was used to evaluate the response of Chihuahua Chub to (1) habitat improvement, (2) conservation stocking, and (3) stochastic events. Habitat improvements were modeled as a 50% increase in current abundance. Conservation stocking was represented by two stocking regimes: annual "maintenance" stocking of 200 fish or "catastrophe" stocking of 400–1500 fish for two consecutive years after a stochastic event. The effects of stochastic events were represented by 20–95% reductions in annual survival. Each scenario was simulated for 5000 iterations over 25 years. Result: In the absence of conservation actions, the Chihuahua Chub population was projected to decline due to stochastic events. However, stocking and habitat improvement decreased the risk of extirpation. When stochastic events resulted in a 95% decline in annual survival, catastrophe stocking reduced population declines in abundance by 47–58% relative to no conservation stocking. When stochastic events caused a 20% reduction in annual survival, habitat improvement increased the median population size after 25 years by almost 50% relative to no habitat improvements. Conclusion: Collectively, our results suggest that an increase in habitat and conservation stocking efforts is likely the most effective approach for conserving Chihuahua Chub in the face of future stochastic events. Impact statementThe Chihuahua Chub population in the Mimbres River is threatened by drought and wildfire. Habitat improvement and supplemental stocking improve the long‐term viability of the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Host–parasite interactions are influenced by present and past eco‐evolutionary interactions and the local environment. An ecological community defines the potential host range of each parasite and the potential parasite diversity of each host species. Past and present processes translate potential to realised interaction niches of parasite and host species. Host–parasite interactions are antagonistic, which may slow the saturation of their interaction niches. Intervality, a property of bipartite networks, measures saturation of interaction niches. Intervality of a community increases as the interaction niches of species of one guild (e.g. hosts) become saturated for their interactions with another guild (e.g. parasites). Characteristics driving intervality in host and parasite communities are largely unknown, as well as the effect of environmental change on intervality of these communities. In our study, we assess if the characteristics ‘phylogenetic relatedness' and ‘overlap in ecological interactions' explain intervality of rodent host–helminth parasite communities. In addition, we contrast intervality of these communities from habitats that differ in their history of human‐driven modification. We performed the analyses for the interaction niches of both parasites and hosts, independently. Our results indicated that host and parasite communities were non‐interval or significantly less interval than expected by chance. Phylogenetic relatedness and overlap in ecological interactions did not explain the maximum values of intervality. We speculate that antagonistic coevolution in host–parasite communities may hinder communities to reach saturation, which would explain why it is difficult to find the characteristics that explain intervality of a community. Interestingly, intervality of the interaction niche of parasites (host range) increased with habitat modification (i.e. saturation increased), whereas intervality of the interaction niche of hosts (parasite diversity) decreased as habitat modification increased. These opposite trends suggest that interaction niches of parasites and hosts respond differently to habitat modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environment of an organism exerts selective pressures that affect mobility, feeding, reproduction as well as predator–prey and conspecific interactions. Land use changes induced by human activities modify these selective pressures and may result in the adaptation of organisms. Amphibians are ectotherms that typically show a biphasic life cycle with an aquatic and terrestrial phase, which makes them particularly sensitive to environmental change. We studied the impact of habitat modifications on palmate newt populations in the Ile de France region across four types of habitats: urban, mixed, agricultural, and natural with at least two replicates for each habitat type. We measured the morphology of newts using callipers, quantified maximal running and swimming speed and acceleration using high‐speed video recordings, and quantified the swelling of the hind limb linked to an inflammatory reaction. Our results show that in urban habitats, newts are larger and heavier and have a better body condition. Females, moreover, have a larger head in natural habitats, possibly due to diet specialisation of females during the breeding season. In mixed and agricultural habitats, newts have longer limbs and show a tendency to run faster, possibly associated with the selective pressures on movement in mixed habitats. Differences in inflammatory responses were observed between sexes but not habitat types. Overall, our results show differences in morphology and trends for differences in performance in newts living in different habitats suggesting that animals are adapting to human‐induced changes in their environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the need for breakthrough innovation in order to achieve ambitious targets for marine macrophyte restoration. The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration has called for the restoration of critical habitats such as kelp forests and seagrass meadows. While new restoration projects and methods have been developed, achieving these targets remains challenging due to the difficulties of working in marine environments and the limitations of current restoration methods. The authors argue that a transformative approach, involving interdisciplinary collaboration and diverse perspectives, is necessary to overcome these challenges and scale up restoration efforts. They suggest that breakthrough innovation, similar to NASA's open innovation challenges, could harness diverse skills and perspectives to solve the problem of scaling up marine macrophyte restoration. However, it is also emphasized that efforts to reduce ongoing stressors and prevent further macrophyte decline should remain a priority. [Extracted from the article]

Ecosystem engineering is a ubiquitous process where species influence the physical environment and thereby structure ecological communities. However, there has been little effort to synthesize or predict how ecosystem engineering may impact the structure and stability of interaction networks.To assess current scientific understanding of ecosystem engineering impacts via habitat forming, habitat modification and bioturbation on interaction networks/food webs, we reviewed the literature covering marine, freshwater and terrestrial food webs, plant‐pollinator networks and theory.We provide a conceptual framework and identify three major pathways of engineering impact on networks through changes in resource availability and energy flow, habitat heterogeneity and environmental filtering. These three processes often work in concert and most studies report that engineering increases species richness. This is particularly marked for engineers that increase habitat heterogeneity and thereby the number of available niches.The response of network structure to ecosystem engineering varies, however some patterns emerge from this review. Engineered habitat heterogeneity leads to a higher number of links between species in the networks and increases link density. Connectance can be negatively or positively affected by ecosystem engineer impact, depending on the engineering pathway and the engineer impact of species richness.We discuss how ecosystem engineers can stabilize or destabilize communities through the changes in niche space, diversity, network structure and the dependency on the engineering impact. Theory and empirical evidence need to inform each other to better integrate ecosystem engineering and ecological networks. A mechanistic understanding how ecosystem engineering traits shape interactions networks and their stability will be important to predict species extinctions and can provide crucial information for conservation and ecosystem restoration. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The excavation of Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) is expected to alter habitat heterogeneity and thus affect the functioning and structure of forest ecosystems. In this study, the bioturbation of Chinese pangolin on forest soils in three regions (Heping, Tianjingshan, and Wuqinzhang) across Guangdong province was quantified. Overall, a mean of 2.66 m3·ha−1 and 83.1 m2·ha−1 of burrows and bare mounds, respectively, was excavated by Chinese pangolin; the disturbed soils had significantly lower water content and P, C, available N concentrations, but higher bulk density, pH, and microbial abundance than those undisturbed soils. The unevenness of habitat heterogeneity improvement was mainly ascribed to the stronger soil disturbance caused in resting burrows by pangolins. Patterns of altering habitat heterogeneity were site‐specific, with high‐intensity soil disturbance occurring most in shrubs, meadows, steep habitats at high elevations, and mountain tops in Heping, while in broad‐leaved, coniferous and mixed coniferous and broad‐leaved forests away from human settlements in Tianjingshan and upper mountains at high elevations far away from roads and human settlements in Wuqinzhang. Road networks are the main interference for the burrow distribution in Heping and Wuqinzhang and should be programmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The given text is a program for the Forty-Fifth Meeting of The American Society of Primatologists, held from June 20-23, 2023. It includes information about the board of directors, chairs of committees, local arrangements, meeting sponsors, and exhibitors. The program outlines the schedule of events, including meetings, sessions, and social gatherings. The document provides a schedule of presentations and sessions at a primate research conference, covering topics such as welfare assessment, neuroscience, conservation, and primate self-medication. The document also includes information about breaks and social events during the conference. Additionally, the text includes a collection of abstracts on various topics related to primate behavior, health, and welfare. The abstracts provide valuable insights into the relationships between different factors and their impact on primate well-being. [Extracted from the article]

Coastal vegetated ecosystems including mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes are often shaped by positive plant–environment feedbacks. Plants improve their own living conditions with increasing patch size and density by attenuating hydrodynamics and stabilizing sediments. As these habitat modifications are critical for survival and growth, the positive density‐dependent nature of these feedbacks can lead to establishment thresholds for young plants in absence of mature conspecifics. Although feedback strength is known to depend on hydrodynamic exposure and plant traits (e.g. stiff versus flexible stems), it remains unclear how 1) opposing morphological plant traits affect establishment in contrasting environments, and 2) whether trait plasticity influences establishment success. Here, we investigate this by transplanting two tidal species with opposing growing strategies – Spartina anglica forms tussocks of stiff stems while Zostera noltii forms patches of stress‐avoiding flexible shoots – from two different donor sites in eight experimental locations. Results show that the survival and growth of both species was most successful at field locations with diverging environmental characteristics, while overall survival was highest for Z. noltii. Mainly, S. anglica survival was highest at locations with high organic matter and silt content and higher elevation relative to the tidal amplitude. In contrast, Z. noltii survival was highest at locations with larger grainsize and lower relative elevations. Furthermore, despite initial differences in plant traits between the two donor sites of Z. noltii, we found no effects of donor origin. Contrastingly, we found a significant effect of donor origin on S. anglica growth, even though transplants from the two donor sites showed no initial trait differences. Collectively, these results suggest that the stress‐tolerance strategy of S. anglica hampers establishment in exposed conditions, whereas the stress‐avoiding Z. noltii appears to be more susceptible to stress from desiccation and silty sediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examining patterns of genetic diversity are crucial for conservation planning on endangered species, while inferring the underlying process of recent anthropogenic habitat modifications in the context potential long‐term demographic changes remains challenging. The globally endangered scaly‐sided merganser (SSME), Mergus squamatus, is endemic to a narrow range in Northeast Asia, and its population has recently been contracted into two main breeding areas. Although low genetic diversity has been suggested in the Russian population, the genetic status and demographic history of these individuals have not been fully elucidated. We therefore examined the genetic diversity and structure of the breeding populations of the SSME and investigated the relative importance of historical and recent demographic changes to the present‐day pattern of genetic diversity. Using 10 nuclear microsatellite (SSR) markers and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequences, we found limited female‐inherited genetic diversity and a high level of nuclear genetic diversity. In addition, analysis of both markers consistently revealed significant but weak divergence between the breeding populations. Inconsistent demographic history parameters calculated from mtDNA and bottleneck analysis results based on SSR suggested a stable historical effective population size. By applying approximate Bayesian computation, it was estimated that populations started to genetically diverge from each other due to recent fragmentation events caused by anthropogenic effects rather than isolation during Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and post‐LGM recolonization. These results suggest that limited historical population size and shallow evolutionary history may be potential factors contributing to the contemporary genetic diversity pattern of breeding SSME populations. Conservation efforts should focus on protecting the current breeding habitats from further destruction, with priority given to both the Russian and Chinese population, as well as restoring the connected suitable breeding grounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Recent unprecedented efforts to digitise and mobilise biodiversity data have resulted in the generation of 'biodiversity big data', enabling ecological research at scales previously not possible. However, gaps, biases and uncertainties in these data influence analytical outcomes and the validity of scientific research and conservation actions. Here, we estimated tree species inventory completeness globally and identified where future surveys should focus to maximise regional inventories. Location: Global. Methods: We analysed spatial patterns in sampling effort of tree species occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity and Information Facility (GBIF) and estimated global tree species inventory completeness for 100 × 100 km grid cells (sampling units) and ecoregions. We also identified forested areas for future botanical exploration, by examining the spatial overlap between inventory completeness, remaining natural habitat and protected areas and degrees of forest modification by anthropogenic pressure (forest integrity). Results: Spatial patterns in sampling effort and tree species inventory completeness were unevenly distributed around the world. Only 35% of ecoregions and 18% of sampling units can be considered well surveyed, most of which were concentrated in the Global North, including Europe, North America and Australia. Large areas in species‐rich tropical regions, especially in Southeast Asia, remained poorly documented. Moreover, our results showed that many areas with low inventory completeness overlapped with ecoregions retaining less than 50% of natural habitat and protected land area, as well as sampling units with low forest integrity. Main Conclusions: Due to limitations in biodiversity data, simply sampling more will not necessarily lead to increasing knowledge. We illustrated how gaps in these data can be used to improve existing knowledge by identifying priority areas for future surveys. With ongoing anthropogenic impacts and escalating rates of biodiversity loss, limited resources should be allocated to strategically survey regions likely to yield new knowledge and improve biodiversity representativeness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Characterizing habitat associations is useful to aid in understanding the habitat requirements of native fishes, particularly those of conservation concern. Our study objective was to characterize mesoscale habitat associations of the only remaining wild population of the Rio Grande Silvery Minnow Hybognathus amarus (a federally endangered desert river fish), and provide comparisons with mesohabitat availability in the middle Rio Grande, New Mexico, from 1994 to 1996. Methods: We collected fish monthly at two sites (separated by 160 km) near the northern and southern limits of the species' current range, and we recorded depth, velocity, substrate, and mesohabitat type for each habitat surveyed. Mesohabitat availability was recorded across 10 equally spaced and fixed transect lines at both study sites. Result: Rio Grande Silvery Minnow most frequently occupied mesohabitats characterized by relatively shallow depths (≤25 cm) and low to near‐zero water velocities (≤15 cm/s). Statistical analyses indicated that mesohabitats occupied by the species were not the most frequently available at the study sites, suggesting a preference for shallow, low‐velocity habitats. Relatively high abundance of Rio Grande Silvery Minnow (n = 10,971), especially compared with post‐2009 abundance, facilitated robust characterization of species‐specific habitat associations. Conclusion: Comparison of our results with other studies of pelagic broadcast‐spawning leuciscids (pelagophils) endemic to the Great Plains and desert rivers of North America suggested broad overlap in mesohabitat associations among members of this reproductive guild. Our work contributes to a growing body of research aimed at conserving this declining reproductive ecotype of freshwater fishes and suggests that increasing hydraulic diversity through innovative management approaches (e.g., habitat creation, restoration of fluvial processes, and preservation of natural streamflow characteristics) will be crucial for their long‐term recovery and conservation. Impact statementShallow, low‐velocity habitats are frequently used by native fishes, including threatened and endangered species, yet the availability of these hydraulic conditions is often diminished in large, intensively managed rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giraffe populations have declined by around 40% in the last three decades. Climate change, poaching, habitat loss, and increasing human pressures are confining giraffes to smaller and more isolated patches of habitats. Masai giraffes (Giraffa tippelskirchi) have been subjected to habitat loss and fragmentation, diseases, poaching, and unpredictable calamities such as wildfires and climate change. In this study, we aimed to identify (1) suitable Masai giraffe habitats within the transboundary landscape of Tsavo‐Mkomazi in Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania; and (2) key connecting corridors in a multiple‐use landscape for conservation prioritization. We combined Masai giraffe presence data collected through a total aerial survey with moderate resolution satellite data to model habitat suitability at 250 m resolution using species distribution models (SDMs) implemented in Google Earth Engine (GEE). Model accuracy was assessed using area under precision recall curve (AUC‐PR). We then used the habitat suitability index as a resistance surface to model functional connectivity using Circuitscape theory and cost‐weighted distance pairwise methods. Human habitat modification, rainfall, and elevation were the main model predictors of Masai giraffe habitat and corridors. On average, our 10‐fold model fitting attained a good predictive performance with an average AUC‐PR = 0.80 (SD = 0.01, range = 0.79–0.83). The model predicted an area of 15,002 km2 as potential suitable Masai giraffe habitat with over 17% outside protected areas within the landscape. Although Tsavo West National Park formed a key habitat and a key connecting corridor, nonprotected community ranches connecting Tsavo West and Tsavo East National Parks are equally important in maintaining landscape connectivity joining more than two Masai giraffe core areas with low resistance and high permeability. To maintain critical Masai giraffe's habitats and landscape functional connectivity, especially in multiple‐use landscapes, conservation‐compatible land use practices, capacity building, and land use planning should be considered at the outset of any new infrastructure development and land use changes. This modeling shows the potential of utilizing remotely sensed information and ground surveys to guide the management of habitats and their connecting corridors across important African landscapes, complementing existing efforts to identify, conserve, and protect wildlife habitats and their linkage zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most birds are characterized by a seasonal phenology closely adapted to local climatic conditions, even in tropical habitats where climatic seasonality is slight. In order to better understand the phenologies of resident tropical birds, and how phenology may differ among species at the same site, we used ~70 000 hours of audio recordings collected continuously for two years at four recording stations in Singapore and nine custom‐made machine learning classifiers to determine the vocal phenology of a panel of nine resident bird species. We detected distinct seasonality in vocal activity in some species but not others. Native forest species sang seasonally. In contrast, species which have had breeding populations in Singapore only for the last few decades exhibited seemingly aseasonal or unpredictable song activity throughout the year. Urbanization and habitat modification over the last 100 years have altered the composition of species in Singapore, which appears to have influenced phenological dynamics in the avian community. It is unclear what is driving the differences in phenology between these two groups of species, but it may be due to either differences in seasonal availability of preferred foods, or because newly established populations may require decades to adjust to local environmental conditions. Our results highlight the ways that anthropogenic habitat modification may disrupt phenological cycles in tropical regions in addition to altering the species community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raptors are threatened by anthropogenic land modifications, but targeted quantitative assessment of these impacts is lacking. We conducted the first global quantitative evaluation of the impacts of human‐modified land on raptors. We used eBird data from 2001 to 2020 on 425 raptor species and occupancy models to assess the impacts of human‐modified land on raptor distribution. The mean spatiotemporal correlations of human settlement, cropland, and pasture with raptor occupancy probability were −0.048 (SE 0.031), −0.134 (0.032), and −0.145 (0.032), respectively. The mean sensitivity of raptor occupancy probability to settlement, cropland, and pasture was −5.760 (2.266), −3.128 (1.540), and −2.402 (1.551), respectively. The occupancy probability of raptors with a large body mass was more negatively correlated with cropland (phylogenetic generalized least squares regressions: slope = −0.052 [SE 0.022], t = −2.335, df = 1, 407, p = 0.020, λ = 0.006) and more positively correlated with pasture (slope = 0.047 [0.022], t = 2.118, df = 1, 407, p = 0.035, λ = 0.013). The occupancy probability of raptors with a more extensive range size was more positively correlated with cropland (slope = 0.002 [0.004], t = 0.399, df = 1, 407, p < 0.001, λ = 0.000). Raptors that prefer open habitats were more positively correlated with cropland (analysis of variance: F = 3.424, df = 2, p = 0.034, λ = 0.000) and pasture (F = 6.577, df = 2, p = 0.002, λ = 0.000). In Africa and South America, where raptor species are most abundant, raptor occupancy probability decreased over 20 years, most likely due to habitat fragmentation associated with human land modification. Although raptors with different ecological characteristics had different responses to human land modification, the impacts of settlement, cropland, and pasture on mean raptor occupancy probability were negative, regardless of space and time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use changes are considered a significant cause of amphibian declines worldwide. However, little is known regarding which land uses have more pervasive impacts and which help to supplement the biodiversity conserved in protected areas. In addition, amphibian species respond to a broad array of geographical constraints, which may blur responses to disturbance, depending on the species' natural history.Here, we explored whether functional diversity patterns of amphibian assemblages are linked to human land use while considering spatial autocorrelation and phylogenetic relatedness among species. We surveyed tadpoles along 500 km in coastal wetlands in southern Brazil and quantified four traits related to tadpole habitat use and predator avoidance.Spatial components influenced functional richness to a greater extent than land use. Functional evenness was higher in ponds surrounded by more exotic reforestation, and to a lesser extent an effect of crop area. Functional divergence was also associated with reforestation areas.Our results showed that some land uses (reforestation with exotic species and temporary crops) have more pervasive impacts on tadpole communities. Such changes in amphibian communities occurred even at low levels of landscape change. Our findings highlight that conversion to human land use requires complementary approaches (i.e., tadpole and adult responses) to provide early warning signals about habitat modification effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A branch of island biogeography has emerged to explain alien species diversity in the light of the biogeographic and anthropogenic context, yet overlooking the functional and phylogenetic facets. Evaluating alien and native birds of 407 oceanic islands worldwide, we built structural equation models to assess the direct and indirect influence of biotic, geographic, and anthropogenic contexts on alien functional diversity (FD) and phylogenetic diversity (PD). We found that alien taxonomic richness was the main predictor of both diversities. Anthropogenic factors, including colonization pressure, associated with classic biogeographical variables also strongly influenced alien FD and PD. Specifically, habitat modification and human connectivity markedly drove alien FD, especially when controlled by taxonomic richness, whereas the human population size, gross domestic product, and native PD were crucial at explaining alien PD. Our findings suggest that humans not only shape taxonomic richness but also other facets of alien diversity in a complex way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, there is growing concern on the occurrence of multiple non‐native species within invaded habitats. Proliferation of multiple non‐native species together with anthropogenic‐driven habitat modifications raise questions on the mechanisms facilitating the co‐occurrence of these species and their potential impact within the recipient systems. Using the Great Fish River system (South Africa) which is anthropogenically‐modified by inter‐basin water transfer (IBWT), as a case study, this research employed trait‐based approaches to explore patterns associated with the co‐occurrence of multiple non‐native fish species. This was achieved by investigating the role of functional diversity of non‐native and native fishes in relation to their composition, distribution and environmental relationships. Nineteen functional traits that defined two broad ecological attributes (habitat use and feeding) were determined for 13 fish species that comprised eight native and five non‐native fishes. We used these data to, firstly, evaluate functional diversity patterns and to compare functional traits of native and non‐native fishes in the Great Fish River system. Secondly, we employed multivariate ordination analyses (factor analysis, RLQ and fourth‐corner analyses) to investigate interspecific trait variations and potential species‐trait‐environmental relationships. From a functional diversity perspective, there were no significant differences in most functional diversity indices between native and non‐native species. Despite interspecific variation in body morphology‐related traits, we also found no clear separation between native and non‐native species based on the ordination analysis of the functional traits. Furthermore, while RLQ ordination showed broad spatial patterns, the fourth‐corner analyses revealed no significant relationships among species distribution, functional traits and environmental variables. The weak species‐trait‐environment relationship observed in this study suggests that environmental filtering was likely a poor determinant of functional trait structure within the Great Fish River. Modification of the natural flow regime may have weakened the relationship between species traits and the environment as has been shown in other systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal and estuarine habitats are essential for both growth and survival at juvenile stages for a large proportion of marine fish but are exposed to a variety of threats. However, the quantitative impacts of anthropic‐mediated nursery degradation on exploited population dynamics and productivity are rarely addressed. We developed a comprehensive steepness‐based parameterization of the stock–recruitment relationship that directly depends upon juvenile habitat quality and surface area and used a generic age‐ and stage‐structured model to simulate exploited population dynamics under nursery degradation/restoration scenarios. Population responses to juvenile habitat modification were estimated for three species with contrasting life histories. Modifying the surface area of nursery habitat has a predictable direct scaling effect on population size and affects biomass and fishing yield, with identical responses observed for various life histories. Modification of habitat quality affects both the population size and the shape of the productivity curve, leading to more complex responses of biomass and fishing yields that depend upon combinations of life history traits. Populations with low steepness and hence lower resiliency to fishing are the most sensitive to the degradation of habitat quality. Our study emphasizes the critical impact of juvenile habitat modification on population dynamics and productivity and the need to integrate habitat consideration into the management of exploited marine species. Our modelling framework is generalizable and can be extended to handle many diverse life histories and case studies to quantify the consequences of coastal habitat degradation/restoration for the dynamics of exploited marine fish populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic habitat modification can indirectly effect reproduction and survival in social species by changing the group structure and social interactions. We assessed the impact of habitat modification on the fitness and life history traits of a cooperative breeder, the Arabian babbler (Argya squamiceps). We collected spatial, reproductive and social data on 572 individuals belonging to 21 social groups over 6 years and combined it with remote sensing to characterize group territories in an arid landscape. In modified resource‐rich habitats, groups bred more and had greater productivity, but individuals lived shorter lives than in natural habitats. Habitat modification favoured a faster pace‐of‐life with lower dispersal and dominance acquisition ages, which might be driven by higher mortality providing opportunities for the dominant breeding positions. Thus, habitat modification might indirectly impact fitness through changes in social structures. This study shows that trade‐offs in novel anthropogenic opportunities might offset survival costs by increased productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Dams and reservoirs can alter juvenile growth and survival of migratory salmonids through several physical and biological mechanisms. Juvenile Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha that are produced upstream of large hydropower dams may have associated passage mortality, but the reservoirs created by these dams can support rapid growth. Characterizing the biotic drivers of growth and mortality in reservoirs may aid in understanding the cumulative effects of river impoundments on migratory salmonid populations. The purpose of this study was to understand how reservoirs facilitate rapid growth in juvenile Chinook Salmon. Methods: We analyzed stomach contents to determine diet composition throughout the summer and fall. We also recorded prevalence of the parasitic nematode Philonema sp. in the coeloms of fish. Result: We found that juvenile Chinook Salmon frequently consumed young‐of‐year centrarchids, which likely contributed to rapid growth. Piscivory was highest from July through October and decreased with surface temperature from November through December. Correspondingly, zooplankton and arthropod consumption increased in November and December. Prevalence of visible Philonema sp. infections in the coelom was high (34.6%), negatively associated with time, and nonlinearly associated with fork length. Conclusion: These findings reveal unique diet patterns and suggest potential parasite‐associated mortality in reservoir‐rearing Chinook Salmon, but more detailed studies across a longer time scale are needed to robustly assess the population‐level effects of this parasite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Fish movements and distributions throughout an ecosystem are important for understanding ecological interactions, conservation, and management. Coarse woody habitat (CWH) additions are a popular habitat enhancement tool that can influence movements and distributions of fishes; however, behavioral responses in relation to CWH additions are understudied. The objectives of our study were to test for changes in habitat use and behavioral responses of Muskellunge Esox masquinongy, Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu, and Walleye Sander vitreus to CWH additions in a small inland northern lake over 3 years and to evaluate two common forms of fish tracking to estimate daily movement of these fishes. Methods: We used passive integrated transponder tag data collected continuously at 10 littoral sites and radiotelemetry data collected biweekly during the summer-fall months prior (2017) and following (2018-2019) CWH addition to examine movement behaviors and estimate daily probability of movement for the three species among lake habitats using multistate models. Result: Walleye were the most likely to remain near CWH, followed by Smallmouth Bass and Muskellunge. All species were more likely to move away from the modified and unmodified littoral zones and were more likely to remain in the offshore zone. Increased movement of fish may be in response to CWH creating a refuge for forage fish and subsequent increases in prey search times. Conclusion: Our results suggest that CWH additions may alter established species-specific annual movements, distributions, and habitat use to differing degrees in ecosystems, as our results differ from other CWH studies. Methodologically, radio-tagging was most effective for offshore tracking but most labor intensive. Novel passive integrated transponder arrays (less labor intensive once installed) worked well to monitor movement between habitat types in shallow littoral areas. Long-term monitoring of behavioral changes will be essential to assessing the stability changes caused by these habitat alterations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife must increasingly balance trade‐offs between the need to access important foods and the mortality risks associated with human‐dominated landscapes. Human disturbance can profoundly influence wildlife behavior, but managers know little about the relationship between disturbance–behavior dynamics and associated consequences for foraging. We address this gap by empirically investigating the consequences of human activity on a keystone predator–prey interaction in a region with limited but varied industrial disturbance. Using stable isotope data from 226 hair samples of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) collected from 1995 to 2014 across 22 salmon‐bearing watersheds (88,000 km2) in British Columbia, Canada, we examined how human activity influenced their consumption of spawning salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.), a fitness‐related food. Accounting for the abundance of salmon and other foods, salmon consumption strongly decreased (up to 59% for females) with increasing human disturbance (as measured by the human footprint index) in riparian zones of salmon‐bearing rivers. Declines in salmon consumption occurred with disturbance even in watersheds with low footprints. In a region currently among the least influenced by industrial activity, intensification of disturbance in river valleys is predicted to increasingly decouple bears from salmon, possibly driving associated reductions in population productivity and provisioning of salmon nutrients to terrestrial ecosystems. Accordingly, we draw on our results to make landscape‐scale and access‐related management recommendations beyond current streamside protection buffers. This work illustrates the interaction between habitat modification and food security for wildlife, highlighting the potential for unacknowledged interactions and cumulative effects in increasingly modified landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization is rapidly shaping and transforming natural environments, creating networks of modified land types. These urbanization‐driven modifications lead to local extinctions of several species, but the surviving ones also face numerous novel selection pressures, including exposure to pollutants, habitat alteration, and shifts in food availability and diversity. Based on the assumption that the environmental pool of microorganisms is reduced in urban habitats due to habitat alteration, biodiversity loss, and pollution, we hypothesized that the diversity of bacterial microbiome in digestive tracts of arthropods would be lower in urban than rural habitats. Investigating the gut bacterial communities of a specialist ground beetle, Carabus convexus, in forested rural versus urban habitats by next generation high‐throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene, we identified 3839 bacterial amplicon sequence variants. The composition of gut bacterial samples did not significantly differ by habitat (rural vs. urban), sex (female vs. male), sampling date (early vs. late spring), or their interaction. The microbiome diversity (evaluated by the Rényi diversity function), however, was higher in rural than urban adults. Our findings demonstrate that urbanization significantly reduced the diversity of the gut bacterial microbiome in C. convexus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the distribution patterns of galling insects in veredas with varying degrees of drying in the Brazilian Cerrado. We tested if the insect gall diversity is higher in degraded veredas (dry veredas) compared to preserved (wet veredas) ones, as predicted by the hygrothermal stress hypothesis. Additionally, we also tested whether the composition of galling insects varied along the veredas and if species richness and abundance of galling insects are higher in the upstream zone of the veredas. In total, we recorded 99 species of galling insects, distributed across 54 plant species and 24 botanical families. We found that galling species richness was high in degraded veredas compared to preserved ones, while the abundance of galling insects was higher in preserved veredas than in degraded ones. When examining the different zones along the veredas, we observed variations in the richness and abundance of galling insects in preserved veredas. Specifically, the galling insect richness was higher in the upstream and middle zones compared to the downstream zone, while the abundance of galling insects was higher in the middle zone compared to the upstream zone. However, in the degraded veredas, there were no significant differences in galling species richness and abundance among the zones studied. The composition of galling insect species differed significantly between degraded and preserved veredas, with a higher faunal similarity observed in preserved veredas for both the downstream and upstream zones compared to degraded veredas (upstream zone). Our results indicate a preference of galling insects for more hygrothermally stressed environments, such as dry veredas and upstream zones of wet veredas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population‐level, historical studies can provide insights on the distribution, abundance and demographic characteristics of imperiled species prior to human exploitation, habitat modification or climate change. These studies provide a baseline for contemporary data, which often shape successful management and recovery.The smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) occupies ~20% of its historical range due to declines driven primarily by mortalities in fisheries and coastal habitat loss over the last century. As a result, they are listed as Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species and as Endangered federally in the United States (U.S.).Because P. pectinata grow to a large size and have a toothed rostrum, many historical photographs and specimens are archived in natural history collections. Metadata and morphometric data were collected and analysed from P. pectinata photographs (n = 84) and specimens (n = 429) to evaluate temporal changes in average size and historical distribution of five age classes in U.S. waters.Historically, smaller age classes were well‐distributed throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico, while only larger age classes were recorded on the U.S. east coast, north of Florida. All age classes were found in both Florida and Texas historically, but records from Texas decline after the 1980s and remain persistent in Florida, indicative of a strong‐hold for the U.S. population. Regardless of origin, individuals in three of the five age classes were larger on average historically than those observed today.Understanding which age classes used previously occupied areas will help direct habitat restoration efforts and support recovery, especially in the face of climate change. Non‐traditional data sources, such as those used here, may often be the only means of providing historical context to modern research on imperiled species, ultimately guiding restoration and conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic habitat modification is a leading contributor to biodiversity change, but it is unclear what factors, including scale, influence the magnitude of change. Changes in species richness and its scaling relationship across an anthropogenic gradient can be influenced by changes in the total number of individuals in each sample, the species abundance distribution, and/or the spatial arrangement of conspecific individuals. Here, we integrated continental‐scale citizen science data on bird occurrences across the contiguous United States – from eBird – with an analytical framework capable of dissecting the aforementioned biodiversity components to quantify bird diversity changes along an anthropogenic landscape habitat modification gradient. We found an overall decline in bird diversity along an anthropogenic modification gradient, with peak levels of bird diversity at low to moderate levels of modification. The magnitude of biodiversity change was greater at gamma than at alpha scales and was most strongly associated with a declining number of individuals along the anthropogenic gradient. Spatial species turnover was lower at higher impacted sites, but this was also due to the sampling of fewer individuals rather than changes in spatial species patchiness. Our results suggest that local‐scale management can promote bird diversity, especially at the natural–rural–suburban interface. Management efforts (e.g. managing natural habitat or preserving urban greenspaces against development) should be focused on creating, restoring, and preserving resources (e.g. nesting habitat, foraging resources) necessary for a large number of individuals, as this is the primary influence of diversity change along an anthropogenic gradient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, invasive species are a major driver of global change that is increasing in scope and impact due to the increase in global trade, habitat modification and climate change. Among invasive species, those that are known as 'ecosystem engineers' are considered a specific, highly influential, type of invaders, where an invader significantly alters the new environment, either physically or chemically. In this context, this perspective review discusses the different types of possible impacts of invasive ecosystems engineers (IEE) in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems.Scanning the relevant literature on the topic, we find a 12‐year lag in the use of terms relevant to the concept of ecosystem engineers in invasion‐related publications since the first publication of the concept in 1994, with a steep increase in use between 2006 and 2014. A bibliometric mapping showed a high level of connectedness between related terms and clusters, suggesting an ample flow of concepts, ideas and knowledge between realms, ecosystems and regions, and researchers that study them.Throughout this essay, we illustrate with recent examples the context‐dependency of their (positive and negative) impacts in the three realms. We review the distinction between autogenic (altering the environment for other species with their body) and allogenic (altering the environment for other species with their actions) ecosystem engineering in the context of alien species. We also put a spotlight on the well‐studied engineering effects of IEE plants and macroalgae, terrestrial and aquatic bioturbators and burrowers as well as highly effective consumers.We finalize with discussing how IEE can strongly affect ecosystem services for human wellbeing and explore the possible contribution of IEE in restoring functions and services in the face of climate change in highly invaded and fast‐warming systems like the southeastern Mediterranean Sea or areas that face frequent fires for example. We claim that the last topic has received little attention from the scientific community and should be given priority in future studies. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anuran species are some of the good environmental indicators of habitat quality and condition in ecosystems. This is due to their amphibious life modes and sensitivity to environmental change caused by rapid expansion of agricultural activities, advancement of forest destruction, climate change and emerging infectious diseases. Understanding their diversity and distribution patterns is crucial for the development and implementation of effective species and habitat conservation strategies. The study aimed at assessing and comparing anuran biodiversity and distribution patterns between a protected (North Nandi Forest Reserve) and a non-protected area (Kingwal swamp) to provide additional baseline information, both being among the underexplored areas in Kenya. Data were gathered in both dry and wet seasons, between October 2022 and June 2023 by employing standard sampling techniques for anurans(Visual encounter and pitfall traps with a drift fence) to maximise detection. Three habitat types-farmland, intermediate land and forest were exploited. A total of 1649 individuals from 21 different species, belonging to nine different genera and nine different families were recorded. Ptychadenidae was the most abundant family from the recorded anurans, while Dicroglossidae, Arthroleptidae, Pyxicephalidae and Ranidae were the least. High biodiversity was observed in the forest habitat (Protected) and least in the farmland (non-protected). The wet season had high species abundance, diversity and richness compared to the dry season. There was a significant difference (p <0.05) in diversity between the habitats in wet season, but no significance difference during dry season (p >0.05) except for forest and farmland (p <0.05). There was a significant difference in species abundance between seasons (p <0.05), and between habitats (p <0.05) in all seasons except for farmland and intermediate (p >0.05), as well as farmland and forest (p >0.05) during the wet season. Habitat type and season had no influence (p >0.05) on species richness. Anuran biodiversity is a function of habitat diversity and season, with the associated differences in microhabitat structure providing diverse niches and ways of exploring resources. The modest sampling indicates that Kingwal Swamp and North Nandi Forest Reserve are rich and support anuran species, and the differences in anuran biodiversity between the 3 habitats demonstrates that conservation efforts continue to be a priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat modification and invasive species are considered some of the most impelling causes of the ongoing sixth mass extinction, especially in freshwater ecosystems. Artificial water troughs are, in this regard, particularly vulnerable environments, while being pivotal breeding habitats for many amphibian species. However, despite their well‐known importance and their conservation concern, detailed information on the resilience of such ecosystems is lacking.This note describes the events following the introduction of invasive fish species into a water trough in southern Italy and reconstructs the recolonization times of two newt species (Lissotriton italicus, Triturus carnifex) after disappearance of the fish a few months later.As expected, both newt species were no longer observed in the water as soon as the fish were introduced in the trough. However, in contrast to previous reports, they recolonized it within 2 months of the last observation of fish and, in the case of L. italicus, bred shortly after.Although the short permanence of fish in the trough may have facilitated the recolonization process, this event represents the fastest recolonization by newts of a restored habitat ever reported in the wild and sheds further insights on the resilience of amphibian species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization is changing the conditions in which many species live, forcing them to adjust to these novel environments. Floral size and shape are critical traits for the reproduction of plants pollinated by animals as they are involved in the attraction of pollinators and in efficient pollination. Variation in size and shape could be affected by urbanization via its modification of the abiotic environment (habitat fragmentation, water availability, temperature, soil properties), or via its impact on the biotic environment of plants (pollination, herbivory). Although numerous studies have assessed the impact of urbanization on pollinator communities and many plant traits, few have investigated its impact on floral size and shape while quantifying the proportion of the total urbanization effect that is due to biotic interactions. In this study, we tested if urbanization and pollinator visitation rates affect the flower shape of the spotted jewelweed, Impatiens capensis. We quantified the size and shape of flowers in frontal and profile views using geometric morphometrics for 228 individuals from six populations from the region of Montreal, Canada. Pollinator visitation rates were estimated at each site and the main pollinators were found to be bumblebees, honeybees and hummingbirds. We found that floral size and shape are significantly correlated with urbanization as measured by the amount of vegetation in the surrounding environment of the plants (mean normalized vegetation index, NDVI) and by the visitation rates of bumblebees and honey bees. Partitioning of the total flower shape variation suggests that urbanization affects flower shape through abiotic factors and via its impact on pollinator visitation rates. While further studies from other cities are necessary to confirm the role of urbanization in shaping the floral shape of I. capensis, these results support the idea that urbanization could affect flower shapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biting flies (Diptera) transmit pathogens that cause many important diseases in humans as well as domestic and wild animals. The networks of feeding interactions linking these insects to their hosts, and how they vary geographically and in response to human land‐use, are currently poorly documented but are relevant to understanding cross‐species disease transmission. We compiled a database of biting Diptera–host interactions from the literature to investigate how key interaction network metrics vary latitudinally and with human land‐use. Interaction evenness and H2' (a measure of the degree of network specificity) did not vary significantly with latitude. Compared to near‐natural habitats, interaction evenness was significantly lower in agricultural habitats, where networks were dominated by relatively few species pairs, but there was no evidence that the presence of humans and their domesticated animals within networks led to systematic shifts in network structure. We discuss the epidemiological relevance of these results and the implications for predicting and mitigating future spill‐over events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildfire and grazing by invasive herbivores can influence habitat suitability for ground‐dwelling fauna, such as reptiles. Australia has a large and diverse reptile fauna, with the Australian Alps bioregion in the southeast of the continent supporting a disproportionately high number of threatened species. In this bioregion, many species are threatened by fire, habitat loss or modification, and invasive species. The range of one such threatened endemic lizard, Cyclodomorphus praealtus (family Scincidae), was impacted by the 2019–20 megafires and is also subject to widespread grazing by invasive species. We investigated the relationship between C. praealtus site occupancy and fire and grazing. We completed 2045 surveys across 120 sites over 4 years, detecting the species at 43% of sites and increasing the species' known geographic range. Using single season detection occupancy models, we found C. praealtus occupancy was not associated with elevation, vegetation height or whether the site was burnt, but was positively associated with grazing activity. Our results indicate that C. praealtus has the capacity to persist following a single fire in some cases, and that habitats with high occupancy probabilities are subject to high grazing pressure. However, our results do not rule out more nuanced impacts associated with these disturbances, which affect a large proportion of C. praealtus' habitat. Our cumulative detection probability calculations revealed that considerable survey effort is often required to determine C. praealtus site occupancy. We therefore recommend that impact assessments assume species presence within areas of suitable habitat within the species' range. Our study improves our understanding of disturbance impacts on C. praealtus' occupancy, while demonstrating the need for sufficiently resourced impact assessments for cryptic and threatened species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The Pacific Lamprey Entosphenus tridentatus is an anadromous fish that provides many ecosystem services and is important to Native American tribes, which harvest lamprey for cultural uses. The largest harvest of adult Pacific Lamprey in North America occurs at Willamette Falls (WF) in Oregon, USA. Lamprey have experienced conservation problems for decades, and harvest numbers at WF have plummeted approximately 33‐fold from a maximum of over 500,000 during 1946 to an average of about 16,000 per year during 1969–1999. Recent harvest has dropped to less than 6,000 lamprey/year during 2000–2021. However, existing conservation plans do not provide a historical perspective on the lamprey harvest at WF and the cumulative threats in the Willamette River basin that likely caused lamprey harvest reductions. Land development, river impoundment, and water pollution coincided with significant decreases in lamprey harvest at WF. These (and other) threats have resulted in reduced habitat for larval lamprey in the basin and, thus, a reduction in the pheromones they release, which attract adults. Conservation plans do not identify specific, basinwide goals to increase the number of lamprey in general and to provide more lamprey for harvest in particular. Methods: Therefore, in this review paper, we provide a conservation perspective on three topics to increase and monitor lamprey abundance at WF. Result: We (1) provide an up‐to‐date history of the lamprey harvest and its regulation at WF; (2) recommend addressing the lack of basinwide, lamprey‐specific passage and habitat restoration to improve the quantity and quality of lamprey spawning and rearing habitats; and (3) identify research needs for monitoring the lamprey population(s) at WF. Conclusion: We conclude that lamprey‐specific passage improvements and habitat restoration throughout the Willamette River basin above WF are necessary to bolster abundance. Impact statementWe provide an up‐to‐date history of Pacific Lamprey harvest at Willamette Falls, Oregon. The species is ecologically and culturally important. Conservation‐focused perspectives could be used in basinwide plans to increase and monitor lamprey abundance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Chesapeake Bay water temperatures have increased through time, and under various climate change scenarios they are projected to increase by an additional 2–6°C by the end of the 21st century. Previous work has shown that water temperatures are the primary trigger for Striped Bass Morone saxatilis spawning. Methods: Using spawning stock survey data (1985–2020) from the Potomac River and upper Chesapeake Bay and temperature data from an ichthyoplankton survey (sampled non‐continuously between 1954 and 2021) in the Nanticoke and Choptank rivers, this study examined how water temperature milestones that are important for Striped Bass spawning have changed over time as well as how selectivity‐corrected total female catch per unit effort has shifted with changes in water temperature and the age structure of the stock. Result: Water temperatures observed in the spawning stock survey were lower in the 1980s and 1990s and have been higher since the 2000s. A significant change in timing of the start of spawning was not detected in the spawning stock survey data, but a significant change was found in the timing of the end of spawning, suggesting that the spawning season has shortened. In addition, the date on which the last prespawn female was observed on the spawning grounds has also occurred earlier in the year since the 2000s. Results from the long‐term temperature data collected in the Choptank and Nanticoke rivers only showed a significant change through time for the start of spawning in the Nanticoke River. Conclusion: While these changes could affect egg and larval Striped Bass survival either through either direct mortality due to water temperature or changes in the timing of zooplankton blooms, the effects of climate change could be mitigated by having a broad range of spawning ages to maximize the chances that larval Striped Bass matching with prey availability. Impact statementWater temperatures have been shown to trigger Striped Bass spawning and are projected to increase through time in Chesapeake Bay due to climate change. This study examined how the timing of spawning has shifted with changing water temperatures and considers how managers might best manage the stock under changing environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elephants were once widely distributed across the Indonesian island of Sumatra but now exist in small, isolated populations. Using the best data available on elephant occurrence, we aimed to (a) predict potential habitat suitability for elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus) across the island of Sumatra and (b) model landscape connectivity among the extant elephant populations. We used direct sightings and indirect observations of elephant signs, as well as six remotely sensed proxies of surface ruggedness, vegetation productivity and structure, and human land use and disturbance, to model habitat suitability in a Google Earth Engine (GEE) environment. We validated the habitat suitability prediction using 10‐fold spatial block cross validation and by calculating the area under the precision‐recall curve (AUC‐PR), sensitivity, and specificity for each model iteration. We also used a geolocation dataset collected from global positioning system (GPS) collars fitted on elephants as an independent validation dataset. Models showed good predictive performance with a mean AUC‐PR of 0.73, sensitivity of 0.76, and specificity of 0.68. Greater than 83% of the independent GPS collar geolocations were located in predicted suitable habitat. We found human modification, surface ruggedness, and normalized difference vegetation index to be the most important variables for predicting suitable elephant habitat. Thirty‐two percent, or 135,646 km2, of Sumatra's land area was predicted to be suitable habitat, with 43 patches of suitable habitat located across Sumatra. Areas with high connectivity were concentrated in the Riau and North Sumatra provinces. Though our analysis highlights the need to improve the quality of data collected on Sumatran elephants, more suitable habitat remains on Sumatra than is used by known populations. Targeted habitat conservation, especially of the suitable habitat in and around the Lamno, Balai Raja, Tesso Tenggara, Tesso Utara, Bukit Tigapuluh, Seblat, Padang Sugihan, and Bukit Barisan Selatan ranges, may improve the long‐term viability of this critically endangered species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

North American percids, walleye, sauger and yellow perch and European perch and pikeperch are economically and ecologically important fishes in their native geographic range. Four species of percids, yellow perch, European perch, pikeperch and ruffe, however, have been found to be evolutionarily and phenotypically adapted to warmer temperatures including through morphological changes and behaviour (Xie et al., [24]). Chapters in this book compile recent research, including management and aquaculture of walleye, sauger and yellow perch in North America. Yellow Perch, Walleye, and Sauger: Aspects of ecology, management, and culture (p. xvii+328). [Extracted from the article]

Ecosystem engineers modify habitats in ways that facilitate other community members by ameliorating harsh conditions. The strength of such facilitation is predicted to be influenced by both beneficiary traits and abiotic context. One key trait of animals that could control the strength of facilitation is beneficiary body size because it should determine how beneficiaries fit within and exploit stress ameliorating habitat modifications. However, few studies have measured how beneficiary body size relates to facilitation strength along environmental gradients.We examined how the strength of facilitation by net‐spinning caddisflies on invertebrate communities in streams varied along an elevation gradient and based on traits of the invertebrate beneficiaries. We measured whether use of silk retreats as habitat concentrated invertebrate density and biomass compared to surrounding rock surface habitat and whether the use of retreat habitat varied across body sizes of community members along the gradient.We found that retreats substantially concentrated the densities of a diversity of taxa including eight different Orders, and this effect was greatest at high elevations. Caddisfly retreats also concentrated invertebrate biomass more as elevation increased. Body size of invertebrates inhabiting retreats was lower than that of surrounding rock habitats at low elevation sites, however, body size between retreats and rocks converged at higher elevation sites. Additionally, the body size of invertebrates found in retreats varied within and across taxa. Specifically, caddisfly retreats functioned as a potential nursery for taxa with large maximal body sizes. However, the patterns of this taxon‐specific nursery effect were not influenced by elevation unlike the patterns observed based on community‐level body size.Collectively, our results indicate that invertebrates use retreats in earlier life stages or when they are smaller in body size independent of life stage. Furthermore, our analysis suggests that facilitation strength intensifies as elevation increases within stream invertebrate communities.Further consideration of how trait variation and environmental gradients interact to determine the strength and direction of biotic interactions will be important as species ranges and environmental conditions continue to shift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Conservation and restoration of aquatic species is difficult, especially for rare species, because their habitats are typically disturbed, obscuring the natural ability of the habitat to support each species. The Lake Erie population of Silver Chub Macrhybopsis storeriana struggles to sustain itself in a habitat disturbed by a wide spectrum of anthropogenic factors. Application of multiple model predictions can provide indications of conservation or restoration opportunities for this species. Methods: A combination of models that predict the best potential for Lake Erie habitat to support Silver Chub and the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on that population were used to identify habitat conditions throughout the western aquatic lake unit. Result: As many as 76 combinations of best habitat potential and disturbance conditions were present, but the best opportunities occurred in <12% of the study area. Some of the best protection opportunities were farthest offshore, and extensive areas of least disturbed habitat for restoration were near the southern and western shores. The location‐specific model predictions provide fine‐scale decision support for Silver Chub habitat protection or restoration. Conclusion: The approach applied here may help identify compatibilities among species to achieve the desirable fish community for Lake Erie and reconcile conflicting management actions. Impact statementSilver Chub is one of dozens of Great Lakes fish species that would benefit from precise application of restoration funds. This approach assists managers with a means to prioritize sites most suitable for restoration, based on the potential of the habitat to support them, known disturbance conditions, and geographic location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article, titled "Fire Positively Influences Ant Diversity by Modifying Habitat Openness in an Australian Tropical Savanna," explores the effects of fire frequency, fire intensity history, and woody cover on the ant communities in an Australian tropical savanna. The study found that the most important factors influencing ant diversity were woody cover and fire intensity history. The results suggest that the indirect effects of fire, such as modification of habitat structure, have a greater impact on ant diversity than the direct effects of fire. Open habitats with a high fire intensity history tended to have a greater number of ant species. [Extracted from the article]

We evaluated a wetland habitat modification strategy to contrast fish assemblage structure and the production of young‐of‐the‐year (YOY) fish between different engineered habitats (i.e., spawning pool complexes and connectivity channels) relative to unmodified lateral channels in a large drowned river mouth tributary of the St Lawrence River. Prior to habitat modifications, the coastal wetland was impaired by water level regulations and dominance of the invasive hybrid cattail, Typha × glauca, which collectively replaced or created barriers to seasonally flooded spawning habitats important to fish. Connectivity enhancements provided fish access along a wetland habitat gradient from sedge‐meadows to the deeper water robust emergent main channel. Across an 8‐year fish emigration dataset (2012, 2013, 2016–2021) more than 90% of all captured fish (Ntotal = 218,086 fish) were YOY and modified habitats outperformed the unmodified channels in total fish catch‐per‐unit‐effort (CPUE) per year (both YOY and non‐YOY). Spawning pool complexes had higher YOY species richness than unmodified channel habitats. Fish assemblage structure differed between the modified habitats, where connectivity channels and unmodified channels shared a more similar fish assemblage than spawning pool complexes. Modified habitats, however, supported warmer water and higher dissolved oxygen than the unmodified channels. Redundancy analysis and linear mixed‐effect modelling with abiotic variables (hydrology, temperature and dissolved oxygen) showed significant effects on fish assemblage structure, species richness and CPUE of fish emigrating from the modified and unmodified habitats. Historic flooding in 2017 and 2019 was a primary driver of YOY fish production and fish assemblage structure, but also appeared to be associated with near anoxic conditions systemwide. YOY fish for several species was inversely affected by floods at spawning pool complexes, but CPUE of YOY fish for these species appeared unaffected at the connectivity channels despite low dissolved oxygen. Diversified habitat structure (i.e., connectivity channels and spawning pool complexes) offers a management option to enhance habitat for fish that allowed compensatory effects on the capture of YOY fish of several species during floods. This multifaceted outcome from the habitat modifications resulted in unique fish assemblages between the channelized and spawning pool habitat. A connectivity‐based habitat enhancement strategy provides adaptability for an uncertain climatic and regulatory future for the Laurentian Great Lakes and St Lawrence River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization processes are taking place at a very high rate, especially in Africa. At the same time, a number of small mammal species, be they native or invasive, take advantage of human‐induced habitat modifications. They represent commensal communities of organisms that cause a number of inconveniences to humans, including potential reservoirs of zoonotic diseases. We studied via live trapping and habitat characterization such commensal small mammal communities in small villages to large cities of Senegal, to try to understand how the species share this particular space. Seven major species were recorded, with exotic invasive house mice (Mus musculus) and black rats (Rattus rattus) dominating in numbers. The shrew Crocidura olivieri appeared as the main and more widespread native species, while native rodent species (Mastomys natalensis, M. erythroleucus, Arvicanthis niloticus and Praomys daltoni) were less abundant and/or more localized. Habitat preferences, compared between species in terms of room types and characteristics, showed differences among house mice, black rats and M. natalensis especially. Niche (habitat component) breadth and overlap were measured. Among invasive species, the house mouse showed a larger niche breadth than the black rat, and overall, all species displayed high overlap values. Co‐occurrence patterns were studied at the global and local scales. The latter show cases of aggregation (between the black rat and native species, for instance) and of segregation (as between the house mouse and the black rat in Tambacounda, or between the black rat and M. natalensis in Kédougou). While updating information on commensal small mammal distribution in Senegal, a country submitted to a dynamic process of invasion by the black rat and the house mouse, we bring original information on how species occupy and share the commensal space, and make predictions on the evolution of these communities in a period of ever‐accelerating global changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conversion of forest to agriculture is considered one of the greatest threats to avian biodiversity, yet how species respond to habitat modification throughout the annual cycle remains unknown. We examined whether forest bird associations with agricultural habitats vary throughout the year, and if species traits influence these relationships. Using data from the eBird community‐science program, we investigated associations between agriculturally‐modified land cover and the occurrence of 238 forest bird species based on three sets of avian traits: migratory strategy, dietary guild, and foraging strategy. We found that the influence of agriculturally‐modified land cover on species distributions varied widely across periods and trait groups but highlighting several broad findings. First, migratory species showed strong seasonal differences in their response to agricultural land cover while resident species did not. Second, there was a migratory strategy by season interaction; Neotropical migrants were most negatively influenced by agricultural land cover during the breeding period while short‐distance migrants were most negatively influenced during the non‐breeding period. Third, regardless of season, some dietary (e.g. insectivores) and foraging guilds (e.g. bark foragers) consistently responded more negatively to agricultural land cover than others (e.g. omnivores and ground foragers, respectively). Fourth, there were greater differences among dietary guilds in their responses to agricultural land cover during the breeding period than during the non‐breeding period, perhaps reflecting how different habitat and ecological requirements enhance the susceptibility of some guilds during reproduction. These results suggest that management efforts across the annual cycle may be oversimplified and thus ineffective when based on broad ecological generalisations that are static in space and time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is fundamentally altering marine and coastal ecosystems on a global scale. While the effects of ocean warming and acidification on ecology and ecosystem functions and services are being comprehensively researched, less attention is directed toward understanding the impacts of human‐driven ocean salinity changes. The global water cycle operates through water fluxes expressed as precipitation, evaporation, and freshwater runoff from land. Changes to these in turn modulate ocean salinity and shape the marine and coastal environment by affecting ocean currents, stratification, oxygen saturation, and sea level rise. Besides the direct impact on ocean physical processes, salinity changes impact ocean biological functions with the ecophysiological consequences are being poorly understood. This is surprising as salinity changes may impact diversity, ecosystem and habitat structure loss, and community shifts including trophic cascades. Climate model future projections (of end of the century salinity changes) indicate magnitudes that lead to modification of open ocean plankton community structure and habitat suitability of coral reef communities. Such salinity changes are also capable of affecting the diversity and metabolic capacity of coastal microorganisms and impairing the photosynthetic capacity of (coastal and open ocean) phytoplankton, macroalgae, and seagrass, with downstream ramifications on global biogeochemical cycling. The scarcity of comprehensive salinity data in dynamic coastal regions warrants additional attention. Such datasets are crucial to quantify salinity‐based ecosystem function relationships and project such changes that ultimately link into carbon sequestration and freshwater as well as food availability to human populations around the globe. It is critical to integrate vigorous high‐quality salinity data with interacting key environmental parameters (e.g., temperature, nutrients, oxygen) for a comprehensive understanding of anthropogenically induced marine changes and its impact on human health and the global economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increasing need to understand how animals respond to modifications of their habitat following landscape‐scale disturbances such as wildfire or timber harvest. Such disturbances can promote increased use by herbivores due to changes in plant community structure that improve forage conditions, but can also cause avoidance if other habitat functions provided by cover are substantially reduced or eliminated. Quantifying the total effects of these disturbances, however, is challenging because they may not fully be apparent unless observed at successional timescales. Further, the effects of disturbances that improve habitat quality may be density dependent, such that the benefits are (1) less valuable to high‐density populations because the per‐capita benefits are reduced when shared among more users or, alternatively, (2) more valuable to animals living in high densities because resources may be more depleted from the greater intraspecific competition. We used 30 years of telemetry data on elk occurring at two distinct population densities to quantify changes in space use at diel, monthly, and successional timescales following timber harvest. Elk selected logged areas at night only, with selection strongest during midsummer, and peak selection occurring 14 years post harvest, but persisting for 26–33 years. This pattern of increased selection at night following a reduction in overhead canopy cover is consistent with elk exploiting improved nutritional conditions for foraging. The magnitude of selection for logged areas was 73% higher for elk at low population density, consistent with predictions from the ideal free distribution. Yet elk avoided these same areas during daytime for up to 28 years post logging and instead selected untreated forest, suggesting a role for cover to meet other life history requirements. Our results demonstrate that while landscape‐scale disturbances can lead to increased selection by large herbivores and suggest that the improvement in foraging conditions can persist over short‐term successional timescales, the magnitude of the benefits may not be equal across population densities. Further, the enduring avoidance of logging treatments during the daytime indicates a need for structurally intact forests and suggests that a mosaic of forest patches of varying successional stages and structural completeness is likely to be the most beneficial to large herbivores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The second edition of "Applied Wildlife Habitat Management" is a practical guide for undergraduate and graduate students studying wildlife management, early career professionals, and private landowners. The authors, who have extensive experience in wildlife habitat management, have made additions and revisions to the first edition, including restructuring the book and adding a chapter on wildlife management planning. The book provides step-by-step guidance for creating and developing a wildlife habitat management plan, making it a valuable resource for landowners, students, and biologists. Overall, "Applied Wildlife Habitat Management" delivers on its promise of providing a practical guide for habitat modification and achieving desired outcomes. [Extracted from the article]

Biotic homogenisation is defined as decreasing dissimilarity among ecological assemblages sampled within a given spatial area over time. Biotic differentiation, in turn, is defined as increasing dissimilarity over time. Overall, changes in the spatial dissimilarities among assemblages (termed 'beta diversity') is an increasingly recognised feature of broader biodiversity change in the Anthropocene. Empirical evidence of biotic homogenisation and biotic differentiation remains scattered across different ecosystems. Most meta‐analyses quantify the prevalence and direction of change in beta diversity, rather than attempting to identify underlying ecological drivers of such changes. By conceptualising the mechanisms that contribute to decreasing or increasing dissimilarity in the composition of ecological assemblages across space, environmental managers and conservation practitioners can make informed decisions about what interventions may be required to sustain biodiversity and can predict potential biodiversity outcomes of future disturbances. We systematically reviewed and synthesised published empirical evidence for ecological drivers of biotic homogenisation and differentiation across terrestrial, marine, and freshwater realms to derive conceptual models that explain changes in spatial beta diversity. We pursued five key themes in our review: (i) temporal environmental change; (ii) disturbance regime; (iii) connectivity alteration and species redistribution; (iv) habitat change; and (v) biotic and trophic interactions. Our first conceptual model highlights how biotic homogenisation and differentiation can occur as a function of changes in local (alpha) diversity or regional (gamma) diversity, independently of species invasions and losses due to changes in species occurrence among assemblages. Second, the direction and magnitude of change in beta diversity depends on the interaction between spatial variation (patchiness) and temporal variation (synchronicity) of disturbance events. Third, in the context of connectivity and species redistribution, divergent beta diversity outcomes occur as different species have different dispersal characteristics, and the magnitude of beta diversity change associated with species invasions also depends strongly on alpha and gamma diversity prior to species invasion. Fourth, beta diversity is positively linked with spatial environmental variability, such that biotic homogenisation and differentiation occur when environmental heterogeneity decreases or increases, respectively. Fifth, species interactions can influence beta diversity via habitat modification, disease, consumption (trophic dynamics), competition, and by altering ecosystem productivity. Our synthesis highlights the multitude of mechanisms that cause assemblages to be more or less spatially similar in composition (taxonomically, functionally, phylogenetically) through time. We consider that future studies should aim to enhance our collective understanding of ecological systems by clarifying the underlying mechanisms driving homogenisation or differentiation, rather than focusing only on reporting the prevalence and direction of change in beta diversity, per se. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]