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Effective conservation is becoming more difficult as threats to wildlife increase. Natural resource managers are pressured to make difficult decisions with limited resources, and in many instances, large uncertainty. Scientists and managers tasked with the conservation of a species need tools to help guide efficient decision-making. Often, information for management decisions is insufficient. Tools that help to inform decision makers and address uncertainty are invaluable to effective conservation initiatives. The objective of our study was to create a model to best predict Eastern Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens) breeding occurrence across the northeastern United States. We estimated relationships between breeding newt field survey data and landscape-level covariates while accounting for imperfect detection. We then used those relationships to map expected newt breeding site occupancy across the northeastern United States. We find that newt breeding occupancy is inversely correlated to the amount of human influence in a landscape, highlighting a key existing threat to Eastern Newts that may be exacerbated by the introduction of novel pathogens, such as the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mammal populations are declining due to habitat fragmentation and loss, but protected areas can maintain these populations at viable numbers and reduce their risk of extinction. This study assessed the mammal community composition, diversity profiles, seasonal variation, and habitat use in a protected area in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. With an effort of 5,023 camera trap days, we registered 1,889 independent records of 20 species, with an additional 13 species recorded through direct observation. There was no difference in the seasonal diversity profiles of mammal communities. The diversity in submontane areas was consistently larger than in lowland ones, but the number of records was higher in lowland areas. The diversity profiles decrease when more weight is given to the common species. The reserve is the protected area with the third highest mammal richness in the state of Rio de Janeiro and harbors 11 threatened mammals. This study shows the importance of small protected areas for the conservation of mammalian diversity in a fragmented anthropogenic landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The suborder Heteroptera (order Hemiptera) is one of the most interesting groups of Rynchota. It is found in various ecosystems around the world and belongs to predators, parasitous (in particular hematophagous), mycetophagous and herbivorous types. Species with mixed nutrition are common. The study is aimed to describe the fauna and distribution of hemipteran insect species in the Republic of Mordovia (the central part of the European part of Russia). The study was conducted from 2004 to 2022. Specimens were collected using traditional hemipteran insect collecting methods (manual collecting, light trap, entomological net, Malaise trap, Merike plates, window and soil traps). We examined 4895 specimens of Hemiptera. Species diversity of Heteroptera (order Hemiptera) of Republic of Mordovia accounts for 363 species from 34 families. Of these, 15 species (Campylosteira verna, Allorhinocoris flavus, Grypocoris sexguttatus, Acetropis gimmerthalii, Geocoris grylloides, Platyplax salviae, Emblethis ciliatus, Aellopus atratus, Rhyparochromus quadratus, Parapiesma quadratum, Berytinus montivagus, Pyrrhocoris marginatus, Enoplops scapha, Dybowskyia reticulata, Ventocoris halophilus) are listed for the region for the first time. Twenty-three species (Agramma femorale, Adomerus biguttatus, Aelia acuminata, Carpocoris fuscispinus, Coreus marginatus, Dolycoris baccarum, Eurydema oleracea, Gerris lacustris, Graphosoma lineatum, Kleidocerys resedae, Labops sahlbergii, Lopus decolor, Lygus pratensis, Nithecus jacobaeae, Palomena prasina, Polymerus unifasciatus, Prostemma aeneicolle, Pyrrhocoris apterus, Rhyparochromus pini, Stenodema calcarata, Cymus glandicolor, Eremocoris plebejus, Aphanus rolandri) constitute the main population of the Heteroptera fauna given in the dataset. The species diversity of Heteroptera of the Republic of Mordovia is roughly similar in number of species to that of neighbouring regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the processes and mechanisms that shape the distribution patterns and variations of biodiversity along spatial gradients continues to be a priority for ecological research. We focused on the biodiversity of benthic diatom communities within a large near‐natural watershed. The objectives are: (1) to explore the overall spatial patterns of benthic diatom biodiversity; (2) to investigate the effects associated with watercourse position and environmental variables, as well as both common and rare species on two facets (i.e., taxonomic and functional) of alpha and beta diversity; and (3) to unveil the mechanisms underlying their spatial variations. Alpha diversity indices along the stream watercourse showed a clear increasing trend from upstream to downstream sites. Results of random forest regression identified conductivity as the primary factor influencing functional alpha diversity, while elevation emerged as the predominant factor for taxonomic alpha diversity. Beta diversity partitioning revealed that taxonomic beta diversity generally exceeded functional beta diversity. These diversity measures exhibited different patterns along the watercourse position: taxonomic beta diversity remained relatively consistent along the watercourse, whereas functional total beta diversity and its two components of middle stream sites were lower than those of upstream and downstream sites. Functional beta diversity was sustained by dominant and common species, while rare species made significant contributions to taxonomic beta diversity. Both taxonomic and functional beta diversity and its components displayed a stronger influence from spatial factors than from local environmental, geo‐climatic, and nutrient variables. Collectively, taxonomic and functional alpha and beta diversity demonstrated distinct responses to the main environmental gradients and spatial factors within our catchment, highlighting their different insights into diatom diversity. Furthermore, research is required to assess the generalizability of our findings to similar ecosystems. In addition, this study presents opportunities for expansion to include other taxa (e.g., macroinvertebrates and fish) to gain a comprehensive understanding of the driving mechanisms behind stream biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely accepted that rare species are the first species to become extinct after human-induced disturbances. However, the functional importance of rare species still needs to be better understood, especially in alpine meadow communities with harsher habitats, where the extinction rate of rare species may be higher. This study established a 1.85 × 105 m2 permanent research sample plot on the eastern Tibetan Plateau. We investigated data from 162 plots at 6 different sampling scales in alpine meadows to determine the contribution of rare and common species to alpine meadow communities' structural and functional variability. The results showed that (1) Asteraceae (Compositae) was the dominant family in the surveyed localities. The trends of species diversity indices were the same, and all of them increased with the increase of sampling scale, and the plant community showed apparent scale effects. (2) The community construction of rare species at small scales with high occupancy transitioned from neutral processes to ecological niche processes, while the community construction of common species at different sampling scales was all dominated by ecological niche processes. (3) The trait values of rare species at different sampling scales were different from those of common species, and their distribution in FEs (functional entities) was also different, indicating that they contributed differently to the ecological functions of the communities. Rare species with lower abundance in the surveyed communities had a higher proportion of FEs, indicating that rare species had a more significant proportion of contribution to FEs. The functional redundancy (FR) of rare species was lower than that of common species, and the functional vulnerability (FV) was higher than that of common species. Therefore, the loss of rare species is more likely to cause the loss of community ecological functions, affecting the function and resilience of alpine meadow ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Understanding the processes and mechanisms that shape the distribution patterns and variations of biodiversity along spatial gradients continues to be a priority for ecological research. We focused on the biodiversity of benthic diatom communities within a large near‐natural watershed. The objectives are: (1) to explore the overall spatial patterns of benthic diatom biodiversity; (2) to investigate the effects associated with watercourse position and environmental variables, as well as both common and rare species on two facets (i.e., taxonomic and functional) of alpha and beta diversity; and (3) to unveil the mechanisms underlying their spatial variations. Alpha diversity indices along the stream watercourse showed a clear increasing trend from upstream to downstream sites. Results of random forest regression identified conductivity as the primary factor influencing functional alpha diversity, while elevation emerged as the predominant factor for taxonomic alpha diversity. Beta diversity partitioning revealed that taxonomic beta diversity generally exceeded functional beta diversity. These diversity measures exhibited different patterns along the watercourse position: taxonomic beta diversity remained relatively consistent along the watercourse, whereas functional total beta diversity and its two components of middle stream sites were lower than those of upstream and downstream sites. Functional beta diversity was sustained by dominant and common species, while rare species made significant contributions to taxonomic beta diversity. Both taxonomic and functional beta diversity and its components displayed a stronger influence from spatial factors than from local environmental, geo‐climatic, and nutrient variables. Collectively, taxonomic and functional alpha and beta diversity demonstrated distinct responses to the main environmental gradients and spatial factors within our catchment, highlighting their different insights into diatom diversity. Furthermore, research is required to assess the generalizability of our findings to similar ecosystems. In addition, this study presents opportunities for expansion to include other taxa (e.g., macroinvertebrates and fish) to gain a comprehensive understanding of the driving mechanisms behind stream biodiversity.

Species-abundance distribution (SAD) is essential in understanding the formation and maintenance mechanisms of species diversity. In alpine meadows, aspect affects almost all biological and ecological processes. Therefore, the soil ciliate data obtained by Illumina MiSeq sequencing were used to explore the characteristics of SADs to the soil ciliate communities on different aspects in alpine meadows (south aspect, southwest aspect, west aspect, northwest aspect, north aspect; SA, SWA, WA, NWA, NA, respectively). Statistical models: Log-series model (LSM) and Log-normal model (LNORM), Niche models: Broken stick model (BSM) and Geometric series model (GSM), and a neutral theory model: Meta-community zero-sum multinomial distribution model (MZSM) were selected to fit the soil ciliate data for analysis. The results showed that: (1) the number of common species increased and then decreased from SA to NA, the number of rare species changed in the opposite trend; (2) BSM and GSM were able to fit the SAD of overall soil ciliates species on different aspects, while MZSM was rejected on all aspects, indicating that the niche process dominated the formation of soil ciliate communities in the alpine meadows, and the resource allocation pattern was dominated by fixed allocation; (3) best-fit models for common species were GSM and BSM which were consistent with best-fit models for all species, while the best-fit model for rare species was LNORM, common species dominated the formation of SAD on different aspects and had an irreplaceable role in maintaining community productivity and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many factors known to drive species turnover, although the mechanisms by which these operate are less clear. Based on comprehensive datasets from the largest tree diversity experiment worldwide (BEF-China), we used shared herbivore species (zeta diversity) and multi-site generalized dissimilarity modelling to investigate the patterns and determinants of species turnover of Lepidoptera herbivores among study plots across a gradient in tree species richness. We found that zeta diversity declined sharply with an increasing number of study plots, with complete changes in caterpillar species composition observed even at the fine spatial scale of our study. Plant community characteristics rather than abiotic factors were found to play key roles in driving caterpillar compositional turnover, although these effects varied with an increasing number of study plots considered, due to the varying contributions of rare and common species to compositional turnover. Our study reveals details of the impact of phylogeny- and trait-mediated processes of trees on herbivore compositional turnover, which has implications for forest management and conservation and shows potential avenues for maintenance of heterogeneity in herbivore communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dataset includes records of amphibian and reptile species from northern, central, western and southern Ukraine made by Ukrainian herpetologist O. D. Nekrasova during her field trips in the period from 1996 to 2022. Chosen species were not included in the latest published edition of the Red Data Book of Ukraine (2009) and in the latest lists of such species prepared in 2019. The species mentioned in this dataset are characterised by wide range within the country, covering more than 70% of its territory according to spatial distribution modelling (GIS-modelling) made with the help of Maxent software.The dataset highlights records of eight common species of herpetofauna of Ukraine collected by the first author for the last 26 years. Within the period from 1996 to 2022, O. D. Nekrasova collected and studied information and material on the herpetofauna of the northern, central, western and southern parts of Ukraine from a total of 3960 cadastral points (1707 - for three species of reptiles and 2253 - for five species of amphibians). These records, being now available for the international scientific community, will fill the gap in updated records of the mentioned species, being potentially useful for GIS-modelling, distribution modelling, clarification of conservation lists of national and local importance, further assessment of impact of the war on native biota etc.

Translocations are an increasingly popular conservation tool, although their use to date has been largely reactive, often attempting to stave off the extinction of threatened species. Recently, a more proactive concept of 'wildlife restoration' has been proposed, involving regular, short-distance, community-driven translocations of common but patchily distributed species within agricultural and urban landscapes. We trialled this concept by carrying out experimental translocations of two agamid lizard species from the Little Desert National Park in south-eastern Australia, where they are abundant, to fragments of similar habitat in the adjacent agricultural landscape, where they were absent, or occurring in low numbers. Study animals were monitored via radio-telemetry to assess survival, body condition, site fidelity, activity area, movement and microhabitat use of hard-release and soft-release animals compared to control animals. Survival was generally high over the monitoring period (up to 64 days) with only six (16 %) confirmed deaths and was similar between translocation treatments. Body condition, site fidelity, activity area, movement rate, and microhabitat use were similar between translocated and control animals. Lizards subjected to temporary pens (soft-release) exhibited similar outcomes to those released immediately (hard-release). While the assessment of breeding and population establishment necessitates long-term monitoring, our short-term findings highlight the resilience of translocated reptiles, supporting the notion that 'mainstreaming' fauna translocations could be a viable and effective conservation intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbivores moderate grazing is a fundamental driver of plant diversity maintenance in grassland ecosystems. However, the effects of grazing with different herbivores on plant community composition and recruitment are still little known. Here, we conducted a field moderate grazing experiment to examine the effects of different grazing modes under moderate intensity in the cold season, including sheep grazing (SG), yak grazing (YG), and mixed grazing by sheep and yak (MG), on plant community composition and recruitment. Results showed that all grazing modes significantly decreased plant cover and average height of standing plant litter. Additionally, herbivores grazing significantly increased species richness but decreased community evenness (P < 0.05), with highest richness and evenness found in YG and SG plots, respectively. The trends of increasing aboveground biomass of common and rare species groups were most pronounced in the SG plots relative to the YG and MG plots. MG promoted the increasing of the common species group. From community recruitment, moderate grazing increased the sexual recruitment and decreased the asexual recruitment, and MG significantly inhibited the recruitment of asexual seedlings. Meanwhile, all grazing modes increased the species of poor palatability. These findings imply that the cold-season grazing with moderate intensity facilitated a rapid divergence succession of alpine meadow community by regulating the relative abundance of common and rare species, as well as the asexual seedlings recruitment induced by the removal of standing plant litter. Consequently, the cold-season grazing with different herbivores under moderate intensity can be used as a management tool to modulate grassland community structure and maintain species diversity in alpine grassland ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on plant functional traits have advanced our understanding of plant investment acquisition strategies. However, it is still unknown how a plant investment acquisition strategy varies or how the relative position of plants on the leaf economic spectrum changes across different habitats. Therefore, we conducted the field experiments at two long-term ecological research sites in Shandong and Xinjiang, China, in August 2023. Twenty-two common species in both sites and four endemics in each site were selected for leaf gas exchange traits, leaf growth traits, and leaf nutrient trait measurements. We used two different methods to quantify the leaf economic spectrum, PCA quantification and functional area quantification. We found that the 22 common species had a significantly faster investment acquisition strategy than local endemics on the leaf economic spectrum. Besides, the plasticity of the 22 common species was not coupled with the plasticity of their investment acquisition strategy. According to our results, we quantified and constructed the leaf economic spectrum of the 30 woody plant species in Shandong and Xinjiang and discussed that high plasticity and fast investment acquisition strategy may be an ecological adaptation and distribution strategy for widely distributed species., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s). Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The mechanisms underlying plant species distribution and abundance have been long studied in ecology. However, the role of heterospecific pollen interference in shaping these patterns needs more attention. Species distribution and abundance are important factors determining whether a species is endangered or not; thus, understanding the impact of heterospecific pollen interference on rare species could help to inform conservation strategies aimed at preserving plant communities. In this study, we conducted a multispecies experiment using eight co-occurring and co-flowering plant species with varying rarity levels in Switzerland. We performed cross-pollinations by hand between nearly all species pairs and measured seed set (whether a flower produces seed) and seed number (number of seeds per flower) as outcomes. We looked at the effects of rarity status, self-compatibility, and recipient-donor relatedness on heterospecific pollen interference. Contrary to expectations, neither seed set nor seed number were affected by heterospecific pollen deposition. Self-compatible species had a higher seed set probability, but this was independent from species rarity. In our study setting, heterospecific pollen interference seems to have only minor effects on seed set and seed number, and consequently on recruitment. Thus, heterospecific pollen interference seems to play only a minor role in shaping plant species distribution and abundance. Nevertheless, the higher impact of heterospecific pollen deposition on rare and closely related species, as well as the importance of conspecific pollen loss, might need further investigation for both in situ and ex-situ conservation strategies., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s). Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

This article explores the evolution, unique aspects, and challenges facing exotic animal practice in South Africa. This article delves into the slow emergence of dedicated exotic practices and the challenges faced by veterinarians in a vast and diverse landscape. The unique nature of the veterinary landscape is highlighted, emphasizing the impact of varied climates on species inhabiting different regions. The challenges are multifaceted, ranging from limited education infrastructure to dietary issues, unregulated feeds, and the complexities of herbal medicine use. The narrative explores client education challenges due to the scarcity of dedicated practices, underlining the importance of communication channels., Competing Interests: Disclosure The author has nothing to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The sensitivity of amphibian species to shifts in environmental conditions has been exhibited through long‐term population studies and the projection of ecological niche models under expected conditions. Species in biodiversity hotspots have been the focus of ample predictive modeling studies, while, despite their significant ecological value, wide‐ranging and common taxa have received less attention. We focused on predicting range restriction of the spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum), blue‐spotted salamander (A. laterale), four‐toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum), and red‐backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) under future climate scenarios. Using bias‐corrected future climate data and biodiversity database records, we developed maximum entropy (MaxEnt) models under current conditions and for climate change projections in 2050 and 2070. We calculated positivity rates of species localities to represent proportions of habitat expected to remain climatically suitable with continued climate change. Models projected under future conditions predicted average positivity rates of 91% (89–93%) for the blue‐spotted salamander, 23% (2–41%) for the spotted salamander, 4% (0.7–9%) for the four‐toed salamander, and 61% (42–76%) for the red‐backed salamander. Range restriction increased with time and greenhouse gas concentration for the spotted salamander, four‐toed salamander, and red‐backed salamander. Common, widespread taxa that often receive less conservation resources than other species are at risk of experiencing significant losses to their climatic ranges as climate change continues. Efforts to maintain populations of species should be focused on regions expected to experience fewer climatic shifts such as the interior and northern zones of species' distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation managers cannot manage what they don't know about, yet our existing biodiversity monitoring is idiosyncratic and small in scale. One of Australia's commitments to the Convention for Biological Diversity in 2015 was the creation of a national biodiversity monitoring programme. This has not yet occurred despite the urgent need to monitor common and threatened species, as highlighted by the challenges of determining the biodiversity impacts of the Black Summer fires of 2019/20. In light of improvements to automation, miniaturisation and powering devices, the world urgently needs to scale-up biodiversity monitoring to become coordinated, comprehensive and continuous across large scales. We propose the BIOMON project that could achieve this where individual sensor nodes use machine learning models to identify biodiversity via sound or photos onboard. This could be coupled with abiotic data on temperature and humidity, plus factors such as bushfire smoke. Nodes would be set within networks that transmit the results back to a central cloud repository where robust analyses are conducted and provided free to the public (along with the raw data). Network arrays could be set up across entire continents to measure the change in biodiversity. No one has achieved this yet, and significant challenges remain associated with training the algorithms, low power cellular network coverage, sensor power versus memory trade-offs, and sensor network placement. Much work is still needed to achieve these goals; however we are living in the 21st Century and such lofty goals cannot be achieved unless we start working towards them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the global footprint of urban areas expands, there is increasing motivation to conserve biodiversity in these areas. Cities typically develop in fertile, biodiverse locations, and often contain relatively high numbers of threatened species. Despite this, urban landscapes are often overlooked as conservation priorities. Although birds have been extensively studied in urban areas, research effort may not be consistent among species. An unbalanced representation of species and collective tendencies to focus on particular research topics pose a risk to the completeness of our understanding of urban ornithology. Developing a better understanding of how birds are studied in urban areas is crucial to mitigate the risk of biodiversity loss. Here, we conducted a systematic quantitative literature review to determine research effort at the species level for birds in Australian urban areas. We modelled which species characteristics predict the level of species research effort across studies with varying levels of conservation relevance and study themes. We found that studies with a strong link to conservation were uncommon and that most studies targeted broad suites of species rather than specific groups or species. Species characteristics, including species taxonomic group, migratory behaviour, threat status and body mass, were significant predictors of research effort. These results highlight the biases that exist in urban bird research, showing that applied conservation is uncommon and usually broad. Understanding the biases in Australian urban ornithology establishes a foundation for expected biases on other continents, which once addressed will be beneficial to conserving urban bird biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract In this study, we focused on the direct (i.e., predation) and indirect (i.e., potential threat from coexisting with a larger individual) effects of cannibalism and intraguild predation (IGP) during larval stages of two sibling ladybird beetles. These effects play an important role in the coexistence of the generalist–common Harmonia axyridis and specialist–rare H. yedoensis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Direct predation effect of cannibalism and IGP was asymmetric in the two sibling ladybird beetles; the fourth instar larvae of H. axyridis were better intraguild predators than cannibals, while the reverse was true in the larvae of H. yedoensis. Neither cannibalism nor IGP significantly affected female body weight in either species. Larval H. axyridis surviving exposure to cannibalism or IGP had a reduced number of ovarioles as adults, whereas adult H. yedoensis ovarioles were not affected. For the indirect effects, longer developmental times in males and females and a lower total number of ovarioles in females were detected in H. axyridis. In H. yedoensis, shorter developmental time of males, lighter adult weight and fewer total ovarioles in females were observed. Olfactometer choice experiments clarified that the fourth instar larvae of H. axyridis avoided the first instar conspecific larvae, while those of H. yedoensis were attracted to the odors from H. axyridis and conspecifics. Thus, H. axyridis has an avoidance mechanism only for cannibalism but not for IGP, whereas H. yedoensis does not have any avoidance mechanism. These different behaviors in the direct and indirect effects of cannibalism and IGP observed in the laboratory may play important roles in the coexistence of generalist–common H. axyridis and specialist–rare H. yedoensis in natural conditions, compensating for the large handicap of H. yedoensis at reproductive interference from H. axyridis.

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability affect plant sexual reproduction performance. Seed as the main product of sexual reproduction is expected to be affected by N and P availability in parent plant. We experimentally test how parental N:P stoichiometry affected seed characteristics and performance of two grassland species. Seeds of a common species (Holcus lanatus) and an endangered species (Parnassia palustris) were collected from parent plants under two different N:P ratio growth conditions in a grassland reserve in the Netherlands. We measured the following traits of the two species from the two parental N:P ratio growth conditions: seed N concentration and content, seed P concentration and content, seed length, seed area, seed weight, seed germination, and offspring survival. No significant inter-location difference was found in seed weight of the collected seeds for either of the two species. However, the stronger P-limited conditions at the locations of the parent plants affected seed length and seed area negatively in H. lanatus and positively in P. palustris. Stronger P-limited conditions also decreased seed P concentration and content and increased seed N:P ratio of H. lanatus, but no inter-location nutrient difference was found in seeds of P. palustris. Surprisingly, contrary to what could be expected from seed P concentration and content there was no inter-location difference in seed germination for H. lanatus. For P. palustris, stronger P-limited conditions in the parental environment significantly enhanced seed germination, whereas stronger P-limited conditions in the offspring environment decreased offspring survival, suggesting that P limitation may negatively affect P. palustris rejuvenation. Our results suggest the possibility of different influences of parental N:P ratio and especially of P limitation on seed characteristics and performance of a common and an endangered species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims The factors affecting species abundance are a subject of ongoing debates in community ecology. Empirical studies have demonstrated that tree abundance is affected by plant functional traits and negative density dependence (NDD). However, few studies have focused on the combined effects of NDD and plant functional traits on species abundance. Methods In this study, we used tree functional traits and two census data from a 50-ha forest dynamic plot in the Heishiding (HSD) Nature Reserve to explore the combined effects of functional traits and NDD on species abundance. Using hierarchical Bayesian models, we analyzed how neighbor densities affected the survival of saplings from 130 species and extracted posterior means of the coefficients to represent NDD. The structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis was then applied to investigate the causal relationships among species functional traits, NDD and species abundance. Important Findings SEM showed that tree functional traits, including specific leaf area (SLA), leaf area (LA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf N content (LNC), maximum electron transport rate (ETRmax) and conspecific adult negative density dependence (CNDDadult), together explained 20% of the total variation in tree abundance. Specifically, SLA affected tree abundance both directly and indirectly via CNDDadult, with a totally negative influence on abundance. LDMC and LNC had only indirect effects mediated by CNDDadult on tree abundance. ETRmax and LA had directly negative effects on abundance, but their direct connections with CNDDadult were not observed. In addition, CNDDadult was negatively correlated with species abundance, indicating that abundant species are under stronger NDD. Among these investigated traits, SLA contributed the most to the variation in CNDDadult and abundance. We argued that our findings of trait–CNDDadult–abundance relationships can improve our understanding of the determinants of species commonness and rarity in forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local ecological knowledge holds great potential in contributing to sustainable resource management and conservation activities. For this reason, the authors choose to analyse an ethnobotanical dataset from the Baltic Sea region by exploring the relationship between plants and humans on the basis of three main categories: habitat characteristics, distribution in the wild and plant sensitivity to human impact beyond physical distance. The study provides empirical evidence of widespread usage of so-called common species which are widely distributed in the territory and benefit from human activity. When considering the data via the intensity of use, based on detailed use-reports (DUR), the main category is shown to be apophytes (1001 DUR), followed by anthropophytes (426), hemeradiophores (255) and hemerophobes (54). The authors highlight the co-dependency of plants and humans in the medicinal and wild food domains and stress the need for integrated management strategies where local community knowledge plays a part. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coarse root systems provide a framework for water and nutrient absorption from the soil and play an important role in plant survival in harsh environments. However, the adaptions of plant roots in soil-limited environments with low water storage capacity and nutrient content needs to be better understood. The adaptation strategies of two common plant species (a deciduous tree Platycarya longipes and an evergreen shrub Tirpitzia ovoidea) from two contrasting habitats (a shallow rocky soil and a nearby deep soil) in a karst region of subtropical China were compared and analyzed. Foliar nutrient concentrations, stoichiometry, stable carbon, and oxygen isotopes were used to determine plant nutrient and water use status across these two habitats. Six indexes, including maximum root depth, maximum root radial extent, number of major roots and secondary roots, and tapering rate and curvature, were all investigated to characterize coarse root systems. Results show that both species exhibited similar nutrient and water use status in the two habitats that had contrasting water holding capacity and available nutrient content. On the other hand, although maximum root depths of the individual plants were not deeper than 33 cm, maximum radial extents were much larger when compared to rooting depths. Specifically, the ratio of radial extent to depth in the soil-limited habitat was approximately 6 and 1.5 times higher than that in the deep-soil habitat for the tree and shrub, respectively. Additionally, especially for the tree, a larger root radial extent was further accompanied by lower root tapering rate and bending levels. Our results provided evidence that plants growing in soil-limited environments maintain a stable resource use status along with large radially extended coarse root systems in humid karst regions like southwest China.

Despite a generalist life history and a widespread distribution, the Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) has declined by more than 58% since 1970. In Illinois, where this study was conducted, the current rate of decline is 7.03% annually. We hypothesized that low reproductive success in intensely agricultural areas is driving population decline. To test this, we quantified the nesting success and post-fledging survival of Common Grackles in central Illinois. Over a 2-year period, we monitored 188 nests and tracked the survival of 53 fledglings. Our estimate for nesting success of 0.622 (95% CI: 0.549-0.695) was much higher than the literature average of 0.267. Similarly, although post-fledging survival had not been estimated previously for Common Grackles, our estimate of 0.617 (95% CI: 0.471-0.764) was relatively high compared to that of other songbirds (range: 0.23-0.87). The most important factor influencing these estimates was ordinal date, which had a negative relationship with both nesting success and post-fledging survival. These results suggest that reproductive success is not the primary driver of population decline in Illinois. To expand upon the field portion of our study, we constructed a demographic model and used it to conduct a global sensitivity analysis. In our model, adult survival was the most influential demographic parameter in the context of population change. This study serves as an initial step in understanding the mechanism(s) of decline in the Common Grackle. We recommend additional research on the survival of Common Grackles, particularly in relation to persecution on the wintering grounds and exposure to agricultural chemicals.

The habitat fragmentation and isolation threaten populations of rare species. Organisms become endangered because of the primary habitat loss, but also due to limited dispersal capacity. Whether threatened species are limited more by their dispersal capacity or by lack of suitable habitats is an unresolved question critical to effective conservation. To address the question, we investigated patterns of colonisation by light demanding woodland plants in patches (clearings) of broadleaf forest where open canopy conditions were restored by partial cutting. Six pairs of identically sized (40 × 40 m) clearings were created in closed canopy thermophilous oak forest. Each pair included a clearing isolated in the closed forest and a clearing connected to an alluvial meadow and migration corridor along a river. Within each clearing, we followed colonization success by threatened and common species for 8 years. To assess the relative role of species pool, dispersal limitation and niche-based competition processes (viewed through the plant functional traits), we compared vegetation composition of the clearings to that of surrounding habitats (closed forest, open forest, meadow, forest edge). Clearings hosted more threatened species than closed forests, forest edges and meadows. Existing patches of open forest harboured the highest diversity of threatened species. Their proximity increased colonization success of threatened plants in clearings. Higher colonization rates by threatened plants were associated with shorter distances to source habitats and higher light, higher pH and lower moisture values in the clearings. Clearing type affected composition and ecological strategies of threatened species. Connected clearings were colonized by taller light-demanding species with higher seed mass, more suitable for establishment in a highly competitive environment, while the isolated clearings were colonized by shorter species with higher specific leaf area, better equipped for a more shaded environment. Species richness of threatened species increased in the first 3 years and decreased in last years, indicating that forest thinning creates only a short-term regeneration window with tree and shrub canopy closing back relatively fast. Active intervention should be therefore repeated in short intervals, preferably as shifting mosaics of differently aged stands. Our results bring novel information on the relative importance of habitat quality, isolation, and biotic filtering on communities of threatened species and their colonization success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coarse root systems provide a framework for water and nutrient absorption from the soil and play an important role in plant survival in harsh environments. However, the adaptions of plant roots in soil-limited environments with low water storage capacity and nutrient content needs to be better understood. The adaptation strategies of two common plant species (a deciduous tree Platycarya longipes and an evergreen shrub Tirpitzia ovoidea) from two contrasting habitats (a shallow rocky soil and a nearby deep soil) in a karst region of subtropical China were compared and analyzed. Foliar nutrient concentrations, stoichiometry, stable carbon, and oxygen isotopes were used to determine plant nutrient and water use status across these two habitats. Six indexes, including maximum root depth, maximum root radial extent, number of major roots and secondary roots, and tapering rate and curvature, were all investigated to characterize coarse root systems. Results show that both species exhibited similar nutrient and water use status in the two habitats that had contrasting water holding capacity and available nutrient content. On the other hand, although maximum root depths of the individual plants were not deeper than 33 cm, maximum radial extents were much larger when compared to rooting depths. Specifically, the ratio of radial extent to depth in the soil-limited habitat was approximately 6 and 1.5 times higher than that in the deep-soil habitat for the tree and shrub, respectively. Additionally, especially for the tree, a larger root radial extent was further accompanied by lower root tapering rate and bending levels. Our results provided evidence that plants growing in soil-limited environments maintain a stable resource use status along with large radially extended coarse root systems in humid karst regions like southwest China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we focused on the direct (i.e., predation) and indirect (i.e., potential threat from coexisting with a larger individual) effects of cannibalism and intraguild predation (IGP) during larval stages of two sibling ladybird beetles. These effects play an important role in the coexistence of the generalist–common Harmonia axyridis and specialist–rare H. yedoensis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Direct predation effect of cannibalism and IGP was asymmetric in the two sibling ladybird beetles; the fourth instar larvae of H. axyridis were better intraguild predators than cannibals, while the reverse was true in the larvae of H. yedoensis. Neither cannibalism nor IGP significantly affected female body weight in either species. Larval H. axyridis surviving exposure to cannibalism or IGP had a reduced number of ovarioles as adults, whereas adult H. yedoensis ovarioles were not affected. For the indirect effects, longer developmental times in males and females and a lower total number of ovarioles in females were detected in H. axyridis. In H. yedoensis, shorter developmental time of males, lighter adult weight and fewer total ovarioles in females were observed. Olfactometer choice experiments clarified that the fourth instar larvae of H. axyridis avoided the first instar conspecific larvae, while those of H. yedoensis were attracted to the odors from H. axyridis and conspecifics. Thus, H. axyridis has an avoidance mechanism only for cannibalism but not for IGP, whereas H. yedoensis does not have any avoidance mechanism. These different behaviors in the direct and indirect effects of cannibalism and IGP observed in the laboratory may play important roles in the coexistence of generalist–common H. axyridis and specialist–rare H. yedoensis in natural conditions, compensating for the large handicap of H. yedoensis at reproductive interference from H. axyridis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat destruction is among the greatest threats facing biodiversity, and it affects common and threatened species alike. However, metrics for communicating its impacts typically overlook the nonthreatened component of assemblages. This risks the loss of habitat going unreported for species that comprise the majority of assemblages. We adapted a widely used measure for summarizing researcher output (the h index) to provide a metric that describes natural habitat loss for entire assemblages, inclusive of threatened and nonthreatened species. For each of 447 Australian native terrestrial bird species, we combined information on their association with broad vegetation groups with distributional range maps to identify the difference between the estimated pre‐European and current extents of potential habitat, defined as vegetation groups most closely associated with each species. From this, we calculated the loss index (LI), which revealed that 30% of native birds have each lost at least 30% of their potential natural habitat (LI = 30). At the subcontinental scale, LIs ranged from 15 in arid Australia to 61 in the highly transformed southeastern part of the country. Different subcomponents of the assemblage had different LI values. For example, Australia's parrots (n = 52 species) had an LI of 38, whereas raptors (n = 32 species) had an LI of 25. The LI is simple to calculate and can be determined using readily available spatial information on species distributions, native vegetation associations, and human impacts on natural land cover. This metric, including the curves used to deduce it, could complement other biodiversity indices if it is used for regional and global biodiversity assessments that compare the status of natural habitat extent for assemblages within and among nations, monitor changes through time, and forecast future changes to guide strategic land‐use planning. The LI is an intuitive tool that can be used to summarize and communicate how human actions affect whole assemblages, not just threatened species. Article impact statement: The habitat loss index allows for effect of habitat removal on multispecies assemblages to be easily described and systematically tracked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Only a few comprehensive studies have been carried out on parasites in amphibians and reptiles in Ukraine. This has resulted in identifying over 100 helminth species across these vertebrate groups. However, most of the studies were performed in the 20 th century and the taxonomy of many parasites and their hosts has changed ever since, in addition to the discovery of new species and registrations of species that had not been previously known for Ukraine. In recent decades, there have been very few publications on helminths from amphibian or reptile hosts in this region. Notably, just one of these recent studies is a faunistic study, providing a list of helminths found in two species of green frogs - Pelophylaxridibundus (Pallas, 1771) and Pelophylaxesculentus (Linnaeus, 1758). Therefore, it is clear that publishing datasets of modern records of helminths in these vertebrate groups, based on modern taxonomy, is an essential step in further studies of their parasitic diversity. Additionally, such study is important in terms of global climate change, the growing number of possibilities of invasion of alien species (both hosts and parasites) that might potentially become a threat to native biota and growing anthropogenic pressure on local populations of hosts that affect the parasites as well. In future, this study is planned to be used for the creation of a checklist of helminths of the herpetofauna of Ukraine. The present dataset is an inventory of various species of helminths parasitising common species of the herpetofauna in central, northern, western and southern Ukraine recorded during field studies in the 2021-2023 period., New Information: The dataset is the first one to represent the up-to-date and unified data on helminths of reptiles and amphibians of Ukraine. Previously, records of this group of organisms with reference to their hosts were presented as several separate records within the country. Currently, this is the largest dataset presenting geocoded records of non-human-related helminths in the fauna of Ukraine. It reports helminth species from 15 hosts (205 individuals), including eight amphibians and seven reptilian species found in various Ukrainian regions. A total of 47 helminth species have been documented in the research and during 2021-2023 period on the territory of northern (Kyiv and Zhytomyr), western (Lviv, Zakarpattia Ivano-Frankivsk), central (Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy, Zaporizhzhia and Poltava) and southern (Odesa) regions of Ukraine. The identified helminth species belong to the following phyla: Acanthocephala (Centrorhynchidae (2), Echinorhynchidae (2)); Nematoda (Acuariidae, Anisakidae, Cosmocercidae (3), Dioctophymatidae, Gnathostomatidae (1), Kathlanidae (1), Molineidae (7), Onchocercidae (1), Pharyngodonidae (1), Rhabdiasidae (6), Strongyloididae); Platyhelminthes (Diplodiscidae (1), Diplostomidae (2), Encyclometridae (1), Haematoloechidae (1), Leptophallidae (2), Macroderidae (1), Mesocestoididae, Opisthorchiidae (2), Plagiorchiidae (3), Pleurogenidae (2), Polystomatidae (3), Proteocephalidae (1), Strigeidae (1) and Telorchiidae (3)). Only some helminths in the dataset were not identified to species level. Material is stored in the collection of the department of Parasitology of the I. I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology NAS of Ukraine., (Oleksii Marushchak, Yaroslav Syrota, Ivanna Dmytrieva, Yuri Kuzmin, Andrii Nechai, Olga Lisitsyna, Roman Svitin.)

Empirical knowledge of diversity–stability relationships is mostly based on the analysis of temporal variability. Variability, however, often depends on external factors that act as disturbances, which makes comparisons across systems difficult to interpret. Here, we show how variability can reveal inherent stability properties of ecological communities. This requires that we abandon one‐dimensional representations, in which a single variability measurement is taken as a proxy for how stable a system is, and instead consider the whole set of variability values generated by all possible stochastic perturbations. Despite this complexity, in species‐rich systems, a generic pattern emerges from community assembly, relating variability to the abundance of perturbed species. Strikingly, the contrasting contributions of different species abundance classes to variability, driven by different types of perturbations, can lead to opposite diversity–stability patterns. We conclude that a multidimensional perspective on variability helps reveal the dynamical richness of ecological systems and the underlying meaning of their stability patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The pattern of a few abundant species and many rarer species is a defining characteristic of communities worldwide. These abundant species are often referred to as dominant species. Yet, despite their importance, the term dominant species is poorly defined and often used to convey different information by different authors. Based on a review of historical and contemporary definitions we develop a synthetic definition of dominant species. This definition incorporates the relative local abundance of a species, its ubiquity across the landscape, and its impact on community and ecosystem properties. A meta‐analysis of removal studies shows that the loss of species identified as dominant by authors can significantly impact ecosystem functioning and community structure. We recommend two metrics that can be used jointly to identify dominant species in a given community and provide a roadmap for future avenues of research on dominant species. In our review, we make the case that the identity and effects of dominant species on their environments are key to linking patterns of diversity to ecosystem function, including predicting impacts of species loss and other aspects of global change on ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human modification of the environment is driving declines in population size and distributional extent of much of the world's biota. These declines extend to many of the most abundant and widespread species, for which proportionally small declines can result in the loss of vast numbers of individuals, biomass, and interactions. These losses could have major localized effects on ecological and cultural processes and services without elevating a species' global extinction risk. Although most conservation effort is directed at species threatened with extinction in the very near term, the value of retaining abundance regardless of global extinction risk is justifiable based on many biodiversity or ecosystem service metrics, including cultural services, at scales from local to global. The challenges of identifying conservation priorities for widespread and abundant species include quantifying the effects of species' abundance on services and understanding how these effects are realized as populations decline. Negative effects of population declines may be disconnected from the threat processes driving declines because of species movements and environment flows (e.g., hydrology). Conservation prioritization for these species shares greater similarity with invasive species risk assessments than extinction risk assessments because of the importance of local context and per capita effects of abundance on other species. Because conservation priorities usually focus on preventing the extinction of threatened species, the rationale and objectives for incorporating declines of nonthreatened species must be clearly articulated, going beyond extinction risk to encompass the range of likely harmful effects (e.g., secondary extinctions, loss of ecosystem services) if declines persist or are not reversed. Research should focus on characterizing the effects of local declines in species that are not threatened globally across a range of ecosystem services and quantifying the spatial distribution of these effects through the distribution of abundance. The case for conserving abundance in nonthreatened species can be made most powerfully when the costs of losing this abundance are better understood. Article impact statement: Importance of conserving the abundance of nonthreatened species must be assessed against the costs of its loss to ecosystems and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied a set of common breeding birds living in a heterogeneous oak wood mosaic of Apennines (central Italy) where a wind farm occurred. Aim to assess differences in composition and structure between a treatment area (with wind farm turbines) and a control area (without wind farm turbines). We did not observe differences at assemblage (uni-and bi-variate metrics of diversity: mean species richness, Shannon–Wiener diversity index, evenness, Whittaker βw index and diversity/dominance diagrams), guild and species level (relative frequencies). The limited habitat perforation and dissection induced by wind farm turbines and service roads (10% in area) and the consequent changes in spatial heterogeneity and level of anthropogenic disturbance (induced by a higher motor-car and people frequentation) did not seem to affect the breeding bird communities in oak mosaics, as supported also by the diversity/dominance analysis. However, our preliminary conclusions are limited only to the indirect impact on common breeding bird species and are not related on to possible direct impacts deriving from wind farm facilities and related infrastructures (e.g., direct impact for collision). Moreover, further research is necessary to detect possible higher thresholds in habitat perforation that may induce changes in breeding bird assemblages.