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Recent increases in frequency and intensity of warm water anomalies and marine heatwaves have led to shifts in species ranges and assemblages. Genomic tools can be instrumental in detecting such shifts. In the early stages of a project assessing population genetic structure in Pacific Sardine (Sardinops sagax), we detected the presence of Japanese Sardine (Sardinops melanosticta) along the west coast of North America for the first time. We assembled a high quality, chromosome-scale reference genome of the Pacific Sardine and generated low coverage, whole genome sequence (lcWGS) data for 345 sardine collected in the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME) in 2021 and 2022. Fifty individuals sampled in 2022 were identified as Japanese Sardine based on strong differentiation observed in lcWGS SNP and full mitogenome data. Although we detected a single case of mitochondrial introgression, we did not observe evidence for recent hybridization events. These findings change our understanding of Sardinops spp. distribution and dispersal in the Pacific and highlight the importance of long-term monitoring programs.

ObjectivesChimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are patrilocal, with males remaining in their natal community and females dispersing when they reach sexual maturity. However, the details of female chimpanzee dispersal, such as their possible origin, are difficult to assess, even in habituated communities. This study investigates the utility of 87Sr/86Sr analysis for (1) assessing Sr baseline differences between chimpanzee territories and (2) identifying the status (immigrant or natal) of females of unknown origin within the territories of five neighboring communities in Taï National Park (Côte d'Ivoire).Materials and methodsTo create a local Sr isoscape for the Taï Chimpanzee Project (TCP) study area, we sampled environmental samples from TCP-established territories (n = 35). To assess dispersal patterns, 34 tooth enamel samples (one per individual) were selected from the Taï chimpanzee skeletal collection. 87Sr/86Sr analysis was performed on all 69 samples at the W.M. Keck Lab. The theoretical density and overlap of chimpanzee communities as well as generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) were used to test each question.Results87Sr/86Sr ratios for natal male chimpanzees ranged from 0.71662 to 0.72187, which is well within the corresponding environmental baseline range of 0.70774-0.73460. The local Sr isoscapes fit was estimated with the root-mean-square error value, which was 0.0048 (22% of the whole 87Sr/86Sr data range). GLMMs identified significant differences in 87Sr/86Sr ratios between natal and unknown North community origin groups, suggesting that after 1980, females of unknown origin could be immigrants to North community (n = 7, z-ratio = -4.08, p = 0.0001, power = 0.94).DiscussionThis study indicates that 87Sr/86This study indicates that 87Sr/86Sr analysis can successfully identify immigrant females in skeletal collections obtained from wild chimpanzee communities, enabling the tracking of female dispersal patterns historically. There are, however, significant limitations within the scope of this study, such as (1) the absence of reliable maps for the TCP study area, (2) limited capacity for environmental sampling, (3) small sample sizes, and (4) tooth formation in wild chimpanzees.

Dispersal of reproductive propagules determines recruitment patterns and connectivity among populations and can influence how populations respond to major disturbance events. Dispersal distributions can depend on propagule release strategies. For instance, the bull kelp, Nereocystis luetkeana, can release propagules (spores) from two heights in the water column ("bimodal release"): at the water surface, directly from the reproductive tissues (sori) on the kelp's blades, and near the seafloor after the sori abscise and sink through the water column. N. luetkeana is a foundation species that occurs from central California to Alaska and is experiencing unprecedented levels of population declines near its southern range limit. We know little of the kelp's dispersal distributions, which could influence population recovery and restoration. Here, we quantify how bimodal spore release heights affect dispersal outcomes based on a numerical model specifically designed for N. luetkeana. The model incorporates oceanographic conditions typical of the species' coastal range and kelp biological traits. With bimodal release heights, 34% of spores are predicted to settle within 10 m of the parental alga and 60% are predicted to disperse beyond 100 m. As an annual species, bimodal release heights can facilitate the local regeneration of adults within a source kelp forest while also supporting connectivity among multiple forests within broader bull kelp metapopulations. To leverage this pattern of bimodal spore dispersal in bull kelp restoration management, directing resources toward strategically located focal populations that can seed other ones could amplify the scale of recovery.

Decisions to disperse from a habitat stand out among organismal behaviours as pivotal drivers of ecosystem dynamics across scales. Encounters with other species are an important component of adaptive decision-making in dispersal, resulting in widespread behaviours like tracking resources or avoiding consumers in space. Despite this, metacommunity models often treat dispersal as a function of intraspecific density alone. We show, focusing initially on three-species network motifs, that interspecific dispersal rules generally drive a transition in metacommunities from homogeneous steady states to self-organized heterogeneous spatial patterns. However, when ecologically realistic constraints reflecting adaptive behaviours are imposed-prey tracking and predator avoidance-a pronounced homogenizing effect emerges where spatial pattern formation is suppressed. We demonstrate this effect for each motif by computing master stability functions that separate the contributions of local and spatial interactions to pattern formation. We extend this result to species-rich food webs using a random matrix approach, where we find that eventually, webs become large enough to override the homogenizing effect of adaptive dispersal behaviours, leading once again to predominately pattern-forming dynamics. Our results emphasize the critical role of interspecific dispersal rules in shaping spatial patterns across landscapes, highlighting the need to incorporate adaptive behavioural constraints in efforts to link local species interactions and metacommunity structure. This article is part of the theme issue Diversity-dependence of dispersal: interspecific interactions determine spatial dynamics.

Understanding microbial adaptation is crucial for predicting how soil carbon dynamics and global biogeochemical cycles will respond to climate change. This study employs the DEMENT model of microbial decomposition, along with empirical mutation and dispersal rates, to explore the roles of mutation and dispersal in the adaptation of soil microbial populations to shifts in litter chemistry, changes that are anticipated with climate-driven vegetation dynamics. Following a change in litter chemistry, mutation generally allows for a higher rate of litter decomposition than dispersal, especially when dispersal predominantly introduces genotypes already present in the population. These findings challenge the common idea that mutation rates are too low to affect ecosystem processes on ecological timescales. These results demonstrate that evolutionary processes, such as mutation, can help maintain ecosystem functioning as the climate changes.

We tested the hypothesis that, for land snails, long-distance dispersal across oceans is primarily via aerial dispersal (i.e. wind- or bird-mediated), which likely favors so-called micromolluscs through immigrant selection for small (aerially buoyant) body size. Immigrant selection is a filtering process favoring phenotypes conferring greater capacities for long-distance dispersal. We also tested predictions of E. O. Wilson’s taxon cycle, which hypothesizes that descendant species of island colonists are subject to a series of ecological and evolutionary dynamics, resulting over time in progressively more ecologically specialized island endemics with more limited dispersal capacity. We tested predictions of immigrant selection on aerial dispersal and the taxon cycle in native Pacific Island land snails of the Samoan Islands, Mariana Islands, and Lord Howe Island and neighboring small islands using geographic range, shell size, microhabitat, and elevation data compiled from primary and secondary literature. Single-archipelago endemic species found on multiple islands within an archipelago had significantly larger shell sizes than widespread species found in multiple archipelagos and single-island endemic species. Single-archipelago endemic and single-island endemic species were associated with vegetation and ground/rock microhabitats, respectively, whereas widespread species were more likely to be microhabitat generalists. Single-island endemic species were more likely to occur at high-elevation habitats, while widespread species were more likely to be confined to low-elevation habitats. Consistent with predictions of the taxon cycle and immigrant selection on aerial dispersal, Pacific Island land snails endemic to single islands or archipelagos (i.e. those assumed to be later in the taxon cycle) are more likely to have larger body size (archipelago endemics) and to occupy higher elevations (i.e. island interiors; island endemics) in more specialized microhabitats (all endemics).

Human activity generates new global processes, including range expansions caused by landscape transformations, climate change, and biological invasions. The study of the causes and processes that accompany the colonization of new areas, as well as the ecological and evolutionary consequences, has been developing rapidly in the last 20 years at the junction of such domains of biology as spatial ecology, ecology of movement, ecology of invasions, metapopulation theory, behavioral ecology, evolutionary ecology, population genetics, and personality research. In this review, we summarize theoretical ideas and empirical studies to answer two main questions: what distinguishes colonists from the residents of source populations and what specific demographic and genetic processes drive and accompany the wave of population expansion? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: As climate change increasingly threatens the world's coral reefs, enhancing their resilience by improving population connectivity for key reef species is crucial for ensuring their persistence. Here, we evaluate the population genomic structure of two common coral species, Pocillopora acuta and Porites sp., chosen due to their divergent life histories. Thousands of single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were sequenced and analysed to infer regional connectivity patterns in Southeast Asia, a region that harbours a tremendous diversity of marine life. Location: Coasts of the Malay Peninsula and northern Borneo, covering ~1 million km2. Method: NextRAD genotyping‐by‐sequencing of 185 Porites sp. and 221 Pocillopora acuta colonies. Libraries were prepared and sequenced on Illumina NovaSeq 6000. Genotyping involved initial quality controls, allele frequency filtering and checks for contamination. Genetic structure was assessed with Bayesian clustering, and relationships between genetic variation and environmental factors were studied through redundancy analysis. Contemporary gene flow was estimated using BayesAss. Results: We observed panmixia among the broadcasting Porites sp. populations, while for the brooding Pocillopora acuta, the Malay Peninsula acts a strong barrier to dispersal between the Malacca Strait and the southern South China Sea. Moreover, its genomic structure seems to follow current marine ecoregion delineation. By analysing contemporary migrant movement, we can prioritise reef localities for conservation. In particular, localities at the Andaman Coral Coast are contemporarily isolated from the other localities, and Tioman is identified as a major larval source for both species. Main Conclusion: Our analyses highlight contrasting population differentiation patterns between the two species that can be explained by the disparity in their reproductive strategies. These findings are important for biodiversity managers in Southeast Asia; incorporation of regional connectivity considerations into conservation planning can help safeguard ecosystem resilience and persistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species conservation and management benefit from precise understanding of natural patterns of dispersal and genetic variation. Using recent advances in indirect genetic methods applied to both adult plants and dispersed seeds, we find that the mean seed dispersal in a threatened marine foundation plant (the eelgrass Zostera marina) is approximately 100–200 m. This distance is surprisingly more similar to that of wind‐dispersed terrestrial seeds (~10s to 100s of meters) than the passive dispersal of marine propagules via currents (~10s to 100s of kilometres). Because nearshore marine plants like Zostera are commonly distributed across strong selective gradients driven by bathymetry (depth) even within these restricted spatial scales, seeds are capable of dispersing to novel water depths and experiencing profound shifts in light availability, temperature and wave exposure. We documented strong phenotypic variation and genome‐wide differentiation among plants separated by approximately the spatial scale of mean realised dispersal. This result suggests genetic isolation by environment in response to depth‐related environmental gradients as one plausible explanation for this pattern. The ratio of effective to census size (or Ne/Nc) approximated 0.1%, indicating that a fraction of existing plants provides the genetic variation to allow adaptation to environmental change. Our results suggest that successful conservation of seagrass meadows that can adapt to microspatial and temporal variation in environmental conditions will be low without direct and persistent intervention using large numbers of individuals or a targeted selection of genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tree hollows support a specialised species‐rich fauna. We review the habitat requirements of saproxylic (= deadwood dependent) invertebrates which occupy tree hollows. We focus on studies quantifying relationships between species occurrence patterns and characteristics of tree hollows, hollow trees, and the surrounding landscape. We also explore the processes influencing species occurrence patterns by reviewing studies on the spatio‐temporal dynamics of populations, including their dispersal and genetic structure. Our literature search in the database Scopus identified 52 relevant publications, all of which were studies from Europe. The dominant taxonomic group studied was beetles. Invertebrates in hollow trees were often more likely to be recorded in trees with characteristics reflecting a large amount of resources or a stable and warm microclimate, such as a large diameter, large amounts of wood mould (= loose material accumulated in the hollows mainly consisting of decaying wood), a high level of sun exposure, and with entrance holes that are large and either at a low or high height, and in dry hollows, with entrances not directed upwards. A stable microclimate is probably a key factor why some species of saproxylic invertebrates are confined to tree hollows. Other factors that are different in comparison to downed dead wood is the fact that hollows at a given height from the ground provide shelter from ground‐living predators, that hollows persist for longer, and that the content of nutrients might be enhanced by the accumulation of dead leaves, insect frass, and remains from dead insects. Several studies have identified a positive relationship between species occupancy per tree and the amount of habitat in the surrounding landscape, with a variation in the spatial scale at which characteristics of the surrounding landscape had the strongest effect over spatial scales from 200 to 3000 m. We found empirical support for the extinction threshold hypothesis, which predicts that the frequency of species presence per tree is greater if a certain number of trees are aggregated into a few large clusters of hollow trees rather than distributed among many small clusters. Observed thresholds in species occurrence patterns can be explained by colonisation–extinction dynamics, with species occupancy per tree influenced by variation in rates of immigration. Consistent with this assumption, field studies suggest that dispersal rate and range can be low for invertebrates occupying tree hollows, although higher in a warmer climate. For one species in which population dynamics has been studied over 25 years (Osmoderma eremita), the observed population dynamics have characteristics of a "habitat‐tracking metapopulation", as local extinctions from trees occur possibly because those trees become unsuitable as well as due to stochastic processes in small populations. The persistence of invertebrate fauna confined to tree hollows may be improved by prolonging the standing life of existing hollow trees. It is also important to recruit new generations of hollow trees, preferably close to existing larger groups of hollow trees. Thus, the spatio‐temporal dynamics of hollow trees is crucial for the invertebrate fauna that rely upon them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hover flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) are a group of insects containing many migratory species that provide critical ecosystem services including pollination, decomposition and biological control. Their migratory behaviour remains largely overlooked and unacknowledged, but an influx of contemporary research is beginning to shift this.The goal of this review is to summarise and synthesise the past 150+ years of global hover fly migration research from over 50 papers in multiple languages. Here, we provide comprehensive evidence for hover fly migration through the lens of the methodologies used for studying these phenomena, the biological mechanisms for migration and the associated ecological and economic impacts. We also include an inventory of all recognised migratory species and discuss taxonomic patterns.In total, we compiled accounts of 46 species that are considered migratory, most of which were sourced from Europe. Recent reports, however, have also described hover fly migration in North America, Asia, the Middle East and Australia. Approximately 70% of these species are from the subfamily Syrphinae, which are important biological control agents.The migratory behaviour of hover flies has substantial impacts on ecosystem services and may be linked to long‐distance gene flow for many angiosperms via pollen transportation. These insects are also likely redistributing biological control services at a continental scale on an annual basis, which has major repercussions for the management of crop pests such as aphids. The sensitivity of hover fly migration to anthropogenic impacts is not well known, but shifting climatic conditions, pollution and increased habitat fragmentation are likely impactful and should be further explored.Despite recent advances and increased interest in the subject, hover fly migration remains understudied and many major knowledge gaps continue to persist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural intensification causes the loss and fragmentation of natural habitats, which negatively impacts farmland biodiversity. The concomitant isolation of essential resources may favour increased dispersal ability in flying insects, resulting in differences in flight morphology and dispersal propensity across landscapes.We collected the butterfly Coenonympha pamphilus in four replicated landscape pairs, each consisting of (a) a highly fragmented and intensified 'modern' and (b) a less fragmented 'traditional' agricultural landscape. We compared condition (i.e. storage reserves), flight morphology, dispersal capacity and propensity of the collected butterflies between both landscape types. We also tested for the impact of landscape composition and configuration at different spatial scales on butterfly traits.No differences between landscape types per se could be found, but a variety of landscape features affected butterfly traits, indicating complex interactions between landscape heterogeneity and dispersal. In particular, landscapes with a high proportion of crop fields appeared to be selected for phenotypes enhancing dispersal ability.Since dispersal is a key factor for the persistence of metapopulations in fragmented landscapes, we argue that limitations on dispersal in relation to compositional and configurational landscape heterogeneity should be considered in the debate on insect declines in agricultural landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International tourists are recognised as vectors of alien microbes, plants, and animals into protected areas worldwide, either by introducing species from overseas or redistributing alien species within a region. Quantitative estimates of the risk from this introduction pathway have relied on surveys of invasive alien species associated with tourist clothing or transport vectors. In contrast, the large-scale movement of tourists across multiple protected areas within a region has rarely been examined. The New Zealand International Visitor Survey was used to estimate the frequency with which several thousand international travellers visited the nation's 13 national parks. Trends in international visitor movements were compared immediately prior to the closure of international borders due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and again once the border had reopened. Approximately one-third of international visitors only visited a single national park but over 20% visited five or more. The long tail in the frequency of national parks visited highlights that a small number of tourists pose a greater risk of introducing or moving invasive alien species among different protected areas. European tourists visited more national parks and were more likely to camp or stay in mountain huts while in New Zealand, potentially posing a greater biosecurity risk than other nationalities. The largely montane nature of most national parks imposes a strong bioclimatic filter on alien species establishment and combined with border controls, suggests international tourists pose a greater risk by disseminating already established alien species more widely among and within national parks. Network analyses highlighted geographic clustering of national parks based on tourist movements that might facilitate regional spread of alien species. Greater investment in the education of international tourists about the biosecurity risks they pose through spreading alien species into national parks is needed to address Target 6 of the Global Biodiversity Framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetlands around the world face unprecedented threats, including from invasive species. In North America, the invasive cattail hybrid Typha x glauca dominates wetlands around the Laurentian Great Lakes; more recently it was found in high abundance across the central and eastern Prairie Pothole Region, an area that includes one of the world's largest wetland complexes. Surveys of the Typha hybrid zone have so far been largely conducted in areas where hybrids are well established, and it therefore remains unclear whether the range expansion of this invasive hybrid occurs after the establishment of its maternal species, T. angustifolia. We surveyed 50 wetlands in the western PPR and found that while 75% of plants were native T. latifolia, the second most common group was F1 hybrids, which had greater abundance and occupancy than T. angustifolia despite the fact that T. angustifolia produces relatively few hybrid seeds; our findings therefore highlight the importance of long-distance dispersal for this hybrid range expansion. The distribution of hybrids combined with the paucity of non-F1 hybrids suggest that the western PPR represents a leading edge of the range expansion by invasive T. × glauca. Our results show that T. × glauca has the capacity for continued range expansion that does not rely on the presence of T. angustifolia, and the impacts of this range expansion should be monitored because of its potential to impede ecosystem services and reduce local biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flooded areas can create temporary connections between adjacent drainages and are a relatively understudied pathway for the spread of aquatic invasive species. The Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database's Flood and Storm Tracker maps were developed to help natural resource managers with post-storm aquatic invasive species detection and assessment efforts. As of the summer of 2023, 16 Flood and Storm Tracker maps have been published from hurricanes and flooding events in the United States and territorial islands. Three regions along the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean had overlapping areas of repeated flood impacts, and fifteen pairs of adjacent river basins were potentially connected during floods. Each map had a median of 77 non-native freshwater taxa and a median of 3 U.S. prohibited species within their respective flood-impacted area. The Flood and Storm Tracker maps provide resource managers with information about new aquatic invasions due to potential flood dispersal that can assist with early detection and rapid response systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The recently created Vjosa Wild River National Park sets precedence at the European scale to protect a rare river ecosystem and, at the same time, the last refuge of the almost extinct mayfly Prosopistoma pennigerum (Müller 1785, Fig. 1). We extensively searched for the species in the Vjosa and five abiotically similar but fragmented surrounding rivers. To characterize the genetic diversity of the Vjosa population and assess its potential as a source population, we analysed partial mtCOI data. Besides high abundances in the Vjosa River, we observed only a few specimens in the free-flowing section of the Osumi River, but in no other investigated river although suitable habitat appears to be widely available at site-scale. Molecular analysis of 174 specimens revealed largely homogeneous sequences across all sampling sites and an almost 100% infection rate with Wolbachia sp. that suggests parthenogenetic reproduction, possibly as a strategy to increase resilience to high natural disturbance dynamics. We argue that P. pennigerum should serve as a flagship species for the Vjosa Wild River National Park. The species is exceptionally aesthetic, and its most viable, but apparently parthenogenetic populations are restricted to the Vjosa River where the species is widespread. The restricted regional distribution indicates only weak (or no) potential to recolonize and/or re-establish in other rivers, and the absence from fragmented rivers suggests dependence on high ecological integrity. Implications for conservation: Our findings thus sanction our nomination of P. pennigerum as the flagship species for the Vjosa Wild River National Park. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trap cropping has long been an important component of integrated pest management schemes in agricultural ecosystems. Spatial dispersion and the strength of attraction of trap crops relative to principal crops, along with insect movement behavior, may all moderate the efficacy of trap cropping in controlling pests. Here we employ a simple differential-equation patch model to explore the interplay of trap cropping and biological control. In particular, we vary attraction strength to trap crops along with predator foraging behavior (mobility and directedness) to determine the relative influences of these factors on herbivore suppression. Our results highlight the fact pest suppression is mediated by the relative palatability of trap crops to both pests and predators, and somewhat mediated by the spatial dispersion of trap crops. We discuss the potential for using trap crops in combination with natural enemies to boost pest suppression in annual cropping systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) is a very popular garden plant and has been widely reported as a garden escape, for example, in Central Europe. We recorded flower visitors and consumers of fruits and conducted pollination experiments to improve our understanding of the degree of ecological integration of P. laurocerasus in the newly colonized range in Central Europe. We observed a range of different flower visitors, especially bees and syrphid flies. Bee visitation rates decreased with increasing canopy cover, whereas fly visitation rates were independent of canopy cover. Prunus laurocerasus is reported as outcrossing in its native range, but we could demonstrate that the plant is facultatively selfing in our study area. Open pollination led to abundant fruit set, and fruit consumption by common blackbirds was observed. Overall, our study documents that the reproductive ecology of P. laurocerasus is well adapted to the conditions (e.g., pollinators, seed dispersers) of the newly colonized range in central Europe and underlines the invasive potential of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Aim Location Taxon Methods Results Main Conclusion We assessed the influence of island isolation on the composition of insular bird assemblages with a particular focus on species traits associated with dispersal. To do so, we tested whether ecomorphological metrics of dispersal ability, namely hand‐wing index and Kipp's distance, increase with increasing island isolation.Global.Birds.We integrated global datasets of island characteristics with distribution and ecomorphological trait information of birds; our final dataset comprised information for 2034 native, resident and terrestrial species inhabiting 2399 islands. Species restricted to islands were removed to avoid potentially confounding effects of speciation, such as the evolution of flightlessness or poor flight on islands. Using the generalised additive models, we tested for the relationship between hand‐wing index or Kipp's distance and island isolation, accounting for the effects of island area and spatial autocorrelation. We performed the analyses separately for (i) continental and oceanic islands and (ii) for all terrestrial birds and for passerine birds only.Hand‐wing index and Kipp's distance were positively related to island isolation on oceanic islands, that is bird communities on more isolated oceanic islands were composed of species with wings that had a higher aspect ratio and were more elongated. However, this relationship did not hold for continental islands. We found these patterns to be consistent for all terrestrial birds as well as for passerine birds only.Our study provides strong evidence that island isolation influences the trait composition of island bird assemblages at a global scale. Our results highlight the variation of dispersal‐related ecomorphological traits among bird assemblages on islands, suggesting that these traits play an important role in mediating the influence of island isolation on community assembly processes on islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the relationship between functional traits and fragmentation is crucial for promoting biodiversity and ecosystem function. Orchid bees (Euglossini) are important pollinators in Neotropical forests, but how body size may be associated with fragmentation and its influence on community organisation remains unexplored. We systematically sampled orchid bee communities across 15 plots in a fragmented area in the Ecuadorian Amazon basin to evaluate how patch size and isolation are associated with body size and abundance. Our samples comprised large‐bodied bees (Eulaema, Euglossa and the parasitic Exaerete), with small Euglossa notably absent. The relative representation of Eulaema species of varying sizes changed across the fragmented landscape, leading to shifts in overall mean body size consistent with the prediction that larger‐bodied pollinators are better at long‐distance movement. Euglossa, the most abundant genus (67% of the total sample), was found across all patches regardless of body size. Euglossa intersecta and Euglossa orellana, the largest Euglossa in the region, were the most common species across the fragmented landscape. The abundance of male euglossines experienced a general decline with decreasing patch size and increasing isolation. However, at the species level, the abundance of some species was not affected at all. Because body size often mediates dispersal ability, thermoregulation, and resource use, we reinforce the importance of assessing body size patterns to understand changes in diversity, abundance and the composition of tropical pollinator communities in fragmented landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Syngnathidae are a charismatic family of teleost fishes, represented by seahorses, seadragons, and pipefishes. Syngnathidae are mainly composed of marine species, but about 30 species of pipefishes inhabit freshwater insular environments of the Indo‐Pacific realm. Recent research has shown that some freshwater pipefish species are amphidromous and exhibit high intraspecific divergences across their distribution range, like Microphis brachyurus (Bleeker, 1854) distributed from Sri Lanka to French Polynesia and Microphis retzii (Bleeker, 1856) distributed from Taiwan to Indonesia. In this study, we used the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) partial gene of 91 specimens of M. brachyurus and 30 specimens of M. retzii from localities representative of their respective distribution area to improve knowledge on the population structure of these two widespread species. Genetic species delimitation and phylogeographic analyses were combined to explore spatial patterns of genetic diversity across the distribution ranges of the two species. We have highlighted deep genetic structuring within the two species and relate these results to various biotic and abiotic factors. For M. brachyurus, the population in Polynesia is distinct from those in the West Pacific, suggesting its distinctiveness and recognition as an evolutionary significant unit (ESU). For M. retzii, three lineages are delimited in its range distribution, suggesting the existence of two distinct species in Southeast Asia (Bali/Java/Lombok and China/Taiwan). Pipefish species are particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures (inherent to Syngnathidae and insular environments). The present results, revising species delimitation and geographic distribution, will help implement effective conservation and management measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting animal population trajectories into the future has become a central exercise in both applied and fundamental ecology. Because demographic models classically assume population closure, they tend to provide inaccurate predictions when applied locally to interconnected subpopulations that are part of a larger metapopulation. Ideally, one should explicitly model dispersal among subpopulations, but in practice this is prevented by the difficulty of estimating dispersal rates in the wild. To forecast the local demography of connected subpopulations, we developed a new demographic model (hereafter, the two‐scale model) that disentangles two processes occurring at different spatial scales. First, at the larger scale, a closed population model describes changes in metapopulation size over time. Second, total metapopulation size is redistributed among subpopulations, using time‐varying proportionality parameters. This two‐step approach ensures that the long‐term growth of every subpopulation is constrained by the overall metapopulation growth rate. It implicitly accounts for the interconnectedness among subpopulations and avoids unrealistic trajectories. Using realistic simulations, we compared the performance of this new model with that of a classical closed population model at predicting subpopulations' trajectories over 30 years. While the classical model predicted future subpopulation sizes with an average bias of 30% and produced predictive errors sometimes >500%, the two‐scale model showed very little bias (<3%) and never produced predictive errors >20%. We also applied both models to a real dataset on European shags (Gulosus aristotelis) breeding along the Atlantic coast of France. Again, the classical model predicted highly unrealistic growths, as large as a 200‐fold increase over 30 years for some subpopulations. The two‐scale model predicted very sensible growths, never larger than a threefold increase over the 30‐year time horizon, which is more in accordance with this species' life history. This two‐scale model provides an effective solution to forecast the local demography of connected subpopulations in the absence of data on dispersal rates. In this context, it is a better alternative than closed population models and a more parsimonious option than full‐dispersal models. Because the only data required are simple counts, this model could be useful to many large‐scale wildlife monitoring programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information on long‐range dispersal in tropical carnivores is limited compared to their temperate counterparts. Here we present data on long‐range, transboundary dispersals for three species of tropical carnivores: African wild dog (Lycaon pictus), African lion (Panthera leo), and spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta). The dispersals we document in our savannah system are among the longest that have been recorded for African wild dog and African lion, while for spotted hyena one of our recorded dispersal events is of similar magnitude to the longest documented movements occurring among any carnivore species from around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent thematic Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control of the Intergovernmental Science‐Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services reaffirmed biological invasions as a major threat to biodiversity. Anticipating biological invasions is crucial for avoiding their ecological and socio‐economic impacts, particularly as climate change may provide new opportunities for the establishment and spread of alien species. However, no studies have combined assessments of suitability and dispersal to evaluate the invasion by key taxonomic groups, such as mammals. Using species distribution models, we estimated the potential effect of climate change on the future distributions of 205 alien mammal species by the year 2050 under three different climatic scenarios. We used species dispersal ability to differentiate between suitable areas that may be susceptible to natural dispersal from alien ranges (Spread Potential, SP) and those that may be vulnerable to alien establishment through human‐assisted dispersal (Establishment Potential, EP) across 11 zoogeographic realms. Establishment Potential was generally boosted by climate change, showing a clear poleward shift across scenarios, whereas SP was negatively affected by climate change and limited by alien species insularity. These trends were consistent across all realms. Insular ecosystems, while being vulnerable to invasion, may act as geographical traps for alien mammals that lose climatic suitability. In addition, our analysis identified the alien species that are expected to spread or decline the most in each realm, primarily generalists with high invasive potential, as likely foci of future management efforts. In some areas, the possible reduction in suitability for alien mammals could offer opportunities for ecosystem restoration, particularly on islands. In others, increased suitability calls for adequate actions to prevent their arrival and spread. Our findings are potentially valuable in informing synergistic actions addressing both climate change and biological invasion together to safeguard native biodiversity worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat fragmentation is often assumed to negatively impact species diversity because smaller, more isolated populations on smaller habitat patches are at a higher extinction risk. However, some empirical and theoretical studies suggest that landscapes with numerous small habitat patches may support higher species richness, although the circumstances remain elusive. We used an agent-based metacommunity model to investigate this and simulate landscapes of the same total area but diverse patch sizes. Our model, as generic and unbiased by specific assumptions as possible, aimed to explore which circumstances may be more conducive to supporting higher biodiversity. To this end, most parameters and behaviors were random. The model included generalized species traits, dispersal, and interactions to explore species richness dynamics in fragmented landscapes of distinct patch sizes. Our results show that landscapes with many small patches maintain higher species richness than those with fewer large patches. Moreover, the relationship between patch connectivity and species richness is more pronounced in landscapes with smaller patches. High connectivity in these landscapes may support species diversity by preventing local extinctions and facilitating recolonization. In contrast, connectivity is less significant in large-patch landscapes, where generalist species dominate. The findings highlight the complex interplay between patch size quality, connectivity, species traits, and diverse interactions among species in determining species richness. We suggest the patterns produced by the model represent null predictions and may be useful as a reference for a diversity of more specialized questions and predictions. These insights may also have specific implications for conservation strategies, suggesting that maintaining a mosaic of small, well-connected patches could enhance biodiversity in fragmented landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aedes aegypti females are natural vectors of important arboviruses such as dengue, zika, and yellow fever. Mosquitoes activate innate immune response signaling pathways upon infection, as a resistance mechanism to fight pathogens and limit their propagation. Despite the beneficial effects of immune activation for insect vectors, phenotypic costs ultimately affect their fitness. However, the underlying mechanisms that mediate these fitness costs remain poorly understood. Given the high energy required to mount a proper immune response, we hypothesized that systemic activation of innate immunity would impair flight muscle mitochondrial function, compromising tissue energy demand and flight activity. Here, we investigated the dynamic effects of activation of innate immunity by intra‐thoracic zymosan injection on A. aegypti flight muscle mitochondrial metabolism. Zymosan injection significantly increased defensin A expression in fat bodies in a time‐dependent manner that compromised flight activity. Although oxidant levels in flight muscle were hardly altered, ATP‐linked respiratory rates driven by mitochondrial pyruvate+proline oxidation were significantly reduced at 24 h upon zymosan injection. Oxidative phosphorylation coupling was preserved regardless of innate immune response activation along 24 h. Importantly, rotenone‐sensitive respiration and complex I‐III activity were specifically reduced 24 h upon zymosan injection. Also, loss of complex I activity compromised ATP‐linked and maximal respiratory rates mediated by mitochondrial proline oxidation. Finally, the magnitude of innate immune response activation negatively correlated with respiratory rates, regardless of the metabolic states. Collectively, we demonstrate that activation of innate immunity is strongly associated with reduced flight muscle complex I activity with direct consequences to mitochondrial proline oxidation and flight activity. Remarkably, our results indicate a trade‐off between dispersal and immunity exists in an insect vector, underscoring the potential consequences of disrupted flight muscle mitochondrial energy metabolism to arbovirus transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dispersal is an important behavior in many animals, with profound effects on individual fitness and the evolutionary trajectories of populations. This is especially true within taxa with particular life-history strategies, for example those that exploit ephemeral habitat. Further, dispersal is commonly seen to be part of behavioral syndromes - suites of traits that covary across behavioral contexts. The red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae), is a major post-harvest crop pest responsible for large losses through the infestation of stored grain. In this system dispersal is known to have a strong genetic basis and differential artificial selection on dispersal traits produces strong phenotypic divergence. However, it is unknown which traits are able to rapidly evolve to produce these results, or which behavioral components underlie differences in dispersal. Using replicate lines of T. castaneum previously selected for divergent dispersal behavior, we test for correlated activity and movement patterns, morphology and substrate surface use. We find robustly repeatable associations between the dispersal phenotype and higher activity, straighter paths, larger body size (but not relative leg length) and increased tendency to remain at the surface of fodder. Together our results suggest that dispersal is part of a syndrome of traits in T. castaneum, and must be treated as such when considering the evolution of dispersal in this system, and in attempting to predict and control its spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims Diversity in pappus shapes and size in Asteraceae suggests an adaptive response to dispersion challenges adjusting diaspores to optimal phenotypic configurations. Here, by analysing the relationship among pappus–cypsela size relationships, flight performance and pappus types in an evolutionary context, we evaluate the role of natural selection acting on the evolution of diaspore configuration at a macro-ecological scale in the daisy family. Methods To link pappus–cypsela size relationships with flight performance we collected published data on these traits from 82 species. This allowed us to translate morphometric traits in flight performance for 150 species represented in a fully resolved backbone phylogeny of the daisy family. Through ancestral reconstructions and evolutionary model selection, we assessed whether flight performance was associated with and constrained by different pappus types. Additionally, we evaluated, through phylogenetic regressions, whether species with different pappus types exhibited evolutionary allometric pappus–cypsela size relationships. Results The setose pappus type had the highest flight performances and represented the most probable ancestral state in the family. Stepwise changes in pappus types independently led from setose to multiple instances of pappus loss with associated reduction in flight performance. Flight performance evolution was best modelled as constrained by five adaptive regimes represented by specific pappus types which correspond to specific optimal diaspore configurations that are distinct in pappus–cypsela allometric relationships. Conclusions Evolutionary modelling suggests natural selection as the main factor of diaspore configuration changes which proceeded towards five optima, often overcoming constraints imposed by allometric relationships and favouring evolution in certain directions. With the perspective that natural selection is the main process driving the observed patterns, various biotic and abiotic are suggested as principal drivers of transitions in diaspore configurations along space and time in the daisy family history. The results also allow discussion of evolutionary changes in a historical context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether gray wolf Canis lupus population density is limited intrinsically or extrinsically has occupied researchers for decades. Since 1983, prey biomass, an extrinsic factor, has been accepted as limiting, but that conclusion was recently challenged for unusually high wolf densities which were then said to be limited by behavioral, or intrinsic, factors such as intraspecific strife, dispersal, etc., below prey‐biomass constraints. That contention has been disputed, so disagreement remains. This article discusses the models involved, presents revised models that shed new light, and offers evidence that supports the conclusion that at least at densities below 79 wolves 1000 km−2, wolf numbers per area are limited by prey biomass. As wolf density increases, behavioral factors limit the density to the number of wolves the prey biomass will support. Extra wolves disperse, and wolf range expands. Thus, while wolf density is self‐limiting, the population is not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neotropical forest ecosystems harbour significant biodiversity. To develop effective insect conservation practices, it is important to understand the factors that influence the diversity and population structure of the species.Dispersal, a key determinant of population structure, is well studied in termites nesting in wood, for which it can be influenced by wood transport, or in termites living in urban environments. However, understanding the dispersal of termites whose mobility remains unaffected by wood transport remains understudied.We investigated the dispersal of Embiratermes neotenicus, a soil‐feeding species with short dispersal distance, in the Neotropical region, where both intact and degraded forests exist. Using mitochondrial and nuclear data, we analysed genetic diversity, structure and factors contributing to population differentiation in Suriname and French Guiana at multiple scales for 70 colonies.The population in French Guiana is the ancestral population in the region that subsequently expanded.Significant genetic differentiation between populations was observed, with distinct patterns identified in Suriname and French Guiana. The Suriname population showed higher genetic diversity and no subpopulation differentiation, whereas the French Guiana population showed substructure into distinct genetic clusters.Analyses at the scale of all colonies suggest the influence of landscape features, such as the Maroni River, on genetic differentiation. At the local scale, genetic differentiation between colonies increases with forest alteration, even when this does not include major changes in forest cover.Our results highlight the sensitivity of soil‐feeding termite populations to habitat change. We argue that multi‐scale studies are needed for a comprehensive understanding of genetic patterns, especially for species with short dispersal distances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While much attention has been paid to the climatic controls of species' range limits, other factors such as dispersal limitation are also important. Temperature is an important control of the distribution of coastal mangrove forests, and mangrove expansion at multiple poleward range limits has been linked to increasing temperatures. However, mangrove abundances at other poleward range limits have been surprisingly insensitive to climate change, indicating other drivers of range limitation. For example, along the west coast of North America, the poleward mangrove range limits are found on the Baja California and mainland coasts of Mexico, between 26°48ʹ and 30°18ʹN. Non‐climatic factors may play an important role in setting these range limits as 1) the abundance of range limit populations has been relatively insensitive to climate variability and 2) an introduced population of mangroves has persisted hundreds of kilometers north of the natural range limits. We combined a species distribution model with a high‐resolution oceanographic transport model to identify the roles of climate and dispersal limitation in controlling mangrove distributions. We identified estuarine habitat that is likely climatically suitable for mangroves north of the current range limits. However, propagules from current mangrove populations are unlikely to reach these suitable locations due to prevailing ocean currents and geomorphic factors that create a patchy distribution of estuarine habitat with large between‐patch distances. Thus, although climate change is driving range shifts of mangroves in multiple regions around the world, dispersal is currently limiting poleward mangrove expansion at several range limits, including the west coast of North America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed rain is an influential process related to plant community diversity, composition and regeneration. However, knowledge of seed rain patterns is limited to those observed in forests and late‐assembling grasslands, which might not reflect early assembling communities such as newly restored grasslands. Resolving this gap in our understanding provides further insight into the role of seed dispersal.Here, we measured seed rain in a remnant tallgrass prairie, which was the site of the foundational grassland seed rain study in 1978, and a nearby chronosequence of tallgrass prairie restorations. We sought to determine how the quantity, seed mass traits, timing, diversity and composition of seed rain changed (1) long‐term and (2) during community assembly. To do so, we deployed artificial turf grass seed traps into 2‐year‐old, 5–6‐year‐old and 15‐year‐old restored prairies and the remnant prairie, replacing traps every 2 weeks from May to December 2019.We captured over twice the density and richness of seed rain in the remnant prairie in 2019 compared to 1978. We also found that seed rain patterns changed as prairies aged, with each prairie possessing a distinct community of dispersing species. Significantly more seeds, seed biomass, and species were captured in the youngest restored prairie. However, seed mass traits were similar in all prairies. Except for composition, all other seed rain metrics in the oldest restoration were eventually comparable to the remnant prairie.Synthesis and applications: Our results revealed that grasslands, notably young prairies, produce larger quantities of seed rain than previously known (124,806 seeds m−2 year−1, 97.24 g m−2 year−1), and seed input in all sampled prairies far exceeded restoration broadcast seeding densities. We further found that decreases in seed rain quantity across the chronosequence did not correspond with increases in seed mass, suggesting a lack of trade‐offs between these metrics. Furthermore, tallgrass prairie restorations have not replicated the composition of seed rain seen in remnant systems. Increasing restoration seeding rates of desirable species may be needed to meet composition goals since current rates may not compete with the propagule pressure of undesirable species found in newly restored prairies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To decipher the dispersal range of the cosmopolitan green microalga Tetracystis vinatzeri, two airborne-collected strains were barcoded using the 18S ribosomal DNA gene (18S) and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I subunit (COI), and their survival capacities were investigated across a stepwise acidic to alkaline pH gradient. Genetic fingerprinting confirmed the identity of the strains as representing the same biological species. Investigations of the tolerance of T. vinatzeri to pH levels refined the delimitation of its ecological niche. T. vinatzeri showed optimal growth in freshwater habitats at pH 4.3–9.6 and strains could cope with exposure to slightly more acidic (down to 3.8) and alkaline (up to 10.4) conditions. However, organismal survival was drastically affected by exposure to pH < 3 and > 11. Morphological observations showed that T. vinatzeri could better cope with exposure to acidic pH, exhibiting less cell membrane damage. Genetic analysis showed that the two airborne strains shared the same haplotype, suggesting that they either originated from the same air mass or that the haplotype has a widespread distribution. Further phylogeographic and physiological investigations are required to define the spreading dynamic of T. vinatzeri. Highlights: Tetracystis vinatzeri can grow at pH from 3.8–10.4. Strains from different habitats showed sexual compatibility. Low genetic diversity and cosmopolitan distribution suggest widespread dispersal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The relative importance of traits and phylogeny to predict species extinction risk is unclear and it depends on which traits are measured and their phylogenetic conservatism. Here, we evaluate the power of functional traits, ecological characteristics, such as range size and specialization, and phylogeny to predict climatic risks in European butterflies. Location: Europe. Time Period: Distribution data from 1981 to 2002 was used to project range shifts up to 2080. Major Taxa Studied: In total, 268 European butterfly species (Rhopalocera). Methods: We extracted information on climatic risk for each species from the literature. Two hypothetical conditions were assumed: full climate tracking and no climate tracking. We used variation partitioning to quantify and disentangle the effects of phylogeny, four traits (wingspan, voltinism, overwintering and egg volume) and two ecological characteristics (range size and specialization) on climatic risk. We used Random Forest as an imputation method to predict climatic risk values for additional European butterfly species that have not been previously modelled. Results: Range size and degree of specialization strongly predicted climatic risk of European butterflies, but only for no climate tracking scenarios. Overall, more generalist species have larger ranges and are less vulnerable to climate change. Furthermore, we found that phylogenetic information adds strong power to explain climatic risk, especially, but not exclusively for scenarios that assume full climate tracking. Main Conclusions: Considering current scenarios of habitat fragmentation in Europe, it is likely that species with smaller ranges and high degree of specialization will be unable to track their climates and thus be more at risk. However, our results imply that assisting dispersal and colonization might allow small ranged species to cope with climate change. Our analysis also indicate that phylogeny can be used as a proxy of unmeasured traits to predict climatic risk under certain circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seeking out appropriate habitat or food resources is one of the key reasons why animals move. Despite the benefits of movement, some individuals in a population remain resident or express alternative movement phenotypes. Movement, however, is energetically costly and can result in resources being diverted away from growth and reproduction. The presence of multiple movement phenotypes within populations suggests that each can have commensurate levels of performance depending on the underlying environmental conditions.Here we explore the context‐dependent costs and benefits of upstream and downstream juvenile dispersal in a large river system. We expect that if the energetic costs of moving (upstream against a current or downstream with a current) exceed any benefits to growth, then residents (who do not move) will have faster growth. Alternatively, movement costs may be offset if individuals move to more favourable environments, resulting in dispersers benefiting with faster growth.We used biological information naturally archived in the otoliths of a potamodromous fish, golden perch Macquaria ambigua, to quantify how movement phenotypes affect growth across individuals exposed to spatiotemporally varying environmental conditions.We found that juvenile growth differed considerably among dispersal phenotypes (resident, upstream, downstream, stocked): in general, surviving wild‐spawned downstream and upstream dispersers and hatchery‐stocked fish all grew faster than individuals that remained resident within their natal reach. Further, juvenile growth was sensitive to local environmental conditions and had carryover effects from an individual's natal‐year. Juvenile growth of all dispersal phenotypes was higher in years with below average natal‐year summer discharge (when fish are ~2–3 months old), likely because of increased concentrations of food resources. In contrast, the effects of natal‐year spring discharge (around the time individuals were spawned) were dependent on dispersal direction, with positive effects for downstream dispersers and upstream dispersers, and negative effects for resident individuals.Our results suggest that an individual's growth can benefit from early‐life movement, although the magnitude of this effect depends on local environmental conditions and the direction travelled. Our study reinforces the importance of heterogeneous and connected riverscapes that foster a diversity of individual growth responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Dispersal and connectivity play important roles in shaping the population structure of giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, across the western coast of South America. Its high potential dispersal capacity suggests the existence of metapopulations, where discrete habitat patches or groups of patches form subpopulations that interact at some level. However, the dispersal patterns of giant kelp in this region have not been quantified. This study assesses the dispersal and settlement of Macrocystis pyrifera in the southeast Pacific, specifically focusing on the impact of environmental variables and ocean currents within the Humboldt Current System. Location: Southeast Pacific (coast of Chile and Peru). Time Period: 1997–2008. Major Taxa Studied: Macrocystis pyrifera (giant kelp). Methods: Using a combination of hydrodynamic and individual‐based models, we analysed kelp fragment movements over 12 years, with a particular emphasis on the effects of the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and seasonal changes. Results: Our results highlight a key settlement area in the southern Chilean region. We found that shorter travel distances of kelp fragments increased the likelihood of reaching a suitable habitat, underscoring the importance of local environmental conditions. We delineated intricate northward dispersal paths for kelp fragments, which appear to be governed by the interplay of wind and ocean current dynamics. Seasonal variations, notably in autumn and winter, favour the likelihood of reaching a settlement area due to favourable winds. Furthermore, ENSO events appear to influence dispersal distances, with fragments travelling the longest distances during El Niño phases. Main Conclusion: These findings are essential for informing kelp conservation strategies in the context of climate change, emphasizing the necessity of considering local and seasonal environmental factors alongside ENSO impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evolutionary graph theory has considerably advanced the process of modelling the evolution of structured populations, which models the interactions between individuals as pairwise contests. In recent years, these classical evolution models have been extended to incorporate more realistic features, e.g. multiplayer games. A recent series of papers have developed a new evolutionary framework including structure, multiplayer interactions, evolutionary dynamics, and movement. However, so far, the developed models have mainly considered independent movement without coordinated behaviour. Although the theory underlying the framework has been developed and explored in various directions, several movement mechanisms have been produced which characterise coordinated movement, for example, herding. By embedding these newly constructed movement distributions, within the evolutionary setting of the framework, we demonstrate that certain levels of aggregation and dispersal benefit specific types of individuals. Moreover, by extending existing parameters within the framework, we are not only able to develop a general process of embedding any of the considered movement distributions into the evolutionary setting on complete graphs but also analytically produce the probability of fixation of a mutant on a complete N-sized network, for the multiplayer Public Goods and Hawk–Dove games. Also, by applying weak selection methods, we extended existing previous analyses on the pairwise Hawk–Dove Game to encompass the multiplayer version considered in this paper. By producing neutrality and equilibrium conditions, we show that hawks generally do worse in our models due to the multiplayer nature of the interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North Pacific distribution of coastal aleocharines has been explained as the result of either dispersal or vicariance. The rove beetle genus Psammostiba is a marine littoral group that occurs on the Pacific coasts of the Northern Hemisphere. We performed phylogenetic analysis of Psammostiba using molecular characters (4685 bp) to investigate their biogeographic patterns. The data were analysed using parsimony, Bayesian and maximum likelihood methods. Model‐based analyses showed the same pattern of Psammostiba species relationships, but parsimony analysis yielded different species relationships for the unresolved clade of Psammostiba. According to the reconstruction of the ancestral areas, both vicariance (two events) and dispersal (one event) have played roles in shaping its current distribution. Biogeographical analyses suggest that the common ancestor of Psammostiba occurred widely along the Pacific coasts of the Northern Hemisphere and underwent vicariance events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bromus tectorum, a winter annual plant, produces dimorphic diaspores: complex diaspores with multi-awns and simple diaspores with one awn. However, there is no information available about the role of awns and the germination characteristics of dimorphic diaspores. Dispersal germination and awns hygroscopicity of the dimorphic diaspores were assessed. The complex diaspore with multi-awns can easily be dispersed long distances from the mother plant by mammals. The simple diaspores with one awn are tightly attached to the mother plant. Caryopses from the two types of diaspores exhibited non-deep physiological dormancy at maturity, which can be released by dry storage and GA3 treatment. The awns have hygroscopic activity and can move in response to changes in moisture, moving the complex diaspore (the seed) into the soil. The seedling emergence from complex diaspores was significantly higher than those from simple diaspores at all burial depths. Germination of caryopses on the soil surface was poor. The optimal planting depth for both types of diaspores' emergence is 1–2 cm. The distinct characteristics of dimorphic diaspores and the beneficial influence of hygroscopic awns on dispersal, germination, and seedling establishment have significant ecological implications for B. tectorum's successful reproduction in unpredictable cold deserts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Invasive species cause widespread species extinction and economic loss. There is an increasing need to identify ways to efficiently target control efforts from local to regional scales. Objectives: Our goal was to test whether prioritizing managed habitat using different treatments based on spatial measures of connectivity, including graph-theoretic measures, can improve management of invasive species and whether the level of control effort affects treatment performance. We also explored how uncertainty in biological variables, such as dispersal ability, affects measures performance. Methods: We used a spatially-explicit, individual-based model (sIBM) based on the American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus), a globally pervasive invasive species. Simulations were informed by geographic data from part of the American bullfrog’s non-native range in southeastern Arizona, USA where they are known to pose a threat to native species. Results: We found that total bullfrog populations and occupancy declined in response to all treatments regardless of effort level or patch prioritization methods. The most effective spatial prioritization was effort-dependent and varied depending on spatial context, but frequently a buffer strategy was most effective. Treatments were also sensitive to dispersal ability. Performance of treatments prioritizing habitat patches using betweenness centrality improved with increasing dispersal ability, while performance of eigenvalue centrality improved as dispersal ability decreased. Conclusions: With the careful application of connectivity measures to prioritize control efforts, similar reductions in invasive species population size and occupancy could be achieved with less than half the effort of sub-optimal connectivity measures at higher effort rates. More work is needed to determine if trait-based generalities may define appropriate connectivity measures for specific suites of dispersal abilities, demographic traits, and population dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meloidogyne incognita is one of the globally serious plant parasitic nematodes. New control measure is urgently needed to replace the common chemical control method. Ascarosides are pheromones regulating the nematodes' aggregation, avoidance, mating, dispersal and dauer recovery and formation. Ascr#9, one of the ascarosides, exhibits the potential to repel M. incognita. However, the nematode genes involved in the perception of ascr# 9 signal are totally unknown. In this study, the transcriptome of ascr#9-treated second stage M. incognita juveniles (J2s) was analyzed, 44 pathways were significantly affected, multiple ligand-receptor and mucin type O-glycan were induced, and olfactory transduction was disturbed. A total of 11 highly differentially expressed genes involved in neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction and FMRFamide-like peptide related process were identified and knocked down by RNAi. The dispersal rates of M. incognita with three knocked-down genes (flp-14, mgl-1 and ADOR-1) significantly decreased, respectively, when ascr#9 was present. The results demonstrate that flp-14, mgl-1, and ADOR-1 are involved in the dispersal behavior of M. incognita nematodes responding to ascr#9, which promotes the interaction study between ascarosides and M. incognita, and provides new ideas for the prevention and control of M. incognita by using pheromone ascarosides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species range shifts due to climate alterations have been increasingly well‐documented. Although amphibians are one of the most sensitive groups of animals to environmental perturbations due to climate change, almost no studies have offered evidence of poleward distribution shifts in this taxon in response to climate warming. Range shifts would be facilitated by variation in traits associated with the ability of species to persist and/or shift their range in the face of climate change, but the extent and consequences of intraspecific variation in these traits is unclear. We studied the role of intraspecific variation in the ongoing range shift of green treefrogs (Hyla cinerea) in response to climate change. We explored factors that are often associated with range shifts to test the hypothesis that there are differences in these traits between recently range‐expanded and nearby historical populations. We then tested the consequences of intraspecific variation for modelling climate‐induced range shifts by comparing species distribution models (SDMs) that used as input either data from the entire species range or separate inputs from ‘subpopulations’ corresponding to the historical range or the recently expanded range. We expected that building a separate SDM for each population would more accurately characterize the species range if historical and expanded populations differed in traits related to their response to climate. We found that critical thermal minimum decreased and thermal breadth increased with latitude, but the effect of latitude was significantly stronger for expanded populations compared to historical populations. Additionally, we found that individuals from expanded populations had longer leg lengths when compared to their historical counterparts. Finally, we found higher model accuracy for one of the population‐level SDMs than the species‐level SDM. Our results suggest that thermal tolerance and dispersal morphologies are associated with amphibian distributional shifts as these characteristics appear to facilitate rapid range expansion of a native anuran. Additionally, our modelling results emphasize that SDM accuracy could be improved by dividing a species range to consider potential differences in traits associated with climate responses. Future research should identify the mechanisms underlying intraspecific variation along climate gradients to continue improving SDM prediction of range shifts under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The freshwater red alga Batrachospermum gelatinosum has a well‐documented distribution spanning historically glaciated and unglaciated eastern North America. This alga has no known desiccation‐resistant propagule; thus, long‐distance dispersal events are likely rare. We predicted strong genetic structure among drainage basins and admixture among sites within basins. We predicted greater genetic diversity at lower latitude sites because they likely serve as refugia and the origin of northward, post‐Pleistocene range expansion. We used 10 microsatellite loci to investigate genetic diversity from 311 gametophytes from 18 sites in five major drainage basins: South Atlantic Gulf, Mid‐Atlantic, Ohio River, Great Lakes, and Northeast. Our data showed strong genetic partitioning among drainage basins and among sites within basins, yet no isolation by distance was detected. Genetic diversity varied widely among sites and was not strictly related to latitude as predicted. The results from B. gelatinosum provide strong support that each stream site contributes to the unique genetic variation within the species, potentially due to limited dispersal and the prevailing reproductive mode of intragametophytic selfing. Simulations of migration suggested post‐Pleistocene dispersal from the Mid‐Atlantic. Batrachospermum gelatinosum potentially persisted in refugia that were just south of the ice margins rather than in the southernmost part of its range. Research of other taxa with similar ranges could determine whether these results are generally applicable for freshwater red algae. Nevertheless, these results from B. gelatinosum add to the growing literature focused on the patterns and genetic consequences of post‐Pleistocene range expansion by eastern North American biota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allokotosauria (Trilophosauridae + Azendohsauridae) is a clade of Early – Late Triassic quadruped, sprawling archosauromorphs with diverse dietary habits, known from Madagascar, India, Morocco, North America, and Europe. We conducted the first quantitative biogeographic analysis of the clade to reconstruct its ancestral areas and dispersal events. The results estimated the India + Tanzania area as ancestral for Allokotosauria. Eastern North America was reconstructed as the ancestral area of Trilophosauridae, implying an Early Triassic Southern to Northern Hemisphere dispersal. Subsequently, trilophosaurids were restricted to the Northern Hemisphere, and at least two dispersal events from Europe to western North America are estimated during the early Anisian and probably during the early Carnian, respectively. Azendohsauridae retained the ancestral area of India + Tanzania during much of its evolutionary history. Two dispersal events to western and eastern North America, respectively, are reconstructed during the Carnian – early Norian, likely during or in the aftermath of the Carnian Pluvial Episode (CPE). This pattern mirrors that of early dinosaurs, which were restricted to the Southern Hemisphere with dispersals to the Northern Hemisphere not recorded until the end of the CPE. This study informs about biogeographic patterns involved in the biotic recovery after the end-Permian mass extinction and the early evolutionary radiation of Archosauromorpha. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the temperate zone, many bat species depend on underground sites during the autumn mating period and as hibernacula in winter. Anthropogenic or natural alteration or destruction of a hibernaculum may severely threaten the bats that rely on the site, especially if they are not aware of suitable alternatives. Currently, the rate at which bats visit other hibernacula, or disperse between them, is poorly understood. Here, we studied hibernation site fidelity in two European bat species, Daubenton's bat (Myotis daubentonii) and Natterer's bat (Myotis nattereri), that share hibernacula but differ in their hibernation phenology and mating systems. The activity of over 2500 RFID‐tagged individuals was monitored using an automated recording system at the entrances of three hibernacula over eight full years. Hibernation site fidelity was high in both species, with only 1.6% of Daubenton's bats and 4.1% of Natterer's bats moving between the monitored sites during their lifetimes. Juvenile bats moved more frequently than adults and contrary to our expectations, in Natterer's bats, more females moved between hibernacula than males. Movements almost always occurred during the autumn mating season, and more frequently between neighboring hibernacula than between distant sites. Finally, we also found that individuals rarely explored more than one of the three entrances to a site, despite their close proximity. Taken together, our results suggest that some juvenile bats may explore multiple sites, but that they rarely disperse to other hibernacula as adults. As a result, most individuals are either not aware of alternative sites or do not regularly update this information. We therefore argue that the creation of new underground objects as a mitigation measure may not function as an immediate compensation for the disturbance or the loss of an existing hibernaculum. Instead, the proactive identification and protection of existing hibernacula should be prioritized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyclical population dynamics are a common phenomenon in populations worldwide, yet the spatial organization of these cycles remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the spatial form and timing of a population collapse from 2018 to 2022 in Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) across the northwest boreal forest. We analyzed survival, reproduction, and dispersal data from 143 individual global positioning system (GPS) collared lynx from populations across five study sites spanning interior Alaska to determine whether lynx displayed characteristics of a population wave following a concurrent wave in snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) abundance. Reproductive rates declined across the study sites; however, site-level reproduction declined first in our easternmost study sites, supporting the idea of a population wave. Despite a clear increase in percent of dispersing lynx, there was no evidence of directional bias in dispersal following a hare population wave. Analysis did show increasingly poor survival for lynx dispersing to the east compared to combined resident and westward dispersal. This pattern is consistent with a survival-mediated population wave in lynx as the driver of the theorized population wave. The combination of these factors supports the idea of a hierarchical response to snowshoe hare population declines with a drop in lynx reproduction followed by increased dispersal, and finally reduced survival. All of this evidence is consistent with the expected characteristics of a population undergoing a traveling wave and supports the hypothesis that lynx presence may facilitate and mirror the underlying wave patterns in snowshoe hare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Around the world, the number of species establishing outside of their native range has and continues to increase rapidly. Some of these non‐native species are invasive and can cause negative environmental, economic, and social impacts, including declines in native biodiversity. Species can become established either through natural dispersal or with intentional or inadvertent human assistance, but the relative importance of these two modes over time has been little studied. We compiled data on 116 moth species that became established in Great Britain (GB) between 1900 and 2019. We classed each species as either an immigrant, which had colonised naturally, or an adventive, which had colonised through human assistance, and categorised species as feeding on either native or non‐native larval host plants. We found that the rate of moth species establishment has accelerated steadily, at 21% increase per decade, showing no signs of saturation. Immigrant species showed a steady rate of establishment between 1900 and 1935, followed by a significant acceleration of 11% per decade thereafter, which most closely matches the rate of immigrants that feed on native host plants. Immigrants that feed on non‐native host plants show a slower increase across the whole time period compared to all species, of 13% per decade. Adventive species show a similar rate of increase in establishment to all moth species, at a rate of 26% per decade. Adventives on non‐native host plants show a similar trend, but we find evidence for a post‐1980s increase in the rate of establishment for adventives that feed on native host plants. Our results indicate that the global case for enhanced biosecurity, around both the monitoring of natural colonisations and for the horticultural trade, remains very strong as non‐native colonisations are showing no signs of saturation with ongoing environmental and economic change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Island biotas provide unparalleled opportunities to examine evolutionary processes. Founder effects and bottlenecks, e.g. typically decrease genetic diversity in island populations, while selection for reduced dispersal can increase population structure. Given that support for these generalities mostly comes from single-species analyses, assemblage-level comparisons are needed to clarify how (i) colonization affects the gene pools of interacting insular organisms, and (ii) patterns of genetic differentiation vary within assemblages of organisms. Here, we use genome-wide sequence data from ultraconserved elements (UCEs) to compare the genetic diversity and population structure of mainland and island populations of nine ant species in coastal southern California. As expected, island populations (from Santa Cruz Island) had lower expected heterozygosity and Watterson's theta compared to mainland populations (from the Lompoc Valley). Island populations, however, exhibited smaller genetic distances among samples, indicating less population subdivision. Within the focal assemblage, pairwise F st values revealed pronounced interspecific variation in mainland-island differentiation, which increases with gyne body size. Our results reveal population differences across an assemblage of interacting species and illuminate general patterns of insularization in ants. Compared to single-species studies, our analysis of nine conspecific population pairs from the same island-mainland system offers a powerful approach to studying fundamental evolutionary processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]