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Habitat loss due to deforestation is a primary threat to global biodiversity. Clearing tropical rainforests for agriculture leads to forest fragmentation. Forest fragments contain fewer large trees and provide lower food availability for primates compared to continuous forests. Mantled howler monkeys inhabit the increasingly fragmented rainforests of Central and South America and may need to alter their activity and spatial cohesion to mitigate competition and preserve energy in fragments where there is lower quality food. We compared howler monkey activity and spatial cohesion across a small forest fragment (La Suerte Biological Research Station, LSBRS) and a large, continuous forest (La Selva Research Station) in northeastern Costa Rica. We predicted that monkeys at LSBRS would rest more, feed more, travel less, and be less spatially cohesive compared to La Selva to contend with fewer resources and higher competition in the small fragment. Using instantaneous scan sampling at two-minute intervals during 30-minute focal samples, we recorded activity and counted the number of individuals within 5 meters of the focal animal. The probabilities of observing each behavior differed significantly across sites. As predicted, monkeys at LSBRS fed more than those at La Selva, but contrary to our predictions, they rested less and traveled more. The mean number of individuals within 5 m was significantly lower at LSBRS compared to La Selva. The ability to modify their activity and spatial cohesion in response to fragmented forests provides insight into how primates can contend with fewer resources and higher competition in changing ecosystems worldwide.

Elevational gradients cause profound eco-climatic variation across short distances. Partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) is a severe challenge that organisms face at high elevations; due partly to specialization on PO2, most Neotropical bird species have narrow elevational ranges. However, a small fraction are elevational generalists that span sea level to high elevations, and a subset undertake extreme migratory journeys from low to high elevations biannually. My dissertation combines diverse approaches across levels of biological organization to understand how elevation impacts the ecology, evolution, physiology, and migration of montane birds. I examined ‘extreme’ elevational migration in birds worldwide, blood physiology of Andean hummingbirds, and migration, genomics, and phylogeography of the giant hummingbirds. I discovered that elevational niche-shift migration tends to evolve rarely and under specific circumstances; extreme elevational migrant species typically exhibit genetic adaptations associated with high elevation; hematological traits––except for the cell size-number tradeoff––typically vary predictably with elevation, both within and among species. Finally, extreme elevational migration can facilitate diversification, as appears to have occurred in the Giant Hummingbird.

This thesis research presents an analysis of barred owl nest site selection in an understudied region of their expanded range. The barred owl has dramatically expanded its range westwards over the last 150 years, prompting multiple conflicting reinterpretations of their species account. Hypotheses of range expansion are reviewed to provide context for this study’s research. This study gathers empirical data on nest site selection in the mixed conifer forests of Montana’s Seeley-Swan and Mission Valleys. Eight barred owl nests were located following extensive territory surveys. Field measurements of tree height and diameter using USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plot design were conducted around each nest and compared statistically to unoccupied FIA plots located in the study area. Additional, coarser scales of analysis were also assessed via raster GIS analysis of USFS Tree Canopy Cover (TCC) data and NASA Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) tree height LiDAR data. Findings from all of these comparisons indicate barred owls are selecting nest trees in stands (possibly around an acre) with above-average tree size and canopy cover, as well selecting nests within a larger forest matrix (100 m+) with above-average canopy cover. These findings align with the traditional understanding that they prefer contiguous, mature forests. However, nest stand values did not greatly exceed random stand values (e.g. mean nest stand height = 18.8m, mean FIA control plot height = 17.2m), which aligns with the growing consensus that the species is more adaptable than traditionally assumed.

Advisor: Christine O'Connell, Environmental Studies Department

Biclonuncaria recurvana, new species (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Polyorthini), is described and il­lustrated from Area de Conservación Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica. It is most similar to B. conica Razowski, 1993, from Mexico, but the two are easily distinguished by features of the male genitalia. Biclo­nuncaria recurvana has been reared (n = 12 specimens) from field-collected larvae feeding on the leaves of Dalbergia glomerata Hemsley (Fabaceae), consistent with the previously reported host plant for B. dalbergiae Razowski and Becker, 1993, which has been reared from Dalbergia in Brazil.

Four new species of Coleoptera are described: Pentanodes clavatus new species, from Ecuador; Pentanodes baldwini new species, from Panama (Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae: Tillomorphini); Elytrimita­trix (Grossifemora) dilatata new species, from Mexico (Disteniidae) and Novantinoe falsa new species, from Mexico (Disteniidae). Taxonomical notes on Euderces cribellatus (Bates, 1885) (Tillomorphini) and Oreodera Audinet-Serville, 1835 (Lamiinae: Acrocinini) are provided. Additionally, new records are provided for Oreo­dera noguerai McCarty, 2001 (new state record), Adetus croton Heffern, Santos-Silva and Botero, 2019 (new country record), Icimauna sarauaia Martins and Galileo, 1991 (new country record), and Phoebe mexicana Bates, 1881 (new state record).

New distribution and host records plus additional notes are provided for North American spe­cies in the genus Chrysobothris Eschscholtz (Coleoptera: Buprestidae). Forty-one species are treated. The occurrence of Chrysobothris bicolor Horn in the USA is refuted. Chrysobothris breviloboides Barr is newly synonymized with Chrysobothris breviloba Fall. The southernmost record for Chrysobothris piuta Wick­ham, from Baja California, Mexico, is established. A specimen of the Argentinian Chrysobothris rugosa Gory and Laporte labeled from Florida is reported. A lectotype for Chrysobothris vulcanica LeConte is newly designated.

Analyses of whole genomic shotgun datasets, COI barcodes, morphology, and historical literature suggest that the following 13 butterfly species from the family Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) in Texas, USA are distinct from their closest named relatives and therefore are described as new (type localities are given in parenthesis): Spicauda atelis Grishin, new species (Hidalgo Co., Mission), Urbanus (Urbanus) rickardi Grishin, new species (Hidalgo Co., nr. Madero), Urbanus (Urbanus) oplerorum Grishin, new spe­cies (Hidalgo Co., Mission/Madero), Telegonus tsongae Grishin, new species (Starr Co., Roma), Autochton caballo Grishin, new species (Hidalgo Co., 6 mi W of Hidalgo), Epargyreus fractigutta Grishin, new species (Hidalgo Co., McAllen), Aguna mcguirei Grishin, new species (Cameron Co., Brownsville), Polygonus par­dus Grishin, new species (Hidalgo Co., McAllen), Arteurotia artistella Grishin, new species (Hidalgo Co., Mission), Heliopetes elonmuski Grishin, new species (Cameron Co., Boca Chica), Hesperia balcones Grishin, new species (Travis Co., Volente), Troyus fabulosus Grishin, new species (Hidalgo Co., Peñitas), and Le­rema ochrius Grishin, new species (Hidalgo Co., nr. Relampago). Most of these species are known in the US almost exclusively from the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas. Nine of the holotypes were collected in 1971-1975, a banner period for butterfly species newly recorded from the Rio Grande Valley of Texas; five of them collected by William W. McGuire, and one by Nadine M. McGuire. At the time, these new species have been recorded under the names of their close relatives. A Neotype is designated for Papilio fulminator Sepp, [1841] (Suriname). Lectotypes are designated for Goniurus teleus Hübner, 1821 (unknown, likely in South America), Goniloba azul Reakirt, [1867] (Mexico: Veracruz) and Eudamus misitra Plötz, 1881 (Mex­ico). Several taxonomic changes are proposed. The following taxa are species (not subspecies): Spicauda zalanthus (Plö

Cymatodera batleth new species (Coleoptera: Cleridae) is described from Honduras. It appears to belong to a group of Central American congeners that share similar facies and coloration, deeply emarginate elytral apices and elaborately modified male pygidia. Heretofore ten species of Cymatodera Gray have been recorded from Honduras: C. conflagrata (Klug), C. depau­perata Gorham, C. guatemalensis Schenkling, C. prolixa (Klug), C. sallei Thomson, C. sinuosa Burke, C. rileyi Rifkind, C. crassa Burke and Sole, C. nigrofasciata Burke and Sole, and C. parva Burke which have distributions extending into neighboring Central American countries (Burke 2013; Burke et al. 2017). The known Honduran Cymatodera fauna is likely to increase, given that half of the above were described only within the last decade (Burke 2013; Rifkind 2015; Burke et al. 2017, 2019), and Honduras remains relatively unexplored for Cleridae. This paper describes a new species of Honduran Cymatodera, and its first apparently endemic member of the genus.

Previously described subgenera of Dacne Latreille, 1797 (Coleoptera: Erotylidae) show charac­ter states and combinations implying closer relationships with genera other than with Dacne, suggesting “Dacne” is not monophyletic. These characters are briefly discussed along with the genera sharing the charac­ters. To improve the current classification, the subgenera of Dacne are raised to generic status as: Afrodacne Delkeskamp, 1954, Ameridacne Skelley, 2009, and Xenodacne Boyle, 1956. A checklist of all species included in these genera is presented, updating generic combinations as needed.

Resumen. En este trabajo se describe una nueva especie de Alurnus Fabricius (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), A. chocoensis Pardo y Constantino, con notable coloración rojo sangre en todo el cuerpo, excepto las hembras que presentan el pronoto de color negro. La nueva especie es una plaga importante del follaje en palma de chontaduro (Bactris gasipaes Kunth) en la costa pacífica de Colombia y es un endemismo propio de las selvas lluviosas de la región biogeografica del Chocó, en el occidente de Colombia. Se presentan apuntes sobre su biología y ecología. Abstract. In this work, a new species of Alurnus Fabricius (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), A. chocoensis Pardo and Constantino, is described, with remarkable blood-red coloration throughout the body, except for the females, which have a black pronotum. The new species is an important pest of pejibaye palm foliage (Bactris gasipaes Kunth) on the Pacific coast of Colombia, and it is endemic to the rainforests of the Chocó biogeo­graphical region in western Colombia. Notes on its biology and ecology are presented.

An updated list is given of 25 species of soft scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccidae) which have been intercepted on plants imported into South Korea during the period of 1996 to 2021. Information on the num­ber of interceptions, host plants, distribution and origin of species intercepted at South Korean ports of entry is provided. In addition, data on intercepted species was analyzed to determine potential invasive species of soft scales that could threaten South Korean plants. Soft scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) occur in all zoogeographical regions of the world. The Coccidae is the third largest family of scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) with 1225 species in 178 genera known worldwide (García Morales et al. 2022). Biologically, soft scales which are plant feeders, can occur on just about any part of the plant but are especially common on the stems, leaves and fruits (Miller et al. 2014). Many species are significant economic pests of fruits and also landscaping plants (Hamon and Williams 1984; Gill 1988; Miller et al. 2014; Kondo and Watson 2022). Invasive species of insects which are not native, represent an increasing concern to South Korea since globalization has been facilitating the increase in plant trade, promoting the long-distance movement of pests attached on these plants (Mazzeo et al. 2014). If non-native species are able to establish in a different environment, they often become economic pests, resulting in yield losses, diminished product quality, increased production costs, especially in the application of chemical control measures which often have a deleterious effect on the environment, humans and the ecology of the agroecosystem (Huber et al. 2002; Miller and Miller 2003). Many soft scales are serious pests, particularly those that are invasive species. In South Korea there are 31 species (2.5%) of the soft scales known worldwide. Of these, seven species (22.6%) are likely invaders, namely Ceroplastes rubens Maskell, Coccus f

Onthophagus aeneopiceus d’Orbigny, 1902 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Onthophag­ini) is recorded for the first time for Yemen and for the Palaearctic region. An integration into the key to the Onthophagini from the Arabian Peninsula (Ziani et al. 2019), is provided. After Ziani et al. (2019) and Montanaro and Ziani (2022), 30 Onthophagini species were known from the Arabian Peninsula. In this paper a 31st species is recorded: Onthophagus aeneopiceus d’Orbigny, 1902. The species, belong­ing to the 23rd group of d’Orbigny (1913) and until now known from Eastern Africa and, dubitatively, Ivory Coast (Schoolmeesters 2022), has been collected in Yemen. This is also the first record for the Palaearctic ecozone, sensu Löbl and Löbl (2016). Because of the internal sac morphology, especially that of the lamella copulatrix (Fig. 4), O. aeneopiceus can be compared with Onthophagus mopsus (Fabricius, 1792), an eastern Palaearctic and Oriental taxon, type-spe­cies of the subgenus Indonthophagus Kabakov, 2006. Waiting for further studies on the matter (work in progress), we prefer, however, not to insert O. aeneopiceus into any known subgenus or group of Onthophagus.

To better understand the dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) biodiversity of Costa Rica and Panama, new synonyms, records, distributions, and updates are presented. This paper analyzes the distribution and taxonomy of Phanaeus olsoufieffi Balthasar, 1939 in Panama and establishes the following new subjective synonym: Phanaeus panamensis Moctezuma and Halffter, 2021 = Phanaeus olsoufieffi Balthasar, 1939. Color morphs of Phanaeus pyrois Bates, 1887 in Costa Rica are analyzed. The Costa Rican distribution of Onthophagus bidentatus Drapiez, 1819 and O. marginicollis Harold, 1880 is stud­ied. Onthophagus bidentatus is recorded for Costa Rica for the first time. A population analysis of barcode mtDNA, color morphs, and morphological and genitalia characters for different body sizes of Onthophagus cyanellus is undertaken. An mtDNA barcode tree is presented to assess the molecular identity of O. cyanellus resulting in the reaffirmed subjective synonymy, Onthophagus mesoamericanus Zunino and Halffter, 1988 = O. cyanellus Bates, 1887.

Minute aphids belonging to the species Myzus fataunae Shinji (Hemiptera: Aphididae) were found at a nursery in Seminole County, Florida. Morphological and molecular data support this determination. The Florida population only colonized species of Pilea Lindl. in our host range experiments. It did not colonize Fatoua villosa. Nakai. Likewise, it did not colonize tested common Florida species of Urticaceae other than Pilea spp. Myzus fataunae is adventive, and it appears to be established in the United States.

Crossidius wappesi Skillman, new species (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is described from Presidio County, Texas, USA. I discovered a new species of Crossidius LeConte (Cerambycinae) in the fall of 2018 while collecting with Jim Wappes in Presidio County, Texas. Additional specimens were collected at the same location in 2019 by Jim Wappes and Kenneth Kuckartz. This large, predominately western trachyderine genus presently contains 17 species and 37 subspecies (Bezark 2022). It should be noted that in the study of the genus by Linsley and Chemsak (1961), numerous popu­lations, known from short series, were mentioned, given short descriptions and left nameless. It is possible that a study utilizing DNA could result in a better understanding of the genus.

Thirteen new fossil eucnemid taxa (Coleoptera: Elateroidea) are described from amber deposits excavated from the vicinity of Santiago, Dominican Republic. Two new genera, Mioxylobius and Paleo­quirsfeldia are described. The following 13 new species are described from Dominican amber: Mioxylobius bicolor, Balistica serrulata, Paleoquirsfeldia epicrana, Dyscharachthis dominicana, Idiotarsus poinari, Eurypty­chus antilliensis, Euryptychus hispaniolus, Plesiofornax caribica, Fornax dominicensis, Fornax serropalpoides, Dromaeolus argenteus, Nematodes miocenensis and Nematodes thoracicus. Each new species are both diag­nosed and illustrated. Calyptocerus Guérin-Méneville and Lissantauga Poinar are shown to be congeneic, resulting in a new combination: Calyptocerus epicranis (Poinar, 2013). Summaries of fossil eucnemid dis­coveries, highlighting differing hypothesis of prehistoric Caribbean island formations/speciation, accounts of ancient Dominican Republic environmental conditions and Dominican Republic amber are provided.

Several nomenclatural changes for taxa in the firefly subfamily Luciolinae (Coleoptera: Lampyri­dae) are proposed. Evidence is presented to correct the year of description for Luciola dregei Motschulsky 1853 to Motschulsky 1854 when the name was ratified. We correct the authorities and years of descriptions for type species designations for the genera Delopleurus Motschulsky, 1853, and Delopyrus Motschulsky, 1853 to Motschulsky 1854 for both. All remaining taxa described as variations in the subfamily Luciolinae by McDermott (1966), are evaluated to subspecies with their availability determined based on ICZN (1999) Article 45.6.

Modern sea turtle long bone osteohistology has been surprisingly well-studied, as it is used to understand sea turtle growth and the timing of life history events, thus informing conservation decisions. Previous histologic studies reveal two distinct bone growth patterns in extant sea turtle taxa, with Dermochelys (leatherbacks) growing faster than the cheloniids (all other living sea turtles). Dermochelys also has a unique life history compared to other sea turtles (large size, elevated metabolism, broad biogeographic distribution, etc.) that is likely linked to bone growth strategies. Despite the abundance of data on modern sea turtle bone growth, extinct sea turtle osteohistology is virtually unstudied. Here, long bone microstructure of the large, Cretaceous sea turtle Protostega gigas is examined to better understand its life history. Humeral and femoral analysis reveals bone microstructure patterns similar to Dermochelys with variable but sustained rapid growth through early ontogeny. Similarities between Progostegea and Dermochelys osteohistology suggest similar life history strategies like elevated metabolic rates with rapid growth to large body size and sexual maturity. Comparison to the more basal protostegid Desmatochelys indicates elevated growth rates are not present throughout the entire Protostegidae, but evolved in larger and more derived taxa, possibly in response to Late Cretaceous ecological changes. Given the uncertainties in the phylogenetic placement of the Protostegidae, these results either support convergent evolution towards rapid growth and elevated metabolism in both derived protostegids and dermochelyids, or a close evolutionary relationship between the two taxa. Better understanding the evolution and diversity of sea turtle life history strategies during the Late Cretaceous greenhouse climate can also impact current sea turtle conservation decisions.

Academic publishing processes and standards play a fundamental role in communicating, reviewing, and expanding scientific knowledge in wildlife conservation. However, various publishing biases privilege some research perspectives and worldviews while limiting others. These biases directly impact intellectual diversity, or differences in ontology, axiology, and epistemology. This study aims to quantify intellectual diversity in the field of wildlife conservation and identify how publishing biases affect knowledge available to researchers and decision-makers worldwide. The study employed a sample of 50,000 articles published between 2018 and 2022, collected from the Web of Science database. To analyze the vast amount of article records, natural language processing techniques, including topic modeling, were applied to article abstracts. This enabled the identification of global differences in prevalent topics, theories, and methods in wildlife conservation research. By connecting these trends with researcher social diversity, the study seeks to understand the influence of diverse perspectives on research design and knowledge production. Additionally, an intellectual diversity survey was sent to a randomized sample of international and domestic authors to gather data on differences in axiology and epistemology as well as various publishing culture dynamics. Results reveal the existence of several biases in publishing culture, aligning with previous research. Moreover, language bias emerged as a primary concern, with researchers who did not speak English as a first language experiencing publishing biases most strongly. Differences in epistemological and axiological beliefs were also observed between demographic groups and connected to current work in value orientations and knowledge dimensions. Topic modeling revealed strong geographic differences in topics of study, and natural language processing demonstrated differences in research design. The study contributes to the

Carbon nitride is one of the most promising metal-free photocatalysts to harvest solar light for energy conversion and pollutant treatment. Unfortunately, its photocatalytic performance is impeded by the sluggish charge carriers due to the high symmetry of unit cells of chemical structure. Fabrication of an internal electric field (IEF) in carbon nitride-based photocatalysts is evidenced to be a productive strategy to actuate the fast separation of photo-excited charge carriers and navigate their migrations to active sites for high apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) and throughputs. In the current work, a comprehensive review of IEF in different types of carbon nitride-based heterojunctions will be well presented. Emphasis will be put on the latest progress of IEF generation by hosting 2-dimensional (2D) carbon nitride nanosheets with different dimensional materials, IEF modulation by interfacial engineering as well as IEF identification and monitoring. Relationships between IEF and photocatalytic performances in various processes will also be enlightened. Finally, this review will suggest the challenges and future perspectives of IEF-driven photocatalysis. This review brings the intrinsic impetus of charge carriers in a photocatalyst to the forefront and is anticipated to provide guidance to configure powered IEF in 2D carbon nitride-based heterostructures toward efficient energy conversion and environmental purification.

Although it is known that prairie dog colonies can increase biodiversity in the areas surrounding them, there is extraordinarily little known about the relationship between bats and black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus). In a recent study from the Front Range of Colorado, several bat species were found to be consistently flying around prairie dog colonies, presumably foraging due to increased insect diversity and abundance. Despite the importance of prairie dogs to the ecosystem, prairie dog colonies are usually eradicated due to the perception that they adversely impact cattle grazing. If insectivorous bats are attracted to prairie dog colonies in Kansas, it would add to the list of ecosystem services provided by prairie dogs. We conducted acoustic bat surveys, attempted to confirm acoustic detections with mist netting, and sampled insects within and adjacent to prairie dog colonies. We also used new radio tracking technologies to closely monitor bat use of prairie dog colonies. We anticipated that bats, including Western small-footed myotis, would be more active over prairie dog colonies compared to the surrounding grasslands without prairie dog colonies. Our findings support part of this prediction. Significantly more bat calls were recorded over prairie dog colonies compared to non-prairie dog colonies. However, there was no significant difference in Western-small footed myotis calls on or off prairie dog colonies. There was no significant difference between the insect biomass on prairie dog colonies and non-prairie dog areas. Since there is not enough data to support the hypothesis that prairie dog colonies have more insect biomass than non-prairie dog areas, it leaves a gap in knowledge and creates potential areas for further research to be conducted. This study highlights the important ecological relationship between prairie dogs and bats and suggests that higher presence of bats on prairie dog colonies could lead to economic benefits t

There is growing attention on reconstructing recreational catch to quantify the impacts of recreational fishing [Reference Cooke, Venturelli, Twardek, Lennox, Brownscombe, Skov, Hyder, Suski, Diggles, Arlinghaus and Danylchuk1, Reference Radford, Hyder, Zarauz, Mugerza, Ferter, Prellezo, Strehlow, Townhill, Lewin and Weltersbach6]. In the absence of quantitative catch and effort data, a time series of reconstructed catch and effort is determined from sporadic data sources [Reference Freire, Belhabib, Espedido, Hood, Kleisner, Lam, Machado, Mendonça, Meeuwig, Moro, Motta, Palomares, Smith, Teh, Zeller, Zylich and Pauly2, Reference Pauly and Zeller5]. The aim of this study was to reconstruct a time series of recreational catches for key species from a boat-based recreational fishery in the West Coast Bioregion of Western Australia from 1993/94 to 2017/18, based on data collected by various survey approaches [Reference Lai, Mueller, Hyndes and Ryan3, Reference Ryan, Hall, Lai, Smallwood, Tate, Taylor and Wise7]. Prior to the reconstruction, there was a need to develop a thorough understanding of the survey methods and the data collected to ensure scientific credibility and stakeholder acceptance of reconstruction results [...].

Background: Seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTFs) are globally important ecosystems which receive less research attention compared to tropical rainforests but are equally under serious threat. The objectives of this paper are to characterize the vegetation structure, diversity and composition of SDTF of Baluran National Park, East Java, Indonesia, and to assess the impact of burning this SDTF and its post-fire recovery. Methods: In the field, we measured floristic composition and dominance at sites with different fire histories in both SDTF and adjacent savannas of Baluran. Remote sensing image analysis was also employed using the MODIS burn area product and various thematic maps. Results: SDTF at Baluran has moderately high tree cover, is less diverse in species than rainforest, and has a prominent vegetative response to fire, especially in the tree layer. The immediate post-fire period in SDTF featured lower densities of tree seedlings and saplings, more grasses and herbs, and lower species richness than older unburned forest. Species composition varied with fire age and vegetation type, with relatively rapid recovery with time since fire evident, although there was some convergence of long-unburned savanna and SDTF sites in terms of floristics. Conclusions: The SDTF of Baluran recovers after fire principally via resprouting but also via seedling regeneration, with structural attributes returning more quickly ( < 10 years) than floristic composition ( > 10 years). We did not find consistent evidence of ecosystem transitions between SDTF and savanna despite a small number of long-unburned savanna sites having floristic similarities to dry forest (particularly in terms of characteristic tree species), and we identify the need for more study to determine the degree and mechanisms of forest–savanna transitions in the region, with a future research agenda outlined. Relatively large areas of savanna–dry forest transitions demonstrated from remote sensing analyses were

Seagrass meadows are natural carbon storage hotspots at risk from global change threats, and their loss can result in the remineralization of soil carbon stocks and CO2 emissions fueling climate change. Here we used expert elicitation and empirical evidence to assess the risk of CO2 emissions from seagrass soils caused by multiple human-induced, biological and climate change threats. Judgments from 41 experts were synthesized into a seagrass CO2 emission risk score based on vulnerability factors (i.e., spatial scale, frequency, magnitude, resistance and recovery) to seagrass soil organic carbon stocks. Experts perceived that climate change threats (e.g., gradual ocean warming and increased storminess) have the highest risk for CO2 emissions at global spatial scales, while direct threats (i.e., dredging and building of a marina or jetty) have the largest CO2 emission risks at local spatial scales. A review of existing peer-reviewed literature showed a scarcity of studies assessing CO2 emissions following seagrass disturbance, but the limited empirical evidence partly confirmed the opinion of experts. The literature review indicated that direct and long-term disturbances have the greatest negative impact on soil carbon stocks per unit area, highlighting that immediate management actions after disturbances to recover the seagrass canopy can significantly reduce soil CO2 emissions. We conclude that further empirical evidence assessing global change threats on the seagrass carbon sink capacity is required to aid broader uptake of seagrass into blue carbon policy frameworks. The preliminary findings from this study can be used to estimate the potential risk of CO2 emissions from seagrass habitats under threat and guide nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation.

This paper reviews the current knowledge of hydrological processes in Chilean temperate forests which extend along western South America from latitude 29° S to 56 ° S. This geographic region includes a diverse range of natural and planted forests and a broad sweep of vegetation, edaphic, topographic, geologic, and climatic settings which create a unique natural laboratory. Many local communities, endangered freshwater ecosystems, and downstream economic activities in Chile rely on water flows from forested catchments. This review aims to (i) provide a comprehensive overview of Chilean forest hydrology, to (ii) review prior research in forest hydrology in Chile, and to (iii) identify knowledge gaps and provide a vision for future research on forest hydrology in Chile. We reviewed the relation between native forests, commercial plantations, and other land uses on water yield and water quality from the plot to the catchment scale. Much of the global understanding of forests and their relationship with the water cycle is in line with the findings of the studies reviewed here. Streamflow from forested catchments increases after timber harvesting, native forests appear to use less water than plantations, and streams draining native forest yield less sediment than streams draining plantations or grassland/shrublands. We identified 20 key knowledge gaps such as forest groundwater systems, soil–plant-atmosphere interactions, native forest hydrology, and the effect of forest management and restoration on hydrology. Also, we found a paucity of research in the northern geographic areas and forest types (35-36 ° S); most forest hydrology studies in Chile (56 %) have been conducted in the southern area (Los Rios Region around 39-40 ° S). There is limited knowledge of the geology and soils in many forested areas and how surface and groundwater are affected by changes in land cover. There is an opportunity to advance our understanding using process-based investigations linking fiel

Marine water temperatures are increasing globally, with eastern Australian estuaries warming faster than predicted. There is growing evidence that this rapid warming of coastal waters is increasing the abundance and virulence of pathogenic members of the Vibrionaceae, posing a significant health risk to both humans and aquatic organisms. Fish disease, notably outbreaks of emerging pathogens in response to environmental perturbations such as heatwaves, have been recognised in aquaculture settings. Considerably less is known about how rising sea surface temperatures will impact the microbiology of wild fish populations, particularly those within estuarine systems that are more vulnerable to warming. We used a combination of Vibrio-specific quantitative PCR and amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA and hsp60 genes to examine seawater and fish (Pelates sexlineatus) gut microbial communities across a quasi-natural experimental system, where thermal pollution from coal-fired power stations creates a temperature gradient of up to 6 °C, compatible with future predicted temperature increases. At the warmest site, fish hindgut microbial communities were in a state of dysbiosis characterised by shifts in beta diversity and a proliferation (71.5% relative abundance) of the potential fish pathogen Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae. Comparable patterns were not identified in the surrounding seawater, indicating opportunistic proliferation within estuarine fish guts under thermal stress. A subsequent evaluation of predicted future warming-related risk due to pathogenic Vibrionaceae in temperate estuarine fish demonstrated that warming is likely to drive opportunistic pathogen increases in the upper latitudinal range of this estuarine fish, potentially impacting adaptations to future warming. These findings represent a breakthrough in our understanding of the dynamics of emerging pathogens in populations of wild aquatic organisms within environments likely to experience rapid w

Coastal groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs), such as wetlands, estuaries and mangrove forests, are globally important habitats that promote biodiversity, provide climate regulation and serve as refugia for plant and animal communities. However, global warming, coastal development and over-abstraction threaten the availability and quality of groundwater in coastal aquifers and, by extension, the ecohydrological function of dependent ecosystems. Because ecohydrological knowledge of coastal groundwater is disparate across disciplines and habitat types, we begin by summarising the physiochemical, biological and hydrological processes supported by groundwater across coastal watersheds. Groundwater makes a significant but poorly recognised contribution to the function and resilience of coastal ecosystems and will play an essential role in climate change mitigation and adaptation. This review then explores how critical ecosystem processes supported by groundwater will be affected in areas of the humid subtropics that are expected to be impacted by climatic drying. Where rainfall is predicted to decrease, reduced groundwater recharge will interrupt the hydrology of coastal GDEs, while anthropogenic pressures, such as land-use intensification and pollution, will diminish the quality of remaining groundwater. The challenges of managing groundwater for multiple purposes under climate change predictions are highlighted. To improve the management of coastal GDEs, research should be aimed at developing robust conceptual models of coastal groundwater systems that quantify biophysical linkages with ecological communities across relevant spatiotemporal scales.