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Donati GFA, Bolliger J, Psomas A, Maurer M, Bach PM. Reconciling cities with nature: Identifying local Blue-Green Infrastructure interventions for regional biodiversity enhancement. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 316:115254. [PMID: 35576714 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Increasing urbanization degrades quantity, quality, and the functionality of spatial cohesion of natural areas essential to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning worldwide. The uncontrolled pace of building activity and the erosion of blue (i.e., aquatic) and green (i.e., terrestrial) landscape elements threaten existing habitat ranges and movability of wildlife. Local scale measures, such as nature-inspired engineered Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI) are emerging mitigation solutions. Originally planned to promote sustainable stormwater management, adaptation to climate change and improved human livability in cities, such instruments offer interesting synergies for biodiversity in support of existing ecological infrastructure. BGI are especially appealing for globally declining amphibians, a rich and diverse vertebrate assemblage sensitive to urbanization. We integrated biological and highly resolved urban-rural land-cover data, ensemble models of habitat suitability, and connectivity models based on circuit theory to improve multi-scale and multi-species protection of core habitats and ecological corridors in the Swiss lowlands. Considering a broad spectrum of amphibian biodiversity, we identified distributions of amphibian biodiversity hotspots and four landscape elements essential to amphibian movability at the regional scale, namely i) forest edges, ii) wet-forest habitats, iii) soils with variable moisture and iv) riparian zones. Our work shows that cities can make a substantial contribution (e.g., up to 15% of urban space in the study area) to wider landscape habitat connectivity. We highlight the importance of planning BGI locally in strategic locations across urban and peri-urban areas to promote the permeability and availability of 'stepping stone' habitats in densely populated landscapes, essential to the maintenance of regional habitat connectivity and thereby enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia F A Donati
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science & Technology (Eawag), Überlandstrasse 133, 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland; WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland.
| | - Janine Bolliger
- WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland.
| | - Achilleas Psomas
- WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland.
| | - Max Maurer
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science & Technology (Eawag), Überlandstrasse 133, 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland; Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich, 8093, Switzerland.
| | - Peter M Bach
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science & Technology (Eawag), Überlandstrasse 133, 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland; Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich, 8093, Switzerland.
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Bani L, Orioli V, Giacchini R, Parenti P, Dondina O, Prokić M, Faggio C, Campli G. Can antioxidant responses be induced by habitat fragmentation process? OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luciano Bani
- Dept of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Milano‐Bicocca Milan Italy
- World Biodiversity Association onlus c/o NAT LAB Forte Inglese Portoferraio (Livorno) Italy
| | - Valerio Orioli
- Dept of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Milano‐Bicocca Milan Italy
| | - Roberto Giacchini
- Dept of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Milano‐Bicocca Milan Italy
| | - Paolo Parenti
- Dept of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Milano‐Bicocca Milan Italy
| | - Olivia Dondina
- Dept of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Milano‐Bicocca Milan Italy
| | - Marko Prokić
- Dept of Physiology, Inst. for Biological Research ‘Siniša Stanković', National Inst. of Republic of Serbia, Univ. of Belgrade Belgrade Serbia
| | - Caterina Faggio
- Dept of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Messina Messina Messina Italy
| | - Giulia Campli
- Dept of Ecology and Evolution, Swiss Inst. of Bioinformatics, Univ. of Lausanne Biophore Lausanne Switzerland
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3
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Dondina O, Meriggi A, Bani L, Orioli V. Decoupling residents and dispersers from detection data improve habitat selection modelling: the case study of the wolf in a natural corridor. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.1988724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Dondina
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, Milano 20126, Italy
| | - Alberto Meriggi
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - Luciano Bani
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, Milano 20126, Italy
| | - Valerio Orioli
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, Milano 20126, Italy
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Kiss I, Vörös J, Hamer A. Movement patterns within an urban population of fire salamanders highlight the importance of conserving small habitat patches. J Zool (1987) 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- I. Kiss
- Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology Szent István University Gödöllő Hungary
| | - J. Vörös
- Department of Zoology Hungarian Natural History Museum Budapest Hungary
| | - A.J. Hamer
- Balaton Limnological Research Institute Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH) Klebelsberg K. u. 3 Tihany 8237 Hungary
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García NC, Robinson WD. Current and Forthcoming Approaches for Benchmarking Genetic and Genomic Diversity. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.622603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The current attrition of biodiversity extends beyond loss of species and unique populations to steady loss of a vast genomic diversity that remains largely undescribed. Yet the accelerating development of new techniques allows us to survey entire genomes ever faster and cheaper, to obtain robust samples from a diversity of sources including degraded DNA and residual DNA in the environment, and to address conservation efforts in new and innovative ways. Here we review recent studies that highlight the importance of carefully considering where to prioritize collection of genetic samples (e.g., organisms in rapidly changing landscapes or along edges of geographic ranges) and what samples to collect and archive (e.g., from individuals of little-known subspecies or populations, even of species not currently considered endangered). Those decisions will provide the sample infrastructure to detect the disappearance of certain genotypes or gene complexes, increases in inbreeding levels, and loss of genomic diversity as environmental conditions change. Obtaining samples from currently endangered, protected, and rare species can be particularly difficult, thus we also focus on studies that use new, non-invasive ways of obtaining genomic samples and analyzing them in these cases where other sampling options are highly constrained. Finally, biological collections archiving such samples face an inherent contradiction: their main goal is to preserve biological material in good shape so it can be used for scientific research for centuries to come, yet the technologies that can make use of such materials are advancing faster than collections can change their standardized practices. Thus, we also discuss current and potential new practices in biological collections that might bolster their usefulness for future biodiversity conservation research.
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Contribution of Connectivity Assessments to Green Infrastructure (GI). ISPRS INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEO-INFORMATION 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/ijgi9040212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
A major goal of green infrastructure (GI) is to provide functional networks of habitats and ecosystems to maintain biodiversity long-term, while at the same time optimizing landscape and ecosystem functions and services to meet human needs. Traditionally, connectivity studies are informed by movement ecology with species-specific attributes of the type and timing of movement (e.g., dispersal, foraging, mating) and movement distances, while spatial environmental data help delineate movement pathways across landscapes. To date, a range of methods and approaches are available that (a) are relevant across any organism and movement type independent of time and space scales, (b) are ready-to-use as standalone freeware or custom GIS implementation, and (c) produce appealing visual outputs that facilitate communication with land managers. However, to enhance the robustness of connectivity assessments and ensure that current trends in connectivity modeling contribute to GI with their full potential, common denominators on which to ground planning and design strategies are required. Likewise, comparable, repeatable connectivity assessments will be needed to put results of these scientific tools into practice for multi-functional GI plans and implementation. In this paper, we discuss use and limitations of state-of-the-art connectivity methods in contributing to GI implementation.
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Dondina O, Orioli V, Torretta E, Merli F, Bani L, Meriggi A. Combining ensemble models and connectivity analyses to predict wolf expected dispersal routes through a lowland corridor. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0229261. [PMID: 32092115 PMCID: PMC7039448 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The Italian wolf (Canis lupus italicus) population has remained isolated South of the Alps for the last few thousand years. After a strong decline, the species has recolonized the Apennines and the Western Alps, while it is currently struggling to colonize the Eastern Alps. Recently, the species was detected in a lowland park connecting the Northern Apennines to the Central Alps. If the park was able to sustain a net wolf dispersal flow, this could significantly boost the connection with the Eastern Alps and the Dinaric-Balkan population. We investigated the suitability of the park as a functional ecological corridor for the wolf through the unhospitable lowland of Northern Italy. We collected wolf occurrence data in two study areas. We modeled species distribution running a separate ensemble model for each study area and then merging the output of the models to obtain an integrated suitability map. We used this map to identify corridors for the wolf adopting a factorial least-cost path and a cumulative resistant kernel approach. The connectivity models showed that only two corridors exist in the lowland areas between the Northern Apennines and the Central Alps. The Western corridor is a blind route, while the eastern corridor passes through the park and has a continuous course. However, the models also revealed a scarce resilience of corridor connectivity in the passageways between the park and the Apennines and the Prealps, which suggests that urgent management actions are necessary to ensure the future functionality of this important corridor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Dondina
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Valerio Orioli
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Elisa Torretta
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Federico Merli
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Luciano Bani
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Alberto Meriggi
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
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Joly P. Behavior in a Changing Landscape: Using Movement Ecology to Inform the Conservation of Pond-Breeding Amphibians. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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9
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Okamiya H, Kusano T. Effects of landscape features on gene flow among urban frog populations. Ecol Res 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hisanori Okamiya
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Sciences Tokyo Metropolitan University Hachioji‐shi Tokyo Japan
| | - Tamotsu Kusano
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Sciences Tokyo Metropolitan University Hachioji‐shi Tokyo Japan
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Waraniak JM, Fisher JDL, Purcell K, Mushet DM, Stockwell CA. Landscape genetics reveal broad and fine-scale population structure due to landscape features and climate history in the northern leopard frog ( Rana pipiens) in North Dakota. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:1041-1060. [PMID: 30805139 PMCID: PMC6374656 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Revised: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Prehistoric climate and landscape features play large roles structuring wildlife populations. The amphibians of the northern Great Plains of North America present an opportunity to investigate how these factors affect colonization, migration, and current population genetic structure. This study used 11 microsatellite loci to genotype 1,230 northern leopard frogs (Rana pipiens) from 41 wetlands (30 samples/wetland) across North Dakota. Genetic structure of the sampled frogs was evaluated using Bayesian and multivariate clustering methods. All analyses produced concordant results, identifying a major east-west split between two R. pipiens population clusters separated by the Missouri River. Substructuring within the two major identified population clusters was also found. Spatial principal component analysis (sPCA) and variance partitioning analysis identified distance, river basins, and the Missouri River as the most important landscape factors differentiating R. pipiens populations across the state. Bayesian reconstruction of coalescence times suggested the major east-west split occurred ~13-18 kya during a period of glacial retreat in the northern Great Plains and substructuring largely occurred ~5-11 kya during a period of extreme drought cycles. A range-wide species distribution model (SDM) for R. pipiens was developed and applied to prehistoric climate conditions during the Last Glacial Maximum (21 kya) and the mid-Holocene (6 kya) from the CCSM4 climate model to identify potential refugia. The SDM indicated potential refugia existed in South Dakota or further south in Nebraska. The ancestral populations of R. pipiens in North Dakota may have inhabited these refugia, but more sampling outside the state is needed to reconstruct the route of colonization. Using microsatellite genotype data, this study determined that colonization from glacial refugia, drought dynamics in the northern Great Plains, and major rivers acting as barriers to gene flow were the defining forces shaping the regional population structure of R. pipiens in North Dakota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin M. Waraniak
- Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental and Conservation Sciences Graduate ProgramNorth Dakota State UniversityFargoNorth Dakota
| | - Justin D. L. Fisher
- Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental and Conservation Sciences Graduate ProgramNorth Dakota State UniversityFargoNorth Dakota
- Present address:
Natural Resource Conservation ServiceFergus FallsMinnesota
| | - Kevin Purcell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental and Conservation Sciences Graduate ProgramNorth Dakota State UniversityFargoNorth Dakota
- Present address:
Data Science and Analytics ProgramHarrisburg UniversityHarrisburgPennsylvania
| | - David M. Mushet
- U.S. Geological SurveyNorthern Prairie Wildlife Research CenterJamestownNorth Dakota
| | - Craig A. Stockwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental and Conservation Sciences Graduate ProgramNorth Dakota State UniversityFargoNorth Dakota
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11
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Bonato L, Corbetta A, Giovine G, Romanazzi E, Šunje E, Vernesi C, Crestanello B. Diversity among peripheral populations: genetic and evolutionary differentiation ofSalamandra atraat the southern edge of the Alps. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lucio Bonato
- Dipartimento di Biologia; Università di Padova; Padova Italy
| | - Andrea Corbetta
- Stazione sperimentale Regionale per lo Studio e la Conservazione degli Anfibi Lago di Endine; Casazza Italy
| | - Giovanni Giovine
- Stazione sperimentale Regionale per lo Studio e la Conservazione degli Anfibi Lago di Endine; Casazza Italy
| | | | - Emina Šunje
- Department of Biology; University of Sarajevo; Sarajevo Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Herpetological Association in Bosnia and Hercegovina BHHU:ATRA; Sarajevo Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Cristiano Vernesi
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology; Research and Innovation Centre; Fondazione Edmund Mach; San Michele All'Adige Italy
| | - Barbara Crestanello
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology; Research and Innovation Centre; Fondazione Edmund Mach; San Michele All'Adige Italy
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12
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Landscape determinants of genetic differentiation, inbreeding and genetic drift in the hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius). CONSERV GENET 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-017-0999-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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13
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Vörös J, Ursenbacher S, Kiss I, Jelić D, Schweiger S, Szabó K. Increased genetic structuring of isolatedSalamandra salamandrapopulations (Caudata: Salamandridae) at the margins of the Carpathian Mountains. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Judit Vörös
- Department of Zoology; Hungarian Natural History Museum; Budapest Hungary
- Laboratory for Molecular Taxonomy; Hungarian Natural History Museum; Budapest Hungary
| | - Sylvain Ursenbacher
- Department of Environmental Science Section of Conservation Biology; University of Basel; Basel Switzerland
| | - István Kiss
- Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology; Szent István University; Gödöllő Hungary
| | - Dušan Jelić
- Croatian Institute for Biodiversity; Zagreb Croatia
| | | | - Krisztián Szabó
- Department of Ecology; University of Veterinary Medicine; Budapest Hungary
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