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Santos EG, Wiederhecker HC, Pompermaier VT, Gainsbury AM, Schirmer SC, Morais CVF, Fontenele JL, de Morais Santana MC, Marini MÂ. Urbanization reduces diversity, simplifies community and filter bird species based on their functional traits in a tropical city. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 935:173379. [PMID: 38795992 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
Understanding how organisms are coping with major changes imposed by urban intensification is a complex task. In fact, our understanding of the impacts of urbanization on biodiversity is scarce in the global south compared to the north. In this study, we evaluated how bird communities are affected by impact of urban intensification in a tropical city. Thus, we assessed whether increased urban intensification 1) jeopardizes bird diversity (taking into account taxonomic-TD, phylogenetic-PD, and functional-FD dimensions), 2) drives changes in bird community composition and enables the detection of indicator species of such impact, and 3) leads to changes in bird functional traits linked to reproduction, resource acquisition, and survival. We found that urban intensification has a direct impact on the bird community, reducing all three types of diversity. Communities in areas of greater urban intensity are represented by fewer species, and these species are PD and FD less distinct. In addition, we detected at least ten species of areas of lower urban intensity that proved to be more sensitive to urban intensification. With regard to bird traits, we found no significant responses from reproductive, habitat use and feeding variables. Body weight and tail length were the only variables with significant results, with higher urbanization intensity areas selecting for species with lower weights and longer tails. Given the global biodiversity loss we are observing, this information can guide urban managers and planners in designing urban landscapes to maintain biodiversity in cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Guimarães Santos
- Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia, 70919-970 Brasília, DF, Brazil.
| | | | - Vinicius Tirelli Pompermaier
- Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia, 70919-970 Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Alison M Gainsbury
- University of South Florida, St. Petersburg Campus, Department of Integrative Biology, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
| | - Sofia Coradini Schirmer
- Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia, 70919-970 Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Miguel Ângelo Marini
- Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Zoologia, 70910-970 Brasília, DF, Brazil
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2
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Babik W, Marszałek M, Dudek K, Antunes B, Palomar G, Zając B, Taugbøl A, Pabijan M. Limited evidence for genetic differentiation or adaptation in two amphibian species across replicated rural-urban gradients. Evol Appl 2024; 17:e13700. [PMID: 38832082 PMCID: PMC11146147 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Urbanization leads to complex environmental changes and poses multiple challenges to organisms. Amphibians are highly susceptible to the effects of urbanization, with land use conversion, habitat destruction, and degradation ranked as the most significant threats. Consequently, amphibians are declining in urban areas, in both population numbers and abundance, however, the effect of urbanization on population genetic parameters remains unclear. Here, we studied the genomic response to urbanization in two widespread European species, the common toad Bufo bufo (26 localities, 480 individuals), and the smooth newt Lissotriton vulgaris (30 localities, 516 individuals) in three geographic regions: southern and northern Poland and southern Norway. We assessed genome-wide SNP variation using RADseq (ca. 42 and 552 thousand SNPs in toads and newts, respectively) and adaptively relevant major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II genes. The results linked most of the genetic differentiation in both marker types to regional (latitudinal) effects, which also correspond to historical biogeography. Further, we did not find any association between genetic differentiation and level of urbanization at local scales for either species. However, urban smooth newts, but not toads, have lower levels of within-population genome-wide diversity, suggesting higher susceptibility to the negative effects of urbanization. A decreasing level of genetic diversity linked to increasing urbanization was also found for MHC II in smooth newts, while the relationship between MHC class I diversity and urbanization differed between geographic regions. We did not find any effects of urbanization on MHC diversity in the toad populations. Although two genetic environment association analyses of genome-wide data, LFMM and BayPass, revealed numerous (219 in B. bufo and 7040 in L. vulgaris) SNPs statistically associated with urbanization, we found a marked lack of repeatability between geographic regions, suggesting a complex and multifaceted response to natural selection elicited by life in the city.
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Affiliation(s)
- W. Babik
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Environmental SciencesJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
| | - M. Marszałek
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Environmental SciencesJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
| | - K. Dudek
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Environmental SciencesJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
| | - B. Antunes
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Environmental SciencesJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
| | - G. Palomar
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Environmental SciencesJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
- Department of Genetics, Physiology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological SciencesComplutense University of MadridMadridSpain
| | - B. Zając
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical ResearchJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
| | - A. Taugbøl
- Norwegian Institute for Nature ResearchLillehammerNorway
| | - M. Pabijan
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical ResearchJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
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3
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Felgentreff ES, Pernat N, Buchholz S. Birds of Berlin: Changes in communities and guilds in the urban park "Tiergarten" since 1850. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11461. [PMID: 38803607 PMCID: PMC11128458 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Urbanization has far-reaching consequences on birds, and knowledge of the impacts on taxonomic and functional diversity is necessary to make cities as compatible as possible for species. Avian diversity in parks in urban centers has been investigated multiple times, but rarely so in long-term studies due to lacking data. The Tiergarten in Berlin is a large-scale park in the city center of great value for people and many species including birds. We compiled bird species lists since 1850 and from monitoring in 2022 in one dataset to investigate how bird communities and guilds have changed over time and how these alterations were influenced by the eventful history of the park's vegetation conditions. Long-term changes in species assemblages were analyzed with an ordination analysis, and changes in guild presence and functional richness were discussed with regard to landscape transitions. A gradual development of species assemblages yet only small changes in guild composition since 1850 was detected, whereas the 1950 community stands out with a drop in species richness and replacement of forest species with an open land community, which reflects the deforestation of the park during World War II. Consideration of habitat, lifestyle, trophic, and migration guilds revealed no sign of functional homogenization over the last 172 years (1850-2022). Despite the high frequentation of the park by humans it still allows for a high bird diversity due to the Tiergarten's sheer size and heterogeneity of vegetation and habitats. We recommend that the park is maintained and managed accordingly to preserve this condition and advise other urban parks to strive for these beneficial features.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nadja Pernat
- Institute of Landscape EcologyUniversity of MünsterMünsterGermany
| | - Sascha Buchholz
- Institute of Landscape EcologyUniversity of MünsterMünsterGermany
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4
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Khosravi Mashizi A, Sharafatmandrad M. Linking ecosystems to public health based on combination of social and ecological systems. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9911. [PMID: 38689004 PMCID: PMC11061295 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60814-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Promotion of public health is one of the most important benefits of ecosystems. Nevertheless, the relationship between ecosystems and social health' needs is not well understood. Therefore, a study was done to investigate the potential of natural (forests and rangelands) and artificial (urban parks and gardens) ecosystems in ensuring the five dimensions of public health (i.e. physical, mental, spiritual, social and environmental) in the social systems (urban and rural societies). Therefore, 47 health indicators were used in order to relate different ecosystems and social' needs to five dimensions of public health through questionnaire. The results indicated that natural ecosystems had the greatest potential in providing mental, spiritual and environmental health due to ecological characteristics of wilderness and aesthetic. The artificial ecosystems had the greatest potential in providing physical and social health due to their easy access. However, there was a match between social health' needs and ecosystem potential in the rural areas. The study highlighted the need for promotion of ecological indicators related to mental health in urban areas by enhancing silence and aesthetic in artificial ecosystems. Presented framework can provide comprehensive information on the weaknesses and strengths of different ecosystems to promote public health based on social needs and fixing the weaknesses of artificial ecosystems in urban areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azam Khosravi Mashizi
- Department of Ecological Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Jiroft, 8th Km of Jiroft - Bandar Abbas Road, P.O. Box: 7867161167, Jiroft, Iran
| | - Mohsen Sharafatmandrad
- Department of Ecological Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Jiroft, 8th Km of Jiroft - Bandar Abbas Road, P.O. Box: 7867161167, Jiroft, Iran.
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5
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Figuerola J, la Puente JMD, Díez-Fernández A, Thomson RL, Aguirre JI, Faivre B, Ibañez-Alamo JD. Urbanization correlates with the prevalence and richness of blood parasites in Eurasian Blackbirds (Turdus merula). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 922:171303. [PMID: 38423334 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Urbanization is increasing worldwide, producing severe environmental impacts. Biodiversity is affected by the expansion of cities, with many species being unable to cope with the different human-induced stressors present in these landscapes. However, this knowledge is mainly based on research from taxa such as plants or vertebrates, while other organisms like protozoa have been less studied in this context. The impact of urbanization on the transmission of vector-borne pathogens in wildlife is still unclear despite its relevance for animal and human health. Here, we investigated whether cities are associated with changes in the prevalence and richness of lineages of three vector-borne protozoans (Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon) in Eurasian blackbirds (Turdus merula) from multiple urban and forest areas in Europe. Our results show important species-specific differences between these two habitat types. We found a significant lower prevalence of Leucocytozoon in urban birds compared to forest birds, but no differences for Plasmodium and Haemoproteus. Furthermore, the richness of parasite lineages in European cities was higher for Plasmodium but lower for Leucocytozoon than in forests. We also found one Plasmodium lineage exclusively from cities while another of Leucocytozoon was only found in forests suggesting a certain level of habitat specialization for these protozoan vectors. Overall, our findings show that cities provide contrasting opportunities for the transmission of different vector-borne pathogens and generate new scenarios for the interactions between hosts, vectors and parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Figuerola
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, 41092 Sevilla, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
| | | | - Alazne Díez-Fernández
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, 41092 Sevilla, Spain; Universidad de Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
| | - Robert L Thomson
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, 7701 Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Bruno Faivre
- UMR CNRS 6282, Biogéosciences, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France
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6
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Johnson MTJ, Arif I, Marchetti F, Munshi-South J, Ness RW, Szulkin M, Verrelli BC, Yauk CL, Anstett DN, Booth W, Caizergues AE, Carlen EJ, Dant A, González J, Lagos CG, Oman M, Phifer-Rixey M, Rennison DJ, Rosenberg MS, Winchell KM. Effects of urban-induced mutations on ecology, evolution and health. Nat Ecol Evol 2024:10.1038/s41559-024-02401-z. [PMID: 38641700 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02401-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that urbanization is associated with higher mutation rates, which can affect the health and evolution of organisms that inhabit cities. Elevated pollution levels in urban areas can induce DNA damage, leading to de novo mutations. Studies on mutations induced by urban pollution are most prevalent in humans and microorganisms, whereas studies of non-human eukaryotes are rare, even though increased mutation rates have the potential to affect organisms and their populations in contemporary time. Our Perspective explores how higher mutation rates in urban environments could impact the fitness, ecology and evolution of populations. Most mutations will be neutral or deleterious, and higher mutation rates associated with elevated pollution in urban populations can increase the risk of cancer in humans and potentially other species. We highlight the potential for urban-driven increased deleterious mutational loads in some organisms, which could lead to a decline in population growth of a wide diversity of organisms. Although beneficial mutations are expected to be rare, we argue that higher mutation rates in urban areas could influence adaptive evolution, especially in organisms with short generation times. Finally, we explore avenues for future research to better understand the effects of urban-induced mutations on the fitness, ecology and evolution of city-dwelling organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc T J Johnson
- Centre for Urban Environments, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Irtaqa Arif
- Centre for Urban Environments, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - Francesco Marchetti
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jason Munshi-South
- Department of Biology and Louis Calder Center, Fordham University, Armonk, NY, USA
| | - Rob W Ness
- Centre for Urban Environments, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marta Szulkin
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Brian C Verrelli
- Center for Biological Data Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Carole L Yauk
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Daniel N Anstett
- Department of Plant Biology, Department of Entomology, Plant Resilience Institute, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Warren Booth
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Aude E Caizergues
- Centre for Urban Environments, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elizabeth J Carlen
- Living Earth Collaborative, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Anthony Dant
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Josefa González
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, CSIC, UPF, Barcelona, Spain
| | - César González Lagos
- Departamento de Ciencias, Facultad de Artes Liberales, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Santiago, Chile
| | - Madeleine Oman
- Centre for Urban Environments, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Diana J Rennison
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Michael S Rosenberg
- Center for Biological Data Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
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7
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Desalegn T, Abebe B. Diversity and Distribution of Avifauna in the Northeast of Addis Ababa, Central Ethiopia. ScientificWorldJournal 2024; 2024:5592074. [PMID: 38665230 PMCID: PMC11045286 DOI: 10.1155/2024/5592074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Exploring avian species diversity and distribution patterns is vigorous for conservation efforts in biodiversity-rich countries such as Ethiopia. Compared to other species, birds are relatively well-known and easily observed, making them great markers of productivity or biodiversity. Although bird species are found all across the world, their survival and range have been negatively impacted by habitat loss, fragmentation, and destruction. Thus, the goal of this study is to provide baseline data on avifaunal diversity in the Northeast of Addis Ababa, including species richness, distribution, and relative abundance in various habitats conducted from January 2023 to September 2023 using a stratified sampling design into three habitat types: settlement, farmland, and abattoir. A fixed-width line transect sampling method was used at the farmland and settlement, and a point transect was employed at the abattoir site to collect the bird data. The data were compared using Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis statistical tests in both seasons and habitat types. A total of 42 bird species belonging to twenty-three families, and nine orders were recorded during the study period. Of these, blue-winged goose and wattled ibis are endemic to Ethiopia. Hooded vultures and White-backed vultures are critically endangered species. The mean abundance of bird species significantly varied in the three habitat types (χ2 = 13.6, df = 2, p=0.001). The abundance of bird species was nonsignificant difference between wet and dry seasons (U = -0.874, p=0.381). The highest diversity (H' = 2.74) was recorded at settlement, and the lowest diversity index (H' = 1.09) was recorded at the abattoir in the dry season. In the wet season, the highest diversity (H' = 2.66) was recorded in the farmland, and the lowest (H' = 1.08) was recorded at the abattoir. The highest evenness (J = 0.94 and J = 0.93) was recorded on the farmland in the wet and dry seasons, respectively. In the study area, urbanization is extremely impacting the environment and altering ecosystem services upon which human civilization depends. Most of the avian species observed in the study area are capable and tolerant of human-induced habitats in the city. Therefore, city planners must consider conserving urban bird species' habitats and feeding sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamenut Desalegn
- Wolkite University, Department of Wildlife and Ecotourism Management, Welkite, Ethiopia
| | - Belayneh Abebe
- Simien Mountains Landscape Conservation and Management Project, African Wildlife Foundation, Debark, Ethiopia
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8
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Palma E, Mata L, Cohen K, Evans D, Gandy B, Gaskell N, Hatchman H, Mezzetti A, Neumann D, O'Keefe J, Shaw A, Wells M, Williams L, Hahs AK. The city nature challenge: A global citizen science phenomenon contributing to biodiversity knowledge and informing local government practices. Bioscience 2024; 74:290-299. [PMID: 38720910 PMCID: PMC11075648 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biae012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The bioblitz phenomenon has recently branched into cities, presenting exciting opportunities for local governments to channel participants' efforts toward local issues. The City Nature Challenge (CNC) is one such initiative that has been quickly taken up by hundreds of municipalities worldwide. Despite high levels of participation, we still lack a framework for evaluating how the CNC contributes to local biodiversity knowledge and to inform local government practices. In the present article, we develop such a tool and present a case study that illustrates its applicability. We demonstrate that the collected records contributed to a better understanding of contemporary, local biodiversity patterns and provide a more realistic representation of understudied groups such as insects and fungi. Importantly, we show that the CNC presented local governments with a cost-effective tool to make informed, evidence-based management and policy decisions, improve education and engagement programs, foster cross-council collaborations, and support a stronger sense of environmental stewardship within the local community.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luis Mata
- University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kylie Cohen
- Knox City Council, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Doug Evans
- Maroondah City Council, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Bernard Gandy
- University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Hiliary Hatchman
- Whitehorse City Council, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Environment and Science, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Amy Shaw
- Boroondara City Council, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Millie Wells
- Whitehorse City Council, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Darebin City Council, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Laurence Williams
- State commissioner for the environment, Scouts Victoria, Australia
- Manningham City Council, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Amy K Hahs
- University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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9
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Bonthoux S, Chollet S. Wilding cities for biodiversity and people: a transdisciplinary framework. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024. [PMID: 38514244 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Accelerating urbanisation and associated lifestyle changes result in loss of biodiversity and diminished wellbeing of people through fewer direct interactions and experiences with nature. In this review, we propose the notion of urban wilding (the promotion of autonomous ecological processes that are independent of historical land-use conditions, with minimal direct human maintenance and planting interventions) and investigate its propensity to improve biodiversity and people-nature connections in cities. Through a large interdisciplinary synthesis, we explore the ecological mechanisms through which urban wilding can promote biodiversity in cities, investigate the attitudes and relations of city dwellers towards urban wild spaces, and discuss the integration of urban wilding into the fabric of cities and its governance. We show that favouring assembly spontaneity by reducing planting interventions, and functional spontaneity by limiting maintenance practices, can promote plant diversity and provide ecological resources for numerous organisms at habitat and city scales. These processes could reverse biotic homogenisation, but further studies are needed to understand the effects of wilding on invasive species and their consequences. From a socio-ecological perspective, the attitudes of city dwellers towards spontaneous vegetation are modulated by successional stages, with grassland and woodland stages preferred, but dense shrubby vegetation stages disliked. Wild spaces can diversify physical interactions with nature, and enrich multi-sensory, affective and cognitive experiences of nature in cities. However, some aspects of wild spaces can cause anxiety, feeling unsafe, and the perception of abandonment. These negative attitudes could be mitigated by subtle design and maintenance interventions. While nature has long been thought of as ornamental and instrumental in cities, urban wilding could help to develop relational and intrinsic values of nature in the fabric of cities. Wildness and its singular aesthetics should be combined with cultural norms, resident uses and urban functions to plan and design urban spatial configurations promoting human-non-human cohabitation. For urban wilding to be socially just and adapted to the needs of residents, its implementation should be backed by inclusive governance opening up discussion forums to residents and urban workers. Scientists can support these changes by collaborating with urban actors to design and experiment with new wild spaces promoting biodiversity and wellbeing of people in cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Bonthoux
- Ecole de la Nature et du Paysage - INSA CVL, CNRS UMR 7324 CITERES, 3 rue de la Chocolaterie, CS, Blois, 23410 41034, France
- LTSER, Zone Atelier Loire, UMR 7324 - CITERES, BP 60449, 37204, TOURS, 03, France
| | - Simon Chollet
- Université de Rennes, CNRS UMR 6553 ECOBIO [Ecosystèmes, biodiversité, évolution], Campus de Beaulieu - Bat 14A, 263 Av Gal Leclerc, Rennes, 35700, France
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10
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Cogoni D, Calderisi G, Collu D, Fenu G. Tourist Trampling on a Peripheral Plant Population Restricted to an Urban Natural Area in the Capo Sant'Elia Promontory (Sardinia, W-Mediterranean Basin). PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:881. [PMID: 38592883 PMCID: PMC10975548 DOI: 10.3390/plants13060881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Urban natural areas provide important ecological services such as biodiversity conservation, as well as opportunities for people to connect with nature and preserve cultural heritage. However, the increasing demand for access to natural areas and the expansion of human recreational activities, such as hiking and biking, pose threats to these ecosystems, especially for animal and plant species, finally resulting in biodiversity loss. This study explores the intricate link between human trampling, plant density, and the morphological and reproductive characteristics of Globularia alypum L., a plant with a peripheral population in Sardinia restricted to a natural area within an urban context. The study examined trampling effects on 75 plots along a frequently used path crossing the plant's core population. Similar environmental conditions were assumed, with differences attributed to human trampling intensity and plant density, and morphological and reproductive traits were measured within each plot. Our results showed that human trampling caused differences in the morphological traits of plants, whereas, in contrast, reproductive traits are less vulnerable to human trampling than morphological ones. As a result, trampled areas may experience decreased plant recruitment, which can have long-term implications for plant population dynamics. Understanding the relationship between trampling effects and the sensitivity of peripheral plant populations is crucial for effective conservation and management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Giuseppe Fenu
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Via S. Ignazio da Laconi 13, I-09123 Cagliari, Italy; (D.C.); (G.C.); (D.C.)
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11
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McCluskey EM, Kuzma FC, Enander HD, Cole‐Wick A, Coury M, Cuthrell DL, Johnson C, Kelso M, Lee YM, Methner D, Rowe L, Swinehart A, Moore J. Assessing habitat connectivity of rare species to inform urban conservation planning. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11105. [PMID: 38444724 PMCID: PMC10912553 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Urbanization is commonly associated with biodiversity loss and habitat fragmentation. However, urban environments often have greenspaces that can support wildlife populations, including rare species. The challenge for conservation planners working in these systems is identifying priority habitats and corridors for protection before they are lost. In a rapidly changing urban environment, this requires prompt decisions informed by accurate spatial information. Here, we combine several approaches to map habitat and assess connectivity for a diverse set of rare species in seven urban study areas across southern Michigan, USA. We incorporated multiple connectivity tools for a comprehensive appraisal of species-habitat patterns across these urban landscapes. We observed distinct differences in connectivity by taxonomic group and site. The three turtle species (Blanding's, Eastern Box, and Spotted) consistently had more habitat predicted to be suitable per site than other evaluated species. This is promising for this at-risk taxonomic group and allows conservation efforts to focus on mitigating threats such as road mortality. Grassland and prairie-associated species (American Bumble Bee, Black and Gold Bumble Bee, and Henslow's Sparrow) had the least amount of habitat on a site-by-site basis. Kalamazoo and the northern Detroit sites had the highest levels of multi-species connectivity across the entire study area based on the least cost paths. These connectivity results have direct applications in urban planning. Kalamazoo, one of the focal urban regions, has implemented a Natural Features Protection (NFP) plan to bolster natural area protections within the city. We compared our connectivity results to the NFP area and show where this plan will have an immediate positive impact and additional areas for potential consideration in future expansions of the protection network. Our results show that conservation opportunities exist within each of the assessed urban areas for maintaining rare species, a key benefit of this multi-species and multi-site approach.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Faith C. Kuzma
- Biology DepartmentGrand Valley State UniversityAllendaleMichiganUSA
| | - Helen D. Enander
- Michigan Natural Features InventoryMichigan State University ExtensionLansingMichiganUSA
| | - Ashley Cole‐Wick
- Michigan Natural Features InventoryMichigan State University ExtensionLansingMichiganUSA
| | - Michela Coury
- Biology DepartmentGrand Valley State UniversityAllendaleMichiganUSA
| | - David L. Cuthrell
- Michigan Natural Features InventoryMichigan State University ExtensionLansingMichiganUSA
| | - Caley Johnson
- Biology DepartmentGrand Valley State UniversityAllendaleMichiganUSA
| | - Marianne Kelso
- Biology DepartmentGrand Valley State UniversityAllendaleMichiganUSA
| | - Yu Man Lee
- Michigan Natural Features InventoryMichigan State University ExtensionLansingMichiganUSA
| | - Diana Methner
- Biology DepartmentGrand Valley State UniversityAllendaleMichiganUSA
| | - Logan Rowe
- Michigan Natural Features InventoryMichigan State University ExtensionLansingMichiganUSA
| | - Alyssa Swinehart
- Biology DepartmentGrand Valley State UniversityAllendaleMichiganUSA
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12
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Sánchez Sánchez M, Lara C. Exotic and native plants play equally important roles in supporting and structuring plant-hummingbird networks within urban green spaces. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16996. [PMID: 38406283 PMCID: PMC10893870 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Urban gardens, despite their transformed nature, serve as invaluable microcosms for a quantitative examination of floral resource provision to urban pollinators, considering the plant's origin. Thus, knowledge has increased, emphasizing the importance of these green areas for hosting and conserving pollinator communities. However, there is a significant knowledge gap concerning the changing availability of these native and exotic floral resources over time and their impact on structuring interaction networks with specific pollinators. Methods Over a year-long period, monthly surveys were conducted to record both native and exotic plant species visited by hummingbirds in an urban garden at Tlaxcala, Mexico. Flower visits were recorded, and the total flowers on each plant visited were tallied. Additionally, all observed hummingbirds were recorded during the transect walks, regardless of plant visits, to determine hummingbird abundance. The interactions were summarized using matrices, and network descriptors like connectance, specializacion, nestedness, and modularity were computed. Plant and hummingbird species in the core and periphery of the network were also identified. Lastly, simulations were performed to assess the network's resilience to the extinction of highly connected native and exotic plant species, including those previously situated in the network's core. Results We recorded 4,674 interactions between 28 plant species, and eight hummingbird species. The majority of plants showed an ornithophilic syndrome, with 20 species considered exotic. Despite asynchronous flowering, there was overlap observed across different plant species throughout the year. Exotic plants like Jacaranda mimosifolia and Nicotiana glauca produced more flowers annually than native species. The abundance of hummingbirds varied throughout the study, with Saucerottia berillyna being the most abundant species. The plant-hummingbird network displayed high connectance, indicating generalization in their interaction. Significant nestedness was observed, mainly influenced by exotic plant species. The core of the network was enriched with exotic plants, while Basilinna leucotis and Cynanthus latirostris played central roles among hummingbirds. Network resilience to species extinction remained generally high. Conclusions Our findings provide valuable insights into the dynamics and structure of plant-hummingbird interactions in urban gardens, emphasizing the influence of exotic plant species and the network's resilience to perturbations. Understanding and managing the impact of exotic plants on such networks is crucial for the conservation and sustainable functioning of urban ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monserrat Sánchez Sánchez
- Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Maestría en Biotecnología y Manejo de Recursos Naturales, San Felipe Ixtacuixtla, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Carlos Lara
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Ixtacuixtla, Tlaxcala, Mexico
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13
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Nadal J, Sáez D, Volponi S, Serra L, Spina F, Margalida A. The effects of cities on quail (Coturnix coturnix) migration: a disturbing story of population connectivity, health, and ecography. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2024; 196:266. [PMID: 38353774 PMCID: PMC10867070 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-12277-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
The increasing impact of human activities on ecosystems is provoking a profound and dangerous effect, particularly in wildlife. Examining the historical migration patterns of quail (Coturnix coturnix) offers a compelling case study to demonstrate the repercussions of human actions on biodiversity. Urbanization trends, where people gravitate toward mega-urban areas, amplify this effect. The proliferation of artificial urban ecosystems extends its influence across every biome, as human reliance on infrastructure and food sources alters ecological dynamics extensively. We examine European quail migrations pre- and post-World War II and in the present day. Our study concentrates on the Italian peninsula, investigating the historical and contemporary recovery of ringed quail populations. To comprehend changes in quail migration, we utilize trajectory analysis, open statistical data, and linear generalized models. We found that while human population and economic growth have shown a linear increase, quail recovery rates exhibit a U-shaped trajectory, and cereal and legume production displays an inverse U-shaped pattern. Generalized linear models have unveiled the significant influence of several key factors-time periods, cereal and legume production, and human demographics-on quail recovery rates. These factors closely correlate with the levels of urbanization observed across these timeframes. These insights underscore the profound impact of expanding human populations and the rise of mega-urbanization on ecosystem dynamics and services. As our planet becomes more urbanized, the pressure on ecosystems intensifies, highlighting the urgent need for concerted efforts directed toward conserving and revitalizing ecosystem integrity. Simultaneously, manage the needs and demands of burgeoning mega-urban areas. Achieving this balance is pivotal to ensuring sustainable coexistence between urban improvement and the preservation of our natural environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Nadal
- Department of Animal Science, Division of Wildlife, Faculty of Life Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Avd. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, 25198, Lleida, Spain.
| | - David Sáez
- Department of Animal Science, Division of Wildlife, Faculty of Life Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Avd. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, 25198, Lleida, Spain
| | - Stefano Volponi
- Area Avifauna Migratrice, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), Via Cà Fornacetta, 9, I-40064, Ozzano Emilia BO, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Serra
- Area Avifauna Migratrice, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), Via Cà Fornacetta, 9, I-40064, Ozzano Emilia BO, Italy
| | - Fernando Spina
- Area Avifauna Migratrice, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), Via Cà Fornacetta, 9, I-40064, Ozzano Emilia BO, Italy
| | - Antoni Margalida
- Institute for Game and Wildlife Research, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), 13005, Ciudad Real, Spain
- Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (CSIC), Avda. Nuestra Señora de la Victoria, 12, 22700, Jaca, Spain
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14
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Li L, Yan M, Hong Y, Feng W, Xie D, Pagani-Núñez E. Protecting China's major urban bird diversity hotspots. AMBIO 2024; 53:339-350. [PMID: 37884617 PMCID: PMC10774474 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-023-01943-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework puts forward a new conservation target to enhance urban biodiversity. Cities have a great potential for sustaining biodiversity and nurturing a healthy relationship between people and our nearest nature. It is especially important in developing countries such as China, which has a rich biodiversity and a rapidly growing urban population. Using citizen science data, we show that 48% of the national bird diversity and 42% of its threatened species have been recorded in the top-20 most avian-diverse cities of China. Urban bird diversity hotspots clustered along the eastern coast, indicating the importance of establishing an inter-city conservation network along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. This urban conservation network would be a starting point to promote social recognition of biodiversity's relational value in a country with a vast population and an increasingly important role in meeting UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Mingxiao Yan
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
- School of Design, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yixuan Hong
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
- School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weijia Feng
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Dong Xie
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Emilio Pagani-Núñez
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China.
- Centre for Conservation and Restoration Science, School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK.
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15
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Zhong Y, Luo Y, Zhu Y, Deng J, Tu J, Yu J, He J. Geographic variations in eco-evolutionary factors governing urban birds: The case of university campuses in China. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:208-220. [PMID: 38098103 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Urbanization alters natural habitats, restructures biotic communities and serves as a filter for selecting species from regional species pools. However, empirical evidence of the specific traits that allow species to persist in urban areas yields mixed results. More importantly, it remains unclear which traits are widespread for species utilizing urban spaces (urban utilizers) and which are environment-dependent traits. Using 745 bird species from 287 university/institute campuses in 74 cities and their species pools across China, we tested whether species that occur in urban areas are correlated with regards to their biological (body mass, beak shape, flight capacity and clutch size), ecological (diet diversity, niche width and habitat breadth), behavioural (foraging innovation) and evolutionary (diversification rate) attributes. We used Bayesian phylogenetic generalized linear mixed models to disentangle the relative roles of these predictors further, and to determine the extent to which the effects of these predictors varied among different cities. We found that urban birds were more phylogenetically clustered than expected by chance, and were generally characterized by a larger habitat breadth, faster diversification rate, more behavioural innovation and smaller body size. Notably, the relative effects of the attributes in explaining urban bird communities varied with city temperature and elevation, indicating that the filters used to determine urban species were environment dependent. We conclude that, while urban birds are typically small-sized, generalists, innovative and rapidly diversifying, the key traits that allow them to thrive vary spatially, depending on the climatic and topographic conditions of the city. These findings emphasize the importance of studying species communities within specific cities to better understand the contextual dependencies of key traits that are filtered by urban environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongjing Zhong
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuelong Luo
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Younan Zhu
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiewen Deng
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiahao Tu
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiehua Yu
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiekun He
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
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16
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Li F, Wu S, Liu H, Yan D. Biodiversity loss through cropland displacement for urban expansion in China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 907:167988. [PMID: 37875196 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
As a result of rapid economic development, urban expansion reduced the cropland in China. To secure the food supply, cropland displacement to maintain the quantity and quality of cropland has been implemented. Here, we quantified the biodiversity losses due to cropland displacement resulting from urban expansion from a telecoupling perspective in China from 1980 to 2020. A comprehensive multimodel assessment demonstrated that the indirect biodiversity losses due to cropland displacement resulting from urban expansion were approximately 2 to 3 times higher than its direct biodiversity losses, at a total loss of approximately 0.6 % to 1.0 %, as indicated by three biodiversity indicators. Displaced cropland with a higher biodiversity cost but lower cropland productivity is the main reason for the excessive indirect losses and suggests that socioecological processes may be detrimental to the synergistic benefits of the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for food security and terrestrial biodiversity. This study also identified source-sink hotspots for indirect biodiversity losses, which can contribute to improving biodiversity conservation, optimizing the spatial distribution of cropland and thus enhancing socioecological system sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fufu Li
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, and PKU-Saihanba Station, Peking University, 5 Yiheyuan Road, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Shaohua Wu
- Institute of Land and Urban-Rural Development, Zhejiang University of Finance & Economics, 18 Xueyuan Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, China.
| | - Hongyan Liu
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, and PKU-Saihanba Station, Peking University, 5 Yiheyuan Road, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Daohao Yan
- School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China..
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17
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Chen R, Carruthers-Jones J, Carver S, Wu J. Constructing urban ecological corridors to reflect local species diversity and conservation objectives. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 907:167987. [PMID: 37875200 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Ensuring bird diversity can secure key ecosystem services within cities. Building ecological corridors into urban planning is an effective way to protect urban birds, but existing corridor construction methods often ignore locality and diversity of species, leading to homogenization of corridor construction results and orientation. We proposed a corridor construction model that combines local bird surveys and bird threat levels. After constructing differentiated corridors for each bird species by assessing their habits and flight abilities, we used three weighted scenarios (original, weighted abundance, weighted abundance, and phylogeny) to assess the conservation priorities of birds and overlaid them to derive a comprehensive bird corridor model. Our results show significant differences in conservation priority and corridor pattern among different bird species, thus demonstrating the importance of local bird surveys and knowledge of threat levels in accurate corridor simulations. This study provides differential simulation of corridors for each bird species and the identification of important conservation species, and uses these to extend the theory of ecological corridor planning to urban bird populations. These results can be applied to guide biodiversity management, evaluate green space policies, and provide practical assistance for sustainable urban development and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Running Chen
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | | | - Steve Carver
- Wildland Research Institute, School of Geography, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Jiayu Wu
- Institute of Landscape Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang Province, PR China.
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18
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Lu Y, Yang G, Zhang Y, Wei B, He Q, Yu H, Wang Y. The influence of management practices on plant diversity: a comparative study of three urban wetlands in an expanding city in eastern China. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16701. [PMID: 38188175 PMCID: PMC10771763 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Rapid urbanization has drawn some aquatic environments into the urban texture from the outskirts of cities, and the composition and distribution of plant species in urban wetlands along the urban gradient have changed. Understanding the drivers of these changes will help in the conservation and utilization of urban wetlands. This study investigated the differences in plant diversity and associated influencing factors in three wetlands, Xixi wetland, Tongjian Lake wetland, and Qingshan Lake wetland, which are located in a core area, fringe area, and suburban area of Hangzhou City, respectively. The results showed that a total of 104 families, 254 genera, and 336 species of plants were recorded in the Xixi wetland; 179 species, 150 genera, and 74 families were found in the Qingshan Lake wetland; and 112 species, 96 genera, and 57 families were collected in the Tongjian Lake wetland. The main plant species and flora distribution of the three urban wetlands showed similarities. Indigenous spontaneous vegetation was highest in the Xixi wetland, while cultivated plant species were most abundant in the Tongjian Lake wetland. The introduction of cultivated plants decreased the distance attenuation effect of plant communities, which led to a certain degree of plant diversity convergence among the three wetlands. Eight endangered plants were preserved in the Xixi wetland by planting them in suitable habitats. Ellenberg's indicator values showed that the proportion of heliophilous plants was higher in the Qingshan Lake wetland, while the proportion of thermophilous plants and nitrogen-loving plants in the Tongjian Lake wetland was higher than in the other two wetlands. The importance of artificial interference factors affecting the differences in plant diversity was significantly higher than that of natural environmental factors in urban wetlands. The preservation of spontaneous plants and the introduction of cultivated plants had an importance of 25.73% and 25.38%, respectively. These were the main factors influencing the plant diversity of urban wetlands. The management mode that did not interfere with spontaneous vegetation and confined maintenance to cultivated plants in the Xixi wetland was beneficial for improving wetland plant diversity. Scientific plant reintroduction can also improve wetland plant diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijun Lu
- Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Guofu Yang
- Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, China
| | | | - Biao Wei
- Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qiaoyi He
- Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Huifang Yu
- Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, China
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19
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Soares CS, Barnett AA, Scudeller VV, Borges SH. Searching for food in a concrete jungle: feeding ecology of a Psittacine assemblage (Aves, Psittacidae) in a major Amazonian city. AN ACAD BRAS CIENC 2023; 95:e20220606. [PMID: 37909560 DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202320220606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The efficient use of food resources is a precondition for wild species´ survival in urban environments. The feeding ecology of animals in tropical cities, however, remains poorly investigated. Here we study the feeding ecology of parrots in Manaus, a major Amazonian city, and compare the results with a parrot assemblage living in undisturbed habitats. We recorded 203 feeding bouts from eight parrot species, which consumed parts of 51 plant species. Parrot diets were dominated by native palm species (Arecaceae). Exotic plants, however, constituted an important portion of the diet of some parrots. Levin's indices, a measure of food niche width, varied from 0.40 to 0.83, indicating an overall tendency to generalist diets. Diet overlap between species was small, indicating broad resource partitioning between members of the assemblage. The diversity of plants consumed in the natural environment was greater than in the urban environment (71 species vs. 52). However, the diversity of plants consumed was similar for parrot species recorded both in natural and urban environments, indicating that occupation of the city does not imply an impoverishment in parrot diets. Creation of municipal protected areas and increasing the city afforestation would provide complementary strategies for Manaus parrot conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiane S Soares
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Av. General Rodrigo Octávio, 6200, Coroado I, 69080-900 Manaus, AM, Brazil
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Ecologia de Vertebrados Terrestres, Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá, Estrada do Bexiga, 2584, Fonte Boa, 69553225 Tefé, AM, Brazil
| | - Adrian A Barnett
- Middlesex University, Department Natural Sciences, Hendon, London NW4 4BT, England
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Av. André Araújo, 2936, 69067-375 Manaus, AM, Brazil
- Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, Departamento de Biologia, Av. Lourenço Vieira da Silva, s/n, Tirirical, 65055-310 São Luís, MA, Brazil
| | - Veridiana V Scudeller
- Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Departamento de Biologia, Av. General Rodrigo O. Jordão Ramos, 6200, 69080-900 Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Sérgio H Borges
- Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Departamento de Biologia, Av. General Rodrigo O. Jordão Ramos, 6200, 69080-900 Manaus, AM, Brazil
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20
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Suarez-Rubio M, Bates PJ, Aung T, Hlaing NM, Oo SSL, Htun YKZ, Ohn Mar SM, Myint A, Wai TLL, Mo PM, Fehrmann L, Nölke N, Kleinn C, Renner SC. Bird diversity along an urban to rural gradient in large tropical cities peaks in mid-level urbanization. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16098. [PMID: 37842049 PMCID: PMC10569181 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The gradient from natural to urban areas strongly associates with the structure of avian communities over that gradient. Most research on urban birds is from temperate areas and knowledge from tropical Southeast Asia is lacking. We examined bird species diversity, relative abundance, and species composition along an urban to rural gradient in three Myanmar cities, and assessed potential environmental factors responsible for the changes. We counted birds within 40 point-count sites with 50-m fixed-radius in three large cities of Myanmar, namely Mandalay, Mawlamyine, and Myeik. We distinguished four urban habitat types (Downtown-urban, University Campus-suburban, Paddy Field-agriculture, Hill-forest). We classified all species into migrant or resident and into major feeding groups and related with several environmental parameters such as 'impervious surface'. We counted 5,423 individuals of 103 species with roughly equal species diversity between the three cities. Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) was the most frequent species. The species composition differed significantly between the four major habitat types. Omnivores were more abundant in the city center than all other functional groups. Interestingly, insectivores were also predominant in the city center. In addition, more generalist' species occurred towards the city center compared to the periphery, indicating that the periphery has increased relevance for specialized birds. We found some marked differences in species composition between the three cities of Mandalay, Mawlamyine, and Myeik. Additionally to species composition, species diversity and relative abundance differed significantly between each of the four major habitat types in all three cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Suarez-Rubio
- Institute of Zoology, Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Science, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Thein Aung
- Myanmar Bird and Nature Society, Yangon, Myanmar
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Lutz Fehrmann
- Forest Inventory and Remote Sensing, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nils Nölke
- Forest Inventory and Remote Sensing, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christoph Kleinn
- Forest Inventory and Remote Sensing, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Swen C. Renner
- Ornithology, Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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21
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Huang CW, Ooi JQ, Yau SY. The landscape ecological view of vertebrate species richness in urban areas across biogeographic realms. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16647. [PMID: 37789152 PMCID: PMC10547837 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43896-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding how the spatial arrangement of remnant green spaces in cities complements biodiversity provides an opportunity for synergy between urban development and biological conservation. However, the geography of urbanization is shifting from Europe and North America to Asia and Africa, and more research is needed for fast-growing regions. To understand how shifting urbanization shapes biodiversity patterns, we analyzed the contribution of landscape factors in explaining vertebrate species richness in urban areas across biogeographic realms. We used variation partitioning to quantify and compare the relative importance of landscape factors (composition and configuration) and environmental factors (climate, elevation, and latitude) in explaining vertebrate species richness in landscapes with at least a million inhabitants across biogeographic realms. Our results pointed out that in the Indo-Malayan, the Afrotropical, and the Neotropical realm (on average of 16.46%) and China and India (11.88%), the influence of landscape factors on vertebrate species richness are significantly higher than that of the Palearctic and Nearctic realms (6.48%). Our findings outline the importance of landscape composition and configuration in shaping biodiversity patterns in regions with fast urban growth during the next two decades, such as Africa, Latin America, and Southeastern Asia. We suggest improving land governance and urban planning to construct eco-friendly landscape structures to mitigate biodiversity loss due to urbanization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Wei Huang
- General Education Center, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City, 243303, Taiwan.
| | - Jia Qing Ooi
- Department of Geography, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Si Ying Yau
- Department of Geography, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
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22
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Haight JD, Hall SJ, Fidino M, Adalsteinsson SA, Ahlers AA, Angstmann J, Anthonysamy WJB, Biro E, Collins MK, Dugelby B, Gallo T, Green AM, Hartley L, Jordan MJ, Kay CAM, Lehrer EW, Long RA, MacDougall B, Magle SB, Minier DE, Mowry C, Murray M, Nininger K, Pendergast ME, Remine KR, Ryan T, Salsbury C, Sander HA, Schell CJ, Șekercioğlu ÇH, Shier CJ, Simon KC, St Clair CC, Stankowich T, Stevenson CJ, Wayne L, Will D, Williamson J, Wilson L, Zellmer AJ, Lewis JS. Urbanization, climate and species traits shape mammal communities from local to continental scales. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:1654-1666. [PMID: 37667002 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02166-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Human-driven environmental changes shape ecological communities from local to global scales. Within cities, landscape-scale patterns and processes and species characteristics generally drive local-scale wildlife diversity. However, cities differ in their structure, species pools, geographies and histories, calling into question the extent to which these drivers of wildlife diversity are predictive at continental scales. In partnership with the Urban Wildlife Information Network, we used occurrence data from 725 sites located across 20 North American cities and a multi-city, multi-species occupancy modelling approach to evaluate the effects of ecoregional characteristics and mammal species traits on the urbanization-diversity relationship. Among 37 native terrestrial mammal species, regional environmental characteristics and species traits influenced within-city effects of urbanization on species occupancy and community composition. Species occupancy and diversity were most negatively related to urbanization in the warmer, less vegetated cities. Additionally, larger-bodied species were most negatively impacted by urbanization across North America. Our results suggest that shifting climate conditions could worsen the effects of urbanization on native wildlife communities, such that conservation strategies should seek to mitigate the combined effects of a warming and urbanizing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey D Haight
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
| | - Sharon J Hall
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Mason Fidino
- Urban Wildlife Institute, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Austin M Green
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | | | | | - Cria A M Kay
- Urban Wildlife Institute, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | | | | | - Seth B Magle
- Urban Wildlife Institute, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | | | - Maureen Murray
- Urban Wildlife Institute, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Çagan H Șekercioğlu
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Koç University, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | | | - Kelly C Simon
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Austin, TX, USA
| | | | | | | | - Lisa Wayne
- San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Amanda J Zellmer
- Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Jesse S Lewis
- College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, Arizona State University, Mesa, AZ, USA
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23
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Ren Y, Shao Q, Ge W, Li X, Wang H, Dong C, Zhang Y, Deshmukh SK, Han Y. Assembly Processes and Biogeographical Characteristics of Soil Bacterial Sub-communities of Different Habitats in Urban Green Spaces. Curr Microbiol 2023; 80:309. [PMID: 37535152 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-023-03428-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
The process of urbanization is one of the most important human-driven activities that reshape the natural distribution of soil microorganisms. However, it is still unclear about the effects of urbanization on the different taxonomic soil bacterial community dynamics. In this study, we collected soil samples from highly urbanized the regions of Yangtze River Delta, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei in China, to explore the bio-geographic patterns, assembly processes, and symbiotic patterns of abundant, moderate, and rare bacterial communities. We found that the number of moderate and rare taxa species were lower than that of abundant taxa, but their α-diversity index was higher than abundant taxa. Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacterioidetes, and Chloroflexi were the dominant phylum across all three sub-communities. And the β-diversity value of rare taxa was significantly higher than those of moderate and abundant taxa. Abundant, moderate, and rare sub-communities showed a weak distance-decay relationship, and the moderate taxa had the highest turnover rate of microbial geography in the context of urbanization. Diffusion limitation was the dominant process of soil bacterial community assembly. The co-occurrence networks of abundant, moderate, and rare taxa were dominated by positive correlations. The network of moderate taxa had the highest modularity, followed by abundant taxa. The main functions of the abundant, moderate, and rare taxa were related to Chemoheterotrophy and N transformations. Redundancy analysis showed that the dispersal limitation, climate, and soil properties were the main factors dominating bio-geographic differences in soil bacterial community diversity. We conclude that human-dominated urbanization processes have generated more uncertain survival pressures on soil bacteria, which resulted in a stronger linkage but weak bio-geographic variation for soil bacteria. In the future urban planning process, we suggest that such maintenance of native vegetation and soil types should be considered to maintain the long-term stability of local microbial ecosystem functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulian Ren
- Institute of Fungus Resources, Department of Ecology, Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences/Institute of Agro-Bioengineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Qiuyu Shao
- Institute of Fungus Resources, Department of Ecology, Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences/Institute of Agro-Bioengineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Wei Ge
- Institute of Fungus Resources, Department of Ecology, Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences/Institute of Agro-Bioengineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Xin Li
- Institute of Fungus Resources, Department of Ecology, Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences/Institute of Agro-Bioengineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Haiyan Wang
- Institute of Fungus Resources, Department of Ecology, Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences/Institute of Agro-Bioengineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Chunbo Dong
- Institute of Fungus Resources, Department of Ecology, Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences/Institute of Agro-Bioengineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Yanwei Zhang
- School of Biological Sciences, Guizhou Education University, Guiyang, 550018, Guizhou, China
| | - Sunil Kumar Deshmukh
- TERI-Deakin Nano Biotechnology Centre, The Energy and Resources Institute, Darbari Seth Block, IHC Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi, 110003, India
| | - Yanfeng Han
- Institute of Fungus Resources, Department of Ecology, Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences/Institute of Agro-Bioengineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, China.
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24
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Wayman JP, Atkinson G, Jahangir M, White D, Matthews TJ, Antoniou M, Reynolds SJ, Sadler JP. L-band radar quantifies major disturbance of birds by fireworks in an urban area. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12085. [PMID: 37495643 PMCID: PMC10372142 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39223-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Fireworks and other pyrotechnics are acknowledged as sources of disturbance to wildlife, with evidence that many species react adversely to their sight and sound at discharge. However, how firework releases impact wildlife within a city landscape is poorly understood. Here, we explore the effect of fireworks on urban birds using an L-band staring radar (90-degree sector out to a 5 km range) to capture bird activity derived from flight tracks (i.e. 3D visualisation of individual flying birds built from radar detections) within the city of Birmingham, UK. Comparing the tracks between baseline periods with no fireworks and periods where fireworks are commonly discharged using a null model indicated that birds flew at higher elevations during firework periods (standardised effect sizes of 17.11, 26.54 and 5.83, for Diwali, Bonfire Night, and New Year's Eve, respectively). Birds also flew in more significant numbers (standardised effect sizes of 23.41, 7.98 and 7.19 for Diwali, Bonfire Night, and New Year's Eve, respectively). Therefore, bird activity was elevated during firework events at a time of night when many would otherwise be roosting. Such disturbance may have implications for avian biology since large public firework events occur at colder times of the year in the UK when birds have elevated thermoregulatory costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph P Wayman
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, Edgbaston, UK.
| | - George Atkinson
- Microwave Integrated Systems Laboratory, School of Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, Edgbaston, UK
| | - Mohammed Jahangir
- Microwave Integrated Systems Laboratory, School of Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, Edgbaston, UK
| | - Daniel White
- Microwave Integrated Systems Laboratory, School of Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, Edgbaston, UK
| | - Thomas J Matthews
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, Edgbaston, UK
- CE3C - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes/Azorean Biodiversity Group/CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute and Universidade dos Açores - Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment, PT-9700042, Angra do Heroísmo, Açores, Portugal
- Birmingham Institute of Forest Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Michail Antoniou
- Microwave Integrated Systems Laboratory, School of Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, Edgbaston, UK
| | - S James Reynolds
- Centre for Ornithology, School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
- The Army Ornithological Society (AOS), c/o Prince Consort Library, Knollys Road, Aldershot, Hampshire, UK
| | - Jon P Sadler
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, Edgbaston, UK
- Birmingham Institute of Forest Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Centre for Ornithology, School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
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25
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Chen S, Liu Y, Patrick SC, Goodale E, Safran RJ, Pagani‐Núñez E. A multidimensional framework to quantify the effects of urbanization on avian breeding fitness. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10259. [PMID: 37404704 PMCID: PMC10316489 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Urbanization has dramatically altered Earth's landscapes and changed a multitude of environmental factors. This has resulted in intense land-use change, and adverse consequences such as the urban heat island effect (UHI), noise pollution, and artificial light at night (ALAN). However, there is a lack of research on the combined effects of these environmental factors on life-history traits and fitness, and on how these interactions shape food resources and drive patterns of species persistence. Here, we systematically reviewed the literature and created a comprehensive framework of the mechanistic pathways by which urbanization affects fitness and thus favors certain species. We found that urbanization-induced changes in urban vegetation, habitat quality, spring temperature, resource availability, acoustic environment, nighttime light, and species behaviors (e.g., laying, foraging, and communicating) influence breeding choices, optimal time windows that reduce phenological mismatch, and breeding success. Insectivorous and omnivorous species that are especially sensitive to temperature often experience advanced laying behaviors and smaller clutch sizes in urban areas. By contrast, some granivorous and omnivorous species experience little difference in clutch size and number of fledglings because urban areas make it easier to access anthropogenic food resources and to avoid predation. Furthermore, the interactive effect of land-use change and UHI on species could be synergistic in locations where habitat loss and fragmentation are greatest and when extreme-hot weather events take place in urban areas. However, in some instances, UHI may mitigate the impact of land-use changes at local scales and provide suitable breeding conditions by shifting the environment to be more favorable for species' thermal limits and by extending the time window in which food resources are available in urban areas. As a result, we determined five broad directions for further research to highlight that urbanization provides a great opportunity to study environmental filtering processes and population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sihao Chen
- Department of Health and Environmental SciencesXi'an Jiaotong‐Liverpool UniversitySuzhouChina
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences, School of Environmental SciencesUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Yu Liu
- Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Life SciencesBeijing Normal UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Samantha C. Patrick
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences, School of Environmental SciencesUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Eben Goodale
- Department of Health and Environmental SciencesXi'an Jiaotong‐Liverpool UniversitySuzhouChina
| | - Rebecca J. Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ColoradoBoulderColoradoUSA
| | - Emilio Pagani‐Núñez
- Department of Health and Environmental SciencesXi'an Jiaotong‐Liverpool UniversitySuzhouChina
- School of Applied SciencesEdinburgh Napier UniversityEdinburghUK
- Centre for Conservation and Restoration ScienceEdinburgh Napier UniversityEdinburghUK
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26
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Benson CW, Sheltra MR, Maughan PJ, Jellen EN, Robbins MD, Bushman BS, Patterson EL, Hall ND, Huff DR. Homoeologous evolution of the allotetraploid genome of Poa annua L. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:350. [PMID: 37365554 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09456-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Poa annua (annual bluegrass) is an allotetraploid turfgrass, an agronomically significant weed, and one of the most widely dispersed plant species on earth. Here, we report the chromosome-scale genome assemblies of P. annua's diploid progenitors, P. infirma and P. supina, and use multi-omic analyses spanning all three species to better understand P. annua's evolutionary novelty. RESULTS We find that the diploids diverged from their common ancestor 5.5 - 6.3 million years ago and hybridized to form P. annua ≤ 50,000 years ago. The diploid genomes are similar in chromosome structure and most notably distinguished by the divergent evolutionary histories of their transposable elements, leading to a 1.7 × difference in genome size. In allotetraploid P. annua, we find biased movement of retrotransposons from the larger (A) subgenome to the smaller (B) subgenome. We show that P. annua's B subgenome is preferentially accumulating genes and that its genes are more highly expressed. Whole-genome resequencing of several additional P. annua accessions revealed large-scale chromosomal rearrangements characterized by extensive TE-downsizing and evidence to support the Genome Balance Hypothesis. CONCLUSIONS The divergent evolutions of the diploid progenitors played a central role in conferring onto P. annua its remarkable phenotypic plasticity. We find that plant genes (guided by selection and drift) and transposable elements (mostly guided by host immunity) each respond to polyploidy in unique ways and that P. annua uses whole-genome duplication to purge highly parasitized heterochromatic sequences. The findings and genomic resources presented here will enable the development of homoeolog-specific markers for accelerated weed science and turfgrass breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher W Benson
- Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
- Intercollegiate Graduate Degree Program in Plant Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Matthew R Sheltra
- Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Intercollegiate Graduate Degree Program in Plant Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Peter J Maughan
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Eric N Jellen
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Logan, UT, USA
| | | | | | - Eric L Patterson
- Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Nathan D Hall
- Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - David R Huff
- Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
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27
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Sumasgutner P, Cunningham SJ, Hegemann A, Amar A, Watson H, Nilsson JF, Andersson MN, Isaksson C. Interactive effects of rising temperatures and urbanisation on birds across different climate zones: A mechanistic perspective. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:2399-2420. [PMID: 36911976 PMCID: PMC10947105 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Climate change and urbanisation are among the most pervasive and rapidly growing threats to biodiversity worldwide. However, their impacts are usually considered in isolation, and interactions are rarely examined. Predicting species' responses to the combined effects of climate change and urbanisation, therefore, represents a pressing challenge in global change biology. Birds are important model taxa for exploring the impacts of both climate change and urbanisation, and their behaviour and physiology have been well studied in urban and non-urban systems. This understanding should allow interactive effects of rising temperatures and urbanisation to be inferred, yet considerations of these interactions are almost entirely lacking from empirical research. Here, we synthesise our current understanding of the potential mechanisms that could affect how species respond to the combined effects of rising temperatures and urbanisation, with a focus on avian taxa. We discuss potential interactive effects to motivate future in-depth research on this critically important, yet overlooked, aspect of global change biology. Increased temperatures are a pronounced consequence of both urbanisation (through the urban heat island effect) and climate change. The biological impact of this warming in urban and non-urban systems will likely differ in magnitude and direction when interacting with other factors that typically vary between these habitats, such as resource availability (e.g. water, food and microsites) and pollution levels. Furthermore, the nature of such interactions may differ for cities situated in different climate types, for example, tropical, arid, temperate, continental and polar. Within this article, we highlight the potential for interactive effects of climate and urban drivers on the mechanistic responses of birds, identify knowledge gaps and propose promising future research avenues. A deeper understanding of the behavioural and physiological mechanisms mediating species' responses to urbanisation and rising temperatures will provide novel insights into ecology and evolution under global change and may help better predict future population responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Sumasgutner
- Konrad Lorenz Research Centre, Core Facility for Behavior and Cognition, Department of Behavioral & Cognitive BiologyUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DSI‐NRF Centre of ExcellenceUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Susan J. Cunningham
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DSI‐NRF Centre of ExcellenceUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | | | - Arjun Amar
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DSI‐NRF Centre of ExcellenceUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
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28
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Li X, Zhang S, Huang R, Feng L, Xu S, Liu B. Diversity and distribution variation of urban spontaneous vegetation with distinct frequencies along river corridors in a fast-growing city. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 333:117446. [PMID: 36758408 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
River corridors are vital to urban ecology, regulating climate and providing habitats for animals. Spontaneous plants naturally colonize various spaces therein, where they play important roles. Previous studies have explored many factors driving spontaneous plant diversity at the city scale and in specific habitats. However, we lack a holistic understanding of the diversity and distribution of variation of spontaneous vegetation that directly reflects the effects of urbanization. We conducted a field study of 1250 sample plots along river corridors in Chengdu, a fast-growing city in China, and the spontaneous plants in fifteen microhabitat types were surveyed. Diversity and distribution patterns were examined for species with distinct dispersal abilities. There was a far greater richness of occasional species compared to dominant and common species, but occasional species were markedly less abundant. Vacant lots and natural riverbanks harbored the most species, but revetment walls and lawns also supported a considerable number of species, especially in the city center. Species diversity among different urban areas was strongly related to microhabitat conditions. The proportions of dominant, common, and occasional species varied among communities. In communities on vacant lots of less urbanized areas, the richness of dominant species was greater, whereas in green spaces created by planted vegetation, occasional species were more diverse. Green space microenvironments are hospitable to some rare species. Urbanization and microhabitats have co-effects and thus ultimately determine diversity and distribution patterns. Such patterns, if linked to ecological and ornamental value, can provide a new perspective and nature-based solutions to urban rewilding and landscape design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaopeng Li
- School of Architecture, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 611756, Sichuan, China.
| | - Sining Zhang
- School of Architecture, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 611756, Sichuan, China.
| | - Rui Huang
- School of Architecture, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 611756, Sichuan, China.
| | - Li Feng
- Chengdu Park City Construction and Development Research Institute, Chengdu, 610031, Sichuan, China.
| | - Sihui Xu
- School of Architecture, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 611756, Sichuan, China.
| | - Baichuan Liu
- School of Architecture, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 611756, Sichuan, China.
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29
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Introduction of artificial light at night increases the abundance of predators, scavengers, and parasites in arthropod communities. iScience 2023; 26:106203. [PMID: 36876132 PMCID: PMC9982679 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
While recent studies explore the negative impacts of light pollution on arthropods, few studies investigated community-level responses to artificial light. Using an array of landscaping lights and pitfall traps, we track community composition over 15 consecutive days and nights, including a five-night pre-light period, a five-night during-light period, and a five-night post-light period. Our results highlight a trophic-level response to artificial nighttime lighting with shifts in the presence and abundance of predators, scavengers, parasites, and herbivores. We show that associated trophic shifts occurred immediately upon the introduction of artificial light at night and are limited to nocturnal communities. Lastly, trophic levels reverted to their pre-light state, suggesting many short-term changes in communities are likely the result of behavioral shifts. These trophic shifts may become common as light pollution increases, implicating artificial light as a cause of global arthropod community change and highlighting light pollution's role in global herbivorous arthropod decline.
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30
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Zhang Y, Ye E, Liu F, Lai N, You X, Dong J, Dong J. The Relationship between Landscape Construction and Bird Diversity: A Bibliometric Analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:4551. [PMID: 36901563 PMCID: PMC10001572 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20054551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization development is the main cause of drastic habitat changes and biodiversity loss, and urban green space construction is one of the effective ways to mitigate biodiversity decay. The proper construction of urban green space landscapes can maintain or increase the resources provided by urban biodiversity, especially bird diversity. This paper is based on 4112 papers published in this research area between 2002 and 2022, and CiteSpace was used to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the research area in terms of the number of articles published, the country or region of publication, core authors, and academic development. The paper systematically reviews the hotspots, history, and frontiers of research on landscape architecture and bird diversity. At the same time, the relationship between landscape construction and bird diversity is discussed in the context of landscape features, vegetation characteristics, and human behavioral activities. The results revealed: (1) research on the association between landscape camping and bird diversity received high priority from 2002 to 2022. Moreover, this research area has become a mature discipline. (2) Throughout the research history, there are four research hotspots (fundamental research on bird communities, influencing factors related to changes in bird community characteristics, research on bird activity rhythms, and ecological and ornamental values of birds), four development stages (2002-2004, 2005-2009, 2010-2015, and 2016-2022), and several research frontiers. (3) Our aim was to reasonably consider the activity characteristics of birds in future landscape construction, and to thoroughly study the landscape construction strategies and management principles for the harmonious coexistence of humans and birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanqin Zhang
- College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Enming Ye
- College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Fan Liu
- College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Ningjing Lai
- College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Xianli You
- College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Jianwen Dong
- College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Engineering Research Center for Forest Park of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Jiaying Dong
- School of Architecture, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
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31
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Levey DR, Patten MA, Estrada A. Bird species occupancy trends in Southeast Mexico over 1900-2020: Accounting for sighting record absences. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:606-618. [PMID: 36520005 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Long-term land-use change impacts tropical bird communities through population-level and functional diversity effects from habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation, leading to land management and conservation challenges. Assessing the temporal impacts of land-use change on occupancy patterns, population change and functional traits of bird species in tropical areas is limited by the treatment of nondetections as true absences or artefacts of low sampling effort during and throughout years. With this in mind, we developed a novel Bayesian species occupancy framework to account for species absences to evaluate bird community changes in Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico, where there is opportunity for study given exceptional records of change across habitats from rainforest to urban centres. We created a novel dataset of population trends for 244 bird species over the years 1900 to 2020 from published short-term field studies, expert field notes and community science pages. Our results show that open area species had higher population increases than forest specialists over time, represented most evidently by the turnover of rainforest specialists for urban species. Modelled influence of functional traits displayed the importance of main habitat types, body mass and habitat and dietary breadth as factors that associated with bird population trends. On average, species with body masses <6.6 and > 948.4 g showed decreasing trends, while all other species showed increasing or stable trends. Our findings illuminate the value of accounting for species absences from several data sources to discover long-term species population trends and affiliated functional traits whose preservation requires conservation and land management action to protect bird ecosystem services. Primary forest conservation is key to maintaining populations of habitat and dietary specialists, such as small understorey insectivorous and large frugivorous species. Protecting rare natural savanna patches from conversion to cattle pasture is vital to prevent further extirpation of native granivores and to slow colonization by exotic and invasive species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dallas R Levey
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.,Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico.,Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Michael A Patten
- Ecology Research Group, Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University, Steinkjer, Norway
| | - Alejandro Estrada
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
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Responses of Urban Bird Assemblages to Land-Sparing and Land-Sharing Development Styles in Two Argentinian Cities. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13050894. [PMID: 36899750 PMCID: PMC10000187 DOI: 10.3390/ani13050894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Urbanization negatively affects biodiversity worldwide. Consequently, alternative urban development styles are required for an eco-friendlier urbanization process. Thus, two development styles have been suggested: land-sharing (buildings mixed with dispersed green space) and land-sparing (buildings interspersed with large green patches). We assessed differences in species diversity and composition of bird assemblages between both development styles in two Argentinian cities: Santa Fe and Buenos Aires. We surveyed birds in land-sharing and land-sparing areas during the breeding and non-breeding seasons. As a control, we also surveyed birds in areas dominated by impervious surfaces. At a local scale, we also measured the environmental noise and pedestrian traffic. At a landscape scale, we measured the percent vegetation cover surrounding development styles and their distance to the main river. In Buenos Aires, species richness was higher in land-sparing than in land-sharing. However, the Shannon diversity and Simpson diversity were higher in land-sharing. In Santa Fe, both urban development styles supported similar species richness and diversity. Species composition varied between land-sharing and land-sparing in both cities during the breeding season. The pedestrian traffic was negatively associated with species diversity. Therefore, both development styles and strategies to reduce pedestrian traffic should be taken into account to enhance different components of species diversity and composition within the urban matrix.
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Jensen JK, Ekroos J, Watson H, Salmón P, Olsson P, Isaksson C. Urban tree composition is associated with breeding success of a passerine bird, but effects vary within and between years. Oecologia 2023; 201:585-597. [PMID: 36681784 PMCID: PMC10038977 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05319-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Birds breeding in urban environments have lower reproductive output compared to rural conspecifics, most likely because of food limitation. However, which characteristics of urban environments may cause this deficiency is not clear. Here, we investigated how tree composition within urban territories of passerine birds is associated with breeding probability and reproductive success. We used 7 years of data of breeding occupancy for blue and great tits (Cyanistes caeruleus; Parus major) and several reproductive traits for great tits, from 400 urban nest boxes located in 5 parks within the city of Malmö, Sweden. We found that tits, overall, were less likely to breed in territories dominated by either non-native trees or beech trees. Great tit chicks reared in territories dominated by non-native trees weighed significantly less, compared to territories with fewer non-native trees. An earlier onset of breeding correlated with increased chick weight in great tits. Increasing number of common oak trees (Quercus robur) was associated with delayed onset of breeding in great tits. Notably, as offspring survival probability generally increased by breeding earlier, in particular in oak-dominated territories, our results suggest that delayed onset of breeding induced by oak trees may be maladaptive and indicate a mismatch to this food source. Our results demonstrate that tree composition may have important consequences on breeding success of urban birds, but some of these effects are not consistent between years, highlighting the need to account for temporal effects to understand determinants of breeding success and inform optimal management in urban green spaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan Kjellberg Jensen
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC), Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Johan Ekroos
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC), Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hannah Watson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Pablo Salmón
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Peter Olsson
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC), Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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Beissinger SR, MacLean SA, Iknayan KJ, de Valpine P. Concordant and opposing effects of climate and land-use change on avian assemblages in California's most transformed landscapes. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eabn0250. [PMID: 36812325 PMCID: PMC9946348 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn0250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Climate and land-use change could exhibit concordant effects that favor or disfavor the same species, which would amplify their impacts, or species may respond to each threat in a divergent manner, causing opposing effects that moderate their impacts in isolation. We used early 20th century surveys of birds conducted by Joseph Grinnell paired with modern resurveys and land-use change reconstructed from historic maps to examine avian change in Los Angeles and California's Central Valley (and their surrounding foothills). Occupancy and species richness declined greatly in Los Angeles from urbanization, strong warming (+1.8°C), and drying (-77.2 millimeters) but remained stable in the Central Valley, despite large-scale agricultural development, average warming (+0.9°C), and increased precipitation (+11.2 millimeters). While climate was the main driver of species distributions a century ago, the combined impacts of land-use and climate change drove temporal changes in occupancy, with similar numbers of species experiencing concordant and opposing effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven R. Beissinger
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Sarah A. MacLean
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Biology, University of La Verne, La Verne, CA, USA
| | - Kelly J. Iknayan
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- San Francisco Estuary Institute, Richmond, CA, USA
| | - Perry de Valpine
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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Evans BA, Klassen JA, Gawlik DE, Gottlieb AD. Factors Influencing Wood Stork Prey Biomass in Roadside Created Wetlands. SOUTHEAST NAT 2023. [DOI: 10.1656/058.022.0101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Betsy A. Evans
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431
| | - Jessica A. Klassen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431
| | - Dale E. Gawlik
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431
| | - Andrew D. Gottlieb
- South Florida Engineering and Consulting, 30 S M Street, Lake Worth, FL 33460
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Julien A, Melles S. From headwaters to outlets: Bird species accrual curves are faster downstream with different implications for varying landcovers and ecoregions. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1081230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Terrestrial and aquatic systems are geographically connected, yet these systems are typically studied independently of each other. This approach omits a large amount of ecological information as landscapes are best described as mosaics in watersheds. Species Accumulation Curves (SACs) that incorporate sampling effort are familiar models of how biodiversity will change when landcovers are lost. In land-based systems, the consistent pattern of increased species richness with increasing number of sites sampled is an ecological norm. In freshwater systems, fish species discharge relationships are analogous to species-area relationships in terrestrial systems, but the relationship between terrestrial species and discharge remains largely unexplored. Although some studies investigate the effect of terrestrial systems on neighboring aquatic species, less work has been done on exploring the effect of aquatic systems on terrestrial species. Additionally, creating statistical models to observe these interactions need to be explored further. Using data from the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas (2001–2005), we created bird SACs to explore how increases in diversity with sites sampled varies with watershed position on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes Basin (GLB). The mosaic landscape of the GLB was characterized using six majority land cover classes at a 15 m resolution. This work shows that rates of species accrual and potential maximum species richness vary as a function of watershed position, underlying land cover, and the Ecoregion in which sampling was performed. We also found that Urban landcover has the potential to retain relatively high levels of species richness, which is further modified by Ecoregion and watershed position. Through our ‘world building,’ we believe that we can increase knowledge around the importance of land-water interactions and further the goals of viewing landscapes as mosaic watersheds.
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Urban Bird Community Assembly Mechanisms and Driving Factors in University Campuses in Nanjing, China. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13040673. [PMID: 36830459 PMCID: PMC9952131 DOI: 10.3390/ani13040673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
University campuses are important components of cities, harboring the majority of urban biodiversity. In this study, based on monthly bird survey data covering 12 university campuses located either downtown or in the newly developed areas in Nanjing, China, in 2019, we studied the assembly processes of each campus's bird population and their main drivers by modeling a set of ecological and landscape determinants. Our results showed that (1) bird abundance and species diversity in the newly developed areas were significantly higher than in those downtown; (2) the phylogeny of bird communities in all universities followed a pattern of aggregation, indicating that environmental filtering played a major role in community assembly; (3) specifically, grass, water, and buildings were the main factors affecting each campus's bird community's functional and phylogenetic diversity, with the areas of grass and water habitats having a significant positive correlation with phylogenetic diversity, while the size of building areas was negatively correlated. Our results emphasize that habitat features play a decisive role in determining urban bird population diversity and community assembly processes. We suggest that increasing landscape diversity, e.g., by reasonably arranging the location and area of water bodies and grasslands and improving the landscape connectivity, could be a powerful way to maintain and promote urban bird diversity.
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Do Suburban Populations of Lizards Behave Differently from Forest Ones? An Analysis of Perch Height, Time Budget, and Display Rate in the Cuban Endemic Anolis homolechis. DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15020261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization transforms natural ecosystems into novel habitats, which can result in negative consequences for biodiversity. Therefore, it is important to understand the mechanisms of maintenance of native species in urbanized environments, including behavior—which can act as a fast response to rapid environmental changes. We compared some behavioral traits between two suburban and two forest populations of Anolis homolechis. Direct observations of 779 individuals revealed that perch height was positively influenced by body size, but not by sex. Suburban individuals perched higher than forest ones, and even more so in the afternoon compared to the morning; a behavior that was not observed in forests populations. These differences might be due to a change from foraging activities in the morning to vigilance, display, and/or thermoregulation in the afternoon, promoted by suburban habitat conditions (e.g., higher predator abundance, open habitat structure, and urban heat). Video recordings of 81 focal individuals showed that males were more active than females (i.e., spending less time in stationary behavior and having a higher display rate), with no significant effect of habitat type. As some of our results diverge from previous studies on invasive anoles, we recommend extending comparative studies of urban and non-urban populations to other native Anolis.
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Echeverry-Galvis MA, Lozano Ramírez P, Amaya-Espinel JD. Long-term Christmas Bird Counts describe neotropical urban bird diversity. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0272754. [PMID: 36724182 PMCID: PMC9891503 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
A significant gap in understanding the response of biodiversity to urban areas is the lack of long-term studies. Most of the information on urban birds comes from studies carried out in the northern hemisphere, and they include data that don´t exceed three years. Although short-term studies contribute to knowledge about bird community diversity and their spatial distribution in urban areas, they could be biased towards more conspicuous species. One of the few multi-temporal datasets available for birds in urban areas is the Christmas Bird Count (CBC). Using annual CBC data available between 2001 and 2018 from 21 urban and peri-urban sample sites assessed from the main cities of Colombia, we identified and analyzed long-term trends on the cumulative diversity of bird communities as well as on their spatial distribution. We estimated comparative trends in richness, number of individuals counted, similarity, and complementarity of avifauna for each city and sample site based on their responses to urbanization and dietary guilds. We identified almost a quarter of the species registered in Colombia (464 of 1954). The representativeness of the community obtained for 18 years exceeds 84%, showing richness that ranges between 214 and 278 species in the three cities. Bird species and individuals registered showed wide variation of the sample sites. We found more dwellers, insectivorous and granivorous species in urban areas, with frugivores relegated to peri-urban sites, usually coinciding with avoider species. Natural peri-urban areas and intra-urban wetlands and urban parks were the most important refuges for birds and maintained the highest avoider and utilizer species richness. Long-term inventories are fundamental for determining consolidated bird diversity and distributional patterns. This information established a baseline for decision-making and applying recommendations that allow reconciling the growing demand for urban areas with the need to preserve the native avifauna in megadiverse Neotropical countries such as Colombia.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Angela Echeverry-Galvis
- Departamento de Ecología y Territorio, Facultad de Estudios Ambientales y Rurales, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
- * E-mail:
| | - Pabla Lozano Ramírez
- Departamento de Ecología y Territorio, Facultad de Estudios Ambientales y Rurales, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Juan David Amaya-Espinel
- Departamento de Ecología y Territorio, Facultad de Estudios Ambientales y Rurales, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
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Bar-Ziv M, Sofer A, Gorovoy A, Spiegel O. Beyond simple habituation: Anthropogenic habitats influence the escape behaviour of spur-winged lapwings in response to both human and non-human threats. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:417-429. [PMID: 36477653 PMCID: PMC10107496 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Habitat development may affect wildlife behaviour, favouring individuals or behaviours that cope better with perceived threats (predators). Bolder behaviours in human-dominated habitats (HDH; e.g. urban and rural settlements) may represent habituation specifically to humans, or a general reduction in predator-avoidance response. However, such carry-over effects across threat types (i.e. beyond humans) and phases of the escape sequence have not been well studied to date. Here we investigated escape behaviours of a locally common wader species, the spur-winged lapwing Vanellus spinosus. We assayed their flight initiation distance (FID) and subsequent escape behaviours in agricultural areas and in HDH. We found that lapwings in HDH were bolder, and that the difference was manifested in several phases of the predator-avoidance sequence (shorter FIDs, shorter distances fled, and a higher probability of escape by running vs. flying). When re-approached (by an observer) after landing, lapwings in HDH were also more repetitive in their FID than those in other habitats. To determine whether this apparent bolder behaviour in HDH areas is merely a consequence of habituation to humans or represents a broader behavioural change, we introduced an additional threat type-a remotely-operated taxidermic jackal ('Jack-Truck'). Finding bolder responses in the HDH to the human threat alone (and not to the Jack-Truck) could have supported the habituation hypothesis. In contrast, however, we found a bolder response in the HDH to both threat types, as well as a correlation between their FIDs across different sites. These bolder behaviours suggest that HDH impose a broader behavioural change on lapwings, rather than just simple habituation. Overall, our findings demonstrate how FID trials can reveal strong behavioural carry-over effects of HDH following human and non-human threats, including effects on the subsequent phases of escaping the predator. Further, FID assays may reveal consistent behavioural types when assessed under field conditions, and offer a direct way to differentiate among the various poorly understood and non-mutually exclusive mechanisms that lead to behavioural differences among organisms in HDH. The mechanistic perspective is essential for understanding how rapid urbanization impacts wildlife behaviour, populations, and the range of behaviours within them, even in species apparently resilient to such environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Bar-Ziv
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Aran Sofer
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Adel Gorovoy
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Orr Spiegel
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Stanhope J, Maric F, Rothmore P, Weinstein P. Physiotherapy and ecosystem services: improving the health of our patients, the population, and the environment. Physiother Theory Pract 2023; 39:227-240. [PMID: 34904927 DOI: 10.1080/09593985.2021.2015814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The relevance of ecosystems to physiotherapy has traditionally been overlooked, despite its potential for health impacts relevant to conditions often managed by physiotherapists. PURPOSE The purpose of this article is to introduce the concept of ecosystem services to physiotherapists, and to discuss how understanding ecosystem services may improve patient care, and population and planetary health. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Physiotherapists with an understanding of ecosystem services may improve patient care by value-adding to management through patient education, empathy, advocacy, and broader population health approaches. Physiotherapists are also well placed to promote the conservation and restoration of ecosystem through participation, advocacy, and the development of public health measures, to the benefit of global sustainability and population health. Further research is required into how physiotherapists currently use nature-based interventions, and the barriers and enablers to their use. To be adequately prepared to meet the challenges that climate change and environmental degradation pose to patient care, population health and health systems, both current and future physiotherapists need to take a broader view of their practice. By including consideration of the potential role of the environment and green space exposure in particular on their patient's health, physiotherapists can ultimately contribute more to population and planetary health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Stanhope
- School of Allied Health Science and Practice, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Filip Maric
- Department of Health and Care Sciences, UiT the Arctic University of Norway (Tromsø), Tromsø, Norway
| | - Paul Rothmore
- School of Allied Health Science and Practice, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Philip Weinstein
- School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
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Callaghan CT, Palacio FX, Benedetti Y, Morelli F, Bowler DE. Large-scale spatial variability in urban tolerance of birds. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:403-416. [PMID: 36477754 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Quantifying intraspecific and interspecific trait variability is critical to our understanding of biogeography, ecology and conservation. But quantifying such variability and understanding the importance of intraspecific and interspecific variability remain challenging. This is especially true of large geographic scales as this is where the differences between intraspecific and interspecific variability are likely to be greatest. Our goal is to address this research gap using broad-scale citizen science data to quantify intraspecific variability and compare it with interspecific variability, using the example of bird responses to urbanization across the continental United States. Using more than 100 million observations, we quantified urban tolerance for 338 species within randomly sampled spatial regions and then calculated the standard deviation of each species' urban tolerance. We found that species' spatial variability in urban tolerance (i.e. standard deviation) was largely explained by the variability of urban cover throughout a species' range (R2 = 0.70). Variability in urban tolerance was greater in species that were more tolerant of urban cover (i.e. the average urban tolerance throughout their range), suggesting that generalist life histories are better suited to adapt to novel anthropogenic environments. Overall, species differences explained most of the variability in urban tolerance across spatial regions. Together, our results indicate that (1) intraspecific variability is largely predicted by local environmental variability in urban cover at a large spatial scale and (2) interspecific variability is greater than intraspecific variability, supporting the common use of mean values (i.e. collapsing observations across a species' range) when assessing species-environment relationships. Further studies, across different taxa, traits and species-environment relationships are needed to test the role of intraspecific variability, but nevertheless, we recommend that when possible, ecologists should avoid using discrete categories to classify species in how they respond to the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corey T Callaghan
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, Florida, USA.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle - Jena - Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle - Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.,Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Facundo X Palacio
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de la Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Yanina Benedetti
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Federico Morelli
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.,Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, Zielona Góra, Poland
| | - Diana E Bowler
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle - Jena - Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.,Helmoholtz Center for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Ecosystem Services, Leipzig, Germany
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43
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Implications of wastewater discharges on environmental features and fish communities in an urban river. Urban Ecosyst 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-023-01331-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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McDonald RI, Aronson MFJ, Beatley T, Beller E, Bazo M, Grossinger R, Jessup K, Mansur AV, Puppim de Oliveira JA, Panlasigui S, Burg J, Pevzner N, Shanahan D, Stoneburner L, Rudd A, Spotswood E. Denser and greener cities: Green interventions to achieve both urban density and nature. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Robert I. McDonald
- Center for Sustainability Science, The Nature Conservancy in Europe Berlin Germany
- CUNY Institute for Demographic Research New York New York USA
- Humboldt University Berlin Germany
| | - Myla F. J. Aronson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey New Brunswick New Jersey USA
| | - Timothy Beatley
- School of Architecture University of Virginia Charlottesville Virginia USA
| | - Erin Beller
- Real Estate & Workplace Services Sustainability Team Google Mountain View California USA
| | - Micaela Bazo
- Urban Nature Lab San Francisco Estuary Institute Richmond California USA
| | - Robin Grossinger
- Urban Nature Lab San Francisco Estuary Institute Richmond California USA
| | - Kelsey Jessup
- The Nature Conservancy in California San Francisco California USA
| | - Andressa V. Mansur
- Department of Anthropology University of Georgia Athens Georgia USA
- Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems University of Georgia Athens Georgia USA
| | | | | | - Joe Burg
- Urban Nature Lab San Francisco Estuary Institute Richmond California USA
| | - Nicholas Pevzner
- Department of Landscape Architecture, Weitzman School of Design University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia Pennsylvania USA
| | - Danielle Shanahan
- Zealandia Centre for People and Nature Wellington New Zealand
- Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington Wellington New Zealand
| | - Lauren Stoneburner
- Urban Nature Lab San Francisco Estuary Institute Richmond California USA
| | - Andrew Rudd
- UN‐Habitat, Two United Nations Plaza New York New York USA
| | - Erica Spotswood
- Urban Nature Lab San Francisco Estuary Institute Richmond California USA
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Yuan S, Miao K, Qian R, Zhao Y, Hu D, Hu C, Chang Q. The role of landscape in shaping bird community and implications for landscape management at Nanjing Lukou International Airport. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9646. [PMID: 36620403 PMCID: PMC9817198 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the patterns of bird diversity and its driving force is necessary for bird strike prevention. In this study, we investigated the effects of landscape on phylogenetic and functional diversity of bird communities at Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NLIA). Bird identifications and counting of individuals were carried out from November 2017 to October 2019. Based on the land-cover data, the landscape was divided into four main types, including farmlands, woodlands, wetlands, and urban areas. Bird phylogenetic and functional diversity were strongly affected by landscape matrix types. Species richness and Faith's phylogenetic distance were highest in woodlands, while mean pairwise distance (MPD), mean nearest-taxon distance (MNTD), and functional dispersion (FDis) were highest in wetlands. Based on the feeding behavior, carnivorous birds had the lowest species richness but had the highest FDis, which implied that carnivorous birds occupied most niches at the NLIA. Moreover, bird assemblages exhibited phylogenetic and functional clustering in the four kinds of landscapes. A variety of landscape attributes had significant effects on species diversity, phylogenetic and functional diversity. Landscape-scale factors played an important role in the shaping of bird communities around NLIA. Our results suggest that landscape management surrounding airports can provide new approaches for policymakers to mitigate wildlife strikes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sijia Yuan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, School of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Keer Miao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, School of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Ruen Qian
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, School of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Yang Zhao
- Nanjing Lukou International AirportNanjingChina
| | - Dongfang Hu
- Nanjing Lukou International AirportNanjingChina
| | - Chaochao Hu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, School of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina,Analytical and Testing CenterNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Qing Chang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, School of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
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Smallwood NL, Wood EM. The ecological role of native‐plant landscaping in residential yards to birds during the nonbreeding period. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Noriko L. Smallwood
- Department of Biological Sciences California State University Los Angeles Los Angeles California USA
| | - Eric M. Wood
- Department of Biological Sciences California State University Los Angeles Los Angeles California USA
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Wheeler MM, Larson KL, Cook EM, Hall SJ. Residents manage dynamic plant communities: Change over time in urban vegetation. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.944803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
IntroductionIntegrated social and ecological processes shape urban plant communities, but the temporal dynamics and potential for change in these managed communities have rarely been explored. In residential yards, which cover about 40% of urban land area, individuals make decisions that control vegetation outcomes. These decisions may lead to relatively static plant composition and structure, as residents seek to expend little effort to maintain stable landscapes. Alternatively, residents may actively modify plant communities to meet their preferences or address perceived problems, or they may passively allow them to change. In this research, we ask, how and to what extent does residential yard vegetation change over time?MethodsWe conducted co-located ecological surveys of yards (in 2008, 2018, and 2019) and social surveys of residents (in 2018) in four diverse neighborhoods of Phoenix, Arizona.Results94% of residents had made some changes to their front or back yards since moving in. On average, about 60% of woody vegetation per yard changed between 2008 and 2018, though the number of species present did not differ significantly. In comparison, about 30% of woody vegetation changed in native Sonoran Desert reference areas over 10 years. In yards, about 15% of woody vegetation changed on average in a single year, with up to 90% change in some yards. Greater turnover was observed for homes that were sold, indicating a “pulse” of management. Additionally, we observed greater vegetation turnover in the two older, lawn-dominated neighborhoods surveyed despite differences in neighborhood socioeconomic factors.DiscussionThese results indicate that residential plant communities are dynamic over time. Neighborhood age and other characteristics may be important drivers of change, while socioeconomic status neither promotes nor inhibits change at the neighborhood scale. Our findings highlight an opportunity for management interventions, wherein residents may be open to making conservation-friendly changes if they are already altering the composition of their yards.
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Monniez E, Jiguet F, Vignal C, Biard C. Differential effects of anthropogenic noise and vegetation cover on the breeding phenology and success of two urban passerines. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1058584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The urban environment is associated with a multitude of challenges and stressors for populations of wild species from the surrounding natural environment. Among those, habitat fragmentation and noise pollution are suspected to have negative effects on the behavior and physiology of free-living birds in urban areas. Exposure in early life and chronic exposure to anthropogenic noise could be particularly deleterious, with short-and long-term consequences. In this study, we investigated if noise levels in city parks affect the distribution and reproductive success of two common bird species in the urban environment, the great tit (Parus major) and the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) and if vegetation cover could mitigate those effects. We predicted that high noise levels might correlate with a decreased nest-box occupancy rate, a delayed laying date or a decreased clutch size, hatching, and fledging success. On the contrary, vegetation cover was expected to correlate positively with nest occupancy rate, advanced laying date, increased clutch size, hatching, and fledging success. We used data from population monitoring collected between 2012 and 2019 in parks and green public spaces in the city center and suburbs of Paris, France, and did not find any correlation between nest occupancy rates and noise levels or vegetation cover for both species. Laying date was not significantly related to anthropogenic noise in any species but was delayed with increasing vegetation cover in the great tit, while we did not find any association with clutch size. Hatching success in blue tits negatively correlated with increasing noise levels, and positively with increasing vegetation coverage. Finally, we did not find any correlation between anthropogenic noise or vegetation cover and the clutch size or fledging success in both species. In this study, two closely related species that share a common environment show a different sensibility to environmental parameters during reproduction, a key period for population maintenance. It also highlights the importance of considering multiple parameters when studying wild populations living in the urban environment.
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Perrin A, Glaizot O, Christe P. Worldwide impacts of landscape anthropization on mosquito abundance and diversity: A meta-analysis. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:6857-6871. [PMID: 36107000 PMCID: PMC9828797 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, the emergence and resurgence of vector-borne diseases have been well documented worldwide, especially in tropical regions where protection and defense tools for human populations are still very limited. In this context, the dynamics of pathogens are influenced by landscape anthropization (i.e., urbanization, deforestation, and agricultural development), and one of the mechanisms through which this occurs is a change in the abundance and/or diversity of the vectors. An increasing number of empirical studies have described heterogeneous effects of landscape anthropization on vector communities; therefore, it is difficult to have an overall picture of these effects on a global scale. Here, we performed a meta-analysis to quantify the impacts of landscape anthropization on a global scale on the presence/abundance and diversity of mosquitoes, the most important arthropods affecting human health. We obtained 338 effect sizes on 132 mosquito species, compiled from 107 studies in 52 countries that covered almost every part of the world. The results of the meta-analysis showed an overall decline of mosquito presence/abundance and diversity in response to urbanization, deforestation, and agricultural development, except for a few mosquito species that have been able to exploit landscape anthropization well. Our results highlighted that these few favored mosquito species are those of global concern. They, thus, provide a better understanding of the overall effect of landscape anthropization on vector communities and, more importantly, suggest a greater risk of emergence and transmission of vector-borne diseases in human-modified landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Perrin
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Olivier Glaizot
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
- Museum of ZoologyLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Philippe Christe
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
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Lokatis S, Jeschke JM. Urban biotic homogenization: Approaches and knowledge gaps. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2703. [PMID: 35801482 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization is restructuring ecosystems at an unprecedented pace, with complex and profound consequences for life on Earth. One of the hypothesized trajectories of urban ecosystems and species communities is biotic homogenization, possibly leading to very similar species assemblages in cities across the globe. Urbanization can, however, also have the opposite effect: biotic diversification, with cities, at least at the local scale, becoming biologically more diverse, mainly as a consequence of high species introduction rates and habitat diversification. Applying the hierarchy-of-hypotheses approach, we systematically map and structure the comprehensive body of literature on the urban biotic homogenization (UBH) hypothesis, comprising 225 individual studies (i.e., tests of the hypothesis) retrieved from 145 publications. The UBH hypothesis is studied at multiple levels with a multitude of approaches and underlying assumptions. We show that UBH is generally used with two very different connotations: about half of the studies investigated a potential increase in community similarity across cities, whereas the other half investigated biotic homogenization within cities, the latter being supported more frequently. We also found strong research biases: (1) a taxonomic bias towards birds and plants, (2) a bias towards small and medium distances (<5000 km) in comparisons across cities, (3) a dominance of studies substituting space for time versus true temporal studies, (4) a strong focus on terrestrial versus aquatic systems, (5) more extraurban (including periurban) areas than natural or rural ecosystems for comparison to urban systems, (6) a bias towards taxonomic versus functional, phylogenetic, and temporal homogenization, and (7) more studies undertaken in Europe and North America than in other continents. The overall level of empirical support for the UBH hypothesis was mixed, with 55% of the studies reporting supporting evidence. Results significantly differed when a natural/nature reserve, an extraurban, or rural/agricultural area served as reference to infer biotic homogenization, with homogenization being detected least frequently when urban systems were compared to agricultural, i.e., other anthropogenically influenced, study sites. We provide an evidence map and a bibliographic network and identify key references on UBH with the goal to enhance accessibility and orientation for future research on this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Lokatis
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Jonathan M Jeschke
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
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