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Bartel SL, Orrock JL. Past agricultural land use affects multiple facets of ungulate antipredator behavior. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Antipredator behavior affects prey fitness, prey demography, and the strength of ecological interactions. Although predator-prey interactions increasingly occur in habitats that experience multiple forms of human-generated disturbance, it is unclear how different forms of disturbance might affect antipredator behavior. Fire is a contemporary disturbance that has dramatic effects on terrestrial habitats. Such habitats may have also experienced past disturbances, like agricultural land use, that leave lasting legacies on habitat structure (e.g., overstory and understory composition). It is unclear how these past and present disturbances affect the use of different antipredator behaviors, like temporal avoidance and vigilance. We examined whether variation in disturbance regimes generates differences in ungulate antipredator behavior by using cameras to measure white-tailed deer vigilance and activity time across 24 longleaf pine woodlands that vary in past land use and contemporary fire regime. Regardless of land-use history, woodlands with high fire frequencies had 4 times less vegetation cover than low-fire woodlands, generating riskier habitats for deer; however, deer responded to fire with different antipredator strategies depending on land-use history. In nonagricultural woodlands, fire affected deer activity time such that activity was nocturnal in low-fire woodlands and crepuscular in high-fire woodlands. In post-agricultural woodlands, fire affected vigilance and not activity time such that deer were more vigilant in high-fire woodlands than in low-fire woodlands. These results suggest that ungulate antipredator behavior may vary spatially depending on past land use and contemporary fire regime, and such disturbances may generate “landscapes of fear” that persist for decades after agricultural use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savannah L Bartel
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison , 363 Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Dr., Madison, WI , USA
| | - John L Orrock
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison , 363 Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Dr., Madison, WI , USA
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Haggerty CJE, Crisman TL, Rohr JR. Direct and indirect effects of pine silviculture on the larval occupancy and breeding of declining amphibian species. J Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jason R. Rohr
- Department of Integrative Biology University of South Florida Tampa FL USA
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Notre Dame Notre Dame IN USA
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3
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Identifying key factors, actors and relevant scales in landscape and conservation planning, management and decision making: Promoting effective citizen involvement. J Nat Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2018.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Turley NE, Brudvig LA. Agricultural land-use history causes persistent loss of plant phylogenetic diversity. Ecology 2018; 97:2240-2247. [PMID: 27859070 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2015] [Revised: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Intensive land use activities, such as agriculture, are a leading cause of biodiversity loss and can have lasting impacts on ecological systems. Yet, few studies have investigated how land-use legacies impact phylogenetic diversity (the total amount of evolutionary history in a community) or how restoration activities might mitigate legacy effects on biodiversity. We studied ground-layer plant communities in 27 pairs of Remnant (no agricultural history) and Post-agricultural (agriculture abandoned >60 yr ago) longleaf pine savannas, half of which we restored by thinning trees to reinstate open savanna conditions. We found that agricultural history had no impact on species richness, but did alter community composition and reduce phylogenetic diversity by 566 million years/1,000 m2 . This loss of phylogenetic diversity in post-agricultural savannas was due to, in part, a reduction in the average evolutionary distance between pairs of closely related species, that is, increased phylogenetic clustering. Habitat restoration increased species richness by 27% and phylogenetic diversity by 914 million years but did not eliminate the effects of agricultural land use on community composition and phylogenetic structure. These results demonstrate the persistence of agricultural legacies, even in the face of intensive restoration efforts, and the importance of considering biodiversity broadly when evaluating human impacts on ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nash E Turley
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, 612 Wilson Road, Room 368, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA
| | - Lars A Brudvig
- Department of Plant Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, Michigan State University, 612 Wilson Road, Room 368, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA
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Laws AN, Prather CM, Branson DH, Pennings SC. Effects of grasshoppers on prairies: Herbivore composition matters more than richness in three grassland ecosystems. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:1727-1737. [PMID: 30102785 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how biodiversity affects ecosystem processes is a key question in ecology. Previous research has found that increasing plant diversity often enhances many ecosystem processes, but less is known about the role of consumer diversity to ecosystem processes, especially in terrestrial ecosystems. Furthermore, we do not know how general biodiversity responses are among ecosystem types. We examined the role of insect herbivore (Orthoptera) diversity on plant production using parallel field experiments in three grassland ecosystems (mixed grass prairie, tallgrass prairie and coastal tallgrass prairie) to determine whether the effects of grasshopper diversity were consistent among sites. Using mesocosms, we manipulated orthopteran species richness (0, 1, 2, 3 or 4 species), functional richness (number of functional feeding groups present; 0, 1 or 2 functional groups) and functional composition (composition of functional groups present; mixed-feeders only, grass-feeders only, both mixed-feeders and grass-feeders). Diversity treatments were maintained throughout the experiment by replacing dead individuals. Plant biomass was destructively sampled at the end of the experiment. We found no effect of species richness or functional richness on plant biomass. However, herbivore functional composition was important, and effects were qualitatively similar across sites: The presence of only grass-feeding species reduced plant biomass more than either mixed-feeding species alone or both groups together. Orthopterans had consistent effects across a range of abiotic conditions, as well as different plant community and orthopteran community compositions. Our results suggest that functional composition of insect herbivores affects plant communities in grasslands more than herbivore species richness or functional richness, and this pattern was robust among grassland types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela N Laws
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas.,Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - Chelse M Prather
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - David H Branson
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Sidney, Montana
| | - Steven C Pennings
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas
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Atchison RA, Hulcr J, Lucky A. Managed Fire Frequency Significantly Influences the Litter Arthropod Community in Longleaf Pine Flatwoods. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 47:575-585. [PMID: 29659783 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvy038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Frequent prescribed burns are essential to pine forest restoration and management. Research studies have assessed effects of prescribed fire and burn frequency on plants and vertebrates, but impacts of fire on terrestrial invertebrate communities are still poorly understood. This case study investigated effects of burning frequency on species richness and community composition of social insects (ants, Hymenoptera: Formicidae and termites, Blattodea: Isoptera) in fire-managed Southern longleaf pine flatwoods in central Florida. Community response to different fire frequencies was assessed: burned annually, every 2 yr, or every 3 yr, 30 yr unburned and 75 yr unburned. Richness was similar across all treatments, but ant community composition and species density significantly differed between frequently burned (1, 2, and 3 yr) and long-unburned (30 and 75 yr) treatments. Long-unburned treatments had higher ant abundance, but the species present were less characteristic of open canopy longleaf pine habitat than ants in frequently burned treatments. The annual burn treatment differed from 2-yr burn in species density, but to a lesser degree. Exotic species abundance was highest in frequently burned sites; only native species were detected in the 75-yr unburned plot. The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), was detected in all regularly burned plots but not in long-unburned sites. Frequent burning at this site increased habitat suitability for ant species adapted to the sunny, open canopy, and diverse niches characteristic of longleaf pine forest; however, regular fire disturbance also increased the likelihood of exotic ant species establishment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A Atchison
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Jiri Hulcr
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
- School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Andrea Lucky
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
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Veldman JW. Clarifying the confusion: old-growth savannahs and tropical ecosystem degradation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2015.0306. [PMID: 27502372 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Ancient tropical grassy biomes are often misrecognized as severely degraded forests. I trace this confusion to several factors, with roots in the nineteenth century, including misinterpretations of the nature of fire in savannahs, attempts to reconcile savannah ecology with Clementsian succession, use of physiognomic (structural) definitions of savannah and development of tropical degradation frameworks focused solely on forests. Towards clarity, I present two models that conceptualize the drivers of ecosystem degradation as operating in both savannahs and forests. These models highlight how human-induced environmental changes create ecosystems with superficially similar physiognomies but radically different conservation values. Given the limitation of physiognomy to differentiate savannahs from severely degraded forests, I present an alternative approach based on floristic composition. Data from eastern lowland Bolivia show that old-growth savannahs can be reliably distinguished by eight grass species and that species identity influences ecosystem flammability. I recommend that scientists incorporate savannahs in tropical degradation frameworks alongside forests, and that savannah be qualified as old-growth savannah in reference to ancient grassy biomes or derived savannah in reference to deforestation. These conceptual advances will require attention not only to tree cover, but also to savannah herbaceous plant species and their ecologies.This article is part of the themed issue 'Tropical grassy biomes: linking ecology, human use and conservation'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W Veldman
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA Instituto Boliviano de Investigación Forestal-UAGRM, Km 9 carr. norte, el Vallecito, Casilla 6204, Santa Cruz, Bolivia
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Kassara C, Gangoso L, Mellone U, Piasevoli G, Hadjikyriakou TG, Tsiopelas N, Giokas S, López-López P, Urios V, Figuerola J, Silva R, Bouten W, Kirschel ANG, Virani MZ, Fiedler W, Berthold P, Gschweng M. Current and future suitability of wintering grounds for a long-distance migratory raptor. Sci Rep 2017; 7:8798. [PMID: 28821735 PMCID: PMC5562895 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08753-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Conservation of migratory species faces the challenge of understanding the ecological requirements of individuals living in two geographically separated regions. In some cases, the entire population of widely distributed species congregates at relatively small wintering areas and hence, these areas become a priority for the species’ conservation. Satellite telemetry allows fine tracking of animal movements and distribution in those less known, often remote areas. Through integrating satellite and GPS data from five separated populations comprising most of the breeding range, we created a wide habitat suitability model for the Eleonora’s falcon on its wintering grounds in Madagascar. On this basis, we further investigated, for the first time, the impact of climate change on the future suitability of the species’ wintering areas. Eleonora’s falcons are mainly distributed in the north and along the east of Madagascar, exhibiting strong site fidelity over years. The current species’ distribution pattern is associated with climatic factors, which are likely related to food availability. The extent of suitable areas for Eleonora’s falcon is expected to increase in the future. The integration of habitat use information and climatic projections may provide insights on the consequences of global environmental changes for the long-term persistence of migratory species populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Kassara
- Department of Biology, University of Patras, GR-26500, Patras, Greece.
| | - Laura Gangoso
- Computational Geo-Ecology Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ugo Mellone
- Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, CIBIO Research Inst., University of Alicante, ES-03690, San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain
| | - Gvido Piasevoli
- Public Institute for the Protected Natural Values Management in the County of Split and Dalmatia, Prilaz braće Kaliterna 10, HR-21000, Split, Croatia
| | | | - Nikos Tsiopelas
- Hellenic Ornithological Society, Themistokleous str. 80, 10681, Athens, Greece
| | - Sinos Giokas
- Department of Biology, University of Patras, GR-26500, Patras, Greece
| | - Pascual López-López
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, C/Catedrático José Beltrán 2, ES-46980, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Vicente Urios
- Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, CIBIO Research Inst., University of Alicante, ES-03690, San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, 41092, Seville, Spain
| | - Rafa Silva
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, 41092, Seville, Spain
| | - Willem Bouten
- Computational Geo-Ecology Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Munir Z Virani
- The Peregrine Fund, 5668 West Flying Hawk Lane, Boise, Idaho, 83709, USA
| | - Wolfgang Fiedler
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, D-78315, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Peter Berthold
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, D-78315, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Marion Gschweng
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, D-78315, Radolfzell, Germany.,Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, D-89069, Ulm, Germany.,Concepts for Conservation, Schäferweg 6, 89143, Blaubeuren, Germany
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Mutz J, Underwood N, Inouye BD. Time since disturbance affects colonization dynamics in a metapopulation. J Anim Ecol 2017; 86:1065-1073. [PMID: 28481414 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jessie Mutz
- Department of Biological Science; Florida State University; Tallahassee FL USA
| | - Nora Underwood
- Department of Biological Science; Florida State University; Tallahassee FL USA
| | - Brian D. Inouye
- Department of Biological Science; Florida State University; Tallahassee FL USA
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11
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Ssepuuya G, Mukisa IM, Nakimbugwe D. Nutritional composition, quality, and shelf stability of processed Ruspolia nitidula (edible grasshoppers). Food Sci Nutr 2016; 5:103-112. [PMID: 28070321 PMCID: PMC5217929 DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2016] [Revised: 03/05/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The nutritional and commercial potential of the edible grasshopper (Ruspolia nitidula, nsenene in Luganda), a delicacy in Uganda and many East African tribes, is limited by a short shelf life and unverified nutritional value. This research established that R. nitidula is nutritious with 36–40% protein, 41–43% fat, 2.5–3.2% carbohydrate, 2.6–3.9% ash, 11.0–14.5% dietary fiber, and 900–2300 μg/100 g total carotenoids on a dry matter basis. Sautéing was the most preferred processing method resulting in grasshoppers with a notably better aroma and flavor. After 12 weeks of storage at room temperature, processed and vacuum packed, ready‐to‐eat grasshoppers maintained their edible quality with an acid value of 3.2 mg KOH/g, a total plate count of log 1.8 cfu/g, and an overall acceptability of 6.7–7.2 on a 9‐point hedonic scale. Further research is required for extending the shelf stability beyond 12 weeks and characterizing the profile of major nutrients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey Ssepuuya
- Department of Food Technology and Nutrition School of Food Technology Nutrition and Bio-Engineering College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Makerere University P.O. Box, 7062 Kampala Uganda
| | - Ivan Muzira Mukisa
- Department of Food Technology and Nutrition School of Food Technology Nutrition and Bio-Engineering College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Makerere University P.O. Box, 7062 Kampala Uganda
| | - Dorothy Nakimbugwe
- Department of Food Technology and Nutrition School of Food Technology Nutrition and Bio-Engineering College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Makerere University P.O. Box, 7062 Kampala Uganda
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12
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Historical land use and present-day canopy thinning differentially affect the distribution and abundance of invasive and native ant species. Biol Invasions 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-016-1122-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Hahn PG, Orrock JL. Spatial arrangement of canopy structure and land-use history alter the effect that herbivores have on plant growth. Ecosphere 2015. [DOI: 10.1890/es15-00036.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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