1
|
Morueta-Holme N, Iversen LL, Corcoran D, Rahbek C, Normand S. Unlocking ground-based imagery for habitat mapping. Trends Ecol Evol 2024; 39:349-358. [PMID: 38087707 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Fine-grained environmental data across large extents are needed to resolve the processes that impact species communities from local to global scales. Ground-based images (GBIs) have the potential to capture habitat complexity at biologically relevant spatial and temporal resolutions. Moving beyond existing applications of GBIs for species identification and monitoring ecological change from repeat photography, we describe promising approaches to habitat mapping, leveraging multimodal data and computer vision. We illustrate empirically how GBIs can be applied to predict distributions of species at fine scales along Street View routes, or to automatically classify and quantify habitat features. Further, we outline future research avenues using GBIs that can bring a leap forward in analyses for ecology and conservation with this underused resource.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- N Morueta-Holme
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - L L Iversen
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, H3A 1B1, Canada
| | - D Corcoran
- Section for Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Center for Sustainable Landscapes under Global Change, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - C Rahbek
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Center for Global Mountain Biodiversity, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Institute of Ecology, Peking University, Beijing, China; Danish Institute for Advanced Study, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - S Normand
- Section for Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Center for Sustainable Landscapes under Global Change, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Center for Landscape Research in Sustainable Agricultural Futures, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Vangansbeke P, Sanczuk P, Govaert S, De Lombaerde E, De Frenne P. Negative effects of winter and spring warming on the regeneration of forest spring geophytes. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2022; 24:950-959. [PMID: 35596640 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The climate is changing rapidly, provoking species to shift their ranges poleward and upslope. We currently lack a mechanistic understanding of the effect of warmer temperatures on plants, especially for seasonally distinct patterns. Spring geophytes are emblematic forest plants that have a short aboveground lifecycle in the first half of the year and are thus particularly sensitive to winter and spring warming. We set up a warming experiment with separate and combined winter and spring warming on seedlings of three European spring geophytes: Anemone nemorosa, Hyacinthoides non-scripta and Ornithogalum pyrenaicum. Seedling emergence and plant height were recorded at the end of winter and spring treatment, when also biomass of the root, shoot and storage organ was determined. We found negative effects of combined winter and spring warming on seedling emergence. The weight of the storage organ proved to be the best indicator of seedling performance and was negatively affected by separate winter warming in Anemone and by spring warming in Hyacinthoides. Successful seedling emergence was jeopardized by the absence of a cold period, while seedling performance seemed to be negatively influenced directly by higher temperatures through a phenological shift. Our findings confirm that warmer winter and spring temperatures could hamper regeneration of spring geophytes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- P Vangansbeke
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle -Gontrode, Belgium
| | - P Sanczuk
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle -Gontrode, Belgium
| | - S Govaert
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle -Gontrode, Belgium
| | - E De Lombaerde
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle -Gontrode, Belgium
| | - P De Frenne
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle -Gontrode, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Jane SF, Smith KM, Baker D, Saroni A, Cutler E, Carvalho P. News media and fisheries-independent data reveal hidden impacts of hurricanes. AMBIO 2022; 51:2169-2181. [PMID: 35384617 PMCID: PMC9378804 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-022-01732-0] [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: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Climate change will likely intensify hurricane activity in coastal regions. A thorough understanding of hurricane impacts to marine fauna is necessary to prepare for and mitigate potential impacts to social systems dependent upon adjacent fauna. Yet, research attention, conservation funding, and policy all can be biased toward taxa of societal interest, potentially favoring a limited understanding of hurricane impacts. Here, we analyzed the frequency of mentions of taxa in newspaper articles in relation to hurricane activity at three coastal US locations coupled with analysis of long-term fisheries-independent data. While economically important taxa dominate media discourse, we observed long-term hurricane-related abundance declines in ecologically important taxa having little direct human utility. We conclude that there is a potential for research and policy biases related to hurricane impacts. Preparation and mitigation efforts will benefit from researchers and managers making directed efforts to identify and incorporate hurricane sensitive taxa into their work.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen F. Jane
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th St., Troy, NY 12180 USA
- Present Address: Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University, Fernow Hall, 226 Mann Dr., Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - Kayla M. Smith
- Department of Environmental Science, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1 Forestry Dr., Syracuse, NY 13210 USA
| | - Dana Baker
- Duke University Marine Laboratory, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, 135 Duke Marine Lab Rd, Beaufort, NC 28516 USA
| | - Allison Saroni
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249 USA
| | - Emma Cutler
- Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
| | - Paul Carvalho
- Department of Fisheries, Animal, and Veterinary Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881 USA
- University of California, Santa Cruz, Coastal Biology Building, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Bissonette JA. Big Data, Exploratory Data Analyses and Questionable Research Practices: Suggestion for a Foundational Principle. WILDLIFE SOC B 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. A. Bissonette
- Department of Wildland Resources, Quinney College of Natural Resources Utah State University Logan UT 84341‐5200 USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Auffret AG. Historical floras reflect broad shifts in flowering phenology in response to a warming climate. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alistair G. Auffret
- Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Box 7044 Uppsala 75007 Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Abstract
The ongoing digital revolution in the age of big data is opening new research opportunities. Culturomics and iEcology, two emerging research areas based on the analysis of online data resources, can provide novel scientific insights and inform conservation and management efforts. To date, culturomics and iEcology have been applied primarily in the terrestrial realm. Here, we advocate for expanding such applications to the aquatic realm by providing a brief overview of these new approaches and outlining key areas in which culturomics and iEcology are likely to have the highest impact, including the management of protected areas; fisheries; flagship species identification; detection and distribution of threatened, rare, and alien species; assessment of ecosystem status and anthropogenic impacts; and social impact assessment. When deployed in the right context with awareness of potential biases, culturomics and iEcology are ripe for rapid development as low-cost research approaches based on data available from digital sources, with increasingly diverse applications for aquatic ecosystems.
Collapse
|
7
|
iEcology: Harnessing Large Online Resources to Generate Ecological Insights. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 35:630-639. [PMID: 32521246 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Digital data are accumulating at unprecedented rates. These contain a lot of information about the natural world, some of which can be used to answer key ecological questions. Here, we introduce iEcology (i.e., internet ecology), an emerging research approach that uses diverse online data sources and methods to generate insights about species distribution over space and time, interactions and dynamics of organisms and their environment, and anthropogenic impacts. We review iEcology data sources and methods, and provide examples of potential research applications. We also outline approaches to reduce potential biases and improve reliability and applicability. As technologies and expertise improve, and costs diminish, iEcology will become an increasingly important means to gain novel insights into the natural world.
Collapse
|
8
|
Landuyt D, De Lombaerde E, Perring MP, Hertzog LR, Ampoorter E, Maes SL, De Frenne P, Ma S, Proesmans W, Blondeel H, Sercu BK, Wang B, Wasof S, Verheyen K. The functional role of temperate forest understorey vegetation in a changing world. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:3625-3641. [PMID: 31301199 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Temperate forests cover 16% of the global forest area. Within these forests, the understorey is an important biodiversity reservoir that can influence ecosystem processes and functions in multiple ways. However, we still lack a thorough understanding of the relative importance of the understorey for temperate forest functioning. As a result, understoreys are often ignored during assessments of forest functioning and changes thereof under global change. We here compiled studies that quantify the relative importance of the understorey for temperate forest functioning, focussing on litter production, nutrient cycling, evapotranspiration, tree regeneration, pollination and pathogen dynamics. We describe the mechanisms driving understorey functioning and develop a conceptual framework synthesizing possible effects of multiple global change drivers on understorey-mediated forest ecosystem functioning. Our review illustrates that the understorey's contribution to temperate forest functioning is significant but varies depending on the ecosystem function and the environmental context, and more importantly, the characteristics of the overstorey. To predict changes in understorey functioning and its relative importance for temperate forest functioning under global change, we argue that a simultaneous investigation of both overstorey and understorey functional responses to global change will be crucial. Our review shows that such studies are still very scarce, only available for a limited set of ecosystem functions and limited to quantification, providing little data to forecast functional responses to global change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dries Landuyt
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Emiel De Lombaerde
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Michael P Perring
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
- Ecosystem Restoration and Intervention Ecology Research Group, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Lionel R Hertzog
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Unit, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Evy Ampoorter
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Sybryn L Maes
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Pieter De Frenne
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Shiyu Ma
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Willem Proesmans
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Haben Blondeel
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Bram K Sercu
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Unit, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Bin Wang
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Safaa Wasof
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Kris Verheyen
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Meineke EK, Davies TJ. Museum specimens provide novel insights into changing plant-herbivore interactions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 374:20170393. [PMID: 30455211 PMCID: PMC6282078 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mounting evidence shows that species interactions may mediate how individual species respond to climate change. However, long-term anthropogenic effects on species interactions are poorly characterized owing to a lack of data. Insect herbivory is a major ecological process that represents the interaction between insect herbivores and their host plants, but historical data on insect damage to plants is particularly sparse. Here, we suggest that museum collections of insects and plants can fill key gaps in our knowledge on changing trophic interactions, including proximate mechanisms and the net outcomes of multiple global change drivers across diverse insect herbivore-plant associations. We outline theory on how global change may affect herbivores and their host plants and highlight the unique data that could be extracted from museum specimens to explore their shifting interactions. We aim to provide a framework for using museum specimens to explore how some of the most diverse co-evolved relationships are responding to climate and land use change.This article is part of the theme issue 'Biological collections for understanding biodiversity in the Anthropocene'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily K Meineke
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - T Jonathan Davies
- Departments of Botany, Forest, and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4
- African Centre for DNA Barcoding, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2006, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|