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Blomfield A, Menéndez R, Wilby A. Population synchrony indicates functional connectivity in a threatened sedentary butterfly. Oecologia 2023; 201:979-989. [PMID: 36976354 PMCID: PMC10113297 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05357-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Dispersal is a key influence on species' persistence, particularly in the context of habitat fragmentation and environmental change. Previously, residual population synchrony has been demonstrated to be an effective proxy for dispersal in mobile butterflies (Powney et al. 2012). Here, we highlight the utility and limitations of population synchrony as an indicator of functional connectivity and persistence, at a range of spatial scales, in a specialist, sedentary butterfly. While at the local scale, population synchrony is likely indicative of dispersal in the pearl-bordered fritillary, Boloria euphrosyne, over larger scales, habitat is likely to influence population dynamics. Although declines in local-scale synchrony conformed to typical movement in this species, synchrony showed no significant trend with distance when studied at larger (between-site) scales. By focusing on specific site comparisons, we draw the conclusion that heterogeneity in habitat successional stage drives asynchrony between sites at larger distances and is, therefore, likely to be a more important driver of population dynamics over large distances than dispersal. Within-site assessments of synchrony highlight differences in dispersal based on habitat type, with movement shown to be most inhibited between transect sections with contrasting habitat permeability. While synchrony has implications for metapopulation stability and extinction risk, no significant difference was found in average site synchrony between sites that had gone extinct during the study period and those remaining occupied. We demonstrate that population synchrony may be used to assess local-scale movement between sedentary populations, as well as to understand barriers to dispersal and guide conservation management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Blomfield
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK.
| | - Rosa Menéndez
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Andrew Wilby
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
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2
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Tanner SE, Giacomello E, Menezes GM, Mirasole A, Neves J, Sequeira V, Vasconcelos RP, Vieira AR, Morrongiello JR. Marine regime shifts impact synchrony of deep‐sea fish growth in the northeast Atlantic. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Susanne E. Tanner
- MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Faculdade de Ciências, Univ. de Lisboa Lisboa Portugal
- Depto de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Univ. de Lisboa Lisboa Portugal
| | - Eva Giacomello
- IMAR – Inst. do Mar and Centro I&D Okeanos – Univ. dos Açores Horta Portugal
| | - Gui M. Menezes
- IMAR – Inst. do Mar and Centro I&D Okeanos – Univ. dos Açores Horta Portugal
- Univ. dos Açores, Depto de Oceanografia e Pescas Horta Portugal
| | - Alice Mirasole
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Dohrn‐Benthic Ecology Center Ischia Italy
| | - João Neves
- IMAR – Inst. do Mar and Centro I&D Okeanos – Univ. dos Açores Horta Portugal
| | - Vera Sequeira
- MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Faculdade de Ciências, Univ. de Lisboa Lisboa Portugal
- Depto de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Univ. de Lisboa Lisboa Portugal
| | | | - Ana Rita Vieira
- MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Faculdade de Ciências, Univ. de Lisboa Lisboa Portugal
- Depto de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Univ. de Lisboa Lisboa Portugal
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3
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Fisher A, Saniee K, van der Heide C, Griffiths J, Meade D, Villablanca F. Climatic Niche Model for Overwintering Monarch Butterflies in a Topographically Complex Region of California. INSECTS 2018; 9:insects9040167. [PMID: 30463305 PMCID: PMC6316322 DOI: 10.3390/insects9040167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Revised: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
We use climatic conditions that are associated with known monarch butterfly overwintering groves in California to build a Maxent model, and focus on the fine scale probability of overwintering grove occurrence in a topographically complex region of the state (Santa Barbara County). Grove locations are known from recent and historical surveys and a long-term citizen science database. The climatic niche model performs well, predicting that overwintering habitat is most likely to occur along the coast and at low elevations, as shown by empirical data. We then use climatic variables in conjunction with climate change scenarios to model the future location of overwintering habitat, and find a substantial shift in the predicted distribution. Under a plausible scenario, the probability of occurrence of overwintering habitat directly reflects elevation, with coastal regions having a reduced probability relative to today, and higher elevation sites increasing in probability. Under a more extreme scenario, high probability sites are only located along ridgelines and in mountaintop regions of the county. This predicted shift in distribution is likely to have management implications, as sites that currently lack monarchs may become critical to conservation in the future. Our results suggest that estimating the size of the western overwintering population in the future will be problematic, unless annual counts compensate for a shift in the distribution and a potential change in the number and location of occupied sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Fisher
- Biological Sciences Department, Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA.
| | - Kiana Saniee
- Biological Sciences Department, Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA.
| | - Charis van der Heide
- Biological Sciences Department, Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA.
- Althouse and Meade Inc., 1602 Spring St., Paso Robles, CA 93446, USA.
| | - Jessica Griffiths
- Althouse and Meade Inc., 1602 Spring St., Paso Robles, CA 93446, USA.
| | - Daniel Meade
- Althouse and Meade Inc., 1602 Spring St., Paso Robles, CA 93446, USA.
| | - Francis Villablanca
- Biological Sciences Department, Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA.
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Pardikes NA, Harrison JG, Shapiro AM, Forister ML. Synchronous population dynamics in California butterflies explained by climatic forcing. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:170190. [PMID: 28791146 PMCID: PMC5541541 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/21/2017] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
A long-standing challenge for population biology has been to understand why some species are characterized by populations that fluctuate in size independently, while populations of other species fluctuate synchronously across space. The effects of climatic variation and dispersal have been invoked to explain synchronous population dynamics, however an understanding of the relative influence of these drivers in natural populations is lacking. Here we compare support for dispersal- versus climate-driven models of interspecific variation in synchrony using 27 years of observations of 65 butterfly species at 10 sites spanning 2750 m of elevation in Northern California. The degree of spatial synchrony exhibited by each butterfly species was used as a response in a unique approach that allowed us to investigate whether interspecific variation in response to climate or dispersal propensity was most predictive of interspecific variation in synchrony. We report that variation in sensitivity to climate explained 50% of interspecific variation in synchrony, whereas variation in dispersal propensity explained 23%. Sensitivity to the El Niño Southern Oscillation, a primary driver of regional climate, was the best predictor of synchrony. Combining sensitivity to climate and dispersal propensity into a single model did not greatly increase model performance, confirming the primacy of climatic sensitivity for driving spatial synchrony in butterflies. Finally, we uncovered a relationship between spatial synchrony and population decline that is consistent with theory, but small in magnitude, which suggests that the degree to which populations fluctuate in synchrony is of limited use for understanding the ongoing decline of the Northern California butterfly fauna.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A. Pardikes
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
- Authors for correspondence: Nicholas A. Pardikes e-mail:
| | - Joshua G. Harrison
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
- Authors for correspondence: Joshua G. Harrison e-mail:
| | - Arthur M. Shapiro
- Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Matthew L. Forister
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
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5
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Dennis EB, Morgan BJT, Freeman SN, Roy DB, Brereton T. Dynamic Models for Longitudinal Butterfly Data. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL BIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL STATISTICS 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s13253-015-0216-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
We present models which provide succinct descriptions of longitudinal seasonal insect count data. This approach produces, for the first time, estimates of the key parameters of brood productivities. It may be applied to univoltine and bivoltine species. For the latter, the productivities of each brood are estimated separately, which results in new indices indicating the contributions from different generations. The models are based on discrete distributions, with expectations that reflect the underlying nature of seasonal data. Productivities are included in a deterministic, auto-regressive manner, making the data from each brood a function of those in the previous brood. A concentrated likelihood results in appreciable efficiency gains. Both phenomenological and mechanistic models are used, including weather and site-specific covariates. Illustrations are provided using data from the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme, however the approach is perfectly general. Consistent associations are found when estimates of productivity are regressed on northing and temperature. For instance, for univoltine species productivity is usually lower following milder winters, and mean emergence times of adults for all species have become earlier over time, due to climate change. The predictions of fitted dynamic models have the potential to improve the understanding of fundamental demographic processes. This is important for insects such as UK butterflies, many species of which are in decline. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.
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Śniegula S, Gołąb MJ, Johansson F. Time constraint effects on phenology and life history synchrony in a damselfly along a latitudinal gradient. OIKOS 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.02265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Szymon Śniegula
- Dept of Ecosystem Conservation; Inst. of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences; al. Mickiewicza 33 PL-31-120 Cracow Poland
| | - Maria J. Gołąb
- Dept of Ecosystem Conservation; Inst. of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences; al. Mickiewicza 33 PL-31-120 Cracow Poland
| | - Frank Johansson
- Dept of Ecology and Genetics; Uppsala Univ.; SE-751 05 Uppsala Sweden
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Mortelliti A, Westgate MJ, Lindenmayer DB. Experimental evaluation shows limited influence of pine plantations on the connectivity of highly fragmented bird populations. J Appl Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Mortelliti
- Fenner School of Environment and Society; Australian Research Council Centre for Environmental Decisions; National Environmental Research Program; The Australian National University; Canberra ACT 0200 Australia
| | - Martin J. Westgate
- Fenner School of Environment and Society; Australian Research Council Centre for Environmental Decisions; National Environmental Research Program; The Australian National University; Canberra ACT 0200 Australia
| | - David B. Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and Society; Australian Research Council Centre for Environmental Decisions; National Environmental Research Program; The Australian National University; Canberra ACT 0200 Australia
- LTERN; Long Term Ecological Research Network; The Australian National University; Canberra ACT 0200 Australia
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Franzén M, Nilsson SG, Johansson V, Ranius T. Population fluctuations and synchrony of grassland butterflies in relation to species traits. PLoS One 2013; 8:e78233. [PMID: 24205169 PMCID: PMC3808534 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2013] [Accepted: 09/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Population fluctuations and synchrony influence population persistence; species with larger fluctuations and more synchronised population fluctuations face higher extinction risks. Here, we analyse the effect of diet specialisation, mobility, length of the flight period, and distance to the northern edge of the species’ distribution in relation to between-year population fluctuations and synchrony of butterfly species. All butterfly species associated with grasslands were surveyed over five successive years at 19 grassland sites in a forest-dominated landscape (50 km2) in southern Sweden. At both the local and regional level, we found larger population fluctuations in species with longer flight periods. Population fluctuations were more synchronous among localities in diet specialists. Species with a long flight period might move more to track nectar resources compared to species with shorter flight period, and if nectar sources vary widely between years and localities it may explain that population fluctuations increase with increasing flight length. Diet generalists can use different resources (in this case host plants) at different localities and this can explain the lower synchrony in population fluctuations among generalist species. Higher degree of synchrony is one possible explanation for the higher extinction risks that have been observed for more specialised species. Therefore, diet specialists are more often threatened and require more conservation efforts than generalists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Franzén
- Department of Community Ecology, UFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Halle, Germany
- Department of Biology, Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Sven G. Nilsson
- Department of Biology, Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Victor Johansson
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Thomas Ranius
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
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Haynes KJ, Bjørnstad ON, Allstadt AJ, Liebhold AM. Geographical variation in the spatial synchrony of a forest-defoliating insect: isolation of environmental and spatial drivers. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20122373. [PMID: 23282993 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.2373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the pervasiveness of spatial synchrony of population fluctuations in virtually every taxon, it remains difficult to disentangle its underlying mechanisms, such as environmental perturbations and dispersal. We used multiple regression of distance matrices (MRMs) to statistically partition the importance of several factors potentially synchronizing the dynamics of the gypsy moth, an invasive species in North America, exhibiting outbreaks that are partially synchronized over long distances (approx. 900 km). The factors considered in the MRM were synchrony in weather conditions, spatial proximity and forest-type similarity. We found that the most likely driver of outbreak synchrony is synchronous precipitation. Proximity played no apparent role in influencing outbreak synchrony after accounting for precipitation, suggesting dispersal does not drive outbreak synchrony. Because a previous modelling study indicated weather might indirectly synchronize outbreaks through synchronization of oak masting and generalist predators that feed upon acorns, we also examined the influence of weather and proximity on synchrony of acorn production. As we found for outbreak synchrony, synchrony in oak masting increased with synchrony in precipitation, though it also increased with proximity. We conclude that precipitation could synchronize gypsy moth populations directly, as in a Moran effect, or indirectly, through effects on oak masting, generalist predators or diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle J Haynes
- The Blandy Experimental Farm, University of Virginia, 400 Blandy Farm Lane, Boyce, VA 22620, USA.
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Franzén M, Schweiger O, Betzholtz PE. Species-area relationships are controlled by species traits. PLoS One 2012; 7:e37359. [PMID: 22629384 PMCID: PMC3357413 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2011] [Accepted: 04/19/2012] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The species-area relationship (SAR) is one of the most thoroughly investigated empirical relationships in ecology. Two theories have been proposed to explain SARs: classical island biogeography theory and niche theory. Classical island biogeography theory considers the processes of persistence, extinction, and colonization, whereas niche theory focuses on species requirements, such as habitat and resource use. Recent studies have called for the unification of these two theories to better explain the underlying mechanisms that generates SARs. In this context, species traits that can be related to each theory seem promising. Here we analyzed the SARs of butterfly and moth assemblages on islands differing in size and isolation. We tested whether species traits modify the SAR and the response to isolation. In addition to the expected overall effects on the area, traits related to each of the two theories increased the model fit, from 69% up to 90%. Steeper slopes have been shown to have a particularly higher sensitivity to area, which was indicated by species with restricted range (slope = 0.82), narrow dietary niche (slope = 0.59), low abundance (slope = 0.52), and low reproductive potential (slope = 0.51). We concluded that considering species traits by analyzing SARs yields considerable potential for unifying island biogeography theory and niche theory, and that the systematic and predictable effects observed when considering traits can help to guide conservation and management actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Franzén
- Department of Community Ecology, UFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Halle, Germany.
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Forister ML, Jahner JP, Casner KL, Wilson JS, Shapiro AM. The race is not to the swift: Long-term data reveal pervasive declines in California's low-elevation butterfly fauna. Ecology 2011; 92:2222-35. [DOI: 10.1890/11-0382.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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12
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Powney GD, Roy DB, Chapman D, Brereton T, Oliver TH. Measuring functional connectivity using long-term monitoring data. Methods Ecol Evol 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.2041-210x.2011.00098.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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