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Bevilacqua S, Boero F, De Leo F, Guarnieri G, Mačić V, Benedetti-Cecchi L, Terlizzi A, Fraschetti S. β-diversity reveals ecological connectivity patterns underlying marine community recovery: Implications for conservation. Ecol Appl 2023:e2867. [PMID: 37114630 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
As β-diversity can be seen as a proxy of ecological connections among species assemblages, modeling the decay of similarity in species composition at increasing distance may help elucidate spatial patterns of connectivity and local- to large-scale processes driving community assembly within a marine region. This, in turn, may provide invaluable information for setting ecologically coherent networks of marine protected areas (MPAs) in which protected communities are potentially interrelated and can mutually sustain against environmental perturbations. However, field studies investigating changes in β-diversity patterns at a range of spatial scales and in relation to disturbance are scant, limiting our understanding of how spatial ecological connections among marine communities may affect their recovery dynamics. We carried out a manipulative experiment simulating a strong physical disturbance on subtidal rocky reefs at several locations spanning >1000 km of coast in the Adriatic Sea (Mediterranean Sea) and compared β-diversity patterns and decay of similarity with distance and time by current transport between undisturbed and experimentally disturbed macrobenthic assemblages to shed light on connectivity processes and scales involved in recovery. In contrast to the expectation that very local-scale processes, such as vegetative regrowth and larval supply from neighboring undisturbed assemblages, might be the major determinants of recovery in disturbed patches, we found that connectivity mediated by currents at larger spatial scales strongly contributed to shape community reassembly after disturbance. Across our study sites in the Adriatic Sea, β-diversity patterns suggested that additional protected sites that matched hotspots of propagule exchange could increase the complementarity and strengthen the ecological connectivity throughout the MPA network. More generally, conditional to habitat distribution and selection of sites of high conservation priority (e.g., biodiversity hotspots), setting network internode distance within 100-150 km, along with sizing no-take zones to cover at least 5 km of coast, would help enhance the potential connectivity of Mediterranean subtidal rocky reef assemblages from local to large scale. These results can help improve conservation planning to achieve the goals of promoting ecological connectivity within MPA networks and enhancing their effectiveness in protecting marine communities against rapidly increasing natural and anthropogenic disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanislao Bevilacqua
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, Rome, Italy
| | - Ferdinando Boero
- Istituto per lo Studio degli Impatti Antropici e Sostenibilità in Ambiente Marino (CNR-IAS), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Genoa, Italy
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Francesco De Leo
- Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri (CNR-IRET), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Lecce, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Guarnieri
- Agenzia Regionale per la Prevenzione e la Protezione dell'Ambiente, Bari, Italy
| | - Vesna Mačić
- Institute of Marine Biology, University of Montenegro, Kotor, Montenegro
| | - Lisandro Benedetti-Cecchi
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, Rome, Italy
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Antonio Terlizzi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, Rome, Italy
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Simonetta Fraschetti
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, Rome, Italy
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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Pastor A, Ospina-Alvarez A, Larsen J, Thorbjørn Hansen F, Krause-Jensen D, Maar M. A network analysis of connected biophysical pathways to advice eelgrass (Zostera marina) restoration. Mar Environ Res 2022; 179:105690. [PMID: 35853313 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2022.105690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The North Sea and the Baltic Sea, including Danish coastal waters, have experienced a drastic decline in eelgrass Zostera marina coverage during the past century. Around 1900, eelgrass meadows covered about 6700 km2 of Danish coastal waters while the current potential distribution area is only about one third of this. In some areas, the potential distribution area is far from realized, and restoration efforts are needed to assist recovery. Such efforts are challenging, and resource-demanding and careful site selection is, therefore, important. In the present study, we aim to identify the connectivity of eelgrass populations as a basis for guiding site selection for restoration. We developed a coupled biophysical model to study eelgrass dispersal in the Kattegat. Partly submerged particles simulated the dispersal of reproductive eelgrass shoots containing seeds during the flowering season July-September. We then used network analysis to identify the potential connectivity between populations. We evaluated connectivity based on In-strength, Betweenness and Eigenvector centrality metrics and identified key areas in the Kattegat such as the central part of Aalborg Bay, to be considered to restore the network of Z. marina patches. The study proves the potentials of combining hydrodynamic models and network analysis to support marine conservation and planning, and highlights the importance of collaboration between ecologists, oceanographers, and practitioners in this endeavour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ane Pastor
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Andrés Ospina-Alvarez
- Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies IMEDEA (UIB-CSIC), C/ Miquel Marquès, 21, 07190, Esporles, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Janus Larsen
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Flemming Thorbjørn Hansen
- Section for Coastal Ecology, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, Building 201, 2800 kgs, Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Marie Maar
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
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Kot CY, Åkesson S, Alfaro‐Shigueto J, Amorocho Llanos DF, Antonopoulou M, Balazs GH, Baverstock WR, Blumenthal JM, Broderick AC, Bruno I, Canbolat AF, Casale P, Cejudo D, Coyne MS, Curtice C, DeLand S, DiMatteo A, Dodge K, Dunn DC, Esteban N, Formia A, Fuentes MMPB, Fujioka E, Garnier J, Godfrey MH, Godley BJ, González Carman V, Harrison A, Hart CE, Hawkes LA, Hays GC, Hill N, Hochscheid S, Kaska Y, Levy Y, Ley‐Quiñónez CP, Lockhart GG, López‐Mendilaharsu M, Luschi P, Mangel JC, Margaritoulis D, Maxwell SM, McClellan CM, Metcalfe K, Mingozzi A, Moncada FG, Nichols WJ, Parker DM, Patel SH, Pilcher NJ, Poulin S, Read AJ, Rees ALF, Robinson DP, Robinson NJ, Sandoval‐Lugo AG, Schofield G, Seminoff JA, Seney EE, Snape RTE, Sözbilen D, Tomás J, Varo‐Cruz N, Wallace BP, Wildermann NE, Witt MJ, Zavala‐Norzagaray AA, Halpin PN. Network analysis of sea turtle movements and connectivity: A tool for conservation prioritization. DIVERS DISTRIB 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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He P, Montiglio PO, Somveille M, Cantor M, Farine DR. The role of habitat configuration in shaping animal population processes: a framework to generate quantitative predictions. Oecologia 2021; 196:649-665. [PMID: 34159423 PMCID: PMC8292241 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04967-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
By shaping where individuals move, habitat configuration can fundamentally structure animal populations. Yet, we currently lack a framework for generating quantitative predictions about the role of habitat configuration in modulating population outcomes. To address this gap, we propose a modelling framework inspired by studies using networks to characterize habitat connectivity. We first define animal habitat networks, explain how they can integrate information about the different configurational features of animal habitats, and highlight the need for a bottom–up generative model that can depict realistic variations in habitat potential connectivity. Second, we describe a model for simulating animal habitat networks (available in the R package AnimalHabitatNetwork), and demonstrate its ability to generate alternative habitat configurations based on empirical data, which forms the basis for exploring the consequences of alternative habitat structures. Finally, we lay out three key research questions and demonstrate how our framework can address them. By simulating the spread of a pathogen within a population, we show how transmission properties can be impacted by both local potential connectivity and landscape-level characteristics of habitats. Our study highlights the importance of considering the underlying habitat configuration in studies linking social structure with population-level outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng He
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany. .,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany. .,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany. .,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | | | - Marius Somveille
- Birdlife International, The David Attenborough Building, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Mauricio Cantor
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany.,Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Damien R Farine
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany.,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Binley AD, Proctor CA, Pither R, Davis SA, Bennett JR. The unrealized potential of community science to support research on the resilience of protected areas. Conservat Sci and Prac 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Sierra A. Davis
- Department of Biology Carleton University Ottawa Ontario Canada
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6
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Chiu MC, Ao S, Resh VH, He F, Cai Q. Species dispersal along rivers and streams may have variable importance to metapopulation structure. Sci Total Environ 2021; 760:144045. [PMID: 33341625 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The ability to prioritize habitats that have spatially varied contributions to species persistence can produce synergistic benefits for regional conservation efforts. However, conservation in spatially diverse landscape-networks requires considering dispersal asymmetry in the context of ecological connectivity and metapopulation persistence. By developing an approach based on metapopulation theory, this study prioritized the importance of habitat (as determined by the habitat quality and spatial position in networks) on metapopulation structure in mountainous streams. As a case study, we examined dispersal via overland and instream networks in a riverine mayfly Rhithrogena sp. cf. japonica in a mountain range of Southwest China. Compared to flow velocity, water depth, and instream nutrient-levels, water temperature was a key factor in determining local habitat suitability for R. sp. cf. japonica. Higher water temperature was linked to poor habitat suitability. Instream pathways were the main dispersal corridors compared with overland movement between tributaries for this mayfly. In basins on the east aspect of this mountain range, either monotonically increasing (i.e., never decreasing) or unimodal (i.e., with a single peak) patterns demonstrated the importance of riverine habitats that occur along elevational gradients. However, the importance of habitat appeared to show no definite patterns with elevation on the west aspect. In terms of metapopulation structure, local quality of habitat contributed more to the regional importance of habitat than its spatial position in the networks. The framework presented highlights that the importance of riverine habitats may be quite variable in species having directional dispersal networks across the fluvial landscape in mountainous areas. Results from this framework can serve as the basis to apply a mechanistic understanding to managing and protecting native populations through regional restoration actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Chih Chiu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Sicheng Ao
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Vincent H Resh
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - Fengzhi He
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China; Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | - Qinghua Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.
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Kluger LC, Gorris P, Kochalski S, Mueller MS, Romagnoni G. Studying human–nature relationships through a network lens: A systematic review. People and Nature 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lotta C. Kluger
- Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) Bremen Germany
- University of Bremenartec Sustainability Research Center Bremen Germany
| | - Philipp Gorris
- Institute of Environmental Systems Research (IUSF) Osnabrueck University Osnabrueck Germany
| | - Sophia Kochalski
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes Leibniz‐Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) Berlin Germany
| | - Miriam S. Mueller
- Posgrado en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología Universidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoUnidad Académica Mazatlán Mazatlan Mexico
- German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation Isle of Vilm Putbus Germany
| | - Giovanni Romagnoni
- Department of Biosciences Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES) University of Oslo Oslo Norway
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Wilson KL, Tittensor DP, Worm B, Lotze HK. Incorporating climate change adaptation into marine protected area planning. Glob Chang Biol 2020; 26:3251-3267. [PMID: 32222010 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is increasingly impacting marine protected areas (MPAs) and MPA networks, yet adaptation strategies are rarely incorporated into MPA design and management plans according to the primary scientific literature. Here we review the state of knowledge for adapting existing and future MPAs to climate change and synthesize case studies (n = 27) of how marine conservation planning can respond to shifting environmental conditions. First, we derive a generalized conservation planning framework based on five published frameworks that incorporate climate change adaptation to inform MPA design. We then summarize examples from the scientific literature to assess how conservation goals were defined, vulnerability assessments performed and adaptation strategies incorporated into the design and management of existing or new MPAs. Our analysis revealed that 82% of real-world examples of climate change adaptation in MPA planning derive from tropical reefs, highlighting the need for research in other ecosystems and habitat types. We found contrasting recommendations for adaptation strategies at the planning stage, either focusing only on climate refugia, or aiming for representative protection of areas encompassing the full range of expected climate change impacts. Recommendations for MPA management were more unified and focused on adaptative management approaches. Lastly, we evaluate common barriers to adopting climate change adaptation strategies based on reviewing studies which conducted interviews with MPA managers and other conservation practitioners. This highlights a lack of scientific studies evaluating different adaptation strategies and shortcomings in current governance structures as two major barriers, and we discuss how these could be overcome. Our review provides a comprehensive synthesis of planning frameworks, case studies, adaptation strategies and management actions which can inform a more coordinated global effort to adapt existing and future MPA networks to continued climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen L Wilson
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Derek P Tittensor
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK
| | - Boris Worm
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Heike K Lotze
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
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