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Swinfield T, Both S, Riutta T, Bongalov B, Elias D, Majalap‐Lee N, Ostle N, Svátek M, Kvasnica J, Milodowski D, Jucker T, Ewers RM, Zhang Y, Johnson D, Teh YA, Burslem DFRP, Malhi Y, Coomes D. Imaging spectroscopy reveals the effects of topography and logging on the leaf chemistry of tropical forest canopy trees. Glob Chang Biol 2020; 26:989-1002. [PMID: 31845482 PMCID: PMC7027875 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Logging, pervasive across the lowland tropics, affects millions of hectares of forest, yet its influence on nutrient cycling remains poorly understood. One hypothesis is that logging influences phosphorus (P) cycling, because this scarce nutrient is removed in extracted timber and eroded soil, leading to shifts in ecosystem functioning and community composition. However, testing this is challenging because P varies within landscapes as a function of geology, topography and climate. Superimposed upon these trends are compositional changes in logged forests, with species with more acquisitive traits, characterized by higher foliar P concentrations, more dominant. It is difficult to resolve these patterns using traditional field approaches alone. Here, we use airborne light detection and ranging-guided hyperspectral imagery to map foliar nutrient (i.e. P, nitrogen [N]) concentrations, calibrated using field measured traits, over 400 km2 of northeastern Borneo, including a landscape-level disturbance gradient spanning old-growth to repeatedly logged forests. The maps reveal that canopy foliar P and N concentrations decrease with elevation. These relationships were not identified using traditional field measurements of leaf and soil nutrients. After controlling for topography, canopy foliar nutrient concentrations were lower in logged forest than in old-growth areas, reflecting decreased nutrient availability. However, foliar nutrient concentrations and specific leaf area were greatest in relatively short patches in logged areas, reflecting a shift in composition to pioneer species with acquisitive traits. N:P ratio increased in logged forest, suggesting reduced soil P availability through disturbance. Through the first landscape scale assessment of how functional leaf traits change in response to logging, we find that differences from old-growth forest become more pronounced as logged forests increase in stature over time, suggesting exacerbated phosphorus limitation as forests recover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Swinfield
- Forest Ecology and Conservation GroupDepartment of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Centre for Conservation ScienceRoyal Society for the Protection of BirdsCambridgeUK
| | - Sabine Both
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
- Environmental and Rural ScienceUniversity of New EnglandArmidaleNSWAustralia
| | - Terhi Riutta
- Environmental Change InstituteSchool of Geography and the EnvironmentUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Boris Bongalov
- Forest Ecology and Conservation GroupDepartment of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Dafydd Elias
- Centre for Ecology & HydrologyLancaster Environment CentreLancasterUK
- Lancaster Environment CentreLancaster UniversityLancasterUK
| | | | - Nicholas Ostle
- Lancaster Environment CentreLancaster UniversityLancasterUK
| | - Martin Svátek
- Department of Forest Botany, Dendrology and GeobiocoenologyFaculty of Forestry and Wood TechnologyMendel University in BrnoBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Jakub Kvasnica
- Department of Forest Botany, Dendrology and GeobiocoenologyFaculty of Forestry and Wood TechnologyMendel University in BrnoBrnoCzech Republic
| | - David Milodowski
- School of GeoSciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
- National Centre for Earth ObservationUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Tommaso Jucker
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| | | | - Yi Zhang
- Forest Ecology and Conservation GroupDepartment of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - David Johnson
- School of Earth and Environmental SciencesThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Yit Arn Teh
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
| | | | - Yadvinder Malhi
- Environmental Change InstituteSchool of Geography and the EnvironmentUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - David Coomes
- Forest Ecology and Conservation GroupDepartment of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
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Both S, Riutta T, Paine CET, Elias DMO, Cruz RS, Jain A, Johnson D, Kritzler UH, Kuntz M, Majalap-Lee N, Mielke N, Montoya Pillco MX, Ostle NJ, Arn Teh Y, Malhi Y, Burslem DFRP. Logging and soil nutrients independently explain plant trait expression in tropical forests. New Phytol 2019; 221:1853-1865. [PMID: 30238458 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [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: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/12/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Plant functional traits regulate ecosystem functions but little is known about how co-occurring gradients of land use and edaphic conditions influence their expression. We test how gradients of logging disturbance and soil properties relate to community-weighted mean traits in logged and old-growth tropical forests in Borneo. We studied 32 physical, chemical and physiological traits from 284 tree species in eight 1 ha plots and measured long-term soil nutrient supplies and plant-available nutrients. Logged plots had greater values for traits that drive carbon capture and growth, whilst old-growth forests had greater values for structural and persistence traits. Although disturbance was the primary driver of trait expression, soil nutrients explained a statistically independent axis of variation linked to leaf size and nutrient concentration. Soil characteristics influenced trait expression via nutrient availability, nutrient pools, and pH. Our finding, that traits have dissimilar responses to land use and soil resource availability, provides robust evidence for the need to consider the abiotic context of logging when predicting plant functional diversity across human-modified tropical forests. The detection of two independent axes was facilitated by the measurement of many more functional traits than have been examined in previous studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Both
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
- Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, 2351, NSW, Australia
| | - Terhi Riutta
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - C E Timothy Paine
- Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, 2351, NSW, Australia
| | - Dafydd M O Elias
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, UK
| | - R S Cruz
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Naturaleza, Territorio y Energías Renovables, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima, Perú
| | - Annuar Jain
- The South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership (SEARRP), Danum Valley Field Centre, PO Box 60282, 91112, Lahad Datu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - David Johnson
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Ully H Kritzler
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Marianne Kuntz
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
| | - Noreen Majalap-Lee
- Forest Research Centre, Peti Surat 1407, 90715, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Nora Mielke
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
| | - Milenka X Montoya Pillco
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
| | - Nicholas J Ostle
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, UK
| | - Yit Arn Teh
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
| | - Yadvinder Malhi
- Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, 2351, NSW, Australia
| | - David F R P Burslem
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
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Hearn AJ, Cushman SA, Ross J, Goossens B, Hunter LTB, Macdonald DW. Spatio-temporal ecology of sympatric felids on Borneo. Evidence for resource partitioning? PLoS One 2018; 13:e0200828. [PMID: 30028844 PMCID: PMC6054408 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Niche differentiation, the partitioning of resources along one or more axes of a species' niche hyper-volume, is widely recognised as an important mechanism for sympatric species to reduce interspecific competition and predation risk, and thus facilitate co-existence. Resource partitioning may be facilitated by behavioural differentiation along three main niche dimensions: habitat, food and time. In this study, we investigate the extent to which these mechanisms can explain the coexistence of an assemblage of five sympatric felids in Borneo. Using multi-scale logistic regression, we show that Bornean felids exhibit differences in both their broad and fine-scale habitat use. We calculate temporal activity patterns and overlap between these species, and present evidence for temporal separation within this felid guild. Lastly, we conducted an all-subsets logistic regression to predict the occurrence of each felid species as a function of the co-occurrence of a large number of other species and showed that Bornean felids co-occurred with a range of other species, some of which could be candidate prey. Our study reveals apparent resource partitioning within the Bornean felid assemblage, operating along all three niche dimension axes. These results provide new insights into the ecology of these species and the broader community in which they live and also provide important information for conservation planning for this guild of predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Hearn
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Samuel A. Cushman
- US Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Joanna Ross
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Benoit Goossens
- Danau Girang Field Centre, c/o Sabah Wildlife Department, Wisma Muis, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
- Sabah Wildlife Department, Wisma Muis, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
- Organisms and Environment Division, Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, United Kingdom
- Sustainable Places Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | | | - David W. Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Stark DJ, Vaughan IP, Ramirez Saldivar DA, Nathan SKSS, Goossens B. Evaluating methods for estimating home ranges using GPS collars: A comparison using proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus). PLoS One 2017; 12:e0174891. [PMID: 28362872 PMCID: PMC5376085 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of GPS tags for tracking wildlife has revolutionised the study of home ranges, habitat use and behaviour. Concomitantly, there have been rapid developments in methods for estimating habitat use from GPS data. In combination, these changes can cause challenges in choosing the best methods for estimating home ranges. In primatology, this issue has received little attention, as there have been few GPS collar-based studies to date. However, as advancing technology is making collaring studies more feasible, there is a need for the analysis to advance alongside the technology. Here, using a high quality GPS collaring data set from 10 proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus), we aimed to: 1) compare home range estimates from the most commonly used method in primatology, the grid-cell method, with three recent methods designed for large and/or temporally correlated GPS data sets; 2) evaluate how well these methods identify known physical barriers (e.g. rivers); and 3) test the robustness of the different methods to data containing either less frequent or random losses of GPS fixes. Biased random bridges had the best overall performance, combining a high level of agreement between the raw data and estimated utilisation distribution with a relatively low sensitivity to reduced fixed frequency or loss of data. It estimated the home range of proboscis monkeys to be 24-165 ha (mean 80.89 ha). The grid-cell method and approaches based on local convex hulls had some advantages including simplicity and excellent barrier identification, respectively, but lower overall performance. With the most suitable model, or combination of models, it is possible to understand more fully the patterns, causes, and potential consequences that disturbances could have on an animal, and accordingly be used to assist in the management and restoration of degraded landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danica J. Stark
- Organisms and Environment Division, Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, United Kingdom
- Danau Girang Field Centre, c/o Sabah Wildlife Department, Wisma Muis, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Ian P. Vaughan
- Organisms and Environment Division, Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | | | - Senthilvel K. S. S. Nathan
- Organisms and Environment Division, Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, United Kingdom
- Sabah Wildlife Department, Wisma Muis, 88100 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Benoit Goossens
- Organisms and Environment Division, Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, United Kingdom
- Danau Girang Field Centre, c/o Sabah Wildlife Department, Wisma Muis, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
- Sabah Wildlife Department, Wisma Muis, 88100 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
- Sustainable Places Research Institute, Cardiff University, 33 Park Place, Cardiff, United Kingdom
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