El Niño impacts on human-modified tropical forests: Consequences for dung beetle diversity and associated ecological processes

Our knowledge of how tropical forest biodiversity and functioning respond to anthropogenic and climate-associated stressors is limited. Research exploring El Niño impacts are scarce or based on single post-disturbance assessments, and few studies assess forests previously affected by anthropogenic disturbance. Focusing on dung beetles and associated ecological functions, we assessed (a) the ecological effects of a strong El Niño, (b) if post-El Niño beetle responses were influenced by previous forest disturbance, and (c) how these responses compare between forests impacted only by drought and those affected by both drought and fires. We sampled 30 Amazonian forest plots distributed across a gradient of human disturbance in 2010, 2016, and 2017—approximately 5 years before, and 3–6 and 15–18 months after the 2015–16 El Niño. We found 14,451 beetles from 98 species and quantified the beetle-mediated dispersal of >8,600 seed mimics and the removal of c. 30 kg of dung. All dung beetle responses (species richness, abundance, biomass, compositional similarity to pre-El Niño condition, and rates of dung removal and seed dispersal) declined after the 2015–16 El Niño, but the greatest immediate losses (i.e., in 2016) were observed within fire-affected forests. Previous forest disturbance also influenced post-El Niño dung beetle species richness, abundance, and species composition. We demonstrate that dung beetles and their ecological functions are negatively affected by climate-associated disturbances in human-modified Amazonian forests and suggest that the interaction between local anthropogenic and climate-related stressors merits further investigation.     

Amazon drought and forest response: Largely reduced forest photosynthesis but slightly increased canopy greenness during the extreme drought of 2015/2016

Amazon droughts have impacted regional ecosystem functioning as well as global carbon cycling. The severe dry‐season droughts in 2005 and 2010, driven by Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly, have been widely investigated in terms of drought severity and impacts on ecosystems. Although the influence of Pacific SST anomaly on wet‐season precipitation has been well recognized, it remains uncertain to what extent the droughts driven by Pacific SST anomaly could affect forest greenness and photosynthesis in the Amazon. Here, we examined the monthly and annual dynamics of forest greenness and photosynthetic capacity when Amazon ecosystems experienced an extreme drought in 2015/2016 driven by a strong El Niño event. We found that the drought during August 2015–July 2016 was one of the two most severe meteorological droughts since 1901. Due to the enhanced solar radiation during this drought, overall forest greenness showed a small increase, and 21.6% of forests even greened up (greenness index anomaly ≥1 standard deviation). In contrast, solar‐induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF), an indicator of vegetation photosynthetic capacity, showed a significant decrease. Responses of forest greenness and photosynthesis decoupled during this drought, indicating that forest photosynthesis could still be suppressed regardless of the variation in canopy greenness. If future El Niño frequency increases as projected by earth system models, droughts would result in persistent reduction in Amazon forest productivity, substantial changes in tree composition, and considerable carbon emissions from Amazon.     

Asymmetric response of Amazon forest water and energy fluxes to wet and dry hydrological extremes reveals onset of a local drought-induced tipping point

Understanding the effects of intensification of Amazon basin hydrological cycling—manifest as increasingly frequent floods and droughts—on water and energy cycles of tropical forests is essential to meeting the challenge of predicting ecosystem responses to climate change, including forest “tipping points”. Here, we investigated the impacts of hydrological extremes on forest function using 12+ years of observations (between 2001–2020) of water and energy fluxes from eddy covariance, along with associated ecological dynamics from biometry, at the Tapajós National Forest. Measurements encompass the strong 2015–2016 El Niño drought and La Niña 2008–2009 wet events. We found that the forest responded strongly to El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO): Drought reduced water availability for evapotranspiration (ET) leading to large increases in sensible heat fluxes (H). Partitioning ET by an approach that assumes transpiration (T) is proportional to photosynthesis, we found that water stress-induced reductions in canopy conductance (G_s) drove T declines partly compensated by higher evaporation (E). By contrast, the abnormally wet La Niña period gave higher T and lower E, with little change in seasonal ET. Both El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events resulted in changes in forest structure, manifested as lower wet-season leaf area index. However, only during El Niño 2015–2016, we observed a breakdown in the strong meteorological control of transpiration fluxes (via energy availability and atmospheric demand) because of slowing vegetation functions (via shutdown of G_s and significant leaf shedding). Drought-reduced T and G_s, higher H and E, amplified by feedbacks with higher temperatures and vapor pressure deficits, signaled that forest function had crossed a threshold, from which it recovered slowly, with delay, post-drought. Identifying such tipping point onsets (beyond which future irreversible processes may occur) at local scale is crucial for predicting basin-scale threshold-crossing changes in forest energy and water cycling, leading to slow-down in forest function, potentially resulting in Amazon forests shifting into alternate degraded states.     

Analysis of Four Macroalgal Assemblages along the Pacific Mexican Coast during and after the 1997–98 El Niño

We examined the changes in four intertidal macroalgal assemblages sampled at 3-month intervals during and after the 1997–98 El Niño. The assemblages were analyzed using several numerical analyses (specific richness, H′ diversity) and multivariate techniques (ANOSIM, cluster, and MDS analyses). During El Niño 1997–98, the water temperature in the sampled zone was almost 5°C above the long-term mean. The apparent impact of this factor was greatest in winter–spring 1998. Our results suggest that El Niño influenced the structure of these assemblages in four different ways: (a) El Niño was associated with number of species (lowest in 1998) and H′ diversity, which increased in the winter of 1999, when the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) was inactive, from 1.2 to 2.3. (b) The average biomass of the macroalgae was significantly greater in the ENSO year (139 g dry weight/m²) than in the non-ENSO year (42 g dry weight/m²) (c) El Niño conditions were associated with a high population abundance of species of tropical affinity, such as Agardhiella tenera (22.05 g dry weight/m² in 1998 versus 0.7 g dry weight/m² in 1999), Amphiroa misakiensis (32 versus 1.1), Caulerpa sertularoides (15.35 versus 0), Padina durvillaei (9.2 versus 0.2), Jania capillacea (4.1 versus 0), and Jania mexicana (1.5 versus 0). In 1999, other species with a more temperate affinity appeared, such as Laurencia pacifica (0.12 versus 8.76 g/m²) and Colpomenia sinuosa (0 versus 4.8). (d) The multivariate techniques showed that differences among the structure of the four assemblages were more evident in 1999. The greatest homogeneity was detected during ENSO winter–spring, which suggests a communitywide change consistent with the El Niño event.     

El Niño and dry season rainfall influence hostplant phenology and an annual butterfly migration from Neotropical wet to dry forests

We censused butterflies flying across the Panama Canal at Barro Colorado Island (BCI) for 16 years and butterfly hostplants for 8 years to address the question: What environmental factors influence the timing and magnitude of migrating Aphrissa statira butterflies? The peak migration date was earlier when the wet season began earlier and when soil moisture content in the dry season preceding the migration was higher. The peak migration date was also positively associated with peak leaf flushing of one hostplant (Callichlamys latifolia) but not another (Xylophragma seemannianum). The quantity of migrants was correlated with the El Niño Southern Oscillation, which influenced April soil moisture on BCI and total rainfall in the dry season. Both hostplant species responded to El Niño with greater leaf flushing, and the number of adults deriving from or laying eggs on those new leaves was greatest during El Niño years. The year 1993 was exceptional in that the number of butterflies migrating was lower than predicted by the El Niño event, yet the dry season was unusually wet for an El Niño year as well. Thus, dry season rainfall appears to be a primary driver of larval food production and population outbreaks for A. statira. Understanding how global climate cycles and local weather influence tropical insect migrations improves the predictability of ecological effects of climate change.     

Preliminary Evidence of the Importance of ENSO in Modifying Food Availability for White‐tailed Deer in a Mexican Tropical Dry Forest1

The influence of El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on rainfall and its possible effect on availability of food for white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in a tropical dry forest in the Pacific coast of Mexico was studied. From 1977 to 2003 there were three significant El Niño and La Niña events. During El Niño years rainfall decreased during the wet season ( June to October) and increased during the dry season (November to May), with the opposite effect during La Niña years. Plant diversity was monitored in permanent plots during the wet and dry seasons of 1989–1993. The results provide evidence that ENSO events affect deer food availability, particularly in the dry season.     

Responses of foraminiferal assemblages to ENSO climate patterns on bank reefs of northern Bahia,Brazil: A 17-year record

Benthic Foraminifera were assessed in Rose Bengal-stained sediment samples collected annually from 1995 to 2011 at four shallow bank reefs in Northern Bahia (Brazil). The assemblage was represented by 284 species and 88 genera, the most diverse genera being Quinqueloculina (46 spp.), Triloculina (24 spp.), Articulina (13 spp.), Textularia (11 spp.), and Elphidium (10 spp.). Significant differences in densities of live foraminifers in the sediments were observed among years, though not between reefs. Mean densities and diversities declined by ∼90% during the 1997–8 El Niño event compared with the two previous years, then rebounded during the strong La Niña years of 1999–2000, with rapid recovery of populations of small, heterotrophic foraminifers in the assemblage. After 2000, mean densities and diversities fluctuated, with lows following both the 2006–7 and 2009–10 weak El Niño events, but not so pronounced as during the 1997–8 event. Multivariate analysis clearly formed four separate groupings representing strong (hot, dry) and weak El Niño (dry) years, “normal” years, and strong La Niña (high rainfall) years. The FoRAM Index (FI), which is a single-metric index for water quality associated with reef accretion, provided additional insights into assemblage responses. The FI compares relative abundances of three functional groups of benthic foraminifers: characteristic reef-dwelling larger foraminifers that host algal endosymbionts, the ubiquitous heterotrophic smaller taxa, and specifically stress-tolerant heterotrophic taxa. The striking decline in overall densities during El Niño years likely reflects reduced food supply for the heterotrophic taxa, associated with higher temperatures and reduced runoff. Decline in the taxa that host algal symbionts is consistent with reports of extensive coral bleaching, likely related to photo-oxidative stress caused by higher temperatures and increased water transparency. The significant changes in assemblage structure and composition recorded during this 17-year study demonstrate the major influence of climatic variability associated with the El Niño/La Niña-Southern Oscillation.     

Diversity and Phenology of Wild Bees in a Highly Disturbed Tropical Dry Forest “Desierto de la Tatacoa”, Huila–Colombia

Colombian tropical dry forest is considered the most endangered tropical biome due to anthropic activities. Desierto de la Tatacoa (DsT) is an example of high disturbed tropical dry forest which still maintains a high biodiversity. The objective of the study was to record the diversity and phenology of wild bees in this place by monthly sampling between December 2014 and December 2016 in a 9-km² area. During the study, there was a prolonged El Niño–Southern Oscillation period. Bees were collected by entomological nets, malaise traps, eugenol scent trapping, and nest traps. Shannon index was calculated to estimate diversity and Simpson index to determine dominance of a species. The effect of environmental conditions (wet and dry season) in richness and abundance was analyzed by paired T tests. A total of 3004 bee specimens were collected, belonging to 80 species from Apidae, Megachilidae, Halictidae, and Colletidae. Apidae was the most diverse. Shannon index value was 2.973 (discarding Apis mellifera Linnaeus 1758 data); thus, DsT can be considered as a zone of high wild bee diversity. Dry and rainy season showed differences in diversity (p?<?0.05). Rainy season showed larger blooming periods and higher bee diversity than dry season. In both seasons, social species were dominant (e.g., A. mellifera or Trigona fulviventris Guérin 1844). Although DsT is a highly disturbed ecosystem, this study found it has the second highest number of genera and the fourth highest number of species reported in Colombia.     

Mass Mortality of Coral Reef Ascidians Following the 1997/1998 El Niño Event

In April/May each year from 1995 to 2000, ascidians were sampled randomly with 35 1m² quadrats from three different reef habitats (intertidal reef tops, coastal reef walls and shallow-bank reefs) at four replicate localities (Praia do Forte, Itacimirim, Guarajuba and Abai) in northern Bahia (Brazil). As the sampling period included the 1997/1998 El Niño event, the most severe on record, for the first time these results allow a quantitative assessment of the impact of this major environmental stressor on the biodiversity of associated coral reef ascidians. Across all reef habitats, 22 ascidian species were recorded from three different orders (Aplousobranchia, Phlebobranchia and Stolidobranchia). After El Niño, all species showed significantly altered densities (ANOVA, F=602.90, p<0.0001); many species were absent from the reefs within 2 years of the El Niño period, but densities of Lissoclinum perforatum (all reefs) and Echinoclinum verrilli (subtidal reefs) increased significantly from 1998 onwards. Univariate and multivariate analyses confirmed that significant changes in assemblage composition had occurred. BIOENV analysis identified turbidity, mean temperature and cloud cover as the main factors best explaining these assemblage changes. Our results suggest that although the 1997/1998 El Niño had a differential effect on the species contributing to the ascidian assemblage of Brazilian coral reefs, most species disappeared and those remaining are likely to enhance reef degradation through their bioeroding activities.     

Potential impacts of a future persistent El Niño or La Niña on three subspecies of Australian butterflies

One of the major uncertainties of 21st century climate change is the potential for shifts to the intensity and frequency of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle. Although this phenomenon is known to have dramatic impacts on ecosystems regionally and globally, the biological consequences of climate change‐driven shifts in future ENSO events have been unexplored. Here, we investigate the potential impacts that a persistent El Niño, La Niña, or ‘Neutral' phase may have on species distributions. Using MaxEnt, we model the distribution of climatically suitable habitat for three northeast Australian butterfly subspecies (Doleschallia bisaltide australis, Hypolimnas alimena lamina, and Mycalesis terminus terminus) across the three ENSO phases. We find that the spatial extent and quality of habitat are lowest under conditions that would characterize a persistent El Niño (hot/dry). In contrast, suitable habitat is broadest under the warm/wet conditions associated with La Niña. Statistical analyses of the difference between pair‐wise combinations of suitability maps using Hellinger distance showed that projections for each subspecies and ENSO phase combination were significantly different from other combinations. The resilience of these, and other, butterfly (sub)species to changes in ENSO will be influenced by fluctuations in the strength of these events, availability of refugia, and life‐history characteristics. However, the population dynamics of wet‐ and dry‐season phenotypes of M. t. terminus and physiological limitations to high temperatures suggest that this subspecies, in particular, may have limited resilience should the strength and frequency of El Niño events increase.     

Traditional medicines as a mechanism for driving research innovation in Africa

Background

Malaria remains a serious problem in French Guiana, which is at potential risk for drought linked with the El Niño Event and where there could be a risk of malaria epidemic after the onset of an El Niño event.

Methods

A time series analysis using ARIMA was developed to investigate temporal correlations between the monthly Plasmodium falciparum case numbers and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) as measured by the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) at the Cayenne General Hospital between 1996 and 2009.

Results

The data showed a positive influence of El Niño at a lag of three months on P. falciparum cases (p < 0.001). The incorporation of SOI data in the ARIMA model reduced the AIC by 4%.

Conclusions

Although there is a statistical link, the predictive value of ENSO to modulate prevention intervention seems marginal in French Guiana. However, additional work should refine the regional dependence of malaria on the ENSO state.     

Effects of El Niño drought on seedling dynamics in a seasonally dry tropical forest in Northern Thailand

As El Niño is predicted to become stronger and more frequent in the future, it is crucial to understand how El Niño-induced droughts will affect tropical forests. Although many studies have focused on tropical rainforests, there is a paucity of studies on seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTFs), particularly in Asia, and few studies have focused on seedling dynamics, which are expected to be strongly affected by drought. Seedlings in SDTFs are generally more drought-tolerant than those in the rainforests, and the effects of El Niño-induced droughts may differ between SDTF and tropical rainforests. In this study, we explored the impact of El Niño-induced drought at an SDTF in northern Thailand by monitoring the seedling dynamics at monthly intervals for 7 years, including a period of strong El Niño. The effects were compared between two forest types in an SDTF: a deciduous dipterocarp forest (DDF), dominated by deciduous species, and an adjacent lower montane forest (LMF) with more evergreen species. El Niño-induced drought increased seedling mortality in both the forest types. The effect of drought was stronger in evergreen than in the deciduous species, resulting in higher mortality in the LMF during El Niño. However, El Niño increased seedling recruitment only in the DDF, mainly because of the massive recruitment of the deciduous oak, Quercus brandisiana (Fagaceae), which compensated for the mortality of seedlings in the DDF. As a result, El Niño increased seedling density in the DDF and decreased it in the LMF. This is the first long-term study to identify the differences in the impacts of El Niño on seedlings between the two forest types, and two leaf habits, evergreen and deciduous, in Southeast Asia. Our findings suggest that future climate change may alter the species composition and spatial distribution of seedlings in Asian SDTFs.     

Climate fluctuation effects on breeding of blue penguins (Eudyptula minor)

Abstract

El Niño and La Niña climate perturbations alter sea currents and food availability for seabirds in many areas of the world. This changes their breeding success and mortality. Blue penguin (Eudyptula minor) breeding success is dependent upon whether one or two clutches per season are laid, and the hatching and fledging success of these clutches. This study uses six years of data from five blue penguin breeding colonies, three from Taiaroa Head, Otago Peninsula and two from Oamaru, to examine whether annual variation in breeding success correlates with El Niño/La Niña perturbations. When La Niña conditions prevailed, penguins started breeding later, and there was a lower proportion of double breeders than in El Niño and normal years. The probability of a newly hatched chick surviving to fledging was also dependent on whether large‐scale climatic conditions prevailed, whereas hatching success and overall breeding success (number of fledged chicks per breeding pair) showed no correlation with climate perturbations.     

Protistan plankton communities in the Galápagos Archipelago respond to changes in deep water masses resulting from the 2015/16 El Niño

The Galápagos Archipelago lies within the Eastern Equatorial Pacific Ocean at the convergence of major ocean currents that are subject to changes in circulation. The nutrient-rich Equatorial Undercurrent upwells from the west onto the Galápagos platform, stimulating primary production, but this source of deep water weakens during El Niño events. Based on measurements from repeat cruises, the 2015/16 El Niño was associated with declines in phytoplankton biomass at most sites throughout the archipelago and reduced utilization of nitrate, particularly in large-sized phytoplankton in the western region. Protistan assemblages were identified by sequencing the V4 region of the 18S rRNA gene. Dinoflagellates, chlorophytes and diatoms dominated most sites. Shifts in dinoflagellate communities were most apparent between the years; parasitic dinoflagellates, Syndiniales, were highly detected during the El Niño (2015) while the dinoflagellate genus, Gyrodinium, increased at many sites during the neutral period (2016). Variations in protistan communities were most strongly correlated with changes in subthermocline water density. These findings indicate that marine protistan communities in this region are regimented by deep water mass sources and thus could be profoundly affected by altered ocean circulation.     

Stratigraphic record of U37K in Sanmen Bay: the effect of SST and EI Niño on life activity in macrobenthos communities

Sea surface temperature (SST) from 1916–2003 was estimated by using the index of U₃₇^K of organic compounds in Sanmen Bay (SMB) sediment. It fluctuated between 15.97°C and 18.00°C with an average of 17.03°C. The estimated SST was 3.52°C lower than the annual average temperature measured in the same year but was close to the temperature measured in fall. The research suggested that the climate events (EI Ni?o) on large scale in Sanmen Bay were affected by the climate, similar to that in the East Pacific Ocean (EPC). The change scale was also affected by geographical location and local climate such as monsoon. According to the chronological basis, the events in SMB corresponded to those in EPC, but the scale of variation is not so strong as that in EPC. By comparing the community, biomass, individual density and biodiversity of macrobenthos during EI Ni?o (between 2002 and 2003) and non-EI Ni?o (between 2005 and 2006) periods, it was indicated that certain macrobenthos communities in SMB responded to EI Ni?o events. During the EI Ni?o period, Taiwan warm current (TWC) is much stronger than that in normal years. The diversity of macrobenthos during 2002 and 2003 was relatively low owing to invasion of the warm current that caused salinity change. The macrobenthos and zooplankton in Sanmen Bay responded to EI Ni?o events significantly. The diversity of macrobenthos decreased significantly because TWC invaded into the shallow bay from the floor and thus changed the temperature and salinity in the bay. On the other hand, zooplankton species, biomass and abundance increased in the period of EI Ni?o since the invaded warm current brought abundant species of zooplankton.     

El Niño,Host Plant Growth,and Migratory Butterfly Abundance in a Changing Climate

In the wet forests of Panama, El Niño typically brings a more prolonged and severe dry season. Interestingly, many trees and lianas that comprise the wet forests increase their productivity as a response to El Niño. Here, we quantify the abundance of migrating Marpesia chiron butterflies over 17 yr and the production of new leaves of their hostplants over 9 yr to test the generality of the El Niño migration syndrome, i.e., whether increased abundance of migrating insects and productivity of their food plants are associated with El Niño and La Niña events. We find that the quantity of M. chiron migrating across the Panama Canal was directly proportional to the sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly of the Pacific Ocean, which characterizes El Niño and La Niña events. We also find that production of new leaves by its larval host trees, namely Brosimum alicastrum, Artocarpus altilis, and Ficus citrifolia, was directly proportional to the SST anomaly, with greater leaf flushing occurring during the period of the annual butterfly migration that followed an El Niño event. Combining these and our previously published results for the migratory butterfly Aphrissa statira and its host lianas, we conclude that dry season rainfall and photosynthetically active radiation can serve as primary drivers of larval food production and insect population outbreaks in Neotropical wet forests, with drier years resulting in enhanced plant productivity and herbivore abundance. Insect populations should closely track changes in both frequency and amplitude of the El Niño Southern Oscillation with climate change.     

Causes of reduced leaf‐level photosynthesis during strong El Niño drought in a Central Amazon forest

Sustained drought and concomitant high temperature may reduce photosynthesis and cause tree mortality. Possible causes of reduced photosynthesis include stomatal closure and biochemical inhibition, but their relative roles are unknown in Amazon trees during strong drought events. We assessed the effects of the recent (2015) strong El Niño drought on leaf‐level photosynthesis of Central Amazon trees via these two mechanisms. Through four seasons of 2015, we measured leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters, chlorophyll concentration, and nutrient content in leaves of 57 upper canopy and understory trees of a lowland terra firme forest on well‐drained infertile oxisol. Photosynthesis decreased 28% in the upper canopy and 17% in understory trees during the extreme dry season of 2015, relative to other 2015 seasons and was also lower than the climatically normal dry season of the following non‐El Niño year. Photosynthesis reduction under extreme drought and high temperature in the 2015 dry season was related only to stomatal closure in both upper canopy and understory trees, and not to chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters, chlorophyll, or leaf nutrient concentration. The distinction is important because stomatal closure is a transient regulatory response that can reverse when water becomes available, whereas the other responses reflect more permanent changes or damage to the photosynthetic apparatus. Photosynthesis decrease due to stomatal closure during the 2015 extreme dry season was followed 2 months later by an increase in photosynthesis as rains returned, indicating a margin of resilience to one‐off extreme climatic events in Amazonian forests.     

Effects of El Niño Southern Oscillation on avian breeding phenology

Aim

Climate oscillations are known to influence the reproductive phenology of birds. Here, we quantify the effects of cyclic climatic variation, specifically El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), on birds that breed opportunistically. We aim to show how inter‐decadal climate fluctuations influence opportunistic breeding. This knowledge is essential for tracking the phenological responses of birds to climate change.

Location

Temperate and arid Australia.

Methods

We assessed variation in egg‐laying (start, peak, conclusion, length) during the three phases of ENSO (El Niño, La Niña and Neutral) for 64 temperate and 15 arid region species using ~80,000 observations. Linear mixed‐effect models and analysis of variance were used to (1) determine if, on average within each region, egg‐laying dates differed significantly among species between Neutral‐El Niño and Neutral‐La Niña phases, and (2) assess how La Niña and El Niño episodes influence egg‐laying in birds which breed early in the year.

Results

During La Niña phases, which are characterized by mild/wet conditions, most bird species in the temperate and arid regions exhibited longer egg‐laying periods relative to Neutral phases. However, there was substantial variation across species. This effect was strongly seasonal; species breeding in spring experienced the greatest increases in egg‐laying periods during La Niña. Further, we found only small differences in peak egg‐laying dates during Neutral and La Niña in the arid region; suggesting that hot temperatures may constrain breeding regardless of rainfall. The effects of El Niño on breeding phenology were not consistent in the temperate and arid regions and may be confounded by highly mobile species opportunistically moving and breeding with localized rainfall during dry periods.

Main conclusions

In both arid and temperate regions, increased rainfall associated with La Niña phases positively influences avian breeding, and likely recruitment. However, dry El Niño phases may not have the dramatic impacts on breeding phenology that are commonly assumed.

     

Geographic and ontogenetic variation in the diet of two commonly exploited batoids (Chilean eagle ray and Pacific guitarfish) off Peru: evidence of trophic plasticity

This study provides information about the diet across geographic areas and throughout ontogeny and sex of two coastal and commercial batoid species in Peru (Chilean eagle ray Myliobatis chilensis and Pacific guitarfish Pseudobatos planiceps). Data was collected in the central coast (13°30′S to 14°30′S; Pisco district, Lima) and in the northern coast (13°12′S to 13°49′S; San Jose district, Lambayeque) off Peru during the second semester of the years 2015 and 2016 (i.e., winter and spring) in an El Niño event. A total of 357 stomach contents were analyzed in northern and central Peru with different oceanographic and ecological conditions. In the central coast, M. chilensis showed a high trophic position (tertiary consumer) due to its high consumption of Peruvian anchoveta (Engraulis ringens), while P. planiceps had a lower trophic position (secondary consumer) and a less specialized diet of benthic invertebrates (i.e., crustaceans and mollusks) and pelagic fish (e.g., E. ringens). In the northern coast, both species preyed mainly upon benthic invertebrates and to a lesser degree on fish; therefore, their trophic position was lower. Dietary variation was influenced by species, geographic location, and ontogeny. The diet variability between geographic locations shows insights of these batoids’ trophic plasticity and opportunistic feeding behavior in response to differences in the local prey availability, an effect that may be amplified during the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The spatial variation in this species diet may indicate that they play different ecological roles in distinct environments. This study contributes to the scarce literature about batoids’ ecology in the southeast Pacific Ocean and presents novel information on habitat-specific diet composition.

     

Spatiotemporal variability of soil respiration in a seasonal tropical forest

We monitored soil CO ₂ effluxes for over 3 years in a seasonally wet tropical forest in Central Panama using automated and manual measurements from 2013 to 2016. The measurements displayed a high degree of spatial and temporal variability. Temporal variability could be largely explained by surface soil water dynamics over a broad range of temporal scales. Soil moisture was responsible for seasonal cycles, diurnal cycles, intraseasonal variability such as rain‐induced pulses following dry spells, as well as suppression during near saturated conditions, and ultimately, interannual variability. Spatial variability, which remains largely unexplained, revealed an emergent role of forest structure in conjunction with physical drivers such as soil temperature and topography. Mean annual soil CO ₂ effluxes (±SE ) amounted to 1,613 (±59) gC  m^?2 year^?1 with an increasing trend in phase with an El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO ) cycle which culminated with the strong 2015–2016 event. We attribute this trend to a relatively mild wet season during which soil saturated conditions were less persistent.