Does wing morphology affect recolonization of restored farmland by ground‐dwelling beetles?

Revegetation of previously cleared land is widely used to increase habitat area and connectivity of remnant vegetation for biodiversity conservation. Whether new habitat attracts or supports fauna depends on the dispersal traits of those fauna as well as the structure and composition of the surrounding landscape. Here, we examined wing morphology as a key dispersal trait for beetles in a revegetated landscape and asked, first, how it was related to phylogeny (family), trophic position, and body size. Second, we asked if wing morphology of recolonizing (or persisting) beetles varied with habitat characteristics at multiple scales, from microhabitat to landscape context. Third, we examined how common winged and wingless species responded to habitat at multiple scales. We measured the wing morphology of ground‐dwelling beetles from a restoration chronosequence, including paddocks, “young” revegetation (8–11 years old), “old” revegetation (14–19 years old), and fenced remnant vegetation. We found that body size and family membership were significant predictors of winglessness, with wingless species of carabids and curculionids being larger than their winged counterparts. We found no difference in the number of sites occupied by winged and wingless species, and no relationship between the wing morphology traits represented in different locations and habitat characteristics or landscape context. Furthermore, the most abundant species of both winged and wingless ground‐dwelling beetles had relatively little affinity to any habitat successional stage. Thus, despite intrinsic differences in wing morphology among species of ground‐dwelling beetle, we found no evidence that flight‐related dispersal limitations influenced recolonization (or persistence) in this landscape.     

Does urbanization decrease diversity in ground beetle (Carabidae) assemblages?

Aim We wanted to test whether urbanization has similar effects on biodiversity in different locations, comparing the responses of ground beetle (Coleoptera, Carabidae) assemblages with an urbanization gradient. We also wanted to see if urbanization had a homogenizing effect on ground beetle assemblages. Locations Nine forested temperate locations in Europe, Canada and Japan. Methods Published results of the Globenet Project were used. At all locations, three stages were identified: (1) a forested (rural) area, (2) a suburban area where the original forest was fragmented and isolated, and (3) remnants of the original forest in urban parks. These habitats formed an urbanization series. Study arrangements (number and operation of traps) and methods (pitfall trapping) were identical, conforming to the Globenet protocol. Assemblage composition and diversity patterns were evaluated. Diversity relationships were analysed by the Rényi diversity ordering method considering all ground beetles and – separately – the forest specialist species. Taxonomic homogenization was examined by multivariate methods using assemblage similarities. Results Overall biodiversity (compared by species richness and diversity ordering) showed inconsistent trends by either urbanization intensity or by geographic position. However, when only forest species were compared, diversity was higher in the original rural (forested) areas than in urban forest fragments. Within‐country similarities of carabid assemblages were always higher than within‐urbanization stage similarities. Main conclusions Urbanization does not appear to cause a decrease in ground beetle diversity per se. Forest species decline as urbanization intensifies but this trend is masked by an influx of non‐forest species. The rural faunas were more similar to the urban ones within the same location than similar urbanization stages were to each other, indicating that urbanization did not homogenize the taxonomic composition of ground beetle faunas across the studied locations.     

Does selective logging stress tropical forest invertebrates? Using fat stores to examine sublethal responses in dung beetles

The increased global demand for tropical timber has driven vast expanses of tropical forests to be selectively logged worldwide. While logging impacts on wildlife are predicted to change species distribution and abundance, the underlying physiological responses are poorly understood. Although there is a growing consensus that selective logging impacts on natural populations start with individual stress‐induced sublethal responses, this literature is dominated by investigations conducted with vertebrates from temperate zones. Moreover, the sublethal effects of human‐induced forest disturbance on tropical invertebrates have never been examined. To help address this knowledge gap, we examined the body fat content and relative abundance of three dung beetle species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) with minimum abundance of 40 individuals within each examined treatment level. These were sampled across 34 plots in a before‐after control‐impact design (BACI) in a timber concession area of the Brazilian Amazon. For the first time, we present evidence of logging‐induced physiological stress responses in tropical invertebrates. Selective logging increased the individual levels of fat storage and reduced the relative abundance of two dung beetle species. Given this qualitative similarity, we support the measurement of body fat content as reliable biomarker to assess stress‐induced sublethal effects on dung beetles. Understanding how environmental modification impacts the wildlife has never been more important. Our novel approach provides new insights into the mechanisms through which forest disturbances impose population‐level impacts on tropical invertebrates.     

Are functional traits a good predictor of global change impacts on tree species abundance dynamics in a subtropical forest?

Significant changes in the composition of tree species have been observed in various forests worldwide. We hypothesised that these changes might result from variable sensitivities of species to global change, and species sensitivities might be quantified, using functional traits. Employing long‐term (1978–2010) species abundance data of 48 tree species from a permanent subtropical forest plot, where multiple global change factors have been observed, including soil drying, we examined the relationships between temporal trends in abundance and suits of functional traits. We found that species with high photosynthesis rates, leaf phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations, specific leaf area, hydraulic conductivity, turgor loss point and predawn leaf water potential had increased in abundance, while species with opposite trait patterns had decreased. Our results demonstrate that functional traits underlie tree species abundance dynamics in response to drought stress, thus linking traits to compositional shifts in this subtropical forest under global changes.     

An example of de‐Tai‐isation? Longue durée ethnic change in a mountainous area of southern China

Inspired by Grant Evans’ work Tai‐ization: Ethnic Change in Northern Indo‐China, this article explores aspects of historical ethnic change in the Yunkai and Yunwu Mountain Ranges, a small upland region intersected by the boundary of Guangdong and Guangxi provinces in southern China over the period 600–1700 C.E. The discussion begins with some of the early linguistic evidence for populations of Tai speakers in the region and what is known of their political and cultural systems, then moves on to consider how Chinese military conquests of the eighth century coupled with the migration of Sinitic and Mien peoples from the eleventh century onwards altered the ethnic composition and political landscape of the region. This is followed by an examination of different exonyms used in Chinese texts for populations of southern China from the fifteenth century onwards and how these might have related to linguistic groupings and identities on the ground, demonstrating that historical usage of Chinese exonyms now connected with Tai or Mien speakers is not always a reliable indicator of a corresponding presence of historical Tai or Mien‐speaking populations. Further research drawing on a number of disciplines is required on a localised level in order to determine when Tai and Mien languages were abandoned in the region and how the inhabitants of the area shifted from the status of named Others to ordinary Chinese subjects.     

Does Bt rice pose risks to non‐target arthropods? Results of a meta‐analysis in China

Transgenic Bt rice expressing the insecticidal proteins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) has been developed since 1989. Their ecological risks towards non‐target organisms have been investigated; however, these studies were conducted individually, yielding uncertainty regarding potential agroecological risks associated with large‐scale deployment of Bt rice lines. Here, we developed a meta‐analysis of the existing literature to synthesize current knowledge of the impacts of Bt rice on functional arthropod guilds, including herbivores, predators, parasitoids and detritivores in laboratory and field studies. Laboratory results indicate Bt rice did not influence survival rate and developmental duration of herbivores, although exposure to Bt rice led to reduced egg laying, which correctly predicted their reduced abundance in Bt rice agroecosystems. Similarly, consuming prey exposed to Bt protein did not influence survival, development or fecundity of predators, indicating constant abundances of predators in Bt rice fields. Compared to control agroecosystems, parasitoid populations decreased slightly in Bt rice cropping systems, while detritivores increased. We draw two inferences. One, laboratory studies of Bt rice showing effects on ecological functional groups are mainly either consistent with or more conservative than results of field studies, and two, Bt rice will pose negligible risks to the non‐target functional guilds in future large‐scale Bt rice agroecosystems in China.     

Does Huntingtin play a role in selective macroautophagy?

The accumulation of protein aggregates in neurons appears to be a basic feature of neurodegenerative disease. In Huntington's Disease, a progressive and ultimately fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expansion of the polyglutamine repeat within the protein Huntingtin (Htt), the immediate proximal cause of disease is well understood. However, the cellular mechanisms which modulate the rate at which fragments of Htt containing polyglutamine accumulate in neurons is a central issue in the development of approaches to modulate the rate and extent of neuronal loss in this disease.     

Does Huntingtin play a role in selective macroautophagy?

The accumulation of protein aggregates in neurons appears to be a basic feature of neurodegenerative disease. In huntington disease (HD), a progressive and ultimately fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expansion of the polyglutamine repeat within the protein huntingtin (Htt), the immediate proximal cause of disease is well understood. However, the cellular mechanisms which modulate the rate at which fragments of Htt containing polyglutamine accumulate in neurons is a central issue in the development of approaches to modulate the rate and extent of neuronal loss in this disease. We have recently found that Htt is phosphorylated by the kinase IKK on serine (s) 13, activating its phosphorylation on S16 and its acetylation and poly-SUMOylation, modifications that modulate its clearance by the proteasome and lysosome in cells.¹ In the discussion here I suggest that Htt may have a normal function in the lysosomal mechanism of selective macroautophagy involved in its own degradation which may share some similarity with the yeast cytoplasm to vacuole targeting (Cvt) pathway. Pharmacologic activation of this pathway may be useful early in disease progression to treat HD and other neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the accumulation of disease proteins.Key words: Huntington disease, Huntingtin, polyglutamine, autophagy, IKKAn age-related reduction in protein clearance mechanisms has been implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases including the polyglutamine (polyQ) repeat diseases, Alzheimer disease (AD), Parkinson disease (PD) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). These diseases are each associated with the accumulation of insoluble protein aggregates in diseased neurons. Huntington Disease (HD), caused by an expansion of the polyQ repeat in the protein Huntingtin (Htt), is one such disease of aging in which mutant Htt inclusions form in striatal and cortical neurons as disease progresses. Clarification of the mechanisms of Htt clearance is paramount to finding therapeutic targets to treat HD that may be broadly useful in the treatment of these currently incurable neurodegenerative diseases.     

Does the photosynthetic light‐acclimation need change in leaf anatomy?

There is a strong correlation between leaf thickness and the light‐saturated rate of photosynthesis per unit leaf area (P_max). However, when leaves are exposed to higher light intensities after maturation, P_max often increases without increasing leaf thickness. To elucidate the mechanism with which mature leaves increase P_max, the change in anatomical and physiological characteristics of mature leaves of Chenopodium album, which was transferred from low to high light condition, were examined. When compared with leaves subjected to low light continuously (LL leaves), the leaves transferred from low to high light (LH leaves) significantly increased P_max. The transfer also increased the area of chloroplasts facing the intercellular space (S_c) and maintained a strong correlation between P_max and S_c. The mesophyll cells of LL leaves had open spaces along cell walls where chloroplasts were absent, which enabled the leaves to increase P_max when they were exposed to high light (LH). However, the LH leaves were not thick enough to allow further increase in P_max to the level in HH leaves. Thus leaf thickness determines an upper limit of P_max of leaves subjected to a change from low to high light conditions. Shade leaves would only increase P_max when they have open space to accommodate chloroplasts which elongate after light conditions improve.     

Do spatial effects play a role in the spatial distribution of desert‐dwelling Acacia raddiana?

Abstract. We investigated the spatial pattern of A. raddiana in the Negev desert of Israel in order to gain insights into the factors and processes driving the dynamics of this species. Using a scale‐dependent measure, the ring statistic, we analysed both patterns observed in the field and time series of spatial tree distributions produced by a simulation model. In the field, random spacing was the predominant pattern observed. However seedlings were clumped on small scales. We ran the model under two contrasting scenarios representing hypotheses that explain the clumping of seedlings and the random distribution of trees. One hypothesis is that there is spatial heterogeneity in seed distribution, germination and seedling mortality, but that these heterogeneities are not correlated with each other in space. The second hypothesis assumes a correlation between these heterogeneities leading to areas suitable for establishment. However, the suitability of the sites is temporally variable. Furthermore, the second hypothesis assumes density‐dependent tree mortality due to competition. Both hypotheses lead to spatial distributions that are in qualitative agreement with the patterns observed in the field. Therefore, the classical view that a clumped seedling distribution and a random pattern of older trees is due to clumped regeneration and density‐dependent mortality may not hold for Acacia trees in the Negev.     

Does disturbance regime change community assembly of angiosperm plant communities in the boreal forest?

Aims To examine if and how species and phylogenetic diversity change in relation to disturbance, we conducted a review of ecological literature by testing the consistency of the relationship between phylogenetic diversity and disturbance and compared taxonomic groups, type of disturbance and ecosystem/habitat context. We provide a case study of the phylogenetic diversity–disturbance relationship in angiosperm plant communities of a boreal forest region, compared with types of natural and anthropogenic disturbances and plant growth forms.Methods Using a large-scale sampling plot network along a complete (0–100%) anthropogenic disturbance gradient in the boreal biome, we compared the changes of angiosperm plant community structure and composition across plots. We estimated natural disturbance with historical records of major fires. We then calculated phylogenetic diversity indexes and determined species richness in order to compare linear and polynomial trends along disturbance gradients. We also compared the changes of community structure for different types of anthropogenic disturbances and examined how the relationships between species and phylogenetic diversity and disturbance regimes vary among three different life forms (i.e. forbs, graminoids and woody plants).Important findings Phylogenetic diversity was inconsistently related to disturbance in previous studies, regardless of taxon, disturbance type or ecosystem context. In the understudied boreal ecosystem, angiosperm plant communities varied greatly in species richness and phylogenetic diversity along anthropogenic disturbance gradients and among different disturbance types. In general, a quadratic curve described the relationship between species richness and anthropogenic disturbance, with the highest richness at intermediate anthropogenic disturbance levels. However, phylogenetic diversity was not related to disturbance in any consistent manner and species richness was not correlated with phylogenetic diversity. Phylogenetic relatedness was also inconsistent across plant growth forms and different anthropogenic disturbance types. Unlike the inconsistent patterns observed for anthropogenic disturbance, community assembly among localities varying in time since natural disturbance exhibited a distinct signature of phylogenetic relatedness, although those trends varied among plant growth forms.     

Does forest extent affect salamander survival? Evidence from a long‐term demographic study of a tropical newt

Forest loss has been associated with reduced survival in many vertebrates, and previous research on amphibians has mostly focused on effects at early life stages. Paramesotriton hongkongensis is a tropical newt that breeds in streams but spends up to 10 months per year in terrestrial habitats. Populations are threatened by habitat degradation and collection for the pet trade, but the cryptic terrestrial lifestyle of this newt has limited our understanding of its population ecology, which inhibits development of a species‐specific conservation plan. We conducted an eight‐year (2007–2014) mark–recapture study on four P. hongkongensis populations in Hong Kong and used these data to evaluate relationships between forest cover, body size, and rainfall on survival and to estimate population sizes. Hong Kong has been subjected to repeated historic territory‐wide deforestation, and thus, we wanted to determine whether there was a link between forest extent as a proxy of habitat quality and newt demography. Annual survival was positively associated with forest cover within core habitat of all populations and negatively related to body size. Mean annual survival (~60%) was similar to that of other stream‐dwelling amphibians, but varied among years and declined substantially in 2012–2013, perhaps due to illegal collection. Despite the link between forest extent and survival, population sizes declined at the most forested site by 40% and increased by 104% and 134% at two others. Forest protection and consequential secondary succession during recent decades in Hong Kong may have been responsible for persistence of P. hongkongensis populations.     

Does a long‐term shift in Wood Stork diet foreshadow adaptability to human‐induced rapid environmental change?

To preserve biodiversity, identifying at‐risk populations and developing conservation plans to mitigate the effects of human‐induced rapid environmental change (HIREC) are essential. Changes in diet, especially for food‐limited species, can aid in detecting populations being impacted by HIREC, and characterizing the quality, abundance, and temporal and spatial consistency of newly consumed food items may provide insight concerning the likelihood of a species persisting in a changing environment. We used Wood Storks (Mycteria americana) nesting in the Florida Everglades as a model system to study the possible effects of HIREC on a food‐limited population. We compared the diets of Wood Storks in 2013 and 2014 with those reported during the 1970s before major anthropogenic activities affected the Everglades system and prey availability. Wood Storks in our study consumed more large‐bodied sunfish species (Lepomis spp.), fewer native marsh fishes, and more non‐native fish species than during the 1970s. Large sunfish and non‐native fish are relatively rare in the drying pools of Everglades marshes where storks traditionally forage, suggesting that Wood Storks may be using novel foraging habitats such as created wetlands (i.e., canals and stormwater ponds). Although created wetlands have long hydroperiods conducive to maintaining large‐bodied fishes and could provide alternative foraging habitat when prey availability is reduced in natural marshes, additional studies are needed to determine the extent to which these wetlands are used by Wood Storks and, importantly, the quality of prey items potentially available to foraging Wood Storks in created wetlands.     

Does long‐distance pollen dispersal preclude inbreeding in tropical trees? Fragmentation genetics of Dysoxylum malabaricum in an agro‐forest landscape

Tropical trees often display long‐distance pollen dispersal, even in highly fragmented landscapes. Understanding how patterns of spatial isolation influence pollen dispersal and interact with background patterns of fine‐scale spatial genetic structure (FSGS) is critical for evaluating the genetic consequences of habitat fragmentation. In the endangered tropical timber tree Dysoxylum malabaricum (Meliaceae), we apply eleven microsatellite markers with paternity and parentage analysis to directly estimate historic gene flow and contemporary pollen dispersal across a large area (216 km²) in a highly fragmented agro‐forest landscape. A comparison of genetic diversity and genetic structure in adult and juvenile life stages indicates an increase in differentiation and FSGS over time. Paternity analysis and parentage analysis demonstrate high genetic connectivity across the landscape by pollen dispersal. A comparison between mother trees in forest patches with low and high densities of adult trees shows that the frequency of short‐distance mating increases, as does average kinship among mates in low‐density stands. This indicates that there are potentially negative genetic consequences of low population density associated with forest fragmentation. Single isolated trees, in contrast, frequently receive heterogeneous pollen from distances exceeding 5 km. We discuss the processes leading to the observed patterns of pollen dispersal and the implications of this for conservation management of D. malabaricum and tropical trees more generally.     

Does conversion of forest to agricultural land change soil carbon and nitrogen? a review of the literature

Soil carbon is a large component of the global carbon cycle and its management can significantly affect the atmospheric CO₂ concentration. An important management issue is the extent of soil carbon (C) release when forest is converted to agricultural land. We reviewed the literature to assess changes in soil C upon conversion of forests to agricultural land. Analyses are confounded by changes in soil bulk density upon land‐use change, with agricultural soils on average having 13% higher bulk density. Consistent with earlier reviews, we found that conversion of forest to cultivated land led to an average loss of approximately 30% of soil C. When we restricted our analysis to studies that had used appropriate corrections for changes in bulk density, soil C loss was 22%. When, from all the studies compiled, we considered only studies reporting both soil C and nitrogen (N), average losses of C and N were 24% and 15%, respectively, hence showing a decrease in the average C : N ratio. The magnitude of these changes in the C : N ratio did not correlate with either C or N changes. When considering the transition from forest to pasture, there was no significant change in either soil C or N, even though reported changes in soil C ranged from ?50% to +160%. Among studies that reported changes in soil N as well as soil C, C : N ratios both increased and decreased, with trends depending on changes in system N. Systems with increasing soil N generally had decreased C : N ratios, whereas systems with decreasing soil N had increased C : N ratios. Our survey confirmed earlier findings that conversion of forest to cropland generally leads to a loss of soil carbon, although the magnitude of change might have been inflated in many studies by the confounding influence of bulk‐density changes. In contrast, conversion of forest to uncultivated grazing land did not, on average, lead to loss of soil carbon, although individual sites may lose or gain soil C, depending on specific circumstances, such as application of fertiliser or retention or removal of plant residues.     

Does climate influence assemblages of anurans and lizards in a coastal area of north-eastern Brazil?

Environmental factors influence diverse assemblage features such as species abundances, richness, and nestedness. Amphibians and reptiles play important roles in terrestrial ecosystems, but there is still a lack of information about the assemblages of these animals in many regions. In this study, we aimed to understand how environmental factors influence the anurans and lizards assemblages from São Gonçalo do Amarante, Ceará, Brazil. Herpetofauna samplings were performed monthly in São Gonçalo do Amarante from January 2008 to May 2009, excluding April 2008. We sampled animals (anurans and lizards) using pitfall traps and active searches. The abundance and richness of lizards were positively related to temperature and negatively related to precipitation. Anuran assemblage was not influenced by precipitation, but its abundance was negatively influenced by temperature. Temperature generated a nested pattern in the lizard assemblage, but precipitation did not produce this pattern in anurans. Finally, our results reinforce the importance of environmental factors, mainly temperature, in structuring assemblages of anurans and lizards.