Determining desirable levels of ecosystem services per capita

Ecosystem services are the numerous, essential processes that natural ecosystems provide free to human societies. Examples include the maintenance of breathable air; the movement, storage, and purification of water; the breakdown of wastes; and the provision of food, building materials, and medicines. However, the exponential increases in human population and concomitant environmental destruction make it likely that the level of ecosystem services available per capita will decline. There are three possible scenarios. First, if present practices continue, ecosystem services per capita will surely decline. Second, if a no-net-loss policy is implemented for habitats and species, ecosystem services per capita will still decline due to increases in human population, but the declines will be less precipitous. Third, if habitat is restored (including concomitant ecosystem services) at a rate exceeding that of destruction, then, perhaps the current level of ecosystem services per capita can be maintained, or even expanded to provide increased levels of ecosystem services per capita to more of the world's people.     

Restoration management of abandoned chalk grassland in the Netherlands

After abandonment of chalk grassland in the Netherlands, Brachypodium pinnatum had become very dominant and this resulted in a dramatic decrease of plant diversity. Restoration of these abandoned sites is important, because of its former high diversity with many nationally endangered species. To restore the chalk grassland vegetation, the impact of the introduction of different experimental cutting regimes was investigated during three years. The thick litter layer and the dominance of Brachypodium was strongly reduced after introduction of all cutting regimes. In all cutting treatments forb phytomass increased considerably, especially in the twice-a-year cutting vegetation, where the forb phytomass became as high as that of Brachypodium. Phanerogamic species diversity was stimulated in all cutting regimes. Especially the number of short-lived forbs. with a persistent seed bank, increased markedly in the twice-a-year cutting treatment. It is concluded that cutting the vegetation twice is adequate to reduce the negative effects of the thick litter layer and the abundant growth of Brachypodium. It creates an appropriate starting point for more detinite management, whether mowing or grazing. However, the restoration of a more complete species assortment strongly depends on the re-invasion possibilities of these species.     

Upper thermal limits predict herpetofaunal responses to forest edge and cover

Amphibians and reptiles are sensitive to changes in the thermal environment, which varies considerably in human-modified landscapes. Although it is known that thermal traits of species influence their distribution in modified landscapes, how herpetofauna respond specifically to shifts in ambient temperature along forest edges remains unclear. This may be because most studies focus on local-scale metrics of edge exposure, which only account for a single edge or habitat patch. We predicted that accounting for the combined effect of multiple habitat edges in a landscape would best explain herpetofaunal response to thermally mediated edge effects. We (1) surveyed herpetofauna at two lowland, fragmented forest sites in central Colombia, (2) measured the critical thermal maximum (CT_max) of the species sampled, (3) measured their edge exposure at both local and landscape scales, and (4) created a thermal profile of the landscape itself. We found that species with low CT_max occurred both further from forest edges and in areas of denser vegetation, but were unaffected by the landscape-scale configuration of habitat edges. Variation in the thermal landscape was driven primarily by changes in vegetation density. Our results suggest that amphibians and reptiles with low CT_max are limited by both canopy gaps and proximity to edge, making them especially vulnerable to human modification of tropical forest. Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.     

The role of non-natural foods in the nutritional strategies of monkeys in a human-modified mosaic landscape

Many tropical animals inhabit mosaic landscapes including human-modified habitat. In such landscapes, animals commonly adjust feeding behavior, and may incorporate non-natural foods. These behavioral shifts can influence consumers' nutritional states, with implications for population persistence. However, few studies have addressed the nutritional role of non-natural food. We examined nutritional ecology of wild blue monkeys to understand how dietary habits related to non-natural foods might support population persistence in a mosaic landscape. We documented prevalence and nutritional composition of non-natural foods in monkey diets to assess how habitat use influenced their consumption, and their contribution to nutritional strategies. While most energy and macronutrients came from natural foods, subjects focused non-natural feeding activity on five exotic plants, and averaged about a third of daily calories from non-natural foods. Most non-natural food calories came from non-structural carbohydrates and least from protein. Consumption of non-natural foods related to time in human-modified habitats, which two groups used non-randomly. Non-natural and natural foods were similar in nutrients, and the amount of non-natural food consumed drove variation in nutritional strategy. When more daily calories came from non-natural foods, females consumed a higher ratio of non-protein energy to protein (NPE:P). Females also prioritized protein while allowing NPE:P to vary, increasing NPE while capitalizing on non-natural foods. Overall, these tropical mammals achieved a similar nutrient balance regardless of their intake of non-natural foods. Forest and forest-adjacent areas with non-natural vegetation may provide adequate nutrient access for consumers, and thus contribute to wildlife conservation in mosaic tropical landscapes.     

Limited genetic differentiation of Mycetomoellerius mikromelanos in Parque National Soberanía,Panama: Implications for queen dispersal

The coevolutionary relationship between fungus-growing ants (Formicidae: Attini: Attina) and their symbionts has been well studied in the Panamanian rain forests. To further understand the ecological context of these evolutionary relationships, we have examined the population-genetic structure of the fungus-growing ant species Mycetomoellerius mikromelanos Cardenas, Schultz, Adams 2021 in the Panama Canal Zone. We specifically investigated the presence of population structure, the significance of geographic features (i.e., creeks) limiting gene flow, and relatedness between ant colonies. To accomplish this, we genotyped 85 ant colonies from nine creeks across an approximately 30 km transect in Parque National Soberanía, Panama, using double-digest restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing. We did not find distinct population structure using two genetic clustering methods; however, we did detect an effect of isolation by distance. Furthermore, related colonies were frequently detected on the same creek or neighboring creeks, and some at further geographic distances. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that new colonies tend to establish on natal creeks and occasionally on distant creeks following long-distance dispersal events. We discuss how population-genetic patterns reveal the natural history of M. mikromelanos in Parque National Soberanía and how these results fit into the context of fungus-growing ant mutualisms. Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.     

Plenty of rooftops with few neighbours occupied by young breeding Yellow-legged Gulls (Larus michahellis): Does this occur at the expense of their health condition?

Gulls, as largely flexible opportunistic individuals, have been increasingly breeding in many cities around the world, but it is still unclear whether urban habitats are of equal or higher quality than traditional natural habitats or represent an ecological trap with immediate reproductive benefits but longer-term detrimental consequences to health. Here we present a study of breeding parameters (nest density, egg dimensions, clutch size, hatching success and adult body condition) and physiological parameters (erythrocyte sedimentation rate, heterophil/lymphocyte ratio, haemoglobin concentration and measurements of oxidative stress) as indicators of the general health condition of Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis adults and chicks from natural and urban colonies. Yellow-legged Gulls in the largest urban area (Porto) laid smaller eggs and clutches, showed a significantly lower occurrence of inflammatory processes in chicks, and showed a slower early chick growth than in the natural colony of Deserta. This suggests that urban gulls might be facing important trade-offs between the advantages of breeding in lower density urban colonies, with fewer intraspecific interactions and a lower disease transmission probability, and the disadvantages of having an anthropogenic diet usually lower in nutritional value.     

Frog call transmission in forestry monocultures: Are there drawbacks?

Anuran males emit advertisement calls for the purpose of attracting females and repelling conspecific males. Call transmission is influenced by the acoustics of the propagation environment, including vegetation. Thus, forestry monocultures of non-native trees represent artificial environments that could modify call transmission. These monocultures have substituted large areas of Atlantic Forest in southern Brazil, representing a conservation challenge. Considering this context, we hypothesized that anurans have calls that are less attenuated in their native environment than in forest plantations. To test it, we performed sound transmission experiments using calls of three anuran species native to southern Brazil: Boana bischoffi, B. leptolineata, and Hylodes meridionalis. We compared sound attenuation between the native forest and forestry monocultures (Eucalyptus sp. and Pinus sp. forests), and included distance from the sound source, air temperature, humidity, and vegetation density as cofactors in linear mixed models. Our results show that the advertisement calls of the two tree frogs (Boana) attenuate less in tree plantations than in native forests, while the third species shows either no differences or less attenuation in native forests. Our results can be understood according to differences in natural history and microhabitat use among the studied species. The two tree frog species vocalize perched from vegetation so their calls become better transmitted in forestry monocultures, which have fewer trees than the native forest. On the other hand, H. meridionalis calls from rocks on streams and the propagation is finely tuned to this peculiar microhabitat. We discuss the conservation implications of our findings for anurans and for the Atlantic Forest. Abstract in Portuguese and Spanish are available with online material.     

Population dynamics of japanese serow in relation to social organization and habitat conditions. I. Stability of Japanese serow density in stable habitat conditions

The density of a Japanese serow (Capricornis crispus) population, which has been in stable habitat conditions and free from hunting and predation, was investigated by direct observation of serows at Kusoudomari (336 ha), Wakinosawa village, Aomori Prefecture, Japan, during 1977–89. The vegetation, composed of mature mixed forest ofThujopsis with deciduous trees (43.2%), secondary forest of deciduous trees (23.4%) and a plantation of coniferous trees (30.0%) showed little change during the study period. The serows were counted 17 times each winter for 14 consecutive years. The serow population maintained a stable density with a mean of 12.5 individuals km⁻² (SD=1.4) ranging from 8.6 to 14.6 km⁻². The ratio of the proportion of kids (<1 year old) to serows more than 1 year old decreased, but density did not decrease during the study period. Though extremely severe winters with heavy snowfall in 1984–86 caused a decline in serow density, the density recovered within a few years. It was considered that the stability of the serow density resulted mainly from the stable food supply and the lack of human disturbance, such as forest cutting in the habitat. Stable population density for a long period is probably related to the social organization of the serow.     

Mammal use of riparian corridors in semi-arid Sonora,Mexico

Wildlife populations in semi-arid regions are increasingly challenged by human activities and dependent on the connectivity of riparian corridors for access to surface water. The Madrean Archipelago is a biodiversity hotspot along the arid United States–Mexico borderlands that support both Neotropical and Nearctic wildlife. Infrastructure development (e.g., the border wall and the expansion of Mexican Federal Highway 2) in this region inhibits wildlife movement along the transnational mountain archipelago by disconnecting habitat. To explore the relationship between habitat variables and mammal use of riparian corridors in northern Sonora, Mexico, we collected data from 19 motion-sensitive cameras between October 2018 and April 2019 and used single-season occupancy models and Royle-Nichols abundance estimation models to analyze our data. We recorded 21 species of mammals, including the first sighting of jaguar (Panthera onca) in this region in 25 years. River characteristics (distance from river, riparian corridor width, water availability), remoteness (distance from highway, productivity, elevation), and topographic variety (vertical elevation difference) influenced patterns of occupancy probability and estimated abundance of mammals >1 kg, but the strength and direction of these relationships varied by species. Additionally, intermittently wet desert washes were comparable in species richness to the perennial system. These results highlight the importance of examining physical and biological aspects of habitat. This is especially true when identifying corridors where mitigation structures should be placed to improve wildlife connectivity in biodiversity hotspots like the Madrean Archipelago and semi-arid ecosystems worldwide.     

镇海棘螈产卵场微生境选择

镇海棘螈(Echinotriton chinhaiensis)为国家一级重点保护野生动物,其种群面临着生境退化及丧失的重要威胁。产卵是决定镇海棘螈种群数量增长的关键环节之一,了解其产卵选择的微生境偏好可以更有针对性地保护该物种。本研究旨在确定影响镇海棘螈产卵场微生境选择的关键环境变量,同时为该物种的产卵生境保护、改造和重建提供科学基础。本文于2021年3-5月(繁殖期)在浙江省宁波市北仑区林场对镇海棘螈产卵位点(n=105)与非产卵位点(n=70)处的18个微生境变量进行调查。采用拟合优度卡方检验判断3种无序分类变量的差异性,并利用生境喜好系数对生境选择性进行分析。采用二元逻辑斯蒂回归模型对15个数值型变量进行分析,确定影响镇海棘螈产卵微生境选择的关键变量。结果显示镇海棘螈繁殖期间对产卵场微生境有明显偏好,通常产卵于朝向水坑、落叶层较厚(5.19±0.18 cm)、坡度较陡(18.64°±1.18°)和土壤含水量较低(33.51%±1.87%)的土壤基质上。此外,在大型遮蔽物中,镇海棘螈偏好选择体积较小的石块和乔木(2,994.63±316.17 cm³)作为遮蔽...