Low species turnover of upland Amazonian birds in the absence of physical barriers

Aim

One of the oldest and most powerful ways for ecologists to explain distinct biological communities is to invoke underlying environmental differences. But in hyper-diverse systems, which often display high species richness and low species abundance, these sorts of community comparisons are especially challenging. The classic view for Amazonian birds posits that riverine barriers and habitat specialization determine local and regional community composition. We test the tacit, complementary assumption that similar bird communities should therefore permeate uniform habitat between major rivers, regardless of distance.

Location

Upland (terra firme) rainforests of central Amazonia.

Methods

We conducted intensive whole-community surveys of birds in three pairs of 100-ha plots, separated by 40–60 km. We then used dissimilarity indices, cluster analysis, and ordination to characterize differences among the six avian communities.

Results

In all, we detected 244 forest-dependent birds, with an average of 190 species (78%) per plot. Species turnover was negligible, no unique indicator species were found among plot pairs, and all documented species were already known from a complete inventory at one of the three sites.

Main Conclusions

Our study corroborates the classic biogeographical pattern and suggests that turnover contributes little to regional avian diversity within upland forests. Using a grain size of 100 ha, this implies that upland birds perceive the environment as uniform, at least over distances of ~60 km. Therefore, to maximize both local species richness and population persistence, our findings support the conservation of very large tracts of upland rainforest. Our analyses also revealed that the avifauna at Reserva Ducke, encroached by urban sprawl from the city of Manaus, shows the hallmarks of a disturbed community, with fewer vulnerable insectivores. This defaunation signals that even an enormous preserve (10 × 10 km) in lowland Amazonia is not insulated from anthropogenic degradation within the surrounding landscape.     

不同密度格木幼林的土壤理化与林下植被特征

为探索适合格木(Erythrophleum fordii)人工林在幼龄阶段的种植密度,在不同林分密度(2 m×1 m、2 m×2 m、2 m×3 m、3 m×3 m)的6 a生格木人工林下设置标准样地,采用土壤质量评价和灰色关联度等方法,探究不同密度下格木幼林的土壤理化与林下植被特征。结果表明,密度2 m×3 m下的林木胸径、树高最优,较最低水平高16.7%、27.9%;土壤总孔隙度最大,全N、硝态N、铵态N含量最高,灌木草本多样性最高。相关性分析表明土壤化学性质对灌木草本的多样性影响最大。不同林分密度下格木幼林土壤理化性质及林下植物多样性有显著差异,因此,选择合适的林分密度对人工林土壤肥力的可持续利用及林分的经营培育至关重要。     

Ectomycorrhizal diversity on the roots of Pitch pine (Pinus rigida Mill.) saplings as influenced by remediation and soil metal content

From 1913 to 1980, two zinc smelters in Palmerton, Pennsylvania, emitted large quantities of atmospheric pollutants nearly eliminating forests along a ridge above the town. In 2008, a remediation treatment was applied to the land above one of the smelters that included the planting of several locally adapted plant species. It also included mineral fertilization and mycorrhizal inoculation. One of the species, the Pitch pine (Pinus rigida, Mill.), is a native tree that is both tolerant of metalliferous soils and obligatorily ectomycorrhizal. This report summarizes the results of two observational studies conducted 5 years after the remediation treatment. The first study's objective was to compare ectomycorrhizal communities on treated Pitch pine saplings, with communities on naturally regenerating saplings in an adjacent non-remediated area. The second study's objective was to determine if the composition of the fungal communities on root tips of naturally regenerating Pitch pine saplings differed with distance from the smelters. Fungal community compositions were determined using internal transcribed spacer rRNA sequences. Comparisons of sequences from the remediated and non-remediated sites revealed that communities at the remediated sites had lower taxonomic diversity and were dominated by members of a genus in the remediation inoculant. The results of the smelter-proximity study indicated that although fungal diversity did not differ markedly with distance from the smelters, the relative abundances of some taxa were greater on saplings growing directly above the smelters, where the soils contained highest concentrations of zinc and cadmium.     

Hydrology shapes microbial communities and microbiome-mediated growth of an Everglades tree island species

Plant-associated microbiomes can improve plant fitness by ameliorating environmental stress, providing a promising avenue for improving outplantings during restoration. However, the effects of water management on these microbial communities and their cascading effects on primary producers are unresolved for many imperiled ecosystems. One such habitat, Everglades tree islands, has declined by 54% in some areas, releasing excess nutrients into surrounding wetlands and exacerbating nutrient pollution. We conducted a factorial experiment, manipulating the soil microbiome and hydrological regime experienced by a tree island native, Ficus aurea, to determine how microbiomes impact growth under two hydrological management plans. All plants were watered to simulate natural precipitation, but plants in the “unconstrained” management treatment were allowed to accumulate water above the soil surface, while the “constrained” treatment had a reduced stage to avoid soil submersion. We found significant effects of the microbiomes on overall plant performance and aboveground versus belowground investment; however, these effects depended on hydrological treatment. For instance, microbiomes increased investment in roots relative to aboveground tissues, but these effects were 142% stronger in the constrained compared to unconstrained water regime. Changes in hydrology also resulted in changes in the prokaryotic community composition, including a >20 log₂fold increase in the relative abundance of Rhizobiaceae, and hydrology-shifted microbial composition was linked to changes in plant performance. Our results suggest that differences in hydrological management can have important effects on microbial communities, including taxa often involved in nitrogen cycling, which can in turn impact plant performance.     

Three research priorities for just and sustainable urban systems: Now is the time to refocus

Now is the time to refocus efforts in urban research and design. A changing climate and extreme weather events are presenting unique challenges to urban systems around the world. These challenges illuminate the social barriers that accompany disruptive events such as resource inequities and injustices. In this perspective, we provide three research priorities for just and sustainable urban systems that help to address these matters. The three research priorities are: (1) social equity and justice, (2) circularity, and (3) digital twins. Conceptual context and future research directions are provided for each. For social equity and justice, the future directions are mandatory equity analysis and inclusionary practices, understanding and reconciling historical injustices, and intentional integration with diverse community stakeholders. For circularity applications, they are better metrics for integration, more robust evaluation frameworks, and dynamic modeling at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Future directions for digital twins include developing principles to reduce complexity, integrating model and system components, and reducing barriers to data access. These research priorities are core to meeting several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (i.e., 1—No Poverty, 8—Decent Work and Economic Growth, 10—Reduced Inequalities, and 11—Sustainable Cities and Communities). Useful social and technical matters are discussed throughout, where we highlight the importance of prioritizing localized research efforts, provide guidance for community-engaged research and co-development practices, and explain how these priorities interact to align with the evolving field of industrial ecology.     

A matter of timing: System requirements for repair and their temporal dimensions

Research into repair within the circular economy (CE) typically focuses on technical aspects of design, policy, and markets, and often assumes simplified conditions for the user/owner and the product system to explain the barriers to scaling repair activities. However, factors occurring at pre-use stages of the product's life cycle can significantly influence whether, and to what extent, repair is viable or possible, that is, warranty duration, after-sale service provision, and access to necessities. The passing of time can directly and indirectly affect the ability, difficulty, and thus, the likelihood of repair activities being performed at each stage of the product's life cycle. Drawing from the literature and applying inductive systems-thinking tools, we propose a framework for considering the “System of Repairability.” We delineate how the passing of time (temporal dimensions) affects one's ‘‘ability to repair,’’ as a product progresses through different life cycle phases (i.e., breakdown vs. repair vs. disposal), and the point(s) at which the repair is considered or attempted (i.e., year of usage). By integrating life cycle and temporal (time-based) dimensions into a broad System of Repairability framework, we clarify relevant interconnections, iterations, sequences, and timing of decision points, stakeholders, and necessary conditions to facilitate an outcome of successful repair at the individual level, and thus intervention strategies for scaling repair within CE. We discuss how a policy mix can address the life cycle of products and the repair system more holistically. We conclude with a future outlook on how temporal dimensions can inform policy strategies and future research.     

SOS!濒临极限的生物多样性

本文论述了生物多样性的价值、多样性丧失的严重性和后果,以及多样性保护与持续利用的对策。文中强调指出,生物界中的每片基因,每一个物种,每一类生态系统对人类的持久生存都是无价之宝,任何多样性的丧失都是不可逆、不可再生的,因而对人类的损失是难以估量的。然而目前由于人类剧烈的活动干扰如滥砍滥伐、滥捕滥猎、环境污染、火灾、垦荒等,生物多样性丧失的速率怵目惊心！若不赶快行动起来,人类赖以生存的生物多样性将所剩无几,人类生存的危机也将难以避免。从保护与利用及其协同发展出发,本文呼吁要大力开展生物多样性的研究和开发工作,目的一方面在于进一步加强生物多样性的基础调查和研究工作,另一方面在于使生物多样性资源更好地为人类造福。为减缓目前生物多样性所承受的压力及促进其恢复,本文建议对完全依赖野生生物资源的传统产业征收“资源更新税”;而对开发和利用生物多样性资源,不仅不影响野生资源,而且能替代它,或减缓其压力,或促进其恢复的高新技术产业,在税收上给予特别优惠。     

Combining industrial ecology tools to assess potential greenhouse gas reductions of a circular economy: Method development and application to Switzerland

Industrial ecology (IE) methodologies, such as input/output or material flow analysis and life cycle assessment (LCA), are often used for the environmental evaluation of circular economy strategies. Up to now, an approach that utilizes these methods in a systematic, integrated framework for a holistic assessment of a geographic region's sustainable circular economy potential has been lacking. The approach developed in this study (IE4CE approach) combines IE methodologies to determine the environmental impact mitigation potential of circular economy strategies for a defined geographic region. The approach foresees five steps. First, input/output analysis helps identify sectors with high environmental impacts. Second, a refined analysis is conducted using material flow and LCA. In step 3, circular strategies are used for scenario design and evaluated in step 4. In step 5, the assessment results are compiled and compared across sectors. The approach was applied to a case study of Switzerland, analyzing 8 sectors and more than 30 scenarios in depth. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) from waste incineration, biogas and cement production, food waste prevention in households, hospitality and production, and the increased recycling of plastics had the highest mitigation potential. Most of the scenarios do not influence each other. One exception is the CCS scenarios: waste avoidance scenarios decrease the reduction potential of CCS. A combination of scenarios from different sectors, including their impact on the CCS scenario potential, led to an environmental impact mitigation potential of 11.9 Mt CO₂-eq for 2050, which equals 14% of Switzerland's current consumption-based impacts.     

Until death do us part? In-depth insights into Dutch consumers’ considerations about product lifetimes and lifetime extension

Long-lasting electronic products contribute to a sustainable society; however, both expected and actual lifetimes are in decline. This research provides in-depth insights into consumers’ considerations about product lifetimes, barriers to extending lifetimes, and responses to a product lifetime label. Results of interviews (n = 22) with Dutch consumers suggest a positive view on long-lasting products. Nevertheless, their products’ value depreciated during their lifetimes. Consumers consider themselves unable to estimate how long products should last, which can be detrimental as low expectations tend to negatively influence actual lifetimes. Also, use intensity and consumers’ care(less) behavior influence the lifetime. To extend product lifetimes, consumers often disregard the option of repairing malfunctioning products. They have limited knowledge and ability, and believe repair provides poor value for money. Lifetime extension can also be hindered by market-related factors, such as convenient replacement services, new technological developments, and (attractive) deals. We suggest a product lifetime label should contain relevant and reliable information; furthermore, we recommend including (extended) warranty information. When information about repairability is included, potential negative responses should be considered. Finally, raising awareness about the environmental impact of short-lived products via a label may have a positive effect but requires more research attention.     

Analysis of parameters about useful life extension in 70 tools and methods related to eco-design and circular economy

One of the approaches followed by the circular economy (CE) to achieve sustainability through design is product life extension. Extending the life of products to make them useful for as long as possible is a means to reduce waste production and materials consumption, as well as the related impacts. For designers, conceptualizing products in a way that allows them to be used for longer is a challenge, and assessing how well they extend their lifespan can be helpful when it comes to choosing the best proposal. In this paper, 70 tools and methods related to eco-design and circular economy are studied to determine how many of them consider parameters related to life extension and which can be applied in the early stages of design. The results of the analysis show that most of the existing tools and methods are applicable to developed products, and only a few of them take into account parameters related to extending the useful life. Of the 70 tools and methods, only 14 include some parameter related to life extension and are applicable to concepts. CE toolkit, Eco-design PILOT, CE Designer, Circularity Assessment tool, Circularity Potential Indicator and Circular Design Tools take into consideration eight or more parameters to assess life extension in concepts. This will help designers select the most appropriate and will indicate the need for more complete tools to consider useful life extension in the early stages of design and thus enhance the selection of more sustainable products.