Addressing the urgent climate and biodiversity crisis through strategic ecosystem restoration in Brazil

Biological Conservation, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 302, P. 110972 - 110972

Published: Jan. 11, 2025

Language: Английский

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The assembly and dynamics of ecological communities in an ever‐changing world

Ecological Monographs, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Sept. 30, 2024

Abstract Alternative perspectives on the maintenance of biodiversity and assembly ecological communities suggest that both processes cannot be investigated simultaneously. In this concept synthesis, we challenge view by presenting major theoretical advances in structural stability permanence theory. These advances, which provide complementary views, allow studying short‐ long‐term dynamics as changes species richness, composition, abundance. Here, global attractor, technically named informational structure (IS), is central element to construct from information species' intrinsic growth rates their strength sign interactions. The attractor has four main properties: (1) It contains all limits what feasible unfeasible dynamical behavior an system, therefore, (2) it provides a thorough characterization combinations richness composition can coexist (i.e., stable equilibrium), (3) well connections (paths) between coexisting communities. Importantly, (4) such topology when environmental (abiotic biotic) variation affects ability grow interact with others. Overall, these properties switching traditional evaluation coexistence at equilibrium much more realistic nonequilibrium perspective where underlie transient dynamics. Several fields ecology benefit study IS. For instance, serve evaluate community responses after end perturbation, design restoration trajectories, consequences biological invasions persistence native within communities, or assess ecosystem health status. We illustrate latter possibility empirical observations 7 years Mediterranean annual grasslands. document extremely wet dry generate ISs supporting few paths. remaining distinguish winners losers ongoing climate change indicate future opportunities. A fully tractable operational framework readily available understand predict ever‐changing world.

Language: Английский

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Restoration of giant panda habitat requires balancing single‐ and multi‐species benefits

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: March 11, 2025

Efforts to restore habitat for wildlife often target single species, with limited consideration of the potential benefits provided sympatric species. On basis range‐wide data from Fourth National Giant Panda Survey and infrared camera trapping, we used species distribution models project outcomes five restoration scenarios—designed benefit giant pandas ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca )—for as well birds mammals. Scenario outcomes, particularly those involving conversion plantation forests shrublands into suitable forests, demonstrated a significant enhancement in panda suitability, but contrasting effects Moreover, while may enhance richness functional diversity, especially when are converted such action could also reduce phylogenetic diversity. Our findings suggest that single‐species have negative highlighting need consider trade‐offs between focal non‐focal taxa.

Language: Английский

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Population and species neighbor identity impact trait–trait relationships and plant performance

Population Ecology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: May 16, 2025

Abstract Evaluating restoration practices such as admixture provenancing or mixing of multiple source populations for greater intraspecific variation in plant restorations helps to understand the utility practice different scenarios. We do not know whether any population mixtures will deliver positive outcomes when interacting. To how and species' identity influence performance trait mixtures, we assessed among two forb species native Western United States ( Dieteria canescens Heterotheca villosa ) following pairwise competition pots with single‐population monocultures, two‐population two‐species D. a focal greenhouse common environment. Plants were harvested after 7 weeks height, leaf count, root length, mass fraction (RMF) traits measured, well whole biomass. found monocultures have similar biomass while some differed from respective monocultures. Neighbor differences shoot height length best predicted growth interactions, increasing neighbor resulted all but one by treatment interaction R 2 = 0.17, p < 0.001). In this single case, decreased RMF mixture treatment, surprisingly. These findings show nuance interactions within between species: they are highly dependent on which aspects that must be considered evaluating materials strategies.

Language: Английский

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Quantifying soil microbial effects on plant species coexistence: A conceptual synthesis

American Journal of Botany, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 111(4)

Published: April 1, 2024

Abstract Soil microorganisms play a critical role in shaping the biodiversity dynamics of plant communities. These microbial effects can arise through direct mediation fitness by pathogens and mutualists, over past two decades, numerous studies have shined spotlight on dynamic feedbacks between plants soil as key determinants species coexistence. Such occur when modify composition community, which turn affects performance. Stimulated theoretical model developed 1990s, bulk empirical evidence for controls coexistence comes from experiments that quantify growth communities were previously conditioned conspecific or heterospecific plants. revealed microbes generate strong negative to positive frequency‐dependent among Even become recognized player determining outcomes, few years seen renewed interest expanding conceptual foundations this field. New results include re‐interpretations metrics classic two‐species models, extensions plant–soil feedback theory multispecies communities, frameworks integrate with processes like intra‐ interspecific competition. Here, I review implications developments interpreting existing highlight proposed analyses designs future enable more complete understanding regulation community dynamics.

Language: Английский

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Wetland restoration: can short‐term success criteria predict long‐term outcomes?

Restoration Ecology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 32(7)

Published: July 4, 2024

Worldwide wetland loss over the past 50 years has made conservation a public policy priority, leading to an increase in restoration programs. However, predicting long‐term outcomes remains difficult. The monitoring of these programs rarely exceeds 5–10 years, forcing managers rely on short‐term success criteria that may be criticized by scientific community. Our objective was assess significance four ( Carex ssp. shoot density, Salix survival, invasive species cover, and hydrologic dissimilarity reference sites) used program 12 wetlands monitored for 5 post‐restoration 15 post‐restoration. We defined efforts after using cluster analysis‐based approach, clusters were described principal coordinate analysis Tukey's post hoc honest significant difference test. Finally, we assessed pertinence each Pearson correlation tests spatial regressive models. results demonstrate stress‐based can reliable predictors longer‐term communities with shallow water tables, whereas target‐species‐based are not. Hydrologic site appropriate willow‐sedge community outcome predictions, while cover best sedge predictions. For drier habitats, such as willow‐herb community, none tested outcomes, further research is required identify suitable criteria.

Language: Английский

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Revisiting Clements and Gleason: Insights from plant distributions on Pikes Peak, Clements’s life-long study site

The American Naturalist, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 204(6), P. 533 - 545

Published: Aug. 19, 2024

AbstractHow do species' distributions respond to their environments? This question was at the heart of Clements-Gleason controversy, ecology's most famous debate. Do species environment in concerted ways, leading distinct and cohesive assemblages (the Clementsian paradigm), or independently Gleasonian paradigm)? Using plant occurrences along elevation gradient Pikes Peak (Colorado) as a lens through which gain insight into Clements's perspectives on debate, we formally test for community patterns this using modern framework unavailable time Clements Gleason. The region study area more than 40 years, where he established research lab distributed sites elevational gradient. His investigations mountain likely influenced his views communities. We found mixed support paradigms, with neither paradigm nor fully supported. While showed evidence clustering range edges, considered be consistent paradigm, pattern weak, edges turnover peaked ecotone elevations, expected under paradigm. Our results illuminate debate by allowing us probe issues that complicate conclusively testing such deciding how quantify environmental gradients determining appropriate scales processes might generate them. Revisiting also revealed Gleason's had common realize. may less neatly resolved assume from mythos, it continues have relevance basic applied ecology today, its legacy has shaped our (still tenuous) notion ecological communities trajectory field.

Language: Английский

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Fluctuation-dependent coexistence of stage-structured species

The American Naturalist, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 205(3), P. 327 - 341

Published: Oct. 2, 2024

AbstractModern coexistence theory is a dominant framework for understanding how environmental fluctuations promote species coexistence. However, assessing fluctuation-dependent mechanisms of in empirical systems-in which have diverse life histories and environment-competition relationships-has remained challenging many ecologists. To help empiricists theoreticians alike build intuition the role across systems environments, we explore two stage-structured histories-perennial seedbanking annuals-differ competition with nonseedbanking annual three scenarios. Our scenarios delineate partition resources within among years whether most intense during favorable or unfavorable periods. We use this work to link differences vital rates interaction strengths patterns Fluctuation-dependent can be equally important perennial an adult "storage" stage as annuals. outcomes differentiate between these strategies based on they experience stronger weaker environments. This sets applying partitioning frameworks mixed stage-structure communities, facilitating variation drives dynamics broader range systems.

Language: Английский

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An Experimental Validation Test of Ecological Coexistence Theory to Forecast Extinction Under Rising Temperatures

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 28(1)

Published: Dec. 31, 2024

Interactions between species pose considerable challenges for forecasting the response of ecological communities to global changes. Coexistence theory could address this challenge by defining conditions can or cannot persist alongside competitors. However, although coexistence is increasingly deployed projections, these frameworks have rarely been subjected critical multigenerational validation tests. Here, using a highly replicated mesocosm experiment, I directly test if modern approach predict time-to-extirpation in face rising temperatures within context competition from heat-tolerant species. Competition hastened expiration and modelled point breakdown overlapped with mean observations under both steady temperature increases additional environmental stochasticity. That said, identified interactive effect stressors, predictive precision was low even simplified system. Nonetheless, results support careful use modelling forecasts understanding drivers change.

Language: Английский

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Resilience of tropical invertebrate community assembly processes to a gradient of land use intensity

Oikos, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 2024(2)

Published: Dec. 22, 2023

Understanding how community assembly processes drive biodiversity patterns is a central goal of ecology. While it generally accepted that ecological communities are assembled by both stochastic and deterministic processes, quantifying their relative importance remains challenging. Few studies have investigated the vary among taxa along gradients habitat degradation. Using data on 1645 arthropod species across seven taxonomic groups in Malaysian Borneo, we quantified stochasticity suite gradient logging intensity. The relationship between varied depending specific combination metric used, but, general, govern invertebrate were remarkably robust to changes land use

Language: Английский

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