Decline of the North American avifauna

Science, Journal Year: 2019, Volume and Issue: 366(6461), P. 120 - 124

Published: Sept. 19, 2019

Species extinctions have defined the global biodiversity crisis, but extinction begins with loss in abundance of individuals that can result compositional and functional changes ecosystems. Using multiple independent monitoring networks, we report population losses across much North American avifauna over 48 years, including once-common species from most biomes. Integration range-wide trajectories size estimates indicates a net approaching 3 billion birds, or 29% 1970 abundance. A continent-wide weather radar network also reveals similarly steep decline biomass passage migrating birds recent 10-year period. This bird signals an urgent need to address threats avert future avifaunal collapse associated ecosystem integrity, function, services.

Language: Английский

---

Insect Declines in the Anthropocene

Annual Review of Entomology, Journal Year: 2019, Volume and Issue: 65(1), P. 457 - 480

Published: Oct. 14, 2019

Insect declines are being reported worldwide for flying, ground, and aquatic lineages. Most reports come from western northern Europe, where the insect fauna is well-studied there considerable demographic data many taxonomically disparate Additional cases of faunal losses have been noted Asia, North America, Arctic, Neotropics, elsewhere. While this review addresses both species loss population declines, its emphasis on latter. Declines abundant can be especially worrisome, given that they anchor trophic interactions shoulder essential ecosystem services their respective communities. A factors believed to responsible observed collapses those perceived threatening insects form core treatment. In addition widely recognized threats biodiversity, e.g., habitat destruction, agricultural intensification (including pesticide use), climate change, invasive species, assessment highlights a few less commonly considered such as atmospheric nitrification burning fossil fuels effects droughts changing precipitation patterns. Because geographic extent magnitude largely unknown, an urgent need monitoring efforts, across ecological gradients, which will help identify important causal in declines. This also considers status vertebrate insectivores, reporting bias, challenges inherent collecting interpreting data, increasing abundance.

Language: Английский

---

The ecological and evolutionary consequences of systemic racism in urban environments

Science, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 369(6510)

Published: Aug. 13, 2020

Urban areas are dynamic ecological systems defined by interdependent biological, physical, and social components. The emergent structure heterogeneity of urban landscapes drives biotic outcomes in these areas, such spatial patterns often attributed to the unequal stratification wealth power human societies. Despite patterns, few studies have effectively considered structural inequalities as drivers evolutionary instead focused on indicator variables neighborhood wealth. In this analysis, we explicitly integrate ecology, evolution, processes emphasize relationships that bind inequities-specifically racism-and biological change urbanized landscapes. We draw existing research link racist practices, including residential segregation, heterogeneous flora fauna observed ecologists. future, ecology evolution researchers must consider how racial oppression affect environmental factors drive cities. Conceptual integration sciences has amassed considerable scholarship over past decades, providing a solid foundation for incorporating justice into research. Such an undertaking is necessary deconstruct urbanization's biophysical processes, inform equitable anti-racist initiatives promoting conservation, strengthen community resilience global change.

Language: Английский

---

The Complexity of Urban Eco-evolutionary Dynamics

BioScience, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 70(9), P. 772 - 793

Published: July 7, 2020

Abstract Urbanization is changing Earth's ecosystems by altering the interactions and feedbacks between fundamental ecological evolutionary processes that maintain life. Humans in cities alter eco-evolutionary play simultaneously both actors stage on which takes place. modifies land surfaces, microclimates, habitat connectivity, networks, food webs, species diversity, composition. These environmental changes can lead to phenotypic, genetic, cultural makeup of wild populations have important consequences for ecosystem function essential services nature provides human society, such as nutrient cycling, pollination, seed dispersal, production, water air purification. Understanding monitoring urbanization-induced inform strategies achieve sustainability. In present article, we propose understanding these dynamics requires rigorous characterization urbanizing regions rapidly evolving, tightly coupled human–natural systems. We explore how emergent properties urbanization affect across space time. identify five key urban drivers change—habitat modification, heterogeneity, novel disturbances, biotic interactions—and highlight direct urbanization-driven change nature's contributions people. Then, emerging complexities—landscape complexity, discontinuities, socio-ecological cross-scale interactions, legacies time lags—that need be tackled future research. evolving metacommunity concept a powerful framework study dynamics.

Language: Английский

---

The importance of street trees to urban avifauna

Ecological Applications, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 30(7)

Published: April 27, 2020

Street trees are public resources planted in a municipality's right-of-way and considerable component of urban forests throughout the world. provide numerous benefits to people. However, many metropolitan areas have poor understanding value street wildlife, which presents gap our knowledge conservation ecosystems. Greater Los Angeles (LA) is global city harboring one most diverse extensive on planet. The vast majority forest nonnative geographic origin, LA following influx irrigated water early 1900s. In addition its forest, home high diversity birds, utilize metropolis annual cycle. cover likely trees, varies dramatically across socioeconomic gradient. it unknown how this variability influences avian communities. To understand importance avifauna, we documented foraging behavior by birds native gradient LA. Affluent communities harbored unique composition including denser larger than lower-income communities, turn, attracted nearly five times density feeding birds. Foraging strongly preferred two street-tree species as substrates, coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) California sycamore (Platanus racemosa), handful tree species, Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia), carrotwood (Cupaniopsis anacardioides), southern virginiana), greater proportion their availability cityscape (two three availability). Eighty-three percent (n = 108, total) were used lower all origin. Our findings highlight positive influence avifauna. particular, results suggest that improved management would positively benefit Further, study provides support for select important habitat

Language: Английский

---

Higher fat stores contribute to persistence of little brown bat populations with white‐nose syndrome

Journal of Animal Ecology, Journal Year: 2019, Volume and Issue: 88(4), P. 591 - 600

Published: Feb. 18, 2019

The persistence of populations declining from novel stressors depends, in part, on their ability to respond by trait change via evolution or plasticity. White-nose syndrome (WNS) has caused rapid declines several North America bat species disrupting hibernation behaviour, leading body fat depletion and starvation. However, some Myotis lucifugus now persist with WNS unknown mechanisms. We examined whether M. lucifigus could be explained increased early winter, which would allow bats tolerate the energetic costs associated WNS. also investigated were escaping infection resistant as an alternative mechanism explaining persistence. measured late winter during initial invasion 8 years later at six sites where are persisting. prevalence intensity persisting populations. Infection was not significantly lower than observed two sites, loads Body higher four invasion. Physiological models energy use indicated that these stores reduce mortality 58%-70%. These results suggest differences storage dynamics have reduced impacts many Increases provide a potential for management intervention help conserve

Language: Английский

---

Exotic garden plants partly substitute for native plants as resources for pollinators when native plants become seasonally scarce

Oecologia, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 194(3), P. 465 - 480

Published: Oct. 20, 2020

Urban green spaces such as gardens often consist of native and exotic plant species, which provide pollen nectar for flower-visiting insects. Although some plants are readily visited by pollinators, it is unknown if at time the season garden may supplement or substitute flower resources provided plants. To investigate seasonal changes in availability from vs. affect visits, diversity particularly plant-pollinator interaction networks, we studied insects over a whole growing 20 urban residential Germany. Over course season, visits to decreased, proportion exotics increased, flower-visitor species richness decreased. Yet, decline was slowed with relatively higher flowering This compensation more positively linked than cover. Plant-pollinator networks were moderately specialized. Interactions complex high summer, but diversity, linkage density, specialisation not influenced species. Thus, later when few flowered, partly substituted without apparent influence on network structure. Late-flowering support pollinator cities. If appropriately managed, risk naturalisation minimized, late-flowering floral pollinators scarce.

Language: Английский

---

Do non‐native plants contribute to insect declines?

Ecological Entomology, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 46(4), P. 729 - 742

Published: Nov. 17, 2020

1. With evidence of significant global insect declines mounting, urgent calls to mitigate such are also increasing. Efforts reverse will only succeed, however, if we correctly identify and address their major causes. 2. One potential cause that has received little mention is the spread non‐native plants as invasive species, agroforestry products, ornamental plants. 3. Here (a) review theory predicting most herbivores evolutionarily constrained use a fraction available plant lineages; (b) document extent which nonnative have displaced native communities around globe; (c) examine reduce abundance diversity; (d) suggest guidelines for measuring impact on populations. 4. We conclude host range expansions non‐natives do occur among many but not at frequency required prevent when replace communities. Accordingly, curbing non‐ local, national, international scales be necessary effective way some declines.

Language: Английский

---

Are declines in insects and insectivorous birds related?

Ornithological Applications, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 123(1)

Published: Jan. 5, 2021

Abstract A flurry of recently published studies indicates that both insects and birds have experienced wide-scale population declines in the last several decades. Curiously, whether insect bird are causally linked has received little empirical attention. Here, we hypothesize an important factor contributing to decline insectivorous birds. We further suggest populations essential whenever non-native lumber, ornamental, or invasive plant species replace native communities. support our hypothesis by reviewing show (1) due host specialization, herbivores typically do poorly on plants; (2) often food limited; (3) fluctuate with supply prey; (4) not all arthropod prey reproduction equally well; (5) terrestrial for which source declined 2.9 billion individuals over 50 years, while depend during their life history gained 26.2 million individuals, a 111-fold difference. Understanding consequences declines, particularly as they affect charismatic animals like birds, may motivate land managers, homeowners, restoration ecologists take actions reverse these favoring most productively.

Language: Английский

---

Eight simple actions that individuals can take to save insects from global declines

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 118(2)

Published: Jan. 11, 2021

Insects constitute the vast majority of known animal species and are ubiquitous across terrestrial ecosystems, playing key ecological roles. As prey, they critical to survival countless other species, including bats, birds, freshwater fishes (1). herbivores, predators, parasites, major determinants distribution abundance innumerable plants animals. The flowering plants, dominant component most depend on insects for pollination hence reproduction. consumers waste products, essential recycling nutrients. Humans their agriculture rely heavily such “ecosystem services” provided by (Fig. 1 A – J ), which together have at least an annual value ∼$70 billion (2020 valuation) in United States (2). also provide humans with honey, silk, wax, dyes, and, many cultures, food. become subjects medical basic biological research. Furthermore, one easily accessible forms wildlife, a diversity morphology, life history, behavior that seems ready-made inspiring appreciation nature its conservation K T ). Fig. 1. Examples beneficial ( examples amazing things do , Pollinator: Honey bee Apis mellifera B Bumble Bombus sp.). C Decomposer: Dung beetle (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae). D Biocontrol: Ladybird Harmonia E Ecosystem service: Ants (Formicidae). F Silk production: moth Bombyx mori G Research: Fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster H Vaccine development, coronavirus: Alfalfa looper Autographa californica I Dye Cochineal scale insect Dactylopius coccus Environmental assessment: Stonefly (Plecoptera). Visual systems: Dragonflies (e.g., Neurothemis sp.) near 360° vision. L defense: … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: kawahara{at}flmnh.ufl.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1

Language: Английский

---