Urbanisation generates multiple trait syndromes for terrestrial animal taxa worldwide

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 14(1)

Published: Aug. 7, 2023

Cities can host significant biological diversity. Yet, urbanisation leads to the loss of habitats, species, and functional groups. Understanding how multiple taxa respond globally is essential promote conserve biodiversity in cities. Using a dataset encompassing six terrestrial faunal (amphibians, bats, bees, birds, carabid beetles reptiles) across 379 cities on 6 continents, we show that produces taxon-specific changes trait composition, with traits related reproductive strategy showing strongest response. Our findings suggest results four syndromes (mobile generalists, site specialists, central place foragers, mobile specialists), resources associated reproduction diet likely driving patterns mobility body size. Functional diversity measures showed varied responses, leading shifts space driven by critical resource distribution abundance, syndromes. Maximising opportunities support different urban should be pivotal conservation management programmes within among This will reduce likelihood biotic homogenisation helps ensure environments have capacity future challenges. These actions are reframe role global loss.

Language: Английский

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City climate and landscape structure shape pollinators, nectar and transported pollen along a gradient of urbanization

Journal of Applied Ecology, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 59(6), P. 1586 - 1595

Published: May 2, 2022

Abstract Urbanization gradients influence both landscape and climate provide opportunity for understanding how plants pollinators respond to artificially driven environmental transitions, a relevant aspect the ecosystem service of pollination. Here, we investigated several aspects pollination along an urbanization gradient in climate. We quantified wild hoverfly bee abundances with trapping, standing crop nectar spectrophotometer, pollen transported by flower visitors DNA metabarcoding, 40 independent sites from semi‐natural built‐up areas Northern Italy. Direct indirect effects were fitted considering variables. Linear nonlinear relationships detected gradient. Pollinator increased quadratically peaked at 22% impervious cover 81% growth, they decreased green‐patch distance 37% urban park largeness 60%. This indicates that are more abundant intermediate levels urbanization. Climatically, diminished up 46% low spring–summer temperature seasonality: likely posing thermic stress. Furthermore, sugar mass available 61% 79% precipitations, indicating city nectars less consumed or flowers productive. species richness 32% highly urbanized areas, contained high incidence exotic plants, hinting anthropized, simplified plant communities. Synthesis applications . influences pollinator abundances, resources direct ways. Pollinators negatively affected thermally harsh isolated green large parks. Suburban landscapes demonstrated highest presence. In core, nectary association while collected small number mainly exotic. These findings highlight strong on showing cities heterogenous realities. Patterns this study will serve as basis pollinator‐friendly planning, mitigation management landscapes.

Language: Английский

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Urban-driven decrease in arthropod richness and diversity associated with group-specific changes in arthropod abundance

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 11

Published: March 7, 2023

Habitat loss and fragmentation caused by land-use changes in urbanised landscapes are main drivers of biodiversity species assemblages. While the effects urbanisation on arthropods has received increasing attention last decade, most studies were taxon-specific, limited time and/or covering only part habitats along rural-urban gradient. To comprehensively assess arthropod communities, here, we sampled at 180 sites within an urban mosaic city Innsbruck (Austria) using a systematic grid. At each site, collected three micro-habitats: canopy, bush layer tree bark. They identified to family, infra-order or order level, depending taxonomic group. Urbanisation level was estimated five different proxies extracted from land use/land cover data (e.g., impervious surface cover), all them calculated 100, 500, 1,000 m radius around sampling points, indexes based distance settlements. We tested for levels (i) overall abundance, richness diversity (ii) community composition redundancy analyses. In canopy layer, decreased with suggesting that acts as filter groups. Our abundance further support this hypothesis suggest disfavours wingless groups, particularly so trees. Indeed, correlated lower abundances spiders springtails, but higher aphids, barklice flies. Arthropod better explained set proxies, especially measured radius. Arthropods key elements food webs their availability environments is expected have bottom-up effects, thus shaping foraging behaviour, distribution, success trophic levels. Studying ecological networks ecosystems next step will allow understand how alters biodiversity.

Language: Английский

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Negative effects of urbanization on plants: A global meta‐analysis

Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 13(4)

Published: March 31, 2023

Abstract Understanding the response of plant diversity to urbanization is essential for conserving urban biodiversity. In this paper, a meta‐analysis 34 articles and 163 observations regarding impact on was conducted. The results revealed that had marked negative effects plants. Urbanization positive introduced species native species. subgroup analysis, we found trees responded better effect than herbs shrubs. There no evidence size, population density, nighttime light, GDP per capita moderating richness. Based meta‐regression analyses, in areas were less affected by at lower latitudes. Overall, marginally abundance. during different stages development inconsistent. Our research shows suburbs play crucial role gradient; there, plants survive with high

Language: Английский

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The future of tropical insect diversity: strategies to fill data and knowledge gaps

Current Opinion in Insect Science, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 58, P. 101063 - 101063

Published: May 27, 2023

Language: Английский

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Global meta-analysis of urbanization stressors on insect abundance, richness, and traits

The Science of The Total Environment, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 903, P. 165967 - 165967

Published: Aug. 3, 2023

Language: Английский

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Drivers of arthropod biodiversity in an urban ecosystem

Scientific Reports, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 14(1)

Published: Jan. 3, 2024

Our world is becoming increasingly urbanized with a growing human population concentrated around cities. The expansion of urban areas has important consequences for biodiversity, yet the abiotic drivers biodiversity in ecosystems have not been well characterized most diverse group animals on planet, arthropods. Given their great diversity, comparatively small home ranges, and ability to disperse, arthropods make an excellent model studying which factors can accurately predict biodiversity. We assessed effects (i) topography (distance natural ocean) (ii) (mean annual temperature diurnal range), (iii) anthropogenic (land value amount impervious surface) occurrence six arthropod groups represented Malaise trap collections run by BioSCAN project across Greater Los Angeles Area. found striking heterogeneity responses all both within between taxonomic groups. Diurnal range had consistently negative effect occupancy but this was only significant Phoridae. Anthropogenic mixed though mostly insignificant effects, as some species were highly areas, while other showed suppressed diversity. Only Phoridae significantly affected land value, where more likely occur lower value. support high regional spatial community composition dependent group.

Language: Английский

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Concrete Habitat Severely Decreases the Reproductive Output of Two Urban Birds

Conservation Letters, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 18(2)

Published: March 1, 2025

ABSTRACT The conversion of natural habitats to impervious surfaces in cities affects biotic and abiotic attributes urban ecosystems. However, detailed information on the gradual influence reproductive output is lacking. Using 5 years nestbox‐breeding great tit blue data collected across various habitat types within outside a Central–Eastern European capital city, we quantified impact avian success. Impervious strongly negatively covaried with number fledged young both species: 0%–50% increase surface 100 m nest was associated 3.56 fewer offspring tits (95% CI: −4.85, −2.27) 2.91 −4.26, −1.56), thus halving two widespread species. These results provide benchmark values productivity for ecologists policy makers, management areas.

Language: Английский

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Insect ecology and conservation in urban areas: An overview of knowledge and needs

Insect Conservation and Diversity, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 17(2), P. 169 - 181

Published: March 1, 2024

Abstract Urban expansion across the globe profoundly impacts local biodiversity. The growing body of urban ecology research on animals has largely focused mammals and birds, whereas knowledge insect conservation in areas remains limited. To anchor this Special Issue (SI), we have taken a broad approach to editorial conducted structured literature search set scene. We provide here an overview existing reviews conservation, indicate where articles included SI contribute developing our understanding point priority for further investigation. Key themes (at individual, species, and/or community level) include influence habitat quality, quantity land use type diversity; anthropogenic pollution (for instance, heat, noise, light chemicals); connectivity changes structure density genetic diversity. Insect diversity abundance broadly decline with loss habitat. Beyond this, variation responses different taxa, or regions, methodological limitations individual studies make it challenging identify general patterns. environments should focus applying ecological theory understand patterns; investigating interactions between climate change contexts; identifying novel biodiversity; addressing harmonising approaches; exploring social historical factors must also consider into how best communicate value insects humans.

Language: Английский

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Land‐use change in the past 40 years explains shifts in arthropod community traits

Journal of Animal Ecology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 93(5), P. 540 - 553

Published: March 20, 2024

Abstract Understanding how anthropogenic activities induce changes in the functional traits of arthropod communities is critical to assessing their ecological consequences. However, we largely lack comprehensive assessments long‐term impact global‐change drivers on trait composition across a large number species and sites. This knowledge gap critically hampers our ability predict human‐driven impacts ecosystems. Here, use dataset 1.73 million individuals from 877 study four functionally important carabid beetles spiders (i.e. body size, duration activity period, tolerance drought, dispersal capacity) have changed at community level ~40 years different types land as consequence (that is, urbanisation loss woody vegetation) landscape scale Switzerland. The results show that mean size declined all use, with particularly stronger declines croplands compared forests. Furthermore, length period drought spider decreased most types. average landscapes increased last tended decrease. capacity did not change significantly. promoted increases capacities communities. Additionally, favoured larger sizes longer periods. areas was associated shifts sizes, shorter periods, higher tolerances strongly capacities. Decreases periods were also found Our demonstrates human‐induced alter key long term. detected likely consequences for roles

Language: Английский

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