Status and Ecological Effects of the World’s Largest Carnivores

Science, Journal Year: 2014, Volume and Issue: 343(6167)

Published: Jan. 9, 2014

Large carnivores face serious threats and are experiencing massive declines in their populations geographic ranges around the world. We highlight how these have affected conservation status ecological functioning of 31 largest mammalian on Earth. Consistent with theory, empirical studies increasingly show that large substantial effects structure function diverse ecosystems. Significant cascading trophic interactions, mediated by prey or sympatric mesopredators, arise when some extirpated from repatriated to Unexpected cascades various taxa processes include changes bird, mammal, invertebrate, herpetofauna abundance richness; subsidies scavengers; altered disease dynamics; carbon sequestration; modified stream morphology; crop damage. Promoting tolerance coexistence is a crucial societal challenge will ultimately determine fate Earth's all depends upon them, including humans.

Language: Английский

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Meta‐analysis reveals negative yet variable effects of ocean acidification on marine organisms

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2010, Volume and Issue: 13(11), P. 1419 - 1434

Published: Aug. 16, 2010

Ecology Letters (2010) 13: 1419–1434 Abstract Ocean acidification is a pervasive stressor that could affect many marine organisms and cause profound ecological shifts. A variety of biological responses to ocean have been measured across range taxa, but this information exists as case studies has not synthesized into meaningful comparisons amongst response variables functional groups. We used meta‐analytic techniques explore the acidification, found negative effects on survival, calcification, growth reproduction. However, there was significant variation in sensitivity organisms. Calcifying generally exhibited larger than non‐calcifying numerous variables, with exception crustaceans, which calcify were negatively affected. Calcification varied significantly using different mineral forms calcium carbonate. Organisms one more soluble carbonate (high‐magnesium calcite) can be resilient less (calcite aragonite). Additionally, sensitivities developmental stages, dependent taxonomic group. Our analyses suggest are large negative, important implications for ecosystem responses.

Language: Английский

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Predicting ecological consequences of marine top predator declines

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Journal Year: 2008, Volume and Issue: 23(4), P. 202 - 210

Published: March 6, 2008

Language: Английский

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The functional role of biodiversity in ecosystems: incorporating trophic complexity

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2007, Volume and Issue: 10(6), P. 522 - 538

Published: April 23, 2007

Understanding how biodiversity affects functioning of ecosystems requires integrating diversity within trophic levels (horizontal diversity) and across (vertical diversity, including food chain length omnivory). We review theoretical experimental progress toward this goal. Generally, experiments show that biomass resource use increase similarly with horizontal either producers or consumers. Among prey, higher often increases resistance to predation, due increased probability inedible species reduced efficiency specialist predators confronted diverse prey. predators, changing can cascade affect plant biomass, but the strength sign effect depend on degree omnivory prey behaviour. Horizontal vertical also interact: adding a level qualitatively change effects at adjacent levels. Multitrophic interactions produce richer variety diversity-functioning relationships than monotonic changes predicted for single This complexity depends consumer dietary generalism, trade-offs between competitive ability intraguild predation openness migration. Although complementarity selection occur in both animals plants, few studies have conclusively documented mechanisms mediating effects. complex will benefit from theory simulations network-based approaches.

Language: Английский

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Food for thought: supplementary feeding as a driver of ecological change in avian populations

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, Journal Year: 2008, Volume and Issue: 6(9), P. 476 - 484

Published: Feb. 26, 2008

Every year, millions of households provide huge quantities supplementary food to wild birds. While alteration the natural dynamics supply represents a major intervention in avian ecology, we have remarkably limited understanding impacts this widespread pastime. Here, examine many and varied responses birds feeding at backyard feeders – large‐scale management projects focused academic studies evaluate population bird‐feeding phenomenon. Our review encompasses wide range species, from songbirds raptors, compares provisioning with variety foods, different times year locations. We consider positive impacts, such as aiding species conservation programs, negative ones, increased risk disease transmission. It seems highly likely that selection is being artificially perturbed, influences almost every aspect bird including reproduction, behavior, demography, distribution. As effects cascade through ecosystems interact processes environmental change, suggest areas for future research highlight need experiments, particular focus on backyards an increasingly urban generous, but sometimes fickle, human population.

Language: Английский

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Biodiversity, Ecosystem Functioning, and Human Wellbeing

Oxford University Press eBooks, Journal Year: 2009, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: July 30, 2009

Abstract How will biodiversity loss affect ecosystem functioning, services, and human wellbeing? In an age of accelerating loss, this volume summarizes recent advances in biodiversity‐ecosystem functioning research explores the economics services. The first section development basic science provides a meta-analysis that quantitatively tests several hypotheses. second describes natural foundations research, including: quantifying functional diversity, field into predictive science, effects stability complexity, methods to quantify mechanisms by which diversity affects importance trophic structure, microbial ecology, spatial dynamics. third takes on further than it has ever gone dimension. six chapters cover most pressing environmental challenges humanity faces, including on: climate change mitigation, restoration degraded habitats, managed ecosystems, pollination, disease, biological invasions. remaining three consider economic perspective, synthesis services biodiversity, options open policy-makers address failure markets account for services; examination valuing and, hence, understanding consequences decisions neglect these ways economists are currently incorporating decision models conservation management biodiversity. final new ecoinformatics help transform globally finally, advancements future directions field. book's ultimate conclusion is essential element any strategy sustainable development.

Language: Английский

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Effects of Natural Enemy Biodiversity on the Suppression of Arthropod Herbivores in Terrestrial Ecosystems

Annual Review of Ecology Evolution and Systematics, Journal Year: 2009, Volume and Issue: 40(1), P. 573 - 592

Published: Sept. 10, 2009

Claims about the role of predator diversity in maintaining ecosystem function and providing services such as pest control are controversial, but evaluative tests beginning to accumulate. Empirical experimental comparisons species-rich versus species-poor assemblages entomophagous arthropods vertebrates range from strong suppression facilitative release herbivorous arthropod prey. Top-down can be strengthened when natural enemies complement each other, dampened by negative interactions, balanced both factors, driven single influential species. A meta-analytic synthesis shows a significant overall effect enemy richness increasing top-down herbivores, which is consistent agricultural studies conducted tropical temperate zones, using caged open-field designs, not so nonagricultural habitats. Synthetic analyses address theory help set precautionary policy for conserving ecological broadly, while characterizing uncertainty associated with herbivore response changes diversity.

Language: Английский

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All wet or dried up? Real differences between aquatic and terrestrial food webs

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2005, Volume and Issue: 273(1582), P. 1 - 9

Published: Nov. 29, 2005

Ecologists have greatly advanced our understanding of the processes that regulate trophic structure and dynamics in ecosystems. However, causes systematic variation among ecosystems remain controversial poorly elucidated. Contrasts between aquatic terrestrial particular inspired much speculation, but only recent empirical quantification. Here, we review evidence for differences energy flow biomass partitioning producers herbivores, detritus decomposers, higher levels. The magnitudes different pathways vary considerably, with less herbivory, more decomposers detrital accumulation on land. Aquatic-terrestrial are consistent across global range primary productivity, indicating structural contrasts two systems preserved despite large input. We argue variable selective forces drive plant allocation patterns environments propagate upward to shape food webs. small size lack tissues phytoplankton mean achieve faster growth rates nutritious heterotrophs than their counterparts. Plankton webs also strongly size-structured, while position correlated most (and many benthic) habitats. available data indicate driven primarily by rate, nutritional quality autotrophs. Differences food-web architecture (food chain length, prevalence omnivory, specialization or anti-predator defences) may arise as a consequence character producer community.

Language: Английский

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Naiveté and an aquatic–terrestrial dichotomy in the effects of introduced predators

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Journal Year: 2006, Volume and Issue: 21(12), P. 674 - 680

Published: Aug. 2, 2006

Language: Английский

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Biodiversity and the functioning of seagrass ecosystems

Marine Ecology Progress Series, Journal Year: 2006, Volume and Issue: 311, P. 233 - 250

Published: April 13, 2006

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout JournalEditorsTheme Sections 311:233-250 (2006) - doi:10.3354/meps311233 Biodiversity and functioning of seagrass ecosystems J. Emmett Duffy* School Science Virginia Institute Science, The College William Mary, Gloucester Point, 23062-1346, USA *Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT: at multiple levels—genotypes within species, species functional groups, habitats a landscape—enhances productivity, resource use, stability ecosystems. Several themes emerge from review mostly indirect evidence few experiments that explicitly manipulated diversity in systems. First, because many communities are dominated by 1 or plant genetic phenotypic such foundation has important influences on ecosystem productivity stability. Second, beds other aquatic systems, consumer control is strong, extinction biased toward large body size high trophic levels, thus human impacts often mediated interactions changing ‘vertical diversity’ (food chain length) with ‘horizontal (heterogeneity levels). Third, openness marine systems means structure processes depend among landscape (landscape diversity). There clear advection resources active movement consumers adjacent influence nutrient fluxes, transfer, fishery production, diversity. Future investigations biodiversity effects would benefit broadening concept encompass hierarchy through diversity, focusing links between interactions, regional local processes. Maintaining biocomplexity coastal conservation management implications. KEY WORDS: Food web · Habitat Landscape Production Stability Trophic transfer Full text pdf format PreviousNextExport citation Tweet linkedIn Cited Published Vol. 311. Online publication date: April 13, 2006 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; 1616-1599 Copyright © Inter-Research.

Language: Английский

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