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opencc-by-4.0Jul 2022View details →

Fig. 25. Lycosa piochardi Simon, 1876, habitat extremes. A in Lycosa Latreille, 1804 (Araneae, Lycosidae) of Israel, with a note on Geolycosa Montgomery, 1904

Fig. 25. Lycosa piochardi Simon, 1876, habitat extremes. A. Alpine tragacanth steppe, Mt. Hermon. B. Natural woodland, Odem Forest. C. Sandy desert, western Negev. D. Dead Sea oasis, En Gedi. Photos by I. Armiach Steinpress.

opencc-zeroAug 2022View details →

The FloRes Database: A floral resources trait database for pollinator habitat-assessment generated by a multistep workflow

Background The decline of pollinating insects in agricultural landscapes proceeds due to intensive land use and the associated loss of habitat and food sources. The feeding of those insects depends on the spatial and temporal distribution of nectar and pollen as food resources. Hence, to protect insect biodiversity a spatio-temporal assessment of food quantity of their habitats is necessary. Therefore, sufficient data on traits of floral resources are required. New information Because floral resources' traits of plants are important to quantify food availability, we present two databases, the FloRes Database (Floral Resources Database) and the raw database, where FloRes was derived from. Both databases contain the plant traits (1) flowering period, (2) floral-unit density per day, (3) nectar volume per floral unit per day, (4) sugar content per floral unit, (5) sugar concentration in nectar, (6) pollen mass or volume per floral unit and per day, (7) protein content of pollen and (8) corolla depth. All traits are sampled from literature and online databases. The raw database consists of 702 specified plant species, 138 unspecified species 37 species (spec., sp), 22 species pluralis (spp) and for 79 only the genus was identified) and two species complexes (agg.). Those 842 taxa belong to 488 genera and 102 families. Finally, only 27 taxa have a complete set of traits, too less for a sufficient assessment of spatio-temporal availability of floral food resources. Because information of floral resources is scattered throughout many publications with different units, we also present our multistep workflow implemented in five consecutive R-scripts. The multistep workflow standardizes the trait units of the raw database to comparable entities with identical units and aggregates them on a reasonable taxonomic level into the second application database, the FloRes Database. Finally, the FloRes Database contains aggregated information of traits for 42 taxa and, when corolla depth is excluded, for 70 taxa. This is the first attempt to gather these eight traits from different literature sources in one database with a multistep workflow. The publication of the multistep workflow enables the users to extend the FloRes Database on their own demands with other literature data or newly gathered data to improve the quantification of food resources. Especially, the combination of pollen, nectar, and open flowers per square meter is, as far as we know, a novelty. The FloRes Database can be used to evaluate the quantity of food-resource habitats available for pollinators, e.g., to compare seed mixtures of agri-environmental measures, such as flower strips, considering flower phenology on a daily basis.

opencc-zeroAug 2022View details →

Functional traits and metacommunity theory reveal that habitat filtering and competition maintain bird diversity in a human shared landscape

Human shared landscapes cover much of Earth, yet their conservation value is contested. This controversy may persist because previous studies have examined species diversity, rather than the processes through which such diversity is maintained. For example, a site exhibiting high diversity may not actually bolster populations if the diversity is only maintained through net immigration. Recent research has begun to isolate the processes that maintain metacommunities and develop functional trait methods to identify these processes. However, the processes underlying bird communities remain obscure. Here, we leverage metacommunity theory, functional trait partitioning, and a Bayesian multispecies abundance model to assess whether a shared landscape – woody perennial polyculture farms – bolsters bird diversity. Such farms grow multiple species of food-producing woody perennials together with vegetative groundcover. We surveyed birds and their in situ functional traits across the US Midwest in traditional agriculture, woody perennial polyculture, prairie, and woods. We found that woody perennial polycultures exhibited the highest bird diversity and were the most preferred by many species (including threatened ones). Moreover, our functional trait analysis suggests that this diversity is maintained through habitat filtering and competition, rather than merely immigration. Thus, shared landscapes can likely conserve birds by providing a distinct habitat. These results suggest that woody perennial polyculture farms offer substantial potential to support bird populations in the US Midwest. Our study demonstrates the utility of in situ functional trait partitioning within a Bayesian framework to unmask ecological processes and help assess the conservation value of landscapes.

opencc-zeroAug 2022View details →

Sex-based differences in the use of post-fire habitats by invasive cane toads (Rhinella marina)

Wildfires can modify habitat attributes, and those changes may differentially affect males versus females within a species if there is pre-existing niche divergence between the sexes. We used radio-tracking and dissections to study invasive cane toads (Rhinella marina), and performed transect counts on native frogs and cane toads 12 months after extensive fires in forests of eastern Australia. Both toads and native frogs were encountered more frequently in burned sites than in unburned sites. Most microhabitat features were similar between burned versus unburned areas, but fire had differential impacts on the ecology of male versus female toads. In burned areas females were less numerous but were larger, in better body condition, and had consumed more prey (especially, coleopterans and myriapods). The impact of fire on attributes of retreat-sites (e.g., temperature, density of vegetation cover) also differed between the sexes. More generally, intraspecific divergence in ecological traits within a species (as a function of body size as well as sex) may translate into substantial divergences in the impacts of habitat change.

Invasive lionfish dispersal between shallow- and deep-water habitats within coastal Floridian waters

Data associated with the publication: Invasive lionfish dispersal between shallow- and deep-water habitats within coastal Floridian waters

Environmental DNA reveals fine-scale habitat associations for sedentary and resident marine species across a coastal mosaic of soft and hard-bottom habitats

Accurate knowledge on spatiotemporal distributions of marine species and their association with surrounding habitats is crucial to inform adaptive management actions responding to coastal degradation across the globe. Here, we investigate the potential use of environmental DNA (eDNA) to detect species-habitat associations in a patchy coastal area of the Baltic Sea. We directly compare species-specific qPCR analysis of eDNA with baited remote underwater video systems (BRUVS), two non-invasive methods widely used to monitor marine habitats. Four focal species (cod Gadus morhua, flounder Platichthys flesus, plaice Pleuronectes platessa and goldsinny wrasse Ctenolabrus rupestris) were selected based on contrasting habitat associations (reef- vs. sand-associated species), as well as differential levels of mobility and residency, to investigate whether these factors affected the detection of species-habitat associations from eDNA. To this end, a species-specific qPCR assay for goldsinny wrasse is developed and made available herein. In addition, potential correlations between eDNA signals and abundance counts (MaxN) from videos were assessed. Results from Bayesian multi-level models revealed strong evidence for a sand association for sedentary flounder (98% posterior probability) and a reef association for highly resident wrasse (99% posterior probability) using eDNA, in agreement with BRUVS. However, contrary to BRUVS, eDNA sampling did not detect habitat associations for cod or plaice. We found a positive correlation between eDNA detection and MaxN for wrasse (posterior probability 95%), but not for the remaining species and explanatory power of all relationships was generally limited. Our results indicate that eDNA sampling can detect species-habitat associations on a fine spatial scale, yet this ability likely depends on the mobility and residency of the target organism, with associations for sedentary or resident species most likely to be detected. Combined sampling with conventional non-invasive methods is advised to improve detection of habitat associations for mobile and transient species, or for species with low eDNA concentrations.

Source code and data from: Foraging personalities modify effects of habitat fragmentation on biodiversity

Habitat loss undeniably poses a substantial threat to biodiversity, but whether fragmentation per se drives the loss of species is still widely debated. While negative consequences from fragmentation are often anticipated, many empirical studies report positive effects. However, the intrinsic mechanisms governing species' persistence in fragmented landscapes are not yet understood. In this study, we investigated consistent personality-dependent differences in foraging behavior among individuals as a possible mechanism underlying the discrepancy of reported fragmentation effects. We devised a mechanistic individual-based model simulating the home range behavior of a competitive small mammal community based on the availability of a shared resource. Thereby, an individual's risk-taking behavior dictates its foraging decisions at risky habitat edges, an inherent property of fragmentation per se. Our simulations show that differences in risk-taking while foraging are potentially a further mechanism contributing to reconciling the fragmentation debate. The first scenario considering risk-seeking communities showed a neutral response towards fragmentation, while the second scenario featuring risk-avoiding communities confirmed the negative effects of fragmentation. Notably, the third scenario, simulating behaviorally diverse communities including risk-avoiding and risk-seeking individuals, demonstrated a positive influence of fragmentation on biodiversity. Intraspecific differences in behavior could also enhance the temporal species coexistence (coviability) of communities threatened by an ongoing habitat loss. Our study highlights the importance of recognizing the behavioral composition of populations and communities for estimating fragmentation effects, because differences in risk-taking can influence the coping abilities of animal communities in light of fragmentation.

Congruence among multiple indices of habitat preference for species facing human-induced rapid environmental change: A case study using the Brewer's sparrow

Accurate evaluations of habitat preference are key to understanding optimal conditions for wildlife survival and reproduction. Habitat selection, however, usually is evaluated using a single index of preference, and congruence among multiple, relevant indices of preference is examined rarely. We assessed the concordance between patterns of habitat preference using three different indices of breeding site preference in a migratory songbird. Specifically, we compared the chronology of territorial establishment, pair formation, and reproductive initiation of the Brewer's sparrow (Spizella breweri) along a gradient of surface disturbance associated with natural gas development in Wyoming, USA during 2019. We expected all three indices to demonstrate a preference for breeding sites with less surface disturbance, where reproductive success typically is higher. By contrast, all indices suggested suboptimal preference with respect to surface disturbance, with some discrepancy among them. The chronology of settlement and pairing did not vary across the disturbance gradient, whereas nest initiation tended to occur earlier at sites with more disturbance. If the pattern of suboptimal selection of breeding sites that we identified is generalizable across other populations of migratory birds affected by energy development, the resultant lower fitness in those areas may exacerbate population declines. Our results suggest that traditional, single-index approaches to the study of habitat selection, if chosen carefully, may provide adequate inference on habitat preferences. Different metrics, however, can lead to at least subtle differences in patterns of habitat selection. The simultaneous examination of multiple indices of preference across a diversity of systems would help clarify the contexts under which preference metrics can become decoupled.

Data from: Habitat quality influences pollinator pathogen prevalence through both habitat–disease and biodiversity–disease pathways

The dilution effect hypothesis posits that increasing biodiversity reduces infectious disease transmission. Here, we propose that habitat quality might modulate this negative biodiversity–disease relationship. Habitat may influence pathogen prevalence directly by affecting host traits like nutrition and immune response (we coined this as the 'habitat–disease relationship') or indirectly by changing host biodiversity (biodiversity–disease relationship). We used a path model to test the relative strength of links between habitat, biodiversity, and pathogen prevalence in a pollinator–virus system. High-quality habitat metrics were directly associated with viral prevalence, providing evidence for a habitat–disease relationship. However, the strength and direction of specific habitat effects on viral prevalence varied based on the characteristics of the habitat, host, and pathogen. In general, more natural area and richness of landcover types were directly associated with increased viral prevalence, while greater floral density was associated with reduced viral prevalence. More natural habitat was also indirectly associated with reduced prevalence of two key viruses (black queen cell virus and deformed wing virus) via increased pollinator species richness, providing evidence for a habitat-mediated dilution effect on viral prevalence. Biodiversity–disease relationships varied across viruses, as prevalence of sacbrood virus was not associated with any habitat quality or pollinator community metrics. Across all viruses and hosts, habitat–disease and biodiversity–disease paths had effects of similar magnitude on viral prevalence. Therefore, habitat quality is a key driver of variation in pathogen prevalence among communities via both direct habitat–disease and indirect biodiversity–disease pathways, though the specific patterns varied among different viruses and host species. Critically, habitat–disease relationships could either contribute to or obscure dilution effects in natural systems depending on the relative strength and direction of the habitat–disease and biodiversity–disease pathways in that host–pathogen system. Therefore, habitat may be an important driver in the complex interactions between hosts and pathogens.

opencc-by-4.0Sep 2022View details →

Changes in the acoustic structure of Australian bird communities along a habitat complexity gradient

Avian vocalizations have evolved in response to a variety of abiotic and biotic selective pressures. While there is some support for signal convergence in similar habitats that is attributed to adaptation to the acoustic properties of the environment (the ‘acoustic adaptation hypothesis’, AAH), there is also evidence for character displacement as result of competition for signal space among coexisting species (the ‘acoustic niche partitioning hypothesis’). We explored the acoustic space of avian assemblages distributed along six different habitat types (from herbaceous habitats to warm rainforests) in south eastern Queensland, Australia. We employed three acoustic diversity indices (acoustic richness, evenness, and divergence) to characterize the signal space. In addition, we quantified the phylogenetic and morphological structure (in terms of both body mass and beak size) of each community. Acoustic parameters showed a moderately low phylogenetic signal, indicating labile evolution. Although, we did not find meaningful differences in acoustic diversity indices among habitat categories, there was a significant relationship between the regularity component (evenness) and vegetation height indicating that acoustic signals are more evenly distributed in dense habitats. After accounting for differences in species richness, the volume of acoustic space (i.e., acoustic richness) decreased as the level of phylogenetic and morphological resemblance among species in a given community increased. Additionally, we found a significantly negative relationship between acoustic divergence and divergence in body mass indicating that the less different species are in their body mass, the more different their songs are likely to be. This implies the existence of acoustic niche partitioning at community level. Overall, while we found mixed support for the AAH, our results suggest that community-level effects may play a role in structuring acoustic signals within avian communities in this region. This study shows that signal diversity estimated by diversity metrics of community ecology based on basic acoustic parameters can provide additional insight into the structure of animal vocalizations.

Fig. 6 in Long Term (1985-2018) Changes Of The Habitat Suitability Of European Souslik Assessed By Maxent Modelling Based On Landsat Satellite Imagery - A Case Study From A Mountain Landscape Of Central Bulgaria

Fig. 6. Abundance (mean number of burrows/100 × 5 m transect) of S. citellus in 4 colonies in the study area in summer (for the period 2017–2021) N = Luda Yana; –– l –– = Belotrup; ---- l ---- = Panagyurski kolonii; u = Beli Manastiri

Fig. 5 in Long Term (1985-2018) Changes Of The Habitat Suitability Of European Souslik Assessed By Maxent Modelling Based On Landsat Satellite Imagery - A Case Study From A Mountain Landscape Of Central Bulgaria

Fig. 5. Changes in the habitat suitability in the study area (white – not suitable, black – high suitability) of European souslik assessed by maxent modelling based on data from 2006–2018 (B) and extrapolated for the period 1985–2005 (A). The results are presented in

Fig. 3 in Long Term (1985-2018) Changes Of The Habitat Suitability Of European Souslik Assessed By Maxent Modelling Based On Landsat Satellite Imagery - A Case Study From A Mountain Landscape Of Central Bulgaria

Fig. 3. Negative and positive anomalies (white and black bars) of the Mean Annual Temperature time series for the period of 1985–2018 (data from the meteorological station Sofia)

Figs 2–4 in Occurrence And Abundance Of Invasive And Native Arion Slugs In Three Types Of Habitats In Urban Area Of Wrocław (Sw Poland)

Figs 2–4. Sampled habitat types: 2 = natural habitat in forest Las Pilczycki (locality no 2); 3 = semi-natural habitat with watercourse, the Dolna Oława in Park Wschodni (locality no

Fig. 1 in Occurrence And Abundance Of Invasive And Native Arion Slugs In Three Types Of Habitats In Urban Area Of Wrocław (Sw Poland)

Fig. 1. Location of sampling sites in Wrocław (see Table 1) and map of administrative division of Poland. Symbols indicate the type of habitat. Colours indicate species and hybrids

Fig. 2 in Long Term (1985-2018) Changes Of The Habitat Suitability Of European Souslik Assessed By Maxent Modelling Based On Landsat Satellite Imagery - A Case Study From A Mountain Landscape Of Central Bulgaria

Fig. 2. Changes in the number of grazing livestock in the southern central Bulgarian planning region for the period 2001–2018

opencc-by-4.0Nov 2020View details →

Fig. 1. Female 12 in New data on lithobiomorph centipedes (Chilopoda, Lithobiomorpha) from anthropogenic habitats of Siberia

Fig. 1. Female 12th tibia with a distal spinose projection (indicated by arrow) of Lamyctes africanus (Porath, 1871) from the environs of Unga village, Kemerovskaya Oblast, Russia. Scale: 0.1 mm.

opencc-by-4.0Mar 2022View details →

Fig. 7. Habitat and live colouration. A–D in On two new species of the genus Lobothelphusa Bouvier, 1917 (Decapoda: Brachyura: Potamidae: Potaminae) from the Pegu Range, central Myanmar

Fig. 7. Habitat and live colouration. A–D, Lobothelphusa bagoensis, new species: A, habitat; B, paratype, ovigerous female (SEABRIDYX3); C, D, holotype, male (NNU16-DYX1). E–G, Lobothelphusa thewanica, new species: E, habitat; F, G, holotype, male (NNU16-BG1).

opencc-by-4.0Apr 2022View details →

Figure 1 in A checklist of halacarid and pontarachnid mites (Acari: Halacaridae and Pontarachnidae) found in seagrass habitats

Figure 1. Number of halacarid and pontarchnid species reported from seagrass habitats in each marine provinces of the world.