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FIGURE 74 in Hidden diversity in deep-water bandfishes: review of Owstonia with descriptions of twenty-one new species (Teleostei: Cepolidae: Owstoniinae)

FIGURE 74. Owstonia sibogae, Indonesia, Timor Sea. After Weber, 1913, pl. 2, fig. 4.

FIGURE 80. Owstonia tosaensis, ASIZP 60461, 173 in Hidden diversity in deep-water bandfishes: review of Owstonia with descriptions of twenty-one new species (Teleostei: Cepolidae: Owstoniinae)

FIGURE 80. Owstonia tosaensis, ASIZP 60461, 173 mm SL, Taiwan. Photograph by Sandra J. Raredon.

FIGURE 27 in Hidden diversity in deep-water bandfishes: review of Owstonia with descriptions of twenty-one new species (Teleostei: Cepolidae: Owstoniinae)

FIGURE 27. Distributions of selected species of Owstonia based on specimens examined.

FIGURE 25 in Hidden diversity in deep-water bandfishes: review of Owstonia with descriptions of twenty-one new species (Teleostei: Cepolidae: Owstoniinae)

FIGURE 25. Distributions of selected species of Owstonia based on specimens examined.

opencc-by-4.0Feb 2017View details →

Supplementary material 1: Number of Pteridaceae species by gender in Togo from: The Pteridaceae family diversity in Togo - Biodiversity Data Journal 3: e5078 (15 July 2015) https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.3.e5078

Number of Pteridaceae species by gender in Togo

opencc-by-nc-4.0Aug 2017View details →

Butterflies show different functional and species diversity in relation to vegetation structure and land-use

Using these data we investigated the relation between vegetation structure, land use and the diversity of species and traits in butterflies for the Netherlands. The research paper, now accepted for publication but not yet online, in the journal "Global Ecology and Biogeography", has the title "Butterflies show different functional and species diversity in relation to vegetation structure and land-use". Please see the methods used to create the dataset in the above mentioned manuscript. A description of the raster layers used in the above mentioned manuscript and available here has been uploaded together with the raster layers.

Crop diversity and within field multi-species interactions mediate herbivore abundances in cotton fields

Insect herbivore abundances in agricultural fields partly depend on surrounding landscape compositional heterogeneity (e.g., landscape complexity). Landscape complexity can directly (e.g., dilution of host crops) and indirectly (promoting herbivore biocontrol) regulate herbivores in agricultural fields. While much is known about direct (e.g., resource concentration) and indirect effects (i.e., promoting biocontrol) of landscape complexity on herbivore populations, more work is needed to study whether landscape complexity can regulate herbivore populations by mediating within field multi-species interactions among herbivores and their shared natural enemies. During 2019 and 2020, we estimated Bemisia tabaci and Aphis gossypii abundances, their dominant predators (coccinellids, spiders, Orius spp., and Geocoris spp.), and their interaction (using molecular analysis) in 38 cotton fields along a gradient of landscape diversity across Georgia, USA. Within cotton fields, we assessed the effect of predator abundances, their frequency of feeding on herbivores, and the correlation between herbivore abundances (B. tabaci and A. gossypii) on the B. tabaci and A. gossypii abundance. At the landscape scale, crop diversity and different cover types influenced the abundance of B. tabaci and A. gossypii within cotton fields. We found a complex interaction among pests at the field scale, with higher aphid abundance correlated with decreased whitefly abundance. Our results support crop diversification for improving suppression of generalist pests in cotton landscapes through promoting biocontrol and diluting host crop area. Our result further suggests that the landscape complexity effect on whiteflies can indirectly mediate aphid abundance in cotton fields, indicating the importance of within field species interactions.

The functional significance of tree species diversity in European forests - the FunDivEUROPE dataset

The FunDivEUROPE project, short for "Functional Significance of Forest Biodiversity in Europe," aimed at exploring the intricate relationships between forest biodiversity and ecosystem functionality, focusing specifically on European forests. The project was a collaborative effort involving scientists from multiple disciplines and institutions. It entailed a comprehensive, large-scale assessment of forest biodiversity and its impact on ecosystem functions in a network of observational plots spanning the European continent. This extensive network enabled us to systematically examine how variations in tree species diversity and functional traits influenced key ecosystem functions. In total, 209 mature forest plots measuring 30 x 30 meters were located in six European countries, ranging from boreal to Mediterranean zones, with each representing a major European forest type: Finland (boreal forest), Poland (hemiboreal forest), Germany (temperate deciduous forest), Romania (mountainous deciduous forest), Italy (thermophilous deciduous forest), and Spain Mediterranean mixed forest). Richness levels of one, two, three, four, and five target species were replicated within and across regions. A major strength of the FunDivEUROPE project was the general philosophy to measure all ecosystem functions in all plots, following the same protocol by the same observers across the six forest types. In each of the 209 plots, 27 ecosystem functions were measured. Here, we present data on a high number of basic data for each of the 209 plots, describing geographic and geomorphological, as well as soil and bedrock characteristics, climate variables, and several measures of tree diversity. We further show data of the 27 ecosystem functions, which were classified into six groups reflecting basic ecological processes, and which have established links to supporting, provisioning, regulating or cultural ecosystem services. Details about the measurement protocols are provided. Major results from the FunDivEUROPE project shed light on the fundamental importance of biodiversity in European forests. The project revealed that diverse forests tend to be more resilient to disturbances, sequester more carbon, and provide enhanced diversity of forest-associated taxa. Moreover, the study highlighted the crucial role of particular tree species and functional traits in shaping ecosystem services and functions. The findings of FunDivEUROPE thus offer insights for forest management and conservation practices, advocating for the preservation and restoration of diverse forest ecosystems.

opencc-by-4.0Nov 2023View details →

Fig. 4 in Species Diversity And Distribution Of Synanthropic Acarid Mites (Acariformes, Acaridia) In Transcarpathia

Fig. 4. Correlation between the studied parameters.

opencc-by-4.0Nov 2023View details →

Fig. 3 in Species Diversity And Distribution Of Synanthropic Acarid Mites (Acariformes, Acaridia) In Transcarpathia

Fig. 3. Indices of species biodiversity of acarid mites in Transcarpathia.

Cell size-dependent species sensitivity to nanoparticles underlies changes in phytoplankton diversity and productivity

Nanoparticle pollution has been shown to affect various organisms. However, the effects of nanoparticles on species interactions, and the role of species traits, such as body size, in modulating these effects, are not well understood. We addressed this issue using competing freshwater phytoplankton species exposed to copper oxide nanoparticles. Increasing nanoparticle concentration resulted in decreased phytoplankton species growth rates and community productivity (both abundance and biomass). Importantly, we consistently found that nanoparticles had greater negative effects on species with smaller cell sizes, such that nanoparticle pollution weakened the competitive dominance of smaller species and promoted species diversity. Moreover, nanoparticles reduced the growth rate differences and competitive ability differences of competing species, while having little effect on species niche differences. Consequently, nanoparticle pollution reduced the selection effect on phytoplankton community abundance but increased the selection effect on community biomass. Our results suggest cell size as a key functional trait to consider when predicting phytoplankton community structure and ecosystem functioning in the face of increasing nanopollution.

Diversity, species coexistence, and functional composition patterns in subtropical Atlantic Forests invaded by non-native trees

<ol> <li>Biological invasions are a major environmental challenge today. Interactions between invasive and native species can significantly shape community structures, influencing co-existence, diversity, and functional composition of species. The subtropical Atlantic forest in southern Brazil, a recognized biodiversity hotspot, provides a unique setting to study these interactions, given its vulnerability to alien tree invasions. </li> <li>Our study sought to elucidate the impacts of such invasions on this fragile ecosystem by addressing key questions: 1) How are tree community diversity patterns affected by the abundance of invading alien tree species? 2) What are the patterns of coexistence between native and alien invasive trees? 3) Is the functional composition of the forests altered by the abundance of invasive trees?</li> <li>To address these questions, we compiled data on the abundance and functional traits of native and invasive trees. We determined the diversity patterns and functional composition of plots with different degrees of invasion. These data were analyzed using Generalized Linear Mixed Models, Principal Component Analysis, and a coexistence index.</li> <li>In plots with a higher abundance of invasive trees, there was a significant decrease in the taxonomic and functional richness of native species. Furthermore, we observed that invasive alien trees coexisted with native species, and as the abundance of invasive trees increased, the native community weighted mean (CWM) of the leaf area and specific leaf area decreased.</li> <li>In conclusion, within the subtropical Atlantic forest areas of southern Brazil, our findings highlight that the abundance of invasive trees adversely affects the taxonomic and functional richness of native species. Furthermore, while invasive alien trees were found to coexist with native species, increased invasive abundance corresponded to a reduction in the leaf area and the specific leaf area of the native community.</li> </ol>

opencc-zeroDec 2023View details →

Data and code for: Species-specific effects of production practices on genetic diversity in plant reintroduction programs

Plant production practices can influence the genetic diversity of cultivated plant materials and, ultimately, their potential to adapt to a reintroduction site. A common step in the plant production process is the application of seed pre-treatment to alleviate physiological seed dormancy and successfully germinate seeds. In production settings, the seeds that germinate more rapidly may be favored in order to fill plant quotas. In this study, we investigated how the application of cold-moist stratification treatments with different durations can lead to differences in the genetic diversity of the propagated plant materials. Specifically, we exposed seeds of three Viola species to two different cold stratification durations, and then we analyzed the genetic diversity of the resulting subpopulations through double-digestion restriction site-associated sequencing (ddRADseq). Our results show that, in two out of three species, utilizing a short stratification period will decrease the genetic diversity of neutral and expressed loci, likely due to the imposition of a genetic bottleneck and artificial selection. We conclude that, in some species, the use of minimal stratification practices in production may jeopardize the adaptive potential and long-term persistence of reintroduced populations and suggest that practitioners carefully consider the evolutionary implications of their production protocols. We highlight the need to consider the germination ecology of target species when selecting the length of dormancy-breaking pre-treatments.

opencc-zeroJan 2024View details →

High sexual display trait diversity without measured genetic divergence in a montane hybrid zone involving young species (Habronattus americanus subgroup, Araneae, Salticidae)

Genetic introgression, allele exchange across species boundaries, is a commonly recognized feature of animal evolution. Under such a paradigm contemporary contact zones provide first-hand and complementary insight into the geographic, phenotypic, and genetic details of introgression. Also, when mate choice phenotypes are conspicuous and variable in hybrids, contact zones provide potential insight into how sexual selection interacts with species boundary maintenance, particularly when postzygotic reproductive isolation is weak. The Habronattus americanus subgroup includes several recently evolved jumping spider species, with an estimated age of about 200,000 years, and substantial evidence for hybridization and introgression. We explored a contact zone involving H. americanus (Keyserling, 1885) and H. kubai (Griswold, 1979) on Mount Shasta, California, in alpine habitats that would have been unavailable (under ice) at the Last Glacial Maximum. We characterized morphological diversity within the contact zone, including the fine-scale geographic distribution of hybrid and parental individuals, and assessed genetic variation using ddRADseq data. Combined results indicate a lack of measured genomic differentiation between specimens with distinct morphologies, including individuals with phenotypes of the parental species. We identified a diverse array of hybrid morphologies, with phenotypic evidence for backcrossing, essentially forming a phenotypic bridge between parental taxa. The study area is characterized by more hybrid than parental individuals, with a significantly larger number of red-palped morphologies than white and/or yellow-palped morphologies; the novel, white-palped phenotype is perhaps transgressive. Overall, these results contribute to a better understanding of the expected ebb and flow of lineage interactions during the early stages of speciation.

opencc-zeroJan 2024View details →

Foliar endophyte diversity in eastern Asia-eastern North America disjunct tree species – Influences of host identity, environment, phylogeny, and geographic isolation

The well-known eastern Asia (EA) and eastern North America (ENA) floristic disjunction provides a unique system for biogeographic and evolutionary studies. Despite considerable interest in the disjunction, few studies have investigated the patterns and their underlying drivers of allopatric divergence in sister species or clades isolated in the two areas. Endophyte diversity and assembly in disjunct sister taxa, as an ecological trait, may have played an important role in the processes of allopatric evolution, but no studies have examined endophytes in these disjunct lineages. In this study, we compared foliar endophytes (including both fungi and bacteria) in 17 EA-ENA disjunct species pairs from genera representing conifers and major clades of angiosperms, as well as 23 species of Cornus from the US and China. We sequenced the ITS of fungi and 16S rDNA of bacteria to understand the composition of the endophyte community and gain insights into the relative roles of geographic isolation, host identity, phylogeny, and environment in shaping endophytic diversity patterns. We detected a much richer fungal than bacterial community in leaves of all species. Beta diversity varied greatly among individuals within species, between species, among genera, and among three natural environmental conditions. Based on a principal coordinates analysis, we found no close clustering of endophyte communities in samples from the same host plant species, from the same genus, or from the same geographic origin (i.e. EA or ENA) (when plants were grown in the same common garden), but we did detect clustering of samples from plants grown in the same environment (i.e., same geographic location). We observed separation of microbes in plant samples of the same species grown in different locations/environments. However, pooled samples across all species from the common garden with the same geographic origin (EA vs. ENA) showed a moderate level of dissimilarity in fungal endophytes between EA and ENA. An overall significant correlation between endophyte community dissimilarity and phylogenetic distance was detected among the disjunct genera but not among species of Cornus. However, significant correlation between order, family, and genera of endophytes and phylogenetic distance of Cornus species was observed. We also found no significant differences in Foliar Endophytic Fungal (FEF) communities between counterparts of disjunct species pairs in EA and ENA in most genera except in Liriodendron and Cornus, although the beta diversity within genera is high. Our results suggest important roles of host identity and environment (geographic locations), and a likely minor role of phylogenetic divergence and biogeographic isolation in shaping the pattern of foliar endophyte diversity and assembly in the EA-ENA disjunct genera, as well as in Cornus. The results further suggest that the sister taxa in EA and ENA are likely different in their foliar endophyte composition when growing in their native habitats due to differences in geographic locations and local environments, which is potentially a factor driving allopatric divergence of species functional features. This hypothesis can be tested by analysis of samples from native habitats.

opencc-zeroJan 2024View details →

Limited associations between MHC diversity and reproductive success in a bird species with biparental care

The selective pressure from pathogens on individuals can have direct consequences on reproduction. Genes from the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are central to the vertebrate adaptive immune system and pathogen resistance. In species with biparental care, each sex has distinct reproductive roles and levels of investment, and due to a trade-off with immunity, one can expect different selective regimes acting upon the MHC of each parent. Here, we addressed whether couples combine each other's variation at MHC loci to increase their breeding success. Specifically, we used a 23-year dataset from a barn owl population (Tyto alba) to understand how MHC class Iα and IIβ functional divergence and supertypes of each parent were associated with clutch size and fledging success. We did not detect associations between MHC diversity or supertypes with the clutch size nor with the fledging success. In addition, to understand the relative contribution from the MHC of the genetic parents and the social parents, we analysed the fledging success using only a cross-fostered dataset. We found several associations of weak-to-moderate effect sizes between the father's MHC and fledging success: i) lower MHC-Iα divergence in the genetic father increases fledging success, which might improve paternal care during incubation, and ii) one and two MHC-IIβ DAB2 supertypes in the social father decrease and increase, respectively, fledging success, which may affect the paternal care after hatching. Furthermore, fledging success increased when both parents did not carry MHC-IIβ DAB1 supertype 2, which could suggest conditional effects of this supertype. Although our study relied on a substantial dataset, we showed that the associations between MHC diversity and reproductive success remain scarce and of complex interpretation in the barn owl. Moreover, our results highlighted the need to incorporate more than one proxy of reproductive success and several MHC classes to capture more complex associations.

opencc-zeroFeb 2024View details →

Recent tree diversity increase in NE Iberian forests following intense management release: a task for animal-dispersed and drought tolerant species

<ol> <li>Under increasing human-related threats to forests, many studies suggest that increasing tree species diversity may boost forest resilience by enhancing the range of species' responses to disturbances. However, it remains unclear whether passive or active forest management strategies should be applied to increase tree diversity. This issue would benefit from investigating which management and environmental factors, together with species' functional traits influence temporal changes in tree species diversity.</li> <li>We explored the influence of the bioclimatic region, land-use history, forest cover, protection, management, forest structure and changes in temperature and precipitation, to explain tree species diversity changes in NE Iberian forests, by comparing 3141 plots from the Spanish National Forest Inventory sampled between 1989 and 2016. Moreover, we assessed which species' functional traits (dispersal habit, drought and shade tolerance) were most relevant for diversity changes.</li> <li>After 27 years, tree species richness and diversity moderately increased in the tree and regeneration layers. This trend occurred mostly in long-established, non-recently managed forests and in those with a lower initial basal area. Increasing temperature had negative effects for diversity increase in the tree layer but positive for the regeneration compartment, while decreasing precipitation showed the opposite effects.</li> <li>Tree species with higher drought tolerance, and especially those animal-dispersed ones arriving from the regional pool, mostly contributed to the local diversity increase. This pattern occurred in all forest types, although the taxonomic array of species varied.</li> <li> Synthesis and applications. The main drivers influencing the passive increase in tree species diversity suggest a primary role of diminishing forest exploitation in this recovery process, fine-tuned by climatic changes. This ecological scenario has particularly favored animal-dispersed tree species with higher drought tolerance, which mostly led the diversity increase. A higher presence of such highly mobile and drought-tolerant species can be crucial to increase functional diversity and, ultimately, increase forest resilience under future scenarios of greater aridity. In light of these results, management strategies should continue fostering the restoration of diversity in once intensively exploited forests while ensuring the maintenance of the already gained tree species diversity.</li> </ol>

opencc-zeroFeb 2024View details →

Data for: Does parasitoid species diversity promote protective symbiont diversity?

How does diversity in nature come about? One factor contributing to this diversity are species interactions; diversity on one trophic level can shape diversity on lower or higher trophic levels. For example, parasite diversity enhances host immune diversity. Protective symbionts mediate host resistance and are therefore also engaged in reciprocal selection with their host's parasites. Here, we applied experimental evolution in a well-known symbiont-aphid-parasitoid system to study whether parasitoid diversity contributes to maintaining symbiont diversity. We used caged populations of black bean aphids (Aphis fabae), containing uninfected individuals and individuals infected with different strains of the bacterial endosymbiont Hamiltonella defensa, which protects aphids against parasitoids. Over multiple generations, these populations were exposed to three different species of parasitoid wasps (Aphidius colemani, Binodoxys acalephae, or Lysiphlebus fabarum), simultaneous or sequential mixtures of these species, or no wasps. Surprisingly, we observed little selection for H. defensa in most treatments, even when it clearly provided protection against a fatal parasitoid infection. This seemed to be caused by high induced costs of resistance: aphids surviving parasitoid attacks suffered an extreme reduction in fitness. In marked contrast to previous studies looking at the effect of different genotypes of a single parasitoid species, we found little evidence for a diversifying effect of multiple parasitoid species on symbiont diversity in hosts.

opencc-zeroMar 2024View details →

Data from: Positive effects of tree species diversity on productivity switch to negative after severe drought mortality in a temperate forest experiment

Synthesis of a large body of evidence from field experiments suggests more diverse plant communities are both more productive as well as more resistant to the effects of climatic extremes like drought. However, this view is strongly based on data from grasslands due to limited empirical evidence from tree diversity experiments. Here we report on the relationship between tree diversity and productivity over ten years in a field experiment established in 2005 that was then affected by the 2018 megadrought in central Europe. Across a number of years, tree species diversity and productivity were significantly positively related, however, the slope switched to negative in the year of the drought. Net diversity effects increased through time, with complementarity making greater continuations to the net diversity effect than selection effects. Complementarity was clearly positive (95 % credible interval) in three and five species mixtures before the drought (2012-2016) but was found to decrease in the year of the drought. Selection effects were clearly positive in 2016, and remained positive in 2018, the drought year in two, three, and five species mixtures. Survival of the Norway spruce (Picea abies) plummeted during drought and a negative relationship between species diversity and spruce survival was found. Our findings suggest that tree diversity per se may not buffer communities against the impacts of extreme drought and that tree species composition and the drought tolerance of tree species (i.e., species identity) will be important determinants of community productivity as the prevalence of drought increases.