Disturbed Environments Research Articles

The demise of enemy release associated with the invasion of specialist folivores on an invasive tree

There is a long history of humans either intentionally or accidentally moving plant species to areas outside of their native ranges. In novel environments, populations of many of these plant species exhibit explosive population growth and spread, in part due to the absence of coevolved enemies such as herbivorous insects. However, over time such enemies can ‘catch up' with their host and re‐establish host–herbivore relationships. Though this phenomenon has been documented in several systems, little evidence exists on how this re‐assembly of enemies results in increased levels of herbivory. In this study we focus on the case of black locust Robinia pseudoacacia, a sparsely populated tree species when growing on undisturbed sites in its limited native range in the eastern USA but a highly invasive species, especially in disturbed environments, in most temperate world regions. We recorded folivore damage on invasive populations in five continents, including both native and invaded portions of North America. Here, we investigated 1) how total foliage damage and damage caused by different groups of folivores differs among regions; 2) how seasonal development of folivore damage differs among regions; 3) how folivory varies with distance from the native range within North America; and 4) how the number of recorded specialist folivores correlates with the amount of folivory. We observed strong differences among regions in the amount and type of folivore damage, with the native range experiencing the highest damage, especially that caused by the native chrysomelid beetle Odontota dorsalis, which is limited to the native and invaded North American range of R. pseudoacacia. Among world regions, total folivory is negatively associated with the distance from the native range and positively associated with the number of established R. pseudoacacia specialist folivore species, supporting the hypothesis that global patterns of herbivore invasions are associated with diminished enemy release.

Association between anthropization and rodent reservoirs of zoonotic pathogens in Northwestern Mexico.

The world is facing a major pulse of ecological and social changes that may favor the risk of zoonotic outbreaks. Such risk facilitation may occur through the modification of the host's community diversity and structure, leading to an increase in pathogen reservoirs and the contact rate between these reservoirs and humans. Here, we examined whether anthropization alters the relative abundance and richness of zoonotic reservoir and non-reservoir rodents in three Socio-Ecological Systems. We hypothesized that anthropization increases the relative abundance and richness of rodent reservoirs while decreasing non-reservoir species. We first developed an Anthropization index based on 15 quantitative socio-ecological variables classified into five groups: 1) Vegetation type, 2) Urbanization degree, 3) Water quality, 4) Potential contaminant sources, and 5) Others. We then monitored rodent communities in three regions of Northwestern Mexico (Baja California, Chihuahua, and Sonora). A total of 683 rodents of 14 genera and 27 species were captured, nine of which have been identified as reservoirs of zoonotic pathogens (359 individuals, 53%). In all regions, we found that as anthropization increased, the relative abundance of reservoir rodents increased; in contrast, the relative abundance of non-reservoir rodents decreased. In Sonora, reservoir richness increased with increasing anthropization, while in Baja California and Chihuahua non-reservoir richness decreased as anthropization increased. We also found a significant positive relationship between the anthropization degree and the abundance of house mice (Mus musculus) and deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), the most abundant reservoir species in the study. These findings support the hypothesis that reservoir species of zoonotic pathogens increase their abundance in disturbed environments, which may increase the risk of pathogen exposure to humans, while anthropization creates an environmental filtering that promotes the local extinction of non-reservoir species.

Characterization of gill bacterial microbiota in wild Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) across lakes, rivers, and bays in the Canadian Arctic ecosystems.

Teleost gill mucus has a highly diverse microbiota, which plays an essential role in the host's fitness and is greatly influenced by the environment. Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus), a salmonid well adapted to northern conditions, faces multiple stressors in the Arctic, including water chemistry modifications, that could negatively impact the gill microbiota dynamics related to the host's health. In the context of increasing environmental disturbances, we aimed to characterize the taxonomic distribution of transcriptionally active taxa within the bacterial gill microbiota of Arctic char in the Canadian Arctic in order to identify active bacterial composition that correlates with environmental factors. For this purpose, a total of 140 adult anadromous individuals were collected from rivers, lakes, and bays belonging to five Inuit communities located in four distinct hydrologic basins in the Canadian Arctic (Nunavut and Nunavik) during spring (May) and autumn (August). Various environmental factors were collected, including latitudes, water and air temperatures, oxygen concentration, pH, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), salinity, and chlorophyll-a concentration. The taxonomic distribution of transcriptionally active taxa within the gill microbiota was quantified by 16S rRNA gene transcripts sequencing. The results showed differential bacterial activity between the different geographical locations, explained by latitude, salinity, and, to a lesser extent, air temperature. Network analysis allowed the detection of a potential dysbiosis signature (i.e., bacterial imbalance) in fish gill microbiota from Duquet Lake in the Hudson Strait and the system Five Mile Inlet connected to the Hudson Bay, both showing the lowest alpha diversity and connectivity between taxa.IMPORTANCEThis paper aims to decipher the complex relationship between Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) and its symbiotic microbial consortium in gills. This salmonid is widespread in the Canadian Arctic and is the main protein and polyunsaturated fatty acids source for Inuit people. The influence of environmental parameters on gill microbiota in wild populations remains poorly understood. However, assessing the Arctic char's active gill bacterial community is essential to look for potential pathogens or dysbiosis that could threaten wild populations. Here, we concluded that Arctic char gill microbiota was mainly influenced by latitude and air temperature, the latter being correlated with water temperature. In addition, a dysbiosis signature detected in gill microbiota was potentially associated with poor fish health status recorded in these disturbed environments. With those results, we hypothesized that rapid climate change and increasing anthropic activities in the Arctic might profoundly disturb Arctic char gill microbiota, affecting their survival.

Spatial and temporal variation of the Formicidae assemblage in different forest types of the Chaco Seco ecoregion, Argentina

Ants have been widely used as bioindicators of natural and disturbed environments. In Argentine Chaco Seco, ants represent an important part of the total biodiversity and fulfil various functions in forest ecosystems. With the aim of evaluating β diversity and identifying indicator ants, surveys were carried out in three types of implanted forests: Neltuma alba (mesquite), Eucalyptus tereticornis (eucalyptus) and mixed forests without intervention for 50 years, mainly composed of Ceiba speciosa and Phoenix canariensis, located at the Fernández Experimental Station of the Catholic University of Santiago del Estero. The samplings were carried out in spring, summer and autumn, between 2019 and 2022, using pitfall traps that remained active for 24 h. The abundance and composition of Formicidae at each site and season were evaluated using the Jaccard similarity index and generalized linear mixed models. A total of 7366 individuals grouped into 28 species belonging to 6 Formicidae subfamilies were identified. Some species were present at all sites and seasons, with Solenopsis saevissima, Camponotus mus and Pheidole bergii being the most abundant in the mesquite, eucalyptus and mixed stands, respectively. In addition, three exclusive species of N. alba, two of E. tereticornis and one of the mixed stand were identified. Furthermore, it was observed that the myrmecological composition varied seasonally, mainly during autumn. These results demonstrate that due to the characteristics of each site, representative groups of ants can be found for each that could be used as indicators of each type of environment and that the temporal variation of the communities is favored by the diversification of the habitats, which offer different resources during each season of the year, increasing the turnover rate.

Robustness defect detection: Improving the performance of surface defect detection in interference environment

In industrial production environments, the performance of surface defect detection methods for products is affected by disturbances in the equipment, manufacturing processes, and the environment, resulting in poor robustness of the training model. In this paper, an improved defect detection method based on feature extraction fusion and dynamic label assignment is proposed. Three improved network structures, i.e., the adaptive feature recognition convolution (AFRC), path aggregation balanced feature pyramid, and dynamic label assignment, are proposed for the feature extraction, feature fusion, and detection phases of the existing Faster RCNN model, respectively. The AFRC is employed to improve the feature extraction ability of the model for irregular defects, the path balance feature pyramid is utilized to enhance the recognition ability of the model for different levels of feature maps, and the dynamic label assignment is employed to improve the quality of the candidate frames. Under disturbed environments, the results of the proposed improvements outperform the benchmark faster RCNN model in terms of average precision (AP) by 4.1%, 3.7%, and 4.2% on an aluminum surface defect dataset and by 1.8%, 2.2%, and 3.7% AP on a magnetic tile surface defect dataset. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed scheme effectively improves the robustness of the baseline model in environments with various disturbances.

Pandemic preparedness—political perspectives

Abstract Pandemic preparedness is explored for the antibiotic resistance crisis and the threat of a next viral pandemic. Bacterial pathogens escaping from control by antibiotics are well defined, and resistance develops over decades while a next viral pandemic occurs suddenly with a novel virus. The death toll for resistant bacterial infections is reviewed, and the scientific and economic hurdles to the development of new antibiotics are discussed. Regulatory adaptations and financial push and pull programs to restimulate new antibiotic development are explored. The COVID-19 pandemic caused not only millions of deaths, but also economic losses in excess of 10 trillion US dollars. Coronaviruses and influenza viruses remain usual suspects for new viral pandemics, followed by paramyxoviruses. Viral infections at the animal–human interface in wet markets and in disturbed environments need active virus surveillance programs. Learning lessons from the COVID-19 for non-pharmaceutical interventions is difficult to draw since measures were frequently applied in combination against different variant viruses and against changing population immunity levels. The Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy (RECOVERY) clinical trials demonstrated that even under emergency situations clinical trials can rapidly provide solid treatment data. Various novel vaccine approaches were the most efficient control measures for the COVID-19 pandemic. Pandemic preparedness also requires a fact-based discussion both in the public and in parliaments to settle the conflict between individual freedom and necessary restrictions during a pandemic. Mature and educated citizens are needed not only for coping with pandemics but also for creating stress-resistant democratic societies. Learned scientific societies should contribute to this discussion.

Unveiling the resistance of native weed communities: insights for managing invasive weed species in disturbed environments.

Weed communities influence the dynamics of ecosystems, particularly in disturbed environments where anthropogenic activities often result in higher pollution. Understanding the dynamics existing between native weed communities and invasive species in disturbed environments is crucial for effective management and normal ecosystem functioning. Recognising the potential resistance of native weed communities to invasion in disturbed environments can help identify suitable native plants for restoration operations. This review aims to investigate the adaptations exhibited by native and non-native weeds that may affect invasions within disturbed environments. Factors such as ecological characteristics, altered soil conditions, and adaptations of native weed communities that potentially confer a competitive advantage relative to non-native or invasive weeds in disturbed environments are analysed. Moreover, the roles of biotic interactions such as competition, mutualistic relationships, and allelopathy in shaping the invasion resistance of native weed communities are described. Emphasis is given to the consideration of the resistance of native weeds as a key factor in invasion dynamics that provides insights for conservation and restoration efforts in disturbed environments. Additionally, this review underscores the need for further research to unravel the underlying mechanisms and to devise targeted management strategies. These strategies aim to promote the resistance of native weed communities and mitigate the negative effects of invasive weed species in disturbed environments. By delving deeper into these insights, we can gain an understanding of the ecological dynamics within disturbed ecosystems and develop valuable insights for the management of invasive species, and to restore long-term ecosystem sustainability.

A high-quality reference genome for the common creek chub, Semotilus atromaculatus.

Creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus) is a leuciscid minnow species commonly found in anthropogenically disturbed environments, making it an excellent model organism to study human impacts on aquatic systems. Genomic resources for creek chub and other leuciscid species are currently limited. However, advancements in DNA sequencing now allow us to create genomic resources at a historically low cost. Here, we present a high quality, 239 contig reference genome for the common creek chub, created with PacBio HiFi sequencing. We compared the assembly quality of two pipelines: Pacific Biosciences' Improved Phase Assembly (873 contigs) and Hifiasm (239 contigs). Quality and completeness of this genome is comparable to the zebrafish (Danioninae) and fathead minnow (Leuciscidae) genomes. The creek chub genome is highly syntenic to the zebrafish and fathead minnow genomes, and while our assembly does not resolve into the expected 25 chromosomes, synteny with zebrafish suggests that each creek chub chromosome is likely represented by 1-4 large contigs in our assembly. This reference genome is a valuable resource that will enhance genomic biodiversity studies of creek chub and other nonmodel leuciscid species common to disturbed environments.

Mapping breeding birds in a re-naturalized historical fortress: composition, structure and considerations about abundance vs. biomass comparisons

Using the mapping method, I obtained data about a rich, even and diversified breeding bird assemblage inhabiting an abandoned and re-naturalized historical military fortress (Rome, central Italy). Fortress and the surrounding parks host a large number of edge-mosaic, forest and synanthropic species (often localized at urban scale as Dendrocopos minor and Columba palumbus) due to a large availability of many sub-habitats and related niches (walls, cavities, tree holes, mature trees, mowed meadows, hedgerows, and deep moats). In this regard, this historical site may be considered a “key-stone structure” at the landscape scale (i.e., a mature forest/rocky patch embedded in an agromosaic suburban mosaic). The application of the Abundance/Biomass Comparison (ABC) evidenced a dominant role of large body mass species. The underlying logic behind this approach assumes that, generally, in less disturbed environments species with higher trophic level (and higher body mass) dominate: the increase in frequency of these larger species induce early cumulating biomass curves. However, in our anthropized case study, this assumption seems not valid since many large body mass species (as Columba livia dom., Psittacula krameri and Corvus cornix) show a low trophic level (e.g. granivorous or homnivorous): i.e. body mass is not an indicator of trophic level. Therefore, the pattern reported by ABC curves evidence only a dominance of large body mass species without implications on the trophic level and, consequently, on the disturbance acting on the assemblage. In this regard, assumptions linked to the ABC curves are probably not universal but only limited to specific taxa and contexts.

Functional diversity along disturbance and environmental gradients in Ethiopian moist Afromontane forest

Considering multiple measures to fully capture functional diversity is important. However, the effects of disturbance gradients on diversity have been controversial, as species diversity alone may not fully capture these effects. This study aimed to evaluate trait-based diversity across disturbance gradients in the moist Afromontane forest of Ethiopia, Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve (YCFBR). Vegetation data and relevant traits related to plant-life strategies, competition, and responses to disturbances were collected. A multiple regression model was used to test the response of functional diversity to disturbances and environmental gradients. The results revealed functional diversity in plant communities, including dendrogram-based functional diversity for plot-based (FDp), functional richness (FRic), functional evenness (FEve), functional divergence (FDiv), functional dispersions (FDis), and community-weighted mean of maximum tree height (CWM.Hmax), showed decreasing patterns with increasing disturbance intensity in the YCFBR. Additionally, the findings highlighted that FDis and Hmax are the most vulnerable functional traits to anthropogenic factors and are less tolerant in disturbed ecosystem environments. Therefore, reducing disturbances is crucial to maintaining higher levels of these functional diversities. For example, the results showed that the CWM.Hmax declined from 27.25 m to 15 m, indicating a shift towards shorter plant species. In contrast, the community-weighted mean of woody density (CWM.WD), the community-weighted mean of specific leaf area (CWM.SLA), and the community-weighted mean of seed mass (CWM.SM) increased significantly with an increase in disturbance intensity. For instance, CWM.SM and CWM.SLA changed from 5 to 14.25 (g) and 90 to 130 (cm2/g), respectively. These indices may serve as indicators of ecosystem resilience at disturbed forest ecosystem sites. Furthermore, the regression results indicated that FDp, FRic, FEve, FDiv, FDis, CWM.WD, and CWM.Hmax showed increasing patterns with increasing species richness, which suggests that protecting and promoting species diversity can contribute to maintaining high levels of functional diversity. The mixed effects model revealed that anthropogenic disturbance and elevational gradients had significant effects on functional diversity in the YCFBR. Therefore, when managing and conserving biodiversity in heterogeneous environments, both anthropogenic factors and environmental variables need to be considered. Species with low SLA and SM are recommended for the restoration of disturbed ecosystems. Overall, this study demonstrates that trait-based functional diversity is useful for predicting the adaptation potentials of species in heterogeneous environments and disturbance gradients.

Detection and characterization of novel luchacoviruses, genus Alphacoronavirus, in saliva and feces of meso-carnivores in the northeastern United States.

Several coronaviruses (CoVs) have been detected in domesticated, farmed, and wild meso-carnivores, causing a wide range of diseases and infecting diverse species, highlighting their important but understudied role in the epidemiology of these viruses. Assessing the viral diversity hosted in wildlife species is essential to understand their significance in the cross-species transmission of CoVs. Our focus here was on CoV discovery in meso-carnivores in the Northeast United States as a potential "hotspot" area with high density of humans and urban wildlife. This study identifies novel alphacoronaviruses circulating in multiple free-ranging wild and domestic species in this area and explores their potential epidemiological importance based on regions of the Spike gene, which are relevant for virus-host interactions.

The first record of partial xanthochromism in big-eared opossum, Didelphis aurita (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae)

Abstract Didelphis aurita is an abundant South American didelphid. Chromatic disorders are rare and scarcely known in marsupials. We report and describe the occurrence of xanthochromism (yellowish coloration) in D. aurita, being the first record of this anomaly for opossums. The emergence of the xanthochromism correlated with the anthropogenic stress in urban-sylvatic interface suggests that chromatic disorders may serve as useful bioindicators of the health of wildlife in disturbed environments.

Growth analysis highlights the fire-resistance of a ruderal species in the Atlantic Forest

Fire-resistant species may have an essential ecological role in the natural regeneration process of degraded landscapes. Moquiniastrum polymorphum is a ruderal and fire-resistant species that occupies fire-disturbed areas in Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Evaluating a species’ growth sensitivity to fire and climate can help understand its complex successional process. In the present study, we used dendrochronology to describe the radial growth trajectories of M. polymorphum in a fire-disturbed area in the Atlantic Forest (Poço das Anta Biological Reserve), detect post-fire effects on the species’ growth, and investigate climate-growth relationships. We described the long-term growth trend of the species, it increased in the first years and was constant in the following years. The chronology was positively correlated with precipitation and negatively correlated with temperature at the end of the rainy season. Our results reveal that M. polymorphum did not reduce its growth after fire events. When observing through an epoch perspective, fire can even be positive to the species growth. These growth results indicated species fire resistance, which likely provides a resilient tree cover after forest fires and allows disturbed Atlantic Forest environments to break grass-fire cycles. This resistance may have a direct relationship with the opportunistic characteristic of the species in fire-prone areas in the Atlantic Forest. However, we highlight the critical role this species plays in the natural regeneration of burned sites in the Atlantic Forest.

Trophic interactions between two sympatric mesocarnivores in an anthropized landscape from the Mexican highlands

The study of diets in North American carnivores has been assessed from different methods, essentially analyzing the composition of their diet, and classifying the species based on the breadth of their trophic niche. Still, studies that explore aspects of their interactions are limited. This work studies the predator-prey relationship through an interaction network analysis approach, nesting, and the analysis of core vs peripheral individuals, for two sympatric species of the Mexican highlands, the bobcat (Lynx rufus) and the coyote (Canis latrans). In addition, the effect on the structure of the interaction networks under two conditions of environmental disturbance was evaluated. In environments with high disturbance: A network was obtained for 46 bobcats and 18 coyotes, identifying six bobcats and five core coyotes; and in environments with low disturbance, the network was obtained for 134 bobcats and 38 coyotes, identifying 30 bobcats and eight core coyotes. Three of the analyzed networks presented a nested pattern with the WNOFD metric (High disturbance: L. rufus: Nesting = 0.51, p < 0.05, C. latrans: 4.13, p < 0.05; Low disturbance: L. rufus, 0.91, p < 0.05) and only one network with the NOFD metric was nested (Low disturbance = C. latrans, 19.51, p < 0.05). There was an effect of environmental disturbance on the evaluated networks; in highly disturbed environments, the structure and composition of the interactions are different for both species. Unlike conventional methods for studying the diet of carnivores, our results provide a different methodology that allows characterizing the network of trophic relationships between predators and their prey, evaluating whether their relationships are nested, and analyzing information at the level of individuals and sexes. In subsequent studies, it is relevant to investigate the fragility of the network due to the loss of essential components of its structure, which will allow establishing measures for its conservation. Also, presents for the first time the structure of the trophic interaction network for two sympatric mesocarnivores from the Mexican highlands, as a tool to study their relationships and show mechanisms of their coexistence.

Germination niche of a pioneer woody species (Manihot grahamii hook.): a strategy of seed heat stimulation to cope with disturbance in dry subtropical forests

AbstractLight and temperature conditions trigger germination in specific temporal windows and microhabitats, thus determining the germination niche of plant species. Manihot species grow in fire-prone ecosystems and their seeds show heat tolerance. Successful establishment in disturbed environments might be related to seed attributes that allow seeds to cope with or avoid stressful environments. We studied some characteristics of the germination niche of Manihot grahamii, a pioneer woody species present in dry subtropical forests of central Argentina, to understand its successful establishment in disturbed environments. We evaluated the germination ecology of the seeds of M. grahamii with the aims to (1) characterize seed traits (viability, mass and moisture content); (2) determine whether it has dormancy and if it is physical or physiological; (3) evaluate the effect of several pre-treatments (gibberellic acid, after ripening, dry prechilling and dry prechilling + warm) on seed dormancy; and (4) assess the effect of different environmental events of high temperatures on the germination process simulating two treatments: fire intensities (with three levels of heat shock) and a gap temperature. M. grahamii seeds have large mass (0.24 g), low moisture content (8%), physiological dormancy, negative photoblastic behaviour and high heat tolerance. Dormancy was alleviated and seeds became insensitive to light when they were exposed to pre-treatments of dry prechilling + warm and high-temperature treatments. This germination strategy promotes secure germination timing into the rainy season on undisturbed habitats as well as a cue for competition-released gaps which in turn favour recruitment in open, disturbed and dry habitats, respectively. In the context of global change, with an increasing habitat fragmentation and fire frequency, M. grahamii could become more abundant and extend its geographic distributional range in central Argentina.

Estrogen signaling in healthy and tumor brain

Sex-specific differences in brain organization and function are widely explored in multidisciplinary studies, ranging from sociology and biology to digital modelling. In addition, there is growing evidence that natural or disturbed hormonal environments play a crucial role in the onset of brain disorders and pathogenesis. For example, steroid hormones, but also enzymes involved in steroidogenesis and receptors triggering hormone signaling are key players of gliomagenesis. In the present review we summarize the current knowledge about steroid hormone, particularly estrogens synthesis and signaling, in normal brain compared to the tumor brain. We will focus on two key molecular players, aromatase and the G Protein-Coupled Estrogen Receptor, GPER.

Responses of soil microarthropods to soil metal fractions under different mediterranean vegetation covers

Soil microarthropods play essential roles in soil functioning and they are considered useful indicators of soil metal contamination, as they quickly respond to environmental changes. The toxicity of metals depends on their fractions, but few studies have been conducted on the responses of microarthropods to different metal fractions. The study aimed to assess the response of the soil microarthropods to the soil metal fractions (exchangeable: available for organisms, reducible: associated to Fe-Mn oxides, oxidizable: associated to organic matter) under different Mediterranean vegetation covers. To reach the aim, the soils of different vegetation covers (holm oak, pine, black locust and herbs) were analysed for pH, water content, total C, N and P and Corg, NH4+ and Passimilable contents, the exchangeable (F1), reducible (F2) and oxidizable (F3) fractions of Al, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, V and Zn and the microarthropod taxonomic and functional indices. The results showed that, regardless the vegetation cover, the F2 and F3 of Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, V and Zn significantly inhibited the density of microarthropods, favouring the functional traits typical of disturbed environments. The element F1, except for Mn, slightly impacted on the microarthropod community. In addition, the soils under trees positively influenced the taxonomic and functional indices of the microarthropod community where higher contents of Corg and macronutrients were observed. Several taxa were differently impacted by three metal fractions of Al, Ca, Fe and K; in particular, Formicidae were favoured, whereas Diplopoda and Isopoda were favoured by Ca, Fe and K and inhibited by Al concentrations. The present research demonstrated that stable fractions (F2 and F3) of metals, instead to available one, exert a strong impact of microarthropod community. This leaded to change in microarthropod community assemblage, favouring taxa and traits typical of disturbed environments.

Neophytes may promote hybridization and adaptations to a changing planet.

Human activities erode geographic barriers, facilitating hybridization among previously isolated taxa. However, limited empirical research exists on the consequences of introduced species (neophytes) for hybridization and subsequent evolutionary outcomes. To address this knowledge gap, we employed a macroecological approach. First, we examined the spatial and phylogenetic overlap between neophytes and hybrids by integrating the Plants of the World Online database with the Global Naturalized Alien Flora database. Second, leveraging the largest dated plant phylogeny available, we compared diversification rates between genera containing hybrids and neophytes versus those without. Third, focusing on the extensively studied hybrid flora of Britain, we studied the spatial distributions of hybrids in relation to neophyte and native parents, assessing potential adaptations to anthropogenic disturbances and impacts on native species. Overall, our findings highlight positive ties between contemporary biodiversity redistribution and hybridization. Spatially (across countries) and phylogenetically (across genera), neophyte incidence was positively associated with hybrid incidence. Genera comprising both hybrids and neophytes displayed significantly higher diversification rates. Neophyte hybrids primarily occupied areas with a higher human footprint, with limited evidence of hybrids threatening native species throughout their range in more natural habitats. These results challenge the notion that species naturalizations and hybridizations exclusively yield negative outcomes for biodiversity. While it is conceivable that anthropogenic hybridization may facilitate recombination of genetic variation and contribute to conserving genetic diversity in disturbed environments, further research is needed to fully understand these processes.

Ecological and biological indicators of the accuracy of species distribution models: lessons from European bryophytes

The predictive power of species distribution models (SDMs) varies substantially among species depending on their ecological and life‐history traits, but which of these traits are the most relevant and how they influence species ‘predictability' remains an area of debate. Here, we address these questions in bryophytes. SDMs employing macroclimatic, topographic and edaphic predictors were calibrated for 411 species in Europe and externally evaluated using an independent dataset. Regression models were implemented to determine whether species characteristics, including life‐history traits, ecological preference and niche breadth, determine the accuracy of SDMs. Variation in SDM accuracy among species was significantly explained by species characteristics, supporting the hypothesis that the strength of species–environment correlations is affected by characteristics of the species themselves. The percent variance of SDM accuracy explained by species traits, however, substantially varied between 9 and 57% depending on the evaluation metrics used. The lower correlation observed between species traits and MaxKappa and the Boyce index than with area under the curve (AUC) and MaxTSS suggests that the former are less suitable than the latter for determining species ‘predictability' based on their traits. SDM accuracy decreased from species restricted to pristine habitats to species thriving in eutrophic habitats with high levels of human disturbance. The widespread distribution of man‐made habitats in fact opens the door for the spread of now ubiquitous species, even in environments that would primarily not be suitable for them. Such species, likely to occur anywhere, reach very high to full occupancy rates, thereby decreasing the accuracy of models aiming at predicting their distributions. The fact that AUC and MaxTSS were higher for species from pristine habitats is important in a conservation context, as ubiquitous species from eutrophic, disturbed environments are precisely the ones of lower conservation relevance.

A checklist of Nylanderia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae) from Hong Kong and Macao SARs, with an illustrated identification key for species in Southeast China and Taiwan.

Species of the ant genus Nylanderia constitute some of the most common ground dwelling Formicinae in tropical and subtropical areas. The genus includes numerous species introduced into new regions, especially within urban or disturbed environments. Here, we review the Nylanderia species found within Hong Kong and Macao, which are both highly urbanized regions and of critical importance to Southern China's policy-makers and non-governmental actors concerned with the regional spread of non-native species. A total of 11 species and 2 morphospecies are recorded in Hong Kong and 6 species and 2 morphospecies are recorded in Macao. We also provide a list of new records for the genus in Hong Kong and Macao, along with taxonomic accounts for all the species recorded. Additionally, the present work provides an illustrated identification key for the species of Nylanderia occurring in Southeast Mainland China and Taiwan. We briefly discuss the possible biogeographical implications of our findings, providing additional support to the exotic status of N. bourbonica in continental Southeast Asia. Lastly, we give our perspective on the ramifications of local inaccessibility to type specimens to current taxonomic practices.