Effects Of Microhabitat Research Articles

Flight behaviour diverges more between seasonal forms than between species in Pieris butterflies.

In flying animals, wing morphology is typically assumed to influence flight behaviours. Whether seasonal polymorphism in butterfly morphology is linked to adaptive flight behaviour remains unresolved. Here, we compare the flight behaviours and wing morphologies of the spring and summer forms of two closely related butterfly species, Pieris napi and P. rapae. We first quantify three-dimensional flight behaviour by reconstructing individual flight trajectories using stereoscopic high-speed videography in an experimental outdoor cage. We then measure wing size and shape, which are characteristics assumed to influence flight behaviours in butterflies. We show that seasonal, but not interspecific, differences in flight behaviour might be associated with divergent forewing shapes. During spring, Pieris individuals are small and have elongated forewings, and generally fly at low speed and acceleration, while having a high flight curvature. On the contrary, summer individuals are larger and exhibit rounded forewings. They fly at high speed and acceleration, while having high turning acceleration and advance ratio. Our study provides one of the first quantitative pieces of evidence of different flight behaviours between seasonal forms of two Pieris butterfly species. We discuss the possibility that this co-divergence in flight behaviour and morphology is an adaptation to distinct seasonal environments. Properly identifying the mechanisms underpinning such divergence, nonetheless, requires further investigations to disentangle the interacting effects of microhabitats, predator community, parasitoid pressure and behavioural differences between sexes.

Revealing functional responses in habitat selection of rocky features and rugged terrain by Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) using LiDAR data

ContextMany carnivores are attracted to rugged terrain, rocky areas, and conspicuous relief features. However, most of the previous research is limited to general topographical habitat characteristics and rarely consider the effects of microhabitat characteristics.ObjectivesWe used the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) as a model species to investigate the effects of microhabitat characteristics and human infrastructure on habitat selection. We also tested whether there is evidence for a functional response in habitat selection across a large gradient of habitat availability.MethodsWe developed a new approach for detecting rocky outcrops from airborne LiDAR data. In combination with other remote sensing techniques and GPS-telemetry data, we assessed lynx habitat selection and functional responses across two geologically contrasting areas in Europe.ResultsWe detected > 1 million rocky outcrops and confirmed their strong selection by lynx. Lynx also selected steep, rugged, and rocky areas, especially for day-resting sites. Furthermore, lynx avoided paths during the day but selected them and other linear anthropogenic infrastructure during the night, indicating the behaviour-specific impact of human infrastructure. We also observed a functional response in the selection of rocky and rugged areas, as lynx’ selection of such habitats increased with their lower availability. This highlights the importance of preserving such terrains, especially when they are rare in a landscape.ConclusionsOur results highlight the importance of incorporating remote sensing techniques and data on microhabitat features in animal habitat selection research. We also recommend caution when developing new infrastructure for human recreation or promoting its use near geomorphological features and in rugged terrain.

State-dependent movement choices of desert lizards: The role of behavioural thermoregulation during summer and winter

Environmental temperatures are increasing worldwide, threatening desert ectotherms already living at their thermal limits. Organisms with flexible thermoregulatory behaviours may be able to mitigate the effects of extreme temperatures by moving among microhabitats, yet little work has tracked movement patterns of desert ectotherms in the wild over diurnal scales or compared behaviour among seasons. Here, we used camera traps to track the thermoregulatory behaviour and microhabitat choices of 30 desert lizards (Messalina bahaldini) in custom, outdoor arenas that provided access to open, rock, and bush microhabitats. We found that in the summer, lizards preferred to move to the shaded microhabitats and remain there under warmer conditions. During winter, however, lizards’ activity was not related to temperature, and lizards mostly chose to remain in the open habitat. Interestingly, in both seasons, lizards tended to remain in their current microhabitat and moved infrequently between certain combinations of microhabitats. Our study shows that thermoregulation (shade-seeking behaviour) is a major factor during summer, helping lizards to avoid extreme temperatures, but not during winter, and shows a novel effect of current microhabitat on movement, suggesting that other biotic or abiotic factors may also drive microhabitat choice. Understanding the complex factors at play in microhabitat choice is critical for developing conservation programs that effectively mitigate the negative impacts of climate change on desert animals.

Overwintering conditions affect cold hardiness, survival, and post‐overwintering fitness of the pea leaf weevil

AbstractOverwintering conditions affect the physiological state of ectotherms, and therefore, their cold hardiness and survival. A measure of the lethal and sublethal impacts of overwintering conditions on pest populations is crucial to predict population dynamics and to manage pests the following spring. The impact of winter conditions can be most intense for invasive insects undergoing range expansion. Insect herbivores can display plastic host use behaviours that depend on their body condition following winter. The pea leaf weevil, Sitona lineatus L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is an invasive pest of field peas, Pisum sativum L., and faba bean, Vicia faba L. (Fabaceae). Pea leaf weevil has expanded its range in North America to include the Prairie Provinces of Canada. This study investigated the effects of temperature and microhabitat on overwintering survival and cold hardiness of pea leaf weevil in its expanded range. Further, we investigated the sublethal effect of overwintering temperature and duration on post‐overwintering survival, feeding, and oviposition of pea leaf weevil. We also investigated the role of juvenile hormone in modulating body condition of overwintering weevils. The overwintering survival of pea leaf weevil adults increased with soil temperature and varied with region and microhabitat. More weevils survived winters when positioned near tree shelterbelts compared to open alfalfa fields. The supercooling point of pea leaf weevil varied throughout its expanding range but did not differ for weevils held in the two microhabitats. The average threshold lethal temperature of pea leaf weevil at all three sites was −9.4 °C. Weevils that overwintered for a longer duration and at a higher temperature subsequently fed more on faba bean foliage and laid more eggs compared to those which overwintered for a shorter duration at a lower temperature. Our findings highlight that warm winters would increase overwintering survival and post‐overwintering fitness, facilitating further pea leaf weevil invasion northward in the Prairie Provinces of Canada.

Direct seeding success of four threatened oak species in a peri-urban forest: effects of microhabitat and rodent exclusion

Cloud forest degradation leads to the loss of foundational species, including oak trees, with negative and cascading effects on biodiversity. The relatively simple and inexpensive technique of direct seeding could help recover focal species in degraded peri-urban forests, but the success of this technique may be limited by mammalian seed predation. In this study, we evaluated the success of direct seeding of four sympatric and threatened oak species (Quercus germana, Q. lancifolia, Q. xalapensis, and Q. sartorii) in the cloud forest of central Veracruz. We considered the effects of planting microhabitat (low vs. high vegetation cover) and predator/disperser exclusion (total exclusion, partial exclusion, and open access to all predators) on the probability of acorn removal and germination, and on seedling emergence. Total germination was highest in Q. germana, followed by Q. lancifolia, Q. xalapensis, and Q. sartorii (52%, 32%, 29.33%, and 8.67%, respectively). Total emergence was highest in Q. lancifolia, followed by Q. xalapensis, Q. germana, and Q. sartorii (17.33%, 14.67%, 10.7%, and 2%, respectively). When acorns were exposed and unprotected in the microhabitat with high vegetation cover, removal and predation were higher (74%) than in the microhabitat with low vegetation cover (52%). Intermediate-sized acorns of Quercus xalapensis were the most frequently removed (43.33%), followed by Q. lancifolia (40%), Q. sartorii (28%), and Q. germana (26%). Seed removal was null with total exclusion of mammals, and this treatment presented the highest values of germination and emergence (54% and 22.5%, respectively), followed by partial exclusion (25.5% and 7.5%, respectively) and open access to all predators (12% and 3.5%, respectively). Microhabitat had no effect on germination and emergence. The direct seeding technique is useful for enriching degraded forests; however, its cost-efficiency depends on species attributes and predator/disperser preference. When using unprotected seeds, planting in microhabitats with low vegetation cover (<50% of vegetation cover above 30 cm) will reduce the removal and predation of acorns by 13%. To increase the success of direct seeding of oaks in degraded or secondary forests, protection of the seeds is recommended, particularly for the intermediate-sized acorns of Q. lancifolia and Q. xalapensis.

In the Lyme light: individual trait determinants of Borrelia burgdorferi infection in Peromyscus mice

Abstract Disease ecologists commonly use abiotic factors (e.g. temperature and moisture) or measures of biodiversity (e.g. species richness) to predict Lyme disease transmission patterns, but variance in infection probability among individuals within a population is poorly understood. Most studies assume intraspecific consistency, but recent evidence suggests that individual traits, such as animal personality, may drive differences in encounter rates with infected vectors and pathogen transmission probabilities through differential space use and microhabitat selection, leading to intraspecific variation in infection probability. In addition, because vectors and hosts are nonrandomly distributed across a landscape, land-use changes that modify key habitat features—such as forest management practices—may substantially alter associations between individual traits and infection probability. To address these gaps in our knowledge, we used a large-scale capture–mark–recapture study targeting Peromyscus mice in Maine, United States, to test whether personality drives probability of Borrelia burgdorferi infection in hosts within managed forest compartments with different silvicultural treatments. Specifically, we tested effects of individual phenotypic traits (physical and behavioral) and environmental traits (microhabitat and forest type) on infection probability within 2 species: P. leucopus and P. maniculatus. We found evidence that boldness negatively influences infection probability in P. maniculatus, and that body mass positively influences infection probability in both species. We found no effect of mouse density, microhabitat, or forest type in our analyses. These results suggest that personalities vary in their functional contributions to the natural cycle of B. burgdorferi, and that broader integration of behavioral diversity in disease ecology studies may aid in identifying key transmission zones for this rapidly expanding vector-borne zoonosis.

Effects of Transplantation and Microhabitat on Rhizosphere Microbial Communities during the Growth of American Ginseng

Transplanting has been widely used in American ginseng (Panax quinquefolium L.) cultivation in Northwest China to mitigate the negative effects of continuous cropping obstacles. Because of the accumulation of pathogenic microorganisms and the change in soil properties, transplanting American ginseng to newly cultivated fields after two years of growth has become a major planting pattern. Despite transplanting improving the quality of American ginseng, the effects of soil properties and microbiota on growth during the transplanting process are poorly understood. In the present study, microbial communities, soil physico-chemical properties and morpho-physiological parameters were analyzed to investigate the effects of microbiota and soil characteristics on American ginseng growth in both soil and ginseng root microhabitats. Results indicated that the structure and species of bacterial and fungal communities changed significantly in different microhabitats before and after transplantation. Moreover, the assemblage process of the bacterial community was dominated by deterministic processes. The stochastic process ratio increased and niche breadth decreased significantly after transplanting. While the assembly of the fungal community was dominated by stochastic process, and there was no significant difference in NST, βNTI or niche breadth before and after transplanting. Bacterial co-occurrence networks demonstrated a higher connectivity but a lower aggregation in soil microhabitat, while the fungal community networks remained stable before and after transplantation. Gammaproteobacteria was the biomarker in the soil microhabitat, while Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria and Gemmatimonadetes were biomarkers in the ginseng root microhabitat. Sordariomycetes was a biomarker with high relative abundance in the fungal community before and after transplanting. The bacterial functional and important ASVs were significantly correlated with pH, organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, total potassium root fresh weight, taproot diameter and stem height of American ginseng. Partial least squares path modeling showed that soil properties significantly affected the formation of different microbial specific ASVs. The important functional ASVs in ginseng root microhabitat had a positive effect on American ginseng growth, while the rare taxa had a negative effect. Our results provide a good starting point for future studies of microbial community succession in different microhabitats influenced by the transplantation pattern of American ginseng.

Soil extracellular enzymes characteristics and their controlling factors along the elevation gradient in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China

Soil extracellular enzyme activities (EEAs) and ecoenzymatic stoichiometry (EES) play an essential role in soil nutrient cycling and organic matter decomposition. Understanding EEAs and EES variation patterns and their influencing factors could offer direct information about the soil structure, function, and soil response to anthropogenic disturbances and climate change. This issue is noteworthy, especially in high-altitude areas where climate change is imminent and vegetation is diversified. This study measured different soil EEAs and EES characteristics and explored their key controlling factors along nine altitudes ranging from 2500 m to over 5200 m in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of western China. We also analyzed the effects of plant microhabitats on soil EEAs and EES. The results showed that most soil EEAs and EES had significant variability in spatial characteristics, and enzymatic activity increased with altitude. Compared to the soil nutrient distribution which also increased with altitude, this same change trend of soil EEAs and soil nutrients was inconsistent with the resource allocation theory. Microorganisms might mediate the effects of environmental factors on soil EEAs by altering the enzyme production efficiency. Specific soil EEAs (EEAs/g SOC), like soil enzyme carbon: phosphorus ratios (ECP), and nitrogen: phosphorus ratios (ENP), showed an opposing trend in variation, which decreased with increasing altitude. Plant microhabitats significantly promoted soil EEAs due to the accumulation of soil nutrients (carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus). Soil EEAs and EES's spatial variability was mainly determined by edaphic factors, accounting for >70.24 % and 55.67 % of latitudinal variations, respectively. Generally, carbon and nitrogen limitations were substantial in this area and gradually alleviated with increasing altitude. This study provided a data support for ecological protection of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau based on the spatial variation of soil EEAs and nutrient limitation.

Effects of soil and rock microhabitats on soil organic carbon stability in a karst peak-cluster depression region of Southwestern China

The stability of soil organic carbon (SOC) has a significant impact on ecological restoration and assessment of carbon sequestration in karst regions. We investigated the SOC sequestration and stabilization in leptosols profiles (0–10, 10–20 and 20–30 cm) by combining the characteristics of microhabitats and carbon fractions. Soil samples were collected from 110 microhabitats including rocky soil surface, stone crevice, stone gully, stone cave, stone pit and soil surface. The highest C stock was observed in stone cave, with the value of 21.06 kg·m−2, 2.5 times that of the soil surface with the lowest C stock. The C content of LF and OF decreased at rocky soil surface and soil surface and increased first and then decreased at stone cave and stone pits with soil area. The largest contents of LF and OF have been found in the wide mouth hetero-dip direction stone gullies and co-dip direction stone crevice. Stone cave has the strongest C sequestration capacity, while the proportion of stable C fractions was lower than other microhabitats; SS was lower in the C sequestration capacity and higher in the proportion of stable C fractions than the rest of microhabitats. Soil area and the attitude of rock formation of submicrohabitats significantly affected C stability, and available nitrogen and saturated hydraulic conductivity could be the primary parameters affecting carbon fractions under the influence of microhabitat. Overall, the multiple factors of microhabitat and carbon characteristics should be essential for SOC stability in karst areas.

Sea anemone microhabitats enhance the diversity and biomass of mobile invertebrates on temperate rocky shores

Sea anemones of the genus Anthopleura are abundant in rocky intertidal communities of the eastern Pacific, but their role as habitat and facilitators of biodiversity in this system has been overlooked. We provide evidence for a previously undescribed mechanism of facilitation associated with these cnidarians on temperate rocky shores. Sea anemones in the genus Anthopleura slowly release stored water at low tide, which helps them maintain ideal temperature conditions via evaporative cooling. This behavior results in leakage of water to surrounding intertidal habitats, producing unique microhabitats in the upper intertidal zone. We hypothesized that mobile invertebrate communities would use this habitat during low tides to ameliorate abiotic stress. In an in situ experiment spanning 3 sites along the coast of California, USA, it was found that maximum temperatures and relative desiccation rates were lower in sea anemone-associated microhabitats as compared to adjacent rock habitats. Observational surveys revealed higher richness and biomass of mobile invertebrates in sea anemone microhabitats, and these differences were supported by manipulative experiments that included both adding and removing sea anemones. Our results support a novel community-wide facilitation driven by an adaptation of intertidal sea anemones. The effects of sea anemone microhabitat on upper shore biodiversity were associated with site and sea anemone species and may suggest a facilitative role of a temperate cnidarian-algal mutualism in mitigating stress and enhancing biodiversity.

High diversity and low specificity of fungi associated with seedless epiphytic plants

AbstractEpiphytes, which grow on other plants for support, make up a large portion of Earth's plant diversity. Like other plants, their surfaces and interiors are colonized by diverse assemblages of fungi that can benefit their hosts by increasing tolerance for abiotic stressors and resistance to disease or harm them as pathogens. Fungal communities associated with epiphytic plants and the processes that structure these communities are poorly known. To address this, we sampled seven epiphytic seedless plant taxa in a Costa Rican rainforest and examined the effects of host identity and microhabitat on external and endophytic fungal communities. We found low host specificity for both external and endophytic fungi and weak differentiation between epiphytic and neighboring epilithic plant hosts. High turnover in fungi within and between hosts and habitats reveals that epiphytic plant‐associated fungal communities are highly diverse and suggests that they are structured by stochastic processes.Abstract in Spanish is available with online material

Length-weight relationships and microhabitat effect on relative health condition of mangrove fishes from Chiapas, Mexico

Introduction: The specialized root systems of mangroves provide protection and food resources for young and small fish, and it is known that they are reflected on some health condition and growth characteristics of the fish, but much remains to be learned about this subject in the tropics. Objective: To estimate length-weight relationships for ten bony fish species in two tropical mangroves and to compare the allometry and health condition for three species shared among those mangroves. Methods: Between May and November 2019, we collected 1 500 fish specimens from the roots of two mangroves in Chiapas, Mexico (1 322 fishes in stilt-roots and 188 in pneumatophores). We estimated Length-Weight relations with W=aSLb, and the regression parameters (a and b) were calculated by least-squares; as well as univariate analyses to compare standard length, regression slopes, and relative condition among individuals of Poecilia nelsoni, Poeciliopsis fasciata and Dormitator latifrons. Results: The standard length for all species ranged between 0,7 and 21,5 cm and weight between 0,01 and 209,34 g; the regression b-values varied from 2,844 for P. fasciata and 3,847 for Poeciliopsis pleurospilus. TDetermination coefficients were &gt;0,9 for eight species in stilt-roots and for three species in pneumatophores. Specimens of three species collected in both microhabitats were smaller in pneumatophores than in stilt-roots and also differed in b-values; however, the relative health condition was higher only in P. fasciata. Conclusion: The intrinsic conditions of stilt-roots and pneumatophores influence the average size and allometry of fishes at this site. The relative condition does not vary between microhabitats for most species, but may reflect development strategies associated with the environment.

The effect of plant–plant interactions as a key biotic process mediating the spatial variation of phenotypes in a Pinus sylvestris forest

Key messageIn this work, we highlighted the importance of the phenotypic structure of forest in regulating inter-tree competition with scattered individuals showing larger growth than close neighbours, with lower growth rates.Plant interactions are among the fundamental processes shaping the structure and functioning of ecosystems as they modulate competitive dynamics. However, the connection between the response of individual growth to neighbours and to environmental conditions and the mechanisms determining interactions in monospecific stands remain poorly understood. Here, we followed a phenotypic-based approach to disentangle the effect of plant size, neighbourhood interactions and microhabitat effects on Pinus sylvestris growth and traits, as well as their spatial variation of growth. We mapped all adult trees (1002 pines) in a 2 ha stand and measured their height, DBH and crown projection. For each individual, we assessed its growth and a competition index in relation to the closest neighbours. Soil chemical and physical properties and ground cover were also measured in a grid within the stand. We analysed the effects of tree size, neighbour competition and microhabitat variation on tree growth with a linear model. We also used spatial mark-correlation functions to explore the spatial dependence of tree age, secondary growth and phenotypic traits. Our results showed that trees with close neighbours displayed lower growth rates, whilst individuals with larger growths appeared scattered throughout the stand. Moreover, we found that growth depended on competition, tree height and crown area while tree growth poorly correlated with age or microhabitat conditions. Our findings highlight the importance of forest structure, in regulating inter-tree competition and growth in a Mediterranean pure stand and they provide insight into the causes and consequences of intraspecific variation in this system.

Functional complementarity of seed dispersal services provided by birds and mammals in an alpine ecosystem

Abstract Endozoochory is an important ecosystem function that, in temperate and boreal regions, is carried out mainly by birds and mammals. Due to their different quantitative and qualitative contributions to seed dispersal, these animals usually differ in their effectiveness as seed dispersers. However, there is still little information about how spatio‐temporal differences in frugivory between birds and mammals may create complementarity in their seed dispersal services. We investigated the complementarity of seed dispersal services provided by avian and mammalian seed dispersers of bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus in an alpine ecosystem, the Tatra Mountains (Poland). We collected bird droppings and mammal scats containing bilberry seeds in coniferous forests and alpine meadows. Birds were identified by DNA barcoding techniques while mammals were visually assigned in the field. We analysed the effects of habitat, microhabitat and timing of seed dispersal on the quantitative contributions of each species to the total seed rain and conducted ex situ germination experiments to assess the quality of the seed dispersal services. At least 13 bird and three mammal species dispersed bilberry seeds in the Tatra Mountains. Two species of thrushes—song thrushes Turdus philomelos and fieldfares T. pilaris, brown bears Ursus arctos and red foxes Vulpes vulpes were the most effective dispersers. Quantitative and qualitative contributions to seed dispersal differed between birds and mammals. Mammals, particularly brown bears, dispersed the majority of bilberry seeds in both habitats. The total seed rain provided by birds and mammals differed according to the habitat, microhabitat and timing of seed dispersal. Birds dispersed most seeds in the middle of the fruiting season and within the forest, while seed dispersal by mammals peaked in the upper meadows and at the end of the season. Seeds defecated by birds had higher probability to germinate as their droppings contained less seeds and were defecated in more suitable microhabitats than seeds defecated by mammals. Synthesis. Despite differences in the quantity and quality of seed dispersal, both bird and mammal species are effective bilberry dispersers. Complementary seed dispersal by these two groups guarantees the arrival of bilberry seeds to different microhabitats suitable for germination and during the entire fruiting season, maximizing the chances of bilberry seedling recruitment.

Mining a photo library: Eggs and egg sacs in a major spider family

AbstractThis study explores the potential use of photos for extracting basic data on spider eggs and presents a first rough but comprehensive overview of egg sizes, egg numbers per egg sac, and egg sac shapes in 468 species of pholcid spiders representing 73 genera. Egg diameters ranged 0.29–1.73 mm; egg numbers ranged 3–110. Egg sacs were mostly round or oval, but tended to be elongated in species with elongated abdomens, and flattened in very short‐legged species. Potential effects of female body size, abdomen shape, and microhabitat on egg size and number were evaluated by phylogenetic generalized linear models across all investigated species. Our analyses showed that both egg size and egg number are strongly determined by female body size. We found a clear trend for small species to have relatively larger eggs. Ecology and body shape also played a role, albeit at a considerably lower level and with complex interactions among variables: Relative to body size, ground‐dwelling species had smaller eggs than space and leaf dwellers; species with a long abdomen had larger eggs than species with a short abdomen. The effect of body size on clutch size depended on body shape and microhabitat: It was slightly weaker in space‐dwelling than in other species; species with long abdomens had more eggs in ground and leaf microhabitats, whereas space dwellers carried more eggs when having short abdomens.

Free-living diazotrophs differ among soil microhabitats, soil depth, and seasonality in a tropical dryland of central Mexico

Free-living diazotrophs are important contributors of reduced N forms in drylands. They can be affected by soil microhabitat formed by plant species, soil depth, soil properties, and seasonality in drylands. We evaluated the effect of soil microhabitat, soil depth, and seasonality on the free-living diazotrophs in a Mexican tropical dryland, through the analysis of the number of nifH genes in soil beneath the shrubs Parkinsonia praecox and Prosopis laevigata, and in bare soil at different soil depths, during the dry and rainy seasons. We also evaluated the relationship between the nifH genes and soil properties. The number of nifH genes was greater under P. laevigata than under P. praecox and in bare soil during the rainy season. The nifH genes were related to soil moisture content and orthophosphates during the dry season. The number of nifH genes was greater in the upper than in the lower soil layers in P. laevigata and bare soil, but not in P. praecox. The number of nifH genes was greater in the rainy than in the dry season. We concluded that soil microhabitat, soil depth, and seasonality can control the free-living diazotrophs in this Mexican tropical dryland.

Spatio-temporal pattern of latrine distribution in reintroduced Cuvier's gazelles (Gazella cuvieri): an assessment in a Mediterranean forest reserve.

Knowledge about the factors affecting the number of active latrines (NAL) of reintroduced Cuvier’s gazelles (Gazella cuvieri Ogilby, 1841) is of a crucial step aiming at understanding their distributional dynamics and their habitats preference. Here, we used six random 500-m transects to assess the effect of season, microhabitat, and management variables on the spatio-temporal pattern of latrines in the Tergou forest reserve (TFR). Our results showed that, in this reserve, NAL is mainly governed by the interaction between season and distance to the nearest developed runway, being higher at the farthest distances from the runway in autumn and the closest distances to it in summer and winter. Variation partitioning analysis confirmed this pattern as the interaction between season and distance to the nearest developed runway explains 82% (p = 0.001) of the total variance in NAL. The distance to the nearest fence also contributes, but marginally, in influencing the NAL in this forest enclosure. For the species’ management and conservation, it is recommended to dispose of sandy open ground areas especially in forest reserves to ensure ideal conditions for reintroduced gazelles. The pursuit of monitoring is necessary to understand mechanisms governing the distributional dynamics of Cuvier’s gazelles more deeply. As any enclosure, the TFR would offer a good opportunity for consolidating and improving the knowledge on this vulnerable mammal species in the view of a successful release in the wild.

Microhabitats associated with solar energy development alter demography of two desert annuals.

Political and economic initiatives intended to increase energy production while reducing carbon emissions are driving demand for solar energy. Consequently, desert regions are now targeted for development of large‐scale photovoltaic solar energy facilities. Where vegetation communities are left intact or restored within facilities, ground‐mounted infrastructure may have negative impacts on desert‐adapted plants because it creates novel rainfall runoff and shade conditions. We used experimental solar arrays in the Mojave Desert to test how these altered conditions affect population dynamics for a closely related pair of native annual plants: rare Eriophyllum mohavense and common E. wallacei. We estimated aboveground demographic rates (seedling emergence, survivorship, and fecundity) over 7 yr and used seed bank survival rates from a concurrent study to build matrix models of population growth in three experimental microhabitats. In drier years, shade tended to reduce survival of the common species, but increase survival of the rare species. In a wet year, runoff from panels tended to increase seed output for both species. Population growth projections from microhabitat‐specific matrix models showed stronger effects of microhabitat under wetter conditions, and relatively little effect under dry conditions (lack of rainfall was an overwhelming constraint). Performance patterns across microhabitats in the wettest year differed between rare and common species. Projected growth of E. mohavense was substantially reduced in shade, mediated by negative effects on aboveground demographic rates. Hence, the rare species were more susceptible to negative effects of panel infrastructure in wet years that are critical to seed bank replenishment. Our results suggest that altered shade and water runoff regimes associated with energy infrastructure will have differential effects on demographic transitions across annual species and drive population‐level processes that determine local abundance, resilience, and persistence.

Niche differentiation of two congeneric Phlomis species in Egypt

Phlomis aurea Decne. and Phlomis floccosa D. Don. exhibit different ecological and geographical distribution range in Egypt. Phlomis aurea is endemic to Saint Katherine Protectorate (SKP), South Sinai with narrow geographic distribution, but wide ecological range. Phlomis floccosa has wide geographical and ecological range within the coastal western Mediterranean coast of Egypt. Unlike P. floccosa, P. aurea has wide altitudinal range which increases its resistance to climate changes. Here, we assessed the effect of microhabitats on growth parameters and plant vigor of P. aurea and P. floccosa. The maximum EC of the soil in the various microhabitats supporting P. floccosa (950 µS/cm) is substantially higher than that of P. aurea (110 µS/cm). Both Phlomis species had low number of associated species which may be related to habitat aridity. The results indicate that the microhabitats supporting both species are the best environments for future conservation of these species under the impact of climate change.

Effects of microhabitats and soil conditions on structuring patterns of nematode communities in Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) plantation forests under temperate climate conditions

The effect of biotic factors impacted by abiotic conditions on nematode communities is not fully understood in forest ecosystems. Monoculture forests with low understory diversity would provide an ideal model system to investigate the relationship between nematode community structure and environmental factors in forest ecosystems. The aim of this study was to clarify the determinant environmental factors shaping community structures of soil nematodes in Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) forests. Nematodes collected from litter and soil samples were morphologically identified at the family or genus level and divided into trophic groups. Nematodes were discriminated into a total of 40 (including 2 unique taxa) and 52 (including 14 unique taxa) taxa in litter and soil samples, respectively. Variation in microhabitat substrates created contrasting nematode assemblages between litter and soil samples. Moreover, nematodes identified from litter habitats were a subset of those from soil samples. Bacterivorous and fungivorous nematodes were present in high proportions in both sample types. Herbivorous nematodes were the third most abundant trophic group in soil samples, but were rare in litter samples. The nematode community structure in soils was significantly ordinated by water, C, N, hyphae, and soil pH. The pH is most likely to affect ecological function of soil nematodes indirectly by altering microbial biomass. Our results showed that microhabitat substrates, that is, soil and litter, have a crucial effect on nematode assemblage patterns in temperate coniferous forests. Moreover, soil nematode assemblages were diversified due to the high spatial heterogeneity of proximate soil environments.