Local Ecological Factors Research Articles

Predation on sentinel prey increases with increasing latitude in Brassica-dominated agroecosystems.

In natural ecosystems, arthropod predation on herbivore prey is higher at lower latitudes, mirroring the latitudinal diversity gradient observed across many taxa. This pattern has not been systematically examined in human‐dominated ecosystems, where frequent disturbances can shift the identity and abundance of local predators, altering predation rates from those observed in natural ecosystems. We investigated how latitude, biogeographical, and local ecological factors influenced arthropod predation in Brassica oleracea‐dominated agroecosystems in 55 plots spread among 5 sites in the United States and 4 sites in Brazil, spanning at least 15° latitude in each country. In both the United States and Brazil, arthropod predator attacks on sentinel model caterpillar prey were highest at the highest latitude studied and declined at lower latitudes. The rate of increased arthropod attacks per degree latitude was higher in the United States and the overall gradient was shifted poleward as compared to Brazil. PiecewiseSEM analysis revealed that aridity mediates the effect of latitude on arthropod predation and largely explains the differences in the intensity of the latitudinal gradient between study countries. Neither predator richness, predator density, nor predator resource availability predicted variation in predator attack rates. Only greater non‐crop plant density drove greater predation rates, though this effect was weaker than the effect of aridity. We conclude that climatic factors rather than ecological community structure shape latitudinal arthropod predation patterns and that high levels of aridity in agroecosystems may dampen the ability of arthropod predators to provide herbivore control services as compared to natural ecosystems.

Spatiotemporal trends and socioecological factors associated with Lyme disease in eastern Ontario, Canada from 2010\u20132017

Currently, there is limited knowledge about socioeconomic, neighbourhood, and local ecological factors that contribute to the growing Lyme disease incidence in the province of Ontario, Canada. In this study, we sought to identify these factors that play an important role at the local scale, where people are encountering ticks in their communities. We used reported human Lyme disease case data and tick surveillance data submitted by the public from 2010–2017 to analyze trends in tick exposure, spatiotemporal clusters of infection using the spatial scan statistic and Local Moran’s I statistic, and socioecological risk factors for Lyme disease using a multivariable negative binomial regression model. Data were analyzed at the smallest geographic unit, consisting of 400–700 individuals, for which census data are disseminated in Canada. We found significant heterogeneity in tick exposure patterns based on location of residence, with 65.2% of Lyme disease patients from the city of Ottawa reporting tick exposures outside their health unit of residence, compared to 86.1%—98.1% of patients from other, largely rural, health units, reporting peri-domestic exposures. We detected eight spatiotemporal clusters of human Lyme disease incidence in eastern Ontario, overlapping with three clusters of Borrelia burgdorferi-infected ticks. When adjusting for population counts, Lyme disease case counts increased with larger numbers of Borrelia burgdorferi-infected ticks submitted by the public, higher proportion of treed landcover, lower neighbourhood walkability due to fewer intersections, dwellings, and points of interest, as well as with regions of higher residential instability and lower ethnic concentration (Relative Risk [RR] = 1.25, 1.02, 0.67–0.04, 1.34, and 0.57, respectively, p < .0001). Our study shows that there are regional differences in tick exposure patterns in eastern Ontario and that multiple socioecological factors contribute to Lyme disease risk in this region.

Properties of an attention-grabbing motion signal: a comparison of tail and body movements in a lizard

Animals signals must be detected by receiver sensory systems, and overcome a variety of local ecological factors that could otherwise affect their transmission and reception. Habitat structure, competition, avoidance of unintended receivers and varying environmental conditions have all been shown to influence how animals signal. Environmental noise is also crucial, and animals modify their behavior in response to it. Animals generating movement-based visual signals have to contend with wind-blown plants that generate motion noise and can affect the detection of salient movements. The lizard Amphibolurus muricatus uses tail flicking at the start of displays to attract attention, and we hypothesized that tail movements are ideally suited to this function. We compared visual amplitudes generated by tail movements with push-ups, which are a key component of the rest of the display. We show that tail movement amplitudes are highly variable over the course of the display but consistently greater than amplitudes generated by push-ups and not constrained by viewing position. We suggest that these features, combined with the tail being a light structure that does not compromise other activities, provide an ideal introductory component for attracting attention in the ecological setting in which they are generated.

Body Size Variation in a Social Sweat Bee, Halictus ligatus (Halictidae, Apoidea), across Urban Environments.

Simple SummaryMany animal species that dwell in cities have altered aspects of their behavior, morphology, and physiology in order to survive in human-dominated environments. One way in which animals can adapt to survive in novel habitats is by shifting their body size. Body size is an important and flexible trait for insects because the ability to vary body size is linked to better survival and reproduction. In this study, we quantified body size variation in a species of sweat bee and compared the variation between bees residing in three different urban cities. Though studies have assessed urban bee body size previously, this is the first to compare bees from different cities. Similar to the human experience, no two cities are alike for bees. Therefore, we predicted that bees would show differences in the spread of body size in order to adapt to each unique city. We found that bees in three different environments all showed high variation in body size, but that the variation differed depending on location. This study is one of the first multi-city studies, and this is a trend we hope continues as urban research advances.High morphological variation is often associated with species longevity, and it is hypothesized that urban-dwelling species may require more plasticity in functional traits such as body size in order to maximize fitness in heterogeneous environments. There has been published research regarding the functional trait diversity of urban bee pollinators. However, no two cities are identical, so the implementation of multi-city studies is vital. Therefore, we compared body size variation in female Halicus ligatus sweat bees from May–October 2016 from three distinct Midwestern United States cities: Chicago, Detroit, and Saint Louis. Additionally, to elucidate potentially influential environmental factors, we assessed the relationship between temperature and measured body size. We collected bees in community gardens and urban farms and measured their head width and intertegular distance as a proxy for overall body size. We utilized an ANCOVA to determine whether body size variation differed significantly across the three surveyed cities. Results indicated that H. ligatus females in Chicago, Detroit, and Saint Louis had significantly different body size ranges. These findings highlight the importance of intraspecific body size variation and support our prediction that bees from different urban environments will have distinct ranges in body size due to local ecological factors affecting their populations. Additionally, we found a significant influence of temperature, though this is probably not the only important ecological characteristic impacting bee body size. Therefore, we also provided a list of predictions for the future study of specific variables that are likely to impact functional trait diversity in urban bees.

Increasing risks for emerging infectious diseases within a rapidly changing High Asia

The cold and arid mountains and plateaus of High Asia, inhabited by a relatively sparse human population, a high density of livestock, and wildlife such as the iconic snow leopard Panthera uncia, are usually considered low risk for disease outbreaks. However, based on current knowledge about drivers of disease emergence, we show that High Asia is rapidly developing conditions that favor increased emergence of infectious diseases and zoonoses. This is because of the existing prevalence of potentially serious pathogens in the system; intensifying environmental degradation; rapid changes in local ecological, socio-ecological, and socio-economic factors; and global risk intensifiers such as climate change and globalization. To better understand and manage the risks posed by diseases to humans, livestock, and wildlife, there is an urgent need for establishing a disease surveillance system and improving human and animal health care. Public health must be integrated with conservation programs, more ecologically sustainable development efforts and long-term disease surveillance.

Guanaco hunting and Llama herding in the South-Central Andes (3000-900 BP): An osteomorphometrical approach

This paper aims to contribute to the study of the subsistence of human populations from the northern part of the Quebrada de Humahuaca (Northwestern Argentina –NWA-) between 3000 and 900 years BP, through the morphological and morphometric analysis of bone remains from large-sized camelids. The contribution of two complementary strategies -guanaco (Lama guanicoe) hunting and llama (Lama glama) herding- to the diet of those populations throughout the late Holocene is assessed. In order to achieve this, the first and second anterior and posterior phalanges are analyzed through both traditional morphometric (TM) and two-dimensional geometric morphometric (2D GMM) techniques. The sample is composed of 398 elements from 49 modern llamas and guanacos, and 36 elements from archaeological camelids recovered from the Antumpa, Cóndor II and Casas Grandes sites. We discuss the problem of the taxonomic identification of South American large-sized camelids with a novel methodology and we contribute relevant zooarchaeological information for a poorly studied geographical setting. Results indicate that llama herding prevailed throughout the late Holocene (4000-300 AP), although TM techniques showed a slight increase in guanaco hunting during the final late Holocene (1100-300 BP) and GMM showed a constant frequency of representation. The trends and variations thus identified would respond to both anthropic and local ecological factors.

Resilience impacts of a secondary disturbance: Meta‐analysis of salvage logging effects on tree regeneration

Abstract Intense controversy surrounds the compounded disturbance of salvage logging, which superimposes an anthropogenic disturbance on already disturbed ecosystems and thereby provides a litmus test of forest regeneration and resilience. We conducted meta‐analysis to assess whether salvage logging affects tree regeneration, and whether potential effect moderators (disturbance type and severity, logging intensity, time elapsed between disturbance and logging or since logging, forest type and age, regeneration syndrome and aridity) modify this overall effect. Thirty‐seven publications yielded 305 effect sizes for tree density and 135 for height. We found no significant effect of salvage logging on tree density or height. Also, most effect moderators were not significant. The effect size of salvage logging on tree density increased over time after logging, potentially indicating resilience to initial salvage logging impacts. Tree density in old (&gt;100 years) disturbed forests was less negatively affected by salvage logging than in young (&lt;50 years) and intermediate‐aged forests. Study site and phylogenetic relatedness improved model fit, indicating modulation by local ecological factors and tree species characteristics. Synthesis. Salvage logging does not produce generalised detrimental effects on tree regeneration. Potential impacts and their mitigation should be assessed upon knowledge of local conditions and species.

Small rodent communities (Muridae) in Gabonese savannas: species diversity and biogeographical affinities

Abstract The study contributes to the knowledge of species composition and biogeographical affinities of savannas rodent in Gabon. Unlike small rodents in Gabonese forests, there is little data on the diversity of small rodents in Gabonese savannas. The diversity and distribution of rodent murid communities was studied in four different types of savanna in Gabon: Coastal Basin (South-West), Lopé/Okanda (in the Center), Batéké Plateaux (Southeastern) and Ngougnié/ N’yanga (in the South). A total of 428 individuals representing six species were captured over 11,920 trap nights. Trap success was highly variable (2.2–6.9 %). The most abundant species were Mus minutoides (69%) followed by Lemniscomys striatus (21.5%). Indices of species richness varied from 2 to 5 and diversity (Shannon and Weaver) was low in the four savannas with the highest value at Ngougnié/N’yanga (H′ = 1.2). Species distributions show that Gabonese savanna small rodents conform to four distribution types, with one species known from Zambesian savannas exhibiting austral affinities (Pelomys campanae: occurs in three southern savannas). This new information provides important insight into the biogeography of small rodents at a local and regional level. Moreover, the correspondence analysis highlighted an influence of local ecological factors on population abundance.

Local perspective and practical knowledge: Social work practice research on chronic diseases of the nomadic area in China

AbstractTaking a nomadic community in Inner Mongolia autonomous region of China as an example, this paper analyzes the local characteristics of chronic diseases suffered by families and nomads in the nomadic area of Inner Mongolia and puts forward the problem of ignoring the local cultural and ecological factors in the social welfare system dealing with the chronic diseases of nomadic area. The paper describes disregard of the welfare system, institutions, communities, families, and individuals of chronic diseases in the nomadic area and points out that social work practice research should be carried out based on the cultural and ecological relevance and local knowledge of the nomadic area. It is believed that the family healthcare model suitable for nomadic area has practical significance for effectively dealing with chronic diseases in the nomadic area.

Infectious Dynamics in Urban 3D-Environment: Challenges and Possibilities

The article is a brief overview of the results of the current stage of study of the dynamics of infectious processes in the modern urban environment in Protvino (Russia) with the help of 3D-model of the town, made in the paradigm of the Digital Earth. Data for the period 2011-2016 (38791 events) were used. Spatial and temporal resolution “building-day” was achieved. It is demonstrated that infectious diseases rates even in neighboring buildings can vary significantly from one to another. The presence of buildings with both significantly higher and significantly lower rates of infectious diseases is shown. Such significant discrepancies between rates are difficult to explain by local ecological factors like air and water pollutions because of the generalized nature of their impact on such a small area. The example of the global dynamics of COVID-19 demonstrates the need to study both specific and non-specific factors for the local epidemic process. Prospectives of the future researches are discussed briefly.

Harsh environments promote alloparental care across human societies.

Alloparental care is central to human life history, which integrates exceptionally short interbirth intervals and large birth size with an extended period of juvenile dependency and increased longevity. Formal models, previous comparative research, and palaeoanthropological evidence suggest that humans evolved higher levels of cooperative childcare in response to increasingly harsh environments. Although this hypothesis remains difficult to test directly, the relative importance of alloparental care varies across human societies, providing an opportunity to assess how local social and ecological factors influence the expression of this behaviour. We therefore, investigated associations between alloparental infant care and socioecology across 141 non-industrialized societies. We predicted increased alloparental care in harsher environments, due to the fitness benefits of cooperation in response to shared ecological challenges. We also predicted that starvation would decrease alloparental care, due to prohibitive energetic costs. Using Bayesian phylogenetic multilevel models, we tested these predictions while accounting for potential confounds as well as for population history. Consistent with our hypotheses, we found increased alloparental infant care in regions characterized by both reduced climate predictability and relatively lower average temperatures and precipitation. We also observed reduced alloparental care under conditions of high starvation. These results provide evidence of plasticity in human alloparenting in response to ecological contexts, comparable to previously observed patterns across avian and mammalian cooperative breeders. This suggests convergent social evolutionary processes may underlie both inter- and intraspecific variation in alloparental care.

Effect of the invasive exotic herb Centaurea solstitialis on plant communities of a semiarid ecosystem

ABSTRACT Background The effects of many invasive species on invaded communities are still scarcely known. Centaurea solstitialis is an invasive Eurasian herb, widely distributed around the world, but its effects on recipient communities are not well known. Aims To evaluate the effect of C. solstitialis invasion on richness and cover of native and exotic resident species in naturally established communities. Methods We repeated a field experiment in three old-fields of central Chile where C. solstitialis was not present. The experiment simulated the invasion of C. solstitialis by adding 600 seeds per plots of 1 × 1 m in size and compared the richness and cover of all naturally growing species in plots with and without C. solstitialis. Results For exotics, initial species richness (average ca.18% and 20% per site), and cover (average ca. 20% and 34% per site) were significantly reduced by C. solstitialis in two out of the three sites. The abundances of four out of 17 exotic resident species were negatively affected by C. solstitialis. Native species were not affected by C. solstitialis. Conclusions C. solstitialis can outcompete resident species of communities where it invades, but local ecological factors influence its effects producing different impacts among species and localities.

Probable role of ablation of cerebral ganglia and injection of its extracts on O:N ratio of &lt;em&gt;Lamellidens corrianis &lt;/em&gt;during summer season

Amongst invertebrates, molluscs show great variability in their nervous system ranging from primitive arrangement in Chitons to the complex mass of fused ganglia forming the ‘brain’ of cephalopods. Most of the effector organs used for pharmacological or physiological experiments. The neurosecretory cells (NSCs) with their combination of neuronal and glandular capabilities are perfectly suited to translate a neuronal input into the hormonal output best suited to long-term process. In this capacity, the NSCs may produce hormones, which act directly upon the peripheral target or it may exert its effect indirectly by influencing the activity of other non-neural, endocrine organs. Neurosecretory cells have been detected in the cerebral, pedal and visceral ganglia of Lamellidens corrianus. The distribution and biology of freshwater bivalve like Lamellidens corrianus is influenced by local ecological factors (like temperature, pH, inorganic salts, type of soil etc.), water flow system and presence of micro-organisms, teleost fishes and seasonal variations in these parameters. Nitrogenous excretory changes which include ammonia in these molluscs is also influenced by these local ecological factors in which temperature is plays very crucial role. It is well known fact that the high stress conditions during drought or severe winter conditions have been conquered by several lineage of gastropods and sand bivalves and their ability to enter the resistant or dormant stages (low food) protein catabolism increased. Present investigation deals with the oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion ratio of these freshwater pelecypode Lamellidens corrianus. Study on Lemellidens corrianus directed in understanding the different behavioral and physiological aspects after cerebral ganglia removal and injection of their extracts revealed significant changes during summer (April-May).

Assessing Genetic Variation and Spread of Phalaris minor Resistant to ACCase Inhibiting Herbicides in Iran

ABSTRACT: Littleseed canarygrass (Phalaris minor) is the second most serious and problematic grass weed in wheat fields in Iran, and has developed resistance to ACCase inhibiting herbicides. Inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) analysis was used to assess genetic variation between and within ACCase inhibitor-resistant and susceptible P. minor populations in Iran and to determine the origin of resistance and its dispersal. Sixteen P. minor populations from different regions in Iran were analysed using seven primers. Genetic relationships generated using UPGMA analysis indicated the presence of more than one genotype among the herbicide resistant populations. The results indicated that the high genetic similarity and physical proximity among the resistant P. minor populations in the different regions is mainly due to cross pollination, mechanical seed dispersion and local ecological factors. These findings suggested that independent selection as well as movement of resistant seeds had occurred, which could explain the presence and dispersion of ACCase inhibitor-resistance in these populations.

Does geography, evolutionary history or ecology drive ploidy and genome size variation in the Minuartia verna group (Caryophyllaceae) across Europe?

Polyploidization, a key driver of plant diversification, is believed to have interacted with Pleistocene climatic oscillations and local ecological factors, leading to a complex spatio-ecological mosaic of diploid and polyploid populations. The typical ecogeographic pattern in European plants involves spatially restricted diploids growing in southern regions, interpreted as glacial refugia, and their widespread polyploid derivatives occupying larger and more northerly situated ranges with harsher environments. Whether this is true for individual ploidy-variable groups is, however, largely unknown because we lack sufficiently detailed investigations of ploidy-variable plant groups jointly applying cytological, ecological and genetic methods. We assessed ploidy and genome size variation, elevational and edaphic preferences, and plastid DNA variation within the Minuartia verna aggregate, a group of low-competitive heliophilous plants growing from the Mediterranean to Arctic Europe. Contrary to the expectations, tetraploids have a restricted distribution (Southern Europe) and inhabit a relatively narrow environmental niche. The distribution of diploids, on the other hand, spans the full range of conditions, including climatic (i.e. highest elevations and latitudes) and edaphic extremes (i.e. toxic serpentine and metalliferous substrates). The distribution pattern of the two ploidies could be explained by their distinct evolutionary histories, suggesting expansion of the diploid-dominated haplotype group accompanied by long-term persistence and local differentiation of tetraploids in refugia in the Balkan Peninsula. In summary, our study contradicts the prevailing view of polyploids as successful colonizers of novel and challenging habitats and points to the importance of combining ecological and genetic data when studying ploidy-variable species complexes.

Testing the uniqueness of deep terrestrial life

Terrestrial life typically does not occur at depths greater than a few meters. Notable exceptions are massifs of fissured rock with caves and hollow spaces reaching depths of two kilometres and more. Recent biological discoveries from extremely deep caves have been reported as sensations analogous to wondrous deep sea creatures. However, the existence of unique deep terrestrial communities is questionable when caves are understood as integral parts of a bedrock fissure network (BFN) interconnecting all parts of a massif horizontally and vertically. We tested these two opposing hypotheses – unique deep cave fauna vs. BFN – by sampling subterranean communities within the 3D matrix of a typical karst massif. There was no distinction between deep core and shallow upper zone communities. Beta diversity patterns analysed against null models of random distribution were generally congruent with the BFN hypothesis, but suggested gravity-assisted concentration of fauna in deep caves and temperature-dependent horizontal distribution. We propose that the idea of a unique deep terrestrial fauna akin to deep oceanic life is unsupported by data and unwarranted by ecological considerations. Instead, the BFN hypothesis and local ecological and structural factors sufficiently explain the distribution of subterranean terrestrial life even in the deepest karst massifs.

Evolutionary Ecology of Wolbachia Releases for Disease Control.

Wolbachia is an endosymbiotic Alphaproteobacteria that can suppress insect-borne diseases through decreasing host virus transmission (population replacement) or through decreasing host population density (population suppression). We contrast natural Wolbachia infections in insect populations with Wolbachia transinfections in mosquitoes to gain insights into factors potentially affecting the long-term success of Wolbachia releases. Natural Wolbachia infections can spread rapidly, whereas the slow spread of transinfections is governed by deleterious effects on host fitness and demographic factors. Cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) generated by Wolbachia is central to both population replacement and suppression programs, but CI in nature can be variable and evolve, as can Wolbachia fitness effects and virus blocking. Wolbachia spread is also influenced by environmental factors that decrease Wolbachia titer and reduce maternal Wolbachia transmission frequency. More information is needed on the interactions between Wolbachia and host nuclear/mitochondrial genomes, the interaction between invasion success and local ecological factors, and the long-term stability of Wolbachia-mediated virus blocking.

Individual-Level Antibody Dynamics Reveal Potential Drivers of Influenza A Seasonality in Wild Pig Populations

Swine are important in the ecology of influenza A virus (IAV) globally. Understanding the ecological role of wild pigs in IAV ecology has been limited because surveillance in wild pigs is often for antibodies (serosurveillance) rather than IAVs, as in humans and domestic swine. As IAV antibodies can persist long after an infection, serosurveillance data are not necessarily indicative of current infection risk. However, antibody responses to IAV infections cause a predictable antibody response, thus time of infection can be inferred from antibody levels in serological samples, enabling identification of risk factors of infection at estimated times of infection. Recent work demonstrates that these quantitative antibody methods (QAMs) can accurately recover infection dates, even when individual-level variation in antibody curves is moderately high. Also, the methodology can be implemented in a survival analysis (SA) framework to reduce bias from opportunistic sampling. Here we integrated QAMs and SA and applied this novel QAM-SA framework to understand the dynamics of IAV infection risk in wild pigs seasonally and spatially, and identify risk factors. We used national-scale IAV serosurveillance data from 15 US states. We found that infection risk was highest during January-March (54% of 61 estimated peaks), with 24% of estimated peaks occurring from May to July, and some low-level of infection risk occurring year-round. Time-varying IAV infection risk in wild pigs was positively correlated with humidity and IAV infection trends in domestic swine and humans, and did not show wave-like spatial spread of infection among states, nor more similar levels of infection risk among states with more similar meteorological conditions. Effects of host sex on IAV infection risk in wild pigs were generally not significant. Because most of the variation in infection risk was explained by state-level factors or infection risk at long-distances, our results suggested that predicting IAV infection risk in wild pigs is complicated by local ecological factors and potentially long-distance translocation of infection. In addition to revealing factors of IAV infection risk in wild pigs, our framework is broadly applicable for quantifying risk factors of disease transmission using opportunistic serosurveillance sampling, a common methodology in wildlife disease surveillance. Future research on the factors that determine individual-level antibody kinetics will facilitate the design of serosurveillance systems that can extract more accurate estimates of time-varying disease risk from quantitative antibody data.

Population variation in the intensity of fruit infestation and pre-dispersal seed predation in Yucca schidigera (Asparagaceae) by its obligate pollinator

Variation in the occurrence and the intensity of pre-dispersal seed predation can help understand ecological and evolutionary dynamics of plant populations. Pre-dispersal seed predation can vary in intensity, resulting in costs that differ in magnitude among populations. We examined variation in the cost of pre-dispersal seed predation across nine Yucca schidigera populations, by quantifying yucca moth infestation, damage on fertile seeds and seed mass in 650 fruits sampled from 73 Yucca plants. We recorded Tegeticula mojavella larvae on 100% of the Y. schidigera plants. Across populations, mean infestation rates ranged from 2.9 to 6.11 larvae per fruit. Despite slight variation in the level of fruit infestation, predation on mature seeds differed among the nine populations, ranging from 10 to 26%. Mean seed mass and germination rate differed among populations, but the effect of larvae infestation on these traits was not significant. Altogether, our results demonstrate that infestation and pre-dispersal seed predation by yucca moths differ significantly across populations of Y. schidigera. Variable ratios of seed predation result in different costs across plant populations, despite experiencing similar infestation ratios. It seems that, regardless of its spatial distribution, the interaction between Y. schidigera and T. mojavella is dependent on local ecological factors that regulate oviposition and seed predation.

Lifetime productivity of tree cavities used by cavity-nesting animals in temperate and subtropical forests.

Tree cavities are a critical multi-annual resource that can limit populations and structure communities of cavity-nesting vertebrates. We examined the regional and local factors influencing lifetime productivity (number and richness of occupants) of individual tree cavities across two divergent forest ecosystems: temperate mixed forest in Canada and subtropical Atlantic Forest, Argentina. We predicted that (1) species would accumulate more rapidly within cavities in the species-rich system (Argentina: 76 species) than the poorer system (Canada: 31 species), (2) cavity characteristics associated with nest-site selection in short-term studies would predict lifetime cavity productivity, and (3) species would accumulate more rapidly across highly used cavities than across cavities used only once, and in Argentina than in Canada. We monitored and measured nesting cavities used by birds and mammals over 22 breeding seasons (1995-2016) in Canada and 12 breeding seasons (2006-2017) in Argentina. Cavities were used an average of 3.1 times by 1.7 species in Canada and 2.2 times by 1.4 species in Argentina. Species richness within cavities increased with number of nesting events at similar rates in Canada and Argentina, in both cases much slower than expected if within-cavity species assemblages were random, suggesting that lifetime richness of individual cavities is more strongly influenced by local ecological factors (nest site fidelity, nest niche) than by the regional species pool. The major determinant of lifetime cavity productivity was the cavity's life span. We found only weak or inconsistent relationships with cavity characteristics selected by individuals in short-term nest-site selection studies. Turnover among (vs. within) cavities was the primary driver of diversity at the landscape scale. In Canada, as predicted, species accumulation was fastest when sampling across high-use cavities. In Argentina, the rates of species accumulation were similar across high- and low-use cavities, and fastest when both high- and low-use cavities were pooled. These findings imply that biodiversity of cavity nesters is maintained by a mix of long-lived (highly productive, legacy trees) and many high-turnover (single-use, fast decaying) tree cavities. Conservation of both long-lasting and single-use cavities should be incorporated into decisions about stand-level forest management, regional land use policies, and reserve networks.