Specific Habitat Research Articles

Evaluation of speculated reproductive habitat for Somatochlora calverti (Corduliidae), a rare and range-restricted dragonfly

Globally, freshwater ecosystems and the organisms that depend on them are at risk. Dragonflies and damselflies (collectively, “odonates”) have a history of being used as bioindicators of freshwater habitat quality due to their wide range in environmental sensitivities across species and because they are relatively accessible. However, the nymphal stage is severely understudied compared to the adult stage, which inhibits conservation efforts. Somatochlora calverti is a rare species of dragonfly in the family Corduliidae; members of the genus Somatochlora are notoriously difficult to find and collect in the field as nymphs and adults. Somatochlora calverti is known primarily from the Florida panhandle but has been documented in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. The nymph of this species is speculated to use seepage streams analogous to sympatric congeners; however, the nymph has never been collected in the field and, therefore, its specific microhabitat is unknown. We conducted a review from a suite of informational sources to generate a holistic consensus on what is defined to be suitable reproductive habitat for S. calverti. Sources identified eight major environmental characteristics that are likely to harbor S. calverti: shallow seepage streams, including steephead ravines, with undercut banks and mats of Sphagnum moss adjacent to intact sandhill forest. These ecosystems are being lost and degraded by anthropogenic activity, which has considerable impacts on the persistence of habitat specialists, including S. calverti, and managers’ ability to conserve them.

The benefits of protected areas for bird population trends may depend on their condition

The Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework calls for at least 30% of land and sea to be protected by 2030. Whilst there is growing evidence that protected areas can benefit biodiversity, to achieve the greatest possible gains from their expansion, we must understand how protected area quality impacts upon biodiversity metrics. We used UK BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey data and protected areas condition data from national Common Standards Monitoring, to test whether improving site condition (for which there are UK policy targets) would contribute to stated policy targets to increase species' abundance. After controlling for differences in climate, land cover, and elevation, we found a positive association between the proportion of favourable habitat and bird abundance trends in the UK, while in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland combined, the positive effect was also significantly greater than in unfavourable habitat. Conversely, we also found a negative effect of proportion of favourable habitat on bird abundance. There was no evidence that these relationships varied between conservation status or many of the traits considered, although there was some evidence that favourable condition was beneficial for habitat specialists, cold-adapted species, and varied by habitat. Our findings suggest that improving the condition of protected areas currently in unfavourable condition, will contribute to nature recovery as measured by species' abundance trends in some circumstances. This also suggests that achieving the “30 by 30” target without ensuring those protected areas are of sufficient quality, may not be sufficient to restore biodiversity.

Common mycorrhizal network: the predominant socialist and capitalist responses of possible plant-plant and plant-microbe interactions for sustainable agriculture.

Plants engage in a variety of interactions, including sharing nutrients through common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs), which are facilitated by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). These networks can promote the establishment, growth, and distribution of limited nutrients that are important for plant growth, which in turn benefits the entire network of plants. Interactions between plants and microbes in the rhizosphere are complex and can either be socialist or capitalist in nature, and the knowledge of these interactions is equally important for the progress of sustainable agricultural practice. In the socialist network, resources are distributed more evenly, providing benefits for all connected plants, such as symbiosis. For example, direct or indirect transfer of nutrients to plants, direct stimulation of growth through phytohormones, antagonism toward pathogenic microorganisms, and mitigation of stresses. For the capitalist network, AMF would be privately controlled for the profit of certain groups of plants, hence increasing competition between connected plants. Such plant interactions invading by microbes act as saprophytic and cause necrotrophy in the colonizing plants. In the first case, an excess of the nutritional resources may be donated to the receiver plants by direct transfer. In the second case, an unequal distribution of resources occurs, which certainly favor individual groups and increases competition between interactions. This largely depends on which of these responses is predominant ("socialist" or "capitalist") at the moment plants are connected. Therefore, some plant species might benefit from CMNs more than others, depending on the fungal species and plant species involved in the association. Nevertheless, benefits and disadvantages from the interactions between the connected plants are hard to distinguish in nature once most of the plants are colonized simultaneously by multiple fungal species, each with its own cost-benefits. Classifying plant-microbe interactions based on their habitat specificity, such as their presence on leaf surfaces (phyllospheric), within plant tissues (endophytic), on root surfaces (rhizospheric), or as surface-dwelling organisms (epiphytic), helps to highlight the dense and intricate connections between plants and microbes that occur both above and below ground. In these complex relationships, microbes often engage in mutualistic interactions where both parties derive mutual benefits, exemplifying the socialistic or capitalistic nature of these interactions. This review discusses the ubiquity, functioning, and management interventions of different types of plant-plant and plant-microbe interactions in CMNs, and how they promote plant growth and address environmental challenges for sustainable agriculture.

Same scenario, different scripts: Landscape genetics in two codistributed subterranean rodents of the genus Ctenomys

AbstractSubterranean rodents of the genus Ctenomys typically occupy fragmented habitats, many currently altered by anthropogenic development. These changes affect functional connectivity among individuals, reducing gene flow levels. This study assessed the functional connectivity of two sympatric species of subterranean rodents, Ctenomys australis and Ctenomys talarum, examining the impact of landscape changes on their population genetic structure at a fine spatial scale. We conducted a spatially continuous sampling over 12 km of coastline in Southeastern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, genotyping 91 and 106 individuals of C. australis and C. talarum, respectively, using 10–12 microsatellite loci. We applied various spatial layers characterizing both species' habitats to evaluate the landscape configuration's effect on individual gene flow. We employed Bayesian genetic clustering methods to infer population structure levels. Ctenomys talarum showed greater structure than C. australis. NDVI temporal variation was the main factor influencing C. australis' genetic structure, whereas suitable habitat, linked to the current landscape configuration, was the most significant factor in shaping C. talarum's genetic structure. Differences in dispersal capacity and habitat specificity appear to have influenced the population genetic structures of these species. The results indicated varying sensitivities to landscape changes; temporal landscape variations primarily impacted C. australis' genetic connectivity, whereas for C. talarum, the current landscape configuration was more influential.

Predicting the effects of climate and land use changes on small rattlesnakes in central Mexico: Insights for conservation planning

Anthropogenic changes pose a significant threat to global biodiversity, especially in reptiles. Mexico, renowned for its diverse reptile population, is experiencing habitat disturbance and fragmentation, endangering rattlesnakes in particular due to their specific habitat requirements and limited mobility. The loss of structural connectivity further increases the risk of extinction for reptiles. Our study focuses on predicting the distribution and connectivity of nine Crotalus species in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB), using environmental modeling. We used climate models (CNRM-CM5 and MPI-ESM-LR) for the year 2050 and Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP 85) alongside changes in vegetation cover and land use. The Maxent modeling method in ENMeval helped assess distribution patterns and to identify key environmental variables influencing these species’ distributions and niche overlap. We also conducted an analysis of the structural connectivity of the different Crotalus species. Our findings indicate reductions in suitable habitats due to changes in agriculture, urbanization, and forest cover. The Maxent models showed high accuracy in predicting species distributions. The most influential variables varied among species and included forest types and climatic factors. We observed limited connectivity among small Crotalus species, although some species exhibited greater connectivity than others. Future models suggest potential distribution reductions for all species, with C. armstrongi facing the greatest reduction (78%) according to the cn85 global climate model. Protected areas do not encompass the majority of potential distribution for these small rattlesnake species. These findings highlight the urgency of conservation efforts and the need to mitigate the impacts of future environmental changes on reptile populations.

Specialisation in frog‐biting midges (Diptera: Corethrellidae): A landscape perspective

Abstract Generally, competition excludes pairs of phylogenetically close species across the landscape. However, habitat, food and behaviour differentiation facilitate co‐occurrence of syntopic species. The taxa of frog‐biting midges Corethrella are assumed to be specialists on calling male frogs, but little is known about how habitat gradients and frog‐species composition influence their distribution and permit their coexistence in continuous landscapes. Our aims were to understand how environmental gradients in habitat, sound frequencies and frog‐species composition influence Corethrella spp. distributions and if habitat and sound frequencies segregate their occurrence across a landscape. We also investigated if habitat selection reduces co‐occurrence of species that share similar acoustic niches. The study was conducted in 20 permanent plots in Central Amazonia using different sound attractants as baits to capture Corethrella species. Habitat gradients, sound frequencies and frog‐species composition all influenced distributions of Corethrella spp. However, these factors do little to avoid Corethrella co‐occurrence, and habitat selection did not reduce co‐occurrence of species attracted to the same sound frequencies. These results suggest that competition is unlikely to affect the distribution of adults and that other aspects, such as competition in the larval phase, may be more important to permit their coexistence. The two most abundant species showed strong negative correlations in abundances, potentially indicating competition among these species, but larval habitat specialisation is likely to be the most important cause of this pattern.

The drivers of plant turnover change across spatial scales in the Azores

Beta diversity patterns are essential for understanding how biological communities are structured. Geographical and environmental factors, as well as species dispersal ability, are important drivers of beta diversity, but their relative importance may vary across spatial scales. In this study, we evaluate whether beta diversity changes across geographical scales and analyse how different drivers affect turnover patterns of native seed plants in an oceanic archipelago, the Azores (Portugal). Using a 500 × 500 m resolution grid, we selected cells that are covered by one of the following habitats: native forest, naturalized vegetation and seminatural pastures. We calculated species turnover at three spatial scales: 1) between islands, 2) between cells within each island, and finally 3) between cells of each of the habitats of interest in each island. We then calculated the contribution of dispersal syndromes (endozoochory, epizoochory, hydrochory and anemochory) to turnover at each of the scales. Lastly, we assessed the relationship between geographical and climatic distances and habitat type with turnover. Turnover was higher at the smallest spatial scale, particularly in seminatural pastures, and decreased with increasing spatial scales, a pattern potentially associated with the historical fragmentation and current patchy distribution of native forest and seminatural habitats in the Azores. Dispersal syndromes and habitat type had a negligible effect on turnover at all scales. Geographical distance had a positive effect on turnover at all scales, increasing its importance with scale. The relationship between turnover and climatic distance was only significant at the intermediate and small scales in specific islands and habitats. Therefore, scale plays an important role at determining the effect of the drivers of turnover, in particular geographical and climatic distance. These results highlight the need to carefully select the scale of analysis when studying turnover patterns, as well as identifying the potential drivers associated with each spatial scale.

The spider fauna of Danish coastal dune habitats revisited after 25 years: evidence of faunistic impoverishment

Arthropod faunas have become impoverished in recent years in abundance as well as in diversity, but so far little evidence exists concerning spiders. In 2022, we repeated pitfall trap collections of spider assemblages completed 25 years previously in coastal dune habitats of the Hanstholm Reserve of National Park Thy, Denmark. Traps were placed approximately at the same spots, i.e. the habitats (white dune, grey dune, dry dune heathland, wet dune heathland, low pine plantation) were represented approximately as before. Contrary to most previous reports of insect decline, we found only weak evidence of reduction in abundance, but strong indications of reductions in faunistic value based on changes in ecological traits. Within the same period of spring and with the same number of traps, we collected 12% fewer spider individuals and 13% fewer species; rarefaction indicated that the lowered species richness was real. Species diversity had decreased and dominance increased. Changes in indices of ecological traits showed that the fauna had changed into decreased contribution of habitat specialists and species of restricted Danish distribution; the proportion of aeronauts had increased; the average body size had decreased. Indices of assemblage microclimatic niche positions and niche widths showed increased representation of shade and humidity loving species. Most of these changes were repeated in each of the habitats. Finally, we found evidence of a phenological shift towards activity earlier in spring in some species.Implications for insect conservationWe discuss possible management measures to counteract the observed trend towards reduced faunistic value.

Comparative plastome analysis of the sister genera Ceratocephala and Myosurus (Ranunculaceae) reveals signals of adaptive evolution to arid and aquatic environments

BackgroundExpansion and contraction of inverted repeats can cause considerable variation of plastid genomes (plastomes) in angiosperms. However, little is known about whether structural variations of plastomes are associated with adaptation to or occupancy of new environments. Moreover, adaptive evolution of angiosperm plastid genes remains poorly understood. Here, we sequenced the complete plastomes for four species of xerophytic Ceratocephala and hydrophytic Myosurus, as well as Ficaria verna. By an integration of phylogenomic, comparative genomic, and selection pressure analyses, we investigated evolutionary patterns of plastomes in Ranunculeae and their relationships with adaptation to dry and aquatic habitats.ResultsOwing to the significant contraction of the boundary of IRA/LSC towards the IRA, plastome sizes and IR lengths of Myosurus and Ceratocephala are smaller within Ranunculeae. Compared to other Ranunculeae, the Myosurus plastome lost clpP and rps16, one copy of rpl2 and rpl23, and one intron of rpoC1 and rpl16, and the Ceratocephala plastome added an infA gene and lost one copy of rpl2 and two introns of clpP. A total of 11 plastid genes (14%) showed positive selection, two genes common to Myosurus and Ceratocephala, seven in Ceratocephala only, and two in Myosurus only. Four genes showed strong signals of episodic positive selection. The rps7 gene of Ceratocephala and the rpl32 and ycf4 genes of Myosurus showed an increase in the rate of variation close to 3.3 Ma.ConclusionsThe plastomic structure variations as well as the positive selection of two plastid genes might be related to the colonization of new environments by the common ancestor of Ceratocephala and Myosurus. The seven and two genes under positive selection might be related to the adaptation to dry and aquatic habitats in Ceratocephala and Myosurus, respectively. Moreover, intensified aridity and frequent sea-level fluctuations, as well as global cooling, might have favored an increased rate of change in some genes at about 3.3 Ma, associated with adaptation to dry and aquatic environments, respectively. These findings suggest that changing environments might have influenced structural variations of plastomes and fixed new mutations arising on some plastid genes owing to adaptation to specific habitats.

Habitat loss weakens the positive relationship between grassland plant richness and above-ground biomass.

Habitat loss and fragmentation per se have been shown to be a major threat to global biodiversity and ecosystem function. However, little is known about how habitat loss and fragmentation per se alters the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function (BEF relationship) in the natural landscape context. Based on 130 landscapes identified by a stratified random sampling in the agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China, we investigated the effects of landscape context (habitat loss and fragmentation per se) on plant richness, above-ground biomass, and the relationship between them in grassland communities using a structural equation model. We found that habitat loss directly decreased plant richness and hence decreased above-ground biomass, while fragmentation per se directly increased plant richness and hence increased above-ground biomass. Fragmentation per se also directly decreased soil water content and hence decreased above-ground biomass. Meanwhile, habitat loss decreased the magnitude of the positive relationship between plant richness and above-ground biomass by reducing the percentage of grassland specialists in the community, while fragmentation per se had no significant modulating effect on this relationship. These results demonstrate that habitat loss and fragmentation per se have inconsistent effects on BEF, with the BEF relationship being modulated by landscape context. Our findings emphasise that habitat loss rather than fragmentation per se can weaken the positive BEF relationship by decreasing the degree of habitat specialisation of the community.

Habitat loss weakens the positive relationship between grassland plant richness and above-ground biomass

Habitat loss and fragmentation per se have been shown to be a major threat to global biodiversity and ecosystem function. However, little is known about how habitat loss and fragmentation per se alters the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function (BEF relationship) in the natural landscape context. Based on 130 landscapes identified by a stratified random sampling in the agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China, we investigated the effects of landscape context (habitat loss and fragmentation per se) on plant richness, above-ground biomass, and the relationship between them in grassland communities using a structural equation model. We found that habitat loss directly decreased plant richness and hence decreased above-ground biomass, while fragmentation per se directly increased plant richness and hence increased above-ground biomass. Fragmentation per se also directly decreased soil water content and hence decreased above-ground biomass. Meanwhile, habitat loss decreased the magnitude of the positive relationship between plant richness and above-ground biomass by reducing the percentage of grassland specialists in the community, while fragmentation per se had no significant modulating effect on this relationship. These results demonstrate that habitat loss and fragmentation per se have inconsistent effects on BEF, with the BEF relationship being modulated by landscape context. Our findings emphasise that habitat loss rather than fragmentation per se can weaken the positive BEF relationship by decreasing the degree of habitat specialisation of the community.

Lidar-based MaxEnt models to support conservation planning for endangered Red-cockaded Woodpeckers in urbanizing environments

Sensitive and intensively managed species require carefully thought-out management plans to promote and maintain specific habitat conditions. Urban features and land-use change must be assimilated into these habitat management plans, as they become increasingly present globally. As a case study, several MaxEnt species distribution models were developed that could enable habitat management efforts for the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker (RCW) in moderate to increasingly urbanized environments. Model development began with a classification of fine-scale, lidar-based habitat indicators with the area normalized at the stand level and developed around known habitat characteristics of RCW. Other explanatory rasters included distance to different urban features, and experimentation with spectral layers outside the visible light spectrum. Models were trained using presence data from a relatively small but comprehensively surveyed population in Montgomery County, Texas, and three compartments that were recently pedestrian surveyed for RCWs on the Sam Houston National Forest. The former is experiencing moderate levels of urbanization, and the latter is in earlier stages. The best performing model predicted RCW presence 94% of the time at a 0.4 probability threshold and resulted in an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.88. Successful model development required a specific combination of steps and data processing, including the use of lidar-based habitat indicators created using data fusion and machine learning classification, land-use features, and non-visible spectra. These methods can provide valuable insights into strategic habitat planning for the RCW and other sensitive species in urbanizing landscapes. This study reinforces what habitat characteristics promote RCW success, while providing valuable insights to guide management activities around urbanization. These could include mapping suitable recruitment areas that remain unoccupied, spatially identifying where habitat quality was lacking or sufficient, and predicting the impact of future land-use change. This case study demonstrates that species distribution modelling can be successfully applied at subpopulation and fine scales, and for the practical purpose of enabling habitat and conservation planning where anthropogenic activities are adding challenging complexities.

Weak phylogenetic effect on specialist plant assemblages and their persistence on habitat islands

AbstractAimThe influence of species phylogenetic relatedness on the formation of insular assemblages remains understudied in functional island biogeography, especially for terrestrial habitat islands (i.e. distinct habitat patches embedded in a matrix that differ in the prevailing environmental conditions). Here, we tested three eco‐evolutionary hypotheses: (1) functional specialization of species (i.e. specialism) is associated with phylogenetic clustering at the habitat archipelago scale, (2) such clustering increases with insularity at the habitat island scale and (3) traits indicative of effective local persistence strategies shape island specialism.LocationTerrestrial habitat islands, Europe (Fens in the Western Carpathians, Outcrops in Moravia and Mountaintops in the Cantabrian Range).TaxonAngiosperms.MethodsWe assessed the phylogenetic relatedness of habitat specialists in three different archipelagos composed of terrestrial habitat islands based on phylogenetic signals and phylogenetic diversity (PD) measures. We estimated the effect of insularity on PD using linear models and the effect of persistence traits on specialism using phylogenetic logistic regressions.ResultsOur hypotheses were largely not supported. Outcrop and mountaintop specialist assemblages did not exhibit any phylogenetic structuring, whereas fen specialists were clustered at the archipelago scale. Therefore, insularity seems not to act as a selective force for phylogenetic structure, and ecologically important persistence traits do not operate as precursors of specialism.Main ConclusionsOur results show that species phylogenetic relatedness plays a minor role in shaping habitat island specialist assemblages. Furthermore, the effects of phylogenetic relatedness on assemblages of island specialists are system and scale dependent. Finally, accounting for species' phylogenetic relatedness on persistence traits yielded results similar to previous studies, which corroborates the positive relationship between insularity and functional traits (indicative of enhanced plant persistence abilities with increasing within‐archipelago insularity).

No city for wetland species: habitat associations affect mammal persistence in urban areas.

The fast rate of replacement of natural areas by expanding cities is a key threat to wildlife worldwide. Many wild species occur in cities, yet little is known on the dynamics of urban wildlife assemblages due to species' extinction and colonization that may occur in response to the rapidly evolving conditions within urban areas. Namely, species' ability to spread within urban areas, besides habitat preferences, is likely to shape the fate of species once they occur in a city. Here we use a long-term dataset on mammals occurring in one of the largest and most ancient cities in Europe to assess whether and how spatial spread and association with specific habitats drive the probability of local extinction within cities. Our analysis included mammalian records dating between years 1832 and 2023, and revealed that local extinctions in urban areas are biased towards species associated with wetlands and that were naturally rare within the city. Besides highlighting the role of wetlands within urban areas for conserving wildlife, our work also highlights the importance of long-term biodiversity monitoring in highly dynamic habitats such as cities, as a key asset to better understand wildlife trends and thus foster more sustainable and biodiversity-friendly cities.

Cretaceous fossil birds from China

Abstract The explosive radiation of early birds has been well documented by the extraordinary discoveries of the Early Cretaceous fossil birds in China in the past three decades. They have greatly expanded the diversity, disparity and temporal distribution of Mesozoic birds, refining our knowledge of the evolutionary path leading to the characteristic avian body plan, including feathers and powered flight, locomotion and habitat differentiation, diet and digestion, reproduction and development, feather colours and display. In addition, studies on the geological background of the Jehol Biota that produced the majority of the Chinese Cretaceous birds have provided important clues to our understanding of the taphonomy as well as the interaction between deep geological process and biological evolution in northeastern China and East Asia during the Early Cretaceous. Future multidisciplinary studies are expected to advance our knowledge of the palaeogeography of Early Cretaceous birds, what impacted the changes in the diversity of early birds in China, and the roles that early birds played in the Early Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystem.

Two decades of dune slack restoration in North Wales: diversity, community and habitat specialists

Humid dunes slacks are a highly threatened habitat, listed as vulnerable in the EU habitat red list. Accelerated successional processes in dune systems have resulted in the loss and degradation of ideal conditions for specialist dune slack species, hence the need for conservation management. We investigated the restoration of a dune slack in North Wales, UK, where vegetation and soil removal to 10 cm depth was undertaken to reinstate nutrient‐poor, open and damp conditions. We assessed the outcomes of the management for dune slack communities over the 18 years since restoration. We also assessed the differences between restored and unrestored areas of dune slacks. The dunes were restored in the winter of 2004/2005, after which we conducted vegetation surveys in fixed quadrats for most years in the restored and adjacent, un‐restored dune slacks. Species diversity and plant community composition changes over time were assessed using Shannon's index, multivariate analysis and indicator species analysis. Comparisons between the restored and unrestored areas of the dune slacks were also made. Ellenberg indicator values (EIVs) were examined to identify potential environmental drivers of post management successional changes. After 18 years the restored dune slacks developed a species‐rich and diverse community. compared to the unrestored slacks. The establishment of species occurred rapidly in the first three years, followed by continued but slower increases in species richness and diversity. This is due to the addition of new species without losses of established species. EIVs show no significant difference over time suggesting the restored areas are still at an early stage of succession. Distinct stages of community change since restoration are characterised by different indicator species. Plants are likely to be largely recruited from an existing seed bank. Restoration by turf removal may be suitable for other low nutrient, species rich habitats dependent upon fluctuating groundwater levels.

Taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional nestedness of mammal assemblages in the Zhoushan Archipelago, China

Abstract Nestedness is an important part of the theoretical framework of island biogeography and community ecology. However, most previous studies focused on taxonomic dimension and overlooked functional and phylogenetic nestedness. Here, we simultaneously investigated taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic nestedness of terrestrial mammals on 39 land-bridge islands in the Zhoushan Archipelago, China. As mammals’ response to the environment may depend on their body size, we performed analyses for three mammal assemblages separately: overall species, large and medium-sized species, and small species. The taxonomic nestedness was quantified by organizing the species incidence matrix, while the functional and phylogenetic nestedness were estimated by combining the similarity of their ecological traits and phylogeny. Island characteristics (island area, three isolation indices, land use intensity, and habitat diversity) and species traits (body size, litter size, habitat specificity, geographic range size, and minimum area requirement) were used as predictors of nestedness. Overall and small species were significantly nested in 3 facets of nestedness, and results supported the selective extinction, selective colonization, and habitat nestedness hypotheses. Large and medium-sized species were functionally and phylogenetically nested when matrices were ordered by increasing distance to mainland, supporting the selective colonization hypothesis. Overall, differences in nestedness and its underlying mechanisms were detected not only in 3 facets of nestedness but also in the 3 mammal assemblages. Therefore, frameworks that incorporate taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional nestedness can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of nestedness processes. Additionally, it also improves our ability to understand the divergent responses of mammal assemblages to the insular environment.

Environmental variables and bottom trawling effort affect the complexity and distribution of soft-bottom octocorals and burrowing megafauna communities in the Gulf of Cádiz

Bottom trawling significantly impacts benthic communities, reducing habitat complexity and biodiversity. The distribution and abundance of key species in the northeastern Gulf of Cádiz, Spanish waters of Atlantic Ocean, such as soft-bottom octocorals and burrowing megafauna, were examined using video observations and Spatial Distribution Models developed with Random Forest. The study was conducted in the Site of Community Importance “Volcanes de fango del golfo de Cádiz" focusing on depths between 300 and 950 metres depth. The effects of environmental variables and bottom trawling on octocoral distribution and abundance were assessed, and management strategies for habitat protection were proposed. Bottom trawling was found to decrease habitat suitability for large octocoral species while the abundance of Norway lobster was positively correlated with certain values of bottom trawling effort. The study suggests that bottom trawling causes significant reduction in octocoral distributions, substrate homogenization, and habitat differentiation. A 200 km2 area is recommended for a specific bottom trawling regulation to protect soft-bottom octocorals and support the recovery of commercial burrowing megafauna.

Contribution to the knowledge of the butterfly fauna (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) of Central Slovenia

The southwestern Posavsko hills and northern Suha krajina are among the least studied areas regarding the butterfly fauna in Slovenia. To fill this knowledge gap, we selected all unpublished records of butterflies since 2014, in addition to the focused field surveys performed in the 2019–2022 period. We recorded a total of 105 butterfly species, presenting almost 60% of all species found in Slovenia. Among the species found, there are several habitat specialists of high conservation importance, e.g., Leptidea morsei, Euphydryas aurinia, Parnassius mnemosyne, Phengaris arion, Carcharodus floccifera, Lycaena dispar. Locations harbouring these species and those with the highest species richness are of great importance for preserving the diverse butterfly fauna of the region.

Combining camera trap surveys and IUCN range maps to improve knowledge of species distributions.

Reliable maps of species distributions are fundamental for biodiversity research and conservation. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) range maps are widely recognized as authoritative representations of species' geographic limits, yet they might not always align with actual occurrence data. In recent area of habitat (AOH) maps, areas that are not habitat have been removed from IUCN ranges to reduce commission errors, but their concordance with actual species occurrence also remains untested. We tested concordance between occurrences recorded in camera trap surveys and predicted occurrences from the IUCN and AOH maps for 510 medium- to large-bodied mammalian species in 80 camera trap sampling areas. Across all areas, cameras detected only 39% of species expected to occur based on IUCN ranges and AOH maps; 85% of the IUCN only mismatches occurred within 200km of range edges. Only 4% of species occurrences were detected by cameras outside IUCN ranges. The probability of mismatches between cameras and the IUCN range was significantly higher for smaller-bodied mammals and habitat specialists in the Neotropics and Indomalaya and in areas with shorter canopy forests. Our findings suggest that range and AOH maps rarely underrepresent areas where species occur, but they may more often overrepresent ranges by including areas where a species may be absent, particularly at range edges. We suggest that combining range maps with data from ground-based biodiversity sensors, such as camera traps, provides a richer knowledge base for conservation mapping and planning.