Species In Landscapes Research Articles

Irrigation systems in smart cities coping with water scarcity: The case of Valdebebas, Madrid (Spain)

This study is aimed at assessing the performance of irrigation systems in Valdebebas, an urban development located in Madrid (Spain), as an example of smart irrigation. Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) is the major irrigation method, although surface drip irrigation (DI) is also applied in a small area. The irrigation scheduling is made by the park manager, using the plant water requirements based on the reference evapotranspiration retrieved from a nearby weather station, and a plant coefficient KC. In this study, plant water requirements were estimated using the Water Use Classification of Landscape Species (WUCOLS) III method, in which plant water requirements are based on the composite of plant species and not on a single species, as in the case for classical crop coefficients. Water use efficiency is assessed by the relative water supply and the relative rainfall supply indicators. The results showed that the irrigation was better managed using the estimations of the park manager compared to the WUCOLS method although the irrigation scheduling is based only on the climatic information and does not consider other variables such as the soil water content.

Circadian rhythms enable efficient resource selection in a human-modified landscape.

Animals access resources such as food and shelter, and acquiring these resources has varying risks and benefits, depending on the suitability of the landscape. Some animals change their patterns of resource selection in space and time to optimize the trade‐off between risks and benefits. We examine the circadian variation in resource selection of swamp wallabies (Wallabia bicolor) within a human‐modified landscape, an environment of varying suitability. We used GPS data from 48 swamp wallabies to compare the use of landscape features such as woodland and scrub, housing estates, farmland, coastal areas, wetlands, waterbodies, and roads to their availability using generalized linear mixed models. We investigated which features were selected by wallabies and determined whether the distance to different landscape features changed, depending on the time of the day. During the day, wallabies were more likely to be found within or near natural landscape features such as woodlands and scrub, wetlands, and coastal vegetation, while avoiding landscape features that may be perceived as more risky (roads, housing, waterbodies, and farmland), but those features were selected more at night. Finally, we mapped our results to predict habitat suitability for swamp wallabies in human‐modified landscapes. We showed that wallabies living in a human‐modified landscape selected different landscape features during day or night. Changing circadian patterns of resource selection might enhance the persistence of species in landscapes where resources are fragmented and disturbed.

Landscape Structure and Species Interactions Drive the Distribution of Salmon Carcasses in Coastal Watersheds

The disproportionate effects of some species can drive ecosystem processes and shape communities. This study investigates how distributions of spawning Pacific salmon within streams, salmon consumers, and the surrounding landscape mediate the distribution of salmon carcasses to riparian forests and estuaries. This work demonstrates how carcass transfer can vary spatially, within and among watersheds, through differences in pink (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) and chum (O. keta) salmon distributions within 16 streams on the central coast of British Columbia over a five-year period. Spawning pink salmon concentrated in lower reaches of all streams, whereas chum salmon shifted from lower to upper stream reaches as the area of spawning habitat increased. Salmon carcasses transferred to riparian areas by grey wolves (Canis lupus) were concentrated in estuaries and lower stream reaches; particularly shallow reaches of larger streams surrounded by large meadow expanses. Black and grizzly bears (Ursus americanus and U. arctos) transferred higher numbers and proportions of salmon carcasses to riparian areas compared to wolves, transferred more carcasses in areas of higher spawning density, and tended to focus more on chum salmon. Riparian subsides were increasingly driven by bear-chum salmon associations in upper stream reaches. In addition, lower proportions of salmon carcasses were exported into estuaries when densities of spawning salmon were lower and spawning reaches of streams were longer. This study demonstrates how salmon subsidies vary between and within watersheds as a result of species associations and landscape traits, and provides a nuanced species-specific and spatially explicit understanding of salmon-subsidy dynamics.

Applying landscape structure analysis to assess the spatio-temporal distribution of an invasive legume in the Rhön UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

Landscape composition and structure may strongly affect the spread of invasive species in landscapes. Landscape analysis provides a powerful toolset for assessing invasive species invasions over time and for planning control measures. We applied a combination of aerial mapping and landscape analysis to assess the invasion of the legume, Lupinus polyphyllus, in the Rhon UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The Biosphere Reserve contains different types of large and well-connected grasslands threatened by lupine invasion. We assessed the changes in lupine distribution between 1998 and 2016 in a strictly protected part of the Biosphere Reserve by means of landscape structure analysis. The area invaded by L. polyphyllus doubled from 1998 to 2016. While the number of lupine stands decreased by 25%, stand size on average increased by 300%; stands also became less compact during that period. Furthermore, the degree of invasion of different grassland types changed. In 1998, all investigated grassland types were invaded to equal extents, whereas in 2016, large and well-connected mesic grasslands located close to roads were more heavily invaded than small and remote wet grasslands. Our results show that landscape composition plays an important role for the spread of lupine. Specifically, invasive stand characteristics, such as stand size, form, and connectivity, are crucial for driving the invasion of lupine. Therefore, in addition to landscape composition, invasive stand characteristics should be included in the planning of conservation measures. Overall, aerial mapping combined with landscape analysis provides a cost-effective and practical tool for landscape managers to prioritize invasive control measures.

Water Stress Patterns of Xerophytic Plants in an Urban Landscape

Efficient water use in urban landscapes is a common objective throughout the western United States. Vegetative species promoted for their drought tolerance characteristics are often included in landscapes designed for resource conservation. However, water requirements of most common landscape species have not been quantified. This is especially true for xerophytic species. This lack of landscape plant water requirement data is a significant constraint on the design of efficient irrigation systems and management practices affecting urban landscape water use. Current irrigation practices often fail to consider the unique physiology of xerophytic species, and irrigation scheduling models may not be appropriate for xeric landscapes using xerophytic vegetation as the primary method of reducing water use. This work describes the seasonal patterns of growth and xylem water status for four regionally native xeric shrub species planted in an unirrigated urban landscape in the semi-arid environment of central Oregon. The four species (Artemisia tridentata, Holodiscus microphyllus, Ericameria nauseosa, and Ribes cereum) exhibited substantial growth over the course of 18 months without irrigation in a heavily modified urban soil profile. Water potential of the four species was strongly correlated with surface (10 cm) soil moisture (r ≥ 0.90), less so with reference monthly evapotranspiration (r ≤ 0.55), and only weakly with water vapor deficit (r ≤ 0.22). In A. tridentata and H. microphyllus, xylem water potential became more negative during the growing season and tracked the seasonal decline in soil moisture. In contrast, the xylem water potential of E. nauseosa and R. cereum tracked soil moisture early in the season but became less responsive to soil moisture in the driest months, suggesting different drought adaptation strategies in these species. Three of the four species showed no visual signs of drought stress and maintained acceptable aesthetics even as soil moisture decreased to less than 10%. However, R. cereum exhibited a drought dormancy strategy that made it less aesthetically desirable. These results suggest that extreme xerophytic shrubs provide an opportunity for significant reductions in water use in urban landscapes.

Valores objeto de conservación del subsistema de áreas protegidas de los Andes occidentales, Colombia

Para planificar el manejo de la conservación de la biodiversidad y de los recursos naturales se deben formular objetivos específicos y medibles que permitan evaluar la efectividad de la gestión. Su formulación específica para cada uno de los componentes de la biodiversidad o de los servicios ecosistémicos derivados de sus procesos ecológicos no es práctico, pues ello no ayuda a una gestión ambiental efectiva. Por lo tanto, se deben seleccionar unos elementos sustitutos que representen los objetivos de la conservación y las situaciones de manejo que deben resolverse para alcanzarlos. En este sentido, como paso inicial para revisar la planeación del manejo de todo el territorio, el equipo del Subsistema de Áreas Protegidas Andes Occidentales (SAO) llevó a cabo la selección de esos elementos sustitutos denominados “valores objeto de conservación” usando el enfoque de especies del paisaje, el cual permite definir un grupo de especies animales que cumplen funciones de especies sombrilla, piedra angular y bandera. En el SAO se definieron nueve especies, entre las cuales se encuentran cuatro carnívoros, incluidos dos felinos, mamíferos acuáticos, un ave, un ungulado, un primate y un roedor. Con ello se aspiraba a generar un plan de manejo concertado con todos los actores del territorio para lograr su conservación efectiva y consolidar la estructura ecológica del subsistema. © 2019. Acad. Colomb. Cienc. Ex. Fis. Nat.

Home range and habitat data for Hispaniolan mammals challenge assumptions for conservation management

Conservation decision-making for threatened species in human-modified landscapes requires detailed knowledge about spatial ecology, but robust data derived from tracking individual animals are often unavailable, with management decisions potentially based on unreliable anecdotal data. Existing data are limited for Hispaniola's two threatened non-volant land mammals, the Hispaniolan hutia (Plagiodontia aedium) and Hispaniolan solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus), with assumptions that hutias are better able to tolerate landscape disturbance. We collected spatial behaviour and habitat use data for Hispaniolan mammals during a multi-year field programme across undisturbed and modified habitats in southwestern Dominican Republic, using GPS units for hutias (11 individuals) and radio-telemetry for solenodons (22 individuals). Although significant differences exist in hutia home range estimates between different GPS error derivation strategies and estimated terrestrial/arboreal behaviour scenarios (95% KDE means = 23,582–28,612 m2), hutias almost exclusively use forest under all estimates (mean observations in forest across all strategies/scenarios = 90.3%, total range = 69.1–100%). Solenodons have larger estimated home ranges (95% KDE mean = 156,700 m2), with differences between wet and dry season estimates, and show much more variation in habitat use than hutias within the same landscape; animals regularly use both forested and modified habitats, being observed most frequently in forest (mean = 74.0%, range = 13.0–99.1%) but also occurring regularly in pasture (mean = 15.9%, range = 0–80.0%) and cropland (mean = 7.7%, range = 0–62.0%), and den in all three habitats. This new baseline on Hispaniolan mammal spatial ecology challenges anecdotal data, and suggests solenodons may be better able to tolerate disturbance and persist in modified landscapes.

Preserving butterfly diversity in an ever‐expanding urban landscape? A case study in the highlands of Chiapas, México

We examined the relationship between landscape structure and composition, geographic ranges, microhabitat characteristics and the diversity of butterflies (Papilionidae, Nymphalidae, Pieridae, Hesperiidae, Lycaenidae) in an expanding urban landscape in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. Between 2001 and 2016, mountain wetlands, secondary forest, and agro-pasture land, have declined significantly in area covered due to increasing housing activities and expansion of roads and conversion of land for cattle activity. Cloud forest exhibited a minor positive expansion in area, mostly through forest regeneration. In total, we recorded 3630 individuals from 90 species at key sites spanning natural, semi-natural and urban areas. A rarefaction curve analysis for local richness indicated that mountain wetland sites recorded the highest butterfly diversity. Logistic regression analyses suggested that species with narrow geographic ranges could be associated to cloud-forest sites, and that species with relatively more widespread distributions in the Neotropics were more likely to be classified as occurring in mountain wetland habitats. This was confirmed by IndVal analyses from which we identified 39 butterfly species as potential reliable land-cover indicators. Furthermore, canonical correspondence analyses suggested significant associations for the values of butterfly abundance and microhabitat variables such as canopy cover, open areas, presence of grasses, bare soil or rocks. It is a matter of urgency that should put in place monitoring schemes to assess occupancy and change so we can assess changes in the status of butterfly species in rapidly-expanding urban landscapes in tropical Mexico.

The distribution of plant consumption traits across habitat types and the patterns of fruit availability suggest a mechanism of coexistence of two sympatric frugivorous mammals.

Understanding the mechanisms governing the coexistence of organisms is an important question in ecology, and providing potential solutions contributes to conservation science. In this study, we evaluated the contribution of several mechanisms to the coexistence of two sympatric frugivores, using western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) in a tropical rainforest of southeast Cameroon as a model system. We collected great ape fecal samples to determine and classify fruit species consumed; we conducted great ape nest surveys to evaluate seasonal patterns of habitat use; and we collected botanical data to investigate the distribution of plant species across habitat types in relation to their “consumption traits” (which indicate whether plants are preferred or fallback for either gorilla, chimpanzee, or both). We found that patterns of habitat use varied seasonally for both gorillas and chimpanzees and that gorilla and chimpanzee preferred and fallback fruits differed. Also, the distribution of plant consumption traits was influenced by habitat type and matched accordingly with the patterns of habitat use by gorillas and chimpanzees. We show that neither habitat selection nor fruit preference alone can explain the coexistence of gorillas and chimpanzees, but that considering together the distribution of plant consumption traits of fruiting woody plants across habitats as well as the pattern of fruit availability may contribute to explaining coexistence. This supports the assumptions of niche theory with dominant and subordinate species in heterogeneous landscapes, whereby a species may prefer nesting in habitats where it is less subject to competitive exclusion and where food availability is higher. To our knowledge, our study is the first to investigate the contribution of plant consumption traits, seasonality, and habitat heterogeneity to enabling the coexistence of two sympatric frugivores.OPEN RESEARCH BADGES This article has earned an Open Data Badge for making publicly available the digitally‐shareable data necessary to reproduce the reported results. The data is available at https://datadryad.org/resource/doi:10.5061/dryad.ms65f29.

Habitat amount, not patch size and isolation, drives species richness of macro‐moth communities in countryside landscapes

AbstractAimOur aim was to test whether species richness patterns are best explained by the effect of the total amount of habitat within the landscape, or instead by a combination of patch size and patch isolation effects. To this end, we jointly contrast the habitat amount hypothesis and countryside biogeography with patch size and isolation concepts from island biogeography.LocationThree multi‐habitat landscapes in Peneda‐Gerês National Park, NW Portugal.TaxonMacro‐moths (Lepidoptera).MethodsLight‐trapping using a semi‐nested design at 84 fixed sites which were each repeatedly sampled six times.ResultsAutocovariate models show that sampling sites with a higher number of forest and meadow macro‐moth species (alpha diversity) were surrounded by a higher amount of forest and meadow habitat, respectively within a 160 and 320 m radius (scale of effect). These top‐ranked models, containing only habitat amount as a significant variable, had lower Akaike's information criteria (AIC) than models (only) containing patch size and/or isolation. Complementary to this, the countryside species–area relationship (SAR) model outperforms the classic SAR model, so that the effective area of habitat explains landscape species richness (gamma diversity) across spatial scales (beta diversity) better than the classic SAR. Specifically, we show that forest macro‐moths have a higher spatial turnover than meadow macro‐moths and that, on average, there are more species in forest than in meadow habitat.Main conclusionsThe habitat amount hypothesis predicts alpha species richness in multi‐habitat landscapes better than do patch size and isolation while the countryside SAR predicts beta and gamma diversity better than the classic SAR. We suggest that evidence is mounting to revise the application of the classical approaches of island biogeography and metapopulation theory to conservation biogeography.

Landscape-moderated biodiversity effects of ground herb cover in olive groves: Implications for regional biodiversity conservation

Studies assessing the effect of extensive versus intensive agricultural practices and addressing how biodiversity patterns and the effectiveness of agri-environmental practices (AES) to recover biodiversity are moderated by the landscape complexity (LMB framework), underlie large-scale biodiversity conservation programs and policies in anthropogenic landscapes. Such studies are numerous with annual crops and grasslands yet infrequent in more complex and structurally stable arboreal croplands, where high capacity to retain biodiversity is expected. Here, we explore to what extent landscape complexity and extensification of agricultural practices enhance biodiversity in olive groves of Andalusia (southern Spain). We monitored birds, ants and herbs in paired olive farms (extensive versus intensive ground herb cover management) from 20 localities spread over Andalusia and along a landscape complexity gradient. For each biological group, we obtained gamma diversity (diversity at the olive farm level), beta diversity (between the productive and unproductive areas located within the olive farm) and infield alpha diversity (in the productive area within the olive farm). We tested for multi-diversity, and for each group separately, three major hypotheses of the LMB: the intermediate-landscape complexity, the dominance of beta diversity, and the landscape species pool hypotheses. These hypotheses were corroborated with multi-diversity, which was affected by intensification of weed management and landscape simplification, suffering a combined impact of 26% of gamma biodiversity loss. The effectiveness of extensification to recover biodiversity depended on the landscape context and peaked at intermediate-complexity landscapes. Beta multi-diversity and infield alpha-diversity increased with landscape complexity. Birds, ants and weeds responded differently but were negatively affected either by landscape simplification or by management intensification. Birds mirrored better than other groups the multi-diversity pattern and were the best candidates for a rapid indicator of the impact of agriculture and land conversion on biodiversity. We provide recommendations for biodiversity conservation in olive groves-dominated landscapes and show that, if adequately managed, olive groves’ landscapes have potential for the conservation of biodiversity in the Mediterranean region. Our results illustrate the need to reformulate the future EU-Common Agricultural Policy and particularly, to adapt AES to each landscape.

Anthropogenic thermal gradient in managed landscapes determines physiological performance and explains the edge-biased distribution of ectothermic arthropods

The intensive management of tree plantations has replaced and fragmented native forests worldwide. A direct consequence of this activity is the creation of new edges, which generate changes in microclimatic conditions in the adjacent forest as well as in the neighboring clearcut stands left over after harvesting by clearcut logging. Thus, newly created anthropogenic thermal gradients could influence ectothermic responses regarding abundance and physiology of native species in fragmented landscapes. Interestingly, the consequences of these changes have not been studied in insects. To test the effects of the anthropogenic thermal gradient on the abundance and physiology of ectothermic species, we chose the fragmented Maulino forest and the ground-dwelling beetle Ceroglossus chilensis (Coleoptera: Carabidae) as our biological model, working with seven fragments of native forest surrounded by active and clearcut pine plantation stands. We measured temperature variables and beetle abundance in different months using transects perpendicular to the edge and used general linear modelling to explain abundance with temperature. In addition, we assessed the preferential body temperatures (Tb) and Rollover Speed (RoS) of C. chilensis at five different temperatures in controlled conditions to explain field abundance. We found that mean ambient temperatures were up to 42% higher in clearcut stands than in native forest fragments during summer. However, ambient temperatures in autumn were similar between native forest fragments and clearcut stands. The abundance of C. chilensis, is concentrated near the edge in the native forest (between 2 and 10 m to interior of native forest), regardless of month sampled. The abundance of C. chilensis was higher at the edge than inside native forest interiors or clearcut stands, regardless of the month. Ambient temperature surpasses preferential body temperature (14–15.99 °C) and physiological performance of C. chilensis (15 °C), particularly during summer. Ceroglossus chilensis abundance at the edge of clearcut stands could be favored by understory structural complexity in understory vegetation, creating suitable microclimatic conditions and increasing abundance of prey resource. In essence, we found that the higher temperatures found near the edge inside forest interiors might enable individuals of C. chilensis to display thermoregulatory behavior by concentrating activity at these particular regions, resulting in increased abundances and more concentrated occurrences, helping to explain the edge-biased distribution. Thus, we offer evidence that physiological performance might be a key functional trait to explain abundance of ectothermic species in fragmented forest landscapes. We submit to decision makers linked to the forestry industry, that managing the understory of young tree plantations and increasing the structural complexity at remnant forest edges to cushion high temperatures in clearcut stands would enable more effective conservation planning of thermosensitive ectotherms in disturbed forest landscapes.

Impact of agrolandscapes dynamic on environment of the Karelian Isthmus

During 100 last years the area of agricultural lands have reduced in 1,4 times on the Karelian Isthmus. It influences on environment and landscape image at the Karelian Isthmus very much. The processes of overgrowing of the former agricultural lands are studied on the landscapes base. Four stages can be revealed. Reestablish vegetation successions can be realised by different ways, with different rate, including various trees and ecological groups of species in different landscapes. In the different sites many traits in common are discovered during this processes.

Modelling Betula utilis distribution in response to climate-warming scenarios in Hindu-Kush Himalaya using random forest

Globally, the increase in the climatic variability has led to adverse effects on the treeline species in the high-elevation mountain landscapes. Identifying the geographical space that supports the treeline species survival over time is essential for conservation biogeography. Increase in the global warming and snowmelt has made available the treeline species favourable niches in the higher elevations. Random Forest algorithm assuming non-parametric distribution was employed to predict the potential distribution of Betula utilis niche in the Hindu-Kush Himalayan (HKH) region. The potential distributions were simulated in the Last Inter-Glaciation (LIG), present (the year 1970–2000) and future (the year 2061–2080) environmental conditions. The actual distribution of the species in the current time was modelled and evaluated. The model sensitivity with reference to independent evaluation dataset for highly suitable B. utilis niche was 0.78. The model statistics of the current time was further applied to both the LIG and future (2061–2080) scenarios in order to get a fundamental niche of B. utilis. The treeline species, B. utilis was projected to become vulnerable to 21st century climate changes. The high suitability of B. utilis occurrence in the LIG, current and the future scenario were more likely in the elevation ranges 2601–2800 m, 3801–4000 m, and 4201–4400 m, respectively. The magnitude of advancement was relatively more along elevation and longitude, compared to the latitudinal gradient. The present study provides scientific evidence to conclude that the treeline species potential distribution in HKH is climate driven.

More than 5Years! An Unusually Long-Lived Dung Beetle (Scarabaeinae) in an Andean Agricultural Landscape.

Despite their importance as ecological indicators of anthropic perturbation, most of our knowledge about Neotropical dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) is derived from studies conducted at the community level. To date, at a global scale, there is still incipient knowledge about the population ecology of the Scarabeinae species. The study of these insects at the population level offers new data pertaining to demographic aspects such as population size and adult longevity in the field. On the 6th of August 2017, within a patch of a cloud forest in the municipality of La Celia in Risaralda, Colombia, we recaptured a male specimen of Dichotomius aff. alyattes Harold that was marked 5years ago, on the 15th of May 2012. The individual was marked with a number 8 on its right elytron and it was recaptured in the same patch forest, which has been sampled since 2008. After an exhaustive review of the field information and literature, this data represents the longest recorded longevity known for Scarabaeinae. Beyond being a fortuitous event, this recapture prompts a review of our ideas regarding the reproductive biology and vulnerability of dung beetle species in landscapes of high anthropic demand, with an emphasis on Neotropical species.

The response of wild bees to tree cover and rural land use is mediated by species' traits

Worldwide, bees have an important role in ecosystem function and the provision of ecosystem services through their role as pollinators. The diversity of bee species in rural landscapes is influenced by the type of landscape features present, and by land-use and management practices. A key challenge is to understand and predict how species vary across the landscape; and the role of functional traits in determining compositional patterns. We systematically sampled wild bees in four types of landscape feature – open farmland, scattered farmland trees, roadside vegetation and streamside vegetation – in rural landscapes in southern Australia. Landscapes were selected to represent wooded or non-wooded combinations of these site types (e.g. roadside vegetation with or without trees), embedded in farmland with different land-uses (e.g. cropping, grazing). The species richness and abundance of bees was greater at sites containing little or no tree cover; and the cumulative richness of species was greater for tree-less sites than for those with trees. In contrast, species evenness was greatest in wooded site types, indicating these were less dominated by abundant generalist species. Open farmland and treeless roadsides had greater functional diversity (based on species traits) than wooded site types. Strong species trait associations were more numerous with open parts of the landscape, reflecting the greater functional diversity of open site types. These results suggest that a suite of the extant bee fauna can exploit large-scale transformation from former extensively wooded ecosystems to open agricultural landscapes. However, not all species are able to exploit modified landscapes and may disappear with further loss of wooded vegetation. Trait-based approaches provide insight into how changes in landscape pattern affect the bee fauna. Failure to adequately cater for multiple functional groups of bees across all landscape features could mean a substantial loss in species that rely on more natural cover, thus affecting ecosystem function.

Effect of free-ranging dogs and cats on medium-sized wild mammal assemblages in urban protected areas of a Mexican city

Abstract ContextUrban protected areas (PAs) are the habitat of several Neotropical medium-sized wild mammal (MSWM) species. However, this richness is seriously threatened by the growing populations of free-ranging dogs and cats in these areas. AimsThe aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of free-ranging dogs and cats on the assemblage structure of MSWM in PAs of Xalapa city, Veracruz, Mexico. MethodsCamera traps were used to assess the effect of abundance and activity of dogs and cats on richness, abundance, dominance and activity of MSWM across two urban and three peri-urban PAs. The effect of plant diversity, vegetation structure and PA on mammal richness, activity and abundance were also evaluated. Key resultsThe dominance of MSWM was higher in peri-urban areas than urban areas, and the activity of dogs and cats from peri-urban and urban PAs was similar with wildest MSWM. Only inside urban areas did the size of the area and the dogs’ activity have a negative effect on the richness, activity and abundance of MSWM. Moreover, the activity and abundance of cats also had a negative effect on the activity of MSWM in urban PAs. The presence of dogs affected the latency of appearance of MSWM. ConclusionsThe presence of free-ranging dogs and cats in urban PAs affects MSWM assemblages and their appearance latency. ImplicationsThe potential harm of free-ranging dogs and cats on the community of MSWM in urban areas is clear, as is the need for increased scientific research to aid in the control of these exotic species in urban landscapes.

Floral diversity, composition, and recruitment on the karstland of Baratang Island, India

Karst-land vegetation was never before documented from India. Baratang limestone karst area, in tropical evergreen, semi-evergreen forests of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, is the biggest and most dense cave complex with more than 175 underground caverns. We surveyed the limestone karst area of Baratang Island to understand vegetation diversity, composition and recruitment pattern. We encountered 90 tree species in the study area. Our result indicated dissimilarity in species diversity (F = 320.06; p < 0.001) and composition (P = 0.001; A = 0.031) among the trees and recruitment classes, where the diversity increased with the age of the vegetation classes (trees > saplings > seedlings). Tree diversity showed a positive correlation with the diversity of saplings and seedlings (Spearman's correlation coefficient: saplings =0. 25; p = 0.011; seedling =0.31; p = 0.002). We found that the dominant and co-dominant species in the karstic landscapes depicts exclusive vegetation patterns than the non-karstic areas. A better understanding of forest dynamics might prove a useful tool in the research of the fast-changing, sensitive karst ecosystems. Therefore, we strongly recommend further studies about karst-land vegetation in India.

Identifying landscape species for ecological planning

The global extent of habitat degradation and accelerated rate of diversity loss requires conservation managers to quickly develop conservation plans within political, financial and time constraints. Despite the important role of surrogate species for structuring site-based conservation, these species have often been selected using unsupervised approaches. We aimed to incorporate the strengths of several surrogate species approaches within a new single species selection framework in order to select a suite of ecologically and culturally suitable landscape species as a complement to the network of current protected areas (PAs) for conservation of central Iranian deserts. Using carnivores, we utilised multiple decision making criteria, combining decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) with analytic network process (ANP) methods, to rank the most important criteria in selecting landscape species. We then applied weighted criteria, ecological niche modelling, experts’ information, and attitudes of local communities to score ten candidate species based on the thirteen criteria. Finally we identified a suite of complementary landscape species for ecological planning of the landscape. This framework is as an effective approach for selecting landscape species especially in habitats where there are few data on candidate species.

Weather effects on birds of different size are mediated by long-term climate and vegetation type in endangered temperate woodlands.

Species occurrence is influenced by a range of factors including habitat attributes, climate, weather, and human landscape modification. These drivers are likely to interact, but their effects are frequently quantified independently. Here, we report the results of a 13-year study of temperate woodland birds in south-eastern Australia to quantify how different-sized birds respond to the interacting effects of: (a) short-term weather (rainfall and temperature in the 12months preceding our surveys), (b) long-term climate (average rainfall and maximum and minimum temperatures over the period 1970-2014), and (c) broad structural forms of vegetation (old-growth woodland, regrowth woodland, and restoration plantings). We uncovered significant interactions between bird body size, vegetation type, climate, and weather. High short-term rainfall was associated with decreased occurrence of large birds in old-growth and regrowth woodland, but not in restoration plantings. Conversely, small bird occurrence peaked in wet years, but this effect was most pronounced in locations with a history of high rainfall, and was actually reversed (peak occurrence in dry years) in restoration plantings in dry climates. The occurrence of small birds was depressed-and large birds elevated-in hot years, except in restoration plantings which supported few large birds under these circumstances. Our investigation suggests that different mechanisms may underpin contrasting responses of small and large birds to the interacting effects of climate, weather, and vegetation type. A diversity of vegetation cover is needed across a landscape to promote the occurrence of different-sized bird species in agriculture-dominated landscapes, particularly under variable weather conditions. Climate change is predicted to lead to widespread drying of our study region, and restoration plantings-especially currently climatically wet areas-may become critically important for conserving bird species, particularly small-bodied taxa.