Species Richness Values Research Articles

ASSESSING PALEOECOLOGICAL DATA RETENTION AMONG DISPARATE FIELD COLLECTION REGIMES: A CASE STUDY AT THE MYGATT-MOORE QUARRY (MORRISON FORMATION)

ABSTRACT Field work protocols in the recovery of vertebrate fossils can vary between sites, and also within sites, due to differing researcher goals. Disparate researcher priorities can affect the resulting collections in terms of species richness, size distribution, specimen completeness, taphonomic condition, and aesthetic value. We examined paleoecological data, in the form of bone surface modifications (e.g., abrasion, feeding traces, etc.), from a single site worked by multiple collectors to determine the sensitivity of this type of data to collector bias. We examined 2,368 fossils from the Mygatt-Moore Quarry and divided them into two cohorts: 2016–2019 (bulk collection under a single collector) and pre-2016 (mixed collectors and priorities). Frequencies of modified bone surfaces were then calculated in each cohort among the recovered specimens. However, the specimens within the cohorts were of unequal size, completeness, and amount of preserved surface area, making inferences of modified bone surface frequencies difficult. To correct for unequal morphologies and preservation, we estimated the percentage of altered surface area among specimens by overlaying photos with a 4.0 cm2 digital grid to create a digital set of equal sized fragments. With such a large dataset, we took a random 10% subsample of specimens from each cohort for the grid study. We estimated the sample size needed to accurately reflect the frequency of bone surface modifications by specimen and surface area for each cohort. Results show the recovery of modified bone surfaces between the two cohorts was highly disparate, and potentially sensitive to the effects of collector bias when using specimen-level data. However, frequencies based on estimates of surface area were much more consistent and appeared to equalize data between cohorts and showed little influence of collector bias on data recovery. Thus, the traditional method of calculating frequencies using specimen-level data may create an illusion of bias that is removed when frequencies are calculated from estimated bone surface area. We posit that the digital fragmentation method is more informative when comparing paleoecological traces between datasets and should be applied to fossil assemblages going forward, especially when collection protocols between assemblages are significantly different or unknown.

Land abandonment as driver of woody vegetation dynamics in Tamaulipan thornscrub at Northeastern Mexico.

Vegetation structure is defined as the temporal and spatial distribution of plant species in a particular site. Vegetation structure includes vertical and horizontal distribution and has been widely used as an indicator of successional changes. Ecological succession plays an essential role in the determination of the mechanisms that structure plant communities under anthropogenic disturbances. After an anthropogenic disturbance, such as grazing, forests follow changes in the original composition and vegetation structure, which eventually could restore some of their attributes to become mature forests again. To know how the time of abandonment affects woody plant communities, we ask the following questions: (1) How does the species richness, diversity, and vertical structure (A index) change concerning the time of abandonment? (2) Are species similarities among woody vegetation communities determined by land abandonment? (3) Which woody species have the highest ecological importance in each successional stage? We explored how successional stages after land abandonment mediated the species richness, species diversity (alpha and beta), and ecological importance value index on four areas of Tamaulipan thornscrub. We selected four areas that differed in time of abandonment: 10, 20, 30, and >30 years. The first three areas were used for cattle grazing, whereas the >30-year area was selected as a control since it does not have a record of disturbance by cattle grazing or agriculture. During the summer of 2012, we randomly established four square plots (40 m × 40 m) in each area, separated at least 200 m from each other. In each plot, we recorded all woody individuals per species with a basal diameter ≥1 cm at 10 cm above ground level. We estimated species richness indices, species diversity (alpha and beta), and ecological importance value index. We recorded 27 woody species belonging to 23 genera and 15 families. Fabaceae accounted for 40% of the species. Acacia farnesiana was the most important and abundant species in the first three successional stages. We suggested that older successional stages of Tamaulipan thornscrub promote woody plant communities, characterized by a higher complex structure than younger communities. We observed the highest species similarity between the sites with a closer time of abandonment, while the lowest similarity was shown between the sites with extreme time of abandonment. We conclude that Tamaulipan thornscrub shows a similar trend of ecological succession to other dry forests and the time of abandonment has a high mediation on plant dynamics in the Tamaulipan thornscrub. Also, we stand out the importance of secondary forests for Tamaulipan thornscrub woody plant communities. Finally, we recommended future studies include aspects of regeneration speed, the proximity of mature vegetation, and the interactions of plants with their seed dispersers.

Influence of Livestock Grazing History on Plant Community Composition on Native Prairies of the Southern Prairie Pothole Region

The southern Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of central North America is a highly modified landscape where remnant unplowed prairies could serve as repositories of native plant biodiversity. A previous study paired two historically idle US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) National Wildlife Refuges with nearby privately owned grazing lands in North Dakota and found differences in invasive grass frequency, notably that smooth brome (Bromus inermis Leyss.) was less prevalent on annually grazed lands. A broader assessment, conducted over a wider geographic area, was warranted to investigate whether this relationship held across the southern extent of PPR in North Dakota and South Dakota. To this end, we selected 26 USFWS native prairie sites paired with adjacent/nearby native prairie sites with a history of livestock grazing in the PPR of North Dakota and South Dakota. We estimated plant species’ cover in five 10 × 10 m plots at each paired site in June or July of 2021. Plant community composition on USFWS sites was distinct from paired sites under private or state ownership (permutational analysis of variance (P = 0.021, F = 1.935). Additionally, paired t-tests revealed that sites under private or state ownership (with a long-term history of grazing) had higher total species richness (P = 0.006) and floristic quality index (a measure of species richness and disturbance tolerance) values (P = 0.042) than USFWS sites (without a long-term history of grazing). Smooth brome relative cover was lower (P = 0.019) at sites with a long-term history of grazing (13.4% mean relative cover) than paired USFWS sites (23.3% mean relative cover). Given these differences, remnant native prairies with long-term histories of annual grazing may provide unique opportunities for conserving native plant diversity and impeding smooth brome spread in the southern PPR.

Magnitude and drivers of plant diversity loss differ between spatial scales in Scania, Sweden 1957–2021

AbstractQuestionsChanged land use, nitrogen deposition, climate change, and the spread of non‐native species have repeatedly been reported as the main drivers of recent floristic changes in northern Europe. However, the relevance of the geographical scale at which floristic changes are observed is less well understood and it has only rarely been possible to quantify biodiversity loss. Therefore, we assessed changes in species richness, species composition and mean ecological indicator values (EIVs) at three nested geographic scales during two different time periods, each ca 30 years, since the mid‐1900s.LocationTwo parishes in central Scania, southernmost Sweden.MethodsWe analyzed species presence/absence data from three inventories at ca 30‐year intervals over 1957–2021 and three geographic scales (157 m2, ca 7 km2 and ca 45 km2) to document temporal trends and differences between geographic scales in terms of species richness, species composition and mean EIVs.ResultsWe found shifts in species composition across all geographical scales. However, the magnitude of biodiversity loss and the main drivers of these changes were scale‐dependent. At the smallest spatial scale, we saw a dramatic loss of plant biodiversity with local species richness in 2021 being only 48% of that of 1960. In contrast, at the larger geographic scales no significant changes in species richness were observed because species losses were compensated for by gains of predominantly non‐native species, which made up at least 78% of the new species richness. At the smallest spatial scale, changed land use (ceased grazing/mowing and intensified forestry) appeared as the main driver, while an increasing proportion of non‐native species, as well as climatic changes and increasing nitrogen loads appeared relatively more important at larger geographic scales.ConclusionOur results highlight the precarious situation for biodiversity in the region and at the same time the fundamental importance of geographic scale in studies of biodiversity change. Both the magnitude and drivers of changes may differ depending on the geographic scale and must be considered also when previously published studies are interpreted.

Comunidades de aves en barrios residenciales y en bosques implantados en médanos costeros de la localidad de Cariló, Argentina

Coastal areas have the largest human population, causing significant urbanization impacts on biodiversity. The coast of Buenos Aires province (Argentina) has touristic cities, which have shown significant growth during the last decades. Therefore, it is fundamental to analyze the effect of urbanization on bird communities. The aim of this study is to analyze the bird communities present in residential areas and implanted forests on coastal dunes in Cariló. Eight fixed radius point counts were carried out in each habitat between spring 2021 and summer 2022. Both habitat types had similar values of species richness, Shannon and Simpson diversity, and functional diversity. However, residential habitat showed higher abundance than the forest. Significant changes between habitats in species composition were found. The Tropical Parula (Setophaga pitiayumi) and the Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis) were more abundant in the forest, while the Chimango Caracara (Phalcoboenus chimango), the Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monacha) and the Picazuró Pigeon (Patagioenas picazuro) were more abundant in the residential habitat. The residential area had a greater abundance of birds feeding on the ground, the canopy and the air. The results obtained suggest that the urban expansion on implanted forests promotes bird compositional changes, favoring species typical of semi-open habitats and impairing species associated with high tree cover and unmanaged herbaceous vegetation.

Prevalence and ecological factors affecting the distribution of plant-parasitic nematodes in Prunus groves in Spain

A wide survey was conducted to study plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) associated with Prunus groves in Spain. This research aimed to determine the prevalence and distribution of PPNs in Prunus groves, as well as the influence of explanatory variables describing soil, climate and agricultural management in structuring the variation of PPNs community composition. A total of 218 sampling sites were surveyed and 84 PPN species belonging to 32 genera were identified based of an integrative taxonomic approach. PPN species considered as potential limiting factors in Prunus production, such as Meloidogyne arenaria, M. incognita, M. javanica, Pratylenchus penetrans and P. vulnus, were identified in this survey. Seven soil physico-chemical (C, Mg, N, Na, OM, P, pH and clay, loamy sand and sandy loam texture classes), four climate (Bio04, Bio05, Bio13 and Bio14) and four agricultural management variables (grove-use history less than 10 years, irrigation, apricot seedling rootstock, and Montclar rootstock) were identified as the most influential variables driving spatial patterns of PPNs communities. In particular, younger plantations showed higher values for species richness and diversity indices than groves cultivated for more than 20 years with Prunus spp. Our study increases the knowledge of the distribution and prevalence of PPNs associated with Prunus rhizosphere, as well as on the influence of explanatory variables driving the spatial structure PPNs communities, which has important implications for the successful design of sustainable management strategies in the future in this agricultural system.

To spray or not to spray: Impact of phosphite spraying for Phytophthora cinnamomi control on Proteaceae species in southwestern Australia

AbstractPhosphite has been sprayed on threatened natural plant communities in southwestern Australia for the past 25 years to mitigate the impact of the globally widespread plant pathogen, Phytophthora cinnamomi. Of concern is that this may result in an increase in phosphorus concentrations in naturally nutrient deficient soils, causing the loss of plant species that are sensitive to increased phosphorus levels. The impact of aerial spraying phosphite on soil and Proteaceae species richness and abundance was measured at three sites within the Southeast Coastal Province of Western Australia. Healthy and diseased vegetation which had been sprayed with phosphite for 14–26 years was compared with nonsprayed healthy and diseased vegetation. Contrary to expectations, there was no evidence that spraying is doing harm to Proteaceae species at the three sites studied. Healthy‐nonsprayed and Healthy‐sprayed areas had generally similar levels of soil total P, and this was associated with similar values for Proteaceae species richness and abundance in these areas. Phosphite spraying of diseased vegetation benefited Proteaceae plant diversity and abundance by preventing the disappearance of some species. Given these results, it was recommended that phosphite spraying be continued as a management action for controlling Phytophthora cinnamomi while research into alternative solutions continues.

Using Simulations to Evaluate the Utility of Geohistorical Reference Conditions for Assessing Ecological Quality

Incorporating paleontological data into the methods and formats familiar to conservation practitioners may facilitate greater use of paleontological data in conservation practice. Benthic indices (e.g., Multivariate-AZTI Marine Biotic Index; M-AMBI) utilize reference conditions for monitoring ecological conditions. However, reference conditions from monitoring records are limited in temporal scope and often represent degraded conditions, which can cause inaccurate assessments of ecological quality. Paleontological data, such as molluscan death assemblages, have potential to provide long-term, location-specific reference conditions, which are otherwise inaccessible to decision-makers. Here we use simulations of living communities under constant and changing environmental conditions to evaluate the capacity of death assemblage reference conditions to replicate M-AMBI values when used in place of reference conditions from the living communities. Reference conditions from all death assemblage scenarios successfully replicated correct remediation decisions in most simulation runs with environmental change and stability. Variations in M-AMBI values were due to overestimated species richness and Shannon entropy values in the death assemblages and effects of changes to these parameters varied across scenarios. Time averaging was largely beneficial, particularly when environmental change occurred, and short-term observations of the living communities produced incorrect remediation decisions. When the duration of time averaging is known, death assemblages can provide valuable longer-term perspectives with the potential to outperform temporally constrained baseline information from monitoring the living community.

Molecular and morphological analyses disclose the existence of three species of Dolichopoda (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae) in the Calabria region (Italy)

ABSTRACT For a long time, Dolichopoda palpata was the only species of this genus thought to live in the cave habitats of the Calabrian region. The results of our study, based on morphological and molecular data, highlight the existence of three species in the Calabria region. In particular, our data demonstrate the occurrence of two well-separated species, one in the northern Tyrrhenian area and one in the Calabrian Ionian area, attesting to the validity of D. calabra Galvagni 1968, and the discovery of a new species, D. apollinea sp. nov. Both species appear to be geographically very limited. Dolichopoda calabra occurs in the mountain region between Scalone Pass in the north and the Savuto Valley in the south (a district called ‘Catena Costiera’), whereas D. apollinea sp. nov. appears to be distributed on the eastern slope of Pollino Massif. On the other hand, D. palpata shows a vast distribution, occurring in caves from La Sila in the north to the Aspromonte Massif in the extreme south of Calabria. About 1/3 of the Italian Dolichopoda species are present in this relatively small geographical area, supporting the importance of Calabria as a geographical region characterised by a high level of biodiversity. It shows the maximum values of genetic diversity and species richness in comparison with the rest of the Italian peninsula. This fact could be related to the palaeogeological and palaeoclimatic history of the region, as it was affected by glaciation events and eustatic movements. The combination of these two conditions that occurred during the Pliocene and Pleistocene transformed the Calabria into a vast archipelago of little islands, favouring the isolation of populations and the consequent speciation processes. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:AB64936E-EAEF-4730-A517-4F0C11226A94

Global distribution and richness of terrestrial mammals in tidal marshes

AbstractAimUnderstanding the determinants of species distribution and richness is key to explaining global ecological patterns. We examined the current knowledge about terrestrial mammals in tidal marshes and evaluated whether species richness increased with the marsh surface area and/or with their proximity to the equator and whether species distribution ranges decreased with latitude.LocationGlobal.MethodsWe reviewed the existing literature on terrestrial mammals in tidal marshes. We examined their ecological characteristics (e.g. habitat specialists, native or alien), predicted their variation in species richness and range size along latitude, and explored factors, such as surface area, underlying the global patterns found.ResultsWe found 962 records, describing 125 mammalian species using tidal marshes worldwide, also including several alien species. Most species (95%) were not marsh specialized, and some (18%) were of conservation concern. There were information gaps in South America, Africa, Australia and Asia, and a lack of information about mammalian ecological roles worldwide. We found that species richness increased with surface area, and showed a bimodal pattern peaked between 40° and 50° latitude in each hemisphere. We found no relationship between latitude and species range size.Main conclusionsOur worldwide findings revealed a broader range of tidal marshes inhabited by terrestrial mammals, and higher values of species richness than previously reported. The bimodal pattern of species richness was consistent with the species–area hypothesis, but it also suggested that further studies of species distribution in relation to historical and environmental factors will yield significant insights about variables driving richness in tidal marshes. Despite terrestrial mammal ubiquitous distribution in these ecosystems, there are considerable geographic gaps as regards knowledge about their functional importance and the impact of alien species on tidal marsh functioning. Consequently, extending our research efforts is key to planning the conservation of these coastal ecosystems.

Biodiversity and assemblages of molluscs (Gastropoda and Bivalvia) from coastal and deep-sea soft-bottoms off Mauritania

The collections as well as quantitative faunistic and environmental data obtained from 384 bottom-trawling stations during the four Spanish Maurit and two FAO–CCLME expeditions have allowed us, for the first time, to establish the biodiversity distribution patterns and assemblage structures of Mauritanian molluscs. The six surveys prospected the soft-bottoms of the shelf and continental slope between Cape Blanc (20°50′N) and the Senegalese border (16°04′N), from a depth of 19 to 1860 m. Almost 13,000 live specimens collected from 150 stations (40% of the total) belonged to 104 species (37 bivalves and 67 gastropods). Nassariidae and Xenophoridae were the most frequently found families, and the gastropod Nassarius wolffi (Knudsen, 1956) was the most frequent mollusc species in the Mauritanian soft-bottoms. Naticidae and Marginellidae, followed by Muricidae and Pectinidae, were the most diverse families.Depth and depth-related variables, besides the carbonate content of the sediments, are the major environmental factors responsible for the distribution patterns of the ecological descriptors as well as separation of the three main assemblages identified in the shelf, slope and deep-slope. Besides their dissimilarities (β-diversity), the three faunistic assemblages showed significant quantitative differences linked to similar and marked bathymetric trends of diversity, abundance and biomass of both bivalves and gastropods, which strongly decline from the shelf along the slope. Although the mean value of species richness seems uniform along the coast, abundances and biomass are the lowest in the southernmost zone (17°N–16°N), with the highest values, particularly for gastropods, in the Banc d’Arguin region.

Diversity of woody species in traditional agroforestry practices in Wondo district, south-central Ethiopia

Woody species are very important components of agroforestry as they play multiple roles in the system. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess woody species diversity within households' farms. Stratified random sampling was employed for the study, where households were stratified via wealth ranking. Accordingly, the farm plots of 54 households were subjected to a complete on-farm woody species inventory and identification. Consequently, the diameter at breast height (DBH) of all woody species ≥5 cm was recorded. Therefore, important value and diversity indices, density, dominance, and frequency were computed and estimated. A total of 90 woody species belonging to 80 genera and 42 families were recorded in the area. Out of the total species recorded, 2 (2.22%), 32 (35.56%), and 56 (62.22%) were endemic, exotic, and indigenous, respectively. The family Fabaceae had the highest number of woody species represented by 16. The most frequent species were Cordia africana Lam., followed by Eucalyptus camadulensis Dehnh., Persia americana Mill., Mellitia ferruginea (Hochst.) Bak., and Croton macrostachyus Del. which occurred in 87.03%, 81.48%, 81.48%, 75.92%, 72.2% of sampled farms, respectively. Besides, the top five species which had the highest important value index were Eucalyptus camaldulensis (57.38), Cordia africana (30.45), Persea americana (27.36), Mellitia ferruginea (17.28), and Croton macrostachyus (14.59). Shannon Weiner index (H’) and Shannon evenness values of the study area were 2.17 and 0.80, respectively. Species richness and Shannon index values were statically significant (p < 0.05) among the three wealth categories. Besides, the Sorensen similarity index for studied villages ranged from 33.7% - to 77.5%. Generally, the current study showed that the agroforestry system plays a remarkable role in conserving woody species diversity. However, extension services on management practices for species and stands, increasing seedling accesses, and survival rates of species are very impotent to making agroforestry practices sustainable.

Landscape and site factors drive invasive Phragmites management and native plant recovery across Chesapeake Bay wetlands

AbstractSuccessful invasive plant management—where invaders are sufficiently reduced and diverse native plant communities recover—remains an elusive goal for land managers. The site‐ and landscape‐scale drivers of variable management outcomes and vegetation recovery are poorly understood due to a lack of rigorous experiments that characterize longer term vegetation trends across contexts. We present the results of a five‐year experiment across eight subestuaries of Chesapeake Bay, representing a gradient of watersheds with differing dominant land‐use types and anthropogenic impacts, to evaluate invasive and native plant response to herbicide management. The focal invader, Phragmites australis (common reed), is one of the most aggressive and pervasive invasive plants in North American wetlands. We found that with multiyear herbicide treatments, it was possible to greatly reduce Phragmites across an array of subestuaries while increasing the cover and quality of native plant communities. Yet, by the end of the study, plant community composition in all Phragmites‐managed sites remained distinct from, even if composition was shifting toward, reference sites. There was also large inter‐site variation in the vegetation responses related to site environmental conditions and subestuary vegetation conditions. We uncovered specific aspects of the surrounding landscape that were linked to improved vegetation recovery—the species richness and conservation value of nearby wetlands. Results from this five‐year experiment conducted at multiple sites in Chesapeake Bay inform what is possible for management, particularly in more degraded landscapes and sites where setting realistic expectations and pragmatic goals will be essential. Assessing environmental and vegetation conditions of the site and surrounding landscape prior to commencing invasive species management is critical to predict the time and effort required to achieve restoration goals.

Keragaman Jenis Herpetofauna di Kawasan Hutan Kota Ranggawulung Kota Subang

Ranggawulung City Forest is a Green Open Space (RTH) located in Subang City. As one of the remaining forests in the middle of an urban area, this urban forest has great potential as a location for biodiversity management. This research was conducted to determine the value of biodiversity, especially herpetofauna in Ranggawulung City Forest, Subang City as an indicator for evaluating the success of environmental management in the future. This study uses the Visual Encounter Survey (VES) method modified with Time Search. The herpetofauna diversity (H') in general observed in the Ranggawulung City Forest was 2.59 in the HKR block, and 2.34 in the Buper block. The value of species richness (Dmg) in each block is 4.41 and 3.40. The two areas are relatively evenly distributed with an evenness value of more than 80%. There were no nationally protected species of herpetofauna, two of which were species whose trade was restricted internationally and were included in the CITES Appendix II category.

Influence of mattresses washing on the water quality and phytoplankton diversity in selected industrial outlets of Tamil Nadu

The impact of anthropogenic activity of mattresses washing on the quality of two lotic water bodies of Cuddalore SIPCOT industries outlet water bodies two different stations were analysed. The industrial waste water currents battered along the Freshwater ecosystem near SIPCOT industries. Hence an attempt was made to record outlet water bodies two different stations were analysed. The water samples were collected during summer (April-June, 2021) and winter seasons (Oct-Dec 2021) and analysed for various physicochemical parameters. Decrease in dissolved oxygen concentrations along with tremendous increase in electrical conductivity in both the water bodies, was observed due to mattresses washing by using detergents. Heavy metals like lead, cadmium and nickel were absent throughout. The values of iron was increased while manganese was traced out after this activity. This proved that water quality was found to be hampered in both the stations. A total of 65 species of phytoplankton belonging to different taxonimic groups were identified. Among these, 25 species belong to Bacillariophyceae, 20 species to Chlorophyceae, 15 species to Cyanophyceae and 5 species to Euglenophyceae. The numerical superiority of phytoplankton reveals that Nitzschia sps. (6.66 x 103 units/1) is dominant in SIPCOT industries water outlet. The maximum value of Simpson index (SR) or species richness (0.55) was recorded in Cuddalore SIPCOT industry. The high value of species evenness index (J) was also recorded (0.69) in Cuddalore SIPCOT industry. The maximum value of Shannon’s overall index (H¢) of species diversity (1.38) was recorded in industrial outlet. Microcystis aeruginosa, Anabaena, Oscillatoria, Merismopedia, Aphanizomenon, Chlorella, Cosmarium, Scenedesmus, Closteridium, Navicula and Nitzschia were observed in two stations. These are pollution indicator species used for monitoring the environment.

Variation in Diversity Pattern of Plants along Environmental Variables at Qazi Nag Range, Kashmir Region, Western Himalaya

Species composition and abundance patterns in eighteen forest sites from 1700m to 3400m elevation were studied to evaluate species diversity and richness at Qazi Nag Range, Kashmir region, Western Himalaya. Evaluation of species diversity was determined by Shannon-Weiner's index of diversity (H') Sheldon evenness index (E) and Margalef species richness index (R'). Species diversity values ranged from 3.497 to 2.773 at 1700m and 3400m respectively whereas species richness varied from 1.83 (1700m) to 0.8 at 3200m. The species diversity and richness values were recorded higher from 2300 to 2600 m having best combination of heat and precipitation which ensure survival of more species. Diversity values declined towards upper and lower reaches, which might be due to flow of individuals from both upslope and low-lying areas. Correlation analyses showed that the environmental variables as altitude and potassium were found negatively correlated with diversity index while pH, EC Organic matter and soil saturation were recorded positively correlated with species diversity. This study highlights the importance of local and landscape scale environmental variables on species diversity and vegetation patterns in Kashmir Region, Western Himalaya

Implications of large-scale infrastructure development for biodiversity in Indonesian Borneo

Indonesia is embarking on an ambitious relocation of its capital city to Kalimantan, Borneo, bringing with it major urban and road infrastructure. Yet, despite being one of the world's most biologically diverse regions, the potential implications of this development for wildlife have yet to be fully assessed. We explored the potential impacts of the capital relocation, and road expansion and upgrades to critical habitat for medium-large mammals (>1 kg) using camera trap data from 11 forested landscapes. We applied Bayesian multi-species occupancy models to predict community and species-level responses to anthropogenic and environmental factors. We extrapolated spatial patterns of occupancy and species diversity across the forests of Kalimantan and identified “critical habitats” as the top 20th percentile of occupancy and species richness values. We subsequently overlapped these critical habitat layers with infrastructure impact zones to estimate the area that could potentially be affected by direct or secondary impacts. At both the community and species-level, distance to primary roads had the strongest negative influence on habitat-use. Occupancy was also influenced by forest quality and multidimensional poverty conditions in adjacent villages, demonstrating the sensitivity of biodiversity to socio-ecological pressures. Less than 1 % of the critical habitat for the threatened mammal community lay within the direct impact zone (30 km radius) of the capital relocation. However, approximately 16 % was located within 200 km and could potentially be affected by uncontrolled secondary impacts such as urban sprawl and associated regional development. The often-overlooked secondary implications of upgrading existing roads could also intersect a large amount of critical habitat for lowland species. Mitigating far-reaching secondary impacts of infrastructure development should be fully incorporated into environmental impact assessments. This will provide Indonesia with an opportunity to set an example of sustainable infrastructure development in the tropics.

Precipitation Dominates the Distribution of Species Richness on the Kunlun–Pamir Plateau

The Kunlun–Pamir Plateau is a globally irreplaceable biodiversity reserve, yet it is still unclear what causes the distribution of species richness. Here, we relied on the productivity and the water–energy dynamics hypotheses to investigate the distribution pattern of species richness (and its determinants) in the Kunlun–Pamir Plateau. The productivity hypothesis is mainly based on five MODIS products (NDVI, EVI, FPAR, LAI and GPP), which were calculated for three Dynamic Habitat Indices (DHIs): (1) cumulative productivity (CumDHI), (2) minimum productivity (MinDHI) and (3) intra-annual variation productivity (VarDHI). The CumDHI was applied to assess whether or not more energy has a higher species richness value. The MinDHI was used to determine and evaluate the higher minimums, leading to a higher species richness. The VarDHI was the annual variation value in productivity and was utilized to assess if the reduced intra-annual variability triggers a higher species richness. We found that the DHIs based on the FPAR correlated slightly higher with the mammal, bird, breeding bird and non-breeding bird richness (than those based on the other four DHIs, and the values were 0.24, 0.25, 0.24 and 0.01, respectively). The correlation between the climate variables and the mammals, birds, breeding birds and non-breeding birds was bigger at 0.24, 0.54, 0.54 and 0.02, respectively, and was mainly dominated by the precipitation-related climatic factors. The water–energy dynamic hypothesis is better suited to the Kunlun–Pamir Plateau than the productivity hypothesis. Our results might provide valuable information regarding the biodiversity conservation in this region.

Observing Mollusca Benthic Diversity to Measure the Success of the Implementation of Mulung Culture as an Effort to Conserve Aquatics in the Waters of Lapang-Batang Island, Alor Regency, East Nusa Tenggara.

Mulung culture from an ecological perspective is to allows the environment to recover, traditionally. Mulung is a customary process, related to the closure of water areas for the extraction of aquatic resources. The impact of the implementation of the Mulung cultural tradition, the population of resources increases. This study aims to determine the benthic mollusk community in the Mulung area to measure the success rate of Mulung implementation. This information is needed as a starting point for sustainable fisheries development. This research uses the quadratic transect method and free collection. Then, the community structure was calculated using the diversity index, species evenness, species richness, and species density value, then continued by observing the quantitative similarity between locations calculated by the similarity index. The results showed that the species composition of benthic mollusks found in the Mulung area was 32 species, with a total of 261 individuals. The benthic mollusks that lived in the Mulung area had a Diversity Index (H’) value of 3.12 high category, Richness Index Value (R) of 5.75 is classified as high, the value of the evenness index of species (E) is 0.90, the evenness level of benthic mollusks is high and stable, the value of the dominance index (C) is 0.1, in the category no species dominates. The highest relative abundance of benthic Mollusca species overall with a value of 46.15% was owned by Ornopsis glanni species and the lowest relative abundance was Cypraea moneta, 6.90% value, the highest species density value with a value of 2.53 ind/m2, namely Ornopsis glanni and the lowest species density value is Diodora mississipppiensis, the value is 0.12 ind/m2. Meanwhile, the overall density of benthic Mollusca species obtained during the study was 17.40 ind/m2.

Assessing the utility of death assemblages as reference conditions in a common benthic index (M-AMBI) with simulations

Abstract Incorporating palaeontological data into the methods and formats already familiar to conservation practitioners may facilitate greater use of palaeontological data in conservation practice. Benthic indices (e.g. Multivariate-AZTI Marine Biotic Index; M-AMBI) already incorporate reference conditions and are a good candidate for integration. In simulations of living communities under constant and changing environmental conditions, we evaluate the capacity of death assemblage reference conditions to replicate M-AMBI values when used in place of reference conditions from the final ten generations of the simulation or all five hundred simulated generations. Reference conditions from all death assemblage scenarios successfully replicated correct remediation decisions in the majority of simulation runs with environmental change and stability. Variations in M-AMBI values were due to overestimated species richness and Shannon entropy values in the death assemblages but effects of changes to these parameters varied across scenarios, emphasizing the importance of evaluating multiple metrics. Time averaging was largely beneficial, particularly when environmental change occurred and short-term ecological observations (ten generations) produced incorrect remediation decisions. When the duration of time averaging is known, death assemblages can provide valuable longer-term perspectives with the potential to outperform temporally constrained baseline information from monitoring the living community.