Variation In Biodiversity Research Articles

Patterns and drivers of phylogenetic diversity of seed plants along an elevational gradient in the central Himalayas

The how and why of the spatial variation in biodiversity is one of the fundamental topics in biogeography research, but accurate insights require the incorporation of phylogenetic information. Here, to provide a better understanding of the origin and mechanism of biodiversity in montane ecosystems and thus support conservation planning, we explored the elevational patterns of phylogenetic diversity and structure of seed plants in the Gyirong Valley, the longest valley in China’s central Himalayas. The observed patterns were related to climatic, historical, geographical, and disturbance-related factors, and the relative contributions of these factors in explaining them were assessed. Our results showed that phylogenetic diversity of seed plants in the central Himalayas were described by a strongly hump-shaped pattern, peaking at 2700 m around. The phylogenetic structure of the plants was characterized by overdispersion at lower elevations and clustering at higher elevations, reflecting the cooperation between interspecies competition and environmental filtering in community assembly. Among the examined environmental factors, climatic factors showed the highest explanatory power, suggesting environmental filtering was largely driven by climatic rather than other factors. In summary, our finding indicating that mild climate at lower elevations presumably encourage phylogenetic differentiation by promoting interspecies competition, whereas increasingly harsh climatic condition with elevation may lead to closer phylogenetic relatedness through environmental filtering. Overall, our findings improve our knowledge about the elevational gradient of biodiversity in the Himalayas, and highlight the need for intensified conservation efforts at middle elevations as well as greater scientific concern regarding the impact of climate change on the biodiversity.

Variations in species diversity and the role of butterflies in oil palm agroecosystems at PT BSM South Sumatra

Reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and controlling pests/chemical diseases is one of the prerequisites for the realization of sustainable oil palm plantation management. In line with that, the paradigm of green economic development requires optimizing the utilization of biodiversity in various aspects of managing oil palm plantations in Indonesia. Therefore, research is needed that can describe the variation and role of biodiversity (one of which is butterfly taxa) in the agro-ecosystem of oil palm plantations. This study aims to identify variations in species diversity and the role of butterflies in the agro-ecosystem of oil palm plantations. Observation of butterfly species diversity was carried out on seven types of oil palm plantation land cover at PT BSM. The method used is pollard transect (2 km with a width of 10 m) and trapping. The role of various types of butterflies is carried out through a literature search. The results showed that there were 163 individuals from 30 species and consisted of 4 families namely Papilionidae, Pieridae and Lycaenidae. The highest diversity and richness index values were found in smallholder plantations 1 (H′=2.42) and (Dmg=4.01), while the lowest were found in young oil palm areas (H′=0.87) and (Dmg=0. 99). The highest evenness index value was found in shrubs (E=1) while the lowest was in young oil palm land cover (E=0.54). Butterfly species that have potential as environmental bioindicators are Tanaecia pelea, Neptis hylas, Cupha erymantis, Neptis ida, Danaus affinis, Junonia atlites, Leptosia nina, Catopsilia pyranthe, Rapala iarbus, Papilio memnon, Losaria coon, Papilio polytes, Spindiasis lohita and Eurema hecabe. While the pollinators are Ypthima baldus, Catopsilia pyranthe, Hypolimnas bolina, Papilio polytes, and Neptis hylas.

Beetle mania: Understanding pond aquatic beetles diversity patterns through a multiple-facet approach

Ecological studies searching for drivers of biodiversity variation have frequently focused on taxonomic richness. However, more aspects of biodiversity, namely diversity facets can be considered to properly assess biotic-environment relationships. Here, we explore the environmental factors that could control the four biodiversity facets of aquatic Coleoptera from 93 regionally sampled Patagonian ponds. We also explore which are the ponds with high diversity values of all facets to prioritize them with a high conservation value. We fitted generalized additive models (GAM) to test relationships among environment (i.e., local and climatic variables) and aquatic beetles diversity facets (i.e., richness (SD), functional diversity (FD), phylogenetic diversity (PD), and local contribution to local beta diversity (LCBD). Climatic drivers were the most important predictors of beetle diversity facets, which exhibited linear and nonlinear responses. Thus, ponds from warmer Patagonia exhibited the highest values of SD and PD, whereas LCBD also peaked on colder sites suggesting that ponds under extreme temperatures sustain unique beetle assemblages. Moreover, ponds located in areas with higher precipitation variability exhibit the highest values of LCBD (i.e., unique assemblages). This result in addition to arid conditions in Patagonia prevailing since 16 m.y.a made us think that Patagonian beetle pond-dwellers are basally adapted to aridity. We calculated an index that summarizes the four facets patterns, to assign high conservation value to those ponds with higher index values. The relative importance of each facet varies from pond to pond. Hence, this multifaceteded approach not only allows us to identify priority areas for biodiversity conservation but also focuses on the importance of including multiple facets to understand biodiversity spatial patterns.

Large-scale factors controlling biological communities in the Iberian Peninsula: an insight into global change effects on river ecosystems

The ongoing global environmental change poses a serious threat to rivers. Comprehensive knowledge of how stressors affect biota is critical for supporting effective management and conservation strategies. We evaluated the major gradients influencing spatial variability of freshwater biodiversity in continental Spain using landscape-scale variables representing climate, land use and land cover (LULC), flow regime, geology, topography, and diatom (n = 117), macroinvertebrate (n = 441), and fish (n = 264) communities surveyed in minimally impacted streams. Redundancy analysis identified the environmental factors significantly contributing to community variability, and specific multivariate analyses (RLQ method) were used to assess trait–environment associations. Environmental variables defined the major community change gradients (e.g., mountain–lowland). Siliceous, steep streams with increased precipitation levels favored stalked diatoms, macroinvertebrates with aquatic passive dissemination, and migrating fish. These traits were replaced by adnate diatoms, small macroinvertebrates, and non-migratory fish in lowland streams with warmer climates, calcareous geology, agriculture, and stable flow regimes. Overall, landscape-scale environmental variables better explained fish than diatom and macroinvertebrate community variability, suggesting that these latter communities might be more related to local-scale characteristics (e.g., microhabitat structure, substrate, and water physicochemistry). The upslope environmental gradient of river networks (e.g., slope, temperature, and LULC changes) was paralleled to the observed taxonomy-based and trait-based spatial variability. This result indicates that global change effects on riverine biodiversity could emerge as longitudinal distribution changes within river networks. Implementing management actions focusing simultaneously on water temperature, hydrological regime conservation (e.g., addressing LULC changes), and river continuity might be the best strategy for mitigating global change effects on river biodiversity.

Estimating clade‐specific diversification rates and palaeodiversity dynamics from reconstructed phylogenies

Abstract Understanding palaeodiversity dynamics through time and space is a central goal of macroevolution. Estimating palaeodiversity dynamics has been historically addressed with fossil data because it directly reflects the past variations of biodiversity. Unfortunately, some groups or regions lack a good fossil record, and dated phylogenies can be useful to estimate diversification dynamics. Recent methodological developments have unlocked the possibility to investigate palaeodiversity dynamics by using phylogenetic birth‐death models with non‐homogeneous rates through time and across clades. One of them seems particularly promising to detect clades whose diversity has declined through time. However, empirical applications of the method have been hampered by the lack of a robust, accessible implementation of the whole procedure, therefore requiring users to conduct all the steps of the analysis by hand in a time‐consuming and error‐prone way. Here we propose an automation of Morlon et al. (2011) clade‐shift model with additional features accounting for recent developments, and we implement it in the R package RPANDA. We also test the approach with simulations focusing on its ability to detect shifts of diversification and to infer palaeodiversity dynamics. Finally, we illustrate the automation by investigating the palaeodiversity dynamics of Cetacea, Vangidae, Parnassiinae and Cycadales. Simulations showed that we accurately detected shifts of diversification although false shift detections were higher for time‐dependent diversification models with extinction. The median global error of palaeodiversity dynamics estimated with the automated model is low, showing that the method can capture diversity declines. We detected shifts of diversification for three of the four empirical examples considered (Cetacea, Parnassiinae and Cycadales). Our analyses unveil a waxing‐and‐waning pattern due to a phase of negative net diversification rate embedded in the trees after isolating recent radiations. Our work makes it possible to easily apply non‐homogeneous models of diversification in which rates can vary through time and across clades to reconstruct palaeodiversity dynamics. By doing so, we detected palaeodiversity declines among three of the four groups tested, highlighting that such periods of negative net diversification might be common. We discuss the extent to which this approach might provide reliable estimates of extinction rates, and we provide guidelines for users.

Unveiling the meiobenthic community structure of Prydz Bay, Antarctica during austral summer

Meiobenthos are bottom-dwelling aquatic invertebrates having a size range of 63–500 μm. They play a pivotal role in ecosystem functioning, biogeochemical and trophic nutrient cycling. Due to the presence of Antarctic Circumpolar Current and steep gradient in nutrients and temperature, many taxa of the Southern Ocean (SO) show diverse biodiversity patterns in comparison to other deep sea areas of the world. Over the years, several Indian SO Expeditions have been carried out in the Indian sector of SO (ISSO), but this is a pioneer attempt to unveil the meiobenthic community structure and their functional diversity pattern from Prydz Bay (Indian sector of Southern Ocean), Antarctica. Meiobenthic community structures were investigated in eight different sampling sites along with their vertical profiling from the Prydz Bay during the austral summer 2020. Total meiofaunal abundance ranged from 24 to 521 indv. 10 cm-2, with the highest abundance recorded at station 23 and the lowest at station 9. A total of 9 meiobenthic taxa were found from this eco-region, with the highest percentage being the free-living marine nematodes as metazoan taxa. A total of 86 free-living nematode species were identified, where Sabatieria was the most common genus and represented by eleven species. Several univariate and multivariate analyses deciphered a distinct spatial variation in the meiobenthic community structure. Sediment texture and depth were the most significant environmental variables in shaping nematode assemblages. Biological Trait Analysis was performed using a total of 24 traits in 5 categories to unravel the functional diversity of free-living marine nematodes. The most dominant morphotypes were slender body shape, conical tail shape, dotted cuticle pattern, and non-selective deposit feeders with colonizing abilities of 2 (c–p score 2, in a scale from 1 to 5). Maturity Index (MI) and Index of Trophic Diversity (ITD) were highest in stations 15 and 32, respectively. RLQ approach with fourth-corner analysis was used to decipher the relationship between traits and environmental parameters. The RLQ analysis revealed the positive association of non-selective deposit feeder and slender body-shaped nematodes with higher water depth. The characterization of meiobenthic (especially nematode) communities in the context of taxonomic and functional attributes could help to evaluate the ecological status of ISSO. Further long term monitoring is also needed to get a comprehensive idea about their role in benthic ecosystem functioning in the milieu of global climate change.

Joint species distribution models with imperfect detection for high-dimensional spatial data.

Determining the spatial distributions of species and communities is a key task in ecology and conservation efforts. Joint species distribution models are a fundamental tool in community ecology that use multi-species detection-nondetection data to estimate species distributions and biodiversity metrics. The analysis of such data is complicated by residual correlations between species, imperfect detection, and spatial autocorrelation. While many methods exist to accommodate each of these complexities, there are few examples in the literature that address and explore all three complexities simultaneously. Here we developed a spatial factor multi-species occupancy model to explicitly account for species correlations, imperfect detection, and spatial autocorrelation. The proposed model uses a spatial factor dimension reduction approach and Nearest Neighbor Gaussian Processes to ensure computational efficiency for data sets with both a large number of species (e.g., >100) and spatial locations (e.g., 100,000). We compared the proposed model performance to five alternative models, each addressing a subset of the three complexities. We implemented the proposed and alternative models in the spOccupancy software, designed to facilitate application via an accessible, well documented, and open-source R package. Using simulations, we found that ignoring the three complexities when present leads to inferior model predictive performance, and the impacts of failing to account for one or more complexities will depend on the objectives of a given study. Using a case study on 98 bird species across the continental US, the spatial factor multi-species occupancy model had the highest predictive performance among the alternative models. Our proposed framework, together with its implementation in spOccupancy, serves as a user-friendly tool to understand spatial variation in species distributions and biodiversity while addressing common complexities in multi-species detection-nondetection data.

Hydrological changes regulate fish metacommunity structures and β-diversity patterns in the floodplain lake, China

The metacommunity structures are continuously dynamic, and understanding the temporal species distribution patterns and biodiversity variations will elucidate the metacommunity theory. To examine whether the idealized metacommunity structuring, diversity patterns, and potential driving mechanisms vary among different seasons, we assessed seasonal fish data (i.e., normal, wet, and dry seasons) in the Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, by incorporating the Elements of Metacommunity Structure (EMS), β-diversity partitioning, and variance partitioning. The results suggested fish metacommunity displayed quasi-structures, with the quasi-Clemensian paradigm in the normal season and the quasi-Gleasonian paradigm in the wet and dry seasons, indicating the unity of species groups and individualistic species responded weakly to latent environmental gradients, respectively. The highest fish β-diversity occurred in the normal season and the lowest in the wet season with a humped trend. The species abundance replacement process contributed more to the total β-diversity than the nestedness-resultant component among seasons. The variation of the highest Local Contribution to Beta Diversity (LCBD) across seasons indicated the significance of protecting unique habitats. The relative importance of environment and spatial factors on fish metacommunity structure depended on discharge alternation, with a more significant role of spatial structuring occurring in the wet season, whereas predominant environmental filtering in the normal and dry seasons. The seasonal shifts in EMS patterns, β-diversity, and metacommunity assembly rules result from the change in hydrological conditions in the Poyang Lake. This work helps understand seasonal metacommunity dynamics and provides essential information for systematic biodiversity conservation planning in freshwater lakes.

The contribution of geographically common and rare species to the spatial distribution of biodiversity

AbstractMotivation and aimMapping the spatial distribution of biodiversity is critical for understanding its fundamental drivers (e.g. speciation, environmental filtering) as well as for conservation assessment. An important dimension of this topic is how the distributions of subsets of species contribute to the overall distribution of biodiversity. Although studies have previously investigated the role of geographically common and rare species in determining these patterns, their respective contributions appear to vary between studies. Knowing which species contribute disproportionately to the spatial distribution of biodiversity enables the identification of key indicator species for biodiversity assessments across large areas and is important for prioritising areas for conservation actions. An extensive review of the literature was carried out to synthesise research on how geographic rarity contributes to spatial patterns of biodiversity. We identify potential explanations for the discrepancies in findings between studies and identify opportunities for further research.ResultsMany studies on the contribution of geographic commonness and rarity to the spatial distribution of biodiversity focus on species richness. A prevalent view is that common (widespread) species contribute disproportionately, although this is not ubiquitous across studies due to factors such as the geographic extent from which relative rarity is quantified. We identify research pathways that will further improve our knowledge of how geographically common and rare species shape the spatial distribution of biodiversity including the impact of spatial scale on species contributions and the incorporation of biodiversity components beyond taxonomic alpha diversity, that is functional and phylogenetic diversity.Main conclusionsFuture research should incorporate multiple biodiversity components and model scale dependency. This will further our knowledge on the underlying processes that shape the spatial variation of biodiversity across the planet and help inform biological surveys and conservation activities.

Exploring the “Green”

“Green history” in general refers to environmental history that traces the development of human­–nature relationships and patterns of natural resource extraction and mobilization in our past. Needless to say, a concern for the “green” is becoming a fast-developing field of enquiry given the growing incidence of environmental hazards across the world. However, comparatively, in India, environmental history is yet to make much headway. That is why David Arnold and Ramchandra Guha, the pioneers of environmental history in India, have remarked that environmental history in India, and South Asia in general, is under-developed as a discipline. Assam, situated in the north-eastern part of India, has always been known for its rich flora and fauna and diverse biodiversity hot spots. This region shows a great diversity of climate, topography, and geology, which explains the rich biological diversity of this part of the country. But, interestingly enough, very few studies have been undertaken to examine the environmental history of Assam, and most of them are on the colonial period. This paper aims to review particular references to the ecology and environment of pre-colonial Assam that are embedded in the available historical literature.

Macroecology of rocky intertidal benthic communities along the southwestern Atlantic: Patterns of spatial variation and associations with natural and anthropogenic variables

Assessing spatial variability in biodiversity and its relationships with potential drivers is necessary for understanding and predicting changes in ecosystems. Here, we evaluated spatial patterns in sessile macrobenthic communities in rocky intertidal habitats along the southwestern Atlantic (SE Brazil), spanning over 500 km of coastline. We applied a rapid-survey approach focusing on the main space occupiers and habitat-forming taxa. We partitioned community variance into spatial scales ranging from metres to hundreds of kilometres and assessed whether community patterns were associated with variation in shore topography, nearshore ocean, and human influence. The communities from the mid-midlittoral level exhibited equivalent variation (31–35%) at the scales of quadrats (metres), sites (kilometres), and sub-regions (tens of kilometres). For the communities from the low-midlittoral and infralittoral fringe levels, most variability occurred at the scales of quadrats and sites (30–42%), followed by sub-regions (22%). Wave fetch, sea surface temperature (SST), and shore inclination were the variables that best explained community structure at the mid-midlittoral. At the low-midlittoral and infralittoral fringe, the most influential variables were related to oceanic forcing (SST, total suspended solids, particulate organic carbon, chlorophyll-a concentration) and human influence. Univariate analyses also revealed strong associations between the abundance of the main components of the communities and the predictor variables evaluated. Our results suggest that urbanised estuarine bays and coastal upwelling regimes have a strong influence on adjacent benthic communities, driving macroecological patterns in the study area. This study advances the knowledge in macroecology and biogeography of rocky shores in an understudied coastline and globally and provides valuable insights for future assessments of ecological changes resulting from unfolding human impacts.

Pola Persebaran dan Keanekaragaman Kelomang di Zona Litoral Pantai Leuweung Sancang Kabupaten Garut

The littoral zone of Leuweung Sancang Beach, Garut Regency has very diverse biodiversity, such as hermit crabs. This study aims to determine the distribution patterns and species diversity of hermit crabs in the littoral zone of Leuweung Sancang Beach. This research was conducted from February 2022 to June 2022. This research uses quantitative methods and sampling techniques using a 100 meter transect belt which is divided into 100 plots with a size of 1 x 1 meter. The stations used are Cibako 1 station, Cikujang Jambe 2 station, and Ciporeang 3 station. The results of this study obtained data on the distribution pattern of hermit crabs on Leuweung Sancang Beach, namely clusters with an id value > 1 obtained data on the diversity of hermit crabs consisting of 3 family, 5 genus, and 13 species. The results of the calculation of the ecological index on hermit crabs show that the average density of hermit crab species is 15.73 ind/m2, the average diversity index is 1.27 includes the moderate diversity category, the average uniformity index is 0.52 includes the moderate uniformity category, and the average dominance index is 0.39 includes the category of moderate dominance.

Elevational variation of spider and insect communities in the Swedish mountains

AbstractMountain topography gives rise to often dramatic climate‐driven elevation gradients in primary productivity, which can generate substantial biodiversity variation. Therefore, mountain areas may be particularly useful for evaluating the ecological consequences of climate change. Arthropods are the most diverse animal phylum, which play important roles in most ecosystems. However, despite their ecological importance, we have limited information on how arthropods vary along elevation gradients. We investigated how taxonomic richness, taxonomic composition, and spatial structuring of spider and insect communities varied along elevation gradients and among three geographic locations in a mountain region of northern Sweden. The locations provided a latitude gradient spanning approximately 3° (from 62° N to 65° N), but were otherwise selected to contain similar environmental characteristics. Taxonomic richness of both spiders and insects declined monotonically with increasing elevation, and there were limited differences between the geographic locations in such declines. Taxonomic composition varied with elevation for both taxonomic groups, but also differed among the three sites. Linyphiid spiders were more widely distributed along the elevation gradients than other spider taxa, whereas a broad taxonomic range of insects occurred over almost all elevations. We observed nested as well as modular spatial distributions of both spider and insect communities along the elevation gradients. While the modular patterns suggest that species turnover has generated distinct communities at different elevations, some generalist species were still widespread throughout large parts of the gradients. Our results point to smaller differences among geographic locations than among taxonomic groups in how taxonomic richness and community structuring varied with elevation. We interpret these results as support for taxonomically specific adaptations to environmental conditions being important for structuring arthropod communities. We also suggest that climate‐driven changes to arthropod communities in mountain environments may be regulated by two not mutually exclusive processes, one in which generalist species may become more dominant and shift their ranges upward and one in which high‐elevation specialists may go extinct because of increasingly fragmented habitats.

Impact of Iron Mining Activity on the Endophytic Fungal Community of Aspilia grazielae.

Aspilia grazielae (J. U. Santos) is an endemic plant species in Morro do Urucum in the Pantanal wetland (Brazil). A. grazielae is used for the restoration of areas impacted by iron mining activities. This study evaluates the diversity (composition, value and abundance) of endophytic fungal communities, considering parts of the plant and soil condition. The leaves and roots of A. grazielae were collected from native vegetation areas (NVA) and recovery areas (RCA) in Morro do Urucum. Illumina sequencing technology was used to investigate variation in endophytic fungal biodiversity. The operational taxonomic units detected in NVA ranged from 183 to 263 (leaf) and 115 to 285 (root), while RCA samples ranged from 200 to 282 (leaf) and 156 to 348 (root). Ascomycota phylum was the most common species among all plant samples. The most significant classes identified were Lecanoromycetes and Dothideomycetes that differed significantly (p ≤ 0.05) according to their plant hosts and soil stress. The relative abundance of Pestalotiopsis (Sordariomycetes class) and Stereocaulon (Lecanoromycetes class) genera was influenced by the iron mining activities according to the leaf samples analysed. However, the abundance and wealth of endophytic fungal communities in A. grazielae from RCA were evidence that could explain their high resilience to environmental disturbances and the source-sink dynamics of fungal propagules.

Lobster Clear Seeds Smuggling’s Threats and Modes Through the Customs Side in Indonesia

Background: Indonesia is one of the countries that has a very diverse biodiversity in the world and is one of the strengths of Indonesia's natural resources. One of Indonesia's leading natural resources is lobster. Lobster commodities have a very high export value and have a wide market share in the world. However, the existence of lobsters is currently under threat considering the massive smuggling of lobster clear seeds which are lobster seeds for cultivation. The threat of smuggling and uncontrolled fishing of lobster clear fry threatens the resilience of lobster clear seeds in the wild. Aim: The purpose of the research was to determine the threat of smuggling lobster clear seeds and the mode of smuggling carried out by smugglers. Method: This research is a quantitative research with a statistical descriptive analysis method using secondary time series data with a case study approach to smuggling enforcement carried out by the Directorate General of Customs and Excise for the period 2018 – 2022. Findings: Benur smuggling still often occurs in Indonesia by utilizing illegal entrances through sea routes and international airports, supported by indications of the involvement of unscrupulous officials and organized international crime networks.

Seasonal and spatial variations of antibiotic resistance genes and bacterial biodiversity in biofilms covering the equipment at successive stages of drinking water purification

The presence of ARGs (antibiotic resistance genes) in the aquatic environment is a serious threat to public health especially in environmental biofilms as natural reservoirs of ARGs in water treatment plants (WTP). It has been shown that the treatment technology and source of water have a significant impact on the abundance and type of genes determining antibiotic resistance. The following indicator genes were proposed that should absolutely be controlled in environmental biofilms: intl1, sul2, sul1, tetA, blaOXA, and blaTEM. In both studied WTPs, the highest number of copies was determined for the intI1 gene. Among the tested ARGs, the highest values were obtained for genes sul1 and tetA. The qPCR analysis also revealed that the amounts of determined ARGs decreased in the following order: sulphonamides>carbapenems >tetracyclines > β-lactams >macrolides. The dominant bacterial types in all analysed samples were Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes. Both ARGs and bacterial biodiversity was determined rather by sampling site (spatial variation) than seasonality. The obtained results show that biofilms are reservoirs of ARGs. This may affect the microbiological quality of water entering the water system. It is therefore necessary to include their analysis in the classical studies of water quality.

Review of the Taxonomic Status of the Most Frequent Orthoptera Species (Caelifera: Acrididae)in the Middle Atlas of Morocco

Located between the coast and the desert, the Moroccan Middle Atlas Mountains are strongly affected by these two climatic averages, resulting in very complex and diverse biodiversity patterns in Orthoptera fauna. This instability in locusts (Orthoptera, Acrididae), is mainly due to the ambiguity of definitions for each level of classification above the species level. These changes necessitate a review of the literature on the Moroccan Middle Atlas locust orthopterans. This review focuses on the suborder Caelifera, encountered at five stations in the Middle Atlas, and includes the three families of Acridoîdea, of which the Acrididae is the most diversified. A comparative reading of the various taxa frequently met with and their recent systematic controversies are reviewed herein.

Spatiotemporal variations and correlation factors of species habitat appropriateness in China from a satellite-based perspective

For development planning and biodiversity management in China, it is crucial to understand the past and present patterns of biodiversity. Using satellite data has proven to be an effective means of characterizing the spatial distribution of species based on the species energy hypothesis, thereby supporting the conservation of biodiversity. This study’s specific purposes included assessing different surrogates for annual species richness in China using MODIS as input for the Dynamic Habitat Indices (DHIs) and analyzing the trend and triggers of variation in DHI from 2003 to 2018. We evaluated the linear relationships between the species richness and different DHIs (containing DHI Cum, cumulative productivity; DHI Min, minimum productivity; DHI Var, intra-annual variation of productivity) in China. Further, we conducted a least squares linear regression analysis to investigate the long-term trend of the best performed DHI, as well as an analysis of correlation factors. Our results demonstrated that both DHI Cum and DHI Min had strong explanatory power for estimating species richness, while DHI Var had a poor performance. Among all individual DHIs, GPP-DHI Cum performed the best. The trend analysis showed that the species habitat appropriateness in the areas with high species habitat appropriateness tended to decrease over time, while that in the areas with low species habitat appropriateness tended to increase over time. We also found that the correlation factors for the variation of biodiversity varied spatially. The decrease of biodiversity in the south and eastern coast of China was associated with the decrease of the solar radiation, the increases of the temperature and precipitation, and the expansion of human footprint. By comparison, the increase of biodiversity in the Tibetan Plateau was associated with the increases of the temperature while that in the Loess Plateau was associated with the increases of the precipitation. In addition to climatic factors, the implementations of ecological restoration projects have also driven increased diversity. Besides an improved understanding of biodiversity dynamics, these findings may help to promote biodiversity conservation and policy making.

Temporal comparison of land-use changes and biodiversity in differential IUCN protected-area categories of Bangladesh in the context of co-management

ABSTRACT Protected areas (PA) have been considered as biodiversity conservation hub across the globe. The conventional “top-down” management approach has been failed to ensure resource sustainability in many PA. Therefore, co-management was introduced to secure the PA of Bangladesh and started with legal framework in 2008 (IPAC Project) until 2018 (CREL Project). Thus, land-use and biodiversity change analysis from a decade before and after 2008 has generated comparison of previous and after scenario of co-management. Hence for evaluating effects of co-management on temporal biodiversity and land-use change in Bangladesh, two PA, Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) under IUCN Protected Area Category IV and Lawachara National Park (LNP) under IUCN Protected Area Category II, were selected. Community structure of both vascular plants and avifauna species was used to determine current biodiversity variations with habitat influence. Land-use change analysis revealed deforestation and settlements expansion in CWS but decrease in LNP. Trend analysis forecasted good future of LNP in terms of forest cover till 2038. Biodiversity analysis revealed that CWS is slightly more diverse and even than LNP. Comparative analysis recognized prominent loss of biodiversity before co-management period. Therefore, co-management system can be employed in the rest of reserve-forest areas of Bangladesh for conservation betterment.

Spatial non-stationarity effect of determinants regulates variation in amphibian species richness

Despite the variation in amphibian biodiversity being often explained through environmental variables, the effects of spatial non-stationarity factors are too-often ignored as significant geographic characteristics, especially at large scales. Here, using a spatial regression approach through a multiscale analysis, we explored the spatial heterogeneity and scale effects in the impacts of environments on amphibian species richness across China. We showed that the impacts of variables varied with regions, and the individual scales specific to each variable were negatively correlated with effect sizes. We then demonstrated that climate variables, followed by topography, showed a high explanatory power for species richness in most areas, while the effects of precipitation and temperature were characterized by high geographical heterogeneity. In addition, elevation was positively related to local species richness in most plains, while being a main negative variable to species richness in the western highlands. The analysis of geographic heterogeneity showed that the explanatory power of most variables declined with increasing elevation. Although anthropogenic impacts contributed less than climatic variables, they significantly increased the sensitivity of amphibian species to environmental variations. Finally, to measure the aggregation pattern of heterogeneous effects of variables on species richness, we used a neural network to identify ecoregions regulated by similar variables and determined the presence of four ecologically consistent regions. Our findings provide further evidence supporting spatially variables regulators of amphibian diversity.