Displaying publications 121 - 140 of 394 in total

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  1. Temporal coexistence mechanisms contribute to the latitudinal gradient in forest diversity
    Usinowicz J, Chang-Yang CH, Chen YY, Clark JS, Fletcher C, Garwood NC, et al.
    Nature, 2017 10 05;550(7674):105-108.
    PMID: 28953870 DOI: 10.1038/nature24038
    The tropical forests of Borneo and Amazonia may each contain more tree species diversity in half a square kilometre than do all the temperate forests of Europe, North America, and Asia combined. Biologists have long been fascinated by this disparity, using it to investigate potential drivers of biodiversity. Latitudinal variation in many of these drivers is expected to create geographic differences in ecological and evolutionary processes, and evidence increasingly shows that tropical ecosystems have higher rates of diversification, clade origination, and clade dispersal. However, there is currently no evidence to link gradients in ecological processes within communities at a local scale directly to the geographic gradient in biodiversity. Here, we show geographic variation in the storage effect, an ecological mechanism that reduces the potential for competitive exclusion more strongly in the tropics than it does in temperate and boreal zones, decreasing the ratio of interspecific-to-intraspecific competition by 0.25% for each degree of latitude that an ecosystem is located closer to the Equator. Additionally, we find evidence that latitudinal variation in climate underpins these differences; longer growing seasons in the tropics reduce constraints on the seasonal timing of reproduction, permitting lower recruitment synchrony between species and thereby enhancing niche partitioning through the storage effect. Our results demonstrate that the strength of the storage effect, and therefore its impact on diversity within communities, varies latitudinally in association with climate. This finding highlights the importance of biotic interactions in shaping geographic diversity patterns, and emphasizes the need to understand the mechanisms underpinning ecological processes in greater detail than has previously been appreciated.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biodiversity*
  2. Resistance of tropical seedlings to drought is mediated by neighbourhood diversity
    O'Brien MJ, Reynolds G, Ong R, Hector A
    Nat Ecol Evol, 2017 Nov;1(11):1643-1648.
    PMID: 28963453 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0326-0
    Occasional periods of drought are typical of most tropical forests, but climate change is increasing drought frequency and intensity in many areas across the globe, threatening the structure and function of these ecosystems. The effects of intermittent drought on tropical tree communities remain poorly understood and the potential impacts of intensified drought under future climatic conditions are even less well known. The response of forests to altered precipitation will be determined by the tolerances of different species to reduced water availability and the interactions among plants that alleviate or exacerbate the effects of drought. Here, we report the response of experimental monocultures and mixtures of tropical trees to simulated drought, which reveals a fundamental shift in the nature of interactions among species. Weaker competition for water in diverse communities allowed seedlings to maintain growth under drought while more intense competition among conspecifics inhibited growth under the same conditions. These results show that reduced competition for water among species in mixtures mediates community resistance to drought. The delayed onset of competition for water among species in more diverse neighbourhoods during drought has potential implications for the coexistence of species in tropical forests and the resilience of these systems to climate change.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biodiversity*
  3. Fulltext Selective‐logging and oil palm: multitaxon impacts, biodiversity indicators, and trade‐offs for conservation planning
    Edwards DP, Magrach A, Woodcock P, Ji Y, Lim NT-, Edwards FA, et al.
    Ecol Appl, 2014;24(8):2029-49.
    PMID: 29185670 DOI: 10.1890/14-0010.1
    Strong global demand for tropical timber and agricultural products has driven large-scale logging and subsequent conversion of tropical forests. Given that the majority of tropical landscapes have been or will likely be logged, the protection of biodiversity within tropical forests thus depends on whether species can persist in these economically exploited lands, and if species cannot persist, whether we can protect enough primary forest from logging and conversion. However, our knowledge of the impact of logging and conversion on biodiversity is limited to a few taxa, often sampled in different locations with complex land-use histories, hampering attempts to plan cost-effective conservation strategies and to draw conclusions across taxa. Spanning a land-use gradient of primary forest, once- and twice-logged forests, and oil palm plantations, we used traditional sampling and DNA metabarcoding to compile an extensive data set in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo for nine vertebrate and invertebrate taxa to quantify the biological impacts of logging and oil palm, develop cost-effective methods of protecting biodiversity, and examine whether there is congruence in response among taxa. Logged forests retained high species richness, including, on average, 70% of species found in primary forest. In contrast, conversion to oil palm dramatically reduces species richness, with significantly fewer primary-forest species than found on logged forest transects for seven taxa. Using a systematic conservation planning analysis, we show that efficient protection of primary-forest species is achieved with land portfolios that include a large proportion of logged-forest plots. Protecting logged forests is thus a cost-effective method of protecting an ecologically and taxonomically diverse range of species, particularly when conservation budgets are limited. Six indicator groups (birds, leaf-litter ants, beetles, aerial hymenopterans, flies, and true bugs) proved to be consistently good predictors of the response of the other taxa to logging and oil palm. Our results confidently establish the high conservation value of logged forests and the low value of oil palm. Cross-taxon congruence in responses to disturbance also suggests that the practice of focusing on key indicator taxa yields important information of general biodiversity in studies of logging and oil palm.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biodiversity*
  4. Fulltext Can Helminth Infection Reverse Microbial Dysbiosis?
    Loke P, Lim YAL
    Trends Parasitol, 2015 Nov;31(11):534-535.
    PMID: 26604162 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2015.10.001
    There is growing interest in treating inflammatory conditions with helminth infection. Recently, Loukas and colleagues have reported promising results from using experimental hookworm infection to reduce gluten sensitivity in celiac disease patients. Analysis of microbiota samples from the trial is contributing to our understanding of the complexity underlying helminth–microbiota–host relationships.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biodiversity*
  5. Temporal changes in arthropod activity in tropical anthropogenic forests
    Brandon-Mong GJ, Littlefair JE, Sing KW, Lee YP, Gan HM, Clare EL, et al.
    Bull. Entomol. Res., 2018 Dec;108(6):792-799.
    PMID: 29441836 DOI: 10.1017/S000748531800010X
    Arthropod communities in the tropics are increasingly impacted by rapid changes in land use. Because species showing distinct seasonal patterns of activity are thought to be at higher risk of climate-related extirpation, global warming is generally considered a lower threat to arthropod biodiversity in the tropics than in temperate regions. To examine changes associated with land use and weather variables in tropical arthropod communities, we deployed Malaise traps at three major anthropogenic forests (secondary reserve forest, oil palm forest, and urban ornamental forest (UOF)) in Peninsular Malaysia and collected arthropods continuously for 12 months. We used metabarcoding protocols to characterize the diversity within weekly samples. We found that changes in the composition of arthropod communities were significantly associated with maximum temperature in all the three forests, but shifts were reversed in the UOF compared with the other forests. This suggests arthropods in forests in Peninsular Malaysia face a double threat: community shifts and biodiversity loss due to exploitation and disturbance of forests which consequently put species at further risk related to global warming. We highlight the positive feedback mechanism of land use and temperature, which pose threats to the arthropod communities and further implicates ecosystem functioning and human well-being. Consequently, conservation and mitigation plans are urgently needed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biodiversity*
  6. Preliminary Study on Invasive Fish Species Diffusion in Selected Malaysian Freshwater Ecosystems
    Ahmad AK, Nur-Hazwani MNR, Aisyah Syed Omar S, Aweng ER, Taweel A
    Pak J Biol Sci, 2020 Jan;23(11):1374-1379.
    PMID: 33274864 DOI: 10.3923/pjbs.2020.1374.1379
    BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Malaysia reported experiencing serious invasive species intrusion in various rivers and threatening some local species to distinct. A study was undertaken to estimate and compare their composition and species richness in two pristine and two disturbed freshwater ecosystems.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: Invasive and local species growth pattern was also estimated using length-weight analysis. Sampling was conducted using cast net and electric shock in each river twice in 12 months. Fish collected were identified, photo captured and measured for their weight and length. The growth pattern was also estimated using length-weight analysis.

    RESULTS: A total of 188 fishes were caught, comprises of 8 families and 15 species (ten local species with 119 individuals and five alien species with 69 individuals). Sistomus binotatus was the most dominant local species, whereas Tilapia nilotica was the most dominant alien species. There is no significant difference in composition between local and invasive species occur indicates the raise of alien species in those ecosystems even local species still dominated. The growth pattern for Sistomus binotatus and Clarias batrachus is isometric in the pristine ecosystem but negative isometric in disturbed rivers. Contrary, Tilapia nilotica has isometric for both ecosystems.

    CONCLUSION: This study concluded the capability and potential of colonization of alien species in stress ecosystem especially Tilapia nilotica. Thus, there is potential colonization of alien in Malaysia freshwater systems and a threat to local species due to food competition, site preferences and survival ability.

    Matched MeSH terms: Biodiversity*
  7. Fulltext Biodiversity, seasonal abundance, and distribution of blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae) in six different regions of Thailand
    Srisuka W, Takaoka H, Otsuka Y, Fukuda M, Thongsahuan S, Taai K, et al.
    Parasit Vectors, 2017 Nov 21;10(1):574.
    PMID: 29157269 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2492-y
    BACKGROUND: Blackflies are an important medical and veterinary group of small blood-sucking insects. Ninety-three blackfly species have been reported in Thailand. However, information on their biodiversity and population dynamics in each region is lacking. The main aim of this study was to assess the regional biodiversity, seasonal abundance and distribution of blackflies in six eco-geographically different regions in the country.

    METHODS: Blackfly larvae and pupae were sampled monthly from 58 sites between May 2011 and April 2013. Diversity parameters, seasonal abundance, regional distribution and frequency of species occurrence in stream sites were analyzed.

    RESULTS: A total of 19,456 mature larvae representing 57 species, and belonging to six subgenera in the genus Simulium Latreille (s.l.), were found. The five predominant taxa were S. fenestratum (8.6%), the S. asakoae complex (8.3%), S. nakhonense (7.5%), the S. siamense complex (7.4%) and the S. doipuiense complex (6.7%). The most frequent taxa at all sites were the S. asakoae complex (84.5%), followed by S. fenestratum (82.8%), the S. siamense complex (75.9%), S. decuplum (60.3%), S. nakhonense (58.6%) and the S. tani complex (48.3%). The richness of regional species was highest (40 species) in the north and predominated in the cold season. However, blackflies in the south predominated during the hot season. The highest numbers of blackflies collected from central, northeastern, eastern and western regions of the country were observed in the rainy season. Overall, the mean number of blackflies collected across the six regions during the rainy and cold season had no statistically significant difference, but it differed significantly in the hot season.

    CONCLUSIONS: Blackflies in Thailand were surveyed in all three seasons across six geographical regions. These findings demonstrated that blackfly communities at each stream site varied with seasonality, and the regional relative abundance of blackflies differed markedly in the hot season. It was also found that the occurrence and distribution of blackflies in each region were associated strongly with elevation.

    Matched MeSH terms: Biodiversity*
  8. Fulltext Carnivore hotspots in Peninsular Malaysia and their landscape attributes
    Ratnayeke S, van Manen FT, Clements GR, Kulaimi NAM, Sharp SP
    PLoS One, 2018;13(4):e0194217.
    PMID: 29617402 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194217
    Mammalian carnivores play a vital role in ecosystem functioning. However, they are prone to extinction because of low population densities and growth rates, and high levels of persecution or exploitation. In tropical biodiversity hotspots such as Peninsular Malaysia, rapid conversion of natural habitats threatens the persistence of this vulnerable group of animals. Here, we carried out the first comprehensive literature review on 31 carnivore species reported to occur in Peninsular Malaysia and updated their probable distribution. We georeferenced 375 observations of 28 species of carnivore from 89 unique geographic locations using records spanning 1948 to 2014. Using the Getis-Ord Gi*statistic and weighted survey records by IUCN Red List status, we identified hotspots of species that were of conservation concern and built regression models to identify environmental and anthropogenic landscape factors associated with Getis-Ord Gi* z scores. Our analyses identified two carnivore hotspots that were spatially concordant with two of the peninsula's largest and most contiguous forest complexes, associated with Taman Negara National Park and Royal Belum State Park. A cold spot overlapped with the southwestern region of the Peninsula, reflecting the disappearance of carnivores with higher conservation rankings from increasingly fragmented natural habitats. Getis-Ord Gi* z scores were negatively associated with elevation, and positively associated with the proportion of natural land cover and distance from the capital city. Malaysia contains some of the world's most diverse carnivore assemblages, but recent rates of forest loss are some of the highest in the world. Reducing poaching and maintaining large, contiguous tracts of lowland forests will be crucial, not only for the persistence of threatened carnivores, but for many mammalian species in general.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biodiversity*
  9. Fulltext An estimate of the number of tropical tree species
    Slik JW, Arroyo-Rodríguez V, Aiba S, Alvarez-Loayza P, Alves LF, Ashton P, et al.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2015 Jun 16;112(24):7472-7.
    PMID: 26034279 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1423147112
    The high species richness of tropical forests has long been recognized, yet there remains substantial uncertainty regarding the actual number of tropical tree species. Using a pantropical tree inventory database from closed canopy forests, consisting of 657,630 trees belonging to 11,371 species, we use a fitted value of Fisher's alpha and an approximate pantropical stem total to estimate the minimum number of tropical forest tree species to fall between ∼ 40,000 and ∼ 53,000, i.e., at the high end of previous estimates. Contrary to common assumption, the Indo-Pacific region was found to be as species-rich as the Neotropics, with both regions having a minimum of ∼ 19,000-25,000 tree species. Continental Africa is relatively depauperate with a minimum of ∼ 4,500-6,000 tree species. Very few species are shared among the African, American, and the Indo-Pacific regions. We provide a methodological framework for estimating species richness in trees that may help refine species richness estimates of tree-dependent taxa.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biodiversity*
  10. Landscape-scale benefits of protected areas for tropical biodiversity
    Brodie JF, Mohd-Azlan J, Chen C, Wearn OR, Deith MCM, Ball JGC, et al.
    Nature, 2023 Aug;620(7975):807-812.
    PMID: 37612395 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06410-z
    The United Nations recently agreed to major expansions of global protected areas (PAs) to slow biodiversity declines1. However, although reserves often reduce habitat loss, their efficacy at preserving animal diversity and their influence on biodiversity in surrounding unprotected areas remain unclear2-5. Unregulated hunting can empty PAs of large animals6, illegal tree felling can degrade habitat quality7, and parks can simply displace disturbances such as logging and hunting to unprotected areas of the landscape8 (a phenomenon called leakage). Alternatively, well-functioning PAs could enhance animal diversity within reserves as well as in nearby unprotected sites9 (an effect called spillover). Here we test whether PAs across mega-diverse Southeast Asia contribute to vertebrate conservation inside and outside their boundaries. Reserves increased all facets of bird diversity. Large reserves were also associated with substantially enhanced mammal diversity in the adjacent unprotected landscape. Rather than PAs generating leakage that deteriorated ecological conditions elsewhere, our results are consistent with PAs inducing spillover that benefits biodiversity in surrounding areas. These findings support the United Nations goal of achieving 30% PA coverage by 2030 by demonstrating that PAs are associated with higher vertebrate diversity both inside their boundaries and in the broader landscape.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biodiversity*
  11. Geoparnus loebli, a new species of terrestrial dryopid from Peninsular Malaysia (Coleoptera: Dryopidae)
    Kodada J, Kadubec M, Ciampor F
    Zootaxa, 2013;3646:68-74.
    PMID: 26213745
    Three species have been recognized in the genus Geoparnus Besuchet, 1978, all collected by sifting ground debris from tropical rainforests of Malaysia. The new species Geoparnus loebli sp. nov. is described; morphological similarities to known species G setifer Besuchet, 1978 and G rhinoceros Kodada, Jach, Ciampor Jr & (Camporova-Zat'ovicova, 2007 are discussed. Habitus of adult, male and female genitalia as well as other diagnostic characters are illustrated.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biodiversity
  12. Fulltext Emerging spatial patterns in Antarctic prokaryotes
    Chong CW, Pearce DA, Convey P
    Front Microbiol, 2015;6:1058.
    PMID: 26483777 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.01058
    Recent advances in knowledge of patterns of biogeography in terrestrial eukaryotic organisms have led to a fundamental paradigm shift in understanding of the controls and history of life on land in Antarctica, and its interactions over the long term with the glaciological and geological processes that have shaped the continent. However, while it has long been recognized that the terrestrial ecosystems of Antarctica are dominated by microbes and their processes, knowledge of microbial diversity and distributions has lagged far behind that of the macroscopic eukaryote organisms. Increasing human contact with and activity in the continent is leading to risks of biological contamination and change in a region whose isolation has protected it for millions of years at least; these risks may be particularly acute for microbial communities which have, as yet, received scant recognition and attention. Even a matter apparently as straightforward as Protected Area designation in Antarctica requires robust biodiversity data which, in most parts of the continent, remain almost completely unavailable. A range of important contributing factors mean that it is now timely to reconsider the state of knowledge of Antarctic terrestrial prokaryotes. Rapid advances in molecular biological approaches are increasingly demonstrating that bacterial diversity in Antarctica may be far greater than previously thought, and that there is overlap in the environmental controls affecting both Antarctic prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities. Bacterial dispersal mechanisms and colonization patterns remain largely unaddressed, although evidence for regional evolutionary differentiation is rapidly accruing and, with this, there is increasing appreciation of patterns in regional bacterial biogeography in this large part of the globe. In this review, we set out to describe the state of knowledge of Antarctic prokaryote diversity patterns, drawing analogy with those of eukaryote groups where appropriate. Based on our synthesis, it is clear that spatial patterns of Antarctic prokaryotes can be unique at local scales, while the limited evidence available to date supports the group exhibiting overall regional biogeographical patterns similar to the eukaryotes. We further consider the applicability of the concept of "functional redundancy" for the Antarctic microbial community and highlight the requirements for proper consideration of their important and distinctive roles in Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biodiversity
  13. Fulltext Aerobiology Over Antarctica - A New Initiative for Atmospheric Ecology
    Pearce DA, Alekhina IA, Terauds A, Wilmotte A, Quesada A, Edwards A, et al.
    Front Microbiol, 2016;7:16.
    PMID: 26909068 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00016
    The role of aerial dispersal in shaping patterns of biodiversity remains poorly understood, mainly due to a lack of coordinated efforts in gathering data at appropriate temporal and spatial scales. It has been long known that the rate of dispersal to an ecosystem can significantly influence ecosystem dynamics, and that aerial transport has been identified as an important source of biological input to remote locations. With the considerable effort devoted in recent decades to understanding atmospheric circulation in the south-polar region, a unique opportunity has emerged to investigate the atmospheric ecology of Antarctica, from regional to continental scales. This concept note identifies key questions in Antarctic microbial biogeography and the need for standardized sampling and analysis protocols to address such questions. A consortium of polar aerobiologists is established to bring together researchers with a common interest in the airborne dispersion of microbes and other propagules in the Antarctic, with opportunities for comparative studies in the Arctic.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biodiversity
  14. Specimens as primary data: museums and 'open science'
    Schilthuizen M, Vairappan CS, Slade EM, Mann DJ, Miller JA
    Trends Ecol Evol, 2015 May;30(5):237-8.
    PMID: 25813120 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2015.03.002
    Matched MeSH terms: Biodiversity
  15. Prevention is better than cure: Persian Gulf biodiversity vulnerability to the impacts of desalination plants
    Sharifinia M, Afshari Bahmanbeigloo Z, Smith WO, Yap CK, Keshavarzifard M
    Glob Chang Biol, 2019 Dec;25(12):4022-4033.
    PMID: 31436851 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14808
    Due to extremely high rates of evaporation and low precipitation in the Persian Gulf, discharges from desalination plants (DPs) can lead to ecological stresses by increasing water temperatures, salinities, and heavy metal concentrations, as well as decreasing dissolved oxygen levels. We discuss the potential ecological impacts of DPs on marine organisms and propose mitigating measures to reduce the problems induced by DPs discharges. The daily capacity of DPs in the Persian Gulf exceeds 11 million m3 per day, which is approximately half of global daily freshwater production; multistage flash distillation (MSF) is the dominant desalination process. Results from field and laboratory studies indicate that there are potentially serious and chronic threats to marine communities following exposure to DP discharges, especially within the zoobenthos, echinodermata, seagrasses, and coral reefs. DP discharges can lead to decreases in sensitive species, plankton abundance, hard substrate epifauna, and growth rates of seagrasses. However, the broad applicability of any one of these impacts is currently hard to scale because of the limited number of studies that have been conducted to assess the ecological impacts of DP discharge on Persian Gulf organisms. Even so, available data suggest that appropriately sited, designed, and operated DPs combined with current developments in impingement and entrainment reduction technology can mitigate many of the negative environmental impacts of DPs.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biodiversity
  16. Biodiversity of leaf litter fungi in streams along a latitudinal gradient
    Seena S, Bärlocher F, Sobral O, Gessner MO, Dudgeon D, McKie BG, et al.
    Sci Total Environ, 2019 Apr 15;661:306-315.
    PMID: 30677678 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.01.122
    Global patterns of biodiversity have emerged for soil microorganisms, plants and animals, and the extraordinary significance of microbial functions in ecosystems is also well established. Virtually unknown, however, are large-scale patterns of microbial diversity in freshwaters, although these aquatic ecosystems are hotspots of biodiversity and biogeochemical processes. Here we report on the first large-scale study of biodiversity of leaf-litter fungi in streams along a latitudinal gradient unravelled by Illumina sequencing. The study is based on fungal communities colonizing standardized plant litter in 19 globally distributed stream locations between 69°N and 44°S. Fungal richness suggests a hump-shaped distribution along the latitudinal gradient. Strikingly, community composition of fungi was more clearly related to thermal preferences than to biogeography. Our results suggest that identifying differences in key environmental drivers, such as temperature, among taxa and ecosystem types is critical to unravel the global patterns of aquatic fungal diversity.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biodiversity
  17. Fulltext Three lessons for gender equity in biodiversity conservation
    Lau JD
    Conserv Biol, 2020 12;34(6):1589-1591.
    PMID: 32104932 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13487
    Amid a growing global agenda, biodiversity conservation has embraced gender equity as a pillar of equitable and effective practice. Gender equity has become enshrined in the global environment and development agenda through global commitments, policy and funding. However, for various reasons, conservation biodiversity often takes a simplistic view of gender as synonymous with women or as a dualism between women and men. This narrow view risks promoting inequitable processes and ineffective outcomes. Deeper engagement with feminist theory, and feminist political ecology in particular, could help advance biodiversity conservation's approach to how gender is understood, framed and integrated. Engaging with lessons from feminist political ecology can help advance gender equity in conservation through attention to power dynamics, intersectionality, and subjectivity.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biodiversity
  18. Fulltext Seagrass coverage and associated fauna at Gaya Island, Sabah, Malaysia: A pilot seagrass transplantation
    Ejria Saleh, Gallagher, John Barry, Tzuen, Kiat Yap
    Borneo Journal of Marine Science and Aquaculture, 2020;4(1):14-19.
    MyJurnal
    Seagrasses provide a range of marine ecosystem services. These include coastal protection, biodiversity, provision of food for various organisms, breeding and nursery habitats for many marine species, and carbon storage. Increasing anthropogenic pressures have contributed to the decline of seagrass habitats. Transplantation is one of the solutions to increase seagrass coverage and resilience. What is often overlooked, however, is the ability of this tropical ecosystem to attract and support faunal assemblages that may impinge on the success of the transplantation. A pilot study on seagrass transplantation at Gaya Island (Kota Kinabalu, Sabah) was intended for observing its stability and species of fauna that develop association with this vegetation. The study covered the southwest and northeast monsoons. Mixed seagrass species were planted on approximately 50% of 30 m 2 transplantation areas. Monitoring of the planted seagrass was carried out in five phases (T1-T5) from September 2016 to April 2018. Weekly observations were made by SCUBA diving. Identification of associated fauna was done on the spot and was based on morphological characteristics. During the T1 (September to December 2016) the seagrass coverage was reduced to 41% due to strong waves generated by the northeast monsoon. However, the seagrass coverage increased ( 66 %) during the southwest monsoon (T2 - T4) in 2017. In early 2018 (T5), the seagrass coverage again reduced (about 18%) due to strong waves but recovered again at the end of the monitoring period (April 2018). A total of 30 species of fauna that were identified consisted of 9 resident and 21 non-resident species. Physical structure of transplanted seagrass created a microhabitat, and increased the food availability and abundance, which attracted many species of different trophic levels.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biodiversity
  19. Forest conversion to oil palm compresses food chain length in tropical streams
    Wilkinson CL, Chua KWJ, Fiala R, Liew JH, Kemp V, Hadi Fikri A, et al.
    Ecology, 2021 01;102(1):e03199.
    PMID: 32969053 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3199
    In Southeast Asia, biodiversity-rich forests are being extensively logged and converted to oil palm monocultures. Although the impacts of these changes on biodiversity are largely well documented, we know addition to samples we collected in 201 little about how these large-scale impacts affect freshwater trophic ecology. We used stable isotope analyses (SIA) to determine the impacts of land-use changes on the relative contribution of allochthonous and autochthonous basal resources in 19 stream food webs. We also applied compound-specific SIA and bulk-SIA to determine the trophic position of fish apex predators and meso-predators (invertivores and omnivores). There was no difference in the contribution of autochthonous resources in either consumer group (70-82%) among streams with different land-use type. There was no change in trophic position for meso-predators, but trophic position decreased significantly for apex predators in oil palm plantation streams compared to forest streams. This change in maximum food chain length was due to turnover in identity of the apex predator among land-use types. Disruption of aquatic trophic ecology, through reduction in food chain length and shift in basal resources, may cause significant changes in biodiversity as well as ecosystem functions and services. Understanding this change can help develop more focused priorities for mediating the negative impacts of human activities on freshwater ecosystems.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biodiversity
  20. Fulltext Climate change considerations are fundamental to management of deep-sea resource extraction
    Levin LA, Wei CL, Dunn DC, Amon DJ, Ashford OS, Cheung WWL, et al.
    Glob Chang Biol, 2020 09;26(9):4664-4678.
    PMID: 32531093 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15223
    Climate change manifestation in the ocean, through warming, oxygen loss, increasing acidification, and changing particulate organic carbon flux (one metric of altered food supply), is projected to affect most deep-ocean ecosystems concomitantly with increasing direct human disturbance. Climate drivers will alter deep-sea biodiversity and associated ecosystem services, and may interact with disturbance from resource extraction activities or even climate geoengineering. We suggest that to ensure the effective management of increasing use of the deep ocean (e.g., for bottom fishing, oil and gas extraction, and deep-seabed mining), environmental management and developing regulations must consider climate change. Strategic planning, impact assessment and monitoring, spatial management, application of the precautionary approach, and full-cost accounting of extraction activities should embrace climate consciousness. Coupled climate and biological modeling approaches applied in the water and on the seafloor can help accomplish this goal. For example, Earth-System Model projections of climate-change parameters at the seafloor reveal heterogeneity in projected climate hazard and time of emergence (beyond natural variability) in regions targeted for deep-seabed mining. Models that combine climate-induced changes in ocean circulation with particle tracking predict altered transport of early life stages (larvae) under climate change. Habitat suitability models can help assess the consequences of altered larval dispersal, predict climate refugia, and identify vulnerable regions for multiple species under climate change. Engaging the deep observing community can support the necessary data provisioning to mainstream climate into the development of environmental management plans. To illustrate this approach, we focus on deep-seabed mining and the International Seabed Authority, whose mandates include regulation of all mineral-related activities in international waters and protecting the marine environment from the harmful effects of mining. However, achieving deep-ocean sustainability under the UN Sustainable Development Goals will require integration of climate consideration across all policy sectors.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biodiversity
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