scholarly journals Species interactions limit the occurrence of urban-adapted birds in cities

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (49) ◽  
pp. E11495-E11504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul R. Martin ◽  
Frances Bonier
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Dominant Species ◽  
Economic Transition ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Competitive Interactions ◽  
Urban Habitats ◽  
Phylogenetic Groups ◽  
Geographic Ranges ◽  
Subordinate Species

Urbanization represents an extreme transformation of more natural systems. Populations of most species decline or disappear with urbanization, and yet some species persist and even thrive in cities. What determines which species persist or thrive in urban habitats? Direct competitive interactions among species can influence their distributions and resource use, particularly along gradients of environmental challenge. Given the challenges of urbanization, similar interactions may be important for determining which species persist or thrive in cities; however, their role remains poorly understood. Here, we use a global dataset to test among three alternative hypotheses for how direct competitive interactions and behavioral dominance may influence the breeding occurrence of birds in cities. We find evidence to support the competitive interference hypothesis: behaviorally dominant species were more widespread in urban habitats than closely related subordinate species, but only in taxa that thrive in urban environments (hereafter, urban adapted), and only when dominant and subordinate species overlapped their geographic ranges. This result was evident across diverse phylogenetic groups but varied significantly with a country’s level of economic development. Urban-adapted, dominant species were more widespread than closely related subordinate species in cities in developed, but not developing, countries; countries in economic transition showed an intermediate pattern. Our results provide evidence that competitive interactions broadly influence species responses to urbanization, and that these interactions have asymmetric effects on subordinate species that otherwise could be widespread in urban environments. Results further suggest that economic development might accentuate the consequences of competitive interactions, thereby reducing local diversity in cities.

scholarly journals Urban Environments Aid Invasion of Brown Widows (Theridiidae: Latrodectus geometricus) in North America, Constraining Regions of Overlap and Mitigating Potential Impact on Native Widows

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Sadir ◽  
Katharine A. Marske
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Ecological Niche Modeling ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Ecological Impact ◽  
Niche Differentiation ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Geographic Ranges ◽  
Native Communities ◽  
Continental Scale ◽  
Latrodectus Geometricus

Urbanization is a major cause of biotic homogenization and habitat fragmentation for native communities. However, the role of urbanization on the success of biological invasions on a continental scale has yet to be explored. Urbanization may facilitate the establishment success of invasive species by minimizing niche differentiation between native and invaded ranges. In such cases, we might expect anthropogenic variables to have stronger influence on the geographic distribution of invasive compared to native populations. In this study, we use ecological niche modeling to define the distribution of non-native brown widow spider (Latrodectus geometricus) and three native black widows (L. hespersus, L. mactans, L. variolus) in North America and gauge the importance of urbanization on the geographic ranges of widows at a continental scale. We also quantify the geographic overlap of L. geometricus with each native widow to assess potential species and regions at risk of ecological impact. Consistent with our hypothesis, we find that the distribution of L. geometricus is strongly constrained to urban environments, while native widow distributions are more strongly driven by climatic factors. These results show that urbanization plays a significant role in facilitating the success of invasion, weakening the significance of climate on the realized niche in its invaded range.

scholarly journals Metabolic Symbiosis Facilitates Species Coexistence and Generates Light-Dependent Priority Effects

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronica Hsu ◽  
Holly V. Moeller
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Source ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Green Algae ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Species Coexistence ◽  
Priority Effects ◽  
Competitive Interactions ◽  
Paramecium Bursaria ◽  
Mutual Benefit ◽  
Cascading Effects

Metabolic symbiosis is a form of symbiosis in which organisms exchange metabolites, typically for mutual benefit. For example, acquired phototrophs like Paramecium bursaria obtain photosynthate from endosymbiotic green algae called Chlorella. In addition to facilitating the persistence of P. bursaria by providing a carbon source that supplements P. bursaria’s heterotrophic digestion of bacteria, symbiotic Chlorella may impact competitive interactions between P. bursaria and other bacterivores, with cascading effects on community composition and overall diversity. Here, we tested the effects of metabolic symbiosis on coexistence by assessing the impacts of acquired phototrophy on priority effects, or the effect of species arrival order on species interactions, between P. bursaria and its competitor Colpidium. Our results suggest light-dependent priority effects. The acquired phototroph benefited from metabolic symbiosis during sequential arrival of each organism in competition, and led to increased growth of late-arriving Colpidium. These findings demonstrate that understanding the consequences of priority effects for species coexistence requires consideration of metabolic symbiosis.

Landscape Genetic Approaches to Understanding Movement and Gene Flow in Cities

2020 ◽  
pp. 54-73
Author(s):  
Jason Munshi-South ◽  
Jonathan L. Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Gene Flow ◽  
Urban Landscape ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Urban Habitats ◽  
Urban Neighbourhoods ◽  
Direct Tracking ◽  
Landscape Genetic ◽  
The Many ◽  
Socioeconomic Data

Cities are home to a continuum of species that range from those specially adapted to exploit urban habitats, to others passing through as transient dispersers. Urbanization often has a profound impact on the movement and gene flow of these species. Compared to natural landscapes, urban environments are complex matrices of roads, buildings, bare soil, slopes, green space, and subterranean infrastructure. Urban neighbourhoods also vary greatly in their socioeconomic and cultural characteristics. This heterogeneity can lead to complex movement patterns in wildlife that are difficult or impossible to characterize using direct tracking methods. Population genetic analyses provide powerful approaches to evaluate spatial patterns of genetic variation and even signatures of adaptive evolution across the genome. When analysed with landscape, environmental, and socioeconomic data, genetic approaches may also identify which features of urban habitats impede or facilitate gene flow. These landscape genetic approaches, when paired with high-resolution sampling and replicated studies across multiple cities, identify dynamic processes that underpin wildlife movement in cities. This chapter reviews the use of spatially explicit genetic approaches in understanding urban wildlife movement, and highlights the many insights gained from rodents in particular as models for urban landscape genetics.

The BRIC Nations and the Anatomy of Economic Development: The Core Tenets of Rule of Law

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nandini Ramanujam ◽  
Nicholas Caivano
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Economic Transition ◽  
Bric Countries ◽  
The Core ◽  
Intermediate Phases ◽  
Phases Of Development ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Pluralist Approach

AbstractThe past decade has witnessed a revival in interest in the relationship between rule of law and economic development. Disenchantment with the universal model that emerged from the Washington Consensus era led to a shift in focus to a more pluralist approach in which policy prescriptions became tailored to each country’s socio-political context. The authors suggest that the pendulum may have swung to the other extreme, and that the newly ascendant pluralist approach may overemphasize pluralism at the expense of core rule of law principles. This paper examines the rule of law building efforts pursued by the BRIC countries to shed light on their strikingly different processes of economic transition. The authors argue that formal, informal, and transitional institutions have played distinct roles in these divergent economic development narratives. While informal and transitional institutions have facilitated growth during initial and intermediate phases of development, a degree of formalization across some institutions is critical to support the long-term development of a market economy. The authors set out the core tenets approach, an exploratory concept that emphasizes a malleable set of fundamental rule of law principles which exist alongside transition institutions to build trust in formal institutions as an economy advances.

scholarly journals Urban birds have broader environmental tolerance

2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. 670-673 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frances Bonier ◽  
Paul R Martin ◽  
John C Wingfield
Keyword(s):  
Urban Environments ◽  
Urban Habitats ◽  
Urban Birds ◽  
Environmental Tolerance ◽  
Global Comparison ◽  
Ecological Flexibility

Urbanization dramatically changes the composition and diversity of biotic communities. The characteristics distinguishing species that persist in urban environments, however, are poorly understood. Here we test the hypothesis that broadly adapted organisms are better able to tolerate urbanization, using a phylogenetically controlled, global comparison of birds. We compared elevational and latitudinal distributions of 217 urban birds found in 73 of the world's largest cities with distributions of 247 rural congeners to test the hypothesis that urban birds possess broader environmental tolerance. Urban birds had markedly broader environmental tolerance than rural congeners, as estimated by elevational and latitudinal distributions. Our results suggest that broad environmental tolerance may predispose some birds to thrive in urban habitats. The mechanisms mediating such environmental tolerance warrant further investigation, but probably include greater behavioural, physiological and ecological flexibility.

scholarly journals The integration between and common prosperity of government and market: China's experience of economic development

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 353-366
Author(s):  
Leming Hu
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Market Economy ◽  
Economic Transition ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Emerging Market Economies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Market Economies ◽  
Economic Liberalism ◽  
Government And Market ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe relationship between government and market is the key to the economic development performance of market economy countries. Due to the limits such as the state/market dichotomy, the focus on static allocation efficiency and the ignorance of the diversity of the market economy and the relationship between government and market, economic liberalism and state interventionism can hardly position and explain the role and evolution of government and market in the real world accurately.Design/methodology/approachChina’s economic transition has always adhered to the reform direction of the socialist market economy and the development goal of a modern socialist country as well as the symbiosis and positive and progressive evolution of government and market, blazing a “third way” in handling the relationship between government and market.FindingsThe “China’s experience” shows that the key for emerging market economies to achieve good economic development performance lies in whether they can build a new relationship of the mutual integration between and common prosperity of government and market regarding target selection, production organisation, technological innovation, institutional change and regulatory adjustment.Originality/valueThe second part of this paper analyses the inherent defects of economic liberalism and state interventionism as well as the reasons why they can hardly be adopted as the theoretical guidance for emerging market economies to handle the relationship between government and market. The third part analyses how China has transcended the inherent thinking of liberalism and interventionism and shaped the new relationship between government and market through goal-oriented, active and progressive, two-way interactive exploration and practice to ensure the success of China's economic transition.

scholarly journals Consistent signatures of urban adaptation in a native, urban invader ant Tapinoma sessile

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Joseph Blumenfeld ◽  
Pierre Andre Eyer ◽  
Anjel M Helms ◽  
Grzegorz Buczkowski ◽  
Edward L Vargo
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
The United States ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Urban Habitats ◽  
Tapinoma Sessile ◽  
The Social ◽  
Odorous House Ant ◽  
Single Nest

Biological invasions are becoming more prevalent due to the rise of global trade and expansion of urban areas. Ants are among the most prolific invaders, with many exhibiting a multi-queen colony structure, dispersal through budding and a lack of inter-nest aggression. Although these characteristics are generally associated with the invasions of exotic ants, they may also facilitate the spread of native ants into novel habitats (e.g., urban areas). Native to North American forests, the odorous house ant Tapinoma sessile has become abundant in urban environments throughout the United States. Forest-dwelling colonies typically have a small workforce, inhabit a single nest, and are headed by a single queen, whereas urban colonies tend to be several orders of magnitude larger, inhabit multiple nests and are headed by multiple queens. Here, we explore and compare the population genetic and breeding structure of T. sessile within and between urban and natural environments in several localities across its distribution range. We found the social structure of a colony to be a plastic trait in both habitats, although extreme polygyny (i.e., nests with multiple queens) was confined to urban habitats. Additionally, polydomous colonies (i.e., nests lacking genetic differentiation and behavioral antagonism) were only present in urban habitats, suggesting T. sessile can only achieve unicoloniality within urbanized areas. Finally, we identified strong differentiation between urban and natural populations in each locality and continent-wide, indicating cities may restrict gene flow and exert intense selection pressure. Overall, our study highlights urbanization's influence in charting the evolutionary course for species.

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