scholarly journals Unveiling dimensions of stability in complex ecological networks

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (51) ◽  
pp. 25714-25720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia Domínguez-García ◽  
Vasilis Dakos ◽  
Sonia Kéfi
Keyword(s):  
Global Environmental Change ◽  
Early Response ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Independent Components ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
Overall Stability ◽  
Dynamical Simulations ◽  
The Stability ◽  
The Relationship

Understanding the stability of ecological communities is a matter of increasing importance in the context of global environmental change. Yet it has proved to be a challenging task. Different metrics are used to assess the stability of ecological systems, and the choice of one metric over another may result in conflicting conclusions. Although each of the multitude of metrics is useful for answering a specific question about stability, the relationship among metrics is poorly understood. Such lack of understanding prevents scientists from developing a unified concept of stability. Instead, by investigating these relationships we can unveil how many dimensions of stability there are (i.e., in how many independent components stability metrics can be grouped), which should help build a more comprehensive concept of stability. Here we simultaneously measured 27 stability metrics frequently used in ecological studies. Our approach is based on dynamical simulations of multispecies trophic communities under different perturbation scenarios. Mapping the relationships between the metrics revealed that they can be lumped into 3 main groups of relatively independent stability components: early response to pulse, sensitivities to press, and distance to threshold. Selecting metrics from each of these groups allows a more accurate and comprehensive quantification of the overall stability of ecological communities. These results contribute to improving our understanding and assessment of stability in ecological communities.

FINANCIAL CRISES AND THE PUBLICATION OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF BANKS IN SPAIN, 1844–1868

2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mercedes Bernal Lloréns
Keyword(s):  
19Th Century ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Economic Performance ◽  
Financial Crises ◽  
Limited Liability ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Early Response ◽  
Banking Regulations ◽  
The Stability ◽  
The Relationship

Financial crises have had a decisive influence on banking regulations in Spain. During the mid-19th century the publication of the financial statements of banks was considered key to the stability of the financial system. All new joint stock banking companies were to publish their statements in the Madrid Gazette in return for the privilege of limited liability. Similar obligations were placed on issuing banks. The copious publication of financial statements coincided with a period of financial prosperity. However, the crises that followed from 1864 to 1868 led to a reduction in the official publication of statements. This paper is concerned with an early response to crises in financial reporting. The study focuses on the relationship between the publication of accounting statements by banks and the GDP in Spain during the mid-19th century. The results suggest that the frequency of publication of financial statements may be an indicator of economic performance.

Wilderness and its place in nature conservation in Australia

1998 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 182 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. G. Mackey ◽  
R. G. Lesslie ◽  
D. B. Lindenmayer ◽  
H. A. Nix
Keyword(s):  
Nature Conservation ◽  
Environmental Change ◽  
Industrial Development ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Global Environmental Change ◽  
Conservation Science ◽  
Natural Systems ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Conservation Of Biodiversity

Most of the concepts considered under the broad umbrella of nature conservation have changed considerably during the last century. This is the result of an evolving process driven primarily by the rapid and sustained transformation of natural systems due to agricultural and industrial development, growth in public awareness and appreciation of the value of natural systems, and developments and shifting priorities in conservation science. Prevailing views and accepted principles are necessarily challenged as a part of this process. At present, both in Australia and internationally, the concept of wilderness is under challenge. In particular, its relevance and role in nature conservation is being questioned in the light of present priorities such as the conservation of biodiversity and concerns over global environmental change. This is taking place against a background of changing understandings as to the relationship between indigenous societies and the environment.

scholarly journals Uncovering the hidden players in Lepidoptera biology: the heritable microbial endosymbionts

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Duplouy ◽  
Emily A Hornett
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Change ◽  
Molecular Genetics ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Global Environmental Change ◽  
Male Killing ◽  
Female Line ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
Integral Role ◽  
Ecological Importance ◽  
The Relationship

The Lepidoptera is one of the most widespread and recognisable insect orders. Due to their remarkable diversity, economic and ecological importance, moths and butterflies have been studied extensively over the last 200 years. More recently, the relationship between Lepidoptera and their heritable microbial endosymbionts has received increasing attention. Heritable endosymbionts reside within the host’s body and are often, but not exclusively, inherited through the female line. Advancements in molecular genetics have revealed that host-associated microbes are both extremely prevalent among arthropods and highly diverse. Furthermore, heritable endosymbionts have been repeatedly demonstrated to play an integral role in many aspects of host biology, particularly host reproduction. Here, we review the major findings of research of heritable microbial endosymbionts of butterflies and moths. We promote the Lepidoptera as important models in the study of reproductive manipulations employed by heritable endosymbionts, with the mechanisms underlying male-killing and feminisation currently being elucidated in both moths and butterflies. We also reveal that the vast majority of research undertaken of Lepidopteran endosymbionts concerns Wolbachia. While this highly prevalent bacteria is undoubtedly important, studies should move towards investigating the presence of other, and interacting endosymbionts, and we discuss the merits of examining the microbiome of Lepidoptera to this end. We finally consider the importance of understanding the influence of endosymbionts under global environmental change and when planning conservation management of endangered Lepidoptera species.

scholarly journals Effect of Localization on the Stability of Mutualistic Ecological Networks

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samir Suweis ◽  
Jacopo Grilli ◽  
Jayanth Banavar ◽  
Stefano Allesina ◽  
Amos Maritan
Keyword(s):  
Species Abundance ◽  
Interaction Network ◽  
Species Interaction ◽  
Interaction Networks ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Weighted Degree ◽  
Perturbation Propagation ◽  
The Stability ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

The relationships between the core-periphery architecture of the species interaction network and the mechanisms ensuring the stability in mutualistic ecological communities are still unclear. In particular, most studies have focused their attention on asymptotic resilience or persistence, neglecting how perturbations propagate through the system. Here we develop a theoretical framework to evaluate the relationship between architecture of the interaction networks and the impact of perturbations by studying localization, a measure describing the ability of the perturbation to propagate through the network. We show that mutualistic ecological communities are localized, and localization reduces perturbation propagation and attenuates its impact on species abundance. Localization depends on the topology of the interaction networks, and it positively correlates with the variance of the weighted degree distribution, a signature of the network topological hetereogenity. Our results provide a different perspective on the interplay between the architecture of interaction networks in mutualistic communities and their stability.

scholarly journals A Look at Global Climate Change Through Papal Encyclicals

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-65
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Gutry-Korycka
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Global Climate Change ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Global Environmental Change ◽  
Anthropogenic Activity ◽  
Comprehensive Review ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract The aim of this article is a comprehensive review of Papal Encyclicals in the context of global environmental and climatic change, against the backdrop of the activity of multinational institutions. The Encyclicals look to the future in teaching the faithful, in a manner which indicates that they are part of a goal-oriented policy, both in terms of scientific research, and concrete economic, social, and geopolitical activity. Attention has also been paid to the relationship between the activity of humankind, and global environmental change, particularly of the biotic and climatic variety. If this aggressive anthropogenic activity cannot be deemed responsible for initiating global warming, it may certainly be seen to have “encouraged” it. The impulses behind sustainable development, as well as the instruments of its implementation, and the inspiration behind the idea, have also been discussed. The achievement of this goal, necessitating the balancing of anthropological aspirations and the long-term security of the environment are also referenced in the Encyclicals.

Glaciers, gender, and science

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 770-793 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Carey ◽  
M. Jackson ◽  
Alessandro Antonello ◽  
Jaclyn Rushing
Keyword(s):  
Political Ecology ◽  
Science Studies ◽  
Global Environmental Change ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Feminist Political Ecology ◽  
Robust Analysis ◽  
Social Ecological Systems ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
Gender Power

Glaciers are key icons of climate change and global environmental change. However, the relationships among gender, science, and glaciers – particularly related to epistemological questions about the production of glaciological knowledge – remain understudied. This paper thus proposes a feminist glaciology framework with four key components: 1) knowledge producers; (2) gendered science and knowledge; (3) systems of scientific domination; and (4) alternative representations of glaciers. Merging feminist postcolonial science studies and feminist political ecology, the feminist glaciology framework generates robust analysis of gender, power, and epistemologies in dynamic social-ecological systems, thereby leading to more just and equitable science and human-ice interactions.

scholarly journals Uncovering the hidden players in Lepidoptera biology: the heritable microbial endosymbionts

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e4629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Duplouy ◽  
Emily A. Hornett
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Change ◽  
Molecular Genetics ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Global Environmental Change ◽  
Male Killing ◽  
Female Line ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
Integral Role ◽  
Ecological Importance ◽  
The Relationship

The Lepidoptera is one of the most widespread and recognisable insect orders. Due to their remarkable diversity, economic and ecological importance, moths and butterflies have been studied extensively over the last 200 years. More recently, the relationship between Lepidoptera and their heritable microbial endosymbionts has received increasing attention. Heritable endosymbionts reside within the host’s body and are often, but not exclusively, inherited through the female line. Advancements in molecular genetics have revealed that host-associated microbes are both extremely prevalent among arthropods and highly diverse. Furthermore, heritable endosymbionts have been repeatedly demonstrated to play an integral role in many aspects of host biology, particularly host reproduction. Here, we review the major findings of research of heritable microbial endosymbionts of butterflies and moths. We promote the Lepidoptera as important models in the study of reproductive manipulations employed by heritable endosymbionts, with the mechanisms underlying male-killing and feminisation currently being elucidated in moths and butterflies. We also reveal that the vast majority of research undertaken of Lepidopteran endosymbionts concernsWolbachia. While this highly prevalent bacterium is undoubtedly important, studies should move towards investigating the presence of other, and interacting endosymbionts, and we discuss the merits of examining the microbiome of Lepidoptera to this end. We finally consider the importance of understanding the influence of endosymbionts under global environmental change and when planning conservation management of endangered Lepidoptera species.

scholarly journals The rise and fall of novel ecological communities

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Pandolfi ◽  
Timothy L. Staples ◽  
Wolfgang Kiessling
Keyword(s):  
Extinction Risk ◽  
Global Environmental Change ◽  
Local Extinction ◽  
Species Loss ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Community Shift ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
Plankton Communities ◽  
Increased Susceptibility ◽  
Planktonic Communities

AbstractLocal and global environmental change is transforming ecological assemblages into new configurations, resulting in ecosystems with novel communities. Here we develop a robust methodology for the identification of novel communities, examine patterns in their natural chance of occurrence, and quantify the probability of local extinction, emigration, local origination and immigration in transitions to and from novel communities. Using a global dataset of Cenozoic marine plankton communities, we found the probability of local extinction, origination and emigration during transitions to a novel community increased up to four times that of background community changes, with the probability of species loss about equal to that of species gain. Although rare, once a novel community state emerged, the chance of shifting into another novel community state was five times greater than expected by chance. Thus, for marine planktonic communities at 100K year time scales, novel communities are particularly sensitive to further extinctions and community shift.One Sentence SummaryOnce developed, novel ecological communities face increased susceptibility to further shifts in species composition, with heightened extinction risk.

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