6. Macroecology and the geography of micro-evolution

2020 ◽  
pp. 117-128
Author(s):  
Mark V. Lomolino
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Natural Selection ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Ecological Traits ◽  
Environmental Characteristics ◽  
Evolutionary Patterns ◽  
Commensal Species

“Macroecology and the geography of micro-evolution” shifts the focus from macroevolutionary patterns in species richness to micro-evolutionary patterns of biogeographic variation within species. These patterns are driven by natural selection and adaptation, which in turn are driven by variation in environmental characteristics among regions and across the geographic template. How do physiological, behavioral, and ecological traits of species vary across their regional populations? Exotic, insular life forms, shaped by their island homelands void of mammalian competitors and predators, often suffered extinctions after colonization by humans and their many commensal species.

scholarly journals Floristic composition of the Montane Forest in the Almadina-Barro Preto axis, Southern Bahia, Brazil

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Macielle Macedo Coelho ◽  
André Márcio Amorim
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Floristic Composition ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Montane Forest ◽  
Forest Remnants ◽  
Southern Bahia ◽  
Arboreal Habit

The aim of this study is to survey the angiosperms of two montane forest remnants in the southern Bahia, Brazil: Corcovado (SCO) and Pedra Lascada (SPL). Both fragments are located in the municipality of Almadina and Barro Preto, respectively, and are 18 km distant from each other. We sampled 899 species of angiosperms distributed in 437 genera and 116 families. The SCO was the richest area with 678 species, distributed in 367 genera and 100 families. SPL showed 466 species in 269 genera and 88 families. The percentage of species identified was 85.8% and of this total, 37.7% are endemic to the Atlantic Forest, 11.2% are endemic to southern Bahia and northern Espírito Santo and 7% are disjunct between the Atlantic Forest and Amazon. The remaining percentages (44.3%) were of species widely distributed. The richest families in the two areas were Orchidaceae (10%), Rubiaceae (7%), Bromeliaceae (5.5%), Melastomataceae (4.2%) and Poaceae (4%). The richest genera were Psychotria (2%),Piper (1.8%), Ocotea (1.6%),Vriesea (1.5%) and Peperomia (1.4%). More than half of the recorded species showed non-arboreal habit, regarding life forms documented. That comes against the assertion that many authors in the tropical forests, where species richness in angiosperms is expected for non-woody species, especially in montane forests. Twelve species have been identified as new, but seven others already described from collections previously obtained in these two areas. Orchidaceae, Rubiaceae, Poaceae and Bromeliaceae showed significant richness in this study these families are commonly reported as the richest in other inventories in the Atlantic Forest in southern Bahia reinforcing their importance to the regional flora. The high levels of richness, endemism, and the growing numbers of new taxonomic discoveries from the SPL and SCO sites indicate the biological importance of these two forest remnants. The implementation of parks or other protected environmental reserves would be essential to the conservation of its species.

scholarly journals The pitfalls of biodiversity proxies: Differences in richness patterns of birds, trees and understudied diversity across Amazonia

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Camila D. Ritter ◽  
Søren Faurby ◽  
Dominic J. Bennett ◽  
Luciano N. Naka ◽  
Hans ter Steege ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Taxonomic Group ◽  
Diversity Gradients ◽  
Richness Patterns ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
Micro Organisms

AbstractMost knowledge on biodiversity derives from the study of charismatic macro-organisms, such as birds and trees. However, the diversity of micro-organisms constitutes the majority of all life forms on Earth. Here, we ask if the patterns of richness inferred for macro-organisms are similar for micro-organisms. For this, we barcoded samples of soil, litter and insects from four localities on a west-to-east transect across Amazonia. We quantified richness as Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) in those samples using three molecular markers. We then compared OTU richness with species richness of two relatively well-studied organism groups in Amazonia: trees and birds. We find that OTU richness shows a declining west-to-east diversity gradient that is in agreement with the species richness patterns documented here and previously for birds and trees. These results suggest that most taxonomic groups respond to the same overall diversity gradients at large spatial scales. However, our results show a different pattern of richness in relation to habitat types, suggesting that the idiosyncrasies of each taxonomic group and peculiarities of the local environment frequently override large-scale diversity gradients. Our findings caution against using the diversity distribution of one taxonomic group as an indication of patterns of richness across all groups.

scholarly journals Evolution of correlated complexity in the radically different courtship signals of birds-of-paradise

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell A. Ligon ◽  
Christopher D. Diaz ◽  
Janelle L. Morano ◽  
Jolyon Troscianko ◽  
Martin Stevens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Natural Selection ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Functional Integration ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Evolutionary Patterns ◽  
Evolutionary Innovation ◽  
Birds Of Paradise ◽  
Analytical Approaches

Ornaments used in courtship often vary wildly among species, reflecting the evolutionary interplay between mate preference functions and the constraints imposed by natural selection. Consequently, understanding the evolutionary dynamics responsible for ornament diversification has been a longstanding challenge in evolutionary biology. However, comparing radically different ornaments across species, as well as different classes of ornaments within species, is a profound challenge to understanding diversification of sexual signals. Using novel methods and a unique natural history dataset, we explore evolutionary patterns of ornament evolution in a group - the birds-of-paradise - exhibiting dramatic phenotypic diversification widely assumed to be driven by sexual selection. Rather than the tradeoff between ornament types originally envisioned by Darwin and Wallace, we found positive correlations among cross-modal (visual/acoustic) signals indicating functional integration of ornamental traits into a composite unit - the courtship phenotype. Furthermore, given the broad theoretical and empirical support for the idea that systemic robustness - functional overlap and interdependency - promotes evolutionary innovation, we posit that birds-of-paradise have radiated extensively through ornamental phenotype space as a consequence of the robustness in the courtship phenotype that we document at a phylogenetic scale. We suggest that the degree of robustness in courtship phenotypes among taxa can provide new insights into the relative influence of sexual and natural selection on phenotypic radiations.Author SummaryAnimals frequently vary widely in ornamentation, even among closely related species. Understanding the patterns that underlie this variation is a significant challenge, requiring comparisons among drastically different traits - like comparing apples to oranges. Here, we use novel analytical approaches to quantify variation in ornamental diversity and richness across the wildly divergent birds-of-paradise, a textbook example of how sexual selection can profoundly shape organismal phenotypes. We find that color and acoustic complexity, along with behavior and acoustic complexity, are positively correlated across evolutionary time-scales. Positive covariation among ornament classes suggests that selection is acting on correlated suites of traits - a composite courtship phenotype - and that this integration may be partially responsible for the extreme variation we see in birds-of-paradise.

Restoration of Exotic Annual Grass-Invaded Rangelands: Importance of Seed Mix Composition

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirk W. Davies ◽  
Dustin D. Johnson ◽  
Aleta M. Nafus
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Annual Grass ◽  
Herbaceous Vegetation ◽  
Plant Life ◽  
Annual Grasses ◽  
Exotic Annual Grass ◽  
Resistance To Invasion ◽  
Plant Life Form

AbstractRestoration of exotic annual grass-invaded rangelands is needed to improve ecosystem function and services. Increasing plant species richness is generally believed to increase resistance to invasion and increase desired vegetation. However, the effects of species richness and individual plant life forms in seed mixes used to restore rangelands invaded by exotic annual grasses have not been investigated. We evaluated the effects of seeding different life forms and increasing species richness in seed mixes seeded after exotic annual grass control to restore desirable vegetation (perennial herbaceous vegetation) and limit exotic annual grasses at two sites in southeastern Oregon. We also investigated the effects of seeding two commonly used perennial grasses individually and together on plant community characteristics. Large perennial grasses, the dominant herbaceous plant life form, were the most important group to seed for increasing perennial herbaceous vegetation cover and density. We did not find evidence that greater seed mix species richness increased perennial herbaceous vegetation or decreased exotic annual grass dominance more than seeding only the dominant species. None of the seed mixes had a significant effect on exotic annual grass cover or density, but the lack of a measured effect may have been caused by low annual grass propagule pressure in the first couple of years after annual grass control and an unusually wet-cool spring in the third year post-seeding. Although our results suggest that seeding only the dominant plant life form will likely maximize plant community productivity and resistance to invasion in exotic annual grass-invaded northern Great Basin arid rangelands, seeding a species rich seed mix may have benefits to higher tropic levels and community stability. Clearly the dominant species are the most prudent to include in seed mixes to restore exotic annual grass-invaded plant communities, especially with finite resources and an increasingly large area in need of restoration.

scholarly journals Temporary freshwater wetlands floristics in central Mexico highlands

2018 ◽  
Vol 96 (1) ◽  
pp. 138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana Lobato-de Magalhães ◽  
Mahinda Martínez
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Life Form ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Freshwater Wetlands ◽  
Central Mexico ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressure ◽  
Temporary Wetlands ◽  
First Time ◽  
Economic Use

<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mexico has a high diversity of aquatic and subaquatic plants that occur between 1,000 and 2,500 m of elevation, although a larger proportion of aquatic plants is concentrated at lower altitudes. Temporary wetlands harbor close to 73 % of the aquatic species in Mexico. These systems are under a strong anthropogenic pressure and suffer constant degradation.</p><p><strong>Questions:</strong> i) How many species grow in highland temporary wetlands? ii) Are they floristically similar? iii) Is there a latitudinal pattern of species richness?</p><p><strong>Studied groups: </strong>Charophyta, Pteridophyta, Angiosperms.</p><p><strong>Study site and years of study:</strong> Central Mexico (39 wetlands) from 2015 to 2016.<strong></strong></p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We collected in 39 temporary wetlands for two years. We made a presence/absence list of species per locality, and calculated floristic similarities and correlations between wetlands. We include data characterizing life form, plant use, and conservation status.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> We found 126 species belonging to 80 genera and 38 families. The richest families were Cyperaceae, Asteraceae, and Poaceae. As to genera, <em>Eleocharis</em>, <em>Cyperus</em>, and <em>Juncus </em>had more species. Species with the widest distributions were <em>Persicaria mexicana</em>, <em>Marsilea mollis</em>, <em>Luziola fluitans</em>, <em>Heteranthera peduncularis</em>, and <em>Nymphoides fallax</em>.  We found five different life forms – all herbaceous, including 27 threatened species, 24 species with economic use, 48 endemic species, and 19 cosmopolitan species. In addition, we found 20 species recorded for the first time in some states included in our study, and two species of <em>Eleocharis</em> that might represent undescribed species. The richest wetland harbors 40 species, the poorest has only five. Wetlands were comparable to each other in species composition, and species richness increases towards the south.</p><p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Temporary wetlands harbor a high floristic diversity and are similar to each other. Lower latitudes host higher numbers of species.</p>

An Evolutionary Approach to Synthetic Biology: Zen and the Art of Creating Life

1993 ◽  
Vol 1 (1_2) ◽  
pp. 179-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas S. Ray
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Evolutionary Approach ◽  
Artificial Medium ◽  
Natural Form ◽  
Evolution By Natural Selection ◽  
Physical Laws

Our concepts of biology, evolution, and complexity are constrained by having observed only a single instance of life, life on earth. A truly comparative biology is needed to extend these concepts. Because we cannot observe life on other planets, we are left with the alternative of creating Artificial Life forms on earth. I will discuss the approach of inoculating evolution by natural selection into the medium of the digital computer. This is not a physical/chemical medium; it is a logical/informational medium. Thus, these new instances of evolution are not subject to the same physical laws as organic evolution (e.g., the laws of thermodynamics) and exist in what amounts to another universe, governed by the “physical laws” of the logic of the computer. This exercise gives us a broader perspective on what evolution is and what it does. An evolutionary approach to synthetic biology consists of inoculating the process of evolution by natural selection into an artificial medium. Evolution is then allowed to find the natural forms of living organisms in the artificial medium. These are not models of life, but independent instances of life. This essay is intended to communicate a way of thinking about synthetic biology that leads to a particular approach: to understand and respect the natural form of the artificial medium, to facilitate the process of evolution in generating forms that are adapted to the medium, and to let evolution find forms and processes that naturally exploit the possibilities inherent in the medium. Examples are cited of synthetic biology embedded in the computational medium, where in addition to being an exercise in experimental comparative evolutionary biology, it is also a possible means of harnessing the evolutionary process for the production of complex computer software.

BIODIVERSITY AND INTERSLOPE DIVERGENCE OF VASCULAR PLANTS CAUSED BY MICROCLIMATIC DIFFERENCES AT “EVOLUTION CANYON”, LOWER NAHAL OREN, MOUNT CARMEL, ISRAEL

1999 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eviatar Nevo ◽  
Ori Fragman ◽  
Amots Dafni ◽  
Avigdor Beiles
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Vascular Plants ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Valley Bottom ◽  
Content Sharing ◽  
The North ◽  
Evolution Canyon

Species diversity of plants was recorded in 1992 and 1993 at seven stations of the “Evolution Canyon” microsite. Higher solar radiation on the South-Facing Slope (SFS) causes warm, xeric savannoid formation versus temperate, cool, mesic, dense maquis on the North-Facing Slope (NFS), and riverine, segetal plant formations on the Valley Bottom (VB). In an area of 7000 m2, we recorded 320 vascular plant species in 217 genera and 59 families. Plant cover varied from 35% (SFS) to 150% (NFS). Annuals predominated among all life forms (61.3% of all species). SFS and NFS varied in species content, sharing only 31–18% of species. Phytogeographical types varied among the two slopes and valley bottom. Inter-and intraslope species composition varied drastically due to differential microclimatic stresses, thereby demonstrating at a microscale natural selection in action.

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