Vegetation encroachment drives changes in the composition of butterfly assemblages and species loss in Mediterranean ecosystems

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreu Ubach ◽  
Ferran Páramo ◽  
Cèsar Gutiérrez ◽  
Constantí Stefanescu
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Ecosystems ◽  
Species Loss ◽  
Butterfly Assemblages ◽  
Vegetation Encroachment

The Twenty-first Century

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Gillespie
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
First Century ◽  
Bad News ◽  
Good News ◽  
Species Loss ◽  
The Past ◽  
Scientific Terms ◽  
Twenty First Century ◽  
Open Question ◽  
New Generation

The cumulative environmental challenge of sustainable development in the twenty-first century is larger than anything humanity has ever had to deal with in the past. The good news is that solid progress is being reached in the understanding of issues in scientific terms and understanding what needs to be done. The bad news is twofold. First, although many of the environmental problems of earlier centuries are now being confronted, a new generation of difficulties is eclipsing what were the older difficulties. Secondly, much of the progress is being achieved by the wealthier parts of the planet, rather than the developing world. From population growth to climate change to unprecedented habitat and species loss, whether environmental sustainability can be achieved in the twenty-first century is an open question.

scholarly journals Highly restricted dispersal in habitat-forming seaweed may impede natural recovery of disturbed populations

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Florentine Riquet ◽  
Christiane-Arnilda De Kuyper ◽  
Cécile Fauvelot ◽  
Laura Airoldi ◽  
Serge Planes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Mediterranean Ecosystems ◽  
Dispersal Distance ◽  
Genetic Connectivity ◽  
Restricted Gene Flow ◽  
Isolated Populations ◽  
Natural Recovery ◽  
Limited Dispersal ◽  
Ecological Importance

AbstractCystoseira sensu lato (Class Phaeophyceae, Order Fucales, Family Sargassaceae) forests play a central role in marine Mediterranean ecosystems. Over the last decades, Cystoseira s.l. suffered from a severe loss as a result of multiple anthropogenic stressors. In particular, Gongolaria barbata has faced multiple human-induced threats, and, despite its ecological importance in structuring rocky communities and hosting a large number of species, the natural recovery of G. barbata depleted populations is uncertain. Here, we used nine microsatellite loci specifically developed for G. barbata to assess the genetic diversity of this species and its genetic connectivity among fifteen sites located in the Ionian, the Adriatic and the Black Seas. In line with strong and significant heterozygosity deficiencies across loci, likely explained by Wahlund effect, high genetic structure was observed among the three seas (ENA corrected FST = 0.355, IC = [0.283, 0.440]), with an estimated dispersal distance per generation smaller than 600 m, both in the Adriatic and Black Sea. This strong genetic structure likely results from restricted gene flow driven by geographic distances and limited dispersal abilities, along with genetic drift within isolated populations. The presence of genetically disconnected populations at small spatial scales (< 10 km) has important implications for the identification of relevant conservation and management measures for G. barbata: each population should be considered as separated evolutionary units with dedicated conservation efforts.

scholarly journals Biodiversity of butterflies in endosulfan-affected areas of Kerala, India

2020 ◽  
Vol 81 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
K. N. Raghavendra ◽  
Kumar Arvind ◽  
G. K. Anushree ◽  
Tony Grace
Keyword(s):  
Monsoon Season ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Wiener Index ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Affected Area ◽  
Butterfly Assemblages ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
The One ◽  
One Way Anova

Abstract Background Butterflies are considered as bio-indicators of a healthy and diversified ecosystem. Endosulfan was sprayed indiscriminately in large plantations of Kasaragod district, Kerala which had caused serious threats to the ecosystem. In this study, we surveyed the butterflies for their abundance and diversity in three differentially endosulfan-affected areas viz., Enmakaje—highly affected area, Periye—moderately affected area, Padanakkad—unaffected area, carried out between the end of the monsoon season and the start of the winter season, lasting approximately 100 days. Seven variables viz., butterfly abundance (N), species richness (S), Simpson’s reciprocal index (D), the Shannon–Wiener index (H′), the exponential of the Shannon–Wiener index (expH′), Pielou’s evenness (J) and species evenness (D/S), related to species diversity were estimated, followed by the one-way ANOVA (F = 25.01, p < 0.001) and the Kruskal-Wallis test (H = 22.59, p < 0.001). Results A population of three different butterfly assemblages comprised of 2300 butterflies which represented 61 species were encountered. Our results showed that Enmakaje displayed significantly lower butterfly diversity and abundance, compared to the other two communities. Conclusion So far, this is the first study concerning the effect of endosulfan on the biodiversity of butterfly in the affected areas of Kasaragod, Kerala, India. This study may present an indirect assessment of the persisting effects of endosulfan in the affected areas, suggesting its long-term effects on the ecosystem.

scholarly journals Short-Term N-Fertilization Differently Affects the Leaf and Leaf Litter Chemistry of the Dominant Species in a Mediterranean Forest under Drought Conditions

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 605
Author(s):  
Helena Vallicrosa ◽  
Jordi Sardans ◽  
Romà Ogaya ◽  
Pere Roc Fernández ◽  
Josep Peñuelas
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Litter ◽  
Dominant Species ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Mediterranean Ecosystems ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
N Deposition ◽  
Mediterranean Forest ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Species Response ◽  
Drought Conditions

Nitrogen (N) deposition is a key driver of global change with significant effects on carbon (C) cycling, species fitness, and diversity; however, its effects on Mediterranean ecosystems are unclear. Here, we simulated N deposition in an N-fertilization experiment with 15N-labeled fertilizer in a montane evergreen Mediterranean holm oak forest, in central Catalonia, to quantify short-term impacts on leaf, leaf litter elemental composition, and resorption efficiency in three dominant species (Quercus ilex, Phillyrea latifolia, and Arbutus unedo). We found that even under drought conditions, 15N isotope analysis of leaf and leaf litter showed a rapid uptake of the added N, suggesting an N deficient ecosystem. Species responses to N fertilization varied, where A. unedo was unaffected and the responses in P. latifolia and Q. ilex were similar, albeit with contrasting magnitude. P. latifolia benefited the most from N fertilization under drought conditions of the experimental year. These differences in species response could indicate impacts on species fitness, competition, and abundance under increased N loads in Mediterranean forest ecosystems. Further research is needed to disentangle interactions between long-term N deposition and the drought predicted under future climate scenarios in Mediterranean ecosystems.

scholarly journals Soil-vegetation relationships in Mediterranean forests after fire

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Víctor Fernández-García ◽  
Elena Marcos ◽  
Sara Huerta ◽  
Leonor Calvo
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Mediterranean Ecosystems ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Mediterranean Forests ◽  
Vegetation Growth ◽  
Burned Areas ◽  
Vegetation Height ◽  
P Content ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Soil Status

Abstract Background Wildfires are one of the major environmental concerns in Mediterranean ecosystems. Thus, many studies have addressed wildfire impacts on soil and vegetation in Mediterranean forests, but the linkages between these ecosystem compartments after fire are not well understood. The aim of this work is to analyze soil-vegetation relationships in Mediterranean burned forests as well as the consistency of these relationships among forests with different environmental conditions, at different times after fire, and among vegetation with different functional traits. Results Our results indicate that study site conditions play an important role in mediating soil-vegetation relationships. Likewise, we found that the nature of soil-vegetation relationships may vary over time as fire effects are less dominant in both ecosystem compartments. Despite this, we detected several common soil-vegetation relationships among study sites and times after fire. For instance, our results revealed that available P content and stoichiometry (C:P and N:P) were closely linked to vegetation growth, and particularly to the growth of trees. We found that enzymatic activities and microbial biomass were inversely related to vegetation growth rates, whereas the specific activities of soil enzymes were higher in the areas with more vegetation height and cover. Likewise, our results suggest that resprouters may influence soil properties more than seeders, the growth of seeders being more dependent on soil status. Conclusions We provide pioneer insights into how vegetation is influenced by soil, and vice-versa, in Mediterranean burned areas. Our results reflect variability in soil-vegetation relationships among study sites and time after fire, but consistent patterns between soil properties and vegetation were also detected. Our research is highly relevant to advance in forest science and could be useful to achieve efficient post-fire management.

scholarly journals Haplotype- and SNP-Based GWAS for Growth and Wood Quality Traits in Eucalyptus cladocalyx Trees under Arid Conditions

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 148
Author(s):  
Camilo E. Valenzuela ◽  
Paulina Ballesta ◽  
Sunny Ahmar ◽  
Sajid Fiaz ◽  
Parviz Heidari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genome Wide Association Study ◽  
Wood Quality ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Mediterranean Ecosystems ◽  
Primary Metabolism ◽  
Arid Environments ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Haplotype Blocks ◽  
A Genome ◽  
Stem Straightness

The agricultural and forestry productivity of Mediterranean ecosystems is strongly threatened by the adverse effects of climate change, including an increase in severe droughts and changes in rainfall distribution. In the present study, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and haplotype blocks associated with the growth and wood quality of Eucalyptus cladocalyx, a tree species suitable for low-rainfall sites. The study was conducted in a progeny-provenance trial established in an arid site with Mediterranean patterns located in the southern Atacama Desert, Chile. A total of 87 SNPs and 3 haplotype blocks were significantly associated with the 6 traits under study (tree height, diameter at breast height, slenderness coefficient, first bifurcation height, stem straightness, and pilodyn penetration). In addition, 11 loci were identified as pleiotropic through Bayesian multivariate regression and were mainly associated with wood hardness, height, and diameter. In general, the GWAS revealed associations with genes related to primary metabolism and biosynthesis of cell wall components. Additionally, associations coinciding with stress response genes, such as GEM-related 5 and prohibitin-3, were detected. The findings of this study provide valuable information regarding genetic control of morphological traits related to adaptation to arid environments.

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