scholarly journals Comparative analysis of abundance–occupancy relationships for species at risk at both broad taxonomic and spatial scales

2015 ◽  
Vol 93 (7) ◽  
pp. 515-519 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy E. Roney ◽  
Anna Kuparinen ◽  
Jeffrey A. Hutchings
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Freshwater Fishes ◽  
Reference Points ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Large Spatial Scale ◽  
Terrestrial Mammals ◽  
Taxonomic Groups

The abundance–occupancy relationship is one of the most well-examined relationships in ecology. At the species level, a positive association has been widely documented. However, until recently, research on the nature of this relationship at broad taxonomic and spatial scales has been limited. Here, we perform a comparative analysis of 12 taxonomic groups across a large spatial scale (Canada), using data on Canadian species at risk: amphibians, arthropods, birds, freshwater fishes, lichens, marine fishes, marine mammals, molluscs, mosses, reptiles, terrestrial mammals, and vascular plants. We find a significantly positive relationship in all taxonomic groups with the exception of freshwater fishes (negative association) and lichens (no association). In general, our work underscores the strength and breadth of this apparently fundamental relationship and provides insight into novel applications for large-scale population dynamics. Further development of species-independent abundance–occupancy relationships, or those of a similar nature, might well prove instrumental in serving as starting points for developing species-independent reference points and recovery strategies.

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 Comparison of generalized non-data-driven lake and reservoir routing models for global-scale hydrologic forecasting of reservoir outflow at diurnal time steps

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 2711-2729 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph L. Gutenson ◽  
Ahmad A. Tavakoly ◽  
Mark D. Wahl ◽  
Michael L. Follum
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Model Performance ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Army Corps ◽  
Time Step ◽  
Large Spatial Scale ◽  
Reservoir Routing ◽  
Routing Methods ◽  
Improved Model

Abstract. Large-scale hydrologic forecasts should account for attenuation through lakes and reservoirs when flow regulation is present. Globally generalized methods for approximating outflow are required but must contend with operational complexity and a dearth of information on dam characteristics at global spatial scales. There is currently no consensus on the best approach for approximating reservoir release rates in large spatial scale hydrologic forecasting, particularly at diurnal time steps. This research compares two parsimonious reservoir routing methods at daily steps: Döll et al. (2003) and Hanasaki et al. (2006). These reservoir routing methods have been previously implemented in large-scale hydrologic modeling applications and have been typically evaluated seasonally. These routing methods are compared across 60 reservoirs operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The authors vary empirical coefficients for both reservoir routing methods as part of a sensitivity analysis. The method proposed by Döll et al. (2003) outperformed that presented by Hanasaki et al. (2006) at a daily time step and improved model skill over most run-of-the-river conditions. The temporal resolution of the model influences model performances. The optimal model coefficients varied across the reservoirs in this study and model performance fluctuates between wet years and dry years, and for different configurations such as dams in series. Overall, the method proposed by Döll et al. (2003) could enhance large-scale hydrologic forecasting, but can be subject to instability under certain conditions.

scholarly journals Mapping nationally and globally at-risk species to identify hotspots for (and gaps in) conservation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie E Hardouin ◽  
Anna L Hargreaves
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Geographic Range ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Spatial Overlap ◽  
Range Edge ◽  
Critical Areas ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
Threat Levels

Protecting habitat of species-at-risk is critical to their recovery, but can be contentious. For example, protecting species that are locally imperilled but globally common (e.g. species that only occur in a jurisdiction at the edge of their geographic range) is often thought to distract from protecting globally-imperilled species. However, such perceived trade-offs are based on the assumption that threatened groups have little spatial overlap, which is rarely quantified. Here, we compile range maps of terrestrial species-at-risk in Canada to assess the geographic overlap of nationally and globally at-risk species with each other, among taxonomic groups, and with protected areas. While many nationally-at-risk taxa only occurred in Canada at their northern range edge (median=4% of range in Canada), nationally-at-risk species were not significantly more peripheral in Canada than globally-at-risk species. Further, 56% of hotspots of nationally-at-risk taxa were also hotspots of globally-at-risk taxa in Canada, undercutting the perceived trade-off in their protection. Hotspots of nationally-at-risk taxa also strongly overlapped with hotspots of individual taxonomic groups, though less so for mammals. While strong spatial overlap across threat levels and taxa should facilitate efficient habitat protection, <7% of the area in Canada's at-risk hotspots is protected, and more than 70% of nationally and globally-at-risk species in Canada have <10% of their Canadian range protected. Our results counter the perception that protecting nationally vs. globally at-risk species are at odds, and identify critical areas to target as Canada strives to increase its protected areas and promote species-at-risk recovery.

scholarly journals Conserving plant species at risk in Canada: land tenure, threats, and representation in federal programs

FACETS ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 538-550
Author(s):  
J.L. McCune ◽  
Peter D.S. Morrison
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Private Land ◽  
Federal Programs ◽  
Private Lands ◽  
Stewardship Program ◽  
Federal Land ◽  
Taxonomic Groups

Fully 37% of species listed under Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA) are plants or lichens. The law does not automatically protect species on private land, and it is unknown how many at-risk plants grow mainly on private land. We analyzed official status reports and related documents for 234 plant species at risk to determine land tenure and evaluated differences in threats and changes in status. We also assessed how well plants were represented in two federal programs: the Natural Areas Conservation Program (NACP) and the Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP). Of SARA-listed plant species, 35% have the majority of their known populations on private land while <10% occur mostly on federal land. Species growing mainly on private land were no more or less likely to decline in status over time compared with others. Plant species at risk were less likely than other taxonomic groups to be found on land protected under the NACP. The proportion of HSP projects targeting plants is well below the expected proportion based on the number of listed species. We recommend that policy-makers promote and prioritize actions to increase the representation of plant species in federally funded programs, especially on private lands.

Consistency of COSEWIC species at risk designations: freshwater fishes as a case study

2009 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 959-971 ◽  
Author(s):  
James R. Lukey ◽  
Stephen S. Crawford
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Freshwater Fishes ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
International Union ◽  
Assessment Protocol ◽  
The Status ◽  
Canadian Wildlife

The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) is responsible for the assessment of Canadian wildlife at risk. The COSEWIC assessment process is primarily based on five quantitative criteria developed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, but allows for further modification of designations under certain conditions. This study investigated the consistency of designations predicted using the quantitative COSEWIC criteria compared with observed designations reported by COSEWIC. A total of 49 COSEWIC designations for freshwater fishes from 2000 to 2007 were compared for consistency in decision-making. Overall, there was a 57.1% agreement between predicted and observed designations. A substantial number (35.1%) of COSEWIC designations were downlisted from “Endangered” or “Threatened” without sufficient explanation to justify the modifications. For the cases of uplisting, these differences were associated with qualitative criteria not effectively represented in our algorithm. Recommendations are offered to improve the transparency and accountability of COSEWIC decision-making, including enhancements to reporting and the explicit incorporation of uncertainty in the COSEWIC risk assessment protocol.

Revealing a cryptic life-history stage: differences in habitat selection and survivorship between hatchlings of two turtle species at risk (Glyptemys insculpta and Emydoidea blandingii)

2012 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 408 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. E. Paterson ◽  
B. D. Steinberg ◽  
J. D. Litzgus
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Resource Selection ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Life History Stage ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Turtle Species ◽  
Emydoidea Blandingii ◽  
Glyptemys Insculpta ◽  
Risk Of Predation

Context Turtles are one of the most imperilled taxonomic groups worldwide and information about population ecology is essential to species recovery. Although the spatial ecology and demography of adults of several turtle species have been well studied, little is known about early life stages. The small size, soft shell, and limited mobility of hatchling turtles may cause differences in survivorship and habitat selection compared with adults. Aims We tested the hypothesis that hatchling turtles select habitat as they move away from nests, so as to reduce the risk of predation and desiccation. Methods We examined survivorship, behaviour and habitat selection at two spatial scales in hatchling Blanding’s turtles (Emydoidea blandingii) and wood turtles (Glyptemys insculpta) in 2009 and 2010, using radio-telemetry in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. In addition, temperatures of sites used by hatchlings during winter were compared with those at haphazard stations in various habitats. Key results The mortality rate was high, with 42% of E. blandingii and 11% of G. insculpta hatchlings surviving to winter; most mortality was caused by predation. Most behavioural observations for both species were of individuals hiding under cover. Both species showed evidence of macrohabitat and microhabitat selection as they dispersed from nests towards overwintering sites, and important variables in the models differed between species. Likewise, the adult stages of these two species differ in their macrohabitat specialisation. There was also evidence that hatchlings chose overwintering sites on the basis of temperature. Conclusions Despite significant differences in survivorship between hatchlings and adults, resource selection was similar between these two demographic stages, and conservation plans based on adult habitat use should simultaneously protect hatchlings. Implications Understanding habitat selection by juveniles is important for testing hypotheses about ontogenetic shifts in resource selection and for protecting habitat for species at risk.

scholarly journals Dominant species determine ecosystem stability across scales in Inner Mongolian grassland

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yonghui Wang ◽  
Shao-Peng Wang ◽  
Liqing Zhao ◽  
Cunzhu Liang ◽  
Bailing Miao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Dominant Species ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Temporal Stability ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Large Spatial Scale ◽  
Mongolian Grassland

There is an urgent need to extend knowledge on ecosystem temporal stability to larger spatial scales because presently available local-scale studies generally do not provide effective guide for management and conservation decisions at the level of an entire region with diverse plant communities. We investigated temporal stability of plant biomass production across spatial scales and hierarchical levels of community organization and analyzed impacts of dominant species, species diversity and climatic factors using a multi-site survey of Inner Mongolian grassland. We found that temporal stability at a large spatial scale, i.e. a large area aggregating multiple local communities, was related to temporal stability of and asynchrony among spatially separated local communities and large-scale population dynamics of dominant species, yet not to species richness. Additionally, a lower mean and higher variation of yearly precipitation destabilized communities at local and large scales by destabilizing dominant species population dynamics. We argue that, for semi-arid temperate grassland, dynamics and precipitation responses of dominant species and asynchrony among local communities stabilize ecosystems at large spatial scales. Our results indicate that reduced amounts and increased variation of precipitation may present key threats to the sustainable provision of biological products and services to human well-being in this region.

Taphonomy and paleobiology

Paleobiology ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 26 (S4) ◽  
pp. 103-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna K. Behrensmeyer ◽  
Susan M. Kidwell ◽  
Robert A. Gastaldo
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Gap Analysis ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Minor Role ◽  
Time Averaging ◽  
Environmental Forcing ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
The Impact

Taphonomy plays diverse roles in paleobiology. These include assessing sample quality relevant to ecologic, biogeographic, and evolutionary questions, diagnosing the roles of various taphonomic agents, processes and circumstances in generating the sedimentary and fossil records, and reconstructing the dynamics of organic recycling over time as a part of Earth history. Major advances over the past 15 years have occurred in understanding (1) the controls on preservation, especially the ecology and biogeochemistry of soft-tissue preservation, and the dominance of biological versus physical agents in the destruction of remains from all major taxonomic groups (plants, invertebrates, vertebrates); (2) scales of spatial and temporal resolution, particularly the relatively minor role of out-of-habitat transport contrasted with the major effects of time-averaging; (3) quantitative compositional fidelity; that is, the degree to which different types of assemblages reflect the species composition and abundance of source faunas and floras; and (4) large-scale variations through time in preservational regimes (megabiases), caused by the evolution of new bodyplans and behavioral capabilities, and by broad-scale changes in climate, tectonics, and geochemistry of Earth surface systems. Paleobiological questions regarding major trends in biodiversity, major extinctions and recoveries, timing of cladogenesis and rates of evolution, and the role of environmental forcing in evolution all entail issues appropriate for taphonomic analysis, and a wide range of strategies are being developed to minimize the impact of sample incompleteness and bias. These include taphonomically robust metrics of paleontologic patterns, gap analysis, equalizing samples via rarefaction, inferences about preservation probability, isotaphonomic comparisons, taphonomic control taxa, and modeling of artificial fossil assemblages based on modern analogues. All of this work is yielding a more quantitative assessment of both the positive and negative aspects of paleobiological samples. Comparisons and syntheses of patterns across major groups and over a wider range of temporal and spatial scales present a challenging and exciting agenda for taphonomy in the coming decades.

scholarly journals The role of science advice in recovery potential assessments in freshwater fish listing decisions under the Canadian Species at Risk Act

FACETS ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 1247-1259
Author(s):  
Fielding A. Montgomery ◽  
Noelle Stratton ◽  
Paul A. Bzonek ◽  
Sara E. Campbell ◽  
Rowshyra A. Castañeda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Random Effect ◽  
Freshwater Fishes ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Recovery Potential ◽  
Principal Coordinates ◽  
Science Advice ◽  
Species At Risk Act

Fishes assessed as Threatened or Endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada are disproportionately less likely to be listed under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) compared to other taxa. We examined the extent to which the amount and type of science advice in a Recovery Potential Assessment (RPA) contributes to SARA-listing decisions for 34 wildlife species of freshwater fishes in Canada. We used a generalized linear mixed model to describe SARA listing status as a function of RPA completeness. Principal coordinates analyses were conducted to assess similarity in answers to RPA questions among listed and nonlisted species. The amount and type of science advice within an RPA were weakly related to SARA status. RPA completeness accounted for only 7.4% of model variation when family was included as a random effect, likely because nine species not listed under SARA (64%) belong to the sturgeon family. Our results suggest that, while potentially useful for informing recovery strategies, RPAs do not appear to be driving listing status for freshwater fishes in Canada. Factors beyond scientific advice likely contribute to nonlisted species and delays in listing decisions.

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