scholarly journals The third dimension: How fire-related research can advance ecology and evolutionary biology

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Byron Lamont ◽  
Tianhua He
Keyword(s):  
Fire Ecology ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Related Research ◽  
Biological Phenomena ◽  
Environmental Interactions ◽  
Third Dimension ◽  
In Fire

Most of the Earth’s vegetated surface is fireprone but the relevance of fire in understanding how nature works is not always recognized. We aim to show that, by adding the fire dimension to observations on biological phenomena, interpretations can be im-proved; how fire-related research can be used to answer ‘fundamental’ questions in ecology; and how theories/models developed for fireprone ecosystems can be applied to advancing disturbance ecology, biogeography and evolutionary biology more generally. We compiled lists from the world-wide web of the most highly cited papers in fire ecology, and examined papers that had been approached from multiple viewpoints, including fire. We show that great advances over the last 20 years have been made in our understanding of the pivotal role of fire as a driver of many ecological processes and a powerful selective agent/evolutionary trigger among biota. We document 21 sets of observations originally interpreted in the context of the two traditional dimensions, prevailing environment and biotic interactions, but can also be shown to have a strong, if not dominant, historical link to fire. We note that fire-related research is able to address 55 of the 100 questions considered ‘fundamental’ in ecology and that many have already received some attention in fireprone ecosystems. We show how theories/ models that had their origins in fireprone systems can be applied to other disturbance-prone systems and thus have wide application in ecology and evolutionary biology. Fire and other disturbances should be included as variables in research about possible critical environmental and biotic constraints controlling ecosystem function in general. Adding this third dimension to research endeavours greatly enriches our understanding of how nature works at the global scale in an era where ecosystems are changing rapidly and novel species-environmental interactions are emerging.

Prominence of environmental and anthropogenic agents on the occurrence of coral reef bleaching syndrome and coral diseases

2024 ◽  
Vol 74 (10) ◽  
pp. 6139-2024
Author(s):  
MICHAŁ SCHULZ ◽  
ALEKSANDRA ŁOŚ ◽  
PATRYCJA SKOWRONEK ◽  
ANETA STRACHECKA
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Coral Diseases ◽  
Rapid Changes ◽  
Anthropogenic Threats ◽  
Negative Factors ◽  
Main Relationship

Coral reefs are the most productive ecosystems on Earth. They ensure the conservation of biodiversity and are a live habitat for 25% of all marine organisms. The main relationship on the coral reef is the symbiosis between corals and algae from the genus Symbiodinium (commonly called zooxanthellae). The authors of this publication have characterized and described the factors limiting the occurrence of coral reefs, including: water temperature, salinity, access to sunlight, contamination, physicochemical and hydromechanical parameters of water. Moreover anthropogenic threats to coral reefs have been specified, including diving tourism, ecological disasters (e.g. oil spills) and the development of marine aquaristics. Rapid changes in the basic living conditions are dangerous for corals and their symbionts and may cause the unsuitability of the new environment resulting in diseases such as coral bleaching. Corals bleaching is a disease associated with the break of the coral and algae relationship which results in a coral reef death on a global scale. Awareness of these negative factors, often related to human activity, may allow us to better understand the ecological processes that are the basis of reef functioning and might enable us to prevent and oppose to the changes and ecological recessions of coral reefs.

scholarly journals Different processes shape prokaryotic and picoeukaryotic assemblages in the sunlit ocean microbiome

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramiro Logares ◽  
Ina M. Deutschmann ◽  
Caterina. R. Giner ◽  
Anders K. Krabberød ◽  
Thomas S. B. Schmidt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Function ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Scale Effects ◽  
Dispersal Limitation ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Surface Ocean

ABSTRACTThe smallest members of the sunlit-ocean microbiome (prokaryotes and picoeukaryotes) participate in a plethora of ecosystem functions with planetary-scale effects. Understanding the processes determining the spatial turnover of this assemblage can help us better comprehend the links between microbiome species composition and ecosystem function. Ecological theory predicts thatselection,dispersalanddriftare main drivers of species distributions, yet, the relative quantitative importance of these ecological processes in structuring the surface-ocean microbiome is barely known. Here we quantified the role of selection, dispersal and drift in structuring surface-ocean prokaryotic and picoeukaryotic assemblages by using community DNA-sequence data collected during the global Malaspina expedition. We found that dispersal limitation was the dominant process structuring picoeukaryotic communities, while a balanced combination of dispersal limitation, selection and drift shaped prokaryotic counterparts. Subsequently, we determined the agents exerting abiotic selection as well as the spatial patterns emerging from the action of different ecological processes. We found that selection exerted via temperature had a strong influence on the structure of prokaryotic communities, particularly on species co-occurrences, a pattern not observed among communities of picoeukaryotes. Other measured abiotic variables had limited selective effects on microbiome structure. Picoeukaryotes presented a higher differentiation between neighbouring communities and a higher distance-decay when compared to prokaryotes, agreeing with their higher dispersal limitation. Finally, drift seemed to have a limited role in structuring the sunlit-ocean microbiome. The different predominance of ecological processes acting on particular subsets of the ocean microbiome suggests uneven responses to environmental change.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTThe global ocean contains one of the largest microbiomes on Earth and changes on its structure can impact the functioning of the biosphere. Yet, we are far from understanding the mechanisms that structure the global ocean microbiome, that is, the relative importance of environmentalselection,dispersaland random events (drift). We evaluated the role of these processes at the global scale, based on data derived from a circumglobal expedition and found that these ecological processes act differently on prokaryotes and picoeukaryotes, two of the main components of the ocean microbiome. Our work represents a significant contribution to understand the assembly of marine microbial communities, providing also insights on the links between ecological mechanisms, microbiome structure and ecosystem function.

Cutthroat Trout: Evolutionary Biology and Taxonomy

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Species Concept ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Cutthroat Trout ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Oncorhynchus Clarkii ◽  
Voucher Specimens ◽  
Captive Propagation ◽  
Analytical Tools

<em>Abstract</em>.—The broad distribution and regional variation of Cutthroat Trout <em>Oncorhynchus clarkii </em>across western North America has led to considerable interest in the different forms from both scientific and recreational perspectives. This volume represents an attempt to describe this observed diversity with the most current information available and suggests a revised taxonomy for Cutthroat Trout. However, what is proposed in this volume will be subject to change or refinement as new techniques and analytical tools become available. In particular, remaining uncertainty would benefit from a comparison of all described lineages with a common set of morphological and genetic markers. A range-wide collection of voucher specimens will help to document variation in these characteristics, and we encourage field biologists to prioritize these collections. Future revisions will benefit from agreement on a species concept and explicitly state the assumptions of the chosen species concept. We encourage collaboration between managers and taxonomists to accurately delineate units of conservation that can be used by decision makers tasked with ensuring the long-term persistence of Cutthroat Trout lineages. The proposed taxonomic revisions herein validate many of the ongoing management strategies to conserve Cutthroat Trout, but we advise additional consideration of life-history diversity as an attainable management target. For long-term persistence of all Cutthroat Trout, maintaining and expanding the availability of high quality, well-connected stream and lake habitats will be a necessary first step to achieving desired conservation outcomes. Moreover, restoring and protecting ecological processes are key to conserving the diversity found within and among lineages of Cutthroat Trout. In systems where native Cutthroat Trout have been extirpated or suppressed, captive propagation and translocation are two potentially available tools to re-establish or reinvigorate populations. Last, we encourage fisheries managers and taxonomists to embrace the challenges that come with conserving locally unique forms of wide-ranging species like Cutthroat Trout.

scholarly journals PRDM9 Diversity at Fine Geographical Scale Reveals Contrasting Evolutionary Patterns and Functional Constraints in Natural Populations of House Mice

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (8) ◽  
pp. 1686-1700 ◽  
Author(s):  
Covadonga Vara ◽  
Laia Capilla ◽  
Luca Ferretti ◽  
Alice Ledda ◽  
Rosa A Sánchez-Guillén ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Isolation ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Rapid Evolution ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Functional Constraints ◽  
Evolutionary Patterns ◽  
Data Set

Abstract One of the major challenges in evolutionary biology is the identification of the genetic basis of postzygotic reproductive isolation. Given its pivotal role in this process, here we explore the drivers that may account for the evolutionary dynamics of the PRDM9 gene between continental and island systems of chromosomal variation in house mice. Using a data set of nearly 400 wild-caught mice of Robertsonian systems, we identify the extent of PRDM9 diversity in natural house mouse populations, determine the phylogeography of PRDM9 at a local and global scale based on a new measure of pairwise genetic divergence, and analyze selective constraints. We find 57 newly described PRDM9 variants, this diversity being especially high on Madeira Island, a result that is contrary to the expectations of reduced variation for island populations. Our analysis suggest that the PRDM9 allelic variability observed in Madeira mice might be influenced by the presence of distinct chromosomal fusions resulting from a complex pattern of introgression or multiple colonization events onto the island. Importantly, we detect a significant reduction in the proportion of PRDM9 heterozygotes in Robertsonian mice, which showed a high degree of similarity in the amino acids responsible for protein–DNA binding. Our results suggest that despite the rapid evolution of PRDM9 and the variability detected in natural populations, functional constraints could facilitate the accumulation of allelic combinations that maintain recombination hotspot symmetry. We anticipate that our study will provide the basis for examining the role of different PRDM9 genetic backgrounds in reproductive isolation in natural populations.

Geophysical, evolutionary and ecological processes interact to drive phylogenetic dispersion in angiosperm assemblages along the longest elevational gradient in the world

2019 ◽  
Vol 190 (4) ◽  
pp. 333-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong Qian ◽  
Brody Sandel ◽  
Tao Deng ◽  
Ole R Vetaas
Keyword(s):  
Plate Tectonics ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
Elevational Gradient ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Phylogenetic Structure ◽  
Phylogenetic Relatedness ◽  
The World ◽  
Net Relatedness Index ◽  
Phylogenetic Dispersion

AbstractEcologists have embraced phylogenetic measures of assemblage structure, in large part for the promise of better mechanistic inferences. However, phylogenetic structure is driven by a wide array of factors from local biotic interactions to biogeographical history, complicating the mechanistic interpretation of a pattern. This may be particularly problematic along elevational gradients, where rapidly changing physical and biological conditions overlap with geological and biogeographical history, potentially producing complex patterns of phylogenetic dispersion (relatedness). We focus on the longest elevational gradient of vegetation in the world (i.e. c. 6000 m in Nepal) to explore patterns of phylogenetic dispersion for angiosperms (flowering plants) along this elevational gradient. We used the net relatedness index to quantify phylogenetic dispersion for each elevational band of 100 m. We found a zig-zag pattern of phylogenetic dispersion along this elevational gradient. With increasing elevation, the phylogenetic relatedness of species decreased for the elevational segment between 0 and c. 2100 m, increased for the elevational segment between 2100 and c. 4200 m, and decreased for the elevational segment above c. 4200 m. We consider this pattern to be a result of the interaction of geophysical (e.g. plate tectonics) and eco-evolutionary processes (e.g. niche conservatism and trait convergence). We speculate on the mechanisms that might have generated this zig-zag pattern of phylogenetic dispersion.

Editor's Introduction

2001 ◽  
Vol 49 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
D. M. Walsh
Keyword(s):  
Philosophy Of Mind ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Body Problem ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Intentional Content ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Cognitive Ethology ◽  
Royal Institute ◽  
Biological Phenomena ◽  
The Mind

The papers collected in this volume are the proceedings of the 1999 Royal Institute of Philosophy conference: the theme of the conference, the same as the title of this collection, Naturalism, Evolution and Mind. The essays collected here cover a wide array of disparate themes in philosophy, psychology, evolutionary biology and the philosophy of science. They range in subject matter from the mind/body problem and the nature of philosophical naturalism, to the naturalization of psychological norms to the naturalization of phenomenal and intentional content, from the methodology cognitive ethology to issues in evolutionary psychology. They are united by the simple thought that the great promise of current naturalism in philosophy of mind resides in its potential to reveal mental phenomena as continuous with other phenomena of the natural world, particularly with other biological phenomena.

Regional and environmental variation in escalatory ecological trends during the Jurassic: a western Tethys hotspot for escalation?

Paleobiology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 569-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro M. Monarrez ◽  
Martin Aberhan ◽  
Steven M. Holland
Keyword(s):  
Regional Scale ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
Environmental Variation ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Depositional Environments ◽  
Western Tethys ◽  
Global Signal ◽  
Ecological Patterns ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
Fossil Data

AbstractUnderstanding the drivers of macroevolutionary trends through the Phanerozoic has been a central question in paleobiology. Increasingly important is understanding the regional and environmental variation of macroevolutionary patterns and how they are reflected at the global scale. Here we test the role of biotic interactions on regional ecological patterns during the Mesozoic marine revolution. We test for escalatory trends in Jurassic marine benthic macroinvertebrate ecosystems using occurrence data from the Paleobiology Database parsed by region and environment. The escalation hypothesis posits that taxonomic groups that could adapt to intense predation and bioturbation proliferated, whereas groups unable to adapt were reduced in diversity and abundance or driven to extinction. We tested this hypothesis in five regions during Jurassic stages and among four depositional environments in Europe. Few escalatory trends were detected, although at least one escalatory trend was observed in every region, with the greatest number and strongest trends observed in Europe. These trends include increases in shallow infauna and cementing epifauna and occurrences of facultatively mobile invertebrates and decreases in pedunculate, free-lying, and sessile epifauna. Within Europe, escalatory trends occur in shallow-water environments but also in deeper-water environments, where they are predicted not to occur. When regional trends are aggregated, trends in Europe drive the global signal. The results of this study suggest that while evidence of escalation is rare globally, it is plausible that escalation drove macroevolutionary patterns in Europe. Furthermore, these results underline the need to dissect global fossil data at the regional scale to understand global macroevolutionary dynamics.

scholarly journals MURCIÉLAGOS (CHIROPTERA) EN ÁREAS VERDES URBANAS DE LA CIUDAD DE TEPIC, NAYARIT, MÉXICO

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
Juan Pablo Ramírez-Silva ◽  
Elsa Jazmín Lugo-Gil
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
Urban Ecosystem ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Artibeus Jamaicensis ◽  
Mexican State ◽  
Artibeus Lituratus ◽  
The City

ResumenLos murciélagos desempeñan un papel fundamental en los ecosistemas, ya que efectúan múltiples interacciones bióticas como la dispersión de semillas, polinización y el control de plagas, además de que poseen hábitos alimenticios muy variados. En Nayarit se han registrado 67 especies de quirópteros, pero ningún estudio se ha enfocado en las zonas urbanas del estado. Nuestro objetivo fue evaluar la diversidad y abundancia de murciélagos en las áreas verdes de la zona urbana de Tepic, Nayarit. Se realizó un muestro en nueve sitios empleando una red de 12 metros, colocada de 18:00 h a 23:00 h., durante el periodo de noviembre del 2015 a noviembre del 2016, en el cual se acumuló un total de 45 horas/red. Se muestrearon tres tipos de hábitat urbanos: plazas, zanjones y parques. Con los datos recabados se estimó el índice de diversidad alfa de Shannon y se realizó una prueba de t modificada por Hutchenson para comparar los distintos ecosistemas. Se registraron tres especies de murciélagos (Artibeus lituratus, Artibeus jamaicensis y Artibeus hirsutus). Los parques resultaron el ecosistema que registró la mayor diversidad y abundancia de murciélagos, mientras que la especie que se documentó con mayor frecuencia fue A. lituratus.Palabras clave: ambientes antropizados, parques urbanos, quirópteros.AbstractThe bats play a fundamental role in the ecological processes of ecosystems, they carry out multiple biotic interactions such as seed dispersers, pollination, and pest control, they also have very varied feeding habits. In the Mexican state of Nayarit have been registered 67 bat species, but no one research has focused on the urban areas. Our objective was to research the species present in the green areas of the city of Tepic, Nayarit. Nine sites were sampled using a 12-meter network, which was placed from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The samplings were carried out from November 2015 to November 2016, for a total of 45 hours/network. Three types of habitat were covered: plazas, zanjon, and parks. We performed the Shannon alpha index to assess diversity and a t-test was used to compare between the different habitats. Three species were registered (Artibeus lituratus, Artibeus jamaicensis and Artibeus hirsutus). The urban ecosystem with the greatest diversity and abundance was the parks and the species that presented the highest frequency in the urban area was A. lituratus.Key words: Anthropized areas, bats, green spaces.

scholarly journals HESFIRE: an explicit fire model for projections in the coupled Human–Earth System

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 10779-10826 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Le Page ◽  
D. Morton ◽  
B. Bond-Lamberty ◽  
J. M. C. Pereira ◽  
G. Hurtt
Keyword(s):  
Fire Ecology ◽  
Optimization Procedure ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Ecosystem Dynamics ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Observation Data ◽  
Earth System ◽  
Fire Model ◽  
Annual Variability ◽  
Fire Activity

Abstract. Vegetation fires are a major driver of ecosystem dynamics and greenhouse gas emissions. Potential changes in fire activity under future climate and land use scenarios thus have important consequences for human and natural systems. Anticipating these consequences relies first on a realistic model of fire activity (e.g. fire incidence and inter-annual variability) and second on a model accounting for fire impacts (e.g. mortality and emissions). Key opportunities remain to develop the capabilities of fire activity models, which include quantifying the influence of poorly understood fire drivers, modeling the occurrence of large, multi-day fires – which have major impacts – and evaluating the fire driving assumptions and parameterization with observation data. Here, we describe a fire model, HESFIRE, which integrates the influence of weather, vegetation characteristics, and human activities in a standalone framework, with a particular emphasis on keeping model assumptions consistent with fire ecology, such as allowing fires to spread over consecutive days. A subset of the model parameters was calibrated through an optimization procedure using observational data to enhance our understanding of regional drivers of fire activity and improve the performance of the model on a global scale. Modeled fire activity showed reasonable agreement with observations of burned area, fire seasonality and inter-annual variability in many regions, including for spatial and temporal domains not included in the optimization procedure. Significant discrepancies – most notably regarding fires in boreal regions, in xeric ecosystems, and fire size distribution – are investigated to propose model development strategies. We highlight the capabilities of HESFIRE and its optimization procedure to analyze the sensitivity of fire activity, and to provide fire projections in the coupled Human–Earth System at regional and global scale. These capabilities and their detailed evaluation also provide a solid foundation for integration within a vegetation model to represent fire impacts on vegetation dynamics and emissions.

scholarly journals Impact of human population density on fire frequency at the global scale

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 15735-15778 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Knorr ◽  
T. Kaminski ◽  
A. Arneth ◽  
U. Weber
Keyword(s):  
Population Density ◽  
Human Population ◽  
Global Analysis ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
System Component ◽  
Burned Area ◽  
Data Set ◽  
In Fire ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Human impact on wildfires, a major Earth system component, remains poorly understood. While local studies have found more fires close to settlements and roads, assimilated charcoal records and analyses of regional fire patterns from remote-sensing observations point to a decline in fire frequency with increasing human population. Here, we present a global analysis using three multi-year satellite-based burned-area products combined with a parameter estimation and uncertainty analysis with a non-linear model. We show that at the global scale, the impact of increasing population density is mainly to reduce fire frequency. Only for areas with up to 0.1 people per km2, we find that fire frequency increases by 10 to 20% relative to its value at no population. The results are robust against choice of burned-area data set, and indicate that at only very few places on Earth, fire frequency is limited by human ignitions. Applying the results to historical population estimates results in a moderate but accelerating decline of global burned area by around 14% since 1800, with most of the decline since 1950.

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