scholarly journals Götterbaum und Paulownie: die «neuen Wilden» im Schweizer Wald?

2018 ◽  
Vol 169 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Wunder ◽  
Simon Knüsel ◽  
Luuk Dorren ◽  
Massimiliano Schwarz ◽  
Franck Bourrier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Biological Invasions ◽  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Ailanthus Altissima ◽  
Paulownia Tomentosa ◽  
Pioneer Tree ◽  
Integration Approach ◽  
Controversial Concept

Ailanthus and Paulownia: “The New Wild” in Swiss forests? “The New Wild” resulting from biological invasions is a controversial concept focussing on the integration of exotic species into indigenous ecosystems. Following this rationale, the great vitality of the new species could be exploited to populate ecosystems heavily altered or largely destroyed by man. Here we discuss this integration approach using the example of Ailanthus altissima and Paulownia tomentosa. Both species have begun to spread spontaneously into some forests in Switzerland. New studies indicate that the two pioneer tree species will not prevail on a large scale and that they do not necessarily reduce the required forest services. For example, Ailanthus trees growing in forests protecting from natural hazards appear to be similarly resistant to rockfall as the local tree species and less affected by heart rot decay than originally feared. For Switzerland, a spatially differentiated strategy with control and integration measures is required.

scholarly journals The global spread and invasion capacities of alien ants

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark K. L. Wong ◽  
Evan P Economo ◽  
Benoit Guenard
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Biological Invasions ◽  
Alien Species ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Economic Impacts ◽  
Multistage Process ◽  
Species Introductions ◽  
Global Diversity ◽  
Global Spread ◽  
Blind Spots

The ecological and economic impacts of biological invasions are usually highly conspicuous, but these are the outcome of a global, multistage process that is obscured from view. For most taxa, we lack a large-scale picture of the movements of alien species, the biases and filters that promote or inhibit their spread at each stage, and blind spots in our ability to detect species during their spread. For instance, countries rely heavily on customs interceptions to prevent new species introductions, but their efficacy for detecting invaders remains unclear. To address these gaps, we synthesize and provide data at unprecedented geographic resolution on the global diversity and distribution of alien ants, a pervasive group strongly impacting humans and ecosystems. From >145,000 records spanning 602 regions, we identify 522 ant species exhibiting human-mediated spread, doubling recent estimates of their diversity. We show that movements of alien ant species across regions globally are non-random and, moreover, that these flows differ by the extents to which species invade—ranging from arrival to indoor establishment, naturalization, and harmful status. Importantly, we find that almost two-thirds of the 309 species that naturalize globally—most of which are ground- and litter-dwelling—are absent from customs interceptions, which record disproportionately high numbers of arboreal species. Our results illustrate the vast, yet uneven extent of ant invasions globally, and suggest that most alien species bypass biosecurity controls while spreading successfully worldwide. This raises doubts on the efficacy of current customs interceptions procedures and highlights a need for radically new approaches.

scholarly journals The Evolution of Life Modes in Stictidaceae, with Three Novel Taxa

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 105
Author(s):  
Vinodhini Thiyagaraja ◽  
Robert Lücking ◽  
Damien Ertz ◽  
Samantha C. Karunarathna ◽  
Dhanushka N. Wanasinghe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Large Subunit ◽  
Monte Carlo Sampling ◽  
Small Subunit ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Internal Transcribed Spacers ◽  
Character State ◽  
Phenotypic Data

Ostropales sensu lato is a large group comprising both lichenized and non-lichenized fungi, with several lineages expressing optional lichenization where individuals of the same fungal species exhibit either saprotrophic or lichenized lifestyles depending on the substrate (bark or wood). Greatly variable phenotypic characteristics and large-scale phylogenies have led to frequent changes in the taxonomic circumscription of this order. Ostropales sensu lato is currently split into Graphidales, Gyalectales, Odontotrematales, Ostropales sensu stricto, and Thelenellales. Ostropales sensu stricto is now confined to the family Stictidaceae, which includes a large number of species that are poorly known, since they usually have small fruiting bodies that are rarely collected, and thus, their taxonomy remains partly unresolved. Here, we introduce a new genus Ostropomyces to accommodate a novel lineage related to Ostropa, which is composed of two new species, as well as a new species of Sphaeropezia, S. shangrilaensis. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses of mitochondrial small subunit spacers (mtSSU), large subunit nuclear rDNA (LSU), and internal transcribed spacers (ITS) sequence data, together with phenotypic data documented by detailed morphological and anatomical analyses, support the taxonomic affinity of the new taxa in Stictidaceae. Ancestral character state analysis did not resolve the ancestral nutritional status of Stictidaceae with confidence using Bayes traits, but a saprotrophic ancestor was indicated as most likely in a Bayesian binary Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling (MCMC) approach. Frequent switching in nutritional modes between lineages suggests that lifestyle transition played an important role in the evolution of this family.

scholarly journals Stand Stability of Pure and Mixed-Eucalyptus Forests of Different Tree Species in a Typhoon-Prone Area

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 458
Author(s):  
Haiyan Deng ◽  
Linlin Shen ◽  
Jiaqi Yang ◽  
Xiaoyong Mo
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Forest Restoration ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Pinus Elliottii ◽  
Stem Form ◽  
Tree Species Composition ◽  
Eucalyptus Plantation ◽  
Mixed Plantation ◽  
Preservation Rate

Background and Objectives: The stable stand structure of mixed plantations is the basis of giving full play to forest ecological function and benefit. However, the monocultural Eucalyptus plantations with large-scale and successive planting that caused ecological problems such as reduced species diversity and loss of soil nutrients have presented to be unstable and vulnerable, especially in typhoon-prone areas. The objective of this study was to evaluate the nonspatial structure difference and the stand stability of pure and mixed-Eucalyptus forests, to find out the best mixed pattern of Eucalyptus forests with the most stability in typhoon-prone areas. Materials and Methods: In this study, we randomly investigated eight plots of 30 m × 30 m in pure and mixed-Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus urophylla S. T. Blake × E. grandis W. Hill) plantations of different tree species (Neolamarckia cadamba (Roxb.) Bosser, Acacia mangium Willd., and Pinus elliottii var. Elliottii Engelm. × P. caribaea Morelet) on growth status, characterized and compared the distribution of nonspatial structure of the monoculture and mixtures, and evaluated the stand quality and stability from eight indexes of the nonspatial structure, including preservation rate, stand density, height, diameter, stem form, degree of stem inclination, tree-species composition, and age structure. Results: Eucalyptus surviving in the mixed plantation of Eucalyptus and A. mangium (EA) and in the mixed plantation of Eucalyptus and P. elliottii × P. caribaea (EP) were 5.0% and 7.6% greater than those in pure Eucalyptus plantation (EE), respectively, while only the stand preservation rate of EA was greater (+2.9%) than that of the pure Eucalyptus plantation. The proportions of all mixtures in the height class greater than 7 m were fewer than that of EE. The proportions of EA and mixed plantation of Eucalyptus and N. cadamba (EN) in the diameter class greater than 7 m were 10.6% and 7.8%, respectively, more than that of EE. EN had the highest ratio of branching visibly (41.0%), EA had the highest ratio of inclined stems (8.1%), and EP had the most straight and complete stem form (68.7%). The stand stability of the mixed plantation of Eucalyptus and A. mangium presented to be optimal, as its subordinate function value (0.76) and state value (ω = 0.61) of real stand were the largest. Conclusions: A. mangium is a superior tree species to mix with Eucalyptus for a more stable stand structure in the early growth stage to approach an evident and immense stability and resistance, which is of great significance for the forest restoration of Eucalyptus in response to extreme climate and forest management.

scholarly journals Co-occurrences of tropical trees in eastern South America: disentangling abiotic and biotic forces

Plant Ecology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma-Liina Marjakangas ◽  
Otso Ovaskainen ◽  
Nerea Abrego ◽  
Vidar Grøtan ◽  
Alexandre A. de Oliveira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Environmental Filtering ◽  
Limiting Similarity ◽  
Phylogenetic Relatedness ◽  
Biogeographical Regions ◽  
Dependent Processes ◽  
Occurrence Of Species

AbstractSpecies co-occurrences in local communities can arise independent or dependent on species’ niches. However, the role of niche-dependent processes has not been thoroughly deciphered when generalized to biogeographical scales, probably due to combined shortcomings of data and methodology. Here, we explored the influence of environmental filtering and limiting similarity, as well as biogeographical processes that relate to the assembly of species’ communities and co-occurrences. We modelled jointly the occurrences and co-occurrences of 1016 tropical tree species with abundance data from inventories of 574 localities in eastern South America. We estimated species co-occurrences as raw and residual associations with models that excluded and included the environmental effects on the species’ co-occurrences, respectively. Raw associations indicate co-occurrence of species, whereas residual associations indicate co-occurrence of species after accounting for shared responses to environment. Generally, the influence of environmental filtering exceeded that of limiting similarity in shaping species’ co-occurrences. The number of raw associations was generally higher than that of the residual associations due to the shared responses of tree species to the environmental covariates. Contrary to what was expected from assuming limiting similarity, phylogenetic relatedness or functional similarity did not limit tree co-occurrences. The proportions of positive and negative residual associations varied greatly across the study area, and we found a significant tendency of some biogeographical regions having higher proportions of negative associations between them, suggesting that large-scale biogeographical processes limit the establishment of trees and consequently their co-occurrences.

scholarly journals Can variation in seed removal patterns of Neotropical pioneer tree species be explained by local ant community composition?

Biotropica ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Selina A. Ruzi ◽  
Paul‐Camilo Zalamea ◽  
Daniel P. Roche ◽  
Rafael Achury ◽  
James W. Dalling ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Composition ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Seed Removal ◽  
Ant Community ◽  
Pioneer Tree Species ◽  
Pioneer Tree

Ecological processes maintaining differential tree species distributions in an Australian subtropical rain forest: implications for models of species coexistence

2000 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 387-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor Debski ◽  
David F. R. P. Burslem ◽  
David Lamb
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Rain Forest ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Species Coexistence ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Size Class ◽  
Differential Mortality ◽  
Mixed Composition ◽  
Large Scale Disturbance

All stems ≥ 1 cm dbh were measured, tagged, mapped and identified on a 1-ha plot of rain forest at Gambubal State Forest, south-east Queensland, Australia. The spatial patterns and size class distributions of 11 common tree species on the plot were assessed to search for mechanisms determining their distribution and abundance. The forest was species-poor in comparison to many lowland tropical forests and the common species are therefore present at relatively high densities. Despite this, only limited evidence was found for the operation of density-dependent processes at Gambubal. Daphnandra micrantha saplings were clumped towards randomly spaced adults, indicating a shift of distribution over time caused by differential mortality of saplings in these adult associated clumps. Ordination of the species composition in 25-m × 25-m subplots revealed vegetation gradients at that scale, which corresponded to slope across the plot. Adult basal area was dominated by a few large individuals of Sloanea woollsii but the comparative size class distributions and replacement probabilities of the 11 common species suggest that the forest will undergo a transition to a more mixed composition if current conditions persist. The current cohort of large S. woollsii individuals probably established after a large-scale disturbance event and the forest has not attained an equilibrium species composition.

scholarly journals Five new species and one new genus of recent miliolid foraminifera from Raja Ampat (West Papua, Indonesia)

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e2157
Author(s):  
Meena Förderer ◽  
Martin R. Langer
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Benthic Foraminifera ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Sample Material ◽  
Micro Computed Tomography ◽  
Computed Tomography Images ◽  
Nearshore Environments ◽  
West Papua

Raja Ampat is an archipelago of about 1,500 small islands located northwest off the Bird’s Head Peninsula of Indonesia’s West Papua province. It is part of the Coral Triangle, a region recognized as the “epicenter” of tropical marine biodiversity. In the course of a large-scale survey on shallow benthic foraminifera we have discovered one new genus and five new species of recent miliolid benthic foraminifera from the highly diverse reefal and nearshore environments. The new fischerinid genusDentoplanispirinellais characterized by its planispiral coiling and by the presence of a simple tooth, that differentiate it fromPlanispirinellaWiesner. It is represented in our sample material by the new speciesDentoplanispirinella occulta. The other four species described herein areMiliolinella moia, Miliolinella undina, Triloculina kaweaandSiphonaperta hallocki.All new species are comparatively rare and occur sporadically in the sample material. Detailed morphological descriptions, scanning electron microscopy pictures of complete and dissected specimens as well as micro-computed tomography images are provided.

scholarly journals FORECASTING OF DAMAGES FROM NATURAL HAZARDS FOR THE “NORTHERN CAUCASUS RESORTS” TOURIST CLUSTER

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 349-356
Author(s):  
Vyacheslav BABURIN ◽  
◽  
Svetlana BADINA ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Northern Caucasus ◽  
Individual Risk ◽  
Economic Damage ◽  
North Caucasus ◽  
Limit Values ◽  
Risk Of Death ◽  
The North ◽  
Study Results

The article proposes a methodological approach to potential damage from natural hazards forecasting in case of large-scale investment projects realization in ski tourism planning, as well as to assessing changes in the vulnerability of the territory in which these projects will be implemented. The method was verified on the data of the “Northern Caucasus Resorts” tourist cluster. The study purpose is the creation and verification of a methodology for socio-economic damage predicting in limit values and vulnerability changing in the regions of the “North Caucasus Resorts” tourist cluster objects localization for the long term. Research methods – statistical (a structural approach based on the identification of common structural patterns of several sets). The lack of statistical information on significant parameters for forecasting determine necessitates of using the various logically non-contradictory revaluations based on the identified structural similarities for the calculation of their values within the planning horizon. The study results and main conclusions – in case of the “North Caucasus Resorts” tourist cluster creation the number of people potentially located in avalanche and mudflow danger areas will significantly increase in all of its facilities localization municipalities, which indicate an increase in the individual risk of death level for this territory. The present population in the ski season in some of the most remote and underdeveloped areas can increase up to 30 times. The increment in the value of the fixed assets for the municipalities under consideration will be from two to 90 times, potential damages in limit values will reach tens of billions rubles.

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