The rise of grasslands is linked to atmospheric CO2 decline in the late Palaeogene

Grasslands are predicted to experience a major biodiversity change by the year 2100. A better understanding of how grasslands have responded to past environmental changes will help predict the outcome of current and future environmental changes. Here, we explore the relationship between past atmospheric CO2 and temperature fluctuations and the shifts in diversification rate of Poaceae (grasses) and Asteraceae (daisies), two exceptionally species-rich grassland families (~11,000 and ~23,000 species, respectively). To this end, we develop a Bayesian approach that simultaneously estimates diversification rates through time from time-calibrated phylogenies and correlations between environmental variables and diversification rates. Additionally, we present a statistical approach that incorporates the information of the distribution of missing species in the phylogeny. We find strong evidence supporting a simultaneous increase in diversification rates for grasses and daisies after the most significant reduction of atmospheric CO2 in the Cenozoic (~34 Mya). The fluctuations of paleo-temperatures, however, appear not to have had a significant relationship with the diversification of these grassland families. Overall, our results shed new light on our understanding of the origin of grasslands in the context of past environmental changes.

Kiwis Counting Kiwis: Biodiversity Monitoring on Private Land in New Zealand

<p>This thesis seeks to determine what monitoring will measure the effectiveness of public funding for the protection and enhancement of biodiversity on private land in New Zealand. To establish this, four questions have been asked: Is monitoring of biodiversity change on private land a requirement to provide information for biodiversity status reports? With biodiversity loss such a critical world issue, New Zealand has committed to its protection along with many other nations. The country's obligations and strategies for protecting, monitoring and reporting biodiversity change on private land are provided. Current reporting practices are critiqued and conclude that key data are not being collected and that private land is not well covered. As a result, biodiversity reports include very little biodiversity outcome data from private land. Are there are a core group of biodiversity monitoring methods suitable for landowners to measure the success of their conservation actions and to measure improvements to biodiversity on their land? 19 landowners and monitors who are engaged in conservation work and biodiversity outcome monitoring on private land have been interviewed in 12 case studies. These landowners and monitors are using 31 different monitoring methods. The methods have been assessed to see how landowners use the data and assessed against a set of criteria to determine their suitability. A core group of nine biodiversity monitoring methods emerge as the most useful in these cases. Do agencies which fund biodiversity protection and enhancement on private land need to measure the success of their funding initiatives? 18 agencies have given funds to these 12 case studies to support the conservation of some of the country's most threatened and endangered species, ecosystems and habitats that are found on their land. Results show that few quantitative indicators are used to measure improvements to biodiversity which may result from these grants. This research suggests ways for agencies which fund biodiversity protection on private land to measure the success of their funding initiatives so the effectiveness of these funds can be assessed. What biodiversity information do landowners need in order to make decisions about management on their land and to inform agencies which have funded biodiversity conservation on their land? The monitoring methods in use by landowners are considered in terms of their suitability to inform land management decisions and to inform funding agencies of the outcomes of the funds. This leads to a recommended core group of methods that can meet the needs of both parties. The research found that monitoring is as much a social event as a scientific exercise. Landowners found the social resources they needed to support their monitoring included having others to work with, having others to talk to like mentors, financial support, getting rewards from their monitoring results and gaining confidence to give it a go. All landowners and monitors identified barriers to monitoring they had to overcome, and these are discussed. This thesis recommends a list of core monitoring methods that are suitable for landowners to measure progress towards their biodiversity goals, improvements to biodiversity and can assist with land management decisions. They can also be used by funding agencies to judge the effectiveness of their funding towards the protection and enhancement of biodiversity on private land in New Zealand. This investigation highlights eight issues with funding goals, biodiversity monitoring and reporting on private land and provides 17 recommendations to address the issues. With 70% of New Zealand in private ownership, it is vital that landowners understand how their land contributes to the survival of native vegetation, habitats, ecosystems, species and their genes, which live on their land. The landowners in these 12 cases understand. They undertake conservation work and biodiversity monitoring, which demonstrates that landowners could provide information and evidence to measure the effectiveness of public funding for biodiversity protection on their land. These kiwi landowners are counting kiwis, and other biodiversity indicators, to measure the effect of their conservation work and its impact on restoring New Zealand's unique flora and fauna.</p>

Kiwis Counting Kiwis: Biodiversity Monitoring on Private Land in New Zealand

<p>This thesis seeks to determine what monitoring will measure the effectiveness of public funding for the protection and enhancement of biodiversity on private land in New Zealand. To establish this, four questions have been asked: Is monitoring of biodiversity change on private land a requirement to provide information for biodiversity status reports? With biodiversity loss such a critical world issue, New Zealand has committed to its protection along with many other nations. The country's obligations and strategies for protecting, monitoring and reporting biodiversity change on private land are provided. Current reporting practices are critiqued and conclude that key data are not being collected and that private land is not well covered. As a result, biodiversity reports include very little biodiversity outcome data from private land. Are there are a core group of biodiversity monitoring methods suitable for landowners to measure the success of their conservation actions and to measure improvements to biodiversity on their land? 19 landowners and monitors who are engaged in conservation work and biodiversity outcome monitoring on private land have been interviewed in 12 case studies. These landowners and monitors are using 31 different monitoring methods. The methods have been assessed to see how landowners use the data and assessed against a set of criteria to determine their suitability. A core group of nine biodiversity monitoring methods emerge as the most useful in these cases. Do agencies which fund biodiversity protection and enhancement on private land need to measure the success of their funding initiatives? 18 agencies have given funds to these 12 case studies to support the conservation of some of the country's most threatened and endangered species, ecosystems and habitats that are found on their land. Results show that few quantitative indicators are used to measure improvements to biodiversity which may result from these grants. This research suggests ways for agencies which fund biodiversity protection on private land to measure the success of their funding initiatives so the effectiveness of these funds can be assessed. What biodiversity information do landowners need in order to make decisions about management on their land and to inform agencies which have funded biodiversity conservation on their land? The monitoring methods in use by landowners are considered in terms of their suitability to inform land management decisions and to inform funding agencies of the outcomes of the funds. This leads to a recommended core group of methods that can meet the needs of both parties. The research found that monitoring is as much a social event as a scientific exercise. Landowners found the social resources they needed to support their monitoring included having others to work with, having others to talk to like mentors, financial support, getting rewards from their monitoring results and gaining confidence to give it a go. All landowners and monitors identified barriers to monitoring they had to overcome, and these are discussed. This thesis recommends a list of core monitoring methods that are suitable for landowners to measure progress towards their biodiversity goals, improvements to biodiversity and can assist with land management decisions. They can also be used by funding agencies to judge the effectiveness of their funding towards the protection and enhancement of biodiversity on private land in New Zealand. This investigation highlights eight issues with funding goals, biodiversity monitoring and reporting on private land and provides 17 recommendations to address the issues. With 70% of New Zealand in private ownership, it is vital that landowners understand how their land contributes to the survival of native vegetation, habitats, ecosystems, species and their genes, which live on their land. The landowners in these 12 cases understand. They undertake conservation work and biodiversity monitoring, which demonstrates that landowners could provide information and evidence to measure the effectiveness of public funding for biodiversity protection on their land. These kiwi landowners are counting kiwis, and other biodiversity indicators, to measure the effect of their conservation work and its impact on restoring New Zealand's unique flora and fauna.</p>

Fire’s Effects on Grassland Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation

Ecosystem succession and biodiversity change associated with grassland fires are crucial for the patterns and dynamics of ecosystem functioning and services. The reactions to fire by different grassland types vary diversely, and are determined by certain species assemblages and environments. However, there are still uncertainties concerning the role of fire in affecting grassland ecosystems and how the effects are sustained. By conducting a bibliometric analysis of related articles indexed in the Web of Science between 1984 and 2020, we firstly described the general trend of these articles over the recent decades (1984–2020). The major research progress in the effects of fire on grassland ecosystems was then systematically summarized based on three levels (individual level, community level, and ecosystem level) with eight topics. We concluded that strong persistence or resistance of adapted individuals facilitated community conversion to a novel environment, which temporally and spatially interacted with ecological factors. The novel habitats could maintain more frequent fires and change an ecosystem structure and functioning. Nonetheless, the transformation of ecosystem states will present more uncertainties on prospective succession trajectories, global carbon storage, and subsequent biodiversity conservation. This review is important to flourish biodiversity, as well as aid conservation policies and strategy making.

Grand challenges in biodiversity–ecosystem functioning research in the era of science–policy platforms require explicit consideration of feedbacks

Feedbacks are an essential feature of resilient socio-economic systems, yet the feedbacks between biodiversity, ecosystem services and human wellbeing are not fully accounted for in global policy efforts that consider future scenarios for human activities and their consequences for nature. Failure to integrate feedbacks in our knowledge frameworks exacerbates uncertainty in future projections and potentially prevents us from realizing the full benefits of actions we can take to enhance sustainability. We identify six scientific research challenges that, if addressed, could allow future policy, conservation and monitoring efforts to quantitatively account for ecosystem and societal consequences of biodiversity change. Placing feedbacks prominently in our frameworks would lead to (i) coordinated observation of biodiversity change, ecosystem functions and human actions, (ii) joint experiment and observation programmes, (iii) more effective use of emerging technologies in biodiversity science and policy, and (iv) a more inclusive and integrated global community of biodiversity observers. To meet these challenges, we outline a five-point action plan for collaboration and connection among scientists and policymakers that emphasizes diversity, inclusion and open access. Efforts to protect biodiversity require the best possible scientific understanding of human activities, biodiversity trends, ecosystem functions and—critically—the feedbacks among them.

Summer activity patterns for a moss and lichen in the maritime Antarctic with respect to altitude

There is considerable scientific interest as to how terrestrial biodiversity in Antarctica might respond, or be expected to respond, to climate change. The two species of vascular plant confined to the Antarctic Peninsula have shown clear gains in density and range extension. However, little information exists for the dominant components of the flora, lichens and bryophytes. One approach has been to look at change in biodiversity using altitude as a proxy for temperature change and previous results for Livingston Island suggested that temperature was the controlling factor. We have extended this study at the same site by using chlorophyll fluorometers to monitor activity and microclimate of the lichen, Usnea aurantiaco-atra, and the moss, Hymenoloma crispulum. We confirmed the same lapse rate in temperature but show that changes in water relations with altitude is probably the main driver. There were differences in water source with U. aurantiaco-atra benefitting from water droplet harvesting and the species performed substantially better at the summit. In contrast, activity duration, chlorophyll fluorescence and photosynthetic modelling all show desiccation to have a large negative impact on the species at the lowest site. We conclude that water relations are the main drivers of biodiversity change along the altitudinal gradient with nutrients, not measured here, as another possible contributor.

Long-term trends in the occupancy of ants revealed through use of multi-sourced datasets

We combined participatory science data and museum records to understand long-term changes in occupancy for 29 ant species in Denmark over 119 years. Bayesian occupancy modelling indicated change in occupancy for 15 species: five increased, four declined and six showed fluctuating trends. We consider how trends may have been influenced by life-history and habitat changes. Our results build on an emerging picture that biodiversity change in insects is more complex than implied by the simple insect decline narrative.