Plant families exhibit unique geographic trends in C4 richness and cover

Numerous studies have analysed the relationship between C4 plant cover and climate. However, few have examined how different C4 taxa vary in their response to climate, or how environmental factors alter C4:C3 abundance. Here we investigate (a) how proportional C4 plant cover and richness (relative to C3) responds to changes in climate and local environmental factors, and (b) if this response is consistent among families. Proportional cover and richness of C4 species were determined at 541 one-hectare plots across Australia for 14 families. C4 cover and richness of the most common and abundant families were regressed against climate and local parameters. C4 cover and richness in Poaceae and Cyperaceae were strongly positively correlated with January temperatures, however C4 Cyperaceae occupied a more restricted temperature range. C4 Poaceae cover was also correlated with seasonal rainfall, but no such trends were identified in Cyperaceae. Soil pH and tree cover modified relative C4 cover in these families. Proportional C4 Euphorbiaceae and Chenopodiaceae cover and richness were weakly correlated with climate, but were more strongly influenced by local environmental factors, including tree cover and soil texture. However, the explanatory power of C4 Euphorbiaceae and Chenopodiaceae models were poor. Results demonstrate the unique relationships between different C4 taxa and climate, and the significant modifying effects of environmental factors on C4 distribution. Our work also reveals C4 families will not exhibit consistent responses to perturbations in climate or local conditions. These results have substantial implications for predicting C4 cover over global, continental and regional areas. This preprint is current under review following revisions with the journal Oecologia.

A contemporary baseline record of the world’s coral reefs

Addressing the global decline of coral reefs requires effective actions from managers, policymakers and society as a whole. Coral reef scientists are therefore challenged with the task of providing prompt and relevant inputs for science-based decision-making. Here, we provide a baseline dataset, covering 1300 km of tropical coral reef habitats globally, and comprised of over one million geo-referenced, high-resolution photo-quadrats analysed using artificial intelligence to automatically estimate the proportional cover of benthic components. The dataset contains information on five major reef regions, and spans 2012–2018, including surveys before and after the 2016 global bleaching event. The taxonomic resolution attained by image analysis, as well as the spatially explicit nature of the images, allow for multi-scale spatial analyses, temporal assessments (decline and recovery), and serve for supporting image recognition developments. This standardised dataset across broad geographies offers a significant contribution towards a sound baseline for advancing our understanding of coral reef ecology and thereby taking collective and informed actions to mitigate catastrophic losses in coral reefs worldwide.

Patterns and Drivers in Counts of Migratory Raptors at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, USA

Understanding the mechanisms driving biodiversity patterns amidst an era of global environmental change is the core of modern ecological research. The magnitude of biodiversity losses associated with anthropogenic activities has prompted resource managers and ecologists alike to identify strategies to address conservation issues. Broadly, two types of approaches are employed to answer ecological research questions: 1) single-species and 2) ecosystem-based approach. Single-species approaches are often useful to elucidate mechanisms driving population trajectories of individual species. On the other hand, ecosystem-based approaches can help in identifying general patterns that may be useful for multi-species management. Here, I used both approaches in assessing broad-scale patterns and mechanisms driving count trends of migrating raptors recorded at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary (HMS), Pennsylvania. In the first chapter, I used a hierarchical breakpoint model to identify the assemblage-wide and species-specific timing of the shifts in count trends. Then I evaluated if changes in trend directionality of counts were linked to species’ traits (body size, population size, migratory behavior, tolerance to human presence, DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichlorethane) susceptibility, habitat or dietary specialization). I found that an assemblage-wide shift in counts occurred around 1974, and this timing was common among 14 of the 16 species in the assemblage. Moreover, I found that habitat specialization appeared to explain the synchronous positive and negative count trends of multiple species. Other traits that I evaluated were not consistently associated with either types of trends. The temporal shift in trends in 1974 emphasized the relative importance of DDT, an organochlorine known to have adversely influenced several wildlife species and was banned in the US around the 1970s, in driving population dynamics of raptor species. However, because the counts of species susceptible to DDT were highly variable after 1974, this may suggest that a suite of additional factors, acting together, affected the recovery of species from DDT-associated declines. Additionally, the potential role of habitat specialization in count trends may suggest important linkages between habitat use and demography. In the second chapter, I used a generalized linear mixed-effects model to assess the relationships between changes in the count totals and total proportional cover of major land-use types in nine states located in the northeastern US (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont). The hierarchical modelling approach that I used allowed me to identify average and species-specific responses to the proportional cover of forested and urban area. These land-use variables were not associated with overall raptor counts. However, species-specific responses were variable and significant. I found that counts of Northern Goshawk, American Kestrel, Rough-legged Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, and Red-tailed Hawk were positively associated with forest cover. On the other hand, Turkey and Black Vultures, Bald Eagle, and Peregrine Falcon were positively associated with urban cover. Moreover, Red-shouldered Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, and Northern Harrier were not significantly associated with forest cover but were negatively associated with urban cover. Merlin and Cooper’s Hawk exhibited similar non-significant associations to forest but positive associations with urban cover. Finally, Golden Eagle and Osprey were not significantly associated with either land-use variables. These results provided insights on the potential influence of land-use changes on the demography of migrating raptors. Thus, these findings may be useful in improving our predictions of the population trajectories of these species in future landscape scenarios. These results illustrate the utility of evaluating species-level and assemblage-wide patterns in long-term count data. In this case, it allowed me to identify general patterns in counts of migrating raptors and gain detailed insights on the responses of individual species to land-use changes. In doing so, I was able to better understand the potential drivers of their ecological dynamics. By integrating information from these two approaches, we can expect to obtain a better understanding of natural systems and consequently, increase the probability of successful conservation outcomes.

Response of Breeding Songbirds to Vegetation Management in Conifer Plantations Established in Boreal Mixedwoods

We examined the response of breeding songbird communities 11 years after four vegetation management treatments were applied. Post-treatment vegetation was characterized by manually interpreting large-scale aerial photography and estimating proportional cover of eight vegetation classes. Songbird abundance was assessed by territory mapping. Using GIS layers, number of registrations and average vegetation proportions were compared among treatments. Ordination of the relative abundance of the 11 most frequent bird species suggested differences between Vision® and untreated areas. These results show that effects of vegetation management on songbirds may be more persistent than previous studies suggest and that monitoring should continue.