WFD Ecological Quality Indicators Are Poorly Correlated with Water Levels in River Catchments in Tuscany (Italy)

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires European countries to achieve a good ecological status of surface water bodies and demands that River District Authorities define ecological flows consistently. Nevertheless, the relationship between ecological and hydrological indicators is not fully understood and not straightforward to apply because ecological and hydrological indicators are monitored by different institutions, with different timings and purposes. This work examines the correlation between a set of ecological indicators monitored by environmental agencies (STAR-ICMi, LIMeco, IBMR, and TDI) and water levels with assigned durations monitored by the hydrologic service in Tuscany (central Italy). Reference water levels are derived from stage-duration curves obtained by the statistical analysis of daily levels in the same year of ecological sampling. The two datasets are paired through a geospatial association for the same river reach and the correlation is measured through Pearson’s r. The results show poor correlation (r between −0.33 and −0.42) between ecological indicators and hydrologic variables, confirming the findings observed in other Italian catchments with different hydrologic regimes, climate, and anthropogenic pressures. Nevertheless, the negative correlations show a decreasing water quality with water depths, i.e., in the lower part of the catchments more affected by anthropogenic pressures. These findings suggests that the determination of ecological flows with a purely hydrological approach is not sufficient for achieving WFD objectives in the study area.

easyFulcrum: An R package to process and analyze ecological sampling data generated using the Fulcrum mobile application

Large-scale ecological sampling can be difficult and costly, especially for organisms that are too small to be easily identified in a natural environment by eye. Typically, these microscopic floral and fauna are sampled by collecting substrates from nature and then separating organisms from substrates in the laboratory. In many cases, diverse organisms can be identified to the species-level using molecular barcodes. To facilitate large-scale ecological sampling of microscopic organisms, we used a geographic data-collection platform for mobile devices called Fulcrum that streamlines the organization of geospatial sampling data, substrate photographs, and environmental data at natural sampling sites. These sampling data are then linked to organism isolation data from the laboratory. Here, we describe the easyFulcrum R package, which can be used to clean, process, and visualize ecological field sampling and isolation data exported from the Fulcrum mobile application. We developed this package for wild nematode sampling, but it can be used with other organisms. The advantages of using Fulcrum combined with easyFulcrum are (1) the elimination of transcription errors by replacing manual data entry and/or spreadsheets with a mobile application, (2) the ability to clean, process, and visualize sampling data using a standardized set of functions in the R software environment, and (3) the ability to join disparate data to each other, including environmental data from the field and the molecularly defined identities of individual specimens isolated from samples.

Evaluating the efficacy of a consumer-centric method for ecological sampling: Using bonobo (Pan paniscus) feeding patterns as an instrument for tropical forest characterization

1. Characteristics of food availability and distribution are a key component of a species ecology. Objective measurement of food resources, such as vegetation plot sampling, do not consider aspects of selection by the consumer and therefore may produce imprecise measures of availability. Further, in most animal ecology research, traditional ecological surveying often is time-intensive and supplementary to ongoing behavioral observation. We propose a method to integrate ecological sampling of an animal's environment into existing behavioral data collection systems by using the consumer as the surveyor. Here, we introduce the consumer-centric method (CCM) of assessing resource availability for its ability to measure food resource abundance, distribution, and dispersion. This method catalogues feeding locations observed during behavioral observation and uses aggregated data to characterize these ecological metrics. 2. We evaluated the CCM relative to traditional vegetation plot surveying using accumulated feeding locations across three years visited by a tropical frugivore, the bonobo (Pan paniscus), and compared it with data derived from over 200 vegetation plots across their 50km2+ home range. 3. We demonstrate that food species abundance estimates derived from the CCM are comparable to those derived from traditional vegetation plot sampling after approximately 600 observation days or 60 spatially explicit feeding locations. The agreement between the methods further improved when accounting for aspects of consumer selectivity in objective vegetation plot sampling (e.g., size minima). Estimates of density from CCM correlated with plot-derived estimates and were relatively insensitive to home range inclusion and other species characteristics, but were sensitive to sampling frequency (e.g., consumption frequency). Agreement between the methods in relative distribution of resources performed better across species than expected by chance, although measures of dispersion correlated poorly. 4. We demonstrate that while providing a robust measure to quantify local food availability, the CCM has an advantage over traditional sampling methods as it incorporates sampling biases relevant to the consumer. Therefore, as this method can be incorporated into existing observational data collection and does not require additional ecological surveying, it serves as a promising method for behavioral ecological data collection for animal species who re-use space and consume immobile food items.

easyFulcrum: An R package to process and analyze ecological sampling data generated using the Fulcrum mobile application

Large-scale ecological sampling can be difficult and costly, especially for organisms that are too small to be easily identified in a natural environment by eye. Typically, these microscopic floral and fauna are sampled by collecting substrates from nature and then separating organisms from substrates in the laboratory. In many cases, diverse organisms can be identified to the species-level using molecular barcodes. To facilitate large-scale ecological sampling of microscopic organisms, we used a geographic data-collection platform for mobile devices called Fulcrum that streamlines the organization of geospatial sampling data, substrate photographs, and environmental data at natural sampling sites. These sampling data are then linked to organism isolation data from the laboratory. Here, we describe the easyFulcrum R package, which can be used to clean, process, and visualize ecological field sampling and isolation data exported from the Fulcrum mobile application. We developed this package for wild nematode sampling, but it is extensible to other organisms. The advantages of using Fulcrum combined with easyFulcrum are (1) the elimination of transcription errors by replacing manual data entry and/or spreadsheets with a mobile application, (2) the ability to clean, process, and visualize sampling data using a standardized set of functions in the R software environment, and (3) the ability to join disparate data to each other, including environmental data from the field and the molecularly defined identities of individual specimens isolated from samples.

Shame on me for needing you: A multistudy examination of links between receiving interpersonal emotion regulation and experiencing shame

Recent theory and research have drawn attention to interpersonal dimensions of emotion regulation. Yet, few empirical investigations of the outcomes of interpersonal emotion regulation have been conducted. We propose that one negative affective outcome of received interpersonal emotion regulation of conceptual and practical interest is shame. In the present series of studies, participants from six, disparate samples were asked to report on experiences of receiving interpersonal emotion regulation using autobiographical recall and ecological sampling paradigms (total analyzed n = 1868; total analyzed k = 2515 instances of receiving interpersonal emotion regulation). We sought to quantify the frequency and distinctiveness of shame as an outcome of receiving interpersonal emotion regulation. We used an exploratory-confirmatory approach to identify robust and generalizable correlates of shame. We considered individual (e.g., trait external shame-proneness), situational (e.g., desire for regulation), relational (e.g., perceived closeness with the provider) and interaction-specific (e.g., perceptions of provider hostility) variables. Our results indicate that it is not uncommon for people to experience receiving interpersonal emotion regulation as shame-inducing, and these perceptions are distinct from their evaluations of the overall effectiveness of the interaction. The most robust correlates of shame across studies and samples were interaction-specific ratings of responsiveness and hostility, which were negatively and positively correlated with shame, respectively. We discuss the conceptual, methodological, and practical implications of these findings for studying interpersonal emotion regulation and shame.

How Do Scientists Know? Answering High School Students’ Questions with an Ecological Sampling Unit

What do animals eat? What animals are present in a habitat? How many animals are present? How was the habitat different years ago? How old is this animal? These are all questions that scientists want to answer. We know the answers to questions like these from data collected by scientists in a variety of ways. Science is evidence based, and conclusions are arrived at after multiple replicable experiments. Presented here are six ecological scenarios that demonstrate how scientists arrive at answers to population ecology questions. These lessons can be implemented as single activities that supplement a high school ecology or environmental science curricular unit or as a multiday rotation of stations in which students practice field sampling techniques used in population and community ecology, designed to answer ecological questions. Student scientists learn how to use indirect sampling methods to estimate abundance, density, age, and population size using mark–recapture, transects, and quadrats to model authentic field methods. They calculate species richness and biodiversity with a simplified Simpson’s diversity index and describe species age structure and distribution using tree rings, sheep horns, and camera trap images. Students also learn to display population data appropriately, graphing survivorship and richness vs. area and studying trophic pyramids.

Convergences and divergences between scientific and Indigenous and Local Knowledge contribute to inform carnivore conservation

There is increasing recognition that diverse knowledge systems can work in mutually enriching ways and that Indigenous and Local Knowledge (ILK) can enhance biodiversity conservation. However, studies using scientific knowledge and ILK in a complementary manner, and acknowledging convergent and especially divergent insights have remained limited. In this study, we contrasted proxies of abundances and trends of threatened and conflict-prone carnivores (caracal, cheetah, jackal, lion, leopard, spotted hyaena, striped hyaena) derived separately from scientific knowledge and ILK. We conducted camera trapping, track surveys and semi-structured interviews with local pastoralists from northern Kenya. We found convergences highlighting the need for conservation action and divergences suggesting scientific ecological sampling limitations or underlying socio-psychological phenomena. Overall, our study shows that complementing scientific knowledge and ILK as separate sources of information and opening up space for discrepancies can enrich our understanding of the status and trends of carnivores, as well as recognizing human-carnivore relationships.

“Beyond the Rink”: A Multilevel Analysis of Social Identity Behaviors Captured Using the Electronically Activated Recorder

This study used ecological sampling methods to examine associations between youth athletes’ experiences receiving and engaging in behaviors indicative of in-group ties, cognitive centrality, and in-group affect (i.e., social identity) during a 3-day competitive ice hockey tournament. Forty-five youth (Mage = 12.39 years; SDage = 1.14 years; 94% male) from nine teams wore an electronically activated recorder that captured brief (50-s) audio observations throughout the tournament. Participants also completed daily diary questionnaires for each day of competition. Multilevel structural equation modeling demonstrated that athletes were more likely to engage in behaviors indicative of in-group affect and cognitive centrality on days when they received as higher-than-average frequency of behaviors indicative of cognitive centrality from teammates, coaches, and parents. The findings suggest that when team members interact in ways that demonstrate they are thinking about their team, they influence fellow members to behave in ways that promote a sense of “us.”

Response to Kozlov et al.: Inaccurate estimation of biases in herbarium specimen data

SummaryKozlov and colleagues1 call into question the application of herbarium specimens to quantify historical patterns of herbivory2–5. It is already widely appreciated that collectors of herbarium specimens may tend to avoid insect damage, thus making herbivory estimates from herbarium specimens potentially down-biased2. However, Kozlov et al. additionally suggest that variation in sampling selectivity among collectors may misrepresent patterns of herbivory in nature. The authors sought to quantify these biases by collecting and contrasting insect herbivory data across 17 plant species from herbarium versus standard field ecological sampling procedures. They concluded that herbivory estimates from herbarium specimens are highly variable, rendering them an inaccurate representation of herbivory in nature. Our re-analysis of Kozlov et al.’s data, in contrast, reveals that herbarium specimens indeed provide a useful record of these symbioses. We demonstrate that Kozlov et al. were misled by analyzing comparisons derived from very few samples, which provide highly noisy estimates.

Environmental Interactions Between People And Birds In Semiarid Lands Of The Zapotitlán Valley, Central Mexico

Background: Birds have been among the most important element in lives of humans around the world, due to their presence and abundance in practically all ecosystems. Zapotitlán Salinas, a community of the Tehuacán Valley, has been a site of interest for studying ecology of bird communities, but no previous studies addressing the relationship between humans and birds have been conducted in the area. Based on their local knowledge, people of the area shape the use and conservation of local bird fauna diversity, which is being maintained or lost under the influence of factors like commerce, tourism, agriculture intensification or abandonment, public policies for conservation, environmental changes, among others. This study aims to analyze the patterns of interactions between humans and birds in a context of high biocultural diversity with a long history and facing the environmental and social challenges of semiarid areas.Methods: Ecological sampling for documenting bird species richness was conducted from November 2015 to May 2017 in three transects that included agroforestry systems, forests and fallow agricultural land. The method of counting by fixed radius points at 16 points within the study systems was used. Thirty in-depth interviews were conducted with local people who own land in the study areas by random sampling and choosing experts of Zapotitlán Salinas, Puebla, a semiarid natural protected area and, since 2019, recognized as Mixed World Heritage. Some visitors guides of the Helia Bravo Hollis Botanical Garden who are member of the community and local people who dedicated part of their time to catching birds were considered as local experts. They have experience in identifying birds through bird watching and listening bird songs, as well as their knowledge on behavior and habits of the bird species occurring in their locality. We in addition conducted free listing of bird species recognized by people and interviews on ecological aspects, forms of use and management of birds using a photographic catalog as visual stimulus. The following aspects were addressed with local people: i) the bird species of Zapotitlán recognized by them; ii) the biological, ecological and behavioral knowledge about these species; iii) the description of practices of use and management of these animals; iv) the perceived changes regarding presence and abundance of the wild birds recognized and v) the regulations of these practices and uses.Results: Through the ecological sampling, we identified 89 bird species, a number representing nearly 68% of all species reported for the Zapotitlán Valley. The species recorded belong to 61 genera, 26 families and 11 orders. Local people interviewed recognized 62 morphospecies occurring in their territory, and designated them with 50 local names. The interactions of local people with birds and the knowledge related to habitats and habits varied according to people’s daily life activities and the ways of inter-generational transmission of knowledge. The interactions identified respond to several motivations. The most intense are those of utilitarian nature (three types of use are recognized: nutritional, medicinal and ornamental), while other less notorious but equally relevant are those related to the awareness and conservation of biological diversity, and aesthetic appreciation of nature. Also relevant are those interactions shaped by the people’s worldview since some species are interpreted as climatic environmental predictors, amulets or omens.Conclusions: To understand the various human-bird environmental interactions, it is necessary not only to address the utilitarian assessment that species have in a specific place, but also those associated with cultural expressions and the connection between these aspects. Lifestyles, traditions and beliefs model intangible forms of use, such as the interpretation of climate predictors. Ancient roles of birds in local culture are ongoing, new demand of ornamental birds from cities influences catching activities but local and regional regulations have contributed to maintain them below a critical level.