Open-source Tools in R for Landscape Ecology

Purpose of Review Landscape ecology, the study of the complex interactions between landscapes and ecological processes, has hugely benefited from the increase in widely available open-source software in recent years. In particular, the R programming language provides a wealth of community developed tools for landscape ecology. Recent Findings In this paper, we examine existing packages for downloading, processing and visualisation of spatial data, as well as those specifically developed for spatial ecological analysis. Additionally, we outline the results of a survey of R users within the landscape ecology community. Summary We found that landscape ecologists are generally satisfied with the functionality available within R, and that as a community they are continually further developing the functionality available. Suggested future developments include improvement of computation performance; additional methods for landscape characterisation such as surface metrics; and advanced, accessible visualisation tools.

Responses of Vertebrate Wildlife to Oil and Natural Gas Development: Patterns and Frontiers

Purpose of Review Anthropogenic activities can lead to the loss, fragmentation, and alteration of wildlife habitats. I reviewed the recent literature (2014–2019) focused on the responses of avian, mammalian, and herpetofaunal species to oil and natural gas development, a widespread and still-expanding land use worldwide. My primary goals were to identify any generalities in species’ responses to development and summarize remaining gaps in knowledge. To do so, I evaluated the directionality of a wide variety of responses in relation to taxon, location, development type, development metric, habitat type, and spatiotemporal aspects. Recent Findings Studies (n = 70) were restricted to the USA and Canada, and taxonomically biased towards birds and mammals. Longer studies, but not those incorporating multiple spatial scales, were more likely to detect significant responses. Negative responses of all types were present in relatively low frequencies across all taxa, locations, development types, and development metrics but were context-dependent. The directionality of responses by the same species often varied across studies or development metrics. Summary The state of knowledge about wildlife responses to oil and natural gas development has developed considerably, though many biases and gaps remain. Studies outside of North America and that focus on herpetofauna are lacking. Tests of mechanistic hypotheses for effects, long-term studies, assessment of response thresholds, and experimental designs that isolate the effects of different stimuli associated with development, remain critical. Moreover, tests of the efficacy of habitat mitigation efforts have been rare. Finally, investigations of the demographic effects of development across the full annual cycle were absent for non-game species and are critical for the estimation of population-level effects.

Mismatches in the Ecosystem Services Literature—a Review of Spatial, Temporal, and Functional-Conceptual Mismatches

Purpose of Review The objective of this review is to identify commonly researched ecosystem service mismatches, including mismatches concerning management and policies implemented to manage ecosystem service delivery. It additionally discusses how mismatches affect the ability to develop effective policies and management guidelines for ecosystem services. Recent Findings Recent ecosystem service literature considers mismatches in the ecosystem, the social system, and as social-ecological interactions. These mismatches occur over three dimensions: spatial, temporal, and functional-conceptual. The research field incorporates not only ecological aspects but also social ones like the management and governance of ecosystem services. However, the focus of the reviewed literature is mainly on spatial and temporal dimensions of mismatches and the production of scientific knowledge, rather than the implementation of the knowledge in management and policies. Summary Research on ecosystem service mismatches reflects the complexity and interconnectedness of social-ecological systems as it encompasses a broad variety of approaches. However, temporal mismatches received less attention than spatial mismatches, especially in regard to social and social-ecological aspects and could be a topic for future research. Furthermore, in order to develop effective policies and management guidelines, research must work closer with decision-makers to not only advance scientific understanding of ecosystem service mismatches but also create understanding and support the uptake of this knowledge.

Consequences of Urban Living: Urbanization and Ground Beetles

Purpose of Review Urbanization is increasing worldwide, transforming environmental and habitat parameters, and causing adverse effects on organisms living in urban habitats. Urban studies on ground beetles are exponentially increasing and cover all levels of biological organization. Still, to date, there is no comprehensive paper reviewing the impacts of urbanization on ground beetles at different levels of biological organization. Recent Findings At the population level, urbanization induces changes in the morphological characters, including fluctuating asymmetry, physiological condition, behavioral characteristics, seasonal activity, population size, and genetic diversity in ground beetles. Different species groups (habitat specialists vs. generalists, large vs. small-sized species, poor vs. good dispersers, predators vs. herbivores) respond differently to urbanization. Community-level changes associated with urbanization include the abundance, taxonomic as well as functional diversity, community assembly mechanisms, composition, and body size distribution. At the ecosystem level, urbanization influences several ecosystem processes and functions related to ground beetles, but data are only available concerning the edge effect and predation. Summary Urbanization has a considerable effect at various levels of the biological organization on ground beetles living in urban habitats. However, results—especially at the population and community levels—show inconsistent patterns. This discrepancy may result from individual responses and different sensitivity of species to urbanization, suggesting the importance of individualistic and functional approach in future urban studies. To preserve a rich carabid diversity in urban areas, multi-scale greenspace planning and management schemes are needed; these will also ensure both the recreational and the diversity-preserving function of urban green spaces.