Ecology and Evolution最新文献

{"title":"The Historical Biogeography of Divergence in the Relict Cypress Chamaecyparis obtusa, and the Implications for Conservation and Management in East Asia","authors":"Takaki Aihara,&nbsp;Chih-Hsin Cheng,&nbsp;Chiou-Pin Chen,&nbsp;Chieh-Ting Wang,&nbsp;Kentaro Uchiyama,&nbsp;Daiki Takahashi,&nbsp;Yoshihisa Suyama,&nbsp;Yoshihiko Tsumura","doi":"10.1002/ece3.72240","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ece3.72240","url":null,"abstract":"<p>East Asia provides long-term stable refugia for relict plant species and supports high species richness. <i>Chamaecyparis obtusa</i> is a typical relict species that is now restricted to particularly warm, humid areas in East Asia, mainland Japan, and Taiwan. It is widely used for timber, and understanding its genetic characteristics within its natural range is important for appropriate management and conservation. This study used genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to examine the historical biogeography as well as genetic characteristics of <i>C. obtusa</i> populations across its distribution range. High levels of genetic divergence were found between mainland Japan and Taiwan (0.673–0.717 <i>F</i>_ST). The initial divergence occurred around 1 million years ago (Ma) based on a neighbor-joining tree and 1.32 Ma (with a 95% confidence interval of 0.20–2.54 Ma) based on a DIYABC analysis, during the early Pleistocene when the land bridge connecting mainland Japan and Taiwan collapsed. Populations in mainland Japan exhibited higher genetic diversity, suggesting frequent gene flow and past population expansions. Within mainland Japan, both northern and southern marginal populations exhibited high levels of genetic distinctness and are considered to represent past refugia from the last glacial period. The populations in Taiwan exhibited lower genetic differentiation, even though infrequent gene flow was seen between them. All the <i>C. obtusa</i> populations studied exhibited random mating based on <i>F</i>_IS values, and continuous conservation of restricted areas is indicated. The highly divergent populations emphasize the need for conservation, and seedling transfers between the different genetic clusters identified are not recommended.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12483943/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145211863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Distribution, Diversity, and Indicator Species of Coral Communities Under the Influence of Environmental Changes in the Subtropical Peninsula of Southern China","authors":"Dong-Hai Wu,&nbsp;Li-Yong Miao,&nbsp;Yong-Duo Song,&nbsp;Sai Wang,&nbsp;Tuan-Tuan Wang,&nbsp;Hui-Long Ou,&nbsp;Jia Xie,&nbsp;Yang Zhang,&nbsp;Cong-Cong Jin,&nbsp;Wen-Tong Xia,&nbsp;Naimat Ullah,&nbsp;Kai-Dian Zhang,&nbsp;Shi-Quan Chen,&nbsp;Hai-Long Zhou,&nbsp;Kuan-Song Wang","doi":"10.1002/ece3.72212","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ece3.72212","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Coral reefs are among the most biodiverse and economically important marine ecosystems worldwide. Recently, these ecosystems have faced threats and degradation from multiple factors. In particular, coral species living at the edges of subtropical zones are important “barometers” for indicating the global boundaries of coral communities. From 2023 to 2024, we investigated the coral species composition and coverage surrounding the Dapeng Peninsula, which is located at the northern edge of the subtropical zone, and explored the influence of environmental factors on the coral community structure. Fifty-one species belonging to 20 genera and 13 families were identified in five habitats (conservation, wind-wave, tourist, fishery, and pristine areas) across three seasons. Owing to rapid urbanization and global warming, the dominant coral species shifted from branching types, which are essential reef-builders for creating structural substrates, to clumping types, which are more adaptable to environmental pressures. Notably, compared with the first report four decades ago, our current results demonstrated that coral coverage around the Dapeng Peninsula declined at an approximate rate of 0.54% per year from 1983 to 2023. Redundancy correspondence analysis revealed that substrate type, especially rock and dead coral skeletons, nitrogen and phosphorus levels, suspended particulate matter, chemical oxygen demand, and water transparency were key environmental factors that significantly (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) influenced the distribution of coral species. The lowest diversity of coral communities was recorded in fishery and wind-wave areas, where intense human disturbance and harsh natural environments limit the survival of sensitive coral species. In contrast, owing to stable hydrological conditions, shallow sunlit water, and diverse substrate types, coral biodiversity was the highest in the pristine habitat. Accordingly, the coral indicator species varied from <i>Pavona decussata</i> in the conservation area to <i>Platygyra carnosus</i> in the wind-wave area, to <i>Montipora peltiformis</i> and <i>Leptastrea purpurea</i> in the tourist area, to <i>Turbinaria peltata, Porites deformi</i>, <i>Goniopora columna</i>, and <i>Goniopora lobata</i> in the pristine area, while no indicator species were found in the fishery area. The distribution and coverage of these indicator species can effectively reflect the extent of human disturbance to local habitats. In the future, it will be important to conduct real-time monitoring of coral community characteristics around the Dapeng Peninsula to determine environmental changes in subtropical marine zones, providing insights into the response of global coral communities to anthropogenic disturbances and climate change.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12483839/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145211815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prediction of Potential Distribution of Seven Plant Species of Aster (Asteraceae) Based on MaxEnt Model","authors":"Jinping Qin,&nbsp;Yanlong Wang,&nbsp;Xiaoli Wang,&nbsp;Yuan Ma,&nbsp;Ying Liu,&nbsp;Yushou Ma","doi":"10.1002/ece3.71931","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ece3.71931","url":null,"abstract":"<p><i>Aster</i> (Asteraceae) species as one of the traditional Tibetan medicinal plants in China have high useful medicinal and unique ornamental value; the market demand has been gradually increasing. In this study, seven species of <i>Aster</i> were selected from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the MaxEnt model was used to investigate their potential distribution in China and the changes in their suitable habitat under future climate conditions based on the current survey and distribution data of specimens on the site and six to eight environmental variables. The results showed that temperature and precipitation were important limiting factors affecting the distribution of <i>Aster</i>, and Bio2, Bio3, and Bio10 were common environmental factors influencing the factors of <i>Aster</i> species. Under the current climate, the mainly potential distributed region of the seven <i>Aster</i> species in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau exists. Under projected future climate scenarios, the suitable habitats of <i>A. asteroides</i> and <i>A. diplostephioides</i> will shrink significantly, while those of <i>A. farreri</i>, <i>A. poliothamnus</i>, <i>A. souliei</i>, <i>A. tongolensis</i>, and <i>A. yunnanensis</i> var. <i>labrangensis</i> will expand accordingly. Environmental factors provide a large gain in predicting the distribution of <i>Aster</i> species. Among the environmental variables, isothermality (Bio3) induced the largest impact on SDM and contained the most useful information for <i>A. diplostephioides</i> (55.9%), <i>A. souliei</i> (41.5%) and <i>A. yunnanensis</i> var. <i>labrangensis</i> (27.1%), while <i>A. tongolensis</i> (27.9%) and <i>A. poliothamnus</i> (26.8%) were more significantly affected by the temperature seasonality (Bio4); <i>A. asteroides</i> (66.3%) and <i>A. farreri</i> (21%) were more significantly affected by the mean temperature of the warmest quarter (Bio10). The study findings suggest that the distribution range of seven species of <i>Aster</i> will be greatly impacted by climate change. This research helps identify the limiting factors affecting the natural distribution and potential suitable areas for <i>Aster</i> species, which can inform conservation efforts, plant introduction, acclimatization, domestication, and cultivation of <i>Aster</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12483838/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145212084","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Floral Roles in Hummingbirds-Mediated Indirect Plant Interactions in Tropical Andean Communities","authors":"Ann Frías-Romero,&nbsp;Boris A. Tinoco,&nbsp;Bryan G. Rojas,&nbsp;Ariana Vélez,&nbsp;Samara Zeas-Bermeo,&nbsp;Catherine H. Graham","doi":"10.1002/ece3.72200","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ece3.72200","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In pollination networks, indirect plant–plant interactions mediated by their shared pollinators can shape community dynamics and species fitness; yet, the influence of floral traits on species roles remains unclear, particularly in diverse ecosystems like the tropical Andes. We studied hummingbird-mediated interactions among 31 flowering plants in three high-elevation shrubby habitats located in southern Ecuador. During August and November 2022, and January 2023, we collected stigma samples and constructed weighted interaction networks linked by heterospecific pollen grains. Species roles were determined by defining if they were donors or receivers of pollen, measured by node degree out and node degree in, respectively. We also explored the association between the abundance of flowers and different floral traits and species roles. Finally, we assessed the potential influence of floral roles on species fitness by calculating the ratio of conspecific-to-heterospecific pollen grains observed in each species. We found that the identity of donor and receiver species was highly dynamic across habitats and time. Receiver species were characterized by being highly abundant, while donor species presented high levels of nectar production. Receiver species received more heterospecific pollen than conspecific pollen, indicating that the pollen-sharing roles of species could have fitness consequences. Our findings highlight the importance of some floral traits and abundance in shaping floral roles and their potential fitness consequences in hummingbird-mediated indirect interactions.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12483984/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145212159","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Potential Distribution Prediction and Metabolite Analysis of Clematis tangutica(Maxim.) Korsh. On the Qinghai Plateau","authors":"Haiwang Zhang,&nbsp;Xiaozhu Guo,&nbsp;Xiaoqiang Wei,&nbsp;Lihui Wang,&nbsp;Qiwen Zhong,&nbsp;Xuemei Sun","doi":"10.1002/ece3.72110","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ece3.72110","url":null,"abstract":"<p><i>Clematis tangutica(Maxim.) Korsh</i>. is an ornamental and medicinal plant endemic to the Central and East Asian plateaus. To comprehensively understand the natural habitat distribution and potential medicinal value of <i>C. tangutica</i> on the Qinghai Plateau, this study employed the MaxEnt model to predict its potential habitat distribution on the Qinghai Plateau and assess the impacts of climate change. Leaf metabolites from five different altitudes were analyzed using UPLC-MS/MS to explore variations in metabolite accumulation. The results showed that the environmental variables exerting the greatest influence on the potential suitable distribution of <i>C. tangutica</i> were UV-B seasonality (uvb2, percent contribution: 44.4%) and elevation (elev, percent contribution: 28.9%). High and moderately suitable habitats were mainly distributed in eastern, central, and southern Qinghai, covering a total of 299,300 km². Under future climate change scenarios, the total suitable habitat area is expected to decrease, with more significant reductions under high-emission pathways. Metabolomic analysis identified 1362 metabolites, including flavonoids, amino acids and derivatives, phenolic acids, alkaloids, and terpenoids, with the highest accumulation occurring at altitudes between 2500 and 3500 m. Notably, key bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids and phenolic acids, were enriched at higher elevations, suggesting a strong link between environmental stress and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. These findings provide new insights into the ecological adaptability and medicinal potential of <i>C. tangutica</i>, highlighting its role as a model species for understanding plant-environment interactions in extreme habitats.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12483990/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145212120","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Different Data for Different Goals: Exploring Trade-Offs and Synergies in the Use of Spatial Data Inputs to Optimize Conservation Action in Sagebrush Ecosystems","authors":"Jessica E. Shyvers,&nbsp;Bryan C. Tarbox,&nbsp;Adrian P. Monroe,&nbsp;Nicholas J. Van Lanen,&nbsp;Benjamin S. Robb,&nbsp;Erin K. Buchholtz,&nbsp;Courtney J. Duchardt,&nbsp;David R. Edmunds,&nbsp;Michael S. O'Donnell,&nbsp;Nathan D. Van Schmidt,&nbsp;Julie A. Heinrichs,&nbsp;Cameron L. Aldridge","doi":"10.1002/ece3.72214","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ece3.72214","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Ecosystems worldwide continue to experience rapid rates of habitat and species loss. Management actions to conserve and restore functional habitats are needed to reduce these declines, but funding and resources for such actions are limited. Spatial conservation prioritization (SCP) can facilitate strategic decision-making for targeted conservation planning and delivery, but complexities arise when management objectives include multiple wildlife species and ecological or management constraints, all of which can be further complicated by data uncertainty and existing conservation plans. The Prioritizing Restoration of Sagebrush Ecosystems Tool (PReSET), an R package-based decision-support tool, supports strategic ecosystem management planning across the sagebrush biome by using SCP. We adapted PReSET to better address the needs of multiple wildlife species, evaluate the effects of different ecological or management constraints on conservation outcomes, assess the influence of data uncertainty, and integrate existing conservation plans. Specifically, we developed optimization problems to identify priority sagebrush protection and restoration across the state of Wyoming, USA, and evaluated the efficacy and trade-offs of various approaches to problem design. We evaluated trade-offs in targeting multiple species compared to a single species, including using greater sage-grouse as a potential umbrella species to benefit other sagebrush-dependent wildlife. We then evaluated multi-species protection and restoration problems aimed at minimizing the risks of inadequate connectivity, climate change, and restoration failure, and accounted for data uncertainty to assess relationships between risk aversion of managers and conservation outcomes. We also developed optimization problems within conservation areas identified by an existing sagebrush conservation plan to evaluate the efficacy of guiding local-scale conservation delivery within more broadly defined conservation areas. Our results demonstrate how SCP methods can leverage novel spatial data to develop targeted decision-support resources that can facilitate landscape conservation planning and improve management outcomes across a wide array of systems and species.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12483841/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145212126","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Large Carnivores Persisting in a Human-Dominated Landscape: Suitable Habitat and Connectivity for Asiatic Black Bears in China","authors":"Jiale Cheng,&nbsp;Weicheng Zheng,&nbsp;Xiaohua Guo,&nbsp;Yu Wang,&nbsp;Yu Zhou,&nbsp;Shanshan Zhao,&nbsp;Xiao Song,&nbsp;Aichun Xu","doi":"10.1002/ece3.72181","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ece3.72181","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study examined the connectivity between the current suitable habitat and the core habitat for Asiatic black bears (<i>Ursus thibetanus</i>) in human-dominated landscapes and aimed to provide a basis for future conservation strategies for black bear populations in China. We collected occurrence locations (<i>N</i> = 130) of Asiatic black bears from 2014 to 2023, with data sources spanning 12 provincial administrative regions and covering an area of about 3,010,000 km². We predicted the distribution of suitable habitats for Asiatic black bears via the MaxEnt species distribution model using a combination of multiple environmental variables such as topography, vegetation, climate, and anthropogenic disturbances. We performed habitat corridor planning by using the least-cost path model and circuit theory. The results suggested that (1) Asiatic black bears have a marked preference for mountainous environments with middle and high altitude (&gt; 1000 m), high amounts of precipitation (&gt; 200 mm), and dense vegetation, and they generally avoid areas of anthropogenic disturbance. (2) The suitable habitats for Asiatic black bears showed a highly fragmented pattern, mainly concentrated along the borders of Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, and Jiangxi (the Zhe–Gan Region), the borders of Guangxi, Guangdong, and Hunan (the Hu–Guang Region), and the borders of Shaanxi, Chongqing, Hubei, Guizhou, and Sichuan (the Chuan–Shaan Region). Of the predicted 372,483 km² of suitable habitat, only 23.65% is currently covered by protected and conserved areas. (3) A comprehensive landscape connectivity analysis identified 79 core habitat patches encompassing a total area of 33,257 km². Notably, only 29.29% of these patches are currently under protection. Furthermore, we delineated 79 potential least-cost paths, each with an average length of 43.66 km, and identified pinch points along these pathways that could impede connectivity. To ensure the long-term survival of Asiatic black bear populations, we recommend enhancing the protection and restoration efforts for the three core habitats and their associated potential connectivity pathways.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12483940/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145212138","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seasonal Dynamics of Benthic Macroinvertebrate Community Assembly in a Subtropical Monsoon-Driven Mountain Stream","authors":"Yihao Ge,&nbsp;Yan Xue,&nbsp;Ke Chen,&nbsp;Zhiwen Gan,&nbsp;Ke Xu,&nbsp;Changrui Zhao,&nbsp;Yuzhou Zhang,&nbsp;Yunzhi Yan","doi":"10.1002/ece3.72109","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ece3.72109","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Seasonal variation in community assembly influences biodiversity patterns, yet its dynamics under monsoon-driven hydrology remain underexplored in subtropical mountain streams. We applied the Elements of Metacommunity Structure (EMS) framework and variation partitioning to assess seasonal shifts in benthic macroinvertebrate communities across dry, normal, and wet phases in a subtropical monsoon-driven mountain stream. Assembly patterns transitioned from Quasi-Clementsian (dry season) to Clementsian (normal flow) and Nested structure (wet season). Deterministic environmental filtering—mediated by water temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, water depth, and flow velocity—dominated during dry and intermediate phases. Conversely, stochastic dispersal (mass effects) prevailed during high-flow monsoon periods, driven by enhanced connectivity. By quantifying the hierarchical balance between deterministic and stochastic drivers, our study advances understanding of how hydrological seasonality structures metacommunities. These findings underscore the importance of integrating intra-annual hydrological variability into stream biodiversity assessments and management frameworks.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12483986/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145211676","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Elephant Movement Data Provides Insights Into Conservation Challenges and Successes in the Ruaha–Rungwa Landscape","authors":"Ramadhan Juma,&nbsp;Alfred Kikoti,&nbsp;Kristen D. Snyder,&nbsp;Eivin Røskaft,&nbsp;Peter S. Ranke,&nbsp;Han Olff,&nbsp;Alex Lobora,&nbsp;Godwell Ole Meing'ataki,&nbsp;Michael H. Kimaro","doi":"10.1002/ece3.72197","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ece3.72197","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The African savannah elephant (<i>Loxodonta africana</i>) is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. The Ruaha–Rungwa ecosystem supports Tanzania's largest elephant population and remains a critical yet understudied stronghold for elephant conservation in East Africa. Effective conservation in this ecosystem requires understanding elephant movements across large landscapes and varying levels of disturbance. This study addressed the gap by utilizing GPS-satellite tracking of 28 elephants over a 4-year period in Tanzania's Ruaha–Rungwa ecosystem. It examined their home ranges and movement patterns inside and outside protected areas and identified key elephant hotspots. The findings aim to improve conservation strategies and mitigate human–elephant conflicts through better habitat management and protection efforts. The study found no significant difference between home range estimates from Minimum Convex Polygon and Adaptive Kernel Density Estimation, with 28 collared elephants averaging 2536 km² at the 99% isopleth. Home range size varied by age and season but not by sex. Elephants moved faster at night in less protected areas during both wet and dry seasons. Population-level habitat use was similar across protection levels. Village lands in western Rungwa Game Reserve and its surrounding areas, as well as the eastern regions outside Ruaha National Park, served as key refuge sites during the wet season. Findings suggest elephants in the Ruaha–Rungwa ecosystem require vast areas, with adjacent lands playing a crucial role in their survival. High elephant activity in village lands within the western Rungwa Game Reserve and Lunda-Mkwambi Game Controlled Area highlights the potential for human–elephant conflict, emphasizing the need to reopen the wildlife corridor for linking Ruaha–Rungwa and Rukwa–Katavi ecosystems. This study offered crucial insights into elephant movement and behavior in a landscape increasingly shaped by human–elephant conflict and habitat fragmentation, informing strategies for connectivity, land-use planning, and coexistence.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12484299/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145212141","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hadal Snailfishes (Teleostei: Liparidae) Extend Across Multiple Trenches: Molecular Insights and Implications for Taxonomic Nomenclature","authors":"Paige J. Maroni,&nbsp;Johanna N. J. Weston,&nbsp;Hiroshi Kitazato,&nbsp;Alan J. Jamieson","doi":"10.1002/ece3.71779","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ece3.71779","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The hadal zone, Earth's deepest oceanic region, is defined by distinct geological features and hosts a variety of endemic species, including the Liparidae Gill, 1861 (snailfishes). Ecological understanding of snailfishes dwelling at depths greater than 6000 m remains limited due to challenges in physical specimen collection and preservation. This study employs molecular tools to assess the phylogenetic relationships and distribution patterns of hadal snailfishes by analyzing three mitochondrial DNA markers (<i>16S, Cyt-B, COI</i>) and incorporates 20 new specimens from the Japan and Tonga trenches (Pacific Ocean) and the Diamantina Fracture Zone (Indian Ocean). The phylogenetic hypotheses and species delimitation assessments were tested among a framework of six taxonomic units —<i>Pseudoliparis swirei</i> Gerringer and Linley, 2017, <i>Pseudoliparis belyaevi</i> Andriashev and Pitruk, 1993, <i>Notoliparis kermadecensis</i> Nielsen, 1964, <i>Notoliparis stewarti</i> Stein, 2016, and <i>Paraliparis selti</i> Linley, Gerringer, and Canto-Hernández, 2022. The results revealed wider geographic distributions than previously thought, particularly for <i>Notoliparis</i> c.f. <i>stewarti</i>. Further, the molecular data support the hypothesis that <i>Notoliparis</i> Andriashev, 1975 should be treated as a subjective junior synonym of <i>Pseudoliparis</i> Andriashev, 1955. Our findings do emphasize the challenges and limitations of using DNA barcoding solely to distinguish closely related or recently diverged species. Together, this study advances the biogeographic understanding of hadal snailfishes and highlights the importance of expanding sampling efforts.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12479125/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145198850","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}