Ecosphere最新文献

{"title":"Is macroinvertebrate habitat use driven by the cascading effects of a native polychaete and a non-native alga?","authors":"Alexander W. Mott,&nbsp;April M. H. Blakeslee,&nbsp;Stacy A. Krueger-Hadfield,&nbsp;Amy E. Fowler","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70204","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70204","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Introductions of novel ecosystem engineers to our estuaries and coasts are often associated with strong impacts on the environment, with some species altering community and behavioral interactions, especially when part of a cascading interaction. In some US Mid-Atlantic soft-sediment mudflats adjacent to salt marshes, the native predatory polychaete <i>Diopatra cuprea</i> preferentially decorates its mucus tube with the invasive red alga <i>Gracilaria vermiculophylla</i>. This may be due to a facilitation cascade between these species, possibly increasing the availability of invertebrate prey for <i>D. cuprea</i>. To determine the effects of the facilitation of <i>Gr. vermiculophylla</i> by <i>D. cuprea</i> on invertebrates associated with algae, we compared communities inhabiting <i>Gr. vermiculophylla</i> and <i>Ulva</i> spp. decorations using a field manipulation experiment. Additionally, we tested invertebrate habitat use in the laboratory with a microcosm choice experiment. In the field, the interaction between site, algal species, and worm presence drove macroinvertebrate species richness and abundance, with a pattern of higher species richness on <i>D. cuprea</i> tubes with <i>Gr. vermiculophylla</i> decorations, and a pattern of higher abundance on <i>Ulva</i> spp. decorations when <i>D. cuprea</i> was absent. In the laboratory, the abundant amphipod species <i>Gammarus mucronatus</i> associated with <i>Gr. vermiculophylla</i> over <i>Ulva</i> spp. regardless of <i>D. cuprea</i> presence. Our study indicates that algal species is only one of multiple factors that structure macroinvertebrate community composition, while laboratory trials suggested that specific invertebrates may show a preference for certain algae. This work highlights the complex interactions between native and non-native species and their associated communities, which may incur facilitation cascades as a result of novel or changing species interactions.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70204","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143827057","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Heatwaves cause relative fitness decline in aquatic insects by altering life history and host–pathogen relationships","authors":"Sarah A. Taig,&nbsp;Galen Holt,&nbsp;Georgia K. Dwyer,&nbsp;Rebecca E. Lester","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70241","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70241","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Extreme climatic events are linked to an increase in emergent diseases. Such increases depend on the relationships between environmental conditions and host–parasite dynamics. Caddisflies host the oomycete <i>Saprolegnia</i>, which has increased in prevalence in freshwater systems and causes mortality in caddisflies, most prominently <i>Ulmerochorema rubiconum</i>. We tested how short (12 h) or longer (21 days) heatwaves (22.5°C water temperature) alter <i>U. rubiconum</i> hatching and <i>Saprolegnia</i> infection in eggs compared to no heatwave (i.e., ongoing low temperatures at 12.5°C). Short and longer heatwaves yielded similarly elevated infection probability compared to no heatwaves. A longer heatwave shortened the egg period significantly compared to a short heatwave or no heatwaves. As short heatwaves increased infection probability and resulted in longer egg durations than longer heatwaves, they could pose a greater risk to caddisfly populations than the longer heatwaves. Population modeling demonstrates how this hatching-infection trade-off determines the effect of heatwaves on population growth rates. Predicted increases in heatwave frequency and magnitude increased the likelihood that eggs would experience conditions favorable for infection, potentially disrupting caddisfly populations and ecosystem functioning. Similar asymmetric impacts of climate on ecological relationships are likely common and may yield important population outcomes. The responses of hosts and pathogens to change must be studied in unison, rather than individual components in isolation.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70241","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143818393","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Simulated climate change impacts health, growth, photosynthesis, and reproduction of high-elevation epiphytic lichens","authors":"Fiona Ruth Worthy,&nbsp;Douglas Allen Schaefer,&nbsp;Stefanie D. Goldberg,&nbsp;Dhanushka Wanasinghe,&nbsp;Hui Li Li,&nbsp;Vinodhini Thiyagaraja,&nbsp;Jian Chu Xu,&nbsp;Li Song Wang,&nbsp;Xin Yu Wang","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70224","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70224","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Epiphytic lichens are especially threatened by accelerated climatic change at high elevations. All lichens are sensitive to atmospheric conditions. Treelines constrain epiphyte ability to migrate upward to follow suitable conditions. Thus, acclimation to changing conditions will likely determine their survival. To simulate lichen response to climate change, we conducted a translocation field experiment in three regions of the trans-Himalayas. Translocation of thalli to lower elevations simulated future increased temperatures, reduced relative humidity, and increased vapor pressure deficit. We hypothesized that this would decrease initial establishment, growth rates, reproduction, photosynthetic pigments, and photosynthesis, but that lichens might alternatively acclimate or shift life history strategies. The study species comprised three fruticose and six foliose species with regional medicinal or culinary uses. <i>Dolichousnea longissima</i> is also crucial for the endangered, endemic, lichenivorous monkey: <i>Rhinopithecus bieti</i>. We found some support for each hypothesis, but high interspecific, intraspecific, and regional variability. Host tree associations and bark pH impacted lichens, but microclimate variables were more important. Increased winter temperatures were most influential at the highest elevation region, whereas reduced relative humidity was most important at mid-elevations. Increased vapor pressure deficit was beneficial to <i>Do. longissima</i> but detrimental to four species. Life history strategy switching occurred for both <i>Sulcaria sulcata</i> (beginning apothecia production in younger thalli) and <i>Dendriscosticta hookeri</i> (faster growth, but delayed apothecia production). The prime beneficiary of simulated climate change was <i>Do. longissima</i>, which had faster growth, healthier thalli, and increased photosynthetic pigments. The worst outcomes were for <i>Hypogymnia flavida</i>. After harvesting translocated specimens, we measured carbon exchange rates under laboratory conditions. All species increased photosynthetic rates at increased CO₂ concentrations, but temperature impacts were variable. The extent of photosynthetic acclimation varied with the degree of temperature increase. Conservation of intact mature forest habitat in high-elevation regions will be crucial for the performance of these epiphytic lichens.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70224","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143786958","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Differential vulnerability of key threatened mammals to climate and land cover changes in the Central Himalayas","authors":"Arjun Thapa,&nbsp;Suraj Baral,&nbsp;Rabin Bahadur K. C.,&nbsp;Rajan Prasad Paudel,&nbsp;Gokarn Jung Thapa,&nbsp;Hari Basnet,&nbsp;Rima G. C.,&nbsp;Kapil Khanal,&nbsp;Maheshwar Dhakal,&nbsp;Shanta Raj Jnawali,&nbsp;Kanchan Thapa,&nbsp;Laxman Khanal","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70242","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70242","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Anthropogenic climate change affects biological diversity by altering their suitable habitat ranges. The Himalayan region is one of the world's most sensitive biodiversity hotspots to global climate change. The Chitwan Annapurna Landscape (CHAL) in the central Himalayas serves as a vital north–south linkage among the protected areas in central Nepal and provides suitable habitats for threatened mammals in different ecological zones, such as snow leopards (in the alpine zone), Himalayan red panda (in the temperate zone), and one-horned rhinoceros (in the lowland tropical zone). The biodiversity of CHAL is threatened by climate change and land use alterations. This study assessed the potential impacts of climate and land cover changes on the above three key threatened mammals in CHAL by employing maximum entropy (MaxEnt) modeling to predict the current potential habitat and project it for future climate change scenarios under different greenhouse gas concentrations. Further, we used the cellular automata and Markov Chain models to simulate and predict the temporal and spatial changes in land cover of CHAL. Our results indicate that the snow leopard and Himalayan red panda will experience more significant vulnerability than the one-horned rhinoceros in all future climate scenarios. Approximately 36.3% and 41.8% of the suitable habitat of the snow leopard and 32.5% and 56% of the Himalayan red panda in CHAL are projected to be lost in 2050 and 2070, respectively, under representative concentration pathway (RCP6.0). Climate refugia, representing areas of suitable habitat for 2070 (under the RCP6.0) in CHAL, are projected to cover 958 km² (80.37% of the current range), 1052 km² (43.73% of the current range), and 2375 km² (58.21% of the current range) for one-horned rhinoceros, Himalayan red panda, and snow leopard, respectively. Among the land cover attributes in CHAL, snow cover is predicted to decrease by 24% in 2070. Our findings indicate that species inhabiting alpine and temperate environments are more susceptible to human-induced climate change than those inhabiting lowland tropical areas. These findings will help to implement the adaptation actions that are crucial to addressing future conservation challenges arising from climate and land cover change.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70242","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143793748","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Scaling flowering onset and duration responses among species predicts phenological community reassembly under warming","authors":"Tadeo H. Ramirez-Parada,&nbsp;Isaac W. Park,&nbsp;Sydne Record,&nbsp;Charles C. Davis,&nbsp;Susan J. Mazer","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70070","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70070","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Global warming has caused widespread shifts in plant phenology among species in the temperate zone, but it is unclear how population-level responses will scale to alter the structure of the flowering season at the community level. This knowledge gap exists largely because—while the climatic sensitivity of first flowering within populations has been studied extensively—little is known about the responsiveness of the duration of a population's flowering period. This limits our ability to anticipate how the entire flowering periods of co-occurring species may continue to change under warming. Nonetheless, flowering sensitivity to temperature often varies predictably among species between and within communities, which may help forecast temperature-related changes to a community's flowering season. However, no studies—empirical or theoretical—have assessed how patterns of variation in flowering sensitivity among species could scale to alter community-level flowering changes under warming. Here, we provide a conceptual overview of how variation in the sensitivity of flowering onset and duration among species can mediate changes to a community's flowering season due to warming trends. Specifically, we focus on the effects of differences in (1) the mean sensitivity of flowering onset and duration among communities and (2) the sensitivity of flowering onsets and durations among species flowering sequentially through the season within a community. We evaluated the manner and degree in which these forms of between-species variation in sensitivity might affect the structure of the flowering season—both independently and interactively—using simulations, which covered a wide but empirically informed range of parameter values and combinations representing distinct community-level patterns. Our findings predict that communities across the temperate zone will exhibit varied and often contrasting flowering responses to warming across biomes, underscoring that accounting for the temperature sensitivity of both phenological onset and duration among species is essential for understanding community-level flowering dynamics in a warming world.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70070","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143717025","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating the robustness of generalized additive models as a tool for threshold detection in variable environments","authors":"A. Raine Detmer,&nbsp;Eric J. Ward,&nbsp;Mary E. Hunsicker,&nbsp;Kelly S. Andrews,&nbsp;Michele Conrad,&nbsp;Bridget E. Ferriss,&nbsp;Elliott L. Hazen,&nbsp;Kirstin K. Holsman,&nbsp;Julia Indivero,&nbsp;Scott I. Large,&nbsp;Michael Malick,&nbsp;Kristin N. Marshall,&nbsp;Stuart H. Munsch,&nbsp;Kiva L. Oken,&nbsp;William H. Satterthwaite,&nbsp;S. Kalei Shotwell,&nbsp;Andrew R. Thompson,&nbsp;Jameal F. Samhouri","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70117","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70117","url":null,"abstract":"<p>As global climate change and anthropogenic activities amplify widespread environmental variability, there is a strong need for management strategies that incorporate relationships between ecosystem components. This need is especially apparent when changes in environmental drivers cause threshold responses (abrupt, nonlinear changes) in ecosystems. Such ecological thresholds can provide useful reference points for management decisions. However, methods for detecting thresholds in empirical datasets may fail to find an existing threshold, find one that does not exist, or be biased in their estimates of threshold locations. These types of threshold misspecifications can result in high conservation and socioeconomic costs. Simulation studies can mitigate these risks by providing information about method performance across different scenarios. Here, we constructed a series of simulations to evaluate the robustness of threshold detection with generalized additive models (GAMs) when exposed to a variety of common, real-world data characteristics. GAMs generally performed best when time series were long, observation error was low, thresholds were crossed fairly frequently, and covariates were accounted for. Over realistic ranges of values, observation error and frequency of threshold crossing had stronger effects on threshold detectability than time series length. Importantly, detectability was found to depend on both the shape of the threshold relationship and the statistical definition of the threshold location. As a case study, we applied this threshold detection method to an empirical dataset relating ocean temperature and the spatial distribution of Pacific hake (<i>Merluccius productus</i>), the largest volume fishery on the US West Coast. While the data suggest no statistical evidence for a threshold relationship, our simulations indicated approximately equal chances of true and false threshold detection given currently available data. Our results provide general guidelines for where threshold detection with GAMs is likely to be robust and are useful in the context of indicator development for ecosystem-based management in a variable world.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70117","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143717381","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Distributed urban forest patch sampling detects edge effects and woodland condition for monitoring and management","authors":"Matthew Baker,&nbsp;Ian Yesilonis,&nbsp;Laura Templeton,&nbsp;Beatriz Shobe,&nbsp;Jaelyn Bos,&nbsp;Nancy F. Sonti,&nbsp;Katherine Lautar","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70236","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70236","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Urban forest patches, including woodland interiors and bounding edge habitat, result from secondary succession and fragmentation of more extensive forested landscapes in the eastern United States. Management regimes, surrounding land use, and successional processes lead to distinct environments and contribute to local and regional heterogeneity. However, many woodlands are degraded due to frequent disturbance, aggressive exotic species, and heavy browsing, which stress canopies, reduce regeneration, and may reduce ecosystem services. Effective management requires rapid, repeatable assessment of forest composition, structure, and condition at the scale of local decision-making. We present and apply a protocol for characterizing urban woodlands that generates new insight into the status of urban woodlands and baseline data for change detection over time. Samples of overstory composition, ground cover, surface soil measurements, and the Schumacher Vine Encroachment Index were collected at 845 points across each of 47 patches across Baltimore, Maryland. Simple citywide summaries allowed characterization of Baltimore's urban overstories as overwhelmingly native, though dominated by a range of successional conditions. By contrast, we found that ground layers were predominantly exotic, with abundant invasives or ruderal native species benefiting from disturbed conditions. Seven overstory types were distinguished, the majority under threat from aggressive vines. Most soils showed little evidence of compaction, but variable organic content. Distributed data allowed cross-patch comparison as well as within-patch analyses along edge-to-interior gradients. Species diversity, nativity, and overstory basal area all increased toward woodland interiors, whereas soil compaction and vine encroachment decreased. Structural and compositional shifts in both overstory and ground layer species revealed indicators of edge (15.2–18.7 m) and interior (&gt;41.5 m) conditions, as well as evidence of transitional zones with distinct patterns of biodiversity. Despite high levels of fragmentation and disturbance that challenge municipal land managers operating with limited resources, rapid, low-cost sampling enabled comparison across multiple scales, encouraging repeated sampling and adaptive response to changing forest conditions. Qualitative and quantitative analysis as well as specific examples illustrated the generic utility of the protocol for a range of applications and its ability to produce new insight enabling management action and informed conservation planning.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70236","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143717427","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Limited directional change in mountaintop plant communities over 19 years in western North America","authors":"Kaleb A. Goff,&nbsp;Meagan F. Oldfather,&nbsp;Jan Nachlinger,&nbsp;Brian V. Smithers,&nbsp;Michael J. Koontz,&nbsp;Catie Bishop,&nbsp;Jim Bishop,&nbsp;Mary T. Burke,&nbsp;Seema N. Sheth","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70197","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70197","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Plant communities on mountain summits are commonly long-lived, cold-adapted perennials with low dispersal ability. These characteristics in tandem with limited area to track suitable conditions make these mountain communities potentially highly vulnerable to climate change, and indicators of climate change impacts. We investigated temporal changes in plant communities on 29 arid mountain summits across eight study regions in California and Nevada, USA, over 19 years. We analyzed community dynamics in terms of species richness, turnover, gain and loss of functional groups, and relative abundance of functional groups. First, across all summits and regions, we found no change in species richness over time. Second, there was relatively high species turnover (21.7%) between the five-year survey intervals, but turnover was not significantly different from random expectation. Within functional groups, forbs had the greatest proportion of gains and cushions had the greatest proportion of losses. Third, qualitative abundance categories presented a small but consistent signal of decrease in the relative abundance of cushions, graminoids, and shrubs/trees over the study period. Across a broad geographic scale and nearly two decades, community patterns were widely similar, suggesting that climate change has not impacted local colonization or extirpation of mountaintop species in this arid region. These findings support observed differences in response to climate change between temperature-limited and water-limited regions globally, and highlight the lagged and variable nature of high-elevation systems. Our findings fill a major data gap on alpine plant community responses to climate change in the western United States and bolster the importance of long-term ecological monitoring with rapid climate change.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70197","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143717451","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Too much and not enough data: Challenges and solutions for generating information in freshwater research and monitoring","authors":"Adrianne P. Smits,&nbsp;Ed K. Hall,&nbsp;Bridget R. Deemer,&nbsp;Facundo Scordo,&nbsp;Carolina C. Barbosa,&nbsp;Stephanie M. Carlson,&nbsp;Kaelin Cawley,&nbsp;Hans-Peter Grossart,&nbsp;Patrick Kelly,&nbsp;Stefano Mammola,&nbsp;Matthew R. Pintar,&nbsp;Caleb J. Robbins,&nbsp;Albert Ruhi,&nbsp;Mattia Saccò","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70205","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70205","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Evaluating progress toward achieving freshwater conservation and sustainability goals requires transforming diverse types of data into useful information for scientists, managers, and other interest groups. Despite substantial increases in the volume of freshwater data collected worldwide, many regions and ecosystems still lack sufficient data collection and/or data access. We illustrate how these data challenges result from a diverse set of underlying mechanisms and propose solutions that can be applied by individuals or organizations. We discuss creative approaches to address data scarcity, including the use of community science, remote-sensing, environmental sensors, and legacy datasets. We highlight the importance of coordinated data collection efforts among groups and training programs to improve data access. At the institutional level, we emphasize the power of prioritizing data curation, incentivizing data publication, and promoting research that enhances data coverage and representativeness. Some of these strategies involve technological and analytical approaches, but many necessitate shifting the priorities and incentives of organizations such as academic and government research institutions, monitoring groups, journals, and funding agencies. Our overarching goal is to stimulate discussion to narrow the data disparities hindering the understanding of freshwater processes and their change across spatial scales.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70205","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143717450","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the consequences of complex habitat loss for the New Zealand blue cod, Parapercis colias","authors":"Baylee L. Wade,&nbsp;Anna Carolina Resende,&nbsp;Danielle Willis-Kaio,&nbsp;Alice Rogers","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70233","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70233","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Complex coastal habitats including seaweed and kelp forests are declining throughout the world due to the impacts of ocean warming, coastal development, overfishing, and pollution. Complex habitats provide shelter, food, nesting, and nursery sites, allowing for high biodiversity and productivity that supports valuable economic, cultural, and recreational services. From the perspective of prey, habitat-forming macroalgae offer physical and visual refuges that reduce their risk of predation. However, for predators, this refuge availability presents a trade-off. Whilst prey might be more abundant in the presence of complex habitats, they are also likely to be more difficult to catch and consume, creating uncertainty around the consequences of habitat loss for predatory species. Here we explore the trade-off between prey availability and predation success for a model coastal predator, the New Zealand blue cod, <i>Parapercis colias</i>, which is a valuable commercial and recreational fisheries target. Field surveys quantified differences in prey abundance inside and outside complex habitats, whilst mesocosm experiments determined the influence of refuges on prey consumption. A simple food web model was developed to explore how prey availability and predation success trade-off in the presence of habitat complexity to determine predator population dynamics and vulnerability to fishing. Results indicate that increased prey abundance compensates for decreased predation success within complex habitats and allows for high densities of predators. However, the effects of habitat loss are dependent on the mechanisms by which complexity increases prey abundance. If complex habitats act only as predation refuges, then a loss of complexity is advantageous for predators, increasing their abundance and reducing their vulnerability to overfishing. However, if complex habitats also enhance the carrying capacity of prey through mechanisms unrelated to predation, then habitat loss reduces predator abundance and increases vulnerability to overfishing. Our study highlights the need to understand specific mechanisms that promote population abundance in complex habitats and shows how this knowledge will help us to better predict the impacts of habitat loss for coastal fisheries.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70233","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143717452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}