EcospherePub Date : 2025-05-27DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.70283
Valentin Lauret, Nicolas Courbin, Olivier Scher, Aurélien Besnard
{"title":"Integrating individual tracking data and spatial surveys to improve estimation of animal spatial distribution","authors":"Valentin Lauret, Nicolas Courbin, Olivier Scher, Aurélien Besnard","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70283","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70283","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Tracking data and spatial surveys (e.g., counts) contribute to understanding animal distribution despite highlighting complementary aspects of habitat selection, from detailed insights on few individuals to raw inferences for the population, respectively. Here, we showcased how to combine individual tracking and count data to estimate habitat selection at the population level. We developed an integrated model that provides a joint estimation of habitat selection for tracking data fitted with a resource selection function (RSF) and count data fitted with a Poisson generalized linear model (GLM), both respecting the statistical conditions for converging with an inhomogeneous Poisson point process. We tested our integrated habitat selection model using simulated movement data and a real case study of GPS-tracked Sandwich terns (<i>Thalasseus sandvicensis</i>) in the French Mediterranean Sea. Simulations showed that the integrated model correctly estimated habitat selection coefficients and benefited from both data sources with better accuracy and precision than RSF and Poisson GLM alone, especially when data are limited. Overall, our study formalized an easy-to-use approach for the integration of tracking and count data to estimate habitat selection, contributing to a promising research avenue, since individual tracking and spatial survey monitoring are abundant in many ecological contexts.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70283","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144140728","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}
EcospherePub Date : 2025-05-27DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.70294
Jose W. Valdez, Jeremy Dertien, Haruna Fimmel, Tim Eric Kaufmann, Carolin Kremer, Leonie Schilling, Lena Hartmann, Isabell Hummel, Horst Paul Uellendahl, Asha Majeed, Henrique M. Pereira
{"title":"Traditional water structures in villages support amphibian populations within a protected landscape","authors":"Jose W. Valdez, Jeremy Dertien, Haruna Fimmel, Tim Eric Kaufmann, Carolin Kremer, Leonie Schilling, Lena Hartmann, Isabell Hummel, Horst Paul Uellendahl, Asha Majeed, Henrique M. Pereira","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70294","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70294","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Amphibians are among the most globally threatened vertebrates, with habitat loss and degradation being the primary drivers of their decline. While natural waterbodies are essential for amphibian survival, artificial habitats can also serve as important refuges, particularly in human-altered landscapes. This study investigates the role of artificial waterbodies in supporting amphibian populations within villages and disturbed areas of Peneda-Gerês National Park (PNPG), a protected area in northern Portugal. We surveyed 162 waterbodies, 68 artificial (tanks, drains, fountains, and cave-like structures) and 94 natural (ponds, streams, stream pockets, and caves) sites within human-altered areas to assess community composition, species richness, Shannon diversity, relative abundance, proportion of occupied sites, and breeding activity. We recorded 10 amphibian species, with species composition showing moderate overlap between the two habitat types, indicating both shared and distinct species assemblages. Natural waterbodies had higher observed species richness (nine species) than artificial sites (seven species). Shannon diversity was greater in natural waterbodies for adults, while juvenile/larvae diversity was greater in artificial habitats. <i>Rana iberica</i> was the most widespread species, found across all waterbody types but predominantly in natural sites. <i>Salamandra salamandra</i> juveniles/larvae were also primarily found and bred in natural habitats, especially stream pockets. In contrast, <i>Lissotriton boscai</i> and <i>Triturus marmoratus</i> were more commonly found and bred in artificial waterbodies, particularly historic water tanks. Natural waterbodies had a higher proportion of their sites occupied (76.6%) compared to artificial ones (51.5%), with stream pockets having the highest at 96.6% and other natural sites around two-thirds. Among artificial sites, tanks were highest with 62.5% occupied. Breeding occurred in one-fifth of surveyed sites, with breeding events recorded in half of stream pockets and over a quarter of tanks. Tanks supported the highest number of breeding species (four of five), compared to three in natural habitats. These findings highlight the importance of water tanks, traditionally used for laundry and water storage, in supporting amphibians in PNPG. They underscore the need to conserve both natural and artificial habitats to protect amphibian biodiversity, especially in human-altered landscapes where artificial waterbodies provide crucial refuges as climate change reduces natural breeding sites.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70294","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144140690","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}
EcospherePub Date : 2025-05-27DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.70291
Kylie A. Robert, Alicia M. Dimovski, Peter Contos, Nyil Khwaja, Stephen R. Griffiths
{"title":"Divergent responses of insectivorous bats and flying insects to experimental LED illumination of different spectra","authors":"Kylie A. Robert, Alicia M. Dimovski, Peter Contos, Nyil Khwaja, Stephen R. Griffiths","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70291","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70291","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Artificial light at night poses a global threat to biodiversity and is increasing at a rate greater than any other pollutant. We conducted a field experiment to investigate the effects of short-term nighttime illumination on nocturnal flying insects and insectivorous bats in previously unlit remnant bushland. We compared these organisms' responses to three types of light-emitting diode (LED) lights, each with a unique spectral composition (cool white [CW], λ<i>P</i> 457 nm; filtered white [FW], λ<i>P</i> 586 nm; and amber [A], λ<i>P</i> 601 nm), as well as a control (C) group without illumination. Our findings revealed that both CW and FW LEDs significantly increased the total activity of flying insects, particularly the orders Diptera, Coleoptera, and Hymenoptera. By contrast, total bat activity was independent of light treatment, but there was a marginally non-significant effect on bats presumed to be light sensitive. Amber lights appear to mitigate the disruptive effects of light on at least one light sensitive bat species. Intriguingly, despite a positive association in one bat species with insect abundance, there was no corresponding increase in feeding activity around illuminated sites in this or any other species. These observations suggest that bats may not solely exploit the attraction of insects to LED lights as a feeding resource and that those species that persist in these environments are perhaps more light tolerant than light exploitive. Overall, our study highlights potentially complex responses of Australian insectivorous bats and flying insects to short-term LED lighting and contributes further insights into the ecological consequences of nighttime lighting.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70291","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144140688","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}
EcospherePub Date : 2025-05-26DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.70277
Trevor Peterson, Adam Rusk, Caroline Byrne, Seta Aghababian, Sydney Edwards
{"title":"Acoustic exposure reveals variation in curtailment effectiveness at reducing bat fatality at wind turbines","authors":"Trevor Peterson, Adam Rusk, Caroline Byrne, Seta Aghababian, Sydney Edwards","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70277","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70277","url":null,"abstract":"<p>As the global transition to renewable energy generation continues, so does the need to reduce wind turbine-related bat mortality. Curtailing turbine operation to prevent rotor movement at low wind speeds not only lowers risk but also decreases renewable energy production. Adjusting curtailment criteria according to seasonal patterns in bat activity could reduce energy loss, but determining whether the resulting curtailment alternative sufficiently lowered risk to bats would require a more sensitive measure of bat mortality than carcass counts can provide. We deployed turbine-mounted acoustic bat detectors at two wind energy facilities to (1) explore seasonal and spatial variation in bat activity in and near the rotor-swept zone of turbines, (2) confirm the efficacy of acoustic exposure to turbine operation as a measure of bat fatality risk, and (3) evaluate seasonal variation in reduction in acoustic exposure among curtailment alternatives with varying cut-in wind speeds. Biweekly distribution of acoustic bat activity was similar among facilities, and acoustic exposure to rotating turbine blades was closely correlated with bat fatality estimates, corroborating previous studies. Curtailment strategies with higher cut-in speeds reduced the percentage of acoustic exposure by a consistent margin across biweekly intervals, but differences in the rate of acoustic exposure among strategies were far greater during late summer and early fall, when bat activity levels were highest. In other words, the relative protectiveness of curtailment strategies did not vary greatly throughout the year, but the choice of curtailment strategy during periods of high bat activity could substantially affect bat fatality rates. Small changes in cut-in speed (e.g., 0.5 m/s) resulted in clear reductions in acoustic exposure that were measurable at biweekly intervals, providing sensitive feedback on curtailment effectiveness. Site-specific data from turbine-mounted acoustic detectors could therefore provide more sensitive feedback on curtailment effectiveness than carcass searches, which cannot typically detect differences in fatality rates among curtailment strategies with similar cut-in speeds. Acoustic exposure also provides useful practical feedback for wind energy facility operators on how best to design curtailment strategies around site-specific patterns in bat activity and balance the simultaneous goals of generating renewable energy and protecting bats.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70277","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144135722","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}
EcospherePub Date : 2025-05-26DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.70276
Kazuki Miura, Jun Matsubayashi, Chikage Yoshimizu, Hino Takafumi, Yuri Shirane, Tsutomu Mano, Hifumi Tsuruga, Ichiro Tayasu
{"title":"A novel method for fine-scale retrospective isotope analysis in mammals using eye lenses","authors":"Kazuki Miura, Jun Matsubayashi, Chikage Yoshimizu, Hino Takafumi, Yuri Shirane, Tsutomu Mano, Hifumi Tsuruga, Ichiro Tayasu","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70276","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70276","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Understanding individual variations in animal behavior is crucial for ecology, evolution, conservation, and wildlife management. However, traditional bio-logging methods have often impeded the reconstruction of long-term behavioral patterns in mammals because of cost, battery life, and device size constraints. This study proposes and evaluates a novel method using retrospective isotope analysis of eye lenses to reconstruct mammalian feeding history, focusing on brown bears (<i>Ursus arctos</i>). We devised a protocol for longitudinal segregation of fragile mammalian lenses and sequentially analyzed lens fragments for carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δ<sup>13</sup>C and δ<sup>15</sup>N, respectively) in seven bears. We verified the reproducibility of the protocol by comparing isotopic patterns within lens pairs of the same bear. The results successfully reconstructed time-series feeding histories, capturing dietary shifts during the lactation-weaning process, reflected by δ<sup>15</sup>N from all bears and changes in corn crop (<i>Zea mays</i>) consumption primarily indicated by δ<sup>13</sup>C from nuisance bears. The reconstructed δ<sup>15</sup>N lactation-weaning signal suggested that higher-resolution isotopic information is preserved for 1–2 years after birth, with resolution declining as eye lens growth slows. The similarity of patterns between the same lens pairs supports the reliability of the method. This novel approach for reconstructing the time-series feeding history of various mammals is simple and effective.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70276","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144135708","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}
EcospherePub Date : 2025-05-24DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.70278
K. Clark-Wolf, W. E. Moss, B. W. Miller, I. Rangwala, H. R. Sofaer, G. W. Schuurman, D. Magness, A. J. Symstad, J. D. Coop, D. B. Bachelet, J. J. Barsugli, A. Ciocco, S. D. Crausbay, T. Hoecker, J. S. Lewinsohn, M. F. Oldfather, O. M. W. Richmond, R. Rondeau, A. Runyon, R. E. Russell, J. L. Wilkening
{"title":"Ecological scenarios: Embracing ecological uncertainty in an era of global change","authors":"K. Clark-Wolf, W. E. Moss, B. W. Miller, I. Rangwala, H. R. Sofaer, G. W. Schuurman, D. Magness, A. J. Symstad, J. D. Coop, D. B. Bachelet, J. J. Barsugli, A. Ciocco, S. D. Crausbay, T. Hoecker, J. S. Lewinsohn, M. F. Oldfather, O. M. W. Richmond, R. Rondeau, A. Runyon, R. E. Russell, J. L. Wilkening","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70278","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70278","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Scenarios, or plausible characterizations of the future, can help natural resource stewards plan and act under uncertainty. Current methods for developing scenarios for climate change adaptation planning are often focused on exploring uncertainties in future climate, but new approaches are needed to better represent uncertainties in ecological responses. Scenarios that characterize how ecological changes may unfold in response to climate and describe divergent and surprising ecological outcomes can help natural resource stewards recognize signs of nascent ecological transformation and identify opportunities to intervene. Here, we offer principles and approaches for more fully integrating ecological uncertainties into the development of future scenarios. We provide examples of how specific qualitative and quantitative methods can be used to explore variation in ecological responses to a given climate future. We further highlight opportunities for ecological researchers to generate actionable projections that capture uncertainty in both climatic and ecological change in meaningful and manageable ways to support climate change adaptation decision making.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70278","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144125971","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}
EcospherePub Date : 2025-05-23DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.70239
Harry B. M. Wells, Duncan M. Kimuyu, Kari E. Veblen, Truman P. Young
{"title":"Megaherbivores suppress precipitation-driven plant irruptions in a tropical savanna","authors":"Harry B. M. Wells, Duncan M. Kimuyu, Kari E. Veblen, Truman P. Young","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70239","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70239","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Irruptions in plant and animal populations are not uncommon, but the factors underlying irruptions are rarely explored quantitatively. In addition, it has been suggested that these irruptions may be reduced by predators or herbivores, but there is a paucity of controlled experimental evidence. Using data from the Kenya Long-term Exclosure Experiment (KLEE), we show that populations of perennial <i>Hibiscus</i> spp. (primarily <i>Hibiscus flavifolius</i>) show multiple short-term irruptions a year after rainy periods, increasing in abundance in some cases by more than an order of magnitude before declining in ensuing months and years. We demonstrate that these irruptions are largely limited to experimental plots from which large mammalian herbivores have been excluded, particularly megaherbivores (elephants, mostly). This represents a rare controlled, replicated experimental demonstration of top-down regulation of irruptions. African elephants and giraffes are often at greater risk of local extirpation than other large mammals, and their absence appears to destabilize this African savanna ecosystem.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70239","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144118062","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}
EcospherePub Date : 2025-05-23DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.70240
Tyler J. Butts, Martin A. Simonson, Michael J. Weber, Grace M. Wilkinson
{"title":"Investigating changes to food web structure after fish removal using size spectra analysis","authors":"Tyler J. Butts, Martin A. Simonson, Michael J. Weber, Grace M. Wilkinson","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70240","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70240","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Biomanipulation can control eutrophication, but if there is no discernible change, it is difficult to disentangle whether the biomanipulation failed to substantially alter food web structure or was unable to overcome external nutrient loading. Traditional food web model analyses to monitor management interventions can be prohibitively time and data-intensive. Size spectra, the relationship between species abundance and body size, could be used to detect changes in food web structure following major disturbances. We fit size spectra in six shallow lakes in northwest Iowa from 2018 to 2020, four of which underwent commercial harvest of common carp (<i>Cyprinus carpio</i>) and bigmouth buffalo (<i>Ictiobus cyprinellus</i>) during this period, with two lakes serving as unmanipulated references. There were no improvements in water quality metrics in any of the lakes. Based on the size spectra slopes, there were also no significant changes in species size structure due to harvest or harvest intensity of common carp or bigmouth buffalo. Size spectra height (an index of overall organism size) decreased across all years in all lakes, likely reflecting broadscale regional influences. We demonstrated that incentivized harvest was unable to significantly shift size spectra slopes as intended, providing evidence that the lack of improvements in water quality may be due to a failure to induce strong top-down effects, despite substantial removals of bigmouth buffalo and common carp. We also provide support to the assumption that size spectra height is related to ecosystem productivity and show size spectra dynamics in extremely eutrophic ecosystems. Furthermore, we illustrate that size spectra analyses can be a powerful tool to understand and assess food web-focused management interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70240","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144118111","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}
EcospherePub Date : 2025-05-21DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.70280
Mark A. Peyton, Sarah R. Garrison, Ruth B. Passernig, Martina M. Suazo, Robert R. Parmenter
{"title":"Early successional changes in coniferous forest small mammal communities following a high-severity summer wildfire","authors":"Mark A. Peyton, Sarah R. Garrison, Ruth B. Passernig, Martina M. Suazo, Robert R. Parmenter","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70280","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70280","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Forest fires in the southern Rocky Mountains are changing due to climate warming and increased fuel loads. Landscape-scale stand-replacement fires create extensive treeless swaths without regenerative seed sources, leading to long-term conversion of coniferous forest to montane meadows and chaparral. Small mammal wildlife responds to these abrupt habitat changes, influencing post-fire succession via trophic interactions (herbivory, granivory, insectivory, and fungivory) and soil disturbance (burrowing, foraging, and seed caching). We examined the effects of the 2011 high-severity Las Conchas wildfire on post-fire small mammal and vegetation successional changes in northern New Mexico's mixed conifer and ponderosa pine (<i>Pinus ponderosa</i>) forests. We sampled forest stand composition and herbaceous vegetation immediately after the fire, then sampled herbaceous vegetation and small mammals each spring and autumn for 3 years (2012–2014) on replicated burned and unburned stands. We recorded 15 small mammal species (11 rodents, one rabbit, and three shrews). Herbaceous vegetation cover increased from 10% to 12% on burned sites in 2011 to 91% in 2014, with no observed conifer regeneration. Small mammals exhibited lower species richness on burned mixed conifer sites than on unburned sites, but species richness was only slightly lower on burned ponderosa pine sites than on unburned sites. Deer mouse (<i>Peromyscus maniculatus</i>) abundances were comparable between burned and unburned sites, but two species of chipmunks (<i>Neotamias minimus</i>, <i>Neotamias quadrivitattus</i>), woodrats (<i>Neotoma</i> spp.), red squirrels (<i>Tamiasciurus hudsonicus</i>), three species of shrews (<i>Sorex</i> spp.), and mountain cottontail rabbits (<i>Sylvilagus nuttallii</i>) were rare or absent in burned forests. Golden-mantled ground squirrels (<i>Callospermophilus lateralis</i>) were more abundant on burned mixed conifer sites than on unburned sites, and voles (<i>Microtus</i>) colonized the burned sites within 3 years (<i>Microtus montanus</i> in 2013, <i>Microtus longicaudus</i> in 2014). Rodent demographic data indicated that mixed sex and age classes were present for the more abundant species, including reproductively active adult females; the exception was <i>M. longicaudus</i> in burned ponderosa pine forests, which had only male adults and subadults. Vole colonization occurred after burned sites attained 80%–90% herbaceous cover. Given the lack of conifer regeneration, we anticipate that the small mammal community will retain its composition of meadow-grassland species for the foreseeable future.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70280","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144100618","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}
EcospherePub Date : 2025-05-21DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.70274
Desiree L. Narango, Katherine Straley
{"title":"Non-native congeneric trees are poor-quality host plants for a larval Lepidopteran","authors":"Desiree L. Narango, Katherine Straley","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70274","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70274","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In managed ecosystems, cultivated plant diversity is a collection of native and introduced species composed of varying plant origins across scales: locally native, non-locally native, and non-native. Non-local and non-native plant species may be ill-suited as host plants for locally native insects. Yet, we lack information on the population- and individual-level consequences of introduced plants to phytophagous insects. Promethea moth (<i>Callosamia promethea</i>) is a Lepidopteran species regionally specialized to <i>Prunus</i> in the Northeastern United States. Here, we used a rearing experiment to compare Promethea caterpillar performance on 14 different <i>Prunus</i> host plants commonly found naturally and in horticulture and two non-hosts. Across all measures, <i>Prunus serotina</i> supported the highest survival, fastest growth, and largest larval biomass. We found little difference between locally native and non-local <i>Prunus</i> across most measures; however, few non-native <i>Prunus</i> supported living larvae to the fifth instar, and surviving larvae had reduced growth and biomass. Our results indicate that non-native congeners are poor replacements for locally native tree species in supporting specialized Lepidoptera. However, non-local, regionally native species in cultivation may serve as adequate, albeit suboptimal, host plants. These results further our understanding of how selection for plant traits or species impacts biodiversity in novel and managed ecosystems.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70274","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144100670","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}