Coşkun Güçlü , Sawaid Abbas , Elvis Yung , Louise Amy Ashton
{"title":"Phylogenetic structure and turnover between lowland and montane subtropical forests indicate differential community assembly processes, affected by successional stage and spatial gradients","authors":"Coşkun Güçlü , Sawaid Abbas , Elvis Yung , Louise Amy Ashton","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03229","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03229","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Secondary forests represent an increasing proportion of global forest cover and offer a range of ecosystem services that are integral to environmental policy targets. Highly disturbed landscapes with temporal records of forest plant community composition offer key insights into the processes that shape plant communities as forests undergo secondary succession. We investigated patterns of plant community phylogenetic structure and phylogenetic beta diversity. Mean pairwise distance (MPD) and Mean Nearest Taxon Distance (MNTD) metrics were determined between co-occurring species within plant communities, in addition to phylogenetic beta diversity metrics relative to null models of random phylogenetic assembly. MPD and MNTD were compared between elevational and successional classes and modelled as products of intercommunity distance (metres) and forest community age (years). Phylogenetic nonmetric multidimensional scaling explored phylogenetic community structure between lowland and montane forest type in Hong Kong. We found that plant communities in secondary forests in Hong Kong exhibited patterns of increased basal phylogenetic clustering with increasing community elevation, while phylogenetic turnover was influenced by spatial and successional factors in lowland and montane forest. Our findings indicate differential community assembly in lowland compared to montane forest type in Hong Kong, as well as evidence for barriers to plant dispersal in secondary forest communities due to patterns of spatial phylogenetic clustering. Plant communities in montane forests were found to be phylogenetically distinct from lowland forest plant communities. Patterns of spatial phylogenetic clustering may suggest significant dispersal or post-dispersal processes causing the clustering of related species at fine spatial scales, while phylogenetic turnover with increasing successional age may indicate compositional changes during the process of passive forest regeneration. Collectively, these results emphasize the need to investigate active pathways for rewilding dispersal limited late successional forest tree species in Hong Kong.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142419100","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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}
Tae-Sung Kwon , Sung-Soo Kim , Dae-Seong Lee , Go Eun Park , Young-Seuk Park
{"title":"Large moths facing steeper decline than small moths in South Korea: Implications for ecosystem dynamics and conservation","authors":"Tae-Sung Kwon , Sung-Soo Kim , Dae-Seong Lee , Go Eun Park , Young-Seuk Park","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03234","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03234","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Declines in moth abundance and distribution have been reported in various regions, indicating a tendency for large moth species to decrease more strongly than smaller moth species. To investigate whether these trends are evident in South Korea, data on moths surveyed using light traps at 18 forest sites in South Korea in the past (1978–2002) and in the recent (2011–2016) periods were analyzed. Specifically, focusing on large moths, the analysis revealed a clear correlation between moth size and decline in occurrence, with large moths experiencing a more significant decrease. Although light pollution is recognized as a factor affecting moth populations, particularly those with extensive migration patterns, our study yielded unexpected results when areas based on night light intensity were compared. Declines in large moth populations were more pronounced in regions with lower night light intensities, indicating a weak influence of light pollution. Morphological traits, such as wingspan, were found to influence moth distribution, with large moths demonstrating steeper declines, thus affecting ecosystem dynamics. Statistical analyses revealed significant influences of wingspan, family, and food type on the occurrence of moths. Moths from open habitats exhibited a greater decline than those dwelling in forests, whereas species with narrower food niches displayed more substantial reductions. Forest recovery in South Korea has induced changes in moth community composition. These findings underscore the need for systematic monitoring and a comprehensive understanding of ecological dynamics to effectively guide moth population conservation efforts in South Korea.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142419427","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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}
Facai Yang , Shengxian He , Wenyu Xu , Keping Sun , Longru Jin , Haitao Wang
{"title":"Gut microbiota and antibiotic resistance genes in endangered migratory Scaly-sided merganser (Mergus squamatus) in northeast China","authors":"Facai Yang , Shengxian He , Wenyu Xu , Keping Sun , Longru Jin , Haitao Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03233","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03233","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Studying the diversity of gut microbiota and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in endangered migratory birds, as well as their responses to different environments, can reflect the health status of migratory birds and the ecological risk of ARG transmission. The globally endangered Scaly-sided merganser (<em>Mergus squamatus</em>) is a typical migratory bird, yet the diversity of its intestinal microbiota and ARGs has not been reported. In this study, fecal samples were collected from two major riparian foraging areas utilized by <em>M. squamatus</em> in the Changbai Mountains of China: the Lushui River and the Manjiang River. The gut microbiota and ARG composition were characterized using 16S rRNA amplicon and metagenomic sequencing. The results indicated that the relative abundance of gut microbiota in the two habitats differed significantly, but the core flora was similar. Moreover, the relative abundance of pathogenic bacteria was high, suggesting that <em>M. squamatus</em> faces a high risk of disease. A total of 382 ARGs were identified, which were primarily resistant to multidrug, tetracycline, macrolides-lincosamides-streptogramins, and mupirocin. <em>MsbA</em>, <em>abcA</em>, <em>rpoB2</em>, and <em>tetT</em> were the most abundant shared ARGs between the two sites. The findings demonstrate that habitat influences the diversity of gut microbiota and ARGs in the endangered migratory <em>M. squamatus</em>. This species could serve as a reservoir for pathogenic bacteria and ARGs. Therefore, monitoring the diversity of gut microbiota and ARGs in <em>M. squamatus</em> across different habitats is essential for a comprehensive assessment of its health status and the ecological risk of ARG transmission in the future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142356670","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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}
Dong-Ying Yan , Shuai Peng , Samuli Lehtonen , Jin-Ming Chen , Zhi-Zhong Li
{"title":"Phylogeography and population genomics of the critically endangered aquatic plant Caldesia grandis in China","authors":"Dong-Ying Yan , Shuai Peng , Samuli Lehtonen , Jin-Ming Chen , Zhi-Zhong Li","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03235","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03235","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Caldesia grandis</em>, a critically endangered aquatic species, is predominantly found in the mid-low mountainous swamps of subtropical China. This study assessed the genetic diversity and population structure of the species using RAD-seq data, explored its phylogeography across the extant nine populations based on five plastid DNA (ptDNA) regions, and conducted niche modeling analysis. We found low genetic diversity (H<sub>E</sub> = 0.180, H<sub>o</sub> = 0.222, and π = 0.197) and genetic differentiation among populations (Fst = 0.089), which was likely due to genetic drift in small populations and frequent inter-population contact during the Quaternary period. Although RAD-seq analysis did not reveal a clear population structure, two distinct clades, comprising western and eastern populations, were identified using five ptDNA haplotypes. Molecular dating and niche modeling suggested that the uplift of the Luoxiao Mts may have contributed to the divergence of the eastern and western clades (ca. 1.51 Ma)during the Pleistocene, which also supports the hypothesis that the Nanling Mts acted as a refugium for <em>C. grandis</em>. Additionally, the repeated glacial periods of the Quaternary, accompanied by contraction and expansion of suitable habitats, likely facilitated gene exchange among populations, influencing the current distribution pattern in subtropical China. Our results suggested that each ptDNA haplotype should be treated as an independent unit for conservation purposes, and ex-situ efforts should be prioritized to conserve <em>C. grandis</em> in China.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142356672","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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}
Laken S. Ganoe , Amy E. Mayer , Charles Brown , Brian D. Gerber
{"title":"Fisher activity patterns show potential for behavioral adaptations to human modified landscapes","authors":"Laken S. Ganoe , Amy E. Mayer , Charles Brown , Brian D. Gerber","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03225","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03225","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Animals alter their diel activity in response to physiological constraints and ecological conditions. Fisher (<em>Pekania pennanti</em>) activity is known to vary through the diel cycle and change in response to cold stress and generally through both the climatic and biological seasons. However, less is known whether thermoregulatory effects impact fisher activity in milder climates and in areas of high human disturbance. We focused on two distinct research objectives to understand the 1) physiological constraints, and 2) ecological components of fisher activity in a highly disturbed landscape with a relatively mild climate. We used accelerometer data from 34 individual live-captured fisher in Rhode Island, USA from 2021 to 2023. We found that fisher activity patterns were primarily driven by diel cycle with higher activity levels at night than during the day. We did not observe any physiological influence of ambient temperature on fisher activity; daily minimum temperatures did not constrain fisher activity in the colder months, nor did daily maximum temperatures in warmer months. We did find that female activity levels differed by breeding status with non-pregnant females having higher activity levels than pregnant females. Considering ecological components, we found fisher decreased activity levels in higher road density areas during warmer months that coincide with higher traffic volumes. For fisher living in areas with lower road densities, we saw higher activity in the breeding season and summer than in winter. In contrast, fisher living in areas with high road densities had lower activity in the breeding season and summer than in winter. We conclude that fisher largely do not shift their activity to mitigate thermoregulatory costs in areas where temperatures do not reach extremes for extended periods of time. However, our findings suggest that behavioral shifts in activity are impacted by human disturbance and fisher minimize activity in risky areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142419170","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Attribution of climate change and human activities to spatiotemporal changes of ecological service value in Yunnan Province of China","authors":"Shuiqing Liu , Jianwei Liu , Songhao Shang","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03221","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03221","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Quantifying the influence of climate change and human activities on spatiotemporal changes of regional ecological service value (ESV) can provide key information for regional ecosystem protection. However, few studies have distinguished the contributions of climate change and human activities to the total ESV. In this study, Yunnan Province in Southwest China with high biodiversity and ESV was selected as a representative region for the attribution analysis of ESV changes. The Carnegie-Ames Stanford Approach (CASA) was used to calculate the vegetation net primary productivity (NPP), and improved equivalent factor method was used to calculate ESVs of different ecosystem service functions directly from NPP. Then, the multi-factor attribution analysis method was used to quantify the contribution rates of climate change and human activities to changes in ESV. Results show that the ESV in Yunnan Province increased by 12.9 % in 2000–2019 compared to 1980–1999 without considering economic development. Land use and cover change (LUCC) is the main cause for the increase in ESV with the contribution rate of 92.3 %, while that of climate change is only 7.7 %. Major components of ESV change are ESV changes in forests, grasslands, and farmland, which are all mainly caused by LUCC with the contribute rates of over 80 %. ESVs in different cities differ greatly, where the ESV and ESV per unit area in Pu'er City are 5.3 and 2.6 times as those in Zhaotong City, respectively. LUCC is also the main cause of ESV changes in all cities, with contributions rates generally exceeding 80 %. When considering economic development, the ESV in Yunnan has increased by 336.2 % in these two periods. Contribution rate of economic development to ESV increase in Yunnan is 80.3 %, while that of climate change and LUCC is only 19.7 %. The speed of ecological construction in Yunnan Province is far slower than that of economic development, and appropriate measures should be taken to improve the ecological services in the future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142419370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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}
Florencia Grattarola , Kateřina Tschernosterová, Petr Keil
{"title":"A continental-wide decline of occupancy and diversity in five Neotropical carnivores","authors":"Florencia Grattarola , Kateřina Tschernosterová, Petr Keil","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03226","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03226","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Neotropics are a global biodiversity hotspot that has undergone dramatic land use changes over the last decades. However, a temporal perspective on the continental-wide distributions of species in this region is still missing. To unveil it, we model the entire area of occupancy of five Neotropical carnivore species at two time periods (2000–2013 and 2014–2021) using integrated species distribution models (ISDMs) in a Bayesian framework. The carnivores are the jaguarundi (<em>Herpailurus yagouaroundi</em>), margay (<em>Leopardus wiedii</em>), maned wolf (<em>Chrysocyon brachyurus</em>), tayra (<em>Eira barbara</em>), and giant otter (<em>Pteronura brasiliensis</em>). We mapped the temporal change, the areas where gains and losses accumulated for all species (hotspots of change) and calculated the temporal species turnover and change in spatial turnover. We show that (1) most carnivore species have declined their area of occupancy (i.e., range size) in the last two decades, (2) their diversity has decreased over time, mostly in the Chaco region, and (3) that hotspots of fast species composition turnover are in Chaco, the Caatinga region, and northwest of Mexico. We discuss how these newly identified hotspots of change overlap with regions of well-known and pronounced land use transformation. These estimated patterns of overall decline are alarming, more so given that four out of the five species had been classified as not threatened by IUCN. The official global threat status of these species may need to be re-evaluated. All this would be invisible if standard forecasts, local expert knowledge, or static threat criteria, such as range size, were used. We thus provide a new approach to evaluate past species range dynamics based on multiple lines of evidence, which can be employed over more species in the future, particularly in under-sampled regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142419097","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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}
Gabriel Klippel , Ana Clara S. Franco , Rafael L. Macêdo , Philip J. Haubrock , Maria Lúcia Lorini , Luciano Neves dos Santos
{"title":"Future invasion risk assessment of the peacock bass in Neotropical ecoregions: A conceptual and testable model","authors":"Gabriel Klippel , Ana Clara S. Franco , Rafael L. Macêdo , Philip J. Haubrock , Maria Lúcia Lorini , Luciano Neves dos Santos","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03227","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03227","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Protecting freshwater biodiversity from non-native invasive species and their impacts is crucial for minimising both regional and global deterioration of ecosystem services. The yellow peacock bass <em>Cichla ocellaris</em>, a predatory freshwater fish endemic to the Amazon region, has been translocated within several Neotropical ecoregions, exhibiting harmful effects on biodiversity. In order to facilitate the prioritization of management efforts, which are essential for defining conservation actions in extensive and diverse areas, we propose a risk assessment index that integrates multiple ecological and environmental variables within a comprehensive framework, here applied for <em>C. ocellaris</em>. By considering fish species richness, occurrence frequency, and climate suitability, our index provides a more nuanced understanding of invasion risks. Within regions categorized as high and very high risk, where ecological impacts of <em>C. ocellaris</em> have been extensively documented (e.g., the Southern and North-East Brazilian regions, as well as Central American and Caribbean ecoregions), numerous environments are increasingly conducive to the establishment of this invasive species, exacerbated by a surge in dam constructions. Our analysis projects a significant increase in suitable habitats by 5% to 6.5%, with Southern and Northeastern Brazil and Central America identified as critical zones. Thus, our reproducible risk assessment framework, which considers freshwater ecoregions as conservation units, not only directs effective resource allocation for control measures but also enhances our ability to predict and mitigate the ecological impacts of non-native species introductions, providing a valuable tool for both policymakers and conservationists.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142418908","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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}
Mayerly Alexandra Guerrero-Moreno , Leandro Juen , Miguel Puig-Cabrera , Maria Alexandra Teodósio , José Max Barbosa Oliveira-Junior
{"title":"Neotropical dragonflies (Insecta: Odonata) as key organisms for promoting community-based ecotourism in a Brazilian Amazon conservation area","authors":"Mayerly Alexandra Guerrero-Moreno , Leandro Juen , Miguel Puig-Cabrera , Maria Alexandra Teodósio , José Max Barbosa Oliveira-Junior","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03230","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03230","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Incorporating insects into ecotourism activities increases awareness of their importance in ecosystems. However, the inclusion of this group in ecotourism activities is still rare. In this context, we identified the perception of indigenous and non-indigenous leaders and residents about the potential of Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) as key organisms for promoting community-based ecotourism (CBET) in the Tapajós-Arapiuns Extractive Reserve, Brazilian Amazon. We designed a semi-structured questionnaire and conducted interviews with 415 indigenous and non-indigenous residents (222 women and 193 men) from 73 communities and villages. When shown images of dragonflies (Anisoptera and Zygoptera), 98.55 % of respondents recognized them, predominantly identifying them as “jacinas” (55.11 %). Respondents noted differences between Anisoptera and Zygoptera based on body color and size, identified them as part of the insect group (45.78 %), and associated their habitat with forests and jungles (57.34 %). Most participants (96.38 %) indicated that current ecotourism activities do not include information about invertebrates, emphasizing the need for greater understanding of their biology and ecological significance (44.64 %), and management (29.16 %). They stated that seeing (99.52 %) and observing (99.04 %) dragonflies could attract tourists due to their striking appearance (57.10 %) and beautiful (39.03 %). Most respondents recognized the importance of dragonflies for the environment (99.52 %), culture (63.13 %), and economy (55.66 %), acknowledging their potential to generate income through tourism. Additionally, 89.88 % expressed a desire to participate in the development of ecotourism activities involving Odonata. The results reflect the enormous potential of dragonflies to be included as key organisms in the development of CBET, allowing for environmental awareness, biodiversity conservation, cultural appreciation, and income generation for local communities. Furthermore, the study highlights the need to implement educational and training programs on Odonata, along with the development and funding of public policies to ensure the success and sustainability of such initiatives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142418898","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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}
Lain E. Pardo , Bibiana Gómez-Valencia , Nicolas J. Deere , Yenifer Herrera Varón , Carolina Soto , Elkin A. Noguera-Urbano , Lina M. Sánchez-Clavijo , Luis Romero , Angélica Díaz-Pulido , José Manuel Ochoa-Quintero
{"title":"Forest cover is more important than its integrity or landscape configuration in determining habitat use by mammals in a human-modified landscape in Colombia","authors":"Lain E. Pardo , Bibiana Gómez-Valencia , Nicolas J. Deere , Yenifer Herrera Varón , Carolina Soto , Elkin A. Noguera-Urbano , Lina M. Sánchez-Clavijo , Luis Romero , Angélica Díaz-Pulido , José Manuel Ochoa-Quintero","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03232","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03232","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Human activities shape the structure of landscapes in different ways and hence modify animal communities depending on the type and intensity of these activities. The Montes de Maria subregion of Colombia has experienced a heavy transformation of most areas despite covering one of the last remnants of dry forest, a critically endangered ecosystem. However, the effects of this transformation have been little explored. Here, we used a multispecies occupancy model (MSOM) to understand the relative influence of three components of land-use change – deforestation (remaining forest amount), degradation of forest integrity (forest quality) and fragmentation (landscape configuration) on mammalian habitat use across a mosaic of tropical dry forest in Colombia. Our data suggest that the percentage of forest cover was substantially important for herbivores, and consistently showed a moderate effect on the entire community and some individual species. High variability in species-specific responses to the examined variables hindered broad taxonomic generalizations, nevertheless, we detected a moderate positive effect of forest cover in both diet specialists and generalists species, as well as in species with small home ranges. Although omnivores responses, tended to use less complex landscapes (mosaics of land uses), there was high uncertainty in this response. The lack of substantial effects on most species, and the absence of threatened species across this anthropogenic landscape, suggests that the current community is composed of species tolerant to habitat modifications, but not only diet generalist species. This is most likely the result of a long filtering process caused by land use transformation and hunting which could have caused non-sensitive species to distribute relatively homogenously across this landscape. Our results suggest that conservation strategies in the study area should focus on conserving and expanding as much forest as possible rather than only improving the quality of already existing forest patches.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142419101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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}