Global Ecology and Conservation最新文献

{"title":"Population mitogenome diversity and connectivity among wild populations of Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis) in Thailand: Implications for population recovery planning","authors":"Pimpisa Jansamut ,&nbsp;George A. Gale ,&nbsp;Manakorn Sukmak ,&nbsp;Vijak Chimchome ,&nbsp;Worata Klinsawat","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03597","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03597","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Great Hornbill (<em>Buceros bicornis</em>) likely play an important role in Southeast Asian forests, but populations are declining due to human-induced threats. Lack of data on wild population genetic diversity and connectivity hinder conservation efforts to restore evolutionary potential to populations of such species. We applied noninvasive sampling, population genetics and phylogeographic analyses to assess genetic diversity and connectivity among three Great Hornbill wild populations across three regions of Thailand (Eastern, Western and Southern) using partial mitogenome sequences (14,118 bp) from 52 wild individuals and 97 captive individuals. Haplotype and nucleotide diversity of the Southern population was highest, compared to Eastern and Western populations. Despite higher levels of poaching and fragmentation, maintenance of mitogenome diversity in the Southern population could be due to genetic exchanges with Malaysian populations, or historically large effective populations occupying Sundaic habitats. Relatively low to moderate genetic differentiation observed among the three Thai populations suggested limited fragmentation effects on historical population connectivity. This finding aligns with the absence of population-specific clades seen in our phylogenetic analyses. The Southern population had the highest number of private haplotypes and there was significant genetic structure between Southern and Western and between Southern and Eastern populations perhaps suggesting the presence of southern glacial refugia and subsequent secondary contact following population expansion and recolonization of habitats during interglacial periods in the Late Pleistocene. These findings may provide insights for developing effective strategies for Great Hornbill reintroduction, and for monitoring the impacts of human disturbance on population genetic connectivity and species persistence in fragmented landscapes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"60 ","pages":"Article e03597"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143873660","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Addressing human–elephant conflicts in Taita Taveta County, Kenya: Integrating species distribution modeling into targeted conservation strategies","authors":"Tino Johansson ,&nbsp;Martha Munyao ,&nbsp;Petri K.E. Pellikka ,&nbsp;Sakari Äärilä ,&nbsp;Patrick Omondi ,&nbsp;Mika Siljander","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03604","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03604","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Increasing competition for space and resources at the agriculture-conservation interface poses critical challenges to wildlife conservation, often intensifying human–wildlife conflicts throughout the globe, including Kenya. With approximately 70 % of Kenya’s wildlife residing outside protected areas, land conversion for agriculture exacerbates human–wildlife conflicts, particularly involving African elephants (<em>Loxodonta africana</em>). Taita Taveta County in Kenya represents a hotspot for human–elephant conflict, where these incidents undermine both conservation efforts and livelihoods. This study assesses multiple distribution model algorithms and ensemble models, using Kenya Wildlife Service incident data and ten geospatial variables, to predict human–elephant conflicts in the county. The study extends the spatial pattern analysis to the comprehensive comparison of outputs, such as probability and risk maps, thus filling a critical gap by offering an innovative framework for human–elephant conflict modeling. Probability maps were reclassified into risk maps, and landscape metrics were derived to evaluate the spatial patterns of conflict risk. Results highlight that the ensemble model demonstrated superior consistency, predictive accuracy, and provided a more balanced representation of human–elephant conflict risk compared to single-algorithm models. The analysis identified proximity to houses and crops as key conflict predictors, with high-risk zones concentrated near human settlements and low-risk zones confined to protected areas. This study proposes that landscape metrics can further enhance the evaluation of risk map performance. By integrating ensemble modelling and landscape metrics, this research provides policymakers with actionable tools to balance human needs with conservation priorities, fostering sustainable human–elephant coexistence in Taita Taveta County and beyond.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"60 ","pages":"Article e03604"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143873731","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reproductive habitat mismatch influences chytrid infection dynamics in a tropical amphibian community","authors":"Neil A. Gilbert ,&nbsp;Rayna C. Bell ,&nbsp;Alessandro Catenazzi ,&nbsp;Renato A. Martins ,&nbsp;Shannon Buttimer ,&nbsp;Wesley J. Neely ,&nbsp;Carolina Lambertini ,&nbsp;Veronica Saenz Calderon ,&nbsp;Célio F.B. Haddad ,&nbsp;C. Guilherme Becker ,&nbsp;Graziella V. DiRenzo","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03599","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03599","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis</em> (<em>Bd</em>) has been decimating amphibian populations globally; previous work indicates that infection risk increases with moisture and thermal mismatch from a host’s optimum. We hypothesized that, in addition to these abiotic influences, mismatch of hosts from their reproductive habitat heightens infection risk via exposure and/or susceptibility mechanisms. We evaluated this “reproductive habitat mismatch hypothesis” by quantifying the interplay of host breeding mode, habitat, and rainfall on <em>Bd</em> infection dynamics using two years of frog survey data—including swab data for 3427 captures representing 44 species—from Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. We modeled infection prevalence, infection intensity, and the number of frogs captured as a function of rainfall, reproductive mode (aquatic or terrestrial), and habitat (aquatic or terrestrial) using hierarchical models. High rainfall was associated with increases in infection prevalence and infection intensity; however, these increases were particularly apparent for species in habitats that were mismatched from the species’ reproductive habitat. Tropical regions experiencing increases in precipitation will likely see higher <em>Bd</em> risk, and our results indicate that such increases in rainfall will be particularly problematic for species that are forced to move from their reproductive habitats by factors such as habitat loss or thermal stress.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"60 ","pages":"Article e03599"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143870640","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of ecological factors on the spatial distribution of food plants in the habitat of Hainan gibbons (Nomascus hainanus): Insights for conservation and habitat restoration","authors":"Shuai Liu ,&nbsp;Anan Zhang ,&nbsp;Dexu Zhang ,&nbsp;Yuan Chen ,&nbsp;Guangyu Wang ,&nbsp;Wenxing Long ,&nbsp;Guang Feng ,&nbsp;Hongcan Guan ,&nbsp;Yanfei Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03605","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03605","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the availability of food resources is essential for effectively conserving endangered species. This study quantified the distribution of food plants within the Hainan gibbon habitat and assessed the environmental drivers of these distributions to guide targeted habitat restoration efforts. A total of 122 habitat plots were surveyed across five gibbon groups to collect the environment and food plant diversity data. Groups A to D occupied tropical montane rainforests (800–1200 m), while group E inhabited secondary lowland rainforests (500–700 m). Results revealed: 1) Climate and soil factors differed significantly between high- and low-altitude habitats. 2) Food plant species richness was higher in high-altitude habitats, while dry-season foods and preferred foods were more abundant in A and C groups. 3) Elevation, soil C/N ratio, soil alkaline dissolved nitrogen, and soil fast-acting phosphorus significantly affected food plant distribution. Soil content and climate are key drivers, with varying effects across different altitudes and food plant types. These findings indicate that successional low-altitude secondary forests are potential habitats for Hainan gibbons (e.g., group E) but require further restoration in lower quality areas. Our study highlights the need for habitat-specific restoration: in low-altitude forests, improving soil conditions (i.e., introducing native nitrogen-fixing species such as <em>Albizia spp.</em> to reduce C/N ratios and enhance alkaline dissolved nitrogen) can promote key food plant growth. In high-altitude forests, introducing climate-resilient species (e.g., <em>Ficus spp.</em>) can offset temperature and precipitation limitations. Such targeted actions are critical to ensuring food stability and supporting Hainan gibbon conservation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"60 ","pages":"Article e03605"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143865141","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rewilding for biodiversity offsets: A case study of passive ecological restoration on lowland agricultural land for Biodiversity Net Gain in England","authors":"Hanna Kalliolevo ,&nbsp;Pablo Pérez Chaves ,&nbsp;Pegah Hamedani Raja ,&nbsp;Timo Vuorisalo ,&nbsp;Joseph W. Bull","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03603","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03603","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>England is a country with ambitious targets for habitat restoration and increased woodland cover, along with new Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) regulations requiring most new development projects to increase overall biodiversity by 10 % (measured via the statutory Defra Biodiversity Metric). Typically this involves intensively managed conservation or restoration – but could habitat rewilding based on passive restoration be used to increase biodiversity at lower cost? We analysed the potential of passive lowland agricultural rewilding in England to fulfil the requirements of BNG policy. We considered arable land cover, deer browsing pressure and broadleaved woodland cover as our variables affecting ‘rewilding potential’ and quantified the resulting potential habitat gains using the Biodiversity Metric. We found the likely outcome is mainly habitat restored to poor or moderate condition, and that the southeast part of England has the best rewilding potential, with the eastern side having more potential than the western part of the country. The maximum possible biodiversity units that could hypothetically be generated for different woodland habitat type options varied between 6.0 million and 22.3 million units, in the (albeit highly improbable, and undesirable) case that all arable lowland in England were rewilded. The estimated annual need is currently around 39,000 biodiversity units, which means rewilding a cumulative 0.27–0.90 % of agricultural land back to woodlands starting one year in advance of development could compensate for annual development impacts. A key challenge to this approach is that planners would have to embrace long timescales and uncertainty about the ecological trajectories of habitat offsets.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"60 ","pages":"Article e03603"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143873662","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Monsoon dynamics shape spatiotemporal patterns in green sea turtle nesting on an island-based habitat","authors":"Tsung-Han Liu ,&nbsp;Ming-Shiou Jeng ,&nbsp;Chan-Yuan David Lee ,&nbsp;Chih-Wei Tu ,&nbsp;Po-Hsiung Lin ,&nbsp;Chaolun Allen Chen ,&nbsp;Chia-Ying Ko","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03600","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03600","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sea turtles, as endangered and focal conservation organisms, are important in both marine and terrestrial ecosystems but are threatened with extinction due to climate change and human disturbance. Although studies have revealed combined influences of environmental variables on sea turtle reproduction, little is known about impacts of alternating monsoons on their nesting activities on island-based habitats. In the South China Sea, prevailing monsoon winds shift from southwesterly in summer to northeasterly in winter, with transitional periods in spring and autumn. These seasonal wind patterns subsequently change local environmental conditions. Through daily and monthly intensive surveys, we evaluated spatiotemporal variations in the nesting of green sea turtle <em>Chelonia mydas</em> and predicted conditions that increased their probabilities of successful nesting on Taiping Island. The results revealed that the green sea turtles on the island were nested mainly on north coast and nesting proportion increased monthly as monsoon winds changed. They exhibited tortuous routes, particularly on south coast during the summer, and expressed emergence preferences under specific climatic and circadian conditions. The prediction model revealed bimonthly temporal variations following monsoon alternations, with total distance being consistently an important variable, whereas climatic and circadian variables weakly influenced successful nesting under the prevailing southwesterly summer monsoon. Successful nesting additionally was positively correlated with total distance and atmospheric pressure but negatively correlated with straightness index, humidity, tidal height, and daily high tide. Overall, the nesting activities of green sea turtles exhibit spatiotemporal changes on the island-based habitats, and future management and conservation of nesting beaches should consider coastal conditions that may present challenges in response to monsoon alternations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"60 ","pages":"Article e03600"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143873661","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multi-factorial analysis reveals positive intraspecific interactions in European plethodontid salamanders","authors":"Enrico Lunghi ,&nbsp;Claudia Corti ,&nbsp;Raoul Manenti ,&nbsp;Gentile Francesco Ficetola","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03594","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03594","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Studying interactions between individuals in wild populations is essential to understanding intraspecific population dynamics and interspecific relationships with co-occurring species. One of the main challenges is considering the multiple confounding factors that can mask the specific trait you are looking for. To quantify the interactions between conspecific individuals, we need to consider the potential effects that both abiotic and biotic factors may have. In this study, we adopted this methodology to shed light on intraspecific interactions between <em>Speleomantes</em> cave salamanders, for which both positive and negative interactions have been described. We monitored multiple subterranean populations of the Italian cave salamander <em>S. italicus</em> monthly for a year, recording different abiotic and biotic parameters. Then, we analysed the density data of different groups (juveniles, adult males, and adult females) using Structural Equation Modelling. This approach discriminated the effects of microhabitat and potential prey and predator species on <em>Speleomantes</em>, allowing the detection of possible interactions between salamanders. Some of the considered abiotic and biotic factors had a limited (or no) effect on the abundance of <em>Speleomantes</em>. Conversely, we consistently found positive, strong correlations between the different Speleomantes groups. These results represent the first information related to the social interactions of wild <em>Speleomantes</em> populations, showing positive reciprocal covariation between individuals’ density. This data opposes the multiple information available from American plethodontid salamanders, creating an interesting case study. Our work highlighted the importance of considering the effects of multiple ecological factors to detect and qualitatively analyse intraspecific interactions properly.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"60 ","pages":"Article e03594"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143860087","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rabbits on the road: Disentangling the factors driving the warren's abundance on motorways","authors":"Javier Fernández-López ,&nbsp;Nuria López-Galán ,&nbsp;Pelayo Acevedo ,&nbsp;José Antonio Blanco-Aguiar ,&nbsp;Joaquín Vicente ,&nbsp;Ana Eugenia Santamaría ,&nbsp;Gema Truchado-Quintana ,&nbsp;Sergio Ovidio Pinedo ,&nbsp;Llanos Gabaldón ,&nbsp;Ramón Pérez de Ayala","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03598","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03598","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The European rabbit (<em>Oryctolagus cuniculus</em>) is a keystone species in Mediterranean ecosystems but also considered a pest in some agricultural areas. Despite its threatened status due to diseases and habitat loss, rabbit populations thrive in motorway verges, causing conflicts with human activities. In this study we examine the factors affecting rabbit warren abundance in motorway verges in central Spain, with implications for conservation and management. The research aimed to assess the importance of infrastructure (e.g. motorway slopes) and landscape (e.g. land use, soil depth) factors on rabbit warren abundance along 1631 km of motorway verges and to develop an index for broader-scale abundance and risk assessment. Using generalized linear mixed models, the study revealed that both infrastructure (slope) and landscape factors (soil depth, vegetation structure and land cover gradients) significantly influenced warren abundance. Rabbit warrens were more abundant in agricultural landscapes with deep soils and in intermediate slope ranges. The findings suggest that rabbit abundance in motorway verges is driven by a combination of factors involving both infrastructure features but also land use in surrounding areas. The derived model predictions were able to correctly discriminate between crop damaged and non-damaged areas, highlighting its potential as a tool for conflict mitigation and conservation planning. The study underscores the need to integrate landscape and infrastructure features into wildlife management strategies to address human-wildlife conflicts effectively. Future work should include direct population monitoring and explore broader ecological impacts, such as predator dynamics and wildlife-vehicle collisions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"60 ","pages":"Article e03598"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143855370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Potential distribution and future shifts of invasive alien plants in China under climate change","authors":"Wenjing Ren ,&nbsp;Jie Peng ,&nbsp;Nawal Shrestha ,&nbsp;Zhenghan Bian ,&nbsp;Yingbo Yang ,&nbsp;Jianquan Liu ,&nbsp;Xiang Liu ,&nbsp;Pan Huang ,&nbsp;Jihua Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03601","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03601","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Alien plant invasion is a major environmental issue worldwide, causing significant ecological destruction and economic losses. Understanding and predicting the distribution patterns of various invasive alien plants (IAPs) under future climatic conditions are essential to develop sustainable strategies for ecosystem and biodiversity conservation. Invasion plants are rampant in China and have caused substantial biodiversity and economic losses. While previous studies have predicted the distribution of only a few IAPs, comprehensive descriptions and predictions for the numerous IAPs that pose serious threats are still lacking. Therefore, we utilized the Maximum Entropy Model to predict the spatial distribution of 39 significantly hazardous IAPs across China for the periods 1970–2000, 2041–2060, and 2061–2080, based on 11,100 species occurrence records under three Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs: SSP 1–2.6, SSP 2–4.5 and SSP 5–8.5). The results show that temperature-related variables had a greater influence on species distribution than precipitation-related factors. Spatially, IAP richness during 1970–2000 was higher in southeastern China, particularly in coastal provinces such as Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, and Taiwan, but lower in the northwest. Under future climate scenarios, suitable areas for these invasive species are predicted to shift westward, with the longest migration distance being 67.65 km under SSP 5–8.5. In protected areas (PAs), although suitable areas for IAPs are projected to decrease slightly, over 90 % of small PAs would remain suitable for high IAP richness. Overall, our study highlights a high IAP richness in southeastern China, a predicted westward shift in their future distribution and an elevated invasion risk faced by small reserves. These findings offer critical insights for biodiversity conservation, highlighting the urgent need for effective measures to mitigate IAPs invasions, particularly in southeastern China and small PAs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"60 ","pages":"Article e03601"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143870639","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatial variation of functional structure of fish communities in the Bohai Sea","authors":"Jianyu Zou ,&nbsp;Hanxu Wang ,&nbsp;Xiujuan Shan ,&nbsp;Harry Gorfine ,&nbsp;Yiping Ren","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03583","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03583","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Functional space and diversity are powerful methods for understanding ecological patterns and describing changes in fish communities. To better understand spatial variation in the functional structure of the fish communities in the Bohai Sea, the composition of 10 functional traits such as diet, migration type, and thermophily, for 47 species collected from four subareas in the summer of 2022, was analyzed using community-weighted mean trait values (CWM), functional space, and functional diversity. The results showed that there were significant spatial differences in CWM traits of diet, relative mouth size, resilience, body shape, salt tolerance, growth coefficient, and trophic level. The functional space occupied by fish communities in Laizhou Bay and Bohai Center was relatively high. Functional evenness and divergence were extremely high in Bohai Center and Liaodong Bay, and were lowest in Bohai Bay. These results indicated that the fish community in Laizhou Bay occupied the largest spatial niche and had the most habitat resources. Weak competition, and more comprehensive and efficient utilization of habitat resources were in Bohai Center and Liaodong Bay. Competition among fish in Bohai Bay was extreme, placing its fish community in a state of competitive exclusion. Temperature, salinity, pH, and chlorophyll were the main factors affecting the functional structure of the fish communities in the Bohai Sea, and in fisheries management based on functional structure, attention should be paid to changes in environmental factors. This study can provide a scientific reference from the perspective of functional ecology for fisheries management in the Bohai Sea.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"60 ","pages":"Article e03583"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143851956","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}