Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Arthropod-related vehicle collisions increase harvestmen populations along road verges","authors":"Juraj Litavský ,&nbsp;Pavol Prokop ,&nbsp;Oto Majzlan ,&nbsp;Hubert Žarnovičan","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104114","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104114","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The expansion of road networks has been instrumental in facilitating human mobility and economic development. However, this infrastructure presents significant challenges to ecological systems. While most research focusses on the ecology of vertebrates, the potential effects on invertebrates remain understudied. This study investigated the impact of roads on the abundance and diversity of ground-dwelling arthropods, specifically harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones) and ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae). The results showed that the distance from the road positively influenced the abundance (but not diversity) of beetles, while both the abundance and diversity of the harvestmen were highest near the roads. Further analysis revealed that dead insects were significantly more common near high-speed road sections compared to low-speed sections, probably due to increased road collisions. The abundance of harvestmen (but not beetles) was significantly affected by the presence of dead insects. Mediation analysis showed that high speed roads influence harvestmen abundance indirectly through its effect on dead insects abundance. It seems that the carabid beetles avoided the high-speed sections of the roads. Our findings suggest that roads causes mortality of flying insects via collisions but also serve as an important food source for scavengers such as harvestmen. Thus, road collisions with arthropods generate conditions similar to those observed for vertebrate scavengers feeding on roadkill.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"128 ","pages":"Article 104114"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144913022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Functional nestedness of anuran communities along gradients of pond area and permanence","authors":"Joaquim Flesch Salaberry ,&nbsp;Mauricio Almeida-Gomes ,&nbsp;Camila Chiamenti Both ,&nbsp;Adriano Sanches Melo","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104108","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104108","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Turnover in community composition is expected when species are restricted to parts of environmental or biotic gradients. In contrast, nestedness emerges when some parts of a gradient allow many species to co-occur, while other parts restrict presence to generalist species. This leads to communities in diversity-poor areas of the gradient to be subsets of those in the richer areas. Anurans that develop in ponds are strongly affected by water availability, with small and ephemeral habitats harbouring species with traits adapted to desiccation risk. We hypothesized that water availability, estimated by pond area and permanence, will generate a nested pattern in anuran trait diversity. We tested this hypothesis using data from two anuran metacommunities in tropical and subtropical regions of Brazil. The first metacommunity comprised 1514 adult anurans from 23 species distributed in 11 ponds, whereas the second one included 10,852 tadpoles from 21 species in 38 ponds. We estimated functional diversity using body variables, habitat use and reproductive modes and tested our hypothesis using a nestedness metric based on functional data (treeNODF). We found that small ponds and with low permanence included not only lower functional diversity, but diversities that were subsets of those present in larger, more permanent ponds. The results suggest that, even in tropical and subtropical regions and regardless of life stage, anuran traits are more diverse in large habitats with prolonged water permanence. Small and temporary ponds severely restrict species and their traits, thus favouring few species with specific sets of traits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"128 ","pages":"Article 104108"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144723279","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Scorpions in urbanized landscapes: influence of habitat type and landscape on body condition, diversity and functional traits in a Neotropical submontane forest","authors":"Matheus Leonydas Borba Feitosa ,&nbsp;Fredy Alvarado ,&nbsp;Hidalgo Valentim Gomes de Lima ,&nbsp;Geraldo Jorge Barbosa de Moura ,&nbsp;André Felipe de Araujo Lira","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104087","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104087","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The local filtering process exerts a significant influence on the evolution of species traits. Furthermore, the spatial configuration of the landscape may also exert an influence on the assembly of traits within communities. It is of paramount importance to comprehend the impact of human-induced alterations to tropical forest habitats and land cover on the diversity, fitness, and functional characteristics of native fauna, as this knowledge is fundamental to the field of conservation biology. In this study, we investigate the impact of different habitats and land cover on the abundance, species richness, composition, body condition, and functional traits of the scorpion assemblage in a Neotropical submontane forest region. The scorpions were collected via active search in 60 sampling units distributed evenly among three habitat types: the city core, urban green areas, and forests. A total of 882 specimens were sampled, distributed among five species within two families. The results indicate that, at the habitat level, forests exhibited greater abundance and species richness, and these taxonomic patterns were sensitive to the surrounding land use. Furthermore, the expansion of urban areas in the landscape composition also results in a shift in species composition. Additionally, forest habitats are vital for maintaining higher body condition. Conversely, habitats classified as city core have led to the emergence of traits adapted to urban conditions. It is evident that urban green infrastructure plays a pivotal role in maintaining scorpion biodiversity, even in highly urbanized environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"128 ","pages":"Article 104087"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144194891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Additive effects of the addition of nitrogen and phosphorus individually and in combination on arbuscular mycorrhizas: A meta-analysis","authors":"Lingjie Chen ,&nbsp;Esvin Gonzalez ,&nbsp;Yin Guo ,&nbsp;Yue Shen ,&nbsp;Xin Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104109","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104109","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Anthropogenic activity–induced enrichment of soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) considerably alters the structures and functions of ecosystems. However, the interactive effects of N + P addition on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) remain unclear. Hence, a meta-analysis was conducted to quantify the individual and combined effects of N + P addition on the abundance of AMF. The results showed that N addition significantly increased the abundance of AMF by 7.54 %, whereas the P addition significantly resulted in a decrease of 29.22 %. The combined effects of N + P addition substantially decreased the abundance of AMF by 37.55 % and caused a substantial decrease in grasslands and greenhouses by 53.85 % and 48.48 %, respectively, but had no effect on forest ecosystems. More importantly, the interactive effects of N + P addition are more probable to be additive, rather than synergistic or antagonistic. These findings highlight the importance of the additive interactive effects of N + P addition on the abundance of AMF and should prove useful to better understand below-ground ecological processes caused by nutrient enrichment under global change conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"128 ","pages":"Article 104109"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144703499","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Mechanisms facilitating ant species coexistence in the burnt and unburnt grassland","authors":"Nokubonga F. Thabethe ,&nbsp;Stefan H. Foord ,&nbsp;T. Caswell Munyai","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104107","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104107","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Many ant species can coexist in a small space, which is surprising because ants are competitive. Trade-offs have been proposed as mechanisms that facilitate such coexistence. Therefore, the current study assessed the temperature-dominance trade-off and the bait discovery-dominance trade-off to determine if any of these facilitate coexistence in the burnt and unburnt grassland habitat in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. We used cat food as bait in two grassland plots replicated five times to observe ant activities every 15 min for 3 h, recorded ant interactions and foraging surface temperature. We observed a negative relationship between minimum temperature and dominance. This suggests that dominant ants may tolerate even lower temperatures, meaning they have a broader range of foraging temperatures. There was a significant relationship between the percentage number of baits discovered and dominance in the burnt plot. Dominant ants located most baits in both plots. Also, they could discover baits much faster in the unburnt plot. Both burnt and unburnt plots showed no significant relationship between time to discover baits and dominance. This study also revealed that burning influenced competitive interactions and not trade-offs. However, burning may not explain the increase/decrease of competitive interaction, as this can be explained by temperature, since the study showed that temperature varied considerably between the burnt and unburnt plots. There is a need to examine other possible mechanisms that may facilitate coexistence in this grassland system.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"128 ","pages":"Article 104107"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144712965","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"The estimation of light transmittance through grassland canopy: Searching for a suitable indirect indicator","authors":"Marek Czerwiński ,&nbsp;Barbara Golińska ,&nbsp;Artur Paszkowski ,&nbsp;Konrad Wróblewski ,&nbsp;Katarzyna Dąbrowska-Zielińska ,&nbsp;Piotr Goliński","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104102","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104102","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In grasslands, the transmittance of photosynthetically active radiation through the canopy (RLI_g) is a key factor in terms of ecosystem productivity and biodiversity. However, direct RLI_g measurement is time-consuming, and the estimation is difficult because the relationship between RLI_g and other canopy characteristics has not been sufficiently explored. We aimed to determine the relationships between RLI_g for vegetation with a different cover of forbs, and easily measurable, potential proxy indicators: average canopy height (h), fresh aboveground biomass (FM), and several indices obtained from Sentinel-2 satellites: leaf area index (LAI), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), enhanced vegetation index (EVI) and structure insensitive pigment index (SIPI). Empirical data was collected from 2020 to 2023 in 22 mesic grasslands located in Poland. A clear pattern of relationship with RLI_g was observed for h, FM, and LAI: the increase in these parameters coincided with the decrease in RLI_g. This decrease was strong when h, FM and LAI were still low and became moderate when h, FM, and LAI increased to a certain threshold. This shift in the RLI_g trend line was more abrupt and occurred earlier in canopies with high herb cover. This relationship can be accurately modeled using a broken line regression. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) is almost unavailable near the ground in swards taller than 15 cm, with LAI greater than 4.5 and aboveground biomass greater than 1.0 kg m⁻². Due to the complexity of the models obtained, practical estimation of RLI_g based on h, FM, or LAI may be difficult.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"128 ","pages":"Article 104102"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144321450","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Natural factors or human disturbance: What shapes the occurrence of black grouse Lyrurus tetrix on the edge of its continuous range?","authors":"Michał Adamowicz ,&nbsp;Tomasz Gortat ,&nbsp;Patryk Czortek ,&nbsp;Michał Chiliński","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104095","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104095","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The black grouse belongs to a group of birds sensitive to environmental changes. A decrease in its numbers may signal the deteriorating habitat condition. In this study, we analyzed the impact of a number of predictors on the species' occurrence in one of its last Central European, mountainous refuge - the Polish Tatra Mountains. The study aimed to understand the land use of the species and identify the most important factors for its survival. Our results indicate the predominance of land cover over the other factors studied. Particularly, the presence of dwarf shrubs promoted the occurrence of black grouse. It showed a positive correlation with vegetation providing food and lekking sites and land cover by forest in the surroundings. A negative relationship was found with bare rock cover and high tourist pressure around the occurrence sites. Human disturbance had a negative impact on the species' occurrence, but it was less significant than habitat quality. However, it may be considered a habitat-fragmenting factor. Our results highlight the need to consider a large spatial scale when studying the effects of biotic and abiotic factors on a declining population, which is particularly important on the edge of the species’ continuous range. For conservation, it would also be optimal to incorporate our results along with data on reproductive success and the impact of climate change on shaping the local biotope.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"128 ","pages":"Article 104095"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144205608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Increased litterfall productivity in coastal dry forests of Argentina invaded by Ligustrum lucidum","authors":"S.R. Carrizo ,&nbsp;M.V.E. Díaz Villa ,&nbsp;M.F. Cagnone ,&nbsp;J.S. Paronetto ,&nbsp;N. Madanes ,&nbsp;G. Goldstein ,&nbsp;P.M. Cristiano","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104113","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104113","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Endangered coastal dry native forests in Argentina are currently threatened by glossy privet (<em>Ligustrum lucidum</em>) invasion. The main objective of this study was to estimate and compare litterfall productivity in these dry forests with different degrees of <em>L. lucidum</em> invasion; and to analyse the relationship between invasion and soil nutrients. Leaf litter productivity in invaded forests was three times higher and fruit litter productivity was seven times higher than in preserved and partially-preserved forests. Although total litterfall dynamics showed a similar seasonal pattern across all forests, leaf and fruit litter productivity were different among forests, and native species’ contribution to leaf litter decreased from 81,9 % in preserved forests to 1,9 % in invaded forests. Soil litter layer depth increased almost four times in glossy privet invaded forests. Despite these changes, no differences were detected in soil nutrient and carbon contents among forests, except for a lower organic phosphorus content in invaded forests. Although partially-preserved forests remain functionally similar to preserved forests in terms of litterfall dynamics, their ongoing invasion by <em>L. lucidum</em> indicates a potential risk of structural shifts, suggesting that very rapid management interventions are required.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"128 ","pages":"Article 104113"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144931772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Drivers of aboveground carbon in protected areas in Burkina Faso","authors":"Kangbéni Dimobe ,&nbsp;Korotimi Ouédraogo ,&nbsp;Shem Kuyah ,&nbsp;Adjima Thiombiano","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104100","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104100","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Grasslands, savannas, and forests within protected areas play a vital role in mitigating climate change and conserving biodiversity. While these landscapes are widely recognized for their ecological value, the contribution of biodiversity to enhancing aboveground carbon (AGC) storage is less understood. We investigated how environmental factors (climate, topography and soil conditions) affect biodiversity and AGC stock, and how functional trait diversity and species composition mediate the response of AGC to evolutionary drivers within the study area. The study was conducted in 133 plots in two protected areas (Bontioli Total Wildlife reserve and Nazinga Game Ranch) in Burkina Faso. We measured local environmental conditions, species composition and tree structural data (diameter at breast height, maximum height) for each plot. We used combined field observations with wood density values from literature to quantify phylogenetic diversity, functional trait diversity and dominance. We then estimated AGC using established allometric equations. We used structural equation models to assess the direct and indirect impacts of environmental factors on AGC stock, mediated by biodiversity metrics. Aboveground carbon stocks ranged from 5 to 165 Mg/ha, with notable association between phylogenetic diversity and functional trait metrics. These findings underscore the influence of both complementary interactions and trait-based selection. A strong positive relationship between phylogenetic diversity and functional richness across all vegetation types suggest that evolutionary divergence contribute to ecological function. However, the strength and direction of the relationship between phylogenetic diversity and community-weighted mean of maximum height differed among the vegetation types, suggesting that evolutionary influences on trait values are modulated by the unique environmental conditions of each ecosystem. This study highlights the intricate links between biodiversity, functional traits, and carbon storage, offering insights for managing and conserving forest ecosystems in support of SDGs 13 (Climate Action), 15 (Life on Land), and 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"128 ","pages":"Article 104100"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144240243","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Seed deposition patterns reflect the foraging behavior and food habits of mammalian seed dispersers","authors":"Teruki Inoue ,&nbsp;Kei Okuda ,&nbsp;Yoshino Sakamoto ,&nbsp;Rui Miyamoto ,&nbsp;Haruka Kobayashi ,&nbsp;Misaki Yokoyama ,&nbsp;Akira Yamawo","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104111","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104111","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In endozoochorous seed dispersal via animal gut passage, seeds are often deposited together with multiple conspecific and/or heterospecific seeds, potentially increasing the intensity of seedling competition. Ecological characteristics of the seed disperser species, such as the foraging behavior, food habits, and body size may influence seed composition and seed density in feces. To evaluate how the ecological characteristics of seed dispersers influence the competitive environment for seedlings, we compared the seed composition and density in the feces of three mammalian seed disperser species, martens, raccoon dogs, and foxes, that differ in foraging behavior, food habits, and body size. We collected 105 fecal samples, recorded 9385 seeds, and identified eight plant species. Seed composition in feces differed significantly among the three disperser species. Marten feces were primarily composed of <em>Malus toringo</em> (Siebold). In contrast, those of raccoon dogs and foxes were composed of a more diverse array of plant species. The density of seeds in feces tended to be higher in martens and raccoon dogs than in foxes. These results suggest that the competitive environments of seedlings differ depending on the ecological characteristics of disperser species and may have differential effects on seedling establishment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"128 ","pages":"Article 104111"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145047872","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}