Austral Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Palaeoecological Analyses Reveal Recent Fires Have Destroyed Late-Holocene Peat Deposits in Tasmania's Largest Ramsar Reserve","authors":"Matthew Adesanya Adeleye,&nbsp;Simon Graeme Haberle,&nbsp;Quan Hua,&nbsp;David M. J. S. Bowman","doi":"10.1111/aec.70087","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70087","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Australian peat-forming wetlands are some of the most biodiverse in Oceania. King Island, the second largest offshore island from mainland Tasmania, has the largest Ramsar-wetland area in Tasmania—the Lavinia State Reserve (LSR). The reserve has been under threat of peat loss from swamps over past decades due to wildfires, deforestation and drainage. To provide a framework and baseline to assess the resilience or susceptibility to future climate change and fire impacts at the LSR, we apply a palaeoecological approach to understand Holocene peat dynamics in two different LSR wetlands. This contributes to resolving the dynamics and rate of peat loss, thereby assisting in prioritising areas for further swamp conservation actions. Both LSR wetlands were once lakes, and peat accumulation only started due to terrestrialisation during a period of low water levels and drought in the Mid-Holocene. Fires have resulted in the loss of at least 4000 years' worth of accumulated peat in the largest peat-forming swamp, with the greatest loss likely linked to summer fires in the LSR in the 2000s. This finding shows the long-term vulnerability of the LSR wetlands to climate and fire impact, underscoring the need for effective fire management to conserve the remaining peat through fire control and careful hydrological management.</p>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aec.70087","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144300509","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Coarse Woody Debris Improves Nutrient Cycling in a Rehabilitated Montane Forest","authors":"Jack C. J. Vernon,&nbsp;Josh Dorrough,&nbsp;Zachary A. Brown,&nbsp;Adrienne B. Nicotra","doi":"10.1111/aec.70082","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70082","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The successful restoration of disturbed ecosystems depends on the ability of below-ground soil decomposer communities to cycle organic matter into soil stocks and available forms for above-ground producers. We investigated the interactions between forest disturbance history, coarse woody debris and leaf carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C:N) and their impacts on biological activity in soil and litter within a rehabilitated rock spoil and adjacent undisturbed montane forest in Kosciuszko National Park, Australia. We measured rates of soil CO₂ efflux and leaf decomposition, two key measures of soil function, to determine whether proximity to coarse woody debris improved soil function in rehabilitated sites. Coarse woody debris was associated with increased CO₂ efflux and decomposition in the rehabilitated forest (28.1% and 12.6% increase, respectively), but not within nearby undisturbed forest. In the absence of coarse woody debris, leaf mass loss to decomposition was 84.2% lower in the rehabilitated forest compared to the reference forest. Leaf decomposition varied significantly depending on the species from which the litter derived and was greatest in green tea and eucalyptus litter, and least in rooibos tea, with the CWD and forest type effects being consistent among these. However, decomposition of leaf litter of native species did not conform to expectations; leaves with low C:N had lower, rather than higher, rates of decomposition. These findings highlight the positive effects of coarse woody debris addition on soil functioning within rehabilitated forests and its potential in reconstructing nutrient cycles following disturbance.</p>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aec.70082","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144264675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Landscape and the Occupancy of Pampean Grassland Birds: Modelling Site Occupancy Through Acoustic Detection","authors":"Patrícia Paludo,&nbsp;André Luís Luza,&nbsp;e Maria João Ramos Pereira","doi":"10.1111/aec.70084","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70084","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Native grasslands worldwide are under threat from replacement by cropland and other land-use practices, resulting in severe population declines of grassland birds in recent decades, due to their sensitivity to changes in land use. We fitted occupancy models to data collected by passive acoustic monitoring of bird species at sites in Brazilian pampas grasslands (dry grass, wet grass and regenerating grass) to test the hypothesis that the probability of local site occupancy of grassland-specialised birds, <i>Ammodramus humeralis</i> Cabanis &amp; Heine, 1850 (grassland sparrow), <i>Emberizoides herbicola</i> Cabanis, 1847 (wedge-tailed grass-finch) and L<i>eistes superciliaris</i> Vigors, 1825 (white-browed meadowlark), decreases with native land-use change; but not for the habitat-generalist species <i>Zonotrichia capensis</i> Cabanis &amp; Heine, 1850 (rufous-collared sparrow). Land cover and land use were quantified within 500 m buffers around 69 grassland study sites and were used as covariates in site-occupancy models. The probability of occupancy of <i>L. superciliaris</i> at a site was positively influenced by native grassland cover and agriculture in the surrounding landscape, while <i>A. humeralis</i> was negatively influenced by forest cover. For <i>E. herbicola</i> and the generalist <i>Z. capensis</i>, the occupancy probability was not influenced by the measured landscape variables. These four grassland species present varied responses to land cover and land use in grasslands, highlighting the need for a better understanding of predictors at a habitat scale to effectively inform management and conservation strategies for grassland areas. This study underscores the importance of conserving native grasslands, as species distribution tends to remain stable in areas with well-preserved grassland cover, a finding that can inform conservation efforts in other grassland regions worldwide.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144244400","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":"Mitigating Road Barrier Effects for Small Mammals: Evidence From Wildlife Passages in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest","authors":"Ian Moreira Souza,&nbsp;Victoria Bartolome,&nbsp;Rodrigo Delmonte Gessulli,&nbsp;Marcelo Guerreiro,&nbsp;Thiago de Oliveira Machado,&nbsp;Helio Secco,&nbsp;Pablo Rodrigues Gonçalves","doi":"10.1111/aec.70086","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70086","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Roads significantly impact wildlife through collisions and habitat fragmentation. Wildlife crossing structures aim to mitigate these impacts, but their effectiveness for Neotropical small mammals is largely unknown. During 12 months, we monitored small mammal movements near overpasses, underpasses, and areas without structures (controls) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, using capture-mark-recapture. We quantified highway crossings, structure use without crossing, and structure avoidance. Eight small mammal species were recorded, among which were four forest specialists. The marsupials <i>Didelphis aurita</i> and <i>Marmosa paraguayana</i> used overpasses, while the water rat <i>Nectomys squamipes</i> and the four-eyed opossum <i>Philander quica</i> used underpasses. However, only 5%–7% of marked individuals of the latter two species crossed the highway. The remaining four species (<i>Akodon cursor</i>, <i>Metachirus myosurus</i>, <i>Monodelphis cf. iheringi</i>, and <i>Mus musculus</i>) did not use the structures and were uncommon in roadside habitats. The results suggest that locally abundant forest small mammals avoiding roads can use crossing structures, potentially improving population connectivity compared to areas without them. However, rare forest specialists that did not use the passages may require more substantial interventions to enhance their connectivity. This research provides evidence for potential benefits of crossing structures for Neotropical small mammals while highlighting the need for tailored solutions for different species.</p>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aec.70086","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144244401","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Microhabitat Preferences, Climate Vulnerability and Conservation Status of the High-Elevation Orange-Speckled Forest Skink (Tumbunascincus luteilateralis)","authors":"Jules E. Farquhar,&nbsp;Paul M. Oliver,&nbsp;Justin M. Wright,&nbsp;Nicholas A. Scott,&nbsp;Jordan Mulder,&nbsp;Harry B. Hines,&nbsp;David G. Chapple","doi":"10.1111/aec.70083","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70083","url":null,"abstract":"<p>High-elevation species are particularly vulnerable to climate change due to their restricted distributions and reliance on stable, cool climates. <i>Tumbunascincus luteilateralis</i> (the orange-speckled forest skink), a high-elevation lizard endemic to the Eungella region in central Queensland, Australia, is currently listed as Data Deficient under the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Our study integrates field surveys, microhabitat analyses and ecological niche modelling to better understand the species' distribution, habitat preferences and conservation status. Field surveys detected <i>T. luteilateralis</i> at many new locations all within a highly restricted area on the Dalrymple Plateau. It occurred in a range of forest types above 800 m elevation, but very rarely occurred below 800 m, showing a strong ecological preference for high-elevation rainforests. Microhabitat analyses indicated that the species exhibits significant selection for warmer, refuge-rich sites characterised by higher log cover and larger logs, which likely support thermoregulation and predator avoidance. Ecological niche modelling highlighted that the species' current distribution is restricted to stable, cool climates typical of high-elevation rainforests, with no evidence of occurrence outside the Eungella region. Projections under future climate change indicate a severe reduction in suitable habitat, with complete loss predicted by the end of the century under a moderate warming scenario. These results show that <i>T. luteilateralis</i> meets the criteria for Endangered status under the IUCN Red List, with an extent of occurrence of 687 km² and area of occupancy of 169 km². Efforts that could help maintain or improve population resilience include protection of the rainforest habitat from bushfires, preservation of large log refugia and reducing the risk of predation from feral animals. This study underscores the need for conservation-oriented ecological studies on narrow-ranged, high-elevation species to understand their conservation status and inform conservation planning.</p>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aec.70083","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144197187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Impacts of Traditional and New Land Uses on Dung Beetle Assemblages in the Brazilian Pantanal","authors":"Tais Felix Gonçalves,&nbsp;Kleyton R. Ferreira,&nbsp;Fernando Z. Vaz-de-Mello,&nbsp;Camila Aoki,&nbsp;Neiva M. R. Guedes,&nbsp;Ademir Kleber Morbeck de Oliveira,&nbsp;César M. A. Correa","doi":"10.1111/aec.70081","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70081","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The Pantanal is one of the largest Neotropical seasonal freshwater wetlands on Earth, with high biodiversity. Livestock farming has historically been the main economic activity in the Pantanal, in large areas of exotic pastures, and more recently, new areas for soybean croplands were implemented in this biome. However, the impacts of the new areas with soybean crops on biodiversity are still unknown. Here, we used dung beetles, a recognised bioindicator group, to assess the effect of the exotic pastures and soybean croplands on biodiversity in the Brazilian Pantanal. For this, we sampled dung beetles in January 2023 (rainy season) using standardised sampling protocols in the native grasslands, exotic pastures, and soybean croplands in Aquidauana municipality, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Our results show a consistent shift in dung beetle species composition and a reduction of abundant and dominant species from native grasslands to soybean croplands. These results indicate that the effects caused by soybean croplands are more severe on dung beetle biodiversity than exotic pastures, demonstrating that soybean croplands established in the Pantanal have severe negative consequences for biodiversity. Therefore, management of native grasslands and exotic pastures may be an alternative to avoid the loss of dung beetle biodiversity and to maintain livestock sustainable production in the Brazilian Pantanal. Finally, we highlight the importance of evaluating the effects of traditional and new agricultural systems on biodiversity for the development of more efficient, sustainable management and conservation strategies in the Brazilian Pantanal.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144179310","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":"Climate Change Effects on Long-Term Leafing Activity of a Tropical Rainforest Tree Species, Davidsonia pruriens","authors":"Nara O. Vogado,&nbsp;Michael J. Liddell","doi":"10.1111/aec.70077","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70077","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Leafing activity is a crucial part of the tree life cycle and is tightly linked to photosynthesis, gas exchange and biomass accumulation, among other processes. Despite this, many aspects of leafing phenology, such as climate drivers of community and species-level temporal patterns, are poorly understood in tropical rainforest species. Here, we present 18 years of above-canopy phenological observations of leafing phenology for <i>Davidsonia pruriens</i>, an important endemic species in the Wet Tropics, from January 1997 to December 2014. We assessed changes in leafing patterns through time and how they are being affected by climate drivers. We found that, while the tropical rainforest region is considered to have low seasonality in leaf production, leafing in this species was seasonal with a peak in the wet season. Analysis of climate drivers showed that increased leaf production was correlated with increased daily rainfall and decreased solar radiation. Interannual activity responded similarly to changes in annual rainfall and solar radiation but was also significantly impacted by cyclones and El Niño events. Our results show that <i>Davidsonia pruriens</i> has seasonal leafing patterns which are strongly influenced by climate drivers. Our study is the first to present field-based measurements of long-term leafing phenology in Australia, which clearly demonstrate climate change sensitivity of leafing in an endemic plant, a plant that is a significant bush tucker species to Aboriginal traditional custodians of the rainforest region of Northern Australia.</p>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aec.70077","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144171741","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Filling Gap and Geographic Distribution Map of Elachistocleis helianneae Caramaschi, 2010 (Amphibia: Anura: Microhylidae)","authors":"Elton Monteiro,&nbsp;Jade Bentes Mourão,&nbsp;Isabelly G. Martins,&nbsp;David Soares,&nbsp;Síria Ribeiro,&nbsp;Alfredo P. Santos-Jr","doi":"10.1111/aec.70080","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70080","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The genus <i>Elachistocleis</i> comprises fossorial frogs distributed throughout Central and South America. Despite their wide distribution, species such as <i>Elachistocleis helianneae</i> Caramaschi, 2010 (Anura: Microhylidae) are poorly documented due to their cryptic behaviour. Here, we present the first record of <i>E. helianneae</i> for the western region of Pará state, in the central Brazilian Amazon. Four specimens (one juvenile and three adults) were collected during nocturnal surveys in temporary puddles along the BR-163 highway between March and April 2022. Additionally, an updated distribution map of the species was created, incorporating this new record and data available in the literature. The new record fills a significant gap in the distribution of <i>E. helianneae</i> in the central Amazon, which previously spanned over a thousand kilometres. Our record is located approximately 590 km from the closest record to the west, in the state of Amazonas, and about 520 km from the nearest record to the east, in the state of Amapá. The Santarém record significantly improves our understanding of the distribution of <i>E. helianneae</i>, emphasising the importance of targeted surveys in underexplored habitats. Our findings highlight the importance of filling distributional gaps to enhance knowledge of amphibian biodiversity and inform conservation efforts.</p>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aec.70080","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144171337","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Are Lizard Assemblages From the Atlantic Forest Under the Influence of Ecological Release?","authors":"A. A. M. Teixeira,&nbsp;P. Riul,&nbsp;S. V. Brito,&nbsp;D. A. Teles,&nbsp;J. A. Araujo Filho,&nbsp;W. O. Almeida,&nbsp;D. O. Mesquita","doi":"10.1111/aec.70065","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70065","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Ecological release is a key concept that describes how species increase their density and expand their niche in response to reduced competition. This phenomenon is commonly studied in island systems, but its occurrence in naturally isolated habitats within continents remains underexplored. To address this gap, we compared lizard assemblages between the remnants of the coastal Atlantic Forest (non-isolated areas) and naturally isolated forest relicts. Our predictions were that in isolated areas, lizard density and niche dimensions (e.g., diet) should be larger due to the absence of possible competitors, as well as a more generalised morphology. We verified that non-isolated areas had greater lizard richness than naturally isolated forest relicts. However, there was no difference between the type areas in relation to the average abundance and average breadths of the lizard niches (calculated from the volume of prey in the stomachs). In contrast, the average nearest neighbour Euclidean distance of lizard assemblages (from morphological data) was lower in isolated areas (more generalised) compared to non-isolated areas. We conclude that this study partially supports the ecological release hypothesis: the low number of competitors in naturally isolated forest enclaves (ecological opportunity) does not support density compensation and niche expansion (diet), emphasising the impact of historical factors on assemblage structure. In contrast, the more generalised morphology verified in lizards from isolated areas is considered evidence of ecological release, possibly driven by the expansion of microhabitat use. However, the lack of records on the spatial use of the studied lizards underscores the need for further research to confirm this relationship.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144140536","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 State of Biological Research in Forest Canopies: Colombia as a Case Study for Megadiverse Tropical Countries","authors":"David L. Anderson,&nbsp;Julián Lozano-Flórez,&nbsp;Sandra P. Galeano,&nbsp;Daniela García-Cobos,&nbsp;Nicolás Reyes-Amaya,&nbsp;Eliana Barona-Cortés,&nbsp;Julián Clavijo-Bustos,&nbsp;Johann Stephens Cárdenas-Bautista,&nbsp;Sebastián Cifuentes-Acevedo,&nbsp;Gustavo A. Bravo,&nbsp;Luis Felipe Barrera,&nbsp;Angelica Guzmán,&nbsp;Nathalia Moreno-Niño,&nbsp;Sandra Milena Urbano-Apráez,&nbsp;Carolina Gómez-Posada,&nbsp;Angela M. Mendoza-Henao","doi":"10.1111/aec.70075","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70075","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Forests are a critical interface between Earth's terrestrial biomass and the atmosphere that play a pivotal role in biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services provision. Despite their importance, the study of forest canopies has been hindered by accessibility challenges. Because canopy biodiversity and ecology are inadequately sampled from the ground, the historic dependence on ground-based data limits our understanding of forest biology at local and regional scales, which in turn can obstruct or challenge the setting of conservation priorities. This is particularly true for tropical countries with the highest levels of forest biodiversity and degradation. We evaluate the published research outputs from canopy research in Colombia, a megadiverse tropical country that faces escalating deforestation rates, which may serve as a model for tropical countries with high levels of biodiversity and mounting conservation challenges. Through a comprehensive literature review spanning 1974–2022, we assessed the taxonomic groups, research objectives, methodological approaches, and geographical distribution of canopy research. Our findings reveal that canopy research in Colombia is skewed in its taxonomic focus towards vascular plants and its geographic coverage is greatest in the Andes. Moreover, most studies treated the canopy as a covariate rather than the primary research objective, thereby limiting possible inferences into canopy biodiversity. Our results offer a call to action to increase the number of canopy studies in Colombia, emphasising the need for increased geographic representation, capacity-building, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the involvement of non-academic stakeholders. As the Global South faces critical conservation challenges, understanding canopy biodiversity and processes will be essential for informed conservation and sustainable forest management strategies in biologically diverse nations. We conclude by proposing four lessons from Colombia to advance canopy research in megadiverse tropical countries.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144140414","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}