Austral Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Stress-Testing Monitoring Design to Lock in Conservation Success","authors":"S. Taylor,&nbsp;F. Alves,&nbsp;J. Potts,&nbsp;L. Rayner,&nbsp;D. Stojanovic","doi":"10.1111/aec.70025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70025","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Effective monitoring of threatened species is key to identifying trends in populations and informing conservation management decisions. However, clearly defined monitoring questions that are informed by local circumstances and species traits are commonly neglected. We propose a decision framework as a guide to prioritise what data to collect and methods to use for population monitoring. We applied our decision framework to trial monitoring of Gang-gang Cockatoos (<i>Callocephalon fimbriatum</i>), a threatened, iconic species in Southeast Australia. To meet our program objectives, we trailed distance sampling surveys to estimate population abundance across the urban landscape in the Australian Capital Territory. Despite consistently high reporting rates in the study area, detection rates were too low to estimate the abundance of Gang-gang Cockatoos. As part of assessing the appropriateness of distance sampling as an approach, we simulated surveys under a hypothetically inflated survey effort and population size. Simulations show that even if our field survey effort was doubled or if the population size of Gang-gang Cockatoos was improbably high, detections would remain too low for distance sampling to be a practical approach. We then revisit our decision framework to make new recommendations for future monitoring of Gang-gang Cockatoos and demonstrate the importance of a clear monitoring framework when evaluating how best to achieve conservation goals in the context of methodological uncertainty. The first steps of designing and implementing a monitoring program are crucial—our decision framework offers practitioners a clear, reasoned approach to deciding which methods are needed to address their conservation objectives, along with contingencies for when plans go awry.</p>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aec.70025","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143120998","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":"Uruguayan Grasslands: A Threatened Natural Asset","authors":"Anaclara Guido,&nbsp;Luis López-Mársico,&nbsp;Claudia Rodríguez,&nbsp;Federico Gallego,&nbsp;Felipe Lezama,&nbsp;Santiago Baeza,&nbsp;Pedro Pañella,&nbsp;Cecilia Ríos,&nbsp;Beatriz Costa,&nbsp;Fabiana Pezzani,&nbsp;Silvina García,&nbsp;Gervasio Piñeiro,&nbsp;Gastón Fernández,&nbsp;Andrea Tommasino,&nbsp;Ana Laura Mello,&nbsp;Alice Altesor,&nbsp;José Paruelo","doi":"10.1111/aec.70031","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70031","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Grasslands are often mis-defined, mainly due to the legacy of colonial narratives in several regions, which have described them as deforested, unproductive or wastelands. They have been largely ignored in global conservation and protection policies, leading to increased exploitation. Although there is much accumulated evidence on the ecosystem services that grasslands provide, in Uruguay, this ecosystem is still neglected in parts of society and for most sustainability policies. Twenty percent of Uruguayan grasslands have been replaced by other land uses (crops and forestry) in recent decades. Nevertheless, large areas of natural grasslands still remain and their preservation is crucial. The aim of this work was to show the value of Uruguayan grasslands through a brief review of their natural history and their multiple natural assets (i.e., biodiversity, ecosystem services, cultural identity and economic activities). We also outline some of the advances in public policy initiatives, but emphasise that such policies are critically underdeveloped in terms of conservation, threatening the existence of grasslands in Uruguay for future generations.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143120996","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 Juan Fernández Wrasse Malapterus reticulatus in the Continental Shelf of Chile","authors":"Diego Almendras,&nbsp;Jaime A. Villafana,&nbsp;Marcelo M. Rivadeneira","doi":"10.1111/aec.70027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70027","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The Juan Fernández Wrasse, <i>Malapterus reticulatus</i>, previously considered endemic to the Desventuradas and Juan Fernández Islands, is reported for the first time on the continental shelf of Chile. Observations were gathered from reports shared by divers and spearfishers on social media platforms. A machine learning model confirmed these records, providing evidence of the species presence along the coast of central Chile. Therefore, these records expand the known range of the fish.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143119884","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":"First Record of the Green Thorny-Tail Iguana Uracentron azureum guentheri (Squamata: Tropiduridae) in the Tapajós/Xingú Interfluve Brazilian Amazonia","authors":"David Soares,&nbsp;Isabelly G. Martins,&nbsp;Raidel Reis dos Santos,&nbsp;Síria Ribeiro,&nbsp;Alfredo P. Santos-Jr","doi":"10.1111/aec.70029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70029","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The lizard genus <i>Uracentron</i>, family Tropiduridae, is composed of the species <i>Uracentron flaviceps</i> (Guichenot, 1855) and <i>Uracentron azureum</i> (Linnaeus, 1758). Both species have arboreal habits and are endemic to the Amazon. Here we report a new geographical record of <i>Uracentron azureum guentheri</i> from western Pará State, Brazil, and the first record for the species in the Tapajós/Xingú interfluve. Two specimens were recorded in a fragment of secondary forest on the right bank of the Curuá-Una River, downstream of the Curuá-Una Hydroelectric Power Plant dam, in Santarém, Pará, Brazil. The specimen has colour and morphological features that fit <i>guentheri</i> subspecies. With this new record, <i>Uracentron azureum guentheri</i> is now known in 15 locations in Peru (Loreto department) and Brazil (Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Pará, and Rondônia States), expanding its distribution approximately 209 km southeast of the nearest previously known location (Oriximiná Municipality). Recording and reporting such new geographical records is essential since it allows distribution gaps to be filled and is important for understanding biodiversity patterns, speciation processes and phenotypic variations, as well as contributing to conservation planning. The identification of priority areas for protection can be improved with such data, helping to reduce environmental impacts and preserve local biodiversity.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143119885","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":"Urbanisation Does Not Affect Allometric Relationships in a Widespread Amazonian Dung Beetle Species","authors":"Roberto Munguía-Steyer,&nbsp;Renato Portela Salomão,&nbsp;Glenda Vanessa Bernardino,&nbsp;Cíntia Cornelius","doi":"10.1111/aec.70026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70026","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The environmental pressures promoted by urban ecosystems can play a pivotal role in the sexual attributes of native species that persist in cities. Dung beetles' body size and cephalic appendages are determinant for mating success and couple acceptance, directly affecting individual fitness. The objective of this study was to test how different levels of urbanisation affect tubercle length–body size allometry of <i>Dichotomius boreus</i> individuals. Dung beetles were sampled in three habitats: city core, city outskirts and rural sites. Individuals had their body and tubercle lengths measured to assess their allometric relationships. There was a hyperallometric relationship between body size and tubercle length, which did not differ between sexes according to their habitat type. Moreover, there were no differences in allometric slopes between habitats in neither sex. The results of our study could suggest that the sexual selective force for the expression of different tubercle lengths in males and females is similar and responded similarly in the different studied habitats of the urban landscape of this study. Future studies encompassing <i>Dichotomius</i> dung beetles would be necessary to establish the evolution of allometric relationships in this clade and its relation to the intra- and interspecific interactions.</p>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aec.70026","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143119524","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":"Carbon Storage Variation of Plantation Forest and Their Management Practices in Amhara, Ethiopia","authors":"Yishak Adgo Kassie,&nbsp;Yirdaw Meride Teshome","doi":"10.1111/aec.70019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70019","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and its potential to alter the climate are currently major global concerns. Forest plants and soil may absorb and retain carbon from the atmosphere, forming significant terrestrial carbon storage. The aims of this study were to estimate the carbon storage variance of <i>Eucalyptus globulus</i> and <i>Cupressus lusitanica</i> species in community and small-scale plantation forests under different management practices in the study area. A systematic sampling technique was used to collect field data. The transect line and the sample plot were positioned at 100 and 50 m, respectively, between them. The diameter at breast height (DBH) and total tree height were measured using a total of 60 plots (10 m × 10 m) from community plantation forests and 30 plots from small-scale plantation forests. The total mean carbon storage of <i>C. lusitanica</i> was 312.2 ± 97.9 t C/ha, and that of <i>E. globulus</i> was 356.1 ± 117.6 t C/ha. This was equivalent to 1146.4 ± 359.2 t C/ha CO2 (g) of <i>C. lusitanica</i> and 1306.9 ± 431.8 t C/ha CO2 (g) of <i>E. globulus</i>. The total mean carbon storage of <i>E. globulus</i> was higher than that of <i>C. lusitanica</i> in all carbon pools, except for litterfall biomass. From the management practices in small-scale plantations, the total mean carbon storage of <i>C. lusitanica</i> and <i>E. globulus</i> was 120.5 ± 37.5 t C/ha and 130.5 ± 40.8 t C/ha, respectively. This was equivalent to 442.2 ± 137.5 and 478.9 ± 149.7 t C/ha of CO2 (g), <i>C. lusitanica</i> and <i>E. globulus</i>, respectively. The results of this study will identify research gaps for future investigations and assist in addressing knowledge gaps for forest managers and organisations committed to providing enough attention to forest conservation.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143117374","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":"A Newly Discovered Symbiotic Relationship Between Giant Cowbirds (Molothrus oryzivorus) and South American Tapirs (Tapirus terrestris) in Suriname","authors":"Steve J. Backshall,&nbsp;Christian Dunn,&nbsp;Mark C. Mainwaring","doi":"10.1111/aec.70020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70020","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Interspecific interactions are a common occurrence in nature, and, in some instances, two species form very close associations. Such symbiotic relationships vary, though, in terms of the relative advantages and disadvantages accrued by both species during interspecific interactions. Symbiotic relationships whereby both species benefit are thought to occur between oxpeckers and large mammals in Africa because while oxpeckers benefit by preying upon ticks and blood-sucking flies on the mammal's bodies, the mammals also benefit from the removal of ticks and flies. However, there is also evidence that the interactions between oxpeckers and mammals may not benefit both species because oxpeckers may not significantly reduce the abundance of ticks and may also deliberately keep wounds open, making such interactions harmful for mammals. Here, we respond to calls for further observations to help clarify the nature of such interactions by reporting a newly discovered symbiotic relationship between giant cowbirds (<i>Molothrus oryzivorus</i>) and South American tapirs (<i>Tapirus terrestris</i>) in Suriname. The cowbirds were observed feeding on ticks on the bodies of the tapirs and while it appeared that the tapirs were generally tolerant of the cowbirds, we did observe the tapirs attempting to repel the cowbirds when they appeared to target wounds on their bodies. The interactions we observed therefore appeared to benefit the cowbirds by providing them with prey and while the tapirs benefit from a reduction in tick abundance, the cowbirds did appear to target wounds on their bodies. Consequently, we tentatively conclude that the relationship between giant cowbirds and South American tapirs that we observed was beneficial to the birds and yet potentially harmful to the mammals and so further observations are needed to confirm if such interactions are context dependent. The interactions between giant cowbirds and South American tapirs provide an interesting opportunity to examine the nature of the evolutionary causes and ecological consequences of symbiotic interactions between birds and mammals.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143117373","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":"Forest-Water Ecotones: Flooding Impacts on Ant Species Distribution","authors":"Maria Fernanda Brito de Almeida,&nbsp;Renata Bernardes Faria Campos,&nbsp;Fernanda Vieira da Costa,&nbsp;Ricardo Idelfonso de Campos,&nbsp;Giselle Martins Lourenço,&nbsp;Cinthia Borges da Costa Milanez,&nbsp;Sérvio Pontes Ribeiro","doi":"10.1111/aec.70021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70021","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Natural ecotones between forest and lake-swamp succession impose severe environmental filters for ant fauna, compared to adjacent forest habitats. This filter effect may be more severe for soil than canopy fauna. We tested this hypothesis by investigating the patterns of species occurrence, richness and composition of soil and canopy ants in forest and lake-swamp ecotones in a tropical river basin. We established two transects (250 m) at each site, one placed in the ecotone (i.e., flood zone) and the other inside the adjacent forest. Although upper and lower river basin had totally different ant species composition, the species occurrence, richness and composition distribution between habitats followed a similar pattern for both altitudes. Occurrence of soil ants and species richness was similar between interior and ecotone. The occurrence and species richness of canopy ants were both higher in the ecotones than in the forest interior. Ant species composition was similar between the ecotone and adjacent forest, for both soil and canopy fauna, and the ant species composition was different between seasons (dry and rainy) and between canopy and soil fauna. Most importantly, the environmental filter imposed by the ecotone and its unpredictable habitat conditions favoured fewer but opportunistic species, which drove the higher occurrence in these habitats. The years we studied were particularly dry and had a substantial decrease in lake depth. Hence, the abilities of species to best use unpredictable resources from the natural succession on the new dry grounds might have been defined by omnivorous, opportunistic and numerically dominant ants. The abiotic particularities of forest-water ecotones are important in the temporal dynamics of ant species assemblages. Fluctuations in water dynamics can restrict soil assemblages, but subtle changes in soil flooding also affect canopy fauna and can have unpredictable effects due to intensified variations in seasonal dynamics.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143114099","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":"Drought and Wildfire Legacies Highlight Vulnerability of a Mediterranean Climate-Type Forest","authors":"Nathaniel S. Anderson,&nbsp;Joseph B. Fontaine,&nbsp;Wolfgang Lewandrowski,&nbsp;Lewis Walden,&nbsp;Katinka X. Ruthrof","doi":"10.1111/aec.70011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70011","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Alongside gradual changes in climate, extreme events such as droughts and heatwaves have increased in frequency globally. Together, chronic change and extreme events have been linked to forest die-off, as well as larger, more severe wildfires. Increased disturbance frequency inevitably increases the likelihood of compounding effects, highlighting the importance of understanding forest responses and recovery. This study investigated physiological characteristics of the dominant canopy tree species, <i>Eucalyptus marginata,</i> on sites affected by a drought/heatwave event (2011) and five years later by a wildfire (2016) in southwestern Australia. Using a factorial design of drought vulnerability (sites with high and low vulnerability to drought), and sites that had experienced moderate and high fire severity, physiological measurements including pre-dawn leaf water potential, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll fluorescence, leaf temperature, specific leaf area, and live foliar moisture content were quantified to reveal impacts and potential compound effects on tree function. Measurements were taken during a summer heatwave and typical wet-winter conditions to span periods of high and low stress. High drought vulnerability/ high severity wildfire sites had significantly lower pre-dawn leaf water potentials, and stomatal conductance. Although <i>E. marginata</i> is known to be drought and fire tolerant, this forest stand had visible tree death and canopy contractions (via leaf drop) between summer and winter measurements, suggesting low plant available water in summer approached <i>E. marginata</i>'s threshold for survival in high severity fire sites. Trees on high drought vulnerability sites experienced significantly more stress, but fire severity effects primarily manifested within these sites, measured via decreased specific leaf area and chlorophyll fluorescence. These results reveal interactive, contingent nature of multiple disturbances and their implications for future forest recovery. Monitoring forest health and function is central to developing predictive capacity of forest dynamics and tree responses as extreme events increase in frequency, severity, and scale.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143114100","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":"Is the Long-Nosed Potoroo a Facultative Arboreal Species?","authors":"David Stephenson,&nbsp;Michael A. Weston,&nbsp;Anthony R. Rendall","doi":"10.1111/aec.70022","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70022","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Arboreality in macropods ranges from fully terrestrial to fully arboreal species, with some functionally arboreal species. Potoroos (Tribe Potoroini) are assumed to be fully terrestrial; however, we document sightings and images of climbing and tree use in long-nosed potoroo (<i>Potorous tridactylus trisulcatus</i>) on French Island, Victoria. Ordination of body mass, head plus body length and tail length of macropods revealed some body forms occurred only in terrestrial species, that overlapped with a zone which also included facultatively arboreal macropods and potoroos, suggesting some degree of arboreality in potoroos could not be excluded based on body form. We conclude that long-nosed potoroos may, in at least some circumstances, climb and forage in trees and propose this could be a foraging strategy, niche exploitation or a predator-avoidance strategy.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143114110","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}