Austral Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) and Stemflow: Drinking More Than Just Water","authors":"Connor Flanagan,&nbsp;Mark B. Krockenberger,&nbsp;John T. Van Stan II,&nbsp;Janine Duffy,&nbsp;Valentina S. A. Mella","doi":"10.1111/aec.70076","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70076","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Stemflow, water that flows down the outside of tree stems during precipitation events, is a type of free water used by koalas (<i>Phascolarctos cinereus</i>) for drinking, alongside the moisture obtained from the <i>Eucalyptus</i> leaves consumed in their diet. The properties of stemflow in the context of its utilisation by animals are currently unknown. In an increasingly water-limited environment due to climate change, understanding the stemflow characteristics of trees that endangered animals like koalas are known to drink from may be of conservation importance. This study examines the stemflow of trees selected by koalas for drinking in the You Yangs Regional Park, Victoria, Australia, and compares them with nondrinking trees of the same species to determine if koalas exhibit a preference for specific stemflow properties (i.e., volume or biochemical properties). There was substantial variation in the solute concentrations and bacterial loads from stemflow of different trees, some of which could be attributed to species and tree size differences. Overall, our findings suggest that koalas opportunistically consume stemflow during rainfall, independently of its characteristics. There was no evidence of koala pathogens, <i>Cryptococcus</i> spp. or <i>Chlamydia pecorum</i>, and of potentially toxic levels of alkaline or heavy metals in stemflow. Hence, stemflow represents an important and safe source of free water for koalas. Future koala habitat protection policy should consider the ecohydrological needs of koalas and include stemflow as a key tree characteristic in habitat suitability mapping. Our results open the way to research into the prevalence of stemflow-drinking behaviours across the broader species range and its occurrence in other arboreal and endangered species.</p>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aec.70076","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144118129","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":"Seasonal Thermoregulation of Brush-Tailed Mulgaras (Dasycercus blythi)","authors":"Martin Campbell,&nbsp;Gerhard Körtner,&nbsp;Rachel Paltridge,&nbsp;Fritz Geiser,&nbsp;Zenon Czenze","doi":"10.1111/aec.70064","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70064","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In Australia's arid zone, brush-tailed mulgaras (<i>Dasycercus blythi</i>) occupy burrows throughout the year, use bouts of energy/water saving torpor during the winter reproductive season, but little is known about their thermoregulation outside of winter. We used temperature-telemetry to investigate the daily body temperature (<i>T</i>_b) fluctuations during both winter and summer. In winter, males and females readily used torpor (males = 88.0% ± 10.6% from 150 days tracked, <i>n</i> = 3; females = 85.4% ± 5.8% from 151 days tracked, <i>n</i> = 2) and in summer torpor was rare in both sexes (males = 1.6% ± 1.9%, 163 days tracked, <i>n</i> = 4; females = 3.0% ± 2.8%, 157 days tracked, <i>n</i> = 4). The minimum winter <i>T</i>_b was 11.7°C (mean <i>T</i>_b = 23.3°C ± 4.2°C males; 19.6°C ± 5.1°C females); in summer <i>T</i>_b did not fall below 30°C. Torpor bouts in winter lasted for 7.1 ± 6.1 h in males and 11.8 ± 7.8 h in females; in summer torpor bouts were &lt; 120 min in both sexes. Torpor expression differed between sexes during winter, likely due to different selective pressures, with females using deeper and longer torpor bouts than males. In summer, no sexual differences in torpor patterns were observed. Summer torpor use by mulgaras is likely crucial for energy and water conservation in the arid zone, and future conservation work should focus on summer adaptations.</p>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aec.70064","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144091433","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":"Leaf Traits Explain Shrubs' and Herbs' Functional Composition Shifts in a Climate-Impacted Tropical Montane Grassland","authors":"Bianca Butter Zorger,&nbsp;Ilaine Silveira Matos,&nbsp;Bruno Henrique Pimentel Rosado","doi":"10.1111/aec.70069","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70069","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Atmospheric models predict increases in temperature worldwide. However, such predictions are not always accurate in high-elevation ecosystems, due to their specific environmental characteristics (e.g., influence of fog in vegetation via foliar water uptake, high atmospheric demand). We propose that leaf morphological traits usually employed in paleoclimate reconstruction (i.e., toothed leaves presence, leaf size categories) could also be used to predict future climate change effects on montane ecosystems. By correlating such leaf traits with mean annual temperature for 90 Southern Hemisphere localities (including a tropical montane grassland in Brazil) we evaluated whether temperature increases (3°C) will result in functional composition shifts in our tropical montane grassland site. Additionally, using a dataset of 63 plant species for foliar water uptake and nine species for leaf water potential, stomatal conductance and turgor loss point, we evaluated if those physiological traits explain the mechanisms behind compositional change in the tropical montane grassland, and how those physiological traits are associated with the presence/absence of toothed leaves. We found that in the tropical montane grassland, an increase of 3°C in temperature by the year 2100 will likely increase the proportion of species with entire leaves from 33.3% to 70.4%. As leaves with entire margins tend to exhibit lower transpiration surfaces, this change could increase the proportion of water-saving strategist species in the vegetation. We also showed that plants with toothed leaves tend to have higher leaf water potentials/higher stomatal conductance, making them possibly more vulnerable to future atmospheric droughts. In summary, an increase in temperature will likely cause an increase in the proportion of drought-resistant species in the tropical montane grasslands. Therefore, models combining leaf traits usually used in paleoclimate reconstruction and physiological traits can be useful for predicting vegetation responses to climate change.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144085005","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":"Decision Analysis for Sustained Control vs. Eradication of Invasive Pines: A Case Study in the Southern Pampas of Argentina","authors":"Roy E. Elicer,&nbsp;Gabriela I. E. Brancatelli,&nbsp;Sergio M. Zalba","doi":"10.1111/aec.70038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70038","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Biological invasions are one of the main drivers of change in terrestrial ecosystems and also a major expenditure in the budget of conservation units. Management of invasive species involves sets of options, including the alternatives of sustained control aimed at containing the spread of the invader or reducing its density or occupation area vs. the complete eradication of the species from a given site. Grasslands are particularly affected by the expansion of alien trees and shrubs that provoke not just a change in species composition but also a shift in the structure and functioning of the whole ecosystem. In this paper we compare the alternatives of sustained control (containment) vs. eradication and vs. no intervention for a stand of invasive alien pines growing in a grassland nature reserve in the southern Argentinean Pampas. We built a decision analysis schema considering both the effects of the pines on native plant communities and the costs of mechanical control. We compared total vegetation cover, plant species richness, and composition in plots located in areas with different densities of pine trees and in controls free of the invasion. The costs of controlling pines were calculated from actual management interventions in sites with different tree densities. Areas with high density of pines were associated to an impoverishment in vegetation richness and diversity with respect to those at medium and low tree density. Pines were associated with changes in the floristic composition of the piedmont grasslands, including an increase in the abundance of exotic grasses. Cost analysis revealed that sustained control equates to the investment of eradication in thirty years. If we add to the analysis the capacity of <i>P. halepensis</i> to carry out long-distance dispersal events that can result in new invasion nuclei, eradication appears as the most efficient management alternative both in environmental and budgetary terms.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144085006","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 Effects of Temperature on the Swimming Performance, Starvation-Survival and Morphometrics of Zoea 1 Larvae of the Kelp Crab (Taliepus dentatus) From Central Chile","authors":"Lucas Bravo-Guzmán,&nbsp;Milena Cano,&nbsp;Mauricio F. Landaeta,&nbsp;Sergio A. Navarrete,&nbsp;Simone Baldanzi","doi":"10.1111/aec.70066","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70066","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Natural and anthropogenic-induced changes in sea surface temperature (SST) affect all marine organisms, including the critical larval stages of coastal invertebrate species. Changes in sea surface temperature affect larval stages that must respond to these changes behaviourally, physiologically and, in some cases, alter morphological traits. Here, we evaluated the effects of rearing temperature on starvation-survival, swimming performance and morphology of zoea 1 larvae of the kelp crab (<i>Taliepus dentatus</i>). Females were acclimatised to 15°C, the average SST in the study region, until larval hatching. Rapid exposure of unfed larvae to 12°C significantly reduced starvation-survival (LT₅₀), whereas no significant differences were found between 15°C and 17°C. Larvae swam faster but for less time at 12 compared to 15°C and 17°C. Exposure to temperature induced changes in the dorsal spine shape, which were apparent after only 24 h of exposure to altered temperature and increased after 8 days. Overall, our results suggest that exposure to temperature can rapidly alter the shape, survival and swimming performance of larvae, inducing different energy-demanding behavioural responses. We contend that water temperature on marine invertebrate larvae can significantly impact their physiology and morphology even after a few hours of exposure, and we suggest that future studies should define environmentally relevant variation when setting lab-based experiments in order to correctly extrapolate laboratory results within the variable coastal environments.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144085007","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":"Habitat Selection and Movement Behaviour of Long-Nosed Potoroo in the Presence of Feral Cats","authors":"Meg Farmer,&nbsp;Anthony R. Rendall,&nbsp;Amy Coetsee,&nbsp;Euan G. Ritchie","doi":"10.1111/aec.70054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70054","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The global biodiversity extinction crisis is attributed to a series of key threats, with the introduction and impacts of invasive predators considered among the most damaging. Given that effective large-scale lethal control is often not logistically or financially feasible, alternative solutions to promote the persistence of native wildlife most at risk of predation—critical weight range mammals—must be sought. Understanding habitat use and selection of native prey under predation pressure with widespread and common invasive predators, such as feral cats, can quantify habitat elements that may promote survival. We aimed to determine the movement behaviour of a population of critical weight range mammals persisting in the presence of feral cats. We established a trapping grid across ‘Bluegums’, French Island, in south-eastern Australia to collect morphometric, demographic and movement data by deploying GPS tracking devices on Long-nosed Potoroo (<i>Potorous tridactylus trisulcatus</i>). We used spatially explicit capture–recapture models to generate a potoroo density estimate, and autocorrelated kernel density estimators and dynamic Brownian Bridge Movement Models to examine home range and habitat use. Spatial overlap and habitat selection analyses were used to draw inferences about habitat selection and territoriality. Potoroos persisted at low densities and had large home ranges (7.3–12.5 ha). Individuals selected for structurally complex habitat and appeared reluctant to move across open areas, potentially in response to greater perceived predation risk. The fine-scale movement data in our study elucidate the extent to which potoroos rely on vegetation structure, suggesting that maintaining habitat cover and connectivity is likely to build resilience and aid potoroos and similar species to co-exist with feral cats. Given the ongoing threat feral cats pose to biodiversity, our results support the need for maintaining diverse, structurally complex vegetation to build ecosystem resilience to support improved conservation outcomes in the presence of invasive species.</p>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aec.70054","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144074547","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":"The Ancients. By Andrew Darby, Allen and Unwin, 2025. ISBN: 978-1-76-106923-9","authors":"David B. Lindenmayer","doi":"10.1111/aec.70078","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70078","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143950089","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":"Highway Noise Worsens the Edge Effect on Bird Richness in Tropical Forests","authors":"José Nilton da Silva,&nbsp;Aureo Banhos,&nbsp;Cristiano Schetini de Azevedo,&nbsp;Pedro Diniz,&nbsp;Gleidson Ramos da Silva,&nbsp;Charles Duca","doi":"10.1111/aec.70072","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70072","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Anthropogenic noise represents a major threat to various taxonomic groups of fauna, especially birds, as they primarily use sound communication. Associated with the edge effect caused by highways, noise has a negative impact on birds. In this context, the aim of this study was to assess the impact of noise on birds in an area intersected by a highway in a tropical forest in Brazil. Eight transects were built, with points perpendicular to the edges (10, 200, 400, 600, and 800 m), in three areas: highway, pasture, and control (named Forest). At each point, the maximum noise level and bird richness were recorded every 2 months for a year. Five generalised linear mixed models were built to assess whether bird richness was influenced by edge type (highway and pasture), noise, and distance from the edge. The noise was most intense in the road environment and decreased as one moved perpendicularly away from the edge of the road and the pasture. Bird richness was highest in the control area and lowest on the highway, increasing linearly with distance from the edge of the highway and pasture, and decreasing with noise level on both the highway and pasture. Bird richness was better explained by distance from the highway and pasture than by noise, with both factors having a stronger impact at the highway edge than at the pasture edge. Our results suggest (i) that the noise levels of the highway aggravate the edge effect and influence the variation in species richness, (ii) that species from forest environments move away from the area intercepted by the highway.</p>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aec.70072","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143950088","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":"Reproductive Biology of the Desertic Micro-Endemic Nolana chapiensis (Solanaceae: Nolanoideae) in Southern Peru: Self-Incompatibility and Solitary Bees as Exclusive Pollinators","authors":"Fernando H. Calderon-Quispe,&nbsp;Rodrigo B. Singer","doi":"10.1111/aec.70074","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70074","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Understanding the reproductive biology of microendemic species is crucial for developing effective conservation strategies since they frequently have small, restricted and threatened populations. <i>Nolana chapiensis</i> (Solanaceae: Nolanoideae) is a desert microendemic species found in southern Peru that was studied in the Arequipa department at an altitude of 2280 m, from March to April 2023–2024. This study documents floral features, breeding system, pollination process and fruiting success. The breeding system was assessed by isolating plants from pollinators (bagging). Pollination processes were observed in the field using photo and video documentation. Flowers exhibited a short lifespan (3–5 days) with opening and closing events correlated with fluctuations in temperature. <i>Nolana chapiensis</i> is pollinator-dependent and self-incompatible (unable to set fruit without cross-pollination mediated by pollinators). All five identified pollinator species are solitary bees, with Andrenidae species accounting for 83.91% of visits. Most pollinators are female bees that pollinate during pollen-collecting activities. However, Andrenidae males also contribute to pollination while waiting for females inside the floral tube. Natural fruiting success per individual was high, ranging from 35.15% to 74.77%. While high fruiting success might be unexpected in desert environments and in self-compatible species, in this case, it could be attributed to the diversity and behaviour of pollinator species. This study represents the first detailed study of reproductive biology within the genus, coupling breeding system experiments with detailed pollinator observations.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143930359","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":"Evidence of Persistence of Two Small, Sympatric Threatened Mammals (Dasyuridae) Following a Major Flood Event","authors":"Luke Woodford,&nbsp;Jemma K. Cripps","doi":"10.1111/aec.70052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70052","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Large-scale, extreme flood events can potentially cause catastrophic declines in floodplain-dwelling species, especially small terrestrial mammals. We undertook surveys to assess the status of two species of threatened Dasyurid mammals (Giles' Planigale <i>Planigale gilesi</i> and Fat-tailed Dunnart <i>Sminthopsis crassicaudata</i>) to see if they were persisting in a region of northwest Victoria 12 months after a large-scale flood event. We tested three possible detection techniques: live trapping using Elliott traps, camera traps with drift fences and thermal imaging transects. Surveys revealed that sympatric House Mice (<i>Mus musculus</i>) were in very high abundance following the flood. Both target species were detected using camera traps only, although at a very low rate. This demonstrates the limited availability of an effective survey technique for these cryptic species. These surveys resulted in the threatened Giles' Planigale being detected for the first time in 11 years in Victoria. There are two likely scenarios for the persistence of native mammals: in situ survival either by taking refuge in trees within small cavities for the duration of the flood event or on small island refuges nearby, or ex situ survival whereby animals perished in the flood event and individuals recolonised our sites from larger islands that remained dry throughout the flood. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms by which small, ground-dwelling mammals can survive large-scale flooding events and the potential for competition with the invasive House Mouse following these disturbances.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143930360","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}