Austral Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Wider Yet Fragmented: Distributional Expansion and Conservation Insights for the Monkey Frog Pithecopus centralis","authors":"Ramon Moreira Fernandes,&nbsp;Ana Cecilia Holler Del Prette,&nbsp;Christine Strüssmann,&nbsp;Priscila Lemes,&nbsp;Reuber Albuquerque Brandão,&nbsp;Fabrício Rodrigues Santos,&nbsp;Rafael Félix de Magalhães","doi":"10.1111/aec.70252","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70252","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Knowledge gaps in species' geographic distributions—the Wallacean shortfall—limit accurate biodiversity assessments and conservation strategies. The monkey frog <i>Pithecopus centralis</i>, endemic to rocky stream habitats on western Brazilian Cerrado plateaus, has long been considered range-restricted and threatened. Historically known only from Chapada dos Guimarães (Mato Grosso) and a single record from Barra do Garças, it was presumed to have a highly fragmented distribution. Here, we report three new populations from Poxoréu and Nova Xavantina (Mato Grosso) and Caiapônia (Goiás), substantially extending the species' known range. Mitochondrial cyt-<i>b</i> analyses confirmed species identity and revealed six previously undocumented haplotypes, increasing both nucleotide and haplotype diversity. Strikingly, populations within protected areas displayed no genetic variation, whereas those outside reserves contributed most to the mitochondrial diversity. The updated Extent of Occurrence and Area of Occupancy are 64 266 and 52 km², respectively, representing substantial increases compared to previous assessments. Although the species' known distribution has expanded, the availability of suitable habitat may still be limited. Additionally, <i>P. centralis</i> remains highly vulnerable due to habitat fragmentation, agricultural expansion, hydroelectric development and low genetic diversity within protected areas, with a significant portion of its genetic diversity occurring outside reserves. Our findings emphasize the importance of targeted surveys to better define distributional limits and to prioritize the conservation of rocky stream habitats beyond formal reserves, helping to safeguard the evolutionary potential and long-term persistence of <i>P. centralis</i>.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"51 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148282062","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":"Generalist With a Narrow Niche Breadth: Feeding Ecology and Seed Germination Effectiveness of a Large Canid Within a Silvicultural Matrix","authors":"Aline Carneiro Veloso,&nbsp;Arthur Celestino Soares,&nbsp;Ana Elizabeth Iannini Custódio,&nbsp;Ednaldo Carvalho Guimarães,&nbsp;Carine Firmino Carvalho-Roel","doi":"10.1111/aec.70249","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70249","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Understanding the feeding ecology of key carnivores is essential to unravel their ecological roles and inform effective conservation strategies, especially in human-modified landscapes. In this study, we investigated the feeding ecology of the maned wolf (<i>Chrysocyon brachyurus</i>) and its gut passage effects on seed germination in small Cerrado fragments surrounded by silviculture in Brazil. We collected and analysed 84 scats and reviewed the literature to compare the niche breadth and food item richness with other studies. We also conducted germination trials using wolf's fruit (<i>Solanum lycocarpum</i>) seeds retrieved from scats and from ripe fruits. We identified 27 food items, with a strong predominance of wolf's fruits, birds, small mammals, Poaceae, and Hymenoptera species. Animal items were more frequent in the dry season, and native plant items in the rainy season. The maned wolf in our study area exhibited a narrow niche breadth (0.122), indicating low evenness in resource use and a diet structured around a few dominant items. Across 21 reviewed studies (24 sites), niche breadth ranged from 0.09 to 0.57 (mean = 0.37), with high variation in the number of consumed items (11–77, mean = 40.96), reinforcing that uneven resource use is common across populations. Seeds from scats showed significantly higher germination rates (52%) than those from ripe fruits (2%). Our findings support the classification of the maned wolf as an opportunistic generalist, whose diet is consistently structured around a subset of key resources rather than evenly distributed across all available items. Conservation strategies within silvicultural matrices should prioritise the preservation and restoration of open Cerrado fragments and the implementation of wildlife-friendly forestry practices, such as maintaining habitat corridors and reducing pesticide use, to secure essential prey populations, native food resources, and the wolf's vital function as a seed disperser.</p>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"51 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aec.70249","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148238084","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":"Spatial Ecology and Habitat Selection by Jaguars and Pumas in a Protected Area in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil","authors":"Ricardo Corassa Arrais,&nbsp;Cynthia Elisa Widmer,&nbsp;Fernanda Cavalcanti de Azevedo,&nbsp;Frederico Gemesio Lemos,&nbsp;Fernando Cesar Cascelli de Azevedo","doi":"10.1111/aec.70248","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70248","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Understanding animal distribution is crucial for elucidating natural history, population dynamics, and inter- and intraspecific interactions. This knowledge informs the planning and evaluation of management and conservation strategies, particularly for sympatric, scarce, and threatened species such as jaguars (<i>Panthera onca</i>) and pumas (<i>Puma concolor</i>). While significant advances have occurred in understanding jaguar and puma ecology within tropical ecosystems in recent years, information regarding their spatial ecology remains limited across much of their distribution, notably within the Atlantic Forest. The Rio Doce State Park (RDSP) represents one of the largest remaining contiguous patches of the Atlantic Forest where jaguars and pumas still occur sympatrically. This study focused on describing and comparing the spatial ecology of jaguars and pumas within the RDSP. We employed GPS-collars to estimate home ranges, quantify overlap among monitored individuals, and evaluate habitat use and selection. We monitored two jaguars (one male, one female) and five pumas (two males, three females). The median estimated home range size (95% Autocorrelated Kernel Density Estimator—AKDE) was 195 km² for jaguars and 216.26 km² for pumas. These estimates exhibited both smaller and larger values compared to previous reports, partially supporting the hypothesis of smaller home ranges potentially related to the smaller body size of felids in the Atlantic Forest. We found a high degree of intra- and interspecific home range overlap, supporting the hypothesis that individuals utilize shared space within this relatively small, isolated forest fragment. All monitored individuals exhibited habitat selection, with both species consistently preferring native forest and avoiding human-modified habitats (urban, agriculture, pasture) in both diurnal and nocturnal periods. Our results underscore the importance of maintaining extensive natural areas within the Atlantic Forest to ensure the long-term population viability (both genetically and demographically) of jaguars and pumas.</p>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"51 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aec.70248","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148237981","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":"A Novel Vertebrate Prey Item of the Bicycle Dragon (Ctenophorus cristatus), with a Systematic Review of Ctenophorus Dragon (Lacertilia: Agamidae) Diets","authors":"Daniel Hoops","doi":"10.1111/aec.70247","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70247","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In the Gawler Ranges region of South Australia I observed a bicycle dragon (<i>Ctenophorus cristatus</i>) in the process of consuming a live Jan's banded snake (<i>Simoselaps bertholdi</i>). I found this notable because I understood <i>Ctenophorus</i> dragons to be primarily insectivorous. To clarify my understanding of <i>Ctenophorus</i> diets and to provide context to my observation, I undertook a systematic review of the published literature on the diets of <i>Ctenophorus</i> dragons. The literature confirms that <i>Ctenophorus</i> consume primarily invertebrates, mostly ants and termites, as well as some vegetation. Records of vertebrate consumption are extremely rare in the genus but when a vertebrate is recorded, it is always a lizard. This reinforces the significance of anecdotal observations for adding to our knowledge of animal ecology. I encourage individuals who have data or observations on <i>Ctenophorus</i> diets, or unusual dietary observations of any animal, to publish them.</p>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"51 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aec.70247","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148237982","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":"Intense Cyanobacterial Blooms in Brealito: An Unprecedented Case in a High-Altitude Lake of Argentina","authors":"Florencia Soledad Alvarez Dalinger,&nbsp;Lucía Laureano,&nbsp;Ramiro Domínguez,&nbsp;Nicolás Figueroa,&nbsp;Liliana Moraña,&nbsp;Mónica Salusso,&nbsp;Verónica Laura Lozano","doi":"10.1111/aec.70246","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70246","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Cyanobacterial blooms represent one of the major threats to continental aquatic ecosystems. Reports of blooms occurring in unexpected regions provide valuable information for understanding the true extent of the problem and its underlying causes. This study involved sampling in Brealito lake (Salta, Argentina), located at over 2500 m.a.s.l., and reports, for the first time, the phytoplankton composition of the site. Sampling campaigns were conducted in February 2022, February 2023 and March 2025. Chemical and physical parameters, as well as the micro- and nanophytoplankton structure, were analyzed. A total of 14 phytoplanktonic species were identified, with <i>Aphanizomenon gracile</i> and <i>Planktolyngbya limnetica</i> dominating and forming very intense blooms. This lake is difficult to access and remains relatively undisturbed, only used for recreation without a clear pollution factor. The blooms, dominated by <i>Aphanizomenon gracile</i> and <i>Planktolyngbya limnetica</i>, appear to be sustained by a combination of historical fish introduction, decline in water level and cyanobacterial UV-protective adaptations, rather than by conventional eutrophication drivers. Reports of cyanobacterial blooms in high-altitude lakes are scarce in South America, and this case represents the highest-altitude bloom reported to date in Argentina.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"51 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148237653","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":"Vulnerability of Bats in Australia to Wind Turbine Mortality: A Trait-Based Assessment","authors":"Carissa V. Harris,&nbsp;Christopher Turbill","doi":"10.1111/aec.70245","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70245","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Wind turbine collisions are a leading cause of bat mortality globally, yet the vulnerability of Australian bat taxa remains poorly understood. Trait-based assessments offer a valuable method for evaluating mortality risk in the absence of data on species- and region-specific turbine interactions. Behavioural and morphological traits are strongly associated with bat fatalities at wind farms globally. Here, we use a trait-based approach to identify the relative vulnerability of bat genera to the increasing threat of wind turbine fatalities in Australia. Through a global literature review, we identified three traits associated with increased mortality rates: foraging guild, movement distance and wing morphology. For each trait, we estimated the level of sensitivity at the genus level based on available published data. Sensitivity scores were summed to produce an overall vulnerability score. Our assessment identified <i>Saccolaimus</i> and <i>Taphozous</i> (Emballonuridae); <i>Austronomus</i>, <i>Chaereophon</i>, <i>Micronomus</i>, <i>Ozimops</i>, and <i>Setirostris</i> (Mollosidae); <i>Falsistrellus</i> (Vespertilionidae); <i>Miniopterus</i> (Miniopteridae); and <i>Pteropus</i> (Pteropodidae) as the most vulnerable genera. We also attributed a confidence score to trait estimates, which reflected data availability. Confidence was rated as relatively high for foraging guild (68% genera rated as high) and wing morphology (50% high), and lowest for maximum movement distance (11% high). Our framework provides a timely foundation for predicting mortality risk from the rapid expansion of wind energy infrastructure in Australia, which requires urgent conservation assessment and implementation of management actions to minimise the impacts. Our trait-based assessment also provides direction for targeted research to better understand and quantify the threat of wind turbine mortalities to populations of Australian bats.</p>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"51 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aec.70245","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148237431","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 Human Activities Over the Fungal Diversity in Yungas: The Subtropical Cloud Forests of Southern-South America","authors":"María L. Hernández Caffot,&nbsp;Laura C. Pereyra,&nbsp;Nataly Gómez-Montoya,&nbsp;Laura S. Domínguez,&nbsp;Marcos Vaira","doi":"10.1111/aec.70242","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70242","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Deforestation, the conversion of primary forests into forest plantations, and urbanization growth are key drivers of environment modification, commonly associated with a decline in species diversity. While many of these novel landscapes have been proposed as viable alternatives for biodiversity conservation, they have been shown to have adverse effects on fungal diversity. Furthermore, the impacts on fungal functional diversity have not yet been thoroughly examined in montane cloud forest regions. We conducted field surveys across different land-use types in the subtropical Montane Cloud Forest (Yungas) of Jujuy province, northwestern Argentina, a region currently facing intense urban growth and deforestation. We compared fungal diversity across well-preserved native forests, forest plantations of <i>Pinus patula</i> and <i>Eucalyptus viminalis</i>, and rural-periurban areas. Species were classified into trophic modes and functional guilds to assess their ecological roles. Our results revealed significant differences in mean species richness among land-use types (<i>F</i> = 17.22, df = 56, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001), and high values of species turnover between them. Native forests harboured the highest species richness, while rural-periurban sites had the lowest. <i>Pinus patula</i> and <i>E. viminalis</i> plantations showed similar richness values. Of the 492 fungal samples, 93% were saprotrophs, 6% symbiotrophs, and 4% pathotrophs. Across all land-use types, communities were dominated by species belonging to Basidiomycota. Yungas landscapes are vulnerable to human intervention, as evidenced by the observed species turnover and the loss of several native fungal species. As anthropogenic biomes increasingly replace natural ecosystems, it is essential to incorporate these altered habitats into conservation frameworks. Studying the changes in fungal biodiversity between natural and modified habitats is essential for advancing on the field of fungal conservation biology.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"51 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148237652","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":"Beyond Extrafloral Nectaries: Plant Traits as Drivers of Spider Occurrence in the Cerrado","authors":"Fábio Carlos da Silva Filho,&nbsp;Vanessa Stefani","doi":"10.1111/aec.70241","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70241","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Patterns of predator occurrence arise from a mosaic of plant-derived cues, yet most studies address these traits in isolation. Although extrafloral nectaries have received considerable attention, we lack a comprehensive view of how multiple plant traits jointly affect the diversity and abundance of spiders. We explored spider plant-associations in the Brazilian Cerrado, a megadiverse savanna. Over 1 year of biweekly surveys, we recorded 999 spiders on 546 reproductive plants across 11 species. We aimed to explore whether plant life form, inflorescence architecture, and flower colour act as interconnected filters. Using negative-binomial generalized linear mixed models and Factor Analysis of Mixed Data, we found that all three traits significantly structured spider assemblages. Trees supported substantially greater spider abundance (~11.8 times higher than lianas; ~10.2 times higher than shrubs) and species richness (~6.4 times higher than shrubs) than other life forms. Raceme inflorescences hosted the most abundant (~4.6–18.4 times higher than other types) and species-rich spider assemblages. Flower colour influenced abundance, with pink flowers supporting ~2.5 times more spiders than yellow flowers, but did not affect richness. Multivariate analyses identified plant life form and inflorescence architecture as primary axes organizing assemblage variation, with flower colour as a secondary but consistent filter. Collectively, our results indicate that spider occurrence emerges from an integrated filtering process in which plant reproductive adaptations cascade to affect predator assemblages. By linking plant evolutionary ecology with predator–prey dynamics, this study advances our understanding of species interactions and highlights how plant traits contribute to food web assembly across trophic levels.</p>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"51 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aec.70241","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148174400","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":"","authors":"","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"51 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148093174","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":"","authors":"","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"51 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148093173","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}