Basic and Applied Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Towards an effective in-situ biodiversity assessment in European forests","authors":"Sabina Burrascano ,&nbsp;Lucas Chojnacki ,&nbsp;Lorenzo Balducci ,&nbsp;Francesco Chianucci ,&nbsp;Elena Haeler ,&nbsp;Sebastian Kepfer-Rojas ,&nbsp;Yoan Paillet ,&nbsp;Rafael B. de Andrade ,&nbsp;Steffen Boch ,&nbsp;Pallieter De Smedt ,&nbsp;Markus Fischer ,&nbsp;Itziar Garcia Mijangos ,&nbsp;Jacob Heilmann-Clausen ,&nbsp;Jeňýk Hofmeister ,&nbsp;Jan Hošek ,&nbsp;Daniel Kozák ,&nbsp;Gergely Kutszegi ,&nbsp;Thibault Lachat ,&nbsp;Martin Mikoláš ,&nbsp;Ferenc Samu ,&nbsp;Peter Odor","doi":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.03.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.03.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Assessing multi-taxon biodiversity is crucial to understand forests’ response to environmental changes and to inform management strategies. In Europe, forest biodiversity monitoring is still scattered and heterogeneous, although a long-term monitoring network has long been advocated. Given the monitoring aims reported in various EU policies, this network should be accurately designed also through the estimation of its sampling effort, here intended as the number of sampling plots and sites.</div><div>We used a novel database of forest multi-taxon biodiversity for a pilot study to: estimate the minimum sampling effort needed to: assess variation in species richness and composition; compare these estimates with the efforts invested in the pilot database; discuss estimates’ differences across taxonomic groups and forest categories.</div><div>We focused on six taxonomic groups (vascular plants, birds, epiphytic lichens and bryophytes, wood-inhabiting fungi and saproxylic beetles) across six forest categories. Based on 6,165 plots at 2,084 different locations across Europe, we benchmarked the effort to achieve: a complete species richness estimate through interpolation/extrapolation curves, and a precise evaluation of species composition variation through multivariate standard error.</div><div>Our estimates differed widely, especially among taxonomic groups. For species richness, estimates range from 3 to 147 plots per site across 3 to 29 sites per forest category, with birds and epiphytic bryophytes requiring the least effort. For species composition, estimates range from 5 to over 25 plots per site across 5 to 20 sites per forest category, with saproxylic beetles, vascular plants, and fungi displaying the highest estimates.</div><div>The taxonomic groups requiring an effort comparable to existing data were the least diverse, all the others need greater efforts, either for species richness (e.g., saproxylic beetles), or species composition (e.g., vascular plants), or both (e.g., wood-inhabiting fungi). An effective monitoring network of European forests’ biodiversity should thoroughly account for these benchmarks and for their taxon-dependency.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8708,"journal":{"name":"Basic and Applied Ecology","volume":"84 ","pages":"Pages 121-132"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143683510","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Molecular dietary analysis reveals plasticity in habitat requirements of a clutter specialist bat","authors":"Miren Aldasoro ,&nbsp;Oihane Diaz de Cerio ,&nbsp;Danilo Russo ,&nbsp;Nerea Vallejo ,&nbsp;Lander Olasagasti ,&nbsp;Urtzi Goiti ,&nbsp;Joxerra Aihartza","doi":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.03.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.03.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent decades, there has been significant progress in studying the foraging habitats of bats. However, these studies provide only a limited understanding of their requirements. Metabarcoding allows species-level identification of consumed prey, allowing us to determine their source habitats. In this study, we sampled faeces from three <em>Rhinolophus hipposideros</em> colonies in different climatic zones from spring to late August. Using metabarcoding, we examined how the lesser horseshoe bat diet changes over time and whether their most-consumed prey varies seasonally across landscapes. Our results show that bat diets change seasonally and differ between colonies, often presumably in response to new prey outbreaks. We deduced from the prey eaten by bats that they have varied habitat requirements. While woodland and shrubs are primary prey source habitats, bats also rely on other environments. We inferred that, in particular, open habitats are exploited more frequently than expected, indicating a high degree of plasticity in their trophic habitat needs. Therefore, protecting diverse, interconnected landscapes with varied prey is crucial for their conservation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8708,"journal":{"name":"Basic and Applied Ecology","volume":"84 ","pages":"Pages 101-109"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143611144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Warming enhances the effects of nitrogen addition on fungal but not on bacterial diversity in an alpine meadow","authors":"Ling Han ,&nbsp;Hasbagan Ganjurjav ,&nbsp;Guozheng Hu ,&nbsp;Jianshuang Wu ,&nbsp;Xuexia Wang ,&nbsp;Yulong Yan ,&nbsp;Yilun Hu ,&nbsp;Guoxu Ji ,&nbsp;Luobu Danjiu ,&nbsp;Qingzhu Gao","doi":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.02.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.02.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Warming and nitrogen (N) deposition significantly affect soil microbial community characteristics. However, the responses of bacterial and fungal diversity to warming and N deposition, as well as the dominant influencing factors, remain unclear, especially in N-limited and low-temperature ecosystems. We employed a field-controlled experimental design with warming (W, using open-top chambers at +2 °C), N addition (N, 40 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ NH₄NO₃), and their interaction (NW) to simulate their effects on soil microbial community composition and diversity, as well as plant community characteristics. Our results showed a significant decrease in bacterial richness (Chao1) under warming. N addition had a positive effect on bacterial richness (Chao1) but a negative effect on fungal diversity (Shannon and Chao1), which led to a considerable shift in bacterial community composition. Conversely, N addition combined with warming significantly increased fungal diversity but decreased bacterial diversity compared with N addition alone. Bacterial diversity was positively influenced by soil moisture but negatively affected by soil temperature and forb dominance. Fungal diversity was negatively influenced by soil NH₄⁺-N content and belowground biomass. Additionally, our results showed a synergistic effect on fungi owing to changes in plant community composition, while an antagonistic effect on bacterial diversity was observed owing to reduced water and nutrient availability under warming plus N addition. Our findings underscore the importance of considering plant productivity and diversity when examining microbial diversity responses to warming and N addition in alpine meadows.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8708,"journal":{"name":"Basic and Applied Ecology","volume":"84 ","pages":"Pages 110-120"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143629338","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Crop gains induced by diversification exceed crop losses to diseases and weeds in a low-input rice cultivation system","authors":"Koloina Rahajaharilaza ,&nbsp;Cyrille Violle ,&nbsp;Bertrand Muller ,&nbsp;Kirsten vom Brocke ,&nbsp;Jean Benoît Morel ,&nbsp;Rémi Pelissier ,&nbsp;Elsa Ballini ,&nbsp;Delphine Luquet ,&nbsp;Perle Ramavovololona ,&nbsp;Florian Fort ,&nbsp;Lucie Mahaut","doi":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.03.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.03.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Crop losses to pests, or crop gains to diversification: what matters most? This is a pivotal question for the acceptance of crop diversification solutions by farmers and breeders. At the intraspecific level in particular, the magnitude of beneficial effects of mixing varieties on crop yield compared to disease attacks and weed invasion in the absence of pesticide remains questioned. Here, we quantified for the first time the relative importance of different types of biotic interactions – crop-crop interactions, crop-fungi interactions and crop-weed interactions, on grain yields in a region of the world where alternative agricultural practices are urgently needed to face the multiple pressures induced by global changes. We evaluated the performance of ten upland rice varieties of Madagascar highlands using a field trial where all varieties were grown in pure stands and in bi-variety mixtures. Grain production and disease attacks by <em>Pyricularia oryzea</em> were assessed in all varieties and plots. Weed biomass was recorded in all plots. We also measured plant traits involved in plant-plant interactions - plant height and flowering time in particular - for all plots and varieties to identify generic assembly rules for optimizing the performance of varietal mixtures. We found strong positive effects of rice mixture on both crop yield and pathogen resistance while weed biomass remained constant and high whatever the experimental condition. When statistically controlling for one pressure, we demonstrated that the beneficial effects of crop-crop interactions on yield largely overcame the negative effects of crop-fungi and crop-weed interactions. The average height of varieties in mixtures as well as their height plasticity had strong predictive power of crop yields, confirming the great potential of trait-based approaches to design innovative cropping system. Overall, the predominant, positive effect of varietal mixtures over disease and weed pressures represents a key argument for crop diversification.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8708,"journal":{"name":"Basic and Applied Ecology","volume":"84 ","pages":"Pages 81-91"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143579843","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Unpacking the fitness consequences of a warmer spring on an overwintering butterfly","authors":"Richard J Walters ,&nbsp;Kajsa Karlsson ,&nbsp;Filip Beckman ,&nbsp;Henrik G Smith ,&nbsp;Magne Friberg","doi":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.02.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.02.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Declining butterfly abundance over recent decades coincides with both habitat loss and increasingly warmer springs. Warmer temperatures could pose a problem for ‘capital’ breeders, especially those species that enter winter diapause as a pupa or adult, since a higher metabolic rate pre-eclosion is expected to further deplete lipid stores needed for egg production. We undertook an experiment on <em>Pieris napi</em>, a butterfly that overwinters as a pupa, to assess to what extent access to nectar as an adult could compensate for a loss in body conditioning due to a warmer (6 °C vs. 2 °C) and or longer (195 vs. 145 days) post-diapause treatment. We found that a warmer and longer post-diapause time significantly increased the proportion of body mass lost between pupation and adult emergence, which in turn reduced lifetime fecundity for females in the water control treatment. However, when given access to a sugar/honey solution, a higher rate of egg laying and an extended lifespan allowed females to offset any fecundity disadvantage. The full consequences of a warmer post-diapause treatment were partially obscured by an elevated rate of egg laying during the first week, presumably due to a preceding effect of temperature on metabolic rate. Structural equation modelling suggests that the direct and indirect benefits of feeding on nectar as an adult double lifetime fecundity. We conclude that while potential reproduction may be limited by the availability of essential fatty acids acquired as a larva, other nutrients available in nectar are needed to realise a potential fecundity advantage. In this sense, butterflies could be considered an ‘income’ breeder, which can benefit from conservation actions that aim to provision more nectar resources in spring.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8708,"journal":{"name":"Basic and Applied Ecology","volume":"84 ","pages":"Pages 69-80"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143534933","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Linking nutrient dynamics and phenology in Lupinus polyphyllus to identify the right timing for population control","authors":"Elin L. Blomqvist ,&nbsp;Yves P. Klinger ,&nbsp;Till Kleinebecker ,&nbsp;R. Lutz Eckstein","doi":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.02.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.02.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In light of the decline of semi-natural grasslands, road verges have become important refuges for grassland plants, benefiting from the management regimes that resemble those of traditional grasslands. However, the value of road verges for grassland plants is threatened by the presence of invasive alien plant species such as <em>Lupinus polyphyllus</em>. Mowing is most effective for controlling invasive plants when the shoot:root ratio is high or when below-ground reserves are exhausted but seeds have not yet matured. The aim of this study was to identify the optimal time for mowing of <em>L. polyphyllus</em> based on the species nutrient dynamics and phenology. We photographed and collected whole lupine plants throughout one growing season, divided them into roots, leaves, and stem + inflorescence, and analyzed each fraction for three growth-limiting, phloem-mobile nutrients (N, P and K). The nutrient contents in roots were lowest during the flowering phase, while the nutrient contents in stems + inflorescences were lowest during the early flowering phase and increased until the seed ripening phase, before declining again in the seed dispersal phase. Leaf nutrient contents showed a general decrease throughout the season. Shoot:root ratios of nutrient contents were also maximized during flowering. Our conclusion is that mowing will weaken <em>L. polyphyllus</em> most when carried out between phenological phases 2 (less than 50% of flowers open) and 4 (more than 50% of flowers withering), with the most optimal timing being during phase 3, i.e., when more than 50% of flowers are open. Concerning the heterogeneity within <em>L. polyphyllus</em> populations, the phenological assessment before management should prioritize individuals that have progressed furthest in their development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8708,"journal":{"name":"Basic and Applied Ecology","volume":"84 ","pages":"Pages 61-68"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143521202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Beyond pollination – The neglected contribution of ground-nesting bees to soil functions","authors":"Philippe Tschanz ,&nbsp;Matthias Albrecht ,&nbsp;Thomas Keller","doi":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.02.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.02.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While the pollination services provided by wild bees are now well recognized, their importance as soil ecosystem engineers has been largely overlooked, despite the fact that most species nest in the soil in self-excavated burrows. Here we provide an overview of the many direct and indirect effects of ground-nesting wild bees on the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil, soil functions, and ecosystem services. In particular, we discuss how ground-nesting bees move and mix substantial amounts of soil during nest construction, thereby altering soil physical properties (e.g., soil pore architecture, soil porosity, density) and soil functions (e.g., water and gas exchange), and act as geomorphic agents at larger scales (affecting, e.g., surface runoff and soil erosion). We also review how ground-nesting bees affect soil chemical and biological properties through their nesting activity, leading to the redistribution and accumulation of organic carbon and nutrients in the soil, providing hotspots for microbial activity, and introducing a range of organisms into the soil. Furthermore, we discuss the large-scale indirect effects on soils through their pollination functions, which shape plant communities and soil functions modulated by plants. Lastly, we highlight the role of ground-nesting bees as soil ecosystem engineers that complement the activity of other bioturbators in both space and time by occupying biogeographical niches where other bioturbators are largely absent, and by complementary activity peaks during the season. We emphasize the distinctive position of ground-nesting bees among soil fauna, acting as both pollinators and soil bioturbators, and conclude that ground-nesting bees deserve greater attention and recognition in future research and conservation policy as part of soil biodiversity and for their role as soil ecosystem engineers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8708,"journal":{"name":"Basic and Applied Ecology","volume":"84 ","pages":"Pages 92-100"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143579874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Sheep grazing in vineyards benefits wild bees in vineyard embankments and sheep dung attracts dung beetles to vineyards","authors":"Felix Fornoff ,&nbsp;Johanna Mattenklodt ,&nbsp;Frauke Thul ,&nbsp;Jörn Buse ,&nbsp;Alexandra-Maria Klein ,&nbsp;Jakob Hörl ,&nbsp;Nicolas Schoof","doi":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.02.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.02.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Integrated sheep-vineyard systems are an example of ecological intensification. Sheep can replace mulching, thereby reducing the input of fossil fuels and agrochemicals. However, knowledge about the co-benefits of sheep grazing for biodiversity is lacking. This study examined the impact of grazing on wild bee diversity within terraced vineyards and vineyard embankments. Additionally, dung beetle colonization of sheep dung was investigated in the wine-growing region of southwestern Germany. Five vineyards and their terrace risers (embankments) had been grazed by sheep for several years, typically in a rotational system, or were managed conventionally by mulching as control. Wild bee diversity was compared in five pairs of grazed and non-grazed vineyards and five pairs of grazed and non-grazed embankments within one year. Dung beetle diversity, reared from sheep dung collected at three grazed vineyards, was also assessed. In the vineyards, bee abundance and species richness did not differ between grazed plots and mulched controls, but bee abundance increased with flower abundance, and bee species richness increased with flowering herb species richness. In contrast, on vineyard embankments, both species richness and abundance of wild bees were higher on grazed embankments compared to control embankments, whereas flower cover did not have any effect. At least 20 different dung beetle species, including threatened ones, were recorded in sheep droppings of grazed vineyards. This additional food resource may support dung beetle populations, contributing to overall insect biomass, with potential relevance for nature conservation. Our study shows that sheep grazing may support dung beetles, but does not affect bees in vineyards. However, allowing sheep to access vineyard embankments for vegetation management supports wild bees. Therefore, sheep grazing in vineyards offers opportunities for biodiversity conservation and maintaining ecosystem functions, though is not an all-in-one solution.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8708,"journal":{"name":"Basic and Applied Ecology","volume":"84 ","pages":"Pages 14-20"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143436582","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Protected areas do not outperform urban wastelands in supporting insect pollinators and pollination in central Germany","authors":"Panagiotis Theodorou ,&nbsp;Wilhelm H.A. Osterman ,&nbsp;Janna H. Mrozek ,&nbsp;Bilyana S. Wild ,&nbsp;Michael Beckmann ,&nbsp;Julia Osterman ,&nbsp;Robert J. Paxton","doi":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.02.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.02.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Natura 2000 network is central to Europe's conservation efforts to address biodiversity decline, with ongoing plans to expand protected areas and restore habitats across the European Union. However, due to the relative scarcity of biodiversity assessments within Natura 2000 sites, our understanding of how effective these areas are at protecting biodiversity and how they can be improved remains limited. At the same time, urban green spaces and associated disturbed, unmanaged vacant areas, also known as urban wastelands, have gained attention as potential conservation targets due to their high insect species richness. Here, we assess and compare the biodiversity of pollinators within Natura 2000 reserves and urban wastelands to evaluate their relative value for biodiversity protection and pollination services. To achieve this, we compared pollinator communities, their flower-visitation patterns and pollination services using potted experimental plants in flower-rich Natura 2000 sites and paired non-protected, unmanaged, yet similarly flower-rich urban wastelands. While the total biomass and overall abundance of insects did not differ between the two habitat types, wild bee abundance and richness were higher in urban wastelands, whereas pollinator communities were more heterogeneous among Natura 2000 sites. Though insect flower-visitation network metrics were similar across both habitats, seed set of experimental plants was higher in urban wastelands compared to Natura 2000 sites, indicating lower pollination services in the nature reserves. Our findings suggest that while Natura 2000 areas contained unique biodiversity compared to urban wastelands, the current status of protected areas in Germany is inadequate to conserve biodiversity hotspots for bees, including endangered species and the pollination services they provide. We highlight the potential for urban areas to support biodiversity conservation as well as the need to develop targeted strategies for bee conservation in Natura 2000 areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8708,"journal":{"name":"Basic and Applied Ecology","volume":"84 ","pages":"Pages 29-39"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143444846","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Moving north under the eye of the public: The dispersal ecology of the Nosferatu spider, documented by citizen scientists","authors":"Nadja Pernat ,&nbsp;Sascha Buchholz ,&nbsp;Jan Ole Kriegs ,&nbsp;Jan Steen ,&nbsp;Hilke Hollens-Kuhr","doi":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.02.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.02.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Citizen participation in tracking the spread of newly introduced or invasive species is an effective tool in nature conservation. Recently arrived species that pose threats to humans, animals, or plants—especially those widely covered in the media—are particularly suitable for citizen-led monitoring.</div><div>In this study, we selected the Nosferatu spider (<em>Zoropsis spinimana</em>), a species spreading from the Mediterranean to northern Europe, to investigate whether its media coverage motivates citizens to report observations. Additionally, we aimed to gather insights into the spider's dispersal ecology through citizen science data. We utilized Google News and Google Videos as indicators of media presence, Google Trends as a proxy for public awareness, and citizen science observation data to assess the spider's distribution and ecology. Our analysis of 3,017 citizen science observations from different sources revealed a north-eastern spread of <em>Z. spinimana</em>. We found a temporal correlation between media presence, Google search activity, and the number of citizen-reported observations. Additionally, there was a strong spatial correlation between federal states with the highest media presence and the highest number of citizen reports. Most observations were recorded between August and October, with the majority occurring inside human dwellings. Hence, the current dispersion dynamics and extensive media coverage of <em>Z. spinimana</em> appear to be significant factors driving increased public awareness, as evidenced by higher search interest and a greater number of citizen observations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8708,"journal":{"name":"Basic and Applied Ecology","volume":"84 ","pages":"Pages 40-49"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143454926","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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}