Biotropica最新文献

{"title":"Low Requirement on the Nest Site Selection Influencing the Invasion Success of House Geckos","authors":"Romana Aguiar Andrade,&nbsp;Daniel Cunha Passos","doi":"10.1111/btp.70018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.70018","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The selection of nesting sites is fundamental for the reproductive success of oviparous species. However, there are gaps regarding how animals select their reproductive sites, especially among species that do not build their nests; that is, they use natural cavities for oviposition, as is the case with many lizards. Herein, we evaluated how the physical structure and microclimatic conditions of tree hollows influence the selection of oviposition sites in a widely distributed exotic lizard, <i>Hemidactylus mabouia</i> (Squamata, Gekkonidae). We hypothesized that the choice of oviposition sites by females would consider: (a) structural properties of the sites related to the vulnerability of eggs to predation; and/or (b) microclimatic conditions of the sites associated with the stability of the egg incubation process. Over the course of a year, we monitored the use of 53 tree cavities on a weekly basis, recording a total of 69 <i>H. mabouia</i> nests. The width of the opening of the sites, their height in relation to the ground level, and the temperature variation in the hollows did not influence the choice of oviposition sites. However, cavities with less variation in humidity were used more frequently. Our findings contribute to the understanding of selection criteria for oviposition sites in species that use tree cavities as nests in general. Furthermore, we discuss the implications of the generalist habits of <i>H. mabouia</i> in the context of biological invasion, suggesting that the low requirements for the selection of reproductive sites may constitute a determining factor for the successful invasion of exotic lizards.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143632834","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Editorial: Biotropica Announces a New Paper Category: Synthesis","authors":"Jennifer S. Powers,&nbsp;Francis Q. Brearley,&nbsp;Jayashree Ratnam,&nbsp;Eleanor M. Slade","doi":"10.1111/btp.70020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.70020","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;What does it take to tackle big questions in ecology, evolution, and conservation that do not have quick answers? Several important tools have emerged in recent years including literature synthesis and meta-analysis (Halpern et al. &lt;span&gt;2023&lt;/span&gt;; Lortie &lt;span&gt;2014&lt;/span&gt;), complemented by distributed network experiments (Powers et al. &lt;span&gt;2009&lt;/span&gt;; Roslin et al. &lt;span&gt;2017&lt;/span&gt;). Synthesis often consists of meta-analyses and data integration, wherein researchers compile and analyze data from multiple sources in the literature. Often, these studies integrate information from multiple spatial sources and yield inferences at continental or global scales. The success of this approach is underscored by the creation of centers for ecological synthesis, such as the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) in the United States or the Synthesis Centre for Biodiversity Sciences in Germany (sDiv). In parallel, other research groups have developed distributed ecological networks of experiments and/or observations, for example, NutNet or DarkDivNet (Borer et al. &lt;span&gt;2014&lt;/span&gt;; Pärtel et al. &lt;span&gt;2025&lt;/span&gt;). In these projects, researchers focus on different locations, but they all implement standardized methods to yield geographically comparative data. These approaches have undoubtedly contributed to our understanding of ecological patterns and processes at broad spatial scales, and yet they are not the only method of synthesis. The nature of tropical ecological research often means that some researchers and research groups return to the same study location year after year, building programs of investigation over decades that may integrate the role of fluctuating environmental conditions in their study system. This approach chips away at big questions one paper at a time and yields major results when synthesized (e.g., Melin et al. &lt;span&gt;2020&lt;/span&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Meta-analyses or literature reviews typically begin with database searches, such as Google Scholar or Web of Science, and discourage “excessive” self-citation, as the objective is to derive generalizable patterns across many published studies. While global syntheses have provided broad ecological insights, this may have cost us the types of ecological insights that come from “slow ecology” focused on a deeper understanding of a single study system at one location (Billick and Price &lt;span&gt;2010&lt;/span&gt;). Such studies, with the deep glimpses they provide into the natural history of an ecosystem, are often the source of novel observations and mechanistic understanding in ecology. They are also critical for conservation and management that require local action. We contend that we lack a platform that encourages groups of investigators to synthesize and integrate their findings from a concerted and coordinated program of study conducted in a single place over decades, that is, papers where the goal is to trace the arc of a research program over many years through “self-cit","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/btp.70020","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143629868","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Population Variability and Apparent Recent Decline of River Birds in the Indian Himalaya","authors":"Ankita Sinha,&nbsp;Nilanjan Chatterjee,&nbsp;Steve J. Ormerod,&nbsp;Ramesh Krishnamurthy","doi":"10.1111/btp.70017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.70017","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Abundance estimates are critical to animal conservation in the tropics and sub-tropics, but assessments for some species and ecosystems in these regions are poorly developed. Estimates are particularly scarce for subtropical mountain rivers where some river organisms reach their greatest global diversity while being at risk from global change. We addressed these issues along rivers in the western Indian Himalaya, focusing on 12 bird species with varying dependence on river production, distribution, abundance, and detectability. We estimated river bird abundance through repeat field counts across 5 years using N-mixture models to correct for imperfect detection from sparse data over an altitudinal range of 330–3100 m. Estimated abundances were modeled against elevation, flow, and river width as covariates. Detection probabilities overall were greatest in flycatching insectivores connected closely to the river channel and lowest in two piscivorous kingfishers. Patterns of abundance also varied among groups particularly in relation to elevation, with river passerines mostly recorded at mid and higher elevations and piscivorous taxa recorded mostly below 1600 m a.s.l. Five species apparently declined in overall population size by 5%–10% across the 5-year study, in three cases matching national scale trends recorded by citizen science platforms. Our results reveal the utility of open <i>N</i>-mixture models in assessing population trends of specialized river organisms in subtropical mountain environments where high-resolution data are difficult to collect. The data also hint at possible threats to Himalayan rivers that could affect this globally unique community of river birds.</p>","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/btp.70017","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143530440","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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 Abundance and Diversity of Phyllostomid Bats are Influenced by Environmental Factors, Landscape Composition, and Configuration in Oaxaca, Mexico","authors":"Itandehui Hernández-Aguilar,&nbsp;Antonio Santos-Moreno,&nbsp;Darío Navarrete Gutiérrez,&nbsp;Consuelo Lorenzo,&nbsp;Eduardo J. Naranjo","doi":"10.1111/btp.70016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.70016","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Human-induced changes in landscape composition and configuration have a significant impact on species, including bats. Some bat species may be affected, while others can take advantage of the new available resources. In this study, we analyzed the response of the abundance, effective number of species, and dominance of bats to landscape composition and configuration, as well as a set of environmental factors in the municipalities of Santa María Huatulco and San Miguel Lachiguiri, Oaxaca, southeastern Mexico. We used a multimodel inference statistical approach to identify those variables explaining bat abundance and diversity of bats captured with mist nets. A 5.5 km radius circular landscape was established from an urban center in Huatulco and Lachiguiri. Within these areas, 1 km radius units (nine in Huatulco and eight in Lachiguiri) varying in the proportion of tropical forest, urban area, agriculture, and grassland were established. From 2020 to 2022, we captured 477 bats (58.49% in Huatulco and 41.51% in Lachiguiri) belonging to 21 species. The most abundant species were <i>Artibeus lituratus</i> (33.1% of the captures) and <i>Artibeus jamaicensis</i> (21.4%). The diversity of trophic guilds was twice as high in Lachiguiri (<i>n</i> = 6) compared to Huatulco (<i>n</i> = 3). In general, the variables that influenced the abundance and diversity of bats were the proportion of the landscape covered by human settlements and by deciduous forest, the fractal dimension index, temperature, seasonality, and distance to urban centers. Our results show that changes in landscapes, as well as temperature, play an important role in bat diversity in the study area. Conservation actions should be aimed at conserving all elements of the landscape that allow increasing the availability of resources (i.e., food, roosts) and, with it, the diversity and abundance of neotropical bats.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143481384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Challenges in the Early Ontogeny of a Mutualistic Plant: Resource Availability and Plant Defense in Juvenile Cecropia Ant-Plants","authors":"Stephanie M. Coronado,&nbsp;Andrea G. Vincent,&nbsp;Felix S. H. Pozos,&nbsp;Luis Alfredo Espinoza Siezar,&nbsp;Elizabeth G. Pringle","doi":"10.1111/btp.70011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.70011","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Mutualistic species often must survive periods of their development without their mutualist partner, but we lack a clear understanding of the ecological mechanisms that maintain mutualisms despite these gaps in partnership. In ant-plant protection mutualisms, plants house ant colonies that deter herbivores. Yet juvenile ant-plants often lack symbiotic ant colonies and must withstand herbivory pressure until they are colonized by ants. A sapling's ability to host ants or to employ alternative direct defenses, such as leaf secondary metabolites, may depend on access to key resources, like light, soil nutrients, and water. Alternatively, juvenile ant-plants may receive biotic protection at little resource cost from generalist predators, such as spiders. We examined whether juvenile <i>Cecropia</i> trees maintained leaf defenses, and whether sapling ant and chemical defenses were associated with the sapling's access to resources. We surveyed three species of naturally occurring juvenile <i>Cecropia</i> trees across a rainfall gradient in northwest Costa Rica. We found that both ant defense and chemical defense were regulated by the availability of light, soil fertility, and water in <i>Cecropia</i> saplings. Rather than trade off, larger saplings and saplings with more resources were more likely to invest in both defense strategies, whereas smaller saplings and saplings with fewer resources appeared to have little leaf defense. We also found that although spiders were common on such resource-poor, undefended saplings, spiders did not reduce herbivory. This study highlights the importance of resource availability in determining the performance of ant-plants during early ontogenetic stages.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143475317","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Turtle Ant Resemblance in a New World Stink Bug, Preliminary Evidence for Mimicry","authors":"Sebastian Serna-Muñoz,&nbsp;Samuel Novais","doi":"10.1111/btp.70015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.70015","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In mimicry, a species signals a fitness cost or benefit to a receiver by resemblance to another model species. While ants are among the most frequent models, few cases of ant mimicry are known in stink bugs (Pentatomidae). Here, using a geometric morphometric analysis, we propose that <i>Rio</i> nymphs might mimic <i>Cephalotes</i> ants.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143475318","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Degradation and Fragmentation Effects on Structural Complexity in West-African Forest Patches","authors":"Samuel Hepner,&nbsp;Georges Alex Agonvonon,&nbsp;Martin Ehbrecht,&nbsp;Chima Iheaturu,&nbsp;Akomian Fortuné Azihou,&nbsp;Chinwe Ifejika Speranza","doi":"10.1111/btp.70012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.70012","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Tropical forests face alarming rates of deforestation and degradation, driven mainly by agricultural land expansion. West Africa is particularly affected by widespread forest fragmentation, leaving behind isolated forest patches in an agriculture-dominated landscape. Forest fragmentation and isolation can impact forest structural complexity, biomass, and species richness through various edge effects. The consequent loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services is expected to be more prominent in small and fragmented forests and closer to forest edges. We used terrestrial laser scanning to investigate patterns of forest structural complexity in 84 plots across seven forest patches in Togo, Benin, Nigeria, and Cameroon. We quantified forest structure using the stand structural complexity index (SSCI) and related it to tree species composition, distance to edge, and the modeled potential SSCI of primary forests as an ecological reference value to identify forest degradation. Spatial variability of SSCI within forest patches and plots indicates various areas of disturbance, ultimately accumulating to forest degradation. The overall trend suggests an increase in structural complexity, tree height, basal area, and tree species richness with increasing distance to the edge. However, these correlations were only significant for some of the forest patches analyzed. Comparison with the ecological reference value showed significant deviations for two forests, indicating degradation of forest structural integrity. Our results confirm and challenge theories of ecological dynamics in tropical forest patches in West Africa. Quantifying structural integrity helps to locate degradation and preserve the last remaining forest patches crucial for biodiversity, climate regulation, and forest products.</p>","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/btp.70012","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143475439","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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 Shifting Paradigms of Biodiversity Conservation in South Asia","authors":"Asmita Sengupta,&nbsp;G. Ravikanth,&nbsp;K. S. Seshadri,&nbsp;Milind Bunyan,&nbsp;T. Ganesh,&nbsp;Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan,&nbsp;M. Soubadra Devy,&nbsp;N. A. Aravind","doi":"10.1111/btp.70013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.70013","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>South Asia, renowned for its rich biological heritage, is home to a quarter of the global human population and has been experiencing unprecedented biodiversity loss. Anthropogenic pressures are expected to rise in the coming decades, and how governance structures respond to them will be instrumental in preserving this biodiversity. In this paper, we provide an overview of the different conservation paradigms across South Asia and discuss how these can be strengthened. Nationwide networks of Protected Areas are the principal institutional tools wherein the State delineates landscapes for biodiversity conservation and denies or restricts people's rights to access space and resources. Since the 1970s, communities have partnered with the State and have also been involved in conservation initiatives by themselves. While State-led conservation has been invaluable in safeguarding biodiversity, it is exclusionary in terms of social justice and habitat heterogeneity. Conservation under State-community partnerships is inclusive in theory, but intrinsic power asymmetry is a limitation. Even completely community-driven biodiversity governance is stifled by inequity in access to resources. Moreover, these initiatives are usually too restricted in geographical scope to support viable populations of species and often have a lack of clarity regarding governance structures and monitoring. We suggest (a) implementing landscape-level conservation, (b) ensuring ecosystem representativeness, (c) providing further autonomy to local communities, (d) ensuring clarity on rules and regulations regarding decision-making authority and rights of access and benefit-sharing, and (e) multilateral collaborations across nations in the region to make conservation governance more effective in safeguarding both biodiversity and human well-being.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143475747","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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 Evidence of Fluorescence in Bornean Terrestrial and Freshwater Crabs","authors":"Leonardo Platania,&nbsp;Marta Ledesma Vega,&nbsp;Bob Zakaria,&nbsp;Andrea Vannini","doi":"10.1111/btp.70014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.70014","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We report the first case of fluorescence in four species of terrestrial and freshwater crabs from Sarawak, Borneo. We observed blue fluorescence in all the individuals examined. This study provides detailed descriptions of the fluorescence characteristics across different species contributing to understanding this phenomenon in Decapoda.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143447080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Ecological Resilience in a Primate Community Affected by Gold Mining in Suriname","authors":"Marilyn Norconk,&nbsp;Cynthia L. Thompson,&nbsp;Arioené Vreedzaam,&nbsp;Sylvia Atsalis,&nbsp;Justin A. Ledogar,&nbsp;Chantal Landburg,&nbsp;Barth W. Wright","doi":"10.1111/btp.70007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.70007","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Tropical habitats in South America and Africa are being transformed by artisanal gold mining, but few studies have addressed how mining impacts animals at the community level. We assessed the long-term ecological resilience to mining disturbance for seven primate species (<i>Allouatta macconnelli</i>, \u0000 <i>Ateles paniscus</i>\u0000 , \u0000 <i>Cebus olivaceus</i>\u0000 , \u0000 <i>Chiropotes sagulatus</i>\u0000 , \u0000 <i>Pithecia pithecia</i>\u0000 , \u0000 <i>Saguinus midas</i>\u0000 , and \u0000 <i>Sapajus apella</i>\u0000 ) in the Brownsberg Nature Park, Suriname over a 20-year period. Using 11 trails and unpaved roads to calculate “encounter rates” (species encountered/km walked), we compared the encounter frequency, encounter location, and group size across four community-wide surveys in 2003, 2013, 2014, and 2023. We hypothesized that the primate response to gold mining would (1) affect species encounter rates, (2) shift the location of encounters relative to mining activity, and (3) impact group sizes. Intraspecific variation in encounter rates from 2003 to 2023 did not vary significantly, but minimum group sizes declined for all species (four species showing significant declines). The three more recent surveys also showed that two species were encountered in areas close to the top of the mountain. We suggest that in the context of intensified mining, the Brownsberg primate community maintained stable encounter rates for all species and some species shifted their ranges, as evidenced by higher encounter rates farther from the periphery of the study area. While this suggests a capacity for resilience in the face of mining-related disturbances, the decline in group sizes may be an early sign of an insidious community-wide effect.</p>","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/btp.70007","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143447082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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}