Search results for "Diversity."

Ecological correlates of distribution change and range shift in butterflies

2011

1. In order to be effective custodians of biodiversity, one must understand what ecological characteristics predispose species to population decline, range contraction, and, eventually, to extinction. 2. The present paper analyses distribution change (area of occupancy) and range shift (extent and direction) of the threatened and non-threatened butterfly species in Finland, and identifies species-specific ecological characteristics promoting changes in distribution and range. 3. Overall, the range of butterflies has shifted along the climatic isotherms, suggesting that climate change has influenced species’ ranges. Interestingly, though, threatened species have moved very little and not to …

The River Valleys as Biodiversity Reservoirs for Land Snails in Highly Anthropic Areas – The Case of Cisnădie River (Romania)

2016

Abstract This study focuses on the snail fauna of a river valley passing through two closely located settlements. Thirty six species of terrestrial gastropods were identified. Species such as Macrogastra borealis, Alinda fallax, Alinda viridana, Bulgarica vetusta, Monachoides vicinus, Drobacia banatica, are present along the river and abundant in the sampling stations downstream of Cisnădie town. The high specific diversity and the presence of typical forest species demonstrate the presence of fragments of habitat that can preserve populations of terrestrial gastropods, underlining the importance of river valleys in conservation and dispersion of these species.

A fungal perspective on conservation biology

2014

Hitherto fungi have rarely been considered in conservation biology, but this is changing as the field moves from addressing single species issues to an integrative ecosystem-based approach. The current emphasis on biodiversity as a provider of ecosystem services throws the spotlight on the vast diversity of fungi, their crucial roles in terrestrial ecosystems, and the benefits of considering fungi in concert with animals and plants. We reviewed the role of fungi in ecosystems and composed an overview of the current state of conservation of fungi. There are 5 areas in which fungi can be readily integrated into conservation: as providers of habitats and processes important for other organisms…

Perennial polypores as indicators of annual and red-listed polypores

2009

Abstract Many polypores are specialized in their requirements for substrate and environment, and they have been suggested to indicate the continuity of coarse woody debris or naturalness of a forest stand. However, the use of polypores as indicators of conservation value is restricted by the temporally limited appearance of annual fruit bodies. We studied whether the species richness of perennial polypores (perennials) can be used to predict the species richness of annual or annual red-listed polypores (annuals). Our data included 1471 separate datasets (sample plots or larger inventoried areas) in different parts of Finland and Russian Karelia, ranging from the southern to northern boreal …

A novel method to predict dark diversity using unconstrained ordination analysis

2019

[Questions] Species pools are the product of complex ecological and evolutionary mechanisms, operating over a range of spatial scales. Here, we focus on species absent from local sites but with the potential to establish within communities — known as dark diversity. Methods for estimating dark diversity are still being developed and need to be compared, as well as tested for the type, and amount, of reference data needed to calibrate these methods. [Location] South Bohemia (48°58′ N, 14°28′ E) and Železné Hory (49°52′ N, 15°34′ E), Czech Republic. [Method] We compared a widely accepted algorithm to estimate species pools (Beals smoothing index, based on species co-occurrence) against a nove…

Mediterranean identities - environment, society, culture

2017

The Mediterranean Sea, one of the most complex marine ecosystems, is inhabited by a rich and diverse biota which is disproportionate to its dimensions. It is cur‐ rently affected by different pressures, mainly driven by human activities such as cli‐ mate change and bioinvasions. This Sea, also due to its geographic position (wedged between the temperate climate of central Europe and the arid climate of northern Africa), seems to be one of the regions most susceptible to global climate change. The increased rates of introduction and spread of marine alien species may represent a supplementary stress factor to Mediterranean marine native biota already challenged by climatic abnormalities. The…

Genetic variability in Peregrine falcon populations of the Western Palaearctic region

2018

We analyzed variation in ten polymorphic microsatellites and a portion of cytochrome b mitochondrial DNA in 4 populations of the Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus). living in northern and southern Italy. Spain and Czech Republic to assess species diversity in the poorly investigated Western Palearctic region. The Spanish population lives in the contact zone between F. peregrinus peregrinus and F. p. brookei. both the northern Italian and the Czech populations live within the range of F. p. peregrinus and the southern Italian is within the F. p. brookei. We added to our cytochrome b sequence dataset comprising 81 samples. previously published mitochondrial DNA sequences (n = 31) of English …

2019

Abstract Salvage logging after disturbances in forests substantially modifies vegetation structure and dead wood availability, but empirical evidence on its impact on biodiversity, especially in European boreal forest, is sparse. In this study we investigated the short-term effect of post-fire salvage logging on species richness and abundance of birds in recently burned mixed coniferous forest. Using point counts we estimated local species composition at 49 salvaged sites and 55 non-intervention sites (burnt forest left for natural regeneration) that were not logged after a fire in south-central Sweden. Local species richness, abundance and Simpson's species diversity index were significant…

2021

Despite the wide recognition that strongly interacting species can influence distributions of other species, species interactions are often disregarded when assessing or projecting biodiversity distributions. In particular, it remains largely uncharted the extent to which the disappearance of a keystone species cast repercussions in the species composition of future communities. We tested whether an avian top predator can exert both positive and negative effects on spatial distribution of other species, and if these effects persist even after the predator disappeared. We acquired bird count data at different distances from occupied and non-occupied nests of Northern goshawks Accipiter genti…

2020

Abstract Facing the loss of biodiversity caused by landscape fragmentation, implementation of ecological networks to connect habitats is an important biodiversity conservation issue. It is necessary to develop easily reproducible methods to identify and prioritize actions to maintain or restore ecological corridors. To date, several competing methods are used with recurrent debate on which is best and if expert-based approaches can replace data-driven models. We compared three methods: knowledge-driven (expert based), data-driven (based on species distribution model), and a mixed approach. We quantified their differences in habitat and corridor mapping, and prioritizations of landscape elem…