Search results for "ecological network"

New Perspectives on Ecological Networks

2017

This chapter introduces the theme of ecological networks, exploring the reference theoretical bases within the International academic debate, and proposing a reflection on how protected areas should no longer be considered as the sum of different components, but rather as a network. In relation to this aspect, the transnational and national models of ecological networks, carried out in the different European countries, are analyzed, through a detailed, updated study of relevant national and international documents. Particular attention is given to the European ecological Natura 2000 network that constitutes the official framework for European policies on protected natural areas. The work hi…

Plant-animal seed dispersal interactions as key drivers of ecological restoration in a changing world

2022

Many global and European commitments state the need to plant billions of trees and restore millions of hectares of degraded ecosystems to contrast biodiversity loss, desertification and climate change. Seed dispersal is a crucial process promoting vegetation dynamics, and in the Mediterranean, up to 65% of woody plant species need animals for seed dispersal. Therefore, such mutualistic ecological interaction represents a key nature-based solution to help us reaching our commitments. In this presentation first we will report the strong expansion rate and correlated finescale spatio-temporal patterns of woody natural regeneration over a pastureland, using a spatially-explicit framework deploy…

Centrality in primate-parasite networks reveals the potential for the transmission of emerging infectious diseases to humans

2013

We thank Randi Griffin, Amy Pedersen, Rosa Menendez, Mark Lineham, and two anonymous reviewers for discussion and comments on a previous draft. This work was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science (J.M.G. and M.V.), by the Junta de Andalucia (J.M.G.), and by National Science Foundation Grants DEB-0211908 and EF-0723939/0904359 (C.L.N.).

Connected Lands

2017

Connected Lands : new perspectives on Ecological Networks Planning

2017

The construction of an ecological network is a fairly complex operation, given that the components to be considered are strictly linked to the age-old problem of the relationship between man and the land, until now perhaps seen too much as a limiting relationship and not, as the use of this tool suggests, as a relationship to be safeguarded. It may represent the ideal way to reconcile human needs and the conservation of biodiversity for the sustainable management of land. This study on the ecological network represents a tool capable to contain habitat fragmentation trough a new perspective that integrates theoretical approaches and methods with planning models and experiences of local appl…

I TETTI VERDI DI TIPO ESTENSIVO: BIODIVERSITÀ AD ALTA QUOTA

2016

Le città sono state paragonate da Odum a degli organismi eterotrofi che basano la loro crescita ed espansione sull’uso indiscriminato di risorse e sono causa di perdita irreversibile e frammentazione degli habitat naturali. I tetti verdi rappresentano uno strumento essenziale di mitigazione e compensazione ambientale all’interno del tessuto urbano dove, l’alta densità edilizia e l’elevato disturbo antropico concedono poco spazio alle dinamiche naturali. In particolare, i tetti verdi per la biodiversità caratterizzati da mosaici di micro-habitat diversi e contigui tra loro, possano ospitare specie con caratteristiche morfo-funzionali diverse. L’approccio noto come habitat template, consiste …

A multispecies approach for modeling the ecological impact of urban development using landscape graphs

2013

International audience; Managing urban sprawl is become a major concern in the field of landscape ecology, since the land use changes involved by urban development may affect the ability of wildlife species to move across the landscape. In order to compare the ecological impact of several urban patterns, we aim at combining two complementary approaches: 1) Simulations of residential development from an initial land use map, using morphological rules of urban development (i.e. fractal vs non fractal) and accessibility constraints; 2) Models of ecological networks applied to a given natural habitat, using a landscape graphs-based approach. As landscape graphs are built according to the moving…

Interspecific attraction between ground-nesting songbirds and ants: the role of nest-site selection

2021

Abstract Background Interspecific interactions within ecological networks can influence animal fitness and behaviour, including nest-site selection of birds and ants. Previous studies revealed that nesting birds and ants may benefit from cohabitation, with interspecific attraction through their nest-site choice, but mutual interactions have not yet been tested. We explored a previously undescribed ecological link between ground-nesting birds and ants raising their own broods (larvae and pupae) within the birds’ nests in a temperate primeval forest of lowland Europe. We tested whether the occurrence of ant broods within bird nests resulted from a mutual or one-sided interspecific attraction …

Comparison of methods to model species habitat networks for decision-making in nature conservation : the case of the wildcat in southern Belgium

2020

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 elements in t…

Self-regulation mechanism of an ecosystem in a non-Gaussian fluctuation regime

1996

We study a dynamical model for an ecological network of many interacting species. We consider a Malthus-Verhulst type of self-regulation mechanism. In the framework of the mean field theory we study the nonlinear relaxation in three different cases: (a) towards the equilibrium state, (b) towards the absorbing barrier, (c) at the critical point. We obtain asymptotic behavior in all different cases for the time average of the process. The dynamical behavior of the system, in the limit of infinitely many interacting species, is investigated in the stability and instability conditions and theoretical results are compared with numerical simulations. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical So…