Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences - Journal Articles

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Ecological insights from three decades of animal movement tracking across a changing Arctic
(American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2020-11-06) Davidson, Sarah C.; Bohrer, Gil; Gurarie, Eliezer; LaPoint, Scott; Mahoney, Peter J.; Boelman, Natalie T.; Eitel, Jan U. H.; Prugh, Laura R.; Vierling, Lee A.; Jennewein, Jyoti; Grier, Emma; Couriot, Ophélie; Kelly, Allicia P.; Meddens, Arjan J. H.; Oliver, Ruth Y.; Kays, Roland; Wikelski, Martin; Aarvak, Tomas; Ackerman, Joshua T.; Alves, José A.; Bayne, Erin; Bedrosian, Bryan; Belant, Jerrold L.; Berdahl, Andrew M.; Berlin, Alicia M.; Berteaux, Dominique; Bêty, Joël; Boiko, Dmitrijs; Booms, Travis L.; Borg, Bridget L.; Boutin, Stan; Boyd, W. Sean; Brides, Kane; Brown, Stephen; Bulyuk, Victor N.; Burnham, Kurt K.; Cabot, David; Casazza, Michael; Christie, Katherine; Craig, Erica H.; Davis, Shanti E.; Davison, Tracy; Demma, Dominic; DeSorbo, Christopher R.; Dixon, Andrew; Domenech, Robert; Eichhorn, Götz; Elliott, Kyle; Evenson, Joseph R.; Exo, Klaus-Michael; Ferguson, Steven H.; Fiedler, Wolfgang; Fisk, Aaron; Fort, Jérôme; Franke, Alastair; Fuller, Mark R.; Garthe, Stefan; Gauthier, Gilles; Gilchrist, Grant; Glazov, Petr; Gray, Carrie E.; Grémillet, David; Griffin, Larry; Hallworth, Michael T.; Harrison, Autumn-Lynn; Hennin, Holly L.; Hipfner, J. Mark; Hodson, James; Johnson, James A.; Joly, Kyle; Jones, Kimberly; Katzner, Todd E.; Kidd, Jeff W.; Knight, Elly C.; Kochert, Michael N.; Kölzsch, Andrea; Kruckenberg, Helmut; Lagassé, Benjamin J.; Lai, Sandra; Lamarre, Jean-François; Lanctot, Richard B.; Larter, Nicholas C.; Latham, A. David M.; Latty, Christopher J.; Lawler, James P.; Léandri-Breton, Don-Jean; Lee, Hansoo; Lewis, Stephen B.; Love, Oliver P.; Madsen, Jesper; Maftei, Mark; Mallory, Mark L.; Mangipane, Buck; Markovets, Mikhail Y.; Marra, Peter P.; McGuire, Rebecca; McIntyre, Carol L.; McKinnon, Emily A.; Miller, Tricia A.; Moonen, Sander; Mu, Tong; Müskens, Gerhard J. D. M.; Ng, Janet; Nicholson, Kerry L.; Øien, Ingar Jostein; Overton, Cory; Owen, Patricia A.; Patterson, Allison; Petersen, Aevar; Pokrovsky, Ivan; Powell, Luke L.; Prieto, Rui; Quillfeldt, Petra; Rausch, Jennie; Russell, Kelsey; Saalfeld, Sarah T.; Schekkerman, Hans; Schmutz, Joel A.; Schwemmer, Philipp; Seip, Dale R.; Shreading, Adam; Silva, Mónica A.; Smith, Brian W.; Smith, Fletcher; Smith, Jeff P.; Snell, Katherine R. S.; Sokolov, Aleksandr; Sokolov, Vasiliy; Solovyeva, Diana V.; Sorum, Mathew S.; Tertitski, Grigori; Therrien, J. F.; Thorup, Kasper; Tibbitts, T. Lee; Tulp, Ingrid; Uher-Koch, Brian D.; van Bemmelen, Rob S. A.; Van Wilgenburg, Steven; Von Duyke, Andrew L.; Watson, Jesse L.; Watts, Bryan D.; Williams, Judy A.; Wilson, Matthew T.; Wright, James R.; Yates, Michael A.; Yurkowski, David J.; Žydelis, Ramūnas; Hebblewhite, Mark; National Aeronautics and Space Administration; National Science Foundation
The Arctic is entering a new ecological state, with alarming consequences for humanity. Animal-borne sensors offer a window into these changes. Although substantial animal tracking data from the Arctic and subarctic exist, most are difficult to discover and access. Here, we present the new Arctic Animal Movement Archive (AAMA), a growing collection of more than 200 standardized terrestrial and marine animal tracking studies from 1991 to the present. The AAMA supports public data discovery, preserves fundamental baseline data for the future, and facilitates efficient, collaborative data analysis. With AAMA-based case studies, we document climatic influences on the migration phenology of eagles, geographic differences in the adaptive response of caribou reproductive phenology to climate change, and species-specific changes in terrestrial mammal movement rates in response to increasing temperature.
Large birds travel farther in homogeneous environments
(John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2019-01-11) Tucker, Marlee A.; Alexandrou, Olga; Bierregaard, Richard O.; Bildstein, Keith L.; Böhning‐Gaese, Katrin; Bracis, Chloe; Brzorad, John N.; Buechley, Evan R.; Cabot, David; Calabrese, Justin M.; Carrapato, Carlos; Chiaradia, Andre; Davenport, Lisa C.; Davidson, Sarah C.; Desholm, Mark; DeSorbo, Christopher R.; Domenech, Robert; Enggist, Peter; Fagan, William F.; Farwig, Nina; Fiedler, Wolfgang; Fleming, Christen H.; Franke, Alastair; Fryxell, John M.; García‐Ripollés, Clara; Grémillet, David; Griffin, Larry R.; Harel, Roi; Kane, Adam; Kays, Roland; Kleyheeg, Erik; Lacy, Anne E.; LaPoint, Scott; Limiñana, Rubén; López‐López, Pascual; Maccarone, Alan D.; Mellone, Ugo; Mojica, Elizabeth K.; Nathan, Ran; Newman, Scott H.; Noonan, Michael J.; Oppel, Steffen; Prostor, Mark; Rees, Eileen C.; Ropert‐Coudert, Yan; Rösner, Sascha; Sapir, Nir; Schabo, Dana; Schmidt, Matthias; Schulz, Holger; Shariati, Mitra; Shreading, Adam; Silva, João Paulo; Skov, Henrik; Spiegel, Orr; Takekawa, John Y.; Teitelbaum, Claire S.; van Toor, Mariëlle L.; Urios, Vicente; Vidal‐Mateo, Javier; Wang, Qiang; Watts, Bryan D.; Wikelski, Martin; Wolter, Kerri; Žydelis, Ramūnas; Mueller, Thomas; Boucher-Lalonde, Véronique; Robert Bosch Stiftung; Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main; Seventh Framework Programme; Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; 3M Foundation; Department of Energy and Climate Change; Energinet.dk; Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association; Irish Research Council; Hellenic Ministry of Environment and Energy; Minerva Center for Movement Ecology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Division of Biological Infrastructure; Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek; Australian Research Council; Solway Coast; British Broadcasting Corporation; National Lottery Heritage Fund; National Key Research and Development Program of China; Nature Conservancy; U.S. Department of Energy; Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Aim: Animal movement is an important determinant of individual survival, population dynamics and ecosystem structure and function. Nonetheless, it is still unclear how local movements are related to resource availability and the spatial arrangement of resources. Using resident bird species and migratory bird species outside the migratory period, we examined how the distribution of resources affects the movement patterns of both large terrestrial birds (e.g., raptors, bustards and hornbills) and waterbirds (e.g., cranes, storks, ducks, geese and flamingos). Location: Global. Time period: 2003–2015. Major taxa studied: Birds. Methods: We compiled GPS tracking data for 386 individuals across 36 bird species. We calculated the straight-line distance between GPS locations of each individual at the 1-hr and 10-day time-scales. For each individual and time-scale, we calculated the median and 0.95 quantile of displacement. We used linear mixed-effects models to examine the effect of the spatial arrangement of resources, measured as enhanced vegetation index homogeneity, on avian movements, while accounting for mean resource availability, body mass, diet, flight type, migratory status and taxonomy and spatial autocorrelation. Results: We found a significant effect of resource spatial arrangement at the 1-hr and 10-day time-scales. On average, individual movements were seven times longer in environments with homogeneously distributed resources compared with areas of low resource homogeneity. Contrary to previous work, we found no significant effect of resource availability, diet, flight type, migratory status or body mass on the non-migratory movements of birds. Main conclusions: We suggest that longer movements in homogeneous environments might reflect the need for different habitat types associated with foraging and reproduction. This highlights the importance of landscape complementarity, where habitat patches within a landscape include a range of different, yet complementary resources. As habitat homogenization increases, it might force birds to travel increasingly longer distances to meet their diverse needs.
The role of limpets in biodiversity patterns and bioerosion on coastal infrastructure: Insights from Plymouth Breakwater
(Elsevier Ltd., 2025-02-15) Cooper, Aeden; Knights, Antony M.; Walker, Sandalia; Sempere-Valverde, Juan; Moocarme, Chris; Hawkins, Stephen J.; Firth, Louise B.; Malacological Society of London; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades; Seventh Framework Programme; Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
The choice of materials used in coastal infrastructure not only influences colonization by marine life, but it can also influence the extent to which colonizing organisms modify the surface topography of the structure. This study examines the role of limpets as ecosystem engineers on the 180 year-old Plymouth Breakwater, a large artificial coastal structure composed of limestone, granite, and concrete. By comparing biodiversity patterns across these substrates, the research highlights how limpet bioerosion and grazing activities influence community structure and ecological succession. The study found that limestone pools, formed through differential erosion, support higher biodiversity and distinct functional groups compared to emergent granite habitats. On concrete blocks of varying ages, a clear successional pattern was observed: early colonization by green algae (< 2 yrs) was followed by the establishment of fucoids (2–3 yrs) and, subsequently, dense limpet populations that reduced algal cover (4–10 yrs). Over time, as the blocks aged and eroded (> 25 yrs), red algae became dominant, and limpet populations declined. This study highlights the importance of substrate type and erosion in shaping ecological communities on artificial coastal structures. The research contributes to a growing understanding of the complex interactions between biotic and abiotic factors in engineered marine environments, offering insights for the design and management of sustainable coastal infrastructure to support biodiversity.
A continuous feast of bramble: Rubus fruticosus agg. is a key cross‐seasonal dietary resource for a fallow deer population
(John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2025-02-09) Gresham, Amy; Pillay, Kirthana; Healey, John R.; Eichhorn, Markus P.; Ellison, Amy M.; Lowe, Abigail; Cordes, Line S.; Creer, Simon; Shannon, Graeme; Natural Environment Research Council; Wales Biodiversity Partnership; European Regional Development Fund
Context: Deer (Cervidae) populations are increasing in many global regions, leading to concerns about their impacts on temperate forests. Advancing evidence-based management requires a detailed understanding of the dietary habits of deer and how these are shaped by resource availability. Methodology: We studied the diet of fallow deer (Dama dama) in North Wales (United Kingdom), using faecal DNA metabarcoding. Samples were collected monthly from three woodlands during 2019–2021. Tree surveys and seasonal ground flora surveys were conducted in these woodlands and seven additional woodlands. Preference analyses were used to assess the consumption of plant taxa relative to their availability. Results: The fallow deer consumed high proportions of bramble (Rubus fruticosus agg.) across the seasons, especially in the winter months. Diet diversity was significantly lower in winter compared to the other seasons, suggesting that the deer were bulk foraging on a widely available, predictable resource to conserve energy during winter. Grasses did not form a major component of the diet in any season. The preference analysis showed that spatially clustered woody taxa (e.g. Betula sp., Corylus sp. and Fraxinus sp.) occurred less often than expected in the diet, while widespread woody species occurred in the diet more often than expected (e.g. Rosa sp., Prunus sp. and Quercus sp.). Practical implication: The expansion of deer populations in the United Kingdom has occurred alongside the recovery and maturation of degraded or planted forests since the middle of the 20th century. Despite reduced light availability in these closed-canopy forests and increased herbivory pressure, bramble has remained a dominant understory plant compared to other less herbivory-tolerant plant species. Perhaps as a consequence, bramble has become the winter survival resource for this fallow deer population, remaining a prominent dietary component throughout the year. With increasing disturbance from extreme weather and tree diseases leading to a more open canopy structure, bramble cover is set to increase in European forests, which could support further expansion of deer populations. As we work to expand tree cover and enhance forest resilience and biodiversity, we should seek to understand the dynamic interactions of increasing deer populations with rapidly changing treescapes.
Land use change consistently reduces α‐ but not β‐ and γ‐diversity of bees
(John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2025-01-03) Tsang, Toby P. N.; De Santis, A. A. Amado; Armas‐Quiñonez, Gabriela; Ascher, John S.; Ávila‐Gómez, Eva Samanta; Báldi, András; Ballare, Kimberly M.; Balzan, Mario V.; Banaszak‐Cibicka, Weronika; Bänsch, Svenja; Basset, Yves; Bates, Adam J.; Baumann, Jessica M.; Beal‐Neves, Mariana; Bennett, Ashley; Bezerra, Antonio Diego M.; Blochtein, Betina; Bommarco, Riccardo; Brosi, Berry; Burkle, Laura A.; Carvalheiro, Luísa G.; Castellanos, Ignacio; Cely‐Santos, Marcela; Cohen, Hamutahl; Coulibaly, Drissa; Cunningham, Saul A.; Cusser, Sarah; Dajoz, Isabelle; Delaney, Deborah A.; Del‐Val, Ek; Egerer, Monika; Eichhorn, Markus P.; Enríquez, Eunice; Entling, Martin H.; Escobedo‐Kenefic, Natalia; Ferreira, Pedro Maria Abreu; Fitch, Gordon; Forrest, Jessica R. K.; Fournier, Valérie; Fowler, Robert; Freitas, Breno M.; Gaines‐Day, Hannah R.; Geslin, Benoît; Ghazoul, Jaboury; Glaum, Paul; Gonzalez‐Andujar, Jose L.; González‐Chaves, Adrian; Grab, Heather; Gratton, Claudio; Guenat, Solène; Gutiérrez‐Chacón, Catalina; Hall, Mark A.; Hanley, Mick E.; Hass, Annika; Hennig, Ernest Ireneusz; Hermy, Martin; Hipólito, Juliana; Holzschuh, Andrea; Hopfenmüller, Sebastian; James Hung, Keng‐Lou; Hylander, Kristoffer; Izquierdo, Jordi; Jamieson, Mary A.; Jauker, Birgit; Javorek, Steve; Jha, Shalene; Klatt, Björn K.; Kleijn, David; Klein, Alexandra‐Maria; Kovács‐Hostyánszki, Anikó; Krauss, Jochen; Kuhlmann, Michael; Landaverde‐González, Patricia; Latty, Tanya; Leong, Misha; Lerman, Susannah B.; Liu, Yunhui; Pereira Machado, Ana Carolina; Main, Anson; Mallinger, Rachel; Mandelik, Yael; Ferreira Marques, Bruno; Matteson, Kevin; McCune, Frédéric; Meng, Ling‐Zeng; Metzger, Jean Paul; Montoya‐Pfeiffer, Paula María; Morales, Carolina; Morandin, Lora; Morrison, Jane; Mudri‐Stojnić, Sonja; Nalinrachatakan, Pakorn; Norfolk, Olivia; Otieno, Mark; Park, Mia G.; Philpott, Stacy M.; Pisanty, Gideon; Plascencia, Montserrat; Potts, Simon G.; Power, Eileen F.; Prendergast, Kit; Quistberg, Robyn D.; de Lacerda Ramos, Davi; Rech, André Rodrigo; Reynolds, Victoria; Richards, Miriam H.; Roberts, Stuart P. M.; Sabatino, Malena; Samnegård, Ulrika; Sardiñas, Hillary; Sánchez‐Echeverría, Karina; Teixeira Saturni, Fernanda; Scheper, Jeroen; Sciligo, Amber R.; Sidhu, C. Sheena; Spiesman, Brian J.; Sritongchuay, Tuanjit; Steffan‐Dewenter, Ingolf; Stein, Katharina; Stewart, Alyssa B.; Stout, Jane C.; Taki, Hisatomo; Tangtorwongsakul, Pornpimon; Threlfall, Caragh G.; Faleiro Tinoco, Carla; Tscharntke, Teja; Turo, Katherine J.; Vaidya, Chatura; Vandame, Rémy; Vergara, Carlos H.; Viana, Blandina F.; Vides‐Borrell, Eric; Warrit, Natapot; Webb, Elisabeth; Westphal, Catrin; Wickens, Jennifer B.; Williams, Neal M.; Williams, Nicholas S. G.; Wilson, Caleb J.; Wu, Panlong; Youngsteadt, Elsa; Zou, Yi; Ponisio, Lauren C.; Bonebrake, Timothy C.
Land use change threatens global biodiversity and compromises ecosystem functions, including pollination and food production. Reduced taxonomic α‐diversity is often reported under land use change, yet the impacts could be different at larger spatial scales (i.e., γ‐diversity), either due to reduced β‐diversity amplifying diversity loss or increased β‐diversity dampening diversity loss. Additionally, studies often focus on taxonomic diversity, while other important biodiversity components, including phylogenetic diversity, can exhibit differential responses. Here, we evaluated how agricultural and urban land use alters the taxonomic and phylogenetic α‐, β‐, and γ‐diversity of an important pollinator taxon—bees. Using a multicontinental dataset of 3117 bee assemblages from 157 studies, we found that taxonomic α‐diversity was reduced by 16%–18% in both agricultural and urban habitats relative to natural habitats. Phylogenetic α‐diversity was decreased by 11%–12% in agricultural and urban habitats. Compared with natural habitats, taxonomic and phylogenetic β‐diversity increased by 11% and 6% in urban habitats, respectively, but exhibited no systematic change in agricultural habitats. We detected a 22% decline in taxonomic γ‐diversity and a 17% decline in phylogenetic γ‐diversity in agricultural habitats, but γ‐diversity of urban habitats was not significantly different from natural habitats. These findings highlight the threat of agricultural expansions to large‐scale bee diversity due to systematic γ‐diversity decline. In addition, while both urbanization and agriculture lead to consistent declines in α‐diversity, their impacts on β‐ or γ‐diversity vary, highlighting the need to study the effects of land use change at multiple scales.

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