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Journal of Applied Ecology: Volume 49, Issue 6
1195-1474December 2012
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Environmental change
Synergistic effects of reserves and connectivity on ecological resilience
- Pages: 1195-1203
- First Published: 30 October 2012
Our findings demonstrate that ecosystem resilience can be improved by managing both reefs and adjacent habitats together as functional seascape units. By understanding how landscapes influence resilience, and explicitly incorporating these effects into conservation decision-making, we may have greater success with environmental restoration and preservation actions.
Grazing alters ecosystem functioning and C:N:P stoichiometry of grasslands along a regional precipitation gradient
- Pages: 1204-1215
- First Published: 01 October 2012
Plant stoichiometric responses to grazing ranged from large in the meadow steppe to small in the typical steppe to generally insignificant in the desert steppe, implying that different underlying mechanisms operated along the regional precipitation gradient. Our findings suggest that reducing the stocking rate and restoring the vastly degraded steppes are essential to sustain native steppe biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and biological capacity for mitigating the impact of climate change in the Inner Mongolia grassland.
The role of dispersal levels, Allee effects and community resistance as zooplankton communities respond to environmental change
- Pages: 1216-1224
- First Published: 01 October 2012
These results suggest that community response to environmental change can be influenced by dispersal, Allee effects and community interactions. Studies evaluating the ongoing recovery of zooplankton communities from acidification, or their response to other stressors, should take these factors into account. If rapid community responses are desired, dispersal rates for sexual zooplankton species (copepods) may need to be artificially increased.
Modelling for management
Population-based threshold models describe weed germination and emergence patterns across varying temperature, moisture and oxygen conditions
- Pages: 1225-1236
- First Published: 05 October 2012
Population-based threshold models produced physiologically meaningful germination parameters, which are useful in defining the environmental constraints to germination, and predicting Echinochloa phyllopogon germination and emergence in field soils. By exploring the effects of temperature, water stress and flooding on germination and emergence, we predict irrigation regimes for optimising recruitment and the timing of weed control.
Carry-over effects of spring hunt and climate on recruitment to the natal colony in a migratory species
- Pages: 1237-1246
- First Published: 17 September 2012
We conclude that there was a negative impact of the spring hunt not only on survival but also on recruitment in greater snow geese. These non-lethal effects of hunting must be considered in management decisions aimed at controlling overabundant populations where recruitment is an important driver of population growth, as occurs in geese. Our study is also relevant to other situations such as in threatened species still exposed to hunting, as consideration of non-lethal effects of hunting may be critical for their conservation.
Conservation planning
A decision framework for considering climate change adaptation in biodiversity conservation planning
- Pages: 1247-1255
- First Published: 29 November 2012
From eight case studies, the key interventions identified for integrating climate change adaptation into conservation planning were local management and expansion of sites. We anticipate that, in combination with consideration of socio-economic and local factors, the decision framework will be a useful tool for conservation and natural resource managers to integrate adaptation measures into conservation plans.
REVIEW: Reducing the ecological consequences of night-time light pollution: options and developments
- Pages: 1256-1266
- First Published: 02 November 2012
The artificial lightscape will change considerably over coming decades with the drive for more cost-effective low-carbon street lighting solutions and growth in the artificially lit area. Developing lighting strategies that minimize adverse ecological impacts while balancing the often conflicting requirements of light for human utility, comfort and safety, aesthetic concerns, energy consumption and carbon emission reduction constitute significant future challenges. However, as both lighting technology and understanding of its ecological effects develop, there is potential to identify adaptive solutions that resolve these conflicts.
REVIEW: Archive and refugia of soil organisms: applying a pedodiversity framework for the conservation of biological and non-biological heritages
- Pages: 1267-1277
- First Published: 15 October 2012
The coincidence between patterns of biodiversity and pedodiversity offers a new and unexplored direction for understanding the genesis of biological and non-biological assemblages and the spatial patterns of soils and living organisms. Pedodiversity can be used as a practical surrogate indicator of soil diversity. We provide a pedodiversity framework for the design of a network of soil reserves for the preservation and monitoring of soil biodiversity. This new framework could contribute toward the development of a unified theory of natural diversity and to understanding the role of the pedosphere in the provision of ecosystem services.
Control of invasives
Effects of predator control on behaviour of an apex predator and indirect consequences for mesopredator suppression
- Pages: 1278-1286
- First Published: 04 October 2012
Predator control not only reduces indices of apex predator abundance but can also modify their behaviour. Hence, indicators other than abundance, such as behavioural patterns, should be considered when estimating a predator's capacity to effectively interact with lower trophic guilds. Changes to apex predator behaviour may relax limitations on the behaviour of mesopredators, providing enhanced access to resources and prey.
The effectiveness of classical biological control of invasive plants
- Pages: 1287-1295
- First Published: 05 October 2012
The number of studies that provide quantitative indications of the effectiveness of biocontrol and the response of non-target taxa has increased over the past decade, but remains small compared to the total number of publications on the classical biocontrol of invasive plants. Nonetheless, this study demonstrates the positive impacts of classical biocontrol and the re-establishment of native plants in a broad range of systems and establishes the value of classical biocontrol for the control of invasive alien plants. The Chrysomelidae and Curculionidae families were the most effective agents and we recommend these be prioritized in cases where potential agents of different taxa have also been identified. In addition, data on the recovery of native plant species and the invertebrate community remain sparse and it is recommended that future studies report the identity of plant species that replace target species as well as invertebrate community responses.
Impacts of an invasive herbivore on indigenous forests
- Pages: 1296-1305
- First Published: 02 November 2012
Our study provides evidence that sustained, extensive control of invasive herbivores can result in significant conservation benefits to susceptible tree species, and that both impacts and benefits can be measured using data typically collected in herbivore impact studies. Furthermore, it shows how local factors such as forest composition can influence the impact of herbivory, how this can be included in large-scale assessments of the benefits of pest control and how site- and species-specific damage thresholds can be derived for improving pest management.
Forest management
Competition response of European beech Fagus sylvatica L. varies with tree size and abiotic stress: minimizing anthropogenic disturbances in forests
- Pages: 1306-1315
- First Published: 24 September 2012
Tree–tree interactions in beech forests showed a clear pattern which depended on tree maturation and resource supply. This highlights the importance of considering tree size-related changes along environmental gradients in regional growth models. Our findings indicate that management practices could facilitate both timber production and nature conservation demands by adapting thinning approaches to age- and resource-related tree growth patterns. We propose a distinct reduction in thinning intensity, particularly for larger beech trees growing on sites with optimum below-ground resources. This would increase the permanent stand volumes and promote natural stand dynamics, which in turn would benefit biodiversity typical of old-growth beech forest ecosystems.
Do time-lagged extinctions and colonizations change the interpretation of buffer strip effectiveness? – a study of riparian bryophytes in the first decade after logging
- Pages: 1316-1324
- First Published: 02 November 2012
We show that most extinctions of red-list species occurred soon after disturbance and that the conclusions drawn from a study carried out 2·5 years after the disturbance did not change profoundly 8 years later. Although the species composition in the buffer strips continued to change over time, sensitive species survived much better in buffer strips than in clear-cuts, which supports the practice of retaining buffer strips for terrestrial species too. This knowledge should encourage managers to find ways of increasing the efficacy of this practice. One obvious measure could be to retain wider strips or implement other management practices that make the buffer strips less sensitive to wind, which will lead to higher tree retention to support a prelogging species composition.
Evaluating the legacy of landscape history: extinction debt and species credit in bird and small mammal assemblages in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest
- Pages: 1325-1333
- First Published: 29 November 2012
Our work highlights the need for considering not only the trajectory of deforestation/regeneration but also the amount of forest cover at landscape scale when investigating time-delayed responses to landscape change. As many landscapes are experiencing a change from decreasing to expanding forest cover, understanding the association of extinction and immigration processes, as well as their interactions with the landscape dynamic, is a key factor to plan conservation and restoration actions in human-altered landscapes.
Epiphytic bryophytes near forest edges and on retention trees: reduced growth and reproduction especially in old-growth-forest indicator species
- Pages: 1334-1343
- First Published: 28 September 2012
Two general management implications for boreal forests are drawn. First, retention trees may not have the capacity to act as a ‘lifeboat’ for epiphytic bryophytes and support their populations during the regeneration phase. Second, the creation of buffer zones is a useful conservation strategy for bryophytes. The exact width of zones depends on the forest structure and should be orientated in relation to the requirements of the most sensitive species. For the rather dense experimental forest, a width of at least 30 m was required for the south-facing buffer, whereas for the north-facing buffer 10 m was sufficient.
To what extent do time, species identity and selected plant response variables influence woody plant interactions?
- Pages: 1344-1355
- First Published: 02 November 2012
We show that the outcome of plant interactions is species specific and varies with time and the indicator selected. Facilitation was detected with tree neighbour treatment, but over time interactions clearly shifted to competition. Hence, forest planting operations can benefit from the interactions induced by neighbouring woody vegetation provided that neighbour species are carefully selected and active post-planting management is performed.
Human and climate influences on frequent fire in a high-elevation tropical forest
- Pages: 1356-1364
- First Published: 01 November 2012
Our results show that this high-elevation tropical forest has not been degraded but has existed with frequent fires for at least a century. A trend in the 21st century towards less-frequent fire could be cause for concern, as a decrease in fire frequency could lead to an increase in tree density and a loss of resilience in the face of climate change and other future disturbance. We recommend that managers take into account historical fire regimes in their local areas: frequent surface fires in the case of Pico de Orizaba. It is important to recognize that although fire can be detrimental in many low-elevation tropical forests, it is an integral part of this high-elevation tropical forest ecosystem, and other high-elevation forests may show similar patterns.
Agro-ecology
Species-rich dung beetle communities buffer ecosystem services in perturbed agro-ecosystems
- Pages: 1365-1372
- First Published: 15 October 2012
The interacting effects of dung beetle species richness and ivermectin highlight the importance of maintaining diverse assemblages in the face of anthropogenic perturbations and suggest that apparent functional redundancy of species in agro-ecosystems should be interpreted cautiously. Furthermore, different farm management practices (e.g. pesticide use and fragmentation of habitats) may have consequences for ecosystem functions and services that exceed the effects of each when considered in isolation.
Creating patches of native flowers facilitates crop pollination in large agricultural fields: mango as a case study
- Pages: 1373-1383
- First Published: 05 November 2012
Our results show that the presence of small patches of native flowers within large farms can increase pollinator-dependent crop production if combined with preservation of remaining fragments of natural habitat and judicious use of pesticides. Native flower compensation areas represent a profitable management measure for farmers, increasing cost-effectiveness of cropland while indirectly contributing to preservation of natural habitat.
Riparian field margins: can they enhance the functional structure of ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) assemblages in intensively managed grassland landscapes?
- Pages: 1384-1395
- First Published: 13 September 2012
Fenced riparian margins, particularly those over 5·4 m wide, harbour carabids with poor dispersal ability which are vulnerable to habitat fragmentation. While lack of management benefits sedentary species, a wider range of taxa (e.g. pollinators, foraging birds and flowering plants) are enhanced by management to obtain a more open vegetation structure (e.g. restricted grazing or mowing). It is important that management practices are implemented at a sufficiently fine spatial scale to allow recolonisation of species with restricted dispersal from adjacent undisturbed habitats. Wide riparian margins have the potential to enhance taxonomic and functional diversity at the landscape scale. Management actions must, however, be carefully balanced to ensure that they promote a wide range of taxa without unduly interfering with the margin's ability to mitigate diffuse pollution.
Hedgerow trees and extended-width field margins enhance macro-moth diversity: implications for management
- Pages: 1396-1404
- First Published: 01 November 2012
Our results suggest that the presence of extended-width field margins and hedgerow trees, possibly promoted by agri-environment schemes targeting their implementation at relatively small spatial scales (0·8 km), may help mitigate negative effects of agricultural intensification on macro-moths. A wide range of other taxa feed on macro-moths and may therefore indirectly benefit from these features. Nevertheless, taxa differ widely in their mobility and measures mitigating biodiversity loss may need to be targeted at multiple spatial scales to maximize their effectiveness for multiple taxa.
Perennial habitat fragments, parasitoid diversity and parasitism in ephemeral crops
- Pages: 1405-1416
- First Published: 29 November 2012
Maintaining semi-wild, perennial habitat fragments as refugia to support parasitoids can increase biodiversity and provide ecosystem services in annual and short-cycle crop fields. Our results indicated that crop pests escaped parasitism by two important tachinid species in landscapes with greater than 38% and 51% cover of annual cropland, respectively. Landscape-level research is critical for integrating science and policy to conserve biodiversity, promote sustainable agroecosystems and evaluate new anti-wildlife vegetation removal campaigns that may harm biological control agents while targeting microbial food contamination.
Restoration
Spontaneous succession on opencast mining sites: implications for bird biodiversity
- Pages: 1417-1425
- First Published: 05 November 2012
The results highlight the importance of spontaneously established sites and complete succession series for developing valuable bird communities in postindustrial areas such as opencast mining sites. In particular, early successional sites and shrublands create refuges for early successional specialists disappearing from the common landscape and these should be promoted at the expense of reclaimed sites wherever possible. My results support an effort for systematic implementation of early successional sites into conservation practice.
Nursery-propagated plants from seed: a novel tool to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of seagrass restoration
- Pages: 1426-1435
- First Published: 24 September 2012
This study provides a robust protocol that can reduce plant and/or seed collection pressure on donor populations and produce a high number of transplants which show lower mortality rates during the early transplantation phases. This method can also help to preserve genetic diversity in restored populations, which should be one of the major goals of ecological restoration. This novel tool can be applied to other seagrass species with low or unpredictable reproductive success, therefore the development of nurseries should be incorporated in future restoration programmes. This is currently the only sustainable methodology to produce material for transplanting programmes for protected species.
Assembly history alters alpha and beta diversity, exotic–native proportions and functioning of restored prairie plant communities
- Pages: 1436-1445
- First Published: 05 October 2012
Our results indicate that grassland communities can reach alternate exotic- or native-dominated states in uniform environments when perennial exotic species are present. These states were strongly affected by timing of native species arrival and priority effects. Thus, assembly history is a key process that can give rise to beta diversity, and our results suggest that native species should be established early in the restoration process before exotics become fully established.
Does managed coastal realignment create saltmarshes with ‘equivalent biological characteristics’ to natural reference sites?
- Pages: 1446-1456
- First Published: 19 September 2012
Marshes created by managed realignment do not satisfy the requirements of the EU Habitats Directive. Adherence to the Directive might be improved by additional management interventions, such as manipulation of topographic heterogeneity or planting of mid- and upper-marsh species. However, given the inherent variation in natural saltmarshes and projected environmental change, policies that require exact equivalence at individual sites may be unachievable. More realistic goals might require minimum levels of a range of ecosystem functions on a broader scale, across catchments or regions.
Urban ecology
Conservation challenges in urban seascapes: promoting the growth of threatened species on coastal infrastructures
- Pages: 1457-1466
- First Published: 04 October 2012
Coastal and marine infrastructures can be harnessed to enhance desired species (such as threatened canopy-forming algae). A comprehensive understanding of the ecological functioning of these urban seascapes compared to natural habitats is required to minimize detrimental impacts, or potentially increase the ecological value, of coastal structures and efficiently incorporate such strategies into management and conservation actions. We investigated the influence of habitat type (including natural and artificial), surface complexity, herbivore exclusion, proximity to established populations and orientation on the transplantation success of threatened algae.
Relative effects of vehicle pollution, moisture and colonization sources on urban lichens
- Pages: 1467-1474
- First Published: 08 October 2012
Our results suggest that macrolichen cover, but not macrolichen species richness, can be used as an indicator of urban traffic pollution. Our results also suggest that, to promote urban macrolichen diversity, it would be more effective to increase the availability of lichen colonization sources (nearby trees) than to control traffic pollution.