Long-term studies are essential for understanding how and to what extent various stressors impact long-lived species, such as turtles. Turtle populations are declining globally. Empirical data from long-term studies of turtles are largely lacking, which hinders the development of effective conservation programs. We evaluated a river turtle assemblage over a 50 year study period (1969–2019), during

The American mink Neovison vison is an invasive species in Europe with a number of expanding populations in over 20 countries. In this work, we reviewed feeding habits and temporal behaviour of the American mink introduced to Europe. We summarised the results of 30 studies on diet of this mustelid and of 5 studies on activity rhythms. Trophic niche breadth was high in Europe and increased with increasing

The fleshy fruits of exotic Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill and Opuntia robusta (Haw.) Haw (Cactaceae family) are consumed and dispersed by many vertebrates, which likely influences their invasion success. We tested whether seed ingestion by Pied Crows (Corvus albus) and other smaller birds (African Pied Starling Lamprotornis bicolor and the Red-eyed Bulbul Pycnonotus nigricans) improve the germination

Excessive atmospheric nitrogen deposition is known to alter nutrient cycles and species composition in temperate forest ecosystems. Foliar N concentrations reflect the nutrient status of plants and can be used to assess the impact of atmospheric N deposition on ecosystems. Our objective was to test whether the foliar N content reflects increasing N deposition in the understory vegetation of temperate

Niche overlap and breadth are fundamental characteristics of ecological niches that have been hypothesized to relate both to environmental conditions and to biotic interactions within a community. Abiotic factors and interspecific competition may have opposing effects on those niche characteristics by respectively filtering out species from the niche space and limiting among-species similarity. Here

Habitat fragmentation, as a result of habitat loss and degradation, is widely considered to be a major threat to biodiversity. Our study focused on the distribution, diversity and abundance of butterflies on 22 isolated plots, mainly consisting of wet grassland. The plots were surrounded by deciduous mixed forests and located in an agglomeration area close to Lake Zurich, Switzerland. In addition to

The nitrogen and carbon cycles are fundamental ecosystem processes influenced by several factors including soil type and other abiotic factors, plant species, grazing and soil organisms. Herbivores profoundly influence the functioning of ecosystems and the recycling of nutrients in interaction with plants in natural ecosystems. This study focuses on the effects of livestock on carbon and nitrogen cycling

Competitive exclusion is to be expected between phylogenetically similar species that share traits and resources. However, species may overcome this, either through differentiation of their responses to biotic and abiotic conditions, or by trait differentiation, thus enabling their coexistence. We identified differences in phenotypic traits between seven coexisting Carex species and their responses

The contribution of termites to the global balance of greenhouse gases, which is aggravated by large seasonal variations in their emissions, remains unclear. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the influence of termite mounds on CH4, CO2 and N2O emissions and to analyze their diurnal variations over a 9-month (249-day) period in a transition area of the Cerrado Savanna and Atlantic Forest

A number of vulture species were ubiquitous in undisturbed West African savannahs. However, in recent decades most species have declined rapidly and some are now at the brink of extinction. For some species, large protected areas are their last strongholds, but even there pronounced declines have become obvious in recent years. However, we lack even basic knowledge about current distribution, densities

Among the theories that attempt to explain the elevational distribution of metazoan species along elevational gradients, the Mid-Domain Effect (MDE) is one of most debated and criticized. Here, we test whether the diversity of birds along elevational gradients in the Serra do Caparaó, a mountain of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, is explicable by the MDE. We sampled an elevational gradient between 970 m

Pasture management techniques may affect the biodiversity of insects beneficial to pastures, such as dung beetles. Cattle grazing removal over a short-term is widely used in introduced Brazilian pastures. However, the impact of this management on dung beetles is still unknown. This study evaluated the taxonomic (species richness, abundance, biomass, species composition, Shannon, and Simpson indexes)

Aggressive behaviors are widespread among territorial species and asymmetrical aggressiveness may imply differential access to resources. At a larger scale, such asymmetry may also drive shifts in geographic distributions. The pied tamarin (Saguinus bicolor) is an endangered Amazonian primate species with a small natural range. In recent decades further reduction of its range has been observed coincident

Arid zones, where native rangelands are common, are essentials for millions of people livelihood. These areas support 50% of the world's livestock and are where 44% of the world's food is grown. In rangelands of Central Argentina, Pappophorum vaginatum is basically the unique, warm-season perennial grass species palatable to grazing livestock. Our major objective was to determine variability in reproductive

In the northern part of Togo, several sacred groves are preserved and managed traditionally by local communities and are repositories of the biodiversity of surrounding areas. The present study aims at evaluating the impact of these traditional management practices on the biodiversity and structural characteristics of the sacred groves. Survey was carried out in these sacred groves to collect floristic

Nestedness is currently one of the most explored structural patterns of biological communities, especially since its major application in studies on ecological networks. Research on the nested pattern, as a spatial structural descriptor of communities, was mostly focused on theoretical background in the conservation of habitat islands. Here, we explore, to what extent nested true bug communities are

Leaf economics, hydraulic, and shade-tolerance traits involve different resource-use strategies, and are critical for interactive plants, yet it remains unclear whether co-occurring individuals modulate the coupling relationships between these trait dimensions. To address this knowledge gap, we measured four leaf economics, five hydraulic, and two shade-tolerant traits in leaf and wood tissues across

Invasive alien species spreading in abandoned agricultural landscape may negatively affect native organisms, including plants and soil biota. This study assessed the effects of invasion by Solidago sp. (goldenrod) in southern Poland on soil fauna feeding activity and on soil microorganism activity, biomass, and functional and taxonomic diversity, in a comparisons of paired plots: goldenrod-invaded

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) play a fundamental role in arid and semiarid areas of South America. Nevertheless, little attention has been paid to the distribution and coverage of them, and studies about biocrusts are still scarce especially in Argentina. The goal of this contribution was to analyze the coverage of biocrusts and their main biological components along an aridity gradient in the

Understanding of causes for recent changes in vegetation structure and species richness of natural habitats is crucial for their maintaining for future generations. However, to avoid misinterpretation of vegetation changes in time, we should be aware of limits and errors of methods used for vegetation sampling. In a specific vegetation type, i.e. species rich wet meadow, we quantified sampling error

Leafing intensity, which refers to the number of leaves per unit shoot size, is a key architectural trait that is closely linked to plant hydraulics. However, it remains unclear how leafing intensity is regulated by deeper water tables and greater plant heights (i.e., with both necessitating longer hydraulic paths to foliage). As there are diminishing photosynthetic returns from incrementally increased

Tree height and tree species richness are both essential to characterize forest structure. Previous research showed that maximum tree height is a strong predictor of tree species richness at forests on a large scale. However, it is unknown whether this relationship exists in a forest at small scales. Here the intensively surveyed data from 1 ha of forest plot in northern Alabama was used to exam this

When an area previously used for agricultural or sylvicultural purposes is abandoned, it may undergo natural regeneration. However, the outcome of such regeneration depends on a number of factors, including the presence of non-native invasive plants, and, when production forests such as eucalypt plantations are considered, remaining non-native trees may also affect the natural regeneration possibilities

Large forest complexes with few human inhabitants provide a valuable resource for understanding natural processes in an environment not directly impacted by humans. However, studies of such systems are difficult to conduct due to the frequent need for collected samples to be subjected to lengthy laboratory processing protocols that require them to be transported to often distant laboratories. The objective

The biodiversity data typically available for fitting distributional models in the tropics come from museum and scientific collections which are often incomplete and prone to sampling and environmental biases. Nevertheless, most studies undertaken in tropical regions assume that collection data offers a satisfactory environmental coverage without any quantitative assessment. In this study, we investigate

Rodent and shrew populations are key components of many animal communities around the world. However, their population dynamics and the factors influencing their abundance are still not well understood. We analyzed rodent and shrew community composition and abundance at a UNESCO world heritage site, the Neusiedler See in Eastern Austria, using barn owl pellets. We identified temperature (mean and minimal

Exotic organisms have traits that allow them to effectively disperse and propagate into novel environments. The ability to adapt to new environments has enabled the cane toad (Rhinella marina) to successfully invade novel ecosystems. Their leg length correlates with dispersal success and is selected for in invading populations. Given their successful invasion of multiple continents, R. marina represent

Various species of animals maximise energy gained through foraging by minimising excessive energy spent on nonessential activities. Avoiding predation is key for maximising an individual's lifespan, as well as that of its kin; however, anti-predation behaviours can be energetically costly. We investigated the relationship between the potential threat levels by predators, pseudo-predators, and non-predators

Phylogenetic data on species relatedness have increasingly involved in the analysis of community assembly mechanisms within the ecophylogenetic framework. Null-model analysis can detect patterns of phylogenetic clustering and overdispersion, corresponding to the leading roles of environmental filtering and biotic interactions in community assembly, respectively. Elevational gradients in montane communities

Prosopis flexuosa (Fabaceae), a key species in desert environments, provides ecosystem services whereby it mitigates desertification and supports biodiversity conservation. To understand the relative importance of drivers of species diversity and structure of P. flexuosa-dominated woodland at different scales, we propose (1) to assess whether species richness is affected by predictors such as productivity

Tenerife Island is well-known for its biodiversity. It boasts the highest elevation in the Atlantic Ocean and its northern and southern slopes have varying moisture and temperature gradients. Consequently, there are multiple spatially discrete vegetation zones, or biomes, recognized on the island that roughly follow elevation. We investigated the extent to which climatic variables as well as soil nitrogen

The effects of deforestation and land use/cover changes, i.e. Alnus subcordata and Cupressus sempervirens plantations, rice cultivation, and also deforested areas of Carpinus betulus-Parrotia persica on soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) fractions were evaluated in Hyrcanian region, northern Iran. Twelve samples per land use/cover were taken from the top 10 cm soil and characterized with respect to soil

Plant invasion has been a major threat to biodiversity and ecosystem stability. In the present study, we have estimated the effect of two invasive alien species, Lantana camara and Ageratina adenophora on the understory vegetation composition and species diversity of chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) forests in the central Himalaya. We have selected three sites in pine forests and each site was divided

The identification of the main abiotic variables influencing the seasonal development of plant phenology contributes to our knowledge of how arid and semi-arid ecosystems function. In this study, we addressed the following questions: 1. Is soil water content the most important variable determining plant phenophases? 2. Are phenophases across different life forms associated with the soil water content

Supraglacial zones worldwide serve as suitable habitats for psychrophiles, including metazoans. The present study investigates whether the occurrence and abundance of springtails in water films under stones on the Forni Glacier in the Alps is affected by: a) the stone's location (on bare ice, in supraglacial streams, in the glacier forefield, on the medial moraine), b) the stone's distance from the

Habitat fragmentation has a multitude of negative effects on biodiversity, including the facilitation of alien plant invasion. Of concern in South Africa is the spread of fleshy-fruited invasive plant species, which in many places are replacing indigenous vegetation in frequently disturbed and fragmented habitats. The availability of dispersers is among the most important factors for the successful

1 Since habitat characteristics can be essential for protection from predators and weather, the selection of the appropriate habitat can determine the success of colonization and therefore strongly influence the local ecosystem. Therefore, the habitat selection by termites can help to understand their role in forest ecosystems. 2 These characteristics can influence the habitat choice, since they may

Floods in June 2013 affected significant portions of the Czech Republic (total damages amounted ~600 millions of euro). This study examines the impact of catastrophic flood on the species composition and size of fish prey in the diet of the common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), a fish-eating bird, nesting and hunting on Botič stream (Prague, Czech Republic) in 2013. Hundred and forty years water (flow

Predator-prey interactions are affected by environmental conditions. We examined the effect of changes in water level on the predator-prey interactions in a food web comprising of a top predator (dragonfly naiad), one mesopredator (backswimmer), and prey tadpoles of species that differ in microhabitat occupancy (neustonic and benthic). The results revealed that under high water level conditions (HWL)

Seed dispersal is critical for maintaining ecosystem structure and over half of plant species worldwide rely on animals for dispersal. Animal-mediated seed dispersal requires tight links between animals and plants. The introduction of invasive species threatens this mutualism by potentially creating competition between native and invasive plants for dispersers and by altering the consumption of native

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been implemented as a spatial management tool throughout the world in order to meet targets for marine biodiversity conservation. The success of MPAs in achieving biodiversity conservation objectives is strongly dependent on effective management. However, evaluation frameworks for MPA management measures are often procedurally or governance focused with limited consideration

In natural protected areas, buildings such as small villages, farms, shepherd's huts, camps, small hotels or visitor centres are common, usually at very low densities. Although buildings could play a role in modifying the biodiversity of natural protected areas, there has hardly been any attempt to describe the composition and characteristics of the vegetation associated with these buildings. Here

Physical features and lithology variations contribute to promoting changes in faunal composition and richness between caves in Neotropics. Cave lithology effects on biodiversity were reported to iron ore caves in Brazil, however, it is less clear to granitoid and quartzite caves. Hence, based on these two kinds of rocks we correlate invertebrates species richness and composition with some cave features

This study examines the effect of the soil physicochemical properties and the vegetation diversity and composition on the soil microorganism community structure on the temperate forest stands along the altitudinal gradient. The studied stands were located at three altitudes (600, 900, and 1200 m a.s.l.) on five separate mountain slopes (treated as independent replicates) in the Western Carpathians

Invasive alien species are recognized as the second leading cause of biodiversity loss and species extinction worldwide, with zoochoric dispersion being a key factor for the success of invasive organisms as they can favor the germination of these species. We performed a study in the southern Brazil involving three generalist species with abundant and wide amount of distribution in Latin America, with

European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) in North America often achieve high densities in urban regions and compete with other cavity-nesting species for nest sites, including the rapidly declining red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus). However, at a continental scale, European starling populations are unrelated to trends in red-headed woodpeckers. To assess whether urbanization influences

Elevational gradients can serve as natural experiments to study how species are restricted spatially according to environmental conditions. The variation in resources and conditions that habitats experience in relation to the seasons can be useful for understanding why the abundance and distribution of the species change temporarily. In this study, we evaluated the influence of an altitudinal gradient

Quantifying the unsureness and recognize the hazard of habitats loss from changing climate conditions is important for adaptation of biodiversity to climate warming. The unsureness and hazard of losing habitat ranges for 91 amphibian species in China in response to climate warming were examined by applying climate scenarios of representative concentration pathways and categorization methods of the

Height–diameter allometric (H-D) relationships play an important role in the light capture and stability of a tree, and it is poorly understood whether the relationships changes with growth stages or functional groups along a large scale environmental gradients. We present a comparative study of H-D relationships of 6810 seedlings and 19,707 trees from about 1000 species in 9 different sites across

In response to extensive deforestation in the Philippines in the last century, reforestation initiatives have been developed, setting area- or seedling count-based success criteria. However, to sufficiently assess reforestation as an approach to conserving biodiversity and protecting habitats, restoration of ecosystem integrity must be evaluated. Increased recognition of the role of fauna in ecological

The ant-plant mutualism mediated by extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) is based on the provision of extrafloral nectar (a sugar-rich liquid) in exchange for ant defense against herbivores. The extrafloral nectar production can vary depending on the intensity or types of leaf damage caused by different mouthparts of insect herbivores (i.e., sucking or chewing insects). However, it is poorly known how the

Wood-pastures are grazed systems resulting from a long-term use of natural woodlands by humans. These social-ecological systems, covering vast areas of Europe and other temperate regions, have both high biodiversity and economic values, so many are classified as High Nature Value Farmlands. However, in some regions a loss of spatial heterogeneity threatens this natural value. We investigated the potential

Maize and beans contribute significantly to food security in Kenya. Farming practices used in production of these crops may affect nematode community assemblages and influence agricultural productivity. Information on response of nematofauna, particularly free-living nematodes, under various agronomic practices in Kenyan maize-beans intercrop is scarce. This study reports on the effects of farming

Ecological communities result from the interaction of different sorts of biotic and abiotic processes. Here, we assess the effects of two target plants that show different interactions with their surrounding (neighborhood) vegetation, on species richness, abundance, and diversity of communities, to address the influence of different biological processes in the formation of a plant community. We compared