| 1. |
- Caesar, Ryan M., et al.
(author)
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Integrating DNA data and traditional taxonomy to streamline biodiversity assessment: an example from edaphic beetles in the Klamath ecoregion, California, USA
- 2006
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In: Diversity and Distributions. - : Wiley. - 1366-9516. ; 12:5, s. 483-489
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Conservation and land management decisions may be misguided by inaccurate or misinterpreted knowledge of biodiversity. Non-systematists often lack taxonomic expertise necessary for an accurate assessment of biodiversity. Additionally, there are far too few taxonomists to contribute significantly to the task of identifying species for specimens collected in biodiversity studies. While species level identification is desirable for making informed management decisions concerning biodiversity, little progress has been made to reduce this taxonomic deficiency. Involvement of non-systematists in the identification process could hasten species identification. Incorporation of DNA sequence data has been recognized as one way to enhance biodiversity assessment and species identification. DNA data are now technologically and economically feasible for most scientists to apply in biodiversity studies. However, its use is not widespread and means of its application has not been extensively addressed. This paper illustrates how such data can be used to hasten biodiversity assessment of species using a little-known group of edaphic beetles. Partial mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I was sequenced for 171 individuals of feather-wing beetles (Coleoptera: Ptiliidae) from the Klamath ecoregion, which is part of a biodiversity hotspot, the California Floristic Province. A phylogram of these data was reconstructed via parsimony and the strict consensus of 28,000 equally parsimonious trees was well resolved except for peripheral nodes. Forty-two voucher specimens were selected for further identification from clades that were associated with many synonymous and non-synonymous nucleotide changes. A ptiliid taxonomic expert identified nine species that corresponded to monophyletic groups. These results allowed for a more accurate assessment of ptiliid species diversity in the Klamath ecoregion. In addition, we found that the number of amino acid changes or percentage nucleotide difference did not associate with species limits. This study demonstrates that the complementary use of taxonomic expertise and molecular data can improve both the speed and the accuracy of species-level biodiversity assessment. We believe this represents a means for non-systematists to collaborate directly with taxonomists in species identification and represents an improvement over methods that rely solely on parataxonomy or sequence data.
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| 2. |
- Thuiller, W, et al.
(author)
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Using niche-based modelling to assess the impact of climate change on tree functional diversity in Europe
- 2006
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In: Diversity and Distributions. - : Wiley. - 1366-9516. ; 12:1, s. 49-60
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Rapid anthropogenic climate change is already affecting species distributions and ecosystem functioning worldwide. We applied niche-based models to analyse the impact of climate change on tree species and functional diversity in Europe. Present-day climate was used to predict the distributions of 122 tree species from different functional types (FT). We then explored projections of future distributions under one climate scenario for 2080, considering two alternative dispersal assumptions: no dispersal and unlimited dispersal. The species-rich broadleaved deciduous group appeared to play a key role in the future of different European regions. Temperate areas were projected to lose both species richness and functional diversity due to the loss of broadleaved deciduous trees. These were projected to migrate to boreal forests, thereby increasing their species richness and functional diversity. Atlantic areas provided an intermediate case, with a predicted reduction in the numbers of species and occasional predicted gains in functional diversity. This resulted from a loss in species within the broadleaved deciduous FT, but overall maintenance of the group. Our results illustrate the fact that both species-specific predictions and functional patterns should be examined separately in order to assess the impacts of climate change on biodiversity and gain insights into future ecosystem functioning.
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| 3. |
- Catford, Jane A., et al.
(author)
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Reducing redundancy in invasion ecology by integrating hypotheses into a single theoretical framework
- 2009
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In: Diversity & distributions. - : Wiley. - 1366-9516 .- 1472-4642. ; 15:1, s. 22-40
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aim: Invasion ecology includes many hypotheses. Empirical evidence suggests that most of these can explain the success of some invaders to some degree in some circumstances. If they all are correct, what does this tell us about invasion? We illustrate the major themes in invasion ecology, and provide an overarching framework that helps organize research and foster links among subfields of invasion ecology and ecology more generally.Location: Global.Methods: We review and synthesize 29 leading hypotheses in plant invasion ecology. Structured around propagule pressure (P), abiotic characteristics (A) and biotic characteristics (B), with the additional influence of humans (H) on P, A and B (hereon PAB), we show how these hypotheses fit into one paradigm. P is based on the size and frequency of introductions, A incorporates ecosystem invasibility based on physical conditions, and B includes the characteristics of invading species (invasiveness), the recipient community and their interactions. Having justified the PAB framework, we propose a way in which invasion research could progress.Results: By highlighting the common ground among hypotheses, we show that invasion ecology is encumbered by theoretical redundancy that can be removed through integration. Using both holistic and incremental approaches, we show how the PAB framework can guide research and quantify the relative importance of different invasion mechanisms.Main conclusions: If the prime aim is to identify the main cause of invasion success, we contend that a top-down approach that focuses on PAB maximizes research efficiency. This approach identifies the most influential factors first, and subsequently narrows the number of potential causal mechanisms. By viewing invasion as a multifaceted process that can be partitioned into major drivers and broken down into a series of sequential steps, invasion theory can be rigorously tested, understanding improved and effective weed management techniques identified.
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| 4. |
- Dynesius, Mats, et al.
(author)
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Species richness correlations among primary producers in boreal forests
- 2006
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In: Diversity & distributions. - : Wiley. - 1366-9516 .- 1472-4642. ; 12, s. 703-713
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Close correlations in species numbers may make it possible to indirectly assess the species richness of difficult taxonomic groups by investigating indicator groups, for which data are more easily collected. We asked if species numbers correlate among the four dominating groups of primary producers in boreal forests (liverworts, macrolichens, mosses, and vascular plants) and if substrate affiliation of species (ground vs. other substrates), sample plot size (0.01-1000 m2), and stand age (young vs. old) influence correlation strength. We used three sets of study plots from northern Sweden each including wide ranges of species richness. Although there are large differences in the ecophysiology and substrate use of vascular plants and the two bryophyte groups (mosses and liverworts), we found strong positive correlations among them not previously reported from boreal forests. In contrast, no correlation in total species richness was found between macrolichens and the two bryophyte groups, despite large overlaps in their ecology. We suggest that the positive correlations among land plants (liverworts, mosses, and vascular plants) are linked to positive relationships between site moisture and species number for all three groups. In contrast, total species number of macrolichens has not been shown to be strongly associated with moisture. However, ground-living lichens and mosses correlated negatively in old forests. This may relate to the inability of macrolichens to exploit shaded and wet old forest ground, a habitat that is used by many moss species. Furthermore, lichens and mosses of 'other substrates' correlated positively in old forests, probably because the amount of boulders was positively related to species richness in both groups. Generally, correlations became stronger with increasing plot size, whereas stand age had relatively little influence. We conclude that vascular plants could be used as an indicator group for species richness of mosses and liverworts in boreal landscapes.
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| 5. |
- Williamson, M., et al.
(author)
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The distribution of range sizes of native and alien plants in four European countries and the effects of residence time
- 2008
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In: Diversity & distributions. - : Wiley. - 1366-9516 .- 1472-4642. ; 15, s. 158-166
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- AimDo the statistical distributions of range sizes of native and alien species differ? If so, is this because of residence time effects? And can such effects indicate an average time to a maximum?LocationIreland, Britain, Germany and the Czech Republic.MethodsThe data are presence or absence of higher plants in mapping units of 100 km² (Ireland and Britain) or c. 130 km² (Germany and the Czech Republic) in areas varying from 79 to 357 thousand km². Logit transforms of range sizes so defined were tested for normality, and examined by ANOVA, and by loess, ordinary least square (OLS) and reduced major axis regressions.ResultsCurrent range sizes, in logits, are near normally distributed. Those of native plants are larger than those of naturalized neophytes (plants introduced since 1500 ad) and much larger than those of casual neophytes. Archaeophytes (introduced earlier) have range sizes slightly larger than natives, except in Ireland. Residence time, the time since an invasivespecies arrived in the wild at a certain place, affects range sizes. The relationships of the range of naturalized neophytes to residence time are effectively straight in all four places, showing no significant curvature or asymptote back to 1500, though there are few records between 1500 and 1800. The relationships have an r² of only about 10%. Both OLS regressions and reduced major axes can be used to estimate the time it takes for the range of a naturalized neophyte to reach a maximum.Main conclusionsEstablished neophytes have smaller range size distributions than natives probably because many have not yet reached their maximum. We estimate it takes at least 150 years, possibly twice that, on average, for the maximum to be reached in areas of the order of 105 km². Policy needs to allow for the variation in rates of spread and particularly the long time needed to fill ranges. Most naturalized neophytes are still expanding their ranges in Europe.
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