| 1. |
- Logue, Jürg Brendan, et al.
(author)
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Progress in the Ecological Genetics and Biodiversity of Freshwater Bacteria
- 2008
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In: BioScience. - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 58:2, s. 103-113
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The field of microbial ecology has grown tremendously with the advent of novel molecular techniques, allowing the study of uncultured microbes in the environment, and producing a paradigm shift: now, rather than using bacteria cultures for evaluating cell-specific questions, researchers use RNA and DNA techniques to examine more broad-based ecological and evolutionary constructs such as biogeography and the long-debated biological species concept. Recent work has begun to relate bacteria functional genes to ecosystem processes and functioning, thereby enabling a better understanding of the interactive role of bacteria in different and often-changing environments. The field continues to mature and will most likely make substantial contributions in the future with additional efforts that include metagenomics and genomics. Here we review progress in the application of molecular techniques to study microbial communities in freshwater environments.
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| 2. |
- Ahnesjö, Ingrid
(author)
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Equal Opportunity for Sexual Evolution
- 2011
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In: BioScience. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 61:8, s. 641-642
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Review (other academic/artistic)
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| 3. |
- Anderson, N. John, et al.
(author)
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The Arctic in the Twenty-First Century : Changing Biogeochemical Linkages across a Paraglacial Landscape of Greenland
- 2017
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In: BioScience. - : Oxford University Press. - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 67:2, s. 118-133
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Kangerlussuaq area of southwest Greenland encompasses diverse ecological, geomorphic, and climate gradients that function over a range of spatial and temporal scales. Ecosystems range from the microbial communities on the ice sheet and moisture-stressed terrestrial vegetation (and their associated herbivores) to freshwater and oligosaline lakes. These ecosystems are linked by a dynamic glacio-fluvial-aeolian geomorphic system that transports water, geological material, organic carbon and nutrients from the glacier surface to adjacent terrestrial and aquatic systems. This paraglacial system is now subject to substantial change because of rapid regional warming since 2000. Here, we describe changes in the eco-and geomorphic systems at a range of timescales and explore rapid future change in the links that integrate these systems. We highlight the importance of cross-system subsidies at the landscape scale and, importantly, how these might change in the near future as the Arctic is expected to continue to warm.
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| 4. |
- Andersson, Erik, et al.
(author)
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Enabling Green and Blue Infrastructure to Improve Contributions to Human Well-Being and Equity in Urban Systems
- 2019
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In: BioScience. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 69:7, s. 566-574
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The circumstances under which different ecosystem service benefits can be realized differ. The benefits tend to be coproduced and to be enabled by multiple interacting social, ecological, and technological factors, which is particularly evident in cities. As many cities are undergoing rapid change, these factors need to be better understood and accounted for, especially for those most in need of benefits. We propose a framework of three systemic filters that affect the flow of ecosystem service benefits: the interactions among green, blue, and built infrastructures; the regulatory power and governance of institutions; and people's individual and shared perceptions and values. We argue that more fully connecting green and blue infrastructure to its urban systems context and highlighting dynamic interactions among the three filters are key to understanding how and why ecosystem services have variable distribution, continuing inequities in who benefits, and the long-term resilience of the flows of benefits.
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| 5. |
- Baron, J. S., et al.
(author)
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Synthesis Centers as Critical Research Infrastructure
- 2017
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In: Bioscience. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 67:8, s. 750-759
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Synthesis centers offer a unique amalgam of culture, infrastructure, leadership, and support that facilitates creative discovery on issues crucial to science and society. The combination of logistical support, postdoctoral or senior fellowships, complex data management, informatics and computing capability or expertise, and most of all, opportunity for group discussion and reflection lowers the "activation energy" necessary to promote creativity and the cross-fertilization of ideas. Synthesis centers are explicitly created and operated as community-oriented infrastructure, with scholarly directions driven by the ever-changing interests and needs of an open and inclusive scientific community. The last decade has seen a rise in the number of synthesis centers globally but also the end of core federal funding for several, challenging the sustainability of the infrastructure for this key research strategy. Here, we present the history and rationale for supporting synthesis centers, integrate insights arising from two decades of experience, and explore the challenges and opportunities for long-term sustainability.
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| 6. |
- Bauer, Silke, et al.
(author)
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From Agricultural Benefits to Aviation Safety : Realizing the Potential of Continent-Wide Radar Networks
- 2017
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In: BioScience. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 67:10, s. 912-918
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Migratory animals provide a multitude of services and disservices-with benefits or costs in the order of billions of dollars annually. Monitoring, quantifying, and forecasting migrations across continents could assist diverse stakeholders in utilizing migrant services, reducing disservices, or mitigating human-wildlife conflicts. Radars are powerful tools for such monitoring as they can assess directional intensities, such as migration traffic rates, and biomass transported. Currently, however, most radar applications are local or small scale and therefore substantially limited in their ability to address large-scale phenomena. As weather radars are organized into continent-wide networks and also detect "biological targets," they could routinely monitor aerial migrations over the relevant spatial scales and over the timescales required for detecting responses to environmental perturbations. To tap these unexploited resources, a concerted effort is needed among diverse fields of expertise and among stakeholders to recognize the value of the existing infrastructure and data beyond weather forecasting.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Bried, Jason, et al.
(author)
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Towards Global Volunteer Monitoring of Odonate Abundance
- 2020
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In: BioScience. - Cary, NC : Oxford University Press. - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 70:10, s. 914-923
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Insects are reportedly experiencing widespread declines, but we generally have sparse data on their abundance. Correcting this shortfall will take more effort than professional entomologists alone can manage. Volunteer nature enthusiasts can greatly help to monitor the abundance of dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata), iconic freshwater sentinels and one of the few nonpollinator insect groups appreciated by the public and amenable to citizen science. Although counting individual odonates is common in some locations, current data will not enable a global perspective on odonate abundance patterns and trends. Borrowing insight from butterfly monitoring efforts, we outline basic plans for a global volunteer network to count odonates, including organizational structure, advertising and recruiting, and data collection, submission, and synthesis. We hope our proposal serves as a catalyst for richer coordinated efforts to understand population trends of odonates and other insects in the Anthropocene. © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Institute of Biological Sciences.
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| 9. |
- Carpenter, Stephen R., et al.
(author)
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Accelerate Synthesis in Ecology and Environmental Sciences
- 2009
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In: BioScience. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 59:8, s. 699-701
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ecology is a leading discipline in the synthesis of diverse knowledge. Ecologists have had considerable experience in bringing together diverse, multinational data sets, disciplines, and cultural perspectives to address a wide range of issues in basic and applied science. Now is the time to build on this foundation and invest in ecological synthesis through new national or international programs. While synthesis takes place through many mechanisms, including individual efforts, working groups, and research networks, centers are extraordinarily effective institutional settings for advancing synthesis projects.
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Chapron, Guillaume
(author)
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Modernization, Risk, and Conservation of the World’s Largest Carnivores
- 2017
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In: Bioscience. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 67, s. 646-655
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Large carnivores are threatened worldwide by a variety of human-driven factors, including persecution, which regularly results when they come into conflict with people. Although human activities are almost universally viewed as negatively affecting carnivore conservation, we contend that conservation outcomes for carnivores are improved when social and economic forces reduce the risks associated with these species and facilitate the acquisition of values favorable to their conservation. We make three specific propositions: (1) Societal tolerance for carnivores is affected by the distribution of risks and benefits associated with these species, (2) modernization and its associated social changes reduce the risks associated with large carnivores and their conservation, and (3) modernization induces lasting effects on conservation by changing societal values. We review existing evidence and present cross-sectional data showing that variation among nations in large carnivore conservation outcomes are related to three facets of modernization believed to reduce the risks associated with large carnivores.
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
- Devlin, Robert H., et al.
(author)
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Assessing Ecological and Evolutionary Consequences of Growth-Accelerated Genetically Engineered Fishes
- 2015
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In: BioScience. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 65:7, s. 685-700
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Genetically engineered fish containing growth hormone (GH) transgenes have been synthesized for more than 25 years, now with modifications made in multiple aquacultured species. Despite significant improvements in production characteristics being realized, these fish have not yet entered commercial production. The very strong enhancement of growth rates that can arise from GH transgenesis in fish has generated public and scientific concern regarding ecological and food safety. Little ecological risk is anticipated from engineered strains kept in fully contained facilities, so the concern is largely directed toward the reliability of containment measures and determining whether robust ecological data, pertinent to nature, can be generated within research facilities to minimize uncertainty and allow reliable risk-assessment predictions. This article summarizes the growth, life history, and behavioral changes observed in GH-transgenic fish and discusses the environmental and evolutionary factors affecting the adaptation, plasticity, and fitness of transgenic fish and their potential consequences on natural ecosystems.
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| 14. |
- Doak, Daniel F., et al.
(author)
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Recommendations for Improving Recovery Criteria under the US Endangered Species Act
- 2015
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In: BioScience. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 65:2, s. 189-199
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Recovery criteria, the thresholds mandated by the Endangered Species Act that define when species may be considered for downlisting or removal from the endangered species list, are a key component of conservation planning in the United States. We recommend improvements in the definition and scientific justification of recovery criteria, addressing both data-rich and data-poor situations. We emphasize the distinction between recovery actions and recovery criteria and recommend the use of quantitative population analyses to measure the impacts of threats and to explicitly tie recovery criteria to population status. To this end, we provide a brief tutorial on the legal and practical requirements and constraints of recovery criteria development. We conclude by contrasting our recommendations with other alternatives and by describing ways in which academic scientists can contribute productively to the planning process and to endangered species recovery.
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| 15. |
- D'Odorico, Paolo, et al.
(author)
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Food Inequality, Injustice, and Rights
- 2019
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In: BioScience. - : Oxford University Press. - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 69:3, s. 180-190
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- As humanity continues to grow in size, questions related to human rights and the existing unequal distribution of food resources have taken on greater urgency. Is inequality in food access unjust or a regrettable consequence of the geographic distribution of biophysical resources? To what extent are there obligations to redress inequalities in access to food? We draw from a human rights perspective to identify obligations associated with access to food and develop a quantitative framework to evaluate the fulfillment of the human right to food. We discuss the capacity of socioeconomic development to reduce inequalities in per capita food availability with respect to the distribution of biophysical resources among countries. Although, at the country level, international trade shows the capacity to reduce human rights deficits by increasing food availability in countries with limited food production, whether it actually improves the fulfillment of the right to food will depend on within-country inequality.
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| 16. |
- Erlandsson, Martin, et al.
(author)
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Increasing Dissolved Organic Carbon Redefines the Extent of Surface Water Acidification and Helps Resolve a Classic Controversy
- 2011
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In: BioScience. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 61:8, s. 614-618
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Concentrations of organic acids in freshwaters have increased significantly during recent decades across large parts of Europe and North America. Different theories of the causes (e.g., recovery from acidification, climate change, land use) have different implications for defining the preindustrial levels for dissolved organic carbon (DOC), which are crucial for assessing acidification and other aspects of water quality. We demonstrate this by classifying the acidification status of 66 lakes with long-term observations, representative of about 12,700 acid-sensitive lakes in nemoral and boreal Sweden. Of these lakes, 47% are classified as significantly acidified (Delta pH >= 0.4), assuming preindustrial DOC levels were equal to those observed in 1990. But if instead, the higher DOC levels observed in 2009 define preindustrial conditions, half as many lakes are acidified (24%). This emphasizes the need to establish reference levels for DOC and casts new light on the classic controversy about natural versus anthropogenic acidification.
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
- Gavin, Michael C., et al.
(author)
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Toward a Mechanistic Understanding of Linguistic Diversity
- 2013
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In: BioScience. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 63:7, s. 524-535
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Our species displays remarkable linguistic diversity. Although the uneven distribution of this diversity demands explanation, the drivers of these patterns have not been conclusively determined. We address this issue in two steps: First, we review previous empirical studies whose authors have suggested environmental, geographical, and sociocultural drivers of linguistic diversification. However, contradictory results and methodological variation make it difficult to draw general conclusions. Second, we outline a program for future research. We suggest that future analyses should account for interactions among causal factors, the lack of spatial and phylogenetic independence of the data, and transitory patterns. Recent analytical advances in biogeography and evolutionary biology, such as simulation modeling of diversity patterns, hold promise for testing four key mechanisms of language diversification proposed here: neutral change, population movement, contact, and selection. Future modeling approaches should also evaluate how the outcomes of these processes are influenced by demography, environmental heterogeneity, and time.
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| 19. |
- Guerrero-Bosagna, Carlos
(author)
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Evolution with No Reason : A Neutral View on Epigenetic Changes, Genomic Variability, and Evolutionary Novelty
- 2017
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In: BioScience. - : Oxford University Press. - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 67:5, s. 469-476
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Explanations about the origin of evolutionary novelties are generally related to their adaptive value and are therefore based on ultimate causes. However, the current knowledge of genomics allows inquiry into the molecular mechanism involved in the generation of genomic evolutionary novelties, which is an approach based on proximate causes. Recent genomic evidence suggests that adaptive processes may not be as relevant as neutral (i.e., nonadaptive) processes in evolution. Based on the logic of understanding proximate causes of evolution, it is proposed here that environmentally induced germ-line epigenetic changes could be important in generating genomic evolutionary novelty. Moreover, epigenetically induced genetic variability would be in tune with the neutral theory of evolution, because this variability would be produced independent of fitness effects or adaptive value.
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| 20. |
- Gustafsson, Karin M, 1983-
(author)
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Latest News on the Monarch Butterfly
- 2015
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In: BioScience. - : Oxford University Press. - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 65:12, s. 1190-1192
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Review (other academic/artistic)
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| 21. |
- Gustafsson, Karin M., 1983-, et al.
(author)
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The Monarch Butterfly through Time and Space : The Social Construction of an Icon
- 2015
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In: BioScience. - : Oxford University Press. - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 65:6, s. 612-622
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this study, we explore the social construction of the monarch butterfly as a conservation icon in order to understand how the butterfly has come to be endowed with the power to shape public conversations and potentially alter policy and practice. Our analysis is guided by the sociological concepts of coproduction and boundary objects, which reveal how this butterfly has animated and sustained conversations across diverse organizational boundaries. We find that engagement with narratives of beauty, natural wonder, scientific discovery, conservation imperatives, and civic duty has allowed the monarch to enroll actors in a broad network that gives rise to surprising, emergent properties. These properties make the monarch a powerful communication vehicle and a potent ally in environmental politics. Our analysis of the historical and contemporary construction of the monarch as an icon contributes to ongoing efforts to bring resources from critical social science to bear on the strengthening of science-policy–practice interfaces.
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| 22. |
- Gustafsson, Lena
(author)
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Retention Forestry to Maintain Multifunctional Forests: A World Perspective
- 2012
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In: Bioscience. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 62, s. 633-645
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The majority of the world's forests are used for multiple purposes, which often include the potentially conflicting goals of timber production and biodiversity conservation. A scientifically validated management approach that can reduce such conflicts is retention forestry, an approach modeled on natural processes, which emerged in the last 25 years as an alternative to clearcutting. A portion of the original stand is left unlogged to maintain the continuity of structural and compositional diversity. We detail retention forestry's ecological role, review its current practices, and summarize the large research base on the subject. Retention forestry is applicable to all forest biomes, complements conservation in reserves, and represents bottom-up conservation through forest manager involvement. A research challenge is to identify thresholds for retention amounts to achieve desired outcomes. We define key issues for future development and link retention forestry with land-zoning allocation at various scales, expanding its uses to forest restoration and the management of uneven-age forests.
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| 23. |
- Himes, Austin, et al.
(author)
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Correction to: Why nature matters : A systematic review of intrinsic, instrumental, and relational values
- 2023
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In: BioScience. - : Oxford University Press. - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 74:1, s. 25-43
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this article, we present results from a literature review of intrinsic, instrumental, and relational values of nature conducted for the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, as part of the Methodological Assessment of the Diverse Values and Valuations of Nature. We identify the most frequently recurring meanings in the heterogeneous use of different value types and their association with worldviews and other key concepts. From frequent uses, we determine a core meaning for each value type, which is sufficiently inclusive to serve as an umbrella over different understandings in the literature and specific enough to help highlight its difference from the other types of values. Finally, we discuss convergences, overlapping areas, and fuzzy boundaries between different value types to facilitate dialogue, reduce misunderstandings, and improve the methods for valuation of nature's contributions to people, including ecosystem services, to inform policy and direct futureresearch.
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| 24. |
- Himes, Austin, et al.
(author)
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Why nature matters : A systematic review of intrinsic, instrumental, and relational values
- 2024
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In: BioScience. - : Oxford University Press. - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 74:1, s. 25-43
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this article, we present results from a literature review of intrinsic, instrumental, and relational values of nature conducted for the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, as part of the Methodological Assessment of the Diverse Values and Valuations of Nature. We identify the most frequently recurring meanings in the heterogeneous use of different value types and their association with worldviews and other key concepts. From frequent uses, we determine a core meaning for each value type, which is sufficiently inclusive to serve as an umbrella over different understandings in the literature and specific enough to help highlight its difference from the other types of values. Finally, we discuss convergences, overlapping areas, and fuzzy boundaries between different value types to facilitate dialogue, reduce misunderstandings, and improve the methods for valuation of nature's contributions to people, including ecosystem services, to inform policy and direct future research.
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| 25. |
- Hjalten, Joakim, et al.
(author)
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Forest–Stream Links, Anthropogenic Stressors, and Climate Change: Implications for Restoration Planning
- 2016
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In: BioScience. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 66:8, s. 646-654
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The global extraction of forest and water resources has led to habitat degradation, biodiversity loss, and declines in ecosystem services. As a consequence, ecological restoration has become a global priority. Restoration efforts to offset this trend, however, are not always effective. One reason is that many restoration projects target single ecosystems and fail to acknowledge functional links between ecosystems. We synthesized current knowledge on links between forest and stream ecosystems, the effect of anthropogenic stressors on these links, and their implications for restoration planning. Many examples show that lateral subsidies, such as invertebrate prey and nutrients, are important in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Stressors such as commercial forestry, flow regulation, stream channelization, and climate change affect these links and should be considered in restoration planning. Restoration practitioners are encouraged to view adjacent forest and stream ecosystems as one entity.
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