Trends in ecology & evolution最新文献

The Janzen-Connell hypothesis (JC effect) has been proposed as a mechanism for explaining high tropical tree diversity via negative conspecific density dependence imposed by natural enemies. Seed masting describes the uneven investment in reproduction between years, and could be a mechanism for reducing seed predation by means of predator satiation. JC effects select for wider dispersal kernels, allowing species to escape enemies in space, while the predator-satiation model of seed masting assumes escape from predators in time. Although representing contrasting ecological dynamics, both models are predicated on similar assumptions: that tree recruitment is limited by seed mortality via natural enemies. We suggest that the individual fitness advantages of masting and JC dynamics would be better understood by considering both mechanisms together.

In the context of nature conservation, a nexus can be defined as the interlinkages of biodiversity in protected and conserved areas with food, water, health, or climate. Evidence of nature conservation expansion scenarios suggest that such interlinkages are ubiquitous across management types, realms, and scales. Ignoring these interlinkages, including synergies, co-benefits, leakages, and trade-offs, can reduce the effectiveness and cross-sectoral benefits of future protected and conserved area expansions. Integrated planning that is inclusive of different value and knowledge systems can help to bridge disciplines and mitigate severe trade-offs impacting effectiveness of these areas. To enable appropriate expansion of protected and conserved areas to 30% of land and sea by 2030, identifying and including such interlinkages in spatial planning is essential.

Project Psyche is a transnational initiative to generate and study chromosome-level reference genomes of all ~11 000 species of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) found in Europe. Here, we describe the decentralised network of collection and sequencing hubs that has enabled rapid progress, the standardised protocols for sampling and sequencing, and the collaborative framework for data analysis. With over 1000 species already sequenced, Lepidoptera are at the forefront of biodiversity genomics with the most reference genomes of any eukaryotic order. The completed pan-European catalogue of openly accessible lepidopteran genomes will transform our understanding of evolution and ecology, inform conservation, and foster advances in management of pests and invasive species. We highlight research areas that will benefit from this large-scale genome dataset.

Sexual signals can reduce survival, constraining their evolutionary elaboration. However, it is unclear whether these signals, once evolved, similarly impact the evolution of naturally selected adaptations. We argue that this dynamic could be important for protective colouration, an extensively studied suite of adaptations that can also be under sexual selection. Sexual signals sometimes coevolve positively with conspicuous warning colouration, promoting synergistic, dual-function associations. However, when coupled through shared structures or behaviours, sexual traits might constrain the evolution of concealment strategies, resulting in suboptimal camouflage. We suggest hypotheses, approaches, and study systems to distinguish these opposing causal roles of sexual selection in shaping naturally selected adaptations such as protective colouration.

Conservation prioritisation emphasises currently threatened species, but there are strong arguments for complementary, more proactive approaches based on forecasting future extinction risk for unthreatened species. Forecasting methods vary in the timescale of extinction risk estimation and include established methods such as Population Viability Analysis (PVA) and Early Warning Systems, and emerging 'Over-the-Horizon' (OTH) methods. We develop a framework that integrates extinction risk assessment across timescales and outlines tradeoffs between shorter- and longer-term extinction prevention goals. This framework facilitates use of extinction risk forecasting in decision-theoretic conservation prioritisation that explicitly considers alternative time horizons for extinction prevention. Considering extinction risk on extended timescales offers a future-proof approach to conservation planning that may prevent more extinctions than focusing exclusively on currently threatened species.

Determining the age of genetic individuals in clonal plants is fundamental for understanding their persistence strategies, but is inherently challenging due to the gradual loss of older parts as the clone expands. The first step in age estimation is to assign physically independent individuals (ramets) to genetic individuals (genets) by molecular methods. Once this is established, the size and rate of lateral spread (LS) of the genet can be measured or estimated using morphological traits. More recently, classical or somatic molecular clocks, using genomic data, have been proposed. In this review, we examine the methodological principles and limitations of both morphological and genomic approaches, and propose a conceptual framework that integrates these methods to enable more robust and reliable age estimations of clonal plants.

Invasive species management traditionally distinguishes states of eradication from suppression but an intermediary 'elimination' also exists. Whereas eradication is removal of both residents and reinvaders, elimination removes residents but non-breeding reinvaders remain. By contrast, suppression is only a reduction in the number of residents and does not distinguish reinvaders.

In scavenging assemblages, the functional traits of scavengers that impact the structure and function of ecological communities are becoming clearer. However, there are multiple terms for influential scavenger species that lack established definitions. As such, we propose a standardized terminology encompassing five functional roles: frequent scavenger, main biomass consumer, and keystone scavenger, as well as apex scavenger and mesoscavenger (defined through ecological roles and hierarchical positions). Furthermore, we identify and describe five key behaviors, and its actors related to competitive and facilitative interactions among scavengers - signaling scavenger, carrion broker, dominant scavenger, carcass cacher, and carrion transporter - which drive species' roles. We unify concepts of scavenger roles to facilitate comparisons among studies on scavenging.