Basic and Applied Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Assessing metabarcoding-based identifications for monitoring beetle communities in temperate forests","authors":"R․G․Bina Perl ,&nbsp;Alexander Schneider ,&nbsp;Julio V. Schneider ,&nbsp;Viktor Hartung ,&nbsp;Angela Röhner ,&nbsp;Sebastian Will ,&nbsp;Steffen U. Pauls","doi":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.04.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.04.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With accelerating global change, there is an urgent need for rapid and comprehensive species monitoring programs to assess the status of insect assemblages; knowledge that is indispensable for the development of strategies that counteract insect declines. With the advent of high-throughput sequencing technologies, DNA metabarcoding has evolved into a particularly useful tool for speedy identification of species from bulk samples. Here, we evaluated the suitability of both tissue- and preservative-based DNA metabarcoding approaches for potential use in large-scale forest insect monitoring initiatives with a focus on beetle communities. For this purpose, we investigated the contents of pitfall (Barber) traps and corresponding cross-window traps for the presence of Coleoptera species. We also compared the performance of three common preservative liquids in terms of species and DNA preservation and determined the optimal time interval for trap replacement. To assess how well the investigated forest beetle community can actually be represented by metabarcoding, we identified ground beetles (Carabidae) of each Barber trap sample using (a) morphological identification; (b) DNA metabarcoding of the homogenised tissues; and (c) DNA metabarcoding of the preservative liquids used in the traps. Finally, we evaluated the influence of the number of DNA extraction and PCR replicates on taxon detection. Even though our study was limited to a single location and peak season, we succeeded in detecting the DNA of 389 mostly plausible beetle species across a total of 54 samples. Effects of preservative liquids were small, although more species were captured by ethanol-filled traps. We further observed an increase in detected beetle species with increasing length of trapping intervals. Overall, we found tissue-based metabarcoding approaches employing a well-designed DNA extraction (and possibly PCR) replication strategy to represent a powerful option for monitoring forest beetles and potentially other insect communities. The preservative-based approach we used needs further optimisation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8708,"journal":{"name":"Basic and Applied Ecology","volume":"86 ","pages":"Pages 32-44"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143922647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Forest birds maintain body condition in Alder-leaf Birch (Betula alnoides) plantations in subtropical Asia","authors":"Wenyi Zhou ,&nbsp;Alexandra A. Grossi ,&nbsp;Daniel R. Gustafsson ,&nbsp;Zhengzhen Wang ,&nbsp;Zhuyang Zhang ,&nbsp;Yuqing Han ,&nbsp;Xinyi Wang ,&nbsp;Anru Zuo ,&nbsp;Miguel A. Acevedo ,&nbsp;Yang Liu ,&nbsp;Scott K. Robinson","doi":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.04.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.04.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plantation forestry alters avian community assembly by creating homogeneous habitats with simplified vegetation structure. However, its effects on avian body condition remain poorly understood, despite the influence body condition has on survival and reproduction. We studied how plantation forestry of Alder-leaf Birch (<em>Betula alnoides</em>, “birch”) affects the body condition of nine forest bird species in the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot in southwestern China. Through mist-net sampling, we collected data on avian body condition in birch plantations and natural forests of two age classes (young and mature). We also examined other factors that might affect body condition including demographic information (age and sex), previous-day weather (rainfall and temperature), and reproductive status. Body condition scores measured using the scaled mass index (SMI) were similar between birch plantations and natural forests, indicating that birch plantations support avian body condition at levels comparable to natural forests. Age and rainfall affected the body condition of Yunnan Fulvettas (<em>Alcippe fratercula</em>), with adults and individuals captured after rainfall having lower SMIs. Additionally, the body condition of Rusty-capped Fulvettas (<em>Schoeniparus dubius</em>) and Silver-eared Mesias (<em>Leiothrix argentauris</em>) was positively associated with their reproductive status, though the higher SMI values may partly result from gonadal and egg development. Our study reveals not only the conservation value of birch plantations but also the effects of demographic, environmental, and reproductive factors on avian body condition. We recommend considering birch as a candidate timber species for promoting conservation in plantation forestry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8708,"journal":{"name":"Basic and Applied Ecology","volume":"85 ","pages":"Pages 45-55"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143864724","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Moving away from objectivity—A response to Wirth & Schulemann-Maier","authors":"Nadja Pernat ,&nbsp;Sascha Buchholz ,&nbsp;Jan Ole Kriegs ,&nbsp;Hilke Hollens-Kuhr","doi":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.04.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.04.003","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8708,"journal":{"name":"Basic and Applied Ecology","volume":"85 ","pages":"Pages 36-37"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143852349","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Moving away from science - response to Pernat et al., 2025, Moving north under the eye of the public: the dispersal ecology of the Nosferatu spider, documented by citizen scientists","authors":"Alexander Wirth,&nbsp;Gaby Schulemann-Maier","doi":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.04.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.04.004","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8708,"journal":{"name":"Basic and Applied Ecology","volume":"85 ","pages":"Pages 11-12"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143817639","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"New fungal core microbiome members of the ground nesting bee Andrena vaga: The key to oligolecty?","authors":"Hanna Gardein ,&nbsp;Silvio Erler ,&nbsp;Henri Greil ,&nbsp;Andrey Yurkov","doi":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.04.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.04.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To fully understand a species, it is essential to gain knowledge about their associated (micro-)organisms. Currently, most research focuses on managed social bees and their bacterial associates. Functional descriptions of bee-fungi-interactions in solitary bee species, particularly in ground-nesting bees, are lacking. In this study, we identified the yeast community composition associated with the oligolectic mining bee <em>Andrena vaga</em>. We analysed seven different matrices of the early nest stage, using both classical cultivation and ITS2 DNA-metabarcoding. Our results support recent findings that solitary bees can exhibit core microbiomes and give first indications of vertical symbiont transmission for solitary bees, previously only observed in social bees. Particularly, the eggs showed a very distinct yeast composition, with the dimorphic yeast <em>Triodiomyces crassus</em> being the only cultivated species from all egg samples. This smut-related species assimilates salicin and produces antimicrobial glycolipids, potentially used for pollen detoxification and brood cell disinfection. Hence, yeast associates might be a key factor enabling oligolectic bees to specialise on toxic pollen sources. Other identified yeasts, such as <em>Starmerella bombicola,</em> are discussed in terms of their ecology and functionality<em>.</em> Our study provides insights into the crucial role of associated microorganisms and might be the missing link to understand the origin of oligolecty.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8708,"journal":{"name":"Basic and Applied Ecology","volume":"85 ","pages":"Pages 13-22"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143825392","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cucurbit plant defenses against aboveground or belowground insect herbivores are distinct and shaped by eco-evolutionary factors","authors":"Morgan N. Thompson ,&nbsp;Emily M. Russavage ,&nbsp;Jeremy G. Garces ,&nbsp;B. Jack Bradford ,&nbsp;Danielle Merrell ,&nbsp;Charles P.-C. Suh ,&nbsp;Anjel M. Helms","doi":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.04.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.04.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plant defense strategies against insect herbivores are classified broadly as resistance or tolerance. Resistance deters insect growth or feeding, while tolerance mitigates negative effects of herbivory on plant fitness. Plant investment into resistance or tolerance strategies likely falls along a continuum that has been shaped by eco-evolutionary factors, such as plant domestication or coexistence histories with herbivores. Relatively little is known about how general defense strategies differ against aboveground foliar herbivores and belowground root herbivores. In the current study, we investigated defense strategies of plant species in the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae) against aboveground squash bug (<em>Anasa tristis</em>) or belowground striped cucumber beetle (<em>Acalymma vittatum</em>) herbivory. We selected six cucurbit plant species that differed in domestication status and coexistence history with herbivores: zucchini squash (<em>Cucurbita pepo</em> subsp. <em>pepo</em>); Texas gourd (<em>Cucurbita pepo</em> subsp. <em>texana</em>); pumpkin (<em>Cucurbita maxima</em>); buffalo gourd (<em>Cucurbita foetidissima</em>); cucumber (<em>Cucumis sativus</em>); and watermelon (<em>Citrullus lanatus</em>). For each plant species and herbivore combination, we conducted separate resistance and tolerance assays. We also carried out a field experiment to examine how longer-term herbivory influences plant reproductive and vegetative growth. We observed variation in resistance among cucurbit plant species against aboveground and belowground herbivory. Across species, plants were generally more tolerant of herbivory belowground than aboveground. We determined that wild plants were more resistant than domesticated counterparts to herbivory aboveground but not belowground. Further, plants with an herbivore coexistence history were less resistant to herbivory aboveground and belowground compared to those without. With longer-term herbivory in the field, zucchini plants were more tolerant of either aboveground or belowground herbivory than watermelon plants. Collectively, our findings highlight differences in plant defense against aboveground and belowground herbivores, advancing understanding of the eco-evolutionary factors shaping plant defense strategies and providing new insights for agricultural pest management in cucurbits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8708,"journal":{"name":"Basic and Applied Ecology","volume":"86 ","pages":"Pages 21-31"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143891598","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Invasive common milkweed strongly simplifies insect flower-visiting networks","authors":"Edina Török ,&nbsp;Riho Marja ,&nbsp;Ágota Réka Szabó ,&nbsp;Róbert Gallé ,&nbsp;Péter Batáry","doi":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.03.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.03.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plant invasion and habitat fragmentation are significant global drivers threatening biodiversity. Synergistic interactions between these processes can lead to even more significant biodiversity loss than when they act alone. However, their effects on flower visiting insects and their food resources are complex and lack a general consensus. In this two-year study, we analysed the structural changes in plant-flower visitor networks in response to the interaction between common milkweed (<em>Asclepias syriaca</em>) invasion and fragment size. We selected natural forest-steppe grassland fragments along a gradient of fragment sizes in Hungary by designating invaded and control areas in each to survey flower visitors and their food plants before and during milkweed flowering. We found that Shannon diversity and generality of networks were significantly lower in milkweed-invaded areas compared to control areas during milkweed flowering. More diverse networks were observed in the control areas. Functional complementarity and the cluster coefficient of networks were significantly higher in milkweed-invaded areas compared to control areas during milkweed flowering. However, we found no effect of fragment size. Our results showed that during its flowering period, milkweed significantly impacted and simplified flower-visiting insect networks. The flowers of the invasive milkweed attracted flower visitors with suitably long tongues, potentially disrupting local flower-visiting species. Our research highlights that exploring networks provides valuable insights into the indirect consequences of plant invasion and offers new knowledge for habitat restoration efforts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8708,"journal":{"name":"Basic and Applied Ecology","volume":"85 ","pages":"Pages 1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143786159","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Artificial light at night reduces larval survival and constrains female body mass in a capital breeding moth","authors":"Evert Van de Schoot,&nbsp;Renate A. Wesselingh,&nbsp;Hans Van Dyck","doi":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.03.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.03.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Light pollution, caused by artificial light at night (ALAN), affects an ever-increasing area of the Earth and evidence is piling up on its negative effects on organisms, including insects. Besides direct sensory and physiological effects on adult behaviour, ALAN may also affect larval growth and developmental life cycle regulation (e.g., diapause induction). Moth species whose larvae are mainly diurnal may also be sensitive to the disruption of the day-night cycle by ALAN, but species with such an ecological profile remained understudied so far. The garden tiger moth <em>Arctia caja</em> mainly shows diurnal activity at the larval stages and adults are capital breeders that do not feed at all. In a split-brood rearing experiment, caterpillars of the F₁ and F₂ generation from wild-caught females were individually grown under either ALAN or control-dark conditions. We tested for constraints of ALAN on larval survival and development, and the consequences for body mass. We showed evidence for increased larval mortality under ALAN conditions in both the F₁ and F₂ generation. ALAN caused accelerated larval development by disturbing the induction of a feeding arrest (i.e., larval diapause). Pupal mass was lower under ALAN conditions, but only so in females. Capital breeders like <em>A. caja</em> are expected to be particularly affected by a decrease in female body mass since this will negatively affect fecundity and adult lifespan. Therefore, our results suggest that long-term exposure of moth populations to ALAN negatively affects capital breeding performance and hence population performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8708,"journal":{"name":"Basic and Applied Ecology","volume":"85 ","pages":"Pages 38-44"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143860460","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Recent technological developments allow for passive acoustic monitoring of Orthoptera (grasshoppers and crickets) in research and conservation across a broad range of temporal and spatial scales","authors":"David Bennett ,&nbsp;Henning Nissen ,&nbsp;Marc Andre Maschke ,&nbsp;Heinrich Reck ,&nbsp;Tim Diekötter","doi":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.03.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.03.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) uses stationary recorders to detect wildlife in field conditions. The method has long been valuable for surveying certain species groups, especially bats. However, PAM has been limited by resource costs and availability of automatic classifiers to assist data analysis. With recent developments of inexpensive devices, such as Audiomoth, landscape-scale monitoring has become more feasible. This also opens possibilities to apply PAM to species groups that traditionally have been studied via expert-based, labour-intensive monitoring, such as transect surveys.</div><div>Utilizing recordings of Orthoptera from online databases, specialists and from our own recordings, we built a machine-learning classifier to automatically identify 17 Orthoptera species, OrthopterOSS. Assessment included the comparison of PAM to traditional transects surveys. We also compared the performance of inexpensive Audiomoth with classic Batlogger recorders for surveying Orthoptera species with PAM, at eight sites, where we also tested whether adding two additional Audiomoths in 50 m distances from the initial device towards the edge of the wildflower area would increase species detections. We also assessed how the number of species detected changed over time.</div><div>In total, we detected 20 Orthoptera species during the study. Our new classifier achieved a true positive rate of 86.4 % validated against independent test data. PAM outperformed traditional sweep netting transects overall, although differences were not statistically significant. There was no difference in species composition detected by Audiomoth v1.2 or Batlogger, the species composition detected by three Audiomoths compared to one Audiomoth and no difference between hedgerow and centre species communities. There was also no significant relationship between Orthoptera richness and the percentage of permanent semi-natural habitat in the nearby landscape.</div><div>Relatively inexpensive equipment allows for efficient PAM of Orthoptera. Our OrthopterOSS classifier could represent a useful tool for future PAM research in northern Europe, and serve as an extendable basis for studies elsewhere. If the species predictions are verified by an expert, the classifier could assist monitoring and conservation of Orthoptera at broad temporal and spatial scales.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8708,"journal":{"name":"Basic and Applied Ecology","volume":"84 ","pages":"Pages 147-157"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143738516","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bumblebee workers avoid foraging in road verges along busy roads","authors":"Sofia Blomqvist ,&nbsp;Henrik G. Smith ,&nbsp;Björn K. Klatt ,&nbsp;Lina Herbertsson","doi":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.03.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.baae.2025.03.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Road verges can harbour a diversity of flowering plants and may be useful foraging habitats for pollinating insects in landscapes where flower-rich habitats are scarce. Targeted management of road verges can further enhance flower abundance, thereby potentially benefitting flower-visiting insects. However, traffic on the adjacent road could pose a risk, such that flower-rich road verges instead act as ecological traps, attracting flower-visiting insects to a hazardous environment. To investigate the suitability of road verges for the implementation of pollinator promoting actions, it is important to understand the risks associated with these habitats. By placing three commercial bumblebee colonies with individually tagged workers at each of 12 road verges, we studied whether traffic intensity influenced individual worker mortality, worker behaviour, and colony growth. We visited the colonies weekly to determine how frequently workers leaving the nest headed towards the nearest road verge and, when crossing the road, at what height they did so. Only 10 % of the departing workers were observed to cross the road and 65 % of these crossings occurred higher than 1.5 m, corresponding to the height of an average passenger car. The proportion of bees heading towards the nearest road verge when leaving the nest declined with traffic intensity. About 22 % headed towards road verge at 100 vehicles/24 h, whereas only 7 % departed in this direction at 20,000 vehicles/day. We suggest that the bumblebees avoided foraging in road verges with disturbing turbulence from passing vehicles, potentially protecting them from traffic-related mortality. Indeed, we found no evidence for traffic to influence individual worker mortality or colony weight change. We conclude that traffic does not pose a severe threat to bumblebee workers, as they avoid flying towards the road. The benefit of adapted management may therefore be limited by traffic and should be targeted to roads with low traffic.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8708,"journal":{"name":"Basic and Applied Ecology","volume":"84 ","pages":"Pages 133-139"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143683511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}