Preface to the Princeton Landmarks in Biology Edition vii Preface xi Symbols Used xiii 1. The Importance of Islands 3 2. Area and Number of Speicies 8 3. Further Explanations of the Area-Diversity Pattern 19 4. The Strategy of Colonization 68 5. Invasibility and the Variable Niche 94 6. Stepping Stones and Biotic Exchange 123 7. Evolutionary Changes Following Colonization 145 8. Prospect 181 Glossary 185 References 193 Index 201

The Theory of Island Biogeography

Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives.

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TRY plant trait database : Enhanced coverage and open access

The criteria of restoration success should be clearly established to evaluate restoration projects. Recently, the Society of Ecological Restoration International (SER) has produced a Primer that includes ecosystem attributes that should be considered when evaluating restoration success. To determine how restoration success has been evaluated in restoration projects, we reviewed articles published in Restoration Ecology (Vols. 1[1]–11[4]). Specifically, we addressed the following questions: (1) what measures of ecosystem attributes are assessed and (2) how are these measures used to determine restoration success. No study has measured all the SER Primer attributes, but most studies did include at least one measure in each of three general categories of the ecosystem attributes: diversity, vegetation structure, and ecological processes. Most of the reviewed studies are using multiple measures to evaluate restoration success, but we would encourage future projects to include: (1) at least two variables within each of the three ecosystem attributes that clearly related to ecosystem functioning and (2) at least two reference sites to capture the variation that exist in ecosystems.

Restoration Success: How Is It Being Measured?

The Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland

Animal movement is fundamental for ecosystem functioning and species survival, yet the effects of the anthropogenic footprint on animal movements have not been estimated across species. Using a unique GPS-tracking database of 803 individuals across 57 species, we found that movements of mammals in areas with a comparatively high human footprint were on average one-half to one-third the extent of their movements in areas with a low human footprint. We attribute this reduction to behavioral changes of individual animals and to the exclusion of species with long-range movements from areas with higher human impact. Global loss of vagility alters a key ecological trait of animals that affects not only population persistence but also ecosystem processes such as predator-prey interactions, nutrient cycling, and disease transmission.

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Moving in the Anthropocene : global reductions in terrestrial mammalian movements

To conserve body water, mammals may reduce evaporative water loss by storing heat, allowing core body temperature to rise more than usual during the day, and to fall more than usual during the cooler night, so demonstrating heterothermy. It has been proposed that elephants are heterothermic, but body temperature never has been measured in elephants over 24 h at environmental temperatures higher than body temperature, where elephants would have to rely on evaporative cooling to maintain homeothermy. We used ingested temperature data loggers to record core temperature of four partly free-ranging savanna elephants exposed to high solar radiation and environmental temperatures that exceeded core temperature (> 36 °C) in their natural habitat. The elephants maintained core temperature at an average 36.6 °C within narrow daily limits of about 1.3 °C. While mean 24-h core temperature increased with maximum air temperature, it did not increase with mean air temperature. Maximum and minimum daily core temperatures also did not change with maximum air temperatures. As a result, core temperature range remained constant despite large variations in daily air temperatures. Contrary to the view that elephants exhibit heterothermy to cope with heat, savanna elephants in their natural habitat with access to adequate resources of food and water, and able to use thermoregulatory behaviour, maintained homeothermy.

Savanna elephants maintain homeothermy under African heat.

Nocturnal golden spiny mice, Acomys russatus, become diurnal in the presence of congeneric common spiny mice, A. cahirinus, or to chemical signals released by them. Here we report on the influence of signals from fresh urine and feces released by A. cahirinus on aspects of the estrous cycle of A. russatus. The results of our study show that the length of the estrous cycle of A. russatus is not influenced by the presence of odors released from A. cahirinus. However, the frequency of occurrence of post-ovulatory increases in plasma progesterone concentrations suggests that the incidence of ovulation in A. russatus is affected by signals produced by the urine and feces of A. cahirinus. The mechanisms involved in the apparent suppression of ovulation or the formation of a functional corpus luteum require further investigation.

The influence of urinary and fecal odors on ovarian function in coexisting acomys species

Global Positioning System (GPS) telemetry provides data to study spatial utilization patterns of animals. Spatial uncertainty due to poor accuracy and fix rates, however, may detract from inferences based on such data. The exclusion of two-dimensional (2D) locations may improve such inferences, but the prevalence of 2D locations may be a factor of landscape properties. In trials conducted using GPS units stationed at known positions, fix rate decreased significantly with increased canopy cover, but was unaffected by slope. Most (75%) of the locations recorded in closed woodland were 2D locations, suggesting that the exclusion of 2D locations may reduce estimates of the utilization of such habitats. Excluding 2D locations from records obtained for GPS units deployed on free-ranging elephants (Loxodonta africana) increased daily displacement distances, and changed the number of locations per habitat. However, selection ratios and estimates of home range area were not influenced by filtering location data. We concluded that although the exclusion of 2D locations improved the accuracy of locations per se, it resulted in significant data loss. This loss could alter inferences on patterns of spatial utilization.

Inferred spatial use by elephants is robust to landscape effects on GPS telemetry : research article

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Inferred spatial use by elephants is robust to landscape effects on GPS telemetry

/pdf/fences-are-more-than-an-issue-of-aesthetics-2xvyl6et0d.pdf

Fences are More than an Issue of Aesthetics

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