Assessing the landscape functional connectivity using movement maps: a case study with endemic Azorean insects

Aparício, Bruno A.; Cascalho, José; Cruz, Maria João; Borges, Paulo A. V.; Azevedo, Eduardo Brito de; Elias, Rui B.; Ascensão, Fernando

doi:10.1007/s10841-018-0059-7

Cited by 10 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…This landscape mosaic is characterized by areas at various stages of succession, similar to other countries ( Quesada et al 2009 ), which generate potential sources for spontaneous succession ( Prach 2003 ). Spontaneous succession is considered a cheap and rapid recovery tool ( Prach and Pyšek 2001 ), which in the case of TDF could improve connectivity, at least for poorly dispersing insects species ( Aparício et al 2018 ). As such, the application of conservation strategies and ecological restoration is of paramount importance ( Vargas and Ramírez 2014 ), especially since TDF succession is slow compared to wet tropical forest ( Murphy and Lugo 1986 ), because water is a limiting factor when it comes to recovery ( Fajardo et al 2013 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early successional dynamics of ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in the tropical dry forest ecosystem in Colombia

Ariza¹,

Jácome²,

Esquivel³

et al. 2021

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Little is known about the successional dynamics of insects in the highly threatened tropical dry forest (TDF) ecosystem. For the first time, we studied the response of carabid beetles to vegetal succession and seasonality in this ecosystem in Colombia. Carabid beetles were collected from three TDF habitat types in two regions in Colombia: initial successional state (pasture), early succession, and intermediate succession (forest). The surveys were performed monthly for 13 months in one of the regions (Armero) and during two months, one in the dry and one in the wet season, in the other region (Cambao). A set of environmental variables were recorded per month at each site. Twenty-four carabid beetle species were collected during the study. Calosoma alternans and Megacephala affinis were the most abundant species, while most species were of low abundance. Forest and pasture beetle assemblages were distinct, while the early succession assemblage overlapped with these assemblages. Canopy cover, litter depth, and soil and air temperatures were important in structuring the assemblages. Even though seasonality did not affect the carabid beetle assemblage, individual species responded positively to the wet season. It is shown that early successional areas in TDF could potentially act as habitat corridors for species to recolonize forest areas, since these successional areas host a number of species that inhabit forests and pastures. Climatic variation, like the El Niño episode during this study, appears to affect the carabid beetle assemblage negatively, exasperating concerns of this already threatened tropical ecosystem.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early successional dynamics of ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in the tropical dry forest ecosystem in Colombia

Ariza¹,

Jácome²,

Esquivel³

et al. 2021

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“…The results from our work show that protected areas may need more frequent revision, especially for cases like islands, where climate change is predicted to have a strong negative effect on biodiversity loss, as is the case of the Azores [28] and for all Macaronesian islands in the case of the bryophytes [52]. Because island space is limited, competition with anthropogenic uses is a potential generator of conflict.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Implications of climate change to the design of protected areas: The case study of small islands (Azores)

et al. 2019

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Climate change is causing shifts in species distributions worldwide. Understanding how species distributions will change with future climate change is thus critical for conservation planning. Impacts on oceanic islands are potentially major given the disproportionate number of endemic species and the consequent risk that local extinctions might become global ones. In this study, we use species climate envelope models to evaluate the current and future potential distributions of Azorean endemic species of bryophytes, vascular plants, and arthropods on the Islands of Terceira and São Miguel in the Azores archipelago (Macaronesia). We examined projections of climate change effects on the future distributions of species with particular focus on the current protected areas. We then used spatial planning optimization software (PRION) to evaluate the effectiveness of protected areas at preserving species both in the present and future. We found that contractions of species distributions in protected areas are more likely in the largest and most populated island of São Miguel, moving from the coastal areas towards inland where the current protected areas are insufficient and inadequate to tackle species distribution shifts. There will be the need for a revision of the current protected areas in São Miguel to allow the sustainable conservation of most species, while in Terceira Island the current protected areas appear to be sufficient. Our study demonstrates the importance of these tools for informing long-term climate change adaptation planning for small islands.

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“…Some examples of these strategies may be the inclusion of aquatic vegetation in the artificial tanks, as well as building facilities in their concrete walls (e.g., ramps) to favor the entrance/exit of some aquatic organisms. (5) The design of corridors from highaltitude native forests to the coast (see Aparício et al, 2018), including some of the study ponds and close-located tanks, could promote the conservation of the aquatic macroinvertebrates of the Terceira Island. We also highlight the importance of conducting seasonal studies that cover complete inundationdesiccation periods of ponds to properly represent the entire macroinvertebrate community, and to establish appropriate guidelines for conservation regarding the whole community.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biodiversity Patterns of Macroinvertebrate Assemblages in Natural and Artificial Lentic Waters on an Oceanic Island

et al. 2021

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The Azorean islands have been historically affected by human activities, mainly due to the combined effects of habitat degradation and fragmentation, and the introduction of exotic species. We here aim to analyze the role of environmental characteristics and spatial descriptors in supporting regional biodiversity of macroinvertebrates by considering natural ponds and artificial tanks. After the monthly variation of macroinvertebrate assemblages was assessed in three temporary and two permanent ponds in the Azorean island of Terceira during a complete inundation-desiccation annual cycle, the assemblage differences of 12 ponds (three temporary and nine permanent ponds) and 8 closely-located artificial tanks were analyzed across a range of landscape disturbances. Macroinvertebrate assemblages were found to differ according to hydroperiod and sampled months. Although the former explained the highest variance, macroinvertebrate differentiation by hydroperiod was also dependent on the study month. Our results also revealed a consistent monthly pattern of species replacement. However, the contribution of nestedness to the macroinvertebrate β-diversity was notable when temporary ponds were close to desiccation, probably indicating a deterministic loss of species due to the impoverished water conditions of the ponds facing desiccation. When the macroinvertebrate assemblages were analyzed in relation to physico-chemical variations and spatial descriptors, the artificial tanks were not clearly segregated from the natural ponds, and only differentiated by pH differences. In contrast, those natural ponds exhibiting high concentrations of total phosphorous (likely signs of anthropization) also discriminated the ordination of ponds in a distance-based redundancy analysis, and showed impoverished assemblages in comparison with well-preserved ponds. The macroinvertebrate assemblages of the natural ponds showed a significant spatial pattern, but this spatial influence was not significant when tanks and ponds were considered together. Our results suggest that tanks may act as possible reservoirs of biodiversity during the desiccation period of temporary ponds, but are unable to establish successful populations. These fishless permanent tanks can complement the conservation of a biodiversity that is largely maintained by the pristine high-altitude natural ponds. The establishment of a guideline for conservation management that also considers the artificial tanks is necessary to benefit the local and regional Azorean macroinvertebrate diversity.

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Assessing the landscape functional connectivity using movement maps: a case study with endemic Azorean insects

Cited by 10 publications

References 55 publications

Early successional dynamics of ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in the tropical dry forest ecosystem in Colombia

Early successional dynamics of ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in the tropical dry forest ecosystem in Colombia

Implications of climate change to the design of protected areas: The case study of small islands (Azores)

Biodiversity Patterns of Macroinvertebrate Assemblages in Natural and Artificial Lentic Waters on an Oceanic Island

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