This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Restoration of degraded areas is now a central tool in humanity's response to continued species-loss. However, restoration projects often report exceedingly slow or failed recolonization of fauna, especially dispersal-constrained groups such as invertebrates. Active interventions via reintroducing or "rewilding" invertebrates may assist recolonization and speed up restoration of communities toward a desired target. However, invertebrate rewilding is rarely implemented during ecological restoration. Here, we studied the efficacy of invertebrate rewilding as a means of reintroducing dispersal-constrained species and improving diversity and compositional similarities to remnant communities during restoration. Rewilding was conducted by transplanting leaf litter and soil, including associated communities of invertebrates from species rich remnant sites into species poor, and geographically isolated, revegetated farmland sites. We sampled pre-and post-rewilding invertebrate communities in remnant, rewilded revegetation, and control revegetation sites.We analyzed morphospecies richness, abundance, community composition, and modeled morphospecies traits (dispersal method/trophic guild) using a Hierarchical Modelling of Species Communities approach to determine which biological properties facilitated establishment. Beetle (Coleoptera) morphospecies richness increased rapidly in rewilded sites and was indistinguishable from remnant communities as early as 7 months post-rewilding.Beetle community similarity in the rewilding sites significantly deviated from the control sites 27 months post-rewilding, however remnant communities remained distinct over the study timeframe. Establishment success varied as other taxa did not respond as consistently as beetles within the study timeframe. Furthermore, there were no discernible shifts in dispersal traits in rewilded sites. However, predatory morphospecies were more likely to establish post-rewilding than other trophic groups. Our results demonstrate that the relatively simple act of transplanting leaf litter can result in comparatively large increases in morphospecies richness during restoration in a short
1. Restoration ecology has historically focused on reconstructing
communities of highly visible taxa whilst less visible taxa, such as
invertebrates and microbes, are ignored. This is problematic as
invertebrates and microbes make up the vast bulk of biodiversity and
drive many key ecosystem processes, yet they are rarely actively
reintroduced following restoration, potentially limiting ecosystem
function and biodiversity in these areas. 2. In this review, we discuss
the current (limited) incorporation of invertebrates and microbes in
restoration and rewilding projects. We argue that these groups should be
actively rewilded during restoration to improve biodiversity and
ecosystem function outcomes and highlight how they can be used to
greater effect in the future. For example, invertebrates and microbes
are easily manipulated, meaning whole communities can potentially be
rewilded through habitat transplants in a practice that we refer to as
“whole-of-community” rewilding. 3. We provide a framework for
whole-of-community rewilding and describe empirical case studies as
practical applications of this under-researched restoration tool that
land managers can use to improve restoration outcomes. 4. We hope this
new perspective on whole-of-community restoration will promote applied
research into restoration that incorporates all biota, irrespective of
size, whilst also enabling a better understanding of fundamental
ecological theory, such as colonisation- competition trade-offs. This
may be a necessary consideration as invertebrates that are important in
providing ecosystem services are declining globally; targeting
invertebrate communities during restoration may be crucial in stemming
this decline.
Bothriomirini is a small tropical mirid tribe that has not been comprehensively revised nor has monophyly of the tribe and included genera been tested. This paper presents a systematic review of Bothrioimrini. Bothriomirella ater
gen. nov. sp. nov., Bothriomiris lorenzatoae
sp. nov., Dashymenia javanensis
sp. nov.
, Dashymenia jaydeni
sp. nov. are described as new to science. A phylogenetic analysis of Bothriomirini based on morphological data is performed. The diagnoses of the tribe and most of its genera are discussed. Bakeriola crassicornis Poppius, Bothriomiris lugubris Poppius, Bothriomiris ornatus Bergroth, Dashymeniella tibialis Poppius and Leprocapsus scutellaris Poppius are redescribed. Female genitalia of Bothrimirini are discussed for the first time. This study supports the monophyly of the tribe and most genera and documents remarkable heterogeneity of the female genitalia. New locality data and a discussion of the distribution of Bothriomirini in relation to major biomes and climatic zones are provided.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.