Overgrazed shrublands support high taxonomic, functional and temporal diversity of Mediterranean ground spider assemblages

Kaltsas, Dimitris; Panayiotou, Eleni; Kougioumoutzis, Konstantinos; Chatzaki, Maria

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.04.024

Cited by 13 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…These arthropods are useful for understanding how dispersal and habitat interact (Florencio et al, 2016; Gavish & Ziv, 2016; Malumbres‐Olarte et al, 2014), and in the field of insular biogeography, they are providing evidence of how isolation, mobility and microhabitat size affect the functionality of species and assemblages (Méndez‐Castro et al, 2020) as well as colonisation and vicariance processes across archipelagos (Čandek et al, 2019; Gillespie, 2002; Rominger et al, 2015). Furthermore, spiders can be used to understand the effects of dispersal, between‐habitat differences and disturbance on the SADs of assemblages, providing useful information for conservation management (Boieiro et al, 2018; Borges et al, 2008; Cattin et al, 2003; Kaltsas et al, 2019; Kondratyeva et al, 2019; Leroy et al, 2014; Morel et al, 2019). However, when it comes to within‐habitat patterns, very little is still known.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, spiders can be used to understand the effects of dispersal, between-habitat differences and disturbance on the SADs of assemblages, providing useful information for conservation management (Boieiro et al, 2018;Borges et al, 2008;Cattin et al, 2003;Kaltsas et al, 2019;Kondratyeva et al, 2019;Leroy et al, 2014;Morel et al, 2019). However, when it comes to within-habitat patterns, very little is still known.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Habitat filtering and inferred dispersal ability condition across‐scale species turnover and rarity in Macaronesian island spider assemblages

Malumbres‐Olarte

Rigal

Girardello

et al. 2021

Journal of Biogeography

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Aim Habitat diversity has been linked to the diversity and structure of island communities, however, little is known about patterns and processes within habitats. Here we aim to determine the contributions of habitat type and inferred dispersal frequency to the differences in taxonomic structure between assemblages in the same island habitat. Location The Macaronesian archipelagos (Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands and Cabo Verde). Taxon Spiders (Araneae). Methods We established forest and dry habitat sites (each with five plots) on two islands per archipelago. We collected spiders using standardised sampling protocols. We tested the differences in beta diversity separately for each habitat and for each inferred category of ballooning (an aerial dispersal strategy) frequency across geographic scales through nested non‐parametric permutational multivariate analyses of variance. We then tested whether ballooning and habitat influenced heterogeneity in species composition (dispersion in beta diversity) in the two habitat types. We analysed the effects of habitat and ballooning on species abundance distribution (SAD) and rarity by fitting Gambin models and evaluating the contribution of ballooning categories to SAD. Results Communities of the same archipelago and habitat were taxonomically more similar, and beta diversity increased with geographic scale, being greater in dry habitats. There was greater species replacement among assemblages in dry habitats than in forests, with greater differences for rare ballooners. There were no differences in SAD between habitats although dry habitat sites seemed to harbour more species with low abundances (rare species) than forests. Main conclusions Habitat type does not only condition the differences between spider assemblages of the same habitat but also the scale at which they occur. These differences may be determined by the heterogeneity in the physical structure of each habitat as well as how much this structure facilitates aerial dispersal (ballooning), and should be considered in theories/hypotheses on island community assembly as well as in conservation strategies.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat filtering and inferred dispersal ability condition across‐scale species turnover and rarity in Macaronesian island spider assemblages

Malumbres‐Olarte

Rigal

Girardello

et al. 2021

Journal of Biogeography

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“…Therefore, establishing a regulatory framework for grazing could be an effective erosion mitigation measure that also improves its quality. The degraded rangelands can be restored by moderating grazing pressures rather than completely banning livestock grazing [111,112].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Water-Induced Soil Erosion as a Threat to Natura 2000 Protected Areas in Crete Island, Greece

2022

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Water erosion is a major threat to biodiversity, according to the European Commission’s Soil Thematic Strategy, as it negatively affects soil structure, soil fertility and water availability for plants. The island of Crete (Southern Greece) has been characterized as a biodiversity hotspot including several Natura 2000 (N2K)-protected areas. The aim of this study was to model the soil loss rate in Crete regarding species richness, habitat types and their conservation status, as well as the MAES (Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystem and their Services) ecosystem types. To this end, the RUSLE soil erosion prediction model was implemented, using freely available geospatial data and cloud-computing processes. The estimated average soil loss in the study area was 6.15 t ha−1 y−1, while there was no significant difference between the terrestrial N2K (6.06 t ha−1 y−1) and non-N2K (6.19 t ha−1 y−1) areas. Notably, the natural habitats of principal importance for the conservation of biodiversity (referred to as “priority” areas), according to Annex I to Directive 92/43/EEC, are threatened by soil erosion with an estimated mean annual soil loss equal to 8.58 t ha−1 y−1. It is also notable that grasslands, heathland and shrubs and sparsely vegetated areas experienced the highest erosion rates among the identified MAES ecosystem types. The results showed that soil erosion is a serious threat to biodiversity in N2K-protected areas. Therefore, there is a need for systematic spatiotemporal monitoring and the implementation of erosion mitigation measures.

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“…Moreover, establishing a regulatory framework for grazing could also be an effective mitigation measure that also improves farmland quality. The degraded land can be restored by moderating grazing pressures rather than completely banning livestock grazing [42][43][44].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scenario Analysis of Livestock Carrying Capacity Risk in Farmland from the Perspective of Planting and Breeding Balance in Northeast China

Zhao

Deng

Fan

et al. 2022

Land

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In this paper, we selected the northeast region as a study area from the perspective of soil nutrient demand, calculated the livestock carrying capacity of farmland under three scenarios where nitrogen nutrient accounts for 35% (low level), 45% (medium level), and 55% (high level) of fertilization, and carried out a risk analysis. The results show that the scale of husbandry breeding is expanding and the scale of the planting industry has remained basically unchanged. Under the three scenarios, there were 23 regions where the livestock manure exceeded the maximum value that could be absorbed by farmland in 2008 and 28 regions in 2019. These regions in the potential area are mostly located in Heilongjiang province and the regions in the restricted area are mostly located in Liaoning Province. On the whole, the northeast region is generally faced with the problem of livestock overloading, and the insufficient utilization and treatment capacity of livestock manure poses a huge threat to regional ecological security. Based on this, adjusting the structure of regional planting and breeding, promoting the development of the livestock manure processing industry, enhancing the production capacity of organic fertilizer, and constructing an integrated pattern of regional planting and breeding are effective ways to realize the sustainable utilization of farmland in northeast China.

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Overgrazed shrublands support high taxonomic, functional and temporal diversity of Mediterranean ground spider assemblages

Cited by 13 publications

References 56 publications

Habitat filtering and inferred dispersal ability condition across‐scale species turnover and rarity in Macaronesian island spider assemblages

Habitat filtering and inferred dispersal ability condition across‐scale species turnover and rarity in Macaronesian island spider assemblages

Assessment of Water-Induced Soil Erosion as a Threat to Natura 2000 Protected Areas in Crete Island, Greece

Scenario Analysis of Livestock Carrying Capacity Risk in Farmland from the Perspective of Planting and Breeding Balance in Northeast China

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