DOCSLIB.ORG

Macroecology: More Than the Division of Food and Space Among Species on Continents

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Macroecology: More Than the Division of Food and Space Among Species on Continents Progress in Physical Geography 32(2) (2008) pp. 115–138 Macroecology: more than the division of food and space among species on continents Felisa A. Smith,1* S. Kathleen Lyons,2 S.K. Morgan Ernest3 and James H. Brown1 1Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA 2National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA 3Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA Abstract: Macroecology is a big-picture, statistical approach to the study of ecology. By focusing on broadly occurring patterns and processes operating at large spatial and temporal scales and ignoring localized and fi ne-scaled details, macroecology aims to uncover general mechanisms operating at organism, population and ecosystem levels of organization. Although such an approach is evident in writings dating from the mid- to late 1800s, not until 1989 was the domain of macroecology clearly articulated. Since then there has been an exponential growth in publications employing a macroecological perspective. Here we (1) briefl y review the history of macroecology, with emphasis on cultural, scientifi c and technological innovations that made this approach possible, (2) highlight current developments in the fi eld, including its increasing linkages with biogeography and other disciplines, and (3) point to likely future directions. We also touch upon methodological, statistical and institutional challenges faced by this and other highly interdisciplinary approaches. Our review of macroecology is especially timely, since it has been 20 years since the term was coined and the seminal paper published. Key words: biogeography, body size, metabolic theory, palaeoecology, range size, species abundance, species diversity. I Introduction dynamics and structure of ecological systems Ecological systems typically contain many are almost always highly complex. Such different kinds of organisms interacting in complexity is a challenge for modern science. a myriad of ways with each other and their While traditional ecology has made great abiotic environment. Consequently, the strides in understanding various kinds of *Author for correspondence. Email: [email protected] © 2008 SAGE Publications DOI: 10.1177/0309133308094425 Downloaded from http://ppg.sagepub.com at Utah State University on September 30, 2008 116 Progress in Physical Geography 32(2) ecological interactions, it has been less suc- integrates divergent scientifi c methodologies, cessful at understanding the many connec- perspectives and disciplines (Brown and tions between individuals, populations, Maurer, 1989; Brown, 1995; 1999; Blackburn communities and ecosystems and the emer- and Gaston, 2002). Moreover, while the main gent structures and dynamics generated aims of biogeography are in understanding by these interactions. Yet, understanding and describing patterns of biodiversity across these linkages and their evolutionary history space and time, macroecological approaches is imperative to solving emerging challenges often focus on population or even individual posed by rapid rates of habitat fragment- level processes (eg, Damuth, 1981; West ation, loss of biodiversity and global climate et al., 1997; Enquist et al., 1998; Belgrano change. In response, approaches that focus on et al., 2002; Ernest et al., 2003; Defeo and broad patterns and seek to elucidate general Cardoso, 2004). Because of the emphasis on processes in space and/or time are increas- identifying broad-based emergent patterns ingly infl uential in ecology, evolution, syste- and processes, macroecologists necessarily matics and palaeoecology (ie, Brown and ‘stand back and take a sufficiently distant Maurer, 1989; Blackburn and Gaston, 1994; view so that the idiosyncratic details disappear Brown, 1995; Smith et al., 1995; Gaston and and only the big, important features remain’ Blackburn, 1996a; 1996b; 2000; Jablonski, (Brown, 1995: 20). This is not an approach that 1997; Alroy, 1998; Enquist et al., 1998; Roy et lends itself to replicated experimental studies al., 1998; Harvey and Rambaut, 2000; Erwin, or standard statistical methodologies. 2007). One of these approaches, macro- The past two decades have witnessed ecology, explores the domain where ecology, rapid expansion of macroecological research biogeography, palaeobiology, and evolution programmes, as demonstrated by an expo- overlap, and so it has the potential to forge nential increase in the number of published synthetic links among these disciplines. papers (Figure 1). Currently, macroecological A macroecological approach to biology publications are increasing by 34% per year, emphasizes describing and explaining pro- signifi cantly higher than either the 14.6% for cesses that operate at regional to global those in biogeography, or the 2.5% for scien- spatial scales and decadal to millennial (or tifi c papers across all disciplines. Presumably longer) temporal scales (Brown, 1995). The this disproportionate increase in macro- prefi x ‘macro’ refers to both the broad and ecological research reflects the growing synthetic extent of the questions tackled as realization that many complex biological well as the fact that the approach derives problems are best tackled by adopting a new much of its power from focusing on the approach and using a different toolkit than emergent statistical properties of large employed in more traditional reductionist numbers of ecological ‘particles’ (Brown, experimental science. Scientists involved in 1995). Statistical patterns that appear to global change research, for example, have be invariant across large scales suggest been particularly proactive in employing a universal casual mechanisms operating at macroecological perspective (eg, Kuhn et al., organism, population and ecosystem levels 2008, and references therein). This led in 2006 of organization (Brown and Maurer, 1989; to an international conference on the use Brown, 1995; Maurer, 1999; Gaston and of macroecology in global change research Blackburn, 2000). headed up by the recently established German While macroecology is closely allied with Virtual Institute of Macroecology (www. biogeography, there are clear distinctions macroecology.org). Similarly, the field of between the two. Most importantly, macro- physical geography has embraced this ecology is an approach towards biology, approach to the extent that the flagship rather than a discipline itself, so it necessarily journal on macroecology (Global Ecology and Downloaded from http://ppg.sagepub.com at Utah State University on September 30, 2008 Felisa A. Smith et al.: Macroecology 117 Biogeography: A Journal of Macroecology) insects to past, ongoing and predicted future has become the most infl uential in terms of environmental fl uctuations (Figure 2; Lyons, ranking and impact factors (eg, Kent, 2007). 2003; Hunt and Roy, 2006; Smith and The breadth of macroecological work has Betancourt, 2006; Kerr et al., 2007; Willis also grown tremendously; recent studies et al., 2007; Kuhn et al., 2008; Sekercioglu relate the temporal and spatial organization et al., 2008). of numerous morphological, physiological, Here, we describe the development of behavioural, ecological, evolutionary, pheno- macroecology from earlier antecedents, logical and phylogenetic traits among taxa as briefl y touch upon the importance of scien- diverse as plants, birds, fi sh, mammals and tifi c and technological innovations that have 6 4.10 100 80 6 2.10 60 SciSearch ArticlesSciSearch 40 or Macroecology Biogeography (x 20) Biogeography 20 0 0 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 Year of Publication Figure 1 Rise in the number of published papers using macroecology (open circles with dots) or biogeography (fi lled circles) in the title, abstract or key words over the 20 years from 1988 to 2007. The term ‘macroecology’ was fi rst coined by Brown and Maurer (1989). Data are taken from a search of over 21M records using ‘Search Plus v2.4’ – a comprehensive scientifi c search engine housed at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Shown also is the background rate of all papers indexed by this search engine over the same time period (grey bars). Although there has been a rise in all published works over the last 20 years, there have been signifi cantly higher increases in papers containing biogeography and/or macroecology in their title, abstract or key words. Equations (log transformed): all SciSearch, y = –14.84 + 0.011x, r2 = 0.947; all Biogeography, y = –115.05 + 0.59x, r2 = 0.92; all macroecology, y = –253.6 + 0.12x, r2 = 0.93; the 95% confi dence intervals do not overlap for any of the equations. Note that, while both biogeography and macroecology have seen signifi cant growth in publications, the slope for macroecology is signifi cantly steeper and is best approximated by an exponential function (although a log transformed linear fi t is used here for ease of comparison) Downloaded from http://ppg.sagepub.com at Utah State University on September 30, 2008 118 Progress in Physical Geography 32(2) Macroecology Papers by Subject Area 350 300 250 200 150 100 Number of Papers 50 0 Ecology Zoology Forestry Fisheries Biology Ornithology Entomology Paleontology Microbiology Plant Sciences Oceanography Geography, Physical Geography, Evolutionary Biology Genetics & Heredity Environmental Sciences Environmental Multidisciplinary Sciences Biodiversity Conservation Biodiversity Marine & Freshwater Biology Marine & Freshwater Geosciences, Multidisciplinary Geosciences, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Subject Area Figure 2 Subject areas
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Energetics of Life on the Deep Seafloor
    Energetics of life on the deep seafloor Craig R. McClaina,1, Andrew P. Allenb, Derek P. Tittensorc,d, and Michael A. Rexe aNational Evolutionary Synthesis Center, Durham, NC 27705-4667; bDepartment of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia; cUnited Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge CB3 0DL, United Kingdom; dMicrosoft Research Computational Science Laboratory, Cambridge CB3 0FB, United Kingdom; and eDepartment of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA 02125-3393 Edited* by James H. Brown, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, and approved August 3, 2012 (received for review May 26, 2012) With frigid temperatures and virtually no in situ productivity, the vary with depth (13, 14), which is inversely related to POC flux deep oceans, Earth’s largest ecosystem, are especially energy-de- (16, 17). The influence of energy availability on individual growth prived systems. Our knowledge of the effects of this energy lim- rates and lifespans is unknown. At the community level, biomass itation on all levels of biological organization is very incomplete. and abundance generally decline with depth. Direct tests for the fl Here, we use the Metabolic Theory of Ecology to examine the in uences of POC and temperature on these community attrib- relative roles of carbon flux and temperature in influencing met- utes are rare, but they suggest only weak effects for temperature (16, 18). Although broad-scale patterns of deep-sea biodiversity abolic rate, growth rate, lifespan, body size, abundance, biomass, fi and biodiversity for life on the deep seafloor. We show that the are well-established and presumably linked to POC, speci c tests of this relationship remain limited (reviewed in ref.
    [Show full text]
  • Demographic History and the Low Genetic Diversity in Dipteryx Alata (Fabaceae) from Brazilian Neotropical Savannas
    Heredity (2013) 111, 97–105 & 2013 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved 0018-067X/13 www.nature.com/hdy ORIGINAL ARTICLE Demographic history and the low genetic diversity in Dipteryx alata (Fabaceae) from Brazilian Neotropical savannas RG Collevatti1, MPC Telles1, JC Nabout2, LJ Chaves3 and TN Soares1 Genetic effects of habitat fragmentation may be undetectable because they are generally a recent event in evolutionary time or because of confounding effects such as historical bottlenecks and historical changes in species’ distribution. To assess the effects of demographic history on the genetic diversity and population structure in the Neotropical tree Dipteryx alata (Fabaceae), we used coalescence analyses coupled with ecological niche modeling to hindcast its distribution over the last 21 000 years. Twenty-five populations (644 individuals) were sampled and all individuals were genotyped using eight microsatellite loci. All populations presented low allelic richness and genetic diversity. The estimated effective population size was small in all populations and gene flow was negligible among most. We also found a significant signal of demographic reduction in most cases. Genetic differentiation among populations was significantly correlated with geographical distance. Allelic richness showed a spatial cline pattern in relation to the species’ paleodistribution 21 kyr BP (thousand years before present), as expected under a range expansion model. Our results show strong evidences that genetic diversity in D. alata is the outcome of the historical changes in species distribution during the late Pleistocene. Because of this historically low effective population size and the low genetic diversity, recent fragmentation of the Cerrado biome may increase population differentiation, causing population decline and compromising long-term persistence.
    [Show full text]
  • Macroecology in the Age of Big Data –
    Received: 7 February 2019 | Revised: 8 May 2019 | Accepted: 9 May 2019 DOI: 10.1111/jbi.13633 PERSPECTIVE Macroecology in the age of Big Data – Where to go from here? Rafael O. Wüest1 | Niklaus E. Zimmermann1 | Damaris Zurell2 | Jake M. Alexander3 | Susanne A. Fritz4,5 | Christian Hof6 | Holger Kreft7 | Signe Normand8 | Juliano Sarmento Cabral9 | Eniko Szekely10 | Wilfried Thuiller11 | Martin Wikelski12,13 | Dirk Nikolaus Karger1 1Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland 2Department of Geography, Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany 3Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland 4Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt (Main), Germany 5Institute of Ecology, Evolution & Diversity, Goethe‐University, Frankfurt (Main), Germany 6Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany 7Biodiversity, Macroecology & Biogeography, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany 8Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity & Center for Biodiversity on a Changing world, Aarhus, Denmark 9Ecosystem Modeling, CCTB University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany 10Swiss Data Science Center, ETH Zurich and EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland 11Evolution, Modeling and Analysis of Biodiversity (EMABIO), Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine (LECA), Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France 12Max‐Planck‐Institut for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Radolfzell, Germany 13Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany Correspondence Dirk Nikolaus Karger, Swiss Federal Abstract Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, Recent years have seen an exponential increase in the amount of data available in all 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland. Email: [email protected] sciences and application domains. Macroecology is part of this “Big Data” trend, with a strong rise in the volume of data that we are using for our research.
    [Show full text]
  • Minimum Viable Populations: Is There a ‘Magic Number’ for Conservation Practitioners?
    Review Minimum viable populations: is there a ‘magic number’ for conservation practitioners? Curtis H. Flather1, Gregory D. Hayward2,3, Steven R. Beissinger4 and Philip A. Stephens5 1 USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA 2 USDA Forest Service, Alaska Region, Anchorage, AK 99503, USA 3 Department of Zoology & Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 80271, USA 4 Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA 5 School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK Establishing species conservation priorities and recov- The need to make rapid decisions about conservation ery goals is often enhanced by extinction risk estimates. targets, often in the absence of necessary data, has The need to set goals, even in data-deficient situations, prompted interest in identifying robust, general guidelines has prompted researchers to ask whether general guide- for MVPs [15,16]. Taking advantage of growing access to lines could replace individual estimates of extinction population and life-history data for large numbers of spe- risk. To inform conservation policy, recent studies have cies, several recent papers [17–20] explore the credibility of revived the concept of the minimum viable population a lower limit to robust MVPs. Despite apparent caution (MVP), the population size required to provide some about overinterpreting the strength of evidence, the most specified probability of persistence for a given period recent review [20] asserts that ‘[t]he bottom line is that of time. These studies conclude that long-term persis- both the evolutionary and demographic constraints on tence requires 5000 adult individuals, an MVP thresh- populations require sizes to be at least 5000 adult individ- old that is unaffected by taxonomy, life history or uals.’ A popular science summary of the article goes fur- environmental conditions.
    [Show full text]
  • Newsletter Number 86
    The Palaeontology Newsletter Contents 86 Editorial 2 Association Business 3 Outreach and Education Grants 27 Association Meetings 28 From our correspondents Darwin’s diffidence 33 R for palaeontologists: Introduction 2 40 Future meetings of other bodies 48 Meeting Reports 55 Obituary Dolf Seilacher 64 Sylvester-Bradley reports 67 Outside the Box: independence 80 Publicity Officer: old seas, new fossils 83 Book Reviews 86 Books available to review 90 Palaeontology vol 57 parts 3 & 4 91–92 Special Papers in Palaeontology 91 93 Reminder: The deadline for copy for Issue no 87 is 13th October 2014. On the Web: <http://www.palass.org/> ISSN: 0954-9900 Newsletter 86 2 Editorial You know you are getting pedantic when you find yourself reading the Constitution of the Palaeontological Association, but the third article does serve as a significant guide to the programme of activities the Association undertakes. The aim of the Association is to promote research in Palaeontology and its allied sciences by (a) holding public meetings for the reading of original papers and the delivery of lectures, (b) demonstration and publication, and (c) by such other means as the Council may determine. Council has taken a significant step under categories (b) and (c) above, by committing significant funds, relative to spending on research and travel, to Outreach and Education projects (see p. 27 for more details). This is a chance for the membership of the Association to explore a range of ways of widening public awareness and participation in palaeontology that is led by palaeontologists. Not by universities, not by research councils or other funding bodies with broader portfolios.
    [Show full text]
  • Biology Essential Curriculum Unit 1: Biodiversity and Stability
    Biology Essential Curriculum Unit 1: Biodiversity and Stability (Macroecology) Use a mathematical model to describe the transfer of energy and matter from one trophic level to another and how that energy and matter is conserved as it cycles through ecosystems.(HS-LS 2-4) ​ ​ Use computational representations to explain what affects carrying capacity. (HS-LS 2-1) ​ ​ Using graphical comparisons of data, analyze the trends of factors affecting biodiversity on the health of populations within different trophic levels of an ecosystem. (HS-LS 2-2) ​ ​ Evaluate how changes in environmental conditions impact the complex interactions of organisms within an ecosystem and how alterations of the conditions may result in new ecosystems. (HS-LS 2-6) ​ ​ Unit 2: Cycling Matter and Energy Dynamics in Ecosystems (Molecular level) Use a model to illustrate how photosynthesis transforms light energy, carbon dioxide and water into stored chemical energy of carbohydrates while releasing oxygen. (HS-LS1-5) ​ ​ Demonstrate how the atoms of sugar molecules combine with other elements to form amino acids and other large carbon-based molecules. (HS-LS1-6) ​ ​ Illustrate that cellular respiration is a chemical process whereby the bonds of food molecules and oxygen molecules are broken and the bonds in new compounds are formed resulting in a net transfer of energy. (HS-LS1-7) ​ ​ Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for the cycling of matter from photosynthesis and respiration to explain the flow of energy in aerobic and anaerobic conditions. (HS-LS 2-3) ​ ​ Develop a model to show that photosynthesis and respiration are important components in exchanging carbon amongst the biosphere, atmosphere, oceans and geosphere.
    [Show full text]
  • Global Human “Predation” on Plant Growth and Biomass
    Received: 8 July 2019 | Revised: 2 February 2020 | Accepted: 18 February 2020 DOI: 10.1111/geb.13087 RESEARCH PAPER Global human “predation” on plant growth and biomass David G. Jenkins1 | Helmut Haberl2 | Karl-Heinz Erb2 | Andrew L. Nevai3 1Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA Abstract 2Institute of Social Ecology, University of Aim: Ecological theory is not often applied to human appropriation of net primary Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, production (HANPP), which estimates reduction of natural net primary production Vienna, Austria 3Department of Mathematics, University of (NPP) due to harvest and land use. Here we use predator–prey theory to evaluate Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA HANPP as “predation”. Macroecology and adaptive life history strategies also help Correspondence evaluate relationships among global terrestrial HANPP, NPP, and plant biomass (B). David G. Jenkins, Department of Biology, Location: Lands worldwide. University of Central Florida, 4110 Libra Drive, Orlando, FL 32816, USA. Time period: 2000. Email: [email protected] Major taxa studied: Terrestrial plants. Editor: Irena Simova Methods: HANPP and potential NPP allometric scaling were estimated for terrestrial ecoregions (N = 819, for 86% of global land surface area) in the year 2000. HANPP and NPP scaling were compared and projected to current and year 2050 conditions. NPP scaling for potential versus actual conditions were also compared, as were bio- mass turnover rates (T; per year). Results: Global HANPP scales predictably with B; consistent with predator–prey the- ory, HANPP scaling is not clearly satiated at greater B. NPP scaling supports adaptive life history strategies theory. HANPP scaling is c.
    [Show full text]
  • On the Value of Invertebrate Macroecology
    a Frontiers of Biogeography 2020, 12.3, e47684 Frontiers of Biogeography PERSPECTIVE the scientific journal of the International Biogeography Society Just bird food? – On the value of invertebrate macroecology Jan Beck1 and Christy M. McCain1,2 1University of Colorado, Museum of Natural History, 265 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309, USA. [email protected]; 2University of Colorado, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 265 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309, USA. christy. [email protected] Abstract: Highlights Recent reviews have highlighted the dominance of vertebrates • In early large-scale ecological research, invertebrate and plants in macroecological and biogeographical studies were both plentiful and highly influential publications while invertebrates are underrepresented based on quantitative literature surveys, but they despite their global ecological relevance and vast diversity. are under-represented in recent macroecological We argue that although the study of invertebrate literature. biogeography and macroecology has data limitations and thus lags behind in global research coverage, it has • Reasons for under-representation include gaps in left a strong mark on the development of the discipline knowledge on systematics, distributions, traits, and and has continuing potential to significantly shape its the challenges involved in filling them. future. First, we detail how historical collecting and identification impediments caused decelerated progress • We argue that invertebrate studies are vital: they at the macro-scale. Second, we show the quantitative provide the bulk of global biodiversity, permit study impact of early invertebrate studies in contrast to replication, allow detection of commonalities and lowered current representation. Third, we discuss ways contrasts in patterns and mechanisms across taxonomic in which authors, editors, and reviewers may foster groups, provide model systems in functional ecology, invertebrate studies in macroecology.
    [Show full text]
  • Marine Macroecology Stability and Develops a Series of Hypotheses About How J.D
    Marine Ecology. ISSN 0173-9565 Book Review Marine Macroecology stability and develops a series of hypotheses about how J.D. Witman & K. Roy (Eds) speciation works in tropical and higher latitudes. In Chapter 2, Li provides quantitative information on spatial patterns of diversity, abundance and distribution of mar- Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2009. 424 pp. ISBN-13: 978-0-226-90411-5 (cloth) $95, ISBN-13: 978-0-226-90412-2 (paper) ine plankton. Technological innovations open new oppor- $40. tunities for macroecological analyses of microorganisms. He shows that allometric scaling of abundance and body It is impossible to understand the large-scale patterns and size is generalizable from plankton to fish; the conclusion processes in ecology by extrapolating from small-scale is that biological processes in the pelagos share many studies conducted at local sites, an approach that has characteristics with those elsewhere but are peculiarly been so prominent in ecological research since the early shaped by the turbulent hydrodynamic environment. In 1970s (Brown & Maurer 1989; Brown 1995). The goal of Chapter 3, McClain, Rex and Etter focus on deep-sea macroecology is therefore to gain insights by applying the macroecology and its logistical challenges. Biomass, den- questions posed by ecologists to the spatial and temporal sity and body size all decrease with depth, presumably scales normally studied by biogeographers and macroevo- reflecting the exponential decline in carbon flux from sur- lutionists. In their introduction to this book, Jon Witman face production, and are linked to species diversity, which and Kaustuv Roy succinctly point out the historical con- peaks at intermediate depths.
    [Show full text]
  • Deep-Sea Life Issue 10, November 2017 Cruise News
    Deep-Sea Life Issue 10, November 2017 Here we are at Issue 10 of Deep-Sea Life, and gone are the days of having to chase around for articles to include! The life of a Deep-Sea Life editor is far easier these days and for that I thank you all! For those readers new to this publication, DSL is an informal and somewhat traditional way of connecting the world of deep-sea biology and related issues – best read with a cup or glass of something soothing, feet up. Traditional yes, but we still like to embrace change! There are plans afoot for Deep-Sea Life issue 11 and we hereby give you a heads-up. INDEEP, DOSI and the Deep-Sea Biology Society (DSBS), although very distinct groups and complimentary in many ways, have one clear overlapping activity – that of communication. Whilst it is clear that each entity warrants its own website, and (perhaps - TBD) social media outlets, the INDEEP newsletter (Deep-Sea Life) and email lists that have been established firstly during the Census of Marine Life and built upon during INDEEP, DOSI and subsequently DSBS are a highly valuable Above: Bathymodoilus childressi, Alvinocaris c.f. muricola, Pachycara caribbaeum and Gastropod Sp.1 found at deep methane seeps off Trinidad and Tobago. form of communication for well over 1000 members and Credit: Ocean Exploration Trust. to interest groups beyond. Currently, DSL is distributed via website link to a printable PDF. With additional production support from DSBS Trustees, DSL could be enhanced in terms of its production to embrace additional formats.
    [Show full text]
  • Macroecology of Microbes – Biogeography of the Glomeromycota
    Macroecology of Microbes – Biogeography of the Glomeromycota V. B. Chaudhary(*ü ), M. K. Lau, and N. C. Johnson 1 Introduction 1.1 Why Study Glomeromycotan Biogeography? Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are among the most abundant soil micro- organisms, associating with 95% of plant families and occurring on all continents of the globe (Smith and Read 1997; Trappe 1987; Read 1991). All AM fungi are members of the newly created phylum Glomeromycota (Schüβler 2001). They inhabit most latitudes and terrestrial ecosystems worldwide, including both natural and human impacted systems. Despite their prevalence in the environment and impor- tance to plant productivity, much remains unknown about patterns of diversity and the biogeography of Glomeromycotan fungi. Biogeography is defined as the study of the geographic distributions of organisms and the mechanisms that drive these distributions. Traditionally, AM fungal diversity was thought to be locally high and globally low; up to 20 species can associate with an individual plant, but less than 250 species have been described worldwide (Morton et al. 1995; Bever et al. 2001). Furthermore, international germ collections have been established in North America and Europe where researchers from around the world can send soil sam- ples to be cultured and archived. According to these collections, many communities from around the globe appear similar, with the same morphospecies such as Glomus intraradices seeming to occur globally (Morton and Bentivenga 1994). Over the years, the number of morphospecies in international germ collections has remained low while the number of accessions has increased, indicating low global biodiver- sity for AM fungi. Furthermore, many taxonomic species such as Glomus intra- radices and Glomus mosseae have been observed in a variety of geographic locations in drastically different environmental conditions.
    [Show full text]
  • Seascape Ecology: Identifying Research Priorities for an Emerging Ocean Sustainability Science
    Vol. 663: 1–29, 2021 MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES Published March 31 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13661 Mar Ecol Prog Ser FEATURE ARTICLE OPEN ACCESS Seascape ecology: identifying research priorities for an emerging ocean sustainability science S. J. Pittman1,2,*, K. L. Yates3, P. J. Bouchet4,5, D. Alvarez-Berastegui6, S. Andréfouët7, S. S. Bell8, C. Berkström9,10, C. Boström11, C. J. Brown12, R. M. Connolly13, R. Devillers14, D. Eggleston15, B. L. Gilby16, M. Gullström17, B. S. Halpern18,19, M. Hidalgo20, D. Holstein21, K. Hovel22, F. Huettmann23, E. L. Jackson24, W. R. James25, J. B. Kellner26, C. Y. Kot27, V. Lecours28, C. Lepczyk29, I. Nagelkerken30, J. Nelson21, A. D. Olds16, R. O. Santos31, K. L. Scales16, D. C. Schneider32, H. T. Schilling33,34, C. Simenstad35, I. M. Suthers33,34, E. A. Treml36, L. M. Wedding1, P. Yates34,37, M. Young36 1Oxford Seascape Ecology Lab, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK 2Project Seascape CIC, Plymouth PL2 1RP, UK Full author addresses are given in the Appendix ABSTRACT: Seascape ecology, the marine-centric counterpart to landscape ecology, is rapidly emerging as an interdisciplinary and spatially explicit eco logical science with relevance to marine management, biodi- versity conservation, and restoration. While important progress in this field has been made in the past de - cade, there has been no coherent prioritisation of key research questions to help set the future research agenda for seascape ecology. We used a 2-stage mod- ified Delphi method to solicit applied research ques- tions from academic experts in seascape ecology and then asked respondents to identify priority questions across 9 interrelated research themes using 2 rounds of selection.
    [Show full text]