•Perennial crops sustain a greater carabid richness than semi-natural habitats.•Semi-natural habitats contain greater large and predatory carabids.•Plant species richness positively affect the ...overall diversity of carabids, with the strongest effects in perennial cropland.
Agricultural intensification has caused losses of global biodiversity and associated ecological services. Agroecological landscape assessments are therefore often based on the area of remaining semi-natural habitats due to their ability to promote biodiversity. Due to their structural diversity and often less intensive management in comparison to annual crops, perennial cropland could fulfil similar roles. However, comparisons of the ability of perennial cropland versus semi-natural habitat to maintain agricultural diversity are scarce. Here, we conduct such an assessment, in comparing functional group-specific patterns in ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) as indicators of anthropogenic land-use impacts on biodiversity and biological pest control. Carabid assemblages were compared between annual cropland (56 plots), perennial cropland (24 plots) and semi-natural habitats (74 plots) of varying plant diversity across nine study regions situated in Eastern China. Our results indicated that perennial crops sustained a greater carabid species richness than semi-natural habitats, whereas assemblages of semi-natural habitats contained greater proportions of large and predatory carabids. Plant species richness positively affected the overall diversity of carabids, with the strongest effects again observed in perennial cropland. Abundance-based and species-based proportions of large carabids were positively linked to plant diversity in perennial cropland and semi-natural habitats, but negatively in annual cropland. A similar response was observed for predatory carabid abundance. Perennial crops might therefore fulfil complementary roles to semi-natural habitats in agricultural biodiversity conservation. Given common trade-offs between biodiversity conservation and agricultural production, promoting perennial cropland in particular in combination with management that increases plant diversity, could enable increases in the sustainability of agricultural production systems particularly in areas with high food demand, but limited availability of arable land. Notwithstanding, semi-natural habitats remain crucial particularly with view of enhancing biological pest control services.
A positive relationship between plant diversity and both abundance and diversity of predatory arthropods is postulated by the Enemies Hypothesis, a central ecological top-down control hypothesis. It ...has been supported by experimental studies and investigations of agricultural and grassland ecosystems, while evidence from more complex mature forest ecosystems is limited. Our study was conducted on Changbai Mountain in one of the last remaining large pristine temperate forest environments in China. We used predatory ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) as target taxon to establish the relationship between phytodiversity and their activity abundance and diversity. Results showed that elevation was the only variable included in both models predicting carabid activity abundance and α-diversity. Shrub diversity was negatively and herb diversity positively correlated with beetle abundance, while shrub diversity was positively correlated with beetle α-diversity. Within the different forest types, a negative relationship between plant diversity and carabid activity abundance was observed, which stands in direct contrast to the Enemies Hypothesis. Furthermore, plant species density did not predict carabid α-diversity. In addition, the density of herbs, which is commonly believed to influence carabid movement, had little impact on the beetle activity abundance recorded on Changbai Mountain. Our study indicates that in a relatively large and heterogeneous mature forest area, relationships between plant and carabid diversity are driven by variations in environmental factors linked with altitudinal change. In addition, traditional top-down control theories that are suitable in explaining diversity patterns in ecosystems of low diversity appear to play a much less pronounced role in highly complex forest ecosystems.
We carried out three choice experiments with 6116 nocturnal lepidopteran individuals (95 species, 7 families, 32 075 counts), each replicated 105 times during the seasons of 2 years. Moths were ...released indoors at the centre of a 10 × 10 m area with different lamps placed at each corner.
In experiment 1, lamps emitted ultraviolet (UV) (peak at 365 nm), blue (450 nm), green (520 nm) or cool white (450 and 520 nm) radiation. In experiment 2, UV was replaced by red (640 nm). In experiment 3, we used UV and three mixed radiation lamps of different emission intensities (365–520 nm).
We applied a linear mixed effect model to test for differences in attraction to the light sources.
Among all counts, 12.2% (males) and 9.2% (females) were attracted to a lamp. Among the lamp counts, 84% were made at the UV lamp in experiment 1. In experiment 2, 63% of the counts were made at the blue lamp. In experiment 3, most counts were made at the strongest mixed radiation lamp (31%), and the UV lamp (28%). Patterns were generally similar across Lepidopteran families, and for both sexes.
Moths are clearly preferentially attracted to short‐wave radiation. Even small quantities of UV radiation, emitted, for example, by metal halide lamps and certain mercury vapour tubes, will disproportionately contribute to light pollution. Since blue light also attracts moths strongly, lamps with a low proportion of blue light should be given priority in lighting planning.
Three choice experiments with 6116 nocturnal lepidopteran individuals (95 species) were carried out under controlled conditions. In experiment 1, 84 % of the counts were made at the UV lamp. In experiment 2, 63 % of the counts were made at the blue lamp. In experiment 3, most counts were made at the strongest mixed radiation lamp (UVmix+++: 31 %), and the UV lamp (28 %). Patterns were generally similar across Lepidopteran families, and for both sexes. Moths are clearly preferentially attracted to short‐wave radiation. UV radiation and light with a high share of blue light are therefore particularly important for light pollution.
There are numerous ways to estimate the true number of species in a community based on incomplete samples. Nonetheless, comparable approaches to estimate the number of species shared between two ...incompletely sampled communities are scarce. Here, we introduce the ‘total expected species shared' (TESS) measure and provide the R function for its calculation. Based on parametric asymptotic models, TESS provides estimates of the true number of species shared between incompletely sampled communities based on abundance data. We compare TESS results with abundance‐based non‐parametric methods in terms of precision and accuracy, using different simulated sampling scenarios. We further calculate TESS using an empirical dataset, highlighting changes in accuracy and precision with increasing sample size. We also demonstrate how TESS values can be combined with species richness estimators in turnover estimates using traditional β‐diversity indices. Our results show that mean values of TESS reliably approximate the true shared species number for varying sample completeness scenarios, with both accuracy and precision increasing with increasing sample completeness. Overall, we demonstrate the viability of TESS in estimations of the true number of species shared between two incompletely sampled communities. We also stress the importance of a sufficient sample size for the accuracy of estimates – requiring sampling designs that carefully balance sampling effort per site with the number of sampling sites.
Over the last four decades, China has experienced rapid parallel economic development and urbanization, leading to internal mass -migrations of its people from increasingly marginalized rural areas ...to urban centers where job opportunities and wealth are now concentrated. We compare the relative temporal growth trends in population-related and land-(i.e., area-) related urbanization systems to evaluate China's urbanization in the context of the ‘New-Type’ Urbanization Program (2014–2020). Based on coupling coordination models, we observed that the two systems were overall slightly decoupled since spatial urban expansion commonly outgrew urban population growth, but the degree of coordination between the two parameters was increasing. Employing exploratory spatial data analysis, we revealed that a high degree of coupling coordination has spread from Eastern to Western provinces. Urban planning and land policies have contributed to an increasing urban vegetation cover and the control of excessive urban land expansions. While China's urbanization appears to have become increasingly sustainable due to the increasing degree of coupling coordination between its subsystems, ongoing urban expansions require strong oversight to limit the environmental impacts of the country's sprawling mega-cities.
•Population-related urbanization has an increasingly coupling coordination with land-related urbanization in China.•A more coordinated urbanization has spread from Eastern China to Western China.•Urban planning and land policies help control the excessive urban land expansions.•Urban quality of life still needs to be improved for a growing sustainability in China's urbanization.
Estimating the number of species in a community is important for assessments of biodiversity. Previous species richness estimators are mainly based on nonparametric approaches. Although parametric ...asymptotic models have been applied, they received limited attention due to specific limitations. Here, we introduce parametric models fitting the probability‐based rarefied species richness curve that allow us to estimate the “Total Expected Species” (TES) in a community based on species' abundance data. We develop two approaches to calculate TES (termed “TESa” and “TESb”), based on two slightly different mathematical assumptions regarding Expected Species (ES) models. We provide R functions to calculate both these estimation approaches and their standard deviation. The function also enables users to visualize the estimation. We test the performance of TESa, TESb, and their average (TESab) across simulated and empirical data, and compare their bias, precision, and accuracy with other commonly used, nonparametric species richness estimators: the bias‐corrected (bc‐)Chao1 and the abundance‐based coverage estimator (ACE). Simulation reveals that in small samples TESa shows a tendency to overestimate and TESb to underestimate overall species richness. TESab performs well in bias, precision, and accuracy when compared with (bc‐)Chao1 and ACE estimators. Results from empirical data show that the variance generated from TES estimates is comparable with that for (bc‐)Chao1 and ACE. Our study demonstrates that rarefaction theory in combination with parametric approximation models provides a valuable new approach to estimate the species richness of incompletely sampled communities. Robust estimates are likely to be obtained where the observed number of species is greater than half of the TES estimation. When the ratio of TESa to the observed richness is ≫2, we suggest the use of TESb or TESab. Although more comprehensive comparisons with other estimators are suggested, we encourage researchers to consider the TES approach in their biodiversity studies as a complement to current existing estimators.
Biodiversity in China coexists alongside large ethnically diverse rural human populations within linked ‘biocultural’ social–ecological systems. Cumulative and changing local anthropogenic pressures ...linked to human population growth and economic development are driving unsustainable resource exploitation, habitat loss and extensive species declines. However, these pressures vary between species and systems, and efforts to conserve regional biodiversity may also have unintended negative impacts on local communities and their long‐term relationship with nature.
Based on our extensive experience working across China's diverse but vulnerable biocultural landscapes, we showcase a series of case studies that illustrate the differing interactions between biodiversity and local community use of natural resources, and the differing consequences of conservation management on local livelihoods.
We highlight that some social–ecological relationships in China can maintain and support biodiversity, and we advocate for management underpinned by interdisciplinary conservation research that engages local communities, associated with robust evidence‐based assessment and evaluation frameworks to ensure effective monitoring and optimization of impacts.
We frame a series of steps required to understand and mitigate local pressures on threatened species in China and identify potential ‘win–win’ approaches for the regional maintenance of biodiversity, ecosystem services and sustainable livelihoods, with directions proposed for future research, engagement and management.
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摘要
在中国，丰富的生物多样性与同样庞大的、具多元民族特色的农村人口共存于相互关联的”生物文化”自然‐社会系统中。在人口和经济增长驱动下不断积累的人为压力引发了不可持续的资源开发、物种栖息地丧失和种群衰退等问题。然而，这些压力往往因不同系统中社区文化与物种的特征而存在较大的差异，导致保护行动有时会无意中给当地社区以及他们与自然的长期关系带来负面影响。
基于我们在中国多样性丰富但脆弱的生物文化景观中大量的研究经验，我们在本文展示了一系列的案例研究，以说明生物多样性与当地社区资源利用之间的互动关系，以及保护管理对社区生计的不同影响。
我们强调自然‐社会系统的良性互动对维持和保护生物多样性至关重要，并提倡在保护管理中结合包括自然科学与社会科学等跨学科方法、提高社区参与、配合实证评估，以确保有效的项目监测和成果的最大化。
为响应该倡议，我们构建了路线及实践措施，一方面了解和缓解当地受威胁物种所面临的压力，另一方面识别潜在的使自然‐社会”共赢”的方法，以服务于区域性的生物多样性、生态系统服务和可持续生计。文中进一步提出了对保护研究、多方参与和保护管理的优化建议。
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Two new
species (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in the subgenus Feroperis Lafer, 1979 are described from Zhangguangcai Mountain, northeastern China: Pterostichus (Feroperis) silvestris Sun & Shi,
and ...Pterostichus (Feroperis) maryseae Sun & Shi,
Detailed descriptions and illustrations of the male endophallus and female reproductive tracts for these new species are provided, along with a key to the five known species of the subgenus in China.
Measures of β‐diversity characterizing the difference in species composition between samples are commonly used in ecological studies. Nonetheless, commonly used dissimilarity measures require high ...sample completeness, or at least similar sample sizes between samples. In contrast, the Chord‐Normalized Expected Species Shared (CNESS) dissimilarity measure calculates the probability of collecting the same set of species in random samples of a standardized size, and hence is not sensitive to completeness or size of compared samples. To date, this index has enjoyed limited use due to difficulties in its calculation and scarcity of studies systematically comparing it with other measures.
Here, we developed a novel R function that enables users to calculate ESS (Expected Species Shared)‐associated measures. We evaluated the performance of the CNESS index based on simulated datasets of known species distribution structure, and compared CNESS with more widespread dissimilarity measures (Bray–Curtis index, Chao–Sørensen index, and proportionality‐based Euclidean distances) for varying sample completeness and sample sizes.
Simulation results indicated that for small sample size (m) values, CNESS chiefly reflects similarities in dominant species, while selecting large m values emphasizes differences in the overall species assemblages. Permutation tests revealed that CNESS has a consistently low CV (coefficient of variation) even where sample completeness varies, while the Chao–Sørensen index has a high CV particularly for low sampling completeness. CNESS distances are also more robust than other indices with regards to undersampling, particularly when chiefly rare species are shared between two assemblages.
Our results emphasize the superiority of CNESS for comparisons of samples diverging in sample completeness and size, which is particularly important in studies of highly mobile and species‐rich taxa where sample completeness is often low. Via changes in the sample size parameter m, CNESS furthermore cannot only provide insights into the similarity of the overall distribution structure of shared species, but also into the differences in dominant and rare species, hence allowing additional, valuable insights beyond the capability of more widespread measures.
•Pond management strongly enhances bird community composition at farmland ponds.•Bird abundance and species richness depend on pond management and connectivity.•Bird foraging and parental behaviours ...peak at managed, open-canopy farmland ponds.•Conservation priority species show a clear preference for managed farmland ponds.•Surrounding land-use is only weakly linked to bird community composition at ponds.
Agricultural intensification and the associated loss of non-cropped habitats have caused a major decline in UK farmland bird populations since the 1970s. As a consequence, there is an urgent need to implement effective conservation and habitat restoration measures in agricultural landscapes. Over the last 40–50 years, due to the cessation of traditional management practices, the majority of UK farmland ponds have become highly terrestrialised, resulting in major reductions in the diversity and abundance of aquatic plant and invertebrate assemblages. Recent research undertaken at farmland ponds in early summer, has shown restored open-canopy, macrophyte-dominated ponds support an increased abundance and diversity of farmland birds, compared to non-managed, overgrown ponds.
Here, we expand on this previous research with a year-long field study to assess the implications of pond management for farmland birds by comparing bird diversity, abundance and activity at managed open-canopy ponds with those at unmanaged overgrown ponds. Driven strongly by pond management and connectivity to semi-natural landscape features such as hedgerows and woodland patches, bird abundance and species richness, as well as foraging and parental behaviour, were all significantly higher at managed open-canopy ponds. Further, a wider landscape analysis found that terrestrial land-use patterns in the vicinity of the ponds were not significant predictors of bird communities at the pond sites.
In light of the numerous potential benefits to conservation-listed birds and other wildlife, we conclude that farmland pond management has been undervalued as a conservation measure to assist farmland birds. Consequently, we conclude that future agri-environment schemes, should more fully embrace farmland ponds.
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