Ecological Applications[JOURNAL]
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200 papers
Erratum for "Distinct bird assemblages emerge after fire versus forest harvest but converge with early seral forest development".
Ecol Appl · 2026 Apr · PMID 42162579 · Publisher ↗
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Frequency and extent of aquatic plant management with herbicides determines long-term effects on native plants.
Kendig AE, Prince CM, Hoyer M … +1 more , Flory SL
Ecol Appl · 2026 Apr · PMID 42152743 · Publisher ↗
Aquatic plant management can help mitigate the ecological, social, and economic harms caused by nuisance plants but can also have unintentional negative effects on native aquatic plants. The characteristics of management...
Aquatic plant management can help mitigate the ecological, social, and economic harms caused by nuisance plants but can also have unintentional negative effects on native aquatic plants. The characteristics of management regimes, such as frequency and extent, may modify the impacts on native plant communities. Long-term and large-scale monitoring can span a range of management frequencies and extents, as well as habitat conditions, providing insights on native plant responses to management. We used a dataset of aquatic plant management and plant surveys collected from 373 waterbodies over 22 years in Florida, USA, to assess the effects of management on native plant communities. Because plant surveys were collected through nonstandardized approaches (i.e., meanders), we first evaluated the surveys relative to point-intercept sampling. We then evaluated the effects of management frequency (percentage of years managed) and extent (percentage of waterbody area managed), with respect to different targets and methods, on native plants. Management targets included Hydrilla verticillata (L.f) Royle subsp. verticillata, the floating plants Pontederia crassipes and Pistia stratiotes (grouped together), and all other managed plants (both native and non-native) grouped together (e.g., Cyperus blepharoleptos, Typha spp.). The meander approach estimated higher native plant richness and occurrences than point-intercept sampling, but there were large discrepancies in abundance estimates. Based on meander surveys and complimentary management records, native plant richness and occurrences were positively associated with more frequent management of H. verticillata and other plants. Native plant richness and occurrences were negatively associated with more frequent floating plant management and more extensive management with herbicides. Overall, we demonstrated that frequency and extent are important characteristics of management to consider when evaluating the effects of management on native plant taxa. Adjustments to management frequency and extent that maintain effective control of aquatic plants may also allow managers to maintain or even promote native plant diversity.
Island invasions by the non-native vinegar fly Drosophila suzukii and its parasitoid wasps.
Abram PK, Beers EH, Coslor CC … +6 more , Diehl B, Franklin MT, Nottingham LB, Thiessen J, Tsuruda M, Carrillo J
Ecol Appl · 2026 Apr · PMID 42128692 · Full text
Understanding how island characteristics influence the establishment and impact of invasive species and their natural enemies could inform both island biogeography and biological control theory. We studied the occurrence...
Understanding how island characteristics influence the establishment and impact of invasive species and their natural enemies could inform both island biogeography and biological control theory. We studied the occurrence and relative abundances of the globally invasive vinegar fly, Drosophila suzukii, and its recently introduced larval parasitoids, Leptopilina japonica and Ganaspis kimorum, across islands with varying sizes and levels of human-mediated transport in the Gulf and San Juan Islands of British Columbia (Canada) and Washington State (USA). Across 2 years and 58 sites, we collected D. suzukii and its parasitoids from wild blackberry, Rubus armeniacus, fruit. We predicted that parasitoids were more likely to be present on larger islands with higher levels of human activity and higher D. suzukii densities, and that the less specialized parasitoid species (L. japonica) would be more likely to establish on islands. We detected D. suzukii across all islands, indicating widespread establishment of this invasive pest. In contrast, we observed parasitoids on fewer than half of the islands. Leptopilina japonica was the only parasitoid of D. suzukii detected on islands. Parasitoid presence was significantly positively associated with host density and marginally positively associated with island area, but not average annual vehicle ferry traffic (an indicator of human-mediated propagule pressure). Parasitism levels were low throughout the study region and we did not observe lower relative abundances of D. suzukii on islands where parasitoids were present-in fact, the relative abundance of D. suzukii tended to be higher on islands where the parasitoid L. japonica was detected. These findings suggest that island characteristics, host density, and a consumer's host specificity may be associated with the spread of natural enemies from mainland areas to islands, but that the natural enemy's presence may not inevitably result in pest population suppression on islands, at least over the short term.
Barn owls exert top-down effects on the abundance and behavior of rodent pests.
Larson KC, Baldwin RA, Johnson MD
Ecol Appl · 2026 Apr · PMID 42126007 · Full text
Predators can exert top-down effects on their prey by direct consumption, by imposing risk of predation, or a combination of both. However, empirical evidence for these effects is mixed and inconsistent. Barn owls in agr...
Predators can exert top-down effects on their prey by direct consumption, by imposing risk of predation, or a combination of both. However, empirical evidence for these effects is mixed and inconsistent. Barn owls in agriculture present a system with attributes that should, according to theory, lead to strong top-down effects, but research is limited and the distinction between effects on prey abundance and behavior remains unresolved. Understanding the top-down effect of predators on pests is a cornerstone of integrated pest management and important where barn owls may contribute to the control of rodents on farms. Vegetation can mediate the top-down effects of predators on prey, but this has received little attention for barn owls and rodent pests, limiting the information farmers can use to manage their fields to harness the effect of barn owls. To fill these gaps, we surveyed aboveground foraging rodents and monitored barn owl nest boxes at six winegrape vineyards in Napa Valley, California, from February to July in 2023. We deployed chew block grids to determine the effect of barn owls on rodent abundance and used giving-up density (GUD) trays and camera traps to determine the effect of barn owls on rodent perceived predation risk and activity, respectively. We found that, over the range of hunting pressures observed (from nearly no owls to about three occupied boxes with six adults and eight chicks within a 1-km radius), barn owls reduced rodent (predominantly deer mouse, Peromyscus spp.) abundance by 38%-52% and increased perceived predation risk by 16%-38%. Results also suggest that vegetation cover favors the acoustically attuned barn owls over the visually oriented rodent pests. These results contribute to growing evidence that barn owls can be used as biological control in agricultural systems and that vegetation can be managed to optimize their impact. We advise that growers maintain the vine canopy of leaves, pruned twigs on the ground, and vegetation cover in a cover crop row grown between vine rows to elevate perceived predation risk in mice. We also recommend that, to the extent feasible, farmers time mowing to reduce mouse activity when crops are vulnerable.
Complex landscapes, complex diets: DNA metabarcoding reveals lady beetle prey richness increases with landcover diversity.
Iuliano B, Gratton C
Ecol Appl · 2026 Apr · PMID 42109227 · Full text
Understanding the capacity of mobile organisms such as insects to utilize resources across different patches in a landscape can reveal strategies for their conservation. Past research suggests that higher levels of non-c...
Understanding the capacity of mobile organisms such as insects to utilize resources across different patches in a landscape can reveal strategies for their conservation. Past research suggests that higher levels of non-crop habitat or landcover diversity in agricultural regions typically benefit generalist predators who can fortify their diets with prey from multiple adjacent habitats. For some taxa such as lady beetles (Coccinellidae), dietary diversity is associated with improved fitness, but foraging patterns in real landscapes are hard to measure. We used a DNA metabarcoding approach to explore how the presence and taxonomic richness of arthropod prey in lady beetle diets varied by local habitat (crop vs. non-crop) and landscape complexity (non-crop habitat and landcover diversity in a 250 m radius). We collected over 500 individual lady beetles from a range of landscapes in 2019 and 2021 in southern Wisconsin (USA), performed whole-body DNA extractions, amplified arthropod DNA using primers optimized for insectivore diets, and used Illumina sequencing to characterize the taxonomic composition and diversity of prey. We found 50 unique prey taxa in lady beetle guts from eight arthropod orders (mostly flies, true bugs, and thrips). Lady beetles in landscapes with a greater proportion of crops were slightly more likely to have prey in their gut, and community-level prey richness was strongly positively correlated with surrounding landcover diversity. This effect was dampened slightly in high-crop landscapes, likely due to a smaller prey species pool available to predators. Our results enhance knowledge of lady beetle trophic ecology and demonstrate that supplementation of diets through increased habitat diversity may be an important mechanism for the success of mobile generalists in complex landscapes.
Considerations for the management of hatchery salmon: Stream characteristics associated with attractiveness to strays.
Payne MK, McPhee MV, Cunningham CJ … +1 more , Westley PAH
Ecol Appl · 2026 Apr · PMID 42109149 · Publisher ↗
Dispersal ("straying") of hatchery-origin Pacific (Oncorhynchus spp.) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) complicates fishery management and can erode wild salmon productivity and resilience, yet relatively little is known...
Dispersal ("straying") of hatchery-origin Pacific (Oncorhynchus spp.) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) complicates fishery management and can erode wild salmon productivity and resilience, yet relatively little is known about what makes certain sites apparently attractive to strays. In this study, we sought to identify stream characteristics associated with higher numbers of stray hatchery-origin chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta; téel' in Łingít) in Southeast Alaska. We compiled a dataset of approximately 45,000 chum salmon sampled from 57 streams in the region during the 2008-2019 spawning seasons. Approximately 8300 fish, or 18% of the total number of fish sampled on the spawning grounds, were confirmed to be first-generation hatchery strays based on the presence of otolith thermal marks. A generalized linear mixed-effects model confirmed the role of distance in patterns of straying, whereby a 1-SD increase in hatchery releases (an additional 27.6 million juveniles) within 40 km of a stream resulted in a 44% increase in the predicted number of hatchery-origin strays. Beyond distance, a nonlinear effect of stream discharge was detected, with the numbers of strays being particularly low in streams with intermediate coefficients of variation of water flow (0.48-0.55). High and low levels of flow variation were primarily associated with snowmelt-fed streams, indicating a possible role of temperature regulation during warm summer spawning seasons as an attractive stream characteristic, but such a mechanism has yet to be tested. In addition to providing new insights into habitat-mediated dispersal and colonization dynamics by straying salmon, our results allow for the incorporation of stream attractiveness in spatial planning of release locations for hatchery fish beyond the sole effect of distance.
Fire lines adjacent to aspen are unlikely to hold during extreme burning conditions in southern Rocky Mountain forests.
Carter TA, Balch JK, Cook MC … +1 more , Hart SJ
Ecol Appl · 2026 Apr · PMID 42101327 · Full text
Increases in area of extent, severity, and frequency of wildfires across the western United States are presenting challenges to socio-ecological systems, including shifts to alternative ecological states, loss of homes,...
Increases in area of extent, severity, and frequency of wildfires across the western United States are presenting challenges to socio-ecological systems, including shifts to alternative ecological states, loss of homes, and compromising human health. Wildfire suppression operations, such as constructing hand lines to limit the spread of fire, are an important part of wildland fire management, particularly in the wildland urban interface. Like other attributes of wildland fire activity and effects, suppression strategies and their effectiveness vary with ecological, topographic, climatological, and sociopolitical factors. However, there has been little research that examines the efficacy of suppression operations, specifically as they relate to forest composition. Here, we ask about the effectiveness of fire line construction based on adjacent stand composition. Specifically, we ask: (1) Are wildfire suppression lines preferentially constructed in stands with specific tree species? (2) How does species identity influence the probability that suppression lines hold when also considering differences in topography, climate, and extreme fire weather? We anticipated that suppression operations will be biased towards-and more effective in-stands with quaking aspen because they are often associated with less extreme fire behavior than many conifer species. We conducted our study in the southern Rocky Mountain ecoregion using fires (n = 36) that burned during 2019-2023 and included records of fire suppression operations (n = 4295). We used nonparametric statistical models to elucidate biases in the construction of fire lines and the effects of stand composition. We found quaking aspen was the least common tree species to be within fire footprints, yet fire lines were placed near quaking aspen 1.68-5.30 times more than commonly co-occurring tree species. Fire growth, independent of stand composition, was the most important predictor for whether fire suppression lines were likely to hold but the percentage of fire lines that held differed between fires >40,500 ha and smaller events (65% vs. 82%, respectively). This research suggests that wildland firefighters preferentially located fire lines near aspen stands, perhaps due to the long-held notion that aspen stands are less flammable. However, during extreme burning conditions fire lines are unlikely to hold regardless of stand composition.
Benthic habitat structure explains broad-scale patterns in reef fish communities.
Asbury M, Schiettekatte N, Kindinger TL … +2 more , Richardson L, Madin JS
Ecol Appl · 2026 Apr · PMID 42080627 · Publisher ↗
Understanding how different ecological and anthropogenic drivers shape community structure is a central goal in ecology, particularly in spatially heterogeneous and rapidly changing systems. Fishes contribute to many key...
Understanding how different ecological and anthropogenic drivers shape community structure is a central goal in ecology, particularly in spatially heterogeneous and rapidly changing systems. Fishes contribute to many key ecosystem functions and services on coral reefs, and a variety of physical, biological, and anthropogenic factors influence their distributions, habitat use, and ecological roles. Although habitat complexity is consistently shown to be important for reef fish ecology, it is rarely fully represented in large-scale analyses. When included, it is often measured using coarse or one-dimensional metrics, and seldom evaluated alongside other known ecological drivers. Here, we use three-dimensional habitat and overlapping fish census data collected at 89 sites throughout the main Hawaiian Archipelago to determine the role habitat structure plays in fish community structure compared to traditionally hypothesized environmental and anthropogenic drivers. We examined the impact of habitat structure (rugosity, fractal dimension, and coral cover), environmental conditions (depth, temperature, chlorophyll a, and wave exposure), and anthropogenic pressures (sedimentation, effluent pollution, coastal development, tourism, and fishing pressure) on four community descriptors: biomass, species richness, abundance, and community composition; the latter based on fish body size, diet, grouping behavior, and position in water column. Rugosity was the dominant driver of all community descriptors but was closely followed by environmental variables. The composition of behavioral traits in fish communities were strongly shaped by habitat structure, reflecting patterns in habitat use and predator-prey dynamics. Where structural complexity was not the primary effect, environmental conditions, such as temperature, were more strongly associated, particularly with body size distributions. Our results show that degraded reef conditions (i.e., reduced rugosity and coral cover) support communities with lower biomass and limited traits, which likely translates to a narrower range of ecosystem functions and services. These findings illustrate how different dimensions of habitat structure, in combination with environmental gradients, filter community traits and influence ecological organization. We offer a framework for predicting how management actions that alter habitat structure may cascade through fish communities to affect ecosystem functions and services. Maintaining structural features of reef habitats may therefore be essential to supporting the functional diversity and resilience of coral reef communities.
Impacts of targeted grazing, controlled burning, and strip seeding on soil microbial communities.
Spaeth MK, Barberán A, Funk JL … +3 more , Eastburn DJ, Roche LM, Gornish ES
Ecol Appl · 2026 Apr · PMID 42053432 · Publisher ↗
Increased vegetation management efforts are crucial due to the magnitude of global land degradation. Most modern land management projects focus on either controlling undesirable plant species or attempting to reconstruct...
Increased vegetation management efforts are crucial due to the magnitude of global land degradation. Most modern land management projects focus on either controlling undesirable plant species or attempting to reconstruct the historical plant community. While most strategies are generally expected to enhance native vegetation establishment and diversity, there may be unintended impacts on vital soil microbial communities. Soil microbial communities play a crucial role in biogeochemical processes like nutrient cycling, organic matter decomposition, and the development of soil structure, all of which influence plant productivity, nutrient acquisition, and the regulation of plant diversity and composition. We sought to investigate the consequences of different combinations of vegetation management strategies used to restore a former cropland to a perennial grassland in Davis, California, USA. Specifically, we assessed soil microbial community diversity, composition, and putative functional group abundances across different combinations of (1) targeted sheep grazing, (2) low and high frequency controlled burning, and (3) native plant strip seeding. We found that microbial taxonomic diversity was largely unchanged across vegetation management practices, but grazing, burning, and seeding led to shifts in soil microbial community composition. Microbial community shifts were primarily associated with changes in plant community composition; however, indirect modifications to carbon: nitrogen and pH were also differentially associated with compositional shifts in bacteria and fungi, respectively. Overall, our findings highlight that soil bacterial communities are resistant to increasing management intensities. Future studies should investigate how changes in soil microbial communities within managed ecosystems impact ecosystem processes and whether these processes align with land management objectives.
Shrub encroachment in alpine meadow diminishes ecosystem multifunctionality, but shrub removal can facilitate recovery.
Zhao Y, Tan X, Ke J … +4 more , Xiao Y, Liu X, Wu J, Liu M
Ecol Appl · 2026 Apr · PMID 42053070 · Publisher ↗
In grasslands, shrub encroachment driven by climate change and anthropogenic disturbance alters various ecosystem functions. However, its effect on ecosystem multifunctionality, defined as the simultaneous performance of...
In grasslands, shrub encroachment driven by climate change and anthropogenic disturbance alters various ecosystem functions. However, its effect on ecosystem multifunctionality, defined as the simultaneous performance of multiple ecosystem functions, is still poorly understood. Furthermore, the efficacy of removing shrubs to reverse the effects of shrub encroachment, a common management practice, remains debated. We aimed to disentangle the differential biotic (e.g., diversity of plant and soil) and abiotic responses within the herbaceous plant community to shrub encroachment and removal, and to explore how these changes drove shifts in ecosystem multifunctionality. This study was conducted in shrub-encroached (Potentilla fruticosa) alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. We established a experiment with four treatments: natural grassland, shrub encroachment, artificial shrub installation, and shrub removal. We found that shrub encroachment reduced multifunctionality primarily by lowering soil water content. Shrub removal nearly reversed all negative alterations caused by encroachment, and specifically enhanced biotic attributes, like evenness, that in turn boosted multifunctionality. However, some of the effects of shrub removal remained incomplete relative to natural grassland. While artificial shrubs successfully reproduced the aboveground abiotic conditions (e.g., light and temperature) that actual shrubs do, they were less effective in evoking other environmental changes and did not affect multifunctionality. This study highlights that shrub encroachment induces substantial changes in both abiotic and biotic components, which thereby negatively affects multifunctionality and ecosystem services. Importantly, shrub removal proved to be an effective short-term solution with long-term potential for restoring these functions. Our findings provide key insights into the consequences of shrub encroachment, offering valuable guidance for ecosystem restoration and management aimed at mitigating its impacts in alpine meadows.
Endemic Mediterranean seagrasses poised to survive climate change challenges.
Mancuso FP, Bosch-Belmar M, Tantillo MF … +4 more , Russi M, Piermattei V, Marcelli M, Sarà G
Ecol Appl · 2026 Apr · PMID 42049466 · Full text
Understanding the current and future trajectories of critical habitats is essential for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management, especially in semi-enclosed environments such as the Mediterranean Sea. Endemic...
Understanding the current and future trajectories of critical habitats is essential for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management, especially in semi-enclosed environments such as the Mediterranean Sea. Endemic habitats in the Mediterranean, such as Posidonia meadows, are crucial for marine biodiversity, nutrient cycling, oxygen production, and carbon sequestration. Here, using in situ benthic chamber measurements of Posidonia meadows integrated with remote sensing data, we developed predictive models of key metabolic traits and upscale their ecosystem service predictions under current and future climate scenarios in the Mediterranean basin. We highlight the essential role of Posidonia meadows in providing ecosystem services, such as oxygen production, CO absorption, and carbon fixation, which are projected to increase, suggesting that Posidonia meadows may have some capacity to cope with future ocean warming. However, we also emphasize the importance of other stressors in determining the fate of these key habitats. Our study provides critical insights for guiding coastal management and conservation efforts, contributing to a broader understanding of ecosystem functioning in the Mediterranean Sea. Finally, to illustrate the applicability of our findings, we provide an interactive Shiny app that allows users to spatially explore and estimate the ecosystem services provided by specific Posidonia meadows throughout the Mediterranean Sea.
Temporal shift and climate drivers of vegetation resilience in a high-altitude national park of China.
Li Q, Gao X, Lin J … +2 more , Song X, Chang S
Ecol Appl · 2026 Apr · PMID 42043378 · Publisher ↗
Under the backdrop of global climate change, vegetation resilience is crucial for maintaining ecosystem stability and functional continuity. The Qilian Mountains National Park, serving as a significant ecological barrier...
Under the backdrop of global climate change, vegetation resilience is crucial for maintaining ecosystem stability and functional continuity. The Qilian Mountains National Park, serving as a significant ecological barrier in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, hosts a complex ecosystem that is highly susceptible to climate fluctuations and extreme weather events, necessitating systematic monitoring of its vegetation resilience and exploration of climate-driven factors. However, existing studies in this area remain insufficient. The autocorrelation coefficient, first-order autoregressive model (AR(1)) indicator, compared to other resilience assessment models, effectively handles the cumulative effects of disturbances and provides early warning signals for critical transitions. This study employs the AR(1) indicator to analyze the spatiotemporal characteristics of vegetation resilience in Qilian Mountains National Park from 2002 to 2021 and explores its potential climate drivers using a random forest model. The results indicate that: (1) Temporally, vegetation resilience exhibited a "U-shaped" change, with May 2011 marking a significant turning point. (2) Spatially, resilience declined significantly in the desert areas of the western and central sections, while the forested areas on the eastern edge showed improvement. (3) Despite the enhancement of greening trends, resilience demonstrated a declining trend in the last decade, revealing the underlying vulnerability of the ecosystem. (4) In the first decade, resilience was mainly driven by precipitation, while in the latter decade, temperature became the dominant factor, with rising temperatures and the consequent intensification of droughts being critical contributors to the decline in resilience. The study highlights the inconsistency between resilience and greening trends, underscores the importance of incorporating resilience indicators into ecological health assessments, and explores the applicability of critical slowing down theory-based assessment methods in ecological management. This research provides scientific evidence for park management and ecological conservation and holds reference value for studies in other ecologically vulnerable regions.
What happens after oil and gas decommissioning? A global systematic review of marine environmental effects.
Lemasson AJ, Knights AM
Ecol Appl · 2026 Apr · PMID 42026927 · Full text
The thousands of oil and gas (OG) platforms placed at sea for fossil fuel extraction have introduced new hard substrate to the marine environment. Over time, these structures can become colonized by a diversity of marine...
The thousands of oil and gas (OG) platforms placed at sea for fossil fuel extraction have introduced new hard substrate to the marine environment. Over time, these structures can become colonized by a diversity of marine life, fostering novel ecosystems. However, an increasing number of OG platforms are reaching decommissioning age and decisions regarding their fate must be made. Some view these artificial structures as litter that ought to be removed; others view them as valuable contributors to marine biodiversity worth preserving. Evidence of the environmental effects of these structures following different decommissioning strategies is needed to identify the potential benefits of each option and make informed decisions. Here, using a systematic synthesis approach, we show that our understanding of the effects of different decommissioning options is greatly limited by a lack of empirical evidence. Only three articles addressed the effects of OG removal, preventing firm conclusions either for or against this option. Most research focused on Rigs-to-Reefs options, revealing that reefed structures can create biodiverse systems, although with clear differences between reefing methods. Decommissioned structures with higher vertical relief (e.g., standing or topped) may offer higher ecological value than those with lower relief (e.g., toppled). Risks related to the decommissioning methods (e.g., harm from explosives, non-native species introduction) are discussed. Despite the urgency, empirical research on decommissioning environmental impacts remains limited, particularly from the southern hemisphere. We call for coordinated international effort to establish standardization across decommissioning procedures, and monitoring and reporting requirements, to ensure that robust data are available to address this complex environmental challenge.
Assessing the variability and vulnerability of carbon function in coastal soft sediment ecosystems to inform protection.
Evans T, Bartl I, Heidari S … +4 more , Gladstone-Gallagher RV, Schenone S, Delmas P, Thrush SF
Ecol Appl · 2026 Apr · PMID 42023507 · Full text
Coastal soft sediment ecosystems can sequester and process large quantities of carbon, making these environments important in mitigating the impacts of climate change. However, demersal fishing methods can resuspend sedi...
Coastal soft sediment ecosystems can sequester and process large quantities of carbon, making these environments important in mitigating the impacts of climate change. However, demersal fishing methods can resuspend sediment, releasing CO, and in the longer term change the physical, biological, and biogeochemical characteristics of the seafloor. Within the global response to climate change, there is a need for tools to support the identification of sites within our coastal zones that can maximize carbon storage and where marine protection will be most beneficial for both blue carbon budgets and biodiversity recovery. We assess multiple aspects of carbon cycling in coastal soft sediment environments to explore the drivers of function and their vulnerability to seafloor disturbance. This information is interpreted to demonstrate how it can support decision-making for enhancing blue carbon and marine protection for climate change mitigation. We found carbon cycle functionality is driven across multiple gradients, and sites with large infauna were more vulnerable to resuspension-induced CO release. The results demonstrate that by accounting for environmental variability and complexity in marine protection, we have the opportunity to enhance multiple aspects of carbon cycling, protect biodiversity, and manage the vulnerability of sites to resuspension-induced CO release.
Freshwater habitats within the Natura 2000 network.
Baattrup-Pedersen A, Baumane M, Nielsen A … +5 more , Trolle D, Branco P, Borgwardt F, Hering D, Birk S
Ecol Appl · 2026 Apr · PMID 42017489 · Full text
Freshwater biodiversity is experiencing dramatic declines. Despite improvements, the trend remains negative, underlining that effective and coordinated initiatives are needed. Protected areas are considered a global corn...
Freshwater biodiversity is experiencing dramatic declines. Despite improvements, the trend remains negative, underlining that effective and coordinated initiatives are needed. Protected areas are considered a global cornerstone of biodiversity conservation, and in Europe, the Natura 2000 network plays a central role in safeguarding biodiversity. In the present study, we examine if designated Annex I listed freshwater habitats of the Habitats Directive are sufficiently represented to enable conservation and restoration efforts, as outlined in Article 4 of the European Nature Restoration Law (NRR), to meaningfully contribute to reversing the ongoing decline in freshwater biodiversity. Additionally, we examine whether freshwater habitats are represented across their full natural geographical range, addressing a key spatial component of long-term persistence, as reflected in the concept of "favorable reference area" as defined in Article 3 of the NRR. We found that freshwater habitats cover 6.2% of the total area of Natura 2000 sites with running waters covering only 0.4%. In addition to a low spatial coverage, the analyses also indicated that several freshwater Annex I habitats are not represented across their full natural geographical range. Based on the obtained results, we therefore argue that a systematic strengthening of the Natura 2000 network is required, with particular emphasis on: (1) expanding the extent of designated freshwater habitat types in- and also outside the existing network if necessary to adequately cover freshwater habitats, and (2) identifying and addressing representation gaps across all relevant biogeographic regions. To support this process, we have developed a webtool based on the datasets underlying the analyses, which enables relevant stakeholders including EU institutions, national agencies, and local managers to examine the distribution of freshwater habitats and species protected within the current Natura 2000 network. The webtool can be accessed at https://www.waterwebtools.com/merlin.
Large-scale experimental evaluation of woody plant removal in desert grassland: Restoration, novelty, or degradation?
Bestelmeyer BT, Burkett LM, James D … +2 more , Gamon J, Schooley RL
Ecol Appl · 2026 Apr · PMID 42014355 · Full text
Woody plant encroachment into grassy ecosystems is a worldwide phenomenon that radically transforms ecosystem services. Billions of dollars have been spent to remove woody plants, but there is great uncertainty about the...
Woody plant encroachment into grassy ecosystems is a worldwide phenomenon that radically transforms ecosystem services. Billions of dollars have been spent to remove woody plants, but there is great uncertainty about the conditions in which such removals are beneficial. We conducted a collaborative, large-scale monitoring experiment in the Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico, USA, to test whether woody plant removal restored historical states, created novel states, or exacerbated land degradation and to examine the environmental conditions affecting outcomes. We monitored vegetation cover in 43 pairs of plots representing herbicide-treated and herbicide-untreated conditions of the same plant community and environmental setting, including measurements at baseline, 5, 10, and in some cases 15 years posttreatment. We compared outcomes to measurements in reference sites. Woody plant removal led to increases in plant species richness and perennial grass cover, but increases were due to disturbance-adapted grasses rather than species characteristic of reference states. On average, grass cover in treatments did not attain levels observed in the reference state. Negative effects of woody plant removal on total canopy cover (related to soil erosion risk) and other plant functional groups of concern for wildlife were not observed. Elevation, slope, and baseline cover were important predictors of treatment-associated gains in plant cover, while higher grazing intensity was related to increases in richness and forb cover. Our results indicate that while woody plant removal cannot be considered to restore a reference state due to the continued absence of reference grass species, it does not lead to obvious land degradation. Furthermore, more positive outcomes are maximized where (and when) soil moisture limitations are lowest or the cover of responding plants is highest prior to treatments. We recommend that future restoration actions be conducted as experiments that pay special attention to co-production mechanisms, standardized monitoring methods, and salient and easily measured indicators.
Remote sensing reveals that wild herbivores limit senescent vegetation accumulation on dryland conservation reserves.
Smith MS, Fisher AG, Finlayson G … +1 more , Letnic M
Ecol Appl · 2026 Apr · PMID 42009608 · Full text
Wild herbivores threaten vegetation recovery on dryland conservation reserves globally. Monitoring herbivore impacts in remote drylands is difficult because vegetation biomass transitions between living and senescent sta...
Wild herbivores threaten vegetation recovery on dryland conservation reserves globally. Monitoring herbivore impacts in remote drylands is difficult because vegetation biomass transitions between living and senescent states in response to irregular precipitation events. However, land managers need detailed understanding of the impacts that wild herbivores have on vegetation to develop and refine herbivore management strategies. Remote sensing provides the ability to assess grazing impacts on living and senescent vegetation with high temporal and spatial resolution. Here, we use Sentinel-2 satellite imagery to investigate how grazing by kangaroos and rabbits impacted fractional cover of photosynthetic (PV) and non-photosynthetic (NPV) vegetation over a 7-year period on three dryland reserves with experimental herbivore exclusion plots. We compared PV and NPV cover in plots that were accessible to all herbivores, accessible to kangaroos only, and inaccessible to both rabbits and kangaroos. Generalized linear mixed models were used to determine if the grazing impacts of rabbits and kangaroos varied from each other, between reserves, and in response to variable rainfall patterns. Grazing impacts varied between each herbivore, conservation reserve, and between PV and NPV. PV was only weakly limited by kangaroos across all reserves and antecedent rainfall totals. NPV was limited by rabbits and kangaroos, with grazing having stronger impacts on NPV than PV. The grazing impacts of rabbits and kangaroos varied spatially with evidence that NPV was limited by kangaroos only, by rabbits only, and by both species across different reserves. Both herbivores had stronger impacts on NPV as antecedent rainfall decreased. Our results show that the impact of herbivores on vegetation biomass is greatest during periods of dry climatic conditions. These findings contribute to a growing body of evidence showing that grazing by wild herbivores can have detrimental impacts on dryland ecosystems by disrupting ecological processes supported by NPV. Our results highlight the importance of herbivore management during productive periods to ensure NPV is retained during periods of low rainfall.
An integrated framework to identify and characterize regional-scale insect dispersal.
Dargent F, Reich MS, Miller M … +7 more , Studens K, Benvidi N, Perrault K, Aibueku J, Holmes B, Bataille CP, Candau JN
Ecol Appl · 2026 Apr · PMID 42009603 · Full text
Forest pest insects cause major socio-economic impacts, global losses of millions of dollars, and ecosystem changes. A key challenge for their management is tracing regional dispersal events critical to outbreak dynamics...
Forest pest insects cause major socio-economic impacts, global losses of millions of dollars, and ecosystem changes. A key challenge for their management is tracing regional dispersal events critical to outbreak dynamics. We developed an integrated tracing framework for pest insects by combining isotope geolocation, ecological data, and atmospheric modeling, and applied this framework to the eastern spruce budworm moth (Choristoneura fumiferana), the most severe defoliator of the North American boreal forest, to trace outbreak dispersal events. We first generated a North American model of bioavailable sulfur isotope (δS) variation in space (isoscape) and then calibrated it to spruce budworm tissues of known origin. We then used an automated trap network with high temporal resolution to collect samples and identify potential immigration events of eastern spruce budworm to Nova Scotia, Canada. Finally, we traced the natal origin of these immigrants by sequentially integrating high-probability regions of origin derived from δS values and estimated migration routes derived from biologically constrained atmospheric transport models. We find that this integrated framework allows us to narrow down the region of pest origins, restricting it to a few possible locations and demonstrating long-distance dispersal of spruce budworm across ~400 km over the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Quebec. Our framework demonstrates that combining isotopic data with ecological indicators and atmospheric transport modeling offers improved resolution and understanding of insect dispersal ecology. This approach is transferable to trace other migratory insect species to address conservation, agriculture, and bio-surveillance needs in the context of global environmental change.
Roles of riverine wetlands in diffusive greenhouse gas emissions: Comparing before and after wetland destruction.
Zhang W, Li H, Xie S … +1 more , Zhu T
Ecol Appl · 2026 Apr · PMID 41954227 · Publisher ↗
While wetland construction and restoration are widely employed as nature-based solutions to achieve various eco-environmental goals, their roles in affecting diffusive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the targeted riv...
While wetland construction and restoration are widely employed as nature-based solutions to achieve various eco-environmental goals, their roles in affecting diffusive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the targeted riverine systems remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the monthly and diurnal dynamics of diffusive GHG emissions in a headwater river, which initially contained a series of constructed wetlands but were later destroyed. Our findings reveal that the riverine reach with wetlands was a persistent source of diffusive CH and CO emissions, but a periodic sink for NO, with mean fluxes of 0.76 mmol m day, 262.38 mmol m day, and 5.44 μmol m day, respectively. The hotspots for CH and CO and sinks for NO emissions occur coincidentally in warm months, when vegetative and microbial activities are strong. Once the wetlands were destroyed, we observed reductions in the emission fluxes of NO (9.62%), CH (27.23%), and CO (47.73%). Further analysis underscored that the environmental settings as shaped by wetlands foster anaerobic metabolisms, whereas the loss of wetlands reduces nutrient trapping and induces more aerobic conditions, which hinder anaerobic activity and associated GHG production. The comparative nature of this study uniquely illuminates the roles of wetlands in governing diffusive GHG dynamics, providing a valuable, data-driven starting point for a more refined evaluation of their net impact on aquatic GHG budgets.
Effects of fire timing and snow cover on tallgrass prairie plant re-emergence phenology, growth rate, and flowering.
Homann MA, Damschen EI
Ecol Appl · 2026 Apr · PMID 41954181 · Full text
In a time of unprecedented global change, understanding plant community responses to contemporary disturbance regimes is necessary to improve the predictability of restoration outcomes. Although fires in tallgrass prairi...
In a time of unprecedented global change, understanding plant community responses to contemporary disturbance regimes is necessary to improve the predictability of restoration outcomes. Although fires in tallgrass prairies historically occurred throughout the growing season, contemporary prescribed fires are often conducted during the dormant season, in either spring or fall. Dormant-season burns remove vegetation and litter at different times of year, which has subsequent effects on microclimate dynamics. These dynamics may compound with projected changes in winter climate, including decreased snow cover and more variable soil temperatures. Short-term responses to microclimate conditions are most detectable early in the growing season, yet plant community metrics are often measured broadly at one or a few points during the peak growing season. Understanding how disturbance timing and a changing climate influence plant community responses through and beyond these early stages of growth is an imperative step toward improving the ability to predict long-term plant community responses during restoration. To evaluate responses to disturbance and winter climate, we manipulated fire application, fire timing, and snow depth in a tallgrass prairie restoration from 2016 to 2023, then evaluated re-emergence timing in spring and subsequent effects on relative growth rate and flowering effort throughout the 2023 growing season. Plants re-emerged earlier and grew more slowly in fall burn treatments than in spring burn and unburned treatments. Within their respective disturbance treatments, plants that re-emerged faster tended to grow faster, and relative growth rate was positively correlated with the probability of flowering. Winter snow cover was not correlated with re-emergence or growth rate, but snow removal tended to decrease the probability of flowering. Our results suggest resilience to winter climate change in the short term and demonstrate cascading effects of fire application and timing on tallgrass prairie plant phenology and fitness responses.
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