Biology subjects

Kissling, W. D.

Publications and source records attributed to Kissling, W. D..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Urbanization as an environmental filter for megacolorful birds

The colorfulness of bird plumage plays a crucial role in intraspecific (e.g. sexual display) and interspecific ecological interactions (e.g. camouflage and predation). Consequently, bird plumage colorfulness can affect the success of individuals in novel environments, such as urban settings. However, our understanding of the impact of urbanization on the plumage colorfulness of birds, especially in tropical regions, is limited. To address this gap, we analyzed whether urban environments serve as environmental filters for plumage colorfulness in passerine (Passeriformes) bird assemblages across the biomes of Brazil, the worlds largest tropical country. Using generalized linear models that incorporate bird checklists, functional traits, and a continuous urbanization metric, we show that urbanization increases specific traits that are associated with plumage colorfulness in bird assemblages (i.e. proportion of omnivores, proportion of larger species, and average sexual dichromatism). While the average colorfulness of bird assemblages did not change with increasing urbanization, a negative correlation between the presence of megacolorful birds (i.e. the 5% most colorful species) and urbanization was detected, particularly in biomes with high urban concentrations, such as the Atlantic Forest and the Caatinga. This suggests that urban environments can be unsuitable for the most colorful tropical bird species. Our study additionally shows that factors like body size, diet, and sexual dichromatism play a mediating role in the urban filtering process. Our analyses provide insights into how urban environments act as environmental filters and can help to better understand the consequences of urbanization for tropical biodiversity.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2023

Genomic signatures of past megafrugivore-mediated dispersal in Malagasy palms

O_LISeed dispersal is a key process in the generation and maintenance of genetic diversity and genetic differentiation of plant populations in tropical ecosystems. During the Last Quaternary, most seed-dispersing megafauna was lost globally, but whether this has caused dispersal limitation, loss of genetic diversity, and increased genetic differentiation between plant populations with large, megafaunal fruits (i.e., > 4 cm - megafruits) remains unclear. C_LIO_LIHere, we assessed whether megafrugivore extinctions in Madagascar (e.g., giant lemurs, elephant birds) have affected the genetic diversity and genetic differentiation of four animal-dispersed Malagasy palm (Arecaceae) species with large (Borassus madagascariensis), medium-sized (Hyphaene coriacea, Bismarckia nobilis), and small (Chrysalidocarpus madagascariensis) fruits. We integrated double-digest restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD) of 167 individuals from 25 populations with (past) distribution ranges for extinct and extant seed-dispersing animal species, climate and human impact data, and applied linear mixed-effects models to explore the drivers of variation in genetic diversity and genetic differentiation across Malagasy palm populations. C_LIO_LIWe detected higher genetic diversity in species with megafruits than in the species with small fruits, and genetic differentiation was lowest for the human-used medium-sized megafruit species. Furthermore, we found that a higher number of shared extinct megafrugivore species between palm population pairs was associated with less genetic differentiation, indicating higher gene flow, whereas no relationship with extant frugivores - that are not able to swallow and disperse the seeds - was found. Finally, genetic diversity decreased with road density, whereas genetic differentiation decreased with increasing human population density, but only for populations with megafruits. C_LIO_LIOur results suggest that the legacy of megafrugivores regularly achieving long dispersal distances is still reflected in the genetic diversity and genetic differentiation of palms that were formerly dispersed by such large animals. Furthermore, high genetic diversity and low genetic differentiation were possibly maintained after the megafauna extinctions through human-mediated dispersal, long generation times, and long lifespans of these palms. Our study illustrates how integrating genetics with ecological data on species interactions, climate, and human impact, provides novel insights into the consequences of megafauna extinctions for plants with megafruits. C_LI

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Global plant-frugivore trait matching is shaped by climate and biogeographic history

Species interactions are influenced by the trait structure of local multi-trophic communities. However, it remains unclear whether mutualistic interactions in particular can drive trait patterns at the global scale, where climatic constraints and biogeographic processes gain importance. Here we evaluate global relationships between traits of frugivorous birds and palms (Arecaceae), and how these relationships are affected, directly or indirectly, by assemblage richness, climate and biogeographic history. We leverage a new and expanded gape size dataset for nearly all avian frugivores, and find a positive relationship between gape size and fruit size, i.e., trait matching, which is influenced indirectly by palm richness and climate. We also uncover a latitudinal gradient in trait matching strength, which increases towards the tropics and varies among zoogeographic realms. Taken together, our results suggest trophic interactions have consistent influences on trait structure, but that abiotic, biogeographic and richness effects also play important, though sometimes indirect, roles in shaping the functional biogeography of mutualisms.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2021

The role of elections as drivers of tropical deforestation

Tropical forests support immense biodiversity and provide essential ecosystem services for billions of people. Despite this value, tropical deforestation continues at a high rate. Emerging evidence suggests that elections can play an important role in shaping deforestation, for instance by incentivising politicians to allow increased utilisation of tropical forests in return for political support and votes. Nevertheless, the role of elections as a driver of deforestation has not been comprehensively tested at broad geographic scales. Here, we created an annual database from 2001 to 2018 on political elections and forest loss for 55 tropical nations and modelled the effect of elections on deforestation. In total, 1.5 million km2 of forest was lost during this time period, and the rate of deforestation increased in 37 (67%) of the analysed countries. Deforestation was significantly lower in years with presidential or lower chamber elections compared to non-election years, which is in contrast to previous local-scale studies. Moreover, deforestation was significantly higher in presidential or lower chamber elections that are competitive (i.e. when the opposition can participate in elections and has a legitimate chance to gain governmental power) compared to uncompetitive elections. Our results document a pervasive loss of tropical forests and suggest that competitive elections are potential drivers of deforestation. We recommned that organisations monitoring election transparency and fairness should also monitor environmental impacts such as forest loss, habitat destruction and resource exploitation. This would benefit the tracking of potential illegal vote buying with natural resources.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2020

Threatened terrestrial vertebrates are exposed to human pressures across 94% of Europe's protected land

Protected areas (PAs) are the last refuges for wild biodiversity, yet human pressures (or threats) are increasingly prevalent within their boundaries. Human pressures have the potential to negatively impact species and undermine their conservation, but their overlap with sensitive threatened species in PAs remains rarely quantified. Here, we analyse the co-occurrence of nineteen threatening human activities within the distributions of 146 threatened terrestrial vertebrates in the European Union (EU), accounting for species-specific sensitivities to each pressure and thereby mapping potential human impacts on species within EU PAs. We find that human pressures extend across > 1.022 million km2 (94.5%) of EU protected land, with potential negative impacts on threatened species across 1.015 million km2 (93.8%). A total of 122 out of 146 species (84%) have > 50% of their EU protected ranges potentially impacted, and 83 out of 146 species (57%) more than 90% of their protected range. More species have a smaller proportion of their protected range potentially impacted in Natura2000 sites than in non-Natura2000 sites, and the same is true for species in nature reserves and wilderness areas compared to less strictly managed PAs. Our results show that threatened species in Europes PAs are exposed to immense human pressures, and suggest that areas designated for species conservation are ineffective for halting biodiversity decline. We recommend that the EU Biodiversity Strategy develops and enforces a comprehensive PA threat management program to reduce the negative impacts of human activities on wildlife in European protected lands.

ecology↗