Human activities, especially conversion and degradation of habitats, are causing global biodiversity declines. How local ecological assemblages are responding is less clear--a concern given their importance for many ecosystem functions and services. We analysed a terrestrial assemblage database of unprecedented geographic and taxonomic coverage to quantify local biodiversity responses to land use and related changes. Here we show that in the worst-affected habitats, these pressures reduce within-sample species richness by an average of 76.5%, total abundance by 39.5% and rarefaction-based richness by 40.3%. We estimate that, globally, these pressures have already slightly reduced average within-sample richness (by 13.6%), total abundance (10.7%) and rarefaction-based richness (8.1%), with changes showing marked spatial variation. Rapid further losses are predicted under a business-as-usual land-use scenario; within-sample richness is projected to fall by a further 3.4% globally by 2100, with losses concentrated in biodiverse but economically poor countries. Strong mitigation can deliver much more positive biodiversity changes (up to a 1.9% average increase) that are less strongly related to countries' socioeconomic status.

/pdf/global-effects-of-land-use-on-local-terrestrial-biodiversity-31yzxze5ly.pdf

Global effects of land use on local terrestrial biodiversity

Land use and related pressures have reduced local terrestrial biodiversity, but it is unclear how the magnitude of change relates to the recently proposed planetary boundary (“safe limit”). We estimate that land use and related pressures have already reduced local biodiversity intactness—the average proportion of natural biodiversity remaining in local ecosystems—beyond its recently proposed planetary boundary across 58.1% of the world’s land surface, where 71.4% of the human population live. Biodiversity intactness within most biomes (especially grassland biomes), most biodiversity hotspots, and even some wilderness areas is inferred to be beyond the boundary. Such widespread transgression of safe limits suggests that biodiversity loss, if unchecked, will undermine efforts toward long-term sustainable development.

/pdf/has-land-use-pushed-terrestrial-biodiversity-beyond-the-3xnl0q860p.pdf

Has land use pushed terrestrial biodiversity beyond the planetary boundary? A global assessment

The Asian vinegar fly Drosophila suzukii (spotted wing Drosophila (SWD)) has emerged as a major invasive insect pest of small and stone fruits in both the Americas and Europe since the late 2000s. While research efforts have rapidly progressed in Asia, North America, and Europe over the past 5 years, important new insights may be gained in comparing and contrasting findings across the regions affected by SWD. In this review, we explore common themes in the invasion biology of SWD by examining (1) its biology and current pest status in endemic and recently invaded regions; (2) current efforts and future research needs for the development of predictive models for its geographic expansion; and (3) prospects for both natural and classical (=importation) biological control of SWD in invaded habitats, with emphasis on the role of hymenopteran parasitoids. We conclude that particularly fruitful areas of research should include fundamental studies of its overwintering, host-use, and dispersal capa- bilities; as well as applied studies of alternative, cost-ef- fective management techniques to complement insecticide use within the integrated pest management framework. Finally, we emphasize that outreach efforts are critical to effective SWD management by highlighting successful

/pdf/invasion-biology-of-spotted-wing-drosophila-drosophila-59xpp2s3ts.pdf

Invasion biology of spotted wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii): a global perspective and future priorities

https://arca.igc.gulbenkian.pt/bitstream/10400.7/197/1/2009%20PWittkopp%20SemCellDevBio.pdf

Development and evolution of insect pigmentation: genetic mechanisms and the potential consequences of pleiotropy.

This paper presents the first report of the occurrence of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in South America. Several samples were collected during various seasons in 2012 and 2013, and a significant number of individuals were obtained and identified. Based on the data recorded during each sampling campaign, including the locality, temperature, time of year, and number of individuals collected, several conclusions were drawn about the development of this invasion in southern Brazil.

The first records of the invasive pest Drosophila suzukii in the South American continent.

Drosophila polymorpha is a widespread species that exhibits abdominal pigmentation variation throughout its range. To gain insight into this variation we combined phenotypic and genotypic data to test a series of nested hypotheses. First, we tested the null hypothesis that geographic variation in pigmentation is due to neutral factors. We used nested clade analysis to examine the distribution of haplotypes from a nuclear and a mitochrondrial locus. Restricted gene flow via isolation by distance, the primary inference of this phylogeographic analysis, was then used to generate and test the hypothesis of increasing average abdominal pigmentation difference with increasing geographic distance. We found no correlation between geographic distance and phenotypic distance. We then tested the hypothesis that pigmentation is affected by environmental differences among localities. We found a significant effect of habitat type on the average abdominal pigmentation phenotype of different localities. Finally, we tested the hypothesis that pigmentation in D. polymorpha is associated with desiccation resistance. We found that dark individuals of both sexes survived significantly longer in a desiccating environment than light individuals. These patterns combined lead us to hypothesize that abdominal pigmentation variation in D. polymorpha is important in mediating the organism's interactions with local ecological factors.

/pdf/abdominal-pigmentation-variation-in-drosophila-polymorpha-5giam8esuj.pdf

Abdominal pigmentation variation in drosophila polymorpha: geographic variation in the trait, and underlying phylogeography

The present study aims to characterise the assemblages of Drosophilidae sampled from four sites subject to different levels of urbanisation, in the city of Florianopolis, South Brazil. Five samples were collected between August 2000 and August 2001 and fi ve between August 2002 and August 2003 in each site. A gradual change in the dominant species was observed in the urbanisation gradient, with an increase in relative abundance of exotic species in urban areas. Among the native species, the relative abundance of Drosophila capricorni Dobzhansky & Pavan had an expressive decrease. In the other hand the richness in the low urbanisation site increased, probably due to the presence of urban gardens. The diversity index did not vary signifi cantly among sites, but its correlation with evenness and richness changed.

ECOLOGY, BEHAVIOR AND BIONOMICS Changes in Brazilian Drosophilidae (Diptera) Assemblages Across an Urbanisation Gradient

The present study aims to characterise the assemblages of Drosophilidae sampled from four sites subject to different levels of urbanisation, in the city of Florianopolis, South Brazil. Five samples were collected between August 2000 and August 2001 and five between August 2002 and August 2003 in each site. A gradual change in the dominant species was observed in the urbanisation gradient, with an increase in relative abundance of exotic species in urban areas. Among the native species, the relative abundance of Drosophila capricorni Dobzhansky & Pavan had an expressive decrease. In the other hand the richness in the low urbanisation site increased, probably due to the presence of urban gardens. The diversity index did not vary significantly among sites, but its correlation with evenness and richness changed.

https://www.scielo.br/pdf/ne/v36n6/05.pdf

Changes in Brazilian Drosophilidae (Diptera) assemblages across an urbanisation gradient

Neste trabalho, e relatado o primeiro registro do genero Zaprionus (Diptera, Drososphilidae) para o Estado de Santa Catarina, na regiao litorânea que inclui as Ilhas de: Santa Catarina, Arvoredo, Ratones Grande, Ratones Pequeno e Campeche. Esse registro pode auxiliar no monitoramento do impacto da colonizacao destes ambientes por essa mosca sobre as comunidades endemicas de moscas, especialmente as da Familia Drosophilidae, muito abundantes nessas ilhas que sao parcial ou totalmente cobertas por vegetacao de Mata Atlântica. Embora tenha sido detectado um pequeno aumento da frequencia de Z. indiaus entre amostras obtidas entre janeiro e abril de 2000, o numero de entidades (especies e sub-grupos de especies) de Drosophilidae parece ter sido preservado.

https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/biotemas/article/download/21709/19674

Daniela Cristina De Toni

Papers

The first records of the invasive pest Drosophila suzukii in the South American continent.

Abdominal pigmentation variation in drosophila polymorpha: geographic variation in the trait, and underlying phylogeography

ECOLOGY, BEHAVIOR AND BIONOMICS Changes in Brazilian Drosophilidae (Diptera) Assemblages Across an Urbanisation Gradient

Changes in Brazilian Drosophilidae (Diptera) assemblages across an urbanisation gradient

First record of Zaprionus indianus (Diptera, Drosophilidae) in the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil