Preface to the Princeton Landmarks in Biology Edition vii Preface xi Symbols Used xiii 1. The Importance of Islands 3 2. Area and Number of Speicies 8 3. Further Explanations of the Area-Diversity Pattern 19 4. The Strategy of Colonization 68 5. Invasibility and the Variable Niche 94 6. Stepping Stones and Biotic Exchange 123 7. Evolutionary Changes Following Colonization 145 8. Prospect 181 Glossary 185 References 193 Index 201

The Theory of Island Biogeography

http://www.dpi.inpe.br/Miguel/Michelle/Referencias/Ecologia_da_Paisagem/BiologicalConservation_SpecialIssue_2009/02_Ribeiro_et_al_biocons_2009.pdf

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest:: how much is left and how is the remaining forest distributed? Implications for conservation

Better stewardship of land is needed to achieve the Paris Climate Agreement goal of holding warming to below 2 °C; however, confusion persists about the specific set of land stewardship options available and their mitigation potential. To address this, we identify and quantify "natural climate solutions" (NCS): 20 conservation, restoration, and improved land management actions that increase carbon storage and/or avoid greenhouse gas emissions across global forests, wetlands, grasslands, and agricultural lands. We find that the maximum potential of NCS-when constrained by food security, fiber security, and biodiversity conservation-is 23.8 petagrams of CO2 equivalent (PgCO2e) y-1 (95% CI 20.3-37.4). This is ≥30% higher than prior estimates, which did not include the full range of options and safeguards considered here. About half of this maximum (11.3 PgCO2e y-1) represents cost-effective climate mitigation, assuming the social cost of CO2 pollution is ≥100 USD MgCO2e-1 by 2030. Natural climate solutions can provide 37% of cost-effective CO2 mitigation needed through 2030 for a >66% chance of holding warming to below 2 °C. One-third of this cost-effective NCS mitigation can be delivered at or below 10 USD MgCO2-1 Most NCS actions-if effectively implemented-also offer water filtration, flood buffering, soil health, biodiversity habitat, and enhanced climate resilience. Work remains to better constrain uncertainty of NCS mitigation estimates. Nevertheless, existing knowledge reported here provides a robust basis for immediate global action to improve ecosystem stewardship as a major solution to climate change.

https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/114/44/11645.full.pdf

Natural climate solutions

Much as Rachel Carson's \"Silent Spring\" was a call to action against the pesticides that were devastating bird populations, Charles S. Elton's classic \"The Ecology of Invasions by Animals and Plants\" sounded an early warning about an environmental catastrophe that has become all too familiar today-the invasion of nonnative species. From kudzu to zebra mussels to Asian long-horned beetles, nonnative species are colonizing new habitats around the world at an alarming rate thanks to accidental and intentional human intervention. One of the leading causes of extinctions of native animals and plants, invasive species also wreak severe economic havoc, causing $79 billion worth of damage in the United States alone. Elton explains the devastating effects that invasive species can have on local ecosystems in clear, concise language and with numerous examples. The first book on invasion biology, and still the most cited, Elton's masterpiece provides an accessible, engaging introduction to one of the most important environmental crises of our time. Charles S. Elton was one of the founders of ecology, who also established and led Oxford University's Bureau of Animal Population. His work has influenced generations of ecologists and zoologists, and his publications remain central to the literature in modern biology. \"History has caught up with Charles Elton's foresight, and \"The Ecology of Invasions\" can now be seen as one of the central scientific books of our century.\"-David Quammen, from the Foreword to \"Killer Algae: The True Tale of a Biological Invasion\

The Ecology of Invasions by Animals and Plants

Recent comprehensive data provided through the DAISIE project (www.europe-aliens.org) have facilitated the development of the first pan-European assessment of the impacts of alien plants, vertebrates, and invertebrates – in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine environments – on ecosystem services. There are 1094 species with documented ecological impacts and 1347 with economic impacts. The two taxonomic groups with the most species causing impacts are terrestrial invertebrates and terrestrial plants. The North Sea is the maritime region that suffers the most impacts. Across taxa and regions, ecological and economic impacts are highly correlated. Terrestrial invertebrates create greater economic impacts than ecological impacts, while the reverse is true for terrestrial plants. Alien species from all taxonomic groups affect “supporting”, “provisioning”, “regulating”, and “cultural” services and interfere with human well-being. Terrestrial vertebrates are responsible for the greatest range of impacts, and these are widely distributed across Europe. Here, we present a review of the financial costs, as the first step toward calculating an estimate of the economic consequences of alien species in Europe.

/pdf/how-well-do-we-understand-the-impacts-of-alien-species-on-4wdq1viv3c.pdf

How well do we understand the impacts of alien species on ecosystem services? A pan-European, cross-taxa assessment

Restoration of the Brazilian savanna after pine silviculture: Pine clearcutting is effective but not enough

Growing faster and colonizing first: Evolutionary and ecological advantages of the tallest individuals within a cohort

Open grassy vegetation and forests share riparian zones across the Neotropical savannas, characterizing alternative stable states. However, factors determining the occurrence and maintenance of each vegetation type are yet to be elucidated. To disentangle the role of environmental factors (soil properties and groundwater depth) constraining tree colonization of wet grasslands in the Cerrado, we assessed tree establishment during the early seedling and sapling stages and the influence of these factors on leaf gas exchange and leaf water potential of tree saplings. Three functionally distinct tree species were studied: (1) flood-tolerant species characteristic of gallery forests, (2) flood-intolerant species characteristic of seasonally dry savannas, and (3) generalist species found in both gallery forests and seasonally dry savannas. Savanna species was constrained by waterlogging, especially at the sapling stage, with restricted stomatal conductance and leaf water potential, resulting in low carbon assimilation, decreased plant size, and high mortality (above 80%). The gallery forest and the generalist species, however, were able to colonize the wet grasslands and survive, despite the low seedling emergence (below 30%) and sapling growth constrained by low gas exchange rates. Soil waterlogging is, therefore, an effective environmental filter that prevents savanna trees from expanding over wet grasslands. However, colonization by trees adapted to a shallow water table cannot be constrained by this or other soil properties, turning the wet grasslands dependent on natural disturbances to persist as an alternative state, sharing the waterlogged environments with the gallery forests in the Cerrado region.

The distinct roles of water table depth and soil properties in controlling alternative woodland-grassland states in the Cerrado

/pdf/valores-esperados-para-atributos-de-florestas-riparias-em-4zgtosol2l.pdf

Valores esperados para atributos de florestas ripárias em restauração em diferentes idades

Ecological interactions among species, both positive and negative, have a strong influence on the structure of plant communities and their comprehension can contribute to the improvement of techniques for ecological restoration. Facilitation of natural regeneration by trees planted in riparian forest restoration in the Cerrado region was the subject of this study. We sampled 91 trees ten years old, belonging to six species representing different functional groups by seed dispersal syndrome, deciduousness, and Nitrogen-fixing ability. Gaps created by failures in the initial planting were sampled as controls. Density and richness of regenerating plants were use as response variables. The species, their functional attributes, tree size and the environment under the canopy (grass biomass, light flux and soil moisture) were used as explanatory variables. Density and richness of woody plants under the different species varied greatly among species. Variation was partially explained by deciduousness, but mostly by canopy size and shape, which modify the availability of light to plants in the understory. Restoration of riparian forests in the cerrado region by planting trees should prioritize species with the following attributes: large canopy, fast growing, and a certain level of deciduousness. Such species can trigger natural regeneration processes under their canopies and therefore should accelerate restoration.

Giselda Durigan

Papers

Restoration of the Brazilian savanna after pine silviculture: Pine clearcutting is effective but not enough

Growing faster and colonizing first: Evolutionary and ecological advantages of the tallest individuals within a cohort

The distinct roles of water table depth and soil properties in controlling alternative woodland-grassland states in the Cerrado

Valores esperados para atributos de florestas ripárias em restauração em diferentes idades

Tree species attributes and facilitation of natural regeneration in heterogeneous planting of riparian vegetation.