The Experts below are selected from a list of 8238 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Andreas H Schweiger - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the importance of ecological memory for trophic rewilding as an ecosystem restoration approach
Biological Reviews, 2019Co-Authors: Andreas H Schweiger, Isabelle Boulangeat, Timo Conradi, Matt Davis, Jenschristian SvenningAbstract:: Increasing human pressure on strongly defaunated ecosystems is characteristic of the Anthropocene and calls for proactive restoration approaches that promote self-sustaining, functioning ecosystems. However, the suitability of novel restoration concepts such as trophic rewilding is still under discussion given fragmentary empirical data and limited theory development. Here, we develop a theoretical framework that integrates the concept of 'ecological memory' into trophic rewilding. The ecological memory of an ecosystem is defined as an ecosystem's accumulated aBiotic and Biotic Material and information legacies from past dynamics. By summarising existing knowledge about the ecological effects of megafauna extinction and rewilding across a large range of spatial and temporal scales, we identify two key drivers of ecosystem responses to trophic rewilding: (i) impact potential of (re)introduced megafauna, and (ii) ecological memory characterising the focal ecosystem. The impact potential of (re)introduced megafauna species can be estimated from species properties such as lifetime per capita engineering capacity, population density, home range size and niche overlap with resident species. The importance of ecological memory characterising the focal ecosystem depends on (i) the absolute time since megafauna loss, (ii) the speed of aBiotic and Biotic turnover, (iii) the strength of species interactions characterising the focal ecosystem, and (iv) the compensatory capacity of surrounding source ecosystems. These properties related to the focal and surrounding ecosystems mediate Material and information legacies (its ecological memory) and modulate the net ecosystem impact of (re)introduced megafauna species. We provide practical advice about how to quantify all these properties while highlighting the strong link between ecological memory and historically contingent ecosystem trajectories. With this newly established ecological memory-rewilding framework, we hope to guide future empirical studies that investigate the ecological effects of trophic rewilding and other ecosystem-restoration approaches. The proposed integrated conceptual framework should also assist managers and decision makers to anticipate the possible trajectories of ecosystem dynamics after restoration actions and to weigh plausible alternatives. This will help practitioners to develop adaptive management strategies for trophic rewilding that could facilitate sustainable management of functioning ecosystems in an increasingly human-dominated world.
Jenschristian Svenning - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the importance of ecological memory for trophic rewilding as an ecosystem restoration approach
Biological Reviews, 2019Co-Authors: Andreas H Schweiger, Isabelle Boulangeat, Timo Conradi, Matt Davis, Jenschristian SvenningAbstract:: Increasing human pressure on strongly defaunated ecosystems is characteristic of the Anthropocene and calls for proactive restoration approaches that promote self-sustaining, functioning ecosystems. However, the suitability of novel restoration concepts such as trophic rewilding is still under discussion given fragmentary empirical data and limited theory development. Here, we develop a theoretical framework that integrates the concept of 'ecological memory' into trophic rewilding. The ecological memory of an ecosystem is defined as an ecosystem's accumulated aBiotic and Biotic Material and information legacies from past dynamics. By summarising existing knowledge about the ecological effects of megafauna extinction and rewilding across a large range of spatial and temporal scales, we identify two key drivers of ecosystem responses to trophic rewilding: (i) impact potential of (re)introduced megafauna, and (ii) ecological memory characterising the focal ecosystem. The impact potential of (re)introduced megafauna species can be estimated from species properties such as lifetime per capita engineering capacity, population density, home range size and niche overlap with resident species. The importance of ecological memory characterising the focal ecosystem depends on (i) the absolute time since megafauna loss, (ii) the speed of aBiotic and Biotic turnover, (iii) the strength of species interactions characterising the focal ecosystem, and (iv) the compensatory capacity of surrounding source ecosystems. These properties related to the focal and surrounding ecosystems mediate Material and information legacies (its ecological memory) and modulate the net ecosystem impact of (re)introduced megafauna species. We provide practical advice about how to quantify all these properties while highlighting the strong link between ecological memory and historically contingent ecosystem trajectories. With this newly established ecological memory-rewilding framework, we hope to guide future empirical studies that investigate the ecological effects of trophic rewilding and other ecosystem-restoration approaches. The proposed integrated conceptual framework should also assist managers and decision makers to anticipate the possible trajectories of ecosystem dynamics after restoration actions and to weigh plausible alternatives. This will help practitioners to develop adaptive management strategies for trophic rewilding that could facilitate sustainable management of functioning ecosystems in an increasingly human-dominated world.
Timo Conradi - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the importance of ecological memory for trophic rewilding as an ecosystem restoration approach
Biological Reviews, 2019Co-Authors: Andreas H Schweiger, Isabelle Boulangeat, Timo Conradi, Matt Davis, Jenschristian SvenningAbstract:: Increasing human pressure on strongly defaunated ecosystems is characteristic of the Anthropocene and calls for proactive restoration approaches that promote self-sustaining, functioning ecosystems. However, the suitability of novel restoration concepts such as trophic rewilding is still under discussion given fragmentary empirical data and limited theory development. Here, we develop a theoretical framework that integrates the concept of 'ecological memory' into trophic rewilding. The ecological memory of an ecosystem is defined as an ecosystem's accumulated aBiotic and Biotic Material and information legacies from past dynamics. By summarising existing knowledge about the ecological effects of megafauna extinction and rewilding across a large range of spatial and temporal scales, we identify two key drivers of ecosystem responses to trophic rewilding: (i) impact potential of (re)introduced megafauna, and (ii) ecological memory characterising the focal ecosystem. The impact potential of (re)introduced megafauna species can be estimated from species properties such as lifetime per capita engineering capacity, population density, home range size and niche overlap with resident species. The importance of ecological memory characterising the focal ecosystem depends on (i) the absolute time since megafauna loss, (ii) the speed of aBiotic and Biotic turnover, (iii) the strength of species interactions characterising the focal ecosystem, and (iv) the compensatory capacity of surrounding source ecosystems. These properties related to the focal and surrounding ecosystems mediate Material and information legacies (its ecological memory) and modulate the net ecosystem impact of (re)introduced megafauna species. We provide practical advice about how to quantify all these properties while highlighting the strong link between ecological memory and historically contingent ecosystem trajectories. With this newly established ecological memory-rewilding framework, we hope to guide future empirical studies that investigate the ecological effects of trophic rewilding and other ecosystem-restoration approaches. The proposed integrated conceptual framework should also assist managers and decision makers to anticipate the possible trajectories of ecosystem dynamics after restoration actions and to weigh plausible alternatives. This will help practitioners to develop adaptive management strategies for trophic rewilding that could facilitate sustainable management of functioning ecosystems in an increasingly human-dominated world.
Melissa M. Grigione - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Pumas as ecosystem engineers: ungulate carcasses support beetle assemblages in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Oecologia, 2019Co-Authors: Joshua M. Barry, L. Mark Elbroch, Matthew E. Aiello-lammens, Ronald J. Sarno, Lisa Seelye, Anna Kusler, Howard B. Quigley, Melissa M. GrigioneAbstract:Ecosystem engineers create physical changes in aBiotic and Biotic Material, and through this process control the availability of resources for other species. Predators that abandon large portions of their prey may be ecosystem engineers that create habitat for carrion-dependent invertebrates that utilize carcasses during critical life-history periods. Between 04-May-2016 and 04-Oct-2016, we sampled beetle assemblages at 18 carcasses of prey killed by pumas and matching control sites in the southern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, USA, to measure the extent to which beetle families utilized these carcass “habitats”. We used generalized linear-mixed models and linear-mixed effect models to examine changes in beetle abundance, species richness, and Simpson’s Index of Diversity. We estimated kill rates and carrion production rates for individual pumas to better assess the impact of pumas on invertebrate communities. We collected 24,209 beetles representing 215 species. We identified eight beetle families that had significantly higher abundance at carcasses than control sites. Carcasses had a statistically large to very large effect (determined using Cohen’s d ) on beetle abundance, richness, and diversity for the initial 8 weeks of sampling. Our research revealed strong effects of an ecosystem engineer on beetle assemblages while highlighting the potential role of apex predators in creating and modifying physical habitats for carrion-dependent species. This suggests that there may be consequences for invertebrate communities where apex predators exist at reduced numbers or have been eradicated. The ecological role of invertebrates is often overlooked, yet they are essential taxa that provide critical ecological services upon which we depend.
Haghighipour Nader - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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The Small Satellites of the Solar System: Priorities for the Decadal Study
'American Astronomical Society', 2021Co-Authors: Buratti Bonnie, Asphaug Erik, Bauer James, Bellerose Julie, Blewett, David T., Bottke William, Britt Daniel, Castillo-rogez Julie, Denk Tilmann, Haghighipour NaderAbstract:The small satellites are a diverse group of objects offering insights into the early formation of the Solar System and its collisional history. They can be subdivided into several groups: small inner moons, outer irregular moons, Martian moons, moons of asteroids, and moons of Centaurs/KBOs/TNOs. Many of these objects, especially the irregulars or their progenitors, are thought to be captured asteroids or Kuiper Belt Objects: a spacecraft mission that included them as targets would thus yield information on an object that came from elsewhere in the Solar System. Objects originating from the same reservoir as the irregular satellites may have brought both pre-Biotic Material and volatiles such as water to the inner Solar System. Flagship and New Frontiers class missions should plan trajectories and arrival times to capture spectroscopic and imaging observations of small satellites. It is also important to support ground-based and Earth-orbiting observations of these objects, laboratory measurements of candidate surface Materials, and curation facilities for organic Materials and ice- and gas-based Materials. We place a high priority on a robust participating scientist program for JAXA's MMX mission to Phobos and Deimos, as a similar mission was our highest priority New Frontiers class mission in the last Decadal Survey. A sample returned by this mission would include Material from a primitive object and possibly the Martian surface