scholarly journals Detecting invertebrate ecosystem service providers in orchards: traditional methods versus barcoding of environmental DNA in soil

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 212-223
Author(s):  
Jacqui H. Todd ◽  
Robert M. Simpson ◽  
Joanne Poulton ◽  
Emma I. Barraclough ◽  
Kurt Villsen ◽  
...  
2014 ◽  
Vol 183 ◽  
pp. 103-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.M. Holland ◽  
J. Storkey ◽  
P.J.W. Lutman ◽  
T.C. Birkett ◽  
J. Simper ◽  
...  

2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 328-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret E. Andrew ◽  
Michael A. Wulder ◽  
Trisalyn A. Nelson

Ecological and conservation research has provided a strong scientific underpinning to the modeling of ecosystem services (ESs) over space and time, by identifying the ecological processes and components of biodiversity (ecosystem service providers, functional traits) that drive ES supply. Despite this knowledge, efforts to map the distribution of ESs often rely on simple spatial surrogates that provide incomplete and non-mechanistic representations of the biophysical variables they are intended to proxy. However, alternative data sets are available that allow for more direct, spatially nuanced inputs to ES mapping efforts. Many spatially explicit, quantitative estimates of biophysical parameters are currently supported by remote sensing, with great relevance to ES mapping. Additional parameters that are not amenable to direct detection by remote sensing may be indirectly modeled with spatial environmental data layers. We review the capabilities of modern remote sensing for describing biodiversity, plant traits, vegetation condition, ecological processes, soil properties, and hydrological variables and highlight how these products may contribute to ES assessments. Because these products often provide more direct estimates of the ecological properties controlling ESs than the spatial proxies currently in use, they can support greater mechanistic realism in models of ESs. By drawing on the increasing range of remote sensing instruments and measurements, data sets appropriate to the estimation of a given ES can be selected or developed. In so doing, we anticipate rapid progress to the spatial characterization of ecosystem services, in turn supporting ecological conservation, management, and integrated land use planning.


Author(s):  
Morgan Shields ◽  
Jean-Marie Tompkins ◽  
David J Saville ◽  
Colin D Meurk ◽  
Stephen Wratten

Vineyards worldwide occupy over 7 million hectares and are typically virtual monocultures, with high and costly inputs of water and agro-chemicals. Understanding and enhancing ecosystem services can reduce inputs and their costs and help satisfy market demands for evidence of more sustainable practices. In this New Zealand work, low-growing, endemic plant species were evaluated for their potential benefits as Service Providing Units (SPUs) or Ecosystem Service Providers (ESPs). The services provided were weed suppression, conservation of beneficial invertebrates, soil moisture retention and microbial activity. The potential Ecosystem Dis-services (EDS) from the selected plant species by hosting the larvae of a key vine moth pest, the light-brown apple moth (Epiphyas postvittana), was also quantified. Questionnaires were used to evaluate winegrowers’ perceptions of the value of and problems associated with such endemic plant species in their vineyards. Growth and survival rates of the 14 plant species, in eight families, were evaluated, with Leptinella dioica (Asteraceae) and Acaena inermis ‘purpurea’ (Rosaceae) having the highest growth rates in terms of area covered and the highest survival rate after 12 months. All 14 plant species suppressed weeds, with Leptinella squalida, Geranium sessiliforum (Geraniaceae), Hebe chathamica (Plantaginaceae), Scleranthus uniflorus (Caryophyllaceae) and L. dioica, each reducing weed cover by > 95%. Plant species also differed in the diversity of arthropod taxa that they supported, with the Shannon Wiener diversity index (H') for these arthropods ranging from 0 to 1.3. G. sessiliforum and Muehlenbeckia axillaris (Polygonaceae) had the highest invertebrate diversity. Density of spiders was correlated with arthropod diversity and G. sessiliflorum and H. chathamica had the highest densities of these arthropods. Several plant species led to higher soil moisture content than in control plots. The best performing species in this context were A. inermis ‘purpurea’ and Lobelia angulata (Lobeliaceae). Soil beneath all plant species had a higher microbial activity than in control plots, with L. dioica being highest in this respect. Survival proportion to the adult stage of the moth pest, E. postvittana, on all plant species was poor (<0.3). When judged by a ranking combining multiple criteria, the most promising plant species were (in decreasing order) G. sessiliflorum, A. inermis ‘purpurea’, H. chathamica, M. axillaris, L. dioica, L. angulata, L. squalida and S. uniflorus. Winegrowers surveyed said that they probably would deploy endemic plants around their vines. This research demonstrates that enhancing plant diversity in vineyards can deliver SPUs, harbour ESPs and therefore deliver ES. The data also shows that growers are willing to follow these protocols, with appropriate advice founded on sound research.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tania Valdivia-Carrillo ◽  
Axayácatl Rocha-Olivares ◽  
Héctor Reyes-Bonilla ◽  
José Francisco Domínguez-Contreras ◽  
Adrian Munguia-Vega

ABSTRACTSignificant advances in the study of marine fish communities have been achieved with traditional monitoring methods and recently with novel genetic approaches. eDNA metabarcoding is one of them and a powerful tool for the study of biodiversity still in continuous development. Its applicability in marine ecology and conservation studies may be gauged by comparing its results with those of traditional methods. In the present investigation, we compare results from the underwater visual census (UVC) with eDNA metabarcoding (eDNA) carried out simultaneously in 24 rocky reef sites along the Gulf of California. We developed a two-PCR library preparation protocol followed by high throughput sequencing aimed at teleost fish. Our results show that both methods had different detection capabilities, and each registered different sets of fish taxa from rocky reefs, with some overlap. In particular, eDNA identified taxa from pelagic, demersal, and estuarine habitats beyond the rocky reef itself, suggesting differences in detection mainly attributed to the transport and permanence time of the eDNA in the ocean. Overlap in the detection with both methods increased with taxonomic level. We argue that substantial gaps in sequence reference databases for teleost are at the root of major discrepancies. Our results also confirm that PCR-based eDNA metabarcoding of seawater samples does not reflect patterns in abundance and biomass of species estimated from traditional methods. We discuss how to reconcile the results of eDNA metabarcoding and traditional methods in marine hotspots.


2020 ◽  
Vol 151 ◽  
pp. 104405
Author(s):  
Neus Rodríguez-Gasol ◽  
Georgina Alins ◽  
Emiliano R. Veronesi ◽  
Steve Wratten

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morgan Shields ◽  
Jean-Marie Tompkins ◽  
David J Saville ◽  
Colin D Meurk ◽  
Stephen Wratten

Vineyards worldwide occupy over 7 million hectares and are typically virtual monocultures, with high and costly inputs of water and agro-chemicals. Understanding and enhancing ecosystem services can reduce inputs and their costs and help satisfy market demands for evidence of more sustainable practices. In this New Zealand work, low-growing, endemic plant species were evaluated for their potential benefits as Service Providing Units (SPUs) or Ecosystem Service Providers (ESPs). The services provided were weed suppression, conservation of beneficial invertebrates, soil moisture retention and microbial activity. The potential Ecosystem Dis-services (EDS) from the selected plant species by hosting the larvae of a key vine moth pest, the light-brown apple moth (Epiphyas postvittana), was also quantified. Questionnaires were used to evaluate winegrowers’ perceptions of the value of and problems associated with such endemic plant species in their vineyards. Growth and survival rates of the 14 plant species, in eight families, were evaluated, with Leptinella dioica (Asteraceae) and Acaena inermis ‘purpurea’ (Rosaceae) having the highest growth rates in terms of area covered and the highest survival rate after 12 months. All 14 plant species suppressed weeds, with Leptinella squalida, Geranium sessiliforum (Geraniaceae), Hebe chathamica (Plantaginaceae), Scleranthus uniflorus (Caryophyllaceae) and L. dioica, each reducing weed cover by > 95%. Plant species also differed in the diversity of arthropod taxa that they supported, with the Shannon Wiener diversity index (H') for these arthropods ranging from 0 to 1.3. G. sessiliforum and Muehlenbeckia axillaris (Polygonaceae) had the highest invertebrate diversity. Density of spiders was correlated with arthropod diversity and G. sessiliflorum and H. chathamica had the highest densities of these arthropods. Several plant species led to higher soil moisture content than in control plots. The best performing species in this context were A. inermis ‘purpurea’ and Lobelia angulata (Lobeliaceae). Soil beneath all plant species had a higher microbial activity than in control plots, with L. dioica being highest in this respect. Survival proportion to the adult stage of the moth pest, E. postvittana, on all plant species was poor (<0.3). When judged by a ranking combining multiple criteria, the most promising plant species were (in decreasing order) G. sessiliflorum, A. inermis ‘purpurea’, H. chathamica, M. axillaris, L. dioica, L. angulata, L. squalida and S. uniflorus. Winegrowers surveyed said that they probably would deploy endemic plants around their vines. This research demonstrates that enhancing plant diversity in vineyards can deliver SPUs, harbour ESPs and therefore deliver ES. The data also shows that growers are willing to follow these protocols, with appropriate advice founded on sound research.


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