Biodiversity responses to insular fragmentation in Amazonia: Two decades of research in the Balbina Hydroelectric Reservoir

As hydropower development expands across lowland tropical forests,flooding and concomitant insular fragmentation have become important threats to biodiversity.Newly created insular landscapes serve as natural laboratories to investigate biodiversity responses to fragmentation.One of these most iconic landscapes is the Balbina Hydroelectric Reservoir in Brazilian Amazonia,occupying>400000 ha and comprising>3500 forest islands.Here,we synthesise the current knowledge on responses of a wide range of biological groups to insular fragmentation at Balbina.Sampling has largely concentrated on a set of 22 islands and three mainland sites.In total,39 studies were conducted over nearly two decades,covering 17 vertebrate,invertebrate,and plant taxa.Although species responses varied according to taxonomic group,island area was consistently included and played a pivotal role in 66.7%of all studies examining patterns of species diversity.Species persistence was further affected by species traits,mostly related to species capacity to use/traverse the aquatic matrix or tolerate habitat degradation,as noted for species of vertebrates and orchid bees.Further research is needed to improve our understanding of such effects on wider ecosystem functioning.Environmental Impact Assessments must account for changes in both the remaining habitat amount and configuration,and subsequent long-term species losses.

Biodiversity metrics on ecological networks: Demonstrated with animal gastrointestinal microbiomes

Biodiversity has become a terminology familiar to virtually every citizen in modern societies.It is said that ecology studies the economy of nature,and economy studies the ecology of humans;then measuring biodiversity should be similar with measuring national wealth.Indeed,there have been many parallels between ecology and economics,actually beyond analogies.For example,arguably the second most widely used biodiversity metric,Simpson(1949)’s diversity index,is a function of familiar Gini-index in economics.One of the biggest challenges has been the high“diversity”of diversity indexes due to their excessive“speciation”-there are so many indexes,similar to each country’s sovereign currency-leaving confused diversity practitioners in dilemma.In 1973,Hill introduced the concept of“numbers equivalent”,which is based on Renyi entropy and originated in economics,but possibly due to his abstruse interpretation of the concept,his message was not widely received by ecologists until nearly four decades later.What Hill suggested was similar to link the US dollar to gold at the rate of$35 per ounce under the Bretton Woods system.The Hill numbers now are considered most appropriate biodiversity metrics system,unifying Shannon,Simpson and other diversity indexes.Here,we approach to another paradigmatic shift-measuring biodiversity on ecological networks-demonstrated with animal gastrointestinal microbiomes representing four major invertebrate classes and all six vertebrate classes.The network diversity can reveal the diversity of species interactions,which is a necessary step for understanding the spatial and temporal structures and dynamics of biodiversity across environmental gradients.

Mammals of Gaoligong Mountain in China:Diversity,distribution,and conservation

Gaoligong Mountain(hereafter,GLGM)is located at the intersection of Myanmar and China’s Yunnan Province and Xizang Zizhiqu,and spans three globally significant biodiversity hotspots:the Himalayas,Indo-Burma,and the Mountains of Southwest China.Although surveys of mammals in this ecologically important region have a long history,there is no comprehensive systematic checklist and distribution account of the mammals of GLGM.Here,we compiled a mammal species checklist of GLGM based on thorough field investigations and literature reviews.We also examined specimen collections and applied camera trapping surveys to explore the region’s mammal diversity and distribution patterns.We recorded 212 mammal species in nine orders,33 families,and 119 genera,which accounts for 30.5%of China’s mammal species,and a high proportion of nationally protected(50)and globally threatened(29)species.Mammal species richness showed a symmetrical unimodal curve along the elevation gradient,peaking at intermediate elevations(2000 to 2500 m above sea level(asl)),and increasing generally from south to north,slightly higher in the east slope than in the west.Cluster analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling revealed three distinct elevational assemblages(<900 m asl.,900-3500 m asl.,and>3500 m asl)and significant south-to-north variation,but no substantial differences between the east and west slopes.The GLGM present a unique conservation value due to the high proportions of rare and endangered mammal species,complex faunal composition,high endemism,and being the distribution boundary for many species.This study is an important phased account of mammal diversity in GLGM and makes a prospect for future research.

Achievements and challenges of primate conservation in China

The dual impact of climate change and human activities has precipitated a sharp decline in primate biodiversity globally.China is home to the most diverse primate species in the Northern hemisphere,which face severe ecological threats due to the expansion of modern agriculture,extensive exploitation and consumption of natural resources,and excessive land development during its transition from an agricultural to a modern society.In response,China has implemented various ecological conservation measures,including habitat restoration and protection.These efforts have made substantial strides in biodiversity conservation,with certain regions witnessing an increase in primate populations.In the current study,we conducted a systematic review of historical documents and field research data related to Chinese primates,evaluating the endangered status of primate species in China.Despite improvements in the habitats of most primate species and some population growth,many species still face severe threats,including declining and small populations.Species such as the Myanmar snub-nosed monkey(Rhinopithecus strykeri),eastern black crested gibbon(Nomascus nasutus),and Hainan gibbon(N.hainanus)remain particularly vulnerable due to their limited distribution ranges and extremely small populations.Insufficient scientific data,fragmented information,and not enough studies in conservation biology further compound the challenges.Moreover,there is a notable lack of detailed population monitoring data for species such as the Bengal slow loris(Nycticebus bengalensis),pygmy slow loris(N.pygmaeus),Indochinese gray langur(Trachypithecus crepusculus),Shortridge’s langur(T.shortridgei),and capped langur(T.pileatus),which hinders the development of practical and targeted conservation management strategies.Therefore,for national biodiversity conservation,there is an urgent need for specialized primate surveys,enhancing habitat protection and restoration,and increasing focus on cross-border conservation strategies and regional cooperation.There is also a need to establish a comprehensive and systematic research database platform,conduct continuous and in-depth research in primate biology,and actively engage in the scientific assessment of ecotourism.Additionally,strengthening public awareness and education on wildlife conservation remains essential.Such integrated and systematic efforts will provide scientific support for the current and future conservation and management of primate species in China.

Bird species composition and conservation challenges in the Gaoligong Mountains, one of the most diverse bird areas in the world

The Gaoligong Mountains(GLGM),located in southwestern China,extend north to south along the western border of the Hengduan Mountains,spanning approximately 600 km.In this study,we consolidated findings from 17 bird surveys conducted in the GLGM between 2010 and 2022.We found that the GLGM harbors tremendous bird diversity,with a total of 796 documented bird species in the region.Nearly a quarter(23.0%)of these species are listed as state key protected species or as Chinese and global threatened species.Analysis of species richness at the county level showed a decreasing trend with increasing latitude,with the greatest diversity in Yingjiang(661 species).Observations indicated that the GLGM belongs to the Oriental realm,primarily composed of bird species from southern and southwestern China.The GLGM plays an important role in avian conservation by sheltering exceptional bird diversity,providing corridors and flyways for bird migration and dispersal,and mitigating the effects of climate change.In response to the conservation needs of birds and other wildlife,the Chinese government has established numerous protected areas within the GLGM.Despite these efforts,avian conservation still faces considerable challenges in the GLGM due to limitations in the protected area network,transboundary nature of the regions,and existing gaps in monitoring and research.

Chinese pangolins (Manis pentadactyla) are not functionally extinct in China

DEAR EDITOR,The key features of functional extinction include continuous reproductive failure,lack of new recruitment,and persistent population decline(Jarićet al.,2016;Roberts et al.,2017).However,the conclusion of functional extinction for the Chinese pangolin(Manis pentadactyla)by the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation(CBC-GDF)based on preliminary field information is unconvincing as they did not assess reproductive function or new individual recruitment of Chinese pangolin populations(Supplementary Materials).

A new species of Bostrychus (Gobiiformes: Eleotridae) from the East China Sea

DEAR EDITOR,Bostrychus,a genus in the family Eleotridae of the order Gobiiformes,was first established by Lacepède in 1801(Buffon,1801).Bostrychus currently contains seven recognized species,including two recent additions(B.microphthalmos and B.scalaris)described in 2005(Hoese&Kottelat,2005)and 2008(Larson,2008),respectively.The natural range of Bostrychus species extends from East Asia to Australia,with the exception of B.africanus,Steindachner,1879,which is distributed in West Africa(Herre,1946).Among the recognized species,B.sinensis,B.zonatus,and B.africanus are relatively widespread,inhabiting diverse areas from estuaries to freshwater streams,while B.scalaris is only found at a single mangrove site in the Selangor State of Malaysia(Larson,2008).The remaining three species exhibit a high degree of habitat specialization and are highly localized(Hoese&Kottelat,2005):B.microphthalmos inhabits a cave stream in the Maros karst of southern Sulawesi,B.aruensis is confined to freshwater environments in the Aru Islands of Indonesia,and B.strigogenys is found only in freshwater areas in southern Papua New Guinea and Irian Jaya.

Genetic evaluations of island populations of Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta) in China: Implications for conservation management

DEAR EDITOR,The macaques belongs to the genus Macaca,consisting of at least 23 species(Roos et al.,2019).Among all congeners,rhesus macaque(M.mulatta)is regarded as the widest distributed non-human primate species in the world.Its native range spans in East Asia,northern part of Southeast Asia and Indian subcontinent(Liu et al.,2018).Listed as“Least Concern”on the IUCN Red List,this species is locally threatened due to habitat loss and degradation in China and Thailand(Lu et al.,2018).Nevertheless,pet release resulting in hybridization with other congeners(e.g.,rhesus macaque×crab-eating macaque(M.fascicularis))was documented in Hong Kong SAR,China(Wong&Ni,2000),threatening genetic integrity of wild populations.

Integrative biogeography: Validating hypotheses of species distribution

DEAR EDITOR,Biogeography is a scientific field dedicated to the investigation of the origins and distribution patterns of organisms,as well as predicting future alterations in their geographical distributions(Cox&Moore,2005).However,the majority of conclusions drawn within the field of biogeography are hypothetical.Rigorous testing of these biogeographic hypotheses remains a considerable challenge.This paper presents the concept of“integrative biogeography”,which emphasizes the experimental testing of biogeographic hypotheses through studies on geological history,as well as biotic and abiotic factors(Figure 1).

TIL20: A review of island biogeography and habitat fragmentation studies on subtropical reservoir islands of Thousand Island Lake, China

Reservoir islands formed by dam construction have the same history,clear boundaries,and large numbers that provide a natural platform for testing theories in ecology and biogeography.In this paper,we review studies of multiple zoological taxa on reservoir islands of a large lake in eastern China(Thousand Island Lake).This lake,created in 1959,has 1078 artificial land-bridge islands of varying areas and isolation.Our review summarizes the decades-long studies in island biogeography and habitat fragmentation from this island system,grouped into three topics:species richness(“how many species are there”),community structure(“who are they”),and species interaction(“how they interact with each other”).Our findings support the predictions of the Equilibrium Theory of Island Biogeography and extend this theory to predict community structure of island faunas by moving beyond assumptions of species equivalency.In addition,the extensive studies on ecological networks,including mutualistic,antagonistic,and parasitic interactions,reveal the negative impacts of habitat loss on the maintenance of such networks,even as increasing forest edge enhances the robustness of pollination networks.At the end of this review,we proposed several future research directions based on current studies that are simultaneously at the frontier of ecology and biogeography.

Environmental determinants of social wasp diversity and assemblage structure in an Amazonian archipelagic landscape

Hydropower development has become an important driver of habitat loss and fragmentation across lowland tropical forests.Despite ample evidence on the detrimental effects of insular habitat fragmentation on biodiversity,invertebrate taxa,that may be critical to ecosystem functioning,have been overlooked.We assessed the assemblage-level responses of social wasps to forest insularization induced by the Balbina Hydroelectric Dam in Central Brazilian Amazonia.Employing Malaise trapping,we captured wasps on 27 forest islands and three continuous forests.We constructed Generalized Linear Models and employed a model selection approach to examine the impact of local variables(fire severity(FIRE)and basal area of pioneer tree species(PIONEER))and landscape-scale variables(amount of habitat(COVER))on patterns of species richness,composition,and body size of wasps.A total of 374 individuals(29 species)were collected across all sampling sites.COVER was the main predictor of species richness,while PIONEER was the only variable that explained variation in community composition,with a negative effect on body size.Our results add evidence to the pervasive impacts of large hydroelectric dams on tropical forest biodiversity,and suggest that social wasps,among other invertebrates,can be used as bioindicators in infrastructure development projects.

Path-dependent speciation in dynamic fitness landscapes

Species is a fundamental concept in evolutionary biology and biodiversity.However,existing species definitions are often influenced by artificial factors or are challenging in practical application,leading to confusion in species classification.Due to uncertain environmental changes and random genetic drift,the fitness expectations of a population may shift,causing species to evolve to a new evolutionary state based on their current instantaneous fitness within a dynamic fitness landscape.This contrasts with the classic static fitness landscape,where fitness expectations are constant.In a dynamic fitness landscape,speciation may exhibit path dependence,where the evolution of traits follows a probabilistic path,creating feedback that shapes evolutionary trajectories.The path-dependent evolutionary mechanism suggests that species survival within an ecosystem is not directly determined by their fitness but by the probability of their evolutionary pathways.This model also indicates that species can coexist with varying probabilities under limited environmental pressures.Consequently,new species,cryptic species,or sympatric species may emerge via path-dependent evolutionary processes.Within this framework,we developed a mathematical species concept,which may guide future species classification methodologies.

Taxonomic notes of theridiid spiders (Araneae: Theridiidae) from China and Vietnam

Ten new species of the spider family Theridiidae Sundevall,1833 from China and Vietnam are described:Chrysso shantinggui sp.nov.(♂♀),Gushangzao andaoquan sp.nov.(♂),Moneta oupeng sp.nov.(♂♀),Phycosoma yanshun sp.nov.(♂♀),Spinembolia gaofani sp.nov.(♀),S.jiangjing sp.nov.(♂♀),S.lingzhen sp.nov.(♂♀),Stemmops dengfei sp.nov.(♂♀),Takayus xiaorang sp.nov.(♂♀),Yaginumena weidingguo sp.nov.(♀).The unknown sexes of Allothymoites sculptilis Gao&Li,2014,Gyro zeppeli Lin&Li,2024,Parasteatoda longiducta Zhu,1998 are described for the first time.

Gibbon vocal communication provides insights into the origin and evolution of human music and language

Humans across cultures convey feelings and thoughts through music.Despite its ubiquity,the origins and evolution of music remain enigmatic.Archaeological evidence has traced the history of music back at least 40000 years ago based on prehistoric bone flutes(Fitch,2006).Comparative studies have also explored earlier histories by identifying common musical features between animals and humans(Fitch,2006).For example,songbirds exhibit categorical rhythms similar to human music(Roeske et al.,2020),and humans can recognize emotional arousal in signals across all classes of terrestrial vertebrates(Filippi et al.,2017).These findings,while surprising,align with the longstanding human perception of animal signals as music(Gray et al.,2001).The universality of music and its features intensifies the fundamental question posed by Darwin(1871):how has a behavior that is energetically costly and seemingly non-adaptive evolved to become so widespread?This question can be further divided into two sub-questions(Savage et al.,2021):(1)how do musical features contribute to the production or expressive power of music(i.e.,mechanisms),and(2)how does music benefit performers in terms of survival,reproductions,or other aspects(i.e.,functions).

Dual ecological and socio-cultural fragmentation induced by hydropower dams: Case studies from the Greater Himalayan region of India

Climate change and biodiversity loss are pressing global challenges(Pörtner et al.,2021).However,as global energy demand continues to increase(IEA,2021),nations face significant challenges to decarbonization and reaching“net zero”due to trade-offs between the often-competing needs of renewable energy generation and biodiversity conservation.For example,hydropower generates renewable energy(Gibson et al.,2017),yet there are well-documented and severe consequences of dam development for biodiversity(e.g.,Zarfl et al.,2019)and people(e.g.,Bisht,2009)due to reservoir creation and disruption of river flows.Despite such potentially damaging ecological and social trade-offs,hydropower currently contributes 70%of global renewable energy and there are at least 3700 large dams planned or under construction globally(Zhang&Gu,2023).

Why we need a new journal in diversity and conservation

It is not difficult to imagine humankind as stewards and custodians of the vast,complex,unique,and awe-inspiring property called Planet Earth.We are duty-bound to take good care of this priceless property,for our own well-being,and for the well-being of our future generations.We take stock of the value of our property by understanding its fragile biodiversity;and we safeguard its value by monitoring and protecting it.Just as a piece of real estate is livable only if it is wellsupported by utilities and other municipal services,we have a duty to ensure that the natural habitats and the crucial ecological services they provide are in tip-top conditions.This requires a deep understanding how an intricate,vibrant,and resilient ecosystem works,and how natural forces and manmade decisions can impact its sustainability,both positively and negatively.