Ecologies

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10 pages, 2806 KB

Open AccessCommunication

Determining the Randomness of Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri) Mist-Net Recaptures by Sex and Age Group in Ensenada de la Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico

by Roberto Carmona, Daniel Galindo-Espinosa and Francisco Omar López-Fuerte

Ecologies 2026, 7(3), 74; https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies7030074 - 1 Aug 2026

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Abstract

Background: Population sex ratios and age structure are fundamental demographic parameters in shorebird studies, and their accurate estimation depends on unbiased capture methods. Methods: To identify potential capture biases, we evaluated the randomness of mist-net recaptures between sex and age classes of the [...] Read more.

Background: Population sex ratios and age structure are fundamental demographic parameters in shorebird studies, and their accurate estimation depends on unbiased capture methods. Methods: To identify potential capture biases, we evaluated the randomness of mist-net recaptures between sex and age classes of the Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri) in La Paz Lagoon, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Results: A total of 856 individuals were captured and banded, of which 89 (10.4%) were recaptured. Observed and expected recapture frequencies did not differ significantly between sexes (67 observed vs. 62 expected males; 22 observed vs. 26 expected females), indicating no sex-related bias in recapture probability. In contrast, significant differences were detected between age classes (20 observed vs. 42 expected adults; 69 observed vs. 46 expected juveniles), demonstrating a clear age-related bias. The elapsed time between initial capture and recapture was similar for males and females but differed significantly between age classes: adults were most frequently recaptured after 51–75 days, whereas juveniles were recaptured predominantly after 1–25 days. Conclusions: Juveniles were more likely than adults to be captured and recaptured. The higher capture probability of juveniles may be associated with their greater mobility, resulting from their limited experience and lower social status. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Community Ecology: Interactions, Dynamics, and Diversity)

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26 pages, 3540 KB

Open AccessArticle

Non-Random Patterns, Seasonality and Structure of Soil Collembola Communities in the Nestos River Delta, Greece

by Kleanthis Patsidis, Vassilis Detsis and Giorgos D. Kokkoris

Ecologies 2026, 7(2), 57; https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies7020057 - 12 Jun 2026

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Abstract

A central goal in ecology is to understand whether community assembly follows deterministic rules or is of a stochastic nature. Although species co-occurrence is extensively documented and studied for vertebrates, applying these frameworks to soil Collembola communities in Mediterranean riparian systems provides essential [...] Read more.

A central goal in ecology is to understand whether community assembly follows deterministic rules or is of a stochastic nature. Although species co-occurrence is extensively documented and studied for vertebrates, applying these frameworks to soil Collembola communities in Mediterranean riparian systems provides essential comparative data for community assembly theory. This study examined soil Collembola communities in the Nestos River delta (Greece) across diverse seasons and habitats using thirty-two presence–absence matrices based on abundance data for fifty-four species. These were analyzed using several metrics, each with appropriate randomization algorithms. We studied these metrics across seasons to track community structure changes over time. Additionally, the use of an appropriate multivariate method quantified the influence of soil humidity, while seasonal variations in biomass and diversity were tracked to explore biotic and abiotic influences. In most cases, null hypotheses about the forces structuring these communities could not be rejected, although some instances suggested competitively structured communities. Overall, soil humidity was found to modestly influence community structure, while concordant seasonal trends among biomass and diversity suggest that environmental filtering and biotic interactions shape the observed patterns, with temporal dynamics appearing relatively consistent across habitats within the study year. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Community Ecology: Interactions, Dynamics, and Diversity)

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18 pages, 1101 KB

Open AccessArticle

Biological Constraints Outweigh Neutral Processes in Shaping the Hummingbird-Plant Network of a Tropical Dry Forest

by Sergio Díaz-Infante, Carlos Lara, Oscar Gonzalez and María del Coro Arizmendi

Ecologies 2026, 7(2), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies7020045 - 17 May 2026

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Abstract

Plant–animal interactions have shaped much of Earth’s biodiversity. Their structure probably results from a combination of neutrality and constraints imposed by species’ traits, such as phenotypes, phenologies, and spatial distributions, which may affect their stability and coevolutionary processes. Understanding how biological communities are [...] Read more.

Plant–animal interactions have shaped much of Earth’s biodiversity. Their structure probably results from a combination of neutrality and constraints imposed by species’ traits, such as phenotypes, phenologies, and spatial distributions, which may affect their stability and coevolutionary processes. Understanding how biological communities are structured remains a major challenge in ecology. To explore this, a hummingbird–plant interaction network from a tropical dry forest in Mexico was surveyed monthly over two years to identify the main drivers of species interactions and network structure. By combining data on morphology, phenology, and the abundance of flowers and hummingbirds, we examined whether biological constraints or neutral processes better explain interaction frequencies and how these factors influence network metrics. Our results indicate that a biological constraint—species phenology—is the most important predictor of plant–hummingbird interaction frequencies. Conversely, null models incorporating abundance best projected most network parameters, suggesting that a neutral process is crucial for predicting these metrics. Interaction networks serve as valuable tools for studying ecological processes. Because previous studies have reported contrasting results regarding the drivers of hummingbird–plant interactions, further comparative studies across ecosystems are still needed to evaluate the generality of these mechanisms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Community Ecology: Interactions, Dynamics, and Diversity)

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20 pages, 3487 KB

Open AccessArticle

Hidden Fish Assemblages in Mediterranean Posidonia oceanica Meadows Are Less Diverse and Abundant than in the Cryptic Spaces of Neighboring Habitats

by Marcelo Kovačić, Igor Glavičić, Alen Soldo, Zoran Valić and Dejan Paliska

Ecologies 2026, 7(2), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies7020040 - 29 Apr 2026

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Abstract

The present research provides the first quantitative comparison of the hidden fish assemblages in Posidonia meadows and neighboring non-Posidonia habitats. The data and samples were collected at sixty sampling points at three locations on the south side of Brač Island in the [...] Read more.

The present research provides the first quantitative comparison of the hidden fish assemblages in Posidonia meadows and neighboring non-Posidonia habitats. The data and samples were collected at sixty sampling points at three locations on the south side of Brač Island in the eastern Adriatic Sea from October 2023 to June 2025. The gradient of a significant increase in fish abundance and average fish species richness in cuboids and the increase in the frequency of occurrence of fish species were observed from habitats inside Posidonia meadows, over the Posidonia meadow edge, to the habitats outside Posidonia meadows. The primary influence on the abundance was the rarity of species from the family Gobiidae within Posidonia habitats. The markedly different species composition between the Posidonia and non-Posidonia habitats was driven by the high species richness of the family Labridae in the Posidonia habitat compared to the high species richness of the family Gobiidae in the non-Posidonia habitats. The Posidonia meadow edge showed overlap with the two other habitat types, sharing a number of species. The sampling protocol developed in this study is suitable for the quantitative assessment of fishes inhabiting hidden Posidonia microhabitats and provides a methodological basis for future research. The current knowledge of fish in Mediterranean Posidonia meadows, as well as the conservation consequences of still limited knowledge, are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Community Ecology: Interactions, Dynamics, and Diversity)

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14 pages, 1201 KB

Open AccessArticle

Testing Climatic Stability–Endemism Relationships Using Western Balkan Endemic Beetles’ Localities and Paleoclimate Reconstructions

by Desislava Stoianova and Ivan Tomov

Ecologies 2026, 7(2), 38; https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies7020038 - 26 Apr 2026

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Abstract

An association between long-term climatic stability and endemism has been suggested, but it has been tested in plants and vertebrates rather than invertebrates. Using high-resolution paleoclimate reconstructions (CHELSA-TraCE21k; 21,000 BP–present), we tested whether non-cave localities of endemic beetles in the western Balkans are [...] Read more.

An association between long-term climatic stability and endemism has been suggested, but it has been tested in plants and vertebrates rather than invertebrates. Using high-resolution paleoclimate reconstructions (CHELSA-TraCE21k; 21,000 BP–present), we tested whether non-cave localities of endemic beetles in the western Balkans are non-randomly associated with local climatic stability. For four bioclimatic variables, we quantified temporal variability using three metrics (SD, range, detrended SD) and defined stability islands as cells in the most stable quartile relative to their neighbourhood at three spatial scales (3 × 3, 5 × 5, 9 × 9). We tested whether 578 endemic-locality cells were enriched in stability islands, against elevation-matched null models. Annual mean temperature produced the highest raw frequency of endemic localities in stability islands, but this pattern was not significant after elevation control. In contrast, endemic localities showed a modest but consistent enrichment in annual precipitation stability islands (observed 9.7–10.7% vs. null 7.3–8.5%; p = 0.01–0.03) across neighbourhood sizes. At the 3 × 3 scale, 60 endemic localities fell within precipitation-stability islands; of them, 20 were outside current protected areas—indicating conservation gaps where minor boundary revisions could enable protection of endemic beetles’ habitats in precipitation-stable sites. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Community Ecology: Interactions, Dynamics, and Diversity)

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18 pages, 3704 KB

Open AccessArticle

Environmental Drivers of Zooplankton Communities in the Tropical Low-Latitude Northwestern Pacific Ocean

by Rouxin Sun, Yanghang Chen, Yanyan Yang, Xiuwu Sun, Peng Xiang, Chunguang Wang, Bingpeng Xing and Yanguo Wang

Ecologies 2026, 7(2), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies7020036 - 16 Apr 2026

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This study investigates the spatiotemporal dynamics of zooplankton communities in the tropical low-latitude Northwestern Pacific Ocean based on field surveys conducted in August 2021 and November 2022. Redundancy analysis identified nitrate, silicate, temperature, and salinity as the primary factors influencing community structure. The [...] Read more.

This study investigates the spatiotemporal dynamics of zooplankton communities in the tropical low-latitude Northwestern Pacific Ocean based on field surveys conducted in August 2021 and November 2022. Redundancy analysis identified nitrate, silicate, temperature, and salinity as the primary factors influencing community structure. The distribution of dominant zooplankton groups exhibited close correlations with key environmental gradients, showing distinct habitat preferences corresponding to different hydrographic conditions. Zooplankton abundance in August 2021 was significantly higher than that in November 2022, which is presumably attributed to eddy-induced nutrient upwelling and enhanced primary productivity. Comparisons with adjacent marine regions reveal general consistency in overall zooplankton abundance and community species composition, while the observed seasonal discrepancies are closely associated with local unique hydrographic characteristics. These results highlight the role of nutrient–temperature–salinity interactions in structuring zooplankton communities and underscore their sensitivity to environmental variability. The findings provide a scientific basis for understanding pelagic ecosystem dynamics in oligotrophic waters and for developing management strategies under changing climate and oceanographic conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Community Ecology: Interactions, Dynamics, and Diversity)

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25 pages, 2552 KB

Open AccessArticle

Spatio-Temporal Distribution and Ecology of Recent Freshwater Ostracoda (Crustacea) from the Danube Floodplain in Banat and Podunavlje Regions of Serbia

by Jovo Pokrajac and Tamara Karan-Žnidaršič

Ecologies 2026, 7(1), 28; https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies7010028 - 12 Mar 2026

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Freshwater ostracods have considerable potential as indicators of environmental conditions, yet their ecology remains poorly documented in many large river floodplains of Southeast Europe. This study examines samples collected from ten aquatic habitats located along the Danube floodplain in Serbia’s Banat and Podunavlje [...] Read more.

Freshwater ostracods have considerable potential as indicators of environmental conditions, yet their ecology remains poorly documented in many large river floodplains of Southeast Europe. This study examines samples collected from ten aquatic habitats located along the Danube floodplain in Serbia’s Banat and Podunavlje regions. Monthly sampling was conducted over a twelve-month period (July 2023–June 2024), with concurrent measurements of water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, and turbidity. Ostracods were recorded at seven sites, yielding 19 taxa belonging to 13 genera and four families within all three non-marine superfamilies of Podocopida. Eight recorded taxa represent new additions to the Serbian fauna. Species richness was highest in semi-isolated floodplain habitats. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that seasonal environmental variation, especially water temperature, turbidity, and conductivity, strongly structured assemblages. Hierarchical cluster analysis (UPGMA) grouped samples primarily by species composition, with seasonality exerting a strong secondary influence. Seasonal patterns revealed pronounced interspecific differences in temporal persistence and ecological tolerance of recorded species. Findings highlight the Danube floodplain’s role as a dispersal corridor, while also revealing that the river itself acts as a partial barrier, restricting faunal exchange to widespread, tolerant species. The results emphasize the importance of habitat heterogeneity and year-round sampling and support the integration of ostracods into long-term floodplain monitoring programs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Community Ecology: Interactions, Dynamics, and Diversity)

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18 pages, 6116 KB

Open AccessArticle

Buried Treasures, Hidden Thresholds: Integrating Cave and Landscape Drivers to Guide Conservation of Amazon Ferruginous Cave Biodiversity

by Marcus Paulo Alves de Oliveira, Ataliba Henrique Fraga Coelho, Luís Beethoven Piló and Rodrigo Lopes Ferreira

Ecologies 2026, 7(1), 26; https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies7010026 - 4 Mar 2026

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Abstract

Iron-ore extraction plays a central role in the global economy, but several major mining areas overlap with ecologically unique ferruginous landscapes in the Brazilian Amazon, including caves that harbor endemic and highly specialized invertebrate fauna. Reconciling mineral exploitation with biodiversity conservation requires objective [...] Read more.

Iron-ore extraction plays a central role in the global economy, but several major mining areas overlap with ecologically unique ferruginous landscapes in the Brazilian Amazon, including caves that harbor endemic and highly specialized invertebrate fauna. Reconciling mineral exploitation with biodiversity conservation requires objective ecological criteria capable of supporting evidence-based decision-making. In this study, we evaluated how cave attributes and surrounding landscape features jointly structure invertebrate communities in pristine ferruginous caves of the Amazon and assessed their relative importance and environmental thresholds. Invertebrates were sampled in 69 iron-ore caves during dry and wet seasons, and 28 environmental variables related to cave morphology, microclimate, trophic resources, lithology, vegetation cover, and external climate were measured in subterranean habitats and adjacent landscapes. Our results demonstrate a clear scale-dependent pattern: cave attributes primarily regulated species richness, troglobitic richness, taxonomic distinctness, and seasonal beta diversity, whereas landscape features exerted stronger control over species composition, including troglobitic assemblages. Threshold analyses identified specific combinations of cave and landscape attributes associated with biologically pristine communities. These findings highlight that assessments of ferruginous cave biodiversity must integrate landscape-scale metrics, be conducted in unaltered environments, and prioritize networks of caves rather than isolated sites. This integrative framework provides robust ecological support for conservation planning and the sustainable management of iron-ore cave systems in the Amazon. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Community Ecology: Interactions, Dynamics, and Diversity)

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