Abstract Foraging animals create nonrandom patterns of diversity and abundance within resource communities. Perceiving predation pressure and intraspecific competition for food resources, foragers can alter space use patterns, foraging intensity, and preference for specific functional traits of their resources. Consequently, variation in the behavior of foragers may alter the patterns of diversity in resource communities. We investigated the concurrent effects of predation risk to foragers, and of forager density on the diversity of resources in an experimental resource community. We created resource landscapes using experimental foraging patches in near‐natural rodent enclosures and replicated the experiment with two rodent species, which differed in their sociality and foraging ecology, so the importance of intraspecific competition could vary. For both species, predation risk (induced via open vs. covered foraging patches) led to reduced foraging activity (higher giving up densities). Consequently, resource diversity was higher in foraging patches and landscapes with greater perceived predation risk than in safe foraging patches and landscapes. Increased forager density in safe conditions decreased resource community diversity only in the less social species, which forages on depletable, ephemeral resources. Forager density had no effect under perceived predation risk. The more sociable species, which feeds on grasses that are not easily depletable, did not alter its foraging behavior with density. Our findings illustrate the overall importance of predation risk, not only on behavior but also on lower trophic levels, and that density effects are mediated by both predation risk and species ecology. Thus, predation, competition, and sociality at the consumer level can indirectly affect local and regional dynamics of communities of resource species.

Abstract This research seeks to develop pedagogical approaches that shift away from “deficit” approaches to broadening participation in Ecology and Environmental Science (E&ES) higher education. Rather than emphasizing what underrepresented populations lack in E&ES awareness and experience, this “anti‐deficit” approach focuses on institutional barriers and student strengths. To inform strategies to broaden participation, we conducted focus groups to assess individual sense of belonging in E&ES fields. The focus groups were designed to investigate personal stories, shared experiences, and narratives of how individuals became practitioners in E&ES fields or not. Our 10 focus groups totaled 36 participants and included individuals typically represented and those underrepresented in E&ES based on ethnicity or race. Although outdoor experiences are frequently acknowledged as formative for developing an ecological identity, our analysis revealed additional pathways through which underrepresented students cultivated ecological identity. The less acknowledged pathways we highlight in this paper are subsistence/rural upbringing, personal experience with environmental change and disasters, and shifts in the generational zeitgeist around environmental care. In addition to identifying overlooked pathways for developing a connection with nature, we found that students' decisions about whether to choose ecology as a career pathway or not are influenced by their perceptions of whether ecological sciences embrace human–nature interactions, attend to issues of representation and identity, and put communities and care for others at their center. We conclude with implications for recruitment and retention in ecology and environmental fields.

Abstract Beech forests in Central Europe are frequently the focus of entomological studies targeting saproxylic beetle species that depend on deadwood. However, considerably less attention has been paid to non‐saproxylic beetle species. Our research aimed to address this gap by focusing on the diversity and abundance of functional guilds of non‐saproxylic beetles. General analyses based only on total species richness can be misleading, as they may overlook fundamental ecological processes. Thus, the primary objective was to evaluate species richness and abundance of non‐saproxylic beetles in relation to species' habitat types, larval habitat types, and larval trophic feeding guilds. Data were collected over a three‐year period using window traps placed on permanent monitoring plots. Regarding species habitat, the highest proportion of both species (46%) and individuals (61%) belonged to an opportunistic group that inhabits both open landscapes and forest habitats equally. The second largest group, in terms of species (23%) and individuals (32%), consisted of species preferring forest environments. When categorized by larval habitat—belowground, epigeic, and aboveground—the number of species was relatively balanced. However, the highest number of species had epigeic (41%) or belowground (34%) larval stages. In contrast, the majority of individuals (63%) belonged to species whose larvae develop belowground. From the perspective of trophic guilds, most species were classified as mycetophagous (35%) or carnivorous (21%). Other trophic groups (rhizophagous, phytophagous, and saprophagous) were evenly represented. In terms of abundance, carnivorous species were dominant, comprising 40% of all individuals recorded. The results indicate that the composition of mainly flying, non‐saproxylic beetles is derived largely from the soil and epigeic layers of pure beech stands, with a community structure dominated by opportunistic species primarily associated with carnivorous and mycetophagous trophic guilds. This study contributes new insights into beech forest beetle assemblages, expanding the focus beyond the frequently studied saproxylic species.

Abstract Climate change is threatening ecologically and culturally important species. For species with broad ranges and complex life cycles, such as migratory Pacific salmon ( Oncorhynchus spp.), climate exposure may vary across space and diverse life history strategies. Here, we quantify climate exposure and adaptive capacity across the North American range and remarkable phenological diversity of Chinook salmon ( O. tshawytscha ). We compiled data on adult freshwater migration timing and its environmental covariates for 295 populations of Chinook salmon spanning 29 degrees of latitude from California to Alaska. We linked this migration timing data to recent (1990s) and future (2040s) water temperatures to quantify thermal exposure during each population's timing of entrance to freshwater. At northern latitudes, Chinook migration timing was compressed to 3 months during the summer, while at southern latitudes, migration occurred across months before and after stressful peak summer water temperatures. Earlier migration timing was associated with longer migration distances and greater elevations gained. Thermal exposure was controlled by latitude and run‐timing, with lower latitude and summer and fall runs being most exposed to potentially harmful temperatures both now and into the future. However, potentially harmful climate exposure was predicted to increase the most in mid‐latitude populations (~45° to 55°) that have not yet adapted to migrate before and after peak summer temperatures. If Chinook salmon phenology were to keep pace with projected climate warming by the 2040s, the majority (75%) of populations would need to shift their migration timing earlier in the year, pulling their migration farther apart from their fall spawning phenology. Collectively, these findings showcase how latitude and life history diversity influence climate change risk and indicate the importance of preserving existing migration timing diversity and adaptive capacity across the broad range of a migratory species.

Abstract Consumptive use of freshwater is of concern in many estuarine ecosystems, and various frameworks have been used to prescribe environmental flows to benefit native species. However, few of these frameworks explicitly examine the potential trade‐offs between socioeconomic and conservation‐oriented values. This is exemplified in California, USA, where freshwater management has been an area of focus and controversy. Operations of numerous reservoirs and water diversion facilities distributed throughout the state, while critical for economic and public health benefits, have contributed to the decline of many native species. The endangered delta smelt ( Hypomesus transpacificus ) is endemic to the Sacramento‐San Joaquin Delta, the heart of California's complex water conveyance system. To aid recovery of delta smelt, fall‐timed freshwater pulse flows were implemented, which require water to be either released from reservoirs, or made unavailable to export for consumptive uses. Previous research has indicated that the effectiveness of the current pulse flow action could be improved by reconsidering the timing and magnitude; however, uncertainties in the predicted fish response to flow pulses may hinder decision‐making about flow management. Using a water resource planning model, different iterations of an individual‐based life cycle model, and decision analysis tools, we assessed the importance of sources of uncertainty to hypothetical flow management decisions, including uncertainty surrounding the predicted responses in delta smelt population growth rates, and variability of decision‐maker's values. We found both the choice of which (if any) flow action to take for delta smelt, and the expected value of further research, depended on how decision‐makers weight the delta smelt and water supply objectives. There was expected value of information (VOI) only if a decision‐maker weighted the delta smelt objective ≥0.59, and within this range, research to improve estimates of changes in delta smelt prey items related to flow actions could be prioritized over other sources of uncertainty to improve outcomes of decision‐making. Our study demonstrates how uncertainty, even if large, may not be equally relevant to different decision‐makers (e.g., with different agency missions), and how VOI analysis can be used to guide management in an overallocated water system such as California.

Abstract Accurate estimates of abundance are crucial for successful conservation and management. However, gathering abundance data is costly. Species abundance models (SAMs) are increasingly used to predict variation in abundance for resource management for single species, but collecting enough relevant environmental information to build effective SAMs can often be challenging. Species co‐occurrence patterns may provide additional information on missing environmental predictors, and data on presence–absence species co‐occurrence are typically easier to collect than abundance or detailed environmental data. However, it is still not clear when supplementing abiotic data with co‐occurrence data should improve abundance predictions, as co‐occurrence data themselves represent a noisy indicator of the local environment. Using simulated data where we manipulated the strength of relevant environmental predictors across multiple species, we assessed the conditions that improve model predictions of a target species by using co‐occurrence data on the remaining species as a proxy for missing environmental predictors. Because species often share environmental preferences in nature, an aspect simulated in our data, latent variables are expected to summarize important environmental gradients across co‐occurring species. We employed Gaussian copulas to generate presence–absence co‐occurrence‐based latent variables as proxies. These latent variables, along with various combinations of environmental predictors, were subsequently used as predictors in SAMs. We evaluated the accuracy of these models in predicting the presence and abundance of target species through model validation exercises. Our results showed that incorporating presence–absence latent predictors generally improved model performance when compared to models lacking relevant environmental predictors, although there was considerable variation in performance across simulations. All models tended to have greater error rates when predicting abundant species compared to rare species. The goal of our proposed framework is to offer a novel and easy‐to‐implement method for accurately predicting abundance from both biotic and environmental information.

Abstract Leguminous green mulching (LGM) enhances soil biochemical properties and ecosystem functions of orchards, yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. To address this, we compared three mulching regimes—clean tillage, 4‐year mulching, and 8‐year mulching—to examine the response of soil microbial metabolic limitation and ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) to LGM. Results showed that soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contents, corresponding enzyme activities, and EMF all increased significantly with mulching duration but decreased with soil depth. In topsoil, 8‐year mulching achieved the highest EMF during the seeding‐fruit maturity stage (2.04), followed by the withering‐fruit swelling (WFS) stage (2.00). Microbial C limitation consistently declined with mulching age, while P limitation fluctuated across growth stages and mulching treatments. Compared with clean tillage, 8‐year mulching reduced microbial C limitation by 6.69%–45.02% and P limitation by 1.59%–9.47%. Partial least squares structural equation modeling indicated that EMF was driven directly by C‐ and N‐acquiring enzyme activities and indirectly by C and N nutrient pools. Among these, C‐acquiring enzyme activity (path coefficient: 0.42) exerted the strongest synergistic effect during the WFS stage. Collectively, prolonged LGM enhanced EMF by alleviating microbial nutrient constraints, with the greatest benefits observed in topsoil and during the WFS period. These findings provide multi‐temporal and spatial evidence that LGM regulates soil nutrient supply and cycling, offering a basis for more refined and targeted orchard management strategies.

Abstract All plant organs have the potential to harbor microbial communities and each organ may form unique niches for specialized microbial communities. There have been very few detailed investigations of microbiomes within a single plant organ along different developmental stages. Here, we investigated the bacterial and fungal communities associated with the endosphere and rhizoplane of primary aerial roots, mature aerial roots, and subterranean parts of mature aerial roots of Cissus verticillata . Our results showed that the proportions of dominant bacterial and fungal genera varied across the three aerial root types both for the endosphere and for the rhizoplane. For the endosphere bacteria, the highest diversity indices were observed in subterranean aerial roots, while mature aerial roots had a higher rhizoplane bacteria diversity. For fungal diversity indices, mature aerial roots had the highest richness for both endosphere and rhizoplane fungi. The study also found that the microbial assemblage composition of each aerial root type was distinctly unique. Generally, our network analysis revealed that fungi had higher network property values compared to bacteria. Additionally, the rhizoplane had higher network property values than the endosphere, particularly within the fungal community. Furthermore, bacterial functions were similar across the three aerial root types, which suggests the stability of bacterial functions. By contrast, considerable shifts in the relative abundance of fungal functional groups across aerial root development were observed. Additionally, fungi and bacteria show differential responses to three aerial root types. This study provides a new perspective for understanding the characteristics of plant aerial root microbial communities along developmental stages.

Abstract Studies of biodiversity loss commonly imply that species extinctions occurred as a direct result of initial human arrival and thus are attributable to stewardship failures of Indigenous Peoples. However, recent studies have suggested this assumption is not supported by the evidence, prompting a global reevaluation of existing assumptions. To assess the relationship between human arrival in the Hawaiian Islands and documented declines in waterbird biodiversity, we reviewed empirical evidence from paleoecological studies. We first identified the time period that extinct Hawaiian waterbird species were last observed within the fossil record. We then evaluated four hypotheses proposed to explain drivers of Holocene waterbird extinctions: (1) the overkill hypothesis; (2) the deforestation hypothesis; (3) the climate change hypothesis; and (4) the species introductions hypothesis. Of the 18 extinct waterbird species evaluated in this study, 10 were last observed in the fossil record prior to Polynesian arrival, 6 were last observed in the fossil record during the Polynesian era, and 2 were last visually observed after European arrival. Extinctions that possibly occurred during the Polynesian era were likely caused by a suite of factors, some anthropogenic and some non‐anthropogenic. Our findings contradict previous studies that attributed Holocene waterbird extinctions to hunting and deforestation by Native Hawaiians and suggest a future line of inquiry regarding a proposed “regime shift extinctions” hypothesis to explain complex impacts of human‐mediated and climatic drivers of extinction in the Anthropocene.

Abstract The increasing societal demands on the seabed due to the expansion of offshore wind energy highlight an urgent need to better understand the relationship between human activities and the structure and function of seabed ecosystems. In this paper, we propose an empirically derived approach to quantify relative ecological risk to benthic invertebrate assemblages from future offshore wind development. Using benthic data from over 22,000 seabed grab samples across the UK shelf and wider North Sea contained in OneBenthic, a freely available online data repository, we produce modeled raster layers for three biological criteria upon which we define ecological risk. These are (1) relative benthic sensitivity based on response traits expression, (2) benthic biodiversity, and (3) assemblage rarity. We create a holistic map based on these three layers and discuss how this information may be used, using a new online tool, to assist decisions regarding future offshore development to minimize potential impacts on benthic assemblages. Given the broad spatial coverage of our maps, our tool could help expedite the expansion of offshore wind in a large area of the northeast Atlantic, whilst the underlying methodology can be applied to other regions with extensive benthic survey data, thereby facilitating international commitments to reduce carbon emissions. We propose how the maps may be improved and discuss the future incorporation of extra criteria into the framework.