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Content with tag integrative ecology .

A source of exogenous oxidative stress improves oxidative status and favors pheomelanin synthesis in zebra finches

Some organisms can modulate gene expression to trigger physiological responses that help adapt to environmental stress. The synthesis of the pigment pheomelanin in melanocytes seems to be one of these responses, as it may contribute to cellular homeostasis. Environmental oxidative stress was experimentally induced in male zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata by the administration of the herbicide diquat dibromide during feather growth to test if the expression of genes involved in pheomelanin...

A risk assessment in Spain reveals that 30 invasive plant species are available for sale

Horticulture is one of the main pathways of deliberate introduction of non-native plants, some of which might become invasive. Of the 914 commercial ornamental outdoor plant species sold in Spain, 700 (77%) are non-native (archaeophytes excluded) marketed species. These species were classified into six different lists based on their invasion status in Spain and elsewhere, their climatic suitability in Spain, and their potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts.

Genetic evaluation of the Iberian lynx ex situ conservation programme

Ex situ programmes have become critical for improving the conservation of many threatened species, as they establish backup populations and provide individuals for reintroduction and reinforcement of wild populations. The Iberian lynx was considered the most threatened felid species in the world in the wake of a dramatic decline during the second half of the 20th century. An ex situ conservation programme was established in 2003 with individuals from the two well-differentiated, remnant...

Defaunation precipitates the extinction of evolutionarily distinct interactions in the Anthropocene

Species on Earth are interconnected with each other through ecological interactions. Defaunation can erode those connections, yet we lack evolutionary predictions about the consequences of losing interactions in human-modified ecosystems. Here, the fate of the evolutionary history of avian–seed dispersal interactions across tropical forest fragments is quantified.

Intact but empty forests? Patterns of hunting induced mammal defaunation in the tropics

Tropical forests are increasingly degraded by industrial logging, urbanization, agriculture, and infrastructure, with only 20% of the remaining area considered intact. However, this figure does not include other, more cryptic but pervasive forms of degradation, such as overhunting. Here, the spatial patterns of mammal defaunation in the tropics are quantified and mapped.