Search Results (55)

In this article, we employ a Batesonian systems thinking approach to analyze politically polarized and politically polarizing encounters in the contemporary United States. We bring together Bateson’s concepts of schismogenesis, double binds, metacommunication, and transcontextualism with recent work on recognition and resonance in order to show how these encounters create moments of transcontextual double binds that produce mutual dysrecognition. We show how these moments of mutual dysrecognition become both animating forces of political polarization in the moment while also becoming constitutive poetic resonances for making sense of future events. When these moments of dysrecognition are considered alongside the removal of mechanisms that restrain schismogenesis, the United States body politic is becoming increasingly schizophrenic—split in two with both parts incommunicado with the other such that the whole system is veering towards collapse. We close by briefly considering the kind of deutero-learning, to use Bateson’s term, that might help to stave off such a collapse. Full article

This study investigated the mechanisms determining macrophyte species composition in 23 Andalusian Mediterranean mountain wetlands (southern Spain). We employed a methodology combining two approaches: a pattern-based approach utilizing Elements of Metacommunity Structure (EMS) and a mechanistic approach involving Redundancy Analysis (RDA) and variance partitioning. This allowed us to identify the relevance of interactions between environmental and spatial factors. Data collection in these wetlands included macrophyte samples and physicochemical variables, alongside spatial variables generated using Moran’s Eigenvector Maps (MEMs). To refine the analysis of metacommunity structuring, the species matrix was partitioned based on macrophyte dispersal strategy (charophytes by spores and macrophyte vascular plants by seeds). Our results reveal that the macrophyte metacommunity in these wetlands exhibits quasi-clumped species loss for the total community, while charophytes and vascular plants showed quasi-random species loss. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that macrophyte communities in Mediterranean mountain wetlands do not follow a simple species replacement pattern. Instead, they are organized in a quasi-nested pattern, strongly shaped by environmental filters and, to a lesser extent, by spatial connectivity, with a prominent role for random processes. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for predicting species responses to environmental changes and for designing effective conservation strategies within these vulnerable ecosystems. Full article

While teachers’ professional learning communities (PLCs) have been extensively studied, discipline-specific PLCs (DPLCs) have received less attention, particularly regarding the subject matter’s role and its connection to other community dimensions. To explore this, we conducted two independent studies on DPLCs. Study 1 examined physics teacher DPLCs, using participant observations and literature-based analysis. Study 2 investigated science and technology teacher DPLCs through interviews and passive observation, which was analyzed through content analysis. Both studies yielded remarkably similar findings, leading to a synthesized model encompassing five dimensions: the structural dimension, reflecting the community’s tangible and logical organization; the content dimension, emphasizing the discipline-specific focus of the DPLC; the common production dimension, showcasing joint enterprise activities and products of the DPLC; the social-affective dimension, addressing social, emotional, and value-based aspects that establish a sense of community; and the meta-community dimension, exploring the DPLC’s relationships with its broader environment. These dimensions operate bidirectionally: inward—the effect of the community on the individual, and outward—the effect of the individual teacher on the community. We discuss how interactions between these dimensions shape DPLCs and influence teacher development. Additionally, we highlight the significance of this unified model for DPLC leaders, researchers, and policymakers in teacher development. Full article

Genetic diversity determines evolutionary potential. Without a variable genome, natural selection cannot act. Habitat fragmentation is the single largest threat to global biodiversity, as it reduces or eliminates gene flow among populations, thereby increasing the erosion of genetic diversity through random genetic drift. The loss of adaptive capacity in small, isolated populations is irreversible without gene flow and the ensuing genetic rescue. Without habitat connectivity, populations cannot expand or contract into refugia, an increasingly vital capacity under climate change. Here, I review what we have learned from organisms found in naturally fragmented landscapes. Metapopulation theory has played a seminal role in this goal. However, extending this theory to anthropogenically fragmented habitats has been a challenge. Single-species approaches cannot elucidate the impacts of habitat fragmentation on entire communities, composed of species with diverse interactions—mutualisms, facilitations and predator–prey dynamics—and proper ecosystem functioning. To overcome the limitation of single-species studies, metacommunity and metaecosystem ideas have emerged. The spatial extent and configuration of habitat patches will determine which species remain in altered landscapes. Changes to species interactions, community structure and ecosystem processes will follow. Ecosystem function determines ecosystem viability, and losses of keystone or foundation species will have cascading effects. Genomic tools can track the effect of landscape changes on population and movement dynamics, the maintenance of genetic resources and the persistence probabilities of individual species in the context of the communities in which they are embedded. Landscape genetics combines landscape features and population genetics to quantify how species use diverse landscapes and is now a powerful tool to assess the causes and consequences of habitat fragmentation for interacting species in fragmented ecosystems. Full article

To explain the distribution and abundance of species, ecology searches for general models. A pattern often encountered in nature is the interspecific abundance–occupancy relationship (AOR), which describes how the mean local abundance of species relates to the proportion of local sites that each species occupies. Both are central variables in ecology and are often positively correlated, although exceptions have been found. As most AOR research has been conducted with terrestrial systems, recent studies are testing for its occurrence in marine systems. This contribution tests the AOR for invertebrate metacommunities associated with intertidal mussel patches. Using data from six coastal locations in Nova Scotia (Canada), this study shows that the negative binomial model properly describes the relationship between abundance and occupancy for these systems. The degree of wave exposure (wave-sheltered versus wave-exposed habitats) had some influence on the shape of the AOR. Overall, these findings extend the applicability of the AOR to intertidal invertebrate metacommunities. The raw data are included as part of this article to help future syntheses on the AOR, which will need data for a variety of terrestrial and aquatic environments. Full article

The positive relationship between species richness and area is a fundamental principle in ecology. However, this pattern deviates on small islands, where species richness either changes independently of area or increases at a slower rate—a phenomenon known as the Small-Island Effect (SIE). While the SIE has been well documented in natural ecosystem, its presence in highly fragmented and disturbed urban ecosystem remains unexplored, posing challenges for urban vegetation conservation. Urban remnant vegetation, isolated by surrounding infrastructures, preserves intact zonal vegetation characteristics, serves as a benchmark for restoring near-natural habitats and offers ideal conditions to test the existence of the SIE in urban area landscapes. In this study, we surveyed 17 remnant vegetation patches in Qingdao City, China. A total of 331 plants attributed to 255 genera in 81 families have been recorded. Firstly, by using six species–area relationship regression models testing the SIE for remnant vegetation with different plant life forms, we found the SIE in only woody plants, with the land surface area threshold ranging from 6.38 ha (tree) to 11.91 ha (shrub). Our finding revealed that the drivers of the SIE in shrubs were landscape shape index, perimeter–area ratio, and the proportion of sealed surfaces within the patch. For trees, the SIE was influenced by the distance to the source of species, GDP, night light intensity, and perimeter–area ratio. This finding justifies that conservation in urban planning, construction, and development should focus not only on protecting large areas but also on maintaining and promoting diverse habitats within these areas. At the same time, reducing anthropogenic disturbance and enhancing the connectivity of green spaces are important for the persistence of metacommunities and can contribute to the local species pool, thus potentially improving the ecological resilience of urban environments. Full article

The wetlands of Sardinia (Italy) supply food and shelter for many waterbird species that migrate along the central–eastern Mediterranean bird flyway. Despite many different policies and laws (the Birds and Habitats Directives, the European Water Framework Directive, and the Ramsar Convention), the Sardinian wetlands are seriously threatened by human activities and climate change, which in turn menace the associated avifauna. In this study, we (a) inventoried (four sampling dates) the avian metacommunity of the largest coastal wetlands in Sardinia during the crucial period of the year for the avifauna (August–September), (b) explored the spatiotemporal dynamics in bird species assemblage, and (c) used results to refine planning for bird habitat management and bird diversity conservation. We recorded 60 bird species, of which 54 were migratory and 21 belonged to Annex I of the Birds Directive. During August–September, (a) α, β, and γ avian diversity showed no significant temporal trends, (b) the contributions of space (wetlands) and time (dates of sampling) in determining the presence/absence of the waterbird species were comparable, (c) wetlands formed three statistically significant clusters with regard to the species richness, (d) a significant increase in the number of the species belonging to the “mixed” migration guild, and “divers from the surface” foraging guild, occurred, (e) there was a statistically significant chronological succession of the occurrence of waterbird species, (f) twenty-five species made use of the Sardinian wetlands all summer long, while ten further species were present in three sampling dates out of four, (g) the spatial distributions of the waterbird species in the Sardinian wetlands were significantly different between the sampling dates, (h) the Little Egret, the Grey Heron, and the Greater Flamingo were primarily responsible for the observed difference in the spatial distributions of species between the sampling dates, (i) Is Brebeis, Pilo, and S. Giovanni were the wetlands that changed their species composition the most during the studied period, (j) twenty-two waterbird species resulted at high priority for conservation, and thirteen species at medium priority. Based on these results, we have proposed new strategies for the conservation of the waterbird species of the Sardinian wetlands during the post-breeding migration period. Full article

Student mental health is a challenging topic in higher education, with institutions aiming to develop policies and practices to support students’ personal and professional development. This study examined students’ expectations of their tutors regarding mental health support. An adaptation of the Mentor-Q questionnaire, focusing on tutor role perceptions, was used to measure student expectations. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit of the adapted instrument. The questionnaire was completed by 869 students at a Dutch university of applied sciences, and the results were discussed with eight students. The findings revealed four role expectations of tutors: awareness raisers, connectors, referrers, and guardians. Latent class analysis revealed six clusters, with connector and referrer roles as well as awareness raiser and guardian roles being almost equally important within the clusters. The main difference between the clusters was the height of expectations. Satisfaction with the tutor was significantly related to cluster membership, such that higher expectations correlated with lower satisfaction. Additionally, students who discussed their mental health with their tutors were more represented in clusters with relatively low expectations. Discussions with the students highlighted the nuanced landscape of expectations and the importance of contextual factors and metacommunications. Implications for policy and practical development are also discussed. Full article

Habitat fragmentation is often assumed to negatively impact species diversity because smaller, more isolated populations on smaller habitat patches are at a higher extinction risk. However, some empirical and theoretical studies suggest that landscapes with numerous small habitat patches may support higher species richness, although the circumstances remain elusive. We used an agent-based metacommunity model to investigate this and simulate landscapes of the same total area but diverse patch sizes. Our model, as generic and unbiased by specific assumptions as possible, aimed to explore which circumstances may be more conducive to supporting higher biodiversity. To this end, most parameters and behaviors were random. The model included generalized species traits, dispersal, and interactions to explore species richness dynamics in fragmented landscapes of distinct patch sizes. Our results show that landscapes with many small patches maintain higher species richness than those with fewer large patches. Moreover, the relationship between patch connectivity and species richness is more pronounced in landscapes with smaller patches. High connectivity in these landscapes may support species diversity by preventing local extinctions and facilitating recolonization. In contrast, connectivity is less significant in large-patch landscapes, where generalist species dominate. The findings highlight the complex interplay between patch size quality, connectivity, species traits, and diverse interactions among species in determining species richness. We suggest the patterns produced by the model represent null predictions and may be useful as a reference for a diversity of more specialized questions and predictions. These insights may also have specific implications for conservation strategies, suggesting that maintaining a mosaic of small, well-connected patches could enhance biodiversity in fragmented landscapes. Full article

Bacterial microbiomes influence global carbon and nutrient cycling as the environment changes. Rain-fed rock basins are ephemeral aquatic systems, potentially subject to extreme environmental stress, that can host a wide variety of biological communities, including bacteria. However, bacterial communities are barely described in these habitats. Here we provide a detailed description on the occurrence, diversity and distribution patterns of the bacterial communities within and between rain-fed granite mountain rock basins located in the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, Spain, using high-throughput sequencing of 16S RNA. We recovered a highly diverse community consisting of 3174 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belonging to 32 phyla. In total, 50% of OTUs were shared among basins and 6–10% were basin-exclusive OTUs, suggesting a robust global bacterial metacommunity colonizes the basins. The existence of 6% replicate-exclusive OTUs and the fact that at least four replicates were required to catalogue 90% of the basin bacterial community emphasized the heterogeneity of these habitats. Both environmental filtering and random dispersal are likely to be involved in the arrangement of the bacterial communities. The taxa identified in this study are versatile in metabolism, and some have biotechnological potential. The taxonomic affiliation of many of the OTUs found suggests that rain-fed rock basins could be a resource for mining novel bacterial biocompounds. Full article

The Sicilian wetlands (Italy) are seriously threatened by human activities and ongoing climate change. The loss of these wetlands as migratory stepping stones could severely hamper the migratory flow of many bird species along the central Mediterranean. Targeted actions for the conservation of the avifauna require thorough knowledge of the utilization that waterbirds make of these habitats. Aiming to inform planning for more satisfactory bird habitat management and bird diversity preservation along the Mediterranean migratory bird flyway, in this study, we inventoried the avian metacommunity of the coastal wetlands in Sicily during the most critical period of the year (July–September) and used a multilevel analytical framework to explore the spatiotemporal dynamics in bird species assemblages. We recorded 73 bird species, of which almost 90% were migratory and 30 belonged to Annex I of the Birds Directive. At the metacommunity level, we found that all the biodiversity metrics were low in July and approximately doubled in the successive sampling sessions (August–September), where they showed little if any change. At the community level, we detected two main clusters of wetlands with regard to species richness, of which one (wetlands Baronello, Gela, Gornalunga, and Roveto) was characterized by higher levels of species richness in nearly all the sampling dates. The pattern of species richness in the Sicilian wetlands was most similar between the first and second half of August, while July was very dissimilar from all the other sampling dates. At the guild level, we found a significant increase during July–September in the number of the species belonging to the “Mediterranean” migration guild and the “divers from the surface” and “surface feeders” foraging guilds. At the species level, we detected a significant temporal sequence of the occurrence of waterbird species: two species were only early dwellers in July, ten species were only late dwellers in September, and twenty-six species made use of the Sicilian wetlands all summer long. The spatial distribution of the waterbird species differed significantly between any pair of sampling dates. Overall, the Little Grebe, the Spotted Redshank, and the Little Tern were the bird species with the highest site infidelity; by contrast, the Black Stork, the Broad-billed Sandpiper, the European Golden Plover, the Common Shelduck, and the Black-necked Grebe changed their spatial distribution among wetlands the least during July–September. Our study allowed us to detect (1) the wetlands and (2) the waterbird species to which the priority for conservation should be assigned, as well as (3) the exact time span during July–September when conservation measures should be mandatory, and not only advisable. These results provide a broader insight of the space–time patterns in bird species assembly in the coastal wetlands of Sicily during the critical summer period. Full article

River artificial fragmentation is arguably the most imperilling threat for freshwater-dependent fish species. Fish need to be able to freely move along river networks as not only spawning grounds but also refuge and feeding areas may be spatially and temporally separated. This incapacity of free displacement may result in genetic depletion of some populations, density reduction and even community changes, which may in turn affect how meta-community balances are regulated, potentially resulting in functional resilience reduction and ecosystem processes’ malfunction. Fishways are the most common and widely used method to improve connectivity for fish species. These structures allow fish to negotiate full barriers, thus reducing their connectivity impairment. Among all technical fishway types, vertical slot fishways (VSF) are considered to be the best solution, as they remain operational even with fluctuating water discharges and allow fish to negotiate each cross-wall at their desired depth. In the present study, we collected both published and original data on fish experiments within VSF, to address two questions, (1) What variables affect fish passage during experimental fishway studies? and (2) What is the best VSF configuration? We used Bayesian Generalized Mixed Models accounting for random effects of non-controlled factors, limiting inherent data dependencies, that may influence the model outcome. Results highlight that fish size, regardless of the species, is a good predictor of fishway negotiation success. Generally, multiple slot fishways with one orifice proved to be the best solution. Future work should be focused on small-sized fish to further improve the design of holistic fishways. Full article

Saltworks are interesting sites for aquatic ecology, where marine phytoplankton plays a fundamental role in regulating ecosystem processes and sustaining large-scale biodiversity. This paper presents successional, structural, and dynamical traits of a phytoplankton metacommunity in a disused saltwork, where the industrial hydraulic management has been changed, leading to a different overlapping of natural and anthropic induced scales. We have considered the total phytoplankton biomass, size classes, and chemotaxonomical composition in monitoring the metacommunity dynamics in a series of single ponds spanning from marine to hypersaline ones between July 2008 and October 2009. Results indicate a large accumulation of biomass during summer to early autumn in hypersaline ponds, with the prevalence of small-size cells (<20 μm) in the entire system. Despite severe salinity fluctuations as a consequence of rainy events and evaporating processes, chlorophytes represented the dominant group of hypersaline ponds, while diatoms were more abundant where the influence of seawater inflow was higher. Despite the absence of ordinary maintenance, the phytoplankton metacommunity dynamic and patterns observed suggest that the existing saline gradient ensures qualitative and quantitative aspects of the primary production usually found in active saltworks. This makes the Saline di Tarquinia an important site not only for the preservation of Mediterranean biodiversity and hypersaline biotopes but also for ecological studies dealing with the trait-based responses of the phytoplankton community to large environmental fluctuations. Full article

Spatial heterogeneity affects plant community composition and diversity. It is particularly noticeable in annual plant communities, which vary in space and time over short distances and periods, forming meta-communities at the regional scale. This study was conducted at the coastal dune ecosystem in Nizzanim nature reserve, Israel. This study aimed to analyze the effect of the spatial heterogeneity, which is expressed in differences in the fixation levels of the dunes and patches outside and beneath the dominant Artemisia monosperma shrubs, on the characteristics of the annual plant meta-community and its temporal stability, considering the mechanisms that may affect it. Thirteen dunes were studied: three mobile, seven semi-fixed, and three fixed dunes. Data on the annual plants were collected during the spring seasons of 2006, 2007, 2009, 2014, 2015, and 2016. For each dune, 72 quadrats of $40\times 40$ cm were sampled yearly, with 24 quadrats per slope aspect (windward, leeward, and crest), 12 under the shrub, and 12 in the open. The results indicate that the transition from mobile dunes through semi-fixed to fixed dunes is characterized by an increase in annual plant cover, species richness, species diversity, changes in plant communities, and stability driven by the asynchrony of species population fluctuations. Asynchrony affected the stability of the meta-community of this ecosystem in patches beneath the shrubs but not in the open patches. Full article

In recent years; digital media has garnered widespread interest from various domains. Despite advancements in the technology of digital media for globalized communication; disparities persist in user interaction patterns across different regions. These differences can be attributed to the presence of a control system, known as meta-communication, which shapes the coding of information based on social relationships. Meta-communication is formed in various social contexts, resulting in varying communication patterns among different groups. However, empirical research on the social processes that form meta-communication in digital media is scarce due to the challenges in quantifying meta-communication. This study aims to introduce exponential random graph models as a potential tool for analyzing meta-communication in digital media and to provide a preliminary understanding of its formation. The use of such models could prove valuable for researchers seeking to study meta-communication in digital media. Full article