Loss of foundation species revisited: conceptual framework with lessons learned from eastern hemlock and whitebark pine

Ecologists and conservation biologists often prioritize the study of species that are declining, threatened, or endangered over species that are abundant and ecologically important, such as foundation species (FS ). Because entire ecosystems and their biodiversity depend on FS , we argue that they have high conservation priority. A citation analysis reveals that FS are studied, but often are characterized ambiguously. More effort is needed to identify FS before they, and the ecosystems they define, are at risk of decline or loss. We suggest a new conceptual framework that includes: informed identification of FS in ecosystems; documentation of ecosystem services provided by FS ; a long‐term monitoring strategy to detect threats to FS within specified ecosystems; and, if threats are identified, a comprehensive conservation and adaptive management strategy for FS . We use two widely distributed, rapidly declining North American foundation tree species (Tsuga canadensis [eastern hemlock] and Pinus albicaulis [whitebark pine]) to illustrate this framework. These species exemplify the importance of identifying FS early and conserving or restoring them when they are threatened

Commentary: All species are important, but some species are more important than others

Foundation species control biodiversity and ecosystem processes, but are difficult to identify. In this issue of Journal of Vegetation Science, Elumeeva et al. show that Festuca varia and Nardus stricta act as foundation species in the Caucasus’ alpine. This paper augments the piecemeal literature on foundation species while highlighting the need for more comprehensive approaches to their identification and conservation.Organismic and Evolutionary Biolog

Influence of field technique, density, and sex on home range and overlap of the southern red-backed vole (Myodes gapperi)

Home range is shaped by an individual’s interactions with the environment and conspecifics, and both size and placement may vary in response to population fluctuations. The method used to collect locational data may also affect home-range estimates. We examined the effect of density, sex, and field method on home range of southern red-backed voles (Myodes gapperi (Vigors, 1830)) inhabiting eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carrière) forests. Twelve mark–recapture grids were used to census M. gapperi from 2014 to 2017. In 2017, individuals were radio-collared. Home-range size, core-area size, and shared space were calculated using kernel density estimators from both mark–recapture and radiotelemetry data. Density effects on home range and core area were analyzed and differences between sex and field method were compared. We found (i) density did not affect home-range size, (ii) male home range was larger than female home range, (iii) females shared space more frequently and to a greater extent with males than other females, and (iv) home-range estimates were not significantly different between mark–recapture and radiotelemetry. Male home range, however, was larger under radiotelemetry and may reflect a truncation effect when mark–recapture grid size is smaller than male home range.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author