EGCC Libguides: ENV 103 Environmental Field Biology: Indicator Species

Indicator Species

Definition:

A species whose status provides information on the overall condition of the ecosystem and of other species in that ecosystem. They reflect the quality and changes in environmental conditions as well as aspects of community composition.

United Nations Environment Programme (1996)

Research Starter: Indicator Species Indicator species are useful for monitoring the impacts of human activities on the environment, particularly in assessing cumulative effects for which more direct measures are not available. Sometimes the investigation of population fluctuations in species not known to be indicators leads to recognition of previously unrecognized environmental problems. Indicator species are also used to monitor the progress of environmental remediation efforts.
Can indicator species guide conservation investments to restore connectivity in Great Lakes tributaries? In many applications, conservation organizations depend on one species to indicate the presence of another. While extensive research has gone into methods for selecting these indicator species, few studies have directly measured the performance of indicator species in guiding conservation actions. Here, we evaluated whether a small number of indicator species could be used to efficiently select barrier removal projects to restore breeding habitat access for many other Great Lakes migratory fishes in the highly fragmented tributaries of the North American Great Lakes. First, we used a dataset of the historical distributions of 35 species of native migratory fishes to identify four clusters of co-occurring species, and then selected an indicator species for each cluster based on within-group co-occurrence or range width. We evaluated the utility of these indicator species by using upstream habitat and removal costs for 103,894 dams and road culverts across 1800 tributaries of the Great Lakes. We compared the potential increase in accessible tributary habitat for each species when barrier removals were prioritized to maximize benefits for (1) each species itself, versus (2) possible indicator species. We found that for 80% of the species, habitat gains from indicator-based project selection were at least 75% of the maximum gains possible under species-specific planning. However, a small subset of species would receive few habitat gains under indicator-directed project selection. Overall, our findings suggest that a suite of indicator species could be an efficient basis for planning restoration efforts for a majority of native migratory fishes in the Great Lakes.
The grasshopper sparrow as an indicator species in tallgrass prairies. ABSTRACT: Funding constraints highlight the need for efficient approaches to manage wildlife habitat. One such approach is to monitor a single species that serves as an indicator of management effectiveness. The grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) is an obligate species of dry, upland prairie that has been proposed as a surrogate species for the Eastern Tallgrass Prairie, USA. To evaluate whether this species (or another) would make a suitable indicator for grassland birds, we examined the strength of associations in the density and occurrence of grasshopper sparrows and densities of other grassland species: sedge wren (Cistothorus platensis), Savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis), Henslow's sparrow (A. henslowii), dickcissel (Spiza americana), bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), and western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta). No single species was a good predictor for all other species, but grasshopper sparrow density was the best predictor of the densities of other obligate upland prairie species. We also compared avian community composition between grassland sites with and without grasshopper sparrows; densities of all species except sedge wren were significantly higher at sites with grasshopper sparrows. Therefore, the grasshopper sparrow is the best choice as a single indicator species for tallgrass prairies within our study area. However, a better approach would be to select multiple, complementary indicator species to ensure that species not well‐indicated by grasshopper sparrows are adequately represented. © 2018 The Wildlife Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
A Successful Predictive Model of Species Richness Based on Indicator Species. Because complete species inventories are expensive and time-consuming, scientists and land managers seek techniques to alleviate logistic constraints on measuring species richness, especially over large spatial scales. We developed a method to identify indicators of species richness that is applicable to any taxonomic group or ecosystem. In an initial case study, we found that a model based on the occurrence of five indicator species explained 88% of the deviance of species richness of 56 butterflies in a mountain range in western North America. We validated model predictions and spatial transferability of the model using independent, newly collected data from another, nearby mountain range. Predicted and observed values of butterfly species richness were highly correlated with 93% of the observed values falling within the 95% credible intervals of the predictions. We used a Bayesian approach to update the initial model with both the model-building and model-validation data sets. In the updated model, the effectiveness of three of the five indicator species was similar, whereas the effectiveness of two species was reduced. The latter species had more erratic distributions in the validation data set than in the original model-building data set. This objective method for identifying indicators of species richness could substantially enhance our ability to conduct large-scale ecological assessments of any group of animals or plants in any geographic region and to make effective conservation decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entomology Journals and eBooks

Agricultural and Forest Entomology by Edited By: Allan D. Watt, Hefin Jones, Laurel Haavik and Adam Vanbergen Agricultural and Forest Entomology provides a multi-disciplinary and international forum in which researchers can present their work on all aspects of agricultural and forest entomology to other researchers, policy makers and professionals.
Publication Date: 1999 - Present
Birds As Useful Indicators of High Nature Value Farmlands (HNV) by Federico Morelli (Editor); Piotr Tryjanowski (Editor) This book helps to establish a simple framework to identify and use bird species as a bioindicator for high nature value (HNV) farmlands. This book focuses on suitable methods for monitoring the HNV areas, and presents the results of several case studies. The chapters put forward ways to integrate ecosystems assessment, geographical information systems (GIS) and strategies for conservation of local biodiversity. An innovative framework focuses on the use of species distribution models (SDMs) in order to explore the importance of each characteristic of HNV farmlands. Furthermore, the book examines the relationships among bird species richness, land use diversity and landscape metrics at a local scale in the farmlands.
ISBN: 9783319502823
Publication Date: 2017-02-13
Ecological Entomology by Edited By: Rebeca B. Rosengaus, Francis Gilbert, Bernard D. Roitberg and Sheena Cotter Ecological Entomology publishes top-quality original research on the ecology of insects and related invertebrate taxa. Our aim is to publish papers that will be of considerable interest to the wide community of ecologists who are motivated by ecological or evolutionary theory.
Publication Date: 1997 - Present
Encyclopedia of Entomology by John L. Capinera (Editor) he Encyclopedia of Entomology brings together the talents of over 350 distinguished entomologists from 36 countries to provide a detailed, global overview of insects and their close relatives, including taxonomy, behavior, ecology, physiology, history, and management. All the major groups of arthropods are treated, as are many important families and individual species. The Encyclopedia also covers physiology, genetics, ecology, behavior, insect relationships with people, medical entomology, and pest management. Detailed listings are also complemented by more than 1100 illustrations. Featured in this important work are unique biographical sketches of the hundreds of entomologists who have made important contributions to the discipline since its origin. Presented in three volumes and including a fully searchable and easily accessed online version, the Encyclopedia of Entomology is the most complete reference work in this field.
ISBN: 9780792386704
Publication Date: 2006-06-01
Encyclopedia of Entomology by John L. Capinera (Editor) The Encyclopedia of Entomology provides a detailed, global overview of insects and their close relatives, including taxonomy, behavior, ecology, physiology, history, and management. It covers all the major groups of arthropods, as well as many important families and individual species. The encyclopedia also covers physiology, genetics, ecology, behavior, insect relationships with people, medical entomology, and pest management.
ISBN: 9781402063596
Publication Date: 2008-08-28
Entomology by Cedric Gillott Gillott's thorough yet clear writing style continues to keep Entomology near the top of the class as a text for senior undergraduates, and for graduate students and professionals seeking an introduction to specific entomological topics. The author's long-held belief that an introductory entomology course should present a balanced treatment of the subject is reflected in the continued arrangement of the book in four sections: Evolution and Diversity, Anatomy and Physiology, Reproduction and Development, and Ecology. For the third edition, all chapters have been updated. This includes not only the addition of new information and concepts but also the reduction or exclusion of material no longer considered "mainstream", so as to keep the book at a reasonable size. Based on exciting discoveries made during the previous decade, the topics of insect evolutionary relationships, semiochemicals, gas exchange, immune responses (including those of parasites and parasitoids), flight, and the management of pests have received particular attention in the preparation of the third edition. Overall, more than 30 new or significantly revised figures have been incorporated.
ISBN: 9781402031847
Publication Date: 2005-08-26
Handbook of Agricultural Entomology by Helmut F. van Emden Handbook of Agricultural Entomology by Helmut van Emden is a landmark publication for students and practitioners of entomology applied to agriculture and horticulture. It can be used as a reference and as a general textbook. The book opens with a general introduction to entomology and includes coverage of the major insects (and mites) that cause harm to crops, livestock and humans. The important beneficial species are also included. Organisms are described in a classification of insect Orders and Families. The emphasis is on morphological characters of major taxonomic divisions, "spot characters" for the recognition of Families, and the life histories, damage symptoms and economic importance of the various pest species. The book is beautifully illustrated in full colour with more than 400 figures showing both the organisms and the damage caused to plants with diagnostic characters indicated by arrows. Coverage is world-wide and includes much material stemming from the vast personal experience of the author. A companion website with additional resources is available at www.wiley.com/go/vanemden/agriculturalentomology  
ISBN: 9780470659137
Publication Date: 2013-03-18
Journal of Systematic Entomology by Edited By: Shaun L. Winterton, Christiane Weirauch, Bonnie B. Blaimer, Marianne Espeland Systematic Entomology publishes original papers on insect systematics, phylogenetics and integrative taxonomy, with a preference for general interest papers of broad biological, evolutionary or zoogeographical relevance.
ISBN: 1365-3113
Journal of Wildlife Management by The Wildlife Society The Journal of Wildlife Management publishes manuscripts containing information from original research that contributes to basic wildlife science. Suitable topics include investigations into the biology and ecology of wildlife and their habitats that has direct or indirect implications for wildlife management and conservation.
Publication Date: 2004 - Present
The Allure of Fungi by Alison Pouliot Although relatively little known, fungi provide the link between terrestrial organisms and ecosystems that underpin our functioning planet. The Allure of Fungipresents fungi through multiple perspectives - those of mycologists and ecologists, foragers and forayers, naturalists and farmers, aesthetes and artists, philosophers and Traditional Owners. It explores how a history of entrenched fears and misconceptions about fungi has led to their near absence in Australian ecological consciousness and biodiversity conservation. Through the combination of engaging text and stunning photography, the author reflects on how aesthetic, sensate experience deepened by scientific knowledge offers the best chance for understanding fungi, the forest and human interactions with them.
ISBN: 9781486308576
Publication Date: 2018-12-21