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1,513 results for “disturbance”
McMurdo Dry Valleys Human Disturbance Effects on soils - Soil Moisture
Concerns over environmental disturbance in the McMurdo Dry Valleys are increasing with increasing foot traffic from tourists and scientist. The effect of pedestrian disturbance were monitored by comparing the species composition, depth distribution and soil properties between adjacent high-, low- and no- traffic sites. This study began in the austral summer 1995/1996.
McMurdo Dry Valleys Human Disturbance Effects on soils - Soil Organism
Concerns over environmental disturbance in the McMurdo Dry Valleys are increasing with increasing foot traffic from tourists and scientist. The effect of pedestrian disturbance were monitored by comparing the species composition, depth distribution and soil properties between adjacent high-, low- and no- traffic sites. This study began in the austral summer 1995/1996.
SGS-LTER Disturbance intensity and above- and belowground herbivory effects on long-term recovery of shortgrass steppe on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA 1977-1990
This data package was produced by researchers working on the Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research (SGS-LTER) Project, administered at Colorado State University. Long-term datasets and background information (proposals, reports, photographs, etc.) on the SGS-LTER project are contained in a comprehensive project collection within the Digital Collections of Colorado (http://digitool.library.colostate.edu/R/?func=collections&collection_id=3429). The data table and associated metadata document, which is generated in Ecological Metadata Language, may be available through other repositories serving the ecological research community and represent components of the larger SGS-LTER project collection. Additional information and referenced materials can be found: http://hdl.handle.net/10217/83444 The importance of disturbance intensity and herbivory by cattle and white grubs, or the larvae of June beetles to recovery of shortgrass steppe ecosystems in Colorado, USA were evaluated over a 14 year time period. Disturbance intensity was defined by survival of the dominant grass species (Bouteloua gracilis) after an outbreak of root feeding activity by white grubs. 16 patches of vegetation consisting of four pairs of adjacent ungrazed-grazed by cattle locations with 2 replicates that were recently affected by white grubs were selected in 1977. Disturbance intensity was determined in 1977 by the area in each patch that contained live tillers of B. gracilis. Permanent plots were lcoated both within and outside of each patch. Plant basal cover and density by species were estimated at time of peak aboveground biomass in 6 different years on each plot. Successional dynamics on patches was similar to areas affected by other types of disturbances, however, rate of recovery was faster for patches affected by grubs. Grazing by cattle was infrequently important to plant recovery, a result similar to effects of grazing on other aspects of shortgrass steppe. Disturbance intensity wa
Distribution of overwash disturbance on Hog Island of the Virginia Coast Reserve 1974
Fahrig, L., B. Hayden and R. Dolan 1993. Distribution of barrier island plants in relation to overwash disturbance: A test of life history theory. J. Coastal Research. 9(2):403-412. From lfahrig@ccs.carleton.ca Thu Jun 11 10:22:56 1992 I am sending a file that is actually a SAS program for reading in the dataset that I used in the calculations. The columns are: map: base map number (i.e., the map number that Dolan/Hayden used for their rectangular blocks of coastline) trans: transect number from south to north for that map The remaining columns refer to a point on the transect at which there is a transition between vegetation communities (as defined by McCaffrey and digitized by LTER): utm1: first utm co-ord for transition point utm2: second utm co-ord for transition point unit: unit number for the vegetation community type that we are moving INTO. We are moving along the transect from the sea side to the mainland side of the island. The unit numbers are the numbers that you used when digitizing the map. For example, note that the first observation for every transect has unit number 7 since this is the number for sand. Editors note: Vegetation unit number refers to the mapping units used by McCaffrey, C.A. and R.D. Dueser. 1990. Plant associations on the Virginia Barrier Islands. Virginia Journal of Science 41(4A):282-299. The digital versions of the vegetation maps are also available on the VCR LTER information server. Unit numbers are listed below along with the corresponding vegetation class. GRID-CODE VEG_CODE VEG_CLASS 0 w Water/background 1 A Foredune Grassland 2 G Dense Grassland 3 AG Beachgrass Dunes/ Dense Grassland Dunes 4 g Sparse Grassland 5 Ag Foredune - Sparse Grassland Complex 6 At Open Dunes - Thicket Complex 7 B Beach 8 T Tall Thicket 9 AT Open Dunes - Thicket Complex 10 t Low Thicket 11 J Juniper Thicket 12 P Pine Forest 13 H Hardwood Forest 14 PH Pine-Hardwood Forest Complex 15 m Low Salt Marsh 16 Mm Upper Low Salt Marsh 17 M Brackish Marsh 18 s S
Figure 2 in Deadwood and saproxylic beetle diversity in naturally disturbed and managed spruce forests in Nova Scotia
Figure 2. Species-sample curves for each forest disturbance class.
Data from: Quantifying natural disturbances using a large-scale dendrochronological reconstruction to guide forest management
Estimates of historical disturbance patterns are essential to guide forest management aimed at ensuring the sustainability of ecosystem functions and biodiversity. However, quantitative estimates of various disturbance characteristics required in management applications are rare in longer-term historical studies. Thus, our objectives were to: (1) quantify past disturbance severity, patch size, and stand proportion disturbed, and (2) test for temporal and sub-regional differences in these characteristics. We developed a comprehensive dendrochronological method to evaluate an approximately two-century-long disturbance record in the remaining Central and Eastern European primary mountain spruce forests, where wind and bark beetles are the predominant disturbance agents. We used an unprecedented large-scale nested design dataset of 541 plots located within 44 stands and 6 sub-regions. To quantify individual disturbance events, we used tree-ring proxies, which were aggregated at plot and stand levels by smoothing and detecting peaks in their distributions. The spatial aggregation of disturbance events was used to estimate patch sizes. Data exhibited continuous gradients from low- to high-severity and small- to large-size disturbance events. In addition to the importance of small disturbance events, moderate-scale (25-75% of the stand disturbed, >10 ha patch size) and moderate-severity (25-75% of canopy disturbed) events were also common. Moderate disturbances represented more than 50% of the total disturbed area and their rotation periods ranged from one to several hundred years, which is within the lifespan of local tree species. Disturbance severities differed among sub-regions, whereas the stand proportion disturbed varied significantly over time. This indicates partially independent variations among disturbance characteristics. Our quantitative estimates of disturbance severity, patch size, stand proportion disturbed, and associated rotation periods provide rigorous baseline data for future ecological research, decisions within biodiversity conservation, and silviculture intended to maintain native biodiversity and ecosystem functions. These results highlight a need for sufficiently large and adequately connected networks of strict reserves, more complex silvicultural treatments that emulate the natural disturbance spectrum in harvest rotation times, sizes, and intensities, and higher levels of tree and structural legacy retention.
Data from: The ghost of disturbance past: long-term effects of pulse disturbances on community biomass and composition
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Current global change is associated with an increase in disturbance frequency and intensity, with the potential to trigger population collapses and to cause permanent transitions to new ecosystem states. However, our understanding of ecosystem responses to disturbances is still incomplete. Specifically, there is a mismatch between the diversity of disturbance regimes experienced by ecosystems and the one-dimensional description of disturbances used in most studies on ecological stability. To fill this gap, we conducted a full factorial experiment on microbial communities, where we varied the frequency and intensity of disturbances affecting species mortality, resulting in twenty different disturbance regimes. We explored the <span><span>direct</span></span> and long-term effects of these disturbance regimes on community biomass. While most communities were able to recover biomass and composition states similar to undisturbed controls after a halt of the disturbances, we identified some disturbance thresholds that had long-lasting legacies on communities. <span><span>Using a model based on logistic growth, we identified qualitatively</span></span> the sets of disturbance frequency and intensity that had equivalent long-term <span><span>negative</span></span> impacts on experimental communities. Our results show that an increase in disturbance intensity is a bigger threat for biodiversity and biomass recovery than the occurrence of more frequent but less intense disturbances.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
The influence of human disturbances on the spatio-temporal habitat selection patterns of roe deer near Trento (Italy)
<p>This is the dataset used for the MSc. thesis of Matthijs Hinkamp for the master Earth Sciences (Environmental Management track) at the University of Amsterdam.</p> <p>In this thesis the Individual Movement Sequence Analysis Method (IM-SAM) was applied to analyse the influence of human disturbances on the sequential habitat use of roe deer in northern Italy. While it is known that in this area the roe deer populations are affected by anthropogenic pressures, the actual spatial and temporal implications of such pressures are unknown.</p> <p>The input for IM-SAM consisted of habitat sequences, which were obtained through tracking data from the Fondazione Edmund Mach, land use and land cover maps and temporal information. Based on exploratory dissimilarity trees for the real behavioural sequences, several simulation profiles were established, each with a different habitat use pattern.</p> <p>The results show that most roe deer prefer isolated forest areas, but alternating patterns are definitely present. Several co variables were assessed: the influence of the hunting season, increased pressure during weekends, differences between protected and unprotected areas and changes in the average NDVI. It seems that roe deer are affected by the hunting pressure in September. This month shows an increase in the prevalence of alternating profiles, which indicates that roe deer tend to change their habitat use during periods of the day when hunting takes place. It cannot be concluded that habitat use patterns are altered during the weekends and the differences between sequences in protected and unprotected areas seem to be relatively small. However, some results indicate that alternating habitat use is a strategy for some roe deer in protected areas. When looking at the NDVI values, it becomes clear that the average NDVI is higher overall for the alternating profiles, but this just underlines the general conclusions drawn about the habitat use strategies in September.</p>
Data from: Habitat use and seed removal by invasive rats (Rattus rattus) in disturbed and undisturbed rainforest, Puerto Rico
Despite frequent occurrences of invasive rats (Rattus spp.) on islands, their known effects on forests are limited. Where invasive rats have been studied, they generally have significant negative impacts on native plants, birds, and other animals. This study aimed to determine invasive rat distribution and effects on native plant populations via short-term seed removal trials in tropical rain forest habitats in the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico. To address the first objective, we used tracking tunnels (inked and baited cards inside tunnels enabling animal visitors' foot prints to be identified) placed on the ground and in the lower canopy within disturbed (treefall gaps, hurricane plots, stream edges) and undisturbed (continuous forest) habitats. We found that rats are present in all habitats tested. Secondly, we compared seed removal of four native tree species (Guarea guidonia, Buchenavia capitata, Tetragastris balsamifera, and Prestoea acuminata) between vertebrate-excluded and free-access treatments in the same disturbed and undisturbed habitats. Trail cameras were used to identify animals responsible for seed contact and removal. Black rats (R. rattus) were responsible for 65.1% of the interactions with seeds, of which 28.6% were confirmed seed removals. Two plant species had significantly more seeds removed in disturbed (gaps) than undisturbed forest. Prestoea acuminata had the lowest seed removal (9% in 10 d), whereas all other species had >30% removal. Black rats are likely influencing fates of seeds on the forest floor, and possibly forest community composition, through dispersal or predation. Further understanding of rat-plant interactions may be useful for formulating conservation strategies.
Data from: Increased diversity and concordant shifts in community structure of coral-associated Symbiodiniaceae and bacteria subjected to chronic human disturbance
<p>Coral-associated bacteria and endosymbiotic algae (Symbiodiniaceae<i> </i>spp.) are both vitally important for the biological function of corals. Yet little is known about their co-occurrence within corals, how their diversity varies across coral species, or how they are impacted by anthropogenic disturbances. Here, we sampled coral colonies (n = 472) from seven species, encompassing a range of life history traits, across a gradient of chronic human disturbance (n = 11 sites on Kiritimati (Christmas) atoll) in the central equatorial Pacific, and quantified the sequence assemblages and community structure of their associated Symbiodiniaceae<i> </i>and bacterial communities. Although Symbiodiniaceae alpha diversity did not vary with chronic human disturbance, disturbance was consistently associated with higher bacterial Shannon diversity and richness, with bacterial richness by sample almost doubling from sites with low to very high disturbance. Chronic disturbance was also associated with altered microbial beta diversity for Symbiodiniaceae and bacteria, including changes in community structure for both and increased variation (dispersion) of the Symbiodiniaceae communities. We also found concordance between Symbiodiniaceae and bacterial<i> </i>community structure, when all corals were considered together, and individually for two massive species, <i>Hydnophora microconos</i> and <i>Porites lobata, </i>implying that symbionts<i> </i>and bacteria respond similarly to human disturbance in these species. Finally, we found that the dominant Symbiodiniaceae ancestral lineage in a coral colony was associated with differential abundances of several distinct bacterial taxa. These results suggest that increased beta diversity of Symbiodiniaceae<i> </i>and bacterial communities may be a reliable indicator of stress in the coral microbiome, and that there may be concordant responses to chronic disturbance between these communities at the whole-ecosystem scale.</p>
Data from: Plant protection services mediated by extrafloral nectaries decline with aridity but are not influenced by chronic anthropogenic disturbance in Brazilian Caatinga
<p>1. Most terrestrial species occur in human-modified landscapes that are experiencing climate change. In addition to direct impacts on species, both anthropogenic disturbance and climate change can have important effects through changes in species interactions, including the disruption of ecological services provided by them.</p> <p>2. Here we investigate how chronic anthropogenic disturbance (CAD) and aridity affect the effectiveness of plant protection services provided by ants to plants bearing extrafloral nectaries (EFNs).</p> <p>3. The study was conducted across 13 01-ha plots distributed along CAD and aridity gradients in Caatinga vegetation of northeastern Brazil. We focused on Pityrocarpa moniliformis, the most abundant and widely distributed EFN-bearing tree species occurring in our study area, and used experimental attack rates on termites as a measure of effectiveness of ant protection services. We investigated the relative roles of nectar production (volume and concentration) and ant species composition in mediating the effects of CAD and aridity on the effectiveness of protection services.</p> <p>4. Attack rates by ants declined with increasing aridity but were not related to CAD. The volume of extrafloral nectar declined with increasing CAD but was not affected by aridity, whereas the concentration was not related to either CAD or aridity. The composition of attendant ant species varied with aridity but not with CAD.</p> <p>5. Synthesis: The decline in ant-protection services with increased aridity was therefore mediated by changes in the composition of attendant ant species rather than by changes in the production of extrafloral nectar. Our findings suggest that CAD does not affect plant-protection services provided by ants but highlights the vulnerability of EFN-bearing plants to climate change through decreased predation of herbivores.</p>
Lightning-caused disturbance in the Peruvian Amazon
<p>Lightning is a major agent of disturbance in tropical terrestrial ecosystems, but its effects often are overlooked or misidentified in lowland forests. We used an <a>unmanned</a> aerial vehicle (i.e., drone) to locate 12 probable lightning strike sites in ca. 47 ha of forest in the Peruvian Amazon. Subsequent ground-based surveys of the 10 accessible sites revealed 7 that were unambiguously caused by lightning. The seven sites included 121 lightning-damaged trees, 45 of which were dead. Large trees (>60 cm in diameter) were disproportionately affected by lightning. The numbers of trees damaged and their size distribution were comparable to results from a comprehensive study of lightning damage in Panama. By contrast, post hoc surveys of lightning gaps in Brazil and Malaysia documented 3-5 times more dead trees per strike, suggesting that gap-focused surveys are biased towards larger disturbances. These findings contribute to a growing body of evidence that lightning is an important disturbance pantropically, and that accurately documenting the effects of lightning requires reliable identification of lightning strike locations.</p>
Data from: Spatiotemporal variation in disturbance impacts derived from simultaneous tracking of aircraft and shorebirds
<p>1. Assessing impacts of disturbance over large areas and long time periods is crucial for nature management, but also challenging since impacts depend on both wildlife responses to disturbance and on the spatiotemporal distribution of disturbance sources. Combined tracking of animals and disturbance sources enables quantification of wildlife responses as a function of the distance to a disturbance source. We provide a framework to derive such distance-response curves and combine those with disturbance source presence data to quantify energetic costs of disturbance at a landscape scale. 2. We tracked 90 Eurasian Oystercatchers Haematopus ostralegus and all aircraft in a military training area in the Dutch Wadden Sea. We quantified distance-response curves estimating flight probability and additional displacement for five types of aircraft activities, by comparing bird movement prior to aircraft presence with movement during aircraft presence. We then used the distance-response curves to map mean and variation in additional daily energy expenditure due to cumulative aircraft disturbance across the landscape for a 700-day period. 3. Flight probability and displacement responses differed strongly among aircraft activities and decreased from transport airplanes, through bombing jets, helicopters, jets to small civil airplanes. Since the most disturbing aircraft activities were also the rarest ones, mean additional daily energy expenditure did not exceed 0.25%. However, days with substantial (>1%) additional expenditure occurred between 0.1% and 3.7% of all days across high tide roosts in the tidal basin. Notably, expenditure particularly spiked on days with transport airplane activity (up to 8.5%). 4. Synthesis and applications. Cumulative energetic flight costs due to aircraft disturbance are low and unlikely to impact survival of oystercatchers in our study area. Our results provide evidence that the legal minimum flight height of 450m for small civil airplanes effectively limits disturbance of oystercatchers. Mitigation should focus on limiting the number of days when disturbance has a high impact by reducing rare but highly disturbing activities, especially transport airplanes. Our approach can be applied to other species and disturbance sources that are automatically tracked, e.g. boats and walkers, ultimately to quantify the entire anthropogenic disturbance landscape.</p>
Breaking ecological barriers: anthropogenic disturbance leads to habitat transitions, hybridization, and high genetic diversity
<p>Genetic diversity is expected to erode in disturbed habitats through strong selection, local extinctions, and recolonization associated with genetic bottlenecks and restricted gene flow. Despite this general prediction and over three decades of population genetics studies, our understanding of the long-term effect of environmental disturbance on local and regional genetic diversity remains limited. We conducted a population genetic survey of the microcrustacean <i>Daphnia</i> across a landscape subject to anthropogenic stressors from a century of industrial mining. At the local scale we found moderate genetic diversity (i.e., low clonal diversity), characteristic of habitat-specific selective sweeps and local extinctions, but high diversity and strong genetic structure at the regional scale despite the shared watershed of many lakes and exceptional dispersal ability of daphniids. Many habitats experienced changes in species assemblages, with the obligate asexual <i>Daphnia pulex</i> lineages—known only to inhabit ponds—dominating disrupted urban lakes. This habitat transition (pond to lake) was likely facilitated by the disruption of ecological barriers maintaining the genomic separation of these young species. Thus, disrupted habitats can exhibit complex and unexpected genetic patterns of local extinctions and recolonizations, followed by habitat transitions, hybridization and potential speciation events that are difficult to predict and should not be underestimated.</p>
Data for: Fragmentation and disturbance drive montane mixed-flock species roles and interaction strength
Mixed-species flocks are a key facilitative interaction for tropical birds. Forest fragmentation leads to species loss and spatial turnover in these flocks, yet it is unknown how these changes to composition influence within-flock species interactions. We used network analysis to characterize flocking interactions along a fragment-size gradient in the Colombian Western Andes. We asked (1) how patch size, edge density, and vegetation structure explained network measures indicative of flock cohesion, (2) whether changes were driven by flocking species turnover or changes to the frequency of species co-occurrence, and (3) whether nuclear species, those that maintain flock stability and cohesion, changed in importance across the gradient. We constructed weighted social networks from flock compositions observed on 500-meter transects, and then calculated global network measures and the centrality of six nuclear species. Patch size and edge density did not correlate with interspecific co-occurrence patterns, but interaction strength increased with canopy height. Flocks contained numerous, weak interactions and there were no flock sub-types, suggesting flock composition was dynamic and unstructured. Several redundant nuclear species were present and varied in importance based on ecological conditions. A chlorospingus (Passerellidae) was most central in old-growth forest, whereas several tanager (Thraupidae) species became more central in smaller fragments and disturbed forest. When partitioning network dissimilarity, we found that 66% of dissimilarity resulted from species turnover, whereas only 34% resulted from changes to species co-occurrence. This finding suggests that coherence of flocking behavior itself is maintained even as extensive species turnover occurs from continuous forest to small fragments.
Satellite-based habitat monitoring reveals long-term dynamics of deer habitat in response to forest disturbances
<p class="StandardohneEinzug">Disturbances play a key role in driving forest ecosystem dynamics, but how disturbances shape wildlife habitat across space and time often remains unclear. A major reason for this is a lack of information about changes in habitat suitability across large areas and longer time periods. Here, we use a novel approach based on Landsat satellite image time series to map seasonal habitat suitability annually from 1986 to 2017. Our approach involves characterizing forest disturbance dynamics using Landsat-based metrics, harmonizing these metrics through a temporal segmentation algorithm, and then using them together with GPS telemetry data in habitat models. We apply this framework to assess how natural forest disturbances and post-disturbance salvage logging affect habitat suitability for two ungulates, roe deer (<i>Capreolus capreolus</i>) and red deer (<i>Cervus elaphus</i>), over 32 years in a Central European forest landscape. We found that red and roe deer differed in their response to forest disturbances. Habitat suitability for red deer consistently improved after disturbances, whereas the suitability of disturbed sites was more variable for roe deer depending on season (lower during winter than summer) and disturbance agent (lower in windthrow versus bark-beetle-affected stands). Salvage logging altered the suitability of bark beetle-affected stands for deer, having negative effects on red deer and mixed effects on roe deer, but generally did not have clear effects on habitat suitability in windthrows. Our results highlight long-lasting legacy effects of forest disturbances on deer habitat. For example, bark beetle disturbances improved red deer habitat suitability for at least 25 years. The duration of disturbance impacts generally increased with elevation. Methodologically, our approach proved effective for improving the robustness of habitat reconstructions from Landsat time series: integrating multi-year telemetry data into single, multi-temporal habitat models improved model transferability in time. Likewise, temporally segmenting the Landsat-based metrics increased the temporal consistency of our habitat suitability maps. As the frequency of natural forest disturbances is increasing across the globe, their impacts on wildlife habitat should be considered in wildlife and forest management. Our approach offers a widely applicable method for monitoring habitat suitability changes caused by landscape dynamics such as forest disturbance</p>
Data related to: The recurring role of storm disturbance on black sea bass (Centropristis striata) movement behaviors in the Mid-Atlantic Bight
<p>Summer storm events are a significant source of disturbance in the Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB) that cause rapid destratification of the water column. Storm-driven mixing can be considered as a summertime disturbance regime to demersal communities, characterized by the recurrence of large changes in bottom water temperatures. Black sea bass are a model ubiquitous demersal species in the MAB, as their sedentary behavior exposes them to summer storm disturbances and the physiological stresses associated with thermal destratification. To better understand the responsiveness of black sea bass to storm impacts, we coupled biotelemetry with a high resolution Finite Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM). During the summers of 2016-2018, 8-15 black sea bass were released with acoustic transponders at each of three reef sites, which were surrounded by data-logging receivers. Data were analyzed for activity levels, reef departures, and fluctuations in temperature, current velocity, and turbulent kinetic energy. Movement rates were depressed with each consecutive passing storm, and late-season storms were associated with permanent evacuations. Consecutive, compounding increases in bottom temperature associated with repeated storm events were identified as the primary depressor of local movement. Storm-driven increases in turbulent kinetic energy and current velocity had comparatively smaller, albeit significant, effect. The need to better understand the effect of storms on fish populations in the MAB is relevant in understanding both coincident anthropogenic impacts as well as future fisheries management.</p>
Dataset of trees, insects and forest structure of forests disturbed and undisturbed by elephants on Mount Cameroon
<p>Datasets for Maicher et al. Effects of disturbances by forest elephants on diversity of trees and insects in tropical rainforests on Mount Cameroon. <em>Scientific Reports </em>doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-78659-7</p> <p>All related information can be found in the cited paper. When using the dataset for anything, cite the Maicher et al. <em>Scientific Reports </em>paper.</p> <p>For additional information, refer the paper or write to robert.tropek@gmail.com and vincent.maicher@hotmail.fr</p>
Data from: Disturbance detection in Landsat time series is influenced by tree mortality agent and severity, not by prior disturbance
<p><span>Landsat time series (LTS) and associated change detection algorithms are useful for monitoring the effects of global change on Earth's ecosystems. Because LTS algorithms can be easily applied across broad areas, they are commonly used to map changes in forest structure due to wildfire, insect attack, and other important drivers of tree mortality. But factors such as initial forest density, tree mortality agent, and disturbance severity (i.e., percent tree mortality) influence patterns of surface reflectance and may influence the accuracy of LTS algorithms. And while LTS algorithms are widely used in areas with a history of multiple disturbance events during the Landsat record, the effectiveness of LTS algorithms in these conditions is not well understood. We compared products from the LTS algorithm LandTrendr (<span>Landsat-based Detection of Trends in Disturbance and Recovery) with</span> a unique field dataset from a landscape heavily influenced by both wildfire and spruce beetles (<i>Dendroctonus rufipennis</i>) since c. 2000. We also compared LandTrendr to other common methods of mapping fire- and spruce beetle-affected areas. We found that LandTrendr more accurately detected wildfire than spruce beetle-induced tree mortality, and both mortality agents were more easily detected when they occurred at high severity. Surprisingly, prior spruce beetle outbreaks did not influence the detectability of subsequent wildfire. Compared to alternative disturbance mapping approaches, LandTrendr predicted a c. 40% lower area affected by wildfire or spruce beetle outbreaks. <span>Our findings indicate that disturbance type- and severity-specific differences in omission error may have broad implications for disturbance mapping efforts that utilize Landsat data. Gradual, low-severity disturbances (e.g., background tree mortality and non-stand replacing disturbance) are pervasive in forest ecosystems, yet they can be difficult to detect using automated LTS algorithms. Whenever possible, methods to account for these biases should be incorporated in LTS-based mapping efforts, including the use of multispectral ensembles and ancillary spatial data to refine predictions. However, our findings also indicate that LTS algorithms appear to be robust in areas with multiple disturbance events, which is important because these areas will increase as new acquisitions extend the length of the Landsat record. </span></span></p>
Meta-analysis on pulse disturbances reveals differences in functional and compositional recovery across ecosystems
Most ecosystems are affected by anthropogenic or natural pulse disturbances, which alter the community composition and functioning for a limited period of time. Whether and how quickly communities recover from such pulses is central to our understanding of biodiversity dynamics and ecosystem organization, but also to nature conservation and management. Here, we present a meta-analysis of 508 (semi-)natural field experiments globally distributed across marine, terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. We found recovery to be significant yet incomplete. At the end of the experiments, disturbed treatments resembled controls again when considering abundance (94%), biomass (82%), and univariate diversity measures (88%). Most disturbed treatments did not further depart from control after the pulse, indicating that few studies showed novel trajectories induced by the pulse. Only multivariate community composition on average showed little recovery: disturbed species composition remained dissimilar to the control throughout the experiment. Still, when experiments showed a higher compositional stability, they tended to also show higher functional stability. Recovery was more complete when systems had high resistance, whereas resilience and resistance were negatively correlated. The overall results were highly consistent across studies, but significant differences between ecosystems and organism groups appeared. Future research on disturbances should aim to understand these differences, but also fill obvious gaps in the empirical assessments for regions (especially the tropics), ecosystems and organisms. In summary, we provide general evidence that (semi-)natural communities can recover from pulse disturbances, but compositional aspects are more vulnerable to long-lasting effects of pulse disturbance than the emergent functions associated to them.
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Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.