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opencc-zeroJan 2018View details →

Supplementary material 2 from: Astuti G, Roma-Marzio F, D'Antraccoli M, Bedini G, Carta A, Sebastiani F, Bruschi P, Peruzzi L (2017) Conservation biology of the last Italian population of Cistus laurifolius (Cistaceae): demographic structure, reproductive success and population genetics. Nature Conservation 22: 169-190. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.22.19809

Supplementary material 2 from: Astuti G, Roma-Marzio F, D'Antraccoli M, Bedini G, Carta A, Sebastiani F, Bruschi P, Peruzzi L (2017) Conservation biology of the last Italian population of Cistus laurifolius (Cistaceae): demographic structure, reproductive success and population genetics. Nature Conservation 22: 169-190. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.22.19809

opencc-zeroJan 2018View details →

Supplementary material 1 from: Astuti G, Roma-Marzio F, D'Antraccoli M, Bedini G, Carta A, Sebastiani F, Bruschi P, Peruzzi L (2017) Conservation biology of the last Italian population of Cistus laurifolius (Cistaceae): demographic structure, reproductive success and population genetics. Nature Conservation 22: 169-190. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.22.19809

Supplementary material 1 from: Astuti G, Roma-Marzio F, D'Antraccoli M, Bedini G, Carta A, Sebastiani F, Bruschi P, Peruzzi L (2017) Conservation biology of the last Italian population of Cistus laurifolius (Cistaceae): demographic structure, reproductive success and population genetics. Nature Conservation 22: 169-190. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.22.19809

opencc-zeroApr 2024View details →

Increased overwintering temperature reduces the reproductive success of solitary bees

Wild bees play a key role as pollinators of wild plants and crops, but they are increasingly at risk through anthropogenic global change, such as climate warming. However, how increased temperature during overwintering of solitary wild bees affects their reproductive success remains largely unknown. In a semi-field experiment, we assessed the individual life-long reproductive success of 144 marked females of solitary bee species Osmia bicornis that have been wintered at 0°C, 4.5°C, and 8°C. Overwintering mortality of bees was on average 32% higher at winter temperatures of 8°C compared to 4.5°C or 0°C, at which almost all bees successfully hatched. Moreover, female bees wintered at 4.5°C and 8°C produced less offspring than those overwintered at 0°C (26% or 36% less offspring, respectively). Longevity or daily offspring production rate was not significantly affected by overwintering temperature. However, the nesting duration of females wintered at 0°C tended to be longer (+2.5 days) than that of bees wintered at 4.5°C, which likely contributed to the decreased offspring production at warmer overwintering temperatures. The mortality and sex ratio of offspring was not significantly affected. These findings indicate that increasing mean overwintering temperatures could pose a so far largely overlooked threat to wild solitary bee populations.

opencc-by-4.0Oct 2024View details →

Pathogen-induced alterations in fine-scale movement behaviour predict impaired reproductive success

This R-Project contains the following code files (in folder R): 01_movement_data_cleaning: Code to clean the raw ATLAS tracking data 02_nestbox_data_cleaning: Code to clean nest box control sheets 03_pathogen_data_cleaning: Code to clean the laboratory results for blood parasites PCRs 04_ctmm_models: Code to prepare data, applying continuous time movement models (incl. model selection) on movement data. Moreover, track reconstruction is performed 05_Neural_Network: Code to perform Neural Networks for classification of behavioural states 06_behavioural classification_analyses: Code to analyse Neural Network output 07_HSF: Code for Habitat Selection Functions (HSF) 08_ISSF: : Code for integrated Step Selection Functions (iSSF) 09_breeding_success_HSF: Multivariate model to perform on HSF estimates 10_breeding_success_ISSF: Multivariate model to perform on iSSF estimates This repository contains the following data files (in folder data-raw) : Nestboxes_2021: Nest box monitoring sheets 2021 Nestboxes_2022: Nest box monitoring sheets 2022 Nestboxes_2023: Nest box monitoring sheets 2023 Starlings_ring: Starling ringing data pathogen_data: Blood parasite infection data

opencc-zeroDec 2012View details →

Data from: Endocrine phenotype, reproductive success and survival in the great tit, Parus major

A central goal in evolutionary ecology is to characterize and identify selection patterns on the optimal phenotype in different environments. Physiological traits, such as hormonal responses, provide important mechanisms by which individuals can adapt to fluctuating environmental conditions. It is therefore expected that selection shapes hormonal traits, but the strength and the direction of selection on plastic hormonal signals are still under investigation. Here, we determined whether, and in which way, selection is acting on the hormones corticosterone and prolactin by characterizing endocrine phenotypes and their relationship with fitness in free-living great tits, Parus major. We quantified variation in circulating concentrations of baseline and stress-induced corticosterone and in prolactin during the prebreeding (March) and the breeding season (May) for two consecutive years, and correlated these with reproductive success (yearly fledgling number) and overwinter survival in female and male individuals. In both years, individuals with high baseline corticosterone concentrations in March had the highest yearly fledgling numbers; while in May, individuals with low baseline corticosterone had the highest yearly reproductive success. Likewise, individuals that displayed strong seasonal plasticity in baseline corticosterone concentrations (high in March and low in May) had the highest reproductive success in each year. Prolactin concentrations were not related to reproductive success, but were positively correlated to the proximity to lay. Between-year plasticity in stress-induced corticosterone concentrations of males was related to yearly variation in food abundance, but not to overall reproductive success. These findings suggest that seasonally alternating directional selection is operating on baseline corticosterone concentrations in both sexes. The observed between-year consistency in selection patterns indicates that a one-time hormone sample in a given season can allow the prediction of individual fitness.

opencc-zeroDec 2015View details →

Data from: Consequences of mating with siblings and nonsiblings on the reproductive success in a leaf beetle

Choosing a suitable mating partner is crucial for the fitness of an individual, whereby mating with siblings often results in inbreeding depression. We studied consequences of mating with siblings versus nonsiblings in the mustard leaf beetle, Phaedon cochleariae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), on lifetime reproductive traits. Furthermore, we analyzed whether cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles are family specific and could potentially influence the mating behavior of young adults. We hypothesized a reduced reproductive success of females mated with siblings and a more rapid mating of males with nonsiblings. The hatching rate from eggs of sibling pairs was lower compared to that of nonsibling pairs, pointing to inbreeding depression. Furthermore, the number of eggs laid by females decreased over time in both sibling and nonsibling pairs. Interestingly, the CHC profiles and the body mass differed between families. However, the beetles did not avoid siblings and accepted them as readily as nonsiblings for mating in no-choice tests. In summary, although it had negative consequences to mate a sibling and although siblings could potentially be recognized by their CHC profiles, the beetles did not show a delayed mating with siblings. Our results indicate that P. cochleariae beetles have not developed a precopulatory mechanism to avoid inbreeding, at least under the test conditions applied here. We predict that instead a polyandrous mating system and/or postcopulatory mechanisms might have evolved in this species by which inbreeding costs can be reduced.

opencc-zeroDec 2012View details →

Data from: Remnant Pachira quinata pasture trees have greater opportunities to self and suffer reduced reproductive success due to inbreeding depression

Habitat fragmentation is extensive throughout the world, converting natural ecosystems into fragments of varying size, density and connectivity. The potential value of remnant trees in agricultural landscapes as seed sources and in connecting fragments has formed a fertile area of debate. This study contrasted the mating patterns of bat-pollinated Pachira quinata trees in a continuous forest to those in pasture through microsatellite-based paternity analysis of progeny. The breeding system was determined by analysis of pollen tube growth and seed production from controlled pollinations. Fitness of selfed and outcrossed seed was compared by germination and seedling growth. There was more inbreeding within pasture trees (outcrossing=0.828±0.015) compared with forest trees (0.926±0.005). Pasture trees had fewer sires contributing to mating events, but pollen dispersal distances were greater than those in the forest. Paternity analysis showed variation in outcrossing rates among pasture trees with high proportions of external and self pollen sources detected. A leaky self-incompatibility system was found, with self pollen having reduced germination on stigmas and slower growth rate through the style. Controlled pollinations also showed a varied ability to self among trees, which was reflected in the selfing rates among pasture trees shown by the paternity analysis (0–80% selfing). Self pollination resulted in lower seed set, germination and seedling growth compared with outcrossing. While remnant trees in agricultural landscapes are involved in broader mating patterns, they show increased but varied levels of inbreeding, which result in reduced fitness.

Figure 2 in Nesting biology of Green-and-gold tanager (Tangara schrankii): unique traits for lowland reproductive success?

Figure 2. Egg and nestling of Green-and-gold Tanager (Tangara schrankii) found in Pantiacolla station. (a) Eggs, (b) newborn nestling, (c) 8-day-old nestling, (d) 10-day-old nestling, and (e) 14-day-old nestling. Jenny Muñoz took the egg photograph and Sebastian Pérez took the nestling photographs.

Figure 1 in Nesting biology of Green-and-gold tanager (Tangara schrankii): unique traits for lowland reproductive success?

Figure 1. Photographic characteristics of the Green-and-gold Tanager (Tangara schrankii) nest. (a) Nest built into epiphytic vegetation; the thick vegetation above the nest was so dense that the cup nest had the appearance of a dome nest, (b) cup nest, (c) nest layers. On the left is the most internal layer where the eggs stand, the one in the centre is the mid-layer and the one on the right is the outer layer.

Figure 5. Nestling feeding behaviour during the 15 in Nesting biology of Green-and-gold tanager (Tangara schrankii): unique traits for lowland reproductive success?

Figure 5. Nestling feeding behaviour during the 15-day nestling period, based on six nests monitored for a total of 30 days. (a) Hourly and (b) daily feeding trips.

Figure 4 in Nesting biology of Green-and-gold tanager (Tangara schrankii): unique traits for lowland reproductive success?

Figure 4. Nestling development based on 33 nestlings from 20 nests. (a) Tarsus growth rate, (b) wing growth rate, and (c) daily mass gain. Gray shading in the graphic represent a 95% confidence interval level.

Figure 3 in Nesting biology of Green-and-gold tanager (Tangara schrankii): unique traits for lowland reproductive success?

Figure 3. Incubation behaviour of the Green-and-gold Tanager (Tangara schrankii) throughout the incubation period, based on 32 nests monitored at the Tono and Pantiacolla stations between 2008 and 2014. (a) Nest attentiveness: the percentage of time the parents spent incubating the eggs during the daytime, 5:00–18:00. The centerline in the box plots represents the median of attentiveness, with the lower and upper box edges representing the 25th and 75th percentile, and, whiskers indicating the 95% interval. (b) On and offbouts durations were split into incubation stages with five-day intervals corresponding to early (days 1–5), middle (days 6–10), and late (days 11–15) stages. The backline represents the average ±1 SE.

opencc-zeroDec 2017View details →

Data from: Hierarchical decision-making balances current and future reproductive success

Parental decisions in animals are often context-dependent and shaped by fitness trade-offs between parents and offspring. For example, the selection of breeding habitats can considerably impact the fitness of both offspring and parents, and therefore parents should carefully weigh the costs and benefits of available options for their current and future reproductive success. Here we show that resource-use preferences are shaped by a trade-off between parental effort and offspring safety in a tadpole-transporting frog. In a large-scale in-situ experiment, we investigated decision-strategies across an entire population of poison frogs that distribute their tadpoles across multiple water bodies. Pool use followed a dynamic and sequential selection process and transportation became more efficient over time. Our results point to a complex suite of environmental variables that are considered during offspring deposition, which necessitates a highly dynamic and flexible decision-making process in tadpole-transporting frogs.

opencc-zeroDec 2012View details →

Data from: The effects of inbreeding, genetic dissimilarity and phenotype on male reproductive success in a dioecious plant

Pollen fate can strongly affect the genetic structure of populations with restricted gene flow and significant inbreeding risk. We established an experimental population of inbred and outbred Silene latifolia plants to evaluate the effects of (i) inbreeding depression, (ii) phenotypic variation and (iii) relatedness between mates on male fitness under natural pollination. Paternity analysis revealed that outbred males sired significantly more offspring than inbred males. Independently of the effects of inbreeding, male fitness depended on several male traits, including a sexually dimorphic (flower number) and a gametophytic trait (in vitro pollen germination rate). In addition, full-sib matings were less frequent than randomly expected. Thus, inbreeding, phenotype and genetic dissimilarity simultaneously affect male fitness in this animal-pollinated plant. While inbreeding depression might threaten population persistence, the deficiency of effective matings between sibs and the higher fitness of outbred males will reduce its occurrence and counter genetic erosion.

opencc-zeroJun 2021View details →

Landfast ice: a major driver of reproductive success in a polar seabird

In a fast-changing world, polar ecosystems are threatened by climate variability. Understanding the roles of fine-scale processes, and linear and nonlinear effects of climate factors on the demography of polar species is crucial for anticipating the future state of these fragile ecosystems. While the effects of sea ice on polar marine top predators are increasingly being studied, little is known about the impacts of landfast ice (LFI) on this species community. Based on a unique 39-year time series of satellite imagery and in situ meteorological conditions and on the world's longest dataset of emperor penguin ( Aptenodytes forsteri ) breeding parameters, we studied the effects of fine-scale variability of LFI and weather conditions on this species' reproductive success. We found that longer distances to the LFI edge (i.e. foraging areas) negatively affected the overall breeding success but also the fledging success. Climate window analyses suggested that chick mortality was particularly sensitive to LFI variability between August and November. Snowfall in May also affected hatching success. Given the sensitivity of LFI to storms and changes in wind direction, important future repercussions on the breeding habitat of emperor penguins are to be expected in the context of climate change.

opencc-zeroJul 2021View details →

Mating systems and predictors of relative reproductive success in a Cutthroat Trout subspecies of conservation concern

Mating systems and patterns of reproductive success in fishes play an important role in ecology and evolution. While information on the reproductive ecology of many anadromous salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp.) is well-detailed, there is less information for non-anadromous species including the Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout (O. clarkii bouvieri), a subspecies of recreational angling importance and conservation concern. Using data from a parentage-based tagging study, we described the genetic mating system of a migratory population of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout, tested for evidence of sexual selection, and identified predictors of mating and reproductive success. The standardized variance in mating success (i.e., opportunity for sexual selection) was significantly greater for males relative to females, and while the relationship between mating success and reproductive success (i.e., Bateman gradient) was significantly positive for both sexes, a greater proportion of reproductive success was explained by mating success for males (r2 = 0.80) than females (r2 = 0.59). Overall, the population displayed a polygynandrous mating system, whereby both sexes experienced variation in mating success due to multiple mating, and sexual selection was variable across sexes. Tests for evidence of sexual selection indicated the interaction between mating success and total length best predicted relative reproductive success. We failed to detect a signal of inbreeding avoidance among breeding adults, but the group of parents that produced progeny were on average slightly less related than adults that did not produce progeny. Lastly, we estimated the effective number of breeders (Nb) and effective population size (Ne) and identified while Nb was lower than Ne, both are sufficiently high to suggest Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout in Burns Creek represent a genetically stable and diverse population.

opencc-zeroJul 2021View details →

Pollination and plant reproductive success of two ploidy levels in red clover (Trifolium pratense L.)

This dataset includes hand pollination, honey bee pollination and pollen germination experiments described in the article "Pollination and plant reproductive success of two ploidy levels in red clover (Trifolium pratense L.)", published in Frontiers in Plant Science (DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.720069). In a series of hand pollination experiments, the influence of visitation rate (10, 20, 40, 80 pollinated florets per flower head) on the seed number per pollinated floret and seed number per flower head were investigated, respectively. The influence of flowering stage (early, middle, and full flowering) on the seed number per pollinated floret was also investigated. Self-incompatibility was studied by comparing the seed number per flower head under self-pollination and interploidy pollination treatments. In order to study the autonomous pollination, we compared the seed number per flower head between self-pollination and control treatment. In the honey bee pollination experiments, we investigated the overall seed number per floret and compare the number of one-seeded and two-seeded florets in the studied red clover cultivars. Further, we investigated the pollen germination rate of each red clover cultivar. The main findings of this article include: (1) In hand pollination, increasing the visitation rates increased the seed number per flower head, but reduced the seed number per pollinated floret; (2) In hand pollination, different flowering stages did not influence the seed number per pollinated floret significantly; (3) In honey bee pollination, diploid red clover cultivars had more two-seeded florets compared to tetraploids.

opencc-zeroOct 2019View details →

Data from: Genomic pedigree reconstruction identifies predictors of mating and reproductive success in an invasive vertebrate

The persistence of an invasive species is influenced by its reproductive ecology, and a successful control program must operate on this premise. However, the reproductive ecology of invasive species may be enigmatic due to factors that also limit their management, such as cryptic coloration and behavior. We explored the mating and reproductive ecology of the invasive Brown Treesnake (BTS: Boiga irregularis) by reconstructing a multigenerational genomic pedigree based on 654 single nucleotide polymorphisms for a geographically-closed population established in 2004 on Guam (N=426). The pedigree allowed annual estimates of individual mating and reproductive success to be inferred for snakes in the study population over a 14-year period. We then employed generalized linear mixed models to gauge how well phenotypic and genomic data could predict sex-specific annual mating and reproductive success. Average snout-vent length (SVL), average body condition index (BCI), and trappability were significantly related to annual mating success for males, with average SVL also related to annual mating success for females. Male and female annual reproductive success were positively affected by SVL, BCI, and trappability. Surprisingly, the degree to which individuals were inbred had no effect on annual mating or reproductive success. When juxtaposed with current control methods, these results indicate that baited traps, a common interdiction tool, may target fecund BTS in some regards but not others. Our study emphasizes the importance of reproductive ecology as a focus for improving BTS control and promotes genomic pedigree reconstruction for such an endeavor in this invasive species and others.

opencc-zeroAug 2021View details →

Flowering synchrony drives reproductive success in a wind-pollinated tree

Synchronized and quasi-periodic production of seeds by plant populations, known as masting, is implicated in many ecological processes, but how it arises remains poorly understood. Flowering and pollination dynamics are hypothesized to provide the mechanistic link for the observed relationship between weather and population‐level seed production. We report the first experimental test of the phenological synchrony hypotheses as a driver of pollen limitation in mast seeding oaks (Quercus ilex). Higher flowering synchrony yielded greater pollination efficiency, which resulted in 2-fold greater seed set in highly synchronized oaks compared to asynchronous individuals. Pollen addition removed the negative effect of asynchronous flowering on seed set. Because phenological synchrony operates through environmental variation, this result suggests that oak masting is synchronized by exogenous rather than endogenous factors. It also points to a mechanism by which changes in flowering phenology can affect plant reproduction of mast-seeding plants, with subsequent implications for community dynamics.