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Supplementary material 7 from: Bieberich J, Feldhaar H, Lauerer M (2020) Micro-habitat and season dependent impact of the invasive Impatiens glandulifera on native vegetation. NeoBiota 57: 109-131. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.57.51331
Figure S3. Micro-habitat specific impact of I. glandulifera on the resident plant species composition
Importance of snowmelt contribution to seasonal runoff and summer low flows in Czechia
<p>The file in this record represents a supplementary data for the journal paper Jenicek, M., Ledvinka, O. (2020). Importance of snowmelt contribution to seasonal runoff and summer low flows in Czechia. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2019-611. The file contain simulations of the HBV rainfall-runoff model for 59 mountain catchments in Czechia. The model simulated different water balance components, such as runoff, snow water equivalent, evapotranspiration and groundwater storage for the study period 1980-2014.</p>
Data from: Profound reversible seasonal changes of individual skull size in a mammal
Postnatal size changes in most vertebrates are unidirectional and finite once the individual reaches full size. In rare cases, changes of body length may occur in response to harsh environmental conditions. Such reactionary changes are distinct from seasonal, often anticipatory morphological changes, such as the reversible size change of some adult bird brains. A unique pattern of profound anatomical change known as Dehnel's phenomenon has been described for the body, skull and brain size of red-toothed shrews and some mustelids. The seasonal 20% decrease and 15% re-growth of the most common proxy, braincase height, were documented at population level from extracted skulls post-mortem. Quantifying intra-individual change had so far been methodologically prohibitive. Here, we followed the intra-individual change in skull size and body mass throughout the full cycle in wild recaptured shrews (Sorex araneus). Using X-ray images we showed that individuals decreased the size of their braincases in anticipation of winter by an average of 15.3%. Braincases then partially regrew in spring by 9.3%. Body mass decreased by 17.6% and then dramatically increased by 83.4% in spring. Thus, we demonstrate that the dramatic changes incurred by Dehnel's phenomenon occur in the individual's bone and other tissues.
Data from: Niche partitioning between river shark species is driven by seasonal fluctuations in environmental salinity
<ol> <li>Tropical rivers and estuaries are highly dynamic environments, where environmental conditions change dramatically over spatial and temporal scales. This creates both physiological and ecological challenges for euryhaline elasmobranchs, where fluctuations in salinity can impact not only osmoregulatory function, but also the ability to find and acquire prey.</li> <li>We investigated how spatial and temporal variation in environmental salinity influences physiological homeostasis, habitat utilisation, and migration timing in two euryhaline carcharhinid sharks within a tropical river in northern Australia. Neonate and juvenile bull sharks <i>Carcharhinus leucas</i> and speartooth sharks <i>Glyphis glyphis </i>were tracked over a four-year period using implanted acoustic tags and an array of hydrophone receivers. Tissue samples were also collected from captured sharks and analysed for interspecific differences in plasma osmolarity, urea and electrolyte (Na<sup>+ </sup>and K<sup>+</sup>) concentrations, and the stable isotopes δ<sup>13</sup>C and δ<sup>15</sup>N.</li> <li>We discovered that immature <i>C. leucas</i> and <i>G. glyphis</i> segregate spatially along a salinity gradient between September and December, where the mean volume of intersection between species dropped as low as 0.01. While<i> G. glyphis</i> used higher salinity environments (mean salinity = 19.22) located between 30 and 70 km from the mouth of the estuary, <i>C. leucas</i> occupied freshwater reaches (mean salinity = 1.98) between 60 and 110 km upstream. Plasma osmolarities of both species were always hyperosmotic to the environment, with electrolyte concentrations maintained within a narrow range independent of environmental osmolarities. At the onset of the wet season, both <i>C. leucas</i> and <i>G. glyphis</i> undertook a coordinated downstream migration towards the lower estuary before returning upstream.</li> <li> <i>C. leucas</i> blood tissues were more enriched in δ<sup>15</sup>N and δ<sup>13</sup>C than samples collected from similar size <i>G. glyphis</i>, suggesting that these species not only spatially segregate within low salinity habitats but also prey on different dietary resources. Furthermore, a loss of enriched isotopic values in fin tissue with increasing body length provides further support for marine-use by adult sharks in conjunction with dependence on rivers as important nursery habitat. Our results illustrate the importance of long-term integrative studies into resource competition and the significance of discrete brackish habitats for threatened euryhaline elasmobranchs. </li> </ol>
Data from: Group density, disease, and season shape territory size and overlap of social carnivores
<p>1. The spatial organization of a population can influence the spread of information, behaviour, and pathogens. Territory size and territory overlap, components of spatial organization, provide key information as these metrics may be indicators of habitat quality, resource dispersion, contact rates, and environmental risk (e.g., indirectly transmitted pathogens). Furthermore, sociality and behaviour can also shape space use, and subsequently, how space use and habitat quality together impact demography.</p> <p>2. Our study aims to identify factors shaping the spatial organization of wildlife populations and assess the impact of epizootics on space use. We also use network analysis to describe spatial organization and connectivity of social groups.</p> <p>3. Here, we assessed the seasonal spatial organization of Serengeti lions and Yellowstone wolves at the group level. We examine the factors predicting mean territory size and mean territory overlap for each population using generalized additive models. We further explore the mechanisms by which disease perturbations could cause changes in spatial organization.</p> <p>4. We demonstrate that lions and wolves were similar in that group-level factors, such as number of groups, shaped spatial organization more than population-level factors, such as population density. Factors shaping territory size were slightly different than factors shaping territory overlap; for example, wolf pack size was an important predictor of territory overlap, but not territory size. Lion spatial networks were more highly connected, while wolf spatial networks varied seasonally. We found that resource dispersion may be more important for driving territory size and overlap for wolves than for lions. Additionally, canine distemper epizootics may alter lion spatial organization, highlighting the importance of including behavioural and movement ecology in studies of pathogen transmission dynamics.</p> <p>5. We provide insight about when we might expect to observe the impacts of resource dispersion, disease perturbations, and other ecological factors on spatial organization. Our work highlights the importance of monitoring and managing social carnivore populations at the group level. Future research should elucidate the complex relationships between demographics, social and spatial structure, abiotic and biotic conditions, and pathogen infections. </p>
Data from: Seasonal shifts in feeding patterns: individual and population realized specialization in a high Arctic fish
Species with a broad and flexible diet may be at an advantage in a rapidly changing environment such as in today's Arctic ecosystems. Polar cod (Boreogadus saida), an abundant and ecologically important circumpolar Arctic fish, is often described as a zooplankton generalist feeder, which suggests that it may cope successfully with changes in prey composition. This description is justified based on the relatively broad diet of polar cod across sites and seasons. In this case study, we used polar cod dietary data from fall and winter and from two distinct environments, dominated either by Arctic or Atlantic water masses in Svalbard. Our results point to the importance of time and space when drawing conclusions on dietary plasticity and degree of specialization. Polar cod diet differed significantly between fall and the winter and between Arctic and Atlantic domains. Polar cod from Arctic domains displayed a strong realized population specialization on T.libellua in fall, and the larger dietary niche width observed in the winter was the product of realized individual specialization, with increased feeding on fish prey. Overall, we did not observe a generalized feeding behavior. If dietary niche width is to inform conservation management, we argue it must be recognized that populations from a single species may adopt seasonally contrasting degrees of dietary specialization and that these populations may differ in their vulnerability to climate-induced changes in prey community composition.
The origin and spread of locally adaptive seasonal camouflage in snowshoe hares
<p>Adaptation is central to population persistence in the face of environmental change, yet we seldom precisely understand the origin and spread of adaptive variation in natural populations. Snowshoe hares (<i>Lepus americanus</i>) along the Pacific Northwest (PNW) coast have evolved brown winter camouflage through positive selection on recessive variation at the <i>Agouti</i> pigmentation gene introgressed from black-tailed jackrabbits (<i>L. californicus</i>). Here we combine new and published whole genome and exome sequences with targeted genotyping of <i>Agouti </i>in order<i> </i>to investigate the evolutionary history of local seasonal camouflage adaptation in the PNW. We find evidence of significantly elevated inbreeding and mutational load in coastal winter-brown hares, consistent with a recent range expansion into temperate coastal environments that incurred indirect fitness costs. The genome-wide distribution of introgression tract lengths supports a pulse of hybridization near the end of the last glacial maximum, which may have facilitated range expansion via introgression of winter-brown camouflage variation. However, signatures of a selective sweep at <i>Agouti</i> indicate a much more recent spread of winter-brown camouflage. Through simulations we show that the delay between the hybrid origin and subsequent selective sweep of the recessive winter-brown allele can be largely attributed to the limits of natural selection imposed by simple allelic dominance. We argue that while hybridization during periods of environmental change may provide a critical reservoir of adaptive variation at range edges, the probability and pace of local adaptation will strongly depend on population demography and the genetic architecture of introgressed variation.</p>
Seasonal patterns of melatonin alter aggressive phenotypes of female Siberian hamsters
<p>Many animal species exhibit year-round aggression, a behaviour that allows individuals to compete for limited resources in their environment (e.g., food and mates).<br> Interestingly, this high degree of territoriality persists during the non-breeding season, despite low levels of circulating gonadal steroids (i.e., testosterone [T] and oestradiol<br> [E<sub>2</sub>]). Our previous work suggests that the pineal hormone melatonin mediates a 'seasonal switch' from gonadal to adrenal regulation of aggression in Siberian hamsters<br> (<em>Phodopus sungorus</em>); solitary, seasonally breeding mammals that display increased aggression during the short, 'winter-like' days (SDs) of the non-breeding season. To test<br> the hypothesis that melatonin elevates non-breeding aggression by increasing circulating and neural steroid metabolism, we housed female hamsters in long days (LDs)<br> or SDs, administered them timed or mis-timed melatonin injections (mimic or do not mimic a SD-like signal, respectively), and measured aggression, circulating hormone<br> profiles, and aromatase (ARO) immunoreactivity in brain regions associated with aggressive or reproductive behaviours (paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus [PVN],<br> periaqueductal gray [PAG], and ventral tegmental area [VTA]). Females that were responsive to SD photoperiods (SD-R) and LD females given timed melatonin injections<br> (Mel-T) exhibited gonadal regression and reduced circulating E<sub>2</sub>, but increased aggression and circulating dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Furthermore, aggressive challenges differentially altered circulating hormone profiles across seasonal phenotypes; reproductively inactive females (ie, SD-R and Mel-T females) reduced circulating<br> DHEA and T, but increased E<sub>2</sub> after an aggressive interaction, whereas reproductively active females (i.e., LD females, SD non-responder females, and LD females given mis-timed melatonin injections) solely increased circulating E<sub>2</sub>. Although no differences in neural ARO abundance were observed, LD and SD-R females showed distinct associations between ARO cell density and aggressive behaviour in the PVN, PAG, and VTA. Taken together, these results suggest that melatonin increases non-breeding<br> aggression by elevating circulating steroid metabolism after an aggressive encounter and by regulating behaviourally relevant neural circuits in a region-specific manner.</p>
Data from: Seasonal dynamics of flock interaction networks across a human-modified landscape in lowland Amazonian rainforest
<p><span>Although lowland tropical rainforests were once widely believed to be the archetype of stability, seasonal variation exists. In these environments, seasonality is defined by rainfall, leading to a predictable pattern of biotic and abiotic changes. Only the full annual cycle reveals niche breadth, yet most studies of tropical organisms ignore seasonality, thereby underestimating realized conditions. If human-modified habitats display more seasonal stress than intact habitats, then ignoring seasonality will have particularly important repercussions for conservation. We examined the seasonal dynamics of Amazonian mixed-species flocks—an important species interaction network—across three habitats with increasing human disturbance. We quantified seasonal space use, species richness and attendance, and four ecological network metrics for flocks in primary forest, small forest fragments, and regenerating secondary forest in central Amazonia. Our results indicate that, even in intact, lowland rainforest, mixed-species flocks exhibit seasonal differences. </span>During the dry season, flocks included more species, generally ranged over larger areas, and displayed network structures that were less complex and less cohesive. We speculate that because most flocking species nest during the dry season—a time of reduced arthropod abundance—flocks are simultaneously constrained by these two competing pressures. Moreover, these seasonal differences were most pronounced in forest fragments and secondary forest, habitats that are less buffered from the changing seasons. <span>Our results suggest that seasonality influences the conservation value of human-modified habitats, raising important questions about how rainforest organisms will cope with an increasingly unstable climate.</span></p>
CESM1.2 simulation output for: The role of westerly wind bursts during different seasons versus ocean heat recharge in the development of extreme El Niño in a climate model
<p>This is the subset of CESM1.2 model simulation output that was used for analysis and visualization of Yu and Fedorov [2020] (DOI:10.1029/2020GL088381). Please refer to README for details.</p>
Coexistence of predators in time: effects of season and prey availability on species activity within a Mediterranean carnivore guild
<p>1. The degree of coexistence among predators can determine the structure of ecological communities. Niche partitioning is a common strategy applied by species to enhance their coexistence. Diet, habitat or time use can be responsible for segregation among carnivore species, the latter factor being the least studied in Mediterranean ecosystems. Terrestrial medium-sized carnivores (i.e. mesocarnivores) carry out important functions in ecosystems and identifying their interactions is essential for their conservation.</p> <p>2. In this study, we explore the activity of a terrestrial mesocarnivore guild in order to determine seasonal differences on daily activity patterns of competitors and prey. We also investigate how the abundance of a common mesocarnivore prey in the region, small mammals, influences the activity of predators.</p> <p>3. During a year, camera trap devices (n=18) were installed in Montseny Natural Park (Catalan Pre-Coastal Range, Nort-East Iberian Peninsula), a region that hosts five mesocarnivore species. Camera trapping detections were used to estimate their daily activity patterns and corresponding overlaps. We also surveyed small mammal plots (n=5) in order to calculate prey abundance and test its effect on the relative activity of each carnivore species.</p> <p>4. Despite all target mesocarnivores are mainly nocturnal, the activity overlap among them varies according to species particularities and season. Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) appears as a generalist species in terms of time use, whereas stone marten (Martes foina) and genet (Genetta genetta) show the most similar activity patterns and both of them seem to be positively influenced by small mammal abundance. Overall, the diversity found in the way mesocarnivore species use time could facilitate their coexistence.</p> <p>5. Despite activity pattern similarities among carnivore species should not be directly translated to negative interactions, they can have a strong influence in habitat and resource-limited ecosystems. Therefore, activity overlaps should be taken into account when discussing wildlife management actions.</p>
Data from: Female loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta L.) rarely remate during nesting season
The goal of this study was to assess the consequences of single versus multiple paternity by identifying paternity of clutches per female to identify if there were detectable costs or benefits. Multiple mating can occur when the benefits of mating outweigh the costs, but if costs and benefits are equal, no pattern is expected. Previous research on loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) populations found male-biased breeding sex ratios and multiple mating by many females nesting in southwestern Florida. A sample of nesting loggerhead females who laid more than one nest over the course of the season and a subset of their hatchlings were examined from 36 clutches in 2016 on Sanibel Island, Florida. Males that fathered hatchlings in the first clutch sampled were identified in subsequent clutches. Interestingly, 75% of the females analyzed had mated singly. No male was represented in more than one female's clutches. The results suggest that females likely mate at the beginning of the season and use stored sperm for multiple clutches. Evidence for mating between laying events was limited. There was no consistent pattern across the subsequent multiple paternity clutches, suggesting benefits to loggerhead females likely equal their costs and subsequent mating is likely determined by female preference.
Phenological synchronization of seasonal bird migration with vegetation greenness across dietary guilds
<p>1. The seasonal movement of animals has been linked to seasonal variation in ecological productivity, and it has been hypothesized that primary consumers synchronize migration with vegetation phenology. Within temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, herbivorous bird species often track the phenology of vegetation greenness during spring migration. Phenological synchronization with vegetation greenness by migratory birds in other dietary guilds, across the full extent of their annual distributions during both spring and autumn migration, has not been explored.</p> <p>2. Here, we document population-level associations with a remotely sensed measure of vegetation greenness for 230 North American migratory bird species in seven dietary guilds across the full annual cycle using eBird occurrence information for the combined period 2006-2018.</p> <p>3. Evidence of phenological synchronization was strongest for omnivores, herbivores, herbivore-granivores, and granivores during spring and autumn migration, except for omnivores in the west during spring migration. Strong evidence of synchronization was also observed for insectivores during spring migration and carnivores during spring and autumn migration that migrated across the entire breadth of the continent. The level of evidence declined for insectivores in the west and east during spring migration, and for nectarivores in the west during spring and autumn migration. Limited evidence was also found for insectivores in the east during autumn migration, insectivores in the west and the center of the continent during spring and autumn migration, and carnivores in the west during spring migration. Carnivores in the west during autumn migration showed the weakest evidence of synchronization.</p> <p>4. We found broad support across an array of dietary guilds for phenological coupling between vegetation greenness and seasonal bird migration within North America. Our results highlight the potential for many migratory bird species to encounter phenological mismatches as vegetation phenology responds to climate change. Our findings emphasize the need to better understand the environmental cues that regulate migratory behavior across dietary guilds, consumer levels, and migration tactics.</p>
Artificial light at night amplifies seasonal relapse of haemosporidian parasites in a widespread songbird
<p>Urban habitats can shape interactions between hosts and parasites by altering within-host processes such as resistance. Artificial light at night is common in urban environments, and chronic exposure can impair host immunity in ways that may increase infection. However, studies of causal links between this stressor, immunity, and infection dynamics are rare, particularly in migratory animals. Here, we experimentally tested how artificial light at night affects cellular immunity and intensity of infection with haemosporidian parasites across the annual cycle of migrant and resident subspecies of the dark-eyed junco (<em>Junco hyemalis</em>). We exposed an experimental group to light at night and compared them to control birds under nighttime darkness. Both groups were monitored as they passed through short days simulating early spring to longer days simulating the breeding season, followed by fall migration. Using generalized additive models, we show that artificial light at night increased inflammation, and leukocyte counts were greatest in early spring and fall. At the beginning of the experiment, few birds had active infections based on microscopy, but nested PCR revealed that many birds had chronic infections. Artificial light at night increased parasitemia across the annual cycle, with pronounced peaks in spring and fall that were largely absent in control birds. Because all birds were kept in indoor aviaries to prevent vector exposure, these pulses in parasite intensity indicate relapse of chronic infection during costly life history stages (i.e., reproduction, migration). Although the immunological and parasitological time series were in phase for control birds, cross-correlation analyses revealed that artificial light at night desynchronized leukocyte profiles and haemosporidian intensity, which could suggest immune dysregulation. Our study shows how a common anthropogenic influence can shape within-host processes to affect infection dynamics.</p>
North American winter season (Nov-Mar) 500 mb geopotential height classification scheme, 1979-2018
<p>This dataset comes from a study that investigated the link between atmospheric circulation patterns and deep persistent slab avalanches for three study sites in the western United States: Bridger Bowl, MT; Jackson Hole, WY; and Mammoth Mountain, CA. We used Self-organizing maps to generate 20 synoptic types that summarize the primary modes of atmospheric variability for 5,899 daily 500 mb geopotential height charts on record for the North American winter season (Nov. 1 - Mar. 31) from 1979-2017. We summarize median daily precipitation totals, daily maximum, and daily minimum temperatures observed for each synoptic type, and identify circulation patterns that occur frequently during Nov.-Dec of seasons that recorded unusually high deep persistent slab avalanche activity. We also find specific synoptic types that occur more frequently in the days immediately prior to deep slab events. This work provides practitioners with a better understanding of the processes leading to deep persistent slab avalanches, thus improving our ability to anticipate these difficult to predict events. Furthermore, we provide a conceptual model to apply this study at any site faced with similar hazard, and equipped with long-term meteorological and avalanche records.</p>
Bamboo phenology and life cycle drive seasonal and long-term functioning of Amazonian bamboo-dominated forests
<p>1. Bamboo-dominated forests (BDF) extend over large areas in the drought-prone Southwestern Amazon, yet little is known about the dynamics of these ecosystems. Here, we investigate the hypothesis that bamboo modulates large-scale ecosystem dynamics through competition with coexisting trees for water.</p> <p>2. We examined spatio-temporal patterns of remotely sensed metrics (Enhanced Vegetation Index [EVI], Normalized Difference Moisture Index [NDMI]) in >300 Landsat images as proxies for canopy leaf phenology and water content at two time scales: (1) a complete bamboo life cycle (~28 years), and (2) the seasonal cycle; and at two spatial scales: (a) comparing adjacent areas of BDF vs. Terra-firme forests (TFF) to investigate regional dynamics, and (b) comparing the vegetation classes of bamboo, trees in BDF, and trees in TFF to investigate the effects of bamboo on coexisting trees.</p> <p>3. At the regional scale, BDF showed higher EVI (leaf area density) and lower NDMI (water content) than nearby TFF but these differences disappeared as bamboo died, suggesting a strong influence of bamboo life-stage in the functioning of these forests. BDF seasonal cycle showed a bimodal EVI pattern as trees and bamboos had asynchronized leaf production peaks.</p> <p>4. At the scale of vegetation classes, trees in BDF showed lower NDMI (i.e., water content) than trees in TFF except after bamboo mortality, indicating a release from competition with bamboo for water. Canopy water content of trees in BDF was also reduced during bamboo dry-season greening (increased EVI ~ leaf production) due to increased water demands. Nevertheless, long-term and seasonal phenology of trees in BDF did not differ from that of trees in TFF suggesting a potential selection for drought-tolerant trees in BDF.</p> <p>5. Synthesis. Bamboo-dominated forests have received less attention than other Amazonian forests and their functional dynamics are commonly ignored or misinterpreted. Using remote sensing to characterize forest phenology and water content, we show the distinctive seasonal and long-term dynamics of BDF and coexisting trees and the importance of bamboo competition for water in shaping this ecosystem. Our results suggest a potential selection for drought-tolerant trees in BDF since they maintain the same EVI as trees in bamboo-free forests but with lower water content. A better characterization of BDF and their cyclical dynamics is crucial for accurately interpreting Amazonian forests' responses to extreme climatic events such as high temperatures and droughts.</p>
Vertical stratification collapses under seasonal shifts in climate
<p><b>Aim: </b>Tropical forests are vertically complex, and offer unique niche opportunities in the form of climate-, habitat-, and resource-gradients from ground to canopy. Rainforest species organize within this vertical spatial gradient and recent macro-ecological research suggests that the highest levels of vertical stratification occur in structurally complex and climatically stable tropical rainforests. Yet, patterns of verticality are typically derived across latitude, linking annual precipitation regimes to canopy utilization and vertical stratification of communities in space. However, although the tropics are not thermally variable, they do have strong seasonality in rainfall—a temporal component that is missed in macro-scale studies. We hypothesise that verticality of ecological communities responds to seasonality in climate, particularly rainfall.</p> <p><b>Location: </b>Sierra Llorona, Colón Province, Panama.</p> <p><b>Taxon: </b>Amphibians.</p> <p><b>Methods: </b>We performed 121 ground-to-canopy surveys across the wet and dry seasons for amphibians. We calculated species specific and community wide vertical height and abundance shifts between seasons, and separately test the importance of vertical height and season on the vertical distribution of species. </p> <p><b>Results: </b>Our results show a clear downward shift of 5 m in height in amphibian communities from the wet season to dry season. We also observe significant changes in species composition across vertical strata in both seasons, driven by nestedness in the dry season (loss of species over height), and genuine turnover in the wet season (loss and addition of species over height).</p> <p><b>Main Conclusions: </b>The exploitation of canopy microhabitats and resources in the wet season resulted in complex patterns of stratification, whereas drying flattened the distribution and simplified the composition of arboreal communities. As such, pattern and process in the vertical dimension is not static in time but rather exists as a dichotomy with inverse patterns between wet and dry seasons. Complex, multidimensional distributions of diverse rainforest communities can be simplified by climatic constraints—an important consideration as anthropogenic climate change increases the magnitude of seasonal swings in temperature and precipitation.</p>
Temperature-mediated plasticity in incubation schedules is unlikely to evolve to buffer embryos from climatic challenges in a seasonal songbird
<p>Phenotypic plasticity is hypothesised to facilitate adaptive responses to challenging conditions, such as those resulting from climate change. However, the key predictions of this 'rescue hypothesis', that variation in plasticity exists and can evolve to buffer unfavourable conditions, remain rare. Here, we investigate among-female variation in temperature-mediated plasticity of incubation schedules and consequences for egg temperatures using the chestnut-crowned babbler (<i>Pomatostomus ruficeps</i>) from temperate regions of inland south-eastern Australia. Given phenological advances in this seasonal breeder and thermal requirements of developing embryos (> ~25 °C, optimally ~38 °C), support for evolutionary rescue - perhaps paradoxically - requires that plasticity serves to buffer embryos more from sub-optimally low temperatures. We found significant variation in the duration of incubation bouts (mean ± SD = 27 ± 22 min) and foraging bouts (mean ± SD = 17 ± 11 min) in this maternal-only incubator. However, these patterns arose because of variation in the extent to which mothers increased on- and off-bout durations when temperatures (0-36 °C) were more favourable rather than unfavourable as required under rescue. In addition, there was a strong positive intercept-slope correlation in on-bout durations, indicating that those with stronger plastic responses incubated more at average temperatures (~19 °C). Combined, these effects reduced the functional significance of plastic responses: an individual's plasticity was neither associated with daily contributions to incubation (i.e. attentiveness) nor average egg temperatures. Our results highlight that despite significant among-individual variation in environmental-sensitivity, plasticity in parental care traits need not evolve to facilitate buffering against unfavourable conditions.</p>
Seasonal time constraints shape life history, physiology and behaviour independently, and decouple a behavioural syndrome in a damselfly
The integration of traits into 'syndromes' has been suggested as a useful framework to advance insights in trait responses to environmental stressors. Yet, how stressors shape the consistency ('repeatability') of traits and their covariation at the individual level remains debated. We studied how seasonal time constraints shape trait repeatability and integration of life-history, behavioural, and physiological traits along a fast-slow continuum, using the 'pace-of-life syndrome' as a framework. We manipulated the photoperiod during the larval development of the damselfly Ischnura elegans, generating a time-relaxed early, a control, and a time-constrained late group. The photoperiod treatment did not seem to affect the voltinism of the larvae. As predicted, late-period larvae accelerated development and growth, yet this acceleration was no longer detectable for growth and metabolic rate during the final instar, possibly due to costs of the initial life-history acceleration. This warrants caution when inferring a species' pace-of-life based on a specific developmental stage. The late-period larvae were as predicted more active (only during the later stages of the final instar) and bolder than the control larvae, but not different from the early-period larvae. Most studies on time constraints only compared late and control animals, thereby potentially wrongly concluding adaptive responses to time constraints. Activity, boldness, and body mass were repeatable, while growth and metabolic rates were not. Notably, repeatabilities did not change under time constraints. There was no support for an overall trait integration in a pace-of-life syndrome, yet activity and boldness covaried positively as expected. Importantly, this 'behavioural syndrome' was decoupled in the late-period larvae, which might be adaptive to enhance energy acquisition to fuel the accelerated development rate. Our results suggest that besides the predicted plastic acceleration of life-history, plastic changes in behavioural trait integration may also be an important but overlooked adaptive aspect of responding to time constraints.
Livestock grazing is associated with seasonal reduction in pollinator biodiversity and functional dispersion but cheatgrass invasion is not: variation in bee assemblages in a multi-use shortgrass prairie
<p>Livestock grazing and non-native plant species affect rangeland habitats globally. These factors may have important effects on ecosystem services including pollination, yet, interactions between pollinators, grazing, and invasive plants are poorly understood. To address this, we tested the hypothesis that cattle grazing and site colonization by cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) impact bee foraging and nesting habitats, and the biodiversity of wild bee communities, in a shortgrass prairie system. Bee nesting habitats (litter and wood cover) were marginally improved in non-grazed sites with low cheatgrass cover, though foraging habitat (floral cover and richness, bare soil) did not differ among cattle-grazed sites or non-grazed sites with low or high cheatgrass cover. However, floral cover was a good predictor of bee abundance and functional dispersion. Mean bee abundance, richness, diversity and functional diversity were significantly lower in cattle-grazed habitats than in non-grazed habitats. Differences in bee diversity among habitats were pronounced early in the growing season (May) but by late-season (August) these differences eroded as Melissodes spp. and Bombus spp. became more abundant at study sites. Fourth-corner analysis revealed that sites with high floral cover tended to support large, social, polylectic bees; sites with high grass cover tended to support oligolectic solitary bees. Both cattle-grazed sites and sites with high cheatgrass cover were associated with lower abundances of above-ground nesting bees but higher abundance of below-ground nesters than non-grazed sites with low cheatgrass cover. We conclude that high cheatgrass cover is not associated with reduced bee biodiversity or abundance, but cattle grazing was negatively associated with bee abundances and altered species composition. Although floral cover is an important predictor of bee assemblages, this was not impacted by cattle grazing and our study suggests that cattle likely impact bee communities through effects other than those mediated by forbs, including soil disturbance or nest destruction. Efforts aimed at pollinator conservation in prairie habitats should focus on managing cattle impacts early in the growing season to benefit sensitive bee species.</p>
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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.