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opencc-by-4.0Jun 2024View details →

Including population and environmental dynamic heterogeneities in continuum models of collective behaviour with applications to locust foraging and group structure Data and Code

This dataset includes all data used for the creation of "Including dynamic population and environmental heterogeneity in continuum models of collective behaviour with applications to locust foraging and group structure" as well as a snapshot of the code used. Each zip should be unzippable and the code should operate with only the contents of the zip file.

opencc-zeroOct 2021View details →

Data from: Species interactions, environmental gradients and body size shape population niche width

Competition for shared resources is commonly assumed to restrict population-level niche width of coexisting species. However, the identity and abundance of coexisting species, the prevailing environmental conditions, and the individual body size may shape the effects of interspecific interactions on species' niche width. Here we study the effects of inter- and intraspecific interactions, lake area and altitude, and fish body size on the trophic niche width and resource use of a generalist predator, the littoral-dwelling large, sparsely-rakered morph of European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus; hereafter LSR whitefish). We use stable isotope, diet and survey fishing data from 14 subarctic lakes along an environmental gradient in northern Norway. The isotopic niche width of LSR whitefish showed a humped-shaped relationship with increasing relative abundance of sympatric competitors, suggesting widest population niche at intermediate intensity of interspecific interactions. The isotopic niche width of LSR whitefish tended to decrease with increasing altitude, suggesting reduced niche in colder, less productive lakes. LSR whitefish typically shifted to a higher trophic position and increased reliance on littoral food resources with increasing body size, although between-lake differences in ontogenetic niche shifts were evident. In most lakes, LSR whitefish relied less on littoral food resources than coexisting fishes and the niche overlap between sympatric competitors was most evident among relatively large individuals (>250 mm). Individual niche variation was highest among >200 mm long LSR whitefish, which likely have escaped the predation window of sympatric predators. We demonstrate that intermediate intensity of interspecific interactions may broaden species' niche width, whereas strong competition for limited resources and high predation risk may suppress niche width in less productive environments. Acknowledging potential humped-shaped relationships between population niche width and interspecific interactions can help us understand species' responses to environmental disturbance (e.g., climate change and species invasions) as well as the driving forces of niche specialization.

opencc-zeroNov 2021View details →

Data files for: Hazardous loss of genetic diversity through selective sweeps in asexual populations

With the two-fold cost of sex, derived asexual organisms have an immediate reproductive advantage over their sexual sisters. Yet the "twiggy'' phylogenetic distribution of asexual lineages implies that they go extinct relatively quickly over evolutionary time. Meanwhile, bacteria and archaea have persisted for billions of years without requiring sexual reproduction. A simple explanation for this difference is that prokaryotes have very large population sizes that are not subject to the accumulation of deleterious mutations, but this implies that drift and mutational meltdown dominate derived asexual populations. We explored a different hazard, quantifying the degree to which genetic variation is lost in asexual populations experiencing selective sweeps. Even though large populations generate diversity by mutation during sweeps, we find that populations that are safe from mutational meltdown may still be reduced to dangerous effective population sizes by sweeps. Thus, ironically, adaptation itself reduces further adaptive potential and may predispose asexual populations to extinction. Our data give results for the probability of mutational meltdown across various population sizes, the critical population size required to avoid meltdown, and the effect of selective sweeps on heterozygosity. Analytical predictions are confirmed by simulation. We also derive a simple approximation for the effective population size after a hard sweep, and quantify the impact of recent sweeps on evolutionary rescue. These factors may help to explain the phylogenetic twigginess of asexuals, the maintenance of sex and recombination, and the evolutionary persistence of prokaryotes.

opencc-zeroNov 2021View details →

Phenological data for the article: Phenotypic plasticity drives phenological changes in a Mediterranean blue tit population

Earlier phenology induced by climate change, such as the passerines' breeding time, is observed in many natural populations. Understanding the nature of such changes is key to predict the responses of wild populations to climate change. Genetic changes have been rarely investigated for laying date, though it has been shown to be heritable and under directional selection, suggesting that the trait could evolve. In a Corsican blue tit population, the birds' laying date has significantly advanced over 40 years, and we here determine whether this response is of plastic or evolutionary origin, by comparing the predictions of the breeder's and the Robertson-Price (STS) equations, to the observed genetic changes. We compare the results obtained for two fitness proxies (fledgling and recruitment success), using models accounting for their zero-inflation. Because the trait appears heritable and under directional selection, the breeder's equation predicts that genetic changes could drive a significant part of the phenological change observed. We however found that fitness proxies and laying date are not genetically correlated. The STS therefore predicts no evolution of the breeding time, predicting correctly the absence of trend in breeding values. Our results also emphasize that when investigating selection on a plastic trait under fluctuating selection, part of the fitness-trait phenotypic covariance can be due to within individual covariance. In the case of repeated measurements, splitting within and between individual covariance can shift our perspective on the actual intensity of selection over multiple selection episodes, shedding light on the potential for the trait to evolve.

opencc-by-nc-nd-4.0Nov 2021View details →

South Greenland Peregrine Falcon population monitoring data (1981-2021)

The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus tundrius) population in South Greenland has been monitored annually 1981-2021 (except 1993, 2004 and 2020). At visits to known breeding sites we recorded presence/absence of territorial falcons as well as their breeding outputs (number of eggs and/or young). The file named S_Greenland_Peregrine_monitoring_data-1981-2021.csv contains the raw data from 835 site checks (sometimes several per site per year). The file named S_Greenland_Summary_occupancy_and_productivity-1981-2021.csv contains a summary of the raw data, providing annual estimates of occupancy, productivity and average brood size (young/ successful nest). The respective ReadMe files specify the contents.

opennotspecifiedAug 2011View details →

Subspecies and Distribution. S. s. scrofa Linnaeus, 1758 — W Europe, from Denmark, Germany, Poland, and Czech Republic to N Italy and N Iberian Peninsula; possibly also Albania. The taxonomic status of animals in Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, and Slovakia is unclear but presumably these populations are included in scrofa, as are the populations of Sweden, Finland, and the Baltic states. However, restocking of once depleted populations, for example in Italy, has likely involved the introduction and mixing of this subspecies with other subspecies, such as attila. S. s. affinis Gray, 1847 — S India and Sri Lanka. S. s. algirus Loche, 1867 — Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco, on the coastal side of the mountains or in the low montane areas. S. s. attila Thomas, 1912 — Hungary, Ukraine, C & S Belarus, Romania, Moldova, and S Russia towards the N flank of the Caucasus, but not including the Transcaucasian countries of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The range possibly extends as far S as the Mesopotamian Delta in Iraq, in which case it would likely include W & SW Iran, and possibly E Turkey and Syria, where it borders with lybicus. Such a range could not be easily reconciled with a statement by Groves that "the difference between pigs from N and S of the Caucasus is quite striking; Transcaucasian boars are certainly not attila." This subspecies may also extend into C Asia and include Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, but no data exist to support this. S. s. baeticus Thomas, 1912 — originally described from Coto Donana, S Spain, and later merged with meridionalis; also S Portugal. Unless evidence is found that these Italian and Iberian populations are the relics of a much larger formerly contiguous range, this subspecies should be kept as distinct. S. s. coreanus Heude, 1897 — Korean Peninsula. S. s. eristatus Wagner, 1839 — Himalayas S to C India and E to Indochina (N of the Kra Isthmus). S. s. davidi Groves, 1981 — the arid zone from E Iran to Gujarat, including Pakistan and NW India, and perhaps N to Tajikistan. S. s. leucomystax Temminck, 1842 — main Is ofJapan (Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, Nakadori, Hiburijima, Tojima, Kushima, and other smaller Is). S. s. lybicus Gray, 1868 — Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, in the past also in Lybia, and Egypt. The former Yugoslavia was included in its range, which would suggest that now Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Kosovo are within the range of this subspecies, although the exact boundaries are unclear. Pigs from Albania have been assigned to S. s. scrofa. S. s. majori De Beaux & Festa, 1927 — C & S Italian Peninsula. S. s. menidionalis Forsyth Major, 1882 — Corsica and Sardinia, with the proviso that the two populations are very likely to be introduced or feral. S. s. moupinensis Milne-Edwards, 1871 — China, S to Vietnam and W to Sichuan. S. s. nigripes Blanford, 1875 — the flanks of the Tianshan mountains in Kyrgyzstan and NW China (Xinjiang). An animal photographed in NE Iran (Golestan) looked like this subspecies. S. s. nukiuanus Kuroda, 1924 — Iriomote, Ishigaki, Okinawa, Tokunoshima, Amamioshima, and Kakerome Is in the Ryukyu chain in extreme S Japan, though some of these populations have hybridized with introduced domesticates. S. s. sibiricus Staffe, 1922 — Mongolia and Transbaikal (S & E of Lake Baikal). S. s. tawvanus Swinhoe, 1863 — Taiwan. S. s. ussuricus Heude, 1888 — far E Russia and the Manchurian region (China). Korean populations were previously included in this subspecies, but based on new evidence, the Korean taxon seems more similar to moupinensis. S. s. vittatus Boie, 1828 — Malay Peninsula, S of the Isthmus of Kra, the offshore islands of Terutai and Langkawi, Sumatra, Riau Archipelago, Java, Bali, and a range of smaller islands around these, including Babi, Bakong, Batam, Bawean, Bengkalis, Bintan, Bulan, Bunguran, Cuyo, Deli, Durian, Enggano, Galang, Jambongan, Karimon (Riau Is), Kundur, Lagong, Laut, Lingga, Lingung, Mapor, Moro Kecil, North Pagai, Nias, Panaitan, Payong, Penang, Pinie, Rupat, Siantan, Siberut, Simeulue, Singkep, Sugi, Sugi Bawa, Telibon, Tinggi, Tuangku, and the Tambelan Is. This species was originally present from the British Is in the extreme W, through Eurasia from S Scandinavia to S Siberia, extending as far E as Korea and Japan, and SE into some of the Sunda Is and Taiwan. In the S the species ranged along the Nile Valley to Khartoum, and N of the Sahara in Africa, more orless following the continental coasts of S, E, and SE Asia. Within this range it was absent only from extremely dry deserts, e.g. the driest regions of Mongolia and in China W of Sichuan; and alpine zones, such as the high altitudes of Pamir and Tien Shan. In recent centuries, the range of S. scrofa has changed dramatically because of hunting and changes in available habitat. The species disappeared from the British Is in the 17" century, from Denmark in the 19" century, and was greatly reduced in range and numbers in the 20" century from areas as distant as Tunisia, Sudan, Germany, and Russia. Following these severe declines, there were some slight population recoveries in Russia, Italy, Spain, and Germany in the mid-20™ century, and natural and assisted range expansions in Denmark and Sweden. The species has also been inadvertently reintroduced in various locations in the Great Britain via escapees of mixed origin from commercial farming enterprises. Ex-S. scrofa stocks also occur as introduced feral populations in various other parts of the world, including Australia, New Zealand, the eastern Malay Archipelago, and in North, Central, and South America. In all of these areas they are now generally recognized as a major pest. in Suidae

Subspecies and Distribution. S. s. scrofa Linnaeus, 1758 — W Europe, from Denmark, Germany, Poland, and Czech Republic to N Italy and N Iberian Peninsula; possibly also Albania. The taxonomic status of animals in Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, and Slovakia is unclear but presumably these populations are included in scrofa, as are the populations of Sweden, Finland, and the Baltic states. However, restocking of once depleted populations, for example in Italy, has likely involved the introduction and mixing of this subspecies with other subspecies, such as attila. S. s. affinis Gray, 1847 — S India and Sri Lanka. S. s. algirus Loche, 1867 — Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco, on the coastal side of the mountains or in the low montane areas. S. s. attila Thomas, 1912 — Hungary, Ukraine, C & S Belarus, Romania, Moldova, and S Russia towards the N flank of the Caucasus, but not including the Transcaucasian countries of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The range possibly extends as far S as the Mesopotamian Delta in Iraq, in which case it would likely include W & SW Iran, and possibly E Turkey and Syria, where it borders with lybicus. Such a range could not be easily reconciled with a statement by Groves that "the difference between pigs from N and S of the Caucasus is quite striking; Transcaucasian boars are certainly not attila." This subspecies may also extend into C Asia and include Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, but no data exist to support this. S. s. baeticus Thomas, 1912 — originally described from Coto Donana, S Spain, and later merged with meridionalis; also S Portugal. Unless evidence is found that these Italian and Iberian populations are the relics of a much larger formerly contiguous range, this subspecies should be kept as distinct. S. s. coreanus Heude, 1897 — Korean Peninsula. S. s. eristatus Wagner, 1839 — Himalayas S to C India and E to Indochina (N of the Kra Isthmus). S. s. davidi Groves, 1981 — the arid zone from E Iran to Gujarat, including Pakistan and NW India, and perhaps N to Tajikistan. S. s. leucomystax Temminck, 1842 — main Is ofJapan (Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, Nakadori, Hiburijima, Tojima, Kushima, and other smaller Is). S. s. lybicus Gray, 1868 — Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, in the past also in Lybia, and Egypt. The former Yugoslavia was included in its range, which would suggest that now Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Kosovo are within the range of this subspecies, although the exact boundaries are unclear. Pigs from Albania have been assigned to S. s. scrofa. S. s. majori De Beaux & Festa, 1927 — C & S Italian Peninsula. S. s. menidionalis Forsyth Major, 1882 — Corsica and Sardinia, with the proviso that the two populations are very likely to be introduced or feral. S. s. moupinensis Milne-Edwards, 1871 — China, S to Vietnam and W to Sichuan. S. s. nigripes Blanford, 1875 — the flanks of the Tianshan mountains in Kyrgyzstan and NW China (Xinjiang). An animal photographed in NE Iran (Golestan) looked like this subspecies. S. s. nukiuanus Kuroda, 1924 — Iriomote, Ishigaki, Okinawa, Tokunoshima, Amamioshima, and Kakerome Is in the Ryukyu chain in extreme S Japan, though some of these populations have hybridized with introduced domesticates. S. s. sibiricus Staffe, 1922 — Mongolia and Transbaikal (S & E of Lake Baikal). S. s. tawvanus Swinhoe, 1863 — Taiwan. S. s. ussuricus Heude, 1888 — far E Russia and the Manchurian region (China). Korean populations were previously included in this subspecies, but based on new evidence, the Korean taxon seems more similar to moupinensis. S. s. vittatus Boie, 1828 — Malay Peninsula, S of the Isthmus of Kra, the offshore islands of Terutai and Langkawi, Sumatra, Riau Archipelago, Java, Bali, and a range of smaller islands around these, including Babi, Bakong, Batam, Bawean, Bengkalis, Bintan, Bulan, Bunguran, Cuyo, Deli, Durian, Enggano, Galang, Jambongan, Karimon (Riau Is), Kundur, Lagong, Laut, Lingga, Lingung, Mapor, Moro Kecil, North Pagai, Nias, Panaitan, Payong, Penang, Pinie, Rupat, Siantan, Siberut, Simeulue, Singkep, Sugi, Sugi Bawa, Telibon, Tinggi, Tuangku, and the Tambelan Is. This species was originally present from the British Is in the extreme W, through Eurasia from S Scandinavia to S Siberia, extending as far E as Korea and Japan, and SE into some of the Sunda Is and Taiwan. In the S the species ranged along the Nile Valley to Khartoum, and N of the Sahara in Africa, more orless following the continental coasts of S, E, and SE Asia. Within this range it was absent only from extremely dry deserts, e.g. the driest regions of Mongolia and in China W of Sichuan; and alpine zones, such as the high altitudes of Pamir and Tien Shan. In recent centuries, the range of S. scrofa has changed dramatically because of hunting and changes in available habitat. The species disappeared from the British Is in the 17" century, from Denmark in the 19" century, and was greatly reduced in range and numbers in the 20" century from areas as distant as Tunisia, Sudan, Germany, and Russia. Following these severe declines, there were some slight population recoveries in Russia, Italy, Spain, and Germany in the mid-20™ century, and natural and assisted range expansions in Denmark and Sweden. The species has also been inadvertently reintroduced in various locations in the Great Britain via escapees of mixed origin from commercial farming enterprises. Ex-S. scrofa stocks also occur as introduced feral populations in various other parts of the world, including Australia, New Zealand, the eastern Malay Archipelago, and in North, Central, and South America. In all of these areas they are now generally recognized as a major pest.

opencc-zeroNov 2021View details →

Data from: Drivers of neutral and adaptive differentiation in pike (Esox lucius) populations from contrasting environments

Understanding how eco-evolutionary processes and environmental factors drive population differentiation and adaptation are key challenges in evolutionary biology of relevance for biodiversity protection. Differentiation requires at least partial reproductive separation, which may result from different modes of isolation such as geographic isolation (allopatry) or isolation by distance (IBD), resistance (IBR), and environment (IBE). Despite that multiple modes might jointly influence differentiation, studies that compare the relative contributions are scarce. Using RADseq, we analyse neutral and adaptive genetic diversity and structure in 11 pike (Esox lucius) populations along a latitudinal gradient (54.9 - 63.6°N), to investigate the relative effects of IBD, IBE and IBR, and to assess whether the effects differ between neutral and adaptive variation, or across structural levels. Patterns of neutral and adaptive variation differed, likely reflecting that they have been differently affected by stochastic and deterministic processes. The importance of the different modes of isolation differed between neutral and adaptive diversity, yet were consistent across structural levels. Neutral variation was influenced by interactions among all three modes of isolation, with IBR (seascape features) playing a central role, wheares adaptive variation was mainly influenced by IBE (environmental conditions). Taken together, this and previous studies suggest that it is common that multiple modes of isolation interactively shape patterns of genetic variation, and that their relative contributions differ among systems. To enable identification of general patterns and understand how various factors influence the relative contributions, it is important that several modes are simultaneously investigated in additional populations, species and environmental settings.

opencc-by-4.0Dec 2021View details →

Animal population data complementing the European Union One Health 2020 Zoonoses Report

This dataset includes animal population aggregated data under the framework of Directive 2003/99/EC. REPORTING AUTHORITIES CONTRIBUTING TO EACH DATA COLLECTION: Animal_p20_20211109: >>

opencc-zeroDec 2021View details →

Data from: Population collapse of habitat-forming species in the Mediterranean: a long-term study of gorgonian populations affected by recurrent marine heatwaves

Understanding the resilience of temperate reefs to climate change requires exploring the recovery capacity of their habitat-forming species from recurrent marine heatwaves (MHWs). Here, we show that, in a Mediterranean highly enforced Marine Protected Area established more than 40 years ago, habitat-forming octocoral populations that were firstly affected by a severe MHW in 2003 have not recovered after 15 years. Contrarily, they have followed collapse trajectories that have brought them to the brink of local ecological extinction. Since 2003, impacted populations of the red gorgonian Paramuricea clavata (Risso, 1826) and the red coral Corallium rubrum (Linnaeus, 1758) have followed different trends in terms of size structure, but a similar progressive reduction in density and biomass. Concurrently, recurrent MHWs were observed in the area during the 2003-2018 study period, which may have hindered populations recovery. The studied octocorals play a unique habitat-forming role in the coralligenous assemblages (i.e., reefs endemic to the Mediterranean Sea home to approximately 10% of its species). Therefore, our results underpin the great risk that recurrent MHWs pose for the long-term integrity and functioning of these emblematic temperate reefs.

opencc-zeroDec 2021View details →

Data: Environmentally associated chromosomal structural variation influences fine-scale population structure of Atlantic Salmon

Chromosomal rearrangements (e.g., inversions, fusions, and translocations) have long been associated with environmental variation in wild populations. New genomic tools provide the opportunity to examine the role of these structural variants in shaping adaptive differences within and among wild populations of non-model organisms. In Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar), variations in chromosomal rearrangements exist across the species natural range, yet the role and importance of these structural variants in maintaining adaptive differences among wild populations remains poorly understood. We genotyped Atlantic Salmon (n = 1429) from 26 populations within a highly genetically structured region of southern Newfoundland, Canada with a 220K SNP array. Multivariate analysis, across two independent years, consistently identified variation in a structural variant (translocation between chromosomes Ssa01 and Ssa23), previously associated with evidence of trans-Atlantic secondary contact, as the dominant factor influencing population structure in the region. Redundancy analysis suggested that variation in the Ssa01/Ssa23 chromosomal translocation is strongly correlated with temperature. Our analyses suggest environmentally mediated selection acting on standing genetic variation in genomic architecture introduced through secondary contact may underpin fine-scale local adaptation in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, a large and deep embayment, highlighting the importance of chromosomal structural variation as a driver of contemporary adaptive divergence.

opencc-by-4.0Jan 2022View details →

Supplementary data from: Diversity, population structure and palaeoecology of the Pleistocene large cervids from the Padang Highlands, Sumatra

This chapter deals with the dentognathic remains of the large deer from the Padang Highland caves in Sumatra. By means of a multiproxy approach we attempt to more fully document the presence and characteristics of the cervid family during the Late Pleistocene in this region. We used linear and geometric morphometric techniques to investigate variation, taxonomic position and body size trends in a dataset of upper and lower molars. Dental mesowear was used to assess dietary prefence in a sub-sample. The results suggest the Padang Highland cervids belonged to multiple populations of an early stock of Rusa deer of the size of Rusa unicolor, but morphologically similar to Rusa timorensis. Rusa sp. was reconstructed as a mixed feeder with an increase of the grazing component with age.

opencc-zeroJan 2022View details →

Microsatellite marker data for Chernobyl Daphnia populations

Populations experiencing varying levels of ionising radiation provide an excellent opportunity to study the fundamental drivers of evolution. Radiation can cause mutations, and thus supply genetic variation; it can also selectively remove individuals that are unable to cope with the physiological stresses associated with radiation exposure, or non-selectively cull swathes of the population, reducing genetic variation. Since the nuclear power plant explosion in 1986, the Chernobyl area has experienced a spatially heterogeneous exposure to varying levels of ionising radiation. We sampled Daphnia pulex (a freshwater crustacean) from lakes across the Chernobyl area, genotyped them at ten microsatellite loci, and also calculated the current radiation dose rates. We then investigated whether the pattern of genetic diversity was positively associated with radiation dose rates, consistent with radiation-mediated supply of de novo mutations, or negatively associated with radiation dose rates, as would be expected with strong radiation-mediated selection. We found that measures of genetic diversity, including expected heterozygosity and mean allelic richness (an unbiased indicator of diversity) were significantly higher in lakes that experienced the highest radiation dose rates. This suggests that mutation outweighs selection as the key evolutionary force in populations exposed to high radiation dose rates. We also found significant but weak population structure, indicative of low genetic drift, and clear evidence for isolation by distance between populations. This further suggests gene flow between nearby populations is eroding population structure, and that mutational input in high radiation lakes could, ultimately, supply genetic variation to lower radiation sites.

R code and data for running models in "Rapid Growth of the Swainson's Hawk Population in California since 2005"

By 1979 Swainson's Hawks (Buteo swainsoni) had declined to as low as 375 breeding pairs throughout their summer range in California. Shortly thereafter the species was listed as threatened in the state. To evaluate the hawk's population trend since then, we analyzed data from 1,038 locations surveyed throughout California in either 2005, 2006, 2016, or 2018. We estimated a total statewide population of 18,810 breeding pairs (95CI: 11,353–37,228) in 2018, and found that alfalfa (Medicago sativa, lucerne) cultivation, agricultural crop diversity, and the occurrence of non-agricultural trees for nesting were positively associated with hawk density. We also concluded that California's Swainson's Hawk summering population grew rapidly between 2005 and 2018 at a rate of 13.9% per year (95CI: 7.8–19.2%). Despite strong evidence that the species has rebounded overall in California, Swainson's Hawks remain largely extirpated from Southern California where they were historically common. Further, we note that the increase in Swainson's Hawks has been coincident with expanded orchard and vineyard cultivation which is not considered suitable for nesting. Therefore, we recommend more frequent, improved surveys to monitor the stability of the species' potential recovery and to better understand the causes. Our results are consistent with increasing raptor populations in North America and Europe that contrast with overall global declines, especially in the tropics.

Data from: Harvest and density-dependent predation drive long-term population decline in a northern ungulate

The relative effect of top-down versus bottom-up forces in regulating and limiting wildlife populations is an important theme in ecology. Untangling these effects is critical for a basic understanding of trophic dynamics and effective management. We examined the drivers of moose (Alces alces) population growth by integrating two independent sources of observations within a hierarchical Bayesian population model. This analysis used one of the largest existing spatiotemporal datasets on ungulate population dynamics globally. We documented a 20% population decline over the period examined. Moose population growth was negatively density-dependent. Although the mechanisms producing density-dependent suppression of population growth could not be determined, the relatively low densities at which moose populations were documented suggests it could be due primarily to density-dependent predation. Predation primarily limited population growth, except at low density, where it was regulating. Harvest appeared to be largely additive and contributed to population declines. Our results, highlight how population dynamics are context dependent and vary strongly across gradients in climate, forest type, and predator abundance. These results help clarify long-standing questions in population ecology and highlight the complex relationships between natural and human-caused mortality in driving ungulate population dynamics.

Data from: Genome-wide assessment of kokanee salmon stock diversity, population history and hatchery representation at the northern range margin

Freshwater fisheries represent important natural resources, yet a vast majority are threatened by anthropogenic stressors. Accurate baseline information on stock diversity, population history and hatchery representation are required for implementing effective conservation and management strategies for mitigating declines. Genetic tools have played key roles for informing fisheries management, including for kokanee, the freshwater resident form of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), particularly in the southern portion of its North American range. Here, we investigated stock diversity, population history and hatchery representation of kokanee at the northern extent of its range in Canada in Kluane National Park and Reserve (KNPR) in the Yukon that underwent a 12-year population crash followed by a rapid increase in numbers. Using restriction-site associated DNA sequencing, we genotyped individuals at 11,442 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that were sampled from putative reproductive ecotypes spawning on the shore of Sockeye Lake (n=26), within Sockeye Creek (n=20) or near an outlet in between (n=2), as well as broodstock from the Whitehorse Rapids Hatchery (n=29). We found no evidence of wild stock diversity or ecotype differentiation based on neutral SNPs nor outlier loci. Within-population genetic diversity and effective population size were substantially higher in the wild population relative to the hatchery and significant differentiation was detected, suggesting the hatchery population was not representative of wild stock diversity. Overall, our results suggest that separate management of kokanee in KNPR based on ecotype is not warranted at this time and that supplementation with the existing hatchery stock is not appropriate.

Data from: Balancing food acquisition and predation risk drives demographic changes in snowshoe hare population cycles

Snowshoe hare cycles are one of the most prominent phenomena in ecology. Experimental studies point to predation as the dominant driving factor, but previous experiments combining food supplementation and predator removal produced unexplained multiplicative effects on density. We examined the potential interactive effects of food limitation and predation in causing hare cycles using an individual based food-supplementation experiment over-winter across three cycle phases that naturally varied in predation risk. Supplementation doubled over-winter survival with the largest effects occurring in the late increase phase. Although the proximate cause of mortality was predation, supplemented hares significantly decreased foraging time and selected for conifer habitat, potentially reducing their predation risk. Supplemented hares also lost less body mass which resulted in the production of larger leverets. Our results establish a mechanistic link between how foraging time, mass loss, and predation risk affect survival and reproduction, potentially driving demographic changes associated with hare cycles.

opencc-zeroDec 2010View details →

Data from: Genetic analysis of life-history constraint and evolution in a wild ungulate population

Trade-offs among life-history traits are central to evolutionary theory. In quantitative genetic terms, trade-offs may be manifested as negative genetic covariances relative to the direction of selection on phenotypic traits. Although the expression and selection of ecologically important phenotypic variation are fundamentally multivariate phenomena, the in situ quantification of genetic covariances is challenging. Even for life-history traits, where well-developed theory exists with which to relate phenotypic variation to fitness variation, little evidence exists from in situ studies that negative genetic covariances are an important aspect of the genetic architecture of life-history traits. In fact, the majority of reported estimates of genetic covariances among life-history traits are positive. Here we apply theory of the genetics and selection of life histories in organisms with complex life cycles to provide a framework for quantifying the contribution of multivariate genetically based relationships among traits to evolutionary constraint. We use a Bayesian framework to link pedigree-based inference of the genetic basis of variation in life-history traits to evolutionary demography theory regarding how life histories are selected. Our results suggest that genetic covariances may be acting to constrain the evolution of female life-history traits in a wild population of red deer Cervus elaphus: genetic covariances are estimated to reduce the rate of adaptation by about 40%, relative to predicted evolutionary change in the absence of genetic covariances. Furthermore, multivariate phenotypic (rather than genetic) relationships among female life-history traits do not reveal this constraint.

opencc-zeroMar 2022View details →

Data from: Local population collapse of Ross's and lesser snow geese driven by failing recruitment and diminished philopatry

We estimated survival and per capita production of young, as well as emigration and immigration, from 1997 to 2017 in Ross's goose Anser rossii and lesser snow goose Anser caerulescens caerulescens, which are sympatric species of migratory birds that nest in the central Canadian Arctic at one of the largest breeding colonies in North America. We formed age-structured integrated population models for each species that jointly analyzed live and dead encounter data as well as breeding adult population size and fecundity data to understand drivers of population dynamics. We compared the demography between species because both species increased during the 1990s and early 2000s yet thereafter snow geese declined, while Ross's geese continued to increase, then stabilized and similarly declined. Declines in Ross's and snow goose populations were caused by reduced per capita production of young, and juvenile survival, as well as increased adult and juvenile emigration. Stronger declines in juvenile survival in snow geese explain their earlier population decline compared to Ross's geese. Despite the divergence in population trends in Ross's and snow geese, we found strong synchrony in demographic rates which suggested substantial emigration from this colony and similar responses to environmental conditions. We provide a novel m-array implementation specific to a multi-state Burnham model which greatly improved computational efficiency and convergence of posterior estimates.

openMar 2022View details →

Data from: Traces of Genetic but Not Epigenetic Adaptation in the Invasive Goldenrod Solidago canadensis Despite the Absence of Population Structure

General information This deposition contains the datasets that were used in the statistical analysis of the manuscript entitled Traces of genetic but not epigenetic adaptation in the invasive goldenrod Solidago canadensis despite the absence of population structure published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.856453">10.3389/fevo.2022.856453</a>). Uploaded files <ul> <li>README file to explain the datasets</li> <li>AFLP/MSAP metadata called EckertHerdenStiftDurkavanKleunenJoshi_2022_FrontEcolEvol_AFLPMSAP_meta_data.txt</li> <li>AFLP scoring dataset called EckertHerdenStiftDurkavanKleunenJoshi_2022_FrontEcolEvol_AFLP_scoring_data.txt</li> <li>MSAP scoring dataset called EckertHerdenStiftDurkavanKleunenJoshi_2022_FrontEcolEvol_MSAP_scoring_data.txt</li> <li>MSAP mix1-scoring dataset called EckertHerdenStiftDurkavanKleunenJoshi_2022_FrontEcolEvol_MSAP_scoring_data_mix1.txt</li> <li>All files were combined in a .zip file</li> </ul>