Find research datasets worth reusing

opencc-by-4.0Jun 2020View details →

Fig. 6 in Habitat use and site fidelity of Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) in the coastal waters of Bago-Pulupandan, Negros Occidental, Philippines

Fig. 6. Strong positive correlation between time spent in each sector with average depth.

opencc-by-4.0Jun 2020View details →

Fig. 2 in Habitat use and site fidelity of Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) in the coastal waters of Bago-Pulupandan, Negros Occidental, Philippines

Fig. 2. Coastal waters of Bago and Pulupandan divided into 16 sectors.

FIGURE 4 in Habitat Use, Feeding And Reproductive Traits Of Rocky-Shore Intertidal Mites From Bermuda (Oribatida: Fortuyniidae And Selenoribatidae)

FIGURE 4: Chronological development of egg stage of Carinozetes bermudensis. Egg attached to a grain of sand. Arrow points to egg.

FIGURE 6 in Habitat Use, Feeding And Reproductive Traits Of Rocky-Shore Intertidal Mites From Bermuda (Oribatida: Fortuyniidae And Selenoribatidae)

FIGURE 6: Photographs illustrating "floating behaviour" shown by Fortuynia atlantica; specimens floating with splayed legs on the water surface.

FIGURE 5 in Habitat Use, Feeding And Reproductive Traits Of Rocky-Shore Intertidal Mites From Bermuda (Oribatida: Fortuyniidae And Selenoribatidae)

FIGURE 5: SEM-micrographs of exochorion structures; scale bar of left column 40 µm, scale bar of right column 1 µm. A – Alismobates inexpectatus egg; B – detailed surface view of egg shown in A; C – Fortuynia atlantica egg; D – detailed surface view of egg shown in C; E – Carinozetes bermudensis egg; F – surface details of egg shown in E.

FIGURE 3 in Habitat Use, Feeding And Reproductive Traits Of Rocky-Shore Intertidal Mites From Bermuda (Oribatida: Fortuyniidae And Selenoribatidae)

FIGURE 3: Egg of Fortuynia atlantica, vertical row of pictures illustrating chronological development of egg stage. Arrow points to egg.

FIGURE 2 in Habitat Use, Feeding And Reproductive Traits Of Rocky-Shore Intertidal Mites From Bermuda (Oribatida: Fortuyniidae And Selenoribatidae)

FIGURE 2: Eggs of Alismobates inexpectatus deposited into an algal mass, arrows pointing to eggs. A – left egg shortly before eclosion showing dark colour, right egg freshly deposited with lighter colour; B – algal mass removed from egg; C – larva hatching from egg.

FIGURE 1 in Habitat Use, Feeding And Reproductive Traits Of Rocky-Shore Intertidal Mites From Bermuda (Oribatida: Fortuyniidae And Selenoribatidae)

FIGURE 1: A-C – Spermatophores of Alismobates inexpectatus; A – deposited on lateral wall of plastic box; B – deposited on alga; C – bare stalk of spermatophore shown in B; D-F – spermatophores of Carinozetes bermudensis, D-E – deposited on lateral wall of box; F – bare stalk. Arrows pointing to spermatophores and bare stalks, respectively.

opencc-by-4.0Jun 2009View details →

Fig. 3 in Comparative feeding ecology and habitats use of Crenicichla species (Perciformes: Cichlidae) in a Venezuelan floodplain river

Fig. 3. Water level fluctuations of the Cinaruco River from December 13, 2005 to May 8, 2006.

opencc-zeroDec 2021View details →

Data for: Coexistence or conflict: black bear habitat use along an urban-wildland gradient

The urban-wildland interface is expanding and increasing the risk of human-wildlife conflict. Some wildlife species adapt to or avoid living near people, while others select for anthropogenic resources and are thus more prone to conflict. To promote human-wildlife coexistence, wildlife and land managers need to understand how conflict relates to habitat and resource use in the urban-wildland interface. We investigated black bear (Ursus americanus) habitat use across a gradient of human disturbance in a North American hotspot of human-black bear conflict. We used camera traps to monitor bear activity from July 2018 to July 2019, and compared bear habitat use to environmental and anthropogenic variables and spatiotemporal probabilities of conflict. Bears predominantly used areas of high vegetation productivity, avoided higher human densities, and increased their nocturnality near people. Still, bears used more high-conflict areas in summer and autumn, specifically rural lands with ripe crops. Our results suggest that bears are generally modifying their behaviours in the urban-wildland interface through spatial and temporal avoidance of humans, which may facilitate coexistence. However, conflict still occurs, especially in autumn when hyperphagia and peak crop availability attract bears to abundant rural food resources. To improve conflict mitigation practices, we recommend targeting seasonal rural attractants such as with pre-emptive fruit picking, bear-proof compost containment, and other forms of behavioural deterrence. By combining camera-trap monitoring of a large carnivore along an anthropogenic gradient with conflict mapping, we provide a framework for evidence-based improvements in human-wildlife coexistence.

opencc-zeroNov 2022View details →

Spatiotemporal predictions of the alternative prey hypothesis: Predator habitat use during decreasing prey abundance

The alternative prey hypothesis supposes that predators supported by a primary prey species will shift to consume alternative prey during a decrease in primary prey abundance. The hypothesis implies that during declines of one prey species, a predator modifies their behavior to exploit a secondary, or alternative, species. Despite occurring in many systems, the behavioral mechanisms (e.g., habitat selection) allowing predators to shift toward alternative prey during declines in the abundance of their primary prey are poorly understood. We evaluated habitat selection and use by a generalist predator with respect to two prey species during a dramatic decrease in the abundance of primary prey. Further, we evaluated how spatial variation in access to primary prey affected habitat selection and assessed similarity and overlap between habitats used by each prey species. Coyotes (Canis latrans) exhibited decreasing selection for cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus spp.; primary prey) during population decreases but did not shift habitat selection toward neonate mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus; alternative prey). Use of rabbit habitat remained high even during historically low rabbit abundance, while mule deer habitat was used in proportion to its availability. Coyotes seemingly do not make large shifts in habitat selection toward alternative prey following spatial and temporal decreases in the abundance of primary prey, but instead, take advantage of habitat overlap to facilitate prey-switching behavior. Our work extends previous research conducted under the alternative prey hypothesis by explicitly evaluating the influence of habitat overlap between prey species and variation in access to prey habitat as factors affecting prey-switching behaviors in predators.

opencc-zeroJan 2023View details →

Coexisting mangrove-coral habitat use by reef fishes in the Caribbean

We conducted visual fish surveys in coexisting mangrove-coral (CMC) habitats in Panama to analyze the effect of coral presence in mangrove habitats on the fish assemblage. Our study revealed that CMC habitats harbor distinct fish assemblages compared to mangrove habitats without coral, with greater species richness and increased herbivore abundance.

opencc-zeroJan 2023View details →

Data and code from: Thermal niche and habitat use by co-occurring lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and brook trout (S. fontinalis) in stratified lakes

Realized thermal niche and habitat use are two conceptualizations of fish habitat based on organismal performance or lake-specific ecology, respectively. Both habitat types were compared for lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and brook trout (S. fontinalis) co-occurring in four large (> 500 ha) oligotrophic lakes. Lakes were partitioned into two morphological categories based on possession of a central or non-central deep basin with corresponding differences in adjoining shelf areas. Lake asymmetry in basin location has been shown to strongly influence food web connections based on isolation of basins from shelf areas. Generally, overlap between both habitat types occurred in several comparisons with lake trout, suggesting that thermal habitat is a reasonable proxy for habitat use boundaries though not a full replacement for insights gained from habitat use models. For brook trout, overlap was not as consistent, especially for lakes with non-central basins. In central basin lakes, there were closer proximity between the two species and overlap in both thermal niche and habitat use models. There was very limited overlap of either habitat type in lakes with non-central basins. Further, there were no shared areas of interspecific overlap between thermal niche and habitat use in non-central basins pointing to additional complexity governing habitat partitioning between lake trout and brook trout in these types of lakes. The shelf area effect on spatial structure of habitat, and likely food web connections, can occur in lakes regardless of basin centrality so long as shelf areas are large. In this lake set, lakes were sufficiently large to observe this phenomenon.

opencc-zeroFeb 2022View details →

Data on range-wide breeding habitat use of the critically endangered Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola after population collapse

The population of the Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola, a formerly widely distributed and abundant songbird of northern Eurasia, suffered a catastrophic decline and a strong range contraction between 1980 and 2013. There is evidence that the decline was driven by illegal trapping during migration, but potential contributions of other factors to the decline, such as land-use change, have not yet been evaluated. Before effects of land-use change can be evaluated, a basic understanding of the ecological requirements of the species is needed. We therefore compared habitat use in ten remaining breeding regions across the range, from European Russia to Japan and the Russian Far East. We also assessed large-scale variation in habitat parameters across the breeding range. We found large variation in habitat use, within and between populations. Differences were related to the cover and height of trees and shrubs at Yellow-breasted Bunting territories. In many regions, Yellow-breasted Buntings occupied early successional stages, including anthropogenic habitats characterized by mowing, grazing or fire regimes. We found that the probability of presence can be best predicted with the cover of shrubs, herbs and grasses. Highest probabilities were found at shrub cover values of 40 to 70 %. Differences in habitat use along a longitudinal gradient were small, but we found strong differences across latitudes, possibly related to habitat availability. We conclude that the remaining Yellow-breasted Bunting populations are not limited to specific habitat types. Our results provide important baseline information to model the range-wide distribution of this critically endangered species and to guide targeted conservation measures.

opencc-zeroApr 2023View details →

Data from: Detection of vertebrates from natural and artificial inland water bodies in a semi-arid habitat using eDNA from filtered, swept and sediment samples

Climate warming will impact the sustainability of arid and semi-arid zone environments so we need to understand the influence of changes in arid lands on vertebrate populations. However, biomonitoring and biodiversity assessment in arid environments can be prohibitively time-consuming, expensive, and logistically challenging due to their often remote and inhospitable nature. Sampling of environmental DNA (eDNA) coupled with high-throughput sequencing is an emerging biodiversity assessment method. Here we explore the application of eDNA metabarcoding and various sampling approaches to estimate vertebrate richness and assemblage at human-constructed and natural water sources in a semi-arid region of Western Australia. Three sampling methods: sediment samples, filtering through a membrane with a pump, and membrane sweeping in the water body, were compared using two eDNA metabarcoding assays, 12S-V5 and 16smam, for 120 eDNA samples collected from four gnammas (gnamma: Australian Indigenous Noongar language term – granite rock pools) and four cattle troughs in the Great Western Woodlands, Western Australia. We detected higher vertebrate richness in samples from cattle troughs and found differences between assemblages detected in gnammas (more birds and amphibians) and cattle troughs (more mammals, including feral taxa). Total vertebrate richness was not different between swept and filtered samples, but all sampling methods yielded different assemblages. Our findings indicate that eDNA surveys in arid lands will benefit from collecting multiple samples at multiple water sources to avoid underestimating vertebrate richness. The high concentration of eDNA in small, isolated water bodies permits the use of sweep sampling which simplifies sample collection, processing, and storage, particularly when assessing vertebrate biodiversity across large spatial scales.

opencc-by-4.0Feb 2023View details →

Fig. 1 in Habitat use and behaviour of the Irrawaddy dolphin, Orcaella brevirostris and the Indo-Pacific finless porpoise, Neophocaena phocaenoides off the west coast of Penang Island, Malaysia

Fig. 1. Map of Penang Island in Southeast Asia.

opencc-by-4.0May 2023View details →

Data obtained during classification of intertidal habitats using UAV imagery in the Galapagos Archipelago (Orthophotos, digital elevation models (DEM) and orthophoto-draped 3D models)

In the repository 5 folders exist. 1) Digital elevation models (DEMs), 2) Intertidal habitat map, 3) Othophoto draped 3D models, 4) Orthophotos, and 5) Processing reports. The data has been collected in Puerto Ayora at Santa Cruz in August 2017, the most urbanized island of the Galapagos Archipelago. The purpose of this study was to investigate the image classification opportunities for these intertidal habitats using Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) imagery. This dataset is cited in an open-access publication:  https://doi.org/10.3390/drones7070416.

opencc-zeroMay 2023View details →

Data from: Behaviour-specific spatiotemporal patterns of habitat use by sea turtles revealed using biologging and supervised machine learning

<ol> <li>Conservation of threatened species and anthropogenic threat mitigation commonly rely on spatially managed areas selected according to habitat preference. Since the impact of threats can be behaviour-specific, such information could be incorporated into spatial management to improve conservation outcomes. However, collecting spatially explicit behavioural data is challenging.</li> <li>Using multi-sensor biologging tags containing high-resolution movement sensors (e.g., accelerometer, magnetometer, GPS) and animal-borne video cameras, combined with supervised machine learning, we developed a method to automatically identify and geolocate typically ambiguous behaviours for the poorly understood flatback turtle Natator depressus. Subsequently, we evaluated behaviour-specific spatiotemporal patterns of habitat use.</li> <li>Boosted regression trees successfully identified the presence of foraging and resting in 7074 dives (AUC > 0.9), using dive features representing characteristics of locomotory activity, body posture, and three-dimensional dive paths validated by ancillary video data. Foraging was characterised by dives with longer duration, variable depth, tortuous bottom phases; resting was characterised by dives with decreased locomotory activity and longer duration bottom phases.</li> <li>Foraging and resting showed minimal spatial segregation based on 50% and 95% utilisation distributions. Expected diel patterns of behaviour-specific habitat use were superseded by the extreme tides at the near-shore study site. Turtles rested in areas close to the subtidal and intertidal boundary within larger overlapping foraging areas, allowing efficient access to intertidal food resources upon inundation at high tides when foraging was ~25% more likely.</li> <li> Synthesis and applications: Using supervised machine learning and biologging tools, we show the potential for dynamic spatial management of flatback turtles to mitigate behaviour-specific threats by prioritising protection of important locations at pertinent times. Although results are a species-specific response to a super-tidal environment, our approach can be generalised to a broad range of taxa and study systems, facilitating a conceptual advance in spatial management.</li> </ol>

opencc-zeroMay 2023View details →

Habitat differences influence genetic impacts of human land use on the American beech (Fagus grandifolia)

Natural reforestation after regional forest clearance is a globally common land-use sequence. The genetic recovery of tree populations in these recolonized forests may depend on the biogeographic setting of the landscape, for instance whether they are in the core or in the marginal part of the species' range. Using data from 501 individuals genotyped across 7 microsatellites, we investigated whether regional differences in habitat quality affected the recovery of genetic variation in a wind-pollinated tree species, American beech (Fagus grandifolia) in Massachusetts. We compared populations in forests that were recolonized following agricultural abandonment to those in remnant forests that have only been logged in both central inland and marginal coastal regions. Across all populations in our entire study region, recolonized forests showed limited reduction of genetic diversity as only observed heterozygosity was significantly reduced in these forests (H O = 0.520 and 0.590, respectively). Within inland region, this pattern was observed, whereas in the coast, recolonized populations exhibited no reduction in all genetic diversity estimates. However, genetic differentiation among recolonized populations in marginal coastal habitat increased (F st logged = 0.072; F st secondary = 0.249), with populations showing strong genetic structure, in contrast to inland region. These results indicate that the magnitude of recovery of genetic variation in recolonized populations can vary at different habitats.