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5,510 results for “Foods”
Data from: Effects of plant and pollinator traits on the maintenance of a food deceptive species within a plant community
Model-mimic plant systems are well known. However, the conditions promoting the existence of such systems are still an enigma. We suggest that by focusing on floral similarity between model and mimic, reward levels offered by models, and pollinators' ability to adjust foraging accordingly, the conditions can be better understood. Using spatially-explicit modelling, we examined trait combinations that lead to the survival of deceptive species under a large range of mimic strategies, from Batesian mimicry to general food deception. Unlike previous models studying such systems, we examined model-mimic interactions in the presence of a third, dissimilar species, thus generating a more realistic scenario where pollinators may avoid the model-mimic system altogether. Results showed that overall survival and abundance of species in food deceptive systems depend on the relative reward provided by the participating species and the potential alternatives available. Specifically, the success of a mimic in a Batesian mimicry system depends on high levels of reward provided by its model species relative to potential alternatives in the flower community. On the other hand, the success of a mimic in a general food deception system was higher when the reward offered was lower. Our study suggests that the ability of pollinators to utilize their experience as part of decision-making is highly relevant in promoting mimic survival, thus shedding light on the conditions under which food deception is expected.
Data from: Evolutionary drivers of group foraging: a new framework for investigating variance in food intake and reproduction
A proposed fundamental driver of group living is more reliable, predictable foraging and reproduction, i.e. reduced variance in food intake and reproductive output. However, existing theories on variance reduction in group foraging are simplistic, refer to variance at the level of individuals and groups without linking the two, and do not spell out crucial underlying assumptions. We provide a new, widely applicable framework for identifying when variance reduction conveys fitness benefits of group foraging in a wide range of organisms. We discuss critical limitations of established theories, the Central Limit Theorem and Risk-Sensitive Foraging Theory applied to group foraging, and incorporate them into our framework while addressing the confusion over the levels of variance and identifying previously unaddressed assumptions. Through a field study on colonial spiders, Cyrtophora citricola, we demonstrate the importance of evaluating the level of food sharing as a critical first step, previously overlooked in the literature. We conclude that variance reduction provides selective advantages only under narrow conditions and does not provide a universal benefit to group foraging as previously proposed. Our framework provides an important tool for identifying evolutionary drivers of group foraging and understanding the role of fitness variance in the evolution of group living.
Data from: Unravelling the role of allochthonous aquatic resources to food web structure in a tropical riparian forest
1. The role of matter and energy flow across ecosystem boundaries for subsidized consumer populations is well known. However, little is known on the effects of allochthonous subsidies on food web structure and trophic niche dimensions of consumers in the tropics. 2. We excluded allochthonous aquatic insects from tropical streams using greenhouse-type exclosures to test the influence of aquatic allochthonous subsidies on the trophic structure and niche dimensions of terrestrial predators using stable isotope methods. 3. In exclosure treatments, abundance and biomass of terrestrial predators, and biomass of phytophages, decreased and increased, respectively. Vegetation-living predators were more responsive to allochthonous inputs than those living on the ground. Overall, lower availability of allochthonous inputs did not affect community-wide metrics and niche width of predators. However, the niche width of some spider families had very low overlap between treatments, and others had wider isotopic niches in the control than exclusion treatment. Most of the C and N in predators living in control stretches came from aquatic subsidies, and those predators living in exclusion treatments switched their diets to terrestrial sources, showing a preference of predators for allochthonous subsidies. 4. Our results suggest that allochthonous subsidies are also relevant to tropical fauna living upon vegetation. Moreover, allochthonous resources may amplify the niche dimension of certain predators, or considerably change the trophic niche of others. Our study highlights the importance of including modern isotopic tools in elucidating the role of allochthonous resources on the patterns of trophic structure and niche dimensions of consumers from donor ecosystems.
Data from: Mammal-induced trophic cascades in invertebrate food webs are modulated by grazing intensity in subalpine grassland
1. Even though mammalian herbivores can exert strong indirect effects on other animals by altering the vegetation, the study of trophic cascades retains a focus on apex predators and their top-down forces. Bottom-up trophic interaction chains induced by mammalian herbivores, particularly in invertebrate food webs, remain largely unexplored. 2. We tested whether effects of mammalian herbivores on the vegetation ricochet back up several trophic levels of the invertebrate food web. We further tested two alternative hypotheses: the strength of herbivore-induced indirect interactions either increases with plant productivity because of a concurrent higher grazing intensity, or it decreases because of a higher plant tolerance to grazing. 3. We progressively excluded large, medium, and small herbivorous mammals from replicated plots of 6 m<sup>2</sup> in productive, intensively grazed short-grass vegetation and less productive, less intensively grazed tall-grass vegetation of subalpine grasslands. We measured vegetation quantity, quality, structure, and composition, and determined the abundance of invertebrate herbivores, detritivores, omnivores, and predators. We used Structural Equation Modelling to test vegetation-mediated cascading effects of the different mammalian herbivores across different trophic groups of invertebrates. 4. In the short-grass vegetation, mammals caused changes in vegetation quantity and thickness. These changes directly affected detritivorous and predatory invertebrate abundance, yet indirectly affected predatory and omnivorous invertebrates through a bottom-up trophic cascade via changes in herbivorous invertebrate abundance. In the tall-grass vegetation, mammal-induced changes in vegetation quality and composition affected detritivorous invertebrates and in turn omnivorous invertebrates, but these cascading effects were weaker than those in the short-grass vegetation. Smaller mammals were at least as important as large mammals in structuring the invertebrate food web. 5. Our results demonstrate that differently sized mammalian herbivores can trigger trophic cascades in the local invertebrate food web. Our findings further support the hypothesis that herbivore-induced indirect interactions are stronger in more productive systems because of higher foraging intensity, as opposed to the hypothesis that a higher grazing tolerance of plants should dampen herbivore-induced indirect interactions in productive systems.
Data from: Phantom alternatives influence food preferences in the eastern honey bee Apis cerana
1. Most models of animal choice behaviour assume that desirable but unavailable options, such as a high quality, but inhabited nest site, do not influence an individual's preferences for the remaining options. However, experiments suggest that in mammals such 'phantom' alternatives can alter, and even reverse, an individual's preferences for other items in a choice set. 2. Here we investigate the effect of phantom alternatives on feeder preferences in the eastern honey bee, Apis cerana. 3. First, we tested the effects of unattractive and attractive phantom by presenting individual bees with either a binary choice set containing two feeders that differed strongly in two qualities, but were equally preferred overall ('the target' and 'the competitor'), or a trinary choice set containing the target, the competitor and one of two phantom types (unattractive and attractive). Second, we determined whether phantoms change preferences between the competitor and target by increasing preference towards or away from the phantom-similar available choice. 4. Attractive phantoms consistently changed individual bee preferences in favour of the phantom-similar choice. 5. Our study shows that the phantom alternative effect is not limited to mammals. Moreover, the phantom effect can shift individual preference in a consistent and predictable way. Our results highlight the importance of considering the potential for phantom effects when considering the foraging behaviour of animals in natural environments.
Data from: Phylogenetic composition of host plant communities drives plant-herbivore food web structure
1. Insects tend to feed on related hosts. The phylogenetic composition of host plant communities thus plays a prominent role in determining insect specialization, food web structure, and diversity. Previous studies showed a high preference of insect herbivores for congeneric and confamilial hosts suggesting that some levels of host plant relationships may play more prominent role that others. 2. We aim to quantify the effects of host phylogeny on the structure of quantitative plant-herbivore food webs. Further, we identify specific patterns in three insect guilds with different life histories and discuss the role of host plant phylogeny in maintaining their diversity. 3. We studied herbivore assemblages in three temperate forests in Japan and the Czech Republic. Sampling from a canopy crane, a cherry picker and felled trees allowed a complete census of plant-herbivore interactions within three 0.1 ha plots for leaf chewing larvae, miners, and gallers. We analyzed the effects of host phylogeny by comparing the observed food webs with randomized models of host selection. 4. Larval leaf chewers exhibited high generality at all three sites, whereas gallers and miners were almost exclusively monophagous. Leaf chewer generality dropped rapidly when older host lineages (5-80 myr) were collated into a single lineage but only decreased slightly when the most closely related congeneric hosts were collated. This shows that leaf chewer generality has been maintained by feeding on confamilial hosts while only a few herbivores were shared between more distant plant lineages and, surprisingly, between some congeneric hosts. In contrast, miner and galler generality was maintained mainly by the terminal nodes of the host phylogeny and dropped immediately after collating congeneric hosts into single lineages. 5. We show that not all levels of host plant phylogeny are equal in their effect on structuring plant-herbivore food webs. In the case of generalist guilds, it is the phylogeny of deeper plant lineages that drives the food web structure whereas the terminal relationships play minor roles. In contrast, the specialization and abundance of monophagous guilds is affected mainly by the terminal parts of the plant phylogeny and does not generally reflect deeper host phylogeny.
Data from: Aboveground mammal and invertebrate exclusions cause consistent changes in soil food webs of two subalpine grassland types, but mechanisms are system-specific
Ungulates, smaller mammals, and invertebrates can each affect soil biota through their influence on vegetation and soil characteristics. However, direct and indirect effects of the aboveground biota on soil food webs remain to be unraveled. We assessed effects of progressively excluding aboveground large-, medium- and small-sized mammals as well as invertebrates on soil nematode diversity and feeding type abundances in two subalpine grassland types: short- and tall-grass vegetation. We explored pathways that link exclusions of aboveground biota to nematode feeding type abundances via changes in plants, soil environment, soil microbial biomass, and soil nutrients. In both vegetation types, exclusions caused a similar shift toward higher abundance of all nematode feeding types, except plant feeders, lower Shannon diversity, and lower evenness. These effects were strongest when small mammals, or both small mammals and invertebrates were excluded in addition to excluding larger mammals. Exclusions resulted in a changed abiotic soil environment that only affected nematodes in the short-grass vegetation. In each vegetation type, exclusion effects on nematode abundances were mediated by different drivers related to plant quantity and quality. In the short-grass vegetation, not all exclusion effects on omni–carnivorous nematodes were mediated by the abundance of lower trophic level nematodes, suggesting that omni–carnivores also depended on other prey than nematodes. We conclude that small aboveground herbivores have major impacts on the soil food web of subalpine short- and tall-grass ecosystems. Excluding aboveground animals caused similar shifts in soil nematode assemblages in both subalpine vegetation types, however, mechanisms turned out to be system-specific.
Data from: Rapid scavenging of jellyfish carcasses reveals the importance of gelatinous material to deep-sea food webs
Jellyfish blooms are common in many oceans, and anthropogenic changes appear to have increased their magnitude in some regions. Although mass falls of jellyfish carcasses have been observed recently at the deep seafloor, the dense necrophage aggregations and rapid consumption rates typical for vertebrate carrion have not been documented. This has led to a paradigm of limited energy transfer to higher trophic levels at jelly falls relative to vertebrate organic falls. We show from baited camera deployments in the Norwegian deep sea that dense aggregations of deep-sea scavengers (more than 1000 animals at peak densities) can rapidly form at jellyfish baits and consume entire jellyfish carcasses in 2.5 h. We also show that scavenging rates on jellyfish are not significantly different from fish carrion of similar mass, and reveal that scavenging communities typical for the NE Atlantic bathyal zone, including the Atlantic hagfish, galatheid crabs, decapod shrimp and lyssianasid amphipods, consume both types of carcasses. These rapid jellyfish carrion consumption rates suggest that the contribution of gelatinous material to organic fluxes may be seriously underestimated in some regions, because jelly falls may disappear much more rapidly than previously thought. Our results also demonstrate that the energy contained in gelatinous carrion can be efficiently incorporated into large numbers of deep-sea scavengers and food webs, lessening the expected impacts (e.g. smothering of the seafloor) of enhanced jellyfish production on deep-sea ecosystems and pelagic–benthic coupling.
Data from: Pulsed food resources, but not forest cover, determines lifetime reproductive success in a forest-dwelling rodent
1. The relative contributions of habitat and food availability on fitness may provide evidence for key habitat features needed to safeguard population persistence. However, defining habitat quality for a species can be a complex task, especially if knowledge on the relationship between individual performance and habitat quality is lacking. 2. Here, we determined the relative importance of availability of suitable forest habitat, body mass, and food from masting tree species on female lifetime reproductive success (LRS) of Siberian flying squirrels (Pteromys volans). 3. We calculated LRS of 500 female flying squirrels based on a 22 year-long longitudinal data set of two populations from western Finland. We assessed with generalised additive models the potential effects of availability of suitable habitat and cumulative lifetime availability of food from masting tree species on female LRS, longevity and fecundity. On a reduced dataset, we evaluated the importance of female winter body mass and conducted a piecewise path analysis to determine how variables were connected. 4. According to generalised additive models female longevity, fecundity and LRS were mainly determined by variation in cumulative lifetime availability of food from masting alder and birch. Instead, habitat and body mass had smaller role. The path analysis indicated that lifetime food availability had direct effect on longevity and fecundity, and these had equal effect on LRS at both study sites. 5. Our results on LRS shows that the occurrence of tree masting events during a flying squirrel female's lifetime have profoundly larger effect on lifetime reproductive success than the cover of suitable forest habitat. Furthermore, this study emphasises the importance of both fecundity and longevity, and the indirect effects of food availability via those components, as determinants of lifetime fitness of female flying squirrels.
Data from: Predictive power of food web models based on body size decreases with trophic complexity
Food web models parameterized using body size show promise to predict trophic Interaction Strengths (IS) and abundance dynamics. However, this remains to be rigorously tested in food webs beyond simple trophic modules, where indirect and intraguild interactions could be important and driven by traits other than body size. We systematically varied predator body size, guild composition and richness in microcosm insect webs and compared experimental outcomes with predictions of IS from models with allometrically scaled parameters. Body size was a strong predictor of IS in simple modules (r2=0.92), but with increasing complexity the predictive power decreased, with model IS being consistently overestimated. We quantify the strength of observed trophic interaction modifications, partition this into density-mediated vs. behaviour-mediated indirect effects and show that model shortcomings in predicting IS is related to the size of behaviour-mediated effects. Our findings encourage development of dynamical food web models explicitly including and exploring indirect mechanisms.
Data from: Context-dependent strategies of food allocation among offspring in a facultative cooperative breeder
Natural selection should favor adoption of parental strategies that maximize fitness when allocating investment among offspring. In birds, begging displays often convey information of nestling need and quality, allowing parents to make adaptive food allocation decisions. We investigated how adults utilized cues likely to represent nestling competitive ability (begging position) and need (begging intensity), and a cue independent of nestling control (nestling sex) to distribute food among nestlings in a facultative cooperative breeder, the black-throated tit (Aegithalos concinnus). We found that parents reduced their efforts when helped, suggesting that parents of helped broods would have the potential to satisfy nestling needs more than unhelped parents. This suggestion was supported by the fact that nestling mass increased faster in helped than in unhelped nests. We found no effect of nestling sex on food allocation, but, as predicted, we found that adults responded differently to begging signals in relation to the presence of helpers and brood size. First, helped parents were more responsive to nestling begging intensity than parents without helpers. Second, female parents and helpers had a stronger preference for nestling begging position in large than in small broods. Third, the preference for nestling begging position was greater for unhelped than for helped female parents. These results provide evidence that carers adjust their preference for different offspring begging signals based on availability of food resources.
Data from: Cascading spatial and trophic impacts of oak decline on the soil food web
1. Tree defoliation and mortality have considerably increased worldwide during the last decades due to global change drivers such as increasing drought or invasive pests and pathogens. However, the effects of this tree decline on soil food webs are poorly understood. 2. In this study we evaluated the impacts of Quercus suber decline on soil food webs of Mediterranean mixed forests invaded by the exotic oomycete pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi, using soil nematodes as bioindicator taxa. We used a spatially-explicit neighborhood approach to predict the characteristics of the nematode community (diversity, trophic structure, and several indices indicative of soil food web conditions) as a function of the characteristics of the tree and shrub community (species composition, size and health status). 3. Our results indicate that the process of defoliation and mortality of Q. suber caused significant alterations in the nematode trophic structure increasing the abundance of lower trophic levels (bacterivores, fungivores and herbivores) and decreasing the abundance of higher levels (predators and omnivores). Furthermore, Q. suber decline altered the functional composition of soil communities, producing a setback of the ecological succession in the soil food web to an earlier stage (decrease in the maturity index and increase in the plant-parasitic index), simplified soil food webs (decrease in the structure index), and shifts in the predominant decomposition channel (increase in the fungivores/bacterivores ratio). 4. We also detected contrasting characteristics of the nematode community in neighborhoods dominated by coexistent woody species, which suggests potential for long-term indirect effects on soil food webs due to the substitution of Q. suber by non-declining species. 5. Synthesis: Our study provides novel results that show the major impacts that ongoing health deterioration of dominant tree species can have on the structure and composition of soil food webs in forest systems invaded by exotic pathogens, with cascading consequences for soil biogeochemical processes in both the short- and long-term.
Data from: The spatial distribution of foragers and food patches can influence antipredator vigilance
Antipredator vigilance is a major component of defenses against predators for many prey species. For group foragers, such vigilance is predicted by models to decrease with group size reflecting better predator detection ability and risk dilution in larger groups. Influential vigilance models for group foragers have made simplifying and often quite restrictive assumptions. Prey species, for instance, are expected to search for resources in groups of fixed sizes although frequent changes in group sizes often occur while foraging. Groups of prey in the same area are also assumed to be attacked independently, but predators could sequentially target several local groups after a failed attempt. I propose a framework in which prey animals can form groups by joining feeding neighbors and also adjust their vigilance in these groups of varying sizes. Predators can attack one of the many groups that occur in the same area and can also target groups of specific sizes. I used a genetic algorithm approach to simultaneously tackle joining and vigilance choices by prey individuals. I show that joining tendencies and the effect of group size on vigilance can vary with forager population size, the spatial distribution of resources, and predator attack tactics. The modeling framework adopted here generates several novel predictions about vigilance and joining tendencies for group foragers, and highlights the importance of considering the availability and vulnerability of prey groups in the same habitat when predicting antipredator vigilance.
Data from: Food limitation constrains host immune responses to nematode infections
Trade-offs in the allocation of finite-energy resources among immunological defences and other physiological processes are believed to influence infection risk and disease severity in food-limited wildlife populations. However, this prediction has received little experimental investigation. Here we test the hypothesis that food limitation impairs the ability of wild field voles (Microtus agrestis) to mount an immune response against parasite infections. We conducted a replicated experiment on vole populations maintained in large outdoor enclosures during boreal winter, using food supplementation and anthelmintic treatment of intestinal nematodes. Innate immune responses against intestinal parasite infections were compared between food-supplemented and non-supplemented voles. Voles with high food availability mounted stronger immune responses against intestinal nematode infections than food-limited voles. No food effects were seen in immune responses to intracellular coccidian parasites, possibly owing to their ability to avoid activation of innate immune pathways. Our findings demonstrate that food availability constrains vole immune responses against nematode infections, and support the concept that spatio-temporal heterogeneity in food availability creates variation in infectious disease susceptibility.
Data from: Food provisioning alters infection dynamics in populations of a wild rodent
While pathogens are often assumed to limit the growth of wildlife populations, experimental evidence for their effects is rare. A lack of food resources has been suggested to enhance the negative effects of pathogen infection on host populations, but this theory has received little investigation. We conducted a replicated two-factor enclosure experiment, with introduction of the bacterium Bordetella bronchiseptica and food supplementation, to evaluate the individual and interactive effects of pathogen infection and food availability on vole populations during a boreal winter. We show that prior to bacteria introduction, vole populations were limited by food availability. Bordetella bronchiseptica introduction then reduced population growth and abundance, but contrary to predictions, primarily in food supplemented populations. Infection prevalence and pathological changes in vole lungs were most common in food supplemented populations, and are likely to have resulted from increased congregation and bacteria transmission around feeding stations. Bordetella bronchiseptica-infected lungs often showed protozoan co-infection (consistent with Hepatozoon erhardovae), together with more severe inflammatory changes. Using a multidisciplinary approach, this study demonstrates a complex picture of interactions and underlying mechanisms, leading to population-level effects. Our results highlight the potential for food provisioning to markedly influence disease processes in wildlife mammal populations.
Data from: Does phenotypic plasticity for adult size versus food level in Drosophila melanogaster evolve in response to adaptation to different rearing densities?
Recent studies using inbred lines of Drosophila have suggested that there is extensive genetic variability for phenotypic plasticity of body size versus food level. If true, we expect that the outcome of evolution at very different food levels should yield genotypes whose adult sizes show different patterns of phenotypic plasticity. We have tested this prediction with six independent populations of Drosophila melanogaster kept at extreme (low vs. high) densities for 125 generations. We found that the phenotypic plasticity of body size versus food level is not affected by selection or the presence of competitors of a different genotype. However, we document increasing among population variation in phenotypic plasticity due to random genetic drift. Several reasons are explored to explain these results including the possibility that the use of highly inbred lines to make inferences about the evolution of genetically variable populations may be misleading.
Data from: Interspecific signalling between mutualists: food-thieving drongos use a cooperative sentinel call to manipulate foraging partners
Interspecific communication is common in nature, particularly between mutualists. However, whether signals evolved for communication with other species, or are in fact conspecific signals eavesdropped upon by partners, is often unclear. Fork-tailed drongos (Dicrurus adsimilis) associate with mixed-species groups and often produce true alarms at predators, whereupon associating species flee to cover, but also false alarms to steal associating species' food (kleptoparasitism). Despite such deception, associating species respond to drongo non-alarm calls by increasing their foraging and decreasing vigilance. Yet, whether these calls represent interspecific sentinel signals remains unknown. We show that drongos produced a specific sentinel call when foraging with a common associate, the sociable weaver (Philetairus socius), but not when alone. Weavers increased their foraging and decreased vigilance when naturally associating with drongos, and in response to sentinel call playback. Further, drongos sentinel-called more often when weavers were moving, and weavers approached sentinel calls, suggesting a recruitment function. Finally, drongos sentinel-called when weavers fled following false alarms, thereby reducing disruption to weaver foraging time. Results therefore provide evidence of an 'all clear' signal that mitigates the cost of inaccurate communication. Our results suggest that drongos enhance exploitation of a foraging mutualist through coevolution of interspecific sentinel signals.
Data from: Food web heterogeneity and succession in created saltmarshes
Ecological restoration must achieve functional as well as structural recovery. Functional metrics for re-establishment of trophic interactions can be used to complement traditional monitoring of structural attributes. In addition, topographic effects on food web structure provide added information within a restoration context; often, created sites may require spatial heterogeneity to effectively match structure and function of natural habitats. We addressed both of these issues in our study of successional development of benthic food web structure, with focus on bottom-up-driven changes in macroinvertebrate consumer assemblages in the saltmarshes of the Venice Lagoon, Italy. We combined quantified estimates of the changing community composition with stable isotope data (13C:12C and 15N:14N) to compare the general trophic structure between created (2–14 years) marshes and reference sites and along topographic elevation gradients within saltmarshes. Macrofaunal invertebrate consumers exhibited local, habitat-specific trophic patterns. Stable isotope-based trophic structure changed with increasing marsh age, in particular with regard to mid-elevation (Salicornia) habitats. In young marshes, the mid-elevation consumer signatures resembled those of unvegetated ponds. The mid-elevation of older and natural marshes had a more distinct Salicornia zone food web, occasionally resembling that of the highest (Sarcocornia-dominated) elevation. In summary, this indicates that primary producers and availability of vascular plant detritus structure consumer trophic interactions and the flow of carbon. Functionally different consumers, subsurface-feeding detritivores (Oligochaeta) and surface grazers (Hydrobia sp.), showed distinct but converging trajectories of isotopic change over time, indicating that successional development may be asymmetric between 'brown' (detrital) guilds and 'green' (grazing) guilds in the food web. Synthesis and applications. Created marsh food webs converged into a natural state over about a decade, with successional shifts seen in both consumer community composition and stable isotope space. Strong spatial effects were noted, highlighting the utility of stable isotopes to evaluate functional equivalence in spatially heterogeneous systems. Understanding the recovery of functional properties such as food web support, and their inherent spatial variability, is key to planning and managing successful habitat restoration.
Data from: Aquatic microfauna alter larval food resources and affect development and biomass of West Nile and Saint Louis encephalitis vector Culex nigripalpus (Diptera: Culicidae)
Ciliate protists and rotifers are ubiquitous in aquatic habitats and can comprise a significant portion of the microbial food resources available to larval mosquitoes, often showing substantial declines in abundance in the presence of mosquito larvae. This top-down regulation of protists is reported to be strong for mosquitoes inhabiting small aquatic containers such as pitcher plants or tree holes, but the nature of these interactions with larval mosquitoes developing in other aquatic habitats is poorly understood. We examined the effects of these two microbial groups on lower trophic level microbial food resources, such as bacteria, small flagellates, and organic particles, in the water column, and on Culex larval development and adult production. In three independent laboratory experiments using two microeukaryote species (one ciliate protist and one rotifer) acquired from field larval mosquito habitats and cultured in the laboratory, we determined the effects of Culex nigripalpus larval grazing on water column microbial dynamics, while simultaneously monitoring larval growth and development. The results revealed previously unknown interactions that were different from the top-down regulation of microbial groups by mosquito larvae in other systems. Both ciliates and rotifers, singly or in combination, altered other microbial populations and inhibited mosquito growth. It is likely that these microeukaryotes, instead of serving as food resources, competed with early instar mosquito larvae for microbes such as small flagellates and bacteria in a density-dependent manner. These findings help our understanding of the basic larval biology of Culex mosquitoes, variation in mosquito production among various larval habitats, and may have implications for existing vector control strategies and for developing novel microbial-based control methods.
Data from: Opening the tap: increased riverine connectivity strengthens marine food web pathways.
Reduction of ecosystem connectivity has long-lasting impacts on food webs. Anadromous fish, which migrate from marine to freshwater ecosystems to complete reproduction, have seen their historically larger ecosystem role undercut by widespread riverine habitat fragmentation and other impacts mainly derived from anthropogenic sources. The result has been extensive extirpations and increased susceptibility to a suite of environmental factors that currently impede recovery. Under this present-day context of reduced productivity and connectivity, aggressive management actions and enforcement of catch limits including bycatch caps and complete moratoria on harvest have followed. What remains less understood are the implications of changes to food webs that co-occurred. What benefits restoration could provide in terms of ecosystem functioning in relation to economic costs associated with dam removal and remediation is unknown and can limit the scope and value of restoration activities. Here we employ, historical landscape-based biomass estimates of anadromous alosine for the first time in an ecosystem modeling of the Northeast US large marine ecosystem (LME), to evaluate the value of improving connectivity by measuring the increase in energy flow and population productivity. We compared a restored alosine model to a contemporary model, analyzing the impacts of the potential increase of connectivity between riverine and oceanic systems. We observed changes in ecosystem functional structure and widespread ecosystem benefits for fisheries and conservation efforts. A key advantage was the potential for a 26% biomass increase of piscivorous with high economic value, including Atlantic cod, and for a 69% increase for species of conservation concern such as pelagic sharks, seabirds and marine mammals. Our study highlights the benefits of increased connectivity between freshwater and ocean ecosystems. We demonstrate the significant role anadromous forage fish could play in improving specific fisheries and overall ecosystem functioning, mainly through the diversification of species capable of transferring primary production to upper trophic levels, adding to benefits associated with their restoration.
ScienceDex guides
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These curated guides explain access requirements, typical timelines, costs, and reuse considerations for widely used research datasets.
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.