Find research datasets worth reusing
Search datasets from major research repositories and use ShareScore to quickly assess how well each record supports discovery, access, and reuse.
549
datasets available to search
ShareScore release 0.9.0
Dataset results
549 results for “use of habitat”
Data from: Multiple habitat use by declining migratory birds necessitates joined-up conservation
Many species depend on multiple habitats at different points in space and time. Their effective conservation requires an understanding of how and when each habitat is used, coupled with adequate protection. Migratory shorebirds use intertidal and supratidal wetlands, both of which are affected by coastal landscape change. Yet the extent to which shorebirds use artificial supratidal habitats, particularly at highly developed stopover sites, remains poorly understood leading to potential deficiencies in habitat management. We surveyed shorebirds on their southward migration in southern Jiangsu, a critical stopover region in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF), to measure their use of artificial supratidal habitats and assess linkages between intertidal and supratidal habitat use. To inform management, we examined how biophysical features influenced occupancy of supratidal habitats, and whether these habitats were used for roosting or foraging. We found that shorebirds at four of five sites were limited to artificial supratidal habitats at high tide for ~11–25 days per month because natural intertidal flats were completely covered by seawater. Within the supratidal landscape, at least 37 shorebirds species aggregated on artificial wetlands, and shorebirds were more abundant on larger ponds with less water cover, less vegetation, at least one unvegetated bund, and fewer built structures nearby. Artificial supratidal habitats were rarely used for foraging and rarely occupied when intertidal flats were available, underscoring the complementarity between supratidal roosting habitat and intertidal foraging habitat. Joined-up artificial supratidal management and natural intertidal habitat conservation is clearly required at our study site given the simultaneous dependence by over 35,000 migrating shorebirds on both habitats. Guided by observed patterns of habitat use, there is a clear opportunity to improve habitat condition by working with local land custodians to consider shorebird habitat requirements when managing supratidal ponds. This approach is likely applicable to shorebird sites throughout the EAAF.
Data from: Subdigital adhesive pad morphology varies in relation to structural habitat use in the Namib Day Gecko, Rhoptropus afer
1. Morphological features that lead to increased locomotor performance, such as faster sprint speed, are thought to evolve in concert with habitat use. The latter depends on available habitat structure, and how the animal moves within that habitat. Thus, this behavioral variation will impact how natural selection acts on locomotion and morphology. 2. Quantifying the interplay between escape behavior and locomotor morphology across habitats that vary in structural composition could reveal how selection acts on locomotion at local levels. Substrate features, such as incline and topographical variation, are likely key drivers of morphological and functional disparity among terrestrial animals. We investigated the impact of habitat variation and escape behavior on morphology, including the adhesive system, of Rhoptropus afer, a diurnal and cursorial gecko from Namibia. Substrate incline and topographical variation are likely important for this pad-bearing gecko due to the trade-off between adhering and sprinting (i.e. using adhesion results in decreased sprint speed) that is triggered by certain inclines. 3. We corroborate the hypothesis that the adhesive system exhibits the greatest degree of reduction in populations that utilize the flattest terrain during an escape. Our findings suggest that the adhesive apparatus is detrimental to rapid for locomotion on relatively horizontal surfaces, and may thus be counterproductive to the evasion of predators in such situations. A broad scale analysis of geckos would determine whether diversity of adhesive morphology is driven primarily by habitat use. 4. Phenotypic plasticity of the adhesive system and interspecific competition are plausible candidates for driving our results. However, it is unclear whether the differences we observed have a genetic basis. Future work should focus on how variation of the adhesive system impacts downstream locomotor components such as kinematics and mechanics, and how the integration of these traits is related to habitat use.
Data from: Hierarchical behaviour, habitat use and species size differences shape evolutionary outcomes of hybridization in a coral reef fish.
Hybridization is an important evolutionary process, with ecological and behavioural factors influencing gene exchange between hybrids and parent species. Patterns of hybridization in anemonefishes may result from living in highly specialized habitats and breeding status regulated by size-based hierarchal social groups. Here morphological, ecological and genetic analyses in Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea examine the hybrid status of Amphiprion leucokranos, a nominal species and presumed hybrid between Amphiprion sandaracinos and Amphiprion chrysopterus. We test the hypothesis that habitat use and relative size differences of the parent species and hybrids determine patterns of gene exchange. There is strong evidence that A. leucokranos is a hybrid of smaller A. sandaracinos and larger A. chrysopterus, where A. chrysopterus is exclusively the mother to each hybrid, based on mtDNA cytochrome b and multiple nDNA microsatellite loci. Overlap in habitat, depth and host anemone use was found, with hybrids intermediate to parents and co-habitation in over 25% of anemones sampled. Hybrids, intermediate in body size, colour and pattern, were classified 55% of the time as morphologically first generation hybrids relative to parents, whereas 45% of hybrids were more A. sandaracinos-like, suggesting back-crossing. Unidirectional introgression of A. chrysopterus mtDNA into A. sandaracinos via hybrid backcrosses was found, with larger female hybrids and small male A. sandaracinos mating. Potential nDNA introgression was also evident through distinct intermediate hybrid genotypes penetrating both parent species. Findings support the hypothesis that anemonefish hierarchical behaviour, habitat use, and species-specific size differences determine how hybrids form and the evolutionary consequences of hybridization.
Data from: Carnivoran resource and habitat use in the context of a Late Miocene faunal turnover episode
We investigate resource and habitat use by apex predators through stable isotope analysis at two Spanish Late Miocene localities: Los Valles de Fuentidueña (~9.6 Ma, LVF) and Cerro de los Batallones (~9.1 Ma, BAT). The temporal window represented by LVF and BAT was crucial in the shaping of the current Iberian mammalian structure because it corresponds to the initial stages of a faunal turnover episode and regional environmental change at ~9.5–8.5 Ma (Vallesian–Turolian transition), associated with an increase in the seasonality of precipitation. Herbivore and carnivore δ13C and δ18O values do not point to significant changes in either the vegetation cover (a woodland to mesic C3 grassland) or the hydrological regime during the time lapse represented between LVF and BAT. This suggests that the environmental shift recorded around the Vallesian–Turolian boundary may have occurred later in time, since LVF and BAT ages are synchronic with the onset of the turnover event. From the standpoint of predator–prey evaluation by means of stable isotope analysis, statistical post hoc tests, mixing model output, and the assessment of niche occupation by LVF and BAT carnivores point to high levels of interspecific competition among large active carnivores, albeit some genera, such as the amphicyonid Magericyon and specially the hyaenid Lycyaena, seemed to avoid competition by taking prey from a more open habitat. Despite the drop in diversity and change in faunal components observed between the LVF and BAT assemblages, a high degree of resource and habitat competition is evident from stable isotope data.
Data from: Assessing cumulative impacts of forest development on the distribution of furbearers using expert-based habitat modeling
Cumulative impacts of anthropogenic landscape change must be considered when managing and conserving wildlife habitat. Across the central-interior of British Columbia, Canada, industrial activities are altering the habitat of furbearer species. This region has witnessed unprecedented levels of anthropogenic landscape change following rapid development in a number of resource sectors, particularly forestry. Our objective was to create expert-based habitat models for three furbearer species: fisher (Pekania pennanti), Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis), and American marten (Martes americana) and quantify habitat change for those species. We recruited 10 biologist and 10 trapper experts and then used the analytical hierarchy process to elicit expert knowledge of habitat variables important to each species. We applied the models to reference landscapes (i.e., registered traplines) in two distinct study areas and then quantified the change in habitat availability from 1990 to 2013. There was strong agreement between expert groups in the choice of habitat variables and associated scores. Where anthropogenic impacts had increased considerably over the study period, the habitat models showed substantial declines in habitat availability for each focal species (78% decline in optimal fisher habitat, 83% decline in optimal lynx habitat, and 79% decline in optimal marten habitat). For those traplines with relatively little forest harvesting, the habitat models showed no substantial change in the availability of habitat over time. The results suggest that habitat for these three furbearer species declined significantly as a result of the cumulative impacts of forest harvesting. Results of this study illustrate the utility of expert knowledge for understanding large-scale patterns of habitat change over long time periods.
Data from: Physiological, morphological, and ecological tradeoffs influence vertical habitat use of deep-diving toothed-whales in the Bahamas
Dive capacity among toothed whales (suborder: Odontoceti) has been shown to generally increase with body mass in a relationship closely linked to the allometric scaling of metabolic rates. However, two odontocete species tagged in this study, the Blainville's beaked whale Mesoplodon densirostris and the Cuvier's beaked whale Ziphius cavirostris, confounded expectations of a simple allometric relationship, with exceptionally long (mean: 46.1 min & 65.4 min) and deep dives (mean: 1129 m & 1179 m), and comparatively small body masses (med.: 842.9 kg & 1556.7 kg). These two species also exhibited exceptionally long recovery periods between successive deep dives, or inter-deep-dive intervals (M. densirostris: med. 62 min; Z. cavirostris: med. 68 min). We examined competing hypotheses to explain observed patterns of vertical habitat use based on body mass, oxygen binding protein concentrations, and inter-deep-dive intervals in an assemblage of five sympatric toothed whales species in the Bahamas. Hypotheses were evaluated using dive data from satellite tags attached to the two beaked whales (M. densirostris, n = 12; Z. cavirostris, n = 7), as well as melon-headed whales Peponocephala electra (n = 13), short-finned pilot whales Globicephala macrorhynchus (n = 15), and sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus (n = 27). Body mass and myoglobin concentration together explained only 36% of the variance in maximum dive durations. The inclusion of inter-deep-dive intervals, substantially improved model fits (R2 = 0.92). This finding supported a hypothesis that beaked whales extend foraging dives by exceeding aerobic dive limits, with the extension of inter-deep-dive intervals corresponding to metabolism of accumulated lactic acid. This inference points to intriguing tradeoffs between body size, access to prey in different depth strata, and time allocation within dive cycles. These tradeoffs and resulting differences in habitat use have important implications for spatial distribution patterns, and relative vulnerabilities to anthropogenic impacts.
Data from: 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.
Data from: In the land of giants: habitat use and selection of the Aldabra giant tortoise on Aldabra Atoll
With habitat loss and fragmentation among the greatest threats to biodiversity, a better understanding of the habitat use of keystone species is critical in any conservation management strategy. Aldabra Atoll, in the Seychelles archipelago, has the largest population worldwide of giant tortoises. This endemic species (Aldabrachelys gigantea) could be vulnerable to habitat fragmentation and loss induced by climate change related reduction in rainfall. Here, we assess habitat use and selection by A. gigantea in its natural environment on Aldabra. We quantified the habitat areas of A. gigantea based on the first high-resolution terrestrial habitat map of Aldabra, produced for this purpose using satellite imagery. The resulting map was combined with four years of movement data to assess A. gigantea habitat use and selection at landscape and home range scales. Grassland or 'tortoise turf' habitat was most preferred by A. gigantea on Aldabra, at the landscape scale across seasons, followed by open mixed scrub. These two habitats cover only 30 km2 (19.2%) of the surface of the atoll (total area: 155.5 km2). At the home range scale, there was no significant preference shown and habitat was used randomly. Our results suggest that Aldabra's grassland habitat, despite its small area, is of great importance to A. gigantea. Conservation management actions for A. gigantea on Aldabra and elsewhere should therefore focus on the protection and maintenance of this habitat.
Data from: Interspecific social information use in habitat selection decisions among migrant songbirds
The presence of conspecifics is a social cue frequently used by songbirds in breeding-site selection. In migratory species, conspecific attraction is not possible for individuals that arrive first to breeding grounds, but these individuals may use information from ecologically similar heterospecifics. Resident tits (Paridae) are known to provide cues for migratory songbirds, however, the relevance of resident settlement decisions decreases as the season progresses. We investigated heterospecific attraction within migrant songbirds, and examined whether later arriving species use the presence of earlier arriving species as a cue for breeding habitat selection. We used a song playback experiment to test if wood warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix settlement decisions are affected by chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita and blackcap Sylvia atricapilla cues. Our results suggest that wood warblers used cues from heterospecifics when deciding where to breed. Wood warblers settled earlier and more numerously on plots with simulated presence of chiffchaffs, in contrast blackcap presence had a negative effect on settlement, suggesting heterospecific avoidance. Chiffchaffs and blackcaps were attracted to sites with simulated presence of conspecifics, which provides evidence for conspecific attraction in breeding-site selection of these species. Our experiment suggests that heterospecific attraction is not a phenomenon limited to resident-migrant interactions, but acts also between migrant species. Our results show an interplay of attraction and avoidance when using social cues for habitat selection decisions within a migrant songbird guild, and stress the importance of both positive and negative effects of social environment on settlement behavior of individuals.
Data from: Analyzing movement behavior and dynamic space-use strategies among habitats using multi-event capture-recapture modeling
1.The environment of most species is heterogeneous at different spatial and temporal scales; this heterogeneity can have a direct effect on various components of fitness. As a consequence, individual space-use and movement strategies are central issues in ecology and conservation and receive considerable attention from researchers. 2.In the last 30 years, this issue has led to the development of capture–recapture models that allow movement between sites to be quantified, while handling imperfect detection. For studies involving numerous recapture sites in which the emphasis is on dispersal or migration rather than movement between particular sites, Lagrange et al. recently proposed a parsimonious CR multi-event model that contrasts individuals that move and individuals that stay in place, irrespective of the sites involved. 3.In this study, we developed a generalized version of this model to allow survival probability and movement probability to differ for different types of habitat to which the individual sites may be assigned. We investigated the potential of this new parameterization by studying the movements of an amphibian, the yellow-bellied toad (Bombina variegata), in a set of breeding and resting/foraging ponds. 4.Our capture-recapture multi-event model provides a highly flexible tool allowing users to model movements within and between several habitats. This approach can be potentially used to study movement behavior and space-use strategies of a wide range of taxa.
Opposing fitness consequences of habitat use in a harvested moose population
<p>1. Landscape changes are happening at an unprecedented pace, and together with high levels of wildlife harvesting humans have a large effect on wildlife populations. A thorough knowledge of their combined influence on individual fitness is important in order to understand factors affecting population dynamics. 2. The goal of the study was to assess the individual consistency in the use of risky habitat types, and how habitat use was related to fitness components and life-history strategies. 3. Using data from a closely monitored and harvested population of moose (Alces alces), we examined how individual variation in offspring size, reproduction, and survival was related to the use of open grasslands; a habitat type that offers high-quality forage during summer, but at the cost of being more exposed to hunters in autumn. Use of this habitat type may therefore involve a trade-off between high mortality risk and forage maximization. 4. There was high repeatability in habitat use, which suggest consistent behaviour within individuals. Offspring number and weight was positively related to the mothers' use of open grasslands, whereas the probability of surviving the subsequent harvest season was negatively related to the use of the same habitat type. As a consequence, we found a non-significant relationship between habitat use and lifetime fitness. 5. The study suggest that harvesting, even if intended to be nonselective with regard to phenotypes, may be selective towards animals with specific behaviour and life-history strategies. As a consequence, harvesting can alter the life-history composition of the population and target life-history strategies that would be beneficial for individual fitness and population growth in the absence of hunting.</p>
Data from: Experimental rewilding enhances grassland functional composition and pollinator habitat use
1. Semi-natural grasslands are rich in biodiversity and thus important habitats for conservation, yet subjected to rapid declines due to agricultural intensification or abandonment. Promoting a more diverse mammalian herbivore community, including large and megaherbivores, may result in positive cascade effects for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Therefore, reintroducing an ecologically functional substitute of an extinct large herbivore could mitigate current biodiversity declines and foster semi-natural grassland conservation. 2. To test this hypothesis, we set up a 3-year rewilding experiment where 12 feral horses were introduced in three 10-hectare enclosure replicates (four horses per enclosure). We used community-weighted mean plant functional traits to elucidate plant community changes induced by grazing through time. We additionally investigated the effects of the experimental treatment on insect pollinated plants and on pollinator habitat use. 3. The grassland community exerted a mixed tolerance/avoidance response to grazing. This resulted in plant functional compositional changes which favoured prostrate plant species with higher specific leaf area, characteristic of ruderal communities. 4. Plant species richness was higher in grazed compared to ungrazed areas. Butterfly and bumblebee habitat use, as well as feeding and resting activities were also higher in grazed areas. Moreover, the number of pollinators increased with plant species richness. 5. Synthesis and applications. This study demonstrates that to enhance the diversity of a given herbivore community with an ecologically functional substitute of extinct wild horses can have significant effects on the functional composition of grasslands, mitigate plant species declines, and boost pollinator habitat use. Thus, rewilding interventions with large herbivores may offset current biodiversity declines by maintaining important functional links between plants and pollinators in grassland ecosystems.
Data from: Time-integrated habitat availability is a resource attribute that informs patterns of use in intertidal areas
In dynamic environments, resource availability may change by several orders of magnitude, over hours to months, but the duration of resource availability is not often included as a characteristic attribute of resources even though temporal resource dynamics might limit patterns of use. In our study of wading birds foraging in intertidal areas, tides cause large changes in the areal extent of shallow-water foraging habitat (i.e., the resource), but tides also constrain the duration of availability, which is often overlooked. We hypothesized that temporal constraints on habitat availability from tides would be reflected in patterns of habitat use by foraging birds. We estimated the time-integrated habitat availability and compared it to traditional habitat attributes (seagrass cover, substrate type, instantaneous water depth, and proximity to mangrove islands or deep water) that have strong evidential support for influencing patterns of use. To evaluate our hypotheses, we quantified habitat attributes at intertidal areas in the Florida Keys, U.S.A, where wading birds were observed foraging (Little Blue Heron, Egretta caerulea: N=183; Great White Heron, Ardea herodias occidentalis: N=162). We tested for non-random use by sampling habitat attributes at two spatial scales around the observed feeding locations and we analyzed the data using a conditional logistic regression model. There was no evidence that seagrass cover or substrate explained patterns of use. The proximity of foraging locations relative to mangroves and to deep water were important at both spatial scales but had lower effect sizes (odds-ratios) than time-integrated habitat availability and water depth, and the latter may only serve as a physical constraint on access. We found support that time-integrated habitat availability was a distinct resource attribute, had the greatest effect size (4-8-fold change in relative probability of use), and best explained patterns of habitat use at the largest spatial scale. In studies of resource use where changes in resource availability are non-linear or when strong constraints on access are imposed by behavior, incorporating time-integrated estimates of resource availability into analyses can improve insights into spatiotemporal patterns of resource use.
Data from: Habitat use of the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) in Brazilian Amazon
Amazonia forest plays a major role in providing ecosystem services for human and sanctuaries for wildlife. However, ongoing deforestation and habitat fragmentation in the Brazilian Amazon has threatened both. The ocelot is an ecologically important mesopredator and a potential conservation ambassador species, yet there are no previous studies on its habitat preference and spatial patterns in this biome. From 2010 to 2017, twelve sites were surveyed, totaling 899 camera trap stations, the largest known dataset for this species. Using occupancy modeling incorporating spatial autocorrelation, we assessed habitat use for ocelot populations across the Brazilian Amazon. Our results revealed a positive sigmoidal correlation between remote‐sensing derived metrics of forest cover, disjunct core area density, elevation, distance to roads, distance to settlements and habitat use, and that habitat use by ocelots was negatively associated with slope and distance to river/lake. These findings shed light on the regional scale habitat use of ocelots and indicate important species–habitat relationships, thus providing valuable information for conservation management and land‐use planning.
Data from: Habitat features and long-distance dispersal modify the use of social information by a long-distance migratory bird
1. The processes by which individuals select breeding sites have important consequences for individual tness as well as population- and community-dynamics. Although there is increasing evidence that many animal species use information acquired from conspecics to assess the suitability of potential breeding sites, little is known about how the use of this social information is modified by biotic and abiotic conditions. 2. We used an automated playback experiment to simulate two types of social information, post-breeding public information and pre-breeding location cues, to determine the relative importance of these cues for breeding site selection by a migratory songbird, the American redstart (Setophaga ruticilla). In addition, we used stable hydrogen isotopes to determine the dispersal status of individuals that responded to our experimental treatments and quantify whether long-distance dispersers use different social cues to select breeding sites compared to philopatric individuals. 3. We found that points that received pre-breeding location cue treatments were signi cantly more likely to be settled by redstarts than control points that received no playback. However, we found no evidence the redstarts used post-breeding public information gathered during one season to select breeding sites the following year. Breeding site habitat structure was also a strong predictor of settlement probability, indicating that redstarts modi ed the use of social information based on habitat cues. Furthermore, stable hydrogen isotope signatures from individuals that responded to location cue treatments suggest that long-distance dispersers may rely more heavily on these cues than local recruits. 4. Collectively, these results indicate that redstarts use multiple sources of information to select breeding sites, which could buffer individuals from selecting suboptimal sites when they breed in unfamiliar locations or when habitat quality becomes decoupled from social cues.
Data from: Thermal limits in native and alien freshwater peracarid Crustacea: the role of habitat use and oxygen limitation
1. In order to predict which species can successfully cope with global warming and how other environmental stressors modulate their vulnerability to climate related environmental factors, an understanding of the ecophysiology underpinning thermal limits is essential for both conservation biology a nd invasion biology. 2. Heat tolerance and the extent to which heat tolerance differed with oxygen availability were examined for four native and four alien freshwater peracarid crustacean species, with differences in habitat use across species. Three hypotheses were tested: 1) Heat and lack of oxygen synergistically reduce survival of species; 2) Patterns in heat tolerance and the modulation thereof by oxygen differs between alien and native species, and between species with different habitat use; 3) small animals can better tolerate heat than large animals and this difference is more pronounced under hypoxia. 3. To assess heat tolerances under different oxygen levels, animal survival was monitored in experimental chambers in which the water temperature was ramped up (0.25 ˚C min-1). Heat tolerance (CTmax) was scored as the cessation of all pleopod movement, and heating trials were performed under hypoxia (5kPa Oxygen), normoxia (20 kPa) and hyperoxia (60 kPa). 4. Heat tolerance differed across species as did the extent by which heat tolerance was affected by oxygen conditions. Heat tolerant species, e.g., Asellus aquaticus and Crangonyx pseudogracilis, showed little response to oxygen conditions in their CTmax, whereas the CTmax of heat sensitive species, e.g., Dikerogammarus villosus and Gammarus fossarum, was more plastic, being increased by hyperoxia and reduced by hypoxia. 5. In contrast to other studies on crustaceans, alien species were not more heat tolerant than native species. Instead, differences in heat tolerance were best explained by habitat use, with species from standing waters being heat tolerant and species from running waters being heat sensitive. In addition, larger animals displayed lower CTmax, but only under hypoxia. An analysis of data available in the literature on metabolic responses of the study species to temperature and oxygen conditions suggests that oxygen conformers and species whose oxygen demand rapidly increases with temperature (low activation energy) may be more heat sensitive. 6. The alien species D. villosus appeared most susceptible to hypoxia and heat stress. This may explain why this species is very successful in colonizing new areas in littoral zones with rocky substrate which are well aerated due to continuous wave action generated by passing ships or prevailing winds. This species is less capable of spreading to other waters which are poorly oxygenated and where C. pseudogracilis is the more likely dominant alien species.
Data from: Use of opportunistic sightings and expert knowledge to predict and compare Whooping Crane stopover habitat
Predicting a species' distribution can be helpful for evaluating management actions such as critical habitat designations under the U.S. Endangered Species Act or habitat acquisition and rehabilitation. Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) are one of the rarest birds in the world, and conservation and management of habitat is required to ensure their survival. We developed a species distribution model (SDM) that could be used to inform habitat management actions for Whooping Cranes within the state of Nebraska (U.S.A.). We collated 407 opportunistic Whooping Crane group records reported from 1988 to 2012. Most records of Whooping Cranes were contributed by the public; therefore, developing an SDM that accounted for sampling bias was essential because observations at some migration stopover locations may be under represented. An auxiliary data set, required to explore the influence of sampling bias, was derived with expert elicitation. Using our SDM, we compared an intensively managed area in the Central Platte River Valley with the Niobrara National Scenic River in northern Nebraska. Our results suggest, during the peak of migration, Whooping Crane abundance was 262.2 (90% CI 40.2−3144.2) times higher per unit area in the Central Platte River Valley relative to the Niobrara National Scenic River. Although we compared only 2 areas, our model could be used to evaluate any region within the state of Nebraska. Furthermore, our expert-informed modeling approach could be applied to opportunistic presence-only data when sampling bias is a concern and expert knowledge is available.
Data from: Spatial dynamics of habitat use informs reintroduction efforts in the presence of an invasive predator
1. Islands experience major impacts from introduced species, especially nocturnal predators. The Brown Treesnake (Boiga irregularis) extirpated almost the entire native avifauna on Guam shortly after introduction. Reintroductions from neighboring islands can restore bird communities but will take place in heavily managed units where snake populations can be controlled. Yet reintroductions often proceed without relevant biological information such as nocturnal habitat and space use when nocturnal predators are present. To guide efforts, we studied diurnal and nocturnal habitat and space use by the avian frugivore community on the nearby island of Saipan where the snake is absent. 2. Using radio telemetry and a Bayesian framework, we first compared data typically accessible to resource managers (diurnal home range [DHR] and habitat selection) and which often forms the basis of reintroduction plans. We contrast this with data on nocturnal habitat use that is often not available but relevant when nocturnal predation threat is high. 3. DHR size varied within and among species with Micronesian Starlings (Aplonis opaca) having DHRs at least 45 ha larger than other species. For all species, night roost locations were generally spatially clustered within a DHR and covered a smaller spatial extent. Two species had higher probabilities of roosting outside DHR boundaries but, when outside, roosts were often within 200 m of the DHR boundary. All species selected forested habitats during day and night, with some species choosing native forest over non-native habitat. 4. Synthesis and applications If individuals roosted randomly throughout DHR's, landscape-level suppression of B. irregularis might be the only viable option for reintroductions of some species. However, individuals of all species showed clustered roosting and high site fidelity. If site fidelity is common, then individuals that roost within fenced areas where snake populations are severely reduced or eliminated will experience high survivorship even if DHRs extend into surrounding unprotected matrix. There was large overlap in habitat selection during day and night indicating managed areas should be composed of native forest with non-native forests of secondary importance. In systems with nocturnal predators, understanding variability in diurnal and nocturnal habitat use could lead to better informed decisions.
Data from: Isodars unveil asymmetric effects on habitat use caused by competition between two endangered species
In order for competing species to coexist, segregation on some ecological niche component is required and is often mediated by differential habitat use. When unequal competitors are involved, the dominant species tends to displace the subordinate one to its less preferred habitat. Here, we use habitat isodars, an approach which reflects evolutionary stable strategies of habitat selection, to evaluate whether interspecific competition between two competing species with distinct habitat preferences, the little bustard Tetrax tetrax and the great bustard Otis tarda, modulates their habitat use. Field data on these endangered species demonstrate that unequal competitors can coexist without completely segregating on their preferred habitats. The negatively sloped isodar of the subordinate little bustard unveils its competition with the dominant great bustard. Interference from great bustards in secondary cereal habitats reinforces use of preferred natural habitat by little bustards. Studies of density-dependent habitat selection by a single-species can thus aid in identifying the effects of competition on community composition, and guide the conservation of at-risk species. Isodars, in particular, represent a promising method to gain clear knowledge on interspecific competition for species in which experimental manipulations are not feasible.
FIGURE 3 in Endecous apterus: A new species of cave cricket from northeast Brazil, with comments on the use of subterranean habitats by Luzarinae crickets (Orthoptera: Grylloidea: Phalangopsidae: Luzarinae)
FIGURE 3. Male phallic complex of Endecous apterus n. sp. in dorsal view (A), ventral (B), posterior (C) and lateral (D).
ScienceDex guides
Understand access before you commit
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.