Find research datasets worth reusing

Non-exploitative human disturbance provides shelter for prey from predator

Human activities can influence behaviors of predators and prey, as well as predator-prey interactions. Using camera trap data, we investigated whether or to what extent human activities influenced behaviors of predators (tigers and leopards) and prey (sambar deer, spotted deer, wild boar, barking deer), and predator-prey interactions in the Barandabhar Corridor Forest (BCF), Chitwan District, Nepal. A multispecies occupancy model revealed that the presence of humans altered the conditional occupancy of both prey and predator species. Specifically, the conditional occupancy probability of prey was substantially higher (ψ = 0.91, CI = 0.89–0.92) when humans were present than when humans were absent (ψ = 0.68, CI = 0.54–0.79). The diel activity pattern of most prey species overlapped strongly with humans, whereas predators were generally more active when humans were absent. Finally, the spatio-temporal overlap analysis revealed that human-prey interactions (i.e., the probability that both humans and prey species being present on the same grid at the same hourly period) was ~3 times higher (10.5%, CI = 10.4%–10.6%) compared to spatio-temporal overlap between humans-predators (3.1%, CI = 3.0%–3.2%). Our findings are consistent with the human-shield hypothesis and suggest that ungulate prey species may reduce predation risk by using areas with high human activities.

opencc-by-4.0Jun 2023View details →

zenodo36/100

Supporting dataset for "Surface energy dynamics and canopy structural properties in intact and disturbed forests in the Southern Amazon"

Supporting dataset for the manuscript “Surface energy dynamics and canopy structural properties in intact and disturbed forests in the Southern Amazon", currently under review in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences.

Africa's ecosystems exhibit a tradeoff between resistance and stability following disturbances

Environmental disturbances may prevent ecosystems from consistently performing their critical ecological functions. Two important properties of ecosystems are their resistance and stability, which respectively reflect their capacities to withstand and recover from disturbance events (e.g., droughts, wildfires, pests, etc.). Theory suggests that resistant and stable ecosystems possess opposing characteristics, but this has seldom been established across diverse ecosystem attributes or broad spatial scales. Here, we compare the resistance and stability of >1,000 protected area ecosystems in Africa to disturbance-induced losses in primary productivity from 2000-2019. We quantitatively evaluated each ecosystem such that following disturbances, an ecosystem is more resistant if it experiences lower-magnitude losses in productivity, and more stable if it returns more rapidly to pre-disturbance productivity levels. To compare the characteristics of resistant versus stable ecosystems, we optimized random forest models that use ecosystem attributes (representing their climatic and environmental conditions, plant and faunal biodiversity, and exposure to human impacts) to predict their resistance and, separately, stability values. We visualized each attribute's relationship with resistance and stability after accounting for all other attributes in the model framework. Ecosystems that are more resistant to disturbances are less stable, and vice versa. The ecosystem attributes with the most predictive power in our models all exhibit contrasting relationships with resistance versus stability. Notably, highly resistant ecosystems are generally more arid and exhibit high habitat heterogeneity and mammalian biodiversity, while highly stable ecosystems are the opposite. We discuss the underlying mechanisms through which these attributes engender resistance or, conversely, stability. Our findings suggest that resistance and stability are fundamentally opposing phenomena. A balance between the two must be struck if ecosystems are to maintain their identity, structure, and function in the face of environmental change.

Rain, recreation, and risk: Human activity and ecological disturbance create seasonal risk landscapes for the prey of an ambush predator

Predation risk and prey responses exhibit fluctuations in space and time. Seasonal ecological disturbances can alter landscape structure and permeability to influence predator activity and efficacy, creating predictable patterns of risk for prey (seasonal risk landscapes). This may create corresponding seasonal shifts in antipredator behavior, mediated by species ecology and trade-offs between risk and resources. Yet, how human recreation interacts with seasonal risk landscapes and antipredator behavior remains understudied. Goals – In South Florida, we investigated the impact of a seasonal ecological disturbance, specifically flooding, which is inversely related to human activity, on interactions between Florida panthers (Puma concolor coryi) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). We hypothesized that human activity and ecological disturbances would interact with panther-deer ecology, resulting in the emergence of two distinct seasonal landscapes of predation risk and the corresponding antipredator response. We conducted camera trap surveys across southwestern Florida to collect detection data on humans, panthers, and deer. We analyzed the influence of human site use and flooding on deer and panther detection probability, co-occurrence, and diel activity during the flooded and dry seasons. Flooding led to decreased panther detections and increased deer detections, resulting in reduced deer-panther co-occurrence during the flooded season. Panthers exhibited increased nocturnality and reduced diel activity overlap with deer in areas with higher human activity. Supporting our hypothesis, panthers' avoidance of human recreation and flooding created distinct risk schedules for deer, driving their antipredator behavior. Deer utilized flooded areas to spatially offset predation risk during the flooded season while increasing diurnal activity in response to human recreation during the dry season. Significance to the field – We highlight the importance of understanding how competing risks and ecological disturbances influence predator and prey behavior, leading to the generation of seasonal risk landscapes and antipredator responses. We emphasize the role of cyclical ecological disturbances in shaping dynamic predator-prey interactions. Furthermore, we highlight how human recreation may function as a 'temporal human shield,' altering seasonal risk landscapes and antipredator responses to reduce encounter rates between predators and prey.

Data for: Meta analysis reveals impacts of disturbance on reptile and amphibian body condition

Ecosystem disturbance is increasing in extent, severity, and frequency across the globe. To date, research has largely focused on the impacts of disturbance on animal population size, extinction risk, and species richness. However, individual responses, such as changes in body condition, can act as more sensitive metrics and may provide early warning signs of reduced fitness and population declines. We conducted the first global systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the impacts of ecosystem disturbance on reptile and amphibian body condition. We collated 384 effect sizes representing 137 species from 133 studies. We tested how disturbance type, species traits, biome, and taxon moderate the impacts of disturbance on body condition. We found an overall negative effect of disturbance on herpetofauna body condition (Hedges' g = -0.37, 95%CI: -0.57, -0.18). Disturbance type was an influential predictor of body condition response and all disturbance types had a negative mean effect. Drought, invasive species, and agriculture had the largest effects. The impact of disturbance varied in strength and direction across biomes, with the largest negative effects found within Mediterranean and temperate biomes. In contrast, taxon, body size, habitat specialisation, and conservation status were not influential predictors of disturbance effects. Our findings reveal the widespread effects of disturbance on herpetofauna body condition and highlight the potential role of individual-level response metrics in enhancing wildlife monitoring. The use of individual response metrics alongside population and community metrics would deepen our understanding of disturbance impacts by revealing both early impacts and chronic effects within affected populations. This could enable early and more informed conservation management.

opencc-by-4.0May 2023View details →

zenodo36/100

CESM experiments for diverse impacts of ENSO on summertime synoptic-scale disturbance intensity over the tropical western North Pacific

Experiments are conducted using Community Atmospheric Model version 5.2 (CAM-5.2; <a href="https://www.cesm.ucar.edu/models/cesm1.1/cam/">https://www.cesm.ucar.edu/models/cesm1.1/cam/</a>) which is the atmosphere component of Community Earth System Model (CESM) of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). The model resolution is f19_g16, with f19 finite volume grid (1.9° latitude × 2.5° longitude) for the atmosphere and land components combined with the gx1v6 displaced pole grid (approximately 1°) for the ocean and ice components.        Five sets of model experiments are designed in this study: <ol> <li>Climatological SST forcing simulation (CLM-SST run): The CAM is forced by global climatological mean monthly SST that is obtained from OI version 2 SST data for the period from January 1982 to December 2020 and integrated for 30 years.</li> <li>Full SST forcing simulation (Full-SST run): The CAM is forced by global monthly OI version 2 SST and integrated from January 1982 to December 2020.</li> <li>Tropical central-eastern Pacific SST forcing simulation (CEP-SST run): The CAM is forced by total monthly SST in the domain of 15°S–15°N and 160°E–80°W and climatological mean monthly SST in the other regions and integrated from January 1982 to December 2020.</li> <li>Sensitivity experiments of tropical central-eastern Pacific SST anomalies: The CAM is forced by global climatological mean monthly SST from January to December plus composite JJA mean SST anomalies in El Niño and La Niña events in the tropical central-eastern Pacific (15°S–15°N, 160°E–80°W) and the above SST anomalies multiplied by -1 from May to December and integrated for 30 years. These four sensitivity experiments are referred to as CEP-EN, CEP-LN, CEP-ENrev, and CEP-LNrev, respectively.</li> <li>Double tropical central-eastern Pacific SST anomalies: The CAM is forced by global climatological mean monthly SST from January to December plus composite JJA mean SST anomalies during El Niño and La Niña events over the tropical central-eastern Pacific (15°S–15°N, 160°E–80°W) multiplied by 2 from May to December and integrated for 30 years. The simulations with composite SST anomalies derived from El Niño (La Niña) are referred to as CEP-2EN (CEP-2LN) runs.</li> </ol>

opencc-zeroAug 2023View details →

Data for: Effects of drought, disturbance, and biotic neighborhood on experimental tree seedling performance

Forest biodiversity is likely maintained by a complex suite of interacting drivers that vary in importance across both space and time. Contributing factors include disturbance, interannual variation in abiotic variables, and biotic neighborhood effects. To probe ongoing uncertainties and potential interactions, we investigated tree seedling performance in a temperate mid-Atlantic forest ecosystem. We planted seedlings of five native tree species in mapped study plots, half of which were subjected to disturbance, and then monitored seedling survival, height growth, and foliar condition.The final year of data collection encompassed a drought, enabling comparison between intervals varying in water availability. Seedling performance was analyzed as a function of canopy cover and biotic neighborhood (conspecific and heterospecific abundance), including interactions, with separate generalized linear mixed models fit for each interval. All species exhibited: a) pronounced declines in height growth during the drought year, b) detrimental effects of adult conspecifics, and c) beneficial effects of canopy openness. However, despite these consistencies, there was considerable variation across species in terms of the relevant predictors for each response variable in each interval. Our results suggest that drought may strengthen or reveal conspecific inhibition in some instances while weakening it or obscuring it in others, and that some forms of conspecific inhibition may manifest only under particular canopy conditions (although given the inconsistency of our findings, we are not convinced that conspecific inhibition is critical for diversity maintenance in our study system). Overall, our work reveals a complex forest ecosystem that appears simultaneously and interactively governed by biotic neighborhood structure (e.g., conspecific and/or heterospecific abundance), local habitat conditions (e.g., canopy cover), and interannual variability (e.g., drought).

zenodo36/100

Large Scale Travelling Ionospheric Disturbances during geomagnetic storms of 17 March and 23 June 2015 in the Australian region

This repository contains compilation of data in .mat (Matlab) format used in this work. Raw foF2 data e.g., in Data15-20Mar2015.mat has the format [Month, Day, Hour, Minute, foF2]. These are provided for each site of the network under the URSI station code.  Residuals data e.g., in Residuals_15_20Mar2015.mat contains fof2 perturbations after removing daily trends and outliers and have been upscaled to 1 minute intervals. Note: y11 - Brisbane,  y22 - Canberra, y33 - Camden, y44 - Hobart, y55 - Norfolk, y66 - Townsville, y77 - Darwin, and time is in seconds. Dst and AE data (AE_DST_struct_files.mat) is contained in a structure array with Dst in field 1 and AE in field 2.  IMF Bz data (IMF_Bz_LSTID_Paper.mat) has the format [Year DOY Hour Value].

opencc-by-4.0May 2023View details →

opencc-zeroAug 2023View details →

Exotic success following disturbance explained by weak native resilience and ruderal exotic bias

<ol> <li>Disturbance is a primary driver of exotic plant invasions, but why disturbance commonly favors exotics over natives is unresolved.</li> <li>To address this question, we conducted the first biogeographic study of disturbance across multiple plant species. We experimentally disturbed grasslands and added seeds of 34 plant species to plots in their native range and in two introduced ranges that differed in invasibility (susceptibility to invasion) to evaluate recruitment while examining potential influences of resource availability, native community recovery from disturbance (resilience), and life-history traits in local species pools.</li> <li>Species pools in the native (donor) range were more strongly skewed toward ruderal taxa than species pools in the introduced ranges. This bias in the donor pool was exacerbated by introduction filters that further selected for ruderal traits, strongly skewing exotic species pools in the introduced ranges toward ruderals. Sown species, which reflected these trait patterns, benefited from disturbance universally, but their disturbance response was 10-fold greater in the more invasible introduced range. This result was not explained by nutrient availability, which responded similarly to disturbance across ranges. Nor was it driven by background propagule pressure, which was minimal. Rather, the exaggerated disturbance effect in the more invasible introduced range appeared to be driven by weak recovery of the native plant community that allowed ruderal-biased exotics to proliferate.</li> <li>Overall, disturbance appeared to favored exotics because they were much more likely than natives to be ruderal. However, this trait bias only corresponded with an invader advantage in the more invasible range where weak community resilience was linked to slow-growing, stress-tolerant natives that failed to rapidly recover space and resources. In contrast, in the less invasible introduced range, highly competitive native perennials quickly filled the disturbance gap, demonstrating high community resilience that appeared to limit invader recruitment. </li> <li> Synthesis. Biogeographic influences on local species pools can facilitate invader success following disturbance, but final invasion outcomes are conditioned by native community resilience. </li> </ol>

opencc-zeroAug 2023View details →

Testing the links between bird diversity, alien species and disturbance within a human-modified landscape

Introduced alien species are associated with lower taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of native communities and negative impacts on ecosystem functioning. This is particularly evident in habitats where human disturbance may favour alien species, posing an additional stressor on native communities. Following the community resistance hypothesis (higher diversity promotes higher resistance to invasion), we predicted: i) higher taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity (TD, FD and PD respectively) in non-invaded bird communities (i.e. no alien bird species); and, ii) higher diversity and resistance to invasion in less human-disturbed areas. We surveyed bird communities in a modified Mediterranean landscape subject to varying levels of human disturbance. We tested whether TD, FD and PD were significantly different between non-invaded and invaded bird communities, and assessed the effect of land classes (forest, agriculture, urban), landscape composition and heterogeneity on these metrics. We found that non-invaded communities retained higher TD and FD, but not PD, than invaded communities. Alien birds occupied marginal niches in invaded communities, and did not fully compensate for the taxonomic and functional diversity loss caused by the absence of native species. These results were consistent across different land classes, suggesting weak environmental filtering of communities. Generally, less human-modified and more heterogeneous areas supported higher TD regardless of the presence of alien species. FD and PD of invaded communities decreased with increases in human-modified areas, whereas non-invaded communities were not affected. Our results suggest that even within a human-modified landscape, invaded community diversity is more affected by, and thus has a lower resilience to, disturbance. Restoring and protecting natural habitats within human-modified landscapes is likely to increase the resilience of native species.

opencc-zeroOct 2023View details →

Effects of disturbance on genetic diversity in the submersed aquatic plant Vallisneria americana

In summer 2011, Tropical storms Lee and Irene caused an estimated 90% decline of the submersed aquatic plant Vallisneria americana Michx. (Hydrocharitaceae) in the Hudson River, of New York (USA). To understand the genetic impact of such large-scale demographic losses, we compared diversity at 10 microsatellite loci in 135 samples collected from 5 sites just before the storms with 239 shoots collected from 9 sites four years after. Although 80% of beds sampled in 2011 lacked V. americana in 2015, we found similar genotypic and genetic diversity and effective population sizes in pre-storm versus post-storm sites. These similarities suggest that despite local extirpations concentrated at the upstream end of the sampling area, V. americana was regionally resistant to genetic losses. Similar geographically based structure among sites in both sampling periods suggested that cryptic local refugia at previously occupied sites facilitated re-expansion after the storms. However, this apparent resistance to disturbance may lead to a false sense of security. Low effective population sizes and high clonality in both time periods suggest that V. americana beds were already small and had high frequency of asexual reproduction before the storms. Dispersal was not sufficient to recolonize more isolated sites that had been extirpated. Chronic low diversity and reliance on asexual reproduction for persistence can be risky when more frequent and intense storms are paired with ongoing anthropogenic stressors. Monitoring genetic diversity along with extent and abundance of V. americana will give a more complete picture of long-term potential for resilience.

Prazosin vs Paroxetine in Combat Stress-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Nightmares & Sleep Disturbance

ClinicalTrials.gov study NCT00202449. IPD Sharing: Not stated. Countries: 1. Publications: 4.

Examining the Association Between Pre-existing Sleep Disturbance and Postoperative Delirium

ClinicalTrials.gov study NCT03498560. IPD Sharing: Not stated. Countries: 1. Publications: 1.

closedIPD-NOFeb 2026View details →

Effect of Median Nerve Electrical Stimulation Combined With Auricular Acupuncture on Consciousness Disturbance in Patients With Craniocerebral Injury

ClinicalTrials.gov study NCT07273864. IPD Sharing: NO. Countries: 1. Publications: 0.

controlledIPD-YESFeb 2026View details →

Prediction Model of Improvement of Disturbance of Consciousness in Patients With Hydrocephalus After Shunt Operation

ClinicalTrials.gov study NCT05237102. IPD Sharing: YES. Countries: 1. Publications: 3.

Efficacy and Safety of Circadin® in the Treatment of Sleep Disturbances in Children With Neurodevelopment Disabilities

ClinicalTrials.gov study NCT01906866. IPD Sharing: Not stated. Countries: 5. Publications: 2.

closedIPD-NOFeb 2026View details →

Telehealth Delivery of Treatment for Sleep Disturbances in Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

ClinicalTrials.gov study NCT03668873. IPD Sharing: NO. Countries: 1. Publications: 2.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Multimodal Therapy in Treating Sleep Disturbance in Patients With Cancer

ClinicalTrials.gov study NCT01628029. IPD Sharing: Not stated. Countries: 1. Publications: 1.

Polysomnography Study Of Pregabalin And Pramipexole Versus Placebo In Patients With Restless Legs Syndrome And Associated Sleep Disturbance

ClinicalTrials.gov study NCT00991276. IPD Sharing: Not stated. Countries: 1. Publications: 1.