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Fig. 5 in Description of a new species and a new subspecies of Odontorrhina Burmeister, 1842 (Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae), with ecological notes on the genus

Fig. 5. Odontorrhina maraisi sp. n., female perched on koringbos plant (Witwater, October 2010).

Fig. 2 in Description of a new species and a new subspecies of Odontorrhina Burmeister, 1842 (Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae), with ecological notes on the genus

Fig. 2. Odontorrhina maraisi sp. n., frontal (a) and side (b) view of male aedeagus.

Fig. 7. Odontorrhina p in Description of a new species and a new subspecies of Odontorrhina Burmeister, 1842 (Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae), with ecological notes on the genus

Fig. 7. Odontorrhina p. pubescens, male feeding on sap of a freshly barked Melianthus sp. branch.

Fig. 1 in Description of a new species and a new subspecies of Odontorrhina Burmeister, 1842 (Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae), with ecological notes on the genus

Fig. 1. Odontorrhina maraisi sp. n., male dorsal (a) and ventral (b) side.

opencc-zeroJun 2023View details →

Fine-scale intraspecific niche partitioning in a highly mobile, marine megafauna species: implications for ecology and conservation

A species may partition its realized ecological niche along bionomic and/or scenopoetic axes due to intraspecific competition for limited resources. How partitioning manifests depends on resource needs and availability by and for the partitioning groups. Here we demonstrate the utility of analyzing short- and long-term stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios from imperiled marine megafauna to elucidate realized niche partitioning in these species. We captured 113 loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtles at a high-use area near Crystal River, Florida, between 2016–2022, comprising 53 subadults, 10 adult males, and 50 adult females. Isotopic analyses indicated that loggerheads partition their realized ecological niche by life stage, along a scenopoetic axis. Most adults likely forage and reside in shallow areas of the study site, with most subadults displaying habitat switching between deeper locations to forage and shallower locations to rest. Some subadults, like adults, also forage and reside in shallow areas, and may display behaviors to avoid intraspecific competition. Analysis of stable isotopes with different turnover rates was critical for this characterization of intraspecific niche partitioning in loggerhead turtles, which has direct implications for ongoing research and conservation efforts for this and other imperiled species.

opencc-by-4.0Jun 2023View details →

Unveiling global species abundance distributions - Callaghan et al. 2023 - Nature Ecology and Evolution

This repository represents some data and code to reproduce the main figures from Callaghan et al. 2023. Unveiling the global species abundance distributions of Eukaryotes. Nature Ecology and Evolution.

Figure 7 in Rhyacophila siparantum sp. nov. (Trichoptera: Rhyacophilidae), a new species of the R. philopotamoides species group from the Republic of Kosovo with molecular and ecological notes

Figure 7. Enlarged aedeagus and parameres of Rhyacophila siparantum sp. nov.

Figure 1 in Rhyacophila siparantum sp. nov. (Trichoptera: Rhyacophilidae), a new species of the R. philopotamoides species group from the Republic of Kosovo with molecular and ecological notes

Figure 1. Male of Rhyacophila siparantum sp. nov.

Figure 6 in Rhyacophila siparantum sp. nov. (Trichoptera: Rhyacophilidae), a new species of the R. philopotamoides species group from the Republic of Kosovo with molecular and ecological notes

Figure 6. Dorsal profile of Rhyacophila siparantum sp. nov.

Figure 5 in Rhyacophila siparantum sp. nov. (Trichoptera: Rhyacophilidae), a new species of the R. philopotamoides species group from the Republic of Kosovo with molecular and ecological notes

Figure 5. Lateral profile of Rhyacophila siparantum sp. nov.

opencc-zeroDec 2022View details →

Low- and high-intensity fire in the riparian savanna: demographic impacts in an avian model species and implications for ecological fire management

<ol> <li>Climate change is driving changes in fire frequency and intensity, making it more urgent for conservation managers to understand how species and ecosystems respond. In tropical monsoonal savannas – Earth's most fire-prone landscapes – ecological fire management aims to prevent intense wildfires late in the dry season through prescribed low-intensity burns early in the dry season. Riparian habitats embedded within tropical savannas represent critical refuges for biodiversity, yet are particularly fire-sensitive. Better understanding of the impact of fire – including prescribed burns – on riparian habitats is therefore key but requires long-term detailed post-fire monitoring of species' demographic rates, as effects may persist and/or be delayed.</li> <li>We analyse impacts of (prescribed) low-intensity and (prescribed but escaped) high-intensity fire in northern Australian riparian and adjacent savanna habitat. We quantify multi-year impacts on density, survival, reproduction and dispersal of an Endangered riparian bird, the western purple-crowned fairy-wren (Malurus coronatus coronatus), in a well-studied individually-marked population.</li> <li>Following low-intensity fire, bird density was reduced by >20% in burnt compared to adjacent unburnt riparian habitat for ≥2.5 years. This was a result of reduced breeding success and recruitment for two years immediately following fire, rather than mortality or dispersal of adults.</li> <li>In contrast, high-intensity fire (in a dry year) resulted in a sharp decline in population density by 50% 2–8 months after fire, with no signs of recovery after 2.5 years. The decline in density was due to post-fire adult mortality, rather than dispersal. Breeding success of the (few) remaining individuals was low but not detectably lower than in unburnt areas, likely because breeding success was poor overall due to prevailing dry conditions.</li> <li> Synthesis and applications. Even if there is no or very low mortality during fire, and no movement of birds away from burnt areas, both low- and high-intensity fire in the riparian zone reduce population density. However, the mechanism by which this occurs, and recovery time, differs with fire intensity. To minimise impacts of fire on riparian zones in tropical savannas, we suggest employing low-intensity prescribed burns under optimal conditions shortly after the breeding season. </li> </ol>

opencc-zeroJul 2023View details →

Eutrophication decreases ecological resilience by reducing species diversity and altering functional traits of submerged macrophytes

Positive feedback is key to producing alternative stable states and largely determines ecological resilience in response to external perturbations. Understanding the positive feedback mechanisms in macrophyte-dominated lakes is crucial for resilience-based management and restoration. Based on the field investigation of submerged macrophyte communities in 35 lakes in China, we found that morphological complexity (MC) and morphological plasticity (MP) are correlated with the stoichiometric homeostasis of phosphorus (HP) and are related to ecosystem structure, functioning, and stability. We also found that the positive feedback strength of lakes dominated by macrophytes is biomass- and diversity-dependent. Eutrophication can decrease the community biomass by decreasing community MC, MP, and HP and the species diversity through low-light availability, ultimately decreasing the positive feedback strength and resilience of clear-water states. We argue that functional traits and species diversity should be considered to build more resilient ecosystems in future changing environment scenarios.

opencc-zeroAug 2023View details →

Foundress number in Local ecological factors, not interference competition, drive the foundress number of two species of fig wasp sharing Ficus septica figs

Recent studies have challenged assumptions about the classic fig-fig wasp pollination mutualism model, suggesting that further investigation into the receptive phase of fig development is needed. This study assessed the pollination mechanisms of Ficus septica in southern Taiwan and identified two species of wasps as the primary pollinators. Machine learning was used to identify and rank the factors that explain the relative abundance of these wasps. The two wasp species showed the highest level of cohabitation ever reported in the literature, with three-quarters of the figs containing multiple foundresses. The study also reported re-emerged foundresses and a 10% ratio of pollinated figs without foundresses. Local factors, such as the sampling period and tree identity, were the best predictors of the presence and number of each foundress species, with fig size also affecting the number of foundresses. The study highlights the variability in pollinator abundance between figs, crops, and trees. It also shows that the local environment of the trees and the availability of figs are crucial factors in determining which figs the pollinator wasps choose. These findings challenge assumptions about the classic mutualism model and suggest that long-term surveys are needed to estimate the relative contributions of each partner and provide data for evolutionary and ecological models. This study also provides valuable insights into the factors that affect the abundance and interactions of pollinator wasps during the receptive phase of fig development, with implications for understanding the behaviour of pollinating wasps and advancing our knowledge of population dynamics in Ficus species.

opencc-zeroSep 2023View details →

Genomic insights into diversification and ecological speciation of three Saccharina species

Aim: Saccharina is a genus within the brown algae that is of ecological and economic importance and shows rapid adaptive radiation, while the process and genetic mechanism of diversification and speciation remains unclear. In this study, we conducted genome resequencing of three typical Saccharina species, including the four varieties of S. japonica, and its two sister species (S. angustata and S. longissima) to investigate the genetic mechanism of ecological speciation. Location: coast of Japan Methods: We assess the genomic differentiation and genetic diversity of these Saccharina kelps based on whole-genome resequencing. We applied composite-likelihood approach to identify the ancestral species and reconstruct the evolutionary history. Selective sweep analysis was conducted to detect selective signatures when they adapted to diverse habitat. Results: The demography suggested that S. angustata, S. longissima and S. japonica var. japonica underwent adaptive speciation early, with S. japonica var. japonica as the oldest variant that diverged into three other varieties. The newly evolved variety SR has the highest genetic diversity, and the variety SD has the lowest genetic diversity. Interspecific hybridization among these congeneric species was low, indicating these species exist in genetic isolation in nature. We detected that some stress response genes (e.g. ubiquitin-like protein) and growth-related genes (e.g. imm upregulated 3) were under positive selection during the ecological speciation. Low linkage disequilibrium decay rate and extensive signals of selective sweeps are present in these Saccharina species, providing strong support for adaptive differentiation under natural selection as the driving force for its ecological speciation. Main conclusions: The main driving force of speciation in this genus appears to be not natural hybridization, but genetic isolation and adaptive differentiation by nature selection. The evolutionary history and ecological speciation of Saccharina species allow us to predict how common the species responds to environmental change, and whether they require different management strategies.