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802 results for “urban data”
Data from: Genetic inheritance and environment determine endocrine plasticity to urban living
As urban areas continue to expand globally, understanding how and why species respond to novel habitats becomes increasingly important. Knowledge of the mechanisms behind observed phenotypic changes in urban animals will enable us to better evaluate the impact of urbanization on current and future generations of wildlife. Physiological changes, such as those involved in the endocrine stress response, may allow individuals to inhabit and thrive in urbanized areas, but it is currently unknown how these changes arise in natural populations. In this study, we performed a 4-way crossfoster experiment in free-living house wren chicks, Troglodytes aedon, to disentangle whether differences in baseline corticosterone between urban and rural individuals is a result of genetic and/or plastic mechanisms during development. We found that urban chicks already had higher corticosterone levels than their rural counterparts on the day they hatched, which suggests a possible genetic component to the corticosterone phenotype. However, rural offspring that were moved to an urban environment significantly increased their corticosterone levels, mimicking those of urban offspring. Our findings suggest that, although differences in baseline corticosterone concentrations between urban and rural individuals may have a genetic component, plasticity plays a pivotal role and can modify the corticosterone phenotype in response to the environment experienced in the first two weeks of life.
Data from: Habitat urbanization and stress response are primary predictors of personality variation in Northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis)
<p>Behavioral traits that vary consistently among individuals across different contexts are often termed as personality traits. The correlated suite formed by those traits, called a 'behavioral syndrome', can provide a more comprehensive way to view animal behavior. Both extrinsic and intrinsic 'states' (defined as strategically relevant individual features affecting the cost-and-benefit trade-offs of behavioral actions) have the potential to shape among-individual variation in personality traits, as well as behavioral syndromes. Here, we used Northern cardinals (<i>Cardinalis cardinalis</i>) sampled from four locations to examine the effect of habitat type (an extrinsic state), stress hormone corticosterone (CORT) parameters, body weight and sex (intrinsic states) on personality traits and behavioral syndrome variation. We used behavioral trials to measure five personality traits. Using principle component analysis (PCA) followed by general linear mixed model (GLMM), we found that habitat type, baseline CORT and CORT short-term response affected some personality traits, while body weights and sex did not. Cardinals inhabiting more urbanized areas with lower baseline CORT levels were more neophilic, less neophobic and also less aggressive than their rural conspecifics. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), we also found that urban and rural cardinals varied in the models representing syndrome structure. When utilizing the shared syndrome structural model to examine the effects of states, habitat type and CORT short-term response appear to affect syndrome variation in a coordinated, not hierarchical, manner.</p>
Data from: Influence of mortality factors and host resistance on the population dynamics of emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in urban forests
The success of emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) in North America is hypothesized to be due to both the lack of significant natural enemies permitting easy establishment and a population of trees that lack the ability to defend themselves, which allows populations to grow unchecked. Since its discovery in 2002, a number of studies have examined mortality factors of the insect in forests, but none have examined the role of natural enemies and other mortality agents in the urban forest. This is significant because it is in the urban forest where the emerald ash borer has had the most significant economic impacts. We studied populations in urban forests in three municipalities in Ontario, Canada, between 2010 and 2012 using life tables and stage-specific survivorship to analyze data from a split-rearing manipulative experiment. We found that there was little overall mortality caused by natural enemies; most mortality we did observe was caused by disease. Stage-specific survivorship was lowest in small and large larvae, supporting previous observations of high mortality in these two stages. We also used our data to test the hypothesis that mortality and density in emerald ash borer are linked. Our results support the prediction of a negative relationship between mortality and density. However, the relationship varies between insects developing in the crown and those in the trunk of the tree. This relationship was significant because when incorporated with previous findings, it suggests a mechanism and hypothesis to explain the outbreak dynamics of the emerald ash borer.
Data from: Fitness dynamics within a poplar hybrid zone: II. Impact of exotic sex on native poplars in an urban jungle.
Trees bearing novel or exotic gene components are poised to contribute to the bioeconomy for a variety of purposes such as bioenergy production, phytoremediation, and carbon sequestration within the forestry sector, but sustainable release of trees with novel traits in large-scale plantations requires the quantification of risks posed to native tree populations. Over the last century, exotic hybrid poplars produced through artificial crosses were planted throughout eastern Canada as ornamentals or windbreaks and these exotics provide a proxy by which to examine the fitness of exotic poplar traits within the natural environment to assess risk of exotic gene escape, establishment, and spread into native gene pools. We assessed postzygotic fitness traits of native and exotic poplars within a naturally regenerated stand in eastern Canada (Quebec City, QC). Pure natives (P. balsamifera and P. deltoides spp. deltoides), native hybrids (P. deltoides × P. balsamifera), and exotic hybrids (trees bearing Populus nigra and P. maximowiczii genetic components) were screened for reproductive biomass, yield, seed germination, and fungal disease susceptibility. Exotic hybrids expressed fitness traits intermediate to pure species and were not significantly different from native hybrids. They formed fully viable seed and backcrossed predominantly with P. balsamifera. These data show that exotic hybrids were not unfit and were capable of establishing and competing within the native stand. Future research will seek to examine the impact of exotic gene regions on associated biotic communities to fully quantify the risk exotic poplars pose to native poplar forests.
Data from: Skull morphology diverges between urban and rural populations of red foxes mirroring patterns of domestication and macroevolution
<p class="western"><span><span><span>Human activity is drastically altering the habitat use of natural populations. This has been documented as a driver of phenotypic divergence in a number of wild animal populations. Here we show that urban and rural populations of red foxes (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>) from London and surrounding boroughs are divergent in skull traits. These changes are primarily found to be involved with snout length, with urban individuals tending to have shorter and wider muzzles relative to rural individuals, smaller braincases, and reduced sexual dimorphism. Changes were widespread and related to muscle attachment sites and thus are likely driven by differing biomechanical demands of feeding or cognition between habitats. Through extensive sampling of the genus <i>Vulpes</i>, we found no support for phylogenetic effects on skull morphology, but patterns of divergence found between urban and rural habitats in <i>V. vulpes</i> quantitatively aligned with macroevolutionary divergence between species. The patterns of skull divergence between urban and rural habitats matched the description of morphological changes that can occur during domestication. Specifically, urban populations of foxes show variation consistent with 'domestication syndrome'. Therefore, we suggest that occurrences of phenotypic divergence in relation to human activity, while interesting themselves, also have the potential to inform us of the conditions and mechanisms that could initiate domestication. Finally, this also suggests that patterns of domestication may be developmentally biased toward larger patterns of interspecific divergence. </span></span></span></p>
Data from: Population structure of the Chagas disease vector Triatoma infestans in an urban environment
Chagas disease is a vector-borne disease endemic in Latin America. Triatoma infestans, a common vector of this disease, has recently expanded its range into rapidly developing cities of Latin America. We aim to identify the environmental features that affect the colonization and dispersal of T. infestans in an urban environment. We amplified 13 commonly used microsatellites from 180 T. infestans samples collected from a sampled transect in the city of Arequipa, Peru, in 2007 and 2011. We assessed the clustering of subpopulations and the effect of distance, sampling year, and city block location on genetic distance among pairs of insects. Despite evidence of genetic similarity, the majority of city blocks are characterized by one dominant insect genotype, suggesting the existence of barriers to dispersal. Our analyses show that streets represent an important barrier to the colonization and dispersion of T. infestans in Arequipa. The genetic data describe a T. infestans infestation history characterized by persistent local dispersal and occasional long-distance migration events that partially parallels the history of urban development.
Data from: Urbanization and elevated cholesterol in American crows
Although urban areas can be sources of abundant food for wildlife, anthropogenic foods may be lower in quality than natural food sources. Overall, the consequences of anthropogenic food consumption for wildlife are poorly understood. Here, we examined how urbanization and anthropogenic food were linked to cholesterol, condition, and survival of American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos). We collected cholesterol and landscape data from 140 crow nestlings along an urban to rural gradient in Davis, CA, USA, and we ran a supplementation experiment with high-cholesterol fast food (McDonald's cheeseburgers) on 86 nestlings in a rural population in Clinton, NY, USA. We used these data to evaluate links between cholesterol level, urbanization, condition, and crow survival. We found that plasma cholesterol increased with percentage of impervious surface along the urban to rural gradient. Cholesterol levels were sensitive to anthropogenic foods: crows supplemented with fastfood cheeseburgers had higher cholesterol levels than unsupplemented crows. Elevated cholesterol levels had no detectable effects on survival and were associated with higher indices of body condition, although urbanization itself was linked to lower survival. Elevated cholesterol levels could indicate access to high-calorie, high-fat anthropogenic foods, which might, in some contexts, improve body condition, potentially offsetting other negative effects of urbanization. Observations over a longer time-scale, assessing additional indices of health and fitness, are needed to evaluate long-term costs or benefits of elevated cholesterol for urban crows.
Data from: Local and landscape metrics identify opportunities for conserving cavity-nesting birds in a rapidly urbanizing ecoregion
Urban centers are rapidly expanding globally, resulting in regional forest-cover transformations that shift from temperate forest biomes to a heterogeneous mix of urban development, forest patches, and agriculture. Data on habitat use within remaining forest patches embedded across land use types, particularly in urban land use, are needed to optimize conservation strategies as urban growth continues. In the rapidly urbanizing southern Piedmont, USA, small pine patches have become more frequent across the landscape and are found embedded within second-growth forest, agricultural, and urban land use matrices. We used point-count surveys and N-mixture models to determine the effect of patch- and landscape-scale drivers on cavity-nesting bird abundance, including the threatened Brown-headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla), in pine forest patches. Model-averaged estimates suggest Brown-headed Nuthatches are more abundant in large patches in a heterogeneous matrix that includes urban residential development. Three other cavity-nesting species declined in abundance as a function of reduced canopy cover. White-breasted Nuthatches increased and Tufted Titmice decreased in abundance in response to patch area. By identifying factors that predict abundance at local and landscape scales for ecologically sensitive and generalist species, we can more effectively contribute to regional conservation efforts in urban ecosystems, extending conservation in practice beyond protected areas.
Data from: Human activities and landscape features interact to closely define the distribution and dispersal of an urban commensal.
The rock pigeon, Columba livia, is a cosmopolitan human commensal, domesticated thousands of years ago. However, the human-mediated factors governing its distribution and dispersal are not well understood. In this study, we performed (1) hierarchical distance sampling on ~400 island-wide point transects, (2) a population genomic inquiry based on ~7000 SNPs from almost 150 individuals, and (3) landscape-genomic analyses on the basis of extensive ecological and social-economic databases to characterize the distribution and dispersal patterns of rock pigeons across Singapore. Our distance sampling results indicated that the volume of intentional 'mercy feeding' and availability of high-rise buildings are the most reliable predictors of high pigeon densities in Singapore. Genomic analyses demonstrated that rock pigeons in Singapore form a single population possibly derived from rapid expansion from a genetically homogenous group of founder individuals. Specifically, rock pigeons in Singapore lack sex-biased dispersal and are clustered with a genetic patch size of ~3km. Landscape genomic analyses of great precision pointed to the presence of dense trees as agents of resistance to dispersal whereas a high road density reduces this resistance. By pinpointing a range of ecological and socio-economic variables determining the distribution and dispersal of pigeons, our study provides urban planners with the tools for optimal management of this human commensal, such as a curtailment of the practice of mercy feeding and modifications to the urban landscape to reduce pigeon density and to lower the likelihood of repopulation by dispersal.
Data from: Effects of undergrowth removal and edge proximity on ground beetles and vascular plants in urban boreal forests
Urban forests are regularly managed for human safety and aesthetic reasons, but they are crucial habitat for many species. Removals of undergrowth occur commonly in these forests, yet the ecological consequences of these operations are poorly understood. We sampled ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) and vascular plants along 20-m edge gradients in Finnish urban forests, in five stands treated 0.5−2.5 years earlier with undergrowth removal and in five untreated stands. We hypothesized that undergrowth removal and edge proximity would benefit opportunistic and open-habitat species, whereas shady-habitat species would be affected negatively. (1) Regarding carabids, diversity and evenness indices, open-habitat species and Carabus nemoralis responded positively, and forest species, Leistus terminatus and Pterostichus oblongopunctatus responded negatively, to the undergrowth removal. Regarding plants, generalists, Maianthemum bifolium, Rubus saxatilis and Sorbus aucuparia responded positively, and forest species, Geranium sylvaticum, Oxalis acetocella and Vaccinium myrtillus responded negatively, to the undergrowth removal. (2) Edge proximity had little effect on both plants and carabids. However, open-habitat carabids were less abundant and less speciose, and the plants Oxalis acetocella, Trientalis europaea and Rubus saxatilis had higher cover, 10−20 m from than right at the edge. (3) Plant (but not carabid) community responded to the undergrowth removal but not to the edge proximity. While managing urban forests, we recommend an avoidance of undergrowth removals at sites that host rare or threatened forest-associated flora and fauna.
Data from: Effects of fragmentation on plant adaptation to urban environments
Urban ecosystems are relatively recent and heavily human-altered terrestrial ecosystems with a surprisingly high diversity of animals, plants and other organisms. Urban habitats are also strongly fragmented and subject to higher temperatures, providing a compelling model for studying adaptation to global change. Crepis sancta (Asteraceae), an annual Mediterranean wasteland weed, occupies fragmented urban environments as well as certain unfragmented landscapes in southern France. We tested for shifts in dispersal, reproductive traits and size across a rural–urban gradient to learn whether and how selection may be driving changes in life history in urban and fragmented habitats. We specifically compared the structure of quantitative genetic variation and of neutral markers (microsatellites) between urban and rural and between fragmented and unfragmented habitats. We showed that fragmentation provides a better descriptor of trait variation than urbanization per se for dispersal traits. Fragmentation also affected reproductive traits and plant size though one rural population did conform to this scheme. Our study shows the role of fragmentation for dispersal traits shift in urban environments and a more complex pattern for other traits. We discuss the role of pollinator scarcity and an inhospitable matrix as drivers of adaptation.
Data from: Decreased vigilance or habituation to humans? Mechanisms on increased boldness in urban animals
Increased boldness is one of the most prevalent behavioral modifications seen in urban animals, and is thought to be a coping response to anthropogenic environmental alterations. Most previous studies have shown enhanced boldness manifested as changes in responses to humans approaching, such as reductions in flight initiation distance (FID). However, this includes two confounding factors related to "boldness", i.e., reduction of vigilance and habituation to humans. Confounding these totally different processes could lead to our misunderstanding of urban adaptation and how to properly manage urban wildlife. Here, we propose a simple framework to separate the two processes using two flight distance measures toward different approaching threats. We considered that the distance at which targeted individuals noticed an approaching object (i.e., alert distance, AD) was related to vigilance, whereas FID represented risk assessment, which is related to habituation. We applied a predictive framework using AD and FID to Eurasian red squirrels' responses to multiple threats of different risk levels (i.e., humans, model predators, and novel objects). AD was shorter in urban individauls compared to rural ones but not different among the approaching objects. FID was shorter in urban individauls and also varied among the objects with the shortest FID toward humans, whereas rural individuals showed similar FID to the different objects. These results suggest that while urban individuals showed reduced vigilance they could still assess different risk levels. Our framework can easily be applied to many animals and could significantly improve our understanding of wild animals' adaptations to urban environments.
Data from: Social network analysis of psychological morbidity in an urban slum of Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study based on a community census
Background Social ties are believed to play important roles in mitigating depression and anxiety, as well as fostering mental health in the population. We test this association for young urban men in Bangladesh. Methods Using a locally adapted GHQ-12 instrument, we enumerate self-reported mental health outcomes for 824 post-adolescent young men between the ages of 18 and 29 in a low-income urban community in Dhaka, Bangladesh. We further measure the social network for all our subjects and estimate the association of social network of the respondents with self-reported mental health outcomes controlling for possible confounders. Results We find there are considerable variations in both the mental health outcomes and social network across respondents. The GHQ scores (mean = 9.2, SD = 4.9) suggest significant psychological morbidity among the respondents. However, our findings imply better social ties and connections can potentially mitigate negative mental health outcomes (0.05-0.65 lower standardized GHQ score). Among other factors, being married and a recent migrant are also associated with better mental health status (0.17-0.20 and 0.16-0.17 lower standardized GHQ scores respectively). Conclusion Our results underscore the importance of social connection in providing buffer against stress and anxiety through psychosocial support from one's peer in a resource constraint urban setting. Our findings also suggest incorporating social network and ties in designing mental health policies and interventions.
Data from: Macronutrient selection of free-ranging urban Australian white ibis (Threskiornis moluccus)
Anthropogenic habitats often provide urban wildlife the opportunity to feed on a range of nutritionally diverse foods, which may ultimately lead to human-wildlife conflict. The Australian white ibis (Threskiornis moluccus) provides an exemplar model for examining the nutritional priorities and constraints of a native vertebrate that is successfully transitioning to an urban specialist. Here, we used field-based feeding trials to investigate the macronutrient preferences of free-ranging ibis in Sydney, Australia. Feeding trials (n = 61) offering three experimental feeds showed that ibis selected significantly more high-carbohydrate (HC) than high-protein (HP) and high-lipid (HL) foods (95% CIHP-HC = −1.115 to −0.709; CIHL-HC = −1.874 to −1.468), and significantly more HP than HL (CIHL-HP = −0.962 to −0.556). The average proportion of macronutrient-derived energy selected by ibis was 25% protein (P; ± 1.1 SE): 23% lipid (L; ± 1.1): 52% carbohydrate (C; ± 1.8). Nutritional geometry suggested that mixtures selected at experimental feeders were substantially higher in C and lower in P than are natural prey (e.g. insects, crustaceans), which were composed primarily of P and L. Compositional log-ratio-based linear models of factors affecting macronutrient proportions selected by ibis showed that: 1) ln(P/C) increased with amount of recent rainfall; and 2) ln(L/C) also increased with rain and had a non-linear relationship with number of birds feeding. Our results suggest that ibis forage for macronutrients rather than energy "per se", and that their urban foraging is influenced by competition and the environment.
Data from: Vocal characteristics of prairie dog alarm calls across an urban noise gradient
<p>Increasing anthropogenic noise is having a global impact on wildlife, particularly due to the masking of crucial acoustical communication. However, there have been few studies examining the impacts of noise exposure on communication in free-ranging terrestrial mammals. We studied alarm calls of black-tailed prairie dogs (<i>Cynomys ludovicianus</i>) across an urban gradient to explore vocal adjustment relative to different levels of noise exposure. There was no change in the frequency 5%, peak frequency or duration of the alarm calls across the noise gradient. However, the minimum frequency – a commonly used, yet potentially compromised metric – did indeed show a positive relationship with noise exposure. We suspect this is a result of masking of observable call properties by noise, rather than behavioural adjustment. In addition, the proximity of conspecifics and the distance to<span> </span><span><span>the perceived threat (observer)</span></span><span> did </span>affect the frequency 5% of alarm calls. These results reveal that prairie dogs do not appear to be adjusting their alarm calls in noisy environments but likely do in relation to their social context and the proximity of a predatory threat. Anthropogenic noise can elicit a range of behavioural and physiological responses across taxa, but elucidating the specific mechanisms driving these responses can be challenging, particularly as these are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Our research sheds light on how prairie dogs appear to respond to noise as a source of increased risk, rather than as a distraction or through acoustical masking as shown in other commonly studied species (e.g. fish, songbirds, marine mammals).</p>
Data from: Benthic community history in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) mega delta: Damming, urbanization, and environmental control
Coastal environment of the Changjiang delta has been influenced by recent anthropogenic activities such as dam constructions, and increased sewage and fertilizer inputs. Previous work examined compositional shift of marine plankton to assess ecological impacts of these activities on marine ecosystems in the Changjiang discharge area. Here we used benthic marine ostracodes collected in the Changjiang Estuary and its adjacent East China Sea in the 1980s and the 2010s, respectively, to investigate temporal changes of the benthic community and the controlling factors of the benthic fauna. Our results revealed more shoreward distribution of some well-known off-shore ostracode species in the 2010s compared to the 1980s, and relatively more important role of environmental processes (e.g. bottom water temperature, bottom water salinity and the eutrophic conditions of surface water) than spatial processes (e.g. the flow of ocean currents) in structuring ostracode compositions. The temporal changes of ostracode community were likely attributed to the combined effects of reduced seasonal water and sediment discharge, and eutrophic conditions of the Changjiang due to numerous dam constructions along the Changjiang and population expansion in the Changjiang basin. Results of redundancy analysis and variation partitioning suggested that ocean currents facilitated environmental filtering of ostracode species such that they could disperse to preferred environmental conditions. These findings highlighted the potential uses of marine microfossils to better understand ecological impacts on benthic ecosystem in vulnerable Asian mega deltas and provided insights into the integration of metacommunity concepts in disentangling dynamics of marine benthic communities.
Data from: Patterns and limitations of urban human mobility resilience under the influence of multiple types of natural disaster
Natural disasters pose serious threats to large urban areas, therefore understanding and predicting human movements is critical for evaluating a population's vulnerability and resilience and developing plans for disaster evacuation, response and relief. However, only limited research has been conducted into the effect of natural disasters on human mobility. This study examines how natural disasters influence human mobility patterns in urban populations using individuals' movement data collected from Twitter. We selected fifteen destructive cases across five types of natural disaster and analyzed the human movement data before, during, and after each event, comparing the perturbed and steady state movement data. The results suggest that the power-law can describe human mobility in most cases and that human mobility patterns observed in steady states are often correlated with those in perturbed states, highlighting their inherent resilience. However, the quantitative analysis shows that this resilience has its limits and can fail in more powerful natural disasters. The findings from this study will deepen our understanding of the interaction between urban dwellers and civil infrastructure, improve our ability to predict human movement patterns during natural disasters, and facilitate contingency planning by policymakers.
Data from: Rapid, pervasive genetic differentiation of urban white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) populations in New York City
We investigated genetic diversity and structure of urban white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus, populations in New York City (NYC) using variation at 18 microsatellite loci. White-footed mice are "urban adapters" that occur at higher population densities as habitat fragments are reduced in area, but have a limited ability to disperse through urbanized areas. We hypothesized that this combination of traits has produced substantial genetic structure but minimal loss of genetic variation over the last century in NYC. Allelic diversity and heterozygosity in fourteen NYC populations were high, and nearly all of our NYC study sites contained genetically distinct populations of white-footed mice as measured by pairwise FST, assignment tests, and Bayesian clustering analyses performed by Structure and BAPS. Analysis of molecular variance revealed that genetic differences between populations separated by a few km are more significant than differences between prehistorically isolated landmasses (i.e. Bronx, Queens, and Manhattan). Allele size permutation tests and lack of isolation-by-distance indicated that mutation and migration are less important than drift as explanations for structure in urban, fragmented P. leucopus populations. Peromyscus often exhibit little genetic structure over even regional scales, prompting us to conclude that urbanization is a particularly potent driver of genetic differentiation compared to natural fragmentation.
Data from: Signatures of rapid evolution in urban and rural transcriptomes of white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) in the New York metropolitan area
Urbanization is a major cause of ecological degradation around the world, and human settlement in large cities is accelerating. New York City (NYC) is one of the oldest and most urbanized cities in North America, but still maintains 20% vegetation cover and substantial populations of some native wildlife. The white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus, is a common resident of NYC's forest fragments and an emerging model system for examining the evolutionary consequences of urbanization. In this study, we developed transcriptomic resources for urban P. leucopus to examine evolutionary changes in protein-coding regions for an exemplar 'urban adapter'. We used Roche 454 GS FLX+ high throughput sequencing to derive transcriptomes from multiple tissues from individuals across both urban and rural populations. From these data, we identified 31,015 SNPs and several candidate genes potentially experiencing positive selection in urban populations of P. leucopus. These candidate genes are involved in xenobiotic metabolism, innate immune response, demethylation activity, and other important biological phenomena in novel urban environments. This study is one of the first to report candidate genes exhibiting signatures of directional selection in divergent urban ecosystems.
Data from: Urbanization-driven changes in web-building and body size in an orb-web spider
1. In animals, behavioural responses may play an important role in determining population persistence in the face of environmental changes. Body size is a key trait central to many life history traits and behaviours. Correlations with body size may constrain behavioural variation in response to environmental changes, especially when size itself is influenced by environmental conditions. 2. Urbanization is an important human-induced rapid environmental change that imposes multiple selection pressures on both body size and (size-constrained) behaviour. How these combine to shape behavioural responses of urban-dwelling species is unclear. 3. Using web-building, an easily quantifiable behaviour linked to body size, and the garden spider Araneus diadematus as a model, we evaluated direct behavioural responses to urbanization and body size constraints across a network of 63 selected populations differing in urbanization intensity. We additionally studied urbanization at two spatial scales to account for some environmental pressures varying across scales and to obtain first qualitative insights about the role of plasticity and genetic selection. 4. Spiders were smaller in highly urbanized sites (local scale only), in line with expectations based on reduced prey biomass availability and the Urban Heat Island effect. Web surface and mesh width decreased with urbanization at the local scale, while web surface also increased with urbanization at the landscape scale. The latter two responses are expected to compensate, at least in part, for reduced prey biomass availability in cities. The use of multivariate mixed modelling reveals that although web traits and body size are correlated within populations, behavioural responses to urbanization do not appear to be constrained by size: there is no evidence of size-web correlations among populations or among landscapes, and web traits appear independent from each other. 5. Our results demonstrate that responses in size-dependent behaviours may be decoupled from size changes, thereby allowing fitness maximisation in novel environments. The spatial scale at which traits respond suggests contributions of both genetic adaptation (for web investment) and plasticity (for mesh width). Although fecundity decreased with local-scale urbanization, Araneus diadematus abundances were similar across urbanization gradients; behavioural responses thus appear overall successful at the population level.
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.