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9,882 results for “Scale”
Data from: Multi-scale landscape and wetland drivers of lake total phosphorus and water color
We quantified relationships between local wetland cover in the riparian lake buffer and lake total phosphorus (TP) and water color (color) using multilevel mixed-effects models that also incorporate landscape features such as hydrogeomorphology and land use at broad regional scales to determine 1) Within regions, are local wetland relationships with TP and color affected by interactions with local land use or hydrogeomorphic variables? 2) Across regions, are local wetland relationships with TP and color different? And if so, 3) Are differences in local wetland relationships with TP and color a result of cross-scale interactions? We answered these questions by analyzing TP, color, and multi-scaled landscape data for 1790 North temperate lakes. We found that local wetland-TP and wetland-color relationships were not affected by local-scale interactions; we found that local wetland-TP and wetland-color relationships were different across regions; and these differences were related to cross-scale interactions with regional landscape characteristics. For example, regional human land-use affected local wetland-TP relationships such that in regions with high amounts of agriculture, local wetlands were associated with decreased lake TP. However, in regions with low amounts of agriculture, local wetlands were associated with increased lake TP. In contrast, regional hydrogeomorphic characteristics influenced local wetland-color relationships such that in regions with high groundwater contribution, the strength of local wetland relationships were weak. Regional landscape setting influences local wetland relationships with TP and color through cross-scale interactions and lake TP and color are controlled by both local-scale wetland extent and regional-scale landscape variables.
Data from: Invasiveness of plant pathogens depends on the spatial scale of host distribution
Plant diseases often cause serious yield losses in agriculture. A pathogen's invasiveness can be quantified by the basic reproductive number, R0. Since pathogen transmission between host plants depends on the spatial separation between them, R0 is strongly influenced by the spatial scale of the host distribution.We present a proof of principle of a novel approach to estimate the basic reproductive number, R0, of plant pathogens as a function of the size of a field planted with crops and its aspect ratio. This general approach is based on a spatially explicit population dynamical model. The basic reproductive number was found to increase with the field size at small field sizes and to saturate to a constant value at large field sizes. It reaches a maximum in square fields and decreases as the field becomes elongated. This pattern appears to be quite general: it holds for dispersal kernels that decrease exponentially or faster, as well as for fat-tailed dispersal kernels that decrease slower than exponential (i.e., power-law kernels).We used this approach to estimate R0 in wheat stripe rust (an important disease caused by Puccinia striiformis), where we inferred both the transmission rates and the dispersal kernels from the measurements of disease gradients. For the two largest datasets, we estimated R0 of P. striiformis in the limit of large fields to be of the order of 30. We found that the spatial extent over which R0 changes strongly is quite fine-scaled (about 30 m of the linear extension of the field). Our results indicate that in order to optimize the spatial scale of deployment of fungicides or host resistances, the adjustments should be made at a fine spatial scale. We also demonstrated how the knowledge of the spatial dependence of R0 can improve recommendations with regard to fungicide treatment.
Data from: A continent-scale test of multiple hypotheses on the abundances of Neotropical birds
Explaining variation in the abundance of species remains a challenge in ecology. We sought to explain variation in abundance of Neotropical forest birds using a dataset of population densities of 596 species. We tested a priori hypotheses for the roles of species traits, environmental factors, and species interactions. Specifically, we focused on four factors: 1) body mass (trait); 2) habitat type (environmental factor), 3) net primary productivity (NPP; environmental factor); and 4) species richness of competitors (species interaction). Body size explained much variation in density, although only when analyzed at higher taxonomic levels. Habitat type was a strong predictor of density. The relationship between density and productivity was weak. Densities were related negatively to the species richness of heterospecifics, however – this trend was particularly strong within closely related groups. Our results show that the influence of energetic factors such as body size and productivity depends on phylogeny, and they act through indirect relations with other variables; alternative ecological factors such as habitat structure and species interactions play a more direct and stronger role in determining abundance than previously thought.
Data from: The effect of range overlap on ecological niche divergence depends on spatial scale in monkeyflowers
Patterns of niche divergence and geographical range overlap of closely related species provide insights into the evolutionary dynamics of ecological niches. When ranges overlap, shared selective pressures may preserve niche similarity along coarse‐scale macrohabitat axes (e.g., bioclimates). Alternatively, competitive interactions may drive greater divergence along local‐scale microhabitat axes (e.g., micro‐topographical features). We tested these hypotheses in 16 species pairs of western North American monkeyflowers (Erythranthe and Diplacus, formerly Mimulus) with species' niches, geographic ranges and a robust phylogeny. We found that macrohabitat niche divergence decreased with increasing range overlap, consistent with convergent selection operating at a coarse scale. No significant relationship was detected for microhabitat niches. Additionally, niche divergence was greater for young pairs along all macrohabitat niche axes, but greater for old pairs along one microhabitat axis related to vegetation cover. For a subset of species pairs with partially overlapping ranges, greater microhabitat divergence was detected in sympatry than in allopatry for at least one niche axis for three pairs, consistent with character displacement in sympatry. Thus, coarse‐ and local‐scale niche divergence show dissimilar patterns in relation to range overlap and evolutionary time, perhaps because the relative importance of convergent versus divergent selection depends on spatial scale.
Data from: Scaling up effects of measures mitigating pollinator loss from local- to landscape-level population responses
1. Declining pollinator populations have caused concern about consequences for food production, and have initiated an increasing number of initiatives that aim to mitigate pollinator loss through enhancement of floral resources. Studies evaluating effects of mitigation measures generally demonstrate positive responses of pollinators to floral resource enhancement. However, it remains unclear whether this represents landscape-level population effects or results from a spatial redistribution of individuals from otherwise unaffected populations. 2. Here we present a method for estimating landscape-level population effects using data from commonly used standardized pollinator transect surveys. The approach links local density responses of pollinators in both mitigation sites and surrounding landscape elements to the area these habitats occupy in mitigation landscapes as well as control landscapes to obtain landscape-level population estimates. 3. We demonstrate the method using data from a two-year study examining the effects of experimental wildflower enhancements on wild bumble bees and solitary bees in Dutch agricultural landscapes. The results show that conclusions based on local responses may differ significantly from those based on landscape-level responses. 4. Wildflower enhancements significantly enhanced landscape-level abundance of both bumble bees and solitary bees. Bumble bees showed a pronounced positive local density response in mitigation sites and the surrounding landscape that was in line with significant landscape-level increases in abundance. However, solitary bees showed no local response to mitigation sites, and the landscape-level increases in abundance only became apparent when the area of bee habitat was taken into account. 5. Incorporating the area of both newly created and pre-existing pollinator habitats into effect estimates accounts for density-dependent processes such as dilution, spill-over and local concentration of individuals. It therefore results in more reliable estimates of the response to mitigation measures of pollinators, as well as other mobile arthropod groups that are often being surveyed using transect surveys.
Data from: Fine-scale belowground species associations in temperate grassland
Evaluating how belowground processes contribute to plant community dynamics is hampered by limited information on the spatial structure of root communities at the scale that plants interact belowground. In this study, roots were mapped to the nearest one mm and molecularly identified by species on vertical (0–15 cm deep) surfaces of soil blocks excavated from dry and mesic grasslands in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) to examine the spatial relationships among species at the scale that roots interact. Our results indicated that average interspecific root – root distances for the majority of species were within a distance (3 mm) that roots have been shown to compete for resources. Most species placed their roots at random, although low root numbers for many species probably led to overestimating the occurrence of random patterns. According to theory, we expected that most of the remaining species would segregate their root systems to avoid competition. Instead we found that more species aggregated than segregated from others. Based on previous investigations, we hypothesize that species aggregate to increase uptake of water, nitrogen and/or phosphorus made available by neighbouring roots, or as a consequence of a reduction in the pathogenicity of soil biota growing in multispecies mixtures. Our results indicate that YNP grassland root communities are organized as closely interdigitating networks of species that potentially can support strong interactions among many species combinations. Future root research should address the prevalence and functional consequences of species aggregation across plant communities.
Data from: Pyric herbivory, scales of heterogeneity, and drought
1. Understanding how extreme drought alters spatial patterns and temporal stability in grassland biomass will become increasingly important by the end of the century when climate model forecasts suggest drought events will occur more frequently. In grassland landscapes where grazing is driven by fire (termed pyric herbivory), temporal stability in aboveground plant biomass at landscape scales typically coincides with greater spatial variability across local communities (time-since fire patches), whereas variability within local communities is associated with lower temporal stability. 2. We assess the robustness of this relationship during one of the most severe droughts on modern record in the southern Great Plains. We use a long-term pyric herbivory experiment to test whether extreme drought: 1) changes patterns of spatial variability in aboveground plant biomass among or within local communities, 2) changes the temporal stability in aboveground plant biomass and the relationship between spatial variability and temporal variability, and 3) changes the underlying feedback mechanisms associated with pyric herbivory. Ordination revealed a shift from spatially distinct patches before drought to a convergence of patches during drought in terms of aboveground plant biomass and crude protein. 3. Permutation tests revealed that within-patch variability in aboveground plant biomass significantly increased during drought compared to pre-drought levels. Temporal stability in aboveground plant biomass decreased during drought and indeed corresponded with reduced variability in biomass among local communities and increased variability within local communities compared to pre-drought levels. 4. The results from this study strongly suggest that both positive and negative feedback loops responsible for pyric herbivory were maintained by scale-switching during periods of extreme drought and further reinforce the importance of scale in the study of pattern-process relationships.
Data from: Scale-dependent foraging ecology of a marine top predator modelled using passive acoustic data
1. Understanding which environmental factors drive foraging preferences is critical for the development of effective management measures, but resource use patterns may emerge from processes that occur at different spatial and temporal scales. Direct observations of foraging are also especially challenging in marine predators, but passive acoustic techniques provide opportunities to study the behavior of echolocating species over a range of scales. 2. We used an extensive passive acoustic dataset to investigate the distribution and temporal dynamics of foraging in bottlenose dolphins using the Moray Firth (Scotland, UK). Echolocation buzzes were identified with a mixture model of detected echolocation inter-click intervals, and used as a proxy of foraging activity. A robust modelling approach accounting for autocorrelation in the data was then used to evaluate which environmental factors were associated with the observed dynamics at two different spatial and temporal scales. 3. At a broad scale, foraging varied seasonally, and was also affected by sea-bed slope and shelf-sea fronts. At a finer scale, we identified variation in seasonal use and local interactions with tidal processes. Foraging was best predicted at a daily scale, accounting for site-specificity in the shape of the estimated relationships. 4. This study demonstrates how passive acoustic data can be used to understand foraging ecology in echolocating species, and provides a robust analytical procedure for describing spatio-temporal patterns. Associations between foraging and environmental characteristics varied according to spatial and temporal scale, highlighting the need for a multi-scale approach. Our results indicate that dolphins respond to coarser-scale temporal dynamics, but have a detailed understanding of finer-scale spatial distribution of resources.
Data from: Frugivore biodiversity and complementarity in interaction networks enhance landscape-scale seed dispersal function
1. Animal biodiversity matters for the provision of ecosystem functions derived from trophic activity. However, the mechanisms underlying this pattern remain elusive since animal abundance and diversity, which are the components commonly used for representing biodiversity, provide poor information about ecological complementarity in species assemblages. An approach based on species interaction networks may overcome this constraint. 2. Here, we relate frugivore biodiversity and frugivore-plant network structure with landscape-scale seed dispersal function. We sampled, for two years, and at fourteen plots with variable assemblages of frugivores and plants in the Cantabrian Range (N Spain), data on the abundance and diversity of frugivorous birds, the consumption of fleshy fruits of woody plants, and the landscape-scale patterns of avian seed deposition. As a measure of interaction complementarity in seed dispersal networks, we estimated the degree to which frugivore and plant species specialize in their interacting partners. 3. Specialization varied strongly across the seed dispersal networks of the different plots, being higher in networks harboring smaller bird species that dispersed mostly small-fruited plants, and also in networks with late-ripening, dominant fruiting species dispersed mostly by wintering birds. 4. Bird abundance markedly affected seed deposition. Plots harboring more birds received a higher density of dispersed seeds, and showed higher probabilities of seed arrival and seed deposition in open microhabitats. Bird diversity also had a positive effect on the density of dispersed seed and, to a lesser extent, seed arrival probability. Independently of frugivore abundance and diversity, the density of dispersed seeds increased in plots where seed dispersal networks showed a higher degree of specialization. 5. This study considers the structure of interaction networks to re-address the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functionality, evidencing that specialization in frugivore-plant networks drives the large-scale process of seed dispersal. These results encourage the consideration of interaction complementarity as an underlying mechanism linking animal biodiversity and trophic-related functions.
Data from: An optimized protocol for large-scale in situ sampling and analysis of volatile organic compounds
Chemical ecology is an ever‐expanding field with a growing interest in population‐ and community‐level studies. Many such studies are hindered due to lack of an efficient and accelerated protocol for large‐scale sampling and analysis of chemical compounds. Here, we present an optimized protocol for such large‐scale study of volatiles. A large‐scale in situ study to understand role of semiochemicals in variation in mating success of lekking blackbuck was conducted. Suitable methods for sampling and statistical analysis were identified by testing and comparing the efficiencies of available techniques to reduce analysis time while retaining sensitivity and comprehensiveness. Solid‐phase extraction using polydimethylsiloxane, analysis using a semiautomated detection of retention time and base peak, and statistical analysis using random forest algorithm were identified as the most efficient methods for large‐scale in situ sampling and analysis of volatiles. The protocol for large‐scale volatile analysis can facilitate evolutionary and metaecological studies of volatiles in situ from all types of biological samples. The protocol has potential for wider application with the analysis and interpretation methods being suitable for all kinds of semiochemicals, including nonvolatile chemicals.
Data from: Large-scale genetic panmixia in the blue shark (Prionace glauca): a single worldwide population, or a genetic lag-time effect of the "grey zone" of differentiation?
The blue shark Prionace glauca, among the most common and widely studied pelagic sharks, is a top predator, exhibiting the widest distribution range. However, little is known about its population structure and spatial dynamics. With an estimated removal of 10 to 20 million individuals per year by fisheries, the species is classified as "Near Threatened" by International Union for Conservation of Nature. We lack the knowledge to forecast the long-term consequences of such a huge removal on this top predator itself and on its trophic network. The genetic analysis of more than 200 samples collected at broad scale (from Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans) using mtDNA and nine microsatellite markers allowed to detect signatures of genetic bottlenecks but a nearly complete genetic homogeneity across the entire studied range. This apparent panmixia could be explained by a genetic lag-time effect illustrated by simulations of demographic changes that were not detectable through standard genetic analysis before a long transitional phase here introduced as the "population grey zone". The results presented here can thus encompass distinct explanatory scenarios spanning from a single demographic population to several independent populations. This limitation prevents the genetic-based delineation of stocks and thus the ability to anticipate the consequences of severe depletions at all scales. More information is required for the conservation of population(s) and managements of stocks, which may be provided by large scale sampling not only of individuals worldwide, but also of loci genome-wide.
Data from: The scaling of parasite biomass with host biomass in lake ecosystems: are parasites limited by host resources?
The standing crop biomass of different populations or trophic levels reflects patterns of energy flow through an ecosystem. The contribution of parasites to total biomass is often considered negligible; recent evidence suggests otherwise, although it comes from a narrow range of natural systems. Quantifying how local parasite biomass, whether that of a single species or an assemblage of species sharing the same host, varies across localities with host population biomass, is critical to determine what constrains parasite populations. We use an extensive dataset on all free-living and parasitic metazoan species from multiple sites in New Zealand lakes to measure parasite biomass and test how it covaries with host biomass. In all lakes, trematodes had the highest combined biomass among parasite taxa, ranging from about 0.01 to 0.25 g m−2, surpassing the biomass of minor free-living taxa. Unlike findings from other studies, the life stage contributing the most to total trematode biomass was the metacercarial stage in the second intermediate host, and not sporocysts or rediae within snail first intermediate hosts, possibly due to low prevalence and small snail sizes. For populations of single parasite species, we found no relationship between host and parasite biomass for either juvenile or adult nematodes. In contrast, all life stages of trematodes had local biomasses that correlated positively with those of their hosts. For assemblages of parasite species sharing the same host, we found strong relationships between local host population biomass and the total biomass of parasites supported. In these host–parasite biomass relationships, the scaling factor (slope in log-log space) suggests that parasites may not be making full use of available host resources. Host populations appear capable of supporting a little more parasite biomass, and may be open to expansion of existing parasites or invasion by new ones.
Data from: Checkerboard score-area relationships reveal spatial scales of plant community structure
Identifying the spatial scale at which particular mechanisms influence plant community assembly is crucial to understanding the mechanisms structuring communities. It has long been recognized that many elements of community structure are sensitive to area; however the majority of studies examining patterns of community structure use a single relatively small sampling area. As different assembly mechanisms likely cause patterns at different scales we investigate how plant species co-occurrence patterns change with sampling unit scale. We use the checkerboard score as an index of species segregation, and examine species C-score-sampling area patterns in two ways. First, we show via numerical simulation that the C-score-area relationship is necessarily hump shaped with respect to sample plot area. Second we examine empirical C-score-area relationships in arctic tundra, grassland, boreal forest, and tropical forest communities. The minimum sampling scale where species co-occurrence patterns were significantly different from the null model expectation was at 0.1 m2 in the tundra, 0.2 m2 in grassland, and 0.2 Ha in both the boreal and tropical forests. Species were most segregated in their co-occurrence (maximum C-score) at 0.3 m2 in the tundra (0.54 m by 0.54 m quadrats), 1.5 m2 in the grassland (1.2 by 1.2 m quadrats), 0.26 Ha in the tropical forest (71 m by 71 m quadrats), and a maximum was not reached at the largest sampling scale of 1.4 Ha in the boreal forest. The most important finding is that the dominant scales of community structure in these systems are large relative to plant body size, and hence we infer that the dominant mechanisms structuring these communities must be at similarly large scales. This provides a method for identifying the spatial scales at which communities are maximally structured; ecologists can use this information to develop hypotheses and experiments to test scale-specific mechanisms that structure communities.
Data from: Static allometry of unicellular green algae: scaling of cellular surface area and volume in the genus Micrasterias (Desmidiales)
The surface area-to-volume ratio of cells is one of the key factors affecting fundamental biological processes and, thus, fitness of unicellular organisms. One of the general models for allometric increase in surface-to-volume scaling involves fractal-like elaboration of cellular surfaces. However, specific data illustrating this pattern in natural populations of the unicellular organisms have not previously been available. This study shows that unicellular green algae of the genus Micrasterias (Desmidiales) have positive allometric surface-to-volume scaling caused by changes in morphology of individual species, especially in the degree of cell lobulation. This allometric pattern was also detected within most of the cultured and natural populations analysed. Values of the allometric S:V scaling within individual populations were closely correlated to the phylogenetic structure of the clade. In addition, they were related to species-specific cellular morphology. Individual populations differed in their allometric patterns, and their position in the allometric space was strongly correlated with the degree of allometric S:V scaling. This result illustrates that allometric shape patterns are an important correlate of the capacity of individual populations to compensate for increases in their cell volumes by increasing the surface area. However, variation in allometric patterns was not associated with phylogenetic structure. This indicates that the position of the populations in the allometric space was not evolutionarily conserved and might be influenced by environmental factors.
Data from: Small beetle, large-scale drivers: how regional and landscape factors affect outbreaks of the European spruce bark beetle
Unprecedented bark beetle outbreaks have been observed for a variety of forest ecosystems recently, and damage is expected to further intensify as a consequence of climate change. In Central Europe, the response of ecosystem management to increasing infestation risk has hitherto focused largely on the stand level, while the contingency of outbreak dynamics on large-scale drivers remains poorly understood. To investigate how factors beyond the local scale contribute to the infestation risk from Ips typographus (Col., Scol.), we analysed drivers across seven orders of magnitude in scale (from 103 to 1010 m²) over a 23-year period, focusing on the Bavarian Forest National Park. Time-discrete hazard modelling was used to account for local factors and temporal dependencies. Subsequently, beta regression was applied to determine the influence of regional and landscape factors, the latter characterized by means of graph theory. We found that in addition to stand variables, large-scale drivers also strongly influenced bark beetle infestation risk. Outbreak waves were closely related to landscape-scale connectedness of both host and beetle populations as well as to regional bark beetle infestation levels. Furthermore, regional summer drought was identified as an important trigger for infestation pulses. Large-scale synchrony and connectivity are thus key drivers of the recently observed bark beetle outbreak in the area. Synthesis and applications. Our multiscale analysis provides evidence that the risk for biotic disturbances is highly dependent on drivers beyond the control of traditional stand-scale management. This finding highlights the importance of fostering the ability to cope with and recover from disturbance. It furthermore suggests that a stronger consideration of landscape and regional processes is needed to address changing disturbance regimes in ecosystem management.
Data from: Spatial scaling of functional structure in bird and mammal assemblages
Differences in trait composition, or functional structure, of assemblages across spatial scales may stem from the ability to tolerate local conditions (environmental filters) and from assembly rules (biological filters). However, disentangling their respective roles has proven difficult, and limited generalities have emerged from research on the spatial scaling of functional structure. Here we quantify differences in trait composition among 679 spatially nested (i.e., paired regional pool and local community) bird and mammal assemblages worldwide. Among the regional pool, we identify species with trait combinations within the range observed locally as the ecological species pool. The ecological species pool has a trait structure that is generally different from that of the regional pool, consistent with the operation of environmental filters. In contrast, local species trait structure generally shows little difference from that of the ecological pool. We find notable deviations from expectations based on equiprobable draws from the ecological pool. However, these deviations vary little across scales and broad environmental gradients. For mammals, but not birds, this is consistent with assembly rules. Thus, by conceptualizing ecological pools, we demonstrate that functional structure is jointly determined by processes causing both low and high functional differences between scales and are able to quantify their relative importance.
Data from: Environment-dependent variation in selection on life history across small spatial scales
Variation in life-history traits is ubiquitous, even though genetic variation is thought to be depleted by selection. One potential mechanism for the maintenance of trait variation is spatially-variable selection. We explored spatial variation in selection in the field for a colonial marine invertebrate that shows phenotypic differences across a depth gradient of only three meters. Our analysis included life-history traits relating to module size, colony growth and phenology. Directional selection on colony growth varied in strength across depths, while module size was under directional selection at one depth but not the other. Differences in selection may explain some of the observed phenotypic differentiation among depths for one trait but not another: instead, selection should actually erode the differences observed for this trait. Our results suggest selection is not acting alone to maintain trait variation within and across environments in this system.
Data from: Local and landscape-scale heterogeneity shape spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) activity and natural enemy abundance: implications for trophic interactions
Like natural enemies, invasive polyphagous pests may respond positively to local and landscape-scale diversity, making them more serious challenges to sustainable management than specialists. Yet the current view of landscape effects on pests rarely considers perennial systems or polyphagous pests. We investigated Drosophila suzukii (SWD) and natural enemy distributions and trophic interactions in blueberry systems of the southeast US in relation to local management and landscape structure. Fields were nested in 1-km landscapes along gradients of crop and forest heterogeneity (landscape compositional diversity) and field border and crop border lengths (landscape configurational diversity). Yeast-sugar bait traps were used to collect SWD and canopy suction sampling for natural enemies. Management practices at the local scale did not influence SWD abundance, but natural enemy abundance was higher in organic systems and fields with vegetation present between rows. Landscape configurational diversity and greater proportion of non-cropping habitat promoted higher SWD populations. Natural enemy communities were composed of highly generalized species, and contrary to our predictions, we observed lower abundances in landscapes with higher proportion of non-cropping area. Few predators were detected to have fed on SWD, and communities were dominated by predators with low specialization on prey in blueberry. Our results indicate that local and landscape features in blueberry landscapes have differential effects on a polyphagous pest and generalist natural enemies. Our initial analysis of predator diets, using a metabarcoding approach, suggests spatial structure in specialization on prey with high diversity of prey in predators collected in forested margins.
Data from: Scaling up the effects of inbreeding depression from individuals to metapopulations
1. Inbreeding is common in nature, and many laboratory studies have documented that inbreeding depression can reduce the fitness of individuals. Demonstrating the consequences of inbreeding depression on the growth and persistence of populations is more challenging because populations are often regulated by density- or frequency-dependent selection and influenced by demographic and environmental stochasticity. A few empirical studies have shown that inbreeding depression can increase extinction risk of local populations. The importance of inbreeding depression at the metapopulation level has been conjectured based on population-level studies but has not been evaluated. 2. We quantified the impact of inbreeding depression affecting the fitness of individuals on metapopulation persistence in heterogeneous habitat networks of different sizes and habitat configuration in a context of natural butterfly metapopulations. 3. We developed a spatial individual-based simulation model of metapopulations with explicit genetics. We used Approximate Bayesian Computation to fit the model to extensive demographic, genetic, and life-history data available for the well-studied Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia) metapopulations in the Åland islands in SW Finland. We compared 18 semi-independent habitat networks differing in size and fragmentation. 4. The results show that inbreeding is more frequent in small habitat networks, and consequently, inbreeding depression elevates extinction risks in small metapopulations. Metapopulation persistence and neutral genetic diversity maintained in the metapopulations increase with the total habitat amount in and mean patch size of habitat networks. Dispersal and mating behavior interact with landscape structure to determine how likely it is to encounter kin while looking for mates. 5. Inbreeding depression can decrease the viability of small metapopulations even when they are strongly influenced by stochastic extinction-colonization dynamics and density-dependent selection. The findings from this study support that genetic factors, in addition to demographic factors, can contribute to extinctions of small local populations and also of metapopulations.
Data from: Outlier loci detect intraspecific biodiversity amongst spring and autumn spawning herring across local scales
Herring, Clupea harengus, is one of the ecologically and commercially most important species in European northern seas, where two distinct ecotypes have been described based on spawning time; spring and autumn. To date, it is unknown if these spring and autumn spawning herring constitute genetically distinct units. We assessed levels of genetic divergence between spring and autumn spawning herring in the Baltic Sea using two types of DNA markers, microsatellites and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, and compared the results with data for autumn spawning North Sea herring. Temporally replicated analyses reveal clear genetic differences between ecotypes and hence support reproductive isolation. Loci showing non-neutral behaviour, so-called outlier loci, show convergence between autumn spawning herring from demographically disjoint populations, potentially reflecting selective processes associated with autumn spawning ecotypes. The abundance and exploitation of the two ecotypes have varied strongly over space and time in the Baltic Sea, where autumn spawners have faced strong depression for decades. The results therefore have practical implications by highlighting the need for specific management of these co-occurring ecotypes to meet requirements for sustainable exploitation and ensure optimal livelihood for coastal communities.
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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.