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205 results for “Functional Ecology”
Fig. 1 in Functional And Ecological Adaptations Of Several Acaridid Mite Species (Acariformes, Astigmata) For Feeding On Stored Produce
Fig. 1. Cluster analysis of similarity of acaridid complexes in studied substrates (Ward's method, correlation coefficient 0.5844).
Supplementary material: Does functional redundancy determine the ecological severity of a mass extinction event?
<p>Many authors have noted the apparent "decoupling" of the taxonomic and ecological severity of mass extinction events, with no widely accepted mechanistic explanation for this pattern having been offered. Here we test between two key factors that potentially influence ecological severity: biosphere entropy (a measure of functional redundancy), and the degree of functional selectivity (in terms of deviation from a pattern of random extinction with respect to functional entities). While theoretical simulations suggest that the Shannon entropy of a given community prior to an extinction event determines the expected outcome following a perturbation of a given magnitude, actual variation in Shannon entropy between major extinction intervals is insufficient to explain the observed variation in ecological severity. Within this information-theoretic framework, we show that it is the degree of functional selectivity which is expected to primarily determine the ecological impact of a given perturbation when levels of functional redundancy are not substantially different.</p>
Figure 1 in Fungivory: a new and complex ecological function of Doru luteipes (Scudder) (Dermaptera: Forficulidae)
Figure 1. Greenhouse and laboratory experiments for testing Doru luteipes feeding on Puccinia polysora uredospores. Panel (A) and (C) depicts the general aspects of a maize plant infected with P. polysora, and (B) show D. luteipes feedingP. polysora uredospores in Petri dishes.
Figure 3 in Fungivory: a new and complex ecological function of Doru luteipes (Scudder) (Dermaptera: Forficulidae)
Figure 3. In vitro effect on Puccinia polysora uredospores concentration determined by the number of Doru luteipes individuals feeding on it.
Figure 2 in Fungivory: a new and complex ecological function of Doru luteipes (Scudder) (Dermaptera: Forficulidae)
Figure 2. Effects of the number of individuals and the developmental stage of Doru luteipes on Puccinia polysora uredospore concentration (± standard deviation). One adult of D. luteipes (A) and two adults of D. luteipes (B) feeding on P. polysora uredospore and (C) developmental stage of Doru luteipes on Puccinia polysora uredospore concentration. Columns followed by the same capital letter do not differ by the Tukey test (P <0.05).NC = negative control. *P-value ≤ 0,05, ** P-value ≤ 0,01, *** P-value ≤ 0,001.
Yearly Estimation of Ecological Functional Attributes of vegetation from 2005-2010 over the Peneda Geres National Park
<p>Yearly Estimation of Ecological Functional Attributes of vegetation using MSAVI index based on Landsat data from 2005-2010 over the Peneda Geres National Park</p>
Table 1 in Review Of Bryophyte Functional Traits In Ecological Studies
<p><b>Table 1.</b> Overview of main bryophyte functional traits according to van Zuijlen et al. (2023).</p><table><tbody><tr><th>Biological traits</th><th><b>Ecological traits</b></th></tr></tbody><tbody><tr><th>generation length</th><td>aquatic species</td></tr><tr><th>growth form</th><td>epiphytic species or not</td></tr><tr><th>life form</th><td>how strong species are bound to forest habitats</td></tr><tr><th>life strategy</th><td>major habitat class “Artificial/Terrestrial”</td></tr><tr><th>peristome</th><td>major habitat class “Forest”</td></tr><tr><th>permanent protonema</th><td>major habitat class “Grassland”</td></tr><tr><th>rhizoids</th><td>major habitat class “Rocky areas”</td></tr><tr><th>r or K strategy</th><td>major habitat class “Shrubland”</td></tr><tr><th>length of the seta</th><td>major habitat class “Wetlands”</td></tr><tr><th>sexual condition</th><td>indicator value – moisture</td></tr><tr><th>sporophyte frequency</th><td>indicator value – heavy metal tolerance</td></tr><tr><th>shoot size</th><td>indicator value – continentality</td></tr><tr><th>spore size</th><td>indicator value – light</td></tr><tr><th>deciduous branches or stem tips</th><td>indicator value – nutrients</td></tr><tr><th>bulbils</th><td>indicator value – salt tolerance</td></tr><tr><th>gemmae</th><td>indicator value – temperature</td></tr><tr><th>deciduous leaves or leave fragments</th><td>substrate class: dead animal carcass or dung</td></tr><tr><th>tubers</th><td>substrate class: bark of living phanerophyte</td></tr><tr><th>size of vegetative propagule</th><td>substrate class: epiphytic on non­woody living substrate</td></tr><tr><th></th><td>substrate class: rock</td></tr><tr><th></th><td>substrate class: soil</td></tr><tr><th></th><td>substrate class: deadwood</td></tr></tbody></table>
Data from: Commercial Bombus impatiens colonies function as ecological traps for wild queens
<p>1. In response to anthropogenic environmental change, the cues that animals use throughout their lifecycle to optimize fitness may become unreliable, resulting in an ecological trap.</p> <p>2. Here we investigated whether commercial bumble bee (Bombus impatiens) colonies managed for early spring crop pollination act as ecological traps for wild nest-searching Bombus queens by subverting their natural nest usurpation behavior.</p> <p>3. An average of 10 dead wild queens were recovered from each standard colony during the two-week period of the experiment, but colonies with queen excluders were successful in preventing wild queen deaths. The use of queen excluders did not impact colony performance in terms of resident queen survival, colony reproduction, colony weight gain or worker body size.</p> <p>4. Sites where wild nest-searching queens were small had higher rates of failed usurpation, suggesting smaller-sized queens are disproportionately at risk from failed usurpation. Furthermore, sites where commercial colonies without queen excluders were introduced for spring crop pollination had fewer bumble bee visits to a later-blooming crop compared to sites without commercial colonies.</p> <p>5. Synthesis and applications. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism by which commercial colonies can negatively impact wild bumble bee populations and their pollination services. At the same time, we demonstrate a simple and inexpensive risk mitigation tool – a queen excluder – was 100% effective at eliminating this risk without compromising colony performance. Commercial colonies used outdoors during the bumble bee nest-searching period should be fit with queen excluders to prevent negative impacts on wild pollinator communities and their services.</p>
Code Appendix: Do Seed Dispersal Strategies Reflect Adaptation to Environmental Variability? Functional Ecology, 2023
<p>This code appendix contains all of the R code and data for the manuscript:<br> <br> Van Den Elzen, C. L., N. Sigman, and N. C. Emery. 2023. Do Seed Dispersal Strategies Reflect Adaptation to Environmental Variability?. Functional Ecology (Manuscript ID: FE-2022-00850).<br> <br> Abstract: </p> <p>1. Dispersal is one of the primary mechanisms by which organisms adapt to spatial and temporal variation in the environment. Theory predicts that increasing spatiotemporal variation drives selection for offspring dispersal away from their natal habitat and one another. However, due to inherent difficulties in measuring dispersal in plant systems, there are few empirical tests of the extent to which this hypothesis can explain variation in seed dispersal strategies.</p> <p>2. In this study, we characterized and compared the dispersal patterns of three closely related plant species that segregate across gradients in spatiotemporal variation in seasonal wetlands.</p> <p>3. We tracked individual seeds as they dispersed in their natural habitats to measure seed dispersal distance (the distance traveled from the maternal plant) and inter-seed spread (distances between dispersed seeds), and to identify the plant traits causing within-species variation in seed dispersal. We also evaluated the seed traits causing within-species variation in seed flight distance and terminal velocity in a wind tunnel and a drop tube, respectively.</p> <p>4. We found that average seed dispersal distance was lowest in the species that occupies the most spatiotemporally variable habitat, contradicting our predictions; however, inter-seed spread was lowest in the species from the least variable habitat, which aligned with our expectations.</p> <p>5. The maternal plant and seed traits explaining intraspecific variation in seed dispersal varied among species as well as the method used to measure dispersal potential. Two traits had non-intuitive effects on dispersal, including pappus size, which reduced seed flight distance in two of the focal taxa.</p> <p>6. Overall, our results indicate that the differences we detected in seed dispersal among three closely related plant taxa can be only partially explained by current patterns of environmental variability in their respective habitats, and that the traits driving within species variation in seed dispersal can evolve rapidly and change with the environmental context in which they are measured.</p>
Going across taxa in functional ecology: review and perspectives of an emerging field
<p>This dataset and all routines of analysis accompany the article "Going across taxa in functional ecology: review and perspectives of an emerging field", accepted in Functional Ecology. The dataset was obtained through a literature review in Web of Science (following the PRISMA principles for reviews and meta-analysis). We searched for studies using a trait-based approach in the study of multiple taxa. Then we applied quantitative analysis, based on the principles of ecological networks, to provide an overview of the use of multiple traits and taxa in functional ecology.</p>
Data from: Commercial Bombus impatiens colonies function as ecological traps for wild queens
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Data from: Coincident transitions across elevation and origins of functional innovations drove the phenotypic and ecological diversity of lungless salamanders
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Supplementary material: Does functional redundancy determine the ecological severity of a mass extinction event?
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The functional ecology of bat pollination in the African sausage tree Kigelia africana (Bignoniaceae)
<p>Plants often interact with a wide range of animal floral visitors that can vary in their pollination effectiveness. Flowers of the African sausage tree Kigelia africana are be visited by bats and bush babies during the night and by birds during the day. We studied floral traits (phenophases, scent, colour and nectar chemistry) and the visitation frequency and pollination effectiveness of different flower visitors to determine if K. africana is functionally specialized for bat-pollination. We found that flower opening corresponds with bat activity, flowers emit scent dominated by aliphatic esters and alcohols, and that nectar is produced in copious amounts accessible to bats. Pollen deposition on stigmas was twenty-fold greater per-visit by bats than it was per-visit by birds, likely a result of the close morphological fit between snouts of bats and the flowers. However, bat visits appear to be rare at some sites and the delayed senescence of flowers that are open throughout the morning provides an opportunity for additional pollination by birds. We conclude that K. africana is primarily adapted for bat pollination, but is also able</p>
Including intraspecific trait variability to avoid distortion of functional diversity and ecological inference: lessons from natural assemblages
<p>1. Functional diversity assessments are crucial and increasingly used for understanding ecological processes and managing ecosystems. The functional diversity of a community is assessed by sampling traits at one or more scales (individuals, populations, species) and calculating a summary index of the variation in trait values. However, it remains unclear how the scale at which traits are sampled and the indices used to estimate functional diversity may alter the patterns observed and inferences about ecological processes.</p> <p>2. For 40 plant and 61 ant communities, we assess functional diversity using six methods – encompassing various mean-based and probabilistic methods – chosen to reflect common scenarios where different levels of detail are available in trait data. We test whether including trait variability at different scales (from individuals to species) alter functional diversity values calculated using volume-based and dissimilarity-based indices, Functional Richness (FRic) and Rao, respectively. We further test whether such effects alter the functional diversity patterns observed across communities and their relationships with environmental drivers such as abiotic gradients and occurrences of invasive species.</p> <p>3. Intraspecific trait variability strongly determined FRic and Rao. Methods using only species' mean trait values to calculate FRic (convex hulls) and Rao (Gower-based dissimilarity) distorted the patterns observed when intraspecific trait variability was considered. These distortions generated Type I and Type II errors for the effects of environmental factors structuring the plant and ant communities.</p> <p>4. The high sensitivity of FRic to individuals with extreme trait values was revealed in comparisons of different probabilistic methods including among-individual and among-population trait variability in functional diversity. By contrast, values and ecological patterns in Rao were consistent among methods including different scales of intraspecific trait variability.</p> <p>5. Decisions about where traits are sampled and how trait variability is included in functional diversity can drastically change the patterns observed and conclusions about ecological processes. We recommend sampling the traits of multiple individuals per species and capturing their intraspecific trait variability using probabilistic methods. We discuss how intraspecific trait variability can be reasonably estimated and included in functional diversity in the common circumstance where only limited trait data are available.</p>
Data from: Parallel changes in gut microbiome composition and function during colonization, local adaptation and ecological speciation
<p>The processes of local adaptation and ecological speciation are often strongly shaped by biotic interactions such as competition and predation. One of the strongest lines of evidence that biotic interactions drive evolution comes from repeated divergence of lineages in association with repeated changes in the community of interacting species. Yet, relatively little is known about the repeatability of changes in gut microbial communities and their role in adaptation and divergence of host populations in nature. Here we utilize three cases of rapid, parallel adaptation and speciation in freshwater threespine stickleback to test for parallel changes in associated gut microbiomes. We find that features of the gut microbial communities have shifted repeatedly in the same direction in association with parallel divergence and speciation of stickleback hosts. These results suggest that changes to gut microbiomes can occur rapidly and predictably in conjunction with host evolution, and that host-microbe interactions might play an important role in host adaptation and diversification.</p>
Diversity of response and effect traits provides complementary information about avian community dynamics linked to ecological function
<p>Functional diversity metrics based on species traits are widely used to investigate ecosystem functioning. In theory, such metrics have different implications depending on whether they are calculated from traits mediating responses to environmental change (response traits) or those regulating function (effect traits), yet trait choice in diversity metrics is rarely scrutinized. Here, we compile effect and response traits for British bird species supplying two key ecological services – seed dispersal and insect predation – to assess the relationship between functional diversity and both mean and stability of community abundance over time. As predicted, functional diversity correlates with stability in community abundance of seed dispersers when calculated using response traits. However, we found a negative relationship between functional diversity and mean community abundance of seed dispersers when calculated using effect traits. Subsequently, when combining all traits together, we found inconsistent results with functional diversity correlating with reduced stability in insectivores, but greater stability in seed dispersers. Our findings suggest that trait choice should be considered more carefully when applying such metrics in ecosystem management.</p>
Data from: Form–function relationships in a marine foundation species depend on scale: a shoot to global perspective from a distributed ecological experiment
Form-function relationships in plants underlie their ecosystem roles in supporting higher trophic levels through primary production, detrital pathways, and habitat provision. For widespread, phenotypically-variable plants, productivity may differ not only across abiotic conditions, but also from distinct morphological or demographic traits. A single foundation species, eelgrass (Zostera marina), typically dominates north temperate seagrass meadows, which we studied across 14 sites spanning 32-61° N latitude and two ocean basins. Body size varied by nearly two orders of magnitude through this range, and was largest at mid-latitudes and in the Pacific Ocean. At the global scale, neither latitude, site-level environmental conditions, nor body size helped predict productivity (relative growth rate 1-2% d-1 at most sites), suggesting a remarkable capacity of Z. marina to achieve similar productivity in summer. Furthermore, among a suite of stressors applied within sites, only ambient leaf damage reduced productivity; grazer reduction and nutrient addition had no effect on eelgrass size or growth. Scale-dependence was evident in different allometric relationships within and across sites for productivity and for modules (leaf count) relative to size. Z. marina provides a range of ecosystem functions related to both body size (habitat provision, water flow) and growth rates (food, carbon dynamics). Our observed decoupling of body size and maximum production suggests that geographic variation in these ecosystem functions may be independent, with a future need to resolve how local adaptation or plasticity of body size might actually enable more consistent peak productivity across disparate environmental conditions.
Data from: Will like replace like? linking thermal performance to ecological function across predator and herbivore populations
The inability of species to adapt to changing climate may cause ecological communities to disassemble and lose ecological functioning. However, theory suggests that communities may be resilient whenever populations within species exhibit variation in thermal plasticity or adaptation whereby thermally tolerant populations replace thermally sensitive ones. But will they maintain the functional roles of the populations being replaced? This study evaluated whether "like replaces like" functionally by measuring how four populations of a grasshopper herbivore and its co-occurring spider predator cope with environmental warming. The study occurred across a latitudinal gradient bounded by southerly, warmer Connecticut and northerly, cooler New Hampshire, USA. The study compared the survival rates, thermal performance, habitat usage, and food chain interactions of each grasshopper and spider population between its home field site (field of origin) and a Connecticut transplant site, and the native Connecticut population. Three grasshopper populations exhibited physiological plasticity by adjusting metabolic rates. The fourth population selected cooler habitat locations. Spider populations did not alter their metabolism, and instead selected cooler habitat locations thereby altering spatial overlap with their prey and food chain interactions. Grasshopper populations that coped physiologically consumed plants in different ratios than the fourth population and the Connecticut population. Hence "like may not replace like" whenever populations adapt physiologically to warming.
Data from: Functional trait plasticity diverges between sexes in African cichlids: a contribution toward ecological sexual dimorphism?
<p>Phenotypic plasticity enables development to produce multiple phenotypes in response to environmental conditions. Plasticity driven variation has been suggested to play a key role in adaptive divergence, and plasticity itself can evolve. However, the interaction of plasticity with the multiple levels involved with adaptive divergence is less understood. For example, sexual dimorphism can contribute to adaptive variation through ecological sexual dimorphism (ESD), but the contribution of plasticity to this phenomenon is unknown. Therefore, to determine the potential contribution of plasticity to ESD, we used the adaptive radiation of Malawi cichlids. Two mouthbrooding species (<em>Labeotropheus fuelleborni </em>and <em>Tropheops</em> "Red Cheek", hereafter LF and TRC respectively) with differences in foraging tactics underwent foraging experiments using benthic and limnetic treatments while accounting for sex. Plasticity in craniofacial shape and three functionally important traits were measured. Plasticity was shown, but without any sex-based differences in shape. However, for mechanical advantage traits of the mandible sex by diet interactions were found. This suggests that ESD, may be influenced by phenotypic plasticity that diverges between sexes. Given the involvement of the mandible in parental care in cichlids this may indicate that sexual divergence in plasticity may trade-off against maternal care tactics.</p>
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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)
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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.
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