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92 results for “ecological processes”
Complex ecological phenotypes on phylogenetic trees: a Markov process model for comparative analysis of multivariate count data
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Raw sequencing data for assembly processes inferred from eDNA surveys of a pond metacommunity are consistent with known species ecologies
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Spatial phylogenetic and phenotypic patterns reveal ontogenetic shifts in ecological processes of plant community assembly
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Evolutionary and ecological processes influence a plant-bumble bee network
<p>Species interactions, such as those between plants and pollinators, are known to be shaped by both evolutionary history and ecological factors. However, the relative importance of neutral- and niche-based ecological processes is still under debate, and little is known about which ecological factors are most important for explaining phylogenetic patterns in interaction networks. Using a plant-bumble bee network comprising 2428 interactions between 29 plant species and 12 bumble bee species in the Himalaya-Hengduan mountains, we tested for phylogenetic signal and whether phylogenetic pattern was explained by 14 plant and four bumble bee ecological traits. We also tested whether trait matching between bumble bee tongue length and flower tube depth explained interaction patterns. All of the measured traits contributed to explaining the phylogenetic attraction pattern, among them, species abundances, nectar volume, and nectar sugar concentration were the most important predictors. Meanwhile, trait mismatch between bumble bee tongue length and flower tube depth failed to predict the interactions, with short-tongued bees generalized across tube depths. Our findings suggest neutral-based process seems to matter more than niche-based processes in this system and help to predict how interactions will respond when key traits are altered by pollinator declines and global change effects.</p>
Data from: Gender diversity of editorial boards and gender differences in the peer review process at six journals of ecology and evolution.
<p>Despite substantial progress for women in science, women remain underrepresented in many aspects of the scholarly publication process. We examined how the gender diversity of editors and reviewers changed over time for six journals in ecology and evolution (2003-2015 for four journals, 2007-2015 or 2009-2015 for the other two), and how several aspects of the peer review process differed between female and male editors and reviewers. We found that, for five of the six journals, women were either absent or very poorly represented as handling editors at the beginning of our dataset. The representation of women among handling editors increased gradually and consistently, with women making up 29% of the handling editors (averaged across journals) in 2015, similar to the representation of women as last authors on ecology papers (23% in 2015) but lower than the proportion of women among all authors (31%) and among members of the societies that own the journals (37-40%). The proportion of women among reviewers has also gradually but consistently increased over time, reaching 27% by 2015. Female editors invited more female reviewers than did male editors, and this difference increased with age of the editor. Men and women who were invited to review did not differ in whether they responded to the review invitation, but, of those that responded, women were slightly more likely to agree to review. In contrast, women were less likely than men to accept invitations to serve on journal editorial boards. Our analyses indicate that there has been progress in the representation of women as reviewers and editors in ecology and evolutionary biology, but women are still underrepresented among the gatekeepers of scholarly publishing relative to their representation among researchers.</p>
Stochastic processes and ecological connectivity drive stream invertebrate community responses to short-term drought
1. Community responses to and recovery from disturbances depend on local (e.g. presence of refuges) and regional (connectivity to recolonization sources) factors. Droughts are becoming more frequent in boreal regions, and are likely to constitute a severe disturbance for boreal stream communities where organisms largely lack adaptations to such hydrological extremes. 2. We conducted an experiment in 24 seminatural stream flumes to assess the effects of local and regional factors on the responses of benthic invertebrate communities to a short-term drought. We manipulated flow (drought vs. constant-flow), spatial arrangement of leaf litter patches (aggregated vs. evenly distributed) and colonization from regional species pool (enhanced vs. ambient connectivity) to test the combined effects of disturbance, connectivity, and resource arrangement on the structural and functional responses of benthic invertebrate communities. 3. We found that a drought as short as one week reduced invertebrate richness and abundances, mainly through stochastic extinctions. Such changes in richness were not reflected in functional diversity. This suggests that communities were characterized by a high degree of functional redundancy, which allowed maintenance of functional diversity despite species losses. Feeding groups responded differently to drought, with organic matter decomposers responding more than scrapers and predators. 4. Three weeks was insufficient for a complete invertebrate community recovery from the drought. However, recovery was greater in channels subjected to enhanced connectivity, which increased taxonomic diversity and abundance of certain taxa. Spatial configuration of resources explained the least variation in our response variables, having a significant effect only on invertebrate abundance and evenness (both sampling occasions) and species richness (end of recovery period). 5. Even a short drought, if occurring late to the season, may not allow communities to recover before the onset of winter, thus having a potentially long-lasting effect on stream communities. For boreal headwaters, extreme dewatering poses a novel disturbance regime that may trigger substantial and potentially irreversible changes. An improved understanding of such changes is needed to underpin adaptive management strategies in these increasingly fragmented and disturbed ecosystems. 18-Dec-2020
Data from: Yellowstone bison—should we preserve artificial population substructure or rely on ecological processes?
Halbert et al. (2012) analyzed microsatellite genotypes collected from 661 Yellowstone bison sampled during winters from 1999 through 2003 and identified 2 genetically distinct subpopulations (central, northern) based on genotypic diversity and allelic distributions. Based on these findings, they raised concerns about the management and long-term conservation of Yellowstone bison due to disproportionate culling of the 2 subpopulations in some winters. The data and findings of Halbert et al. (2012) are significant and useful for managers charged with conserving these iconic wildlife. However, their article provides information regarding the behavior and management of Yellowstone bison that does not accurately portray historic or current conditions. This response clarifies those conditions and challenges some of their apparent deductions and recommendations.
Data from: Hierarchical structure of ecological and non-ecological processes of differentiation shaped ongoing gastropod radiation in the Malawi Basin
Ecological processes, non-ecological processes or a combination of both may cause reproductive isolation and speciation, but their specific roles and potentially complex interactions in evolutionary radiations remain poorly understood, which defines a central knowledge gap at the interface of microevolution and macroevolution. Here I examine genome scans in combination with phenotypic and environmental data to disentangle how ecological and non-ecological processes contributed to population differentiation and speciation in an ongoing radiation of Lanistes gastropods from the Malawi Basin. I found a remarkable hierarchical structure of differentiation mechanisms in space and time: neutral and mutation-order processes are older and occur mainly between regions, whereas more recent adaptive processes are the main driver of genetic differentiation and reproductive isolation within regions. The strongest differentiation occurs between habitats and between regions, i.e. when ecological and non-ecological processes act synergistically. The structured occurrence of these processes based on the specific geographic setting and ecological opportunities strongly influenced the potential for evolutionary radiation. The results highlight the importance of interactions between various mechanisms of differentiation in evolutionary radiations, and suggest that non-ecological processes are important in adaptive radiations, including those of cichlids. Insight into such interactions is critical to understanding large-scale patterns of organismal diversity.
Data from: Heterogeneity of ecological patterns, processes and funding of marine manipulative field experiments conducted in Southeastern Pacific coastal ecosystems
Ecological manipulative experiments conducted in marine coastal ecosystems have substantially improved ecological theory during the last decades, and have provided useful knowledge for the management and conservation of coastal ecosystems. Although different studies report global trends in ecological patterns worldwide, Southeastern Pacific coastal ecosystems have been poorly considered. Given that the SE Pacific coast encompasses diverse coastal ecosystems, consideration of studies conducted along this range can shed light on the heterogeneity of processes regulating coastal communities. We reviewed the biotic interactions and habitat type considered, as well as the complexity in terms of spatial and temporal extent of manipulative field experimental studies conducted along the SE Pacific coast from 0°S to 56° S (Ecuador to Chile). We test the effect of funding reported by different studies as a main factor limiting experimental complexity. From field ecological studies published from 1970 to 2016, we found that 81 studies were truly manipulative, in which one or multiple factors were "manipulated". Around 77% of these studies were located between 21°S to 40°S, and conducted in intertidal rocky habitats. An increase in experimental studies was observed between 2010 and 2015, especially focused on herbivore-alga interactions, although we found that both the temporal and spatial extent of these studies have shown a decrease in recent decades. Funding grant amount reported had a positive effect on elapsed time of field experiments, but no effect was observed on spatial extent or in the biotic interactions considered. Elapsed time of experiments was different among the main biotic interactions considered i.e. herbivory, predation, and competition. We suggest that to further progress in applied ecological knowledge, it will be necessary to consider pollution and urbanization processes explicitly using a field experimental framework. This information could improve our understanding of how ecosystems present along the SE Pacific coast respond to climate change and increased levels of human interventions.
Data from: Introgression of mtDNA in Urosaurus lizards: historical and ecological processes
Introgression of mtDNA appears common in animals but the implications of acquiring a novel mitochondrial genome are not well known. This study investigates mito-genome introgression between the lizard species Urosaurus graciosus, a thermal specialist, and U. ornatus, a species that occupies a wider range of thermal environments. As ectotherms, their metabolic rate is strongly influenced by the thermal environment; with mitochondria being linked to metabolic rates, overall energy budgets could be impacted by introgression. I use mitochondrial gene trees, inferred from Bayesian analyses of Cyt-B and ND1 gene sequences, along with morphology and microsatellites from nineteen populations of these two species to address if the direction and location of mito-nuclear discordance match predictions of introgression resulting from past population expansions. MtDNA is expected to move from resident species into expanding or invading species. Second, does having a heterospecific form of mitochondria impact body size, a trait strongly associated with fitness? Multiple independent introgression events of historic origin were detected. All introgression was unidirectional with U. ornatus-type mtDNA found in U. graciosus parental type individuals. This result was consistent with population expansions detected in U. graciosus but not U. ornatus. Females with heterospecific mtDNA were significantly smaller than homospecific forms and heterospecific males had a different relationship of body mass to body length than those with homospecific mtDNA. These changes indicate a potential selective disadvantage for individuals with heterospecific mitochondria and are consistent with the theoretical expectation that deleterious alleles are more likely to persist in expanding populations.
Data from: Proteomic evidence of a paedomorphic evolutionary process within a marine snail species: a strategy for adapting to extreme ecological conditions?
The exposed and sheltered ecotypes of the marine snail Littorina saxatilis from European rocky shores are considered a key model system to study adaptation and ecological speciation. Previous studies showed that two ecotypes (RB and SU) of this species in NW Spain have differently adapted to different shore levels and microhabitats. In order to understand how this divergent adaptive process has been accomplished, we followed a quantitative proteomic approach to investigate the proteome variation in a number of different biological factors, i.e. ecotype, ontogeny and their interactions. This approach allowed testing the hypothesis that one of the ecotypes has evolved by paedomorphosis, and also whether or not the molecular mechanisms related to ecotype differentiation are set up in early developmental stages. Additionally the identification of some candidate proteins by mass spectrometry provides some functional insights about these evolutionary processes. Results from this study provided evidence of higher ontogenetic differentiation at proteome level in the RB (metamorphic) than in SU (paedomorphic) ecotype that point to the possibility of juvenile stage retention in this latter ecotype. The level of protein expression (proteome) differences between ecotypes maintained nearly constant from late embryonic stages to adulthood, although some proteins involved in these changes considerably differed in embryonic compared to other ontogenetic stages. Paedomorphosis may be the evolutionary response of the SU ecotype of solving the trade-off during sexually immaturity that is caused by the evolution of small size arising from adaptation to the wave exposed habitat. Some potential candidate genes of adaptation related to energetic metabolism have been identified, providing a promising baseline for future functional analyses.
Data from: The role of ecology, neutral processes and antagonistic coevolution in an apparent sexual arms race
Some of the strongest examples of a sexual 'arms race' come from observations of correlated evolution in sexually antagonistic traits among populations. However, it remains unclear whether these cases truly represent sexually antagonistic coevolution; alternatively, ecological or neutral processes might also drive correlated evolution. To investigate these alternatives, we evaluated the contributions of intersex genetic correlations, ecological context, neutral genetic divergence and sexual coevolution in the correlated evolution of antagonistic traits among populations of Gerris incognitus water striders. We could not detect intersex genetic correlations for these sexually antagonistic traits. Ecological variation was related to population variation in the key female antagonistic trait (spine length, a defence against males), as well as body size. Nevertheless, population covariation between sexually antagonistic traits remained substantial and significant even after accounting for all of these processes. Our results therefore provide strong evidence for a contemporary sexual arms race.
Data from: Life history traits and functional processes generate multiple pathways to ecological stability
Stability contributes to the persistence of ecological communities, yet the interactions among different stabilizing forces are poorly understood. We assembled mesocosms with an algal resource and 1-8 different clones of the consumer Daphnia ambigua and tracked algal and Daphnia abundances through time. We then fitted coupled ordinary differential equations (ODEs) to the consumer-resource time series. We show that variation in different components of stability (local stability and the magnitude of population fluctuations) across mesocosms arises through variation in life history traits and the functional processes represented by ODE model parameters. Local stability was enhanced by increased algal growth rate and Daphnia mortality and foraging rate. Population fluctuations were dampened by high Daphnia conversion efficiency and lower interaction strengths, low algal growth rate, high Daphnia death rate, and low Daphnia foraging. These results indicate that 1) stability in consumer-resource systems may arise through the net effect of multiple related stabilizing pathways, and 2) different aspects of stability can vary independently and may respond in opposite directions to the same forces.
Data from: Invasion of two tick-borne diseases across New England: harnessing human surveillance data to capture underlying ecological invasion processes
Modelling the spatial spread of vector-borne zoonotic pathogens maintained in enzootic transmission cycles remains a major challenge. The best available spatio-temporal data on pathogen spread often take the form of human disease surveillance data. By applying a classic ecological approach—occupancy modelling—to an epidemiological question of disease spread, we used surveillance data to examine the latent ecological invasion of tick-borne pathogens. Over the last half-century, previously undescribed tick-borne pathogens including the agents of Lyme disease and human babesiosis have rapidly spread across the northeast United States. Despite their epidemiological importance, the mechanisms of tick-borne pathogen invasion and drivers underlying the distinct invasion trajectories of the co-vectored pathogens remain unresolved. Our approach allowed us to estimate the unobserved ecological processes underlying pathogen spread while accounting for imperfect detection of human cases. Our model predicts that tick-borne diseases spread in a diffusion-like manner with occasional long-distance dispersal and that babesiosis spread exhibits strong dependence on Lyme disease.
Evidence for ecological processes driving speciation among endemic lizards of Madagascar
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Although genetic patterns produced by population isolation during speciation are well documented, the biogeographic and ecological processes that trigger speciation remain poorly understood. Alternative hypotheses for the biogeography and ecology of speciation include geographic isolation combined with niche conservation (soft allopatry), or parapatric distribution on an environmental gradient with niche divergence (ecological speciation). Here we utilize species' distributions, environmental data and two null models (Random Translation and Rotation, RTR, and the Background Similarity Test, BST) to test these alternative hypotheses among 28 sister pairs of micro-endemic lizards in Madagascar. Our results demonstrate strong bimodal peaks along a niche divergence-conservation spectrum, with at least 25 out of 28 sister pairs exhibiting either niche conservation or divergence, and the remaining pairs showing weak ecological signals. Yet despite these significant results, we do not find strong associations of niche conservation with allopatric distributions, or niche divergence with parapatric distributions. Our findings thus provide strong evidence of a role for ecological processes driving speciation, rather than the classic expectation of speciation through geographic isolation, but demonstrate that the link between ecological speciation and parapatry is complex and requires further analysis of a broader taxonomic sample to fully resolve.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
Distribution. Known from two localities in SW Ecuador (El Oro Province); more recently, it has been recorded in the Pacific coast of Colombia (Choco and Valle del Cauca departments), and NW Peru (Tumbes Department). Known distribution is changing as existing specimens from NW South America (listed as S. Lilium parvidens) are reidentified as this species; new geographic and ecological information is being gathered in the process, and it could be locally common at some specific habitats. in Phyllostomidae
Distribution. Known from two localities in SW Ecuador (El Oro Province); more recently, it has been recorded in the Pacific coast of Colombia (Choco and Valle del Cauca departments), and NW Peru (Tumbes Department). Known distribution is changing as existing specimens from NW South America (listed as S. Lilium parvidens) are reidentified as this species; new geographic and ecological information is being gathered in the process, and it could be locally common at some specific habitats.
FIGURE 11 in The integration processes of the distributional patterns in the Mexican Transition Zone: Phyletic, paleogeographic and ecological factors of a case study
FIGURE 11. Graphic hypothesis of the phyletic diversification and relationships of the O. chevrolati species group in the Mexican Transition Zone. Tip names are the species complexes. The figure elucidates our ideas of the taxonomical relationships and evolution of this species group based on the male and female genitalia, external morphology and geographic distribution: 1. The ancestral line of the O. chevrolati species group must have arrived in what is now Mexico between the Eocene and the Miocene, as part of the most ancient fauna of northern origin. The ancestor of O. vespertilio early separated from the ancestral trunk (plesiomorphic genitalia characters). 2. The ancestral species of the O. hippopotamus species line and of the O. hippopotamus species complex dispersed throughout the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt prior to its current conformation (Miocene to Pliocene). The geomorphological evolution of this mountain system drived the processes of speciation in this complex. Its descendants adapted to the burrows of Geomyidae in the mountains. 3. Separation of the O. hippopotamus and O. brevifrons species complexes. The first evolved with the TMVB, with some expansion southwards and northwards (O. coproides reaching New Mexico and Arizona). The brevifrons species complex is found in the southeastern United States of America and north-northeastern Mexico. Both complexes are found in the mountains and associated with the protected environments of rodent nests: Geomyidae in the case of the O. hippopotamus and Neotoma species complexes, plus three species in caves in the case of the O. brevifrons species complex.
FIGURE 8 in The integration processes of the distributional patterns in the Mexican Transition Zone: Phyletic, paleogeographic and ecological factors of a case study
FIGURE 8. Onthophagus mesoamericanus, male holotype dorsal view, currently a synonym of O. cyanellus.
Ecological and biogeographic processes drive the proteome evolution of snake venom
<p class="Body"><span>The emergence of venom is an evolutionary innovation that favored the diversification and survival of snakes. The composition of snake venoms is known in detail from venom gland proteomic data. However, there is still a gap of knowledge about the forces that lead to the expression of different toxins in different proportions in the venom cocktail across space and time.</span></p> <p class="Body"><span><b>LOCATION</b></span></p> <p class="Body"><span>World.</span></p> <p class="Body"><span><b>TIME PERIOD</b></span></p> <p class="Body"><span>Modern.</span></p> <p class="Body"><span><b>MAJOR TAXA STUDIED</b></span></p> <p class="Body"><span>Elapidae and Viperidae.</span></p> <p class="Body"><span>We integrated proteomic data with phylogenetic comparative methods to understand how ecological and biogeographical processes drive the evolution of snake venom. </span><span>We observed that more productive environments favor a more complex venom, which presents a higher diversity and similarity on the toxin proportions in its composition. We found that the taxa that live in islands, where there is lower variability of resources, tended to present less complex venom dominated by few toxins. In this case, the island's isolation seems to be a relevant element for a faster fixation of specific venom compositions. </span>We show that ecological and biogeographic processes, which can act differentially over time and space, affect the gene expression of toxins in snake venoms.</p>
Teaching the process of science with primary literature: Using the CREATE pedagogy in ecological courses
<p>There have been numerous calls for improved pedagogical practices in biological education, and there is a clear need for such improvements in ecology and related curricula. Most ecology-related texts lack pedagogy and are designed to be content-rich. National initiatives, such as Vision & Change, provide guidance on undergraduate biology education, including increasing use of evidence-based active learning, and taking a more conceptual and science practice skills approach. Biology education research is rich with evidence-based teaching practices, which reveal that active learning approaches implemented in thoughtful ways lead to strong learning gains relative to lecture-based course delivery. CREATE (Consider, Read, Elucidate the hypothesis, Analyze and interpret data, Think of the next Experiment) integrates evidence-based active pedagogical practices into one approach to STEM education that focuses heavily on the process of science and science practice skills rather than content delivery by replacing the textbook with selected journal articles. The approach focuses on deep reading and analysis of primary literature; immersing students in the literature is an advantage of the pedagogy. CREATE was developed and tested in other biological disciplines (genetics, molecular biology) that have long been at the forefront of pedagogical best practices in biology. We transformed two upper-level undergraduate ecological courses (Conservation Biology & Biodiversity and Ecology) into CREATE courses. We provide examples of assignments, student work, and assessments of the approach, illustrating the various ways CREATE can be successfully implemented. The approach can be adopted in part, to ease into it and test it out, or in whole. We recommend that ecology teachers consider making their courses more active if they have not already done so; adopting pedagogical practices embedded within CREATE can be a way to achieve active learning. The CREATE approach and other evidence-based pedagogical best practices lead to strong learning gains and more inclusive learning environments.</p>
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.