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1,157 results for “Limited data”
Data from: Modelling species distributions limited by geographic barriers: a case study with African and American primates
<p><strong>Aim:</strong> The boundaries of species distributions are often shaped by natural barriers such as mountains and rivers, but species distribution models usually fail to include these constraints. We tested several approaches that include barriers as explanatory variables in species distribution models.</p> <p><strong>Location:</strong> Africa and South America.</p> <p><strong>Time period:</strong> Current</p> <p><strong>Major taxa studied:</strong> Primates</p> <p><strong>Methods:</strong> We modelled the ranges of pairs of species separated by a river taking into account three explanatory components: the environment (ecosystems, topo-hydrography, climate, human pressure), the spatial structure shaped by history and population dynamics (using a trend-surface approach), and rivers as naturals barriers to dispersal (using a binary cis-trans variable that describes both sides of the river). To assess how the addition of a spatial structure and the barrier could improve distribution models, we used a nested approach by comparing models based on: a) the environment; b) the environment and the spatial structure; and c) the environment, the spatial structure and the river. These models were constructed using the favourability functions.</p> <p><strong>Results:</strong> There was a decreased occurrence of high-favourability values in the opposite side of the rivers in models that included the spatial structure of distributions, compared to models based on environment alone. This decrease was more marked when the description of the spatial structure was made more flexible. However, model performance was significantly improved by the inclusion of cis-trans variables that identified areas on the opposite side as totally unfavourable.</p> <p><strong>Main conclusions:</strong> The performance of distribution models can improve by the use of approaches that describe barriers. Although adding the location of geographic units in relation to a river appears to be the most accurate way to define the presence of a barrier, defining this variable may be challenging. A suitable alternative is to analyse the spatial structure of distributions using a flexible approach.</p>
Data from: Strong dispersal limitation in post-fire regeneration of Baker cypress, a rare serotinous conifer
<p>PREMISE: Dispersal capacity primarily determines the spatial establishment patterns that drive range expansions and contractions in tree species. For Baker cypress (Hesperocyparis bakeri [(Jeps.) Bartel]), seedling establishment relies predominantly on fire events due to its cone serotiny, shade intolerance, and small seeds requiring the optimal conditions of fire-exposed, mineral soil seedbeds. <br> <br> METHODS: This study quantified the density and spatial distribution of post-disturbance seedlings following the 2014 Eiler fire in northern California and compared the observed recruitment to predictions from a mechanistic seed dispersal model. <br> <br> RESULTS: Post-fire recruitment was dense, averaging 11 seedling/m 2 , and occurred primarily in the first year after fire. We estimated the mean descent velocity of the wingless seeds as around 4 m/sec, the highest value reported for any putatively wind-dispersed tree species. The rapid seed decent contributed to markedly constrained recruitment in space. Most seedlings (~81%) established within 5 m of the parent tree, and 94% established within 10 m. The maximum observed dispersal distance was 48.5 m, and scaled linearly with canopy height. Distributions of modeled seed dispersal distance and observed seedling establishment in Baker cypress did not differ, demonstrating that wind disperses seeds a short distance due to the lack of a wing, and secondary dispersal appeared to be minimal at this recently burned site. <br> <br> CONCLUSIONS: If seed dispersal is solely reliant on wind, migration in response to rapid climate change will be impeded and potentially present difficulties in sustaining populations of this and other obligate seeder species with equally constrained dispersal.</p>
Data from: Multiple constraints cause positive and negative feedbacks limiting grassland soil CO2 efflux under CO2 enrichment
<p>Terrestrial ecosystems are increasingly enriched with resources such as atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> that limit ecosystem processes. The consequences for ecosystem carbon cycling depend on the feedbacks from other limiting resources and plant community change, which remain poorly understood for soil CO<sub>2</sub> efflux, J<sub>CO2</sub>, a primary carbon flux from the biosphere to the atmosphere. We applied a unique CO<sub>2</sub> enrichment gradient (250 to 500 µL L<sup>-1</sup>) for eight years to grassland plant communities on soils from different landscape positions. We identified the trajectory of J<sub>CO2</sub> responses and feedbacks from other resources, plant diversity (effective species richness, exp(H)), and community change (plant species turnover). We found linear increases in J<sub>CO2</sub> on an alluvial sandy loam and a lowland clay soil, and an asymptotic increase on an upland silty clay soil. Structural equation modelling identified CO<sub>2</sub> as the dominant limitation on J<sub>CO2</sub> on the clay soil. In contrast with theory predicting limitation from a single limiting factor, the linear J<sub>CO2</sub> response on the sandy loam was reinforced by positive feedbacks from aboveground net primary productivity and exp(H), while the asymptotic J<sub>CO2</sub> response on the silty clay arose from a net negative feedback among exp(H), species turnover, and soil water potential. These findings support a multiple resource limitation view of the effects of global change drivers on grassland ecosystem carbon cycling and highlight a crucial role for positive or negative feedbacks between limiting resources and plant community structure. Incorporating these feedbacks will improve models of terrestrial carbon sequestration and ecosystem services.</p>
MicroCT data to 'Maximum CO2 diffusion inside leaves is limited by the scaling of cell size and genome size'
<p>This dataset is presented in the following publication. Please cite this publication if you use the dataset.</p> <p><em>Théroux-Rancourt Guillaume, Roddy Adam B., Earles J. Mason, Gilbert Matthew E., Zwieniecki Maciej A., Boyce C. Kevin, Tholen Danny, McElrone Andrew J., Simonin Kevin A. and Brodersen Craig R. 2021. <strong>Maximum CO<sub>2</sub> diffusion inside leaves is limited by the scaling of cell size and genome size.</strong> Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 288: 20203145. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.3145">10.1098/rspb.2020.3145</a></em></p> <p>We collected leaf samples from botanical gardens, greenhouses, and field sites, which were then transported to one of three synchrotron-based microCT beamlines for imaging. To- and three-dimensional data were then extracted from the microCT images to characterize the structural anatomy of the different study species. Those data were then analyzed and correlated with genome size data available from the Kew Plant DNA C-values database (https://cvalues.science.kew.org) or newly collected by us.</p> <p>From the botanical garden collections we selected representative species from across the vascular plant phylogeny, aiming to capture as much variation in anatomical/physiological/ecological traits as possible while also sampling species that represented important divergences in the phylogeny. Within clades, we also sampled species that spanned ecological breadth (e.g. xerophytic ferns). We focused solely on C3 terrestrial vascular plants, meaning that we did not sample C4 or CAM species, which have different photosynthetic biochemistry and associated anatomy.</p> <p>In most cases, single microCT scans were used per species. This constraint was primarily due to the extremely limited amount of time available at the microCT facility, as well as the labor intensive process of producing the final volume renderings and data analysis.</p> <p>MicroCT scans were collected by GTR, JME, ABR, CRB, AJM, CKB, MJZ, and DT at one of the three microCT beamlines from fresh leaf material. Leaves were cut at the base of the petiole or short stem segment, the cut end was wrapped in wet paper towels, and the entire shoot immediately put in a plastic bag before being transported to the synchrotron and scanned within 36 h of excision. Samples were prepared before each scan (less than 30 min) by excising a small sample that was then enclosed between two pieces of Kapton (polyimide) tape to prevent desiccation while allowing high X-ray transmittance.</p> <p>All microCT data were collected at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) tomography beamline 8.3.2, the Swiss Light Source (SLS) TOMCAT Tomography beamline of the Paul Scherrer Institute, or the Advanced Photon Source tomography beamline 2-BM-A,B of Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). MicroCT datasets were reconstructed from the raw projection images obtained using TomoPy, an open-source Python-based framework for reconstructing tomographic data (LBNL), or using the in-house reconstruction platform of the beamline (SLS, ANL). LBNL and SLS data can be reconstruction using TomoPy, and this software is available at the following link: <a href="http://microct.lbl.gov/software">http://microct.lbl.gov/software</a></p> <p>Image stacks were segmented using the open-source software ImageJ either manually or using an automated machine learning algorithm (Théroux-Rancourt et al., 2020: doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/aps3.11380">10.1002/aps3.11380</a>). Traits were extracted from the segmented image stacks using ImageJ, the BoneJ plugin of ImageJ, or with an open-source Python-program available at: <a href="https://github.com/plant-microct-tools/leaf-traits-microct">https://github.com/plant-microct-tools/leaf-traits-microct</a>. Because of the multiple synchrotron and multiple sessions involved in acquiring this dataset, and because the analysis process lasted several years and was carried out by several persons, the size of each image stack and the details in each stack vary. What is present in each stack is the airspace and the whole mesophyll (i.e. the leaf without the epidermis), and in the majority of the cases, the vasculature is also segmented.</p>
Data from: Combining climate, land use change and dispersal to predict the distribution of endangered species with limited vagility
<p><b>Aim: </b>Many rare species are dispersal-limited and minimal land use and climate changes can impact their colonization capacity. Most ecological niche models predict the distribution of species under future climate and land use change scenarios without incorporating specie-specific dispersal abilities. Here we investigated the effect of climate and land use change on low vagile species accounting for their dispersal capacity and defined accessible areas in the future.</p> <p><b>Location:</b> Europe.</p> <p><b>Taxon:</b> Saproxylic beetles.</p> <p><b>Methods:</b> We used the current (2007-2012) occurrences of six endangered saproxylics to develop ecological niche models using current climate and land use conditions. We projected species distributions under four future climate and land use change scenarios to estimate their potential occurrences. Finally, accounting for species-specific dispersal, we limited their distributions to accessible areas in 2040-50.</p> <p><b>Results:</b> Without accounting for dispersal abilities we found a strong and positive impact of climate change on the distribution of <i>Cerambix cerdo, Cucujus cinnaberinus, Morimus funereus</i> and <i>Rosalia alpina</i> and a positive effect of land use change on the distribution of <i>Lucanus cervus</i> and <i>Osmoderma eremita.</i> When species-specific dispersal was included, we found a strong and positive impact of land use change on the distribution of all the species. In this case climate change had a lower but positive effect on the distribution of <i>C. cerdo, C. cinnaberinus, L. cervus</i> and <i>R. alpina,</i> and a negative effect on the distribution of O.<i> eremita</i>.</p> <p><b>Main conclusion:</b> We found that climate change would promote the expansion of saproxylic beetles only in the unrealistic case of unlimited dispersal. Accounting for dispersal abilities, the expansion of our species would be mainly conditioned by the effect of land use change. Thus, we encourage researchers to combine climate and land use change with dispersal when projecting species distribution under future scenarios to accurately identify areas with fundamental species-specific resources.</p>
Data from: Pollinator dependence but no pollen limitation for eight plants occurring north of the Arctic Circle
<p>Intact interactions between plants and pollinators are essential for the reproduction of pollinator-dependent plant species. Global change factors, such as climate change, have the potential to disrupt these interactions and subsequently impair pollination service. This disruption can result in insufficient pollen receipt for plants and lower their reproduction success. High latitude sites experience particularly rapid climate change and plants at these locations are expected to be vulnerable to lower reproductive success due to pollen limitation. Pollen supplementation experiments, which assess the degree to which plant reproduction is pollen limited, have been conducted across the globe but are rare in high latitude regions. To fill this knowledge gap, we experimentally investigated the pollinator dependence and magnitude of pollen limitation in eight plant species north the Arctic Circle in Lapland, Finland. Our findings show that all plant species were pollinator dependent, but not pollen limited. We discuss several mechanisms that might buffer our focal plants from pollen limitation. Our results demonstrate that many plant species north of the Arctic Circle are currently receiving adequate pollinator service and provide a baseline for future comparisons of pollinator dependence and pollen limitation in the Arctic across species and time.</p>
Data from: Pollen limitation as a main driver of fruiting dynamics in oak populations
In many perennial wind-pollinated plants, the dynamics of seed production is commonly known to be highly fluctuating from year to year and synchronized among individuals within populations. The proximate causes of such seeding dynamics, called masting, are still poorly understood in oak species that are widespread in the northern hemisphere, and whose fruiting dynamics dramatically impacts forest regeneration and biodiversity. Combining long-term surveys of oak airborne pollen amount and acorn production over large-scale field networks in temperate areas, and a mechanistic modeling approach, we found that the pollen dynamics is the key driver of oak masting. Mechanisms at play involved both internal resource allocation to pollen production synchronized among trees and spring weather conditions affecting the amount of airborne pollen available for reproduction. The sensitivity of airborne pollen to weather conditions might make oak masting and its ecological consequences highly sensitive to climate change.
Data from: A metadata approach to evaluate the state of ocean knowledge: strengths, limitations, and application to Mexico
Climate change, mismanaged resource extraction, and pollution are reshaping global marine ecosystems with direct consequences on human societies. Sustainable ocean development requires knowledge and data across disciplines, scales and knowledge types. Although several disciplines are generating large amounts of data on marine socio-ecological systems, such information is often underutilized due to fragmentation across institutions or stakeholders, limited standardization across scale, time or disciplines, and the fact that information is often not searchable within existing databases. Compiling metadata, the information which describes existing sets of data, is an effective tool that can address these challenges, particularly when metadata corresponding to multiple datasets can be combined to integrate, organize and classify multidisciplinary data. Here, using Mexico as a case study, we describe the compilation and analysis of a metadatabase of ocean knowledge that aims to improve access to information, facilitate multidisciplinary data sharing and integration, and foster collaboration among stakeholders. We also evaluate the knowledge trends and gaps for informing ocean management. Analysis of the metadatabase highlights that past and current research in Mexico focuses strongly on ecology and fisheries, with biological data more consistent over time and space compared to data on human dimensions. Regional imbalances in available information were also evident, with most available information corresponding to the Gulf of California, Campeche Bank and Caribbean and less available for the central and south Pacific and the western Gulf of Mexico. Despite existing knowledge gaps in Mexico and elsewhere, we argue that systematic efforts such as this can often reveal an abundance of information for decision-makers to develop policies that meet key commitments on ocean sustainability. Surmounting current cross-scale social and ecological challenges for sustainability requires transdisciplinary approaches. Metadatabases are critical tools to make efficient use of existing data, highlight and address strengths and deficiencies, and develop scenarios to inform policies for managing complex marine social-ecological systems.
Data from: Are house sparrow populations limited by the lack of cavities in urbanized landscapes? an experimental test.
Current urban policies are associated with deep changes in urban structures, which may impoverish urban biodiversity. A major concern is the disappearance of nesting sites for wild vertebrate species living in urban areas. New urban structures without any cracks or cavities may especially preclude cavity nesters from breeding in cities and they may cause population declines. In that context, we experimentally investigated this question in an urban exploiter bird species (the house sparrow, Passer domesticus), which is dramatically declining in most European cities. To test if the lack of cavities is limiting house sparrow populations in urban areas, we equipped 11 sites along an urbanization gradient with nest boxes and we then evaluated the rate of occupancy of these nest-boxes. This urbanization gradient was characterized by very rural places (isolated farms) and moderately urbanized areas (town of medium size, i.e. 60 000 inhabitants). Surprisingly, rural nest boxes were more occupied than urban ones, suggesting that cavity availability is probably more constraining in rural areas relative to urban ones. Therefore, our study suggests that urban house sparrow populations are probably not constrained by a lack of nesting sites in medium size cities with urban designs similar to our city of interest (Niort, Western France). This hypothesis definitely needs now to be tested in further urban landscapes (e.g. large cities and urban landscapes with other architecture and management policies).
Data from: Limited trophic partitioning among sympatric delphinids off a tropical oceanic atoll
Understanding trophic relationships among marine predators in remote environments is challenging, but it is critical to understand community structure and dynamics. In this study, we used stable isotope analysis of skin biopsies to compare the isotopic, and thus, trophic niches of three sympatric delphinids in the waters surrounding Palmyra Atoll, in the Central Tropical Pacific: the melon-headed whale (Peponocephala electra), Gray's spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris longirostris), and the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). δ15N values suggested that T. truncatus occupied a significantly higher trophic position than the other two species. δ13C values did not significantly differ between the three delphinds, potentially indicating no spatial partitioning in depth or distance from shore in foraging among species. The dietary niche area—determined by isotopic variance among individuals—of T. truncatus was also over 30% smaller than those of the other species taken at the same place, indicating higher population specialization or lower interindividual variation. For P. electra only, there was some support for intraspecific variation in foraging ecology across years, highlighting the need for temporal information in studying dietary niche. Cumulatively, isotopic evidence revealed surprisingly little evidence for trophic niche partitioning in the delphinid community of Palmyra Atoll compared to other studies. However, resource partitioning may happen via other behavioral mechanisms, or prey abundance or availability may be adequate to allow these three species to coexist without any such partitioning. It is also possible that isotopic signatures are inadequate to detect trophic partitioning in this environment, possibly because isotopes of prey are highly variable or insufficiently resolved to allow for differentiation.
Data from: Avoidance of windfarms by harbour seals is limited to pile driving activities
As part of global efforts to reduce dependence on carbon-based energy sources there has been a rapid increase in the installation of renewable energy devices. The installation and operation of these devices can result in conflicts with wildlife. In the marine environment, mammals may avoid wind farms that are under construction or operating. Such avoidance may lead to more time spent travelling or displacement from key habitats. A paucity of data on at-sea movements of marine mammals around wind farms limits our understanding of the nature of their potential impacts. Here, we present the results of a telemetry study on harbour seals Phoca vitulina in The Wash, south-east England, an area where wind farms are being constructed using impact pile driving. We investigated whether seals avoid wind farms during operation, construction in its entirety, or during piling activity. The study was carried out using historical telemetry data collected prior to any wind farm development and telemetry data collected in 2012 during the construction of one wind farm and the operation of another. Within an operational wind farm, there was a close-to-significant increase in seal usage compared to prior to wind farm development. However, the wind farm was at the edge of a large area of increased usage, so the presence of the wind farm was unlikely to be the cause. There was no significant displacement during construction as a whole. However, during piling, seal usage (abundance) was significantly reduced up to 25 km from the piling activity; within 25 km of the centre of the wind farm, there was a 19 to 83% (95% confidence intervals) decrease in usage compared to during breaks in piling, equating to a mean estimated displacement of 440 individuals. This amounts to significant displacement starting from predicted received levels of between 166 and 178 dB re 1 μPa(p-p). Displacement was limited to piling activity; within 2 h of cessation of pile driving, seals were distributed as per the non-piling scenario. Synthesis and applications. Our spatial and temporal quantification of avoidance of wind farms by harbour seals is critical to reduce uncertainty and increase robustness in environmental impact assessments of future developments. Specifically, the results will allow policymakers to produce industry guidance on the likelihood of displacement of seals in response to pile driving; the relationship between sound levels and avoidance rates; and the duration of any avoidance, thus allowing far more accurate environmental assessments to be carried out during the consenting process. Further, our results can be used to inform mitigation strategies in terms of both the sound levels likely to cause displacement and what temporal patterns of piling would minimize the magnitude of the energetic impacts of displacement.
Data from: Consumer interaction strength may limit the diversifying effect of intraspecific competition: a test in alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus).
Intraspecific competition is considered a principal driver of dietary variation, however, empirical studies provide mixed support for this mechanism. Here we link comparative and experimental work testing the effects of competition and resource availability on the dietary variation of alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus). Alewife, a consumer with extreme effects on its resources, are specifically utilized to additionally test the idea that that the strength of the interaction between a consumer and its resources may diminish the diversifying effect of competition. First, we compared the short- and long-term diet measures of from wild populations across a range of densities. Second, in a series of large-scale field mesocosm experiments we explored the influence of competition and interaction strength on alewife dietary variation. Results from the whole lake comparison and field experiments indicated that increasing competition was negatively correlated with population dietary variation. Further, altering the strength of the interaction between alewife and their prey via prey supplementation eliminated this negative relationship. Collectively, our results suggest that competitive interactions may not drive dietary diversification in highly effective consumers. Our results also suggest that further consideration of the strength of species interactions (and the consumer traits that underlie them) would improve our understanding of the link between intraspecific competition and variation
Data from: The role of predation and food limitation on claims for compensation, reindeer demography and population dynamics
1. A major challenge in biodiversity conservation is to facilitate viable populations of large apex predators in ecosystems where they were recently driven to ecological extinction due to resource conflict with humans. 2. Monetary compensation for losses of livestock due to predation is currently a key instrument to encourage human–carnivore coexistence. However, a lack of quantitative estimates of livestock losses due to predation leads to disagreement over the practise of compensation payments. This disagreement sustains the human–carnivore conflict. 3. The level of depredation on year-round, free-ranging, semi-domestic reindeer by large carnivores in Fennoscandia has been widely debated over several decades. In Norway, the reindeer herders claim that lynx and wolverine cause losses of tens of thousands of animals annually and cause negative population growth in herds. Conversely, previous research has suggested that monetary predator compensation can result in positive population growth in the husbandry, with cascading negative effects of high grazer densities on the biodiversity in tundra ecosystems. 4. We utilized a long-term, large-scale dataset to estimate the relative importance of lynx and wolverine predation and density-dependent and climatic food limitation on claims for losses, recruitment and population growth rates in Norwegian reindeer husbandry. 5. Claims of losses increased with increasing predator densities, but with no detectable effect on population growth rates. Density-dependent and climatic effects on claims of losses, recruitment and population growth rates, were much stronger than the effects of variation in lynx and wolverine densities. 6. Synthesis and applications. Our analysis provides a quantitative basis for predator compensation and estimation of the costs of reintroducing lynx and wolverine in areas with free-ranging semi-domestic reindeer. We outline a potential path for conflict management which involves adaptive monitoring programs, open access to data, herder involvement, and development of management strategy evaluation (MSE) models to disentangle complex responses including multiple stakeholders and individual harvester decisions.
Data from: Male-limited secondary sexual trait interacts with environment in determining female fitness
Selection for secondary sexual traits (SSTs) elaboration may increase intralocus sexual conflict over the optimal values of traits expressed from shared genomes. This conflict can reduce female fitness, and the resulting gender load can be exacerbated by environmental stress, with consequences for a population's ability to adapt to novel environments. However, how the evolution of SSTs interacts with environment in determining female fitness is not well understood. Here, we investigated this question using replicate lines of bulb mites selected for increased or decreased prevalence of a male SST—thickened legs used as weapons. The fitness of females from these lines was measured at a temperature to which the mites were adapted (24°C), as well as at two novel temperatures: 18°C and 28°C. We found the prevalence of the SST interacted with temperature in determining female fecundity. At 28°C, females from populations with high SST prevalence were less fecund than females from populations in which the SST was rare, but the reverse was true at 18°C. Thus, a novel environment does not universally depress female fitness more in populations with a high degree of sexually selected dimorphism. We discuss possible consequences of the interaction we detected for adaptation to novel environments.
Data from: Nitrogen transformations differentially affect nutrient-limited primary production in lakes of varying trophic state
The concept of lakes "evolving" phosphorus (P) limitation has persisted in limnology despite limited direct evidence. Here, we developed a simple model to broadly characterize nitrogen (N) surpluses and deficits relative to P in lakes, and compared the magnitude of this imbalance to estimates of N gains and losses through biological N transformations. The model suggested that approximately half of oligotrophic lakes in the US had a stoichiometric N deficit, but almost 90% of the most productive lakes had a similar N deficit. Although reactive N appeared to accumulate in the most oligotrophic lakes, net denitrification perpetuated the N deficit in more productive lakes. Productive lakes tended to export reactive N via biological N transformations regardless of their N deficit. The lack of N accumulation through N fixation has important implications for our understanding of lake biogeochemistry, ecology, and eutrophication management.
Data from: Nutrient limitation in tropical secondary forests following different management practices
Secondary forests now make up more than half of all tropical forests, and constraints on their biomass accumulation will influence the strength of the terrestrial carbon (C) sink in the coming decades. However the variance in secondary tropical forest biomass for a given stand age and climate is high and our understanding of why is limited. We constructed a model of terrestrial C, nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) cycling to examine the influence of disturbance and management practices on nutrient limitation and biomass recovery in secondary tropical forests. The model predicted that N limited the rate of forest recovery in the first few decades following harvest, but that this limitation switched to P approximately 30-40 years after abandonment, consistent with field data on N and P cycling from secondary tropical forest chronosequences. Simulated biomass recovery agreed well with field data of biomass accumulation following harvest (R2=0.80). Model results showed that if all biomass remained on site following a severe disturbance such as blowdown, regrowth approached pre-disturbance biomass in 80-90 years, and recovery was faster following smaller disturbances such as selective logging. Field data from regrowth on abandoned pastures were consistent with simulated losses of nutrients in soil organic matter, particularly P. Following any forest disturbance that involved the removal of nutrients (i.e., except blowdown), forest regrowth produced reduced biomass relative to the initial state as a result of nutrient loss through harvest, leaching and/or sequestration by secondary minerals. Differences in nutrient availability accounted for 49-94% of the variance in secondary forest biomass C at a given stand age. Management lessons from this study are the importance of strategies that help retain nutrients on site, recognizing the role of coarse woody debris in immobilization and subsequent release of nutrients, and the potential for nutrient additions to enhance biomass growth and recovery in secondary tropical forests.
Data from: Consequences of habitat change and resource selection specialization for population limitation in cavity-nesting birds
Resource selection specialization may increase vulnerability of populations to environmental change. One environmental change that may negatively impact some populations is the broad decline of quaking aspen Populus tremuloides, a preferred nest tree of cavity-nesting organisms who are commonly limited by nest-site availability. However, the long-term consequences of this habitat change for cavity-nesting bird populations are poorly studied. I counted densities of woody plants and eight cavity-nesting bird species over 29 years in 15 high elevation riparian drainages in Arizona, USA. I also studied nest tree use and specialization over time based on 4946 nests across species. Aspen suffered a severe decline in availability over time, while understorey woody plants and canopy deciduous trees also declined. The decline of plants resulted from increased elk Cervus canadensis browsing linked to declining snowfall. Woodpeckers exhibited very high specialization (>95% of nests) on aspen for nesting, and densities of all six species declined with aspen over time. Mountain chickadees Poecile gambeli and house wrens Troglodytes aedon exhibited increasingly less specialization on aspen. Chickadees strongly increased in density over time, despite a relatively high specialization on aspen. House wren densities declined moderately over time, but nest box addition experiments demonstrated that nest-site availability was not limiting their population. House wren densities increased with understorey vegetation recovery in elk exclosures via increased generality of nest site use, demonstrating that the decline in understorey vegetation on the broader landscape was the cause of their population decline. Synthesis and applications. Management should target species that specialize in resource selection on a declining resource. Species with greater resource selection generalization can reduce population impacts of environmental change. Resource generalization can allow a species like the wren to take advantage of habitat refuges, such as those provided by the elk exclosures. Yet, resource generalization cannot offset the negative impacts of broad-scale declines in habitat quality on the landscape, as demonstrated by the general decline of wrens. Ultimately, aspen is an important habitat for biodiversity, and land management programs that protect and aid recovery of aspen habitats may be critical.
Data from: Nectar resource limitation affects butterfly flight performance and metabolism differently in intensive and extensive agricultural landscapes
Flight is an essential biological ability of many insects, but is energetically costly. Environments under rapid human-induced change are characterized by habitat fragmentation and may impose constraints on the energy income budget of organisms. This may, in turn, affect locomotor performance and willingness to fly. We tested flight performance and metabolic rates in Meadow brown butterflies (Maniola jurtina) of two contrasted agricultural landscapes: intensively managed, nectar-poor (IL) versus extensively managed, nectar-rich landscapes (EL). Young female adults were submitted to four nectar treatments (i.e. nectar quality and quantity) in outdoor flight cages. IL-individuals had better flight capacities in a flight mill and had lower resting metabolic rates (RMR) than EL-individuals, except under the severest treatment. Under this treatment, RMR increased in IL-individuals, but decreased in EL-individuals; flight performance was maintained by IL-individuals, but dropped by a factor 2.5 in EL-individuals. IL-individuals had more canalized (i.e. less plastic) responses relative to the nectar treatments than EL-individuals. Our results show significant intraspecific variation in the locomotor and metabolic response of a butterfly to different energy income regimes relative to the landscape of origin. Ecophysiological studies help improving our mechanistic understanding of the eco-evolutionary impact of anthropogenic environments on rare and widespread species.
Data from: Cold temperature extremes during spring do not limit the range shift of Mediterranean pines into regions with intermittent frost
Bioclimatic envelope models have predicted latitudinal range shifts of tree species in Europe following climate change. Accordingly, Mediterranean species will be able to migrate northwards if climatic conditions become warmer and dryer. Frost, on the other hand, is an important and recurring factor in temperate and boreal regions causing damage to buds and leaves, and potentially limiting the survival of Mediterranean tree species or populations at higher latitudes. Since species distribution models rely on average climatic parameters, they may underestimate the risk of frost damage from low temperature extremes. We measured the cold hardiness of Pinus sylvestris, Pinus nigra and Pinus halepensis seedlings from a total of 11 European populations growing in a common garden in a cold Central Alpine valley on seven dates between February and July 2013. On each date, needles were artificially frozen at several temperatures and the temperature estimated at which 50% of the needle tissue is damaged (LT50; relative electrolyte leakage). Cold hardiness did not differ between populations of the same species and was not related to the minimum temperatures at the seed origin. In comparison with deciduous trees, Mediterranean P. sylvestris and P. nigra maintained extremely wide safety margins against frost throughout late winter and spring. By contrast, safety margins of P. halepensis were much narrower until March and winter cold hardiness was in the range of regularly recurring low temperature events in Central Europe. According to the measured LT50 values, the migration of a wide range of drought-tolerant populations of P. sylvestris and P. nigra from the Mediterranean to Central and Western Europe is not limited by intermittent cold temperature extremes in spring. They are notably as well adapted to frost as populations from Central Alpine origin. Differences in dehardening patterns between species demonstrate the importance of analysing cold hardiness repeatedly during potentially sensitive periods in order to predict species range shifts in the context of climatic change.
Data from: Size selection by a gape-limited predator of a marine snail: insights into magic traits for speciation
The intertidal snail Littorina saxatilis has repeatedly evolved two parallel ecotypes assumed to be wave adapted and predatory shore crab adapted, but the magnitude and targets of predator-driven selection are unknown. In Spain, a small, wave ecotype with a large aperture from the lower shore and a large, thick-shelled crab ecotype from the upper shore meet in the mid-shore and show partial size-assortative mating. We performed complementary field tethering and laboratory predation experiments; the first set compared the survival of two different size-classes of the crab ecotype while the second compared the same size-class of the two ecotypes. In the first set, the large size-class of the crab ecotype survived significantly better than the small size-class both on the upper shore and in the laboratory. In the second set, the small size-class of the crab ecotype survived substantially better than that of the wave ecotype both on the upper shore and in the laboratory. Shell-breaking predation on tethered snails was almost absent within the lower shore. In the laboratory shore crabs (Pachygrapsus marmoratus) with larger claw heights selected most strongly against the small size-class of the crab ecotype, whereas those with medium claw heights selected most strongly against the thin-shelled wave ecotype. Sexual maturity occurred at a much larger size in the crab ecotype than in the wave ecotype. Our results showed that selection on the upper shore for rapid attainment of a size refuge from this gape-limited predator favors large size, thick shells, and late maturity. Model parameterization showed that size-selective predation restricted to the upper shore resulted in the evolution of the crab ecotype despite gene flow from the wave ecotype snails living on the lower shore. These results on gape-limited predation and previous ones showing size-assortative mating between ecotypes suggest that size may represent a magic trait for the thick-shelled ecotype.
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Allen Brain Atlas
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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
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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.
OpenNeuro
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