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266 results for “Climatic variation”
Developmental life history is associated with variation in rates of climatic niche evolution in a salamander adaptive radiation
Rates of climatic niche evolution vary widely across the tree of life and are strongly associated with rates of diversification and the accumulation of species diversity among clades. However, why the climatic niche evolves more rapidly in some lineages than others remains unclear. Variation in life history traits often plays a key role in determining the environmental conditions under which species can survive, and therefore, could impact the rate at which lineages can expand in available climatic niche space. Here, we explore the relationships among life-history variation, climatic niche breadth, and rates of climatic niche evolution. We reconstruct a new phylogeny for the genus Desmognathus, an adaptive radiation of salamanders distributed across eastern North America, based on nuclear and mitochondrial genes. Using this phylogeny, we estimate rates of climatic niche evolution for species with long, short, and no aquatic larval stage. Rates of climatic niche evolution are unrelated to the mean climatic niche breadth of species with different life histories. Instead, we find that the evolution of a short larval period promotes greater exploration of climatic space, leading to increased rates of climatic niche evolution across species having this trait. We propose that morphological and physiological differences associated with variation in larval stage length underlie the heterogeneous ability of lineages to explore climatic niche space. Rapid rates of climatic niche evolution among lineages with short larval periods were an important dimension of the clade's adaptive radiation and likely contributed to the rapid rate of lineage accumulation following the evolution of an aquatic life history in this clade. Our results show how variation in a key life-history trait can constrain or promote divergence of the climatic niche, leading to variation in rates of climatic niche evolution among lineages.
Data from: Climatic variation modulates the indirect effects of large herbivores on small-mammal habitat use
Large mammalian herbivores (LMH) strongly shape the composition and architecture of plant communities. A growing literature shows that negative direct effects of LMH on vegetation frequently propagate to suppress the abundance of smaller consumers. Indirect effects of LMH on the behaviour of these consumers, however, have received comparatively little attention despite their potential ecological significance. We sought to understand (i) how LMH indirectly shape small-mammal habitat use by altering the density and distribution of understorey plants; (ii) how these effects vary with climatic context (here, seasonality in rainfall); and (iii) the extent to which behavioural responses of small mammals are contingent upon small-mammal density. We tested the effects of a diverse LMH community on small-mammal habitat use using 4 years of spatially explicit small-mammal trapping and vegetation data from the UHURU Experiment, a replicated set of LMH exclosures in semi-arid Kenyan savanna. Small-mammal habitat use was positively associated with tree density and negatively associated with bare (unvegetated) patches in all plots and seasons. In the presence of LMH, and especially during the dry season, small mammals consistently selected tree cover and avoided bare patches. In contrast, when LMH were excluded, small mammals were weakly associated with tree cover and did not avoid bare patches as strongly. These behavioural responses of small mammals were largely unaffected by changes in small-mammal density associated with LMH exclusion. Our results show that LMH indirectly affect small-mammal behaviour, and that these effects are influenced by climate and can arise via density-independent mechanisms. This raises the possibility that anthropogenic LMH declines might interact with changing patterns of rainfall to alter small-mammal distribution and behaviour, independent of numerical responses by small mammals to these perturbations. For example, increased rainfall in East Africa (as predicted in many recent climate-model simulations) may relax constraints on small-mammal distribution where LMH are rare or absent, whereas increased aridity and/or drought frequency may tighten them.
Climate associated genetic variation in Fagus sylvatica and potential responses to climate change in the French Alps
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Local adaptation patterns have been found in many plants and animals, highlighting the genetic heterogeneity of species along their range of distribution. In the next decades, global warming is predicted to induce a change in the selective pressures that drive this adaptive variation, forcing a reshuffling of the underlying adaptive allele distributions. For species with low dispersion capacity and long generation time such as trees, the rapidity of the change could imped the migration of beneficial alleles and lower their capacity to track the changing environment. Identifying the main selective pressures driving the adaptive genetic variation is thus necessary when investigating species capacity to respond to global warming. In this study, we investigate the adaptive landscape of <i>Fagus sylvatica</i> along a gradient of populations in the French Alps. Using a double digest restriction-site associated DNA (ddRAD) sequencing approach, we identified 7,000 SNPs from 570 individuals across 36 different sites. A redundancy analysis (RDA)-derived method allowed us to identify several SNPs that were strongly associated with climatic gradients; moreover, we defined the primary selective gradients along the natural populations of <i>F. sylvatica</i> in the Alps. Strong effects of elevation and humidity, which contrast north-western and south-eastern site, were found and were believed to be important drivers of genetic adaptation. Finally, simulations of future genetic landscapes that used these findings allowed identifying populations at risk for <i>F. sylvatica </i>in the Alps, which could be helpful for future management plans. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
Data from: Parental overproduction allows siblicidal bird to adjust brood size to climate-driven prey variation
<p>Parental overproduction is hypothesized to hedge against uncertainty over food availability and stochastic death of offspring and to improve brood fitness. Understanding the evolution of overproduction requires quantifying its benefits to parents across a wide range of ecological conditions, which has rarely been done. Using a multiple hypotheses approach and 30 years of data, we evaluated the benefits of overproduction in the Blue-footed booby, a seabird that lays up to three eggs asynchronously, resulting in an aggressive brood hierarchy that facilitates the death of last-hatched chicks under low food abundance. Results support the resource-tracking hypothesis, as low prey abundance (estimated from sea surface temperature and chlorophyll-a concentration) led to rapid brood reduction. The insurance hypothesis was supported in broods of three, where last-hatched chicks' survival increased after a sibling's death. Conversely, in broods of two, results suggested that parents abandoned last-hatched chicks following first-hatched chicks' deaths. No direct evidence supported the facilitation hypothesis: the presence of a last-hatched chick during development did not enhance its sibling's fitness in the short or long term. The value of last-hatched offspring to parents, as "extra" or "insurance" varied with indices of food abundance, brood size, and parental age. Ninety percent of overproduction benefits came from enabling parents to capitalize on favorable conditions by fledging additional offspring. Our study provides insight into the forces driving overproduction, explaining the adaptiveness of this apparently wasteful behavior and allowing us to better predict how overproduction's benefits might be modified by ocean warming.</p>
Data and code from: Climatic variation allows montane willows to escape an adaptive tradeoff
<p>This repository contains the data and R code needed to reproduce all results and figures from Rosenblad & Ackerly (2024) Climatic variation allows montane willows to escape an adaptive tradeoff. File descriptions are below.</p> <p>analysis.R contains all R code.</p> <p>cutting_data.csv contains the following fields: 1- plant_id, a unique identifier for each genetically distinct in situ parent plant, from which cuttings were collected and propagated; 2- cutting_id, which specifies replicate cuttings from each in situ parent plant; 3- diameter_mm, the initial diameter at the base of each cutting (in millimeters) immediately following collection; and 4- height_cm, the initial height of each cutting.</p> <p>freezing_resistance_data.csv contains the following fields: 1- plant_id (see above); 2- cutting_id_1 (see cutting_id above); 3- cutting_id_2, which specifies replicate greenhouse-grown twigs sampled from each greenhouse plant (specified by cutting_id_1); and 4- new_growth, a binary variable indicating whether each twig survived and grew roots following the freezing treatment.</p> <p>leaf_and_shoot_mass_data.csv contains the following fields: 1- plant_id (see above); 2- cutting_id (see above); 3- shoots_g, the dry mass of all leaves harvested from the greenhouse plant at the end of the growth experiment; and 4- leaves_g, the dry mass of all shoots harvested from the greenhouse plant at the end of the growth experiment.</p> <p>plant_id.csv contains the following fields: 1- plant_id (see above); and 2- site_id, a unique identifier for the provenance site of each plant.</p> <p>psi_tlp_data.csv contains the following fields: 1- plant_id (see above); 2- cutting_id (see above); 3- psi_tlp_mpa, the measured turgor loss point (in megapascals); and 4- collection_environment, a binary variable distinguishing greenhouse plants from in situ parent plants.</p> <p>root_mass_data.csv contains the following fields: 1- plant_id (see above); 2- cutting_id (see above); and 3- root_mass_g, the dry mass of roots for the given measurement. Some plants had too much root material to measure all at once, so these plants were split into multiple measurement batches, each of which receives a row in this CSV.</p> <p>S_lemmonii_GBIF.csv contains occurrence data of S. lemmonii from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. There are many fields. The important fields for this use case are decimalLatitude and decimalLongitude, the WGS 84 coordinates (EPSG 4326) of each observation. Information on the other fields is available at gbif.org.</p> <p>treatment.csv contains the following fields: 1- plant_id (see above); 2- cutting_id (see above); and 3-treatment, a binary variable indicating whether each greenhouse plant received the drought or control treatment during the growth experiment.</p> <p>fig1.png and other similarly named .png files are the figures in the paper. They can be re-generated by running analysis.R.</p> <p>aet_1981_2010_bcm.tif contains mean annual actual evapotranspiration data for the period 1981-2010 from the Basin Characterization Model.</p> <p>aprpck1981_2010_ave_HST_1641848708.tif, and other files with the same basename but different extensions, contain mean April 1 snow water equivalent data for the period 1981-2010 from the Basin Characterization Model.</p> <p>ds542.shp, and other files with the same basename but different extensions, contains a polygon outlining the Sierra Nevada ecoregion.</p> <p>KR_sites_WGS84.shp, and other files with the same basename but different extensions, contain polygons of the provenance sites.</p> <p>tmn1981_2010may_ave_HST_1689800754.tif, and other files with the same basename but different extensions, contain mean May minimum temperature data fro the period 1981-2010 from the Basin Characterization Model.</p>
Climate biogeography of Arabidopsis thaliana: Linking distribution models and individual variation
<p>Patterns of individual variation are key to testing hypotheses about the mechanisms underlying biogeographic patterns. If species distributions are determined by environmental constraints, then populations near range margins may have reduced performance and be adapted to harsher environments. Model organisms are potentially important systems for biogeographical studies, given the available range‐wide natural history collections, and the importance of providing biogeographical context to their genetic and phenotypic diversity. We fit occurrence records to climate data and then projected the distribution of <em>Arabidopsis</em> under the last glacial maximum, current, and future climates. We confronted model predictions with individual performance measured on 2194 herbarium specimens, and we asked whether predicted suitability was associated with life history and genomic variation measured on ~900 natural accessions. The most important climate variables constraining the <em>Arabidopsis</em> distribution were winter cold in northern and high-elevation regions and summer heat in southern regions. Herbarium specimens from regions with lower habitat suitability in both northern and southern regions were smaller, supporting the hypothesis that the distribution of <em>Arabidopsis</em> is constrained by climate‐associated factors. Climate anomalies partly explained interannual variation in herbarium specimen size, but these did not closely correspond to local limiting factors identified in the distribution model. Late‐flowering genotypes were absent from the lowest suitability regions, suggesting slower life histories are only viable closer to the centre of the realized niche. We identified glacial refugia farther north than previously recognized, as well as refugia concordant with previous population genetic findings. Lower latitude populations, known to be genetically distinct, are most threatened by future climate change. The recently colonized range of Arabidopsis was well‐predicted by our native‐range model applied to certain regions but not others, suggesting it has colonized novel climates. Integration of distribution models with performance data from vast natural history collections is a route forward for testing biogeographical hypotheses about species distributions and their relationship with evolutionary fitness across large scales.</p>
Data from: Putative climate adaptation in American pikas (Ochotona princeps) is associated with copy number variation across environmental gradients
<p>Improved understanding of the genetic basis of adaptation to climate change is necessary for maintaining global biodiversity moving forward. Studies to date have largely focused on sequence variation, yet there is growing evidence that suggests that changes in genome structure may be an even more significant source of adaptive potential. The American pika (<em>Ochotona princeps</em>) is an alpine specialist that shows some evidence of adaptation to climate along elevational gradients, but previous work has been limited to single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based analyses within a fraction of the species range. Here, we investigated the role of copy number variation underlying patterns of local adaptation in the American pika using genome-wide data previously collected across the entire species range. We identified 37-193 putative copy number variants (CNVs) associated with environmental variation (temperature, precipitation, solar radiation) within each of the six major American pika lineages, with patterns of divergence largely following elevational and latitudinal gradients. Genes associated (<em>n</em>=158) with independent annotations across lineages, variables, and/or CNVs had functions related to mitochondrial structure/function, immune response, hypoxia, olfaction, and DNA repair, some of which have been previously linked to putative high elevation and/or climate adaptation that may serve as important targets in future studies.</p>
Climatic adaptation and phylogenetic history shape the intra-specific variation of CSR strategies in a widespread grass
<p>Data and R script for the paper entitled "Climatic adaptation and phylogenetic history shape the intra-specific variation of CSR strategies in a widespread grass".</p>
Mimulus cardinalis plasticity analyses and R scripts for: Spatial variation in high temperature-regulated gene expression predicts evolution of plasticity with climate change in the scarlet monkeyflower
<p>A major way that organisms can adapt to changing environmental conditions is by evolving increased or decreased phenotypic plasticity. In the face of current global warming, more attention is being paid to the role of plasticity in maintaining fitness as abiotic conditions change over time. However, given that temporal data can be challenging to acquire, a major question is whether evolution in plasticity across space can predict adaptive plasticity across time. In growth chambers simulating two thermal regimes, we generated transcriptome data for western North American scarlet monkeyflowers (<i>Mimulus cardinalis</i>) collected from different latitudes and years (2010 and 2017) to test hypotheses about how plasticity in gene expression is responding to increases in temperature, and if this pattern is consistent across time and space. Supporting the genetic compensation hypothesis, individuals whose progenitors were collected from the warmer-origin northern 2017 descendant cohort showed lower thermal plasticity in gene expression than their cooler-origin northern 2010 ancestors. This was largely due to a change in response at the warmer (40ºC) rather than cooler (20ºC) treatment. A similar pattern of reduced plasticity, largely due to a change in response at 40ºC, was also found for the cooler-origin northern versus the warmer-origin southern population from 2017. Our results demonstrate that reduced phenotypic plasticity can evolve with warming and that spatial and temporal changes in plasticity predict one another.</p>
Intraspecific trait variation in a dryland tree species corresponds to regional climate gradients
<p><strong>Aim:</strong> Intraspecific trait variation is fundamental to understanding a species' adaptive capacity. Assessing phenotypic variation at different ecological scales is useful for evaluating species' vulnerability to changing environmental conditions. Here we quantify the ecological scale of variation of phenotypic functional traits for a widespread dryland tree species in the western United States, <em>Pinus monophylla</em>, and evaluate the strength of trait-environment relationships across spatial gradients and in response to interannual variability in weather conditions.</p> <p><strong>Location:</strong> Western United States</p> <p><strong>Taxon:</strong> Conifer tree (Pinaceae): <em>Pinus monophylla</em></p> <p><strong>Methods:</strong> Nine reproductive and foliar morphological traits were measured from 23 sampling locations in nine mountain ranges, stratified across broad-scale gradients of precipitation timing and quantity and local gradients of elevation. We partitioned trait variation within and among nested ecological scales (mountain range, site, tree, and tree growth year). We then used multivariate methods to quantify the association between environmental variables and ecological trade-offs associated with both reproductive and foliar traits.</p> <p><strong>Results:</strong> Most variation was explained at the scale of individual trees (18–46%) and between growth years (20–30%), with smaller but variable contributions at the scale of sites (8–25%) and mountain ranges (0–15%). Trait values had low correlation with environmental variables (13%); however, 94% of the trait-environment covariance was explained by two major axes of variation: (1) the drought-stress gradient covarying with reproductive traits, and (2) precipitation patterns covarying with foliar morphology.</p> <p><strong>Main conclusions:</strong> High levels of individual trait variation indicate within-population adaptive capacity. Consistent relationships among range-wide patterns of foliar and reproductive traits and broad-scale climate gradients provide indirect evidence of local adaptation and may inform seed sourcing for restoration or the potential for assisted migration efforts. Quantification of intraspecific trait variation across multiple ecological scales is important for understanding the potential climate change response of dryland tree species.</p>
Data from: Functional traits underlying performance variations in the overwintering of the cosmopolitan invasive plant water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) under climate warming and water drawdown
<p><span>Reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicate that temperature rise is still the general trend of the global climate in the 21st century. Invasive species may benefit from the increase in temperature, as climate can be viewed as a resource, and the increase in the available resources favors the invasibility of invasive species. This study aimed to assess the overwintering growth of the cosmopolitan invasive plant water hyacinth (<em>Eichhornia crassipes</em>) at its northern boundary. Using <em>E. crassipes</em> as a model plant, a cross-year mesocosm experiment was conducted to determine 17 plant functional traits, including growth, morphological, root topological, photosynthetic and stoichiometric traits, under climate warming (ambient, temperature rises of 1.5°C and 3.0°C) and water drawdown or water withdrawal (water depths of 1 cm, 10 cm and 20 cm) treatments. The overwintering growth of <em>E. crassipes</em> was facilitated by climate warming and proper water drawdown, and climate warming played a leading role. A temperature rises of 3.0°C and a water depth of 10 cm were the most suitable conditions for the overwintering and rooting behavior of the plant. Controlling the temperature to within 1.5°C, an ambitious goal for China, still facilitated the overwintering of <em>E. crassipes</em>. With climate warming, the plant can overwinter successfully, which possibly assists it in producing and spreading new ramets in the vernal flood season. The new rooting behavior induced by ambient low temperature may be viewed as a unique growth adaptation strategy for a niche change, as it helps these plants invade empty niches left by dead free-floating plants on the water surface following winter freezes. With continued global warming, the distribution of the plant may expand northward, and eradication of the plant during the winter water drawdown period may be a more effective strategy.</span></p>
Range-wide intraspecific variation reflects past adaptation to climate in a gypsophile Mediterranean shrub
<p>Phenotypic differences among populations stem from the interaction between neutral and adaptive processes, and phenotypic plasticity. Although clinal trait variation along climatic gradients often evolves in widely-distributed species, it is unknown whether substrate specialization, such as that of Mediterranean gypsum plants, has constrained adaptation to climate. Using a common garden experiment with two contrasting watering treatments, we quantified phenotypic plasticity, assessed evidence for footprints of selection using FST - QST comparisons, and identified the ecological factors driving genetically-based phenotypic differentiation of 11 populations encompassing the full environmental range of the gypsum shrub Lepidium subulatum. We found evidence for genetic differentiation among populations related to climatic differences, with populations from warmer and drier sites showing lower specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf N, earlier phenology, greater water use efficiency (WUE) and greater fitness. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that this differentiation was driven by past divergent selection rather than neutral processes. All populations showed high phenotypic plasticity, indicating that plasticity has not been selected against, even in populations from sites with harsher climatic conditions.<br>Synthesis. Our results indicate that, despite strong substrate specialization, adaptive differentiation related to climatic gradients occurs in this species. However, we also found that populations from mesic sites may be particularly vulnerable to future climate change given their relatively lower fitness under both wet and dry conditions.</p>
Data from: Genetic variation in growth and leaf traits associated with local adaptation to climate in yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britton)
<p>Understanding patterns of variation in functional traits of hardwood trees is crucial for conserving and managing North American temperate forests under climate change. This study examined provenance variation of yellow birch (<em>Betula alleghaniensis</em> Britton) in growth, biomass allocation, leaf morphology, and stable carbon isotope composition. Trees were grown from ten seed sources originating from across Canada and the northern USA. Height and diameter were not significantly related to climate at seed origin, suggesting that variation may be better explained by site factors, such as soil pH and soil moisture. In contrast, carbon isotope composition and leaf morphological traits were significantly correlated to climate variables including temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation. Provenances from warmer, drier localities tended to have higher stable carbon isotope ratio (δ<sup>13</sup>C), greater specific leaf area, and narrower leaf width than their counterparts from cooler, wetter climates. Thus, variation in leaf morphological traits appears to be involved in adaptation of yellow birch to variation in temperature and moisture availability across the species' range. Our results suggest that there may exist potential for selection and breeding of drought resistant yellow birch genotypes to aid in reforestation under climate change. </p>
The effects of climate and demographic history in shaping genomic variation across populations of the Desert Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos)
<p>Species often experience spatial <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">environmental </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">heterogeneity </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">across their range</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">and </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">populations </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">may exhibit </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">signatures </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">of adaptation to local environmental </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">characteristics.</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2"> Other population</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2"> genetic</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2"> processes, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">such as </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">migration and genetic drift, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">can </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">impede the effect</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">s</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2"> of </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">local adaptation</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">. Genetic drift </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">in particular </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">can have a pronounced effect on population genetic structure during large-scale geographic expansions, where a series of founder effects lead</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">s</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2"> to decreases in genetic variation in the direction of the expansion. </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">Here </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">we explore the </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">genetic diversity</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2"> of a desert lizard that occupies a wide range of environmental conditions and that has experienced post-glacial expansion northwards along two colonization routes. </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">Based on our analyses of a large SNP dataset, we find evidence </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">that both </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">climate and demographic history</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2"> </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">have </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">shape</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">d</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2"> the </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">genetic</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2"> structure of</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2"> populations. </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">P</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">ronounced genetic differentiation</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2"> was evident </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">between populations occupying cold versus hot desert</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">s</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">,</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2"> and </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">we </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">detected numerous loci </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">with </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">significant association</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">s</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2"> with climate. The genetic signal of founder effect</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">s</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">, however, is still present in the genomes of the recently expanded populations</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">which</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2"> comprise subsets of genetic variation found in the southern populations, and </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">we found substantial evidence that </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW235808685 BCX2">genetic diversity of lizards differs along the two colonization routes.</span></p>
Data from: Life history variation in an invasive plant is associated with climate and recent colonization of a specialist herbivore
<p><b>Premise:</b> Spatial variation in selective pressures can lead to intraspecific variation in life history, favoring some life histories and constraining others depending on the vulnerability of life stages. We examined how spatial variation in herbivory and climate influences flowering size and the occurrence of semelparity (reproducing once) versus iteroparity (reproducing multiple times) in the introduced range of an invasive plant, houndstongue (<i>Cynoglossum officinale</i>). Houndstongue is a short-lived semelparous perennial in its native range. In its introduced range, we previously documented increased rates of iteroparity and a higher median threshold flowering size compared to the native range. We hypothesized that the recent introduction of a specialist biocontrol insect (a root-boring weevil, <i>Mogulones crucifer</i>) would decrease threshold flowering size, and reduce the proportion of iteroparous plants, because <i>M. crucifer</i> preferentially attacks large individuals and may reduce overwinter survival.</p> <p><b>Methods:</b> We surveyed 24 sites across the northwestern United States to quantify the frequency of semelparity versus iteroparity and to estimate weevil abundance, and used demographic data collected from six sites to estimate median threshold flowering size.</p> <p><b>Key Results</b>: We found that sites with greater winter precipitation and no weevils had a greater proportion of iteroparous plants. Sites with higher weevil attack had a lower median threshold flowering size.</p> <p><b>Conclusions:</b> The variation in frequency of flowering and threshold flowering size that we documented in North American houndstongue populations and the relationships between this variation and herbivory and climate provide evidence for how selective pressures covary with the life histories of invasive plants.</p>
Energy-water and seasonal variations in climate underlie the spatial distribution patterns of gymnosperms species richness in China
<p>Studying the pattern of species richness is crucial in understanding the diversity and distribution of organisms in the earth. Climate and human influences are the major driving factors that directly influence the large-scale distributions of plant species, including gymnosperms. Understanding how gymnosperms respond to climate, topography, and human-induced changes is useful in predicting the impacts of global change. Here, we attempt to evaluate how climatic and human-induced processes could affect the spatial richness patterns of gymnosperms in China. Initially, we divided a map of the country into grid cells of 50 × 50 km<sup>2 </sup>spatial resolution and plotted the geographical coordinate distribution occurrence of 236 native gymnosperm taxa. The gymnosperm taxa were separated into three response variables: (i) all species, (ii) endemic species, and (iii) non-endemic species, based on their distribution. The species richness patterns of these response variables to four predictor sets were also evaluated: (i) energy-water, (ii) climatic seasonality, (iii) habitat heterogeneity, and (iv) human influences. We performed generalized linear models (GLMs) and variation partitioning analyses to determine the effect of predictors on spatial richness patterns. The results showed that the distribution pattern of species richness was highest in the southwestern mountainous area and Taiwan in China. We found a significant relationship between the predictor variable set and species richness pattern. Further, our findings provide evidence that climatic seasonality is the most important factor in explaining distinct fractions of variations in the species richness patterns of all studied response variables. Moreover, it was found that energy-water was the best predictor set to determine the richness pattern of all species and endemic species, while habitat-heterogeneity has a better influence on non-endemic species. Therefore, we conclude that with the current climate fluctuations as a result of climate change and increasing human activities, gymnosperms might face a high risk of extinction.</p>
Data from: Inter-annual climate variation influences nest initiation date and nest productivity of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker at the northwestern edge of its range
<p>Climate change, including directional shifts in weather averages and extremes and increased inter-annual weather variation, is influencing demograhy and distributions for many bird species. We examined how temperature and precipitation coinciding with multiple nesting seasons affected overall nesting success and productivity for two red-cockaded woodpecker (<em>Dryobates borealis,</em> RCW) populations at the species' northwestern range periphery. We used 26 years of nesting data (1991-2016) from the two RCW populations to determine if inter-annual weather variation has affected nesting pehnology and productivity. We conducted analyses at both broad nesting periods (30 and 60 days before nesting; 40 days overalpping the nesting period up to fledging) and short windows to capture the effects of temperature and precipitation extremes on individual nests. For both RCW populations, warmer early spring temperatures generally advanced nesting and increased clutch size and fledgling number. However, effects of average precipitation varied depending on amount and duration of precipitation in different time periods. At the nest level, temperature and precipitation extremes were unrelated to nest success and loss of nestlings (brood loss). Our results indicate that RCWs are responding to the effects of climate change in various ways, with warming trends having a positive benefit on the species at its northwestern range periphery.</p>
Data from: Heat tolerance variation reveals vulnerability of tropical herbivore-parasitoid interactions to climate change
<p>Assessing the heat tolerance (CTmax) of organisms is central to understand the impact of climate change on biodiversity. While both environment and evolutionary history affect CTmax, it is unclear how these factors and their interplay influence ecological interactions, communities, and ecosystems under climate change. We collected and reared caterpillars and parasitoids from canopy and ground layers in different seasons in a tropical rainforest. We tested the CTmax and Thermal Safety Margins (TSM) of these food webs with implications for how species interactions could shift under climate change. We identified strong influence of phylogeny in herbivore-parasitoid community heat tolerance. The TSM of all insects were narrower in the canopy and parasitoids had lower heat tolerance compared to their hosts. Our CTmax-based simulation showed higher herbivore-parasitoid food web instability under climate change than previously assumed, highlighting the vulnerability of parasitoids and related herbivore control in tropical rainforests, particularly in the forest canopy.</p>
Behavioral responses of a large, heat-sensitive mammal to climatic variation at multiple spatial scales
<p>1. Climate warming creates energetic challenges for endothermic species by increasing metabolic and hydric costs of thermoregulation. Although endotherms can invoke an array of behavioral and physiological strategies for maintaining homeostasis, the relative effectiveness of those strategies in a climate that is becoming both warmer and drier is not well understood.</p> <p>2. In accordance with the heat dissipation limit theory, which suggests that allocation of energy to growth and reproduction by endotherms is constrained by the ability to dissipate heat, we expected that patterns of habitat use by large, heat-sensitive mammals across multiple scales are critical for behavioral thermoregulation during periods of potential heat stress and that they must invest a large portion of time to maintain heat balance.</p> <p>3. To test our predictions, we evaluated mechanisms underpinning the effectiveness of bed sites for ameliorating daytime heat loads and potential heat stress across the landscape while accounting for other factors known to affect behavior. We integrated detailed data on microclimate and animal attributes of moose <em>Alces</em> <em>alces</em>, into a biophysical model to quantify costs of thermoregulation at fine and coarse spatial scales.</p> <p>4. During summer, moose spent an average of 67.8% of daylight hours bedded, and selected bed sites and home ranges that reduced risk of experiencing heat stress. For most of the day, shade could effectively mitigate the risk of experiencing heat stress up to 10°C, but at warmer temperatures (up to 20℃) wet soil was necessary to maintain homeostasis via conductive heat loss. Consistent selection across spatial scales for locations that reduced heat load underscores the importance of the thermal environment as a driver of behavior in this heat-sensitive mammal.</p> <p>5. Moose in North America have long been characterized as riparian-obligate species because of their dependence on woody plant species for food. Nevertheless, the importance of dissipating endogenous heat loads conductively through wet soil suggests riparian habitats also are critical thermal refuges for moose. Such refuges may be especially important in the face of a warming climate in which both high environmental temperatures and drier conditions will likely exacerbate limits to heat dissipation, especially for large, heat-sensitive animals.</p>
Ecogeographical patterns in owl plumage colouration: climate and vegetation cover predict global colour variation
<p>Aim: Ecogeographical rules link animal colours, especially those produced by melanin pigments, with variation in environmental conditions over wide geographical scales. In particular, Gloger's rule, coined in two versions for endothermic animals, suggests that tegument darkness would increase at high temperature, as well as in highly humid environments. On the other hand, the thermal melanism hypothesis, predicts that darker colourations should be more frequent in colder areas given their thermoregulation benefits.</p> <p>Location: Global</p> <p>Time period: Contemporary</p> <p>Major taxa studied: Strigiformes</p> <p>Methods: Here, we provide a global comparative test of these contrasting expectations in all extant owls (n = 198 species), a group of nocturnal birds displaying huge variability in the degree of melanin-based plumage colouration and environmental specialization. Combining analyses at both species and assemblage level, we assessed the climatic and environmental variables explaining variation in plumage lightness and redness across broad geographical gradients.</p> <p>Results: Darker and redder owl phenotypes are more likely found near the equator. Species and assemblage level analyses reveal that owls have more frequently darker and redder plumages in warmer regions. In addition, owl species living in more vegetated areas are darker, and owl assemblages show darker colours in wetter areas.</p> <p>Main conclusions: Global patterns of colour variation in owls do not fit expectations from the thermal melanism hypothesis but supports Gloger´s rule. Our findings also stresses that several alternative selective forces may explain climatic effects on colouration over large geographical scales. Experimental work is urged to uncover the possible mechanisms behind the detected associations between owl colour and environmental variables.</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)
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.