Find research datasets worth reusing
Search datasets from major research repositories and use ShareScore to quickly assess how well each record supports discovery, access, and reuse.
110
datasets available to search
ShareScore release 0.9.0
Dataset results
110 results for “ecological response”
Does seasonal variation in the corticosterone response affect the nutritional ecology of a free-ranging lizard?
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Ecological and metabolomic responses of plants to deer exclosure in a suburban forest
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Intraspecific variation in mycorrhizal response is much larger than ecological literature suggests
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Precipitation variability can bias estimates of ecological controls on ecosystem productivity response to precipitation change
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
The Effects of Climate Downscaling Technique and Observational Dataset on Modeled Ecological Responses: Supporting Data Tables
These data have been prepared as a supplement to Pourmokhtarian et al. (2016; full citation below), where complete details on methods can be found. We evaluated three downscaling methods: the delta method (or the change factor method); monthly quantile mapping (Bias Correction-Spatial Disaggregation, or BCSD); and daily quantile regression (Asynchronous Regional Regression Model, or ARRM). Additionally, we trained outputs from four atmosphere-ocean general circulation models (AOGCMs) (CCSM3, HadCM3, PCM, and GFDL-CM2.1) driven by higher (A1fi) and lower (B1) future emissions scenarios on two sets of observations (1/8th degree resolution grid vs. individual weather station) to generate the high-resolution climate input for the forest biogeochemical model PnET-BGC (8 ensembles of 6 runs). This dataset consists of three files - 1) a zip archive file of all raw daily downscaled AOGCMs (csv format; years 1960-2099; delta method 2012-2099 only) which were used as input for PnET-BGC model, 2) a zip archive file of all PnET-BGC output files for each model run (csv format; years 1000-2100), and 3) a pdf document file that describes the content of the input and output files. Data were also used from the following Hubbard Brook longterm datasests: Daily Streamflow Watershed 6: http://dx.doi.org/10.6073/pasta/727ee240e0b1e10c92fa28641bedb0a3 Chemistry of Streamwater at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, Watershed 6: http://dx.doi.org/10.6073/pasta/2ec152b0ab1d4e64aa40f4aa9bc492ac Daily Precipitation Watershed 6: http://dx.doi.org/10.6073/pasta/17c8ff8b160bf7893ef39f75a02652e5 Daily Maximum/Minimum Temperature Data: http://dx.doi.org/10.6073/pasta/2a4ab5522ce15f28196a6035802b09e8 Daily Solar Radiation Data: http://dx.doi.org/10.6073/pasta/2fa098a5aa191c64e622b253c0fee5af These data were gathered as part of the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study (HBES). The HBES is a collaborative effort at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, which is operated and maintained by the USDA Forest
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: Ecological effects on metabolic scaling amphipod responses to fish predators in freshwater springs
Metabolic rate is commonly thought to scale with body mass to the 3/4-power as a result of universal body-design constraints. However, recent comparative work has shown that the metabolic scaling slope may vary significantly among species and higher taxa, apparently in response to different lifestyles and ecological conditions, though the precise mechanisms involved are not well understood. To better understand these under-appreciated ecological effects and their causes, it is important to control for extraneous phylogenetic and environmental influences. We demonstrate how this may be done by comparing the ontogenetic scaling of resting metabolic rate among populations of the same species (the amphipod Gammarus minus) in mid-Appalachian freshwater springs with similar, relatively constant environmental conditions, except for the varying presence of the predatory fish Cottus cognatus. We found that populations of G. minus exhibit significantly lower metabolic scaling slopes (0.54 to 0.62) in three freshwater springs with C. cognatus than in two springs without these fish (0.76 to 0.77). We tested multiple hypothetical causes for these population differences. Our results best supported the hypothesis that metabolic scaling was influenced by the effects of size-selective predation on the ontogeny of growth, a metabolically expensive process. The body-size scaling of growth is significantly less steep in the populations inhabiting springs with versus without fish, thus paralleling the interpopulation differences in metabolic scaling. Prematurational growth of G. minus is as high or higher in the fish springs, whereas postmaturational growth is significantly lower, often approaching zero. Similarly the amphipods in the fish springs tend to have higher metabolic rates at small sizes, but lower metabolic rates at large sizes, compared to those in the fishless springs. Our results do not support other hypothetical causes of the interpopulation variation in metabolic scaling, including differential scaling of cell size or low-metabolism body components (fat and mineralized exoskeleton), or possible effects of other environmental factors associated with the presence of fish. However, fish-induced population differences in adult behavioral activity may influence metabolic scaling in G. minus, a possibility under current study. We conclude that ecological factors may significantly influence metabolic scaling, contrary to common belief.
Data from "Removal of grazers alters the response of tundra soil carbon to warming and enhanced nitrogen availability", Ecological Monograps in October 2019
<p>Here we present the data used in the manuscript "<em>Removal of grazers alters the response of tundra soil carbon to warming and enhanced nitrogen availability</em>", Ecological Monograps, Early view in October 2019 by H. Ylänne, E. Kaarlejärvi, M. Väisänen, M. K. Männistö, S. H. K. Ahonen, J. Olofsson & S. Stark. In this paper we studied, how five years of experimental warming and increased soil nitrogen availability interact with both long- and short-term differences in grazing intensity in shaping ecosystem carbon stocks and the processes underlying the changes. We used an over 50-year-old reindeer fence that separates a lightly grazed shrub-dominated tundra from a heavily grazed graminoid-dominated tundra, where the different grazing histories on the two sides of the fences have created different ecosystem states. In addition to the long-term grazing difference, we also established short-term grazer exclosures on the heavily grazed side of the fence to account for the effect of a sudden grazing cessation.</p> <p>This file includes data of ecosystem carbon stocks, soil properties, and fungal and bacterial copy numbers. It also provides data on development of the vegetation through the course of the experiment (2010-2014) and presents the activities of six extracellular enzymes measured on three occasions in 2013.</p>
Data from: Predicting ecological responses in a changing ocean: the effects of future climate uncertainty
Predicting how species will respond to climate change is a growing field in marine ecology, yet knowledge of how to incorporate the uncertainty from future climate data into these predictions remains a significant challenge. To help overcome it, this review separates climate uncertainty into its three components (scenario uncertainty, model uncertainty, and internal model variability) and identifies four criteria that constitute a thorough interpretation of an ecological response to climate change in relation to these parts (awareness, access, incorporation, communication). Through a literature review, the extent to which the marine ecology community has addressed these criteria in their predictions was assessed. Despite a high awareness of climate uncertainty, articles favoured the most severe emission scenario, and only a subset of climate models were used as input into ecological analyses. In the case of sea surface temperature, these models can have projections unrepresentative against a larger ensemble mean. Moreover, 91% of studies failed to incorporate the internal variability of a climate model into results. We explored the influence that the choice of emission scenario, climate model, and model realisation can have when predicting the future distribution of the pelagic fish, Electrona antarctica. Future distributions were highly influenced by the choice of climate model, and in some cases, internal variability was important in determining the direction and severity of the distribution change. Increased clarity and availability of processed climate data would facilitate more comprehensive explorations of climate uncertainty, and increase in the quality and standard of marine prediction studies.
Data from: Ecological relevance of energy metabolism: transcriptional responses in energy sensing and expenditure to thermal and osmotic stresses in an intertidal limpet
For rocky intertidal species that experience changes in a number of potential stressors seasonally and during the tidal cycle, sensing cellular energy status and modulating it adaptively may be crucial for responding to stressor effects. However, the responses of energy metabolism of intertidal species to multiple sublethal stressors are still unclear. Here, we examined gene expression profiles of biomarkers related to sensing of cellular energy status and regulation of catabolism and energy expenditure in a mid-intertidal limpet Cellana toreuma for elucidating the species' cellular energy responses stresses from high temperature, desiccation and rainfall. Expression levels of genes encoding metabolic regulators [two subunits of AMP-activated protein kinase, ampkα, ampkβ; Fu gene inhibition axis formation, axin; two sirtuins, NAD-dependent deacetylase sirtuin-1 (sirt1); NAD-dependent deacetylase sirtuin-5 (sirt5)], metabolic enzymes (hexokinase, hk; pyruvate kinase, pk; isocitrate dehydrogenase, idh) and heat shock protein 70 (hsp70) were quantified in specimens exposed to different temperatures and aerial/freshwater spray conditions. Based on the gene expression patterns, all individuals could be divided into three groups with divergent cellular energy status, indicating that the selected target genes are appropriate indicators of cellular metabolism. The divergent gene expression patterns indicated a sequence in which individuals from group 1, group 2 and group 3 were faced with increasing energy stress. The frequency distributions of individuals in the three groups were different among different time points and treatments, indicating that high temperature, desiccation, and rainfall, singly or in combination, could cause energy stress. Compared to the high percentage (100%) of individuals placed in the highest-stress group (group 3), after 2 h of freshwater spray at 18 °C, the lower percentage (77·8%) of individuals in group 3 after 2 h of freshwater spray at 30 °C indicated the existence of interactive effects of high temperature and rain; high temperature resulted in a lower response of cellular energy metabolism to rainfall. Sublethal environmental stresses from single stressors such as temperature or osmotic challenges can lead to cellular energy stress. Interactions among stressors may lead to a complex overall effect on cellular energy status in intertidal species.
Data from: Ecological selection of siderophore-producing microbial taxa in response to heavy metal contamination
Some microbial public goods can provide both individual and community-wide benefits, and are open to exploitation by non-producing species. One such example is the production of metal-detoxifying siderophores. Here, we investigate whether conflicting selection pressures on siderophore production by heavy metals – a detoxifying effect of siderophores, and exploitation of this detoxifying effect – results in a net increase or decrease. We show that the proportion of siderophore-producing taxa increases along a natural heavy metal gradient. A causal link between metal contamination and siderophore production was subsequently demonstrated in a microcosm experiment in compost, in which we observed changes in community composition towards taxa that produce relatively more siderophores following copper contamination. We confirmed the selective benefit of siderophores by showing that taxa producing large amount of siderophores suffered less growth inhibition in toxic copper. Our results suggest that ecological selection will favour siderophore-mediated decontamination, with important consequences for potential remediation strategies.
Data from: The past ecology of Abies alba provides new perspectives on future responses of silver fir forests to global warming
Paleoecology can provide valuable insights into the ecology of species that complement observation and experiment-based assessments of climate-impact dynamics. New paleoecological records (e.g. pollen, macrofossils) from the Italian Peninsula suggest a much wider climatic niche of the important European tree species Abies alba (silver fir) than observed in its present spatial range. To explore this discrepancy between current and past distribution we analyse climatic data (e.g. temperature, precipitation, frost, humidity, sunshine) and vegetation-independent paleoclimatic reconstructions (e.g. lake levels, chironomids) and use global coupled carbon-cycle climate (NCAR CSM1.4) and dynamic vegetation (LANDCLIM) modelling. The combined evidence suggests that during the mid-Holocene (ca. 6000 years ago), prior to humanization of vegetation, A. alba formed forests under conditions that exceeded modern (1961-1990) upper temperature limit of the species by ca. 5-7 {degree sign}C (July means). Annual precipitation during this natural period was comparable to today (>700-800 mm), with drier summers and wetter winters. In the meso-mediterranean to sub-mediterranean forests A. alba co-occurred with thermophilous taxa such as Quercus ilex, Q. pubescens, Olea europaea, Phillyrea, Arbutus, Cistus, Tilia, Ulmus, Acer, Hedera helix, Ilex aquifolium, Taxus, and Vitis. Results from the last interglacial (ca. 130,000-115,000 BP), when human impact was negligible, corroborate the Holocene evidence. Thermophilous Mediterranean A. alba stands became extinct during the last 5000 years when land-use pressure and specifically excessive anthropogenic fire and browsing disturbance increased. Our results imply that the ecology of this key European tree species is not yet well understood. On the basis of the reconstructed realized climatic niche of the species, we anticipate that the future geographic range of A. alba may not contract regardless of migration success, even if climate should become significantly warmer than today with summer temperatures increasing by up to 5-7{degree sign}C, as long as precipitation does not fall below 700-800 mm/year, and disturbance (e.g. fire, browsing) does not become excessive. Our finding contradicts recent studies that projected range contractions under global-warming scenarios, but did not factor how millennia of human impacts reduced the realized climatic niche of A. alba.
Data from: The influence of ecological and life history factors on ectothermic temperature-size responses: analysis of three Lycaenidae butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Body size has been shown to decrease with increasing temperature in many species, prompting the suggestion that it is a universal ecological response. However, species with complex life cycles, such as holometabolous insects, may have correspondingly complicated temperature-size responses. Recent research suggests that life history and ecological traits may be important for determining the direction and strength of temperature-size responses. Yet, these factors are rarely included in analyses. Here, we aim to determine if the size of the bivoltine butterfly, Polyommatus bellargus, and the univoltine butterflies, Plebejus argus and Polyommatus coridon, change in response to temperature and whether these responses differ between the sexes, and for P. bellargus, between generations. Forewing length was measured using digital specimens from the Natural History Museum, London (NHM), from one locality in the UK per species. The data were initially compared to annual and seasonal temperature values, without consideration of life history factors. Sex and generation of the individuals and mean monthly temperatures, which cover the growing period for each species, were then included in analyses. When compared to annual or seasonal temperatures only, size was not related to temperature for P. bellargus and P. argus, but there was a negative relationship between size and temperature for P. coridon. When sex, generation and monthly temperatures were included, male adult size decreased as temperature increased in the early larval stages, and increased as temperature increased during the late larval stages. Results were similar but less consistent for females, while second generation P. bellargus showed no temperature-size response. In P. coridon, size decreased as temperature increased during the pupal stage. These results highlight the importance of including life history factors, sex and monthly temperature data when studying temperature-size responses for species with complex life cycles.
Data from: Ecological co-associations influence species' responses to past climatic change: an example from a Sonoran Desert bark beetle
Ecologically interacting species may have phylogeographic histories that are shaped both by features of their abiotic landscape, and by biotic constraints imposed by their co-association. The Baja California peninsula provides an excellent opportunity to examine the influence of abiotic vs. biotic factors on patterns of diversity in plant-insect species. This is because past climatic and geological changes impacted the genetic structure of plants quite differently to that of co-distributed free-living animals (e.g., herpetofauna and small mammals). Thus, 'plant-like' patterns should be discernible in host-specific insect herbivores. Here we investigate the population history of a monophagous bark beetle, Araptus attenuatus, and consider drivers of phylogeographic patterns in light of previous work on its host plant, Euphorbia lomelii. Based on mitochondrial and nuclear markers, we found that the evolutionary history of A. attenuatus exhibits similarities to host plant that are attributable to both biotic and abiotic processes. Southward range expansion and recent colonization of continental Sonora peninsula appear to be unique to this taxon pair, and likely reflect influences of the host plant. On the other hand, abiotic factors with landscape-level influences on suites of co-distributed taxa, such as Plio- and Pleistocene-aged marine incursions in the region, also left genetic signatures in beetle populations. Superimposed on these similarities, bark beetle-specific patterns and processes were also evident. Taken together, this work illustrates that the evolutionary history of species-specific insect herbivores may represent a mosaic of influences, including—but not limited to—those imposed by the host plant.
Data from: Ecological change alters the evolutionary response to harvest in a freshwater fish
Harvesting can induce rapid evolution in animal populations, yet the role of ecological change in buffering or enhancing that response is poorly understood. Here, we developed an eco-genetic model to examine how ecological changes brought about by two notorious invasive species – zebra and quagga mussels– influence harvest-induced evolution and resilience in a freshwater fish. Our study focused on lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) in the Laurentian Great Lakes, where the species supports valuable commercial and subsistence fisheries, and where the invasion of dreissenid (zebra and quagga) mussels caused drastic shifts in ecosystem productivity. Using our model system, we predicted faster rates of evolution of maturation reaction norms in lake whitefish under pre-invasion ecosystem conditions when growth and recruitment of young to the population were high. Slower growth rates that occurred under post-invasion conditions delayed when fish became vulnerable to the fishery, thus decreasing selection pressure and lessening the evolutionary response to harvest. Fishing with gill nets and traps nets generally selected for early maturation at small sizes, except when fishing at low levels with small mesh gill nets under pre-invasion conditions; in this latter case, evolution of delayed maturation was predicted. Overall, the invasion of dreissenid mussels lessened the evolutionary response to harvest, while also reducing the productivity and commercial yield potential of the stock. These results demonstrate how ecological conditions shape evolutionary outcomes and how invasive species can have a direct effect on evolutionary responses to harvest and sustainability.
Data from: Extreme ecological response of a seabird community to unprecedented sea ice cover
Climate change has been predicted to reduce Antarctic sea ice but, instead, sea ice surrounding Antarctica has expanded over the past 30 years, albeit with contrasted regional changes. Here we report a recent extreme event in sea ice conditions in East Antarctica and investigate its consequences on a seabird community. In early 2014, the Dumont d'Urville Sea experienced the highest magnitude sea ice cover (76.8%) event on record (1982–2013: range 11.3–65.3%; mean±95% confidence interval: 27.7% (23.1–32.2%)). Catastrophic effects were detected in the breeding output of all sympatric seabird species, with a total failure for two species. These results provide a new view crucial to predictive models of species abundance and distribution as to how extreme sea ice events might impact an entire community of top predators in polar marine ecosystems in a context of expanding sea ice in eastern Antarctica.
Data from: Innovative consumers: ecological, behavioral and physiological predictors of responses to novel food
Consumer innovation, i.e. the acquisition and consumption of novel food types, has received little attention despite its predominance among animal innovations, and its potential implications for the ecology and evolution of species in a changing world. Results of the few studies that have investigated individual responses to novel foods suggest that various ecological, behavioral, and physiological variables may impact individual propensity for consumer innovation, but further work is needed to clarify these relationships. We investigated if urbanization, social rank, exploratory personality, and baseline levels of corticosterone predict food neophobia and consumer innovation responses of wild-caught black-capped chickadees (N=170) from 14 sites along an urbanization gradient. Our analyses do not support a link between food neophobia or consumer innovation and urbanization, dominance or exploratory personality. However, birds with higher levels of baseline corticosterone were quicker to contact novel food types, and more likely to consume novel foods than individuals with lower levels of the hormone. This finding suggests that physiological states that promote foraging behavior might drive individual responses to novel food. Additionally, we found that chickadees tested later in autumn were less neophobic than those tested earlier in the season, perhaps reflecting seasonal changes in food availability. Together, the ability of baseline corticosterone and date of capture to predict responses to novel food suggest that necessity may drive consumer innovation in chickadees.
Data files for «Wood warbler population dynamics in response to mast seeding regimes in Europe», Journal: Ecology
<p><strong>Abstract</strong></p><p>Mast seeding is the episodic, massive production of plant seeds synchronized over large areas. The resulting superabundance of seeds represents a resource pulse that can profoundly affect animal populations across trophic levels. Following years of high seed production, abundances of both seed consumers and their predators increase. Higher predator abundance leads to increased predation pressure across the trophic web, impacting non-seed consumers such as the wood warbler <i>Phylloscopus sibilatrix</i> through increased nest predation after tree mast years. Over the past 30 years, the frequency of tree seed masts has increased while wood warbler populations have declined in several regions of Europe. We hypothesised that increasing mast frequencies may have contributed to the observed population declines by creating suboptimal breeding conditions in years after masting. We measured reproductive output in four study areas in central Europe, which was between 0.61 and 1.24 fledglings lower in years following masting than non-masting. For each study area, we used matrix population models to predict population trends based on the estimated reproductive output and the local mast frequencies. We then compared the predicted with the observed population trends to assess if the frequency of mast years contributed to the population dynamics. In Wielkopolska National Park (PL) and Hessen (DE), masting occurred on average only every 4 years and populations were stable or nearly so, whereas in Jura (CH) and Białowieża National Park (PL), masting occurred every 2 and 2.5 years, respectively, and populations were declining. The simple matrix population models predicted the relative difference among local population trends over the past 10-20 years well, suggesting that the masting frequency may partly explain regional variation in population trends. Simulations suggest that further increases in mast frequency will lead to further declines in wood warbler populations. We show that changes in a natural process, such as mast seeding, may contribute to the declines of animal populations through cascading effects.</p>
Data and code for: A sensory ecology of fear: Eye size predicts moonlight avoidance responses in Neotropical electric fishes
<p>Data in support of: Eye size predicts moonlight avoidance responses in Neotropical electric fishes</p>
Telomere length correlates with physiological and behavioural responses of a long-lived seabird to an ecologically-relevant challenge
<p>Determinants of individual variation in reallocation of limited resources towards self-maintenance versus reproduction are not well known. We tested the hypothesis that individual heterogeneity in long-term "somatic state" a) explains variation in endocrine and behavioural responses to environmental challenges, and b) is associated with variation in strategies for allocating to self-maintenance versus reproduction. We used relative telomere length as an indicator of somatic state and experimentally generated an abrupt short-term reduction of food availability (withdrawal of food supplementation) for free-living seabirds (Black-legged kittiwakes, Rissa tridactyla). Incubating male kittiwakes responded to withdrawal by increasing circulating corticosterone and losing more weight compared to continuously supplemented controls. Males with longer telomeres increased time in directed travel regardless of treatment, while experiencing smaller increases in corticosterone. Males with longer telomeres fledged more chicks in the control group and tended to be more likely to return regardless of treatment. This study supports the hypothesis that somatic state can explain variation in short-term physiological and behavioural responses to challenges, and longer-term consequences for fitness. Male kittiwakes with longer telomeres appear to have prioritized investment in self over investment in offspring under challenging conditions.</p>
ScienceDex guides
Understand access before you commit
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.