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162 results for “spatial ecology”
Data from: The spatial patterns of community composition, their environmental drivers and their spatial scale dependence vary markedly between fungal ecological guilds
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Data from: Ecological and social factors constrain spatial and temporal opportunities for mating in a migratory songbird
Many studies of sexual selection assume that individuals have equal mating opportunities and that differences in mating success result from variation in sexual traits. However, the inability of sexual traits to explain variation in male mating success suggests that other factors moderate the strength of sexual selection. Extrapair paternity is common in vertebrates and can contribute to variation in mating success and thus serves as a model for understanding the operation of sexual selection. We developed a spatially explicit, multifactor model of all possible female-male pairings to test the hypothesis that ecological (food availability) and social (breeding density, breeding distance, and the social mate's nest stage) factors influence an individual's opportunity for extrapair paternity in a socially monogamous bird, the black-throated blue warbler, Setophaga caerulescens. A male's probability of siring extrapair young decreased with increasing distance to females, breeding density, and food availability. Males on food-poor territories were more likely to sire extrapair young, and these offspring were produced farther from the male's territory relative to males on food-abundant territories. Moreover, males sired extrapair young mostly during their social mates' incubation stage, especially males on food-abundant territories. This study demonstrates how ecological and social conditions constrain the spatial and temporal opportunities for extrapair paternity that affect variation in mating success and the strength of sexual selection in socially monogamous species.
The unique spatial ecology of human hunters
<p>Human hunters are described as 'superpredators' with a unique ecology. Chronic Wasting Disease among cervids and African swine fever among wild boar are emerging wildlife diseases in Europe with huge economic and cultural repercussions. Understanding hunter movements at broad scales has implications for how to control their spread. Here we show, based on the analysis of the settlement patterns and movements of reindeer (n = 9,685), red deer (n = 47,845), moose (n = 60,365), and roe deer (n = 42,530) hunters from across Norway (2001-2017), that hunter density was more closely linked to human density than prey density, that hunters were largely migratory, aggregated with increasing regional prey densities and often used dogs. Hunter movements extended across Europe and to other continents. Our results provide extensive evidence that the broad-scale movements and residency patterns of post-industrial hunters relative to their prey differ from those of large carnivores.</p>
The spatial ecology of Mojave Rattlesnakes (Crotalus scutulatus), Prairie Rattlesnakes (C. viridis), and their hybrids in southwestern New Mexico
<p>Hybridization between species provides unique opportunities to understand evolutionary processes that are linked to reproductive isolation and ultimately speciation. The extrinsic factors that limit hybridization, however, are poorly understood for most animal systems. Although the spatial ecology of individuals in natural habitats is fundamental to shaping reproductive success and survival, analyses of the spatial ecology of hybrids and their parental groups are rarely reported. Here we used radiotelemetry to monitor wild rattlesnakes across an interspecific hybrid zone (<em>Crotalus scutulatus </em>and <em>C. viridis</em>) and measured movement parameters and space use (Utilization Distributions, UDs) of individuals to evaluate the hypothesis that hybridization resulted in transgressive or atypical movement patterns. Unexpectedly, of the spatial metrics we investigated, we found that hybrids were very similar to parental individuals. Nonetheless, hybrids did show increased patchiness of core UDs, but this result is likely driven by increased habitat patchiness in the hybrid zone. Overall, we did not find evidence for overt extrinsic barriers to hybridization associated with spatial ecology; thus, we suggest that the close evolutionary history between the two parental species—and their ecological and behavioral similarities—likely increases the probability of hybridization events in this unique region of New Mexico.</p>
Data for Characterizing the spatial signal of environmental DNA in river systems using a community ecology approach
<p>Environmental DNA (eDNA) is gaining a growing popularity among scientists but its applicability to biodiversity research and management remains limited in river systems by the lack of knowledge about the spatial extent of the downstream transport of eDNA.</p> <p>Here, we assessed the ability of eDNA inventories to retrieve spatial patterns of fish assemblages along two large and species rich Neotropical rivers. We first examined overall community variation with distance through the distance decay of similarity and compared this pattern to capture-based samples. We then considered previous knowledge on individual species distributions, and compared it to the eDNA inventories for a set of 53 species.</p> <p>eDNA collected from 28 sites in the Maroni and 25 sites in the Oyapock rivers permitted to retrieve a decline of species similarity with distance between sites. The distance decay of similarity derived from eDN<span>A </span>was similar, and even more pronounced, than that obtained with capture-based methods (gil-nets). In addition, the species upstream-downstream distribution range derived from eDNA matched to the known distribution of most species.</p> <p>Our results demonstrate that environmental DNA does not represent an integrative measure of biodiversity across the whole upstream river basin but provide a relevant picture of local fish assemblages. Importantly, the spatial signal gathered from eDNA was therefore comparable to that gathered with local capture based methods, which describes fish fauna over a few hundred metres.</p>
Dataset for: An optimisation approach for designing wildlife corridors with ecological and spatial considerations
<p>The fragmentation of wildlife habitats caused by anthropogenic activities has reduced biodiversity and impaired key ecosystem functions. Wildlife corridors play an important role in linking detached habitats. The optimal design of such corridors considering spatial, ecological, and economic factors is addressed in this paper.</p> <p>We present a novel graph-theoretic optimisation approach and a mixed-integer linear programming model to determine an optimal wildlife corridor connecting two given habitat patches. The model maximises the total quality of the corridor and satisfies pre-specified corridor width and length requirements under a resource constraint.</p> <p>Compared to the corridor design models presented in the literature, our model is conceptually simpler, and it is computationally convenient. We applied the model to a real data set for Eldorado National Forest in California, USA, involving 1,363 irregular land parcels.</p> <p>The model can be extended to design multiple corridors that connect two or more existing habitat patches.</p>
Determinism and stochasticity in the spatial-temporal continuum of ecological communities: the case of tropical mountains
<p>Ecological communities are assembled in a spatial-temporal continuum. However, we still have a poor understanding of the relative importance of different mechanisms structuring community composition (i.e., beta-diversity) in space and time. In this study, we start by introducing a conceptual model that capitalizes upon the core-occasional species concept to predict that the assembly process in tropical mountains is driven by the deterministic turnover of core species in space via habitat sorting, but the turnover of occasional species through time via stochastic events of colonization and local extinctions. We then propose a general analytical framework that allows assessing these predictions by partitioning the total variance of a species-by-site-by-time matrix (i.e., total beta-diversity) among its purely spatial (variation in space independent of time), purely temporal (variation in time independent of space), and spatiotemporal (i.e., variation across different sites across different moments in time) components. Through simulation models, we provided theoretical support that the proposed analytical framework is suitable to test the predictions derived from our conceptual model. We then used this framework to identify general patterns and quantify the relative importance of processes underlying the spatial and temporal organization of ten distinct insect metacommunities along a tropical elevational gradient. As predicted, we found that, across taxa, spatial beta-diversity was mainly explained by environmental variation alone: a pattern that indicates the spatial turnover of core species. In contrast, temporal beta-diversity could not be distinguished from the expectation of null models where communities are simply represented by random draws from species pools: a pattern that indicates a temporal turnover of occasional species within communities. Taken together, our findings illustrate how our conceptual model and quantitative framework can articulate a better understanding of community assembly in space and time.</p>
Spatial phylogenetic and phenotypic patterns reveal ontogenetic shifts in ecological processes of plant community assembly
The analysis of spatial phylogenetic and phenotypic structure of plant communities provides insight into the underlying processes and interactions governing their assembly, and how these may change during plant ontogeny. We used point pattern analysis to find out if saplings and adult plants are surrounded by phylogenetically and phenotypically more similar or dissimilar neighbours than expected by chance, and whether these associations change from the sapling to the adult stage. To this end, we combined information on the phylogenetic structure and eight phenotypic traits of 15 woody plant species in two Mediterranean mixed forests of southeastern Spain. At the community level, we found that the sapling bank at both sites did not show phylogenetic or phenotypic spatial patterns, but adults showed phylogenetic clustering (i.e., heterospecific neighbours were more similar than expected). At the species level, we found frequently repulsive patterns in the sapling bank of less abundant species (i.e., heterospecific sapling or adult neighbours were more dissimilar than expected) in both, phylogenetic and phenotypic analyses. For the adult stage, we found phylogenetic attraction (i.e., more similar neighbours) in just one species and phenotypic clustering in four species. The processes driving the assembly of the communities of saplings and adults leave detectable signals in the spatial phylogenetic and phenotypic structure of our two forest communities. Our findings reinforce the existence of ontogenetic shifts in the mechanisms involved in plant community assembly. Facilitation between phylogenetically distant and phenotypically divergent species favours the recruitment of less abundant species. However, processes acting later in the ontogeny ameliorate the competition between close relatives and determine the spatial structure of adult plants. Nevertheless, the role of phenotype in shaping adult-adult interactions was context- and trait-dependent. The use of spatial point pattern analysis allowed a nuanced interpretation of the phylogenetic and phenotypic structures of the plant community.
Figure 7 in Analysis of the spatial organization of Vallonia pulchella (Muller, 1774) ecological niche in Technosols (Nikopol manganese ore basin, Ukraine)
Figure 7. Results of MADIFA-mapping of Vallonia pulchella ecological niche.
R code and simulation output for Efford, M. G. & Boulanger, J. 2019. Fast evaluation of study designs for spatially explicit capture-recapture. Methods in Ecology and Evolution
<p>R code and simulation output for Efford, M. G. & Boulanger,<br> J. 2019. Fast evaluation of study designs for spatially explicit<br> capture-recapture. Methods in Ecology and Evolution In press.</p> <p>R code draws on previously published R packages 'secr' and 'secrdesign' available from CRAN:</p> <p><a href="https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=secr">https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=secr</a></p> <p><a href="https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=secrdesign">https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=secrdesign</a></p>
Data from: Are buffalograss (Buchloë dactyloides) cytotypes spatially and ecologically differentiated?
Premise of the study Although autopolyploidy is common among dominant Great Plains grasses, the distribution of cytotypes within a given species is typically poorly understood. This study aims to establish the geographic distribution of cytotypes within buffalograss (Buchloë dactyloides), and to assess whether individual cytotypes exhibit differing ecological tolerances. Methods A range-wide set of 578 B. dactyloides individuals was obtained through field collecting and sampling from herbarium specimens. The cytotype of each sample was estimated by observing allele numbers at thirteen simple sequence repeat loci, a strategy that was assessed by comparing estimated to known cytotype in 79 chromosome-counted samples. Ecological differentiation between the dominant tetraploid and hexaploid cytotypes was assessed with analyses of macro-climatic variables. Key results Simple sequence repeat variation accurately estimated cytotype in 89% of samples from which a chromosome count had been obtained. Applying this approach to samples of unknown ploidy established that diploids and pentaploids are rare, with the common tetraploid and hexaploid cytotypes generally occurring in sites to the north/west (tetraploid) or south/east (hexaploid) portions of the species range. Both MANOVA and niche modeling approaches identified significant but subtle differences in macro-climatic conditions at the set of locations occupied by these two dominant cytotypes. Conclusions Incorporating chromosome count vouchers and cytotype-estimated herbarium records allowed us to perform the largest study of cytotype niche differentiation to date. Buffalograss cytotypes differ greatly in frequency, the common tetraploid and hexaploid cytotypes are non-randomly distributed, and these two cytotypes are subtly ecologically differentiated.
Data and codes to replicate the analysis in: The spatial ecology of conflicts: Unravelling patterns of wildlife damage at multiple scales
<p><span><span>Human encroachment into natural habitats is typically followed by conflicts derived from wildlife damages to agriculture and livestock. Spatial risk modelling is a useful tool to gain understanding of wildlife damage and mitigate conflicts. Although resource selection is a hierarchical process operating at multiple scales, risk models usually fail to address more than one scale, which can result in the misidentification of the underlying processes. Here, we addressed the multi-scale nature of wildlife damage occurrence by considering ecological and management correlates interacting from household to landscape scales. We studied brown bear (<i>Ursus arctos</i>) damage to apiaries in the North-eastern Carpathians as our model system. Using generalized additive models, we found that brown bear tendency to avoid humans and the habitat preferences of bears and beekeepers determine the risk of bear damage at multiple scales. Damage risk at fine scales increased when the broad landscape context also favoured damages. Furthermore, integrated-scale risk maps resulted in more accurate predictions than single-scale models. Our results suggest that principles of resource selection by animals can be used to understand the occurrence of damages and help mitigate conflicts in a proactive and preventive manner. </span></span></p>
Data and code: Global and regional ecological boundaries explain abrupt spatial discontinuities in avian frugivory interactions
<p>Species interactions can propagate disturbances across space via direct and indirect effects, potentially connecting species at a global scale. However, ecological and biogeographic boundaries may mitigate this spread by demarcating the limits of ecological networks. We tested whether large-scale ecological boundaries (ecoregions and biomes) and human disturbance gradients increase dissimilarity among plant-frugivore networks, while accounting for background spatial and elevational gradients and differences in network sampling. We assessed network dissimilarity patterns over a broad spatial scale, using 196 quantitative avian frugivory networks (encompassing 1,496 plant and 1,004 bird species) distributed across 67 ecoregions, 11 biomes, and 6 continents. We show that dissimilarities in species and interaction composition, but not network structure, are greater across ecoregion and biome boundaries and along different levels of human disturbance. Our findings indicate that biogeographic boundaries delineate the world's biodiversity of interactions and likely contribute to mitigating the propagation of disturbances at large spatial scales.</p>
Data from: Drought-induced relocation of ant colonies and its consequences for the long-term spatial ecology of a population under stress
<ol> <li>Maintaining a central refuge such as a nest or burrow can offer protection against environmental stressors but comes at the expense of the capacity to disperse to new locations. This trade-off with mobility can be detrimental when environmental conditions become adverse for extended periods, necessitating animals to relocate in order to track shifting niche envelopes.</li> <li>Long-lived ant colonies that invest in the construction of large nests are especially susceptible to changing environmental conditions. The Australian meat ant, <em>Iridomyrmex</em> <em>purpureus</em>, build large terrestrial nests at sites that balance shade and solar exposure.</li> <li>Long-term study of a population of meat ants showed low nest turnover and a stable spatial distribution of nests across typical rainfall years. With the onset of drought, a dramatic surge in the production of new nests occurred through a process of budding that far exceeded historic trends. This appears to have allowed colonies to relocate nests into areas with more favourable microclimate conditions in a strategy reminiscent of the production of runners in stressed plants. The consequence has also been the packing of nests into a narrow habitable zone that has resulted in an apparent increase in competition among large rival colonies. Following the break in drought and the thinning of some nests through abandonment, competition has progressively eased in later years.</li> <li>The surge in nest budding triggered by acute environmental stress in this population offers a possible strategy for long-lived colonies to effectively migrate across the landscape. With changes in environmental conditions becoming more frequent and severe with the climate crisis, any strategy available to central place foragers to track windows of preferred conditions are likely to become increasingly important.</li> </ol>
The unique spatial ecology of human hunters
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Spatial ecology, biodiversity, and abiotic determinants of Congo’s bai ecosystem
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Determinism and stochasticity in the spatial-temporal continuum of ecological communities: the case of tropical mountains
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Data from: First 87Sr/86Sr Isotope data for the extinct sloth Lestodon armatus: Insights into the spatial ecology of South American Late Pleistocene Megafauna
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Spatial patterns and ecological drivers of soil nematode β-diversity in natural grasslands vary among vegetation types and trophic position
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Data from: Ecological and social factors constrain spatial and temporal opportunities for mating in a migratory songbird
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ScienceDex guides
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These curated guides explain access requirements, typical timelines, costs, and reuse considerations for widely used research datasets.
Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.