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164 results for “Species coexistence”
Functional traits and phylogenetic structure based on root neighborhoods shape the mechanisms of species coexistence in underground communities
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Data from: Riders in the sky (islands): using a mega-phylogenetic approach to understand plant species distribution and coexistence at the altitudinal limits of angiosperm plant life
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Trait adaptation enhances species coexistence and reduces bistability in an intraguild predation module
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Data from: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi equalize differences in plant fitness and facilitate plant species coexistence through niche differentiation
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Potential drivers of differences in breeding phenology as a component of life history strategies among coexisting species
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R script: Species coexist more easily if reinforcement is based on habitat preferences than on species recognition
<p><b>1.</b> Maladaptive hybridization selects for prezygotic isolation, a process known as reinforcement. Reinforcement reduces gene flow and contributes to the final stage of speciation. Ecologically, however, coexistence of the incipient species is difficult if they initially use identical resources.</p> <p><b>2. </b>Habitat segregation offers an alternative to species discrimination as a way to reduce gene flow: production of unfit hybrids is reduced if mate encounters become rare due to differing habitat choice. Using a modelling approach, we show that hybridization avoidance alone can select for habitat specialization, even if neither of the species is intrinsically better at using a specific niche.</p> <p><b>3. </b>While habitat segregation and species discrimination both reduce the risk of producing unfit hybrids, these two isolation mechanisms differ from each other with respect to their effects on resource competition. Our model shows that, as a consequence of such differences, reinforcement evolves much more easily if hybridization is avoided based on habitat segregation than if the mechanism involves species recognition (mate choice traits).</p> <p><b>4.</b> We also examine the outcomes when both isolation mechanisms evolve jointly. The establishment of one isolation mechanism <i>a priori</i> weakens selection for the other. However, an asymmetry persists here too. The net effect of habitat segregation on species discrimination was typically facilitative, but not vice versa. This asymmetry arises because habitat segregation, by enhancing coexistence, secures time for the subsequent evolution of species discrimination in a mate choice context (still relevant if habitat use is not perfectly segregated). Species discrimination does not have such a stabilizing effect on coexistence.</p> <p><b>5.</b> Our results emphasize the importance of habitat segregation in reinforcement, and offer a way to interpret findings where closely related taxa show similar performance on different resources or in different habitats. Studies of ecological generalization and specialization should therefore take into account that niche differences can be initiated and/or maintained by hybridization avoidance.</p>
Data from: Specialization and niche overlap across spatial scales: revealing ecological factors shaping species richness and coexistence in Australian songbirds
1. Ecological specialization enables the partitioning of resources and thus can facilitate the coexistence of species and promote higher species richness. Specialization and niche partitioning are expected to exert a decisive influence on local spatial scales, while species richness at regional scales should be shaped mostly by historical factors and abiotic conditions. Moreover, specialization is expected to be particularly important in communities that are exceptionally species rich for their environmental conditions. Concurrently, niche overlap in these communities should be minimized to enable species coexistence. 2. We tested these hypotheses by studying specialization-richness relationship and niche overlap in assemblages of 298 species of songbirds (Passeriformes) across Australia. We used local (2-6 ha) to regional (bioregions) spatial scales, and detailed data on habitat, diet, and foraging behaviour (method, substrate, and stratum). 3. We expected the richness-specialization relationship to be particularly strong i) on local spatial scales and ii) in communities exceptionally species rich for given environmental conditions (approximated by moisture and vegetation complexity). We also expected iii) low niche overlap in assemblages with specialized species. 4. Only the third prediction was partly supported. First, while the specialization and species richness were often positively related, the strength and the direction of the relationship changed between traits and across spatial scales. The strength of the specialization-richness relationship was consistently positive only in foraging stratum, and it increased towards smaller spatial scales only in case of habitat and diet. Simultaneously, species in local communities demonstrated high overlap in habitat and diet. Second, we did not find particularly strong specialization-richness relationships in exceptionally species rich communities. Third, we found the expected negative relationship between specialization and overlap in foraging stratum and substrate (in local communities), suggesting that species partition ecological space locally in terms of where they find food. 5. Our expectations were only weakly supported. Specialization on foraging stratum was probably important in facilitating species co-existence. Conversely, although species were often specialized on habitat and diet, high overlap in these traits did not preclude their local coexistence. Overall, specialization and overlap in foraging traits were more important for species coexistence than habitat or diet.
Coexistence of predators in time: effects of season and prey availability on species activity within a Mediterranean carnivore guild
<p>1. The degree of coexistence among predators can determine the structure of ecological communities. Niche partitioning is a common strategy applied by species to enhance their coexistence. Diet, habitat or time use can be responsible for segregation among carnivore species, the latter factor being the least studied in Mediterranean ecosystems. Terrestrial medium-sized carnivores (i.e. mesocarnivores) carry out important functions in ecosystems and identifying their interactions is essential for their conservation.</p> <p>2. In this study, we explore the activity of a terrestrial mesocarnivore guild in order to determine seasonal differences on daily activity patterns of competitors and prey. We also investigate how the abundance of a common mesocarnivore prey in the region, small mammals, influences the activity of predators.</p> <p>3. During a year, camera trap devices (n=18) were installed in Montseny Natural Park (Catalan Pre-Coastal Range, Nort-East Iberian Peninsula), a region that hosts five mesocarnivore species. Camera trapping detections were used to estimate their daily activity patterns and corresponding overlaps. We also surveyed small mammal plots (n=5) in order to calculate prey abundance and test its effect on the relative activity of each carnivore species.</p> <p>4. Despite all target mesocarnivores are mainly nocturnal, the activity overlap among them varies according to species particularities and season. Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) appears as a generalist species in terms of time use, whereas stone marten (Martes foina) and genet (Genetta genetta) show the most similar activity patterns and both of them seem to be positively influenced by small mammal abundance. Overall, the diversity found in the way mesocarnivore species use time could facilitate their coexistence.</p> <p>5. Despite activity pattern similarities among carnivore species should not be directly translated to negative interactions, they can have a strong influence in habitat and resource-limited ecosystems. Therefore, activity overlaps should be taken into account when discussing wildlife management actions.</p>
Data from: Variations in ratio and loads of soil nitrogen and phosphorus explain the coexistence of dominant tree species in a boreal forest of Xinjiang, northwest China
<p><span>The resource ratio hypothesis (RRH) and the nutrient-load hypothesis (NLH) state that species coexistence is driven by the ratios and loads (contents) of multiple limiting resources, respectively. However, roles of resource ratios and loads to mature forest ecosystems remains unclear. Data were collected within 300 quadrats (20m×20m) spread across a 12 ha plot of boreal forest in the Kanas of Xinjiang, northwest China. We used torus translation tests to analyze the associations of dominant tree species with specific microhabitats. The linear mixed models were used to assess effects of resource ratios and contents on abundance and basal area of specific species, as well as within different life stages. Two shade-tolerant species, <i>Picea obovata</i> and <i>Pinus sibirica</i>, exhibited opposite relationships to the spatial distribution of soil nitrogen (N) content and phosphorus (P) content. <i>Picea. obovata</i> was associated with microhabitats with high N:P ratio, while <i>P. sibirica</i> preferred microhabitats with low N:P ratio. The light-demanding trees, <i>Betula pendula</i> clustered at both low N and P sites. Another light-demanding trees, <i>Larix sibirica</i>, did not show any significant habitat preferences. Moreover, N:P ratio mainly affected species abundance, while their contents largely impacted basal area of species. And effects of N:P ratio or contents on species distribution showed a decreasing trend from sapling to adults. Overall, our findings indicate that niche partitioning caused by resource variations may alleviate interspecific competition and contribute to the species coexistence, providing convincing proof for the importance of resource ratio and load on maintaining diversity in boreal forests. </span></p>
Data from: Towards a functional understanding of species coexistence: ecomorphological variation in relation to whole-organism performance in two sympatric lizards
1. We examined intra- and interspecific variation in functional morphology and whole-organism performance in a sympatric lizard species pair, Iberolacerta horvathi and Podarcis muralis, in the area with a high potential for competition. 2. The biggest variation between species was found in two functional traits, bite force and climbing speed, linked with corresponding morphological traits. 3. The species with larger and taller heads, P. muralis, exhibited correspondingly stronger bite forces. The other species exhibited smaller and flatter head. Both traits may potentially promote segregation between species in trophic niche (stronger bites relate to harder prey) and in refuge use (flatter heads allow using narrower crevices, hence, influencing escaping from common predators). Stronger bites and larger heads also provide one species with a dominant position in interspecific agonistic interactions. 4. Females had longer trunks that impacted negatively on climbing speed, which may lower anti-predator escape abilities of the more trunk-dimorphic species, but positively influence reproductive effort. 5. Our results exemplify how the joint examination of morphological and functional traits of ecologically similar and sympatric species can provide a mechanistic background for understanding their coexistence, namely syntopic populations that are frequent in the study area. 6. The identified roles of functional morphology in this system of sympatric rock lizards support the contribution of functional diversification for the complexity of community structure via coexistence.
Disentangling the coexistence strategies of mud-daubing wasp species through trophic analysis in oases of Baja California peninsula
<p>Species within the same trophic level show different strategies to avoid competition. Among these mechanisms, differences in body size, spatio-temporal segregation, and diet preference often leads to a niche partitioning. Nonetheless, little attention on coexisting predatory insects and their network interactions has been paid. In this study, we analyzed the strategies to avoid competition among three sympatric mud-daubing wasps of the genus <i>Trypoxylon </i>(Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) in oases and their surrounding xeric area from the Baja California peninsula, Mexico. We compared the prey richness, composition and proportion of spider guilds that were captured by the wasps. We tested whether the differences in wasp body size explained the niche breadth, niche overlap and the size of spider prey. We assessed the spider-wasp interactions through a network analysis. With the use of trap-nests, we collected 52 spider species captured by the wasps. Both the guild and species composition of preyed spiders was different between the three wasp species. Differential proportions in the capture of spider guilds and a little diet overlap were found among the wasp species. We found that the wasp body size was positively correlated with prey size, but it was not a <i>proxy </i>of niche breadth. Moreover, the largest wasp species was able to nest in both mesic and xeric habitats, while the two smaller species were restricted to the oases. This study reveals that the diversity of spiders in oases of Baja California peninsula is crucial to maintain highly specialized oasis-dependent wasp species. The niche partitioning between mud-daubing wasps can be shaped by their inherent body size limitations and hunting strategies through foraging specialization for specific spider guilds. Food selection and slight differences in body size reduce competition and allow the coexistence of sympatric wasps. Our study is the first approach exploring the interaction networks between mud-daubing wasps and their spider preys, highlighting new insights into the morphological and ecological factors that shape antagonistic interactions, and allow the coexistence of predators in deserts.</p>
Data from: Soil microbial communities alter leaf chemistry and influence allelopathic potential among coexisting plant species
While both plant–soil feedbacks and allelochemical interactions are key drivers of plant community dynamics, the potential for these two drivers to interact with each other remains largely unexplored. If soil microbes influence allelochemical production, this would represent a novel dimension of heterogeneity in plant–soil feedbacks. To explore the linkage between soil microbial communities and plant chemistry, we experimentally generated soil microbial communities and evaluated their impact on leaf chemical composition and allelopathic potential. Four native perennial old-field species (two each of Aster and Solidago) were grown in pairwise combination with each species' soil microbial community as well as a sterilized inoculum. We demonstrated unequivocally that variation in soil microbial communities altered leaf chemical fingerprints for all focal plant species and also changed their allelopathic potential. Soil microbes reduced allelopathic potential in bioassays by increasing germination 25–54% relative to sterile control soils in all four species. Plants grown with their own microbial communities had the lowest allelopathic potential, suggesting that allelochemical production may be lessened when growing with microbes from conspecifics. The allelopathic potential of plants grown in congener and confamilial soils was indistinguishable from each other, indicating an equivalent response to all non-conspecific microbial communities within these closely related genera. Our results clearly demonstrated that soil microbial communities cause changes in leaf tissue chemistry that altered their allelopathic properties. These findings represent a new mechanism of plant–soil feedbacks that may structure perennial plant communities over very small spatial scales that must be explored in much more detail.
Data from: Frequency dependence and ecological drift shape coexistence of species with similar niches
The coexistence of ecologically similar species might be counteracted by ecological drift and demographic stochasticity, both of which erode local diversity. With niche differentiation, species can be maintained through performance trade-offs between environments, but trade-offs are difficult to invoke for species with similar ecological niches. Such similar species might then go locally extinct due to stochastic ecological drift but there is little empirical evidence for such processes. Previous studies have relied on biogeographical surveys and inferred process from pattern, while experimental field investigation of ecological drift are rare. Mechanisms preserving local species diversity, such as frequency-dependence (e. g. rare-species advantages), can oppose local ecological drift, but the combined effects of ecological drift and such counteracting forces have seldom been investigated. Here, we investigate mechanisms between coexistence of ecologically similar but strongly sexually differentiated damselfly species (Calopteryx virgo and C. splendens). Combining field surveys, behavioral observations, experimental manipulations of species frequencies and densities, and simulation modelling, we demonstrate that species coexistence is shaped by the opposing forces of ecological drift and negative frequency-dependence (rare species advantage), generated by interference competition. Stochastic and deterministic processes therefore jointly shape coexistence. The role of negative frequency-dependence in delaying the loss of ecologically similar species, such as those formed by sexual selection, should therefore be considered in community assembly, macroecology, macroevolution and biogeography.
Data from: Species coexistence: macroevolutionary relationships and the contingency of historical interactions
Evolutionary biologists since Darwin have hypothesized that closely related species compete more intensely and are therefore less likely to coexist. However, recent theory posits that species diverge in two ways: either through the evolution of 'stabilizing differences' that promote coexistence by causing individuals to compete more strongly with conspecifics than individuals of other species, or through the evolution of 'fitness differences' that cause species to differ in competitive ability and lead to exclusion of the weaker competitor. We tested macroevolutionary patterns of divergence by competing pairs of annual plant species that differ in their phylogenetic relationships, and in whether they have historically occurred in the same region or different regions (sympatric vs. allopatric occurrence). For sympatrically-occurring species pairs, stabilizing differences rapidly increased with phylogenetic distance. However, fitness differences also increased with phylogenetic distance, resulting in coexistence outcomes that were unpredictable based on phylogenetic relationships. For allopatric species, stabilizing differences showed no trend with phylogenetic distance, whereas fitness differences increased, causing coexistence to become less likely among distant relatives. Our results illustrate the role of species' historical interactions in shaping how phylogenetic relationships structure competitive dynamics, and offer an explanation for the evolution of invasion potential of non-native species.
Data from: Multi-dimensional patterns of variation in root traits among coexisting herbaceous species in temperate steppes
1. Characterizing patterns of variation in plant traits across species and environmental gradients is critical for understanding performance of species in ecosystems. One-dimensional pattern of variation has been demonstrated in leaf traits, which is known as the leaf economic spectrum. However, it is unclear whether such a spectrum exists for root traits. 2. For roots of 15 species from temperate grasslands, we determined respiration rate, relative growth rate, lifespan as well as 10 morphological, chemical and anatomical root traits. We further evaluated pairwise and multiple-trait relationships by the Pearson's correlation and principle component analysis including phylogenetic contrasts. 3. We found that root functions were related to three clusters of variation. Root respiration rate and relative growth rate were positively correlated with average root diameter, but they were negatively correlated with specific root length. In contrast, root lifespan was not correlated with average root diameter, but it was positively correlated with specific root length. These results are inconsistent with the presumption of the root economic spectrum. 4. The principle components analysis revealed a multi-dimensional pattern of variation in root traits among the 15 coexisting herbaceous species. Moreover, species within the same phylogenetic clades tended to have similar root trait syndromes. Most of the root traits exhibited a significant phylogenetic signal. 5. Synthesis. Our results do not support a one-dimensional root economic spectrum in the coexisting herbaceous species of temperate grasslands. In contrast, the pattern of variation in root traits was multi-dimensional. We further demonstrated that species in different phylogenetic clades possess diverse root trait syndromes for efficient resource acquisition. Our findings provide a next step in understanding root functions and plant strategies in temperate grasslands.
Competition for food affects the strength of reproductive interference and its consequences for species coexistence.
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Figure 5 in Evidence for vocal diversity during physical interference at the perch in sympatric Carollia species (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae): a key to social organization and species coexistence?
Figure 5. Cluster analysis of class usage per dyad during physical interference at the perch, based on Euclidean distances. Each symbol represents a specific dyad. The x-axis represents the three clusters set by k-means clustering to which a given dyad was sorted; the y-axis represents the species to which a given dyad belonged, and the z-axis represents the relative distances of each dyad from the respective cluster centre. Dyad sex composition (passive bat is given second) is indicated by different symbols, with the sex of the passive bat indicated by different colours (in red–pink dyads, the passive bat is female; in blue–turquoise dyads it is male). Note that most dyads of a given species grouped in a specific cluster, whereas no clear pattern was found for dyad sex composition or sex of the passive bat.
Figure 4 in Evidence for vocal diversity during physical interference at the perch in sympatric Carollia species (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae): a key to social organization and species coexistence?
Figure 4. The frequency of occurrence of a class across interactions is represented by different colours for Carollia castanea (Cc), Carollia sowelli (Cs) and Carollia perspicillata (Cp). Of the 21 classes discriminated, 20 occurred in C. castanea, 12 in C. perspicillata and five in C. sowelli. The high vocal variability of C. castanea is highlighted by the presence of six rarely occurring classes specific for this species, summarized as other. Please note that class dms, selected for comparative analyses, occurred frequently across all species.
Figure 3 in Evidence for vocal diversity during physical interference at the perch in sympatric Carollia species (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae): a key to social organization and species coexistence?
Figure 3. Oscillograms (upper panels) and sonagrams (lower panels) representing down-sweeps (sensu Knörnschild et al., 2013) emitted by the three sympatric Carollia species present at Hitoy Cerere, Costa Rica. A, C, E, parts of a dms bout of Carollia castanea (A), a dms bout of Carollia sowelli (C) and a dms bout of Carollia perspicillata (E) are given. B, D, F, for comparison, two ds syllables of C. castanea (B), two of C. sowelli (D) and four of C. perspicillata (F) are shown. Note that syllable durations and time intervals between syllables are quasi-constant within dms bouts and more variable for sequences of ds syllables.
Figure 2 in Evidence for vocal diversity during physical interference at the perch in sympatric Carollia species (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae): a key to social organization and species coexistence?
Figure 2. Oscillograms (upper panels) showing the relative amplitude (rel. amp.) and sonagrams (lower panels) representing typical frequency–time contours of vocalization classes associated with the social interaction of Carollia bats landing on, grabbing or hanging on a perched conspecific: warbles (A), down-sweep-warble (B), U (C), sinus (D), convex downwardmodulated (E), a dms syllable followed by upward-modulated-sweep (F), other_6 (G), other_1 (H) followed by other_2 (I), U-warbles (J), shallow-U (K), other_3 (L) followed by flat-down-sweep (M), sinus-warble (N) and other_4 (O). A and B are examples from Carollia perspicillata; other examples are from Carollia castanea.
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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
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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.