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2,399 results for “fragmenter”
Data from: Dung beetle-megafauna trophic networks in Singapore's fragmented forests
<p>We investigated trophic networks between dung beetles and megafauna species in five forest fragments in Singapore varying in size and isolation. We found that Singapore's dung beetle communities were attracted to extant and extinct dung types from different dietary groups. All forest fragment networks were similar, and displayed high generalism and high nestedness.</p>
Dynamic Compressive Strength and Fragmentation in Felsic Crystalline Rocks
<p>Complete data for "Dynamic Compressive Strength and Fragmentation in Crystalline Rocks" by Rae et al.</p>
Multiscale analysis of canopy arthropod diversity in a volcanically fragmented landscape
<p><strong>Dataset and code associated with the article "Multiscale analysis of canopy arthropod diversity in a volcanically fragmented landscape" (Tielens et al 2019, Ecosphere).</strong></p> <p><strong>Article abstract:</strong></p> <p>Habitat fragmentation resulting in habitat loss and increased isolation is a dominant driver of global species declines. Habitat isolation and connectivity vary across scales, and understanding how con- nectivity affects biodiversity can be challenging because the relevant scale depends on the taxa involved. A multiscale analysis can provide insight in biodiversity patterns across spatial scale when information on dispersal ability is not available, in particular for community-level studies focusing on multiple taxa. In this study, we examine the relationship between arthropod diversity, patch area, and connectivity using a mul- tiscale approach. We make use of a natural experiment on Hawai'i Island, where historic volcanic activity has transformed contiguous native forests to lava matrix and discrete forest patches. This landscape of patches has persisted for 150 yr, and we selected 10,000 ha consisting of 863 patches to analyze landscape connectivity using a graph theory approach. We collected arthropod samples from Metrosideros polymor- pha tree canopies in 34 forest patches during multiple years. We analyzed the relationship of arthropod diversity with area, as well as with connectivity across increasing scales, or dispersal threshold distances. In contrast to well-established ecological theory as well as prior work on birds and fungi in this system, we did not find support for a canonical species–area relationship. Next, we calculated connectivity across spa- tial scales and found lower Shannon diversity with higher connectivity at small scales, but no effect at increased dispersal threshold distances. We examined the landscape structure and found all habitat patches connected into three subnetworks at a 350 m threshold distance. All patches were connected at 700 m threshold distance, indicating structural dispersal limitation only at small scales. Our findings sug- gest that canopy arthropods are not dispersal limited at scales shown to impact both soil fungi and birds in this system. Instead, Hawaiian canopy arthropods may perceive the landscape as a connected area where discrete forest patches and the early-successional matrix contribute resources that vary spatially with regard to habitat quality. We argue for the utility of multiscale approaches, and the importance of examin- ing maintenance of biodiversity in fragmented landscapes that persist for hundreds of years.</p>
Data from: Riverscape genetics in brook lamprey: genetic diversity is less influenced by river fragmentation than by gene flow with the anadromous ecotype
<p><span><span>Understanding the effect of human induced landscape fragmentation on gene flow and evolutionary potential of wild populations has become a major concern. Here, we investigated the effect of riverscape fragmentation on patterns of genetic diversity in the freshwater resident </span><span><span>European </span></span><span>brook lamprey (</span><i><span><span>Lampetra planeri</span></span></i><span>) that has a low ability to pass obstacles to migration. We also tested the hypotheses of i) asymmetric gene flow following water current and ii) a </span><span><span>positive effect of</span></span><span> admixture with the closely related anadromous</span><span><span> river lamprey</span></span><span> (</span><i><span><span>L. fluviatilis</span></span></i><i><span><span>)</span></span></i><span> ecotype on </span><i><span><span>L. planeri</span></span></i><span> genetic diversity. We genotyped 2472 individuals, including 225 </span><i><span><span>L. fluviatilis</span></span></i><span>, sampled </span><span><span>from</span></span><span> 81 sites upstream and downstream barriers to migration, in 29 </span><span><span>western </span></span><span>European rivers. Linear modelling revealed a strong positive relationship between </span><span><span>genetic diversity and</span></span><span> the distance </span><span><span>from </span></span><span><span>the</span></span><span><span> river</span></span><span> source, consistent with expected patterns of decreased gene flow into upstream populations. However, the presence of anthropogenic barriers had a moderate effect on spatial genetic structure. Accordingly, we found evidence for downstream-directed gene flow, supporting the hypothesis that barriers do not limit dispersal </span><span><span>mediated by</span></span><span> water flow. Downstream </span><i><span><span>L. planeri </span></span></i><span>populations in sympatry with </span><i><span><span>L. fluviatilis </span></span></i><span>displayed consistently higher genetic diversity. We conclude that genetic drift and slight downstream gene flow drive the genetic </span><span><span>make-</span></span><span>up of upstream </span><i><span><span>L. planeri </span></span></i><span>populations</span><i><span> </span></i><span>whereas admixture between ecotypes maintains higher levels of genetic diversity in </span><i><span><span>L. planeri </span></span></i><span>populations</span><i><span> </span></i><span>sympatric</span><i><span> </span></i><span>with </span><i><span><span>L. fluviatilis</span></span></i><span>. We discuss the implications of these results for the design of conservation strategies of lamprey, and other freshwater organisms with several ecotypes, in fragmented dendritic river networks. </span></span></p>
Data from: Down by the riverside: Riparian edge effects on three monkey species in a fragmented Costa Rican forest
<p>Rivers represent natural edges in forests, serving as transition zones between landscapes. Natural edge effects are important to study to understand how intrinsic habitat variations affect wildlife as well as the impact of human-induced forest fragmentation. We examined the influence of riparian and anthropogenic edge on mantled howler, white-faced capuchin, Central American spider monkeys, and vegetation structure at La Suerte Biological Research Station (abbreviated as LSBRS), Costa Rica. We predicted lower monkey encounter rate, tree species richness, and median DBH at both edge types compared to interior, and that monkeys would show species-specific responses to edge based on size and diet. We expected large, folivorous-frugivorous howler monkeys and small, generalist capuchins would be found at increased density in the forest edge, while large, frugivorous spider monkeys would be found at decreased density in the forest edge. We conducted population and vegetation surveys along interior, riparian, and anthropogenic edge transects at LSBRS and used GLMM to compare vegetation and monkey encounter rate. Tree species richness and median DBH were higher in the forest interior than in the anthropogenic edge zones. Although spider monkey encounter rate did not vary between forest edges and interior, howler monkeys were encountered at highest density in riparian edge, while capuchins were encountered at highest density in anthropogenic edge. Our results indicate that diverse forest edges have varying effects on biota. Vegetation was negatively affected by forest edges, while monkey species showed species-specific edge preferences. Our findings suggest that riparian zones should be prioritized for conservation in Neotropical forests.</p>
Data from: Floral display and habitat fragmentation: effects on the reproductive success of the threatened mass-flowering Conospermum undulatum (Proteaceae)
1. Fragmentation of natural vegetation is currently one of the largest threats to plant populations and their interactions with pollinators. Plant reproductive susceptibility to habitat fragmentation has been investigated in many species; however, the response of wild mass-flowering species is poorly known, with research limited to mainly boreal plant species. 2. Here we studied twelve remnant populations of the threatened mass-flowering shrub Conospermum undulatum in the southwest Australian biodiversity hotspot, each presenting different population size, level of isolation, and floral display. We assessed the impact of fragmentation on: 1) fruit and seed production; and 2) seed germination. To gain a deeper understanding of factors influencing the reproductive success of C. undulatum we performed pollinator exclusion and self-pollination treatments to experimentally assess the mating system of this threatened shrub. 3. We found C. undulatum to be strictly self-incompatible and totally reliant on pollinators visiting with an outcrossed pollen load to complete the reproductive cycle. Further, we found that fruit production significantly decreased with decreasing floral display. A decrease in population size and floral display led to a decrease in seed output, while increasing isolation also led to a reduced production of seeds. Overall, seed germination was positively related to population size, and a negative relationship was found between germination and isolation. 4. Our results demonstrate the important relationship between pollinators and floral morphology in plants of southwest Australia that have coevolved with native pollinators and developed characteristic flower morphologies over long timeframes. The self-incompatible C. undulatum cannot rely on its mass-flowering trait to attract pollinators from co-flowering species, neither can it compensate for the lack of visitors by promoting geitonogamy. Consequently, fragmentation has a significant effect on the reproductive output of C. undulatum, and size, isolation, and floral display of populations should be considered when planning conservation actions for the species.
Data from: Habitat fragmentation differentially shapes neutral and immune gene variation in a tropical bird species
<p>Habitat fragmentation is a major cause of biodiversity loss, responsible for an alteration of intraspecific patterns of neutral genetic diversity and structure. Although neutral genetic variation can be informative for demographic inferences, it may be a poor predictor of adaptive genetic diversity and thus of the consequences of habitat fragmentation on selective evolutionary processes. In this context, we contrasted patterns of genetic diversity and structure of neutral loci (microsatellites) and immune genes (i.e., toll-like receptors) in an understorey bird species, the wedge-billed woodcreeper <i>Glyphorynchus spirurus</i>. The objectives were (1) to investigate forest fragmentation effects on population genetic diversity, (2) to disentangle the relative role of demography (genetic drift and migration) and selection, and (3) to assess whether immunogenetic patterns could be associated with variation of ectoparasite (i.e., ticks) pressures. Our results revealed an erosion of neutral genetic diversity and a substantial genetic differentiation among fragmented populations, resulting from a decrease in landscape connectivity and leading to the divergence of distinct genetic pools at a small spatial scale. Patterns of genetic diversity observed for TLR4 and TLR5 were concordant with neutral genetic patterns, whereas those observed for TLR3 and TLR21 were discordant. This result underlines that the dominant evolutionary force shaping immunogenetic diversity (genetic drift vs. selection) may be different depending on loci considered. Finally, tick prevalence was higher in fragmented environments. We discussed the hypothesis that pathogen selective pressures may contribute to maintain adaptive genetic diversity despite the negative demographic effect of habitat fragmentation on neutral genetic diversity.</p>
SNPs markers of Trypoxylus dichotomus developed by using specific‐locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF‐seq) techniques
<p>The Japanese rhinoceros beetle Trypoxylus dichotomus is one of the largest beetle species in the world and is commonly used in traditional chinese medicine. Ten subspecies of T. dichotomus and a related Trypoxylus species (T. kanamorii) have been described throughout Asia, but their taxonomic delimitations remain problematic. To clarify issues such as taxonomy, and the degree of genetic differentiation of Trypoxylus populations, we investigated the genetic structure, genetic variability and phylogeography of 53 specimens of Trypoxylus species from 44 locations in five Asian countries (China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Myanmar). Using specific‐locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF‐seq) techniques, we developed 330,799 SLAFs over 114.16M reads, in turn yielding 46,939 high-resolution single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for genotyping.</p>
Accurate and Cost-Effective NMR Chemical Shift Predictions for Proteins using Molecules-in-Molecules Fragmentation-Based Method
<p>Files and coordinates associated with the paper titled 'Accurate and Cost-Effective NMR Chemical Shift Predictions for Proteins using Molecules-in-Molecules Fragmentation Based Method. '</p>
Data from: How do habitat amount and habitat fragmentation drive time-delayed responses of biodiversity to land-use change?
<p><span>Land-use change is a root cause of the extinction crisis, but links between habitat change and biodiversity loss are not fully understood. While there is evidence that habitat loss is an important extinction driver, the relevance of habitat fragmentation remains debated. Moreover, while time-delays of biodiversity responses to habitat transformation are well-documented, time-delayed effects have been ignored in the habitat loss vs. fragmentation debate. Here, using a hierarchical Bayesian multi- species occupancy framework, we systematically tested for time-delayed responses of bird and mammal communities to habitat loss and to habitat fragmentation. We focused on the Argentine Chaco, where deforestation has been widespread recently. We used an extensive field dataset on birds and mammals, along with a time series of annual woodland maps from 1985-2016 covering recent and historical habitat transformations. Contemporary habitat amount explained bird and mammal occupancy better than past habitat amount. However, occupancy was affected more by past rather than recent fragmentation, indicating a time-delayed response to fragmentation. Considering past landscape patterns is therefore crucial for understanding current biodiversity patterns. Not accounting for land-use history ignores the possibility of extinction debt and can thus obscure impacts of fragmentation, potentially explaining contrasting findings of habitat loss vs. fragmentation studies.</span></p>
Data from: Phylogenetic diversity of two geographically overlapping species in the lichen genus Sticta (Ascomycota: Peltigeraceae): isolation by distance, environment, or fragmentation?
<p><span><b>Aim:</b> To test whether the degree of phylogenetic diversity differs in two congeneric, morphologically similar lichens that are both widespread and with a similar geographical range (Neotropics and Hawaii), but differ in altitudinal and habitat preferences, and whether the two species underwent isolation by distance (IBD), environment (IBE), or fragmentation (IBF).</span></p> <p><span><b>Location:</b> South and Central America, Caribbean, Hawaii, Azores.</span></p> <p><span><b>Taxon:</b> <i>Sticta</i> (Peltigeraceae).</span></p> <p><span><b>Methods:</b> Analysis of 395 specimens across the study area; ITS barcoding marker; maximum likelihood tree reconstruction within a broad taxonomic framework; TCS haplotype networks; Mantel test of genetic vs. geographic, environmental, and fragmentation distances; statistical comparison of BIOclim variables.</span></p> <p><span><b>Results:</b><b> </b><i>Sticta andina</i> exhibited high phenotypic variation and high reticulate phylogenetic diversity across its range, whereas the phenotypically more uniform <i>S. scabrosa</i> contained two main haplotypes, one unique to Hawaii (subsp. <i>hawaiiensis</i>). <i>Sticta andina</i> was restricted to well-preserved andine forests and paramos, habitats fragmented due to disruptive topology, whereas <i>S. scabrosa</i> was found in lowland to lower montane forests in rather exposed microsites, representing a more continuous habitat. These differences were statistically significant for several BIOclim variables. Mantel tests on genetic vs. geographic and environmental distances demonstrated that <i>S. scabrosa</i> followed a pattern of IBD across its full range but not within continental Central and South America. In contrast, <i>S. andina</i> did not exhibit IBD but showed weak, yet significant patterns of IBE at continental level and IBF in the northern Andes.</span></p> <p><b>Main Conclusions:</b> Autecology indirectly drives phylogenetic diversity in the two studied species. In the low altitude species, <i>S. scabrosa</i>, phylogenetic diversity is low and shows no correlation with geographic or environmental distances, except for the differentiation of the Hawaiian subspecies. We attribute this to rapid expansion and effective gene flow between populations across a more or less continuously distributed niche representing partially exposed microsites, including disturbed and anthropogenic vegetation, such as planted trees. In contrast, in the high altitude species, <i>S. andina</i>, phylogenetic diversity is high and correlated with both environmental niche differentiation (IBE) and fragmentation caused by the final Andean uplift (IBF). Therefore, an autoecological preference for high altitudes increases the likelihood for higher phylogenetic diversity.</p>
Synergistic impacts of aggressive species on small birds in a fragmented landscape
<p>1. Attempts to conserve threatened species in fragmented landscapes are often challenging because factors such as habitat loss, habitat degradation and dominant species interact to reduce threatened species' capacity to survive and reproduce. Understanding how threatening and mitigating processes interact is critical if conservation measures are to be effective.</p> <p>2. We used data from long-term monitoring of bird populations and multivariate latent variable models to quantify how Australian woodland birds respond to the presence of the Noisy Miner, a despotic species known to exclude other bird species. We then investigated the extent to which the presence of other aggressive species exacerbates the impacts of the Noisy Miner, and to what extent these impacts can be mitigated by dense midstorey plantings.</p> <p>3. We found strong synergies between the Noisy Miner and two other aggressive species (Grey Butcherbird and Pied Butcherbird), despite weak effects of butcherbirds in isolation.</p> <p>4. The impacts of aggressive birds are most pronounced for small-bodied species; but these impacts are lessened in the presence of high midstorey cover.</p> <p>5. <em>Synthesis and applications</em>. Accounting for interactions reveals that revegetation may be capable of improving conservation outcomes even when the proximate cause of species declines (i.e. exclusion or predation by aggressive bird species) cannot be managed directly.</p>
Data from: The theory of island biogeography, the sample-area effect, and the habitat diversity hypothesis: complementarity in a naturally fragmented landscape of lake islands
Aim: Investigate relationships between fragmentation and species diversity in the context of the theory of island biogeography, sample-area effect, and habitat diversity hypothesis. Location: Lake of the Woods, Canada. Taxon: Vascular plants Methods: Vascular plant species diversity was inventoried on 30 islands, organized into two island sets. Each island set contained four size classes that varied in degree of fragmentation while controlling for the sample-area effect (small island set: 8×0.1-ha, 4×0.2-ha, 2×0.4-ha, and 1×0.8-ha islands; large island set: identical pattern utilizing 1.0-ha to 8.0-ha islands). Fragmentation effects were then examined using SLOSS-based analyses, addressing whether single large or several small islands contained more species: (1) direct comparisons of species and habitat richness across size classes; (2) extrapolations of species-area relationships; and (3) analyses of species and habitat accumulation curves. Multigroup path analysis was next used to quantify effects of habitat diversity, island area, and isolation on species richness for both island sets. Finally, pairwise and multiple-site dissimilarity was estimated for both species and habitats across 0.1-ha and 1.0-ha islands to investigate whether: (1) variation in species composition was related to habitat composition; and (2) species dissimilarity increased with inter-island distance. Results: SLOSS-based analyses indicated that several small islands contained more species than single large islands in both island sets. This pattern was also observed for habitats, but only in the small islands set. Path analysis suggested that island area had significant direct and indirect effects (mediated by habitat diversity) on species richness. Habitat diversity and island isolation had significant positive and negative effects on species richness, respectively, independent of island area. Species and habitat dissimilarities were significantly related across 0.1-ha but not 1.0-ha islands, and showed no relationship to inter-island distance. Main Conclusions: The overall positive relationship between fragmentation and species richness may be attributed to greater habitat diversity and increased species dissimilarity across smaller islands relative to larger islands. However, negative isolation effects indicate that landscape configuration is still an important conservation consideration. These results each align with different predictions of the theory of island biogeography, sample-area effect, and habitat diversity hypothesis, questioning the exclusivity of these theoretical frameworks.
Data from: Climate change and human colonization triggered habitat loss and fragmentation in Madagascar.
The relative effect of past climate fluctuations and anthropogenic activities on current biome distribution is subject to increasing attention, notably in biodiversity hot spots. In Madagascar, where humans arrived in the last ~4 to 5,000 years, the exact causes of the demise of large vertebrates that cohabited with humans are yet unclear. The prevailing narrative holds that Madagascar was covered with forest before human arrival and that the expansion of grasslands was the result of human-driven deforestation. However, recent studies have shown that vegetation and fauna structure substantially fluctuated during the Holocene. Here, we study the Holocene history of habitat fragmentation in the north of Madagascar using a population genetics approach. To do so, we infer the demographic history of two northern Madagascar neighbouring, congeneric and critically endangered forest dwelling lemur species—Propithecus tattersalli and Propithecus perrieri—using population genetic analyses. Our results highlight the necessity to consider population structure and changes in connectivity in demographic history inferences. We show that both species underwent demographic fluctuations which most likely occurred after the mid-Holocene transition. While mid-Holocene climate change probably triggered major demographic changes in the two lemur species range and connectivity, human settlements that expanded over the last four millennia in northern Madagascar likely played a role in the loss and fragmentation of the forest cover.
Data from: Corridors restore animal-mediated pollination in fragmented tropical forest landscapes
Tropical biodiversity and associated ecosystem functions have become heavily eroded through habitat loss. Animal-mediated pollination is required in >94% of higher tropical plant species and 75% of the world´s leading food crops, but it remains unclear if corridors avert deforestation-driven pollination breakdown in fragmented tropical landscapes. Here, we used manipulative resource experiments and field observations to show that corridors functionally connect neotropical forest fragments for forest-associated hummingbirds and increase pollen transfer. Further, corridors boosted forest-associated pollinator availability in fragments by 14.3 times compared to unconnected equivalents, increasing overall pollination success. Plants in patches without corridors showed pollination rates equal to bagged control flowers, indicating pollination failure in isolated fragments. This indicates, for the first time, that corridors benefit tropical forest ecosystems beyond boosting local species richness, by functionally connecting mutualistic network partners. We conclude that small-scale adjustments to landscape configuration safeguard native pollinators and associated pollination services in tropical forest landscapes.
Data from: Low genetic diversity and strong population structure shaped by anthropogenic habitat fragmentation in a critically endangered primate, Trachypithecus leucocephalus
Habitat fragmentation may strongly impact population genetic structure and reduce the genetic diversity and viability of small and isolated populations. The white-headed langur (Trachypithecus leucocephalus) is a critically endangered primate species living in a highly fragmented and human-modified habitat in southern China. We examined the population genetic structure and genetic diversity of the species and investigated the environmental and anthropogenic factors that may have shaped its population structure. We used 214 unique multi-locus genotypes from 41 social groups across the main distribution area of T. leucocephalus, and found strong genetic structure and significant genetic differentiation among local populations. Our landscape genetic analyses using a causal modelling framework suggest that a large habitat gap and geographical distance represent the primary landscape elements shaping genetic structure, yet high levels of genetic differentiation also exist between patches separated by a small habitat gap or road. This is the first comprehensive study that has evaluated the population genetic structure and diversity of T. leucocephalus using nuclear markers. Our results indicate strong negative impacts of anthropogenic land modifications and habitat fragmentation on primate genetic connectivity between forest patches. Our analyses suggest that two management units of the species could be defined, and indicate that habitat continuity should be enforced and restored to reduce genetic isolation and enhance population viability.
Data from: Contrasting genetic responses to population fragmentation in a coevolving fig and fig wasp across a mainland-island archipelago
Interacting species of pollinator–host systems, especially the obligate ones, are sensitive to habitat fragmentation, due to the nature of mutual dependence. Comparative studies of genetic structure can provide insights into how habitat fragmentation contributes to patterns of genetic divergence among populations of the interacting species. In this study, we used microsatellites to analyse genetic variation in Chinese populations of a typical mutualistic system – Ficus pumila and its obligate pollinator Wiebesia sp. 1 – in a naturally fragmented landscape. The plants and wasps showed discordant patterns of genetic variation and geographical divergence. There was no significant positive relationship in genetic diversity between the two species. Significant isolation-by-distance (IBD) patterns occurred across the populations of F. pumila and Wiebesia sp. 1 as whole, and IBD also occurred among island populations of the wasps, but not the plants. However, there was no significant positive relationship in genetic differentiation between them. The pollinator populations had significantly lower genetic variation in small habitat patches than in larger patches, and three island pollinator populations showed evidence of a recent bottleneck event. No effects of patch size or genetic bottlenecks were evident in the plant populations. Collectively, the results indicate that, in more fragmented habitats, the pollinators, but not the plants, have experienced reduced genetic variation. The contrasting patterns have multiple potential causes, including differences in longevity and hence number of generations experiencing fragmentation; different dispersal patterns, with the host's genes dispersed as seeds as well as a result of pollen dispersal via the pollinator; asymmetrical responses to fluctuations in partner populations; and co-existence of a rare second pollinating wasp on some islands. These results indicate that strongly interdependent species may respond in markedly different ways to habitat fragmentation.
Data from: Sun skink landscape genomics: assessing how microevolutionary processes shape genetic and phenotypic diversity across a heterogeneous and fragmented landscape
Incorporating genomic data sets into landscape genetic analyses allows for powerful insights into population genetics, explicitly geographical correlates of selection, and morphological diversification of organisms across the geographical template. Here, we utilize an integrative approach to examine gene flow and detect selection, and we relate these processes to genetic and phenotypic population differentiation across South-East Asia in the common sun skink, Eutropis multifasciata. We quantify the relative effects of geographic and ecological isolation in this system and find elevated genetic differentiation between populations from island archipelagos compared to those on the adjacent South-East Asian continent, which is consistent with expectations concerning landscape fragmentation in island archipelagos. We also identify a pattern of isolation by distance, but find no substantial effect of ecological/environmental variables on genetic differentiation. To assess whether morphological conservatism in skinks may result from stabilizing selection on morphological traits, we perform FST–PST comparisons, but observe that results are highly dependent on the method of comparison. Taken together, this work provides novel insights into the manner by which micro-evolutionary processes may impact macro-evolutionary scale biodiversity patterns across diverse landscapes, and provide genomewide confirmation of classic predictions from biogeographical and landscape ecological theory.
Data from: Male harassment, female movements, and genetic diversity in a fragmented metapopulation
Interactions with males often alter the short‐term behaviors of reproductive females. Yet, the influence of different internal and external factors, such as sexual conflict, on animal movement and patch dynamics is not well understood. We studied associations between courtship, movements of reproductive females, and genetic diversity in a small, fragmented network of Euphydras editha taylori (Taylor's checkerspot butterfly). In the absence of courtship, female movements (step lengths) were restricted (< 2 m) and tortuous, and females never departed reproductive habitat. However, when courted by males, step lengths increased markedly and movements were straighter (less tortuous). Female habitat departures were associated with interactions between patch identity and courtship. All tracked females remained in reproductive habitat in the smallest patch, whereas 32% of females departed the larger patch (over forest) while eluding courting males. Genotyping (simple sequence repeats ‐ SSRs) suggested low levels of genetic differentiation (Fst ~ 0.02; Analysis of molecular variance p = 0.02) with inter‐patch distances of ≤ 0.3 km. Tests for a recent genetic bottleneck were negative, but heterozygous deficient deviations from Hardy‐Weinberg Equilibrium expectations may indicate a developing bottleneck. Patch‐specific female movement behaviors and the distribution of SSR alleles across the network suggest the possibility of a predominantly unidirectional transfer of reproducing females from the largest to smaller patches, with the smaller patches mostly closed to emigration. Our study suggests short‐lived intraspecific interactions may influence dispersal in unanticipated ways and that understanding these interactions will provide a more holistic view of habitat fragmentation and network functioning.
Data from: Reframing the evidence base for policy-relevance to increase impact: a case study on forest fragmentation in the oil palm sector
It is necessary to improve knowledge exchange between scientists and decision-makers so that scientific evidence can be readily accessed to inform policy. To maximise impact of scientific evidence in policy development, the scientific community should engage more fully with decision-makers, building long-term working relationships in order to identify and respond to 'policy windows' with science that is reframed for policy-relevance. We illustrate the process and challenges using a case study in which we synthesised evidence from studies of habitat fragmentation to provide information for improved biodiversity conservation in the oil palm sector, resulting in the uptake of this research into new industry guidelines. Policy implications. The case study demonstrates how having an in-depth understanding of the 'policy arena' (the state of policy and the actors and influencing factors that affect policy) and responding with relevant and specific information, enabled effective uptake of science to inform the design of conservation set-asides in the oil palm industry.
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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.