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opencc-zeroJan 2022View details →

Heterogeneous environmental seascape across a biogeographic brake influences the thermal physiology and tolerances to ocean acidification in an ecosystem

Aim: Understanding how spatio-temporal environmental variability influences stress tolerance, local adaptation, and phenotypic variation among populations is a key challenge for evolutionary ecology and climate change biology. Coastal biogeographic breaks are natural laboratories to explore this fundamental research question due to the contrasting environmental conditions experienced by natural populations across these regions. Location: In the South East Pacific (SEP) coast a major break (30º-32ºS) is characterized by extreme natural variability in sea surface temperature (SST) and carbonate chemistry parameters related to temporal and spatial dynamics in upwelling events. Calcifying organisms inhibiting this zone are exposed to marked fluctuations and clines in SST that together with naturally acidified waters can impact their metabolism, calcification and fitness, making them particularly prone to the effects of climate change (e.g., ocean acidification, OA). We investigated to what extent the spatial and temporal environmental variability (in SST and seawater carbonate conditions) that characterizes the biogeographic break in the SEP, influences intra-specific differences in the thermal ecology and the tolerances to OA of the limpet Scurria araucana. Methods: During two years, we conducted field surveys of limpet populations at sites across the SEP break (27ºS, 30ºS and 32ºS). We collected individuals from each population to test for geographic differences in morphometric (e.g., total buoyancy weight, shell length) and physiological (e.g., oxygen consumption rate, cardiac activity, and thermal performance curves; TPC) responses to local environmental conditions (Tº and pH/pCO2) and to simulated OA scenarios. Results: Populations of S. Araucana exhibit high tolerance to OA with no signal of geographic influence on this attribute. However, inter-population differences in thermal physiology (metabolic rates and performances) where found across the biogeographic break in the SEP coast. Limpets from the central part of the break (30ºS) exhibit higher thermal performance compared to limpets from populations at both sides of the break. Main conclusions: Variation in SST has a greater effect shaping inter-population differences in thermal physiology of the limpet S. araucana. These physiological differences are aligned the thermal heterogenous seascape along the biogeographic break in the SEP. Contrary, temporal and spatial variation in seawater carbonate conditions does not influence inter-population differences in phenotypic response populations, but an overall high tolerance to OA.

opencc-zeroMay 2022View details →

Complementary genomic and epigenomic adaptation to environmental heterogeneity

While adaptation is commonly thought to result from selection on DNA sequence-based variation, recent studies have highlighted an analogous epigenetic component as well. However, the relative roles of these mechanisms in facilitating population persistence under environmental heterogeneity remain unclear. To address the underlying genetic and epigenetic mechanisms and their relationship during environmental adaptation, we screened the genomes and epigenomes of nine global populations of a predominately sessile marine invasive tunicate, Botryllus schlosseri. We detected clear population differentiation at the genetic and epigenetic levels. Patterns of genetic and epigenetic structure were significantly influenced by local environmental variables. Among these variables, minimum annual sea surface temperature was simultaneously identified as the top explanatory variable for both genetic and epigenetic variation. However, patterns of population structure driven by genetic and epigenetic variation were somewhat distinct, suggesting possible autonomy of epigenetic variation. We found both shared and specific genes and biological pathways among genetic and epigenetic loci associated with environmental factors, consistent with complementary and independent contributions of genetic and epigenetic variation to environmental adaptation in this system. Collectively, these mechanisms may facilitate population persistence under environmental change and sustain successful invasions across novel environments.

opencc-by-4.0Apr 2024View details →

Replication data for Chen and Khanna. (Global Environmental Change Advances, 2024), "Heterogeneous and Long-Term Effects of a Changing Climate on Bird Biodiversity"

This dataset contains code and data to replicate the results for "Heterogeneous and Long-Term Effects of a Changing Climate on Bird Biodiversity" by Luoye Chen and Madhu Khanna.

opencc-by-4.0May 2024View details →

Evaluation of the role of environmental, habitat and landscape heterogeneity for lizard communities along the island of Cyprus' riverbanks

The raw data of the recorded species’ occurrence and abundance, as well as all the other variables examined for the PhD research "Evaluation of the role of environmental, habitat, and landscape heterogeneity for lizard communities along the island of Cyprus’ riverbanks,".

opencc-zeroJun 2024View details →

Data from: Tree diversity across multiple scales and environmental heterogeneity promote ecosystem multifunctionality in a large temperate forest region

Aim: Biodiversity across different scales provides multidimensional insurance for ecosystem functioning. Although the effects of biodiversity on ecosystem multifunctionality are well recorded in local communities, they remain poorly understood across scales (from local to larger spatial scales). This study evaluates how multiple attributes of biodiversity maintain ecosystem multifunctionality from local to regional scales, across diverse environmental gradients. Location: North-eastern China. Time period: 2017. Major taxa studied: Woody plants. Methods: We define multifunctionality using both averaged and modified multiple threshold approaches. Multiple dimensions of biodiversity across varying spatial scales were measured within the framework of Hill‒Chao numbers. Using variance decomposition, linear mixed models, and structural equation modeling, we explored how multiple attributes of tree diversity at varying spatial scales affect multifunctionality, and how these relationships are modulated by environmental drivers. Results: We found that both α- and β-diversity are critical for regional community multifunctionality, while the relationships between species, functional, and phylogenetic diversity and multifunctionality decoupled across spatial scales and thresholds of ecosystem functioning. Phylogenetic β-diversity and species α-diversity are respectively more important for promoting high and moderate threshold multifunctionality (e.g., EMFT90 and EMFT50) in regional communities. Environmental drivers typically have stronger effects than biodiversity on multifunctionality. Soil and climatic conditions had either direct effects on multifunctionality, or indirect ones mediated by species α-diversity. Environmental heterogeneity is important for high threshold multifunctionality, exerting directly and indirectly through phylogenetic β-diversity. Latitude not only directly influences multifunctionality but also modulates it through species α-diversity and phylogenetic β-diversity. Main conclusions: This study underscores the positive effects of biodiversity on multifunctionality across multiple dimensions. Based on our findings, we conclude that any design of a forested landscape that is aimed at maximizing multifunctionality should consider maintaining high local diversity as well as forest community heterogeneity at varying scales.

opencc-zeroDec 2018View details →

Supplementary material 3 from: Iannone BV III, Potter KM, Guo Q, Jo I, Oswalt CM, Fei S (2018) Environmental harshness drives spatial heterogeneity in biotic resistance. NeoBiota 40: 87-105. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.40.28558

Section-level standardised slope estimates for the 91 ecological sections from initial models of invasive richness and cover in response to four metrics of evolutionary relatedness—PSC, PSV, PD and PSE :

opencc-zeroDec 2018View details →

Supplementary material 2 from: Iannone BV III, Potter KM, Guo Q, Jo I, Oswalt CM, Fei S (2018) Environmental harshness drives spatial heterogeneity in biotic resistance. NeoBiota 40: 87-105. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.40.28558

Description of differences between Northern and Southern FIA Regions in invasive plant species monitoring protocols :

opencc-zeroDec 2018View details →

Supplementary material 1 from: Iannone BV III, Potter KM, Guo Q, Jo I, Oswalt CM, Fei S (2018) Environmental harshness drives spatial heterogeneity in biotic resistance. NeoBiota 40: 87-105. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.40.28558

Locations of Northern and Southern FIA Regions and of the ecological domains, provinces and sections in which study plots were located :

opencc-by-4.0Sep 2024View details →

Data for "Differential effects of Daphnia genotype composition on spatial environmental heterogeneity in experimental metacommunities"

Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.

opencc-zeroDec 2015View details →

Data from: Environmental heterogeneity and population differences in blue tits personality traits

Environmental heterogeneity can result in spatial variation in selection pressures that can produce local adaptations. The pace-of-life syndrome hypothesis predicts that habitat-specific selective pressures will favor the coevolution of personality, physiological, and life-history phenotypes. Few studies so far have compared these traits simultaneously across different ecological conditions. In this study, we compared 3 personality traits (handling aggression, exploration speed in a novel environment, and nest defense behavior) and 1 physiological trait (heart rate during manual restraint) across 3 Corsican blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) populations. These populations are located in contrasting habitats (evergreen vs. deciduous) and are situated in 2 different valleys 25 km apart. Birds from these populations are known to differ in life-history characteristics, with birds from the evergreen habitat displaying a slow pace-of-life, and birds from the deciduous habitat a comparatively faster pace-of-life. We expected personality to differ across populations, in line with the differences in pace-of-life documented for life-history traits. As expected, we found behavioral differences among populations. Despite considerable temporal variation, birds exhibited lower handling aggression in the evergreen populations. Exploration speed and male heart rate also differed across populations, although our results for exploration speed were more consistent with a phenotypic difference between the 2 valleys than between habitats. There were no clear differences in nest defense intensity among populations. Our study emphasizes the role of environmental heterogeneity in shaping population divergence in personality traits at a small spatial scale.

Figure 7 in Sarcosaprophagous flesh flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) are less diverse in Amazon Forest than mangroves in Northeast Brazil: preliminary insights about environmental heterogeneity

Figure 7. Jaccard and Bray-Curtis dissimilarity values calculated from (A) occurrence data and (B) abundance data of Sarcophagidae, by areas and environments in Maranhão, Northeast Brazil. Taxonomic and species diversity was partitioned into the representative components of richness difference ('βrich', black boxes) and species replacement ('βrepl', grey boxes) between areas.

Figure 5 in Sarcosaprophagous flesh flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) are less diverse in Amazon Forest than mangroves in Northeast Brazil: preliminary insights about environmental heterogeneity

Figure 5. Mean and standard error of tree cover (%), number of species and abundance in each locality. M: mangrove; AF: Amazon Forest; 1: Maracanã, 2: Sítio Aguahy; 3: Anajatiua; %: relative abundance.

Figure 6 in Sarcosaprophagous flesh flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) are less diverse in Amazon Forest than mangroves in Northeast Brazil: preliminary insights about environmental heterogeneity

Figure 6. Diversity profiles by the ordering of Rényi series for each environment and each study area in Maranhão state, Northeast Brazil.

Figure 3 in Sarcosaprophagous flesh flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) are less diverse in Amazon Forest than mangroves in Northeast Brazil: preliminary insights about environmental heterogeneity

Figure 3. Observed cumulative curves (solid line) and extrapolation to double the number of samples (dashed line) of Sarcophagidae species by study area in Maranhão state, Northeast Brazil. 1: Anajatiua; 2: Maracanã; 3: Sítio Aguahy; F: forest; M: mangrove.

Figure 4 in Sarcosaprophagous flesh flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) are less diverse in Amazon Forest than mangroves in Northeast Brazil: preliminary insights about environmental heterogeneity

Figure 4. Association of tree cover (%) with (a) number of species and (b) abundance of sarcophagids in each sampling point of mangrove and forest.

Figure 2 in Sarcosaprophagous flesh flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) are less diverse in Amazon Forest than mangroves in Northeast Brazil: preliminary insights about environmental heterogeneity

Figure 2. Study areas on São Luís Island, Maranhão state (left and middle) and canopy cover images showing the distance between Amazon Forest and mangrove areas (right): (a) Anajatiua; (b) Maracanã; (c) Sítio Aguahy; (1) mangrove; (2) forest; (3) canopy cover images. Yellow points: traps in mangrove area; red points: traps in forest area.

Figure 1 in Sarcosaprophagous flesh flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) are less diverse in Amazon Forest than mangroves in Northeast Brazil: preliminary insights about environmental heterogeneity

Figure 1. Locations (Anajatiua, Maracanã and Sítio Aguahy) where sampling was performed in January/February 2016 and August/September 2017 on São Luís Island in the Brazilian state of Maranhão.

opencc-zeroJan 2023View details →

Habitat heterogeneity, environmental feedbacks, and species coexistence across timescales (code and figures)

Classic ecological theory explains species coexistence in variable environments. While spatial variation is often treated as an intrinsic feature of a landscape, it may be shaped and even generated by the resident community. All species modify their local environment to some extent, driving changes that can feed back to affect the composition and coexistence of the community, potentially over timescales very different from population dynamics. We introduce a simple, nested modeling framework for community dynamics in heterogeneous environments, including the possible evolution of heterogeneity over time due to community-environment feedbacks. We use this model to derive analytical conditions for species coexistence in environments where heterogeneity is either fixed or shaped by feedbacks. Among other results, our approach reveals how dispersal and environmental specialization interact to shape realized patterns of habitat association and demonstrates that environmental feedbacks can tune landscape conditions to allow the stable coexistence of any number of species. Our flexible modeling framework helps explain feedback dynamics that arise in a wide range of ecosystems and offers a generic platform for exploring the interplay between species and landscape diversity.

opencc-zeroMay 2023View details →

Trait-based and multi-scale approach provides insight on responses of freshwater mussels to environmental heterogeneity

Our understanding of the factors driving the distribution of metacommunities at different scales can be obscured by high variation in species composition between sites and a lack of fine-scale distribution data. Trait-based approaches have long been used to better identify and examine ecological patterns. Most recent studies of riverine metacommunities examining trait-based patterns have focused on shorter-lived organisms. Here we focused on a group of longer-lived, sedentary riverine organisms, unionid freshwater mussels. The objective of this study was to examine how (1) the distribution of mussels with different life history strategies (trait-based approach) and (2) the relative importance of environmental and spatial factors (as a proxy for dispersal) would differ with spatial scale and position in the river; and to (3) further compare this with patterns derived from a taxonomic approach. Fine-scale distribution data of mussels and environmental factors were collected every 100 m in spatially extensive surveys in an up- and downstream segment (200 sites/20 km-segment) of a semi-arid river, making them some of the most spatially intensive surveys documented to date. A combination of redundancy analysis, asymmetric eigenvector mapping, and variation partitioning analyses revealed that more variation was explained by environmental factors where more environmental differences occur between sites. Where environmental heterogeneity was lower the amount of variation explained by smaller-scale spatial factors was higher, likely mostly associated with stochastic rather than dispersal processes. A higher amount of unexplained variation at the taxonomic level suggests that stochasticity may also play an important role in determining species composition. In contrast, different life history groups had a highly predictable distribution pattern driven by environmental heterogeneity, especially between river segments and mesohabitat, which was associated with different flow conditions. The role we predict for environmental heterogeneity and stochasticity in shaping the distribution of mussels in our study river likely also applies to other taxa and ecosystems at a spatial scale at which neither dispersal limitation nor mass effects occur. Thus, understanding the magnitude and extent of dispersal relative to the amount of environmental heterogeneity may be key for predicting metacommunity structure and dynamics for different organisms.