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3,583 results for “elevations”
Data from: Elevation and leaf litter interact in determining the structure of ant communities on a tropical mountain
<p class="Standard">Tropical mountains encompass a wide range of environmental conditions and are useful models for studying drivers of community structure. Invertebrate species richness and abundance show various elevational patterns. However, the drivers of these differences are not well understood, although microhabitat complexity is potentially important. We studied ground-dwelling ants using pitfall trapping and hand collection on Mt. Wilhelm (Papua New Guinea) from 169 to 3,795 m a.s.l. We tested for the effects of elevation and leaf litter depth (as a measure of microhabitat complexity) on ant abundance, species richness and composition. We sampled 118 species, with ants present up to 2,331 m a.s.l.<span> </span><span><span>Species</span></span><span> richness </span><span><span>peaked at mid-elevation (~700 m), but the elevational pattern for abundance varied depending on sampling scale</span></span><span>.</span> Leaf litter depth negatively affected abundance once elevation had been accounted for, while elevation and litter depth had an interactive effect on species richness. Species richness was positively related to litter depth at lower elevations, but negatively above ~700 m. Species composition varied with elevation and less strongly with leaf litter depth. We speculate that in the lowlands, litter depth rather than temperature limits ant communities. At high elevations, the deeper litter decreases temperature of the litter layer, and temperature becomes limiting. At mid elevations, temperature is not yet too low, and litter is still relatively deep, hence generating a mid-elevation peak in ant richness. Our results may explain differing richness-elevation patterns of litter arthropods around the world, and provide testable predictions for future studies on this topic.</p>
Plant communities, grazing intensity, soil properties and decomposers in grasslands across elevation in the Eastern Carpathians in Ukraine
<p>This data set contains information on plant community properties, grazing intensity, elevation, soil properties and density of soil decomposers collected in 2006 and 2007 from the 31 semi-natural grasslands exposed to cattle grazing along elevation gradient at large topographic scale ranging from the Carpathian Mountains, across the adjacent foothills to the plain areas. Plant community properties are represented by the following variables for each of the 31 study grassland: number of species (species number 100 m<sup>-2</sup>), number of functional groups 100 m<sup>-2 </sup>(that is, legumes, grasses, rushes and sedges, and non-legume forbs), proportion of undesirable weeds (%), number of species of legumes (species number 100 m<sup>-2</sup>), number of species of grasses (species number 100 m<sup>-2</sup>), number of species of rushes and sedges (species number 100 m<sup>-2</sup>), and number of non-legume forbs (species number 100 m<sup>-2</sup>). Grazing intensity is measured as cattle density (livestock units h<sup>-1</sup>). Soil properties are represented for each 31 study grassland by bare soil exposure (%) , soil organic carbon content (%), and soil pH. Density of soil decomposers are represented by biomass of earthworms g m<sup>-2</sup> and abundance of soil microorganisms cells × 10<sup>8</sup> g (dry soil)<sup>-1</sup>. Plant community composition is based on individual species' canopy cover. This dataset also contain information on the following plant traits for each plant species (n=175 species) found across the 31 study pastures across 2006 and 2007 sampling years: family of the plant species, belonging to legumes, grasses, rushes and sedges, non-legume forbs, and undesirable weeds. All data are averages across the two sampling years. </p>
Trait-modulated decline of carabid beetle occurrence along elevation gradients across the European Alps
Aim: To assess how species traits modulate the responses of carabids to elevation gradients, and how consistent these relationships are across different Alpine regions. Location: Italian Alps. Taxon: Coleoptera, Carabidae (ground beetles) Methods: Carabid communities were sampled using pitfall traps along elevation gradients (697-2840 m) in 416 study sites comprising a range of habitat types. The probability of carabid occurrence was modelled in relation to elevation and its interaction with two key traits, body size and wing development, using a mixed-modelling framework. The consistency of these associations was then assessed across three geographically separated regions. Results: Carabid occurrence declined with increasing elevation, although this relationship was modulated by both body size and wing development. Smaller species were less likely to occur than larger-bodied species at lower elevations. There was a steep decline in occurrence of larger species from low to high elevation, but a slight increase in smaller species, when considering all regions combined. All wing development types declined with elevation, most notably for brachypterous (reduced wings) species. However, these patterns also varied regionally, especially for wing development, indicating that trait-elevation interactions are not geographically consistent. Habitat could not explain the differences between regions for body size, but was likely an important driver of regional differences in the role of wing development on carabid occurrence. Main conclusions: Species traits are important in explaining the distribution of carabids along elevation gradients in mountains, and they may help to identify the species that are the most vulnerable, and the most resilient, to future environmental change. Increased probability of occurrence of smaller species at higher elevations suggests that they may be particularly vulnerable to environmental change in the future. However, the difference in responses to elevation between regions has important implications for modelling species distributions, as it suggests low model transferability, i.e. a trait-based model derived from one region cannot necessarily be used to project relative elevational shifts in a wider area.
Data from: Changes in seed predation along a 2300-m elevational gradient on a tropical mountain in Myanmar: a standardized test with 32 non-native plant species
<p>It has been hypothesized that biotic interactions are stronger towards lower latitudes and elevations. However, results vary among interaction systems and experimental protocols. Our goal was to examine the validity of this prediction by using a standardized method to investigate seed–animal interaction. We assessed removal by animals for 40960 seeds belonging to 32 non-native tree species along an elevation gradient from 600 m to 2910 m on Mount Victoria (Nat Ma Taung), western Myanmar. We analyzed the elevational trends of seed removal at both individual seed level (probability of depot encounter, proportion of seeds removed after encounter and total proportion of seeds removed) and community level (Shannon diversity and species evenness indices). The dry and wet seasons had opposite relationships between seed removal and elevation,<br> i.e. hump-shaped in the dry season and U-shaped in the wet season. Individual plant species displayed almost all possible patterns: U-shaped and hump-shaped, monotonic decrease and increase, and elevation-independent patterns. As a consequence of the hump-shaped seed removal pattern with elevation in the dry season, the diversity and evenness of surviving seeds showed U-shaped patterns. Our study shows that elevational trends in seed–animal interactions do not follow a constant rule, but differ between seasons and among species, suggesting that a one-off survey with few species might give misleading information on overall macroecological patterns. Future studies of trends in biotic interactions along gradients should bear this in mind.</p>
FIGURE 1 in Re-elevation to species level and redescription of Serranochromis jallae and Serranochromis robustus (Teleostei: Cichlidae)
FIGURE 1. Horizontal eye diameter as percent head length plotted against head length of Serranochromis robustus (+) and Serranochromis jallae (x).
FIGURE 3 in Re-elevation to species level and redescription of Serranochromis jallae and Serranochromis robustus (Teleostei: Cichlidae)
FIGURE 3. Adult males of Serranochromis jallae in breeding color (Okavango top; Upper Zambezi bottom). The anal fin in the top photo somewhat obscured by a shadow. Photos by Denis Tweddle.
FIGURE 4 in Re-elevation to species level and redescription of Serranochromis jallae and Serranochromis robustus (Teleostei: Cichlidae)
FIGURE 4. Sheared second principal components (morphometric data) plotted against the first principal components of the meristic data for Serranochromis robustus (+) and Serranochromis jallae (x). The minimum polygon clusters are bounded by 95% confidence levels.
Diversity and phylogenetic community structure across elevation during climate change in a family of hyperdiverse neotropical beetles (Staphylinidae)
<p>Environmental stress from abiotic conditions imposes physiological limits on individuals within communities, and these stressful conditions can act as a filter on the species present in any given environment. Such abiotic stressors can reduce a community's diversity and make its composition more phylogenetically clustered. Using a decade of staphylinid beetle (Staphylinidae, Coleoptera, rove beetles) collections made across a 1,500 m elevation gradient in northwestern Costa Rica (2008-2017) we asked what species lived there, how large and overlapping were the communities across this gradient, and what relationship was there between elevation and diversity. Using DNA barcodes for identification and phylogenetic estimates of community structure, we found high turnover across elevation, and that staphylinid diversity increased linearly with elevation. Because of this, we found staphylinid diversity was negatively related to surface area and temperature, and positively with precipitation. We suggest that historical biogeography and contemporary environmental stress have combined to produce these observed patterns. The forests in which these beetles are found are heating and drying rapidly and our finding that diversity increases with elevation suggests that there will be catastrophic biodiversity loss in the coming decades.</p>
Data from: No carbon "bet hedging" in pine seedlings under prolonged summer drought and elevated CO2
More frequent drought episodes are expected to cause higher mortality in isohydric tree species such as pines, because individuals close their stomata early during drought in order to maintain constant needle water potentials. It has been suggested that trees delay the ensuing carbon starvation by actively storing carbon at the expense of growth ("bet hedging"). Because such a strategy is only adaptive in drought-prone regions, we hypothesise that the degree of carbon "bet hedging" should differ between ecotypes. We repeatedly measured the allocation of biomass, starch and soluble sugars to needles, stem and roots in seedlings of nine populations of Pinus sylvestris and Pinus nigra along a gradient from Central Europe to the Mediterranean. During two consecutive growing seasons, seedlings grown from seed were exposed to factorial combinations of 4 months of drought (D1, D2) and ambient/elevated CO2 (aCO2/eCO2). Drought-stressed pine seedlings did neither increase starch concentrations, nor change biomass production or experience lower mortality under eCO2 compared to aCO2. By the end of D2, seedlings from drier origin had accumulated more starch but at the same time also more biomass than seedlings from wetter origin. Surprisingly, seedlings acclimatised to dry conditions after D1 so that mortality dropped to zero and drought effects on needle starch (P. sylvestris) and overall starch (P. nigra), respectively, disappeared after D2. Synthesis. The absence of a trade-off between carbon storage (starch) and growth (biomass), and the patterns of mortality observed in seedlings growing under combined drought and eCO2 do not support the theory of carbon "bet hedging" in isohydric Pinus sylvestris and Pinus nigra. Results suggest that reduced growth and acclimatisation minimised seedling mortality in the second year. Acclimatisation might thus enable pine seedlings to resist a moderate increase in summer drought frequency expected in the future.
Data from: DNA metabarcoding reveals changes in the contents of carnivorous plants along an elevation gradient
Resource variation along abiotic gradients influences subsequent trophic interactions and these effects can be transmitted through entire food webs. Interactions along abiotic gradients can provide clues as to how organisms will face changing environmental conditions, such as future range shifts. However, it is challenging to find replicated systems to study these effects. Phytotelmata, such as those found in carnivorous plants, are isolated aquatic communities and thus form a good model for the study of replicated food webs. Due to the degraded nature of the prey, molecular techniques provide a useful tool to study these communities. We studied the pitcher plant Sarracenia purpurea L. in allochthonous populations along an elevational gradient in the Alps and Jura. We predicted that invertebrate richness in the contents of the pitcher plants would decrease with increasing elevation, reflecting harsher environmental conditions. Using metabarcoding of the COI gene, we sequenced the invertebrate contents of these pitcher plants. We assigned Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units at ordinal level as well as recovering species-level data. We found small but significant changes in community composition with elevation. These recovered sequences could belong to invertebrate prey, rotifer inquilines, pollinators and other animals possibly living inside the pitchers. However, we found no directional trend or site-based differences in MOTU richness with elevational gradient. Use of molecular techniques for dietary or contents analysis is a powerful way to examine numerous degraded samples, although factors such as DNA persistence and the relationship to species presence still have to be completely determined.
Repeated genetic and adaptive phenotypic divergence across tidal elevation in a foundation plant species
Microgeographic genetic divergence can create fine-scale trait variation. When such divergence occurs within foundation species, then it might impact community structure and ecosystem function, and cause other cascading ecological effects. We tested for parallel microgeographic trait and genetic divergence in Spartina alterniflora , a foundation species that dominates salt marshes of the US Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Spartina is characterized by tall-form (1-2m) plants at lower tidal elevations and short-form (<0.5m) plants at higher tidal elevations, yet whether this trait variation reflects plastic and/or genetically differentiated responses to these environmental conditions remains unclear. In the greenhouse, seedlings raised from tall-form plants grew taller than those from short-form plants, indicating a heritable difference in height. When we reciprocally transplanted seedlings back into the field for a growing season, composite fitness (survivorship and seed production) and key plant traits (plant height and biomass allocation) differed interactively across origin and transplant zones in a manner indicative of local adaptation. Further, a survey of single nucleotide polymorphisms revealed repeated, independent genetic differentiation between tall- and short-form Spartina at 5 of 6 tested marshes across the native range. The observed parallel, microgeographic genetic differentiation in Spartina likely underpins marsh health and functioning, and provides an underappreciated mechanism that might increase capacity of marshes to adapt to rising sea levels.
Data from: Differential high-altitude adaptation and restricted gene flow across a mid-elevation hybrid zone in Andean tit-tyrant flycatchers
The tropical Andes are a global hotspot of avian diversity that is characterized by dramatic elevational shifts in community composition and a preponderance of recently evolved species. Bird habitats in the Andes span a nearly two-fold range of atmospheric pressure that poses challenges for respiration, thermoregulation, water balance, and powered flight, but the extent to which physiological constraints limit species' elevational distributions is poorly understood. We report a previously unknown hybrid zone between recently diverged flycatchers (Aves, Tyrannidae) with partially overlapping elevational ranges. The southern Anairetes reguloides has a broad elevational range (0-4200 m), while the northern Anairetes nigrocristatus is restricted to high elevations (>2200 m). We found hybrids in central Peru at elevations between ~3100-3800 m, with A. nigrocristatus above this elevation and A. reguloides below. We analyzed variation in hematology, heart mass, morphometrics, plumage, and one mitochondrial and three nuclear loci across an elevational transect that encompasses the hybrid zone. Phenotypic traits and genetic markers all showed steep clines across the hybrid zone. Hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, mean cellular hemoglobin concentration, and relative heart mass each increased at altitude more strongly in A. reguloides than in A. nigrocristatus. These findings suggest that A. nigrocristatus is more resistant than A. reguloides to high-altitude hypoxic respiratory stress. Considering that the ancestor of the genus is suggested to have been restricted to high elevations, A. reguloides may be secondarily adapted to low-altitude. We conclude that differential respiratory specialization on atmospheric pressure combined with competitive exclusion maintains replacement along an elevational contour, despite interbreeding.
Data from: Canopy soil greenhouse gas dynamics in response to indirect fertilization across an elevation gradient of tropical montane forests
Canopy soils can significantly contribute to aboveground labile biomass, especially in tropical montane forests. Whether they also contribute to the exchange of greenhouse gases is unknown. To examine the importance of canopy soils to tropical forest-soil greenhouse gas exchange, we quantified gas fluxes from canopy soil cores along an elevation gradient with 4 yr of nutrient addition to the forest floor. Canopy soil contributed 5–12 percent of combined (canopy + forest floor) soil CO2 emissions but CH4 and N2O fluxes were low. At 2000 m, phosphorus decreased CO2 emissions (>40%) and nitrogen slightly increased CH4 uptake and N2O emissions. Our results show that canopy soils may contribute significantly to combined soil greenhouse gas fluxes in montane regions with high accumulations of canopy soil. We also show that changes in fluxes could occur with chronic nutrient deposition.
Data from: Physiological plasticity and local adaptation to elevated pCO2 in calcareous algae: an ontogenetic and geographic approach
To project how ocean acidification will impact biological communities in the future, it is critical to understand the potential for local adaptation and the physiological plasticity of marine organisms throughout their entire life cycle, as some stages may be more vulnerable than others. Coralline algae are ecosystem engineers that play significant functional roles in oceans worldwide, and are considered vulnerable to ocean acidification. Using different stages of coralline algae, we tested the hypothesis that populations living in environments with higher environmental variability and exposed to higher levels of pCO2 would be less affected by high pCO2 than populations from a more stable environment experiencing lower levels of pCO2. Our results show that spores are less sensitive to elevated pCO2 than adults. Spore growth and mortality were not affected by pCO2 level, however elevated pCO2 negatively impacted the physiology and growth rates of adults, with stronger effects in populations that experienced both lower levels of pCO2 and lower variability in carbonate chemistry, suggesting local adaptation. Differences in physiological plasticity and the potential for adaptation could have important implications for the ecological and evolutionary responses of coralline algae to future environmental changes.
Data from: Effects of elevated carbon dioxide on male and female behavioural lateralisation in a temperate goby
Behavioural abnormality in fishes has been proposed as a significant threat of the increasing levels of carbon dioxide occurring in the oceans. Negative effects of elevated CO2 have been reported for behaviours such as predator-prey interactions, foraging, hearing and behavioural lateralisation. Importantly, the effects vary greatly both within and between species, and some recent studies have shown minimal effects of CO2 on behaviour. Whether the effect of CO2 also varies between males and females is however virtually unexplored. According to resource allocation theory, females are expected to be more sensitive to elevated CO2, meaning that non-sex specific studies may overlook ecologically important differences between the sexes. In this study, we investigated the possible differences between males and females in their response to elevated CO2 by performing behavioural lateralisation tests in adult temperate two-spotted gobies Gobiusculus flavescens. We found that the strength of the side bias (absolute lateralisation) was unaffected by the CO2 treatment, and there was no difference between males and females. The control fish were slightly right-biased in their behavioural asymmetry (mean relative lateralisation of 14). Exposure to high CO2 affected this pattern, such that treated fish were slightly left biased (mean relative lateralisation of -10), regardless of their sex. The same results were obtained yet again when the study was repeated during a second year. We discuss our results in light of the great variation in lateralisation that has been reported to depend on variables such as species, ecological settings and environmental factors.
Data from: Phylogenetic plant community structure along elevation is lineage specific
The trend of closely related taxa to retain similar environmental preferences mediated by inherited traits suggests that several patterns observed at the community scale originate from longer evolutionary processes. While the effects of phylogenetic relatedness have been previously studied within a single genus or family, lineage-specific effects on the ecological processes governing community assembly have rarely been studied for entire communities or flora. Here, we measured how community phylogenetic structure varies across a wide elevation gradient for plant lineages represented by 35 families, using a co-occurrence index and net relatedness index (NRI). We propose a framework that analyses each lineage separately and reveals the trend of ecological assembly at tree nodes. We found prevailing phylogenetic clustering for more ancient nodes and overdispersion in more recent tree nodes. Closely related species may thus rapidly evolve new environmental tolerances to radiate into distinct communities, while older lineages likely retain inherent environmental tolerances to occupy communities in similar environments, either through efficient dispersal mechanisms or the exclusion of older lineages with more divergent environmental tolerances. Our study illustrates the importance of disentangling the patterns of community assembly among lineages to better interpret the ecological role of traits. It also sheds light on studies reporting absence of phylogenetic signal, and opens new perspectives on the analysis of niche and trait conservatism across lineages.
Data from: Patterns of taxonomic and functional diversity of termites along a tropical elevational gradient
Patterns of termite richness along elevation gradients may be related to different responses by termite functional groups to changes in environmental conditions. We investigated the distribution of termite species richness along an elevational gradient of cerrado and rupestrian grasslands in the Espinhaço Mountain Range, in Brazil. Fifty termite species were recorded, with the family Termitidae being dominant; 16 species are endemic to open areas of cerrado and 1 species, Cortaritermes rizzinii, is endemic and restricted to mountaintop grassland habitats. Termite richness declined with increasing elevation, with the main factors associated with the reduction being climactic (air temperature, air and soil humidity, and radiation) and vegetation variables. Different termite communities were found along the elevational gradient, which were also strongly influenced by changes in climate and vegetation. On the other hand, the same functional groups were present at the different elevations, although represented by different species.
Data from: The unfolding of plant growth form-defence syndromes along elevation gradients
Understanding the functional economics that drives plant investment of resources requires investigating the interface between plant phenotypes and the variation in ecological conditions. While allocation to defence represents a large portion of the carbon budget, this axis is usually neglected in the study of plant economic spectrum. Using a novel geometrical approach, we analysed the co‐variation in a comprehensive set of functional traits related to plant growth strategies, as well as chemical defences against herbivores on all 15 Cardamine species present in the Swiss Alps. By extracting geometrical information of the functional space, we observed clustering of plants into three main syndromes. Those different strategies of growth form and defence were also distributed within distinct elevational bands demonstrating an association between the functional space and the ecological conditions. We conclude that plant strategies converge into clear syndromes that trade off abiotic tolerance, growth and defence within each elevation zone.
Data from: Root heterogeneity along an arctic elevational gradient: the importance of resolution
Spatial heterogeneity affects plant performance and is influenced by plants, but the scale at which fine roots react to or generate spatial heterogeneity has received little attention. Fine roots might be expected to respond to heterogeneity at a scale comparable to their diameter (mm), but studies to date have been conducted at much coarser resolutions (cm – m). Here we quantify root heterogeneity in contrasting habitats with special attention to the influence of resolution. We measured fine root length heterogeneity at resolutions ranging from 1 to 300 mm2, at four elevations along an arctic alpine gradient from 500 m a.s.l. (forest) to 1100 m (tundra). We calculated the magnitude of heterogeneity as the coefficient of variation of root length, and the scale of heterogeneity using semivariance analysis. The magnitude of heterogeneity was about twofold greater at fine than coarse resolution. Further, the magnitude of heterogeneity was generally greatest at the highest elevation, suggesting that soil at 1100 m was less evenly occupied by plant roots than soils at lower elevations. The exception to this was at the 1 mm2 resolution, for which the magnitude of heterogeneity did not vary with elevation, possibly because heterogeneity at this scale is related to ecophysiological processes common to all vegetation types. The scale of root length heterogeneity increased significantly with resolution coarseness, suggesting that roots respond to or generate patchiness at small scales that have not previously been examined. In contrast, the scale of heterogeneity did not vary significantly with elevation and the accompanying turnover in growth form. Our results suggest that roots in four vegetation types respond to or generate very fine scales of spatial heterogeneity, including scales much smaller than those that have previously been examined. Both the magnitude and scale of heterogeneity varied with sampling resolution, suggesting resolutions as small as a few millimetres are relevant to studies of spatial root interactions and below-ground processes.
Data from: No effect of elevated carbon dioxide on reproductive behaviors in the three-spined stickleback
Ocean acidification, the reduction in ocean pH resulting from anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), has been predicted to alter the behavior of fishes. During experimental exposure to CO2 concentrations projected for the year 2100 (~1000 µatm), fish have been reported to display disturbances in activity, learning, behavioral lateralization, and even attraction to predator cues. Reproductive behaviors have received far less attention, despite an intensive research effort on ocean acidification and its ecological importance. Here, we investigate whether elevated levels of CO2 affect reproduction in breeding pairs of the three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus, a model species in behavioral, evolutionary ecology, and environmental toxicology. We found that males under both present day levels (400 µatm) and future levels (1000 µatm) of CO2 developed normal sexual ornaments, pursued normal nest building activities, exhibited similar levels of courtship behaviors and displacement fanning, and had the same mating probability. Moreover, fanning behavior during the paternal care period followed what is expected for the species for males from both treatments, and there was no effect of treatment on the numbers of offspring produced. This study is the first to investigate the effect of elevated CO2 on the complete breeding cycle in detail, studying an array of highly fitness-relevant traits. Our study showing surprising resilience of fish reproduction is an important contribution in order to realistically predict the impacts of future ocean acidification.
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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.