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2,608 results for “breed”
Remotely sensed forest understory density and nest predator occurrence interact to predict suitable breeding habitat and the occurrence of a resident boreal bird species
<p>Habitat suitability models (HSM) based on remotely sensed data are useful tools in conservation work. However, they typically use species occurrence data rather than robust demographic variables, and their predictive power is rarely evaluated. These shortcomings can result in misleading guidance for conservation. Here, we develop and evaluate a HSM based on correlates of long term breeding success of an open nest building boreal forest bird, the Siberian jay. In our study site in northern Sweden, nest failure of this permanent resident species is driven mainly by visually hunting corvids that are associated with human settlements. Parents rely on understory nesting cover as protection against these predators. Accordingly, our HSM includes a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) based metric of understory density around the nest and the distance of the nest to the closest settlement to predict breeding success. It reveals that a high understory density 15-80 m around nests is associated with increased breeding success in territories close to settlements (<1.5 km). Farther away from human settlements breeding success is highest at nest sites with a more open understory providing a favourable warmer microclimate. We validated this HSM by comparing the predicted breeding success with landscape-wide census data on Siberian jay occurrence. The correlation between breeding success and occurrence was strong up to 40 km around the study site. However, the HSM appears to overestimate breeding success in regions with a milder climate, and therefore higher corvid numbers. Our findings suggest that maintaining patches of small diameter trees may provide a cost-effective way to restore the breeding habitat for Siberian jays up to 1.5 km from human settlements. This distance is expected to increase in the warmer, southern, and coastal range of the Siberian jay where the presence of other corvids is to a lesser extent restricted to settlements.</p>
Detection dogs in nature conservation: a database on their worldwide deployment with a review on breeds used and their performance compared to other methods
<p>Over the last century, dogs have been increasingly used to detect rare and elusive species or traces of them. The use of wildlife detection dogs (WDD) is particularly well established in North America, Europe and Oceania, and projects deploying them have increased worldwide. However, if they are to make a significant contribution to conservation and management, their strengths, abilities, and limitations should be fully identified. We reviewed the use of WDD with particular focus on the breeds used in different countries and for various targets, as well as their overall performance compared to other methods, by developing and analysing a database of 1220 publications, including 916 scientific ones, covering 2464 individual cases - most of them (1840) scientific. With the worldwide increase in the use of WDD, associated tasks have changed and become much more diverse. Since 1930, reports exist for 62 countries and 407 animal, 42 plant, 26 fungi and 6 bacteria species. Altogether, 108 FCI-classified and 20 non-FCI-classified breeds have worked as WDD. While certain breeds have been preferred on different continents and for specific tasks and targets, they were not generally better suited for detection tasks than others. Overall, WDD usually worked more effectively than other monitoring methods. For each species group, regardless of breed, detection dogs were better than other methods in 88.71% of all cases and only worse in 0.98%. It was only for arthropods that Pinshers and Schnauzers performed worse than other breeds. For mono- and dicotyledons, detection dogs did less often outperform other methods. Although every breed can be trained as a WDD, choosing the most suitable dog for the task and target may speed up training and increase the chance of success. Albeit selection of the most appropriate WDD is important, excellent training, knowledge about the target density and suitability, and a proper study design all appeared to have the highest impact on performance. Moreover, an appropriate area, habitat and weather are crucial for detection dog work. When these factors are taken into consideration, WDD can be an outstanding monitoring method.</p>
Helpers compensate for age-related declines in parental care and offspring survival in a cooperatively breeding bird
<p>Offspring from elderly parents often have lower survival due to parental senescence. In cooperatively breeding species, where offspring care is shared between breeders and helpers, the alloparental care provided by helpers is predicted to mitigate the impact of parental senescence on offspring provisioning and, subsequently, offspring survival. We test this prediction using data from a long-term study on cooperatively breeding Seychelles warblers (<i>Acrocephalus sechellensis</i>). We find that the nestling-provisioning rate of female breeders declines with their age. Further, the total brood provisioning rate and the first-year survival probability of offspring decline progressively with age of the female breeder, but these declines are mitigated when helpers are present. This effect does not arise because individual helpers provide more care in response to the lower provisioning of older dominant females, but because older female breeders have recruited more helpers, thereby receiving more overall care for their brood. We do not find such effects for male breeders. These results indicate that alloparental care can alleviate the fitness costs of senescence for breeders, which suggests an interplay between age and cooperative breeding.</p>
Rainfall and nest site competition delay Mountain Bluebird and Tree Swallow breeding but do not impact productivity
<p>Optimizing breeding phenology, an important aspect of fitness, is complex for migratory species as they must make key timing decisions early, and remotely, from breeding sites. We examined the role of weather (locally and cross-seasonally), cavity availability, and competitive exclusion in determining among-year variation in breeding phenology over 17 years for two migratory, cavity-nesting birds: Mountain Bluebirds (<em>Sialia currucoides</em>; n = 462 nests) and Tree Swallows (<em>Tachycineta bicolor</em>; n = 572) using natural tree cavities in British Columbia, Canada. We assessed weather effects within the winter and migratory range and at our study sites. We quantified competition as the proportion of cavities occupied by European Starlings (<em>Sturnus vulgaris</em>) (for both species) and Mountain Bluebird (for Tree Swallow only) in each year. For 229 bluebird and 177 swallow nests with known fates, we tested whether late years resulted in reduced productivity. Although the effects were small, heavy rainfall and strong diurnal westerly winds during migration were associated with breeding delays for Mountain Bluebirds. However, cavity availability (earlier breeding with increases) had a 5-8X greater effect on timing than migratory conditions. There was no evidence that starling competition delayed bluebirds. In Tree Swallows, greater local daily rainfall was associated with delayed breeding, as was starling abundance (the effect of starlings was 1.4X times smaller than that of rainfall). Neither bluebird abundance nor cavity availability changed swallow phenology. Neither species showed reduced productivity in late breeding years. In both species, individuals that bred late relative to conspecifics within-year had smaller clutches and greater probability of nest failure. We conclude that breeding ground conditions, particularly cavity limitation and local rainfall (for swallows), are important drivers of breeding phenology for our focal species, but that the productivity cost of late years, at least for Tree Swallows, is minimal. </p>
Integrating stable isotopes, parasite and ring-reencounter data to quantify migratory connectivity - a case study with Barn Swallows breeding in Switzerland, Germany, Sweden and Finland
<p>Ecosystems around the world are connected by seasonal migration. The migrant animals themselves are influenced by migratory connectivity through effects on the individual and the population level. Measuring migratory connectivity is notoriously difficult due to the simple requirement of data conveying information about the non-breeding distribution of many individuals from several breeding populations. Explicit integration of data derived from different methods increases the precision and the reliability of parameter estimates.</p> <p>We combine ring-reencounter, stable isotope and blood parasite data of Barn Swallows <i>Hirundo rustica</i> in a single integrated model to estimate migratory connectivity for three large scale breeding populations across a latitudinal gradient from Central Europe and Scandinavia. To this end, we integrated a non-Markovian multi-state mark-recovery model for the ring-reencounter data with normal and binomial mixture models for the stable isotope and parasite data.</p> <p>The integration of different data sources within a mark-recapture modelling framework enables the most precise quantification of migratory connectivity on the given broad spatial scale. The results show that northern breeding populations and Southern Africa as well as southern breeding populations and Western-Central Africa are more strongly connected through Barn Swallow migration than central European breeding populations with any of the African wintering areas. The non-breeding distribution of Barn Swallows from central European breeding populations seems to be a mixture of those populations breeding further North and South, indicating a migratory divide.</p>
Linking range wide energetic trade-offs to breeding performance in a long-distance migrant
<p>Understanding how individual trade-offs and carry-over effects along the annual cycle influence fitness is fundamental to unravel population dynamics, but such data is particularly challenging to collect in long-distance migrants. Here, with a full annual cycle perspective of Icelandic whimbrels Numenius phaeopus islandicus, we investigate trade-offs across the entire distribution, assessing migration costs and wintering energetic balance experienced throughout the wintering range (from temperate to tropical regions), and link these to breeding parameters for two wintering regions. We found that Icelandic whimbrels traded-off higher costs of migration with more favourable wintering conditions, in terms of energetic balance. By migrating further, whimbrels experience lower thermoregulatory costs and higher net energetic intake rates, resulting in a more positive energetic balance during winter. However, these differences did not appear to carry-over into the breeding season in terms of measurable effects on laying date (and, consequently, fledging success) or egg volume, suggesting that individual fitness is unlikely to be significantly influenced by previous wintering conditions, although effects on other traits may potentially occur. Nevertheless, Icelandic whimbrels seem to favour wintering locations where the conditions are more advantageous, as the abundance of individuals at the wintering sites reflects the variation in site quality.</p>
Data from: Multiple benefits drive helping behavior in a cooperatively breeding bird: an integrated analysis
Several hypotheses exist to explain the seemingly altruistic helping behavior of cooperative breeders, although the general utility of these hypotheses remains unclear. While the potential importance of inclusive fitness benefits (kin selection) is traditionally widely appreciated, it is increasingly recognized that direct benefits may be more important than assumed. We use an integrative two-step framework to assess support for current hypotheses in purple-crowned fairy-wrens, a species where subordinates vary in relatedness to breeders and helping increases productivity. After establishing that assumptions of pay-to-stay and social prestige hypotheses (predicting that helping functions as 'paying rent' to stay on the territory or as a signal of individual quality, respectively) were not met, and that parentage by subordinates is extremely rare, we tested whether subordinates adjusted nestling feeding rates following the predictions of the kin selection and group augmentation hypotheses. Benefits of kin selection result from investment in relatives, and group augmentation benefits accrue when subordinates invest more in their own future helpers, for example when they have a better chance of inheriting the breeding position. We found that subordinates fed siblings more than unrelated nestlings, indicating that kin selection could facilitate cooperation. Moreover, the effect of relatedness on feeding effort varied depending on the probability of inheriting a breeding position, suggesting that active group augmentation can explain investment by unrelated subordinates. This statistical interaction would have gone undetected had we not considered both factors simultaneously, illustrating that a focus on single hypotheses could lead to underestimation of their importance in explaining cooperative breeding.
Data from: Mating system and genetic composition of the macaw palm (Acrocomia aculeata): implications for breeding and genetic conservation programs
Acrocomia aculeata (Arecaceae), a palm endemic to South and Central America, is a potential oil crop. Knowledge of the mating system of this species is limited to its reproductive biology and to studies using molecular markers. The present study analyzed genetic diversity between its developmental stages and determined its prevailing mating system in order to support genetic conservation and breeding programs. We tested nine microsatellite markers in 27 mother trees (adult plants) and 157 offspring (juvenile plants) from the southeastern region of Brazil. Heterozygosity levels differed between the two studied life stages, as indicated by the fixation index of adult and juvenile trees, suggesting that selection against homozygotes occurs during the plant life cycle. The mating system parameters analyzed indicate that A. aculeata is predominantly outcrossing (allogamous). However, its low levels of selfing suggest that there is individual variation with regard to self-incompatibility, which can be a survival strategy in isolated or fragmented habitats. Deviations in variance effective size were detected because of high mating rates among relatives and correlated matings. These findings indicate that the main source of inbreeding results from biparental inbreeding in the population and that the progenies are predominantly composed of full-sibs. The information provided by this study on the ecology and reproduction dynamics of A. aculeata should be useful to both breeding and genetic conservation programs, allowing the development of more precise mathematical models and the estimation of the appropriate number of mother trees for seed collection.
Data from: Runs of homozygosity and signatures of selection: a comparison among eight local Swiss sheep breeds
A dataset consisting of 787 animals with high density SNP chip genotypes (346,774 SNP) and 939 animals with medium density SNP chip genotypes (33,828 SNP) from a total of 8 indigenous Swiss sheep breeds was analyzed to characterize population structures, quantify genomic inbreeding based on runs of homozygosity and identify selection signatures. In concordance with the recent known history of these breeds, the highest genetic diversity was observed in Engadine Red sheep and the lowest in Valais Blacknose sheep. Correlation between FPED and FROH was around 0.50 and thereby lower than that found in similar studies in cattle. Mean FROH estimates from medium density data and HD data were highly correlated (0.95). Signatures of selection and candidate gene analysis revealed that the most prominent signatures of selection were found in the proximity of genes associated with body size (NCAPG, LCORL, LAP3, SPP1, PLAG1, ALOX12, TP53), litter size (SPP1), milk production (ABCG2, SPP1), coat color (KIT, ASIP, TBX3) and horn status (RXFP2). For the Valais Blacknose sheep the private signatures in proximity of genes/QTL influencing body size, coat color and fatty acid composition were confirmed based on runs of homozygosity analysis. These private signatures underline the genetic uniqueness of the Valais Blacknose sheep breed. In conclusion we identified differences in the genetic make-up of Swiss sheep breeds and we present relevant candidate genes responsible for breed differentiation in locally adapted breeds.
Data from: Determinants of age at first reproduction and lifetime breeding success revealed by full paternity assignment in a male ungulate
Age at first reproduction is an important determinant of individual variation in reproductive success in ungulates, but few studies have examined its relationship with later fitness-related traits in males. We used a long-term individual based study of a harvested moose population to quantify the individual reproductive performance and survival of males, as well as to examine the determinants of age at first reproduction and consequences of age at first reproduction on lifetime breeding success. The probability that a male successfully reproduced at the age of two was negatively related to the mean age of adult males in the population, but the relationship weakened with increasing population size. Large antlers and large body mass relative to other males in the population increased the number of calves sired at their first successful mating season. In addition, those that successfully reproduced as two year-olds were more likely to sire calves the next year, making them more productive at a given age compared to those that first reproduced at the age of three or older. We emphasize the importance for males to start reproducing as soon as possible in a harvested population to gain lifetime fitness benefits, as surviving the hunt is a major determinant of reproductive success in this population. We found no costs of early reproduction in males, hence leading to high individual heterogeneity in male reproductive performance. The apparent lack of reproductive costs could partly be explained by the age distribution in the population, individual variation in early-life body mass and antler size, and differences in probabilities of being killed during hunt between successful and unsuccessful males.
Data from: Particle backtracking improves breeding subpopulation discrimination and natal-source identification in mixed populations
We provide a novel method to improve the use of natural tagging approaches for subpopulation discrimination and source-origin identification in aquatic and terrestrial animals with a passive dispersive phase. Our method integrates observed site-referenced biological information on individuals in mixed populations with a particle-tracking model to retrace likely dispersal histories prior to capture (i.e., particle backtracking). To illustrate and test our approach, we focus on western Lake Erie's yellow perch (Perca flavescens) population during 2006–2007, using microsatellite DNA and otolith microchemistry from larvae and juveniles as natural tags. Particle backtracking showed that not all larvae collected near a presumed hatching location may have originated there, owing to passive drift during the larval stage that was influenced by strong river- and wind-driven water circulation. Re-assigning larvae to their most probable hatching site (based on probabilistic dispersal trajectories from the particle backtracking model) improved the use of genetics and otolith microchemistry to discriminate among local breeding subpopulations. This enhancement, in turn, altered (and likely improved) the estimated contributions of each breeding subpopulation to the mixed population of juvenile recruits. Our findings indicate that particle backtracking can complement existing tools used to identify the origin of individuals in mixed populations, especially in flow-dominated systems.
Data from: Seasonal differences in baseline innate immune function are better explained by environment than annual cycle stage in a year-round breeding tropical songbird
1. Seasonal variation in innate immunity is often attributed to either temporal environmental variation or to life history trade-offs that arise from specific annual cycle stages but decoupling them is difficult in natural populations. 2. Here, we effectively decouple seasonal environmental variation from annual cycle stage effects by exploiting cross-seasonal breeding and moult in the tropical Common Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus. We test how annual cycle stage interacts with a key seasonal environmental variable, rainfall, to determine immunity at population and individual level. If immune challenge varies with precipitation, we might expect immune function to be higher in the wet season due to increased environmental productivity. If breeding or moult imposes resource constraints on birds, depending on or independent of precipitation, we might expect lower immune indices during breeding or moult. 3. We sampled blood from 818 birds in four annual cycle stage categories: breeding, moult, simultaneous breeding and moulting, or neither. We quantified indices of innate immunity (haptoglobin, nitric oxide (NOx) and ovotransferrin concentrations, and haemagglutination and haemolysis titres) over two annual cycles of wet and dry seasons. 4. Environment (but not annual cycle stage or interactions between both) explained variation in all immune indices, except NOx. NOx concentration differed between annual cycle stages but not between seasons. However, within the wet season, haptoglobin, NOx, ovotransferrin and haemolysis differed significantly between breeding and non-breeding females. Aside from some recorded inconsistences, population level results were largely similar to results within individuals that were measured repeatedly. Unexpectedly, most immune indices were higher in the dry season and during breeding. 5. Higher immune indices may be explained if fewer or poorer quality resources force birds to increase social contact, thereby exposing individuals to novel antigens and increased infection risk, independently of environmental productivity. Breeding birds may also show higher immunity if less immune-competent and/or infected females omit breeding. We conclude that seasonal environmental variation impacts immunity more directly in natural animal populations than via resource trade-offs. In addition, immune indices were more often variable within than among individuals, but some indices are characteristic of individuals, and so may offer selective advantages if heritable.
Data from: Biparental incubation patterns in a high-Arctic breeding shorebird: how do pairs divide their duties?
In biparental species, parents may be in conflict over how much they invest into their offspring. To understand this conflict, parental care needs to be accurately measured, something rarely done. Here, we quantitatively describe the outcome of parental conflict in terms of quality, amount and timing of incubation throughout the 21 day incubation period in a population of semipalmated sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) breeding under continuous daylight in the High Arctic. Incubation quality, measured by egg temperature and incubation constancy, showed no marked difference between the sexes. The amount of incubation, measured as length of incubation bouts, was on average 51 min longer per bout for females (11.5 h) than for males (10.7 h), at first glance suggesting that females invested more than males. However, this difference may have been offset by sex-differences in the timing of incubation; females were more often off-nest during the warmer period of the day, when foraging conditions were presumably better. Overall, the daily timing of incubation shifted over the incubation period (e. g., for female incubation from 'evening-night' to 'night-morning') and over the season, but varied considerably among pairs. At one extreme, pairs shared the amount of incubation equally, but one parent always incubated during the colder part of the day; at the other extreme, pairs shifted the start of incubation bouts between days so that each parent experienced similar conditions across the incubation period. Our results highlight how the simultaneous consideration of different aspects of care across time allows sex-specific investment to be more accurately quantified.
Data from: Understanding geographic origins and history of admixture among chimpanzees in European zoos, with implications for future breeding programmes
Despite ample focus on this endangered species, conservation planning for chimpanzees residing outside Africa has proven a challenge because of the lack of ancestry information. Here, we analysed the largest number of chimpanzee samples to date, examining microsatellites in >100 chimpanzees from the range of the species in Africa, and 20% of the European zoo population. We applied the knowledge about subspecies differentiation throughout equatorial Africa to assign origin to chimpanzees in the largest conservation management programme globally. A total of 63% of the genotyped chimpanzees from the European zoos could be assigned to one of the recognized subspecies. The majority being of West African origin (40%) will help consolidate the current breeding programme for this subspecies and the identification of individuals belonging to the two other subspecies so far found in European zoos can form the basis for breeding programmes for these. Individuals of various degree of mixed ancestry made up 37% of the genotyped European zoo population and thus highlight the need for appropriate management programmes guided by genetic analysis to preserve maximum genetic diversity and reduce hybridization among subspecies.
Data from: Insights into the genetic history of French cattle from dense SNP data on 47 worldwide breeds
BACKGROUND: Modern cattle originate from populations of the wild extinct aurochs through a few domestication events which occurred about 8,000 years ago. Newly domesticated populations subsequently spread worldwide following breeder migration routes. The resulting complex historical origins associated with both natural and artificial selection have led to the differentiation of numerous different cattle breeds displaying a broad phenotypic variety over a short period of time. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: This study gives a detailed assessment of cattle genetic diversity based on 1,121 individuals sampled in 47 populations from different parts of the world (with a special focus on French cattle) genotyped for 44,706 autosomal SNPs. The analyzed data set consisted of new genotypes for 296 individuals representing 14 French cattle breeds which were combined to those available from three previously published studies. After characterizing SNP polymorphism in the different populations, we performed a detailed analysis of genetic structure at both the individual and population levels. We further searched for spatial patterns of genetic diversity among 23 European populations, most of them being of French origin, under the recently developed spatial Principal Component analysis framework. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Overall, such high throughput genotyping data confirmed a clear partitioning of the cattle genetic diversity into distinct breeds. In addition, patterns of differentiation among the three main groups of populations—the African taurine, the European taurine and zebus—may provide some additional support for three distinct domestication centres. Finally, among the European cattle breeds investigated, spatial patterns of genetic diversity were found in good agreement with the two main migration routes towards France, initially postulated based on archeological evidence.
Data from: Breeding success but not mate choice is phenotype- and context-dependent in a color polymorphic raptor
Morph-specific mate choice has been proposed as one of the evolutionary mechanisms that contribute to the maintenance of variation in color polymorphic systems. Coloration usually covaries with other phenotypic traits affecting life history and thus is often used as a criterion for mate choice. Here, we assess whether mating patterns, natal dispersal, and breeding output are phenotype-dependent in the color polymorphic Eleonora's falcon. We used a long-term dataset of 946 individually ringed adult falcons that included 109 individuals monitored from birth up to recruitment into the breeding population. Overall, patterns of mate choice with regard to coloration were neither assortative nor disassortative. Natal dispersal distance was greater in females but was not associated with coloration. Breeding success was both morph-dependent and context-dependent. Although clutch size was similar in differently colored pairs, differences arose in the number of chicks that fledge. In some years, dark males raised more offspring, regardless of female color morph. Differences in the breeding tactics between male morphs could be associated with intraspecific predation and may thus contribute to the observed differences in breeding output, especially when food availability is low. This suggests that mating patterns may interact with other factors and give rise to the observed higher breeding output of dark males only under certain environmental conditions.
Data from: Intercolony movement of pre-breeding seabirds over oceanic scales: implications of cryptic age-classes for conservation and metapopulation dynamics
Aim: Demographic linkage between subpopulations plays a critical role in population processes. Metapopulation dynamics, however, remains one of the most poorly understood aspects of population biology. This is especially true for small, pelagic seabirds because their discrete subpopulations are located on offshore islands, separated by vast areas of open ocean, making monitoring logistically challenging. Seabird populations often contain large numbers of immature pre-breeders that may be important for subpopulation connectivity and demography, but are poorly studied. Here we provide evidence for intercolony movement of pre-breeding Leach's storm-petrels Oceanodroma leucorhoa among three colonies spanning the North Atlantic Ocean. We discuss their influence on metapopulation dynamics and the extinction risk of a subpopulation under threat from extreme predation. Location: North Atlantic Ocean Islands (Scotland, Canada & Iceland). Methods: We use a novel application of Bayesian stable isotope mixing models to infer recent movement of pre-breeding birds between three major breeding populations in the North Atlantic. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values from breeding birds (central place foragers) sampled at each colony were used as model sources and pre-breeding birds as model mixtures. Results: Of 134 pre-breeding Leach's storm-petrels sampled at three colonies across the North Atlantic, five had isotope mixing model estimates dissimilar (< 25%) to their colony of capture and were instead isotopically similar to another breeding region. Nineteen further pre-breeders had highly mixed signatures (< 50% for the colony of capture), indicating possible recent movement between colonies. Main conclusions: Our findings provide evidence for interpopulation connectivity of pre-breeding Leach's storm-petrels among colonies spanning the North Atlantic. These results highlight the significance of cryptic young age-classes in metapopulation dynamics and the demographic processes. Moreover, they provide us with a better understanding of how one subpopulation remains extant, despite experiencing extreme predation rates.
Data from: LiDAR and RGB-image analysis to predict hairy vetch biomass in breeding nurseries
Hairy vetch is a fall seeded annual legume that can be used as a forage and cover crop. As a cover crop, it can provide numerous ecosystem services, such as soil erosion reduction, carbon sequestration, and pollinator habitat, but also agronomic services such as weed suppression and N fixation via soil rhizobium species. To improve cover crop function, traits such as biomass production are especially relevant, making it a first priority trait for cover crop breeders. However, direct phenotypic methods for biomass production are destructive. Breeders have thus relied on subjective, visual scoring methods for biomass, which are generally correlative, but are not quantitative or absolute. In this study, we evaluated two low-cost remote sensing tools, LiDAR and RGB-image analysis, for their effectiveness at predicting biomass in vivo. We evaluated these tools in two common forage breeding scenarios, spaced-plant and sward-plot nurseries, at three Minnesota locations following the winter of 2016/2017. Ground cover, determined from RGB image binarization using the Canopeo application, had a significant and linear relationship with above-ground biomass in spaced-plants (R2=0.93), and sward-plots (R2=0.89). Once the image area became saturated with vegetative pixels, a near-exponential relationship with biomass would occur. Because of the low-growth habit of hairy vetch, RGB image analysis was more appropriate at lower plant densities, such as spaced-plant nurseries. LiDAR measures of sward-plot height were also linearly and strongly related to dry-matter biomass in sward-plots (R2=0.80). The dimensionality of LiDAR sensing gave it greater predictive ability at higher plant densities, where RGB analysis could not detect vertical increases in biomass production. Lastly, we combined RGB and LiDAR data to predict sward-plot biomass in a multiple mixed-effect regression model. By doing so, we were able to explain more biomass variation than with use of either phenotypic tool as a single predictor (R2=0.94).
Data from: Variable helper effects, ecological conditions, and the evolution of cooperative breeding in the acorn woodpecker
The ecological conditions leading to delayed dispersal and helping behavior are generally thought to follow one of two contrasting scenarios: that conditions are stable and predictable resulting in young being ecologically forced to remain as helpers (extrinsic constraints and the "habitat saturation" hypothesis), or that conditions are highly variable and unpredictable leading to the need for helpers to raise young, at least when conditions are poor (intrinsic constraints and the "hard life" hypothesis). We investigated how variability in ecological conditions influences the degree to which helpers augment breeder fitness in the cooperatively breeding acorn woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus), a species in which the acorn crop, territory quality, and prior breeding experience all vary in ways that have important effects on fitness. We found that the relationship between ecological conditions and the probability that birds would remain as helpers was variable, but that helpers generally yielded greater fitness benefits when ecological conditions were favorable, rather than unfavorable, for breeding. These results affirm the importance of extrinsic constraints to delayed dispersal and cooperative breeding in this species, despite this species' dependence on a highly variable and unpredictable acorn crop. Our findings also confirm that helpers can have very different fitness effects depending on conditions, but that those effects are not necessarily greater when breeding conditions are unfavorable.
Data from: Reconstruction of paternal genotypes over multiple breeding seasons reveals male green turtles do not breed annually
For species of conservation concern, knowledge of key life-history and demographic components, such as the number and sex ratio of breeding adults, is essential for accurate assessments of population viability. Species with temperature-dependent sex determination can produce heavily biased primary sex ratios, and there is concern that adult sex ratios may be similarly skewed or will become so as a result of climate warming. Prediction and mitigation of such impacts are difficult when life-history information is lacking. In marine turtles, owing to the difficultly in observing males at sea, the breeding interval of males is unknown. It has been suggested that male breeding periodicity may be shorter than that of females, which could help to compensate for generally female-biased sex ratios. Here we outline how the use of molecular-based paternity analysis has allowed us, for the first time, to assess the breeding interval of male marine turtles across multiple breeding seasons. In our study rookery of green turtles (Chelonia mydas), 97% of males were assigned offspring in only one breeding season within the 3-year study period, strongly suggesting that male breeding intervals are frequently longer than 1 year at this site. Our results also reveal a sex ratio of breeding adults of at least 1.3 males to each female. This study illustrates the utility of molecular-based parentage inference using reconstruction of parental genotypes as a method for monitoring the number and sex ratio of breeders in species where direct observations or capture are difficult.
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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.
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OpenNeuro
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