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516 results for “human impact”
Worn region size of shoe outsole impacts human slips: Testing a mechanistic model
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Data from: Early detection of human impacts using acoustic monitoring: an example with forest elephants
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Data from: Seeing the wood despite the trees: exploring the impact of human disturbance on plant diversity, community structure, and standing biomass in fragmented high Andean forests
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Human impacts on Great Lakes walleye Sander vitreus structure, diversity, and local adaptation
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Assessing impacts of social-ecological diversity on resilience in a wetland coupled human and natural system: Data release
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Human impact overrides bioclimatic drivers of red fox home range size globally
<p><i>Aim </i>Identifying the variables that influence animal home range size is important for understanding the biological requirements of individuals and their social interactions. Given their often broad distributions, carnivores are model organisms for studying range-wide determinants of home range size. Here we test predictions about environmental determinants of home range size for one of the world's most widely distributed carnivores, the red fox (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>)<i>.</i></p> <p><i>Location </i>Global</p> <p><i>Methods </i>We compiled a database of 70 mean home range estimates from 62 studies and four continents, which we analysed according to site-based temperature, precipitation, environmental productivity and human influence variables.</p> <p><i>Results</i> We found a very strong negative effect of the Human Footprint Index (HFI), with fox home range size decreasing as the level of human impact increased. When analysing the constituent components of the HFI separately, we found that human population density was the only well supported variable (<i>cf.</i> built environments, croplands, pasture lands, nightlights, railways, roads and navigable waterways). Predicted home range size at the highest human population densities (0.75 km<sup>2</sup>) was 93% lower than at the lowest population densities (10.83 km<sup>2</sup>). We also found that home range size increased as mean annual temperature and temperature seasonality increased. The analyses did not support our prediction that home ranges would be smaller in areas of higher environmental productivity or precipitation.</p> <p><i>Main conclusions</i> Smaller home range sizes observed in highly disturbed areas can be attributed to increased food availability from anthropogenic sources. The lack of an effect of environmental productivity contrasts with previous studies that have shown a negative relationship with carnivore home range size. It may be that anthropogenic food sources have negated the impacts that low productivity environments have on fox home ranges. Our results emphasise the strong potential for human activities to transform animal space use across the globe<i>.</i></p>
Data from: Late Quaternary environmental and human impacts on the mitochondrial DNA diversity of four commensal rodents in Myanmar
<p>We addressed the spatiotemporal characteristics of four commensal rodent species occurring in Myanmar in comparison with other areas of the Indo-Malayan region. We examined sequence variations of the mitochondrial cytochrome <i>b</i>gene (<i>Cytb</i>) in the Pacific rat (<i>Rattus exulans</i>), roof rat(<i>Rattus rattus</i>complex, RrC), lesser bandicoot rat (<i>Bandicota bengalensis</i>), and house mouse(<i>Mus musculus</i>) using the recently developed time-dependent evolutionary rates of mtDNA. The <i>Cytb</i>sequences of RrC from Myanmar were shown to belong to RrC Lineage II, and their level of genetic diversity was relatively high compared to those of the other three species. RrC was found to have experienced bottleneck and rapid expansion events at least twice in the late Pleistocene period in Myanmar and a nearby region. Accordingly, paleoclimatic environmental fluctuations were shown to be an important factor affecting rodents in the subtropics of the Indo-Malayan region. Our results show that human activities during the last 10,000 years of the Holocene period affected the population dynamics of the rodent species examined, including introducing them to Myanmar from neighboring countries. Further study of these four commensal rodents in other geographic areas of the Indo-Malayan region would allow us to better understand the factors that drove their evolution and their ecological trends.</p>
Data from: Impact of cognitive tasks on CO2 and isoprene emissions from humans
<p>The human body emits a wide range of chemicals, including CO<sub>2</sub> and isoprene. To examine the impact of cognitive tasks on human emission rates of CO<sub>2</sub> and isoprene, we conducted an across subjects, counterbalanced study in a controlled chamber involving 16 adults. The chamber replicated an office environment. In groups of four, participants engaged in 30 minutes each of cognitive tasks (stressed activity) and watching nature documentaries (relaxed activity). Measured biomarkers indicated higher stress levels were achieved during the stressed activity. Per-person CO<sub>2</sub> emission rates were greater for stressed than relaxed activity (30.3 ± 2.1 vs. 27.0 ± 1.7 g/h/p, <i>p </i>= 0.0044, mean ± standard deviation). Isoprene emission rates were also elevated under stressed vs. relaxed activity (154 ± 25 µg/h/p vs. 116 ± 20 µg/h/p, <i>p</i> = 0.041). Chamber temperature was held constant at 26.2 ± 0.49 ◦C; incidental variation in temperature did not explain variance in emission rates. Isoprene emission rates increased linearly with salivary-alpha amylase levels (<i>r<sup>2</sup></i> = 0.6, <i>p</i> = 0.02). These results imply the possibility of considering cognitive tasks when determining building ventilation rates. They also present the possibility of monitoring indicators of cognitive tasks of occupants through measurement of air quality. </p>
Data from: Mauritius on fire: tracking historical human impacts on biodiversity loss
Fire was rare on Mauritius prior to human arrival (AD 1598); subsequently three phases of elevated fire activity occurred: c. 1630-1747, 1787-1833, and 1950-modern. Elevated fire frequency coincided with periods of high human impact evidenced from the historical record, and is linked to the extinction of island endemics.
Data from: Reconstructing long-term human impacts on plant communities: an ecological approach based on lake sediment DNA
Paleoenvironmental studies are essential to understand biodiversity changes over long timescales and to assess the relative importance of anthropogenic and environmental factors. Sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) is an emerging tool in the field of paleoecology and has proven to be a complementary approach to the use of pollen and macroremains for investigating past community changes. SedaDNA-based reconstructions of ancient environments often rely on indicator taxa or expert knowledge, but quantitative ecological analyses might provide more objective information. Here, we analysed sedaDNA to investigate plant community trajectories in the catchment of a high-elevation lake in the Alps over the last 6400 years. We combined data on past and present plant species assemblages along with sedimentological and geochemical records to assess the relative impact of human activities through pastoralism, and abiotic factors (temperature and soil evolution). Over the last 6400 years, we identified significant variation in plant communities, mostly related to soil evolution and pastoral activities. An abrupt vegetational change corresponding to the establishment of an agropastoral landscape was detected during the Late Holocene, approximately 4500 years ago, with the replacement of mountain forests and tall-herb communities by heathlands and grazed lands. Our results highlight the importance of anthropogenic activities in mountain areas for the long-term evolution of local plant assemblages. SedaDNA data, associated with other paleoenvironmental proxies and present plant assemblages, appear to be a relevant tool for reconstruction of plant cover history. Their integration, in conjunction with classical tools, offers interesting perspectives for a better understanding of long-term ecosystem dynamics under the influence of human-induced and environmental drivers.
Data from: From pristine forests to high-altitude pastures: an ecological approach to prehistoric human impact on vegetation and landscapes in the western Italian Alps
1. This paper addresses the origin and development of the oldest prehistoric pasture in the timberline ecotone known so far in the Alps and its relation to anthropogenic pressure and natural climate change. 2. Paleoecological and geochemical techniques were applied on the Crotte Basse mire stratigraphy (2365 m asl, western Italy) to describe changes in vegetation composition, forest biomass, land use and fertilization between ca. 6400 - 1800 yrs cal BP. 3. Subalpine forests dominated by Pinus cembra occurred at very high-altitude up to ca. 5600 yrs cal BP, when a sharp contraction of woody vegetation took place. This major vegetation shift is matched by increasing charcoal input and markers of pastoral/grazing activities (pollen, dung spores, and forms of phosphorus) in the sediment sequence in this small basin. 4. Major phases of landscape change detected in our multiproxy record chronologically match intervals of cumulative probability density of 14C ages from nearby archaeological sites, suggesting that human activity was the factor leading to massive landscape change from the onset of the Copper Age (ca. 5600 yrs cal BP). The change may have been reinforced by climate variability in the period 5700 - 5300 years cal BP. 5. Sensitivity of woody species to fires was statistically explored (Appendix S3 in Supporting Information), revealing negative reactions of Pinus cembra and Betula to frequent fire episodes and positive reactions of Alnus viridis and Juniperus. Fire episodes do not affect Larix dynamics. 6. Synthesis: Mt. Fallère provides some of the oldest and consistent evidence so far available in the Alps for major anthropogenic pressure at the upper forest limit. As far back as 5600 cal years BP, high-elevation forest ecosystems were permanently disrupted and the alpine pastures were created. Palaeoecological data enable a clear distinction between a random and sporadic use of the alpine space, typical for Mesolithic and Neolithic societies, and an organized seasonal exploitation of natural resources, starting from the Copper Age onwards. The chronological comparison of independent climate proxies, paleoecological information and pollen-based temperature reconstructions sheds light on the relationships between climate and humans since prehistoric times.
Data from: Modeling the impact of Plasmodium falciparum sexual stage immunity on the composition and dynamics of the human infectious reservoir for malaria in natural settings
Malaria transmission remains high in Sub-Saharan Africa despite large-scale implementation of malaria control interventions. A comprehensive understanding of the transmissibility of infections to mosquitoes may guide the design of more effective transmission reducing strategies. The impact of P. falciparum sexual stage immunity on the infectious reservoir for malaria has never been studied in natural settings. Repeated measurements were carried out at start-wet, peak-wet and dry season, and provided data on antibody responses against gametocyte/gamete antigens Pfs48/45 and Pfs230 as anti-gametocyte immunity. Data on high and low-density infections and their infectiousness to anopheline mosquitoes were obtained using quantitative molecular methods and mosquito feeding assays, respectively. An event-driven model for P. falciparum sexual stage immunity was developed and fit to data using an agent based malaria model infrastructure. We found that Pfs48/45 and Pfs230 antibody densities increased with increasing concurrent gametocyte densities; associated with 55–70% reduction in oocyst intensity and achieved up to 44% reduction in proportions of infected mosquitoes. We showed that P. falciparum sexual stage immunity significantly reduces transmission of microscopic (p < 0.001) but not submicroscopic (p = 0.937) gametocyte infections to mosquitoes and that incorporating sexual stage immunity into mathematical models had a considerable impact on the contribution of different age groups to the infectious reservoir of malaria. Human antibody responses to gametocyte antigens are likely to be dependent on recent and concurrent high-density gametocyte exposure and have a pronounced impact on the likelihood of onward transmission of microscopic gametocyte densities compared to low density infections. Our mathematical simulations indicate that anti-gametocyte immunity is an important factor for predicting and understanding the composition and dynamics of the human infectious reservoir for malaria.
Data from: Habitat differences influence genetic impacts of human land use on the American beech (Fagus grandifolia)
Natural reforestation after regional forest clearance is a globally common land-use sequence. The genetic recovery of tree populations in these recolonized forests may depend on the biogeographic setting of the landscape, for instance whether they are in the core or in the marginal part of the species' range. Using data from 501 individuals genotyped across 7 microsatellites, we investigated whether regional differences in habitat quality affected the recovery of genetic variation in a wind-pollinated tree species, American beech (Fagus grandifolia) in Massachusetts. We compared populations in forests that were recolonized following agricultural abandonment to those in remnant forests that have only been logged in both central inland and marginal coastal regions. Across all populations in our entire study region, recolonized forests showed limited reduction of genetic diversity as only observed heterozygosity was significantly reduced in these forests (H O = 0.520 and 0.590, respectively). Within inland region, this pattern was observed, whereas in the coast, recolonized populations exhibited no reduction in all genetic diversity estimates. However, genetic differentiation among recolonized populations in marginal coastal habitat increased (F st logged = 0.072; F st secondary = 0.249), with populations showing strong genetic structure, in contrast to inland region. These results indicate that the magnitude of recovery of genetic variation in recolonized populations can vary at different habitats.
Data from: Signatures of human impact: size distributions and spatial organization of wetlands in the prairie pothole landscape
More than 50% of global wetland area has been lost over the last 200 years, resulting in losses of habitat and species diversity as well as decreased hydrologic and biogeochemical functionality. Recognition of the magnitude of wetland loss as well as the wide variety of ecosystem services provided by wetlands has in recent decades led to an increased focus on wetland restoration. Restoration activities, however, often proceed in an ad-hoc manner, with a focus on maximizing the total restored area rather than on other spatial attributes of the wetland network, which are less well understood. In this study, we have addressed the question of how human activities have altered the size distribution and spatial organization of wetlands over the Prairie Pothole Region of the Des Moines Lobe using high-resolution LIDAR data. Our results show that as well as the generally accepted 90% loss of depressional wetland area, there has been a disproportionate loss of both smaller and larger wetlands, with a marked alteration of the historical power-law relationship observed between wetland size and frequency and a resulting homogenization of the wetland size distribution. In addition, our results show significant decreases in perimeter-to-area ratios, increased mean distances between wetlands, particularly between smaller wetlands, and a reduced likelihood that current wetlands will be located in upland areas. Such patterns of loss can lead to disproportionate losses of ecosystem services, as smaller wetlands with larger perimeter-to-area ratios have been found to provide higher rates of biogeochemical processing and groundwater recharge, while increased mean distances between wetlands hinder species migration and thus negatively impact biodiversity. These results suggest the need to gear restoration efforts towards understanding and recreating the size distribution and spatial organization of historical wetlands, rather than focusing primarily on an increase in overall area.
Data from: Quantifying the human impacts on Papua New Guinea reef fish communities across space and time
Describing the drivers of species loss and of community change are important goals in both conservation and ecology. However, it is difficult to determine whether exploited species decline due to direct effects of harvesting or due to other environmental perturbations brought about by proximity to human populations. Here we quantify differences in species richness of coral reef fish communities along a human population gradient in Papua New Guinea to understand the relative impacts of fishing and environmental perturbation. Using data from published species lists we categorize the reef fishes as either fished or non-fished based on their body size and reports from the published literature. Species diversity for both fished and non-fished groups decreases as the size of the local human population increases, and this relationship is stronger in species that are fished. Additionally, comparison of modern and museum collections show that modern reef communities have proportionally fewer fished species relative to 19th century ones. Together these findings show that the reef fish communities of Papua New Guinea experience multiple anthropogenic stressors and that even at low human population levels targeted species experience population declines across both time and space.
Data from: Calling in sick: impacts of fever on intra-urban human mobility
Pathogens inflict a wide variety of disease manifestations on their hosts, yet the impacts of disease on the behaviour of infected hosts are rarely studied empirically and are seldom accounted for in mathematical models of transmission dynamics. We explored the potential impacts of one of the most common disease manifestations, fever, on a key determinant of pathogen transmission, host mobility, in residents of the Amazonian city of Iquitos, Peru. We did so by comparing two groups of febrile individuals (dengue-positive and dengue-negative) with an afebrile control group. A retrospective, semi-structured interview allowed us to quantify multiple aspects of mobility during the two-week period preceding each interview. We fitted nested models of each aspect of mobility to data from interviews and compared models using likelihood ratio tests to determine whether there were statistically distinguishable differences in mobility attributable to fever or its aetiology. Compared with afebrile individuals, febrile study participants spent more time at home, visited fewer locations, and, in some cases, visited locations closer to home and spent less time at certain types of locations. These multifaceted impacts are consistent with the possibility that disease-mediated changes in host mobility generate dynamic and complex changes in host contact network structure.
Data from: Impact of microRNA expression in human atrial tissue in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing cardiac surgery
Background: Although microRNA (miRNA) regulates initiation and/or progression of atrial fibrillation (AF) in canine AF models, the underlying mechanism in humans remains unclear. We speculated that certain miRNAs in atrial tissue are related to AF, and evaluated the relationship of miRNA expression in human atrial tissue in cardiac surgery patients. Methods: Right atrial tissues from 29 patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery were divided into 3 groups [A: chronic AF or unsuccessful maze, n=6; B: successful maze, n=10; C: sinus rhythm (SR) n=13]. miRNA expression was determined using high density microarrays and with Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Fibrosis was examined using Masson trichrome staining. Results: miRNA microarray analysis showed elevated miRNA-21, miRNA-23b, miRNA-199b, and miRNA-208b in AF as compared to SR groups. RT-PCR showed elevated miRNA-21 (1.9-fold) and miRNA-208b (4.2-fold) in AF as compared to the SR groups. miRNA-21 expression increased from Group C to A (A: 2.1-fold, B: 1.8-fold, C: 1.0-fold). Fibrosis increased from C to A (A: 43.0±12.9%, B: 21.3±6.1%, C: 11.9±3.1%). Percent fibrosis and miRNA-21 expression were correlated (r=0.508, p<0.05). The plasma levels of miRNA-21 in AF patients was significantly decreased as compared to the healthy volunteers (p<0.05). Conclusion: The expression of miRNA-21 in human atrial tissue was found to be related to atrial fibrosis and might affect AF occurrence, indicating its usefulness as a biomarker for cardiac surgery management.
Data from: Fear of the dark? contrasting impacts of humans vs lynx on diel activity of roe deer across Europe
<ol> <li><span><span><span><span>Humans, as super predators, can have strong effects on wildlife behaviour, including profound modifications of diel activity patterns. Subsequent to the return of large carnivores to human-modified ecosystems, many prey species have adjusted their <i>spatial</i> behaviour to the contrasting landscapes of fear generated by both their natural predators and anthropogenic pressures. </span><span>The effects of predation risk on <i>temporal</i> shifts in diel activity of prey, however, remain largely unexplored in human-dominated landscapes</span><span>. </span></span></span></span></li> <li> <span><span><span><span>W</span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span>e investigated the influence of the density of lynx (<i>Lynx lynx</i>), a nocturnal predator, on the diel activity patterns of their main prey, the roe deer (<i>Capreolus capreolus</i>), across a gradient of human disturbance and hunting at the European scale. </span></span></span></span> </li> <li><span><span><span><span>Based on 11 million activity records from 431 individually GPS-monitored roe deer in 12 populations within the EURODEER network (http://eurodeer.org), we investigated how lynx predation risk in combination with both lethal and non-lethal human activities affected deer diurnality. </span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>We demonstrated marked plasticity in roe deer diel activity patterns in response to spatio-temporal variations in risk, mostly due to human activities. In particular, roe deer decreased their level of diurnality by a factor of 1.37 when the background level of general human disturbance was high. Hunting exacerbated this effect, as during the hunting season deer switched most of their activity to nighttime and, to a lesser extent, to dawn, although this pattern varied noticeably in relation to lynx density. Indeed, in the presence of lynx, their main natural predator, roe deer were relatively more diurnal. Overall, our results revealed a strong influence of human activities and the presence of lynx on diel shifts in roe deer activity. </span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>In the context of the recovery of large carnivores across Europe, we provide important insights about the effects of predators on the behavioural responses of their prey in human-dominated ecosystems. Modifications in the temporal partitioning of ungulate activity as a response to human activities may facilitate human-wildlife coexistence, but likely also have knock-on effects for predator-prey interactions, with cascading effects on ecosystem functioning. </span></span></span></span></li> </ol>
Long-term climate trends and urbanization reveal human impacts and decoupling of dissolved organic carbon quantity and composition in streams
<p>This repository contains data, R code, graphical objects, and outputs in Kelley et al. (2025) entitled <strong><span lang="EN-US">Climate Change and Urbanization Decouple Dissolved Organic Carbon Quantity and Composition in Streams</span></strong><span lang="EN-US"> accepted for publication in <em>Global Biogeochemical Cycles</em></span><span lang="EN-US">. </span><a href="https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GB008534">https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GB008534</a></p> <p><span lang="EN-US">In this finalized repository, we provide a detailed meta data file (1_repository_meta_data.xlsx) containing lists and descriptions of all data files, variables, figures, and scripts within.</span> Note that previous versions contained water quality parameters for forms of nitrogen and phosphorus, which have been removed from this final version. These parameters were neither used in any analyses in this work nor underwent QA/QC protocols; thus, we suggest caution in their use from previous versions.</p> <p>Additionally, this repository contains a publication license for a graphical object created using the BioRender platform.</p>
Fig. 13 in Two new species of the Echinoderes coulli-group (Kinorhyncha: Cyclorhagida: Echinoderidae) from a low human-impacted mangrove swamp in French Guiana (western Atlantic Ocean)
Fig. 13. Scanning electron micrographs of additional specimens of Echinoderes guianensis sp. nov. showing trunk segments and details of cuticular appendages. A: Ventrolateral to ventromedial view of cuticular plates of segments 1–2; B: lateral view of segments 3–6; C: lateroventral tube of segment 5; D: lateroventral spine of segment 6; E: sublateral spine and droplet-shaped sensory spot of segment 7; F: subdorsal droplet-shaped sensory spots of segment 9; G: right sternal plates of segments 5–6; H: right sternal plates of segments 7–8; I: midlateral droplet-shaped sensory spot and sublateral nephridiopore of segment 9. Abbreviations: lvt, lateroventral tube; lvs, lateroventral spine; ms, muscular scar; droplet-shaped sensory spots are marked with teardrop-like figures.
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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.