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266 results for “Climatic variation”
Data from: Climate effects on life cycle variation and population genetic architecture of the black bean aphid, Aphis fabae
Aphid species commonly have different reproductive modes ranging from cyclical to obligate parthenogenesis. The distribution of life cycle variation in aphids is generally determined by ecological forces, mainly climate, because only sexually produced diapausing eggs can survive harsh winters. Aphids are thus interesting models to investigate intrinsic and environmental factors shaping the competition among sexual and asexual lineages. We conducted a Europe-wide sampling of black bean aphids, Aphis fabae, and combined population genetic analyses based on microsatellite data with an experimental determination of life cycle strategies. Aphids were collected from broad beans (Vicia faba) as well as some Chenopodiaceae, but we detected no genetic differentiation between aphids from different host plants. Consistent with model predictions, life cycle variation was related to climate, with aphids from areas with cold winters investing more in sexual reproduction than aphids from areas with mild winters. Accordingly, only populations from mild areas exhibited a clear genetic signature of clonal reproduction. These differences arise despite substantial gene flow over large distances, which was evident from a very low geographic population structure and a lack of isolation-by-distance among 18 sites across distances of more than 1000 kilometres. There was virtually no genetic differentiation between aphids with different reproductive modes, suggesting that new asexual lineages are formed continuously. Indeed, a surprising number of A. fabae genotypes even from colder climates produced some parthenogenetic offspring under simulated winter conditions. From this we predict that a shift to predominantly asexual reproduction could take place rapidly in under climate warming.
Data from: Climate-related environmental variation in a visual signalling device: the male and female dewlap in Anolis sagrei lizards
Animals communicate using a variety of signals that differ dramatically among and within species. The astonishing dewlap diversity in anoles has attracted considerable attention in this respect. Yet, the evolutionary processes behind it remain elusive and have mostly been explored for males only. Here, we considered Anolis sagrei males and females to study signal divergence among populations. First, we assessed the degree of variation in dewlap design (size, pattern, colour) and displays by comparing 17 populations distributed across the Caribbean. Second, we assessed whether the observed dewlap diversity is associated to variation in climate-related environmental conditions. Results showed that populations differed in all dewlap characteristics, with the exception of display rate in females. We further found that males and females occurring in 'xeric' environments had a higher proportion of solid dewlaps with higher UV-reflectance. In addition, lizards inhabiting 'mesic' environments had primarily marginal dewlaps showing high reflectance in red. For dewlap display, a correlation with environment was only observed in males. Our study provides evidence for a strong relationship between signal design and prevailing environmental conditions, which may result from differential selection on signal efficacy. Moreover, our study highlights the importance of including females when studying dewlaps in an evolutionary context.
Data from: Standing genomic variation within coding and regulatory regions contributes to the adaptive capacity to climate in a foundation tree species
Global climate is rapidly changing and the ability for tree species to adapt is dependent on standing genomic variation; however the distribution and abundance of functional and adaptive variants are poorly understood in natural systems. We test key hypotheses regarding the genetics of adaptive variation in a foundation tree: genomic variation is associated with climate and genomic variation is more likely to be associated with temperature than precipitation or aridity. To test these hypotheses, we used 9,593 independent, genomic single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 270 individuals sampled from Corymbia calophylla's entire distribution in southwestern Western Australia, spanning orthogonal temperature and precipitation gradients. Environmental association analyses returned 537 unique SNPs putatively adaptive to climate. We identified SNPs associated with climatic variation (i.e. temperature (458), precipitation (75) and aridity (78)) across the landscape. Of these, 78 SNPs were non-synonymous (NS), while 26 SNPs were found within gene regulatory regions. The NS and regulatory candidate SNPs associated with temperature explained more deviance (27.35%) then precipitation (5.93%) and aridity (4.77%), suggesting that temperature provides stronger adaptive signals than precipitation. Genes associated with adaptive variants include functions important in stress responses to temperature and precipitation. Patterns of allelic turnover of NS and regulatory SNPs show small patterns of change through climate space with the exception of an aldehyde dehydrogenase gene variant with 80% allelic-turnover with temperature. Together, these findings provide evidence for the presence of adaptive variation to climate in a foundation species and provide critical information to guide adaptive management practices.
Data from: Variation of xylem vessel diameters across a climate gradient: insight from a reciprocal transplant experiment with a widespread boreal tree
Xylem vessel diameters represent an important plant hydraulic trait to ensure sufficient water supply from the roots to the leaves. The ability to adjust the hydraulic pathway to environmental cues is key in order to satisfy transpirational demands and maximize growth and survival. We evaluated the variability of vessel diameters in trembling aspen in a reciprocal transplant experiment. We tested six provenances from three ecological regions of North America planted at four test sites in western Canada. All test sites were established at the same time with the same provenances arranged in a randomized complete block design. Vessel diameter showed a strong interaction of population and test site suggesting a high degree of phenotypic plasticity in this trait. Gaussian kernel density estimates support plastic as well as genetic contributions in vessel diameter control trending from bimodal distributions at the most northern test site towards unimodal distributions at the warmest and mildest test site. Furthermore, we used test site-specific climate data in form of a 2-year, 5-year and 10-year average of 21 directly and derived climatic variables and found that average site-specific vessel diameters correlated strongly with summer moisture availability. A previously found negative relationship with vessel diameter and tree height in central Alberta was also found at two other boreal test sites but reversed at a wetter and milder sub-boreal test site. In summary, vessel diameters were highly plastic in response to different environments and varied with summer moisture availability. The variability of vessel diameter and tree height correlations suggests that vessel diameter alone cannot serve as a reliable proxy for long-term growth performance beyond boreal environments. Instead, selecting aspen populations with a high degree of plasticity in this trait appears to be the safest option for assisted migration and seed transfer programmes under climate change.
Data from: Spatial variation in climate mediates gene flow across an island archipelago
High levels of gene flow among partially isolated populations can overwhelm selection and limit local adaptation. This process, known as "gene swamping," can homogenize genetic diversity among populations and reduce the capacity of a species to withstand rapid environmental change. We studied brown anole lizards (Anolis sagrei) distributed across seven islands in The Bahamas. We used microsatellite markers to estimate gene flow among islands and then examined the correlation between thermal performance and island temperature. The thermal optimum for sprint performance was correlated with both mean and maximum island temperature whereas performance breadth was not correlated with any measure of temperature variation. Gene flow between islands decreased as the difference between mean island temperatures increased, even when those islands were adjacent to one another. These data suggest that phenotypic variation is the result of either 1) local genetic adaptation with selection against immigrants maintaining variation in the thermal optimum, 2) irreversible forms of adaptive plasticity such that immigrants have reduced fitness, or 3) an interaction between fixed genetic differences and plasticity. In general, the patterns of gene flow we observed suggest that local thermal environments represent important ecological filters that can mediate gene flow on relatively fine geographic scales.
Data from: Climate-related adaptive genetic variation and population structure in natural stands of Norway spruce in the South-Eastern Alps
Forest trees dominate many Alpine landscapes that are currently exposed to changing climate. Norway spruce is one of the most important conifer species of the Italian Alps, and natural populations are found across steep environmental gradients with large differences in temperature and moisture availability. This study seeks to determine and quantify patterns of genetic diversity in natural populations toward understanding adaptive responses to changing climate. Across the Italian species range, 24 natural stands were sampled with a major focus on the Eastern Italian Alps. Sampled trees were genotyped for 384 selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 285 genes. A wide array of potential candidate genes was tested for correlation with climatic parameters. To minimize false-positive association between genotype and climate, population structure was investigated. Pairwise F ST estimates between sampled populations ranged between 0.000 and 0.075, with the highest values involving the two disjoint populations, Valdieri, on the western Italian Alps, and Campolino, the most southern population on the Apennines. Despite considerable genetic admixture among populations, both Bayesian and multivariate approach identified four genetic clusters. Selection scans revealed five F ST outliers, and the environmental association analysis detected ten SNPs associated to one or more climatic variables. Overall, 13 potentially adaptive loci were identified, three of which have been reported in a previous study on the same species conducted on a broader geographical scale. In our study, precipitation, more than temperature, was often associated with genotype; therefore, it appears as the most important environmental variable associated with the high sensitivity of Norway spruce to soil water supply. These findings provide relevant information for understanding and quantifying climate change effects on this species and its ability to genetically adapt.
Data from: Phenological responses of 215 moth species to interannual climate variation in the Pacific Northwest from 1895 through 2013
Climate change has caused shifts in the phenology and distributions of many species but comparing responses across species is challenged by inconsistencies in the methodology and taxonomic and temporal scope of individual studies. Natural history collections offer a rich source of data for examining phenological shifts for a large number of species. We paired specimen records from Pacific Northwest insect collections to climate data to analyze the responses of 215 moth species to interannual climate variation over a period of 119 years (1895–2013) during which average annual temperatures have increased in the region. We quantified the effects of late winter/early spring temperatures, averaged annually across the region, on dates of occurrence of adults, taking into account the effects of elevation, latitude, and longitude. We assessed whether species-specific phenological responses varied with adult flight season and larval diet breadth. Collection dates were significantly earlier in warmer years for 36.3% of moth species, and later for 3.7%. Species exhibited an average phenological advance of 1.9 days/°C, but species-specific shifts ranged from an advance of 10.3 days/°C to a delay of 10.6 days/°C. More spring-flying species shifted their phenology than summer- or fall-flying species. These responses did not vary among groups defined by larval diet breadth. The highly variable phenological responses to climate change in Pacific Northwest moths agree with other studies on Lepidoptera and suggest that it will remain difficult to accurately forecast which species and ecological interactions are most likely to be affected by climate change. Our results also underscore the value of natural history collections as windows into long-term ecological trends.
Data from: Fine-scale refuges can buffer demographic and genetic processes against short-term climatic variation and disturbance: a 22 year case study of an arboreal marsupial
Ecological disturbance and climate are key drivers of temporal dynamics in the demography and genetic diversity of natural populations. Microscale refuges are known to buffer species' persistence against environmental change, but the effects of such refuges on demographic and genetic patterns in response to short-term environmental variation are poorly understood. We quantified demographic and genetic responses of mountain brushtail possums (Trichosurus cunninghami) to rainfall variability (1992–2013) and to a major wildfire. We hypothesized that there would be underlying differences in demographic and genetic processes between an unburnt mesic refuge and a topographically exposed zone that was burnt in 2009. Fire caused a 2-year decrease in survival in the burnt zone, but the population grew after the fire due to immigration, leading to increased expected heterozygosity. We documented a fire-related behavioural shift, where the rate of movement by individuals in the unburnt refuge to the burnt zone decreased after fire. Irrespective of the fire, there were long-term differences in demographic and genetic parameters between the mesic/unburnt refuge and the nonmesic/burnt zone. Survival was high and unaffected by rainfall in the refuge, but lower and rainfall-dependent in the nonmesic zone. Net movement of individuals was directional, from the mesic refuge to the nonmesic zone, suggesting fine-scale source–sink dynamics. There were higher expected heterozygosity (HE) and temporal genetic stability in the refuge, but lower HE and marked temporal genetic structure in the exposed habitat, consistent with reduced generational overlap caused by elevated mortality and immigration. Thus, fine-scale refuges can mediate the short-term demographic and genetic effects of climate and ecological disturbance.
Data from: Variation in growth and defence traits among plant populations at different elevations: implications for adaptation to climate change
Alpine plants occurring at high elevation are vulnerable to ongoing climate change, yet relatively little is known about the potential for high‐elevation species to adapt to changing environmental conditions. In particular, the extent to which high‐elevation plants will be able to resist predicted increases in the intensity of biotic interactions, such as herbivory, remains unclear. Species distributed across broad elevational ranges provide an opportunity to investigate evolutionary mechanisms and traits involved in adaptation to varying abiotic and biotic environments. This study focused on the perennial alpine plant Arabis alpina and combined field surveys and climate‐chamber experiments to test for intraspecific genetic divergence in traits related to growth and defence against herbivores. We screened multiple populations from low, intermediate and high elevations across a broad geographic area, characterising differences in growth form, leaf structural traits, palatability for herbivores and defensive chemistry. We then quantified the proportion of variation explained by elevation and population‐level effects. Our results document within‐species genetic divergence in multiple traits relevant for adaptation to the different abiotic and biotic pressures experienced at low and high elevations. Rates of herbivore damage declined with increasing elevation in the field, but plants from high‐ and intermediate‐elevation populations were generally more palatable for specialist herbivores than those from low‐elevation populations in feeding assays. Elevational clines were also observed in several glucosinolate defence compounds, and leaf herbivory more strongly induced glucosinolates in plants from high‐elevation populations than in those from low‐elevation populations. Leaf trichome density and growth form also diverged among populations contributing to growth‐defence phenotypes associated with different elevations. However, populations from similar elevations often differed significantly in both growth and defence‐related traits, with trait variation often better explained by population‐level effects than by elevation alone. Synthesis: Arabis alpina exhibits patterns of genetic variation in growth and defence traits consistent with adaptation to different elevations. However, populations from similar elevations also diverged in many of these ecologically relevant traits. Together, the extent of the observed trait variation suggests that this alpine species has considerable potential to adapt to a changing biotic environment.
Data from: Adaptive variation for growth and resistance to a novel pathogen along climatic gradients in a foundation tree
Natural ecosystems are under pressure from increasing abiotic and biotic stressors, including climate change and novel pathogens, which are putting species at risk of local extinction, and altering community structure, composition, and function. Here, we aim to assess adaptive variation in growth and fungal disease resistance within a foundation tree, Corymbia calophylla to determine local adaptation, trait heritability, and genetic constraints in adapting to future environments. Two experimental planting sites were established in regions of contrasting rainfall with seed families from 18 populations capturing a wide range of climate origins (~4000 individuals at each site). Every individual was measured in 2015 and 2016 for growth (height, basal diameter) and disease resistance to a recently introduced leaf blight pathogen (Quambalaria pitereka). Narrow-sense heritability was estimated along with trait covariation. Trait variation was regressed against climate-of-origin and multivariate models were used to develop predictive maps of growth and disease resistance. Growth and blight resistance traits differed significantly among populations, and these differences were consistent between experimental sites and sampling years. Growth and blight resistance were heritable, and comparisons between trait differentiation (QST) and genetic differentiation (FST) revealed that population differences in height and blight resistance traits are due to divergent natural selection. Traits were significantly correlated with climate-of-origin, with cool and wet populations showing the highest levels of growth and blight resistance. These results provide evidence that plants have adaptive growth strategies and pathogen defense strategies. Indeed, the presence of standing genetic variation and trait heritability of growth and blight resistance provide capacity to respond to novel, external pressures. The integration of genetic variation into adaptive management strategies, such as assisted gene migration and seed sourcing, may be used to provide greater resilience for natural ecosystems to both biotic and abiotic stressors.
Data from: Phenological, but not social, variation associated with climate differences in a eusocial sweat bee, Halictus ligatus, nesting in southern Ontario
Studies of annual and geographic variation in eusocial bee populations suggest that more stringent environmental conditions result in stronger reproductive skew favouring queens, while moderate conditions favour increasing worker reproduction. To test these predictions, we compared the phenology and colony development of H. ligatus nesting in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada to a previously studied aggregation 90 km north of St. Catharines, in Victoria, Ontario. Despite the close proximity of these two locations, St. Catharines has markedly shorter winters and longer summers. Comparisons between St. Catharines in 2006 and Victoria in the 1980s and 1990s incorporate both geographic differences in climate and temporal differences due to climate change. We predicted that St. Catharines foundress queens should emerge from hibernation and initiate nests earlier in spring, giving them time to produce more workers. Since earlier studies indicated that queens have difficulty suppressing worker reproduction in larger colonies, we also predicted higher rates of worker ovarian development in St. Catharines. In spring and summer 2006, we excavated 65 H. ligatus nests, comparing their contents to 713 specimens collected in pan traps. As predicted, nests were initiated about a month earlier in St. Catharines than in Victoria, but contrary to prediction, fewer workers were produced in St. Catharines. St. Catharines workers were just as likely to have developed ovaries as Victoria workers. About 40% of St. Catharines workers were classified as reproductive, and larger reproductive workers tended to have higher ovarian scores. Early queen mortality in the longer nest cycle of St. Catharines bees may have enhanced opportunities for worker reproduction despite their smaller numbers. Novel features of H. ligatus sociobiology in St. Catharines included evidence that queens can initiate new nests following the loss of their first brood, overlap between worker and gyne production within some nests, and high rates of independent nest founding by worker-sized females, suggesting that many worker-brood females overwinter. Overall, the distinctly warmer climate of St. Catharines compared to Victoria led to earlier nest initiation and lengthening of the flight season, but not to the predicted differences in colony social organisation or queen-worker reproductive skew. A second objective of our study was to assess how well pan trap collections capture important information about demographic and social parameters important in assessing social variability in sweat bees. Nest excavations and pan traps produced similar results, suggesting that pan traps are a good alternative when nest excavations are impossible.
Data from: Species-wide patterns of DNA methylation variation in Quercus lobata and their association with climate gradients
DNA methylation in plants affects transposon silencing, transcriptional regulation and thus phenotypic variation. One unanswered question is whether DNA methylation could be involved in local adaptation of plant populations to their environments. If methylation alters phenotypes to improve plant response to the environment, then methylation sites or the genes that affect them could be a target of natural selection. Using reduced-representation bisulphite sequencing (RRBS) data, we assessed whether climate is associated with variation in DNA methylation levels among 58 naturally occurring, and species-wide samples of valley oak (Quercus lobata) collected across climate gradients. We identified the genomic context of these variants referencing a new draft valley oak genome sequence. Methylation data were obtained for 341 107 cytosines, of which we deemed 57 488 as single-methylation variants (SMVs), found in the CG, CHG and CHH sequence contexts. Environmental association analyses revealed 43 specific SMVs that are significantly associated with any of four climate variables, the majority of which are associated with mean maximum temperature. The 43 climate-associated SMVs tend to occur in or near genes, several of which have known involvement in plant response to environment. Multivariate analyses show that climate and spatial variables explain more overall variance in CG-SMVs among individuals than in SNPs, CHG-SMVs or CHH-SMVs. Together, these results from natural oak populations provide initial evidence for a role of CG methylation in locally adaptive evolution or plasticity in plant response.
Data from: Asynchrony of seasons: genetic differentiation associated with geographic variation in climatic seasonality and reproductive phenology
Many organisms exhibit distinct breeding seasons tracking food availability. If conspecific populations inhabit areas that experience different temporal cycles in food availability spurred by variation in precipitation regimes, then they should display asynchronous breeding seasons. Thus, such populations might exhibit a temporal barrier to gene flow, which may potentially promote genetic differentiation. We test a central prediction of this hypothesis, namely, that individuals living in areas with more asynchronous precipitation regimes should be more genetically differentiated than individuals living in areas with more similar precipitation regimes. Using mitochondrial DNA sequences, climatic data, and geographical/ecological distances between individuals of 57 New World bird species mostly from the tropics, we examined the effect of asynchronous precipitation (a proxy for asynchronous resource availability) on genetic differentiation. We found evidence for a positive and significant cross-species effect of precipitation asynchrony on genetic distance after accounting for geographical/ecological distances, suggesting that current climatic conditions may play a role in population differentiation. Spatial asynchrony in climate may thus drive evolutionary divergence in the absence of overt geographic barriers to gene flow; this mechanism contrasts with those invoked by most models of biotic diversification emphasizing physical or ecological changes to the landscape as drivers of divergence.
Data from: Using genetic variation to infer associations with climate in the common frog, Rana temporaria
Recent and historical species' associations with climate can be inferred using molecular markers. This knowledge of population and species-level responses to climatic variables can then be used to predict the potential consequences of ongoing climate change. The aim of this study was to predict responses of Rana temporaria to environmental change in Scotland by inferring historical and contemporary patterns of gene flow in relation to current variation in local thermal conditions. We first inferred colonization patterns within Europe following the last glacial maximum by combining new and previously published mitochondrial DNA sequences. We found that sequences from our Scottish samples were identical to (92%), or clustered with, the common haplotype previously identified from Western Europe. This clade showed very low mitochondrial variation, which did not allow inference of historical colonization routes but did allow interpretation of patterns of current fine-scale population structure without consideration of confounding historical variation. Second, we assessed fine-scale microsatellite-based patterns of genetic variation in relation to current altitudinal temperature gradients. No population structure was found within altitudinal gradients (average FST = 0.02), despite a mean annual temperature difference of 4.5 °C between low- and high-altitude sites. Levels of genetic diversity were considerable and did not vary between sites. The panmictic population structure observed, even along temperature gradients, is a potentially positive sign for R. temporaria persistence in Scotland in the face of a changing climate. This study demonstrates that within taxonomic groups, thought to be at high risk from environmental change, levels of vulnerability can vary, even within species.
Data from: Differential hippocampal gene expression is associated with climate-related natural variation in memory and the hippocampus in food-caching chickadees
There is significant and often heritable variation in cognition and its underlying neural mechanisms, yet specific genetic contributions to such variation are not well characterized. Black-capped chickadees present a good model to investigate the genetic basis of cognition because they exhibit tremendous climate-related variation in memory, hippocampal morphology and neurogenesis rates throughout the North American continent, and these cognitive traits appear to have a heritable basis. We examined the hippocampal transcriptome profiles of laboratory-reared chickadees from the two most divergent populations to test whether differential gene expression in the hippocampus is associated with population differences in spatial memory, hippocampal morphology and adult hippocampal neurogenesis rates. Using high-resolution mRNA sequencing coupled to a de novo transcriptome assembly, we generated 23 295 consensus sequences, which predicted 16 206 protein sequences with 13 982 showing high similarity to known protein sequences or conserved hypothetical proteins in other species. Of these, we identified differential expression in nearly 380 genes, with 47 genes specifically linked to neurogenesis, apoptosis, synaptic function, and learning and memory processes. Many of the other differentially expressed genes, however, may be associated with other functions. Our study presents the first avian hippocampal transcriptome, and it is the first study identifying differential gene expression associated with natural variation in cognition and the hippocampus. Our results provide additional support to the hypothesis that population differences in memory, hippocampal morphology and neurogenesis in chickadees have likely resulted from natural selection that appears to act on memory and its underlying neural mechanisms.
Causes for biases in cloud diurnal variation in global climate model
<p>data of "Causes for biases in cloud diurnal variation in global climate model" draft</p>
Data from: Geographical variation in ant foraging activity and resource use is driven by climate and net primary productivity
<p><b>Aim: </b>Foraging activity is critical for animal survival. Comprehending how ecological drivers influence foraging behavior would benefit our understanding of the link between animals and ecological processes. Here, we evaluated the influence of ecological drivers on ant foraging activity and relative resource use.</p> <p><b>Location: </b>Six Brazilian biomes: Amazon, Atlantic rainforest, Caatinga, Cerrado, Pampa and Pantanal.</p> <p><b>Taxon: </b>Formicidae.</p> <p><b>Methods: </b>We assessed ant foraging activity and resource use by sampling across 60 sites. We placed baited tubes that contained one of five liquid resources (sugar, lipids, amino acid, sodium and distilled water). We used model selection to assess the influence of ecological drivers (temperature, precipitation, temperature seasonality and net primary productivity) on ant foraging activity and relative resource use.</p> <p><b>Results: </b>Foraging activity was higher in wetter, more productive and less thermally seasonal environments. The relative use of amino acids increased at higher temperatures while the relative use of lipids decreased. The relative use of sugar increased in drier and less productive environments with high temperature seasonality while the relative use of amino acid and sodium decreased in those environments. The relative use of lipids was complex: increasing with increasing temperature seasonality and decreasing with increasing precipitation. Further, the relative use of sodium was greater where the foraging activity was high.</p> <p><b>Main Conclusions: </b>We demonstrate how ecological drivers are correlated to ant foraging activity and resource use in the field across large spatial scales. The search for resources encompasses different interactions involving ants with abiotic and biotic components in the ecosystem. Thus, we suggest that changes in climate and NPP, which influence the intensity and the way that ants search for resources, will result in changes in ant-mediated ecological processes.</p>
Impact of landscape fragmentation and climate change on body size variation of bumblebees during the last century
<p>Body size is a key parameter of organism fitness. While the impact of climate change on body size has received increasing attention, the long-term consequences of landscape fragmentation are still poorly known. These two major global threats may potentially induce opposite trends: the decrease of body size in warmer environments (e.g. individuals developing faster) or the selection of larger individuals in fragmented habitats (e.g. large individuals more capable of reaching distant patches). We assessed the relationship between temperature and landscape fragmentation with mean body size during the last century, within four European regions (Austria, Belgium, England and above the Arctic circle in Scandinavia) and among queens of five bumblebee species. At the regional scale, we first analysed the variation over time of body size and the two hypothesised drivers, temperature and landscape fragmentation. Then, at the local landscape scale, we tested whether body size varied according to these drivers irrespective of the region. At the regional level, we observed a statistically clear increase of queen body size corresponding to an increase of landscape fragmentation (i.e. in Belgium and England). There was no increase of size when fragmentation did not increase (i.e. in Austria and above the Arctic Circle). Temperature also increased through time in all regions. At the local landscape scale, we found that all species were impacted by changes in both climate and landscape fragmentation but show different trends. The body size of the two largest species significantly increased at landscape level with higher fragmentation while body size of the two smallest species decreased with higher fragmentation. We highlight that, in a context of global changes, landscape fragmentation can also be a major driver of body size clines. Depending on the dispersal abilities of species, larger species could be positively selected for and overcome landscape fragmentation.</p>
Independent variation of avian sensitivity to climate change and trait-based adaptive capacity along a tropical elevational gradient
<p>Aim: How species respond to climate change is influenced by their sensitivity to climatic conditions (i.e., their climatic niche) and aspects of their adaptive capacity (e.g., their dispersal ability, ecological niche). To date, it is largely unknown whether and how species' sensitivity to climate change and their adaptive capacity covary. However, understanding this relationship is important to predict the potential consequences of a changing climate for species assemblages. Here, we test how species' sensitivity to climate change and trait-based measures of their ecological adaptive capacity (i) vary along a broad elevational gradient and (ii) covary across a large number of bird species.</p> <p>Location: A Neotropical elevational gradient (300 - 3600 m.a.s.l.) in the Manú biosphere reserve, south‐east Peru.</p> <p>Methods: We focus on 215 frugivorous bird species along a Neotropical elevational gradient. We approximate species' sensitivity to climate change by their climatic niche breadth, based on species occurrences across South America and bioclimatic variables. In addition, we use a trait-based approach to estimate the dispersal ability of species (approximated by their wing pointedness), their dietary niche breadth (approximated by bill width), and their habitat niche breadth (the number of used habitat classes).</p> <p>Results: We found that (i) species' climatic niche breadth increased with elevation, while their trait-based dispersal ability and dietary niche breadth decreased with elevation, and (ii) sensitivity to climate change and trait-based adaptive capacity were not related across species.</p> <p>Main conclusions: These results suggest different mechanisms of how species in lowland and highland assemblages might respond to climate change. The independent variation of species' sensitivity to climate change and their trait-based adaptive capacity suggests that accounting for both dimensions will improve assessments of species' susceptibility to climate change and potential impacts of climate change on diverse species assemblages.</p>
History and environment shape spatial genetic variation and predict climate maladaptation in a narrowly distributed serotinous pine, Pinus muricata
<p><span></span></p> <p>Understanding the distribution of genetic diversity and differentiation in species with disjunct and isolated populations is critical for assessing how environment shapes genetic variation and the potential response to climate change. In contrast to the large distributions and population sizes of most pine species, <em>Pinus muricata</em> (Bishop pine) occurs in a small number of isolated and disjunct populations occupying a narrow band of environmental conditions along the coast of western North America. We used genotyping by sequencing to generate population genomic data for trees sampled from nearly all existing populations of <em>P. muricata</em> (12 populations, 213 individuals, 7,828 loci) to describe the spatial arrangement of genetic differentiation and diversity. We used genetic-environment association (GEA) analyses to quantify the contribution of environmental variables to local adaptation and spatial genetic structure. Based on these results, we quantified relative levels of potential maladaptation given future climate projections at 2041 – 2060 and 2081 – 2100. Our analyses reveal pronounced spatial genetic structure across the distribution, with most populations forming genetically identifiable groups across a latitudinal gradient, and remarkable evidence for differentiation among three proximally distributed stands on Santa Cruz Island. Despite occurring in small, isolated populations, <em>P. muricata</em> do not exhibit strongly reduced diversity. GEA analyses suggested that specific soil and climate variables have contributed to local adaptation. Genomic offset analyses suggest geographic variation in potential maladaptation, with northern populations experiencing higher levels under projected climate change. Overall, our results suggest that isolation and local adaptation have shaped genetic variation among disjunct populations, and illustrate the consequences of this variation for <em>P. muricata</em> under projected climate change.</p>
ScienceDex guides
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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.