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451 results for “food webs”
Data from: Tick-borne disease risk in a forest food web
Changes to the community ecology of hosts for zoonotic pathogens, particularly rodents, are likely to influence the emergence and prevalence of zoonotic diseases worldwide. However, the complex interactions between abiotic factors, pathogens, vectors, hosts, and both food resources and predators of hosts are difficult to disentangle. Here we (1) use 19 years of data from six large field plots in southeastern New York to compare the effects of hypothesized drivers of interannual variation in Lyme disease risk, including the abundance of acorns, rodents, and deer, as well as a series of climate variables; and (2) employ landscape epidemiology to explore how variation in predator community structure and forest cover influences spatial variation in the infection prevalence of ticks for the Lyme disease bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, and two other important tick-borne pathogens, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia microti. Acorn-driven increases in the abundance of mice were correlated with a lagged increase in the abundance of questing nymph-stage Ixodes scapularis ticks infected with Lyme disease bacteria. Abundance of white-tailed deer two years prior also correlated with increased density of infected nymphal ticks, although the effect was weak. Density of rodents in the current year was a strong negative predictor of nymph density, apparently because high current abundance of these hosts can remove nymphs from the host-seeking population. Warm, dry spring or winter weather was associated with reduced density of infected nymphs. At the landscape scale, the presence of functionally diverse predator communities or of bobcats, the only obligate carnivore, was associated with reduced infection prevalence of I. scapularis nymphs with all three zoonotic pathogens. In the case of Lyme disease, infection prevalence increased where coyotes were present but smaller predators were displaced or otherwise absent. For all pathogens, infection prevalence was lowest when forest cover within a 1km radius was high. Taken together, our results suggest that a food web perspective including bottom-up and top-down forcing is needed to understand drivers of tick-borne disease risk, a result that may also apply to other rodent-borne zoonoses. Prevention of exposure based on ecological indicators of heightened risk should help protect public health.
Arthropod food webs in the foreland of a retreating glacier: Gut content analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM)
<p>Below- and above-ground arthropod communities were explored at a glacier foreland area in low Arctic Southwest Greenland aiming for a better understanding of the mechanisms behind the arthropod succession driven by increasing temperatures in the context of an Arctic climate change scenario. Arthropods were sampled in 2015 and 2016 along a downslope transect where the microclimate became warmer downhill a chronosequence towards a climax vegetation. The arthropod data sets were analyzed in relation to an environmental data set. Bottom-up controlled population developments were important in the early phase of the vegetation development while top-down prevailed in the later phase of the vegetation development. The shift from bottom-up to top-down cascades between arthropod predators and their potential prey populations was mainly driven by increasing temperatures away from the glacier. Structural equation modeling (SEM) shows bottom-up and top-down controlled food chains as bottom-up control was important for spider and harvestman populations while top-down control was important for ground beetle populations. These mechanisms are closely related to the hunting strategies of the predators as bottom-up mechanisms are connected to a sit-and-wait behavior while top-down mechanisms are related to active-search behavior. The SEM analyzes were supported by DNA metabarcoding as well as by the literature. A consequence of the strong top-down cascades in the later phase of the succession is high rates of intra-guild predation (IGP) among all arthropod predators. Particularly in the guts of the linyphiid spider, <em>Collinsia holmgreni </em>Thorell 1871, trophic linkages to other linyphiid and lycosid spiders were detected. The IGP ratio of <em>C. holmgreni</em> was negatively correlated with the activity density of available ground-living prey. Probably as a consequence of the high IGP among the linyphiid spiders, cold-adapted linyphiid species like <em>C. holmgreni</em> decreased in numbers downhill and became extinct in the warmer climax vegetation, where lycosid spiders dominated. SEM shows that the declining activity densities of the soil fauna, such as collembolans and mites, due to predation, are responsible for the increase in organic matter content in the topsoil.</p>
Changes in phytoplankton size-structure alter trophic-transfer in a temperate, coastal planktonic food-web
<p>Datasets, Metadata, Figures and Matlab codes used to produce the figures used in "Changes in phytoplankton size-structure alter trophic-transfer in a temperate, coastal planktonic food-web"</p>
The soil surface food web in conservation agriculture as the foundation for conservation biocontrol
<p>Data on Collembola (per 5 cm diameter sample), spiders (per 0.25 m<sup>2</sup>), carabid beetles (per 0.25 m<sup>2</sup>), aphids (per straw), and simulated max density of aphids from conservation agriculture fields (CA) and conventionally tilled fields (CT).</p>
Effects of enhanced productivity of resources shared by predators in a food-web module: Comparing results of a field experiment to predictions of mathematical models of intra-guild predation
<p>This dataset contains data from a field experiment described in the publication "Wise, D. H. & Farfan, M.A. (2021) Effects of enhanced productivity of resources shared by predators in a food-web module: Comparing results of a field experiment to predictions of mathematical models of intra-guild predation. Ecology and Evolution, 00: 1-11. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8375">https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8375</a>".</p> <p>The field experiment compared the response to increased input of nutrients and energy (artificial detritus) to an empirical model of intra-guild predation (IGP) to the predictions of published, simple mathematical models of asymmetric IGP (a generalist IG Predator that feeds both on a specialist IG Prey and a Resource that it shares with the IG Prey). The empirical model was a food-web module created by pooling species abundances across many families in a community of soil micro-arthropods into three response variables: IG Predator (large predatory mites), IG Prey (small predatory mites) and a shared Resource (fungivorous mites and springtails). The pattern of change over time in densities of the three response variables (IG Predator, IG Prey and Resource) was compared to the predictions of mathematical models of IGP to determine if the feeding relationships in this community of soil micro-arthropods could be abstracted into a simple IGP module. Thus, we were testing the hypothesis that IGP is a dominant organizing principle in this community.</p> <p>Simple mathematical models predict that increased input of nutrients and energy to the shared Resource will increase the equilibrium density of Resource and IG Predator, but will decrease that of IG Prey. By the experiment's end, densities of fungivores (Resource) had increased ~1.5x (ratio of pooled fungivore densities in the High treatment to plots with no addition of detritus (None treatment); and IG Predator densities had increased ~4x. Contrary to the prediction of mathematical models, IG Prey had not decreased, but instead had increased ~1.5x. We discuss possible reasons for the failure of the empirical model to agree with IGP theory.</p>
Biotic filtering by species' interactions constrains food-web variability across spatial and abiotic gradients
<p>Despite intensive research on species dissimilarity patterns across communities (i.e. beta-diversity), we still know little about their implications for variation in food-web structures. Our analyses of 50 lake and 48 forest soil communities show that, while species dissimilarity depends on environmental and spatial gradients, these effects are only weakly propagated to the networks. Moreover, our results show that species and food-web dissimilarities are consistently correlated, but that much of the variation in food-web structure across spatial, environmental, and species gradients remains unexplained. Novel food-web assembly models demonstrate the importance of biotic filtering during community assembly by (1) the availability of resources, and (2) limiting similarity in species' interactions to avoid strong niche overlap and thus competitive exclusion. This reveals a strong signature of biotic filtering processes during local community assembly, which constrains the variability in structural food-web patterns across local communities despite substantial turnover in species composition.</p>
Freshwater floodplain habitats buffer native food webs from negative effects of non-native centrarchids and bullfrogs
<p>Species introductions are common in freshwater environments, with the potential to transform community and ecosystem structure. Predatory fishes and American bullfrogs (<em>Rana catesbeiana</em> = <em>Lithobates catesbeianus</em>) are both widespread aquatic invaders implicated in native amphibian declines. In lowland ecosystems, co-occurrence between native and non-native fishes and larval amphibians appears more common than in high-elevation ecosystems, though community interactions there are poorly studied. In this study, we used stable isotope analysis of carbon (δ<sup>13</sup>C) and nitrogen (δ<sup>15</sup>N) to examine native fish and amphibian trophic structure in lowland, floodplain waterbodies with and without non-native centrarchid fishes and bullfrogs. In the presence of non-native taxa, three-spine stickleback (<em><span>Gasterosteus aculeatus</span></em>), two native salamander larvae, and one of two native frog species shifted their food resources and/or fed lower on the food web, with only one species exhibiting a decline in niche size. The observed trophic shifts reflect changes in habitat and/or food resources, which may reduce competition or predation, and promote co-occurrence. Collectively, our study suggests that the co-occurrence of native and non-native amphibians and fishes in lowland, floodplain habitats may be facilitated by broad food resource availability and complex habitat structure.</p>
The microbiome of the pelagic tunicate Dolioletta gegenbauri: A potential link between the grazing and microbial food web
<p>Bloom-forming gelatinous zooplankton occur circumglobally and significantly influence the structure of pelagic marine food webs and biogeochemical cycling through interactions with microbial communities. During bloom conditions especially, gelatinous zooplankton are keystone taxa that help determine the fate of primary production, nutrient remineralization, and carbon export. Using the pelagic tunicate <em>Dolioletta gegenbauri</em> as a model system for gelatinous zooplankton, we carried out a laboratory-based feeding experiment to investigate the potential ecosystem impacts of doliolid gut microbiomes and microbial communities associated with doliolid fecal pellets and the surrounding seawater. Targeted metabarcoding (16S rRNA genes recovering Bacteria/Archaea) and qPCR approaches were used to characterize microbiome assemblages. Comparison between sample types revealed distinct patterns in microbial diversity and biomass that were replicable across experiments. These observations support the hypothesis that through their presence and trophic activity, doliolids influence the structure of pelagic food webs and biogeochemical cycling in subtropical continental shelf systems where tunicate blooms are common. Bacteria associated with starved doliolids (representative of the resident gut microbiome) possessed distinct low-biomass and low-diversity microbial assemblages, suggesting that the doliolid microbiome is optimized to support a detrital trophic mode. Bacterial genera <em>Pseudoalteromomas</em> and <em>Shimia</em> were the most abundant potential core microbiome taxa, similar to patterns observed in other marine invertebrates. Exploratory bioinformatic analyses of predicted functional genes suggest that doliolids, via their interactions with bacterial communities, may affect important biogeochemical processes including nitrogen, sulfur, and organic matter cycling.</p>
Dataset for: Intercontinental analysis of temperate steppe stream food webs reveals consistent autochthonous support of fishes
<p>Quantifying the trophic basis of production for freshwater metazoa at broad spatial scales is key to understanding ecosystem function and has been a research priority for decades. However, previous lotic food web studies have been limited by geographic coverage or methodological constraints. We used compound-specific stable carbon isotope analysis of amino acids to estimate basal resource contributions to fish consumers in streams spanning grassland, montane, and semi-arid ecoregions of the temperate steppe biome on two continents. Across a range of stream sizes and light regimes, we found consistent trophic importance of aquatic resources. Essential amino acids of heterotrophic microbial origin generally provided secondary support for fishes, while terrestrial carbon did not seem to provide any significant, direct support. These findings provide strong evidence for the dominant contribution of carbon to higher-order consumers by aquatic autochthonous resources (primarily) and heterotrophic microbial communities (secondarily) in temperate steppe streams.</p>
Multiple stressors simplify freshwater food webs
<p>Globally, freshwater ecosystems are threatened by multiple stressors, yet our knowledge of how they combine to regulate the structure and energy dynamics of food webs remains scant. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a large-scale mesocosm experiment to quantify the single and combined effects of three common anthropogenic stressors, including warming, increased nutrient loading, and insecticide pollution, on the network structure and energetic processes of shallow lake food webs. We identified both antagonistic and synergistic interactive effects on aquatic food webs. Overall, multiple stressors simplified the food web, elongated energy transfer pathways, and shifted energy flow from benthic to more pelagic pathways. This increased the risk of a regime shift from a clear-water state dominated by submerged macrophytes to a turbid state dominated by phytoplankton. Our study highlights how multiple anthropogenic stressors can interactively disrupt food webs, with implications for understanding and managing these ecosystems in a changing world.</p>
Asymmetric control mechanism yields food web complexity
<p>We compiled a large dataset of empirical food webs mainly from several sources listed below:<br>(i) [https://www.web-of-life.es/map.php?type=7](https://www.web-of-life.es/map.php?type=7)<br>(ii) Brose, U., Archambault, P., Barnes, A.D. et al. 2019. Predator traits determine food-web architecture across ecosystems. Nat Ecol Evol 3, 919–927. (URL: [https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-019-0899-x](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-019-0899-x))<br>(iii) Cohen, J. E., Briand, F., & Newman, C. M. (2012). Community food webs: data and theory (Vol. 20). Springer Science & Business Media. (URL: [https://digitalcommons.rockefeller.edu/cohen_joel_laboratory/1/](https://digitalcommons.rockefeller.edu/cohen_joel_laboratory/1/))</p> <p>This dataset includes 277 empirical food webs across the globe, with each trophic linking matrix listed in the file "Linking matrices" (.txt). We also specified the name of every species ID represented in each matrix (see the file "SpeciesID&SpeciesType" with .txt). In "Details for real food webs.xlsx", we described the geographic location, latitude, longitude and the corresponding reference for each empirical food web.</p> <p>Using these empirical food webs, we conducted a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for their multiple structural properties, including species richness (N), connectance (C), omnivory (O) and the maximal food chain length (FCLmax).</p>
Figure 2. A in The web amount and quality of web spiders (Agelenidae, Pholcidae), Agelena labyrinthica (Clerck, 1757) and Holocnemus pluchei (Scopoli, 1763), depending on food and temperature
Figure 2. A) Web of Agelena labyrinthica; B) web of Holocnemus pluchei.
Figure 3 in The web amount and quality of web spiders (Agelenidae, Pholcidae), Agelena labyrinthica (Clerck, 1757) and Holocnemus pluchei (Scopoli, 1763), depending on food and temperature
Figure 3. Webs of A. labyrinthica, A) side view; B) top view; C) top view.
Figure 1 in The web amount and quality of web spiders (Agelenidae, Pholcidae), Agelena labyrinthica (Clerck, 1757) and Holocnemus pluchei (Scopoli, 1763), depending on food and temperature
Figure 1. Cultivation of Drosophila melanogaster.
Fig. 2 in The role of cladocerans in green and brown food web coupling
Fig. 2. Mean and standard error for values of δ13C and δ15N for the three lagoons analyzed.
Fig. 1 in The role of cladocerans in green and brown food web coupling
Fig. 1. Map of the sampling locations. Font: PEREIRA, Jaime Luiz Lopes, 2021.
The influence of food web structure and foraging behaviour on visual system traits in a predatory freshwater fish
<p>Dataset used in the manuscript titled "The influence of food web structure and foraging behaviour on visual system traits in a predatory freshwater fish" Dataset includes lake trout visual system traits, body size, and food web structural attributes sampled from four different lakes in Algonquin, ON, Canada.</p>
Succession of bacteria and archaea within the soil micro-food web shifts soil respiration dynamics
<p>Supplementary Table 5. Overview over abundance changes, taxonomic affiliation, and response type of dominant ASVs under the different treatment combinations. M: maize litter , A: A. buetschlii, + and – signs indicate presence and absence, respectively.</p>
Data from: Detrital shadows: estuarine food web connectivity depends on fluvial influence and consumer feeding mode
We measured the influence of landscape setting on estuarine food web connectivity in five macrotidal Pacific Northwest estuaries across a gradient of freshwater influence. We used stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S) in combination with a Bayesian mixing model to trace primary producer contributions to suspension- and deposit-feeding bivalve consumers (Mytilus trossulus and Macoma nasuta) transplanted into three estuarine vegetation zones: emergent marsh, mudflat, Japanese eelgrass (Zostera japonica), and native eelgrass (Zostera marina). Fluvial discharge and consumer feeding mode strongly influenced the strength and spatial scale of observed food web linkages, while season played a secondary role. Mussels displayed strong cross-ecosystem connectivity in all estuaries, with decreasing marine influence in the more fluvial estuaries. Mussel diets indicated homogenization of detrital sources within the water column of each estuary. In contrast, the diets of benthic deposit-feeding clams indicated stronger compartmentalization in food web connectivity, especially in the largest river delta where clam diets were trophically disconnected from marsh sources of detritus. This suggests detritus deposition is patchy across space, and less homogenous than the suspended detritus pool. In addition to fluvial setting, other estuary-specific environmental drivers, such as marsh area or particle transport speed, influenced the degree of food web linkages across space and time, often accounting for unexpected patterns in food web connectivity. Transformations of the estuarine landscape that alter river hydrology or availability of detritus sources can thus potentially disrupt natural food web connectivity at the landscape scale, especially for sedentary organisms which cannot track their food sources through space.
Empirical food webs of 12 tropical reservoirs in Singapore
<p>We present 12 food webs from tropical reservoir communities in Singapore, and summarise the topology of each with widely used network indices (e.g., connectance, link density). Each reservoir was surveyed over 4–6 sampling occasions, during which, representative animal groups (i.e., fish species, and taxonomic/functional groups of zooplankton and benthic macroinvertebrates) and all likely sources of primary production (i.e., macrophytes, periphyton, phytoplankton, and riparian terrestrial plants) were collected. We determined and measured gut content in fishes and bulk isotope (d<sup>13</sup>C and d<sup>15</sup>N) profiles of the animals collected, which contributed to estimating the relative strength of trophic relationships using Bayesian mixing models. We document our protocol here, alongside a script in the R programming language for executing data management/analyses/visualisation procedures used in our study. This data can be used to glean insights into trends in inter- and intra-specific or guild interactions in analogous freshwater lake habitats.</p>
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These curated guides explain access requirements, typical timelines, costs, and reuse considerations for widely used research datasets.
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.