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325 results for “community response”
Data from: Height and clonality traits determine plant community responses to fertilization
Fertilization via agricultural inputs and nutrient deposition is one of the major threats to global terrestrial plant richness, yet we still do not fully understand the mechanisms by which fertilization decreases plant richness. Tall clonal species have recently been proposed to cause declines in plant species richness by increasing in abundance in response to fertilization and competing strongly with other species. We tested this hypothesis in a fertilization experiment in a low productivity grassland by using a novel experimental manipulation of the presence vs. absence of clonal species and by examining the role of height within these treatments. We found that fertilization decreased species richness more in the presence than absence of clonal species. We also found that only tall species increased in biomass in response to fertilization. In the absence of clonal species, fertilization increased biomass of tall nonclonal species. However, in the presence of clonal species, fertilization decreased tall nonclonal biomass and only tall clonal biomass increased. Fertilization caused almost all short species to be lost in the presence, but not the absence, of clonal species and caused greater declines in the mean and variance of light levels in the presence of clonal species. These results show that the traits of species in a community can determine the magnitude of species loss due to fertilization. The strongly negative effect of tall clonals on species richness in fertilized plots is likely a result of their capacity to decrease light levels to a greater extent and more uniformly than nonclonal species, and thereby drive the exclusion of short species. These results help clarify the mechanisms whereby fertilization decreases grassland plant species richness and suggest that efforts to prevent the loss of species under fertilized conditions may be most effective when they focus on controlling the biomass of tall clonal species.
Data from: Teasing apart plant community responses to N enrichment: the roles of resource limitation, competition and soil microbes
Although ecologists have documented the effects of nitrogen enrichment on productivity, diversity and species composition, we know little about the relative importance of the mechanisms driving these effects. We propose that distinct aspects of environmental change associated with N enrichment (resource limitation, asymmetric competition, and interactions with soil microbes) drive different aspects of plant response. We test this in greenhouse mesocosms, experimentally manipulating each factor across three ecosystems: tallgrass prairie, alpine tundra and desert grassland. We found that resource limitation controlled productivity responses to N enrichment in all systems. Asymmetric competition was responsible for diversity declines in two systems. Plant community composition was impacted by both asymmetric competition and altered soil microbes, with some contributions from resource limitation. Results suggest there may be generality in the mechanisms of plant community change with N enrichment. Understanding these links can help us better predict N response across a wide range of ecosystems.
Data from: Spatial pattern and scale influence invader demographic response to simulated precipitation change in an annual grassland community
It is important to predict which invasive species will benefit from future changes in climate, and thereby identify those invaders that need particular attention and prioritization of management efforts. Because establishment, persistence, and spread determine invasion success, this prediction requires detailed demographic information. Explicit study of the impact of pattern on demographic response is particularly important for species that are naturally patchy, such as the invasive grass, Aegilops triuncialis. In the northern California Coast Range, where climate change may increase or decrease mean annual rainfall, we conducted a field experiment to understand the interaction of climate change and local-scale patterning on the demography of A. triuncialis. We manipulated precipitation (reduced, ambient, or augmented), seed density, and seeding pattern. Demographic and environmental data were collected for three years following initial seeding. Pattern and scale figure prominently in the demographic response of A. triuncialis to precipitation manipulation. Pattern interacts with precipitation and seeding density in its influence on per-plant seed output. Although per-plot seed production was highest when seeds were not aggregated, per-plant seed output was higher in aggregated patches. Results suggest aggregation of invasive A. triuncialis reduces the detrimental impact of interspecific competition in its invaded community, and that interspecific competition per se has a stronger impact than intraspecific competition
Data from: Functional response of plant communities to clearcutting: management impacts differ between forest vegetation zones
1. Understanding of the ecological impacts of logging practices on biodiversity and associated ecosystem processes is essential for developing sustainable forest management approaches. We documented the impacts of clearcutting on the functional structure of tree and herbaceous communities in hemiboreal, cool-temperate, warm-temperate and subtropical forests in the Japanese archipelago and identified forest vegetation that is vulnerable to deterioration of important ecosystem functions. 2. We combined species data for leaf, stem, flower and fruit traits related to productivity, nutrient cycling and habitat quality for wildlife with phytosociological vegetation data from unmanaged and previously-clearcut forests, then calculated functional structure indices (community mean of trait values, functional richness and functional divergence) of plant communities. 3 .For tree species, functional structure indices of specific leaf area (SLA), leaf carbon and nitrogen concentrations, maximum height, wood density and flower size differed between unmanaged and clearcut forests, while for herb species, only maximum height differed between the two forest types. 4. Functional structure indices showed divergent patterns across forest vegetation zones. In hemiboreal, cool-temperate and warm-temperate forests, the community means of SLA and leaf nitrogen concentration were greater and that of leaf carbon concentration was smaller in clearcut than in unmanaged forests. Although clearcut forests had greater species richness than unmanaged forests, functional richness and/or functional divergence of maximum height were smaller in clearcut forests. In hemiboreal and cool-temperate forests, functional richness and functional divergence of SLA were also smaller in clearcut forests. In contrast, subtropical forests showed no differences in species richness and functional structures between unmanaged and clearcut forests. 5. Synthesis and applications. Functional redundancy of plant communities differs among traits and among forest vegetation zones. After intensive logging, hemiboreal, cool-temperate and warm-temperate forests were more vulnerable to the loss of ecosystem functions related to leaf and stem traits of tree species than were subtropical forests, which appeared relatively resilient. Locally adaptive management to maintain multiple ecosystem functions should be developed based on the degree of functional complementarity among plant species in forest communities.
Data from: Community psychological and behavioral responses through the first wave of the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic in Hong Kong
Background. Little is known about the community psychological and behavioral responses to influenza pandemics. Methods. Using random digit dialing, we sampled 12,965 Hong Kong residents in 13 cross-sectional telephone surveys between April and November 2009, covering the entire first wave of the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic. We examined trends in anxiety, risk perception, knowledge on modes of transmission, and preventive behaviors. Results. Respondents reported low anxiety levels throughout the epidemic. Perceived susceptibility to infection and perceived severity of H1N1 were initially high but declined early in the epidemic and remained stable thereafter. As the epidemic grew, knowledge on modes of transmission did not improve, the adoption of hygiene measures and use of face masks did not change, and social distancing declined. Greater anxiety was associated with lower reported use of hygiene measures but greater social distancing. Knowledge that H1N1 could be spread by indirect contact was associated with greater use of hygiene measures and social distancing. Conclusions. The lack of substantial change in preventive measures or knowledge about the modes of H1N1 transmission in the general population suggests that community mitigation measures played little role in mitigating the impact of the first wave of 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic in Hong Kong.
Data from: Extreme ecological response of a seabird community to unprecedented sea ice cover
Climate change has been predicted to reduce Antarctic sea ice but, instead, sea ice surrounding Antarctica has expanded over the past 30 years, albeit with contrasted regional changes. Here we report a recent extreme event in sea ice conditions in East Antarctica and investigate its consequences on a seabird community. In early 2014, the Dumont d'Urville Sea experienced the highest magnitude sea ice cover (76.8%) event on record (1982–2013: range 11.3–65.3%; mean±95% confidence interval: 27.7% (23.1–32.2%)). Catastrophic effects were detected in the breeding output of all sympatric seabird species, with a total failure for two species. These results provide a new view crucial to predictive models of species abundance and distribution as to how extreme sea ice events might impact an entire community of top predators in polar marine ecosystems in a context of expanding sea ice in eastern Antarctica.
Data from: Water-borne pharmaceuticals reduce phenotypic diversity and response capacity of natural phytoplankton communities
Chemical micropollutants occur worldwide in the environment at low concentrations and in complex mixtures, and how they affect the ecology of natural systems is still uncertain. Dynamics of natural communities are driven by the interaction between individual organisms and their growth environment, which is mediated by the organisms' expressed phenotypic traits. We tested whether exposure to a mixture of 12 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCP) influences phenotypic trait diversity in lake phytoplankton communities and their ability to regulate biomass production to fit environmental changes (response capacity). We exposed natural phytoplankton assemblages to three mixture levels in permeable microcosms maintained at three depths in a eutrophic lake for one week, during which the environmental conditions were fluctuating. We studied individual-level traits, phenotypic diversity and community biomass. PPCP reduced individual-level trait variance and overall community phenotypic diversity, but maintained higher standing phytoplankton biomass compared to untreated controls. Estimated effect sizes of PPCP on traits and community properties were very large (partial Eta-squared > 0.15). The PPCP mixture antagonistically interacted with the natural environmental gradient in habitats offered by different depths and, at concentrations comparable to those in waste-water effluents, prevented communities from converging to the same phenotypic structure and total biomass of unexposed controls. We show that micropollutants can alter individual-level trait diversity of lake phytoplankton communities and therefore their capacity to respond to natural environmental gradients, potentially affecting aquatic ecosystem processes.
Data from: Patterns and thresholds of grazing-induced changes in community structure and ecosystem functioning: species-level responses and the critical role of species traits
Overgrazing has resulted in widespread decline in biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in grasslands worldwide in recent decades. However, few studies have examined the patterns and thresholds of grazing-induced changes in community structure and ecosystem functioning along a grazing gradient and based on species-level responses and plant functional traits. To identify the thresholds of grazing intensity at both species and community levels, we conducted a grazing manipulation experiment with seven levels of grazing intensity (0–9 sheep ha-1) and two topographies (flat versus slope) in a typical steppe. Four plant functional traits were measured, including specific leaf area (SLA), plant height, leaf nitrogen content (LNC) and stem: leaf ratio (SLR). The threshold of grazing intensity that significantly altered community composition was at 3.75 sheep ha-1 for the flat system and 3.0 sheep ha-1 for the slope system. For both flat and slope systems, the threshold grazing intensity for changes in primary productivity was at 3.0 sheep ha-1, beyond which the productivity decreased substantially. At species level, the abundances of common species, most of which are perennial grasses, declined at moderate grazing intensities (3.0–4.5 sheep ha-1). The abundances of most rare species, which are perennial forbs, declined at low grazing intensities (1.5–3.0 sheep ha-1). Specific leaf area and leaf nitrogen content are good predictors of species-level responses to grazing. Low SLA and high LNC species are negatively affected by high grazing intensity, while high SLA and low LNC species are little affected by grazing. The negative effect of grazing intensity on species abundance was greater in the slope system than in the flat system. Synthesis and applications. Our results indicate that the structural and functioning thresholds of grazing intensity depend on plant traits and species composition, which is mediated by topographic location. These findings, integrating plant functional traits and threshold approaches, have important implications for determining sustainable grazing intensity in grassland management and biodiversity conservation in semi-arid regions.
Data and code for: "Foraging rates from metabarcoding: Predators have reduced functional responses in wild, diverse prey communities."
<p>Data and code for "Foraging rates from metabarcoding: Predators have reduced functional responses in wild, diverse prey communities."</p>
Results of the community survey associated with manuscript "Knowledge gaps in quantifying the climate change response of biological storage of carbon in the ocean" by Henson et al.
<p><span><span>Full anonymised results of the community survey are available as part of the Supporting Information (Data Set S1)</span></span> for manuscript "Knowledge gaps in quantifying the climate change response of biological storage of carbon in the ocean" by Stephanie Henson, Chelsey A. Baker, Paul Halloran, Abigail McQuatters-Gollop, Stuart Painter, Alban Planchat, Alessandro Tagliabue</p> <p><strong> </strong></p>
Figure 4 in Limited response of a spring bloom community inoculated with filamentous cyanobacteria to elevated temperature and pCO
Figure 4: Biovolume (mm3 l−1) of phytoplankton in different temperature and pCO2 treatments (a: 1°C 390 µatm, b: 1°C 970 µatm, c: 4°C 390 µatm, and d: 4°C 970 µatm). (A) Biovolume of filamentous cyanobacteria. (B) Biovolume of ciliates, dinoflagellates, pennate diatoms and centric diatoms. Error bars indicate standard deviation, n = 3.
Figure 1 in Limited response of a spring bloom community inoculated with filamentous cyanobacteria to elevated temperature and pCO
Figure 1: Environmental conditions during the experiment. (A) Temperature (°C) at ambient (blue: 1°C) and elevated (red: 4°C) conditions. (B) Radiation conditions (PAR, 400–700 nm) during the experiment. Gray areas (A) and error bars (B) indicate standard deviation, n = 2.
Figure 3 in Limited response of a spring bloom community inoculated with filamentous cyanobacteria to elevated temperature and pCO
Figure 3: Photosynthetic activity of phytoplankton in different temperature and pCO 2 treatments. (A) Maximum quantum yield: Fv/Fm. (B) Initial slope of the rapid light curve (photosynthetic efficiency): αPSII. (C) Minimum saturation irradiance: E (µmol photons m−2 s−1). (D) Maximum relative electron transport rate: rETR. Error bars indicate standard deviation, n = 3. k max
Figure 2 in Limited response of a spring bloom community inoculated with filamentous cyanobacteria to elevated temperature and pCO
Figure 2: Inorganic nutrient concentrations in different temperature and pCO2 treatments. (A) Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN; NO − + NO −). (B) Dissolved inorganic silica (DISi). (C) Dissolved inorganic phosphate (DIP). Error bars 3 2 indicate standard deviation, n = 3.
Figure 5 in Limited response of a spring bloom community inoculated with filamentous cyanobacteria to elevated temperature and pCO
Figure 5: Heterotrophic bacterial abundance and bacterial production in different temperature and pCO2 treatments. (A) Bacterial abundance (109 cells l−1). (B) Cell-specific production (CSP, 10−9 µg C cell−1 d−1). Error bars indicate standard deviation, n = 3.
Data from: Species-specific responses to warming alter community composition
<p>1. Species are responding to global climate change in varied and nuanced ways. However, how species-specific responses to climate change affect interactions among species remains poorly understood. It is important to understand species interactions under potential climate change scenarios because those interactions can in turn alter community dynamics.</p> <p>2. In this study, we conducted two complementary experiments to examine how simulated warming might alter larval intraguild predation (IGP) rates and resulting adult assemblage composition in three species of North American dragonflies: <i>Pachydiplax longipennis</i>, <i>Plathemis lydia</i>, and <i>Libellula luctuosa</i>.</p> <p>3. First, using both <i>P. longipennis</i> and <i>L. luctuosa</i>, we isolated inter- and intraspecific pairs of larval dragonflies of different size differentials to determine how size and species identity might influence IGP rates.</p> <p>4. In tandem, we conducted a year-long mesocosm experiment with all three species to assess how simulated warming and heat waves influenced the resulting adult dragonfly assemblages.</p> <p>5. IGP trials revealed that <i>P. longipennis</i> individuals were much more likely to engage in IGP than <i>L. luctuosa</i>, regardless of size differential. In the mesocosm experiment, emerging adult assemblages were dominated by <i>P. longipennis</i> individuals, a pattern that was most pronounced in the control treatment.</p> <p>6. Our results indicate that while <i>P. longipennis</i> may be the competitively dominant species under current ambient conditions, warming may alter this dynamic and lessen the dominance of this species on resulting assemblage composition.</p>
Large-scale homogenization of soil bacterial communities in response to agricultural practices in paddy fields, China
<div>This dataset contains data from 257 sites in four typical rice-growing regions across a 4,000-km transect in China, including geographic location data and environment factors data.</div> <div> <br> The study was conducted across a 4,000-km transect of China's rice-growing areas, from Heilong Jiang province to Yunnan province (100°55′ E to 134°08′° E, 22°46′ N to 48°02′ N, Table S1). Four typical rice-growing regions were selected along this transect: Sanjiang Plain (modern mechanical farming), Taihu Plain (mechanical plus minor manual farming), Lianghu Plain (manual plus minor mechanical farming), and Hani Terrace (traditional manual farming).</div> <div> <br> Field sampling was conducted during July and August in 2014 and 2015. Soil samples were collected from 178 flooded paddy fields and 79 surrounding non-paddy areas across four typical rice-growing regions of China. At each site, one homogenized sample was obtained, which was then separated into two parts. One part, which was obtained for DNA extraction, was placed into a sterile plastic tube then immediately placed in liquid nitrogen for short-term transportation. After shipping to the laboratory, these tubes were stored at −80 °C. The second part of the soil sample was placed into a plastic bag and stored at 4.0 °C for determining the soil physicochemical properties.</div> <div> <br> Main results of the experiments are that: (1) Distance–decay patterns of bacterial communities in paddy fields revealed reduced β-diversity compared to surrounding natural habitats. (2) Modern rice farming practices (plowing with machines) caused stronger homogenization of soil bacterial communities than traditional farming (plowing by hand). Among the four paddy regions, plowing by hand retained the highest soil bacterial β-diversity. (3) Moreover, a significant inverse correlation was observed between bacterial β-diversity and the agricultural mechanization level. (4) Among multiple environmental factors, dramatic spatial homogenization of soil physicochemical properties, particularly soil nutrient contents, and reduced dispersal limitation caused by modern farming activities both strongly predict a reduction of bacterial β-diversity in modern paddy fields.</div>
Predator community and resource use jointly modulate the inducible defense response in body height of crucian carp
<p>Phenotypic plasticity can be expressed as changes in body shape in response to environmental variability. Crucian carp (<i>Carassius carassius</i>), a widespread cyprinid, displays remarkable plasticity in body morphology and increases body depth when exposed to cues from predators, suggesting the triggering of an anti-predator defense mechanism. However, these morphological changes could also be related to resource use and foraging behavior, as an indirect effect of predator presence. In order to determine whether phenotypic plasticity in crucian carp is driven by a direct or indirect response to predation threat, we compared twelve fish communities inhabiting small lakes in southeast Norway grouped by four categories of predation regimes: no predator fish, or brown trout (<i>Salmo trutta</i>), perch (<i>Perca fluviatilis</i>) or pike (<i>Esox lucius</i>) as main piscivores. We predicted the body shape of crucian carp to be associated with the species composition of predator communities, and that the presence of efficient piscivores results in a deeper body shape. We use stable isotope analyses to test if this variation in body shape was related to a shift in individual resource use – i.e., littoral rather than pelagic resource use would favor the development of a specific body shape - or other environmental characteristics. The results showed that increasingly efficient predator communities induced progressively deeper body shape, larger body size and lower population densities. Predator maximum gape size and individual trophic position were the best variables explaining crucian carp variation in body depth among predation categories, while littoral resource use did not have a clear effect. The gradient in predation pressure also corresponded to a shift in lake productivity. These results indicate that crucian carp have a fine-tuned morphological defense mechanism against predation risk, triggered by the combined effect of predator presence and resource availability.</p>
Responses of a semiarid grassland to recurrent drought is linked to community functional composition
<p>Climate change-driven increases in the frequency of extreme droughts could negatively impact the functioning of grassland ecosystems. While several studies have documented the impact of individual droughts on grassland function, less is known about how grasslands will respond to recurrent drought. We conducted a repeated extreme drought experiment in a semiarid grassland that consisted of three stages: (1) initial drought, (2) recovery, and (3) subsequent drought. We measured aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP), species richness, plant functional traits, and functional diversity. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), we investigated the causal mechanisms of ANPP response to recurrent drought. The initial drought led to reduced ANPP, although this was driven by a differential reduction in the growth of grasses and forbs. Total ANPP completely recovered as the rapid recovery of grass productivity compensated for the slow recovery of forb productivity. The magnitude of ANPP responses to the subsequent drought was greater than the initial drought. The SEMs revealed that soil moisture influenced ANPP responses directly during the initial drought, and indirectly during the subsequent drought by altering community functional trait means and diversity during the subsequent drought. These differential mechanisms alter our fundamental understanding of ecosystem drought sensitivity, which is primarily based on single drought studies.</p>
Metadata from "Multiple stressors in tropical streams: nitrate interactions mediate diatom community responses in experimental streams"
<p>These are datasets on benthic diatom communities sampled in outdoor experimental stream mesocosms in Brazil (ExStream system) under the influence of multiple stressors related to agriculture. The data also include information on the three stressors: sediment (two levels), nitrate (four levels), and water flow (two levels) in a full factorial design.</p> <p>In addition to the datasets, we also provide the R codes used to investigate the individual and interactive effects of the stressors on the benthic diatom communities, analyzing diversity attributes. The dataset also contains chlorophyll-a concentrations.</p>
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Allen Brain Atlas
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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.