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18,657 results for “Impact”
Ecological Impacts of Hurricanes Across the Yucatan Peninsula 1851-2000
This study used computer modeling to study the impacts of hurricanes across the Yucatan Peninsula since 1851. For details on methods and results please see the published paper (Boose, E. R., D. R. Foster, A. Barker Plotkin and B. Hall. 2003. Geographical and historical variation in hurricanes across the Yucatan Peninsula. In Lowland Maya Area: Three Millennia at the Human-Wildland Interface. A. Gomez-Pompa, M. F. Allen, S. Fedick and J. J. Jimenez-Osornio, eds. Haworth Press, New York, NY. In press). The Abstract from the paper is reproduced below. "The ecological impacts of hurricanes across the Yucatan Peninsula over the last 150 years were investigated using a simple meteorological model (HURRECON) developed at Harvard Forest as well as a database of historical hurricane data (HURDAT) maintained by the U. S. National Hurricane Center. All hurricanes over the period 1851-2000 with sustained winds of hurricane force (33 meters/sec) within 300 kilometers of the study region were analyzed (n = 105). Each storm was reconstructed to produce estimates of wind damage on the Fujita scale across the region. Individual reconstructions were then compiled to study cumulative impacts of all 105 storms. "Results showed considerable variation in hurricane activity from year to year, and from decade to decade, while at the half-century scale there was an increase in hurricane intensity since the mid-nineteenth century. Ninety percent of the hurricanes causing F1 damage or higher (on the Fujita scale) occurred in the months of August, September, and October. A strong spatial gradient in hurricane frequency and intensity extended across the region from northeast to southwest, resulting from (1) the greater number of hurricanes to the north, (2) the east to west movement of most hurricanes across the area, and (3) the tendency for most hurricanes to weaken significantly after landfall. For example, during the study period, northeastern parts of the peninsula experienced a minimum of
CVPIA Predation Contact Point Study - 2021: Impacts of Water Diversions in the Sacramento – San Joaquin Delta
The Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA) has led to the implementation of a Decision Support Model (DSM) to assist in the prioritization of CVPIA restoration actions. The fall-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) DSM depends on a coarse-resolution salmon life-cycle model to predict the population benefits of different restoration actions and scenarios. One critical element of the life-cycle model is how to incorporate predation mortality during the juvenile rearing and outmigration portion of the salmon life-cycle in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (the Delta). Of particular importance to potential restoration activities, is the predation mortality that occurs in proximity to, and as a result of contact points between predator and prey fishes. Water diversions that support agricultural and municipal use result in fish mortality through entrainment and impingement. Additionally, this infrastructure may attract both predators and prey fishes, thereby increasing predation rates and prey mortality near these anthropogenic contact points. Throughout the spring of 2021, we used ARIS (adaptive resolution imaging sonar; Sound Metrics) sonars to compare piscivore abundance at 30 small water diversions in the north Delta to adjacent shorelines. We used predation event recorders (PERs) to assess the predation risk of juvenile salmonids with linear distance (m) from diversions and other predation drivers in the north Delta. Finally, we used a boat electrofishing survey to determine the piscivore community structure and compare spatial trends in black bass (Micropterus spp.) CPUE and relative abundance throughout these waterways. Piscivore abundance was greater near small water diversions than at adjacent shorelines and the predation risk of juvenile salmonids increased with proximity to diversions. Additionally, predation risk increased with increasing piscivore abundance and decreasing water depth. The north Delta predator community was dominated by black b
Soil microbial and physicochemical data from watersheds impacted by different management practices or wildfire in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, 2023
Four forested watersheds in Western North Carolina with different management practices or disturbance were sampled in the summer of 2023 to compare soil physicochemical, microbial, and functional differences. These data include mineral soil physicochemical properties (location, elevation, aspect, gravimetric moisture content, pH, total carbon and nitrogen, total organic carbon, dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen, total dissolved nitrogen, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (NO3 and NH4), and microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen), soil microbial properties (16S ASV community sequences, ITS ASV community sequences, extracellular enzyme activity, carbon mineralization rates, and ammonium mineralization rates), and organic soil properties (total organic carbon, total carbon and nitrogen, 16S ASV sequences, pH, and moisture). Together, this dataset provides context to understanding the impacts of different management practices and relevant disturbances, such as severe wildfire, on soil in the Southern Appalachian region.
CVPIA Predation Contact Point Study - 2019: Impacts of Artificial Light At Night in the Sacramento – San Joaquin Delta
The Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA) has led to the implementation of a Decision Support Model (DSM) to assist in the prioritization of CVPIA restoration actions. The fall-run Chinook salmon DSM depends on a coarse-resolution salmon life-cycle model to predict the population benefits of different restoration actions and scenarios. One critical element of the life-cycle model is how to incorporate predation mortality during the juvenile rearing and outmigration portion of the salmon life-cycle in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Of particular importance to potential restoration activities, is the predation mortality that occurs in proximity to, and as a result of contact points between predator and prey fishes. A recent Literature review and meta-analysis of potential contact points in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta identified artificial lighting at night (ALAN) and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) as two contact points that have been found to influence predation elsewhere and warrant further study in this river delta (Lehman et al. 2019). Other contact points identified in this review that may affect predation of fall-run Chinook salmon juveniles included water diversions, docks, piers, scour holes, and rip rap; however, the literature on predator prey interactions associated with these contact points is lacking (Lehman et al. 2019). These datasets cover two different experiments in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta during spring 2019 from April - June. One experiment focused on artificial illumination and was a paired control impact study where new artificial illumination sources were introduced into the ecosystem. The other experiment relied on existing physical contact points (SAV, docks, pilings, bridges, and diversions) and assessed predation risk as a function of proximity to these points. Both experiments used predation event recorders to quantify relative predation risk and the ALAN experiment used Adaptive Resolution Imaging Sonar (ARIS) t
Landscape and Regional Impacts of Hurricanes in New England 1620-1997
This project used a combination of historical research and computer modeling to study the impacts of hurricanes in New England since 1620. For details on methods and results, please see the published paper (Boose, E. R., K. E. Chamberlin and D. R. Foster. 2001. Landscape and regional impacts of hurricanes in New England. Ecological Monographs 71: 27-48). The Abstract from the paper is reproduced below. "Hurricanes are a major factor controlling ecosystem structure, function and dynamics in many coastal forests and yet their ecological role can be understood only by assessing impacts in space and time over a period of centuries. We present a new method for reconstructing hurricane disturbance regimes using a combination of historical research and computer modeling. Historical data on wind damage for each hurricane in the selected region are quantified using the Fujita scale to produce regional maps of actual damage. A simple meteorological model (HURRECON), parameterized and tested for selected recent hurricanes, provides regional estimates of wind speed, direction, and damage for each storm. Individual reconstructions are compiled to analyze spatial and temporal patterns of hurricane impacts. Long-term effects of topography on a landscape scale are then examined with a simple topographic exposure model (EXPOS). "We applied this method to New England, USA, examining hurricanes since European settlement in 1620. Results showed strong regional gradients in hurricane frequency and intensity from southeast to northwest: average return intervals for F0 damage on the Fujita scale (loss of leaves and branches) ranged from 5 to 85 years, average return intervals for F1 damage (scattered blowdowns, small gaps) ranged from 10 to more than 200 years, and average return intervals for F2 damage (extensive blowdowns, large gaps) ranged from 85 to more than 380 years. On a landscape scale, average return intervals for F2 damage in the town of Petersham MA ranged from 125 years acro
Landscape and Regional Impacts of Hurricanes in Puerto Rico 1508-1997
This project used a combination of historical research and computer modeling to study the impacts of hurricanes in Puerto Rico since 1508. For details on methods and results, please see the published paper (Boose, E. R., M. I. Serrano and D. R. Foster. 2004. Landscape and regional impacts of hurricanes in Puerto Rico. Ecological Monographs 74: 335-352). The Abstract from the paper is reproduced below. "Puerto Rico is subject to frequent and severe impacts from hurricanes, whose long-term ecological role must be assessed on a scale of centuries. In this study we applied a method for reconstructing hurricane disturbance regimes developed in an earlier study of hurricanes in New England. Patterns of actual wind damage from historical records were analyzed for 85 hurricanes since European settlement in 1508. A simple meteorological model (HURRECON) was used to reconstruct the impacts of 43 hurricanes since 1851. Long-term effects of topography on a landscape scale in the Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF) were simulated with a simple topographic exposure model (EXPOS). "Average return intervals across Puerto Rico for F0 damage (loss of leaves and branches) and F1 damage (scattered blowdowns, small gaps) on the Fujita scale were 4 and 6 years, respectively. At higher damage levels a gradient was created by the direction of the storm tracks and the weakening of hurricanes over the interior mountains. Average return intervals for F2 damage (extensive blowdowns) and F3 damage (forests leveled) ranged from 15 to 33 years and 50 to 150 years, respectively, from east to west. In the LEF, the combination of steep topography and constrained peak wind directions created a complex mosaic of topographic exposure and protection, with average return intervals for F3 damage ranging from 50 years to more than 150 years. Actual forest damage was strongly dependent on land-use history and the effects of recent hurricanes. Annual and decadal timing of hurricanes varied widely. There was n
Impacts of Hemlock Harvesting in Central Massachusetts 2003-2009
The recent unimpeded infestation of the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA; Adelges tsugae) across the northeastern U.S. is driving large-scale hemlock decline and mortality. HWA has already infested over 40% of the towns in Massachusetts and, as a result, many landowners are considering pre-emptively harvesting their eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) stands. To examine the local impacts of this cutting activity, we examined stand and ecosystem dynamics in 10 hemlock-dominated sites on public and private lands where hemlocks were harvested between 1 to12 years ago with nearby uncut forests. Forty-two to ninety-seven percent of hemlock stems and basal area were removed from the harvested sites. Sapling densities of 10,500 to 24,000 stems ha-1 dominated the vegetation at older cuts and consisted primarily of black birch (Betula lenta), red maple (Acer rubrum), and white pine (Pinus strobus). Seedling densities averaged 5 m-2 across sites, peaked at 20 m-2 at 6 to 9 year old sites, and consisted of hemlock, white pine, black birch, and red maple. Additional understory species that were common in cuts sites included various raspberry (Rubus) species, often averaging 30% cover, hay-scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula), and various sedge (Carex) species. Harvesting resulted in soils that were 3 to 5 (deg C) warmer and tended to be drier in recent vs. older cuts. Net nitrogen mineralization rates in organic soils averaged just over 10 kg N ha-1yr-1 in recent cuts and approx. 5 kg N ha-1yr-1 in older cuts. Mineral soil net mineralization rates were lower among all cuts, ranging from 2.1 to 3.5 kg N ha-1yr-1. Nitrification rates were low in both soil horizons at all harvest ages. Recent cuts had much higher nitrogen capture (NH4- + NO3+) on resin bags averaging around 1200 μg N g resin-1 vs. 300 to 600 μg N g resin-1 captured in older cuts. Nitrification rates and nitrate capture on resin bags were lower in Massachusetts sites than those reported on sites with a long history o
Modeling Impacts of Climate Change on Mangroves Worldwide 2012-2080
Given the multitude of ecosystem services provided by mangroves, it is important to understand their potential responses to global climate change. Extensive reviews of the literature and manipulative experiments suggest that mangroves will be impacted by climate change, but few studies have tested these predictions over large scales using statistical models. We provide the first example of applying species and community distribution models (SDMs and CDMs, respectively) to coastal mangroves worldwide. Species projected to shift their ranges polewards by at least 2 degrees of latitude consistently experience a decrease in the amount of suitable coastal area available to them. Central America and the Caribbean are forecast to lose more mangrove species than other parts of the world. We found that the extent and grain size, at which continuous CDM outputs are examined, independent of the grain size at which the models operate, can dramatically influence the number of pseudo-absences needed for optimal parameterization. The SDMs and CDMs presented here provide a first approximation of how mangroves will respond to climate change given simple correlative relationships between occurrence records and environmental data. Additional, precise georeferenced data on mangrove localities and concerted efforts to collect data on ecological processes across large-scale climatic gradients will enable future research to improve upon these correlative models.
Long-Term Impacts of the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid on Forest Carbon at Harvard Forest 2008-2011
The abundance of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) in eastern US forests has declined since the 1950s owing to the introduction of the non-native insect, hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA, Adelges tsugae). In southern New England, eastern hemlock is being replaced by the deciduous tree species, black birch (Betula lenta). To date there is little understanding of whether hemlock loss will fundamentally alter ecosystem C balance and component fluxes. In this study, we use a comparative approach to study potential changes in C fluxes and storage and N cycling associated with HWA-induced hemlock decline and replacement. The stands include primary- and secondary-growth hemlock forests (230 and 132 years old, respectively), recently disturbed stands (5 and 18 years old) that now have rapidly growing black birch saplings, and a mature black birch stand of age similar to the second-growth hemlock stand. We addressed the question of whether the quantity and distribution of C pools in black birch forests are the same as those found in the hemlock stands they replace and, if so, over what time scales. We found that if HWA did not infest hemlock stands in central MA, C stocks in these secondary stands could still increase by at least 30% over a period of 100 years. Girdling, intended to simulate HWA infestation, resulted in a large transfer of C from live biomass to coarse woody debris five years after treatment, but had little effect on total ecosystem C content. A former hemlock stand killed by HWA and now dominated by black birch saplings also had a large pool of highly decayed CWD and a rapidly aggrading C pool in live biomass. C pools in biomass in a mature, secondary growth black birch stand 135 years since pastureland abandonment were as large as those in a primary-growth hemlock stand 235 years of age. We also found that aboveground net primary production was higher in the aggrading black birch stand and significantly so at 18-years post-HWA compared to the secondary-hemlock
Impacts of Climate Warming on Trophic Function at Harvard Forest and Duke Forest 2013
Forest floor food webs play pivotal roles in carbon cycling, but they are rarely considered in models of carbon fluxes, including soil carbon dioxide emissions (respiration), under climatic warming. The indirect effects of invertebrates on heterotrophic respiration through interactions with microbial communities are significant and will be altered by warming. However, the interactive effects of invertebrates and warming on microbes and heterotrophic respiration in the field are poorly understood. In this study we combined field and common garden laboratory approaches to examine relationships between warming, forest floor food web structure, and heterotrophic respiration. We found that soil animals can overwhelm the effects of warming (to 5 degrees Celsius above ambient) on heterotrophic respiration. In particular, the presence of higher trophic levels and burrowing detritivores strongly determined heterotrophic respiration rates in temperate forest soils, dictating the ecosystem response to warming. These effects were, however, context-dependent, with greater effects in a lower-latitude site. Without isolating and including the significant impact of invertebrates, climate models will be incomplete, hindering well-informed policy decisions.
Impacts of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid After Preventative Treatment in Lincoln MA 2015-2018
In 2007 the town of Lincoln, MA treated the hemlock stand at the Codman estate with root injections of imidacloprid to suppress the invasive insect Hemlock Wooly Adelgid (HWA). This hemlock grove is unique for this area of Massachusetts and dominated by eastern hemlock of approximately 2 feet in diameter with many trees reaching heights of over 120 feet. The treatment goal was to conserve the trees and the stand’s cathedral-like characteristics. To accomplish this goal, every big canopy tree was treated.
LANDIS-II PnET Impacts of Warming on Forest Net Primary Productivity in New England 2010-2100
Climate warming is expected to lengthen growing seasons of temperate forest ecosystems and increase gross primary productivity. Simultaneously, warming is expected to increase summer ecosystem respiration, which could offset gains accrued from longer growing seasons. These responses have been observed during anomalously warm years, but the role of future climate change on phenological trade‐offs and how they affect net primary productivity (NPP) at regional scales in temperate forests remain unexplored. We simulated scenarios of climate change on monthly forest NPP throughout 18 million hectares of temperate forests in New England, USA, through year 2100. Using an ecophysiological model coupled to a forest landscape model, we simulated scenarios of climate change on monthly NPP. A high emission scenario (RCP 8.5), resulted in longer growing seasons that offset midsummer ecosystem respiration costs and produced greater annual NPP throughout the study landscape compared to simulations using the current climate. In spring and autumn months, temperature was positively associated with greater NPP; in summer months, the relationship was negative. Spatially, the greatest increase in NPP occurred in the warmer southern region under a warm climate scenario with increased precipitation. Under a warm scenario with drier conditions, the greatest increase in NPP occurred in the cooler northern region. Phenological trade‐offs will affect NPP of future forests and their potential to serve as a negative feedback to climate change. Barring other limitations, longer growing seasons will offset greater respiratory demands and contribute to increases in NPP throughout the temperate forests of New England in the future.
Impacts of Deer and Moose on Soil Carbon, Soil Respiration, and Root Biomass at Harvard Forest since 2017
Over the past decade, several deer and moose exclosures have been built at Harvard Forest to study the effect of ungulate browsing on tree regeneration, species diversity, and composition. We built on the existing infrastructure to study the impacts of deer and moose browsing on soil carbon stocks (soil C, root biomass) in regenerating forests.
Impacts of Phloem Chilling on Mature Red Maples at Harvard Forest 2019
Whether tree growth is limited by carbon supply or demand is a crucial question due to wide-ranging repercussions for projections of carbon sequestration on land. By temporarily restricting phloem transport using stem chilling, which increases phloem sap viscosity to create local bottlenecks to phloem transport, we created gradients of carbon supply in stems of mature red maples during the first half of the growing season. These carbon supply gradients had clear effects on tree physiology with radial growth in particular varying up to almost seven-fold with carbon supply. Local bulk nonstructural carbon concentrations in stems and roots remained relatively stable, suggesting that they are not rapidly modulated in response to changes in supply and demand. However, phloem and leaf nonstructural carbon accumulated above chilling-induced bottlenecks and were associated with reductions in photosynthetic capacity as well as the advancement of leaf coloration and fall, supporting the idea of within-tree feedbacks reducing carbon supply when supply exceeds demand. Most strikingly, radial growth varied systematically with carbon supply up to almost seven-fold, indicating that growth of red maple during the early growing season is strongly carbon-supply limited. The code to process these data and reproduce our results is available at https://github.com/TTRademacher/Exp2019Analysis. For more details pertaining to the methods see Rademacher et al. (2021) and contact the investigator.
Impacts of Phloem Chilling and Compression on Mature White Pine at Harvard Forest 2018
Wood formation is a crucial process for carbon sequestration on land, yet how variations in phloem-transported carbon and temperature affect wood formation, respiration and nonstructural carbon pools remains poorly understood. To better understand the role of carbon supply on allocation to wood formation, we constrained phloem transport using compression and chilling around the stem of 15 mature white pines to monitor the effects of contrasting carbon supply (enriched above and reduced below the manipulations) on local wood formation and respiration, as well as on nonstructural carbon pools in stems and roots. This data set contains all data measured during the experiment. This includes wood anatomical, xylogenetic, dendrochronological, stem CO2 efflux, and nonstructural carbon measurements in coarse roots and stems, as well as pre-dawn water potential measurements of needles and branches. Furthermore, we provide basic allometric measurements for all trees. The code to process these data and reproduce our results is available at https://github.com/TTRademacher/Exp2018Analysis. For more details pertaining to the methods see Rademacher et al. (2021) and contact the investigator.
Community and Ecosystem Impacts in Hemlock Removal Experiment at Harvard Forest 2003-2020
Hemlock decline in New England is caused by direct and indirect effects of invasion of the hemlock woolly adelgid. Direct damage from the insect is causing gradual mortality of hemlock, and widespread harvesting of hemlock in advance of mortality creates a contrasting disturbance. Although both processes affect thousands of acres of forest annually, we have only a limited understanding of their effects on forest ecosystem function and productivity and the nature of the subsequent forest community. We anticipate that harvesting will yield different consequences than gradual mortality from the insect. Therefore we have designed an experiment to simulate the impact of both in order to contrast them. To simulate some of the effects of the adelgid (e.g., progressive mortality, retention of the wood on the site) we are girdling all hemlocks in a hemlock-dominated stand. In the adjacent area we are conducting a commercial harvesting of hemlock. Results from both experimental treatments will be compared to the changes observed in forests that are being infested by the adelgid, and can also be included in integrated analyses of a suite of large experiments that form a core component of the Harvard Forest LTER program.
Impacts of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid at the Arnold Arboretum 2004-2007
Hemlock Hill at Harvard University's Arnold Arboretum is located in Jamaica Plain and has long been considered a remnant of the forest primeval in the heart of Boston. Eastern hemlocks have dominated the flanks and crest of this hill for centuries, despite experiencing many past disturbances. Following the 1997 snowstorm, the introduced hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) was discovered on downed branches. Since the discovery of HWA at the Arboretum, an action committee was formed to develop plans for managing Hemlock Hill to meet the new threat. Over 1800 hemlock trees were tagged, measured for diameter, assigned a crown health rating, and mapped with GPS coordinates. Various chemical and biological control treatments were attempted to control the spread of HWA at the arboretum, with mixed success. From 1998 to 2002, 263 trees have died or were removed due to poor health. Of the remaining 1600+ trees, 70% are rated as being in poor condition. Since this is a heavily used portion of the Arboretum, which is part of the Boston Parks Department, the decision has been made to remove many of the dead and dying trees to reduce risks posed to the general public by falling limbs. This unfortunate turn of events provides us with an unusual opportunity to examine the environmental impacts of hemlock death and hemlock removal in an urban environment, including soil nutrient cycling, microclimate changes, and vegetation succession, especially the spread of invasive species. During 2004, six 15 x 15 m plots were fenced off, and baseline data on soil nutrient cycling, microclimate, and vegetation information was collected from each. Analyses of these baseline data are underway. Hemlocks are currently being removed from 4 plots, and 2 will remain untouched as control plots. Slash in the cut plots is either being chipped and left on site or removed so that we can investigate what impact these post-cut inputs have on ecosystem and vegetation trajectories. We will continue with data collect
Impact of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid on Canopy Throughfall in Southern New England 2002
Non-native insect pests may strongly disrupt forest ecosystems and trigger major shifts on nutrient cycling, structure and composition. Although the immediate impact of these pests are frequently examined as physical disturbances (i.e., defoliation, decline in leaf area, and tree mortality) that initiate changes in ecosystem function, the insects often generate fundamental biochemical and trophic changes in tree canopies that may be equally important in altering ecosystem dynamics. Consequently, investigation of the linkages between canopy-level, ecosystem and environmental impacts may be critical for a thorough understanding of functional, structural, and compositional changes resulting from pest infestation. We sought to establish a better understanding of these linkages for the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), which is devastating hemlock forests in an expanding region across eastern North American and has the potential to eliminate this long-lived and extremely shade-tolerant species across much of its range. We examined the impact of the adelgid on hemlock needle chemistry and epiphytic microorganisms, litter production, and shoot growth in stands differing in their levels of infestation and linked these to shifts in canopy nutrient cycling and stand and landscape dynamics. HWA initiated major changes in canopy biomass and distribution. Whereas uninfested trees exhibit a decline in canopy biomass from the center to the periphery and a positive correlation between total needle litter and estimated biomass, infested trees support predominantly woody biomass, have significantly less total canopy biomass, produce less new foliage and exhibit no correlation between litter and canopy biomass. Foliar %N was strongly influenced by needle age and the level of infestation and was highest in young foliage supporting the highest densities of HWA. Foliar %C was unaffected by HWA or foliar age. Epiphytic microorganisms on hemlock needles exhibited little variation in abundance
CVPIA Predation Contact Point Study - 2022: The impact of submerged aquatic vegetation removal on fish predation in a tidal river channel
Proliferation of non-native submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) has the potential to cause widespread ecosystem changes, and has been attributed to declines in native fish populations around the world. One pathway for these declines is non-native SAV may render ecosystems more hospitable to fish predator species by creating habitat structure, by altering lower trophic food webs, or by affecting predator-prey interactions. It is presumed that non-native vegetation removal will generally favor native fish, however, fish community responses to SAV removals are not well understood. Using a field-based Before-After-Control-Impact study design, we measured the impact of manual SAV removals on short-term changes in predator abundance, predation risk on juvenile Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ; a native fish of management concern), and the aerobic scope of predator and prey in California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. We found that, while SAV removals decreased abundances of the most common SAV-associated predator, largemouth bass ( Micropterus salmoides ), they resulted in higher predation risk of tethered prey, likely due to the removal of refuge habitat and the immigration of an open-water predator, striped bass ( Morone saxatilis ). SAV removals also buffered against a seasonal decline in environmental oxygen supply, increasing the aerobic scope of juvenile Chinook salmon and largemouth bass; whether such gains for prey would outweigh the persistent aerobic advantage of predators is an open question. While limited in spatial and temporal scope, this study has put into question any short-term benefits of small-scale SAV removal efforts for native fish populations, especially in areas where open-water predator species are abundant.
Boldness and Congener Impact on the Behavior of Faxonius rusticus and Faxonius virilis
Competition is an important ecological interaction that drives a number of processes from evolution to behavioral and physiological mechanisms. Competition between congeners is often intense given the significant overlap of niche structures for the two species. An interesting aspect of competition that is understudied is the mechanisms by which organisms know that they are in competition with another species. Thus, the sensory cues or signals that are being detected by competitors is the initial mechanism for changes in behavior or physiology. Crayfish are the most invasive aquatic species and often replace existing crayfish species through superior competition. This study was designed to investigate how chemical cues my be used by overlapping species of crayfish to determine the degree and intensity of competition and how that recognition changes resource use. These studies were performed in flow through mesocosms at the University of Michigan Biological Station. The results indicate that internal factors (size and personality) play a role in determining resource use for some resources, whereas external (chemical cues) and internal (personality) play a role in determining resource use for other resources.
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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.