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opencc-zeroOct 2020View details →

Plant-animal interactions between carnivorous plants, sheet-web spiders, and ground-running spiders as guild predators in a wet meadow community

Plant-animal interactions are diverse and wide-spread shaping ecology, evolution and biodiversity of most ecological communities. Carnivorous plants are unusual in that they can be simultaneously engaged with animals in multiple mutualistic and antagonistic interactions including reversed plant-animal interactions where they are the predator. Competition with animals is a potential antagonistic plant-animal interaction unique to carnivorous plants when they and animal predators consume the same prey. The goal of this field study was to test the hypothesis that under natural conditions, sundews and spiders are predators consuming the same prey thus creating an environment where interkingdom competition can occur. Over 12 months, we collected data on 15 dates in the only protected Highland Rim Wet Meadow Ecosystem in Kentucky where sundews, sheet-web spiders and ground-running spiders co-exist. One each sampling day, we attempted to locate fifteen sites with: 1) both sheet-web spiders and sundews; 2) sundews only; and where neither occurred. Sticky traps were set at each of these sites to determine prey (springtails) activity-density. Ground-running spiders were collected on sampling days. DNA extraction was performed on all spiders to determine which individuals had eaten springtails and comparing this to the density of sundews where the spiders were captured. Sundews and spiders consumed springtails. Springtail activity-densities were lower the higher the density of sundews. Both sheet-web and ground-running spiders were found less often where sundew densities were high. Sheet-web size was smaller where sundews densities were high. The results of this study suggest that asymmetrical exploitative competition occurs between sundews and spiders. Sundews appear to have a greater negative impact on spiders, where spiders probably have little impact on sundews. In this example of interkingdom competition where the asymmetry should be most extreme, amensalism where one competitor experiences no cost of interaction may be occurring.

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Supplementary animations for "Dynamical friction in self-interacting ultralight dark matter"

Animations to supplement "Dynamical friction in self-interacting ultralight axion dark matter", Phys.Rev.D 109 (2024) 6, 063501. These animations are also available from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHrf0iQS5SY6COihRVYJkz31smUyDvFwW">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHrf0iQS5SY6COihRVYJkz31smUyDvFwW</a>.

opencc-by-nc-nd-4.0May 2023View details →

zenodo36/100

Medial prefrontal cortex and anteromedial thalamus interaction regulates motivation related behavior and dopaminergic neuron activity: Animal Behavior

The excel Source DATA file contains the data described in Figures 2c, 2d, 2f, and 3b and Supplementary Figure 3b and 3c. The fiber photometry data described in Supplementary Figure 9 are found in the CSV files. The CSV file names reflect animal IDs.

opencc-by-3.0-usDec 2021View details →

opencc-zeroFeb 2022View details →

Changes in the structure of seed dispersal networks when including interaction outcomes from both plant and animal perspectives

Interaction frequency is the most common currency in quantitative ecological networks, although interaction quality can also affect benefits provided by mutualisms. Here, we evaluate if interaction quality can modify network topology, species' role and whether such changes affect community vulnerability to species loss. We use a well-examined study system (bird-lizard and fleshy-fruited plants in the 'thermophilous' woodland of the Canary Islands) to compare network and species-level metrics from a network based on fruit consumption rates (Interaction Frequency, IF), against networks reflecting functional outcomes: a Seed Dispersal Effectiveness network (SDE) quantifying recruitment, and a Fruit Resource Provisioning network (FRP), accounting for the nutrient supply of fruits. Nestedness decreased in the FRP and the SDE networks, due to the lack of association between fruit consumption rates and (1) nutrient content, and (2) recruitment at the seed deposition sites, respectively. The FRP network showed lower niche overlap due to resource use complementarity among frugivores. Interaction evenness was lower in the SDE network, in response to a higher dominance of lizards in the recruitment of heliophilous species. Such changes, however, did not result in enhanced vulnerability against extinctions. At the plant species level, strength changed in the FRP network in frequently consumed or highly nutritious species. The number of effective partners decreased for species whose seeds were deposited in unsuitable places for recruitment. In frugivores, strength was consistent across networks (SDE vs IF), showing that consumption rates outweighed differences in dispersal quality. In the case of lizards, the increased importance of nutrient-rich species resulted in a higher number of effective partners. Our work shows that although frequency strongly impacts interaction effects, accounting for quality improves our inferences about interaction assembly and species role. Thus, future studies including interaction outcomes from both partners' perspectives will provide valuable insights about the net effects of mutualistic interactions.

opencc-zeroNov 2022View details →

Interactions between protea plants and their animal mutualists and antagonists are structured more by energetic than morphological trait matching

Traits mediate mutualistic and antagonistic interactions between plants and animals, and should thus be useful for predicting trophic species interactions. Studies to date have examined the importance of morphological trait matching for plant-animal interactions, but have rarely explored the extent to which these interactions are shaped by matching between energetic provisions of plants and energetic demands of animals. We tested whether energetic and/or morphological trait matching shapes interactions between Protea plant species and their interacting animal mutualists and antagonists in the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa. We recorded interactions between 22 Protea species, pollinating insects, and vertebrates as well as seed predators (endophagous insect larvae in protea cones) at 21 study sites. To relate species interactions to matching trait pairs, we measured key morphological traits (shape and size of flower heads and seed cones, and mouth part length as well as body length) and quantified the animals' energetic demands (metabolic rate) together with the plants' energetic provisions (nectar sugar amount, seed-to-cone mass ratio). We calculated log ratios of both energetic and morphological traits between animals and plants as predictor variables for the number of observed interactions between Protea species and their animal interaction partners. For both mutualistic and antagonistic interactions, we found significant effects of morphological and energetic trait ratios on the interactions between plants and animals. Trait ratios accounted for 11% to 22% of the variation in species interactions. Consistent with energetic trait matching, we found a hump-shaped relationship between interaction frequency and log ratios of energetic traits of animals and plants, indicating that interactions were most frequent at intermediate log ratios between energetic demand and provision. Effects of morphological trait ratios on interactions were statistically supported in most cases but were variable in the magnitude and shape of the predicted relationships. Across animal taxa and interaction types, energetic traits had more consistent effects on interactions between plants and animals than morphological traits. This suggests that energy can function as an important interaction currency and facilitate the understanding and prediction of trophic species interactions.

publicOct 2020View details →

Plant-animal interactions between carnivorous plants, sheet-web spiders, and ground-running spiders as guild predators in a wet meadow community

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publicNov 2022View details →

Interactions between protea plants and their animal mutualists and antagonists are structured more by energetic than morphological trait matching

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publicFeb 2022View details →

Changes in the structure of seed dispersal networks when including interaction outcomes from both plant and animal perspectives

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opennotspecifiedJun 2007View details →

Fig. 2. A B in A 3D interactive method for estimating body segmental parameters in animals: Application to the turning and running performance of Tyrannosaurus rex

Fig. 2. A B-spline solid is a closed object whose shape can be adjusted by moving control points (dark points) that deforms the local portion of the object near the control point. The initial cylindrical shape in A is adjusted (B and C) by pulling out the points at the ends and drawing the points in the middle closer to the axis.

opennotspecifiedJun 2007View details →

Fig. 1 in A 3D interactive method for estimating body segmental parameters in animals: Application to the turning and running performance of Tyrannosaurus rex

Fig. 1. Body segments can be created using mass objects of different density and shape. Mass objects can be collected into mass sets to calculate their combined inertial properties; the most inclusive Tyrannosaurus mass set (whole body) is outlined here, as well as the trunk segment and its embedded mass objects.

opennotspecifiedJun 2007View details →

Fig. 1 in A 3D interactive method for estimating body segmental parameters in animals: Application to the turning and running performance of Tyrannosaurus rex

opencc-zeroMar 2020View details →

"Chancing on a spectacle:" co-occurring animal migrations and interspecific interactions

Migrations of diverse wildlife species often converge in space and time, with their journeys shaped by similar forces (i.e., geographic barriers and seasonal resources and conditions); we term this "co-migration." Supporting this, recent studies have elucidated co-migrations and seasonal patterns that govern the location and timing of multiple species' journeys. Beyond their significance as natural wonders, species with overlapping migrations may interact ecologically, with potential effects on population and community dynamics. Direct and indirect ecological interactions including predation and competition between migrant species remain poorly understood, in part because migration is the least-studied phase of animals' annual cycles. To address this gap, we conducted a literature review to examine whether animal migration studies incorporate multiple species and to what extent they investigate interspecific interactions between co-migrants. Following a key word search, we read all migration research papers in 23 relevant peer-reviewed journals during 2008-2017. Thirty percent of animal migration papers reported two or more species with coinciding migrations, suggesting that co-migrations are common, although few studies investigated or discussed these mixed-species migrations further. Synthesizing those that did explore this phenomenon, we present examples and describe five types of ecological interactions between migrating species, including predator-prey, host-parasite, and commensal relationships. Deepening ecological knowledge of interspecific interactions among migratory animal communities will enhance understanding of the drivers of migration and could improve predictions about wildlife responses to global change. Further research focused on multi-species migrations could also inform conservation efforts for migratory animal populations, many of which are declining or shifting, with unexplored consequences for other co-migratory species.

opencc-zeroDec 2012View details →

Data from: Angiosperm fleshy fruits and seed dispersers: a comparative analysis of adaptation and constraints in plant-animal interactions

Variation in phenotypic traits of angiosperm fleshy fruits has been explained as the result of adaptations to their mutualistic seed dispersers. By analyzing the information available on fleshy fruit characteristics of 910 angiosperm species, I assess the hypothesis of evolutionary association between fruit phenotypic traits and type of seed disperser (birds, mammals, and mixed dispersers) and address explicitly and quantitatively alternative null hypotheses about phylogenetic effects. Phylogenetic affinity among plant taxa is accounted for by comparative methods including nested ANOVA, phylogenetic autocorrelation, and independent contrasts. Averaging over the 16 fruit traits examined, phylogenetic effects down to genus level explain 61% of total variance. Phylogenetic autocorrelations are strong among close relatives, reaching significance for 11 of the 16 fruit traits examined. When assessed by independent contrast methods, correlated evolution between type of disperser and fruit traits is confined to fruit diameter. Differences among dispersal syndromes in other traits vanish after accounting for phylogenetic effects. These analyses reveal that seed dispersal syndromes are not entirely interpretable as current adaptations to seed dispersers. Their status as exaptations can be assessed by combining experimental studies of natural selection on fruit size and rigorous comparative and cladistic tests of adaptational hypotheses.

opencc-zeroJun 2019View details →

Data from: Estimating interactions between individuals from concurrent animal movements

1. Animal movements arise from complex interactions of individuals with their environment, including both conspecific and heterospecific individuals. Animals may be attracted to each other for mating, social foraging, or information gain, or may keep at a distance from others to avoid aggressive encounters related to, e.g., interference competition, territoriality, or predation. With modern tracking technology, more data sets are emerging that allow to investigate fine-scale interactions between free-ranging individuals from movement data, however, few methods exist to disentangle fine-scale behavioural responses of interacting individuals when these are highly individual-specific. 2. In a framework of step-selection functions, we related movements decisions of individuals to dynamic occurrence distributions of other individuals obtained through kriging of their movement paths. Using simulated data, we tested the method's ability to identify various combinations of attraction, avoidance, and neutrality between individuals, including asymmetric (i.e. non-mutual) behaviours. Additionally, we analysed radio-telemetry data from concurrently tracked small rodents (bank vole, Myodes glareolus) to test whether our method could detect biologically plausible behaviours. 3. We found that our method was able to successfully detect and distinguish between fine-scale interactions (attraction, avoidance, neutrality), even when these were asymmetric between individuals. The method worked best when confounding factors were taken into account in the step-selection function. However, even when failing to do so (e.g. due to missing information), interactions could be reasonably identified. In bank voles, responses depended strongly on the sexes of the involved individuals and matched expectations. 4. Our approach can be combined with conventional uses of step-selection functions to tease apart the various drivers of movement, e.g. the influence of the physical and the social environment. In addition, the method is particularly useful in studying interactions when responses are highly individual-specific, i.e. vary between and towards different individuals, making our method suitable for both single-species and multi-species analyses (e.g. in the context of predation or competition).

opencc-zeroDec 2016View details →

Data from: Interactive life-history traits predict sensitivity of plants and animals to temporal autocorrelation

Temporal autocorrelation in demographic processes is an important aspect of population dynamics, but a comprehensive examination of its effects on different life-history strategies is lacking. We use matrix populations models from 454 plant and animal populations to simulate stochastic population growth rates (log λs) under different temporal autocorrelations in demographic rates, using simulated and observed covariation among rates. We then test for differences in sensitivities, or changes, of log λs to changes in autocorrelation among two major axes of life-history strategies, obtained from phylogenetically-informed principal component analysis: the fast-slow and semelparous-iteroparous continua. Fast life histories exhibit highest sensitivities to simulated autocorrelation in demographic rates across reproductive strategies. Slow life histories are less sensitive to temporal autocorrelation, but their sensitivities increase among highly iteroparous species. We provide cross-taxonomic evidence that changes in the autocorrelation of environmental variation may affect a wide range of species, depending on complex interactions of life-history strategies.

opencc-zeroDec 2014View details →

Data from: UV-B radiation interacts with temperature to determine animal performance

The interaction between UV-B and temperature can modify the effects of climate variability on animal function because UV-B and increasing temperatures may increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and thereby impair animal performance. However, antioxidant enzyme activities are also increased at higher temperatures, which could counteract negative effects of increased ROS. Conversely, UV-B exposure at lower temperature can exacerbate the effects of ROS because of lower antioxidant enzyme activities. Phenotypes can be plastic to compensate for potentially negative environmental effects. Plasticity may be induced by conditions experienced during pre- or early post-zygotic development, and it may occur reversibly within adult organisms (acclimation). Developmental plasticity and acclimation may interact to determine phenotypes in variable environments. Here, we tested the hypothesis that increased antioxidant enzyme activities are insufficient to alleviate the interactive effects of UV-B and increased temperature on mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki). Additionally, we tested whether developmental conditions influenced the capacity for acclimation to UV-B and temperature so that cohorts born in summer at high UV-B and temperature conditions are better able to compensate for ROS damage compared to cohorts born in winter. We exposed mosquitofish to UV-B and control (no-UV-B) at different acclimation temperatures (18, 28 and 32 °C), and measured responses acutely at 18, 28 and 32 °C in a fully factorial design. In fish born in summer, UV-B had significant negative effects on swimming performance and resting metabolic rate at both low (18 °C) and high (32 °C) acclimation temperatures, which were accompanied by higher ROS-induced damage. At their average temperature experienced naturally (28 °C), fish born in summer were not affected by UV-B and showed lower damage and higher antioxidant enzyme activities compared to the other acclimation temperatures. In contrast, swimming performance of winter-caught fish was negatively affected by UV-B at all acclimation temperatures, which was paralleled by higher ROS-induced damage and antioxidant enzyme activities that did not acclimate. However, metabolic scope was not reduced by UV-B or temperature in any of the cohorts. Our results showed that developmental conditions modify the capacity for acclimation later in life, and that the interaction between developmental and acclimation conditions can increase the resilience of animals to environmental variability. These results have important implications for understanding the evolution of acclimation, and for predictions of how climate change affects animal performance.