Find research datasets worth reusing

Relyea, R. A. 2002. Local population differences in phenotypic plasticity: Predator-induced changes in wood frog tadpoles. Ecological Monographs 72:77-93

Taxa that are divided into separate populations with low levels of interpopulation dispersal have the potential to evolve genetically based differences in their phenotypes and the plasticity of those phenotypes. These differences can be due to random processes, including genetic drift and founder effects, or they can be the result of different selection pressures among populations. I investigated population-level differences in predator- induced phenotypic plasticity in eight populations of larval wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) over a small geographic scale (interpopulation distances of 0.3–8 km). Using a common-garden experiment containing predator and no-predator environments, I found population differences in behavior, morphology, and life history. These responses exhibited a habitat-related pattern: the four populations from closed-canopy ponds did not differ from each other in any of their phenotypes whereas the four populations from opencanopy ponds did differ from each other in these traits. This phenotypic pattern matches the pattern of competitors and predators found in these two types of ponds. Based on two years of pond surveys, the four closed-canopy ponds contained very similar competitor and predator assemblages while the assemblages of the four open-canopy ponds were more diverse and highly variable among open-canopy ponds. When combined with past studies, which demonstrate that predators and competitors select for alternative behavioral and morphological traits, these patterns suggest that the population differences may have arisen via natural selection and not via random mutation or drift. In a second experiment, I cross-transplanted two of the populations into each other’s ponds to determine if the populations were locally adapted to the conditions of their native pond (using low and high competition crossed with the presence or absence of a lethal predator). The populations continued to exhibit phenotypic differences, and one of the two populations t

Relyea, R. A. 2001. The lasting effects of adaptive plasticity: Predator-induced tadpoles become long-legged frogs. Ecology 82:1947-1955.

Changes in environmental conditions often alter the traits of individuals; however, we have a poor understanding of how changes in phenotypically plastic traits early in development may affect traits later in life. Such effects are of particular interest in organisms with complex life cycles in which early and late life stages can have drastically different morphologies and occupy different habitats. In this study, I examined how differences in the mass, morphology, and larval period of wood frog tadpoles (Rana sylvatica) subsequently affected the mass and morphology of metamorphic frogs. I found three major patterns: (1) larval mass and larval period were positively related to metamorphic mass; (2) larval period was positively related to metamorph hindlimb and forelimb length and negatively related to metamorph body width; and (3) larval body length was positively related to metamorph forelimb size. I then used these correlations to interpret the connection between the traits of predator-induced tadpoles and the subsequent traits of metamorphic frogs. Tadpoles reared with caged predators (aeshnid dragonflies) developed relatively deeper tail fins and had shorter bodies, lower mass, and longer developmental times than tadpoles reared without predators. Metamorphs emerging from larval predator environments exhibited no differences in mass but developed relatively large hindlimbs and forelimbs and narrower bodies than metamorphs emerging from predator-free larval environments. These differences arose primarily due to predator-induced changes in larval development time and not due to the predator-induced changes in larval morphology. By focusing on a large number of traits and a wide range of trait values, one can readily generate predictions about how a variety of environments, which alter traits early in development, can subsequently alter traits later in development.

Relyea, R. A. 2001. Morphological and behavioral plasticity of larval anurans in response to different predators. Ecology 82:523-540.

Many organisms can adjust to a changing environment by developing alternative phenotypes that improve their fitness. Our understanding of phenotypic plasticity is largely based upon observations from single species responding to two different environments and measuring a single plastic trait. In this study, I examine predator-induced phenotypic plasticity in tadpoles by observing how six species of larval anurans respond to five different predator environments in 11 different traits (seven morphological traits, two behavioral traits, growth, and development). The results demonstrate that behavioral and morphological plasticity may be ubiquitous in larval anurans. The six prey species exhibited different responses to the same predator species, and each prey exhibited different responses to different predator species. This suggests that responses to a particular predator may not serve as general defense against all predators; rather, prey express predator-specific suites of responses. I also compared relative differences in plasticity among species and among traits. In contrast to earlier findings using only two predator environments, I found that different anurans possess similar degrees of plasticity for most of their traits when reared in a large number of environments. In addition, behavioral traits were always more plastic than morphological traits. Finally, I examined trait integration to address whether there were apparent trade-offs among traits and limits imposed by the abiotic environment. Trait integration, or the degree of correlated responses among traits across predator environments within a prey species, was very low. This further suggests that the suites of responses are predator specific and may be under independent directions of selection in different predator environments. Trait correlations across prey species indicated that there is an apparent trade-off between tail fin depth and body size. This relationship is supported by selection studies with

Relyea, R. A. 2001. The relationship between predation risk and anti-predator responses in larval anurans. Ecology 82:541-554.

Organisms that produce alternative, nondiscrete phenotypes in response to environmental conditions are expected to alter their phenotypes in relation to the degree of environmental change. This idea has been applied to the evolution of antipredator responses by prey, in which it has been hypothesized that prey should respond more strongly to predators that pose greater mortality risk. In a companion paper, I quantified predatorinduced behavioral and morphological responses in six species of larval anurans across five different predator environments and found that these responses were prey- and predatorspecific. In the present study, I addressed whether the responses were related to the level of predation risk posed by each of the predators. Within each prey species, I found that different predators posed different levels of predation risk; within each predator species, different prey species experienced different levels of risk. The differences in predation risk could be understood mechanistically after I quantified differences among predators in their ability to capture, handle, and consume prey and differences among prey in behavior and morphology. Using multivariate analyses, I found that predation risk had no significant effect on how a given prey responds to predators, although there were significant univariate behavioral effects; higher predation risk was related to greater decreases in activity and greater spatial avoidance. I also examined the relationship between risk and response across the six prey species within a predator treatment and found that higher predation risk across species leads to greater decreases in activity in the presence of Umbra and greater increases in tail depth in the presence of Anax. Thus, while previous studies have found relationships between predation risk and prey response when focusing on relatively few species, few predators, and a single trait, this more powerful test using 30 predator–prey combinations and nine traits sugge

Relyea, R. A. 2000. Trait-mediated indirect effects in larval anurans: Reversing competition with the threat of predation. Ecology 81:2278-2289.

Ecologists recently have been focusing on the role that trait-mediated indirect effects can have on community structure and composition. To date, this work has primarily focused on the effects of predator-induced behavioral plasticity on communities. However, predator-induced morphological plasticity, which has been documented in many taxa, might also lead to trait-mediated indirect effects. Here, I examined how predators altered the behavior and morphology of larval wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) and leopard frogs (R. pipiens) and how these phenotypic changes altered the outcome of competition between the two species. Competition in the absence of caged predators was asymmetric; when reared separately, leopard frogs grew more than wood frogs, but when competing (without predators), wood frogs grew faster than leopard frogs. The presence of caged predators reversed the outcome of competition between the two anuran prey. In the presence of larval dragonflies (Anax spp.) or caged mudminnows (Umbra limi), leopard frogs grew faster than wood frogs while total tadpole biomass production remained unchanged. Thus, there was a predator-mediated indirect effect. Because predators alter both the behavior and morphology of larval anurans and both of these traits are known to affect resource consumption and growth, both are potential mechanisms to explain the change in competitive outcome. Changes in behavior were not related to changes in growth, but changes in morphology (specifically mouth width and tail length) were related to changes in growth. When competitors were added (without predators), wood frogs increased their mouth width by 10% and their tail length by 3%, while leopard frogs increased their mouth width by 5% and did not change their tail length. The greater increase in mouth width for wood frogs should increase their forage intake, since tadpoles feed by scraping periphyton; the importance of a 3% longer tail in competitive ability is unknown. The presence of the p

opencc-by-4.0Dec 2020View details →

Dataset from Pardini, E. A., Parsons, L. S., Ştefan, V., & Knight, T. M. (2018). GLMM BACI environmental impact analysis shows coastal dune restoration reduces seed predation on an endangered plant. Restoration Ecology, 26(6), 1190-1194.

<p>Data and its metadata used in the analysis from the publication: Pardini, E. A., Parsons, L. S., Ştefan, V., & Knight, T. M. (2018). GLMM BACI environmental impact analysis shows coastal dune restoration reduces seed predation on an endangered plant. Restoration Ecology, 26(6), 1190-1194. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/rec.12678">https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/rec.12678</a> </p>

Fig. 15. P in First Records Of New Aquatic Predator Pelodiscus Sinensis (Wiegmann 1835) In Latvia And Preliminary Ecological Risk Assessment Of The Invasion For Autochthonic Emys Orbicularis (Linnaeus 1758)

Fig. 15. P.sinensis laid eggs after breeding in captivity (Latgales Zoo, shelter for exotic turtles).

Fig.13 in First Records Of New Aquatic Predator Pelodiscus Sinensis (Wiegmann 1835) In Latvia And Preliminary Ecological Risk Assessment Of The Invasion For Autochthonic Emys Orbicularis (Linnaeus 1758)

Fig.13. Old adult female of Emys orbicularis from the habitat, where Pelodiscus sinensis #PeSi0003 was found in 2014 (Daugavpils, Latvia) (Photo: 2003).

Fig. 5 in First Records Of New Aquatic Predator Pelodiscus Sinensis (Wiegmann 1835) In Latvia And Preliminary Ecological Risk Assessment Of The Invasion For Autochthonic Emys Orbicularis (Linnaeus 1758)

Fig. 5. Olaines lake, habitat of the first P.sinensis #PeSi0001 recorded in Latvia (Photo: Drezina, 2008).

Fig. 7 in First Records Of New Aquatic Predator Pelodiscus Sinensis (Wiegmann 1835) In Latvia And Preliminary Ecological Risk Assessment Of The Invasion For Autochthonic Emys Orbicularis (Linnaeus 1758)

Fig. 7. Orthophoto of habitat of findings of P.sinensis #PeSi0001 in Olaine, Latvia (Google Earth services).

Fig. 14. Received from owners P in First Records Of New Aquatic Predator Pelodiscus Sinensis (Wiegmann 1835) In Latvia And Preliminary Ecological Risk Assessment Of The Invasion For Autochthonic Emys Orbicularis (Linnaeus 1758)

Fig. 14. Received from owners P.sinensis breeding in captivity (Latgales Zoo, shelter for exotic turtles).

Fig. 9 in First Records Of New Aquatic Predator Pelodiscus Sinensis (Wiegmann 1835) In Latvia And Preliminary Ecological Risk Assessment Of The Invasion For Autochthonic Emys Orbicularis (Linnaeus 1758)

Fig. 9. Orthophoto of habitat of findings of P.sinensis #PeSi0003 in Daugavpils, Latvia (Google Earth services).

Fig.12 in First Records Of New Aquatic Predator Pelodiscus Sinensis (Wiegmann 1835) In Latvia And Preliminary Ecological Risk Assessment Of The Invasion For Autochthonic Emys Orbicularis (Linnaeus 1758)

Fig.12. Peculiarities of P.sinensis findings waterbodies anthropogenic influence and distance potential for species distribution in Latvia.

FIGURE 5 in Tooth enamel microstructure in North American Phytosauria (Diapsida:Archosauriformes): Implications for biogeography and ecology of a Late Triassic clade of crocodylian-like predators

FIGURE 5. SEM captures of Smilosuchus teeth from the lower Chinle of New Mexico (4.1–2) and Arizona (4.3–6). 5A—NMMNH P-36146 type U tooth with well-developed columns; 5B—NMMNH P-36148 type B tooth in longitudinal view along the carina with faint LIGs in the inner half of the enamel; 5C—NMMNH 59648 type U tooth overview of transverse section showing the contributions of enamel and dentine to the fluting; 5D—NMMNH P-59648 type U tooth fluting along lingual surface; 5E—NMMNH P-59650 type B tooth along labial margin of enamel with well-developed columns; 5F—NMMNH P-59650 type B tooth along lingual margin of enamel. Scale bars for 5.1, 5.4–6 equal 50 µm, 5.2 scale bar equals 100 µm and 5.3 scale bar equals 2 mm.

FIGURE 7 in Tooth enamel microstructure in North American Phytosauria (Diapsida:Archosauriformes): Implications for biogeography and ecology of a Late Triassic clade of crocodylian-like predators

FIGURE 7. SEM captures of Machaeroprosopus teeth from the Petrified Forest Formation of New Mexico. 7A— NMMNH P-33103 type U tooth, overview of transverse cross-section; 7B—NMMNH P-33103 type U tooth with welldeveloped columns; 7C—NMMNH P-33103 type U tooth fluting with contribution solely from the enamel; 7D— NMMNH P-33105 type I tooth, overview of transverse cross-section; 7E—NMMNH P-33105 type I tooth denticle and maximum enamel thickness; 7F—NMMNH P-33105 type I tooth with well-developed columns. Both overview scale bars equal 2 mm. Enamel image scale bars equal 50 µm.

FIGURE 4 in Tooth enamel microstructure in North American Phytosauria (Diapsida:Archosauriformes): Implications for biogeography and ecology of a Late Triassic clade of crocodylian-like predators

FIGURE 4. SEM captures of Angistorhinus teeth from the Popo Agie Formation of Wyoming. 4A—NMMNH P-36190 type I tooth, transverse section across a denticle; 4B—NMMNH P-36190 type I tooth tangential view of enamel, polygonal columnar enamel packages evident on lower half of image; 4C—NMMNH P-36190 type I tooth enamel from labial margin of tooth; 4D—NMMNH P-36190 type I tooth enamel from lingual margin of tooth; 4E—NMMNH P-36192 type B tooth enamel preserves thin columnar packages; 4F—NMMNH P-36191 type B tooth with a few faint LIGs near OES. All scale bars equal 50 µm.

FIGURE 6 in Tooth enamel microstructure in North American Phytosauria (Diapsida:Archosauriformes): Implications for biogeography and ecology of a Late Triassic clade of crocodylian-like predators

FIGURE 6. SEM captures of "Rutiodon" teeth. 6A—NCSM 23303 type B tooth in transverse section with well-developed columns along lingual margin and abundant LIGs; 6B—NCSM 23303 type B tooth in transverse section with well-developed columns along labial margin and abundant LIGs; 6C—NCSM 24322A type U tooth in tangential section showing polygonal columnar packages ~10 µm above EDJ with abundant LIGs; 6D—NCSM 24322B type U tooth in longitudinal section showing minimum thickness of enamel along posterior margin just above tooth base with abundant LIGs; 6E—NCSM 25043 type C? tooth in transverse section with thin (~10 µm wide) well-developed columnar enamel with abundant LIGs in outer half of enamel; 6F—NCSM 25075 type I tooth in transverse section of well-developed columnar enamel with abundant LIGs. All scale bars equal 50 µm.

opencc-by-4.0Nov 2014View details →

Figure 7 in Whale killers: Prevalence and ecological implications of killer whale predation on humpback whale calves off Western Australia

Figure 7. The remains of a humpback whale juvenile (length estimate 8–9 m), <60 h after it was last seen intact (and probably still alive) at the surface; it was apparently killed and then eaten by sharks during 20–22 May 2014, off Coral Bay, WA. Photo: Migration Media.