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Chaparro-Pedraza PC. Differential Stage-Specific Mortality as a Mechanism for Diversification. Am Nat 2024; 204:E28-E41. [PMID: 39008841 DOI: 10.1086/730446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
AbstractIndividual variability in mortality is widespread in nature. The general rule is that larger organisms have a greater chance of survival than smaller conspecifics. There is growing evidence that differential mortality between developmental stages has important consequences for the ecology and evolution of populations and communities. However, we know little about how it can influence diversification. Using an eco-evolutionary model of diversification that considers individual variability in mortality, I show that commonly observed differences in mortality between juveniles and adults can facilitate adaptive diversification. In particular, diversification is expected to be less restricted when mortality is more biased toward juveniles. Additionally, I find stage-specific differences in metabolic cost and foraging capacity to further facilitate diversification when adults are slightly superior competitors, due to either a lower metabolic cost or a higher foraging capacity, than juveniles. This is because by altering the population composition, differential stage-specific mortality and competitive ability can modulate the strength of intraspecific competition, which in turn determines the outcome of diversification. These results demonstrate the strong influence that ecological differences between developmental stages have on diversification and highlight the need for integrating developmental processes into diversification theory.
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2
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Kang D, Zhao C, Sun Z, Chen G, Feng J, Zhu W, Huang Y, Zhao T. Effects of microhabitat features on the intraspecific variability of the distribution and functional traits in a highest elevational distributed lizard. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e10902. [PMID: 38371862 PMCID: PMC10869896 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Exploring the microhabitat determinants of organisms distribution and functional traits differences can help us better understand the importance of intraspecific variations in ecological niches. Investigations on animals functional niche primarily focused on differences among species and tended to neglect the potential variability within species, despite the fact that the ecological and evolutionary importance of intraspecific variations was widely recognized. In this study, we examined the influence of microhabitat features on the intraspecific variability of the distribution and functional traits of a highest elevational distributed lizard species Phrynocephalus erythrurus. To do so, field work was conducted between July and August, 2020 and August and September, 2021 in Namtso watershed in central Xizang, China. Specifically, 11 transects were sampled for P. erythrurus individuals, which were measured for a set of 10 morphological traits. Moreover, 11 microhabitat variables that potentially affect the distribution of lizards were also measured for each transect. Our results indicated that juveniles, males, and females exhibited different functional traits, allowing them to occupy distinct functional space. The distribution of juveniles, males, and females was determined by different microhabitat variables such as illuminance and air temperature. More importantly, these variables also determined the intraspecific functional traits variability in this lizard species. All of these results supported previous claims that intraspecific traits variation should be incorporated into functional ecological studies, and diverse microhabitat features should be conserved to maintain high intraspecific diversity. Future studies can focus on the food analysis to explore the linkage between functional traits and resources utilization within animal populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da Kang
- College of Fisheries, Southwest UniversityChongqingChina
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Wetland Conservation, Restoration and Ecological ServicesSouthwest Forestry UniversityKunmingChina
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan ProvinceChengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education)College of Life Science, China West Normal UniversityNanchongSichuan ProvinceChina
| | - Chunlin Zhao
- School of Biological and Chemical Engineering (School of Agriculture)Panzhihua UniversityPanzhihuaChina
| | - Zijian Sun
- College of Fisheries, Southwest UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Guozhu Chen
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Wetland Conservation, Restoration and Ecological ServicesSouthwest Forestry UniversityKunmingChina
| | - Jianyi Feng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan ProvinceChengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
| | - Wenbo Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan ProvinceChengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
| | - Yan Huang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education)College of Life Science, China West Normal UniversityNanchongSichuan ProvinceChina
| | - Tian Zhao
- College of Fisheries, Southwest UniversityChongqingChina
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Wetland Conservation, Restoration and Ecological ServicesSouthwest Forestry UniversityKunmingChina
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan ProvinceChengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
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3
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Zou HX, Schreiber SJ, Rudolf VHW. Stage-mediated priority effects and season lengths shape long-term competition dynamics. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231217. [PMID: 37752843 PMCID: PMC10523084 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The relative arrival time of species can affect their interactions and thus determine which species persist in a community. Although this phenomenon, called priority effect, is widespread in natural communities, it is unclear how it depends on the length of growing season. Using a seasonal stage-structured model, we show that differences in stages of interacting species could generate priority effects by altering the strength of stabilizing and equalizing coexistence mechanisms, changing outcomes between exclusion, coexistence and positive frequency dependence. However, these priority effects are strongest in systems with just one or a few generations per season and diminish in systems where many overlapping generations per season dilute the importance of stage-specific interactions. Our model reveals a novel link between the number of generations in a season and the consequences of priority effects, suggesting that consequences of phenological shifts driven by climate change should depend on specific life histories of organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng-Xing Zou
- Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | | | - Volker H. W. Rudolf
- Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
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4
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Nagano Y, Wabiko N, Yokoi T. Female solitary bees flexibly change foraging behaviour according to their floral resource requirements and foraging experiences. THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2023; 110:37. [PMID: 37466745 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-023-01864-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Intraspecific variation in foraging behaviour is related to the floral resource requirements and foraging experiences of social bees. These behavioural changes influence their pollination efficiency. However, the extent of such behavioural changes in solitary bees, which constitute the majority of bee species, remains largely unknown. As pollen contains essential nutrients for ovarian and offspring development, a relationship between the resource requirements of female bees and their ovarian development is expected. Additionally, wing damage could reflect foraging experiences, as the wings are damaged during foraging. Here, we aimed to clarify the relationships between ovarian development, wing damage, foraging behaviours, and pollination efficiency in female long-horned bees (Eucera nipponensis and Eucera spurcatipes) visiting red clovers. The bee handling times were recorded. Wing damage and pollen load on the hind legs were confirmed and the number of pollen grains on bee's bodies was counted. We then dissected the bees and recorded the presence or absence of nectar and pollen in the digestive tubes, as well as the mature egg number. The mature egg number positively correlated with nectar feeding and pollen collection, whereas handling time decreased with wing damage. Bees with pollen loads on their legs attach more pollen grains to their bodies. Therefore, solitary bees flexibly change their foraging behaviour based on resource requirements and foraging experiences, and these behavioural changes can influence pollination efficiency. The asynchrony of foraging behaviours and pollination efficiency within a bee population may provide stable pollination for flowering plants throughout the season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Nagano
- Laboratory of Conservation Ecology, Graduate School of Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennoudai, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki, 305-8572, Japan
- Laboratory of Biodiversity Science, Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan
| | - Naoto Wabiko
- Laboratory of Conservation Ecology, Graduate School of Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennoudai, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki, 305-8572, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Yokoi
- Laboratory of Conservation Ecology, Graduate School of Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennoudai, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki, 305-8572, Japan.
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5
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Menges V, Späth S, Menzel F. Temporally consistent behavioural variation between wild ant colonies is robust to strong seasonal and thermal variation. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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6
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dos Santos P, Brilhante MÂ, Messerschmid TFE, Serrano HC, Kadereit G, Branquinho C, de Vos JM. Plant growth forms dictate adaptations to the local climate. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1023595. [PMID: 36479511 PMCID: PMC9720395 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1023595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Adaptive radiation is a significant driver of biodiversity. Primarily studied in animal systems, mechanisms that trigger adaptive radiations remain poorly understood in plants. A frequently claimed indicator of adaptive radiation in plants is growth form diversity when tied to the occupation of different habitats. However, it remains obscure whether morphological adaptations manifest as growth form diversity per se or as its constituent traits. We use the classic Aeonium radiation from the Canary Islands to ask whether adaptation across climatic space is structured by growth form evolution. Using morphological sampling with site-associated climate in a phylogenetic context, we find that growth forms dictate adaptations to the local environment. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the response of specific traits to analogous environments is antagonistic when growth forms are different. This finding suggests for the first time that growth forms represent particular ecological functions, allowing the co-occurrence of closely related species, being a product of divergent selection during evolution in sympatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia dos Santos
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c) & Global Change and Sustainability Institute (CHANGE), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Department of Environmental Sciences – Botany, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Miguel Ângelo Brilhante
- Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food (LEAF), Instituto Superior de Agronomia (ISA), Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Thibaud F. E. Messerschmid
- Botanischer Garten München-Nymphenburg und Botanischen Staatssammlung, Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns, Munich, Germany
- Prinzessin Therese von Bayern Lehrstuhl für Systematik, Biodiversität & Evolution der Pflanzen, Ludwig-Maximilans-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Helena Cristina Serrano
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c) & Global Change and Sustainability Institute (CHANGE), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Gudrun Kadereit
- Botanischer Garten München-Nymphenburg und Botanischen Staatssammlung, Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns, Munich, Germany
- Prinzessin Therese von Bayern Lehrstuhl für Systematik, Biodiversität & Evolution der Pflanzen, Ludwig-Maximilans-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Cristina Branquinho
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c) & Global Change and Sustainability Institute (CHANGE), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Jurriaan M. de Vos
- Department of Environmental Sciences – Botany, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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7
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Freeman G, Matthews E, Stehr E, Acevedo-Gutiérrez A. Individual variability in foraging success of a marine predator informs predator management. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11184. [PMID: 35778455 PMCID: PMC9249773 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15200-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The complexities of trophic dynamics complicate the management of predator populations. Targeted culling campaigns are one management strategy meant to control predation for the benefit of the prey population. In these campaigns, individual predators are often considered “rogue” based on visitation rates to the site of concern. This definition assumes that all predators impact prey equally. However, individual variability in foraging success may compromise this assumption. To examine this hypothesis, we studied harbor seals preying on adult salmonids during the 2014–2019 fall runs in Whatcom Creek, Bellingham, Washington, USA, and recorded visitation rate and foraging success of individual seals from photographs and field observations. We then used Generalized Linear Mixed-Effects Models to model individual foraging success. Models including harbor seal identity better explained foraging success than models based on visitation rate alone. We concluded that considering intraspecific variability and classifying “rogue individuals” based on foraging success is a more accurate protocol for managing predator populations than relying solely on visitation rate of the predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Freeman
- Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, USA. .,WI Department of Natural Resources, Office of Applied Science, 2801 Progress Rd, Madison, WI, 53716, USA.
| | - Erin Matthews
- Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group, Mount Vernon, WA, USA
| | - Erin Stehr
- Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, USA
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8
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Rudolf VHW. Temperature and nutrient conditions modify the effects of phenological shifts in predator-prey communities. Ecology 2022; 103:e3704. [PMID: 35357008 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
While there is mounting evidence indicating that the relative timing of predator and prey phenologies shapes the outcome of trophic interactions, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of how important the environmental context (e.g. abiotic conditions) is for shaping this relationship. Environmental conditions not only frequently drive shifts in phenologies, but they can also affect the very same processes that mediate the effects of phenological shifts on species interactions. Thus, identifying how environmental conditions shape the effects of phenological shifts is key to predict community dynamics across a heterogenous landscape and how they will change with ongoing climate change in the future. Here I tested how environmental conditions shape effects of phenological shifts by experimentally manipulating temperature, nutrient availability, and relative phenologies in two predator-prey freshwater systems (mole salamander- bronze frog vs dragonfly larvae-leopard frog). This allowed me to (1) isolate the effect of phenological shifts and different environmental conditions, (2) determine how they interact, and (3) how consistent these patterns are across different species and environments. I found that delaying prey arrival dramatically increased predation rates, but these effects were contingent on environmental conditions and predator system. While both nutrient addition and warming significantly enhanced the effect of arrival time, their effect was qualitatively different across systems: Nutrient addition enhanced the positive effect of early arrival in the dragonfly-leopard frog system, while warming enhanced the negative effect of arriving late in the salamander-bronze frog system. Predator responses varied qualitatively across predator-prey systems. Only in the system with strong gape-limitation were predators (salamanders) significantly affected by prey arrival time and this effect varied with environmental context. Correlations between predator and prey demographic rates suggest that this was driven by shifts in initial predator-prey size ratios and a positive feedback between size-specific predation rates and predator growth rates. These results highlight the importance of accounting for temporal and spatial correlation of local environmental conditions and gape-limitation in predator-prey systems when predicting the effects of phenological shifts and climate change on predator-prey systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- V H W Rudolf
- BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
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9
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Marugán-Lobón J, Chiappe LM. Ontogenetic niche shifts in the Mesozoic bird Confuciusornis sanctus. Curr Biol 2022; 32:1629-1634.e2. [PMID: 35240049 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Paleontological evidence reveals that the rapid growth characteristic of living birds evolved close to the origin of the crown-group Neornithes, as more stemward birds experienced protracted growth until becoming fully grown.1 Research on Mesozoic confuciusornithids, the earliest divergence of fully beaked birds, has revealed a complex life cycle in which these birds experienced multiple growth phases.2-4 Such a life-history pattern calls for the exploration of the role that ontogenetic niche shifts may have played in size-structuring confuciusornithid populations.5,6 Here, by analyzing the skeletal morphometrics of a dense sample of fossil individuals of Confuciusornis sanctus (n = 171, all fledged), we show that the youngest individuals of this confuciusornithid species experienced a precocious burst of beak growth, probably facilitating access to novel food resources that helped them meet the high energetic demands of their initial growth spurt. Such an early burst of facial (i.e., snout) growth resembles that of young crocodilians.7 However, in these reptiles, facial growth slows down soon thereafter, and the matching of snout scaling between mid-sized and larger individuals instigates demographic competence and the dispersion of the former.8 In contrast, our results reveal that beak growth in C. sanctus continued steadily. We hypothesized that the protracted facial growth of older individuals led to ontogenetic niche shifts by dietary segregation among size classes within populations. Our study thus confirms that the life cycle of C. sanctus was notably different from that of modern birds, and it reveals that beak size allometry may have facilitated population cohesiveness between coinhabiting age classes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Marugán-Lobón
- Unidad de Paleontología, Dpto. Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Dinosaur Institute, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Luis M Chiappe
- Dinosaur Institute, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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10
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Urbanowski CK, Horodecki P, Kamczyc J, Skorupski M, Jagodziński AM. Predatory mite instars (Acari, Mesostigmata) and decomposing tree leaves in mixed and monoculture stands growing on a spoil heap and surrounding forests. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2021; 84:703-731. [PMID: 34312762 PMCID: PMC8367920 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-021-00646-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In the past, ecological research mainly omitted the sexual and developmental variability of mite communities, and therefore could not fully reflect the actual state and function of mite communities in the ecosystems studied. The aim here was to analyze how habitat conditions (mixed vs. monoculture stands) and single-species litter of 14 tree species (in mixed stands) affect the sex and developmental stages of Mesostigmata mites living on the decomposing litter. The research was conducted in 2011-2016, at the Bełchatów Lignite Mine external spoil heap (Central Poland) in mixed stands growing on the spoil heap, as well as in pine and birch monoculture stands growing on the spoil heap and an adjacent forest area. We found significant influences of habitat on females, males and juveniles. Additionally, we found that soil mean temperature had a significant effect on males and juveniles, but not on females. Moreover, despite the insignificant influence of litter species on mite communities, we found that percentage litter mass loss significantly affected female and juvenile mites. Taking into account habitat type, the percentage litter mass loss significantly affected female and male mites, but not juveniles. The mite abundance calculated per dry litter mass usually gradually increased during decomposition. Interestingly, the highest mean female, male and juvenile abundances were recorded in birch stands growing on the adjacent forest area; however, juvenile mites were also very numerous in mixed stands on spoil heap. Therefore, our results confirm that mixed stands on post-mining areas are a potentially better habitat for development of mesostigmatid communities compared to monocultures, among others by relatively higher humidity and lower temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cezary K Urbanowski
- Department of Game Management and Forest Protection, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625, Poznań, Poland.
| | - Paweł Horodecki
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Parkowa 5, 62-035, Kórnik, Poland
| | - Jacek Kamczyc
- Department of Game Management and Forest Protection, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625, Poznań, Poland
| | - Maciej Skorupski
- Department of Game Management and Forest Protection, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625, Poznań, Poland
| | - Andrzej M Jagodziński
- Department of Game Management and Forest Protection, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625, Poznań, Poland
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Parkowa 5, 62-035, Kórnik, Poland
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11
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Glaum P, Vandermeer J. Stage‐structured ontogeny in resource populations generates non‐additive stabilizing and de‐stabilizing forces in populations and communities. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Glaum
- Dept of Environmental Science and Policy, Univ. of California Davis CA USA
| | - John Vandermeer
- Dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Univ. of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USA
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12
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Rudolf VHW, Eveland L. Ontogenetic diversity buffers communities against consequences of species loss. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1492-1504. [PMID: 33694228 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Biodiversity can be measured at multiple organizational scales. While traditional studies have focused at taxonomic diversity, recent studies have emphasized the ecological importance of diversity within populations. However, it is unclear how these different scales of diversity interact to determine the consequence of species loss. Here we asked how predator diversity and presence of ontogenetic diversity within predator populations influences community structure. Ontogenetic diversity arises from shifts in the traits and ecology of individuals during ontogeny and it is one of the biggest sources of intraspecific diversity. However, whether it dampens or strengthens the negative consequences of with species loss is poorly understood. To study the interaction of species diversity and ontogenetic diversity, we experimentally manipulated predator species diversity and diversity of developmental stages within focal predator species and analysed their joint effect on predator and prey survival, biomass and prey community structure in experimental pond systems. While individual effects of ontogenetic diversity were often species specific, losing predator species from the community often had a much smaller or no effect on prey survival, biomass or community structure when all predator populations had high ontogenetic diversity. Thus, ontogenetic diversity within populations buffered against some of the consequences of biodiversity loss at higher organizational levels. Because the experiment controlled mean per capita size and biomass across structured versus unstructured populations, this pattern was not driven by differences in biomass of predators. Instead, results suggest that effects were driven by changes in the functional roles and indirect interactions across and within species. This indicates that even if all environmental conditions are similar, differences in the intrinsic structure of populations can modify the consequences of biodiversity loss. Together, these results revealed the importance of ontogenetic diversity within species for strengthening the resilience of natural communities to consequences of biodiversity loss and emphasize the need to integrate biodiversity patterns across organizational scales.
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Raffard A, Cucherousset J, Montoya JM, Richard M, Acoca-Pidolle S, Poésy C, Garreau A, Santoul F, Blanchet S. Intraspecific diversity loss in a predator species alters prey community structure and ecosystem functions. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001145. [PMID: 33705375 PMCID: PMC7987174 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Loss in intraspecific diversity can alter ecosystem functions, but the underlying mechanisms are still elusive, and intraspecific biodiversity-ecosystem function (iBEF) relationships have been restrained to primary producers. Here, we manipulated genetic and functional richness of a fish consumer (Phoxinus phoxinus) to test whether iBEF relationships exist in consumer species and whether they are more likely sustained by genetic or functional richness. We found that both genotypic and functional richness affected ecosystem functioning, either independently or interactively. Loss in genotypic richness reduced benthic invertebrate diversity consistently across functional richness treatments, whereas it reduced zooplankton diversity only when functional richness was high. Finally, losses in genotypic and functional richness altered functions (decomposition) through trophic cascades. We concluded that iBEF relationships lead to substantial top-down effects on entire food chains. The loss of genotypic richness impacted ecological properties as much as the loss of functional richness, probably because it sustains "cryptic" functional diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan Raffard
- CNRS, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Station d’Écologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS à Moulis, UMR-5321, Moulis, France
- EcoLab, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INPT, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Julien Cucherousset
- CNRS, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, UMR-5174 EDB (Laboratoire Evolution & Diversité Biologique), Toulouse, France
| | - José M. Montoya
- CNRS, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Station d’Écologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS à Moulis, UMR-5321, Moulis, France
| | - Murielle Richard
- CNRS, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Station d’Écologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS à Moulis, UMR-5321, Moulis, France
| | - Samson Acoca-Pidolle
- CNRS, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Station d’Écologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS à Moulis, UMR-5321, Moulis, France
| | - Camille Poésy
- CNRS, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Station d’Écologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS à Moulis, UMR-5321, Moulis, France
| | - Alexandre Garreau
- CNRS, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Station d’Écologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS à Moulis, UMR-5321, Moulis, France
| | - Frédéric Santoul
- EcoLab, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INPT, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Simon Blanchet
- CNRS, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Station d’Écologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS à Moulis, UMR-5321, Moulis, France
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14
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Voelker MR, Schwarz D, Thomas A, Nelson BW, Acevedo‐Gutiérrez A. Large-scale molecular barcoding of prey DNA reveals predictors of intrapopulation feeding diversity in a marine predator. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:9867-9885. [PMID: 33005350 PMCID: PMC7520183 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Predator-prey interactions are critical in understanding how communities function. However, we need to describe intraspecific variation in diet to accurately depict those interactions. Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) are an abundant marine predator that prey on species of conservation concern. We estimated intrapopulation feeding diversity (variation in feeding habits between individuals of the same species) of harbor seals in the Salish Sea. Estimates of feeding diversity were examined relative to sex, month, and location using a novel approach that combined molecular techniques, repeated cross-sectional sampling of scat, and a specialization metric (within-individual consistency in diet measured by the Proportional Similarity Index ( P S i )). Based on 1,083 scat samples collected from five haul-out sites during four nonsequential years, we quantified diet using metabarcoding techniques and determined the sex of the scat depositor using a molecular assay. Results suggest that intrapopulation feeding diversity was present. Specialization was high over short periods (24-48 hr, P S i = 0.392, 95% CI = 0.013, R = 100,000) and variable in time and space. Females showed more specialization than males, particularly during summer and fall. Additionally, demersal and benthic prey species were correlated with more specialized diets. The latter finding suggests that this type of prey likely requires specific foraging strategies and that there are trade-offs between pelagic and benthic foraging styles for harbor seals. This differential feeding on prey species, as well as between sexes of harbor seals, indicates that predator-prey interactions in harbor seals are complex and that each sex may have a different impact on species of conservation concern. As such, describing intrapopulation feeding diversity may unravel hitherto unknown complex predator-prey interactions in the community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madelyn R. Voelker
- Biology DepartmentWestern Washington UniversityBellinghamWAUSA
- Present address:
Ocean Research College AcademyEverettWAUSA
| | - Dietmar Schwarz
- Biology DepartmentWestern Washington UniversityBellinghamWAUSA
| | | | - Benjamin W. Nelson
- Institute for the Oceans and FisheriesUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
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15
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Sommer NR, Schmitz OJ. Differences in prey personality mediate trophic cascades. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:9538-9551. [PMID: 32953082 PMCID: PMC7487229 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional trait approaches in ecology chiefly assume the mean trait value of a population adequately predicts the outcome of species interactions. Yet this assumption ignores substantial trait variation among individuals within a population, which can have a profound effect on community structure and function. We explored individual trait variation through the lens of animal personality to test whether among-individual variation in prey behavior mediates trophic interactions. We quantified the structure of personalities within a population of generalist grasshoppers and examined, through a number of field and laboratory-based experiments, how personality types could impact tri-trophic interactions in a food chain. Unlike other studies of this nature, we used spatial habitat domains to evaluate how personality types mechanistically map to behaviors relevant in predator-prey dynamics and found shy and bold individuals differed in both their habitat use and foraging strategy under predation risk by a sit-and-wait spider predator. In the field-based mesocosm portion of our study, we found experimental populations of personality types differed in their trophic impact, demonstrating that prey personality can mediate trophic cascades. We found no differences in respiration rates or body size between personality types used in the mesocosm experiment, indicating relative differences in trophic impact were not due to variation in prey physiology but rather variation in behavioral strategies. Our work demonstrates how embracing the complexity of individual trait variation can offer mechanistically richer understanding of the processes underlying trophic interactions.
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16
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Teimori A, Iranmanesh N, Askari Hesni M, Motamedi M. Within‐and among‐population differentiation of
Aphaniops hormuzensis
from ecologically diverse environments (Cyprinodontiformes; Aphaniidae). ACTA ZOOL-STOCKHOLM 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/azo.12350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Azad Teimori
- Department of Biology Faculty of Sciences Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman Kerman Iran
| | - Niloufar Iranmanesh
- Department of Biology Faculty of Sciences Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman Kerman Iran
| | - Majid Askari Hesni
- Department of Biology Faculty of Sciences Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman Kerman Iran
| | - Mina Motamedi
- Department of Biology Faculty of Sciences Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman Kerman Iran
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17
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Rollins HB, Benard MF. Challenges in predicting the outcome of competition based on climate change-induced phenological and body size shifts. Oecologia 2020; 193:749-759. [PMID: 32654046 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04705-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Climate change is creating warmer, earlier springs, which are causing the phenology of many organisms to shift. Additionally, as temperatures increase, the body size of many ectotherms is decreasing. However, phenological and body size shifts are not occurring at the same rates across species, even in species that live in close proximity or have similar life history. Differing rates of phenological and body-size shifts may affect ecological interactions. We investigated whether shifts in phenology and body size had a predictable effect on interspecific competition. We tested three hypotheses. First, priority effects would indicate early arriving organisms gain a competitive advantage. Second, larger organisms would be competitively superior. Third, similarly sized organisms would compete more strongly. We manipulated aquatic larval conditions to create variation in wood frog (Rana sylvatica) size at and date of metamorphosis. Wood frogs were placed in terrestrial enclosures with unmanipulated juvenile American toads (Anaxyrus americanus) where we tracked amphibian growth over 3 months. Consistent with the size superiority hypothesis, initially smaller wood frogs did not compete as strongly with toads. However, the results of the phenological shift were the opposite of our priority effects prediction: early arrival by frogs increased toad mass. Our results could indicate that toads would experience fewer negative effects of competition with wood frogs that metamorphose earlier and smaller under climate change. Our study highlights the challenges of predicting how climate change will affect interspecific interactions and emphasizes the need to investigate the role of shifts in both phenology and body size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilary B Rollins
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
| | - Michael F Benard
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
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18
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Hite JL, Pfenning‐Butterworth AC, Vetter RE, Cressler CE. A high-throughput method to quantify feeding rates in aquatic organisms: A case study with Daphnia. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:6239-6245. [PMID: 32724510 PMCID: PMC7381556 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Food ingestion is one of the most basic features of all organisms. However, obtaining precise-and high-throughput-estimates of feeding rates remains challenging, particularly for small, aquatic herbivores such as zooplankton, snails, and tadpoles. These animals typically consume low volumes of food that are time-consuming to accurately measure.We extend a standard high-throughput fluorometry technique, which uses a microplate reader and 96-well plates, as a practical tool for studies in ecology, evolution, and disease biology. We outline technical and methodological details to optimize quantification of individual feeding rates, improve accuracy, and minimize sampling error.This high-throughput assay offers several advantages over previous methods, including i) substantially reduced time allotments per sample to facilitate larger, more efficient experiments; ii) technical replicates; and iii) conversion of in vivo measurements to units (mL-1 hr-1 ind-1) which enables broad-scale comparisons across an array of taxa and studies.To evaluate the accuracy and feasibility of our approach, we use the zooplankton, Daphnia dentifera, as a case study. Our results indicate that this procedure accurately quantifies feeding rates and highlights differences among seven genotypes.The method detailed here has broad applicability to a diverse array of aquatic taxa, their resources, environmental contaminants (e.g., plastics), and infectious agents. We discuss simple extensions to quantify epidemiologically relevant traits, such as pathogen exposure and transmission rates, for infectious agents with oral or trophic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L. Hite
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of NebraskaLincolnNebraskaUSA
| | | | - Rachel E. Vetter
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of NebraskaLincolnNebraskaUSA
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19
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Shantz AA, Ladd MC, Burkepile DE. Overfishing and the ecological impacts of extirpating large parrotfish from Caribbean coral reefs. ECOL MONOGR 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew A. Shantz
- Department of Biology Pennsylvania State University University Park Pennsylvania 16802 USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California 93106 USA
| | - Mark C. Ladd
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California 93106 USA
| | - Deron E. Burkepile
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California 93106 USA
- Marine Science Institute University of California Santa Barbara California 93106 USA
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20
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Start D. Abundance and traits link predator ontogeny to prey communities. Ecology 2020; 101:e03044. [PMID: 32222071 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Function and abundances shape species interactions and thus ecological communities. While communities are often summarized as the mean function of each species, intraspecific variation in traits and thus function is an important driver of community composition. Ontogeny is a common source of intraspecific variation, but while age-related functional changes can alter species interactions, so too can the effects of those functions on the density of the focal organism. For instance, ontogenetic variation can trigger higher levels of cannibalism, reducing abundances and altering interspecific interactions. I manipulate ontogenetic variation in damselfly larvae to show that intraspecific variation can impact communities through two distinct mechanisms. First, within-species differences affect population sizes, and thus indirectly shape communities (indirect effect). In particular, ontogenetic variation resulted in smaller damselfly populations, likely because of increased cannibalism rates, and thus ontogenetically diverse populations had a smaller total effect on their prey. Second, trait variation can affect communities by creating differences in the strength of per capita species interactions (direct effect). In this case, damselfly populations with greater age variation had smaller per capita effects on prey communities. I conclude that ontogeny of a single species can directly and indirectly shape community composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denon Start
- Center for Population Biology, University of California at Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
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21
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Affiliation(s)
- Takefumi Nakazawa
- Dept of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung Univ. No.1, University Road Tainan City 701 Taiwan
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22
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Ecological changes with minor effect initiate evolution to delayed regime shifts. Nat Ecol Evol 2020; 4:412-418. [PMID: 32042123 PMCID: PMC7058421 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-1110-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Regime shifts have been documented in a variety of natural and social systems. These abrupt transitions produce dramatic shifts in the composition and functioning of socioecological systems. Existing theory on ecosystem resilience has only considered regime shifts to be caused by changes in external conditions beyond a tipping point and therefore lacks an evolutionary perspective. In this study, we show how a change in external conditions has little ecological effect and does not push the system beyond a tipping point. The change therefore does not cause an immediate regime shift but instead triggers an evolutionary process that drives a phenotypic trait beyond a tipping point, thereby resulting (after a substantial delay) in a selection-induced regime shift. Our finding draws attention to the fact that regime shifts observed in the present may result from changes in the distant past, and highlights the need for integrating evolutionary dynamics into the theoretical foundation for ecosystem resilience.
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23
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Cassidy C, Grange LJ, Garcia C, Bolam SG, Godbold JA. Species interactions and environmental context affect intraspecific behavioural trait variation and ecosystem function. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20192143. [PMID: 31992167 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional trait-based approaches are increasingly adopted to understand and project ecological responses to environmental change; however, most assume trait expression is constant between conspecifics irrespective of context. Using two species of benthic invertebrate (brittlestars Amphiura filiformis and Amphiura chiajei), we demonstrate that trait expression at individual and community levels differs with biotic and abiotic context. We use PERMANOVA to test the effect of species identity, density and local environmental history on individual (righting and burrowing) and community (particle reworking and burrow ventilation) trait expression, as well as associated effects on ecosystem functioning (sediment nutrient release). Trait expression differs with context, with repercussions for the faunal mediation of ecosystem processes; we find increased rates of righting and burial behaviour and greater particle reworking with increasing density that are reflected in nutrient generation. However, the magnitude of effects differed within and between species, arising from site-specific environmental and morphological differences. Our results indicate that traits and processes influencing change in ecosystem functioning are products of both prevailing and historic conditions that cannot be constrained within typologies. Trait-based study must incorporate context-dependent variation, including intraspecific differences from individual to ecosystem scales, to avoid jeopardizing projections of ecosystem functioning and service delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Cassidy
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Laura J Grange
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2DG, UK
| | - Clement Garcia
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft Laboratory, Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 0HT, UK
| | - Stefan G Bolam
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft Laboratory, Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 0HT, UK
| | - Jasmin A Godbold
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
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24
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Haak CR, Hui FKC, Cowles GW, Danylchuk AJ. Positive interspecific associations consistent with social information use shape juvenile fish assemblages. Ecology 2019; 101:e02920. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Revised: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R. Haak
- Department of Environmental Conservation & Intercampus Marine Science Graduate Program University of Massachusetts Amherst 160 Holdsworth Way Amherst Massachusetts 01003 USA
| | - Francis K. C. Hui
- Research School of Finance Actuarial Studies and Statistics Australian National University Acton 2601 Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Geoffrey W. Cowles
- Department of Fisheries Oceanography School for Marine Science and Technology University of Massachusetts Dartmouth 836 South Rodney French Blvd. New Bedford Massachusetts 02744 USA
| | - Andy J. Danylchuk
- Department of Environmental Conservation & Intercampus Marine Science Graduate Program University of Massachusetts Amherst 160 Holdsworth Way Amherst Massachusetts 01003 USA
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25
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Ramamonjisoa N, Mori A. Growth, developmental, and size structure responses in tadpole prey under increasing threat from gape-limited newts. CAN J ZOOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2019-0067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Size variability within a cohort can have profound effects on community ecology and evolution. Although competition for resources generally increases size variability, the effect of (non-consumptive) predation on this demographic trait remains relatively poorly understood. Existing models suggest a positive correlation between growth rate (mediated by resource level) and expression of size variability (as measured by the coefficient of variation) in prey cohorts. We tested this prediction by exposing the tadpoles of the Japanese Forest Green Treefrog (Rhacophorus arboreus (Okada and Kawano, 1924) = Zhangixalus arboreus (Okada and Kawano, 1924)) to the non-lethal presence of gape-limited Japanese Fire-bellied Newts (Cynops pyrrhogaster (Boie, 1826)) at low and high predator densities in an outdoor mesocosm experiment. Tadpole growth rates and periphyton biomass increased with newt density. But in contrast to prediction, elevated growth rates did not increase but, reversely, decreased cohort size variability in the tadpoles. We discuss two potential mechanisms behind this outcome. First, increased resource availability mediated by predator feeding may have reduced the strength of competition, ultimately leading to more evenly distributed resource gains among individuals; second, if smaller individuals grew relatively faster than larger individuals, as to quicken entry to a size refuge against the gape-limited predator, then inter-individual size differences could diminish over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelikanto Ramamonjisoa
- Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
- Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Akira Mori
- Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
- Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
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26
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Carter SK, Rudolf VHW. Shifts in phenological mean and synchrony interact to shape competitive outcomes. Ecology 2019; 100:e02826. [PMID: 31325374 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Climate change-induced phenological shifts are ubiquitous and have the potential to disrupt natural communities by changing the timing of species interactions. Shifts in first and/or mean phenological date are well documented, but recent studies indicate that shifts in synchrony (individual variation around these metrics) can be just as common. However, we know little about how both types of phenological shifts interact to affect species interactions and communities. Here, we experimentally manipulated the hatching phenologies of two competing species of larval amphibians to address this conceptual gap. Specifically, we manipulated the relative mean hatching time (early, same, or late relative to competitor) and population synchrony (high, medium, or low levels of variation around the mean) in a full 3 × 3 factorial design to measure independent and interactive effects of phenological mean and population phenological synchrony on competitive outcomes. Our results indicate that phenological synchrony within a population strongly influences intraspecific competition by changing the density of individuals and relative strength of early- vs. late-arriving individuals. Individuals from high-synchrony populations competed symmetrically, whereas individuals from low-synchrony populations competed asymmetrically. At the community scale, shifts in population phenological synchrony interact with shifts in phenological mean to affect key demographic rates (survival, biomass export, per capita mass, and emergence timing) strongly. Furthermore, changes in mean timing of species interactions altered phenological synchrony within a population at the next life stage, and phenological synchrony at one life stage altered the mean timing of the next life stage. Thus, shifts in phenological synchrony within populations cannot only alter species interactions, but species interactions in turn can also drive shifts in phenology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon K Carter
- Department of Biosciences, Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS-170, Houston, Texas, 77005-1892, USA
| | - Volker H W Rudolf
- Department of Biosciences, Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS-170, Houston, Texas, 77005-1892, USA
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27
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Predation decreases cohort foraging activity and growth, yet increases individual size variation in prey. Evol Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-019-09977-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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28
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Griffin JN, Silliman BR. Predator size-structure and species identity determine cascading effects in a coastal ecosystem. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:12435-12442. [PMID: 30619556 PMCID: PMC6308854 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cascading consequences of predator extinctions are well documented, but impacts of perturbations to predator size-structure and how these vary across species remain unclear. Body size is hypothesized to be a key trait governing individual predators' impact on ecosystems. Therefore, shifts in predator size-structure should trigger ecosystem ramifications which are consistent across functionally similar species. Using a US salt marsh as a model system, we tested this hypothesis by manipulating size class (small, medium, and large) and size diversity (combination of all three size classes) within two closely related and functionally similar predatory crab species over 4 months. Across treatments, predators suppressed densities of a dominant grazer and an ecosystem engineer, enhanced plant biomass, and altered sediment properties (redox potential and saturation). Over the metabolically equivalent experimental predator treatments, small size class predators had stronger average impacts on response variables, and size class interacted with predator species identity to drive engineer suppression. Within both predator species, size diversity increased cannibalism and slightly weakened the average impact. These results show that predator impacts in a salt marsh ecosystem are determined by both size class and size diversity; they also highlight that size class can have species-dependent and response-dependent effects, underlining the challenge of generalizing trait effects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brian R. Silliman
- Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the EnvironmentDuke UniversityBeaufortNorth Carolina
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29
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Zhao T, Villéger S, Cucherousset J. Accounting for intraspecific diversity when examining relationships between non-native species and functional diversity. Oecologia 2018; 189:171-183. [PMID: 30470889 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4311-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Quantifying changes in functional diversity, the facet of biodiversity accounting for the biological features of organisms, has been advocated as one of the most integrative ways to unravel how communities are affected by human-induced perturbations. The present study assessed how functional diversity patterns varied among communities that differed in the degree to which non-native species dominated the community in temperate lake fish communities and whether accounting for intraspecific functional variability could provide a better understanding of the variation of functional diversity across communities. Four functional diversity indices were computed for 18 temperate lake fish communities along a gradient of non-native fish dominance using morphological functional traits assessed for each life-stage within each species. First, we showed that intraspecific variability in functional traits was high and comparable to interspecific variability. Second, we found that non-native fish were functionally distinct from native fish. Finally, we demonstrated that there was a significant relationship between functional diversity and the degree to which non-native fish currently dominated the community and that this association could be better detected when accounting for intraspecific functional variability. These findings highlighted the importance of incorporating intraspecific variability to better quantify the variation of functional diversity patterns in communities facing human-induced perturbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Zhao
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, ENFA, UPS, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse, France.
| | - S Villéger
- MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - J Cucherousset
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, ENFA, UPS, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse, France
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30
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Start D, De Lisle S. Sexual dimorphism in a top predator ( Notophthalmus viridescens) drives aquatic prey community assembly. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.1717. [PMID: 30404874 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Intraspecific variation can have important consequences for the structure and function of ecological communities, and serves to link community ecology to evolutionary processes. Differences between the sexes are an overwhelmingly common form of intraspecific variation, but its community-level consequences have never been experimentally investigated. Here, we manipulate the sex ratio of a sexually dimorphic predacious newt in aquatic mesocosms, then track their impact on prey communities. Female and male newts preferentially forage in the benthic and pelagic zones, respectively, causing corresponding reductions in prey abundances in those habitats. Sex ratio differences also explained a large proportion (33%) of differences in the composition of entire pond communities. Ultimately, we demonstrate the impact of known patterns of sexual dimorphism in a predator on its prey, uncovering overlooked links between evolutionary adaptation and the structure of contemporary communities. Given the extreme prevalence of sexual dimorphism, we argue that the independent evolution of the sexes will often have important consequences for ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denon Start
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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31
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Sundstrom SM, Angeler DG, Barichievy C, Eason T, Garmestani A, Gunderson L, Knutson M, Nash KL, Spanbauer T, Stow C, Allen CR. The distribution and role of functional abundance in cross-scale resilience. Ecology 2018; 99:2421-2432. [PMID: 30175443 PMCID: PMC6792002 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The cross-scale resilience model suggests that system-level ecological resilience emerges from the distribution of species' functions within and across the spatial and temporal scales of a system. It has provided a quantitative method for calculating the resilience of a given system and so has been a valuable contribution to a largely qualitative field. As it is currently laid out, the model accounts for the spatial and temporal scales at which environmental resources and species are present and the functional roles species play but does not inform us about how much resource is present or how much function is provided. In short, it does not account for abundance in the distribution of species and their functional roles within and across the scales of a system. We detail the ways in which we would expect species' abundance to be relevant to the cross-scale resilience model based on the extensive abundance literature in ecology. We also put forward a series of testable hypotheses that would improve our ability to anticipate and quantify how resilience is generated, and how ecosystems will (or will not) buffer recent rapid global changes. This stream of research may provide an improved foundation for the quantitative evaluation of ecological resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shana M. Sundstrom
- School of Natural Resources, 103 Hardin Hall, 3310 Holdrege St., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NE 68583, USA
- Corresponding author:
| | - David G. Angeler
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Box 7050, SE- 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Chris Barichievy
- Zoological Society of London. Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa
| | - Tarsha Eason
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
| | - Ahjond Garmestani
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
| | - Lance Gunderson
- Department of Environmental Studies, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
| | | | - Kirsty L. Nash
- Centre for Marine Socioecology, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7000
| | - Trisha Spanbauer
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas-Austin, TX 78712
| | - Craig Stow
- National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, USA
| | - Craig R. Allen
- U.S. Geological Survey - Nebraska Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA
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32
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Shuai F, Yu S, Lek S, Li X. Habitat effects on intra-species variation in functional morphology: Evidence from freshwater fish. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:10902-10913. [PMID: 30519416 PMCID: PMC6262925 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Revised: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Biotic-environment interactions have long been considered an important factor in functional phenotype differentiation in organisms. The differentiation processes determining functional phenotypes can reveal important mechanisms yielding differences in specific functions of animal traits in the ecosystem. In the present study, we examined functional morphological variations in relation to increasing geographic altitude. Six fish species were examined for how environment factors affect intra-specific functional morphology in the subtropical Pearl River in southern China. Functional morphology traits revealed variable effects due to geographic elevation, although spatial autocorrelation existed among the species tested. The results showed that high-elevation individuals had a more narrow-bodied morphology, with more flexible maneuvrability when swimming, and more evenly distributed musculature than low-elevation individuals. Low-elevation individuals preyed upon larger food sources than high-elevation individuals in some species. Fish functional morphology was strongly affected by regional environmental factors (such as elevation and water temperature) and physical characteristics of local rivers (such as flow velocity, river fractals, and coefficients of fluvial facies). In addition, the effects of the regional factors were stronger than those of the local factors in the Pearl River. Furthermore, it was found that morphological traits associated with locomotion were primarily effected by the river's physical characteristics. While morphological traits associated with food acquisition were primarily affected by water chemical factors (such as DO, water clarity, NH 4-N concentration, and TDS). These results demonstrated that habitat has an influence on the biological morphology of fish species, which further affects the functioning of the organism within the ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangmin Shuai
- Pearl River Fisheries Research InstituteCAFSGuangzhouChina
- Ministry of AgricultureExperimental Station for Scientific Observation on Fishery Resources and Environment in the Middle and Lower Reaches of Pearl RiverGuangdongChina
| | - Shixiao Yu
- State Key Laboratory of BiocontrolDepartment of EcologySchool of Life SciencesSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Sovan Lek
- Université de Toulouse ‐ Paul SabatierToulouse CedexFrance
| | - Xinhui Li
- Pearl River Fisheries Research InstituteCAFSGuangzhouChina
- Ministry of AgricultureExperimental Station for Scientific Observation on Fishery Resources and Environment in the Middle and Lower Reaches of Pearl RiverGuangdongChina
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33
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Raffard A, Santoul F, Cucherousset J, Blanchet S. The community and ecosystem consequences of intraspecific diversity: a meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018; 94:648-661. [PMID: 30294844 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Revised: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning has major implications. Biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships are generally investigated at the interspecific level, although intraspecific diversity (i.e. within-species diversity) is increasingly perceived as an important ecological facet of biodiversity. Here, we provide a quantitative and integrative synthesis testing, across diverse plant and animal species, whether intraspecific diversity is a major driver of community dynamics and ecosystem functioning. We specifically tested (i) whether the number of genotypes/phenotypes (i.e. intraspecific richness) or the specific identity of genotypes/phenotypes (i.e. intraspecific variation) in populations modulate the structure of communities and the functioning of ecosystems, (ii) whether the ecological effects of intraspecific richness and variation are strong in magnitude, and (iii) whether these effects vary among taxonomic groups and ecological responses. We found a non-linear relationship between intraspecific richness and community and ecosystem dynamics that follows a saturating curve shape, as observed for biodiversity-function relationships measured at the interspecific level. Importantly, intraspecific richness modulated ecological dynamics with a magnitude that was equal to that previously reported for interspecific richness. Our results further confirm, based on a database containing more than 50 species, that intraspecific variation also has substantial effects on ecological dynamics. We demonstrated that the effects of intraspecific variation are twice as high as expected by chance, and that they might have been underestimated previously. Finally, we found that the ecological effects of intraspecific variation are not homogeneous and are actually stronger when intraspecific variation is manipulated in primary producers than in consumer species, and when they are measured at the ecosystem rather than at the community level. Overall, we demonstrated that the two facets of intraspecific diversity (richness and variation) can both strongly affect community and ecosystem dynamics, which reveals the pivotal role of within-species biodiversity for understanding ecological dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan Raffard
- CNRS, Station d'Écologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS à Moulis UMR-5321, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, 2 route du CNRS, F-09200, Moulis, France.,EcoLab, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INPT, UPS, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Frédéric Santoul
- EcoLab, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INPT, UPS, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Julien Cucherousset
- CNRS, IRD, UPS, Laboratoire Évolution et Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), Université de Toulouse, 118 route de Narbonne, Toulouse 31062, France
| | - Simon Blanchet
- CNRS, Station d'Écologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS à Moulis UMR-5321, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, 2 route du CNRS, F-09200, Moulis, France.,CNRS, IRD, UPS, Laboratoire Évolution et Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), Université de Toulouse, 118 route de Narbonne, Toulouse 31062, France
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34
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Start D. Ontogeny and Consistent Individual Differences Mediate Trophic Interactions. Am Nat 2018; 192:301-310. [DOI: 10.1086/698693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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35
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Start D. Predator macroevolution drives trophic cascades and ecosystem functioning. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20180384. [PMID: 30051862 PMCID: PMC6083245 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Biologists now recognize that ecology can drive evolution, and that evolution in turn produces ecological patterns. I extend this thinking to include longer time scales, suggesting that macroevolutionary transitions can create phenotypic differences among species, which then have predictable impacts on species interactions, community assembly and ecosystem functioning. Repeated speciation can exacerbate these patterns by creating communities with similar phenotypes and hence ecological impacts. Here, I use several experiments to test these ideas in dragonfly larvae that occupy ponds with fish, ponds without fish, or both. I show that macroevolutionary transitions between habitats cause fishless pond species to be more active relative to fish pond specialists, reducing prey abundance, shifting prey community composition and creating stronger trophic cascades. These effects scale up to the community level with predictable consequences for ecosystem multi-functioning. I suggest that macroevolutionary history can have predictable impacts on phenotypic traits, with consequences for interacting species and ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denon Start
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S3B2, Canada
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36
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker H. W. Rudolf
- Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Rice Univ., BioSciences; Houston TX USA
| | - Amber Roman
- Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Rice Univ., BioSciences; Houston TX USA
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37
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Raffard A, Lecerf A, Cote J, Buoro M, Lassus R, Cucherousset J. The functional syndrome: linking individual trait variability to ecosystem functioning. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.1893. [PMID: 29212725 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic variability is increasingly assessed through functional response and effect traits, which provide a mechanistic framework for investigating how an organism responds to varying ecological factors and how these responses affect ecosystem functioning. Covariation between response and effect traits has been poorly examined at the intraspecific level, thus hampering progress in understanding how phenotypic variability alters the role of organisms in ecosystems. Using a multi-trait approach and a nine-month longitudinal monitoring of individual red-swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), we demonstrated that most of the measured response and effect traits were partially stable during the ontogeny of individuals. Suites of response and effect traits were associated with a response syndrome and an effect syndrome, respectively, which were correlated to form a functional syndrome. Using a bioenergetic model, we predicted that differences in the response syndrome composition of hypothetical populations had important ecological effects on a key ecosystem process (i.e. whole-lake litter decomposition) to a level similar to those induced by doubling population size. Demonstrating the existence of a functional syndrome is likely to improve our understanding of the ecological impacts of phenotypic variation among individuals in wild populations across levels of biological organization, and the linkage between ecosystem and evolutionary ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan Raffard
- Laboratoire Evolution and Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, ENFA, UPS, 118 route de Narbonne, Toulouse 31062, France
| | - Antoine Lecerf
- Ecolab, Universitè de Toulouse, 118 route de Narbonne, Toulouse 31062, France
| | - Julien Cote
- Laboratoire Evolution and Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, ENFA, UPS, 118 route de Narbonne, Toulouse 31062, France
| | - Mathieu Buoro
- Laboratoire Evolution and Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, ENFA, UPS, 118 route de Narbonne, Toulouse 31062, France.,ECOBIOP, INRA, Univ. Pau and Pays Adour, 64310 St Pée-sur-Nivelle, France
| | - Remy Lassus
- Laboratoire Evolution and Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, ENFA, UPS, 118 route de Narbonne, Toulouse 31062, France
| | - Julien Cucherousset
- Laboratoire Evolution and Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, ENFA, UPS, 118 route de Narbonne, Toulouse 31062, France
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38
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Rudolf VHW. Nonlinear effects of phenological shifts link interannual variation to species interactions. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:1395-1406. [PMID: 29749640 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The vast majority of species interactions are seasonally structured and depend on species' relative phenologies. However, differences in the phenologies of species naturally vary across years and are altered by ongoing climate change around the world. By combining experiments that shifted the relative hatching of two competing tadpole species across a productivity gradient with simulations of inter-annual variation in arrival times I tested how phenological variation across years can alter the strength and outcome of interspecific competition. Shifting the relative timing of hatching (phenology) of a species fundamentally altered interspecific competition, and the effect of shifting the timing on competition was highly non-linear for most demographic rates. Furthemore, this relationship varied with productivity of the system. As a consequence, (a) shifts in relative timing of phenologies had small or large effects depending on the average natural timing of interactions, and (b) changes in the inter-annual variation in onset of interaction alone can alter species interactions in simulations even when mean phenologies (timing) remain unchanged across years. Studies on phenologies traditionally focus on directional shifts in the mean of phenologies, but these results suggest that we also need to consider inter-annual variation in phenologies of interacting species to predict dynamics of natural communities and how they will be modified by climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker H W Rudolf
- Program in Ecology, & Evolutionary Biology, BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas
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39
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Biological invasions undermine the functional diversity of fish community in a large subtropical river. Biol Invasions 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-018-1751-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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40
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Tao J, Meng D, Qin C, Liu X, Liang Y, Xiao Y, Liu Z, Gu Y, Li J, Yin H. Integrated network analysis reveals the importance of microbial interactions for maize growth. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2018. [PMID: 29532103 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-018-8837-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Microbes play a critical role in soil global biogeochemical circulation and microbe-microbe interactions have also evoked enormous interests in recent years. Utilization of green manures can stimulate microbial activity and affect microbial composition and diversity. However, few studies focus on the microbial interactions or detect the key functional members in communities. With the advances of metagenomic technologies, network analysis has been used as a powerful tool to detect robust interactions between microbial members. Here, random matrix theory-based network analysis was used to investigate the microbial networks in response to four different green manure fertilization regimes (Vicia villosa, common vetch, milk vetch, and radish) over two growth cycles from October 2012 to September 2014. The results showed that the topological properties of microbial networks were dramatically altered by green manure fertilization. Microbial network under milk vetch amendment showed substantially more intense complexity and interactions than other fertilization systems, indicating that milk vetch provided a favorable condition for microbial interactions and niche sharing. The shift of microbial interactions could be attributed to the changes in some major soil traits and the interactions might be correlated to plant growth and production. With the stimuli of green manures, positive interactions predominated the network eventually and the network complexity was in consistency with maize productivity, which suggested that the complex soil microbial networks might benefit to plants rather than simple ones, because complex networks would hold strong the ability to cope with environment changes or suppress soil-borne pathogen infection on plants. In addition, network analyses discerned some putative keystone taxa and seven of them had directly positive interactions with maize yield, which suggested their important roles in maintaining environmental functions and in improving plant growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiemeng Tao
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China.,College of agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
| | - Delong Meng
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Chong Qin
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xueduan Liu
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yili Liang
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yunhua Xiao
- College of agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhenghua Liu
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yabing Gu
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Juan Li
- College of agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China.
| | - Huaqun Yin
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China. .,Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China.
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41
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Jackrel SL, Morton TC. Inducible phenotypic plasticity in plants regulates aquatic ecosystem functioning. Oecologia 2018; 186:895-906. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4094-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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42
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Widenfalk LA, Leinaas HP, Bengtsson J, Birkemoe T. Age and level of self‐organization affect the small‐scale distribution of springtails (Collembola). Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lina A. Widenfalk
- Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences P.O. Box 7044 Uppsala SE‐75007 Sweden
| | - Hans Petter Leinaas
- Department of Biosciences University of Oslo P.O. Box 1066, Blindern Oslo N‐0316 Norway
| | - Jan Bengtsson
- Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences P.O. Box 7044 Uppsala SE‐75007 Sweden
| | - Tone Birkemoe
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management Norwegian University of Life Sciences P.O. Box 5003 Ås NO 1432 Norway
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43
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Carlson BE, Langkilde T. Body size variation in aquatic consumers causes pervasive community effects, independent of mean body size. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:9978-9990. [PMID: 29238530 PMCID: PMC5723604 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Revised: 06/09/2017] [Accepted: 09/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Intraspecific phenotypic variation is a significant component of biodiversity. Body size, for example, is variable and critical for structuring communities. We need to understand how homogenous and variably sized populations differ in their ecological responses or effects if we are to have a robust understanding of communities. We manipulated body size variation in consumer (tadpole) populations in mesocosms (both with and without predators), keeping mean size and density of these consumers constant. Size-variable consumer populations exhibited stronger antipredator responses (reduced activity), which had a cascading effect of increasing the biomass of the consumer's resources. Predators foraged less when consumers were variable in size, and this may have mediated the differential effects of predators on the community composition of alternative prey (zooplankton). All trophic levels responded to differences in consumer size variation, demonstrating that intrapopulation phenotypic variability can significantly alter interspecific ecological interactions. Furthermore, we identify a key mechanism (size thresholds for predation risk) that may mediate impacts of size variation in natural communities. Together, our results suggest that phenotypic variability plays a significant role in structuring ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley E. Carlson
- Department of Biology, Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, and Center for Brain, Behavior, and CognitionThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPAUSA
| | - Tracy Langkilde
- Department of Biology, Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, and Center for Brain, Behavior, and CognitionThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPAUSA
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44
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Zwolak R. How intraspecific variation in seed-dispersing animals matters for plants. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2017; 93:897-913. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2017] [Revised: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rafał Zwolak
- Department of Systematic Zoology, Faculty of Biology; Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89; 61-614 Poznań Poland
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45
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McMurray SE, Pawlik JR, Finelli CM. Demography alters carbon flux for a dominant benthic suspension feeder, the giant barrel sponge, on Conch Reef, Florida Keys. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Steven E. McMurray
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington NC USA
| | - Joseph R. Pawlik
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington NC USA
| | - Christopher M. Finelli
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington NC USA
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46
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Zhao T, Li C, Wang X, Xie F, Jiang J. Unraveling the relative contribution of inter- and intrapopulation functional variability in wild populations of a tadpole species. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:4726-4734. [PMID: 28690802 PMCID: PMC5496530 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Revised: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 04/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional traits are increasingly recognized as an integrative approach by ecologists to quantify a key facet of biodiversity. And these traits are primarily expressed as species means in previous studies, based on the assumption that the effects of intraspecific variability can be overridden by interspecific variability when studying functional ecology at the community level. However, given that intraspecific variability could also have important effects on community dynamics and ecosystem functioning, empirical studies are needed to investigate the importance of intraspecific variability in functional traits. In this study, 256 Scutiger boulengeri tadpole individuals from four different populations are used to quantify the functional difference between populations within a species, and the relative contribution of inter‐ and intrapopulation variability in functional traits. Our results demonstrate that these four populations differ significantly in functional attributes (i.e., functional position, functional richness, and low functional overlap), indicating that individuals from different populations within a species should be explicitly accounted for in functional studies. We also find similar relative contribution of inter‐ (~56%) and intrapopulation (~44%) variation to the total variability between individuals, providing evidence that individuals within populations should also be incorporated in functional studies. Overall, our results support the recent claims that intraspecific variability cannot be ignored, as well as the general idea of “individual level” research in functional ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization and Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province Chengdu Institute of Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu China
| | - Cheng Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization and Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province Chengdu Institute of Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu China
| | - Xiaoyi Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization and Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province Chengdu Institute of Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu China
| | - Feng Xie
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization and Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province Chengdu Institute of Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu China
| | - Jianping Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization and Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province Chengdu Institute of Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu China
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47
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Nakazawa T. Individual interaction data are required in community ecology: a conceptual review of the predator–prey mass ratio and more. Ecol Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-016-1408-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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48
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San-Jose LM, Peñalver-Alcázar M, Huyghe K, Breedveld MC, Fitze PS. Inter-class competition in stage-structured populations: effects of adult density on life-history traits of adult and juvenile common lizards. Oecologia 2016; 182:1063-1074. [PMID: 27655331 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3738-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Accepted: 09/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Ecological and evolutionary processes in natural populations are largely influenced by the population's stage-structure. Commonly, different classes have different competitive abilities, e.g., due to differences in body size, suggesting that inter-class competition may be important and largely asymmetric. However, experimental evidence states that inter-class competition, which is important, is rare and restricted to marine fish. Here, we manipulated the adult density in six semi-natural populations of the European common lizard, Zootoca vivipara, while holding juvenile density constant. Adult density affected juveniles, but not adults, in line with inter-class competition. High adult density led to lower juvenile survival and growth before hibernation. In contrast, juvenile survival after hibernation was higher in populations with high adult density, pointing to relaxed inter-class competition. As a result, annual survival was not affected by adult density, showing that differences in pre- and post-hibernation survival balanced each other out. The intensity of inter-class competition affected reproduction, performance, and body size in juveniles. Path analyses unravelled direct treatment effects on early growth (pre-hibernation) and no direct treatment effects on the parameters measured after hibernation. This points to allometry of treatment-induced differences in early growth, and it suggests that inter-class competition mainly affects the early growth of the competitively inferior class and thereby their future performance and reproduction. These results are in contrast with previous findings and, together with results in marine fish, suggest that the strength and direction of density dependence may depend on the degree of inter-class competition, and thus on the availability of resources used by the competing classes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis M San-Jose
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Le Biophore, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Miguel Peñalver-Alcázar
- Department of Biogeography and Global Change, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN, CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Katleen Huyghe
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Merel C Breedveld
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN, CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (MNCN, CSIC), Ntra. Señora de la Victoria, 22700, Jaca, Spain
| | - Patrick S Fitze
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Le Biophore, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN, CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (MNCN, CSIC), Ntra. Señora de la Victoria, 22700, Jaca, Spain
- Fundación Araid, Edificio CEEI Aragón, María de Luna 11, 50018, Zaragoza, Spain
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Ramos-Jiliberto R, Heine-Fuster I, Reyes CA, González-Barrientos J. Ontogenetic shift in Daphnia-algae interaction strength altered by stressors: revisiting Jensen’s inequality. Ecol Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-016-1389-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Personality, foraging behavior and specialization: integrating behavioral and food web ecology at the individual level. Oecologia 2016; 182:55-69. [PMID: 27170290 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3648-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2016] [Accepted: 04/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral traits and diet were traditionally thought to be highly plastic within individuals. This view was espoused in the widespread use of optimality models, which broadly predict that individuals can modify behavioral traits and diet across ecological contexts to maximize fitness. Yet, research conducted over the past 15 years supports an alternative view; fundamental behavioral traits (e.g., activity level, exploration, sociability, boldness and aggressiveness) and diet often vary among individuals and this variation persists over time and across contexts. This phenomenon has been termed animal personality with regard to behavioral traits and individual specialization with regard to diet. While these aspects of individual-level phenotypic variation have been thus far studied in isolation, emerging evidence suggests that personality and individual specialization may covary, or even be causally related. Building on this work, we present the overarching hypothesis that animal personality can drive specialization through individual differences in various aspects of consumer foraging behavior. Specifically, we suggest pathways by which consumer personality traits influence foraging activity, risk-dependent foraging, roles in social foraging groups, spatial aspects of foraging and physiological drivers of foraging, which in turn can lead to consistent individual differences in food resource use. These pathways provide a basis for generating testable hypotheses directly linking animal personality to ecological dynamics, a major goal in contemporary behavioral ecology.
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