1
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Leighton GM, Drury JP, Small J, Miller ET. Unfamiliarity generates costly aggression in interspecific avian dominance hierarchies. Nat Commun 2024; 15:335. [PMID: 38184603 PMCID: PMC10771497 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44613-0] [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: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Dominance hierarchies often form between species, especially at common feeding locations. Yet, relative to work focused on the factors that maintain stable dominance hierarchies within species, large-scale analyses of interspecific dominance hierarchies have been comparatively rare. Given that interspecific behavioral interference mediates access to resources, these dominance hierarchies likely play an important and understudied role in community assembly and behavioral evolution. To test alternative hypotheses about the formation and maintenance of interspecific dominance hierarchies, we employ an large, participatory science generated dataset of displacements observed at feeders in North America in the non-breeding season. Consistent with the hypothesis that agonistic interference can be an adaptive response to exploitative competition, we find that species with similar niches are more likely to engage in costly aggression over resources. Among interacting species, we find broad support for the hypothesis that familiarity (measured as fine-scale habitat overlap) predicts adherence to the structure of the dominance hierarchy and reduces aggression between species. Our findings suggest that the previously documented agonistic hierarchy in North American birds emerges from species-level adaptations and learned behaviors that result in the avoidance of costly aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin M Leighton
- Department of Biology, SUNY Buffalo State University, Buffalo, NY, 14213, USA.
| | - Jonathan P Drury
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Jay Small
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Eliot T Miller
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
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2
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Kenyon HL, Martin PR. Color as an Interspecific Badge of Status: A Comparative Test. Am Nat 2023; 202:433-447. [PMID: 37792917 DOI: 10.1086/725916] [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: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
AbstractAnimals as diverse as cephalopods, insects, fish, and mammals signal social dominance to conspecifics to avoid costly fights. Even though between-species fights may be equally costly, the extent to which dominance signals are used between species is unknown. Here, we test the hypothesis that differences in color are associated with dominance between closely related species that aggressively interact over resources, examining between-species variation in colors that are used in within-species badges of status (black, white, and carotenoid coloration) in a comparative analysis of diverse species of birds. We found that dominant species have more black, on average, than subordinate species, particularly in regions important for aggressive signaling (face, throat, and bill). Furthermore, dominant species were more likely to have more black in comparisons in which the dominant species was similar in size or smaller than the subordinate, suggesting that black may be a more important signal when other signals of dominance (size) are missing. Carotenoid colors (i.e., red, pink, orange, and yellow) were not generally associated with dominance but may signal dominance in some taxonomic groups. White may have opposing functions: white was associated with dominance in species in which black was also associated with dominance but was associated with subordinance in species in which carotenoid-based dominance signals may be used. Overall, these results provide new evidence that colors may function broadly as signals of dominance among competing species. Such signals could help to mediate aggressive interactions among species, thereby reducing some costs of co-occurrence and facilitating coexistence in nature.
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3
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Baldwin JW, Garcia-Porta J, Botero CA. Complementarity in Allen's and Bergmann's rules among birds. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4240. [PMID: 37454097 PMCID: PMC10349823 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39954-9] [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: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Biologists have long noted that endotherms tend to have larger bodies (Bergmann's rule) and shorter appendages (Allen's rule) in colder environments. Nevertheless, many taxonomic groups appear not to conform to these 'rules', and general explanations for these frequent exceptions are currently lacking. Here we note that by combining complementary changes in body and extremity size, lineages could theoretically respond to thermal gradients with smaller changes in either trait than those predicted by either Bergmann's or Allen's rule alone. To test this idea, we leverage geographic, ecological, phylogenetic, and morphological data on 6,974 non-migratory terrestrial bird species, and show that stronger family-wide changes in bill size over thermal gradients are correlated with more muted changes in body size. Additionally, we show that most bird families exhibit weak but appropriately directed changes in both traits, supporting the notion of complementarity in Bergmann's and Allen's rules. Finally, we show that the few families that exhibit significant gradients in either bill or body size, tend to be more speciose, widely distributed, or ecologically constrained. Our findings validate Bergmann's and Allen's logic and remind us that body and bill size are simply convenient proxies for their true quantity of interest: the surface-to-volume ratio.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin W Baldwin
- Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA.
| | - Joan Garcia-Porta
- Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
- Departament de Genètica Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia & Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos A Botero
- Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
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4
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Coppinger BA, Carlson NV, Freeberg TM, Sieving KE. Mixed-species groups and the question of dominance in the social ecosystem. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220097. [PMID: 37066641 PMCID: PMC10107276 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Dominance interactions and hierarchies are of long-standing interest in the field of animal behaviour. Currently, dominance hierarchies are viewed as complex social structures formed by repeated interactions between individuals. Most studies on this phenomenon come from single-species groups. However, animals are constantly surrounded by and interact with individuals of other species. Behaviour and social interactions of individuals can be shaped by the presence or behaviour of other species in their social ecosystem, which has important implications for social behaviour in groups. Given how ubiquitous mixed-species animal groups are, deeper study of the relationships between mixed-species group (MSG) structure and dominance will be key to understanding constraints on individual behaviour and decision making. Here we call for more research into dominance interactions among individuals in MSGs. Greater understanding of the dynamics of dominance relationships among individuals in MSGs, whose size and composition can change considerably over shorter and longer term time frames, will be crucial to understanding their structure and functioning. This article is part of the theme issue 'Mixed-species groups and aggregations: shaping ecological and behavioural patterns and processes'.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. A. Coppinger
- Department of Biology, Villanova University, Villanova, PA 19085, USA
| | - N. V. Carlson
- Graduate School of Science, Faculty of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada V8W 2Y2
| | - T. M. Freeberg
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, PA 37996, USA
| | - K. E. Sieving
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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5
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Gilbert NA, McGinn KA, Nunes LA, Shipley AA, Bernath-Plaisted J, Clare JDJ, Murphy PW, Keyser SR, Thompson KL, Maresh Nelson SB, Cohen JM, Widick IV, Bartel SL, Orrock JL, Zuckerberg B. Daily activity timing in the Anthropocene. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:324-336. [PMID: 36402653 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Animals are facing novel 'timescapes' in which the stimuli entraining their daily activity patterns no longer match historical conditions due to anthropogenic disturbance. However, the ecological effects (e.g., altered physiology, species interactions) of novel activity timing are virtually unknown. We reviewed 1328 studies and found relatively few focusing on anthropogenic effects on activity timing. We suggest three hypotheses to stimulate future research: (i) activity-timing mismatches determine ecological effects, (ii) duration and timing of timescape modification influence effects, and (iii) consequences of altered activity timing vary biogeographically due to broad-scale variation in factors compressing timescapes. The continued growth of sampling technologies promises to facilitate the study of the consequences of altered activity timing, with emerging applications for biodiversity conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil A Gilbert
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Kate A McGinn
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Laura A Nunes
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Amy A Shipley
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Jacy Bernath-Plaisted
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - John D J Clare
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Penelope W Murphy
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Spencer R Keyser
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Kimberly L Thompson
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), 04103 Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Germany
| | - Scott B Maresh Nelson
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Jeremy M Cohen
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Ivy V Widick
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Savannah L Bartel
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - John L Orrock
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Benjamin Zuckerberg
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
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6
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Neate-Clegg MHC, Tonelli BA, Youngflesh C, Wu JX, Montgomery GA, Şekercioğlu ÇH, Tingley MW. Traits shaping urban tolerance in birds differ around the world. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1677-1688.e6. [PMID: 37023752 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
As human density increases, biodiversity must increasingly co-exist with urbanization or face local extinction. Tolerance of urban areas has been linked to numerous functional traits, yet few globally consistent patterns have emerged to explain variation in urban tolerance, which stymies attempts at a generalizable predictive framework. Here, we calculate an Urban Association Index (UAI) for 3,768 bird species in 137 cities across all permanently inhabited continents. We then assess how this UAI varies as a function of ten species-specific traits and further test whether the strength of trait relationships vary as a function of three city-specific variables. Of the ten species traits, nine were significantly associated with urban tolerance. Urban-associated species tend to be smaller, less territorial, have greater dispersal ability, broader dietary and habitat niches, larger clutch sizes, greater longevity, and lower elevational limits. Only bill shape showed no global association with urban tolerance. Additionally, the strength of several trait relationships varied across cities as a function of latitude and/or human population density. For example, the associations of body mass and diet breadth were more pronounced at higher latitudes, while the associations of territoriality and longevity were reduced in cities with higher population density. Thus, the importance of trait filters in birds varies predictably across cities, indicating biogeographic variation in selection for urban tolerance that could explain prior challenges in the search for global patterns. A globally informed framework that predicts urban tolerance will be integral to conservation as increasing proportions of the world's biodiversity are impacted by urbanization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Montague H C Neate-Clegg
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Benjamin A Tonelli
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Casey Youngflesh
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Joanna X Wu
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Graham A Montgomery
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Çağan H Şekercioğlu
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Koç University, Sarıyer, 34450 İstanbul, Türkiye
| | - Morgan W Tingley
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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7
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Berberi I, Miller ET, Dakin R. The effect of sociality on competitive interactions among birds. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20221894. [PMID: 36855867 PMCID: PMC9975650 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Sociality can provide many benefits, including increased foraging success, reproductive opportunities and defence against predation. How does sociality influence the dominance hierarchies of ecological competitors? Here, we address this question using a large citizen science dataset of competitive interactions among birds foraging at backyard feeders, representing a network of over 55 000 interactions among 68 common species. We first show that species differ in average group size (the number of conspecifics observed together) as a fundamental measure of sociality. When analysing heterospecific competition, we find that sociality is inversely related to dominance. On average, a single individual from a solitary species is more likely to displace a size-matched opponent than a single individual from a social species. Yet, we find that social species gain an increase in their competitive advantage when in the presence of their conspecifics, which may occur as a result of dynamics within their groups. Finally, we show that more social species have relatively fewer dominance interactions with heterospecifics, and more with conspecifics. Overall, these results demonstrate that sociality can influence competition in ecological networks. More social species have decreased competitive ability as individuals, but they may gain competitive ability in groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilias Berberi
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Canada K1S 5B6
| | - Eliot T. Miller
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Roslyn Dakin
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Canada K1S 5B6
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8
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Using Machine Learning to Identify Associations between the Environment, Occurrence, and Outcomes of Songbird Displacements at Supplemental Feeders. BIRDS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/birds3030021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The context and outcome of aggressive interactions between individuals has important fitness consequences. Displacements—an aggressive interaction wherein one individual is chased from a location by another—also have implications for social hierarchy formation and geographic distribution in songbirds. Morphological correlates, like body size, and social correlates, such as dominance rank, have been shown to mediate displacements in songbirds. However, the role of the physical environment, namely temperature, humidity, and time of day, which may influence an individual’s energy needs and thus displacement motivation, has remained understudied. We monitored songbird feeding and displacement behaviors using computerized automated feeders. We observed asymmetric differences across species in displacement involvement. To identify the conditions of the social and physical environment that are associated with the occurrence and outcome of songbird displacements at supplemental feeders, we use the machine learning approach, random forest, which is a novel method to the fields of ornithology and animal behavior. From our random forest models, we found that the attributes of the physical environment (i.e., humidity and the time of day) are associated with the occurrence of a displacement event, whereas the attributes of the social environment (i.e., species of the displacer and displaced individuals) are associated with which species are involved. These results provide context to develop further observational and experimental hypotheses to tease apart the inner workings of these multifactorial behaviors on a larger scale and provide a proof of concept for our analytical methods in the study of avian behavior.
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9
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Kenyon HL, Martin PR. Aggressive signaling among competing species of birds. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13431. [PMID: 35722268 PMCID: PMC9202552 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Aggressive interactions help individuals to gain access to and defend resources, but they can be costly, leading to increased predation risk, injury, or death. Signals involving sounds and color can allow birds to avoid the costs of intraspecific aggressive encounters, but we know less about agonistic signaling between species, where fights can be frequent and just as costly. Here, we review photographic and video evidence of aggressive interactions among species of birds (N = 337 interactions documenting the aggressive signals of 164 different bird species from 120 genera, 50 families, and 24 orders) to document how individuals signal in aggressive encounters among species, and explore whether these visual signals are similar to those used in aggressive encounters with conspecifics. Despite the diversity of birds examined, most aggressively signaling birds displayed weapons (bills, talons, wings) used in fighting and placed these weapons closest to their heterospecific opponent when signaling. Most species oriented their bodies and heads forward with their bills pointing towards their heterospecific opponent, often highlighting their face, throat, mouth, and bill. Many birds also opened their wings and/or tails, increasing their apparent size in displays, consistent with the importance of body size in determining behavioral dominance among species. Aggressive postures were often similar across species and taxonomic families. Exceptions included Accipitridae and Falconidae, which often highlighted their talons in the air, Columbidae, which often highlighted their underwings from the side, and Trochilidae, which often hovered upright in the air and pointed their fanned tail downward. Most species highlighted bright carotenoid-based colors in their signals, but highlighted colors varied across species and often involved multiple colors in combination (e.g., black, white, and carotenoid-based colors). Finally, birds tended to use the same visual signals in aggressive encounters with heterospecifics that they use in aggressive encounters with conspecifics, suggesting that selection from aggressive interactions may act on the same signaling traits regardless of competitor identity.
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10
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Wu J, Zhang Q. 非传递性竞争在物种共存中的作用. CHINESE SCIENCE BULLETIN-CHINESE 2022. [DOI: 10.1360/tb-2022-0091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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11
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Strauss ED, DeCasien AR, Galindo G, Hobson EA, Shizuka D, Curley JP. DomArchive: a century of published dominance data. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200436. [PMID: 35000444 PMCID: PMC8743893 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Dominance behaviours have been collected for many groups of animals since 1922 and serve as a foundation for research on social behaviour and social structure. Despite a wealth of data from the last century of research on dominance hierarchies, these data are only rarely used for comparative insight. Here, we aim to facilitate comparative studies of the structure and function of dominance hierarchies by compiling published dominance interaction datasets from the last 100 years of work. This compiled archive includes 436 datasets from 190 studies of 367 unique groups (mean group size 13.8, s.d. = 13.4) of 135 different species, totalling over 243 000 interactions. These data are presented in an R package alongside relevant metadata and a tool for subsetting the archive based on biological or methodological criteria. In this paper, we explain how to use the archive, discuss potential limitations of the data, and reflect on best practices in publishing dominance data based on our experience in assembling this dataset. This archive will serve as an important resource for future comparative studies and will promote the development of general unifying theories of dominance in behavioural ecology that can be grounded in testing with empirical data. This article is part of the theme issue 'The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli D. Strauss
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0118 USA
| | - Alex R. DeCasien
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MA, USA
| | - Gabriela Galindo
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Hobson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Daizaburo Shizuka
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0118 USA
| | - James P. Curley
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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12
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Bayesian paired comparison with the bpcs package. Behav Res Methods 2021; 54:2025-2045. [PMID: 34846675 PMCID: PMC9374650 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-021-01714-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
This article introduces the bpcs R package (Bayesian Paired Comparison in Stan) and the statistical models implemented in the package. This package aims to facilitate the use of Bayesian models for paired comparison data in behavioral research. Bayesian analysis of paired comparison data allows parameter estimation even in conditions where the maximum likelihood does not exist, allows easy extension of paired comparison models, provides straightforward interpretation of the results with credible intervals, has better control of type I error, has more robust evidence towards the null hypothesis, allows propagation of uncertainties, includes prior information, and performs well when handling models with many parameters and latent variables. The bpcs package provides a consistent interface for R users and several functions to evaluate the posterior distribution of all parameters to estimate the posterior distribution of any contest between items and to obtain the posterior distribution of the ranks. Three reanalyses of recent studies that used the frequentist Bradley-Terry model are presented. These reanalyses are conducted with the Bayesian models of the bpcs package, and all the code used to fit the models, generate the figures, and the tables are available in the online appendix.
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13
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Hobson EA, Silk MJ, Fefferman NH, Larremore DB, Rombach P, Shai S, Pinter-Wollman N. A guide to choosing and implementing reference models for social network analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:2716-2734. [PMID: 34216192 PMCID: PMC9292850 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Analysing social networks is challenging. Key features of relational data require the use of non-standard statistical methods such as developing system-specific null, or reference, models that randomize one or more components of the observed data. Here we review a variety of randomization procedures that generate reference models for social network analysis. Reference models provide an expectation for hypothesis testing when analysing network data. We outline the key stages in producing an effective reference model and detail four approaches for generating reference distributions: permutation, resampling, sampling from a distribution, and generative models. We highlight when each type of approach would be appropriate and note potential pitfalls for researchers to avoid. Throughout, we illustrate our points with examples from a simulated social system. Our aim is to provide social network researchers with a deeper understanding of analytical approaches to enhance their confidence when tailoring reference models to specific research questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Hobson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, 318 College Drive, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, U.S.A
| | - Matthew J Silk
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter Penryn Campus, Treliever Road, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, U.K
| | - Nina H Fefferman
- Departments of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology & Mathematics, University of Tennessee, 569 Dabney Hall, Knoxville, TN, 37996, U.S.A
| | - Daniel B Larremore
- Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado Boulder, 1111 Engineering Drive, Boulder, CO, 80309, U.S.A.,BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, 3415 Colorado Ave,, Boulder, CO, 80303, U.S.A
| | - Puck Rombach
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics, University of Vermont, 82 University Place, Burlington, VT, 05405, U.S.A
| | - Saray Shai
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Wesleyan University, Science Tower 655, 265 Church Street, Middletown, CT, 06459, U.S.A
| | - Noa Pinter-Wollman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, 612 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, U.S.A
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14
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Habitat Quality and Social Behavioral Association Network in a Wintering Waterbirds Community. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13116044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Migratory waterbirds concentrated in freshwater ecosystems in mosaic environments rely on quality habitats for overwintering. At West Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve (WDLNNR), China, land-use change and hydrology alternation are compounding factors that have affected important wintering areas for migratory waterbirds. Presently, changes in the hydrology and landscape have reshaped natural wintering habitats and their availability, though the impact of hydrological management on habitat selection of wintering waterbirds is largely unknown. In this study, we classified differentially managed habitats and calculated their area using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to evaluate suitable habitat availability over the study period (2016–2017 and 2017–2018 wintering periods). We then used social behavioral association network (SBAN) model to compare habitat quality through species-species social interactions and species-habitat associations in lakes with different hydrological management. The results indicated that social interactions between and within species structured wintering waterbirds communities, which could be dominated by one or more species, while dominant species control the activities of other co-existing species. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests indicated significant differences in SBAN metrics between lakes (p = 0.0237) and habitat (p < 0.0001) levels. Specifically, lakes with managed hydrology were preferred by more species. The managed lakes had better habitat quality in terms of significantly higher habitat areas (p < 0.0001) and lower habitat transitions (p = 0.0113). Collectively, our findings suggest that proper hydrological management can provide continuous availability of quality habitats, especially mudflats and shallow waters, for a stable SBAN to ensure a wintering waterbirds community with more sympatric species in a dynamic environment.
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15
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Bonter DN, Greig EI. Over 30 Years of Standardized Bird Counts at Supplementary Feeding Stations in North America: A Citizen Science Data Report for Project FeederWatch. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.619682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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16
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Rasool MA, Zhang X, Hassan MA, Hussain T, Lu C, Zeng Q, Peng B, Wen L, Lei G. Construct social-behavioral association network to study management impact on waterbirds community ecology using digital video recording cameras. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:2321-2335. [PMID: 33717458 PMCID: PMC7920787 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying social-behavior and species associations in ecological communities is challenging because it is difficult to observe the interactions in the field. Animal behavior is especially difficult to observe when selection of habitat and activities are linked to energy costs of long-distance movement. Migrating communities tend to be resource specific and prefer environments that offer more suitability for coexisting in a shared space and time. Given the recent advances in digital technologies, digital video recording systems are gaining popularity in wildlife research and management. We used digital video recording cameras to study social interactions and species-habitat linkages for wintering waterbirds communities in shared habitats. Examining over 8,640 hr of video footages, we built tetrapartite social-behavioral association network of wintering waterbirds over habitat (n = 5) selection events in sites with distinct management regimes. We analyzed these networks to identify hub species and species role in activity persistence, and to explore the effects of hydrological regime on these network characteristics. Although the differences in network attributes were not significant at treatment level (p = .297) in terms of network composition and keystone species composition, our results indicated that network attributes were significantly different (p = .000, r 2 = .278) at habitat level. There were evidences suggesting that the habitat quality was better at the managed sites, where the formed networks had more species, more network nodes and edges, higher edge density, and stronger intra- and inter-species interactions. In addition, we also calculated the species interaction preference scores (SIPS) and behavioral interaction preference scores (BIPS) of each network. The results showed that species synchronize activities in shared space for temporal niche partitioning in order to avoid or minimize any potential competition for shared space. Our social network analysis (SNA) approach is likely to provide a practical use for ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Awais Rasool
- School of Ecology and Nature ConservationBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
- Center for East Asian‐Australasian Flyway StudiesBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Xiaobo Zhang
- School of Ecology and Nature ConservationBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
- Center for East Asian‐Australasian Flyway StudiesBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Muhammad Azher Hassan
- Key Lab of Indoor Air Environment Quality ControlSchool of Environmental Science and EngineeringTianjin UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Tanveer Hussain
- Department of Forestry, Range and Wildlife ManagementThe Islamia University of BahawalpurBahawalpurPakistan
| | - Cai Lu
- School of Ecology and Nature ConservationBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
- Center for East Asian‐Australasian Flyway StudiesBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Qing Zeng
- School of Ecology and Nature ConservationBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
- Center for East Asian‐Australasian Flyway StudiesBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Boyong Peng
- West Dongting Lake National Nature ReserveHunanChina
| | - Li Wen
- School of Ecology and Nature ConservationBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
- Center for East Asian‐Australasian Flyway StudiesBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
- Science DivisionNSW Department of Planning, Industry and EnvironmentSydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Guangchun Lei
- School of Ecology and Nature ConservationBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
- Center for East Asian‐Australasian Flyway StudiesBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
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17
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An avian dominance hierarchy at a supplemental water source in the Patagonian steppe. PLoS One 2021; 15:e0244299. [PMID: 33382738 PMCID: PMC7774970 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Birds often compete and engage in interspecific agonistic interactions for access to resources such as food and breeding territories. Based on the observed outcomes from such interactions (i.e., patterns of displacements) dominance hierarchies can be established. Knowing which species can outcompete others for essential resources allows researchers to make predictions about the broader ecological impacts of interspecific interactions. We constructed an interspecific dominance hierarchy of twelve avian species which visited an artificial water source in an arid region of coastal Patagonia, Argentina. Displacements were categorized into four types, based on the behaviors involved in the interaction, and we tested if they could predict the difference in dominance between the interacting species (the difference between calculated dominance coefficients for the two focal species). Indirect displacements, involving only the arrival of the dominant species to the water source without direct aggression toward the subordinate bird, occurred more frequently between species with a large difference in dominance. The most dominant bird observed was the kelp gull (Larus dominicanus), which, due to an increasing population and expanding range, in part due to food supplementation from fisheries waste, is likely to outcompete terrestrial and marine avian species for other scarce resources.
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18
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Cowen MC, Drury JP, Grether GF. Multiple routes to interspecific territoriality in sister species of North American perching birds. Evolution 2020; 74:2134-2148. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.14068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Madeline C. Cowen
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles California 90095
| | - Jonathan P. Drury
- Department of Biosciences Durham University Durham DH1 3LE United Kingdom
| | - Gregory F. Grether
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles California 90095
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19
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Rogers AM, Griffin AS, Rensburg BJ, Kark S. Noisy neighbours and myna problems: Interaction webs and aggression around tree hollows in urban habitats. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M. Rogers
- The Biodiversity Research Group The School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science The School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD Australia
| | - Andrea S. Griffin
- Animal Behaviour and Cognition Lab, Conservation Science Research Group School of Psychology University of Newcastle Callaghan NSW Australia
| | - Berndt J. Rensburg
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science The School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD Australia
- Department of Zoology University of Johannesburg Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Salit Kark
- The Biodiversity Research Group The School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science The School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD Australia
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20
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Two songbird species show subordinate responses to simulated territorial intrusions of an exotic competitor. Acta Ethol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-020-00347-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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21
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Non-king elimination, intransitive triad interactions, and species coexistence in ecological competition networks. THEOR ECOL-NETH 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s12080-020-00459-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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22
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The composition of British bird communities is associated with long-term garden bird feeding. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2088. [PMID: 31113960 PMCID: PMC6529538 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10111-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a multi-billion dollar global industry dedicated to feeding wild birds in residential gardens. This extraordinary boost to food resources is almost certainly reshaping entire bird communities, yet the large-scale, long-term impacts on community ecology remain unknown. Here we reveal a 40-year transformation of the bird communities using garden bird feeders in Britain, and provide evidence to suggest how this may have contributed to national-scale population changes. We find that increases in bird diversity at feeders are associated with increasing community evenness, as species previously rarely observed in gardens have increasingly exploited the growing variety of foods on offer over time. Urban areas of Britain are consequently nurturing growing populations of feeder-using bird species, while the populations of species that do not use feeders remain unchanged. Our findings illustrate the on-going, gross impact people can have on bird community structure across large spatial scales. Garden bird feeding is a prolific human activity that provides a reliable foraging opportunity to wild birds. Here the authors use a 40-year data set to show that large-scale restructuring of garden bird communities and growth in urban bird populations can be linked to changing feeding practices.
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23
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Interspecific conflict structures urban avian assemblages. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:12331-12333. [PMID: 30478059 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1817912115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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24
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Francis ML, Plummer KE, Lythgoe BA, Macallan C, Currie TE, Blount JD. Effects of supplementary feeding on interspecific dominance hierarchies in garden birds. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0202152. [PMID: 30183709 PMCID: PMC6124729 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals often differ in competitive ability, which can lead to the formation of a dominance hierarchy that governs differential access to resources. Previous studies of dominance have predominently focussed on within-species interactions, while the drivers of between-species competitive hierarchies are poorly understood. The increasing prevalence of predictable anthropogenic food subsidies, such as that provided by garden bird feeders, is likely to intensify between-species competition. However, the consequences for resource acquisition await detailed study, and in particular, whether competitive interactions are influenced by food quality is not known. Here, we examine competitive interactions amongst ten passerine species of birds utilising supplementary food sources of differing quality. We show that dominance rank is strongly predicted by body mass across species. Socially dominant, heavier species monopolised access to a food that had a relatively short handling time (sunflower hearts), spent longer on supplementary feeders, and pecked at lower rates. In contrast subordinate, lighter species were constrained to feed on a food that had a relatively long handling time (sunflower seeds with the hull intact). Our findings suggest that differences in body mass may result in between-species dominance hierarchies that place the heaviest species in the greatest control of supplementary feeding sites, gaining superior access to higher value foods. This may have important implications for the use of supplementary feeding as a conservation tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L. Francis
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Kate E. Plummer
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, United Kingdom
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (JDB); (KEP)
| | - Bethany A. Lythgoe
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Catriona Macallan
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas E. Currie
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan D. Blount
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (JDB); (KEP)
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25
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Frigerio D, Pipek P, Kimmig S, Winter S, Melzheimer J, Diblíková L, Wachter B, Richter A. Citizen science and wildlife biology: Synergies and challenges. Ethology 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Didone Frigerio
- Core facility Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle for Behaviour and Cognition; University of Vienna; Grünau im Almtal Austria
- Department of Behavioural Biology; University of Vienna; Vienna Austria
| | - Pavel Pipek
- Department of Ecology; Faculty of Science; Charles University; Prague Czech Republic
- Department of Invasive Ecology; Institute of Botany; The Czech Academy of Sciences; Průhonice Czech Republic
| | - Sophia Kimmig
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology; Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research; Berlin Germany
- Department of Ecological Dynamics; Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research; Berlin Germany
| | - Silvia Winter
- Institute for Integrative Nature Conservation Research and Division of Plant Protection; University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna; Vienna Austria
| | - Jörg Melzheimer
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology; Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research; Berlin Germany
| | - Lucie Diblíková
- Department of Ecology; Faculty of Science; Charles University; Prague Czech Republic
| | - Bettina Wachter
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology; Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research; Berlin Germany
| | - Anett Richter
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig; Leipzig Germany
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26
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Leighton GM, Lees AC, Miller ET. The hairy–downy game revisited: an empirical test of the interspecific social dominance mimicry hypothesis. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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27
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Pereira PF, Lourenço R, Mota PG. Behavioural dominance of the invasive red-billed leiothrix (Leiothrix lutea) over European native passerine-birds in a feeding context. BEHAVIOUR 2018. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Behavioural dominance and aggressiveness may be crucial traits facilitating the establishment of invasive species. Few studies considered agonistic interactions between exotic and native bird species in feeding contexts, particularly when the exotic has social habits. We aimed to know if individuals of a social invasive species, the red-billed leiothrix Leiothrix lutea, are: more aggressive; the initiators of the first interaction; and dominant (i.e., won most interactions) over native opponents in a feeding context. We performed an experiment in a closed environment forcing dyadic interactions between an individual of a native species facing a leiothrix individual. We found that the leiothrix was the initiator in most experiments, being apparently dominant over natives. However, the invader was not more aggressive than natives. This can increase the risk of injury for natives because the leiothrix has a relatively larger body size. We discuss possible negative impacts of the leiothrix on native species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Filipe Pereira
- aResearch Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO), University of Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- bDepartment of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
- cICAAM — Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, LabOr — Laboratory of Ornithology, Universidade de Évora, Núcleo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7002-554 Évora, Portugal
| | - Rui Lourenço
- cICAAM — Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, LabOr — Laboratory of Ornithology, Universidade de Évora, Núcleo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7002-554 Évora, Portugal
| | - Paulo Gama Mota
- aResearch Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO), University of Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- bDepartment of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
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