1
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Morris DW. Adaptive responses to habitat change: Theory and tests with field experiments. Ecology 2024:e4333. [PMID: 38826028 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Habitat loss and change are often implicated as the primary causes of species extinction. Although any population can be instantly imperiled by catastrophe, most habitat loss occurs gradually, thus enabling affected individuals an adaptive advantage to occupy the best of their dwindling opportunities. I demonstrate how to infer the advantage between two habitats for any density and frequency-dependent strategy of habitat selection. I explore the concept of an Adaptive Dispersal Strategy Landscape to reveal the Evolutionarily Stable Strategy separately for ideal-free and ideal preemptive habitat selectors. Both solutions reveal an initially counterintuitive expectation that individuals living at high density gain insufficient adaptive advantage to disperse from a deteriorating habitat. Adaptive dispersal is constrained at high density because habitats of better quality are fully occupied. I test the theory with measures of movement and foraging in crossover experiments on a seminatural population of meadow voles. The experiment allowed the voles to choose among patches and between enclosures in which I differentially manipulated food and shelter. Although photographs from an infrared camera documented voles venturing from one habitat to the other, none became resident. Voles preferentially foraged in the richer of the two enclosures, even when I reversed treatments, and they foraged more in patches protected by mulched straw. The adaptive advantage of dispersal using a surrogate fitness proxy based on the voles' giving-up densities mirrored that generated by theory. The convergence between theory and experiment yields much-needed insight into our ability to test, predict, and hopefully resolve, the ecological, evolutionary, and conservation consequences of habitat loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas W Morris
- Department of Biology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
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2
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Webber QMR, Laforge MP, Bonar M, Vander Wal E. The adaptive value of density-dependent habitat specialization and social network centrality. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4423. [PMID: 38789438 PMCID: PMC11126670 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48657-8] [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: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Density dependence is a fundamental ecological process. In particular, animal habitat selection and social behavior often affect fitness in a density-dependent manner. The Ideal Free Distribution (IFD) and niche variation hypothesis (NVH) present distinct predictions associated with Optimal Foraging Theory about how the effect of habitat selection on fitness varies with population density. Using caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in Canada as a model system, we test competing hypotheses about how habitat specialization, social behavior, and annual reproductive success (co)vary across a population density gradient. Within a behavioral reaction norm framework, we estimate repeatability, behavioral plasticity, and covariance among social behavior and habitat selection to investigate the adaptive value of sociality and habitat selection. In support of NVH, but not the IFD, we find that at high density habitat specialists had higher annual reproductive success than generalists, but were also less social than generalists, suggesting the possibility that specialists were less social to avoid competition. Our study supports niche variation as a mechanism for density-dependent habitat specialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quinn M R Webber
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NF, Canada.
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
| | - Michel P Laforge
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NF, Canada
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Maegwin Bonar
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NF, Canada
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NF, Canada
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NF, Canada
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3
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Ehlers L, Palm E, Herriges J, Bentzen T, Suitor M, Joly K, Millspaugh J, Donnelly P, Gross J, Wells J, Larue B, Hebblewhite M. A taste of space: Remote animal observations and discrete-choice models provide new insights into foraging and density dynamics for a large subarctic herbivore. J Anim Ecol 2024. [PMID: 38773852 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024]
Abstract
Competition for resources and space can drive forage selection of large herbivores from the bite through the landscape scale. Animal behaviour and foraging patterns are also influenced by abiotic and biotic factors. Fine-scale mechanisms of density-dependent foraging at the bite scale are likely consistent with density-dependent behavioural patterns observed at broader scales, but few studies have directly tested this assertion. Here, we tested if space use intensity, a proxy of spatiotemporal density, affects foraging mechanisms at fine spatial scales similarly to density-dependent effects observed at broader scales in caribou. We specifically assessed how behavioural choices are affected by space use intensity and environmental processes using behavioural state and forage selection data from caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) observed from GPS video-camera collars using a multivariate discrete-choice modelling framework. We found that the probability of eating shrubs increased with increasing caribou space use intensity and cover of Salix spp. shrubs, whereas the probability of eating lichen decreased. Insects also affected fine-scale foraging behaviour by reducing the overall probability of eating. Strong eastward winds mitigated negative effects of insects and resulted in higher probabilities of eating lichen. At last, caribou exhibited foraging functional responses wherein their probability of selecting each food type increased as the availability (% cover) of that food increased. Space use intensity signals of fine-scale foraging were consistent with density-dependent responses observed at larger scales and with recent evidence suggesting declining reproductive rates in the same caribou population. Our results highlight potential risks of overgrazing on sensitive forage species such as lichen. Remote investigation of the functional responses of foraging behaviours provides exciting future applications where spatial models can identify high-quality habitats for conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Ehlers
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - E Palm
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - J Herriges
- Bureau of Land Management, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
| | - T Bentzen
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
| | - M Suitor
- Yukon Government, Yukon, Yukon Territory, Canada
| | - K Joly
- National Park Service, Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
| | - J Millspaugh
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - P Donnelly
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - J Gross
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Tok, Alaska, USA
| | - J Wells
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Tok, Alaska, USA
| | - B Larue
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - M Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
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4
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Schreiber SJ, Hening A, Nguyen DH. Coevolution of Patch Selection in Stochastic Environments. Am Nat 2023; 202:122-139. [PMID: 37531280 DOI: 10.1086/725079] [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: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
AbstractSpecies interact in landscapes where environmental conditions vary in time and space. This variability impacts how species select habitat patches. Under equilibrium conditions, evolution of this patch selection can result in ideal free distributions where per capita growth rates are zero in occupied patches and negative in unoccupied patches. These ideal free distributions, however, do not explain why species occupy sink patches, why competitors have overlapping spatial ranges, or why predators avoid highly productive patches. To understand these patterns, we solve for coevolutionarily stable strategies (coESSs) of patch selection for multispecies stochastic Lotka-Volterra models accounting for spatial and temporal heterogeneity. In occupied patches at the coESS, we show that the differences between the local contributions to the mean and the variance of the long-term population growth rate are equalized. Applying this characterization to models of antagonistic interactions reveals that environmental stochasticity can partially exorcize the ghost of competition past, select for new forms of enemy-free and victimless space, and generate hydra effects over evolutionary timescales. Viewing our results through the economic lens of modern portfolio theory highlights why the coESS for patch selection is often a bet-hedging strategy coupling stochastic sink populations. Our results highlight how environmental stochasticity can reverse or amplify evolutionary outcomes as a result of species interactions or spatial heterogeneity.
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5
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Smith BJ, MacNulty DR, Stahler DR, Smith DW, Avgar T. Density-dependent habitat selection alters drivers of population distribution in northern Yellowstone elk. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:245-256. [PMID: 36573288 PMCID: PMC10107875 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Although it is well established that density dependence drives changes in organismal abundance over time, relatively little is known about how density dependence affects variation in abundance over space. We tested the hypothesis that spatial trade-offs between food and safety can change the drivers of population distribution, caused by opposing patterns of density-dependent habitat selection (DDHS) that are predicted by the multidimensional ideal free distribution. We addressed this using winter aerial survey data of northern Yellowstone elk (Cervus canadensis) spanning four decades. Supporting our hypothesis, we found positive DDHS for food (herbaceous biomass) and negative DDHS for safety (openness and roughness), such that the primary driver of habitat selection switched from food to safety as elk density decreased from 9.3 to 2.0 elk/km2 . Our results demonstrate how population density can drive landscape-level shifts in population distribution, confounding habitat selection inference and prediction and potentially affecting community-level interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Smith
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Daniel R MacNulty
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Daniel R Stahler
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
| | - Douglas W Smith
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
| | - Tal Avgar
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA.,Biodiversity Pathways Ltd., British Columbia, Canada
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6
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Webber QMR, Albery GF, Farine DR, Pinter-Wollman N, Sharma N, Spiegel O, Vander Wal E, Manlove K. Behavioural ecology at the spatial-social interface. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:868-886. [PMID: 36691262 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Spatial and social behaviour are fundamental aspects of an animal's biology, and their social and spatial environments are indelibly linked through mutual causes and shared consequences. We define the 'spatial-social interface' as intersection of social and spatial aspects of individuals' phenotypes and environments. Behavioural variation at the spatial-social interface has implications for ecological and evolutionary processes including pathogen transmission, population dynamics, and the evolution of social systems. We link spatial and social processes through a foundation of shared theory, vocabulary, and methods. We provide examples and future directions for the integration of spatial and social behaviour and environments. We introduce key concepts and approaches that either implicitly or explicitly integrate social and spatial processes, for example, graph theory, density-dependent habitat selection, and niche specialization. Finally, we discuss how movement ecology helps link the spatial-social interface. Our review integrates social and spatial behavioural ecology and identifies testable hypotheses at the spatial-social interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quinn M R Webber
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Gregory F Albery
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, 37th and O Streets, Washington, DC, 20007, USA.,Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Wallotstraße 19, 14193, Berlin, Germany.,Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587, Berlin, Germany
| | - Damien R Farine
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Universitatsstraße 10, 78464, Constance, Germany.,Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Noa Pinter-Wollman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Nitika Sharma
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Orr Spiegel
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Kezia Manlove
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5200 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
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7
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Šigutová H, Šigut M, Dolný A, Harabiš F. Individual variability in habitat selection by aquatic insects is driven by taxonomy rather than specialisation. Sci Rep 2022; 12:20735. [PMID: 36456650 PMCID: PMC9715563 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25363-3] [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: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat selection, the choice of a habitat based on its perceived quality, is a key mechanism structuring freshwater communities. To date, individual variability in habitat selection has been neglected, and specialisation has never been considered in this type of studies. We examined the individual differences in the habitat selection of backswimmers (Notonectidae) and diving beetles (Dytiscidae). From each family, we selected one habitat generalist able to coexist with fish (Notonecta glauca, Dytiscus marginalis), and one species specialised to fishless habitats (Notonecta obliqua, Acilius sulcatus). We performed a mesocosm experiment quantifying the consistency in individuals' decisions in response to fish and vegetation structure, in relation to sex and specialisation. Neither the overall pattern of preferences nor consistency in individuals' decisions differed between specialists and generalists or between the sexes, but both were consistent within families. At the population level, backswimmers preferred fishless pools with submersed and floating macrophytes, while diving beetles showed no clear preferences. Individual decisions of backswimmers were consistent and likely driven by conspecific/heterospecific attraction. In diving beetles, individual decisions were primarily density-dependent. Our results reinforce the significance of habitat selectivity for aquatic community assembly, while suggesting a range of mechanisms driving variability in individual behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hana Šigutová
- grid.412684.d0000 0001 2155 4545Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic ,grid.10979.360000 0001 1245 3953Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Šigut
- grid.412684.d0000 0001 2155 4545Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Aleš Dolný
- grid.412684.d0000 0001 2155 4545Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Filip Harabiš
- grid.15866.3c0000 0001 2238 631XDepartment of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
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8
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Favretto MA, Machado-de-Souza T, Golec C, Reinert BL, Bornschein MR. Habitat selection in Many-colored Rush Tyrant ( Tachuris rubrigastra) and Wren-like Rushbird ( Phleocryptes melanops) in the subtropical salt marshes of Brazil. STUDIES ON NEOTROPICAL FAUNA AND ENVIRONMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/01650521.2022.2101351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mario Arthur Favretto
- Centro de Ciências de Saúde, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Tiago Machado-de-Souza
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Centro Politécnico, Curitiba, Brazil
- Mater Natura – Instituto de Estudos Ambientais, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Cláudia Golec
- Mater Natura – Instituto de Estudos Ambientais, Curitiba, Brazil
| | | | - Marcos Ricardo Bornschein
- Mater Natura – Instituto de Estudos Ambientais, Curitiba, Brazil
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, São Vicente, Brazil
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9
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Devlin JJ, Thomas RJ, Long SE, Boardman P, Dupuis JR. Impact of climate change on the elevational and latitudinal distributions of populations of Tipulidae (Diptera) in Wales, United Kingdom. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blac079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
As dominant features of most ecosystems, insects are responsive to changes in climate, both over short temporal scales (e.g. seasonal fluctuations in abundance) and over longer evolutionary scales (e.g. decade-scale changes in patterns of biodiversity). One such taxonomic group that is sensitive to changing climate are the craneflies (Diptera: Tipulidae). Here, we used aggregated biodiversity data to examine elevational and latitudinal distributions of adult Tipulidae between 1976 and 2019 in Wales, UK, and we related these distributions to climatic patterns. Our analyses showed that species with earlier-emerging adults were most affected by weather conditions in the year before observation. Specifically, as temperature increased, observed elevation increased in high-precipitation conditions, remained stable in average-precipitation conditions and decreased in low-precipitation conditions. For species with later-emerging adults, associations were seen between elevation and weather conditions in the year of observation. Observed latitude generally exhibited a negative association with maximum temperature in the year before observation, with observations of Tipulidae trending southwards during the 43-year study period. Our results support consideration of emergence phenology, weather and habitat data when predicting species distributional changes attributable to climate change, which is vital in understanding the selection pressures that species face in a changing environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack J Devlin
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky , Lexington, KY , USA
| | - Robert J Thomas
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University , Cardiff , UK
| | | | - Pete Boardman
- Dipterist’s Forum, UK Cranefly Recording Scheme , UK
| | - Julian R Dupuis
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky , Lexington, KY , USA
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10
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Fromhage L, Houston AI. Biological adaptation in light of the Lewontin-Williams (a)symmetry. Evolution 2022; 76:1619-1624. [PMID: 35544781 PMCID: PMC9544502 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Neo-Darwinism characterizes biological adaptation as a one-sided process, in which organisms adapt to their environment but not vice versa. This asymmetric relationship-here called Williams' asymmetry-is called into question by Niche Construction Theory, which emphasizes that organisms and their environments often mutually affect each other. Here, we clarify that Williams' asymmetry is specifically concerned with (quasi)-directed modifications toward phenotypes that increase individual fitness. This directedness-which drives the adaptive fit between organism and environment-entails far more than the mere presence of cause-effect relationships. We argue that difficulties with invoking fitness as the guiding principle of adaptive evolution are resolved with an appropriate definition of fitness and that objections against Williams' asymmetry reflect confusions about the nature of biological adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lutz Fromhage
- Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyvaskylaJyvaskylaFinland
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11
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Northrup JM, Vander Wal E, Bonar M, Fieberg J, Laforge MP, Leclerc M, Prokopenko CM, Gerber BD. Conceptual and methodological advances in habitat-selection modeling: guidelines for ecology and evolution. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e02470. [PMID: 34626518 PMCID: PMC9285351 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Habitat selection is a fundamental animal behavior that shapes a wide range of ecological processes, including animal movement, nutrient transfer, trophic dynamics and population distribution. Although habitat selection has been a focus of ecological studies for decades, technological, conceptual and methodological advances over the last 20 yr have led to a surge in studies addressing this process. Despite the substantial literature focused on quantifying the habitat-selection patterns of animals, there is a marked lack of guidance on best analytical practices. The conceptual foundations of the most commonly applied modeling frameworks can be confusing even to those well versed in their application. Furthermore, there has yet to be a synthesis of the advances made over the last 20 yr. Therefore, there is a need for both synthesis of the current state of knowledge on habitat selection, and guidance for those seeking to study this process. Here, we provide an approachable overview and synthesis of the literature on habitat-selection analyses (HSAs) conducted using selection functions, which are by far the most applied modeling framework for understanding the habitat-selection process. This review is purposefully non-technical and focused on understanding without heavy mathematical and statistical notation, which can confuse many practitioners. We offer an overview and history of HSAs, describing the tortuous conceptual path to our current understanding. Through this overview, we also aim to address the areas of greatest confusion in the literature. We synthesize the literature outlining the most exciting conceptual advances in the field of habitat-selection modeling, discussing the substantial ecological and evolutionary inference that can be made using contemporary techniques. We aim for this paper to provide clarity for those navigating the complex literature on HSAs while acting as a reference and best practices guide for practitioners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M Northrup
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, Ontario, K9L 1Z8, Canada
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, K9L 1Z8, Canada
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Maegwin Bonar
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, K9L 1Z8, Canada
| | - John Fieberg
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Michel P Laforge
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Martin Leclerc
- Département de Biologie, Caribou Ungava and Centre d'études nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Christina M Prokopenko
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Brian D Gerber
- Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
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12
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Influence of different weather aspects on breeding performance, food supply and nest-space use in hoopoe offspring. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03117-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the influence of different weather aspects on breeding performance, food supply and nest-space use in hoopoe offspring (Upupa epops). Camera recordings of 88 nests were used to examine how ambient environmental conditions influence food supply, offspring nest-space use and the trade-off nestlings face regarding the two mainly used locations in the nest. Therefore, we provide a comprehensive analysis involving different factors including weather parameters together with food provisioned to nestlings on different temporal scales to identify the factors having the most influence on nest-space use. We found that different breeding conditions significantly influenced how nestlings used the nest. During excessively humid weather, nestlings spent more time under the entrance hole when small food was delivered. However, nestlings supplied with large prey more often remained hidden in the distant area, despite the adverse weather situation. In all three aspects and temporal scales, our analysis confirmed that prey was the most important factor influencing offspring nest-space use, suggesting a crucial role of large insects for hoopoes. Finally, we found that long-term effects of weather affect overall food provisioned to nestlings and thus offspring behaviour. We provide evidence that parental feeding location and prey size, which are in turn influenced by weather conditions, are the most influential factors for nest-space use. This study expands our knowledge of parent–offspring communication and how environmental factors may lead to differential nest-space use, which may be regarded as the earliest form of habitat preference in birds.
Significance statement
Nests are usually constrained in space but designed to protect offspring from the environment while giving them limited possibilities to express behavioural diversity. This is particularly true for bird nests, where nestlings are usually packed in close contact with one another and without much space for movement, except begging. Here we demonstrate that nest features, such as available nest space together with environmental conditions surrounding a nest, influence nestling strategies and behaviours, including social interactions between nest mates, which further leads to fitness consequences. Our results seem to be of great importance for habitat selection theory in birds, in particular regarding the early development of habitat preferences (imprinting) and use. On the other hand, the result may also have important implications for conservation issues given that nestling behaviour may be used as a determinant of environmental quality.
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13
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Behavioral Interactions between a Native and an Invasive Fish Species in a Thermally Heterogeneous Experimental Chamber. FISHES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/fishes6040075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Mechanisms of the displacement of native fish by nonnative fish can include agonistic behaviors that push native fish species out of their preferred habitat, including their thermal optima. To examine these interactions, we built an experimental thermal preference chamber to evaluate: (1) the thermal preference of native, glacial relict northern redbelly dace Chrosomus eos; (2) if the thermal preference and movement changed in the presence of the invasive western mosquitofish Gambusia affinis; and (3) the direction of agonistic interactions. We hypothesized that G. affinis would express agonistic behavior toward C. eos, because G. affinis is widely recognized as an aggressive invader. Given the temperature range of the experimental chamber, i.e., 20–30 °C, C. eos selected an average of 24.3 °C as its thermal preference. After G. affinis’ introduction, the thermal preference of C. eos increased by 1.7 °C and the movement, given by distance (cm) travelled, increased by 21%. Contrary to our prediction, more agonistic interactions were observed in C. eos toward G. affinis. These results indicate that agonistic behavior of G. affinis toward native fish species may be species- and condition-specific, and may not always be the primary mechanism of native species’ displacement. Biological invasions are a global issue and altered thermal regimes are expected to continue. This study provided the novel approach using of a thermally heterogeneous thermal chamber to examine thermal preferences and aggressive interactions between a native and an invasive species. Future research should examine other life history traits that may be conveying the competitive advantage to G. affinis.
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14
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Picardi S, Coates P, Kolar J, O'Neil S, Mathews S, Dahlgren D. Behavioural state‐dependent habitat selection and implications for animal translocations. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Simona Picardi
- Department of Wildland Resources Utah State University Logan UT USA
- Jack H. Berryman InstituteUtah State University Logan UT USA
| | - Peter Coates
- U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center Dixon CA USA
| | - Jesse Kolar
- North Dakota Game and Fish Department Bismarck ND USA
| | - Shawn O'Neil
- U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center Dixon CA USA
| | - Steven Mathews
- U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center Dixon CA USA
| | - David Dahlgren
- Department of Wildland Resources Utah State University Logan UT USA
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15
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Strickland K, Mann J, Foroughirad V, Levengood AL, Frère CH. Maternal effects and fitness consequences of individual variation in bottlenose dolphins' ecological niche. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1948-1960. [PMID: 33942312 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The niche describes the ecological and social environment that an organism lives in, as well as the behavioural tactics used to interact with its environment. A species niche is key to both ecological and evolutionary processes, including speciation, and has therefore been a central focus in ecology. Recent evidence, however, points to considerable individual variation in a species' or population's niche use, although how this variation evolves or is maintained remains unclear. We used a large longitudinal dataset to investigate the drivers and maintenance of individual variation in bottlenose dolphins' Tursiops aduncus niche. Specifically, we (a) characterised the extent of individual differences in habitat use, (b) identified whether there were maternal effects associated with this variation and (c) investigated the relationship between habitat use and calving success, a component of reproductive fitness. By examining patterns of habitat use, we provide evidence that individual dolphins vary consistently between one another in their niche. We further show that such individual variation is driven by a strong maternal effect. Finally, habitat use and calving success were not related, suggesting that use of different habitats results in similar fitness outcomes. Niche partitioning, maintained by maternal effects, likely facilitates the coexistence of multiple ecotypes within this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasha Strickland
- Global Change Ecology Research Group, University of Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Qld, Australia.,Department of Aquaculture and Fish Biology, Hólar University, Sauðárkrókur, Iceland
| | - Janet Mann
- Department of Biology and Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Vivienne Foroughirad
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.,Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC, USA
| | - Alexis L Levengood
- Global Change Ecology Research Group, University of Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Qld, Australia
| | - Céline H Frère
- Global Change Ecology Research Group, University of Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Qld, Australia
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16
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Li XY, Kokko H. Sexual dimorphism driven by intersexual resource competition: Why is it rare, and where to look for it? J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1831-1843. [PMID: 33759459 PMCID: PMC8453853 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Sexes often differ more obviously in secondary sexual characteristics than in traits that appear naturally selected, despite conceivable benefits to intersexual niche partitioning. Genetic constraints may play a role in limiting sex‐specific niche evolution; however, it is not clear why this limit should apply to naturally selected traits more than those under sexual selection; the latter routinely produces dimorphism. We ask whether ecological factors and/or features of the mating system limit dimorphism in resource use, or conversely, what conditions are the most permissible ones for sexual niche differences. The scale of mating competition and spatial variation in resource availability can help predict sexually dimorphic niches or the lack thereof. We investigate why and when dimorphism might fail to evolve even if genetic covariation between the sexes posed no constraint. Our analytical model incorporates the first aspect of spatial interactions (scale of mating competition). It is followed by simulations that explore broader conditions, including multiple resources with habitat heterogeneity, genetic correlations and non‐Gaussian resource‐use efficiency functions. We recover earlier known conditions for favourable conditions for the evolution of niche partitioning between sexes, such as narrow individual niche and low degrees of genetic constraint. We also show spatial considerations to alter this picture. Sexual niche divergence occurs more readily when local mating groups are small and different resources occur reliably across habitats. Polygyny (medium‐sized or large mating groups) can diminish the prospects for dimorphism even if no genetic constraints are present. Habitat heterogeneity typically also disfavours niche dimorphism but can also lead to polymorphism within a sex, if it is beneficial to specialize to be very competitive in one habitat, even at a cost to performance in the other. Sexual conflict is usually used to explain dimorphic traits or behaviours. Our models highlight that introducing conflict (achieved by switching from monogamy to polygamy) can also be responsible for sexual monomorphism. Under monogamy, males benefit from specializing to consume other resources than what feeds the female best. Polygyny makes males disregard this female benefit, and both sexes compete for the most profitable resource, leading to overlapping niches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang-Yi Li
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Hanna Kokko
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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17
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Han L, Wang Z, Blank D, Wang M, Yang W. Different environmental requirements of female and male Siberian ibex, Capra sibirica. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6064. [PMID: 33727618 PMCID: PMC7966747 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85550-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In sexually dimorphic species, males and females may select different habitat for greater fitness. However, the key factors that play a leading role between sexes in habitat selection are still poorly understood. In this paper, we investigated the possible causes of the differences in habitat preference between male and female Siberian ibex (Capra sibirica) living in the Tianshan Mountains (China). Using the Maximum entropy model, we found that the ruggedness and elevation of the terrain were the most important factors affecting habitat selection in Siberian ibex. Females preferred the most rugged terrain to increase the security of their young and themselves, while males favored moderately rugged terrain to provide sufficient safety from predators, and availability of suitable forage simultaneously. Females used a wider variety of elevations to search for newly emerged vegetation for its higher nutritional value, while males preferred more elevated slopes to avoid the higher temperatures and greater presence of biting insects found at the lower elevations. In addition, females were associated more with rivers due to their higher water demands. The differences in habitat selection between Siberian ibex males and females depend on multiple considerations, but only a limited number of key factors determine their actual distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Han
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China.,Mori Wildlife Monitoring and Experimentation Station, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mori, 831900, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - David Blank
- Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia, Bishkek, 720001, Kyrgyzstan
| | - Muyang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China. .,Mori Wildlife Monitoring and Experimentation Station, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mori, 831900, China.
| | - Weikang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China. .,Mori Wildlife Monitoring and Experimentation Station, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mori, 831900, China.
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18
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Yamamichi M, Kyogoku D, Iritani R, Kobayashi K, Takahashi Y, Tsurui-Sato K, Yamawo A, Dobata S, Tsuji K, Kondoh M. Intraspecific Adaptation Load: A Mechanism for Species Coexistence. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 35:897-907. [PMID: 32674869 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Evolutionary ecological theory suggests that selection arising from interactions with conspecifics, such as sexual and kin selection, may result in evolution of intraspecific conflicts and evolutionary 'tragedy of the commons'. Here, we propose that such an evolution of conspecific conflicts may affect population dynamics in a way that enhances species coexistence. Empirical evidence and theoretical models suggest that more abundant species is more susceptible to invasion of 'selfish' individuals that increase their own reproductive success at the expense of population growth (intraspecific adaptation load). The density-dependent intraspecific adaptation load gives rise to a self-regulation mechanism at the population level, and stabilizes species coexistence at the community level by negative frequency-dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masato Yamamichi
- Department of General Systems Studies, University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan.
| | - Daisuke Kyogoku
- Faculty of Agriculture, Ryukoku University, 1-5 Yokotani, Seta Oe-cho, Otsu, Shiga 520-2194, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Iritani
- RIKEN Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences Program (iTHEMS), Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Kazuya Kobayashi
- Hokkaido Forest Research Station, Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University, 553 Tawa, Shibecha-cho, Kawakami-gun, Hokkaido 088-2339, Japan
| | - Yuma Takahashi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi, Inage, Chiba 263-8522, Japan
| | - Kaori Tsurui-Sato
- Center for Strategic Research Project, University of the Ryukyus, Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan
| | - Akira Yamawo
- Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, 1 Bunkyo-cho, Hirosaki 036-8560, Japan
| | - Shigeto Dobata
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-oiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Kazuki Tsuji
- Department of Subtropical Agro-Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan
| | - Michio Kondoh
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8578, Japan.
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19
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Bonar M, Lewis KP, Webber QMR, Dobbin M, Laforge MP, Vander Wal E. Geometry of the ideal free distribution: individual behavioural variation and annual reproductive success in aggregations of a social ungulate. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:1360-1369. [PMID: 32602664 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Variation in social environment can mitigate risks and rewards associated with occupying a particular patch. We aim to integrate Ideal Free Distribution (IFD) and Geometry of the Selfish Herd (GSH) to address an apparent conflict in their predictions of equal mean fitness between patches (IFD) and declining fitness benefits within a patch (GSH). We tested these hypotheses in a socio-spatial context using individual caribou that were aggregated or disaggregated during calving and varied in their annual reproductive success (ARS). We then tested individual consistency of these spatial tactics. We reveal that two socio-spatial tactics accorded similar mean ARS (IFD); however, ARS for aggregated individuals declined near the periphery (GSH). Individuals near the aggregation periphery exhibited flexibility, whereas others were consistent. The integration of classical theories through a contemporary lens of consistent individual differences provides evidence for an integrated GSH and IFD strategy that may represent an evolutionary stable state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maegwin Bonar
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, USA
| | - Keith P Lewis
- Department of Fisheries and Oceans, St. John's, NL, USA
| | - Quinn M R Webber
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, USA
| | - Maria Dobbin
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, USA
| | - Michel P Laforge
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, USA
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, USA.,Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, USA
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20
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Webber QMR, Laforge MP, Bonar M, Robitaille AL, Hart C, Zabihi-Seissan S, Vander Wal E. The Ecology of Individual Differences Empirically Applied to Space-Use and Movement Tactics. Am Nat 2020; 196:E1-E15. [PMID: 32552106 DOI: 10.1086/708721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Movement provides a link between individual behavioral ecology and the spatial and temporal variation in an individual's landscape. Individual variation in movement traits is an important axis of animal personality, particularly in the context of foraging ecology. We tested whether individual caribou (Rangifer tarandus) displayed plasticity in movement and space-use behavior across a gradient of resource aggregation. We quantified first-passage time and range-use ratio as proxies for movement-related foraging behavior and examined how these traits varied at the individual level across a foraging resource gradient. Our results suggest that individuals adjusted first-passage time but not range-use ratio to maximize access to high-quality foraging resources. First-passage time was repeatable, and intercepts for first-passage time and range-use ratio were negatively correlated. Individuals matched first-passage time but not range-use ratio to the expectations of our patch-use model that maximized access to foraging resources, a result that suggests that individuals acclimated their movement patterns to accommodate both intra- and interannual variation in foraging resources on the landscape. Collectively, we highlight repeatable movement and space-use tactics and provide insight into how individual plasticity in movement interacts with landscape processes to affect the distribution of behavioral phenotypes and potentially fitness and population dynamics.
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21
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Morris DW. Time-averaging voles match density with long-term habitat quality. Ecology 2020; 101:e03036. [PMID: 32129877 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
An optimal habitat-selecting organism should use a dispersal strategy that enables occupation of the habitat yielding greatest fitness. The strategy is complicated when habitat quality varies through time. Theory predicts that the long-term distribution of individuals will match mean habitat quality while undermatching current habitat quality. I tested the prediction with experiments on controlled populations of meadow voles occupying two pairs of field enclosures. I released equal numbers, and equal sexes, of voles in each enclosure, and varied resource abundance between enclosures by supplemental feeding. I measured the voles' response with giving-up densities (GUDs) in artificial foraging patches, and with live-trapping at the end of the experiment. The data were consistent with only one of four a priori dispersal models. Giving-up densities declined with resource supply because short-term supply had no effect on population density. GUDs were invariant to the time course of the experiment because densities were proportional to each enclosure's long-term mean quality. Similar patterns in sex ratios and patterns of habitat occupation by juvenile voles born during the experiment reinforce the interpretation of time-averaged habitat matching. This study adds to the cumulating evidence that strategies of space use converge toward behavioral and evolutionary optima.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas W Morris
- Department of Biology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 5E1, Canada
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22
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Tseng LC, Yu PY, Hwang JS. Distribution and sexual dimorphism of the crab Xenograpsus testudinatus from the hydrothermal vent field of Kueishan Island, northeastern Taiwan. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0230742. [PMID: 32214356 PMCID: PMC7098652 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The sulphur-rich and acidic vent waters of a shallow hydrothermal vent field next to Kueishan Island in Taiwan provide a specific and generally toxic environment. Among only a few aquatic organisms able to survive there, the grapsoid crab Xenograpsus testudinatus is the dominant species with a high population density in the vent area. Here we study the gender-specific distribution, morphological traits, and relationship of wet weight vs. carapace width of this crab. A total of 1120 individuals including 831 male and 289 female (included 15 ovigerous) were examined during August and September in 2011 and May and September in 2012. Except in August 2011, there are no significant differences in the distribution of X. testudinatus in the hydrothermal vent area from the vent spout during most months. Among crabs, the weight of male (6.87 ± 2.90 g) was significantly heavier than that of females (4.17 ± 1.25 g) (p < 0.001, Student’s t-test). As for the wet weight of crabs, significant differences were noted in both the length of chela and the width of carapace between males and females. Sexual dimorphism of X. testudinatus is evident in three morphological traits. Pearson’s correlation showed a significant and positive correlation (p < 0.001) of wet weight, width of carapace and length of chela of the two sexes. Ovigerous crabs (shortest carapace width: 1.93 cm) were present in the specimen collected from August 2011 and May 2012. The ovigerous crabs were not found in the samples collected from September in both years 2011 and 2012, indicating that reproduction may have ceased during the period of sampling. The present results suggested that the reproductive period of X. testudinatus was before September. The distribution pattern and sexual dimorphism of X. testudinatus provided a better understanding of the idiobiology of this dominant metazoan in the hydrothermal vent area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Chun Tseng
- Institute of Marine Biology, College of Life Sciences, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Pin-Yi Yu
- Institute of Marine Biology, College of Life Sciences, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Jiang-Shiou Hwang
- Institute of Marine Biology, College of Life Sciences, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
- Center of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
- * E-mail:
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23
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Muller Z, Lee DE, Scheijen CPJ, Strauss MKL, Carter KD, Deacon F. Giraffe translocations: A review and discussion of considerations. Afr J Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zoe Muller
- School of Biological Sciences Life Sciences Building University of Bristol Bristol UK
- Giraffe Research & Conservation Trust Nairobi Kenya
| | - Derek E. Lee
- Wild Nature Institute Concord NH USA
- Mueller Laboratory Department of Biology Pennsylvania State University State College PA USA
| | - Ciska P. J. Scheijen
- Wildlife and Grassland Sciences University of the Free State Bloemfontein South Africa
- Rockwood Conservation Griekwastad South Africa
| | | | - Kerryn D. Carter
- Elephant Connection Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area Mwandi Zambia
| | - Francois Deacon
- Wildlife and Grassland Sciences University of the Free State Bloemfontein South Africa
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24
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Mestre A, Poulin R, Hortal J. A niche perspective on the range expansion of symbionts. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 95:491-516. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Mestre
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Valencia Av. Dr. Moliner 50, 46100 Burjassot Spain
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Concordia Richard J. Renaud Science Complex, 7141 Sherbrooke W., H4B 1R6 Montreal Canada
| | - Robert Poulin
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of Otago 340 Great King Street, 9054 Dunedin New Zealand
| | - Joaquín Hortal
- Department of Biogeography and Global ChangeMuseo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN‐CSIC) C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid Spain
- Departamento de EcologiaICB, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Rodovia Goiânia‐Nerópolis Km 5, Campus II, Setor Itatiaia, Goiânia GO 74001‐970 Brazil
- cE3c–Centre for EcologyEvolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Edifício C2 Piso 5, 1749‐016 Lisboa Portugal
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25
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Komyakova V, Swearer SE. Contrasting patterns in habitat selection and recruitment of temperate reef fishes among natural and artificial reefs. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2019; 143:71-81. [PMID: 30470555 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Artificial reefs, a common management tool for stock enhancement of recreational fisheries and marine habitat restoration, have been deployed all over the world. However, little is known about the attractiveness of artificial compared to natural reefs to reef fishes. Here we investigated the habitat preferences of three reef fish species: Trachinops caudimaculatus, Vincentia conspersa and Trinorfoklia clarkei through the observation of recruitment patterns to three study habitats: Reef Ball reefs, custom-designed artificial reefs, and natural reefs in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, Australia. Additionally, we examined habitat preferences of new recruits of T. caudimaculatus and V. conspersa using laboratory-based habitat choice experiments. In general, T. caudimaculatus recruitment was at least twice as high on natural reefs compared to both artificial reefs, whereas V. conspersa recruitment was almost three times greater on Reef Ball reefs compared to the other two habitats. T. clarkei recruited in equal numbers across all habitats. However, in the laboratory experiments T. caudimaculatus recruits selected the Reef Ball reef almost three times as often as the other two habitats, while V. conspersa exhibited no habitat preference. Little is known about the growth, condition, survival or reproduction of individuals that occupy artificial reefs. In areas where habitat is not limiting, the higher preference or equal attractiveness of some artificial habitats may negatively influence fish populations, if larvae are redirected to poorer quality artificial reef habitat, that lead to lower fitness advantages.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Komyakova
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
| | - S E Swearer
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
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26
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Jonsen ID, McMahon CR, Patterson TA, Auger‐Méthé M, Harcourt R, Hindell MA, Bestley S. Movement responses to environment: fast inference of variation among southern elephant seals with a mixed effects model. Ecology 2018; 100:e02566. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Revised: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- I. D. Jonsen
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University North Ryde, Sydney New South Wales 2109 Australia
| | - C. R. McMahon
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science Mosman New South Wales 2088 Australia
| | - T. A. Patterson
- CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research Hobart Tasmania 7004 Australia
| | - M. Auger‐Méthé
- Department of Statistics and Institute for the Oceans & Fisheries University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia V1V 1V7 Canada
| | - R. Harcourt
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University North Ryde, Sydney New South Wales 2109 Australia
| | - M. A. Hindell
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania 7004 Australia
| | - S. Bestley
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania 7004 Australia
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27
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28
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MacLeod KJ, Freidenfelds NA, Leighton GM, Langkilde T. Tree selection is linked to locomotor performance and associated noise production in a lizard. J Zool (1987) 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kirsty J. MacLeod
- Department of Biology Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Mueller Laboratory Pennsylvania State University University Park PA USA
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management Pennsylvania State University University Park PA USA
| | | | | | - Tracy Langkilde
- Department of Biology Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Mueller Laboratory Pennsylvania State University University Park PA USA
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29
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Taylor JN, Ternes WM, Lattanzio MS. Natural selection favors local specialization in a widespread habitat generalist. Evolution 2018; 72:2090-2099. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julie N. Taylor
- Department of Organismal and Environmental BiologyChristopher Newport University Newport News Virginia 23606
| | - William M. Ternes
- Department of Organismal and Environmental BiologyChristopher Newport University Newport News Virginia 23606
| | - Matthew S. Lattanzio
- Department of Organismal and Environmental BiologyChristopher Newport University Newport News Virginia 23606
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30
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Argasinski K, Broom M. Evolutionary stability under limited population growth: Eco-evolutionary feedbacks and replicator dynamics. ECOLOGICAL COMPLEXITY 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecocom.2017.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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31
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Argasinski K, Broom M. Interaction rates, vital rates, background fitness and replicator dynamics: how to embed evolutionary game structure into realistic population dynamics. Theory Biosci 2018; 137:33-50. [PMID: 29159683 PMCID: PMC5893772 DOI: 10.1007/s12064-017-0257-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
In this paper we are concerned with how aggregated outcomes of individual behaviours, during interactions with other individuals (games) or with environmental factors, determine the vital rates constituting the growth rate of the population. This approach needs additional elements, namely the rates of event occurrence (interaction rates). Interaction rates describe the distribution of the interaction events in time, which seriously affects the population dynamics, as is shown in this paper. This leads to the model of a population of individuals playing different games, where focal game affected by the considered trait can be extracted from the general model, and the impact on the dynamics of other events (which is not neutral) can be described by an average background fertility and mortality. This leads to a distinction between two types of background fitness, strategically neutral elements of the focal games (correlated with the focal game events) and the aggregated outcomes of other interactions (independent of the focal game). The new approach is useful for clarification of the biological meaning of concepts such as weak selection. Results are illustrated by a Hawk-Dove example.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. Argasinski
- Institute of Mathematics of Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Śniadeckich 8, 00-956 Warszawa 10, Poland
| | - M. Broom
- Department of Mathematics, City, University of London, Northampton Square, London, EC1V 0HB UK
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Steyaert SMJG, Leclerc M, Pelletier F, Kindberg J, Brunberg S, Swenson JE, Zedrosser A. Human shields mediate sexual conflict in a top predator. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.0906. [PMID: 27335423 PMCID: PMC4936045 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Selecting the right habitat in a risky landscape is crucial for an individual's survival and reproduction. In predator-prey systems, prey often can anticipate the habitat use of their main predator and may use protective associates (i.e. typically an apex predator) as shields against predation. Although never tested, such mechanisms should also evolve in systems in which sexual conflict affects offspring survival. Here, we assessed the relationship between offspring survival and habitat selection, as well as the use of protective associates, in a system in which sexually selected infanticide (SSI), rather than interspecific predation, affects offspring survival. We used the Scandinavian brown bear (Ursus arctos) population with SSI in a human-dominated landscape as our model system. Bears, especially adult males, generally avoid humans in our study system. We used resource selection functions to contrast habitat selection of GPS-collared mothers that were successful (i.e. surviving litters, n = 19) and unsuccessful (i.e. complete litter loss, n = 11) in keeping their young during the mating season (2005-2012). Habitat selection was indeed a predictor of litter survival. Successful mothers were more likely to use humans as protective associates, whereas unsuccessful mothers avoided humans. Our results suggest that principles of predator-prey and fear ecology theory (e.g. non-consumptive and cascading effects) can also be applied to the context of sexual conflict.
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Affiliation(s)
- S M J G Steyaert
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432 Ås, Norway Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Environmental and Health Studies, University College of Southeast Norway, 3800 Bø, Norway
| | - M Leclerc
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada J1K 2R1
| | - F Pelletier
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada J1K 2R1
| | - J Kindberg
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183 Umeå, Sweden Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, 7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - S Brunberg
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - J E Swenson
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432 Ås, Norway Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, 7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - A Zedrosser
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Environmental and Health Studies, University College of Southeast Norway, 3800 Bø, Norway Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1180 Vienna, Austria
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Massey AL, Rickart EA, Rowe RJ. Habitat Use of the Piñon Mouse (Peromyscus truei) in the Toiyabe Range, Central Nevada. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2017. [DOI: 10.3398/064.077.0407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aimee L. Massey
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, 104 Nash Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331
| | - Eric A. Rickart
- Natural History Museum of Utah, University of Utah, 301 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108
| | - Rebecca J. Rowe
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, 56 College Road, Durham, NH 03824
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Webber QMR, Vander Wal E. An evolutionary framework outlining the integration of individual social and spatial ecology. J Anim Ecol 2017; 87:113-127. [PMID: 29055050 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 10/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Behaviour is the interface between an organism and its environment, and behavioural plasticity is important for organisms to cope with environmental change. Social behaviour is particularly important because sociality is a dynamic process, where environmental variation influences group dynamics and social plasticity can mediate resource acquisition. Heterogeneity in the ecological environment can therefore influence the social environment. The combination of the ecological and social environments may be interpreted collectively as the "socioecological environment," which could explain variation in fitness. Our objective was to outline a framework through which individual social and spatial phenotypes can be integrated and interpreted as phenotypes that covary as a function of changes in the socioecological environment. We propose the socioecological environment is composed of individual behavioural traits, including sociality and habitat selection, both of which are repeatable, potentially heritable and may reflect animal personality traits. We also highlight how ecological and social niche theory can be applied to the socioecological environment framework, where individuals occupy different socioecological niches. Individual sociality and habitat selection are also density-dependent, and theory predicts that density-dependent traits should affect reproduction, survival, and therefore fitness and population dynamics. We then illustrate the proximate links between sociality, habitat selection and fitness as well as the ultimate, and possibly adaptive, consequences associated with changes in population density. The ecological, evolutionary and applied implications of our proposed socioecological environment framework are broad and changes in density could influence individual fitness and population dynamics. For instance, human-induced environmental changes can influence population density, which can affect the distribution of social and spatial phenotypes within a population. In summary, we outline a conceptual framework that incorporates individual social and spatial behavioural traits with fitness and we highlight a range of ecological and evolutionary processes that are likely associated with the socioecological environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quinn M R Webber
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada.,Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
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35
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Halliday WD, Blouin‐Demers G. Can temperature modify the strength of density‐dependent habitat selection in ectotherms? A test with red flour beetles. J Zool (1987) 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- W. D. Halliday
- Department of Biology University of Ottawa Ottawa ON Canada
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Nurmi T, Parvinen K, Selonen V. The evolution of site-selection strategy during dispersal. J Theor Biol 2017; 425:11-22. [PMID: 28478118 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2017.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Revised: 04/19/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
We propose a mathematical model that enables the evolutionary analysis of site-selection process of dispersing individuals that encounter sites of high or low quality. Since each site can be inhabited by at most one individual, all dispersers are not able to obtain a high-quality site. We study the evolutionary dynamics of the low-quality-site acceptance as a function of the time during the dispersal season using adaptive dynamics. We show that environmental changes affect the evolutionary dynamics in two ways: directly and indirectly via density-dependent factors. Direct evolutionary effects usually follow intuition, whereas indirect effects are often counter-intuitive and hence difficult to predict without mechanistic modeling. Therefore, the mechanistic derivation of the fitness function, with careful attention on density- and frequency dependence, is essential for predicting the consequences of environmental changes to site selection. For example, increasing fecundity in high-quality sites makes them more tempting for dispersers and hence the direct effect of this ecological change delays the acceptance of low-quality sites. However, increasing fecundity in high-quality sites also increases the population size, which makes the competition for sites more severe and thus, as an indirect effect, forces evolution to favor less picky individuals. Our results indicate that the indirect effects often dominate the intuitive effects, which emphasizes the need for mechanistic models of the immigration process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuomas Nurmi
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, FIN-20014, Finland.
| | - Kalle Parvinen
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Turku, FIN-20014, Finland; Evolution and Ecology Program, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg A-2361, Austria
| | - Vesa Selonen
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, FIN-20014, Finland
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Rosin ZM, Lesicki A, Kwieciński Z, Skórka P, Tryjanowski P. Land snails benefit from human alterations in rural landscapes and habitats. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Zuzanna M. Rosin
- Department of Cell Biology; Adam Mickiewicz University; Umultowska 89 61-614 Poznan Poland
| | - Andrzej Lesicki
- Department of Cell Biology; Adam Mickiewicz University; Umultowska 89 61-614 Poznan Poland
| | - Zbigniew Kwieciński
- Department of Avian Biology and Ecology; Adam Mickiewicz University; Umultowska 89 61-614 Poznan Poland
| | - Piotr Skórka
- Institute of Nature Conservation; Polish Academy of Sciences; Mickiewicza 33 31-120 Krakow Poland
| | - Piotr Tryjanowski
- Institute of Zoology; Poznań University of Life Sciences; Wojska Polskiego 71C 60-625 Poznan Poland
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Kelly I, Leon JX, Gilby BL, Olds AD, Schlacher TA. Marine turtles are not fussy nesters: a novel test of small-scale nest site selection using structure from motion beach terrain information. PeerJ 2017; 5:e2770. [PMID: 28070454 PMCID: PMC5217528 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nest selection is widely regarded as a key process determining the fitness of individuals and viability of animal populations. For marine turtles that nest on beaches, this is particularly pivotal as the nesting environment can significantly control reproductive success.The aim of this study was to identify the environmental attributes of beaches (i.e., morphology, vegetation, urbanisation) that may be associated with successful oviposition in green and loggerhead turtle nests. METHODS We quantified the proximity of turtle nests (and surrounding beach locations) to urban areas, measured their exposure to artificial light, and used ultra-high resolution (cm-scale) digital surface models derived from Structure-from-Motion (SfM) algorithms, to characterise geomorphic and vegetation features of beaches on the Sunshine Coast, eastern Australia. RESULTS At small spatial scales (i.e., <100 m), we found no evidence that turtles selected nest sites based on a particular suite of environmental attributes (i.e., the attributes of nest sites were not consistently different from those of surrounding beach locations). Nest sites were, however, typically characterised by occurring close to vegetation, on parts of the shore where the beach- and dune-face was concave and not highly rugged, and in areas with moderate exposure to artificial light. CONCLUSION This study used a novel empirical approach to identify the attributes of turtle nest sites from a broader 'envelope' of environmental nest traits, and is the first step towards optimizing conservation actions to mitigate, at the local scale, present and emerging human impacts on turtle nesting beaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilana Kelly
- School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast , Maroochydore , Queensland , Australia
| | - Javier X Leon
- School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast , Maroochydore , Queensland , Australia
| | - Ben L Gilby
- School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast , Maroochydore , Queensland , Australia
| | - Andrew D Olds
- School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast , Maroochydore , Queensland , Australia
| | - Thomas A Schlacher
- School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast , Maroochydore , Queensland , Australia
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39
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Habitat selection by rodents at the transition between the Sierra Madre Occidental and the Mexican Plateau, México. J Mammal 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyw173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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40
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Morris DW. Spatial scale in games of habitat selection, patch use, and sympatric speciation. Isr J Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/15659801.2016.1232683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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41
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Brown JS. Why Darwin would have loved evolutionary game theory. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:20160847. [PMID: 27605503 PMCID: PMC5031650 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans have marvelled at the fit of form and function, the way organisms' traits seem remarkably suited to their lifestyles and ecologies. While natural selection provides the scientific basis for the fit of form and function, Darwin found certain adaptations vexing or particularly intriguing: sex ratios, sexual selection and altruism. The logic behind these adaptations resides in frequency-dependent selection where the value of a given heritable phenotype (i.e. strategy) to an individual depends upon the strategies of others. Game theory is a branch of mathematics that is uniquely suited to solving such puzzles. While game theoretic thinking enters into Darwin's arguments and those of evolutionists through much of the twentieth century, the tools of evolutionary game theory were not available to Darwin or most evolutionists until the 1970s, and its full scope has only unfolded in the last three decades. As a consequence, game theory is applied and appreciated rather spottily. Game theory not only applies to matrix games and social games, it also applies to speciation, macroevolution and perhaps even to cancer. I assert that life and natural selection are a game, and that game theory is the appropriate logic for framing and understanding adaptations. Its scope can include behaviours within species, state-dependent strategies (such as male, female and so much more), speciation and coevolution, and expands beyond microevolution to macroevolution. Game theory clarifies aspects of ecological and evolutionary stability in ways useful to understanding eco-evolutionary dynamics, niche construction and ecosystem engineering. In short, I would like to think that Darwin would have found game theory uniquely useful for his theory of natural selection. Let us see why this is so.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel S Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
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42
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Mariani P, Křivan V, MacKenzie BR, Mullon C. The migration game in habitat network: the case of tuna. THEOR ECOL-NETH 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s12080-015-0290-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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43
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van Dongen WFD, Robinson RW, Weston MA, Mulder RA, Guay PJ. Variation at the DRD4 locus is associated with wariness and local site selection in urban black swans. BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:253. [PMID: 26653173 PMCID: PMC4676183 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0533-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2015] [Accepted: 11/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Interactions between wildlife and humans are increasing. Urban animals are often less wary of humans than their non-urban counterparts, which could be explained by habituation, adaptation or local site selection. Under local site selection, individuals that are less tolerant of humans are less likely to settle in urban areas. However, there is little evidence for such temperament-based site selection, and even less is known about its underlying genetic basis. We tested whether site selection in urban and non-urban habitats by black swans (Cygnus atratus) was associated with polymorphisms in two genes linked to fear in animals, the dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) and serotonin transporter (SERT) genes. Results Wariness in swans was highly repeatable between disturbance events (repeatability = 0.61) and non-urban swans initiated escape from humans earlier than urban swans. We found no inter-individual variation in the SERT gene, but identified five DRD4 genotypes and an association between DRD4 genotype and wariness. Individuals possessing the most common DRD4 genotype were less wary than individuals possessing rarer genotypes. As predicted by the local site selection hypothesis, genotypes associated with wary behaviour were over three times more frequent at the non-urban site. This resulted in moderate population differentiation at DRD4 (FST = 0.080), despite the sites being separated by only 30 km, a short distance for this highly-mobile species. Low population differentiation at neutrally-selected microsatellite loci and the likely occasional migration of swans between the populations reduces the likelihood of local site adaptations. Conclusion Our results suggest that wariness in swans is partly genetically-determined and that wary swans settle in less-disturbed areas. More generally, our findings suggest that site-specific management strategies may be necessary that consider the temperament of local animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wouter F D van Dongen
- Applied Ecology Research Group and Institute for Sustainability and Innovation, College of Engineering and Science, Victoria University-Footscray Park Campus, PO Box 14428, Melbourne MC, VIC, 8001, Australia. .,Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Engineering and the Built Environment, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia.
| | - Randall W Robinson
- Applied Ecology Research Group and Institute for Sustainability and Innovation, College of Engineering and Science, Victoria University-Footscray Park Campus, PO Box 14428, Melbourne MC, VIC, 8001, Australia.
| | - Michael A Weston
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Engineering and the Built Environment, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia.
| | - Raoul A Mulder
- Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia.
| | - Patrick-Jean Guay
- Applied Ecology Research Group and Institute for Sustainability and Innovation, College of Engineering and Science, Victoria University-Footscray Park Campus, PO Box 14428, Melbourne MC, VIC, 8001, Australia.
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Quantifying consistent individual differences in habitat selection. Oecologia 2015; 180:697-705. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3500-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2015] [Accepted: 10/27/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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45
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Winandy L, Darnet E, Denoël M. Amphibians forgo aquatic life in response to alien fish introduction. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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46
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Tardy O, Massé A, Pelletier F, Fortin D. Resampling method for applying density-dependent habitat selection theory to wildlife surveys. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0128238. [PMID: 26042998 PMCID: PMC4456250 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2014] [Accepted: 04/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Isodar theory can be used to evaluate fitness consequences of density-dependent habitat selection by animals. A typical habitat isodar is a regression curve plotting competitor densities in two adjacent habitats when individual fitness is equal. Despite the increasing use of habitat isodars, their application remains largely limited to areas composed of pairs of adjacent habitats that are defined a priori. We developed a resampling method that uses data from wildlife surveys to build isodars in heterogeneous landscapes without having to predefine habitat types. The method consists in randomly placing blocks over the survey area and dividing those blocks in two adjacent sub-blocks of the same size. Animal abundance is then estimated within the two sub-blocks. This process is done 100 times. Different functional forms of isodars can be investigated by relating animal abundance and differences in habitat features between sub-blocks. We applied this method to abundance data of raccoons and striped skunks, two of the main hosts of rabies virus in North America. Habitat selection by raccoons and striped skunks depended on both conspecific abundance and the difference in landscape composition and structure between sub-blocks. When conspecific abundance was low, raccoons and striped skunks favored areas with relatively high proportions of forests and anthropogenic features, respectively. Under high conspecific abundance, however, both species preferred areas with rather large corn-forest edge densities and corn field proportions. Based on random sampling techniques, we provide a robust method that is applicable to a broad range of species, including medium- to large-sized mammals with high mobility. The method is sufficiently flexible to incorporate multiple environmental covariates that can reflect key requirements of the focal species. We thus illustrate how isodar theory can be used with wildlife surveys to assess density-dependent habitat selection over large geographic extents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Tardy
- Centre d’Étude de la Forêt and Département de biologie, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Ariane Massé
- Direction de la biodiversité et des maladies de la faune, Direction générale de l’expertise sur la faune et ses habitats, Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Canada Research Chair in Evolutionary Demography and Conservation, Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Daniel Fortin
- Centre d’Étude de la Forêt and Département de biologie, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
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Halliday WD, Thomas AS, Blouin-Demers G. High temperature intensifies negative density dependence of fitness in red flour beetles. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:1061-7. [PMID: 25798223 PMCID: PMC4364820 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2014] [Revised: 11/13/2014] [Accepted: 01/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Competition for food, space, or other depletable resources has strong impacts on the fitness of organisms and can lead to a pattern known as negative density dependence, where fitness decreases as population density increases. Yet, many resources that have strong impacts on fitness are nondepletable (e.g., moisture or temperature). How do these nondepletable resources interact with depletable resources to modify negative density dependence? We tested the hypothesis that negative density dependence is modulated by temperature in red flour beetles and tested the prediction that the strength of negative density dependence should decrease as temperature decreases. We measured the number of eggs laid, offspring development time, and the number of offspring that reached maturity at three temperatures and two food treatment combinations as we simultaneously manipulated adult population density. We demonstrated that low temperatures weaken negative density dependence in the number of eggs laid; this pattern was most evident when food was abundant. Density had no effect on development time, but low temperatures increased development time. The percent of eggs that emerged as adults decreased with both density and temperature and increased with food. Temperature, an abiotic driver, can thus modulate density-dependent processes in ectotherms. Therefore, models of population growth for ectotherms should incorporate the effects of temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alison S Thomas
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Falcy MR. Density-dependent habitat selection of spawning Chinook salmon: broad-scale evidence and implications. J Anim Ecol 2014; 84:545-53. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2014] [Accepted: 09/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R. Falcy
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; 4034 Fairview Industrial Dr SE Salem OR 97302 USA
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49
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Consumer co-evolution as an important component of the eco-evolutionary feedback. Nat Commun 2014; 5:5226. [DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2014] [Accepted: 09/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
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50
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Rook GAW, Raison CL, Lowry CA. Microbial 'old friends', immunoregulation and socioeconomic status. Clin Exp Immunol 2014; 177:1-12. [PMID: 24401109 PMCID: PMC4089149 DOI: 10.1111/cei.12269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/28/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The immune system evolved to require input from at least three sources that we collectively term the ‘old friends’: (i) the commensal microbiotas transmitted by mothers and other family members; (ii) organisms from the natural environment that modulate and diversify the commensal microbiotas; and (iii) the ‘old’ infections that could persist in small isolated hunter-gatherer groups as relatively harmless subclinical infections or carrier states. These categories of organism had to be tolerated and co-evolved roles in the development and regulation of the immune system. By contrast, the ‘crowd infections’ (such as childhood virus infections) evolved later, when urbanization led to large communities. They did not evolve immunoregulatory roles because they either killed the host or induced solid immunity, and could not persist in hunter-gatherer groups. Because the western lifestyle and medical practice deplete the ‘old’ infections (for example helminths), immunoregulatory disorders have increased, and the immune system has become more dependent upon microbiotas and the natural environment. However, urbanization maintains exposure to the crowd infections that lack immunoregulatory roles, while accelerating loss of exposure to the natural environment. This effect is most pronounced in individuals of low socioeconomic status (SES) who lack rural second homes and rural holidays. Interestingly, large epidemiological studies indicate that the health benefits of living close to green spaces are most pronounced for individuals of low SES. Here we discuss the immunoregulatory role of the natural environment, and how this may interact with, and modulate, the proinflammatory effects of psychosocial stressors in low SES individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- G A W Rook
- Centre for Clinical Microbiology, Department of Infection, University College London (UCL), London, UK
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