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Padfield D, Kay S, Vos R, Quince C, Vos M. Macroevolutionary Dynamics in Micro-organisms: Generalists Give Rise to Specialists Across Biomes in the Ubiquitous Bacterial Phylum Myxococcota. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae088. [PMID: 38717941 PMCID: PMC11127111 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae088] [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] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Prokaryotes dominate the Tree of Life, but our understanding of the macroevolutionary processes generating this diversity is still limited. Habitat transitions are thought to be a key driver of prokaryote diversity. However, relatively little is known about how prokaryotes successfully transition and persist across environments, and how these processes might vary between biomes and lineages. Here, we investigate biome transitions and specialization in natural populations of a focal bacterial phylum, the Myxococcota, sampled across a range of replicated soils and freshwater and marine sediments in Cornwall (UK). By targeted deep sequencing of the protein-coding gene rpoB, we found >2,000 unique Myxococcota lineages, with the majority (77%) classified as biome specialists and with only <5% of lineages distributed across the salt barrier. Discrete character evolution models revealed that specialists in one biome rarely transitioned into specialists in another biome. Instead, evolved generalism mediated transitions between biome specialists. State-dependent diversification models found variation in speciation rates across the tree, but this variation was independent of biome association or specialization. Our findings were robust to phylogenetic uncertainty, different levels of species delineation, and different assumed amounts of unsampled diversity resulting in an incomplete phylogeny. Overall, our results are consistent with a "jack-of-all-trades" tradeoff where generalists suffer a cost in any individual environment, resulting in rapid evolution of niche specialists and shed light on how bacteria could transition between biomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Padfield
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, Penryn Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Suzanne Kay
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, Penryn Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Rutger Vos
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Christopher Quince
- Organisms and Ecosystems, Earlham Institute, Norwich NR4 7UZ, UK
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK
| | - Michiel Vos
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, Penryn Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, Penryn Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
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Park J, Ha J, Kim W, Jablonski PG, Lee SI. Assessing dietary specialization to inform the conservation of the fairy pitta ( Pitta nympha), an endangered vermivore. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17189. [PMID: 38699189 PMCID: PMC11064856 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Quantifying the diet of endangered species is crucial for conservation, especially for diet specialists, which can be more susceptible to environmental changes. The vulnerable fairy pitta (Pitta nympha) is considered a specialist that primarily feeds its nestlings with earthworms. However, there have been few studies of the nestling diet provisioned by parents, and no assessments of earthworm proportion in the diet of adults. Our study aimed to fill these gaps, shedding light on crucial factors for conservation. Combining new observations with existing literature, we confirmed a consistent dominance of earthworms in the nestling diet, regardless of rainfall, nestling age, and time of day. We extrapolated the total earthworm consumption during a breeding event, accounting for potential variation in the availability of earthworms and their prevalence in the adult diet. We used literature-based earthworm densities in pitta habitats and our estimates of family earthworm consumption to calculate the habitat area that could provide a pitta family with the number of earthworms consumed during a breeding event. The predictions matched observed pitta home range sizes when assumed that the adult diet is comprised of approximately 70% earthworms. The results highlight the importance of earthworm-rich habitats for conservation planning of the fairy pitta. To mitigate the effects of habitat destruction, we discuss conservation practices that may involve enhancing earthworm abundance in natural habitats and providing vegetation cover for foraging pittas in adjacent anthropogenic habitats rich in earthworms. To guide conservation efforts effectively, future studies should investigate whether previously reported breeding in developed plantation habitats is due to high earthworm abundance there. Future studies should also quantify correlations between local earthworm densities, home range size, and the breeding success of the fairy pitta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinseok Park
- Laboratory of Behavioral Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jungmoon Ha
- Laboratory of Behavioral Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Woojoo Kim
- Laboratory of Behavioral Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Piotr G. Jablonski
- Laboratory of Behavioral Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Sang-im Lee
- Laboratory of Integrative Animal Ecology, Department of New Biology, DGIST, Daegu, South Korea
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Chiu CC, Yao CT, Liao BY, Li SH. Convergent evolution of kidney sizes and supraorbital salt glands for birds living in saline habitats. iScience 2024; 27:109169. [PMID: 38433889 PMCID: PMC10904986 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Only a small number of avian species inhabit salty environments. To understand how they adapted, we examined the evolution of kidney sizes, supraorbital salt glands (SSGs), and the utilization of salty habitats across 230 species spanning 25 avian orders. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that SSGs, large kidneys, and thriving in salty habitats emerged convergently in birds. Transition rate analysis reveals that species possessing SSGs and large kidneys tended to move from low-to high-salinity environments, while others moved in the opposite direction. However, habitat salinity also influenced kidney evolution; lineages residing in high-salinity environments tended to develop larger kidneys than those in low-salinity environments. Our findings suggest that SSGs and large kidneys may have evolved through adaptation to high salinity. Overall, habitat conditions and physiological traits influenced avian adaptation to salty environments in a reciprocal manner. These results shed the new light on the evolutionary mechanisms underlying functional diversity in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Cheng Chiu
- School of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 11677, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Te Yao
- High altitude research station, Taiwan Endemic Species Research Institute, Nantou 55244, Taiwan
| | - Ben-Yang Liao
- Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan 350, Taiwan
| | - Shou-Hsien Li
- School of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 11677, Taiwan
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Yang X, Deng Y, Qin J, Luo K, Kang B, He X, Yan Y. Dietary Shifts in the Adaptation to Changing Marine Resources: Insights from a Decadal Study on Greater Lizardfish ( Saurida tumbil) in the Beibu Gulf, South China Sea. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:798. [PMID: 38473183 DOI: 10.3390/ani14050798] [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: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding dietary behavior during the individual development of marine predators and its temporal variations elucidates how species adapt to changes in marine resources. This is crucial for predicting marine predators' habitat selection and the natural population's responses to environmental changes. The authors conducted a comparative analysis of dietary shift strategies and trophic level variations in Greater lizardfish (Saurida tumbil) in the Beibu Gulf during two distinct periods (2010 and 2020) using stomach content and stable isotope analysis methods. Possible driving factors for these changes were also explored. Changes in the fishery community structure and the decline in the abundance of primary prey resources have led the S. tumbil population to diversify their prey species, utilize alternative resources, and expand their foraging space. However, the species' foraging strategy, characterized by chasing and preying on schooling and pelagic prey, promoted stability in their feeding behavior across spatial and temporal scales. The main prey items remained demersal and pelagic fish species, followed by cephalopods and crustaceans. Similar to other generalist fish species, ontogenetic dietary shifts (ODSs) indicated a partial transition towards larger prey items. However, the timing and magnitude of the ODSs varied between the two periods, reflecting life-history variations and adaptive adjustments to environmental changes. In comparison to 2010, the population's mean body length (BL) increased in 2020, and the proportion of the population feeding on pelagic-neritic prey significantly increased. However, the δ15N values were lower, indicating that the shift in the ecological niche of preferred prey from demersal to pelagic-neritic was the primary cause of the decrease in trophic levels. In the future, we will conduct further quantitative research integrating the spatiotemporal data of both predators and prey to clarify the relationships between marine predators' feeding behavior, trophic levels, and changes in prey community structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodong Yang
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Yujian Deng
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Jiao Qin
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhanjiang 524000, China
| | - Konglan Luo
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Bin Kang
- Fisheries College, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Xiongbo He
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center of Far Sea Fisheries Management and Fishing of South China Sea, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Yunrong Yan
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center of Far Sea Fisheries Management and Fishing of South China Sea, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
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Gangoso L, Viana DS, Merchán M, Figuerola J. A new trophic specialization buffers a top predator against climate-driven resource instability. Behav Ecol 2024; 35:arae005. [PMID: 38287939 PMCID: PMC10824164 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arae005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Intraspecific phenotypic variability is key to respond to environmental changes and anomalies. However, documenting the emergence of behavioral diversification in natural populations has remained elusive due to the difficulty of observing such a phenomenon at the right time and place. Here, we investigated how the emergence of a new trophic strategy in a population subjected to high fluctuations in the availability of its main trophic resource (migrating songbirds) affected the breeding performance, population structure, and population fitness of a specialized color polymorphic predator, the Eleonora's falcon from the Canary Islands. Using long-term data (2007-2022), we found that the exploitation of an alternative prey (a local petrel species) was associated with the growth of a previously residual falcon colony. Pairs in this colony laid earlier and raised more fledglings than in the other established colonies. The specialization on petrels increased over time, independently of annual fluctuations in prey availability. Importantly, however, the positive effect of petrel consumption on productivity was stronger in years with lower food availability. This trophic diversification was further associated with the genetically determined color morph, with dark individuals preying more frequently on petrels than pale ones, which might promote the long-term maintenance of genotypic and phenotypic diversity. We empirically demonstrate how the emergence of an alternative trophic strategy can buffer populations against harsh environmental fluctuations by stabilizing their productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Gangoso
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, C/Antonio Novais 12, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Duarte S Viana
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, C/Américo Vespucio 26, 41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Marina Merchán
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, C/Américo Vespucio 26, 41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, C/Américo Vespucio 26, 41092, Sevilla, Spain
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Betiol CFMF, Hartmann MT, Hartmann PA. Bird Fauna Composition in a Protected Area in Southern Brazil. Zool Stud 2023; 62:e55. [PMID: 38628159 PMCID: PMC11019366 DOI: 10.6620/zs.2023.62-55] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The integrity of natural landscapes is affected by human actions, mainly by the intensification and expansion of agriculture. Factors such as fragment size and the structure of the environment can determine changes in the structure and composition of bird assemblages. In this study we evaluated the bird species composition in three structurally different forest environments, defined as the Core areas, Edge areas, and Buffer areas. The surveys were performed in the Natural Park of Sertão (NPS) and its surroundings in the southern limit of the Atlantic Forest, southern Brazil. To record species composition of birds, the point count method was used. The bird species were categorized according to feeding habits, habitat use, and sensitivity to forest fragmentation. A total of 131 species of birds distributed in 18 orders and 38 families were recorded. The species composition varied between the three areas and there was a significant difference in diversity between the Core and Edge areas and the Core and Buffer areas. Omnivorous species were found more in the Buffer areas than in the Core areas. Species that use the Broad habitat were more frequent in the Buffer and Edge areas than in the Core areas. Species that use the Forest habitat were found more in the Core areas than in the Buffer areas. Most recorded species (66%) have low sensitivity to forest fragmentation. The assemblage patterns found in this study, notably the differences among the three areas in diversity and species composition, can be explained by the ecological traits and the sensitivity levels of birds to forest fragmentation, which in turn seem to reflect different forest structures in the NPS and its surroundings. Although the Edge and Buffer areas have greater diversity, the Core areas showed great importance in maintaining species that are more sensitive to forest fragmentation. Even the largest fragments (such as the NPS), considering the regional context, may have bird species that are widely distributed and less sensitive to forest fragmentation. Forested habitat species may no longer occur or be restricted to the core area of the fragments. For conservation of bird fauna in the NPS, the maintenance of the core areas is essential, especially for those species that require a structurally preserved environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila F M F Betiol
- Ecology and Conservation Laboratory, Federal University of Fronteira Sul, Erechim, 99700-970, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. E-mail: (Hartmann); (Betiol); (MT Hartmann)
| | - Marilia T Hartmann
- Ecology and Conservation Laboratory, Federal University of Fronteira Sul, Erechim, 99700-970, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. E-mail: (Hartmann); (Betiol); (MT Hartmann)
| | - Paulo Afonso Hartmann
- Ecology and Conservation Laboratory, Federal University of Fronteira Sul, Erechim, 99700-970, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. E-mail: (Hartmann); (Betiol); (MT Hartmann)
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7
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Mason C, Hobday AJ, Lea M, Alderman R. Individual consistency in the localised foraging behaviour of shy albatross ( Thalassarche cauta). Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10644. [PMID: 37881226 PMCID: PMC10594074 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Quantifying the intra- and interindividual variation that exists within a population can provide meaningful insights into a population's vulnerability and response to rapid environmental change. We characterise the foraging behaviour of 308 trips taken by 96 shy albatross (Thalassarche cauta) from Albatross Island across seven consecutive years. At a population level, incubating shy albatross exploited a consistent area within ca. 500 km radius of their breeding colony. During half of the trips, individuals utilised the closest shelf break to the west of the colony, where upwelling events have been reported. The other half of the trips were exclusively within the neritic zone, utilising a variety of locations within the Bass Strait. Furthermore, we found evidence of individual consistency to geographic locations, with subsequent trips by an individual more similar than random trips from all individuals in our data, both within and between years (G-test, p < .05). Between-individual variation in foraging behaviour was not meaningfully explained by age (linear regression, p > .05) or sex (t-test, p > .05) for any metric, suggesting that other intrinsic individual factors are accounting for between-individual variation in foraging trips. A localised foraging distribution is unusual for albatross, which, combined with high variation in space use between individuals demonstrated here, suggests that this species is accessing adequate resources near the colony. Overall, these findings suggest that incubating shy albatross from Albatross Island exhibit tendencies of a generalist population comprised of uniquely specialised individuals. These results suggest that this species is operating below its biological capacity in this fast-warming area and provide a baseline from which to assess future change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Mason
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesUniversity of TasmaniaBattery PointTasmaniaAustralia
- CSIRO EnvironmentBattery PointTasmaniaAustralia
| | | | - Mary‐Anne Lea
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesUniversity of TasmaniaBattery PointTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Rachael Alderman
- Department of Natural Resources and EnvironmentTasmanian GovernmentTasmaniaHobartAustralia
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Stein ED, Midway SR, Linkhart BD. Year-round weather alters nest-provisioning rates in a migratory owl. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10333. [PMID: 37492455 PMCID: PMC10363827 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10333] [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: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
As global temperatures and precipitation become more extreme, habitat specialists are at particular risk of being pushed past their environmental tolerance limits. Flammulated Owls (Psiloscops flammeolus) are small migratory owls that breed in temperate conifer forests of western North America. Their highly specialized nesting and foraging requirements make them indicators of ecosystem health. Using 17 years of nest observations, we investigated how annual weather patterns affected Flammulated Owl nesting and foraging behaviors during the breeding season. We used generalized linear models with a changepoint parameter to evaluate nest provisioning and nestling growth rates in years of extreme temperature and precipitation. We also evaluated how adult mass, division of labor, and productivity varied based on precipitation and temperature. Compared to wet and warm years, adults made more frequent prey deliveries to nestlings in dry and cold years, particularly early in the night and early in the season, and they experienced earlier changepoints in these years. We found a significant effect of temperature on the number of fledglings in broods, but weather did not affect other variables including productivity, nestling growth rates, adult masses, and division of labor. Our findings suggest that extreme annual weather patterns influence insect prey availability during the Flammulated Owl breeding season, forcing adults to work harder to provision for nests during dry and cold years. While productivity and nestling growth did not vary between years, these may incur a long-term tradeoff in adult survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza D. Stein
- School of Renewable Natural ResourcesLouisiana State University and Agricultural CenterBaton RougeLouisianaUSA
| | - Stephen R. Midway
- Department of Oceanography and Coastal SciencesLouisiana State UniversityBaton RougeLouisianaUSA
| | - Brian D. Linkhart
- Department of Organismal Biology and EcologyColorado CollegeColorado SpringsColoradoUSA
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Shen DY, Ferguson-Gow H, Groner V, Munyai TC, Slotow R, Pearson RG. Potential decline in the distribution and food provisioning services of the mopane worm (Gonimbrasia belina) in southern Africa. FRONTIERS OF BIOGEOGRAPHY 2023; 15:e59408. [PMID: 37680769 PMCID: PMC7615040 DOI: 10.21425/f5fbg59408] [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] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The mopane worm (Gonimbrasia belina) is an edible insect distributed across southern Africa. As a culturally important source of food, the mopane worm provides nutrition, livelihoods and improves wellbeing for rural communities across its range. However, this is strong evidence that insect populations are declining worldwide, and climate change is likely to cause many insect species to shift in their distributions. For these reasons, we aimed to model how the ecosystem service benefits of the mopane worm are likely to change in the coming decades. We modelled the distribution of the mopane worm under two contrasting climate change scenarios (RCPs 4.5 and 8.5). Moreover, given that the mopane worm shows strong interactions with other species, particularly trees, we incorporated biotic interactions in our models using a Bayesian network. Our models project significant contraction across the species' range, with up to 70% decline in habitat by the 2080s. Botswana and Zimbabwe are predicted to be the most severely impacted countries, with almost all habitat in Botswana and Zimbabwe modelled to be lost by the 2080s. Decline of mopane worm habitat would likely have negative implications for the health of people in rural communities due to loss of an important source of protein as well as household income provided by their harvest. Biogeographic shifts therefore have potential to exacerbate food insecurity, socio-economic inequalities, and gender imbalance (women are the main harvesters), with cascading effects that most negatively impact poor rural communities dependent on natural resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Y. Shen
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Henry Ferguson-Gow
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Vivienne Groner
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Thinandavha C. Munyai
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa
| | - Rob Slotow
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa
| | - Richard G. Pearson
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
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Jiménez L, Freixa A, Besolí N, Sabater S. Resistance but not recovery is related to the role of specialist taxa in river communities submitted to hydric stress. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 871:161952. [PMID: 36740050 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
One of the main effects of global change is the human interference in the global water cycle, which alters river hydrological dynamics and submits their biological communities to hydric stress. Hydric stress is a pulse disturbance with potential multiple effects on biodiversity and functions in river ecosystems. The presence of habitat specialists may support the response of biological communities to pulse disturbances, maintaining ecological functions more consistently than other communities only having generalists. We tested this general hypothesis in stream communities submitted to increasing hydric stress (normal conditions vs humidity vs desiccation). We used communities with variable proportion of specialist algal and cyanobacterial taxa and tested their resistance to hydric stress by analyzing potential changes on their number of species, biovolume, proportion of intact cells, and photosynthetic variables (basal fluorescence, photosynthetic yield). We also evaluated the recovery of ecological functions (net community primary production, community respiration, phosphorus uptake) once hydric stress conditions ended. Hydric stress caused a slight decrease in the number of species and biovolume of assemblages, but the proportion of intact cells did not significantly change because of the disturbance. Basal fluorescence and photosynthetic yield under hydric stress decreased more markedly in communities without specialist taxa, while communities with habitat specialists resisted better. Metabolism did not remarkably decrease under moderate hydric stress, but dropped by half under desiccation in all communities, having or not specialist taxa. Overall, specialist taxa did provide higher resistance to stress but did not support a distinct recovery of ecological functions. We suggest that this characteristic response is related to the high plasticity of biofilm structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Jiménez
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA-CERCA), Girona, Spain
| | - Anna Freixa
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA-CERCA), Girona, Spain; Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Neus Besolí
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA-CERCA), Girona, Spain
| | - Sergi Sabater
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA-CERCA), Girona, Spain; Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, Girona, Spain.
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Ferrari G, Scaravelli D, Mustoni A, Armanini M, Zibordi F, Devineau O, Cagnacci F, Grasso DA, Ossi F. A Comparison of Small Rodent Assemblages after a 20 Year Interval in the Alps. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13081407. [PMID: 37106970 PMCID: PMC10135415 DOI: 10.3390/ani13081407] [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: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Human-induced environmental alterations in the Alps may importantly affect small mammal species, but evidence in this sense is limited. We live-trapped small rodents in the Central-Eastern Italian Alps in three close-by habitat types (rocky scree, alpine grassland, and heath) at 2100 m a.s.l. during summer-fall, in 1997 and 2016. We compared small rodent assemblages through a Redundancy Detrended Analysis (RDA). In both surveys, we detected two specialist species, i.e., the common vole (Microtus arvalis) and the snow vole (Chionomys nivalis), and, unexpectedly, the forest generalist bank vole (Myodes glareolus). In 1997, grassland was mainly occupied by the common vole, while the bank vole and the snow vole were sympatric in the other habitats. In 2016, the snow vole was detected only in the scree, while other species did not show distribution changes. We discuss a series of hypotheses that might have driven the differences observed across decades, among which is a species-specific response to abiotic and biotic environmental alterations, with the alpine habitat specialist moving out of sub-optimal habitats. We encourage further research on this topic, e.g., via long-term longitudinal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Ferrari
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/a, 43124 Parma, Italy
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Science and Biotechnology, Campus Evenstad, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, 2480 Koppang, Norway
- Research and Innovation Centre, Edmund Mach Foundation, Via Mach 1, 38098 San Michele all'Adige, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Dino Scaravelli
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Selmi 3, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Andrea Mustoni
- Research and Environmental Education, Adamello Brenta Nature Park, Via Nazionale 24, 38080 Strembo, Italy
| | - Marco Armanini
- Research and Environmental Education, Adamello Brenta Nature Park, Via Nazionale 24, 38080 Strembo, Italy
| | | | - Olivier Devineau
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Science and Biotechnology, Campus Evenstad, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, 2480 Koppang, Norway
| | - Francesca Cagnacci
- Research and Innovation Centre, Edmund Mach Foundation, Via Mach 1, 38098 San Michele all'Adige, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Donato A Grasso
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/a, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Federico Ossi
- Research and Innovation Centre, Edmund Mach Foundation, Via Mach 1, 38098 San Michele all'Adige, Italy
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12
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Riva F, Fahrig L. Landscape-scale habitat fragmentation is positively related to biodiversity, despite patch-scale ecosystem decay. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:268-277. [PMID: 36468190 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Positive effects of habitat patch size on biodiversity are often extrapolated to infer negative effects of habitat fragmentation on biodiversity at landscape scales. However, such cross-scale extrapolations typically fail. A recent, landmark, patch-scale analysis (Chase et al., 2020, Nature 584, 238-243) demonstrates positive patch size effects on biodiversity, that is, 'ecosystem decay' in small patches. Other authors have already extrapolated this result to infer negative fragmentation effects, that is, higher biodiversity in a few large than many small patches of the same cumulative habitat area. We test whether this extrapolation is valid. We find that landscape-scale patterns are opposite to their analogous patch-scale patterns: for sets of patches with equal total habitat area, species richness and evenness decrease with increasing mean size of the patches comprising that area, even when considering only species of conservation concern. Preserving small habitat patches will, therefore, be key to sustain biodiversity amidst ongoing environmental crises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Riva
- Spatial Ecology Group, Department of Ecology and Evolution, Université de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lenore Fahrig
- Geomatics and Landscape Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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13
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Ai YY, Liu Q, Hu HX, Shen T, Mo YX, Wu XF, Li JL, Dossa GG, Song L. Terrestrial and epiphytic orchids exhibit different diversity and distribution patterns along an elevation gradient of Mt. Victoria, Myanmar. Glob Ecol Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/13/2023] Open
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14
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Physiological ecology and vulnerability to climate change of a microendemic, habitat-specialist lizard in a tropical dry forest of Mexico. CLIMATE CHANGE ECOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecochg.2023.100066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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15
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Greenspan SE, Peloso P, Fuentes-González JA, Bletz M, Lyra ML, Machado IF, Martins RA, Medina D, Moura-Campos D, Neely WJ, Preuss J, Sturaro MJ, Vaz RI, Navas CA, Toledo LF, Tozetti AM, Vences M, Woodhams DC, Haddad CFB, Pienaar J, Becker CG. Low microbiome diversity in threatened amphibians from two biodiversity hotspots. Anim Microbiome 2022; 4:69. [PMID: 36582011 PMCID: PMC9801548 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-022-00220-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial diversity positively influences community resilience of the host microbiome. However, extinction risk factors such as habitat specialization, narrow environmental tolerances, and exposure to anthropogenic disturbance may homogenize host-associated microbial communities critical for stress responses including disease defense. In a dataset containing 43 threatened and 90 non-threatened amphibian species across two biodiversity hotspots (Brazil's Atlantic Forest and Madagascar), we found that threatened host species carried lower skin bacterial diversity, after accounting for key environmental and host factors. The consistency of our findings across continents suggests the broad scale at which low bacteriome diversity may compromise pathogen defenses in species already burdened with the threat of extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sasha E. Greenspan
- grid.411015.00000 0001 0727 7545Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 USA
| | - Pedro Peloso
- grid.452671.30000 0001 2175 1274Programa de Pós Gradução em Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Pará/Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Pará 66077-530 Brazil ,Instituto Boitatá de Etnobiologia e Conservação da Fauna, Goiânia, Goiás 74085-480 Brazil
| | - Jesualdo A. Fuentes-González
- grid.65456.340000 0001 2110 1845The Department of Biology and the Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199 USA
| | - Molly Bletz
- grid.266685.90000 0004 0386 3207Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125 USA
| | - Mariana L. Lyra
- grid.410543.70000 0001 2188 478XDepartment of Biodiversity and Aquaculture Center (CAUNESP), Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, São Paulo 13506-900 Brazil
| | - Ibere F. Machado
- Instituto Boitatá de Etnobiologia e Conservação da Fauna, Goiânia, Goiás 74085-480 Brazil
| | - Renato A. Martins
- grid.411247.50000 0001 2163 588XPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Conservação da Fauna, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo 13565-905 Brazil
| | - Daniel Medina
- Sistema Nacional de Investigación, SENACYT; City of Knowledge, Clayton, Panama, Republic of Panama ,grid.29857.310000 0001 2097 4281Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16803 USA
| | - Diego Moura-Campos
- grid.411087.b0000 0001 0723 2494Laboratório de História Natural de Anfíbios Brasileiros (LaHNAB), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-862 Brazil ,grid.1001.00000 0001 2180 7477Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, 2601 Australia
| | - Wesley J. Neely
- grid.411015.00000 0001 0727 7545Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 USA
| | - Jackson Preuss
- grid.412292.e0000 0004 0417 7532Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Universidade do Oeste de Santa Catarina, São Miguel Do Oeste, Santa Catarina 89900-000 Brazil
| | - Marcelo J. Sturaro
- grid.411249.b0000 0001 0514 7202Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Diadema, São Paulo 09972-270 Brazil
| | - Renata I. Vaz
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Departamento de Fisiologia Geral, Instituto de Biociencias, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-090 Brazil
| | - Carlos A. Navas
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Departamento de Fisiologia Geral, Instituto de Biociencias, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-090 Brazil
| | - Luís Felipe Toledo
- grid.411087.b0000 0001 0723 2494Laboratório de História Natural de Anfíbios Brasileiros (LaHNAB), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-862 Brazil
| | - Alexandro M. Tozetti
- grid.412302.60000 0001 1882 7290Programa de Pos-Graduacão em Biologia, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, São Leopoldo, Rio Grande Do Sul 93022-750 Brazil
| | - Miguel Vences
- grid.6738.a0000 0001 1090 0254Zoological Institute, Braunschweig University of Technology, Mendelssohnstr. 4, Brunswick, Germany
| | - Douglas C. Woodhams
- grid.266685.90000 0004 0386 3207Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125 USA
| | - Célio F. B. Haddad
- grid.410543.70000 0001 2188 478XDepartment of Biodiversity and Aquaculture Center (CAUNESP), Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, São Paulo 13506-900 Brazil
| | - Jason Pienaar
- grid.65456.340000 0001 2110 1845The Department of Biology and the Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199 USA
| | - C. Guilherme Becker
- grid.29857.310000 0001 2097 4281Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16803 USA
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16
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Tomanović Ž, Kavallieratos NG, Ye Z, Nika EP, Petrović A, Vollhardt IMG, Vorburger C. Cereal Aphid Parasitoids in Europe (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae): Taxonomy, Biodiversity, and Ecology. INSECTS 2022; 13:1142. [PMID: 36555052 PMCID: PMC9785021 DOI: 10.3390/insects13121142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Cereals are very common and widespread crops in Europe. Aphids are a diverse group of herbivorous pests on cereals and one of the most important limiting factors of cereal production. Here, we present an overview of knowledge about the taxonomy, biodiversity, and ecology of cereal aphid parasitoids in Europe, an important group of natural enemies contributing to cereal aphid control. We review the knowledge obtained from the integrative taxonomy of 26 cereal aphid primary parasitoid species, including two allochthonous species (Lysiphlebus testaceipes and Trioxys sunnysidensis) and two recently described species (Lipolexis labialis and Paralipsis brachycaudi). We further review 28 hyperparasitoid species belonging to three hymenopteran superfamilies and four families (Ceraphronoidea: Megaspillidae; Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae, Encyrtidae; Cynipoidea: Figitidae). We also compile knowledge on the presence of secondary endosymbionts in cereal aphids, as these are expected to influence the community composition and biocontrol efficiency of cereal aphid parasitoids. To study aphid-parasitoid-hyperparasitoid food webs more effectively, we present two kinds of DNA-based approach: (i) diagnostic PCR (mainly multiplex PCR), and (ii) DNA sequence-based methods. Finally, we also review the effects of landscape complexity on the different trophic levels in the food webs of cereal aphids and their associated parasitoids, as well as the impacts of agricultural practices and environmental variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Željko Tomanović
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Belgrade, 16 Studentski trg, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Knez Mihailova 35, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Nickolas G. Kavallieratos
- Laboratory of Agricultural Zoology and Entomology, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos Str., 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Zhengpei Ye
- Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Xueyuan Road 4, Haikou 571101, China
| | - Erifili P. Nika
- Laboratory of Agricultural Zoology and Entomology, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos Str., 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Andjeljko Petrović
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Belgrade, 16 Studentski trg, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ines M. G. Vollhardt
- Agroecology, Department of Crop Science, Georg-August University Göttingen, Grisebachstrasse 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christoph Vorburger
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Institute of Integrative Biology, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
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17
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Zhou S, Hunter LE. Digest: Evolution of plasticity and its potential role in the decline of specialists. Evolution 2022; 76:3067-3070. [PMID: 36193549 PMCID: PMC10092694 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
How does plasticity evolve over relatively short timescales? Through a series of common garden and reciprocal transplant experiments, Walter et al. found distinct patterns of variation in the phenotype and gene expression for two closely related Sicilian daisy species of the genus Senecio across an elevational gradient. This suggests that adaptive divergence may produce interspecific differences in both the magnitude and direction of plasticity. The nonadaptive nature of the plasticity found in Senecio aethnensis has important implications for conservation efforts and evolutionary modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Zhou
- Department of Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60637.,Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60637
| | - Laura E Hunter
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60637
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18
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Pirri F, Ometto L, Fuselli S, Fernandes FAN, Ancona L, Perta N, Di Marino D, Le Bohec C, Zane L, Trucchi E. Selection-driven adaptation to the extreme Antarctic environment in the Emperor penguin. Heredity (Edinb) 2022; 129:317-326. [PMID: 36207436 PMCID: PMC9708836 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-022-00564-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The eco-evolutionary history of penguins is characterised by shifting from temperate to cold environments. Breeding in Antarctica, the Emperor penguin appears as an extreme outcome of this process, with unique features related to insulation, heat production and energy management. However, whether this species actually diverged from a less cold-adapted ancestor, more ecologically similar to its sister species, the King penguin, is still an open question. As the Antarctic colonisation likely resulted in vast changes in selective pressure experienced by the Emperor penguin, the relative quantification of the genomic signatures of selection, unique to each sister species, could answer this question. Applying phylogeny-based selection tests on 7651 orthologous genes, we identified a more pervasive selection shift in the Emperor penguin than in the King penguin, supporting the hypothesis that its extreme cold adaptation is a derived state. Furthermore, among candidate genes under selection, four (TRPM8, LEPR, CRB1, and SFI1) were identified before in other cold-adapted homeotherms, like the woolly Mammoth, while other 161 genes can be assigned to biological functions relevant to cold adaptation identified in previous studies. Location and structural effects of TRPM8 substitutions in Emperor and King penguin lineages support their functional role with putative divergent effects on thermal adaptation. We conclude that extreme cold adaptation in the Emperor penguin largely involved unique genetic options which, however, affect metabolic and physiological traits common to other cold-adapted homeotherms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Pirri
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Lino Ometto
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Silvia Fuselli
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Flávia A N Fernandes
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Lorena Ancona
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
| | - Nunzio Perta
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
| | - Daniele Di Marino
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
| | - Céline Le Bohec
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
- Département de Biologie Polaire, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Monaco, Monaco
| | - Lorenzo Zane
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Emiliano Trucchi
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy.
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19
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Burns C, Villalobos S, Vamosi JC. When less is more: Visitation by generalist pollinators can have neutral or negative effects on plant reproduction. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1012809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Selection for specialized coevolutionary relationships can arise if generalized opportunistic pollinators, while still delivering some pollen, operate as less effective pollen delivery agents. Nevertheless, generalization could buffer high-latitude communities from loss of specialist pollinator species by providing some pollination service. Currently, there is limited understanding of the ecosystem services provided by generalized pollinators and whether they increase the fitness of the plants they visit. Network data and thorough observations of floral visitors, paired with estimates of seed set, offer some insight into the role of generalists, which in turn can inform us about how plants are likely to respond to ecosystem disturbances, such as losses of some pollinators, or changes in land cover. Here, we report on plant-pollinator visitation networks in Canada with high levels of generalization and examine the effects of generalization on seed set under different disturbance histories. We also then take a case study of one crop wild relative, Rubus arcticus or Arctic raspberry, and report on a near-complete characterization of pollinator interactions in different environmental conditions. Our findings indicate that generalized pollinators, though frequent and robust to variable temperatures and moisture conditions, do not appear to play a strong role in increasing the reproductive output of many plant species, and may provide only a weak buffer against the stronger effects of disturbance.
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20
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Coughlin AO, Wooliver R, Sheth SN. Populations of western North American monkeyflowers accrue niche breadth primarily via genotypic divergence in environmental optima. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9434. [PMID: 36284518 PMCID: PMC9587463 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Niche breadth, the range of environments that individuals, populations, and species can tolerate, is a fundamental ecological and evolutionary property, yet few studies have examined how niche breadth is partitioned across biological scales. We use a published dataset of thermal performance for a single population from each of 10 closely related species of western North American monkeyflowers (genus Mimulus) to investigate whether populations achieve broad thermal niches through general purpose genotypes, specialized genotypes with divergent environmental optima, and/or variation among genotypes in the degree of generalization. We found the strongest relative support for the hypothesis that populations with greater genetic variation for thermal optimum had broader thermal niches, and for every unit increase in among‐family variance in thermal optimum, population‐level thermal breadth increased by 0.508°C. While the niche breadth of a single genotype represented up to 86% of population‐level niche breadth, genotype‐level niche breadth had a weaker positive effect on population‐level breadth, with every 1°C increase in genotypic thermal breadth resulting in a 0.062°C increase in population breadth. Genetic variation for thermal breadth was not predictive of population‐level thermal breadth. These findings suggest that populations of Mimulus species have achieved broad thermal niches primarily through genotypes with divergent thermal optima and to a lesser extent via general‐purpose genotypes. Future work examining additional biological hierarchies would provide a more comprehensive understanding of how niche breadth partitioning impacts the vulnerabilities of individuals, populations, and species to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aeran O. Coughlin
- Department of Plant and Microbial BiologyNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNorth CarolinaUSA,Present address:
Department of BiologyDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Rachel Wooliver
- Department of Plant and Microbial BiologyNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNorth CarolinaUSA,Present address:
Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil ScienceUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Seema N. Sheth
- Department of Plant and Microbial BiologyNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNorth CarolinaUSA
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21
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Dumoulin CE, Armsworth PR. Environmental stochasticity increases extinction risk to a greater degree in pollination specialists than in generalists. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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22
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Pearse IS, McIntyre P, Cacho NI, Strauss SY. Fitness homeostasis across an experimental water gradient predicts species' geographic range and climatic breadth. Ecology 2022; 103:e3827. [PMID: 35857374 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Species range sizes and realized niche breadths vary tremendously. Understanding the source of this variation has been a long-term aim in evolutionary ecology and is a major tool in efforts to ameliorate the impacts of changing climates on species distributions. Species ranges that span a large climatic envelope can be achieved by a collection of specialized genotypes locally adapted to a small range of conditions, by genotypes with stable fitness across variable environments, or a combination of these factors. We asked whether fitness expressed along a key niche axis, water availability, could explain a species' realized niche breadth--its geographic range and climate breadth-- in 11 species from a clade of jewelflowers whose range sizes vary by two orders of magnitude. Specifically, we explored whether the range size of a species was related to the ability of genotypes (maternal families) to maintain fitness across a range of experimental water availabilities based on 30-year historical field precipitation regimes. We operationally characterized fitness homeostasis through the coefficient of variation (CV) in fitness of a genotype (family) across the experimental water gradient. We found that species with genotypes that had high fitness homeostasis -- low variation in fitness over our treatments --had larger climatic niche breadth and geographic range in their field distributions. The result was robust to alternate measures of fitness homeostasis. Our results show that the fitness homeostasis of genotypes can be a major factor contributing to niche breadth and range size in this clade. Fitness homeostasis can buffer species from loss of genetic diversity and under changing climates, provides time for adaptation to future conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian S Pearse
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Ave #C, Ft Collins, CO 80526, USA
| | - Patrick McIntyre
- Nature Serve, Western Regional Office, 1680 38th St., Suite 120, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - N Ivalú Cacho
- Instituto de Biología, 3er Circuito de CU s/n, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Copilco Coyoacán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CDMX 04510, Mexico
| | - Sharon Y Strauss
- Center for Population Biology and Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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23
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Digging in a 120 years-old lunch: What can we learn from collection specimens of extinct species? PLoS One 2022; 17:e0270032. [PMID: 35793291 PMCID: PMC9258829 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270032] [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: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying collection specimens is often the only way to unravel information about recent extinctions. These can reveal knowledge on threats and life traits related to extinction, and contribute, by extrapolation, to the conservation of extant species. However, high-throughput sequencing methods have rarely been applied to extinct species to reveal information on their ecology. Insular species are especially prone to extinction. We studied the gut contents of three specimens of the extinct giant skink Chioninia coctei of the Cabo Verde Islands using microscopy and DNA-metabarcoding. The presence of Tachygonetria adult nematodes suggests plants as important diet items. Our metabarcoding approach also identified plants and, additionally, invertebrates, supporting the hypothesis of C. coctei’s generalist diet. The absence of vertebrates in the digestive contents may reflect the decline of seabirds on the Desertas Islands that could have contributed to the debilitation of the giant skink, already depleted by persecution and severe droughts. Even with a small sample size, this study contributes to shedding light on the trophic roles of this enigmatic extinct species and emphasizes the need to develop holistic conservation plans for island threatened taxa. Additionally, it illustrates the potential of integrating up-to-date molecular methods with traditional approaches to studying collection specimens to help to solve ecological puzzles in other ecosystems.
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Abstract
The recent and ever-growing problem of boar (Sus scrofa forms including wild boar, hybrid and feral pig) expansion is a very complex issue in wildlife management. The damages caused to biodiversity and the economies are addressed in different ways by the various countries, but research is needed to shed light on the causal factors of this emergency before defining a useful collaborative management policy. In this review, we screened more than 280 references published between 1975–2022, identifying and dealing with five hot factors (climate change, human induced habitat modifications, predator regulation on the prey, hybridization with domestic forms, and transfaunation) that could account for the boar expansion and its niche invasion. We also discuss some issues arising from this boar emergency, such as epizootic and zoonotic diseases or the depression of biodiversity. Finally, we provide new insights for the research and the development of management policies.
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25
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Wray AK, Gratton C, Jusino MA, Wang JJ, Kochanski JM, Palmer JM, Banik MT, Lindner DL, Peery MZ. Disease‐related population declines in bats demonstrate non‐exchangeability in generalist predators. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8978. [PMID: 35784069 PMCID: PMC9170538 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8978] [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: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The extent to which persisting species may fill the functional role of extirpated or declining species has profound implications for the structure of biological communities and ecosystem functioning. In North America, arthropodivorous bats are threatened on a continent‐wide scale by the spread of white‐nose syndrome (WNS), a disease caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans. We tested whether bat species that display lower mortality from this disease can partially fill the functional role of other bat species experiencing population declines. Specifically, we performed high‐throughput amplicon sequencing of guano from two generalist predators: the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) and big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus). We then compared changes in prey consumption before versus after population declines related to WNS. Dietary niches contracted for both species after large and abrupt declines in little brown bats and smaller declines in big brown bats, but interspecific dietary overlap did not change. Furthermore, the incidence and taxonomic richness of agricultural pest taxa detected in diet samples decreased following bat population declines. Our results suggest that persisting generalist predators do not necessarily expand their dietary niches following population declines in other predators, providing further evidence that the functional roles of different generalist predators are ecologically distinct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy K. Wray
- Department of Forest & Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - Claudio Gratton
- Department of Entomology University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - Michelle A. Jusino
- Center for Forest Mycology Research Northern Research Station USDA Forest Service Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - Jing Jamie Wang
- Department of Forest & Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - Jade M. Kochanski
- Department of Entomology University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin USA
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - Jonathan M. Palmer
- Center for Forest Mycology Research Northern Research Station USDA Forest Service Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - Mark T. Banik
- Center for Forest Mycology Research Northern Research Station USDA Forest Service Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - Daniel L. Lindner
- Center for Forest Mycology Research Northern Research Station USDA Forest Service Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - M. Zachariah Peery
- Department of Forest & Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin USA
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26
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A functional ecology framework for understanding and predicting animal responses to plant invasion. Biol Invasions 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-022-02813-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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27
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Rain-Franco A, Mouquet N, Gougat-Barbera C, Bouvier T, Beier S. Niche breadth affects bacterial transcription patterns along a salinity gradient. Mol Ecol 2021; 31:1216-1233. [PMID: 34878694 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the molecular mechanisms that determine a species' life history is important for predicting their susceptibility to environmental change. While specialist species with a narrow niche breadth (NB) maximize their fitness in their optimum habitat, generalists with broad NB adapt to multiple environments. The main objective of this study was to identify general transcriptional patterns that would distinguish bacterial strains characterized by contrasted NBs along a salinity gradient. More specifically, we hypothesized that genes encoding fitness-related traits, such as biomass production, have a higher degree of transcriptional regulation in specialists than in generalists, because the fitness of specialists is more variable under environmental change. By contrast, we expected that generalists would exhibit enhanced transcriptional regulation of genes encoding traits that protect them against cellular damage. To test these hypotheses, we assessed the transcriptional regulation of fitness-related and adaptation-related genes of 11 bacterial strains in relation to their NB and stress exposure under changing salinity conditions. The results suggested that transcriptional regulation levels of fitness- and adaptation-related genes correlated with the NB and/or the stress exposure of the inspected strains. We further identified a shortlist of candidate stress marker genes that could be used in future studies to monitor the susceptibility of bacterial populations or communities to environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angel Rain-Franco
- CNRS, Laboratoire d'Océanographie Microbienne, LOMIC, Sorbonne Université, Banyuls/mer, France
| | - Nicolas Mouquet
- MARBEC, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Thierry Bouvier
- MARBEC, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Sara Beier
- CNRS, Laboratoire d'Océanographie Microbienne, LOMIC, Sorbonne Université, Banyuls/mer, France.,Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research, Warnemünde, Germany
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28
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Morris JR, Allhoff KT, Valdovinos FS. Strange invaders increase disturbance and promote generalists in an evolving food web. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21274. [PMID: 34711894 PMCID: PMC8553831 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99843-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The patterns of diet specialization in food webs determine community structure, stability, and function. While specialists are often thought to evolve due to greater efficiency, generalists should have an advantage in systems with high levels of variability. Here we test the generalist-disturbance hypothesis using a dynamic, evolutionary food web model. Species occur along a body size axis with three traits (body size, feeding center, feeding range) that evolve independently and determine interaction strengths. Communities are assembled via ecological and evolutionary processes, where species biomass and persistence are driven by a bioenergetics model. New species are introduced either as mutants similar to parent species in the community or as invaders, with dissimilar traits. We introduced variation into communities by increasing the dissimilarity of invading species across simulations. We found that strange invaders increased the variability of communities which increased both the degree of generalism and the relative persistence of generalist species, indicating that invasion disturbance promotes the evolution of generalist species in food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan R Morris
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Korinna T Allhoff
- Institute for Evolution and Ecology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Fernanda S Valdovinos
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Center for the Study of Complex Systems, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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29
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McCord CL, Nash CM, Cooper WJ, Westneat MW. Phylogeny of the damselfishes (Pomacentridae) and patterns of asymmetrical diversification in body size and feeding ecology. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258889. [PMID: 34705840 PMCID: PMC8550381 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The damselfishes (family Pomacentridae) inhabit near-shore communities in tropical and temperature oceans as one of the major lineages in coral reef fish assemblages. Our understanding of their evolutionary ecology, morphology and function has often been advanced by increasingly detailed and accurate molecular phylogenies. Here we present the next stage of multi-locus, molecular phylogenetics for the group based on analysis of 12 nuclear and mitochondrial gene sequences from 345 of the 422 damselfishes. The resulting well-resolved phylogeny helps to address several important questions about higher-level damselfish relationships, their evolutionary history and patterns of divergence. A time-calibrated phylogenetic tree yields a root age for the family of 55.5 mya, refines the age of origin for a number of diverse genera, and shows that ecological changes during the Eocene-Oligocene transition provided opportunities for damselfish diversification. We explored the idea that body size extremes have evolved repeatedly among the Pomacentridae, and demonstrate that large and small body sizes have evolved independently at least 40 times and with asymmetric rates of transition among size classes. We tested the hypothesis that transitions among dietary ecotypes (benthic herbivory, pelagic planktivory and intermediate omnivory) are asymmetric, with higher transition rates from intermediate omnivory to either planktivory or herbivory. Using multistate hidden-state speciation and extinction models, we found that both body size and dietary ecotype are significantly associated with patterns of diversification across the damselfishes, and that the highest rates of net diversification are associated with medium body size and pelagic planktivory. We also conclude that the pattern of evolutionary diversification in feeding ecology, with frequent and asymmetrical transitions between feeding ecotypes, is largely restricted to the subfamily Pomacentrinae in the Indo-West Pacific. Trait diversification patterns for damselfishes across a fully resolved phylogeny challenge many recent general conclusions about the evolution of reef fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlene L. McCord
- College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences, California State University Dominguez Hills, Carson, California, United States of America
| | - Chloe M. Nash
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, and Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Division of Fishes, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - W. James Cooper
- Department of Biology and Program in Marine and Coastal Science, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington, United States of America
| | - Mark W. Westneat
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, and Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Division of Fishes, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
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30
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Cartledge EL, Baker M, White I, Powell A, Gregory B, Varley M, Hurst JL, Stockley P. Applying remotely sensed habitat descriptors to assist reintroduction programs: A case study in the hazel dormouse. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Emma L. Cartledge
- Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool Leahurst Campus Neston UK
| | - Melanie Baker
- Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool Leahurst Campus Neston UK
| | - Ian White
- People's Trust for Endangered Species London UK
| | | | | | | | - Jane L. Hurst
- Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool Leahurst Campus Neston UK
| | - Paula Stockley
- Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool Leahurst Campus Neston UK
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31
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Parikh GL, Webster CR, Vucetich JA. A Microhistological Investigation of Winter Diets of White-Tailed Deer in Relict Eastern Hemlock Stands, Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Northeast Nat (Steuben) 2021. [DOI: 10.1656/045.028.0305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Grace L. Parikh
- Ecosystem Science Center, College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931
| | - Christopher R. Webster
- Ecosystem Science Center, College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931
| | - John A. Vucetich
- Ecosystem Science Center, College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931
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32
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Dharmarajan G, Gupta P, Vishnudas CK, Robin VV. Anthropogenic disturbance favours generalist over specialist parasites in bird communities: Implications for risk of disease emergence. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:1859-1868. [PMID: 34120404 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Niche theory predicts specialists which will be more sensitive to environmental perturbation compared to generalists, a hypothesis receiving broad support in free-living species. Based on their niche breadth, parasites can also be classified as specialists and generalists, with specialists infecting only a few and generalists a diverse array of host species. Here, using avian haemosporidian parasites infecting wild bird populations inhabiting the Western Ghats, India as a model system, we elucidate how climate, habitat and human disturbance affects parasite prevalence both directly and indirectly via their effects on host diversity. Our data demonstrate that anthropogenic disturbance acts to reduce the prevalence of specialist parasite lineages, while increasing that of generalist lineages. Thus, as in free-living species, disturbance favours parasite communities dominated by generalist versus specialist species. Because generalist parasites are more likely to cause emerging infectious diseases, such biotic homogenisation of parasite communities could increase disease emergence risk in the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guha Dharmarajan
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, USA.,Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur, West Bengal, India
| | - Pooja Gupta
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, USA.,Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur, West Bengal, India
| | - C K Vishnudas
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Tirupati, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - V V Robin
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Tirupati, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India
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33
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Milla R, Osborne CP. Crop origins explain variation in global agricultural relevance. NATURE PLANTS 2021; 7:598-607. [PMID: 33986525 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-021-00905-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Human food production is dominated globally by a small number of crops. Why certain crops have attained high agricultural relevance while others have remained minor might partially stem from their different origins. Here, we analyse a dataset of 866 crops to show that seed crops and species originating from seasonally dry environments tend to have the greatest agricultural relevance, while phylogenetic affinities play a minor role. These patterns are nuanced by root and leaf crops and herbaceous fruit crops having older origins in the aseasonal tropics. Interestingly, after accounting for these effects, we find that older crops are more likely to be globally important and are cultivated over larger geographical areas than crops of recent origin. Historical processes have therefore left a pervasive global legacy on the food we eat today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubén Milla
- Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain.
| | - Colin P Osborne
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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34
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Swain A, Devereux M, Fagan WF. Deciphering trophic interactions in a mid-Cambrian assemblage. iScience 2021; 24:102271. [PMID: 33817576 PMCID: PMC8010449 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Exceptionally preserved fossil sites have allowed specimen-based identification of trophic interactions to which network analyses have been applied. However, network analyses of the fossil record suffer from incomplete and indirect data, time averaging that obscures species coexistence, and biases in preservation. Here, we present a high-resolution fossil data set from Raymond Quarry member of the mid-Cambrian Burgess Shale (7,549 specimens, 61 taxa, ∼510 Mya) and formulate a measure of "preservation bias" that aids identification of assemblage subsets to which network analyses can be reliably applied. For these sections, abundance correlation network analyses predicted longitudinally consistent trophic and competitive interactions. Our analyses predicted previously postulated trophic interactions with 83.5% accuracy and demonstrated a shift from specialist interaction-dominated assemblages to ones dominated by generalist and competitive interactions. This approach provides a robust, taphonomically corrected framework to explore and predict in detail the existence and ecological character of putative interactions in fossil data sets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anshuman Swain
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Matthew Devereux
- Department of Earth Science, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - William F. Fagan
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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35
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Kwon TS, Lee CM, Kim ES, Won M, Kim SS, Park YS. Habitat change has greater effects than climate change on butterfly occurrence in South Korea. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
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36
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Thapa S, Baral S, Hu Y, Huang Z, Yue Y, Dhakal M, Jnawali SR, Chettri N, Racey PA, Yu W, Wu Y. Will climate change impact distribution of bats in Nepal Himalayas? A case study of five species. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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37
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Morelli F, Benedetti Y, Hanson JO, Fuller RA. Global distribution and conservation of avian diet specialization. Conserv Lett 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Federico Morelli
- Community Ecology and Conservation, Faculty of Environmental Sciences Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Prague Czech Republic
- Institute of Biological Sciences University of Zielona Gora Zielona Gora Poland
| | - Yanina Benedetti
- Community Ecology and Conservation, Faculty of Environmental Sciences Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Prague Czech Republic
| | - Jeffrey O. Hanson
- CIBIO/InBIO Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da Universidade do Porto Vairão Portugal
| | - Richard A. Fuller
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland St Lucia Queensland Australia
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38
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Ryeland J, Derham TT, Spencer RJ. Past and future potential range changes in one of the last large vertebrates of the Australian continent, the emu Dromaius novaehollandiae. Sci Rep 2021; 11:851. [PMID: 33441670 PMCID: PMC7807066 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79551-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [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: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In Australia, significant shifts in species distribution have occurred with the loss of megafauna, changes in indigenous Australian fire regime and land-use changes with European settlement. The emu, one of the last megafaunal species in Australia, has likely undergone substantial distribution changes, particularly near the east coast of Australia where urbanisation is extensive and some populations have declined. We modelled emu distribution across the continental mainland and across the Great Dividing Range region (GDR) of eastern Australia, under historical, present and future climates. We predicted shifts in emu distribution using ensemble modelling, hindcasting and forecasting distribution from current emu occurrence data. Emus have expanded their range northward into central Australia over the 6000 years modelled here. Areas west of the GDR have become more suitable since the mid-Holocene, which was unsuitable then due to high precipitation seasonality. However, the east coast of Australia has become climatically sub-optimal and will remain so for at least 50 years. The north east of NSW encompasses the range of the only listed endangered population, which now occurs at the margins of optimal climatic conditions for emus. Being at the fringe of suitable climatic conditions may put this population at higher risk of further decline from non-climatic anthropogenic disturbances e.g. depredation by introduced foxes and pigs. The limited scientific knowledge about wild emu ecology and biology currently available limits our ability to quantify these risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Ryeland
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.
| | - Tristan T Derham
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, 7001, Australia
| | - Ricky J Spencer
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
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39
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Dalui S, Singh SK, Joshi BD, Ghosh A, Basu S, Khatri H, Sharma LK, Chandra K, Thakur M. Geological and Pleistocene glaciations explain the demography and disjunct distribution of red panda (A. fulgens) in eastern Himalayas. Sci Rep 2021; 11:65. [PMID: 33420314 PMCID: PMC7794540 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80586-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Pleistocene glaciations facilitated climatic oscillations that caused for enormous heterogeneity in landscapes, and consequently affected demography and distribution patterns of the mountain endemic species. In this context, we investigated demographic history and population genetic structure of red panda, distributed along the geographical proximity in the southern edge of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Bayesian based phylogeny demonstrated that red panda diverged about 0.30 million years ago (CI 0.23-0.39) into two phylogenetic (sub) species, that correspond to the middle-late Pleistocene transition. The observed intraspecific clades with respect to Himalayan and Chinese red panda indicated restricted gene flow resulting from the Pleistocene glaciations in the eastern and southern Tibetan Plateau. We found Himalayan red panda population at least in KL-India declined abruptly in last 5-10 thousand years after being under demographic equilibrium. We suggest revisiting the ongoing conservation activities through cross border collaboration by developing multi-nationals, and multi-lateral species-oriented conservation action plans to support the red panda populations in transboundary landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Supriyo Dalui
- grid.473833.80000 0001 2291 2164Zoological Survey of India, New Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700053 India ,grid.59056.3f0000 0001 0664 9773Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, West Bengal 700019 India
| | - Sujeet Kumar Singh
- grid.473833.80000 0001 2291 2164Zoological Survey of India, New Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700053 India
| | - Bheem Dutt Joshi
- grid.473833.80000 0001 2291 2164Zoological Survey of India, New Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700053 India
| | - Avijit Ghosh
- grid.473833.80000 0001 2291 2164Zoological Survey of India, New Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700053 India ,grid.59056.3f0000 0001 0664 9773Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, West Bengal 700019 India
| | - Shambadeb Basu
- grid.473833.80000 0001 2291 2164Zoological Survey of India, New Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700053 India
| | - Hiren Khatri
- grid.473833.80000 0001 2291 2164Zoological Survey of India, New Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700053 India
| | - Lalit Kumar Sharma
- grid.473833.80000 0001 2291 2164Zoological Survey of India, New Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700053 India
| | - Kailash Chandra
- grid.473833.80000 0001 2291 2164Zoological Survey of India, New Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700053 India
| | - Mukesh Thakur
- grid.473833.80000 0001 2291 2164Zoological Survey of India, New Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700053 India
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40
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Nations JA, Mount GG, Morere SM, Achmadi AS, Rowe KC, Esselstyn JA. Locomotory mode transitions alter phenotypic evolution and lineage diversification in an ecologically rich clade of mammals. Evolution 2021; 75:376-393. [PMID: 33370843 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The relationship between organismal function and form is a cornerstone of biology because functional diversity is key to generating and maintaining ecological diversity. Morphological changes often occur in unison with behavioral or ecological transitions, and this process may foster diversification, but alternately could trap a species on an adaptive peak. We estimated the most comprehensive phylogenetic hypothesis of Murinae, a young (∼15 million years) and diverse (∼700 species) clade of mammals. We then tested for correlated evolution among four morphological traits with potential links to locomotor modes (Arboreal, General, Terrestrial, and Amphibious), then investigated the effects of locomotion on morphological and lineage diversification. We found unique combinations of trait values for each locomotor mode, including strong covariance between the tail and hindfoot lengths of specialized Arboreal and ecologically flexible General species. Low diversification rates and long branch lengths suggest that specialized lineages represent stable evolutionary "cul-de-sacs." General species, characterized by the classic "rat-like" body plan and broad locomotor abilities, have narrow optimal trait values and slow phenotypic evolution, but high lineage diversification rates. Our findings suggest that versatile, generalist forms act as seeds of species diversity and morphological specialization, which together build ecologically diverse radiations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan A Nations
- Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University, 119 Foster Hall, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70803.,Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70803
| | - Genevieve G Mount
- Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University, 119 Foster Hall, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70803.,Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70803
| | - Sara M Morere
- Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University, 119 Foster Hall, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70803
| | - Anang S Achmadi
- Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Research Centre for Biology, Cibinong, Jawa Barat, 16911, Indonesia
| | - Kevin C Rowe
- Sciences Department, Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001, Australia
| | - Jacob A Esselstyn
- Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University, 119 Foster Hall, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70803.,Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70803
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41
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Fehlmann G, O'riain MJ, FÜrtbauer I, King AJ. Behavioral Causes, Ecological Consequences, and Management Challenges Associated with Wildlife Foraging in Human-Modified Landscapes. Bioscience 2021; 71:40-54. [PMID: 33442328 PMCID: PMC7791362 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaa129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans have altered up to half of the world's land surface. Wildlife living within or close to these human-modified landscapes are presented with opportunities and risks associated with feeding on human-derived foods (e.g., agricultural crops and food waste). Understanding whether and how wildlife adapts to these landscapes is a major challenge, with thousands of studies published on the topic over the past 10 years. In the present article, we build on established theoretical frameworks to understand the behavioral causes of crop and urban foraging by wildlife. We then develop and extend this framework to describe the multifaceted ecological consequences of crop and urban foraging for the individuals and populations in which they arise, with emphasis on social species for which interactions with people are, on balance, negative (commonly referred to as raiding species). Finally, we discuss the management challenges faced by urban and rural land managers, businesses, and government organizations in mitigating human-wildlife conflicts and propose ways to improve the lives of both wildlife and humans living in human-modified landscapes and to promote coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - M Justin O'riain
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife, Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ines FÜrtbauer
- Behavioural Ecology and Endocrinology Laboratory and Andrew King is an associate professor and head of the SHOAL group in the Department of Biosciences at Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J King
- Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior, Bodensee, Germany
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42
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Richmond JQ, Ota H, Grismer LL, Fisher RN. Influence of niche breadth and position on the historical biogeography of seafaring scincid lizards. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Niche breadth and position can influence diversification among closely related species or populations, yet limited empirical data exist concerning the predictability of the outcomes. We explored the effects of these factors on the evolution of the Emoia atrocostata species group, an insular radiation of lizards in the western Pacific Ocean and Indo-Australasia composed of both endemic and widespread species that differ in niche occupancy. We used molecular data and phylogeographical diffusion models to estimate the timing and patterns of range expansion, and ancestral reconstruction methods to infer shifts in ecology. We show evidence of multidirectional spread from a centre of origin in western Micronesia, and that the phyletic diversity of the group is derived from a putative habitat specialist that survives in the littoral zone. This species is composed of paraphyletic lineages that represent stages or possible endpoints in the continuum toward speciation. Several descendant species have transitioned to either strand or interior forest habitat, but only on remote islands with depauperate terrestrial faunas. Our results suggest that the atrocostata group might be in the early phases of a Wilsonian taxon cycle and that the capacity to tolerate salt stress has promoted dispersal and colonization of remote oceanic islands. Divergence itself, however, is largely driven by geographical isolation rather than shifts in ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hidetoshi Ota
- Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa, Japan
| | - L Lee Grismer
- Department of Biology, La Sierra University, Riverside, CA, USA
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43
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McClinton JD, Parchman TL, Torrence KL, Verburg PS, Leger EA. How specialized is a soil specialist? Early life history responses of a rare Eriogonum to site-level variation in volcanic soils. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2020; 107:1663-1676. [PMID: 33306244 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Understanding edaphic specialization is crucial for conserving rare plants that may need relocation due to habitat loss. Focusing on Eriogonum crosbyae, a rare soil specialist in the Great Basin of the United States, we asked how site-level variation among volcanic soil outcrops affected plant growth and population distribution. METHODS We measured emergence, survival, size, and biomass allocation of E. crosbyae seedlings planted in soils collected from 42 outcrops of actual and potential habitat. We also measured phenotypic variation in the wild, documented abiotic and biotic components of E. crosbyae habitat, re-surveyed Nevada populations, and evaluated occupancy changes over time. RESULTS Plants responded plastically to edaphic variation, growing larger and allocating relatively more to aboveground tissues in soils with greater nutrient availability and growing smaller in soils higher in copper in the field and the greenhouse. However, the chemical and physical soil properties we measured did not predict site occupancy, nor was plant phenotype in the greenhouse different when plants were grown in soils from sites with different occupation status. We observed occupation status reversals at five locations. CONCLUSIONS Eriogonum crosbyae performed well in soils formed on hydrothermally altered rocks that are inhospitable to many other plants. Extirpation/colonization events observed were consistent with metapopulation dynamics, which may partially explain the patchy distribution of E. crosbyae among outcrops of potential habitat. While soil properties did not predict site occupancy, early life stages showed sensitivity to soil variation, indicating that seedling dynamics may be important to consider for the conservation of this soil specialist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamey D McClinton
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA
| | | | | | - Paul S Verburg
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA
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Ilyina TA, Krupitsky AV, Bushuev AV. Association of Success in Interspecific Rearing of Nestlings with the Width of Trophic Niche of the Recipient Species in Hollow-Nesting Birds. BIOL BULL+ 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359020070043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Mi X, Sun Z, Song Y, Liu X, Yang J, Wu J, Ci X, Li J, Lin L, Cao M, Ma K. Rare tree species have narrow environmental but not functional niches. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiangcheng Mi
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change Institute of Botany Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Zhenhua Sun
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical GardenChinese Academy of Sciences Kunming China
| | - Yunfeng Song
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change Institute of Botany Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Xiaojuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change Institute of Botany Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Jie Yang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical GardenChinese Academy of Sciences Kunming China
- Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research InstituteChinese Academy of Sciences Menglun China
| | - Junjie Wu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical GardenChinese Academy of Sciences Kunming China
| | - Xiuqin Ci
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical GardenChinese Academy of Sciences Kunming China
| | - Jie Li
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical GardenChinese Academy of Sciences Kunming China
| | - Luxiang Lin
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical GardenChinese Academy of Sciences Kunming China
- Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research InstituteChinese Academy of Sciences Menglun China
| | - Min Cao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical GardenChinese Academy of Sciences Kunming China
| | - Keping Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change Institute of Botany Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
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Andrews CE, Ewen JG, Thorogood R. Enhancing dietary specialization metrics in observational studies of wild animal populations. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin E. Andrews
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Downing Street CambridgeCB2 3EJUK
- Institute of Zoology Zoological Society of London Regent’s Park LondonNW1 4RYUK
| | - John G. Ewen
- Institute of Zoology Zoological Society of London Regent’s Park LondonNW1 4RYUK
| | - Rose Thorogood
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Downing Street CambridgeCB2 3EJUK
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE) University of Helsinki Helsinki00014Finland
- Research Program in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki00014Finland
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47
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Carscadden KA, Emery NC, Arnillas CA, Cadotte MW, Afkhami ME, Gravel D, Livingstone SW, Wiens JJ. Niche Breadth: Causes and Consequences for Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation. QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1086/710388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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48
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Visher E, Boots M. The problem of mediocre generalists: population genetics and eco-evolutionary perspectives on host breadth evolution in pathogens. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201230. [PMID: 32811306 PMCID: PMC7482275 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Many of our theories for the generation and maintenance of diversity in nature depend on the existence of specialist biotic interactions which, in host-pathogen systems, also shape cross-species disease emergence. As such, niche breadth evolution, especially in host-parasite systems, remains a central focus in ecology and evolution. The predominant explanation for the existence of specialization in the literature is that niche breadth is constrained by trade-offs, such that a generalist is less fit on any particular environment than a given specialist. This trade-off theory has been used to predict niche breadth (co)evolution in both population genetics and eco-evolutionary models, with the different modelling methods providing separate, complementary insights. However, trade-offs may be far from universal, so population genetics theory has also proposed alternate mechanisms for costly generalism, including mutation accumulation. However, these mechanisms have yet to be integrated into eco-evolutionary models in order to understand how the mechanism of costly generalism alters the biological and ecological circumstances predicted to maintain specialism. In this review, we outline how population genetics and eco-evolutionary models based on trade-offs have provided insights for parasite niche breadth evolution and argue that the population genetics-derived mutation accumulation theory needs to be better integrated into eco-evolutionary theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Visher
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Mike Boots
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Ringgold Standard Institution, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
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Clinal and Allometric Variation in the Skull of Sexually Dimorphic Opossums. J MAMM EVOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-020-09513-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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50
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Greene LK, Williams CV, Junge RE, Mahefarisoa KL, Rajaonarivelo T, Rakotondrainibe H, O'Connell TM, Drea CM. A role for gut microbiota in host niche differentiation. THE ISME JOURNAL 2020; 14:1675-1687. [PMID: 32238913 PMCID: PMC7305313 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-0640-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
If gut microbes influence host behavioral ecology in the short term, over evolutionary time, they could drive host niche differentiation. We explored this possibility by comparing the gut microbiota of Madagascar's folivorous lemurs from Indriidae and Lepilemuridae. Occurring sympatrically in the eastern rainforest, our four, target species have different dietary specializations, including frugo-folivory (sifakas), young-leaf folivory (indri and woolly lemurs), and mature-leaf folivory (sportive lemurs). We collected fecal samples, from 2013 to 2017, and used amplicon sequencing, metagenomic sequencing, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, respectively, to integrate analyses of gut microbiome structure and function with analysis of the colonic metabolome. The lemurs harbored species-specific microbiomes, metagenomes, and metabolomes that were tuned to their dietary specializations: Frugo-folivores had greater microbial and metagenomic diversity, and harbored generalist taxa. Mature-leaf folivores had greater individual microbiome variation, and taxa and metabolites putatively involved in cellulolysis. The consortia even differed between related, young-leaf specialists, with indri prioritizing metabolism of fiber and plant secondary compounds, and woolly lemurs prioritizing amino-acid cycling. Specialized gut microbiota and associated gastrointestinal morphologies enable folivores to variably tolerate resource fluctuation and support nutrient extraction from challenging resources (e.g., by metabolizing plant secondary compounds or recalcitrant fibers), perhaps ultimately facilitating host species' diversity and specialized feeding ecologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia K Greene
- University Program in Ecology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
- Primate Microbiome Project, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Cathy V Williams
- Duke Lemur Center, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
- Ambatovy Minerals, S.A., Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Randall E Junge
- Ambatovy Minerals, S.A., Antananarivo, Madagascar
- Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, 9990 Riverside Drive, Columbus, OH, 43065, USA
| | - Karine L Mahefarisoa
- Ambatovy Minerals, S.A., Antananarivo, Madagascar
- Vet Care Clinic Madagascar, IVC II Ambatomitsangana, 101, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Tsiky Rajaonarivelo
- Ambatovy Minerals, S.A., Antananarivo, Madagascar
- Vetclinic, Ampandrianomby, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | | | - Thomas M O'Connell
- Department of Otolaryngology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Christine M Drea
- University Program in Ecology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
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