1
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Stewart AD, Herrick CM, Fitzgibbon TR, Wehner JM, Lev A, Venti PA, Pischedda A. Life history changes associated with over 400 generations of artificial selection on body size in Drosophila. J Evol Biol 2024; 37:851-861. [PMID: 38809925 DOI: 10.1093/jeb/voae066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Body size is a trait that shapes many aspects of a species' development and evolution. Larger body size is often beneficial in animals, but it can also be associated with life history costs in natural systems. Similarly, miniaturization, the evolution of extremely small adult body size, is found in every major animal group, yet carries its own life history trade-offs. Given that these effects can depend on an animal's environment and life stage and have mainly been studied in species that are already specialized for their size, the life history changes associated with evolutionary shifts in body size warrant additional investigation. Here, we used Drosophila melanogaster populations that had undergone over 400 generations of artificial selection on body size to investigate the changes in life history traits associated with the evolution of extremely large and extremely small body sizes. Populations selected for small body size experienced strong trade-offs in multiple life history traits, including reduced female fecundity and lower juvenile viability. Although we found positively correlated changes in egg size associated with selection for both large and small body size, after adjusting for female body size, females from populations selected for large size had the lowest relative investment per egg and females from populations selected for small size had the highest relative investment per egg. Taken together, our results suggest that egg size may be a key constraint on the evolution of body size in D. melanogaster, providing insight into the broader phenomenon of body size evolution in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Stewart
- Department of Biology, Canisius University, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Calvin M Herrick
- Department of Biology, Canisius University, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | | | - James M Wehner
- Department of Biology, Canisius University, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Avigayil Lev
- Department of Biology, Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Patricia A Venti
- Department of Biology, Canisius University, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Alison Pischedda
- Department of Biology, Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
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2
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Heit DR, Ortiz-Calo W, Poisson MKP, Butler AR, Moll RJ. Generalized nonlinearity in animal ecology: Research, review, and recommendations. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11387. [PMID: 38994210 PMCID: PMC11237342 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11387] [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: 01/06/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Generalized linear models (GLMs) are an integral tool in ecology. Like general linear models, GLMs assume linearity, which entails a linear relationship between independent and dependent variables. However, because this assumption acts on the link rather than the natural scale in GLMs, it is more easily overlooked. We reviewed recent ecological literature to quantify the use of linearity. We then used two case studies to confront the linearity assumption via two GLMs fit to empirical data. In the first case study we compared GLMs to generalized additive models (GAMs) fit to mammal relative abundance data. In the second case study we tested for linearity in occupancy models using passerine point-count data. We reviewed 162 studies published in the last 5 years in five leading ecology journals and found less than 15% reported testing for linearity. These studies used transformations and GAMs more often than they reported a linearity test. In the first case study, GAMs strongly out-performed GLMs as measured by AIC in modeling relative abundance, and GAMs helped uncover nonlinear responses of carnivore species to landscape development. In the second case study, 14% of species-specific models failed a formal statistical test for linearity. We also found that differences between linear and nonlinear (i.e., those with a transformed independent variable) model predictions were similar for some species but not for others, with implications for inference and conservation decision-making. Our review suggests that reporting tests for linearity are rare in recent studies employing GLMs. Our case studies show how formally comparing models that allow for nonlinear relationships between the dependent and independent variables has the potential to impact inference, generate new hypotheses, and alter conservation implications. We conclude by suggesting that ecological studies report tests for linearity and use formal methods to address linearity assumption violations in GLMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R Heit
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment University of New Hampshire Durham New Hampshire USA
| | - Waldemar Ortiz-Calo
- Wildlife Biology Program, W.A. Franke College of Forestry University of Montana Missoula Montana USA
| | - Mairi K P Poisson
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment University of New Hampshire Durham New Hampshire USA
| | - Andrew R Butler
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment University of New Hampshire Durham New Hampshire USA
| | - Remington J Moll
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment University of New Hampshire Durham New Hampshire USA
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3
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Robinson JPW, Benkwitt CE, Maire E, Morais R, Schiettekatte NMD, Skinner C, Brandl SJ. Quantifying energy and nutrient fluxes in coral reef food webs. Trends Ecol Evol 2024; 39:467-478. [PMID: 38105132 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.11.013] [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: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
The movement of energy and nutrients through ecological communities represents the biological 'pulse' underpinning ecosystem functioning and services. However, energy and nutrient fluxes are inherently difficult to observe, particularly in high-diversity systems such as coral reefs. We review advances in the quantification of fluxes in coral reef fishes, focusing on four key frameworks: demographic modelling, bioenergetics, micronutrients, and compound-specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA). Each framework can be integrated with underwater surveys, enabling researchers to scale organismal processes to ecosystem properties. This has revealed how small fish support biomass turnover, pelagic subsidies sustain fisheries, and fisheries benefit human health. Combining frameworks, closing data gaps, and expansion to other aquatic ecosystems can advance understanding of how fishes contribute to ecosystem functions and services.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P W Robinson
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK.
| | | | - Eva Maire
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Renato Morais
- Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, École Pratique des Hautes Études, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Perpignan 66860, France
| | | | - Christina Skinner
- School of the Environment, University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, QLD, Australia
| | - Simon J Brandl
- Department of Marine Science, The University of Texas at Austin, Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, TX 78373, USA
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4
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Camacho-Mateu J, Lampo A, Sireci M, Muñoz MA, Cuesta JA. Sparse species interactions reproduce abundance correlation patterns in microbial communities. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2309575121. [PMID: 38266051 PMCID: PMC10853627 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309575121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
During the last decades, macroecology has identified broad-scale patterns of abundances and diversity of microbial communities and put forward some potential explanations for them. However, these advances are not paralleled by a full understanding of the dynamical processes behind them. In particular, abundance fluctuations of different species are found to be correlated, both across time and across communities in metagenomic samples. Reproducing such correlations through appropriate population models remains an open challenge. The present paper tackles this problem and points to sparse species interactions as a necessary mechanism to account for them. Specifically, we discuss several possibilities to include interactions in population models and recognize Lotka-Volterra constants as a successful ansatz. For this, we design a Bayesian inference algorithm to extract sets of interaction constants able to reproduce empirical probability distributions of pairwise correlations for diverse biomes. Importantly, the inferred models still reproduce well-known single-species macroecological patterns concerning abundance fluctuations across both species and communities. Endorsed by the agreement with the empirically observed phenomenology, our analyses provide insights into the properties of the networks of microbial interactions, revealing that sparsity is a crucial feature.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Camacho-Mateu
- Grupo Interdisciplinar de Sistemas Complejos, Departamento de Matemáticas, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Leganés28911, Spain
| | - Aniello Lampo
- Grupo Interdisciplinar de Sistemas Complejos, Departamento de Matemáticas, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Leganés28911, Spain
| | - Matteo Sireci
- Departamento de Electromagnetismo y Física de la Materia, Universidad de Granada, Granada18071, Spain
- Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Miguel A. Muñoz
- Departamento de Electromagnetismo y Física de la Materia, Universidad de Granada, Granada18071, Spain
- Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - José A. Cuesta
- Grupo Interdisciplinar de Sistemas Complejos, Departamento de Matemáticas, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Leganés28911, Spain
- Instituto de Biocomputación y Física de Sistemas Complejos, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza50001, Spain
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5
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Keith SA, Drury JP, McGill BJ, Grether GF. Macrobehaviour: behavioural variation across space, time, and taxa. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:1177-1188. [PMID: 37661519 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.08.007] [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: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
We explore how integrating behavioural ecology and macroecology can provide fundamental new insight into both fields, with particular relevance for understanding ecological responses to rapid environmental change. We outline the field of macrobehaviour, which aims to unite these disciplines explicitly, and highlight examples of research in this space. Macrobehaviour can be envisaged as a spectrum, where behavioural ecologists and macroecologists use new data and borrow tools and approaches from one another. At the heart of this spectrum, interdisciplinary research considers how selection in the context of large-scale factors can lead to systematic patterns in behavioural variation across space, time, and taxa, and in turn, influence macroecological patterns and processes. Macrobehaviour has the potential to enhance forecasts of future biodiversity change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally A Keith
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK.
| | - Jonathan P Drury
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Brian J McGill
- School of Biology and Ecology and Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | - Gregory F Grether
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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6
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Wiens JJ. Trait-based species richness: ecology and macroevolution. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:1365-1387. [PMID: 37015839 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the origins of species richness patterns is a fundamental goal in ecology and evolutionary biology. Much research has focused on explaining two kinds of species richness patterns: (i) spatial species richness patterns (e.g. the latitudinal diversity gradient), and (ii) clade-based species richness patterns (e.g. the predominance of angiosperm species among plants). Here, I highlight a third kind of richness pattern: trait-based species richness (e.g. the number of species with each state of a character, such as diet or body size). Trait-based richness patterns are relevant to many topics in ecology and evolution, from ecosystem function to adaptive radiation to the paradox of sex. Although many studies have described particular trait-based richness patterns, the origins of these patterns remain far less understood, and trait-based richness has not been emphasised as a general category of richness patterns. Here, I describe a conceptual framework for how trait-based richness patterns arise compared to other richness patterns. A systematic review suggests that trait-based richness patterns are most often explained by when each state originates within a group (i.e. older states generally have higher richness), and not by differences in transition rates among states or faster diversification of species with certain states. This latter result contrasts with the widespread emphasis on diversification rates in species-richness research. I show that many recent studies of spatial richness patterns are actually studies of trait-based richness patterns, potentially confounding the causes of these patterns. Finally, I describe a plethora of unanswered questions related to trait-based richness patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Wiens
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721-0088, USA
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7
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Riva F, Graco-Roza C, Daskalova GN, Hudgins EJ, Lewthwaite JM, Newman EA, Ryo M, Mammola S. Toward a cohesive understanding of ecological complexity. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eabq4207. [PMID: 37343095 PMCID: PMC10284553 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq4207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Ecological systems are quintessentially complex systems. Understanding and being able to predict phenomena typical of complex systems is, therefore, critical to progress in ecology and conservation amidst escalating global environmental change. However, myriad definitions of complexity and excessive reliance on conventional scientific approaches hamper conceptual advances and synthesis. Ecological complexity may be better understood by following the solid theoretical basis of complex system science (CSS). We review features of ecological systems described within CSS and conduct bibliometric and text mining analyses to characterize articles that refer to ecological complexity. Our analyses demonstrate that the study of complexity in ecology is a highly heterogeneous, global endeavor that is only weakly related to CSS. Current research trends are typically organized around basic theory, scaling, and macroecology. We leverage our review and the generalities identified in our analyses to suggest a more coherent and cohesive way forward in the study of complexity in ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Riva
- Geomatics and Landscape Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
- Insectarium, Montreal Space for Life, 4581 Sherbrooke St E, Montreal, Quebec H1X 2B2, Canada
- Spatial Ecology Group, Department of Ecology and Evolution, Université de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Caio Graco-Roza
- Aquatic Community Ecology Group, Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2, 00560 Helsinki, Finland
- Laboratory of Ecology and Physiology of Phytoplankton, Department of Plant Biology, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rua São Francisco Xavier 524, PHLC, Sala 511a, 20550-900 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gergana N. Daskalova
- Biodiversity and Ecology Group, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Emma J. Hudgins
- Geomatics and Landscape Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Jayme M. M. Lewthwaite
- Marine and Environmental Biology, University of Southern California, 3616 Trousdale Pkwy, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0371, USA
| | - Erica A. Newman
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Masahiro Ryo
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Eberswalder Str. 84, 15374 Muencheberg, Germany
- Environment and Natural Sciences, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, 03046 Cottbus, Germany
| | - Stefano Mammola
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe), Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS), University of Helsinki, Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13, Helsinki 00100, Finland
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), Corso Tonolli, 50, Pallanza 28922, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
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8
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Truchet DM, Buzzi NS, Moulatlet GM, Capparelli MV. Macroecotoxicological approaches to emerging patterns of microplastic bioaccumulation in crabs from estuarine and marine environments. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 870:161912. [PMID: 36731577 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Despite the increasing plastic discharge into the environment, few articles have dealt with the macroecological implications of microplastics (MPs) bioaccumulation on organisms. We performed a meta-analysis of MPs accumulation in true crabs and pseudocrabs worldwide and made use of macroecotoxicological approaches to know if: I) functional traits influence the bioaccumulation of MPs in the tissues of crabs; II) there is a latitudinal pattern of MPs bioaccumulation; III) there are tissues that can accumulate more MPs; IV) crabs can sort particles according to size, color, shape and type. Our results showed that functional traits influence the accumulation of MPs. Smaller crabs in size and weight and with shorter lifespans tended to exhibit more plastic particles. According to the environment, estuarine crabs from the intertidal and muddy substrates held more MPs. Also, burrowers exhibited significantly more particles in the tissues than omnivorous crabs. Besides, we recorded that crabs from low latitudes tended to exhibit more plastic particles, probably because of the mangroves' location that acts as traps for MPs. Non-human-consumed crabs accumulated significantly more MPs than human-consumed ones. Considering the tissues, gills were prone to accumulate more debris than the digestive tract, but without significant differences. Finally, colorless fibers of 1-5 mm of PA, PP and PET were the predominant characteristics of MPs, suggesting that crabs accumulated denser types but did not sort plastic according to color. These results indicate that functional traits might influence the accumulation of MPs and that there are coastal regions and geographical areas where crabs tend to accumulate more MPs. Analyzing MPs accumulation patterns with macroecological tools can generate information to identify the most affected species and define priorities for monitoring and implementing actions toward reducing plastic use globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela M Truchet
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC, CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMdP), Dean Funes 3350, B7602AYL Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Natalia S Buzzi
- Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía (IADO), Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS), CCT- CONICET, Camino La Carrindanga, km 7.5, Edificio E1, B8000FWB Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS), San Juan 670, Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gabriel M Moulatlet
- Red de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Mariana V Capparelli
- Estación El Carmen, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Carretera Carmen-Puerto Real km 9.5, C. P 24157 Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, Mexico.
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9
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Doré M, Willmott K, Lavergne S, Chazot N, Freitas AVL, Fontaine C, Elias M. Mutualistic interactions shape global spatial congruence and climatic niche evolution in Neotropical mimetic butterflies. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:843-857. [PMID: 36929564 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14198] [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: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms underlying species distributions and coexistence is both a priority and a challenge for biodiversity hotspots such as the Neotropics. Here, we highlight that Müllerian mimicry, where defended prey species display similar warning signals, is key to the maintenance of biodiversity in the c. 400 species of the Neotropical butterfly tribe Ithomiini (Nymphalidae: Danainae). We show that mimicry drives large-scale spatial association among phenotypically similar species, providing new empirical evidence for the validity of Müller's model at a macroecological scale. Additionally, we show that mimetic interactions drive the evolutionary convergence of species climatic niche, thereby strengthening the co-occurrence of co-mimetic species. This study provides new insights into the importance of mutualistic interactions in shaping both niche evolution and species assemblages at large spatial scales. Critically, in the context of climate change, our results highlight the vulnerability to extinction cascades of such adaptively assembled communities tied by positive interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maël Doré
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, MNHN-CNRS-Sorbonne Université-EPHE-Université des Antilles, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France.,Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation, UMR 7204 MNHN-CNRS-Sorbonne Université, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Keith Willmott
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Sebastien Lavergne
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, Grenoble, France
| | - Nicolas Chazot
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - André V L Freitas
- Departamento de Biologia Animal and Museu de Diversidade Biológica, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Colin Fontaine
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation, UMR 7204 MNHN-CNRS-Sorbonne Université, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Marianne Elias
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, MNHN-CNRS-Sorbonne Université-EPHE-Université des Antilles, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama, Panama
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10
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Carvajal-Quintero J, Comte L, Giam X, Olden JD, Brose U, Erős T, Filipe AF, Fortin MJ, Irving K, Jacquet C, Larsen S, Ruhi A, Sharma S, Villalobos F, Tedesco PA. Scale of population synchrony confirms macroecological estimates of minimum viable range size. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:291-301. [PMID: 36468276 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Global ecosystems are facing a deepening biodiversity crisis, necessitating robust approaches to quantifying species extinction risk. The lower limit of the macroecological relationship between species range and body size has long been hypothesized as an estimate of the relationship between the minimum viable range size (MVRS) needed for species persistence and the organismal traits that affect space and resource requirements. Here, we perform the first explicit test of this assumption by confronting the MVRS predicted by the range-body size relationship with an independent estimate based on the scale of synchrony in abundance among spatially separated populations of riverine fish. We provide clear evidence of a positive relationship between the scale of synchrony and species body size, and strong support for the MVRS set by the lower limit of the range-body size macroecological relationship. This MVRS may help prioritize first evaluations for unassessed or data-deficient taxa in global conservation assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carvajal-Quintero
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena- Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lise Comte
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, USA
| | - Xingli Giam
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Julian D Olden
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Ulrich Brose
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena- Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Tibor Erős
- Balaton Limnological Research Institute, ELKH, Tihany, Hungary
| | - Ana Filipa Filipe
- Forest Research Centre, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.,Associate Laboratory TERRA, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Marie-Josée Fortin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Katie Irving
- Department of Biology, Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, Costa Mesa, California, USA
| | - Claire Jacquet
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Stefano Larsen
- Fondazione Edmund Mach, Research and Innovation Centre, San Michele all'Adige, Italy.,Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Albert Ruhi
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Sapna Sharma
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Fabricio Villalobos
- Laboratorio de Macroecología Evolutiva, Red de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Pablo A Tedesco
- UMR EDB, IRD 253, CNRS 5174, UPS, Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
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11
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Real R, Báez JC, Fa JE, Olivero J, Acevedo P. Making the competitive exclusion principle operational at the biogeographical scale using fuzzy logic. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.991344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In biogeography the competitive exclusion principle (CEP) has been confirmed in some cases but not in others. This has fueled an unresolved debate between those advocating niche theory or the neutral theory in biodiversity and biogeography. We suggest that this situation mainly arises from the use of crisp logic, where the CEP is defined as either completely true or false. We propose the application of the fuzzy concepts of favorability (the degree to which environmental conditions are propitious for the occurrence of individual species) and favorableness (the degree to which environmental conditions are simultaneously favorable for competing species) to operationalize a fuzzy version of the CEP. Favorability was obtained by performing species distribution models applying favorability functions, while favorableness was derived from the application of the fuzzy intersection between the favorability for competing species. Then we plotted individual favorability values along the gradient of favorableness. Two potentially competing species would coexist in high-favorableness locations, as the demands of both species would be well fulfilled. In locations of low favorableness, the result would be either autecological exclusion of both species or autecological segregation, as abiotic conditions are unfavorable for at least one of the species. Competitive exclusion would occur at the intermediate stretch of the favorableness gradient, as the conditions would be good enough for persistence of each species separately but not enough for permanent coexistence. According to this theoretical framework, the observed probability that a location belongs to the intermediate favorableness area given that the two species co-occur in this location should be lower than expected according to the environmental probability models for the two species. We tested this prediction on published data about the distribution of pairs of native and introduced deer species in Great Britain, using a Bayesian approach. In two thirds of comparisons between a native and an introduced deer species the predictions of the fuzzy CEP were corroborated, which suggests that these are the pairs of species and the specific geographical areas affected by competitive exclusion. This is important both theoretically and for biodiversity conservation planning.
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12
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Changes in bee functional traits at community and intraspecific levels along an elevational gradient in a Mexical-type scrubland. Oecologia 2022; 200:145-158. [PMID: 36053349 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05248-y] [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: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the causes of morphological variation of organisms along climatic gradients has been a central challenge in ecological research. We studied the variation of community weighted mean (CWM) and two functional diversity metrics (Rao-Q and functional richness) computed for five morphological traits of wild bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) related to thermal performance (namely body size, relative appendage length and hairiness), at community and interspecific levels, along an elevation gradient in a Mexical-type scrubland. At the community level we found a decreasing CWM of body size pattern with increasing elevation which is consistent with the species-energy theory (and contrary to Bergmann's rule). We also found an increase in the CWM of relative tibia length, which is contrary to Allen's rule. Additionally, we found an increase in the CWM of relative hair length towards high levels of elevation, which would be consistent with the hypothesis that hairiness plays an important role as thermal insulation. We found that functional diversity was larger at low elevations with respect to high elevation for body size and hair length, which could imply that highland communities were more sensitive towards environmental changes than lowland communities. Overall, at intraspecific level, most of species showed no pattern for any of the traits along the elevation gradient. Future research should provide further evidence on the possible behavioral or physiological mechanisms behind it.
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13
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Corro EJ, Villalobos F, Lira-Noriega A, Guevara R, Dáttilo W. Current climate and latitude shape the structure of bat-fruit interaction networks throughout the Neotropical region. ECOSCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/11956860.2021.2007644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Erick J. Corro
- Red de Ecoetología, Instituto de Ecología A.C., Xalapa, Mexico
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Veracruzana, Córdoba, Mexico
| | | | - Andrés Lira-Noriega
- CONACYT Research Fellow, Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados, Instituto de Ecología A.C., Xalapa, Mexico
| | - Roger Guevara
- Red de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología A.C., Xalapa, Mexico
| | - Wesley Dáttilo
- Red de Ecoetología, Instituto de Ecología A.C., Xalapa, Mexico
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14
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Sarabeev V, Balbuena JA, Desdevises Y, Morand S. Host-parasite relationships in invasive species: macroecological framework. Biol Invasions 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-022-02821-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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15
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Pie MR, Caron FS. Geographical range overlap networks and the macroecology of species co-occurrence. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0266275. [PMID: 35385515 PMCID: PMC8985969 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Direct interactions among species are only possible if there is some overlap in their geographical distributions. However, despite intense focus of macroecological research on species geographical ranges, relatively little theoretical and empirical work has been done on the evolution of range overlap. In this study we explore a simple model of range overlap based on a log-normal distribution of species range sizes along a one-dimensional domain, with or without absorbing boundary conditions. In particular, we focus on the mean and variance of range overlap distributions, as well as the topology of the resulting overlap networks with respect to their degree distribution, evenness, and betweenness scores. According to the model, there is an approximately linear relationship between many aspects of the distribution of range overlaps and their underlying species distributions, such as their mean and variance. However, the expected mean number of non-zero range overlaps for a given species varied from linear to convex depending on the variance of the underlying geographical range distribution. The expected topology of range overlap networks varied substantially depending on the mean and variance in the corresponding geographical distributions, particularly in the case of the degree and closeness distributions. Finally, we test the expectations of our model against five datasets of altitudinal distributions of Neotropical birds. We found strong departures from the expectations based on our model, which could potentially result from phylogenetic niche conservatism related to altitudinal gradients in environmental conditions, or from the asymmetric colonization of mountains by species from lowlands. Potential applications of range overlap networks to a variety of ecological and evolutionary phenomena are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcio R. Pie
- Biology Department, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, Lancashire, United Kingdom
| | - Fernanda S. Caron
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
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16
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Enriquez-Urzelai U, Boratyński Z. Energetic dissociation of individual and species ranges. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20210374. [PMID: 35168378 PMCID: PMC8847892 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of energy is universal to all life forms and all levels of biological organization, potentially linking processes operating at variable scales. Individual and species ranges might be energetically constrained, yet divergent metabolic limitations at both scales can disassociate these individual and species traits. We analysed comparative energetic and range data to unravel the mechanistic basis of the dissociation between individual and species range sizes observed among mammalian species. Our results demonstrate that basal, or maintenance, metabolism negatively correlates with individual ranges, but, at the same time, it positively correlates with species ranges. High aerobic capacity, i.e. maximum metabolic rate, positively correlates with individual ranges, but it is weakly related to species range size. These antagonistic energetic constraints on both ranges could lead to a disassociation between individual and species traits and to a low covariation between home and species range sizes. We show that important organismal functions, such as basal and maximum metabolic rates, have the potential to unravel mechanisms operating at different levels of biological organization and to expose links between energy-dependent processes at different scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urtzi Enriquez-Urzelai
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Květná 8, 60365 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Zbyszek Boratyński
- BIOPOLIS, CIBIO/InBio, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
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17
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Wen Z, Cai T, Wu Y, Fejió A, Xia L, Cheng J, Peng X, Zhang Q, Zhang Z, Ran J, Ge D, Yang Q. Environmental drivers of sympatric mammalian species compositional turnover in giant panda nature reserves: Implications for conservation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 806:150944. [PMID: 34655626 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The charismatic giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is an iconic species of wildlife conservation worldwide. As the most effective measure to protect giant pandas and their habitats, China has established 67 giant panda nature reserves (GPNR) during the last five decades, which also bring benefits to many sympatric medium- and large-bodied mammals (MLM). To better inform the planning of the GPNR network with the view of preserving regional MLM diversity, we investigated the zeta diversity (a novel index to measure species compositional turnover considering the contributions of both rare and common species) patterns (i.e. zeta decline and retention rate curve) of MLMs across 40 GPNRs. The effects of species' body mass and conservation status on the zeta diversity patterns were tested. Further, we applied the multi-site generalized dissimilarity modelling (MS-GDM) framework to explore the impacts of environmental and geographic distances on MLM turnover. The results indicated that there are a core set of 17 MLM species sympatric with the giant panda in the GPNRs. Species' body mass can affect the patterns of zeta decline and retention rate curves, and the number of large-bodied species shared by multiple GPNRs is higher than that of medium-bodied species across zeta orders. The MS-GDM revealed the important roles of difference in habitat heterogeneity and spatial distance between GPNRs in driving MLM turnover. Consequently, we advocate maintaining and increasing the diversity of (natural) habitats in GPNRs to protect giant panda's sympatric MLM diversity. The government should consider optimizing the GPNR network (e.g. incorporating multiple small GPNRs into one single large reserve) to capture the most turnover of MLMs, and the newly-established Giant Panda National Park is relevant to fulfilling this long-term goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixin Wen
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, PR China.
| | - Tianlong Cai
- School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, No. 18 Shilongshan Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310023, PR China.
| | - Yongjie Wu
- College of Life Science, Sichuan University, No. 29 Wangjiang Road, Wuhou District, Chengdu 610064, PR China.
| | - Anderson Fejió
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, PR China
| | - Lin Xia
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, PR China.
| | - Jilong Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, PR China.
| | - Xingwen Peng
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, PR China; Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19 Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, PR China.
| | - Qian Zhang
- Appraisal Center for Environment and Engineering, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, No. 28 Beiyuan Road, Beijing 100012, PR China.
| | - Zejun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation, Ministry of Education, China West Normal University, No. 1 Shida Road, Nanchong 637002, PR China
| | - Jianghong Ran
- College of Life Science, Sichuan University, No. 29 Wangjiang Road, Wuhou District, Chengdu 610064, PR China
| | - Deyan Ge
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, PR China.
| | - Qisen Yang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, PR China.
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18
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Huang S, Farrell M, Stephens PR. Infectious disease macroecology: parasite diversity and dynamics across the globe. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200350. [PMID: 34538145 PMCID: PMC8450632 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shan Huang
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Maxwell Farrell
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Patrick R. Stephens
- Odum School of Ecology and Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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19
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Gallinat AS, Ellwood ER, Heberling JM, Miller-Rushing AJ, Pearse WD, Primack RB. Macrophenology: insights into the broad-scale patterns, drivers, and consequences of phenology. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2021; 108:2112-2126. [PMID: 34755895 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Plant phenology research has surged in recent decades, in part due to interest in phenological sensitivity to climate change and the vital role phenology plays in ecology. Many local-scale studies have generated important findings regarding the physiology, responses, and risks associated with shifts in plant phenology. By comparison, our understanding of regional- and global-scale phenology has been largely limited to remote sensing of green-up without the ability to differentiate among plant species. However, a new generation of analytical tools and data sources-including enhanced remote sensing products, digitized herbarium specimen data, and public participation in science-now permits investigating patterns and drivers of phenology across extensive taxonomic, temporal, and spatial scales, in an emerging field that we call macrophenology. Recent studies have highlighted how phenology affects dynamics at broad scales, including species interactions and ranges, carbon fluxes, and climate. At the cusp of this developing field of study, we review the theoretical and practical advances in four primary areas of plant macrophenology: (1) global patterns and shifts in plant phenology, (2) within-species changes in phenology as they mediate species' range limits and invasions at the regional scale, (3) broad-scale variation in phenology among species leading to ecological mismatches, and (4) interactions between phenology and global ecosystem processes. To stimulate future research, we describe opportunities for macrophenology to address grand challenges in each of these research areas, as well as recently available data sources that enhance and enable macrophenology research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda S Gallinat
- Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 3210 N Maryland Ave, Milwaukee, WI, 53211, USA
| | - Elizabeth R Ellwood
- iDigBio, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
- La Brea Tar Pits and Museum, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles California, Los Angeles, CA, 90036, USA
| | - J Mason Heberling
- Section of Botany, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | | | - William D Pearse
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Rd., Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Richard B Primack
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
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20
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Abstract
The rapidly emerging field of macrogenetics focuses on analysing publicly accessible genetic datasets from thousands of species to explore large-scale patterns and predictors of intraspecific genetic variation. Facilitated by advances in evolutionary biology, technology, data infrastructure, statistics and open science, macrogenetics addresses core evolutionary hypotheses (such as disentangling environmental and life-history effects on genetic variation) with a global focus. Yet, there are important, often overlooked, limitations to this approach and best practices need to be considered and adopted if macrogenetics is to continue its exciting trajectory and reach its full potential in fields such as biodiversity monitoring and conservation. Here, we review the history of this rapidly growing field, highlight knowledge gaps and future directions, and provide guidelines for further research.
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21
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d’ Hiriart S, Cueto G, Ortiz PE, Teta P, Jayat J. Spatial variation of small mammal communities in northwestern Argentina. MAMMALIA 2021. [DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2020-0149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Northwestern Argentina (NWA) is a region characterized by a complex geomorphology, and encompasses six ecoregions in a relatively small area. The environmental heterogeneity of NWA and the sensitivity of small mammals towards environmental and landscape changes constitute a good scenario to assess the factors that influence small mammal diversity patterns in the region. We studied small mammal communities obtained from pellet samples in 24 localities of NWA. We identified 50 non-volant small mammal species and obtained topographic, climate and land cover variables. Our results show that small mammal communities respond to environmental factors at a regional scale. Such variations were explained in different proportions by the geographic position of the collecting sites, landscape and climate. Furthermore, the combined effect of these factors was the main determinant of species abundance patterns. Our results support the need of large-scale approaches to study communities, since the explanations of the observed patterns are simpler and more general. We emphasize the importance of considering the combined effect of different environmental predictors, which allows determining the amount of species variation that is spatially structured, and within that, the amount of variation related to the influence of the measured environmental variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofía d’ Hiriart
- División Mastozoología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia” , Avenida Ángel Gallardo 470 , C1405DJR Buenos Aires , Argentina
| | - Gerardo Cueto
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución , Instituto IEGEBA (CONICET-UBA), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria , 2160 Intendente Guiraldes , C1428EGA Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires , Argentina
| | - Pablo E. Ortiz
- Instituto Superior de Correlación Geológica (INSUGEO, CONICET) , 4000 San Miguel de Tucumán , Tucumán , Argentina
| | - Pablo Teta
- División Mastozoología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia” , Avenida Ángel Gallardo 470 , C1405DJR Buenos Aires , Argentina
| | - J. Pablo Jayat
- Unidad Ejecutora Lillo, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Fundación Miguel Lillo , 4000 San Miguel de Tucumán , Argentina
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22
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Sobral-Souza T, Santos JP, Maldaner ME, Lima-Ribeiro MS, Ribeiro MC. EcoLand: A multiscale niche modelling framework to improve predictions on biodiversity and conservation. Perspect Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2021.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
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23
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Diaz RM, Ye H, Ernest SKM. Empirical abundance distributions are more uneven than expected given their statistical baseline. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:2025-2039. [PMID: 34142760 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13820] [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: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Exploring and accounting for the emergent properties of ecosystems as complex systems is a promising horizon in the search for general processes to explain common ecological patterns. For example the ubiquitous hollow-curve form of the species abundance distribution is frequently assumed to reflect ecological processes structuring communities, but can also emerge as a statistical phenomenon from the mathematical definition of an abundance distribution. Although the hollow curve may be a statistical artefact, ecological processes may induce subtle deviations between empirical species abundance distributions and their statistically most probable forms. These deviations may reflect biological processes operating on top of mathematical constraints and provide new avenues for advancing ecological theory. Examining ~22,000 communities, we found that empirical SADs are highly uneven and dominated by rare species compared to their statistical baselines. Efforts to detect deviations may be less informative in small communities-those with few species or individuals-because these communities have poorly resolved statistical baselines. The uneven nature of many empirical SADs demonstrates a path forward for leveraging complexity to understand ecological processes governing the distribution of abundance, while the issues posed by small communities illustrate the limitations of using this approach to study ecological patterns in small samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata M Diaz
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Hao Ye
- Health Science Center Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - S K Morgan Ernest
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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24
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Western D, Mose VN. The changing role of natural and human agencies shaping the ecology of an African savanna ecosystem. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
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25
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Baselga A, Gómez-Rodríguez C. Assessing the equilibrium between assemblage composition and climate: A directional distance-decay approach. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1906-1918. [PMID: 33909913 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13509] [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: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The variation of assemblage composition in space is characterised by the decrease in assemblage similarity with spatial distance. Climatic constraint and dispersal limitation are major drivers of distance-decay of similarity. Distance-decay of similarity is usually conceptualised and modelled as an isotropic pattern, that is, assuming that similarity decays with the same rate in all directions. Because climatic gradients are markedly anisotropic, that is, they have different strength in different directions, if species distributions were in equilibrium with climate, the decay of assemblage similarity should be anisotropic in the same direction as the climatic gradient, that is, faster turnover in the direction that maximises the climatic gradient. Thus, deviations from equilibrium between assemblage composition and climatic conditions would result in differences in anisotropy between distance-decay of similarity and climatic gradients. We assessed anisotropy in distance-decay patterns in marine plankton assemblages, terrestrial vertebrates and European beetles, using two procedures: (a) measuring the correlation between the residuals of a distance-decay model and the angle in which pairs of sites are separated and (b) computing two separate distance-decay models for each dataset, one using only pairwise cases that are separated on North-South direction and another one using pairwise cases separated on East-West direction. We also analysed whether the degree of anisotropy in distance-decay is related to dispersal ability (proportion of wingless species and body size) and ecological niche characteristics (main habitat and trophic position) by assessing these relationships among beetle taxonomic groups (n = 21). Anisotropy varied markedly across realms and biological groups. Despite climatic gradients being steeper in North-South direction than in East-West direction in all datasets, North-South distance-decays tended to be steeper than East-West distance-decays in plankton and most vertebrate assemblages, but flatter in European amphibians and most beetle groups. Anisotropy also markedly varied across beetle groups depending on their dispersal ability, as the proportion of wingless species explained 60% of the variance in the difference between North-South and East-West distance-decay slopes. Our results suggest that the degree of equilibrium decreases from marine to terrestrial realms, and is markedly different between vertebrates and beetles. This has profound implications on the expected ability of different groups to track their suitable climates, and thus on the impact of climate change on biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Baselga
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.,CRETUS, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Carola Gómez-Rodríguez
- CRETUS, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.,Department of Functional Biology (Area of Ecology), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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26
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Cloyed CS, Grady JM, Savage VM, Uyeda JC, Dell AI. The allometry of locomotion. Ecology 2021; 102:e03369. [PMID: 33864262 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Organismal locomotion mediates ecological interactions and shapes community dynamics. Locomotion is constrained by intrinsic and environmental factors and integrating these factors should clarify how locomotion affects ecology across scales. We extended general theory based on metabolic scaling and biomechanics to predict the scaling of five locomotor performance traits: routine speed, maximum speed, maximum acceleration, minimum powered turn radius, and angular speed. To test these predictions, we used phylogenetically informed analyses of a new database with 884 species and found support for our quantitative predictions. Larger organisms were faster but less maneuverable than smaller organisms. Routine and maximum speeds scaled with body mass to 0.20 and 0.17 powers, respectively, and plateaued at higher body masses, especially for maximum speed. Acceleration was unaffected by body mass. Minimum turn radius scaled to a 0.19 power, and the 95% CI included our theoretical prediction, as we predicted. Maximum angular speed scaled higher than predicted but in the same direction. We observed universal scaling among locomotor modes for routine and maximum speeds but the intercepts varied; flying organisms were faster than those that swam or ran. Acceleration was independent of size in flying and aquatic taxa but decreased with body mass in land animals, possibly due to the risk of injury large, terrestrial organisms face at high speeds and accelerations. Terrestrial mammals inhabiting structurally simple habitats tended to be faster than those in complex habitats. Despite effects of body size, locomotor mode, and habitat complexity, universal scaling of locomotory performance reveals the general ways organisms move across Earth's complex environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl S Cloyed
- National Great Rivers Research and Education Center, East Alton, Illinois, 62024, USA.,Department of Biology, Washington University of St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, 63130, USA.,Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Dauphin Island, Alabama, 36528, USA
| | - John M Grady
- National Great Rivers Research and Education Center, East Alton, Illinois, 62024, USA
| | - Van M Savage
- Department of Biomathematics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, 90024, USA
| | - Josef C Uyeda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, USA
| | - Anthony I Dell
- National Great Rivers Research and Education Center, East Alton, Illinois, 62024, USA.,Department of Biology, Washington University of St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, 63130, USA
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27
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Boratyński Z. Energetic constraints on mammalian distribution areas. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1854-1863. [PMID: 33884621 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Energy is a universal resource essential for all life functions. The rate of transformation of energy into an organism, and the energetic investment into reproduction, determines population and ecological-level processes. Several hypotheses predicted that the ecological expansion and size of the geographic distribution of a species are shaped by, among other factors, metabolic performance. However, how organismal energetic characteristics contribute to species geographic range size is poorly understood. With phylogenetic comparative methods whether energetic maintenance costs (basal metabolic rate, BMR), aerobic capacity (maximum exercise metabolic rate, VO2 max), summit thermoregulation (summit metabolic rate, VO2 sum) and the ability to sustain energy provisioning (daily energy expenditure, DEE) determine the distribution of mammalian species range sizes was tested. Both basal and maximum exercise metabolic rates (accounting for body mass), but not summit thermogenic metabolic rate, were positively associated with species range sizes. Furthermore, daily energy expenditure (accounting for body mass) was positively associated with species ranges. Body mass (accounting for energetic maintenance) was negatively related to range sizes. High aerobic exercise capacity, aiding mobility such as running and dispersal, and high sustained energy provisioning, aiding reproductive effort such as pregnancy, lactation and natal dispersal, can facilitate the establishment of large mammalian geographic ranges. Consequently, the pace of organismal physiological processes can shape important ecological and biodiversity patterns by setting limits to species' range sizes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zbyszek Boratyński
- CIBIO/InBio, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of Porto, Vairão, Portugal
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28
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Huang S, Tucker MA, Hertel AG, Eyres A, Albrecht J. Scale-dependent effects of niche specialisation: The disconnect between individual and species ranges. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:1408-1419. [PMID: 33960589 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13759] [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: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
One of the most general expectations of species range dynamics is that widespread species tend to have broader niches. However, it remains unclear how this relationship is expressed at different levels of biological organisation, which involve potentially distinctive processes operating at different spatial and temporal scales. Here, we show that range sizes of terrestrial non-volant mammals at the individual and species level show contrasting relationships with two ecological niche dimensions: diet and habitat breadth. While average individual home range size appears to be mainly shaped by the interplay of diet niche breadth and body mass, species geographical range size is primarily related to habitat niche breadth but not to diet niche breadth. Our findings suggest that individual home range size is shaped by the trade-off between energetic requirements, movement capacity and trophic specialisation, whereas species geographical range size is related to the ability to persist under various environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Huang
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Marlee A Tucker
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Anne G Hertel
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt, Germany.,Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Alison Eyres
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt, Germany.,Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.,RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jörg Albrecht
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt, Germany
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29
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Do Geographic Range Sizes Evolve Faster in Endotherms? Evol Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-021-09537-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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30
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Fort H, Grigera TS. A method for predicting species trajectories tested with trees in barro colorado tropical forest. Ecol Modell 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2021.109504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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31
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O'Leary J, Journeaux KL, Houthuijs K, Engel J, Sommer U, Viant MR, Eastwood DC, Müller C, Boddy L. Space and patchiness affects diversity-function relationships in fungal decay communities. THE ISME JOURNAL 2021; 15:720-731. [PMID: 33067587 PMCID: PMC8027639 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-00808-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The space in which organisms live determines health and physicality, shaping the way in which they interact with their peers. Space, therefore, is critically important for species diversity and the function performed by individuals within mixed communities. The biotic and abiotic factors defined by the space that organisms occupy are ecologically significant and the difficulty in quantifying space-defined parameters within complex systems limits the study of ecological processes. Here, we overcome this problem using a tractable system whereby spatial heterogeneity in interacting fungal wood decay communities demonstrates that scale and patchiness of territory directly influence coexistence dynamics. Spatial arrangement in 2- and 3-dimensions resulted in measurable metabolic differences that provide evidence of a clear biological response to changing landscape architecture. This is of vital importance to microbial systems in all ecosystems globally, as our results demonstrate that community function is driven by the effects of spatial dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jade O'Leary
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Katie L Journeaux
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Kas Houthuijs
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jasper Engel
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility-Metabolomics Node (NBAF-B), School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Ulf Sommer
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility-Metabolomics Node (NBAF-B), School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Mark R Viant
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility-Metabolomics Node (NBAF-B), School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | | | - Carsten Müller
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Lynne Boddy
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK.
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32
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Mungee M, Athreya R. Intraspecific trait variability and community assembly in hawkmoths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) across an elevational gradient in the eastern Himalayas, India. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:2471-2487. [PMID: 33767815 PMCID: PMC7981230 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated some aspects of hawkmoth community assembly at 13 elevations along a 200- to 2770-m transect in the eastern Himalayas, a little studied biodiversity hot spot of global importance. We measured the morphological traits of body mass, wing loading, and wing aspect ratio of 3,301 free-ranging individuals of 76 species without having to collect or even constrain them. We used these trait measurements and T-statistic metrics to assess the strength of intracommunity ("internal") and extra-community ("external") filters which determine the composition of communities vis-a-vis the regional pool of species.The trait distribution of constituent species turned out to be nonrandom subsets of the community-trait distribution, providing strong evidence for internal filtering in all elevational communities. The external filter metric was more ambiguous. However, the elevational dependence of many metrics including that of the internal filter provided evidence for external (i.e., environmental) filtering. On average, a species occupied as much as 50%-75% of the total community-trait space, yet the T-statistic metric for internal filter was sufficiently sensitive to detect a strong nonrandom structure in the trait distribution.We suggest that the change in T-statistic metrics along the environmental gradient may provide more clues to the process of community assembly than previously envisaged. A large, smoothly varying and well-sampled environmental span would make it easier to discern them. Developing T-statistics for combined analysis of multiple traits will perhaps provide a more accurate picture of internal/filtering and niche complementarity. Moths are a hyperdiverse taxon and a very important component of many ecosystems. Our technique for accurately measuring body and wing dimensions of free-ranging moths can generate trait database for a large number of individuals in a time- and resource-efficient manner for a variety of community assembly studies using this important taxon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansi Mungee
- Indian Institute of Science Education and ResearchPuneIndia
- Wildlife Institute of IndiaDehradunIndia
| | - Ramana Athreya
- Indian Institute of Science Education and ResearchPuneIndia
- Wildlife Institute of IndiaDehradunIndia
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33
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Thorp JH, Dodds WK, Robbins CJ, Maasri A, Arsenault ER, Lutchen JA, Tromboni F, Hayford B, Pyron M, Mathews GS, Schechner A, Chandra S. A framework for lotic macrosystem research. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- James H. Thorp
- Kansas Biological Survey University of Kansas 2101 Constant Avenue Lawrence Kansas66047USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Kansas Lawrence Kansas66045USA
| | - Walter K. Dodds
- Division of Biology Kansas State University 116 Ackert Hall Manhattan Kansas66506USA
| | - Caleb J. Robbins
- Kansas Biological Survey University of Kansas 2101 Constant Avenue Lawrence Kansas66047USA
| | - Alain Maasri
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University 1900 Ben Franklin Parkway Philadelphia Pennsylvania19103USA
- Department of Ecosystem Research Leibniz‐Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) Müggelseedamm 301 BerlinDE‐12587Germany
| | - Emily R. Arsenault
- Kansas Biological Survey University of Kansas 2101 Constant Avenue Lawrence Kansas66047USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Kansas Lawrence Kansas66045USA
| | - Jackob A. Lutchen
- Kansas Biological Survey University of Kansas 2101 Constant Avenue Lawrence Kansas66047USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Kansas Lawrence Kansas66045USA
| | - Flavia Tromboni
- Department of Biology Global Water Center University of Nevada Reno Nevada89557USA
| | - Barbara Hayford
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Montana 32 Campus Dr. HS 104 Missoula Montana59812USA
| | - Mark Pyron
- Department of Biology Ball State University Cooper Life Science Building2111 W. Riverside Avenue Muncie Indiana47306USA
| | - Gregory S. Mathews
- Kansas Biological Survey University of Kansas 2101 Constant Avenue Lawrence Kansas66047USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Kansas Lawrence Kansas66045USA
| | - Anne Schechner
- Division of Biology Kansas State University 116 Ackert Hall Manhattan Kansas66506USA
| | - Sudeep Chandra
- Department of Biology Global Water Center University of Nevada Reno Nevada89557USA
- Department of Biology University of Nevada Reno Nevada89557USA
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34
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Wen Z, Feijó A, Cheng J, Du Y, Ge D, Xia L, Yang Q. Explaining mammalian abundance and elevational range size with body mass and niche characteristics. J Mammal 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Recent work on tropical montane small mammals and birds has shown that abundance–elevational range size relationships (i.e., the relationship between abundance of a species and its elevational range size) can be manifested in a number of distinct generalized patterns. To understand why different patterns occur, one first must understand the causal mechanisms behind patterns of interspecific variation in species abundance and elevational range size. Using small mammal data along five elevational gradients in Southwest China, we assessed the relative importance of body mass, niche position (i.e., how typical the environmental conditions in which a species occurs are of the full set of conditions under consideration) and niche breadth in explaining the interspecific variation in mean abundance of species of small mammals, and elevational range size. Niche position and niche breadth were calculated using outlying mean index analysis based on 24 environmental variables. The relative importance of body mass, niche position, and niche breadth, in explaining the mean abundance and elevational range size of species were examined using phylogenetic regression and phylogenetic path analyses. Along each of five elevational gradients, body mass maintained a nonsignificant (P > 0.05) relationship both with mean abundance and elevational range size when the effects of phylogeny were taken into account. Niche position had a negative effect on mean abundance and elevational range size (species with a niche position close to edge environmental conditions were rarer and had smaller elevational range sizes) across five gradients (significant negative effect: three gradients for mean abundance; five gradients for elevational range size). Conversely, a positive effect of niche breadth on mean abundance and elevational range size was observed consistently, yet the effect was significant only for some gradients (mean abundance: two gradients; elevational range size: four gradients). Our study suggests that niche position and niche breadth both are good predictors of abundance and elevational range size of montane small mammals; niche position and niche breadth therefore play a strong role in the formation of abundance–elevational range size relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixin Wen
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
| | - Anderson Feijó
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
| | - Jilong Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanbao Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
| | - Deyan Ge
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Xia
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
| | - Qisen Yang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
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35
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Weaver LN, Grossnickle DM. Functional diversity of small-mammal postcrania is linked to both substrate preference and body size. Curr Zool 2020; 66:539-553. [PMID: 33293932 PMCID: PMC7705507 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaa057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Selective pressures favor morphologies that are adapted to distinct ecologies, resulting in trait partitioning among ecomorphotypes. However, the effects of these selective pressures vary across taxa, especially because morphology is also influenced by factors such as phylogeny, body size, and functional trade-offs. In this study, we examine how these factors impact functional diversification in mammals. It has been proposed that trait partitioning among mammalian ecomorphotypes is less pronounced at small body sizes due to biomechanical, energetic, and environmental factors that favor a “generalist” body plan, whereas larger taxa exhibit more substantial functional adaptations. We title this the Divergence Hypothesis (DH) because it predicts greater morphological divergence among ecomorphotypes at larger body sizes. We test DH by using phylogenetic comparative methods to examine the postcranial skeletons of 129 species of taxonomically diverse, small-to-medium-sized (<15 kg) mammals, which we categorize as either “tree-dwellers” or “ground-dwellers.” In some analyses, the morphologies of ground-dwellers and tree-dwellers suggest greater between-group differentiation at larger sizes, providing some evidence for DH. However, this trend is neither particularly strong nor supported by all analyses. Instead, a more pronounced pattern emerges that is distinct from the predictions of DH: within-group phenotypic disparity increases with body size in both ground-dwellers and tree-dwellers, driven by morphological outliers among “medium”-sized mammals. Thus, evolutionary increases in body size are more closely linked to increases in within-locomotor-group disparity than to increases in between-group disparity. We discuss biomechanical and ecological factors that may drive these evolutionary patterns, and we emphasize the significant evolutionary influences of ecology and body size on phenotypic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas N Weaver
- Department of Biology, Life Sciences Building, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - David M Grossnickle
- Department of Biology, Life Sciences Building, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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36
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Nakadai R, Kobayashi T, Hashimoto K. Dataset of forewing length of Japanese and Taiwanese butterfly species. Ecol Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ryosuke Nakadai
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Forestry University of Eastern Finland Joensuu Finland
- Department of Ecosystem Studies, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences The University of Tokyo Tokyo Japan
| | | | - Koya Hashimoto
- Department of Environmental Management, Faculty of Agriculture KINDAI University Nara Japan
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37
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Xing J, Jia X, Wang H, Ma B, Falcão Salles J, Xu J. The legacy of bacterial invasions on soil native communities. Environ Microbiol 2020; 23:669-681. [PMID: 32419297 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Soil microbial communities are often not resistant to the impact caused by microbial invasions, both in terms of structure and functionality, but it remains unclear whether these changes persist over time. Here, we used three strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7), a species used for modelling bacterial invasions, to evaluate the resilience of the bacterial communities from four Chinese soils to invasion. The impact of E. coli O157:H7 strains on soil native communities was tracked for 120 days by analysing bacterial community composition as well as their metabolic potential. We showed that soil native communities were not resistant to invasion, as demonstrated by a decline in bacterial diversity and shifts in bacterial composition in all treatments. The resilience of native bacterial communities (diversity and composition) was inversely correlated with invader's persistence in soils (R2 = 0.487, p < 0.001). Microbial invasions also impacted the functionality of the soil communities (niche breadth and community niche), the degree of resilience being dependent on soil or native community diversity. Collectively, our results indicate that bacteria invasions can potentially leave a footprint in the structure and functionality of soil communities, indicating the need of assessing the legacy of introducing exotic species in soil environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Xing
- Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.,Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Xiu Jia
- Department of Microbial Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, 9747 AG, The Netherlands
| | - Haizhen Wang
- Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.,Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Bin Ma
- Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.,Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Joana Falcão Salles
- Department of Microbial Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, 9747 AG, The Netherlands
| | - Jianming Xu
- Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.,Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
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38
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Alhajeri BH, Porto LMV, Maestri R. Habitat productivity is a poor predictor of body size in rodents. Curr Zool 2020; 66:135-143. [PMID: 32440273 PMCID: PMC7233619 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoz037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The “resource availability hypothesis” predicts occurrence of larger rodents in more productive habitats. This prediction was tested in a dataset of 1,301 rodent species. We used adult body mass as a measure of body size and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) as a measure of habitat productivity. We utilized a cross-species approach to investigate the association between these variables. This was done at both the order level (Rodentia) and at narrower taxonomic scales. We applied phylogenetic generalized least squares (PGLS) to correct for phylogenetic relationships. The relationship between body mas and NDVI was also investigated across rodent assemblages. We controlled for spatial autocorrelation using generalized least squares (GLS) analysis. The cross-species approach found extremely low support for the resource availability hypothesis. This was reflected by a weak positive association between body mass and NDVI at the order level. We find a positive association in only a minority of rodent subtaxa. The best fit GLS model detected no significant association between body mass and NDVI across assemblages. Thus, our results do not support the view that resource availability plays a major role in explaining geographic variation in rodent body size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bader H Alhajeri
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kuwait University, Safat, 13060, Kuwait
| | - Lucas M V Porto
- Department of Ecology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil
| | - Renan Maestri
- Department of Ecology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil
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39
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Westover ML, Smith FA. Investigating the role of environment in pika (Ochotona) body size patterns across taxonomic levels, space, and time. J Mammal 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Body size is an important trait in animals because it influences a multitude of additional life history traits. The causal mechanisms underlying body size patterns across spatial, temporal, and taxonomic hierarchies are debated, and of renewed interest in this era of climate change. Here, we tested multiple hypotheses regarding body mass patterns at the intraspecific and interspecific levels. We investigated body size patterns within a climate-sensitive small mammal species, Ochotona princeps (n = 2,873 individuals), across their range with local environmental variables. We also examined body mass of populations over time to determine if body size has evolved in situ in response to environmental change. At the interspecific level we compared the mean mass of 26 pika species (genus Ochotona) to determine if environmental temperatures, food availability, habitat variability, or range area influence body size. We found correlations between temperature, vegetation, and particularly precipitation variables, with body mass within O. princeps, but no linear relationship between body size and any climate or habitat variable for Ochotona species. Body size trends in relation to climate were stronger at the intraspecific than the interspecific level. Our results suggest that body size within O. princeps likely is related to food availability, and that body size evolution is not always a viable response to temperature change. Different mechanisms may be driving body size at the interspecific and intraspecific levels and factors other than environment, such as biotic interactions, may also be influential in determining body size over space and time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie L Westover
- Department of Biology, MSC03 2020, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Felisa A Smith
- Department of Biology, MSC03 2020, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
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40
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Gouveia SF, Rubalcaba JG, Soukhovolsky V, Tarasova O, Barbosa AM, Real R. Ecophysics reload—exploring applications of theoretical physics in macroecology. Ecol Modell 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2020.109032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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41
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Sheth SN, Morueta-Holme N, Angert AL. Determinants of geographic range size in plants. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 226:650-665. [PMID: 31901139 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Geographic range size has long fascinated ecologists and evolutionary biologists, yet our understanding of the factors that cause variation in range size among species and across space remains limited. Not only does geographic range size inform decisions about the conservation and management of rare and nonindigenous species due to its relationship with extinction risk, rarity, and invasiveness, but it also provides insights into fundamental processes such as dispersal and adaptation. There are several features unique to plants (e.g. polyploidy, mating system, sessile habit) that may lead to distinct mechanisms explaining variation in range size. Here, we highlight key studies testing intrinsic and extrinsic hypotheses about geographic range size under contrasting scenarios where species' ranges are static or change over time. We then present results from a meta-analysis of the relative importance of commonly hypothesized determinants of range size in plants. We show that our ability to infer the relative importance of these determinants is limited, particularly for dispersal ability, mating system, ploidy, and environmental heterogeneity. We highlight avenues for future research that merge approaches from macroecology and evolutionary ecology to better understand how adaptation and dispersal interact to facilitate niche evolution and range expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seema Nayan Sheth
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Naia Morueta-Holme
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Amy L Angert
- Departments of Botany and Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 3520-6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
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42
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Macroecological dynamics of gut microbiota. Nat Microbiol 2020; 5:768-775. [PMID: 32284567 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-020-0685-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The gut microbiota is now widely recognized as a dynamic ecosystem that plays an important role in health and disease. Although current sequencing technologies make it possible to explore how relative abundances of host-associated bacteria change over time, the biological processes governing microbial dynamics remain poorly understood. Therefore, as in other ecological systems, it is important to identify quantitative relationships describing various aspects of gut microbiota dynamics. In the present study, we use multiple high-resolution time series data obtained from humans and mice to demonstrate that, despite their inherent complexity, gut microbiota dynamics can be characterized by several robust scaling relationships. Interestingly, the observed patterns are highly similar to those previously identified across diverse ecological communities and economic systems, including the temporal fluctuations of animal and plant populations and the performance of publicly traded companies. Specifically, we find power-law relationships describing short- and long-term changes in gut microbiota abundances, species residence and return times, and the correlation between the mean and the temporal variance of species abundances. The observed scaling laws are altered in mice receiving different diets and are affected by context-specific perturbations in humans. We use the macroecological relationships to reveal specific bacterial taxa, the dynamics of which are substantially perturbed by dietary and environmental changes. Overall, our results suggest that a quantitative macroecological framework will be important for characterizing and understanding the complex dynamics of diverse microbial communities.
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43
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Zhu XM, Du Y, Qu YF, Li H, Gao JF, Lin CX, Ji X, Lin LH. The geographical diversification in varanid lizards: the role of mainland versus island in driving species evolution. Curr Zool 2020; 66:165-171. [PMID: 32226443 PMCID: PMC7083093 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaa002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Monitor lizards (Varanidae) inhabit both the mainland and islands of all geological types and have diversified into an exceptionally wide range of body sizes, thus providing an ideal model for examining the role of mainland versus island in driving species evolution. Here we use phylogenetic comparative methods to examine whether a link exists between body size-driven diversification and body size-frequency distributions in varanid lizards and to test the hypothesis that island lizards differ from mainland species in evolutionary processes, body size, and life-history traits (offspring number and size). We predict that: 1) since body size drives rapid diversification in groups, a link exists between body size-driven diversification and body size-frequency distributions; 2) because of various environments on island, island species will have higher speciation, extinction, and dispersal rates, compared with mainland species; 3) as a response to stronger intraspecific competition, island species will maximize individual ability associated with body size to outcompete closely-related species, and island species will produce smaller clutches of larger eggs to increase offspring quality. Our results confirm that the joint effect of differential macroevolutionary rates shapes the species richness pattern of varanid lizards. There is a link between body size-driven diversification and body size-frequency distributions, and the speciation rate is maximized at medium body sizes. Island species will have higher speciation, equal extinction, and higher dispersal rates compared with mainland species. Smaller clutch size and larger hatchling in the island than in mainland species indicate that offspring quality is more valuable than offspring quantity for island varanids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia-Ming Zhu
- Hangzhou Key Laboratory for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Yu Du
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China.,Hainan Key Laboratory for Herpetological Research, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya, 572022, China
| | - Yan-Fu Qu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Hong Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Jian-Fang Gao
- Hangzhou Key Laboratory for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Chi-Xian Lin
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Herpetological Research, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya, 572022, China
| | - Xiang Ji
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Long-Hui Lin
- Hangzhou Key Laboratory for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
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Enquist BJ, Abraham AJ, Harfoot MBJ, Malhi Y, Doughty CE. The megabiota are disproportionately important for biosphere functioning. Nat Commun 2020; 11:699. [PMID: 32019918 PMCID: PMC7000713 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14369-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A prominent signal of the Anthropocene is the extinction and population reduction of the megabiota—the largest animals and plants on the planet. However, we lack a predictive framework for the sensitivity of megabiota during times of rapid global change and how they impact the functioning of ecosystems and the biosphere. Here, we extend metabolic scaling theory and use global simulation models to demonstrate that (i) megabiota are more prone to extinction due to human land use, hunting, and climate change; (ii) loss of megabiota has a negative impact on ecosystem metabolism and functioning; and (iii) their reduction has and will continue to significantly decrease biosphere functioning. Global simulations show that continued loss of large animals alone could lead to a 44%, 18% and 92% reduction in terrestrial heterotrophic biomass, metabolism, and fertility respectively. Our findings suggest that policies that emphasize the promotion of large trees and animals will have disproportionate impact on biodiversity, ecosystem processes, and climate mitigation. Human-driven losses of megafauna and megaflora may have disproportionate ecological consequences. Here, the authors combine metabolic scaling theory and global simulation models to show that past and continued reduction of megabiota have and will continue to decrease ecosystem and biosphere functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Enquist
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Arizona, AZ 85721, USA. .,The Santa Fe Institute, 1399 Hyde Park Rd, Santa Fe, NM, 87501, USA.
| | - Andrew J Abraham
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - Michael B J Harfoot
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre, 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 0DL, UK
| | - Yadvinder Malhi
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
| | - Christopher E Doughty
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
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45
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Grossnickle DM. Feeding ecology has a stronger evolutionary influence on functional morphology than on body mass in mammals. Evolution 2020; 74:610-628. [PMID: 31967667 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Revised: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Ecological specialization is a central driver of adaptive evolution. However, selective pressures may uniquely affect different ecomorphological traits (e.g., size and shape), complicating efforts to investigate the role of ecology in generating phenotypic diversity. Comparative studies can help remedy this issue by identifying specific relationships between ecologies and morphologies, thus elucidating functionally relevant traits. Jaw shape is a dietary correlate that offers considerable insight on mammalian evolution, but few studies have examined the influence of diet on jaw morphology across mammals. To this end, I apply phylogenetic comparative methods to mandibular measurements and dietary data for a diverse sample of mammals. Especially powerful predictors of diet are metrics that capture either the size of the angular process, which increases with greater herbivory, or the length of the posterior portion of the jaw, which decreases with greater herbivory. The size of the angular process likely reflects sizes of attached muscles that produce jaw movements needed to grind plant material. Further, I examine the impact of feeding ecology on body mass, an oft-used ecological surrogate in macroevolutionary studies. Although body mass commonly increases with evolutionary shifts to herbivory, it is outperformed by functional jaw morphology as a predictor of diet. Body mass is influenced by numerous factors beyond diet, and it may be evolutionarily labile relative to functional morphologies. This suggests that ecological diversification events may initially facilitate body mass diversification at smaller taxonomic and temporal scales, but sustained selective pressures will subsequently drive greater trait partitioning in functional morphologies.
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46
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Lourenço‐de‐Moraes R, Campos FS, Ferreira RB, Beard KH, Solé M, Llorente GA, Bastos RP. Functional traits explain amphibian distribution in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY 2020; 47:275-287. [PMID: 32336868 PMCID: PMC7166796 DOI: 10.1111/jbi.13727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
AIM Species distributions are one of the most important ways to understand how communities interact through macroecological relationships. The functional abilities of a species, such as its plasticity in various environments, can determine its distribution, species richness and beta diversity patterns. In this study, we evaluate how functional traits influence the distribution of amphibians, and hypothesize which functional traits explain the current pattern of amphibian species composition. LOCATION Atlantic Forest, Brazil. TAXON Amphibia (Anura and Gymnophiona). METHODS Using potential distributions of Brazilian amphibians from Atlantic Forest based on their functional traits, we analysed the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on species richness, endemism (with permutation multivariate analysis) and beta diversity components (i.e. total, turnover and nestedness dissimilarities). RESULTS Environmental variables explained 59.5% of species richness, whereas functional traits explained 15.8% of species distribution (geographical species range) for Anuran and 88.8% for Gymnophiona. Body size had the strongest correlation with species distribution. Results showed that species with medium to large body size, and species that are adapted to living in open areas tended to disperse from west to east direction. Current forest changes directly affected beta diversity patterns (i.e. most species adapted to novel environments increase their ranges). Beta diversity partitioning between humid and dry forests showed decreased nestedness and increased turnover by increasing altitude in the south-eastern region of the Atlantic Forest. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Our study shows that functional traits directly influence the ability of the species to disperse. With the alterations of the natural environment, species more apt to these alterations have dispersed or increased their distribution, which consequently changes community structure. As a result, there are nested species distribution patterns and homogenization of amphibian species composition throughout the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Lourenço‐de‐Moraes
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ecologia e Monitoramento Ambiental (PPGEMA)Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB)Rio TintoPBBrazil
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ecologia de Ambientes Aquáticos Continentais (PEA)Universidade Estadual de MaringáMaringáPRBrazil
- Laboratório de Herpetologia e Comportamento AnimalUniversidade Federal de GoiásGoiâniaGOBrazil
| | - Felipe S. Campos
- Departament de Biologia EvolutivaEcologia i Ciències AmbientalsFacultat de BiologiaUniversitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
- NOVA Information Management School (NOVA IMS)Universidade Nova de LisboaLisboaPortugal
| | - Rodrigo B. Ferreira
- Laboratório de Ecologia da Herpetofauna NeotropicalUniversidade Vila VelhaVila VelhaESBrazil
| | - Karen H. Beard
- Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUTUSA
| | - Mirco Solé
- Departamento de Ciências BiológicasUniversidade Estadual de Santa CruzIlhéusBABrazil
| | - Gustavo A. Llorente
- Departament de Biologia EvolutivaEcologia i Ciències AmbientalsFacultat de BiologiaUniversitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Rogério P. Bastos
- Laboratório de Herpetologia e Comportamento AnimalUniversidade Federal de GoiásGoiâniaGOBrazil
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Rezende Oliveira S, Souza Lima-Ribeiro M, de Souza AO, dos Santos CE, Vergilio Silva K, Zórtea M, Guimarães Guilherme FA, de Melo FR, Silva Carneiro SE, Vaz Silva W, Ribeiro Morais A. Are protected areas effective in preserving anurans and promoting biodiversity discoveries in the Brazilian Cerrado? J Nat Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2019.125734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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48
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Characterizing ecosystem phenological diversity and its macroecology with snow cover phenology. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15074. [PMID: 31636336 PMCID: PMC6803678 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51602-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
One critical challenge of exploring flora phenology is on characterizing ecosystem phenological diversity (EPD), and thus how EPD’s performance is influenced by climate changes has also been an open macro-ecological question. To fill these two gaps, we proposed an innovative method for reflecting EPD, by taking the advantage of the often-classified inverse factor of spatial resolution discrepancy between the used remote sensing datasets of vegetation phenological dates (green-up and brown-up) and snow cover phenological dates (SPDs) (onset and end) around the Arctic, and further, we examined the cross response/feedbacks of the two kinds of EPDs to the two categories of SPDs. We found that the circumpolar green-up and brown-up EPDs both were shrinking, driven more by the delaying of the onset SPDs than the advancing of the end SPDs; North America and North Eurasia performed with inconsistent EPD response/feedbacks to the related SPD anomalies; and further, the EPD-SPD response/feedbacks in some locations exhibited the time-lag effect, e.g., the green-up EPDs made the strongest response to the onset SPDs of two years earlier. Overall, the validated method and the new findings are of implications for improving the phenology modules in Earth system models, and the contributions of the present study have enlightening significance for kicking off the new EPD branch in macrosystem phenological ecology.
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Gienger CM, Dochtermann NA, Tracy CR. Detecting trends in body size: empirical and statistical requirements for intraspecific analyses. Curr Zool 2019; 65:493-497. [PMID: 31616479 PMCID: PMC6784499 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Attributing biological explanations to observed ecogeographical and ecological patterns require eliminating potential statistical and sampling artifacts as alternative explanations of the observed patterns. Here, we assess the role of sample size, statistical power, and geographic inclusivity on the general validity and statistical significance of relationships between body size and latitude for 3 well-studied species of turtles. We extend those analyses to emphasize the importance of using statistically robust data in determining macroecological patterns. We examined intraspecific trends in body size with latitude in Chelydra serpentina, Chrysemys picta, and Trachemys scripta using Pearson’s correlations, diagnostic tests for influential points, and resampling. Existing data were insufficient to ascertain a latitudinal trend in body size for C. serpentina or T. scripta. There was a significant relationship for C. picta, however, resampling analyses show that, on average, 16 of the 23 available independent populations were needed to demonstrate a significant relationship and that at least 20 of 23 populations were required to obtain a statistically powerful correlation between body size and latitude. Furthermore, restricting the latitudes of populations resampled shows that body size trends of C. picta were largely due to leveraging effects of populations at the edge of the species range. Our results suggest that broad inferences regarding ecological trends in body size should be made with caution until underlying (intraspecific) patterns in body size can be statistically and conclusively demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M Gienger
- Department of Biology, Center of Excellence for Field Biology, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN, USA
- Address correspondence to C. M. Gienger. E-mail:
| | - Ned A Dochtermann
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - C Richard Tracy
- Department of Biology, Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
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Wong MKL, Guénard B, Lewis OT. Trait-based ecology of terrestrial arthropods. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:999-1022. [PMID: 30548743 PMCID: PMC6849530 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In focusing on how organisms' generalizable functional properties (traits) interact mechanistically with environments across spatial scales and levels of biological organization, trait-based approaches provide a powerful framework for attaining synthesis, generality and prediction. Trait-based research has considerably improved understanding of the assembly, structure and functioning of plant communities. Further advances in ecology may be achieved by exploring the trait-environment relationships of non-sessile, heterotrophic organisms such as terrestrial arthropods, which are geographically ubiquitous, ecologically diverse, and often important functional components of ecosystems. Trait-based studies and trait databases have recently been compiled for groups such as ants, bees, beetles, butterflies, spiders and many others; however, the explicit justification, conceptual framework, and primary-evidence base for the burgeoning field of 'terrestrial arthropod trait-based ecology' have not been well established. Consequently, there is some confusion over the scope and relevance of this field, as well as a tendency for studies to overlook important assumptions of the trait-based approach. Here we aim to provide a broad and accessible overview of the trait-based ecology of terrestrial arthropods. We first define and illustrate foundational concepts in trait-based ecology with respect to terrestrial arthropods, and justify the application of trait-based approaches to the study of their ecology. Next, we review studies in community ecology where trait-based approaches have been used to elucidate how assembly processes for terrestrial arthropod communities are influenced by niche filtering along environmental gradients (e.g. climatic, structural, and land-use gradients) and by abiotic and biotic disturbances (e.g. fire, floods, and biological invasions). We also review studies in ecosystem ecology where trait-based approaches have been used to investigate biodiversity-ecosystem function relationships: how the functional diversity of arthropod communities relates to a host of ecosystem functions and services that they mediate, such as decomposition, pollination and predation. We then suggest how future work can address fundamental assumptions and limitations by investigating trait functionality and the effects of intraspecific variation, assessing the potential for sampling methods to bias the traits and trait values observed, and enhancing the quality and consolidation of trait information in databases. A roadmap to guide observational trait-based studies is also presented. Lastly, we highlight new areas where trait-based studies on terrestrial arthropods are well positioned to advance ecological understanding and application. These include examining the roles of competitive, non-competitive and (multi-)trophic interactions in shaping coexistence, and macro-scaling trait-environment relationships to explain and predict patterns in biodiversity and ecosystem functions across space and time. We hope this review will spur and guide future applications of the trait-based framework to advance ecological insights from the most diverse eukaryotic organisms on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark K. L. Wong
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of OxfordOxford, OX1 3PSU.K.
| | - Benoit Guénard
- School of Biological SciencesThe University of Hong Kong, Kadoorie Biological Sciences BuildingHong KongSARChina
| | - Owen T. Lewis
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of OxfordOxford, OX1 3PSU.K.
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