1
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Divergent physiological acclimation responses to warming between two co-occurring salamander species and implications for terrestrial survival. J Therm Biol 2022; 106:103228. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2022.103228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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2
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Arguedas V, Barquero MD, Mora JM. Population structure and dynamics, breeding activity and phenology of the blue‐sided treefrog (
Agalychnis annae
). Biotropica 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Viviana Arguedas
- Carrera de Turismo Ecológico Recinto de Paraíso Sede del Atlántico Universidad de Costa Rica Cartago Costa Rica
- Carrera de Turismo Ecológico Recinto de Tacares Sede de Occidente Universidad de Costa Rica Alajuela Costa Rica
| | | | - José Manuel Mora
- Carrera de Gestión Ecoturística Sede Central Universidad Técnica Nacional Alajuela Costa Rica
- Department of Biology and Museum of Vertebrate Biology Portland State University Portland Oregon USA
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3
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Messerman AF, Leal M. The contributions of individual traits to survival among terrestrial juvenile pond‐breeding salamanders. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Arianne F. Messerman
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Missouri Columbia MO USA
- Department of Biology University of Miami Coral Gables FL USA
| | - Manuel Leal
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Missouri Columbia MO USA
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4
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LeClair G, Chatfield MWH, Wood Z, Parmelee J, Frederick CA. Influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on amphibian road mortality. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021; 3:e535. [PMID: 34901774 PMCID: PMC8646393 DOI: 10.1111/csp2.535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic and its related human activity shutdowns provide unique opportunities for biodiversity monitoring through what has been termed the "anthropause" or the "great human confinement experiment." The pandemic caused immense disruption to human activity in the northeastern United States in the spring of 2020, with notable reductions in traffic levels. These shutdowns coincided with the seasonal migration of adult amphibians, which are typically subject to intense vehicle-impact mortality. Using data collected as part of an annual community science monitoring program in Maine from 2018 to 2021, we examined how amphibian mortality probabilities responded to reductions in traffic during the pandemic. While we detected a 50% decline for all amphibians, this was driven entirely by reductions in frog mortality. Wildlife collision data from the Maine Department of Transportation on other wildlife species support our finding of drastic declines in wildlife road mortality in spring 2020 when compared with immediately previous and subsequent years. Additionally, we find that frogs suffer significantly higher road mortality than salamanders, particularly when conditions are warmer and wetter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory LeClair
- School of Biology and EcologyUniversity of Maine SystemOronoMaineUSA
| | | | - Zachary Wood
- School of Biology and EcologyUniversity of Maine SystemOronoMaineUSA
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5
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Anderson TL, Earl JE, Hocking DJ, Osbourn MS, Rittenhouse TAG, Johnson JR. Demographic effects of phenological variation in natural populations of two pond-breeding salamanders. Oecologia 2021; 196:1073-1083. [PMID: 34338861 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-05000-y] [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: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Phenology is a key driver of population and community dynamics. Phenological metrics (e.g., first date that an event occurred) often simplify information from the full phenological distribution, which may undermine efforts to determine the importance of life history events. Data regarding full phenological distributions are especially needed as many species are shifting phenology with climatic change which can alter life-history patterns and species dynamics. We tested whether skewness, kurtosis or maximum duration of breeding phenology affected juvenile emigration phenology and survival in natural populations of ringed (Ambystoma annulatum) and spotted salamanders (A. maculatum) spanning a 7-year period at two study locations. We evaluated the relative importance of different phenological metrics in breeding phenology and larval density dependence on emigration phenology and survival. We found that variability in emigration phenology differed by species, with ringed salamanders having a shorter duration and distributions that were more often right-skewed and leptokurtic compared to spotted salamanders. Emigration phenology was not linked to any measure of variability in breeding phenology, indicating phenological variability operates independently across life stages and may be subject to stage-specific influences. Emigration duration and skewness were partially explained by larval density, which demonstrates how phenological distributions may change with species interactions. Further tests that use the full phenological distribution to link variability in timing of life history events to demographic traits such as survival are needed to determine if and how phenological shifts will impact species persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas L Anderson
- Department of Biology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, 28608, USA.
- Department of Biology, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL, 62026, USA.
| | - Julia E Earl
- School of Biological Sciences, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA, 71272, USA
| | - Daniel J Hocking
- Biology Department, Frostburg State University, Frostburg, MD, 21532, USA
| | - Michael S Osbourn
- Department of Biology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, 28608, USA
| | - Tracy A G Rittenhouse
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - Jarrett R Johnson
- Biology Department, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY, 42101, USA
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6
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Giery ST, Zimova M, Drake DL, Urban MC. Balancing selection and drift in a polymorphic salamander metapopulation. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20200901. [PMID: 33849348 PMCID: PMC8086932 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how genetic variation is maintained in a metapopulation is a longstanding problem in evolutionary biology. Historical resurveys of polymorphisms have offered efficient insights about evolutionary mechanisms, but are often conducted on single, large populations, neglecting the more comprehensive view afforded by considering all populations in a metapopulation. Here, we resurveyed a metapopulation of spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) to understand the evolutionary drivers of frequency variation in an egg mass colour polymorphism. We found that this metapopulation was demographically, phenotypically and environmentally stable over the last three decades. However, further analysis revealed evidence for two modes of evolution in this metapopulation-genetic drift and balancing selection. Although we cannot identify the balancing mechanism from these data, our findings present a clear view of contemporary evolution in colour morph frequency and demonstrate the importance of metapopulation-scale studies for capturing a broad range of evolutionary dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean T. Giery
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Marketa Zimova
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Dana L. Drake
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Center of Biological Risk, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Mark C. Urban
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Center of Biological Risk, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
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7
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Direct effects influence larval salamander size and density more than indirect effects. Oecologia 2021; 195:173-186. [PMID: 33387008 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04820-8] [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: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Direct and indirect effects both influence population and community dynamics. The relative strengths of these pathways are often compared using experimental approaches, but their evaluation in situ has been less frequent. We examined how individual and aggregate impacts of direct and indirect effects of species densities, proxies for competition and predation pressure, and habitat variables influenced patterns of larval density and body size of ringed (Ambystoma annulatum) and spotted salamanders (A. maculatum). We surveyed > 150 ponds in Missouri, USA, from 2012 to 2014 to measure the density and body size of each focal species, the density of co-occurring pond food web members, and select habitat features. We used structural equation modeling to quantify the relative importance of direct and indirect pathways on both body size and larval density. Overall, both responses were explained through a combination of direct and indirect effects. However, the magnitudes of direct effects were often greater than indirect effects. Some of the direct and indirect relationships with larval salamander size and density were also consistent with results from experimental studies. Finally, total direct and indirect effects were often weaker due to habitat and density variables negating each other's impacts. Overall, our study shows that direct effects were equivalent to, or more important than, indirect effects. We also demonstrate that the effects stemming from individual relationships can sum to produce net patterns that are negligible in magnitude. Further work on direct and indirect effects with observational data are needed to examine their magnitudes in natural communities.
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8
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Messerman AF, Semlitsch RD, Leal M. Estimating Survival for Elusive Juvenile Pond‐Breeding Salamanders. J Wildl Manage 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Manuel Leal
- University of Missouri 612 Hitt Street, 209 Tucker Hall Columbia MO 65211 USA
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9
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Kirk MA, Galatowitsch ML, Wissinger SA. Seasonal differences in climate change explain a lack of multi-decadal shifts in population characteristics of a pond breeding salamander. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0222097. [PMID: 31491025 PMCID: PMC6730874 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
There is considerable variation among studies that evaluate how amphibian populations respond to global climate change. We used 23 years of annual survey data to test whether changes in climate have caused predictable shifts in the phenology and population characteristics of adult spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) during spring breeding migrations. Although we observed year-to-year correlation between seasonal climate variables and salamander population characteristics, there have not been long-term, directional shifts in phenological or population characteristics. Warm winters consistently resulted in early migration dates, but across the 23-year study, there was no overall shift towards warmer winters and thus no advanced migration timing. Warm summers and low variability in summer temperatures were correlated with large salamander body sizes, yet an overall shift towards increasing body sizes was not observed despite rising summer temperatures during the study. This was likely due to the absence of long-term changes of within-year variation in summer temperatures, which was a stronger determinant of body size than summer temperature alone. Climate-induced shifts in population characteristics were thus not observed for this species as long-term changes in important seasonal climate variables were not observed during the 23-years of the study. Different amphibian populations will likely be more resilient to climate change impacts than others, and the probability of amphibians exhibiting long-term population changes will depend on how seasonal climate change interacts with a species’ life history, phenology, and geographic location. Linking a wide range of seasonal climatic conditions to species or population characteristics should thus improve our ability for explaining idiosyncratic responses of species to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Kirk
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America.,Biology and Environmental Science Departments, Allegheny College, Meadville, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Mark L Galatowitsch
- Biology and Environmental Science Departments, Allegheny College, Meadville, Pennsylvania, United States of America.,Department of Biology, Centre College, Danville, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Scott A Wissinger
- Biology and Environmental Science Departments, Allegheny College, Meadville, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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10
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Stretz P, Anderson TL, Burkhart JJ. Macroinvertebrate Foraging on Larval Ambystoma maculatum across Ontogeny. COPEIA 2019. [DOI: 10.1643/ch-18-140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Piper Stretz
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211-7400;
| | - Thomas L. Anderson
- Department of Biology, Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina 28608-2006;
| | - Jacob J. Burkhart
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, 65211-7400; Present address: Department of Biology, Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina 28608-2006; . Send reprint requests t
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11
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Sinai I, Segev O, Weil G, Oron T, Merilä J, Templeton AR, Blaustein L, Greenbaum G, Blank L. The role of landscape and history on the genetic structure of peripheral populations of the Near Eastern fire salamander, Salamandra infraimmaculata, in Northern Israel. CONSERV GENET 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-019-01181-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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12
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Sterrett SC, Katz RA, Fields WR, Campbell Grant EH. The contribution of road‐based citizen science to the conservation of pond‐breeding amphibians. J Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sean C. Sterrett
- United States Geological SurveyPatuxent Wildlife Research Center Turners Falls Massachusetts
| | - Rachel A. Katz
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceNational Wildlife Refuge System Hadley Massachusetts
| | - William R. Fields
- United States Geological SurveyPatuxent Wildlife Research Center Turners Falls Massachusetts
| | - Evan H. Campbell Grant
- United States Geological SurveyPatuxent Wildlife Research Center Turners Falls Massachusetts
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13
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Homan RN, Holgerson MA, Biga LM. A Long-term Demographic Study of a Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) Population in Central Ohio. HERPETOLOGICA 2018. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-17-00067.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca N. Homan
- Biology Department, Denison University, Granville, OH 43023, USA
| | | | - Lindsay M. Biga
- Biology Department, Denison University, Granville, OH 43023, USA
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14
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Anderson TL, Rowland FE, Semlitsch RD. Variation in phenology and density differentially affects predator-prey interactions between salamanders. Oecologia 2017; 185:475-486. [PMID: 28894959 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3954-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 09/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Variation in the timing of breeding (i.e., phenological variation) can affect species interactions and community structure, in part by shifting body size differences between species. Body size differences can be further altered by density-dependent competition, though synergistic effects of density and phenology on species interactions are rarely evaluated. We tested how field-realistic variation in phenology and density affected ringed salamander (Ambystoma annulatum) predation on spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum), and whether these altered salamander dynamics resulted in trophic cascades. In outdoor mesocosms, we experimentally manipulated ringed salamander density (low/high) and breeding phenology (early/late) of both species. Ringed salamander body size at metamorphosis, development, and growth were reduced at higher densities, while delayed phenology increased hatchling size and larval development, but reduced relative growth rates. Survival of ringed salamanders was affected by the interactive effects of phenology and density. In contrast, spotted salamander growth, size at metamorphosis, and survival, as well as the biomass of lower trophic levels, were negatively affected primarily by ringed salamander density. In an additional mesocosm experiment, we isolated whether ringed salamanders could deplete shared resources prior to their interactions with spotted salamanders, but instead found direct interactions (e.g., predation) were the more likely mechanism by which ringed salamanders limited spotted salamanders. Overall, our results indicate the effects of phenological variability on fitness-related traits can be modified or superseded by differences in density dependence. Identifying such context dependencies will lead to greater insight into when phenological variation will likely alter species interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas L Anderson
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, 105 Tucker Hall, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA.
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, 2101 Constant Ave, Lawrence, KS, 66047, USA.
| | - Freya E Rowland
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, 105 Tucker Hall, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Raymond D Semlitsch
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, 105 Tucker Hall, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
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15
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Burkhart JJ, Peterman WE, Brocato ER, Romine KM, Willis MMS, Ousterhout BH, Anderson TL, Drake DL, Rowland FE, Semlitsch RD, Eggert LS. The influence of breeding phenology on the genetic structure of four pond-breeding salamanders. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:4670-4681. [PMID: 28690797 PMCID: PMC5496555 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Revised: 04/08/2017] [Accepted: 04/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding metapopulation dynamics requires knowledge about local population dynamics and movement in both space and time. Most genetic metapopulation studies use one or two study species across the same landscape to infer population dynamics; however, using multiple co-occurring species allows for testing of hypotheses related to different life history strategies. We used genetic data to study dispersal, as measured by gene flow, in three ambystomatid salamanders (Ambystoma annulatum, A. maculatum, and A. opacum) and the Central Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens louisianensis) on the same landscape in Missouri, USA. While all four salamander species are forest dependent organisms that require fishless ponds to reproduce, they differ in breeding phenology and spatial distribution on the landscape. We use these differences in life history and distribution to address the following questions: (1) Are there species-level differences in the observed patterns of genetic diversity and genetic structure? and (2) Is dispersal influenced by landscape resistance? We detected two genetic clusters in A. annulatum and A. opacum on our landscape; both species breed in the fall and larvae overwinter in ponds. In contrast, no structure was evident in A. maculatum and N. v. louisianensis, species that breed during the spring. Tests for isolation by distance were significant for the three ambystomatids but not for N. v. louisianensis. Landscape resistance also contributed to genetic differentiation for all four species. Our results suggest species-level differences in dispersal ability and breeding phenology are driving observed patterns of genetic differentiation. From an evolutionary standpoint, the observed differences in dispersal distances and genetic structure between fall breeding and spring breeding species may be a result of the trade-off between larval period length and size at metamorphosis which in turn may influence the long-term viability of the metapopulation. Thus, it is important to consider life history differences among closely related and ecologically similar species when making management decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob J Burkhart
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Missouri Columbia MO USA
| | - William E Peterman
- School of Environment and Natural Resources The Ohio State University Columbus OH USA
| | - Emily R Brocato
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Missouri Columbia MO USA
| | - Kimberly M Romine
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Missouri Columbia MO USA
| | | | | | | | - Dana L Drake
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Connecticut Storrs CT USA
| | - Freya E Rowland
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Missouri Columbia MO USA
| | | | - Lori S Eggert
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Missouri Columbia MO USA
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16
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