Preprints
Filtering by Subject: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Reconsidering cytonuclear discordance in the genomic age
Published: 2024-09-12
Subjects: Biology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Historically, phylogenetic datasets had relatively few loci but were overrepresented for cytoplasmic sequences (mitochondria and chloroplast) because of their ease of amplification and large numbers of informative sites. Under those circumstances, it made sense to contrast individual gene tree topologies obtained from cytoplasmic loci and nuclear loci, with the goal of detecting differences [...]
A Practical Guide to Quantifying Ecological Coexistence
Published: 2024-09-12
Subjects: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences
Coexistence is simultaneously one of the most fundamental concepts of ecology, and one of the most difficult to define and quantify. A particular challenge is that, despite a well-developed body of research on the subject, several different schools of thought have developed over the past century, leading to multiple independent, and largely isolated, branches of literature with distinct [...]
Urban refugia enhance persistence of an endangered endemic keystone lizard threatened by the rapid spread of an invasive predator
Published: 2024-09-12
Subjects: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences, Population Biology
Urbanization shapes global patterns of biodiversity. While often driving biodiversity loss and biotic homogenization, urban areas could paradoxically act as refugia for species threatened by other global change drivers, such as biological invasions. Despite growing interest in their conservation potential, a lack of robust empirical studies unveiling how urban refugia emerge and contribute to [...]
Masting ontogeny: the largest masting benefits accrue to the largest trees
Published: 2024-09-12
Subjects: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences
Background and Aims. Both plants and animals display considerable variation in their phenotypic traits as they grow. This variation helps organisms to adapt to specific challenges at different stages of development. Masting, the variable and synchronized seed production across years by a population of plants, is a common reproductive strategy in perennial plants that can enhance reproductive [...]
Life history shapes variation in egg composition in the blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus
Published: 2024-09-11
Subjects: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences, Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Maternal investment directly shapes early developmental conditions and therefore has long-term fitness consequences for the offspring. In oviparous species prenatal maternal investment is fixed at the time of laying. To ensure the best survival chances for most of their offspring, females must equip their eggs with the resources required to perform well under various circumstances, yet the actual [...]
Adaptive sampling for ecological monitoring using biased data: A stratum-based approach
Published: 2024-09-10
Subjects: Applied Statistics, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences, Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Indicators of biodiversity change across large extents of geographic, temporal and taxonomic space are frequent products of various types of ecological monitoring and other data collection efforts. Unfortunately, many such indicators are based on data that are highly unlikely to be representative of the intended statistical populations. Where there is full control over sampling processes, [...]
Bridging local and global knowledges to classify, describe and map ecosystems
Published: 2024-09-08
Subjects: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Effective ecosystem management for biodiversity and human well-being relies on accurate information. Consistent approaches to classifying, describing, and assessing ecosystems can improve the understanding of the ecological processes, threats, and management. We explored how the Global Ecosystem Typology – a global classification framework based on ecosystem function – could support the [...]
Climate change is associated with a higher extinction risk of a subshrub in anthropogenic landscapes
Published: 2024-09-06
Subjects: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences, Population Biology
In most ecosystems, the increasingly strong effects of climate change on biodiversity co-occur with other anthropogenic pressures, most importantly land-use change. However, many long-term demographic studies focus on populations monitored in protected areas, and our understanding of how climate change will affect population persistence under anthropogenic land use is still limited. To fill this [...]
Not by selection alone: expanding the scope of gene-culture coevolution
Published: 2024-09-05
Subjects: Anthropology, Biological and Physical Anthropology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Evolution, Genetics and Genomics, Genomics, Social and Behavioral Sciences
Gene-culture coevolution (GCC) - an ambitious synthesis of biological and social sciences - is often used to explain the evolution of key human traits. Despite the framework’s broad conceptual appeal however, empirical evidence is often perceived as limited to a few key examples like lactase persistence. We argue this apparent gap between theoretical appeal and empirical evidence stems [...]
Cultural inception of invasive species
Published: 2024-09-02
Subjects: Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Environmental Health and Protection, Environmental Studies, Natural Resources and Conservation, Sustainability
1. Many invasive alien species gradually become embedded within local cultures. Such species can increasingly be perceived by society as familiar and native elements of the social-ecological system and as integral parts of local cultures. 2. Here, we explore this phenomenon and define it as cultural inception. Cultural inception can greatly hinder our ability to successfully manage invasive [...]
Community-ecosystem interactions control plant biodiversity change before and after mangrove restoration.
Published: 2024-08-28
Subjects: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Restoring biological diversity and ecosystem function requires understanding how introduced species interact with one another and their environments. The most prevalent and challenging scenarios involve multiple invasive species whose traits feedback through ecosystem processes. However, research into these systems often focuses on either community dynamics or ecosystem properties, rather than [...]
Quantifying Carbon Sequestration and Ecosystem Enhancement Through Novel Phytoplankton Farming Techniques
Published: 2024-08-28
Subjects: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences
Phytoplankton farming emerges as a critical nature-based solution to address the intertwined crises of climate change and marine ecosystem degradation. As foundational drivers of oceanic carbon cycling, phytoplankton generate ~50% of Earth’s oxygen and sequester 10–20 billion metric tons of CO₂ annually through the biological carbon pump . This study develops scalable cultivation techniques to [...]
Rethinking Environmental Impact Assessment for nature positive development
Published: 2024-08-28
Subjects: Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences
Achieving nature positive development within existing regulatory frameworks will be challenging. Halting and reversing biodiversity loss requires restoration and enhancement of ecosystems alongside a fundamental shift in how we value biodiversity and assess quantifiable improvements. Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) focussed on mitigating negative impacts do not promote positive outcomes – [...]
Maximum movement performance, not activity levels or thermoregulatory indices, affects survival in a free-ranging ectotherm
Published: 2024-08-27
Subjects: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Physiology
1. Temperature profoundly influences the distribution and diversity of ectotherms, yet in natural settings, the trade-offs between environmental temperatures, behaviour, physiological function, and how they drive individual survival, remain poorly understood. 2. To address these gaps, we generated field-based thermal performance curves, using temperature-sensitive radio transmitters and [...]
Quantifying disturbance effects on ecosystem services in a changing climate
Published: 2024-08-27
Subjects: Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences
Disturbances, such as hurricanes, fires, droughts, and pest outbreaks, can cause major changes in ecosystem conditions that threaten nature’s contributions to people (ecosystem services). However, approaches to assess these impacts on diverse services under climate change are rare. To advance such efforts, we build on the accelerating research on disturbance ecology and ecosystem services to [...]