Article
Ecology
Sylvain Schmitt, Niklas Tysklind, Geraldine Derroire, Myriam Heuertz, Bruno Herault
Summary: This study investigated the fine-scale distribution of five tree species complexes and 22 species within them in the Amazon rainforest. It revealed that species within complexes exhibit niche differentiation along topographic wetness and competition gradients, with some species showing habitat preferences for drier and less fertile areas.
Article
Soil Science
Xu Liu, Cunzhi Zhang, Teng Yang, Gui-Feng Gao, Yu Shi, Haiyan Chu
Summary: The study reveals consistencies and discrepancies between phylogenetic relatedness and network associations within soil bacterial and archaeal communities. Negative complexity in archaeal networks correlates only with mean phylogenetic distance, while both positive and negative complexity in bacterial networks are significantly associated with mean phylogenetic distance. Even after accounting for the effects of environmental factors, phylogenetic relatedness still explains variations in the complexities of bacterial and archaeal associations. Furthermore, network complexity exhibits phylogenetic signals in both bacterial and archaeal networks, albeit within different associated distance classes, suggesting distinct coexistence mechanisms driven by niche and fitness trade-offs among soil bacteria and archaea.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Juliano Morimoto
Summary: This study developed an algorithm to investigate the influence of protein and carbohydrate ratios on insect lifespan. The findings suggest that related species may share optimal ratios for maximizing lifespan, and there is evidence of sex-specific optimal ratios as well. This research provides insights into the evolution of animal nutrition.
Article
Biology
Juan A. Fargallo, Juan Navarro-Lopez, Juan L. Cantalapiedra, Jonathan S. Pelegrin, Manuel Hernandez Fernandez
Summary: The diversity of food consumption and habitat occupation plays an important role in the biogeographic distribution patterns. Narrowing or broadening the trophic niche depends on the predictability of food resources. Environmental predictability favors specialist strategies while unpredictability promotes generalist strategies. The relationship between diet breadth and environmental heterogeneity at global and interspecific scales has not been explicitly assessed. This study found that trophic breadth was a good predictor for environmental heterogeneity but not for range size, with more diet-generalist species inhabiting a higher number of biomes.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mingyu Luo, Shaopeng Wang, Serguei Saavedra, Dieter Ebert, Florian Altermatt
Summary: This study developed a spatially explicit metacommunity model to investigate species coexistence in fragmented heterogeneous landscapes. By parameterizing the model with Bayesian approach and analyzing a time-series dataset, the study revealed the interspecific variation in extinction and recolonization processes and their dependencies on habitat size and environmental temperature. This interspecific variation contributes to species coexistence by reducing fitness differences and increasing niche differences.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Davina E. Poulos, Mark McCormick
Summary: The effect of habitat loss on habitat specialists and generalists in coral reef fishes has been studied. The order of species arrival and timing affects their interactions and propensity to migrate. This has important consequences for the persistence of specialist species and the fish community in changing environments.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Taotao Han, Hai Ren, Dafeng Hui, Yanpeng Zhu, Hongfang Lu, Qinfeng Guo, Jun Wang
Summary: Understanding the dominant ecological processes during forest succession is important for forest conservation and restoration. This study investigated the community assembly processes during forest succession in southern China using phylogeny-based and functional trait-based indicators. Results showed that both the community phylogenetic and functional trait structures changed during succession. Environmental factors and species richness had significant effects on the community assembly processes. The relative importance of ecological processes changed during succession, with environmental filtering dominating in early succession and both environmental filtering and competitive exclusion having important effects in later succession.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Stuart L. Pimm, Jared Diamond, K. David Bishop
Summary: The distribution of fruit pigeons on the island of New Guinea is influenced by geographical accessibility. The coexistence of species in a particular year and location is a nonrandom selection process. The sizes of these species are more widely spread and evenly spaced compared to random sets of species. Additionally, the local status of a highly mobile species decreases as other resident species become more closely related.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Annemarie Wurz, Ingo Grass, David C. Lees, Anjaharinony A. N. A. Rakotomalala, Szabolcs Safian, Dominic Andreas Martin, Kristina Osen, Jacqueline Loos, Evrard Benasoavina, Theudy Alexis, Teja Tscharntke
Summary: This study assesses the differences in butterfly assemblages in different land-use types in Madagascar. It finds that land-use types with woody vegetation support more endemic and forest butterfly species, while rice paddies and herbaceous fallows are richer in open-land species. Fallow-derived vanilla agroforests host more endemic and forest species compared to herbaceous fallows. Overall, preserving small-scale land-use types is crucial for maintaining butterfly diversity in this tropical biodiversity hotspot.
INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Cindy Perkovich, David Ward
Summary: Periodical cicadas (Magicicada spp.) in deciduous forests of the eastern United States partition resources and use specific host-tree species and life stages to minimize competition. In this study, measurements of tree size, emergence holes, oviposition scar bundles, and chorusing center abundances were conducted to understand host-tree use. The results revealed that periodical cicadas preferentially used Quercus species, with more emergence holes, chorusing centers, oviposition scar bundles, and nymphs found on Quercus compared to other tree species. These findings suggest that periodical cicada species strategically utilize specific host species and life stages to reduce competition and efficiently use resources.
JOURNAL OF FORESTRY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Paul E. Caiger, Cecile Croq, Kendall D. Clements
Summary: The study investigates the phenotypic variation in triplefin fishes in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand, using geometric morphometrics and controlled rearing experiments. The results suggest that plasticity plays a key role in driving morphological differences in response to varying environmental conditions in wild populations of Forsterygion lapillum.
Article
Plant Sciences
Junchu Peng, Xiangguang Ma, Hang Sun
Summary: This study focuses on two genera of plant species in the Sino-Himalayan region and explores how environmental changes have accelerated lineage diversification through ancient allopatry and ecological divergence. The research findings reveal the patterns of speciation and divergence processes, as well as the influence of geographical and climatic factors on genetic distance and population structure.
Article
Ecology
Pedro Luna, Fabricio Villalobos, Federico Escobar, Frederico S. Neves, Wesley Dattilo
Summary: The study found that variations in trophic specialisation were not explained by latitudinal zones or elevation. Additionally, sites with high productivity and precipitation tended to have higher trophic specialisation, while historical temperature stability was linked to lower trophic specialisation. The global variation in trophic specialisation may be driven by energetic constraints imposed by climate and resource availability.
Article
Biology
Kristian J. Bell, Tim S. Doherty, Don A. Driscoll
Summary: Foundation species interact strongly with other species, influencing communities by providing food, refuge, and beneficial microclimates. Temperature attenuation by a foundation species can drive niche use by ectothermic animals, impacting the ecosystem balance. Individual variability in microhabitat use among species can also play a role in shaping community dynamics.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Joshua F. Goldberg, Douglas F. Fraser, Bradley A. Lamphere, David N. Reznick
Summary: Differential habitat use promotes coexistence of intraguild predator and prey by affecting population dynamics through selective predation, while differential recruitment in different habitats facilitates the persistence of the resident species during invasion involving intraguild predation.
Article
Fisheries
Yvan Papa, Alexander G. Halliwell, Mark A. Morrison, Maren Wellenreuther, Peter A. Ritchie
Summary: The study investigated the genetic structure, genetic diversity, and demographic history of tarakihi fish in New Zealand, finding no clear genetic structure for the overall New Zealand area, indicating a panmictic genetic structure. The fish displayed high levels of genetic diversity and had experienced two population expansions likely due to repeated glacial cycles. Additionally, genetic differentiation was observed between two morphotypes of tarakihi fish, highlighting the importance of informed management for sustainable harvest.
NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF MARINE AND FRESHWATER RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Noemie Valenza-Troubat, Elena Hilario, Sara Montanari, Peter Morrison-Whittle, David Ashton, Peter Ritchie, Maren Wellenreuther
Summary: The aquaculture industry is rapidly growing, but has been slow to implement genomic techniques. This study on captive-bred F-1 silver trevally in New Zealand used genomics to analyze pedigree structure, genetic diversity, and growth patterns. Results showed potential for genetic improvement in economically important traits, making silver trevally a promising species for selective breeding.
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Noemie Valenza-Troubat, Marcus Davy, Roy Storey, Elena Hilario, Peter Ritchie, Maren Wellenreuther
Summary: Temperature has a significant impact on the growth and gene expression patterns of ectotherm species. In this study, the plasticity of growth and gene expression in response to different temperatures was investigated using silver trevally as a model. The results showed that temperature affects growth and regulates the expression of genes involved in metabolism, cell regulation, and signaling pathways. Furthermore, genes related to the reproductive system were up-regulated under high temperature conditions in both tissues.
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Andrea Bertram, David Fairclough, Jonathan Sandoval-Castillo, Chris Brauer, Anthony Fowler, Maren Wellenreuther, Luciano B. Beheregaray
Summary: The efficacy of fisheries management strategies depends on carrying out stock assessment and management actions at appropriate spatial scales. This study investigated the population genomics of a heavily exploited snapper species along the Australian coastline to understand population structure, connectivity, and the compatibility of current management practices. The results revealed low genetic differentiation and high connectivity across Western Australia, but also identified genetic discontinuities in certain regions, suggesting a need for a review of current spatial management.
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Ecology
Lesley T. Lancaster, Zachary L. Fuller, David Berger, Matthew A. Barbour, Sissel Jentoft, Maren Wellenreuther
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Krishna Moorthy Babu, Daniel Bentall, David T. Ashton, Morgan Puklowski, Warren Fantham, Harris T. Lin, Nicholas P. L. Tuckey, Maren Wellenreuther, Linley K. Jesson
Summary: This study explored the use of machine learning architectures to improve the accuracy and efficiency of juvenile fish counting in aquaculture breeding. The results showed that the machine learning models had high accuracy after tuning, enabling rapid assessment of fish counts and facilitating higher throughput. This work provides a useful starting point for further developments in real-time counting and data collection.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF NEW ZEALAND
(2023)
Article
Biology
Janne Swaegers, Rosa Ana Sanchez-Guillen, Pallavi Chauhan, Maren Wellenreuther, Bengt Hansson
Summary: Contemporary hybrid zones are natural laboratories for investigating species boundaries and the role of sex chromosomes in species divergence. Through genome-wide SNP analysis in a damselfly hybrid zone in Spain, it was found that the X chromosome may play a key role in reproductive isolation.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Mike Ruigrok, Bing Xue, Andrew Catanach, Mengjie Zhang, Linley Jesson, Marcus Davy, Maren Wellenreuther
Summary: This study investigates the genetic basis of growth in marine teleost finfish Chrysophrys auratus using SNP and structural variant data. The results show that both SNP and structural variants significantly impact growth, suggesting that researchers should incorporate both types of variants in genotype-phenotype mapping studies.
Article
Fisheries
Damian Moran, Jonathan Schleyken, Christina Flammensbeck, Warren Fantham, David Ashton, Maren Wellenreuther
Summary: This study compares a wild strain and a selectively bred elite strain of Chrysophrys auratus. The results show that the selectively bred strain exhibits significantly improved performance in all measured traits, including survival rate, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio. In addition, the selectively bred strain has lower intra-cohort variation and is less sensitive to feeding frequency. This suggests that genomics-assisted selective breeding has great potential for the farming of C. auratus in Australasia.
Article
Ecology
Tom Oosting, Lourdes Martinez-Garcia, Giada Ferrari, Alexander J. F. Verry, Lachie Scarsbrook, Nicolas J. Rawlence, Maren Wellenreuther, Bastiaan Star, Peter A. Ritchie
Summary: This study analyzed modern and ancient mitochondrial genomes of Australasian snapper to assess its demographic and phylogeographic history. The results showed high nucleotide diversity and haplotype diversity, with no significant change in diversity over the last 750 years. Phylogeographic analysis revealed barriers to gene flow approximately 650,000 years ago and a post-glacial expansion around 8000 years ago.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Yvan Papa, Maren Wellenreuther, Mark A. Morrison, Peter A. Ritchie
Summary: This study generated a highly contiguous genome assembly and isoform-resolved transcriptome of the marine teleost tarakihi, providing a useful resource for population genomics and comparative eco-evolutionary studies in teleosts and related organisms.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Emma L. Berdan, Fabian Roger, Maren Wellenreuther, Alexandra Kinnby, Gunnar Cervin, Ricardo Pereyra, Mats Topel, Kerstin Johannesson, Roger K. Butlin, Carl Andre
Summary: Sandy beaches are important biogeochemical hotspots that connect marine and terrestrial ecosystems via organic matter transfer. This study investigates the microbial communities of wrackbeds and a primary consumer, the seaweed fly, along a well-studied ecological gradient. The results show the dominance of polysaccharide degraders in both microbiomes, with consistent differences between wrackbed and fly samples. Additionally, shifts in microbial communities and functionality between the North and Baltic Sea are observed, potentially due to changes in the composition of polysaccharides in different seaweed communities. This study highlights the complexity of wrackbed microbial communities and the trophic consequences of shifts in near shore algal communities.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
A. Bertram, J. Bell, C. J. Brauer, A. Fowler, P. Hamer, J. Sandoval-Castillo, J. Stewart, M. Wellenreuther, L. B. Beheregaray
Summary: In southeastern Australia, population genomic differentiation in snapper is concordant with coastal biogeographic boundaries and related to spawning and recruitment dynamics. The current management boundaries align with genetic breaks at bioregional boundaries or local-scale variation. This study highlights the value of population genomic surveys in uncovering stock boundaries and demographic variation related to spawning and recruitment in species with high dispersal potential, and emphasizes the importance of marine biogeography in shaping population structure in commercially important species.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Matthew J. Wylie, Jane Kitson, Khyla Russell, Goro Yoshizaki, Ryosuke Yazawa, Tammy E. Steeves, Maren Wellenreuther
Summary: The article highlights the urgency of preserving biodiversity and mitigating the loss of global biodiversity. It emphasizes the potential and considerations of germplasm cryopreservation and broodstock surrogacy techniques in this regard.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2023)
Editorial Material
Ecology
Dafni Anastasiadi, Maren Wellenreuther
Summary: This study investigated DNA methylation across the animal kingdom and identified conserved associations between sequence and DNA methylation.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)