Understanding Rangeland Biodiversity
... according to the regions included, but as figures given in the literature suggest, rangelands occupy between 18–23% of world land area, excluding Antarctica (Table 1). Rangelands is a broader term than grasslands, including regions where woody vegetation is dominant; moreover, it is a term common in ...
... according to the regions included, but as figures given in the literature suggest, rangelands occupy between 18–23% of world land area, excluding Antarctica (Table 1). Rangelands is a broader term than grasslands, including regions where woody vegetation is dominant; moreover, it is a term common in ...
Applying stable isotopes to examine foodweb structure: an overview
... (1) Geometric approaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2) Linear mixing models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...
... (1) Geometric approaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2) Linear mixing models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...
EVOLUTIONARY DYNAMICS OF MUTUALISM: THE ROLE OF
... recognized to be context-dependent, varying in outcome in the presence of other interactions, studies tend to focus on each interaction in isolation. One of the main classes of species interaction is mutualism, in which partner species gain a net benefit from their interaction. However, mutualisms a ...
... recognized to be context-dependent, varying in outcome in the presence of other interactions, studies tend to focus on each interaction in isolation. One of the main classes of species interaction is mutualism, in which partner species gain a net benefit from their interaction. However, mutualisms a ...
Evolution, Science, and Society: Evolutionary Biology
... Biological evolution consists of change in the hereditary characteristics of groups of organisms over the course of generations. Groups of organisms, termed populations and species, are formed by the division of ancestral populations or species, and the descendant groups then change independently. H ...
... Biological evolution consists of change in the hereditary characteristics of groups of organisms over the course of generations. Groups of organisms, termed populations and species, are formed by the division of ancestral populations or species, and the descendant groups then change independently. H ...
The dynamical theory of coevolution
... dynamics (1.1) and go beyond them by providing higher order corrections to this dynamical equation; in passing, we deduce explicit expressions for the measures of fitness ¼ and the coefficients k . The analysis is concerned with G G the simultaneous evolution of an arbitrary number of species and is ap ...
... dynamics (1.1) and go beyond them by providing higher order corrections to this dynamical equation; in passing, we deduce explicit expressions for the measures of fitness ¼ and the coefficients k . The analysis is concerned with G G the simultaneous evolution of an arbitrary number of species and is ap ...
Introduction - A New Development @ Chavoux.com
... resource areas, thresholds of potential concern, together with the management aims are used to set the appropriate stocking density and species mix. However, they recommend that more research is needed on integrating these methods, especially with regard to the different equilibrium and non-equilibr ...
... resource areas, thresholds of potential concern, together with the management aims are used to set the appropriate stocking density and species mix. However, they recommend that more research is needed on integrating these methods, especially with regard to the different equilibrium and non-equilibr ...
Inconsistent impacts of decomposer diversity on the stability of
... evaluate the consequences for mankind (e.g., Naeem and Li 1997; Yachi and Loreau 1999; Balvanera et al. 2006). Beginning with predictions by MacArthur (1955) and Elton (1958), biodiversity has been shown to govern various aspects of ecosystem stability, such as temporal stability (Tilman et al. 2006 ...
... evaluate the consequences for mankind (e.g., Naeem and Li 1997; Yachi and Loreau 1999; Balvanera et al. 2006). Beginning with predictions by MacArthur (1955) and Elton (1958), biodiversity has been shown to govern various aspects of ecosystem stability, such as temporal stability (Tilman et al. 2006 ...
Experimental conWrmation of multiple community states in a marine
... patch to the other. Data from a 9-year experimental manipulation and a large-scale observational study were used to test the hypothesis that ice scour alone could tip A. nodosum stands to a diVerent community state. Our approach involved three steps. We Wrst created experimental clearings of diVeren ...
... patch to the other. Data from a 9-year experimental manipulation and a large-scale observational study were used to test the hypothesis that ice scour alone could tip A. nodosum stands to a diVerent community state. Our approach involved three steps. We Wrst created experimental clearings of diVeren ...
What Is Migration? - Oxford Academic
... 1987) and the biological and natural history literature, we suggest that the word migration (as applied to animals) can evoke four different but overlapping concepts: (1) a type of locomotory activity that is notably persistent, undistracted, and straightened out; (2) a relocation of the animal that ...
... 1987) and the biological and natural history literature, we suggest that the word migration (as applied to animals) can evoke four different but overlapping concepts: (1) a type of locomotory activity that is notably persistent, undistracted, and straightened out; (2) a relocation of the animal that ...
Crossing habitat boundaries: coupling dynamics of ecosystems
... Ecosystems are often indirectly connected through consumers with complex life cycles (CLC), in which different life stages inhabit different ecosystems. Using a structured consumer resource model that accounts for the independent effects of two resources on consumer growth and reproductive rates, we ...
... Ecosystems are often indirectly connected through consumers with complex life cycles (CLC), in which different life stages inhabit different ecosystems. Using a structured consumer resource model that accounts for the independent effects of two resources on consumer growth and reproductive rates, we ...
The mind, the lab, and the field: Three kinds of populations in
... models, methods, and ontologies. Each can also be enriched by including stipulations about shared ancestry, proximity, or interactions between population members, such as competition, cooperation, or interbreeding. In practice, researchers may modify their use of the term “population” to suit the qu ...
... models, methods, and ontologies. Each can also be enriched by including stipulations about shared ancestry, proximity, or interactions between population members, such as competition, cooperation, or interbreeding. In practice, researchers may modify their use of the term “population” to suit the qu ...
Habitat Fragmentation – In Theory
... populations to come and go, with the core population remaining indefinitely. However, due to the stochastic nature of faunal relaxation, species can become extinct throughout entire metapopulations. Common parameters used in habitat fragmentation studies When studying the effects of habitat fragment ...
... populations to come and go, with the core population remaining indefinitely. However, due to the stochastic nature of faunal relaxation, species can become extinct throughout entire metapopulations. Common parameters used in habitat fragmentation studies When studying the effects of habitat fragment ...
The Adaptive Radiation of Cichlid Fish in Lake Tanganyika: A
... tribes, were shown to be nested within the haplochromines, the most species-rich lineage that also includes the species flocks of the remaining East African Great Lakes and the majority of the northern, eastern, and southern African riverine cichlid species but originated in the course of the primar ...
... tribes, were shown to be nested within the haplochromines, the most species-rich lineage that also includes the species flocks of the remaining East African Great Lakes and the majority of the northern, eastern, and southern African riverine cichlid species but originated in the course of the primar ...
Trait similarity patterns within grass and grasshopper
... environments and promoting similarity, and competition, more important in productive environments and promoting dissimilarity. Previous studies have indeed found trait similarity to decline along productivity gradients. However, these studies have always been done on single trophic levels. Here, we ...
... environments and promoting similarity, and competition, more important in productive environments and promoting dissimilarity. Previous studies have indeed found trait similarity to decline along productivity gradients. However, these studies have always been done on single trophic levels. Here, we ...
Optimization of supplementary feeding programs for European
... Abstract. Despite the consensus among ecologists and conservationists of the importance of maintaining scavenger feeding patterns based primarily on natural prey sources, human-mediated feeding remains a widely used management tool for threatened wildlife. Thus, it is important to understand the key ...
... Abstract. Despite the consensus among ecologists and conservationists of the importance of maintaining scavenger feeding patterns based primarily on natural prey sources, human-mediated feeding remains a widely used management tool for threatened wildlife. Thus, it is important to understand the key ...
The complexity of amphibian population declines
... to higher levels of UV-B radiation, resulting in increased infection and mortality from Saprolegnia, thus demonstrating that global events clearly affect local populations. This complexity is compounded because Saprolegnia is routinely introduced to amphibian habitats through stocked fishes.36 Amphi ...
... to higher levels of UV-B radiation, resulting in increased infection and mortality from Saprolegnia, thus demonstrating that global events clearly affect local populations. This complexity is compounded because Saprolegnia is routinely introduced to amphibian habitats through stocked fishes.36 Amphi ...
the fern understory as an ecological filter
... and Quercus were calculated by multiplying 1994 recruitment values of each species by first-year survivorship (data from George and Bazzaz 1999) and by annual survivorship for three years using survivorship values obtained from the present experiment. To this value was added the contribution of 1995 ...
... and Quercus were calculated by multiplying 1994 recruitment values of each species by first-year survivorship (data from George and Bazzaz 1999) and by annual survivorship for three years using survivorship values obtained from the present experiment. To this value was added the contribution of 1995 ...
Nitrogen in Insects - Arizona State University
... The general view that has emerged from studies of phytophagous insects and aquatic herbivores is that individual animals actively regulate body elemental composition but that this regulation may not produce strict homeostasis (Elser et al. 2000b; Sterner and Elser 2002). Among-taxa variation in nutr ...
... The general view that has emerged from studies of phytophagous insects and aquatic herbivores is that individual animals actively regulate body elemental composition but that this regulation may not produce strict homeostasis (Elser et al. 2000b; Sterner and Elser 2002). Among-taxa variation in nutr ...
ESA 2010 handbook - Ecological Society of Australia
... exhibit this variability in both space and time. This poses a logistic challenge when attempting to monitor and interpret system dynamics. Should limited resources be focused at a single large site or distributed over multiple small sites? To examine the relative benefits of these two approaches we ...
... exhibit this variability in both space and time. This poses a logistic challenge when attempting to monitor and interpret system dynamics. Should limited resources be focused at a single large site or distributed over multiple small sites? To examine the relative benefits of these two approaches we ...
Does an evolutionary change in the water sowbug Asellus aquaticus
... body size, pigmentation), that will effect population through reproduction, survival or growth. Thus, in turn, natural selection will influence population dynamics. Finally, many ecosystems services e.g. decomposition, nutrient cycling and, primary productivity are modified due to changes in the num ...
... body size, pigmentation), that will effect population through reproduction, survival or growth. Thus, in turn, natural selection will influence population dynamics. Finally, many ecosystems services e.g. decomposition, nutrient cycling and, primary productivity are modified due to changes in the num ...
Genetically engineered organisms and the environment: Current
... The goal of predicting how genetic engineering will affect organisms that live and disperse outdoors under variable biotic and abiotic conditions is a major challenge. Phenotypic characteristics, such as an organism’s size, health, and reproductive capacity, are determined by complex interactions am ...
... The goal of predicting how genetic engineering will affect organisms that live and disperse outdoors under variable biotic and abiotic conditions is a major challenge. Phenotypic characteristics, such as an organism’s size, health, and reproductive capacity, are determined by complex interactions am ...
Global amphibian declines: sorting the hypotheses - Collins Lab
... The effect of harvesting on amphibian populations is poorly known, but there is evidence that it can be significant. Emmons (1973) noted that ‘As early as 1918, tons of frogs were moved by Railway Express out of the tri-state area of North and South Dakota and Minneapolis …’ (p. 91) for use as fresh ...
... The effect of harvesting on amphibian populations is poorly known, but there is evidence that it can be significant. Emmons (1973) noted that ‘As early as 1918, tons of frogs were moved by Railway Express out of the tri-state area of North and South Dakota and Minneapolis …’ (p. 91) for use as fresh ...
Ecological Risk Assessment of Non
... Earthworm activity can have positive and/or negative impact(s) depending on the earthworm species, soil type, land-use, microbes present, plant life, density of earthworms, geographical location, just to name a few variables (Hendrix, 2002; Hendrix and Bohlen, 2002). Darwin (1881) was the first to o ...
... Earthworm activity can have positive and/or negative impact(s) depending on the earthworm species, soil type, land-use, microbes present, plant life, density of earthworms, geographical location, just to name a few variables (Hendrix, 2002; Hendrix and Bohlen, 2002). Darwin (1881) was the first to o ...
Competition, predation and environmental factors as structuring
... are closely linked to size-dependent ontogenetic niche shifts. It is therefore not often meaningful to treat each factor separately because the dominating structuring force will change over an individual’s ontogeny. Rather, the appropriate task is to analyse how different forces interact to shape fi ...
... are closely linked to size-dependent ontogenetic niche shifts. It is therefore not often meaningful to treat each factor separately because the dominating structuring force will change over an individual’s ontogeny. Rather, the appropriate task is to analyse how different forces interact to shape fi ...
Population divergence and candidate signatures of natural selection
... Phenotypically, natural selection increases the prevalence of traits in a population or species that confer some form of adaptation to a particular environment. Individuals with adaptive phenotypes have higher fitness, surviving to produce viable offspring with traits that are advantageous in a part ...
... Phenotypically, natural selection increases the prevalence of traits in a population or species that confer some form of adaptation to a particular environment. Individuals with adaptive phenotypes have higher fitness, surviving to produce viable offspring with traits that are advantageous in a part ...
Ecology
Ecology (from Greek: οἶκος, ""house""; -λογία, ""study of"") is the scientific analysis and study of interactions among organisms and their environment. It is an interdisciplinary field that includes biology and Earth science. Ecology includes the study of interactions organisms have with each other, other organisms, and with abiotic components of their environment. Topics of interest to ecologists include the diversity, distribution, amount (biomass), and number (population) of particular organisms; as well as cooperation and competition between organisms, both within and among ecosystems. Ecosystems are composed of dynamically interacting parts including organisms, the communities they make up, and the non-living components of their environment. Ecosystem processes, such as primary production, pedogenesis, nutrient cycling, and various niche construction activities, regulate the flux of energy and matter through an environment. These processes are sustained by organisms with specific life history traits, and the variety of organisms is called biodiversity. Biodiversity, which refers to the varieties of species, genes, and ecosystems, enhances certain ecosystem services.Ecology is not synonymous with environment, environmentalism, natural history, or environmental science. It is closely related to evolutionary biology, genetics, and ethology. An important focus for ecologists is to improve the understanding of how biodiversity affects ecological function. Ecologists seek to explain: Life processes, interactions and adaptations The movement of materials and energy through living communities The successional development of ecosystems The abundance and distribution of organisms and biodiversity in the context of the environment.Ecology is a human science as well. There are many practical applications of ecology in conservation biology, wetland management, natural resource management (agroecology, agriculture, forestry, agroforestry, fisheries), city planning (urban ecology), community health, economics, basic and applied science, and human social interaction (human ecology). For example, the Circles of Sustainability approach treats ecology as more than the environment 'out there'. It is not treated as separate from humans. Organisms (including humans) and resources compose ecosystems which, in turn, maintain biophysical feedback mechanisms that moderate processes acting on living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components of the planet. Ecosystems sustain life-supporting functions and produce natural capital like biomass production (food, fuel, fiber and medicine), the regulation of climate, global biogeochemical cycles, water filtration, soil formation, erosion control, flood protection and many other natural features of scientific, historical, economic, or intrinsic value.The word ""ecology"" (""Ökologie"") was coined in 1866 by the German scientist Ernst Haeckel (1834–1919). Ecological thought is derivative of established currents in philosophy, particularly from ethics and politics. Ancient Greek philosophers such as Hippocrates and Aristotle laid the foundations of ecology in their studies on natural history. Modern ecology became a much more rigorous science in the late 19th century. Evolutionary concepts relating to adaptation and natural selection became the cornerstones of modern ecological theory.