Intraspecific differentiation across a steep environmental gradient depends on the relative influences of evolutionary, organismal, and environmental processes. But steep environmental gradients may be nested within larger‐scale, regional conditions that could influence these processes at the local scale. Therefore, we hypothesized that phenotypic differentiation along a steep environmental gradient would vary among regions. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a reciprocal transplant experiment on rocky intertidal shores, a habitat characterized by gradients in abiotic and biotic stress, in three regions of the Gulf of Maine. We used the ubiquitous and ecologically important rockweed species
- Award ID(s):
- 1828822
- PAR ID:
- 10441814
- Editor(s):
- Trujillo, Carlos Andres
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- PLOS ONE
- Volume:
- 17
- Issue:
- 10
- ISSN:
- 1932-6203
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- e0274083
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
Abstract Fucus vesiculosus to quantify differentiation in growth, tissue nitrogen, and nitrogen productivity between upper and lower intertidal individuals. We found that phenotypic differentiation between tide heights varied among traits and regions. Although tissue nitrogen did not vary among any treatment combinations, growth and nitrogen productivity response were region specific. A strong effect of transplant height was found in all regions; however, an effect of home (source) height was only detectable in the central Gulf of Maine. Our study reveals that intraspecific responses to steep environmental gradients vary among populations, but the mechanisms underlying these patterns remain unknown. Given the roles that rockweeds play as food and habitat, these in situ patterns of growth and nitrogen productivity could have important community‐ and ecosystem‐level consequences. -
Zerriffi, Hisham (Ed.)We present the results of a hybrid research design that borrows from both experimental techniques—experimental games—and observational techniques—surveys—to examine the relationships between basic human values and exposure to natural ecosystems, on the one hand, and collective action for resource governance, on the other. We initially hypothesize that more frequent exposure to forests, and more pro-environmental values will be associated with more conservation action. However, we find that other values—tradition and conformity—are more important than pro-environmental values or exposure to nature. Our results imply that resource governance is likely to be more successful where resource users hold values that facilitate cooperation, not necessarily strong pro-environmental values.more » « less
-
Abstract Understanding the effects of environmental conditions on biodiversity may provide cues regarding the resilience of ecological communities facing human activities in tropical forests. Under this scenario, harvestmen are among the most ideal models for understanding the ecological dynamics associated with shifts in environmental conditions. In this study, we evaluated how changes in attributes related to environmental conditions shape harvestmen assemblages in the Atlantic Forest. We assessed the effect of environmental transformation in four forest fragments with different proportions of native forest cover based on their environmental attributes (temperature, humidity, leaf litter depth and cover, and herbaceous vegetation cover) on harvestmen species richness, abundance, and composition. Overall, 865 harvestmen individuals belonging to six families and 41 species were sampled. The effects of environmental conditions on harvestmen assemblages were context‐dependent. In the most conserved fragment, there was an increase in harvestmen richness and abundance with increasing temperature. Furthermore, herbaceous vegetation cover negatively affected harvestmen richness and abundance. Species turnover was the main driver of harvestmen beta diversity in all forest fragments. With the results presented herein, we demonstrate that harvestmen species richness and abundance are modulated by landscape modifications and subsequent alterations in the environment resulting from human‐induced disturbance. Our results highlight the importance of considering environmental transformations at a large spatial scale (i.e., landscape) and local scale (i.e., environmental attributes) to design appropriate conservation strategies for Brazilian Atlantic Forest.
-
null (Ed.)Understanding factors affecting the functional diversity of ecological communities is an important goal for ecologists and conservationists. Previous work has largely been conducted at the community level; however, recent studies have highlighted the critical importance of considering intraspecific functional diversity (i.e. the functional diversity of phenotypic traits among conspecifics). Further, a major limitation of existing literature on this topic is the lack of empirical studies examining functional diversity of behavioural phenotypes —including animal personalities. This is a major shortcoming because personality traits can affect the fitness of individuals, and the composition of personalities in a population can have important ecological consequences. Our study aims to contribute to filling this knowledge gap by investigating factors affecting the functional diversity of personality traits in wild animal populations. Specifically, we predicted that the richness, divergence and evenness associated with personality traits would be impacted by key components of forest structure and would vary between contrasting forest types. To achieve our objective we conducted a fully replicated large-scale field experiment over a 4 year period using small mammal populations as a model system. We found that greater heterogeneity in the cover of shrubs, coarse woody debris and canopy cover was associated with a greater richness, lower divergence and lower evenness in personality traits. Greater population density was associated with greater functional richness and lower functional divergence and evenness of personality traits. To maintain a behaviourally diverse population and its associated functions, managers may promote heterogeneity in vegetation and increased population density, which we found to be the most important determinants driving functional diversity of personality traits.more » « less
-
Abstract Climate change can affect the length and timing of seasons, which in turn can alter the time available for insects to complete their life cycles and successfully reproduce. Intraspecific hybridization between individuals from genetically distinct populations, or admixture, can boost fitness in populations experiencing environmental challenges. Admixture can particularly benefit small and isolated populations that may have high genetic load by masking deleterious alleles, thereby immediately increasing fitness, and also by increasing the genetic variation available for adaptive evolution. To evaluate the effects of admixture on populations exposed to a novel life cycle constraint, we used the red flour beetle,
Tribolium castaneum , as a model system. Distinct laboratory lineages were kept isolated or mixed together to create populations containing 1–4 lineages. We then compared the fitness of admixed populations to 1‐lineage populations while subjecting them to a shortened generation time for three generations. Admixture did not influence fitness after two generations. In contrast, in the third generation, admixed populations had significantly greater fitness compared with 1‐lineage populations. The timing of the increase in fitness for the admixed populations suggests that adaptation to the novel environmental constraint occurred in the experimental populations. Our study highlights the importance of admixture for facilitating rapid adaptation to changes in seasonality, and more broadly to environmental change.