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Laboratory measurements of physiological and demographic tolerances are important in understanding the impact of climate change on species diversity; however, it has been recognized that forecasts based solely on these laboratory estimates overestimate risk by omitting the capacity for species to utilize microclimatic variation via behavioral adjustments in activity patterns or habitat choice. The complex, and often context‐dependent nature, of microclimate utilization has been an impediment to the advancement of general predictive models. Here, we overcome this impediment and estimate the potential impact of warming on the fitness of ectotherms using a benefit/cost trade‐off derived from the simple and broadly documented thermal performance curve and a generalized cost function. Our framework reveals that, for certain environments, the cost of behavioral thermoregulation can be reduced as warming occurs, enabling behavioral buffering (e.g., the capacity for behavior to ameliorate detrimental impacts) and "behavioral rescue" from extinction in extreme cases. By applying our framework to operative temperature and physiological data collected at an extremely fine spatial scale in an African lizard, we show that new behavioral opportunities may emerge. Finally, we explore large‐scale geographic differences in the impact of behavior on climate‐impact projections using a global dataset of 38 insect species. These multiple lines of inference indicate that understanding the existing relationship between thermal characteristics (e.g., spatial configuration, spatial heterogeneity, and modal temperature) is essential for improving estimates of extinction risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and anthropogenic activity are currently driving large changes in nutritional availability across ecosystems, with consequences for infectious disease. An increase in host nutrition could lead to more resources for hosts to expend on the immune system or for pathogens to exploit. In this paper, we report a meta-analysis of studies on host–pathogen systems across the tree of life, to examine the impact of host nutritional quality and quantity on pathogen virulence. We did not find broad support across studies for a one-way effect of nutrient availability on pathogen virulence. We thus discuss a hypothesis that there is a balance between the effect of host nutrition on the immune system and on pathogen resources, with the pivot point of the balance differing for vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. Our results suggest that variation in nutrition, caused by natural or anthropogenic factors, can have diverse effects on infectious disease outcomes across species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organisms are faced with variable environments and one of the most common solutions to cope with such variability is phenotypic plasticity, a modification of the phenotype to the environment. These modifications are commonly modelled in evolutionary theories as adaptive, influencing ecological and evolutionary processes. If plasticity is adaptive, we would predict that the closer to fitness a trait is, the less plastic it would be. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a meta-analysis of 213 studies and measured the plasticity of each reported trait as a coefficient of variation. Traits were categorized as closer to fitness—life-history traits including reproduction and survival related traits, and farther from fitness—non-life-history traits including traits related to development, metabolism and physiology, morphology and behaviour. Our results showed, unexpectedly, that although traits differed in their amounts of plasticity, trait plasticity was not related to its proximity to fitness. These findings were independent of taxonomic groups or environmental types assessed. We caution against general expectations that plasticity is adaptive, as assumed by many models of its evolution. More studies are needed that test the adaptive nature of plasticity, and additional theoretical explorations on adaptive and non-adaptive plasticity are encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreaks of ice-ice disease and Epiphytic Filamentous Algae (EFA) on eucheumatoid algae have a close relationship with environmental factors. El Niño together with the corresponding atmospheric Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the most influential natural climate pattern on Earth. The relationship between the outbreaks of ice-ice disease and EFA on eucheumatoid algae with ENSO was investigated from the perspective of environmental conditions in Lian Bay, Lingshui, China. The low salinity and high temperature during August to October were dangerous for the cultivation of eucheumatoid algae in Lian Bay, especially in La Niña years. The possibility of disease and EFA would be decreased if the algae were cultured in deeper water. We suggest that the algae be cultured in deeper water in the La Niña years in Lian Bay, Lingshui from August to October. Based on the results of this study, future research should pay more attention to the relationship between ENSO and exceptional events in fisheries and aquaculture. Such information will be essential for developing appropriate strategies to predict the timing of exceptional events and help control their impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life-history strategies of female ungulates usually depend on density-dependent and independent processes affecting body condition. Using a long-term data set on life-history traits of female white-tailed deer (2002-2014), we investigated the influence of population density and environmental factors on the reproductive effort of females. We also evaluated post-reproductive consequences on body condition using body mass, body fat, and body protein contents in the autumn following conception. We found that under high densities, females had a lower reproductive rate, which corresponds to a conservative reproduction strategy. However, females born at high density were more likely to reproduce and conceive larger litter size than females born at low density, a possible consequence of strong selective pressure in early life. Body condition was affected by reproduction; lactation had a large negative impact on body mass and body reserves, and conception, irrespectively of litter size, had a negative impact on body fat. Our long-term study demonstrates that plasticity in life-history strategies is a major determinant of reproductive potential for females living at high density and under harsh climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strawberry fruit quality traits can be affected by genotype–environment interactions, determining the final consumer acceptance of fruits. Trait stability under varying environments is necessary to ensure the fruit quality of strawberries selected by breeding programs. Hence, inter- and intra-annual variation of organoleptic and functional fruit quality parameters of five strawberry varieties throughout four consecutive cropping seasons was analyzed to assess their relative stability. In most varieties, organoleptic parameters showed higher inter-annual stability but greater variability throughout the season, while the reverse was true for the functional quality parameters. Relative humidity and mean and minimum temperatures partially accounted for fruit quality variation but other factors along with the genotype may also have an influence. Among the varieties, ‘Splendor’ displayed greater year-on-year stability in organoleptic parameters, and ‘Sabrina’ and Candonga® showed higher inter- and intra-annual stability on functional fruit quality, respectively. Environmental variation did not affect fruit quality parameters similarly in all strawberry varieties. In ‘Sabrina’ and Candonga® antioxidant capacity (TEAC) was greater and stable throughout the cropping season, underlining TEAC as a tool for varietal selection, and suggesting these two varieties as parents for breeding programs that seek healthy features and high-quality fruits that meet consumer demands.

Consumed by populations in South America, Araucaria angustifolia seeds have received little study regarding elemental composition and nutritional value. Thirty-five seed sites from subtropical Brazil were sampled and seed concentrations of C, N, K, Ca, Mg, P, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Mo, Ni, Co, Cr, Ba, and Cd were determined. The highest concentration of N was observed in samples from regions with Cfa climate (humid subtropical, oceanic climate, without dry season with hot summer) and igneous rock, which was superior to regions with Cfb climate (humid subtropical, oceanic climate, without dry season with temperate summer) and metamorphic rock. Seeds can be a source of nutrients: K (11.8 g kg−1), P (4.1 g kg−1), Mn (9.1 mg kg−1), Cu (7.2 mg kg−1), Mo (0.93 mg kg−1), and Cr (0.65 mg kg−1). Values for Ba (0.93 mg kg−1) and Cd (0.19 mg kg−1) indicated no risk to human health. This study expands knowledge regarding the elemental composition of A. angustifolia. Results indicate that these seeds have nutritional value, and their consumption can be a good strategy to improve overall human nutrition in this region of South America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The temporal structure (colour) of environmental variation influences population fluctuations, extinction risk and community stability. However, it is unclear whether environmental covariates linked to population fluctuations are distinguishable from a purely random process (white noise). We aimed to estimate colour coefficients and relative support for three models commonly representing coloured stochastic processes, in environmental series linked to terrestrial animal population fluctuations. Location: North America and Eurasia. Time period: 1901–2002. Major taxa studied: Birds, insects and mammals. Methods: We analysed multiple abiotic environmental covariates, comparing point estimates and confidence intervals of temporal structure in competing models fitted using white noise, autoregressive [AR(1)] and 1/f processes in the time domain and the frequency domain (where time series were analysed after decomposition into different sinusoidal frequencies and their relative powers). All animal time series were sampled annually for ≤ 50 years, potentially inflating type II errors. We also considered 101‐year series of matched environmental covariates, performing a statistical power analysis evaluating our ability to draw robust conclusions. Results: Temperature‐related variables were associated with the largest fraction of population fluctuations. Ninety‐three per cent of shorter environmental series were indistinguishable from white noise, limited by time‐series length and associated with wide confidence intervals. The longer environmental series analysed in the time domain offered sufficiently high statistical power to identify correctly colour estimates ≥ |0.27|, indicating that 20% of series were best described by a slightly reddened noise process. Main conclusions: Focusing on the short time‐scales typically available for ecologists, most environmental variables associated with terrestrial animal population fluctuations are best characterized by white noise processes, although type II errors are common. The correct detection of intermediately coloured noise with power 0.8 requires ≥ 16 data points in the time domain or ≥ 47 points in the frequency domain. Over longer time‐scales, where type II errors are less likely, one‐fifth of populations are associated with coloured (often reddened) variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different processes, including ecological drift, environmental changes, and biotic homogenization, can explain variation in temporal beta diversity. Here, we aimed to analyze the temporal beta diversity of zooplankton communities along the longitudinal axis of a reservoir using two analytical approaches. As for the first approach, we predicted that that beta diversity would be positively correlated with limnological variability. We used multiple samples-based metrics to estimate beta diversity among 62 sampling months at six sampling sites; after, we correlated these metrics with within-site temporal variability in limnological factors. As for the second approach, we predicted that between-months variation in community composition would be positively correlated with time lags and between-months environmental distances. Considering the multiple samples approach, we did not detect a significant relationship between temporal beta diversity and variability in limnological factors. Between-months beta diversity was unrelated to between-months differences in limnological and hydrological factors. Only temporal lags were significantly correlated with between-months beta diversity. Beta diversity and species richness were substantially highest at the lotic zone of the reservoir. Our results indicate that temporal beta diversity tends to be highly unpredictable and that most of the taxa contributing to the regional diversity of the reservoir disperse via its lotic region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stream systems are characterized by a hierarchical dendritic branching pattern, which is thought to have important consequences for stream community structure. However, branching is associated with many other changes in stream condition, which make disentangling the effects of branching from associated environmental changes challenging. Moreover, much difficulty arises in scaling up local effects of branching within a watershed to the watershed as a whole, which is where diversity is arguably maintained and management and restoration efforts are assessed. Here, we show that branching can be present with no associated changes to community dynamics, either locally or in the watershed as a whole when branching affects only dispersal patterns and not environmental structure. We explore violations of these conditions to identify how branching can modify environmental conditions affecting coexistence in the watershed. We show that the strength of coexistence in the watershed depends in all essentials on the amount of environmental heterogeneity with only a small role for other factors. Only when streams are small relative to the scales of environmental change or dispersal can branching affect the strength of watershed-scale coexistence independently of changes to environmental heterogeneity in the watershed, but these effects are small and depend on interactions with environmental variation. We suggest that focusing on environmental heterogeneity rather than branching patterns will yield the greatest understanding of the drivers of stream community structure and the greatest benefits for management and restoration of stream communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The joint threats of climate and land‐use change require an understanding of how environmental variation influences species abundance and distribution. However, most species distribution models use static data and methods without considering how species respond over multiple temporal and spatial scales. Using a novel analytical approach, we show how multiscalar environmental variation drives spatial population dynamics of mobile species. Location: Great Plains, North America. Methods: We developed a spatial hierarchical model of abundance using long‐term citizen science data for two severely declining species (Lark Bunting, Calamospiza melanocorys, Chestnut‐collared Longspur, Calcarius ornatus). Specifically, we (a) compared regional variation in range‐wide abundance and population trends, (b) evaluated the influence of short‐term and long‐term drought on range dynamics and (c) tested whether regional population dynamics are spatially autocorrelated by environmental conditions occurring in geographically separated areas. Results: Both species exhibited long‐term range‐wide declines >70% with contraction towards the range core. Lark Buntings showed opposing responses to environmental variation; regional abundance increased with wetter conditions during arrival on the breeding grounds but also with longer‐term (4‐year) drought conditions. Chestnut‐collared Longspurs showed no response to drought at either temporal scale. We found strong evidence that Lark Bunting abundance in the southern portion of the range increases with favourable environmental conditions leading to subsequent declines in abundance in northern regions. Main conclusions: Our results highlight how (a) species can show opposing responses to the same environmental variable at different temporal and spatial scales, (b) sympatric species vary in their propensity to track environmental conditions and (c) for latitudinal migrants, environmental conditions along the migration pathway can influence settlement patterns with conditions in southern regions impacting abundance in the north. Our analysis indicates that an understanding of how global change impacts mobile species distributions will require range‐wide assessments incorporating response to environmental conditions across temporal and spatial scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temporal variation in environmental conditions affects population growth directly via its impact on vital rates, and indirectly through induced variation in demographic structure and phenotypic trait distributions. We currently know very little about how these processes jointly mediate population responses to their environment. To address this gap, we develop a general transient life table response experiment (LTRE) which partitions the contributions to population growth arising from variation in (1) survival and reproduction, (2) demographic structure, (3) trait values and (4) climatic drivers. We apply the LTRE to a population of yellow‐bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer) to demonstrate the impact of demographic and trait‐mediated processes. Our analysis provides a new perspective on demographic buffering, which may be a more subtle phenomena than is currently assumed. The new LTRE framework presents opportunities to improve our understanding of how trait variation influences population dynamics and adaptation in stochastic environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temporal variability in the environment drives variation in vital rates, with consequences for population dynamics and life‐history evolution. Integral projection models (IPMs) are data‐driven structured population models widely used to study population dynamics and life‐history evolution in temporally variable environments. However, many datasets have insufficient temporal replication for the environmental drivers of vital rates to be identified with confidence, limiting their use for evaluating population level responses to environmental change.Parameter selection, where the kernel is constructed at each time step by randomly selecting the time‐varying parameters from their joint probability distribution, is one approach to including stochasticity in IPMs. We consider a factor analytic (FA) approach for modelling the covariance matrix of time‐varying parameters, whereby latent variable(s) describe the covariance among vital rate parameters. This decreases the number of parameters to estimate and, where the covariance is positive, the latent variable can be interpreted as a measure of environmental quality. We demonstrate this using simulation studies and two case studies.The simulation studies suggest the FA approach provides similarly accurate estimates of stochastic population growth rate to estimating an unstructured covariance matrix. We demonstrate how the latent parameter can be perturbed to show how selection on reproductive delays in the monocarp Carduus nutans changes under different environmental conditions. We develop a demographic model of the fire dependent herb Eryngium cuneifolium to show how a putative driver of the variation in environmental quality can be incorporated with the addition of a single parameter. Using perturbation analyses we determine optimal management strategies for this species.This approach estimates fewer parameters than previous approaches and allows novel eco‐evolutionary insights. Predictions on population dynamics and life‐history evolution under different environmental conditions can be made without necessarily identifying causal factors. Putative environmental drivers can be incorporated with relatively few parameters, allowing for predictions on how populations will respond to changes in the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic land use and land cover (LULC) create a heterogeneous environment in the floodplains. This heterogeneity may be governing plant species assemblages, diversity, and dominance patterns in the riparian habitats of the lentic systems in tropical floodplains. We tested this hypothesis in the floodplains of Barak river basin in northeast India following standard methods of plant and soil sampling/analysis and multivariate statistical tools. Plant community studies in the riparian habitats of the selected lentic systems were done at monthly intervals for a period of one year, while soil sampling and analysis were done at bimonthly intervals. Standard data visualization plots and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) were used to assess spatiotemporal variations in species richness and diversity, environmental heterogeneity, and species-environment association. The study revealed that anthropogenic land use and land cover significantly affects species assemblage, diversity, and dominance in the riparian habitats. The variations in vegetation structure and composition with respect to the adjoining land use type plausibly have implications on the structure and functioning of the lentic systems. Thus, the study recommends that a holistic approach involving the riparian areas is required for effective management of tropical floodplains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The temporal dynamics of ciliate community structure in a southern Chinese shrimp aquaculture facility were investigated during the period June–September 2012. A total of 53 species belonging to 37 genera and 17 orders were recorded based on analyses of eight samples. Ciliate abundance peaked between 16 August and 14 September 2012, while the maximum number of species occurred on 26 June 2012. Clear temporal patterns were observed in the ciliate community structure. The patterns of succession of the 10 most abundant species were consistent with the results of a Canonical Analysis of Principal coordinates (CAP) analysis. Correlation analyses showed that these patterns of succession were related to temporal changes in environmental variables. In summary, the results demonstrate that the ciliate community responds predictably to environmental variations and recovers from shrimp cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Amino acid changes in mitochondrial (mt) oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) genes have been suggested as a key adaptation to environmental variation. Here, we analyzed 416 sequences of ATPase synthase 6 (MT‐ATP6) and NADH dehydrogenase 2 (MT‐ND2) in 22 different hare (Lepus) species from across a wide range of habitats and climates. We used site‐ and branch‐based methods to test for positive selection on specific codons and lineages. We found four codons in MT‐ATP6 and five in MT‐ND2 under positive selection, affecting several species lineages. We investigated the association of protein variants at each locus with climate zone, using multinomial generalized linear models (glm), including species, regions, historical introgression events, and the co‐occurring protein variant at the other locus as additional explanatory variables. A significant climate effect as based on the “Köppen climate classification” was observed for MT‐ND2 protein variants as translated from our nucleotide sequences. Moreover, MT‐ND2 protein variants were significantly affected by the co‐occurring MT‐ATP6 protein variant in the same mtDNA molecule. Contrary to the expectation for non‐recombining mitochondrial DNA molecules, the presence of an evolutionarily relatively ancestral protein variant at one locus was associated with a relatively derived protein at the other locus in the same mitochondrial molecule, respectively. The relative evolutionary status of a protein variant was evaluated according to its positions relative to the respective out‐group protein variant in a network analysis of nucleotide sequences. All our results suggest a complex effect of various climatic parameters acting on multiple mtOXPHOS genes in a co‐adaptive way, favoring combinations of ancestral and derived variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Thermoregulatory behaviour provides one of the main mechanisms by which animals compensate for fluctuations in environmental temperatures to maintain body temperatures within physiological optima. Thus, strategies of thermoregulation are predicted to be related to variation in environmental temperatures. We tested with jacky dragons (Amphibolurus muricatus) the prediction that the accuracy and effectiveness of thermoregulation would decrease as the costs of thermoregulation increase using experimental arenas to manipulate environmental temperature fluctuation. The results supported theoretical predictions on the costs of thermoregulation – environments that were fluctuating led to decreased accuracy of thermoregulation (increased deviations in body temperatures from preferred temperatures) and reduced thermoregulatory effort (effectiveness). Moreover, environments with a mean temperature farther from the preferred temperature also led to greater deviations in body temperature, although this had no significant effect on effectiveness of thermoregulation. Together, the results highlight the need to understand what influences the costs of thermoregulation (i.e. thermal variation and mean), and how great of costs will be accepted for the benefits associated with thermoregulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent meta-analysis has indicated that environmental quality and variability can influence whether offspring begging and parental responses to these signals are motivated by offspring need or offspring quality. We create a model to verify and apply evolutionary logic to this hypothesis. We determine the ecological and social conditions under which species signal and respond to need in favorable environments and quality in poor environments. The environmental conditions that favor this shift are widest when signaling costs and differences in quality between offspring are moderate. Low relatedness between siblings coupled with high signaling costs, as well as moderate relatedness between siblings coupled with low signaling costs, allow for the shift between signals of need and signals of quality to occur in more volatile environments. Furthermore, only species whose offspring are highly dependent on parents for survival are not expected to use both signals of need and of quality. Ultimately, this shift between signaling need and signaling quality is the result of high-quality offspring benefiting more from meager amounts of parental provisioning, whereas low-quality offspring have most to gain when parents can contribute more substantially. We show that this differential benefit of resources depends substantially upon offspring fitness as functions of parental investments, a variable which lacks both diversity and biological realism in previous theoretical approaches. We then use this work to reassess previous theory on signals of need and of quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenotypic plasticity, broadly defined as the capacity of one genotype to produce more than one phenotype, is a key mechanism for how animals adapt to environmental (including thermal) variation. Vertebrate glucocorticoid hormones exert broadscale regulation of physiological, behavioral, and morphological traits that influence fitness under many life-history or environmental contexts. Yet the capacity for vertebrates to demonstrate different types of thermal plasticity, including rapid compensation or longer acclimation in glucocorticoid hormone function, when subject to different environmental temperature regimes remains poorly addressed. Here, we explore whether patterns of urinary corticosterone metabolites respond (i.e., evidence of acclimation) to repeated short-term and sustained long-term temperature exposures in an amphibian, the cane toad (Rhinella marina). In response to three repeated short (30-min) hightemperature (377C) exposures (at 10-d intervals), toads produced urinary corticosterone metabolite responses of sequentially greater magnitude, relative to controls. However, toads subjected to 4 wk of acclimation to either cool (187C)- or warm (307C)- temperature environments did not differ significantly in their urinary corticosterone metabolite responses during exposure to a thermal ramp (187–367C). Together, these results indicate that adult toads had different, including limited, capacities for their glucocorticoid responses to demonstrate plasticity to different regimes of environmental temperature variation. We advocate further research as necessary to identify plasticity, or lack thereof, in glucocorticoid physiology, to better understand how vertebrates can regulate organismal responses to environmental variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variation in the intensity of plant–animal interactions over different spatial scales is widespread and might strongly influence fitness and trait selection in plants. Differences in traits among plant individuals have been shown to influence variation in interaction intensities within populations, while differences in environmental factors and community composition are shown to be important for variation over larger scales. However, little is still known about the relative importance of the local environmental context vs. plant traits for the outcome of interactions within plant populations. We investigated how oviposition by the seed‐predator butterfly Phengaris alcon on its host plant Gentiana pneumonanthe was related to host plant traits and to local environmental variation, as well as how oviposition patterns translated into effects on host plant fruit set. We considered the local environmental context in terms of height of the surrounding vegetation and abundance of the butterfly's second host, Myrmica ants. The probability of oviposition was higher in plants that were surrounded by lower vegetation, and both the probability of oviposition and the number of eggs increased in early‐flowering and tall plants with many flowers in the three study populations. Flowering phenology, shoot height and flower production were, in turn, related to higher surrounding vegetation. Myrmica abundance was correlated with vegetation height, but had no effect on oviposition patterns. Oviposition and subsequent seed predation by the caterpillars strongly reduced host plant fruit set. Our results show that plant–animal interactions are context‐dependent not only because the context influences the abundance or the behavior of the animal interactor, but also because it influences the expression of plant traits that affect the outcome of the interaction. The results also demonstrate that heterogeneity in environmental conditions at a very local scale can be important for the outcomes of interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intraspecific social dominance hierarchies should be influenced by environmental variation; however, in colour polymorphic species, dominance hierarchies are often assumed fixed, and thus insensitive to environmental variability. We ran a series of experiments using the colour polymorphic long-tailed brush lizard (Urosaurus graciosus) to challenge this assumption. We staged contests between orange and yellow morph males over a single heated perch, two perches at the same temperature, or two perches differing in temperature. Our first experiment revealed that orange-throated males are socially dominant. However, this hierarchy collapsed in our other experiments as yellow males became more aggressive. Interestingly, both males only ever secured their own perch where the perches differed in temperature. These findings mirror observations of morph behavioural flexibility in nature and studies of behaviour-environment interactions in non-polymorphic taxa. We conclude that colour morphs may have an underappreciated ability to assess resource-level changes and respond with concomitant flexibility in behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Echolocating bats are regularly studied to investigate auditory‐guided behaviors and as important bioindicators. Bioacoustic monitoring methods based on echolocation calls are increasingly used for risk assessment and to ultimately inform conservation strategies for bats. As echolocation calls transmit through the air at the speed of sound, they undergo changes due to atmospheric and geometric attenuation. Both the speed of sound and atmospheric attenuation, however, are variable and determined by weather conditions, particularly temperature and relative humidity. Changing weather conditions thus cause variation in analyzed call parameters, limiting our ability to detect, and correctly analyze bat calls. Here, I use real‐world weather data to exemplify the effect of varying weather conditions on the acoustic properties of air. I then present atmospheric attenuation and speed of sound for the global range of weather conditions and bat call frequencies to show their relative effects. Atmospheric attenuation is a nonlinear function of call frequency, temperature, relative humidity, and atmospheric pressure. While atmospheric attenuation is strongly positively correlated with call frequency, it is also significantly influenced by temperature and relative humidity in a complex nonlinear fashion. Variable weather conditions thus result in variable and unknown effects on the recorded call, affecting estimates of call frequency and intensity, particularly for high frequencies. Weather‐induced variation in speed of sound reaches up to about ±3%, but is generally much smaller and only relevant for acoustic localization methods of bats. The frequency‐ and weather‐dependent variation in atmospheric attenuation has a threefold effect on bioacoustic monitoring of bats: It limits our capability (1) to monitor bats equally across time, space, and species, (2) to correctly measure frequency parameters of bat echolocation calls, particularly for high frequencies, and (3) to correctly identify bat species in species‐rich assemblies or for sympatric species with similar call designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the growth of the plants from the family Fagaceae and it's impact on the ecosystem. It focuses on the biodiversity hotspot for the plant family Fagaceae with various diversification due to pollination. It talks about the characteristics developed by the plant through evolution and the impact of climate changes on the plants. It speaks about the plant's interaction with biomes in the natural environment.

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Using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), the characteristics of chemical elements were analyzed in white poplar ( Populus bonatii Levl.) and ailanthus ( Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle) from three sites in the town of Xi'an, China. The results indicated that the concentration variations of Pb and Cd in tree rings were consistent with that of the environment where the trees were growing. P and Zn were translocated within tree rings to a certain degree, which led to an inaccurate pollution reconstruction. We also found that white poplar had a stronger absorptive capacity of Cd and Zn than ailanthus, which could make white poplar better as a species in environmental remediation. From this research we can see the great potential of tree rings for studying the history of different element pollution in the environment, showing that dendrochemical methods could be used as a powerful component in environmental monitoring programmes, to reconstruct past pollution history at the time when monitoring systems were not yet installed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Asexual lineages can grow at a faster rate than sexual lineages. Why then is sexual reproduction so widespread? Much empirical evidence supports the Red Queen hypothesis. Under this hypothesis, coevolving parasites favour sexual reproduction by adapting to infect common asexual clones and driving them down in frequency. One limitation, however, seems to challenge the generality of the Red Queen: in theoretical models, parasites must be very virulent to maintain sex. Moreover, experiments show virulence to be unstable, readily shifting in response to environmental conditions. Does variation in virulence further limit the ability of coevolving parasites to maintain sex? To address this question, we simulated temporal variation in virulence and evaluated the outcome of competition between sexual and asexual females. We found that variation in virulence did not limit the ability of coevolving parasites to maintain sex. In fact, relatively high variation in virulence promoted parasite‐mediated maintenance of sex. With sufficient variation, sexual females persisted even when mean virulence fell well below the threshold virulence required to maintain sex under constant conditions. We conclude that natural variation in virulence does not limit the relevance of the Red Queen hypothesis for natural populations; on the contrary, it could expand the range of conditions over which coevolving parasites can maintain sex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to obtain general information for rice breeding materials high in taxifolin content. The taxifolin was isolated from the rice variety, 'Superhongmi' and was identified by means of spectral methods and quantitative analysis using a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The taxifolin content of the 'Superhongmi'variety was ranged between 32mg and 68mg per 100g seed that differs depending on cultivated regions. The taxifolin content was lower grown at mid north than those at south region. A large amount of taxifolin was found in the aleurone layer of seed as well as in the node of spike of the 'Superhongmi'. The weight of 1,000 grains was ranged between 23.5g and 27.8g that varied depending on cultivated regions. This variety showed heading in the 6th of September, and its fertility ratio was about 83% in sejong region. These results suggest that the taxifolin-rich rice variety, 'Superhongmi', is a good source of functional and stable food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While ecological adaptation in insects can be reflected by plasticity of phenotype, determining the causes and molecular mechanisms for phenotypic plasticity (PP) remains a crucial and still difficult question in ecology, especially where control of insect pests is involved. Oedaleus asiaticus is one of the most dominant pests in the Inner Mongolia steppe and represents an excellent system to study phenotypic plasticity. To better understand ecological factors affecting grasshopper phenotypic plasticity and its molecular control, we conducted a full transcriptional screening of O. asiaticus grasshoppers reared in four different grassland patches in Inner Mongolia. Grasshoppers showed different degrees of PP associated with unique gene expressions and different habitat plant community compositions. Grasshopper performance variables were susceptible to habitat environment conditions and closely associated with plant architectures. Intriguingly, eco-transcriptome analysis revealed five potential candidate genes playing important roles in grasshopper performance, with gene expression closely relating to PP and plant community factors. By linking the grasshopper performances to gene profiles and ecological factors using canonical regression, we first demonstrated the eco-transcriptomic architecture (ETA) of grasshopper phenotypic traits (ETAGPTs). ETAGPTs revealed plant food type, plant density, coverage, and height were the main ecological factors influencing PP, while insect cuticle protein (ICP), negative elongation factor A (NELFA), and lactase-phlorizin hydrolase (LCT) were the key genes associated with PP. Our study gives a clear picture of gene-environment interaction in the formation and maintenance of PP and enriches our understanding of the transcriptional events underlying molecular control of rapid phenotypic plasticity associated with environmental variability. The findings of this study may also provide new targets for pest control and highlight the significance of ecological management practice on grassland conservation.

Long-term or cumulative diversity is the biodiversity that accumulates at a site over many generations of community members. Cumulative diversity is likely important to the intrinsic and functional value of ecosystems given the legacies left behind by many species. While its components—average short-term diversity (alpha) and temporal turnover (beta)—have been extensively studied, cumulative diversity itself has not. We therefore examined the environmental and community drivers of cumulative diversity with a novel hierarchical diversity partition. This partition breaks cumulative diversity into short-term, turnover, richness, and evenness components. We applied this framework to 49 tropical rock pool communities, censused over tens to hundreds of organism generations. Results uncovered two environmental regimes that differentially impacted the richness and evenness components of cumulative diversity: Occasional drying events mainly limited richness and reset communities, while less severe physicochemical variations reduced the evenness of communities. These causal pathways amount to differential controls on cumulative diversity; controls that can oppose each other to buffer diversity against change as well as create unexpected trade-offs for managers. We conclude that maintaining diversity at longer timescales requires new analytical tools and an expanded view that can account for its complexity.