Digital Commons Network^™

Coral Bleaching Response Is Unaltered Following Acclimatization To Reefs With Distinct Environmental Conditions, Katie L. Barott, Ariana S. Huffmyer, Jennifer M. Davidson, Elizabeth A. Lenzb, Shayle B. Matsuda, Joshua R. Hancock, Teegan Innis, Crawford Drury, Hollie M. Putnam, Ruth D. Gates

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Urgent action is needed to prevent the demise of coral reefs as the climate crisis leads to an increasingly warmer and more acidic ocean. Propagating climate change-resistant corals to restore degraded reefs is one promising strategy; however, empirical evidence is needed to determine whether stress resistance is affected by transplantation beyond a coral's native reef. Here, we assessed the performance of bleaching-resistant individuals of two coral species following reciprocal transplantation between reefs with distinct pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen, sedimentation, and flow dynamics to determine whether heat stress response is altered following coral exposure to novel physicochemical conditions in situ. Critically, …

Three-Dimensional Digital Mapping Of Ecosystems: A New Era In Spatial Ecology, Tim D'Urban Jackson, Gareth J. Williams, Guy Walker-Springett, Andrew J. Davies

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Ecological processes occur over multiple spatial, temporal and thematic scales in three-dimensional (3D) ecosystems. Characterizing and monitoring change in 3D structure at multiple scales is challenging within the practical constraints of conventional ecological tools. Remote sensing from satellites and crewed aircraft has revolutionized broad-scale spatial ecology, but fine-scale patterns and processes operating at sub-metre resolution have remained understudied over continuous extents. We introduce two high-resolution remote sensing tools for rapid and accurate 3D mapping in ecology—terrestrial laser scanning and structure-from-motion photogrammetry. These technologies are likely to become standard sampling tools for mapping and monitoring 3D ecosystem structure across currently under-sampled …

Sub-Lethal Predatory Shell Damage Does Not Affect Physiology Under High Co2 In The Intertidal Gastropod Tritia Reticulata, Leonardo Querobim Yokoyama, Alexander Turra, Coleen Suckling, Gabriela Torres, Andrew Davies, Ian Mccarthy

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Ocean acidification (OA) poses a major threat to marine animals, especially marine shelled invertebrates such as molluscs. Although many organisms are capable of compensating for the effects of OA, this can impose physiological costs and impact performance (e.g. through increased metabolism and decreased growth). Sublethal injuries on shells may provoke changes in energy allocation. Under acidified conditions, organisms would spend less energy on reproduction and somatic growth to repair the damage. Therefore, we analysed the physiological responses of the intertidal gastropod Tritia reticulata during shell regeneration under OA conditions. We simulated a sub-lethal predation event (a notch in the outer …

Seasonal Changes In Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga Canadensis) Foliar Chemistry, Ian G. Kinahan, Chad M. Rigsby, Suzanne K. Savage, Nick L. Houseman, Andrew S. Marsella, Anita Oppong, Brenton L. Deboef, Colin M. Orians, Evan L. Preisser

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carriére; hemlock) is an eastern North American conifer threatened by the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae Annand). Changes in foliar terpenes and phenolics were evaluated in new (current year growth) and mature (1-year old growth) hemlock needles during the growing season and into plant dormancy. From April through September, foliar concentrations of non-volatile soluble phenolics, condensed tannins, lignin, mono- and sesquiterpenes α-pinene, camphene, isobornyl acetate, and diterpene resin were quantified. After September, additional analyses of metabolites that continued to differ significantly in new versus mature foliage were carried out. Total soluble phenolic …

A Comparison Of The Population Genetic Structure And Diversity Between A Common (Chrysemys P. Picta) And An Endangered (Clemmys Guttata) Freshwater Turtle, Scott W. Buchanan, Jason J. Kolbe, Johanna E. Wegener, Jessica R. Atutubo, Nancy E. Karraker

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The northeastern United States has experienced dramatic alteration to its landscape since the time of European settlement. This alteration has had major impacts on the distribution and abundance of wildlife populations, but the legacy of this landscape change remains largely unexplored for most species of freshwater turtles. We used microsatellite markers to characterize and compare the population genetic structure and diversity between an abundant generalist, the eastern painted turtle (Chrysemys p. picta), and the rare, more specialized, spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata) in Rhode Island, USA. We predicted that because spotted turtles have disproportionately experienced the detrimental effects of habitat loss …

Asymmetric Biotic Interactions And Abiotic Niche Differences Revealed By A Dynamic Joint Species Distribution Model, Nina K. Lany, Phoebe Zarnetske, Erin M. Schliep, Robert N. Schaeffer, Colin M. Orians, David A. Orwig, Evan L. Preisser

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

A species’ distribution and abundance are determined by abiotic conditions and biotic interactions with other species in the community. Most species distribution models correlate the occurrence of a single species with environmental variables only, and leave out biotic interactions. To test the importance of biotic interactions on occurrence and abundance, we compared a multivariate spatiotemporal model of the joint abundance of two invasive insects that share a host plant, hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA; Adelges tsugae) and elongate hemlock scale (EHS; Fiorina externa), to independent models that do not account for dependence among co‐occurring species. The joint model revealed …

Individual And Non‐Additive Effects Of Exotic Sap‐Feeders On Root Functional And Mycorrhizal Traits Of A Shared Conifer Host, Robert N. Schaeffer, Claire M. Wilson, Laura Radville, Mauri Barrett, Elizabeth Whitney, Sofia Roitman, Esther R. Miller, Benjamin E. Wolfe, Carol S. Thornber, Colin M. Orians, Evan L. Preisser

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

1. Forest pests drive tree mortality through disruption of functional traits linked to nutrient acquisition, growth and reproduction. The impacts of attack by individual or multiple above‐ground herbivores on root functional traits critical to tree health have received little attention. This is especially true for exotic herbivores, organisms often found in disturbed forests.
2. We excavated whole‐root systems from eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) individuals experimentally infested with hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA: Adelges tsugae) and elongate hemlock scale (EHS: Fiorina externa) individually, or in combination, for periods of 2 and 4 years. Below‐ground root biomass, functional traits and storage …

Determinants Of Spread In An Urban Landscape By An Introduced Lizard, Jason J. Kolbe, Paul Vanmiddlesworth, Andrew C. Battles, James T. Stroud, Bill Buffum, Richard T. T. Forman, Jonathan B. Losos

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Context: Urban landscapes are a mixture of built structures, human-altered vegetation, and remnant semi-natural areas. The spatial arrangement of abiotic and biotic conditions resulting from urbanization doubtless influences the establishment and spread of non-native species in a city.

Objectives: We investigated the effects of habitat structure, thermal microclimates, and species coexistence on the spread of a non-native lizard (Anolis cristatellus) in the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida (USA).

Methods: We used transect surveys to estimate lizard occurrence and abundance on trees and to measure vegetation characteristics, and we assessed forest cover and impervious surface using GIS. We …

The Influence Of Salt Marsh Fucoid Algae (Ecads) On Sediment Dynamics Of Northwest Atlantic Marshes, M. C. Tyrrell, Carol S. Thornber, J. A. Burkhardt, M. Congretel

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Resilience is currently a key theme within salt marsh ecological studies. Understanding the factors that affect salt marsh accretion and elevation gains are of paramount importance if management of these ecosystems is to be successful under increasing synergistic stresses of storm surge, inundation period, and eutrophication. We present the results of salt marsh fucoid algae (ecads) removal experiments on Spartina alterniflora abundance, production and decomposition and the sedimentary dynamics of two marshes on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The presence of the thick layer of marsh fucoids had a significant and positive influence on sediment deposition, accretion, concentration of water column particulates, …

Untangling Intra- And Interspecific Effects On Body Size Clines Reveals Divergent Processes Structuring Convergent Patterns In Anolis Lizards, Martha M. Muñoz, Johanna E. Wegener, Adam C. Algar

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Bergmann’s rule—the tendency for body size to increase in colder environments—remains controversial today, despite 150 years of research. Considerable debate has revolved around whether the rule applies within or among species. However, this debate has generally not considered that clade-level relationships are caused by both intra- and interspecific effects. In this article, we implement a novel approach that allows for the separation of intra- and interspecific components of trait-environment relationships. We apply this approach to body size clines in two Caribbean clades of Anolis lizards and discover that their similar body size gradients are constructed in very different ways. We …

Using Non-Dietary Gastropods In Coastal Shell Middens To Infer Kelp And Seagrass Harvesting And Paleoenvironmental Conditions, Amira F. Ainis, René Vellanoweth, Queeny G. Lapeña, Carol S. Thornber

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Archaeologists analyzing shell middens typically focus on larger (>2 cm) mollusks to examine subsistence practices, impacts on littoral habitats, and paleoenvironmental conditions as well as a host of other natural and cultural phenomena. Small (<2 cm), non-dietary gastropods in archaeological shell middens also provide important clues regarding human resource procurement in littoral areas and coastal paleoenvironments. We present data from two sites on the California Channel Islands to demonstrate the range of information that can be gained by analyzing small gastropod shells. Identifications revealed the remains of over 4500 non-dietary small gastropods from 75 taxa. Human harvesting of marine macrophytes is suggested by the presence of 18 species that are predominantly associated with seaweeds and seagrasses. Quantification measures revealed high diversity and equitability indices, oscillating taxonomic richness, and decreasing densities through time at both sites. Likelihood ratio tests revealed differences in assemblage composition between Early Holocene and later components at one site, and demonstrated similarities in the relative composition of non-dietary shell assemblages between both sites during the Middle Holocene. Incorporating detailed studies of less conspicuous “incidental” shellfish remains in archaeological midden studies has the potential to contribute to our understanding of past human land use practices and littoral paleoecology. Our findings are applicable to archaeologists working in coastal settings around the world, as well as marine ecologists interested in intertidal paleo-habitats and kelp forest ecosystems.

Sensory Basis For Detection Of Benthic Prey In Two Lake Malawi Cichlids., Margot A. B. Schwalbe, Jacqueline F. Webb

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The adaptive radiations of African cichlids resulted in a diversity of feeding morphologies and strategies, but the role of sensory biology in prey detection and feeding ecology remains largely unexplored. Two endemic Lake Malawi cichlid genera, Tramitichromis and Aulonocara, feed on benthic invertebrates, but differ in lateral line morphology (narrow and widened lateral line canals, respectively) and foraging strategy. The hypothesis that they use their lateral line systems differently was tested by looking at the relative contribution of the lateral line system and vision in prey detection by Tramitichromis sp. and comparing results to those from a complementary study using …

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid And Elongate Hemlock Scale Induce Changes In Foliar And Twig Volatiles Of Eastern Hemlock, Joshua Pezet, Joseph Elkinton, Sara Gomez, E. Alexa Mckenzie, Michael Lavine, Evan Preisser

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) is in rapid decline because of infestation by the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae; 'HWA') and, to a lesser extent, the invasive elongate hemlock scale (Fiorinia externa; 'EHS'). For many conifers, induced oleoresin-based defenses play a central role in their response to herbivorous insects; however, it is unknown whether eastern hemlock mobilizes these inducible defenses. We conducted a study to determine if feeding by HWA or EHS induced changes in the volatile resin compounds of eastern hemlock. Young trees were experimentally infested for 3 years with HWA, EHS, or neither insect. Twig and needle resin …

Examination Of Ulva Bloom Species Richness And Relative Abundance Reveals Two Cryptically Co- Occurring Bloom Species In Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, Michele Guidone, Carol S. Thornber

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Blooms caused by the green macroalga Ulva pose a serious threat to coastal ecosystem 20 around the world. Despite numerous studies of the causes and consequences of these blooms, we still have a limited understanding of Ulva bloom species richness and abundance due to difficulties in identifying Ulva species using morphological features. Along the northeastern U.S. coastline, all blooms of distromatic Ulva blades were previously identified as U. lactuca. Recent molecular sequencing, however, discovered the presence of additional distromatic Ulva species. Therefore, in order to determine the relative abundance of Ulva species within blooms, we conducted monthly surveys at four …

Predator Effects In Predator-Free Space: The Remote Effects Of Predators On Prey, John L. Orrock, Lawerence M. Dill, Andrew Sih, Johnathan H. Grabowski, Scott D. Peacor, Barbara L. Peckarsky, Evan L. Preisser, James R. Vonesh, Earl E. Werner

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Predators can have remote effects on prey populations that are connected by migration (i.e. prey metapopulations) because predator-mediated changes in prey behavior and abundance effectively transmit the impact of predators into predator-free prey populations. Behavioral changes in prey that might give rise to remote effects are altered rates of migration or activity in the presence of predation risk (called non-consumptive effects, fear- or μ-driven effects, and risk effects). Changes in prey abundance that may result in remote effects arise from changes in prey density due to direct predation (i.e. consumptive effects, also called N-driven effects and predation effects). Remote effects …

Ecological Boundary Detection Using Bayesian Areal Wombling, Matthew C. Fitzpatrick, Evan L. Preisser, Adam Porter, Joseph Elkinton, Lance A. Waller, Bradley P. Carlin, Aaron M. Ellison

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The study of ecological boundaries and their dynamics is of fundamental importance to much of ecology, biogeography, and evolution. Over the past two decades, boundary analysis (of which wombling is a subfield) has received considerable research attention, resulting in multiple approaches for the quantification of ecological boundaries. Nonetheless, few methods have been developed that can simultaneously (1) analyze spatially homogenized data sets (i.e., areal data in the form of polygons rather than point‐reference data); (2) account for spatial structure in these data and uncertainty associated with them; and (3) objectively assign probabilities to boundaries once detected. Here we describe the …

Revisiting The Classics: Considering Nonconsumptive Effects In Textbook Examples Of Predator–Prey Interactions, Barbara L. Peckarsky, Peter A. Abrams, Daniel I. Bolnick, Lawrence M. Dill, Jonathan H. Grabowski, Barney Luttberg, John L. Orrock, Scott D. Peacor, Evan L. Preisser, Oswald J. Schmitz, Geoffrey C. Trussell

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Predator effects on prey dynamics are conventionally studied by measuring changes in prey abundance attributed to consumption by predators. We revisit four classic examples of predator–prey systems often cited in textbooks and incorporate subsequent studies of nonconsumptive effects of predators (NCE), defined as changes in prey traits (e.g., behavior, growth, development) measured on an ecological time scale. Our review revealed that NCE were integral to explaining lynx–hare population dynamics in boreal forests, cascading effects of top predators in Wisconsin lakes, and cascading effects of killer whales and sea otters on kelp forests in nearshore marine habitats. The relative roles of …

From Individuals To Ecosystem Function: Toward An Integration Of Evolutionary And Ecosystem Ecology, Oswald J. Schmitz, Jonathan H. Garbowski, Barbara L. Peckarsky, Evan L. Preisser, Geoffrey C. Trussell, James R. Vonesh

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

An important goal in ecology is developing general theory on how the species composition of ecosystems is related to ecosystem properties and functions. Progress on this front is limited partly because of the need to identify mechanisms controlling functions that are common to a wide range of ecosystem types. We propose that one general mechanism, rooted in the evolutionary ecology of all species, is adaptive foraging behavior in response to predation risk. To support our claim, we present two kinds of empirical evidence from plant‐based and detritus‐based food chains of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The first kind comes from experiments …

Timing Of Metamorphosis In A Freshwater Crustacean: Comparison With Anuran Models, Saran Twombly

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Many crustaceans have complex life cycles characterized by a metamorphosis, yet variation in metamorphic traits, and the causes and consequences of this variation, have rarely been examined. Food concentrations were changed during specific larval stages of the freshwater copepod Mesocyclops edax Forbes (Copepoda: Cyclopoida) to examine whether age and size at metamorphosis remain flexible or become fixed during the larval period. Results were compared to predictions of both flexible (the Wilbur—Collins model) and fixed (Leips—Travis model) rate models for the timing of amphibian metamorphosis. Age and size at metamorphosis were variable in all treatments, and age was always more variable …