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University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
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Strong Seedling Recruitment Does Not Limit Mangrove Vulnerability To Harvest, Orou G. Gaoue, Kowiyou Yessoufou
Strong Seedling Recruitment Does Not Limit Mangrove Vulnerability To Harvest, Orou G. Gaoue, Kowiyou Yessoufou
Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Ecological studies on the impacts of timber harvesting contributed to inform sustainable management strategies of tropical forests. However, these studies rely strongly on two major assumptions: (i) strong seedlings recruitment predispose for positive population dynamics, and (ii) more adult trees is a guarantee for a strong reproductive capability of the population. These assumptions are applied without accounting for the life history of the harvested species. Here, we revisit these assumptions in light of the life history theory, which predicts different responses of short- and long-lived species to perturbation. We predict that harvesting adults, rather than reducing seedling recruitment of long-lived …
Trait Variation Along Elevation Gradients In A Dominant Wood Shrub Is Population-Specific And Driven By Plasticity, Alix A. Pfennigwerth, Joseph K. Bailey, Jennifer A. Schweitzer
Trait Variation Along Elevation Gradients In A Dominant Wood Shrub Is Population-Specific And Driven By Plasticity, Alix A. Pfennigwerth, Joseph K. Bailey, Jennifer A. Schweitzer
Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Elevation gradients are frequently used as space-for-time substitutions to infer species’ trait responses to climate change. However, studies rarely investigate whether trait responses to elevation are widespread or population specific within a species, and the relative genetic and plastic contributions to such trait responses may not be well understood. Here, we examine plant trait variation in the dominant woody shrub, Rhododendron maximum, along elevation gradients in three populations in the South Central Appalachian Mountains, USA, in both field and common garden environments. We ask the following: (1) do plant traits vary along elevation? (2) do trait responses to elevation differ …
Meta-Analysis Reveals Evolution In Invasive Plant Species But Little Support For Evolution Of Increased Competitive Ability (Eica), E Felker-Quinn, J A. Schweitzer, J K. Bailey
Meta-Analysis Reveals Evolution In Invasive Plant Species But Little Support For Evolution Of Increased Competitive Ability (Eica), E Felker-Quinn, J A. Schweitzer, J K. Bailey
Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Ecological explanations for the success and persistence of invasive species vastly outnumber evolutionary hypotheses, yet evolution is a fundamental process in the success of any species. The Evolution of Increased Competitive Ability (EICA) hypothesis (Blossey and Nötzold 1995) proposes that evolutionary change in response to release from coevolved herbivores is responsible for the success of many invasive plant species. Studies that evaluate this hypothesis have used different approaches to test whether invasive populations allocate fewer resources to defense and more to growth and competitive ability than do source populations, with mixed results. We conducted a meta-analysis of experimental tests of …
The Effects Of Insects, Nutrients, And Plant Invasion On Community Structure And Function Above- And Belowground, Phoebe Wright, Melissa A. Cregger, Lara Souza, Nathan J. Sanders, Aimee T. Classen
The Effects Of Insects, Nutrients, And Plant Invasion On Community Structure And Function Above- And Belowground, Phoebe Wright, Melissa A. Cregger, Lara Souza, Nathan J. Sanders, Aimee T. Classen
Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Soil nutrient availability, invasive plants, and insect presence can directly alter ecosystem structure and function, but less is known about how these factors may interact. In this 6-year study in an old-field ecosystem, we manipulated insect abundance (reduced and control), the propagule pressure of an invasive nitrogen-fixing plant (propagules added and control), and soil nutrient availability (nitrogen added, nitrogen reduced and control) in a fully crossed, completely randomized plot design. We found that nutrient amendment and, occasionally, insect abundance interacted with the propagule pressure of an invasive plant to alter above- and belowground structure and function at our site. Not …
Litter, Color Variation, And Sex Effects On Feeding And Anti-Predator Behavior In Individual Thamnophis Sirtalis, Jennifer F. Porter, Gordon M. Burghardt
Litter, Color Variation, And Sex Effects On Feeding And Anti-Predator Behavior In Individual Thamnophis Sirtalis, Jennifer F. Porter, Gordon M. Burghardt
Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
There are stark coloration differences within single populations of Thamnophis sirtalis such as the Isle Royale population. While these red color patterns cause the snakes to stand out, it is unsure if it is for some defensive purpose such as aposematic coloring. To see if this or other genetic factors, sex, and relatedness with litters, could influence behavior anti-predator and feeding tests were performed on 38 captive-born neonate T. sirtalis. The feeding experiment recorded the latency of feeding from placement of the piece of night crawler to food capture. The anti-predator experiment recorded reactions to a probe touching each snake …