Sex-biased recapture rates present challenges to quantifying population sizes and dispersal behavior of the regal fritillary butterfly (Speyeria idalia)

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 891-899
Author(s):  
Daniel A. Marschalek
Keyword(s):  
Dispersal Behavior ◽  
Population Sizes ◽  
Speyeria Idalia

Characterizing the impact of recovering sea otters on commercially important crabs in California estuaries

2020 ◽  
Vol 655 ◽  
pp. 123-137
Author(s):  
TM Grimes ◽  
MT Tinker ◽  
BB Hughes ◽  
KE Boyer ◽  
L Needles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Sea Otter ◽  
Dungeness Crab ◽  
Sea Otters ◽  
Elkhorn Slough ◽  
Enhydra Lutris Nereis ◽  
Crab Abundance ◽  
Population Sizes ◽  
Commercially Important ◽  
The Impact

Protective legislation and management have led to an increase in California’s sea otter Enhydra lutris nereis population. While sea otter recovery has been linked to ecosystem benefits, sea otter predation may negatively affect commercially valuable species. Understanding the potential influence of sea otters is of particular importance as their range expands into estuaries that function as nurseries for commercially valuable species like Dungeness crab Metacarcinus magister. We consider how sea otter predation has affected the abundance and size of juvenile Dungeness crab in Elkhorn Slough, California, USA, and analyzed cancrid crab abundance and size across 4 California estuaries with and without sea otters to understand how biotic and abiotic factors contribute to observed variation in crab size and abundance. We compared trends in southern sea otters relative to Dungeness crab landings in California to assess whether increasing sea otter abundance have negatively impacted landings. In Elkhorn Slough, juvenile Dungeness crab abundance and size have declined since 2012, coinciding with sea otter population growth. However, the impact of sea otters on juvenile Dungeness crab size was habitat-specific and only significant in unvegetated habitat. Across estuaries, we found that cancrid crab abundance and size were negatively associated with sea otter presence. While abiotic factors varied among estuaries, these factors explained little of the observed variation in crab abundance or size. Although we found evidence that sea otters can have localized effects on cancrid crab populations within estuaries, we found no evidence that southern sea otters, at recent population sizes, have negatively impacted Dungeness crab landings in California from 2000-2014.

Stanowiska Succisella inflexa (Dipsacaceae) w Kampinoskim Parku Narodowym.

2019 ◽  
pp. 215-222
Author(s):  
Karol Torzewski
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Population Sizes ◽  
Young Forests

The paper presents the results of field research on the occurrence of Succisella inflexa in Kampinos National Park, conducted in 2004–2015. Its stations are characterized and its distribution is given. The populations were mainly concentrated in the eastern part of the park. Forty-five stations have been reported, two of them most likely historical. They were most often in open sedge and meadow, and less frequently in thin shrub and young forests. The population sizes ranged from single specimens to many thousands.

Estimating the exposure of carnivorous plants to rapid climatic change

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew C. Fitzpatrick ◽  
Aaron M. Ellison
Keyword(s):  
Climatic Change ◽  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Species Distributions ◽  
Dispersal Limitation ◽  
Small Population ◽  
Carnivorous Plant ◽  
Carnivorous Plants ◽  
Habitat Specialization ◽  
Population Sizes ◽  
Suitable Habitats

Climatic change likely will exacerbate current threats to carnivorous plants. However, estimating the severity of climatic change is challenged by the unique ecology of carnivorous plants, including habitat specialization, dispersal limitation, small ranges, and small population sizes. We discuss and apply methods for modeling species distributions to overcome these challenges and quantify the vulnerability of carnivorous plants to rapid climatic change. Results suggest that climatic change will reduce habitat suitability for most carnivorous plants. Models also project increases in habitat suitability for many species, but the extent to which these increases may offset habitat losses will depend on whether individuals can disperse to and establish in newly suitable habitats outside of their current distribution. Reducing existing stressors and protecting habitats where numerous carnivorous plant species occur may ameliorate impacts of climatic change on this unique group of plants.

scholarly journals The Impact of Health Policies and Sociodemographic Factors on Doubling Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mexico

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 2354
Author(s):  
Lina Díaz-Castro ◽  
Héctor Cabello-Rangel ◽  
Kurt Hoffman
Keyword(s):  
Population Density ◽  
Doubling Time ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Government Response ◽  
University Of Oxford ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Population Sizes ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Background. The doubling time is the best indicator of the course of the current COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the present investigation was to determine the impact of policies and several sociodemographic factors on the COVID-19 doubling time in Mexico. Methods. A retrospective longitudinal study was carried out across March–August, 2020. Policies issued by each of the 32 Mexican states during each week of this period were classified according to the University of Oxford Coronavirus Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT), and the doubling time of COVID-19 cases was calculated. Additionally, variables such as population size and density, poverty and mobility were included. A panel data model was applied to measure the effect of these variables on doubling time. Results. States with larger population sizes issued a larger number of policies. Delay in the issuance of policies was associated with accelerated propagation. The policy index (coefficient 0.60, p < 0.01) and the income per capita (coefficient 3.36, p < 0.01) had a positive effect on doubling time; by contrast, the population density (coefficient −0.012, p < 0.05), the mobility in parks (coefficient −1.10, p < 0.01) and the residential mobility (coefficient −4.14, p < 0.01) had a negative effect. Conclusions. Health policies had an effect on slowing the pandemic’s propagation, but population density and mobility played a fundamental role. Therefore, it is necessary to implement policies that consider these variables.

scholarly journals Bayes Estimation of Species Divergence Times and Ancestral Population Sizes Using DNA Sequences From Multiple Loci

Genetics ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 164 (4) ◽  
pp. 1645-1656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce Rannala ◽  
Ziheng Yang
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Gene Tree ◽  
Species Tree ◽  
Bayes Estimation ◽  
Ancestral Population ◽  
Divergence Times ◽  
Gene Trees ◽  
Species Divergence ◽  
Multiple Loci ◽  
Population Sizes

Abstract The effective population sizes of ancestral as well as modern species are important parameters in models of population genetics and human evolution. The commonly used method for estimating ancestral population sizes, based on counting mismatches between the species tree and the inferred gene trees, is highly biased as it ignores uncertainties in gene tree reconstruction. In this article, we develop a Bayes method for simultaneous estimation of the species divergence times and current and ancestral population sizes. The method uses DNA sequence data from multiple loci and extracts information about conflicts among gene tree topologies and coalescent times to estimate ancestral population sizes. The topology of the species tree is assumed known. A Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm is implemented to integrate over uncertain gene trees and branch lengths (or coalescence times) at each locus as well as species divergence times. The method can handle any species tree and allows different numbers of sequences at different loci. We apply the method to published noncoding DNA sequences from the human and the great apes. There are strong correlations between posterior estimates of speciation times and ancestral population sizes. With the use of an informative prior for the human-chimpanzee divergence date, the population size of the common ancestor of the two species is estimated to be ∼20,000, with a 95% credibility interval (8000, 40,000). Our estimates, however, are affected by model assumptions as well as data quality. We suggest that reliable estimates have yet to await more data and more realistic models.

scholarly journals The Effects of Hill-Robertson Interference Between Weakly Selected Mutations on Patterns of Molecular Evolution and Variation

Genetics ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 155 (2) ◽  
pp. 929-944 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilean A T McVean ◽  
Brian Charlesworth
Keyword(s):  
Codon Bias ◽  
Molecular Adaptation ◽  
Weak Selection ◽  
Multiple Loci ◽  
Locus Model ◽  
Fitness Consequences ◽  
Novel Variants ◽  
Population Sizes ◽  
The Hill ◽  
Reversible Mutation

Abstract Associations between selected alleles and the genetic backgrounds on which they are found can reduce the efficacy of selection. We consider the extent to which such interference, known as the Hill-Robertson effect, acting between weakly selected alleles, can restrict molecular adaptation and affect patterns of polymorphism and divergence. In particular, we focus on synonymous-site mutations, considering the fate of novel variants in a two-locus model and the equilibrium effects of interference with multiple loci and reversible mutation. We find that weak selection Hill-Robertson (wsHR) interference can considerably reduce adaptation, e.g., codon bias, and, to a lesser extent, levels of polymorphism, particularly in regions of low recombination. Interference causes the frequency distribution of segregating sites to resemble that expected from more weakly selected mutations and also generates specific patterns of linkage disequilibrium. While the selection coefficients involved are small, the fitness consequences of wsHR interference across the genome can be considerable. We suggest that wsHR interference is an important force in the evolution of nonrecombining genomes and may explain the unexpected constancy of codon bias across species of very different census population sizes, as well as several unusual features of codon usage in Drosophila.

scholarly journals Effect of Pheromone Blend Components, Sex Ratio, and Population Size on the Mating of Cadra cautella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abeysinghe Mudiyanselage Prabodha Sammani ◽  
Dissanayaka Mudiyanselage Saman Kumara Dissanayaka ◽  
Leanage Kanaka Wolly Wijayaratne ◽  
William Robert Morrison
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Population Size ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Mating Disruption ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Mating Status ◽  
Cadra Cautella ◽  
Synthetic Chemicals ◽  
Population Sizes ◽  
Lepidoptera Pyralidae

Abstract The almond moth Cadra cautella (Walker), a key pest of storage facilities, is difficult to manage using synthetic chemicals. Pheromone-based management methods remain a high priority due to advantages over conventional management practices, which typically use insecticides. Cadra cautella females release a blend of pheromone including (Z, E)-9,12-tetradecadienyl acetate (ZETA) and (Z)-9-tetradecadien-1-yl acetate (ZTA). The effect of these components on mating of C. cautella and how response varies with the population density and sex ratio remain unknown. In this study, the mating status of C. cautella was studied inside mating cages under different ratios of ZETA and ZTA diluted in hexane and at different population sizes either with equal or unequal sex ratio. The lowest percentage of mated females (highest mating disruption [MD] effects), corresponding to roughly 12.5%, was produced by a 5:1 and 3.3:1 ratio of ZETA:ZTA. Populations with equal sex ratio showed the lowest percentage of mated females, at 20% and 12.5% under lower and higher density, respectively. The next lowest percentage of mated females was produced when the sex ratio was set to 1: 2 and 2:1 male:female, with just 25% and 22.5% of moths mated, respectively. This study shows that mating status of C. cautella is influenced by ZETA:ZTA ratio, sex ratio, and population size. This current knowledge would have useful implications for mating disruption programs.

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