The habitat harshness hypothesis revisited: life history of the isopod Excirolana braziliensis in sandy beaches with contrasting morphodynamics

2003 ◽  
Vol 83 (2) ◽  
pp. 331-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omar Defeo ◽  
Gastón Martínez
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Sandy Beaches ◽  
Physical Conditions ◽  
Large Populations ◽  
History Of ◽  
Pan American

Demographic and life history characteristics of the intertidal isopod Excirolana braziliensis (Isopoda: Cirolanidae) were compared between populations of two exposed sandy beaches with contrasting morphodynamics (reflective vs dissipative) during 22 consecutive months. Most population processes and life history traits did not give support for the ‘habitat harshness hypothesis’ (HHH): abundance of males, females, ovigerous females and juveniles was significantly higher at the reflective beach population, which also presented higher growth rates in size and weight with respect to the dissipative beach population. No significant differences in weight-at-length were found between beaches. Among the compared parameters, only the lower natural mortality rates at the dissipative beach gave support for the HHH. The results were not consistent with a previous analysis of Excirolana braziliensis along Pan-American beaches, which showed that this isopod occurs almost invariably in fine sands of tropical and temperate beaches. The results give strong support to recent findings that show that in macrofauna species capable of sustaining large populations across a wide spectrum of physical conditions, such as Excirolana braziliensis, beach morphodynamics should not be considered the primary factor affecting abundance and life history traits. Instead, our results reinforce the view that sandy beach populations are controlled by the intertwined forces of biotic and abiotic factors operating together.

scholarly journals Determinants of life-history traits in a fish ectoparasite: a hierarchical analysis

Parasitology ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 138 (7) ◽  
pp. 848-857 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. LOOT ◽  
N. POULET ◽  
S. BROSSE ◽  
L. TUDESQUE ◽  
F. THOMAS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Egg Size ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Individual Fitness ◽  
Parasite Number ◽  
Egg Number

SUMMARYObjective. Unravelling the determinants of parasite life-history traits in natural settings is complex. Here, we deciphered the relationships between biotic, abiotic factors and the variation in 4 life-history traits (body size, egg presence, egg number and egg size) in the fish ectoparasite Tracheliastes polycolpus. We then determined the factors affecting the strength of the trade-off between egg number and egg size. Methods. To do so, we used 4-level (parasite, microhabitat, host and environment) hierarchical models coupled to a field database. Results. Variation in life-history traits was mostly due to individual characteristics measured at the parasite level. At the microhabitat level (fins of fish hosts), parasite number was positively related to body size, egg presence and egg number. Higher parasite number on fins was positively associated with individual parasite fitness. At the host level, host body size was positively related to the individual fitness of the parasite; parasites were bigger and more fecund on bigger hosts. In contrast, factors measured at the environmental level had a weak influence on life-history traits. Finally, a site-dependent trade-off between egg number and egg size existed in this population. Conclusion. Our study illustrates the importance of considering parasite life-history traits in a hierarchical framework to decipher complex links between biotic, abiotic factors and parasite life-history traits.

scholarly journals Life history of a secondary bark beetle, Pseudips mexicanus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), in lodgepole pine in British Columbia

2009 ◽  
Vol 141 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.D. Smith ◽  
A.L. Carroll ◽  
B.S. Lindgren
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Bark Beetle ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Degree Days ◽  
Northern Portion ◽  
History Of ◽  
Bark Beetle Associates

AbstractPseudips mexicanus (Hopkins) is a secondary bark beetle native to western North and Central America that attacks most species of pine (Pinus L. (Pinaceae)) within its range. A pair of life-history studies examined P. mexicanus in other host species, but until now, no work has been conducted on lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Douglas ex Louden var. latifolia Engelm. ex S. Watson). Pseudips mexicanus in lodgepole pine was found to be polygynous. Galleries were shorter, offspring smaller, and the eggs laid per niche and the potential progeny fewer than in populations from California and Guatemala. Development from the time of female attack to emergence of adult offspring took less than 50 days at 26.5 °C, and the accumulated heat required to complete the life cycle was determined to be 889.2 degree days above 8.5 °C, indicating that in the northern portion of its range P. mexicanus is univoltine. Determination of these life-history traits will facilitate study of interactions between P. mexicanus and other bark beetle associates in lodgepole pine.

Coevolutionary interactions between host life histories and parasite life cycles

Parasitology ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 116 (S1) ◽  
pp. S47-S55 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Koella ◽  
P. Agnew ◽  
Y. Michalakis
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Evolutionary Ecology ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Microsporidian Parasite ◽  
History Of ◽  
Host Life ◽  
Host Parasite

SummarySeveral recent studies have discussed the interaction of host life-history traits and parasite life cycles. It has been observed that the life-history of a host often changes after infection by a parasite. In some cases, changes of host life-history traits reduce the costs of parasitism and can be interpreted as a form of resistance against the parasite. In other cases, changes of host life-history traits increase the parasite's transmission and can be interpreted as manipulation by the parasite. Alternatively, changes of host's life-history traits can also induce responses in the parasite's life cycle traits. After a brief review of recent studies, we treat in more detail the interaction between the microsporidian parasite Edhazardia aedis and its host, the mosquito Aedes aegypti. We consider the interactions between the host's life-history and parasite's life cycle that help shape the evolutionary ecology of their relationship. In particular, these interactions determine whether the parasite is benign and transmits vertically or is virulent and transmits horizontally.Key words: host-parasite interaction, life-history, life cycle, coevolution.

Life-history traits of a small-bodied coastal shark

2013 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian N. Gutteridge ◽  
Charlie Huveneers ◽  
Lindsay J. Marshall ◽  
Ian R. Tibbetts ◽  
Mike B. Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Logistic Function ◽  
Early Maturation ◽  
Large Size ◽  
History Of ◽  
Age Model ◽  
Best Fit ◽  
Combined Data

The life histories of small-bodied coastal sharks, particularly carcharhinids, are generally less conservative than those of large-bodied species. The present study investigated the life history of the small-bodied slit-eye shark, Loxodon macrorhinus, from subtropical Hervey Bay, Queensland, and compared this species' biology to that of other coastal carcharhinids. The best-fit age model provided parameters of L∞ = 895 mm total length (TL), k = 0.18 and t0 = –6.3 for females, and L∞ = 832 mm TL, k = 0.44 and t0 = –2.6 for males. For sex-combined data, a logistic function provided the best fit, with L∞ = 842 mm TL, k = 0.41 and α = –2.2. Length and age at which 50% of the population was mature was 680 mm TL and 1.4 years for females, and 733 mm TL and 1.9 years for males. Within Hervey Bay, L. macrorhinus exhibited an annual seasonal reproductive cycle, producing an average litter of 1.9 ± 0.3 s.d. With the exception of the low fecundity and large size at birth relative to maximum maternal TL, the life-history traits of L. macrorhinus are comparable to other small-bodied coastal carcharhinids, and its apparent fast growth and early maturation contrasts that of large-bodied carcharhinids.

scholarly journals Relative clutch mass of Basiliscus vittatus Wiegmann, 1828 (Squamata, Corytophanidae): female morphological constraints

Herpetozoa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 32 ◽  
pp. 211-219
Author(s):  
Gabriel Suárez-Varón ◽  
Orlando Suárez-Rodríguez ◽  
Gisela Granados-González ◽  
Maricela Villagrán-Santa Cruz ◽  
Kevin M. Gribbins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
The Family ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Abiotic And Biotic Factors ◽  
Gravid Females ◽  
Favorable Conditions ◽  
Clutch Mass

Clutch size (CS) and relative clutch mass (RCM) are considered important features in life history descriptions of species within Squamata. Variations in these two characteristics are caused by both biotic and abiotic factors. The present study provides the first account related to CS and RCM ofBasiliscus vittatusin Mexico within a population that inhabits an open riverbed juxtapositioned to tropical rainforest habitat in Catemaco, Veracruz, Mexico (170 m a.s.l.). Twenty-nine gravid females were collected and kept in captivity under favorable conditions that promote oviposition. The CS within this population was 6.2 ± 0.2 and was correlated positively with snout vent-length (SVL); while the RCM was 0.17 ± 0.006 and was correlated positively with both CS and width of egg. Factors, such as female morphology and environmental conditions, should influence these reproductive traits inB. vittatus. The data collected in this study could provide a framework for comparisons of the life history traits across populations ofB. vittatusin Mexico and within other species of the family Corytophanidae and provide a model for testing how abiotic and biotic factors may influence the CS and RCM in basilisk lizards throughout their range.

Grinnelian and Eltonian niche conservatism of the European honeybee (Apis mellifera) in its exotic distribution

Sociobiology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 239
Author(s):  
Anderson Matos Medina ◽  
Mário Almeida-Neto
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Exotic Species ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Niche Conservatism ◽  
Species Invasion ◽  
Species Invasions ◽  
History Of ◽  
European Honeybee

The understanding of how niche-related traits change during species invasion have prompted what is now known as the niche conservatism principle. Most studies that have tested the niche conservatism principle have focused on the extent to which the species’ climatic niches remain stable in their exotic distribution. However, it is equality important to address how biotic specialization, i.e. resource use, changes during exotic species invasions. Here, we use the widespread European honeybee (Apis mellifera) to understand whether its Grinnelian and Eltonian niches changed in its exotic distribution using tests of abiotic and biotic niche conservatism. We found that both niche domains of the European honeybee remained stable in its exotic distribution, which means that neither the climatic niche nor the biotic specialization showed significant differences between the native and the exotic ranges. Our findings that climatic and resource use are coupled can be explained by A. mellifera’s long history of domestication and the possibility that life history traits (e.g., polyandry) may have shaped this species’ large niche over the course of evolution and therefore facilitated exotic ranges colonization.

scholarly journals Estimation of Fitness of Normal and Stylopized Paddy Pest, White Leafhopper Cofana spectra (Distant) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), in West Bengal, India through Correlation of Life History Traits

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. IJIS.S13029
Author(s):  
Sangita Mitra ◽  
Rupa Harsha ◽  
Niladri Hazra ◽  
Abhijit Mazumdar
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
West Bengal ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Morphometric Measurements ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Individual

The assessment of the morphological and reproductive features of white rice leafhopper Cofana spectra (Distant) was carried out using selected characters that bear importance in determining the fitness at the individual and population levels. Morphometric measurements of the individuals reared in the laboratory as normal and stylopized with the strepsipteran parasitoid, Halictophagus australensis Perkins, were recorded and analyzed. A t-test was performed to justify whether parasitization by H. australensis affected the traits. Correlations and regression analyses were carried out to deduce the difference in relative importance of the morphological features in the life history of C. spectra and their variation because of stylopization by H. australensis. A principal component analysis (PCA) was applied on the morphometric data to further substantiate the difference observed in the traits. In case of stylopized white leafhopper (WLH), fecundity was inhibited almost completely irrespective of seasons. The effect of stylopization on the life history traits of C. spectra has been noted that supports its possible use in biocontrol.

scholarly journals Life in the Slow Lane: Reproductive Life History of the White-Browed Scrubwren, an Australian Endemic

The Auk ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 117 (2) ◽  
pp. 479-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert D. Magrath ◽  
Ashley W. Leedman ◽  
Janet L. Gardner ◽  
Anthony Giannasca ◽  
Anjeli C. Nathan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Life History Strategy ◽  
Breeding Biology ◽  
Long Period ◽  
Successful Attempt ◽  
Reproductive Life ◽  
History Of ◽  
Small Clutch

Abstract An understanding of geographic and phylogenetic variation in passerine life histories is hampered by the scarcity of studies from the Southern Hemisphere. We documented the breeding biology of the White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis), an Australia endemic in the Pardalotidae (parvorder Corvida). Like other members of the Pardalotidae, scrubwrens had a long laying interval (two days), a long incubation period (declining from 21 to 17 days through the season), and a long period of postfledging parental care (6 to 7 weeks). Scrubwrens appeared to be typical of the Australian Corvida in having a small clutch size (three eggs) and a long breeding season (5.4 months), and they also had a long interval between breeding attempts (10 days after a failed attempt, 21 days after a successful attempt). Scrubwrens were multibrooded, often raising two broods successfully and occasionally raising three broods. The breeding biology of scrubwrens adds further support to claims of a distinct life-history strategy for members of the Corvida but also reinforces evidence that some “Corvida” life-history traits more specifically are those of the Pardalotidae.

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