Evolutionary Dynamics of Metacommunities in Urbanized Landscapes

2020 ◽  
pp. 175-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristien I. Brans ◽  
Lynn Govaert ◽  
Luc De Meester
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Urban Ecosystem ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Fully Integrated ◽  
Biological Responses ◽  
Genetic Responses

As urbanization leads to repeated, marked environmental gradients in space, it provides an ideal ‘natural’ experiment to study how evolving metacommunities, in which evolutionary and community ecological processes interact in a landscape context, respond to anthropogenic disturbances. An integrated approach that combines community data with data on genetic responses of focal taxa to urbanization is still lacking, notwithstanding the likely importance of eco-evolutionary feedbacks on urban ecosystem functions and services. Such a joint analysis is most easily achieved by focusing on shifts in trait values and their interspecific (cf. community ecology) and intraspecific components. The latter involves both non-genetic and genetic responses, and should be quantified for all dominant, abundant, or ecologically important species in the (meta)community. This chapter introduces the evolving metacommunity framework and discusses the use of cities to study how this framework can contribute to our insight into population and community responses to anthropogenic change. It discusses how this framework can enhance our capacity to predict responses to contemporary and future urbanization as well as its possible consequences for ecosystem functioning. It predicts that evolutionary trait change contributes substantially to observed trait shifts at the community level. Conversely, genetic adaptation might often be constrained by rapid changes in species composition. It explores eco-evolutionary partitioning metrics that quantify the evolutionary and ecological contributions to responses to urbanization. Finally, it provides guidelines for experimental studies on urban evolving metacommunities, and suggests directions on research that will build towards a fully integrated evolving metacommunity framework addressing biological responses to urbanization.

scholarly journals On the development of a trait-based approach for studying Neotropical bats

2021 ◽  
Vol 61 ◽  
pp. e20216124
Author(s):  
Dennis Castillo-Figueroa ◽  
Jairo Pérez-Torres
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Ecosystem Dynamics ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Biological Traits ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Functional Studies ◽  
Functional Relations

New World bats are involved in key ecological processes and are good indicators of environmental changes. Recently, trait-based approaches have been used in several taxa to better understand mechanisms underlying species assemblages, biotic interactions, environmental relationships and ecosystem functions. However, despite the relevance of bats on ecosystem dynamics, so far, there is no conceptual framework that relies on the measurement of bat traits to address functional studies. Here, we present a set of 50 bat biological traits, which are suitable to assess environmental stressors and can potentially affect ecological processes. Several examples were provided to show the applicability of this framework in the study of Neotropical bat ecology. We suggest some considerations regarding trait-based approach including the importance of intraspecific variation, correlations between traits, response-effect framework, global dataset, and future directions to assess the reliability of functional relations across species and Neotropical regions by using traits. This could be helpful in tackling ecological questions associated with community assembly and habitat filtering, species diversity patterns along environmental gradients, and ecological processes. We envision this paper as a first step toward an integrative bat functional trait protocol held up with solid evidence.

scholarly journals Evolutionary and ecological processes influencing chemical defense variation in an aposematic and mimetic Heliconius butterfly

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11523
Author(s):  
Anniina L. K. Mattila ◽  
Chris D. Jiggins ◽  
Øystein H. Opedal ◽  
Gabriela Montejo-Kovacevich ◽  
Érika C. Pinheiro de castro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intraspecific Variation ◽  
Adaptive Evolution ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Common Garden ◽  
Skewed Distribution ◽  
Evolutionary Potential ◽  
Ecological Processes

Chemical defences against predators underlie the evolution of aposematic coloration and mimicry, which are classic examples of adaptive evolution. Surprisingly little is known about the roles of ecological and evolutionary processes maintaining defence variation, and how they may feedback to shape the evolutionary dynamics of species. Cyanogenic Heliconius butterflies exhibit diverse warning color patterns and mimicry, thus providing a useful framework for investigating these questions. We studied intraspecific variation in de novo biosynthesized cyanogenic toxicity and its potential ecological and evolutionary sources in wild populations of Heliconius erato along environmental gradients, in common-garden broods and with feeding treatments. Our results demonstrate substantial intraspecific variation, including detectable variation among broods reared in a common garden. The latter estimate suggests considerable evolutionary potential in this trait, although predicting the response to selection is likely complicated due to the observed skewed distribution of toxicity values and the signatures of maternal contributions to the inheritance of toxicity. Larval diet contributed little to toxicity variation. Furthermore, toxicity profiles were similar along steep rainfall and altitudinal gradients, providing little evidence for these factors explaining variation in biosynthesized toxicity in natural populations. In contrast, there were striking differences in the chemical profiles of H. erato from geographically distant populations, implying potential local adaptation in the acquisition mechanisms and levels of defensive compounds. The results highlight the extensive variation and potential for adaptive evolution in defense traits for aposematic and mimetic species, which may contribute to the high diversity often found in these systems.

Microbiological substantiation of application of phytopreparations in treatment of inflammatory periodontal diseases

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 196-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. A. Abdurakhmanova ◽  
G. S. Runova ◽  
M. S. Podporin ◽  
E. V. Tsareva ◽  
E. V. Ippolitov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tooth Loss ◽  
Periodontal Diseases ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Herbal Medicines ◽  
Growth Dynamics ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Bacterial Populations ◽  
Streptococcus Constellatus ◽  
Urgent Task

Relevance: Inflammatory-destructive periodontal diseases are the most complicated and became the main cause of tooth loss in adult population. Herbal medicines have a variety of pharmacological properties, so the development and introduction of new forms for the treatment of inflammatory periodontal diseases is an urgent task today.Purpose – experimental evaluation of effectiveness of the use of herbal medicines “Tonzinal” and “CM-1” in relation to the priority periodontal pathogenes.Materials and methods: in experimental studies, the basis for the experiment was the system for the cultivation of microorganisms in real time – the Revers-Spinner RTS-1 bioreactor. With the priority strains of periodontitis pathogens, the study of the growth dynamics of the culture was carried out in several parallels.Results: herbal medicines “CM-1” and “Tonsinal” has a multilateral therapeutic effect, exerting a diverse influence on the key stages of development of such bacterial populations as Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Streptococcus constellatus, Candida albicans.Conclusion: tan integrated approach in the treatment of patients with inflammatory periodontal diseases is promising and will contribute to a more prolonged remission and increase the effectiveness of treatment. 

A Fast, Fully Integrated Approach to Early Field Development Resource Evaluation and Value Assessment: Madu-Anyala Project - Nigeria

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Innocent Okoro ◽  
Jennifer Krolow ◽  
Djuro Novakovic ◽  
Adeniyi Aladesulu ◽  
Kendall Reynolds ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Value Assessment ◽  
Resource Evaluation ◽  
Fully Integrated ◽  
Field Development ◽  
Development Resource

A Fully Integrated Approach to Component Zooming Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

2004 ◽  
Vol 128 (3) ◽  
pp. 579-584 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vassilios Pachidis ◽  
Pericles Pilidis ◽  
Fabien Talhouarn ◽  
Anestis Kalfas ◽  
Ioannis Templalexis
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
High Fidelity ◽  
Performance Simulation ◽  
Fully Integrated ◽  
Engine Component ◽  
Simulation Strategy

Background . This study focuses on a simulation strategy that will allow the performance characteristics of an isolated gas turbine engine component, resolved from a detailed, high-fidelity analysis, to be transferred to an engine system analysis carried out at a lower level of resolution. This work will enable component-level, complex physical processes to be captured and analyzed in the context of the whole engine performance, at an affordable computing resource and time. Approach. The technique described in this paper utilizes an object-oriented, zero-dimensional (0D) gas turbine modeling and performance simulation system and a high-fidelity, three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) component model. The work investigates relative changes in the simulated engine performance after coupling the 3D CFD component to the 0D engine analysis system. For the purposes of this preliminary investigation, the high-fidelity component communicates with the lower fidelity cycle via an iterative, semi-manual process for the determination of the correct operating point. This technique has the potential to become fully automated, can be applied to all engine components, and does not involve the generation of a component characteristic map. Results. This paper demonstrates the potentials of the “fully integrated” approach to component zooming by using a 3D CFD intake model of a high bypass ratio turbofan as a case study. The CFD model is based on the geometry of the intake of the CFM56-5B2 engine. The high-fidelity model can fully define the characteristic of the intake at several operating condition and is subsequently used in the 0D cycle analysis to provide a more accurate, physics-based estimate of intake performance (i.e., pressure recovery) and hence, engine performance, replacing the default, empirical values. A detailed comparison between the baseline engine performance (empirical pressure recovery) and the engine performance obtained after using the coupled, high-fidelity component is presented in this paper. The analysis carried out by this study demonstrates relative changes in the simulated engine performance larger than 1%. Conclusions. This investigation proves the value of the simulation strategy followed in this paper and completely justifies (i) the extra computational effort required for a more automatic link between the high-fidelity component and the 0D cycle, and (ii) the extra time and effort that is usually required to create and run a 3D CFD engine component, especially in those cases where more accurate, high-fidelity engine performance simulation is required.

scholarly journals Different processes shape prokaryotic and picoeukaryotic assemblages in the sunlit ocean microbiome

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramiro Logares ◽  
Ina M. Deutschmann ◽  
Caterina. R. Giner ◽  
Anders K. Krabberød ◽  
Thomas S. B. Schmidt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Function ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Scale Effects ◽  
Dispersal Limitation ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Surface Ocean

ABSTRACTThe smallest members of the sunlit-ocean microbiome (prokaryotes and picoeukaryotes) participate in a plethora of ecosystem functions with planetary-scale effects. Understanding the processes determining the spatial turnover of this assemblage can help us better comprehend the links between microbiome species composition and ecosystem function. Ecological theory predicts thatselection,dispersalanddriftare main drivers of species distributions, yet, the relative quantitative importance of these ecological processes in structuring the surface-ocean microbiome is barely known. Here we quantified the role of selection, dispersal and drift in structuring surface-ocean prokaryotic and picoeukaryotic assemblages by using community DNA-sequence data collected during the global Malaspina expedition. We found that dispersal limitation was the dominant process structuring picoeukaryotic communities, while a balanced combination of dispersal limitation, selection and drift shaped prokaryotic counterparts. Subsequently, we determined the agents exerting abiotic selection as well as the spatial patterns emerging from the action of different ecological processes. We found that selection exerted via temperature had a strong influence on the structure of prokaryotic communities, particularly on species co-occurrences, a pattern not observed among communities of picoeukaryotes. Other measured abiotic variables had limited selective effects on microbiome structure. Picoeukaryotes presented a higher differentiation between neighbouring communities and a higher distance-decay when compared to prokaryotes, agreeing with their higher dispersal limitation. Finally, drift seemed to have a limited role in structuring the sunlit-ocean microbiome. The different predominance of ecological processes acting on particular subsets of the ocean microbiome suggests uneven responses to environmental change.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTThe global ocean contains one of the largest microbiomes on Earth and changes on its structure can impact the functioning of the biosphere. Yet, we are far from understanding the mechanisms that structure the global ocean microbiome, that is, the relative importance of environmentalselection,dispersaland random events (drift). We evaluated the role of these processes at the global scale, based on data derived from a circumglobal expedition and found that these ecological processes act differently on prokaryotes and picoeukaryotes, two of the main components of the ocean microbiome. Our work represents a significant contribution to understand the assembly of marine microbial communities, providing also insights on the links between ecological mechanisms, microbiome structure and ecosystem function.

scholarly journals Phenotypic plasticity can reverse the relative extent of intra- and interspecific variability across a thermal gradient

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1953) ◽  
pp. 20210428
Author(s):  
Staffan Jacob ◽  
Delphine Legrand
Keyword(s):  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Thermal Gradient ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Intraspecific Variability ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Interspecific Variability ◽  
Ciliate Species ◽  
Relative Extent ◽  
Trait Variability

Intra- and interspecific variability can both ensure ecosystem functions. Generalizing the effects of individual and species assemblages requires understanding how much within and between species trait variation is genetically based or results from phenotypic plasticity. Phenotypic plasticity can indeed lead to rapid and important changes of trait distributions, and in turn community functionality, depending on environmental conditions, which raises a crucial question: could phenotypic plasticity modify the relative importance of intra- and interspecific variability along environmental gradients? We quantified the fundamental niche of five genotypes in monocultures for each of five ciliate species along a wide thermal gradient in standardized conditions to assess the importance of phenotypic plasticity for the level of intraspecific variability compared to differences between species. We showed that phenotypic plasticity strongly influences trait variability and reverses the relative extent of intra- and interspecific variability along the thermal gradient. Our results show that phenotypic plasticity may lead to either increase or decrease of functional trait variability along environmental gradients, making intra- and interspecific variability highly dynamic components of ecological systems.

Daphnia as a Model for Eco-evolutionary Dynamics

2018 ◽  
pp. 403-424
Author(s):  
Matthew R. Walsh ◽  
Michelle Packer ◽  
Shannon Beston ◽  
Collin Funkhouser ◽  
Michael Gillis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Life History Evolution ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Evolutionary Forces ◽  
Evolutionary Changes ◽  
History Evolution ◽  
Ecological Importance ◽  
The Many

Much research has shown that variation in ecological processes can drive rapid evolutionary changes over periods of years to decades. Such contemporary adaptation sets the stage for evolution to have reciprocal impacts on the properties of populations, communities, and ecosystems, with ongoing interactions between ecological and evolutionary forces. The importance and generality of these eco-evolutionary dynamics are largely unknown. In this chapter, we promote the use of water fleas (Daphnia sp.) as a model organism in the exploration of eco-evolutionary interactions in nature. The many characteristics of Daphnia that make them suitable for laboratory study in conjunction with their well-known ecological importance in lakes, position Daphnia to contribute new and important insights into eco-evolutionary dynamics. We first review the influence of key environmental stressors in Daphnia evolution. We then highlight recent work documenting the pathway from life history evolution to ecology using Daphnia as a model. This review demonstrates that much is known about the influence of ecology on Daphnia life history evolution, while research exploring the genomic basis of adaptation as well as the influence of Daphnia life history traits on ecological processes is beginning to accumulate.

Gravity and Magnetic Methods

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard M. Carruthers ◽  
John D. Cornwell
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Gravity Data ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Rock Properties ◽  
Magnetic Data ◽  
Satellite Gravity ◽  
Fully Integrated ◽  
Continental Shelves ◽  
Gravity And Magnetic ◽  
Gravity And Magnetic Data

Lateral variations in the density and magnetization of the rocks within the crust give rise to "anomalies" in the Earth's gravity and magnetic fields. These anomalies can be measured and interpreted in terms of the geology both in a qualitative sense, by mapping out trends and changes in anomaly style, and quantitatively, by creating models of the subsurface which reproduce the observed fields. Such interpretations are generally less definitive in themselves than the results from seismic surveys (see chapter 12), but the data are widely available and can provide information in areas where other methods are ineffective or have not been applied. As the different geophysical techniques respond to specific rock properties such as density, magnetization, and acoustic velocity, the results are complementary, and a fully integrated approach to data collection and interpretation is generally more effective than the sum of its parts assessed on an individual basis. Gravity and magnetic data have been acquired, at least to a reconnaissance scale, over most of the world. In particular, the release into the public domain of satellite altimetry information (combined with improved methods of data processing) means that there is gravity coverage to a similar standard for most of the offshore region to within about 50 km of the coast. Magnetic anomalies recorded from satellites provide global coverage, but the high altitude of the observations means that only large-scale features extending over many 10s of kilometers are delineated. Reconnaissance aeromagnetic surveys with flight lines 10-20 km apart provide a lateral anomaly resolution similar to that of the satellite gravity data. Oceanographic surveys undertaken by a variety of academic and research institutions are another valuable source of data in remote regions offshore which supplement and extend the more detailed coverage obtained over the continental shelves, for example, by oil companies in areas of hydrocarbon interest. Surveys over land vary widely in terms of acquisition parameters and quality, but some form of national compilation is available from many countries. A number of possible applications of the potential field (i.e., gravity and magnetic) data follow from the terms set out by UNCLOS. Paragraph 4(b) of article 76 states, "In the absence of evidence to the contrary, the foot of the continental slope is to be determined as the point of maximum change in the gradient at its base" (italics added).

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document