Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Interspecific carnivore competition and ungulate predation correlate with predator species richness","authors":"Nathaniel H. Wehr,&nbsp;Hailey M. Boone,&nbsp;Merijn van den Bosch,&nbsp;Alejandra Zubiria Perez,&nbsp;Katelyn L. Wehr,&nbsp;Samuel R. Wehr,&nbsp;Jerrold L. Belant","doi":"10.1002/ecy.70136","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.70136","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Competition for resources underlies the development of ecological community structure and function. Niche compression occurs when species reduce resource use due to competition, and niche complementarity posits resource competition should occur sequentially among habitat, time, and food. Within this context, interspecific predator competition can be influenced by prey characteristics and landscape attributes. We examined drivers of interspecific competition among carnivores using a database of North American ungulate cause-specific mortality published during 1970–2021. We used weighted logit-linked beta-binomial generalized linear mixed models to assess the influence of seven predator species, ungulate age class, and landscape characteristics (i.e., human footprint, terrain ruggedness, and forest cover) on ungulate predation mortality. We predicted that (1) predation by individual predator species would decrease with increasing predator species richness mediated by predator size, (2) landscape characteristics would mediate predation by individual predator species, and (3) juvenile ungulate predation would increase with increasing predator species richness. As predator species richness increased, the proportions of predation attributed to individual predator species decreased, but the overall proportion of ungulate mortality attributed to predation increased. Juvenile ungulates experienced greater predation mortality than adults, with smaller predators predating proportionally more juveniles than larger predators. Landscape metrics altered observed predation patterns among caribou (<i>Rangifer tarandus</i>), wherein predation corresponded to terrain ruggedness but not predator species richness, and mule deer (<i>Odocoileus hemionus</i>), wherein predation increased with greater forest cover. We provide evidence for niche compression and complementarity using a top–down predator-centric approach by showing compression in prey resources and increased predation mortality with increasing predator species richness. However, landscape characteristics had limited effects on predator competition at large spatial extents, which counters niche complementarity. Collectively, our results support the importance of large predators to ecosystem structure and efforts to conserve and restore predator guilds.</p>","PeriodicalId":11484,"journal":{"name":"Ecology","volume":"106 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecy.70136","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144308944","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Life on the edge: Two dissimilar extreme events alter food webs through modification of top-down control","authors":"Delbert L. Smee,&nbsp;Benjamin A. Belgrad,&nbsp;Evan L. Pettis,&nbsp;Joseph W. Reustle,&nbsp;Jessica Lunt","doi":"10.1002/ecy.70141","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.70141","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Climate change is causing rapid, unexpected changes to ecosystems through alteration to environmental regimes, modification of species interactions, and increased frequency and magnitude of disturbances. Yet, how the type of disturbance affects food webs remains ambiguous. Long-term studies capturing ecosystem responses to extreme events are necessary to understand climate effects on species interactions and ecosystem resilience but remain rare. In the Gulf of Mexico, our 8-year study captured two disturbances that had contrasting effects on predator abundance and cascading effects on estuarine food webs. In 2017, Hurricane Harvey destroyed fishing infrastructure, fishing activity declined, and sportfish populations increased ~40% while intermediate trophic levels that sportfish prey upon declined ~50%. Then, in 2021, a fish kill caused by freezing temperatures during Winter Storm Uri reduced sportfish populations by ~60% and intermediate trophic levels increased by over 250%. Sportfish abundance affected the abundance and size of oyster reef mesopredators. Excluding fish predators significantly altered oyster reef community structure. These results demonstrate how extreme events shape communities and influence their resilience based on their effects on top predators. Moreover, top-down forces from sportfish are important in estuaries, persist through disturbances, and influence community resilience, highlighting the necessity of proper recreational fisheries management through extreme events.</p>","PeriodicalId":11484,"journal":{"name":"Ecology","volume":"106 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecy.70141","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144308943","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sex-specific trade-offs influence thermoregulation under climate change","authors":"Rebecca L. Levine,&nbsp;Tana L. Verzuh,&nbsp;Paul D. Mathewson,&nbsp;Warren P. Porter,&nbsp;Bart Kroger,&nbsp;Kevin L. Monteith","doi":"10.1002/ecy.70138","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.70138","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Increasingly, climate change is pushing species to the limits of their thermal tolerance, with cascading effects across ecosystems. Animals use behavior to prevent these harmful physiological states, but their need and ability to do so varies with their traits. Within species, traits such as sex and reproductive status affect heat sensitivity, perhaps eliciting differences in behavioral responses to thermal extremes. We evaluated whether sex and reproductive status affected thermoregulatory behavior and its efficacy in moose (<i>Alces alces</i>), a heat-sensitive endotherm that relies on thermal refuge. We expected traits associated with elevated heat load would be linked to heightened selection for thermal refuge and that differences in selection would successfully alleviate differing risks of overheating. Thus, reproductive females and males, who are more heat-sensitive, would have stronger selection for thermal refuge than non-reproductive females. We assessed selection of thermal refuge at bed sites and generated biophysical models to evaluate if selection mitigated risk of overheating. Reproductive status did not elicit differences in selection by females. The sexes, however, differed in selection of the trade-off between solar cover and cooling from wind. Females selected refuge with canopy cover and avoided wind. Males did not select cover and had weaker avoidance of wind than females. Yet, both sexes were more likely to overheat in areas of low cover, even if wind speeds were high. Hence, males had weaker selection of refuge than females despite being more likely to overheat, and life history trade-offs failed to explain the sub-optimal thermoregulatory behavior. We identify sex-specific thermoregulatory trade-offs, highlighting the disproportionate effects of climate change on certain demographic groups. Moreover, we emphasize the relevance of trait-based approaches for studying changing ecosystems.</p>","PeriodicalId":11484,"journal":{"name":"Ecology","volume":"106 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecy.70138","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144308945","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Contrasting responses of flowering phenology in C3 and C4 plants shape grassland community structure under global change","authors":"Lu Bai,&nbsp;Guodong Han,&nbsp;Lin Jiang,&nbsp;Thomas W. Crowther,&nbsp;Constantin M. Zohner,&nbsp;Kailiang Yu,&nbsp;Zhuwen Xu,&nbsp;Zhongwu Wang,&nbsp;Qian Wu,&nbsp;Yi Zhu,&nbsp;Jinglei Tang,&nbsp;Haiyan Ren","doi":"10.1002/ecy.70139","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.70139","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Climate change is known to affect plant phenology. Yet, the sensitivity of flowering phenology in dryland regions to climate change, and the potential implications for community composition, remain largely unexplored. Here, we used an 18-year field experiment to investigate the effects of climate warming and nitrogen addition on flowering phenology of four C₃ plant species and two C₄ plant species, and the cascading effects on the relative abundance of C₃ and C₄ plants in a desert steppe. Across the past 10 years of the experiment (2013–2022), we found that warming had a greater effect on phenological shifts in C₃ than in C₄ plants. Warming significantly advanced the flowering time of C₃ plants by 4.3 ± 0.1 days and of C₄ plants by 2.8 ± 0.1 days, respectively. Warming also reduced the duration of flowering by 1.8 ± 0.1 days for C₃ plants but had no effect on C₄ plants, and decreased the dominance of C₃ plants compared to C₄ plants. Nitrogen addition extended the duration of flowering of C₄ plants by 3.4 ± 0.2 days and increased their relative dominance, while decreasing the dominance of C₃ plants. Structural equation models revealed that these phenological responses were largely driven by soil temperature and soil water availability. Our results demonstrate that the different phenological responses of C₃ and C₄ plants contribute to shifts in dominance between these plant types in temperate dryland ecosystems under global changes.</p>","PeriodicalId":11484,"journal":{"name":"Ecology","volume":"106 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144273333","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bird–window collisions: A comprehensive dataset for the Neotropical region","authors":"Augusto João Piratelli,&nbsp;Bianca Costa Ribeiro,&nbsp;Wesley Dáttilo,&nbsp;Luis-Bernardo Vázquez,&nbsp;Anelisa Ferreira de Almeida Magalhães,&nbsp;Edna Maria Gomes Cavalcante,&nbsp;Eric Silva,&nbsp;Giovanna Viana Cruz,&nbsp;Gisele Regina Ruy,&nbsp;Juliana Laurito Summa,&nbsp;Júlia Milan,&nbsp;Leila Pedrosa,&nbsp;Leticia Bolian Zimback,&nbsp;Marcello Nardi,&nbsp;Marcos Gonçalves da Silva,&nbsp;Pedro Rocha dos Santos,&nbsp;Sylvia Maria Matsuda,&nbsp;Diana Santa,&nbsp;Javier Garzón,&nbsp;Maria Angela Echeverry-Galvis,&nbsp;Albert Ospina Duque,&nbsp;Oscar Humberto Marín Gómez,&nbsp;Martha Garro Cruz,&nbsp;Ignacio Gutiérrez,&nbsp;Luis Sandoval,&nbsp;Lucas Penna Soares Santos,&nbsp;Marcelo Ferreira de Vasconcelos,&nbsp;Bruno Petri,&nbsp;Fabio Dores,&nbsp;Haroldo Furuya,&nbsp;Lilian Sayuri Fitorra,&nbsp;Liliane Milanelo,&nbsp;Valéria Pedro,&nbsp;Rose Marie Menacho-Odio,&nbsp;Natalia Ocampo-Peñuela,&nbsp;Daniel Klem Jr.,&nbsp;Michelle García-Arroyo,&nbsp;Miguel A. Gómez-Martínez,&nbsp;Octavio Rojas-Soto,&nbsp;Paulina Uribe-Morfín,&nbsp;Johan Moreno-Velasquez,&nbsp;Laura Agudelo-Álvarez,&nbsp;Irma Ruan-Tejeda,&nbsp;Sarahy Contreras-Martínez,&nbsp;Vannia del Carmen Gomez-Moreno,&nbsp;Camila Mazoni,&nbsp;Claudia Almeida Igayara Souza,&nbsp;Cristiane Espinosa Bolochio,&nbsp;David de Almeida Braga,&nbsp;Fernanda de Castro Magalhães,&nbsp;Gilberto Nogueira Penido-Júnior,&nbsp;Hilari Wanderley Hidasi,&nbsp;Marcos Antônio Melo,&nbsp;Mariana Castanheira Grimaldi,&nbsp;Thais Caroline Sanches,&nbsp;Natalia Rebolo-Ifrán,&nbsp;Santiago Niño-Maldonado,&nbsp;David Ocampo,&nbsp;Orlando Acevedo-Charry,&nbsp;Camilo E. Sánchez-Sarria,&nbsp;Diego Cueva,&nbsp;Laura Ramírez Uribe,&nbsp;Sofía M. Alfonso-Velasco,&nbsp;Ilse Esparza,&nbsp;Julian Avila-Campos,&nbsp;Vitor Q. Piacentini,&nbsp;Flávia Chaves,&nbsp;Gabriele Andreia da Silva,&nbsp;Juliana Paulo da Silva,&nbsp;Michelle Baptista,&nbsp;Eduardo Roberto Alexandrino,&nbsp;Fabio de Mello Patiu,&nbsp;Yandry Hernandez,&nbsp;Leonardo Ordóñez-Delgado,&nbsp;Jorge Valencia-Herverth,&nbsp;Raúl Valencia-Herverth,&nbsp;Camila Esser Tenfen,&nbsp;Thais Caroline Lopes de Oliveira,&nbsp;Nadezhda Bonilla-S,&nbsp;Nicolas Tellez-Colmenares,&nbsp;Iriana Zuria,&nbsp;Larissa D. Biasotto,&nbsp;Marcos Tokuda,&nbsp;Fernando González-García,&nbsp;Juan Carlos Fernández-Ordóñez,&nbsp;Thaís Brisque,&nbsp;Ivyson Aguiar,&nbsp;Victor Leandro-Silva,&nbsp;Fábio M. Da Costa,&nbsp;Giovanna Marschner,&nbsp;Felipe A. Estela,&nbsp;Fabio Germán Cupul-Magaña,&nbsp;Martha Gabriela Arroyo-Joya,&nbsp;Augusto Batisteli,&nbsp;Rosane Costa,&nbsp;Rafael Calderón-Parra,&nbsp;Patrícia Debrassi,&nbsp;Miguel Ángel Aguilar-Gómez,&nbsp;Rubén Ortega-Álvarez,&nbsp;Aura Puga-Caballero,&nbsp;Lucila Castro,&nbsp;Juan F. Escobar-Ibáñez,&nbsp;João Carlos Pena,&nbsp;Karlla Vanessa de Camargo Barbosa,&nbsp;Thiago Filadelfo,&nbsp;Ismael Franz,&nbsp;Alfredo Acosta-Ramírez,&nbsp;Lucas Gonçalves da Silva,&nbsp;Alberto González-Gallina,&nbsp;Alan Monroy-Ojeda,&nbsp;Claudio Leite Novaes,&nbsp;Mariane C. Kaizer,&nbsp;Giuliano Müller Brusco,&nbsp;Crizanto Brito De-Carvalho,&nbsp;Lucas Leveau,&nbsp;Santiago Santoandré,&nbsp;Carlos M. Leveau,&nbsp;Daniel Perrella,&nbsp;Ariadna Tobón-Sampedro,&nbsp;Mateo López-Victoria,&nbsp;Bruno Rodrigo de Albuquerque França,&nbsp;Alexander Vicente Christianini,&nbsp;Matilde Alfaro,&nbsp;Eliana Blanco Pérez,&nbsp;Ronald Armando Fernández-Gómez,&nbsp;Breno Dias Vitorino,&nbsp;Marco Aurélio Pizo,&nbsp;Pamela Pairo,&nbsp;Allan Clé,&nbsp;Luz E. Zamudio-Beltrán,&nbsp;George Mendes Taliaferro Mattox,&nbsp;Raone Mariano,&nbsp;Enzo Coletti-Manzoli,&nbsp;Ian MacGregor-Fors","doi":"10.1002/ecy.70126","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.70126","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Our primary objective was to compile a comprehensive dataset on bird–window collisions throughout the Neotropical region, including both published and unpublished sources. On May 12, 2020, we extensively disseminated invitations to provide data via email and social media platforms. By providing a template worksheet, we required standardized information from collaborators to complete and register their data. To better understand how these data were acquired (e.g., incidental observations and systematic procedures), we sent out a survey to all collaborators. We established rigorous validation criteria for data inclusion and conducted thorough curation procedures to ensure accuracy. After the filtering process, we compiled a total of 4103 bird–window collision reports. These came from 11 Neotropical countries, dating from 1946 to 2020, and revealing distinct regional patterns and potential seasonal patterns. The five most frequent orders were Passeriformes (2451), Columbiformes (520), Apodiformes (377), Psittaciformes (202), and Piciformes (186). Data on bird–window collisions were collected through a local specific systematic protocol (1419), by chance (1252), by government agencies (742), and by other approaches (632), while a few reports were collected by unknown procedures (58). The volume of records across months in our dataset suggests that there may be temporal patterns, with peaks: the first one in March–April and the second one in October–November, which seem to align with the major migration and reproduction seasons. This dataset represents the first comprehensive effort in the Neotropical region focused on bird–window collision data, providing valuable insights for further scientific advancements and conservation policies. The data are free from copyright or proprietary restrictions. Please cite this data paper when using the data in publications or scientific presentations.</p>","PeriodicalId":11484,"journal":{"name":"Ecology","volume":"106 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecy.70126","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144273331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Colonizers on the road: European bee-eaters shift nest-site selection to roadside habitats","authors":"Jacinto Román,&nbsp;Julio Blas,&nbsp;Giulia Bastianelli,&nbsp;Miguel A. Suárez-Couselo,&nbsp;Eloy Revilla,&nbsp;Marcello D'Amico","doi":"10.1002/ecy.70125","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.70125","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Nest-site selection in birds results from a compromise among nest-predation risk, food availability, and microclimatic requirements (Martin, &lt;span&gt;1993&lt;/span&gt;, &lt;span&gt;1995&lt;/span&gt;). The European bee-eater &lt;i&gt;Merops apiaster&lt;/i&gt;, an aerial-foraging insectivorous bird, breeds gregariously by digging tunnel nests at a sufficient depth underground to mitigate the impact of surface temperature (Casas-Crivillé &amp; Valera, &lt;span&gt;2005&lt;/span&gt;; White et al., &lt;span&gt;1978&lt;/span&gt;). Additionally, substrate quality is crucial, requiring soils that are soft enough to be excavated yet firm enough to prevent nest collapse (Heneberg &amp; Šimeček, &lt;span&gt;2004&lt;/span&gt;; White et al., &lt;span&gt;1978&lt;/span&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Doñana is located in the SW of the Iberian Peninsula (Figure 1a) and is mainly composed of two large flat environments: a seasonal freshwater marshland on clayey soils and an extensive system of eolian dune fields hosting Mediterranean woodlands and scrublands (Valverde, &lt;span&gt;1963&lt;/span&gt;). This area includes Doñana National Park, where the European bee-eater has historically been a common nester along the ecotone between marshes and eolian dune fields (locally known as &lt;i&gt;La Vera&lt;/i&gt;), on sandy islands within the marshes, and occasionally in other locations, such as the bottom of dry seasonal ponds (Valverde, &lt;span&gt;1960&lt;/span&gt;; Figure 1b). In all these environments, the mixture of sandy and clay soils provides a suitable substrate for nest excavation. Historical records in the field notebooks of Doñana's ornithologists report bee-eater breeding colonies in the National Park and two Special Protection Areas (known as &lt;i&gt;El Acebuche&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;La Rocina&lt;/i&gt;). During the 30-year period between 1970 and 1999, 17 colonies (ca. 77% of the colonies) and 1543 nests (ca. 87%) were recorded in the ecotone. Interestingly, only one colony was reported in 1993 on a roadside in &lt;i&gt;La Rocina&lt;/i&gt;, with approximately 40 nests, representing 2% of the nests recorded in the historical data set (Figures 1b and 2).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Only more recently (in the year 2000), 56 nests were reported for the first time along the verges of the Palace Road, a gravel road leading to the Palace of Doñana, and bee-eaters have continued to breed there every year since then (Figures 1b–d and 3). In the following years, bee-eaters also started nesting increasingly along the verges of other roads, many outside the National Park (Figure 1e). Nesting on roadsides is not entirely novel for this species; however, most records in the scientific literature refer to anecdotal observations (Gyurácz et al., &lt;span&gt;2013&lt;/span&gt;; Urbán et al., &lt;span&gt;2013&lt;/span&gt;). The aim of this note is to describe this change in nest-site selection, suggest possible causes, and discuss the implications for bee-eater populations.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In 2011, 2016, and 2022, we carried out three complete censuses of bee-eater active nests across the ecotone and the eolian dune fields (Figure 1c–e). Within the National Park and the Special Protection Area","PeriodicalId":11484,"journal":{"name":"Ecology","volume":"106 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecy.70125","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144273367","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A peculiar coral formation in the Mediterranean Sea, and its associated biota","authors":"Roberto Arrigoni,&nbsp;Elena Desiderà,&nbsp;Simone Bava,&nbsp;Carla Morri,&nbsp;Carlo Nike Bianchi,&nbsp;Paolo Guidetti","doi":"10.1002/ecy.70097","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.70097","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Zooxanthellate hermatypic corals grow mainly in the tropical belt, but flourishing coral communities may also occur in marginal areas such as subtropical or warm-temperate seas (Benzoni et al., &lt;span&gt;2003&lt;/span&gt;, and references therein). In the Mediterranean Sea, the world's largest warm-temperate sea, the endemic, colonial, and zooxanthellate scleractinian coral &lt;i&gt;Cladocora caespitosa&lt;/i&gt; builds reefs, with growth rates exceeding 5 mm year&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt; and calcification rates reaching 1.7 kg CaCO&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; m&lt;sup&gt;−2&lt;/sup&gt; year&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt;, similar to many tropical reef corals (Anderson et al., &lt;span&gt;2017&lt;/span&gt;; Morri et al., &lt;span&gt;2000&lt;/span&gt;). Fossils of reefs formed by this species are known from warmer climatic phases of the Quaternary (Aguirre &amp; Jiménez, &lt;span&gt;1998&lt;/span&gt;; Peirano et al., &lt;span&gt;1998&lt;/span&gt;). Today, colonies may occur in isolation or as free-living nodules (coralliths), but when abundant, they may form beds made up of numerous sub-spherical colonies in dense populations or banks, that is, large structures reaching several decimeters high and covering areas of several square meters (see Bianchi et al., &lt;span&gt;2021&lt;/span&gt;, for a recent synthesis; a list of key references on these formations and their ecology is provided in Appendix S1: Section S1).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Here, we report on a novel type of large living formation of &lt;i&gt;C. caespitosa&lt;/i&gt; found at Torre delle Stelle (39.141143° N, 9.401533° E), off southeastern Sardinia (Italy, western Mediterranean Sea), about 1 km outside the western border of the Capo Carbonara Marine Protected Area. The bioconstruction occurs at the entrance of a bay characterized by a relatively flat sandy bottom, large granitic boulders, and &lt;i&gt;Posidonia oceanica&lt;/i&gt; meadows. Unlike the four above-mentioned coral formation types (isolated colonies, free-living coralliths, beds, and banks), which all develop on horizontal to gently sloping substrates, the present formation has developed on a vertical wall, with colonies growing outward in parallel. Smaller similar bioconstructions on vertical substrata were described from the Columbretes Islands, Spain (Kersting &amp; Linares, &lt;span&gt;2012&lt;/span&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This peculiar coral formation is located about 25 m from the shoreline, starting on the top of a massive granite rock at 7.7 m depth and developing down to 9.8 m depth. Its maximum horizontal and vertical axes reach ~2.7 and 2.1 m, respectively, with ~0.4 m maximum thickness. The formation covers &gt;5 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; and features a complex three-dimensional structure (Figure 1). The bioconstruction health status is relatively good, except for old necrosis signs on the top of the formation (Figure 1a) and a few localized small areas with recent necrosis, dwindled polyps, budding, or encrusted dead corallites (Appendix S1: Figure S1).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The formation has a regular periodic pattern of subequal horizontal ledges of increasing width, formed by bracket-like sub-horizontal colonies that grow outward parall","PeriodicalId":11484,"journal":{"name":"Ecology","volume":"106 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecy.70097","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144273202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How effective are insect aposematism and Batesian mimicry in deterring a wild avian predator?","authors":"Marta Skowron Volponi,&nbsp;Leonardo Dapporto,&nbsp;Luca P. Casacci,&nbsp;Francesca Barbero,&nbsp;Elena Chiesa,&nbsp;Paolo Volponi","doi":"10.1002/ecy.70135","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.70135","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Batesian mimicry manifests in amazing forms, yet empirical studies quantifying its efficiency in nature are virtually absent. Lepidopterans include striking mimics of aposematic hymenopterans. Imitations may include not only visual components, but also acoustic and chemical signaling. We evaluated whether hymenopteran-mimicking clearwing moths (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) and diurnal hawkmoths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) complement visual anti-predator signaling with acoustical mimicry. Through field-based experiments, we then compared the response of an avian predator, the European robin (<i>Erithacus rubecula</i>), to hymenopteran models and their lepidopteran mimics. Our work contradicts the assumption that aposematism and Batesian mimicry provide generalized protection to insects, paving the way for comparative studies involving a broader range of predators. We verified two predictions: (1) robins discriminate among different models based on their perceived risk, with avoidance behavior occurring in response to more harmful stimuli; (2) predators respond similarly within each studied pair of model and mimic. We demonstrated a clear distinction in the reaction of robins to the hornet <i>Vespa crabro</i> and its mimic, the hornet clearwing <i>Sesia apiformis</i>, in comparison to all other tested species, strongly indicating that the presence of the hornet and hornet mimic deterred the birds.</p>","PeriodicalId":11484,"journal":{"name":"Ecology","volume":"106 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144273203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Parasites and investment to host inflorescences in a fig tree–fig wasp mutualism","authors":"Chun Chen,&nbsp;Derek W. Dunn,&nbsp;Lei Shi,&nbsp;Rong Wang,&nbsp;Rui-Wu Wang","doi":"10.1002/ecy.70123","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.70123","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Most mutualisms are parasitized by third-party species that inflict costs to the mutualists. How such parasites affect mechanisms that help maintain mutualism stability is poorly understood, even in well-studied systems. Angiosperm plants tend to invest most resources in tissue that yields high net benefits. In mutualisms with plant hosts, reduction in such investment can function as a key stability-promoting mechanism, such as in fig–wasp mutualisms. Here, uncooperative symbiont wasps that fail to pollinate incur “sanctions” via reduced host investment to unpollinated figs, realized via fig abortion, killing all wasp offspring, or via elevated offspring mortality within unaborted figs. We experimentally exposed host <i>Ficus racemosa</i> figs to parasitic wasps <i>Sycophaga fusca,</i> which convert fig flowers into offspring without benefitting host trees, with or without uncooperative (pollen-free) or cooperative (pollen-laden) symbiont pollinator wasps <i>Ceratosolen fusciceps.</i> Pollen-free <i>C. fusciceps</i> were still able to convert fig flower ovaries into wasp offspring, whereas those naturally pollen laden were prevented from reproducing by experimental manipulation. Independent of the effects of pollination and reproduction by pollinators, increased exposure to <i>S. fusca</i> parasites resulted in reduced rates of fig abortion and gall failure in unaborted figs. Although <i>S. fusca</i> convert flower ovaries that could otherwise become beneficial pollinator offspring or fig seeds into parasite offspring, figs with intermediate levels of parasite exposure received high levels of investment. Our results suggest that <i>S. fusca</i> parasite oviposition/larval activities can result in host trees boosting investment to figs, even when this may counter the tree's interests. We suggest that oviposition/larval activity by these parasites may mimic the biochemical pathways of pollinator gall formation and seed production.</p>","PeriodicalId":11484,"journal":{"name":"Ecology","volume":"106 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144256276","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Moisture and competition constrain ephemeral resource quality for burying beetle reproduction","authors":"Tracie E. Hayes,&nbsp;Léo Lassérès,&nbsp;Louie H. Yang","doi":"10.1002/ecy.70127","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.70127","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Shifts in abiotic factors such as temperature and moisture can change the availability of resources, especially under climate change. Both abiotic and biotic drivers can have profound, rapid effects on species distribution, survival, and reproduction. Little is known about how abiotic factors affect the availability of ephemeral resources. Burying beetles <i>Nicrophorus</i> spp.) are specialist users of ephemeral resources, as their reproduction requires locating, defending, and burying a small carcass. Environmental moisture, such as coastal fog, could change how quickly carcasses dry out. We tested the role of carcass moisture and interspecific competition with a generalist scavenger, <i>Heterosilpha</i> spp., on reproduction by placing pairs of <i>Nicrophorus guttula</i> in field chambers with control and experimentally dehydrated mouse carcasses. Pairs that were given control mouse carcasses were more likely to carry out reproductive behaviors and produce viable offspring than pairs that were given a partially dehydrated mouse. For those pairs that reproduced, competition limited the number of offspring. These results indicate that shifts in abiotic factors under climate change, along with biotic factors like competition, can reduce the availability and quality of ephemeral resource patches for consumers.</p>","PeriodicalId":11484,"journal":{"name":"Ecology","volume":"106 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecy.70127","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144244414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}