Austral Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Carbon Storage Variation of Plantation Forest and Their Management Practices in Amhara, Ethiopia","authors":"Yishak Adgo Kassie,&nbsp;Yirdaw Meride Teshome","doi":"10.1111/aec.70019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70019","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and its potential to alter the climate are currently major global concerns. Forest plants and soil may absorb and retain carbon from the atmosphere, forming significant terrestrial carbon storage. The aims of this study were to estimate the carbon storage variance of <i>Eucalyptus globulus</i> and <i>Cupressus lusitanica</i> species in community and small-scale plantation forests under different management practices in the study area. A systematic sampling technique was used to collect field data. The transect line and the sample plot were positioned at 100 and 50 m, respectively, between them. The diameter at breast height (DBH) and total tree height were measured using a total of 60 plots (10 m × 10 m) from community plantation forests and 30 plots from small-scale plantation forests. The total mean carbon storage of <i>C. lusitanica</i> was 312.2 ± 97.9 t C/ha, and that of <i>E. globulus</i> was 356.1 ± 117.6 t C/ha. This was equivalent to 1146.4 ± 359.2 t C/ha CO2 (g) of <i>C. lusitanica</i> and 1306.9 ± 431.8 t C/ha CO2 (g) of <i>E. globulus</i>. The total mean carbon storage of <i>E. globulus</i> was higher than that of <i>C. lusitanica</i> in all carbon pools, except for litterfall biomass. From the management practices in small-scale plantations, the total mean carbon storage of <i>C. lusitanica</i> and <i>E. globulus</i> was 120.5 ± 37.5 t C/ha and 130.5 ± 40.8 t C/ha, respectively. This was equivalent to 442.2 ± 137.5 and 478.9 ± 149.7 t C/ha of CO2 (g), <i>C. lusitanica</i> and <i>E. globulus</i>, respectively. The results of this study will identify research gaps for future investigations and assist in addressing knowledge gaps for forest managers and organisations committed to providing enough attention to forest conservation.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143117374","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"A Newly Discovered Symbiotic Relationship Between Giant Cowbirds (Molothrus oryzivorus) and South American Tapirs (Tapirus terrestris) in Suriname","authors":"Steve J. Backshall,&nbsp;Christian Dunn,&nbsp;Mark C. Mainwaring","doi":"10.1111/aec.70020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70020","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Interspecific interactions are a common occurrence in nature, and, in some instances, two species form very close associations. Such symbiotic relationships vary, though, in terms of the relative advantages and disadvantages accrued by both species during interspecific interactions. Symbiotic relationships whereby both species benefit are thought to occur between oxpeckers and large mammals in Africa because while oxpeckers benefit by preying upon ticks and blood-sucking flies on the mammal's bodies, the mammals also benefit from the removal of ticks and flies. However, there is also evidence that the interactions between oxpeckers and mammals may not benefit both species because oxpeckers may not significantly reduce the abundance of ticks and may also deliberately keep wounds open, making such interactions harmful for mammals. Here, we respond to calls for further observations to help clarify the nature of such interactions by reporting a newly discovered symbiotic relationship between giant cowbirds (<i>Molothrus oryzivorus</i>) and South American tapirs (<i>Tapirus terrestris</i>) in Suriname. The cowbirds were observed feeding on ticks on the bodies of the tapirs and while it appeared that the tapirs were generally tolerant of the cowbirds, we did observe the tapirs attempting to repel the cowbirds when they appeared to target wounds on their bodies. The interactions we observed therefore appeared to benefit the cowbirds by providing them with prey and while the tapirs benefit from a reduction in tick abundance, the cowbirds did appear to target wounds on their bodies. Consequently, we tentatively conclude that the relationship between giant cowbirds and South American tapirs that we observed was beneficial to the birds and yet potentially harmful to the mammals and so further observations are needed to confirm if such interactions are context dependent. The interactions between giant cowbirds and South American tapirs provide an interesting opportunity to examine the nature of the evolutionary causes and ecological consequences of symbiotic interactions between birds and mammals.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143117373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Forest-Water Ecotones: Flooding Impacts on Ant Species Distribution","authors":"Maria Fernanda Brito de Almeida,&nbsp;Renata Bernardes Faria Campos,&nbsp;Fernanda Vieira da Costa,&nbsp;Ricardo Idelfonso de Campos,&nbsp;Giselle Martins Lourenço,&nbsp;Cinthia Borges da Costa Milanez,&nbsp;Sérvio Pontes Ribeiro","doi":"10.1111/aec.70021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70021","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Natural ecotones between forest and lake-swamp succession impose severe environmental filters for ant fauna, compared to adjacent forest habitats. This filter effect may be more severe for soil than canopy fauna. We tested this hypothesis by investigating the patterns of species occurrence, richness and composition of soil and canopy ants in forest and lake-swamp ecotones in a tropical river basin. We established two transects (250 m) at each site, one placed in the ecotone (i.e., flood zone) and the other inside the adjacent forest. Although upper and lower river basin had totally different ant species composition, the species occurrence, richness and composition distribution between habitats followed a similar pattern for both altitudes. Occurrence of soil ants and species richness was similar between interior and ecotone. The occurrence and species richness of canopy ants were both higher in the ecotones than in the forest interior. Ant species composition was similar between the ecotone and adjacent forest, for both soil and canopy fauna, and the ant species composition was different between seasons (dry and rainy) and between canopy and soil fauna. Most importantly, the environmental filter imposed by the ecotone and its unpredictable habitat conditions favoured fewer but opportunistic species, which drove the higher occurrence in these habitats. The years we studied were particularly dry and had a substantial decrease in lake depth. Hence, the abilities of species to best use unpredictable resources from the natural succession on the new dry grounds might have been defined by omnivorous, opportunistic and numerically dominant ants. The abiotic particularities of forest-water ecotones are important in the temporal dynamics of ant species assemblages. Fluctuations in water dynamics can restrict soil assemblages, but subtle changes in soil flooding also affect canopy fauna and can have unpredictable effects due to intensified variations in seasonal dynamics.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143114099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Drought and Wildfire Legacies Highlight Vulnerability of a Mediterranean Climate-Type Forest","authors":"Nathaniel S. Anderson,&nbsp;Joseph B. Fontaine,&nbsp;Wolfgang Lewandrowski,&nbsp;Lewis Walden,&nbsp;Katinka X. Ruthrof","doi":"10.1111/aec.70011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70011","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Alongside gradual changes in climate, extreme events such as droughts and heatwaves have increased in frequency globally. Together, chronic change and extreme events have been linked to forest die-off, as well as larger, more severe wildfires. Increased disturbance frequency inevitably increases the likelihood of compounding effects, highlighting the importance of understanding forest responses and recovery. This study investigated physiological characteristics of the dominant canopy tree species, <i>Eucalyptus marginata,</i> on sites affected by a drought/heatwave event (2011) and five years later by a wildfire (2016) in southwestern Australia. Using a factorial design of drought vulnerability (sites with high and low vulnerability to drought), and sites that had experienced moderate and high fire severity, physiological measurements including pre-dawn leaf water potential, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll fluorescence, leaf temperature, specific leaf area, and live foliar moisture content were quantified to reveal impacts and potential compound effects on tree function. Measurements were taken during a summer heatwave and typical wet-winter conditions to span periods of high and low stress. High drought vulnerability/ high severity wildfire sites had significantly lower pre-dawn leaf water potentials, and stomatal conductance. Although <i>E. marginata</i> is known to be drought and fire tolerant, this forest stand had visible tree death and canopy contractions (via leaf drop) between summer and winter measurements, suggesting low plant available water in summer approached <i>E. marginata</i>'s threshold for survival in high severity fire sites. Trees on high drought vulnerability sites experienced significantly more stress, but fire severity effects primarily manifested within these sites, measured via decreased specific leaf area and chlorophyll fluorescence. These results reveal interactive, contingent nature of multiple disturbances and their implications for future forest recovery. Monitoring forest health and function is central to developing predictive capacity of forest dynamics and tree responses as extreme events increase in frequency, severity, and scale.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143114100","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Is the Long-Nosed Potoroo a Facultative Arboreal Species?","authors":"David Stephenson,&nbsp;Michael A. Weston,&nbsp;Anthony R. Rendall","doi":"10.1111/aec.70022","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70022","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Arboreality in macropods ranges from fully terrestrial to fully arboreal species, with some functionally arboreal species. Potoroos (Tribe Potoroini) are assumed to be fully terrestrial; however, we document sightings and images of climbing and tree use in long-nosed potoroo (<i>Potorous tridactylus trisulcatus</i>) on French Island, Victoria. Ordination of body mass, head plus body length and tail length of macropods revealed some body forms occurred only in terrestrial species, that overlapped with a zone which also included facultatively arboreal macropods and potoroos, suggesting some degree of arboreality in potoroos could not be excluded based on body form. We conclude that long-nosed potoroos may, in at least some circumstances, climb and forage in trees and propose this could be a foraging strategy, niche exploitation or a predator-avoidance strategy.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143114110","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Using Patterns of Post-Fire Plant Reproduction to Inform Minimum Fire Intervals for Conservation Management in a Fire-Prone Woodland","authors":"Russell G. Miller,&nbsp;Neal J. Enright,&nbsp;David J. Merritt,&nbsp;Ben P. Miller,&nbsp;Joseph B. Fontaine","doi":"10.1111/aec.70023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70023","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The time interval between fires is a critical component of the fire regime that affects plant species persistence in fire-prone ecosystems. Fire intervals that are too short or too long may not support regeneration from seed banks or resprouting. Fire intervals that support adequate regeneration may also vary with other factors such as climate, herbivory, and population structure. Using field data on flowering and canopy seed banks, we modelled post-fire reproduction for woody fire-killed (obligate seeding) and resprouting species under varying rainfall and herbivory along a 35-year fire age chronosequence in Banksia woodlands in southwestern Australia. We found that fire-killed species attained reproductive maturity rapidly after fire with predicted juvenile periods (time to 50% flowering) of 1.5–2.3 years for shrubs and 4 years for trees. Resprouting species had similar juvenile periods to fire-killed species (1–3.5 years for resprouting shrubs, 4.4 years for resprouting trees). Reproduction varied with rainfall and herbivory with juvenile periods at least doubling under low rainfall or high herbivory for some species. Serotinous species produced cones (woody fruits containing seeds) shortly after flowering commenced, with some evidence of seed bank decline in the oldest sites. While reproduction was clearly correlated with time since fire, plant size was a much stronger predictor. Some species form multi-cohort populations which can introduce large variation into post-fire reproductive trajectories, and this should be considered when making decisions about fire intervals that may impact species persistence. This study provides critical information to assess fire interval-related threats for Banksia woodlands and suggests that woody species of these woodlands are generally tolerant of a wide range of fire intervals. Only the slowest-maturing, fire-killed species (<i>Banksia prionotes</i>, Proteaceae) may require fire intervals &gt; 10 years to reduce immaturity risk under the least favourable growing conditions, and this species often occurs in discrete patches in the landscape such that fire management can be tailored accordingly.</p>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"50 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aec.70023","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143112306","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Differences in phenology between non-native C4 grasses and native C3 and C4 grasses in a seasonally dry ecosystem","authors":"Martín Pereyra Almena,&nbsp;Ana E. Ferreras,&nbsp;Melisa A. Giorgis","doi":"10.1111/aec.70017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70017","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Plant species phenology is an important driver of invasions in seasonal climates. The phenology of non-natives is generally uncoupled from that of native species. Grasses cover a large proportion of the land surface and are important invaders around the world. Interestingly, the phenology of native and non-native grasses could be modulated by the different metabolic pathways. We aimed to compare the vegetative and reproductive phenology of invasive C₄ grasses with that of coexisting native C₃ and C₄ grasses and to explore the relationship between phenology and climate. We recorded the onset, duration and synchronicity of vegetative and reproductive phenology (flowering and fruiting) during 1 year. Native C₃ grasses had 50% of their above-ground biomass green earlier and remained in that state for a longer period than non-native and native C₄ grasses. Flowering and fruiting occurred earlier in non-native C₄ grasses than in native C₄ grasses. The flowering period was longer in non-native C₄ than in native C₃ and C₄, with the non-native <i>Melinis repens</i> (Poaceae), a highly invasive species worldwide, accounting for most of the difference. Non-native C₄ tended to exhibit a lower flowering and fruiting synchrony than both native C₃ and C₄ species. Finally, reproductive and vegetative phenology was positively associated with temperature, while precipitation was mostly associated with C₄ species. The uncoupled vegetative phenology observed could be related to differences in metabolism among the studied species, while the uncoupled reproduction between non-native and native C₄ grasses could be due to an advantage in resource use by non-native species. Our work provides the first insight into the possible role of the species origin and metabolic pathways in the vegetative and reproductive phenology of invasive non-native C₄ and native C₃ and C₄ grasses. Finally, we suggest future directions to elucidate these processes.</p>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"49 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142861516","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Post-fire grazing by feral ungulates significantly reduces perennial grass cover in north Australian mesic savannas","authors":"James D. Vincent,&nbsp;Helenna Mihailou,&nbsp;Melanie Massaro","doi":"10.1111/aec.70018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70018","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Since the late 1800s, north Australian savannas have experienced a fundamental shift in grazing pressure, moving from an assemblage of native macropods to introduced ungulates. In contrast to macropods, ungulates have hard hooves, are greater in size and exhibit bulk feeding strategies, resulting in a greater impact on perennial grass cover. However, the response of perennial grasses to ungulate grazing may vary depending on rainfall, soil fertility and fire, as well as ungulate density and feeding behaviour. Interactions between grazing, drought and fire are of particular interest, as climate change is predicted to increase rainfall variability and fire frequency across northern Australia. In this study, we tested for interactions between grazing and drought, as well as fire and grazing, on two vegetation zones surrounding waterholes, through a 5 years fencing exclusion experiment. Despite drought conditions occurring over 2 years of the study, no interaction between grazing and drought was detected. This is most likely due to the relatively low ungulate density present during the study (~1 ungulate/km²). In contrast, after fire was introduced to the study sites, significantly more perennial grass cover was recorded at fenced sites relative to unfenced sites. Due to the study design the cause of change cannot be directly inferred. However, when the potential drivers are considered further (rainfall, soil properties, fire and changes in ungulate density), an interaction between grazing and fire is the most probable cause. Wetland vegetation showed a stronger response to fencing than the surrounding savanna, with this result most likely due to differences in ungulate feeding behaviour between the two vegetation zones. Our findings are important, as fire and ungulate grazing are both widespread across Australia's savannas and reduced perennial grass cover has been linked to increased cat predation on rapidly declining small, native mammal populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"49 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142861515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Prevalence of invasive fish and plants in the winter diet of the rakali (Hydromys chrysogaster)","authors":"Emmalie Sanders,&nbsp;Skye Wassens,&nbsp;James M. Turner,&nbsp;Damian R. Michael","doi":"10.1111/aec.70016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70016","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Understanding the dietary components of a species can help reveal complex ecological interactions within an ecosystem. We analysed the diet of a native semi-aquatic predator, the rakali (<i>Hydromys chrysogaster</i>), to investigate its reported preference for invasive species in a regulated freshwater system. We used faecal metabarcoding analysis to identify key dietary items consumed during winter in the Yanco Creek System of southern New South Wales. While rakali did not display a significant difference in the consumption of invasive and native fish, 79.5% of total fish relative read abundance were invasive. The common carp (<i>Cyprinus carpio</i>) comprised 16.8% of the total diet relative read abundance and was present in 78.6% of samples. Plant matter was present in all samples and over half of the total relative read abundance of the diet. The prevalence of plants in the winter diet of rakali indicates that they are an important dietary supplement when other resources are limited. We show that the prevalence of invasive fish consumed by rakali is likely a result of their greater abundance in the system, rather than a direct preference. Further research is needed to determine the extent to which rakali can control invasive prey populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"49 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142861514","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Enterobacteriaceae community dynamics in sleepy lizards: Richness, prevalence and co-occurrence over time","authors":"Ko-Huan Lee,&nbsp;Michaela D. J. Blyton,&nbsp;Stephanie S. Godfrey,&nbsp;Andrew Sih,&nbsp;Michael G. Gardner,&nbsp;Martin J. Whiting,&nbsp;Stephan T. Leu","doi":"10.1111/aec.70014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70014","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Animal gut microbiomes can be very diverse, and enteric bacteria can profoundly affect the physiology of their host. The gut microbiome can be related to host health and digestion, which ultimately contribute to host body condition. However, we have a limited understanding of the co-occurrence patterns of gut bacteria in their host, and how co-occurrence and bacterial diversity change over time. This notion is especially important to animals living in groups as bacteria can transmit through social interactions. We investigated the co-occurrence patterns of gut bacteria in a lizard host. We repeatedly collected cloacal swabs from 87 sleepy lizards (<i>Tiliqua rugosa</i>) from two different study sites over their activity season. We determined the richness and prevalence of 82 enteric bacterial strains and used a probabilistic model to investigate their co-occurrence. At both study sites, richness and prevalence generally increased over time. We suggest that the lizards acquire strains throughout their activity season by moving through the landscape and inspecting conspecific scats. Lizards continuously tongue-flick while moving, and thereby ingest bacteria when they move through areas where other animals defaecated. Temperature, rainfall and diet change seasonally, influencing lizard activity, and may influence the observed increase in enterobacterial richness and prevalence. Further, albeit with some exceptions, most strain pairs did not occur significantly more often or less often than expected by chance. This finding shows a lack of structured co-occurrence, which may imply that most bacterial strains did not facilitate or inhibit each other. The absence of a co-occurrence pattern could also be driven by random encounters of bacteria shed by other lizards within the habitat. Our results suggest that behaviour (movement patterns, tongue-flicking), activity patterns and environmental factors collectively drive the temporal pattern of the gut bacterial community in sleepy lizards and potentially other wild reptiles.</p>","PeriodicalId":8663,"journal":{"name":"Austral Ecology","volume":"49 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aec.70014","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142861517","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}